Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016! 

My Shug and I woke up late...9:45!   We opened some gifts from each other.  We ate the coffee cake my sister left for us.  Then we went to my sister's family's house.  

Her family always hosts Christmas. 

And she made this drink that was delish with gin and champagne and other good stuff.  I especially like the stir stick, which her husband said was a waste for my drink. (glass too short)  I think I'm going to have to get some of these though.  What a cute way to keep your drink cold...

if it fits in your glass!

For some reason I wasn't on my picture taking game that day.  I didn't get any pictures of food! (gasp!)  So you'll have to visualize. 

And let me say, I love the way she did the time thing this year...
Happy Hour started at 3:30. 

There were drinks and appetizers. 

And we were to eat when everyone arrived.  I loved this idea.
That way the time pressure was off for people that had other family functions to attend. 

Dinner was chicken or beef tacos and burritos, and other Mexican style food. 
And My Shug's favorite "Trent's buffalo chicken dip."

I brought a little craft for the girls, and I tried to keep them busy with it while food was being prepared.  It was an already made pom pom kit of little gnomes to make.

  Total fail.

Best to make your own kits.
So we started playing around with selfies...

My older niece kept saying "we have to do selfies, it's what we do, did you bring your selfie stick?"  Nope (I'm telling you I wasn't on my photo game.)

So we tried anyway....

Then Taylor, my other niece got out her selfie stick

and people started jumping in...

I LOVE IT!
These two (above and below) are my favorite selfie pics! 
Totally unplanned.
Those are the best pictures.

And Joey asked me if he thought Theresa would care if he used this wine glass, that he took off of the wine rack in the dining room.

Goofballs!

I did get a few pics of the gift opening time.

And a picture of my brother and his daughter.

And Mom and Dad.

Here's how our family does gifts....

The younger kids...and I don't think we've determined the age for when the "younger" part stops....but the younger kids get presents from everyone. 

So far the 17 year old, on down to the two year old, get gifts from everyone, including stockings stuffed.

And they go first

Stockings...

Then gifts...

And the rest of us exchange names in October, at the October birthday party.

This little guy was so excited to get this vehicle from his Grandparents.  You can see his hands moving in the picture.  I think he was clapping!

I don't even remember taking this selfie.

Probably because I was paying more attention to my sister, wondering why she is passing out toilet paper to everyone!  Was the food bad? 
But then, she also passed out hats and scarves. 

Ohhhh.....we were playing a game.  We each got a partner and one of us wrapped the other like a snow man.  I kind of think we look more like mummies!  So it might make a good Halloween party game!

Poor Shug...I kept getting dizzy walking circles around him...so he tried turning and kept ripping the paper.... hat doesn't fit....we didn't win....

Did she fall asleep?

Nope....just trying to stand still.

 Definitely looks like a mummy!

AND he had a head start with that hand!

Two of my nieces...

My nephew

Us

Two of my nieces

Parents

Great niece!

 Ok time to clean up the mess! 

Hmmm....you think he does dishes at home?

I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas.

I realize it is pushing mid-January and I'm just now posting Christmas pictures....but the good news is I already posted New Years pictures, so I'll be caught up. 

We've had a pretty laid back two weeks, putting Christmas decorations away and My Shug has started on the upstairs of the house.  I can't tell you how ready I am for this house to be finished, but that's another blog.

One thing I want to leave you with as I finish out this years postings. 

On Christmas Day my brother called a family meeting.  He told us he has prostate cancer.  So please keep him in your prayers.   And I want to say, ladies, urge your husbands to have a PSA test.  It's a simple blood test.   We could go into all of the pros and cons of the false negatives and such, but it's still the simplest way to determine prostate cancer, so do it.  Most of the time it is a slow growing cancer that can be treated successfully, if caught early enough.  It appears his has been caught early enough.

That's it.  On with the New Year!

  Cindy Bee