The Parties

Oh, the Christmas parties. It's so fun to be with family. You have to admit though, some parties are better than others. On Troy's side, we have a marathon party. It starts at noon (if we get there on time and usually don't) and goes til late, sometimes really late, but tonight it was 7-ish when the girls and I left. Of course, Troy had been gone an hour and a half already to watch the Vegas Bowl with some friends. I did remind him of whos family party it was, but to no avail. Can't blame him, it was the beloved Cougars playing. So, here's how the party goes:

Sledding at a park. We got there late and had missed everybody so we had our own little family time. Very fun!

Yummy pot luck dinner with plenty of fruit salads and of course chocolate cake.

Santa Claus (Grandpa dressed up) comes and showers us all with presents. Definitely one of the highlights. This year the kids got hats and gloves.

The Candy Bar Game (you know the one--the dice, the presents, the gift stealing!!)

And last, but not least, the Pot-holder Game to welcome all newbies to the family.

Whew! And that's it! Not a dull moment. Every child in the house is mesmorized from start to finish. Every parent's head is spinning by nights end. The kids talk about how fun it was on the way home and Mom and Dad hope they all fall asleep before we get there. (Only Emma did tonight and we're hoping it stays that way!)