A Christmas to Remember

This Christmas was simply wonderful!



To begin with, the Big Guy in the red suit really outdid himself.

We told him to scale things down this year, but despite the budget restrictions, he was really able to deliver. (It helped that my kids seemed content with what they had, and their wish lists were really short.) Each one of them received at least one gift that blew them away. But the gifts weren't really what made Christmas great.

It was time spent with family. I really hit the jackpot in the family department, on both sides. We may have our quirks and issues, but there isn't a soul in both of our families that I don't love spending time with. After having a great time in Idaho with David's family, coming home to see everyone in my family pushed it right over the top. My sister Teri and her family came from California, and my brother Keith and his wife Angie flew in from Michigan. Having the whole family together was the best!

My family had so much fun together. We went skiing, Jordan and Kallai for the first time. I didn't go, because I figured out long ago that I don't enjoy being cold, afraid and out of control... aka skiing, but the boys picked it up very quickly, and had a blast!

The kids played in the snow. Who ever heard of building snowmen and sledding in the middle of the night? That's just what the kids did, though. The California cousins couldn't get enough of the snow during the daylight hours, so they didn't let time of day (or night) stop them.

Teri, Julane and I made crafts! We cut, sanded, nailed and painted our masterpieces. Those in Idaho might recognize the Santas we made. They're knock offs of the one hanging in Carren's house.

We went bowling several times. David got the high score of the family with 171, and some teens at the bowling alley asked him if he was a Professional Bowler. When he said no, they replied, "You should be! You're really good!" (He thought that was funny because 171 is not that great of a score, and not even close to his high score, somewhere in the 260 range.)

We played games. Lots and lots of games. Our new favorite is Yatzee Free For All. It's really fun. It's like Yatzee, except more fast paced and interactive. You try to earn points by rolling dice combinations such as a Full House, but if someone rolls a better Full House than you do, they can steal your points!

We hung out together and enjoyed each other's company. It really was a great Christmas, a Christmas to remember.