Once Santa got in the door he found a perfect spot to sit and talk to all the kiddos. Santa is a good friend of my Niece Katie. Katie is a police detective and "Santa" works on the force and actually took time out from work to come and help us make the kids have big smiles! I think he qualifies as a gentle giant of a police officer. His only payment request was a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies...Done!
Gifts were handed out.
The group shot!
Now it was time for the adults to have some fun with gifts! We always do "white elephant" gifts. If you don't know what that is I'll explain. They are a gift that you give from something you have at home that you really want to share....sometimes they are so ugly...sometimes so funny...but all times great fun!
Numbers are given out and each person gets to pick a gift from the pile. If the person with the next number likes any gift that's been given, they can snatch it up and the other person can choose again. You don't want to be #1 because you have no previous choices...but it's sweet to be the last number..as I was this year because you have all the previous gifts to consider grabbing. Which I did!
Sometimes gifts reappear year after year...like these Merry Christmoose velvet shorts! (they also came with moose antlers but I didn't get a pick of those!) I'm sure they will be back next year!
My little Grandniece Alexa was the happy recipient of my contribution. Her Mom picked this out. I'm so happy it found a home other than mine! It's an Elmo doll that plays a rock and roll song...so annoying! Every kid that comes to my house manages to find it and play it non-stop....No more! Yeah! My Nephew may want to kill me in a few days! All in all we had a great time seeing everyone. I took many pics of family and enjoyed eating the great food prepared. I found this sign in my Nieces front hall:
I'm glad I could go home to where my story began. I'm grateful for my wonderful husband who puts up with my Sister and Mom and I always hogging the time and he drives us all over the place and tromps all over stores to help us get what we need. He brings his portable equipment from the office and treats my Mom's bad low back. He also gave me a wonderful gift....a Kindle Fire HD...however, I think he's real motive was to keep me quiet in the car! It worked!
19 comments:
It looks and sounds like great fun.
It is good to get together with family.
cathy
ps How is Donna tell her I think of her often.
Yaya, I love your Family Christmas part II. What fun to have Santa bringing gifts and that white elephant game is so much fun. I enjoy reading your blog because it's always full of family fun.
How sweet of your hubby treating your mom at home. Having a sore lower back is no fun at any age. I hope that the festivities keeps on going right into the new year.
Stay safe and warm and keep us posted.
Hugs, JB
Beautiful! What fun you all had! My husband's family always does a white elephant gift exchange too and it always gets a little ferocious grabbing and switching. Merry Christmas, Kathy!
Beautiful! What fun you all had! My husband's family always does a white elephant gift exchange too and it always gets a little ferocious grabbing and switching. Merry Christmas, Kathy!
A celebration so fun that it required two posts is great! Our family also does the white elephant game and we always have repeat items too. This year Ellie came home with the Bunco game that has been there several times. :)
Those white elephant exchanges are so much fun. We have done that at work for years and there is a tacky ceramic monkey that has been passed around for 17 years. It's an "honor" to be the keeper of the monkey for a year. LOL
Didn't he get you a camera last year to keep you quiet? Crazy guy!
How wonderfully happy. So glad I dropped by. Your photos have cheered me up. Merry Christmas to you!
I love to see little ones together at Christmas. We don't have the little ones anymore and the few that are that age live elsewhere. This year at least there will be one.
Question. I got a Kindle Fire also and I am wondering how you use yours in the car..I can't even go to the other side of the house without losing that Wi signal. ?? Please if you can remember..tell me how you do that.
Hugs,
Mona
Looks like the usual Arend family fun!! The kiddies get cuter each year! That little Alexia has so much hair at that age...so cute! Gotta go read part 1.
Looks like the usual Arend family fun!! The kiddies get cuter each year! That little Alexia has so much hair at that age...so cute! Gotta go read part 1.
Happy Holidays Yaya! I love your posts, full of family fun and good times. There are always lots of smiles! I like that sign you found, as home is truly where our stories begin.
Family and Christmas.
What could be better??
=D
Yaya--your family photos are wonderful-- you can just see the good time that everyone is having! I've enjoyed reading about your gift exchanges-- such fun!!
I wish you and your family the happiest of holidays---
Love
Vicki
How Fun! I loved seeing your pics of family enjoying their time together.
You are going to love your Kindle Fire. I have a Nook Color and I fall to sleep with it at night. lol
Wanted to come by and wish you a Very Merry Christmas.
Love ya
Maggie
Fun stuff. So nice to enjoy each other so much.
Men do ANYTHING to keep us quiet in the car!
Wonderful family celebration, thanks for sharing this. Your home looks so lovely, all decorated for Christmas!
Our extensive family used to play those "white elephant" gift games and other sorts of very creative versions of it but now my siblings have broken off into their own families, our parents unable to attend any grand party so things have gotten a little smaller. However, the games continue...now Grandpa Al (my guy) writes a new trivia game each year and prizes are won by smart people in our group :)
I hope you all have a fabulous time with your family and appreciate every moment of the larger group that will someday be split into smaller units.
Merry Christmas Yaya. All the best to your and your family.
Rick & Jilda
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