Thanks to Pinterest, UNCRAFTY Barb went to work on the fridge...
We were all here on a fun filled Saturday in December, 3 separate little parties around our tree. I should mention that we did it this way this year because the next day was a Packer game and Sarah and Ed were going to head up to Green Bay for it. So squeeze it all in, we did!
We started early with the mature family members, when Uncle Jim, Aunt Connie, Uncle Chuck, Uncle Ed R., and Aunt Nancy joined the rest of us (including my sister and her daughter Emma) for a Christmas brunch (ham, potato pancakes, fresh fruit, deviled eggs, coffee cake, blueberry muffins, bloody marys and mimosas, fresh shrimp, and Christmas cookies. Bob's vest is a white elephant gift and he was a good sport to wear it :-)
Then we had a "big rip" as my mom used to call it of many gifts shared by many to many, most unaware of who gave what because of our crazy tags, such as "To Barb, From Father Murphy", "To Chuck, From a Cubs Fan", "To Pat, From Danica Patrick", "To Bob from Outer Space". We receive some wonderful items and then there are always a few crazy gifts thrown in, like a pair of flask underwear, a large flamingo flag, back scratchers, and bottles of good beverages too. The young members of the family hand out the gifts and it was Charley, Henry and Eli this year, so all of us adults can just sit back and enjoy and visit and open and say thanks!
The second party is with Pat and Emma, our kids and their spouses, the grandchildren and this year Fox joined us (Greg & Liz's new puppy). We have a $30 gift exchange among the adults and the grandchildren receive their gifts. Then we had a light late lunch/early supper of sandwiches and leftovers. This was followed by a little play time with Pat & Emma and the kids, and then after they left, a walk around the neighborhood by most of us to rate the neighborhood lights, except a couple of us stayed back to clean up.
Don't you just want to give each of these Badger fans a big hug?
After bedtime for the grandchildren, then we and our kids and get very cozy, Bob made some B52 shooters, there was some good Scotch circling around the young men, and we had our quiet family Christmas with a $75 gift exchange. It is always very special. I had Ed's name for the third year in a row, and this year I mixed it up a bit and didn't give him all tools :-) Thanks Andy for all of my gifts!
We all felt great, no coughing or sneezing, lots of smiles, too many gifts, and happiness.
