CHRISTMAS WITH THE FAMILY(IES)

CLEANED UP MY HOUSE, PACKED A BAG, PUT ALL I NEEDED FOR A FOUR DAY VISIT NORHT TO MY PARENTS HOUSE (IN MORA) LAST FIRDAY AFTERNOON. UPON MY ARRIVAL MY BROTHERS AND THEIR FAMILIES SHOWED UP AND WE HAD OUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS THAT NIGHT. WE ATE SOME REALLY GOOD MEXICIAN FOOD AND OPENED UP OUR GIFTS. IT'S ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN TO SEE YOUNGSTERS OPEN UP A GIFT AND BE SO EXCITED JUST TO SET IT DOWN AND OPEN UP THE NEXT ONE...MY NEWPHEWS ARE A RIOT TO WATCH. MY HIGHLIGHT GIFT IS A TOSS UP BETWEEN A DVD OR A MOP; THATS RIGHT- A MOP. I GOT A FANCY ONE FOR MY NEW FLOOR IN MY HOUSE. I GUESS I AM SIMPLE TO PLEASE. ENCLOSED IS A PICTURE OF 'US KIDS' (I STILL CALL MY BROTHERS, THEIR WIVES AND MYSELF KIDS...) HAVING A GOOD TIME WITH SOME OF OUR GIFTS. FUNNY. ON VENHUIZEN-VILLE ROAD WE'D CALL EACH OTHER STOBS' FOR LOOKING LIKE THIS. SO- 'STOBS' WE ARE! SATURDAY I SPENT THE DAY ON THE COUCH AND DID NOTHING BUT WATCH MOVIES...IT WAS AWESOME!!!!! CHRISTMAS EVE I HIT THE CANDLE LIGHT SEVICE AT CHURCH, WHICH WAS NICE AND I SAW A REALLY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE FROM HIGH SCHOOL- LANCE DALBEY. ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE OLD FRIENDS! THAT NIGHT THE FAMILY (WHICH ARE AUNTS, UNCLES, COUSINS...AND SO ON) CAME TO MOMS AND DAD'S HOUSE FOR CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP, OYSTER SOUP (YUCK) AND CHILI; AMOUNG OTHER LITTLE SNACKS (LIKE MY AUNT BONNIE'S CHRISTMAS COOKIES). THE GANG PLAYED A VARY LARGE GAME OF POKER, AS YOU CAN SEE. IT WAS A GOOD NIGHT OF FINE DINNING AND CONVERSTATION.


CHRISTMAS DAY WE HEADED TO CHRIS AND CAREY'S (OLDER BROTHER) HOUSE. PRETTY MUCH THIS DAY CONSISTS OF EATING, EATING AND EATING MORE. MY COUSIN JASON AND HIS FAMILY CAME, I DONT SEE THEM VERY OFTEN SO THAT WAS VERY FUN. I EVEN GOT THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW THEIR KIDS ENOUGH FOR THEM TO TRUST ME TO READ THEM A COUPLE BOOKS, WHICH FOR ME IS ALWAYS A BLESSING TO HAVE KIDS SIT ON MY LAP AND SNUGGLING IN. THAT EVENING WE PLAYED MULTIPLE GAMES OF MOFIA...! OVER ALL THE DAY WAS FULL OF FUN...MOSTLY DUE TO BEING SURRONDED BY FAMILY!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST; THIS MORNING I GOT TO SPEND A COUPLE OF HOURS WITH MY GOD-CHILDREN - EMMA AND WILL ANDERSON. OF COURSE, CRAIG HANSEN (THE GOD-FATHER) CAME TOO. WE JUST SAT AROUND AND SOAKED IN THE KIDS AND HOW MUCH THEY HAVE GROWN. RYAN AND DARLA ARE ALWAYS A JOY TO BE AROUND. I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO BE AROUND THEM. BUT- LIKE ALWAYS THE CELEBRATING NEEDS TO STOP AND LIFE NEEDS TO START UP AGAIN. SO I NEED TO DIVE INTO MY CALENDER AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THIS WEEK HOLDS AND WHAT I NEED TO GET DOWN.