And a Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas this year was kinda weird without Peter and Kacey. But with the new baby it was best for them to stay home in Eagle Pass. I can't wait to get down there and get my hands on him!

So even though it was only a couple of extra people, without Peter it's pretty low key. We had a great time gathering at mom's house Christmas Eve and just enjoying each others company and eating a fab meal.


I made a sweet potato casserole this year and it was a hit! It was so much a hit that at the end of the night when we all divvy up the leftovers for take home food, I kinda didn't share cause there was only a smidge left - and totally got called out on it. I guess I'm a sweet potato casserole hog in a family of sweet potato casserole lovers. Not a good spot to be in.


Everyone was crafting away too...there were pipe cleaner candy cane necklaces abounding, personalized beaded jingle bell bracelets ringing in the air, a few mini ornament earrings sparkling and freshly painted glass ornaments. Only one was lost to a fall on the tile floor. It was a sensitive subject and I'll have to drop it now. Moving on...


...Jessie and Lindsey! Our two beauties! And two of the best ornament artists around.


Tammy crocheted some of the coolest TCU purple hats and a scarf for the Johnson girls. Alas, our horned frog, David, couldn't be there because TCU was in the Rose Bowl in California and the team flew out a week early to practice and what not. Exciting times!! Congrats TCU and David on the Rose Bowl win!


Here is Connor modeling with his super cool kitten...and Shannon back there with one of the hot Tammy original's on her head!


Raise your hand if you think this would have been SUCH a super good picture until the clown in the back decided to scoot through the back ground. Yeah, me too.


Say what?! A DQ Blizzard maker?! SCORE! I'll take a small Hawaiian Blizzard please, and a small order of tots if you have some back there.


The adults usually partake in some form of a white elephant/gift exchange. It was pretty good this year....meaning not too much junk and more nifty, cool gifts. Although it was a favorite moment when Michael opened the Dale Earnhardt tapestry man-bag.

The laughter did not stop. Sometimes you can't quite explain WHY it's so funny, b/c I'm sure there are many many of you that would love a quality bag such as this, but on Christmas Eve...we were rolling. (I suppose most people would carry it in their hand...but at the point the picture was taken...the man-bag had turned into a Dale Earnhardt apron with holder for manly marinating steak. Good times.)

Then there was the time...hold on, let me get my composure back.

Then there was the time when the only Jewish man in the room opened the sweet Precious Moments Nativity scene. I still don't know who actually brought that for the exchange but let me tell you...Josh sat there trying to play it off, one person giggled - probably not quite sure if it was rude or ok or what - then someone else giggled. Josh is like "huh, thanks". Then we all lost it. You can imagine the scene from there.


Josh could appreciate Joseph's Buzz Lightyear a little more than the manger, I think.

Gigi and her adoring fans checking out some treasures.

Christmas eve ended with kicking and screaming and a brief tour of neighborhood Christmas lights. Just the way we like it.

Christmas day for the Blachly family was utterly relaxing and uneventful. Just the way we like it.

Merry Christmas, y'all!