Christmas all weekend!

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year!  I took Friday off work to sleep in, get some baking done and Mum came over in the afternoon to spend the weekend.  On Saturday, December 23rd, we had 14 at the house for Katie's choice of a "Favorite Foods" Christmas theme dinner - crawfish etouffee, chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, brisket, ham, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin crunch dessert and chocolate pie.  What a wonderful day visiting, eating, and the girls opening their gifts.  Sunday we watched church on the TV, I did my laundry and we relaxed until Christmas Eve service at NHUMC.  It was nice being back at our old church and the service was beautiful, as usual.  Daniel spent the night and we all had a few cocktails and watched a Christmas movie.  Christmas morning we opened presents, had breakfast and Rita came later in the day.  I had cooked enough food to last all weekend and be able to send some home with folks Monday!  What a wonderful weekend it was celebrating Christ's birth, family and love.  And I gave each of the girls a "coupon" for a day with Aunt Elaine next year...SO looking forward to 2018 and getting to spend time with each of them!

Katie ziptied her brother's present to make it quite difficult for him to unwrap!

Even the butter I melted for the pumpkin crunch knew we were going to have a HAPPY Christmas!

Mum licking the pot after I made the chocolate pies...still a kid at heart!

Katie helping in the kitchen as she has done since she was little!!

I added Bailey's to my coffee every morning.  Mum opted to have hers in a separate glass.

Three generations!  Amanda, Rita and Pam. So happy Pam and Norm came in from Colorado to celebrate with us!

Looks like Amanda and Mum were about to fight, but they really weren't!

Lilah, Kaylie, Natalee and Shelby opening their gifts.  LOVE what's going on in the background, too!

Brandon got to carry everything out. He's a champ for taking care of his five girls...:)

Nini doesn't get to see her babies often enough.

This mama and daughter are happy to be together again!

Haley loves Kenneth as long as they are at our house.

LOVE my little girl!!  So happy she'll be around for a while...:)

'Twas the night before Christmas...

This has been set up at Christmastime at NHUMC for as long as I can remember...so beautiful...

Getting her Christmas morning casserole ready for the oven.

Opening stockings.  Daniel is making a Gene Simmons tongue with his Silly Putty.

Katie in charge of handing out presents since she bought most of them!

Daniel realizing how difficult his gift is going to be to open!  Had to open his wire cutters first THEN the zip ties!

FINALLY got his ear buds opened!!

Santa STILL always brings them a toy to play with!

Karen and John got her new sunglasses for the beach in May!

Nana enjoying lunch before opening her gifts.

Daniel finishing the whipped cream after fixing his pie.

Beautiful sunset to end Christmas day...

The cats got their stocking after Haley went home!

Beautiful painting Amanda had the girls make for me for Christmas!  LOVE it!!  Handprints clockwise from top left: Shelby, Kaylie, Natalee and Lilah.  What a wonderful gift!