More Christmas

Once again, we had the blessing of spending a whole weekend with family for Christmas.  This time it was my dad's side of the family.  It's a kind of big family, too.

Grandpa and Grandma have six children.  Those six children produced 16 children.  Those sixteen children have thus far produced 18 children.  I think.  It is entirely possible that I missed someone in my rapid head count.

Grandpa is 80+....probably pushing 90 pretty hard....and was able to come again this year.  Grandma is someone that I never was able to meet...she passed away soon after my parents married due to a brain tumor.  The only Grandma I have ever known...Grandpa re-married either right before or right after I was born...is in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimers, or something really close to it.  She wasn't able to come.

Everyone else was here.  Well, not here as in at my house, but here in our area.  Everyone, that is, except one of my cousins who must have had better things to do. 

It was my family's turn to host it this year and they flocked in from several hours away....some from eastern Ohio and some from Northern Indiana. 

We had a ball. 

We had it at the same place as our last 'Christmas' a couple weeks ago.  In a glorified barn.  That has an awesome kitchen, seven bedrooms..several with showers..., several bathrooms besides, game room (ping pong, shuffle board, corn hole, etc.), "living room" with several couches and lazy-boys, and a great big room that is full of tables for meals and card games.

We didn't get a bedroom.  That meant that we had to wait til everyone else went to bed before we had the privelege.  Friday night was only 12:30...but Saturday night was roughly 2:00.  Our children were exhausted. In fact....Monday morning they slept in all the way til 8:30.  Wow. 

We played games.

Bundled Grandpa up til he looked like a mummy....cause he snitched too many sweets from the snack table, causing his blood sugar to sky-rocket (like 450....he's diabetic).

Made home made ice cream.

Held babies.  What a hard-ship.

Lounged on laps.

Opened gifts.

Laughed at Will cause he is so extremely exuberant while opening gifts.

Took pictures.

Ate lots of food.

Tore down the igloo that we built two weeks ago with our 'other' family.

Came home.

Ate some food that didn't consist of sweetness, and fell into bed about 8:30. 

If you do the math, that means that we (the children and I) slept for approximately 12 hours.