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Our small group decided it would be fun to copy what has become quite the trend around Christmas time: ugly sweater parties.

We met for snacks, drinks, an item-from-around-the-house gift exchange, a "People's Choice" award for best sweater, a rousing game of charades and, of course, time to take awkward family photos.

Our gift exchange (some gifts were: Camper's Guide to the Northwest book, a cowboy hat, a teapot trinket that played a dying, high-pitched sound, a cane, a pink dangly thing that we heard would be used to amuse Philip and Andrea's cat, Ophy...):
Charades in action:

My handsome, combed-over husband holding his prize - a sleeping teddy bear. It was a fitting gift since his stylin sweater had a bear on it with the message, "Have a Berry Merry Christmas." Oh the puns...
And the People's Choice Award goes to...
Mike, with his stocking-stitched, snowman face sweater.
Time for awkward family photos...


Good times were had by all.

Christmas Eve, Kent and I flew to Michigan to spend Christmas with my family. It was SO good to see everyone - especially to see and hug my mom to know that she is really ok and is doing well post-chemo and post-reconstructive surgery.

Also, there was SNOW!!! Having grown up in Michigan and having endured many a snowy Christmas, it has been a difficult transition for me going through winters of rain and dreary gray blah-ness. I was starting to go through snow withdraw, so I was glad to get to some of the white stuff. :)

Here's a little run-down of our trip:
- Dec. 24 - We flew in around 10:15pm
- Dec. 25, Christmas Day - We went to church for a morning service and then had our immediate family Christmas party at my mom's that evening.
- Dec. 26 - Kent and I drove to Lansing to celebrate Christmas with his aunt and uncle there as well as his sister, Karla, and her boyfriend, Cody (also from MI).
- Dec. 27 - Christmas party with my dad and step-family at my sister's house.
- Dec.28-Dec. 30 - Fun and relaxation...visiting with family and friends
- Dec. 30 - sweet tree decorating with my nieces and nephews
- Dec. 31, New Year's Eve - getting up super early to eat at the Real Food Cafe in GR with my brother-in-law, Mike at 6:30am; sleep over that night with my nieces at my mom's house. we watched Madagascar II and a part of the Tinkerbell movie and ate monkey bread...mmmm...the girls went to bed and then we woke them up to watch the ball drop (Faith didn't remember it the next morning)
- Jan 1 - catch up on missed sleep, help Sonny and Mike reorganize some coats and put away Christmas decorations as they began remodeling their laundry room
- Jan 2 - leave for WA

Here's my beautiful mom wearing the hat and scarf combo that I knit her for Christmas. I LOVE this color on her.
And here's my brother, Chad, sporting my mom's wig...sexy.
Me and my dad...he's wearing the scarf I knit him for Christmas (so now he doesn't have to wear Jackie's pink one). :)
The Christmas Tree decorating that I set up for the kids (upside down sugar cones, M&Ms, gum drops, green icing and red gel):
Blake (2) finished his in about 3 minutes and then had enough...
Bella (4)...
Faith (7)...

Jared (6)...
Even Uncle Kent got in on the decorating (and eating) action:


The kids had a lot of fun with Uncle Kent. He usually gets to Michigan about once a year so I am sadly there a number of times without him...so the kids had a blast hanging out with him, wrestling with him, and trying to prevent him from sitting on them (I love the look in Faith's eyes in this picture).

It was so good to be there, to see everybody and to have a good chunk of time to just hang out without a bazillion parties to go to. Thankfully I will be there again next week for the Worship Symposium at Calvin College with a co-worker and two students, so I look forward to seeing them again soon!