'Twas the Night Before Christmas and Who Should Arrive?

Our house was abuzz with commotion when my parents, my siblings and their families joined in with Glen, me and our kids for the annual Christmas Eve party.

We did something a little different this year when we included a bridal shower for my niece Kaelyn as part of the activities of the evening.

Lorene had prepared a question game for us to get to know Dennis a little bit better. Too bad Dennis's truck-driving job prevented him from being at the party. He was stuck in bad weather in some other part of the country. Kaelyn guessed at his answers and we'll have to check with him later to see if she got them all correct.

We were hoping that he would be able to make it home for their wedding the following week.

As Kaelyn opened each gift, we had the man of that family give some marital advice to her. It was definitely a different perspective hearing pearls of wisdom from the men instead of the women as we usually do.

We ate our dinner of delicious food everyone had contributed and then got settled for our program.

Amanda and her able assistant, Maggie, had the group play a bridal matching game.

Preston played the saxophone, Rachel played the kazoo, Maggie played the piano and Glen sang a song.

Nani encouraged everyone to participate in a "Minute To Win It" contest to see who could get a gingerbread cookie from forehead to mouth without using hands.

Pretty great entertainment for the audience to see all the face contortions going on. Dad chose to join in from the comfort of his seat on the couch.

After Nani's rousing game, she pulled out the treats--caramels and fudge--to go along with the other good stuff for dessert.

Abe was so sad that he and Klarissa arrived from the airport after dinner and after the program and after all of Nani's holiday ice cream slush drink was gone.

But, they had a different kind of treat waiting for them--Eli Excell. It was the first time they met him.

We were so glad to have the Excell family, the Golden family, and Abe and Klarissa here here for what followed when the party ended.

When Ben called from Malaysia late that evening for his missionary Christmas phone call, we got Jacob on the cell phone and held it up to the home phone and for a few minutes that night, we had all the family together.

Nothing quite like getting a phone call from your missionary to top off an already wonderful evening.