Lest you forget this blog is my journal, which means I have to document everything we did. So if you skip this post I won't be offended...
My brother Ben came up from Oregon to hang out for a week.
In his free time, he is a wrestling coach so he ordered a little hat for Max. It says "Buckaroo Wrestling" on it. Some babies couldn't rock a hat like that, but Maxo sure can.
The weather caused some delays in his work so we got to have lots of "Tio Ben" time. (more on that later) My two other brothers, got stuck in Portland because of the bad roads so we missed them. My mom and step-dad Joe made it safely on Christmas Eve just in time for dinner at my sisters. She made her traditional Chicken Chowder and homemade rolls. I forgot to take pictures, but it was yummy.
This was the first time my mom got to meet Camden. They hit it off pretty well.
This year I decided it was the year to begin the ever so popular "Navity Re-inactment". For our first year we did pretty well.
Our Angels...Eden and Tessa
The Shepherds...Mari, Maya and G.
The Inn Keeper...Mom. Joseph...Aric and Mary...Olivia
Camden...the cutest baby Jesus ever!
The Three Wise Men...Papa Joe, Tio Ben and G.
Maya as King Herod...
The Wise Men delivering their gifts...
Our cast all together...Mom was also the star.
I was the narrator and Ev was in charge of pictures and video.
Then we had "The Cousin Gift Exchange". Each year the cousins draw names for gifts and on Christmas Eve they exchange them.
Last but not least we have "The Aric and Evelynne Exchange". This little tradition began about five years ago when Ev bought Aric a very festive, very vintage tie for Christmas. Aric got her a fancy/ugly Christmas pin. And so the tradition began...every year they wear their past gifts and continue to share the love.
This year Aric got a Christmas Kitty ornament, with real wiskers and dangly knees. A break from the traditional tacky accessories.
Ev got another beautiful piece of jewelry that she gets to proudly wear. This picture doesn't do them justice. The Santa has some fierce eyebrows and he is saying "Ho, Ho, Ho!"
It was a fun night and we made it home just in time to sprinkle reindeer oats on the lawn and get into bed. The girls heard Santa's bells ringing just as they were getting into bed, Maya swears she saw his sleigh.
7 comments:
It looks like so much fun! I am glad your mom was able to make it safe. I can't believe that Ben is all grown-up! You have a great family!
Out of all the cast members Papa Joe is my favorite. His outfit is the best!
I love all your Christmas pictures. We did the nativity on Christmas eve too, I just haven't posted the pics yet.
Fun, fun, fun! All the pics are great and everyone looks like they had a blast.
That is a very cute baby Jesus!
Oh, yes! Camden is the perfect baby Jesus!
I love that fierce little finger point that King Herod Maya is giving!
It looks like it was great fun :)
A-hem, Jess just a minor little correction for historical accuracy here - the highly anticipated annual "Ev n Aric tacky Christmas gift exchange" was initiated by me to Aric back in '03. The zany fun started with a handsome gold cowboy hat pin. We all spent Christmas in Pendleton that year, and what could be more appropriate than something cowboyish to commemorate the holiday in the Round-up town. The gift idea itself was inspired by an ongoing tradition Aric grew up with in the Albrecht family, and I wanted him to feel more at home. Aren't I nice and thoughtful?? Anyway thus was born our own little new and slightly varied version of the gift exchange. By the way, has anyone seen the orange Abuelita Tina cat lately??
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