Christmas 2011 - "Family Christmas"

I have a really, really big family. Jeff has a regular-sized family. Added together, it's a lot of people to see for Christmas! We love it though... so much food, fun, and festivity!

Our first official Christmas event happened on the 22nd, "Family Christmas" with my parents and sisters. My parents' families both live in the Dallas area, so we always go there for Christmas. Because it's really tough to bring all the gifts to Dallas and find time to open them, we always do a "Family Christmas" with just my immediate family in Houston before leaving for Dallas.

The Christmas tree at my parents' house

This year was interesting because the power randomly went out in the morning (right as the brunch food was about to go in the oven!). We sent my dad and sister to Starbucks (we needed coffee!). Eventually the power came back on, and we were able to get all the food ready (although a bit behind schedule!).

Nothing like Starbucks to add a little holiday cheer to your manger scene... haha!

Mmm, coffee!

(SO excited to put the little quiches in the working-again oven!)

I love Karoline!

The first gift we all opened was matching pajamas! My mom buys us all pajamas every year, and this year was no different. My littlest sister Karoline is finally big enough to wear "adult" sizes, so my mom and sisters and I all had the same ones this year. Dad and Jeff got to be matching as well (just another perk of a daughters-only father finally getting a son-in-law! Haha!).

Yay, pajamas!

Too cute!

All matching! 

We opened gifts to/from my parents and sisters, and this year Jeff and I brought most of our gifts to each other as well.  I got Jeff some new shirts, a new golf bag, a kit for making a trivet out of wine corks, and a fancy watch! Jeff got me a North Face jacket,  a diamond & pearl necklace, a Flip video camera, Love Actually on Blu-Ray, and a batter dispenser for cupcakes!

Modeling his new watch!

Checking out his new golf bag!

We got some wonderful gifts from my parents and sisters... Lion King on Blu-Ray, another Friends DVD (I have 7 seasons now!), double old-fashioned glasses, kitchen goodies, Christmas ornaments, some landscape/gardening tools, and lots of other lovely things!

Jeff and my sisters opening gifts...

Dad got Mom a pretty wall decoration she'd been wanting...

Karoline got one of those twisty hair towels...

Kristen got a super-cute hat...

Mom got a pretty vest...

I got a lovely scarf (brought back from my parents' trip to Italy!)...

I also got a pretty glass bowl with tulips engraved in it!

Mom got a new bracelet from Dad!

After opening gifts, we all went into the kitchen to start getting things ready for dinner! Everyone had a job or two. We got the appetizers done first... Jeff made baked brie with apples and crackers, and my sister made a yummy dip for Fritos.

Haha. Love him.

Dough-wrapped brie, ready for the oven!

Ta-da!

Mmmm!

This photo is a glimpse of what it's like to be married/related to a blogger. At this moment, I'm hovered over the table with the camera saying things like "get some of the cheese with the knife so it looks like its oozing out a little!" and "move that green apple so it isn't blocking the view of everything else!" and Jeff and Kristen are just doing exactly what I said without even asking questions. Haha!

Then there was dinner - ham, potato casserole, rolls, fruit salad, regular salad, and green beans!

Beautiful dinner table!

Then we opened our Christmas crackers (a tradition that started when we lived in England in the early 90's)! Of course, we all had to put on our crowns, read the jokes from the crackers, and play with the whistles we found in them! After the Christmas cracker fun, it was time for dessert: my cranberry apple strudel and vanilla ice cream and my dad's "chocolate surprise."

This photo of my dad cracks me up!

Mmm, strudel!

We had a great day with my family, and we left feeling very blessed and filled with Christmas spirit!

More Christmas recaps to come!