Spaeth Family Christmas

Call me crazy but I decided to host one last holiday shindig this year at our home. No wait, don't call me crazy....just call me festive! This particular gathering was the Spaeth Family Christmas. It was a low key, pot luck, Dirty Santa kinda day. I'd already taken down all of the Christmas hoopla that was beginning to swallow us whole. I hated to take it down prior to the gathering but figured I ought to while I was on my cleaning kick (more about that in my next post!) Saturday morning I started the day out by doing something totally out of character....I rolled out of bed to my alarm and went for a run with some friends in the 20 some degree weather. Burrrrr. Burrrrr. Burrrr. Savannah, Kate and Christina's company made the run bearable but my joints were frozen solid when we finished. I was eventually glad that I'd kicked off the day in a healthy way and I rode the wave of endorphins on through the rest of the day. It turned out I needed it because I was lying in a heap on the playroom floor by 8:00 that night whining to my sister about body aches and a sore throat. But let's focus on the happy part of the day, shall we? ;)

On Saturday Hal and I took a mid-morning last minute shopping trip prior to my family's arrival. My partner was looking ever so stylish in this get up.....

By the time we got home I had less time than I realized to get everything ready. Hallie was not one bit of help as she had been the night before but was a bit preoccupied by all of the containers of peaches she insisted on eating while I swirled around in the kitchen. Riley set up tables and drinks while I finished with some food prep. Bailey, Spencer and Gman arrived with their yummy contributions around 11:30 and helped me corral Lil Red. G pushed her in her car on the back porch for a good thirty minutes. Apparently they were on their way to find a good fishin' hole because she wouldn't let go of her fishing pole.....

Sis showed up just in time and was my handy dandy assistant in the kitchen....

We had a crowd of twenty and a spread of tasty finger foods. Fried macaroni and cheese rolls, sausage balls, veggie pizza, queso, meatballs, black bean dip, brisket sliders and a table of desserts.....

I'd have to say that this little dude was the cutest guy around that afternoon.....

It was great to catch up with everyone that we don't see near often enough. Hal and Alta sat at the little kid table together and caught up on life. It wasn't long before Hal's sassy mood faded and she was happy to be alive!  A good chunk of playtime with Uncle Spencer really did the trick.....

"Cool dude!"

BFFs

She also spent some quality time with Aunt Alta in the playroom. They walked off hand in hand toward her oasis of fun and I couldn't have timed the slamming of the door any better. Alta was trapped and Hal had a playmate to boss around. Alta didn't mind one bit!

Hal walked up to Peyton while she was finishing her lunch and asked her to "come to my room and play." Peyton was a bit shy at first but soon the two girls were walking hand in hand to her room to play. They had plenty of tea and even had a piano recital.....

Baby Jasper crawled around the corner to see what was going on where the girls were. Hal showed him some of her new gifts and talked in her sweetest baby voice to him. Just precious....

Just look at that face!

Hal was surprised by a few final Christmas gifts that day. She opened up her first full-sized Cabbage Patch doll and a Dora the Explorer place setting. Alta hit the nail on the head with those two gifts!

Our Dirty Santa game didn't get too dirty. But there was plenty of stealing and a few hilarious gift selections. Take Jon's pink scarf and gloves for example.....

Or how bout Bailey and Spencer's giant pair of underwear.....

Around 2:30 it was clear that the lil ones were getting sleepy.....

Catching some zzzzz's on Aunt B's shoulder

"Just kidding!!!!"

Jasper passed out on his sissy's shoulder for a nice snooze....

And Dad was acting so goofy that we thought he might just need a short nap....

This was just after his rendition of "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"

Alta took the two boys to GameStop to pick out a gift and the rest of us hung around and joked around. Everyone headed home around 3:30 or 4:00 but dad and I didn't let anyone out the door before smiling for a family picture.......

All Christmas celebrations have been had. All remnants of decorations have been stored away in the attic. All of my energy is gone. But one thing still remains.....the love of family. I'm so thankful for mine.


We miss you Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Leo, Mom and Eden. <3