Our Five Ring Circus: Once Upon a Christmas Party

Monday, December 16, 2013

Once Upon a Christmas Party

Once Upon a Time, many years ago (or at least it feels like many!), my friend, Amber, invited us to a Christmas party.

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That party turned into a yearly tradition.  Over the years, our kids have grown, our families have grown, and the number of families attending has grown.

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We look forward to this party every December!  This past Saturday was the big day!

The party was held at Amber's house, and Tracy and I joined her as hosts.  The weather was just lovely.  We all had to strap some skis onto our car tires just to get there.  As we partied, the snow piled up!

We decided to forgo pizza this year and go with a pasta bar instead.  It was a great idea!  We had marinara, meatball sauce, cheese sauce, and chicken alfredo as the toppings. Salad and bread, followed by tons of deserts rounded out the meal!

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After eating, we attempted the group picture.  It was chaotic!  Kids ran off and babies screamed, but a few of them cooperated!

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Something quickly captured all their attention...or should I say someone?

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After all the kids sat on Santa's lap, it was time for him to leave.  Lily was not happy about saying goodbye!

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Luckily, it was time for the grab bag, so that was a good distraction!

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Finally, it was time for the last planned activity...cookie decorating!  The girls took this one over!

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We won't discuss how we later found my Lily and Charlie standing on the table, eating out of frosting containers, and the other Lily frosting her hand.  I wish I had my camera to document that one!

After all the activities were done, and the messes were cleaned up, we got to relax.  The kids ran off to play, the men retreated to the basement, and us women took over the living room couch!

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The kids lasted a long time, but as midnight approached, they began to fall asleep.  Lily fell asleep in Steph's arms, the babies passed out, and even Lexie curled up on the couch and fell asleep!

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We were supposed to spend the night, but I started to get a bad headache.  After midnight, it began to turn into a migraine, despite taking medication.  We ended up leaving around 2 AM to drive home.  We carried the sleeping kids to their beds and Dylan soon fell asleep.

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I took my migraine medication and relaxed in the tub for over an hour.  The last time I looked at the clock before falling asleep, it was 6:00 AM!

This year's party was a fun one!  We were missing a few people, but we're really hoping they can join us next year!

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8 comments:

  1. Love Christmas parties! The girls' read dresses are adorable..love Liams candy cane jams!

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  2. LOVE the idea of a pasta bar!! Looks like you guys had a fabulous time!

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  3. looks like you all had fun. Sad we had to miss

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  4. that looks like the best time!!! I love all the pics!

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  5. WOW! Partying until midnight, I am impressed! I would have never made it that long. Love the girls matching PJs and the Santa visit. Looking forward to bringing 2 kids next year!

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  6. They're all so cute in their Christmas outfits!

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  7. oh my these are precious. Liam fits right in and I love that cute elf shirt!! your kids always have such big smiles!

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  8. Looks like so much fun! We are hoping to start this tradition here in FL, Christmas parties that kept growing when I was a kid are some of my best memories!

    Kate

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