'Tis the Season

What do you get when you pack your whole extended family into a cabin to celebrate Christmas?  Utter chaos!

but in between the chaos, if you pay close enough attention...there's gold!  Like watching your little girl shyly ask her favorite cousin to play beauty pallor...

Or watching your sister-in-law go in for the kiss only to recieve this...

And if you aren't on your game you'll miss the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these bad boys...

And what's a family party that doesn't involve a volume level that is so pronounce that it all blends together to create a constant hum that could lull a little baby to sleep? (and it did...I just don't have a picture of said baby, but trust you me...he's to die for!)

You know it's a family party when all the couches are maxed out. I don't think anymore people could fit on that couch and they MUST be family to stand sitting that close together! 

This family party reaches it's apex when the jolly man himself shows up!  There are squeals of delight balanced by cries for help.  There are secret conversations held just out of reach of a parent's ear between old saint nick and eager children promising to be nice.

Family parties are 50/50 for miss Eden.  She is either a social little butterfly making friends and having a ball or stuck to my leg like a little koala bear.  This year I was happy to find her somewhere in between.  She was timid at first to play and made sure to come get some reassuring hugs from mom but then was off just as quickly chasing kids.

When Santa came she avoided eye contact the whole time but she wasn't about to miss the opportunity to tell him that a BIG buzz was on her docket for Christmas morn.

As soon as her request was made she demanded to get down and put out her hands to receive her gift.  Santa tried to explain that she needed to be nice and he would bring it on Christmas day, but little girl just didn't understand.  She came to me and said "He NOT give me my BIG buzz!" ( guess we have a little more explaining to do).

Ah! Family parties...it just wouldn't be the holiday seasons without them!