Ooooopsie! Christmas Party Near-Miss!

On our way home from Jacob's birthday dinner at Buca Di Beppo I received a call from my ex-sister-in-law Denise (Jacob's aunt). We all, David included, had been invited to their family Christmas party on Sunday. My ex's family is pretty fantastic. They always invite the 4 of us to their Christmas parties and Denise calls on me to have lunch with her often. They have always been kind to me. Even though I am no longer married into their family, they know I have their nephew/grandchild and they are great people.



I answer the phone and Denise asks me where we are. "Driving," I reply. I was wondering why she was asking. Then I say "Wait, the party's tomorrow, right?" Nope. The party was Saturday not Sunday. We had just had dinner and were on our way home. We were supposed to bring the garlic bread for Sunday's party! OOOPS!


We drove home, grabbed the ornament exchange gift and Jacob's gift exchange gift and headed back out. We arrived just after everyone had eaten, which was good. That meant Dessert!





Jacob hangs out with his paternal cousins. Counting Jacob, there are nine cousins his age.




After dessert, there was the gift exchange. Everyone gets a name drawn out of a hat that they buy for. There are just too many people in this family to be buying for everyone and they draw names. I wish other families would do the same. HINT HINT POKE POKE

Want to know the sweetest thing? Denise buys for Isabel; Isabel who is Jacob's sister but no relation whatsoever to that side of the family. Isabel sat helping Denise hand out gifts and then, gasp! She got two of her own!





Here she beams as she receives a tin of tattoos. The next gift....




... a humongous Fairy Princess activity set. I could not get her to look at the camera. She was too excited about her gifts.

After all the gifts were exchanged, the ladies went into another room where we had an ornament swap. One of these deals where you get to steal other people's ornaments if you like them. It was funny because Jake's grandpa came in the room to look at all the "ugly ornaments you ladies will lie and say are pretty." He had us laughing. I purchased a beautiful Wedgewood Blue nativity ornament that was a hit. It got chosen once and then stolen the maximum limit of two times, leaving two women pouting.




Isabel tatted herself up, Jake got more Guitar Center gift cards, cash and video games (he got birthday presents from Grandpa and Aunt Denise as well as his gift exchange gift) and then we headed home.



Thanks to my son's family whom I love for all they do.