Gather Together The Ones You Love

On Saturday, we hosted the annual Sheehan family Christmas party at my house.  Every year, on the Saturday after Christmas, my mom's family - all of her siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles - and a few long-time friends, gather together to share in the joy of Christmas and celebrate each other.  With many of us living out of town, some out of state, and with the chaos of our busy lives, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, not just at Christmas, but all year long.  As far as families go, I think we do a pretty good job of staying in touch, but still, there's always room for more family time!  This party has been a tradition since my mother was little.  My grandmother used to host it when she was living.   I have many fond memories from parties when I was small, and I hope that my children are forming just as many of their own.  Even though it is a lot of work, I still see it as a privilege to host.  I'm blessed to have so many loving and caring people in my life, and every year, even amidst the commotion, I am struck by the joy of having a home full (and I mean FULL) of loved ones.  It's such a wonderful, and predictable, way to reconnect.  

Here are a few pictures from the day (and by a few, I mean a few dozen): 

The kids wanted to play outside in the snow before the party.  

Andrew likes nothing more than to eat the snow.  I sure hope he understands the importance of not eating the yellow stuff!  

Doesn't every child make a snow angel with a bat?  

Santa made his usual appearance, and the kids were awe-struck.  Andrew watched with wonder as Santa doled out each gift.  It was so sweet! 

Special thanks to Kirk for agreeing to be Santa again.  He really does the best job!  And I don't think his boys (on his lap in this pic) had any suspicion that it was their dad behind that beard!  

Eric was thrilled that Santa brought him "A Bug's Life."  It was all he ever wanted! 

Jake is nearly as big as Santa now!  

Nick and Jen asked Santa for a health baby...due in March! 

Megan and Ella

We don't know if Aunt Kathy was happy about the gift, the wine, or just to get the chance to sit on a man's lap!  (Just kidding, Kathy!) 

Mom was sure she was getting coal this year, so she was more than surprised to have her name called! 

I got to be Santa's helper.  Next year, I'm dressing up like an elf.  

Santa had something for everyone, even Pap! 

Betsy and John are hoping there's an all-expense-paid trip to somewhere exotic in that envelope! 

We think Annie got a little too much pleasure from stroking Santa's beard.

Lindsay, Caroline and Kate - cousins (and sisters) bonding over wine...when did these kids get old enough to drink?  

A long time ago - too long to remember when - my Aunt Nora made up a card game, called Tonk (which is basically 31).  It has become a long-standing family tradition to play it every time we get together.  The competition gets pretty steep, and when we have a huge get-together, the prize pot is pretty steep too!  

Erin and Caitlin (my twin cousins) and my sister Megan, pause in their game for a picture.  

My cousin Amy, my mom, my aunt Annie, and my cousin Laurie.  

Betsy, John, Annie and Brian take a break from the crowd and rest on the couch for a bit.  

Laurie and Amy

Hmmm...this guy looks a lot like Santa...and he has a wad of cash!  He's got to be St.Nick's alter-ego! 

On Sunday, I commenced the after-Christmas clean-up.  I got up at 630 and started clearing the debris from the night before as well as taking down all of our Christmas decorations.  By 1, I was done with everything! There's not a drop of Christmas left in this house!  I was so relieved to be done with it all, but I was also a little concerned that I hadn't even peed yet!  I woke up, stumbled down the stairs and started cleaning before my eyes were even fully open!  Don't worry, though, my kidneys appear to be fully functional at this point, and I'm still reveling in the satisfaction of being done with that massive clean-up.  I even wiped down my kitchen cupboards, walls and floorboards!  There's nothing like starting off the new year with a clean home. It makes it so much easier to feel at ease. 

Jake helped Greg with the tree.  He was thrilled to use the saw! 

Half way there...poor thing...it did make me feel bad to watch it be destroyed like that.  

The last of our giant, Griswold tree.  It looks like a Christmas Q-Tip, which is now resting peacefully at the end of our yard, where it will probably stay until April! Oh well, at least it's out of the house! 

Tonight we are going to my brother-in-law's house for a small New Year's Eve celebration, and tomorrow we will spend the day at my in-law's for their annual New Year's Day celebration.  After that, our schedule is clear!  I'm so happy that I was able to spend as much time visiting and celebrating with friends and family this December, but I'm equally as thrilled about getting back onto a regular, and less hectic, schedule.  I purchased the items I will need to do a purification, starting January 2nd.  After a month of steady eating and drinking, I'm ready to clean out my system and get back on track nutritionally and emotionally.  

Wishing each of you a Happy New Year - may you be blessed with love, peace and prosperity in 2013!  

Christmas Day

Our Christmas day was just as packed with family and fun as I imagined it would be!  The boys were up at 430.  Yes, you read that right - 430!  Andrew went back to his room until 630, but Jake was already plopped on the couch in front of the tree, so I let him stay up.  The rest of the family got up around 7, and we were opening gifts by 730.  Greg made us breakfast, and of course my dad brought his sticky buns (I ate three, as I promised myself I would!)  By 12, we all needed a nap.  My sister and her family headed back to Pittsburgh.  My other sister, mom and dad went home, and Greg, the boys and I all slept for about an hour.   We went to Gallitzin around 3 to visit with Greg's family in the evening.  We ate more great food, visited and exchanged gifts.  After the family partying was over, we came home and put the boys to bed.  The band Greg plays with played at the Old Canal Inn on Christmas night.  I went down for a short time with my neighbor, whose husband also plays in the band.  We're groupie wives!    It was a great (and full!) day.  I hope everyone had as great a day as we did, and went to bed feeling as loved and blessed as I did too!  

Here are some pictures from the day ~ proof positive of our adventures! 

One of these things is not like the others. 

I'm pretty sure visions of a loose hamster danced in Sam's head on Christmas Eve!

It's been the tradition since we moved into this house in 2006, that Jake and I are the first to get up.  We sit in front of the tree, and Jake talks my ear off for 2 hours or so, when the rest of the family gets their butts out of bed and join us! Here's Jake, the first to sit in front of the tree for another year! 

Let me explain this picture - I know I wrote about the hamster saga on Facebook, but I'm not sure I shared it on the blog.  Here's the gist - we lost the hamster a few weeks ago, and I thought Jake was going to have a nervous breakdown!  The hamster was missing for over a week.  We set traps and searched the house high and low, but no hamster.  Last Tuesday, Jake came downstairs in the morning, reporting through sobs that the hamster trap was once again empty.  As I was sitting on the couch with him, failing to console a desperately distraught child, I looked across the living room, and there in front of the bookcase, cuddled up next to the cat, was the hamster!  I ran across the room and grabbed it!  I wish I hadn't been so afraid that it was going to get away, because I really should have taken a picture.   Anyway, we found the hamster and returned her to her cage, where she drank for about 10 minutes straight.  How it survived for over a week in my house with no water is beyond me, but I was certainly happy (as was Jake) that she made it back alive.  (I was mostly happy because I didn't want it to start decaying in one of my heating vents just in time for our family gatherings!  Nothing says "Christmas" like the smell of rotting flesh, you know?)  In light of the tragic loss, and subsequent sweet reunion of Lily the hamster, Jacob and Andrew made the doggone rodent a Christmas stocking.  On Christmas Eve, when I went to check on Jacob, I found a note beside his Christmas tree that read: "Dear Santa, I was wondering if you had something small for a little hamster who has tried to be nice for the short time I've known her.  I would be very grateful if you do.  Love, Jacob.  PS Merry Christmas, sorry about the room."  Thank goodness Santa had something in his bag for Lily, the good little hamster that she is!  

I let Jake open his stocking alone.  2 hours is a long time for a kid to wait to open all those gifts! 

Sam got anxious waiting too.  He was literally eating the bows off of the gifts and sticking his head into the gift bags!  I swear he smelled the catnip in the toy we bought him! 

To ease Sam's anxiety, Jake helped him open his gift while we waited too. 

"I knew I smelled catnip under the tree!" 

I think it's safe to say he liked his present.

This was the first year that Ella slept in a house where Santa came.  Every year in the past, she has slept at my mom's house, but Santa always leaves her gifts at my place.  She was so excited to be in the same house as Santa this year! 

"What is that giant puffy thing?" 

Why, it's a sheepskin rug, of course.  Doesn't every 4 year old sheepskin for Christmas?

He loves it! 

So do the other kiddos! 

Opening Ninja Turtles with Mimi.

Matching (almost) Angry Birds sets.

"Hey, Mom...these could make good gloves." 

Giving Dad his "reinbeer." 

Sea Monkeys.  Really.  Does Santa snort crack before he shops?

Transform-n-go Dino ~ Thanks, Aunt Megan! 

Brynn was eager to taste the homemade goodies from Aunt Meghan and Uncle Patrick.

Andrew was not fooled by the Innotab.  No, it's not an iPad, but it's the best I can do for a pre-schooler right now.  Sorry, Buddy.  

An Atari for Jake and Pap

An iPod touch for Jake certainly made him happy! 

Ella, Jake and Pap needed a rest after all that hard work opening gifts! 

Meghan and my dad during breakfast

Once again, we prove that spending thousands of dollars on Christmas gifts is unnecessary.  Give the kids an empty box, and they will make their own fun.  Hope they feel the same about boxes next year as they do now, because Santa is on a budget for next Christmas! 

Jake was in 7th heaven with the iPod and the Furby.  I have to admit, the Furby is pretty cool.  Jacob and Andrew both got Furbies, and they're funny together - they chat just like people!  I am alone in the house this morning, and I actually stopped mopping for about 15 minutes to download the Furby app, feed Andrew's Furby, pet it and watch it dance to music.  Did I just admit that on the Internet???  

For the record, Christmas trees do NOT taste like wintergreen mints! 

The Three Stooges and an iTunes card!  4th grade bliss! 

My nieces, Brooke and Kiersten with their gifts on Christmas evening.  

Greg and the boys at my sister-in-law's house.  

Jake, my nephew Tony, and Andrew chill out on the couch for a while.  

My niece Karissa wanted money for Christmas.  That's fine.  I get it.  At 17, I wanted money too, but money is boring to give.  So I taped 50 one dollar bills together and put them in a tissue box with a note that read, "Don't blow it all in one place."  I thought that was a super cute way to give cash.  She didn't get the joke, though.  I had to explain it to her.  Best part?  My sister-in-law, Renee (wearing pink and black) didn't get it either!  Ah...apparently density runs in the family! 

I think my sister-in-law was trying to subtly say something to my brother-in-law Ryan, with his baby bear gift bag!  

"Are you kidding me?  This is what I always ask for!  Someone finally listened to me!"  

For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me a flat ass (whoopie cushion), a lot of money (kids cash register filled with monopoly money) and bigger boobs (that one doesn't need explaining, does it?)  It was hysterical!  If only it were real...

My mother-in-law, Dale Ann, had to sift through some clues to figure out her gift.  The first clue was an apple.  Followed by a taxi...

Then a playbill from a Broadway show.  Anyone think they know what she got? 

She was given a day trip to NYC to see the show of her choice.  She was thrilled!  What a nice gift! 

That's all for now, folks!  The winter storm has rendered me house ridden today.  Originally, I wanted to get out, run some errands, and get some stuff done, but now I'm actually enjoying the confinement.  I needed to get some stuff done around the house, and it's a wonderful change of pace to be able to do it leisurely instead of cramming it all into small blocks of time.  Let's just hope this snow clears up before I make my day trip to Pittsburgh tomorrow!  I don't want the weather to get in the way of visiting with my friends!  Oh, and I have to get my sister to the airport too!  I'm sure she doesn't want to miss her flight!  Fingers crossed...