Although we usually take our Christmas decorations down on New Year’s Day, we extended our holiday decoration season a few days to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with our girls’ families.

Annette’s birthday was in September and Ted’s birthday was in December. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we haven’t all been together since September, so we started the gift exchange with the celebrants opening their belated birthday gifts. Here’s Annette, opening one of hers.

Dean and I both like the Ghiradelli Christmas peppermint candies, so we give each other a bag of them to enjoy. It’s a predictable gift, but ooh, yummy!

Kathy received a highly recommended book from Kari.

Ted didn’t read the gift tag, so he opened a game that Dean gave to me. (I’ll share it with Ted.) After everyone went home, I checked out the rules, and it looks like it’s easy to play. I think we’ll have fun trying it out the next time we get together.

I unwrapped another recommended book from Kari and Dean, a Barnes & Noble gift card, and a silky red scarf from Kathy and Annette.

We all laughed out loud when I showed the group this gift card from Kari and Dean. Wow! I received three B & N gift cards this Christmas! I’m looking forward to an afternoon of browsing at the bookstore!

We kept dinner simple. Theo works at a locally owned pizza restaurant, so he helped Kari and me prepare pizzas for dinner. We all like pizza, and it was an easy meal, with Christmas candy and cookies for snacks and dessert.

Here’s our dinner group, enjoying the pizzas.

While we were visiting and catching up with each other, we learned that Annette has never seen When Harry Met Sally. We all wanted to watch it, so Ted booted up our DVD, and we enjoyed margaritas from Kathy and Annette while we watched the movie. Now Annette knows why everyone loves the line, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

The following afternoon, Kathy and Annette went back home, and Kari’s family was either working or involved with other activities. We’re looking forward to our next gathering–probably to celebrate the five spring birthdays in our group.

Jeff and La were here in early November, we spent Christmas with Thom’s family, and our two girls’ families were here for New Year’s Eve and Day. We saw all of our children within seven weeks–a rarity. Now the kids are back in their own homes, and Ted and I have warm memories of this year’s holiday season.

Note: The little Lego snowman on the table was my gift from Thom this year for our traditional Christmas Lego exchange.