Seems like I blinked....and suddenly we are here...December 8th! LOL. wasn't it just summer a few months ago? It has not been that long since we were swatting mosquitoes and now .... well now, I'm busy turning on the switches for all of my battery operated candles.
My People!
But Oh, what a weekend we had. My side of the family spent time yesterday celebrating Christmas together... I think there were 31 of us there. We did set aside a time in memory of my youngest brother. My oldest brother and I grabbed our usual siblings photo...one that I will always cherish.
Let's talk food. We had options to choose from. 🍔 Burger plates for all of our classic folks... 🔥 BBQ plates for those who are serious about their food. 🥗 A huge chicken salad bowl for the wholesome eaters...lol And a 🍤 fish and shrimp platter for the seafood lovers. If anyone left hungry, then I would say it was their own fault.
Now...lets talk dessert!! How can you beat a delicious Cookie cake? Cookie cake and bundt mini cakes were big hits. Trista ordered the cookie cake last week. She specifically ordered snow flakes, Christmas trees and for it to have MERRY CHRISTMAS written in the middle.
What did we end up with??
No snow flakes....not the Christmas trees per say..... and HAPPY Christmas instead of "Merry." AND a great big correction. I was so busy...even this morning when I posted this... The cookie DOES have Snowflakes!! Thank you Ginny for pointing the out for me. LOL.. 😂 How did I not notice?
It is easy to get Mildly offended when what you ordered is not what you get.
Guess what? By the time the kiddos (and maybe a few adults) finished with the cookie cake, we quickly realized that none of them probably even paid attention to what was written on it.
So here we are today...sliding into this holiday season (like it's a greased sled on fresh snow)....
As the calendar keeps flipping faster than we can catch it, yesterday reminded me of something simple and sweet...life isn't perfect, but it sure is precious. We can plan the menu, choose the cake, give clear instructions, and still things turn our a little sideways. Yet, somehow, those unexpected twist are where the laughter lives. They become stories we retell with warm hearts and full plates.
At the end of the day, it isn't perfection that makes a holiday...it's the people around it.
Shug...
I think you have it absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteHope you will re-read...I corrected my mistake...This cookie certainly does have snowflakes..lol. my brain must be tired.
DeleteWhat a wonderful way to phrase it: Unexpected twists are where the laughter lives.
ReplyDeleteYes...those unexpected twists. But...my mistake..this cookie cake Does have snowflakes..I just did not pay attention.
DeleteIt's such a wonderful idea to choose a day to all be able to celebrate together. Looks like you made some wonderful memories with your family and enjoyed some wonder food. Thanks for sharing the photos of your special Christmas celebration.
ReplyDeleteWe all enjoyed this gathering. Please notice that the cookie does have snowflakes...my bad!! I didn't even see them.
DeleteHello Dear Friend,
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing all of your family.
We play a white elephant game at our family Christmas too, it is so fun.
LOTS of LAUGHS.
I love, love the cookie cake.
Love the white elephant game... Hey Carla...did you take a close look at the cake...it does have snowflakes...I missed them somehow..lol
DeleteIt looks like an absolutely wonderful time! I love the family photo and also the other pics of people together. The cookie cake is a great idea and it's still cute!
ReplyDeleteLOL...did you notice it does have snowflakes!! I'm a bit late in noticing that.
DeleteWhat a wonderful family you have. And what a party! Love always. ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you so much...you are so sweet..
DeleteSo many people in the photo, yet all of them look so good And it turned out wonderfully! And you look so pretty in your green Christmas sweatshirt! I love the pic of the back of the three girls, what beautiful blonde hair. The cookie cake does have six snowflakes that I counted, and the ornaments on it are gorgeous! It looks so good! Where was this? Because the decorations are amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right Ginny... I was not very observant....I did not even see those snowflakes until you pointed them out to me. LOL..Thank you so much..
DeleteThe people make all the difference, Shug. What a great gathering you had! I know you will treasure those memories for years to come. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right Martha. and in case you didn't notice, the cookie DOES have snow flakes. I didn't even see them... lol
Deletewith that big of a family you must be very merry indeed. I love all the smiles and the 3 little girls made me smile... I thought to cookie was perfect but did wonder at the Happy and just thought someone must be from the UK. Happy might be better than Merry. Merry means revelry, happy means content and happy
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence of your post makes for a perfect moral of the story.
ReplyDeleteTo me, these are the best holiday gatherings. Lots of food, family, fellowship, and fun.
ReplyDeleteOh this looks like the best Christmas celebration ever. I love the photos of all of you and that one of the kiddos playing shows the special family bond going on.
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of you and your honey too.
Enjoy the Moments !!
Love, Sue
That was some Christmas celebration. You had a nice crowd to celebrate with. Boy they sure were off on that cookie although it does look really nice.
ReplyDelete😀 That looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY Christmas to all. That's a very British way to say it.
What an amazing array of good food! I'm afraid I'd have to sample each and every one -- solely to ensure food safely don't-cha know. (Public service announcement, lol) Everyone looks so "merry" ... I love the smiles. And that fabulous fireplace backdrop, too!
ReplyDeleteShug you have it right - it is not about the gifts - it is about the people. What a big large wonderful family you have there. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
ReplyDeletethecontemplativecat here. what a great group of family! You are so blessed. the three little butts were darn cute.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great family photo my dear Friend! You have such a lovely family. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd sounds like it was a wonderful time with amazing food (typos aside). I'm sure no one even noticed as long as it tasted delish. And you're so right about life will never be perfect and it's all about those who matter most. i love the white elephant game. My ex's family always did it and it was a lot of fun. Have a blessed rest of your week! xo
I will be honest, I don't care at all about perfection. It's not on my radar. Life is too short and I like rustic, messy, unexpected and fun. I bet like you mentioned, no one even cared or read it. They just enjoyed the eats. Life is good 🎄❤️
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures Shug. The group one came out great, even with so many people in it. The one of the three little girls made me smile. You have a beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteThe menu sounds wonderful, and even though we usually say Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas is a good wish too, and you all do look happy.
Praying for Sam and that the Lord would give the new ocologist divine wisdom and insight and the ability to think outside the box as he sets up a treatment plan for him.