Fun and games

 We sure like to have fun when our family is all together!  

This is our version of Telestrations.  Everyone gets a stack of papers - the same number as the number of players.  Everyone writes down a phrase of their choosing on page 1.  Phrases like "Eli breaks a window," "The winter solstice," or "Sophie got married and had a child."  Whatever you want.  At Christmas, you could even have people use titles of Christmas songs.

After everyone writes down their phrase, you pass the whole stack and everyone has to draw a picture of that phrase before them.  The whole stack is passed and those people have to write a phrase of what picture they see.  It goes around the circle until it gets back to start.  It is similar to the old fashioned telephone game, except on paper, not whispering in the ear.

Example:  "You're dead wrong" followed by a picture, "I took the road less traveled by - and it got me killed".  And so on.

Sardines is a fun game that is played like hide n seek - only in reverse.  One person hides, and everyone else searches for the hidden person. Whenever a person finds the hidden person, they quietly join them in their hiding spot. Soon, the hidden group starts to look like a bunch of sardines!

Newton-opoly - like Monopoly except like our town.  Does your town have its own monopoly version?

Playdough - you're never too old.

Guess Who game

Coloring, while watching "The Star of Bethlehem"

and crafts

Gingerbread House making

We had an award ceremony with each person commended for their job well done!

Belly laugh

Bubbles

(Thanks to our friend Janelle!)

The teens and Uncle Adam did hide n seek in the woods

Found you!

A presentation by the older grandchildren:  Basically, making fun of the family. 

In Hannah's presentation, she said Papa was a "drug runner".  Nana a photographer for the National Geography, Jason and Mindy are the Illuminati, Tenley and Kaia are really twins, Staci isn't really a blond, Josh is Rich Mullins, Emeri is rich, Eli really did break a window at school, Adam really does love Kobi, Jill did not make the National Honor Society because she is a delinquant, Sophia will never graduate and Claire is a famous You-Tuber.

Sophia had pictures to describe us.

Emeri had a presentation on who would live the longest in an accopolypse.  Ali died first. And she outlives all of us, of course!

Blind Karaoke -  you sing but are not supposed to see the words.  If you don't know it, make it up!

Kara - Japanese word for "empty"

Oke - short for "orchestra"

Photo Roulette - 

you all scatter and try to hide but if someone snaps your photo, you're out.

Even if it is just a part of your head!

Our favorite is Murder in the Dark, a hide n seek in the dark.  If the It finds you and "kills" you, you have to fall down and wait for someone to come across you and hollar "Murder in the Dark!!"  Then you try to solve who the murderer is.  We managed to do a few rounds of this fun game while the little ones were taking a bath.  

Thanks to the family members who shared photos of our fun time together!

The Giving

 

After reading the story of Christmas to the little ones, Santa appeared.

Every year he shows up and hands out the stockings.  Family tradition.  

We weren't sure what Kaia would think.  

Her first time to see Papa Santa!

Papa Santa gives Nana a kiss!

"Papa!  Where were you?  You missed Santa again!"

The stockings were all opened and enjoyed.

"My, what big lips you have, Papa!"

"All the better for kissing you, Nana!"

After stockings were opened, presents were passed out.  

Emeri always was borrowing Sophia's sweatshirt so was given her own.

Papa was given a "Rabbi Starter Kit"!

And this for me!

Tenley could have cared less about opening presents.  She was enjoying Nana's decoration birdie.

But she did like her doggie from Claire!

Such a clever gift!  A personalized Clue game!

It has the rooms in our own home.  The bedrooms in our basement have nicknames, as you can see.  I'm surprised Sophia didn't say "Dead Room" instead of "Ancestor Room".  That's what they call it because "it has pictures of dead people in it!"

A rocking chair lawn chair for the "old" guy.

Claire demonstrated her gift from her parents.

We later wore our matching shirts.

What a fun time of giving!

And of course we thank the Father for His most precious gift to us - His Only Son, who came to the earth to give us life!

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!