For years my dad's family in Arizona has an annual Sheffield Family Christmas Party a week or so before the holiday. We all look forward to catching up with each other, seeing how much our kids have grown, eating yummy homemade soups, salads, and treats. And of course there is the annual "white elephant" gift exchange.
This year we shook things up a bit and switched it to Cousin Laura and Katie's houses which are next door to each other. It was the perfect location and situation with all of our little ones. Laura has four little boys so all the grandbabies LOVED running around their kid-friendly yard playing with all the toys. Then when it was dinner time we wandered back to Katie's house to eat and socialize. I think every single person in the family came for at least part of the time and I know I enjoyed seeing each and every one of them!
Above: Mommy (me) and little E
Above: Mommy (me) and little EBelow: playing outside at Laura's house on their fake grass
Jesse, Kaylin and Grandma S relaxing on the porch swing
Aunt Lori and Zack
Adam, cousin Katie and T
N with her boyfriend T; I was so glad to see Nats again. I think the last time I saw her was last year at our family party and so it was fun to play catch up for a few minutes in between chasing the crazy kids around. N was so sweet to come to the party ON HER BIRTHDAY!
Holly with her little girl, Brooklyn
Adam and Clay (both married my cousins)
Cousin Kevin with Uncle Evan
Some of the Watkins fam: Ashley, Lisa and Danny
When we were outside playing...all Robby wanted to do was to try to fish this shark out of the small pond and to put one of the toy boats in the water. It cracks me up to see how smart and logical his little mind works. I am sure he thought we were all silly for not wanting him to put the boat in the obvious place it belongs...the water :)
(Grandma and Rob-sters)
Miss M found herself another boy buddy at our party. My cousin Laura's second son, , is five years old and became the perfect playmate for Maddie. They spent time rolling together in the grass outside and then she LOVED wrestling indoors with 3 of Laura's boys. I have to admit that she cracks me up with her semi-tomboy self. Maddie has one side of her that is so prissy and girly which includes loving make-up, doing hair, clothing, dresses, jewelry; but then she also has another side of her where she is completely at ease rolling in the mud, wrestling, playing trains, kicking balls around...she is definitely one tough cookie!
Aunt Gail with cousin Laura's baby boy, and Aunt Nancy
Ryan, Ben, Uncle Mike and Scott
Eli sort of has Uncle Ben wrapped around his little finger and he always reserves some of his best giggles for when his Uncle is around. I have to admit that Ben is a great babysitter to my kids and is typically willing to pitch in a hand and help us out when we run into binds with babysitting.
I pretty much love this sweet picture of my dad and little E. My dads looks says it all...he sure loves the grandbabies. Just like he always says, being a grandpa is "awesome." Luv ya daddy!
Every year we do the annual family gift exchange. The past few years we have instituted the "dollar store rule" where all gifts need to be around one dollar in cost. It is fun to see what everyone comes up with for the exchange...I think this year the top picks were "Muscle Lotion," small screwdriver set, and my dad even lucked out with the set of Ensure...yummy! For the little kids we also bring an inexpensive gift for each of them to open and enjoy during the adult gift exchange.
Maddie sure enjoyed her Tinkerbell coloring set and she spend the next 30 minutes absorbed in her artistic world
Robby was sooo excited to have his very own present, and walked around for awhile clutching it like so and showing everyone "my present." Once he finally opened it and found matchbox cars he loved it until he saw that one of the other kids got a train instead. Luckily the other little boy loved Robby's cars as much as Robby loved his train and so we did a little switcheroo and each boy left happy as can be!
Jesse, Kaylin and Grandma S relaxing on the porch swing
Aunt Lori and Zack
Adam, cousin Katie and T
N with her boyfriend T; I was so glad to see Nats again. I think the last time I saw her was last year at our family party and so it was fun to play catch up for a few minutes in between chasing the crazy kids around. N was so sweet to come to the party ON HER BIRTHDAY!
Holly with her little girl, Brooklyn
Adam and Clay (both married my cousins)
Cousin Kevin with Uncle Evan
Some of the Watkins fam: Ashley, Lisa and Danny
When we were outside playing...all Robby wanted to do was to try to fish this shark out of the small pond and to put one of the toy boats in the water. It cracks me up to see how smart and logical his little mind works. I am sure he thought we were all silly for not wanting him to put the boat in the obvious place it belongs...the water :)
(Grandma and Rob-sters)
Miss M found herself another boy buddy at our party. My cousin Laura's second son, , is five years old and became the perfect playmate for Maddie. They spent time rolling together in the grass outside and then she LOVED wrestling indoors with 3 of Laura's boys. I have to admit that she cracks me up with her semi-tomboy self. Maddie has one side of her that is so prissy and girly which includes loving make-up, doing hair, clothing, dresses, jewelry; but then she also has another side of her where she is completely at ease rolling in the mud, wrestling, playing trains, kicking balls around...she is definitely one tough cookie!
Aunt Gail with cousin Laura's baby boy, and Aunt Nancy
Ryan, Ben, Uncle Mike and Scott
Eli sort of has Uncle Ben wrapped around his little finger and he always reserves some of his best giggles for when his Uncle is around. I have to admit that Ben is a great babysitter to my kids and is typically willing to pitch in a hand and help us out when we run into binds with babysitting.
I pretty much love this sweet picture of my dad and little E. My dads looks says it all...he sure loves the grandbabies. Just like he always says, being a grandpa is "awesome." Luv ya daddy!
Every year we do the annual family gift exchange. The past few years we have instituted the "dollar store rule" where all gifts need to be around one dollar in cost. It is fun to see what everyone comes up with for the exchange...I think this year the top picks were "Muscle Lotion," small screwdriver set, and my dad even lucked out with the set of Ensure...yummy! For the little kids we also bring an inexpensive gift for each of them to open and enjoy during the adult gift exchange.
Maddie sure enjoyed her Tinkerbell coloring set and she spend the next 30 minutes absorbed in her artistic world
Robby was sooo excited to have his very own present, and walked around for awhile clutching it like so and showing everyone "my present." Once he finally opened it and found matchbox cars he loved it until he saw that one of the other kids got a train instead. Luckily the other little boy loved Robby's cars as much as Robby loved his train and so we did a little switcheroo and each boy left happy as can be!
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