Joy of Family and Traditions

Our biggest joys and greatest heartbreaks come from the family we were born to and the family we create in life.  It's inevitable. To be real and authentic with others requires risk and vulnerability and that doesn't come without pain...and joy.  Sometimes family changes throughout the years...sometimes it isn't even biological.  We find the tribe that loves and accepts us.  I feel lucky to have this family to spend time with.

I spent a short and early Christmas at my mother's in Northern California.  It was a 12 hour drive each way for us, about a 6 hour drive for one son and his girlfriend and a long flight from the east coast for my other son, daughter and her boyfriend.  A lot of time, money and effort to spend one day together as a family.

One son wasn't able to make it and I felt the deep hole in my heart without him there with us.  I'm hoping to have a picture from the last family photo cropped in just so I can have everyone in it and frame it in my home as daily reminder of these people I adore. There is a perfect spot between my husband and oldest for his head to fit.  Maybe we could crop Bruce, our wonder dog, in too...that would be really awesome.

We ate incredible food, my mom is an amazing cook, including a vast array of our favorite baked goods each year.  She even mailed me my own personal favorite, Matrimonial Bars and Raisin Bars.  

We played silly games.  My oldest brought his play station so we could play Jackbox.tv games with our smart phones, I love the picture of us playing...as we all stare into our phones.

We also attempted an incredibly hard puzzle but left it for mom to finish...we didn't get very far. The assignment was to pick one statement on the puzzle for a 2017 life theme.  Mine was FORGIVE EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD.  I think it is actually my entire life theme.

We played our traditional White Elephant gift game, always a hit to see what people come up with to give.  I got a kitty calendar, my hubby some nice beer glasses.  Gifts ranged from lottery tickets to vodka shots to a mini vaccuum and head-band flashlights as well as others.  My Mormon mom is a good sport with my own families lifestyles that don't always match her own, I think she's just glad we show up.  Champagne at Christmas dinner and beer through out the day was definitely not what I was raised with but is a fun change in my own family traditions...definitely creates an additional way to relax!


We exchanged a few gifts, my daughter got us matching mommy/daughter jammies and I gave away some of my paintings, they have outgrown my office so I picked a few faves that I thought 'fit' each of my children and my mom.  My mom made everyone fleece blankets, she is a domestic goddess for sure.

Then we had a lot of laughs playing DRUNK STONED OR STUPID a silly card game that you admit to being a loser...which I think was the hit of the day!  We played through the whole deck because it was so funny...and fun to get to know each other better as we told stories to go along with admitting we are 'losers'...authentic and real...just the way I like it...lots and lots of laughs.

Some samples of the cards:
#92 CALL DIBS ON PEOPLE AT PARTIES 
#119 USE DADDY'S CREDIT CARD 
#147 SHAME PEOPLE FOR GOING TO BED 
#163 WATCH "PLANET EARTH" FOR 5 HOURS 
#207 TRASH TALK AT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS 

It ended with my mom's traditional Grandma's Oven Pancakes. All in all, it was a great family day with lots of our Christmas traditions.  These are the people I love most in the world, they have shaped my life and will continue to be a part of my heart and soul as long as I live, like it or not.