Christmas Eve

        We had breakfast at the hotel.  It was just the three of us as nobody else showed - which is just as well.  Randy had set the dinner for 4:30 but said we could come earlier if we wanted to (hint, hint) but we had made other plans.  Biff was in need of clothes and Roland said he would take him shopping and invited me to come along.  Oh, there is no way in this world that I spent 22 hours in a car crammed into a pretzel position so that I could go shopping!!!  I declined - several times.  I guess Randy gets his persistence from Roland.

        While Roland and Biff were out shopping, I visited with Bill and Kayla.  Jenna was excited to see and spend time with her cousins.  Randy had called to ask what we were doing and if we were on our way.  It wasn't even 3:00!  The truth of the matter was that he really wanted Roland to cook the dinner. 

        Roland had brought back McDonald's for everybody and we went to the lobby to continue our visit and once again grabbed the games.  We had our food table set up with coloring books and crayons and another table for games - which Kayla and I had attempted to play, but as the boys found the elevators too fascinating to resist, Kayla and I finally took BJ upstairs to continue our visit without the interruption of possibly losing the boys on the wrong floor.  I don't know if the others ever completed the game or not.

        We left the hotel in plenty of time to get there according to Randy but did not arrive until after 5:00 as there were barricades set up for construction and only one lane (which was backed up, I might add) before we could even turn into his neighborhood.  We were the first ones to arrive followed by Bill and Kayla, Biff and Clair and Tony and Rochelle in that order. 

        All of the kids enjoyed playing with the dog, Chief, but neither Kayla nor I appreciated his slobbery toy.  Even Anna was holding it like it was a dead mouse, but did enjoy tossing it to Chief.  Each took a turn throwing the disgusting toy - even Liz, the two-year-old.  There was concern when red splotches appeared on her face.  It's possible that she's allergic to dogs.  Chief was banned to the basement.  No more slobbery toy.

        The menu consisted of eggs and French toast. Claire asked to use the toaster as she is allergic to eggs.  Thus Roland decided to pass out our gifts right then and there.  We had made jelly out of the baco grapes we had picked (see this post).  We only filled 8 jars though we had purchased enough jars to fill 24.  But Roland liked the juice too much and so we had stopped making the jellies.    

        Bill introduced the family to an electronic game that some were already familiar with.  It is called "Quiplash" and is done off computer screen and tablets. It felt like a cross between Balderdash and a reverse Family Feud.  Once again I did not play because I do not have a tablet or smart phone because I cannot seem to work them, but it was fun watching the others play.  I think they played two rounds before we stopped to pass out gifts.

        Roland and I decided to first pass out finger glow sticks to each of the children.  Randy led the families in the song "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" - I don't know why it was picked.  Probably the glow sticks reminded somebody of that song. It was the only song we sang before we exchanged and opened gifts. 

        We all left pretty much at the same time.  We dropped Jenna off with Kayla and Bill who did not have room in their car to take her when they left Randy's house.  Jenna was hoping to open something on Christmas morning, and I knew that Bill and Kayla had something for her.  Also I thought she would probably enjoy the magic of watching others open their presents on Christmas day than to wake up in a hotel room without.