Childhood Christmas Parties

When I was little, my mom's annual Christmas party was one of the highlights of the Christmas season. All of my cousins came over, we made homemade root beer and we even got to have a meat tray! Not just any meat tray, a meat tray from R&A Market in Helper, which I still say makes the best salami and capicola in the world (speaking of which, add that to my list of food I am going to have to have while in Utah). Santa even made an appearance now and then.

I scanned these old photos in a while ago and decided to share them. The pictures below have to have been from around 1983 I would guess.

This picture is from a few years later--my cousin Ryan is on the left, my brother Duane is in the middle and my cousin Jason is on the right. I'm not sure what they're doing, but it looks like they're shooting dice. I don't remember gambling going on at the parties, but you never know.

A pinata was always a staple at the party, too. My mom was pretty brave to let us swing a stick inside the house.

My cousin Becca:

Me:
My cousin Kendra:

I still love Christmas, but the anticipation is so much different when you are a kid! I can't wait for Evan to feel the same excitment I always did on the holidays. Bryan and I were talking about Santa last night and he said he never really believed. He said it never added up that Santa could visit EVERY house in EVERY country on EVERY continent all in one night going up and down chimneys. I explained time zones to him, but he said he still didn't believe and asked me how the reindeer could fly. Magic I told him. Plain and simple magic. I also reminded him that if he doesn't believe, Santa won't come. I hope Evan will accept my explanations better than Bryan did.