Okay, I have had a problem getting back into regular updating but hopefully I can get this blog going and keep up. I wanted to finish Christmas and then move into the new year finally. We spent the Christmas holidays with our families in So. Cal. as usual. We missed my sister Amy and her family and my dad but enjoyed those who were there. The girls, Taylor and I drove to Ca. and Ken and Jordan flew due to work. We had a pleasant drive, quick but no car problems.
Many years ago my family and another close friend's family started the tradition of big party Christmas Eve and then family Christmas day. There have been assorted friends to join us but it is steeped in traditions and the festivities go on with the next generation.
This is my parent's house that my sister and her family are living in right now. They did a great job of decorating everything up and making it welcoming for us all. We are still getting used to the fact that my mom isn't here to take charge but I think she did a great job training us all and we are carrying on. There were many times we felt like she was there celebrating with us.
Paige and Cori were helping get the silverware wrapped and ready for the Christmas Eve feast. We had 36 for dinner. Everyone helps out bringing assorted food and we all love the visiting.
Jordan has a recipe for "pink Fluff" salad that calls for seeds from 3 pomegranates so he got the pleasure of getting those prepped.
The table before
I had to put in one picture that shows I was there. Usually I am taking the pictures and forget to show I am part of what we're doing, it's even more rare to get Ken and I together.
Ken got the job of carving the ham. 
A few of many friends and family ready and waiting for the toast to begin.
Everyone has a tray and can enjoy all the great food made by great cooks. One thing that's nice about leftovers, that's dinner Christmas day.
Ken and Lexi filling their plates
Good friends Missy and Wade Torgerson. Her mother Mar Jean and my mother started all this years ago.
After dinner starts the festivities. 1st we have all the kids put on their reindeer antlers and pompom noses and they sing Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer. You have to participate in this until you graduate from high school. Usually the older ones end up carrying the babies.
Next comes the wild dice game. We take pie tins with two die in each. They are passed around the circle with each person rolling the die. If you get doubles you get to take a wrapped present from the pile in the middle of the circle. You keep passing the tins until the buzzer goes off. When the presents in the middle run out you can then steal from someone else. At the end of the game is when we unwrap the presents and see what treasures we got. They are usually things from the dollar spot or 99 c store. It's one of the kids favorites.
My mother's brother Bill, my Aunt MaryJane and their daughters Colleen and Catherine
After the wild times we bring things down and start the quiet part of the evening. The kids have start their cousins choir. They practice songs and come up with a program they present to us. They have done and great job and we all enjoy their hard work.
Last but not least is the acting out of the Nativity story. Everyone gets a part and as the story is read from the Bible the kids come in the living room. We have gotten enough kids that we actually have multiples of some parts. Unfortunately no real baby Jesus. This really helps to remind us of the wonderful reason to celebrate.
I personally really enjoyed having Christmas on Sunday this year. We were able to get together and do stockings in the morning, go to church for a wonderful program and then come home and enjoy the rest of the day together. This is the Santa presents before all the kids got at them.
One of our traditions is all the kids on the stairs before going in and seeing what Santa brought. It's amazing to look at how much we've grown through the years. And we are missing 4 grandkids.
The Torbit kids with their presents from Santa
Our family with Ken's mom ready to go to church.
Christmas gifts-This year I actually followed through on a gift for all my boys. In 2007 Ken, Jordan and Taylor went to Philmont Scout ranch in Cimarron, NM with our scout crew. They had a great time and it was a wonderful memory. I made scrapbooks for each of them of their experience. These are pictures of them opening them. 
my girls with some of their gifts. Lexi with a new rolling duffle.
Paige and her clothes
These are the kids and cousins enjoying some of the presents. Lexi playing Just Dance 3 with Tori and Mackenzie. They were very intent on their dance. This was a routine to the them from Nightmare before Christmas.
The kids spent hours playing Disney headbanz. We have determined that they need add-on packs with a great variety of characters/objects. It's a fun game that we have enjoyed as a family
My nephew Benjamin was too cute with his Cars and racetrack. He spent hours playing and as long as none of the big kids bugged him, he was content. 
We had a great Christmas and enjoyed being together with family.
