Nicholson Fun Family Christmas 2021!!!

We began Christmas Eve night with a Christmas toast to Nick, Keith's dad, whose been in the hospital over Christmas... and then a second toast to Sam, Ellie's boyfriend, for being able to come home from the Marines and joining us for Christmas... The amazing wine we toasted with came from our next door neighbors! (Dave and MaryLou!) Not only do they have an amazing garden and beautiful landscaping, but apparently they make their own wine too!

The big kids all came over and we had such a blast!!! We had appetizers while the girls and I made Turkey/White Bean Chili (Bonnie's amazing recipe!). All the boys played guitar. We put chili on simmer while we went to walk through the Christmas light show up the street. (An annual tradition since we moved here in 2004, 17 years ago). We came back, ate chili, and played "spoons"!

I love surprises! Alex made me shut my eyes before he gave me a gift!

Later, Drew came over and we took the golf cart out and some towels and laid on the golf coarse and star gazed. Except, Tyler and I laid on the top of the golf cart.

My sisters and their families celebrated Christmas Eve together in Woodstock!

Christmas morning we woke up and opened gifts and had a big breakfast, then Keith went to visit his dad in the hospital and the girls and I went to have lunch with my sisters and their families.

Oops! Pants are too small!

Alex and Erika's adorable rescue doggie!

Marge found a new favorite spot!

 

I'm so unbelievably proud of Sarah... She was our guide when we brought Emma home! Her story is unbelievably inspiring!

 Sarah was our guide in China when we brought Emma home. There was so much corruption in that particular province because of the emence poverty. She protected us and spoke out against the injustice and eventually left her homeland for America. She's a smart, and incredibly brave young woman full of integrity! She continued to speak out, until "the powers that be" made lifethreats against her family that remained in China. She eventually married an American, had beautiful twins, and is now an entrepreneur, owning her own real estate company in Nevada! We still keep up with Sarah through Facebook.

2021... Tis the season!

 We started off the season wrapping gifts...

Then Christmas baking... Haystax and Turtles!

Followed by Ellie's 20th Birthday!!! We celebrated our precious daughter-in-law, Hayley's Birthday too! She just turned 30! Two December "decade birthday's" in the family!!! I made Ellie's favorite meal, Chicken and Dumplings and we had 2 ice-cream cakes... Chocolate and Vanilla!

Then today, Ellie had another party to attend with her friends... I think this is the 3rd party this week!

... While Emma had several friends over for a little Christmas Party... They binged on popcorn and movies, then listened to Christmas music while decorating Gingerbread Houses. It was cold, but they all went outside in the brrrrzing weather doing who knows what? Then they came back in to warm up and went upstairs and played Wii - Just Dance. They ended the night swapping gifts...