Merry Doikmas!!

Tonight was our annual Doikmas celebration. For those of you not in the know, that's the Davidson family celebration of Christmas. We always have it early so that Lynnette, Sam, and Lindley can get to Ft. Worth in time to spend Christmas with the Ogles.

We always have a theme for the meal. This year our theme was "balls." And it was a pretty good one! As you can see in the photo, we had meatballs, sausage balls, couscous, potatoes, blueberries, melon balls (sort of), oranges, peas, rolls, tomatoes, and corn (sort of a stretch there). It was all pretty yummy and everyone found something good to eat! And for dessert? Dippin Dots, of course!

Once we were all through eating, it was time for a usual Davidson tradition - moving furniture around. In this case, I wanted the humongous television in the living room moved a bit. Because it weights 90 tons, it gets stuck and won't budge. But with Sam, Mathieu, and Adam all in the house at one time, they were able to move it. And then move it back when the new position was deemed unacceptable ...

With the preliminaries over, it was time to get down to business (which Everley and Lindley had been sort-of patiently waiting for) - it was time for present opening!!

Naturally we gave the girls one to open first, so they would be entertained. And they were, until the presents starting flying fast and furious. Just about the time one person would open one and say "thanks" to whomever gave it, somebody else was handed one and barely had time to rip it open before someone else was expected to comment on his/her present. It was a wild time with wrapping paper flying and gifts being acknowledged and missing gifts being searched for (two ended up staying at Molly's house but eventually finding their way to their new owners). As for my "make it" gifts this year - they were pretty much nonexistent. Sure, I sewed some t shirts together for a blanket for Molly and seamed up some skirts for Lindley and Everley - and that was it. There simply was no time and even less inspiration this year - for which most of the family was probably grateful!

Anyhow, pretty soon everything had been unwrapped and Lindley's and Everley's mothers were busy trying to assemble the Elsa Lego Castle they had been gifted (the girls, not the mothers). The rest of family was trying to figure out what they were given (and perhaps why). And even though we had our Gift Amnesty Bin (no questions asked), nobody deposited anything in it.

All in all, a pretty good Doikmas!!

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Today is a gift because: great Doikmas celebration; Lindley, Everley, and family time; great gifts for me!