Christmas post #2 - Schmitz's

Christmas Eve came and went. 

This year we hosted the Schmitz's Christmas gathering at our house in Pleasant Hill.  As is usual when we are going to have a large group of people over, we have snow in the days prior that requires that I have to clean the driveway to at least give folks hope that their vehicles will get up the hill and negotiate the turns.

Not an easy task, but this is where we chose to live...  for some reason...

So the parking was mostly without incident and I think/hope all had a good time and some good food.  We'll be eating leftovers for several days but that's okay with me.

Robby made sure that we won't be eating Grandma Schmitz's dinner rolls as he ate 7 of them last night!!  I figured that it would be a teachable moment on why we don't do that. Turns out the teachable moment happened about 25-30 minutes after roll #7.  :-)

As the day progressed, I had realized that I had forgotten to take pictures so I did a quick run thru of the house and tried to get most of the people in attendance.  I seemed to have missed the 4 Musketeers - Robby, Samuel, Jonah and Caleb.

Go figure.

On to those that I did not miss.

The inimitable Zoe messing around by the dogs crate.  The girls got cute happening all around her!

Again, Zoe makes an appearance sitting with Grandma Elaine.  Uncles Steve and Frank are discussing the finer points of... something.

Steve and Frank are repeat offenders in this photo along with the newly represented uncle Derek, aunt Kristie, and my neice Billie Jo.

Repeat offenders again, Billie Jo (sitting with her hubby, Jason) and aunt Kristie.

Uncles Derek and Vince, aunts Doris and Kathy, along with cousins Tim, Mattie and Michael all around the table with Momma.  Caleb was "helping" me select photos for this post and was VERY concerned that uncle Vince wasn't in any of them.  I reassured him that he was indeed present but he was clearly agitated until I could prove it to him.

Here we have Reagan (sp??) entertaining the masses... the masses being her Mom & Dad (Billie Jo & Jason), aunt Kathy and her uncle Tim sporting a... um...  sporty Hawkeye's shirt!

And the photo that captured the feeling of nearly all of the adults in the house once we were done eating.  Nap time!  Zoe was the only lucky one and uncle Steve was the lucky one that was chosen for the honor of her resting space.

And so we wrap up another year of extended family Christmas gatherings.

Up next, Christmas morning at the Schmitz house.