Hanukkah Party

Once the holidays roll round we all look forward to Hollis' annual Hanukkah party. It is so much fun and of course being together with our extended family is just fabulous.

Without a shadow of a doubt the highlight of the party is the gift exchange. Not the gifts that we buy for each other and spend time and love on but the little gifts that we all bring for the gift exchange. There is a $5 limit on gifts and we all go out and find some pretty nutty stuff. All of us are issued a number and one by one we choose a gift. If we don't like it when we open it we can exchange it with anyone that has already chosen one. Sometimes you get something great only to have taken away.

This year I received a game of Pick up Sticks, Rosie received a Harmonica and try as I might to get her to trade it she was not about to and Lily received a chocolate cake made out of washcloths and magnetic strawberries. She also refused to trade. All these fun little gifts are wrapped to attract attention. We even attached little bags of Gelt to the outside of ours to make them even more appealing.

The children have to wait until after dinner to open any gifts and participate in the gift exchange and it makes them so sad. LOL This year after the main course we let them have at it.

Waiting to begin

Trevi loved her gift.
Rosie and her harmonica
Lily's chocolate cake
Joie eyeing her gift rather sceptically


But this is by far my most favourite moment of the night.
Grandma Grace opened her gift and it said, "Sex in the City, LUST' and without a second of hesitation she yelled, I'm keeping it! She didn't even know what it was. Someone had to tell her it was perfume, it was so funny.


We had such a lovely time. It was just so much fun. Hollis' house is like home to us and our home is home to her so we just hang out. No pretences just all of us being us.

More of the fun.

The little ones playing ball....umm, that's not allowed in the house

The big ones playing Wii
Uncle John doing circus tricks with 3 kidlets
Hmm, Richard got some new shades and he wears them well.