Hendricks Christmas

Today we celebrated Christmas with the Hendricks clan, it was at St. Mary's School in East Dubuque, it's the perfect spot, just big enough for all of us and there is a gym so the kids can go burn off some energy. But first I started my day off with a Jazzercise class, it felt great. Much needed with all the stress going on at work, that's another story. Then after class I came home to get ready for the Jazzercise Christmas party, yes two parties today, we are exhausted. LOL

Tom and I and the kids all went to the Hendricks Christmas, we sang songs and ate some good food, I think that was the best part, the food. No I actually enjoy the singing and watching uncle Dave play the guitar, he's so good at it. Chris, Kristi and all the boys were there as well, it's always fun having them around. Alec still believes in Santa and he was coming so when the music started he got all excited and wanted to sing, so I sat in the circle with him and sang some good ole Christmas songs. Then Santa finally came and his eyes just lit up, it was priceless. Next year I'll have one of my own and I've been dreaming of this forever!

Here are a few pics right before Santa came:

After Santa left we started out White Elephant gift exchange for the cousins, there were only 6 of us who participated and it was fun, it's always fun with more people but it's still fun. There were some great gifts, I was that last one to go so I got to watch most of the presents get opened. There was lots to choose from, Scarfs, Christmas plates and spreaders, wicker baskets with different magazines in it, Happy Joe's gift certificates with a pizza cutter, Philosophy body wash and lotion with lip gloss - Candy Cane flavor with a pair of socks and a necklace, and something else I can't remember. Well, I stole from my cousin Kris my own gift, the Philosophy body wash and lip gloss with the socks and necklace, I really wanted it when I bought it in Davenport last weekend so I decided to steal it. The necklace was made by my mother-in-law and I've wanted a black and white one, so I thought what the heck. If I didn't get that I would have opened the Happy Joe's item and I would have been happy with that as well, so it was all a win win, everyone seemed to enjoy all the gifts. The men, meaning my dad and his brother-in-laws, they exchanged some meat and different snack items, it was funny, it's a white elephant exchange as well and your not supposed to say who it's from and dad's gift, well it was gift certificate from Cremers and on the envelope he wrote something like "Merry Christmas from Moose" LOL we all busted out laughing.

Here are a few pics of the men's game:

Don't you love seeing Grandma and Grandpa behind everyone, I just love that picture! So after the Men's game the women, mom and her sister-in-laws, they did something a little different probably the way the White Elephant game is supposed to play, they each wrapped something from home, something that they don't use anymore and what they think maybe someone else would like. I don't think I really liked this but it was funny. Mom ended up with her own gift, not that she really wanted it but it was so funny, she wrapped it in a garbage bag, just like she was going to take it out to the trash. LOL She ended with some bird house thing and a flamingo bag, don't ask! Here are a few pics of them:

I didn't get a picture of her gift but you can only imagine. After all that there were a few more gifts, I got one from my Godparents, Jannie and Ken, they got me a $20 gift card to Younkers and a scarf. We helped clean up a little and headed home, it felt like 10:00 at night and it was only 5:30 so we decided to come home let the dog out and head back out to finally go see the new Twilight movie, it starts in 30 minutes so we gotta go.