Tacky Sweater Christmas Party

Last night was our annual Christmas party... and it was also my husband's birthday as well as one of the wettest, rainiest nights we've had in years and years. Friends from Clear Lake drove up here for the party to enjoy the night with our friends and neighbors right here. At one point before the party started, the one-road coming into our community was a bit under water from the creek that rises when we have such heavy rains. But everyone made it here with their 'creatively tacky or uniquely ugly' Christmas sweaters.

I had a prize for the man with the best sweater, and for the woman with the best sweater... my husband and I picked out the top three in each category and then everyone else got to vote on their favorites. The winners loved their prizes (a cowboy nutcracker for the men and a bright red twig and crystal tree for the ladies)... and now I'll have to come up with two great prizes for next year's Crazy Christmas Sweater Party because I think we'll be doing this theme again.

We also had a grab-bag... baskets of gifts for the ladies and the men... picking by numbers, stealing gifts or trying (unsuccessfully) to hide gifts so they wouldn't get stolen.  Last year was our first Christmas party with the grab-bag, and this year more people were stealing gifts rather than picking gifts, which added to the fun. I'll be looking around the shops for more gifts for the next Christmas party..... actually, I've already found a few for next year and I've got some leftover gifts from this year. Sooner or later, they'll all get picked.

The rain last night was relentless, at times coming down in sheets and buckets... everyone got wet, there was no way around that and even umbrellas didn't seem to help much.  This afternoon, the sky looks like it's clearing up some, and I hope that means that the rain has moved on.

This morning, we went up to J & J's house for breakfast... our little group on this road had French toast and fruit, and then we baked and decorated sugar cookies.... even the guys got into the decorating. We all kept the prettiest one and ate the 'happy accidents.'  By the time the cookies were all done and wrapped up to take home, the sky had cleared and the rain had quit.

During the party, Savannah was very good and extremely quiet... friends came to the doorway of the breakfast room to day hello to her, but she just looked at everyone from the safety of her bed. She has always been very quiet when we've had company in the house, and between the Halloween Party and the Christmas Party, and our weekly tea parties, Savannah has had a lot of occasions to act up, but she remains docile and quiet to the point of mute. I don't think she has ever barked once when we've had a group of people in the house. I noticed that Savannah is getting more and more relaxed when we have a lot of company... I don't see that she's stressed out from too many people... she's just getting comfortable with the company.

As I type, I could easily shut my eyes and go to sleep... it was a busy few days just before the party, and then I cleaned up after everyone went home last night, and first thing this morning I washed all the hand towels and tablecloths.... and then we went up the road for the breakfast and cookie decorating this morning.

Sometimes there's just not enough hours in the day... and right now, there's not that many days before Christmas.