neustaedter gathering

November 28th was our annual Neustaedter family gather for Christmas.  I look forward to it each year we are able to go.  It is amazing to be blessed with a big, wonderful family.  Sadly, there aren't a whole lot of my cousins still around the area.  But it is still a great time.

The kids manage to have a great time, even if there technically is "nothing to do".  We just meet in a senior centre that doesn't have much going on in it - but it is a great space to run around and have a good time.  Obviously the kids don't have much of a problem finding ways to have fun!

And there is always a lot of good food and treats to have.

I helped my mom out with bringing some of my Christmas stash and throwing together a few table decorations.

We sang a few Christmas carols, as we usually do.  I love singing Christmas carols.  Unfortunately, Kim and I caught a temporarily incurable case of the giggles during one of the songs because of my cousin Paul (I can't even remember what he did now), and I wasted almost the whole sing-a-long acting like a 10 year old school boy reading a book about farts and setting a fine example for my children.  And reinforcing to my uncles and aunts that no, Carla surely has not grown up yet, even though she is almost 45 years old for crying out loud.

But it was really really funny.

Then came the "performances".  Now, back in the day, we sang our for-real Christmas concert songs, or my sister Jann, cousin Mark and I completely geeked out and p r a c t i s e d  a song (Heirloom, by Amy Grant - her first Christmas album…. it's awesome…. can't really be Christmas until you listen to Sleigh ride and Tennessee Christmas by Amy) to perform at our family gathering.  Oh yes we did.  And sang it in the meeting room at Fernwood.  Yup.

Nowadays, our children seem to make up a bunch of kookiness and go on stage and act like fruitcakes. You know - Christmas fruitcakes?  The stuff that everyone throws away?  Yes, you see the similarity….  Anyway, Shandy did sing all verses (she didn't even skip the third verse - Kim and I were noting that when carol singing, the third verse is usually the one that is skipped…. what is up with that anyway?).  I'd tell you what she sang about but she sang rather quickly and quietly so I am not too sure I'd get it right.

Then Lucy went on stage to…, well, to go on stage.  She did end up singing her wetlands song to the tune of Jingle Bells though, so that was fun.  Well, for the Ackermanns at least.  We've had a lot of fun with that song!

Maddy is thoroughly enjoying Lucy's song.

Then all the "medium" girls did some random Christmas play thingy.  I think I understood none of it.  Maybe it is just my bad memory.  Maybe I just blocked it out like other painful things in my past.  Whatever the case, it had something to do with the girls crawling around on the floor,

look up longingly at Brooklyn,

and fall down and die??

Glenda did a lesson for the kids (and everyone) on gratitude.  It was fantastic.  And I even remember it. She is gifted, that one.  And I am grateful for her (boy, looks like I learned the lesson of gratitude, didn't I!!!??)

Then it was time for the gift exchange game.  We did the kids' and the adults' games at the same time so I didn't pay much attention to any fun that they had.

I came away from the gift exchange with a rather nice food scale.  Maddy got herself a $10 gift card for Tim Hortons.  Cade and Lucy each got chocolate - because that is what they needed…. a huge chocolate "two-ney" and Mia got a lego mini-figure, which she gave to Cade, and some candy.  Eric missed the whole thing, being in the fatherland - so he got NOTHING!  Ha.

It is always great to be with my family.  But it is a little sad how so many are so far away.  I guess we were one of those too.  Maybe others will come back sometime too….

Update:
I learned something from Glenda.  She gave the kids post-it notes to write notes about things we were thankful for.  I stuck them on the kids.