God bless us everyone

Right now, as I write this, the soundtrack from the second Hobbit movie is playing via an Itunes card I receive for Christmas.
Because my sweet middle sister, who drew my name,  went all out on my gift(s) for Christmas, I have new

Rayban wayfarers and new boots on my feet.
I drive with the sun in my face to work in the morning and then back home in the evening. I am thankful for the sunglasses. It is miserably cold and wet outside and has been for a while, now. I am thankful for the boots.

But I am especially thankful for the setting in which I received them.

We had our family Christmas at my middle sister's house.  It was a most pleasant time. My sister and brother-in-law are hospitable hosts.

Though, a couple of members were not able to attend (one was injured and called to say the injury required immediate medical attention and 

one had to work) the rest of us had a lovely time, nonetheless.

The little girl cousins played with a "Frozen" castle set based on the new Disney Movie they both love.

The also played  with a "Doc McStuffins"  kit, a hot ticket item on both their Christmas lists.

After dinner and gifts were opened, they stop their play only when  the boy cousins ran through the play area  with their nerf darts

It was so cold that the kiddos could endure only a brief run on outside riding toys before they came in for cocoa beside a warm fire. There was candy: divinity and aunt bills and there were seeded breads served with vinegars and oils for dipping before and after dinner.

There was no karaoke or chocolate fountain this year; but there was some napping and some basketball watching. There was ham to eat with scalloped potatoes broccoli and rice casserole and escalloped corn.
There were exchange gifts aplenty and opening them was fun, as was watching them be opened. You can get some idea of it all from the collage I've posted. Looking at the pictures what comes to my mind from the Charles Dickens character Tiny Tim in "A Chrismas Carol" ... "God bless us every one."