I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s days with your families!
I’m a little late posting about our Christmas, but I thought you still might enjoy seeing a few pictures.
Our day had started early – just after 5:00 am – after 2 hours of clock watching by Isabella and Olivia.
Here’s where they sat waiting, in front of the stove, until they thought it was late enough to wake us up…
When I saw the chairs, it made me wonder what kinds of things they had talked about during that 2 hour wait. 
Before we opened gifts, we turned on the Christmas lights, lit a few candles, and Glenn led us in a family devotion, thanking God for the gift of His Son.
When we were finished opening the gifts, the family room looked like this..
We usually spend several hours at home then, enjoying the gifts and each other, eating a special breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits and some kind of coffee cake. Often there is a little napping….and then we get ready to go to my parents’ house.
We arrived around noon and stayed late – although I don’t remember what time we left for home that night, I do remember that almost everyone was asleep on the way home.
With 29 grandkids, we’ve tried several approaches to gift opening over the years. This year we first opened by family – so all the cousins who made or bought things for the Griffin family presented them with their gifts, and then on down the line. After that, we opened in groups according, mostly, to age, and sometimes gender.
I know this picture looks a little chaotic…but then again, it is probably a good representation of what it was like to be there. 
Lots of people, lots of presents, lots of fun.
Here’s a peek at most (27) of the grandkids..
And then came New Year’s Eve.
We took Colleen’s suggestion and made a balloon drop. It was fast and easy to do – we all stood around for several minutes, blowing up 2 bags of balloons. Then we unrolled a long piece of red tulle I found in the closet, piled the balloons in it, and stitched a long loose stitch with a needle and fishing line.
We hung it from the curtain rod and the cabinet over the fridge.
Oh yes! It was festive!
It looked so calm and peaceful for a few hours, as though waiting patiently and in anticipation.
Until we dropped it at midnight!
We all drank some sparkling white grape juice…
and called it a year!
