We spent Christmas this year in Wynnewood, seeing all the Mahoneys.  I drove the kids down on the morning of 12/23, and Daddy followed on the train in time for dinner.  Uncle Tim and Aunt Liz were able to join us, which meant we got to meet Josie for the first time!  What a cutie.

The next day was Christmas Eve, and time for the traditional Mahoney bowling, lunch, and gift grab.  Here are the kids having some pre-bowling fun with Uncle Fran and Alexis, who’d arrived from Alexandria late the previous night.

And here are all the bowling shots!  Blaine and Sarah both enjoyed using the ramp, and Sarah enjoyed the slippery floors.  The kids also tried air hockey for the first time.  We took some group shots but I don’t have any right now — the crowd included us (4), Mom-Mom, Aunt Molly, Uncle Fran, Alexis, Uncle Tim, Aunt Liz, Josie, Aunt Jane, Uncle Peter, Janer, Daniel, Uncle Hank, Aunt Jean, Kate, Jesse, Sean, Clare, and Moira.

The Wayne Mahoneys hosted for lunch this year, and though Sarah and Blaine didn’t participate in the gift grab they were given some very special presents, including a new panda for Sarah!  He has joined the ranks with her other two pandas, so now they are a trio.  This one she often refers to as “angry panda”.

The kids sat with Clare and Moira for the lunch.

And then we had the gift grab!  I ended up with that Santa food package thing below, and Andrew got a glow-in-the-dark racetrack which the kids love.

That evening, Uncle Fran and Alexis worked on decorating the Christmas tree!  Here’s Fran with one of the oldest ornaments that Doc always used to hang deep in the tree where we kids couldn’t break it.

Christmas morning!  Blaine was so cute, he was clearly thrilled and was yelling, “He came!  St. Nicholas came!”

Blaine had asked Santa for “a fire truck with a ladder and a bucket” and also “my own umbrella”.  We’re not sure Sarah got the concept; she asked Santa to bring her a reindeer.  Santa delivered on all requests!

Sarah also got this cool dollhouse from Mom-Mom.

We took a break from present-opening to load up on sugar with these sticky buns courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa.  Not sure I’ll be making these again…

Then it was back to presents!

Post-presents, everyone was back to work in the kitchen, making the stuffing.  Daddy cooked two turkeys this year, to perfection.  Alexis made sweet potatoes, and Tim and Liz made a bacon-wrapped fig appetizer as well as pumpkin pecan pies.

Uncle Tim and Aunt Liz and Josie arrived mid-afternoon from Liz’s sister’s house.  So, the kids got to open some more presents – a new fire station playset for Blaine and a tricycle for Sarah!  They were thrilled.

We shared Christmas dinner with Mom-Mom, Aunt Molly, Uncle Fran, Alexis, Uncle Tim, Aunt Liz, Josie, Aunt Jane, Uncle Peter, Uncle Tom, Aunt Sue, Maureen, Anthony, Maren, Rafe, Sean (briefly), Uncle John, Aunt Mary K, Brian, Meghan, Ed, Theresa, Kevin, Kathleen, and Paul (28 for dinner).  Here’s Blaine playing with the car track with Maren and Rafe.

Sarah was thrilled to have a “whole piece” of turkey, as she puts it, meaning it was on the bone.  A wing, to be specific.

Thanks so much to Mom-Mom for hosting!  We had a wonderful time catching up with extended family.