THIS CHRISTMAS: ROUND ONE, BEFORE

This weekend was Christmas: Round One for us, where my three siblings and their families head down from Dallas, Ft. Worth, and beyond for an early Siblings Celebration, so that we can then all be home with our individual families or in-laws on Christmas day. It's been so long since we've had any small ones in the family, we'd forgotten what it was like! This year, not only is our little Goober Bear a rambunctious 2 1/2-year-old, but also my brother now has a couple of grands to add into the mix! Quite a change, let me tell you, but all for the better. Today I will just share with you a few pictures of the calm before the storm.

First to arrive? My nephew Kevin and his wife Goya, who not only left an expectant heifer just to be with us, but also hauled all the necessary equipment and a huge cooler full of shrimp, sausage and crab legs, so they could cook up an old-fashioned Cajun Shrimp Boil for our Christmas feast!

Is it any wonder I love my family so much?