(We know, we know. This post is about 2 months overdue. It’s been a hectic couple of months.)

Christmas time always brings with it a collection of family traditions. Some of these are long-standing, like the dinner party at Chuck’s house on Christmas Eve. Some are newer, like the now-standard giant family portrait we take on that night.

Will, Lucy, and their cousin Ty all got matching Christmas jammies, which prompted two separate families to take separate photos in front of separate trees.

Another old tradition is the gathering of Becky’s family (at least the ones in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington) at her parents’ house in Oregon City. The portrait ritual has been ingrained with this crowd for a much longer time.

This year saw the introduction of a novelty: games for the kids! Ken had a ton of fun planning this part of the gathering. First up: a game whose name I don’t know, but involves sticking cotton balls to your nose with whip cream.

Kevin won the cup-stacking competition. No, not that cup stacking, the entry-level version where you just reverse a single stack.

Many M&Ms were sorted by color.

Apparently moving a ginger snap from your forehead into your mouth is a competitive sport. Becky and I won, of course; we’re really good with food.

Sen was a tiny bit too young to take part in these games, but was having a blast anyways. Here he is dancing because of the way this cassette player opens.

Lucy made good use of her time between turns, too.

The actual gift exchange is always a centerpiece. Will and Aiden both received car-building kits, and Aiden elected to open his right then and there, so there was a frenzy of teamwork and craftsmanship.

This Christmas season was really great for us, and we had a ton of fun visiting with all of our family and friends. Here’s hoping all the years to come are even better.