Hunecke Family Christmas

Christmas has come and gone and I still haven't blogged about our Hunecke Christmas that was December 12th.  I hope to get the blog caught up over this week!  Things are a bit more laid back the next few days.

We take turns hosting every year and this year, it was our turn.  Which was nice (no travel!) and stressful (cleaning, planning, etc).  All went well though once everybody got to our place.  

Everybody arrived at around NOON on Saturday and the last of my family left at 10 AM on Sunday.  It was short and sweet, but a great time.  

Last year we were in Mankato and we had so much fun going to the Kiwanis Light display I was feeling a little bit of pressure to do something super fun for everybody.   My family is loud and crazy and a ton of fun.  We also may be a tad bit competitive.  Because of the reasons mentioned, I spent the week leading up to our Christmas trying to find Christmas-related games that we could play.  

We made it a battle of the sexes sort of thing and kept track of points.  I also made it kid friendly so they could jump in every few games between playing with cousins to participate as well.

 Chaos in the kitchen.

Here are the games we played:

1.  Snowball fight:  We used giant marshmallows and tried to throw them threw the center of a wreath.  Most ‘mallows through the wreath wins.  Sidenote:  I was terrible at this game.  Super terrible.  The men’s team destroyed us at this.

2. Penguin walk: The object is to keep a balloon in-between your legs (walking like a penguin) and you race wherever you decide.  This was harder than it sounded and the kids loved it.

 Things got a tad competitive...

3. Humdinger: Put a minute on the clock.  Put a bunch of different songs into a baggie.  Like the name implies, you hum the Christmas song and whoever guesses it goes to the front to do the next one.  The women’s team completely dominated this game!  It was one of our faves and I was sorry we ran out of songs.

4. Christmas Catchphrase: This was a variety of Christmas stuff like songs or things you during Christmas time and you had a bunch in a baggie and you had to describe them to your team without saying the words on the piece of paper.  A minute on the clock and whoever guessed it right went to the front to describe it.  Another good one.

5. Candy cane relay: This game was hilarious!  Everybody got in a line and had a candy cane in their mouth.  The object was to pass one candy cane to the end of your line and back again using the candy cane like a hook and no hands allowed.  

6. Family Feud - Christmas style: I found this one on-line (like I did the others) and they had ten questions and we did it like the real game.  Face-offs between significant others, trying to get the steal. trying to avoid three strikes, deciding if you were going to pass or play.  This was definitely a hit!  I highly recommend it.

 I have no words for these outlaws.  Married into the family and they're kind of the three musketeers.  We love 'em.

 

Games.  Laughter.  Presents.  Way too much food. Memories.  Quality time.  More food.  More laughter.  These are my people and I wouldn't trade them.  

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

The way I see it...

PEACE

On Monday one of my Facebook friends posted a video of Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing their famous duet, “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth.”  I immediately listened to it because I love the message behind the song.

It’s interesting that the song was recorded in 1977 and it still rings true today.  I don’t think that I can be the only one that hates turning on the news these days.  It seems like every week there is another senseless tragedy where more innocent people are losing their lives.

Jenna and Brody are getting to the age where they are obsessed with watching the news.  They get that from Aaron.  The night of the San Bernadino shootings, Aaron wouldn’t change the channel and I wanted to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.  Happy stuff, you guys, that’s where my mind was.

Anyway, having a nine and seven year old watching the news is hard.  As a parent, you want to shield them as much as you can, but living in a bubble is just not reality.  I am proud of them that they like to be informed and want to know what’s going on in the world.

I  hate when they look at me and say, “Mom, why would somebody do that?  Why would they shoot all those people?”  Parenting is hard, especially when you don’t know the answers.

Take a moment to read and think about the lyrics from the song:

Peace on Earth, can it be?

Years from now, perhaps we'll see

See the day of glory

See the day when men of good will

Live in peace, live in peace again

Peace on Earth

Can it be?

Every child must be made aware

Every child must be made to care

Care enough for his fellow man

To give all the love that he can

I pray my wish will come true

For my child and your child too

Those words are timeless.  The world definitely needs more peace right now.  More caring for others.  More turning off the news and holding the ones you love tightly and focusing on them, but that’s just the way I see it.

The way I see it...

Being more intentional

The holiday season is upon us and it’s always such a crazy time of year with everything.  I always feel like before you know it, Christmas is here and gone and we’re sitting in January wondering where December went.

 

I have yet to buy a single gift.  I have yet to finish my Christmas decorating around the house.  I have family coming December 12th for Christmas (we have work schedule conflicts) and I have yet to come up with a plan for food, sleeping arrangements, etc.

 

I don’t want to stress out about these things!  I say that every year and I try my best, but I always get caught up in the season and it’s gone and I’m stressed before you know it.  

 

This year, I would like to make a plan and set a goal.  I want to be more intentional with my time this month. I want to not just wish for the weekend.  I want to watch, “Home Alone,” on a Thursday night because that sounds like a fun thing to do.  I want to bake a batch of Christmas cookies when the kids get home from school because they would enjoy it.  I don’t wan’t to wait for and wish for the weekend all month.  That’s what makes the time go by so incredibly fast.  

 

I’m going to make an honest effort for my family to not let the calendar control me this month.  I want to make every day special - for them and for me, but that’s just the way I see it