The One with the Christmas Shindig

This year we decided to host a huge Christmas party for our teens and invite all of their parents to attend. We were hoping to have a nice turnout, enjoy lots of food, and spend plenty of time getting to know everyone a bit better. So right after Kevin's family waved goodbye on Sunday afternoon, we began set up preparations for this party. I pulled 12 dozen cookies from the freezer (Spicy Molasses, Snickerdoodles, and Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip), and gathered the Buckeyes, Peanut Brittle, Puppy Chow, Chocolate dipped pretzel rods, a summer sausage and cheeseball and cracker tray, Velveeta Salsa and tortilla chips, Roasted Red Pepper White Bean Dip, barbeque mini weinies, punch, coffee, hot tea, and water, along with a Buffalo Chicken dip and BBQ meatballs brought by some friends. (Yes, I was a busy bee.)

Guests started arriving at 5:15pm--just after I discovered that the frozen juice ring I had made had exploded red juice all over the freezer. Awesome. But the show must go on! We laughed as our teens arrived in awesomely ugly Christmas sweaters.* Within minutes the house was PACKED with happy teenagers, interested parents, and a few leery siblings. :) There were Christmas tunes ringing out, games being played, conversations happening around every corner, and every morsel of food thoroughly enjoyed. 

After an hour of hanging out and filling our bellies, we gathered 34 (yes THIRTY-FOUR) people in our living room (I had NO idea that was even possible), for a rousing White Elephant gift exchange. It was hysterical--everyone was cracking up for the better part of an hour. We voted on the ugliest Christmas sweater, and then, before we knew it, our home was quiet once again. 

It was an amazing success--we can't wait till next year!  

*In my opinion, even the prettiest Christmas sweater is ugly if it has any specific correlations to Christmas themes. (with young children as an exception.) In. my. opinion.