Christmas!

This year for me Christmas was a new experience. My sister just got married on 10.10.10 and my parents & I were having all of her in-laws (about 25 people) over for Christmas. I started decorating the whole house the weekend after Thanksgiving.  

Main Table

Our Soccer Restroom

My mom's handmade & painted Nativity

 homemade this wreath

Then a week before our Christmas Eve Party I started baking all the cookies. I had never baked before. I love to cook but baking has never been my thing. The first cookies were peanut butter but they were horrible (made them twice both bad). I kept baking all kinds of cookies: coconut macrons, oatmeal, empanadas (grape, cherry & pumpkin filling), Mexican wedding cookies, spritz cookies, and snicker-doodles. They were all yummy, even if I do say so myself.  :-)

My cookies!

The next thing I tackled was the appetizers. I wanted something creative and several different small dishes. I made a cheese dip, fruit-kabobs, side-kabobs (idk what to call them), and boneless wings.

Appetizers

Side-Kabobs

Fruit-Kabobs

  The party was a huge success! Everyone loved everything we did. After we ate we celebrated my brother-in-laws b-day (which is the 24th) with a Baskin Robins cake. 

He opened his b-day gifts then we had our family gift exchange; where I got a great scrap-booking kit!

Gift exchange gifts!

Then we sang Christmas Carols in Spanish. My Bro-in-law's parents are Spaniard but he and his brothers were born in Puerto Rico. We ended the night playing games. Loteria which is like a Mexican bingo and a white elephant game (but we had all new gifts). I had a great time with the family. I love them all so much. They have accepted us as part of their family which is great. 

Family Time!

Loteria Cards

Once everyone left my parents, sister, brother-in-law and I opened all our gifts. We had a wonderful time! I can't wait till our next family get together. We always have a blast.  

I hope Everyone had a Blessed Christmas full of love, happiness and family time!!!!