Cousin Sleepover

When everyone comes to visit for the holidays they stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Now I'm not gonna lie that although I feel like I miss out on a huge party some nights, it's a little nice knowing I can escape the "fun" chaos and return home to my home every night!

My kids don't see it that way.

So this trip I promised them a cousin sleepover!

I must have been in some sort of really good mood!

So here they are!

Eleven of the Thirteen Grandkids all sleeping on our family room floor!

(By morning you couldn't even see kids. . . it was one big pile of blankets and pillows!)

And you would think they had never seen a Cartoon before in their lives the way they were glued!

Maybe it was the donuts!

Even these two joined in on the PARTY!

What could be better?

Cousins - check.

Cartoons - check.

Donuts - check.

Fun - check!

SDRAWKCAB

OR BACKWARDS. . .

depending on how you look at it!

Today has been a backwards day!

First. . .

I mopped my floor before removing everything from my counters and cleaning them off.

BACKWARDS I tell you!

However I knew that I didn't have time to clean the counters and the floor and if I chose the counters over the floor, the floor would once again be neglected and it's been neglected WAY too long already.

So the floor got mopped!

Second. . .

We had Breakfast for Dinner. . .

Yummy breakfast burritos!

BACKWARDS!

So I figured today was the perfect day to get caught up on my

CHRISTMAS BLOGGING!

Just as everyone is gearing up for VALENTINES DAY!

BACKWARDS!

But here goes!

CHRISTMAS EVE!

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without an Amazing Dinner and of course Christmas Aprons!

We then headed outside for our Christmas Eve "Pinata!"

And then back inside for a game of "unwrap the present that is wrapped 50 thousand times while wearing oven mitts and a silly hat. . . all before someone else rolls doubles" or at least that's what our family calls it!

PAPA WON!

(I think only because none of us could roll the dice we were laughing so hard at him trying to unwrap that awesome bag of M&M's)

Then we settled it down a little for our little performance of the

NATIVITY . . .

Then we unwrapped Christmas Jammies and Slippers from Nana and Papa!

I think we were way past our bedtime by now. . .

We came back to our house where Santa had left us a note and a Christmas book to read. He told us he had already been by the house, but we weren't home so he left us this book to read and then told us to hurry to bed because if he came back again and we were still awake he wouldn't be able to stop. . .

It worked (just as it does every year)

We read our Christmas story, left some Peppermint Heaven dessert for Santa. Sprinkled the reindeer food on the front lawn, and finally hustled into our beds!

CHRISTMAS MORNING

So fun!

Kris and Kara awoke to find Santa had left them exactly what they wanted. . .

a dollhouse for her

and

a real rock and roll guitar for him!

This guy however was a little perplexed that there was no "big" present waiting out for him.

But when he was going through his stocking he discovered an "I Pod Touch Case". . .

Why would he need a case for an I Pod Touch when he doesn't have one to put in it?????

Oh tricky Santa hid it in the Christmas Tree!

I loved our "GIFT OF LOVE" to the kids this year!

Karalyn got a set of dress up dolls that my mom had made for me when I was her age. . .

and Kale and Kris got pennants from their dad which he had hanging on his wall when he was their age!

I loved Christmas this year!

Just our little family and all the excitement that comes with it!

I know it's a little Backwards but . . .

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

NEW YEARS EVE

Good thing my New Years Resolution wasn't to get caught up on everything in my life. . .

but it's happening little by little.

We got to go out on New Years Eve!

I think we found the only restaurant in the area that wasn't booked full with reservations. . .

in fact we had the entire bottom floor of this restaurant to ourselves!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO US!

THEN. . .

because we are like the most fun people in the world who wanted to party (but didn't want drinking scene). . .

WE WENT ROLLERSKATING!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

We're on a ROLL to a great year this year!

(sorry for the cheesy pun, I had to do it!)

FAMILY TALENT SHOW

Every 2 years this Jibson bunch gets to spend New Years Together. . .

And we Put on Our

FAMILY TALENT SHOW!

I highly recommend doing this!

You sure do learn a lot about each other!

I mean look how excited all these kids are for their turn. . .

But these two were wonderful MC's for the night and had the entire program all planned out!

OLDEST to YOUNGEST you know!

So without further delay. . .

Let the TALENTS BEGIN!

We were all shown how to play BINGO!

Thanks to Casa de Santa Fe Retirement Home!!!

How to take Blood Pressure which this lady did for many, many years as a volunteer at Kaiser in Fremont before moving up here last summer!

And when this lady got up we knew we were in for a treat. . .

Apparently her talent is planning something and making it happen!

So. . .

she got all these guys to stand up front. . .

gave them each a present to open. . .

and instructed them to put on what they received. . .

And led them all in a medley of JINGLE BELLS!

(if you look super close in this picture you will see a fraction of my arm - yep I played Jingle Bells for them on the piano)

We were dying!

It was so fun!

I think her real talent is getting people to do things they would NEVER do otherwise!

And if Kyle wasn't already humiliated by the "ugly sweater" . . .

for our combined talent we did a lip sinc that won over the entire audience!

It was so great!

And Kyle was so great to do it with me.

He so did not want to and then he stole the show he was so good!

There was some Photoshop Talent Displayed!

The three "Grandgirls" decided to sing for their talent!

(Kara finally sang "ain't no mountain high enough" for an audience!)

Kale showed off his 3 months worth of Piano Lessons!

We had violin players. . .

I don't know what you call that talent,

but that's TALENT!

Kris showed off his breakdancing skills!

And boy can that boy dance!

We had imaginary light saber duels!

And there was even some one handed push ups!

And if that wasn't enough talent that was only what was captured on my camera. . .

This family also has members that can:

Shoot the Duck (rollerskating skills)

Run Ragnar Races while carrying video camera equipment

Master Angry Birds

Whistle through their teeth

Do things with their stomachs that should not humanly be possible

give high 5's

and

drink from a sippy cup with no hands. . .

I'm honored to be in a family with SO MUCH TALENT!!

86. . .

There are 86 YEARS in between these two!

He just celebrated his 89th Birthday

and she's about to celebrate her 3rd Birthday!

And the best part is even with all those years between them. . .

They can still ENTERTAIN each other!

Here's a few pictures of us surprising the Birthday Boy

with balloons in the middle of dinner!

He had to stand and wave at everyone at the retirement home

and we sang Happy Birthday!

(those in the room that could still sing. . . )

And we might have helped him eat his Birthday Banana Split!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!

89 NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!