Christmas with the Griffiths

We had a great time visiting with all the Griffith's the weekend before Christmas.  We got to spend time with cousin Benjamin and Katie, and Uncle Mark and Aunt Katherine, and of course, Granma and Grandaddy!  We started off on Friday evening with a dinner and visiting.  Saturday morning was Bagels for Breakfast, and Christmas time.  The gift opening started around 10am.  Dan had set a 2 hour time limit on gift opening because in the past we have always gone around one by one and opened gifts, but there has never been 11 people in the Griffith Family since I've been around and that would have just taken a long time.  Well, due to the fact that the kids were a little impatient in gift opening and as soon as there was a gift present for them they wanted to open it immediately, and also due to the fact that the biggest gift was a ride on the Polar Express, Dan didn't have to enforce his 2 hour time limit.  The gift opening was finished just minutes shy of 2 hours, but the kids all enjoyed everything they received as did the adults!  We had lunch together and then it was naptime!  Mark and Katherine put themselves up in a fancy hotel here in town called the Country Inn & Suites that had an indoor pool.  So after naps, we all went for a swim!  What a treat for the kids to swim in the middle of winter at Christmas Time.  Last year it was snow, this year it was a swimming pool!  Then it was back at the house for a nice Christmas Dinner of White Chicken Chili!  YUMMY!  Sunday was a bit of a whirlwind, but fun family times.  We attended church together, came home for a quick sandwich lunch (and a Starbucks run), and then family portraits at the Children's Park after lunch.  As soon as family portraits were done, we were off running again to Palestine to ride on the Polar Express.  Oh what fun that was!  The kids really enjoyed it again!  I only have a few pictures from my phone right now because I left the camera at home (what a great time to leave the camera, right).  I do have a few from the video camera that I will have to load later and I'll try and post.  I also think other family members got a few pictures that I can use as well.  So, I'll post those as soon as I get them!  We finished the evening with a nice dinner at McAlister's.  Monday was the end of the celebration.  The Other Griffith's headed back to Houston, and Grandma and Grandaddy went on their way to Dallas (although they returned two days later for more Christmas fun).