2021-12-25
A Vincent Family Christmas

(click here to skip to the videos)

I posted photos and videos of this on Facebook but,
for those of you who haven't seen it, here it is:

On Christmas Day 2021, we went to Glen and JoAnna Arnold's house.  JoAnna is my oldest daughter.
Of my 8 children and Linda's 3, only 5 were there.  Linda's daughters were both sick on Christmas
Day.  My son John was home with his large family.  Dave and his wife Marie live in Alabama and
weren't able to attend.  Sarah was in rehab.  We posted our visit with her on Facebook.

The party was supposed to begin at 5:00 P.M.  That's when we arrived.  It gave us
time to meet those already there before the rest arrived.  We saw Emma.




Emma's parents, Marshall and Hannah, were there.  Hannah is JoAnna's oldest daughter. 
Marshall and Hannah moved from Salt Lake City, UT and bought a house here.



This is Emma's Brother, Sammy.



Here's my daughter Karen talking to my wife, Linda.



Owen is Ed and Leah's baby boy.



Glen asked me to offer the blessing on the food.  Everyone grabbed a plate then I took photos of
those sitting around the table for the adults.  Seated here on the left are Andrea and My son Adam,
then son-in-law Israel and my daughter Rainey at the head of the table.



On the table opposite them (to Rainey's left) were Ed who is Leah's husband, JoAnna, and Glen. 



Israel gave me a big smile!



Next, I got a photo of Glen, Andrea (smiling), her husband Adam, and Ed's wife Leah who is my baby girl.



I found the grandchildren in the living room.  Lucas is Adam's son.  Sammy is on the couch.  Alyssa
is in the distance, Marissa and Bianca are head-to-head.  Bianca, Alyssa, and Lucas are siblings.



18 yr old Marissa is Rainey's oldest.  On her right is Bianca who is Adam's oldest.  Thanks for the smiles!



Marshall joined the grandkids to help get Emma to sleep.  He is joined by Owen (with back turned),
Edwynn, and Susie (Owen's siblings) who are all Leah's children. 



Back in the kitchen I found Owen's brother, Isaac, eating desert and showing me his chocolate hands.



Owen & Isaac's mom, Leah, posed for me with her beautiful daughter, Susie.



Susie's brother, Edwynn, posed for all his friends who are Auburn fans!
(His dad studied for his Ph.D at Auburn)

  Videos

My daughter Rainey is a professional pianist.  She and I began plinking on JoAnna's piano.  She told
me I taught this tune to her when she was just a kid.  That was funny because my aunt had done
the same thing.  I told her Aunt Evelyn taught it to me when I was a kid.


(click below to hear the song)


About this time JoAnna called us all into the living room to play 'Dirty Santa.'

The rules of 'Dirty Santa' are loose.  Bring an inexpensive gift to share.
Each person chooses a gift, from youngest (Owen) to oldest (me).

If they don't want the gift and someone has already opened
a gift, they can Take Theirs!  (that's the 'Dirty' part of the game).

That person gets to choose another gift or (at the end)
keep the unwanted until someone else takes it.

-- at the end of the game --
Each takes the gift of their choice from youngest to oldest.
Since I'm oldest, I wait to see if some child is unhappy, then
I take their gift so they can choose another.



It was time for me to switch from taking photos to movies.  Keep an eye on Lucas.  He is by the
tree in the green shirt sitting on his dad's lap.  When it came his turn, he picked the largest
gift and opened it.  He was in for a BIG surprise!

In it was another wrapped gift.  As he opened that, there was another, smaller, inside.  I
was struggling to get a video and finally caught "the last" few as he unwrapped them.

Watch as the video begins, his dad read a note that says, "You're almost there!"  Hahahaha!

(click below to play the video)


Lucas's cousins, Susie & Rebecca, couldn't stop giggling!



After one of the kids hesitated to open their gift, everyone chanted,"OPEN IT, OPEN IT!"

(click below to play the video)


Next, JoAnna introduced us to a game:
The rules were"Guess the clue, sing the song."

If the clue was:
"Vehicular homicide was committed on Dad's mom by a precipitous darling",
the song was:
"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"!


The clue for the song below was "Decorate the Entryways."

(click below to play the video)


In closing, I saved the best for last.  I enjoyed joining in this song
even though Linda filmed me just as I forgot the lyrics!

My aging voice may not be the best but it was fun.
I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did.  Merry Christmas 2021!

(click below to play the video)




 
~ END ~