Hastings Christmas 2013

I realized my camera battery had run down on our way to my parents house for the 2013 Hastings Christmas gathering. (I know, poor planning on my part, but in my defense, it is getting a lot harder for me to remember 100 things at once.  It may be because I am getting older and my brain sometimes takes a vacation, or it just may be because I am not mom, sister, wife, or daughter of the year.) So, this post is a little late, but because I did not have my own camera to use, I had to borrow one from my Dad and Mom, then I had to remember to borrow it again to get the pictures that I took off of their camera card.  Whew.  So, here it is over three months past Christmas and I am doing a Christmas post.  It is just starting to warm up here, but just north of us in my beloved Wildcat country they had snow this morning!  So grab some hot chocolate and let's sing some Christmas songs as we look at what kind of fun the Hastings had this time....

Of course we started off with homemade soup, because that is what we always do.  It has happened that way every year I can remember.  Except my Grandparents, Howard and Jo Hastings, always made Oyster soup as one of the homemade soup choices... For two years in a row now, there has been no Oyster soup. I am filing a complaint.  (Dear Hastings Christmas gathering host, Please bring back the oyster soup.  It is delicious, and Christmas isn't the same without it.  Thank you.  Sincerely, a Hastings who remembers and loves the yummy taste of the homemade oyster soup).  Yes, I miss it.  And, yes, I like it.  So does my cousin Josh.  I think he or I will have to make it for the next Hastings Christmas gathering....maybe he and I are the only people who like it....  There was also an abundance of other food, dips, appetizers, salads, and MANY desserts to eat along with the soup!  If you know the Hastings family you know they are some dessert lovin' people.  There can never be too many desserts.  I think we all ate all day long.  MMMmmmm, makes my tummy smile just thinkin' about it.

Christmas drawings on a paper plate....
This was hilarious.  We each had a paper plate on top of our head and a pencil.  Then the Host and game master, who happened to be my Dad and Mom this year, called out things that everyone had to draw on their paper plate while it was on top of their head.  Each person should have ended up with a beautifully drawn Christmas scene on their plates... or at least two of us did.  The others were more like lines and circles and scribbles.  The winner was none other than the talented artist and seamstress, Jan Hastings!  Who would have guessed that she would win a drawing game....

Minute To Win It games, here we go....

Rolling tennis balls into an empty coffee container -

Boys vs. Girls, except Phoebe, who wanted to be Popee's partner.

Carrying mini marshmallows on a spoon from one container to another -

Blowing Ping-Pong balls off the tray -

Flipping lots of  pencils off the top of your hand into the air and catching them in your palm -

 

Bouncing Ping-Pong balls into a group of metal cans -

Girls vs. Boys, again.
Sucking an M&M onto the end of your straw and carrying it across the room then dropping it into another container -

Blowing a set of plastic cups off the table before your opponent blows all of theirs off the table -

Fishing for keyrings -

 And finally, kid present time...

One of the best things about Christmas for me is getting to gather with family, the games we play, the food we eat, the laughing we all do.  Just being together.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  I love my Hastings Christmas memories and look forward to getting together for many many more Christmases with the people I love.