Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is just a few weeks away and I am sure tat everyone is getting ready for the holidays. I am actually getting ready for both of those holidays and my family’s annual holiday dinner. This event takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas to allow everyone to spend those holidays with their own families or in-laws as they wish. Doing it this way still allows us to celebrate the season together.
So what happens during one of these weekends? Well roughly 45 people descend on a house and tear it apart. This year the house is mine and I am thinking that next year we will be having it at my brother’s house (he has a garage!) I do all of the cooking and while it is normally just dinner this year we are doing lunch and dinner. We begin planning this in the early summer and have just recently finalized the menu because making everyone happy is not always an easy task.
I have working on sleeping arrangements and getting a confirmed final count so I know how many extra tables and chairs we will actually need. Not to mention making sure to remind my brother to bring National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (a family tradition) and purchasing a game that we can all play. This year we think we are going to play Scene It since we can pair off into teams. Trivial Pursuit or anything like it isn’t allowed because I always win at those games and have an unfair advantage. That is what my siblings and cousins say. I say they are just sore losers and it is not my fault I am smarter than they are.
I will of course be sharing wit you all our final menu plans along with all of the other hair-raising things that take place leading up to and the day of as always. Hopefully there will b no emergency room trips!
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Wow, sounds like you are going to be a very busy lady! I can’t even imagine the logistics of cooking for that many people, along with getting the house ready and decorating. My prayers are with you. I would stress out at the thought of it. Of course my house is tiny. Seriously tiny and I have a toddler and 12 year old. They make cleaning the house an all day chore everyday!
My husband and I watch ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ every year too and we have since we were dating. I like the way your family approaches the Holidays, doing it in between. My family is really poorly organized and so are my inlaws so we have nothing nailed down yet..
That movie is just so great! Every year my dad would say we were having a Griswold family Christmas. Doing our holiday this way just allows us to spend time together and still have our separate holidays as well.
I can’t even imagine cooking for that many people! Or even being in a house with that many people! I can’t wait to see your menu. It might give me some ideas on how to tackle the holidays.
I hope that it does give you some ideas. It will be crazy but worth it.
We are heading to my SIL’s this year, but we don’t have to fly—4 hr drive–so I will be doing some cooking and taking it along. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is always our holiday tradition, too! My son can quote whole passages. And I love Trivial Pursuit! One of the boys is genius with the sports and TV trivia (my weak points) so when we team up,we are just about unbeatable. Hahaha!
We just love that movie! A four hour drive and then some cooking would be too much for me.
45 people in one house at the same time..yep you’re right..It will be torn apart..but in the end it’s what makes amazing memories
The bad thing is I am pretty sure the adults are going to make the bigger mess.
Wow! You are one brave woman! I don’t know how you do it all for 445 people! Yikes!
I am having my family to my house for Thanksgiving. Which is the norm for us. We all sit around and visit, watch movies, play games, and eat way to much! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
It just takes lots and lots of planning. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.
Spending time baking to distribute as gifts at work, driving around and looking at lights with hot cocoa, spending time with family, and enjoying countless Christmas movies.
I just love decorating for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are just getting ready to go out and pick a fresh Christmas tree as a family.