Ho Ho Ho Ho......What a Christmas!!!!

As has been our family tradition for at least a dozen years now we gathered at the home of my oldest son, Chris, and his wife Rochelle around 0900 hours for Christmas breakfast, the official 'Secret Santa' gift ceremony, and finally our annual family Christmas pictures. 

Chris loves to cook, and he is a very good cook.....no, I would say he is a very good chef.....this year he made Green Chicken Posole (chicken soup with hominy, limes, verde sauce, etc.), a couple of quiches, bacon, hot tortillas, mimosas......and, of course, there were the usual Christmas pastries that were all too tempting....I'm trying to recall the last time I was hungry.....:-)

Meredith, my oldest daughter, seems to have won the Secret Santa Sweepstakes scoring to large gifts.....a complete set of new luggage from my daughter-in-law Rochelle, and a folding bike by Dahon from moi......she had mentioned a couple of years ago that she would like a folding bike, and this year while cruising Craigslist for a bike to part out I found the virtually brand new Dahon folding bike for a price so good I could not pass it up.  Now she can take her bike with her in the trunk of her car as she travels on business all around Southern California.

Meredith scored big in the 'Secret Santa' sweepstakes......new luggage from Macey's from Rochelle, and a folding Dahon bike from moi!

Finally it was time for the annual pictures.....we are becoming quite a large group......now 16 and growing (two in the oven)......next year there will be at least 18 in this picture!

Wow.....16 strong now!

 We call them the 'Hockwald Women'......left to right: Sharon, TLE, Meredith, Kate, Cynthia, Laila, Rochelle.....and Charlise front and center.

 The kids in age order:  Left to right - Chris, Meredith, Kate, Sharon and Tim

Chris' family: left to right - Chris, Rochelle, Christopher, Cynthia and D.C.

Shaon and Rod, with one in the oven

 Kate's family: left to right - Nick, Kate, Elijah, Charlise with one in the oven

 Tim with the future Laila Hockwald

 TLE caught this great picture of the kids laughing

This was the first of two family Christmas meals this day.......we were home relaxing from Christmas Breakfast by 1130 hours, and back on our way to Christmas Dinner by 1330 at the home of our future in-laws, Mark and Cathy (Laila's grandparents).  We had, as we always do, a wonderful time visiting with current and future in-laws until close to 1700 when we called it a day and headed for the barn.

Christmas dinner with the kids

Christmas 2015 is now in the books, and what a day it was.......this is, as I oft repeat, the best time of life!

Thanks for stopping by!