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Christmas 2006 Holidays
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Welcome

The family of Bob and Ruth gathered in Plano, Texas for the Christmas holidays. All 19 made it, and had a wonderful time of traditions including worship, meals, music, and games.

people sitting at a checkered kitchen table, with cups of colored icing, decorating cookies artistically decorated Christmas cookies including a Santa, a red stocking, a snowy hillside, and a snowman on a bicycle
Decorating Christmas cookies couldn't wait for the young cousins, who were snowed in in Denver.

young woman kicking up one leg while holding some slacks on a coathanger
Jocelyn was boosted by several offers of clothes.

Steve nuzzling Jocelyn
at the Rockfish Grill

Kevin holds music while he and Scott sing
singing at Kevin's

Nancy with a colorful scarf wrapped around her head deals the cards while Kathy (in a fedora) and Jocelyn sit at the table Jocelyn and Phil smile with the cards and headgear
Steve taught everybody a new game: "The Great Dalmuti". Five to ten players strive to achieve and retain the "Greater Dalmuti" position, and avoid being stuck as the "Greater Peon". On one evening the Greater Dalmuti wore a fedora while the Greater Peon had to wear a scarf. The Greater Peon has menial duties such as collecting the cards after each trick. In the first photo Nancy deals as the Greater Peon, while Kathy and Jocelyn are sitting pretty as the Greater and Lesser Dalmuti. In the next photo Jocelyn has fallen to Greater Peon and Philip has ascended to the top of the heap.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve the cousins arrived at last from Denver, and we all went to church.

five men in white robes, seated, holding music and singing
Kevin and Grandpa prepared with the choir.

After the service, the family poses:
the 13 people in the church, next to a Christmas tree
Bob and Ruth with all of their grandchildren

the 19 people in the church, next to a Christmas tree
Bob and Ruth with all of their children and grandchildren

the 11 cousins with a poinsettia in the background
the cousins

Mom & Dad in the foreground, with their 3 grown children behind, and a Christmas tree in the background
ye olde Thornton Road crew

Christmas Day

Dave seated in front of the fireplace, with Kimberly sitting between his knees, and a festively wrapped Christmas package
Uncle Dave with Niece Kimberly

Kimberley whispering into Philip's ear

Heidi unwraps a package while Nancy and Jocelyn look on Willie sits on the sofa and receives a quilt, while Grandpa, Andy, and Phil seated with him look on, and behind them Scott has a video camera Nancy holding a Christmas-wrapped package, with Willie
The whole family got together at Dave & Nancy's on Christmas afternoon to open presents.

Hanging Out Together

Two afternoons of ultimate provided exercise to the young folks and the dads. Sorry, no photos.

Phil is seated in an easy chair, with Kimberly leaning on him
Grandpa leans over a card table where a puzzle is in the midst of assembly, while Kevin leans over the coffee table where a smaller number of puzzle pieces are arranged.
Kevin and Grandpa take their turns at the puzzle table. Three huge puzzles were completed over the course of the holidays.

Kevin standing in the living room with seven onlookers
Kevin presented his copious collection of photos from Japan.

the six at a restaurant table
Scott, Kathy, and their children at Scotty P's

Grandpa in the easy chair with a slide projector, with eleven laughing onlookers Grandpa in the easy chair with a slide projector, with nine onlookers
Grandpa entertained everyone with photos from a generation earlier.

family posing around a sofa
The visit from Gary, Marlene, and Anna was a treat.

Kevin balances on one leg, with Kimberly on his back at a crazy angle.

Kimberly, Nancy, Dave, and Andy seated at a restaurant table, all looking to the viewer's right Kimberly and Nancy at a restaraunt table Kimberly and Nancy at a restaurant table
We celebrated Nancy's birthday at Luna de Noche.
Philip

New Year’s Eve

Philip with a toothpick between his lips

New Year’s Eve is a big game night for this family. Rail Baron is the traditional challenge, and with so many people we split into two tables of Rail Baron. The major table had five teams of two, while the minor table had four individual players.
four players around a red kitchen table, with a board game on the table
At the table of four Scott used the magnifying glass to read the payoff tables. The game went smoothly, with excitement rising as the end of the game approached. But the expected climax was delayed when Scott invoked a little-known aspect of the bonus roll rule in order to retain a minuscule hope of winning. The ensuing argument went on for fifteen minutes, and disturbed the onlookers even more than the participants (Scott and Jocelyn). Upon settling the matter, the game resumed and Philip readily gained the Baron title.

nine people huddle with eager expressions, around a dining room table with a game board at the center
The table of ten saw an exciting conclusion, with several dramatic reversals. Trains attempted to cut off other trains, with the outcome hanging on the roll of the dice. Fans hoped that John would finally win his first game of Rail Baron. It was not to be. The team of Steve and Dave captured the title just before midnight.

Steve, Phil, and Dave pose in victory
Steve, Phil, and Dave, the rail barons
Click for a 1.4 minute movie of the aftermath of the big game (150MB).

two big girls seated on the sofa, on either side of a small girl whom they are hugging two big girls with a family resemblance, hugging one another
the girl cousins

Goodbyes

Kevin's immediate family headed home with the new year. He joined with his Denver relations on the 3rd for a final dinner.

a pile of guys on a sofa, with Kevin standing behind Kevin standing with Kimberly

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