The end of the year celebrations. It's party time.

Our Christmas with all of our family is really a celebration of both Christmas and New Year's.  The traditions include the sled run down the driveway, a bonfire, playing board games and a white elephant gift exchange.  Add to that just lots of general craziness and fun with quite a bit of good food thrown in.

Brotherly love.

White elephant gifts.  JP was the lucky recipient.

This one was irresistible.

  The sled run.

The "stern" parents?

The lighting of the bonfire.

The glow from the fire.  "Grandpa, that's really warm."

Firsts:
Great Grandson's first ride down the sled run.

Pink flamingo socks.

Hugs in the kitchen.

Lots of food to eat.

Quick snuggles and naps on the floor.

  Lots of time on great-grandpa's lap.

Opening gifts.

Goofy grandpa photos.

Everyone wanted to try on this white elephant gift.  Who would end up with it?

Unusual gifts - roto clean automatic wiper for your toilet?

A Golden Goose.  Who would get the golden goose?

Could it be Dylan's?

More time at the bonfire.

Roasting marshmallows for s'mores.

Boxes and more boxes to open.  Down to the very smallest box.

The smallest box revealed a dime-a-mond ring.  Wow!  How lucky could you be?

 Ohhh!  DVD's of The Great British Baking Show!

A lucky dagger reappears as one of this year's white elephant gifts.

The mystery of the night was the eerie glow down in the yard near the Currant bushes.  There was a lot of discussion about what it might be.  Retired Mountain Man was the only one brave enough to put on his boots to hike down in the dark to see what it was.

It was a pink flamingo glowing in the dark.  The next day we brought it in the house and I am trying to decide where it's permanent home should be.   Front lawn?

We are still not positive just exactly who has graced us with this lawn ornament but we do know that many of them have shown up on lawns in Missoula.  We have some of the usual suspects in mind....

Happy New Year 2019!