The Ugly Sweater party

Yesterday I posted a picture of Russ and I in our ugly sweaters, but I didn't talk about the party yet, and you better believe I have more pictures to embarrass my friends with share with you all.

Linley & "Grandma" Mike

Dave & Kelly

Treats galore (And Alan in a lovely hand-knitted design)

After the name game, some yummy food, and general visiting, we had a white elephant gift exchange. With 53 people playing. Holy chaos, Batman! To try and shorten it up we played by the rule that an item could only be stolen twice before it was dead - the 2nd person to steal it got to keep it.

Um, that would be our SENIOR PASTOR on far right in the red hat and vest. Festive! 

And by a miraculous turn of events, Russ ended up with this:

Yep. A flat screen TV. THAT WORKS. 

Of course we didn't know it worked at the time, because who in their right mind brings a TV to a white elephant gift exchange?!! We all thought it was a gag gift, and a hugely funny one at that. But afterwards the sweet couple who brought it told us they still had all the stuff that went with it and they'd just got a newer, bigger set and didn't have room for this one. 

Well, hey howdy hey! (As Woody would say.) After that I couldn't complain about my sad little set of old Christmas cards that I won!

Truly, it was a white elephant Christmas miracle.