Porta-Potty Christmas!

Even though Christmas Day had passed, we had one more Christmas celebration to observe. And let me say, it was one that won't soon be forgotten!

On the evening of the 26th, Jeremy, Shawna, JT, Mallory, and Kaylee arrived at our house from Tennessee. Mom and I had planned a meal, so we ate fairly soon after everyone arrived. We had baked potatoes, pulled pork, mac & cheese, and baked beans. The meal was yummy, and the company was entertaining! For the remainder of the evening, we visited, had a devotional, and just enjoyed one another. 

Brooke and Brecklyn were very happy to see their cousins!

JT, Mallory, and Kaylee spent the night at our house while Jeremy and Shawna stayed with Mom and Dad. We had planned to have our family Christmas on Tuesday the 27th, so Chris and I got up first thing and started cooking. Around 9:00am, we received a message that our water would be shut off at 10:00am for a few hours while the water company repaired a burst pipe from before Christmas. We didn't know exactly what "a few hours" meant, but we sent a text to all those who were planning to come to our house for Christmas dinner and let them know the situation. Everyone agreed to proceed with plans!

As promised, our water shut off right at 10:00am. We had filled pots and pitchers with water prior to this, so it didn't affect our cooking much. We sat down to eat right about 12:30pm as planned.

Mom inherited Granny Tiger's Christmas dishes (including silverware and napkins) a few years back, and we had already decided to use them this year before we knew we would be without water for most of the day. In hindsight, paper goods would have been much easier, but it was special to use Granny's dishes!

Lisa, Brooke, Brecklyn, and Russ

Somehow, I ended up at the kids' table, haha.

Normally, once we all finish eating, it is all hands on deck to get the kitchen cleaned up. Many hands make light work, after all. However, we still didn't have water, so we had no choice but to just let alllll those dirty dishes sit. 

Shawna and Lisa

Mom and Chelle and my overflowing sinks!

Unfortunately, without running water we also didn't have working toilets. Sixteen people, a big meal, and no working bathrooms was not exactly a great combination, haha! There are a few porta-potties in our neighborhood at the houses still being constructed, so some of our guests opted to use those. Others decided a drive to Casey's down the road was a better option. It all worked out, but it was a pretty humorous situation! While we waited to be able to clean the kitchen, we exchanged gifts.

Finally, after over five hours of no water, our faucets starting running again. It sure doesn't take much inconvenience to help us realize how blessed and ahem *spoiled* we are!

Chris and Russ tackling the mound of dirty dishes

We dubbed this celebration "The Porta-Potty Christmas" - a fitting name to be sure!

Thankfully, we just roll with whatever life throws our way!

The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing, walking, visiting, and playing games.

Kaylee and Shawna

G-Jo heading up BINGO for the crew

Chelle and Shawna

Lisa had found some interesting stories about our ancestors in a book she was reading, and decided to read them to us. It's always fascinating to hear about how our ancestors thought and lived. 

We had a family devo that evening, and it was a great way to close out the day.

Brianna invited Chloe to stay the night with us that night, so they slept in our master bedroom closet. JT and Mallory had the upstairs, Kaylee had Bri's room, and they didn't want to be in the living room. The closet worked out fine, but I definitely felt like I had a full house!

On Wednesday, JT got up and fixed breakfast for all the kiddos. He carried on G-Jo's tradition of making initial pancakes for everyone.

Mallory made a coffee run for herself and brought me back a treat, too. Just what I needed!

The guys all spent most of the day running around, so Kaylee decided to take Chloe and Bri out for lunch and to do a little shopping. It was really fun for them to escape for a bit, and I love that they were able to spend time together running around. 

Once they returned to the house, we frosted cookies that Shawna brought for us.

And of course, there are always some games going on!

Some who weren't interested in playing games got crochet lessons from Lisa.

When family is in town, our house definitely becomes a hub of activity with people coming and going and playing games and visiting and eating and eating and eating, haha. It's really nice, and I'm realizing as I get older how special it is. 

That evening, we all went to eat at El Azteca, then to Bible study together. I can't put into words how wonderful it is to worship and grow in God's grace together! Chloe, Brianna, and Kaylee wore the matching shirts they bought while on their excursion earlier in the day. 

Jeremy and his crew left early Thursday morning to head back to Tennessee, and I actually went back to bed after they left! While I'm so grateful to host family, it is a JOB. I was exhausted from the flurry of Christmas activity we had enjoyed over the past week! However, I know how blessed we are, and I try to never take these moments for granted.