Sunday, December 12, 2010

Hoggard Family Christmas



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Today, the Hoggard side of our family got together to celebrate Christmas. Our 'traditional' Christmas dinner includes chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and more trimmings than you could possibly imagine.[ It reminds me of when my brother and I were in high school and on Friday mornings, before the big game, my dad would make steak for breakfast. The coaches got a kick out of asking my brother what he had for breakfast. I think they were hoping to one day be invited.] This was definitely a Texas style Christmas dinner. My dad cooks the steak outside and we prepare the feast inside. I think we could actually feed the entire neighborhood if we wanted. There were 23 of us and we had 48 steaks!

After our stuffing, we exchanged gifts white elephant style. I don't know if any other family does this, but it certainly makes for interesting gift giving. We have come to find many women in our family would prefer knives and tools to all the sparkly foo foo stuff most women want. Also, we are not afraid of stealing other peoples gifts. The best gifts are frequently stolen and end up with a third owner for their final destination. If you don't put your gift away quickly, it might just get hidden in order to go home with one of its previous owners. Some of the gifts this year included a set of knives, a jig saw, an electric griddle, a warm fuzzy blanket, jewelry and a set of bowls.

Hosting our lively bunch is always a treat. We love that they are all willing to come back each year.