My siblings and I with our family dog Lexi

 Every year my parents host a Christmas party for family and friends. This past weekend marked the parties 21st year. When I was a little girl, my job was to collect the coats from the guests as they came in, and retrieve their coats when the left. I was not allowed at the event until I was 18, so you can imagine how great it was the first year I was able to attend as a guest. Thinking of the Christmas party has always brought such wonderful memories, and last weekend didn’t disappoint…there was certainly a ton of shenanigans!

My parents started this party at an age that is only 5 years older than I am today! When I look at it that way, I can imagine how the craziness ensued during those times. I used to sneak down in my pajamas because I always wanted to be part of the fun. Sometimes they allowed me to sit and watch as the carols were sung. You can imagine the scene when alcohol and singing are combined. I know I can imagine it because it’s the same scene that goes on 21 years later!

When I turned 18 I rushed home from college so that I could attend. Each year I brought some friends from school to my home so that they could participate in the fun, and see where I came from. Then in turn my sister turned 18, then my brother and today the whole family gets together for the party. You’d think that over the years things would calm down, but there is no such thing when it comes to my family. Everyone still knows how to party! I always admired how my parents and their friends knew how to have such a good time. They are always laughing and carrying on, and I hope that when I have a family I don’t forget to let loose every once in a while.

So to kind of show you how things go, I wanted to share a video from last years party. The man who provides the music and entertainment for the party wrote a song for my parents called “20 Years, and 2000 beers” in honor of the party’s 20’th anniversary. (He’s so talented you can see his website here) The clip is a little long so if you want to get straight to the song fast forward to 3 minutes 30 seconds. If you want to watch the whole thing then that’s just wonderful too!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlp_Pn4ftaU[/youtube]

 My parents threaten every year not to host it since it’s such a large undertaking, but I know deep down they love it, and they love all the memories the party brings. To this day we laugh at old videos that I took from the party…21 years brings with it lots of hair styles, fashion choices, and wacky dance moves. It’s a blast to watch. Now I am just happy I get to be a part of it, and hope to be for years to come!