Christmas is just a week away, and every year the Klaus family (my Dad’s side) gets together to exchange gifts, stockings, eat and, any time you get a Klaus group together, play cards. This year it was at my cousin’s new house in Sacramento. Jason did most of the cooking, with some help from Angela doing the dessert (a very tasty dessert I might add).
While we waited for the stuffed meatballs to cook (also very good, and very filling), we handed out stockings. One thing that my Dad got in his stocking was a bag of army men, and let me tell you, give my Dad the right toys, and he’ll turn into a kid again.
From the stockings, we all went to the table when the food was ready. For dinner we had a plate of two Lingonberry Stuffed Meatballs on Terragon and Sweet Pea Puree layered over Truffled Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Most people couldn’t finish eating both meatballs, but every agreed that it was very good. For our dessert that evening we had Lemon Brown Sugar Bread Pudding. It was more bread than pudding; something that you could eat with a fork.
Before we got to our gift exchange, we all watched the youngest in the family (only people over 18 participate in the exchange) opened all the presents that he got from everyone. While we did the gift exchange, he handed out gifts to other people from him.
This year we did our gift exchange a little bit different than what we normally do. Everyone buys a generic gift and sets it in a pile. Then we all draw numbers to determine the order. Once the first person as opened a gift, the next person gets to choose to either open a new gift, or steal something someone else already opened. With my luck I was the last person. I decided to see what was in the last gift and find out that it was a cake decorating book and a pedestal to put a cake on. Since my aunt was the first person to go, she also gets to go again at the end so that she has a chance to steal something. She stole mine to give me another chance it seemed, so I stole an ice cream maker from my brother, who then stole the crock-pot that my aunt originally opened.
After a long day of visiting with family, it was time to head home. We didn’t get home until one in the morning, so I went straight to bed since I had to open in the morning. Fun and exciting stuff. Now it’s time to get a good week of rest, and do it all over with the Blanchard family (my Mom’s side).
Currently attending Folsom Lake College and working as a shift leader at a Togo's / Baskin Robbin's store. Programming and logic in general fascinate him, as Chadd tries to become a Computer Science major.