It wasn’t Christmas. It wasn’t even a reasonable facsimile of Christmas. Traditions had been broken all accross the board. For starters, we held our annual Murphy family gathering two days after Christmas on Saturday, December 27. The reason for this revolved mostly around Mom staying at Denise’s house through Christmas and the day after so she could be with her for a good portion of the holiday. Denise was unable to travel in her pregnant state…doctor’s orders! And for this reason, the Murphy gathering wasn’t held at Mom’s house either, where it had been held for closing in on a decade. Darlene quickly stepped up to the plate and hosted for the first time in about a dozen years.
Then to make matters worse, the temperature rose to over 65 degrees. That’s Fahrenheit degrees my friends. Rather crazy considering the fact that it had dropped to 5 degrees four days earlier. I donned my red shirt and green shorts, just to prove that I was in the Christmas spirit. In fact, I am mostly just jesting about the whole ‘tradition breaking’ woes. This Christmas gathering was just about as enjoyable as any we’ve ever had. It just didn’t really feel like Christmas. Labor Day maybe, but not Christmas. I liked it so much, I stayed for over four hours.
Of special significance was the fact that Karen and Joe’s new baby Allie Marie made her first appearance at a Murphy family gathering. This was the first time that I had gotten to meet her and as the oldest male cousin, I was sure to excercise my God-given right to get to hold her and get a photo with her (as seen at the top of the posting).
Karen presents Alexis Marie Amstutz
Another slightly unusual thing about the gathering was that we assembled a little earlier than normal for the Christmas meal. We were told that we would be strapping on the feedbags at 3:30. So naturally, most folks probably didn’t eat lunch and were ravenous by the time they got in earshot of the food. I showed up at 3:15 and was ready to dig in and devour. Oh, and I actually had eaten a hot dog before going.
Ashleigh and Derek had driven separately having gone shopping beforehand and upon her arrival at about 2:40, she was calling me to see where I was. She apparently gets a little nervous when she can’t find her Daddy…or Grandma. My Mom and Bob arrived just as I did.
So even though I had eaten a small lunch, I piled the ham high on the rye, downed a dozen or so shrimp, scooped up the green beans and marcaroni and cheese, and topped it off with a soda and a few brownies. And then punctuated all of it with some barbecue chips. Of all the gatherings I can remember, I have never seen the food so wiped out by the end of the meal. And I was sure to contribute to that as much as humanly possible.
Derek (inconspicuously showing off his new tattoo) and Ashleigh
Me and my soda pop
Lauren and Jacob, crazy kids who are planning for a wedding next year…possibly even theirs
Ashleigh and Frickin’ Grandpa Murphy
A gathering of mostly Claudes: Debby, Charley (not a Claude), Tom, Cathy, Lori, and Shane (only a Claude by marriage)
Two seconds of good behavior: Elise, Abbey, and Little Brad
My cousin Chris and his lovely bride Sarah had returned for the holidays from Italy where they had spent the last six months. Chris and I had hung out quite a bit in the six months preceding his departure (which coincindentally was six months after Sarah’s), so I had rather missed him. We immediately cracked our usual wry jokes, insulted one another, and eventually broke into the bottle of Chianti that he had brought from Italy.
Chris and me looking like goobers in our shorts with our wine in plastic cups
As had been tradition for the past several years, the gift exchange had been abolished in favor of the White Elephant exchange. And as per usual, I did not participate. It’s just as fun to watch the friendly rivalry and not walk away with a hunk of junk. The main duel of this Christmas (or two days after Christmas rather) was between Sarah and Ashleigh who each had their eyes feasted upon a nice gray scarf. Sarah ended up the victor, with a little help from Bev. This was only fair since my Mom was helping Ash.
Sherry, Emily, Erine, and Bryan prepare for White Elephant madness
Eric keeps his distance from Nikki and Jan
Grandpa Murphy and his girls Darlene, Bev, Barb, and Diana
Emily and Kara aren’t so little anymore
Yaht and me in the midst of the heated White Elephant competition. At this point in the game, she is holding a Christmas candle awaiting the scarf to make its return
Tom describes the one that got away, while Ed imagines that Tom’s shirt is a map of Schenectady
I took this opportunity in the presence of so many family members to gather a few more photos that I need to put in my “Facebook Friends” folder. I had been attempting to gather photos of me with as many Facebook friends as possible and then posting them on that sight. I also assisted in family photos of the Tange-clan, first outside and then in the basement (Bev had been talked out of posing in the basement, but then they recanted and took one there anyway), and Club Claude. I asked Diana if she wanted a photo of the family and she thought it was a great idea. But as they were gathering everyone, Tom took the opportunity to steal away to the restroom…and never came back. Well eventually he came back – but not for the photo.
The first Tangeman family portrait
Disassembled and rearranged in the basement. Which is your favorite? (pose, not Tangeman)
The Claudes in the Kitchen with No Tom (new folk song?). Note Elise being rather, shall we say, uncooperative behind Shane
For the record, here is the roll call of attendees of the two-days-after-Christmas bash: Grandpa Murphy, Diana & Tom, Cathy, Lori & Shane with Abbey and Elise, Debby & Mike with Brad, Mom & Bob, Bryan & Erine, Ashleigh & Derek, Bob’s sister Sherry & Dave with Kara and Emily, Bev & Ed, Susan & Charles with Charley and Sam, Chris & Sarah, Karen & Joe with Andrew, Abby, and Allie, Jim & Jan with Nikki and Eric, Darlene, Brittney & Doug, Jacob & Lauren, and Lewd Zac. Oh yes, and I was there too.
So overall, it was another great two-day-after-Christmas gathering. Actually it was the first one. And hopefully the last.
I will see you all in 2009…
I actually like both the inside and the outside Tangeman family pictures. Thanks for taking them. I agree that by eating at 3:30 was nice because everybody came hungry, but it’s also because having Christmas two days late people didn’t have another family feast earlier in the day, or to go run off too. It was a fun day, but I missed Denise, Aaron and Adam. But having Denise home safe and sound is the most important factor. We all want the best for her.
Bev
December 30th, 2008