Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas...

Today, as is our relatively new family custom, the members of the Wyatt clan assembled from across Illinois and Iowa to celebrate Christmas at Seton Hall. It was a day replete with delicious food, fun games, adorable (albeit rambunctious) children, and conversation with family that we do not get to see often enough. Even if the Christmas spirit was still eluding me, it was lovely spending time with my relatives, and I captured the day on film to preserve those precious memories:

We rent a whole banquet hall, yet everyone still manages to congregate in the kitchen. When the cheese dip is there though, who can blame us?

Last Christmas, Mya was only a few days old and I spent much of the weekend holding and napping with her. This year, she was having none of me, but Mom got a chance to hold her.

Dad and I.

Matt is a great sport about playing with the little ones and acting as their human jungle gym every year.

Three generations of feisty, obstinate women. We might not always get along, but our love for one another runs deep.

Although the focus of our celebrations has shifted away from the giving of gifts to family togetherness, Grandma still receives a huge mountain of presents.

Cousin Trista with a captivating headband fashioned from her bingo prize's packaging.

Once again, the attempt at getting all the great-grandchildren in one photo bore mixed results, but they still look cute in their coordinating pajamas from Aunt Brenda. She was inspired by a similar photo of my generation in t-shirts and boxers that were given to us for Christmas by Uncle Pat in the mid-1990s. From left to right: Ben, Will, Mya, Jalen, Avery, Abbie, Braden, and Madelyn.

It was an exhausting, but ultimately sweet day. I wish it were easier for us to find times like Christmas where our family could come together, but such are the realities of life in the modern world. Families are far-flung and burdened with responsibilities, but we are fortunate that we can have gatherings like today's, where almost all of us can be in attendance. I'm already looking to seeing everyone again next year, when our family will be even bigger and crazier than it already is. Bring it on...