Every year our extended family rents out a couple of houses at the Texas Safari Ranch in Clifton for our Christmas celebration. This place is amazing! It is a working ranch and is home to both endangered species and species that are extinct in the wild. The best part is that the animals roam free and you can watch them from the porch of the house that we usually stay in. 

It was cold and rainy the first day that we arrived, so we didn’t get to see many animals. Instead we played inside, hung out with family, and stayed warm by the fire. The boys are always so excited when we see this side of the family because they get to see their cousins. Well, not first cousins. They’re actually like step first cousins once removed… or something like that. But labels don’t matter, haha! What matters is that they’re close in age and love playing together.

 

 

Gram brought a cardboard gingerbread house and the biggest box of markers I’ve ever seen for the kiddos to use to decorate. They needed a little assistance putting it together. Pucci and Baillie to the rescue!

 

 

My sweet PeaPie was feeling a bit antisocial and needed a break from people.

 

 

Gram also made a hot chocolate bar. The kids were in heaven!

 

 

It wouldn’t be a true family function if Spencer didn’t serenade us.

 

 

Peek-a-boo!

 

 

One of the traditions of our Christmas gathering is a White Elephant gift exchange. We spent the week before prepping the kids for this game and the rules. I was really worried that one of them would get a gift they didn’t like or have a gift they love stolen… which would probably end in hurt feelings and lots of tears. We talked about the game… we role played… we prepped them for things they might open– salsa, beer–all of the things that our family loves, haha. We prepped so much that Atticus started crying about having a gift stolen from him the day before we even left. Poor dude! We gave him the choice to not participate, but he still wanted to play. 

The game started with Melissa choosing Logan’s gift. It was an assortment of prank items… including fart spray, fake poop, and a whoopee cushion. HA!

 

 

And as I predicted, Logan opened up a variety pack of salsa. He was a good sport about it too!

 

 

Lorelei went for the gift that she brought… glittery putty and a sparkle squish ball.

 

 

 

I missed the shot of Atti opening his first gift… but he chose the present he brought, which was a Nerf gun and some Nerf bullets. This gift was stolen from him and guess what– he DIDN’T cry! He decided to go over and steal Melissa’s gift with the fart spray and fake poop. I was SO proud of him!

 

 

 

Uh oh… Gramps stole Logan’s gift!

 

 

So Logue picked another… and it was PJs for an adult. Still, he wasn’t upset!

 

 

The PJs were immediately stolen and he opened a headlamp, which is the gift he wound up with. He was pretty excited about it too. (Thankfully!)

 

 

The kids immediately opened up all of Atti’s prank presents. It’s not a party until someone breaks out the whoopee cushion!

 

 

 

My sweet snuggle kids. <3

 

 

Since all the siblings (and spouses!) were in the same place at the same time, we decided to get a group photo.

 

 

And then the parents joined too!

 

 

The next morning the rain had stopped and the animals were out and about. We had a blast watching them from the house.

 

 

This tiny girl had a party hangover!

 

 

I’m so sad that this is the only photo I got of sweet baby McKenna. She is seriously like a living Cabbage Patch Doll. Cutest little thing ever!

 

 

This guy let me get so close to him! He was snacking on a cactus.

 

 

Still hungover…

 

 

As we were leaving, we drove through the ranch and looked at all of the animals. We even had a close encounter with the resident camel, Marsha.

 

 

Chris was not a fan of Marsha’s giant head reaching over him to get some pets from me, so she came to the other side of the car.

 

 

Then she walked around to the other side of the car… either to say bye to Chris or maybe to try and steal the sandwich that was sitting on a plate on the center console… but Chris straight up rejected her and rolled up the window. Poor Marsha!