Texas Christmas Part 2: Christmas Eve Extravaganza

While Brian and I enjoyed 5 fun days at my sister's, Mark was busy working and then driving our minivan from Utah to Texas with his family. Our primary purpose in coming to Houston was to spend time with Mark's mother Alice's family. Except for one sister who is in Taiwan and Alice's dad who has passed away, all of her family was together for Christmas this year. I got to know all of Mark's cousins, aunts, and uncles. Mark and his family arrived on Monday morning of December 21st and he came and picked me up from my sister's house. We spent Monday and Tuesday enjoying each others company, playing basketball, going for walks, and starting the food fest. I have never eaten so much food in my entire life. Tuesday we went to a Sushi buffet AND an amazing Mexican restaurant. The next day, Christmas Eve, was even more full of fun and FOOD.(Uncle James, Aunt Debbie, Mark's Grandmother, Mark's Mom, Uncle Eric)




CHRISTMAS EVE
For lunch Mark's entire family, maybe 30 people or so, went to this great Chinese Buffet where we stuffed ourselves silly on all the Chinese food you can imagine. Following the buffet we sat around at his uncle's house waiting for the food to digest. At about 4:30 pm Mark, Brian and I went back to my sister Emily's for a traditional Evans Christmas Eve party, minus the rest of my family of course. Emily made to most delicious filled potatoes, artichoke dip, seven layered dip, salad, and more. Oh, and she even searched through the entire city of Houston to find us some Martinellis Sparkling Apple Cider.
Thanks Emily for the delicious food.

We couldn't leave without acting out the traditional Christmas Eve Nativity with costumes and all. For the first time ever Mark and I got to be Joseph and Mary and Brian was a rather old baby Jesus. Emily was an Angel and her husband Nate was a shepherd.

Cutest of all were the three wise men who were so exited about the chocolate gold coins that they had a hard time giving them to baby Jesus (Brian) when the time came. Lucky for them Brian was willing to give the coins back.

We had so much fun reading the Christmas story and singing the Christmas carols that go along with the scriptures. Thank you so much Emily for inviting us for a few hours.



BACK AT THE LIU'S

Following our fun time at Emily's, we went back to Uncle Eric's for another incredible meal prepared by Aunt Sandy (below), with help from other various people in the house.

Sandy was seriously in the kitchen ALL day long preparing the Christmas Eve dinner and it was AMAZING. We had Turducken (chicken inside duck inside turkey), ham, yams, squash, yummy cornbread muffins, veggies, casserole, etc. etc. Thank you Aunt Sandy!

One of the reasons for getting the whole Liu family together in Houston was to celebrate Lao Lao's (Mark's Grandmother's) 75th Birthday. My sister-in-law Vivian put together a beautiful scrapbook with pictures of Mark's family to give to her. Following our final Christmas Eve meal she got to open the book.

Nice work Vivian, she loved it!

Brian and his cousin Xander all dressed in their red jammies on Christmas Eve.

Almost all of Alice's siblings and spouses.