DeBry Party

One of my favorite days of the year is the Saturday before Christmas, the day of the DeBry party.  When I was a kid, the party took place at Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob's condo clubhouse high on the east bench of Bountiful.  If it was bad weather, there would be cars slipping and sliding and getting stuck in snow drifts, but missing the party wasn't a consideration.  I have images in my mind of stomping snow off boots, carrying in boxes piled high with wrapped treasures, and racing around the vast clubhouse, upstairs and downstairs, caught up in a whirlwind of cousins.  We would all peer out the huge windows at the swirling snow and the outline of the pool below, covered with a plump layer of snow.  Summer was difficult to imagine with darkness and snow closing in, but we didn't care about that.  We were wrapped in the safety of family.  We had gifts.  We had a big fire.  We had Opa and Nana.  We had each other.

And we still do...

 Laura, Eleanor and Bridie

 Nana, Tziporah and Bridie

 Kylie, Max, McKenna and Karen

 Allison and Samantha

 ...and Kris

 Jessie and Golda

 Trajan and Xanthe

 Jessie, MacKenzie and Golda

 Rita's masterpiece

 Mike and Brittany in their sweaters, one of which was ugly and one of which was not!

 Perfect menu!  Everyone brought money and a dessert or salad.  Scott picked up David's Pizza.  Couldn't be any easier for me!

 Paul and Nana

 Peter and Jon

 Mark, Sandra, Erik

 Miles, still on Brazil time!

 Alli and Abby

 Miles getting comfy!

 Hilarious when Matthew's older brother, "Santa Claus," grilled him on whether he had been good!

 Nana and Spencer

 Jamison and Felix

 Rita and Isaac

 The younsters

 The oldsters (just kidding!)

 Nana, James, Laura and Gordon

 Santa, don't go!  Oliver, Felix and Abby

 Abby

 Laura, Nana, Rita

 Nana and Laura Pexton

 Paul, Felshaw, Jim

 Scott and Gordon

 Rolayne in her Santa present:  a lion costume!

 Long-lost friends Grace and Ari

 Kris and me doing the Japanese tourist universal photo symbol

 Love!

 Merry merry merry!

 Isn't this darling?!