Christmas Time is Here- Come meet the family!

On December 23, 2017 the Gaitten, Lynn, Guillet and Marchand families came together. About 30 people were here at our house in Hamilton. We had the party during the day and it was unusually warm but overcast for December. That day was about 53 degrees. Nil drove down from Connecticut on Friday and stayed the weekend.

This photo was taken while we were visiting on Friday night getting ready for dinner!

From the “new” side of the family, my Father, Nil was in attendance representing the Guillet side. (From the Marchand side, my sister, Kelly and her daughter Morgan and Kelly’s Father, Bob were going to surprise us. Steve knew about it but I didn’t. However, Morgan got sick with the flu so they did not end up driving down from PA and we missed them!)

In attendance from the Marchand side: Aunt Martha, Uncle Victor, Uncle John, Aunt Jeanne, along with cousin Mark, his wife Jennifer and their daughter, Marianna (my 2nd cousin).

My Mom (Pat), sister (Deena), nephew (Donald), niece (Casie), great nephew (Luke) and my brother in law (Rodney) were here. A few very close friends who are truly family were also here – Rose, Jasmine and Cody. My brother Ed was sick and Don Langley was home with new puppy- they could not attend and were sorely missed!

On Saturday around 11 am the family started to arrive! The idea was to spend quality time together. Some of my family has met my “new” family, some had not. Nil had grown up around the corner from my biological Mother, Linda’s house so he knew her brother and sisters but they did not know each other well. Aunt Martha and Nil spent an hour chatting about who old friends and the old neighborhood. It turns out that they still know several of the same people. Martha said he always loved cars and could see that he still does today. He’s a fierce Ford guy!

We feasted on turkey, ham and a bounty of dishes everyone brought. The dining room table and side tables were overflowing with goodies. We setup drinks on the porch. Steve was in charge of fun and games in the upstairs of the barn.

There was quite a ping pong match. Every time we have a family gathering they must play for the imaginary trophy and bragging rights. We had Jenga setup inside and Aunt Jeanne brought a fun game that had us all laughing. I don’t even know what it is called. She wrapped up a bunch of goodies in saran wrap until it was a huge ball that was passed around while throwing dice and quick timing. It kept us all giggling. I painted ornaments for everyone as a keepsake. Some were better than others. They all went so that made me happy!