And I'm kind of bummed out because I honestly don't know if we, as a family, can ever top this.

Christmas in Southern California is a funny feeling

in the best possible way.

I've forgotten how to feel the holiday spirit when it's almost 80 degrees out,

and the desserts are being served under a fully blooming lemon tree.

This year, we celebrated all together.

We are many.

A head count at my aunt's house one night revealed 55 people,

which we casually referred to as, "just us."

The food never fails to disappoint, of course.

And this year's desserts were very impressive.

A little too impressive, if you were to ask my pants.

We even tried something new for 2011.

New for our family.

We held a white elephant gift exchange.

Each person brought one gift, and we took turns choosing them and stealing them from one another.

In other words, we sat in a circle and played a game by its rules.

I'm not sure you understand the magnitude of this.

It was harder to organize than any classroom of children I've ever encountered.  Truly.

You guys.  It was SO FUN.

Everyone brought really cool gifts!

And it took forever, because there are so many of us,

but we laughed so hard. 

And then we laughed even harder.

And it felt so good to see how happy we all were to have only one Christmas present.

---

So.  Okay.

I realize that I'm somewhat obsessed with my own family.

I might write about them a lot.

But the thing is, I think about them a lot, too.

How much I genuinely like them.

And weirdly have in common with them

even when we come from different generations and different continents.

And how it never feels like an obligation to spend time with them

because they're the people I'd choose, anyway.

And lately, we're multiplying.

There are new ones.

And we're so dang crazy about them, too.

It is not at all overwhelming to be around so many people.

I feel so lucky.  

It's at least a little unusual, isn't it?

To belong so effortlessly to such a numerous and bizarre bunch?

It seems like the kind of thing to get excited about.

And be proud of.

And never take for granted.

And shout from the rooftops once in a while.

Mom only asked that we take one family photo, "just us."

#sorrynotsorry