Two weeks ago, I told you all about my Liddick family planning our Christmas in August party since COVID took our normal traditional 2020 Christmas from us. It’s so sweet how so many of you couldn’t wait to hear all about it, so here it goes!

It was a beautiful 80-degree August day up on the mountain on Dam Run Road. No humidity and a nice breeze made it less unbearable. I was wearing my Christmas shirt that read “In a world full of Grinches, be a Griswold,” right along with my Grinch necklace and hair wrapped in a red bandana. I was ready as any Christmas lover would be!

As Christmas music played in the background, it truly felt like Christmas time as my cousin Lindsay Clark, Aunt Sherie Shirn, and my husband Chris McElroy were getting everything all set up. The three of us girls all pitched in with decorations. The pavilion above the cabin was starting to look and feel like Christmas. Bright red and green tablecloths covered the tables while a string of lights set off the food table with a manger scene. I had to bring the reason for the season. Two large wooden Santa and Snowman stood against the pavilion beams welcoming family to our holiday festivities.

In the back corner, a sweet little table was topped with gifts for our Christmas exchange later. Children’s gifts on the bench, adult gifts on the top. In the middle was my old ceramic Christmas tree nestled by a fake fire and stocking. After all, Santie Claus was coming to town! Next to the table stood a large wooden Mr. Grinch, holding an ornament that said, “Don’t get your Tinsel in a Tangle.” Not to mention any names, but a few family members can be Grinch-like sometimes. He represented all those humbug folks. In December, he stands tall in our front yard while stealing the lights off a Christmas tree. I love the Grinch. Classic.

As the rest of the family started showing up, they were all exhilarated with how everything looked. Cute little fake Christmas trees up and down the tables, with a giant light-up Merry Christmas sign. It was perfect. You could just feel the Christmas spirit as “O Holy Night” by Bing Crosby played in the background. It neared 1:00 p.m., so we started placing all the food on the table. Fried chicken from Giant took the spotlight all while the side dishes kept piling up. Mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mac and cheese, hash brown potatoes, baked beans, baked apples, freshly baked rolls all lined the table. A veggie tray shaped into a Christmas tree while bright red glorified rice laid next to it with a gorgeous fruit platter. At the very end of the table stood my famous Christmas punch in a tall, gorgeous clear Pioneer Woman drink dispenser. The fresh fruit in it screamed the holidays. As the cranberries all floated to the top, pieces of orange sliced wrapped all around the glass with pops of pineapple.

Hello, Christmas time! It truly felt like Christmas time was here. I said a prayer before dinner, thanking the Lord for our picture-perfect cabin to celebrate Christmas with our wonderful family, and what a beautiful day he gave us to hold such a memorable day. It was time to dig in. We all sat around enjoying every bite of what tasted just like the holidays. There was so much to pick from. I was ready to go jump on that dessert table! We had so many different Christmas cookies. I teased my momma in a large family text that it just wouldn’t be Christmas time without her peanut butter blossoms! She showed up with them and her decorated sugar cookies! There were Christmas cut-out brownies, coconut cookies, dipped Oreos, and peanut butter crackers dipped in chocolate. The choices were tough, and I didn’t go for seconds for dinner because I pretty much needed one of every dessert. I mean, it’s all about balance, baby!

While I was getting ready to get some dessert, the music turned up, and the kids all started to scream! Wait. Could it be!? Santa Claus was pulling up in his sleigh! Except his sleigh looked a little different for August? He pulled up in a white Suzuki four-wheeler! Santa got off the four-wheeler as all the kids surrounded him, jumping up and down yelling, “Santa!! Santa!!” Santa danced and waved to “Here comes Santa Claus,” loudly playing on my Bose speaker. Santa even had a red bag nestled on his back, full of gifts!

Each of the kids got a gift, and guess what? Even the adults did! My Aunt Sylvia Shumbat got a lump of coal. She must have been a bad girl! My Aunt Sherie got a box of Mr. Clean magic erasers. Except it wasn’t Mr. Clean. It was Mrs. Clean and a blob of fake hair glued onto Mr. Clean’s head that turned it into the Mrs. My Aunt Sherie loves to clean, and Santa knows that. There were so many very unique gifts. We all sat around just cracking up as each person opened up something different and clever by Santa. How blessed were we that he rode clear from the North Pole up to our cabin on the mountain to deliver such great gifts!

While Santa headed back to the North Pole with a belly full of Christmas cookies, we continued our Christmas Day. It was onto the gifts! All the kids picked a name out of a hat, and they could go up and choose a gift. The kids who got games went over to a picnic table and all played together while we adults played our Christmas exchange. Our family loves the White Elephant game. You can fight and steal the perfect gift for yourself until your name isn’t called anymore. Well, I switched it up this year. Instead of fighting for the perfect gift for yourself, you drew a name before the game even started, kinda like a Secret Santa. You were now picking a gift out for the person’s name that you drew, but we didn’t know who had our names till the game was over. So, I had my Uncle Dean. I got him a really nice Bubba brand cup!

My momma had my name. I got $10 cash and a box of face masks. My cousin Christy Derr had my husband’s name. She was so excited to get him a box of car wash. Christy was like, “Ohhh! My friend is really, really going to like this!” The car wash ended up getting stolen. So she ended up with a Park Pizza gift card and little odds and ends with it. That got stolen, again. My husband ended up with a bean bag toss finger game, but god bless Christy, she fought for Chris! That’s what makes it fun. It’s not about you; it’s about giving someone else that perfect gift.

As the day was ending, Lindsay told everyone she had one last thing before everyone started going out to the fields and paths to ride again. She bought Schwan’s chocolate malt push-up pops. Back when we were younger, our gram and pap (Lois and Floyd Liddick) always bought things from the Schwan’s man. Gram always made sure to have their famous orange sherbet, and chocolate malt push-up pops in the covered toilet paper rolls for all her grandbabies. We haven’t had them in years. It was such a cool memory brought back to us and such an awesome idea. The toilet paper rolls were wrapped in what looked like candy cane paper. I mean, come on, was that not perfect!? All of us cousins who were there got a picture all together of us holding the pops. Aunt Sherie even brought a box of leftover village pieces that my gram divided out a few years ago to her kids, grandkids, and even great-grandkids. We all have pieces of Gram’s wonderful village. It was fun picking out little extra pieces to go with our little homes and shops that will light up our homes once again come Christmas time.

The whole day was perfect. The spirit and love filled the air. I heard quite a few people saying how this needs to start being a yearly thing. But no matter what, we always have each other. When we are together, we smile and laugh. We are still making memories together, and as a Christian family, we hold Christmas in our hearts all year long. A big thanks to my Uncle John Lockcuff for making the day extra special for all of us. *wink, wink*

I hope you enjoyed hearing about our Christmas in August! Only 122 days left until the real Christmas day. We all know how fast that will be here! Excuse me while I go start to prepare.

Merry Christmas in August, folks!

Christmas Punch
Ingredients:
• 1 (64-ounce) container Cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 (20-ounce) container of pineapple chunks
• 1 container frozen lemonade
• 1 – 2 liter Sprite or 7 up
• Orange slices (for garnish)
• Fresh cranberries (for garnish)
• Lots of ice
Directions:

Squeeze the container of frozen lemonade into a large drink dispenser or punch bowl.

Add the cranberry juice cocktail, pineapple chunks with juice, and sprite. Gently stir to combine. Add plenty of ice.

Serve over ice and garnish with slices of oranges and cranberries!

So festive for the holidays!