Now, since Beth couldn't make it to the V. Thanksmas celebration, B & B decided to withhold telling Ben's parents their big news for a month, until Christmas. So they decided to get them gifts (grandma & grandpa mugs) to tell them the news.

Here they go, thinking they're getting belated house warming gifts. Totally unsuspecting......

Ben's dad's gift was a little easier to open, and a little more straight forward than his mom's.  A little confusion is setting in.......

This is what we call "The sinking-in" process........

Ben's Dad has now entered the "Joy" stage, while his mom is still letting things sink in a bit more...........

And now Ben's mom joins in the "Joy" stage, and all is well!!!

Here's Wen, Lindsay, Megan and Hank all hanging around, shooting the breeze. Though really, food is on everyone's mind!

Hank, Beth, Megan & Max

Nana & Effie have a very special bond. Effie will lick Nana non-stop for hours. Unfortunately Amber, Effie's playfriend from the previous Christmas, was no longer with us  :(  But Nana helped keep Effie just as happy!

This Christmas visit also allowed us to meet up with Brian, a lifelong friend of the family! He and Effie also had quite the connection, and a lot of Effie's time in L.A. was spent in Brian's arms! :)

But all this attention wore poor Effie out. She seeked the coolest place she could find..... the bricks of the fireplace.

Just like last year, here's a picture of the group just before digging into the presents. It was a great day as always, even though poor Ben caught quite the sickness that morning.

Starting from below the tree, heading clockwise, is Wen, Beth, Effie, Ben, Hank, Nana, Jan, Megan, Tom, Barb, Brian, Jack & Max!

Here's the typical view of the morning.