The Ritchey's 4th Annual Holiday Party

I can finish this post... I can do it.
I can finish this post... I can do it.
I can finish this post.... I can do it.
I can finish this post...  I can do it.
Are you convinced?  Been working on posting this ALL week!

The three weeks before our party, I completely stress out.  I have lists at the office, in my car, at home, on my forehead, on the kid's foreheads.  I'm constantly adding to them, tweaking, crumbling, restarting, deleting, checking, unchecking.  But the day before the party is the most fun, because the reality of it is so much clearer and the fun part, the-putting-it-all-together-part, happens.  I baked 400 cookies, packaged the party favors (cookies), cleared out the playroom, set all the tables, decorated, yada, yada, yada.  But I could finally see the fruits of my worrying labor all coming together!  There were cookies E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E.....

P.S.  Adrey helped unwrap all the Hershey Kisses the night before.  He sat right in the center of the table and unwrapped one... ate one... unwrapped one... ate one...  Hence the reason I had to make a mid-baking run to Walmart on Friday to get another bag!!

Our kitchen floor didn't stay as clean this year because I didn't have my little cleaner-upper at my feet picking up all the crumbs this year:-(  Miss you sweet baby Cheetoe!!

This year I bought festive wine glasses which I love!!

Fa la la la la la la la la....

We were all lined up to have another casino party this year since it was such a big hit last year.  But as I was driving home from work one day I had a brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea to have an around-the-town scavenger hunt.  It meant for a lot of last minute preparation but it was SO worth it!  We rented the Naples Trolley, loaded it with 2 coolers of beer and wine, 5 team bags of scavenger hunt goodness and 34 of our most favorite people on the planet, and a partridge in a pear tree!!

Everyone got on the bus not having any idea where we were going or what we were doing.  I don't think they cared either!  We drove 15 minutes and landed at the Mall Food Court.  Me in my Santa hat made this announcement:

"Please take out of your bag the yellow envelope #1.  The first stop is the mall food court.  There is a stop watch in each team's bag.   You have 20 minutes to collect as many things/pictures/videos on the list as you can in that amount of time.  You are not allowed to BUY anything on the list. For every minute that you're late you will have 10 points deducted from your score.  Team members ARE allowed to split up.  I have printed several copies of the lists so you can each have one.  Open your #1 envelope and set your stopwatches NOW."

And they were OFF!  Some teams strategized in the parking lot, deciding who would get what, while others went right in with no direction at all!

Our adorable bus driver, Nelson!

I believe LeeAnn had just scored a chicken nugget just before I snapped this photo!

Sarah hard at work...

Chris, in the blue suit, H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.

End of story.  Absolutely hilarious!

(And yes, he's wearing a dickey)

One of the things on the list was to "take a video of team members saluting people as they come out of Old Navy."  To see Kevin doing this, click HERE.

Jordan making his way down the list...



The clue for this next picture was:

"Get a photo of strangers spelling YMCA with their bodies"

Heading to the bathrooms...

To get this shot... The clue was:

"Get a photo of the whole team in a bathroom stall"

 

And the clue for this was:

"Get a photo of a team member sitting on a highchair (1 bonus point for each additional person)"

 

And then we were back on the trolley and headed to destination #2.  I'm happy to say no one had points deducted from their score for being late! 

Our next stop was the Venetian Village. Everyone deboarded the bus and I made this announcement:

"There is NOT an envelope for this stop.  We have strategically placed ONE Santa Clause around the shops here.  At this stop you have 15 minutes to find the Santa.  Given we are in the middle of December, I was afraid there might be other Santa's displayed about, so I have put a sign on the Santa that says "RITCHEY'S 4th ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY" so you'll be sure to know it's the right one.  The team that finds the Santa Clause and brings it back to the bus will get 50 points.  All other teams will get no points at this stop.  Set your stopwatches NOW!"

My parents were in on this one.  They came down and hid the Santa in a store front window...

Team #5, Sara specifically, was the finder and 50-point-earner on this one!! 

Mom and Dad stuck around and took some photos for us too!

And we were off, yet again, to destination #3...

Our next stop was 5th Avenue.  Everyone deboarded the bus and I made this announcement:

"Please take out of your bag the red envelope #2.  You're being dropped off at the corner of 5th Avenue and 8th Street.    You have 20 minutes to collect as many things/pictures/videos on the list as you can in that amount of time.  You are not allowed to BUY anything on the list. For every minute that you're late you will have 10 points deducted from your score.  Team members ARE allowed to split up.   I have printed several copies of the lists so you can each have one.  Open your #2 envelope and set your stopwatches NOW."

 

The clue for this was:

"Find a newspaper clipping of a women's event"

 

There wasn't a clue for this one, I just think Cary was trying to get BONUS points, ya know, like extra credit, for smooching the bartender!

I have to say, at this stop every team but Team #2 was late!  It was two hours into the event, and alcohol at this point was certainly a factor, so it kinda made sense!!  After everyone boarded (I was SO paranoid we'd leave someone behind... omg if that had happened I'd have just died!) I quieted everyone down and made the following announcement:

"We are now headed to Publix.  Please take out of your bag the green envelope #3.  In the envelope is a list of 21 food riddles.  On our way to Publix your team needs to answer as many of the food riddles as possible.  There are enough printouts for each team so everyone can read the riddles, but have the team captain write the answers on only one sheet.  When we get to Publix ONE person from each team, wearing the Santa hat, (it does not have to be the captain) will depart the bus and must go in to Publix and take PHOTOS of as many of the food items found on the list of riddles.  You only get points for the items you get photos of.  You have 15 minutes in Publix to take your pictures.  Set your stopwatches NOW."

We arrived at Publix and five "contestants" deboarded the bus.  To see the "take off" video which I honestly can not stop watching and I laugh hysterically every time, click HERE.

And here were some of the photos taken....

The riddle for this one was:

What you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter.

PUMPKIN PIE

What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic?

SANKA

(apparently not a very popular brand these days... ONE orange jar on the top shelf!)

There were tons more pictures taken on all of their phones and it was HILARIOUS to look at them all!  After Publix we headed back home where a nice warm dinner was awaiting us!

While everyone was getting their plates, I tallied up all the teams' scores...

OH, THE PRESSURE!

And the 1st place team was (drum roll please)....

TEAM #2

And the 2nd place team was (drum roll please).... OH, WAIT, we don't HAVE a picture of Team #2 because they were poor sports and wouldn't let me take a picture!  LOLOL!  Love you Team #2.

And the 3rd place team was (drum roll please)....

TEAM #5

Actually, after the teams were awarded their prizes and their photos taken, I was informed that Sarah checked off that she got a photo of a watermelon but actually didn't (I can only imagine it was an oversight and not that she was cheating!!!!).  And the watermelon was worth 5 points.  Wouldn't you know it that Team #2 was the winner by FIVE points!  Are you kidding me?!?!  SOOOOOOO, Team #2 and Team #1, you're both winners in my book!!

WOW.  WOW.  WOW.

What a great party with the most amazing friends I could ever ask for.  Thank you to each and every one of you for being in our lives.  You are all so dear to us and we love you with every ounce of our being.