Holiday Fun - Laser Tag - Skating Party

Every year, my family has a few traditions that we never miss. 
 
Even as the kids get older, we try to keep going to these activities so that now when we are all having grand-children, they are coming. 

My father and his wife are the best at keeping traditions alive. He has tried many different things over the years to see what works best but I think the skating and laser tag party over Christmas is one of our favorites.
 
Here is a link to our 2014 party which was a first for Grand Princess Number 1.

Here is the link to the party of 2011. 
 
I guess I haven't posted on it every year but we have attended every year.   

We have quite the collection of pictures of the kids growing up at these skating parties. 
 
They have a great "blast zone" where you can shoot balls at each other, big slides, skating, scooters, arcades, lazer tag, karaoke, and grampa pays for the entire party and lunch which for the past few years has been pizza from the snack bar. There are over 60 of us so that can add up!
 
I can't imagine what the price tag is for the party but we don't pay for the private party anymore as most of the grand kids are grown and off at school etc so there are only a few families with little ones left. 
 
Each year fewer and fewer of the grandchildren come but in the past few years, more of the great-grand-kids are coming and that is wonderful as the next generation is coming for the tradition.  
 
It was WONDERFUL for us to get to see Grand Princess One and Prince One and of course Princess One! We really missed them over Christmas but enjoyed getting to see them that day. 
 
There was LOTS of competition over Grand Princess as you can imagine but I think the aunt of the day was Princess Four who won a little rubber frog for her which she carried around with her. She had so much fun in the ball pit, bounce house type places and the crawl zone. 
 
I think the teens and adults had the most fun playing laser tag with Grandpa. He was such a good sport to go in and play with the family. 
 
It is days like this that make me sad about our upcoming ages. I know that the parties can't go on forever as I am taking care this month of my aging mother, it makes me all to aware of my own mortality and that of my parents and wonder how much longer we will have these great activities that my father has tried so hard to keep alive. 

He and his wife are the driving force to getting these things done and getting people to come camping twice a year and the annual Christmas parties. He has done many bowling days for the teens, lunches and ice cream parties at his house (ok, lets be real that his wife does most of the work for those parties) and he has taken the older girls for river runs, and weekend outings. 

My favorite memory of my father has to be when he comes to dance with each of my daughters at Prom for the one "Father - Daughter" dance and drives 6 hours for that three minute dance! He asked months ago about the date as Princess Five has her prom this year and he wanted to schedule it so he could make sure he is there for her that night.  

I am truly blessed with an amazing family and am VERY grateful for my dad and his wonderful wife! I think he may have gotten the better end of the deal as she is a diamond!!! Actually, I think we all ended up with the best deal as we get them both! I hope your holidays were WONDERFUL!