A magical, memory-making Christmas party

Every December, this family-owned company does something completely magical for the kids of its employees---a Christmas party like no other:

And that's just the entrance hall! The showroom floor is transformed into the actual party area:

All the kids get to make a gingerbread house, along with other kids' crafts, and there are also carolers, a face painter, a photobooth, gifts and a visit with Santa, and of course, two happy caricaturists! That's my colleague John Sprague who brought his blossoming beardly beauty.

We were in a newly-expanded party area that encompassed part of the company's warehouse. Thank you to the gentleman who facilitated that:

I told him that as much as I loved our previous very festive location in the main room near the tree, (this was my fourth year doing this party) it was very loud (the carolers' speaker was always next to us) and not as open as where we were this year. And he'd provided benches for our sitters, so whole families could sit comfortably. This party is definitely about families! I barely use any paper because it's mostly threesomes, foursomes and fivesomes. Or sometimes it's a whole lotta of elves:

Yes, John fit all six of them on one sheet of paper :-)

Here's a few of my sitters:

Some of these families have been drawn every year that I've been there, so their collection is growing! :-)

To our right, the talented face painter plied her skill and Santa skied his way over our heads. 

Here are some of her creations:

We are always invited to eat at this gig, and I am always happy to see soft pretzel bites, because they are one of the few things I can handle while drawing. :-)

And my day ended with my own visit to Santa:

Merry Christmas!!