QUESTION: What (you may ask) happens when a gaggle of Headlee cousins sit around the kitchen bar enjoying meaningful Christmas Eve conversation (amongst an island of delectable, festive appetizers) a little too late into the evening?

ANSWER: The Headlee Family's first cheese dip lottery.

the preparation:

I love how the adults in our family stand by and shake their heads,

call us crazy, say "that's disgusting,"

then jump on board and assist with the preparations!

(Okay, this statement EXCLUDES Uncle Doug,

who was egging them on the entire time.)

the players:

waiting anxiously as the lottery cards are prepared...

you don't wanna get this one.

everybody in

you could cut the tension with a knife

not them...

HIM!

Cousin Mike was especially gracious toward the "loser"

a.k.a. Lizzie's boyfriend, Adam.

(Gee, I'll bet he's glad he came tonight!)

victory dance

Lizzie only heaved once or twice

while carrying the bowl of steaming hot,

chunky cheese to her boyfriend.

They had the genius idea to pour the rather thick cheese mixture into a ziplock bag and cut off one of the bottom corners for easier consumption. (sort of like a frosting bag, only this was SO not anything like frosting.)

CHUG*CHUG*CHUG*CHUG

*dry heave*

(not him, me. - He was a freakin' rock)

CHUG*CHUG*CHUG*CHUG

*
Celebrating Victory

Luke, apparently still high on nacho cheese chugging delight, started thinking of new (and more messed up) things they could put each other up to eating...but Uncle Doug and I had a better idea: The single guys would all draw from "the Lottery" and whoever got the skull card had to be married by March 1st! Awesome idea, right? Well, they wouldn't TOUCH that lottery!(translation:they'd rather chug a bowl full of chunky, past-its-prime, cheddar cheese than face the prospect of getting married.) They did allow me to organize a "Hot Hunks of Headlees" photo shoot...so at least there was that. They are officially available ladies. Leave a comment if you'd like to bid on one of our delightful bachelors! They're smart, devastatingly handsome, and will willingly chug entire bowls of questionable cheese for sheer entertainment value. Here are the fruits of my photo shoot labor:

In case you can't smell what I'm steppin in,

let me spell it out for you:

Got it girls? You too could be this happy/overjoyed/ecstatic for the rest of your life (not to mention all of the V.I.P. invitations to similar Headlee gatherings throughout the year) for one easy payment of...well, marriage. That's right ladies, just throw your hat in right here and you could be taking home an unruly, cheese chugging bachelor of your very own! (Gosh, I am just giving and giving and giving this year! Is there no end to my generosity?)

You're welcome.

Merry Christmas!