December 23, 2025
Our sibling gift exchange was happening this year. We were able to pull off a pretty funny prank on Britney and Adam. They fell for it to the bitter end and were great sports once they found out too. But before I get into the prank and share the video, let me share some of the fun food and games Britney had in store for us.
First, we enjoyed a nacho bar with homemade salsa, guacamole, and tons of toppings. Brit also had a yummy spread of desserts: decorated sugar cookies, cherry cordial mice, and homemade caramel. We gathered around their large table and had a great time visiting.
We had a lot of fun with the games this year. Brit always does a good job putting together a few that she thinks our group will enjoy or tolerate. (Some of us are more grumpy-cough-Kerry-cough cough, than others.) It was funny to witness the teasing and competitiveness of the nine of us emerge as well.
We paired up against an opponent for a fierce game of tic-tac-toe. You had to slide the Hershey Kisses, one at time, into the correct squares.
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| my dad and Brian |
The overfill the water cup game we played was pretty entertaining. The cup was filled to the brim with water, and we had to take turns adding some water without it overflowing. We were pretty sure that the first or second person would try and the game would be over. However, we all had multiple turns, and the water just bulged into a dome above the cup. We were shocked. I guess we had a throwback science experiment about water tension.
I am proud to say that Brian and I were the grand champions, with Brit and Adam a close second.
Britney drew the first spot, and of course, she picked the one gift we were most worried about, her Hydrojug. However, as excited as she was, she did not realize that it was her long lost (26 hours) baby. Phew!
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| Brit and Adam |
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| Kerry & Quetta |
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| Nate & Beth |
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| me and Brian |
Okay....on to the joke we played on Britney and Adam. I had seen a video of a family pranking their grandma on Christmas morning. Every present they opened from each other was actually just something from the grandma's house. I forwarded it to Beth and said, "We should do this to the Birds!" She was all in, so we forwarded it to the group to see if they thought. We didn't get the roaring support I was hoping for, but we got the okay, so operation steal some items from Brit and Adam began. Nate and Beth live out of town, so I knew I had to do the dirty work. It was harder than I expected!
First, I tried to gather the supplies on Sunday night during our family gathering. I enlisted Hudson, who is 15, to help. We had to gather items that looked new and fell into the $50 range. I also needed to steal items that they wouldn't need or miss for two days. We found a few tools out in Adam's shop and set them on the outside porch by the street. The shop totally has cameras that video everything, but Hud assured me they would have no need to review the video feed.
However, at one point, he realized we were cooked because the back door to the shop had a Ring doorbell that his dad would immediately check if it went off. I also knew Bri and Adam were both casually visiting while looking at their phones. I was dying. The last thing I needed was for Adam, my brother-in-law and/or Adam, my bishop, to wonder why I was stealing from him! So I headed into the house to distract Adam while Hudson put everything back.
On to plan B...try again the next day when neither Brit nor Adam would be home. Hudson sent me the text that the coast was clear, and I dropped my errands and headed straight over. Charlotte joined in the secrecy, and they helped me figure out the best seven items to steal. I took Britney's Hydrojug (her favorite water bottle), a Kendra Scott necklace from her bathroom drawer, some diamond earings, pearls packaged in a brown velvet envelope, a large, plush Minky Couture blanket, a back massager and a sleeping bag.
I then swung by Kerry's to drop off four of the "gifts" for Kerry, Quetta, Beth, and Nate to wrap. Beth wasn't there, and the other three were nice, but I could tell they were somewhat reluctant participants. Kerry said something like, "I think this prank only works on grandmas with dementia. Why are we trying this on Britney and Adam? Why didn't we do it on Dad?" To be fair...my dad asked the same question. Also, Kerry is so sweet. He called me the next morning to apologize--which was not needed at all. He wanted to be sure he didn't hurt my feelings.
Anyway, I stole the items on Monday afternoon, and the party was on Tuesday night. We needed to give my daughter-in-law, Erin, her birthday gift two days early so I could use the Minky Couture packaging to fake wrap Britney's blanket. Operation white elephant prank was rolling.
I received a text from Hudson late Monday night: "My mom just offered a cash reward to whoever finds her Hydrojug." I was crying.🤣🤣🤣 I was also hoping sweet Charlotte, 12, could keep the secret.
I received this text from Erin on Tuesday morning: Britney just said, "I am mourning the loss of my Hydrojug." At least we know at the moment she has no idea.
We met for "family lunch" that afternoon. Britney told me all about her missing water bottle and that she just could not figure out where she had left it. I kindly offered to lend her mine until hers turned up, and she was very grateful. When I gave it to her later that day, she told me I was a lifesaver. She was just not drinking enough water without it. I was thinking, "She is going to KILL me!"
I knew I needed to be tricky with the Hydrojug wrapping, or the whole prank might go wrong. I took the plastic wrapping off one of our Amazon gifts and put it around her water bottle. I also paired the Hydrojug with an Owala water bottle that still had its packaging. I was hoping Brit wouldn't think twice about it being her actual water bottle when she saw two fancy water bottles at the same time.
Moving on, I wanted to be tricky with her necklace as well so, I unwrapped a Kendra Scott gift I had under the tree for myself, and swapped it with Britney's necklace so it would look authentic.
Let the Games Begin...
It was hysterical. We would ooh and ahh over each present. Britney would state, "I have a necklace very similar, but not exactly the same," or Adam would say, "We have one of those." We all opened and stole gift after gift without the Birds realizing they all belonged to them.
Nate videoed the whole thing. The prank worked perfectly, and Britney and Adam were great sports once they found out. Between the games, the food, and the missing-then-miraculously-found Hydrojug, this sibling Christmas party was one for the books—and exactly the kind of memory that makes me grateful for family traditions.
🠞🠞🠞 Gift Exchange Prank🠈🠈🠈
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| Kerry, my dad, Quetta, Beth, Nate, Adam, Britney, me, & Brian (missing Chris & Ang in West Africa and Becky & Brian in Lucas, Tx.) |
