Ringing it in

This year our first night was...just right (Goldilocks would be so proud).

Progressive dinner + revelry x 7 families = very happy evening for 32 people

1. dinner at our house (featuring aebleskivers by G) 

2. giant round of the game Celebrities

3. travel to H family house, make festive hats

4. ...like this one

5. light sparklers

6. combine festive hat and sparklers (isn't he a good sport?)

7. play more games, then toast the new year with ginger ale

Then, watch movies all night (option 1) or go home to sleep and return for breakfast and games and sledding and, later, chili for lunch (option 2). I'll leave you to guess who chose which option. 

Lucky guy

 

Sam has been a lucky guesser lately. He has won four--FOUR!--guessing contests this year. His latest victory was at the middle school on Maroon and Gold Day right before Thanksgiving. He guessed there were 2092 skittles in the jar. There were 2098 (obviously there are fewer now, as you can see).

I guess he uses his crazy math skills to calculate and win. (Don't ask me, I'm more the humanities type; I credit those genes gifted from his engineer grandfather. Seriously, the boy has an amazing 100% average in math right now. Mathlete.) Luckily for everyone else he's a good sharer--from homeroom to the school bus to the home front. In fact, I have now confiscated and hidden the jar to eliminate its siren call to all of us. Unfortunately, I still know where it is.

In the meantime, we are planning to get Sam trained in weight-guessing and other carnival skills so he can put his guessing skills to more lucrative success.

And then we'll make him do our taxes.

Thanksgiving retrospective

Apparently the answer to the question How long does it take to recover from Thanksgiving week? is...oh, until today.  It was wonderful and filled with goodness. And--naturally!--I took hardly any pictures. 

We made these fun wheat bundle placecards again:

 

And remembered to take a picture of the table only after the meal:

Here's an iphone shot of some of the people, around a table at Bertucci's the next day, though:

Some favorite/memorable moments:

Looking, heart filled, around the table at parents, children, husband, siblings, and family friends.

Singing rounds and alleluias by candlelight after dinner. Glorious!

Taking turns reading our gratitude notes, including creative items like junior mints, junior proms, the seasons, crying, the primary program, handwriting, cinnamon raisin toast, funny people, seminary, nail polish, kraken, netflix, and Cary Grant as well as beloved standards like family, food, books, home.

Spending an afternoon in Harvard Square: pizza, brass quartets playing Christmas carols, bookstore browsing, Christmas gift shopping.

Movies: Harry Potter 7, 127 Hours, Morning Glory, Tangled, & Sherlock Holmes.

Picking up naughty Louie from dog jail after he went missing for a few hours

Successful gravy. Juicy brined turkey. Failed blueberry pie.

Breakfast with my parents at the Colonial Inn

Hyggli conversation, music, laughter.

. . .

And then, crashing with a head cold for three days after everyone went home.

It was worth it.

Welcome, December!

Week of firsts

Time is accelerating wildly as we all navigate this girl's last year of high school.

Just this week she experienced a whole slew of growing-up firsts, milestones whizzing by without much chance to stop and notice them for what they are.

First real job interview.

First submitted college application. 

Cap and gown measurements for graduation.

And first driver's license driving test*.

It's thrilling and daunting and bittersweet watching her take each step.

I guess it always has been, right from her very first one.

. . .

Listen: Everybody's Changing ~ Keane

. . .

All photos by Nicole Barker photography

*(It's a tad late but Massachusetts has a long process to acquiring the golden license. Add Lauren's busy schedule and all of the sudden she's 17.25 and just getting around to taking the test.  Our insurance bill has been breathing a sigh of relief & enjoying the delay, though.)

What's UP, Halloween style

{Recognize us? Ellie, Carl Frederickson, and Russell from UP}

also The Riddler (Jenny, we totally swiped this from you)

and a lovely gypsy who evaded all photos but this one

Lessons learned: 

1. It's amazing what you can throw together with a last minute idea on a Saturday afternoon
2. It's more fun when everyone joins in
3. One of these years we should get ready early enough to take Halloween photos in natural light 
4. You can find pretty much anything you need at the 5 and 10
5. But you'll have to take four trips there in one day to get everything you need 
6. We like to pose with our hands on our hips around here