and then it was almost next year

The pie time is long gone. 

So many goings-on, so few blog posts.

That's how blogging goes I suppose.  And here I am, ready to post again.

The pie time began as always at the start of November and reached critical mass on the day before Thanksgiving.  I totally overdid it this year and vow to never again make 13 pies for Thanksgiving.  Never.



After Thanksgiving (and Stu's birthday, of course), the Christmas plans commenced.  Cookies were baked, gifts for neighbors were made ready, cards were created and sent out, cheeseballs were mixed and rolled, a tree was chosen and decorated, parties were planned.

In some amazing, never-before-heard-of-news, I finished my shopping and wrapping of Christmas gifts by the weekend before Christmas.  Well, except for the making of bracelets for all of the girls in my family and the additional shopping we kept doing right up to earlier this afternoon.  Yes, in another never-before-heard-of-thing, we were still shopping this afternoon.  Crazy.  I know.  But we realized on Christmas eve that we should have definitely bought model rockets for launching by all four of the adult men children, not just the two who have children who would find rocketry appealing, thus a trip back to the hobby shop this afternoon.

The clothes I bought for everybody in an unheard of burst of black Friday online shopping were all acceptable, except for that one sweater that the drummer thought I gave him already last year but it turned out that last year he'd exchanged a too-big one I bought for the one I bought this year.  So now he has two maroon cashmere sweaters.  Or perhaps he returned this year's sweater for a different one that I'll try to buy for him next year. 

The girls all seemed pleased with their bracelets


Not the actual bracelets I made because none of my girls has turquoise as her birthstone.  And those aren't my hands.
 
and Leo and Calvin loved their Hulk hands.  As did everyone else who put them on for a bit of Hulk-type smashing action.  Because hello(!) Hulk hands.


If only I'd been able to find the matching Hulk head.  And we should seriously have had video of the Hulk hands action on Christmas eve around the tree.  Totally appropriate reason-for-the-season stuff going on there.

The grandkids proved their intellectual skills by figuring out that the note cards they each received with one of the letters W G I S S T E N could be arranged to spell SWINGSET, which is the gift Jack and I gave to each family, to be assembled in their back yards as soon as weather permits.  Yet another never-before-thing this year is that we gave no Barbies or princesses or similar toys this year.  That was hard.  But swingsets and Hulk hands more than covered the absent Barbies and princesses.

We must have had a major snow storm on the 18th because I have this shot of Jo and Gus on the bench on the deck basking in the sunlight with deep snow in the background.  



JoJo loved/loves her Christmas squeaky ball even if it no longer squeaks, and Gus was thrilled with his pajamas that match Jr's pjs.  Yes.  You can get pajamas that match your dog's pjs.  Who doesn't love the internet really?  Still trying to grab a photo of the two of them snoozing in their jamms.

We've had several family get togethers this month including one with most of my family last Sunday and another planned with Jack's family tomorrow night.  Sadly, my parents were not able to join us for dinner and fun times last weekend, but hopefully we'll have Jack's mom with us tomorrow.  And then the five oldest girls and I will enjoy a sleepover and pancakes for breakfast on Monday.  Here are a few shots of the chaos that was my family party--

My younger brother and his daughter, son-in-law, and two sons



my older brother, smiling(!) holding his curly-haired grandson



speaking of smiling--







brothers--mine, Jack's, our boys




my kids--


he'll probably hate this picture
 

he'll probably hate this picture
 

She's barely in this picture
 

They are such serious men
 
Jack and me--both totally posing

Is it just my family or do all men look so serious in pictures? Also, I could post many more photos of blurry images, bunny ears, frowning and face pulling, but do I need to share those?  I think not.  Besides, I still have tomorrow's party to capture more of those moments.

Other brief thoughts--Did not love the mice that moved in just before the family party.  Definitely relieved they seem to all be dead and gone.  [don't judge me.  mice in the house is not allowed.  no good.  very bad.]  Also did not love the stomach flu the day after the party.  Barfing sucks.  Nearly overwhelmed seeing Stu working hard to (successfully) avoid a hospital stay over Christmas.  Definitely relieved he is perking up.  And totally love the new ping pong gaming and slot track racing going on downstairs now.  Looking forward to more family time tomorrow, pancakes on Monday, and pedicures with my girls later this week.  And a new year is coming.