New Year's Eve

Celebrated New Year's Eve with the 3rd Annual Mystery Meat and Taboo Party with about 50 good friends.  SO.MUCH.FUN.  This year's mystery meat was cow tongue, which I was assured had it's taste buds scraped off, but for some reason that did not even begin to entice me to try it.  That's only a very miniscule step above last year's pulled turtle sandwiches.  We not only made it to midnight, but well beyond midnight, which is not something we Ahos are accustomed to doing.  Last year, the kids apparently made such a ruckus at midnight banging pots and pans that it dented all of our hosts cooking utensils.  So THIS YEAR, the pots and pans were denied, and the kids just went outside and screamed their heads off.  You're welcome, neighbors!! 

2016.  Let's do this thing.

SNOW!!!!

Who would've guessed that we would EVER pray for snow???  It's been an incredibly mild winter thus far, with the exception of a few doozey storms, but even Christmas was not fully a white Christmas - more of an "off grey" Christmas.  Yesterday, though, we got several inches of new snow, and today was gorgeous and sunny, so we just had to go out and enjoy it.  We attempted to sled, but conditions didn't really make that much fun, so we headed home, made a snow fort and an ice-luge, and had a snowball fight instead.

Gingerbread House Fail

It's our tradition to ATTEMPT gingerbread houses, after Christmas, when the kits are on clearance.    One kid broke his cookies just trying to separate them (step one), and gave up.  Another kid glued his cookies together with frosting (step two), then bumped them and gave up.  Kid #3 was able to glue her cookies together with frosting, bumped them, cried for Mom to fix it, bumped it again, Mom fixed it again, and then added 1/2 the candy (step three) before giving up.  Thank goodness we don't pay full price for these things.

Christmas Dinner with the family!!!

Christmas Morning

Look!!  Santa came!!

The goldfish gave Colby a present, so it got a hug in return.  Talented fish. 

The one day a year they voluntarily hug a sibling. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is my favorite evening of the whole year.  I love love love love it.   And this year was times a thousand.   The beauty of it.  The significance, the carols, the Mass, the utter peace on earth for a few glorious hours.  All is right with the world on Christmas Eve.  For a little while.   Even my prime rib turned out perfect, which is no mean feat.   The kids' pageant this year was just so nice, accompanied by a breathtaking choir.  The two together made for one of the most powerful messages, and then to follow it immediately with Mass.... I have to admit that both Rob and I were in tears.  This one night, Christians throughout all of history, over the entire world, celebrating the most singular event in the universe.  Amazing.  Who needs presents?  THIS is Christmas.  Utterly.