Up north for new years

Coming north for new years is a beloved tradition of ours. This year's trip was full of all the usual goodness, like great company, fattening foods, hilarious gifts, and even plenty of snow. We visited all of our favorite haunts and cooked our favorite dishes. We laughed, we had fun, we got some rest, and we came home ready to tackle the new year.

I didn't take the camera out as often this year, and several of these shots are actually from my phone. I think reinvigorating the camera hobby will be on my list of resolutions.

Noggin Room

New Year's Eve

"Duck, duck, MOOSE!"

English party poppers

English party popper hat

Dessert with Chambord infused whipped cream for adults...

...and possibly a couple of kids as well

Key Hole

Finally snow

All of last year we waited for snow fall like this, the kind of snow that required shovelling and welcomed sledding, that burried the grass and the plants and cried for a fire in the fireplace. It would have been nice of it to arrive before Christmas, but we'll take it even after.

The holiday season calls for family time. Jon worked from home today, and while he did so Calvin played with new toys, I straightened up and went for a run. But the snow and the sunshine are a beautiful combintion, and while I shoveled after my run the boys came out and joined me there, then continued their play with sleds in the back yard. Calvin's only disappointment is that it was not good snowman snow.

And another great treasure that was missed last year, the family dinner with my extended family with all my cousins and their children present. The years go by, but they just seem to keep getting better. Like wine.

Merry Christmas

4 days: cookies and a sing-along

5 days: something old, something new

Calvin gets a special new ornament from my parents every year. This is a tradition that started when I was young, the ornaments coming for Curtis and myself from our Aunt Cookie and Uncle Michael, world travelers with fabulous ornament taste. So upon becoming adults (did that happen?) and starting our own trees, Curtis and I already had a beautiful and meaningful ornament collection. Calvin's own collection started with his first Christmas, and unpacking our ornaments (my collection and his) every year is increasingly fun.

This year Calvin's ornament was a beautiful blown glass ball from our trip to Disney World. And Jon and I added an ornament to our collection as well, a ball that used to decorate my paternal grandparents' tree. Someting new and something old.