Tea time

Over the years my mom was given a collection of beautiful English china tea cups and saucers by a friend and neighbor. The cups were brought back by our neighbor as gifts to thank my mom who watched her house for her while annually while she was away. I remember the cups being in the cupboard in our house, and I've always thought them beautiful, so when my mom, hoping to make more room in her cupboards, was looking to find them a new home I offered to adopt them. Calvin and I love to enjoy tea as an afternoon snack (sometimes even tea and scones) and he has learned an appreciation for delicate things in his few years, a lesson that I think is important, so I thought he would greatly enjoy the opportunity to use the beautiful, delicate cups that has come from his Gram. I was right, and today was the perfect day to enjoy them. After Spending an hour outside shoveling and playing in the snow we sat at the counter sipping our hot tea and nibbling on fresh pumpkin gingerbread while reading Oz.

The grand finale

2010 has come to an end, thus so has my 365 day project. Finally. I have no problem taking pictures every day of the year, and getting around to editing them is not a problem either, but having to do it on a specific timeline, and all the time it took to fit them into the templates, was a challenge I hadn't expected and didn't enjoy. I am turning the weekly templates into a sort of year book, and I will probably do it all again this year because the finished product promises to be fun, but I think I'll be more likely to be timely with the blog if I leave the weekly 365 posting behind.

But first, let's put last year to bed.

North for New Years, 2010-2011

It has become a tradition for us to head to Harbor Springs for the new year, and we don't mess with tradition around here, so with an ice storm looming we packed up a day earlier than planned and headed north on the 29th. It was as relaxing and enjoyable as ever, with a little extra fun since Lonnie adopted a really great yellow lab named Blue and Polly brought her 4 month old daughter over to play. Unfortunately the first two days were warm and wet, but the next two were frigid and snowy to make up for it. Again with the pictorial account:

Keyhold Bar for perch sandwiches. Yum.

Long walks with beautiful scenery.

Snowman with snow hat. :o)

Snow man, Calvin cam (note that while Jon is in the picture, the focus is clearly on the centered snowman).

Dinner with the Kiffer family. This is Calvin giving me a "don't get any ideas" look.

This is me giving my mom a "don't get any ideas" look.

Making Pot Pie/Bot Bie with three generations of Kiffers.

The rather hilarious New Years gift exchange (free or nearly free gifts only, basement shopping, regifting, or passing back and forth highly encouraged).

Jon dancing to his "Whoop, There it is!" music button.

Downtown Harbor Springs all decked out for Christmas.

Calvin building trains.

Feeding the deer before leaving town (it's the one thing Calvin earnestly requested doing while we were there, something he remembers having done every time we visit).

Thank you.

One last view, downtown Harbor. Happy new year!

Christmas 2010

There is so much we could say. We had such a beautiful holiday with so many thoughtful exchanges and loving and hilarious moments that I wouldn't know where to begin, so I'm going to let the pictures tell the story, and though that doesn't really go deep enough, with so much to do and so little time that's the best I can do right now.

The older he grows, the earlier Christmas gets...

Socks and underwear, gifts of the champions...

Starting work on his new Lego train...building one car at a time.

Iris and Calvin played hapily together with the dollhouse...in the dark with head lamps on.

Day two of Christmas, glasses included...

And the head lamp makes another appearance, this time accompanied by finger lights as well.

A family coloring moment.

1 day: Kerrytown and tea lights in Dexter

A day of tradition, a morning in Kerrytown, an afternoon of last minute shopping, an evening spent with family, an after dark drive through the candle lined streets of Dexter, and Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Polar Express before bedtime. Now the Santa toys are assembled and set out and the stocking is full...Merry Chrstmas to all and to all a good night.

And in front of our own home, too