This is a huge amount of events and time to chronicle in one sitting. However, I really was bad about taking pictures during this time, so there's actually less pictures in this post than the one I put up yesterday, full of excruciating detail about Capitol Reef National Park.
Here, we have the obligatory blurry shot of children in an auditorium. I like this picture, because Elliott has just said his piece, and his mouth is about to form into his trademark shy, embarrassed smirk.
Then, Thanksgiving! Adorable hairdos courtesy of Aunt Ashley. I love how these two girls were so engrossed in reading.
The table is set! This is Mammy's old tablecloth, which she had people sign when they came to dinner. Then, she embroidered the names. Always a good conversation starter at dinner, trying to remember everyone written there.
Ownie.
Orianna had borrowed Cheyenne's scarf, so she was extra-specially elegant.
This was Bethaney's contribution to the entertainment-- she brought a kid-sized accordion.
It was a huge hit. Probably more for the kids than the listening adults, but still.
Yes, this is the third picture of pretty much the same pose. He's just so heartbreakingly beautiful, though!
Go Fish! tournament.
Gilbert found a good place to sleep.
What a doll.
Livie grabbed my camera to document the gorgeous colors of the sunset.
What do you do when you have too many people to play Progressive Rummy? You play two different PR games.
Elliott, with Slinky bling.
Crazy child. Not really "heartbreakingly beautiful" here, I'll admit.
Orianna, upcoming card shark.
My curly, dimply baby!
Gilbert's edible feet.
Justin takes a turn with the accordion.
Rilla "showing my belly!"
A husband-wife duet!
Yup, still playing. And, of course, I'm still winning.
As my Poppy would say, a "clean" baby. Love his little profile.
Being silly on the balcony...
So of course, Elliott was soon in the picture.
A feet shot!
Sunrise the next morning.
Livie took the next several beautiful pictures.
Don't Dana and Marilyn have gorgeous views?
The porch, wonderful for sitting (mostly) year-round.
I stayed home from the Black Friday shopping with Gilbert, Lincoln and Elliott. They built block towers and knocked them over!
Hmmm, little sneak thief took my iPod. So cute.
Yeah, Evan did not abstain from the Black Friday shopping. He is now the proud owner of two tractors. Which is kind of ironic considering A.) We own 1/2 acre in the suburbs B.) He has never driven a tractor and C.) He doesn't like to work on engines. But, hey, they'll probably help with sugaring somehow, I guess a rabid old-tractor fan has to start somewhere!
I probably won't object to the tractors too much, or else Guido here might have to hurt me.
Elliott is a nut.
So are the Lucas children.
Stairs full of nuts.
Livie finds it very hard to talk without her hands. Kind of fun to watch in Taboo! Taboo was all sorts of fun, with people getting more tired and sillier as we went.
Dana and Marilyn playing. It was their anniversary that day!
All the "little" kids, although they are getting pretty long-legged to be considered little!
And the Lucases.
We hear they're not long for NY. Sniff, sniff.
We sang one hymn before the evening had to wind down. Lots of strong, lovely voices!
Cute friends!
Then, home. Since I didn't take many pictures this month, you'll be spared too many pictures of my home babies. They were having so much fun climbing in and out of the laundry basket while I folded wash.
Rilla was very protective of her "house" here. She was quite glad when I agreed that it was Lincoln's nap time!
If I had the time, I would add stars and fireworks to this picture, because this was the Saturday Evan finished siding the back of the house!
There are two small sections of the house left to side, but at least we could take all the staging off the back. And yes, for once I do mean "we", because I actually helped him take it all down. I even climbed up on the garage roof to sweep up some debris!
Of course, Lincoln was not impressed with being shut in the house (it was a little nippy for kids by then), so he persuaded Cheyenne to bring him out for a tour.
And then, Miss Cheyenne's eighth birthday (and my little point and shoot camera, since my other camera was dead. I remember why I love my big camera.) This is her spiffy grown-up lotion from Auntie.
Some relative called to sing to her at some point, so she paused her gift-opening to listen to "Happy Birthday!"
Eun Hui and Elliott, playing with Eun Hui's phone camera.
The cake. Vinegar cake, natch.
Being sung to.
Making a wish.
Getting a round of Uno in with Auntie.
This is Marilla's contribution to photography. I decided to keep this picture, since it's the only picture I have of the flowers Evan bought me for our 12th anniversary. 12 days after we got them, I had to throw them out because we are going away, but a lot of them were still beautiful!
Then, Cheyenne got to have her school friend over for supper on Friday, and then Vaughans came for the weekend. She likes telling people she got three birthdays this year! (And, I lied, apparently, cause there in the background is another picture of the flowers.)
Marilla, illicitly playing with the Squinkie dispenser Cheyenne's friend bought her. If you don't know what Squinkies are, consider yourself lucky. S
quinkies are nominally eraser tops for pencils. Their real "value" lies in collecting bunches of them. Grandma Marilyn started the trend here when she bought some for Cheyenne and Elliott. They're sorta cute, but the problem is that they come in these plastic globes. And the kids NEVER put them back in the globe, and after about the 972nd time picking up globes in random parts of my house, I decided they would never notice if I threw the globes out a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, the new Squinkies dispenser requires the Squinkies to be in globes to work. So, while Cheyenne was starting to play with her new toy, I was upstairs, furtively digging in the trash can in the girls' room, resurrecting Squinkie globes. So now I have to treasure the globes I find all over the house. The only thing I like about Squinkies is that they're marginally better than Silly Bandz.
Grandpa Dana and Grandma Marilyn came out, just for the day, to help celebrate a birthday! Elliott had gone outside to play in the snow, and Grandpa had pity on Lincoln, who was desperate to go out, too, and watched him outside for a bit. This is the picture Dana took of my little snow guy. Just like last year, Elliott will play outside until his body is verging on hypothermia. I've never seen a kid love the snow so much. I splurged on some more expensive boots for him this year, so his feet did stay warm and dry!
We had corn chowder for lunch with all our company, and then the presents! Here, Cheyenne is unwrapping the present from Aunt Bet-- all the food she needs for a picnic with her Felicity doll. (Psst... don't tell Cheyenne, but Marilla is enamored of the food, and plays with it while Cheyenne is at school.)
I love this little girl. And this little girl loves her "Shy-Nigh-Ann".
Spiral art from Aunt Tori! (I think... maybe this was Aunt Livie's game and Tori bought the Madeline game. Either way, young Vaughan aunt.)
And, the Madeline game.
Grandma Marilyn brought Cheyenne a couple of cool knitting rings. They're a bit of an obsession with Livie and Tori now-- and Cheyenne, once the aunts go home!
And, another vinegar cake.
Sunday, Evan showed me just how well Lincoln's little hand-me-down suit fit him! Oh, well, once you put the vest on, you didn't notice that the pants had to be up to his armpits so he didn't trip over them! He was dashingly handsome.
Okay, sorta caught up here! Evan took the kids up to Vaughans' tonight, and I had planned on following after, but packing/cleaning/bill-paying took longer than I had hoped, so I'm just staying here for the night (and squeezing some blogging in). I'm doing battle with my conscience-- up super early so I can go up and help watch my kids, or sleep in in a quiet house? We'll know in the morning... although the 11:15 time it's showing on my computer clock doesn't bode well for the conscientious mommy scenario!
