Gobble, Gobble

Before I get into the mistletoe and holly, I need to take care of a little housekeeping. It seems that we were so busy a wassailing all through December that the blog got lost under a pile of wrapping paper and unfinished crafts, which means I never gave a second though to a Thanksgiving that was very deserving of a little warm and fuzzy blogging. Not very good form for someone who purports to love Thanksgiving above all other national holidays.

So yes, one month and 1-1/2 weeks late, our Thanksgiving highlights (sadly, not as thoughtful and articulate as they would have been had I not procrastinated -- story of my life):

1) My mom and sister's help in the kitchen.
No pics, because I was hosting in our home this year and I spent the week preceding the feast reciting my cooking timeline over and over and over again. No time to think about F-stops and lighting. BUT, very happy memories. Though I must say, I'm not sure I'm sold on the cook for three days to enjoy a 45-minute meal game plan.

2) Being left alone in my chefery (you can make up cooking terms once you spend days on end in the kitchen).
Really, not a tantrum or whine in sight, thanks to adoring uncles and aunts.

3) Watching my brother do the dishes.
I think that was a first in McAfee family history, and I am very much wishing I would have thought to capture it on film.

4) Black Friday success.
The trick, it turns out, is to take people with you who do not have children, and then manipulate their love for your own children into an obligation to stake out various aisles of the overcrowded toy section. Thanks to Mom and Mandy for almost never tiring of my dreaming and scheming.

5) The traditional McAfee family cookie painting contest.
We set out every year, full of gusto to best our siblings, but by the time we frost (and eat) more than six dozen sugar cookies, we are all too sugared out to remember the final judgement. But to hear us talk, the competition is something fierce.

This one spent the entire afternoon frosting and then licking
the one same cookie.

Look at that rainbow technique.
Too bad cookie painting wont pay the bills.

6) Family.

Grandma & Grandpa in their formal Thanksgiving Day attire

7) A month of gobbling and handprint turkey pictures from our own little turkey.

I should be working

But...

Christmas is in ten days and at long last, the sky looks like it might just deliver on a white Christmas.

And after a teaser Thanksgiving storm that marked Nora's first snowball fight (followed by weeks of unseasonably warm weather that had us riding bikes and playing with the last few shards of summer's sidewalk chalk), I am ready for a white Christmas. You would be too if you had our little snow bunny.

Maybe it's just the sentimental schmuckiness that rests in my heart over the holidays, but I am so looking forward to more of this -- watching "porterbeary" (Nora's name for her big brother) and  "little missy" (Porter's label for Nora) play together (or at least contentedly alongside one another) in the snow.

And, in ten days (I keep saying it to remind myself that there is still much to be done by this blogging elf), watching them rip open presents that, I hope, will bring lots of jubilee.

I think we've gone a little overboard this year, but I'm pretty sure nothing will ever be as magical as these young, innocent years.

The perfect excuse to go whole hog.

Meanwhile, I keep glancing out the window. Waiting for snow (and wondering what I'm going to make for dinner tonight).

Now I really must get back to work. Because I hear rumblings of an office coup to head south tomorrow on "business" (our annual office shopping trip for all the last-minute holiday garb that we can't find in our one Wal Mart town).

Ten days and, if I'm lucky, snow!

Baby it's Cold Outside (so I'd better get caught up)

The problem with procrastination?

It leaves you sifting through sunny fall photos while bundled under two blankets and cursing the 8-degree windchill and 13 inches of snow outside (and high-temped hacking husband who has once again left me to the couch and my laptop in the wee morning hours).

Anyone else feeling like autumn was too short-lived?

How about now?

This little gal did not get nearly enough wear out of her cute pink jacket. And even though December is just one day away, I was surprised when I went to dig out snow gear only to find that our only options for little miss Burt were rain boots and double socks.

But back to fall and its sunshiney fun. It was magic (which might explain my disappointment with winter).

We picked pumpkins.

Went to football games.

In addition to being Porter's BFF, this little guy may just be Nora's future beau.

Tried to squeeze in one last trip to the mountains.

We dressed up.

Watched hot air balloons rise with the sun.

Grandma and cousin Cohen join in the fun

Spent our traditional Spaghetti Annual weekend in Park City (it's a family gathering that drives us all to the mountains for massive amounts of pasta, shopping, fall leaves and family fun).

Carved pumpkins.

And played outside in the "cold" (oh, what I would give for a 55-degree evening right about now).

Best fall ever. Period.