Christmas Eve

"Over the river and through the woods,
to Grandmother's house we go!"

We all love the annual family tradition of crossing two bridges and traveling down Jim and Sheila's unpaved, wooded country lane on our way to celebrate Christmas Eve with the Joyces. We arrived all aglow for mass, dinner and presents with the Joyce grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We celebrated mass at St. Peter's where Peter's sister Catherine is buried and it was special to feel the whole family was together remembering Christ's birth and the gift of life He gave to all. Dinner was perfect, as always at Grandma's, and Grandpa won the Best Cookie Award with his Austrian Chocolate Balls. Young and old enjoyed the generous and thoughtful gifts (Pandora for all the girls) and there really is nothing like kids' eyes glowing in the fireflame and treelights as they open their new toys, even though Timmy already had Hungry Hippos! Sawyer was adorable (read "sleeping") for the most of the night and it was fun to see him join in the family fun for the first time. All cousins were home in their own beds in time for Santa, although it was a close call at our house. And we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

Snowdude says,
"There will be
S-NO-W School
all week!"
Yes, that is a carrot mohawk.

Heaven and Nature Sing!

This week we enjoyed the heavenly music of children's voices at the boys' annual winter concerts and right on cue, mother nature chimed in with a blanket of Christmas snow! The little boys had tears streaming down our faces as they caroled away in the best NAPS Christmas pageant ever and the middle schoolers' Lullaby on the Wind brought peace and joy to our hearts.

... and it's still snowing, right outside my kitchen window!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Rock-a-Bye Baby

So I found this picture on my camera this morning which means Daddy snuck in and took it sometime after midnight last night when he finished grading final exams for the night. He, I guess, is documenting Pierce actually sleeping in his crib since all week I have been putting him to bed, waiting for him to drift off, and then hauling him back out again fast asleep so I can rock and snuggle myself to sleep with him in my arms because he is just so sweet. What a gift, each and every little child of God. Night-night Little P.

Peace in the Sorrow

As we walked through the last week, our tears fell all along the way. And yet, we lift up our hearts and are glad that at Christmas we remember the true and living birth of that one baby boy whose great work and glory it is to bring Mariah and even all of us into eternity together. Families are forever. Sweet Mariah, hugs and kisses to you and your angel friends.

It's the most wonderful
time of the year.... officially!

This is the 2009 version of the giant, fresh Christmas wreath we make every year and donate to hang on the front of Owen and Reilly's school. When we go to and from school in December, it reminds us that the true spirit of of Christmas is in the gifts we give and not the ones we receive.

Happy Thanksgiving

It started out the way every cold, windy, wet Thanksgiving should... Pierce and I bundled up on the couch in our pjs watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade while Peter took the hooligans to the ward Turkey Bowl. And then they came home....
We had to pause the parade recording, start some serious laundry and provide the traditional Cothran lunch of cheese, crackers and deviled eggs along with the traditional Graeme snickerdoodles before we could restart the parade, this time with everyone watching, including those who can come up with 1,001 ways to make fun of marching bands, marching band uniforms, marching band names, marching band music... you get the idea....
Some people just can't take the marching bands at all and the broadway musical cast performances of various stage "favorites" sends them in search of a good book.... but, I have to admit, it really is a good book... and it's nice to see Peter reading something he doesn't have to grade for a midshipman.
Left to their own devices, the hooligans went tribal and broke out Settlers of Catan. This made us miss the cousins for at least the 10th time out of 30 in one day.
I beat them all while cooking the turkey and ham and pulling the toddler off the table repeatedly. Pierce and I walked Ranger while we gloated. And then it was time for dinner.
After much cajoling, we managed to get the hooligans to come up with a reasonably long list of people and things they are thankful for that begin with the letter J (for Joyce, of course), most especially Jesus Christ and Johns Hopkins. We were also all very grateful.....
that Pierce slept through the entire dinner, giving us the requisite peace and quiet for candlelit cajoling and list making. He did wake up in time for dessert!
... which we all agreed was delicious. Way to go Reilly on making the pumpkin pie! You might think that was the perfect end of a Thanksgiving Day... but one more essential delight was yet to occur....
...watching the Horns whoop A&M, staying undefeated and right on track for a national championship bid in January. Maybe that's what Pierce is asking the big guy for this year...
Or maybe he's asking Santa why he didn't join us for the morning-after USNA 5K Turkey Trot?! Hmmmm. And... YES, we had to bribe the hooligans with milkshakes just to get them anywhere near the mall Santa. And... NO, there is not a photo. BUT, as we turn the calendar page, may we be among the first to wish you unseasonably warm weather for hanging your Christmas wreaths and say that it most certainly is okay if pizza already sounds better than a cold turkey sandwich!

Live, Love, Laugh... and then do the laundry.