Back from the holidays!

...and what a trip it was!  We only had a few days to see all the family and friends that we possibly could, so it was a tight schedule.

Wednesday: we (parents, Babysis, T and myself) went to see my mom's dad at his care facility.  I always remember Thanksgivings on that side of the family the most, because we always made just a huge thing about it - big centerpiece on the table with fruit and nuts, everyone gathered around reading some poem or another (we're all English dorks), coffee and dessert (and slowly demolishing the centerpiece) fueling conversation for hours after the dinner was done.  We tried to approximate that as much as possible in this new, small space - we made a little impromptu centerpiece, and my mom had a dinner catered from a local restaurant and set the table with all our old china and silver and fancy linens.  We read this one certain RLS poem together and I cannot for the life of me remember what it is but as soon as I do I'll edit it in.  The whole deal was...a little bittersweet, but the love was still there.

Thursday: This:

My dad's (that's him at the right) side of the family is huge and loud and damn but we love our celebratory events.  We had 14 people at the table at some point or another (if you count all the little cousins who were up and down and all around), and we're even missing a few!  Maggie, next year you WILL be there!
 

Cousin Andrew with his girl Chelsea (aren't they cute with their matching hipster glasses?) and Babysis

My aunt Becky with her husband David and their little monster Thomas

Cousin Sarah.  She looks like this most of the time.

Jack attack FTW

We are a musical family.  My dad's played and performed guitar for decades, his brother used to perform piano, all his siblings have done vocal performances (bands, chorales, musicals, etc) at some point, one of my cousins is a music therapist and even the grandparents have sung in the church choir for as long as I can remember.  So at some point at every family gathering, the evening evolves into a jam session that includes everyone...even my cousin Jack, who is pictured here as a one-man band (his phrase and entirely his idea)!  Those are cymbals tied to his knees and a kid-sized guitar.  No shouldered-harmonica contraption yet but give him time to perfect the act.

Babysis, Little Cousin Hankry, Grandma Tob

So the evening was filled with music and singing and food and drink

and adorable children (the Tobs are kind of known for their ability to pop out good-looking babies, even if they get kind of weird-looking with age.  that's SELF-deprecating humor, any Tobs reading this!  don't hurt me!) .

...unless they are strapped down

Children are hard to capture on film

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 and crazyawesome cousins doin' what they do!  And it was awesome and family-filled and just fun

oh and did i mention PIE.

apple crumble AND pumpkin pecan crumble.  with fresh whipped cream.

-N

Lurkers: I'm playing around with blogger's new picture-adding tools.  Did I overdo it?  Also, what's your favorite kind of pie?