Wrapping up Vacation

Sometimes I can measure how much I'm enjoying an event or moment by the number of photos I do NOT take, and Christmas 2012 was one example.  There wasn't much documentation of the holiday, either because I was relaxing, too busy, or couldn't make the way to my camera in all the craziness of having, for a few days anyway, ten people in our house! Anthony's sister and family trekked up from Maryland on the 26th and stayed until the 30th.  His folks arrived the 27th and just left today.  It was really great to all be together, a very rare thing indeed.  So,  I didn't photograph Beatrice performing Jingle Bells any of the numerous times on the piano, nor did I photograph her eye infection and drippy nose which has plagued her for days, nor her racing around the house or playing madly with her cousins, or loving up her Lolo and Lola. I also didn't catch the great visit with the Fulco "kids", the symphony or dinner with Quynh, Matt and Lucy snuggling up with Sula, or even of Bea playing with her beloved presents. But here are a few:

 Bea and Sula anxiously await the Brodeur clan for Christmas Eve dinner:

Christmas morning, aka "Carnage."  For memory's sake, Santa brought her a few sticker books, a treasure chest full of fancy dress-up clothes, a flashlight, her own stationery and envelopes, and a bag full of chocolate gold coins, to name some:

Her dress-up clothes have been a hit all week, especially with her and 7-year old cousin Linden:

                         We snapped a Foronda family photo before the Dirksens headed out:

                                       Lolo and Lola with their four grandchildren:

              We had a white Christmas, but just barely, then a "real storm" on 12/30:

                I always had a shovel and rake my size as a kid, and Bea does too.  If only she could learn that the snow goes from the driveway to the grass, not vice versa!

                                                         First snow angel of the season:

                        Bea loves nothing more than to throw herself face down into snow and start eating it:

That's it, and to make up for a lack of photos, here's the first of 2013 before bedtime tonight:

Happy New Year indeed.  Bring on 2013!