Put Some Pants On, Karen

Do you have a favorite ornament? I do.  It's a little brown ballerina bear.  My gram made it for me (one of many) and maybe that's why I love it.  Want to see it? Me too.  I have no idea where that box is.  

It feels very strange to not "deck the halls" this year.  Wait .......... I did hang a Christmas wreath on a wall in our room.  Fa-la-la-la-la! 

I had a feeling that this time of year would make me miss having my own home.  When it comes to Christmas time I am all about traditions.  This decoration goes here.  That Yankee candle goes there.  Put Papa's tin angel on the top of the Fraiser fur.  Sit on the couch and address Christmas cards while watching The Santa Clause 2.  It's just not the same this year, but then again a lot of things are not the same this year.  

Thankfully, I got to live vicariously through my parents, and brothers' families by going with them to the infamous Christmas tree farm.

Or was it cookies we went there for?

 Our niece, Lydia.  To her the cookie is simply a vessel that carries the prized frosting.

Our nephew, Grady.  If it's a cookie, he'll eat it.

In Maggie news, her newest obsession is with the original Frosty the Snowman movie.  She will sit and watch it from start to finish and now can anticipate some of the lines or noises.  She just loves that Frosty.  I love the movie for a completely different reason.  The main character's name is Karen!  The one thing that completely bothers me about her, though? She isn't wearing any pants. It's winter, Karen.  Put some pants on for crying out loud.

Don't feel sorry for her, Frosty.  It's her own fault she's cold.

Going along with the Frosty theme, Maggie was thrilled about our first "able-to-play-in" snow of the season here.  We made a snowman of our own with her buddy next door. I can't help but agree with Maggie, though.  The first good snow is pretty magical.

So magical, in fact, that Maggie couldn't stop eating it.

And speaking of not being able to stop eating, we had a very nice Thanksgiving in Buffalo with Kyle's family.  We have a lot to be thankful for this year, especially finding a job and selling our condo so quickly. 

Thankful for our little turkey ...

... who is also a little ham.

I have been missing Vermont in a big bad way this week.  My precious 802. Getting Christmas cards in the mail has been and will be bittersweet.  It makes my heart ache for my irreplaceable friends, my VT family.  Then at the same time I feel blessed to be remembered by them and to see pictures of these incredible people who have touched my heart in ways that they don't even know about.  I hope they know that I think about them daily. There hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't longed to be in your presence.  To hear you laugh... to have a play date with your precious little ones... to meet you downtown for a drink... to sit beside you in church...

... to feel your arm around me.

(Maggie & her cousin Katie)