Another Tradition

We have somewhat of a tradition that we take a photo at sunset on the last day of the year. Fortunately this year it was sunny so it worked out. It's also our anniversary. Happy 14th Anniversary to the love of my life. I could write something mushy for all of you to read, but why ruin your New Year's Eve! :)

Party Prep

For the past several years our New Year's party has involved a balloon drop. Usually we rig up the ceiling fan with balloons and at midnight we turn on the fan and down come the balloons.

The year we stepping it up a notch. We're filling up the skylights with balloons and securing them with netting. Hopefully they will hold!

Mom's Cookbook

When I went home for Christmas I copied down some recipes from Mom's cookbook. It started out as a family cookbook that was made for my mom, her sisters, and sister-in-laws one year for Christmas about 25 years ago. It looks like this today.

Full of the original typed recipes, hand written notes, recipes torn out of magazines, recipes that were given to my mom

Stuff my mom wrote down on the back of stuff like deposit slips. (Probably something she copied while waiting at the doctor or something similiar)

All kinds of recipes - Look closely and you'll find the original Chezze Ball recipe! :)

But it also contains treasures such as hand written recipes from my grandmother

And even some like this one which was hand written by my great-grandmother over 25 years ago. I've always joked with her that this book is a mess and she needs to organize it. Now I think it needs to stay just as it is! It has more personality this way. :)

Pop Quiz

Q: Which one of these family members is standing on their tip toes to appear taller?

From Christmas

A: Anyone who is of the male gender!

My dad and brothers, Peter, and Daniel are 6 ft., 6'3", and 6'4" respectively. (Although I think Peter would say differently) This is what they do in family photos! Try to outdo each other. Hey! I'm 5'4" and proud of it. :)

Ghosts of Christmases Past

Pics of Christmas Past

We'll begin with Christmas 1978 - 30 years ago!!

And the family photo from Christmas 1983. I'm the one in the middle holding my new Ewok!

Jumping ahead to 2000 and Aaron dreaming of his Christmas presents

2002 - one of my favorite Christmas pics. I wonder what the neighbors thought!

Aaron and his buddy Bryson from the kids Christmas play. Wisemen were fancy back in the day.

And just to prove that it's not just the kids who are fancy wisemen...Dusty wisely chose the braided headband for his get-up.

Merry Christmas from the Hackney 4!

And so it begins...

Christmas that is. We decided to open up our presents to each other tonight. We will be leaving for Illinois as soon as Dusty gets off work tomorrow.

We started out by lighting the last advent candle. A little early, but hey, we remembered this time!

Then Aaron read the Christmas story out of Luke

Aaron's big surprise of the night was a Playstation 2

Couldn't keep Dusty out of Rachel's new toys!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!