Planning For New Year's Day

Another opportunity to gather as a family on New Year's Day.  Hoping to have everyone under one roof .. play board games, go sledding, sit by the fire sipping hot cocoa.  Homemade pizza and salad to grace the dinner table.  Relaxing .. memory making kind of day.  What's planned for your New Year welcome?

Post Christmas Greetings

Ann and her beau

Jake and Ruby

The Mac family really raised the roof .. er 'ruff/meow' this Christmas.  There were nine of us (people) for Christmas Eve dinner at home followed by a candle light service at our church.  Our guest suite was occupied by our daughter, Elizabeth, and her family .. plus their two dogs.  The newly acquired kitty (that showed up at my back door during a snow storm 12/21) took refuge in the laundry room for two days.

Hold still Miss Kitty

Today is a day of recuperation.  Cleaning.  Getting creative with leftovers. Being thankful.  Purging some of the old to make room for the new.  Staying in jammies til noon.

Nathan and Mr. Mac

sign for new baby's room

The new year holds much promise with the upcoming birth of our newest grandson early April.  

Snow fell Christmas Eve to blanket the area in a winter wonderland.  Christmas Day was mostly sunny. 

What's up in your neck of the woods?

Pink or Blue

Last night about 40 people arrived ..  half of those were children .. eager to have dinner AND dessert .. the cake .. cut to reveal the gender of our newest addition .. our daughter is expecting in April.

Can you tell by the expression on my grandson, Jake's, face that he was expecting a different outcome?

Yes .. he wanted .... a sister ....

... but he's getting a brother.

Getting Ready For ...

Thanksgiving Day dinner ...

After making my dinner menu, then checking my pantry and freezer, it seems I just need to purchase cranberries, yams and sparkling apple cider.  Everything else is sitting on the shelf in the form of whole ingredients that need to be pulled and put together for a special feast.

But before we celebrate Thanksgiving, there's to be a little 'reveal' party this coming Saturday.  A cake is involved with pink or blue filling .. that won't be known ahead of time by anybody but God and the pastry chef (not even the parents will know).  Our daughter and her husband are expecting a baby in April .. and they only recently made the announcement public.  Today was the anatomy scan and everything looks perfect (hallelujah)!    So ...  this is their clever way of sharing in a bit of joy after such a gut wrenching/heart breaking year with the loss of their 6 month old daughter, Rowan, to a defective heart HLHS (hypo-plastic left heart syndrome).

Come Saturday night .. or Sunday I hope to post a picture of color for you; PINK or BLUE ... what do you think??