Christmas continues on past New Year 12 31- 01 04 09

It had snowed all night..

and showed no signs of letting up...We loaded into the Gamma van

once again..

After stopping by the job..on to Lunch

at the Muddy River..

remember they have sweet tea!

walking from the parking lot

Michael in his overalls

oops, a picture of Gamma

No matter how much Michael protested..

Ba-ba said it was a bad hat hair day..

and we did not mind the boggin..

Muddy River also has Fried Pickles!

Carrie loves pickles

fried or not..

recon that is how she got one

of her nick names?

Appetisers..

fried pickles, onion strings

and jalapeno poppers..

followed by salads,

b-b-q plates , hamburgers,

smoked sausages,

vegetarian chili..

sweet potato fries, potato salad,

and slaw's...

we were stuffed..

and headed back into the tundra.

Chloe was glad to get to go back out into the new snow!

Now, for years..

maybe even a couple of decades by now..

our little family

has had a tradition..

on New Years Eve instead of going

"out" to some New Years Eve

festivities..

where.. if drinking should occur at the festivities or not

we stay "in"

safe and sound away from all the

"road drunks"

We do not "cook"

supper that evening..

insteadwe fill the table with all kinds of snacks..

and as the kids say

we

"graze"

Michael helps Papa with

preparing the plate

of cheeses.

Everyone is in the kitchen,

peeling, slicing , dicing,

stuffing,

baking, stirring

boiling shrimp..or

grabbing a taste

Papas favorite

"chore"

is helping

keep up with

his buddy!

Michael seems to like the cheese

&

the cold cuts

he thinks he will try some of

that, too...

no worries...

he has seen how the lazy susan

works..

Welcome 2009

The next morning when we rise

the temprature outside

is 3.

We wait hours and hours till the day

is at its warmest...

9

Then, using the art of layering,

and layering,

and still more layering

out we go to

have fun in the

snow.

Carrie , the first one out

planned on building a snowman...

Here come Papa, Ba-ba, and Michael...

Dee-Cee and Michael take

the first ride on the sled.

The snow is deep

and powdery.

Carrie diligently works on her creation..

Its a Snow Turtle!

See his shell, head and legs..

ooo, and eyes!

We needed "nose warmers"

(nose mittens)

Dee-Cee makes a Snow Angel

a little snow angel!

Patrick joins the fun

boy, this stuff is deep

Carrie decides to sled

Aunt Carrie, Mama & Michael

The next morning after blueberry pancakes

Bill and Felice pack their bags

in preperation for the flight

back to Virginia..

while we play with

Michael.

dressing for the trip to the airport

Chloe gets some loving

Good bye hugs and kisses are given out

Aunt Carrie says good-bye

Chloe gets a good bye hug, too

loading up..

Bye-bye

See y'all soon!

Carrie and Patrick shovel snow off

the hot tub.

The next day, we went to the

"Friendly Toast"

for brunch.

Afterwards...I was dropped off at the

"Shire" house

(was already coming down with a good case

of Captain Trips**)

Michael, Carrie and Patrick

went to Pats Peak

and Snow tubed...

later that evening the three

returned home..

all in one piece..cold and happy.

**(in refence to the epidemic in Steven Kings novel ,many years ago.."The Stand")

The next day its back to Boston

Carrie and Patrick head back to Virginia

"Diddy" gets a neck hug!

And with a blown kiss good-bye

the holidays are over.

Family means everything.