Many People: Few Snapshots

I didn't take pictures on most days we had company, and I have no pictures of New Year's Eve:  family guests, rich food (cheese balls! sparkling drinks! fancy crackers! enough Christmas candy to choke a troupe of elves!), and watching the only movie one should watch on New Year's Eve (for the uninformed, it's Chariots of Fire).

Then, on New Year's Day, we had a big family gathering with all my brothers and sisters and the cousins, save Andy and Wendy & Co. who are stuck in Alaskan ice.  It was a good day, and looking at these few pictures weeks later, I'm reminded of how glad I am to be bound to all of these people, by blood and marriage, both.

I was busy making pizza for 30-odd bodies, and taking pictures didn't cross my mind until I saw Simeon eating the gingerbread man one of the girls had decorated for him.  To give Gingerbread Man a sporting chance, Simmy opted to use no hands.  Even so, he deliberately ate the feet first to lessen the chance of escape.

Mopsy made an assortment of reversible capes, mittens, hats, scarves, and gloves for the children, and we exchanged tokens of Christmas cheer in the new year.  I took a picture of the bae Jae Ryong and Luke brought because they are the most delicious pear-ish fruit ever.  I'm glad she's a part of our family for better reasons than food, but there's no denying I'm glad for the expanded culinary experiences, too.

I'm pretty much the most low maintenance girl I know, when you average out the care I take with my appearance over the course of a month.  (I'm not bragging, either, because it's something I should probably be embarrassed about.)  Essentially,  I'm grubby, gross, and frumpy twenty-six days out of thirty.  I know nothing about make-up or hair styling, either, unless it's costume makeup.  I've always loved costume makeup, but I can't really paint my face as a troll or vampire or cat or troll-vampire-cat for church, now, can I?

My girls don't realize their lack, UNTIL....someone like Cassie comes along.  She has hairstyle magic dust in her fingers and spent part of her day curling my children's hair with a flatiron!  Who knew?

They were shy and excited by the entire process.

Thanks, Cassie.  :)

Last picture of the day:  As the sun sets, Luke screeches out a tune for us all.  Hey, at least he's fashionable enough to make it look good!