Christmas and New Year's

We spent Christmas and New Year's with family on Long Island and in Rhode Island. Here are the Top 30 pics from the events of the last couple of weeks. Sydney had her festival of light celebration at school. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Munzes. We enjoyed the 4th annual bake off versus Joshua's siblings (this year was non-dessert pies). We went into NYC and went to the World Trade Center Memorial. We enjoyed a visit with my Aunt (sorry there are no photos!) We headed to RI and enjoyed a second Christmas celebration with Jon, Kim, Ryan and Erin before breaking in the New Year - New Year's in Barcelona style - (so we could celebrate with the girls at 6pm instead of midnight). We were happy to visit with my grandmother and are sorry we forgot to bring our camera for that visit. Enjoy the best of pics...

Sydney's Snowperson is doing a backbend!

New puppet theater from Nana and Papa (with a nod to Joshua for assembly)

Evelyn is quite the harmonica player - just ask other passengers on the LIRR

New Year's Rockin' Eve

We were fancy for the pre-party and the toast and then went casual for dinner. Evelyn is showing off her counting down skills in the video below.

Happy 2012!

Santa Lucia Weekend/Party/Day

Last year, there were a couple of reasons why we did not host our Annual Santa Lucia party. First, we didn't have many friends here. Second, Joshua headed down to Baltimore to help our friends Mike and Maureen who were welcoming baby Leah into the world (and trying to occupy their 2 year old, Maddie). This year, we made up for lost time. We hosted Peace Corps friends Mike, Maureen, Maddie, and Leah and grad school friends Bo and Catherine for the weekend. On Saturday the 10th we had our Santa Lucia party complete with friends we've made here in the Mid-Hudson. Then, on the 13th, we celebrated Santa Lucia as a family of four. Here are the photos to prove it.

A new Santa Lucia tradition? Thanks to Bo and Catherine for these great Star Wars pancake molds!

Most of the party goers (Joshua is taking the picture). Ashley Bodie - those are still your lyrics on the wall!

My colleague Gregg, his wife Nadine, and their kiddos Eamon and Nora

Leah

Costume hi-jinx

Evelyn and Stephanie (Evelyn's big brother Ronan goes to school with Sydney)

Catherine and Bo

Fuzzy hat and dominoes...you gotta love it!

The Evelyns (who will be in the same class next year).

Maureen, Evelyn & Leah

Evelyn enjoying some quality Catherine time (and maybe vice versa)

Evelyn loves to say "Bo..." with a nice dragged out oooooooh.

We celebrated Leah's first birthday!

Evelyn showing Leah the ropes with corn on the cob

This is Santa Lucia Day morning. Evelyn would not let go of any of her three cookies, not even for a second. She was basically living the dream.

Mmmmm, Lucia Day treats...my belly sure is full!

 

Learning the story of Santa Lucia from Joshua. Reading this story helped Sydney learn 2 verses in a week (see video below). Even Evelyn was getting the hang of the melody.

Mohonk Mountain House at Christmas

It was community appreciation week at Mohonk Mountain House last week so we decided to take advantage of the free entry to the grounds to check out the house at Christmas. It was a dreadful day weather-wise so we didn't get to fully take in the view but we enjoyed our time in the house. The girls loved exploring the long carpeted hallways of the old, historic home.

Unbelievable gingerbread village designed by the pastry chefs with a Monopoly theme

sugar wafer porch steps!

The girls checking out the popcorn strings on one of the trees

Joshua helping them get a closer look (and making sure they were "looking with their eyes")

A bigger angel tree. There are several members of our families who would love this tree and the angels on it.

A closer look at the angel tree.

St. Nicholas Day

On December 6th we celebrated St. Nicholas Day. Sydney and Evelyn enjoyed seeing what St. Nicholas left them in their wooden shoes and they are loving the colorful bean bags they received on St. Nicholas Day from their Nana and Papa.

Trying on the shoes for size

Sinterklaas Festival

A few weekends ago, we went to the Sinterklaas festival in Rhinebeck, NY. During the day they had the kids decorate crowns and branches and put their wishes for the year in the Peace Dove (pictured below). At 6pm they had a parade starring St. Nicholas and a cast of puppets...and of course, the children in their crowns who are the kings and queens of the day.

Sydney showing off her crown and branches

Getting ready for the parade.

St. Nicholas

This one freaked Sydney out a little but she recovered quickly. The would sway back and forth and get close to the crowds.

Father Christmas

 The video is of a pair of snakes - pretty cool.

Play Room Part II