Christmas Re-cap

Here are just a few of the pictures that we have taken for Christmas this year. Although I have a bunch of pictures, I was disjointed and unorganized in the taking, so I have missed getting a picture of everyone and there were non taken of the three of us together!! I missed getting any of my Dad or sister, only one of my Mom, hardly any of the adults with Leslie's family. Oh well, it was all fun anyway.
Christmas Eve was spent here at the house with Jodi. We all had a nice evening with a good dinner in our bellies and a roaring fire. Jodi brought presents and we had a stocking for her so we had a few gifts to open.
Christmas Morning- Ev was up at 7 am and neither she or I could go back to sleep- much to Leslie's dismay. We headed downstairs and the first thing that Ev wanted to do was to go check on the Dwarves the live in our basement (you know they keep the heat going, live under the house and brew beer), so we did that and then dove into the presents. I feel like maybe I went a little overboard this year but she enjoyed everything. The Mighty Masters Art Kit was a big hit and so was the Rocking Horse! Another fave was the Princess Leia costume that I found for 80% off and bought on a lark- she ended up wearing THIS all day at my Mom's instead of her party dress. After some play time with her new stuff, we headed down to my Mom's. Let me say that there was a veritable frenzy of presents there! It was chaos! We had a great ham dinner and then watched some of our old family movies that we hadn't seen in years. It was very emotional for me, to watch my parents young and proud and to see us as a young family.
Then on the 27th - Leslie's family came here for their Christmas shindig. We had 8 adults and 5 kids and that too was chaos. There was ALOT of great food and plenty of conversation. We let Scott and Aden join in with the adults to play Pictionary and they were quite good.
We have bee recovering ever since. The Leia costume seems to be just as enjoyable today as it was on Christmas and I now have several large art pieces to enjoy! This was a super Christmas and one of my favorites ever. I am still recovering but need to pull myself together for the New Year's Eve Feast that I have planned.....

Christmas Stuff-cont'd with bullets

• I finally have some Christmas pictures up. Blogger was acting up for awhile, by the time I got the slide show to work I didn't want to go in and add text for fear that an hour of work would go down the drain- so we have this addendum entry.....
• Decorating the tree was so much fun this year. Ev was really into it and was a helper with every stage. I always set out bits of fruit and snacks while we decorate so that's why she's munching on something in a couple of the pictures.
• I have a few pictures of our ornaments this year. Some ornaments Leslie and I have had from our first Christmas together so they are 15 years old! Hard to believe they have survived, as we have had many military moves during that time.
• The Polar Bear that Ev made is special to me. She just sat down last week and made it- all on her own! I love that it really does look like a polar bear and that it was her idea.
• My mantle forest is thanks to Leslie. I mentioned that I wanted a little pine tree forest up there and he went right out to his workshop and made those for me. They are all originals and I think they look quite pretty. Can you see the beeswax moose we tucked in?
• I have the panda ornament to honor China in a small way during our Christmas season.
• The octopus is from Hatteras- we love octopus around here so it's appropriate that we have one. We are not the only people I know with an octopus on the tree, Les' sister Jenny has one too!(they also have a panda!)
• I used to have alot more Christmas stuff about the joint, sadly we lost an entire tote in the last move and it was Christmas. I had alot of handmade things from friends and family in there so it's really bothered me that it's all gone.
• 2 days until Christmas!!!! I can not wait to see Ev's face when she sees her rocking horse! And her Mighty Masters Art Kit!!!!!

Christmas Stuff

Home Movies-or some run on sentences from a still medicated Mother

I sat last night with my husband and my daughter. We were all on our couch, one of us legally stoned on muscle relaxers, and we were snuggled up and talking. One thing lead to another and the family videos came out. So we sat on our couch, while the snow fell outside and we watched our movies from China.
We aren't like many adoptive families. I haven't shown these videos to Evelyn, except once when she was around a year or so and then she had nightmares for three nights. Most adoptive families have Gotcha Day videos- we don't. Most adoptive families watch these videos on a regular basis- we don't. I am not saying that they are wrong and we are right. I just felt that with Ev's personality and some of the things that we were going through with her that it would be best to just establish that she was ours and not focus so much on the adoption. We talk about China and I answer her questions any time- anywhere. She also has certain stories from China that she loves to hear and she will ask to hear them- when she wants. After we first got her and she was old enough, we weren't shy about bringing China up, but as she got older and I knew that it was established with her and I knew that SHE knew we were proud of her and where she came from- I backed off. Now, all of the China and adoption talk is instigated by Ev. I like it that way. I think it works for her.
There we were last night..... She wanted to watch the China videos. Bad. She really wanted to watch. So we started them. AND SHE LOVED THEM. I was so happy. You never know which emotion that the children will grab onto while watching those videos. I held my breath for a bit because when I got Ev, she was crying. I knew that she would notice that (duh) and I wasn't sure if that would make her nervous or sad now. She did notice and asked "why is she crying?" I just told her that she had, had a long day and that she was hungry and hot and tired- she said "oh- how little was I?" Then she sat there, watching those first moments and the smile on her face was a mile wide. She sat there all cuddled up next to me and watched as we became the family that we are. She had a million questions and she was happy the whole time that we watched. I sat and cried and cried.
My emotions were all over the place. Now that I know Ev so well, I could look at that little face and see how afraid she was at first. I watched the footage of me rubbing her all over with lotion for the first time and how she just laid there, mystified and loving it and looking at me as if to say "what is this?"and I knew that no one had ever touched her like that and she was amazed at the way it felt. I watched as she drank her first few bottles after we had gotten her used to a smaller hole and her meals started lasting more than 45 seconds and I knew that she had never had that luxury. I cried for all of those reasons, and more. I cried because I have this , almost muscle memory of how it felt to clutch her to me for the first time and how I am sure that my heart had never taken a beat until that moment. I cried because that tiny, hungry frightened little baby was now a bright, funny, chatty, sassy, sturdy little girl -right next to me. I cried because , quite frankly, she is the best thing that ever happened to me. I am glad to be her Mother. I am glad that I can call her mine.
I have the sweetest cutest girl.
And I went to China to get her.
And now she's here.
How cool is that?

HALT!!!!!!

I have impeccable timing , as always. I raised my head off of my pillow this morning and, apparently this outrageous feat of physicality has pulled a muscle in my back. My upper back on the left side. This is the same muscle that was always hurting with my herniated discs so, for awhile I was panic-y and teary. Thankfully it IS just a muscle pull and I have plenty of narcotics and muscle relaxers on hand to help. Yes, I believe in better living with pharmaceuticals.
Any hooo- this means that I have to stop all forward motion for a day or two. I have already missed a second viewing of Twilight with Jodi, and I had to NOT bake today. The upside is that I get to float around in a drug induced state while Leslie makes me wonderful Dagwood Sandwiches and checks the heat on my heating pad and Ev brings me pieces of gum and scraps of paper (it's her way of helping).
I had some posts about the decorating of out tree and some other things, but it will all have to wait until I am not hurting and I don't have a head full of cotton candy.
For now? I am off for a round of Darvocet, muscle relaxers and some tacos that The Dynamic Duo are now cooking......oh! and don't forget hours of sitting on the heating pad holding my head at a funny angle......

Tree Acquisition

Pretend Santa

Last year, Ev made no secret about her disdain for Santa. She marched about the Hatteras house and locked all of the windows and doors on Christmas Eve. We took her to a Breakfast with Santa thing and she just LOOKED at him, for 10 seconds and then she was pale and shaky for about 20 minutes. This year things are a bit different. Santa is allowed in the house, but he is not permitted to do any wandering about the joint, he has to come down the chimney, put the presents down and then go right back up that chimney. She's seriously considering the Santa Snack, as that would mean loitering if we leave a snack but she doesn't want him to get hungry either. She did absolutely refuse to do another Breakfast thing with Melissa and Brevin last week.

Today, however, she wants to go to the mall and tell Santa what she wants for Christmas!!!! I am shocked at this new development but, remain skeptical...... We had to have this long talk about Santa and WHY he would be at the mall and HOW could he be there if he had so much work to do before Christmas. I had to fess up that sometimes Santa had special helpers that pretended to be him so all of the kids could get a visit in, but that the pretend Santa's used special Christmas Magic to get all of the messages to the REAL Santa. She thought about this for a minute and said "yepurs a pretend Santa will be just fine. I don't really want to meet the Real One-he's freaky out."

By the way, she said that she would ask for two things- a Mighty Masters Art Kit (an easel with the required art tools) and a Rocking Horse. I have the art kit- better get on that Rocking Horse thing.......

23 In View

Sometimes They Do That

We spent some time at Grandma's house this weekend. With Evelyn and Brevin in the same house, being territorial about toys, one is likely to see Evelyn walking around with about 5 or 6 strange and seemingly unrelated things. She keeps a death grip on these items lest, dum dum dummmmm, BREVIN PLAYS WITH ONE- gasp shock cringe. This weekend she was carrying two rolls of Smarties(the candy), a small red plastic spoon, an old cell phone (real one that no longer works) , a green hairbrush, a play stethoscope and her aquarium ring- nice right? I can't tell you, this girl just walks around ALL day with this crap in her hands- how she manages to pee is beyond me. So this is the mindset. The items change from visit to visit, but it's always as many as she can carry and keep track of.
Here's the scene, everyone milling about, it's nearing bed time. Melissa says "Brev please go get a pull-up." Brevin ignores her, so Evelyn runs into the laundry room at the far end of the house from where I am, to get the pull-up. She walks around the corner and in about 3 seconds, I hear her scream. SCREAM. This was not just any scream, this was "I am in mortal danger and need to be saved" kind of scream. This was a scream to make any Mother's heart stop beating and go on complete overdrive to reach the obviously, critically wounded child. This was a primal scream of agony.
My head turned off and I went on adrenaline to get to Ev. I had to start off running from the living room, make it through the dining room, turn a corner and then make another right turn into where , whatever was happening to Evelyn , was.
This is what happened......
SCREAM!!!!!!!!
My higher functions turn off.
My legs start moving.
My legs get going real good.
A cat shows up from nowhere and tangles about my feet.
Because I had such momentum going, my feet stop to do the silly little cat dance thing, but my substantial upper body? That keeps moving.
I go completely horizontal in the air.
I fall, in this kind of hurried, slow, long, stumbling fall that lasts for half of the dining room.
I land right on my hands and knees.
Evelyn is still screaming.
I try to use a dining room chair to get up.
Bad idea.
The chair tips over and I am back on the ground.
I don't even bother to get up as Ev is still screaming.
I crab crawl the entire rest of the way to Ev.
I arrive at the scene.
There was no blood. Evelyn was standing there crying a bit while her Grandpa- oh Grandpa? yes, he was in the kitchen about 1 foot from Ev when this thing started so he was with her at the moment I went horizontal in the air.......well, Grandpa was there. Wiping off the cell phone and talking calmly and nicely to the traumatized child.
It seems that the screaming was because, while reaching for the pull-up, she dropped her cell phone in the toilet. THIS, This is apparently what we use the "OH MY GOD THERE IS A WEREWOLF IN THE BATHROOM AND HE'S ABOUT TO EAT MY FACE OFF" scream for.
I have to say that I wasn't that sympathetic with her over this ordeal.
Where were her Grandma and Aunt Melissa you ask yourself? What did they do when Ev screamed bloody murder? Did they feel alarm in their souls? Did they jump up to help?
NO.
They sat on the couch and laughed at the Mama nearly killing herself to get to her child. They didn't just laugh... they lost complete control of themselves and sat there in gasping , shuddering heaps, laughing at me. Me- flying thru the air, landing, crawling and generally making an ass out of myself to get to Ev. Over. A. Dropped. Cell. Phone.
Sometimes kids scream over little things.
Sometimes my Mom and Sister laugh at the plight of others.
Sometimes Grandpa's have that $#!* under control.
Sometimes Mama's fly.

All's Well That Ends Well

Yesterday, after a nap, Bean woke up and she was back to herself. Whew! That was a close one.
While she was napping I was able to get my cooking for the party done and then I got us ready in record time- from shower to car door with a side of manicure in about an hour- this is a note worthy occasion in our household.
As I was putting on my red sparkly earrings and bracelet for the party, Bean gasped and rushed into her room, grabbed her jewelry box and put on jewelry of her own. She wanted to wear an orange and green bracelet and a plastic, huge "aquarium"ring. These things did NOT match her, oh so pretty black and red Christmas dress but she was just so happy I just didn't say anything and let her go with it- she wore them all night at the party too.
We had fun at the party, it was a carry-in type and we ate and sat and talked with some of the guys that Les works with. There are a couple of really great and funny guys , so we had alot of laughter going on. Ev was the only kid there! She just hung out with us and eventually started playing under the table. After a bit she came out and pranced about the joint, making all of these young, single Coasties play "Restaurant"- HA!!!



You can really see her jewelry in this one

Full view of her Party Dress-I love her in this dress, it just swishes and swirls when she moves.

Here is a picture of Bean and her Mama-excuse the flash on my glasses.

Bean and her Papa. Oh how we love this man.

Please Read As Tongue In Cheek or Something

I am going to knock her block off today. You all know who I am talking about.
HER.
THE BEAN.
She is a chattering, non-listening to Mama, mouthing Mama off kind of girl today and I have nearly blown a gasket trying to maintain "The New Mama". The Swami Mommy.
So far so good. But this household may experience an Atomic Event before the day closes.
AAARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!
Leslie is coming home early today and it's a good thing. I just laid Mouthy McMoutherson down for a nap until he gets home and can help me field the verbal jabs.
Now, she is "Classically Trained" in smart-assedness- by yours truly of course, so she is a freaking expert------AT FOUR. Oh and really she is some sort of Mensa when it comes to the whole, "let's ignore Mama and do what we want and then stare at the wall just above her head when she is trying to correct us" sort of thing.
There you have it- an Ignore You/Mouth Off Combo that is sure to make Mama's Circle of Willis blow at any moment. Also? She has added a dash of Maggoty Maggoty (that's whining and whimpering over the silliest thing). I tell you, the kids a genius.
Sheesh. Maybe she needed a nap about an hour and a half ago? Maybe I too am a genius -at Mothering Techniques and THIS particular combo of holding off the nap when she so obviously needs one, breathing through your nose at her (kind of like a winded horse) while trying to ignite your eyes into anger lasers will eventually be the "IN" thing when it comes to parenting.
Who's to say?
So the whole dressing up and heading out for Leslie's Coast Guard Christmas party will be a whole barrel full of laughs.

What's In a Name???

We have a ...hum hum... few names for Evelyn around here.
Her full given name is Evelyn Elaine Fu Mei Dillon.
Evelyn is her very own name picked out by Leslie and I.
Elaine is after her Aunt Melissa (Melissa Elaine) who is named after our Aunt Tanya (Tanya Elaine)
Fu Mei is her Chinese name, given to her in China. Fu Mei means Lucky Plum. (pronounced foo may)
As if that isn't enough, we have added a few more monikers into the mix, mostly these are nicknames or a once in awhile kind of name. Some of them are for specific times(you know, like Hungry Pete-for when she's hungry). Here goes:
Butter Bean - Leslie called her a tiny butter bean about 3 hours into having her and it stuck- from that you get....
Bean
Bean Dip
Beanarella
Bean-o-licious
Dip
Dipper
Dipper-Do
Dippanella
Dippity Do
Then from Evelyn you can get.....
Ev
Evie(counts as two for eeeeveee and ehveee)
Eve
Evie MacANevie
Evers
Evers b'devers
A few from Fu Mei....
The Fu-ster
Fu Mei
Yi Fu Mei (her Chinese name with the surname Yi-pronounced eee)
Mei
Mei Mei
Plum
Plumarella
Lucky Plum
Then there is just silliness.....
Muffin
Muffin Head
Muffin Top
Hungry Pete
Sticky Vicky
Sweaty Betty
Thirsty Thirsty
Hungry Muffin
Jabberwocky
The Jackhammer
Slappy(she hates this one)
The Road Troll
Monkey
Monkey Head
Monkey Jane(one of my personal favorites)
Bossy McBosserson
Nosy Parker
oh and when she was a toothless Butter Bean? She was, of course, Gummy Gummerson.

Attmept No. 1

I tried and tried last night to get a picture or two for Ye Olde Christmas Card and guess what? They didn't quite make the cut for cards- surprise surprise. In previous years it has taken about 200 pictures to get a decent 4 or 5 to choose from for a card. Arggh. The CG Christmas party is Friday and I am hoping that we will be able to get a few there that will work. Even though these are cute, they won't be on the card (unless I get desperate).

Evelyn and I have spent the day just being House Trolls. We made a construction paper chain to count down the days until Christmas, we worked on letters and numbers recognition, we played Spa Day -that's where there's a huge warm bath drawn and Ev gets to play in the tub forever with several "warm-ups if needed, using every soap in sight- then out of the bath for a total body massage, hair blown dry and styled and make-up applied. Now she is coloring downstairs with Billy Bones close by offering assistance and by assistance I mean that he is trying to chew on her paper, the crayons, the crayon box, the table, her hands, her head and maybe even the couch- I know this because I hear "NO!!! BILLY BONES YOU STOP THAT!!!!" about every 4.5 seconds.

Have I ever mentioned that Billy chews things? He chews anything, anywhere anytime-really- metal, paper, cardboard,plastic,fabric-anything. He also talks. yes, I know-don't roll your eyes. He walks around making these little chirps and burbles -all of the time. He makes announcements about his goings on, he inquires about your goings on, he burbles at the animals outside, he holds entire discourses on any number of catly subjects....So when I say that he is downstairs chewing on things, he's also talking about it.

Between Ev and Bill? It's like there's a whole zoo in here and it's just the two of them.

Monkeys and Tigers and Gigglers -OH MY!!!!

Playing with Papa

Leslie can sit and play for, what seems to be hours with Evelyn. It usually involves building things, or Pirate Wars....

A note on the Pirate Wars though- ever since we were in Savannah last year and Ev had the scare of her life at "The Pirate House" restaurant- she HATES pirates- anything vaguely piratical in nature is summarily dismissed. She has this cute pirate ship toy that we got her last year and she just wasn't playing with it - um duh? And Les finally figured out that she did not like the pirate action figures that came with it, yes it took us a year. So we tossed out the pirates and her ship is now manned by Ty Beanie Babies and one black and white kitty puppet. Hey -it works.

These are pictures from the latest building session. They ended up with a big crane and Ev was acting like a Buoy Deck Supervisor on a CG Buoy Tender (like her Papa was in Alaska) and she was using the hand motions and all. It was very cute but I was well into toilet cleaning by the time they reached that stage and could not stop for pictures.

They Call Her...Pink Fury

This is Evelyn doing some "Sword Moves". She really gets into this as you can see and takes herself completely serious. Leslie was holding up couch pillows as her targets and she was going at them as if they were ill mannered Goblins (you know, like Link). I love her face and the breathing and the defiance. I especially love the juxtaposition of the pink pj's with the Death Bringing Equipment- don't you?

Thought I'd Mention

I have been bustling about the house today- catching up on some housework that I have let slide for awhile. Leslie came in from work and started playing with Bean. As I went through my day of cleaning, we all passed each other, we helped each other and we sat at the table for two meals. Pretty much we had a regular, no frills kind of day.
It was wonderful. I love having this chattering little being in my life. I love hearing Leslie and her, in the basement playing. I love holding her and feeling the warmth of her body, smelling her hair.
I am so grateful to have her in my life. I am so lucky to be her Mama. I am so lucky to have Leslie- he is pretty much the best husband a woman could have.
I can not even imagine my life without her in it. I look back at December 2003- that was our last Christmas without Ev- and it was awful. Everything just felt wrong. Everything was empty. It makes me really think about the folks I know that are waiting for their daughters. I have nothing to say to them to soothe this time. Just know that when you hold your daughter for the first time, these long dark days will fade so quickly and you will only think about them again to compare how absolutely full your life is with HER.

The Jackhammer

Let me start off with a very, very simple statement- Evelyn Talks. Now, let me explain... Evelyn talks- all of the time- non-stop- in your face- answer requiring- talks. Evelyn talks all of the time. I am not sure that you can grasp this if you haven't been around her lately, for like, well, since she started talking. I have NEVER in my life heard a kid talk so much! I feel like some of you might be saying " Evelyn? Really? How bad can it be? Obviously that Michal is making use of hyperbole again just to be funny."
UMMMMM
Nope.
The kid talks people. You have no idea. Leslie and I really do call her The Jackhammer- because there is a constant rat-a-tat-tat of convo in your face from the moment that she wakes up until she falls asleep. Let me tell you, she starts talking to me in the morning, BEFORE SHE IS EVEN IN THE SAME ROOM WITH ME and she is still talking as I close her bedroom door at night AND THERE HAS BEEN NO NOTICEABLE BREAK.
Now I love my daughter dearly and would do anything for her. I love to hear what she has to say- just sometimes? I wish she would internalize her dialog. If you have a talkative child you can feel my pain - somewhat. If you have a quiet child, you live on a completely different planet than me and you should drop over some day in your rocket ship of sanity and give my tired ears a break-you listen to the endless lists of things that her Baby or Papa Juan have packed into imaginary backpacks, and I'll head out to a deep, dark forest and listen to myself breathe awhile.
I am pretty used to it by now and I do use the tricks of timers for "quiet play" and I am not shy about asking her to hold off on some talking while I say, use the facilities (because she WILL chatter thru a closed door at me the whole time I am in the bathroom). So I afford myself some breaks and I do set limits with her it's just- she's - well The Jackhammer.
I am mentioning this because she has ramped things up a bit lately and I am behind on my, much valued Ear Calluses and I have been noticing. We were driving two days ago, we were headed to my Mom's house. That drive lasts for 1 hour and 20 minutes and Evelyn talked every single second of the way. Well, except for when I burst out in Cleveland traffic and said "Ev you just have to stop talking now or I may have a car wreck!!!!! OKAY????" Do you know what she did? I'll tell you, she turned to Papa Juan (he is a stuffed orange tiger that was dressed in huge socks, a striped purple shirt and a baby doll diaper-his "Road Clothes") and said, in the most sarcastic tone she could muster, "Well ! Papa Juan I will just have to talk with you because obviously someone in this car can not drive AND talk at the same time" Yes, that's a quote- no hyperbole there either. And then she just talked to the tiger- at least she whispered for about 5 miles.
On the way home tonight? Same thing. Except in an attempt to put her to sleep I had the heater up a bit. So by the time we hit Cleveland again she went "whew! My mouth is so dry!!! I have talked this whole way home! Did you know that Mama? I talked the whole way. You are SO welcome for keeping you company"
Right now she is finally quiet for the day. I just peeked in her bedroom and saw her there all pink and cuddly and I was really wondering "oh what is she dreaming about?" I'll tell you this, I will only have to wonder for about 8 more hours as she will be telling me all about it, as she climbs out of bed, two rooms away.
If you doubt my ability to judge this Jabberwockie of a kid- just ask my Mom about it, or my Dad, or my Sister or Jodi- they'll tell you. It's really the only subject that any one of the above mentioned people ever, EVER give me any sympathy over. That's saying something.

Sigh....I am just now starting to digest all o' dat turkey

We are home. Actually we got home late Saturday night but since my food coma has lasted until about now, it doesn't really count that we were here. I mean we have just all laid about in pj's attempting to think about a plan , anything to get us out of the house. Well, I am not counting the trip where we went out and replaced all of the plastic kitchen stuff that we tossed out right after we got home Saturday night.
Yes, okay we do weird stuff like that. We walk in after being gone for a few days and we immediately so something very , umm, ocd- like cleaning out closets or taking several things up to the attic and then, whoa!, noticing the attic is kind of messy so we clean it (yes this has really happened). And it's best if these "Entry Projects" are completed at a really "off" time, like say midnight or later. This trip, I guess those nasty, cancer causing BPA's have been on our minds, apparently. Les and I walked in the house, put Bean to bed and then, without a word being said to each other, we just started divesting ourselves of the BAD BAD PLASTIC CRAP. The next day (Sunday), we were forced to go out to TJ MAXX and buy a whole bunch of glass and stainless steel stuff to replace the plastic. I feel better now. Les feels better now. It was necessary people, it really was. Other than that? Lifeless lumps-all of us.
We had a great Thanksgiving though. It is so great to be close to friends and family, I just can't get over it, it feels like luxury still. We spent Thursday with Leslie's family in Columbus. Man, can my sil Rae cook a turkey. I ate so much that day that I was in severe pain for several hours, I am not exaggerating here, I over-ate, it was bad but oh so good. The next day we spent with my family in Mansfield- where we continued the theme of over-indulgence. We then, stayed an extra day so that we could visit with Dan and Cheri, who were in from Chicago. Don't kid yourselves we overate that day too. I mean we went out to lunch at the best chinese restaurant in the states- so it was a given that I eat myself into a stupor on egg rolls and War Su Gai- right? Right? Right. OH? And before we left for the visits, Jodi came here and we all ate ourselves sick on Turkey Enchiladas that were to die for.
We had so much fun with everyone. It was nice to see Dan and Cheri as we haven't seen them since their wedding. Evelyn had a great time playing with all of her cousins. I had a great time watching Uncle Jeff dance to Michael Jackson (possible video to follow-if Jeff says he won't sue me or kill me if I put it on here).
All in all we got to see most of the people that we care about and we ate like Romans, or people who ate very well in huge amounts and super quality- yeah - Romans, Rich Romans. Good times.