Christmas surprise (or: surprised by Christmas)

Last weekend Melissa made much of her decision not to decorate the house for Christmas this year, since we will be in Florida Christmas week. Turns out she was playing me.

I came home from New York Thursday night to find Melissa had spent the better part of the week decorating the house beautifully, including stockings hung by the chimney with care...

Such a wonderful surprise to come home to!!! I have a wonderful wife.

Snow dogs

Mom? MOM!!! We know you’re in there. Walk. Now. 

  

See? A walk through tons of snow, dodging downed trees, in freezing temperatures is...awesome! 

SNOW!!

We got our first real snow barely into December.

The mutts were so happy they practically walked on air.

Then of course, there was the real Thanksgiving

For only the second or maybe third time since we started dating (!!!), Melissa and I gave up Turkey Day hosting responsibilities and headed south to enjoy the wonderful hospitality and food on offer at Pat and Kem's.

What better way to start a day of gluttony than with... a basket of beignets!?

At Pat and Kem's, the family settled into a texting circle, much as the original Pilgrims are thought to have done.

All the meat, all the fat, alllllll the flavor. I could get used to this not hosting thing!

Founders of the Feast

Angelina certainly enjoyed her first Thanksgiving meal.

Walking it off...

Uncle Pat's post dinner games of football have become markedly less dangerous over the years...

A happy birthday to Uncle Zach. He's marginally older than this whiskey.

And a happy birthday to Grandpa Steve, who is marginally older than Uncle Zach.

Thanks for hosting, Pat and Kem!