12 Days of NY Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas my in-laws gave to me...

12 dozen cookies (yes you read that right)
11 hyperactive nieces and nephews
10 degree weather (plus a hefty wind chill)
9 months here
8 gray hairs
7 days of house-sitting with an Italian mastiff
6 weeks of work for Aaron harvesting maple syrup
5 minutes of peace and quiet
4 stray cats
3 small miracles (found wallet, saving the house from burning down, and cheap fix for Dad's truck)
2 wood-burning stoves
1 real live Christmas tree

Ok, so the numbers don't really match. I actually have 13 hyperactive nieces and nephews, but that doesn't fit with the Christmas tradition too well.

The highlights to this week have definitely been the house almost burning down, the pot-smoking, ranting previous tenant in our house, the frickin' freezing weather, our four new cats, and shooting the two bulls on Sunday because they were too big and stupid to move back into their pasture. I guess the cold weather renders the electric fence useless. Go figure. It renders almost everything else useless, including most of my digits. For you New Yorkers reading my blog, the meat is for sale for $2 a pound.

This first week has definitely been a challenge, but I am learning to appreciate rural life and to expect the unexpected (like stupid bulls). The silver linings are my sweet in-laws, the gorgeous landscape, a white Christmas, and a pot-free house all to ourselves with a romantic "fireplace" and an infinitely large area for gardening. I hope to have tomatoes and beans coming out my ears by July.

Catch-Up Post #3: Christmas Strikes Back

More Christmas pictures...

"My auntie's cooler than your auntie..."

Check out those cheeks!

Nonna introduced Noah to all sorts of fun things over Christmas.

Mikey, I think he likes it!

Okay, Poppa, be honest. Which of your grandkids is cuter?

He got the double chin from the whipped cream, I think.

Zoe trying out the drums.

Catch-Up Post #2: The Sequel

Here are some photos from Christmas. We spent the holidays with my parents in Oklahoma. It was great to have the entire Morgan family there.



Santa brought Zoe some drums that light up and play music. I wish they made toys that cool when I was a kid! Ryan is helping Z get the hang of things. He is also wearing Natalie's high school sweatshirt. He wore it for most of the break, which I thought was hilarious.

Nat checking out her stocking loot.

Ben, though doubtlessly the first one up Christmas morning, is looking a little groggy still...

"Hey Dad, what's this for?"

The Morgans and my cousin Elder Miller. He was coincidentally serving in Tulsa during Christmas, so we stopped by his apartment with some Christmas goodies and familiar faces.