Cousin holiday fun

December has come and gone, and so have the Cousins. Church Street became Bedlam Avenue once again as the silly, loud, and busy cousins took over. We love it when they're here, and we miss them when they're gone. As Gpappy/Dad/Larry noted, our ears ring with the silence when they leave. 

I'll post a few photos to give a sense of the activity level around here last week.

Six festive cousins

If you weren't there with us, these won't make sense!

The cousins went sledding at every opportunity. For the first time in recent memory, the church yard hill provided enough speed for these semi-professionals to do their thing:

Westy and Owen on snowboards

Hannah at full speed

Rough landing for Vivi

Ethan, flying down the hill

Miles on the slopes

Hannah and Vivi shared the tradition of 

lighting the Hannukah menorah.

A circle of cousins

Here's a potential New Year's card photo-- not sure if it's the 

one I chose, but the kids all look pretty cute!

Naturally there were couch pictures. Everyone is cooperative these days-- not like in the past, where someone had to be grumpy or unwilling to sit for a few minutes. The number of shots taken has dwindled from as many as 50 or 60 to 5 or 10 to get one where everyone is in the moment. Either they're maturing or they've decided to concede in order to get it over with!

Here's my favorite! They look like babies, wrapped up in their blankets

This may be my last blog post. Not sure yet if I'll continue with it in 2017. Other social media platforms make blogs seem antiquated. Texting, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. are more current. At least for the moment. By the time I type this, new ones may have replaced them. 

I have to do some additional thinking about my blog.. On one hand, I'm bothered by the bumper sticker aspect of most of the platforms I mentioned, and by their transient nature. Short statements, snappy remarks, easily forgotten in the vapor of cyberspace. That doesn't mean I don't love seeing the photos and bits of information shared in those ways by family and some friends. I just prefer more. 

Happy New Year to the six cousins, to their parents, and to other family and friends. May 2017 be happy, healthy, safe, and fun.

The final family birthday of 2016

Happy 36th Birthday to you, Annie! 

Here you are at age 4 weeks, a tiny munchkin with streaky hair.

Lots of love,

Dad and Mom

Post gobble gobble

Thanksgiving was quiet at our house this year. Charlie, Angie and family were in Northfield, running the Northfield Turkey Trot and having Thankgiving dinner with the Dahl family. Elisabeth, Evan, and the chicas spent the weekend in Baltimore with Grandmarge and also visited Grandpa Lee. The Grimmius group had fun with baby Jonathan, his mommy and daddy, and Grandma Doreen. So we had a traditional Turkey Day dinner of burgers on the grill. Pretty good, too!

On Friday, the families of the four boy cousins came to play, to eat, and to celebrate the birthdays of Angie and Miles. The scrumptious S'mores Dessert, made by Annie, was devoured by all.

Owen helped by serving dessert to the birthday boy and girl.

And then he photo-bombed their official birthday portrait. Cute!

Earlier in the day there had been a big basketball tournament out in the driveway. I didn't learn about it until two days later when I saw this sign taped to the garage door. The garage door was up whenever I was outside, so it was a big surprise to find that I'd missed such an exciting event. I'm pretty sure the Huskies were victorious.

Gobble gobble

Happy Throwback Thursday: 

Thanksgiving 1984

Miles is 9!

Happy 9th Birthday to Miles Jay Grimmius!
Lots of love to you from Gma Jill & Grandpa Larry

We now have two 9-year-olds, two 7-year-olds, and two 6-year-olds in the cousin collection. I know it's a clichéd expression, but truly -- where DOES the time go???

They say it's your birthday....

Happy Birthday to Angie!

This is one of my favorite pictures of you, Angie. 

I'm sure it has some hidden meaning, 

but I'll be danged if I can figure out what it is! 

Lots of love to you on your 35th birthday!

2016 Holiday Gift Exchange

The theme for the 2016 Holiday Gift Exchange is ready for the world to experience. Okay, maybe not the world, but certainly for the 8 members of the Potts/Dellon/Grimmius Group. Here it is. Because you’re one of them. 

This cartoon is for Annie. It will make sense when you know this year's HGE theme.

Over the years we’ve had a superb variety of HGE themes that have tapped into the creativity and frustrations of all involved.  You’ll all remember the awe-inspiring mix and match of stores and themes in 2009, College (2010), Merry Monogram (2011), Happy Holidays on the Farm E-I-E-I-O (2012), Superheroes (2013), Let It Go with Gadgets, Gizmos, and Thing-a-ma-jigs (2014), The Force Awakens (2015). Does anyone remember 2007 or 2008? Did we do the HGE back then? Why can’t anyone remember?

As possibilities for this year’s theme emerged, one family member suggested practical, useful gifts only. Another suggested he or she (he) get ALL the gifts as a sign of our deep and abiding appreciation. Use your own judgement about fulfilling either request.

This year’s HGE will offer the same rewards and challenges as in the past, possibly literally, because the theme is… ta da… wait for it… BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

Tips from your 2016 HGEC

Just what are “been there, done that” gifts?  Some thoughts …

·       Gifts related to travel. Have you been there? Has your giftee been there?

·       Perhaps a memento of something you’ve done, or that your giftee has done, hence the phrase “done that”.  For example, been to prison?  Your giftee might appreciate a souvenir of your incarceration.

·       How about gifts from other HGEs? To paraphrase Mick Jagger, you may not have always gotten what you wanted. This could be your golden opportunity to pass it along.

·       I encourage all HGE Giftees to share additional “been there, done that” ideas, especially with those of us who have been there, done that, for a lot longer than any of the rest of you.

Some don’ts to keep in mind

·       No “been there, done that” bathroom gifts for Dad/Larry

·       Pre-sat-upon pillows for Annie are discouraged

·       Charlie’s Betsy Paul wig has already been done

If you haven’t really been there or done that, we don’t have to know.

How much should you spend? Range is $0 to $50, because you’ve all been there, done that.

Gifters may present their gifts to Giftees any way they choose. There are no specific guidelines this year because we've all been there…….

Watch email soon for the