The weekend after Thanksgiving, Aaron and I headed down to James’ and Chrissy’s place in CT to meet our new niece. Amy, Joe and their two boys joined us as well. Alice is a sweet baby – who was perfectly happy to sleep on any available shoulder – which was great, as we all wanted to hold her and spent the weekend passing her around. It was fun to see Amy and Joe’s kids meet their first cousin. Brian in particular seemed fascinated to meet someone who is smaller than he is. James and Chrissy are adapting to parenthood well. Although I don’t think either of them are getting enough sleep, neither of them seems to mind one bit. We’ll see them next the last week of December, when they are coming home for a post Christmas family get together. I’m looking forward to it. Click on the photo above of me and my new niece to see the album of photos from the weekend.

Aaron and I spent another great Thanksgiving holiday with his family in Washington DC. We had a great stay full of our usual traditions – making pizza dough centerpieces, seeing lots of movies (Harry Potter, The Kids are Alright and Social Network), and playing games. There was plenty of food and family. And we had a great time catching up and simply spending time together.

Long time family friend (and Joe’s brother), Jami married his girlfriend Jen in Topsfield this past October. The whole family attended and we had a great time celebrating their day. The wedding and reception were both at the Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, a beautiful field-stone mansion built back in 1901 and grounds with gardens and trees in every direction. Joe, who was the best man, made a very sweet toast that brought a tear to many an eye. Jami and Peter and James grew up together and have been friends since elementary school – so it was surreal to be at his wedding. We were all excited for the couple and honored to be there. We wish them a long and happy life together.