Holidays

Matt has christened this year to be The Year of the Pernot, meaning that it has GOT TO BE better than 2013 was for our family.

 

We are beginning this year with a great deal of change already. My parents are moving to New Jersey with my two youngest siblings, Ellen and Mark. Matt's sister, Jill, and her husband, Greg, are also relocating...to North Carolina. This Christmas season was full of goodbyes and parties and traveling back and forth to Rochester. It was an incredibly emotional time and I do not know how long it will take our family to adjust to the "new norm", but we've learned a lot since Matt lost his job at GM. Mainly, that God has a plan...and it is always for our own good. We just have to let go and trust that God is God.

Hard lesson.

 

 

We are slowly adjusting to our new home. Some of us have adapted more quickly than others. It was so wonderful to be able to have our first Christmas in our new home. Matt's family came out on Christmas Eve for the Feast of the Seven Fish, which went swimmingly. His parents stayed overnight so they could witness the insanity of Christmas morning. It was very special.

 

Joseph is most difficult to get a good picture of. When surveying the finished product, I know I only need look for his face: Are his eyes open? Then I will take it!

I couldn't get the boys to accept the fact that they were having a marvelous time sitting there, smiling. 

Oh Esther. She kept running away and REFUSED to smile. At all. Not even a smirk. I have at least 50 pictures of Esther screaming and beet red during this particular shoot.

 

One Hundred Twenty-Six Christmas pictures that pretty much look just like this one.

Esther was a peach.

 

 

Then I jumped out from behind the wall.

 

The things I do for a good picture.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!