'Tis the Season

(***Updated with more pics***)
Went down south to celebrate christmas and hanukkah with my kin. It was so freaking fun. Here are a list of highlights:

Actually getting to LaGuardia during the transit strike.
Lowell pointing and shouting "ackguh" (airplane) over and over at the airport.
Bammy greeting us at the airport in Wilmington, NC (the less said about a flight with a 13-month old laprider the better).
Getting to my sister's house and seeing everybody. And her beautiful christmas tree.
Reuniting with Bella who has been at camp doggie paradise for a month.
My nephew Casey's hair.
Auntie Ann and Uncle Dennis swooping in from Chicago.
Macking on Carolina barbecue and the best fried chicken evah.
Going to Target with my sister at 10 PM on christmas eve eve - a precious tradition.
Sparks!
Lowell loving on his cousins. Talk about a serious boy-crush.
Nephew Riley's piano playing and carol-singing skillz.
Getting Lowell's picture taken at Kmart. Oh my god so freaking cute. And wallet-sized!!!
Martha Stewart wrapping paper. I know she is the seed of beezlebub but damn her minions make some beautiful cheep retro wrap.
Trip to the beach - Lowell staring at the ocean for the first time (even though he lives on an island - what is our problem?)
Christmas lights, stupendous spanish moss-draped 400 year old oak trees, and model trains.
Hot buttered rum.
Lowell sleeping all night in a pack'n'play. And napping too. (Thank you baby jesus).
Watching my brother in law Kevin shuck oysters in the back yard until he bled.
Making my first Key Lime Pie - man, juicing those tiny limes is a bitch.
Christmas eve dinner: Raw oysters, piles of steamed oysters, clams, and shrimp, plus salad and garlic bread. Matthew and I have had some good oysters in our day (we're both total bivalve whores and have been known to sit at the saloon in the Oyster Bar at Grand Central slurping down tray after ice cold delicious tray for hours) but we both agreed these were the absolute creamiest oysters we'd ever tasted. They were so freaking good and beautiful.
Christmas eve dinner: being with this part of our family - we are hardly rockwell-esque but the sentiment is there - we really enjoy eachother.
Wrapping, wrapping, wrapping, wrapping, wrapping, wrapping, wrapping...
More Sparks! Yule Log on the WB!
Matthew's continued good-natured tolerance of these strange pagan rituals.
Christmas morning: Lowell watching and learning from the masters how to properly dump a stocking and tear open multiple gifts.
My special gift from Lowell (and Matthew). Can you believe that this is what I truly, truly wanted?
Kara's special gift (besides the iPod). She is now known as La Femme Karita.
First night of Hanukkah: Lighting the candles on a special menorah, blowing up a giant freaky dreidel with legs and getting our gift from the Garretts: Log Menorah!
Christmas dinner: Stepdad Rick's roast beast. Damn that sh*t was good. As was the salad and the sprouts and the dessert. But really, the beef was incredible.
Christmas dinner: okay, i know you guys are going to puke but it really is nice to be all together on these holidays. Even with the dysfunction and the brawling.
All the awesome Lowell loot. And new underwear for me (thank god - this year has been tough on the foundation garments).
A Heifer goat!! Thank you Ann and Dennis.
Getting our very own Nerf arsenal from Casey and Riley. Attacking our hosts.
Boxing Day. Or, possibly to be rechristened Boxers Day.
Lowell setting a new toy stroller lap record.
Riley's Karaoke. Ice, ice baby.
My aunt ann scratching my back for like, an hour.
Watching Old School. Again.
Second night of hanukkah! More lighting of log!
Nerf Warriors 2005 - Uncle Matthew getting it in the crotch with a Nerf Bazooka. Yes, it's on tape.
Sparks!
The Garrett's awesome coffee maker. This thing freaking rocks.

God this list could go on and on - i know i am forgetting so much (damn you Sparks!) and i will be sneakily updating it -- all in all it was a fantastic christmas and a great start to hanukkah. We were terribly distressed when it was over and we had to leave. We miss you guys. Happy New Year y'all.