Goodbye 2007! Welcome 2008!

How did it get to be the end of another year already???
I'm sitting here at my brother's apartment, wide awake from a 7:00 coffee run with Karen, switching back and forth between Law and Order and The Sound of Music - an interesting combination, I know. This year's trip home has, so far, proven to be painless, snow/ice free, and we headed West this time! (If you want to hear the story - ask. No point in disclosing Rachael-Moments when it's not absolutely necessary.) Can it be possible that this holiday season's trip home will be normal - or have I spoken too soon???
Jen, Brian and I left Massachusetts and it's 24 inches of snow behind last Saturday to a fun-filled road trip home to a snow-less and mild Ohio. Well, as fun as a 14 hour drive can be. But, we are fun people so it couldn't have been any less than that! :-)
Christmas Eve kept me on my toes. I knew ahead of time that I was going to be singing with the choir and sight-reading the 6 or so anthems - but when I got there I was recruited to sing alto as two of the altos who sang at the 9:00 service couldn't stay for the 11:00 and the choir alreay has 50 gazillion sopranos. Sight-reading and singing alto at the same time - not necessarily a good mix for Rachie - but I prevailed somehow. lol
So now we are to New Year's Eve Eve - Ralph has just threatened Captain VonTrapp and blown his whistle to get the attention of the other soldiers aaaand... Rachael is STILL wide-awake.
HAPPY 2008 everyone!

Final pics from 2007
Ashley's Christmas Party

 

 

 

Some fun at John Harvard's after the Carol Service. Angela and Brian are sporting similar hats. Oh wait, that's MY red hat!

 

I think the girls wanted to do something fun. From the looks of it I'm not sure I approved!

 

Welcome back to Boston Angela!!

 

Christmas dinner with the girls. Christmas crackers provided us with crowns and jokes and I even came away with a beautiful watch of which the face was lost later in the evening. Cheap...

 

 

Jen and Brian and I somewhere in up-state New York, or was it PA? Yes... I think it must have been PA - the very beginning of PA - PA is VERY loooooooooong!

 

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Christ Church Cambridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before the marvel of this night
Adoring, fold your wings and bow,
Then tear the sky apart with light
And with your news the world endow.
Proclaim the birth of Christ and peace,
That fear and death and sorrow cease:
Sing peace, sing peace, sing gift of peace.

Awake the sleeping world with song,
This is the day the Lord has made.
Assemble here, celestial throng,
In royal splendor come arrayed.
Give earth a glimpse of heav'nly bliss,
A teasing taste of what they miss:
Sing bliss, sing bliss, sing endless bliss.

The love that we have always known,
Our constant joy and endless light,
Now to the loveless world be shown,
Now break upon its deathly night.
Into one song compress the love,
That rules our universe above:
Sing love, sing love, sing God is love.

Christmas at the Cockerell-Chagat Household

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Video Sequence
Enjoy a little video montage of our yummy day of cooking and eating and game playing and more eating and even more eating...

Bree Cooking


Ashley's arrival - she's explaining how she had a "fire" incidence before she came over...




Dessert at Michelle's




Thanksgiving Night Games

Pudgy Bunny Sequence...


Bree attempting "Pudgy Bunny"


"They're usually so pretty!"


Thanksgiving - The Day After