1 Family x 12 (Jan)

 

Technically this was from the last few days of December, but I'm counting it as our Jan family photo!  First ski trip of the 2024/2025 winter is in the books and we're so ready for real snow around here.

New Years Eve 2024

After spending the day skiing the day before NYE, we figured everyone would be happy for a day of sleeping in and just bumming around the house.  We spent New Years Eve with the boys being in charge of the smoker, the kids wanting to try to ice skate and hide some rocks they painted on the ATV tails and Jamie and I found ourselves at the cutest little store (on the way back from a quick trip to Sullivans for the last minute things we forgot).

Jamie found this tiny little crystal store in the middle of nowhere and it was the most wonderful way to prep for the New Year.  We picked out crystals that leaned into our intentions for the year ahead.  My picks included finding inner peace, feeling confident and comfortable in the changes I've set in motion and there were quite a few that focused on relieving stress and finding balance - things I'm ALWAYS striving for.  We picked out one rock for each kid too and figured the men would just make fun of us and didn't need some of their own.  I would 1000% recommend, and will 100000% be making a return trip whenever we're out this way.  It was so unexpected and fun.

As I'd hoped, the kids loved having other kids around to hang out with and we had a great time playing games and just doing less with Jamie and Zach.  We hang out with them often...nearly every week, but we realized we don't often vacation just the 8 of us!  We camp together and vacation together, but we're often in much bigger groups.  

We played Sevens and Jamie and I knit.  We caught up on blog posts to finish off the year and generally spent time just listening to music and playing with the kids.

On top of that, I organized hourly games for the kids on NYE starting around 4pm.  We did a game each hour until 11pm when we celebrated New Years on Eastern time with the kids and then got them in bed.  In fairness, I had these planned for Christmas Day and we sort of forgot about them.  So it was an easy pivot to NYE.

The games were a great add.  It kept the evening moving, kept the kids (and adults) entertained and gave us something to do.  

Oh!  I nearly forgot.  I didn't get any photos of it, but the adults even played flip cup.  Ryan and I were the champions, winning 2 out of three of the games.  I haven't played flip in a LONG time - I'm not nearly cool enough, or good enough to play it often.  But it was really fun.

The final activity of the night was for each kid to decorate a paper lantern that we'd send up into the night's sky.  

I am SO glad I grabbed a few photos of the kids wishes for 2025.  There are some real gems in here!

The boys managed lantern lighting on the back deck - and while I'm glad we did it...I have to say it wasn't our best lift off on the lanterns.  We were slightly worried they'd burn something - they barely left the deck and one even got stuck in the tree right next to the porch.

The kids were fully tapped by 11pm so I'm glad we didn't let them stay up til real mid-night.  Jamie and I made it to mid-night but I was fully asleep by 12:45.  The boys on the other hand...they had other plans.  And may have regretted it the next day...but they both contend that that's what NYE is meant for.  

One of the best New Years Eve's we've had in year, in my opinion!!

Christmas Crafts

 

You've seen all of these quilts before as I pieced them together and got them ready to send to the quilter, but they are back, with quilting, binding and labels ready to be gifted!  Now that Christmas is over and they've all been gifted, I can finally post them.

Up first, Baby River's quilt - this one was for Wes and Taylor's new baby.  He was born in early December and I was really hoping they'd be at Murphy Christmas but understandably they opted to stay home (and likely to stay away from all the germs...I get it!).

I actually made two of these while I was at it...well, that and the pattern was written wrong so I had to order extra fabric and I had enough to make two so I've got a back up boy quilt for a future baby (and the quilting on that one is mustaches and I can't wait to show you all that one!).

Up next, a quilt for cousin Ann.  She was there at new Erin McGrath's wedding shower earlier this spring and was so kind and sweet about the quilt I have Erin that I immediately added her to my quilt list for 2024.  I was so excited to gift this to her on Christmas Eve.  She had a few tears in her eyes when she opened it, and that's exactly what I was going for!

Last but not least, a quilt for Jamie.  About a year ago she mentioned that she wanted to get on the Sadie quilt list...so, I was on the search for the perfect fabric/pattern combo.  I immediately loved this one because it's a little different.  Not often do you see quilting fabric in black and peach.  

Randomly the kids decided they wanted to do a homemade/handmade gift exchange for the Brackemyer/McGrath families.  Ryan drew Jamie, but I made him trade with me, because, how could I NOT gift this as part of that!?  

Ski Trip #1

 

Earlier this year I had a grand idea that we could try to do something a little different for New Years Eve - something more kid centric (ie: with a family that had kids vs just us adults at the house) and that we could use the time we were all off on break as a way to get a 2 day ski trip in.  We've had the kids skiing now for 3 or 4 years and every year we go once and then it's a full year before we get the kids back on skis and it takes a bit for everyone to get their ski legs back.

So my idea?  Start the ski season early (in December) and that we'd use Christmas break as a way to get the kids out two days in a row.  We'd go for the evening ski one afternoon, pay 1/2 price for the half day, and then do a full day the following day.  Seemed like a great idea right?

Well, here's what we learned.  There is no half price afternoon ski during holiday weeks - makes sense, but a bummer none the less.  And, this year it was roughly 40 degrees in the days leading up to New Years so it was far from ideal skiing conditions.  The "snow" was fake, (it always is in the Midwest) and it was mostly slush.  It was foggy and moist most of the day, but everyone had a great time!  Honestly this was the best the kids have ever done.  It took a few runs on Rookies Ridge to get the Bigs onto the bigger runs.  And it took a few runs with the Littles to get them feeling confident but before we knew it, the Dad's had the Bigs.  The Littles were having the time of their lives doing solo runs on Rookies...and Jamie and I had the freedom to do whatever we wanted.  We've arrived!  We're there.  It's happened.

The downside to a trip on NYE is that we missed out on New Years Day with the Peso family.  I doubt we'll be able to pull off a trip like this again next year - it was hard to miss the party that's been a family tradition for nearly 100 years, but it was fun to try something different and I know the kids had a great time being with kids their own age.

We had the best day!  We arrived around 9:15 and were out on the hill by probably 10:30 or so.  We took an hour break to grill up hamburgers in the parking lot (for which everyone who walked by was jealous of!) and then stayed and skied until about 4:30 or so.  Jamie and I decided we'd had our $75 worth of fun around 3 and left the kids and Dads on the hill.  We hauled our stuff to the car, changed into normal boots and walked our little butts right into the hotel bar where we warmed up, people watched, chatted and had one amazing cocktail (not so much because it was a well made cocktail, but mostly because we were warm, dry and kid free!).  We cheers'd to having raised four kids who finally had the confidence and independence to ski solo.

When it was time to go we nearly had to drag the kids off the hill.  They asked for "one more time" about 10 times before we finally called it.  We're headed back to Galena in February with Betsy and Pat and I hope these kids remember how much fun we had and ease right into where we left off with this trip.  

Christmas Roundup

 

Christmas week was pretty crammed in this year - the traditional Ritterbusch Christmas weekend is the weekend before the actual holiday, which fell on Dec 21st this year, meaning the kids had one long stretch of presents on presents on presents.  It all started with Christmas at Mom and Dad's where we kicked off the holiday break with the Open House party they've been hosting for as long as I can remember.  It's different than it used to be, fewer people, and now it's not on Christmas Eve but it's always one of my favorite parties of the year when I get to see all the friends from back home and catch up with all of Mom and Dad's friends.  

The kids are all very excited about the "big gift" for the year - a trip to Florida next June, so Mom and Dad got the kids these fun towels for them all to use at the beach.  Abby's favorite gifts were a pair of REAL Uggs and a set of Airpods (technically a pair that I no longer use, but we'll see how often she uses them and how responsible she is with them before I invest in a new pair for her).  Hazel got a Lego set she's had her eye on and an addition for horse barn that she's super excited about.

Mom and Dad got Ryan this handmade knife from Bob Pals, Bart's dad.  He's 85 and makes every piece of this knife and case by hand.  From forging the blade, to polishing it, to making the handle and hand stamping the leather and hand sewing the case together...100% hand made and custom and RIGHT up my alley.  It's so cool.

( I love looking through the ornaments at Mom and Dad's there are so many gems, like this one!). 

Christmas eve took us to Tim and Lynda's where we celebrated with the McGrath side of the family.  We had a lovely dinner, played bingo, caught up with that side of the family and then headed home to get ready for SANTA!

Christmas morning starts later and later as the kids get older.  This year we convinced them to let us sleep until 7:30 and they made it all the way to 7:31 before storming into our room and asking to open stockings.

Dan and Dana joined us for Christmas morning this year so we had to slow roll the gifts for a bit in the morning until they had a chance to go to church and make the drive up from Geneva.  Joey got Mom and Dad at her house so that meant we had a smaller than normal crowd this year. 

Ryan made these amazing tailors clappers for me - don't worry, nobody knows what that is.  These are wooden blocks that quilters use when ironing to get super smooth, flat seems.  I can't wait to try them out.  I've got my next quilt waiting for me in the mailbox when we get back from this weekend.  Once I get the kids to clean up the Lego town/Christmas train set up on the pool table I'll be back in business for quilting and can try these out!

Erin found this Sherly Crow album for me - I've had a handful of records on my list for thrift store searching and she came across this one at some point.  This album transports me immediately back to high school.

This year we decided to change things up and instead of doing the normal Christmas Day brunch we decided to make a big dinner Christmas evening.  We made short ribs and risotto and Erin helped make a beautiful tablespace complete with custom cocktail menus.   

Abby was in charge of napkins and she commissioned Hazel to make the stars for each tree.  It was a real group effort!

I nearly forgot!  Erin got Ryan an Ooni pizza oven for Christmas so we gave that a whirl on for lunch Christmas day.  I wasn't a believer, but let me tell you, they turned out great.  We're going to have some fun making pizzas when we have guests over.  I feel like this might be a traveling pizza oven - for use at the lake, or on camping trips.  

It was a whirlwind of activity and jobs, but I ended it in the most perfect way, with my knitting and a fire (and likely a cocktail on the table to the left of me).  The holidays were just perfect this year.  I'm always sad when it's all over with but we still have a few more days left in break and I'm going to enjoy them to the fullest!  2025 will be here before we know it.  So the next 10 days are about relaxing, enjoying our friends and family and getting ready for the next trip around the sun.