Hello, friends...long time, no post
@AuntieMe3, prayers to your cousin (and baby!) and friend!
@Snowysmom, still praying for Jasper, too.
It's an unusually nice day here, in the 70s. We may hit a record. Josh had his last soccer game this morning, postponed from last week. He got a trophy at the end...DH and I are not into the "everyone gets a trophy" trend, but we're okay with it for 4- and 5-year-olds. Josh has been playing outside all day with the 9-year-old girl next door.
Maybe that can be a QOTD--what traditions do you or you and your family do for Thanksgiving and Christmas (or Hannukah or Kwaanza, whatever you celebrate), and what do you think we might all be able to do to make them special this year, despite Covid?
So for Thanksgiving, we typically go to my SIL's house. Her partner is a farmer, and they live on his family's land - his parents live up the road from them, and his brother and his family live across the street from the parents. Among the animals that they raise are turkeys, so we go to their house for a fresh HUGE turkey. All of our families are there - so that's my SIL, her partner, my in-laws, my BIL and his family, SIL's partner's parents and brother and family, our other SIL's parents, her sister, and the sister's daughter and partner. And us and my mom. 24 people. We take up 3 rooms elbow-to-elbow at the table. Everyone brings something to the meal - my mom makes a couple of pans of Bell's stuffing, which my BIL and SIL's partner fight over - so we'll be making extra this year and probably delivering some to everyone!
Christmas has been at our house since Josh was a baby. It's us, my mom, my in-laws, and again, my BIL and his family, my SIL and her partner, and our other SIL's entire family. It ends up being 17 people in the house and our living room is so crowded that Josh and I usually sit in the living room doorway! My mother cooks a huge meal - she refuses to do potluck, she insists on making everything herself so that it "goes together." Last year we had a taco bar and that went over quite well.
In the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we try to do lots of holiday-related experiences, most of which won't be happening this year. We visit the Festival of Trees that our women's club holds, to benefit the Food Shelf. Josh enjoys putting his tickets in for the toy-themed trees, and DH and I go for the trees with money, lottery tickets, and gift cards (and I'll usually throw in a ticket or 2 for the wreaths that come with a signed piece of New England Patriots memorabilia). Last year we also discovered the Shriners' "FEZ-tival of Trees," so we did that as well. We go to the Bright Lights at Forest Park, a drive-thru light display, and usually stop for the 3 kiddie rides and walk through the gift shop. Some friends of ours join us for Winterfest at the CT Trolley Museum. We walk around the museum part first, where they have all kinds of trees and they've decorated the non-running trolley cars with lights. Then we go outside for the unlimited trolley rides through the Tunnel of Lights; our final ride of the night is always on the open-air trolley car (because it's COLD!!!). We like the Torchlight Parade in our town, typically a short parade with all the town fire trucks decorated with lights, and Santa arrives on his sled at the end, but due to weather it's been canceled the past 2 years.
I've been doing photo cards on Shutterfly since Josh was born. I usually do a Christmas-themed photo of him on the front, then on the opposite side, I include a birthday photo and his school photo. I also have been getting free ornaments from Shutterfly each year; on one side I use the Christmas photo and on the other, a birthday photo with his age showing, and I just print "Joshua" and the year on it. Josh also gets an advent calendar, starting 2 years ago. The first one was just a Paw Patrol one with a piece of chocolate every day, but last year we got him the Hot Wheels one and this year we got him a
Lego City one. On Christmas Eve, we put out a (very decadent!) snack for Santa - not just cookies and milk - and carrots for the reindeer, and because our fireplace is kind of blocked off, we hang a special "Santa Key" on our front door (which we then leave on the table with Santa's empty cup and plate).
DH and I haven't gone out for NYE for years. We typically get Chinese food and watch the Twilight Zone marathon on TV. We can't make it to midnight.
I sure hope the cooler weather sticks around awhile anyway!
Hug, I'm sorry most of your fun Christmas festivals may not happen this year. 
My house is clean (ok, almost..I still have to vacuum and put up 2 loads of laundry, but hey, the rest is done...) Discovered a new silvery white streak in my 'do, which makes me happy...I like 'em! I'm ready to go silver all the way, I think. Did some online shopping for Christmas (found some really good deals on 
this morning (it's 5 o'clock somewhere, right?
), and then a 2nd bottle just a bit ago. LOL DH ordered pizza for lunch/dinner, said he didn't want me in the kitchen playing with knives in my condition. Feeling pretty giggly. 
I've got black cherry chocolate chip 
for dessert. I'm probably going to be paying for it tomorrow, but today....today is worth it.
