Ringing in 2018!

Our winter break has been a whirlwind of festive, holiday meals with family and friends, a cough/cold for Ry and I that took us both out of commission for a bit, never ending home improvement tasks for Rich, hanging out with friends and cousins for Ryan, etc. All good stuff, really. 

Here are a few pics of the days leading up to the rockin' New Years Eve:

The final harvest of the season from what I affectionately call 'the farm.' Even though we only have three citrus trees, I believe I picked at least 500 pieces of fruit this season. We gave away over half, and juiced the rest.

Two consecutive nights of family fishing...he didn't net anything worth cleaning/cooking (this guy went back into the bay), but he sure had fun.

I have a VERY, VERY limited number of presentable dishes, but this pretty little appetizer is one of them. I made this for our neighborhood bonfire on NY Eve.

And I made roasted veggies for our family NY day soiree...which I managed to overcook into veggie chips. :-D 

Ringing in the New Year, just like Uncle Joey!

My part-time job for a few weeks...painting our house (the double exterior walls) that would've cost a bit more than we were willing to spend. I can't say it's fun, but I don't hate it either. I'll be honest- I've gone soft over the years. I've become spoiled. It feels kind of good to do some 'real labor.' Not that I'm looking for more opportunities!

One of the best parts of Christmas...the holiday cards from friends and family and seeing how much everyone grows.

The eve itself was a replica of last year- jawing with the neighbors we love, annihilating multiple plates of the BEST food (someone made a potato au gratin that excited me more than I care to admit), going deaf and blackening our lungs from the nonstop fireworks, and the ringing in the actual turn of midnight with my family...with no less than (I don't think I'm exaggerating here), about 50,000 red firecrackers blasting at every corner of the house. So you know, perfect! Truly perfect. Well...the only thing that didn't go so well was that I made a corn chowder for that night that competed with my mom's Portuguese bean soup...and boy was that a mistake. I think only ONE person chose chowder over her soup! :-D

Otherwise, the holidays and ringing in 2018 went pretty darn well. I can't say I have goals for 2018 other than to finish painting our house, running off the extra 5-7 lbs around my waist that are making my shorts too tight, planting a few more vegetables and hunting for a little more HR work. These (less the house painting) are my goals pretty much every year, and every year...well, they...don't...get...done.

So it's safe to say I'm going into 2018 a little broker, chubbier and covered in paint. But it's all good.