Christmas, but had to return before we could make it.
Disappointingly, I'm not sure the camera emerged during that visit. It may have in part been due to exhaustion after the all-nighter Andrew and I pulled. The poor little thing caught the stomach bug Michael had had recently and was up 8 times over night. As we ruined beds downstairs, we bed hopped twice until thankfully spending the rest of the evening in the only clean bed left. Andrew was a trooper, and remarkable the next day. As I stumbled around blurry-eyed as if up all night again with an infant, Andrew bounced around the house as if he'd slept tight all night. He gladly skipped breakfast, only sipping on clear liquids, and sailed through the day. I passed out at nap time.
Ah-ha! I did just retrieve one video from my phone of our time in Elk River! Zolly Bolly has been a Ferguson Family Favorite for generations. Following suit, Andrew can imagine nothing more fun to do with Dody & Grandaddy (though he's going to have a learn a tough lesson someday that they can't do it forever - I hope 40 lbs isn't the cut off!). Margaret has had her introduction and is JUST as enthralled. During her initial, brief hesitation, listen for Andrew as he exclaims, "If she doesn't want to do it, I will!!!"
Upon finally settling back in at home, I scrambled to finish the Christmas projects we hadn't gotten to before the big day. Top on my list was a hand-printed Christmas tree canvas. This is what it is supposed to look like. Cute, right?
But this is what I helped them produce, completed with no star or other tree-topper, and a disproportionate trunk that was remembered only after the "tree grew". Despite following Mommy's instruction perfectly, they appear perplexed by the final outcome.
Margaret questions Andrew, "What? You think I'm responsible for this...this "tree", as Mommy calls it?"
They appeared humored at the explanation that my instructions were backwards and we had painted our hand-prints upside down. To avoid repeating the debacle next year, I wrote clear instructions on the back of the canvas, and taped a picture of the cute, correct version above:)
As a reward for being patient with Mommy's lack of craftiness in tree painting, we decided that dessert was in order and finally began deconstruction of the gingerbread house that Grandma had made with Andrew weeks before (while Mommy and Daddy were watching VT trample UVA in the season closing football game). 
We wrapped up the year perfectly with a fun friends and festivities (did I mention martinis?) at David and Tracey's next door. Since ringing in the new year with the 17 other kids in their basement wasn't a reasonable option for Andrew and Margaret, we put them down at 9:00, ensured they were fast asleep, double-checks all locks, then popped back over to the party with video-monitor in tow. Gotta love technology...and close neighbors. As long as social services doesn't find out, I don't think anyone will be too traumatized. In keeping with recent traditions, my Love had also prepared a slide show for us when we returned home. 2011. What a year it was.
Maddie loving on Miss Margaret, who's wondering what on the Earth happened to 
