2012 Thanksgiving & early December

  This year we invited two families over for Thanksgiving.  The kids didn't have school on Thursday or Friday, and I took 2 days off work for the celebration.

Thanksgiving morning, the boys making preparations for the feast.

The kids made edible pilgrim hats and turkeys.

The kids' table, waiting for food, all adorned in pilgrim garb.

We're not sure how long these pilgrim hats will last.

 But they are a popular tradition in our household.

Heidi, overseeing the main course:  pie.

A little Dutch or Flemish (I always forget which) painting style incorporated into the photography.

We went to the Budapest Opera House....

...to see a performance of The Nutcracker.

Later that weekend, putting up the Christmas tree.

Nash had the honor of putting the star on top of the tree this year.

A few days later, and Sami Chlaus came to fill up the kids' shoes with candy and gifts.

Nash's faux surprise in this photo is almost convincing.

The kids had to perform a song in order to get treats from Mikulas.

This is Nash playing Bingo at a retirement home with a group from school.

The first lighting of the advent wreath and the Christmas pyramid. 

Luke was in the middle school performance of the musical, The Pirates of Penzance.

He had a great time performing in the role of the Pirate King.

He impressed us all with his acting and singing abilities.

Signing autographs for fans after the performance.

The annual making of the Christmas goodies.

Luke is on the far right side of this picture, playing drums in the middle school band concert. 

And Mallory is on the bottom row for the 2nd grade Christmas performance.

More Fall 2012: Bike brakes, concerts, Albania, Halloween, and Mallory's birthday.

Here is a potpourri of things that happened in the last few months of 2012.

One day on the way to work I noticed a guy on his bike in front of me.  I followed him down the hill for a kilometer or two.  I was impressed at the brake system on his bike:  his feet.  He seriously had no other brakes on his bike, and used his feet the whole way down.  I was impressed that he didn't wreck, not even once.

Nash, Grant, and I at the Muse concert at the Papp Laszlo arena.

Our friends from Germany came for a few days, and we showed them around the city, providing several opportunities for photos of our boys.  Nash, dancing in front of the dance theater.

Luke standing, seriously, with the guard, guarding.....something.

And Grant, imitating the caterpillar mustache on the lip of the person in the statue.

We, of course, introduced our friends to the Kürtőskalács.

Nash went to Tirana, Albania for a cross country meet, and saw a few sites around the area.

They went to the old capital, Kruju.

And if you were wondering, yes, goats do look both ways before crossing the street in Albania.

Proof that the goat is still alive -- just above Nash's shoulder, on the right.

Practicing his spider man moves?

Apparently Nash ate about 10 pieces of the cheesecake at this restaurant.

Pac Man theme for Luke's pumpkin this year.

Mallory went as a pirate / princess this year?

The elementary school had a trunk-or-treat thing that night.

Little Creed & Big Creed.

Mallory, overlooking her haul of candy.

Luke and his friends dressed up in costumes and went between our house and the neighbors' 2 houses.  I was surprised that nobody gave them any candy....

Mallory turned 8.

She had a movie-themed birthday party, including popcorn cupcakes.

The snack bar, all set up outside the "theater".

Awaiting the guests to arrive on the red carpet.

Grant was the ticket-taker / usher for the movie.

Grant also helped out at the snack bar.

It usually takes 2 or 3 tries before we get a good family photo (Nash was at the cross country meet at the time).

And then on November 16, Mallory was baptized.