FESTIVE

i keep saving up pictures and stories for mysterious blog posts i am going to write, but i just can't keep up. i apologize for being scarce around these parts, life is grandly full and even though i'm sure i'm actually rather lazy, i feel out-of-breath-busy all day everyday! 

so here are some glimpses into life lately, which has been so festive because of lucy most of all. because she is a sheer joy of a whirlwind child who takes the most supreme delight in details of the holidays and just....everything. her new favorite thing in the whole entire world is SNOWMEN and she wants to hear "frosty the snowman" all day long. 

first up, Friendsgiving at rebecca's wednesday night....

rebecca is way into the low-angle-belly shot. i have to admit, it's pretty cute. there we are: 35 weeks, 31 weeks, and 30 weeks.

dying over so many roasted veggies this year, that acorn squash, mmmmmm......i love being pregnant on thanksgiving. seriously, food never tasted so. damn. good.

lucy and her little friend alowyn who is so sweet with her.

my brother mikie deemed this year "pregsgiving"

next day: thanksgiving! and man, am i EVER, (giving thanks that is) for so much this year. not the least of which was having mikie in town :) 

here he is goofing with lucy in the backyard that morning.

my thanksgiving dress was a thrift store find at halloween time. emily was later telling me about a dress she thrifted and i was like, that sounds a lot like the one i found! i think i'm going to wear it for thanksgivng. she said she was going to wear hers too, but cut off the maxi length. hilariously, we soon figured out that we had chanced upon the SAME exact vintage dress.

so we matched, yep.

(i was lucky though, i got the bigger one. em's ended up splitting up the back, a true thanksgiving celebration if you ask me! you'll see her later in an adorable costume change.)

lucy got gussied up too :)

it was a wild commotion all eve, dancing, eating, singing, stories, games....

and cuties!

next day (busiest weekend ever, i tell ya....) was downtown Placerville's Festival of Lights, where they light the giant Christmas tree by the courthouse. Lucy and I walked down and met daddy after work. this is way before the real crowds hit....

stagecoach rides, carolers, hot cocoa, crafts....it's a fun night on the town but we absconded fairly quickly because the crowd is INTENSE especially with a baby buggy and a pregnant belly getting caught up in the bustle.

lucy can often be found with her nose in a book. even in the midst of a crowd, just like her daddy.

meeting the Cinnamon Bear. she was seriously over-the-top excited. she's pretty into teddy bears right now too.

we visited my mom where she is doing some part-time work at Body Basics on Main Street, a super cute little shop of natural bath care, with the most enchanted little fairy pottery garden out back. Nana was back there with the twinkly lights pouring hot cider and handing out treats.

and we can't miss a quick stop by zack's shop too.

she loves all our friends so much!

later that night was the infamous Night-After-Thanksgiving Rock Show. This year our very own Dark River was one of the three bands that played. Since so many old friends are back in town for the holidays, there is always a huge crowd and everyone shows up. Emily joined the band for a cover of "Perfect Day" for their opening song.

so proud of these boys! my brother and my husband, and some of our best friends in the whole world. they played so well and everyone was dancing. 

four of us friends who are pregnant! stairstep order by due date, mine is first at january 4, then becky at january 31, then em at feb 8, then Jen at march 22. can't wait to see all our kids playing together :)

close up on beck's amazing dress. i mean, wow. i wish i took a photo of the back, it dipped deeply, with more beadwork.

what a night! the place was packed, the air was so full of festivity and fun our heads were swirling.

i had to leave because i found out lucy had woken up shortly after i left and had watched three cartoons so far with my dad :) it was a pretty cozy scene i came home too, really. i am so grateful for the town i live in, to be surrounded by family and friends, and to have found the true meaning of community.

i'll try to be back soon! i want to show you our christmas tree. i send you all loads of love and fun for december.