Christmas is wrapped

Despite the heat, rain and humidity, this year's Christmas was really wonderful- relaxed, happy, delicious and fun. 

Nanny's cranberry sauce, served in one of the bowls she always used for it.

The kids received two light sabers a piece and these masks and have continued to reenact The Force Awakens, mostly channeling their inner dark sides. They even enjoyed a spectacular nighttime saber battle last night before we all watched The Bishop's Wife and then waddled sleepily off to bed.

FN2187 and Kylo Ren

Today was spent resting, enjoying the experience of it not raining, and playing with gifts. 

I dove into Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen, the book that Jack gave me. Yes, I'm a complete grammar nerd and thus far am loving the book ].

We gave my brother-in-law a camera-outfitted drone, and he's been like a kid in a candy store since opening it. I love watching adults unleash and let fly their inner kid flags. Today was spectacularly windy and the drone got stuck in the upper reaches of pines and oaks not once or twice but three times.

Each time, the ladders were erected in the hopes that tall men would gain enough height to shake the drone free. Alas, no.

The women went inside, chuckling but also wishing to avoid witnessing what was surely to come, and outside, someone -one of the kids?- suggested tying a long rope to an arrow and using a bow (the boys and T got archery sets two Christmases back and still love to target shoot) to launch the arrow into the tree. Could the arrow knock the drone down? Or, if the arrowhead stuck tight into a near branch, could someone then shake it enough to loose the toy?

My brother-in-law yanking on the rope tied to the arrow that Tom successfully shot into the branch on which the drone was stuck.

People, it worked. All three times. I have no idea what the neighbors imagined was going on over here, but no one said anything. Getting it out was team work at its best. Also, watching the drone-freeing was hilariously amusing.

I'm off to bed now but wanted to leave you with another bayou pic. Hope you're all happy and well!