Uncle Joe gets hitched!

Joe and Abby were married on December 28th at the beautiful Detroit Yacht Club. Henry was the ring bearer, and Gus was the best man. Alex and Chris were groomsmen, and Alex's girls, Ella and Mila, were flower girls. We rehearsed the night before the wedding. Chris' boy, George, just turned 2, and he didn't have an official roll in the wedding, so he protested by lying on the ground. John found this hilarious.

All the rehearsing paid off because Henry put on a perfect performance. Gus gave a thoughtful and kind toast to the bride and groom. And John gave Daddy an astounding round of applause. We sent the kids home with Papa and Mimi after dinner so we could enjoy the rest of the reception. I'm proud to say that even at 8 months pregnant, I danced until the lights came on. And that included 2 rounds of Greek dancing that nearly had me out of breath (Opa!). Congratulations to Uncle Joe and Aunt Abby!

Let it snow!

Michigan was covered in snow and the boys were eager to play in it. Thankfully, Uncle Chris spent his paternity leave constructing a snow fort in his backyard, so he the kids could play in it. After a snowball fight, we had a sled caravan to a nearby sledding hill. Henry was hooked from his first ride down the hill. John was skeptical, and then his worst fears were confirmed. He fell in the snow. Oh well. His southern blood just ain't made for the cold.

A Very Makris Christmas

A favorite Makris tradition is Christmas Eve hockey. I bundled up the boys and we watched the old men skate around for awhile. One of these years, we'll get the youngins' out there on skates too. But for now, my Georgia boys are happiest in their cowboy boots.

On Christmas day, we packed up our bags and headed to the Makris home for the remainder of our stay. Opening gifts with 5 grandchildren (James was sleeping) was a tornado of gift wrap and toys. Henry was thrilled to find a red vacuum under Grandma and Papou's tree. And we were thrilled that it doesn't make a loud, annoying noise. The big kids gave Dad his very own TV for the the basement. And we gave Mom a frame with mother/son wedding photos from each of our weddings. Alex, Gus, and Chris also opened their groomsmen gifts from Joe: playing cards full of brotherly love! Then, before we sat down for Christmas dinner, the kids played a rousing game of hide-and-go-seek with their uncles. Henry could be heard telling Ella, "I found Uncle Chris, but I cannot find Uncle Joe very easily." They eventually found him and asked to play again.  And again.