A Little Culture

Saturday night we decided it would be fun to do something different. I had heard about the RPO concert from someone at work and we decided to give it a try. It was Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. Part of the concert was just the music, part was music with the cartoons, and there were a couple segments of just the cartoons. It was fun. Because of the cartoons a lot of kids were there. And one of the funniest things was when it was quiet as the orchestra played during a cartoon and then a kind would think the cartoon was funny and burst out in laughter into the silence. We had a fun time and will have to go back for more performances in the future.

The End and the Beginning

This year we continued the Marcell traditions for New Year. For the first time we had a New Years tree. It was only about 4 feet tall but it was prelit and festively decorated. Of course we had the "seafood feast"--4 lbs crab legs, 2 lbs shrimp, lobster tails, porterhouse steaks, baked potatoes, salad. Fortunately another couple came over to help Caleb eat all that seafood, because I am no use for that stuff. Needless to say, everyone was stuffed by the end. The rest of the night until midnight was spent playing our new game Nerts and then watching the ball drop. Times square didn't seem nearly as exciting as it used to as a kid, lots of product placement bits. It was a fun night.

Saturday we started off the year by taking down all the Christmas stuff. Fortunately it was kind of warm (50's) and the snow was melted, for Caleb to take the lights off the house. Unfortunately it was rainy, which made the ladder a little dangerous. Once the tree is out on the curb you know the holidays are officially over. But it feels nice to have all the extra stuff put away again.

Christmas Decor

This year we got Christmas lights up on the outside of the house for the first time. Typically our street is kind of a dud for lights but we must have set a good example because there were several houses that had at least a string of lights up. We got LED lights so our "white" lights have a little of a bluish tint.

We got our Christmas tree early in December and decided to try one with long needles. It sure smells good but those needles just keep falling off. We went with a combo of white and colored lights. I only ended up using about half the ornaments and that was plenty.

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving my parents came out for a visit. Mom arrived Tuesday night and we spent Wednesday shopping--for groceries and tableware. Dad arrived that night and we got some of the food prep started. Thursday was, of course, a day full of baking and cooking. We tried a few new recipes--cranberry jello, sweet potato casserole. Plus there were all the old standbys--stuffing, potatoes, turkey, green bean casserole, rolls, gravy, peas, etc. We used a turkey roaster this year so the oven would be free for the other stuff and it worked really well. We also had pie--cherry for Caleb and apple for me. We tried to teach Mom how to play Lego Indiana Jones on Xbox. Quite entertaining. Of course we watched football and the parade. It was a fun day.

Friday the guys were busy and got the Christmas lights up outside. For the first time ever we put them up along the roof and in a couple trees. They did a great job. All nice and straight. While they were freezing outside, the girls were inside putting up some Christmas decorations. It is amazing how much stuff I have but I am not sure what to do with. We rearranged a little to make space for the Christmas tree that we will be getting in the next couple weeks. We ended the day going to see Harry Potter. It was pretty close to the book and so Caleb thought it was a little slow moving.

Saturday before they left we went to see the gingerbread houses at the Eastman house and check out a little art fair on Prince street. It was a busy but fun weekend.

Halloween Fun

Last weekend we had a quick trip out to Kansas City. We ended up only being there for about 28 hours because of some flight delay troubles. (I blame this on Caleb. Before we got married I never had any problems with flights. Since then cancellations, delays, missed connecting flights, etc.) We went out there for a combination Marcell family Halloween party and a farewell party because Caleb's Parents are moving to Portland. When we got there we went right to work preparing for the party. The boys decorated outside and practiced for the spooky story. The girls prepared all sorts of snacks for that night.

Then it was time for the fun. Family photos. Eating. Monsters. Mummies. Bobbing for apples. A bonfire. Root beer floats. Cookies. Cupcakes. Remembering. Pinata busting.  And last but not least dancing. That's right Wii Just Dance was a big hit. Just about everyone took a turn and some people really got into it. It was pretty funny. We had a great time and wish it could have been longer.

Sushi

Caleb went with a couple of guys from church to try out the new sushi at the Pittsford Wegmans. He was daring and got a platter with one piece of every kind. And he tried them all. Some he liked and others were too much for him (the ones with the little balls that "pop" when you bite into them). I think he is crazy and can't bear the thought of cooked fish, much less raw.