This is a test . . . Christmas pictures are coming soon (once we get beyond our dial-up connection), including our first ever somewhat successful gingerbread house (actual gingerbread and decor mostly by Tiffany, masonry, assembly, and front door mostly by me)! Anyhow, thanks to Karenanner for putting this back together; I shall endeavor to post responsibly. Have a most triumphant Happy New Year, everybody!

Hello????

What gives with my siblings! So far, Sammy and Mom have been the only ones to bravely go where no one has gone before and send pictures to the blog. Ok, I'll include Joey cause he did leave a comment. They get gold stars. The rest of you get year old fruitcake. EEEHHHH (I don't really know how to spell the noise I used to make when I was little, but you get the idea!)

XOXO
Karen

From the vault....

Young Craig and siblings anxiously await the commencement of "Extreme Gingerbread Makeover, Demolition Edition." Can't you just feel the excitement? Look at their faces!



Dad, Uncle Jon and cousins. What gives with the sailor suit?

All the leaves are brown...and the sky is gray....California dreamin'......while we sit here in Chevy Chase Maryland.....

Dad honing his forest ranger skills. Kay-aye, professor! I think I spy Icelandinc Peridotite!

Thanks to Mom for uncovering these old gems!

Christmas in Virginia

We had a gray rainy Christmas day in Virginia, but it was a wonderful day nonetheless.

Note Ellie in the last photo keeping up the grand Carpenter tradition of the post Christmas Breakfast induced coma!

Christmas in Chicago

New pictures added by Aleatha!




From Sam:
Here are some pictures from our celebration this year. The first picture is in memory of Grandmother, "Mary's Lullaby" The words from the second verse struck me in a way this time, after so many times playing the music, that I lost my place on the page. Other pictures are the joy (and pain, Connor?) of the day.

Merry Christmas...

and welcome to version 2 of the Carpenter Chronicles! I have been promising to revive the family newsletter for awhile and thought I'd give this a try. I think it will be easier to maintain and also more accessible to everyone. All you need to do is email me your family pics and news and I'll drop it right here in this blog! That way, you all can visit as often or as little as you like, as well as post those great comments.. Just beware....if no one sends pictures, I'll have to go back into my photo files and dig out who knows what! For example...

It's been awhile, so let's make sure everybody remembers each other. First there's Matthew...





Next there's Karen






And Joey

And David

And Peter

last but not least, Sam

and the two who are responsible for this motley crew...Craig and K!

PS- check out our great brick fireplace in the backround! Never appreciated it then, but it had its own built in log holder. Very nice feature. Also notice one of the family stockings still hung up. Those are still my favorite- I haven't seen any that I like near as much. This picture makes me very nostalgic. We had many great Christmases in that house which I don't think I fully appreciated until after we were all gone!

As usual I am getting way off topic. So now you all have had an example of what happens when I am left to my own devices for pictures. Let's not let this happen again! Please note that spouses have been spared (for now) as they have already suffered enough.

Merry Christmas to you all. Hopefully we will all get a chance to talk to each other on Christmas, but email your Christmas pictures to me so we can share in each other's day. XOXOXOXOXO!