{pretty, happy, funny, real} in a season of abundant celebrations, part 5

| a weekly capturing of contentment in everyday life |

After Christmas, the real party started! We began welcoming family and friends (about 30 in all!) from New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kansas, and Minnesota. Tracking all the arrivals, departures, transportation and lodging needs was one of the most fun spreadsheets I've ever created! (Yes, I realize how nerdy that makes me sound.)

The reason for being together was a wedding, but the joy encompassed even more than that. I know I must be among the world's most fortunate people that I truly LOVE being with my extended family. Thanks to outrageous generosity by our Christ Church friends and neighbors who helped provide beds, vehicles, and even entire houses, we were able to let the Wedding feasting last a whole week (sort of like the old Jewish customs, maybe?)

Here's a mishmash of a photo diary from our time together - which obviously included a lot of time eating, drinking, talking, squeezing together on couches and in living rooms and around tables. As more family arrived we took our dear, generous friends up on the use of their rental house for our New Year's Eve party (and, yes, some of us DID swim outside that night - in a heated pool). We got in bits and pieces of Austin, including a private tour of one of our favorite locations in the whole city, Community First! Village. One of the highlights for our time together was the party game my brother-in-law and sister brought which allowed all ages to participate in hilarious games via a plethora of digital devices. In smaller crews we visited restaurants, parks, movie theaters and, even, San Antonio.

The entire time was a dream come true for me. It was a dream come true for my mother, who'd never enjoyed having all 6 of her children and their entire families (4 generations now) in one place before. Here's the one and only group photo we got of everyone together (during the wedding reception).

I'm really, really sad I didn't get a photo of Brian and his sister and brother who were also here. We *did* manage to get a photo of the four Murphy cousins, though.