Happy New Year!!!: December

Tara plays hooky for the first day of the month and she and James sleep late, eat hearty and wait for their first New York Christmas tree to be delivered. Because of terrible flooding, the tree arrives after 9pm, but it's beautiful and worth the wait. Over the next few days, the lights go up, the ornaments go on and the holiday season can officially begin.

In an effort to use the kitchen for savory items instead of sweet, Tara makes her very first batch of potato latkes and people (well, Anney and James) like them! NOW the holiday season can begin.

December is a whirlwind of cookie-dough, holiday parties, online shopping and take-out dinners. James is horrified to find out that Tara has never watched "It's A Wonderful Life" from start to finish, so an evening is designated for that activity and that activity alone.

Tara travels to Natick, MA with her dad and his team for the annual Natick Holly Fest, an enormous high school forensic league tournament. The next day, Tara, her mom and mom's husband, John, make 100 lbs of peppermint bark that will be given as gifts to their hospital staff.

Dinah lands a job as a replacement Macy's Santa. She never gets to go on, but she looks great in the costume...

The week before the big day, James and Tara package over 50 boxes of cookies for friends and colleagues in New York.

Tara heads up to the Berkshires and helps her mom and John package 135 boxes of peppermint bark for their staff.

James takes the commuter train after his matinee on Christmas Eve and spends the next 36 hours in the Berkshires. His mom, dad and brother come up and celebrate as well. Gift opening takes approximately 6 days.

Michele (Mom) and John

Mark (Dad) and Lynne

Dave, Andy (Dad) and Nancy (Mom) Barry

Ah, Mark. You never cease to entertain us.

James shows off his "grown-up" coat.

Jordan models his "better late than never" robe.

And now Dave can finally hang Paul.

Where is Tara you ask? She's there, she just can't FIT into any pictures anymore. Boo...
James heads back to the city for a double show day on the 26th and that night into the next day brings a huge snowfall that paralyzes New York and all its transit. Tara never makes it back in with the car, since there is no where to park it. She meets James in Connecticut a few days later to have second Christmas with the Barrys.