Sorry this is such a belated post, but it's time to unveil the winner of the 1st Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest. And the winner is (drumroll, please).......................The Iowa Kilgores! Kudos to them for actually getting their pictures done on time, in public and having sweaters for 6 people! Partly due to the size of their brood, they also get points for variety. Each sweater is beautiful and unique in it's ugly-ness. So congrats, Kilgores, you're a cut above the rest.

Honorable mentions go out to Christy and Scott and the other couple who shall remain nameless (at their request) but who did submit a picture. As for Brian and Jeni...what can I say except WOW!!!! Talk about commiting to a cause. Not only did they find some super ugly sweaters but they put together a whole '80's photo-shoot. I love the shoulder pads in Jeni's sweater and that sweet uni-brow that Brian is sporting.

Now, you'll notice that in my family picture we are seated in-doors instead of in public. It's all my fault that our picture was not taken in public. We had the chance to stop at the convenience store and have the clerk there take our picture but I said no as all three children were screaming at the time. Not a good excuse, I know. Next year, though, I'll be more on top of this contest!

As for the other picture of Sophie, well, it's been an interesting week. 1718 Elizabeth Drive has had a lot going on! Sophie has already had her first cold - given to her by her loving brothers, and now she (and I) has thrush! ICK! It's actually making mommy far more uncomfortable than her, but our first course of treatments didn't do much so we had to move on to something called Gentian Violet. It's this fabulous purple medicine that we have to "paint" in Sophie's mouth every night for 3 or 4 days. And it STAINS anything it touches. So Sophie is going to have a purple mouth and face until sometime next week. Welcome to mortality, Sophie.