I'm sorry to hear you couldn't enjoy your favorite holiday to the fullest due to your sickness. I hope you had some fun inspite of it.
I've got the feeling Santa might bring
something to avoid more temperature surprises like the one on 'Pumpkin Carving Day'.
I hope you were able to snap a photo of the Marie Antoinette costume. Your description sounds quite interesting.
I'm sorry for you ex brother in law. I guess he is still overseas on duty, isn't he? Those oversea assignments might put a dampening on quite a lot of relationships. Divorce and new mariage within a week is ... surprisingly fast.