Holiday Recap

To quote Luke, "oh by holly, have a holly jolly Christmas!" and by holly, we did!  We are back from our adventures to visit family over the break and there are too many wonderful pictures and memories to share.  Scroll through to relive the fun!

First up, to kick off the holiday extravaganza was my birthday.  Matt and Kate had been home a few days already since school was out and surprised me by baking a cake while I was at work.  I didn't put any of the clues together (the house smelled delicious when I came home, there was a container of frosting in the fridge that I noticed and didn't remember buying) and it was the sweetest surprise.

We spent my birthday at the zoo, watching Kentucky beat North Carolina in basketball, and eating tasty tuna steaks Matt grilled for dinner.  It was a fantastic day with my favorite people.

We were home on Christmas Eve which meant we got to attend our church, sprinkle reindeer food in the front yard, and wake up giddy in our own beds on Christmas morning.

Christmas morning we were up before six and tearing into our loot.  Legos were the big gift this year for the kids and they played all morning while Matt and I loaded up the van to take the holiday tour on the road.

In Oak Ridge there was a turkey feast waiting for us and more wonderful presents.  Luke got a tee ball set that was a big hit the rest of the trip for the whole family, and Kate's favorite was her cash register that allowed her to setup her own shop.

We spent a few days in Tennessee playing with our new gifts and enjoying time with Grammie and Granddaddy.

Our next stop on the tour was Northern Kentucky where more presents, fun, and family was waiting for us!  Claudia and Hannah came to play two days in a row and as usual the three amigos had tons of fun together.  Cousins are the best!  (Carina, Katharina, Christina, and Julia- if you're reading: Hi! I miss you!)  The Lego theme continued at the Mack's where we pulled out my childhood collection.

There was more delicious food (Spaetzle and Kloese!) and lots of laughing by three very excited kids.

My Dad won Christmas this year, he gave Claudia and me the most thoughtful paintings.  Since he retired, he has been spending a lot of time perfecting his watercolor technique and made us each a painting of our kids at the beach based off an actual photograph.

Hannah gets cuter each time we see her and it was so nice to spend this time with family.  Before heading back to South Carolina we made one more stop to see the Crawfords, who might as well be family.  The kids are finally at an age where they can go off and play and the adults were able to quietly catch up with each other in a different room.  We spent New Year's Eve at home and tucked in our beds before midnight.  Looking back, it was another memorable year full of travel both for work and for fun (Canada, Savannah, Taiwan, Wears Valley, Jekyll Island, Harbor Island, Lake Lure, San Diego) and new beginnings (Kindergarten for Kate and a new position for me at work).  I wish all of you a happy, healthy new year!  Love to all my dear readers!