Merry Christmas!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1: 14

Happy Christmas Eve!

We enjoyed having my sweet Aunt Blanche and cousin Britt for Christmas Eve dinner. I hope we've started a new tradition.

(New goal for 2012 is to find Britt a man so she won't move to a bigger city when her nursing contract is up next November!)

NYC

Drew planned a really special New York trip to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Brant managed the Bigs while also studying for exams and my dear friends, Jena and Keith, took in the Littles

for the duration. As if they didn't have enough to do wrangling their own 6 kids.

We visited our old building at 865 First Ave, ate at several old neighborhood favorites, saw three shows (all of them amazing---and yes, Harry Connick, Jr. is just as gorgeous in person), toured the 9/11 Memorial, did a little Christmas shopping.....and made a concerted effort to eat all the delicious types of food we can't find any where around here.

Five days away with my husband was just the thing I needed to finish out 2011.

Thanks, Drew. Here's to 20 more.

This WILL make you happy.....

Click here to hear Will's string quartet performance!

Sixteen Candles

Happy 16th Birthday, Will!

This WILL make you nervous.....

Will loves Thanksgiving more than any other day of the year....it's the cleaning assignments beforehand that he hates.

Shortly after I took this and Will finished up dusting that niche above the front door, he said to me, "I think I'll just jump down rather than go down the rickety ladder. It'd be safer, I think."

REALLLLLLYYYY??????

If anybody knows when adolescent brains develop the synapses connecting their crazy impulses to common sense, please tell me. I'd love to know.

Another year older.....

A delivery from ProFlowers makes turning 46 a little easier.....

Go, Deacs!

Some one (pretty sure it had to be my mom since she's the only one who ever reads my blog anymore) complained that I never post pix of myself, so here's one of me trying my best to be a good Deacon fan at Wake's big game against Notre Dame Saturday night.

With all his buddies back in town, Drew was giddy at the tailgate, convinced this was the social event of the season here in Winston-Salem.

Will would rather be ANYwhere other than a Wake football game, but he puts on his game face if there's Bojangle's chicken and biscuits involved.

Ditto for Ty.

Tricky Treaters

Travel ball

The Carolina Rockies have wrapped up their fall season with an 18-11 record.

We spent the weekend in Myrtle Beach watching Jay and his teammates tough it out in very cold and super windy conditions.

After loads of practicing and 8 tourneys in 3 months, I think Jay's feeling ready to hang up his cleats and pick up a basketball.

At least until February.

Jay is 14!

Completely hard for me to believe but Babe turned 14 today. At 5' 10" and about 140 pounds, he's no Baby Jay anymore, but sometimes...because he looks just like he always has....I can picture him sitting in the bucket swing with a melting popsicle running down his arm.

Love that baby boy of mine.

Jay had Chuck E. Cheese parties for his 1st through 8th birthdays, so it seemed like time for a return trip to see what ol' Chuck E. was up to.

Babe and his buddies had a blast. And the pizza has vastly improved since 2006.