A Little Behind....

I know we are now halfway through January, but you know, I just took down the Christmas decorations and trees in our house on Tuesday!  So, it seems only fitting I do our Christmas update now....before it is Valentine's day!  ;)

We had a great Christmas....and we hope you all did too!  It was so fun to decorate our new house and truly "deck the halls"!

Wreath from my Grandparents
...in our brand new kitchen!

We only enjoyed this for a short time before leaving for the Southeast for Christmas, and maybe that's why I left it up so long....or maybe because I dreaded taking it all down alone since I had amazing help putting it up!  Funny to see that picture, since the foyer is now a cream color and that horrible faux finish is gone!

Traveling for Christmas meant flying into Atlanta and spending several days there with my family and our friends...

I must detour now to share my excitement with our gift giving/getting this Christmas.... I was determined to buy American made gifts for everyone and help our own economy and create jobs this year.  I was so successful and so pleased with my efforts!  We gave Ava Anderson Non Toxic gifts (of course!), John Boo's butcher blocks for family (made in Chicago...I am super jealous I bought these for everyone yet still don't have one for myself) ;o) and sweet puppets for all of the kids!  I'm so glad I stimulated our economy because it made up for the foreign sewing machine I had been dreaming of and received from Todd, my parents, and my brother and the amazing pink Ralph Lauren slippers my sister's family gave me for Christmas!  Another cool gift we got from my sister, brother-in-law and their children was a sheep donation in our name to a struggling family in another country for wool and meat.  Okay, back on track....

....Then, we rented a car and drove to Kentucky to spend a few days with Todd's family and some friends (who I think love Breck more than us!)...

....and we rounded out our trip with a quick pass through Nashville and Birmingham on our way back to Atlanta. It made more sense to bring Breck, and he has become quite the frequent flyer!  He has decided if he is in the suitcase when it comes out to be packed, he will get to go!  So, he camps out!

Here he is just hanging out in Hartsfield-Atlanta Airport waiting to check in for our return flight home!  Such a nut...I could not get over how funny this was!

When we arrived home, we were greeted by all of this fun mail (lots of bills, too!)!  It was so fun to go through all of it and see everyone's pretty cards and gorgeous families!

Yesterday, a group of friends here got together to bind our cards for safe keeping and future memories.  I am so excited to keep up this tradition!

We returned home just before New Years and went to a masquerade party to ring it in with some California friends in their new home!

We are wishing all of you a Happy and prosperous new year!