AVL

statue at Biltmore

at our B & B

there is nothing like seeing this place during the holidays at night

i love these lions!

chestnuts roasted over an open fire
no sight of jack frost, though

mr. chef at the cooking demo

tasty shrimp and grits
at the cooking demo

on the porch of our B & B

a libation enjoyed by the roaring fire at Grove Park Inn

we took our anniversary trip to our tried and true favorite~Asheville, NC back at the beginning of of December to celebrate 9 years of marriage. we just love this town. and this year, in addition to all our standard favorites, we had the help of the Kesler's and their local insider suggestions ;-). we could have eaten our way through Asheville. there are some chefs with seriously mad skills in that town.

so, if you are ever headed that way, let me go on and on about what all to do there :)

Breathe In (huh? you ask...)

I have been tagged again. This time by my friend Mandie :)
Do I have time for this? No! But, it was too funny to pass up.
Especially toward the end...
Here's what ya do:
1. Put your music playing device on shuffle.
2.For each question, press the Next button to get the answer
3.Write the song name down.
4. Tag friends who you think would enjoy this.


IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
City Love (Live in Birmingham)-John Mayer

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
The Bad Actress-Josh Ritter

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Life Is Just a Tire Swing-Jimmy Buffett

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Untitled-Interpol

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
New Hymn-James Taylor

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Boplicity-Miles Davis

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Message In a Bottle-The Police

WHAT IS 2+2?
Karolina-National Skyline

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Ants Marching-Dave Matthews Band

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face-Coldplay

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
When Doves Cry-Prince

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Miracle-David Wilcox

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Haiti-Arcade Fire

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Home Within Your Heart-David Wilcox

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Jonah Was a Prophet-Veggie Tales

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For-U2

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Falling Slowly-Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from the ONCE Soundtrack

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Rain-Patty Griffin

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
I Stand Corrected-Vampire Weekend

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Free Fallin'-John Mayer (I kid you not!!!!!)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
The First Song-Band of Horses (I guess this means I regret City Love?? no way, Babe ;)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
I Would Be Sad-The Avett Brothers (again...no kidding!)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Help My Unbelief-Red Mountain Church (ok...it's a little creepy how this is working out...)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Didjital Vibrations -Jamiroquai

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Inside and Out-Feist

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Is It Any Wonder?- Keane (hahahahaha!)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
In the Palm of Your Hand-Alison Krauss (oh dear...)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Holiday-Madonna (i am seriously cracking up!)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Breathe In-Frou Frou



Well I only know of 2 friends who truly love lists and they share the same name. One tagged me so I will tag the other...Amanda Skinner.

December

the boys always enjoy decorating a gingerbread house

next to Big Al at Zoolight

S was extremely excited about being a Shepherd in the school play

getting ready to throw their reindeer food in the yard

M was interested in things other than the Christmas story

Brother Sandwich!

M paid more attn to his brother's gifts. For some reason, he got SO excited about these lap desks and markers. I love his expressions in these...

gift from Aunt Molly & Uncle Jonas

our sweet baby cousin R snoozing

with his newest baby cousin

it was a STAR WARS Christmas!

beautiful Jenny sporting that cute baby bump that is our newest cousin to be!

M loves his uncle

cousins blowing out the candles on Jesus' Birthday cake


Some family photos from our December. We hope you had a blessed holiday season!

a list of sixteen

At long last, I am responding to being tagged by my friend Allison.
So, here goes...if I can think of 16 random things about me...

1. I am not a morning person. It takes me a good hour plus at least 2 cups of coffee to break through the stupor that I awake in each morning. To prove it, while typing this I typed "coughy" first instead of "coffee". Maybe it's because I was kept awake by a coughing child last night?

2. The summer after Jamie and I married we traveled to Israel and Egypt. It was an amazing, life changing trip. I would love to take our boys there one day when and if things are more peaceful.

3. I got beat out of the Homecoming Queen title by my dear friend Ginny in our senior year of high school. Our friend Jared loves to kid us about this and pit us against each other :) She is WAY cooler than me so it was no surprise. I was just happy to be standing up there with her sporting Amanda's green bedazzled formal gown. I'll have to see if I can't locate a picture of that...

4. I have known my husband longer than I haven't known him. I met him when I was 15, went on my first "car date" with him after I turned 16. We broke up and got back together many, many times during which we both dated other people off and on. But, alas, I never got over the guy and he finally came to his senses in September of 1998 and told me he wanted to marry me. We got engaged in Jan of 99 and married 11 months later. He is still my best friend.

5. I am a fiercely loyal person.

6. I am nostalgic and emotional to a fault. God bless the 4 men I live with.

7. I get really excited about Nutrition. I took a few nutrition classes in college that were required for my major and I've been hooked ever since. Also, the friend who tagged me was a nutrition major and has spurred me on in many ways. I'm not a Nazi about it and I don't judge people who take their kids to McDonald's twice a week! I want to avoid raising children who think certain foods and drinks are taboo and therefore binge on what they missed on early in life. My kids eat sugar and lots of it and drink soft drinks. But not every day. I just get really excited about giving them a healthy start to life by avoiding processed unnatural foods and helping them fight off disease. Antioxidants, Polyphenols, and Whole Grains are our friends :)

8. I get really excited about little things. I get really excited for people. I will be your personal cheerleader.

9. In somewhat of a contrast to the above, I am a complainer. Ask my husband. I really need to work on that.

10. A few random things I detest: doing the Laundry, Reptiles, Alarm Clocks, Frogs, T.V. crime dramas (there is enough evil in the world as it is, why watch shows about it? But that's just me.), Change, inadequate space for the aforementioned Laundry that is overtaking my home.

11. I love anything involving the arts. At some point, I've tried them all. Almost. Dance? check.
Photography? check. Calligraphy? check. Music? check.

12. Once when I was little, while vacationing in Georgia, we visited an old General Store. There were barrels of bulk items for sale, such as candy, drinks, and apparently the ultimate temptation to my young self, dried beans. Before leaving with my parents, I couldn't resist and grabbed a handful of dried beans (not candy mind you) and stuffed them into my pocket.
I was quickly found out by my parents as I was getting back into the car. What gave it away I wonder? My bulging pocket? The trail of beans between our car and the entrance to the store?
What a shameful day having to walk back in and confess my sin.

13. Also, while young, I had a minor obsession with the Country Western star, Crystal Gail (Gale?) and would answer the phone as if I were her. Did I mention my Dad is from Texas? If I were going to aspire to be something back then, it would have been a country star or a cowgirl. Funny how things have changed.

14. I have little to no will power.

15. I am a procrastinator.

16. And possibly the most random thing on this list, while trying to come up with a name for our youngest sweet little boy, we searched our ancestries looking for family names we might consider. I found out my mother's father's side of the family is directly descended from Geoffrey Chaucer. pretty cool.