Homecoming Christmas

After a 17 hour trip with an overnight stop at the lakehouse in Alabama - we finally made it home to Charlotte on December 18th. The south east was in the midst of a winter storm which somehow totally avoided Charlotte. However, it caused us to delay our trip up to the mountains with the Fords to ski.


Ross shared his birthday tickets to the Panthers vs. Vikings game with Ryan




Enlarge this picture and guess that announcer...

Favre going to warm up

Ross & Ryan made a sign

Although the snow and icy weather made getting to our condo difficult, we made it up Beech Mountain!
We stopped in Blowing Rock to enjoy the quaint little town.

Then out for a day on the slopes - my first time skiing since our trip to Copper with the Heilmans in 2002.

Back at home, we spent the two days before Christmas at the Knights.


After eating an amazing Italian meal at Cieros - we drove to McAdenville to see the lights of "Christmas town."

We spent Christmas Eve with the Knights

Listening to a Christmas story from the new Christmas In My Heart

Jake and his Robin

After storytime, it was time for presents!

Santa likes his present

This year's present was GPS systems for Robin, Ross, and Ryan and I. This certainly makes our cross country treks easier - especially finding Taco Bell and Subway.

"Hey - I want some... please???"

Playing Pegs & Jokers

"What? You'll throw it for me?"

"Hi, would you like a chew?"

"Mmmm... blue sheep..."

****

Then we went to the Ford house for Christmas Day

Dad demonstrates his light defuser and the power of catch lights in Toby's eyes

On Christmas morning, Mom reads the Christmas story from a big picture book a friend gave us a long time ago.





Toby trying out his new present from Stephanie.


Stephanie learned to become an architect putting this puzzle together. Maybe she'll include a picture of the final product on her blog.




Watching...






I found mom a new little scotty!







Ryan and his Matt Ryan shirt



Me and my little Poochinelli (that's what mom calls him)






New vest for Dad from Ryan and me


And after presents we had Grandma's fried grits for breakfast - here they are waiting to be sliced and breaded.

Christmas dinner!

Ryan testing out one of his gifts

Ryan was so excited about his Super Bowl Giants monopoly from Stephanie - so thankful for it was he that he made her go bankrupt...


Jaclyn's in jail...

"Hee hee hee hee... Domination..."





"I would like to sniff the game pieces if you would let me."




"Is this game over yet?"



Two of the game pieces are a NY helmet and a Patriots helmet.

Here are some of the events from the week after Christmas:


Ryan, Carson, Ross, & Stanley enjoyed going to a Charlotte Bobcats game.




We enjoyed going to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens and viewing their Christmas light display.

In front of the orchid tree

Not a cloud in the sky

Ryan and me under the arbor of lights

Back inside, we enjoyed a big train display with two trains and a whole miniature town complete with some crazy "teenagers" mooning the train. I'll spare you that picture... This brought back memories of Cullen Gardens from Canada days.

We enjoyed some live piano music too.

It was great being back where there are so many options for shopping! Dad, Stanley, Ryan, & Ross enjoyed going to the shooting range while Stephanie and I toured IKEA. We also went to see The Blind Side - a great movie!

Its great being a part of two families now:

The Fords

The Knights

*****

We chose to stop in Collegedale on the way back home and enjoyed going out for Mexican with John Nafie and Kelli Carlson.

Rylee & Toby enjoyed rough housing until blood was drawn - although we never found out where it came from.

Rylee enjoying a bone

Kelli and her little companion (who won't stay little much longer!)

"I found it Mom, what next?"

Who needs kids when you can have dogs? ;-)