Insta-Friday 12-24 to 1-6

Here is your peek into my last two weeks through the lense of the old (and by old, I mean new) iphone. Linking up with Life Rearranged.  

This is the one picture I got of the monkey bread for our Christmas brunch.

It was during step number one before the bread rises over night.

Doesn't look good now, but it sure does taste good later.

  

Our luggage at the Greenville airport.

  

Just in case you ever wonder what a little guy looks like in a fat coat.

My favorite snow hat of the trip.

Little Bear

This is a close second.

The professional skier.

We were really excited about our hot coffee in super cold Asheville.

I made this delicious meal last night.

And as you can see we ate it on paper plates.

So why did this still happen?

It is truly a mystery.

While making the previous picture's dinner I whipped these babies out.

Pancakes are so easy to make and freeze.

I should really do it more often.

Could his profile be cuter?

I sure don't think so.

Why is it that when one has something the other must have it too?

This picture holds lettuce, lemons, strawberries, blackberries and a 5 lb. bag of potatoes.

Got it for 8 bucks.

I love our produce market.

We had an unplanned picnic at my mom's house today because she wasn't home when we got there.

Good thing my dad had the foreknowledge to put benches on the front porch.

Happy Weekend!

Vacation in the Mountains

On December 27th we left for our annual vacation to Maggie Valley, North Carolina. It is a beautiful spot to vacation, so we do so the same week every year and have been for as long as I can remember. My parents own a condo there, and Tim's family comes as well. It is truly a family vacation with all those people.  

I love pictures of little kids looking out airplane windows.

Such awe.

Cute hat on a cute boy.

It snowed the first day we were there, and we took full advantage.

We are six for six with boys between Tim's sister and I.

Cray-zee.

We went to the mountain for a day of skiing and snowboarding.

Here we are waiting in a huge line for a bus after parking a mile away.

That is a different story for a different day.

Aunt Kim helped the boys pass the time with some snow man building.

Action shot

Daddy took George up the mountain this year for the first time.

He did so great.

Self-portrait on the chair lift.

The little town right next to Maggie Valley is called Waynesville.

They have an adorable downtown, and we walk it every year.

Here is the evidence of our stroll this year:

They have a Mast General Store with a candy section like none other.

This is what Ethan did most of our vacation . . .

We ate dinner as one big group in a restaurant.

Here is what we looked like:

We had so much fun on vacation this year.

Tim let me sleep in most days, and that alone made my trip divine.

I am taking a break from vacation photos for Insta-Friday tomorrow.

We will pick back up Monday with our photographs of a day trip Tim and I took to Asheville.

Fun, fun.

Christmas Day in pictures

I am warning you now. This post is heavy, and I mean heavy with pictures. This was our first full day with an exciting new camera, so we may or may not have gone a little overboard in the picture department. Then again, can you ever really go overboard when it comes to pictures of your precious babies? You be the judge.  

Our makeshift fireplace to hang stockings.

And it begins . . .

I can't get enough.

Ethan decided Rudolph was his favorite Christmas story this year.

George got to "shop" for his family at school this year.

He picked out the sweetest gifts and was more excited than I have ever seen him to give them to each of us.

I got this very expensive diamond ring as seen on my pinky because that is the only finger it would even begin to fit on.

Daddy got a tape measure.

A practical gift for Ethan.

The $15 Huffy bike we scored at a garage sale.

The aftermath.

The process of . . .

getting this cute picture.

There is always a process, you know.

Church on Christmas morning.

Daddy and I at Christmas brunch.

Nouna's present from George.

Christmas dinner.

Aunt Gina, her beau, and my kids.

The good-looking couple once again.

Us.

Ethan really liked the Tom's my sister got me.

And that about wraps up Christmas Day.

I am very upset that I didn't get pictures of either spread of food from brunch or dinner.

I am still new at this blogging thing, so I forget pertinent pictures all the time.

Forgive me.

I assure you the food was divine, and the company was even better.

Up next . . . vacation in the mountains.

Christmas revisited, starting with Eve

So, I am just going to go ahead and tell you up front that we are dedicating this week to pictures. Pictures of Christmas Eve today. Pictures of Christmas Day tomorrow. Pictures of vacation the rest of the week. Sorry if this bores you, but . . .  I got a new camera this year. And I want to show off not only its capabilities, but my beautiful family as well. If you hate this, then you can pick back up on regular programming next week. Here goes nothing. The camera was a family present from my wonderfully generous parents, so we didn't have it in our possession until Christmas Eve night. These pictures were all taken with our old camera, so it will be fun to compare pics with tomorrow's post.  

This is the only picture I have of the four of us all dressed up for the Christmas Eve church service.

I think we looked pretty cute.

Aunt Gina loves her some Ethan.

Not sure if the feelings are mutual.

George with his one of too many presents that night.

Sisters.

One by blood and one by marriage.

The people I have been doing Christmas with my entire life.

Love each one of them immensly, and don't know what I would do without them.

The hubs.

I hate when people use that slang word, but it just seemed so appropriate this time.

Papou with the second generation.

They were reading a pop-up version of The Night Before Christmas.

Don't worry, I saved the best for last.

Because I care about you.

And obviously don't care one bit about embarrassing myself.

Christmas Eve was stellar.

As usual.

My family knows how to do it up right.