I didn't forget....

...I just thought that the Gator Bowl should
get its own post.

$2 bills stamped with orange Tiger paws.

What what...ready to go see our
Tigers play.

Driving to Jacksonville from NC wasn't so bad...
until we had to park on the Interstate for an hour.

But at least Z got in a little shut-eye.

Finally made it to FL, caught the Gator Bowl parade, then headed to
Jacksonville Landing to ring in the New Year.

Happy New Year! Candice and Stuart tailgating before
the big game.

We met some Huskers who let Z pose with
a kind of creepy inflatable Lil' Red.

Larry the Cable Guy (in red, reaching up in the middle of the pic)

Z and I in our original upper deck seats.

This kid was really cute, all dressed up and with a Dabo sign.

Unfortunately whatever Dabo was telling them
in this timeout didn't work....

But we did get to finish the game in lower-deck end zone seats...
and even though it was a very disappointing ending,
we had so much fun with our friends, and
we're glad we got to go to our first
Bowl Game.

A Holiday Review

So I told you about Mr. Wilson's holiday, but
we got back into work and classes and
we haven't had much time to
breathe.
Please forgive us for the delay,
and enjoy these photos!


The children's living Nativity on Christmas Eve was an
adorably chaotic scene.


Z as a preacher man on Christmas Eve.


One take of our annual Christmas pic.


Santa came to Knoxville!


The day after Christmas we traveled to NC
to celebrate with family. Here I am with newest nephew Mason.


This is me playing with lighting and the new camera.

Z doing a little pickin' at Mamaw's.

Z and Mamaw!

A few of my favorites:

I was just thinking of random things that make me happy lately,
so here goes:

Yep, I watch awesome shows like 30 Rock and The Office, but
there's nothing quite like Chuck
for me. It's sweet, funny, and I can't stop watching!

Oh, yum.
These wraps come in several different flavors and are so versatile.
I use them for veggie burgers, burritos, pizzas, salad wraps with dresssing....

Cetaphil has been a lifesaver for me. I struggle with sometimes
severely dry skin, and
these are two of my favorite products, along with their daily moisturizer.
Nothing beats 'em for really dry days.

Does my husband know me or what?
This is a trio of Christmas gifts he gave me.

1. 200 New York Times crosswords. I adore any word games, especially by
Puzzle Master Will Shortz

2. Music. 'Nuff said.

3. A good bottle of wine. But this bottle is special...it's one that we first had on our honeymoon and have searched the country over for a store that carried it since then.
Z is so amazing like that!

Well, there's some of my favorite things right now...
what are yours?

www.flatoutbread.com

www.nbc.com/Chuck
www.cetaphil.com

Mr. Wilson's Winter Break

Another post dedicated to our dear
Mr. Wilson.

As you will see in later posts, Z and I had a fabulous break,
but thought we should share Mr. W's experiences,
too.

"Hey you guys, I found my present under the tree...can I open (and eat) it?"

Mr. W was thrilled to find the wise men at church making their
seasonal Epiphany trek
to the sanctuary.

Mr. Wilson hung out a lot with his older woman, Kathy...

And his younger ladyfriend, Shelby (aka. Big Rhonda).

Finally back home in TN, Mr. Wilson finds that sometimes
a vacation
leaves you more tired than you were before the trip!

Happy New Year!

We've just returned from our holiday adventures, and we are trying to get settled before a quick jump back into work and school this week. Posts with many pics will soon follow (from our new camera), but we want to wish you all a happy new year and much love from our little family!

It must be Christmas

The chocolate Advent calendar is empty, it must be Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Photo shoot with my folks

Before I left NC
I did a little photo shoot with my parents:

Ok guys, pretend you're trimming the tree

Good, now showcase the tree.

Um....great? Now, just look pretty.

And finally, squeeze together for a self-group shot!

I love that my parents go along with this type of thing...
they are so much fun!

Its the time for christmas songs

Here are my Christmas Eve music videos:
Otis Redding


Just put Mr Wilson, Hannah, and my faces in the places of these other folks.

Wishing You a Merry 'Vintage' Christmas! from Jared Foster on Vimeo.

A Christmas Song from Matt & Chris in Mexico
Its about fish drinking for the coming of Jesus, obviously.


Enjoy,
Zach

Family/Wedding Weekend O' Fun

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to NC to be with family
for my uncle's wedding.

My very favorite part of the celebration was getting to see all my precious cousins,
along with plenty of other wonderful relatives that I see far too infrequently.

It was such a happy reunion, and we missed those who weren't with us, like Zach,
and my sister Katie and boys.

G-pa and Mama in Steve's fabulous house.

Arden and Josh recharging for a long night of dancing.

Lovelies Sarah and Sandy

Daddy and Mama cuttin' a rug,
with cousins dancing in the background

Baby cousin Virginia and me having some look-alike fun...love this girl!


I hated to leave them all, but hopefully it won't be as long before we see each other again this time.

My kind of pickle.

Alright, so maybe every dill pickle is my kind of pickle.
But this morning (yes, morning) I really wanted a pickle, but I felt held back
by social stigma. Although I wouldn't have to tell anyone that I ate pickles for breakfast,
what would people think if they knew?

However, as I opened the fridge *just to look* at the pickles,
I noticed something on the lid I'd never seen before:

That's right...
WHY NOT?

I mean, I'm an adult, and the lid of the pickle jar told me it's ok, so
please don't judge me.

It's just my kind of pickle.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We love you! Have a very special day!

Nothing too exciting...

Z and I are just enjoying a relaxed evening by the fire with the tree lights glowing. Good conversation and good music, a wonderful way to end the day.

Last night I co-hosted a semi-formal(ish) chocolate party at a friend's house. It was a lot of fun, but harder work than I had thought, so today was all about relaxing, and some housework.

The Parris Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Alright, so I know it's still Advent, but...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I'm finally done with classes and work for the semester,
and I've caught the holiday spirit big time.

Ok, so it didn't last long, but these big, fat snowflakes were gorgeous!
(And the weather man said I could have some more soon)

I don't know why an this Advent calendar features Santa,
but rest assured I think about sweet baby Jesus as I savor my daily morsel.

I pulled out some old holiday decorations, but I've also created some new,
like old glass pillar vases filled with colorful orbs on the mantle!

And finally, Z and I bought our very first Christmas tree last night.
I turned on the fireplace and we spent a fantastic evening decorating this little gem,
and now our downstairs smells so fresh and evergreeny...
Yay for holidays!

Photo catch-up

A quick recap from Thanksgiving weekend

Pretty fading leaves from the kitchen window before we left Knoxville

Daddy's fresh green beans cooking

Mamaw, Matthew, Jessica, Anna, Susie, and Zach recovering after a tasty Thanksgiving lunch

James Li did not have a raincoat...or a poncho...
so he created his own "all in" rain gear.

Zach and I had so much fun at the Clemson v. South Carolina game!
Clemson won for Z's 25th birthday!

Mr. W was happy to be home, and even happier when I didn't mind that he was in Z's suitcase (I was about to do laundry.)

Overall, our Thanksgiving trip was wonderful. We loved seeing family and friends in both NC and Clemson! We can't wait to see you all again, and anyone we may have missed!

Happy December/Advent.

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving (and we hope you all did, too). And we spent Friday and Saturday in CLEMSON! We got to see wonderful friends, eat at Ancheaux's, and celebrate a Tiger win over South Carolina for Zach's 25th birthday! And now we say happy December and we welcome Advent with snow, chocolate Advent calendars, special worship time, and hopeful meditation...hopefully the meditation part will be better after I finish up exams on the 9th. :)

Pictures soon.