Mixed Christmas

Hey friends!  Did you all have a happy Christmas?   I hope you all were able to spend time with your families and soak up the warmth of the holidays.  We had a mixed Christmas.  We had both a lot of fun and also a healthy dose of real life.  I'll start with the bummer stuff and then move on to happier things.

My parents were planning to come out here to see us and to spend Christmas in Asheville, NC.  All that changed last Saturday when my dad was scraping snow off his car, slipped, and broke his wrist and hip.  He has since spent a week in the hospital, had a 7 hour surgery, and will be spending the next 3 to 5 months in a rehab center.   My dad is doing as well as can be expected and we hope that he will recover quickly, but this was a big reminder to me of just how quickly life can change.   If you're the praying kind, please remember him in your prayers.  If you're not, give it a try and mention my dad.

Even though we missed spending time with the folks, we still had an awesome time in Asheville.  We had the best BBQ I've ever had in my life, we toured the biggest single family residence in the country, we gorged ourselves on handmade European truffles, saw 2 movies, spent Christmas Eve in a charming B&B, and woke up to an unexpected white Christmas.  So minus the bummer about my dad, we had a wonderful Christmas and we are so grateful for the blessings in our lives, most of all for our families who mean the world to us.

We love you all and wish you the very best in 2011!

A few weeks ago Jameson gave me a tour of his job site.  

It was like watching Mega Builders live.  Very cool. 

One morning I went outside and saw my car cocooned in a 1/4 inch of ice.  I got inside, rolled down the glass window and took a shot of the ice window. 

Best darn BBQ to ever crossed my lips

The homes in Asheville are perfect.  I want one. 

The Biltmore Estate.  This place was all decked out for Christmas.  It was definitely one of the coolest places I've ever seen.