I'm back in the saddle after a long, much needed holiday vacation! It is good to be back, but we already miss our friends and family. This is what we have been up to:
Drew and I packed up the dogs and headed across the country to Tennessee for Christmas and New Years. We split up the drive into two days, so we drove 9 hours the first day and 5 1/2 the next. The pups loved the hotel room; however, we did not sleep at all!
Our first stop was Nashville, where we spent Christmas with the Beckners.
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| Home sweet home! |
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| Famous Beckner Santa and Sleigh! |
Usually we have a family tradition of going to church on Christmas Eve and then we go to the Carden's house for a Christmas Eve party with all of our family friends; however, this year we mixed things up because Abby was nine months pregnant and her family flew up to be with her in NYC. There happened to be a Titans game on Christmas Eve, so we hopped in a van and ate, drank, and cheered our way into Christmas.
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| In the van on the way to the game! |
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| Merry Christmas! |
That night we decided it was time to look at Christmas lights. We got in the car and toured Brentwood when my dad decided we should visit a house 20 minutes away in Sunnybrook. Luckily, it was worth the drive-- the house was amazing! The neighbors even help participate and you can actually get out and walk around their yards (we didn't since we were in pajamas). A fun, memorable night indeed :)
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| The navigators |
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| Dad, Mom & aunt Joyce |
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| The amazing Sunnybrook house! |
On Christmas morning, we opened gifts as a family and then ate a delicious breakfast. The rest of the day we lounged around the house and just relaxed. That evening my mom prepared a fabulous Christmas dinner where we came together as a family and celebrated the birth of Jesus. We had great conversations and enjoyed each other's company. Later that night we watched "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation," which is always a crowd pleaser. Here we are all cuddled up on the couch:
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| Megan, Zoe, Drew, Zilker, Jaime, Lindsy & Bock |
The next morning we packed up and headed to Chattanooga to see the Murrays. All six kids and three spouses were there, so there was a full house! It was great seeing everybody and visiting with the family. Feeding eleven people three times a day is a lot of work, so this year Will came up with the idea to have Iron Chef. Each couple was assigned a night to prepare a feast for the family and then at the end of the vacation, we voted on the best overall meal. For our meal, we started with a caprese salad appetizer and a champagne toast. This was followed by the main entree: a pork tenderloin rolled in a mustard, bread crumb, and rosemary seasoning served on top of garlic spinach and creamy Parmesan risotto. Finally, we ended the meal with Kyle's Delight, which is rich layers of graham cracker crust, toasted coconut, caramel sauce, and coolwhip. Yup, you guessed it, Drew and I walked away as the 2011 Iron Chef Champions!
We have a Murray family reunion this summer, so we are hoping to continue our winning streak :) Christmas at the farm was amazing and we are looking forward to seeing everybody in July!
After Christmas at the Murrays, we headed back to Nashville. I helped host a kitchen shower for my dear friend Lauren on NYE morning at my mom's house and we had a great time. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures since my mom took them on her camera, but I think Lauren enjoyed herself! This was a great kick-off to NYE! That afternoon, my dad opened a bottle of Dom Perignon, which I had never tasted before. It was delicious!
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| Cheers! |
We also learned that Abby had her baby, Carden Jameson Corts, in the wee hours of the morning of the 31st, so there was even more reason to celebrate! Happy Birthday, Carden!
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| Carden Jameson Corts |
Finally, it was time to bring in the New Year. My parents stayed home to "puppysit," which was so nice of them :)
Drew and I got dressed up and headed to Mary Diane's house for a NYE party with a group of friends. Everybody brought an appetizer to share, but I have to say that the 2012 engraved baked Brie was my favorite:
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| 2012 Brie! |
I am so close with all of my high school girlfriends, so it was so much fun hanging out with them while the boys mingled and got to know each other. Fun times ahead!
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| Happy 2012! |
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| Lauren & Me! |
We stayed in town on New Years Day and ate homemade corn dogs with the family. Lauren and Brian came over to join in on the Beckner tradition and watch the Titans game. This was a great way to end our holiday vacation. The next morning we packed up the car and headed back to Austin. The pups did well in the car because they were exhausted from non-stop playing at my parent's house. Here they are safe and sound back in Austin:
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| Sisterly Love :) |
We are so thankful for our friends and family-- what a fabulous time we had in Tennessee! We love all of you and can't wait to see you guys again soon!
