We moved the music player and playlist to the very bottom of the page. It's easier to view and control things like the VOLUME in the new layout. Hope you enjoy our tunes...
A couple days after we got up from the incredibly beautiful dinner table above, when the food settled and we again were able to lift ourselves off the couch, we headed up the road to the Devaste Vineyards for a picnic and wine tasting. What a special way to cap a beautiful holiday.
We hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving filled with laughs, food and, most importantly, naps....kidding, family.
Actually, on a nice, warm, sunny, late fall Carolina afternoon, the seven obviously starving family members above sat down to a 22 lb. turkey. After giving thanks for the wonderful opportunity to get together for another year, we ate every last drop of it off a beautifully decorated table (not out of a big brown shoe). All kidding aside, there were a few leftovers that didn't stay "left over" too long. We saved room for cranberry, apple and pumpkin pies, ice cream, shortbread cookies and, of course, whipped cream. Football on TV, too. Always football on TV.
...and so do these guys. Actually, their wishes for free turkey came true. All weekend, they were on the lookout for dropped turkey, giblets, stuffing and, well, anything else that couldn't run away on its own and they got their fill, too!
Totem is Cirque du Soleil's latest traveling show and we attended a performance earlier this month as a belated B-Day gift for Mike. It was absolutely amazing w/ high flying aerial performers, crazy cool music and imaginative projections and lighting. Here's a quick clip of some of the performances!
Quick tip - Before you click "play" to start the video, scroll to the bottom and turn off the music player. It'll get really confusing if you don't...
At long last, we are finally getting around to wrapping up what turned out to be an exciting and rather crazy holiday season. Our "Four Part Christmas" ended just after the New Year began (that still doesn't explain why it took us over another month to finally write this post) when we spent a leisurely weekend afternoon with the Brickhouses (Dad/Tom, Betty, Mary Helen and William) at a spot we picked half way between Charlotte and Lynchburg. We had a great lunch, hung out and watched a little UVA vs. UNC basketball on TV and were even some of the first to see William's new black toy with four wheels and an engine all its own (yes, with his license came a pressing need for a car...do A-l-l parents fall for that trick?). Seeing the Lynchburg crew was the best part of the day and we thought we'd share something else that was special, too. Our BIG gift was a beautiful painting that Betty did for us of a waterfall in the El Yunque Rain Forest that we visited while on the first part of our honeymoon. Betty used the photo that Sarah took to paint an incredible gift for us. It really helped wrap Christmas up with a bow by bringing back warm and sunny honeymoon memories. Here's a shot of it hanging on our bedroom wall, a close-up of Betty's painting and the actual photograph.
So we are looking forward to a great year with lots of good times and many more late blog posts, too!
By the time we finally made it home, we were happy to be with our little buddies (who celebrated Christmas with the dog walker plus our neighbors who didn't want them to be alone). We were also happy to be back safe and sound in our own beautifully decorated house and with our own tree. Neither of us were all too psyched to pose for more pictures (see images below of Sarah "shunning the paparazzi" and Mike thinking the cat's tail is a candy cane) but when it came time to light the tree and open gifts from each other (as well as from various Angresanos and Brickhouses who sent their gifts from Idaho and Virginia - including from Bob and Hale who had a baby right before the holiday and s-t-i-l-l managed to be timely), we were all smiles.
What a special holiday season it was and how lucky are we to have family who loves us! We are s-s-s-o-o-o tired that we plan to celebrate New Year quietly with a good movie and a warm fire.
All our love,
Sarah and Mike
After a seemingly endless number of flash bulbs popping this holiday season, no more photos, please, Mr. Paparazzi.
Mike, the cat's tail is not a candy cane (even though Carly seems to be looking on in enjoyment).
Our own 2010 Christmas tree sits with presents yet to be opened!
Marybeth and Felicity (or is that Phoebe, Frances or Harry?) made the trip to Rhode Island for Christmas Day.
Cousin Eddie and Mike (nice Christmas socks) relax by the fire.
Missy brings order to the gifts under the tree.
Sarah displays a personalized Christmas ornament for our tree back at home.
Our hostesses in Rhode Island stayed up way past their bed time waiting for Santa to arrive.
Part two of our Christmas took us to Providence, Rhode Island, where we spent Christmas Eve (a Polish Vigilia dinner) and Christmas Day (centered around kids and gifts plus a host of family members who traveled from near and far) with upwards of three dozen Savickis, Lombardis, Corcells, Carvellases, Mannings and other well wishers. If it was a white Christmas we wanted by traveling north then we definitely got one. The biggest blizzard to hit the east coast rolled in the day after Christmas and by the time we finally caught a flight home (on the only flight to Charlotte that wasn't canceled a day later), over two feet of snow made New England look like The North Pole. We had a fantastic trip but being away from Sarah's family (plus Carly, Abby and our own Christmas tree) on such a big holiday was tough. It made us realize how love crosses all time zones and is the glue that keeps us all together when we can't all be in the same place. Love,
