Happy Nashville New Year

While I’m typing this, we are several thousand feet in the air on our way home from Nashville. To ring in the New Year, we crashed Music City to visit family and friends—and the holiday did not disappoint. Our niece and nephew, as kiddos tend to do, are growing and growing, looking more like “young adults” all the time. (What does that make us? Just adults?) The activities included eating, watching Gulliver’s Travels, eating, visiting the newly opened Opryland Hotel (it was closed for nearly 8 months after the disastrous flood), shopping the Dillards’ sale, eating with friends, getting coffee with friends, celebrating Brad’s birthday by eating, and hugging my sweet Lytles who are in the USA for their first stint in Indonesia. Whew—it was fun.

I also dragged Bryan through Bellevue showing him where I was residing when the flood took over back in May. It was wild to be back, remembering the last time I saw those places they were under several feet of yucky, muddy water.

The vacation verdict? Spending the New Year with old friends and “old” family (ha, ha) is the way to go! Now, back to work tomorrow . . . .

Youree Christmas Adventures!

There's just something about Christmas . . . . that's so wonderful, comforting, peaceful, and fun. All those things and more rolled into one day. Sigh . . . .

And the 2010 Youree Christmas spectacular didn't disappoint in those regards. It was wonderful to visit with family in Sherman on Christmas Eve. A big breakfast started the day off right where we munched and gabbed with Papa and Granny Youree, Bryan's parents, Aunt Becky, Aunt Paula, Andrea, Alyssa, Tyler, and too-cute Colton. Later in the day, we were able to spend some much-needed time with the Wilson crew. We were so proud of ourselves, too, that we made to our church's Christmas Eve service, which was so worshipful and great.

Comforting and peaceful hit the scene on Christmas day--we slept in and enjoyed a quiet day. (Given our adoption aspirations, this may be our last Christmas to enjoy such--ha!) Santa was again too kind to us. Bryan fixed a stellar breakfast: English muffins, eggs, and bacon, yuuum.

In the fun category, comes the Narnia movie we watched on Christmas Eve Eve and the other Christmas DVDs we crammed into our weekend. But perhaps, the funniest moments were gazing at the Christmas tree with one strand of lights out, and our Christmas dinner debacle.

So . . . we forgot to buy heavy cream for the fantastic, out-of-this-world chowder Bryan makes. I called every grocer and convenient store nearby. Each was either closed or did not carry heavy cream. Then we tried to call pizza places--nothing. Finally, we found good grub at the Movie Tavern bar, where we landed one pizza and a sandwich to go. THANK GOD for Movie Tavern.

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas too!