Snuggling with Annie (& Eye in the Sky)

Today we were watching a movie and Annie wanted to snuggle with me. These are the moments I truly treasure. Not easy tomget this shot, ... And Annie would NOT be happy with me taking it either. 

Never seen an eye quite so pronounced in the clouds before. A picture was necessary. 

Noelle, Shana & Mossy Mac (their Tortoise)

Today we took Mossy outside with her little crocheted sprout tether that Leia made. It was so fun!

Leia & Harvest Complete Their Hand Sculpture

Such a beautiful Moment In Time captured here! You could even see the details of Leia's engagement ring!

Joe's Surprise 80th Birthday & Helen, GA on the Way Home

Even though it was quite hard to make the time to drive all the way to Atlanta for a birthday party, it was important to celebrate this amazing man who takes such good care of oma! Joe's son and daughter-in-law planned a surprise 80th birthday and we were all there to celebrate with him! On the way back, we took a small detour to go through Helen Georgia that since the 1940s or so has been designed to look like a Bavarian Christmas town. You could tell it was a lot of families Christmas traditions!

Christmas Day 2025 : Dinner & Carols with Family & Friends

As usual we had a beautiful spread for family and friends where I played Christmas carols after the dinner. I think goodness for Doug and Dean who I invited as my old co-workers, who took some pictures that I forgot to take!

Every year I try to invite someone who would have nowhere else to go. This year it was my friend Doug, who has no ride so Dean took him this year. It was wonderful to have them attend! When Annie told Corey that I do this, he said, "Wow. Your mom is really a good person." It is one of the nicest compliments I've ever received. 

Christmas Day 2025 : Cute Pic of Mamma

Very rarely do I do this, but I really like this picture of myself! It also shows how warm it was on Christmas day! 70°! I had to wear a short sleeve shirt and didn't really have the right color.

Christmas Day 2025 : Present Opening

Harvest is always our resident Santa who gives out the gifts.

Annie asked for antique jewelry this year and was given many necklaces, this one is from Shana and very dainty! She also received someone's from Italy from her great-grandmother, Mom-Mom. You can see our elf on the shelf, Peppermint, on the background sitting on the clock.

For Leah's birthday this year, I made her her request of Christmas paper that said "Merry Shrimpmas."

Leia made Harvest two very special paintings of their two cats, Iji and Fiesta.

I made everyone a reverse tie dye and airbrushed shirt in honor of Edisto beach.

I surprised Brian with a new phone this christmas. I think I look like when I was a little girl in this picture.

When Annie went to New York City with Corey, she bought me this beautiful metal sculpture that is the Sacred Heart of Jesus with wings. It is such a touching gift! It will now hang on the side of our pie safe for all time. Corey was supposed to join us for Christmas day, but unfortunately got the flu.

Annie made all of us some beautiful pieces of pottery for christmas!

As a last minute gift, I got Leia and harvest matching Carolina Panthers pajamas. I think it was one of their favorites!

Leia made me some beautiful crocheted flower hair clips!

Here is another reverse tie dye shirt for Leia that matches one Harvest got last year from Edisto seafood.

I made Shana and I matching floral arrangements of Dolly in the Holly, which is a take on the elf on the shelf.

One of Annie's most ingenious gifts was this jelly jar with spoon for leia!

As a last-minute craft project, I took the huge pine cones that we collected in Wilmington at Leia's graduation and turn them into Christmas trees of the color of the UNC Seahawks teal and gold. Along the bottom is Leia's name with the fact that she was summa cum laude at uncw, and the date she graduated.

Christmas Day 2025 : Family Pictures

Family Pictures at the Grove Park Inn on Christmas Eve

I am wearing Karin's famous Christmas Sweater, of course.

Christmas Eve 2025 : Reigniting the Tradition of The Grove Park Inn

There was a time many years ago when each Christmas Eve we would go to the Blue Ridge dining room and have a family dinner and the girls have been asking to reignite this tradition for years. Now it is my gift to the family every Christmas eve! Although we couldn't get into the Blue Ridge and Leia couldn't eat her weight in Crab legs, we did get a reservation at the Edison and enjoyed all of the Gingerbread houses. There is even a life-size gingerbread house that is all edible! There was even a neat display by an artist who burned pages of Harry Potter books to make incredible sculptures! We really enjoyed this evening after the mass at immaculate conception!

Had to take this pic of Shana because of her participation as a Gingie in Pickens this year! She made the front page!