The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

The morning after Thanksgiving I awoke with stars in my eyes. I had been waiting for that particular day a long time. Adam and I moved into our house in January so this was the first time that I have been able to decorate the house for Christmas. Adam and I agreed not to put up the tree until the day after Thanksgiving. We were just way too excited to wait so when we got home the night before we put on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and got started. If you know me at all, you know that I do not like to wait to the last minute to do things and I find comfort in planning ahead. I had actually started bringing Christmas boxes down the Monday before just so that once that starting flag waived we would get right down to business.

(I purchased the penguin cookie jar a few weeks prior and just loved the fat little guy. I took a paint pen and painted on it in case you were wondering.)

I just LOVE how it glows at night. I am sure I am going to have one big electric bill this month because if I am home the first thing I do is turn on the Christmas tree (then I go take Lily out...I guess you can see where my priorities are).

The true reason for the season...

New dining room table with a Christmas centerpiece. The table seats 10 so come on over!

One of my favorite Santas...

I am already thinking about next year's Christmas and the things I need to buy at the after Christmas sales. It is amazing to me how you buy something one week and then the next week it is marked 80% off. I rarely buy decorations in November and December for this very reason (although, the penguin was a must have :)

Crushed Hopes with Great Company

The night after Thanksgiving my old roomate, Melissa Jones, and her boyfriend Todd (who is the Head Baseball coach at Wofford College) came to visit and spend the night. They were coming in town for the Clemson vs. Carolina football game so I asked them if they would like to stay over the night before. I made a big dinner of tilapia, crab cakes, sauteed veggies, risotto, cornbread, and dessert. We had such a nice time being together. After dinner we played two long games of Spades (couple vs. couple). Each team won once and then we headed off to bed. The next morning we all woke up at the crack of dawn to get ready for the big game and go our separate ways. It was so great to spend time with them. I hope it will not be another 3 years before I see her!

Adam and I then headed downtown for the always anticipated Clemson vs. Carolina State Championship football game. It was a 12 o'clock game so we woke up early to have time to tailgate. Ed and Cyndi were gracious enough to give us tickets to the game. It took about an hour and forty-five minutes to go about 25 miles. When we got there we had just enough time to set up the tailgate and then head into the game.

Clemson scored within the first few minutes of the start of the game. I honestly thought that we were going to slaughter the gamecocks. It did not take long for me to realize that I had been mistaken. The only upside to the game was that Adam wore a Clemson shirt!

Two Tigers and Two Gamecocks...

After the game, we headed back to Stadium Place to tailgate some more. The band that played at Taylor's wedding and the LPA Christmas parties, Second Nature, was there. Here is a bunch of people dancing the 'cupid shuffle.'

Adam and I were so tired when we got home at 6 o'clock that we tried to take a 'power nap' before going back out for the night but actually slept through the night. We accidentally missed Sunday School and slept for 16 hours! Apparently we really needed the rest.

Sunday evening Stefanie Harder and her boyfriend, Tyler, came over to catch up. Stefanie now lives in Myrtle Beach so I never see her anymore. We grew up going to the same church and played on the same basketball team for 7 years! She was in town for Thanksgiving weekend and we had made plans a few weeks prior to get together. They stayed over til' midnight and then we hit the sack for another busy week.

So very much to be thankful for...

Who doesn't absolutely LOVE Thanksgiving? I mean, an entire holiday devoted to stuffing your face...definately for me! Adam and I drove up to Aberdeen, NC thursday morning. Adam's aunt Linda, Uncle Bill, Cousin Dede, Michael, Jack and Mac all live up there. It is a Parrish tradition that Thanksgiving takes place there and we usually have about 25 to 30 people.

As we all get older, more and more babies are joining the clan. Below is Renn and Adam's baby Will (apparently in deep concentration). We have not seen him since this summer and he sure did grow up fast. His sister, Marilyn Grace was not particularly cooperative with the camera this year. Hopefully, I will get some good pictures of her on Christmas.

My niece, Grace

Will and Grace :)

Mac

Jack

At about 1 o'clock, we all sit down to a huge spread of food. Apparently, Will really enjoyed his lunch.

Cyndi's brother, Donald, and his wife, Dwan, in their matching outfits!

Here is Adam assisting Marilyn Grace and Jack with a tough puzzle.

"What up Dawg"

We all have about an hour break after stuffing our bellies and then we head out to a nearby field for some good ol' fashioned football. It is always quite the highlight of the day but seems to be increasingly difficult each year due to the aging joints of each of the players.

Below is Grace in her first sport's photo. Kelly insisted this would not be the last.

Gearing up for the big game...

My sweet niece cheering for everyone on the sidelines. Don't let this chair fool you. this was pretty much the only time she was sitting down during the entire game. She is quite an active little girl that doesn't ever slow down.

Twins Jack and Mac posing for camera.

At the end of each game there is a traditional Winners Photo and a Losers Photo. (They have over twenty years of these pictures). Of course, I was on the winning team! In fact, I had three our of four of our teams touchdowns and was voted MVP. But I can tell you I am definately paying for it now. It has been a week since Thanksgiving and I am still using a heating pad on my back. I must really be getting old but it was definately worth it.

Below is the Losing Team. Please notice how many more players they had on their team compared to the above Winning Team (the winners team was missing one player in the above picture). I am just pointing out the obvious!

Below is Adam and I after the game. (It is also symbolic of the whooping that Clemson put on NC State this year!)

After relaxing a bit after the game and having "round two" of the lunch leftovers, we headed back to Columbia with our our bellies and hearts full!