Holiday Wrap-Up

Well, it's back to the grind today, but the holidays were indeed fabulous. We spent a week with Ariana in Mississippi. It was so good to be with family, but obviously it was sad as well. We got there Christmas night and opened presents:

Ariana definitely racked up. Her pile was totally out of control...as it should be. As for me, I got some great stuff too. I picked out clothes from Bert and got a lot of home/kitchen items from my parents. My sister and her husband got us some great stuff too...I love my new mantle tree. My old one was from the mid-1990s from the Dollar Tree. It was really sad. I also got more graduation gifts, which resulted in the purchase of an iPhone! I am obsessed. Love it.

Anyway, while in Starkville, we also visited Abbu's office. It was like he was just there. Dried coffee was at the bottom of a cup. I touched the last pen he used. I looked in his drawers and continued to find examples of his very special existence. I missed him. We all did. Below is Mama, sitting in his chair:


He and my mom are both aerospace engineers. Below is his writing, still on the markerboard in Mama's office. Something about it is so very dear to me:


I also had the chance to visit with friends. One afternoon, I had a long lunch with Katie and Lindsey. Nothing like old friends!


And, of course, there was family time. Below are a bunch of cousins with Ariana. I must digress here for a moment. Somehow, several kids in my family found out about this blog. A word to their parents: this blog is not geared towards children! There's your warning. :)


On to the next...it's always a treat to see our great couple friends, Wes and Jamie. Jamie and I devoured the annual Mississippi Magazine Wedding Register after dinner. She is hilarious.


And then, back to Georgia for New Year's Eve. Bert and I went to dinner with friends, out downtown and then to a friend's house. It was a great evening and a nice start to a new and fresh 2009.

Labels: holiday