Birmingham Christmas

Well, I know it is January...so this post is a little late.  This is a look at our holiday season in Birmingham.  Mostly pics since I'm getting ready to leave for Utah right now.  We're packed and waiting on our ride to the airport. 

Our first Christmas tree!

Presents!

 I started playing around with my camera.  I thought these pictures were so cool!

 

Me & Misha by the tree.  :-)

  

..and another!

 

...and one more!

 

More Christmas decorations

 

 

Wreath I made.  :-)

 

Up close

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

Our house was so cozy for Christmas!  I love sitting by the fire!

 

Christmas tree skirts are so expensive - even on sale.  I really didn't even like any of the ones I found so I just bought some fabric to use.  Total $8 and I really like the fabric.  It matched perfectly.

 

Top of the tree.  Love the gold poinsettias!

 

Bugira does too.  ;-)

 The kitty LOVED playing under the tree, hiding under the tree, and knocking ornaments off the tree...at least she didn't try to CLIMB the tree!

 

We also had lots of Christmas parties.  This was one of my work parties.  (one of three that I planned to be exact - needless to say, we were busy in December).  

It was a volunteer Christmas Ornament Exchange.  

  

Some pics from Sav-A-Life Holiday Open House

Misha and I at the Southern Nuclear Christmas Party at the B&A Warehouse in Downtown Birmingham.  SOOOOO fun!

 

They had an awesome band, yummy hors d'oeuvres and hot bar stations, dancing, and beautiful decorations. 

 

Misha hitting up the carving station.

I didn't know which one I liked better so I just put both! :-)

A group of Misha's co-workers.  Can you tell the younger crowd sort of magnetizes towards each other?  Most people who work at Southern are way older and have been there for 25 years.

One more.  :-)

This was so cool!  As we were driving into Downtown Birmingham we saw the Regions building all lit up with lights.  Can you see the Christmas tree they created?  There are Christmas trees on two sides of the building and two wreaths on the other two sides.  I thought it was so neat!  Very festive and kudos to you, Regions Bank, for being in the Christmas spirit!

The above picture wasn't the best (the antenna is right smack in the middle of the pic) so this one's better:

That was our Birmingham Christmas!  We left for GA & FL on December 17th and that post will come after we get back from snowboarding in Utah!

Totally ready for snowboarding.  :-)

A Very Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, we did our Thanksgiving celebration a little different.  We had a huge gathering over at the Dasher Lake House.  It was so many different families combined - it was awesome!  Daddy's Hampton crew + guests, Mama's Dasher side, Beth's mom, Chip's girlfriend and her family, Uncle Grady from California, Clint's family (plus his brother-in-law from Wales), my Russian crowd including Bill & Lyuba, Dima & Alona plus her Mom from Ukraine, and Sara Jackson and her four kids even came over!  It was a huge melting pot of people and it was so, so, so fun.  We had 51 people over there!

      Uncle Mike grilling his yummy chicken & shrimp.  Beth is assisting.  :-)

Uncle Jim carving all the meat.  We had turkies, ham, chicken, shrimp, and barbeque.  Funny, I didn't eat any meat though!  Haha!

        

Uncle Earl frying some sweet potatoes!  YUM!

Aunt Judy preparing food

Nanny & Lyuba inside making blini!

Can you tell that my job was taking pictures?  :-)

Look at all that food...and this is just the "sides" table.  Not even including meat, dessert, or drinks!

 And the food line begins!

Isn't my Nanny so pretty?

We had kids everywhere!  This is my little cousin Harrison.  He's enjoying some turkey here I think. 

Lori had to be on her toes b/c he wanted to dive into the lake the whole time he was there!          

Where are your vegetables Uncle Mike?

Some of the Hampton/Carnine crowd

It was a perfectly beautiful day!  Just a tad bit warmer than this time last year when Misha and I were saying our vows.  :-)

Having fun outdoors!



The Kisten family even joined us!  Pictured here is Dima, Alona, Baby Julia, and Luda (Alona's mom). 

You know Lyuba was going to get a hold of that baby.  Lyuba has {grand} baby fever.  :-)

 Susan and Aunt Judy doing a little Tai Chi.  Work off that turkey (well, vegetables) girls!

Mama and Susan made these turkey cupcakes.  Aren't they ADORABLE?

Sidney Katya especially loved them!

Yum Yum!



Is she not the cutest little girl?

Some of the adults looked like this too while eating lunch.  Haha!



And that's our Thanksgiving Day in a nutshell!

We enjoyed cooking, eating food, playing volleyball, fishing, listening to guitar, and  spending time with everyone.  We are truly blessed and thankful to have all these people in our lives.