Christmas 2007

Connor is already channeling Elvis with his new guitar.

Connor loved unwrapping the presents!

Jacky touching the ornaments on the tree.

Mae looking cute.

We spent Christmas in Atlanta with Greg's family, and back here in Asheville with my family. As you can see from the pictures, we had a lot of fun and enjoyed our time together.

It's Christmas Time!

We've had a fun Christmas season so far, and had our celebration with the Stokes' and the Prior's in early December. We also went to the Farmer's Market and found a beautiful tree that makes our house smell good. I hope to have more pictures soon...just been a little busy lately!

Thanksgiving 2007

Click on any of these pictures to enlarge.

New Job & New Office

I started a new job last week as the Training & Development Manager for The Biltmore Company (as in the Biltmore House & Estate). My office is in the heart of downtown Asheville, and I have a great view out of my window. You can see my view here (the mountains are in the distance), as well as a picture of my office. I hope y'all will visit soon - I can take you around the Biltmore Estate!

Final Cake

I had my last cake decorating class tonight, and here's a picture of my final cake. I have learned a lot that I can put to use the next time someone's in need of a birthday cake (or a cake for any other occasion). It was a fun class, but I'm glad it's over now....

Happy Halloween!

Greg and I got together with some friends last night to carve Halloween pumpkins. We had a good time, and Greg did a great job carving our pumpkin (it's a wolf with a moon in the background). Enjoy these pics!

Mrs. Kitty is Camouflaged!

We got a new bedding set last weekend, and Mrs. Kitty loves it! She blends in so well, and refuses to get off. I think it's pretty funny.

Another Cake

I have taken a new job with The Biltmore Company, and Friday is my last day at UNCA. When I told my coworkers that I was leaving, they said that they would miss me AND my cakes. So, they are giving me a going away lunch tomorrow, and I will surprise them with my very own going away cake! I wrote a silly message on top to be funny (they will get it), but it's definitely not my prettiest cake. At least it will taste good!

Cake #2

I had another cake decorating class tonight, and learned how to make basket weave using icing. Someone in my department at work is leaving tomorrow, so I wrote a message to her on the cake, and will take it to work for everyone. I think I'm getting better....

Cake Decorating

I've been taking a cake decorating class at a local community college, and decorated my first cake tonight. I know it doesn't look like much, but I'm very proud of it! More to come...

Sky Top Orchard

Granny was in town this weekend, and we all drove to Flat Rock to visit Sky Top Orchard. We enjoyed a hayride around the orchard, fresh apple donuts, and picking out a Halloween pumpkin. We left tired, but with freshly-picked apples and some good pictures.

Family Picnic

Bob and Melanie Roberson came to visit on Sunday, so we had a family picnic in Mama's neighborhood. Dave and Jean came, too, and a couple of Mama's friends stopped by. Jacky had a good time on the slide, and Mae enjoyed being held and eating melba toast.

Atlanta Visit

We spent the weekend in Atlanta and had a fun time. We went to an outdoor festival, where Connor enjoyed the petting zoo, the inflatable games, and a airbrush tattoo of Alabama elephants (too bad they didn't help us win the game). Greg taught Connor a few chords on the guitar, too.

Pepper Sauce

Greg has taken up Daddy's hobby of making pepper sauce, and he produced the first bottle today. It's a mixture of habanero peppers, banana peppers, bell peppers, chile peppers, and tabasco peppers. It looks good!

Roll Tide!

We always thought we were too cool to were Alabama football gear until we moved to North Carolina. I guess we're so far removed from it, that we are looking for some kind of connection with our home. Anyway, we went to Huntsville over Labor Day weekend for a wedding, and made a side trip to Walmart to buy something to show our support for the Tide. I realize we look pretty dorky, but it's been fun to wear these shirts during the games (they shrunk a little...).

New Beer Batch

Greg and Jake brewed a new batch of beer (IPA), and it is very good! Here's a photo of Greg with the finished product.

Kelly's Surprise Party

Jake was very sneaky and arranged a surprise party for Kelly's 30th birthday party. It truly was a surprise to Kelly, as you can see from these photos. The party was at Mama's house, with about 20 friends celebrating alongside the birthday girl. Everybody had a great time, and it proved to be a birthday party worth remembering!

Champagne Dinner

We bought some champagne on Saturday that was from a winery we visited in Napa. We enjoyed it Saturday night with a cheese and fruit plate. Yummy!

Beer Making!

We spent the afternoon at Jake's on Sunday, and enjoyed the smoked ribs and chicken he made. While Jake, Greg, and Bob made some homemade beer, Jacky and Mae enjoyed entertaining the rest of us.

Welcome to our blog! This is where we'll post updates and photos for our family and friends. We hope you'll visit frequently to see what's new!

Family Visits

We have enjoyed having family visit us this summer.