Merry Christmas!!!

What a Christmas week this has been!! I can say that it was wonderful!

After the boys headed back to Spartanburg on Tuesday, Glenn's parents came over to his house for dinner on Tuesday night. We served (if I do say so myself!!) a delicious meal of marinated NY strip for the guys/tenderloin for the girls, marinated (of my own concoction!), grilled asparagus and onions and hoppin' john.

Everything was completely finished so Wednesday was spent just relaxing...which was so nice! Then Wednesday night we met up with a group of friends for dinner at Cantina 76 before heading to the Columbia Charitable Foundation/Marine Corps Toys for Tots Event at the Coop. What a great time with a band, dj, and friends to celebrate the holidayand collect toys for kids who will now get a Christmas!

Kim, Christy, Elizabeth and me...some of my favorite girls

Christmas Eve was another restful day --- I made gumbo for the first time (I think it was pretty good!) and we opened one gift. Polo socks for Glenn and a Bengals Ochocinco jersey for me! Christmas day we opened the rest of our gifts, and I got exactly what I wanted and then some. First off a signed copy of "South of Broad" by Pat Conroy and...................a KINDLE!!! I love it!! Glenn got a Blu-Ray and Garmin GPS. As well as the first season of "Life on Mars", perhaps the best show I've ever watched! In the evening we joined Glenn's family for dinner.

Very nice (and a huge surprise!) gifts...a Dior purse, quilted Burberry jacket and matching scarf and a rhinestone buckled clutch (that I saw in Paul D. Sloan back at Vista Lights and loved!).

Our Christmas week concluded with left over dinner at Glenn's grandmother's and then Elizabeth's post-Christmas/Birthday party!

Christmas with The Boys and My Parents

The boys arrived Friday and Clay spent the day with his friends while Ben and I just stayed in from the yucky weather. Saturday was a quiet day all around with just hanging out and, of course, watching some football...the start of bowl season!

On Sunday, all of us went to Sunday Christmas service at our friends Van and Elsie's church. It was a wonderful service with a lot of Christmas carols. After lunch my parents arrived in Columbia and we met up with them for some afternoon shopping and then dinner at Casa Lindas, where they got to finally meet Glenn!

Today we joined my parents for shopping at Sandhill and lunch. Then, Glenn and I celebrated Christmas with the boys -- exchanging some gifts and a breakfast for dinner!

my first gift from Glenn...Ochocinco tee shirts!!

Busy Season!!

This week has definitely been Christmas busy! First off with only 4 days until break, the students were crazy! I thought school would never get out.

Tuesday night Glenn and I attended a Christmas party at Michaela and Buddy, a couple of his grandmother's friends, house. It was a lot of fun with wonderful food ---we ate way too much!

Wednesday night was my work Christmas party at California Dreaming. We had a great dinner and a Chinese gift exchange. I got a wonderful (small sized) Christmas themed market basket. And, our principal gave us all these great microwavable containers for our lunch leftovers.

Thursday was the last day of school for us. After a long day of gifts, Polar Express and eating junk, I did a little Christmas shopping on the way home --- I am down to only needing one thing! Then I met up with a bunch of my girlfriend's for our Christmas celebration at Carolina Ale House. We had a blast!!

top pic: Paula and me; bottom pic: Elizabeth and me

Today, Ben and Clay got here. Clay is spending the evening with his friends, while Ben and I are watching Christmas movies and eating pizza!

EAGC Christmas Party

Tonight we attended our first Christmas party of the season. And, it was well worth the wait!! This one was formal and held at the Forest Lake Club. It was for Glenn's dad's business club and it was a great party! The meal was fantastic --- quail, salad, filet with risotto and asparagus and chocolate cake....YUM!! After dinner each lady at the party was given a gift. I didn't expect one so I was super surprised when a guy in a Santa hat walked up to the table and asked for "Melanie"! It was a box of 4 Department 56 tree ornaments and a Gund bear that sings "Jingle Bells"...it was a terrific present that I loved!! (Although Glenn said he'd be hearing the bear for the next two months!) We finished off after dinner with dancing. Bless Mr. Rick for trying to shag with me and my two left feet....all I can say is he is a great dancer and did a wonderful job leading/teaching! It was a wonderful Christmas night!

Pics from the party: 1. me and Glenn 2. me and Mrs. Matthews, Glenn's grandmother 3. me and Belinda, Glenn's stepmom

Dancing! Glenn's dad and Belinda

Mr. Rick and me!

Mrs. Matthews and Mr. Rick

My present from EAGC!!! I love it!!

It's Beginning to Look Even MORE Like Christmas!!!

I have been wrapping presents as I get them this year so that the tree isn't empty until the last minute! Combine that with decorating, and Glenn's house looks SO Christmas-y!! I LOVE it!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care!

The Rockettes!!

Last night Glenn's grandmother, Mr. Rick, Glenn and I went to see the Rockettes and the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show! It was FABULOUS!!! The scenes were incredible, especially the live Nativity at the end. I was thoroughly amazed by the Radio City Music Hall singers and the Rockettes were AMAZING! I hate that I don't have any pictures from the show....they announced at the beginning "no cameras" and although flash was going off everywhere I followed the rules!

Notice the "snow" on us in the picture. We were seated on the floor, eleven rows from the stage. At one point it snows a blizzard (as Santa and two boys travel to the North Pole!) and we were covered!

This was a terrific way to start the Christmas season!!

Festivus for the Rest of Us, a Devine Street Festival and an Oyster Roast

This has been a great weekend kick off to December! We started on Friday night by celebrating Festivus (Seinfield, anyone?!? I think I was the only person in town who had never seen this episode and had no clue about Festivus!) in 5 Points. Glenn and I met at one of our favorite 5 points restaurants, Blue Cactus, for dinner before joininig up with Paula and Daniel for the parade and festivities. We made it to the fountain and found them (there was no crowd) right as the parade (if you can call it a parade ---more like 3 or 4 cars/trucks with lights thrown on them) began its way towards us. I think we laughed at this parade more than anything. We did see our friend, Jamie, driving the Hummer Bloodmobile and Santa brought up the end.


After the parade, we acquired Rudolph noses from the Colonial Life Arena booth and our friends Ruben and Peggy. Our next stop was for photos with the Festivus Pole (no tree, just a pole). We waited around for the tree lighting (more like trees, they had strung a strand of lights in the trees surrounding the fountain...it wasn't like a "real" Christmas tree lighting or anything). But, it was running behind and I wanted to go check out the "Devine Evening" down on Devine Street. So, Glenn and I left to head that direction.

The Festivus Pole

The King of Festivus

Rudolph Noses

We had barely parked and gotten on Devine when Paula texted that she and Daniel had come down there too. So, we all met up and wandered through the shops along the street. We had already missed the Devine Street Christmas tree lighting (I have NEVER seen a town with so many Christmas trees to light!! One year I'm going to do the "tree lighting" tour and go to ALL of them!), but we did see the bagpipers and Santa!

After a little shopping and football watching on Saturday we attended the Columbia Jaycees "Roast and Toast for Camp Hope". It was great to see some old friends, listen to a really good band and enjoy yummy chilli (no oysters for me...I like them, but I don't like to work for my food!)

And as a fitting finale to this weekend, tonight we're going to see the Rockettes and the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show at the Colonial Life Arena....I can't wait!!!