Happy Holidays!

George and I have had a busy, but fun stretch of celebrations this month!

First, we celebrated Hanukkah with his family over at Papa's house. Papa is 98 years old, the patriarch of their family. He really enjoys having the family fill his house, and it's fun, for sure. The kids are growing up so fast! We did something a little different this year for gift-giving. We each drew one person. I got George's mom, Tina, so we went to lunch at Mellow Mushroom, then to Paint Your Pot in Cary this past Saturday. It was a great time to catch up with her!

On Sunday, George and I threw a Festivus party! I was in the mood to host a Sunday night party, so I googled "December 23 holiday," and found out that it's Festivus, Who knew?! Great excuse to have people over, we decided!We cooked chili, and others brought food and flowers, and we played the original Trivial Pursuit. Fun times, great company! (Thanks to +Beth Bruch, +Nancy Mayer, and others for joining in the fun!)

Last night (Christmas Eve), George and I went to a Moravian Lovefeast at Christ the King Moravian Church. This is the second year in a row that we've gone to this service at Christ the King Moravian, so it feels like a tradition. It's such a nice service, with traditional Christmas hymns and readings, as well as the serving of coffee and buns, We really enjoyed it!

George, Lesley, & Marion

Today, George and I joined my Uncle Marion (who drove from Goldsboro) for brunch at Paparazzi, an Italian restaurant in Raleigh, for Christmas Day brunch. We had an 11:15 reservation, and didn't leave until nearly 3:00! Needless to say, we had a great time catching up and eating yummy food!

Once home, I called my parents in Alabama, and heard about their day. We wish we could've all been together, but it was great to hear their voices!

Tomorrow's a rest day for me, while George returns to work. It's been a great holiday season!

Christmas Vacation Recap



Jacob, George, and Henry

 I'm nearing the end of my 2-week hiatus from work over the Christmas/New Year holiday break, so it's time to tell the story!

George and Henry's cousin, Jacob, came to visit from Boston, so we had an impromptu games night at our apartment on Christmas Eve. (George, ever the comedian, still makes the bunny ears behind family members in pictures! That aside, this is the best picture I got of the three of them.)

Moravian Lovefeast at Watts St. Baptist

Before the guys came over, George and I went to a Moravian Lovefeast at Watts St. Baptist Church in Durham. I hadn't been to a Moravian Lovefeast since college, so it was a delight to attend one this Christmas Eve! (It was my first time in Watts St. Baptist, and it's a lovely sanctuary.) We sang lots of familiar Christmas hymns, had coffee and buns as a congregation, then everyone lit their beeswax candles and the sanctuary lights were dimmed for the final hymn or two. It was a really nice experience, and I would recommend it to others next year.





Christmas Dinner at Il Palio, Chapel Hill

On Christmas Day, we gathered at Il Palio, a nice restaurant in the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill, for lunch. It was great to have family together, and it was the first time in several years I've been with my parents for Christmas. Uncle Marion came over from Goldsboro, too! The food was fabulous, and the service was top notch, too! If you're looking for special occasion dining, Il Palio should be on your list!

Christmas 26 Snow Behind Apartment

It started snowing on Christmas night, and by the next morning, this was the view outside our apartment! I think this was the first time I've ever seen "live" snow for Christmas! It was beautiful. We still have some on the ground, but it's melting away and the roads around here are much better.

In other news, I signed up for the Tobacco Road Half Marathon (March 20) a couple of days ago, and it's been nice to spend some extra time at the gym, as a result. :)