December was a FAST month!

Sarah's 9th Birthday was December 4. I think we enjoyed her birthday gifts more than she did!


We have to be careful not to spread germs to dad - so we get very creative in order to give hugs & kisses!

Can you believe 1 miniature light bulb punctured the Titan 4x4 tire...on the side of it when we accidentally backed over the lights? Unfortunately, it's in a place that can't be repaired easily - so a whole new tire for Christmas - the joke is a $200 light bulb!!

Also...1 whole year has now passed - Chris & I enjoyed the top of our wedding cake - frozen all this time! A little dry, but Chris enjoyed it...I was a little squimish...just thinking about it being 365 days old!

Our first Christmas tree in the new house! It was a biggy - we eventually moved it to another room and it required us to cut off approximately 1 - 1.5 feet of the tree! Here come the Griswolds! "SQUIRREL!!!"



Christmas Eve with dad was the best we've ever had. Mama J & Pappy shared the holidays with us this year - it was great to have them with us. They made us built-in bookshelves in our bonus room which was a much, much needed gift!! They spoil us!

"Cousin Eddie" also came to share the holidays with us! And if you don't understand this, then you are out of touch with Christmas!

Dad loves Robert E. Lee...SO, Chris decided to transform the head of REL into dad's - it was hilarious and now dad has it sitting on a table in the den in all its glory.

Hopefully our new neighbors weren't too freaked out by this either! And again, if you don't get this, then you are out of touch with Christmas still! "Ragil-ay...must be Italian!"

This is a house just outside of our neighborhood - this picture does not do it any justice. It's the only house on it's street that's decorated for Christmas and they went all out!

Christmas Day went by so quickly with lots of great food. Uncle Mike and Janis came up for a brief visit the day after - It's been a wonderful holiday for all of us!

Halloween 2008

We woke up at the lakehouse on Hallween Morning to a VERY foggy & creepy lake view. It was very "Halloweeny!" Maggie was Pocahontas and Gus was "The King" (although I bought the outfit thinking that it was Evel Knievel - then I learned the hat was actually sideburns and the black "V" was not decoration, but was meant to be Elvis' chest hair! Sorry Gus!

So, Chris and I got a little creative with our "acting" of Frankenstein's Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein. I must say, it was fun!

That night was a short one and a tiring one for Chris in-deed (as he did not get to the lakehouse until 3am because of work the night before and the next day, he would be back at work again.) He is so spoiling to me when it comes to Halloween and he never complains. Which is why he is the best man in the whole world! We drove to Bishop, Georgia to Christel & Paul's Halloween party and stayed there about as long as it took us to drive both ways - but it was worth it and lots of fun!

Reunion in Downtown Greenville

Chris and I met up with the Liptaks, Mills and Klostermans with their babies and soon-to-be-baby in Downtown Greenville. It was a perfect day with lunch at Trio's, Gelato for dessert and a walk through downtown and Falls Park.

Now we're on the market!

It's been tough keeping our current house spotless all the time, but we're managing. To see it in one of it's finest modes, go to http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?T=1683377

This is the brief version of the write-up:

"Beautiful home and breathtaking backyard with
beautiful pergola professionally built and landscaped
by a master gardener.
The home features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms
tastefully decorated and painted in neutral colors in
the last 1.5 years. Living room with cathedral ceilings,
fireplace and wired for surround sound system.
Fenced, cozy and private backyard features patio for
grilling and outdoor dinning and it is perfect for
entertainment."

I especially love the mention of the master gardener who just happens to be Pappy! I am determined to one day get my certificate in that! :) We are hopeful to sell our home in the next few months - but the economy and market for sellers is not great right now. Heck, for the last 2 weeks, we've had to take exits off of I-85 to find a gas station that had gas - And we live within 2 miles on either side of our neighborhood, of about 8 gas stations! Kind of scary when you don't know if you are going to make it to work!

I think of everything that we'll miss about this place, it will definitely be the back yard - we love it, the dogs love it and it's just been a perfect little paradise...I know we'll be able to create the same at the next place, but it definitely has had a lot of McCarthy-Family work, sweat and love put into it!


BEFORE & AFTER


BEFORE & AFTER

Pjumbin Celebration

Tina-Ya and Jimmy invited Chris & I to a Cambodian-Buddhist Festival that is in celebration of the Fall Harvest and to honor deceased loved ones. It was beautiful and everyone was so friendly to us. My brother, Chris & I may have been only 3 of 6 white Americans that were at the festival which just made everyone, that much more welcoming and approachable, believe it or not. Some of the women praying with incense said a prayer for Chris and Jerome to do well with starting their practice in the upcoming year. It really made us feel welcomed and appreciated.





Everything has a symbol and represents so much positivity. It was neat watching 3 monks recite in-song a very long prayer (probably lasted several hours). We were in the temple for our meal and listening to the prayer and I didn't think it would be too appropriate to take many pictures, but these are a few images. Jimmy thinks that the individuals who decorated this altar did not know which way the American and S.C. flags were supposed to be facing. It's just one of those cultural things that is easy to not have correct.


This is rice.