Even with the Greyness of Winter, Guernsey Still Finds a Way to Show its Beauty!

Afternoon Tea

One of our favorite ways to spend a lazy Saturday or Sunday is by having afternoon tea in front of the fire and reading books.  I met Josh at La Grande Mare when he finished up his morning round of golf and we had a special champagne afternoon tea because it will probably be our last on our little island.  What we'll miss the most -  the artery clogging wonder that is Guernsey clotted cream. There is absolutely NOTHING that can compare to this!

 

Busy Season?!?

5:10 on a Friday.  And this is why it is going to be hard to drag Josh back to the United States. Work / Life balance...they are pretty good at combing the two in Europe.

 

Christmas Recap

For the first time in 3 years, we made the trip back stateside to spend the holidays with family, and it was WONDERFUL!  The trip was a bit hectic because it didn't just include relaxing with family and catching up with friends - but also included house hunting, car buying, baby registering and PwC meetings for Josh.

Josh had a quick 48 hour stop over in Dallas and got to enjoy our nieces and see the new downtown park that Dallas has to offer.  He was surprised with a mini 30th birthday celebration and got to soak up the sun and warm weather...apparently I bring cold and rain with me everywhere I go!

 

We met in Ohio and kicked off the festivities with a reunion lunch with college girlfriends, then a 60th and 80th birthday celebration, Christmas Eve and finally Christmas Morning. Then right as we were trying to fly out to catch Christmas Evening with the Sieger/Hanratty clan, a massive snow storm hit Dallas and then moved right onto Dayton, leaving us stuck for an extra two days in Dayton. Thankfully, mom and dad Parks' is not a bad place to be stranded!

Learning Grandma Parks' famous meatball recipe

Reunion!

Celebrating the birthdays at Brio.  Mom Parks turned 60 and Grandma Sherman turned 80.

 

Christmas Eve at Carol & Gary's.  The birthday celebration continued.

 Time to tear into this tree, around midnight :)

 Christmas Day- Grandma Parks with all her grandchildren

 

 Reenacting the coal picture.

The winter wonderland...



Finally we made it down to Dallas and completed the Christmas celebration, just a few days late - didn't seem to bother the nieces!  Dallas kept us busy with dinners out, a carriage ride, a Mavs game, a wonderfully chef-ed up NYE, and all the necessary things to help us with our return back in a few months.

 Christmas, Round 2

 Stans 2nd stockingof the trip- already spoiled

 A fun surprise- a bassinet filled with goodies!

 

 A wonderful lobster dinner after hours of gift opening.

Date Night at the Marquee, followed by a carriage ride around Highland Park Village.

New Years Eve- donuts for breakfast...clearly keeping the health kick going. And that evening, a mini NYE celebration with the Hanratty crew before heading out to enjoy time with friends and a 4 course chef cooked dinner.

 

2012 was very good to us!  Now on to the next chapter in our lives...Dallas, a baby, a home and a passport that will most likely go unopened.  Glad we spent the last 2 1/2 years getting the traveling out of our system.  Now time to grow up!



Stan, our Night Owl

The baby has officially taken over my immune system and I have come down with a bad case of tonsillitis (yes, on the exact same day that Mollie got hers taken out...lucky girl)!   I was laying in bed, feeling as if I was swallowing razor blades and unable to sleep at 4am when I felt what they describe as the baby's first kick...more like a flutter.  But it happened three times in the exact same spot - it definitely made my sleepless night much more bearable!

And almost as if it was right on cue, it happened on the 20 week mark. I am half way there - time is flying.