Photo Friday #35

The ACC Championship game is this weekend. It's in Charlotte and the town is already buzzing. Joe and I decided it would be fun to volunteer at the event. In return we got these way cool wind jackets. We're officially ambassadors.

So Much To Be Thankful For

I think it was the weekend after we moved into our house here in Charlotte that I suggested we host Thanksgiving. I also think the second that thought hit my mom's ears she was excited. We were luckily to have so many family members join us in Charlotte to enjoy the holiday.

My parents arrived early to spend almost a full week with us. I have to admit it was fun having my parents all to ourselves for a day or two. We went out to eat in Uptown (yes, that is what they call "downtown" around here) at a not-for-profit restaurant. They serve southern dishes and donate their proceeds to feed people in Charlotte and around the world.

Mom got to try her black eyed peas and grits to complete her southern experience. Dad got to try some local beers to add to his beer app. Yes, he and Joe have a beer app where they recommend beers to each other. There truly is an app for everything.

Deb and Jerry made their way from California on Tuesday. We watched their flight track on our iPhones. It turns into a nerdy app party when you get 6 people together who all have iPhones. I think we all got a few new apps to download during the week.

Scott and Amy arrived Wednesday afternoon and the party could officially start.

We have a bunch of random pictures taken from the family gathering. It was amazing the amount of alcohol we had in the house for the week. You name it, we had it. Here's evidence of our beer cooler on the porch. We did have a great selection!

Let's see, what did we do the whole time everyone was visiting? We watched a lot of football. Unfortunately Iowa lost a close game on Friday which would have been a great upset. We played a lot of frisbee. Our back yard is so perfect for throwing around a ball or flying saucer. The neighbor kids even got in on the action. Consider that good or bad... Scott and Joe had to share their frisbees. I took a few people on a tour of Charlotte. We went through Uptown and walked around the historic 4th ward district. We also drove to the Dilworth neighborhood (where we saw the Santas). We cooked, we ate, we drank and just enjoyed each others company.


Before everyone left Saturday morning we snapped a few family pictures. I can only show you this one... mom made us promise not to share the picture with them since she will be using it for Christmas cards.

Mom and Dad took off for West Virginia to spend an extra day with Scott and Amy. They sent us picture throughout the day of their adventures. Here they are at a winery in Virginia.

Deb and Jerry also took off for an extra trip. They spent the weekend in Asheville, NC. Joe and I recommended they make the short trip to experience the mountains and the Biltmore. We haven't made it there yet, but Deb and Jerry just loved it. Here is a picture they sent us from the grounds of the huge house.

We had a great week with family. It was so nice to fill up the big house that is usually so empty. Thank you to everyone for making the trip to NC!

There were a couple more pictures I was going to share, but I actually hit my limit for picture storage... I'm going to have to figure this out.

Christmas Is Coming...

Still working on a recap post from the holiday. In the mean time, enjoy these spirited photos.

After all our guests took off on Saturday morning we got into the Christmas spirit. We have our 4 foot tree which fit perfectly in our past apartments. Now it looks a bit weak in a house. I can't complain though, it's great to have the tree up! I do plan on watching for sales though because I think our house deserves an upgrade.

Yes, we did stick the tree right next to the TV. And yes, we did watch lots of football before, during and after putting the tree up. Plus now I can enjoy the tree while watching anything on TV. I love the Christmas season!

Someone else was also in the Chritmas spirit. When driving around town last week we spotted this house in the Dilworth neighborhood. We didn't count how many Santa's in total, but check them out!

Cheerful or creepy? You decide.

Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Thanksgiving was full of fun, family and food. This is just one example of the great food we ate. My mom and I had fun picking a few recipes from Pinterest that we wanted to try. I think we both picked this same recipe for breakfast. Luckily it was easy and a hit with our guests. I'm hoping to get a long post together this week to recap our Thanksgiving week.

Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Taken From The Dishy Decorator

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

4 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Pour melted butter into ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish. Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into 4 pieces; place pieces over butter in dish. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add cream, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended; gently pour over roll pieces. Bake 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and drizzle with icing over top.

Election Day

Some weeks there just isn't much to blog about. Not to say I haven't done anything, but just nothing worth sharing with the world.

Today I do have something to share. This morning Joe and I voted. This was my first time actually going to the polling location on election day. The past elections I have been moving or not in a permanent location and always voted absentee.

Here's to everyone who has worked so hard fighting for a candidate. Here's to the power to vote.