We are back in Zurich safe and sound. The first week back at work was rough but it was great to see the kiddos again! We have lots of pictures and stories of Budapest but I forgot the charger to the computer which we keep the pictures on at home. It should be arriving on Wednesday along with our other 120 kilos of things :) More to come soon!

New Years and Great Friends

New Years Day Nachos. Jack made this masterpiece feast for us during the Auburn game, which Auburn won 3 times. What a great game! I don't think we moved off the couches all day besides to serve ourselves nachos then back to get the fondue ready for dinner. A perfect New Years Day!

If I haven't mentioned it yet, I have loved seeing our friends again! I have missed them so much. Zann had to go back to Zurich on the 26th but I was lucky enough to go out to eat with friends this week. Tuesday, Mom, Susie, and I went to Chef Jeff's with Elizabeth and Mrs. TenHoeve. It was so much fun to catch up. I can't wait until the day Elizabeth and I keep the promise we made when we were probably 7 to live near each other when we got older.

Tuesday night Sheila, Nicole, Liz and I went to dinner at Farmer and Fisher's in Georgetown. Sheila is coming to visit in March and I can't wait to spend more time with everyone for Nicole's wedding in June.

Happy New Year! The Short's were so sweet to let me crash their New Years Party. We had so much fun at Liz's sister Cathy's house watching Tennessee win and bringing in the New Year.

With the lovely Short girls!

Happy New Year Chris

Hi Mike

Betty is that you?

Merry Christmas!!

I love Christmas morning! We still have to follow the same rules as when we were little, you have to brush your teeth, make your bed, and sit on the stairs until Dad gets the video camera ready.

First Christmas!

We are video taped coming down the stairs to see what Santa brought and open our stockings. Santa always loves to bring us some candy, socks, and always an orange.

Santa brought the girls new head bands.

The tree all ready with presents.

Before presents are opened, we eat breakfast. Every year we have an egg caserole and monkey bread.

Then we take our time opening one present at a time. Its such a relaxing day!

Mad Bomber hat from Susie

Gaga and Papa with their goodie basket with things Susie and Jack picked out from Trader Joe's

Mama on her fixed up bike

The dining room table looking beautiful for Christmas dinner.

We were lucky to have both sets of my grandparents and Aunt Dawn join us for dinner.

Girls having Happy Hour

Susie holding a spot for Jeff

Christmas dinner

Since Zann had to go back to Zurich on the 26th, Susie was kind enough to throw him a New Years party. Tequila shots on Christmas ???

Susie, Jack, Zann, and I ended the night with an intense game of beer on the table.

What a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

Christmas with the Hawkins

Sunday morning we braved the snow and drove to Columbia. We had a great night celebrating Christmas with the Hawkins. The Southern Christmas dinner at Kathy and Tommy's was fabulous and we had a very entertaining Chinese auction. It was so nice to be with see everyone! Zann and I spent the night with Pop and had our traditional breakfast with him at IHOP. I forgot to take pictures but will hopefully get some from Kathy. Monday we headed to Zann's parents house in Charleston. The weather was in the 50's and was a great change for us. We had the best time and I wish we could have stayed longer!

Dinner at Poe's with our sweet friends that I LOVE
Kendal giving me a fashion show

Tuesday night the Hawkins had a beaufort boil at their house. It was a great party with great food and friends.

Erin was freezing and I thought it was warm...maybe it was the gluhwein.

College room mates! Miss you!

Our wonderful friends

William loved when the marsh mellows caught on fire

sweet boys eating smore #4

Nothing better than standing around the fire with good friends and

listening to good music! McGregor and Charles's band came out and set up right in the back yard. They are amazing and everyone loved listening to them all night!

Cotton

What a pretty doggy

The picture perfect setting at the Hawkins house we had to drive away from to the snow
And Santa even made a special early stop before we had to leave. Zann got some great ski gear and I got some beautiful pieces to our China.

But we made it home for Christmas Eve dinner with the fam and Gaga and Papa

And made it for midnight mass which was sooo beautiful!

Holy Snow!

We were soooo thankful to get home! Christmas time is not the time to be flying standby. The flights out of Zurich were oversold on the 18th and we had to get home for the FCP (Sullivan Family Christmas Party). So we woke up at 4:00 and flew to Amsterdam just to receive more bad news about oversold flights. Well someone was looking out for us because we both some how got on separate over sold flights. Jack (from Barcelona), Zann, and I all landed with in 3 hours of each other to find out they were predicting a huge snow storm for Saturday and the FCP and my hair apt (which I was more than upset about!) were canceled. Our thought was everyone was over reacting and we'll believe it when see it since many times school has been canceled and it just rained. But just in case we were going to be snowed in on Saturday we HAD to have dinner at West Wood... ha! We were sooo lucky we made it in on Friday. Some of Ja 's friends who tried to fly in on Saturday were stuck in airports all over Europe until Monday.

Then we woke up to THIS...

More snow than we have seen in Switzerland. Here is Zann sledding for the first time in his life. What??? 26 and never been sledding? I guess that's what you get for being a southern boy


Dad was sure happy to get to use his snow plow for the second time this winter. Notice how much snow is on the car and hardly any on the drive way. Yes, this was his 3rd time in about two hours using his tractor. The man LOVES his machines!! And good thing because we wanted to get out!

Since the drive was was clear why not drive to go sledding right?? I think we were the only crazies on the road driving through over two feet of snow. As long as we followed the rules of driving in the snow we would be fine...hands a 10 and 2 and don' brake. Well it was totally worth it because the sledding was AWESOME!

Dad did you sink in the snow or did Jack grow again?

Get it Mama

bother and sister in laws...ha!

Mom and Dad loved the Snow Boogie just as much as we did

The sledding was awesome...the walk up the hill, not so much

Our first snow picture :)

Thanks Zann, head first into the snow

I had snow all down my coat by this point

Love my sis !

Dad with his new favorite toy! We finished the snow day off with some gluhwein, chili, and played the whole game of Monopoly.

And this is what it looked like when we went to bed. 3 feet!

ICS Christmas Party

What a party!! The board of my school hosts a wonderful Christmas party for the staff here http://www.lake-side.ch/. Not what you would expect for a teacher Christmas party, thats for sure. The Casino is a great place right on the lake and was one of our favorite spots to go to in the summer. Zann was quite disappointed it wasn't actually a Casino, while I am thankful there is not a casino so close to our house for him to go to every night :). We started the night with a nice happy hour in the bar area followed by a sit down 3 course meal. The night was continued on with dancing to a great live band and open bar....sure beats most school Christmas parties! It was a great night to spend with new friends and for Zann to meet the great people I work with! I am so lucky to have a job at such a wonderful place!

The end of the night :)
* I need to remember to take more pictures!