New Year's Eve

Cheers!

When I got home from work New Year's Eve, Chris had prepared a delicious steak dinner. The boys enjoyed toasting in the new year with their "champagne." (sparkling grape juice)

Happy 2010!!

Christmas 2009

On Christmas Day, we went to Mom and Dad's for lunch. We all enjoyed spending time together. Every year we bake a birthday cake for Jesus. This year the boys and I decided to bake a ice cream cake. It was so good. We are never sure about the number of candles to put on the cake. Since we didn't have 2009 candles, we just used a pack of candles.

Dad, Hunter and Jordan

Hunter wanted to wait on the wind to blow out Jesus' birthday card. But we let Hunter and Jordan do it instead.

Hunter and Jordan

That night we went to Saluda Shoals to see the Christmas light. The lights were beautiful and we were very excited that Dad felt well enough to go with us.

Lake Murray Dam

A Village

The Reason For Christmas

On the day after Christmas or Boxing Day as the British call it, we went to Thom and Jane's home to celebrate Christmas. It was nice having everyone together. The kids enjoyed playing with each other as we talked.

Daniel, Jordan, Hunter and Kate
I was glad to have Kate in the picture this year.

Elf Jordan

Merry Christmas, Ya'll

It is hard to believe Christmas is here. This year we are mainly focusing on Dad and his health. His last chemo treatment is scheduled in January. Hopefully, it will take care on all the cancer.

This is our first Christmas in the house we remodeled. We are enjoying living here but have several unfinished projects.

Merry Christmas from the Bristow's

Hunter and Jordan had a great time making, decorating, and especially eating Christmas cookies.

Hunter at work decorating

After I got off work Christmas Eve, we went to a wonderful candlelight Christmas service at church. Then we ate supper and opened presents.

Hunter and Jordan Christmas Eve excited about present

Jordan put out cookies and milk for Santa. He plans on using the milk cup to get Santa's DNA.

Jordan and Santa's cookies

Sometime Christmas morning, Santa visited our house. I'm glad he realized we moved.

Thank you, Santa

Jordan and his stocking

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy 2010. (It is hard to believe it is 2010. It doesn't feel like 10 years have passed since celebrating 2000.)

Our Early Christmas Present

The house next door to us is being torn down! We are so excited. It was in very bad shape and needed to be torn down.

The people left tons and tons of stuff in the house. You could hardly walk into some room because of all the junk.
Dump trucks have been coming all day. They estimated it would take about 60 dump truck loads to take away the whole house. We all have enjoyed seeing the house being destroyed. The new owners plan to resell the land after everything is cleared away.

Hunter's Christmas Play

Hunter's Strings Performance

There were about 75 children performing

Hunter and his music

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The Lights Before Christmas

We went to see the Christmas lights and animals at Riverbanks Zoo. We were lucky to have Mom join us. Unfortunately, Dad was not feeling well enough to go with us.

Hunter and Jordan with Santa

Hunter said he would go visit Santa so I could have a picture of him and Jordan on Santa's lap. He is much too big to sit on Santa's lap for any other reason than a picture.

Mom and Jordan with the Soldiers

We enjoyed this lights display of the toy soldiers.

Hunter, Jordan and me

There was a light mist of rain during our visit. It almost looks like snow in the pictures.

Jordan and the Gorilla

There were lights shaped like different animals throughout the zoo.

Chris and Hunter

The trees were beautifully decorated with lights.

Us in the "snow"

There were "snow" machines in several locations in the zoo. The released a soapy substance that looked like snow. At least South Carolina snow is clean. Behind us was a tree that changed colors to the beat of Christmas music.

Hunter and Jordan with the pony

Of course, when you visit the zoo, there are animals to see.

Biltmore at Christmas

Chris and I went to the Biltmore House in Asheville. I was nice to get away without the boys even though we missed them.

The House

I can't imagine living in the Biltmore House. You could probably live there for days without seeing others in your family. It must cost a fortune to heat and cool. I'm glad I'm not responsible for their electricity bill.

The front doors of the house

We went on the Candlelight Christmas tours. The house was beautiful. The fireplaces were on and the Christmas decorations were incredible.

Chris and I inside the music room

We couldn't take pictures inside the house. This picture was taken by Biltmore. They replace the large tree in the dinning room midseason. So they had just replaced it 3 days before our visit. According to the guide, they started putting it up at 4 am. 20 people worked to get the old tree undecorated and removed. Then they put the new tree up and redecorated it. They were finished by 10 am.

Outside the Biltmore at night

Chris at the Deerpark Restaurant

After the candlelight tour, we ate at the Deerpark Inn Restaurant. The food was amazing.

Kim outside the House

The next day we toured the grounds. Everything was decorated beautifully.

Outside the greenhouse

Inside the greenhouse

We went to the winery and did the Chocolate and Wine tour. It only proved the point that everything tastes better with chocolate.

View of the Biltmore House from the Inn at Biltmore

Christmas tree inside the Inn at Bitlmore

Fireplace at the Inn at Biltmore

Gingerbread House modeled after the Inn

There was also a gingerbread house that looked like the Biltmore. But it was inside the house so I couldn't take a picture out it.