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| New Year, Old Friends...Holland, Sarah Beth and me |
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| The Men... |
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| Only a true friend helps you take off your boots after a long day/night! |
We rang New Year's in with a bang catching up with some old friends. After driving back from Arizona on December 30, a late night was not high on our priority list. Having said that, Holland and Scott were down south because Scott is on break from law school at UVA. We convinced each other to rally and come together for New Year's Eve. We also successfully convinced Sarah Beth and Mitchell to host their good 'ole buddies. It has been years since us girls were roommates, but it seems like yesterday! We had a blast...
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| Winding road through the Appalachian Mountains-does not do the "scary factor" justice. |
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| The Homestead |
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| Beautiful Catholic Church on The Homestead property |
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| My honey humoring me while trying not to be late (we were 5 minutes early) for Mass. |
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| Sam Snead Golf Course at The Homestead |
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| White ball...white snow...oops! |
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| Great picture by Ned Ryun |
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| I was crazy enough to ride around in the golf cart...freezing! |
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| John and Ned, the first to golf on the course in 2013...cold but fun. |
By mid-January we found ourselves traveling to Hot Springs, VA for a conservative political conference. John went for work, and I got to tag along. I've heard of The Homestead for years, but I've never had the good fortune of going. It was very cool. I can see why so many people have retreats and family vacations there. It was like an old timey resort with activities, fine dining, dancing and afternoon tea. There was literally snow skiing, snow mobiling, ice skating, skeet shooting, horseback riding, hiking, swimming, a spa...the list goes on and on. The meals were first class, and blue jeans were not allowed in the dining room (for breakfast or dinner). This wass my kind of place. Dinner was business formal and there was live music and dancing each night (not cover band live music either...ha!). They have tea every afternoon at 3 PM and chess and other game tables scattered throughout. It was nothing to see people of all ages sitting on a couch in the lobby by the fire reading a book or searching their ipad. I would love to go back in the summer.
More importantly, we were able to make lots of new friends and catch up with some dear old ones. I can't believe I got so few pictures. This would be the perfect spot for a picture of us dressed up for dinner...or us dressed up walking to Mass (fabulous Irish priest, by the way). It would be a perfect spot for a picture of John and I with our flower girl who is now 10 and is following me on instagram (and I am following her back)! But, nope...we got no pictures. I guess we were to busy visiting and catching up!
Rounding out the month was our wedding anniversary. We celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on January 27. I can't believe the time that has gone by. We have lived several lifetimes in these six years, but it still feels like yesterday. Just yesterday Mom was planning every detail of our wedding down to perfection. Just yesterday she was in her cream St. John and white mink--looking like a million dollars. Where does the time go? Sweet memories and a sweet marriage to show for it.
Here is to 2013...the ups, the downs, the adventures and the set backs. We are looking forward to what God has in store for us this year. More importantly, we are trusting him fully this year with his plans for our lives!
