Oh, Christmas tree

We visited the adorable Christmas tree lot in our neighborhood, but couldn't actually afford to buy a tree there. So instead we snapped a few photos and headed to the local Home Depot to buy ourselves the perfect Fraser Fir. It was our first time to have a full-size tree of our own and it turned out absolutely lovely thanks to the personal and sentimental ornaments we have been given over the years. 

Companionship

Otis and I spent our first weekend alone when Ryan went to Ohio for a December 1st wedding. Our weekend of bonding pretty much consisted of walking and cuddling and I found myself understanding more and more why so many people like having pups around. Before I took Ryan to the airport, we snapped a few photos in the early morning light.

Otis' first bath

We are so thankful to have friends who so graciously took care of our little pup while we went to AZ. I'm sure they all had their hands full and judging by his stench, I can only imagine the kind of playing and loving that occurred with his new pals. Immediately after our reunion, I couldn't stand not to bathe our little man so that I could snuggle up to him with out plugging my nose. Luckily, he didn't hate it either.

Thanksgiving day 2012

We were so blessed to be able to fly to AZ for an early Thanksgiving celebration with not only my beloved Berg clan, but also the Caseys and the Bernals too! I tried to soak in every minute of our time together, but as always, it went by way too fast. 

November in AZ

It was chilly enough to wear wetsuits, but being able to wake board the day before thanksgiving is definitely one of the reasons I love Arizona so much. The scenery at the lake was picturesque as always, the water that day was mostly calm, and the company was top-notch. I'm incredibly thankful for my talented husband who captured these joyous memories so perfectly!

El Conquistador

And it certainly didn't hurt that in between the start and the finish of the race, we guiltlessly laid by the pool at our breathtaking resort: relaxing, sunbathing, and chatting the afternoon away, while our parents burnt enough calories for all of us. 

Tour de Tucson

It is officially a new season of life: one where us kids get to take our turn on the sidelines. Between soccer games, gymnastics/cheerleading meets, and dance competitions-- our parents were certainly busy during our childhood. They not only supported all of our endeavors, but were also our biggest fans. 

This year, it was a privilege to cheer for my mama, papa, aunt, and uncle as they bicycled the Tour de Tucson: 42 miles for the girls, 85 miles for the boys. All of us cousins got to root for them at the start and finish lines. So even though it's embarrassing to have parents who are in better shape than us [eh hem, at least me], we are quite the proud children.

St Pete 2

Since Otis joined us for the road trip and we didn't have to rush back to Nashville, we were able to spend some time relaxing with Jared and Laurie Beth. They took us to a quiet beach near their house where we spent a lazy afternoon together (while Jared's amazing mother loved on our puppy for us). We ended the day with some fresh (-er than Nashville at least) seafood and a Jazz festival in Clearwater. Apparently the Avett Brothers are a jazz band? I sincerely don't mind it at all when Ryan gets work in Florida.