Where Have We Been?!?! :)

It has been nearly two months since my last post...and there is no excuse for my absence, so I am not going to try and list the reasons we have been M.I.A...Whit's Birthday, Christmas, New Years, Work, Sister's Wedding Plans, Car Issues, Traveling ...Let's just pick up where we left off and start again in this New Year!!

What we've been up to...

Whit's Birthday! :)

On December 16th, we celebrated Whit's 28th birthday by going to hear one of our favorite local bands at one of our favorite local venues! We spent his birthday with some great friends at The Station Inn listening to 18 South...we had a blast!

And Betsy and I even got to meet the one and only Aidan Shaw (a.k.a. John Corbett)...

It feels like we spent all of college watching Carrie and Aidan so we were excited to meet him!

Christmas! :)

The Christmas tree we decorated the first week of December warmed our house for the entire Christmas season! I loved coming home every night and seeing the glow of our tree there to greet me. I think Christmas trees are an automatic source of beauty in a house and if I could, I'd have one up all year long! Lollie especially enjoyed the tree...it seemed like everyday we would come home and Lollie would have added another ornament to her "special" collection. By the end of Christmas, the bottom half of our little tree was undecorated. Needless to say, Lollie thoroughly enjoyed her first Christmas!

This year, Whit and I hosted Christmas at our little house on the ridge for my side of the family. Since we knew we would be having so many delicious dinners during the holidays, we decided to have a brunch. It turned out to be such a wonderful morning full of laughter and warm, hearty breakfast treats that everyone seemed to enjoy...

This was our table for the Christmas Brunch...

Our yummy menu...Ham & Rolls, Sausage Balls, Fresh Fruit,

Breakfast Casserole and Grits! :) 

Lollie was exhausted after all of the fun and presents, so she took a nap in her Christmas sweater...

This is the Donnelly Christmas Eve Gift Exchange...

half of the room anyway...

believe it or not, there are many more of us :)

This is always a wonderful time! :) 

The Gorhams and their "Nashville" grandchildren 

on Christmas Day...so sweet :)

New Years Eve!! :) 

We spent New Years Eve a few houses down the street at the Currans. They hosted a game night and it was a blast!!

Betsy's beautiful table full of delicious food!

Part of the group at midnight ringing in 2012!!!! 

Love them all! :)

Cute boys :)

Pretty Stephanie and Allison with their New Years crowns!! :)

Who knew that the very next day 

sweet Avery Kate would be on her way :) :) 

(More to come about Avery Kate - she deserves her own post :)

We had a wonderful ending to 2011 and have had a great beginning to 2012!

I cannot wait to see what this new year has in store for us! :)

Stay tuned...I promise not to stay gone for too long this time!