Christmas in Charleston

Christmas eve with Maman & Derek

Addy wants aperetif

Our first attempt at making a buche de noel.
It's supposed to look like a tree branch and it was delicious.

Cleo breaking in my Dad's new sweater.

All of us on Christmas day.

My Dad opening his gifts.

The dogs chasing squirrels

They really should try to learn to climb trees...

Derek and Maman walking along the battery

Someone's beautiful yard

Downtown

Derek and Addy at Alhambra

A huge oak tree at Alhambra

Christmas in DC

This deer scared me so much I jumped.

I thought it was alive as I came walking around that fat snowman!

I finally won a game of backgammon! Ok - I won one of three which Sohail reminded me was just the battle but not the war but this is the beginning of something good...

How DC looked the day after the snowstorm.

Becase we spent Christmas with our own families this year, Sohail and I had our own celebration at home a few days early. Lucky for us we got a day off work because of the snow which gave us a whole day to celebrate!

It's true. I do!
Sohail loves power tools...

Snowy DC

It started snowing last night and this morning we awoke to a beautiful snow-covered DC so Sohail and I went out to play. All the stores were either closed or sold out of sleds so we just walked around until night fell.

Dupont Circle

My feet covered in snow. In the deepest parts it went almost up to my knees. I've never seen so much snow here.

The view from our house.

Hmmm... I guess I won't be riding my bike anytime soon.

The best snowman we saw.
He was in front of a bar called Jack's and had a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand.

In Dupont.

Another snowman on the national mall.

The Lincoln Memorial was particularly beautiful today.

By the reflecting pool

Also by the reflecting pool.

I was wondering where squirrels go when it snows but I guess they don't go anywhere...

These shoes kept me so warm (Maman - not quite slippers you see!)

Our car. It's even deeper in now...

Max and Addy would have loved being in DC today!

the renovations are finished (mostly)

Our kitchen renovation is finally finished and it looks great. But best of all we got our living room and guest room (which was storing all the living room stuff) back.

The new open kitchen

Tonight was our last dinner (hopefully) on top of cabinets

Our home is cozy again!

our first christmas tree

Neither of us has ever had a tree at own home (not counting our parents' homes) so we picked this one out yesterday at the elementary school down the street.

Looks like we didn't get quite enough lights...

But we do have the beautiful porcelain origami ornament my Mom got us.

And a bunch of others normal ornaments from Ikea

After decorating the tree, I got killed in Backgammon... twice!

Renovations

Last weekend we woke up to the first snow of the season and the first in our new apartment. It was so peaceful.

This week we've been renovating our house to open up the kitchen.

After day one... what a mess!

Getting there...

more thanksgiving fun...

This year Thanksgiving was one of the most relaxing and I think it may have been in part because we were surrounded by lots of cuteness.

Spoiling Addy

Sohail hanging out with the princess of Adams Morgan while on a teleconference to Turkey.

Thanksgiving in DC

This year we had Thanksgiving at our house for the first time. In all fairness, we didn't cook but it was great to have visitors come for the holiday - especially now that we have more room.

Maman with Thanksgiving gifts for Max & Addy

On a walk Thanksgiving day

With the guys

Sohail cutting the Turkey

Thanksgiving dinner

Derek playing piano after dinner

Union station

Messing with Derek

With Sohail

A botched attempt at drawing Derek

The result of black Friday shopping

Addy!

The view as we exited the Spy Museum

With Maman