It's almost Christmas!   Ben and I are getting ready to pack up and head to my hometown of North Augusta for the week.  We are going to a wedding Saturday night, and I hear winter weddings are beautiful...we're excited!  Sunday we're coming back to Atlanta to celebrate Ben's grandmother Rere's 80th birthday party, that should be a great time!  Then we head back to North Augusta Monday morning to spend the week with my side of the family.  Whew...it's gonna be a busy weekend!

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year.  My 2nd is the 4th of July - and that's only because I love summer so much.  Thanksgiving comes in at a close 3rd.  Christmas is always a time of joy, togetherness, and love and I like that.  Christmas with my side of the family is always spent eating ridiculously good food, and I'm talking every single night.  We always have lasagna on Christmas Eve, and my Mom's is just out of this world.  My Dad's birthday is December 22nd, and we're having shrimp and grits that night.  Yum!  We'll eat at my brother's house one night as well, and he can throw down on a grill like it's nobody's business - he should enter those cook-offs on the Food Network!  Like I have said before, we like to eat, drink and be merry when we're together - and this year won't be any different!  We always play a certain song called 'Merry Christmas from the Family" by Robert Earl Keen during this time of year, and we quote "Christmas Vacation" at least once every hour.  We sit outside in the freezing cold, listen to the Christmas mix on my ipod, and build a raging fire every night.  It's also a time when we get to see some old friends.  A lot of my high school buddies still live in North Augusta, and a ton of the people who moved away always fly home for Christmas.  I am betting we'll all meet up one night and go out - there was one year that I believe around 40 people showed up.  It was a complete high school reunion, fun times!

We'll be in North Augusta for a little over a week, then Ben and I are going to work just a couple of days the following week.  Then we are going to head down to Hilton Head, SC with Kristen and Matt to spend New Years Eve weekend.  Abbie and Steve are planning on making an apperance too, and it's always a good time when the 6 of us get together.  I can't wait!

Don't forget to cheer on the Cocks as we play UConn in our bowl game on Jan. 2nd!  Go Cocks!!!!!!

I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Love to all,

Kerri


ps...check out the link below that...it's the cutest Christmas card ever.

Yall have to do this...

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/x9L9clC1UdvqxQL2keSI

Go to elfyourself.com and make your own!  I've laughed at it so many times!

Love to all!

Kerri

Do yall like my new design? I thought it needed sprucing up! I've become pretty familiar with blog design. It's easier than you think.

Ben and I went to a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society awards show last night...it was great! Those people are so awesome, and it felt good to be recognized. Well, all I really got was a piece of paper, but whatever - it still felt good!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, I love Fridays! (at 5 of course) We have my company Christmas dinner tomorrow. Of course, we'll be watching the SEC Championship game too, ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!

Love to all!

KJS

Dec. 2, 2008. I walked into my oncologist's office, Ben was sitting right beside me. We were waiting on the results of my first PET scan following 5 rounds of chemo to see if I was in remission or not. Dr. H casually walks in, my heart is pounding out of my chest as I'm sure Ben's was as well... and he says "its a complete response, you are in full remission". Those were some pretty sweet words. I am celebrating one year of remission today. That is something to be thankful for! I am in such a great mood today!

I have had a tough time with my hair over the last year. This time last year it was getting pretty thin, and I know I was so blessed that I didn't lose all of it. Well the only thing with not losing all of it is that you have to deal with the new, weird hair that starts growing in after chemo. It was kinked, blah, nasty hair. But, it filled in very quickly and slowly started to get back to the old texture it was. I got most of that nasty old hair cut off last night. It FINALLY looks healthy again, and I am so happy! It's amazing what little things can make you happy, and a good haircut certainly does.

I took this pic just now in my office, the lighting is terrible and my blackberry doesn't take good pics but at least you can see what I'm talking about.



YAY!

Love to all!

Kerri