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

Hey there!

I was so rushed for time last week I didn't get around to writing on my blog. I know it's past Thanksgiving, but I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to say how unbelievably thankful I am for so many things.

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.
-- Henry Ward Beecher

I am thankful for...

God. I thank Him for bringing me through such a dark time in my life, and for answering all of our prayers.

My Health. It wasn't easy, but I got through a cancer diagnosis and now reside on the "other side" thanks to modern medicine and the good Lord above. I've been in remission ONE YEAR on Wednesday, and that is something to be thankful for!

Life. I love my life, and am thankful for the many blessings I have received. Life is good!

My Husband. I will always be thankful for you Ben, I love you more than you'll ever know.

My Family. Thank you to my Husband, Mom, Dad, Brother, Brandy, Lauren, Phillips, Mrs. Linda, Mr. Steve, Kristen, Matt, Stephanie, Mike, Braden and Sydney for being the best family a girl could ask for. You all make life worth LIVING. I love you all very much.

My Friends. You know who you are! There are too many of you to name - I love you all - you all make life FUN.

Good Times. Anyone who knows me knows I like to have a good time, and after last year - I appreciate the good times more than ever.

Good Food. I am honestly thankful for good food, it makes me happy.

My House. Ben and I have been so blessed with a beautiful and comforting home, and I am very thankful for that!

My Cat. How could I leave out my furry child? Gracie, thanks for always being my personal heater.

My Job. Not everyone in this country can say this right now, but I really am thankful that I am employed and can honestly say I love what I do.

The Gamecocks. They put a beat down on Clemson this past Saturday, and it put a HUGE smile on my face. It really did mean a lot, and it may seem trivial to some of you - but a years worth of bragging rights is something to be thankful for in my book. ;)


I hope all of you had an awesome Thanksgiving! I would like to thank my in-laws for their hospitality and for a wonderful time in Charlotte! We enjoyed it so much!


Now, who's ready for Christmas? I AM!!!! Our house is decorated, and I'm halfway done with buying Christmas gifts. Not too shabby!


Love to all!


Kerri

Hey all!

Long time no post! I've been too busy celebrating! :)

This past weekend we traveled to North Augusta and Columbia. Friday night we got to hang out with my family, and we had a great time just sitting around the fire and talking. It's so nice to be able to see them on Friday nights before the football games! We woke up early Saturday morning and headed up to Columbia. It was such a beautiful day - it was perfect for tailgating! Here are some pictures:

Hey all!

Well, I'm dressed up as a witch today. I LOVE Halloween, and don't really remember one where I didn't dress up in something. I told my creative team at work that I was going to wear my trusty witch outfit, and they all decided to be witches with me. Worked out great for me, I didn't have to buy a thing! Check out the pics below. Please look at the guy to my left in first one, his name is Darrell and he is supposedly white trash. A dude dressed as a pregnant chick complete with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, noxzema on his face, and a miller high life 22 oz beer is hilarious. Oh, and a Pink Floyd shirt. HA! LOVE IT! The 2nd pic is the creative team here, we're all witches, cute! We're the "creative coven" today. :)



I hope all of you have an awesome weekend! Ben and I are so excited that we have absolutely nothing to do this weekend - finally. We've been traveling all over the place for months. By the way - I LOVE Baltimore, we had so much fun. The crab up there is just insane. We probably had too much fun, but hey - that's what weddings are for right?

This past weekend we traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to watch Carolina beat up on Alabama...ok maybe not, but it was a great game! Unfair calls by the ref, but we are used to that by now! We had a GREAT time, but it was so unbelievably cold I think it was Monday before I thawed out. You can tell by how many layers of clothes everyone has on!

Fun Times!



Ben, Matt, Kristen and I are flying out to Baltimore today at 4 for Mike Riismandel's wedding on Friday - we are so excited! I've never been to Baltimore before, and I LOVE going to new places. It's where my hubby Ben grew up and I can't wait to see his hometown. I'll post pics of the wedding next week!

Hope all of you are having a great week, I'm off to eat nothing but authentic Maryland blue crab for 3 days. YES!

Love to all,

Kerri