Cincinnati Christmas 2011

"I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me."

This was our longest trip to the States since we moved to Grand Cayman, about 3 weeks total. It was such a nice change. I didn't feel like I was rushing or constantly counting down the days. We got to fit in more visits with friends, and still had plenty of time for family and holiday merriment. The first half of our time in Cincinnati was packed with wedding anticipation, but we got to squeeze in some other fun as well...

Putting up the tree

The day after we flew in, my parents invited the whole family over to have a tree decorating party. It was fun decorating a real live tree again, especially with the ornaments I remember so fondly from my Christmas past.


Love birds


Steak 'n Shake

Don't ask me why, but I have a very soft spot in my heart for Steak 'n Shake. Brent and I used to frequent the Westwood location on a regular basis, and I've really missed the place these last 14 months (hard to believe with all the good eating we do in Grand Cayman, but it's true!). So Brent and I were happy to take Jack and Noah for their first visit. Yay for seasonal shake flavors (eggnog for the Swartzentrubers and peppermint chip for the Kruithofs)!


Jack really didn't want to put on this hat, but we bribed him with a cookie. Totally worth it.


Festival of Lights

I haven't gone to Cincinnati Zoo's Festival of Lights since I was a kid, so I was thrilled when Amy and Zach asked if we wanted to go. It was a treat to spend some two-on-two time with the soon-to-be newlyweds. The lights were wonderful - I tried to follow my map to get to every single one of those exhibits. Plus we got to see the polar bears, elephants, and giraffes (Brent's favorite). It was a blast; I hope it becomes a new tradition.


Swan Lake, my favorite!


Deck the Halls

Even with the wedding, my mom did a great job making the home feel festive and cozy.

View from front porch, vintage ornaments on the mantle


We had the annual Bongey Christmas party a couple days after the wedding. And though I didn't take many pictures, I had to share this one of the chocolate covered cherry mice Anna made. Aren't they wonderful?


Closing off with a couple random pictures of our oldest nephew, Jack. He's at such a fun age. We really enjoyed doing another slumber party with him this visit. I was amazed that he remembered I had a different colored toothbrush last time we were home. Brent taught him the joys of a slinky and made up an awesome bedtime story involving three reindeer named Brenty, Kiki, and Jack.


I'd have to say that he's the world's best (and most handsome) uncle. Next up...more uncle and aunt time with those Greenville kiddos!

Amy and Zach's Wedding

Part One of who-knows-how-many "Trip to the States" posts. My goal was to have all these pictures edited and up before our trip to Little Cayman in a week. But considering the amount of pictures and free time I have, that's pretty much wishful thinking!

First up, Amy's wedding! We got to Ohio on December 10th, and had almost a whole week before the wedding to catch up with family and friends. Some of those pictures will show up in the next post, but first here's a breakdown of the wedding fun.

Bachelorette Night

The wedding festivities officially began Thursday night with the bachelor/bachelorette parties. The girls went downtown to get drink and appetizers at Palomino's.


Then we went back to Amy's apartment for some more snacks and treats. Sarah made these beautiful cupcakes and goodie bags.


Pedicures and facials...I love girl time!


Day Before Wedding

A group of us gathered at the reception place on Friday morning to help set up some decorations.


All hands on deck


There's always time to get a quick posed picture!


After setting up, we went straight to the church for the rehearsal, then headed to Dewey's for dinner.


The Wedding

Here's the beautiful bride! I'm so proud to be her sister!


The bridesmaids


I don't have any pictures of the ceremony, but it was truly beautiful. I can't wait to see the photographer's pictures! The reception was super fun. Amy and Zach had stations with different favorite foods - specialty pizzas, burgers, soups and salads. They played up the Christmas vibe with "Amy" and "Zach" stockings by the fire, mistletoe, a beautiful tree and sleigh. My favorite was the festive beverage bar with eggnog, hot chocolate, and holiday-flavored coffees.

Sarah and Jack, world's best ring bearer


I love the reflection of the head table in this next shot


Watching the first dance


Husband and wife


All partied out :)


Ah, I will forever have such good memories of this day. Amy looked gorgeous - perfect dress, hair, and make-up. And Zach was a very happy groom. Congratulations to the beautiful newlyweds. We love you guys!

Anniversary Date and Company Party

We are back from our three week vacation to the States. It was a wonderful trip filled with family time, holiday merriment, good friends, and a beautiful winter wedding. Before I can tackle those pictures, I have to do a little catch up from our last week on island.

Anniversary Date

Brent and I celebrated our FIVE YEAR anniversary on December 15th. We knew we would be at separate bachelor/bachelorette parties for my sister and her fiance that night, so we did a special date before we left Grand Cayman. We went to one of our favorite spots - Abacus at Camana Bay. This gave us the added benefit of admiring their pretty Christmas lights one last time.

As we were being seated, the hostess asked who's birthday it was (I think she had our reservation mixed up). We said it wasn't a birthday, but an anniversary. Then they brought out two complimentary glasses of champagne! I love it when restaurants do those special touches.


I got the brie-stuffed chicken, and Brent got steak with a yummy side of mac and cheese. As always, it was delicious!


FIVE years!


Company Christmas Party

This next set of pictures were all taken by my darling friend Jenn. I brought my camera to the PwC Christmas party last year, but didn't want to carry it around this time. The party was "resort chic" and took place at Tiki Beach. It was perfect breezy weather for an outdoor island Christmas party. I had a great time, even better than last year. It was nice to know more people, and this time they brought in belly dancers and henna tattoo artists to add to the fun. Here we are with our friends Lisa and JP.


Jenn and Nate had some friends from home in town. We got to hang out with Phil and Lindsey a couple times during their visit, and really enjoyed getting to know them.


I love this set of pictures from the party's photo booth:


Here's my henna tattoo. I was told it would last a couple weeks, but it was gone after about five days. It was probably for the best, I didn't want to have weird faded markings for Amy's wedding!


Ok, now on to slimming down and editing those holiday pictures! More to come later...

Christmas Tree Lighting and Thanksgiving

On November 22, Camana Bay had their annual Christmas tree lighting. We had a blast last year, and made sure to mark the date again this year. We enjoyed the choirs and orchestra, but our not-so-great seats kept me from getting a good shot of the show. But here's the beautiful tree all lit up!


Camana Bay is always one of my favorite places on island, but it's especially magical this time of year. They do a great job decorating. These trees are awesome!


Thanksgiving was the next week, but unfortunately Brent had to work. I wasn't going to miss the parade two years in a row though, so I joined Jeremy and Sheena for a little brunch that morning. Once Brent got home from work, we headed to Wes and Dan's place for a traditional American feast. We had such good memories from last year, and were thrilled when they offered to host again. There were about 25 people, and everyone brought a dish. It was a lot of food, but I think we managed :)

The next Sunday, Jenn hosted another "Thanksgiving" for work people. Last year, she had everyone bring a traditional American dish, but this year everyone brought something from their country. It was a fun twist. The perogies and yorkshire pudding were my favorites!


I tried a new recipe for sweet potato casserole, which I thought turned out fabulously (pictured in back left). I will definitely be repeating this one for future Thanksgivings!


Can't have a Thanksgiving meal without the turkey! Jenn made a 20-pounder, along with stuffing and a green bean casserole. She's amazing!


Another year full of blessings. It's weird writing a post with all these links to the same events from last year. I'm in shock that the first 13 months of our island adventure have already passed. We still thank God for this opportunity and are loving every moment with our wonderful friends and Cayman's beautiful scenery.

Most likely this is the last post before our holiday trip to the States. My sister's wedding is December 17, and I can't wait to see her as a beautiful bride. Then we head to South Carolina for Christmas and New Years. It should be a wonderful trip. We can't wait to reconnect with family and friends!