Christmas Eve at the Cudzilo's- Dec 24, 2008

Jess decided to make a big Christmas eve meal for her parents and a few of us and I was happy to oblige with my eating skills. It was quite delicious and nice to have some company after leaving friends in England and returning to Cincinnati.

Cambridge, England- Dec 23, 2008

Cambridge is a world-renowned university just northwest of London. For us, the draw was more the beauty of the campus. Each college has it's own flare, but the feel of the architecture is definitely scholarly and inspiring. Adele, one of Sarah's old housemates from uni, spent the day with us and drove us up.

Stratford-upon-Avon- Dec 22, 2008

Stratford-upon-Avon, famous as Shakespeare's birthplace, is one of England's most popular tourist destinations, even for the English themselves. There are plenty of shops, tudor architecture, and in the summer a bustling river scene on the banks of the Avon river. Sarah's parents were great enough to take us there for the day after driving us all the way out to the wedding.

Claire and Dan's Wedding- Dec 21, 2008

Claire and Dan's wedding was beautiful and more importantly, fit Claire perfectly. She looked gorgeous in her champagne-colored dress and the setting and size was warm and lovely. Best of all, I got to spend some time with the glowing bride.

The Cotswolds- Dec 21, 2008

Halfway between North Wales and Surrey is the Cotswolds where Claire and Dan got married. It's a beautiful area, quintessential England according to the website. It was really breathtaking and before the wedding, Sarah and I walked around the grounds.

Sarah and Northampton- Dec 20, 2008

Northampton is about 1h north of London and more importantly is Sarah's hometown. She teaches in a primary school there and it was the first stop on my short England trip.

Secret Santas and Ugly Sweaters- Dec 16, 2008

Our annual alphabet club secret santa was just as fun this year. We had several priceless "goodwill" gifts including an interesting wooden light thing with ceramic cowboy teddy bears and a whole set of 80's casette tapes. For real gifts, smartwool socks were all the rage. As far as the ugly holiday sweaters, Thomas won the prize big time with his women's beaded holiday extravaganza vest.