Christmas DVDs

Shirin and I will likely be getting many people DVDs for Christmas. Please post a list of DVDs or DVD sets that you'd like so we can get started.

-Gabriel

Here are a bunch more pics from our Thanksgiving. I haven't bothered to label them. The entire set of the pictures we took is available on snapfish.com. I sent an email link to everyone. If you have photos, put them up on snapfish so we can see them too.

-Gabriel

Thanksgiving at Uncle Sam's

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Gabriel and I just returned from a wonderful 5 day stay at Gabriel's uncle's (Sam) house, where many of the Beal and Geaslin family members and friends gather every year to celebrate the holidays (with feasts, games, and sporting events thrown into the mix). At times, there were at least 15 of us (I haven't actually counted them up) hanging out for all the festivities, and it was a very lively and energetic Thanksgiving Break.
Some of the highlights for me were: playing an "Amazing Race"-like adventure game that Sam made up, where we competed as couples by racing around in the woods trying to solve clues before anyone else (we won the second round, by the way!); playing softball and kickball, the first being a family tradition and the latter being a new addition to the sports games; having paintball wars in the woods- a first for me; lots of board games, including a new one called Apples to Apples; and, of course, all the wonderful food prepared by Mrs Geaslin (aka Mamaw), Nicole, and Janice...thanks to Ashley for all the clean-up! Gabriel also did more playing outside with the boys than I did, adding golf, basketball, and football to his list of sports. Meanwhile, I spent some of my time indoors, cooking and fraternizing with the womenfolk. I also spent some quality time with Sam's dog, Gal, who I'm absolutely in love with...she's a sweet, white German Shephard who I really wanted to take home with me. (Too bad I don't have a yard, and I'm not allowed to have animals in my apartment!)
Anyway, we both did a lot of running around outside, and Gabriel and I are still sore from our active week, but we've returned home feeling a "good" tiredness, as well as emotionally filled-up from all of the quality time we got to spend with family.
The photos below should hopefully give a small peek into an awesome holiday break with my new family.
-Shirin

Emily (Sam's daughter) showing me how she can read/write.

Mrs Geaslin looking lovely (at breakfast with the family at the Golden Coral)

David, Brendan, Cruz, & Clayton playing golf

Gabriel setting up "Therapy," a really fun game we were about to play.

Brendan, Mamaw, Rita (blacked-out face per her request), Nicole, Cruz, & me playing.

Chris, Ashley, Clayton, Gabriel, Cruz, & David playing football.

Brendan, Gene, and me goofing around

Me and Sam (with Gal), watching the boys play basketball

Basketball.

Casey & Janice before the big adventure-competition race

Mamaw setting up our picnic lunch.

Clayton, Gabriel & I loading up our paintballs.

Brendan, David, & Gabriel practicing with their paintball guns.

Nicole, Chad, Cruz, & me, watching the paintball shoot-off between Ashley & Gabriel

Boys doing dishes, assembly-line style.

Weekend Update

We went to Rock Hill this weekend to spend time with my dad while my mom was out of town (visiting family), visit with my mom when she got back on Sunday, and celebrate Clayton's birthday with David, et al. We had originally planned for Gabriel to go without me, since I am still in my concentrated testing period, but at the last minute I decided I could spare the time to visit and try to study while there.
I didn't get too much studying done, but I'll probably be able to cram some more before my quiz and final exam on Mon & Tues, since they are both for the same class (GI physiology). However, I had a great time going out for Thai food with Gabriel and my dad, playing with my parents' kitties, visiting Lisa's mom (Irysse) and her new puppies, making chili for Clayton's birthday dinner, playing "Apples for Apples" with the birthday crowd, and watching Gabriel make his first birthday cake ever!
We got to spend a few hours with my mom before heading back to Athens, where I will finish up school-stuff, pack our bags, and head down to FL for a long and needed family-fun extravaganza.
Happy Thanksgiving!
-Shirin

Gabriel learned quickly: the cook gets to eat the extra icing!

That actually says "25" in binary code

(from one nerd to another- ha ha ha)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOOOOU!"

Irysse showing us her grandbabies

(1 day old Boston Terrier pups).

Jazzie, being a good mama.

Checking out the new Crimmins family members.

My dear parents.

Chillin' with the father-in-law.

Gabriel is now as obsessed with cats as I am. :)