Thanksgiving and Christmas

Rather than doing a huge recap - I'm posting pictures and calling it a day.  We did make it to Georgia for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Once I get more pictures from my side of the family, I will post them.

 Tucker watched the entire movie - exactly like this.  Refused to move.  Would not respond to us.  We even told him we were going to Bop's - no response.  Not right - we are aware.

 Poor Steven - he went home and this is what his brother and sister did to his deer.  Andrew and Brandy - one day Steven will get you back for all the jokes, tricks, etc you have pulled on him. 

Tucker isn't spoiled at Grandma's.  Not even the slightest bit.  Yeah, right.

FYI - 6 hours in the car at 29 weeks really doesn't do much to help swelling.  Just a word of advice.

This sweetness also happened while in Georgia over Christmas...

Faces

The faces in this series of pictures is just too funny not to post.  Please notice how John and Elizabeth make the same face at the same time.

Love. Pure Love.

Watching these two together just melts my heart.  They love each other. 

Painting

I decided that our house really needed to be repainted several years ago, but continued to wait until the timing was right.  The time finally came and I took on the challenge of picking out paint colors that a) I like and b) are "market easy" meaning we don't have to repaint before listing the house.  Anyway, I had always thought that the house was still the original paint from when it was constructed.  During the painting adventure, we discovered that I was right!  After 7 years, the builder's choice had served its purpose.

Now, I would be very mistaken if I did not express our gratitude and appreciation to my father-in-law.  Y'all, only two months into retirement he spent an entire week painting our house.  Yep, that's right - one person, one week, one house.  We are incredible lucky and extremely appreciative of the work he did.  We keep joking with him that when his "play money" runs low, he should start painting on the side.

In case you really want to know (and I know you don't), but all paint colors are Sherwin Williams...Sky High in our bathroom, Kilim Beige in the bedroom, and Sagey (at 120%) in the rest of the house.

Greats

Grandmama and Granddaddy are in Texas visiting their great-grandchildren this week.  While they don't get around like they once did, they unlike many, aren't afraid to hop on a plane if it means time with John and Elizabeth.

Sister sent us these pictures the other night and I can't help but share.  They warmed my heart.

I can assure you that come March they will be first in line behind our parents to hold their newest great-grandchild.

Payback

Tucker has a love for socks like nothing else in this world, except maybe Bop's.  He knows the sound of Andrew's sock drawer opening...he can sniff out socks (clean ones even) from the living room to our bedroom.  The problem with this love is that he also tries to take them off your feet while you are first putting them on, asleep on the sofa, cooking dinner...anytime.  No sock is safe around Tucker.

So while cleaning out his sock drawer this weekend, Andrew found a few pairs that had holes (thanks to Tucker) and decided to give them to him.  I had a different idea - I decided that since he loved socks so much and really loved taking everyone's socks off that he should get the chance to take his own socks off...

He obviously did not agree with me that this should be fun.  Andrew and I rolled laughing while watching him figure out how to take the socks off.  It only took 5 minutes and he had those suckers off and hidden so I couldn't play this mean trick on him again.

To anyone that has ever had their socks removed or taken from their suitcase, you are welcome and sorry you missed the entertainment.

A Trip to Texas and Yard Work

Does any one has foundation plants that appear to belong in a jungle, not in your front yard??  We trimmed the foundation bushes in July.  Gave them a serious hack...and this is what we had come October.

So we gave them yet another serious hack with the help of a certain little fellow.  Here it is - your only intentional bump picture.

 I also made a very important trip to Texas to meet this little doll and see her big brother.  She has the worst expressions.  It is like she knows when you are going to take a picture.  She will be sleeping with the cutest face until you try to take a picture - you get a look like this!

 Poor Elizabeth, she has my cow lick.  Her hair will never be smooth in that spot.  She also thought tummy time was for the birds and would give you an evil eye as soon as you rolled her over. 

Finally, a sweet face!

She is the most laid back baby.  She is happy to just chill, which given her brother's need for attention - this is a very good thing.  John is handling the transition well and is just upset that he can't touch her because he has had colds. 

And then there is this...

Oreo Cookie needed a bath after a weekend in a country and far too long without one (i'm not admitting just how long, but let's say it was about the same amount of time as the bushes, YIKES!).  As soon as we arrived from Georgia, I got Andrew to throw him in the tub so I can scrub the nasty boy.  Well, in true weirdo form, he could not figure out how to get himself out of the tub.  Andrew has to pick him up going in because he knows it is bath time, but you would think that he would willingly jump out.  Heck no.  He spent a solid 5 minutes crying and fussing and trying but wouldn't put his paws on the ground.  We are now going to use this as doggie day care, ha!

A Taste of August and September

Really, y'all - I have no idea what all happened in August and September other than a bunch of random stuff. 

Andrew took the Medicine Board in August, which meant the first few day so August were filled with studying.  The weekend after he took the exam, we went to Orange Beach, Alabama for the first time ever.  Around here that is a shock...most folks from this area consider Orange Beach their annual beach destination.  We thoroughly enjoyed our trip.  It is a great beach, wonderful area, lots of good food, and best of all - we had no plans other than to spend time on the beach and eat.  The only issue with the entire weekend was that it rained...and rained...and rained.  See...it rained....

 (and we take horrible self-pictures, ha!)  We spent most of Friday on the beach.  We had to sit through a brief sprinkle or two, but nothing major.  Then Saturday, the rain set in and it wasn't moving.  We walked on the beach in the rain twice, but that was our only time in the beach.  And I don't mean a little drizzle...I mean we were soaked...as in...it was pouring down rain, but we wanted to enjoy some time on the beach.

Overnight Saturday night and into Sunday morning, a massive storm blew in.  It had some serious winds, which seemed even stronger on the 14th floor of a condo building.  All was good and fine until just as we were getting ready to shower and dress to head home, the power went out.  And we were on the 14th floor.  And the elevators didn't run on a generator.  So down the steps we went with all of our luggage and special beer that you can't buy in Mississippi so naturally we stocked up in Alabama.  We made it in a single trip.  No one was injured and we made it back with our prized beer.  I have to admit - it was killer seeing all the sweetwater and not being able to drink one.

But it did stop raining long enough for us to enjoy dinner on the patio one night.  Sadly, that was the only night we were able to have dinner outside. 

 

Now when I tell you that our little boy is already like his father - allow this previous picture to demonstrate the issue with taking pictures for you.  Andrew HATES to have his picture taken, so he refuses to look at me most of the time.  Well, wouldn't you know it - the ultrasound tech was trying to get a profile picture of our little booger and he kept his face hidden the entire time.  The one time he did show his face, he was moving around so it is blurry.  I'm telling you - like father, like son.

At some point during August or September, I decided to start slowly cleaning out the house.  I am just trying to clear out some of the "unnecessary stuff" we have collected over the past 4 years.  Y'all, we love ball caps.  We were them for golf, shooting, hunting, yard work, when we don't feel like washing our hair (oh, wait - that's just me), etc.  Well, little did I know, we had a serious collection of non-camo (those are stored in a separate location with the other camo) hats.

 The ones stacked on the table were known keepers.  The ones on the back of the sofa were up for debate.  We ended up trashing all of the hats on the back of the sofa (I believe).  We cut our collect in half!

Then in September, Andrew went on a trip for Peds Board Review.  He was gone for week so I enjoyed a week of cooking everything that he doesn't like but love.  At some point during the week I (as planned) used up all my fresh groceries and was going to eat chicken cakes (think crab cakes, but with chicken instead) that I made and froze a month or so ago.  Let's just say that after one sniff of those suckers, I knew they were freezer burnt.  So I went in search of plan b which did not include leaving the house.  This is what I found...

Um...Houston, we had a problem.  Don't laugh but both the heavy cream and the milk were expired too.  Soooo....that left me with a massive selection of beer, diet coke, salad dressings, and cheese.  Yep, yummy.  The beer would have been more than satisfying but that wasn't an option, I don't drink soft drinks except for the rare Diet Dr. Pepper, I had nothing and I mean nothing to put dressing on, and same with cheese.  The pantry was equally as bad.  It was a sad day.

And that is a taste of the random stuff that happened in August and September.

The Blessing of a Nephew and a Niece

Because when you have a nephew and a niece and your sister tells you that she is done with kids - you get every single little boy outfit and bedding that she saved just in case her second was a boy once she finds out her second is a girl.  Then you spend an entire day sorting clothes in boxes organized by size...

 Then about 6 months later, you say thank goodness for a sister that saved everything and only had one boy because...YOU ARE HAVING A BABY BOY!!!!

Yep - Andrew and I are thrilled to share that are having a little wiggle-worm boy in March!

(even better - John was also born in the March so the seasons and sizes will line-up!!)

Um, Yeah. What Happened to August and September??

Without saying anything else - I have to share that Andrew passed the Medicine Board Exam!!  He (actually, we) is very excited to have successfully checked that box.  He faces the Peds Board Exam at the end of October.  I ask again, what kind of nut does it take to pick a program that requires two Boards??  Had I made it to med school, I certainly wouldn't have signed up for such a challenge.  

I'm sorry, but I'm not even going to try to back up and fill you in on August and September.  It was just way to busy.  I'm sure Tucker did lots of cute things that we have pictures of and I know that we took a trip to Madison (Georgia of course).  Honestly, y'all, I don't have it in me to back up at this point.

I will share this little story.  You know you are home in the country when you go for a run early on a Saturday morning and get passed by not one, but two, dump trucks hauling loads of chicken litter.  Oh the joys of running in the country.  I will say that there is nothing like a run from my parents' house to town and back.  I run down a narrow two-lane with no shoulder, just a ditch, then cross the (very uneven) railroad track, continue down said two-lane but with a shoulder and a (uneven concrete sidewalk full of hardwood tree root damage waiting to trip you), and in to the historic district before turning to head home (which is all uphill by the way).  It's plum beautiful to watch the sunrise, listen to the birds, and wave at old friends - but that dang hill, the sidewalks (which I refuse to use), and the narrow two-lane are what makes it a solid challenge every time.

And to bring you right up to speed - Andrew and I have been blessed with a niece, Elizabeth Gray.  If you ask me, she is just perfect (but I haven't pulled my weekend shift in Texas yet - that might change after that weekend).

Still Not Normal

I got this in a text from Andrew last night - our dog is not right.

Everyone else at cooking club gets texts with pictures of their kids being cute...I get this.  Let's be honest - there is nothing cute about it.

I also fall in the still not normal category this week.  I needed new running socks because my old ones have seen far too many miles and way too much sweat to even smell semi-clean, so I ordered two pairs of my normal sock.  Then I got brave and decided to take a walk on the wild side and order a new style.  Now that is bold folks - if it isn't broke, don't fix it - applies to shoes, socks, shorts, sports bra, shirts (any other s' word that applies to running) - you just don't change for the sake of change.  They said they are made the exact same, just are cut lower.  I had to do a side-by-side review to see if it was true when they arrived...

I'm testing them out tonight - I promise not to wear one of each pair.  We will see if they told a story.