Our Family Tree is Growing

No, I'm not pregnant!! Or if I am, my doctor has some 'splainin to do!

While I'm not pregnant, both of my brothers' wives are! Beth is due in February and C is due in April (I think...I'm a bad aunt for not knowing for sure!). Since they're both expecting at the same time my mom (NahNah) and I decided to throw a joint shower for them.

So, on the 3rd, the kiddos and I packed up and headed to the ATL to shower them with love. NahNah and I had decided to go with the theme of 'Our Family Tree is Growing.' I made three versions of the invitations - one for each girl that went to their family and friends and one that featured both of them that went to our side of the family.

For the decorations my mom played on the 'tree' theme and decorated her white Christmas tree in pale pinks and blues with silver accents (Beth is having a girl and C is having a boy). In the center of the food table was a white 'stick tree' that also played a part in one of the games (more on that in a minute) and the dessert table had a silver and pink crystal Christmas tree on it.

We had lots of yummy hors devours - cream cheese/spinach balls, spring rolls, aspargus rolls and . We served 'Sparkling Pink Lady' punch from NahNah's silver punch bowl and used her silver 'baby cups' to go with it. The dessert table had two vanilla with custard filling cakes (one pink and one blue), along with chocolate cupcakes that said 'baby' and 'love' and had the new babies initials on them. There were also miniature desserts like key lime bites, brownies, cheesecakes, coffee cheesecake bites, etc. It was all so good!!

We only played two games - one was guessing how many diaper pins (safety pins) were in a bowl and the other was the 'Family Tree' game. I had both of my sisters-in-law send me pictures of as many family members as they could get as babies - themselves, their parents, their siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents...everyone - and I got them for our side of the family as well. I cut each of them out (we ended up using 29 of them), glued them to pale blue paper and hung them from the stick tree on the food table. Each picture had a number on the back. As guests arrived they were given a sheet of paper that had a list of relatives, ie - I'm A & S's aunt (Tamara) - and they had to find the baby picture that matched the description. It turned out to be a lot of fun and it was amazing how difficult some of them were! The winners of the games each got a bottle of sparkling grape juice with a personalized label to toast the new babies when they arrive.

Both of the girls received so many wonderful gifts, it's very apparent that they're both loved by lots of people!

As the guests were leaving they were given a special treat that NahNah had made up. It is a belgian chocolate coin with the tree from the invitations and each babies name printed on it. The only problem was that no one wanted to eat them because they were so cute!

I can't speak for the girls, but I know that from my perspective everything turned out wonderful! Now I just can't wait for my new little niece and nephew to arrive!

Wordless Wednesday

*I have a post all written out about last weekend's joint baby shower for the sisters-in-law, but...I deleted all of the pictures from my disk (boo!) so I'll post it as soon as NahNah or PopPop can send me copies of the pictures!

Thanksgiving in Pictures

I know I'm way behind on my blogging - hubby just sweetly pointed that out to me - but I'll be completely honest, I don't feel like writing much right now! So...I'm just going to post a few pictures from our Thanksgiving with hubby's family and leave it at that.

But before I do that - I want to take just a minute and wish my Hubby a Happy Belated 5th Anniversary! November 26, 2004 we set sail off of Key West for a sunset cruise as Mr. and Miss and came back Mr. and Mrs. Happy Anniversary & I love you Hubby!!

Now, on to the pictures (and I don't think any of these are from dinner, they're just random Thanksgiving day!)

The kids and I are heading to Atlanta tomorrow to see my family. Both of my brothers' wives are expecting babies so my mom, grandma and I are throwing a joint shower for them. I can't wait to see everyone! The only thing that worries me is that it's supposed to be super cold with a 50% chance of snow...my driving can be a little scary on a good day, much less a snowy day! And yes, I just called my own driving a little scary. So wish me luck, say a prayer and I'll post pictures from that when we return!

Gator Game Day

We decided that the UF/FIU (Florida International) game would be the perfect game to take BBug to this season. We tried to take her to the Tennessee game in 2007 (I think) and that was just a B-A-D idea! The Tennessee game was hot, crowded and she was just too young. The UF/FIU game was on a nice cool(er) day and not too crowded, plus she's really in to everything "Go Gators" this year.

We have two season tickets and considered getting two additional tickets so that the whole family could go, but we figured BuddyRoe wouldn't be too enthused about sitting still for the game. We talked about it and agreed that we would all make the trip to Gainesville and tailgate and then just Daddy and BBug would actually go in to the game while BuddyRoe and I hung out at the car and around campus. In the end, the kids' favorite daycare teacher, Miss A. joined us too and went in to the game with Daddy and BBug.

We left the house super early so that we could try to make it to Gator Walk - where the players walk down University Avenue to the stadium. We did make it in time to see the buses pull up (and we got to see Tim Tebow through the window!) but we weren't able to get close enough to actually see the guys walking down the street. Next time we know to get there really early!

After Gator Walk we took a few pictures with the Bull Gator and then went back to the car for a picnic lunch before the game started.

When it was time to head in to the game, BuddyRoe and I walked the rest of the crew back to the stadium. On our way there I looked over and saw the cutest little girl in a Gator cheerleader outfit with her hair in piggies - it was Miss Belle! She was there with her momma, daddy, aunts and uncle. Her daddy and uncles just happen to be some of my cousins (their momma and my momma are first cousins)! I didn't get a picture, but her momma - Annie - took one and has it up on her blog.

After dropping Daddy, BBug & Miss A. off at the stadium BuddyRoe took a quick nap and then we loaded up in the stroller and set off to see the sights. We visited the statue of Albert & Alberta, went back to the Bull Gator and hung out in front of the O Dome for a while. I have to say that BuddyRoe made his Daddy proud. Everywhere we went there were college girls oohing and ahhing all over him! Two girls asked me to take their picture with the Bull Gator and then had BuddyRoe get in it with them! They even asked me for his name so they could 'tag' him on Facebook!
I called Hubby at halftime to see how BBug was doing and he said she had been having a great time, but had fallen asleep right after watching the cheerleaders (during halftime)! He and Miss A. decided to stay for the rest of the game and just let her sleep in their laps. When they came out after the game was over BuddyRoe and I were ready and waiting with the stroller. Once she woke up BBug said her favorite parts were the cheerleaders - she's going to be one when she gets big - and Albert & Alberta. Oh, and she liked the football game ok too!

Unfortunately, Daddy wasn't able to get very good pictures inside. BBug wasn't the most cooperative subject. But, we know she had fun just the same!

After the game we had some celebratory cupcakes - the score was 62-3 - and then headed home. It was great day and we'll definitely take BBug back for more games next season!

The Sweetness

Kelly - over at Kelly's Korner - is hosting her weekly 'Show Us Your Life' and today is all about pets. So, I decided I would take the opportunity to introduce those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting him in person to our four-legged son...The Sweetness.

No, his name is not technically 'The Sweetness.' Technically his name is Bentley. But somewhere along the way Hubby started calling him Sweet Sweet which then evolved in to The Sweetness. He's also been known to answer to Bent Bent, SwwwSwww (before BBug could say Sweet Sweet) and DaDa (before BBug could say SwwwSwww)!

The Sweetness joined our family 4 1/2 years ago when it was still just Hubby and I. When Hubby and I first met we both had dogs of our own, I had Teensy a min pin and he had Cecil a german shorthair. During the course of our dating and early marriage we lost both of those dogs and so in May of 2005 we decided to get a new puppy. We wanted another shorthair, but one had just won the Westminster so they were officially out of our price range! Growing up my family had always had mutts/pound puppies, so I talked Hubby in to going that route again.

We went to the county pound and there was a cage full of siblings. The cutest little puppies you've ever seen! Two girls and one little boy. The girls were hyper and noisy - barking non-stop jumping all around. The little boy was as laid back and quiet as you've ever seen. We decided that little boy puppy was meant to join our family! I felt so bad about leaving his sisters though that I tried to talk Hubby in to taking all of them. I was serious, I did not want to leave those poor babies there! We had to wait a few days before we could bring him home - to let him get fixed and whatnot - so Hubby gave in and agreed to take all of them if the sisters were still there when we went to pick him up. Luckily for us, the sisters had been adopted by the time we went back to pick him up. And I say luckily because that cute little puppy eventually grew in to a 90 pound mass of energy! There's no way I could have handled three of them!

The Sweetness started out as an indoor dog, but as he grew and grew and grew and our family grew to include BBug (and as he continued to eat more and more of my shoes!) we decided that he needed more room to roam and made him an outdoor dog. He loves it. He has a room in the back of the garage that is open for him at all times but also allows him free access to the yard. He's pretty content to just hang out there most of the time, but on occaision he'll get a wild hair and try to make a break for it when we open the gate or the garage door. And when he's successful...oh Lordy! That is the fastest dog you've ever seen! Literally, he's out the door, down the driveway and across the road before you even realize he's made it past you!

Other than the occaisional escapes, he is a fantastic dog. He's low maintenance, he's loving with the kids (who adore him!) and he's good for scaring off folks who don't know him! It's hard to believe sometimes that he's been with us for so long, but we're looking forward to a lot more years with him!

Brama Island

Last weekend some of the folks from our local 'Young Farmers & Ranchers' got together and took a trip to the largest freshwater island in the United States - Brama Island.


A local ranch family owns the island, which depending on water levels is anywhere between 1,800 and 3,500 acres. It's home to several endangered species and lots of other unique wildlife. I could go in to a lot of detail on just how neat this place is and still not even scratch the surface.

We all met up on Saturday morning and took the barge arcoss the lake to the island. Once we got there a couple of the cowboys and some of the ladies stayed behind at the camp house to get lunch ready while the rest of us loaded up in to the trucks and toured the island. We saw axis deer, fallow deer, goats, rams (?), bald eagles (they have 18 nests on the island), alligators and more.

The island is also home to the oldest documented oak tree in the state of Florida. This tree is more than 400 years old, has survived at least 7 hurricanes and 2 lightning strikes. It's awesome!

After the tour we went back and enjoyed a great steak lunch before loading back up on the barge and heading back home - well, that's what some folks did anyway. One of the guys volunteered to take some of the kids, and by default a couple adults, on the airboat rather than the barge. Since neither BBug or I had ever been on an airboat we decided it would be fun to ride together. On the ride back we saw a few more alligators and had lots of fun.



It was such a neat experience and we're so blessed that we're able to do stuff like that together as a family and with friends. I love the fact that our kids get to see and experience such fantastic places!

And I know this post kind of jumps around, but I'm not having the most 'streamlined thought' kind of night so it is what it is. Sorry!

A Very Special Thank You

I want to extend a very special 'Thank You' to all of our nation's veterans. Whether you served in war time or peace time you are my heros!

For those veterans closest to my heart including my Hubby, and all the others...THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!!

Excessive Celebration

I'm not sure that she'll ever be able to play in a high school/college setting...she might get penalized for excessive celebration!

And please excuse the fact that my child is playing in the driveway half-dressed!

A Walking Man

Wordless Wednesday

Cinderella & The Scarecrow

For Halloween this year BBug had a multitude of costumes to choose from so she chose to be a LadyBug (please don't ask about the polka dots on her face, she wanted "makeup") for trick-or-treating at school...

and Cinderella for Halloween night...

If you ask me she was the most gorgeous Cinderella ever...not that I'm biased!

BuddyRoe on the other hand didn't like a single costume that we tried on him at the stores. Everything was either too hot - hello, it was in the 90s here for Halloween! - or had a hood/mask which he was not in to! So at the last minute I decided to just cut up a pair of Hubby's boxers and sew patches on to a pair of BuddyRoe's overalls to make him a scarecrow...

I will offer one piece of advice - if you're going to make your small child a scarecrow, don't use real straw/hay! They don't appreciate it and it makes a huge mess!

Not that it really mattered in the long run...Buddy got hold of my can of coke and poured the entire thing down the front of his outfit before we even made it to the first house - so the rest of the night he just went as a half naked baby!

Our plans for the night didn't work out quite as expected, but Aunt A and Uncle M joined us and we had a great time anyway! And we definitely came home with more than enough goodies!

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween as well!

Baby's Got a Big Head

That's right...I said my baby's got a big head.

BuddyRoe had his 1 year well visit today and the doctor confirmed what many others have suspected (and shared with us) - while BuddyRoe falls in to the 25th percentile for both height and weight, he's up in the 75th percentile for his head circumference! We're going to take that as a sign of extreme intelligence and let it go at that!

All-in-all he is doing fantastic. He weighs 21 pounds 11 ounces and is 29 1/4 inches long. He's not walking yet, but is cruising all over the place so we know the walking will come along shortly. And despite my earlier mentions of "talking" the doctor says that a one time mimic of a word doesn't count :( And even though he is saying 'mama' and 'dada' (over and over and over) because he doesn't really associate those words with us they don't truly count either. So technically, he has zero vocabulary at this point. The doctor said he isn't going to worry about it yet, but if he hasn't developed some vocabulary by his 15 month check up we'll start looking at it a little closer.

He did get several shots today - the standard immunizations for 1 year plus the first of two flu shots (just the regular old flu, not H1N1). He wasn't happy about it while he was being held down, but as usual the minute his daddy lifted him off the table he was done crying and good to go.

So the final verdict of the checkup: We have a healthy, happy boy who is growing bigger and better every day!

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Baby Boy

Where does the time go? I truly can't believe that it's been a whole year since our family was completed. I could write a whole long post about this boy, but I'm already having an emotional time with today so I won't! (I know, I know I'm a sappy mess)

We had been fighting early labor and other complications for five weeks by this point last year and the doctors had finally decided that this was the day that the risks associated with my trying to carry BuddyRoe to term outweighed the benefits. So we headed to the hospital, got checked in and prepared to welcome our little man.

At 11:08 a.m. our wonderful doctor held him up and introduced us to our 5 lb. 9 oz. miracle boy. He was perfect. The neonatologist let me give him a quick kiss before he and Hubby headed out to the NICU.

Even though he struggled for a few days ~ the doctors called him a 'Whimpy White Boy' (apparently that's an accepted medical term because my girlfriend who's a LD nurse said the same thing) ~ we knew how blessed we were. Overall he did so well and was able to come home just 8 days later.

While it took us a few months to get past some of the preemie issues and he gave us more than one heart attack a long the way, looking at him today you would never know of the challenges he faced.



BuddyRoe - from a Mommy and Daddy who love you and a Sissy who adores you...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!