Christmas Card Time

I just love getting Christmas cards. They have already started coming in. It is fun going home each day to see who's has arrived. I love getting to see how big all the children are getting. Seeing what great trips people have taken. And what people are up to. I save them every year and look back through them.

I just have not gotten ours out yet. But don't worry!! I am waiting to get a great picture from this weekend. We have a big weekend coming up, William's 2nd birthday party and George's baptism. With lots of family coming into town. It is going to be so much fun.

I noticed last year that all of my favorite cards that people were sending were coming from Shutterfly. The cards were beautiful and the paper was very nice. So once things settle down, I will pick out my favorite picture and head on over to Shutterfly and pick out one of their beautiful cards. (If you're a blogger you too can get 50 free cards, find out all of the info here.)

I have narrowed it down to these three:

I am thinking about getting Rich either a calendar or a mug for Christmas. Maybe both, if he is really good.

Be on the lookout for our card soon. And don't forget to go to Shutterfly for all of your Christmas needs :) !!!!

Happy Anniversary

Happy 7th Anniversary to my wonderful Husband and Best Friend. I had this great plan for a post. I had begun gathering pictures from the time we started dating up to now. I have a folder on our computer at home labeled 7th Anniversary where I had begun to gather my pictures but I still needed to scan some pictures but I was going to have all of these pictures. Yet, LIFE (2 babies, dogs, jobs, sickness) got in the way. So I am just going to have to write it out. (Please excuse any misspellings, since this is for my spell checker, he will have to do it later.)

On my way into work this morning I started thinking over our time together and thought I would post some of my favorite things.

Dating: I always have to begin with the fact the my dad picked you out. Which is crazy. If you do not know that story, Rich worked at a wonderful bed and breakfast in Macon (where we went to school (Mercer) and where he would later propose) and my parents were staying there for a parents weekend. My dad told me he had meet the nicest guy and I needed to date him. It was not until later that I figured out it was Rich. I had actually kinda of meet Rich at a party and told a friend I was going to marry a guy like him. I told my roommate that I thought was cute. After our first date, I told that same roommate, if he asked me out again we would get married.

Just little things that pop in my head of us dating: Me chasing you all over Mercer (I knew when he checked his mail, I would find out what party he was going to, or my roommate would call me if she saw him out and I would go). Driving to Miami the first time and being so nervous. You got me to eat conch fitters for the first time. Visiting you at William and Mary. Limousin to D.C. Driving to Williamsburg in your hot car with no air, Having many great times in Atlanta. And so many more...


Marriage: I had no idea you were going to ask me to marry you that night. It was the perfect place. You made it so special. I love telling the story. I think of our first home, Athens. What maybe 500 square feet of space. Our landlords yelling across their balcony for us to bring them beer. Walking to Mellow Mushroom to get pizza.




Flying into D.C. the first time and looking at you and saying, "We are moving here!" I know we will never forgot that apartment or the views or all our visitors. Walking all over D.C. in the snow and throwing snowballs at the frozen Potomac River. Going to New York for the first time, on a bus. I tried to make it special with our wine, cheese and Carrs crackers. I thought we were going to get mugged when we were dropped off in China town at 1 a.m.

Moving to Nashville and our dungin apartment, My mom saying, "How did you move from the pent house to the poor house." Our first REAL home, with 6 inches of water in the basement.

Our first baby!

Our first real baby!

Our second baby!

I said it the night before we got married and I believe it even stronger today: God sent you to me, you were the answer to my prayers and I have LOVED sharing my life with you and knowing that you are my future gives me such joy, happiness, comfort, and excitement for what lies ahead. I love you.

Thanksgiving in Florida

We had so much fun in Florida. The flight down was great. William watched movies (thanks Meredith) and George slept. I have tons of pictures and would have more but the battery died on my camera. We loved being with Mimi, Papi, and Aunt Kack.

We have a new way of getting to the airport. You park off site and they drive you to the airport in a limousine. While you are gone they wash your car and change your oil. It is wonderful. Rich wanted me to be sure to add that it only cost $10 per day. (I asked Rich to check my spelling and he added that last part.) William loved riding in the limo.



Mimi and Papi have a beautiful home on the water. William helped Papi with the boat.


He is ready to go fishing. Gaylords, I think you could have another Pankow to tag along. But as for me, I will stay on dry land. Maybe at the spa.


Mimi had the house decorated beautifuly. Fresh flowers everywhere and special Thanksgiving bears for William, Taylor, and George. The house smelled so delicious when we arrived, they had made fresh pumpkin bread and it tasted better than it smelled. I think I ate the whole thing.


Papi knew just how to calm George down. He loved being outside and no one blamed him. The view is beautiful and the weather was perfect. Saturday morning I sat outside in my pjs drinking my coffee with a fur throw and it was wonderful.


Papi made William a box castle. He and Mimi had a great time playing.




We headed over to the Nordstroms Off Rack for a little shopping therapy. Aunt Kack helped William out with picking up the ladies.


As Kathryn said, Look at that swagger.



We always love seeing Oliver. But I am not sure he would say the same about William. He chased him all over the house. Sorry Oliver!



Aunt Kack took William to the Childrens' Museum and let Rich tag along. They had so much fun.



My two firefighters.
William: "Wait what happened to my wing man."

Aunt Kack and William predicting the weather.




Not sure this is what I envisioned when I put him in his smocked outfit. But it does look like fun.


William: "I am out of here!"


Here is a picture of Mimi and William. Mimi had the perfect night time toy. Remember the glow sticks, necklaces, etc.. You bend it and it pops and then starts to glow. Well she had necklaces for William and he loved it.

We got to meet one of Kathryn's friends, Paige. William was in love at first sight. He crawled right up in the chair with her. He followed Paige wherever she went. He loved her. It was hilarious!

Poor Kathryn. She had spent the whole day with William at the museum and he did not care one thing about her. At least she still has Oliver.

Well that is where my pictures end but not the end of our trip. We had wonderful meals and an even more wonderful time. We got to see Anne Leigh and Ben, Blake and Haven and their handsome new addition Hunter.

I wish I could say the flight home was as easy as the flight there but I will leave it at that. Thanks Mimi, Papi and Aunt Kack for a wonderful Thanksgiving, early.

It did take me a week to get this posted. Life just gets crazy sometimes. I go back to work tomorrow and even though I feel better...well I cannot explain how much better I feel that George will be at home with my parents, I am still very sad to leave him. His little personality is starting to come out. When he smiles it is amazing. It is so big. I love it in the morning when he sees me for the first time and just smiles as if saying, "There you are, I missed you." I do only have 3 weeks and then off again for 2, but still please keep me in your prayers.

George Two Months and Randoms

Well I meant to have this posted awhile ago. Actually this should have been two different post. But things got CRAZY!!!!

We are packing up to head to Florida for Thanksgiving. I know a week early. Thankfully Mimi and Popi are having us early. Tickets were crazy expensive and I start back to work that Monday after Thanksgiving. So hopefully the airport will not be packed and it will be an easy flight. Also, William has an ear infection which means antibiotic which means upset tummy. Please pray for us.

Just in case, Rich and I are bringing drink coupons for the poor person who has to sit next to us.


It got cold a week ago so we moved William roller coaster inside. He loved it!!!




We tried to make it to church last week but that was a bad idea. But we did get some great pictures.



Rich changed George's diaper the other night and this is how he brought him back to me.



William thought it was funny but George was not happy. Not sure if it is the pants he is upset with or if he is that afraid of William.



Not sure why but William has started making this face when we take his picture.



Here is a better one. Cute brothers.



I have gotten George to talk to me, well that might be a stretch but it is still cute. He was responding to me a lot until I pulled about the video.




Be back soon with great pics from our trip.

Fun with a box

Who knew playing with a box could be this much fun. It had been raining all day and William really wanted to ride his roller coaster. So we pulled in the box that it came in. He loved it!!! He then got inside the box and who decided to join him, no other than Smitty!!! He thought that was so much fun.




Well then Pop had to join in on the fun.

William would jump on the box with Pop inside and Pop would shake and William would fall off laughing. See the video below.











We had another crayon incident. Why this boy wants to eat crayons I don't know.