Thanksgiving Festivities!

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving with my Mom and Stepdad, Rick (better known as Grandma and Papa around here). We decided to take the day before Thanksgiving Day and make a tradition of reserving the whole day for us to spend time with them instead of rushing around all day long on Thanksgiving Day trying to get to multiple destinations. So we had a Lowcountry Boil, Key Lime pie, and some festive libations to kick off the day and then, after all the food was cleared away, we made gingerbread houses with the girls - well, Emily mainly observed - but she participated, as well. We decided it would be fun to build gingerbread houses each Thanksgiving, take pictures of them, and then use the pictures to make a Christmas tree ornament. It should be a fun way to remember each year and watch as the girls grow and the gingerbread houses get more elaborate. I wonder if the girls will still want to build gingerbread houses with Mom and Grandma when they are teenagers??? Hmmmm....

We can only be said to be alive in those moments 

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  

~Thornton Wilder

Adult Swim

It has been forever since Travis and I were able to go and do something alone... as adults... with other adults! We went to Athens last weekend to hang out with Jennifer and Gardner and go to the Georgia game. We love to spend time with the Browns. Jennifer and I went to high school together and Travis and Gardner went to high school together, so all four of us have "history." The weather was freezing, and the game was early, but we were determined to tailgate and take advantage of our day - and we did! After the game we headed downtown to continue our festivities and then, on our way back to Jennifer and Gardner's house, we stopped by the T.R.R. Cobb house, a local historic preservation project that I have been interested in seeing for a couple of months. Long story - but if you know me, then you will understand my little nerdy side trip!!!

"Go, you Silver Britches!" 
~ 1950s University of Georgia Football Chant

Nine Months Old!!!!

Okay, so I am a little behind in updating the blog... I am pulling the "I-work-full-time-and-get-no-sleep" card! Emily has been nine months old for a couple of weeks and I am just now getting to her nine month check-in... we went to the doctor and she weighs right at 19 pounds which puts her between the 25th and 50th percentile for her weight. She is hitting all of the developmental milestones appropriately (and I can't help but brag by saying that the doctor said she is actually hitting all of the 12 month milestones, as well). She is an advanced little thing! Yay, Emily! She has begun to take her first steps and is standing independently, but she still very much prefers to crawl. She's an expert crawler and when she decides to go after something she takes a couple of steps and then gets impatient and drops to a crawl... it's quicker and more efficient! She is babbling and likes to say da-da-da-da-da-da repeatedly. She loves to play with my iPhone, my keys, and puts any and everything she can get her hands on into her mouth. Crazy girl!! Love her. She has two teeth and I think she is about to cut some more very soon. She is waving hello, goodbye, claps, loves to play hide and seek, and it's darn near impossible to put a diaper on her. Caroline is her favorite toy!!!

"Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk."

~ Raymond Inmon

Happy Halloween!!

It seems Halloween is a bad word these days. Gone are the carefree days of Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin and replacing them are paranoia and shame at the celebration of a great American tradition. Well, I am not going to stand by and witness the death of Halloween! So my family did it right! We dressed up in our costumes and went trick or treating... on Halloween evening itself and AFTER dark! We had a blast! Caroline has been enamored of Gone With the Wind lately (more on that later) and dressed as Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler herself. There was never a more proud mother than me. That is definitely a chip off the old block right there!!! We were excited that Bean Bean was able to come with us... dressed as Jean-Pierre. Emily was supposed to be an adorable little pumpkin, but she was a little less enthused than the rest of us and was content, as usual, to be an observant bystander to all of the hoopla!

"Another dance and my reputation will be lost forever." 

~ Scarlett O'Hara

My Little Starlet

A quick post... and a sweet memory. Caroline's school hosted a Fall Feast fundraising event last week and we went to support Caroline's class as they sang as part of the evening's festivities. So, we are all sitting there listening to this little group of four year old children sing their hearts out and one voice soars over all the rest. It's Caroline! She is positioned right at the microphone and is hitting every word, every note perfectly! Methinks it is no coincidence that the teacher positioned her there.

"I sing like I feel." 

~ Ella Fitzgerald

School Days

Caroline has really taken to big-girl school. Mama not so much - it's hard keeping up with all of her activities and assignments! I don't remember being so scheduled as a four year old. Times have definitely changed, but we are all keeping up as best as we can. I was able to take a half-day off work so I could accompany Caroline and her class on a field trip to Southern Belle Farm last week. The weather was perfect and the children had a great time. They got to go on a hay ride, play in the pumpkin patch, and feed horses, goats, and chickens. There was also a cow milking demonstration (and that was an education for me!). At the end we got to watch a pig race. Those little porkers can scoot, buddy!!! I was grateful for the opportunity to be able to spend some time with my sweet girl. She is growing up so fast!

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, 

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth 

seeking the successive autumns."
  ~ George Eliot