In Carolina

While Josh is away Jack and I decided to come and catch up with some friends in South Carolina. After a fun morning at Monkey Joe's with several fun friends from MOPS, we hit the road. Our first stop was to see Sara & Noah. Sara and her husband Chandler lived two doors down from us in residency, and Chandler was co-chief with Josh. Chandler is also in Honduras this week. Their son, Noah, was born about 6 weeks before Jack. They have a lot of fun together and it's too bad they can't see each other more often. Jack & Noah had a blast playing ball together. Later we had dinner together at McAllister's. The boys had so much fun pushing their cars back and forth across the table.

After dinner we arrived at our home away from home...Cissy's! It wasn't long before Jack was chasing poor Baby Cat around the yard. He also soon found his way over to the play area with swings, slides and more. He had a great time. He played so hard that not long after his bath, he was exhausted.

This morning we headed over to see Gretchen, Tripp and new baby Shane. Gretchen & her husband Marty were also friends from residency. Tripp was born about 2 weeks after Noah and a month before Jack. They also just welcomed a new baby, Shane, on Saturday. It was a treat to see the new baby although I forgot to take a picture. Gretchen looked great, and we had a wonderful time catching up about all that's been happening.

We're looking forward to lunch with another friend and some swim time at Cissy's this afternoon. I'll post pictures when we return. I also got another email from Josh and their second day of seeing patients went really well. They haven't encountered any problems. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Weekend in Carolina

I will begin by apologizing this is going to be a simple blog entry. I'm tired and ready for bed, but felt like I needed to get this stuff up (because some folks know I usually update on Monday nights!) I spent most of my evening working on our MOPS newsletter that needs to go out this week, so my blog will suffer because of it...oh, well. I know you will forgive me! LOL

We spent Friday night and most of Saturday in Greenwood catching up with friends. We have some very fond memories from the three years we lived there and several of our friends still call it home. We began our whirlwind of visitations at the Warner's house. Kristie aka Cissy is my usual hostess when I come into town. She graciously put Jack and I up for a couple of days this summer during our trip to Greenwood. We look forward to doing the same again this year. Jack loved the pool! Anyway, Cissy and Bill were preparing to leave for a glorious trip to Aruba. I know, I'm sitting here awaiting the predicted snow and they are basking in the sunshine! Next time, hide me in your suitcase, Cissy!

Our great friends, Chandler & Sara were kind enough to let us stay the night with them. They just moved into a new house with their son, Noah, in November. So, it was so exciting to see their new home. It's just gorgeous, and we look forward to more visits there in the future.

We started Saturday morning with a big breakfast at Cracker Barrel where we caught up with the Wiles family. They lived just down the street from us and are such a fun family. They are preparing to welcome their third baby, a little girl. Hannah Grace & Austin seemed to be excited to have a little sister. They both enjoyed entertaining Jack & Noah during breakfast.
Soon after breakfast the little guys were ready for a much-needed nap. Then, they finally got some playtime together. Jack loved Noah's basketball goal. He knew just what to do with it. The only problem was figuring out how to stand up to reach it. Noah is just six weeks older than Jack, but walking around pretty good. They had a grand time together.

Later that afternoon, we began making the rounds...first was a stop at the Forets. It was a bit sad to think that it could be the last time we say Ryan & Elise before they move back to Lousiana in a few months. We're already trying to plan a weekend together at the Ga v. LSU baseball game in Athens in a couple of months. Then after a hiatus at the new Marble Slab (even in 40 degree weather ice cream is delicious!) Our next stop was the Taylors. They also lived just down the street from us, but have since moved into a larger home to accomodate their growing family. Scarlet was in Josh's residency class and was also my doctor while we lived in G'wood. She guided me through the first 17 weeks of our pregnancy. She and Scott have two children Emma & Dalton and like the Wiles are about to add a third, a boy! Scarlet & Lindsay work in the same practice in Abbeville (just outside G'wood.) Their newest additions are due about a month apart from one another. Here's Jack envying Dalton's climbing abilities!

Finally, we stopped at the Johns' house. Marty & Gretchen were also friends from residency. They have a son, Tripp, who is four weeks older than Jack. Gretchen is also pregnant with their second child, due in July! It was the first time we had seen them in person to congratulate them. We ended up staying around for pizza and hanging out while the boys all played. I found this old picture, which was taken at one of Sara's showers (presumably in September of 2007). Fastforward 16 months to the photo that was taken this weekend. Pretty neat, huh? We were so grateful to reconnect with old friends, but so glad to be home too. They are calling for snow tonight, but I haven't seen anything yet. I'll keep you posted! :)

Last Day in South Carolina

Friday was our last day in Greenwood and we managed to squeeze a lot in. We began at the Todds where Jack and Noah got reacquainted. It had been a couple of months since they had seen each other last, and a lot changes in that time. They are both sitting up very well these days, and Noah is a mobile guy. Jack was pretty entertained watching him crawl around. Tripp & Gretchen stopped by too. It was so neat to see all the boys together. They were all born within about 6 weeks of one another.

Next, we stopped by Nancy's, my former boss, to visit. She retired just before we moved, so I don't get the opportunity to catch her when I visit the college. She seemed to be enjoying retirement and has become quite an active walker and was telling me all about a recent stay in a cabin without tv & a/c. Although not typically her idea of fun, she said she's ready to go back. It was so nice to see her and to hear how well she's doing. I think she enjoyed seeing Jack too.

Our last stop before returning to Kristie's was to see the McGees. Ashley & Sarah finished residency last year at the same time as Josh and I. They served in Kenya as missionaries for several months before returning to Greenwood. Ashley is now working in Ware Shoals and they had their second child a couple of months ago. Their 2-year-old, Maggie, is so grown up now. She and Jack were smitten with one another. I also got to cuddle with Harper, Maggie's new little brother. It was so lovely to see them. I'm glad Sarah didn't mind us popping in. I called her about an hour before I came over. Since they moved back to the states rather recently, I didn't have her number. They seem to be doing really well.

Jack was pretty worn out after all the stopping and going, but he didn't get many naps. We headed back to Kristie's to say goodbye, but decided to stick around while Kristie's great neices and nephews had their pictures made. They all looked so cute. Since it was getting close to Jack's dinner time, we stayed for him to eat. Before we left, I put him in his jammies and he slept the whole way home. I was exhausted, much like I am now after a day of cleaning and straightening up, but I really wanted to get you all caught up on our whirlwind trip. Here's Halle entertaining "baby Jack."

Day Two in the Emerald City

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Greenwood, it really is nicknamed the Emerald City. On Thursday, we began with a yummy breakfast Kristie made. She'll laugh when reading this to see me going on about toast and bacon, but that's more than the bowl of cereal or instant breakfast I do. After breakfast, we went to PTC, the college where I worked during our three years in Greenwood. It was great to see old co-workers and see how things have changed and continue to change. They were a fun bunch to work with. Here's Jack playing with some make-shift toys in Tommy's office.

Then, we joined Elise, Gretchen & Tripp at Mig's for lunch. It was so much fun to see everyone again. Elise and Ryan (her husband) are now beginning their third year in Greenwood, which is wild to think. I can remember recruiting them like it was last month. After lunch, Jack and I went by the Montgomery Center, where Josh worked, and visited some of his old co-workers. His nurses were very excited to meet Jack. Everyone seemed to be doing very well.

Our last stop of the afternoon was to see Carey and Max. I don't think I had seen Max since he was maybe a few months old and he's more than 15 months old now. He's quite the cutie. Jack enjoyed watching him run around picking up different toys, trying on shoes and showing off his hats, although his K-State ball cap is the cutest. Carey is expecting a little sister for Max in just a couple of months. I was so glad to have the opportunity to see them, especially since I called her at the last minute. Thanks, Carey!