A Perfect Break

While there was a true "fall break" from school a couple of weeks ago around here, our family of four had a break planned that coincided with the annual Georgia vs. Florida football game. Josh and I have been going to the game since college, and even though these days we have little ones in tow, we still enjoy making the trip. We've always joked that since the Dawgs haven't had the best luck with winning in Jacksonville in the last couple of decades, that we had to make a mini-vacation out of the trip to make the 6-7 hour drive worth it.

So, dashing out of Athens after Friday classes has turned into Wednesday morning departures from our home in Habersham. Reservations at the Omni hotel adjacent to the Jacksonville Landing (a.k.a. party central) have given way to condo rentals on the Plantation resort at Amelia Island. To visit Fernandina Beach, is to love Fernandina Beach.

With beautiful skies and warm breezes, this year's trip was a perfect break for our family of four...not to mention Saturday brought a Bulldog victory. Another great treat is that we get the opportunity to reconnect with old friends that we rarely get to see. Now that we all have children, it's always interesting when the crew gets together. (More photos of our trip here.)

Returning from a trip is always exhausting. The boys did pretty well both days we spent in the car. Unpacking and laundry filled our morning. So, although today was a sort of back to reality, that reality included escorting Superman and an adorable Giraffe to the post office, pharmacy, grocery and up and down our street. In other words..not entirely boring.

Go Team

Saturday was a long, but fun-filled day. I had been watching the weather for a couple of days and it looked like storms might dampen our plans. Thankfully, the clouds cleared and the day was a beauty. We got the crew up and ready, then hit the road to Athens for the spring football game. We took Jack to his first spring game last year (I guess Sam, too), and he was looking forward to the Bulldog football game again. What he didn't know is that we were hoping to squeeze in some additional fun before the game.

We stopped at a Railroad Days event my dad had told us about at the Council on Aging. Thomas was there, model trains, a ride-on train, inflatables and more. Jack had a blast bouncing from activity to activity. We were thrilled some friends could meet us there too, as well as my mom & dad. Before long it was time to grab a bite downtown and then head toward the stadium.

Jack did so well, walking the whole way to the stadium. He had to get a lift part of the way back (uphill), but did a pretty good job doing most of his own walking. It was pretty windy, and kind of cool in the shade, but a ring pop and cotton candy from the train station were enough to keep Jack interested in sitting. Sam, on the otherhand, was a little more active than a year ago when he just hung out in the baby Bjorn. He wanted to walk, climb and go everywhere. My mom got him to sleep for about 10 minutes, but then the Redcoats woke him up. He eventually fell asleep as I carried him on our way back to the car an hour or so later.

We made sure to stop and ring the victory bell on our way back through campus, and even squeezed in a stop for ice cream. We also stopped by my grandparents' house for a quick visit before returning back to the Sham for a Sunday School gathering with friends. The low country boil hit the spot after a long day, but we eventually retreated a little early because of our exhaustion.

Football!

Okay so it may feel like August, but it's only April so there are still a few more months until football season starts (and some of the best months of the year). Last Saturday was the UGA spring game, which is basically a scrimmage between first team offense and defense and second team offense and defense that is open to the public (a.k.a. thousands of fanatics who need a taste of their beloved sport to get them through the summer...oh, and lots of kids.)

We live right around the corner from the high school here and pass the football field just about every time we go anywhere. So, Jack talks about football all the time. Not to mention one of his favorite bedtime books is all about football. (It's a real must-read for any true dawg fan!) To satiate our son's fanaticism we elected to take him to the G-Day game. Josh swears Jack won't be going to a real UGA game until he can sit through watching one on tv (by that time he may have his own student ticket!)

It was pretty hot on Saturday, but we arrived in time to snag some of the coveted club level seats. So, Sam snoozed away in the shade courtesy of the arms of Mema and Aunt Emmy. Jack was completely mesmerized when we first arrived, but that quickly gave way to the need for popcorn and juice. After the game, we marched him up to North Campus to see the Arch and the chapel bell (which is rung after each victory)...both landmarks are in his story book. We finished our campus tour at the bookstore. Without a nap, Jack was exhausted by the time we loaded in the car around 5.

We've been up to a lot more, but I gotta get to some laundry...so, just check out the photos here.

To Blog or Nap...that is the Question

I must admit that lately the nap has won out folks. I could definitely use Jack's naptime to catch you all up, but the last few days I've just found myself too worn out to put in the effort to actually form some sentences and post new pictures ! Anyway, things are going pretty well around here, except for my fatigue. I'm pretty tired in the late afternoons, which is probably when the late night/early morning feedings have caught up to me. My mornings (a term I use loosely to describe the hours between 9 am - 12 noon) are when I have the most energy. Anyway, I'm optimistic we'll be on a tighter schedule soon and the late night/early morning feedings won't be forever.

Jack is still in love with his little brother, although he makes it known he'd rather be held by mommy. He'll say, "baby bed" or "baby down," which both roughly translate to "ditch Sam and hold me!" The worst part is he usually says this while Sam is nursing. We've been overwhelmed by the amount of support and help we've received from our friends who have brought meals over the last week. It has been so helpful to not have to worry over dinner, especially since the 5:00 hour can be Jack's neediest time of the day.

Friday night we gave Sam his first bath at home. He wasn't a big fan of the sponge bath. He did enjoy the shampoo though. It was as if he were at the spa. Here's big brother trying to calm Sam down as he cried through most of the bath.

On Saturday, we went to Athens to visit our favorite photographer. Sam cooperated pretty well during his first photo shoot and Jack played his part pretty well...thanks to some small bribes (Granola Bites). Sue Ann has a sneak peek up on her blog. We had lunch with my parents and sister and then all went to the Georgia men's basketball game. Jack was in heaven. Despite refusing to take a nap at my parents' house before the game, he was a champ. The dippin' dots & popcorn might have helped. Sam slept through the entire hoopla. It was an exhausting day, but so worth it because we got some great photos of Sam, and it was pure joy to see how much Jack enjoyed himself at the game.

Basketball Diaries

So, Jack & I headed down to Athens yesterday to take in a UGA women's basketball game with Mema. Jack loves reading his Hairy Dawg book, so we were pretty sure he would enjoy the hoopla and fun that comes along with a college game. Since taking him to a football game is still a little risky...not sure anyone would really enjoy themselves, we opted for the basketball court. We had a great time. They gave away Santa hats, which Jack insisted on wearing right away (despite the fact that it was way too big!) He kept his eyes on Spike (the inflatable volleyball mascot) a.k.a. "BIG Dawg" and of course recognized Hairy Dawg. He had his picture made with both and shared high fives with both Dawg celebrities. He seemed to have a great time. We sat right next to the pep band, so each and every timeout was like an audition for "So You Think You Can Dance." Below is a video of Jack bopping to the beat and yelling "Go Dawgs!"

Oklahoma!

No, not the musical...the actual state of Oklahoma. It's where Josh & I spent our Labor Day weekend. We flew into Oklahoma City and drove over to Stillwater for the Georgia v. Oklahoma State game. Although the dawgs lost, we had a good time on our getaway. Josh's folks came over to watch Jack for the weekend, which Jack of course enjoyed.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Oklahoma, but figured it would be pretty flat and corny, but the region which we had the pleasure of driving through was much more hilly than I imagined and a lot of beautiful pastures. We saw a lot of livestock and oil derricks. It wasn't as mountainous and tree-filled as our North Georgia home, but it was a pleasant trip. We also had the opportunity to catch up with some old friends who were up from their home in Texas. The best part of the weekend was still probably our hugs and kisses from Jack on Sunday.

Just Another Saturday

Just got Jack down for a nap and thought I'd get in a quick post. We've had a busy couple of days. Saturday morning we headed down to Athens for a few hours. We started by dropping Jack off at my mom & dad's house, then we headed downtown to meet the Forets for lunch. Ryan & Elise live in Greenwood, where Ryan is finishing his final year of residency. He & Josh worked together for a year there. They both went to LSU and are actually headed back to the bayou and closer to family when Ryan begins his practice in a few months. They decided to spend the weekend in Athens to celebrate Elise's birthday and take in part of the UGA/LSU baseball series. They invited us to join them.

We had a yummy lunch at East West Bistro downtown before heading to the game. With the temperature hovering around 72, it was a gorgeous day for baseball. It was warm, but not uncomfortable...we'll save that for football season. It started off shaky with the second batter jacking a homerun, but the dawgs answered with 4 runs of their own in the bottom of the first. We had to scoot a little early to make it back for a birthday party, but felt confident in the dawgs 6-2 lead. They ended up winning 10-8 (so we missed some drama), but unfortunately it was the only win of the 3-game series for the dawgs. Here's to hoping they bounce back against Arkansas this coming weekend.

After picking up Jack, we headed back towards home to join Andrew's first birthday celebration. The weather was beautiful back home too. Everyone was enjoying the afternoon out on the newly expanded deck at the York's house. Andrew enjoyed seeing his gifts, but I think eating his cake was his favorite part! We all enjoyed it too!

After we left the party we headed home, where my little sister, Emily, was waiting on us. She had agreed to drive up to watch Jack for us while we headed to the Rotary Club's Casino Night fundraiser. We had a great time. Josh got an education in Craps from Spencer Carr, while his wife Nancy & I tried our hands at Black Jack. Thanks to a very kind dealer, I had quadrupled my money by the end of the night. Josh was pleased to have doubled his and may be a little braver next time we go to Vegas. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves until we spotted folks with gobs of tickets (representing tens of thousands...about 20 times what we had). So, I'm guessing there was an even nicer black jack dealer out there. Anyway, the whole thing is fake money and all for charity. Despite spending most of the night at separate tables, Josh and I had a great time.

The night finally wrapped up with me, Josh & Emily all watching the UNC/Nova game. Exhausted, we all headed to bed. So, it was basically just another Saturday around here. What about you?

My Advance Apologies

Disclaimer: I'll begin this entry with an advance apology/disclaimer, it may veer off the subject of a cute and cuddly nearly one-year-old and into subjects not usually gracing this page, but it was an interesting weekend. So, read on at your own risk. If you hate the entry, ignore it and check back because I'm sure I'll soon be back to normal.

As you may have read from my previous post, we spent a long weekend at Amelia Island in north Florida. It is a beautiful place with a charming downtown area with shops and restaurants. We had the opportunity to spend our trip with Daniel, Rachel & Naomi Gowder, some friends of ours that currently live in Texas. We don't get to see them as often as we'd like, so it was a special treat to be together again. Naomi is 2 1/2 going on 15; she's so cute and sweet and a ball of energy. She had a good time playing with Jack and his toys. They were very cute as Tinkerbell and a monkey on Friday night as we enjoyed the halloween festivities.

Josh's mom watched the kids at the condo during the game on Saturday, which was the most unpleasant portion of the trip. It wasn't just because we lost; we're used to that. We lose all the time to the Gators in Jacksonville. What made it so bad is we didn't get trampled by an awesome team (like what happened against Alabama). We instead gave the game away. Remember, I warned you about this entry. Anyway, I don't consider myself a big whiner. When we lose, I accept it and move on, but Saturday was just sorry. Up until the final minutes we beat the gators in total offense. I mean it's pretty easy to score when you get the ball on the 10-yard line everytime, which is where we kept giving it to them.

Missed field goals, interceptions, fumbles, you name it - it went against us. We couldn't catch a single break and surely not from the refs. Two bogus calls (a very favorable UF spot & a mysterious penalty) gave the Gators their first touchdown drive. Does anyone think it's completely bogus of the SEC to put the same head official on this game after what happened last year? Penn Wagers hates Georgia, that was evident when he tried to give last year's Auburn game away to the Tigers. Our kicker couldn't hit a simple field goal and the momentum just tumbled completely in favor of Florida.

Also, is it just me or are Florida fans disgusting? (No offense, Sarah) Just a reminder about the disclaimer. I could count the number of collared shirts I spotted on UF fans. I'm not trying to be snooty or say you have to wear a collared shirt to a football game, but come on people...cut-off sleeves for the guys and trashy t-shirts for the ladies? It was not their best showing. I was actually standing next to one guy while waiting to get in who was proudly missing one of his front teeth. No joke. Anyway, so at least our fans have a better fashion sense.

Okay, last thing about the game, I promise...but no more whining about last year and how unsportsmanlike the dawgs are, Urban Cryer. Believe me, you showed everyone just how classy you are by hanging 49 points on us. I expected it; I wasn't at all surprised to see you run up the score. If you'd do it to pitiful Kentucky who you had no beef with, of course you'd do it to the team that embarrassed you and your team on a national stage last year. Thanks for being the bigger guy...you are the portrait of good sportsmanship.

I'm done. I feel better.

On the way back to the car, our group was discussing that our week was only going to get worse...Election day is Tuesday! I don't normally run around preaching about my political views, but this is my blog and I provided a disclaimer, remember. Anyway, I'll be one of the first to admit that George W. has not been one of our finest presidents. In fact, he's probably one of the worst. He doesn't seem to be the brightest crayon in the box, but I do believe our president deserves our respect. Just because John McCain is a republican and has been endorsed by Bush doesn't mean they will do things just alike. I think even republicans can admit that things need a drastic turnaround. Anyway, I don't think the drastic turnaround we need is to start spreading the wealth around like socialists. As our wonderful pastor pointed out recently, the government was created to protect us from outside threats. The constitution never said anything about taking money from some people and giving it to others. Let me quickly follow that with the statement that I believe money should be moving from some pockets to others, but it should be a choice. Just like I choose to give money and time to my church; the boy scouts; the free clinic; the soup kitchen, etc. I also have great fears about someone who supports partial-birth abortions. I just can't understand the support of such a horrific act.

Anyway, I'm off the soap box. You can be relieved. Later I'll post some cute pictures from our trip and tell you more about all the cute things that Jack is up to these days!

Bloggin from the beach

So, I'm bloggin from the beach...okay, I'm not literally on the beach right this moment (sand and a laptop probably don't mix...especially when it's not your laptop!), but I can see the ocean from where I'm sitting. We're here at Amelia Island in North Florida for the big Georgia/Florida showdown. Some old friends of ours have joined us and we've got a big condo on the Plantation. Jack's napping and everyone is getting ready to head downtown for some shopping.

Last night we enjoyed some great food at Barbara Jean's. If you've never heard of it...they have them in a couple of places down here. They have fabulous crabcakes! We ate at the one at St. Simons earlier this summer. It was delicious. We're all looking forward to halloween festivities here tomorrow. The kids have costumes and we hear there is a hayride. I hope to have some great photos to share once we return on Sunday.

In the meantime, Go Dawgs!

Visitors

Thursday morning found Jack and I welcoming visitors again. This time in the way of his Grandmommy and cousin Sean, who were out of school for fall break. They arrived just before lunch and we all had some time to play before meeting Josh for lunch. Sean really enjoyed feeding Jack. Although it usually ended up being a little messy, the two seemed to be having a great time.

They played most of the afternoon until I basically made Jack take a nap. He might have been content to skip it all together. We watched a movie while he napped and I started on dinner, which I needed to take to some friends in our Sunday School class. After Jack had dinner (with help from Sean), I set off to deliver the meal. On my way home, I got a call from Josh who was finishing up a shift at the free clinic and was ready to break away for dinner.

We met him at the clinic and then headed to El Campesino, one of Josh's mom's favorite places here. We always have such great service there and the wait staff loves Jack. They are always teasing him and making faces for him to laugh.

On Friday morning I had a MOPS meeting to attend. Grandmommy and Sean decided to stick around and play some more with Jack while I headed to the meeting. We had a great meeting and a wonderful speaker, Ivy Hall of Initials, INC, which is based here in Clarkesville. Ivy's a great speaker and a phenomenally sweet person. She is one of those people that no matter what whenever she is talking to you she makes you feel like she is truly interested in what you are saying. I feel like I probably don't always give off that same impression...something to work on.

After the meeting, Tate & Brit came home with me for the afternoon, but not before a stop at Josh's office with Andrea & Andrew. After our brief pit stop we picked up Wacky Packs and lunch for everyone at Sonic and headed home. Grandmommy, Jack & Sean were all waiting on us. We also had another visitor!

We're having the yard re-seeded in hopes for a more positive result and the guy was there tilling up the backyard. The boys couldn't wait to get outside and watch the real live tractor. Even Jack enjoyed it oohing and aahing as his hair blew in the breeze. Just after lunch our company left and it was just me and the little boys. We sure enjoyed our visit from Grandmommy & Sean.

After Derek picked up the boys, I started on dinner. Once Josh got home, the three of us enjoyed a quiet evening at home. We watched a movie after putting Jack to bed. It was one of those relaxing evenings that is the perfect ending to an active week.

Saturday morning we headed down to Athens for the UGA/UT game. We enjoyed a fun tailgate with the Carrs and a nice victory for the dawgs. We're halfway through the season and our easiest games are behind us. Here's hoping the dawgs can finish strong like they did last season.

What a Weekend

What a weekend it was. It was a busy one that was full of fun...with the exception of a few hours on Saturday evening. But at least both Florida and Tennessee lost too! Friday night some of us tailgated at our house before the Raider game. Andrea made some excellent Taco Soup. After packing up and heading to the game, we settled in our seats. We hadn't been there more than 30 seconds when the rain began to fall. We hadn't brought umbrellas or hoods or anything! So, we headed back home. Jack played for a bit before heading to bed. Here's a shot of him playing with his new laptop from Cissy. In case you haven't noticed in my last couple of posts, he's pulling up on just about everything these days. He's a big explorer.

We waited up for the Walshs to arrive and were excited when they rolled into town. They got a tour of the house and even a sneak peek at sleeping Jack. We hadn't seen Mike & Liz since they got married over a year ago; so we did some serious catching up before finally letting them get some rest. After all, we both had a big day in Athens on Saturday.

Early Saturday, the Walshs got to meet Jack before heading down to Athens for their full day of tailgating. We took a little more time getting ready and leisurely made our way to Athens. We ran a few errands before joining most of the family for lunch. Jack enjoyed the moose at Loco's. He wore a new outfit for gameday :)

Later we headed downtown for an afternoon with food and friends. We had a great time tailgating with the whole Carr clan, my family and the Walshs. It was a big day for Jack too. He loved Ms. Mickie's mac 'n cheese and banana pudding. There are tons of pictures with the group. The food was great, and the fellowship was even better. Here's Jack getting some banana pudding from his Aunt Lisa.

My mom took Jack home with her and the rest of us headed to the game. In case you were in a cave all weekend, we lost...BIG. It was painful to watch, but we stayed till the bitter end. I have to admit that if I had been at home I would have quit watching.

Sunday morning we went to church with my parents and then all went to lunch afterwards to celebrate my dad's birthday. We also dropped in on a shower for Terri and John, who are getting married in less than 2 weeks. Then, we headed home. It was a long day, but we enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Here are a couple of cute photos of Jack waiting on his daddy to get out of the shower tonight b/f Josh headed to work.

This & That

Last week was incredibly busy around here. So, hopefully this week will be a little more relaxed. On Tuesday, I had a meeting at the hospital. On Josh's afternoon off we had the car brakes replaced and ran a few errands (including a house call :) Then, I finalized the Wednesday Whirl (an email newsletter that goes out to our MOPS moms b/f each meeting). Wednesday brought the hospital golf tournament. My great friend Andrea was kind enough to watch Jack for a few hours while I helped set-up and get golfers registered. After they teed off, I picked Jack up and brought him back to the course for the conclusion. We raced to church for Wednesday night supper and then set-up the tables for our first MOPS meeting.

Here's Jack in between crawls. Yep, he's crawling. He's been doing an army crawl for several weeks now, but a week or so ago he figured out how to keep his belly up (although he still doesn't do it most of the time). So, needless to say he's keeping the floors clean with his shirts.

On Thursday morning, we decorated for our MOPS meeting and then I had to take care of some hospital ads before picking Jack up from Early Steps. We headed over to Andrea & Andrew's, where we all piled in the truck and headed to Buford for a trip to Babies R Us. It was hectic, but an incredibly fun trip to break up the craziness of the week. We also managed to squeeze in a stop at Chick-fil-A and Ann Taylor Loft. After returning home, I dropped Jack off with Josh and headed back to our church to have a prayer meeting about MOPS. Then, I zipped back home to feed Jack before heading to BUNCO...another fun time! We laughed and carried on a bit too much I think! After returning home, I started on my breakfast items for the MOPS meeting and also put together my nametag, which I should have made weeks ago!

Friday morning was our MOPS meeting and everything went off without a hitch. We had a great turnout and everyone seemed to be excited to be reunited with one another after busy summers. We even finished on time! The Steering Team celebrated afterwards at Zanzo's. Joni agreed to take Jack home with her while I went to the newspaper to see about a special section on the hospital that will run in October. Joni is such a wonderful friend as well. After picking Jack up we fueled up the truck and went home to do a load of laundry before our road trip to Rome.

Yes, we left town! After an exhausting week, we packed up the truck and went to visit friends and family. Josh's buddy invited him to camp out at the lake. Jack and I slept at Josh's parents house, which was much more comfortable. We met Josh and his friends out at the lake on Saturday for lunch. Josh had smoked a bunch of ribs and we all enjoyed a wonderful feast. (They were even better the second time around - when we ate leftovers last night.) Jack mostly napped at the lake. Before long we had to pack up and head home so Josh could catch a nap before the late UGA game...he had to work on Sunday. He napped a little on the way home...unfortunately Jack did not. Anyway, we were glad to be home and enjoyed watching the game with our feet up. I almost dozed off a couple of times. I hope everyone stayed up to watch. If you did, you got to see TK make a great catch towards the end of the game. I wish he could have stumbled into the endzone. We were so proud for that Habersham County boy! Now, we have a week to prepare for a dangerous Alabama team. Apparantly a blackout is planned and GameDay will be in Athens. What a day it will be!

Orange You Glad?

Any of my close friends or family members can tell you that orange is one color that has not been a part of my wardrobe for quite some time now. I'm just that much of a die-hard UGA fan...orange is the enemy, whether it's Auburn, Clemson, Florida or Tennessee. Well, last fall I bought an orange golf shirt from the Motherhood Maternity store in Commerce to don on Friday nights. Mind you it was off the clearance rack, but it still signified a big step in my life.

Fast forward one year and I own 3 orange shirts (2 short sleeve and a sweater for those chillier games). Josh still refuses to wear an orange shirt, but he will wear an HC shirt with orange on it. Luckily, he doesn't object to Jack wearing orange. He looked so cute in his orange and navy shirt with blue jeans this Friday night.

It was the third Raider game of the season, and Jack enjoyed his time there. We left at the half to meet Josh's parents. They came into town to watch Jack for us on Saturday. Josh and I traveled over to Columbia to attend the UGA-SC game with Chandler & Sara. It was so great hanging out with them and seeing little Noah, who is just 6 weeks older than Jack. It was a scorcher of a game and the Dawgs barely eeked out a win. It wasn't pretty, but as they say, "It's a W."

Big Bulldog Weekend

We had a busy bulldog weekend, and there are plenty of photos to prove it. The fun kicked off Thursday evening when some friends of ours rolled into town. Ben, Wendy & BJ joined us for a long weekend. We gave BJ his birthday present, which you can see he loved. A Stafford jersey and football. The Pucketts brought Jack a jersey too.

Josh grilled up some great steaks. The weather was great so we hung around outside and enjoyed catching up. On Friday, I had a MOPS meeting. It was our last one before our new year kicks off...yippee! Afterwards, I met the Pucketts at the park, which was fun. Jack again loved the swing...giggling as I pushed him back and forth (all while his hair is flapping in the breeze!)

Friday afternoon as soon as Josh was home we headed to Helen to walk around a bit and then enjoyed dinner at the Nacoochee Grill. Then, we joined the Raider football game already in progress. The Raiders beat Heritage 12 - 7. Jack lasted most of the game, falling asleep on Wendy some time in the 4th quarter. He was a trooper.

We got up early Saturday morning as we had an errand to run in Athens before game time. The Pucketts joined us later at IHOP for a delicious breakfast. Then we dropped Jack off and did a little tailgating before the game. It was a hot day, but there were some clouds in the area, which provided some much needed shade during the game. We were treated to an awesome game as Georgia drilled Central Michigan and Knowshon showed off his vertical. The photo here is was just after T.K. made the first catch of his college career. We were never prouder to be from Habersham County! We went nuts! Our evening finished with pizza at Peppino's.

Sunday was also pretty busy as Josh had to work and I had the ER Open House. The Bates graciously agreed to watch Jack for several hours while I greeted folks and showed people around. Then, Jack and I headed to church. He managed to stay awake until almost 9 waiting for Josh to get home. After they had a little time together it was off to bed! What a fun weekend!

Catching up from the weekend

What a great Labor Day weekend it has been. It's drawing to a close as I type this and I'm actually missing some college football to do this, but it's just UT v. UCLA. Anyway, our weekend began on Friday as we hurried down to Athens to take in the Habersham Central football game at Cedar Shoals. My mom met us there and enjoyed spending time with Jack. My dad does the play-by-play radio broadcast for the small high school I graduated from. (So small they didn't even have football when I went there). So, you'll notice mom listening to their game while she watched a different one!

Since the visitor's stands were packed we ventured onto enemy territory. Luckily, we happened upon Bo, Madeline, Derek & Tate. Jack enjoyed playing with two familiar faces. It was a pretty hot and humid evening and the night quickly turned unfortunate for the Raiders as they fell to Cedar 23 - 14. Jack was very well behaved for his first game, which is good news since we have season tickets to the home Raider games.

Saturday was the official start of college football for us because it was Georgia's home opener. The dawgs took on Georgia Southern. My mom happily watched Jack while Josh, Dad and I headed to the game. It was a pretty hot day. The temperatures hovered around 89, but it felt much hotter. We stuck it out and stayed for every snap. Next week kicks off at 3:30, so maybe we'll get a little bit of relief from the sun.

Saturday's game also signaled the introduction of UGA VII, the newest english bulldog to grace the sidelines at Sanford Staduim. He's a cute little guy, although I'm still partial to VI, who was a perfect looking bulldog. This photo of him on ice is pretty cute. Sometime in the second half they showed him on the big screen asleep in his dawg house. I guess he knew we had the Eagles under control.

After the game we joined my mom and Jack to visit my Papa, (Jack's great grandfather) who has just moved into assisted living. It was good to visit with him, but he's quite confused and pretty sad. Next time you say a prayer lift one up for him as well. My parents and uncle are working very hard to ease the transition, but it's just not that easy.

The five of us grabbed a quick dinner before Josh, Jack and I headed home. We got home in time to see most of Bama's derailing of Clemson. The ACC is not looking so strong this year. Oh, and we watched it in High Definition. Yes, I broke down and ordered the premium content. We've had a HD television for several months, but I just didn't think it was worth it to pay extra for HD channels. This summer I agreed to order it in time for football season, and not a moment too soon...they hooked it up on Friday afternoon!

Our Sunday was pretty normal. We had the nursery, so I managed to snap a few pictures of Jack in his class, which was neat. We just had 2 kids...our Jack and another Jack. Go figure...we picked the new most popular name for a boy! After church and a fun lunch at the japanese place, we all took a nap! Josh had to work, so then Jack and I headed to evening church. I subbed for KidzLife, so I missed our great discipleship class we've been participating in, Boundaries w/ Kids.

Monday was a pretty lazy day for us. Josh caught up on the sleep he missed while working all night in the ER. Jack and I just played as quietly as possible. Later Josh joined us to hang out. I was cleaning up after dinner, when I heard a lot of rustling in the living room. I found Josh reading the paper, and Jack in the floor destroying the sections he had already been through. Needless to say, he was covered in newsprint!

Day Trip to Athens (again)

It seems like I'm always writing about day trips to Athens on my blog, but we really don't go that often. When we do, however, we try to call as many family and friends and see as many folks as possible! Last Tuesday Josh had an appointment at the Travel Clinic at UGA Health Center in preparation for his upcoming trip to Honduras. So, while he was getting shots and prescriptions, Jack and I had planned to waste time at the bookstore. As if campus hasn't changed enough since I graduated and moved, but summer is when all things crazy occur. Due to a (long overdue) student center expansion, there was no easy parking for a woman with a baby. Thankfully, my pal Stacie called in time to rescue me with an alternative idea...we met in five points to catch up.

I suggested Five Points Deli...to which Stacie was agreeable (what a great friend!) While waiting for her to arrive I ordered a few of my absolute favorite cookies in the world...Heath Bar Crunch cookies. They are fantastic. If you have any doubt about how much I like these...ask Josh! I always beg to swing by there and pick up not one, but a dozen!! On Tuesday, I held back and only ordered six. They were gone by lunch the next day. Stacie had fun with Jack and we ran into another old friend, Russell Ashe.

After picking up Josh we went by my parents house for a bit. Jack really enjoyed playing peek-a-boo with Emily. She kept trying to sneak up on him, but he would just lunge for her and grab her with both hands and basically slobber all over her face, but like any sweet aunt, she put up with it because it made him happy!

Later, we all went to dinner at one of our favorites, Loco's Deli, where Jack enjoyed some sweet tea courtesy of Grandpa. The day before we had learned that my grandfather was in the hospital having some tests run, so we had the opportunity to stop by and visit him after dinner. He's having a rough time and has some difficult decisions ahead (along with my dad and uncle). Although he was still quite a bit loopy from being put to sleep, it is always good to see family.