itty bitty

Last Friday the boys and I journeyed to an old stomping ground over in South Carolina. Neither of the boys ever really called it home, but Josh and I spent three memorable years there. Of course our fondest memories are of life-long friends we made during our time there. Two of the best being Chandler & Sara Todd. Chandler and Josh started residency in Greenwood at the same time, and he and his wife Sara lived two doors down from us on what we affectionately called Residents' Row (since 5 residency families occupied the street.) Sara often hosted our weekly ladies' bible study; I recall many nights of movies, games and poker; and they kindly hosted Josh for nearly two weeks when we sold our house and moved our things to Habersham (Josh still had several days of work left in Carolina). So, they are special friends indeed.

We were so excited to learn several months ago that the Todds were welcoming a second baby. Their first born and ours are separated by about six weeks. The last few weeks have been clouded with a bit of uncertainity and stress for our sweet friends as they learned their baby on the way had some growth restrictions. We were so relieved to learn of his safe (albiet small) arrival about 2 weeks ago. After a brief stay in the NICU, baby Caleb was cleared to come home last Wednesday. I was so excited that we would have the opportunity to meet the new baby on our trip last weekend. Jack & Noah enjoyed playing while I got to visit with the new mommy of two. The big boys were so silly pretending to nap in Noah's bed and then "wake up!" We are already looking forward to seeing our sweet friends again soon.

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."

How we spend our days...

Jack and I are enjoying getting out and enjoying this beautiful weather. Sometimes, it's a walk around our neighborhood and other times it is a stroll with friends at the park. When we are out running errands, we enjoy stopping by and seeing Josh on his lunch break. Often times I'll pack a lunch for us to eat. It's always a treat for both Josh and Jack to see each other in the middle of the day. Since Josh can't always make it home for lunch, it's a great way to spend time together. Here they are hanging out during a recent lunch break.

Wednesday was my first MOPS Steering Team meeting. MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. Preschoolers means birth to kindergarten. It meets on Fridays during the school year at our church. The mom who served as Publicity team leader is stepping down as she welcomes another baby in the fall. So, I agreed to take over the Publicity functions of the group. I'm really looking forward to getting more involved. It is an incredibly fun group and our coordinator works really hard to make it a meaningful ministry!

On Friday, Jack had some friends over to play! Micah and Noah came over to play while their mommy, Tori, went to the doctor. They are so well behaved and play so well together. Jack was pretty content to watch them play. He enjoyed watching all the activity. Micah was very sweet to Jack. Micah and Noah live just a few miles away and go to our church. Tori and I sit at the same table at MOPS.

Carolina on our Minds?

Carolina wasn't as much on our minds as the great friends we left there. So, this past weekend we took a day trip over to our old stomping ground, Greenwood. It looked like it would be a rainy cloudy day, but the sun found its way out and made it a perfect day to hang out. Our first stop was the Warner's house. Jack and I had not seen Kristie since our visit in January. She couldn't believe how big he was and was eager to take his picture. Kristie even introduced him to a bumbo and several silly, animated animals. He was a little unsure about the singing, dancing creatures. It was so great to see her and Bill. We were glad we got to give Kristie her birthday present in person.

The rest of the day was spent with the Todds in our old neighborhood. Noah, the Todd's 6-month-old, and Jack had spent some time together in January, but this play date was long overdue. Both boys have grown so much! They were so much fun to watch. The Todds were gracious enough to make their house Grand Central Station. Scarlet dropped by to meet Jack and catch up with us. We got to hear all about the new house she, Scott, Emma & Dalton will be moving to soon.

The Wiles clan came by as well. Jack especially enjoyed sitting in Hannah Grace's lap. There are lots of photos from our trip in Jack's April photos folder (link on the right side of the screen). We even saw our old house. The new owners have made a few changes to the yard and exterior...we wondered what the inside looked like...but that will remain a mystery. We concluded our visit with dinner at Outback with the Todds, then headed back home. Although it was a short visit, it was a fun one. We hope we can get back again soon. Of course, in the meantime, we've extended invites to our old pals to visit us in Georgia.

For months we've been showing Jack himself in the mirror. He usually looks at us instead. On Sunday, he really noticed himself and his reaction was classic....absolute hysterics! He laughed and laughed at himself. I raced to get the camcorder and captured a little of it on video. It was great! What a fun kid!