Mr. Grown Up

Doesn't he look like a big boy? This was at his Aunt Lynsey and Uncle John's wedding shower at the church last Sunday.

Big Adventures Ahead

With hunting season fast approaching, J and I have been trying to figure out where we would sleep now that we have Gus. In previous years we just slept on a pull out couch in the cookshed but we knew that wasn't going to cut it for much longer! We really wanted to find a camper and had been looking around for one that would work. Well the Lord completely dropped this one in our laps! So Saturday afternoon our little family loaded up and went to pick up our new camper. Since we didn't get home until late that night we took a picture before church Sunday morning.
It is really a nice camper and was kept extra clean. It has one slide out, air conditioning, heat, full kitchen etc. I am so excited about our future adventures. Not only will this be great in hunting season but vacations too. I hope that it will be a foundation for a lot of wonderful childhood memories for Gus. I can remember going camping with my family in my grandparents pop-up trailer when I was little. We had some great times and still laugh about those trips occasionally when we all get together. So if any of you come across a good campground or have your own great camping spots let me know.

Go Gators!

Good Luck this weekend Gators!

My Little Tiger

This past Friday night, J, Gus and I headed out to the high school football game! First we met up with Gus' best friend Noah and Amy and Brent for supper. The boys were completely decked out in their team spirit. I don't have a picture of both of them yet but here is one of Gus.

It is a little blurry but it was taken with a camera phone. The noise surprisingly didn't bother Gus too much. He even took a short siesta! And, in typical boy fashion, he was mesmerized by the cheerleaders and their sparkling pom-poms. I know that it won't be long before we'll be watching him play on that field and I'll have to be running off those cheerleaders. HA! He also got to meet a lot of home-town friends and was passed around like a sack of potatoes. We are hoping to check out this week's game against the Bulldogs. Hope to see some of you there! GO TIGERS!

Season Change

Ok I absolutely love fall and I have noticed the changes in the air for the last week or so, has anyone else? I am ready for cooler mornings and afternoons so that Gus and I can spend more time outside, which is where he loves to be. Yesterday, being my day off, Gus and I spent some fun time taking fall pictures outside! I know he thought I was crazy putting him in a long sleeve shirt and jeans to go outside but I was quick, I promise! This is my favorite photo.

He had on shoes but quickly kicked them off (oh well). Needless to say I had to run to Walgreens and have it blown up to an 8x10. What better fall decorations could I have than Gus? Gus and I also picked up our other fall decorations out of storage yesterday. I know I'm starting a little early but I am so ready. Besides this month and next are going to be busy with John and Lynsey's upcoming wedding. We have less than two months to go! That will be another blog soon. We start having showers this month.

Happy Fall!

My Vacation Spot

Of all the places that I have been my absolute favorite was Yellowstone National Park. In August 2007, J and I had planned to meet some friends in Wyoming and camp for a few days in the park. In order to make our flight we left way too early but ended up getting lost and barely making our flight. We were those people you see in the movies running through the terminal with their bags flying behind them (yes we really were running)! The guy behind the counter told us that he would take care of the baggage and for us to run to the plane! I had little faith that our luggage would make it to the same destination as us, but luckily I was wrong. We flew to Denver and then on to Jackson, Wyoming and when the plane set down beside those awesome mountains I was captivated. I have never been a huge fan of the beach, just a day or two and I'm tired of the sun and sand and salt, but I love, l-0-v-e, the mountains. While the Smokies are pretty, they pale in comparison to the Tetons. This is a picture of both ranges: (J and I had the great opportunity to go to both ranges within a few months of each other)

The picture doesn't do the Tetons justice, but the sun was setting behind them and it was beautiful. We camped in the National Park, in a tent, in August. One would think that a sleeping bag would be warm enough, however J. and I froze every night!! We tried every sleeping arrangement we could think of, separate sleeping bags, share a sleeping bag, put the two bags together, nothing helped. I would get up early just to go take a hot shower and stand by the fire. J. would go to the campground store every morning and he would have a hot chocolate waiting on me when I got back from the showers! Then we would start breakfast over the campfire! We learned that people in Wyoming don't know what good sausage is, because we couldn't find it anywhere!! We had to settle in that department but he eggs and grits (Rusty brought the grits from Missouri) were delicious. We also cooked supper over the fire most nights and packed a picnic for lunch.

The park was magnificent and we only made it through the bottom loop. J and I can't wait to go back with Gus so he can see it too. If you haven't been and you get the opportunity, go! We saved a lot of money by camping and cooking most of our own meals and it was so much fun. I would do it again tomorrow if I could! Here are some more photos that I took:

My New "Normal" !

This being a slow day at work and the first real opportunity I've had since Gus' birth, I thought I would update you guys on J, Gus, and I. This is also the first time I have blogged since becoming a mother (wow, it still is hard to grasp that I am a mother). No one can prepare you or explain to you what being a mother really means or feels like. All I can offer is that it is amazing and totally a gift from God. Children are a miracle from the moment of concepcion but His awesomeness is still visible now 10 weeks later. Can you believe that Gus is 10 weeks old already? He is such a great baby, who rarely fusses unless he is really tired and is finally starting to sleep for, what I call, all night. He weighs an impressive 12 pounds and is 23 inches long, which puts him in the 50th percentiles for his age! One smile is all it takes to melt our hearts and one frown, complete with a pooched out bottom lip, is all it takes to break it!! But those smiles, the ones that totally light up his whole face and makes his eyes shine, are something else. He even tries to snicker sometimes, not a full blown laugh yet, but we're getting closer! He has rolled over, from his back to his tummy, a total of 5 times now, but for some reason he only does it on my dad's chair at my mom and dad's house. Go figure! Speaking of my dad, you should see him with Gus! He is totally in love with my sweet baby. For those of you who don't know my dad, he can come across as being a hard man to those on the outside but he adores kids and always has and is going to be the best Papa. He has already stricken John and I from his will, as Gus will now get everything (can we say spoiled?). Daddy is just itching for him to grow big enough to ride alongside him in the tractor or to go fishing on the airboat and he is so ready for hunting season so Gus can ride with him in the hunting truck! My momma, who would like to be called Mae Mae, is in heaven any time I mention that I need a babysitter for a few hours. She seems upset when I make it back from my errand and she has to surrender her charge! On the other side of the family, Gus has Ma'am and Pap. We are so blessed that Ma'am has offered to keep Gus while I am back at work. From the first day I dropped him off, which was heart-wrenching but a lot easier to deal with knowing that he would be loved and cared for all day by Ma'am. Gus will have great memories of his time with J's parents just like J has with his grandparents. Gus even gets to see his Cousin Allie on Tuesdays and Fridays! It won't be long before those two are cooking up schemes and doing some big playing in the back yard. J., Gus and I had pictures taken a few weeks ago. They are the most recent ones I have with me so here you go:

Isn't he adorable? I hope to be able to keep you guys updated periodically, but no one told me that complete absentmindedness and inability to finish things is a result of motherhood! Therefore I make no promises about quanity or quality!!

Lastly, thank you for your prayers and thoughts during my labor and the weeks that followed. It was rough at times but totally worth every minute!!