Sara and Scott Kaylor

2009-04-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

For our second anniversary this year, we celebrated in the wonderful Nashville, Tennessee!

Here's Scott and the Titan's Football Field

And me, alongside the river

I met Elvis in Nashville... so THAT'S where he's been hiding all this time!

And finally, we spend our evening alone in Beer Cellars playing touch-screen games. Look, we even made first place! Leah and Ross would be so proud of Teh Kays!!

Kathryn's First Easter

2009-04-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

Kathryn's first Easter was spent at Marmee and Pop's in Athens. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon- perfect for photo ops! Even Captain got out and enjoyed the weather!

Marmee and Baby K enjoying a funny moment

The Whole Family (Look at Captain, eyeballing the Easter Bunny!)

Sara and Scott

Kathryn, trying to figure out why the bunny only has one eye... (Thanks, Captain!)

Baby Play Date!

2009-03-19T13:16:00.001-05:00

So, the babies all finally got together for a playdate... and here are the pictures!!

Madelyn hanging out in the Bumbo

Adam

Kathryn, saying "I love my friends!"

Madelyn

Mr. Bobby, at two weeks old!!

Lily

Madelyn, Kathryn, and Adam

Best buds, just like our mommies

The whole gang!

Two cuties!!

Baby Videos!

2009-02-28T22:15:00.006-06:00

Kathryn is full of gurgles, coos, and smiles these days. She loves having her picture taken, and stares up at the camera in wonder and amazement.

And for those of you who have forgotten what one of THESE sounds like...

ENJOY!

Kathryn's swimsuit

2009-02-28T22:10:00.002-06:00

Here's Kathryn sportin her brand new Chez Ami swimsuit that we received in the mail the other day. She loves her new suit, and can't wait until it's warmer so that we can go swimming!

"Look Mom! I'm practicing my backstroke!"

PS: This is Kathryn at 3 months... can you believe how big she's getting?!?

Kathryn's first foods...

2009-02-22T22:02:00.000-06:00

Tonight Kathryn got a treat! I whipped her up a nice little bowl of rice cereal, and let her experience her first taste of something other than milk! At first, she seemed really confused. Here, she's trying to figure out if she likes the cereal or not. We had fun, we made a huge mess, but by the end of the night, K decided she liked her new cereal!

Everything that I put in that little mouth came right back out!

"Uhhhh... what's about to happen?!?"

Daddy and Baby

2009-02-22T22:00:00.001-06:00

So this is what ya'll are up to while I'm at work!

Caught ya!

Dinners for Infinity

2009-02-17T21:54:00.000-06:00

Once a month, several of us get together for our "Dinners for Infinity" dinner group. We bring the kiddos, eat tons of great food, and everyone has a blast! Here's all the kids (plus me and Lou Ann) piled up on our couch for a cute photo op. Are we adorable or what?!?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T21:44:00.001-06:00

Man, I love this Kid! She's simply the best!

Mommy Kisses!

Laundry

2009-02-11T21:48:00.001-06:00

Ever wonder why I can't get my laundry all done? Here's the hard evidence.

And Nittany just grins at it all.

The animals are restless!

Ten Weeks Old!

2009-02-09T16:05:00.002-06:00

My baby is 10 weeks old!! She is just full of funny expressions and sounds. I love listening to her chirp and coo. Enjoy these pictures!

Bashful Baby

Chillin Baby

Sleeping Baby

The "I'm about to puke on you" baby...

... and for the records... yes, she did puke on me...

Roll Tide Baby!

2009-01-16T16:01:00.002-06:00

Kathryn went to her first gymnastics meet tonight, and of course she had to deck out in her Roll Tide gear! Thanks again, Leslie for the cute little jumper!

RTR!!

Serenity

2009-01-16T15:56:00.000-06:00

Kaylors in town!

2009-01-13T15:48:00.000-06:00

With the Kaylor's in town meeting baby KIK for the first time, we all took a trip to the Holt Lock and Dam. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed being outside.

Baby KIK all bundled up.

Grandpa Kaylor and Baby KIK

The Kaylor Clan!

Scott and Sara

Love those Random Photo Posts

2009-01-06T15:40:00.003-06:00

We hosted a baby shower for Brandi, who's baby boy is due in March. Let me tell ya, Brandi racked up on some good stuff!!

Kimberly and her girls at the baby shower

Emily with her Adam. Adam was born December 20, one month after Kathryn, even though pregnancy-wise, Emily and I were only one week apart!! This is Adam's debut social event!

Kathryn loves her Katie, and so do I!

This is the amazing cake that Katie made for Brandi's shower. Isn't she full of talent?

Kathryn loves parties! Look at that smile!

Six Weeks Old

2009-01-03T14:05:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that Kathryn is already 6 weeks old! My baby is getting sooo big! She recently has started to give us her social smile, but I've never fast enough to catch her true smile on camera. Besides, a photo wouldn't do her justice!

Mama and Baby
(Who do you think she resembles most?!?)

Tummy Time!

"Mom, you're so silly!"

Being tickled!

Baby Einstein

2009-01-03T13:57:00.002-06:00

Kathryn loves her Baby Einstein play gym that she received for Christmas.

Who's that cute baby in the mirror?

"Hmm... this is new..."

Kathryn checking out those things dangling above her!

"I'm so cute!"

Her little smile melts my heart every single time!

Kathryn and Titus

2009-01-02T14:14:00.000-06:00

We recently got together with our good friends for dinner, and had to get a picture of Titus and Kathryn, who we jokingly claim are betrothed to one another. Here, Kathryn is looking at that handsome Titus with a big smile!

Pet Post!!

2009-01-01T21:15:00.005-06:00

This post proves that I'm not all about babies these days!! (Well, at least 99.9888% of me is... the rest is reserved for animals!!) Here's some pictures of Nittany and her good buddy, Captain (my parent's dog).

Sometimes there's nothing quite like a good ol romp with a buddy, and these pictures help us remember that. Did you see the hilarious rubber Santa chicken?!? Good times, good times!

Baby's First Christmas!

2008-12-25T20:41:00.000-06:00

To celebrate Kathryn's first Christmas, Scott and I headed up to Athens to hang out with my parents, also now known as Marmee and Pop. Of course, Kathryn shone in the spotlight! Here are some pictures of the weekend!

Kathryn and me on Christmas morning- look at how she's starting to grin!! It melts my heart every time!

Our cute little family on Christmas morning, complete with our jammies and all!

(Left) Marmee showing off her new Kitchen Aid mixer that Santa brought her, and Pop, who doesn't know it yet, but is about to unwrap a new flatscreen TV!! (Right) We had a Penn State Christmas, for sure! Scott received PSU slippers, bathrobe, and garden gnome, and Kathryn received a PSU onesie and pj set!

Not only did I receive this awesome houndstooth scarf with my monogram, I also loaded up on the complete collection of the Twilight series books and a comfy houndstooth throw!

(Left) This is how Kathryn spent her first Christmas morning... oblivious to the fact that everything under the tree was for her!! (Right) Daddy and Kathryn, ready to open presents!!

(Left) The tree. (Right) Marmee practicing her multi-tasking! Holding and feeding a baby while on the phone- not as easy as it looks!!

Stockings are stuffed, and one cute baby!!

We had a great Christmas and hope you did, too!

Christmas and Newborn Pictures

2008-12-06T18:06:00.002-06:00

Little fingers

I love this picture! It was taken with KIK on her tummy. Keep in mind that 2 week old babies rarely are able to hold their heads up. Right as this picture was taken, KIK popped her head up with a bewildered look on her face... so silly!

Daddy and baby

Momma and her little one

Sara and Scott

Christmas 2008

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-11-29T20:28:00.000-06:00

Kathryn loves her bouncy chair that vibrates. In fact, she would stay in it all day if we let her! Here she is attempting to pat her head while rubbing her tummy... or something like that!

Us Kaylor's gathered around our church's Christmas tree.

Kathryn chillin out in her swing

Marmee and Kathryn are RTRing!

Daddy and the bebe!

Random Picture Post

2008-11-28T19:02:00.002-06:00

Sweet sleeping baby

Nittany says, "Nobody pays me any attention anymore!"

Sweet baby feet

Sweet Baby

Beautiful Baby

Baby getting checked out by the dogs

All snuggled up

Snoozing with Pops

I love my mommy!

Baby's First Bath!

2008-11-21T17:02:00.000-06:00

Here's Daddy and one very Naked Baby!! She has no idea what's about to happen!

Blowing bubbles!!

"Wait!! What's going on?!?"

"Okay, this isn't as much fun as I thought it would be!"

"Ahhh, I'm so fresh and so clean, clean!"

"That wasn't so bad! Now I'm all nice and warm!"

Finally Home!

2008-11-21T16:54:00.000-06:00

"YAY!! I'm so happy to be home!!"

KIK, being held by Shelley, who so generously brought us exhausted new parents some yummy dinner!!

And... we all crashed! This picture was taken at about 6:30 am after a VERY sleepless night! I had to finally pull KIK into bed with me for a few minutes to get her to hush! We're all quite surprised that Little Sara joined us!!

Here's KIK, enjoying her mobile for the first time. She can't quite figure out why those four little bunnies keep running around in circles!

Going home from the hospital...

2008-11-20T16:48:00.000-06:00

"Quit taking so many pictures, MOM! You're embarrassing me!!"

Meeting Friends is so much Fun!

2008-11-19T16:12:00.000-06:00

Sweet baby KIK, taking a power nap before being introduced to many, many new friends!

Katie and KIK... thanks for visiting me in the hospital!

Here's a picture of me and my mom, who's trying to figure me out. I certainly didn't come with an owner's manual!
The Warriors Women's group of Westminster Fellowship: Sara, Liz K., Rachel, Liz H, and of course, baby KIK!

"Hey mom! Have you figured me out yet?!? I want MILK!"

The First 24 Hours...

2008-11-19T15:58:00.000-06:00

Here's what the first 24 hours of KIK's life looks like! She was greeted with many hugs, kisses, and snuggles from the whole family!

Here's the proud daddy!

Here's Marmee and Pop, getting some face time with their first grandbaby.
We all simply can't keep our eyes or hands off this sweet little baby!

And sweet she is! She has beautiful blue eyes, a precious nose perfect for kisses, and little lips that make thousands of funny little expressions! And those cheeks!! Her little chipmunk cheeks are begging to be pinched!!

Marmee and granddaughter: I have a feeling these two will have a bond unlike any other!

KIK and Pops: this sweet little girl is already a daddy's girl... I also have a feeling she's going to get spoiled by her Pops as well!

Happy Birth Day!

2008-11-18T14:19:00.000-06:00

I never would have guessed that on midnight of Tuesday, November 18, my life would forever be changed! After my water broke, I got admitted to the hospital at 12:30 am, ready to crank out a baby! The contractions were mild at first, but quickly grew in intensity. At about 2:30, I asked my wonderful nurse, Stefanie, for a dose of IV pain medicine. It took the edge off for a bit, but I realized that it was not going to cut it!! At 4:30 am, I received an epidural, and went into la-la land. Here's a picture of me taken at about 7:30 am, after I'd sent thousands of text messages, put on make-up for the day, and was ready to get this show on the road!!

Our growing little family

K.I.K was born at 2:19pm, weighing 7 pounds, 5 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches long!

She's perfect! All ten fingers and toes, although they're absolutely tiny!

Welcome to the world!

Baby footprints are the best!

Mother and daughter, meeting each other for the first time face to face after a long wait!

I'm so in love!

Pastor/ Student Day at Westminster Fellowship

2008-09-18T11:31:00.000-05:00

Some of the gals of WF took a minute for a photo op! From left to right, front row: Grace, Nina, Sara, Cathie. Back row: Dannie, Stefanie, Anna, Liz.

Here's Barrett, greeting people as they come in the door, and Elizabeth and Stefanie.

James, our campus minister, introducing WF to all the pastors who have travelled to Tuscaloosa from all around the state.

And here's me and Anna... I'm so glad you came... I had a blast with you at dinner!!

Happy Birthday, Sara!

2008-09-17T11:31:00.002-05:00

So, today I officially turned old! Well, not really, but it is my last birthday without children! The picture above is the birthday cake my mom had ordered for me... yummy! It's a four layer strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese icing... ohhh it's heaven!

Here's poor Nittany. Yesterday, I had her scheduled to have her teeth cleaned- a procedure that requires the vet to put her under anesthesia. I gave her a pain pill this morning because her gums were a little inflammed... needless to say, Nittany spent half the day with me drugged up and walking into walls! My poor baby!

And finally, here's Little Sara, enjoying the fact that the dog is too drugged up to fight back.

All in all, it was a great birthday. Thanks to everyone who played a part in making my day special! Much love, Sara

Baby Girl's 28 week checkup

2008-09-11T15:05:00.004-05:00

Our ultrasound tech went into "4-D" mode long enough for us to get a quick glimpse of her face! Looks like those lips are already puckered up for good smooching!!

Here's Baby Kaylor waving hello...

(her head is on the right, and she has her hand up. I can count 5 little fingers!!)

This is evidence of Baby K's "Little Girlness". We're looking at her rump!

This is another view of bebe's face. Looks like she has her eyes closed in this one, with a little thumb sucking action going on.

Best of the Beach Trip, Part 2

2008-08-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

Well, not ALL of the beach trip was spent soaking up the sun and enjoying the waves!!

We had to spend SOME time watching Alabama football, after all!! Here's Scott, Michael, and Daddy, three of the best looking Alabama fans I've ever met!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Enjoying the evening out on the docks...

Scott and Sara

Sara and Daddy

Daddy and Mom, for their joint birthday party.
Fun in the water!
Sara (pre-locks for love) and Scott
Katie and Michael
Michael, remembering what it's like to be a kid again at the arcades!

Well, I believe that's all the pictures I've got! As mentioned before, a good time was had by all, and I'm already looking forward to NEXT year's trip (hopefully this time I'll get to enjoy a fruity adult drink)!

Best of the Beach Trip, Part I

2008-08-26T11:24:00.001-05:00

Gotta love those waves...

That's right! Although this picture is a little faint, this week marked the beginning of the "Second Annual Booze in the Blender Beach Trip!" Except, for some of us, there were virgin drinks in the blender... but a good time was had by all!

This is the entrance to the beautiful Saint Tropez community in Destin, FL where we stay each year. The houses and community have a Mediterranean look and feel.

Here's Katie and Michel, enjoying the sun and the waves.

Brandi and Drew

Sara and Scott, trying not to get sunburned!

Mom and dad, chillin in the balmy beach breeze

Our little beach birdy friend

Happy 50th Birthday, Mom!

2008-08-23T12:55:00.000-05:00

For Mom's big 5-0 this year, Lisa and Dana got together to throw her a joint suprise party. My mother is a very difficult person to suprise, but these women were able to pull it off! Actually, I do believe this is the first successful suprise party I've ever been to, and it was wonderful!

Here's Mom with Joel, Dana's husband, who is also celebrating a birthday.

Mom and some of her long-time friends.

The Whittens and the Dukes

All in all, it was a GREAT party, and I'm so happy that I was able to make it up to Athens to attend. Thanks, Lisa and Dana, for all your hard work!

School's Out for the Summer!

2008-08-05T11:57:00.002-05:00

Not to brag or anything, but I am officially freakin free from this summer semester of hell. That means, I have exactly 15 days off from school until the fall semester starts. Ah, well, I'll make sure to enjoy them!

That means I may get around to backlogging posts. But it may not, I don't know. See, when you're six months pregnant and you've had no time to enjoy any of it thus far, all you really want to do is lay around, watch your tummy get bigger, and work on the baby's room!! =)

So, we'll see!

Ultrasound #2 for Baby Kaylor!

2008-06-26T22:03:00.003-05:00

We went in for Baby Kaylor's 17 week check up, and had the "Big Ultrasound" done hoping to find out the gender. Well, like both of his/her parents, Baby Kaylor proved to be stubborn and wouldn't show us his/her privates! So, we have to wait another month! However, I was amazed at everything this little ultrasound showed us. In the picture above, the baby is in a breech position, with his/her little head facing my back. The head is on the left of the picture, and you can even follow his/her spine (the kinda horizontal white line across the picture). Thanks to our wonderful ultrasound tech, I can even see the two arms and two feet, but it's kinda hard to explain!

Okay, this picture is taken from the top of the baby's head, like he/she is looking downward. His/her two little hands are swimming around in there, making my tummy feel a little uncomfortable. I hear it will only get worse! =)

And this one... I dunno. Clearly I'm not an ultrasound tech. I see the spine, but that's about all I can make out.

So all in all, Baby Kaylor and Mama are in good health. I've started to feel what I'm guessing are baby movements, although they do not feel like anything the books have described! In addition, the baby is sitting VERY low down in my uterus, which explains this constant downward pressure "sucking" like feeling I've been having lately. The baby only weighs 7 ounces (less than a brick of cream cheese!) but those 7 ounces tend to make my bladder feel like it's going to burst!!

So, I suppose the bet is on as to what we're having. But in the words of my co-worker Alicia... "I dunno why you botherin' with an ultrasound... you havin' a boy!" We'll see if she's right!

Much love,

Sara

Amy and Matt's Wedding

2008-06-20T19:05:00.003-05:00

Amy and Matt got married this weekend in Charleston, South Carolina. What a wedding!! With Amy's family from Alabama, and Matt's family mostly from Wisconsin, you could imagine that the accents were quite interesting! The picture above was taken the night of the rehearsal dinner, at a lovely restaurant called California Dreaming. From left, Haley (Amy's sister), Sara, Tonya (Amy's childhood friend), and Amy, the Bride!

The guys: Matt (the groom), Scott, and David (Tonya's boyfriend)

On the day of the wedding, us girls took a minute for a photo op.

The cake: yummy! It was actually two flavors: one layer was chocolate raspberry and the other was lemon. Of course, I had two pieces, one of each!

The bride and her bridesmaids. Isn't Amy beautiful?

The Bride, Groom, and Bridesmaids.

And here's the whole wedding party: Tonya, Sara, Haley, Amy, Matt, Andy, J.J., P.J., and Scott

At the end of the night, the bride and groom were carried off in fancy style!

Tis the Season... for wedding showers, that is!

2008-05-25T00:12:00.002-05:00

Leah and Ross, sitting in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes MARRIAGE... okay, okay, I'll stop right there!

Today we got together at the beautiful home of Jacqueline and Robert to shower the lucky couple with gifts we hope they can use for their marriage and life together! The shower was hosted by Jacqueline, Shelley, Audrey, and myself, and the guests invited were mostly members of First Presbyterian.

The food was delicious, thanks to Shelley and the O'Taste and See Cookbook, and the cake was not only beautiful, but yummy too! But the BEST part of the day was the conversations and the company!

Leslie and Brandon, with their very active 2 year old, Will. Isn't he a cutie!

Jacqueline, our gracious hostess, with guests.

Ross and Leah, opening gifts. Man, they got some good stuff!

And finally, a picture of the happy couple with all the hostesses:

(From left to right) Sara, Audrey, Leah, Ross, Shelley, and Jacqueline

Take me out to the ball game!

2008-05-24T00:03:00.002-05:00

Today we went with a group of students from Westminster Fellowship over to Atlanta, GA for a Braves game! The weather was hot, and our seats were nosebleed, but we had a great time enjoying the game and the company of each other!
Sara and Scott, trying to keep hydrated!
Ahh, yes, here's a few from our group, gettin rowdy! I see Adam, Robert, and James REALLY getting into the game a little bit!
Caleb, Stephanie, and Grace. Is it hot up in here??

Yes, it is hot... and sticky... gotta love these Southern Summers!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T23:53:00.001-05:00

For Mother's Day this year, I was lucky enough to have my parents drive down from Athens to spend the afternoon with me and Scott! We went to church, had lunch at home, then went to the Crimson Promanade to visit Pete's brick.

Last year, the University of Alabama sent a letter to my parents stating that they were placing a brick on the Promanade in Pete's memory. What a generous offer! It's such a nice feeling to know that Pete will always be a part of UA's history. Here's a picture of Pete's brick, upside down, thanks to my "professional photographer" hubby:
Nittany went with us, because she never passes at the chance to walk around UA's campus. She just loves chasing those squirrels, and believe me, there are plenty of them!

Happy Graduation, Leah!

2008-05-10T23:51:00.000-05:00

Yes, congratulations are in order for our dear friend, Leah, as she officially graduates from the University of Alabama with an undergraduate degree in engineering! (hence the dump trucks on the cake!) Leah is engaged to Ross, First Presbyterian's current pre-seminary intern. They get married in June, and Ross begins seminary school at Columbia early August. The couple are moving to Georgia shortly after their wedding to spend the next three years while Ross is in school. Congrats to you BOTH, and hopefully soon I'll have wedding picutes posted up here as well!!
Leah and her cake!
The whole gang showed up to congratulate Leah. Some of these are new faces for me, but I spot Barrett, Sarah Rachel, Leah, Wade, Sara, Audrey and Titus, Anna, Adam, James, and Ross!

It's not "goodbye" but only "see you later"!

2008-05-10T23:23:00.002-05:00

Melissa and Scott announced their move to Nashville, Tennessee for this summer! As sad as we are to see them go, we are excited about their new jobs and opportunities waiting for them at... the Player's Club!

We threw a Mexican-themed "Going Away Party" for the couple at the home of Wade and Audrey. Pictured above, top row, are Scott, Melissa, Scott, and Wade. On the sofa, in our typical girly fashion, is Sarah Rachel, Anna, Sara, Audrey, and Titus (who's not so girly, but still...).

Every time we get together at Wade and Audrey's, is a custom for the ladies to get their picture taken together crammed on the sofa. Today was no exception!

And here's Titus, enjoying the party but wishing he could have a slice of momma's cake!!

Oh, and let it be known!! Barrett and James did grace us with a visit to wich Melissa and Scott off well, but they both left before I could get proof of it via the camera!

Good luck, Melissa and Letters... we'll miss you! There's always a place for you here in Tuscaloosa and at First Pres, anytime you visit!

Almost the end of the semester!

2008-04-16T16:05:00.002-05:00

Well, as the title implies, it's almost the end of the semester for me. And we ALL know what that means: Backlogging Blog Enteries!! So flip back through the past several enteries and view the ones that just "magically" appeared even though they weren't there before!

Isn't it a miracle?!? Happy blogging,
Sara

First Baby Picture

2008-04-15T16:42:00.001-05:00

Here's our first baby picture! Look at how little "Peanut" is! At a little over 1/2 a centimeter, our baby has a healthy heart beat of 133 bpm! (Normal is 120-180)

Our Anniversary

2008-04-13T16:07:00.004-05:00

For our first anniversary this year, Scott and I loaded the dog up in the car and headed off to Gatlinburg, TN for some R&R and good mountain fresh air. We had a such a great time, and Nittany loved having the opportunity to sniff new and interesting scents. So here are some pictures from our trip!

Here's the view from our back porch:

Here's the cheesy heart-shaped jet tube that we didn't even get a chance to use... it was too cold!

Our cozy room, complete with the 36 inch flat screen plasma TV...

And here's sweet Nittany getting ready to go for a walk!

Cock-A-Doodle Falls

2008-04-11T16:23:00.000-05:00

On our way to Gatlinburg, we stopped at my favorite childhood destination for lunch: Noccalula Falls! Located on the outskirts of Gadsden, Alabama, this little waterfall was the place I always wanted to visit as a little girl. So, in typical Kaylor fashion, here's some pictures to mark the event.

Here's me and Nittany out enjoying the (windy) afternoon. Our puppy really wanted to chase the ducks in the water, but I figured a wet dog in the car wouldn't be too much fun!

The River

Scott and the Falls...

Sara and the Falls...

The Falls!

Quick updating!!

2008-04-03T10:44:00.003-05:00

Soo... we've gotten a few complaints that we don't update the blog often enough, and that we're not doing our part in keeping in touch with the world.

WELLLLLLL let me tell ya! We have been crazy-busy, and chances are it's not going to let up anytime soon! So here's a quick update from our little neck of the woods! =)

See the monopoly board? Believe it or not, that's what takes up a good chunk of our time! This past semester, Scott and I have become involved with the FPC Campus Ministry, which means we get to hang out with great college students and "hang". Monday nights are Bible Study and dinner nights, Wednesday nights we're at chuch (Scott doing the hand bell thing), Thursday nights I teach a women's bible study, and then Friday nights, we're back at the student center for the social event called CHAOS!

Oh but we've had fun, and I wouldn't trade this minstry for the world. Here's some other pictures of our new "Children"!

Here's Ross and Cathie, after they've tried to join forces against us in Monopoly... well, they still lost...

Grace and Sara, shown' the money money money!

Cathie and Titus, who's rollin in the dough!

And here's Frannie and Gena, Lovely Ladies!

Westminster Women

2008-03-28T16:36:00.000-05:00

Here's five of the finest Westminster Women you'll ever be lucky enough to meet!

From left: Grace, Leah, Sara, Cathie, Audrey

Surprise!

2008-03-26T16:39:00.000-05:00

Guess what this means?!?

Our estimated delivery date is November 30, 2008.

We're both very, very excited, yay!

I got "Tagged"

2008-02-21T13:59:00.002-06:00

Wow, I didn't realize its been a while since our last update! We haven't dropped off the face of the Earth, we've just been really busy!

Thanks to my dear friend, Tonya (who tagged me), you all get this measly update.

It's called the "Daily Schedule Tag", but my weekly schedule is more interesting. So here is/was my schedule for this week:

Monday:
7:00: Up, coffee in hand, and catch up on Morning Express with Robin Meade
8:00-11:00: School stuff, reading articles, and fighting off sleep
11ish: lunch
12:00-2:00: more school stuff
2:00-3:30: I think I actually fell asleep reading philosophy crap
3:30: Scott came home, I woke up, and I read more philosophy while he entertained himself
5:30-9:30: Two Bible studies and dinner at Westminster Fellowship (the Presbo College Ministry that we are advisors to)
10:oo: in bed, reading, this time leisure reading!

Tuesday:
5:15: Up, coffee in hand, off to Brad's house to do dressing changes
6:30: Back at home, more coffee, E-mail, Morning Express
7:30-11: School stuff (see a pattern here?)
11:30: lunch, some small TV, and short power nap
1:30: get ready for work
2:15 leave house for work
2:38: Clock in at work
11:08: Clock out from work
11:25: Home from work, straight to shower
12:00: Zonked out

Wednesday:
6:00: Up, get ready for another fun-filled day, coffee, Morning Express
7:15: Off to Brad's
7:50: Off to Starbucks
8:15: attempt to find parking spot at UA
8:40: Sit down in my office and do school work
12:00: Check facebook. Then more school work
2:00: Leave school to drive to work
2:38: Clock in at work
11:08: clock out at work
11:25: home from work, straight to shower
12:00: Zonk out

Thursday:
5:15: Up, coffee in hand, off to Brad's
6:30: home, get dressed and ready for another fun-filled day
7:45: Leave house, and head to the hospital, AGAIN
8:15-4:30: case management clinicals with Karen
4:45: home, quick power nap (I hope)
6:00: Book Club meeting and dinner
8:30: home, and hopefully straight to bed

Friday:
7:30: Oh my gosh, I got to sleep in
8:00: Off to Brad's
9:00-1:00: School work
2:00: meet with WF fellowship committee
3:30: meet with my ISD group
5:30-9:00: Philosophy Class, yuck!!!
9:01: hopefully going out with some classmates for a 40oz margarita

Saturday:
9:00-5:30pm: more Philosophy Class, yuck
5:31pm: 40 oz margarita?

Now, Tonya, aren't you sorry you asked? Absolutely NOT much fun stuff going on right now!! (hence the lack of updates!)

Love ya,
Sara

I'm Dreaming of a White Martin Luther King Day

2008-01-19T10:29:00.000-06:00

Who needs James Spann and his weather forecast when you have Sara K?

Today's forecast: Cold as Heck with some unfamiliar particles falling from the sky.

08:30 AM: Ohh wait... We've officially identified those previously unfamiliar particles as being "Snow". Folks, I haven't seen snow in these parts of the state since January 2002, and even then it merely snowed for about half an hour. Stay tuned for more: we'll keep you updated hourly!

09:30 AM: Well, things have now turned a bit more serious here in T-Town! I report that we are under an official Winter Advisory Report (whatever that is) and I'm sure many businesses in town are deciding to close up for the day. This has just turned from "snow flurries" to the Blizzard of 2008! If you're feeling brave, now is the time to run to your nearest grocery store to stock up on milk and bread!!

10:30 AM: The snow continues to fall and continues to stick. I'm utterly impressed that this has lasted for two whole hours!! What will happen next? Stay tuned, and I'll keep you updated!

Nittany's Forecast: "Its even too cold to pee!! Woof!"

Poor Nitters. She just was NOT impressed with the snow at all. Look at that scowl!
Stay safe and keep warm! Love, Sara

Happy Birthday, Drew!

2008-01-15T20:18:00.000-06:00

Well, tonight, Drew went from being an old man to becoming an OLDER man! In fact, he is sooo old that he didn't even get carded when ordering a beer! The group got together at Outback Steakhouse for a Bloomin Onion and a good time. We suprised the Birthday Boy with a frilly, fruity, girly drink: something with the words "strawberry" and "lemonade" in the title.

Here's the Old Man himself with his very lovely wife, Brandi.

Matt and A-may, who I am happy to report are BACK IN TUSCALOOSA!! Hopefully for good this time, because we've got a trip to Ireland to plan for in 2010!

Katie was my date for the evening, and she was quite enjoyable!! I understand now why Michael has such a huge crush on her!! =)

Once again, Happy Birthday Drew! Remember... age is just a number... but DANG am I glad to not have THAT number!!

TSICU Pampered Chef Party

2008-01-15T18:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight, Liz hosted a Pampered Chef party in her new and BEAUTIFUL home. From left to right, Tammy, Meridith, Glenda, Taylor, Emily, and Liz. The theme was "Mexican Night" and Liz and Emily made some of THE BEST margaritas ever.

Here's Nicole and her friend Sara before spending WAY too much money of the Pampered Chef products!

Even Kloei had a good time! Here she is playing with one of Liz's two dogs.

Thanks, Liz, for the awesome party, great food, and a wonderful time! Can't wait until the next time!!

Le Sigh

2008-01-13T16:41:00.000-06:00

You know, sometimes it's a wonder I get any work done at all!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T13:10:00.001-06:00

Well, it is officially 2008!! We rang in the New Year with 15 of our close friends, and a good time was had by all, especially Nittany, who apparently kept sneaking food when no one was looking! We had a nice fire pit outside and made s'mores, we played several games like Trivial Pursuit, Sex on the Couch, and Scattergories, and ate and ate and ate... Here's some of our pictures of the night:

Nittany, pooped out from all that partying. Too Much New Year's!!

Patrick and Leigh Ann

Audrey, Wade, and Titus

Melissa and Scott

Sara and James

And I saved the best for last, the LADIES! We banged on pots and pans at midnight, waking up the entire neighborhood! We had a great time, and look forward to all that 2008 brings to us!

Post Christmas Chaos

2007-12-26T09:48:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, the day after Christmas...

A day in which one wakes up late, puts on a pot of coffee, sits on the couch, and thinks, "Well, crap. NOW what?"

President Bush is on his way over to declare our house a disaster area. Dishes are piled up in the sink and kitchen, Christmas gifts are waiting to find new homes in our cupboards and closets, laundry needs to be done... and then there's the issue of this big, 6-foot, decorated tree that will need to come down in the next few days. 'Le sigh. So much to do; no motivation to do it all.

I guess this could be called the post-Christmas Christmas funk. The time when we all come down off our magical Christmas spirits and get back to reality. We're reminded of that long to-do list that was ever so casually pushed underneath the Christmas shopping list, and now's the time to get back into the swing of things. Now's the time to start considering those New Years Resolutions!!

So, Resolution #1: Get Life in Order

Luckily for me, I have 7 more days until 2008, so here's to chaos and disorder for another week!

Love you guys!

Sara

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T21:26:00.000-06:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

This Christmas proved to be quite magical. On Christmas Eve, Scott and I attended the 11pm candlelight service at First Presbyterian Church; a service that was inspiring, reflective, and really set the mood for our holiday. After staying up so late, however, we were in no hurry to wake up bright and early to see what all Santa left us!

After waking up rather close to 10 am, we made a full pot of coffee, some cinnamon pancakes and fried eggs, and enjoyed our breakfast together. Afterwards we opened up our presents and were thrilled with everything!! Scott got some movies, a handsfree headset for his phone, an atomic clock, and some HANGERS!! =)

My favorite gifts were a breadmaker, fondue pot, a new iron, a 7 setting shower head, an awesome cookie/dough mat, a Fleetwood Mac CD (thanks Daddy!), and a pearl necklace from Santa.

Our parents were in cahoots I believe because Scott received a Penn State Monopoly game from his parents and a Penn State kids book from my parents. In addition, I received a Bama Monopoly game from the Kaylors and a Big Al book from my parents. How is that for funny!?!?!

After cleaning up all the wrapping paper, I had to test out that fabulous shower head, then we packed the dog up and headed out for a nice long walk on the River Walk. After our outing, we took Christmas pictures at the Capital Park. Here are some of our favorite pictures!

Nittany absolutely refused to look at the camera. We bribed that dog left and right, but she just WOULD NOT even attempt to be photogenic!

Here's Scott and our very stubborn dog!

Guess what my New Year's Resolution is going to be?!?!

And here's Nittany, pretending to be Queen of her Mountain, but she still won't look at the camera!!! What a brat!!!

We had a great Christmas and hope you did too. Much love!!!

Andrew Paul Whitten, 1984-2007

2007-12-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

Today the world is saddened by the loss of a dear friend, Drew.

Drew was born on the "Day Before Groundhog's Day" 1984 to parents David and Ruth Whitten of Athens, Alabama. Big Brother Dave was a grade ahead of me in high school, and Drew was a grade below me. At age 16, Little Brother Daniel isn't so little anymore, and has turned out to be quite the gentleman!

Drew and I knew each other from church from the moment my family moved to Athens in 1995. We survived David Palmer's Confirmation Class together, and occasionally were known to skip Sunday School to go get ice cream at the Athens Limestone Drug Store. On the the first day of school Drew's freshman year, I noticed him eating lunch alone, and no one ever joined him. The next day, I invited him to eat with me and my two other (girl) friends, and Drew and I were buddies ever since then! We were both active in the Athens Golden Eagle Marching Band, and spent many bus trips together. When the band went to New Orleans, Drew's uncle, Dr. Lutz, invited the entire band into his home for a genuine Louisana style crawfish buffet! Drew introduced me to his uncle, and Dr. Lutz greeted me by saying, "The Adult drinks are in the diningroom..." Dr. Lutz thought I ( a sophmore in high school) was a Band Parent! Oh, Drew and I got a kick out of that for years to come, taking the joke so far as to say that I would end up marrying Dr. Lutz to become Drew's aunt!

In addition to band trips, Drew and I went on several Mexico Mission trips together with the First Presbyterian Church, Athens Alabama and the Ministero de Fe in Reynosa, Mexico. I think we ended up going on a total of five mission trips together, although Drew went on about eight total, and even ended up spending an entire summer during college doing mission work and building houses in God's name.

Drew and I also went to the Montreat Camp and Conference Center several times together, and were very active at Camp Maranantha as part of the North Alabama Presbytery. Drew loved his church, and he loved his God. There were many times I thought that after attending Auburn University, he might consider seminary school.

While Drew attended Auburn University from 2002-2006, he met his love, Ruth Wilson. Both were extremely active at the First Presbyterian Church Student Fellowship in Auburn, and Drew even lived in the Presbyterian house on campus and served as the Keeper of the Keys for the church. Drew and Ruth were married on November 17, 2007 at FPC, Auburn.

Today, after merely 20 days of marriage, we learned that Drew had been hit and killed by a train. Like I said earlier, the world is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the Lord's most faithful followers.

I love you, Drew, and will miss you deeply. May you rest in peace and keep and eye on my little brother while you're up there. I'll never forget all the good times we've had! Thanks for your unforgettable influence in my life and thank you also for the unselfish friendship you have given to me!

Boordy Vineyards and Baltimore, Maryland

2007-12-07T10:27:00.000-06:00

Scott and I have a new tradition: Everytime we go to visit his parents in Baltimore, we take a quick side trip out to Boordy Vineyards to stock up on some good, old Maryland wine!

Baltimore received 3-4 inches of snow the night before we landed, and as our 9am flight flew in over the city, it was a beautiful sight to look down below and see city covered in a light dusting of snow!

Of course, after Alabama's 60-70 degree weather, we had to have a quick little snowball fight before proceeding with anything further.

My dear Scott was in charge of the hotel reservations, and so he found this quaint little MOtel for us to stay at. I don't think I've stayed at a MO-tel in a good 20 years! This one even had the Vacancy sign lit up!! But I swear, if it weren't for the cable TV or the air conditioning, then dang, we would have had to go on down the street and find somewhere else to stay! =)

On Friday, we met up with Scott's parents and toured the downtown B&O Railroad Museum. After a brief train ride, we went and toured the Carroll Mansion. I loved walking around this old house, and the tour was facinating!

In fact, I tried to get Scott to buy the house for me as an early Christmas gift, but it didn't work out...

Due to unfortunate circumstances, we had to cut our Baltimore trip short, but we both had a really good time! I loved seeing the city and driving around looking at all the buildings and homes. We also enjoyed getting to spend an anniversary dinner with George and Sharen at McCormick and Schmick's along the harbor. It was good to see you and I hate that our trip was so short!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

2007-11-29T10:13:00.000-06:00

Guess what we did tonight? You got it, we put up our Christmas tree! After wrestling around with the actual construction of the pre-lit tree, and swearing a few times at the color-number-symbal coordnated lights, the tree was ready to be decorated. Scott and I had decided on a red and gold theme, and moments later we stepped back and admired our handiwork. We both agree that this is the prettiest Christmas tree either of us has ever had... which is a good way to share our first Christmas together as a married couple! =)

This is also Little Sara's favorite holiday. She loves to lie underneath the tree and bat at all the "sparklies"; a pasttime that absolutely drives me bonkers! And once Santa begins leaving gifts under the tree, the dang cat has to go check them out by gnawing at the edges! So anytime you receive a gift from us Kaylor's, and you notice a chewed up corner, just know that Little Sara is sending in her love as well.

And this is how Nittany spent the evening: curled up in her own bed, oblivious to everything else going on in the house.

Our Last Night in Texas

2007-11-24T11:15:00.000-06:00

Our last night in Texas, we had a pizza party/ Iron Bowl party at Deanie and Charlie's. Daddy and I were rooting for our team, but even though we lost, Alabama will always be #1 to us!

Lonnie graced us all with his presence, and in typical Lonnie fashion, had the room in stitches with laughter.

The girls got a little crazy and huddled up together for last minute photo ops. Good times, good times.

I love my Granny!

We all enjoyed visiting the "Winds of Texas"! We love you all, and thank you for your fabulous hospitality! Hope to see you soon!

The Grassy Knoll

2007-11-24T10:47:00.000-06:00

On a cold and rainy Texas day, Nita and Mike took us to Dallas to visit the Grassy Knoll and J.F.K Museum. It was absolutely amazing!

I enjoyed the museum, especially the home video collection, and the whole experience was sombering. It certainly took me back into the 1960's!

Here's more photos from the day!

Here's some shots of the "6th Floor Window" and the approximate spot on the road where JFK was assassinated.

After visiting the museum, we were starved! We ate lunch and huddled together to get warm!

The Guys: Scott, Mike, and Dad, and the whole gang, including Nita, Mom, and me.

It was cold, and it was rainy, but it was delightful! Thanks for babysitting us, Mike and Nita!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-22T10:22:00.000-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year, the Duke's and the Kaylor's loaded up in the big red bus and headed to Fort Worth, Texas for a few days of fun and food!

It was so wonderful to see everyone again, and as the stories floated around the room, laughter was loud, and smiles were everywhere. We all got an abundance of hugs, and I loved every minute of it! So here's a few pictures!

Family Photo! Daddy, Mom, Granny, Sara and Scott.

Scott, showing Granny our wedding albumn, and Deanie, posing with her grandson (and my new friend) Jacob.

Initially, all the men wound up in the office discussing... man things. Caught in action: Mike (Nita's husband) and Daddy, and in the second photo, Charlie (Deanie's Manly Man) and Scott.

Here is my mother, practicing at "Pulling the Handle" in Deanie and Charlie's Retro Room! And, finally, the ladies: Sara (holding Becky and James' beautiful baby, Jacob), and sisters Deanie, Mom, and Nita.

A Day in the Life of a Cat

2007-11-20T10:16:00.000-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year, Scott and I will be traveling to Fort Worth, Texas.

Since we leave first thing tomorrow, today was a big day in preparing for the trip. All the laundry had to be done, last minute shopping, cleaning, and packing was necessary, and the dog had to be dropped off at the Dog Hotel. All in all, it was a very busy day.

Except for Little Sara... who instead enjoyed lounging around IN my side of the bed all day and evening. To her, we couldn't get out of the house faster! Ahhh, it must be nice!

November Dinners for Eight

2007-11-12T10:06:00.000-06:00

Each year, our church in Tuscaloosa starts a "Dinners for Eight" program. Couples interested sign up in advance, and are paired at random with three other couples from the church. Each dinner group then gets together once a month, either at someone's house or out for a night on the town. The end result is developing friendships with people you wouldn't normally meet or sit down to eat dinner with!

This is our first year to do Dinner's for Eight, and we were lucky to have the best group, by far! In November, we enjoyed a lovely seafood dinner prepared by hosts Julie and Doug. The night was fabulous!

Pictured around the table, from left: Audrey, Scott, Rachel, Julie (holding Titus), Doug, Michael, Sara, and Wade.

As my mother would say, "Good food, good friends, good golly!"

School's Out for the Winter!

2007-11-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

Well, the first semester of the brand new Nurse Educator Cohort met for the last time this weekend. We all brought in great food to nibble on throughout the weekend, and we sat and discussed all that we have learned both from the courses and from each other. Memories are being built as we speak, and I know that this group will be important to me for the rest of my life. It was a challenging semester, but it was well worth it, and we look forward to what lies ahead!

One semester down, five more to go, plus the dissertation!! We can do it!

Painting a Pretty Picture

2007-11-07T07:59:00.000-06:00

Well, we finally did it. I recruited my good friends Katie and Emily to help me with the seemingly impossible task of painting the bathroom and hallway. I felt great about it as we primed the walls and cranked up the classic rock station a little bit louder. But when we started putting the first coat of green on in the washroom, I began getting a little bit nervous. The color really is dark, but that's what I wanted!

Katie and Emily reassured me that the bathroom did not look like it had just recently been used in a slasher film. Here are some pictures of us in all our painter's-cuteness glory!

Katie was in charge of the sink room, by far the better looking of the two bath rooms!

Emily was in charge of the ENTIRE hallway. I absolutely fell in love with this color, "Oatmeal". And Emily, who's always a good sport, also provided entertainment for the day. Not only did she sit down on the edger, leaving a perfect rectangle on her butt, she ALSO stepped her foot into the can of paint! Haha!

Awww, we had fun. Thanks girls, for your professional paint services!

Ghosts, goblins, and Ghouls, OH MY!

2007-10-31T12:47:00.000-05:00

Katie hosted a fabulous Halloween Par-tay! The food was delicious, the costumes were amazing, and the Hunch Punch was killer!

I know the picture is fuzzy, but I went as a Desperate Housewife approximately 6 months pregnant, and Scott was my handsome milkman.

Ohh, the party was a blast. Here's some of the pictures from this crazy event:

Brandi and her husband, oh my... Liz makes a cute deviled egg! And yes, it's a one night stand!

Zeb, what a chick magnet! Melissa is one hot spring chicken! And look! Richard Simmons even showed up!

Emily and Brandon are quite gothic and scary, and Michael and Katie make for an interesting Doctor-Pirate relationship! Hmmmmmm....

Thirty-Two Years Young!

2007-10-29T19:54:00.000-05:00

Somebody's going to need a lung transplant to blow out all of those candles!!

Happy 32nd Birthday, Scott!!

Saturday with the Kaylors

2007-10-27T17:59:00.001-05:00

This was the first Saturday in a LONG time (over two months) that Scott and I had a full Saturday together. We slept in late, drank coffee, ate waffles, and even watched a little bit of "So I Married an Axe Murderer" before looking at each other and saying, "What would YOU like to do today?" After some deliberation, we decided to... BE DESTRUCTIVE!!! We attacked our guest bathroom's Gawd-awful wallpaper, and in no time, racked up a huge mess.

As you can see, wallpaper was everywhere!

For those of you how don't know me very well, I absolutely despise wallpaper. Nothing screams "I'm stuck in the 80's!" like wall paper. So I am now proud to state that we have successfully rid our home of all wallpaper!

So tonight we'll head to Home Depot to pick out some colors for the bathroom. I'm thinking of painting it either gray, or that sage green that is so popular right now. I'm leaning toward green, however, because so much of our house is already blue/grayish (our living room and master bathroom). We also plan on putting in new light fixtures and new bathroom accessories, so when we have it all done, you'll have to come stay a night with us to see it! Our goal is to be finished in exactly two weeks, because Lindsey, Tim, (and maybe Sonja) will be spending the weekend with us, and they will need a bathroom, for sure!

Here's poor Nittany with her black, stitched up eye.

While everyone was busy working on the bathroom, Little Sara took the opportunity to take a nice long bath and snuggle in for a lengthy nap. What a tough life.

Pleasure is all Wine

2007-10-26T20:38:00.000-05:00

Tonight Scott and I ventured over to Birmingham for a highly enjoyable "night on the town"! We started out at a wine tasting at our new favorite wine bar, Pleasure is all Wine.

For anyone who loves wine as much as we do, this is the place for you! This unique store also offers social evens such as wine/beer tastings, Ladies Nights, and Wine Classes. We sat at the Tasting Bar nibbling on tasty hors d oeuvres and talking to the ten other wine lovers. By the end of the night, (and three glasses of wine later) we were all BEST FRIENDS. I mentioned Scott's upcoming birthday, and we immediately got directions and recommendations to a restaurant to try for dinner.

After a little bit of a drive, we managed to find the place, Fox Valley Restaurant, in Helena, Alabama. I have to admit, it was a bit surprising to find a "white linen tablecloth" restaurant attached to a Shell gas station, but the menu was colorful and the food was delicious. We both ordered their crab cakes, and Scott also had a steak. I was quite impressed!

All in all, our evening was lovely and filled with stimulating conversation over robust red wine. Next time, you'll have to join us!

TSICU Game Night

2007-10-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

Well, today started out very cold and dreary. Which worked out nicely for me, seeing as I was planning on cooking a huge vat of chili for tonight's TSICU Game night!!

I spent the day basically procrastinating, and lounging around on the sofa catching up on all my TiVo'd episodes. Absolutely no school work was accomplished today.

Nittany and her "friend" Ginger, from across the street, got involved in an unfriendly dog fight this evening, scaring the crap out of all of us humans and securing an emergency trip to the vet for both dogs. Nittany ended up having to be sedated and required several stitches below her eye. She also has a few gashes to her head, but other than that she'll be okay. Right now she's just sleeping off her anesthesia. Ginger, on the other hand, had a pretty bad leg injury and has to spend the night at the vet's. Aww, poor Ginger...

Here's a picture of my sleeping baby:

My heart just aches seeing my poor little baby drugged up on the floor. I know she's "just" a dog, but my maternal instincts have kicked in and I don't like seeing my baby hurting!

On a brighter note, here are some of TSICU's finest nurses after a fun-filled night of playing games!

Sabrina, Suzanne, Emily, Katie, Sara

We played a few rounds of "Dirty Minds" while sipping on strawberry margaritas. Next, we moved to Scattegories, and finally ended up playing good ol Mexican Train Dominos. The chilli hit the spot, and Katie brought over her infamous spicy chicken dip... YUMMY!

Thanks girls for making this an enjoyable evening!

Sloss Fright Furnace

2007-10-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to post, but tonight a group of us went to Birmingham for a spook-tacular evening of fun, fright, and CHEESECAKE!

Emily and Brandon, Vanessa, Brandi, Laurie, Michael and Katie, and Scott and me braved our way through the Sloss Fright Factory, and then wound up at the Cheesecake factory for some yummies and drinks.

Vanessa even ordered a Long Island Ice Tea!! WHOA!

TSICU Wiki

2007-10-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

Well, here's what I've been working on in my graduate program:

View more at http://tsicuwiki.pbwiki.com !

Wow, that was fun, and also highly stressful! I'm so glad it is over and completed though!

Double Trouble

2007-09-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

NO DOGS ON THE BED!!!

But how do you say no when they're this cute?!?

Bowling Night

2007-09-06T12:36:00.000-05:00

In Tuscaloosa, on any given Thursday night, there's really only two places to be: Pepito's Mexican Grill, and Bama Bowl! Here, we were lucky enough to do BOTH things in one night!

Katie ended up shocking us all by playing a really awesome game of bowling. Her score was way up there, and she made Brandi and me look like... two girls who hardly ever bowl. =)

Here's some more pictures from this exciting night!

Here's Brandi, balancing her "juggling" act!

Katie and Michael

Labor Day Cookout 2007

2007-09-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

This year, Brandi and Drew were gracious enough to host a Labor Day Cookout. We grilled steaks, pigged out on baked potatoes, and ended up completely stuffed before the night was over. Michael and Katie made a debut appearance, and the six of us gathered around the dining room table for a night of games, games, games. Here in this picture, I think the boys are finally realizing that us girls are not only beautiful, we're smart too! I think we kicked some booty in the score department!

Cake Decorating

2007-08-28T12:01:00.000-05:00

For Brandi's birthday this year, she and I attended a cake decorating class offered by Mary's Cakes and Pastries in Northport, AL. What a great time we had! Mary opened up her bakery to us with open arms, allowing us to taste many of her goodies for free; wow were they yummy! We learned how to make her top-secret Buttercream frosting, and then after learning the proper way to frost a cake, she taught us basic cake decorating tips of the trade. Finally, she let us experiment on our own with different colors, textures and techniques. Here is a picture of my final performance! Brandi's cake looked beautiful (of course, she's so crafty) but I didn't snap a picture of it in time!

Thanks Brandi for going with me! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

First Annual Booze in the Blender Beach Bash

2007-08-20T11:49:00.000-05:00

August 15-19, 2007

After an entire summer of planning, our first vacation as a married couple was here! We spent the week in Destin, Florida at a beautiful house with Amy and Matt, Brandi and Drew. Countless hours were spent in the water, either at the beach catching good ol salt water waves, or floating atop a water lounger in the pool of our backyard. We ate great food, shared many laughs, got some sun, and made many memories!

We are also excited to be a part of Amy and Matt's special moment, seeing as they are now officially engaged! Congratulations to the both of you (and way to go, Matt!!), and we are excited to see what your lives have in store for you. Please let us pass the Wedding Wand over to you guys!!

Our beach trip was a blast, and we hope to continue the tradition next year, same time, same place! But for now, it's back to the daily grind: Scott to work, and me preparing for my first semester of graduate school. Reality is slowly sinking back in place!

Captain Duke

2007-08-08T12:10:00.000-05:00

Nittany and I traveled up to Athens to meet mom's new puppy, Captain (see left). In a matter of minutes, Nittany and Captain were instant friends and partners in crime! The two dogs had a bonding moment while being locked up in the outdoor kennel while mom and I met Lisa, Sherry, Branon and her friend at the new Italian resturant. After our delicious dinner, we invited everyone back over to the house for rum runners... only to find TWO DOGS running around in the front yard! My delinquent dog, Nittany, had dug her way out of the kennel. Captain, young, innocent, and aloof, followed Nittany's troublemaker ways, and there is no telling how long those two dogs had been running free. We're lucky they didn't run off!

The humans spent the evening sitting outside watching the dogs play. Lisa brought over her babies Opie and Elliot, and we had a dog party for sure! Here's some more photos from our lovely late-summer evening:

Dogs, dogs, dogs...

Opie and Lisa

Ken and Vicki's Wedding

2007-08-04T12:23:00.000-05:00

August 3-5, 2007

Scott and I traveled up to Connecticut to see Ken and Vicki say their "I do's"!! They had a beautiful outdoor wedding underneath a gazebo overlooking a lake with a fountain. Although the weather was hot, we were quite cool in the shade.

Thanks you guys for the invite! We had such a wonderful time, and it was great to see everyone again!