The Good Times

We had the best long weekend, so fun, so refreshing, so very needed. Josh and Brooke arrived last Friday (Josh and I worked together at EdR for seven years) and we enjoyed hanging out with them for a few days pre-Disney (they were taking their daughter for the first time) ... and then I drove to Orlando on Saturday afternoon to pick up Jess and Liss from the airport. When people ask what I miss most about Memphis, I always say our friends. Especially our friends who are more like family, and these two definitely fit that category. We spent four days laughing our heads off and playing catch up ... going to the spa for mani/pedi's, taking a day trip to Micanopy for lunch and shopping, spending late nights in the hot tub with our red and yellow solo cups - ha!, learning the art of "nerts", and eating some delicious food (thank you to our food hero, Shauna Niequist ... and personal chef, Paul Bruce)! Hampton thought it was the best visit of his life to date as by day 2 of their time with us he had been given yogurt for breakfast, a pickle slice at lunch, some pizza crust, and little bits of cheese. My amateur mom ways went out the window when the pediatrician's wife and her faithful sidekick came to town ;)

More wonderful memories to hold close to my heart, so many more to come. XOXO

Summer Visitors!

After our trip to Birmingham, Grammy, Poppy

and Aunt Loren came back to Florida with us

for the week!

 



Grammy took Hampton on lots of walks outside

 



we ate out in the garden at B.D. Beans, yum!

 



we went swimming :)

 



Here is Hampton showing off his kicking skills :)

 



We spent an afternoon at Silver Springs and

got to ride on the glass bottom boats!

 



I have many a picture sitting underneath this same

sign beginning in 1983 ...

 



Mr. lover of the water ...

 



...he loved seeing all of the fish!

 



...we had such a fun time!!

 



Thanks for coming to see us!! We love you!

Summer Travels

After a whirlwind week, we are getting back in the swing of things around here. We left last Thursday for Birmingham (had dinner with MC, Lane and the boys and Meghan in Tallahassee) and stayed with Paul's aunt Cindy. We got to spend lots of time with Paul's parents, Loren (and Matt) and Stephen, and I know one little baby who loved every minute of being the center of attention :)

It was SO great to be back in the great state of Alabama :) Thick accents and sweet tea ... my favorite. Paul and I spent Friday shopping around downtown Homewood (Greek lunch at Do Di Yo's) and the Summit, and other than that, spent time with family. On Sunday we attended Loren's gorgeous bridal shower, an afternoon tea, and it was so much fun! Hampton is such an easy baby when it comes to traveling and being on-the-go ...

Immediately following the shower, we left to come back home (with my in-laws following us and aunt Loren in the backseat). L gets the aunt of the year award after playing The Notekins on youtube and mother goose's nursery rhymes (for what seemed like 4 hours straight) on the way home :) Hampton thinks she is hilarious and loves her so much. We spent this week hanging out, eating at Blue Highway and BD Beans, swimming, and taking a cruise at Silver Springs (glass bottom boat).

Sweet Hampton crashed last night and we had to wake him up to say goodbye to the family this morning. It has rained a lot today and I think we're all feeling a little sad that the house is so quiet and that we're back to our normal routine after such a fun-filled week. We have taken a few long walks (in between rain showers), read some books, and taken some much-needed naps...

Cornish game hens with cornbread dressing (from Louisiana) on the menu tonight, and leftover carrot cake from Ms. Nation. There is nothing more southern than a homemade three-layer cake being dropped off on your doorstep when you have company in town. Love.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a great Memorial weekend. Both of Paul's
aunts and all three of his cousins came to visit us
and love on baby H :)



Aunt Jan with Hampton

 



 

Aunt Cindy with Hampton

 



Cousins Josh and Janee

 



 

This little smiler is the highlight

of every one of our days ...

Missing Our Friends Already!

 

We had special friends arrive from Illinois

this week! Aunt Jill arrived on the scene and

promptly gave Hampton his very first

manicure :) They were fast friends.

...it seems like just yesterday we were college

roommates...and now here we are with two

sweet little boys between us. Time flies.

 



Judson gave lots of "love"

to baby Hampton. And I

don't know anyone who has smoother moves

and higher kicks to "Old MacDonald" than

this kid.

 



 

Thanks Brandt, Jill and Judd for coming to

hang with us! Wish we could grill out and

eat peanut butter pie together all the time :)

Love you!

Baby Visitors!

Hampton had lots of fun visitors the first few weeks of his

life! On the occasions when I could remember to whip

out my camera (!), those visitors got documented :) Liza

and Rebecca came to meet their new cousin when he was

barely a day old :)

 



Two very proud grandmothers. Honey and Grammy.

 



Hampton with both sets of his grandparents and his great-

grandparents. A picture is worth a thousand words.

 



Uncle Mark and Kasey flew down from Nashville

when Hamp was five days old. They did the

bro shake within minutes of their first meeting :)

 

Kasey and Hampton were fast friends :) She

came complete with a dino bank, sunglasses,

and dino slippers (and many more dino accessories!).

What's not to love?

 



Uncle Michael met Hampton the same weekend as Uncle Mark.

He looked so tiny in the arms of my brothers. It was the

sweetest.

 



Grandmommy, Uncle Mark (my mom's

brother) and Hampton

 



Hampton with his Aunt Kathy :)

 



Mary returned to Tallahassee the day after Hampton was born,

but returned a few days later with his other favorite 

Sister and sweet Sally Kate :)

 



 

Hampton with Ron, Teddi (or Sugar ;)),

Jared and Cassie

Jodie came all the way from DC and brought mama the

best postpartum gift of all time ... Georgetown Cupcakes :)

I flew home from DC in June ... the day I found out I was

pregnant. So fun that nine months later,

Jodie got to meet the baby boy I didn't even know existed

the last time we were together!

We had the best time, so thankful for

friendship in every season of my life.

25 Weeks

So excited about our weekend … dinner at Bhan Thai tonight with Paul’s colleagues/friends and then then the Grizzlies vs. Houston Rockets game downtown … Christmas open house in all of the stores on the Collierville Square tomorrow afternoon with Bethany … and a pre-Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving with our small group on Sunday night.

Mark and Kasey came to hang last weekend and my mom will be here next weekend, and that will wrap up our 2012 guest list … after mom’s visit, the guest bedroom will turn into the pack station … with boxes stacked from floor to ceiling in preparation for January’s big move. Can’t believe how quickly time is starting to fly!

Tomorrow Baby B will be 25 weeks, and roughly the size of a rutabaga (1.5 lbs., 13.5” long).

Blue Suede Shoes

After Paul's chili cook-off {work related} and the LSU beatdown on Saturday afternoon, Aunt Beth, Uncle Ken and Joshua arrived for a visit. We tried to pack as much Memphis into a 24 period that we could ... on Sunday we toured Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum {Paul had been to Graceland before, but I had never been} and the museum was a first for all of us. In between, we ate barbeque at Central ... drove by the Peabody, Pyramid, mighty Mississippi and Beale Street.

If you ever need to see some hardcore 70s insanity, I suggest a trip to the former home of Elvis Presley. Shag carpet to the max! And the museum was so well done ... very sad, but good to see at the same time.

We loved our Memphis weekend!!

Memphis Tour, Mica Edition

Mary and David came for a weekend visit! She

brought me two signed copies of James Farmer

books {yesss!} and I greeted her with hydrangeas.

Perfect :)

We had a late night dinner at Central BBQ, and

then headed downtown for a stop by the Peabody

Hotel and then .... 

... the piano bar. Sweet Caroline is not complete

without the lazy hip motion. Trust me. 

We made sure that David got the proper

Memphis initiation ... Beale Street, blues and

barbeque {and Justin Timberlake's after party

at Ferraro's ... have you heard?}.

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken ...

... is fried chicken to die for :)

~

So much fun!!! Love you all! Come back soon!

When In Memphis

 I took Tuesday off from work in order to spend the day

with my mom and Michael doing "Memphis-y things" ...

Paul met us for lunch at Central Barbeque and mom was given

four free Central cups {to take home} + some of the homemade

chips from the guy across the counter after he heard they were

visiting from Florida ... "Memphis hospitality," he said.

Oh, South, I love you.

 After living in Memphis for almost 7 years I

finally made it to Sun Studio. This is where

Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee

Lewis, etc. all recorded in the 1950s.

X marks the spot where Elvis recorded

his first record.  

This was Elvis' microphone ... and our one shining

moment to do our thing. It's safe to say we were

on fire. Elvis would have been proud :)

After coming out of the Gibson Guitar Factory downtown,

the Lakers were making their way to the forum to practice

{they played the Grizzlies last night}. This is right before

Kobe Bryant came strolling out. 

Next up was "one of the South's grandest hotels" ... the 

Peabody. We got a drink and watched the ducks do their

famed walk from the fountain

to the elevator for their night in the penthouse.  

 ...and then we made our way to the roof of the Peabody to

watch the sun set over the mighty Mississippi.

Such a fun day!