Traveling Christmas

Hey- I know I haven't posted in awhile and apparently I needed to since someone would remind me everyday that I haven't. Anyways, I have been working everyday this month filling in for a girlfriend of mine who just had her baby boy in November. I just don't understand how a mom these days work full time and still get things done. I feel crazy and I am so glad for Mandy to come back next week:) I come home from work and just want to sleep but instead, I am cooking dinner, bathing E, feeding her and getting her ready for bed. It is exhausting just writing it, lol!

So this has been such a fun month other than it being Christmas and Emmalyn turning 8 months old. I found out that my sister Sherri is pregnant...I am going to be an Aunt! I always wanted to be an aunt cause I never thought I'd be a mom. I am so happy for her and Bobby. Also, my best friend Lindsey is preggers too. She is due in August, so needless to say I am going to have a busy summer with showers and such:) Congrats girl, I can't wait to see you become a mom!

So I found out that Christmas is so much fun when you have a child. It just makes the holiday. We had so much fun watching her eat the wrapping paper and gift boxes rather than play with the toys. The only thing with the holidays means lots of traveling. We stayed gone from the time we got off work on Wednesday till Sunday night. Wilkins, E, and I did our Christmas at home on Thursday morning. Then we got ready, packed the car and headed to Fairhope. We stayed with my In-Laws and celebrated with them and Nana Sue that night. We got this awesome new camera (another reason this blog had to wait, didn't know how to work it) and a wine cork.



Emmalyn racked up with lots of V-tech games from her Mimi, Go- Daddy, Nana, and Trent and Grant. It was so nice spending time with them even if it was for a short while. On Friday morning we got up and went to my parents house in Semmes. Everyone was there except for Tiffany which was kind of depressing. I miss her so much. We found out a couple of weeks ago that she is deploying to Afghanistan on January 29th- please keep her in your prays.

We had a nice dinner at my parents filled with lots more presents including a dvd player for the car and a walker from Gramie and Granddad and these sock monkeys from Sherri and Bobby!

Emmalyn loves playing with her rock-n-stackers before bedtime for some reason (santa brought those to her). On Saturday morning, we headed up to Sylacauga to spend time with Deea and Doc. She really didn't know what to do with all of these presents covering her. She didn't want anyone to mess with them though...spoiled anyone? She got clothes, toys, and an activity table here. At this point, we are wondering where we are going to put these things. However, we are so thankful and blessed to have such a wonderful family on both sides! Thank you to everyone for making this Christmas the best. With that said, next year you can visit us, lol!

In this picture, Emmalyn is having breakfast in a very special high chair. It is Wilkins Great, Great Grandfathers and has been passed down in the family. All of the boys have sat in this chair. It was so neat to have Emmalyn do it too. But instead of picture taking she wanted to eat!

I hope everyone had the best holiday. Love you all. I will be going to New York to spend time with Tiff in the next couple weeks so I'll update soon!

Happy New Year

E with Family

Learning my new toy with Go-Daddy



Hanging out with Elise, second cousin

Posing with Uncles Trent and Grant

The Jones Family minus Tiff

Wilkins, Mama Ann, and E on Christmas Day

Thanksgiving and Auburn

Hey everyone- Tiffany made it home this week from AIT school. It was so exciting to see her, especially for Emmalyn because she was only 9 weeks old when Tiff left. We had such a nice Thanksgiving with everyone at the house. It was our second time hosting it at our house...and I forgot how stressful it can be. Of course I wasn't worried about the food because I don't care about what I am eating, give me cereal and I would be just as happy. I guess that is what happens when you despise cooking. Although I did make two sweet potato casseroles and four layer dessert! I just focused all of my attention on the china table setting and the centerpieces - which were beautiful by the way! Oh and I ordered the turkey so it was all good! My family, grandparents, and Ron and Elizabeth with kids came over so it was 15 all together. We broke out my new game of Penny Can and had a blast.

One thing about holidays is trying to see everyone in one day. So around 2 we headed to Sylacauga to see Wilkins mom and family. Eating two big meals in one day is an art for those of you who don't know. The food was so good - it was even better the second time around and when I'm not the one making it. Emmalyn was so wiped out from all of the excitement and fun she passed out early. This was good preparation for Christmas- I think I am going to need a gym membership.

So after Thanksgiving the real stressful day came. Alabama vs. Auburn! Wilkins decided he didn't want anyone at the house to watch the game except me (Wilkins = Auburn fan, me = Alabama fan). Anyways, we spent most of the game on opposite sides of the couch. Wilkins spent the first half of the game playing penny can for a distraction then I spent the second half doing it! It was such a terrible game, for me! Wilkins is beyond excited and I guess the rest of us need to be too. So... Go Auburn beat South Carolina for the championship!!!

Oh and Emmalyn picked her side too! So unfair...but doesn't she look just too cute!!!

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Not Much Here But Bliss

Hey- Emmalyn is going to be 7 months Friday...already! Time is flying by so fast and now with the holidays next week it is going to be a whirl-wind! We have been staying busy here lately. Last weekend, my family came up and we had a girls weekend at the Christmas village at the BJCC. It is just a huge arts and crafts show with 700 vendors. My mom, grandma, and Sherri all went with me and E. This picture was taken outside of the event because we were exhausted from walking around for 6 hours looking at clothes. Unsurprisingly, not clothes for me- but for E. She has so many Christmas outfits now that I don't know how she is going to wear all of them. I just hope that one of my sisters or sister-in-laws have girls in the future because I've got plenty of clothes to share! It was nice seeing Sherri for a change. I have felt so out of the loop with Sherri and Tiffany doing all of their military training and what not. They have both been so busy. Tiffany gets to come home from AIT school next week and we are so excited. Probably not has excited as she is :)

So, this past weekend was our first weekend without Emmalyn. She went down with my grandparents to Mobile on Friday and came back Sunday. I missed her like crazy but we stayed busy. On Saturday, we went to the Auburn game. My first tiger game...it was okay, lol! It was such a gorgeous day for football and we had alot of fun. It was hard for me to let loose because I don't know what to do now when I don't have to watch E. After the game, we went to our friends lake house for couples weekend. Since we got there so late, like 9:30pm, I just wanted to go to bed. I stuck it out because I knew we wouldn't get another free night, so I watched football with everyone and hung out on the boat (which was freezing by the way). About an hour and half later Wilkins comes up to me saying he is tired. We ended up going straight to our lake house and going to bed. We have changed so much from the "night owls" to the "got sleep every chance I get" mood. I remember laughing at my parents for always going to bed early...now I so understand and apologize!

I was so happy to get Emmalyn back home. I prefer being tired all the time rather than not having her home. I might let her stay away when she starts talking and walking. Thank you to Grandma and Papa for driving her down and Mom and Dad for letting her stay so that Wilkins and I could have a weekend together. I appreciate and love you all!

Coming up:

Wilkins and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year with my family. It is going to be so exciting being with everyone, including Tiffany and Justin. After the holidays we will have so much to worry about with our loved ones going to Afghanistan. Also it is Emmalyn's first holiday so we are going to make this the best holiday ever, even if it is cheesy it sounds like!

Happy Halloween

Hey- Happy Halloween to everyone! We didn't really do much since Halloween is not that big of a holiday to us and that our child is only 6 months old. We had her a little party for turning six months on the 19Th. She loved the chocolate cupcakes we got her from Edgar's Bakery! She just kept licking the icing off her nose after she would snatch it from me causing it to get all over her face! Its been a great six months so far...her personality is beginning to show more and more everyday. She loves to be very vocal about everything (even while she is sleeping she is talking). She is very impatient and is not a fan of smiling at people who talk to her in baby talk. She gives the dumb look to everyone- which makes me wonder what she is thinking- but glad at the same time that I don't know! The doctor at her check-up Wednesday told me that she is already a high maintenance girlie girl. Then her school teacher seconded that motion the next day. So with Wilkins never having any sisters, I had to warn him that he is in for a treat and better hold on tight cause girls are some work! He just doesn't know yet, lol!

Emmalyn's check up went great this week. She is now 14.5 lbs and 25.5in long! Still small for her age but normal. She has no teeth yet but working on it everyday, and eats like a growing boy!!! She never gets tired of eating- I guess she got that from Wilkins too! The only apparent thing that she got from me is her impatience- Sorry!

So last weekend, I took Emmalyn down to Mobile to visit her grandparents. Wilkins was out of town working at the camp with his Dad and brother! I don't like to sit at home anymore by myself so I decided to go South. We had such a great weekend. On Friday, my mom and dad took us downtown for dinner at Hero's Bar and Grill. It was such a nice night eating on the deck in the park with the lights and watching everyone. So my type of atmosphere and E loved it! Saturday, mom and I took E shopping then dad met us to go to Seward Farms. It is this corn maze on the Mississippi line that has a hayride, petting zoo, and games. We had a blast except it was so hot for it to be October.

On Sunday, we went over to Malbis shopping center for lunch and of course more shopping! Emmalyn always winds up with more clothes than I do. Everything is just so cute in her size and my size is sooo not cute anymore, haha! That afternoon, I met up with Lindsey and Brandon and asked them to come to what we thought was a haunted house...so not...and so sorry! It was a play about turning your life over to Jesus, the church did a nice job, just not what I was led to believe it was!

We got back on Monday, to get ready for Halloween. We did the whole carving the pumpkins thing...Emmalyn's had an "e" on it, which I carved. Wilkins made a "C" for me and of course a "AU" for him. So embarrassing that everyone thinks this is an Auburn house now, lol! However, since they are number one this weekend I let it slide! Emmalyn didn't know what to think about it all. Especially when it was time to put on her Ladybug costume for the Trunk or Treat at church. Lets just say it kept her warm for the 30 minutes she kept it on. We were in and out, the way her impatient butt likes it. Her pictures did turn out cute though! I think that bows and dresses are more her forte! Again for the future, Wilkins, I warned you hunny!

Just so everyone knows I received so much shocking news this past week that we should be good for awhile. One engagement (Congrats Lane), Two permissions to ask for a daughters hand in marriage, Two pregnancies, and One elopement (Congrats Rusty)- what a week. I also have three good girlfriends that are excepting anytime (Mandy, Heather, and Rhonda). I'm just glad that it is not Wilkins and I with news for a change. Love to you all and Good Luck!

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