Thanksgiving in Tennessee

What a wonderful holiday we had on the Cumberland Plateau! The week flew by, especially once Shawn returned, Brendan flew in, and Mom, Dad, and Claire drove down from Virginia. Man, do we know how to pack a lot into the time we had together. Here's a rundown of the fun we had and some pictures for your viewing delight:

1. Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner! Yum! Riley pretty much only ate strawberries since she wasn't feeling great, but the rest of us chowed down. Grandpa was in charge of Adrian, and I don't think that boy ever ate so much and stayed so clean. As much as I enjoy cooking, it was nice to have the whole day to relax and no dirty dishes. My favs from the meal were the stuffing, the potato salad, and the pumpkin brownies with cream cheese frosting. Soooo good!

2. Mini-golf. We basically had the 18-hole put-put to ourselves for three days. It was great. I got worse each time I played, but we all had a really good time. We declared Riley the golf queen, and Adrian is quite happy to have a club in his hand and something to wack at!

3. Settlers. Of course. This time, we even got Claire hooked. Shawn dominated, but the rest of us managed to score at least one win. Even Daddio.

4. Shopping. Yes, even though we had to drive forty minutes, Bren, Mom, Dad, and I still got up early to do some Black Friday shopping. I picked up a couple of gifts and a five dollar pair of leggings I desperately needed. Then, we all grabbed our peppermint hot cocoa drinks from Starbucks and headed back to the resort where Claire was just waking up...

5. S'mores and movies. Since we had a fireplace (and I LOVE fireplaces), we basically had a fire going nonstop. Good work, Shawn! And what is a fire with out some mallows, grams, and chocolate! We also watched a couple of good movies: Super 8, Due Date, and Horrible Bosses. Riley really loved the last one!

6. Just kidding...Riley was asleep when we watched all three.

7. Walks, craft fair, coffee, and pinterest (I think I converted everyone in my family...right guys?).

8. Best comment of the week: Riley - "Mommy, I want everything that I see on a commercial that's a toy." How happy am I that we don't have TV at home? Those commercials are dangerous and addicting!

9. Best game of the week: Riley and Adrian - Throw seven pillows into the pack and play and then jump in. Occasionally, fall off the side of the bed. Repeat (except for the falling off the bed part).

10. Best part of the condo after the fire place: The bathtub. Seriously, it was the size of both of our bathrooms combined!

11. Wildest adventure of the week: The Treehouse. Wait until you see the pictures. Craziness!

12. Best sign ever: The one we saw at the Treehouse. See last image posted here...

Alli and CE, we missed you! Mom, Dad, Brendan, and Claire - thanks for a great destination holiday vacation!! Loved, loved, loved spending time together and celebrating Thanksgiving with you! Miss you already!

Two Days, Two Kids...

While Shawn drove up with us to start our vacation, he had to return to work for Monday and Tuesday. That left me with Riley and Adrian for two days. As much as I was looking forward to this time together, it has been more wonderful, tiring, and fun than I had imagined it would be.

Of course, the time wasn't without its frustration. Like rain. We are at a resort with more than five playgrounds, mini golf, and plenty of trails. Could we do any of that these past two days? Nope. So Monday we were all a little stir crazy. Tuesday we hit the road for a children's museum.

But overall, we had a blast! Both nights, we slept like babies. Both days, we laughed a ton, got a bunch of new bruises (will post videos of those later), cuddled, enjoyed fires and new shows, played puzzles and new games (like coaster Frisbee and pack-the-pack-n-play-with-pillows-and-dive-in), sang songs, clapped, mooed, swam in the bathtub many times, and ate way too many snacks!

And now we have Shawn returning, family arriving, and so much to be thankful for this coming Thursday. But right now, I am so happy to have this time with my two kiddos and so thankful for how much Riley and Adrian enrich my life.

Vacation, Here We Come!

In the morning, we will head out for vacation! I've never had a full week off at this time of the year, and I totally wanted to take advantage of that, especially with the new baby's ETA at a month away (so exciting!!). So off to Tennessee we go! We are heading to a resort on the Cumberland Plateau, and I couldn't be more thrilled to spend a week with the kiddos, Shawn, my parents, Brendan, and Claire! We're bummed Alli and CE can't come, too, but we'll see them over Christmas break. Especially since we didn't go to Sewanee this past summer (so sad!), I am really glad to have a chance to enjoy some beautiful, relaxing countryside.

Before we go, a quick update:

1. Riley has been narrating in song recently. Love the spontaneous, creative ballads.

2. Adrian is in the throes of a needy and tantrum-heavy phase. Not that he doesn't have his fair share of smiles and hugs still, but he can get quite moody when he doesn't get his way or we can't read his mind. Fun times.

3. My classes meet once more, and I teach five more class meetings. And that's it! Semester one, done! It has been a great one, though. I've learned so much, and I am excited to do it all over again. Plus, I'll have a workshop in the spring! Wahoo!

4. Shawn broke his hockey stick playing in a league at the YMCA. And then he scored his first goal with a borrowed stick. Why he wants to buy his own stick is beyond me, especially since borrowed stick = scored goals, right? :)

5. I am obsessed with Pinterest!! So great!! Already, I've made one craft, two recipes, and found five gift ideas.

6. Adrian is starting to communicate more. He shakes his head furiously to mean no and he bounces excitedly when he means yes. He's been babbling a ton, and even tries to call to Riley and the cats, though usually it just comes out as "Ahhhh!" So cute.

I'll definitely have some pictures either on our trip or when we return!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Halloween 2011

I've been meaning to post for weeks! But so much has been happening, and now I have some great new pics from Halloween to post. Here's a list of our latest adventures, and then a look at what we've been up to these past weeks, including a Babymoon, a trip to Gainesville, trick-or-treating, Halloween crafts, and school Halloween parties. Yes, yes, of course I am still studying like crazy, too. We've only got four and a half weeks to go in this semester. And of course that means final projects, papers, and portfolios - and, a new baby!!

1. My parents came down to visit so Shawn and I could check out Helen, GA and then enjoy a bed and breakfast at a beautiful lodge in the middle of nowhere. It was awesome! We had lunch a cute German bakery, walked around Octoberfest, then headed to our lodge for a tour and an afternoon snack, which included hot apple cider. After an afternoon of relaxation and then dinner, we enjoyed Earthquake cake for dessert at the lodge. So good! Breakfast the next morning was just as delicious, too. Seriously, all we did was rest and eat. Definitely the perfect babymoon.

2. Once we came home, I got to spend some time with just mom and dad in between studying and teaching. It was great getting to have some one-on-one time with both of my parents. A rare and wonderful treat in such a big family! I miss them so much now, but I am thankful for all of the time together.

3. Last weekend, we headed back down to Gainesville. We had dinner with the Natasha and Irene, and it was awesome to get all of the kids together and catch up for the night. I definitely have been missing my G-ville girlfriends!

4. We stayed with Julie and Carlos and their boys, and hung out all day Saturday, too. We had such a great time! Riley and Christian are adorable together, and Adrian tags along and tries to do everything the big kids do. We went trick-or-treating in Newberry until Adrian melted down and Riley fell asleep. Then we hit the road to return to GA.

5. On Halloween, I got to go to the kids' school for their Halloween parties! So much fun! The kids looked adorable in their costumes, and it was fun to see them interact with their friends and teachers. Good times!

6. School continues to go well. My students submit their third papers this week, and I give my second presentation in one of my classes. I've been submitting stories like crazy, too. Keep your fingers crossed that something will get published soon! I've had some really nice rejection letters and requests for more work, but I am looking forward to seeing another story of mine published online or in print.

7. I am almost 32 weeks already. So far, I still feel really good. I try to work out at least twice a week. I am measuring really small, but the baby is right on track. I am trying to savor as much of this pregnancy as I can: all the kicks, the growing belly, even the muscle aches and discomfort. It will be over before I know it! I might not enjoy how I look pregnant, but I really love being pregnant. The whole experience continues to amaze me!