Savannah

It had been far too long since we took a fun weekend trip, and our time in the Southeast is quickly getting away from us, so we decided we'd make the short 6 hour drive to Savannah. It's a beautiful city, there is a substantial portion of downtown that has been preserved as a National Historic District. It's pretty awesome. I wish we could have visited once everything is in full bloom, I'm sure it'll be even more stunning. Anyway, we wandered around town, had dinner on the river, and on Saturday, we had lunch at The Lady and Sons (celebrity chef Paula Deen's restaurant). Oh, and most importantly for Hailey, the hotel had a pool and she got to play in the water for a couple of hours. All in all, a great trip.

Forsyth Park

The spanish moss hanging from the trees along the Avenues.

Playing on River Street

One of the many beautiful churches and civic buildings

THUD

I'm sitting in class this morning, and I get a text/picture message from Lindsay:

While Lindsay was in the shower this morning, she heard a very loud THUD. Hailey had climbed up my dresser and it had toppled over. The TV had fallen to the floor (the origin of the THUD) and...well you can see the rest of the carnage. When Lindsay ran in the room (shampoo still in her hair) she asked Hailey what happened. Hailey was crying and repeating, "I go to timeout". She ran to her room and put herself in timeout. Poor little thing! Of course Lindsay wasn't going to punish her, but she's such a sweet, obedient little girl she was more worried about being naughty than the cut on her hand. Once she got a Barbie band-aid on her hand, everything was all better! In the end, Blake and Hailey are both safe, and Hailey has learned not to climb on the dressers anymore.

30 Second Abs

Lindsay has been a very good girl lately and has been exercising at home and going to the gym a few days each week. Hailey loves doing Lindsay's workout video with her at home; earlier today I noticed she had taken all of the dressy clothes off of her dolls and they were all laying down next to her on the ground. I asked if they were napping, and she said "no, we're doing exercises daddy". "Exercises" includes some pretty hilarious pilates-esque maneuver where she lays down and breathes out very carefully while she sticks her legs up in the air (unfortunately she wouldn't do that move for the camera), jumping jacks, running in place, doing the splits, and a few somersaults; quite the workout.

Ghetto Fabulous

We didn't have any snow gear for the big snowstorm a couple of weeks ago, so we had to improvise. Note the Kroger grocery sacks over Hailey's shoes (that's the ghetto part), and the old pink coat on our little boy (that's the fabulous part).

Memories...

My little brother needed these childhood pictures for something, so I figured I'd put them here for him. Enjoy, Jeffy!

Happy Birthday Blakey!

It's hard to believe he's already one. Lindsay made him an awesome farm cake, (he got to eat one of the chickens) The loot: tools, a train, and some balls.

Happy Birthday baby boy!

He Walks!

Blake has been taking a few steps at a time for the last week or two, but today he started walking on his own accord, so I feel like we have finally reached the walking phase.

New Years in Orlando

We made a sort of impromptu trip to Orlando. We got a deal on a place to stay that was too good to pass up, so we made the 10 hour drive down to land of theme parks and stayed for a week. Despite the bad traffic (both coming and going), some inclimate weather, and a gazillion people at Disney World this time of year, it was very, very fun.



Tinker Bell is Hailey's favorite right now


We got a lot of smiles and snickers as we walked around Downtown Disney...little did we know that Hailey had unzipped the top of her jammies and was giving all of the other tourists a gander at her goodies.


I must have heard "Oh, look at the baby!" in at least half a dozen languages that afternoon.











All Hailey wanted to know when she saw Ariel was "Where's Prince Eric?"


It was a little cold for swimming in the outdoor pool, but bubble baths in the jetted tub with her swimsuit on satisfied Hailey's craving for a swim.

Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Time to Catch Up

I finished my last exam of the semester earlier today, so now it's time to play catch up!

I had a happy 28th Birthday (my favorite presents: the homemade Duke quilt and the GIJoe t-shirt to match the one we got my brother for his 30th birthday)



We went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving...and both of the kids got pink eye (pretty gross)

(I told you I liked that shirt)


We have been to a few basketball games already this season.
Go Devils!



Blake fell down the stairs and busted his lip pretty badly



We put up the tree



The kids visited Santa



And we had a Happy 4th Anniversary (yummy dinner with good company! Oh, and we're going on a date to see a play tomorrow to top it off)

Oh my goodness! A Christmas Star!

Someday we intend to make our blog into a family album of sorts (since Lindsay and I are both terrible at keeping journals), and I want to make sure that we remember some of the funny things Hailey has said lately:

Last night, she was having a really tough time falling asleep, but she knows that she has to be quiet so she doesn't wake up her brother/roomate, when I got upstairs, she was laying on the floor with her face buried in her folded arms, and saying, "I can't do anything"

Whenever she sits on the toilet she tells me "I make a giant poo poo and make a baby poo poo", even when she's only going number 1. I can't figure out where this one came from (so I assume it's something Lindsay taught her!)

Continuing on the pottie theme, we often sing "The Wheels on the Bus" and add other characters or items and leave it up to Hailey as to what they say or do. For example, the daddies on the bus say..."poop on the car". Don't ask me why, but that is what the daddies have said for about a year now.

A couple of nights ago Lindsay and I put up the Christmas decorations after the kids were in bed. When I brought Hailey downstairs the next morning, she walked around the living room with her mouth wide open. When she saw the tree she put her hand to her mouth and said "Oh my goodness! A Christmas Star! I never saw it before!"

Life is Good

I've felt pretty stressed out lately as the end of the semester rapidly approaches. Then, while I was reading an article for a paper I'm writing, I glanced up at some of the photos in the slideshow on my computer and I realized that I should stop worrying and appreciate just how great my life really is. Here are some of the photos that came up that made me realize that my life has been and continues to be pretty great:

Blake's first football game (Duke got blown out by Georgia Tech)

The day Hailey dressed herself during our Outer Banks trip

Me and my brothers somewhere in Greece

She's pretty great.

Hiking and Halloween

We're a little behind, but here are a few photos from our adventures at the end of October. We went camping with some friends and enjoyed a beautiful hike. And of course we had a great halloween. Blake dressed up as a Duke basketball player, Hailey as a cheerleader, and Lindsay and I were Cameron Crazies. Next year we'll have to start being more creative, but at least the kids looked really cute!

A visit from Mima and Papa

My parents came out to North Carolina this last week. My dad needed something to keep him busy since he retired a couple of weeks ago, and I had a week off of school for Fall break.

We spent the first half of the week on the Outer Banks playing at the beach and learning a little history.












The Wright Brothers Memorial and Museum was pretty incredible; this is the spot where the first powered flight actually left the ground.


Roanoke Island had some fun history, it was the location of the very first Colonial Settlement


Good ol' Grandpa


Bodie Lighthouse...Hailey definitely dances to the tune of her own drummer


Church in Durham


Sarah P. Duke Gardens


Deep Fried Candy Bars and Chocolate Dipped Frozen Cheesecake at the Fair


Grandpa carved the pumpkin, while Blakey tried to eat the pumpkin goo and seeds, and Hailey avoided touching the pumpkin at all costs.