GOOP

Probably one of the best memories of my childhood is when my mother made 'goop'. This is known to the rest of the world as "chocolate no-bake cookies." Mom made these wonderful little cookies most Sunday afternoons. My mom's Goop was so popular to all my friends in grade school that I used it to trade during lunch for things my friends brought that I loved; example...fruit rollups or fruit snacks. It would only take 1 piece of goop of mine for 2 fruit rollups from my friend. There was only one rule that had to be followed when mom made goop: SHE got to lick the pan. This was the one pan that us kids were not allowed to lick. We fought that rule all growing up and still fight it to this day with no success. Goop tastes the best when eaten right after it is put on the wax paper - while still hot, scoop it up with a big spoon, and let it melt in your mouth. I prefer to drink a very large glass of water along with my goop.

So tonite, I made my first attempt at making my family some Goop. I think it was a pretty good success. Mark said they tasted great. So here's a picture of my first 'goop' attempt. And guess who got to lick the pan?

First Thanksgiving

We went home to Melber for Aaron's first Thanksgiving. Most of Mark's cousins were there. We all stayed at Luke and Sarah's house - all 19 of us. Thank goodness they have a huge house and were able to fit everyone comfortably. I think we had a record at Thanksgiving - about 44 people. We started a few years ago having Thanksgiving at the building in Melber that Dado bought which fits everyone around one table - well several tables put together in a 'U' shape. It was so good to see everyone but I have to say...I am EXHAUSTED! Aaron slept pretty much the worst he's every slept in his whole 6 months of life. I think he slept better when he was a new born than he did this past week/weekend. As a result, mommy is exhausted and didn't get to enjoy everything as much as I normally would. Still, it was nice to spend time with family. Matt and Lori brought Elijah for his first Thanksgiving, VERY sweet. Aaron tried a lot of good food, including his first taste of prunes. So far, my child will eat anything! He is scarfing down his rice cereal now. We are going to try some squash tomorrow, curtsy of Corynn who gave us a ton of frozen squash she made that Cambree didn't eat. I'll let you know how it goes. I will put some more pictures on here when I get them from the family...I was a bad mommy and didn't take pictures like I should have. Here are some pictures I took!

LOVE Aunt Sarah - we were off to see Santa

Daddy, Aaron, Aunt Phylis

Aaron's seat at Thanksgiving - it was nap time

Aaron with cousin Casey

Family time

Today was so beautiful. Perfect day to be outside together as a family. We worked at the barn cleaning things up and setting up the round pen. Aaron loved helping his mommy and daddy by getting in the horses feed bucket, sitting in the grass, and playing with some wood. It was so much fun!

Daddy helped Aaron sit on the wood fence inside the barn

Perfect play pen

Just practicing on daddy's saddle!

First time sitting in the grass

A visit from Elijah

Yesterday Lori drove down with Elijah for a visit. I loved spending the day with them! In the car both kids fell asleep in almost the same position. It was hard to get their picture, but if you look closely you can see how both are sleeping. Both of their heads are sitting forward in their car seats. Aaron sleeps like this every time he falls asleep in the car. No matter how many times I try to push it back to a 'normal' position, he goes right back to sleeping on those puppies attached to the car seat straps. Hilarous!

Poor Elijah hasn't gotten used to having to stay in his car seat for an extended period of time. Lori said that he cried for half of the way here and then again on the way home. He was a very good baby though all day long. Thanks for coming cousin Eli. Aaron can't wait for next week at Thanksgiving!

Thanks!

Great news...Aaron stayed in bible class last night the ENTIRE time and didn't cry even once! I am so proud of my son. Maybe we are past our little phase and mommy can go to bible class and feel good about leaving this little boy in the nursery.

On another note. Over the past year I started studying the subject of "The Lord's Supper." As I studied more and took a few different opportunities to give small talks on this subject, I started to think about teaching a class for church. So after A LOT of prayer and thought, I got up the courage to ask around about the possibility. After a lot of encouragement from my family and friends, I accepted my challenge and dove in head first. It's the first time I have ever taught women my age and older all by myself. So I'm happy to announce that after last night, this quarter was completed for bible classes. I am done with my Wednesday night class now.

Reflections: I really did enjoy all of the study I was able to do. I have learned to much than I could have ever imagined. I am proud and thankful that I was able to step up, put my big girl panties on (that's for you Meg) and follow through with this all the way. Along the way God blessed me with people who constantly encouraged me. Mark never stopped telling me how proud he was of me and how awesome I was. Coming from him, those words meant SO much. I am convinced that Jan Muse is the woman being talked about in Timothy who the younger women are supposed to learn from. She never ceased to give constant encouragement and support. Margaret Bills was so great to say the right words at the right time to me. She's my 'Tullahoma mom,' I can talk with her about anything. Megan (and sometimes Greg) was ready for me every Wednesday night to call and talk about my frustrations or excitement. My sister listened to me 'teach' her what I planned on saying every week to make me feel more confident. Andi never forgot to hug me after each class and gave a word of encouragement. Sheree was always telling me she enjoyed my class. Finally, John Mark Hicks who was so patient to write me back constantly answering questions and making comments. So many other men and women have been such a huge part of this. Last night we ended the class with prayer together. It was perfect. I'm glad it's finished, but so glad I was able do it.

Just when you think...

Just when you think you have your child figured out...they change. All my friends told me this very fact I have just mentioned. However, I didn't realize just what this meant exactly. Honestly, I thought (for some unknown reason) that the things he would change would be things like what toys he wanted, or maybe what foods he liked. I even thought that naps would change as he got older, my line of thinking was: it would probably take a few days to figure out what he needed, then we would be good to go. Boy was I WRONG!

Just when you think you FINALLY have a schedule down of the following:

7am - wake up, eat, play

9am- take a nap - usually 45min-1 hour

12 or 1pm - another nap - usually longer (about 2 1/2 hours)

5pm - another nap if 2nd nap wasn't long enough

7:30 - bedtime

It stops working!

Once we got it down which seriously was just a week or so ago, he has NOW decided to change. Now I am back to having no idea how long his morning nap will be which TOTALLY throws off the rest of the nap schedules for the day. So again, our life is a 'try to guess what I need mommy' life which unfortunately comes with the 'I get to whine until you figure it out and I still might whine then.' So I have decided from now on to just go with the flow. I will try and keep some sort of schedule as much as I can, but will NOT stress about it. It just makes life worse. Because how could you stress out over such a cute little boy as this....

The end.

To Melber we go!

This weekend we went home (to Melber). It's the first time we have been to Kentucky since August. Aaron is pretty much a totally different baby now. The weekend was SO full things to do and people to see, but we loved it. One of the highlights...I rode on Saturday with Mark and Jerry. I absoultely love riding. Ever since we had Aaron, riding doesn't happen as often, so when it does I am pretty much in the best mood ever for a long time afterward. It is one of the things that made me fall in love with Mark. Riding with him reminds me of such great times together.

With Uncle Luke at lunch on Sunday

Mark called this his "Mario Brothers" outfit

With Alex, Lauren and cousin Elayna

Again, I have to brag on my child. He will sleep anywhere I put him down. He went right to sleep in his bed at his grandparents (Adams) house and slept really well at night and for naps. He also slept at my parents cabin in a pack-n-play while I planted trees and plants with mom and Raich, at Aunt Sarah's house (in her bed) Sunday afternoon during a ladies get together, and in his car seat the entire 3hr15min to Kentucky and back home to Tullahoma. Do I have the most perfect baby or what?

Mom and Dad's cabin is coming along nicely. Rachel and I helped mom finish planting her trees and bushes outside around the house while Mark and dad worked on the tile in the kitchen. I think it's going to be a stretch for them to get in by Christmas but we are all going to try to help them as much as possible so we can have Christmas dinner there. It is such a beautiful cabin. I'm excited for mom and dad to finally have their own house!

We got home last night late, but happy. It was good to get home to our own house and our own beds. Of course we have pictures (thanks to Grandmamma Adams) of our wonderful weekend!

O'Pa trying to sneek in a drink of diet coke...caught red handed!

my favorite picture of my son right now

Grandmommy taught me in bible class

Sweet, sweet boy!

What a sweet, sweet, sweet baby I have. I just love this child of mine. Today I went to Nashville to meet Jenny, Aunt Rachel (Jenny's sister), Lori, Weston, Barbara, and Felicity, oh yea and uncle Jim was there for a while too! We spent the ENTIRE day shopping all over Nashville. My wonderful child just happily went wherever his mother took him. Never made a peep, slept whenever he needed a quick nap, and smiled at whoever gave him attention, but really was happy to just be along for the ride. What more can you ask for from a little boy?

Baby Ace (as Weston says) with a very happy grandmamma

alright...are you ready for this next announcement....maybe you should sit down. Are you sitting? The fence is done....AND....WE HAVE HORSES! Yes, I love looking out my any and all of my windows and see horses! So here they are, for your viewing pleasure. I would love to give you their names...but they don't have any. Open for suggestions.

Special day with mommy

Mark went on a small business trip to Mississippi Wednesday morning, so Aaron and I got to spend some extra time together. Since it was Wednesday we went to bible class as usual. This time Aaron had to stay in Bible class even if he started crying (this was definitely going to happen). The wonderful nursery staff said that he screamed for about 20min and they finally decided to try and put him one of the swings where he pretty much immediately stopped crying and went to sleep. Interesting...

So Thursday, Aaron and I spent the day together in Murfreesboro shopping (mostly for Christmas stuff). And of course we couldn't go that close to Aunt Rachel without visiting. We went to her basketball practice, saw her classroom, and then went out to eat (with a stop by Starbucks). We ended the day by going to pick daddy up at the airport. I'm not sure who was happier to see daddy, me or Aaron. I know this seems weird because he's so young, but Aaron seemed so happy to see his daddy. When we got home, Aaron spent a very long time 'talking' to his daddy. I did learn something about myself though. I am NOT good single mommy. I know Mark was only gone for 1 day, but man did I miss him.

Aunt Rachel and Aaron at Starbucks

Aaron has a new development. For some reason, every time we first arrive somewhere, (ex. church) if people try to talk to him (even look at him) or heaven forbid take him from his mommy, he starts crying and screaming. No clue why. I'm chalking it up to 'a stage he's going through'. He even cried with Aunt Rachel. Very sad. Once he got comfortable he was fine and was smiling and giggling like his usual self.

Conclusions: 1. for now, my son seems to not like people (we really hope this changes)

2. we really missed daddy while he was gone and don't want him to leave again anytime soon

3. Aunt Rachel loves her job and coworkers, and her kids love her too.

4. I still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do.

I think that's plenty for now.

GO BIG BLUE! GO BIG BLUE! GO BIG BLUE!

Kentucky basketball had their first game last night. This year Mark and I predict TOTAL domination! Aaron dressed for the occasion (thank you grandmommy for his first UK shirt). Also, Aaron is 5 months old today. I can't believe it!

Why is is that all kids love the remote?

Sitting up all by myself!

Born to love UK! (He's watching the game)