Fall Break in Alabama

This year for Fall Break, we headed down to Alabama. We spent the weekend with out dear friends the Blackburns, and on Saturday, we spent the day in Auburn at my Chi Omega Reunion. Our whole fam was planning to go, but Ansley got a little sick on Saturday morning, so Patrick stayed with her, and I took my big girl with me. To say she was excited was an understatement:
I LOVED getting to reconnect with these ladies. It refreshed me so much to still be so proud to be a part of such a neat organization. These women are still the ones I would choose to do life with if our paths crossed in the same towns. They are interesting, kind, smart, and they have super cute kids.

These are my roommates who were there with our kids.

Here are some more with kids.

When we got back to Montgomery that afternoon, we made cupcakes to celebrate all of our kids' birthdays.

They all turned 3 and 1 within 11 weeks of each other. We blew out candles and opened presents and played hard.
We got to go to our old church from Patrick's youth ministry days on Sunday and reconnect with some old friends, and before we came home we had one more photo op.
We love getting to see the Blackburns. They really are more like family than friends, and our kids love each other. Oliver introduced Addison to neighbors and church kids as "his best friend." We are so thankful to get to raise our kids together!

It was a perfect getaway.

This year for Fall Break, we headed down to Alabama. We spent the weekend with out dear friends the Blackburns, and on Saturday, we spent the day in Auburn at my Chi Omega Reunion. Our whole fam was planning to go, but Ansley got a little sick on Saturday morning, so Patrick stayed with her, and I took my big girl with me. To say she was excited was an understatement:
I LOVED getting to reconnect with these ladies. It refreshed me so much to still be so proud to be a part of such a neat organization. These women are still the ones I would choose to do life with if our paths crossed in the same towns. They are interesting, kind, smart, and they have super cute kids.

These are my roommates who were there with our kids.

Here are some more with kids.

When we got back to Montgomery that afternoon, we made cupcakes to celebrate all of our kids' birthdays.

They all turned 3 and 1 within 11 weeks of each other. We blew out candles and opened presents and played hard.
We got to go to our old church from Patrick's youth ministry days on Sunday and reconnect with some old friends, and before we came home we had one more photo op.
We love getting to see the Blackburns. They really are more like family than friends, and our kids love each other. Oliver introduced Addison to neighbors and church kids as "his best friend." We are so thankful to get to raise our kids together!

It was a perfect getaway.

Chi Omega "Mansion Girls" Reunion

Well, we did it again. Thankfully. Last year I posted about our reunion (with a fun "before picture"), and we said we'd make it an annual one, and 2 years in a row is pretty good for us! This year, 6 of our original 9 came with our 11 [and growing] kids in tow. It was a wild and eventful day, but we managed to breeze into instant comfortability with each other as always...

(all of our motley crew!)

This year we met in Huntsville (coming from Nashville, Atlanta, Florence, Birmingham, and Tuscaloosa) at Amy's abode, and her house was completely wrecked by the end of the day. Our kids all became fast friends and got along great. Every parenting style is so different, but the six of us were on the same page, and it made things so much more relaxed. These women are ones whom I respect and admire, and I'm so glad to have (and for Addison ~and soon Ansley~ to have) relationships with their precious children.

We laughed and cried and talked and talked. None of us could believe how fast our time together flew. It was encouraging, humbling, and refreshing to hear their individual stories of what God is doing in their sweet families' lives. From adoption to child loss, to job struggles, from staying home or working or trying to do some of both, these women are strong mothers and wives for their families. I'm thankful for them, Here are a few photos--that I took and borrowed--of our fun-filled day!


The kiddos (from top): Bennett Green, Eli Stapler, Henry Debardeleben, Carter Brown, Mary Taylor Debardeleben, Addison Crawford, Grace Brown, John Walt Methvin, Tate Methvin, Bennett Green [Not pictured: a sleeping Caroline. On their way: Melissa and Dee's little boy, Charles Tucker, who they are adopting from Uganda this fall and Ansley Crawford. Missing: Turner Armstrong and Ceely Bateman]


The roommates: Christi Ikerd Green, Amy Kyle Stapler, Kelley Brown, Kristy Dean Crawford, Melissa Jackson Debardeleben, Rebekah Wright Methvin. [missing: Sarah Stone Armstrong, Mary Cook Bateman, Kimper Cannon Thomas--missed you girls!]

(I have many more action shots in my summer facebook album!)

Well, we did it again. Thankfully. Last year I posted about our reunion (with a fun "before picture"), and we said we'd make it an annual one, and 2 years in a row is pretty good for us! This year, 6 of our original 9 came with our 11 [and growing] kids in tow. It was a wild and eventful day, but we managed to breeze into instant comfortability with each other as always...

(all of our motley crew!)

This year we met in Huntsville (coming from Nashville, Atlanta, Florence, Birmingham, and Tuscaloosa) at Amy's abode, and her house was completely wrecked by the end of the day. Our kids all became fast friends and got along great. Every parenting style is so different, but the six of us were on the same page, and it made things so much more relaxed. These women are ones whom I respect and admire, and I'm so glad to have (and for Addison ~and soon Ansley~ to have) relationships with their precious children.

We laughed and cried and talked and talked. None of us could believe how fast our time together flew. It was encouraging, humbling, and refreshing to hear their individual stories of what God is doing in their sweet families' lives. From adoption to child loss, to job struggles, from staying home or working or trying to do some of both, these women are strong mothers and wives for their families. I'm thankful for them, Here are a few photos--that I took and borrowed--of our fun-filled day!


The kiddos (from top): Bennett Green, Eli Stapler, Henry Debardeleben, Carter Brown, Mary Taylor Debardeleben, Addison Crawford, Grace Brown, John Walt Methvin, Tate Methvin, Bennett Green [Not pictured: a sleeping Caroline. On their way: Melissa and Dee's little boy, Charles Tucker, who they are adopting from Uganda this fall and Ansley Crawford. Missing: Turner Armstrong and Ceely Bateman]


The roommates: Christi Ikerd Green, Amy Kyle Stapler, Kelley Brown, Kristy Dean Crawford, Melissa Jackson Debardeleben, Rebekah Wright Methvin. [missing: Sarah Stone Armstrong, Mary Cook Bateman, Kimper Cannon Thomas--missed you girls!]

(I have many more action shots in my summer facebook album!)

Daytrippin' Part 2: Mansion Reunion

Circa 2000: Chi Omega Bid Day {Top--Mary Cook, Kelley Brown, Amy Kyle, Kimper Cannon, Christi Ikerd; Bottom: Rebekah Wright, Melissa Jackson, Kristy Dean, Sarah Stone}
Present Day Momma Hoots: {Back Row: Amy Kyle Stapler, Kristy Dean Crawford, Kelley Brown Brown, Christi Ikerd Green, Sarah Stone Armstrong; Front Row: Eli Stapler, Addison Crawford, Carter Brown, Bennett Green, Braden Green, Turner Armstrong}Yesterday, Addison and I roadtripped to Kelley's house in Birmingham to meet up with my old college roommates. It's been 8 years since we moved out of the Chi Omega mansion, but it was refreshing to pick up so effortlessly with these girls and their kiddos. Missing from this picture is Caroline who was napping. Missing roommates from our gathering were Melissa and her two, Rebekah and her two, and Kimper and Mary. Hopefully we can do this again this fall on the plains. I'm so thankful for my friends. Thanks for the picture, Sarah!

Circa 2000: Chi Omega Bid Day {Top--Mary Cook, Kelley Brown, Amy Kyle, Kimper Cannon, Christi Ikerd; Bottom: Rebekah Wright, Melissa Jackson, Kristy Dean, Sarah Stone}
Present Day Momma Hoots: {Back Row: Amy Kyle Stapler, Kristy Dean Crawford, Kelley Brown Brown, Christi Ikerd Green, Sarah Stone Armstrong; Front Row: Eli Stapler, Addison Crawford, Carter Brown, Bennett Green, Braden Green, Turner Armstrong}Yesterday, Addison and I roadtripped to Kelley's house in Birmingham to meet up with my old college roommates. It's been 8 years since we moved out of the Chi Omega mansion, but it was refreshing to pick up so effortlessly with these girls and their kiddos. Missing from this picture is Caroline who was napping. Missing roommates from our gathering were Melissa and her two, Rebekah and her two, and Kimper and Mary. Hopefully we can do this again this fall on the plains. I'm so thankful for my friends. Thanks for the picture, Sarah!

Shades...

Funny story for my Chi-O "sister mommies" out there...

True story.

On our Spring Break trek to Destin, Lindsay and I along with our daughters--one, a 6 month old, who was recovering from a viscious fever virus, the other, a 16 month old, who had gotten tubes 2 days prior--made the 7 hour haul in our mountaineer. What usually takes the aforementioned 7 hours took us 9.5 due to longer meal stops, diaper changes, medicine administrations, and time for our little girls to get some physical freedom from their confining car seats. Both kiddos did great travel-wise... until hour 8. At that point, we were seriously all OVER IT. I had spent 2 sleepless nights before this trip with Addison in tepid baths to manage her fever; Lindsay and I had both completed stressful work weeks; and Lindsay had gone through the physical and emotional stress of "tubes."

When the little girls began their simultaneous meltdown, Lindsay and I began our Mommy Reportoire of "sing-songs." We'd already exhausted both girls' personalized cds from Jaydee, so we began singing 37 verses of "Wheels on the Bus," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Baa Baa Black Sheep," "Jesus Loves the Little Children"--just to name a few. Nothing was working; there was no appeasing these little girls. We were delirious. We were moving from one song to the next without a thought, just one following the other's lead.

All of the sudden, I began belting out our Chi-O alma mater of "Shades" and Lindsay mindlessly followed. We didn't even realize what we were singing. Almost immediately, both girls fell silent--mesmerized by our song. We looked at each other, realized WHAT we were singing, and began laughing hysterically, and at our pause, the girlies started up their crying again. Shrugging our shoulders, we picked up where we left off and began singing again--trying not to laugh too much. Again, silence. So we followed with "The Owl, the carnation, the cardinal and straw..." and then "Hair of gold..." The girls made it the rest of the trip in peaceful bliss. Lindsay and I laughed until we cried when we finally made it to our destination.

Think we have 2 future Chi Omegas???

Funny story for my Chi-O "sister mommies" out there...

True story.

On our Spring Break trek to Destin, Lindsay and I along with our daughters--one, a 6 month old, who was recovering from a viscious fever virus, the other, a 16 month old, who had gotten tubes 2 days prior--made the 7 hour haul in our mountaineer. What usually takes the aforementioned 7 hours took us 9.5 due to longer meal stops, diaper changes, medicine administrations, and time for our little girls to get some physical freedom from their confining car seats. Both kiddos did great travel-wise... until hour 8. At that point, we were seriously all OVER IT. I had spent 2 sleepless nights before this trip with Addison in tepid baths to manage her fever; Lindsay and I had both completed stressful work weeks; and Lindsay had gone through the physical and emotional stress of "tubes."

When the little girls began their simultaneous meltdown, Lindsay and I began our Mommy Reportoire of "sing-songs." We'd already exhausted both girls' personalized cds from Jaydee, so we began singing 37 verses of "Wheels on the Bus," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Baa Baa Black Sheep," "Jesus Loves the Little Children"--just to name a few. Nothing was working; there was no appeasing these little girls. We were delirious. We were moving from one song to the next without a thought, just one following the other's lead.

All of the sudden, I began belting out our Chi-O alma mater of "Shades" and Lindsay mindlessly followed. We didn't even realize what we were singing. Almost immediately, both girls fell silent--mesmerized by our song. We looked at each other, realized WHAT we were singing, and began laughing hysterically, and at our pause, the girlies started up their crying again. Shrugging our shoulders, we picked up where we left off and began singing again--trying not to laugh too much. Again, silence. So we followed with "The Owl, the carnation, the cardinal and straw..." and then "Hair of gold..." The girls made it the rest of the trip in peaceful bliss. Lindsay and I laughed until we cried when we finally made it to our destination.

Think we have 2 future Chi Omegas???

Some of my favorite things...

Yesterday I spent the day in Auburn. I get a good feeling every time I drive on campus--something just clicks and makes me peacefully reflect; it's quite inspiring. :) Living in Montgomery, you'd think I'd visit quite often. Sadly, it's not often enough. I had a gift card to use from speaking at a retreat, a free day since Patrick is at camp this week, and some friends to catch up with... It was a good, refreshing, fun day, and I thought I'd write about some of my favorite things about the place. Disclaimer: This list is inconclusive; it just includes things I did yesterday...

1. The Auburn Christian Student Center: I don't really know how to begin to put into words how this place impacted my life. I thought I knew what being a Christian looked like before I came to Auburn, but I say with conviction that my faith was solidified through my involvement with this ministry. Jim and Mary are spiritual heroes to me. I learned that being a Christian didn't mean being perfect or even "good." I learned how to share my faith and study with someone who was seeking to know God. I saw lives transformed. In this imperfect, but genuine place I learned a little more about what I wanted my life to be like. Yesterday, I got to see Jim and Mary and spend time with one of my best friends who is interning there for the summer. It was good.



2. Chi Omega : Before coming to Auburn, I had all of those Lifetime movie channel preconceived notions about sororities. I went through RUSH to meet people (since I knew no one), and I was surprised by Chi-O. It was not carbon copies of girls, but unique individuals who intrigued me. I pledged, and my life has been blessed through that organization with some of the coolest friendships I have experienced... All of my roommates in undergraduate years were Chi-O's, and during our Junior and Senior year, we were privileged (at the time we really believed this :)) to live at this big old house called the Chi-O mansion that had been passed down from pledge class to pledge class. I have so many fond memories from there, and I spent a big part of yesterday with one of the "mansion girls"--as we were called.

3. Amsterdams: The home of the famous "turkey wrap" with honey mustard and sweet potato chips. I'm salivating as I write this...

4. Heartstrings: The best gift shop on the planet... and the place where my gift card from the retreat was from. I remember thinking during my last days at Auburn, "IS there life after Heartstrings...?"

5. Momma G's: There's not much better than a Momma's Love combined with the famous nachos... (doritos with melted pepper jack cheese... I've tried to recreate them at the house, and I can never do it...) Yes, I ate the whole thing by myself, and, yes, I'm salivating once again!

Anyway, it was a good summer day, and it helped me not miss Patrick so much... Sigh.

Yesterday I spent the day in Auburn. I get a good feeling every time I drive on campus--something just clicks and makes me peacefully reflect; it's quite inspiring. :) Living in Montgomery, you'd think I'd visit quite often. Sadly, it's not often enough. I had a gift card to use from speaking at a retreat, a free day since Patrick is at camp this week, and some friends to catch up with... It was a good, refreshing, fun day, and I thought I'd write about some of my favorite things about the place. Disclaimer: This list is inconclusive; it just includes things I did yesterday...

1. The Auburn Christian Student Center: I don't really know how to begin to put into words how this place impacted my life. I thought I knew what being a Christian looked like before I came to Auburn, but I say with conviction that my faith was solidified through my involvement with this ministry. Jim and Mary are spiritual heroes to me. I learned that being a Christian didn't mean being perfect or even "good." I learned how to share my faith and study with someone who was seeking to know God. I saw lives transformed. In this imperfect, but genuine place I learned a little more about what I wanted my life to be like. Yesterday, I got to see Jim and Mary and spend time with one of my best friends who is interning there for the summer. It was good.



2. Chi Omega : Before coming to Auburn, I had all of those Lifetime movie channel preconceived notions about sororities. I went through RUSH to meet people (since I knew no one), and I was surprised by Chi-O. It was not carbon copies of girls, but unique individuals who intrigued me. I pledged, and my life has been blessed through that organization with some of the coolest friendships I have experienced... All of my roommates in undergraduate years were Chi-O's, and during our Junior and Senior year, we were privileged (at the time we really believed this :)) to live at this big old house called the Chi-O mansion that had been passed down from pledge class to pledge class. I have so many fond memories from there, and I spent a big part of yesterday with one of the "mansion girls"--as we were called.

3. Amsterdams: The home of the famous "turkey wrap" with honey mustard and sweet potato chips. I'm salivating as I write this...

4. Heartstrings: The best gift shop on the planet... and the place where my gift card from the retreat was from. I remember thinking during my last days at Auburn, "IS there life after Heartstrings...?"

5. Momma G's: There's not much better than a Momma's Love combined with the famous nachos... (doritos with melted pepper jack cheese... I've tried to recreate them at the house, and I can never do it...) Yes, I ate the whole thing by myself, and, yes, I'm salivating once again!

Anyway, it was a good summer day, and it helped me not miss Patrick so much... Sigh.