Winter Retreat 2011

Last weekend, Ben & I went on our church youth's Winter Retreat at Lay Lake for the 2nd year in a row as counselors.  (Here is last year's post).  We had a wonderful time once again.  It was a bit different for Ben this year because he was in charge of 10th grade boys so he didn't feel like a parent the whole trip and  I had the same girls as last year (now 11th graders).  The theme of the weekend was:

"GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME.  LIVE FULLY, LOVE FULLY"

The speaker was great... he had a way of putting every verse we read in the bible in the most understandable terms I have ever heard.  The analogies & real life application were great.  The music was fantastic too.  

We had a bonfire this year, complete with S'mores (we couldn't have the bonfire last year because it was raining). 

 And the always hilarious & crazy competitive Football game (where the boys play on their knees).  You can see Ben in the green shirt down the line on the boys side coaching.... 

After we came home on Monday started the fun part.... I apparently caught the FLU from someone there!  The sore throat started when I woke up our last day there (Monday), then all the symptoms worsened throughout the week (stuffy nose, coughing, fever).... Everything got so bad by Friday (incessant migraines) that I went to the Doctor & he confirmed that I did indeed test positive for the FLU.  

So now I'm in quarantine at home & Ben is doing his best to take care of me without touching me or getting sick himself.  Last night the fever got up to it's highest.. 103... I kinda got worried but apparently that's part of the deal.  Tamiflu, PLEASE work QUICKER!  The delicious homemade chicken noodle soup that my mommy made me (via my sister's most recent blog posted recipe) is definitely helping though :)

Week of Birthdays!

As I mentioned before, there are quite a lot of Birthdays in our family this month.  Last week was especially full: with birthday celebrations 5 out of 7 days of the week!  

First was my Momma's Birthday Monday night.  We girls took her to lunch & then she thought she was going w/ my dad to dinner, but we all surprised her & the whole family (minus Hollis & the babies) were there at the table when she walked up! Ruth's Chris was delicious (we had gone there w/ Ben's family exactly 1 week before for Ben's brother Will's Birthday too)! 

Then Wednesday was our niece Leigh's 1st Birthday... Thursday was Ben's grandmother's Birthday & she was still in town visiting us for the month...  Friday was Ben's dad's Birthday... and then Saturday was Leigh's 1st Birthday Party!

The theme was "pink pony" & they actually had a pony for the little kids to ride on.  

Leigh is just starting to walk a few steps & Ben and I got her to take about 4 steps between us that day! YAY Leigh!

 Ben's Mom & Leigh

 Ben with grandmother

 Pony time :)

 Party Favors

 She loved the cake but wasn't into "smash"ing it

 She's showing us that she is "one"

 This is the pink pony rocker Birthday present that Ben & I gave her

I would say that we're all partied out, but then yesterday was my sister-in-law Amy's birthday... and Ben's mom's & mine are later this month!  It's been a lot of fun! :) 

New Years

This year we carried on our new tradition of having friends over to our house for New Years!!!  

Austin & Stephanie, Katie & Jody joined us!  

We each picked a meal to cook & ate all weekend long!  Katie & Jody made dinner Friday night, I made breakfast Saturday morning (a la Pioneer Woman breakfast casserole), & Stephanie made our 2nd annual New Years day lunch of Hoppin' John (or as Ben calls it, John Hopkins).  

I also made Hello Dollies for the 1st time!  SO easy & absolutely delicious (& all gone)!

 The boys

 and girls!

We rang in the New Year with old school rap music & a bit of a dance party in my living room (I have been forbidden to post the videos of this hilarious event)

And right before going to bed, we lit the Christmas tree on fire and had a short lived (but good smelling!) bonfire!

 New Years Day we all vegged on the couch all day & watched football! (Alabama won, MSU won, Florida won... GO SEC!)  

What a fun start to what I just know is going to be an incredible 2011!  I wish you all many blessings in this new year!  

Christmas 2010

This year was a pretty relaxing & enjoyable Christmas Season.  I got a lot of my shopping done early & tried to get the house decorated as early as possible so we could enjoy it longer!  

I really liked how my front door turned out this year (I should have gotten a picture w/ the lights on)

Although it may be leaning a little bit, the tree was a success!  And one of my favorite parts from Christmas season, is all the Christmas Cards received (they are hanging on the mirror next to the tree)

We have a tradition of buying Christmas ornaments as souvenirs from all the fun travels we go on.  This years additions were:

a guard from Buckingham Palace in London

and a 2010 Ball from Lladro, a spanish porcelain store, that we got in Madrid

They joined ornaments on our tree from our Honeymoon in Cabo, Disney World, New York, & Las Vegas!

Some more decor around the house... 

We celebrated Christmas with both our families... starting with Christmas Eve service at our church, spending the night at my parents house & sharing Christmas Morning with them!

After lunch we joined Ben's Family to continue to celebrations and then eat dinner!

(Dying out laughing at the "Shake Weight" we got him)

 We were so blessed to spend time with both our families & have so many delicious meals.  It seems that every year the planning of our get togethers can be stressful but in the end, everything goes so smoothly & we are just lucky to have so many wonderful people to celebrate Jesus' Birthday with!  

Celebrations

The months of December & January are very busy in our family with an array of Celebrations: Birthdays, Anniversaries, & of course Christmas & New Years.  A few weekends ago, we had a lot of celebrating to do!  Thursday the 9th was Ben's younger brother Adam's 24th Birthday.  We took him to lunch for pizza on his birthday and then the whole family got together on Friday night at Felix's Fish Camp for dinner to celebrate.  Ms. Leigh is always entertaining

Then Saturday morning was my nephew Bennett's 3rd Birthday Party.  Since his birthday is only 4 days apart from Christmas, they held his party early this year.  His present from his parents was this awesome playground/swingset/slide/etc (that all the men in the family LOVED putting together) 

& they rented a bounce house for all the kids to play in (& once all the kids left the party, all is "adults" jumped in it too!)

AuniE & BigUn gave B this "Pushing Thomas" that he is too old for, but oh so fun for a thomas-obsessed little boy!

 That night, my sister Rachel came to spend the night & cookout with Ben & I.  She brought my parents puppy, Sam, over to play with Harper.  They are pretty much the same age & since my parents other puppy, Gus, sadly suddenly passed away this month, I think Sam enjoyed having a playmate again!  

And Sunday, we kept up our yearly tradition of attending Springhill Baptist's Seasonal production of "This is Christmas."  This year there were extra familiar faces up on stage.... Natalie, Stephen, & Emory played Mary, Joseph, & baby Jesus!

And to close with something extra sweet: I got to babysit Emory & Bennett one day later that week & Emory was wearing some PJ's we gave her!  Love these babies...