Haikus for the Birthday Girl

We wrote haikus in honor of Julie's 27th Birthday. (In case you need a refresher, they have 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables.) Here is one of them:

"My sister-in-law

Sweet Aunt, Beautiful woman

Now Twenty-seven!"

Bedtime Story

Uncle Jon

Ready for Christmas

Nana and Papa

First Baptist Cookeville

Mike took Hallie to his office today, and she spent some time with the staff at FBC Cookeville.

Sink Bath

Cookeville

We're enjoying an extended Thanksgiving holiday in Cookeville this weekend. Tonight, we're headed for the Cookeville Christmas Parade!

Hallie took a ride in the laundry basket this morning.

Hollywood

Dawson Girls

We got to spend time with several of my good friends from high school on Wednesday night. It was just like old times...except with husbands and babies. :) It was great to see all of these wonderful women and catch up!

I'm holding Savannah in the first picture. As you can see in the second picture, Savannah and Hallie enjoyed playing together.

Is He Serious?!

I know that most (if not all) of you read this blog for pictures and updates on Hallie. Regardless, I just can't help it today. These are Rev. Al Sharpton's comments on the Jena 6:

"(President) Eisenhower protected the Little Rock Nine and sent the U.S. attorney general down South to integrate department store lunch counters. (Presidents) Kennedy and Johnson protected freedom riders and voting rights, but this federal government has done nothing for the Jena Six or to stem the rising tide of hate that includes a proliferation of nooses and swastikas," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a well-known activist who was one of the celebrity participants [of this week's March on Washington]. "It is time that the federal government intervenes and offers protection against these injustices."

I absolutely cannot understand how he can compare the Jena six with the innocent and oppressed individuals who integrated the high school in Little Rock. It utterly baffles me. And I'm even more amazed that the older members of the black community do not reel at the comparison. It is the height of disrespect to those who fought tooth and nail for the right to an equal education to compare them to a group of teenagers who think they were somehow justified in beating a classmate bloody.

I know that it is tempting to blow off nonsensical rhetoric like this, but it is hard to ignore the number of people who trust and revere everything Sharpton says. Not to mention the political left that caters to him.

The Long Way Home

Heather and I went to Oxford yesterday afternoon to attend the visitation of our good friend's father, who passed away earlier this week. We were so glad to be there to hug Laura and let her know that we are praying for her and for her family. But, on the way back home...

First of all, yesterday was the Big Day for Northwest Alabama. Why, you ask? Corridor X/Highway 78/Future I-22 opened up from Forestdale to Jasper! This is truly great news for those of us who travel this highway a good bit -- and long-delayed, because the State of Alabama has been working on this stretch of road since the 70s. Anyway, feeling brave with my travel companion, and oblivious to the rain and darkness all around me, I took the new stretch of road on the way back. This was great and saved lots of time, UNTIL it dropped us out in residential Brookside, Alabama. Without street lights, signs, or any real indications of civilization. I didn't even know there was a Brookside, Alabama, much less how the heck to get to Birmingham. Thankfully, by following the end of our noses, we emerged on old 78 in Forestdale around 10:30. Success! Except...we turned the wrong way on 78 and had to turn around again.

So, finally headed home, and looking for a place to stop and purchase formula for Hallie's bottles today, we were a little tired. I dropped Heather off at her car and left for my house. Where the power was out. So, in the dark, damp middle-of-the-night, I trekked from my car up the front steps, using my cell phone to light my path. I let myself in the front door and was greeted by Archie.

I began getting ready for bed--in the pitch black dark--and discovered that the zipper on my skirt was completely stuck. It was not budging. I tried to pull it over my head, but the waist was smaller than my upper half. I tried to step out of it, but the waist was smaller than my lower half. (My husband missed most of this struggle because he had been asleep for hours.) Exhausted and out of options, I slept in my skirt and cotton pajama top. I was C-U-T-E.

Santa Baby

Gigi found this hat and boot set, and we just couldn't resist!

Cheese Steak in South Philly

I now weigh 10 pounds more than I did this morning after devouring this entire sandwich at lunch. Yum!

It's Raining Cows

It's a wonder they didn't have a heart attack.

Chilly in Philly

My apologies for the slow blog posting this week. Besides a walk on Saturday morning (on which Hallie wore a simply adorable trench coat from her Aunt Julie), things have been mercifully slow at our house.

I am headed to Philadelphia tomorrow morning for a conference that will last until Saturday. The forecast is looking a little cool for my taste, particularly considering the extra room needed in a suitcase for winter coats and such.

As for the Baby Girl, we'll have to rely on her Nana to take a few cute pictures while I'm away so that I will have something to post upon my return...