Nothing Beats a Saturday in Tuscaloosa

This past weekend Robert's mom and dad came down to visit from South Carolina to go to the Bama/Ole Miss game with us. We had such a great time with them, and luckily Bama pulled out the W even though the second half was not so pretty. I haven't been that nervous of a loss in a game all year. It's driving me crazy that we're not a second half team.

His parents also came laden with gifts: apples from North Carolina, shrimp from the gulf, newly sewn pillows and a bench cushion for our living room (my mother-in-law is quite the talented and generous-with-her-time seamstress!), so we felt pampered all weekend!

Here are some pics from out time in Tuscaloosa.





We dropped by a tailgate where David and Shelby were set up with their friends. I'm loving have my brother down at Alabama.

Jake came up from Dothan for the game.

Ashley and her fam hosted a super fun tailgate where we met up with Amy and Matt and some of the gang. Apparently I missed the memo that it was jersey day!

It was so good to see our family and friends! Next stop: Knoxville.

When you work at a University...

...this is what greats you when you walk off the elevator the Monday of Homecoming week. It's not that I forgot it was Homecoming (ok, maybe it did slip my mind) it's more that I forgot how much my office decorates. I love how sad the poor little bison looks (UAB played Marshall) at getting beat up by the most gentle Blaze I've ever seen.


The decorations our amazing Events Team did for the President's floor were even better! Since Marshall is the thundering herd (in case you didn't pick up on that with the bison comment earlier or can't remember from the movie), they embraced a "Rounding up the Herd" stagecoach theme.

I love the way Neil Calloway is drivng the stagecoach! Hilarious!
My sweet friends from the office, Cappy and Victoria

After watching the Homecoming skits in front of our building on 20th Street. Let's just way it wasn't a typical Friday.

Cousins...and more cousins

As my little cousin Victoria proudly displayed on her t-shirt, she is no longer an only child! I thought this was such a creative way for Kristi and Clay to announce to the family last weekend at our Saturday get together that they are expecting! Victoria ran into the room in her new outfit right before the prayer before lunch, and I think Big Mama was probably the most excited at the news. I'm going to claim the second most excitement not only because of another cousin but because now Big Mama won't be asking Robert and I when we're going to go ahead and just have a baby! (Good thing my grandmother doesn't read blogs, right!) Kristi is due April 30th.

Robert and Ryan excited that Ole Miss is beating Florida

Maddie, who had a great game in her soccer match earlier that morning.

Victoria and Hannah

Christian and Andrew

With Kyle...can you tell by our wardrobe it's a Saturday in September?

Our "official" reason for getting together (which is now debatable in light of the baby announcement made by the host and hostess) was to celebrate our October birthdays.

Clay serenading Kyle with his version of "Happy Birthday"

Victoria and Ryan. At one point Robert, Ryan, and I took over watching kids duty in the backyard. After about half an hour of swinging and throwing the football and playing baseball and catching frogs and playing tag and riding and pushing the bug and tons of other physical activity I was completely exhausted and out of energy. My age is showing when surrounded by three- to 10-year-olds with boundless energy. Ryan did teach me how to improve my football pass.

Joseph giving big sister Hannah a ride in the bug.

Victoria joins in. Apparently yellow is the popular color.



Christian about to smack one out of the park.

Maddie, Christian, and Hannah showing off the frog they caught.

The frog.

Hannah, Joseph, and Andrew on the swings

Andrew and the bug

Even Trixi (hope I got the right dog) was wearing her Crimson!

Season Premier

It's finally here....the season premier of The Office airs tonight. We're celebrating with a full-out Office Party with friends who are as completely addicted as we are. Let's just say it's been a dry summer of withdrawls and we're finally ready to indulge in one of the best shows on TV.

Will Jim attempt to propose to Pam again?

Has baby-crazed Michael given up on the new HR girl?

Is Kevin really retarded and we just never realized it?

Sooooo many questions. At least the first four episodes are an hour long. Here we go all over again....

Bama/Clemson Game

This post is a little late now that we're three games into the season, but here are some pics from our trip to Atlanta for the Bama/Clemson season opener. My brother, David, and his girlfriend, Shelby (both freshman at UA), drove over with us from Bham and then Liz, Robert's sister, and her husband, Mike, met us there. We really had a great weekend roaming Atlanta, navigating Atlanta's public transit system, and seeing and hanging out with family and friends. Several of our good college friends came, so it was great to have a little reunion - especially since wedding season is officially over and we aren't seeing each other as much. The game was certainly a highlight, though Mike might not say so.

Here we are at the Marta station waiting to ride into downtown to catch some of GameDay at Olympic Park.

David and Shelby

Robert and Mike

Robert and Liz. Notice what colors she's wearing and where this Clemson grad's loyalties are.

So, the Marta ride was a little long - or maybe Sheby is asleep because GameDay starts at an ungodly hour of the morning.

Robert and Mike trying to figure out which stop we are supposed to get off on. Can you tell we are a bunch of suburban-raised kids? Actually, the boys did quite well navigating the public transit system. I would have surely gotten lost alone.

What a happy bunch.

At GameDay praying Lee Corso pics Clemson to win.

Liz and Big Al.

Prime GameDay real estate

At the CNN Center for lunch where we met up with Ashley, Amy, Matt, Ben, J-Go....pretty much the whole gang and the rest of the 70K+ Bama and Clemson fans who came to the game and cramed in for lunch. It was packed out.

Catch Up

Yes, I know it's true. I've been a terrible blogger during the month of August. We've been a little busier than usual since classes started back for the fall. Rob and I are both taking nine hours - three classes a week - but so far things are going smoothly. It should be a good semester.

So this is my August recap blog. I had a girls weekend away at Leigh's lake house on Smith Lake at the beginning of the month. It was so good to relax with my good girl friends from college. Julia made her annual pilgrimage from Colorado, and she, Leigh, Morgan and I managed to water ski and safely maneuver a boat, jet ski, and trailer with minimum assistance from any males and minimum injuries.





Also this past month, my Uncle Chris, Aunt Carolyn, and cousin Lydia came down from their home in Manitoba, Canada for visit to the South. We had a big get-together with the Summerville clan, and it was great to see some cousins and kids of cousins that I hadn't seen in a while. Here is an album from our crazy evening together.



My little cousin, Victoria, turned 3 on August 22, so we celebrated at a fun luau in her backyard with the Haskew side of the family. She was so grown up opening her presents and oohing and ahhing over her clothes and purses. She's quite the little lady.