Thanksgiving all weekend long

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend. On Thursday morning, Jason and I took Eli & Josey up to my parents' house on Lake Martin (Josey rode shotgun and helped Jason drive). We got there around 10am and got started preparing food for lunch. Mother, Daddy, Darryl, Jesi and our cousins Ray, Sonya and AnnaBelle all were there for lunch, which was delicious. Poor Josey had to sit outside while we all ate.




On Friday morning Jason fried up some grits and we had a big, fun breakfast.
Then Jason, Daddy and I went golfing at a course in Tallassee. It's not a fancy course, but it was good for a beginner like me cause there weren't many folks there. That night we watched Hawaii win AGAIN! That victory over Boise State gave UH the WAC championship! That is the first time UH has won the conference outright. GO WARRIORS!













On Saturday we drove from the lake to Hayneville (in Lowndes Co) for lunch with Jason's cousin Carole Scrushy and all the family there. Cousin Tom2 was in town from New Zealand, and it's always good to see him. We got home around 3PM Saturday and got geared up for the Iron Bowl. Since it was a 7PM kickoff, and my bedtime is 9, I took an afternoon nap so I could stay up til the very end. We were excited to hear our friend's song played during the opening of the game and throughout (Saturday in Dixie). Congrats again, Lance. And of course we were excited about the outcome of the game. So, another nice weekend for the Walkers. Oh, and here's a shot of the beautiful moon over Lake Martin:

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

May your dressing be tasty, may your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes 'n gravy have nary a lump,
May your casseroles be delicious may your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!

The dingo broke my baby!

Eli had his first visit to the ER yesterday, and I'll skip to the end of the story first -- he is JUST FINE! He got picked up wrong and we heard a 'pop'. He immediately started crying in pain, but soon calmed down. Then it quickly became apparent that his left arm, which is usually constantly moving, was dangling limp by his side. Oh, what a pitiful sight that was, but I have to brag on my baby, he kept that sweet smile on his face in spite of it all. Jason and I took him to the Baptist South ER worried to death his arm was broken. As it turned out, his elbow had been dislocated. The doctor snapped his little 5 month old elbow back in place (yes, he screamed real loud) and sent him home. They took some x-rays just in case, but saw nothing broken. Apparently parents are pretty good at popping their babies' arms out of joint, the doctor said he sees it a lot. Hey, let's be careful out there!
Eli got a great night sleep last night (I think the codeine helped) and woke up mostly okay this morning. When he lifted his left arm to reach for his bottle I was thrilled, I said "Eli, you moved your arms, that's wonderful!" (Princess Bride quote, hope you enjoyed it). He's still favoring his left arm somewhat, but should be 100% by tomorrow.
So, our first Eli emergency is under our belt. We thank God that it was so minor and ask Him to continue to protect our family.

Saturday in Dixie

Our friend Lance Brown has a new song out that you've got to hear! It's called Saturday in Dixie, click on that title to go to the website where you can hear a low res snipit of the song. THEN, tune into ESPN this Saturday at 7:00PM to hear the song played during the opening of the Iron Bowl! It's supposed to be played some during the game as well.
The picture attached is actually from one of our wedding showers, Lance was there and did a little picking and singing for everyone.
Congrats Lance!

Momma's Boy

Shoney Santa

This morning Jason suggested we roll out of bed and go hit the Shoney's breakfast bar since neither of us had done so since about the early 90's (and who doesn't love the Shoney's?!). It is a beautiful crisp, cool Saturday morning here in Montgomery and we got to Shoney's around 7:30AM. When we sat down at our table, lo and behold if Santa Claus wasn't sitting right next to us! Of course I had to ask he and Mrs. Claus if Eli could have his picture taken with the Jolly Old Elf. He was more than happy to do it, however Eli would not take his eyes off the breakfast buffet long enough to pose for the picture. Come to find out Santa was having some grits and bacon before heading over to the Eastchase shopping center to kick off the Christmas season. He was just in his undershirt and ball cap at Shoney's, but will be in full Santa regalia at Eastchase and even ride in on a sleigh. The picture is camera phone quality, but preserves the fun memory all the same!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

Daddy's birthday was yesterday so Jason and I had the family over for a birthday supper. I made a pot of chili and a birthday trifle then after supper we played a few games of pool. It was a fun celebration of another great year!
We love you Daddy!

Hawai'i Ohana

I just love this picture! These are my friends Roland & Elana who live in Hawaii, (check out their blog linked here on my blog). Elana is an Alpha Gam and was an undergrad at UH while I was there getting my MA and serving as the Alpha Gam Leadership Advisor. Roland and Elana were dating and got engaged while I was there and they are two of the most precious people I know. They did so much to make me feel loved and at home during my time in Hawaii and we have enjoyed keeping up with each other since I left. Roland is now a minister and Elana is expecting their first child, a boy, due in April 2008.
Jason and I will get to spend some time with them when we are in Hawaii in January and I cannot wait!

Weekend at the Abner's

Jason and I took the boys to visit our cousins, Ray, Sonya & AnnaBelle for the Veteran's Day weekend. Ray & Sonya used to live on the Alabama River in Lowndesboro, but moved just east of Atlanta this summer. They live 45 minutes from downtown ATL in a beautiful community with picturesque countryside and all of the conveniences of city living. On Saturday the girls (& Eli) went shopping at a GREAT place called Real Deals (find one near you), and the guys went to see some race cars. Ray knows Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief's brother (got it?). And for those of you that know Grant, that picture of him behind the wheel of a car is a tad scary, isn't it!
That night we watched the miserable Auburn game. Sonya made a big pot of delicious soup and Jason fried up some wings so we definitely ate well. And Eli gave us a big laugh during the game. He was in the den with all of us minding his own business playing in his exersaucer when Auburn scored a TD just before the half. Well, the entire room erupted in screams and cheers and it scared Eli half to death and he freaked out! Don't worry, while I was taking pictures, his daddy got him and calmed him down.
Sonya had two girlfriends come over from Montgomery on Saturday so it was fun to meet them as well. They brought two kids with them, so the 5 kids really enjoyed playing.
The weekend was fun and relaxing, the Abner's are great hosts!

TIGER SURPRISE! www.tigersurprise.com

Eli and I recently went to Auburn to see our cousins' new store. Larry & Sherrie Stanyard recently opened Tiger Surprise! in the University Village shopping center. It is a fabulous store with lots of great items: greek, baby/kid, b'day, tailgate, special event & anything else a college student or Auburn fan might want. They also do gift baskets for any occasion that parents can order for their student. I got lots of great stuff including an orange polo style AU onesie for Eli. Congrats Larry & Sherrie on your store!
Tell everyone you know to stop by next time they're in Auburn (1100 S. College Street) or check out their website at www.tigersurprise.com.
The shirt pictured here is an original design by Sherrie, you can only get this cool shirt from Tiger Surprise!
My girlfriend Verona lives in Auburn and she met us at the store and after we shopped she and I went next door and had a sandwich and a nice long visit. Eli loves his Auntie Verona!!!

Our Beautiful Boys

UH Warriors are Undefeated!

The University of Hawai'i football team is enjoying an undefeated season and is 16th in the BCS rankings! UH is one of three teams that currently holds an undefeated record (Hawaii, Ohio State & Kansas). Most of you know I got an MA in history from UH. I arrived in Honolulu in 2000, just one season after June Jones (former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons) became the head coach of the Warriors and turned the football program around. In fact, Jones and the Warriors hold the record for the most dramatic turnaround for a college football team in NCAA football history.
Prior to Jones' arrival, the Rainbow Warriors (old helmet pictured) had lost 18 consecutive games. Jones got on the scene, changed the team name to Warriors and became the winningest head coach in UH football history. Dropping the 'Rainbow' portion of the team name was quite controversial as the Hawai'i locals have an understandable deep love and respect for the incredible natural beauty of the islands, which includes rainbows in the sky every single day. However, along with all of the wins came an acceptance of the new team identity. (Plus, all of the other UH athletic teams kept the Rainbow Warrior name, only the football team dropped it so that helped). Jones also became the highest paid public employee in the state, another short lived controversy.
I was in Hawai'i for the 2000-2002 seasons, which were very exciting. I attended many of the games, including their Christmas Day bowl game in 2002. And, I was there when the University of Alabama came to Honolulu to play UH on Thanksgiving weekend 2002. I taught a lot of the UH football players and without exception, the UH guys were thrilled with their opportunity to play such a storied SEC program and they were impressed with the strong character the Bama players demonstrated while on Warrior turf. Bama had to respect UH too, as UH & UA split the 2 game series played in Honolulu in 2002 & 2003, then Hawai'i traveled to Tuscaloosa in 2006 and threatened an opening day upset, but wound up losing 25-17. Jason and I attended that game and were part of the largest crowd (at that time) to watch a football game in the state of Alabama. 92,138 folks packed into the newly remodeled Bryant-Denny Stadium. John Parker Wilson had his first start at QB and went up against UH's Colt Brennan. Jim Nabors, who has both Hawaii and Alabama ties sang the National Anthem!
You may remember the former UH quarterback, Timmy Chang. He was at UH when I was there and became the NCAA's leader in passing yardage, (which is bound to happen if you throw the ball on every play...his interception stats are off the charts too). I always said Chang was all hype from the start. He was a local boy who got a lot of love from the fans and Jones, but he lacked the toughness and determination to go the distance. My point was proved when Chang washed out of the NFL in preseason, and is now bouncing around the Canadian Football League. It was really UH wide receiver Ashley Lelie (lay-LEE) who made Chang look good. Lelie went on to be a first round draft pick for the Denver Broncos and is now with the San Francisco 49ers.
June Jones loves a pass heavy offense, most notably demonstrated by Chang. Their current QB, Colt Brennan, has a good arm as well. Brennan is a Heisman Trophy candidate and holds 20 NCAA records and threw 58 TD passes during the 2006 season.
Hawai'i is part of the Western Athletic Conference and plays Fresno State this Saturday at Aloha Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2, but if you want to watch it you'll have to stay up for a 10:00PM CST kickoff.
GO WARRIORS!!!

Too cute not to share

Visit to the Benton's

Eli and I got to go see our friend Christy recently. This past August the Benton family moved just a little over an hour from us. It is so great to have them closer. She has two beautiful boys, Dean (almost 9) and Brady (4). The picture is of Christy and her mom and Eli. Christy's parents live about 10 minutes away from them. They are both enjoying living so close to each other. It was great to see Mrs. Dean as well. Since Christy and I grew up together, Mrs. Dean helped raise me and is one of the sweetest, Godliest women I know. It was a great visit!

Congratulations Cassondra & Jeff!

My dear friend Cassondra (stage name Cassie Swayden) had a baby boy on October 16, William Thomas, they will call him Will. However, Rustee and I plan to call him Billy Tom -- a fine Southern name. Will/Billy Tom has an adorable 2 year old sister, Caroline, who is getting used to sharing the spotlight with her new baby brother. Cass is from North Alabama, she and I worked together for Shelby in DC. Now she lives in Indiana. As soon as we can get her back to the Southland, it will be fun to have our little boys living close together since they are so close in age. We have lots to teach our kids about good music (Easy Like Sunday Monring), fine dining (Hard Times) and of course college football (SEC, Troy & Hawaii).
Congrats, Cass!

Halloween Fun

Here's a picture of our three boys taken last night. Hugh went as a ghost, Grant went as a ninja and Eli went as a baby dressed in an orange and white onesie & pants. We went to a Fall Festival at our church and had a great time. I didn't take any pics at the festival, Jason and I were too busy working the bean bag toss. There were lots of games, huge inflatable slides, and of course lots of good food and candy.













Here's a picture of Eli just after he found out that there is a holiday all about CANDY!!!


Here's Eli deciding which piece of candy he'll eat first...


Uh Oh, too much candy for baby.

Even Josey got in on the Halloween action, this is her with her pumpkin filled with puppy treats!