FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME: January 2009

Did You Know?

Guess who's standing up in her crib? I guess I should tell the whole truth and rewrite the sentence to say: Guess who's pulling up on anything and everything in sight, even if it can't hold her weight? Guess who's becoming very curious and wants to explore every inch of our house, even if it means toppling over and crying when her legs aren't quite trained to walk? (That's more like it!)

Libby is very excited to see the world from a new angle. So if you see her, give her a hand and let her pull up and balance on your hands or legs. She'll appreciate it!

11:04 AM
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Thank You!

By now you're familiar with the Simply Fabowlous line. I've ~~forced it down your throats~~ posted about it and shown you pictures of Libby and her bow hat. Now they've returned the favor and Miss Libby is the topic of their latest blog post! Thanks for the plug!

http://simplyfabowlous.blogspot.com/

10:00 AM
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Dream Home

It's that time of year again. Time to ~~drool over~~ explore the HGTV Dream Home...and it's just as beautiful as you could imagine. Here are a few of my favorite shots of the house.

The home is in Sonoma, CA

The blue living room is my favorite!

(Paint Color: 6528 Cosmos by Sherwin-Williams)

Master Bedroom

Guest Room

And if I happen to win the house, you are more than welcome to come visit!

8:00 AM
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Flat Earth

In honor of the new year and a clean slate I vowed to 'do better' and try to make healthy choices when it comes to food. (Notice I did not say diet, I won't stick to it and who wants to diet for the rest of their life, anyway?) I'm trying to make wiser choices and stick to walking/working out 3 times a week. And might I say the frigid weather is not helping my quest for outdoor cardio!

While grocery shopping last week, I was strolling down the chip isle. I have been a baked chip patron for a long time. As I was staring at the baked chip choices (the same 3 choices I always stare at) I saw a new product. It was Flat Earth Baked Veggie Chips. The package claimed to pack in 1/2 a serving of vegetables in every ounce. I checked out the flavors and decided to try Farmland Cheddar.

Monday night as I was packing my lunch I pulled my new purchase out of the cabinet. I packed a serving in a zip lock bag and went on my way. Fast forward to Tuesday at lunchtime, time to give the snacks a taste. So I pop the first one in my mouth, hmm. I tried another. Still hmmmm. Just not that tasty. They taste like pumpkin flavored Cheez-Its. But I decided I could tolerate them - they are far from delicious, but not vile. Did I really think a snack that's ingredients include Whole Oat Flour, Pumpkin, Onion, Tomato Paste and Cheese would really taste like a chip? Oh well, at least I tried.

Please let me know if you've tried any of the Flat Earth brand snacks. They have several flavors and I might be willing to give them another try.

Good luck to all those out there who are trying to make healthier choices. It's not always easy and definitely not as tasty as the fried foods we love so dearly!

11:32 AM
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Baby Dedication

This weekend we had the privilege of dedicating our sweet baby girl at our church. She was beautiful and did a great job. She even talked to the audience while the preacher was talking, oops! We publicly committed to raising Libby in a Christian home and also vowed to bring her to church so she can learn about Jesus Christ. We were proud to have our family and friends be there to support us, thanks for being a part of such a special event!

Listening to the Preacher

I had to add this picture, look at Libby's mouth. She was making little noises and sticking her finger in her mouth. Notice her feet - she was swinging them back and forth. She evoked some laughter from the audience, that's my girl!

Libby's Great Grandmother, Mot and her her Grandparents

Aunt Angie and Libby after lunch

8:00 AM
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It's a small (blogging) world!

I guess someone is actually reading my blog. Remember this cute picture and post from a few weeks ago?

Well, come to find out, the story didn't end there. Last week I was suprised when the owner of Simply faBOWlous came across Libby's picture wearing her ribbon hat on my blog. She thought Libby was precious (well, yeah) and requested to use her picture on their website and in other advertisements...cool! Click here to see the diva working her stuff. While you're there you might want to order something, everything's so cute!

Here's a postcard that will be used in their February mailer.

9:00 PM
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Baby It's Cold Outside

It's freezing down here in Alabama! And I'm sure it's cold where you are, too. Take these pointers from Libby to stay warm and cozy:

1. Wear a warm coat.

2. Put on a fuzzy hat.

3. Make a cute face.

Bundle up and have a great weekend!

8:41 AM
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Jackson's Baby Shower

This weekend we threw a shower for Jennifer 'Tootie' Cooper. (We found out a few years ago that 'Tootie' was Jennifer's nickname as a little girl. Too bad for her, we found out about it!) She's Coop's sister-in-law and we've grown to love her since she's joined the Cooper family. The turnout was great and she got so many cute things! She's got all the lute, now we're eagerly awaiting his arrival! Come out, baby Jackson, we're ready to meet you!

The Hostesses and Mommy-to-be

McKenzie, Cassie, Jennifer, Coop, Me, My Mom

Tootie opening gifts

Reagan & Libby

Maggie Edwards & Libby

(As you can see, she was a big hit with the 4-6 yr olds)

Cute and tasty!

10:00 AM
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9 Months Old

Our Libby girl is 9 months old! As you can tell from all the posts on this blog dedicated to her, she's our world! We love you so much, Libby. Thank you for entertaining us daily, we can't wait to see what's next for you.

Libby & her friend, Reagan

8:00 AM
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"Calling" all Duck Hunters

I'll have to admit, Libby's latest source of entertainment has me a little worried. Her daddy is an outdoor freak. He loves hunting, fishing, watching the land, knowing the weather - he really has a passion for all thing outdoors! Earlier this week he was getting things ready for a trip to Arkansas to duck hunt. He thought he'd entertain Libby by making noises with his duck and goose calls. Boy did she love it! She wanted to try for herself, now she and the calls are inseparable! It's so cute, however, I'm sure there's a redneck joke that addresses this situation! :)

~~Eating~~ Playing with the duck call

"Come here duckies!"

Daddy & Lib

10:11 AM
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Bunco Fun

This month was my turn to host Bunco. As the hostess, I had the job of getting my house ready for visitors (read: do some serious cleaning) and preparing dinner for the 12 players. The cleaning I can handle, the cooking, well, that took a little more focus since I don't spend much time in the kitchen. However, I was able to satisfy the masses with spaghetti, salad and toast. (One batch of toast got a little crisp, but no one complained and I was thankful!) We also threw in a baby shower for Jennifer Cooper. Her son, Jackson, is due in a few weeks. She got some really cute things!

Even though I didn't win the big Bunco money, I had a great time! I'm looking forward to next month. {when it's not at my house :)}

Rollin' the dice

Some of Jackson's cute monogrammed gifts

More Bunco action

Amy after rolling a 'Bunco'. Nice hat!

10:11 AM
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What's a Scramble Dog?

Growing up in the south, I was aware that we had our own quirks, traditions and crazy ideals, but I had no idea that some of our weird ways were strange to even fellow southerners. I learned this when I moved from Phenix City, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL for college. One afternoon while talking with friends and discussing food I said, " I love scramble dogs!" I was waiting for someone to agree, but all I got was strange stares and looks of confusion. I continued "Y'all do know what a scramble dog is, right?" Still nothing. Even my friends from Athens, GA and Montgomery, AL had never heard of such. It was then that I learned a 'scramble dog' was a local dish only known to those in Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area.

So if you don't know what a scramble dog is, let me educate you. It's a hot dog (usually cut into bite-sized pieces), with bun opened wide topped with chili, mustard, ketchup, cheese, onions, oyster crackers and relish (or anything else you can conjure up). A good scramble dog can't be picked up with your hands, forks are required. It's so good and so bad all at the same time!

These delicious memories were stirred up when I saw Gun and Garden's list of '100 Southern Foods You Absolutely, Positively Must Try Before You Die.' Low and behold the scramble dog in Columbus, GA was listed. See, I really did know what I was talking about!

Click on the map to check out all 100 that made the map. Yum!
http://gardenandgun.com/map

2:05 PM
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New Year's Eve

2008 was a great year, so many wonderful things have happened in our lives! Libby was born (that's my favorite) Drew and I have great jobs, a warm home and lots of love. We said goodbye this year with a great party at the 'Tater House' in Seale, AL. The Tag Williams band played and we danced the night away with many friends. Happy New Year! Welcome, 2009, I hope our blessings are as great this year!