Happy Birthday, Grandaddy!!

Today is Grandaddy's 94th birthday.  I can't fathom all the changes he has seen in his life and everything that he has experienced from growing up in Haleyville, to going to Africa and Europe in World War II, to going being the first in his family to receive a college education and then to raising a family with my sweet Grams.

I can't adequately say how much I look up to him and how much he has influenced my life.  I can only hope I can find someone who is half as hard-working and patient as him to spend my life with.  There is no other man like my Grandaddy and I am so lucky that he is mine!

I went through all my pictures of him that I have on my computer in Nashville.  I'll caption the pictures to try to explain the story behind each one.

Quite possibly the most handsome man in the entire United States Army.

Early on in their marriage.  So sweet!

Grandaddy graduating from Peabody College in Nashville.

Such a handsome young man.

Typical Grams and Grandaddy.  In the woods near where Grams grew up.

A Grandaddy and his baby.  A love like no other.

Best friends for over 70 years.  Together they spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

A drawing of Grandaddy from the front of his retirement card.  He turned 80 the month after his retirement.  He taught math for 25 years before being the Director of Maintenance for the school system for another 25.

My precious boy.  I think this was around his 90th birthday.

Grandaddy's induction in to the Winston County Sports Hall of Fame

Grandaddy and me at his induction into the Winston County Sports Hall of Fame.  He was the star quarterback at Haleyville High School.

Grandaddy visiting the WWII Memorial in Washington.

Still in love after 64 years together.

Grandaddy and his girls.  We used to fight over who got to sit next to him.  I always won.

At his old shop at Burrell-Slater on his 90th birthday.  His former coworkers had a party for him.

Opening Christmas gifts at the piano.

It's been fun looking through all of these pictures.  I'll have to scan some of my favorites next time I'm home.  I think the picture of me covered in candy cane sticky (thanks to Grandaddy) is sweet and I love a picture of the two of us making a mess of the kitchen eating watermelon together.  I can't look at a watermelon without thinking of Grandaddy.

As bad as things seem at times, his face still lights up when he sees me.  I teasingly ask him who I am and he always says "My baby!"  

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always.  As long as I'm living your baby I'll be.

Weekend Update

I had a whirlwind weekend in Florence. I had a late start leaving Nashville and didn't get home until 9 o'clock. I spent a little time with Mother and Daddy before bed, but the week caught up with me and I crashed by eleven. 

Saturday, I was up early. I wanted to spend some time with Daddy before he went out of town for the weekend. I was sad to not spend Father's Day with him, but I'm so glad we got to spend a little time together Saturday morning. 

After I said goodbye to Daddy, I rushed to get to my hair appointment on time.  It makes me feel so good to have my hair done!

The majority of the remainder of the day was spent with Grandaddy. It was important to spend as much time as possible with him since Sunday was Father's Day and Monday is his 94th birthday. He doesn't talk much anymore, but we still hold hands as we always have. We made an unexpected trip to the ER Saturday night, but it was a good excuse to hold his hand for most of our time we had to wait. Any chance to hold his hand is one to jump upon. 

Church on Sunday was absolutely wonderful. We were welcoming our new minister today as well as reuniting with friends that have been away for a while. There were lots of hugs and smiles going around!  I almost cried as we practiced the anthem and smiled like an idiot as we sang in the sanctuary.  I couldn't have been any happier to sing with such dear friends. 

Now, I'm back in Nashville only 48 hours after I left. I love any chance I get to go home to see friends and family. All in all, this was a great weekend with the people that I love. 

Happy Birthday, Emma!

My tiny little pound and a half puppy turns five years old today!  I can't believe it!  She's still tiny, but is now up to about three and a half pounds of fluff. 

 

 I've had lots of adventures in the last five years...finishing undergrad, Graduate school, moving to Nashville, buying a house and Emma has been there for all of it.  Life would not be the same without my little sidekick. 

 

She's had me hook, line and sinker since she ran straight to me and licked me on the nose!

 

 

 

This was Emma's first photoshoot by her Uncle Mark.

It was just a few weeks after I got her when I came to Birmingham to interview for an internship.

She was between three and four months old.

 

 

 

Emma was about two in this picture.

It's my favorite picture I have ever taken of her.

About two seconds later, she decided she couldn't resist the bird she was stalking.

 

 

Sweet baby likes to think she's brave, but prefers being brave inside.

She hides behind me when the little boy next door wants to play with her.

She doesn't like playing rough.



 



She's notoriously difficult to photograph.

Uncle Mark gets suckered into taking pictures of her everytime we see him.

 

 

 



 

She keeps me company and makes me laugh when I'd rather cry.

She hates my iPad and anything else that takes attention away from her.

 

 

She's the perfect fit for our family.

She's definitely in charge.

She even has Daddy wrapped around her little paw.

AND, thanks to her Mimi, we all know she prefers her ice cream from Chick-fil-A!



 

Monday, Monday

Today was the best Monday in quite some time! I'm definitely getting used to four day work weeks now that this is my third short work week in three weeks!! 

I went to Florence this weekend and it was so nice to have a relaxed weekend and to not have to rush back to Brentwood after church and visiting Grandaddy on Sunday. We had a nice family meal Saturday evening and I certainly enjoyed my Sunday nap. 

Today, I was up early (Emma woke up before dawn), but I didn't really mind since I had plans to shop at one of my favorite stores. My friend, Becky, and I drove to Memphis to shop at the Williams-Sonoma Outlet. I love Williams-Sonoma and I love outlet prices!  We looked around ooh-ing and ahh-ing at everything in sight for over two hours before selecting our purchases.  I bought several things, but I'm most excited about my new piece of Le Creuset. I've been eying this piece for a while and even convinced Becky that she would regret not buying one as well!  I guess I'm a bad influence!! :)

After laughing over our shopping cart full of purchases that we barely got off the sidewalk (Why there was no ramp I'll never know), we went next door to Pottery Barn. There were many pretty things, but nothing that I had to bring home. I didn't find a bargain rug for my dining room, so I may just have to pay the Pottery Barn delivery fee!

My friend, Molly, lives in Memphis and recommended several nearby restaurants. We decided on Swanky's Taco Shop which happened to be super close and super good. I'd definitely go there again. I'm so used to eating quickly and making it back to work in under an hour, so it was refreshing to have time to enjoy our food and talk. Not like we hadn't been doing that nonstop since we left Tuscumbia!!

We made one more quick stop to check out the sale items at Soma. We both love their pajamas and the 50% off sale made our purchases that much sweeter!

Before I knew it, it was time to head back to Alabama. Thankfully, we just hopped on Highway 72 and chatted the miles away. I really should have a sore throat from all the talking!!

It's so much fun to spend time with someone you share so many interests with and makes for such a fun day! Now, I can't wait to cook with my fun new finds!

Post-Busy Season

The first few weeks after busy season are always amazing. First, I take some time to rest and recoup and then I only have to work an 8 hour day! It's amazing how much I can get done after work and how good a home-cooked meal tastes!

Monday evening, I walked Emma, cooked dinner, cleaned my kitchen and trimmed back a shrub in front of my house. Of course, there was some TV watching, too. My DVR is not in danger of filling up any time soon!

Tuesday, I had some errands to run, so I didn't cook dinner, but Emma and I still managed some play time and also swept all the dead blossoms from my Bradford Pear trees off my deck. Trust me, this was a bigger job than it sounds like!!

Tonight, I was freezing from the rain and the temperature change, so soup sounded like a good idea. It may or may not have been 8PM before I could eat, but it was still tasty! Like I said, I was cold and just didn't feel so hot (possible caffeine withdrawal!), so I laid on the sofa, threw one of Em's many toys over and over and rested. Not a productive evening, but at least I feel a little better!

Post-Busy Season life is just grand! It takes three months of torture and boring sandwiches to realize how good the other nine months of the year are.

I have a few pictures from last week at the condo. Apparently no one in my family was feeling very photogenic since there were far more outtakes than I will share with you! In any case, at least I have photographic evidence that we were there!!

Tax Season: Check!!

I made it! I'm so glad it's over and things won't be so hectic again for several months.

Monday, I helped others with extensions and electronic filing forms until about 4:30. I went outside to the firm party, but I'd missed most of the fun. Instead of hanging around with mostly the audit department, I headed home before traffic picked up. It was strange to be home during daylight hours, but I'll get used to it! All I did was eat dinner and get my DVR under 50% full, but I enjoyed not worrying about work.

Tuesday, I started my four days of vacation. I ran a few errands and met my friend Melissa for a pedicure. Then I had mountains of laundry to tackle and a dirty car to wash before Mom and Dad picked me up for our trip to the condo.

This morning, we have an electrician installing ceiling fans at the condo, so I'm camped out in Mom's best friend's condo so I can sleep without interruption. I'm making homemade pizza tonight per Dad's request, but that's my only real plan for today.

I'm sleepy again, so I'm not going to fight it. I've been fighting sleep for weeks and that's coming to a stop today!! :)

Missing Her

Today marked two years that Grams has not been with us. Sometimes it seems like forever ago and sometimes it seems like just yesterday. I'm still trying to keep to my promise from the last time I saw her. I promised to take care of "our boy"--Grandaddy--since she wouldn't be able to do so herself.

I so wish I could pick up the phone and pour out my heart to her. I'm forever grateful for our daily talks in college and the first few months I was in Nashville. That cell phone was originally for Grandaddy, but certainly worked out for us in the end.

Happy Anniversary

I interrupt my regularly scheduled whining session about busy season to say...

 

HAPPY 30th ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!!

I had great plans of finding a picture from their wedding (I think I have one on my computer), but that just didn't happen.  This was all I had on my phone at work.

 

I love you both very much!

 

 

 

 

 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

In the spirit of being more optimistic despite working all the live long day, I decided to participate in What I'm Loving Wednesday today!

 

 

 

First off, I'm loving having sweet work friends that go out to lunch with me to get away from the office for a few minutes.  I'm really lucky to have these ladies as my friends--yes, we work together, but we like to do things together outside of work, too.

 

Me, Melissa and Sandy at Arrington Vineyards for part of Melissa's Bachelorette weekend last summer.
 



 

Next, I'm loving late night chats with my friend, Molly.  She's in audit, not tax, but she definitely understands how bad busy season is.  Sometimes it's nice to have someone that you don't work with, but still understands the jargon to complian talk to.

Molly and I during my visit to Memphis last summer.
 

 

 

Finally, I'm loving my sweet family.  I'm still so happy that I got to spend some QT with them last weekend.  My sweet Mama is worried about me eating when I'm working all the time and is trying to figure out how to send me food when Dad comes for a conference tomorrow (I think).  Plus, my precious Grandaddy is feeling better, too, which is a huge relief to say the least!

 

 

 



 

It's terribly obvious to me that I do not take enough pictures since the most recent one in this post is from over six months ago and the oldest is from when I still in the MAc.  I'm going to have to work on that! :)

A GREAT weekend!

This was the best weekend I've had in AGES!!

Friday was the filing deadline for corporations, so the first big deadline of busy season is behind us. I didn't think we'd make it on Monday, but we did!

After work, my friend, Sandy, and I went to our favorite nail salon for pedicures and then went next door for Moe's for dinner. I'm so lucky to have good friends at work that I enjoy spending time with. After dropping Sandy off, I went home, watched some DVR with a glass of wine and was in bed at 10:30. It was AH-MAZING!

Saturday morning, I worked for about four hours before hopping on 65-South to go home to Florence. I did have to swing back by my house for my medicine that I managed to forget when I packed. :(

After getting home, Dad and I went to Muscle Shoals for a few minutes before he dropped me off at Grandaddy's house. We visited for a while before Mom and I went to Sam's. I think everyone knows how much I dislike Wal-Mart, but I really like shopping at Sam's. After that, we ordered dinner and Dad and I waxed my car. Then I went over to Grandaddy's to visit with him and Mother before going back home for the night.

This morning, I slept through the start of early church, so I decided to only go to the late service instead of both. As I was getting ready, I discovered that I left all of my hair styling products in Nashville besides my hairspray. As a result, I ended up looking like a mess. For a while, I thought I'd also left my foundation. I luckily had it and could still go to church. There's no way I would have gone without it. I don't allow many people to see me without makeup, so there was no way I would stand up in front of the congregation to sing with a bare face! :)

I made it to church in one piece and got to visit and sing with good friends who have become like family over the years. It always makes me happy to have an opportunity to sing (and get the good gossip, too)!

I practically ran out of the Sanctuary to get to my hair appointment. It had been seven weeks and I was looking rough! I had the ombré look--and not in a good way! The sweet man that does my hair graciously offered to do my hair on Sunday since I work weekends during tax season and can't make it for my usual Saturday morning appointment. I know it sounds superficial, but I feel so much better when my hair looks good!

(On a hair note, for the first time EVER I needed my hair thinned out. Just in the side opposite my part because I bring so much over, but still. When I was sick, my hair was so fragile and thin. I've always envied people with thick hair, but apparently I'm one of them--even if my hair is baby fine. I'm so grateful that my body is confirming outwardly how good I feel!)

I went back to Grandaddy's afterwards and finally decided to drive home instead of leaving early tomorrow morning. I am NOT a morning person plus it looks like its going to storm, so I decided I was better safe than sorry.

All in all, a GREAT weekend. I'm ready to repeat parts of it in 13 days for Easter weekend!

February 8, 2003

Tomorrow is the one day I truly wish would fall off the calendar and never appear again.  February 8, 2003 was the day I think my childhood ended.  The day that I realized I wouldn't always get my way--even in the really big things.  The day my Aunt died.

We had a very unique relationship.  Aunt Nancy never married and never had children of her own.  Instead, she had me as well as several hundred former students.  I was always so excited to spend any and every moment with her.  She always treated me like an equal and not a little kid.  I was never upset if Mother and Daddy were going somewhere without me as long as I got to stay with Aunt Nancy.  I happily stayed with her during chemo weekends just to have more time with her.  I didn't care what we did as long as we were together.  Sunday afternoon naps were perfectly acceptable activities in my book.

The two days leading up to that Saturday should have been a clue.  Thursday, we had an indication that something wasn't right.  Friday, I asked Mother to stay with me overnight.  I don't really think she had any intentions of leaving us alone, but I still thank God that I asked her to stay.  If she hadn't, that night and the next morning would have been so much worse.

Even with everything that happened on Friday night and early Saturday morning, I never thought that when I left the hospital to shower that I would never see Aunt Nancy alive again.  I had (and still do, to an extent) a lot of anger towards Mother afterwards when I realized that I was kept away while others were there.  Daddy and I were not given a chance to say goodbye.  I am so glad that I could not hear the other side of the conversation when Mother had to tell Daddy on the way home from England.  I remember once we went back to her house, I was trying to find someone to pick up Daddy from the Huntsville airport because I didn't think he could make it home safely alone.  I remember Mother's sister coming in through the garage and, for just a second, I thought her approaching shadow was Aunt Nancy and that everything that had happened in the last 24 hours was just a terrible nightmare.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have been much more realistic and not so naive.  I would have realized that long-term survival was a long-shot at best.  I was completely unprepared to lose her.  I thought we had no secrets, but the very most important one of all left me unprepared and unable to tell her the things I hope she knew about how I felt.

For weeks afterward, I felt like there was a huge hole in my life.  My first thought every morning was "Did that really happen?"  It hurt to even talk about her and I could't enjoy the good memories because the bad ones were so overwhelming.  Eventually, with the help of a counselor, I was able to let go of much of the pain and remember the good times.  She had me keep a journal that I was to write one memory of the two of us in per night.  I still have the journal, but I haven't looked at it in a while.  I have found that the good memories never really go away even with the passage of time.

Even though the hole is still there, I've gotten used to it.  I can go most days without being sad.  I still miss her and I still wish I would have been able to say goodbye.

Christmas #1

Uncle Mark came to Florence today, so Christmas #1 is officially in the books!

It was an absolutely crazy morning with wrapping gifts, cleaning and cooking (plus a migraine or really bad tension headache), but we managed to get all the essentials finished in time. We opted out of the traditional Christmas meal this year since there were only four of us today (and because I really don't like leftovers--like Grams). I planned to make Grams' cake with cooked chocolate icing in addition to banana pudding (Uncle Mark's favorite), but I didn't make the icing until after he left. More for us, I guess!!

We opened gifts and I was quite spoiled. I absolutely hate to iron, so I got a professional grade steamer. The girls at work won't let me by if I wear something not perfectly pressed anymore! I also got a stainless steel garbage can for my kitchen. I've wanted one since I moved in since I have to have it out in the open, but I never broke down to get it. My favorite gift has to be the 2012 Southern Living Annual Cookbook. I can't wait to make several things in the cookbook!

Since Uncle Mark was here, I decided to take advantage of his photography skills and Emma and I had a mini-photoshoot. Here are a few of my favorites...

There's no place like home!

After ten days away from my house, I am so happy to finally be back. There really is no place like home...except my other home in Florence! :)

Labor Day and a Weekend at Home

It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm updating from my iPad now, so unfortunately I can't add any of my pictures from Labor Day. The fact that they are still on the card in my camera doesn't help, either!

Mom, Dad and I spent Labor Day weekend at our condo in Gatlinburg. I was able to get away a bit early on Friday and managed to beat a good bit of the traffic headed East. Saturday, Mother and Daddy went hiking with some good family friends while I kept Emma and our friends' new Westie. It was quite an adventure keeping Riley and Emma happy. At times, I had to hold both of them at the same time to keep everyone happy and under control.

For dinner on Saturday night, I made pizza using dough and sauce made in my food processor. I'll post the recipes later this week. I'm so glad I have friends that share recipes with me! I think I impressed my family and our friends--especially considering the small amount of leftovers at the end of the night.

Sunday was quite possibly the best day of the trip. I'd worked many extra hours that week and was feeling quite stressed. Without planning it, I slept for most of the day until I had to get ready for dinner. I must have really needed the rest considering I had no difficulties sleeping that night!! I'm starting to think I have narcolepsy again, though!!

Monday meant driving back to Nashville and getting ready for another busy week.

This past Friday, I decided I could escape for the weekend and didn't have to work. I may regret it tomorrow morning, but I'm glad I got to have some fun and helped Mother with things at home. Saturday, I cleaned house (I really like Mom's Dyson, by the way) and visited Grandaddy before another narcolepsy-induced nap. Sunday, I sang in the choir with my friends at church before going to lunch with my self-proclaimed surrogate aunt. Before I knew it, we'd been talking for two hours and it was time to check on Grandaddy again!! After visiting him, it was time to go back to Nashville. The drive passed much faster since I talked to my Grad School BFF the entire way!!

Now, I'm home and have to get ready for another busy week at work. I'm worried about a big project I've yet to start that is due in a week, but it will get done eventually. Somehow, these things always do!

I'll be back soon to share my recipes and the best cooking blog that was recently pointed out to me.

Not Your Orange

As I was driving to the mountains last night, I stopped for a quick pit stop and for a drink. As I was checking out, the attendant asked me if I was going to watch the game? I immediately said yes, but then I realized he didn't mean the same game that I did.

You see, we were allowed to wear jeans and our college colors yesterday to work. Naturally, I wore a bright orange shirt to represent my Tigers. The man at the register just assumed I was a UT fan with my orange, but I had to quickly say "Sir, my game is tomorrow. I'm a graduate of Auburn University. I will watch your game tonight, though."

I forget that there are other teams with orange in their colors. I know it's silly since nearly everyone around is a UT fan, but orange always means Auburn to me. I wish I was in Atlanta tonight to cheer the boys in blue on tonight, but they'll make the Auburn Family proud win or lose tonight!!

War Eagle!!

Here to Stay

I'm back in Auburn to stay...for a little while at least. I haven't been here for the weekend since the second week of June. Yep, that's five weekends of driving and about 2,500 miles on my car...yuck. The visits here and there were all pretty good though. I was home four of the five weekends and visited with family and even got to see a dear friend from high school get married. She was beautiful, as always. The other weekend, I stood by another dear, dear friend who married her very own Prince Charming.

It's so weird that people I went to school with are getting married and having babies. Kinda makes me feel like I'm still a little kid in a grown up world. But, on the other hand, I cannot imagine being married at this point in my life. I definitely want to finish school and hopefully have passed the CPA exam before tying the knot. I think, for me, following my parent's example and being a little older before getting married is the right way to go. That being said, there's still a little bit of the green monster of jealousy when I see my friends and seemingly everyone around me finding someone to spend the rest of their lives with

Enough of the marriage talk. I have the Charter people coming tomorrow afternoon (or night!) to install digital cable and high-speed internet. I also having a group coming over tomorrow, so I need to unpack and do a little spot cleaning before I have people coming over.

My parents are also coming this weekend! They haven't been down in quite a while and I'm excited to take my Dad to Sno Biz. It's an old treat from my childhood and the place here tastes just like home. Sorry to the one at McFarland Park...you're better than the waterpark shaved ice place, but not the shaved ice of my memories!

Florence, Here I Come!

This is where I'm going this weekend! Over my four years at Auburn, I have really learned to appreciate Florence and all the good things there.

First and foremost, the majority of my family is there. Mom and Dad, Grams and Grandaddy, and my as-close-to-family-but-not are all there or close-by. I am so grateful for every minute I get to spend with them--especially with Grandaddy in light of the events of the past few months.

There's also my church family. They are a big part of my life that has been missing while I have been in Auburn. It's just not the same here and I have never felt like I really belonged. Maybe because I knew it was only temporary, but my church home is at 415 N. Seminary Street in Downtown Florence. I know when I'm there, I will be welcomed home with open arms and pulled down to the choir room to sing and gossip, of course!

I'm a little ashamed to mention this, but I love coming home and planning my meals! Mom has always asked me if I'm thinking of food all day. I do admit to planning dinner sometimes during breakfast! I love Saturday lunch at my Grandparents' house--always something good and always accompanied by ice cold tea. I can't remember when we started going over there for lunch, but I also can't remember what we did before the days of Saturday lunch. I love summer at Gram and Grandaddy's house because Grandaddy and I would sneak off and cut a watermelon. That's always been our thing. We would share if there were other people around, but it was really just for us. I know to look in the basement refrigerator to see if we have a treat for later that day! At trip to Florence is not complete without a visit to Casa Mexicana or Ricatoni's either! You just can't beat the food you grew up on!

Lastly, I can't wait to sleep in my bed. My bed has such special memories. Before it was in my bedroom at my house, it was in my bedroom at my Aunt's house. It actually belonged to my Great-Grandma Almond and was passed down to my Aunt and then to me. I slept in this bed at my Aunt's house for most of my childhood and it was what I wanted most from her house after she died. I guess I felt like bringing this bed home with me would keep a part of her with me always. I have other silly things with me all the time--the ring from her keys has been on my keyring for years--but seeing this bed when I walk into my room still makes me smile and remember good times of weekends past.

Another good thing about Florence is Emma is there! She's been with Mom and Daddy for two weeks since I was so busy last week with school and I was out of town at Tiffany and Will's wedding this weekend. I miss her like crazy! I hope she's excited to see me and will cuddle up to me so we can make up for lost time!

Well, I'm off to pack so I can get home to Florence faster. I'm leaving as soon as my class gets out at 11:15. I'm so grateful for only having classes four days a week this minimester. I'm looking forward to being in Florence alot during July!

New Pictures!

Emma and I like to have pictures made with pretty flowers! My all-time favorite hydrangea in my favorite shade. Emma does get a little distracted during long photo sessions! It's a little hard to get both of us looking good in one frame!

Emma likes to walk around on the balcony. She loves being free from her leash! She looks around at the cars and people below and gets plenty of fresh air. She doesn't get to go out for long on the balcony now though since it's so hot. Poor little thing just has too much fur to live in Auburn during the summer. She's been in Florence for a week already and I'll finally get to see her again Thursday. I have talked to her on the phone though! :)

My sweet Grandaddy turned 90 on June 17. He is such a wonderful man and I am proud to be his granddaughter. I can't wait to see him over the 4th of July weekend! I'm so glad Grandaddy is doing better. He's had a rough few months and I pray that he accepts his new limitations and continues to improve.

One of my oldest friends, Tiffany, married her fiance, Will, this past weekend in Tuscalooserville, AKA Tuscaloosa to those of you who sport crimson. This picture was made right after we showed her the practice bouquet and veil made from ribbons from her shower gifts. She carried the bouquet and wore the veil for the rehearsal on Friday night. There will be more wedding weekend pictures later.

Finally, a picture of me at the rehearsal dinner made by the bride. I guess the sunburn did pay off since I don't look quite as pale as a sheet of paper!

Home For A While

Emma and I went on a little "vacation" this weekend. We went home to Florence for the long weekend. It was quite strange because Mom and Dad were out of town and Emma and I were home alone. I knew that before going home though and intended to spend my time with Gram and Grandaddy before school became too overwhelming.

We came back to Auburn this afternoon after dropping Emma's cousin Heidi (a dachshund) off with my Uncle. We drove through periods of rain especially after Birmingham, but nothing too bad.

This week should be like normal classes and not really too much of the "getting-into-the-swing-of-things" days in class. I still have a little bit of work to do before bedtime.

Mom might also be coming this week to check into some new flooring for my condo. I personally want some kind of hardwood, but anything would be better than the weird carpet that was newly-installed in the condo when we bought it. None of us have ever been wild about it. We (well, really my parents) will have to discuss it after getting some pricing information. I would love to have Mom come down to entertain Emma during my long days at school. I really do usually love spending time with my parents and look forward to visiting with them either here or at home. I'm really sorry that Daddy probably can't come this weekend. Maybe next weekend?

I need to unpack some, clean up a little, and finish my schoolwork for tomorrow. I will try to be more consistent with my blogging in the future!

I'll close with a couple of cute pictures of Emma from a while back!