Thanksgiving and other stuff…ing

See what I did there?  My apologies.

We left Nashville to make the trip to TX for Thanksgiving and stopped for a night to see my sister and her family.  Oliver LOVES all of Blake's toys.

Since we weren't going to see them for Christmas (which has changed now!!!), we exchanged gifts and this one was so excited!

Oliver's first time to open a gift.  He needed some help and was more interested in eating paper (babies are weird.) but it was still so cute and fun.

Bath toys!  Thank you, Blake!

Early morning play time...

We then headed to Salado.  This whole cousin thing is precious.

 Small *golfing* towns means you can drive the golf cart to the grocery store...

And to the cousin's house...

We fed Oliver his first Thanksgiving meal and he LOVED it.  Not much green, but hey!  'Tis the season =)

We put him down after he ate so we could eat with the adults.

It was a beautiful day and this boy LOVES the outside, especially when people are playing sports.  Or if any kind of ball is being used.

Grammie and the kids...

The other ladies.  We are vastly outnumbered.

Griffin photo bomb.

She liked my ear warmer...

Nana!

Paads came outside for a quick pic.

First family Thanksgiving!  

The boys playing football.

Oliver was down so we got to love on these 4!

And now the other stuff…

Cousins in the leaves.  Why are leaves so fun?  I don't know.  But I remember playing in the leaves at my Nana's house and loving it.  

They could be brothers.

We went to Caleb's basketball game and is was so fun!  Caleb scored the first 5 points, which included a 3 pointer.  Which, I guess didn't need to be clarified.  Although there could've been some free throws to get the 5 point total.  I digress.

Sweet Griffin.

I've mentioned before how Oliver doesn't sit still.  Well, we figured out he will sit still at junior high basketball games.  He even clapped!  We may have a baller on our hands.

The 13-year-old.  Gasp.  Still can't get over it.

Salado has The Stroll in December and a parade to kick it off.  The kids were on a float so we went to watch.  

This was Trent just being funny.  He really wanted to be there =)

Nate and Paads.

Now you know where I get it:

My sister always looks so cute and my mother was clearly into a conversation =)

The kids are in there somewhere.

Yes.  He was trying to escape.  He's a wild man.  The ultrasound tech called it at 26 weeks.

So, anyway, that's what we've been up to.  Chasing a boy and eating food and seeing family.  We've played some music, too, but that's for another post!

Oliver is 11 months!!!

Dear Oliver,

I cannot believe this is your 11 month letter!  You are really changing!  You are non-stop and seem to want to play with things that aren't toys.

You love your cousins and pretty much any kid you see.  You smile and laugh at them all the time.

You've started to play with toys the "right" way (whatever that means) and still love toy balls.  Sometimes in the car, you cuddle with your lovie, Zoe, and now you sleep with a small blanket that Honey Lue gave you. 

You always beg for food even if you've already eaten.  And you eat a lot.  Like a horse!

You have another bottom tooth and two more up top starting to poke through.  Despite that, you're pretty much sleeping through the night!  Good job, buddy.  

When you're focused on something or nursing, you squeeze your index finger and thumb together.  You don't let me clip your fingernails or toenails much and aren't a fan of getting snot sucked out of your nose, but we manage.  

You have started making really funny faces and your personality is big.  Everywhere we go, people comment on how happy you are.  And you are.  So that makes it pretty easy to know if something's up…teething, sick, etc.  Because your mood changes big time.

You've started laying on blankets if they're on the floor and laying on pillows.  It's the cutest!!  You don't cuddle with us hardly at all.  Even at nap and bedtime, you reach for your bed.  Kind of makes me sad.  But, it makes the cuddles that do happen, that much more special.

You LOVE books.  Opening them, blabbing while looking at them, fussing when I put them up.  I hope you love to read always!  The music you're digging right now is David Crowder and Twin Forks.  You totally have a particular taste.

You've started copying us and can put a play phone up to your ear.  You can say Mama and Da and you say "Mmmbabum" and similar words all the time.  I wonder what you're telling us?  You've even reached out your hands to me and said Mama.  We think you'll say ball pretty soon, too!

You can wave and love to do that at Publix.  When I put a dirty diaper in the trash, we play a game.  I say, "1-2-3 shewie," drop it in, close the lid, then wave my hand.  You've caught on and now wave at the shewies in the diaper genie!  So smart!

During nursing sessions, you've tried to pick off my freckles and poke my belly button.  Haha!  Sometimes, you squish my tummy in your hands and I've never been more proud of the little extra I have there.  That was where we began our journey!

You think it's really hilarious to lock one of your legs when I'm changing you.  It makes it difficult, but we have fun with it and you cackle away!  One of your favorite things to play with during changes is an empty Altoid box.  Whatever works, right?

You point to things you want…food, toys, sippy cup (which you've pretty much mastered now).  And even point to Daddy's guitar when you want to hear some music.  I'll strum it and you'll smile instantly.  

(I call this picture when did my baby become a toddler?)

Getting you into your car seat is challenging sometimes because you'll arch your back and try to stand up.  Yowza.  We eventually get you in and you immediately reach for your car paci.  You also sleep with 5 extra pacis in your crib.  Sometimes when I put you down, we'll watch you on the monitor and you go through each one and change them out until you find just the right one.  So funny!

You're finally in size 4 diapers, you've climbed up some stairs (with me behind you), and you drink your bath water.  In other words, you're growing, you're learning, and gross.  

Oliver, I just can't.  This whole being a mama thing is big stuff and I thank God for trusting me with you.  That balance of wanting to see you grow and wanting to keep you little is a difficult one to keep.  You, my dear, are our greatest joy, we love you, and you are more than a blessing!

November *we stayed close to home* Shows

A few months back, we decided to try and stay close to home in November.  In order for that to happen, I email every church (pretty much) in a 100 mile or so radius and hope for responses.

{ Side note: even with radio play and some decent press, finding shows is still hard.  That is a constant we have found:  everyone in the business hates booking.  But we have to do it and if we hunker down, we can find shows.  And it IS finally getting a little easier. } 

First, we drove up the road to Hopkinsville, KY to be with New Work Fellowship.  We got there Saturday evening and got all checked in and settled.  The front desk lady was adorable.  Totally diggin' on Oliver and he gave her oodles of smiles. 

When we got to the room, the keys didn't work, so Trent went to remedy the situation.  Mister Man and I stayed behind and played in the halls.

The keys got fixed or reprogrammed or reswiped or whatever happens and we got into the room. And there were TWO baskets!  One for O and one for us.  I've got three words for you:  Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies.  Amen.

Oliver played with his new puzzle and experienced Goldfish for the first time.  (He's a fan.  Even more proof he's my baybay.)

Sound check was planned for that night (LOVE when we are able to do that), so we ate supper before we went up to the church.  Oliver also experienced the wonder that is Chick-fil-A.  I made the mistake of giving him nuggets before the fruit.  Once he ate that goodness, there was no hope for the healthy stuff. Lesson learned.

Sound checky-checky.

We led worship and shared special music on Sunday morning for New Work's three services.  It was Veteran's Day week and they are close to Fort Campbell.  Meaning:  lots of service men and women, both vets and active duty, in the congregation.  They were recognized and I just cannot hold back tears. 

After church, one of the pastors and his family took us to lunch.  And that's where someone came up to us and asked if Oliver was a boy or girl.  I mean, come on.  I know he's pretty and I know sometimes at this age babies can look like either sex.  But I had him in boy clothes!  Whatevs.  

We rested in the afternoon then went back up to the church for the concert.  It was a fun night!  They had a Thanksgiving dinner (YUM) and even made us go first.  I'm appreciative of that but it never gets less awkward for me.  

After we all ate, everyone filed into the sanctuary for an open-mic of sorts.  People were invited to share what they're thankful for.  I was surprised by how many kids got up to give thanks!  I pray Oliver has a thankful heart and the guts to get up and share it.  My personal favorite was when two little girls (sisters) got up and, in unison, said, "we're thankful that our daddy is home."  Their dad is a soldier.  I mean hello, tears!

Then, we played.  At one point, Trent had a string that would not stay tuned.  He actually had to stop in the middle of a song and tune it.  That left me playing percussion all by my lonesome.  So, I said, "percussion solo!"

They clapped.

Trent still wasn't done.

I said, "If I could rap, I would."

They laughed.

Trent still wasn't done.

This string was being extra stubborn.

So, that's when I sang the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song.

Some people actually sang along.

It was quite the moment.

We all laughed and the string was tuned and the show went on.

They have video of it and I pray that it doesn't find its way onto the interwebs.

The staff was super friendly and we look forward to going back!

The next weekend, we went to Carthage UMC in Carthage, TN.  We woke up Sunday morning and drove there and drove back home after the service.  It was so strange!  In a good way.  

We had the whole service which is always fun.  I must admit, I wasn't sure how the morning would go.  The congregation was mostly…um…how do you say…mature?  There were also young families, but I was still curious how it would all go.  Plus, there was a gentleman saying it was too loud during sound check.  Oops!  I don't think he bought a CD =)

My concern was for no reason.  We were very well received and everyone that stopped by to shake our hands had nothing but nice things to say.  Yay!  

I got no pictures, but here's one from the night before, after the family picture debacle, eating some yummy Mexican food.

 

Oliver loved it.  Shocker.

#enchiladas #refriedbeans #rice

Our Little Punkin//Halloween

This was Oliver's first fall.  I'm saying was because it seems Old Man Winter is about to show his face. Anyway, we went to a pumpkin patch and did the whole picture thing.  

He loved the little pumpkin and was a little freaked out by the grass.  Ha!

On our way back home from our last run of shows, we stopped in Collierville again and went to Menagerie Farm for their Halloween fun.  Blake did it all… hay ride, train ride, fed animals, picked out a pumpkin, ate s'mores.  We kind of tagged along and watched.  It is such a neat place!

First pony!

Carrie photo bomb!  

 

We got home on Halloween and had plans to go to Green Hills Mall for a Halloween themed music class.  But, it was freezing and Oliver seemed to not feel well, so we stayed in.  He did get to dress up for our grocery run.  Also, I might've dressed up as a hippie to go get lunch.  No picture…rookie mistake.