MLK Day

I had today off of work thanks to MLK. I told Rob I planned to do as little as possible. However, I did manage to get out of the house. Rob gave me a gift card to "Earthly Delights Day Spa" in Madison for our 1-year anniversay, so I thought I would get a much needed massage. Yes, our anniversary was in July. I really felt bad that I just now used it, but it's really the only time I have had off that I didn't have to do anything. I wanted to use it during Thanksgiving or Christmas, but with the contant coming and goings of the holiday, I never managed to make an appointment. Let me just say how great my massage was. I had a 1 hour "delightful" massage. At times, I wondered if whatever fat on my body would still be there when it was finished...but it felt really good! So if any husbands out there are looking for a gift to give your wife for Valentine's Day, I strongly suggest a massage from Earthly Delights. After my delightful massage, I went home and had two of my favorite things to snack on...Doritos and Dr. Pepper. What a great day!!

Bible Study Girls

This is a picture of the wonderful girls in my bible study. There are a few faces that are missing. This was from our Christmas party at Gretchen Shull's house. These girls are the greatest and such wonderful examples of Christian women. We meet every Monday night usually at someone's house in Belhaven. Presently for our study, we have been sharing our testimonies. It's amazing and encouraging to hear all the different ways that God has shaped our lives and made us into the women we are today. I am truly blessed to be part of this group. I love these girls!

San Antonio Christmas

As I mentioned in my last blog, Rob and I flew to San Antonio on the 26th to spend a week with his family. Lance Bass was on our flight from Jackson to Dallas. I tried to get Rob to take my picture with him, but he would have none of it!! I got the back of his head on my camera phone. As always, we find plenty of things to do while in San Antonio. Rob's family was gracious enough to hold their Christmas celebration until we arrived, so on Saturday we had Christmas dinner and opened presents. We also got to meet Mark's (Rob's youngest brother) fiancee' Natalia and her daughter Shaila. The week was spent shopping, going to Six Flags, seeing the movie "Marley and me", going to the zoo, and going to the Alamo Bowl. Missouri played Northwestern. The director of the Alamo Bowl died suddenly this year and his son is one of Mr. Jim's students. They gave us free tickets to the game. The son and his mom were recognized before it started and they got to hand out the trophy to the winner (Missouri). Most of Rob's childhood was spent in Hannibal, Missouri...so I became a Missouri fan for a few hours. It was fun!

I wish I could say that we completed our great trip by going to Dallas to watch Ole Miss BEAT Texas Tech...BUT we couldn't go. When we bought our airline tickets a few months back for this trip, I had no clue that Ole Miss would be in a bowl..and especially not the Cotton Bowl. Our flight home was on the 2nd and we decided that we would rather save that money than have to pay to get our flight changed, etc.. We watched the first half from the Dallas airport. The second half we were high in the sky. I wouldn't let anyone tell us when we landed who had won. I heard a guy on the plane call his dad when we landed. He said, "Dad, who won the game?" "Really!! That bad!!" As soon as I heard that I was certain that Texas Tech must have come back and really whipped us. We DVR'd the game, so when we got home I got to see the opposite of what I had thought!! It was the best half ever!! I was getting all these text messages from my friends that were there and Rob wouldn't let me read them. I kinda figured out that we must have won..they wouldn't have texted me so much if we had lost!! It was great! The next day I made Rob rewatch the "highlights" of the game. It's a great time to be a REBEL!! HOTTY TODDY!!

this is someone in our neighborhood's Christmas decorations!

Christmas in Water Valley

We had a great Christmas this year filled with traveling, friends, family, and football! Rob and I had our Christmas actually on the 23rd in Jackson. We went to a great restaurant in our neighborhood and came home to open presents. On Christmas Eve, we drove to Water Valley. Before we got to my parents, we stopped to see my dear friend Kelley Hart and her son Cohen. That night we went to church and back to my parents to open a "few" presents. Christmas morning we went to my grandmother's house for Christmas dinner. We missed Lloyd, Lindsay, the Patterson's and the Sheet's, but we still managed to have fun! The day after Christmas we flew to San Antonio to spend a week with Rob's family. I will make another post of that trip soon.

Cohen didn't want to look at the camera!

me with Grammer and Me-Mama on Christmas Eve

Barry gave me a cotton bowl t-shirt! Go Rebels!

mom + wine + fireworks = Rob almost getting shot at!! (true story)

Christmas morning at my parents

the popcorn family at Me-Mama's

the family
getting ready to read scripture, sing, and open presents (a family tradition)

Ruth, Joy, Bethany

Joy and Louis

sitting at the "kids" table