Happy Birthday Rob

Today is Rob's birthday! I would tell you how many years, but I'm not sure if he would like me sharing that information! Unfortunately for him, tax season falls on his birthday and he can't take off to enjoy his day. After work today I ran to the mall and got a cookie cake decorated with LSU purple and gold (aren't I sweet?). It's his favorite kind of cake. He also brought home caramel cake that his co-workers had for him. So, we are full of sweets!!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Everyday is special when I'm with Rob, but it's always nice to get a little extra attention!! With it being tax season, Rob and I decided to celebrated yesterday since he had to work today. Rob sent me these beautiful roses and we went to PF Changs for supper. We had a great time and are spending tonight on the couch watching a movie. I hope today was extra special for each of you!

Tanya's shower

Saturday I helped host a baby shower in Oxford for my friend Tanya. She is scheduled to be induced March 11th, so we should see baby Paxton very soon! Tanya has had a very rough pregnancy and is so excited that Pax is almost here. I had a great weekend in Water Valley and Oxford. Several of my high school friends were at the shower and it was so good to see them. That night I stayed with my grandmother "grammer" b/c my parents were out of town and Rob couldn't come with me due to tax season...

me and Tanyathe great food!! Kelley, Cohen, me

me with Kellie and Tanya

the hostesses

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

Girl's Christmas lunch

Saturday, we had our annual Girls (plus Banks) Christmas lunch at Primos. We had such a great time telling each other news of what's been going on in each of our lives the past 2 weeks (since our last lunch). These girls are the best. God has truly blessed me with these friendships, and I am forever grateful for what the girls have meant to me over the years. We had LOTS of presents that pretty much covered our whole table. Amelia made friends with some of the waiters by waving at them with her Miss America wave. Thanks girls for all the presents and fun. We love you!!

Christmas decorations

Don't you love those crazy green walls? I painted the room just for Christmas....just kidding, but it does make the house look festive during the holidays (and all year long). We love our Belhaven home! It's so much fun to decorate at Christmas.

Amelia turns 1

Valerie's little girl, Amelia, turned 1 several weeks ago. We went to her birthday party at Val and Glen's new home. She wore the cutest little tutu that Val made for her. She was precious!

Val made her cakes too!

Amelia greets Banks Banks is wondering where all the pink came from!

where is Aunt Carol Anne?? Amelia's cute tights!