Fried Chicken

I was born and raised in the South to a dad from Birmingham, Alabama and a mom was is 100% Mexican. Even with this heritage, Will loves to tease me that I am neither very Southern nor very Mexican. I don't speak Spanish, I don't really identify with the Mexican culture, I don't like collared greens, okra, pecan pie, or boiled peanuts. I hardly have an accent (but that's debatable) and the list could go on. In fact, before I met Will I would say I only slightly liked country music.

Will, on the other hand, is very Southern. Although he doesn't normally have one, he can turn on a Southern accent with the drop of a hat. He loves all Southern foods, hunts, goes shooting, has worn Wranglers (yeah, I've never done that), has owned cowboy hats and big belt buckles, etc. Plus, he loves country music. Since we've been married my country music repertoire has grown ten fold. As evidenced by the music video below. This is "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band. The actual video doesn't begin until about 1:12, but definitely give it a listen. I think it's such a catchy tune and I love that it mentions Georgia Pines. Gosh, maybe I really AM Southern after all?

Where's Juliana?

We probably play the "Where's Juliana?" game a least three times a day. It's kind of like "Where's Waldo?" but about a million times easier. It consists of Juliana finding anything that can double as a blanket, throwing it over her head (it doesn't matter it if completely covers her head, or even her eyes) and then ripping it down uncovering a mischevious grin. This girl is so sly, she's got Everett, me, Will, Mama, and Papa playing it - repeatedly. Here are yesterday's lunchtime "Where's Juliana?" follies:

And again...

And in case you missed it the first two times:

Ta-da! Beat that Waldo.

Everett is Three!

We can hardly believe it's been three years since Everett came into our family. We love him a whole bunch and are glad we get to be his parents. He is a sweet, funny, imaginative boy and we love being able to watch him grow and learn. Happy 3rd birthday Everett!

2005

2006

2007

2008

P.S. - The correct answer to the previous post is: "Because the water went bye-bye". Apparently he got pretty distraught as he was watching the Yellow River run its course. I love how (un) logical his response was. Nothing beats getting mad at a river.

A Bad Mood?

Ten points and a ton of accolades to anyone who correctly guesses why in the world Everett's making the following expression.

Some hints:
* We went to the Yellow River Game Ranch, which is basically a pretty sweet petting zoo. Tons of animals, all of whom love to be fed peanuts, crackers and anything else.
* We went with our playgroup, so there were lots of friends for Everett to play and run around with.
* He was super excited and happy the entire time, except for this:

And this:
In case you missed it from the other side, here's another view:

Props for Picnics

When Will called me Wednesday morning and suggested we have a family picnic at the temple*, I thought it was a good idea. And it was! Wednesday's picnic lunch was one of those times when I felt totally at peace and content with my life. You know, when your kids are smiley and wonderful and you can't help but think, "They really ARE awesome!" No tantrum-throwing, no crying, no having to reprimand Everett for trying to push Juliana down. It was just lovely and wonderful and I'm so glad I will forever have that memory of my little family.

Here's Juliana looking like she thinks Mom is a bit sneaky.

Fall is a beautiful time here and Wednesday was absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies, no clouds and enough airplane traffic to keep these two in constant amazement.

Thanks Will for having a bright idea!

*As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe the temple is the "House of the Lord." It is a sacred building, and it differs from our regular Sunday meetinghouses. In the temple we learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants. In addition, we participate in religious ceremonies that reach beyond mortality, such as eternal marriage (Will and I were married in the Atlanta Temple). Also, temple grounds are immaculately kept and maintained. There are 128 temples world-wide (and another 17 under construction), and the grounds at each temple are really beautiful and stunning.