Giveaway!!

If you think I'm cool, you should check out my hot friend, the Artsy Fartsy Shopoholic. She is super stylish, super cute, and I get to claim her as a real life friend. She is having a giveaway, so head on over there and tell her I sent ya! http://artsyfartsyshopaholic.blogspot.com/2010/04/allmodern-60-giveaway.html

Kate Visits the Neighbors

So I figured it would take something good for me to make a second post. Well let me describe my morning because I think it fits the bill... I typically keep Kate on Monday nights while the wife is working and then drop Kate off very early at Nana's house so she can play with the dogs, cats, ponies, and her great-grandparents while her mother catches up on her sleep. This morning we had a little variation to the routine because Nana is backpacking in the Holy Land, yes Israel (she is also hiking the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail in June so she is a rather remarkable and active woman). To try something a little more convenient we decide to try having her play at our neighbor's house for the morning instead. We have never tried this as she has only stayed with family, Audra, and Aunt Lizzy. Luckily we have very kind neighbors who don't mind looking after our little bundle of joy! I packed her bag last night and got everything she would need to visit our neighbor Amanda (not a misprint, same name) and her little girl Ellie so that I wouldn't get flustered this morning. I have to briefly mention that we have been instituting the Kate going to sleep on her own project and I finally saw the fruits of the labor when she slept from 8 last night to 7 this morning without waking up for more than 10 seconds at a time. So around 7:45 I have Kate up and dressed and head over to Amanda's house. I knock on the door and Amanda answers the door in her pajamas. She says,"hold on, let me go put on a robe." Although this is odd, I figured that she just expected my wife to drop off Kate. So I take Kate inside and Amanda starts finding some toys for Kate to play with, ones that Ellie has grown too big for. I explain Kate's schedule to her and that Amanda will be up there around noon. While I'm reading the schedule I notice that it says that "Kate can eat when Luke eats" where it should say "when Ellie eats", leading me to comment,"Crazy woman, this is why she needs the sleep!" Kate is a lot more clingy than usual so I sit down and try to acclimate her a little. Ellie, being the gracious host, begins setting up a wonderful tea party for the four of us while saying "Mom, I babysit, I babysit." Kate is starting to get a little distracted and so Amanda turns on cartoons which immediately gains Kate's attention. After making sure she is looking away and promising to return the favor I slide out the door when Kate isn't looking. I then drop back by our house to pick up my books and say bye to the wife. She asks if Kate is happy to which I reply,"Yes, her and Ellie are having a tea party." The wife responds with a look of shock and says "Ellie? Who is Ellie? Did you take her to Amanda's house?!" I said yes, like I was supposed to, and she is doing good, enjoying the tea party that I've been sitting at for the last 20 minutes. She begins to laugh hysterically through the look of shock and says that I was supposed to drop her off with our other neighbor, Heather and her son Luke (now you see the confusion) who was born the same day Kate was. I beat my head against the bed realizing this is why Amanda was in pajamas and was having to run around to find things for Kate to do. Much to her credit she never made me feel awkward and was very welcoming, especially for someone who just answered the door to find an unexpected little girl being dropped off at her house. That is when you know you have good neighbors...I even got to start my day with a tea party! So I asked the wife if I really had to go pick her back up and she said,"Yes, Heather is probably wondering where she is!" So I return to explain the mixup to Amanda who I am sure is wondering what just happened and she just laughs and says "Guess daddy needs a little more sleep as well." I am sure she will never feel comfortable dropping off her child at our house after this little incident. I successfully got Kate dropped off at Heather's and made it to class in the nick of time. Kate had a good day playing with Heather and Luke so that is all that matter's but Dad was very embarrassed and has been the laughing stock around our neighborhood today.

New Year's

We spent New Year's Eve at home with some very dear friends, The Harvilles and The Roberts. The Cute Boy cooked delicious steaks, and we had a wonderful time just hanging out! The champagne was yummy, and the fondue for dessert was good too. Kate went to bed before midnight, but us party animals actually made it to the New Year. Last year, I was asleep on the Harvilles couch before the ball dropped. Oops! We have also had several snow storms during the month of January! I love how pretty it is, but after Valentine's Day, I am ready for SPRING!!!

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John Ruskins

So behind!

Merry Christmas from

Jeff, Kathy, Amanda, Megan, Blake, Jake, Kate, Bandit, Ella, Babe, Cooper...oh yea, and Luke.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and (almost) Happy Valentine's Day! When I get so behind, I want to just not worry about catching up and start over! I know one day I will be glad I have this record of everything that went on, so here we go!

Christmas was fabulous! We started out visiting Luke's family in Tupelo. Luke had family in town, and then spent Christmas Day with my family. I had to work Christmas Eve night (yuck) so if I look sleepy in any pictures, please forgive me. Oh yea, and have I mentioned Kate hasn't slept through the night since September. That = a very sleepy, sometimes grouchy Mommy! The Cantrells. We went to Nina and Larry's house for a delicious lunch. This was Kate's first time to open presents, and I think she really liked it...whadya think?

Me, Kate, Luke, Larry, & Nina

The Tally Christmas. These are Luke's cousins and their boys are a month younger than Kate:

Callie, Robert, Molly, Aubrey, Me, and Kate

The Huntons and Cases then came to our house. I got to cook my first Christmas meal. Luke makes a mean turkey, and the sides were good too!

Amy and Benny

Luke and Katie and the yearly pic in front of the tree

Katie and Micheal's newest addition, Colby

The Spread

Come on Mom! Quit taking pictures of the food, and Let's Eat!

Our Family

Kate's First Stage Performance...She's a natural:

In the Nursery:

Christmas Eve: Santa came early to our house because of my work schedule! As you can see, Kate had the gift opening down pat! Adorable! And she finally has some toys to play with!

We had lunch at Nannie and PawPaw's (my Dad's parents).

Meg and Brett

Uncle Blake and Kate

Christmas Morning:

Granny T and Daddy Doc

Tracy, Dad, Meg, Aunt Linda, and Mama

Uncle Buck, Luke, Nana, Blake, and Ned

Mama and Daddy

Snow Day! I got a new (to us) car this day too! I need to find a pic of my Shaggin Wagon.

Remember this? I guess it paid off! My smart hubby was 11/171 in his class! Not only is he the cutest boy in the world, he is the smartest!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

I need help!

We need you to go vote for Kate to be a Methodist Model! We are opening up a new hospital, and they are looking for cutie patooties! Here's what you do: Click here http://www.facebook.com/#/photo.php?pid=3156000&id=31656313617 , Go to the Methodist Healthcare Profile, become a fan, and click "like" under her pic! Thanks for your help!

I present to you...

the Cantrell Family Christmas Tree!

Last year, we had a very normal, 8 ft Christmas tree. This was just unacceptable for my holiday enthused Cute Boy that I live with. After we got home and put it up, he sat down on the couch and pouted. Not just that day, but the whole Christmas season. I promised him that this year, we could get the biggest tree he could find (seeing as how my belly would be much smaller and it would be easier for me to help him get it put up.) So, we loaded up and headed to the nearest Christmas tree farm in search of a perfect tree.Well, we have 12 foot ceilings, and our tree was 12 ft+. He was the happiest boy in Marshall County, and quite possibly the whole state. Our tree is/was HUGE!

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas

Gobble til you Wobble

I just realized I didnt post anything from Thanksgiving. Yall have to remind me of these things...my memory is slowly slipping away!Here is Sweet Girl on her 8 month bday! She is crawling around everywhere! She babbles like crazy, has her two bottom teeth, and is as sweet as sugar.

Unless she is tired.

And even then, she is the cutest thing ever. Luke and I are enjoying being her parents more and more everyday! My grandparents bought a river house on the Little Red River in Arkansas. We started off the week visiting there and hanging out with my aunt and cousins from Texas! Kate loved all the attention and loved watching the boys play. We had to leave Luke at home to study, but I have a feeling we will be going back soon for some fishing!

Then on Thanksgiving Day, we headed to Tupelo to continue the celebrating (and eating lots) with Luke's family.

Then we had Thanksgiving at the stately Bousson Manor:

Notice PawPaw is sleeping again this year!

Our cute family

"PawPaw, I gotcha nose!" Have I mentioned she LOVES dogs. She goes crazy whenever she sees one, and loves when they give her kisses.

Cheering on the Bulldogs to Victory!

Over the river and through the wood

To Grandmother's house we go.

The horse knows the way

To carry the sleigh

Through white and drifted snow.