Welcome to the 30s!!!

Yep, I turned the big 30 today....I'm still in shock. My parents and sister came in town to help celebrate, but actually my sweet husband had planned a surprise get-away for us. We spent Saturday at the Biltmore House and then spent the night at a cute B&B in Asheville called Chestnut Street Inn...we highly recommend it! Believe it or not this was the first time I've left Abby for that long (only 26 hours!). It was wonderful to have some time just with Stephen and very relaxing. We had visited the Biltmore during our college years at PC, but I certainly appreciated seeing it more now that I'm an "adult" and own a home and enjoy gardening. Of course our home is not quite as big and neither is our yard!!! Their mums were gorgeous and they had started decorating all the rooms for Christmas already which got me in the holiday mood! Anyway, here are a few pics from our fun trip!! My family decorated the dining room and Malana had a yummy cake for me when we returned. It was a fun weekend--a great way to say farewell to my 20s and begin a new decade! So I am 30...I am embracing it...and I am truly looking forward to all the adventures that my 30s will bring!

Bye-Bye Summer, Hello Fall!

This a pic from early this summer that I just got from a friend. It reminds us of what a fun summer we had!! Abby enjoyed the beach, the pool, the playground, Dollywood, zoos, our backyard, smelling flowers, playing with friends, etc. Now it's finally getting cool out and we look forward to the fall and winter adventures that await us. But I'll miss eating watermelon....I love that stuff!!!

Atlanta Zoo with the Peagler family

While Stephen took his big 2 day pediatric boards exam, Abby and I hung out with our old neighbors. They have only lived there 3 weeks, but were nice enough to show us around their town and take us to the zoo. Abby and Grace were glad to see each other again. The petting zoo with sheep, goats, and pigs was the highlight of the trip. She's still talking about "pet da goat" nonstop. The kangaroos, zebras, and giraffes were exciting to see because they are in her books and now she's actually seen them live....and I was just as excited!!

Study Break

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!Enough studying for the boards, we decided to run to the border and learn some dance moves. Actually some very funny people made this of us and I am thrilled with its authenticity!

Prayer Request

Stephen and many residency friends will be taking the BIG 2 day Pediatric Board exam this coming Monday and Tuesday. Please pray for health and wisdom for him as he continues to study and especially on the 15th & 16th. It's kind of the last big hurdle in this long educational pursuit of being able to practice medicine. And while you're at, pray for the healthcare system and insurance companies in this grand ole country!!! Thanks for your prayers and we'll keep you posted on the results....they make you wait until January to send the scores!!

A family hobby

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

We're finally letting everyone in on our secret family tradition. And you know I love wearing some animal fur chaps! Hope you're at least entertained. I wish I could dance!

Visit to Meme & Poppy's house

Abby & I recently hitched a ride with the Roemmich family and visited my Grandmom and parents. We dug through attic treasures and found tons of my old toys, including my rocking horse handcrafted by my grandfather. Abby loved playing on the "neigh, neigh" and I'm sure it enjoyed being out of the attic for it's 2nd life!