wrapping up 2011

The Christmas holidays were jammed packed for us and we've been having lots of fun the last of 2011. And with so much going on I still didn't walk away from my Christmas break with any thoughts of I wish I would've done that. Christmas always makes a home feel its coziest, so spending time at home is my favorite thing to do. The snug nights when I watched countless Christmas movies and made plenty of peppermint hot chocolate {and even got around to trying the salted caramel hot chocolate} almost makes me feel like a kid at Christmas again. There's no other time of the year when watching Toy Story and Tory Story 2 back to back in flannel pajamas makes sense for a 27-year-old!

The last weekend before Christmas, we traveled to Tupelo for our friends', Maggie and Adam's wedding. It was definitely one of the most fun weddings I've attended and I was obviously having too much of a good time talking to college friends and dancing to the band since the only pictures I was left with afterwards were these iPhone pictures of Maggie and her family on stage {which I think is cute because even her grandmother is on stage with her!} ...and then the picture Wesley had of me on his phone.

Christmas weekend we spent time with my family and then traveled to see Wesley's family ....and Carlisle came along on the four hour drive. I think she enjoyed her time at the Stocktons.

I don't know why Wesley is looking all ticked-off when that cute little head is peeping up beside him, and anyways, doesn't he know taking family photos in the car is normal?!

We had such a great Christmas this year - We are really so blessed to have two loving families to share this time with! I met even more of Wesley's extended family for the first time this year and I wish we could've spent more time with everyone. He has a hilariously blunt, yet kind great aunt named Sue Alice who I was loving!

We barely had time to get settled back home before we headed out to Nashville. I will never get sick of going to Nashville and even though it was our first time for 2011, we were there three times in 2010 and it feels like my second home. Having lots of great friends that live there helps make it feel like home.

Wesley's main agenda was the football game, while I was there to have fun with friends and just enjoy Nashville.

I really should start back taking pictures with a regular camera at some point, but for now I am consistent with grabbing my phone instead.

Hope you found yourself with friends and family this holiday season!

Athens, GA

Another football game trip I missed was to Athens, Georgia. Don't get the wrong idea - I love some football and love traveling even more, but traveling to see MS State play is not my favorite cup of tea. I went to see a game in Athens when I was in college at Ole Miss, and had been another time for my cousin's graduation from UGA. But Wesley had never been, so he and his Dad went together. It was another 11 a.m. game, and with the time change, I was receiving all these photos on my phone from Wesley just as I was beginning to get my Saturday started.

Auburn

 

Wesley traveled to Auburn to see them play MS State. I really wanted to go and see the town of Auburn, but the schedule he had planned out was not ideal. The game was at 11:20 a.m. and since all hotel rooms were booked in Auburn he was waking up and driving from Montgomery that morning. So I stayed back and watched the exciting game on TV while he sent me pictures!

hop, skip, and a triumph

Well I joined Wesley after I said I definitely would not this football season. Instead of standing by my word I ended up accompanying him along the hop, skip, and a jump to Starkville. The truth is that it is literally only a 1 hour and 30 minutes drive from our house to Starkville, I wanted to see Ginger since it's sadly not often {and of course she wanted to see me bad too! Right??}, and what sealed the deal is that I've been on a Tuesday Morning scavenger recently and they have one there in Starkville. Oh, and I can't forget the cheese sticks at the Grill. The thought of them lured me in as well.

I can't say that I'll be going back, this year at least. But I did have a successful trip to Tuesday Morning by buying up their very discounted Vietri. And I was able to chat with not one but two Gingers {Wilder and Simpson, and I wished so badly our seats were together for the game!}. The game is where I get totally uninterested. Even when they win. {Probably because that makes for more cowbell ringing and much more ear plugging on my part.} Though it ultimately makes for a happy sidekick and so I guess I'm happy for him that his team triumphed over Georgia!

State vs. Alabama

Last weekend Wesley and I went to Starkville for the State vs. Alabama game. We picked up one of Wesley's good friends living in Louisville on our way and headed to the Grill for lunch and to watch Ole Miss beat Tennessee. I was glad State's game was another night game so we could catch the Ole Miss game on TV and eat some of the best cheese sticks around! Wesley thinks it is ridiculous for me to clap or cheer for Ole Miss at a bar in Starkville, but I do it anyways and this man actually leaned over to me at one point and said, "You're the only one clapping in here, little lady".

After the Grill we went to meet some friends in "The Junction" who were there from Nashville. We ended up having a good time even though the bulldogs lost. We headed back to Madison when the game ended, but stopped back by Louisville to drop Chase off and got to spend time with his precious little girl, Harper. I was sad that she was too sleepy to leave her Mommy and let me hold her but she was still fun and adorable!

Tebow's "Worst Game Ever"

Wesley and I went to the Tebow vs. Mississippi State game this past weekend. It was a beautiful day in Starkville and it was a very entertaining game. It was fun to attend a night game covered by ESPN. I became a bit of a stalker with our camera trying to seek out Tebow and unfortunately I realized we need a new camera because I couldn't zoom in very close and never got a good picture! I also kept spotting Erin Andrews, and of course someone was holding an "Erin Andrews, Will You Marry Me?" sign in the crowd. I have to say she is always looking really cute. You couldn't miss her with her entourage (camera crew, bodyguard AND a cop) heading back and forth from the MS State sideline to the Florida sideline.

I kept thinking that the teams were going to get into a full on fight. Apparently the State guys were so pumped up that they started approaching Florida and the two teams met in the middle and had to be seperated by the coaches and refs. Interesting game!