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If you want to read our Thanksgiving activites in chronological order...scroll down and start at Thanksgiving Day! :)

Smith Family Thanksgiving

We went to Bentonville to my parents' house on Friday after we finished visiting in Avoca. The girls made blue berry muffins with mom for breakfast. Courtney was way more interested in licking the batter! This has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but was too cute... Ryan got some new boots and Courtney put them on just out of the blue! So cute! She thought it was hilarious!

I guess the last time they were visiting mom and dad they did the treadmill with Granddad! So, that has become a big treat. He turns it on really slow and they think they are so big! Pretty funny!

Never too busy for a good book in Dad's lap! Lindsey is very into rhyming words, so she really enjoyed "The Cat and the Hat."

Uncle Taylor came! They were so excited!! They immediately wanted him to read and play with them! Amber came too, but had to run an errand first.

This was the best part of Thanksgiving at mom and dad's house for sure!! Mom and her preschool teacher galore had this planned all along and didn't tell anyone! She had all of us except Lindsey and Courtney sit in the living room. They went to her room and we weren't sure what she was brewing up! Then they came out...dressed as pilgrims!! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen! We were trying to get pictures and Honey squatted down, so Courtney sat down! :) Look at Lindsey though...posing away!

Then Lindsey passed out "costumes" to all of us! Me and my pilgrim girls!!

Squanto and his woman indian

Mom had written out the First Thanksgiving story and we each had a part to read. As it was our turn, we went to the "stage" and read! It was pretty darn cute!! Such a great memory! I know it seemed silly to Taylor and Amber (I'm guessing!) but they were great participants! It is things like that that are fun to look back on. Lindsey loved it. Ryan even left his pilgrim hat on during lunch! :)

Again...grat uncles are such a blessing! Amber isn't "offically" an aunt, but to the girls she is! :) We love her! She was playing babies with Courtney (who doesn't have a shirt on because she spilled her diet coke on it).
Uncle Taylor and Lindsey built a train!

Again...annual family picture! We changed it up this year with our spot. It is hard to get all of us short Smiths in with our tall Ryan!! :) So, I think this year has been the best it worked out. We wished it wasn't just a big window and blind behind us, but it is really a great picture of all of us!

IWe have so much to be thankful for! We had a great time with all of our families. It is fun to teach our girls and watch them get excited about things. Lindsey loved helping to set the table this year. She really enjoys being in the kitchen with me, or whoever is busy in the kitchen. Courtney is so much fun. Her expressions will make you roll on the floor laughing! How blessed we are! Thank you Lord for all that you do for us!

Our tree is up, our stockings are hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be here (Lindsey already asks several times a day how many days), Ryan is putting up the outside lights as I type (in the spitting snow and rain---but that is HIS deal. I don't have to have the lights outside, but he likes them!). We are ready! Tonight we will start our family advent reading and wreath. I did that growing up and love that we now do it with our girls! They don't "get" it, but Lindsey loves readin the story AND blowing out the candle when we are finished reading. Next weekend is our neighborhood Christmas Tour of Homes. A few girls in the neighborhood got this together last year and it was lots of fun to see how other people decorate and what they do. We will tour eachothers' (those who participate) on Sat. afternoon, and then it is open to the public on Sunday. It is fun, but sort of stressful getting the house totally spotless...with 2 girls around!

This is my most favorite time of the year though! So, I try to enjoy it while I can!

Friday after Thanksgiving

After we had lunch and visited, we went to Avoca (near Rogers) to spend the night at Ryan's mom's house. We got out there for a little bit of playtime then bedtime.


The girls' typical routine is to wind down at night by watching a short "show" (aka Dora, Barney, etc.). We just use our DVR and they watch it. We had a few DVD's so they watched a short movie on the portable DVD player, since that is all they have out there! It was cute them laying there watching it together. Courtney got up a lot and ran around, but that is because she was exhausted!

Then the next morning it was cool outside, but not too bad. The girls had their first 4 wheeler ride!! I don't know who had more fun...the girls or Ryan! He loved it!! He was in his element for sure! It was fun to watch him enjoy that and take the girls for rides too! Courtney didn't love it as much as Lindsey did, but she rode it a few times.

They also loved jumping on the trampoline!! This was a hit last weekend when they stayed there. Lindsey jumps and jumps. Courtney just holds hands or lays down for them to bounce her! It was a fun filled family day for sure!

Courtney was ready to come in and this is where she came...into the box of toys! :) Of course!

Then the next thin I knew she was quiet and working puzzles by herself. She has her moments of peace and not such high intensity, but not often!One of the things I am thankful for is such great uncles! And of course a great aunt! Kyle let them climb all over him and they were LOVING it!!
Here is Aunt Miah! You can see where she ended up at the table! It was a nice break for me! They love her so much!! They both wanted to sit by her, so that is where she ended up! Kyle was on the other side of Lindsey. Ryan and I were across the table from them! :)

This is our annual family picture! It is funny to look back and see how it has grown and we've changed! It is always in this spot!! Next year I'm guessing that Megan will be taller than me! We had on our Hog shirts because we always play LSU the day after Thanksgiving! We had a GCE! :) Ha! That is a Greatest Comeback Ever...inside joke for some of us! Anyway, it was a good game. Go Hogs! We watched some of the game there and then left for our last but not least Thanksgiving dinner with family!

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving morning we woke up at our house, Ryan started hanging Christmas lights on the house and I cleaned up some of the Christmas clutter from dragging it all out Tuesday and Wednesday.

Our firststop was at Ryan's dad's house in Bella Vista. We had Thanksgiving lunch therewith dad, step-mom, step-brother Jeff and his wife Nivi. Kyle and Miah were at her parents' house so they couldn't come. Grandma had some puzzles for the girls. Lindsey worked her first 100 piece puzzle!! We got her one for Christmas the other night when we shopped, but weren't sure if she'd enjoy it or get frustrated...she enjoyed it! She loved Nivi playing with her!

Then we had lunch. The girls ate pretty well! It was very yummy! Pam is a great cook!!

Home Again and Lindsey Update

We are home. It has been a few days! Wow. I'm going to have to do 3 posts for our Thanksgivng celebrations we did. It was a lot of fun, a lot of family, and a lot of food. It is good to go, but good to be home too. I will work on my posts and pictures...I took A LOT!

Lindsey update:

I have decided pretty much that it is a control thing. As I pay attention to what happens, I start to notice it happens more often than I realized! Many times during the day she is "stubborn" and throws a silent fit! At bedtime it is just that we are both "done" with dealing with it and that becomes the issue---dealing with it! Ha! Great revelation, huh?! So we have told her several times this week while we were gone that if she didn't obey she wouldn't get to keep her Christmas tree that is in her room...amazing how she has obeyed! We had no problems at bedtime either night. Of course, it wasn't as "firm" a bedtime as we would normally have at home as far as routine and expectations either. However, I'll take what I can get!!

Tonight she called me back in there SEVERAL times, but never hesitated at doing what we asked her to do. I haven't checked...but I don't hear her. I am pretty sure she's asleep!!

We are worn out! My house is pretty decorated for Christmas, I have new pictures hanging in my living room, need to hang more of my Shannon Walker pictures in my room and figure out places for other ones. Then finish a few Christmas decorations. Plus put our snow village out! That may be tomorrow night's project.

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! We had a great time with our families.

Another night....another fit...another way

After yesterday and the feelings I had, I was almost nervous about bedtime. How would she do? How would I handle it? How would Ryan handle it? Would we agree? Would we even know what to do?

As we went to bed, one of the things from yesterday was that Lindsey feel more independant. She typically doesn't have to go to the bathroom during the night, but sometimes she uses that as her "stall game" that she needs to try 5 times. It became a big struggle. So I had been putting the baby potty in her room. Last week Ryan and talked about that really she is old enough to just get up and go if she needs to. Last night I told her that we weren't going to put the potty in her room because if she needed to go she could just get up and go. Without even asking! She was excited. That may seem random, but the point is that we were trying to head off the fit by making her excited about something new and "big" at bedtime.

We also told her that we'd leave the door cracked and not close it all the way. She's slept with it closed all the way since she was in this house. If you haven't seen our house, her bedroom door opens up bascially into the living room. She was VERY excited about that. This was to make her not feel like we were leaving her. We are thinking that some of her fits come from anxiety about us leaving her in her room and her feeling alone and maybe scared in there. An open door to where we are might head off some of those feelings.

Going to bed was fine, normal and went very smoothly. The pre-going to bed I should say! She didn't complain about it being bedtime (she usually doesn't), went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, picked out a Christmas book that we got out yesterday and seemed great. I was the one reading books, which in her little mind is a better idea. She's gotten a lot better about Ryan doing it though for sure! We don't have to fight that battle any more! Ok...back to bedtime. I start reading "Pat the Christmas Bunny" and she pets the bunny when it says to, then we get to the "smell the candy cane" and she starts...the silent fit! She just stares at me. I am thinking.... are you kidding me?! I don't have a CLUE what to do. So I try my best to stay very calm and posititve. I do. I give her several opportunities, offering it in different ways: her holding the book, doing it later when she is ready, doing it now so we can move on, telling her she doesn't have to do it at all if she doesn't want to, etc. I start to turn the page and the screaming/kicking fit begins. I gently put the book down and tell her that I can't read when she's acting like that, but when she's ready to act right I'll finish reading. I walk out of the room....and of course she follows me! I'm almost in tears feeling so at a loss!!!

I won't continue this horribly long post with all the details. Ryan talked to her for a while. It came down to her doing it or we take away the Christmas tree that we put in her room. So as I go in to read the book (do the smelling the candy cane part) she reluctantly and VERY slowly does it and touches the stocking, which was also a battle just like the candy cane. However, she decides she didn't touch it how she wanted to! ARE.YOU.KIDDING.ME?!?!?!?! I'm going to pull my hair out AND hers!!! I tell her that if she wants to touch it again then to get down and get the book. She doesn't, so I go on to her little devotional book that we read everynight. She starts a fit and I tell her that she will lose her Christmas tree if she throws a fit. She sits still and again reluctantly holds herself together. We finish the devotional, pray and I leave. All was fine.

After ALL of this (if you are still reading!) I went to bed feeling totally different than I did this afternoon and totally different from how I felt about it all the night before. Last night I felt like it was a TOTAL CONTROL issue of her wanting total control. There was nothing OCD about not touching or smelling the book. That was her way of stall game, I believe. She even said she didn't want to go to bed because she wanted to stay up with us. She's come to realize lately and asked what we do when she goes to bed. I think that is more of it than I realized.

GOSH! I don't even know. Tonight we are going to be at Ryan's mom's house spending the night and tomorrow night at my mom and dad's house spending the night. Then we'll be back home on Sat. after a LONG Thanksgiving--3 infact--Ryan's dad's today, mom's tomorrow and my family on Sat! I'm sure she will be crazy by Sat. night and that will be nuts. However, on Sunday I'm going to "offer" a reward for going to bed like a big girl. She will get to "earn" time to stay up late! I think that will help. We are going to try it anyway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Counseling Session

Today I had my first conseling session...ever (other than pre-marital)! Mrs. Jane was wonderful! She gave me some great perspectives and great ways to talk to Lindsey. We came to a few conclusions:

• Lindsey needs to make more decisions on her own (aka--Sharon needs to let go of some control)

This is hard for me!! For obvious reasons, but also because as the afternoon it has gone on I don't know how to do that. On an everyday thing. Like JUST now she asked me to help her with the Wii. Typing her name in is hard w/the Wii remote, so I ask, "Do you want me to do it, it is hard with that?" Sure she says. I start typing and ask if she wants to finish it since I did a few. "Yes. I don't know." Well, after today, she says I don't know because she wants to do it, but is afraid of messing up. So, my mistake for doing it for her. See...it is hard!

• Mrs. Jane and I both think that there are some OCD tendencies there, more than the control issues.

That scares me. She is SO MUCH like me in this area, that I don't want to push her to be OCD more than she "tends" to be already. So how do I do that? I do I help her and love her and encourage her and teach her without "controlling" and making her feel like she can't mess up. She is such a pleaser and always has been. Then I start thinking, it is a lot of her personality. So is her personality OCD? I don't know!

• Lindsey's OCD tendencies probably stem from some anxiety. Mostly it comes at times of speration--MDO, church, babysitters, bedtime, etc. She needs to do her "rituals" to feel safe.

However, Mrs. Jane thinks that because she sometimes doesn't DO the rituals, then she might be ready to give them up, but just isn't sure how. She and I talked a lot about play therapy, things I can do and say to her to offer ways "out" of the rituals. I tried today to talk about feelings and we felt at different times. That went well. Then we tried to make up a story (idea from Mrs. Jane) about going to bed happy. This story is written by Lindsey to show her and remind her how she can do things to make us all happy at bedtime. One of the big deals about this was for me to guide her in DIFFERENT things we could do at bedtime as opposed to the SAME THING each night. This idea went over well for some "new" things like leave the door open, get up to go potty without asking, etc. However, the idea of giving up one of her "rituals" for one of these things was NOT an option.

We will take baby steps and see where we end up! Obviously over the next few days with traveling, we can't do much. Starting next week we will try a few other things that Mrs. Jane gave us. I am thinking I might even have Mrs. Jane talk to Lindsey sometime. I don't know. When I tried to talk to her, I didn't remember how to ask the questions to get the answers I needed. I don't know how well I did, but at least we talked about it some. She did say she felt sad last night after she got her spankings. Ha! I felt more than sad, and we talked about that too! :)

We will see in a few hours how things are. Who knows? Tonight might be one of those nights that goes well and NONE of this will matter or pertain to tonight's bedtime. I pray it is that way. We all need that encouragement for sure!

OMG!!!!

Seriously. The title. That is just about all I know to say. My little angel Lindsey is back her mode of ballistic fits at bedtime. I can not even BEGIN to describe them to you. It is literally her screaming at the top of her lungs just screaming, her screaming no at us, telling us no, getting out of bed as fast as we can walk to the door, coming out of the door. Last night it was 3 spankings from Ryan and tonight it was 2. He is still in there. We decided we were going to just not put up with it and ignore it, but it is hard to ignore a child coming out of their room screaming at the top of their lungs. I hear it starting again.

The above was written last night. It did start again and it lasted so long. It was so draining that it even got to Ryan. He was very bothered by it. I was too, but more mad than bothered! I can't even put into words what we went through last night. It was awful. At one point when I told her we were going to pray and be finished with all of this she screamed no. I started to pray anyway and she pushed my face with both hands and screamed no incessently! Wow!

A friend of mine's mom is a child development/early childhood teacher at UAFS here. She is very knowledgeable in handling children and their stages of devolopment. So I have e-mailed her about talking to Lindsey and to me about how to handle this. I hope we can talk to her today!

She e-mailed me some articles about OCD. There are a lot of things that it described that sounded JUST LIKE LINDSEY. It has been something we've joked about for a little while now because she has these "rituals" that she has to do. But after reading that it really made me aware of maybe how she feels. It was interesting to say the least. I want her to feel safe and secure, obviously. If these rituals are what she has to do to feel that way then I can do them. The problem comes when she does what we call a "silent fit" and chooses not to do what she wants to do. Anotherwords, she becomes in control of the situation by NOT doing what she wants and what I'm waiting on her to say. I don't konw if that makes any sense at all, but it is what happens and what has triggered the fits for the past 2 nights!

Please when you are heading toward bed tonight with your children pray for Lindsey and for Ryan and I to have wisdom. We have different views on how this should be handled.

Girls just wanna have fun...

This past weekend I went to Branson with 2 of my best friends in the world! Martha is my long lost sister. We have been friends since 6th grade with only a few bumps in the road! :) If you are reading this then you either know Martha I'm sure or have at least heard of her! Ashley is my college roommate that is a God send! The short of the story is she didn't have a roommate and I didn't either. Through a LONG LONG connection I got her name and phone number and called and asked her if she wanted to live with me. I didn't know her and had never seen her! But, God obviously brought us together! We lived together ALL 4 years at U of A! She is the friend that just adopted Nik from Russia! This is as we were leaving Branson on Sat. in the car because we realized we had not taken any pictures! I was the only one that even brought a camera! It was FREEZING outside with the wind blowing about 75 mph...ok, maybe not that, but it was blowing and spitting snow! We had a BLAST! We decided while we were there that we HAD to do this more often and discussed why we as women/moms don't do this more in general. It was really only about 24 hours that we were gone, which sounds so short. But it was worth it for sure!

Ryan and I were in an "intense fellowship" as a past Sunday School teacher used to say! It wasn't anything major, but basically it boiled down to my feelings being hurt and him not understanding or realizing what a big deal something as small as a phone call means to a wife at home with the chilren while the husband is away on business...for an extra night at that!

Needless to say. When I got to the hotel and we checked in, we went to the room before heading out to shop! I found these flowers with my name on it! WOW! He hasn't done flowers in a LONG time and has NEVER sent them somewhere ahead of me. What a husband. I knew he had it in him the whole time! :) Ha!! We are great now and just needed to get those feelings out on the table and talk about it. Like I said, it was nothing major, but it is ALL GOOD now for sure!

He's a great husband and I was being selfish. I am thankful for a man who loves me even through those times of misunderstanding! Way to go Babe! I love you!

She comes by it naturally....

My precious Lindsey! She has been playing so good this afternoon and I really needed her to do that! :) It has just been "one of those days" where nothing major wrong has happened. But some small, insignificant frustrating things have happened. So thank you Jesus she has played well by herself while Courtney has been napping!

The purpose of this post is to confess I guess. My name is Sharon and I like things to be organized! That being said, I'm not good at going into an unorganized room and organizing it. I like simple organization. For example: toy room: my boxes have had labels on them of what goes in each box.

All of that to say that I have seen Lindsey playing this afternoon with food and such as she made a parade of chairs in the living room, playing with food, wearing an apron, etc. Not bothering me, so I didn't ask. She was in her own world and that was great with me. So I was talking to my mom and Lindsey wanted to talk. As I looked around at what she was doing I found the following, so I HAD to take pictures!

The tea set out of it's box, but all together...

All the french fries and chips together...

All of the cheese...

All of the bread/buns...

All of the dishes and dish towel...

All of this was done by her on her own. I had nothing to do with it. I love this about her! She is so girly, she loves to please, she is very smart! She is a great daughter! I love you Lindsey just the way God made you! What a blessing you are!

Fun Stuff!

Courtney (and Lindsey for that point) is very into stickers! I heard her say that she gave Diamond one but when I turned around I saw what she meant! Bless Diamond's heart! She is not our dog that would typically go along with this, but I think she sometimes is so desperate for attention, she'll even let Courtney put stickers on her! They came off shortly after this! Honey got Lindsey this cute new Razorback outfit. She really just liked the turtleneck, but it was like Courtney's just opposite colors, so she wore it today. It was WAY too short, but luckily it was cold and she wore pants. It was sort of funny, but very cute!

Courtney knows who is #1! In our hearts at least! Ha!

We spent the day at my parent's house. Mom and Dad needed some "handyman" stuff done and Dad doesn't do handyman stuff, so Ryan sweetly volunteered! He got a lot done actually!! He put in a new mailbox, new outdoor lights, hung a new mirror and new front door knob/lock. Way to go Ryan!! Anyway...this was someting the girls did with mom. They "took the pumpkin to a new level" HA! as my mom said it! Spoken just like Honey! :) The girls liked it, but did not want to take a picture with their turkey! Courtney would NOT move her hand! I took like 10 pictures and her hand is in front of her face in ALL of them!

Uncle Taylor came to play! Amber wasn't able to come, but they had fun in spite of her not being there. We are lucky to have the best Uncles in the world!! The girls love Uncle Kyle and Uncle Taylor! They (K&T) are so good at playing with Lindsey and Courtney! It is cute and fun to watch!

Uncle Taylor even did "art" with the girls today. As I sat and watched they both wanted his attention and were fighting for it constantly! The next thing I knew they were "throwing" these little flowers in the air like rain or snow. I told my mom...only an Uncle. I would never do that because I have to pick them up. An Uncle doesn't have to do that. He can play and throw them around and then leave! So fun!

I'm thankful for such a loving family. It was fun to spend the day there and just hang out. Mom and I got to go to Hobby Lobby and Gap. Ryan needed something at Lowe's, so we detoured to do a little bit of shopping. It was fun to just get to shop with mom. We don't get to do that much at all anymore! I'm glad that Ryan is so handy and has such a servant's spirit about it. He doesn't mind doing it and likes it even, most of the time! I'm glad that he could help mom and dad out since they have done their fair share of "helping us out" with babysitting and more!

Ta Da...and Moving!

Here is the semi-finished...

Here is the finished...pretty much!

Today I have been frustrated. You know, feeling like you have 500 things to do and you are working on all of them at the same time so none of them get finished. So, here I sit avoiding them all and blogging! Ha! Typical me...Ryan once called me the "Queen of Un-Adressing" (not dealing with it) and I have come to realize that sometimes (not always) that is true! Today was one of those days I had A LOT to address that seems like not fun things to address. The pantry/utility room is awesome! The problem is there was a ton of unaddressed things in there that I am now having to address. I don't like it. So, I put back what I knew where it would go and threw some things that needed to be thrown away in the trash...and left the rest in our back bedroom and closed the door. The back bedroom is a BIG unaddressed issue as well!! I do love my new pantry and place to keep things! I really only got 3 shelves which seems like maybe not much, but in reality they are better used than those cabinets were, that is for sure!

The cabinets are going to be used in the toy room!!! Ryan is making me/the girls some cubby/shelves for in there to store things better. We have moved on and need a different kind of storage space for toys, dolls, dress up clothes, stuff!!! That is what his next project is. He says he might start tonight. It will not take him long, but I will paint them white, buy baskets for the cubbies, and then have to ADDRESS the toy room! Yuck!!! If you are bored and want to come address and organize, call me!! I like to organize, but it just isn't sounding fun to me. I know the finished prodcut will make me happy though...

What I learned today: Moving is much easier than cleaning out and organizing. With moving you just have to decide if it is worth moving or throwing it out. So much easier! With just "stuff" you have to find a place for it and that is what I don't like....so maybe I'm ready to move!! Ha! I bet you thought there was some big moving announcement! :) Nope...just that it is easier than cleaning out, if you ask me!

On to the next one...

Project that is!! I'm so stinkin' excited. I LOVE our bathroom redo that was our last project. It is somewhat decorated, nothing new since I posted pictures. I'm going to use some of our Shannon Walker pictures in there.

But, anyway...in our other houses, we have had pantrys. However, in this house we don't. If you have a pantry, even a small one, be thankful! I didn't realize how nice that was to have somewhere to just put stuff! So, our next project is our "pantry." I won't have a walk in, nice sized pantry. However, I will have good shelves instead of small, useless cabinets! Seriously useless! So here is Ryan taking down the unpainted, useless cabinets that are currently in our utility room. We even already know what we are going to do with them....stay tuned. That is the NEXT project!! Coming soon! Notice...they didn't paint before they put them up! nice!! Not to mention that there were small cabinets above the ones in the above picture that were just sitting up there. NOT attached to the wall at all! :)

So today my project was to paint the wall. It didn't have to be perfect because it will pretty much be covered up, but it couldn't stay white! I'm hoping to get the shelves Ryan bought painted so it will be easier than painting them after they are hung. Tonight while the girls and I are at church...he will hang the shelves!

I'm thankful for a handy husband! My dad is a lot of things, but handy he is not. Right dad? :) So I didn't grow up used to just saying I wanted cabinets down and shelves up and it being done. But I have become very spoiled to this idea of just mentioning that I want something different, built, changed, etc. and he is able to do it. Thankfully he is like me in that he wants to get started and get it done!! I'm excited to finally feel like I have a place for some of this random stuff and to get some of the "arts and crafts" things that the girls use organized for once!! I can't wait!! Plus tomorrow is MDO for Lindsey, so I will be able to get it done hopefully then!!! Yeah!

Go Hogs!

Last Saturday we took Lindsey to her first Razorback game! She was so excited! Miss Jenny that works at Cintas let us buy some of their tickets that they had! Thanks Miss Jenny! :) This is Harper, Jenny's nephew that we sat with. Lindsey LOVED playing with and talking to him. It was some good, side entertainment for her when she was not interested in the game. She would go in spurts as far as caring about what was going on. It was a good game and the beginning was super exciting, so that helped us out. Although with 30 seconds left in the FIRST quarter she asked us when it was going to be over. So at that point I took her to walk around the Hog shop and get a snack. That kept her busy for a little while! Then it was halftime and she LOVED the band! It was Homecoming, so she liked seeing the girls too (on the big screen)!

We didn't get a picture with all of us, but we took some! She was so good!

I wish Lindsey looked a little more excited...but an ok picture none the less!

She had fun and it was a great game! But I think it was her first and last game just for the sake of going. When she is older and asks to go, then we'll take her again. In a few years, like 10, we'll take Courtney. Maybe by then she'll be able to sit still long enough to care or behave! Jenny ended up with another ticket actually and asked if we wanted to take Courtney too....ummm...NO! But thanks for asking. We both agreed that we made the right decision. She just would not do well just sitting there and hanging out. Lindsey did and it was fun! Go Hogs!

Ryan and I are going in a few weeks to Memphis to visit. Our friends, Matt and Alecia, are Mississippi State fans. Since we play them every year, we decided when we lived there that we would make it an annual thing to go to that game together each year! It has been fun! This year it will just be fun to hang out with them. The game is the small part of the trip considering that both of our teams are not very good. We are excited to visit though!