GO HOKIES!!

Day 2 in Tampa and the reason for the trip . . . Virginia Tech vs Boston College for the ACC Championship game! The weather was great, the stadium was awesome (a little on the empty side, but nice all the same), the seats couldn't have been better and the final outcome . . .

Hokies 30 Boston College 12 PRICELESS!!!

Following the game Papa and I returned home to find Hailey and Nonni MIA. You see, it just so happened that Ybor City was having it's huge Santa Fest the same day as the football game -- the perfect distraction for Hailey being away from me all day (this was the first time I have ever left her for any length of time!! A few trips to the movies and the hair salon have occured but never a whole day apart!!!) I don't have pictures of her busy day, Nonni has to send me some, but as soon as I do there will be a blog entry I promise!! She had the BEST time, not a single tear was shed, and even when I found her at the street parade she was all smiles (and beads)! What can I say the kid loves her Nonni!! Finally, after we had collected more beads than we could handle from all the floats at the parade it was time to go home, what a great Saturday!

Wake Forest Weekend

Several months ago we planned our big trip to Wake (Karl's almamater) for Homecoming Weekend; Auntie Lisa, Auntie Heidi, Auntie Kris, Uncles Mike & Mike, Nana & Boompa were all going to meet up together in Winston-Salem, NC and have a big family weekend at the Homecoming game. Unfortunately plans got a little altered, as plans often do, and none of the Aunties and Uncles were able to make it, but wild horses couldn't have stopped Nana and Boompa from seeing little Ms. Hailey . . . after all the last time they got to see her was at Aunt Heidi and Uncle Mike's wedding in June when Hailey was only 2 months old.

So on Friday around 5pm Karl, Hailey and myself left Clarksville, TN and headed for Knoxville, our halfway point for the trip. Cali and Jersey were checked into their luxury boarding suite for their mini vacation! After our 4 hour trip we were happy to arrive at the Comfort Suites in Kodak, TN where Hailey got to take a big girl bath and we all tucked in for the night . . .

The next morning we continued our trip through the Great Smokey Mountains toward NC. The pictures don't do the scenery any justice, but I'll still share them . . . I thought all the colors would be gone, as it is the very end of fall foliage season, but due to an unusually warm fall we were really lucky and caught the last of the leaves for the season . . .


Hailey was again the perfect little passenger, with only a few fussy moments (usually when I was driving and Karl was left to do the entertaining) She's getting so big now that she peers around the sides of her seat to see what everyone else is up to!

FINALLY, around noon on Saturday we arrived at Wake. We met up with Nana and Boompa who were eagerly awaiting our arrival, and had a few hours before game time to walk about campus and grab a little food before heading over the the football stadium . . .

After sightseeing we all headed to the stadium for a little tailgating action and some football. Here are some of our favorite moments for Hailey's first football game . . .

Go Deacs . . .













Yup, that's it little girl, drool on mommy's head


Nana shared her program with Hailey . . .













Hailey got to meet Nick and Gretchen -- friends from Sigma Nu, ROTC and good ol' army life!















Once the sun went down it got pretty cold . . . and eventually Hailey had to surcomb to her tiredness (she was awake from 12-8 with no real napping!!)After watching Wake Forest dominate Virginia we headed out to dinner. The nap was short lived and Hailey was awake once again to enjoy some sweet potatoes, bread and other nibbles of dinner from everyone's plates.











Finally the day came to an end -- Hailey and I collapsed as soon as we arrived in our hotel room, and weren't even ready to move when morning came . . .










This morning we had brunch at the Filling Station before making our long trip back to Clarksville. We had originally planned on stopping half way, but were so ready for our own beds that we drove the full 8 hours home! Hailey was again a jewel in the car, there was some fussing, but considering the length of the trip and the time already accumulated in the car I was super proud of her! We had a great time seeing everyone at Wake, and especially with Nana and Boompa! No more roadtrips though, atleast not until our skiing vacation this Christmas!!!

Busy Busy Bee

On this lovely Sunday we took a trip to Nashville . . . we started at the Nashville Fair Grounds where at the end of each month they have a big flea market / craft fair. Karl and I are always looking for good deals on antique items, and little odds and ends that add "flair" to the house.

Hailey was of course dolled up, and today even had on her new shoes I got from Target. No sooner had we arrived and were walking around than I looked down and Hailey had on one shoe! I thought they started the whole loosing a shoe thing around the age of 1 or 2, but apparently the little monkey started early. Luckily it was only a few yards behind us and a nice man had picked it up. Silly daddy put the shoe back on and moments later we got to witness how easily she could kick them off. So we removed shoes. A few minutes later my friend Christie noticed that a sock was missing -- and so ended the wearing of the socks!
After a long day of antiquing and patrolling the crafting stalls Hailey was a little hungry and decided that my face would make a good meal, mmmmm . . . baby hickies!!












Next we moved on to lunch at PF Chang's! Yummy! Hailey had a wonderful lunch of Mama's Milkies before arriving and was in a milk induced coma for most of the meal -- but woke up and joined us for some conversation with Pete and Christine (yes, the same culprits that were partying hard with her early this week!)




Finally, we ended our Nashville trip with a visit to the Children's Hospital to check up on Tyler, Madi, Heather, Tony and Memaw. It was great to see them again, unfortunately Tyler is still in the hospital and quite sick, but is gaining strength enough to fight with his nurses! With lots prayers and a little luck he'll hopefully be out soon. Hailey was excited to visit the butterfly wall . . . and to bring "pseudo-big sister" Madi back home with us to Clarksville for the week so she can get back to school!

Talk about a busy busy day!!!

Has it been a year?

Can you believe there was life before this little face? ...



I was looking back through some old pictures from this time last year, it's hard to imagine life before Hailey but there was indeed a time when it was just the three of us, mommy, daddy and Caliboots. Here are some of the adventures we had sans Hailey this time last year ...








There was the Kenny Chesney concert in Virginia .. in the torential rain and lightning ...
















The trip to Snowshoe, WV for the Road Kill CookOff with Nonni and Papa (before they were Nonni and Papa ... )
















And Karl's many sporting adventures ... trips to Wake with Boompa John for Homecoming and to Baltimore with Papa David to watch the Oriels ...













Hope you enjoyed our little gander down memory lane, I have to run now because my little angel seems to have woken from her slumber ... ah the life of a mommy =) ...

Airborne ...

Yesterday was super exciting -- we went to watch daddy do an airborne mission ... I have never seen Karl jump before so I was really looking forward to it (not to mention it was going to make for a great blog entry!) To make things even more exciting they just happened to be jumping from helicopters (normally they jump from planes, so you don't get to see them take off)!! Now, as my luck would have it, after I took two pictures my camera battery died! No, I'm not kidding. And the two pictures happened to be of the choppers taking off with the first stick of jumpers (Karl was jumping in the 5th stick ... )

Alas, sitting in the back of the Kia feeling rather angry at my camera -- after all it's not everyday me, Hailey and Jersey go out to watch Karl jump -- a thought occurred to me ... My cell phone has a camera. So I took some pictures of Karl jumping in hopes that I could somehow download them ... and lo and behold I could (thank you Verizon ... I love you!!) So here is more moments from our big trip to the drop zone!!


Jersey dog trying to find some shade ... it was hot out












Here we have the choppers coming to get daddy for his jump ...



Ms Hailey was chilling with no clothes on, just a diapie and a bow ...



Karl is the first little black dot .. go Daddy go ..

















Getting closer to the ground, he is still the first little dot on the left-- looks like someone is about to run into him from my vantage point but he said when he got down he didn't notice anyone near him, good to know!



All in all it was a very fun experience, Jersey and Hailey were very well behaved and Daddy had a great jump ... we cannot wait for our next trip to the drop zone =)

Pigs, Sheep, Cows and John Deere

What more could a gal ask for?

Today we visited the Tennessee State Fair! It was Hailey's first big adventure with farm animals and she had a ball (I'm sure my excitement was rubbing off on her!! Ya'll know I love my livestock!) We walked around midway -- but opted to pass on the "well constructed" amusement rides -- checked out some shows, the diving / racing hogs were a big hit with Hailey! Then we ventured over the the livestock and visited with the sheeps, Jersey cows (note the resemblance to the Jersey dog) goats, pigs and hee-haws. Finally, a ride on John Deere was in order -- Hailey was a natural behind the wheel!

It was a long, fun, hot day in Nashville -- and although I got to witness my first ever major Hailey meltdown in the car on the way home I decided to share a happier moment -- this is her at the end of the day, just being our little "happy go - lucky, just leave me and I'll entertain myself" Haileybug -- I often ask myself where I got such a good kid from because my mom will be the first to tell you I ... was a nightmare =)