Hello Dolly! & T-Minus 4 Days

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Cera is almost done packing the things she needs for her move to Los Angeles. She's outta here on Saturday morning. Um, that's in four days. Let me distract myself by posting pictures of her birthday last Friday.

Cera FINALLY got a new cell phone. For those of you that don't know, she had an old old old phone that her co-workers dubbed her "Zack Morris phone" (hahahaha) and it drove me crazy. It was heavy and big and didn't have texting capabilities - I'm pretty sure it had a rotary dial on it. But I must say she did it right- she bought an iPhone and named it Dolly...

I was so happy, I made her pose in front of the Apple store

And here is a photo of Cera about to blow out her birthday cupcake. She turned 26, a wee babe.

She made a wish but was tight lipped about it

And then OF COURSE we played Rock Band for hours - it's been a month and we're still going strong...

Cera on drums, she has the cocky pose down

Megan on bass in a very relaxed position

And here is Cera giving me lip when I'm telling her it's her turn to play the guitar but all she wanted to do was play with Dolly

Ok, that's all I have from her birthday. I've been doing contract work with Scripps and I went to Nashville on Sunday night for a roast. It was much fun and I was able to see all of my old friends from the outer offices. I don't have any photos though, my bad.

Matt took Lottie Sue on a drive around the yard in her pink car. Here are a few photos of the adorable one...

Pink nose/cold nose

Beep beep!

Listen buddy, I have the right of way - not you

Ooh, and here are some recently scanned photos.

This is our mom with Cera as a baby

This is GranBunny as a newborn - I think she and Lottie Sue look alike, especially in the eyes

Here I am, looks like I broke into GranBunny's makeup and applied it myself - with my eyes closed

A full shot in GranBunny's kitchen, this ensemble has a lot going on (I've always been fashion forward)

And now for a few random shots of Lottie Sue - I almost forgot - she has a tooth coming in! Two are there but only one is making the move currently. I simply can't wait to see her with teeth.

Playing in the floor after a nap

Put your feet in the air, wave them round like you just don't care

In the jumper, jumping away

Moments before she was talking into the microphone, but she was going to town on this piano

Alrighty, I'm out going to sign off for now. I hope everyone is enjoying life!

Happy Birthday Cera! & Carrie's Going To Kill Me But I'm Doing It Anyway

Happy Birthday CERA!

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear Tri-CERA-tops!
Happy Birthday to Youuuuuuu!!!!

I hope you have a great day - we love you very much!!

And while I am on the subject...Cera is leaving in nine days - NINE! I am really trying not to panic. For my freelance work I had to create a playlist of songs about Los Angeles (what timing!) and it was a little too much for me this evening. I have been in the study listening to all of these songs for hours, if someone walked in they would be worried if they didn't know it was for a job. I really am fine and so very happy for her - it's an awesome thing to do, just very sad that I won't see her all the time like I do now. Oh boy (tears are welling) - must change subject.

Lottie Sue is doing well, being adorable comes easy for her so she doesn't sweat it. I will post photos of her this weekend. I lost my camera and am searching for a new one. I've bought two that I don't like so if you have a small pocket camera you like please let me know. We have the fancy camera but I want something to throw in my purse. Anywho, me with no camera means not a lot of photos - actually no new ones. So that's why I'm posting older ones. Very random and here they are...oh wait, but let me start with this one. It's one of my favorites of all time and will live forever on the net now...

Um yes, Carrie (sweet haircut!*) is wearing flannel-footed pajamas but don't you think she owns it with this pose?
(I will note that Carrie did actually win an Emmy and I photoshopped it in there for a joke a while ago - in case you were wondering why she is holding the statue)

A cow taken from the side of the road in Kingston

Ooh, and then I found some travel shots from years past...

Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park, Montana

Charleston, South Carolina

Napali Coast, Kaui

Another Napali Coast shot

Here are some photos from our Seattle/British Columbia trip...

The famous Pike fish market

An alley that was plastered with posters

Another alley shot

We hiked on Mount Ranier, here is the peak from one of the glaciers

This is us at Ruby Beach in Washington, it was super cool

Nature walking in some forest over there

Gigantic tree

A giant picture - the Parliament in Victoria, BC

Ooh, finding this Giant Picture made me happy. It was a thing Matt did before we met and he has photos from really all over the US and Europe. I'm going to try to find all of them and post them. You'll love them, he has some really good ones.

Alright, off to bed. It is LATE and way past my bedtime. Until next time!

*I had terrible haircuts basically my entire childhood so I can rag on her Dorthy Hammill.

2186.44 Miles

Cera is L.A. bound (holding back tears) and leaves on February 2nd!! Matt and I think it's great and are very excited for her (and for us - free lodging in L.A.). If I think about it for more than two minutes I will develop big crocodile tears. Oh boy. It's going to be so hard to see her go and we will miss her TERRIBLY but it's a good thing. What an adventure! It's great to get out and explore other places, but right now all I can think of is her driving away. Oh boy.

She's moving out there with her friend, Hayley (Hayley's mom is going with them to make sure they get settled - thankyouverymuch Gail). Along the way they are going to stop at the Grand Canyon (take lots of photos please). Cera is even going to start a blog when she arrives so we'll be able to see what she's up to in the City of Angels. Cera is super excited and we are very supportive, I think California will suit her just fine...oh yeah - please note that since Cera is breaking up our Rock Band band we need a new singer. Auditions soon.

2186.44 miles

OK, I'm about to cry right now so I'm changing the subject. How about cute photos of Lottie Sue? These were taken just a few hours ago...

Baby cuteness, I gots it

Happy Lottie

Lottie Sue LOVES Kevin, he hates her

Matt trying to feed LS but all she wants is Kevin (please note that he is WAY out of bounds, not allowed on the island but of course he's roaming about)

I had a birthday on Thursday - whee! Matt was in DC and surprised me by coming home early. He's cute like that. And Wednesday night was Bunko at Kenley's and I totally racked up. I left with $30! Kenley and Jo had a birthday cake for me - those girls are just the sweetest.

Here I am about to blow the candles out

The tally sheet showing my awesomeness in Bunko

Here is my loot

Jo holding Christopher, Kristy had him 9 weeks ago and he is super duper cute

Here I am with Christopher, I can't even remember when Lottie Sue was that size

And since this week was crazy busy, Gramma came over to babysit for a few hours. Grandpa came over to pick her up and he couldn't leave without making Lottie Sue laugh.

Ha ha ha ha ha

And for those Kevin-haters out there, look at how cute he is...when he's asleep...

Kevin on top and Ernie below napping in the morning sun

And here are a few photos of Saturday night. Lottie Sue is wearing Megan's hat and I guess this is what she'd look like if she had my hair.

Yes, she is waving

Megan can wrap no other

Lottie Sue, fireside

Uncle Mike and Lottie Sue play for a while

OK, and here are some very random photos for your enjoyment.

Matt and I went to the UT basketball game last week - check out our awesome seats courtesy of GranRay

Old photo of me and Becce on the old houseboat

Us, the Carsons and the Apples at the Derby in 2003 - it was so much fun

OK, tomorrow is Monday but Matt has it off for a holiday. I'll write more this week, everyone have a good Monday!

Rock Stars Are Born, Lottie Sue Pics, Marathons & Getting Lost

Hello all! I hope life is treating you well! Things are great with us, we broke down and bought Rock Band. And not just Rock Band really, we had to buy an XBOX360 to play Rock Band so we basically bought a gaming system to play one game. But it is oh so worth it. I personally like to wail on the drums. We have a band even; Cera is on lead vocals, Matt is our bassist, Tommy is our guitar guy and I'm on drums. When we have visitors we make them play so they'll understand our obsession. Mom and Dad came over Friday night to see Lottie Sue and we put Mom on the guitar. She liked it very much, see for yourself.

A rock star is born

Tommy and Mom make beautiful music together

Daddy and BB came over last night and we put Daddy on the drums, he loved it as well and I think he didn't want to go home... And yesterday we took MANY photos of Miss Lottie Sue, here you go! She's getting so BIG, it's true when they say they grow so fast...

Why hello there (notice she's on her stomach and happy - a milestone)

And now she is O-V-E-R tummy time, she is refusing to do anything

Here she is being adorable

Here she is being adorable again

She spots my sunglasses

And they go into her mouth (like anything else she gets her hands on)

Possibly a tad bit too big

My future is so bright I have to wear shades

Sitting up and playing with her flowers (A Christmas gift from Aunt Cera)

An upside down baby

Loving the feet, they are just awesome

A trio of shots on the couch, not much to comment on but let's just say they are all too cute...

Mary Ann had a ladies and babies luncheon last Wednesday, and in attendance: Mary Ann (of course), Megan, Kim (and Max), Rachel (and June), Heather (and Caroline and Jack) and then Lottie Sue and myself. We had a marvelous time. I forgot my camera but Heather sent over some photos (thanks Heather!).

Lottie Sue sticks her tongue out at Caroline and Megan

Caroline and Megan cheese it up for the camera

Anywho...not much going on with us this week. I have some contract work with Scripps and that's keeping me pretty busy. It's fun to be creative (in a work way) again! Megan is running the Disney marathon so she and Tommy are in Florida. Thinking of her running reminded me of Matt's first (and only ever he says) marathon, I knew we had some photos...

That's Matt and John in 2000, the marathon was at Kiowa Island (John ran it again this year)

Matt named this photo "beaten man" - that cracked me up

And then after I found that photo of course I find others and I'm posting them below for your enjoyment. And there is one of me that is painful to look at, but it's high school so I get a pass.

Ernie HATES bathes. Detests them.

OK, this is it - yikes - it was taken at the Dixie Stampede

Matt and I attend a UT game at Notre Dame in 2001

Here we are in San Francisco in August of 2001, Matt had proposed to me earlier that day

Oh yeah - one of our favorite shows is coming back at the end of January - LOST! Megan sent this link and I've seen it myself, it's right off of our exit. Go Knoxville!

Knoxville one of 9 cities to get ads for fictitious airline

Alrighty, I bet Megan will come in first or second tomorrow at the marathon. Good luck MEG!

PS - Josh called the other day to let us know that they are having a GIRL! One of each, so very neat!