Pink Pig and Santa

I am going to try and get all caught up on Christmas and the fun stuff we did...it may take a couple days! Last Tuesday, we headed up to Lenox Mall with my mom, Auntie Melin and my cousin, Kelli to ride the infamous Pink Pig and to see Santa. We try and do a girls day every year and really enjoy it! My mom and dad both rode the Pink Pig as a child...Cass and I rode it every year as children...and it is very important for me to pass that tradition down to Eli. Of course, he slept thru the entire thing! haha We had to stand in line for about 2 hours which he was awake for...then he fell asleep as we walking in. Oh well! It is such an iconic thing to do in Atlanta even at our age! I mean who minds squeezing their booties in that small seat...which by the way none of us could do...we were basically sitting on top of each other! It is a small roller coaster of a ride...with no rolls in it! You go around twice and look at all the pepto bismol pink stuff...but boy oh boy is it fun! They wouldn't let Eli on the ride unless he was strapped in his carseat...don't really understand that since I had to put him in a seat by himself and he really wasn't properly restrained. He would have been a lot safer with me holding him but that was the rule. It was fun...we laughed until we cried...then we ended the experience by purchasing our annual Pink Pig ornament and plush pig noses! (The great thing about going so late in the season is all the ornaments are 1/2 off!!)

After our 3 hours Pink Pig experience we headed to Corner Cafe to have some yummy lunch. Uncle Jeff and my cousin Lauren met us there to have lunch and catch up a bit since we missed seeing her at the Moore Family Christmas. After some great sandwiches and soups (to warm us up!) we headed to do some shopping....well, Ginny shopped while I slipped into the lingerie dept dressing room and nursed Eli. If walls could talk! Melin and I quickly headed to Sephora after that...she and I both could spend hours in there...of course she knows what everything is in there and which stuff to buy...me, I just look at everything and wonder how anyone could spend $117 on moisturizer??

Then we were off to see Santa...the line was short and Eli was awake! I didn't have him dressed up in anything Christmasy but he looked like a little man...at least that is what everyone in line said. He didn't cry...he didn't smile...he didn't acknowledge Santa at all. He just sat right on his lap and looked at the camera like...COME ON MOM! Take the picture and let's go home! Here are some photos of our day...can't wait for next Christmas and our annual girls trip (w/ Eli) to Lenox!

Sad Day

***UPDATE*** Here is what Geoff told us today:

They discovered that Anna had an unusally small spleen. The spleen is an organ in the upper left side of the abdomen that filters the blood by removing old or damaged blood cells and platelets and helps the immune system by destroying bacteria and other foreign substances. Because her spleen was so "tiny" it could not destroy whatever bacteria that she came into contact with. While it will be possible for them to discover what bacteria it was, we will more than likely never know where she came into contact with it. We should know the type of bacteria in a few days. Anna's cause of death was a bacterial infection. There was no way to know that about her spleen. There was no way for her to avoid bacteria. We all come into contact with it every day. This was her time, and I am comforted to have this information. God was ready for Anna. I guess, like the poem that an old friend sent me, God was in need for some younger prettier Angels. He sure got a good one. We will miss her greatly.

Please pray for our good friend and my mom's business partner, Geoff. His 11 year old daughter, Anna died this morning. We don't know exactly what the cause was because it happened so fast. She ran a high fever last night and was vomiting and by the time they got to the doctor this morning things were progressing very fast and getting extremely serious. This family is not only in shock of losing their precious daughter but also because they don't understand what happened. Geoff loved his girls like any other father...but they were also his life! He drove them to and from school almost every day - was at every event - took them shopping - and spent such quality time with them. He ADORES his girls...they were his love and his joy! Please remember this family over the next couple days, weeks and months. Geoff is a strong Christian and so was Anna...he is receiving the peace that she is in heaven healthy and happy. Please remember Anna's mother (Elizabeth) and sister (Kristen) as they are really struggling...as you can only imagine. Thank you for remembering this family in your thoughts and prayers!

Geoff with my parents in Montana

Sweet girl

Happenings...

I finally got some pictures downloaded so hello long post of pictures...haha! We went to a wedding of some good family friends the weekend after Thanksgiving. It was wonderful! Such a fun crowd - plus Susan kept Eli for us so we had a date night!! Thanks to Melin for letting me borrow her ultra classy black dress so I didn't have to buy yet another wedding dress. The first weekend of December, Cass came over and we went to Downtown Covington's Christmas Parade. Very cold and kinda boring (don't tell anyone!!) we headed to the local ice cream/coffee shop to get some warm beverages and then headed home. We at least got some cute pictures of Eli is his cute blue snow suit. (Thanks to Alexis!) Then on Sunday we headed to my parents for the Colbert Family Christmas. (my mom's side) Dad cooked an unbelievable ham and the side dishes were AMAZING! No casseroles for this party - we like veggies - butternut squash, fried okra (OMG!), roasted asparagus, steamed brussel sprouts, green beans, cranberry/butternut squash rice medly. We did throw some mac n cheese in there and some of Glo's homemade biscuits - YUM! But then the desserts rolled out - it was ridiculous! AND everything was homemade...Kelli's Chocolate Eclairs (she even made the pastry puff), Cranberry Upside Down Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (my favorite) and Pecan Pie. I honestly think I gained 10lbs while there...or at least after I ate my 2nd ham sandwich today! :)

Our Date Night

Us with Lee's brother, Joey and his girl Chrissy

The Copeland side of family - Lou, Kim, Joey, Bobby and us

Me and Eli at the Parade - brrr!!!

Uncle Cass lovin' on Eli

Colbert Family minus a couple people - Mom wasn't feeling well and Lee was taking the pictures.

Love these people!

OMG! Are they ready or what?? (Hint Hint!! Make me an AUNTIE!)

Me and my dad making Eli laugh - one of my favorite moments!

HeHe!! LauraLee and Brock gave us this onesie - so perfect for Lee! I had to take a picture since he looked so cute and was sitting in Lee's lap with camo on. Such a redneck boy! :)

Moore Family Christmas

Saturday we had our Moore Family Christmas and what fun it was!! My baby cousin, Chad, who is now a tall 17 was our baby for the longest time...then Josie came along 2 years ago and this year...we added a whopping 3 babies to the mix!! WOW! We had the best time all sitting around watching the kids open gifts...well, Eli slept thru most of it as he is still itty bitty and doesn't play with much yet. Josie had such fun and looked super cute in her pink glittery boa! Sim and Millie were sitting up and playing with everything they could get their hands on. Food was incredible as always...the family favorite always being Mema's Mac-n-Cheese! We missed Lauren, Meghan, Jason, Jenn and Amelia but hopefully next year everyone will be there. Here are some photos from the day...hope you enjoy!! Coming up next...Colbert Family Christmas on Sunday!

The Moore - Copeland Family 2008

The Copelands - Eli, 3 months

Cass and Melinda

The four boys - Dan, Doug, Jeff and Ken

Another picture of Dad laughing with Eli - two peas in a pod!

Lee drawing with Josie - he loves doing this!

Ken, Elaine and Chad Moore

Uncle Jeff playing with Sim

Justin, Millie and Kristin

The Bentons

Josie and the two Danielle's - DeeDee and Andelle

Cousin Kristin clipping Eli's fingernails for the 1st time - I am scared to do it!! She was the pro and Eli just sat there and sucked on her hand - completely oblivious to the clippers! :)

DeeDee with Eli - look at those lips!

Millie and Sim playing with their new toys.

Too stinkin' cute! Sim likes to kiss everybody!!

Sisters

All the little ones...Sim (11 months), Josie (2 1/2 yr), Eli (3 months), and Millie (8 1/2 months)

Mommy's Little Turkey

Eli had a wonderful 1st Thanksgiving! We take turns every year with our families and this year we were with Lee's family. Since his little brother had been sick with a stomach bug we didn't chance going by his dad and stepmom's on Thursday. We spent the day with his mom, brothers, grandmother and his aunt/uncle/cousins who were here from Louisiana and Tennessee. We had a great time!

One of my best friends, Nicole, was here as well and we got to see her twice which was wonderful! She lives in Jackson Hole, WY so we only get to see her once or twice a year. Last time she saw me I was only 17 weeks pregnant with barely a belly. She missed the whole big belly, swollen feet, whiny stage - haha! It was great to see her with Eli - they were both in love I think. AND she brought him back the cutest little moccasins you have ever seen!

On Friday, we went and had lunch with my grandparents, my uncle Jeff and my cousin Lauren. Lauren is in school at College of Charleston so she had not met Eli yet. He loved her! He was all smiles...except for the occasional gas issue! haha It is crazy for me to see Lauren holding him - I used to hold her and play with her when she was a baby and it just doesn't seem right for her to be old enough (or me to be old enough to have a baby) to be in college and on her own. It was a great visit!

We had dinner with my parents on Friday night since my dad finally made it back from Montana. He had been gone for two weeks hunting - he killed a whitetail deer and a big ole elk! We had the most fantastic elk burgers - they were yummy!!! (best thing I have EVER put in my mouth and so good for you - much leaner than beef or deer)

There must have been something in the air because my dad and I both woke up Saturday with a cold. UGH! I stayed in bed all day on Saturday and on Sunday...just miserable and tired of sneezing and blowing my nose. I am trying my best not to get Eli sick...I know it is inevitable that he will catch a cold but I am holding out for as long as I can. Since I was sick, Lee took Eli to his dad's for a couple hours to see everyone since we missed them on Thursday. I hear that Papa Lou never put Eli down! So cute! Lee also killed a deer on Sunday night - he was so excited! Cass and Melin have been wanting a freezer full of deer meat so this one was for them. I wanted to get a picture of Eli with Lee and the deer...Eli was NOT happy about having his hat on...he has recently started this. He looks so super cute in them (see picture below too) but he usually cries until I pull it off. He better get used to it...they aren't going anywhere at this point since it is so cold outside. (mean mommy!)

Anyway, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and hope everyone else did as well. We have so much to be thankful for in our lives....our health, our children, our families and our friends. Love you all!