March Madness

Winter is officially coming to a close in the Bluegrass. Wes and I are heading south for spring break, and the long car ride has finally given me time to process all the excitement that the month of March has brought. It has, in fact, been a jam-packed month, filled with lots of “firsts” that have left our heads spinning.  There is a tangible excitement buzzing throughout the car this morning, and whether it’s the Kentucky game this evening or the Bachelorette Extravaganza about to dominate my weekend, or the other really super, extremely exciting news we got yesterday (to be announced soon), there is definitely a lot to celebrate.  But I couldn’t even begin to recap the literal “March Madness” we’ve had this year without going back a little bit farther to February 28. 

On that day I became “Aunt Hannah” for the first time, a title I have dreamed of having for many years.  As an only child, I always wondered if I would ever get to bear that title and what that relationship might look like.  But after meeting Wells and Elinor, all my questions were answered.  Even in the very first moment I laid my eyes on them I knew I couldn’t love them any more if they were my own blood.  My heart filled with joy, and has continued to overflow every moment I have spent with them in the four weeks since their birth. 

These days there are few things I love more than Elinor’s precious pout or Wells’s chubby cheeks.  My new happy place is anywhere where they are, preferably with one of them sleeping on my chest.  Changing diapers and giving bottles are now some of my favorite things.  In the 10 days I am going to be gone to Florida this week, I worry about all the things I will miss.  How much will they have grown and changed when we return?

          Already I can’t wait for all the moments I will get to share with them: their baptism in May, our wedding in June (there is already a dance being planned just for them), Christmases and birthdays, slumber parties with chocolate chip pancakes, bike rides and “house” and vacations.  I can’t wait to spoil them and love on them and let them know every day how absolutely precious they are to me in every possible way.  They gave me a gift I have always wanted.  A gift I have always dreamed of.  They made me an aunt, and for that I will love them forever.

Because of Joy

Because of Joy…

I am artsy and creative. At one point in time Joy could be seen doing all of the following (and rocking at it): pottery, sewing, making stained glass, writing books, embroidering…You name it, and she has done it.  

            I am unbelievably excited to be an aunt.  She is a seriously amazing aunt and makes it look like the absolute BEST thing in the world. 

            I have no shame.  Although she may not be the best singer and dancer, she is the first one to bust a move on the dance floor or belt along to a catchy song on the radio.  If it makes her happy and makes someone laugh, she’s all about it. 

            I have some serious Southern roots.

            I know that if I set my mind to something, no matter how hard it seems, I can achieve it.    

            I have confidence in who I am.

I know that when things get hard, I am strong enough to handle it.  It couldn’t have been easy being a military wife, but she certainly made it look that way.  From mowing the lawn to changing flat tires in the pouring rain, she is the epitome of the mantra, “I am woman, hear me roar!”                     

            I have a mouth that could get me into trouble.  

I know when it is acceptable to use the above mentioned mouth.

I know the importance of family.  She is a superstar aunt, a daughter who goes above and beyond for her parents, the kind of big sister people would kill for, an amazing wife, and a mother that is completely selfless.  She loves her family more than anything in the world and always puts them first.  I am so lucky to be able to call her my mom.

2013: A Year in Review

     One of my biggest regrets of 2013 is not blogging through it.  One of the things I love about Swamp Gravy is being able to go back and read about how I was feeling at different moments of my life.  As I reflected back on the last year, I realized this blog wouldn’t be much help; I missed a lot of important moments.  I can’t really explain why.  I don’t really think there is any one reason.  But I know that I want 2014 to be different.  I want Swamp Gravy to be a reflection of the excitement that I know is headed my way in the coming year.  But in the mean time, I want to take a moment to remember all the wonderful things, documented and undocumented, that 2013 brought.

     January started off pretty slow, in the usual January way, so Wes and I decided to pick things up and spend a long weekend at Disney.  I took about 100 pictures as we traveled around the world in Epcot, finding iconic places to pose in each country. 

     February brought a visit from Jim and Stacy, a surprise weekend in Amelia Island, and a special Valentine’s Day getaway to Fort Lauderdale for some much needed R&R and my first “Wicked” experience. 

     In March I ran my second 5K and broke all my records.  We had lots of visitors to sunny Florida and even ventured up to Kentucky over spring break. 

     There aren’t enough words to describe how awesome April was.  It was a pretty amazing month from the beginning what with celebrating my grandfather’s retirement and getting to see Taylor Swift in concert with my mom.  But it officially blew my mind when Wes got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  I think April definitely takes the cake for the best month of 2013. 

     With May came more Florida visitors and another Orlando trip.  Not to mention locking down all my beautiful bridesmaids and my first ever trip to Crab Island.

     In June I wrapped up my school year at KIPP and said goodbye to Florida…a bittersweet end to an amazing era that brought me more memories and life-changing people than I could have ever imagined.  But that ending was only the beginning of our new life in Lexington, which would prove to have a pretty amazing start. 

     July found Wes and me traveling from coast to coast.  We got to spend a week in California traveling up the coast and then another week at Hilton Head with his family. 

     August was full of adjustments as I got used to my new job and our new place.  Wes and I celebrated our one-year anniversary and even made it to Lake Cumberland for a weekend.

     In September I made it to Rupp Arena for the first time and we had our engagement pictures taken.  My parents even made the trip up to visit for the Florida/Kentucky football game.  Fall started to settle in on Lexington and I fell even more in love with our new city. 

     It was a busy fall break in October checking many things off of our “wedding to-do list”.  We celebrated both Wes’s and my birthday and even made it back to Florida for a dear friend’s wedding. 

     November was the calm before the busy of the holidays.  It ended with another trip back home to Florida, Thanksgiving with my Georgia family, and celebrating my parents’ 27^th anniversary.

     As it should be, December was filled with family.  Wes and I cut down our first Christmas tree and filled our home with the holiday spirit.  My parents made the trip up to Kentucky for the holidays and we had a Bunning/Downing Christmas in Maysville. 

     January will be here again in a few short days, but I am already anticipating all the excitement 2014 will bring: my first niece and nephew, a wedding to the man of my dreams, an amazing honeymoon, and maybe even a new house…the possibilities are endless.  But one thing is for sure…Swamp Gravy will be around for all of it.  Because I know if 2014 is going to be anything, it’s going to be inspiring.

Christmas in Georgia

          Tomorrow is my grandparent’s Christmas celebration in Georgia.  It will be the first time in all my 26 Christmases that I will not be present.  This makes me a little sad, but more than that it makes me nostalgic.  Nostalgic for the 25 Christmas celebrations I have been a part of.  You see, in the last 25 years, as you can imagine, it seems like everything has changed.  But, when I think about it real hard, I realize absolutely nothing has changed.  That, although that tiny house on Smart Street might look different, it is exactly the same as it was on my very first Christmas all those years ago.

            Now, I can’t remember my first Georgia Christmas because I was only two months old, but I can remember so many others from my childhood.  I remember the Christmas in a red plaid, flannel dress, singing Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum on a new karaoke machine.  I remember the year there were four kids under that roof on Christmas morning, and we could all barely move for all the presents from Santa.  I remember (from home videos) the year that Georgia came to us in Idaho, back when the family was still small enough to make those trips during the holidays, back when I was the only baby, the first of the next generation.  

            Christmases in Georgia might seem a lot different now, but I know they’re really exactly the same.  I know when my parents pull up in the driveway, the girls will come out to meet them.  They don’t run anymore; they’re too old and mature for that now, but they are always the first ones on the welcome wagon.  Pa will greet them at the door, like he always does.  Ma will be in the kitchen cooking.  When she turns around to give them a hug, she’ll look surprised to see them, even though she knew they were coming.  That smile of hers, so hard to capture in photographs, truly does light up the room.  Riley probably won’t be on the computer playing video games this year; he’s a big college kid now, but he’ll be there towering over everyone just the same.  When the phone rings four hundred times this year, for the first time ever, no one will have to check the caller ID to make sure it’s not BSF.  When my aunts arrive, they will all hang around the kitchen offering to help my grandma, and she’ll say she doesn’t need any help, like she always does.  There will be divinity, and peanut butter balls, and Maw-Maw’s fudge on the dessert table; Christmas staples that will end up going home with everyone because we could never eat it all.  When my uncle and his family arrive there will be spinach dip to snack on and more hugs all around.  He might pick up one of his sisters and try to pop their backs and much yelling will ensue.  People who aren’t lucky enough to have the day off will pop in and out to say hello and eat a quick bite.  The kids will run around outside, they’re different kids now, but they’re still running.  My grandfather will say grace in a way that only he can.  Everyone will eat until they can’t anymore, and then they’ll go back for dessert. 

            When dinner is over, everyone will fight over seats on the couch.  My uncle will try to pass down his Santa hat like he does every year.  Presents will be passed around in a fashion that can only be described as organized chaos.  Wrapping paper will be thrown across the room as kids gleefully rip into presents.  My grandpa will get some glass bottle Cokes and a can (or 4) of cashews.  At least one of them will be gone by the end of the day. 

            When the presents are opened and everything is put away, we will all sit around again, maybe go back for fifths of a delicious dinner.  Someone  (probably Hayes) will turn on the bird ornament on the tree; everyone knows it’s not a real bird now, but once upon a time we didn’t.  Once upon a time I was convinced a bird was in the house. 

Finally, the crowd will start to dwindle, but only for a little while.  Before you know it, everyone will be back again, at least that’s what my grandpa says.  And I believe him.  Because even though I can’t be there tomorrow, I know it won’t be long until I see them all again, especially in a year with so much to celebrate. 

So, even though tomorrow isn’t really Christmas, it will be for my family down in Georgia.  And I really hope it’s a good one.  And even though I won’t be there, I’ll be living every moment in my mind.  From the sound of that old screen door closing behind each person as they arrive, to that melody of the bird ornament hanging on the tree.  I have my Christmases in Georgia memorized, because when you belong to something for as long as I have belonged to that Georgia Christmas, you just can’t ever forget.