Thanksgiving

I finally have a few minutes before Mike takes the computer again...

We were able go to Tuscaloosa for Thanksgiving this year and we loved it. First let me start with the Tuesday before, that was a fun day. We had taken our car in to get the oil changed on Monday, turns out our brakes, (not pads... brakes) were shot, so are the rotors, and our suspension is gone. They wanted $850 to fix it but no one in St Louis had the struts in stock for the suspension.... so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. We decided to rent a car for the trip. Tuesday I pick up the car and it seemed to have a bit of smoke smell.... well Mike is severely allergic to cigarette smoke and he was in the car for 5 seconds before he mentioned it. We tried to exchange but the place we picked the car from had no more, neither did their parent location, we had a few errands to run and in the process called 4 other locations and finally wound up at the air port location. Turns out Enterprise will not exchange unless the car is not drivable... well for us it wasn't but the airport people were AWFUL about it (I'm writing a letter today) so the manager called and a location 25 minutes away had one they JUST got in. We we had to back track another 25 minutes to finally pick up a different car, that wasn't fully cleaned... at a gas station in TN we found a ring and a retainer behind the back seat head rest.... GROSS. So our trip that was supposed to start around 11am didn't until 2:30.

Isabel was a champ during the drive, as usual. We arrived at the Barr Bed and Breakfast (aka Marcus and Courtney's house) about 11 o'clock. Isabel was out but was so startled by the dog Peanut that she peed her pants... it was a bit funny. Wednesday started the fun times of our vacation. Courtney had given us a tour guide type packet with tons of brochure and pamphlets of stuff to do. You would think since I lived there for 5 years I'd have an idea but nope, so this info was great to have. We went to the Jemison mansion. You know Mike and I are always suckers for a good historic house we loved it and talked about what we would do with it if we could own it. We stopped by Capitol park... I had seriously never been there, just seen everybody's family pictures that were taken there. Then we drove around and look at some beautiful homes off University BLVD, we were house hunting for ourselves. A quick trip to Mid Towne shopping center and then home for naps. We headed over to Cheyenne and Aubrey's that night for dinner. The kids played and of course the boys wound up in one room and the girls in another. It was so great to see them. Price is adorable but I couldn't hold him, I had gotten sick and was coughing so I didn't want to infect him. Plus Aubrey may not have ever let me see Cheyenne again. So I was good.
Courtney and I went home and started baking for the feast the next day. Or rather she baked and I just watched for most of the time. I did make my awesome Pecan pie.... it was so good but under-baked by about 5 minutes... it kept it extra moist though... :)

Thanksgiving was full of football and baking. We loved it. The food was awesome but there is nothing less to expect from Courtney. That night Mike and I went and saw The Blind Side. LOVED IT! Black Friday came and went with Courtney and I getting up at 3:45 am to head to Target... still not sure how she ended up with her wanted purchase but then we spend an hour at the store... not shopping mind you, we lost one another in the chaos couldn't find each other. Let me clarify that, I took off without my phone and I couldn't find her. I finally had to borrow some random ladies phone. Court had called mine and was listening to it ring in the cart... I think some people thought she was bordering on psychotic. We made it home by 7 after another stop and I just downed herbal tea the rest of the day. Then of course there was the IRON BOWL!!!!! holy cow, we couldn't hardly stand after that game and Isabel was scared out of her mind with the screaming that started on 'the drive' and continued thru the end of the game. ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!

I should insert that because the Iron Bowl was the day after Thankgiving that is why we decided to have Thanksgiving in T-town. There was no meaning to slight my family but Mike and I wanted a vacation that we could just relax for a while, not that we couldn't with family, but we there were no worries at the Barr B&B. And of course to be in Tuscaloosa for the game regardless of where is was played was much cooler!

Before I forget.. Isabel and Peanut, well they played and played and played.. Isabel had Peanut wore out and she still insists that she loves him and that Peanut likes funny jokes!



Saturday we were supposed to go see my mom's college roommate in Birmingham and hopefully see my family from GA but my family was sick and so was mom's friend. Cheyenne did take a ton of family pictures for us Saturday morning, see last post for a few, then we went around campus, tried so see some old ATC's but the building was locked up, ate and went back to Courtney's and hung out for a bit. Cheyenne had invited us over to watch the Florida/State game so we headed over there and Jodi Stockman was there with his daughter. Chey and I of course wound up upstair talking for a few hours and I loved it. There's something better about having all the conversations in person vs phone... or texting.

Sunday was church and more familiar faces... I miss church down there. Don't get me wrong I have an amazing ward here but you just don't get good football references thrown into our meetings in MO like you do in Alabama!
Here are pics from dinner Sunday night... Isabel started out helping Courtney then she just realized she could eat the cheese...


And Me and Courtney after dinner was in the oven...


Watching Christmas movies on Sunday, we did an impromptu photo shoot.


This might be my favorite photo to date...



Monday we picked up 100lbs of chicken to bring back and started the long drive home. It was such a great relaxing, easy trip and I loved it! Next time we might need to work in a reunion trip so I can see EVERYONE else that I missed.




Thanks again to Marcus and Courtney for being amazing hosts and keeping us full of butter, sugar, sausage balls and oreos!!!
I'm off to get ready for the SEC Championship game... ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!