Chickfila Cares and Gilmore Girls Bonanza

You'll remember that Abbey and I have ended our tradition of going to CFA on Tuesday nights. In the interest of making sure customers of the great northeast Nashville metroplez have great customer service, I sent an email to corporate CFA. Corporate CFA then sent my message to our local one.
I received a phone call from the owner of CFA last week who apologized profusely and promised to take care of the situation and send us a little something in the mail. He sent us two free sandwich coupons. I am sure that we will use them as soon as posisble.
We had set up a goal list for things that we wanted to accomplish this weekend. We made the list and have been adding to it ever since. Today, we check off 3 things off the list. We have a few things to do tomorrow and then we will have some time on Monday to accomplish things. In between checking the goals off our list and a slightly longer than normal nap, we have been watching our Christmas present from Ava. The fifth season of Gilmore Girls. We are on the fourth disc now.

One of our goals was TARGET, I know, I know, that's not a hard one for us to reach, but we did finally make it tonight. We had a couple of giftcards that were burning holes in our wallets. We got some cool stuff though and a few things for the baby.

SOME Assembly Required

We got a bed for Christmas from the IL's. We've been so excited about putting it up, so as soon as we got home yesterday, I went to work at unpacking the gillion wood pieces. When I got finished unpacking the boxes, there was something missing, the instructions and hardware. I called the store and they said that they had a set of hardware there and I could come back to Goodlettsville to get it!
This is not a happy face as I drove back to the store that should have given me the right stuff in the first place!
Once the hardware was where it needed to be, the assembly went fairly well.
The bed is complete and all of the gillion pieces were used, except for a few small screws, but trust me, this bed is SOLID! Everything would be fine if the furniture store had done its job and gotten our mattress that we bought in August ordered! They called last night at 7:00 to tell us it wouldn't be here until next week! So, we will be sleeping in the guest room until then!
I know, Ava, we couldn't believe it either!

Dear Reed

Dear Reed,

Today we had our individual interviews at Bethany for the homestudy. They went really well, we think. We took a picture with Lisa, our caseworker. She is new and she is so excited about helping us get you. She has been working hard to get everything just right, so that the adoption agency in Taiwan will want to get you to us as soon as possible. Reed, we love you so much and we cannot wait until we can get to hug you.

For Christmas, your grandparents Enna and Grandtra got you all of your bedding. We think that you will like it a lot. Aunt Ava got you a cute bib that says "My Aunt Loves Me." Your not even here and you are already getting gifts. That's good! You mom and I have been working really hard to get your bedroom ready. We don't have your bed yet, but since Lisa is coming next week to look at our house, we have some more important things to do.

We need to childproof the cabinets and we have to get some fire extinguishers. I hope that you like elephants because you are going to have a lot in your room.

I love you and I pray for you all the time.

love, daddy

Our Presents

I know that you all have been dying to see what Abbey and I got for each other.

Abbey got a Java Blue Vera Bradley rug. You will be able to see it better when we have our newly redecorated bedroom done. I'll blog more about that in a minute.










I got some new luggage. I have been begging for new luggage for at least 5 years now, so I was thrilled to get it. It is red, so hopefully it will be easy to spot when it comes off the carousel at the airport.

A Very Drakey Christmas

Here's the story,

Of a lovely lady,

Who had brought up two very lovely girls.

Both of them had hearts of gold,

Like their mother,

The youngest one in pearls.

Here's the story,

of a man named Drakey,

Who was busy with three girls in his home.

They were four peeps,

Living all together, yet they were all grown-.

Till the days, when both daughters met these fellows,

and they knew that this was much more than a hunch.

That this group,

Must somehow form a family.

That's the way we all became the Drakey Bunch,

The Drakey Bunch- the Drakey Bunch

That's the way we became the Drakey Bunch!

We had an excellent Christmas here in Bartlett with the parental Drakes. Abbey and I got here in time to go to the Christmas Eve service with them at Bellevue. Afterward, we decided that we needed some nourishment so we found ourselves in the drive-thru at BackYard Burger. We sat at the sign for a while when we gathered that we may not actually be waiting on food at an open restaraunt. We drove around and I got out, where this girl nodded that they were indeed closed. So, we settled for Krystal and went home.

Brookie and Ava arrive around 9:30ish and we all went to bed shortly thereafter. Brookie ate his seafood gumbo first, which it looked like he enjoyed very much.

We woke up around 7:30 Christmas morning and opened our presents. Abbey and I got our bed. She got some cookbooks, some other things, and a jewelry bureau which is beautiful. I also got her a CHI straight iron. Yeah, it doesn't sound that great does it, but she has been begging for one. I got some pottery, some great personalized notecards (I've been out for quite some time), a new calendar, and several other things. Abbey got me two ornaments, the traditional Starbucks ornaments, and the cutest ornament from Hallmark called "Parents-to-be." You'll see our main presents to each other on a future blog.

My family Christmas

We had our family Christmas on Saturday at Bobby and Alyson's house. Yes, I've been there ... lots of times, and how many times have they been to our house? None, yeah, that's right. I'm not bitter.
Anyway, they have a really nice house, so it was great to get to have Christmas there. Papa came and my BIG brother Trae was there too. He was with his new fiance` Amy.

We played dirty Santa with giftcards this year for the first time. I think that it went really well, except for some people really didn't understand the game too much. It was fun though and in the end, we all got something that we could use.

This morning, we woke up and got Christmas presents from my parents. Abbey got several nice things such as a Paula Deen cookbook, pepper grinder, McCarty bunny, and a Vera Bradley lunchbox. I got three sweaters, a nail and screw organizer, and we both got pillows to go on our new bed. The real winner was Reed though, who got every bit of his bedding for the nursery! That's awesome!

The Trips

For those of you who don't know, my parents live in Jackson and Abbey's parents live in Memphis. This means that WE get to travel on Christmas. Until we have a baby, that is. We want to make sure that our children open up their Christmas presents at their own house, so we will have to figure out a new travel schedule at that point. Until then, it's pack up the car and head south with a touch of west, then north, then east back home. Abbey and I have developed a great plan for travel. First, she talks and I listen. Then when she is done talking, it is time for her nap. After Abbey naps, it is usually time for a little refreshment. What is better refreshment than Chick-fil-a sweet tea. I always get a large, Abbey usually gets a medium.
After a few sips, it is time for my nap. My, oh my, can I take a nap or what? I tell Abbey she can wake me up when I start snoring, but I think she just turns the radio up.

When I wake up, we usually stop for a meal or something and I take the wheel again. That's what we did on the way to Jackson.

This afternoon, as we traveled to Memphis, we followed the same scenario. I was not thinking though, and didn't grab a shot of Abbey. Just imagine her in the picture below, but cover up with a pea coat and have a KING SIZE pillow (still in the packaging) laid across her.

I, of course, enjoyed my nap immensely! See, what happens when you work together! Everyone gets a nap!

My LITTLE Brother

My little brother Bobby is one of those people who gets offended easily. On a recent trip home to Mississippi, he informed me that he and Alyson's feelings were hurt because they were never on the blog. Well, not wanting to hurt my younger (SPOILED) brother's feelings, I have taken the pictures and am dedicating this blog to him. Although, I have explained to him that there are two VERY convenient ways to get to Nashville, either take 55 to 40 or 20 to 65 and you are set. Visitors ALWAYS find themselves on our blog, and if you didn't know it, EVERYONE is welcome at our house. We have two extra bedrooms and a comfy couch. If we run out of space, we've even got a pretty comfortable air mattress and a really nice Hampton Inn. "I'm cool, I know it."

"Bring it on. I've got my police uniform on." "Jeff, you can't get shot if the gun doesn't have a bullet in it."

"Has anyone seen my bullet?"
We all know who the better looking one in this picture is...the one on the RIGHT!

Homestudy Interview and What We've Up To Today

Our homestudy interview went very well yesterday. Our new caseworker is really excited to be working with us, so I think that they are going to be very efficient at getting our homestudy done. We have our individual interviews next week, and then we have the home visit the next Wednesday, so be praying for us. If anyone would like to come over and help us to child-proof our cabinets, you are welcome to do so.

We made it to Jackson about 9:15 last night. We had an uneventful trip other than a good bit of rain.

Today we woke up and went to Kroger and McAllister's for lunch. Knowing that we always are on the lookout for some great Christmas ornaments, we went to Callaway Gardens for some good buys. Unfortunately, there weren't any. We then went to Target and picked up a few last minute Christmas gifts. Next we traveled to Fads-n-Frames where we were hoping to find a great deal on a Christmas tree. For some reason, they don't seem to think it is time to put their trees on sale just yet.

For supper, we had a delicious meal of Fernando's Tacos! You all know from previous posts that we absolutely LOVE Fernando's and do not miss it when we are in Mississippi. Tomorrow, we are going to Bobby and Alyson's for Christmas with my immediate family.

Adoption Update

We have our first homestudy interview today at 11:00. Yesterday, I received a call from Bethany from a new caseworker. This is number 3 so far that we have worked with. Bethany is apparently going through some reorganization stuff and they are taking us along for the ride. Anyway, our new caseworker seems as aggressive as we are. She told me that when she was assigned our case, they told her that we were aggressively pursuing adoption so she wanted to set up a time for the interview.

She said that she had Tuesday and Wednesday of next week available. I asked her what she had on Thursday (meaning today) and she said that she was completely free. So, I said we'll be there at 11:00. We're excited but we really don't know what to expect.

After the homestudy, we are headed to my parent's house in Jackson, Mississippi. We will be there until Christmas eve and then it is time to go to Memphis. We got our bedroom painted yesterday, it is really pretty. I'll post pictures once the new bed is set up in it.

Springfield Movie Theater

"So, what are we going to do tonight?" Jeff asked in a loving way.

"I don't know, I was thinking of eating supper and just spending some time at home," Abbey responded.

"HOME! OH NO, NOT HOME!" Jeff thought to himself, as he realized that he might have to actually stay at the place he pays so much each month to have.

"I thought we might go eat at 'The Depot' and then go to the movie theater. Springfield has 'Charlotte's Web' showing and I've been wanting to go see that," Jeff quickly rebounded after gaining his breath over being scared about possibly having to stay home for an evening.

"That sounds good," Abbey quiped, "I want to ask you, and I don't mean this ugly, but do you ever want to just stay home?"

"Well, um, well, not, well, I don't mind staying home, it's just that I wanted to go see this movie and I have never been to Springfield theater," Jeff fumbled.

... and thus, the couple headed towards the eatery where they dined and then jaunted over to the theater.

As they entered the theater, they realized that it had raised its prices. Jeff had always heard about the $1.00 theater, and then they heard about the $10.00 date night combo. During the summer, the prices were raised to $2.00 and the $10.00 combo became the $15.00 combo, however, they were stunned to see that tickets were $4.00 a piece and the $15.00 combo was only a memory that stuck to the floor of the theater with everything else.

They went and got a seat, and despite the fact that they had recently gorged themselves at supper, they had to get popcorn because it is rumored to be the best available. Unable to pass up a good deal, Jeff springs for the all you can eat Large popcorn and large coke. At the end of the movie, they discovered that the small would have probably done, because they didn't really eat that much.

When asked, did you enjoy the theater, by Springfield Theater enthusiasts later, Jeff responded, "It's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be." I guess they were never exposed to the Kosciusko Theater back home that had the permanent spot in the middle of the screen from where someone threw a coke and hit it.

The movie was cute and yes, a good time was had by all.

Abbey's Time with Walt

The Sprinkles were so excited, for they were going to have Walt all to themselves this past weekend. Unfortunately, Mrs. Sprinkles' sister-in-law passed away, and so Josh, Ginger, Walt and Evie headed towards good ole Nashvegas. While the weekend wasn't exactly what had been planned, I do believe everyone got to enjoy a little Walty. Everyone, but me, that is!
Seeing the opportunity to get to babysit, because all local relatives would be at the funeral, Abbey volunteered to keep Mr. Walt. I am questioning if she hadn't slipped Walt a little toddy right before she took this one. He looks a little, off-center doesn't he?
Abbey and Walt played for a little while, then Abbey read him a book. Soon, he was off to nap. I was utterly disappointed that I did not get to see him, and I wonder if it is not on purpose. It seems that each opportunity that Abbey has to keep Walt, I am not available. Is this an evil plan by the Sprinkles, or just coincidence?

If you're not familiar with Walty, you need to check out the link to Walt's World on the right.

Announcement

This will come as quite a surprise to most of you LandLife followers our there, but Abbey and I have made a little pre-New Year's Resolution. We have decided that it is time that we stop going to Chick-fil-A every Tuesday night.

We have come to this decision for a variety of reasons:

1. We spend more money driving over there than we save.
2. We have a really nice house and we rarely see the inside of it while we are not sleeping. We need to spend more time home.
3. A trip to Chick-fil-A was rarely followed by a quiet evening at home, but nearly always with a trip to Target. A trip to Target in which we spent 6 times what we saved at Chick-fil-A.
4. The service at Chick-fil-A in Goodlettsville has been TERRIBLE lately. So bad, in fact, that I have been meaning to write a letter. It's been really bad.
5. I bought $200.00 worth of "Super Supper" certificates the other day and we are going to need to eat at home more!
6. We need to put less miles on our cars.
7. It decreases the chances that Abbey will get a ticket in Greenbrier.
8. We are absolutely sure that there is some reality TV show that we are missing on Tuesday nights.

So friends, we have made this announcement, while Church Bulletin Tuesday has been a great, great asset to our family, have chosen to end this tradition. You can stop by our house on Tuesday nights now and see us.

Upcoming posts this week ... Abbey spends time with Walt of Walt's World fame, Jeff and Abbey go to Springfield Theater, and Jeff costars in "A Star too Far."

A Star Too Far

This Sunday night, there will be an unbelievable opportunity for some Robertson County Culture. Our church is presenting the play, "A Star Too Far," at 6:00 on Sunday. It will be a blast. We'd love for anyone who is available to come see it to be there. It is a story of redemption and restoration at Christmastime.

I will be playing the part of Jim. My part is definitely not type-cast, as I am not very much like the character I play. Well, that is excluding the sarcasm that my character seems to enjoy. Anyone that knows me slightly well, knows that I do love sarcasm!

Anyway, we hope that you will come if you are available.

Finally

Most of you have heard me complain that although I live in the home of country music, I have never seen a famous person randomly walking around in Target or the mall, etc. This all changed on Saturday. I was in Rivergate mall while Abbey was buying my Christmas present in Macy's. I have NO idea what she bought me, I just know where she got it.

I was walking out of Finish Line when I looked up and Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw were walking right toward me. I couldn't tell you a single song that either of them sing, but it was good to finally see someone famous, since everyone else I know seems to see famous people all of the time.

In case you are wondering, NO, I didn't say anything to them. I figured they were Christmas shopping and didn't want to be bothered by a nonfan. Just wanted you all to know that I have finally seen famous people randomly. Maybe it will continue.

The Elephant

Whenever I am traveling through Mississippi by way of Memphis, I am always sure to stop at my favorite shop, "Talk of the Town." They sell my favorite pottery, Peter's Pottery. When my grandmother died, Abbey and I bought a piece of pottery that we decided we would use to remember her with. I thought it would be fitting for me to purchase a piece of pottery to help me remember my friend Jay. I bought a small elephant and we have named him Jay. Why an elephant, you may be wondering? Well, we have chosen our nursery bedding and it has elephants on it, so we are going to put Jay in the baby's room. Jay was never able to have children, but he loved people of all ages. We think he will be a great addition to the nursery.
So, we have this piece of pottery and the memory of an incredible human being who taught everyone who knew him to sieze the day and live to the fullest, loving people all of way.

Getting Ready for Dinner III

This one was on the dining table in the Dining Room. It's in a Peter's round casserole that I bought the other day on the way home from Durant.
This turned out to be a fun arrangement with almost a topiary look. It look fun in front of the lighted garland on the mirror in the brown bathroom.
This one is in the room that will be the nursery.
This arrangement was in our bedroom.

We had a great time at the progressive dinner and it was SO yum!

The arrangements consisted of the following flowers: red gerber daisies, red roses, white gladiolas, green berries, white and red alstromeria, white and green pom-poms, bells of ireland, white snapdragons, red kangaroo toes, curly willow, and fresh cedar.

Getting Ready for Dinner II

This arrangment was on our sofa table right when you walk in the door. It was huge.
This arrangement was on one of the end tables in the Living Room.
This one was on the card table and was in a little Peter's Pottery pitcher.
Another arrangement in the living room in a Peter's vase.
This one was in the corner of the dining room.