That's right!  The countdown is on...and has been on for a while in this family!  There's nothing quite like football season! I've been counting down, getting my tailgating ideas flowing at work, and I received this email today that I just must share!

Attempting to explain the relevance, and importance, of college football in the South...

Simply put, it's different down here - just ask former Heisman trophy winner Frank Sinkwich.  "I'm from Ohio," the University of Georgia legend once said, "but if I'd known what it was like down South, I would have crawled down here on my hands and knees."

Football in the South is an interesting beast.  It's not a game, it's not a pastime...it's a way of life.  It's a mixed drink of family, religion, politics, and pageantry, spiked with shots of antagonism, arrogance, and pride.

Critics label our view of college football as naive and tendentious.  Our response?  We couldn't agree more.  Southerners revel in regional bias and why shouldn't we?  In the South, we transform a vast picnic area into the Grove.  We see a stadium on the river and bring a Navy.  We take a plain desert stone and make it magic.  We have The Chop, The Chomp and the Ramblin' Wreck.  We root for the same team as our dad, the same team as his dad.  We call players by their first names, anyone on the athletic staff "coach", and to the chagrin of media pundits and those who just don't understand, we say "We."

Southern football is why my grandmother spent fall Saturdays in orange capris, blue Reebok classics, and alligator jewelry and had a football card of Danny Wuerffel taped to her dresser.  It's the same reason why my mom wouldn't watch the fourth quarter, my dad the first quarter, and my uncle and his two sons have walked around Valdosta, Georgia with a little more pep in their step since December 7th, 2002.

Southern football isn't tailgating, it's all-nighting.  It's not about painting your face, it's about painting your chest.  It's not about grills, it's about cookers.  Inside the stadium, you don't talk to your neighbors, you yell at them.  Those around you aren't strangers; they're 60,000 of your closest friends.  You don't go on the road when you travel to see your team play...you go home.

Down here, you're not born a boy or a girl, you're born a Gamecock or Tiger.  Down here, football is just as entrenched in our culture as Jesus, sweet tea, and barbeque sandwiches.  We say "Yes ma'am" and "No sir", but we also say "Roll Tide", "War Eagle", and "Pig Sooey."  Down here, "two plus two equals third down and six."

Southern football is why you drive through Wrightsville, Georgia and see "The Home of Herschel Walker" on Highway 15.  It's why hundreds of adults in the state of Alabama are named "Bear."  Southern football is Jack "Voice of the Bulldogs" Cristil, Billy Cannon, Eli and Peyton Manning.  It's Bobby Bowden, Vince Dooley, and the Ole' Ball Coach.  It's Cowbells ringing.  It's detergent boxes under toilet paper.  It's frat boys in team-colored pants.  It's Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet in button-down shirts.  Southern Living with a cowboy hat.  It's Crimson and Houndstooth.  It's Maroon and White.  It's a clash of styles that produce a scene often imitated but never duplicated.  Ever.

The setting?  So picturesque you don't want to touch it, yet so enthralling you just can't let it go.  It's a similar one in Starkville, MS, Knoxville, TN, and Blacksburg, VA, and it has been for years.

Southern football is Erk Russell joking, "We don't cheat at Georgia Southern, that costs money and we don't have any."  It's John Heisman saying, "It's better to have died as a young boy than to fumble a football."  It's Bobby Dodd saying he'd rather face the lions in the coliseum than the Tigers in Baton Rouge.  It's Clemson fans stating they would rather be on probation than lose to Furman.

The players, the coaches, and the rivalries are captivating here in the South.  Florida-Georgia weekend causes more people to call in sick on Monday morning than the stomach flu and strep throat.  Alabama-Auburn divides households, neighborhoods, and the entire state, and the Egg Bowl is a true late November fixture.  The storylines are just as alluring.  Think "The Choke at Doak", "Lindsay Scott!!" or the 1961 Clemson-South Carolina game where a group of USC students impersonated the Tiger football team in pre-game warm-ups, catering to the crowd and the band before flopping all over the field and mocking Clemson's agricultural background with milking hand-motions.

Though the press tries to hype the last week in the regular season as rivalry week.  Every week is rivalry week in the South.

Something down here makes this game different.  College football has a legitimate influence on state government, a major effect on commerce and local economies, and is the lifeblood and pulse of God's country.

Perhaps former Tennessee Volunteer radio personality George Mooney put it best: "Southerners are proud of their football heritage, their schools, and their teams.  And they share a deep pride that goes with being from the South," he said.

It's a match made, and currently played, in heaven - Let the season begin!!!

GO DAWGS!!!!!

Typical Family Adventure

 I love my family!  Nothing is taken too seriously.  We always try to laugh at ourselves...and each other.  All the way down to our spectacle leaving Nonnie's funeral giggling from our typical family adventure.  So, this adventure should be no surprise.  But, I still laughed.  All night.  And I wasn't even there!

No, I wasn't present for this adventure, so I will try to accurately tell the story.  I should conduct a formal interview with our family friend, Bill Stewart.  But I'll just try to get it accurate myself.  Feel free to add embellishments at any time.  I'm sure someone else already has...several times!  Ha!  I've heard the longer time goes, the bigger the story becomes.

I'm sure you have seen my Uncle Howard on this blog from time to time.  He is a big man.  Tall and big.  Hilarious.  No filter.  Will do anything for anybody.  Well, he and his friend, Bill, set out fishing last weekend.  I'm sure it was like any other day fishing with the guys.

Until....

 Uncle Howard fell in!  Yes, he did!  I'm still laughing thinking about it.  He fell in...

...lost his camera, glasses, and hat.  Oh, how I wish I was there to witness the hilarity!  Or maybe I'm glad I didn't hear what he had to say!  Ha!  Apparently, his first item of business was finding all his belongings.  And he did...

His next item of business...getting back in the boat.  Which couldn't have been an easy task for Uncle Howard.

Once on the boat, all is well.  The good news?  He still got the fish!

Just another typical family adventure.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Let's see....On August 18, 1957, my Nonnie turned 30 years old.  Then, the very next day she gave birth to her little girl.  That little girl, born August 19, is my mother.  I'm sure that was quite a birthday gift!  Yesterday, our family celebrated the 54 years of laughter that Mama has given to everyone who knows her.  Ha! 

We made plans to have dinner in Memphis, and Mama chose Bonefish Grill.  Oh my!  Talk about yummy food!  We met at the restaurant, talked over each other all night, laughed til we hurt, ate til we popped, and enjoyed watching Mama open her gifts.

Dustin, Kristin, and Lee

Me and Russ

Mama and Daddy

After stuffing our faces with some delicious Bang Bang Shrimp, filets, lump crab soup, potatoes au gratin, seamed veggies, and more...we ordered DESSERT!  Ha!  While we waited on our dessert, we let Mama open her presents.

Family portrait puzzle from Russ and me

Mama LOVES puzzles!

Pretty bow!

CUTE shoes from Lee, Kristin, and Daddy to go with the outfit they gave her!

Dustin's card

The purse from Dustin to go with her new outfit

Just as we finished up with gifts, the desserts were there!  The big hit of the night....

Banana's Foster!

Kristin accidentally used her birthday card as a napkin!  Ha!

After dinner, Mama was dying to see The Help.  I had already seen it during a "girl's night" this week, but I was happy to see it again!  It was SO good!  Just as good the second time!  It's also so fun watching all the landmarks from Jackson that we recognized.  Our favorites were the scenes shot at the Mayflower in downtown Jackson.  The last time Pops took Nonnie out for their anniversary was the Mayflower!  So sweet!

The girls before the movie

So, here we are 54 years later.  Many more years to come...and TONS of memories to be made!  Happy birthday, Mama!  Hope it was great!

Dear Birthparent(s)

Well, it's official!  We got our profiles out to the agency last week and our online profile is up as of today!  Everything is TOTALLY out of our hands.  All we can do is pray for God's peace and for His will.  We can pray for the birthmother of our baby...that she feel God's peace and comfort as she walks along this difficult journey.  As much as we never could have dreamed of this wonderful journey for ourselves, I'm quite sure she never planned hers this way either.  But we also know that God is able to do immeasurably more!  His plan is perfect!  Please pray for the birthmothers who read our profile.  That they may listen to Him as they choose the family for their sweet baby growing inside their tummy.  We can also pray for our child.  For the health, growth, and the wonderfully and fearfully made baby that He has chosen for our little family.  Several have asked (If they haven't asked us, we heard they have asked our friends/family!  Ha!) what our preferences are.  I just want you to know that we are fervently praying for the child God has planned for us to parent.  We can pray for our patience as we wait on the Lord for His plan to be revealed.  Although we are incredibly excited, we are also antsy as we plan for an unknown date and unknown child. 

Until then, please take a look at our online profile by clicking here.  Feel free to frequent the page and whisper prayers for our journey.  YOU are such an important and cherished part of our journey, and I hope you know that we are overwhelmed with gratitude and love.  Thank you for joining us on this path!

Dear Birthparent(s),

We only have one word to describe our feelings for you - respect.  We greatly admire and respect your decision to choose life for your sweet little one.  We can't imagine your feelings right now, but we pray that God will comfort you and guide you as you continue this difficult journey.  Thank you for taking the opportunity to learn more about us as potential adoptive parents.  We hope to give you a good idea of who we are and what kind of life your baby would have as a precious addition to our family.

We are Russ and Megan, high school sweethearts since 2000.  We were married five years later by Megan's dad, who is a pastor at our hometown church.  Our love grows stronger each day.We're best friends with big dreams for our family.  We enjoy spending time together whether we play games on the Wii, watch a movie, play board games, take a trip to the zoo, travel, or simply hang out together at home on a Friday night.  One of our favorite things to do as a "Party of Two Praying for More" is to tailgate and attend Mississippi State football games!

Russ is, honestly, the best person I know.  He is my very best friend, and I am incredibly blessed that he chose me!  He always has a positive word and tries to keep me in line.  I love that I married a man who is my spiritual leader, comforter, and playmate!  Russ is devoted to taking care of our family.  He graduated medical school in 2009 and is currently continuing his work in radiology.  I am grateful that his occupation offers me the ability to be a stay-at-home mom.  Russ is multi-talented and has many interests.  First of all, he is an amazing physician who cares deeply about his patients.  Outside of work, Russ loves to run, work out, play tennis and play the guitar, piano, or harmonica.  He can sing too!  Quite the musical talent!  He has a love for photography and takes fabulous photos.  In fact, he was the photographer for a wedding this past summer!  Above all his interests, his love for family is so strong.  When Russ was choosing his specialty in the last years of medical school, the biggest contributor to his decision was family.  He wanted a career that allowed time for him to enjoy being home with us.  I am thankful for that!  Because of his heart and how he treats others, I know that Russ will absolutely be the best daddy!  I cannot wait to melt as I watch him with our baby one day playing the guitar and singing lullabies as he tucks him or her in at night.

Megan is the love of my life.  She is someone who I greatly admire.  She is my best friend and I couldn't be happier that she chose me to spend her life with.  She is a woman who truly loves God and strives to make her desires the desires that God wants for her life.  She is a wonderful wife and will truly make a wonderful mother.  She has so much love to give and would be so excited to show that love to a precious child.  She has been a teacher for almost six years and has touched the lives of each and every child she has taught.  She has made her children believe in themselves when others have given up on them.  She sees the potential in children and makes every effort to bring that out in their lives.  When we are around our eight nieces and nephews, her eyes light up and her happiness is something that cannot be contained.  Family has always been one of her top priorities.  Anytime one of her or my family members is involved in sports or a play or something else that requires an audience, she is front and center ready to cheer them on.  I get so excited when I think about her cheering on our child as he or she grows into what God would have them to be.

Family is, and always has been, very important to both of us.  We both come from incredibly loving families who have shown us the true example of a loving, Christian marriage and family.  This new addition will be the first grandchild for Megan's family, and they are beyond excited about welcoming a little one to love and spoil!  Russ's family has been begging us to start a family since the day we were married to join the sweetest, spunkiest group of nieces and nephews we've ever known!  We live close to both of our families and spend holidays and special events surrounded by love and FUN whether it is our annual family Easter egg hunts (And, yes, there is a separate adult hunt that is serious competition!  Ha!) or reading the Christmas Story as a family on Christmas Eve.  We cannot wait to see our little blessing enjoying the same fun and love that we have experienced throughout our lives.

With eight nieces and nephews, we have always envisioned our home filled with lots of laughter and giggles from little ones running from one room to the next and infinite hugs, kisses, and "I love you's!"  We began trying five years ago to grow our family.  After several years of tears, treatments, and prayer, we are thrilled that God has chosen to grow our family through the miracle of adoption!  What a beautiful picture of what He has done for us...adopting us into His family!  You see, our plans for our family were nothing compared to God's plan.  He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine.  We're so glad He knows more!

We promise to love and cherish your sweet baby forever!  We can promise that we will show our love to your child every single day and every opportunity we have!  We promise to raise your child to love our Heavenly Father and understand the importance of time spent with Him.  Your child will also know how much YOU love him or her.  In fact, you love your baby so much that you are choosing LIFE!  What courage you have!  Your baby will know about your strength and feel proud of your decision as we do.  We look forward to making precious memories with your child like Christmas mornings, trips to the zoo, story time, catching lightning bugs, family time, singing and dancing, and fun-filled days as a family.  Your child will feel special.  We promise to provide the best educational opportunities and to encourage your child to be the best he or she can be.  We would love to keep you updated as your child grows, learns, and matures.  Thank you for your love for your baby.  We are thankful for you!  And we will continue to pray for YOU, the one to whom God gave your baby first.

Sincerely,
Russ and Megan

Date Night at Range USA

Tonight, we had a great date night with friends!  Russ and Jake have been dying to try out Range USA, a shooting range in Memphis, for some time now.  I am very much not a fan of guns.  I won't even touch Russ's.  So, when Jake and Russ had this discussion at church a while back, I was glad he found someone to join him.  That is until Jennifer walked up.  Apparently, she finds shooting guns liberating.  Ahem.  Enter my participation.  When Jennifer and Jake decided to come for a visit, I worked up the courage to enjoy my date night at the shooting range.

 

 

My first shooting range experience!

The best dates ever

What's great about "Date Night" at this shooting range is that for one great price, you can have one hour in a lane, two boxes of ammunition, and two meals.  There is a restaurant there too!  So, while we waited until our name was called, we enjoyed a nice dinner full of conversation.  Jake was like a kid in a candy store gobbling his food so that he would be ready when our names were called!  Ha!  Jen and I let the boys have a little "boy shooting time" while we finished up our meal and girl talk.  Then....we joined.  Oh my!

Jake trying to teach Jen about the gun, but it was so loud!

It was so loud!  Jennifer went straight in, grabbed the gun and began protecting her babies.  I was quite nervous about the experience, so Jennifer told me that she just imagines someone coming in her home and she needs to protect them.  And, she did a great job!  Don't ever try to attack her.  Not a good idea.  So....she and Jake took turns shooting and loading. 

 

"Liberating!" she says.

 

Jake's gigantic gun!

While I wiped the sweat from my hands and steadied my shaky hands.  I would hold the gun, freak out, and put it right back down.  Russ was quite patient.  (Probably because we were with Jennifer and Jake! Ha!)  I'm sure he was dying on the inside!  Finally, I pulled the trigger and shot with a scream!

A nervous wreck!

Once I shot a few, I became more and more comfortable.  I never was completely confident, though.  I had to work up my courage every single time I shot.  I would shoot a couple and let Russ have a turn.  I did decide to pull up my hair, put my big girl panties on, and deal with it though.  

Now, I'm getting down to business!

Jennifer and Jake were the first to run through their two boxes of ammo, since I took ten minutes of prep before each shot!  Ha!  They were good sports about watching us finish up!  Plus, Jake went back to retrieve more targets.  They had lots of bullet holes to admire!  Ha!

Sweet friends

Look at that aim!

Russ and I got busy finishing up our ammunition as the range began shutting down.  I was still a little slow and not interested in many shots in a row, so Russ finished up the box for us.  He hung his target upside down and shot the "bad guy's" face off pretty much!

Getting a little better at my aim.

Russ is a pro, however.

 We had such a fun date night with friends!  It was great to try something new and enjoy laughing, encouraging, and visiting with each other.  We have missed Jennifer and Jake very much since our move, and we are SO glad they came up for the night. 

Not bad!

 

 

 I guess this was Jennifer's late birthday celebration!  Ha!  And what a celebration it was! We ended our evening with a late Target run and sitting around the apartment until midnight before they headed back home.  Thanks, Jen and Jake, for helping Russ get me out of my comfort zone and for being the great friends you are to us!  We love ya!

My College Roommate Praying for More...

From Jamaica mon!

Kelly and Aaron

Love you two so much!

A Big Week

This week turned out to be a big one for us.  Our adoption training was scheduled for Thursday in Jackson, and we made plans to stay with our dear friends, Pat and Felicia, to soak in sweet baby Nate.  We got in town Wednesday night around 8, and the Robbins family all stayed up to greet us.  Toby couldn't wait to show us his baby brother!  So tiny!  

We had a great visit until way past bedtime before we all put our heads on our pillows.  Sweet dreams until our alarm went off the next morning.  Usually I'm not much of a morning person, but when someone is in the kitchen cooking you a deliciously incredible breakfast of biscuits and tomato gravy, it would be hard to keep me under the covers!  Oh. My. Gracious!  It was SO good!  If you've never had Felicia's tomato gravy, please just knock on her door and tell her I sent you!  Ha!

We spent all day Thursday at the adoption training.  It was a great experience, and we had a chance to connect with other prospective adoptive parents who were at the same place we were.  During the adoption training, we all discussed and asked questions on the topic of birthparents, legal matters, search and reunions of birthparents, post adoption depression, realistic expectations, and deciphering between adoption and normal child development among other things.  There were guest speakers including the Bethany attorney and a mental health professional.  The best part of the entire day was at the end when a panel of adoptive parents, birthmothers, and a "Bethany baby" shared their stories. Needless to say, we needed tissue once the first sentence was spoken. It was very touching and helpful to hear personal stories of families who have worked with Bethany through this journey on ALL sides.  We were able to ask questions, laugh together, cry together, and hear encouragement from them.  I am so appreciative that they felt led to share their time with us.

Once our training was over, we headed back to Pat and Felicia's for Russ to take some newborn pics of Nate.  He took Toby's baby pics too, and we were thrilled to do the same for Nate!

Plus, Russ can get in all his practice and experience so he will be ready to take pictures of our little one!

We mustn't forget big brother!  We tried with all our might to get him in pictures, and we were successful at times!  Ha!

 I love this picture!  It pretty much sums it up! Ha!

 Robbins family portrait

Mommy and Daddy got in on the fun too!  We love these two so much!

Thank you SO much, as always, for being such great friends!  We miss you terribly and can't wait to watch our children grow up together!  

But, this isn't the end of the big week!  Nope.  We got a phone call from Elizabeth yesterday letting us know that our home study has been APPROVED!!!!  Yay!!!  We are so excited and ready to get our profiles out there!  They should be here by Monday, and I will send them directly to the Bethany office for the showing!  Thank you all SO much for your prayers and encouragement through this part of the journey!  They have been invaluable.  Now, we are prayerful throughout our wait...however long or short it will be.  Prayerful for the birthmother, the child God has chosen for our family, and for our patience as we wait.

Thankful for a BIG WEEK!