Football & Fairy Tales The McSwains

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas Pictures - Take 2

Here we are 2 weeks later, trying again:

Christmas Pictures

So trying to get a family Christmas picture this year was a little more challenging than last year. Here is our first attempt - with a special thanks to Annie for playing photographer!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

This year my 31st birthday fell on Thanksgiving Day. I really ended up with a Thanksgiving week celebration. Anne took me out to Baja & shopping on Tuesday night, the McSwains kept Madison Claire so Ryan and I could go out on Wednesday night, and then we celebrated with the McSwains on Thursday day! Ryan and I went back and forth on where to go for our date and ended up deciding on the Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel. I must say, it was dissapointing overall. Some things were really good but others were not at all, so kind of hit or miss. Afterwards we went to Melting Pot for dessert - my favorite! We were thinking about going to a movie, but the night ended so uneventfully because of me. There have been a few days during this pregnancy where I have felt so unbelievably tired that I honestly feel like if I do not go to sleep at that precise minute I may die. Wouldn't you know I got hit with a wave of exhaustion as we were finishing up dinner and I'm not kidding when I say that I was in bed asleep by 8:30pm.

The next day we headed over to the McSwains to celebrate Thanksgiving. Cheryl cooked a great meal and we celebrated with their good friends Joan & Glen. Madison Claire wasn't really a fan of eating (shocking, I know) so Ryan finally started threatening her with bed time. He would say, you can eat this bite or go to bed and she would just open that little mouth and stuff a bite in. I felt so sorry for her! But I know she needs to eat! That night ended on a down note as well - as we were leaving it was raining and I slipped on some leaves and totally busted to the ground. I was holding Madison Claire and luckily I fell in such a way that she didn't even touch the group but all I have to say for me is - OUCH!

The next morning we headed up to Cincinnati to visit with Ryan's extended family. I had been really nervous about Madison Clarie's behavior because she hasn't been doing too well while traveling or at restaurants. Wouldn't you know she was a perfect angel. She was great in the car, slept like an angel in the pack-n-play at the hotel in the same room as us, was on her best behavior at restaurants, and was just a joy around Ryan's grandparents. THANK YOU LORD!

We had a great visit. We ate at Skyline Chili (Ryan's favorite) 3 times. Ryan consumed 18 chili cheese dogs over the 3 day period (NOT an exaggeration!), we had dinner with the Terry's and Bev at Montgomery Inn, breakfast with Grandpa McSwain, Mike & Sue, Daniel & Kristin and their girls at Golden Corral, and finished off with a dinner at the Grand Finale. In between there, we spent time visitng with family, resting, watching football, shopping, and having fun with Madison Claire. All in all, a great trip!

America's Next Top Model

Madison Claire looked so cute the other morning I decided to take some pictures of her and she actually posed for me! I love the progression of the pictures - so cute!!

Zoo Day!

November was such a warm month in Nashville - the week of Thanksgiving it was in the 70s all week - it was wonderful! One day, we met up with some friends at the Nashville zoo. Here was the only picture I was able to get - we're missing Sara & Amelia in the pic, but at least we see the little ones.

I love my Daddy!

I love this series of pictures of Madison Claire with Ryan. Every day when she hears the garage door open, she runs to the door and says "Da Da". He is very special to her...and I'm so grateful for what a wonderful father he is (he's playing with her upstairs in the playroom right now as I write this...kind of appropriate :))