Jack Warner Pkwy

Here are a couple pictures from our little apartment at

1130 Jack Warner Pkwy NE #8B

Tuscaloosa, AL 35404

We loved that little place. It was the perfect little apartment for us to live in after the tornado until we moved. That little loveseat was given to us from one of Dan's old professors. We loved that little loveseat! Until it became Jude's changing table.

These chairs were given to us from the girl we subleased from over the summer. They are the nicest modern little chairs! We still have them.

Our little plant didn't make it through the move. But we love that little stool that we refinished! That TV stand we got off Craigslist too.

I made this bean bag chair for Dan for Christmas. It's full of down feathers!

The view from the kitchen. We loved how open it was.

Ashley made me that beautiful flower garland. I love it!

Our kitchen table that survived the tornado. It has personality.

The front hallway from the front door. Lots of walking Jude up and down those halls in the middle of the night!

We sure loved that apartment!

University of Alabama grad!

My sweet Dan has graduated with honors with a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Alabama! I am so proud of him. He didn't walk at graduation so we are waiting for his diploma to get here in the mail and we will have an official celebration! He had lots of good memories there so I asked him a few questions to help us always remember them. :)

What are your best memories from the University of Alabama?

"Football games, swimming in the outdoor pool with the water slide, going to the Bahamas, my labs"

What were some of your most memorable classes?

"Organic chemistry, generak biology with Dr. Olsen (because of the teacher, not really the class), Freshman English was crazy because my teacher was psycho (he used to swear all the time and I was smarter than everyone else because I was way older). I really liked my rural studies with Dr. Wheat. I liked my general chemistry labs because I got to dissect lung fish, frogs, rats, and more. I liked working in the lab with Dr. Lopez and Hu studying phycology. Cell cycle regulation was challenging but I felt like I started out knowing nothing and had a firm grasp on it by the end of the class."

What are your favorite memories at UA?

"The football games"

Tell me about the football games.

"I liked  screaming roll tide, learning all the songs, winning, picking fights with LSU fans...

The LSU game was a lot of fun even though we lost. We beat LSU though in the National Championship though so that was much better. One time a drunk, loud LSU fan was being really crazy and stupid and kept saying that LSU was going to go to the National Championship and we had no chance so I pushed him. He pushed me back. Then he started swearing at me and everyone else told him to be quiet. He yelled “You wanna fight?! Let’s go!” And I said… “You better keep walking if you know what’s best for you.” Josh had my back. Literally, he was standing behind me. Trevor was like ten people behind me with his baby strapped on. Trevor told everybody about it. He thought it was awesome. I was just mad because we lost the game."

You are in the process of applying for the Navy. Tell me what happened the other day.

"It all began in New York City, the Big Apple. Rachael tried to buy some postcards from a Chinese guy and he refused to sell them to  her because she insulted him on accident. We found ourselves wandering down the sidewalk of Times Square at 10:00 pm with no postcards. A mystical sign appeared in front of us, "10 postcards for $0.92". We looked at each other and said, We gotta get some postcards! We started looking at these postacrds when this naval officer walked up and started looking at them too. He had heard us talking about how cool these postcards are. So Rachael was joking with him and said, "We don’t need ten postcards; we should go halfsies and each pay 50 cents." That opened the door to discussion. Then I said, “I’m actually applying to the Navy right now. “ And he asked me who my recruiter is. I told him HM1 Gerity. He said "Oh, I don't know him but he’d know me. I ‘m Force Master Chief Grey and I’m in charge of all naval recruiting." Then he handed me a card and told if you have any trouble in your application process let me know, and if things don’t work out how you want them to then give me a call. He then bought his postcards and left. 

It’s such a small world and a great blessing to have met the head of recruiting for the Navy right when I was desperately trying to gain acceptance into the Navy and get their scholarship!"

What other memories do you want to remember?

"The University of Alabama trucks would ride by and I would grab onto the back of them (usually without them even noticing) and hitch a ride around the quad on my skateboard. Everyone would watch me and think it was so funny. That was fun. I liked that."

"I missed my finals twice. The first time was because of the tornado and I never had to make them up. That was a good thing because I probably would have failed Organic Chemistry if I would have had to take the final. The second time was a miracle instead of a tragedy! Instead of life being taken away it was given when Jude was born. I had to make up all my finals. I got a 98% on my Biochemistry final so it turned out pretty good!"

We had a mock graduation ceremony in the midst of packing and moving since Dan didn't walk. So he donned his honors stole, Katlin played the University of Alabama song and I gave him his super official diploma. It was so great.

quick trip.

Remember how Dan took a quick one-day trip to the beach a couple weeks ago? The very next morning we packed up our bags and left for South Carolina in the wee hours to make it for the inspection on OUR HOUSE! We stopped by Zaxby's and had some delicious chicken, stretched our legs, then jetted to the house and met our funny little inspection man. He was so intense. We didn't know how to take him at first as he was darting around the house from one task to the next. We had to stop him to tell him we wanted to go along with him during the inspection to be advised from his expertise. We learned to love him in no time and he shared a wealth of knowledge with us on how to improve and care of our sweet little home. We met our neighbors, Dan explored the woods and creek in the backyard, and before four hours had passed we were back in the car for our six hour ride home.

struggling on the car ride. we wedged his occe next to his head to give himsupport. he's not a big fan of the road trips.

?hmm, dad, what do you think about that?'

"yeah, i think it should be okay..."

Loooong day! Especially for Dan, who drove 22 hours in a 32 hour period. He was a little loopy by the time we hit the Alabama border. Really loopy actually. I've never seen him like that. It was theee funniest. We made it home safely and sound!

goodbye alabama!

We love our friends and are already missing them. We love them so much!

Jude and Caroline had a definite connection...

Jude made the first move.

Jonah being sweet and sassy...

Fernie came over to say goodbye to her baby.

We love Fernie!!!

Bishop Wyatt came over to say goodbye. :)

Katlin stayed all day and helped us. She took care of her little Jude. He loooved her!

Josh and Dan. BFFs!

Jonah lovin the pool...

Caroline lovin on Aly.

Megan Sorenson and Cooper bein crazy as always!

Stuart Hopkins and his sweet little girl!

Dan and Aaron Richards, we will miss that smile and laugh!

Trevor bein all manly :)

I miss these girls! Aly, Kim, and Megan 

LOVE YOU ALL!!! 

Jude's four month shots

My sweet little baby had his four month set of shots a couple weeks ago. Soo sad! I think it was worse this time around. Maybe because he is more aware and alert and just looks at me so helplessly. Or maybe because I've had two more months to love him and get to know him. My friend told me what her former pediatrician's office did to make the shots less traumatizing for the little ones and I thought it was a great idea that every pediatrician's office should implement. The idea is to have two nurses give the shots simultaneously in each leg. He had to get four injections this time, so instead of giving one shot, then another, then another, then another, he only had to get what felt like two shots because he got two of them at the same time. I politely told the doctor about it. I knew if I had the doctor on my side, she would tell the nurses to do it and the nurses do what the doctor says. So the doctor told me that would be fine, it just might take a little longer to wait for two nurses instead of one. And she said she had never even heard of doing that before. I think it should spread and everyone should start doing it! The first nurse came in and then the second. The second nurse acted all perturbed. Really?! She's obviously never had a child. The second nurse was all on her high horse and she said he had to lay down on the table "for safety purposes" although they let me hold him last time. I figured I would pick my battles. So I laid him down on the table. He was smiling and kicking like the most innocent happy little child. Then came the shots. INSTANT HYSTERIA. As soon as they were done I immediately brought him up to me and started feeding him. He calmed down and was just exhausted. He fell asleep on the 0.4 mile ride home and this is how I found him in his car seat once we got home...

Then we had a post shots photo shot. Typical. See two month shot post here.

He had a rough day or two after this set. No fever or anything, just kinda miserable. He's back at it now, though. LOVE HIM!

soul surfer

Surfing is Dan's passion in life. And that still seems like an understatement. He and a friend left at 5:00 am last Saturday morning, drove 4 1/2 hours to the beach- Gulf Shores, surfed all day, drove back, and got home at eleven Saturday night. Now that's love. He tracks the swells/waves every day of his life and knew it would be good on Saturday so he took full advantage. He even made a deal and got the board of his dreams while he was down there! A fish 7S. So happy together those two.

Now, we just need to move closer to the beach. Maybe after medical school...

bumbo

Jude is now sitting up like the biggest boy in his newly acquired bumbo. He wasn't too sure about it at first.

Mama, what is this thing?

His head was a little wobbly at first, but by his second go round he had it down to an art form. We are  diligently trying to keep him off his back because it's "flattenting out a little bit" according to the pediatrician. She throws that around like it's no big deal. Uhmm.. big deal over here! We are hard core tummy time now days. He's been a little confused as to why we won't let him sleep in his bed anymore, he will thank us someday. :)

If you click on the picture above and buy the bumbo, I get money. You know you want to.