Granny better step up her game...

I didn't know you could technically "beat" Wii bowling, but Derek bowled a perfect game this past weekend!

Derek and my granny have had a long-standing rivalry at this game. Granny used to bowl semi-pro back in the day, and once she discovered you could bowl on a video game, it got her back in the competitive spirit. She injured her shoulder in July and hasn't been able to play since, but hopefully she'll get the all-clear in a few weeks and be back in the swing of things.

I have a feeling our next family bowling tournament will be intense... :)

Original Artwork

Yep, just call us the newest pair of Picassos. Ha! Friday night we had a "date night" at Easely Amused, and the theme was Picasso style. As you can see, we got in touch with our creative sides and had a blast painting our own original artwork.

Derek's painting on the right is more Picasso-esque than mine on the left. He did a great job! I think mine turned out looking like a cross between a Muppet, Sponge Bob and Maurice from "Little Monsters" (one of my favorite movies back in the day, by the way). All in all, we were pretty proud of our work!

This place was super fun, and they even let you bring in your own adult beverages to help you get creative. I'd love to go back again when they have another fun theme. In the meantime, we'll just have to figure out where to hang these two fabulous new pieces of art. I think they'll fit right in with the rest of our collection. :)

Best Weekend Ever

We had an AMAZING weekend that started out with birthday dinner at my parents' house in Hattiesburg. We headed down Friday afternoon and had a great time spending the evening with family.

Saturday we got up bright and early and went south to Lumberton for Derek and Gary's skydiving adventure! The weather was iffy, but it turned out to be perfect and they had so much fun! The peanut gallery (including me, of course) on the ground had an equally fun time watching. Here are a few pics...

After they were done we came back to Jackson to get ready for my birthday dinner out at Ro'Chez in Ridgeland. We had never been there before, but we absolutely LOVED IT! Great food, great friends, lots and lots of wine... it was incredible.

Here's Chef Roache going over the menu for the night...

Thai Pork - Peanut Satay of Pork Tenderloin served atop Thai Slaw on a Sesame Cracker
Chicken & Shrimp Dumpling - Moose of Smoked Chicken and Shrimp formed into a Dumpling served on Baby Lettuce with Sesame Dressing
Polynesian Filet - Jerked Filet Mignon on Roasted Potatoes and Onions Smothered with Coconut Hinted Demi
Citrus Scallop - 5 Spice Seared Scallop on Pineapple Fried Rice Finished with Roasted Citrus Butter
Bourbon Berry Crêpe - Bourbon and Berries in a Crepe with Ice Cream

We had our own private dining room beside the restaurant and right after the third course my favorite local musician Ralph Miller made a surprise appearance and entertained us for the rest of the evening. It could not have been more perfect!

We had to take a group picture Chef Roache and Ralph in it before we left. :)

It was a wonderful end to an absolutely incredible day... I can say that I will welcome my 29th birthday with a big smile on my face tomorrow. We truly celebrated in style!

First day of fall

Today is the first official day of fall, and I am more than ready to welcome a new season. I couldn’t be happier that fall is in the air! It’s my favorite time of year (now if only the weather would reflect the actual season here in Mississippi, we’d be good...)

The summer of 2009 was a long and hard one from the very beginning. We stayed extremely busy for three months straight, which wasn’t a bad thing, but I know I’m not alone in saying I’m very ready for a change. Sometimes a change in season is all you need to change your outlook on things, I think.

The only sad part about leaving summer behind is the thought that all our beautiful plants that Derek has taken such great care of might only have a few more months to live. He has been so dedicated to keeping them watered and happy, and in turn, they’ve bloomed all summer long. Maybe now that my parents have a nice, new greenhouse in their backyard they wouldn’t mind fostering their “grandplants” for the winter. :)

Now that fall is officially here, I greet it with open arms as I get ready for firepits and fireplaces, red wine, long sleeves, warm socks, holidays, fleece blankets and hot chocolate. My only complaint is that we’ll say goodbye to our frequent visits from fireflies…

I can never pass up a good porch party!

We headed to Vicksburg yesterday for a shower for Lauchlin and Olivia. We saw lots of old friends and stuffed ourselves silly with plenty of great shower food.

Afterwards we headed back over to their house for a good, old-fashioned porch party. Back in the old newspaper days I spent many a late night on that screened-in front porch, and it's been entirely too long since the last time. We talked, laughed, told stories and even decided it would be a good idea to decorate ourselves with some temporary tattoos (why, I have no idea, but I spent half an hour this afternoon scrubbing my butterfly off). It was great!

And an extra special treat of the evening was an inaugural game of Rock Band - BEATLES! It was so much fun! It's definitely on our must-have list now. I doubt we can even wait until Christmas. :)

It was a fun night, and it was just like old times. Congratulations, Lauchlin and Olivia! I'm happy for you two, and I can't wait until your big day!

Oh, Lynyrd Skynyrd, I'm so sorry...

I just had to share this, especially after watching "Glee" last night. I'm not quite sure what to think, but I thought you'd feel the same way. I mean, seriously??

DISCLAIMER: If you, by chance, have ties to Clinton High School's Attache' Showchoir, I'm sorry if this offends you. I'm not saying these kids aren't truly talented, but some songs should just be left alone and not choreographed and split into five-part harmony...

Happy Birthday times two!

This week we're celebrating two very special family birthdays... my mom's was Saturday, and my father-in-law's is Wednesday.

My mom and I will have a belated celebration in a couple of weeks in between her birthday and mine on the 28th. We're going for dinner tomorrow with the Greys for Gary's birthday.

To both of you, a very, very happy birthday! We love you very much!