Happy Birthday!!!

Last weekend was a celebration of birthdays.  

Saturday afternoon we celebrated the birthday of my mother in law - DeeDee to the grandchildren.

Today is actually Dottie's birthday but she enjoyed celebrating early with her boys, Paul and Rush, and the rest of the fam. Happy Birthday DeeDee!!

Sunday lunch we celebrated the first birthday of my nephew FORD.

Ford with his Grandmothers

Ford with Mac Daddy & uncles

Ford with Parents & Cousins

Smash Cake

Opening Presents

Sunday night celebrated Lillian's Jubilee birthday.

Mobile

Sitting on the sectional couch in the den while everyone else in the house remains asleep. I am listening to the steady beeping emanating from the gas log fireplace.  At times like these, I am so thankful for Paul who will be in charge of stopping the beeps.

Last Thursday, Fairchild and I packed up with Rayne, Holden and Pie traveling south to Mobile to attend my cousin Shannon's baby shower. 

While there I was blessed to get the chance to visit with my cousin Amanda. Fairchild loved playing with her girls, Anne & Alice.  Little girls at play have a way of capturing your heart....esp when they are cousins. It wasn't that many years ago that the three little girls at play were me, Amanda and Beth (Amanda's sister).

Unfortunately, out of fear of being "that family member with the camera", I did not take any photos of the very lovely baby shower. Somehow, I also missed taking pics of the honoree, Shannon, which is most disappointing because she looked FABULOUS!! The only photos I did manage to take in Mobile where of Fairchild, Holden and Pie hanging out in bed Friday morning - trying to be both entertaining and quiet as not to wake the rest of the house.

Dothan Mixed Doubles Combo

Team Bradford & Paul


(Yes, PG borrowed my hot pink tennis bag and carried it around the tennis courts all weekend. No lack of confidence in him...or maybe it's his color blindness)

Last weekend, we traveled to Dothan riding with Rayne and James.  Arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn greeted by our fabulously inspired tennis coach Baxter telling us about the tennis matches from Thursday - all Selma teams won!

The results for the Selma teams the remainder of the weekend were not quite as wonderful as Thursday BUT everyone had a great time, players as well as supporters.

Labor Day Rewind: SCC Championship

We are home for Labor Day Weekend. I am thrilled to have a relaxed weekend in town.  Only unfortunate happening thus far is I woke up at 5:30 this morning and  have not returned to sleep. Scheduled to participate in tennis clinic a little later this morning....not much may be accomplished before then.

A couple of weekends ago, the Selma Country Club held its annual Member Golf Tournament.  

Paul served as Sam's caddy, coach and driver both mornings of the tournament. Saturday morning Fair, Pal and I piled into a golf cart and followed Sam with his grouping of Teddy Henry and Allen Lightfoot.  Sunday, Pie and I raced to the course right after Blue Jean Service to see them finish up. It was a pleasure to see their concentration every shot, ability to stay on task for two hours and knock the ball further than I thought possible. Sam won an award for  placing  second in his age group.

Paul ended up winning the tournament  Sunday by shooting one under his best friend, Andy Stewart.

Paul was paired with to play with Tommy Jones. I don't know what they did or talked about but both of them reported having a fantastic time. I think I would have been thoroughly entertained being a fly in their golf cart. 

Congratulations to Tommy for his hole in one!

Selma Times Journal published a very readable (even to a non-golfer) article on the tournament. Click HERE to read it.

Big School

On Wednesday, August 15th the 2012-2013 school year began for my fabulous peeps. The first time to slip into the Morgan Academy uniform that they will wear for the next 12 - 14 years respectively.  They are thrilled to attend "Big School".

Fairchild is in Miss Donna's 4k class

Inaugural year for the Morgan Preschool Program

Fairchild with Miss Donna

Fair's favorite thing in the room - the slide!

Sam is in Miss Moore's first grade class.

Monkey so they will know which classroom is theirs when walking down the elementary corridor.
That's a veteran teacher!

Sam sitting in his very first school desk.

Rewind: Baby Shower

Books & Blessings baby shower for Rayne & James in June. 

Considering my lack of cooking skills, I planned the menu early and secured promises from those with cooking skills to deliver. Thank goodness for gifted friends!

Intimate dinner gathering. Nibbling began with Bradford's cocktail pimento cheese.  The main course was chicken, artichoke & spinach lasagna served with a wonderful blueberry avocado salad and some crusty bread. Beth's gourmet cookies for dessert. Also, primarily to please James who prefers fruit deserts, I made a sour cream apple pie.  Needless to say, from beginning to end - delish!

I finished cleaning the house about thirty minutes before start time. I was enjoying a lovely glass of wine with Pie, who seemed to be "glowing", when we made a horrific discovery for any Alabama hostess in June...the air conditioner was not working.  Literally, during the shower, there were clusters of people throughout my entire house holding conversations while standing over vents to catch the wee bit of cool air managing to eek out. I am not certain how many guests believed that the air was not working properly. Why? Because they know Paul. Figured he was just refusing to lower the digits on the thermostat. Seriously, when my family gathered at my house last June for several days immediately following my grandmother's death, my father told Paul straight out "I am going to set this thermostat on 65 and will pay your power bill this month if you do not touch it for the next three days." I still giggle. The children and I have acclimated pretty well (hence the reason I was able to clean my house prior to the shower without realizing the air conditioner was defunct). 

Usually, I am all about taking some photos but this particular night only took a few. Upon review, realized most of them were not of the guests or even the guests of honor - yikes!  So much for winning the sister of the year award.

As you can tell, the baby theme paraphernalia was kept to a minimum. A few blue balloons on the mailbox, blue O for Osborn on the door wreath, highchair with baby, wire carriages filled with a few flowers in the foyers along with blue hydrangeas in the front entry, blue poofs in the den with Bradford's Stieff collection in the fire place. Of course, it can not be an official baby shower until you and/or your friends pull out the sterling baby cups, toothbrushes, rattles etc. 

Dinner is Served

Maggie 

Meredith, Angie and Julie

Only pic of the guests of honor ...
Maggie and the Bobos

The Russells & The Stewarts

Baxter and Bradford who so graciously "volunteered" to be chief kitchen operators for the night. I would greatly appreciate it any night but on this one in particular since they sacrificed standing over vents for standing in front of a hot stove. God bless them!

I Am BeHolden

Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 2:46 in the afternoon Holden Russell Osborn was born to Rayne and James Osborn. He weighed 8.9 ounces and is 21 inches long.

How do you detail the rest of the day when you begin the post with the punchline?  Finding it rather impossible, I will just post a few pics with captions. 

Lacey, Ford & Pie

Pie, Molly & Baby Rayne

Caroline - next up for delivery

Maggie & Bradford

Aunt Liney & Aunt J

Big Brother Lane arrived a little after the noon hour and stayed busy the entire time at the hospital. The Osborns were wonderful at keeping pace.  I know he is enjoying spending the weekend in Moulton with them while baby brother and parents transition home.

 If you are interested in seeing Rayne's birth announcement blog click HERE and Caroline's blog post click HERE.  I took tons of pics - most on  Rayne's camera. From reports I heard, the photography campaign continued on Friday so I expect  Rayne to post more soon.