In My Mind, I'm Going to (North) Carolina

Over the weekend we made a whirlwind trip to Greensboro, NC to attend the wedding of one of my oldest friends, Jennifer Magoon (now Tate). Our drive down on Friday was horrendous...it rained the entire trip and the Virginia State Police closed I-77 but neglected to put up detour signs. God was with us though, and in addition to keeping us safe (we saw multiple accidents) provided us with direction in the form of a 10 year old map that I just happened to have in the car from a trip to NC. The ONE page of the map that was even close to our route did have the place we were and the roads we needed to be on. Morgan was a trooper and was extremely good on the 7.5 hour trip down. We got to see my parents, brother, and sister-in-law this weekend which was wonderful. We also saw many friends from the past. Everyone commented on how beautiful and good Morgan was (of course!). We headed back home on Sunday. We all got sick this weekend (Patrick has a stomach thing, I had a migraine and a stomach thing, and poor Morgan had stomach cramps really bad) and the trip home was less than pleasant. But we made it and are getting back into the swing of things. Patrick and I are both back to work and after spending 2 weeks at home with Aunt Anita, Morgan is back at the sitter's. I certainly hope we all start feeling better soon!

Jeff, Jennifer Tate, Me

Morgan and Grandpa

Morgan and Mutti

Riding in the Car

Pilot Mountain, NC

Snow

Morgan's first snowfall

First Snow of the Season

Snain

Well, it seems that Old Man Winter has decided to take up residence in West Virginia. Today's high is going to be a chilly 43 degrees with a mixture of snow and rain...commonly refered to in our house as "snain". It's snaining right now. It's hard enough to get out of bed on a Monday morning, but with the days getting progressively shorter and the weather getting increasingly colder, it was really hard today. I am sure next Monday will be even worse after we fall back an hour! I spent the weekend packing up the summer clothes and getting Morgan's winter wear washed and ready. It was a sad weekend for this sun lover. The ray of sunshine I found in all of this was that each day it's cold it is one day closer to being warm again. Plus it was fun to look at all the new outfits I get to put on Morgan! How's that for optimism?

The Drive Home

The Monongahela River

I-79 in West Virgnina

I-79 in West Virgnina

Here's what I get to enjoy on my drive home (don't worry...Patrick was driving!)

The Fall Season

As a general rule, I hate fall. Mainly because it means that winter is coming, and that for me is the most dreadful season. However, the past few days I have had the opportunity to really enjoy fall. We took Morgan out the other day after Patrick had blown all the leaves from our yard in a big pile. She got to sit in the leaves and experience the feeling of the leaves in all states on her skin. She seemed to really enjoy herself and tried on more than one occasion to eat the leaves! That totally grossed me out...I kept thinking "What if the dog peed on that leaf?"

Fall Fun

Enjoying the Leaves

I think I see a bug!

Yesterday as I was driving home from a particularly crabby day at work I noticed how beautiful the trees had become. The one thing I love about fall is the tapestry of colors that are blended together in the forests of West Virginia. I think the fall season truly shows how beautiful our state really is. It is also a reminder to me that even in death we can see beauty. Because I work with people with disabilities, I often reflect on how blessed my life is. I think I needed another dose of that yesterday, and during my drive home I was so thankful to have my sight. Even though I would much rather live somewhere where it was summer all year long, I do enjoy seeing all the beautiful colors associated with fall. Maybe just for one moment I forgot that those colors signify that the cold months of winter are just around the corner.

A Day For Play

We took Morgan to the Play Place at the mall for a change of pace and some fun indoors!

Another Mountaineer Football Weekend

All Bundled Up

Little Mountaineer Fan

Look at those cheeks!

Today Morgan attended her 3rd football game of the season. This is probably be her last game since the next home game is the second week of November. We all had a great time and watched a good football game. It was chillier than normal and we all came home with chapped cheeks (you can see Morgan's in the pictures). We had fun tailgating after the game with Uncle Rodney and Aunt Becky. Although I really love football, I am looking forward to watching the rest of the games in my pajamas at home. As with every other outing with a newborn, it takes alot of behind the scenes preparation and a LOT of supplies for us to go and enjoy the game. Plus I feel Morgan will be more comfortable in 2 rather than 5 layers of clothes! Our 'Eers are 6-0 and ranked #5 in the BCS. If we can get past Louisville November 2nd, we have a great shot of going undefeated! Let's GOOOOO Mountaineers!

Welcome Julia!

On September 28, 2006 at 8:45am my sister-in-law and her husband welcomed their first child, Julia Aleese, into the world! We got the chance to go to Charleston to meet Julia and spend the weekend with all of the Tenney family (new mom and dad (Amy and Chris), Nannie and Big Pop, and Great-Grandma June and Great-Grandpa Ralph). We had a great, but crazy weekend. Julia is a beautiful baby. I am so excited that our girls are 3 months apart. I pray that they grow up to be best friends and stay close. Please visit Julia's Website to see more pictures!

Morgan and Julia

Cousins and Grandmas

Best Friends Forever