Christmas Fun

Christmas Day was so much fun and so exhausting!!! Ava Grace had a BIG morning since Santa found our house! She talked non-stop and attempted to pull some bibs out of her stocking. Of course her gifts were more for her mommy and daddy (hand sanitizer, bath wash, bibs, etc.). She did receive her very 1st baby doll though and I have to say, it was a hit! Ava Grace stared at it and talked while looking at Tim and me like we knew what she was saying (we know it made sense to her).

After opening presents, we headed down the mountain to Uncle Doug's house to see if Santa found Luke and indeed he did. Luke and Ava Grace exchanged presents and she was so excited to receive her gifts (ok...so I was so very excited and she just put it in her mouth). Aunt Stacey and Luke went to Washington DC a few weeks ago and brought back Ava Grace a Redskins cheerleading outfit and t-shirt that she can wear next year. To some of you that may not be a big deal, but to me that is a HUGE deal. I have been a Redskins fan since I was a little girl, so you can imagine how excited I was to open the gift. We will have to add some Miami Dolphins (Tim's and Uncle Doug's team) and Panthers (everyone's team, especially Uncle Steve and Jen) gear too. We ate brunch with Cece, Uncle Doug, Aunt Stacey, Luke, Cousin Lee, and Cousin Avie. Cece made shrimp and grits (a favorite)...yummy!!

We then traveled to Meme and Pop Pop's house for the Perry Christmas. Everyone was there - Uncle Steve, Aunt Diana, Justin, Uncle Evan, Aunt Deb, Brittany, Rebecca, and of course Meme and Pop Pop. We had a blast!! Rebecca entertained Ava Grace during dinner which was a huge help. She also entertained her throughout the afternoon and helped once with opening a gift for her. Rebecca was too cute playing Santa passing out gifts to everyone. Ava Grace received some awesome clothes and toys that she will definitely enjoy for the next year. Everyone cooked a little bit for dinner so Meme didn't have to do all of the work. Everything was delicious!! Tim made a Chocolate Delight for dessert and it was yummy as well. We spent the night at Meme and Pop Pop's house and then headed to Cece's house the next morning.

We enjoyed playing with Cece, shopping a little, and just relaxing while watching football. Brendan and Jonna's wedding party was on Saturday night. We had a great time!! Congratulations again to them!! It was a quick trip, but fun as always. The weather was perfect - 70 degrees. I wish I could have bottled it up and brought it back to the mountains because reality hit when we got home. It has been cold here with 60 mph wind gusts. That is normal for this time of year, but it was spoiling to be at the beach.

Your head may be spinning now, so I will close. We hope everyone enjoyed their friends and family at Christmas. What a special day for our little girl!!

Merry Christmas Y'all!!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!! We hope you have a wonderful day with your family and friends. We are really excited about seeing our families later. Please remember that as fun as it is that Santa has come to your house (we did come to ours at least), we wouldn't have a Christmas without the birth of Christ. Tim, Ava Grace, and I acted as Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus last night at church. Ava Grace cried appropriately and then continued crying because she wasn't sure that her mommy and daddy were really her mommy and daddy (We think the costumes may have upset her a little). She actually settled down during communion (thank goodness) and was focused on the people as they passed by. It was a sweet Children's program and we thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the skit. I think it made me a little more aware of the meaning of Christmas, especially with a brandy new baby ourselves this year.

So, from our family to yours, we hope you have a very Merry Christmas!! We love you all!!

Christmas with Cece

We celebrated Christmas with Cece yesterday. We rode up to the Grove Park Inn to see the Gingerbread Houses that are on display every year. It is amazing how creative and talented people are!! Ava Grace seemed fascinated with all of the Christmas trees that were each decorated with their own theme. The lights, ornaments, and glitter were so neat. After walking the gingerbread tour, we grabbed a bite of lunch. We ran some errands in the afternoon and then settled in for supper and opening some gifts. Ava Grace attempted to open her first gift, but of course lost interest very quickly. Dixie (Cece's dog) helped Ava Grace open another present. Dixie LOVES Christmas...it is so cute!! Ava Grace has grown sooo big that she doesn't fit in her regular tub anymore. So, Cece found a bigger tub for Ava Grace - it is a duck!! It is so darn cute. Cece inflated it this morning and we put Ava Grace in it. She seemed to like it and we haven't even put it in the water yet. Thank you, Cece, for everything!! We love you so much!!

Christmas Parties

Well, Ava Grace has attended her first two Christmas parties. On Friday late afternoon, Nanny had a party at her house for "her kids". Let me just start off by saying WE LOVE NANNY!! It was so sweet and so fun to watch the kiddos play. I think we all appreciate the chaos that she endures every day while we are working. She said a few words about the children (which almost brought us to tears) and then each child received a gift. Ava Grace and Olivia (9 months old) both received a spinning top. Do you remember the toys we had as children where you mashed the top down and little balls or whatever spun around inside. Ok...that was the toy she got. Ava Grace kept beating hers on the side....she'll figure it out soon enough. Nanny had refreshments for the children and for the parents. It was great!! She is such a blessing to our family!! I don't know what we would do without her!!
On Saturday, my "Etowah girls" and their children came over to make cookies and hang out. All of the children didn't make it because of various reasons, but the ones that were here had a great time. Emery (Keri's daughter) wanted to help the "big people" make cookies, so you can imagine how creative a 4-year-old made cookies look. Jennifer chased Elijah most of the time trying to keep him off of the stairs. I promise to have the baby gate next time, Jennifer! Jill brought her 1 month old little girl, Sophie. Even though it was only 4 months ago, it is hard to believe that Ava Grace was ever that little. Kim came sans children because they were tired from moving their uncle's stuff from Haywood County all day long. Amanda wasn't feeling well, but came to socialize anyway - we're so glad she made it. Emily also came bringing good food...she always begins the unique stuff!! Everyone brought appetizers and I made homemade (yes I said homemade) peppermint hot chocolate. It was sooo good!! It was so good that I had another cup after everyone left and I cleaned up the kitchen! I worked at Etowah Elem. the first two years I was in Henderson County. There are 7 girls (including me) that became friends and we try to get together about once a month to visit. The kiddos are always with us and sometimes the husbands/boyfriends are invited. It is a lot of fun and I am so glad to have these girls as friends!!
I think that is all of the partying we are doing this season. We are looking forward to visiting with our families and enjoying Ava Grace's first Christmas in a few days.

Oh Granddaddy would laugh

Oh My Gosh....My dad (Luke and Ava Grace's Granddaddy) would laugh at this!! Over the weekend, Luke found a pair of my Dad' glasses and decided to try them on. It was hysterical!! My Dad had very bad vision, so Luke was running into things as he attempted to walk through the house. We laughed so hard!! I just thought it was worth sharing. Those of you who knew my Dad are probably laughing right now too!!

North-South Weekend

Ava Grace and I headed to the beach last weekend for the North-South festivities. Doug and his family were able to come, but unfortunately, Tim had to stay at home and work baseball camp. We had a great trip!! Luke played with Ava Grace the entire weekend - it was so cute watching him talk to her and try to play with her toys. She was fixated on him the entire time and would smile big when he talked to her. We attended the State Championship football rally at the stadium on Friday morning. It was great to see lots of people and to celebrate the Seahawks' state championship. Dad would be so proud!! We had the North-South banquet on Friday night. Doug made the speech for the scholarship that is in Dad's name. He did a great job and everyone there thought Ava Grace was so cute (of course they did). The game on was Saturday and we enjoyed watching Josh (Doug's player from Mauldin) play! Ava Grace and I went to church with Cece on Sunday morning. It is always wonderful to go home and see everyone! We just relaxed all weekend with Cece and enjoyed being together.

5 months old

Ava Grace turned 5 months old on Saturday! It is so hard for me to believe how fast the time has grown. She has learned so much already and seems to be growing everyday. We are glad that she is actually growing some hair now. She did have a lot of black hair when she was born, but it is sort of filling in now. I'm sure you never thought I would say this, but I think it will actually be fun to "do" her hair when it gets longer. Let me think about some of the things she has done in the last month: she can roll over from her back to her tummy (when she wants to), talks with new sounds, has learned to squeal, blows bubbles often, smiles at most everyone, turns her head whens he hears any kind of sound, and laughs which in turn cracks us up!

She is in the process of learning to raise her arms when she wants someone to hold her, she can almost sit up unassisted, and is starting to move her legs like a frog getting ready to crawl (hopefully this milestone won't be met for a few more months). Our little girl is really growing up and changing right in front of our eyes.

Ho Ho Ho

Tim and I took Ava Grace to meet Santa Claus earlier tonight. She did really well sitting on his lap and looking at everything around her. Mrs. Clause was there too!! Ava Grace smiled at both of them while trying to put her dress in her mouth. :) We got a great picture and are so glad that she did not cry when she sat on Santa's lap! We love her "new" dress - Thanks Ellis!!!

While we were there, Kendall was getting his picture taken. So, Willie, Christine, and Kendall stayed to chat with us for a while. The kiddos got into one of those cars that runs on money (you know...we used to love them...actually in my day, we only had the merry-go-rounds to ride on). The kids smiled when they saw each other. Very soon, there will be another friend to play with as the Stewart's will be having a little girl in about 3 weeks! Poor Kendall - he will be so out numbered!

First trip to Georgia

Ava Grace and I went to visit Natalie, Brett, and Ellis this past weekend. We had a great time!! Ellis always wanted to touch Ava Grace, but with a runny nose, we kept her hands off most of the time. Ava Grace did talk to her some and Ellis smiled and laughed often!! The girls went shopping on Saturday while Brett went hunting. Natalie and I watched the SEC Championship game while our girls took naps. We also listened to the Myrtle Beach High School football state championship game on Saturday night. Go Seahawks!! It was a fun trip and some needed girlfriend time!! We are going to miss seeing them over the Christmas holidays, but know that we will visit again soon!! Thanks for such a wonderful time!! We love y'all!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday Daddy!! Today is Tim's birthday and Ava Grace managed to stay up long enough to give him a big birthday hug and watch him open his presents. We fixed one of his favorite dinners (chicken croissants) for supper tonight and it was so yummy!! S0, happy birthday! We hope you had a great day!

Let's go swimming

Tim and I took Ava Grace to the pool at UNCA last week. It was her first experience in water deeper than her tub. She loved it!! Ava Grace loves taking baths, so we figured if the water was warm enough that she would enjoy it too. There were other people in the pool, so she watched them intently to see what they were doing. Tim and I both got in the pool with her and played.

It was lots of fun!! We are so lucky to have the pool at the University to use, especially since it doesn't get warm enough here for a pool until about July. Thank you to cousin Rebecca who let "her Ava Grace" borrow her float!!

Family Fun

Tim, Ava Grace, and I had a fun weekend with our families. On Friday we went to Spartanburg to eat Thanksgiving dinner with Tim's families. Everyone was able to make it except Uncle Evan who unfortunately had to work. We ate until we couldn't eat anything else and then visited with each other. Meme and Pop Pop gave Ava Grace a pair of pjs to wear on Christmas Eve. They have done that with their other grandchildren. I thought that was a neat idea!

On Saturday, Tim, Ava Grace, and I headed to Clemson for the biggest football ever (at least where we come from). Tim is a Carolina fan and I am a Clemson fan, so it was only fitting that Ava Grace wore a t-shirt that said "House Divided" with both logos on it. Too cute!! The weather was cold and rainy - not the best for tailgating!! It didn't matter in the end since the Clemson Tigers pulled out the victory. The Tigers actually played better during this game than they have all year long!! Yeah...we made it....we are going to some kind of bowl - who knows where! Tim, Ava Grace, and I spent Saturday night at Uncle Doug's house with a bunch of dogs, Cece, and Uncle Doug. We headed back up the mountain on Sunday morning just in time to experience the freezing cold temperatures and the snow/sleet/rain mixture. We have actually had this mixture all day long!! No school cancellations though - which is ok with me!

So, once again, the Perry family had a busy weekend. We have a busy week ahead too, but at least my deadlines are over (for now) and we can just relax at home - just the three of us!!

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Perry Family!! We are looking forward to having Uncle Doug and Cece at our house today and then going to Meme and Pop Pop's house tomorrow for another feast. We are thankful for so many things......

1. Our family and friends - ALL OF YOU!! Tim and I (and Ava Grace too) wouldn't be the people we are today without the love and support of each one of you.

2. Our new reason to be thankful....Ava Grace. We are so blessed to have this little girl in our lives!! We couldn't imagine life without her and we are so thankful that God chose us to be her parents.

3. Military people....we have had a cousin in Iraq for some time and have had many friends who have been on the battlefield...we admire you and your courage!! Thank you for all that you do -I know that sounds cliche, but we really are thankful for you and your service.

4. Jobs....Tim and I have jobs that we enjoy very much. Although it can be frustrating at times, we realize that we have a place to work everyday and that others are not so fortunate. On that same note, we are also thankful for the people that we work with. They make going to work more fun!

5. Our house....although small, we love our house. We are thankful for the coziness and for a place to call home.

6. Our church...we are so lucky to be a part of a wonderful church. Teaching Children's Church and attending other functions has been a lot of fun and have put some things in perspective for both of us.

I could go on, but I think you get the gist. So, on this cold, mountain, Thanksgiving Day, we hope that y'all have a wonderful time with your families and you remember all that you are thankful for today and always.

A Special Day

Ava Grace was baptized on Sunday morning! It was a special day and she looked like an angel. The weather turned out to be sunny and nice considering that we had snow two days before. The service was sweet and Ava Grace performed really well. Rev. Combs took Ava Grace in his hands to walk around the church so that everyone could see her. She did not cry once - YEAH!! I thinks he was amazed at all of the people looking at her. I also think that she like the microphone and Rev. Combs voice. Many people greeted us after the service and commented on how beautiful Ava Grace is. Of course we think so!! :) After the service, everyone came back to our house for lunch. It was wonderful to have the WHOLE family (almost everyone...Brittany had a Powder Puff football game on Sunday afternoon and couldn't make it) together!! It was a big day for all of us and we are looking forward to raising Ava Grace in our church. The youth at the church already love her so much!!

Thank you to everyone for traveling to share this day with us: Meme, Pop Pop, Aunt Deb, Uncle Evan, Rebecca, Uncle Steve, Aunt Diana, Justin, Cece, Uncle Doug, Aunt Stacey, Luke, Mrs. Lisa, Mr. Stephen, Matthew, Sarah, MiMi (Dianne Haynes - Lisa's mom), and Claire. We love each of you!!

What a week!

So, this has been by far the craziest week since I went back to work. Work is going well, but it is seriously hard to function without a computer. Yes, I have been TRYING to function without a computer for 5 weeks now. I FINALLY got my laptop back this week and I can't tell you how excited I was. I could have kissed the secretary who gave it to me!! :) So, I thought my job was going to get easier with the laptop - just kidding. I accidently erased 5 reports and a ton of paperwork for meetings off of a disk. Oh yeah - that's right! So, as I was on the verge of tears, I decided I better suck it up and get busy because it was going to take me many hours to redo everything. So, on top of the other work that I had to do this week, I had to reconstruct reports and paperwork for meetings. Our big federal deadline is Dec. 1st which means with the Thanksgiving holidays, everything has to be turned in by this Tuesday. It definitely was BAD timing to lose all of that stuff!! I didn't get in bed any night before midnight this week and of course was up at 5 am as usual. Thank goodness Ava Grace slept through the night this week. I'm not sure if I could have made it through 5 days without crying if she hadn't done it. She must have known how stressed I was (and still am because the work is far from over).
On a better note, it snowed 2 days this week which is always fun to see. Of course the best part is that it didn't stick to the ground for very long which means we were in school. No one really wants to miss school before the Christmas holidays, so it has worked in our favor so far. The bad part about it is that it has been incredibly cold. It was 17 degrees this morning when I got up! Brrrr!!!
Another birthday....I know it seems like we know everyone, but this is a special one. Yesterday (21st) was Price's birthday. Some of you know who I am talking about, but for others, Price is actually Mrs. Price. When I was a little girl for some reason, I just decided I would shorten her name to Price and it has stuck. Her grandchildren even call her Price. Yesterday was her birthday and I am sorry that we weren't there to celebrate. Her daughter Paige is a baker at home and the one who made my wedding cake. YUMMY!! Paige had the cutest cake made up for her with ltos of her favorite candies. Price even wore a Birthday Princess hat all day! Too cute!! There is no relation, but Price and her family have always been special friends in our lives. So, happy birthday Price!! We'll see you in a few weeks!! :)
I'm sure there are other things that have happened this week, but I can't think right now. Hope everyone has had a good weekend so far!!

Football News

Well, Ava Grace sported her Mauldin Maverick football attire yesterday in hopes to bring good luck to Uncle Doug and his football team. Unfortunately, Mauldin was unable to pull out a victory against Clover - losing the game 49-32. It rained the whole game and there was even a lightning delay during the 4th quarter. I just know that if Mauldin could play Clover again on an equal playing field (no rain) that OUR team could win. So, we are sad that the season is over, but we are so incredibly proud of the accomplishments of the boys and the coaches (especially uncle Doug and Cousin Lee).

Since I am writing about football, I wanted to say a brief word about a friend of ours. Coach Gregg Skipper (Skip to us) coached at MBHS for 28 years. He coached under my dad and coached my brother in middle school and on the JV football team at the high school. I honestly can't remember not knowing him!! On Friday morning, we received some sad news. Skip was killed in a car accident about 1/3 mile from his house. He was still coaching at MBHS with this year being his last. MBHS played Airport last night in the 2nd round of the play-offs and won!! They did it for Skip!! He will be greatly missed by my family as well as many other people in the Myrtle Beach community. Thanks for all of the good times and fun memories. I smile as I think of you right now!! We love you Skip!!

4 Months Old

Ava Grace turned 4 months old today!! Time is really flying by. She has learned how to do several things this past month. Let me see....she can grab her feet now although they haven't made it to her mouth yet (but we are waiting), she can blow bubbles while drool runs all the way from her mouth to her feet, she can laugh at the silly things her Mama and Daddy do, and she kicks violently in the bathtub (definitely one of her favorite activities of the night). She has mastered some other skills as well, but you get the point. Ava Grace has really enjoyed going to the sitter's for the last month (since I started back to work). She and Nanny (sitter) have a great time during the day and she is enthralled with the other children - watching their every move. She rarely takes a nap longer than 30 minutes at this point because she is so scared she is going to miss something. Fortunately, she is in a great mood when I pick her up in the afternoon, so I guess her little power naps are enough for her right now. She is really growing and changing every day. It is truly amazing how quickly the days pass by. It is hard for me to believe that she is already 4 months old!! Time is flying, but we are loving every minute of it!!

Remembering....

It has been a somewhat sad day yet a day filled with many memories for my family. It is so hard to believe that 14 years ago today my dad (Granddaddy to Ava Grace) passed away. Of course I can relive that day as if it happened yesterday, but instead of thinking about all of the pain and confusion of that day in 1994, I have been thinking about the fun times. There are definitely too many for me to write about, but I want to share a little bit about the times I remember and how wonderful my dad was. Of course it goes without saying that I was definitely a "Daddy's Girl"!! I lived in his back pocket!! We had many special times spent together - just the two of us. Lets see....I would go with him on Saturday mornings to the high school to clean out the locker room after the football games, I would go with him to the high school and just roam around finding things to do as he worked with the athletes (he knew I would be ok...I could run the school after all!), I would go on the practice football field every afternoon after tennis practice to tell him about the match I played that day (win or lose), we would shag in the living room and watch the contest on tv every Saturday night, and I would sit by him most Sundays at church just so he could put his arm around me!! Of course there are many memories that we have as a family too....wonderful vacations, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, any sporting event that involved Doug or me (there were lots of those along with the other athletic events we attended at MBHS), and watching football while eating boiled peanuts on Saturdays and Sundays. I could go on and on about my dad and how much he means to our family. He truly was the best dad in the world!! I think about him every day and wonder if I am living up to half the person that he was. He was one of the most caring, sensitive, giving, and loving men I have ever known. Although most people only knew my dad as a football coach, teacher, or athletic director at the high school, he was a person whose character went far beyond those titles. I know that many people miss him very much and so do I!! I have accomplished a lot in the last 14 years that I know he would be so proud of!! Of course I wish he could have been here to share everything - high school graduation, graduation from Wofford, grad school graduation, getting married, and most recently having a baby. I know Ava Grace and Luke would bring a HUGE smile to his face.
So, on this day as my heart hurts because I miss you so much, I am so thankful for the 17 years I had with you and the lifetime of memories that you left for us. I know no matter what, I will always be "your little girl"!! I love you so much!!

4 month check-up

Ava Grace had a good visit to the doctor's today. She weighs 14 pounds and is 25 inches long. She is really growing!! It is hard to believe how small she was when she was first born. Unfortunately, she had to get 5 shots again. Ava Grace has definitely felt the affects of the shots this afternoon and evening as she has been a little fussy, run a fever, and wanted to be held by Tim and me. Of course we didn't mind the holding part, but we hope that she feels better tomorrow. Everything else checked out at the doctor's office and they won't need to see her until she is 6 months old (assuming she doesn't get sick or anything in the meantime....we are definitely praying she doesn't get sick). So, that is all the news from Dr. Goodwin for this visit!

Visit with Meme and Pop Pop

Ava Grace and I visited with Meme and Pop Pop on Saturday morning for a little while. Aunt Deb, Brittany, and Rebecca came over to visit too. It was so nice to catch up with everyone and I think Ava Grace had a good time getting to know them better. I told her before long she will be begging to go to Meme's and Pop Pop's and to Cece's. The days of clinging to her mama will be over!! :) Ava Grace sat in Pop Pop's lap and they talked about all kinds of things. She even added her two cents worth. Ava Grace and Meme talked too and Meme showed her all of the neat Halloween and Thanksgiving things she has in her house. Ava Grace has no idea how fun and noisy Christmas will be over there with all of the decorations that play music!! I'm sure her big cousin Rebecca will show her the ropes. Sorry Perry family, Ava Grace will probably follow in Rebecca's footsteps with making noise and talking nonstop. :)

I've attached a picture of Rebecca and Ava Grace from the visit. Rebecca is 4 years old going on 30! She is so adorable and so funny!! Rebecca also loves "her Ava Grace".

We're so proud of you!!

YEAH!! The Mauldin Mavericks have done it again - beaten Hillcrest for the second time this year!! It was a great game and of course with the rivalry, it made the victory even sweeter!! The players and coaches were sooo excited as this topped off a winning season at 6-5 and allowed Mauldin to make the play-offs for the first time in several years. Uncle Doug got a huge bath of Gatorade at the end of the game, but he was all smiles anyway. Mauldin will travel to Clover on Friday night to face the Blue Eagles in the first round of the play-offs. We are hoping for a victory, but above all, we are lifting praises for the kids and coaches that worked so hard this year and deserve this more than anything! Congrats Uncle Doug and the Mauldin Mavericks!!

Another busy weekend

We had another busy weekend as usual. Ava Grace and I went to Uncle Doug's game on Friday night against Byrnes. If anyone saw the score, it wasn't pretty. However, the score is not indicative of how the boys played. It looked like Byrnes beat them badly, but our kids played well - just made a few costly mistakes. They play Hillcrest this weekend and then it is off to the play-offs. We are counting on a win this Friday night - Go Mavs!!

On Saturday morning, we hung out with Uncle Doug, Aunt Stacey, and Luke. It was nice to sit around and chat. We haven't done that in what seems like forever. That was the first time they held Ava Grace since she was 2 weeks old. She smiled and cooed and also cried...the emotions of a baby change so quickly! After our short visit, Ava Grace and I headed back up the mountain to the university. The Bulldog World Series continued this weekend. It was a beautiful weekend for baseball!! We also attended the volleyball game against Winthrop. Our UNCA girls won in 5 games!! YEAH!! Ava Grace enjoys the volleyball games and her daddy is hoping that she continues to be tall and maybe play one day. There were more recruits in town for the weekend as well, so we headed to dinner. It was nice to visit with Christine and Kendall while getting to know the recruits and their families better.

On Sunday, Ava Grace and I went to church before heading to the university again. it was the last day of the Bulldog World Series and the series was even - blue team 2, black team 2. In the end, the black team ended up winning!! The guys played really well. I hope that is just a preview on what our season will be like in the spring.

So, as you can see, Tim, Ava Grace, and I haven't slowed down much since I went back to work. I know it is all going to catch up with me very soon. It has been nice to have Tim home more though, so it is worth being busy!!

Yeah Josh!

Congratulations to Uncle Doug and Josh McKie who was selected to the North-South All-Star Football Game. Josh has worked so hard and is so very deserving on this honor. Of course we are very excited as well since my Dad truly believed in this game and all it stood for in high school football. The game will be played at the newly renovated Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach in December. Wow, wouldn't Dad be proud!! We are looking forward to seeing Josh play several more games this year and representing the Mauldin Mavericks in the all star game in December. Congratulations to him and to Uncle Doug!

First snow of the season

Ava Grace experienced her first snow ever on Tuesday morning. Actually, she slept through it, but Cece did take a picture for her to see one day. It has been so cold with brutal winds the last few days. I can definitely tell that winter in the mountains is right around the corner. On the way to school and Nanny's on Tuesday morning, it was dark outside, about 30 degrees, and snow was flying all around. The ground was slightly above freezing temperatures, so the snow only stuck on the trees and bushes - not on the roads. The kiddos at school were going nuts!! You would think they have never seen snow before and they see it every year. I guess it is always exciting when you are a kid though! It was beautiful to see it fall, but I was glad that it did not stick. We don't need to miss school days for snow quite yet. There is definitely more on the way!

Busy Weekend

We had a very busy weekend!! When I got to work this morning, I felt like I never left from Friday. Ava Grace and I had a good week last week though. Ava Grace had a great time at Nanny's house everyday and I had busy and crazy (as usual) days at school. We had lots of rain on Friday which caused Ava Grace and I to sit in traffic for an hour and a half on the interstate in the afternoon. We needed the rain badly, but could have done without all of the accidents. Tim and the UNCA baseball team had a golf tournament on Friday as well. They actually played despite the weather and a good time was had by all. After the tournament and after we got out of traffic, Ava Grace, Tim, and I went to dinner with the parents of a current baseball recruit. It was really nice to get to know them! Unfortunately, Uncle Doug's team couldn't pull out a victory on Friday night - Mauldin lost to Boiling Springs.
On Saturday, Ava Grace and I ran some errands before heading to the university for the Bulldog World Series. Due to the rain on Friday, the games had to be postponed until Sunday. So, we didn't get to see any baseball, but Meme, Pop Pop, and Rebecca came up to visit. Ava Grace was soooo tired, so she slept for most of the visit. Rebecca did get to hold her for a few minutes though! Tim, Ava Grace, and I went home to watch some football before meeting some more recruits and their parents out for dinner. It was a long day, but a nice way to be with some friends and meet some baseball prospects.
On Sunday morning, Ava Grace, Cece, and I headed to Winnsboro for Lacey's baby shower. It was great to see the family and visit with all of them. Baby Cobb got some great things and Lacey looked great. Our cousin Erin was also there. She is pregnant and due with her 2nd son in January. She looked great as always and Grayson (her first son) is so incredibly cute!!! After the party, we loaded up in the car and headed back towards home. Cece went back to Uncle Doug's house and Ava Grace and I made it home in time to see some more football. Can you tell that we watch football EVERY TIME that it is on the TV???
So, that is about it from the Perry household for the weekend. We have started another week of work and going to Nanny's. I'm sure it will be a good one!!

Leaves, leaves, and more leaves

If you have never seen the leaf changing in the mountains of North Carolina, you are really missing out. People actually come here for weekends JUST to see the leaves change. Some of you may think that is not very exciting, but it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. The leaves in the higher mountains begin changing first with the leaves in the lower mountains and valleys changing later. As strange as it sounds, the lack of rain/water actually produces prettier leaves. I know that doesn't seem to make sense, but I guess in a way (a very small way) we can be thankful to be in a deficit for rainfall just so the leaves look as they do now. Although, the drought and water restrictions aren't very fun!

It is amazing how many different shades of red, yellow, and orange you can see. You can see the leaves as you drive up the interstate or around town, but the best place to see all of the different colors is on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I ride on the Parkway often going from Hendersonville to Asheville and am amazed every time as the leaves seem to change daily. So, here are some pictures of this grand event in the mountains. The pictures really don't do it justice - you need to visit!!

Recognition for being you!! :)

Congratulations to Uncle Doug and Luke!! Uncle Doug was named Greenville County Touchdown Club Football Coach of the Week! We are so proud of him and all he has accomplished while coaching in the upstate. We are biased, naturally, but we definitely feel like he deserves this recognition for many reasons. YEAH!! Congratulations again and good luck on Friday!!
Luke, our nephew/cousin, has been named Student of the Month at his elementary school. Luke is such a great kiddo and again biased, but we think he deserves it too! YEAH Luke!! Keep up the good work and we'll see you next weekend!
We love you both!!

Happy Birthday Aunt Deb!!

Happy Birthday Aunt Deb!! We hope you had a great day and hopefully we can celebrate with you soon. We love you bunches!!!

Lunch Date

We were so excited to have Aunt Natalie, Ellis, Mimi (Dawn), and Mammy to grab a bite of lunch with on Sunday. They had been on a mini-vacation in Tennessee and were making their way down through the mountains. It was a quick visit, but we will take whatever we can get. We just love being with them!! Ellis has grown since we saw her last time (which was only about a month ago) and is cute as a button!! Ava Grace and I are hoping to get to Atlanta for a visit sometime really soon. Thanks for lunch!! We love you!!

Welcome Home!!

Welcome Home Meme and Pop Pop!! We are so glad that you are back from Indiana for a while. We really missed you! Thank you for stopping by to visit with us on Saturday. I'm sure you thought Ava Grace had grown a lot since you saw her last time. She is so big now!! We are looking forward to spending more time with you and Ava Grace is looking forward to getting to know her Meme and Pop Pop better!! :)

Sports, Sports, and more Sports

So, the Perry family LOVES sports!! On Friday we managed to attend two different sporting events while keeping up with another event in another state. Tim, Ava Grace, and I attended our women's volleyball game at UNCA on Friday afternoon. We played Charleston Southern and were able to pull out a win after playing 5 games!! Whew! We enjoy going to their games for many reasons and Ava Grace apparently enjoys them too as her eyes get really big and she seems to watch the action closely. Her daddy is secretly hoping she wants to play volleyball one day! We'll see what happens. Anyway, Congratulations Coach Torbett, Talia, and the volleyball team.

Jammin' at the Justice was last night as well. We didn't stay too long because it was bath time and bedtime and Ava Grace will let you know when that time arrives each day. Jammin' at the Justice is the preview for the men's and women's basketball teams. We only saw the introduction of the coaching staffs, but we know it was a fun event as always and we look forward to attending many games very soon. We want to wish Kenny a speedy recovery and look forward to his return next year. A quick note about Kenny....Kenny George is the tallest Division 1 basketball player in the country and he plays right here at UNCA. He is 7'8" and has become sort of a legend in his own right. Kenny is back home in Chicago this school year dealing with some medical issues, but plans to return to school to finish his degree and play his last year of ball next fall. We miss you Kenny!! Good luck to both teams this year!!

Uncle Doug's Mauldin Mavericks played Spartanburg last night. We decided not to go this weekend, but were anxiously awaiting the results. We got a phone call to let us know that Mauldin defeated Spartan High (that is what we call it) 30-13. YEAH Mavericks!! Spartanburg plays their home football games at Wofford (my alma mater), but that big stadium proved to be the showcase for "our" team this week. YEAH!! Congrats Uncle Doug, Cousin Lee, and the rest of the Mauldin Mavericks!!

We're off to the pumpkin patch....

Tim, Ava Grace, and I went to the pumpkin patch at our church yesterday morning. Tim was on fall break and although he had to work, he was able to take 20 minutes of his time to accompany us. You could definitely tell we were first time parents with the camera. It was probably obnoxious to those watching us. Either way, we took some great pictures of Ava Grace among the pumpkins. We picked out a pumpkin to take home with us and the money goes towards the mission trips that our youth take every summer. So, we got the perfect pumpkin and helped a great cause!

Ava Grace is 3 months old!

Ava Grace is turning 3 months old today!! She has really grown and learned so much in the last month. The big milestone she has accomplished is to roll over. She has mastered rolling over from her tummy to her back. She is even trying to roll over from her back to her tummy, but she mostly faceplants into the ground and can't get her little legs to go the way she wants them to. Ava Grace also has become more aware and focused when looking at people and objects. She grabs things now and uses both hands to touch and hold things (although she uses her right hand mostly....we need to work on that). She smiles all the time and talks constantly - I'm not sure where she gets that from :) . It has been a fast month and so much fun to watch her grown and learn new things.

A Birthday Party

Well, Ava Grace attended her first birthday party today!! Kendall Stewart turned 1 year old today and had his birthday party at Hooter's. Yes, I wrote that correctly - it isn't a mistake. Kendall enjoyed a cake with lots of green icing which he wore very proudly on his face, up his nose, and on his t-shirt (his shirt said I Love Hooters by the way). He was also serenaded with the birthday song by the Hooters girls. As the girls sang, Kendall looked at them and smiled. It was classic! Ava Grace slept almost through the entire party. She was exhausted after a busy weekend, but wanted to be there to wish her baseball buddy happy birthday anyway! :) So, Happy Birthday Kendall!! We love you little buddy!!

What a big weekend!! Ava Grace and I have had a very busy, but fun Friday and Saturday. The weekend festivities began by going to Uncle Doug's football game on Friday night at Dorman. Unfortunately, the Mavs couldn't pull it through and ended up losing 37-6. Uncle Evan, Aunt Deb, and Brittany came to the game too (although Brittany hung out with her friends from Dorman). We were so excited to "camp out" at Meme and Pop Pop's house with Brittany for Friday night. It was fun to have a girl's night together!!

On Saturday, Ava Grace, Brittany, and I headed to Wofford to meet friends for Homecoming. I showed Brittany around campus a little and told her several stories about my adventures there. Don't worry...I didn't tell her the really bad ones!! :) We walked to tailgate with Becca, Remsen, and JR. Gance and Poppy (Becca's mom and Stepdad) also tailgated. It was so wonderful to see all of them and to introduce Ava Grace to them as well. JR has grown so much - hard to believe he is already 7 months old! Where does the time go? I have a feeling he and Ava Grace are going to have some fun play dates in the future. What? Just because he is a boy doesn't mean that he and Ava Grace can't play together when they are really young. After that, he is going to have to keep his hands off! :) Just kidding!! We also visited with our other good Wofford friends: Catherine, Will, Clara, and Parker Gramling, Lindsay, JP, Caroline, and Jack Patrick, and Sloan Fleming who had a weekend without her daughter Hannah. It was great to visit quickly with them. Their children are beautiful and so much fun to watch. Ava Grace was constantly watching all of the children running around her...probably wishing she would get away from me for a while and do the same thing! :)

After the Homecoming events, Ava Grace and I headed to downtown Greenville to meet up with Uncle Doug, Aunt Stacey, Luke, Kristi, Kameron, Kelsey, Beth, and Madison. It was Fall for Greenville weekend which means lots of food, beverages, music, kids rides, and overall good time. Ava Grace really enjoyed it as she was able to look around at everything and everyone. I even had a hard time feeding her at one point because the people around us were apparently more interesting. We enjoyed our time with everyone even though it was only a few hours.

So, we are now home and really tired. It was such a fun weekend though!! Hopefully we will get to see everyone again really soon!!

1st trip to Charlotte

Ava Grace, Cece, and I made a trip to Charlotte for my North Carolina School Psychology Association conference. Most of you know that I absolutely LOVE Charlotte and that I miss my girlfriends so much!! It was great visiting quickly with everyone - Jen, Kylie, Julie, AJ, Mic, Kristen, Laney, and Carlos. I only wish we could have spent a longer amount of time with each of you and in the Queen City!! The trip also proved to be good for both Ava Grace and me in another way. It was the first time that I have left her with someone else for more than about an hour and a half. We both did surprisingly well!! Ava Grace had lots of fun with Cece too!! I now feel better about taking her to the sitter's VERY SOON when I have to go back to work.

Thanks Fisher and Davis!

Ava Grace and I want to send out a HUGE thank you to our 6-month old twin cousins, Fisher and Davis. We visited the boys about 2 weeks ago and really liked the bouncy seat that they were hanging out in. We liked it so much, that I went and bought one for Ava Grace. She loves it!! She kicks her feet all the time, so the bounce in the seat really works! We saw that our new cousin-to-be, Baby Cobb, is registered for one of these seats too. Lacey, I think Natalie and I can assure you that your little one will love the seat too!

Happy Birthday Justin!

We wanted to send happy birthday wishes to our nephew and cousin Justin who turned 13 today!! It is hard to believe that you are a teenager already! WOW!! We hope you had a great day and we hope to see you soon!! We love you!!

1 more for the win column

Mauldin HS defeated Easley HS tonight 62-0!! Crazy score, huh? It is the most points Mauldin has ever scored in a game, so Uncle Doug set a record tonight. I think everyone on the team got to play since they were winning by so much at the end of the first half. Congratulations Mavs, Uncle Doug, Cousin Lee, and the rest of the coaching staff. We are so proud of you!!

Meet Makenzie (and Heather too)

My good friend Heather and her daughter Makenzie came to visit us yesterday. Lisa, Heather's friend from Florida, was in Charlotte, so they came to check out the beauty of fall in the mountains. We had a great visit and lunch before they headed off to the apple orchards. I'm sure Makenzie had a good time with all of those apples!! We are looking forward to seeing them again soon and Ava Grace is looking forward to many more play dates with Makenzie!!

Honoring Grandaddy Shaw

On Friday night, Ava Grace, Cece, and I attended a re-dedication of the football stadium in Myrtle Beach. For those of you who don't know, my dad was the head football coach and athletics director at MBHS for 25 years until he suddenly passed away in the fall of 1994. After his passing, the city decided to name the football stadium after him for all of his accomplishments/dedication to MBHS as well as to the city. The county school board and the city worked together in renovating the stadium, which turned out to be a $3 million project!! We were there on Friday night for the re-dedication ceremony. The stadium is gorgeous and I know Dad would be so proud of it not only for the students, staff, and fans associated with MBHS, but also for the city of Myrtle Beach. It is a most deserving renovation and of course I am beyond proud that my Dad's name is associated with it.

Three of my Dad's sisters and one brother-in-law along with 3 cousins attended the ceremony on Friday night. They made the 3 hour trip just to attend the football game and be there for us. It was so great to see them and Ava Grace has now met all of her Shaw great-aunts and two of her great-uncles (we'll see you son Uncle Paul). Thank you Aunt Doris, Aunt Natalie, Aunt Sara, Uncle Jack, Pam, Teresa, and Jimmy for taking the time to celebrate Dad and all of his accomplishments!!

Uncle Doug, Aunt Stacey, and Luke could not attend the ceremony as Uncle Doug had to coach his own football game on Friday night. It was obviously a good game based on the score (34-33), but the Laurens Raiders ended up victorious that night. Uncle Doug's team played well, but just couldn't pull it out.

Playdate with Ellis

Ava Grace, Cece, and I went to see Miss Dawn (Mimi), Aunt Natalie, and Ellis on Wed. for a play date. Ellis is almost 17 months old now, so she is a busy little girl. She enjoyed looking at Ava Grace and touching her feet. Ellis talked to all of us constantly and watched Elmo as we ate lunch together. I think Aunt Natalie was excited to see Ava Grace too!! Ava Grace enjoyed smiling at Miss Dawn and Aunt Natalie. Uncle Wells even made a surprise visit (Ellis was thrilled to see him). We had a ball and are hoping to make a road trip to Atlanta to visit Aunt Natalie and Ellis (Brett too) very soon.

**Please excuse my lovely face in the picture. I didn't know Cece was taking the picture then.

Happy Birthday Uncle Doug!!

We wanted to send Happy Birthday wishes to Uncle Doug today!! We are so sorry that we won't be able to celebrate with you this weekend, but we will plan for a get together soon. Go get those Mauldin Mavericks ready for Friday night!! Good luck and we love you!!

Itty Bitty Jeans on a Friday night

Do you remember your 1st pair of jeans? Of course you don't, but I'm sure y'all looked cute in them. Ava Grace wore her first pair of jeans to Uncle Doug's game on Friday night. Luke couldn't believe how little they were! I know I am biased, but look how cute our little girl is in those itty-bitty jeans!!

Speaking of Uncle Doug, the Mauldin Mavericks won again!! They beat Westside 25-24 in OT. It was so exciting as the Mavs had to win 10 points in the last 2 minutes of regulation to send the game to OT. Westside won the toss and elected to have the ball first. They scored a touchdown and got the extra point (so 7 point total for all of you non-football fans). The Mavs got their turn to move the ball towards the end zone and they did just that. After Westside received a penalty, Uncle Doug decided to go for all the marbles. He went for the 2-point conversion and IT WORKED!! The players, coaches, parents, and fans went nuts!! It truly was a thrilling Friday night! So, congrats again to the Mauldin Mavericks!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Steve!

We wanted to send birthday wishes to Uncle Steve today!! We hope you have a great day and we hope to see you soon!! We love you! :)

Meeting the newest Shaw's

Ava Grace, Cece, and I went to Greenville yesterday to meet our newest cousins. The Shaw family is HUGE and we are continually growing. We will have 6 new babies within a year!! WOW, huh? Our first visit was with Callie, who is the new daughter of Michael and Amy (my cousins). Callie is 1 month old! Don't they look a little alike? The Shaw genes are strong for sure!! Our next visit was with Fisher and Davis, twin boys of Natalie and Evan (also my cousins). They are almost 5 months old now and soooo dang cute!! Ava Grace also met Aunt Mickey and Uncle Revonne! Although she was a little fussy because she was sleepy, they still got to love on her!!

Ava Grace had a BIG day and it was so good to see everyone. We hope to see y'all again soon. I think there will be many play dates in our future!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Evan!

We wanted to send happy birthday wishes to Uncle Evan!! Ava Grace was so excited to see him yesterday (minus a few tears that were shed). Uncle Evan, We hope you had a great day and we can't wait to visit with you again soon. We love you!!

2 months old

Ava Grace turned 2 months old yesterday! It is hard to believe that she is already that old (even though that probably doesn't seem old to some of you). She has learned to roll onto her side, has discovered her hands (and it is really neat to watch her explore them and what they do), smiles spontaneously and often, and even lets out a little laugh every now and then. She really is growing up and changing everyday!

We went to church for the first time today since she was born. It was great to see people and they oohed and aahed over her. Our preacher even made an announcement that she was sitting in the pews with everyone. My friend Lisa and I had to teach Children's Church today, so Ava Grace had a busy morning She did great and seemed to enjoy the music as she smiled at times when the organ would play. She wore one of my dresses to church this morning. It was a dress that Cece has saved all these years just in case I would have a little girl one day. I must say she looked pretty darn cute in it too!!

Congrats Uncle Doug!

YEAH!! The Mauldin Mavericks won their game tonight against TL Hanna High School!! The score was 14-13. The Mavs played well and hung in there when bad calls were made and things just weren't going their way. The Mavs scored a touchdown with 4 minutes remaining in the game and were able to hold off the Yellow Jackets during their final possession. The Mavericks football team donned brand new uniforms tonight and they looked great!! The boys were so proud of them too (so was Uncle Doug)! What a great victory, especially after losing a heart breaker last week.
So, Congratulations to Uncle Doug, Cousin Lee, and the rest of the Mauldin Mavericks football team!!

Tummy Time

Ava Grace got this cool surfboard tummy time mat as a gift from Coach and Mrs. Lynch. Coach Lynch was my high school tennis coach and Mrs. Lynch was one of our school counselors. They are the proud grandparents of 8 grandchildren with 1 more on the way!! So, they definitely know what types of gifts to give a brand new baby. Ava Grace is doing really well with holding her head up. She gets frustrated with the tummy mat sometimes because she can't pull herself up as easily as when she is sitting on our laps and looking around (there isn't much work there other than using her neck muscles). The mat requires the use of her shoulder muscles which makes it a little harder. She is getting it though and definitely enjoys the toys attached to the mat. Ava Grace smiles and laughs when we encourage her to lift her head (which distracts her somewhat from being frustrated). Here is a picture I took this week of her trying her best to lift her pretty little head!