Once upon a time, I was in a limo with Carrie Underwood and Tony Romo...

Ok, so in the spirit of the Grammy's, I thought I would share a crazy story about Carrie Underwood and Tony Romo. Every time I see her performing or interviewing I get tickled because I've seen another side of this talented girl...
I was in Dallas at my friend Libba's bachelorette party and we ended up getting a VIP table at the Ghost Bar on top of the W. We arrived and immediately took over the VIP section. We were having some cocktails and dancing, celebrating Libba's last days as a single when someone brushed my shoulder. I turned to see who it was and it was Tony Romo! It turned out that it was his birthday and he was celebrating with some Dallas Cowboys and his girlfriend, at the time, Carrie Underwood! Their table was right next to ours so we all ended up hanging out right next to them all night.
Carrie and Tony ended up in the DJ booth playing their favorite songs and dancing, then she sang "Happy Birthday" to him. We couldn't believe how lucky we were...
THEN, we were leaving and they asked us if we wanted a ride home or if we wanted to go hang out with them at the Galleria where Carrie was staying, so we obviously dove into the limousine... and that's when things started to go downhill. We were so excited to get to hang out with Carrie, but ummm, Carrie was checked out. And when I say "checked out", I mean that she was wasted, crying, texting with her head in between her legs, about to be sick. It was miserable! We asked her if she needed water and she wouldn't even sit up and look at us. It was like trying to play with a broken toy. No fun.
Tony seemed pretty annoyed and like he was ready to go home. We were not impressed with our new friends. We ended up asking them to just take us back to Hotel ZaZa because it was such a bummer. Anyway, drunk Carrie is human! They split up not long after this took place... and I know why.

"Babe" Ruth Puryear

I know most of my posts are light and humorous, but this one is a bit heavy. Just so you know what you're getting into:
So, I was working in Russellville today when Coy's sister Julie called to tell me that their grandmother died. Grandma, to them, Babe to her friends, and Ruth on paper. From what I know, she got her nickname "Babe" as a child, for obvious reasons, and it stuck. I happen to think it's the cutest nickname of the century so I prefer to call her Babe. My engagement ring has been passed down through 5 generations of Coy's family, one being Babe.
I wasn't sure where to vent, but my friends, and I'm hoping that's who reads my blog, know that I'm a communicator. I don't internalize things well, so this is the outlet I'm choosing... my quick therapy session. My relationship with Babe was just a snapshot compared to the rest of Coy's family, so I just want to put my thoughts out here so I can move forward and be a support system for Coy, Julie, Dr. Scott and their family. As I was driving home there were two thoughts that I kept going over and over, beating to death in my head, about Babe and her relationship with Georgie (Coy's grandfather).
First: Babe hasn't been at her best since I've known her. She was feeling worse and worse as the months went by and started preparing herself for what was after this life. She was open about her thoughts and desire to move on. Some might say this was depressing, and at times, it was. Talking about death, or discussing being ready to die, is a conversation that most of us would rather not delve into because it makes us uncomfortable or sad, but, I think that it is amazing how confident she was about death as she neared the end of her life. I think that she had such strong faith that she was ready to see what was next for her and it made her feel better to let everyone know that she was prepared for this unknown. I hope that when my time comes, if I have time to prepare, that I will feel this same confidence and hope.
Random thought: A memory that has made me laugh today, is a depiction of her love for the men in her family. She loved her entire family, but raised two boys and had a special place in her heart for the men in her life possessing the same gender. The first time I went to visit Babe, I was prepped that she could be a bit dramatic, bordering on needy, to which I thought that we were probably going to have a lot in common:) Just being honest. I walked in and she got up to welcome everyone at the door and then took me on a tour of her home. She has collected everything, so it really was an adventure. Then, we sat down and started to get to know each other better and she grabbed a group picture, including herself, from high school. She went through and pointed at all the faces, telling me about her friends and made me guess which one she was. Later, Coy came into the room and picked up the picture. He asked her which one she was and she said "oh, Coy" and grabbed his hand and gazed into his eyes (her signature move, precious) "I just can't see. I can't see a thing. I'll need your help to get through this picture." That little booger! I was in shock! She was the perfect damsel in distress! It worked, he grabbed her hand back and put his arm around her and began describing people in the picture so she could remember. She loved every second of it. She loved her boys, but she ESPECIALLY loved Georgie and would announce this several times during our visits, in front of anyone who happened to be there when she felt the urge to belt it out, "I looooove Georgie. Do you know that I love Georgie?"
The second: thing that pounded through my head today was the love story between Babe and Georgie. Babe and Georgie set the bar high and have left their family with such an unbelievable example of love and what it means to take the vows of marriage. Georgie never left her side. As she got sicker, he thought less and less about himself. The needier she was, the more he gave. He took "in sickness and in health" to her last breath. I was talking about this with my mom this morning before Babe passed away. We were discussing the full circle the family has made with Georgie. Coy's family was concerned that Georgie was taking on too much responsibility when it came to Babe's day-to-day care, and he probably was, but when reflecting on the situation, it all makes sense. When George started to give up his personal time and hobbies we all became worried and tried to encourage him to hire a nurse and come to a Razorback game or play a round of golf. We didn't want George to stop living his life because Babe was slowing down. This went on for months and Babe continued to get worse and worse and George continued to tell the family to buzz off, he was doing what he wanted to do. As Babe needed more medical assistance, George completely devoted himself to her. He was her nurse, yes, in all that a nurse's responsibilities include, her husband, her best friend. He wasn't budging and never complained. Talks of nursing homes or "assisted living" were quickly shut down. Babe wanted to stay home and that was the end of the conversation. WE were the ones who thought George was robbing himself of his last years. WE all thought that he was missing out on important moments in his life where he could still have fun and find pleasure. HE knew exactly what he was doing. There wasn't a temptation in the world that could have gotten him to spend more than an hour or two away from her. I have never had the opportunity to personally witness such acts of selflessness or to witness what true love looks like toward the end, but it has been a life lesson that I will never forget. This is what it meant when Coy and I took our vows. This is what "in sickness and in health" looks like. I consider myself so lucky to be married to Coy, to see what fabric Coy was made from and to know that Coy watched the same display of love.

Boo! I do, Annie, Dad, Amos, hosting, TG, KC, and a tree... whew!

Ok, so I know I've been neglecting my blog, but here is a crazy big post... It's a lot, so hang on to your hat! As I read back over my post I became overwhelmed with how grateful I am. Wow, I am SO blessed with wonderful friends, a loving family, a good job, and an amazing husband.

So, here, electronic diary, EAT! And blogstalkers, ENJOY:)

I guess I need to start with Karrie and Joseph's Halloween themed birthday party for their dog, Bubba. Bubba is old as hell and can't see or hear, but Karrie loves him and so she dressed him up like a pirate and invited all of us to bring our dogs over in costume. I'm sure if Bubba could talk, that's what he would have wished for:) haha, just messin' with you K!

Our little pumpkin, Ophelia, was on her best behavior. Bailey isn't really into anything social and prefers to stay under our covers or in our closet, so he opted out.

Bubba, the birthday boy. Too funny...
Other funny costumes...

Moving on...

We then traveled to Wynne, one of three trips we'll make in the month of November, for Coy's good friend, Melonie, in the event of her marriage. The drive to Wynne is a major pain, but we really ALWAYS have a good time when we get there. The company there makes it totally worth it. I really feel like Coy should be grateful that he married someone who feels this way:) Don't you bloggers?

Melonie's wedding was really beautiful. It was small, simple, perfectly put together and true to their family's nature. Very "Father of the Bride", Wynne style. Melonie grew up next door to Coy in Hunter's Rest where there is either a large pond or a small lake, undecided. Big enough to ski in circles, if this helps you picture it. ha. The Jones' had a tent set up outside where Melonie got married. Then this turned into the reception tent. The food was wonderful , the weather was perfect and according to Frank Jones (Mel's dad) "there wasn't a living insect within a hundred yards" of his place! We'll probably all pay for this later in life, but we left without one mosquito bite. As you can see from the pictures, Julie and I thoroughly enjoyed the sparklers.

Aren't Coy and his dad cuties!?

A fun group shot out on the dock. Claudia, Me, Matt, Thomas and ZackDoesn't Coy's Neanie look FABULOUS! She's 80!Coy's Papaul and I, cuttin' a rug. I know he gets a little frustrated with me because I can't dance the way he dances like Neanie does, but he smiles and acts like he loves it!
The beginning of the sparklers... see, it just started out as a great photo opp with some wonderful props...Julie, being sillyBecca, Julie, Me, Coy and ZackMe and CoyMe and ClaudiaMe and Dr. Matt:)Then, things get a little crazy...I think Coy is the funniest person alive, so I LOVE this picture.

Thinking about it...And, BITE! I sure Coy's dad, the dentist, would this picture...Wow...On guard! We decided that they were light sabers.
Julie loses!

The next weekend, we stayed in Fayetteville and went to several showers/parties on Saturday night. My friend and next door neighbor had a really cute lingerie shower on Saturday afternoon, so Abra and I went together and had a lovely time. Then, we went to Centerton for my friend and Godsister, Meredith's husband, Kyle's 30th birthday. It was very nice to see everyone there. Meredith's brother, Andy, was on leave from Iraq, but was leaving again the next day, so prayer and positive thoughts need to be sent his direction. I also got to see some friends from Fayetteville that I haven't seen in a long time. THEN, we went to my friend Leanne's baby shower. It was last, but not least! It's been so long since I've blogged that Leanne has had her baby now! Congratulations Leanne! You'll be a wonderful mother!

I had another busy week at work and got to go to my niece's Thanksgiving feast at Root Elementary. Have and of you been back to your elementary schools? It's interesting. Everything was so dang small. It's a trip... if you haven't done it, you totally should!

Then, we had a small birthday party for my dad! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, again. The invitations were really cute... They said "November 9, 2007: Larry turned 60 November 14, 2008: We finally celebrate!

Last year, my parents were moving/selling their house, so we pretended like it wasn't his birthday... kind of cruel, but we made up for it! We had food from catering concepts, some close friends and a surprise wine tasting that Kent Starr (but really probably Kim, the woman behind the man!) put together. It was really awesome and for those of you who know my dad, he was hilarious. He cried at first and then he was handing out high fives and thumbs up for the rest of the night! It was perfect.

Dad, being animated
The Wine tasting set-up One crazy crew!I found this group in dad's wine cellar... suspicious.
Claire, Bo and Coy
The BartendersMy mom and Mrs. Jane being silly Me and the Coy
My dad, me, and Mr. FultonThe night after dad's party, we putted on over to Wynne for Coy's cousin, Paul Glenn and his new wife Jordan's wedding reception. It was very nice. We celebrated at Crowley's Ridge Country Club and then went to our usual party spot, Barrett and Sarah's after. We also found out that Claudia is pregnant! She was SO sweet and didn't say a word about it until after his reception because she didn't want to steal the spotlight. I just love Claudia!

THEN, Sunday we went to Little Rock to stay with Rachie and go to Amos Lee! It was a blast! The evening was very interesting to me, but we don't have to blog about all the details:)

Ok, so where are we? Oh, that's right...

So, I had another crazy week at work and then we hosted a shower for Wiley and Allison at our house. Another fun night! Allison was the SWEETEST bride-to-be. She was so genuinely grateful which made it even more fun to have the shower... love her.

Coy, Miguel and Wiley

Allison (in the middle) with her sis and her momAaron was giving us a little concert and Ali joined in, so fun!Coy and Wiley also provided some late night entertainmentTHEN, it was time for Thanksgiving! We went to Wynne and got to go eat at Coy's Neanie's house. For those of you who don't know, she is an AMAZING cook! She made almost 30 different dishes. It's really not normal.

My nephew George was playing in the trees before dinner

The Spread
The desserts... let's see, we have creme brulee, apple pie, chocolate cake, homemade cheesecake, pecan pie... and there was something else... but I can't remember
Thomas, sprawled out after eating too much!
Ok, we're almost there! After another busy week at work, Coy and I went to Kansas City to escape for a weekend and to celebrate our anniversary (a little late). I can't believe we've been married for 2 years! It's been the best 2 years EVER! I LOVE YOU COY!

We also went and got a real tree the day we got home... I've never had a real tree before, but Coy's family always does this. I LOVED it! I'm so glad Coy introduced me to this new tradition!

The view from our hotel room

Oh, Christmas tree...

Rapunzel, Rapunzel...

We had a wonderfully busy weekend! There were SO many fun things going on, I wish we could have done it all! I hated to miss some fun parties, but here is what we managed to make the most of:

Friday

5:30 pm- We met our friends Bryce and Emily at the tower located at the intersection of Old Missouri and Old Wire to host the party we won at the American Diabetes Association's "Kiss a Pig" gala. This was SO much fun! The Springdale Liquor Association provided too much beer and wine and A Fare to Remember provided an adorably tasty snack spread. We were happy our friends could make it even though it clashed with Redneck Tailgate!

6:30 pm- I get the courage to climb to the top of the tower... what an unbelievable view!?

7:00 pm- I accidentally knock a glass of red wine out of my own hand and it explodes off the floor on an innocent bystander's face... I met her 5 minutes prior... Party foul... big time! She looked like a CSI crime scene, it was really embarrassing and horrible.

8:00 pm- Guests start making their way out to get to dinner reservations and other soirees... except for a few of us:) The rest of us begin cleaning up, starting with the unopened beer and wine...

9:00 pm- We see Spencer in a very "senior picture"-like pose and this inspires us to have all our senior pictures taken using the ladder as a prop...

10:00 pm- We make our way down the winding stairs. There was one casualty that will remain nameless, but I hope this person's shins are still in tact after nailing the metal stairs.

10:15 pm- We arrive at Justin's party to see Coy's parents, his sister Julie and all her great friends from Hendrix and Wynne who we have become friends with... they are SO fun! We love that Matt and Julie moved here and have included us with their friends:) We begin to turn into popsicles because it is SO cold outside!

12:00 am- We head home to thaw out! I get in a scalding hot bath to try to warm up...

Saturday

8:30 am- I get up and pot some violas and bake a casserole for my friends Amanda and Franklin to take home with them... very responsible of me, I know.

12:00 pm- I meet my mother-in-law, Mrs. Tommie, and her BFF, Mrs. Mary, and my sister-in-law (and bestie:), Julie at Mason's for the BEST SURPRISE EVER! I was going to help the girls pick out some cute duds but when we got there Mrs. Tommie said that Dr. Scott would buy Julie and I some new jeans! Isn't that the BEST?!

1:30 pm- I run by Bella Jacks to pick up a sussy (surprise) for baby David Franklin to snuggle in.

2:00 pm- I go to mom and dad's to have bloody marys with Bo, Claire, Mrs. Beth (Claire's mom), Britton, Holly, Coy, Mrs. Tommie, Dr. Scott, Mrs. Mary, Mr. Robert, Clark (Bo's buddy from Ole Miss), Charlie and Beth. We all slurp one down and then I collected the casseroles my mom and Claire made for Amanda and Franklin and we head to meet the baby!

3:30 pm- I met Mr. David Franklin! He started crying when I held him the first time and Mrs. Beth came to the rescue. I tried again and everything went perfectly! He fell asleep on my shoulder and his big cheek provided the perfect napping pillow... awwww.

4:30 pm- We head to tailgate! We got to spend time with our great friends the Magness' and the Moores.

6:00 pm- I don't want to talk about it...

10:30 pm- We finally get home and watch SNL and chat with Charlie and Beth! We miss them SO much!

12:00 am- We conk out.

Sunday

REST!... whew!