This year we went down to Plant City again, to spend Thanksgiving with Gary's family. It was a bitter-sweet week. We arrived about 6:30 on Tuesday night and met up with the family at the funeral home. Then Granna's funeral was on Wednesday. It was wonderful to see all the family, some of whom we don't see very often, but it was a sad reason to get together.

On Thanksgiving we all got together with the Cunningham side of the family to eat and visit at Poppa J and Grandmaw Bea's house. All but four of the great-grandkids were there, so after we ate we corralled them long enough to take some pictures. That was pretty entertaining. The rest of the day, we sat around and talked and visited.

Friday, I watched the most stressful game I've seen in a while. Dad fixed up some pigs in a blanket and some BBQ ones too. Mom held Ruth, because I was way too tense, and Gary claims he has the scares on his arm to prove it. Thankfully, Auburn came back to win it, and moves on to the SEC championship game in Atlanta against South Carolina with a 12 - 0 record. Saturday, Gary watched his game, and lets just say that it wasn't pretty at all. It was so painful that he and Dad took the kids outside to run around and play.

Saturday night, Gary and I had a date night. He took me to the Red Rose, and I even got to dance for half a song. (He's moving on up.) We had a good time getting dressed up and going out with out the kids. Even if it was a short trek out of the house, since I managed to leave the pump in Gainesville and had to be back in time to feed Ruth again. We had a great weekend with the family.

Since we weren't coming up again until Christmas, and since Mother had some time off from school, and Daddy needed to use some of his vacation, Mother and Daddy came down to visit us the weekend before Thanksgiving. They went through Auburn and watched a basketball game with Benji, and then brought him with them.

Britt was very excited to see everyone. He went back to patting and grinning at Grumps. He would say Ahna but run, giggling every time she tried to pick him up. The real hit of the weekend was Uncle Benji though. Grumps says he's not going to bring him next time because Benjamin infringes on his time with Britt. Mother brought Britt a new book, "Tacky's Christmas" about a Tacky Penguin. Britt loves "Key-quens" so that book was a big hit, he asks for "Tack Tack" now we he wants it read, and he made Benjamin read it about a gazillion times each day. Benjamin started hiding it around the living room.

On Sunday, we went to MacClenny to Church and on the way back stopped in Lake Butler to eat lunch. The restaurant was right on the lake and there was a playground next to the lake, so after we ate we walked around and Britt played on playground. Play being a relative term, since he didn't play on the playground equipment so much as dig in the sand and laugh incessantly. After that we headed home to watch Jungle Book. Other highlights from the weekend included Britt bouncing blocks off of Uncle Benji's head. We had a really good visit and look forward to seeing them again in a few more weeks.

Gary and I sometimes go down to Beef O'Brady's to watch the ballgame on Saturday (since we don't have cable). Sometimes they doing a triva game, that we play. A week or two ago, we won a free bowling pass for 4 people for 2 hours, including shoes, popcorn, and a pitcher of coke. So we decided we would go with my parents when they were down.

Marquita Bonita Varnum passed away Sunday, November 21, 2010 around 8:30 am. It was the end of 20 plus year fight with cancer. While we will all miss her terribly, we know she is no longer in pain, that she is now with our Saviour, and that one day we will see her again.

I'm adding Brother Charlie Miller to the prayer request list. He is a brother at MacClenny Church near the end of a 12 year battle with cancer. He has returned home and has a peace about him. His wife, Sis. Janice, and his family would appreciate your prayers.

Granna was carried back to the hospital today, because she was very lethargic. When they got her there they drained fluid off of her heart (the first signs of congestive heart failure). They said that it was due to the fact that she has pneumonia. They are hoping to be able to treat her and keep a close eye on her and get the pneumonia cleared up in the next few days.
*Update 11/18, Granna is in ICU because they can't get her O2 Stats up.*

Bro. Allen Cook passed away Monday evening. Please keep his dear wife Sis. Lona and their family at this time.

Finally as a bit of good news, Sis. Amanda Mizel's pregnancy is going well. She is eight weeks along, and they have given her a due date of June 29, and since she is expecting a repeat Cesarean, they expect a date around June 22.

So we've been potty training this past week. I've been wanting to do this for a while, because 1) I'm super sick of changing diapers, and 2) having one child in diapers is expensive having two in diapers is painful to our budget. Seriously I can hear the budget crying as I walk up with diaper receipts in hand. I was hoping to have Britt potty trained by two, this summer he started seeming like he was ready. He would come to me and pull on the diaper asking for a new one by saying "bap-per" for diaper and with a little help he can get down and step out of his shorts. Most of all he is protesting at diaper changes trying to cover himself up and he is interested in the toliet. He has liked following us into the bathroom for months, wanting to drop the toliet paper in the toliet and flushing it.

However, I didn't start sooner because everyone advised us to wait until after the baby, because he would probably regress some when she got here. So I thought starting sometime in October would be good, because the newness of the baby should be worn off and it would give us about 2 months till the holidays, but October was a bad month for us because it involved so many test and papers, that I just didn't have the time to devote to it. So we started this past Tuesday.

We decided to try the naked baby method, since people said within a week they could be a long way to trained. Since it was cold, he wore a long sleave shirt and socks. The first day was a nightmare. I would put him on the toliet about every hour, and he would go some of the time, but not as well as he's been doing in the past. He would get off and run around and have an accident in the floor. I cleaned up 3 spots and Gary may have cleaned up another spot or two. I thought about calling it quits and putting him back in a diaper, but since I knew Kelly and Joshua had a tough first day, I decided to stick it out. Day two went better, he went on the toliet more like he had been before, and he only had two accidents both of which he managed to stop and finish in the toliet. Day three he only had one accident and went in the toliet all day. Over the weekend, we tried pull ups some when we were out of the house, and those are no help. He uses them just like a diaper, and they actually seem to keep him drier than the diapers do.

All in all it went pretty well, HOWEVER, it feels way more like Gary and I are just being trained to take him to the bathroom at certain times than him being trained to use the toliet. He is still lagging in the conversation department only using one word at a time, he seems to understand an aweful lot, but we aren't sure if he understands what we are trying to do. What do you think readers?

We are going to give it another week, and if we aren't making some sort of progress, we may just call it off and try again after New Years, because the next month and a half is going to be a crazy one. My folks are coming down to see us before Thanksgiving, then we are going to Plant City for Thanksgiving. The next weekend we will be going to Tampa for El Bethel's meeting, and then back in Gainesville for a week. Then it will be exams and Christmas break. We hope to spend a week and a half in Alabama and then a week and a half in Plant City. I don't think that much going and doing will be condusive to potty training him. Any advise out there?

I'll leave you with a video that Gary recorded of me and Britt on Saturday while he was using the bathroom. Britt doesn't mind sitting on the toliet as long as we either read his "SkippyJon Jones" books or sing songs. His favorite to ask for is Pooh by which he means "Return to the House of Pooh Corner" by Kenny Logins. He says lots of the words with me, points out his nose, and dances.

So I wonder does she talk more because she's the second child and she hears alot more noise around the house than Britt ever did? Someone told me this week she talks more because she's a girl, and last week someone told me it's because that's the only way that second children get noticed; however, I'm inclined to think it's because it's just her little personality to be a bit chatty. After all she has so many big ideas to share.

Ruth,

Today you are 3 months old, and the biggest change this month has been your little personality, is really starting to blossom. You smiled for the first time at Britt a day before you turned one month, and you really started smiling at Daddy around 6 weeks. I finally managed to get a smile out of you the day you turned 2 months old. I still think you are our more serious child, I have to work harder to get smiles than I ever had to with Britt. Sadly you will probably hear that the rest of your life. As second child, you will forever be in comparison since we only have our experiences with him to relate back to. You should find comfort in the fact that at least we only have one reference point, the next one is going to have to be compared to you both, haha.

The most astounding thing about you to me, is how talkative you are. (Way ahead of Britt in this, you should be proud to know.) Whenever someone stops to look at you in the car seat, you feel as if it is a chance to share your views on the political front, your theories on how to solve world hunger, your explanation of scientific concepts that even Einstein couldn't quiet grasp, oh and most important of all your chance to convince people to pick you up. I may not have a clue what you are telling me, but boy do you have a lot to say in the most animated and urgent sounding way. This week we went to Salem for their Church meeting, and boy did you talk to everyone there, and yes you succeeded in getting lots of different people to hold and talk to you.

Just one night this week we had the best conversation. All the way home from Church, your Daddy and I talked about Russian history. He thought the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church were almost exactly the same, so of course I bored him with all the details of Russian history and how the two churches are very much different. We got home, and Daddy needed to run to the store for Cokes, so while I changed the sheets I asked you if you listened to our discussion, since you were awake the whole trip. I told you how when you were bigger you could read my history books and how we would learn all about not just Russian history, but US history and English history and Egyptian history. After talking about that sort of stuff, I told you we wouldn't just learn history, but we would learn mathematics and we would do fun stuff like word problems, not just silly theoretical math but how it applied to things, and how we would use it to learn way fun stuff (cause math really isn't fun) like physics and chemistry. I told you how we would learn how the universe works and study all sorts of fun and important things. You in the most appreciative way added your coos and other sounds at the appropriate times along with facial expression about how exciting history sounded and how dreadful math sounded. And I realized, it was our first real conversation. The first, I hope, of many.

Not only are you a real chatter box these days but you are growing stronger each day. Why just last night you manged to rock forward while you were sitting leaned up against the pillows on our bed. You balanced without resting against anything for almost 30 seconds. I was shocked. Whoever heard of such a thing at just 3 months old. You rolled over from back to stomach for the first time on Thursday. You have done it almost nonstop since then. You never have cared for being on your back. You either want to be sitting up, really straight or on your belly.

You find your hands more and more often these days as well. You like to suck on your middle two fingers or your thumb, and still only take the pacifier when you have a mind too. Fingers suit me just fine, after all I don't enjoy constantly turning around while Daddy drives like a lunatic trying to get it back in your mouth and Daddy likes it even less when I make him get up and go and put it back in your mouth at night when you wake up fussing.

We have also managed to get you to sleep through the night 5 of the last 7 nights. We still can't get you to sleep anyway but in the swinger, so I have no idea when we will actually try to move you into the crib, but at least we are sleeping mostly at night now. All sorts of exciting things this week. Of course what I didn't mention was that you didn't go down on some of those nights until 2 o'clock. You are indeed our little night owl. You sleep great all morning, and party all night. You are most alert and awake in the last afternoon and early evening, then you take a short nap before dinner, and party until midnight or later most nights. I think we might have to work on breaking you of sleeping in the swing this next month.

Britt seems to be your best friend, and we hope that you two will remain close. Even after you get old enough to realize that he is just a bit possessive of you, and even after he realizes that you can take his toys away too. You two seem to enjoy laying together in the floor or on the bed and you grin and laugh at each other. It delights me to no end to watch you two when you are both happy and not shrieking at me.

I love you,
Momma

It's been a busy few weeks here on the home front. After we did early trick or treating, we spent 5th weekend over at Panama City at a Church meeting. We were able to hear Bro. David Montgomery. We were all nursing colds, and I had about decided that we just needed to stay home. Gary still felt like we needed to go, in his words he needed his batteries recharged. It had been a really hecktic two weeks with school, and internships, assistanceships, and jobs were all up in the air. So we set out on Friday afternoon, and heard some wonderful preaching and enjoyed the company of Elders J.C. Stanaland, James Conley, and David Montgomery. Britt had a ball playing with everyone especially Bro. David. Gary and I felt refreshed, it's amazing how driving four hours to a meeting after an exhausting week, just to sit on pews all weekend, leaves you feeling refreshed. He had wonderful sermons on Thursday night on Total Depravity (which we missed out on), True Fellowship (on Friday night), Prayer, Forgiveness, and the Apostle Paul's experience on the road to Damascus (on Saturday), and a wonderfully simple sermon on What it is We Believe (Sunday morning).
After the meeting, Britt took a nap, while we drove back to Plant City. Gary's class on Monday was cancelled so we made the trek down, so that we would be there to vote on Tuesday. We were able to visit with several family members, and some Church members as well. We didn't get to see near everyone that we wanted, but we were only there for a day and a half. Poppa J and Grandmaw Bea were able to see Ruth for the first time. Grandmaw Bea didn't want to share with Amanda, and Poppa J amused her with a mixture of Korean and giberish in his best high pitched baby voice. Britt stayed behind when the rest of us headed back to Gainesville. He spent the rest of the week playing with his cousins and wearing out Memaw. Gary and I spent a quiet week doing lots of homework, and some cleaning. We got to visit with Mom and Dad for awhile last Saturday when they brought Britt back, and Mom took me down to J.C. Penny's and we found me some warmer clothes, since I don't really have any warm things that fit. This week thankfully was slower, so we started potty training which is a story for another post. This week was also Salem's meeting at Lake City, so we went over there Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings and heard Elder Ronald Lawrence preach. The kids were suprisingly well behaved. I have come to the conclusion that Britt does much better for evening services (this has only been since about the time he turned 15 mons). So Gary and I were able to listen to most of the preaching (for once). This weekend we are enjoying a nice long break. No homework that has to be done this weekend, so Gary's not doing any. Nowhere to be, so we're staying at home being lazy, and watching football on the laptop...

Britt is amusing to watch during Church these days. He for the most part sits on the bench and faces the front, but he's not still. Britt flips through the song book, keeps rather sporatic time, and best of all he dances in the pew. Of course, when all else fails there's always taggie or a stuffed animal in the diaper bag to chew on. The dancing cracks me up, so I had to covertly try to get a little on film last Sunday. He didn't dance much on Sunday mostly swaying and a little bouncing. Sometimes he's going to town to the point that Gary asks me if I'm raising a holy roller back there. I'm just glad that he's fairly still and seems to like the singing. You'll have to forgive me for recording during Church, but it's one of those memories that I want to save.

Yesterday I talked with Dr. Moss the head of the department about possibly switching from the MAB (Master's of Agribusiness) to the MS (Master's of Science with a concentration in Agribusiness with thesis). I was discouraged to find out that there were a number of classes I would have to have through next December, most of which require higher Calculus that I haven't done for 10 years. Not to mention that I would still need to write a thesis which might keep me in school for an extra year. The degree path that I'm currently on is for those interested in working in business where as the other degree is really more for those who want to do research. While I'm interested in research and the other degree is better, the degree that I'm currently pursuing is really more in line with what I would like to do. However, I really wanted to work on this project of determining the best replacements for Methyl Bromide.

So, today I talked with Dr. VanSickle, the professor that offered me the assistanceship if I would change programs. I told him the program I was in was really a better fit, and because the upcoming classes are built on the classes that I would have been taking this semester in the other program I didn't feel like I could change programs mid stream. I told him I would really like to still work on the project, and I understood if he couldn't give me funding. I said if there was any way to help pay for my tuition for next semester I would love to work on this project as my internship. He told me he could do better than that. He said that he would really like me to work on this project due to my background in the industry, so he plans to grant me the assistanceship as an internship - wave my tuition next semester, and pay me a stipend just as if I was in the other program.

This is really great news! We still have to work out the fine points with Jess, our department secretary. I'm really excited about doing this research. I get to look at all aspects of Methyl Bromide replacements and I get to work with Dr. Noling. I doubt he will see a significant difference in yield because these farmers have been phasing this stuff out for years now, but I predict that he will see a growing number of diseases and pest, which means that farmers will be spending far more on chemicals to control these things than they did with Methyl Bromide.

It's way past time for a new update on the prayer request list, so I'm here today to provide it. :)

Granna has had another set back. She initially broke her shoulder about a month and a half ago. She was moved over to a rehab center in order to help with the healing. When they went back two weeks later to see the specialist, it was determined that she was going to need surgery because it wasn't healing properly on its on. They did surgery and sent her back to the rehab center where she has been going through therapy. Just two days ago during therapy the shoulder dislocated and she is back up at Plant City hospital. She may need to undergo surgery again, as it doesn't appear to be healing correctly. **1:30 update - Granna saw the surgeon this morning and they were able to reset her shoulder without surgery. She is wearing something similar to a sling to keep her arm close to her body all the time, for a while until they are sure it is healing. Then she will go back to rehab.**

Nate Ferrel just got back from his 6 month check up at the Houston Mito Clinic. They received alot of good news while they were out there. They are making a few changes to his medicine routine, but all in it's looking like they are being able to successfully manage the disease at this time. He's such a funny little man, and Britt likes to follow him around Sunday afternoons as they contemplate what mischief they can get into next.

Grandmother has done really well with her shoulder, but I would ask you to keep remembering her in your prayers. She has had a bit of stomach trouble off and on in the past, but it appears some of the medicine that they were giving her to manage the pain and help with her shoulder have aggravated her stomach. She's having alot of the symptoms that my mother had a little over a year ago - she just doesn't feel much like eating and isn't very comfortable.

There are three new request I'm adding this week...

Bro. Allen and Sis. Lona Cook are some dear Primitive Baptist friends from West Texas. I met them several years ago through my grandparents. I have affectionately referred to them as my "God - grandparents" since they are old enough to be my grandparents and have been such a Godly encouragement. Brother Allen has always encouraged me to sit with the deacons and ministers at meetings and learn. Like my father and grandfather he always encouraged me to study and ask questions. I have learned alot from listening to him and Granddaddy discuss scripture. They made the very special effort to come all the way to Florida when Gary and I got married, which meant quite alot to me. Brother Allen is in the last stages of prostate and is in alot of pain. He is ready to go home, and while I know I will miss him; I would ask you to pray for comfort for Sister Lona and rest for Brother Allen.

Jon and Amanda Mizel just found out that they are expecting again, go here to read their story.

Finally if everything goes well in a few weeks Bro. Randy and Sis. Paula will be adopting a brand new baby boy. We would ask you all to pray for this dear couple who Gary and I admire so much. They are always an encouragement to others, offer good advise, and are just a joy to be around. They are wonderful parents and very much want a second child. We ask for your prayers in this matter.

Finally a note on us, Gary has had several interesting opportunities in the last month. First, we discovered that there was an internship with Bayer coming open in Florida that he was a perfect fit for that would provide him a good opportunity to fill the internship part of the program early, and might provide a permanent position next summer. Then, we attended a conference where Gary was able to interview with 9 different companies for more than 20 job openings. There were several positive experiences, and one that was very interested in Gary and conducted a second interview. Finally, there is a professor on campus who has been very impressed with Gary's work and due to his background would like to offer him a research assistance ship to determine the most cost-effective replacement for methyl bromide (and which gives the best coverage). This is something that Gary did a little of at Crop and would like to do more of, and would give him some very valuable and marketable skills in the strawberry industry after he graduates. The catch is that he would have to slightly change his degree from a Masters of Agribusiness to a Masters of Science in Agribusiness this means at the earliest he would be graduating in December and he would be required to write a thesis.

Like I said, we have had many exciting opportunities, and up until this point we've been pursuing all options. However, soon we are going to have to make a decision in which direction to go. We received word on Tuesday that Bayer had chosen someone else for their internship. (Gary thinks it's because they already had housing, and he had the baggage of a family, and the living accommodations really weren't set up for that.) So far we haven't heard much back from the job interviews, and may not for sometime. However, the decision about changing degrees will need to be made fairly quickly and if we go that route, Gary won't be able to look for or take full time work. He will be going to school full time, essentially be working full time doing the leg work for this research assistance ship, and writing a thesis in there some where. Gary is praying for clear guidance on which route to take, and we would like to ask that you continue to remember us.

Britt loves to be read too. It's one of those things that I'm most proud to be instilling in my child, a love for books. Reading and books can open a whole new world of doors. They can take you to a magical far away place, or they can teach you how to fix the sink. I love to read, and I love that Britt loves to be read too. Sometimes I have to mentally remind myself of that when we are reading "Duck, Duck, Moose" for the ba-gillionth time, or when I walk into his room to find all 3000 of his books in the floor for the 33 time. Times like this make it all worth while though...

Sara and Lydia came to visit us over the weekend. I spent Friday cleaning up the house and getting ready for them, while Britt demolished, I mean played in his room. I told him after his nap that there would be a surprise downstairs that someone was coming to see him. Well, I guess I should have told the little man that, because every few minutes he kept getting up coming to me and asking "down?" which is what he says when he is ready to go downstairs in the morning. By the time it was 3:30 he still hadn't taken a nap, so I gave up. When he got down stairs he was so excited to find Sara and Lydia here. Oh boy, did he grin and laugh and flirt. He was nothing but trouble. All weekend he wanted Lydia to read to him and play blocks with him and he brought her every leaf and stick he could find. He spent all weekend calling her "Lee-Lee." He cried when she left and called and looked for her this morning.

This past weekend Daddy had a meeting in Orlando. Me and Momma and Ruth went along with him, but we did fun things instead of going to Daddy's meetings. Daddy says he had lots of fun like a kid in a candy shop, but I doubt he had as much fun as I did. I don't know anything about candy shops (which Momma says is a very good thing) but I can tell you about Bass Pro Shop.

My son is rotten. He has this strange habit of taking one bite out of something and moving on to the next item. He will sit next to me and eat a bite out of one of my fries, then sit it back on the plate and get another fry and take one bite out of it, he proceeds this way, until all of my fries have one end missing. He does this with my chips too... when he isn't shoving them into his mouth whole. He does it with lots of things. This morning I was sitting and feeding Ruth and heard him rustling around on the other side of the bed. Every few moments I would hear the drawer open, and then shut again. Since nothing was crashing and breaking I left him be until Ruth got done eating. Then this is what I found...

Ruth,

Today you are two months old. Daddy has had to work hard to stretch those diapers around you over the last week, we are wondering if you will be over 12 lbs at your next doctor's appointment on the 25th. As soon as we use up the last of the size 1 diapers that we have open, I suppose I will be swapping the others out for size 2 so that Daddy can stop complaining about how he thinks they are too tight. I haven't been able to tell that you are getting heavier, but you are definitely getting longer. Alot of your 0-3 month stuff has been packed up, because it just won't stretch enough to fasten. I've been putting off moving you up a size, but it won't be much longer, which is a pity, since you haven't even come close to wearing all the 0-3 stuff you have.

Your face has rounded out alot since you were born, and you are getting to be a cute little thing. Of course, about the time that I think you are starting to look a little cuter, like a little girl, you have lost even more of your hair. You don't have almost any left on top. I can't get a clip in bow in it any more. You still have a fair amount in the back, but you'll probably lose it too. I just hope it stays dark. We can definitely tell that your eyes are blue now, but they are so dark that we wonder if they might eventually turn green or brown. You still have super chubby checks that leaves Uncle Benji calling Britt and you - Chip and Chipette.

Your sleeping at night hasn't improved any over the last month. About 75% of the time we end up having to put you in the swing to sleep, because you wont stay down in the cradle. You are still waking up to eat once in the night and some nights we manage to get you back in the cradle afterward, but most nights you end up sleeping on my chest or back in the swing if you are too fussy. During the day you sleep fine in your bed, or on our bed (you seem to like a real mattress better), or even in the floor. I have no idea why you won't do the same at night.

You are smiling a bit more, though you are still pretty stingy with the smiles. I can't seem to get a picture of you smiling. You smile at Daddy most, and at Britt alot, but all you want to do when I have you is eat, so I've yet to get a smile. You are getting very good at lifting your head and even part of your chest off of the floor when you are on your stomach. You are a good listener now too. You turn when you hear Daddy come in from school. And as Britt speaks the language that only he understands and dances around the room, your eyes follow him and you look like you are studying him very intently. You also get upset when we all go to the table to eat supper if you aren't brought along to sit next to the table in your car seat. You spend dinner turning your head back and forth between all of us when we are talking.

We love you,
Momma

I don't forget to blog you know, I'm just busy. There are so many things to do in a day that I don't always get around to blogging. You know, I have lots of block towers to destroy, books to read, and cars to drive around the floor. Somewhere in all of that I have to find time to drink milk and take a nap. I also need to watch Patpul and Pooh everyday. Sometimes I even get to watch "Elmo" and "Bibir" (Big Bird). Other days, like today, I watch videos on my friends blogs. I especially like to go and watch video of "Osh", "Ames and Aury", and "Abby, Amma, and Ate." Most days I play outside in the "un" (sun), there are lots of "leaf, ticks, and rac" (leaves, sticks, and rocks) to examine. I try to out do myself to see how "dirdir" (dirty) I can get before I take a bath and get "kean". After my bath I have to eat and then brush my "teef". Finally before heading to bed I have to dance some and wrestle with Daddy in the floor. It's hard work being a toddler.So you see it's not that I forget all of you, it's just that I'm so busy and I don't like to sit still very long to type blogs. That's what Momma is for... when she's not busy trying to chase me down...