Our Family

I just want to show this picture to say that I love my husband, my pug, and my golden! Aren't they cute?

One Week-FOUR Christmas Parties!

This was a very busy week full of parties. It all started on Wednesday at Lauren Baugh's house for our Bunko party. Lauren prepared a delicious dinner and then we had an ornament swap. This is our fourth year as a Bunko group. Sometimes, we play Bunko and other times, it is just a supper club and social hour. The Bunko Girls


Thursday night, we attended Amy and Elizabeth's party. It was fun and they had YUMMY food. We had a great time getting to hang out with Emily and Eric and Lauren and Cody. Elizabeth had her house decorated beautifully for Christmas.

Friday night, we went to The Birmingham Country Club for the Birmingham Radiology Group Christmas party and it was wonderful. I love getting dressed up and the Country Club is so nice and the food is phenomenal. They have a beef tenderloin that is as tender as room temperature butter and Bryan and I look forward to it all year long.

Saturday night, we hosted the Radiology Resident party at our house. We watch the Heisman Trophy Show at 7:00 (YEAH MARK INGRAM!!!!)!!!!!!!! and then had a great time until 1:00 a.m. Wow, we are tired today! It was great to use so many of our wedding gifts and serviing platters.

Me, Meredith, Lauren, Audra

Patrick, John, Scott, and Bryan

Lauren and Cody stopped by to join in on the fun.

Our House Decorated for Christmas

Here are some pictures of our house decorated for Christmas. I had so much fun decorating the house this year. I had motivation because we had Bryan's residency party at our home.

Novo Nordisk Christmas Card

These are my co-workers, Fleming Long and John Howard. I am so lucky to have a job with such a wonderful company. I am very very thankful to my work and I have two great partners. This is the card that we sent out to our offices in Gadsden and Cullman.

Hey, I know that Church!

One of my favorite things about my job is going to small towns and driving around the downtown area. I have been going to Centre, AL for a year and a half but it wasn't until last week that I explored downtown Centre. I made two wonderful discoveries. The first one was a store named Willow Tree and I got a beautiful jacket. The second and best was this church. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around to take pictures and go inside. It is JUST LIKE First Baptist Church, Tallassee. I grew up going to First Baptist and so many of my childhood memories center around Church. I always joke to Bryan that if the FBC church doors were open, the McCaig family was there! I loved choir, GA's, Bible School, Sunday School, Youth trips, camp at Shocco Springs, the Barraca Quartet, Wednesday night supper, candy in Preacher Bentley's office before "big Church", hand bells with with Mr. Bush, and playing the piano on occasion when Mrs. Causey couldn't be there. I hope all of you that know and have memories at First Baptist will enjoy these pictures. First United Methodist Church, Centre, AL

Wow, this sure did bring back some wonderful memories for me. There is one more funny thing I would like to add. For years, our family sat in the balcony with this view. When my mind would wander, as a child's mind often does in church, I would "take names" of those who talked and write them down on the bulletin. My mom would laugh. Now, I know we are all guilty of whispering something to the person next to us in church from time to time. Who knows, there might be a little child in church taking names!

Thanksgiving in Tallassee

We left Atlanta and headed to Tallassee for a couple of days. My mom had waited and cooked lunch on Friday and it was so delicious, as usual. We then went upstairs to watch the Iron Bowl, which was far more stressful that we had anticipated. Roll Tide!

We had a family photo session on Saturday. Well as you can see, the McCaig family is nice and large, the Butler family is a good size...and the Johnston family is struggling. We need to add some people to our picture. I have NO news but maybe sometime next year we will.

Isn't Georgia getting to be such a grown up girl? She has said goodbye to all of the "baby" clothes. She now prefers tops like this and UGG boots! She did get to spend the night with Toe Toe and Bryan on Saturday night which was fun. She told me "Toe Toe, I know you don't want me to grow up, but it is a part of life." We were all sitting on the couch and just start howling laughing! She was dead serious and it was just the way she said it that made it so funny.

Daniel, aka "DanielSON" has grown so much. He is crawling, pulling up, and even moved into Jack's bedroom this weekend. Jack has now retired his baby bed and is sleeping in a big boy bed. I am not sure how much sleeping he is doing but I know he is doing a lot of roaming! Jack is so cute at this age. He is talking up a storm and really is the sweetest little boy. I LOVE getting to spend time with the kids and they absolutely crack me up.

Thanksgiving at Green Needles

We went to Sara Jean and Fred's farmhouse outside of Atlanta and had a great Thanksgiving with the Irby side of Bryan's family. Bryan comes from a big family and it is fun because I come from a small family and it is very different. There are lots of cousins and it is great to get together. I would also like to give special thanks to Spike and Cathy for the lovely setting for Thanksgiving lunch. Bryan (aka Alton Brown) smoked two turkeys
Kevin, Dima, Erika, Clay, and Gitti Irby

The "Grown Up" table

After lunch, the guys headed out to shoot rifles.....and pistols...and shotguns...and an AR-15.......and....well, I think that is about it.

After the big meal and shootout, it was time for some relaxing by the outside fireplace.

Later that night, Fred led a 50's rock and roll sing along. We all gathered in the den and sang as he played the guitar. FUN FUN!

Sara Jean (Bryan's aunt) and Sara Elizabeth (Bryan's cousin)

Pumpkin Bread

My sister, Leigh Anne, tagged me on her blog to share a recipe. I make this pumpkin bread this time of year and it is so good and very easy. It is great served hot out of the oven with butter or at room temperature for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

1 (15 ounce) can of Libby's pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

4 large eggs, room temp

3 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (8x5 inch) loaf pans. In a medium bowl, beat pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs and medium speed with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture, stirring to combine. Pour into pans and bake for 1 hour. Let cool in pans 10 minutes and them cool on wire racks.

I am going to tag:

Candace

Lauren Baugh

Whitney

Peggy Weaver's Baptism

On Sunday, my Goddaughter, Peggy Palmer Weaver, was Christened at our church, Canterbury Methodist and it was a beautiful day for everyone. Peggy was a little angel during the service and really enjoyed looking around at everyone. Afterwards, Whitney and Steven hosted a luncheon at their home and it was so elegant and lovely. A wonderful day it was!

Alabama vs. Mississippi State

Finally, after months going to Mississippi State games as a neutral fan.....Saturday came and I was so happy! ROLL TIDE!!!!!! Mary Catherine, Scott, and Katherine Penton came to cheer on the Tide with me. Claire was there but we all know she is a MSU fan too. It was a great day and a GREAT game. MC made Maroon and Crimson Jello Shots. LOVE IT!
Mary Catherine and Scott

We couldn't find Big Al, so Bully had to do.

Me, Katherine, and Mary Catherine

Laura Katherine and Bryan

Laura Katherine, Me, Jennifer Lynne

Halloween at Emily and Eric's

On Saturday night, my dear friend, Emily Getty and her husband, Eric, had a Halloween get together in their front yard. They live on one of the best streets in Birmingham and everyone on their street is out in their front yard with friends and children, cooking out, socializing, watching football, and of course, passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. Thanks Emily and Eric for a great time! Emily and Eric

Mary and John

What an adorable and sweet family!

Cody and Lauren

Me, Emily, Rachael

The Stewart girls

Dr. Stewart and his wife, Julie, live across the street from Emily and he is one of Bryan's attendings at the hospital.

John Getty

Rachael, John, and Eva Barnhart