the ussery life

Man, I'm the worst.  At many things (like home decorating, meal planning and admitting I'm wrong to name a few), but today I'm talking about blogging.  Today as I was searching google for "Christmas presents for parents" because I'm so creative and into the desires of others, the lightbulb turned on!  The tiny little Christmas tree light-sized lightbulb that now serves as my brain said, "Turn the blog posts into a book again!"  I did this for our parents a few years ago, and they loved it.  Why reinvent the wheel, right?  So, here I am, signed onto Blogger.  And I think I might have 20 posts to share since I printed the blog book a few years ago.  Twenty posts wouldn't make a book.  Not even a good children's book.  It would make pamphlet.  Maybe.  Not a tri-fold, but a front and back only.  Ugh.  

Family, I am so sorry.  I know it's hard living away from the boys and not seeing them very often.  I know you want to hear and remember their funny stories.  Truth is....I want to remember them, too.  So, here it is.  My 8th attempt at rekindling this blog fire.  I see you 2013, and I'm beating you to the resolution punchline.  It's December 12th, and I'm going to blog again.  Because if one more person tells me I should "write these things down" I want to look them in the eye and say, "I. AM."  

You'll notice the last post was titled something about Summer Catch Up 1 or something like that.  That would lead you to believe that there are more posts coming about summer, wouldn't it?  Yeah.  Me, too!  Sorry, though.  I'm not catching up.  I think that has led me to stop blogging in the past.  So many months to catch up.  So many things we did that were fun.  Let's face it.  Blogging about Summer vacation while sitting next to your Christmas tree is about as fun as watching The Polar Express in July.  From now on, those are the "lost months".  Instead of individual posts, here is a photo recap of the lost months.  And this will just have to do.  

We had a Staycation in Bluffton this year.  My family came for the week, and we had a blast.  We found the perfect beach spot and the perfect little beach bum to share it with.  (Ava-my niece, 2.5yrs when this was taken during the lost months)

I rode a mechanical bull.  

There may or may not have been a championship that night. 

I may or may not have won it. 

My UNC Sr. year roommates gathered for a reunion in June.  

7 ladies. 14 babies.  

Bazinga.

We celebrated the 4th.  That's Jack at the top of the climbing wall.  

Anna (my 1st cousin) visited for a week in July.  She is amazing and sweet and beautiful and a volleyball player and fun and hopefully planning on returning in 2013. :)

Jack was on the swim team this summer.  He loved it.  

He came in first in the city swim meet in the 25 yard backstroke. 

I screamed like an idiot. (think Howard Dean circa 2006)  

Jack had eye surgery on John's birthday (July 23rd).  They had to cut and tighten the outer muscles of his left eye in hopes to straighten it to improve his vision and depth perception and ultimately help his eyes to work together as they should.  So far, so good. 

He was a stellar patient.

On the same day, my sweet uncle, Tim, went home to heaven after a long battle with cancer.  He was a fighter.  He was so funny, so giving.  Christmas is coming, and I know he will be missed more than ever.  But I'm trying to focus on the fact that he's celebrating the birth of Christ with...well, Christ!  Please pray for peace and comfort for Adam and Lisa as they face their first Christmas without him.

The Ussery/Smiths gathered for the annual vacay at Lake Tillery.  

Cousins.  Nothing like it.

Jack turned 7.  Finn turned 5. 

We celebrated with the Gardner/Kincaid/Williams families at Lake Tillery.

Their favorite place on Earth.

My Dad turned 60, so we partied with his two favorite things: grandkids and UNC.  This was the boys' first college football game.  They felt so cool high five-ing the football team during their march to campus, and we felt so old being on campus with our three children.

Jackie got married.  (John's baby sis.)  We added Stephen Lee to the family as our new brother in law, and we couldn't be more excited.  The wedding was almost as beautiful as the bride:) Almost.

Charlie turned 1!

We went to Disney!  Gigi and Poppy Johnny were with us, and all had a great time. 

On December 1st, this hunky guy started a new job at Palmetto Bluff.  He's the newest member on the sales team.  Whenever you visit SC again, you have to visit Palmetto Bluff.  There's no place like it.  You will fall in love with it (and hopefully pick up a lot/house or two, right?:)

So there they are.  The lost months.  Here's to moving forward.