90 lb. Wrecking Machine

Okay, so these are old pictures, but I just love them. This was probably when Henry weighed 70ish pounds. Well, he is not even nine months old yet and he is a whopping NINETY POUNDS! As if the size alone isn't enough, he has gotten into the "terrible two's" of puppyhood. So here is a list of the damages done by our pup:

* Narnia book, I was rereading my beloved children's book set and now I will never know what happens inside the wardrobe! (haha, not really...but still!!)

* Magazines, mail (not a big deal but could be)

* Randy's bible (Genesis through Leviticus)

* Rain boots: my beloved insulated boots (still wearable but hole at top)

* House slippers: had to throw those away

* Pink paint on couch and cream rug (not yet out)

* Hot pink and brown colored marker exploded on couch/rug (not yet out)

* $15 worth of ribbon chewed

* Yard stick chewed (should have seen that one coming, but he wasn't supposed to get in the craft room)

* New wooden tray on ottoman

* Pillows (all but one)

* One leash, one hanging on by a few threads

* Trashed backyard (finds things from who knows where to leave all over yard)

* Pull cords on new roman shades

* Hole chewed in curtain over glass door

* Christmas fabric from tree skirt completely chewed/eaten (I'm still finding it)

* One power cord for laptop (school got me a new one, I told them it easily could have been a kid scooting a chair over the cord, but we all know that it was most likely Henry)

* Candles

* Remote (still works with some handy dandy duct tape)

I'm sure this list will keep going, but let's hope he gets out of this stage soon. I'm going to change my schedule so that I can take him for a long walk each morning to hopefully tire him out, and we already stuff a kong for him on some days, but if anyone out there has more advice, please share!!!

Keep the Old

You remember the song, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold"?

As I am writing this in Memphis, I am missing out on one of my best friend's baby showers. Pathetic, I know...but yesterday the roads were still icy and I would be making the trip all alone. Something about being stuck on an interstate alone in 20 degree icy weather doesn't sound fun. Anyways, I am so excited for Anna Grace and her little Audrey Belle who will be due in March.

Thinking about this gal, I realized how lucky I am to have so many "old" friends.

Anna Grace, Allie, Sarah Kate, Jessi and I became friends at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ when we were in middle school. They didn't talk to me until my mom forced me to go to church camp to make friends, haha. The rest is history. In college we gained Julianna who feels as old as the rest. I love how comfortable it is around these friends. Even though new friends are great, there is something about sitting around with those you who have known for so long...it's something you can't gain through anything but time. And time is precious. So now that one of us is having a baby and times are changing, I thought I'd take you for a stroll down memory lane...

Pi Delta Bid Night...please ignore my many changing hair styles. Notice the "popped" collars? hahahaha.

Pi Delta Formal. Who were our dates? I think Ryan White, BRob, but who for Jessi and Allie? Too funny.

All time favorite picture, but missing Sarah Kate :(

We were SO cool nannying in ritzy L.A. Fun, crazy times.

Take me back here now. Geoffrey's in Malibu...beautiful restaurant.

Anna Grace's wedding day!

Pi Delta formal...a little more recent because Randy was my date to this. Have I ever mentioned that before Randy and I dated he asked out Jessi? She should have gone on his formal with him but she backed out and I was his second choice...haha. Thanks for backing out, Jessi!

At a wedding perhaps? Nice tans!

Party bus for Allie's birthday..woop woop!

My bachelorette party.

Picture from this Christmas' dirty santa night.

I felt really awkward taking this picture, but look at that belly! Can't wait to meet you Audrey!

Okay, so here is the crazy thing. I've had these friends since middle school, but I have friends from FRA that I've known since PRE KINDERGARTEN. Talk about a memory lane, geeez. Don't worry, that post is soon to come.

Henry's First Snow

Last week, I woke up to this...The weathermen had been predicting it, but we all knows what that means. I was one happy lady to see that the snow DID come! And boy, was it pretty!

Henry was anxious to get out in it...the rest of the story will be told in pictures.

Our monster of a tree looked so pretty laden with snow.
We supposedly got 4-5 inches. Not too bad!


My boys...this picture is now my desktop on my computer. Pretty cute, huh?
Randy threw a snow ball at Henry.
Walking down to play...
...and we found this sign on the Donlon's front porch. "Prepare for the snowball fight". No pictures of the snowballs because I had my new camera and I didn't want to mess it up.
All-time favorite picture of Henry the Ferocious in action.

Going home after a really long day of playing.

Warming up by the fire with hot chocolate and our stockings out to dry.
Of course, Randy just had to make this little snowman and then tell me to come out and see it. Only a Hartman would use that as a trick to get me with a snowball! (Actually, I'm pretty sure my dad would have done the same thing to my mom, so maybe it isn't just a Hartman thing.)

Hope you all are staying warm!!

End of an Era

It's the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. Last week, Randy and I traded in my Volvo for a Toyota. I sure am going to miss zooming around town in my little Volvo, warming up to heated seats, and other little luxuries of a German car. I will not miss the worries of not knowing how much longer the transmission will last. It was starting to act funny on us, and rather than be stuck with putting in more money to fix it, we went ahead and got a newer, bigger (and easier to maintain) car thinking about the future. So here is the newest Hartman addition....and yes, it's blue. Blue house, blue car, blue walls, blue collar on the dog, you get the picture...I like blue!

We got a 2006 Toyota Highlander. It will be great for Henry in the very back and hopefully a kiddo or two in the future! One of my favorite parts is that it has LIGHT leather seats...which hopefully means for more bearable summers in Memphis.

Funny story...our third day of driving it as "owners", the battery went dead! Bad luck or bad omen of things to come? Hopefully just a result of it being on the lot for a while without being driven. The dealership is reimbursing us, but let's hope that that will be the last of car problems for a while!

Christmas Recap

This is my second time writing this because Blogger quit on me and didn't save the first draft but saved the pictures. So sorry if this is short, but I am a little frustrated having to write it over again.

Before leaving, we left sweet Henry boy in Memphis for our friends to check on him and spend some quality time with him. He did great until day 9 when he kinda went psycho and chewed our living room. Needless to say, he was happy when we arrived home.
Christmas Eve was spent having a brunch with my dad's side of the family and then the PLAN was to go to Opryland to see the lights with the other side of the family. Well, after a yummy meal at Logan's, we decided it would be more fun to go home and play boardgames in our PJ's.




Oh, Buzzerwizzer. This was the game we played which brought some heated arguments to the Tucker household.

Then this started happening so we stopped playing and looked outside to see....snow!
It made Randy and I so happy that we danced (in the kitchen)!


Amba and I excited about the SNOW!!!!!
Kitty prints in freshly fallen snow.
Christmas morning. My favorite part of Christmas morning was that Randy and I woke up early to have some reading time and discussion on the importance of Christmas before all the craziness began.
So much fun on Christmas morning...the feast, the family, the presents, the snow :)




Finally sitting down to eat at the KIDS TABLE!! The crowns are from poppers we all got at our place setting. A tradition from Scotland where my mom and her siblings grew up for seven years...I think it will be a new tradition at the Tucker home as well!
Randy taught everyone how to make crystal "sing" and the rest of our morning hummed.
Our feast included: pork tenderloin, country ham, bacon, sausage, biscuits, eggs, gravy, hashbrown casserole, fruit salad, cream cheese danish.

Present time! I got a new camera so be looking for clearer, better pictures in the future! Yay!
Randy made the comment that he would "politely decline any UT gifts" when asked what he wanted from his secret santa. Well, the whole family banned together and all got him something UT...ha! I think he learned his lesson.
The day after Christmas looked like this and although my dad and I PLANNED to run, we went...
...sledding instead!

Then it was off to see Lulu in the nursing home and wish her a merry Christmas by singing carols to her with our not so lovely voices. She loved it! It is always such a joy but a little sad to see my sweet Lulu in a nursing home like that.


To wrap up the days before and following Christmas...much of it was spent doing what you see below,

being lazy and warm!
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are having a great start to your New Year!

Posts to come include my new (used) car and our New Year.