its been awhile

Yep, It's been awhile since my last post. For some reason I have just lost my blogging mojo. Sometimes I wonder if anyone really reads this blog , but then I remember my main reason for doing it is to serve as a record of events of Aidan's life and to keep those interested updated. So here it goes.... After arriving home from London Aidan and I stayed at my moms for a couple of days and then met my aunt and cousin in Gatlinburg for our annual "girls trip". I really look forward to this trip each year because it is really the only time I get to see my cousin Sabrina. The past couple of years my aunt Rebecca (gigi) in Atlanta has joined us but was unable to this year and we really missed having her there.

Every year we do basically the same thing- we spend a day or two shopping at the outlets, spend an afternoon in Gatlinburg, eat at The Peddler restaurant, have a photo shoot in the woods and go to the Dixie Stampede. This year we skipped The Peddler because the quality of their steaks has gone down hill tremendously. Aidan and I spent one day basically just hanging out in the cabin and letting him get some much needed sleep. It was my intention to take him to Dollywood but when we got there we realized it didn't open until much later in the afternoon, so I took him to a kiddie park for a couple of hours, took him shopping for some cowboy boots and a cowboy hat and called it a day.

The past couple of years we have color coordinated our photo shoot. The first year it was by accident when mom, Aidan, Sabrina, and I all had on shades of orange. Last year we all decided to wear red and this year we all wore royal blue. We always do our photo shoot in the morning and then go to the Dixie Stampede in the evening - so we always match in our "annual picture" there also. This year for the Dixie Stampede Aidan got to wear his cowboy boots and hat and looked ADORABLE! He got to participate in one of the "games" with 3 other little girls in front of about 1000 people. He was supposed to be 4 to participate but they let him do it anyways. Aidan is a stage ham and is not embarrased in the least to get up in front of a bunch of people or talk on a microphone ( his daddy has taught him well lol!) Anyway in the game he had to chase chickens ( yes live chickens) through the arena and across the finish line. His team won! However, the MC then had to do his own " Aidan chasing" at the end of the game while they were talking to the kids. He definitely earned his money that night. lol!

After we got home from Gatlinburg Aidan and I went back to West Virginia for a minute ( it seemed like a minute but was actually several days lol!) before we turned around again and went to my moms. We then drove to Atlanta for Thanksgiving with Gigi . We had a great time! I always enjoy spending time in Atlanta with the family.

We have now been home for about a week and I have been busy packing up our house and decorating for Christmas - an oxymoron I know. I just couldnt bare the thought of Aidan NOT having a tree at our house this year so we went out in the snow on Saturday to purchase one. It was so much fun and we created some great memories ,so it was worth it!

Clinton is arriving here around the 2oth , we will go to my moms on the 22nd to spend Christmas there, and then we will be packing up and moving back to California on the 28th. This weather is already getting to me and it is just the beginning of winter, so I am so happy to be getting back to California! I will be happy to get back to being a family of 3. Even though Aidan and I have spent 4 months of the past year in San Diego and for the most part whenever Clinton was home, we were there. it will be nice to live on only one side of the United States!

Ok Aidan is up from his nap now, so mommy duties call!

Aidan, me, Sabrina ( ya ya) and my aunt Sue ( nana Deuce) some pics in the woods....

Aidan getting some love from ya ya.

Dixie Stampede. Check out that cowboy!