All In A Name!

Can the world really handle another JARED???

Jared still occasionally gets mail at our house. This past week he received a letter from a little girl on his mission that he had not heard from in several years. He was really close to her family when he served in the California San Jose Mission. She wrote that her Mother had recently had another child and that they had named the baby boy after Jared. Jared was thrilled! As we all sat around talking (Brandy, Dave, Jared, Cass, Rob and myself) it came out that Dave had a family that had named there newborn son after him on his mission, that Cassidy had a family that she use to babysit name a baby girl after her, that Brandy got her name from a little girl that Rob knew on his mission, my name came from the Tammy movie and Rob was the third generation of Robert's in his family (you can tell with Jared's name that Rob did not want to have a fourth generation)! Isn't it interesting how we get our names!!

TamTam and Rob

I have always told the kids that I will "tell them" when I am old enough to be a grandmother and then they could consider having kids. Well I guess they got tired of waiting for me to get old enough and decided that Rob was old enough (you know he is MUCH older than me :) to be a grandpa because for his birthday in July Brandy and Dave gave him a package that contained a cute little baby onesie that said "Worth the Wait" on it! To say the least we are all very excited. Even though we have known since July 7th Brandy had asked that I not blog about it until she had spoken personally with all the people she wanted to tell so finally this week she gave me the go ahead to blog about the exciting news. Her official due date is February 21 (Uncle Jared's only request is that the "little rug rat" doesn't come on his birthday which is February 13th). And since this is our first grandchild Rob and I get to decide what we want to be called. I have always said that I want to be called TamTam (Dave already calls me that) and when we asked Rob he said "ROB". I have a feeling he will change his mind though!!

Brandy was able to go to Alabama with us in July so she could tell all her Alabama relatives in person. June (my sister) held a little luncheon in Brandy's honor with the most adorable cake topped with a sleeping baby. All those in attendance wrote advise for the Mother-to-be.

I have also decided that in addition to showers for the Mother-to-be that there needs to be a shower for the TamTam-to-be because this little bundle of joy is going to be expensive for me since I have to set up a nursery at my house, get a car seat, stroller, diapers, man the list goes on and on!! Do you get the sense that we are just a little excited for the arrival of this little one!!!

Chicago

Every other August Rob has a Credit Research Foundation Meeting (he is on the Board of Trustees) in Chicago. Rob is in meetings pretty much the entire time so when I go with him I get to site see all by myself. So a few years ago we took Brandy and Dave with us so I would have someone to shop Michigan Avenue with (it is a shoppers paradise) and to share the sights with. So this year we invited Jared and Cass to come along and be my touring companions. I had a great time showing them around a city that I love. I would move to downtown Chicago in a heartbeat (if I had experienced a winter there I might have a different opinion).

The architecture of the buildings in downtown Chicago is amazing.

There is no other place that I know where you can go and get spit on by a real Chicagoan and have it feel as cool and relaxing as it does than at Millennium Park.

The Godmother of Chicago - Ms. Oprah Winfrey's studio.

I have already told Brandy and Dave and Jared and Cass that when they have a little girl that TamTam will be taking them to Chicago to the American Girl Place store. You can have your doll's hair done, ears pierced, they even have a hospital for dolls that have broken limbs, you can have lunch with your doll and last but not least you can buy matching outfits for you and your doll.

We went on a Mobster Tour of Chicago where we learned all about the mobsters that use to run the Windy City (by the way did you know that Chicago got the name the Windy City not because it is windy but because Chicagoan's really like to talk).

Jared and Cassidy went to the top of the Sears Tower and went out on the glass platform. Not me - I kept my feet firmly on the ground!!!

Can't wait for a return trip!!

CONGRATULATIONS MY SON, MY SON

This congratulations post is a little late in coming. Jared graduated from the University of Utah in May and when we asked if he wanted a big graduation party he said no just dinner at Tepanyaki with the fam and that is exactly what he got - well that along with a big Craftsman stand alone tool box for his many tools!! We are so proud of Jared and his great accomplishments. He is a great son, husband (I hope), brother, provider, and example to all that know him. Plus I think he is pretty darn cute, but then I am a little prejudice!



The U of U Graduate...

....with his biggest fan club...


...and his adorable little wife!

Jared wants the big CELEBRATION to be when he completes his MBA which he will be starting here in a few weeks and I assure you we will have a BIG party (if that is okay with Cass) when he is done!!

Just a side note, Rob and I have had to swallow a lot of pride since we are both BYU Alumni to support the U of U, but that wasn't to hard to do since our daughter, daughter-in-law, son and son-in-law are all graduates of the U of U and they are pretty awesome people. Go Utes, unless you are playing BYU :)

The Good Ole South!

I have so many fond memories of growing up in the south. Every Easter my Dad's family would get together at the Banks Community Center for a potluck dinner and Easter egg hunt. When we drove by the Community Center this trip I made Rob stop and take a picture of it! It may not look like much to you but it is full of memories for me.

We went to the cemetery where my grandparents are buried and we ran across this headstone that we all found interesting. Have you ever known an Indian Fighter before?

Going to the south would never be complete without a fish fry or shrimp boil. Well my brother went all out and did both for us this trip. For a shrimp boil you take your red potatoes, corn on the cob, sausage and shrimp and put in a waterproof bag (he used an orange bag) and put into a boiling pot full of water with a special seasoning (I brought some of the seasoning home so we could have our own shrimp boil since Jared wasn't there to partake).



It is definitely some good eatin!

Another "have to do" for Rob when we visit the south is to eat at the Waffle House. Here is a picture of me, Brandy and my sister-in-law outside the "high class" restaurant called Waffle House.

And last but not least my other brother! He is a sweetheart but he is also the biggest "REDNECK" you will ever find! I sure love him!

We had a great trip to Alabama. It was so much fun visiting with family, friends and reminiscing about days gone by. I miss living close to my family but I am so grateful that my kids have been able to experience just a little of what my life was like growing up in the true Heart of Dixie. Roll Tide Roll and War Eagle y'all!!!!!!