It'll Be Awhile...

Before we have internet back up. Most of you know we had a bad ice storm come through earlier in the week, and were without power for 2 nights before running to Memphis where there was electricity and warm food. I hope we'll have power back this weekend, but our cable line is laying in our back yard--some big branches fell on it and snapped it in half. Soooo, it'll be awhile before we can get on the information superhighway from our house. Once we are back up, I'll be sure to post pictures from our ice storm!!

More Randomness

Here are more random pics I've taken recently. Yep, I take tons of pictures of my kid. What can I say...he's dang cute!

This is how he says "Please"

This is what he does when noises are too loud.

Here's one of the sad faces with the lip! That's not even as far out as the lip usually goes.

Aww, the single tear. So pitiful.

Back to happy!
Love those teeth!
Ticklin baby
Here's Jude playing with his friend Emery.

They were so cute together! Emery's mom even told me they hugged, when I wasn't looking and didn't have the camera. Poop.

Jude and I were snuggling in the blanket together. That only lasted about 1 minute though.

Hodgepodge of our life

Here are just some random pictures I've taken recently.

Every night, before Jude's bath, we have a pre-bath, nekked baby ritual. We do funny dances, rub his soft booty, sing and chant funny phrases, twirl Jude around like he's on a fair ride, tickle him, you know...the normal, crazy parent stuff. Who doesn't enjoy a little nekked baby?? Of course, we had to do some self-censoring. Don't want to be too inappropriate here. :)

Nekked baby is really fun to tickle.

Chett likes to hang out in the bathroom while Jude's getting a bath. Maybe Chett wants to get in there with him...
Jude loves his rubber ducky.
Jude and his cousin Shawn!
Bap!

This happened one day when Jude had fallen asleep in his car seat. Not wanting to wake him up, I brought him in, left him sleeping and undid the belts so he'd be more comfortable, thinking he would be safe (since car seats are supposed to be safe and all). When I walked back in a few minutes later, this is what awaited me. He was perfectly ok, though!

Jude loves his Cheerios. Especially getting them stuck on his chin. He usually saves those for later, ha.

Jude, his Nanny J and Naughnie.
Us Ferguses

One of his sad faces, but the bottom lip isn't stuck out on this one.


He went from sad face, to this
And of course we have to include our silly dogs. I really think Chett thinks he's a person in a furry body.


Chett and Fiona say "Good night!"

Hey Kind Friend

It all started with two little girls, around the age of 7. They had both been put in time-out at the summer camp they attended every summer, when one asked the other if she wanted to be friends. The other girl gladly complied, not quite realizing how this would impact her life. And thus begun a life-long friendship. While there have been times that we've drifted apart, we've always come together for the big events in each others' lives. And even when we thought our friendship wouldn't survive, I'm happy to say that it has...for 20 years.

Now is the time for old, embarrassing pictures from the awkward phase. Mine lasted for longer than most kids'.

This is the oldest picture I have of Emily and I. I have no idea what year this was, but that's Emily on the top right and me on the bottom left. Yep, you can laugh. I have no idea what I was wearing.

This is probably my favorite picture of us. I love it because it's so candid and we really are laughing and being silly. She hates it because of her hair. She let someone cut it at church camp, and well, they didn't do a very good job...so she had to get it fixed.

This was on a ski trip in the mid 90s. Can't remember what year exactly, though.
At a formal 1996

And not too much longer after Emily and I became friends, Laura and Adrienne came along to make our foursome complete. We went on ski trips together, choir trips, dances, youth group outings, church camp...I don't have a single memory from childhood or adolescence that doesn't have these 4 beautiful women in it.

The same formal as the pic before, 1996.

I'm not sure which ski trip this was (there were several), but it was the only picture from high school I could find with all 4 of us in it! We had met these random guys and I don't know even know why we took a picture with them. I think they were in a band and we thought that was cool......or something.

Some more recent pictures. My birthday, 2006.
My bridal shower, 2006.
My wedding, 2006.

Fast forward to present. Emily is having a precious baby girl, Addison Tallu, who I can't wait to meet. Adrienne has a great full-time position with a great company, and is a mama to a handsome 6 year old boy. Laura is engaged to be married in May, and moving away to Mississippi. The reason for our most recent gathering was a baby shower for Emily, who is due in February.

Here you can see Emily's belly better. :)
Laura and Adrienne with Jude and Shawn.

And I promised I'd post a picture of the lovey that I knitted for Addison! I messed up a few times, but was able to fix it. I think it turned out pretty well myself, considering I was making up my own pattern as I went along.

I consider myself extremely blessed to have great friends that have been there with me through all the major (and minor) events in my life. From births to deaths, break-ups to marriages, birthdays to wedding/baby showers, they've been there through just about everything. Not a lot of people can say they are still friends with their childhood friends. I've considered it a privilege to watch these women grow up to be people I not only respect, but truly admire. I can't wait for little Addie to be born, to see Emily raise this sweet baby girl. I know she will be an amazing mom. I told Laura that she's the only one without a kid now, so she needs to get on it. To which she replied "Let me work on doing this next thing first [getting married] and then we'll see."
Just a little something for you guys:

• Toot toot!
• "It looks like a SNAIL??!!!"
• Singing Grease songs on the bus of youth group trips
• Leader of the pack, VROOM VROOM!
• One of us is really good at miming, hehe
  
• Sliding down the stairs in sleeping bags

I love you girls. Hope we're still friends when we're old and gray, our little great grandchildren running around us while we reminisce about the good ole days. :)

Happy 2009

Here is a look at 2008 in the life of the Fergus family.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Honestly, I am really excited about 2009. 2008 was a great year...a really really great year. But, I am excited to look ahead. To see what's in store. Ross and I talked about what our desires for 2009 are. The first few that popped into my head were this:

• to grow spiritually, as a family
• to be a family that gives and is a blessing to other people, instead of receiving blessings all the time
• that we would begin to train Jude up in the right way
• to get into shape again (be healthy, eat right, exercise, you know the normal new years resolution)
• to see some good, small changes in my children's ministry at church
  

I wouldn't call these resolutions, I actually can't stand that concept. I like to think of them as goals to work toward. I am so looking forward to watching my son and family grow, being challenged, and I'm especially looking forward to changing. Who likes staying the same? :)

Happy New Year to everyone, and I really do hope this year will bring you true joy that you've never known, love that you never knew existed, and so much laughter...the kind that makes your insides hurt.