Here are some quick highlights from our Christmas trip- check out the slideshow on the left of the window for more photos. We head to the Keys tomorrow... I can already taste the Margaritas!
Merry Christmas to Everyone! We wish you peace and happiness and many blessings!
Excited Warmbrods fresh off the plane at Punta Gorda on Christmas Eve's Eve's Eve...
Our first stop - Lunch at Fisherman's Village- Harpoon Harry's... on Peace River (Charlotte Harbor)
Our second stop- Drew's first trip to the beach- he was so excited. Englewood Beach
Day Two: We opened presents after breakfast, took a swim before lunch (in the heated pool), and then our gentlemen spent the afternoon golfing. I stayed back and played Star Wars Galactic Heroes with Drew before his nap. I can't wait until Drew turns 5- then I can bring my clubs along and we can all go out!
Christmas Eve... we took a boat ride out to Cabbage Key, ate a Cheeseburger in Paradise and took a hike.
Christmas Day on Palm Island
Palm Island Christmas Day after lunch at Rum Bay Restaurant.
We had a great time looking for shells- Blaine found a large sand dollar and it's now his prize possession.
And as I sit here and download Pappy's 1500 pictures to his laptop (Merry Christmas, Pappy), I am haunted by what I'll title the Hair Color of Christmas Past... This hair is no frills, happy hair... but I am reminded of....
Christmas, two years ago... my favorite brown sweater, obviously a great day with my Chi flat iron, and a fresh hit of bottle brown...
Love how my brown hair goes so well with my cherry cabinets...Thanksgiving 2007...these days I would blend more with the stainless appliances!
Once again, it was a great Halloween in the neighborhood; I am still no better at event photography but thankfully Mr. Boyer got some great shots and here's hoping he'll share!
We spent Labor Day in the Smokies with the lovely Ms. Vicki and Pappy. They took Drew to the aquarium while daddy and I took Blaine on his first white water rafting excursion. The Pigeon River was great and we all had a blast. These photos were made on Tom and Vicki's deck- what an incredible view of the Smokies!
Look for a full report on stockings coming this holiday season. In short, gawdy homemade stockings are a Warmbrod Family Tradition. I taught myself to knit in 2008 and crochet in 2009 just so I could add little Drew into the crazy stocking club. It just so happens to be UT orange and was finished just before he went to his first UT game... chalk up some extra points for super mom.... I also knitted one for one for my fave little UT fans. This gawdy couture stocking automatically adds him to the list of honary Warmbrods. I sent it to him last week with a coon skin cap, UT socks and toothbrush.
We're proud to announce that our Warmbrod boys will get their first look at the Vols running through the "T" later this month- on Tommy's birthday, actually. I dare say this may be the trip where my boys identify... *sniffle*... their dream college... *wipe tear* .
We just got the tickets, so without a moment to lose, we got to work on the plans. The kids sent this video out to Tommy and Megan to try to rustle up a place to sleep...
Thanks to Tommy and Megan for buying into our propoganda. And thanks to the McQuides for scaring us up some tickets.... you all are like our own personal make-a-wish-foundation.
Warmbrod blood runs orange from way back.
Exhibit A: Sugar Bowl 1971- UT took the Air Force Academy 34-13 The late sixties/ early seventies fashion pallet- with it's burnt oranges and rusts- set the stage for Pa and Honey Warmbrod (Tommy's grandparents) to class up the joint- elegant with a hint of VOLS spirit... while Tommy's Dad... not so much. Howdy Doody called and wants his hat back.
Honey and her youngest boy, Tom (aka Pappy around these parts) at the Orange Bowl- probably while Tom was a student at UT. I can only hope to recreate this scene with one of my boys when they are grown... a must have on any mom/ UT grad's bucket list.
Tom and Audera made the trip to Arizona for the National Championship Sugar Bowl. This was a big day for them, as you can see from the matchy-matchy face paint. You see, Audera and Tom are both UT alumni, but better yet they are from Winchester.... for those not up on their UT trivia, this is from where Sir Phil Fulmer hails. Audera threw a big party for Phil Fulmer back in Winchester when he got the head coaching job. Legend has it this was a SERIOUS shin dig- cheerleaders, a band, orange puff paint-ribboned sweatshirts, and yes, orange puff paint ribboned Keds.
Here's a letter from Sir Phil to Our Lady Audera regarding the event: We call this braggin rights in these parts, ya'll... just a few short steps away from celebrity.
Tommy and I back in 1998 on the strip with college friends...we scored some fantastic seats... and I FINALLY got to see UT beat Florida after Peyton *cough* blew *cough* it the whole time I was at UT. What an amazing game.
As Lady Jane of the Warmbrod Clan is now head Lady Orange (our Miss Vicki is a Buckeye), I am in charge of the most important part of the game: ensuring that all Warmbrods have orange clothing available in their current size. Must audit closets immediately. I'm just kicking myself that I didn't keep those puff painted- orange ribboned Keds that were in my basement- what.. was... I... thinking.
And I know what YOU'RE thinking. There are some haters out there determined to ruin this for us. Haters that know a certain side of the family's roots are wrapped up in what's known as a 'Code Red'. These angry types will try to slander a good name by, say, recalling Uncle Rob wearing his Alabama Crimson Tide jacket around the UT campus for a few years. In the spirit of full disclosure, this phenomena can be explained away with two little words: in-state tuition.
And for those other haters who would go on and on and on about how all the Warmbrods know is football, I'm here to put that little stereo-type to rest.... we also sing about baseball. Uppity types refer to this as well rounded.
It's late so I am cutting to the chase....My little man is #40 and it's his first year playing tackle football; he's played flag football for years. He made the top team in his age division- they are running some strange-to-me offense that doesn't include a quarterback, so he's on the offensive line this year. I am AMAZED that he loves playing in full pads in 92 degree weather when he doesn't even really touch the ball. It's like I gave birth to a gladiator. We've had roughly 20 straight weeknights of practice- with one night off- and he's loved every minute of it and hasn't complained once. He's managed tackles from some pretty big dudes and he holds his own. This is his team today running onto the field. Congrats to Blaze CCC on their first victory!
Today, Tommy and I celebrate 13 years of marriage. He's written some beautiful notes to me on anniversaries past, but I have not really ever done that, opting instead to reciprocate with a video or photo collage- more my style.
I surprised him with a little written history this year; he gave me a beautiful journal. So this is what's printed out and tucked away in my new journal...
Us
If I think back to high school and you… mostly I remember a big smile on your face… the cutest brown wavy hair… an untucked golf shirt… a Sundrop bottle dangling from your hand…a sarcastic sense of humor… I remember giving you my phone number in Weaver’s driveway the summer between our junior and senior year… then days later… riding down a gravel road- corn a mile high on both sides- to my grandparents’ house to pick up my cousin… for what I don’t know… but there you are with that smile again…and then flash forward to weekends during my freshman year at UTK… when you and Bobby and the rest would converge on my apartment …we were all just the best of friends then…I remember mornings…sitting on the living room floor of that apartment with you and laughing in front of the TV… and the next thing I know…we’re back in Winchester…it’s winter break of my junior year at UTK …you were on break from UTM… and there we are together again…riding back-country roads in my Mustang and talking and laughing….and snow delayed me in Winchester an extra day… and there you are on my back steps… to extend winter break with one more night of hanging out…and I went back to UTK and told Teresa that I didn’t know exactly what was happening… but I liked it… then I spontaneously invite you up for the long MLK weekend… and we hang out with Andrea and Paul and Teresa and Matt… (funny how we are all old married couples now)… and a year and a half later I’m walking down the aisle and there you are at the end of it… and everyone else is wondering how in the world this happened so fast… and all we know is… we don’t want to miss one single second of us…and we start our lives… together… in Nashville and spend evenings after work at the driving range or the racquetball court… and there’s Charleston and Vegas and Gulf Shores…and I nickname you ‘Famous Tommy’ because suddenly you know everyone in Brentwood…and then it’s our first anniversary and I’m in the middle of two knee surgeries… and I make that bride and groom quilt while you sweetly, lovingly wait on me hand and foot…you are waiting tables at Outback to save money for golf tournaments and I hang out at the Outback bar after work just to be in the same room with you…and strange as it sounds…next thing you know… my sis and her hubby and also your mom have apartments in the same building with us while your dad hikes the AT… and we laugh a lot and drink lots of wine and then all of us pile in one car for bowling on Thanksgiving… and other shenanigans…and we travel all over for golf tourneys…and somewhere in the middle of this part…your cousin Josh spends the summer with us and we ‘parent’ a nine year old and we love every minute of it…and then we bought our first house… on the way to a movie because that’s just us… then there we are… teeing off first thing on Saturday mornings, walking 18 at Legends, eating pizza on the back deck afterwards…we would round off the weekend at Adelphia Coliseum on Sundays…watch those Titan miracles live… and suddenly we’re on a plane to Hawaii in shock because we found out just hours before that a baby is on the way… and then we’re back from Hawaii and you lock yourself in the baby’s nursery-in-progress to study for the CPA exam (thank heaven you passed the first time)… and you take up mountain biking…and one day I’m hitting golf balls with your dad while you are at work and the next day I’m holding Blaine in my arms… all 8 lbs 4 oz of him…born just before our five year anniversary… and he’s absolute perfection… you change your first diaper and learn to Martha Stewart swaddle him…tightly… and I am an insomniac for 4 days just marveling at this little thing that looks just like you… and then you buy me a Gary Fisher and teach me to mountain bike…. and our life revolves around baby milestones…and we turn around one day and we’re in a beautiful little cabin near the Ocoee for rafting and biking and we’re praying the sale of a certain piece of land doesn’t go through because it’s going to be OUR little some place special…and magic happens…then a miniature pony runs across what will be OUR front yard- to Blaine’s absolute delight…and someone calls and wants to buy our townhouse out of the blue…and we move in with your parents for a little spell and start to build this some place special… and then it’s a cold February and we’re back from Disney and eating McDonald’s in this unfinished house…the house that now lives and breathes ‘us’… and then suddenly I’m dying for baby #2 and he’s on the way…and you read all of Narnia to Blaine while I lie exhausted and pregnant on the couch for a few months… and then we learn together what sorrow and delight feel like mushed up together… the week we lost your mom and Drew was born… and the next thing I know my house and my life are full of men who love football and golf and bikes and anything rough… anything to be like daddy…and tomorrow we will spend our 13th anniversary at pee-wee football training camp…chuckling to ourselves because we don’t want to be anywhere else…because it’s just one more moment of us…
All tents up at Camp Warmbrod! We have a 2 man and a 4 man; we can all fit in the 4 man, but we pitched both since the weather was balmy...
The kids arrived ready to camp! Sidebar: It took me a few shots to realize that all throughout May, the problem with my camera was Drew's finger prints on the glass. This is why his birthday photos turned out so badly. I finally figured it out after this shot... Hey, I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I do okay...
Skipping rocks and wading was a favorite with the kids when they visited Campsite Warmbrod.
It's almost sundown on the first night and the kids were really excited! So were the adults!
Steak dinner at Camp Warmbrod....YUM!
Piper and Drew, early Saturday a.m.
Camp Howard and Lori.
Camp Dave and Lynn.
Camp Chuck and Co.
Dave, Camper Man. We knew Dave was in his element when we crawled out of our tents very early Saturday morn and found him like this while the rest of his crew slept.
Biker boys get ready for a evening out on their bikes- it's really cool that they are old enough to roam around and make mischief that we'll never know about.
Drew loves his boots...
and Drew loves his camelbak. Drew hates that he's not old enough to bike the trails. He's dying to get his training wheels off his bike. The entire time that mom or dad are riding the trails with Blaine, Drew is riding his bike up and down the road, preparing for the day that he can tear it up on the trails.
An unexpected treat... we could see the barges go by from our campsite... looks like the ocean, doesn't it?
Excited Warmbrods fresh off the plane at Punta Gorda on Christmas Eve's Eve's Eve...
Our first stop - Lunch at Fisherman's Village- Harpoon Harry's... on Peace River (Charlotte Harbor)
Our second stop- Drew's first trip to the beach- he was so excited. Englewood Beach
Christmas Day on Palm Island
Palm Island Christmas Day after lunch at Rum Bay Restaurant.
We had a great time looking for shells- Blaine found a large sand dollar and it's now his prize possession.
This hair is no frills, happy hair... but I am reminded of....
Christmas, two years ago... my favorite brown sweater, obviously a great day with my Chi flat iron, and a fresh hit of bottle brown...
Love how my brown hair goes so well with my cherry cabinets...Thanksgiving 2007...these days I would blend more with the stainless appliances!
