HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Hello everyone - I just wanted to say Happy New Year!!! I just watched the ball drop on my dad's big tv in the living room in high definition, and it was cool. I'd never want to actually watch it live - Times Square is so uncomfortably packed with people, and I'd hate that.

Okay, well I'm headed off to bed. Hope you're all safe and happy in 2008!

Snow!!

We got our first real snow of the winter last night...

fortunately, the side gate didn't get snowed shut!















the neighbors' houses...














a view of our frozen-over pool out the bedroom window and through the japanese maple tree...



















of course, the cars got buried...this was AFTER we'd already scraped them off once...















Max had a blast playing in the snow for the first time!

Reindeer on My Couch!

A few pictures of Maxdolph the Wet-Nosed Reindog...

Christmas Decarrangements

I've finally put up some Christmas decorations (or as my older brother used to call them...decarrangements)! Look...

The mantle decorations...














the BIG tree in the living room...



















Max's little stocking...



















Our little artificial tree in the bedroom...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! I'm sitting on the couch in our living room with James, who is playing his Star Wars Xbox game, and Max, who is chewing on his raw hide. We've been watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, talking to family on the phone, and getting the food ready for our feast tonight. Later today, we will be going over our friends Clif and Corrin Schlecht's house to have a big dinner with lots of other people from around town. I've made so much food to take - 2 apple pies, 2 pumpkin pies, a huge double macaroni and cheese (my secret family recipe), rolls, salad, green beans, crackers and cheese spread, and a big chocolate cake with buttercream icing. It's going to be YUMMY!!

I hope you're all having a great Thanksgiving...don't eat too much!

New Job!

Hey everyone! I finally got a job - I'm working as the Associate Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Covenant Theological Seminary. I'm not sure about the details yet, but hopefully when I know more, I can let everyone know what I'm up to!

Pretty Flowers

James was on call yesterday and all night last night, and when he got home from the hospital around 9 this morning, he decided to surprise me by picking these roses for me out of the garden. When I got out of bed, there they were in this pretty vase!

Halo 3

As many of you probably already know, the Halo 3 came out for the Xbox 360 this past week, and despite the fact that he has spent over 100 hours at the hospital this week (including two overnight calls), James has already beat the game. He's now enjoying playing the multiplayer online levels against other people from around the world. This is really nothing new to us, but what IS new is the fact that James now has a trusty new sidekick in his battle against the Covenant and the Flood....Max. They sit side by side during the game, and any time James gets into a skirmish, Max barks and growls to scare off the bad guys. The funny thing is...it works!!
















Of course, every once in awhile an especially scary and loud bad guy will come on the screen, and Max will get frightened, so he'll run and hide behind James until the bad guy is gone.



















After a long day of battling the forces of evil, this trusty sidekick needed a nap...

Puppy Preschool

A couple weeks ago, we took Max to his first day of obedience school at Petsmart, and he's working hard on learning not to jump up, to meet other dogs politely (without barking), to sit, lay down, etc.

Here he is after James buckled him into the back seat for the ride across town. He's very solemn at first while contemplating the idea of going to "puppy preschool"...will the other kids like him? Will he make friends? And MOST importantly, will they get a snack?




















Here are some of the other dogs in the class...















Max learns how to sit!! Yay!!!




















James congratulates him on his new skill...

Swearing In

I was sworn into the Missouri Bar this past week, and it was so cool! Here are some pictures:
















Me and my old friend Thomas Jefferson (I can't escape...)



















Mom came to see me sworn in!



















Holding my license...



















Signing the Missouri Roll of Attorneys...

Balloon Race

This afternoon James and I went to the Great Forest Park Balloon Race, which takes place right in front of our house, across the street in the park. It's an annual tradition, but we've never been there before, so it was really fun to see all the big hot air balloons.



































They also had lots of fun rides and games for little kids, including inflatable slides...




















and there was a HUGE line for the pony rides...















They also had five guys jump out of an airplane and parachute into the crowd. It was really cool, and now James says that he wants to try it. (I don't think so...)

Babies, Elephants, and other fun stuff

James had a vacation recently, so we went home to Georgia to see my family for a week. It was really fun - we flew down to Savannah to see all the extended family, and to attend a party that my aunts were giving for Jordan and Sarah. While we were there, we went swimming, and Anna Kate LOVED being in the pool with her Uncle James!















Jonathan and Lisa went with us to take the kids down to River Street to see the sights. Tyler and Madeline had so much fun riding the ferry boat across to the Westin.















When we got back to Covington, Meghan took us to the Atlanta Zoo for a backstage tour! We got to feed the elephants and hang out with the zookeepers - it was so cool!

Here are some recent pictures of Max - he loves to play and snuggle up to you on the couch. He got the last of his shots today at the Humane Society Veterinary Clinic, and I'm so happy that we don't have to keep him away from other dogs now! He needs "society" very badly, and he doesn't know how to behave around other dogs yet...



















The sad eyes...(he wants a cookie)



















This is the expression on his face most of the time...he just gets really solemn in front of the camera!

James calls these "alien flowers" because we don't remember their real name. They've been blooming like this for three straight months.





















Our tiger lilies are finally blooming!
















This is one of the climbing roses that grew through the wrought iron part of the garden wall.





















Max likes to play in the garden - lots of dirt to dig in!! He's not happy here because I just scolded him for eating green tomatoes.
















Our tomato plants have gotten huge.

















Look at all the tomatoes that I picked this week!!!

For all those of you who think I've disappeared off the face of the earth....you're half right. I'll be spending the next two weeks holed up in my living room studying for the bar exam. It's miserable, and I'd much rather be hanging out with all of you, but unfortunately, I'm going through this lawyer hazing ritual - it's like hell week when you join a fraternity, except that it actually lasts for 13 weeks. It's almost over, though, and soon I will emerge into the sunlight again...I promise...

We got a new puppy this week! His name is Max, and "officially" he belongs to James, because I think that every man and boy should have a dog of his own. We got him from the Missouri Humane Society, and he's a German Shepherd/Golden Retriever/possibly Boxer. He's a really sweet little guy, and he's more interested in playing with people than with toys. He loves to lay in your lap and cuddle, but pretty soon, he'll be MUCH to big for that. (He's gonna be HUGE.)

I recently got back from Jordan and Sarah's wedding in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was really pretty there...here are some pictures!


Bride and Groom coming back down the aisle!




















Mom and Aunt Crystal...
















Party confetti at the reception...















Jordan and Meghan bustin' a move on the dance floor















All the "original" Patton kids at the rehearsal dinner (including the biggest smile I've EVER seen out of Jordan...)















Jonathan had fun dancing in his kilt




















Headed off on their honeymoon!