Resolution 3: Hunt Easter Eggs

Well, of all the resolutions so far, we blew this one out of the water with 3 different Easter egg hunts.  I would like to say that our skills sharpened over the course of the three hunts, but alas... they did not.  Instead, Tripp was more interested in chewing on the very first plastic egg he found rather than filling his basket with loot.  Oh well, there's always next year, I suppose!

Hunt #1:  Our Neighborhood

The first hunt was on the Sunday before easter & hosted by our sweet next-door-neighbors Kara, Bobby, Elizabeth, and Allen Morris.  It was held in the courtyard of our condo, and included all the neighborhood kids, of which I think there are 7 within a couple years age.  It was a fun way to spend one of the first warm, spring afternoons.  Unfortunately, that warm day also came with mosquitoes, so we were dodging those.  All in all, it was a fun event.  Here are a few photos of Tripp during his very first hunt!

Found one...

... and only one!
(red hair, confirmed)

Hunt #2:  Daycare

Next, Tripp participated in a hunt at his daycare on the Thursday afternoon before Easter.  They did a great job of separating the infants from the big kids, and had more eggs than I could count.  Looks like he had a great time with his buddies from his class & his teachers.

These healthy eggs were stuffed with Cheerios

Hunt #3:  Birmingham

Next, we enjoyed a hunt in Birmingham with what felt like a million other kids and a reported 8,000 "hidden" eggs, all filled with (melted) chocolate and a few prizes.  It was quite an experience and I think that both Tripp and cousin Ann Fulton were a bit overwhelmed.  Below are some snapshots from that mega-hunt.

Prepping for the action with Ann Fulton (19 months)

"Gimme the eggs!"

On your mark... get set...

GO!

Tripp & his loot

The Easter Bunny stopped by, and Tripp checked out his dental work

The Matt Roughens

Resolution #3 was a great success.  Can't wait until next year when the hunting skills will likely improve.  Hope the Easter Bunny was good to all of you and that you are enjoying the candy still!

Meg

Resolution 1: Be Christened

The first of Tripp's 12 resolutions for 2012 was checked off the list recently.  On January 28, 2012, he was christened at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama.  The day was beautiful, weather was perfect, and Tripp was well behaved for most of the day... with a few exceptions.  Below are a few snapshots that my friend, Mary Margaret Rogoff, took of Tripp's special day.

The Baptismal Gown

Getting ready with both grandmothers

A quiet moment in the Chapel with Grammy Roughen

Love from Dad.



Our little Family



With the Roughen Side



Ferguson Side



Tripp, being a ham



MC & Ann Fulton



With Godparents,
Mallie Whatley & Chris Epps

With cousin, Ann Fulton Ferguson (18 mos)

After the service, Tripp slipped into something more comfortable and family and friends joined us at Shug & Papa Ferguson's house for a luncheon celebration.  We feasted on lots of good food, sipped on bloody marys, and enjoyed the Spring-like January day.

Cookies from Savages

Tripp & Aunt SuSu Hopton-Jones, who was a tremendous help on his big day

Tripp & Aunt Linda Dugins, who came all the way from Utah to celebrate
(well, she was actually here for a wedding, but I digress...)

Beautiful Flowers by SuSu

Enjoy & have a great week!

Meg

Haven't done a follow friday in a while, so I thought I would feature some of my favorite crafty/design blogs this week.  There are some very talented designers out there who share their ideas and projects online, and I just eat it up... all the while, dreaming of a day when we bust out of our 1,000 square foot condo and into a respectably sized "forever" home.  Stay tuned on that front.

Anyhoo, below are just a sample of some talented designer blogs that I follow occasionally.  I am not even sure how I stumbled upon some of these, but I hope you enjoy viewing, reading, (and dreaming!) as much as I do!

• 33 Shades of Green featuring some cool DIY projects
• Anything Pretty by a midwesterner, but don't hold it against her
• Cottage & Vine
• Pink Wallpaper featuring a recent post on shopping in Atlanta!
• Vintage Junky

And... a sneak peak snapshot from Tripp's Christening (full post coming soon!)

Tripp & Ann Fulton

Happy Weekend!
Meg

Happy Birthday, Cokey! (a.k.a. The Queen)

As promised, below are some pictures from "The Queen's" 80th Birthday party held at The Club on Labor Day weekend.  Her actual birthday is today, September 15th.  So.... Happy 80th Birthday G-L-O-R-I-A! 

The party was a blast.  Anne, Terri (Shug), and SuSu did a great job planning and executing such a special event.  All grandkids, both biological and "adopted," gave a toast to the Q, and shared a special memory with the group.  It was a great gathering that we will all remember for a long time to come.  Thanks to everyone who helped plan!  (P.S.  The story of the nametags is a long one)

Here are a few snapshots.

 The Roughen Family

Tripp (3 months), Matt, and Meg

Cokey with her Grandchildren & Great-Grandchildren

Front Row: Meg & Tripp Roughen (3 months), Cokey Kurtts, Gil & Ann Fulton Ferguson (1 year)

Back Row:  Mary Catherine Ferguson, Anne Hopton-Jones, Bailey & Walt Johnson, Matt Roughen, Trey Hopton-Jones

 Terri (Shug) Ferguson & Tripp Roughen

 Cokey & Her Children

Susan, Terri, Cokey & Gilbert

Cousins 

Meg, Tripp, Ann Fulton, and Gil

Tripp, getting the royal treatment from the Queen & Aunt Anne

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  Stay tuned for pictures from Colonel Albert Hugh Roughen, Sr's (Tripp's namesake) 80th Birthday Party that was held this past weekend in Thunderbolt, Georgia. Hooray for the 80th birthday party circuit!

Meg

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!  War Eagle, Wahoowa, and Go Jackets!  It was a happy, winning weekend of football for the Roughen household.  Weekends during which all teams win are few and far between, I'm afraid, usually due to the less-than-mediocre Cavaliers... so we must celebrate them as they come.

Our weekend was jam-packed with fun events and new friends.  On Friday, September 2nd, we celebrated Tripp's great-grandmother's 80th Birthday.  Cokey was joined by all of her friends and family at The Club, overlooking Birmingham, to share memories, a breath-taking view, yummy food, and strong drinks.  Pictures to come from that party... It was fun!

Then, we headed to the lake for college football (finally!), more yummy food, cold beer, and the meeting of the cousins.  Ann Fulton (1 year old) and Tripp (3 months old) had a chance to check each other out.  Below are some pictures from the first of many cousin photo sessions.

Checking Each Other Out...  

Tripp's Reaction:  Ew.  Girls Have Cooties!

Ann Fulton's Reaction:  Why is he so loud?

After a few minutes, the two cousins warmed up and played together well. 

... and by the end, they were fast friends.  Looking forward to the next meeting already!

... and now we are back in Atlanta, safe and sound, despite the severe weather due to Tropical Storm Lee.  Hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready for the (short!) week of work!

Meg