Christmas Eve Eve with the Fergusons

I wanted to share just a few photos from the Ferguson/Johnson/Hopton-Jones Christmas gathering on Christmas Eve Eve.  We got started around 9:30 am and didn't stop until well after 3:30 with multiple waves of guests showing up to share in the holiday spirit.  Gil, Mary Catherine, Ann Fulton & the Twins came by early to share in the joy.  Trey and his fiance, Sarah, were in town from San Diego.  Anne was here from Houston and the Johnson family (Walt, Bailey & their parents) joined us for a fun-filled day.  Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of everyone, but wanted to share the ones that we did snap. 



The Roughens, decked out in their HoHo hats
Matt, Tripp & Meg



Shug in her famous holiday headgear




Hampton Rollins Ferguson
"Hamp"

Walker Hill Ferguson
"Walker"

SuSu and her pupils, reading
Llama Llama Holiday Drama

Papa, Shug & their crew of kiddos
Tripp (18 mos), Walker & Hamp (6 wks), and Ann Fulton (27 mos)
Surprisingly, the twins were the most cooperative during this photo shoot.

Rockin' Cousins!
Gil, Meg, Trey, Anne, Walt & Bailey all wore these Christmas outfits
... and now a new generation can enjoy these cute & festive duds.

Hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas ... Happy New Year, too! 
Meg

Resolving in 2013!

Thank God the Mayans were wrong and we're still here to usher in 2013 with style & grace.  If they could only see us now...

Since Tripp knocked off almost all of his 2012 resolutions, we decided to make another even more ambitious list for him in 2013.  Below are the 13 things that Tripp plans to accomplish in the coming year.  Stay tuned, again, for blog posts about each resolution throughout the year.

A holdover from 2012: Visit the animals at either Zoo Atlanta or the Georgia Aquarium.

1. Celebrate St Patty's Day in Savannah, Georgia with lots of Roughens, old and young (with his fancy green tennis shoes)
2. Attend his first Braves game.
3. Teach his new twin boy cousins, Hamp &Walker Ferguson, a thing or two
4. Celebrate his 2nd Birthday, surrounded by family & friends
5. Swing his first golf club.
6. Meet & play with Byrdie & Gracie, twin daughters of his godfather, Chris Epps
7. Shake this Elmo obsession (and replace with ... something else? anything else?)
8. Visit the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.
9. Return to the Sample House in Panama City Beach, Florida for 2nd annual the Roughen-Moon vacation.
10. Accompany his mom while she run/walks a 5k (more mom's resolution than Tripp's)
11. Spend a few lazy days at the lake this summer.
12. Move into a big-boy bed in his big-boy room, maybe...
13. Do some "real" trick or treating this year in our new neighborhood!

Tripp & mom

Happy New Year from Tripp & his 'rents!

XOXO

Happy New Year!

Christmas is a Circus!

Here's Tripp with one of his favorite gifts from Santa, a circus tent!  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Meg

Merry, Merry 2012!

Merry Christmas!
Meg

18 Month Stats

We visited our favorite pediatrician last week and got some updated stats.  Looks as though genetics are beginning to catch up with ole' Tripp, given his two vertically challenged parents.  Still rockin' his big brain, though! 

Below is the break down:

• Height: 31.75 inches (25th percentile, down from 45th!)
• Weight:  23 lbs, 3.5 oz (40th percentile, down from 50th)
• Head Circumference: 19.25 inches (90th percentile)

According to the little generic 18th month visit handout that they provide to every parent of a child this age:

• At this age, you may notice your baby doing any of the following:
• Walks steadier and faster (check)
• Climbs stairs with help (check)
• Uses a spoon well (check)
• Knows body parts (check)
• Says "no," tests limits and may have tantrums. (Our son? ... never...)

And some advice from the aforementioned "helpful" handout:

• Avoid TV and Videos.   ... to which Elmo says, "No way!"
• Let your child watch others using the toilet, but do not force toilet training.  ... so, what do you suggest we do if we find him splashing around in the toilet water?
• Continue to set and maintain limits for your child. Be as consistent as possible.   Easy enough...
• This age can be hard, especially if your child is strong willed.  Remember that you are the boss.  It is normal to feel frustrated at times.  ... so you're saying that it is abnormal not to feel frustrated?  whew!

Please pass the vino. Ciao!
Meg

Rollin' the Dough

No, No...  not rolling IN the dough, as in multi-millions in lottery winnings... just rolling the dough, as in  Play Dough. Tripp's teachers have told me that this is one of his favorite activities, so I am glad it was finally captured on camera.  The class plays with Play Dough several times a day, or so say the teachers, and while they play, they sing "Roll Roll Roll the dough, gently down the stream..." to the tune of... you guessed it, "Row Row Row Your Boat."  Kinda weird, but keeps them entertained. 

Rollin' the green dough

If asked a question whose answer is not immediately obvious to him,
Tripp makes this gesture while saying
"I not know"

... 'Tis pretty cute.

Hope you had a happy hump day!
Meg

Ho Ho Holy Cow it's December...

I am having a really hard time with how fast time is flying this year.  It feels like yesterday we were celebrating Tripp's very first birthday, and now we're half way to his second.  December is here, and I guess we might as well embrace it.

So... we recently went for a visit to "the big guy" which was lots of fun.  We met up with Lily Brooks and Ryder Woolley, for a fun and festive evening of holiday flair.  Below are a few photos that I snapped.

Requisite Yuletide Tantrum

The Roughens
Matt, Tripp (18 mos) and Meg

The Woolleys
Charles, Lily Brooks (4 yrs), Ryder (2 yrs) and Tish

Tripp eats his hand, while the well-behaved Woolleys observe

These two will be the best of buds.

HoHoHo!
Meg

Garden Brook Neighbors Reunion

Since we moved into our new house, we have really missed our old neighbors from our condo in Peachtree Hills.  Around the time we moved, many of them were moving on as well, so Matt and I invited everyone over for some old neighborhood time.  We had a blast catching up and seeing everyone.  Below are some photos from the fun Sunday afternoon soiree.

All the kiddos
Molly & Sadie Hight
Tripp, leaning on Sadie's back as if posing for a GQ ad
and Allen & Elizabeth Morris

Molly, Tripp, Sadie

Our new den & The Dudes...
John, Bobby, Matt, Jordan, Chad

... and the ladies...
Tammy, Elizabeth, Meg, Kara, Bonnie, Neely
and Little Elizabeth

... and the Stud.
played by Allen Morris

Fun times!  We all vowed to stay in touch despite our lives taking us in different directions.  ... and who knows? ... We may all retire to Garden Brook one day when we are looking to downsize back into 1,000 square feet and a yard that "takes care of itself"...

Meg

Carrot Art

What will they think of next?  Happy Weekend!
Meg