Tucker Christmas, Take One.

Jacob had a great time at his first Christmas. Why wouldn't he with all these people to hold him and take care of him? Here he is being fed by cousin Kate.

Anyone for a big pile o' cousins?

Just how many people can say they got to sit around and listen to the matriarch of the family jamming out on the guitar to Beyonce and Brittany Spears?

Go, Grandma, Go!!!

I'm really not sure how we got this many to all sit still together at the same time. We are missing one of the cousins, but all things considered, we did very well!

Everyone had such a fun time. We had cousins from Saint Louis to Mobile all coming together to play at Grandma's house. (Talk about over the river and through the woods !!!!) We don't get to do this nearly enough, so it was a good time. We will update again in a few days with the Tucker Christmas, take two.

Well, finals are over (for better or worse) and we have made the treck from St. Louis to South Alabama. Last year we had to brave a blizzard to get here. No blizzards this year, but we did survive getting lost in rural northern Kentucky and attempting to get something to eat in Birmingham at a Church's Fried Chicken that didn't have any chicken. It is amazing how flustered a seminary student can get at the little things. If they didn't reveal the flaws in my character so effectively they would almost be entertaining.

Carmen and Anna Grace have had fun playing with cousins and going to Uncle Bly's "clubhouse" down by the creek. We even found Daddy's initials that he had carved while in highschool in an old sycamore tree hanging out over the water. Jacob has just been kicked back taking it all in and being held by everyone. He says he doesn't mind all the attention.

As we are spending time with family and playing in the country, I will continue to update every few days. I'm sure there will be many entertaining moments to relate. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hard to believe she's gone

Busch Stadium is no more, at least the "old" Busch Stadium. The last section came down this past week in the snow and they are hauling away the final piles of rubble. The new Busch Stadium is being built in the same spot and is said to be a little over half way completed. It has been amazing to see them build the new stadium while tearing down the old one at the same time.

I am glad we got to see a game in the house that Ozzie Smith and Mark McGuire played in, though both were long gone before we moved here. We did get to witness Edmunds and Pujols at there best, and that was a cool thing. This game against Chicago featured a sweet finish with a couple of multi- run home runs by the Cards to beat our good neighbors the Cubs. For those of you in Alabama, Cardinals / Cubs fans get along almost as well as Alabama / Auburn fans do.

Well, this is finals week and I guess I have procrastinated long enough. Back to the books!

1ST SNOW OF THE SEASON!!

We got our first snowfall of the season the other night. A whole 2 - 3 inches! For a family from Alabama that is plenty. Just enough to play around in a little bit, but not enough to really get in the way. We actually got off easy. Everything to the north and west of here got blasted.

It's actually still hanging around too. Yesterday was our sixth day in a row with temperatures not rising above the freezing mark. Have I mentioned how nice it is going to be to spend Christmas in South Alabama?

Here is a picture of Carmen and Anna Grace playing with friends in the snow.

The snow was so dry and powdery that it was difficult to make it stick together. Great for skiing, bad for building snowmen.

Anna Grace just cracks me up!

There is just no end to the ways Anna Grace cracks me up. She packs SO MUCH LIFE into one little body! It is almost as if she is afraid she is going to have unused energy left at the end of the day or something. This shot is typical of her hamming it up and being the unique gift that God has made her to be.

Being a sweet sister.

Anna is so excited about her new role as BIG sister. She repeatedly makes the comment throughout the day, "Daddy, I'm big." Yes you are Precious, and Daddy doesn't know how he feels about that.

Hey, is Dad asleep yet? Quick somebody go get some shaving cream or something. He will never suspect me. After all, I'm just an innocent little baby. Heh, heh, heh. Boy they don't know me very well yet, do they? Actually, I'm going to give him another minute or so to get real comfortable and then I'll scream like a banshee. It's so funny to watch them jump up and try to figure out what is wrong. Ahh, parents are so much fun.

Carmen's first dance recital and meeting Santa

Saturday was Carmen's 1st ballet recital. She and her little friends got to dance for the crowd as everyone awaited the arrival of a very special guest.

Nope. That's not the special guest.

Although I am glad that my Aunt Jackie got to come and see me dance.

There he is! It's SANTA CLAUS!!!! We got to see Mrs. Claus as well and she gave us a sucker! Well, everybody except for Jacob, of course. He was very mature about it though. He didn't pitch a fit or anything. Daddy says that's because Jacob takes after him. Mommy says that Daddy is full of it. I asked them what that meant and they both told me to eat my sucker. Grown-ups....I'll never understand them.

Memories of summer playtime outside. So what is a mid-western winter with three children in a two bedroom apartment going to be like? I guess I could always take more classes next semester. That will remove me from the madness, but it might not be good for my health in a physical safety / marital relationship sense. Know what I'm saying? Hey, it only took five and a half years of marraige but maybe I'm starting to figure some stuff out! Grad. school is good for me!

Jacob and Papa having boys time. We've gotta get this boy to South Alabama so they can sit out on the front porch and look at Uncle Jimmy's cows. We can't have him growing up to be too much of a city boy.

Uncle Kyle's first trip to see us in Saint Louis. We had a blast! Thanks Uncle Kyle.