Limes, School, and Birthdays

Limes:
And no...I'm not making margaritas...although this brutally hot summer is making it hard to be a good mom and not partake...

That's what our little one is about the size of these days! Graham and I went to our 12 week check-up today and the doctor says everything seems to be perfect (gotta love perfect). She prepared us with the "you are right on the edge of being able to hear the heartbeat so don't freak out if we can't hear anything." (Don't freak out???? She obviously doesn't have a clue about my serious anxiety!) Well, it turns out that we didn't even need the disclaimer because our little citrus fruit behaved and let us hear his/her heartbeat and movement right away! Hopefully, Baby Sanders will cooperate like that when we go check out its private area in 2 weeks...we are dying to find out what it is!

School:

Since I went on somewhat of a blogging hiatus, I haven't announced yet that I will be moving schools in August! Although I loved the children at BA and could not have worked with nicer people, I have always wanted to get back to my public school roots. As fate would have it, a group of women had been working tirelessly for the past 3 years to start a charter school here in Beaufort and Riverview is planning to open its doors this fall. I interviewed on a Monday and got offered the job on a Tuesday..it was just an opportunity that I could not pass up and a huge honor to be able to be on the planning end of a brand new school AND my niece will be in the first grade there as well! I am sure they were just "thrilled" to here my baby news since I will be out of commission after Christmas, but once again the I got dealt a lucky hand and the first grade aide that will be taking my class while I'm gone is a parent of one of my students and a former teacher with me at BA....couldn't have worked out better!

Birthdays:

June is a huge birthday month for my family and friends and I failed to post a big happy 24th birthday to my Graham on Tuesday, June 16th! Since his birthday falls in the middle of tomato season he swears that something always breaks or he has to get extra dirty on his birthday...well all seemed to be going well until he had to figure out how to get a huge tractor out of a ditch (I'm sure he would want me to clarify that he did not drive it into the ditch).

In addition to MY BIRTHDAY ON JUNE 24th here is a shout out to all the rest of the June/July babies I love!

My momma- June 1st

My little brother Davis, turning 17- June 19th

One of my Clemson roomies, Mary- June 22nd

My other little brother turning 21 (WOOHOO!)- July 1st

Hopefully I can keep this regular blogging thing up...we'll see!

From the Field to Your Plate

It's that time of year again! As I am sure I have mentioned before, my hus

band grows tomatoes for his family's farm, and June/July is when all of his hard work pays off and the tomatoes are picked and shipped all over! Hopefully these pictures (taken by Hunter and so nicely shared with me) help put the whole deal in perspective. It's a far cry from a couple of dinky plants and farm animals that I pictured in my head when Graham told me his family owned a farm freshman year...he sure showed me...I know...I'm a dope.

Big News!

Are you (all 5 of my readers) tired of checking my blog for a different post/big announcement and seeing darling little Riggs? Well, I finally have some new material to blog about for a LONG time!

We are having a baby!  Graham and I are beyond excited and counting down the days until our little Christmas baby arrives (December 3o is the due date).  I wanted to wait and post when I got to 12 weeks but some people (you know who you are) have been "harassing" me to see something other than sweet, baby Riggs so I have compromised and I am now 11 weeks and 2 days!  The ultrasound is our little gummy bear at 10 weeks...and I can safely say that that was the BEST experience of this pregnancy so far.  We have a video of he/she just squirming and dancing around...it was perfect!

I have loved every minute of being pregnant so far...even the feeling green, dead tired, in my pjs by 4:00pm, wanting weird things to eat, getting pudgy feelings have been not so bad.  I can't wait to find out if its a boy or a girl so I can stop saying "it", plan the nursery, buy sweet outfits, etc....I will DEFINITELY keep you posted!  

Check back for some neat tomato pics soon courtesy of Hunter photography...

Our 98 lb "Puppy"

Getting some sun on the dock

See ya!

Cheesin' it

Being a sweet boy

Awkward, lanky stage

Graham's little buddy

The day we brought him home 

Yes, our baby Riggs is 98 pounds and he will be considered a "puppy" until October when he is 2 years old!  He is the most spoiled rotten dog in the world but I wouldn't have it any other way.  He goes to work with Graham everyday and then bounds up the stairs to tell me hello and to take him on a walk!  He is doing much better on a leash but if he sees another dog...forget it... he is dragging me down to the ground!  The pictures above are obviously ordered backwards because I can't figure out how to move them on Blogger since we got our new MAC...please comment on this post if you can help this apple beginner!

Because I am such a TERRIBLE blogger ( I admit it) I have lots to update on.

My parents and my little brother Davis just came and stayed with us this weekend and we had a ball!  We went out to my favorite restaurant, Bateaux, on Friday night with Graham's parents and then to the JSLB BBQ on Saturday night.  Michael Ross stayed in Charleston for the St. Patty's day parties but we missed him!

The twins are doing great and growing like little weeds!  I run over to see them whenever I can and I just can't get enough of them.  Graham and I are so excited to be Harper's Godparents and they will be baptized at the end of May!

Graham is in the middle of planting tomatoes and working every day.  He's exhausted but always comes home and watches (tolerates) my shows and we just veg out on the couch with Riggs taking up the majority of it.  My little class gets cuter by the day...although I have to admit I am counting down to Spring Break in April!

Well, thats about it..look for another post on the NCAA tourney coming up later on this week... WHAT??? 2 posts in ONE WEEK???  We'll see...

They're Here!

Harper

Taylor

Me hogging Taylor

I'm sorry I am just getting to posting pictures and as Christie mentioned my blog is now centered around Hunter so here I go adding another post to pay homage!

Joseph Taylor (Taylor) was born at 7:43 am yesterday morning weighing 6 lbs 14 oz and 19 3/4 inches long.  His squirt of a sister, Caroline Harper (Harper) was born at 7:44 am weighing 4 lbs 10 oz and 17 1/2 inches long.

I busted out of school at 2:50 yesterday (after a long day of itching to see them) and got to hold them both for forever---And as if Joe and Hunter didn't get enough of us earlier, Graham and I took Joe dinner later (Hunter is on a liquid diet and was probably hating us for eating in front of her) and watched the first half of the Clemson basketball game with each of us holding a baby! It was their first Clemson game of a million to come and they were definitely the good luck charms that whipped our team back in shape!

They are so precious and I am so proud of Hunter, Joe, and my darling niece and nephew!

February 17th...

there will be new kids on the block! (quite literally since we all live in the same neighborhood). My sister-in-law Hunter will be having a c-section to deliver her twins (boy and girl)!!! I absolutely cannot wait! Side note-It would have worked out better for me if this could have happened on the 16th since I do not have school but Hunter has always been hard-headed and stubborn so...If they don't come before the 17th I will be busting out of school right when the kids walk out the door!

Please pray for Harper and Taylor to have a safe delivery into this world and to be healthy little darlings!

This is for you Hunter...

Awful I know...I should be punted from the blogging world.  It has been forever!

My sister-in-law Hunter is pregnant with twins (they will be here soon!) and she is on bed rest.  All she can pretty much do is lay on the couch or lay on the couch.  I think she is quite bored and admits that she checks my blog for updates and can quote the day, time, and title of my last post.  SO for her reading pleasure and to waste 10 minutes of her long day stuck on the couch here is  a small update!

1. January and February are just plain boring.  It's cold ( I hate cold), and all my favorite holidays plus football season is a year away. Thank goodness the twins are getting here soon...I am counting down the days!

2. One of the only things that have made these months tolerable is tv:

The Bachelor: One of the best seasons yet...I have 3 favorites Hot Dog Jillian, Dallas Cow Boy Cheerleader Melissa, and Make-out Molly.  If you watch it or you just need a good laugh that will make you cry and your stomach hurt go to http://www.ihategreenbeans.com/category/bachelor-recap/ 

Kudos to my friend Emily who discovered this blog...you rock.  I am also in a little competition with girls I grew up with and I am currently tied for second place because I accurately picked 3 out of the 6 girls that have been kicked off.  Hmmm... I need to step up my game.

Gray's and Private Practice: Graham is actually watching these as I type and I'm not happy with him about this since I asked him to wait...BUT that's why we have DVR.  I have and always will love both of these fabulous shows....BUT if Denny doesn't remove himself soon I am going to scream!

American Idol: Can't stand the auditions, they make me hide behind couch pillows.  Will be glued to the set when they finally put together the group that can actually sing.

3. Clemson Basketball: Well, we won 16 straight and then lost 2 games to top 10 Wake Forest and UNC...I'm over it...we will bounce back ( no pun intended).  

So t.v. is all I really have to report on...I'll do better after the doldrums of January and February...and then I get to love on my new niece and nephew!