Cancelled

Due to ice storm and poor weather conditions, the St Jude's Marathon has been cancelled for 2013 :( The contributions still count and the registration fee can be applied to another race… Arizona, New Orleans or Memphis again. So proud of these friends who raised over $1500 combined toward a wonderful cause!

Celebratory martinis

"The Sound of Music" live

The girls lined up eagerly to watch "The Sound of Music," live… their critique, the old one is better!

What brought everyone together...

"The Runners" on Beale Street

A trip "downtown"

Today we met Reed and his family (wife Maria, Valentina, Nicolina, Julianna), who flew in from Arizona. Best place? The Peabody Hotel, of course! These ducks are going to know us soon :) 

Kaitlyn and Cora

 The kids lined up awaiting the arrival… 

Will, Cora, Kaitlyn, Emilia, Lindsay, Nicolina, Julianna, Valentina

These ducks were FEISTY today!

 Attempting a "Sound of Music" line-up

 The beautiful Peabody Hotel lobby was decorated for Christmas

 And a fancy choir gave a concert following the march

The Dube's arrive

This weekend is the St. Jude's Marathon and Greg has agreed to run the 1/2 with college buddies George and wife Karen and Reed. The Dube's (George, Karen, Will, Lindsay and Kaitlyn) arrived tonight safely from Virginia. 

 Dinner at Dyer's, Lindsay holds Louisa

Kaitlyn holds Louisa

 On the town square in Collierville

Decorating for Christmas

Since we have company coming in this week, we decided to get the house decorated for Christmas… the earliest we've ever done it. 

 We bought our first fake tree (yay, no pine needles to clean up… boo, no wonderful pine smell…)

 The girls decorating their tree in their bedroom

 Playing with the nativity sets

Notice Jasmine and her pet tiger Raja have joined the Nativity scene (along with a Fisher Price pilot!) 

The "Elf on the Shelf" has joined the Madea family this year...

Tis the season

For LEAVES! We spent 14 hours this weekend raking/blowing and bagging leaves...

We had to play just a little...

 Cora is QUITE the helper now...

In the end, we left 79 bags (a new record) out for pick up…

And woke the next morning to a yard-full of new down leaves, SIGH!