razorback basketball

Jamie's office got tickets for the Razorback basketball game last night with seats in the Arvest Suite! Jamie let me be his date even though I'm not a basketball fan- it was really just nice getting to go out just the two of us and have a fun evening together after such a hectic week.

The suite was really nice- cozy seats, kitchen with a stocked bar, bathroom, and space in the back to hang out with everyone.

We mostly talked with everyone and didn't watch alot of the game. But the highlight was when at halftime they got a whole group of random mascots out on the court for their own little basketball game. It was pretty hilarious.

Jamie's coworkers were giving him a hard time about his "Freddie Kruger" shirt which neither one of us really got...

But I guess I see the similarities!

sing sing sing

A couple nights this week we invited the members of the Bentonville Children's Choir over to our house. This is something we do every year- the kids seem to get a really big kick out of getting to hang out at "Mrs. Cornett's house!"... ooh, ahh. :) We have to divide them into different nights in order to fit all 80+ kids in, but it's alot of fun. Audrie was just crazy estatic with all her new friends who were dying to play with her! It was fun to watch her get so excited with all the attention.
The kids ate more Oreos then I knew was humanly possible! (We have a little snack for them and then rehearse music for our upcoming concerts.)

I meant to take photos of each of the groups we had each night, but somehow I only remembered to take this one group of sopranos...

Its always fun to have my students at my house, but also makes me appreciate the calm quietness after they leave (I think Jamie is still twitching a little)! :)

9 month check up

Almost forgot to post the latest stats...

Audrie went in for her 9 month check up at her pediatrician last week and she is healthy and growing! She weighs 18.8 pounds (50th percentile) and is 29 inches long(95th percentile). My favorite thing in the world is when people comment on how tall and skinny Audrie is... "just like her daddy!" everyone says to me... and I try not to take it TOO personally! ha

Here's a silly photo of Audrie helping me make dinner the other night.

She's quite the little entertainer. Jamie and I really can't remember what we used to stare at all day before there was Audrie.

ain't nothing gonna breaka my stride

I know it may sound a little crazy but I actually kind of enjoying running. I guess it makes me feel healthy and strong to know that if I want to go run a few miles then I can. Or maybe that feeling comes from the Whitney Houston blaring from my running playlist "I'm every woman...!!". I love talking to my friend, Samanthe, about her progress training for the NYC Marathon. So inspiring. A few months ago I signed up for a few 5k races over the next few months just to keep me exercising. So I got up early this morning and headed out to run 3.3 miles in 37 degree weather. Whoo hoo! Jamie and I have been running a little in the mornings before work so I wasn't too worried about the cold temperature. I survived the chilly run today. My 32:30 time wasn't too impressive but I was proud of myself for just crossing the finish line alive. And I met both my goals- I didn't stop running and I didn't come in last place! (high expectations, huh??).

When I got to the registration table this morning and saw my lucky race number I thought it might be sign I should go back to bed! :)

dear santa

Audrie got to meet Santa last night! My choir from school was invited to sing at "Candy Cane Lane" in Bentonville and we took Audrie along for the festivities (and my students really love seeing her). Before the choir performed we took Audrie over to sit in Santa's lap.

She told him that all she wants for Christmas is the ability to walk.

Then she tried to pull the beard off his face.

I hope that doesn't get her on the naughty list! :)

all in a day's work

I get a little nervous when people ask me what my husband does for a living. Because, honestly, I really don't know. I can usually bluff my way through a couple sentences about how Jamie is a Securities Trader for Arvest Bank and that he works with his clients and the stock market and something to do with bonds... but that's about all I can come up with. But I think the real reason I don't know what Jamie does for a living is because the stories he usually tells me about his day typically involve either food or games he plays with the guys he works with. So the other day he sent me these photos from his iPhone of their lunch adventures that day... apparently they are addicted to the burgers from Krystal's and had a eating competition.
I'm sure this is what his customers have in mind when they call Jamie to place trades for them on the stock market.

(I love how in this picture you can see the stock market crashing behind him on the computer screen... but he had a fun day at work so I guess that's all that matters!)

don't mess with texas

I don't know how two photographers (ok, a photographer and a wanna-be) can go on a roadtrip and not take photos... but after I sat down to browse through my pictures I realized that 99% of my photos are all from the actual wedding event and I have very few of our side adventures this weekend. There were tons of photos I wanted to take... like my exciting experience eating at a Jack-in-the-Box for the first time (not a big fan) and all the "Don't Mess With Texas" signs that I saw. And there was even a man riding some sort of clown bicycle on the side of the interstate wearing a rear view mirror hat on his head and smoking a cigar... but somehow all those photo opps didn't make it onto my film. But here are a few that I did manage to snap...

We had to take a moment to remember the Alamo.

and eat some awesome Mexican food...

(random artwork I liked in the restaurant)
We went down the Riverwalk and it was fun to walk around all the shops and restaurants and the neat atmosphere. It was dark so it was hard to get any good photos but I tried to snap a few.

I have a thing for grand staircases. Too bad I didn't pack my ball gown.

Kim and I were pretty big photography nerds and messed around taking some dorky photos every now and then. Here we are in front of the hotel taking a photo of each other taking a photo... The wedding was so beautiful and made me a little emotional. I think I actually only cried three times so I thought that was pretty good. Sorry I can't share any photos of the gorgeous wedding, but the bride has to see them first (Kim and her strict rules, sheesh). I did feel honored to have my very own place card at the rehearsal dinner. Made me feel special.

It was an awesome trip. Kim is the best boss I've ever worked for! :)

san antonio

I made it home safe and sound from my weekend trip to Texas! Kim and I had a blast shooting a beautiful wedding, making new friends, shopping, eating, exploring the Riverwalk, getting lost... alot, calling Oprah, and singing some loud 80's music to keep awake on the 10 hour road trip. I have tons of fun photos to share, but I'll have to post them later... I missed Jamie and Audrie SO much that I have to go spend some quality time kissing on them!

curly Q

9 months old today! And her first TOOTH made its debut today... so exciting! Here is a photo I snapped of her sleepy little head last night before bedtime. (Love those curls!)
Say a prayer for Jamie... I'm leaving for San Antonio tomorrow morning to shoot a wedding with Kim and Jamie is on full daddy duty ALL weekend. He and Audrie will have a blast! I'll miss them both terribly...

rotfl

My sister, Mary, recently moved to Belfast with her husband and three children. I keep expecting to see some photos of the beautiful Ireland countryside... instead she sent me these photos she took in the grocery store (in honor of our last name). They did make me laugh...

At least Audrie thought it was pretty funny...

moondance

"Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance

'neath the cover of October skies.

And all the leaves on the trees are falling

To the sound of the breezes that blow..."

-Van Morrison

Saturday after Jamie and I left the Razorback game (beautiful weather and great homecoming football!), I went with my mom and Audrie to Branson to visit my sister, Denise. We got there just in time for a sunset cruise on the lake. It was breathtaking.

Audrie's first boat ride (there really is a place in her baby book to document that)!

It was so nice to get to visit with my sister who I don't get to see enough. She fed us some great food and Rob let us sample some of his finest red wine.

I think I could have stayed on that boat all night... it was so peaceful.

We rode back from the boat dock to their house in a sooped up golf cart... Audrie really liked that (I'm not sure there is a spot in her baby book for "First Ride in a Redneck Golfcart"...)!

Thanks, guys, for the good times. Can't wait to come visit again soon!

happy halloween

Audrie was the cutest little kitty cat I've ever seen! My brother, Nathan, and his wife Kim came over last night with their kids Jacob and Emma to spend Halloween with us. Jamie and I decided about 3:00 on Friday that we were gonna dress up, too! I decided to break out one of my gowns from my selection of bridesmaid dresses in my closet and go as some sort of beauty queen. And I happened to have an elf costume in my classroom leftover from a musical we did a few years ago. So Jamie got to be an elf for Halloween. He didn't protest too much until it came to the tights! He was really a good sport even if he was quite frightening in the whole outfit. I thought we made a pretty odd trio...

But not as amazing as Kim and Nathan. (Sarah Palin and the 70's NBA star!) The best thing is that Nathan went to work like this yesterday!

Sarah Palin didn't like the sign in our neighbor's yard!

It was a fun night of trick-or-treating. Even Audrie seem to enjoy getting candy in her bag (too bad I'll have to eat it all for her!).

We spent the rest of the evening passing out candy at our house (we had more trick or treaters than ever this year). I watched scary cartoons with the kids downstairs (that's about all the "scary" I can handle) while the "big kids" played rock band until the wee hours of the morning. Even if it's not my favorite holiday, it was still a fun night hanging out and getting to play dress up for a few hours!