Chillin'

So I decided that it was time to give our loyal fans a taste of what we've been up to lately. Just a taste, but it's a savory taste. Well life has been going smoothly here, the humidity broke, Aurellia has slept a lot and Jen is the happy homemaker. Actually, Jen is more of a tired homemaker, so she says, it's not as though five kids is tiring, so I don't know what she's talking about.

What to say about the kids, they run around all day barefoot in bib overalls and steal apples from old man Nielsen's orchard. Rincon has really gotten into whittling wood figures and Tyler keeps ripping his britches while chasing down ground hogs in the woods behind the house. Hannah and Tommy have joined a bluegrass band, Hannah plays a washboard and Tommy keeps rhythm on the spoons. I couldn't be prouder.

School keeps me busy, and this week it really got hectic, tests, projects and USC beating Oregon State by 24, it never ends. But I deal with it the only way I know how, with style. Well, with style and ... jazz hands!!!!!

But fall is here, and when I informed Rincon yesterday that it was the first day of Autumn he said, "Oh man, now we have to rake up all the leaves!" When I told him we'd wait until there were more leaves on the ground he said, "I guess I can live with that." Thank goodness, I didn't want to rake leaves this weekend. The mornings have been crisp, the leaves are changing colors and falling, and soon it will be time to read the kids The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. Jen and I were talking the other day, and it turns out she loves cinnamon smells and fall, and I like meat. I guess you could say that East Tennessee is agreeing with us.

I hope your Labor Day was as good as mine

Since it was Labor Day and all I thought I'd just post some of the pictures from that most magical of days; no work or school. For those of you who are slightly more astute than others, you'll may feel that Jen and Aurellia are nowhere to be found. So pat yourself on the back because you are correct, they didn't come home until 9:30 that night. So enjoy the pictures, and enjoy the summer for the last few precious weeks we have. Actually, I had a ton of trouble getting the pictures to line up right, and since I'm not in the patient mood all you get are three. I hope you can handle it with only a little taste. And yes, that picture on the top is the grinds I was grillin there in the backyard.

Baby Aurellia Has Arrived

As of August 30, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. Jennifer took the lead in our weight loss competition by giving birth to a beautiful 7 lb 4 oz baby girl. She answers to the name of Aurellia Catalina Watson. For those of you keeping track, I now have five children and Aurellia has five digits on each hand and foot. Not sure what it means, but the symmetry is perfect.

The day started innocently enough, a two hour trip to Chattanooga and a long walk in 90 degree weather at the top of Lookout Mountain. I suppose that this may have contributed to her labor, but it's all good since Aurellia was over a week over due. It was just her time.

Jen started to have some contractions at the top of Lookout Mountain, and they continued while we stood in line for a half hour waiting to catch the train down the mountain. We thought about going straight back to Knoxville, but my sister told us about this great Mexican restaurant, so you know there was no stopping us.

The food was good, but I find the fare to be a little dry, and if I were to go again I'd try to get some sauce or something on the tacos & burritos. Take it or leave it, the advice is free.

On the trip back the contractions were about 5 minutes apart, but so we started to get the idea, that it was probably going to happen that night. And how right we were. Jen started nesting almost as soon as we got home. That means she cleaned the house like our kids weren't going to mess it up within 12 hours. I kept asking Jen if she was ready to go to the hospital, but she only replied that she was still on her feet. Fair enough I thought, I taped the SC game, I was good.

However, as the first half of the telecast came to an end Jen informed me that it was time to go. Soon we had both sets of babysitters at the house and we were off. We had stalled so long that we were only at the hospital 45 minutes before Aurellia graced us with her presence. And that my friends, is the whole story.