9.16.11

i'm resting up here in the Claiborne House B&B in Jefferson, Texas, watching college football and getting good and hungry for our annual dinner tonight at the Stillwater Inn. we drove up to Kilgore yesterday and dropped the kids off with Brian's mom, traded cars with her, and drove up to Jefferson, getting here in time for dinner. when we come here each fall, we park the car and don't get back in it the entire three day weekend. everything is within walking distance and the town is so adorable that you just want to walk everywhere. we walked over to Auntie Skinner's kinda late last night (just about one of my favorite places on the planet, i might add) and we each ordered burgers and fries and watched the LSU-Mississippi State game. i rarely eat hamburgers, so when i do, it's like a spiritual experience. it was fabulous. when Brian and i come to Jefferson each year for our anniversary, we spend a lot of time eating and drinking and watching football at Auntie Skinner's. while i enjoyed my water, Brian drank an extra Shiner for me.

this morning we slept in, spent some time reading Scripture together, then went down to breakfast at 9. there was only one other couple in the inn last night, and we sat at the breakfast table and visited with them for awhile this morning. they were Aggies from College Station, but we still seemed to find some common ground for conversation. the inn keepers, Steve and Elaine weren't  in, but they had their help Lula, a big black woman with a sweet southern accent serving breakfast. hopefully Steve and Elaine will be in sometime over the weekend. i'd love to spend some time catching up with them.

i got in a lot of walking around town today while Brian spent some time studying for an upcoming exam he's taking for some sort of certification. Jefferson has a lot of antique stores and nick-nack shops. i looked, but didn't buy.

in other news, earlier this week Mama took me pre-birthday shopping. i picked out things for Hazel and her room. the nursery is coming together so nicely. i am using the same bedding i've used for all the kids, which is classic, amazingly versatile, and looks great even after four babies. i'll post a pic once i get the room all set up.

i've been reading The Mayflower and the Pilgrim's New World by Nathaniel Philbrick.



i picked it up in the youth section of the library last week as William and John are studying early American history. it's an adaptation of his book The Mayflower, this one being adapted for youth. but honestly, it doesn't read like a book for youth, and i've found it very interesting. it's been really nice to be able to indulge in hours of reading pleasure already this weekend.

well, time to get beautified for dinner for my love.