Are you ready for some football???

Now that vacation is over, I'm ready for summer to be over and fall to be in full swing. We got our season tickets in the mail just as soon as we got home from the beach. The Bickford household is ready for some football!


I cannot wait to watch some Razorback football! I received my September Southern Living magazine in the mail, and it was devoted to football in the south. I loved this top ten list and have to share.

The 10 Commandments of College Football Fandom

1. Thou shalt wear team colors. But think twice before adorning yourself with body paint- you don't want to be the Internet photo that goes viral.
2. Thou shalt know-and sing- your team's fight song from beginning to end. Sure, you can "watermelon watermelon" your way through the alma mater, but not memorizing the fight song is a fan failure.
3. Thou shalt keep your language clean (unless, of course, the quarterback fumbles on fourth and goal).
4. Thou shalt support the coach. Even when his calls are questionable.
5. Thousand shalt be respectful to visiting teams. Remember: Southern ladies and gentlemen never boo.
6. Thou shalt set up a tailgate no fewer than three hours before kickoff (six if it's a night game). Table linens and matching huggers encouraged, but not required.
7. Thou shalt theme your tailgate food around the visiting rival. Gator bites, anyone?
8. Thou shalt stay through the fourth quarter-rain or shine. That's what ponchos are for, y'all.


9. Thou shalt respect the solemnity of Game Day by planning weddings, births, and other life events around the football schedule. (Good thing I'm due on a Wednesday between the South Carolina and Tennessee game!)
10. Thou shalt not covet other teams' bowl games, national championships, or Heisman Trophy wins. There's always next year…

Go Hogs Go!


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Life's a beach…

We continued our tradition this year and went to the beach for summer vacation. This year we decided on the 30A area in Florida. We actually stayed in Seacrest, but spent most of the week up and down highway 30A. Alan and I both fell in love with this area, and will definitely be back next year with BB!!! We tried to find an 8-9 month old down by the beach, so we could see what it would be like next year! It will definitely be much more work next year, but I can't wait to start making memories!




We vacationed with Wes and Cara and their girls. It's so much fun to be around friends while at the beach. But Alan and I did spend a quiet evening together. This is Alan and I on our date night. We decided to drive to Destin to eat at one of our favorites, Backporch. Coldstone Cremery was next, for dessert!


Alan and I at Shorty's in Grayton Beach.




My view of the beach from under the canopy.


Seaside


Our view during dinner at the Backporch.


We watched a storm blow over the ocean. It was actually very pretty. Just a glimpse at God's awesomeness.


Fisherman Alan strategizing.

We chartered a deep sea fishing boat with Wes and Jonathan and Andrew Wall out of Grayton Beach. What an experience! This was not our first deep sea fishing experience, but man, it was the most interesting (and scarey!).


This is where the boat was launched in the water. No concrete pad like we have at the lake. Nor was there a nice dock at a harbor or marina. I think Capt. Phil may have lived in south Arkansas at one point in his life because this idea seemed very redneck to me!


With the help of the other fishing charter guys, we were in the water. The weather was nice, but the waves were rough. We caught some mahimahi and triggerfish. We tried to catch vermilion snapper and king mackerel, with no such luck.


We safely made it back on land, with a story only good enough to be told by Alan.



Here is the gang in front of Capt Phil's boat. 5 mahimahi and 1 trigger fish. The mahimahi were very easy to catch, but the triggerfish put up a good fight. I caught one, but it was too small to keep.


Beach at dusk.



Lillian and Lynley were content as ever digging in the sand and working on sandcastles. I can't imagine how much sand was in places where sand doesn't belong!



Out last evening, at Seaside. The water blended into the sky. We got to watch fireworks while eating oysters and shrimp right by the water. Can't get better than that!



Our home away from home!

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Viability!

So many people would not understand the true meaning of the title to this entry, but to a former pediatric nurse, it brings mixed emotions. I have reached 24 weeks today. 24 weeks is the age of viability, meaning if I were to deliver BB, life saving measures would be performed. But, with life saving measures brings even more mixed emotions and confusion. Needless to say, I'm glad we have both healthily arrived at this milestone! BB and I are cruising through the days. We are counting the days down to vacation, for sure! Today Alan and I picked out our paint color for the nursery walls. Grandpa helped us mix the paint and offer his two cents on the paint supplies and brushes. Our weekends have been very lazy, which is unusual for us during the summertime. It seems in the past 5 years, summer has been filled with various weddings and showers mixed in with frequent trips to the lake. We have squeezed a few lake trips in. We celebrated Fourth of July at DeGray Lake and had a blast, although it was awfully hot! Much to Alan's disapproval, I even wakeboarded. I know. I know. But the water was smooth as glass, and I only stayed up for a few minutes before letting go and safely dipping in the water. (thanks for letting me do this Alan) It felt so good! Sometimes I feel like pregnancy is a prison sentence because you can't do so many things. And, I've also been biking- another "no no." Also, I've decided the water is the best place for pregnant women!


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Happy Birthday Brian!

Brian's big 3-0 birthday was Monday, June 13!!!


Marj threw a surprise birthday party tonight for him and some close friends. We had fun celebrating!



I forgot I had this silly camera app on my phone, and Brian started playing with it and taking pictures. Well, I guess he forgot he had the pictures stored on my phone as evidence! Haha! This is a great cheesin' grin from the birthday boy!

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Summer is here!

Last weekend we took the boat out for it's maiden voyage of year 2011. There had been a little summer shower before we went out and the temp had cooled off. It was really nice. I will really miss not being able to wakeboard, kneeboard, or tube. But, it will still be fun to sit back and watch. One thing I didn't miss was waking up the next morning and being sore!


Lillian got to drive the boat while sitting in her "buddy's" lap. She calls Alan her "buddy!" Alan is also a little (well…very) partial to her.



Lillian and Lynley smiling while Logan was in the water learning to ski!

Many more trips planned to the lake this summer!

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I heart Cynthia East!

Today mom and I shopped our little hearts out trying to find baby bedding. Well, let me warn you: chocolate brown and yellow are not in abundance! No surprise if you know me well. I can't ever pick out or do anything easy. I have had my nursery envisioned in my head for years, and when you know what you want, you know what you want! We went to Hobby Lobby, Hancock's and Pickles and Ice Cream…no luck. We crossed our fingers and went to Cynthia East. These girls are genius!!!! It took a while, but after an hour or so, we had our fabrics, minky dots, cording, ribbon, etc coordinating. Now I'm just ready to see the end product! Aunt Marj (or whatever she decides for a name) met up with us and stamped the seal of approval! I highly suggest Cynthia East. They were so helpful and creative!



A few of the fabrics. I can't spoil the end result! This looks black, but really it's brown.




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Baby Bickford

We are FINALLY going to experience God's greatest blessing: a baby!!! We have prayed for this for a very long time, and God's perfect plan has been revealed to us. I originally created this blog to track our lives and our hope of having a child. But things didn't go as I had planned. So, I stopped blogging because I didn't have the real "reason" I began the blog. But now, no excuse!

Details:
* Due date: November 9
* Due date I had calculated: Nov. 24. Whoops!
* Dr. Amy Weidower at Central Clinic for Women, LR
* We are NOT finding out the gender!
* The nursery will be chocolate brown and yellow. And there is nothing with these colors for baby bedding!
* The heartbeat has been around the 150s.
* I haven't felt the first flutter…yet.
* Today I am 17 weeks 3 days.

Here are a few pics to get this started.


Our friends have encouraged us to buy diapers when we shop for groceries. Here is the proud daddy!




Aunt Marj (or Lola or maybe another name) saw this while shopping and had to buy it! So funny!



A nurse at the clinic (and also a good friend) saw this and had to buy it! I love it! I have continued to run while pregnant, but OMG it is so much harder! Baby bump or pudge? I can't decide yet! I can't wait to really fill this tank top out with a preggo belly, but I'm sure by that point, I will be unable to run!



Here I am 5, almost 6 wks pregnant after the Little Rock Half Marathon. I had no idea I was pregnant!

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