Happy Birthday, Anna Ruth

As many of you know, Anna Ruth's birthday was on December 6th. We actually celebrated it early when we were in Charleston for Thanksgiving, so this post is long overdue. Even though it's a week late, I did want to post a few pictures of the party. Aunt Carol made this beautiful flower cake for Anna Ruth. The best part was that the inside was red velvet cake, so the mess was even better. :)












Even though she had no idea what was going on, it was still fun to have a little party for her. She got several great gifts, and one of her favorites is a push toy from Aunt August, Uncle Jody & Storm. She gets very excited because she can walk by herself, and she loves it when we chase her. Overall, she had a wonderful birthday, and we were glad that we could spend it with family.

Please Pray

Ask the God who heals our diseases for healing here. Dustin Salter, RUF campus minister at Furman University, is in a coma. His family is dealing with the probable loss of their father and husband, and, even if he survives, severe brain damage is likely. Click here for updated information.

The Cure

Since the middle of last week, Anna Ruth hasn't been feeling well. I took her to the doctor and found out that she had an ear infection. She also had a pretty bad runny nose and a little cough. So she hasn't been quite herself for a little while. But last night we found something that brought her loud and happy disposition back--a cinnamon graham cracker. I gave her one (which didn't make Daddy very happy because those are one of his favorite kinds of cookies), and she loved it. She was laughing and being silly, so I wanted to catch it on video for you all. Also I wanted to pass along this amazing discovery for any of you who might need a cure for all these colds and other viruses floating around this time of year.

The long awaited "Beer-On-A-Shoestring Rankings" have begun

My wife has informed me that the blog should be renamed "Hamlin Hoopla." Hopefully, I can begin to rectify this sad state of affairs.

Our finances have forced the masculine member of this family to curtail his consumption of barley-based alcoholic beverages. However, dire times though they may be, they have not yet forced the apocalyptic last call. (Note: in reality, there will be no apocalyptic last call, as we will be sitting around the Lord's table, drinking the most complex wine (for the first time for Jesus since the Last Supper). But for effect, I will continue...) Beer's great advantage over wine is cost. However, back in Blacksburg, I had become spoiled. Free beer tastings every Friday had enabled me to enjoy the finest of domestic and imported liquid cuisine while making the salary of a student. Here in Alabama, a supposedly conservative government has taxed alcohol nearly back to Prohibition, while also banning the best of beer from the state altogether (alcohol percentage cap). There has had to become a beer-imbibing strategy of sorts. I have begun to work my way up the cost/quality ladder of beer. Knowing full well that Bud/Miller/Coors would not get me up the first step of this ladder, I began with the next cheapest beer I could find. Wal-Mart sells Yuengling Black and Tan for $5.34 /six pack. I began there. I will admit being disappointed. I remember having one bottle that I really enjoyed, but on most days, the beer barely tasted. For the last two weeks, I have been sipping on Michelob's Amber Bock ($5.84/six pack at Wal-Mart). I would rate this beer equal to Yuengling Black & Tan in terms of quality, and I prefer the Black & Tan genre to that of the Amber Bock. For the price, both are ok, and if times become more desperate I may have to revert back. For now, however this is my ranking. For beer enthusiasts on a shoestring, keep an eye out, as this blog will be carrying a live updated ranking complete with prices in the upcoming months.

I sure miss the old days...

Anna Ruth Loves to Walk

This past Saturday was a beautiful, crisp fall day. I dressed Anna Ruth in her overalls and we went outside to walk around. Anna Ruth loves to walk with someone holding her hands. She thinks she's actually walking, and so gets very excited. So we decided to get some footage of this for y'all who aren't here to witness these milestones. Some other new developments are that she waves, points, says "Dada", "Mama", "baby", and "Bye-bye". She also has started pulling up, but is still perfecting that one. Tune in later for more footage as we catch it all on video.

Make your memories last

For all of those readers who are into scrapbooking like me, I have added something to the blog to foster ideas and give helpful tips on scrapbooking. It will be updated every day with a tip, and you can click on it for more information. For those of you who haven't gotten into it, here's in hopes that it will spark some interest in this very fun and also very practical hobby. So scroll on down to the bottom of the page and check it out...HAPPY SCRAPBOOKING!

The Woot* Scoot

Anna Ruth has begun scooting, and it's just so funny that I wanted to catch it on video. Here she is this morning trying to grab a hanger and eventually, the camera. Enjoy!
*By the way, for those of you who don't know, our pet name for Anna Ruth is "Woot". It started with Rich calling her "cutie wootie", and then that got shortened to "cute woot", which then led to just plain "woot". Just thought I'd explain so you weren't puzzling over the title.