The Dowdy House: Oh Happy Day!!

Thank you to all of you who participated in my snow rituals...those who wore their snow PJ's and snowflake necklaces, said their snow prayers, and danced their snow dance....HAPPY SNOW DAY!!! and you know what's BETTER than me on a snow day, spending time with my boy....me on a snow day, spending time with my boy and my hubby...you guessed it...even Chris was off today!!!! OHHH HAPPY DAY!!! and even you internets get to reap the benefits of my productive snow day...I can finally catch up on some posts!!!

This past Sunday was my nephew Dylan's 9 birthday...can you believe he is 9! I feel like it was just yesterday I was holding him in the hospital....no wait...hold the phone....that is NOT how the story went!!! And Amy Jo and I feel it our duty as annoying aunts to remind that energetic nephew of ours what we were REALLY doing the night he was born. The story goes a little something like this...

Dylan was the first grandson so needless to say we were ALL a little excited to get the call from Laura that she was in labor. She was living in Charleston, SC at the time so it was imperative that we hit the road as soon as possible once receiving the go ahead phone call! We had it all worked out...if I were at school (I was a senior in high school), mom would pick me up, and then we would head down 220 to pick Amy Jo up at Ferrum, and then book it down to SC!! So when the office intercom came on in my first period Biology class, dismissing me for the rest of the day, I turned to TTH (Thelma T. Haynesworth...AKA the best teacher EVER), and yelled I'm going to be an AUNT!!!!! I shoved my five star notebook into my leather bottom Jansport in 5.2 seconds and was out the door!! We hit the road immediately (bags were already packed), quickly picked up AJ, and off we went, giddy as school girls....UNTIL...somewhere in central NC when we noticed it had started snowing...hard! What was wrong with this picture..we WERE traveling south?? But we had us a baby to see and we were persistent!! However the transportation system of NC was not! Apparently since it never snows in the area we were in they had NO way to clear the roads, and since they had no way to clear the roads they simply shut them down. NO way through them...NO way back out...we were STRANDED...in a...are you ready for this...TRUCK STOP!! The English girls and about 10 other truckers were told we wouldn't be able to leave until the next day and to set up camp!! Apparently the NC transportation department also believed the MAJO van was a Winnebago. Needless to say, we were SO disappointed! As I was working on homework in the truckstop with Bubba (guys I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried...his name was really Bubba, and he honest to goodness was helping me with my math) we got the call that Dylan Michael was here and healthy!!! The truckers took good care of us, they gave us their extra blankets, filled up the van for us, and kept us entertained with their endless stories!!! The next morning they told us the roads south were still in bad shape so we had to head back to Roanoke without seeing our nephew:(:( Mom and Amy got to see him later that week and Laura surprised me at school with Dylan a few weeks later!! It all worked out in the end, and besides...I don't feel bad posting pictures like these of him...

Here is Dylan rocking my high school graduation hat!!!

The cutest little ring bearer EVER!!!!!

Dylan also shares a birthday with my dear friend from high school Jessica!!! Jessica is that friend who WILL NEVER miss a birthday and always has the "new scoop" when we call to catch up!!! Ironically she now lives in Charleston, SC!! She is ALWAYS so thoughtful and I always can't wait for her to come in so we can catch up and talk forever!!! And because I can I will now torture "Clem" with pictures!!! (PS I could have really tortured her by scanning in the numerous pics of our Halloween costumes...all I have to say is "Spice Girls" or Airfest pictures...AKA her, Jen, and I completely thinking we were Destiny's Child but I decided to be kind!!!)