Where are we now?


View Where are we now? in a larger map Jo, Annie, Miles and I are living in Northport, Alabama and working at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. We've been glad to be in one place for a bit after what appeared to be semi-permanently traveling (in actuality for a period of 2.5 years).We started this blog to catalogue some of the adventures when Jo and I were sequentially conducting our dissertation research in India and Brazil. While we've fallen off the blogging bandwagon somewhat during recent trips to Brazil, we're trying to pick it up again now that we're back in India!


Monday, January 30, 2012

RVing in the New Year

(note: these blog posts are pretty short on text as I have one arm in a sling post-surgery)

This holiday season was particularly memorable as it was Annie's first time in an RV!


We thought we'd escape the insanity of Las Vegas for New Years, so we went to Valley of Fire state park, which is about 2 hours out of Las Vegas; chosen because it was close enough that we could escape if it turned into a disaster!



This place is crazy!

We had all wondered how Annie and the older members of the Meek family would do, sharing such a small space together, but the answer was....it was a blast!!!




So much of a blast that this little one got tuckered out!


This blog post will just illustrate some of the snugly moments:













Wonderful meals with amazing scenery





Toasting the New Year with lucky cabbage!





and just being so happy to have the time together



of course, bluegrass in the backwoods




and just smiles all around!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Christmas in Las Vegas

While in Las Vegas we got the chance to celebrate Christmas a second time. While everyone had came up with very thoughtful presents for each other, the best present was family time together...with the newest member of the family.






Even Moksha wanted in on the snuggles!


Jon and Gita came up with a great gift for Bubby: "girl-themed" scrap booking supplies


Jon's students had come up with a sweatshirt design inspired by his amazing mustache; Dave and Jim were lucky enough to get their own from Santa!





Dave and Grandma Gail worked non-stop on a civil-war themed quilt for Jim and Rita. It is a log-cabin design, used along the underground railroad to denote a place of respite. Quite fitting for a set of loving and always helpful grandparents!





Saturday, January 28, 2012

Annie goes to Las Vegas!


After a wonderful Christmas with the extended Weaver clan we left on a snowy day, Annie's first snowy day!!!, for Las Vegas.


First snow!

For those who don't know, Jon, my brother, and Gita, his wonderful wife are living in Las Vegas as Gita completes medical school.  It was very exciting to arrive at the airport, because it was the first time Annie got to meet her Uncle "Stache"



Meeting Uncle Stash






I want to play!!!



Uncle Stache, you're crazy!




But you're also very sweet


and meeting Aunt Gita





So much cuteness


And it might have just been a few weeks, but Bubby needed to get her kisses in too!



Kisses in the afternoon


Kisses in the afternoon 2


Bubby, Mommy, say I'll have your hair, so give me some now!



Even Aunt dog Moksha wants in on the kisses





The meeting of the hands


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Getting Together

The holidays at our families houses are always a time for reconnecting with friends. This year it was particularly fun because we got a chance to introduce our friends to Annie and vice versa. Not surprisingly, it was also a chance for our friends to introduce us to their beautiful and amazing new children. We had a little get-together at Jo's parents with Leslie, Joe and family and Jennifer, Warren and crew. With three babies of all about the same age it was quite a lot of fun!











Saturday, January 14, 2012

Holidays: 2) Christmas in Indiana

Following our whirlwind trip visit to Delaware and D.C., we packed up the car and headed our for the 12 hour drive to Bloomington to enjoy Christmas with the extended Weaver family. The drive itself wasn't too bad, minus an hour long screaming episode from Annie (who could blame her? we really wanted to be out of the car by that point also).

Greeting us over the next week were such wonderful family times that driving in the pouring rain with a screaming infant seemed like a distant nightmare. In particular, with Annie, it was a Christmas of "first", including:


Snuggling with Annie in front of the tree


From Christmas in IN
Putting the star on
From Christmas in IN


From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN
Quinn meeting Annie for the first time

From Christmas in IN
which quickly evolved into Annie's first ballroom dance

First Christmas dinner:

From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN


Cute outfits galore!

From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN
Everyone should have their name embroidered on their bum

From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN
Why her wrist tastes so good I'll never know.


And fun times with presents; some of the more photographable moments below:

From Christmas in IN
Frolicking in a handmade sweater from Great Aunt Jean

From Christmas in IN

Exploring, with a little befuddlement, her first musical instrument, a baby banjo, courtesy of the Shafer family


From Christmas in IN
And her father stealing it, a harbinger of things to come...

From Christmas in IN
Dave Weaver gets ear candles...and is also quite befuddled



From Christmas in IN
Grandma Gail showing Annie her "baby's first Christmas" ornament

From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN
Petunia assesses whether Annie is friend or foe


From Christmas in IN
Fun bath time

From Christmas in IN
Flying muffin time!

And Annie's first trip to the lake to visit Paul and Suzy's house

From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN

From Christmas in IN



 It was a memorable Christmas for sure!