The Darbys: I'm Goin' Down South

Still running behind and still playing catch up from the summer . . . story of my procrastinating life. We are leaving the big, busy city for a trip to the South in a few days, and I think we owe a few people a visit. It's so very difficult to leave this gorgeous town in the fall -- especially the breathtaking yellow tree that is staring at me from outside my window -- but it's a trip the Darbys are very excited to take.

Just last night we were watching Bama whoop up on our beloved Ole Miss Rebels in the local "Ole Miss bar" along with other alumni when the guy next to us asked if we loved growing up in a small town. And all of us immediately answered, "I wouldn't trade it for the world," literally in unison. Both my husband and I grew up in the country with very large families, but we've chosen to raise our own children in a much different environment. We love the city and all it has to offer our family, but every now and then I crave wide open spaces, getting a wave from every car that passes, and cornbread and fried vegetables. I miss hearing little girls add about 3 extra syllables to every word and seeing grown men with potbellies in overalls and real trucker caps -- not the kind one can buy at American Apparel.

So we're leaving this fancy city in a few days to spend time with Poppaw and Bebe and Top and Shug and silly cousins. I plan to talk a little slower and hopefully get rid of any nasal-y sounds my four-year-old might be getting in her vocabulary. I will fall asleep at night in a room that has no light shining in it except that from the moon and no sounds except for the crickets and frogs outside the window. I may eat deep-fried vegetables but know they probably came from one of our parents' gardens. I will run into people at the grocery store who can remember a time that I wore bows in my hair and who may call me by my sister's name. I will try to not be impatient when the guy at the gas station takes way too long on the customer in front of me because he needs to hear about the winning touchdown at Friday night's football game. I will try to not roll my eyes when I see cars sloppily parallel parked on the wrong side of the street. I will bite my tongue when someone makes a statement about how they don't understand how I could live in such a big city "up north." Most of all, I will LOVE that my children get to walk in my footsteps for just a few days and run on the same soil where I once ran.

Whew, I must need to dust because my eyes are a bit misty. Anyway, it will be a fantastic trip of seeing old friends and sweet family and even catching the Rebels play some football. AND Clint and I will also sneak away to northern California BY OURSELVES for some golf and wine -- yes, ma'am, I am SO excited!

Like I said, we owe some folks a trip since they were kind enough to visit us over the summer.

Just some shots of the fam in Chi-town . . .

We never, ever have any fun. Not at all.

No back yards at our place in Chi-town, but the roof is pretty cool.

I don't know what they were doing, but I kind of want to frame all of these.

Sneaky, sneaky boys.

Yes, all the girls in my family have the "Nixon squint." Oh, and that pretty one on the left just went to the state finals in golf as a FRESHMAN! Wowzers!

This one makes me tear up a ~~little~~ lot.

Another mom and I were watching our sons attempt to sneak away from us to jump in a mud puddle at the park recently, and she winked and said, "He isn't happy unless he's being bad." I kind of love that about a boy.

Who says you can't go to the beach in the Midwest?

At one of my favorite Chicago restaurants Smith and Wollensky for my mom's 39th birthday! Or something like that . . .

Millenium Park is so, so awesome.

My kids are impressed by absolutely everything their cousin Nick does.

Movies in the park with Coco!

"Wah -hoooooo!!!!!"

Million Dollar Quartet is an absolute must for anyone who lived in the days of Sun Studios and Sam Phillips. I think I enjoyed it even more than my dad :)