A new discovery...Etsy.com

As you may have noticed (or not) on the side of our blog I have a link to Etsy.com. It is a website created for people to sell their handmade products...everything from jewelry (my fav) to cupcakes to art. A person could spend hours on here looking at everything....and I did on Saturday morning when I had to give the ACT at school. I was bored out of my mind thinking about all those poor kids who were actually thinking...and thinking hard....and their I was...surfing Etsy. I registered so I can keep track of all of my favorite sellers. Here are a few you might want to check out:
Sticksandstonesga
ERMoriginals
SAEE

The best part about it is that everything on there (that I have liked) is VERY reasonably priced and it seems like a great place to get Christmas gifts...especially for someone who has everything. You should check it out!

Introducing the newest member of our family....Jack Pratt!

Yes, we took the plunge and got a dog!! We've really been wanting one for a long time and Saturday night we drove to White Pine to see two puppies that were left from a litter. When we called the lady said she had a white male and yellow male left from a litter. I instantly thought I would prefer the white one...but as soon as we saw his cute yellow face with his crooked smile and deformed tail, we knew!! We had to have the yellow lab puppy! He's so sweet and he is slowly getting use to his new home.

We left the house and Andrew was ready to get him right then! Me, being the voice of reason, said, "No, let's wait and see how we feel tomorrow morning". The first thing I though about when I woke up on Sunday was Jack. I told Andrew this and was bothering him all day long about going to get it. He played it off and told me that we couldn't get him yet. I thought this was strange since, just the day before, he wanted it. Andrew told me he was going to play poker up at Holston Hills and he would be back in a couple of hours. I went to workout and thought about the dog the entire time. I thought, in the back of my mind, I hope he is really going to get the dog. Well, when he got home, no dog. I was disappointed when he walked in and was empty handed.

The Lady Vols were coming over for their Christmas party that evening, so I was busy getting food ready and cleaning up. The doorbell rang at 5:30 and I told Andrew to go and answer it. I assumed one of the girls had arrived early. Andrew called me to the door and said, "You will never believe who is here!" It never crossed my mind that it was Jack! There he was, with Luis, Judy, Lexy, and Maya, waiting for me! Andrew did suprise me!! The dog was in the garage the whole time!!

Needless to say, he has kept us very busy these last few days and nights! He is just a puppy - 8 weeks old- born October 5! He loves his toy that Joanne bought him and he loves old t-shirts he can chew on. He also loves to play out in the yard and we are looking forward to training him to fetch a ball.

I will keep you posted on all his progress...and ours!!

Baby Natalia

Over Thanksgiving, Andrew and I got to meet the newest member of the family, Natalia! She is so small and sweet! Natalia is Andrew's cousins Threasa and Ceasar's first born! I hope I have all these names spelled right!! If not, I'm sorry! Here's a picture with the three of us!

Our House at Christmastime

We've started to put up a few Christmas decorations around the house. The best part is putting them up and enjoying them for as long as possible (that's why we put them up so early this year). The worst part is taking them down and wondering...why did I put all this up? Each year I seem to collect more and more decorations (thanks Mom!). We hung our wreaths up outside already since we won't be here for Thanksgiving...we did it Saturday morning when it was about 20 degrees outside! Along with some Christmas deco pics, there are some pics below of our new bead board work that we had done is our guest bedroom and bathroom last spring. We also had crown molding put in our master (I don't think there are any pics of that).

"NOEL" in our formal living room

My favorite Santa pillow!

Our sideways tree! I can't figure out how to flip it

Our mantle with our new stockings that we'll have forever!

I thought this looked "Ski Lodgee"?? Its at the bottom of the stairs

Our guest bathroom and our new beadboard

Our guest bedroom and our new beadboard and our new chocolate brown paint!

November's here....and has been for a while!

This semester has gone by too fast! I can't believe it's already November. Only 25 more school days left 'til Christmas break...I can't wait! At the same time, I like the classes that I am teaching this semester, so I am hoping to get good students next year too! Andrew's fall season is over and he has been busy working in the office learning the ropes from Judi.

November has proven to be a busy month for both Andrew and I. He traveled to Florida for his last tournament and then I left for Nashville on a school trip with my club, DECA. Andrew leaves again next week to recruit...then later in the month, we are headed west to visit all our family in Memphis! Whew! It's been a while since we've been there are we are really excited to go and see everyone!

I can't wait to decorate for Christmas (my favorite holiday!) so I am thinking about getting started this weekend. I know...it's too early, but I figure, we arent' going to be here for Thanksgiving anyway, so I might as well go ahead and do it!

Well, that's the latest update (no pics this time...sorry) but as soon as we decorate, I will post some pics of that on here. Love to all!

Golf.....and more!

Okay, I know I have neglected my blog for the past month...but here are few highlights...The Lady Vol's golf team had their home tournament early in October at Fox Den. They also had their first ever reunion for all the current and former team members....it was a Pratt Pavillion on campus (we wish we were related..haha). The facility (where the men's and women's bb teams practice) is amazing!! Andrew's parents, Bob and Maureen, came to visit and to watch the team play. It was great to have them in...even thought they couldn't stay long. We are excited to go to Memphis over Thanksgiving this year to see all our friends a family there!! It's been almost a year since we've been!!

I have been on fall break this past week and it's been amazing...a much needed break! Not too much longer and Christmas will be here!

Andrew's best friend from college, Ian, is starting is first q-school next week.....keep him in your thoughts!! He's going to do great!! We miss having Ian and Carrie so close and can't wait to visit them in Texas.


Here's a group photo from the reunion dinner

Andrew in his office at Stokely

Hippo Water Rollers

The club I sponsor at school, DECA (An Association of Marketing students) participates in service projects throughout the semester. In the past, we have helped raise money for organizations including St. Jude's and JDRF. As a small project this year, we are going to purchase a Hippo Water Roller (http://www.hipporoller.org/). They are only $100 and it enables citizens of under-developed countries to obtain clean drinking water easier. Could you imagine walking 5 or more miles a day, just to get clean water?! (I'm not talking about our standards of clean, either.) And then, carrying the 5-gallon bucket on top of your head as you make the trek back to your home. The Hippo Roller enables you to transport 24 gallons of water with much greater ease. You too can purchase a roller! Check out their website mentioned above. I believe this is one very small way we can help many people who are much less fortunate than we are! We are so very blessed!

Transporting water without a Hippo Roller

See how much easier and more efficient this is?

Nelson Mandela with several Hippo Rollers

Welcome to the family, Becky!

Over Labor Day weekend, my cousin Adam got married to a great girl, Becky Doebler, in Snowshoe, WV. If you've never been to Snowshoe, you have to go. It's amazingly beautiful..I can't wait to go back when's there is snow on the ground! Andrew and I had a great time..here are few pics from the weekend.

The view from the top (they got married at the bottom-down by the lake)

The way down to the wedding

Nice Andrew! This was going to be a Christmas card! haha!

Andrew found a mini version of himself!

Cousin's Emily and Adam dancing!

Bart, Dad, SB

They're married!!!

Mandy, Cousin Todd, Cousin Sarah, Cousin Brett

Coach Pratt..Go Lady Vols!!

For those of you who don't already know, Andrew became the UT Lady Vols assistant golf coach in August. I am so proud of him! He's been working really hard the last few weeks...there first tournament in this coming weekend in Charleston! So now I won't be a chronic refresher on pgatour.com...I'll be on golfstat.com to keep up with how the team is playing. You can check out the team and their progress at utladyvols.com.

Also, thanks to all those who sent emails, texts, and calls about the shooting at Central. Things are getting back to normal there (despite the presence of extra security). I didn't see the shooting, but many of my students did, so keep them and our entire school in your prayers.

Part II....Finally!

Well, I am a slacker...actually, I just started back to work so I've been a little busy. No more being a stay at home mom with no kids! Some of you have been requesting Part II, so here it is....more highlights of The Fitton's adventure to East Tennessee!

Dinner at The Kelson's
Hangin' out at Norris Lake..the best! Thanks Aunt Ann and Uncle Wally! and Julie- the best cousin ever!

Simon and Andrew on the tubes -fun times

The gang at the Brewery...we ran into Bart and Griffin...Simon spotted them! You should have been there...Bart was giving free tours.

At WASABI!! Lucy had never seen anything like it!

Okay, so the ONE and ONLY thing Simon Fitton wanted to do while he was here was go to the batting cages...so that's where we went! It was hilarious! This is his first time batting..ever..and he's like 28??

We had to go to Cades Cove...Lucy and Simon were up for it when they found out we might see a bear..which we didn't, but we tried! (Smokies in the background...aren't they beautiful!)

Simon and Lucy come to America! Part I

Simon and Lucy have finally arrived!! They are from Oundle, England...Simon and Andrew played college golf together at UT and we met Lucy (finally!) last year when we went to England. We were anxiously awaiting there arrival (Lucy's first trip to the states)...and we got lucky and they caught an earlier flight here! We wanted to give Lucy a good taste of East Tennessee, which is hard to do in only a week. It's part of our plan to get them to move here for good! Here are a few highlights:

Of course, we had to take them to The Barrel!

Campus Tour

We found all there names (Ian , Simon and Andrew) on the Letterman's Wall of Fame on Campus! Pretty neat stuff!

Visiting Coach Kelson at the Men's Golf Office