It's Asa Time in Tennessee!

Most people in our hometown were celebrating the first football game of the season yesterday with the classic cry of, "It's football time in Tennessee!" WE, however, had a different cheer... "it's Asa time in Tennessee!" Asa had a day of many firsts yesterday, including his first trip to Tennessee.

That first including a couple others: his FIRST road trip, his FIRST time out of Gainesville, out of Florida, into Georgia, and into Tennessee, his FIRST time having his singing frog toy on his carseat (2 thumbs up!), his FIRST time having a full meal from a bottle (he actually did that 3 times yesterday), and his FIRST time meeting Uncle Brad, Auntie Joy, and his cuzzies sister and brother (not to mention his FIRST time seeing Gpa since he was a week old!). It was GREAT!

Asa was amazing in the car. We prayed and prayed it would go smoothly but knew sometimes babies just get tired of the carseat. I fed him at 5:45, then we loaded the car and hit the road. He went back to sleep and I fed him at 9:00 with a bottle I had pumped. Then he had a normal awake time playing with toys in his seat before drifting off for a normal nap. I was blown away! The next time he at (around 11:30 I think), we stopped for lunch and I fed him. Then it was back on the road with him continuing to stay on his schedule and Matt and I both amazed and soooo thankful it was going so smoothly. Poor Matt probably got tired of all the driving he did and of listening to Asa's vacuum cd during each nap :), but he was a champ! For me, sitting in the back following along with Asa's eating, waking, and sleeping cycles really broke up the trip for me and made it pass so quickly. We got to Dad and Mom's around 10 hours after we left (it often takes us 9 hours, so that was not bad at all!) our house. Gma had a big sign that said, "Welcome to TN, Asa! We love you!" hanging from the garage! Gpa was excited to finally hold Asa again. And just a little while later that Asa got to meet an uncle and aunt and cousins for the first time! Auntie Joy held him with the kids watched and played and talked to Asa. Yesterday morning the first thing sister said to Auntie Joy was, "Mommy, can you hardly wait to meet Asa today?!" And Joy said brother was so excited when they pulled up that he was shaking! Such sweet cuzzies. :)

We all had a yummy, dairy-free dinner together. :) Asa was TIRED from his big day and went down to sleep well. Gma got to give him the last bottle I had pumped :), and he slept until about 1. I even got to shower! At 1 he woke with gas, but once I fed him at 2:00, he was able to push it out and slept through til his next feeding at 6:30, and then slept through til I woke him at 9 to eat and get ready for church!

This morning we got to worship at CSPC for the first time in almost 2 years. It was WONDERFUL. I LOVE SOOO many things about our church in Gainesville. It is a place where God meets His people, and we are so thankful for it. But CSPC feels like coming home and it is amazing to be surrounded by literally hundreds of people all worshiping together. A taste of Heaven for sure. :) Asa got to meet lots of Gpa and Gma's friends before the service, and then he met Paige and Mike right before the service in the sanctuary. Then Mimi joined us in the pew so he got to meet one of his 2 great grandmothers! We are going to take a 4 generations picture with Mimi, Gma, Mommy, and Asa this weekend. :) Asa did great during the worship songs, but it was kind of funny to watch him. Worship at CSPC is a bit louder than at CCC... hundreds more people plus the worship band includes drums and lots of guitars, piano, sometimes pipe organ, etc. He would start to drift off (it was nap time), and then his eyes would peep back open during the chorus of the first couple songs as everyone sang louder. :) Worship was wonderful though, and he made it until just before the sermon sound asleep (probably the relative quiet, as opposed to during the songs, woke him). He had about 15 minutes til he would eat again, so Gpa walked him around. Then I fed him in the nursing room--and met someone there. That is a funny story. :) He got to meet Kris on our way to the nursing room. :) He was done just as the service ended and got to meet Tom, Matt's old Bible study leader. THEN he got to meet Alan! Unfortunately, Nate was home sick. :-( But we loved getting to introduce Asa to Alan (who officiated our wedding). We have been waiting for that introduction! Matt got some fun pictures of Asa with Alan (stay tuned) and we laughed over his insistance that Asa should be baptized by HIM at CSPC. We are so thankful Asa is LOVED by so many people!

Church was followed by a delicious lunch of Buddy's Barbecue with the family and Asa's cuzzies playing and reading. :) We are so thankful for this visit and the chance for all 3 of us to soak up time with family. Tonight we are planning to play games with Brad and Joy, and tomorrow we are celebrating Gma's birthday (it's really on Tuesday). Hip Hip Hooray for her special day! :)

That catches you up with us so far. We should have lots of pictures when we get back and more stories to tell. :) And I am sure we will STILL be praising God for the smooth trip up to TN!