Let the Count Down Begin...

We have started counting down...only 3 1/2 months to go before we get to meet Baby Gill! Joe and I are so excited and have really started trying to prepare for her as much as possible. We are beginning to get the nursery ready (a blog to follow) and REALLY talking about names. Joe is very picky and wants her to have the perfect name. I'm picky as well, but I've come to the point where I'm just ready to have a name to call her. People say we have a name and we are secretly keeping it to ourselves, I assure you this is not the case!!

Baby Gill at 20 Weeks

On August 11 Joe and I went for my 20 week appointment. This was the "big one" where they look at Baby Gill's development. She weighed in at 12 oz! She is a little smaller than what they predicted and pushed back how far along I am, but only by a few days.
As of now, Baby Gill is breached and tends to stay in a ball. During ultrasounds she tends to only like to stretch and suck her thumb. In fact, during my 20 week appointment I had to get up and walk around to get her to move. I hope this means she is going to be a calm, laid back baby! My sister did once tell me her most active child during pregnancy is her most active child...I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

The Bump at 23 Weeks

Ok...for all of you who keep asking here it is...the bump! Joe took this of me after church on Sunday so at this point I am actually 23 weeks! I am currently still wearing my normal clothes, except for jeans. I can fit in my jeans just not comfortably so I have been wearing maternity jeans. As for shorts, I can still wear mine just with a belly band. Lately I have just been pairing jeans with flowy tops and it seems to be doing just fine at this point that is. I keep waiting for the day when absolutely nothing in my closet fits, but thanks to some great friends and family they are helping to keep me stocked in maternity clothes.

Play Date

Sweet Bella came over to play on Friday. Joe got Bella when he was in college which explains why she now lives with Mr. Moe and Mrs. Gay. When Bella comes to Fleming she immediately runs over to our house and wants to visit with Sigsbee and Tyson. So on Friday when Bella got to town she came over for a few hours. I have to say that Bella is the sweetest, most well mannered dog I've been around in a long time. She reminds me of my sister's sweet golden retriever, Cason, that she had in college.

Sigsbee was so tired after her play day with Bella. They love to run and chase one another. Sigsbee is much faster than Bella and you can tell she takes great pride in being able to run circles around her. Joe was extra dirty when he came in from work so he let Sigsbee curl up in his lap for a little while.

Old Man Tyson loves to see Bella coming too, but she wears him out! Tyson starts off playing then ends up on the rug (my new rug) relaxing! Tyson has a few years on Sigsbee and Bella and you know what they say, "with age comes wisdom".

I love seeing these three play, but I also love seeing how worn-out they are after playing together. I am constantly trying to convince Mr. Moe and Mrs. Gay to let Bella come live with us, but I believe I'm just going to have to enjoy the play dates!

Let's Go Fishin'

As promised here is the update on Joe's fishing for the 2011 season thus far... Joe usually fishes on his families Onslow Bay, "Moe Money", but this year things were a little different. Since the Barnett's boat was being serviced in south Florida they had agreed to start the season on the Gill's Onslow Bay under the name "Meant 2B" and once the Barnett's Donzi was out of the shop the team would finish the season on the Donzi.

Hard at work! Joe fishes for fun, but it is hard, HOT work!
25th Annual Two Way Sportfishing Club's Kingfish Tournament

The Two Way Tournament started the 2011 season of the Southern Kingfish Association,SKA, for the Georgia Division, Division 4. "Meant 2B" weighed a 25.96 kingfish placing them 2nd in the Open Class (boats 24' and over) and 5th overall for the tournament.

St. Mary's Saltwater Classic

Joe was unable to fish in the St. Mary's tournament due to our cocktail party, but "Meant 2B" weighed in their biggest fish for the regular season. Weighing 40.47,"Meant 2B"won 2nd overall for the tournament and 2nd for the Open Class.

Captain Hap's Kingfish Bash on the Bluff

"Meant 2B" didn't have such good luck at this tournament and didn't weigh in a kingfish, but they did weigh in a dolphin. "Meant 2B" joins the side-pots at the tournaments and at this particular tournament dolphin was a side-pot they had joined. "Meant 2B" was the only boat weighing in a dolphin which meant their 2.2 pound dolphin earned them a little bit of cash!

Sapelo Open King Mackerel Tournament

I don't have any pictures from the Sapelo Tournament, but the tournament was held approximately 3 docks down from the Gill dock which was nice!"Meant 2B" didn't weigh in a fish, but because of the way the SKA point system works "Meant 2B" was still holding strong for their class.

Golden Isles Kingfish Classic

The last tournament of the regular season was a 2day tournament held in St. Simons. Joe was unable to fish Friday because of work, but was able to fish Saturday. The team weighed a 13 pound fish on Friday and hoped for good luck on Saturday. At this point "Meant 2B" needed a mid-twenty pound fish or larger to keep them in the standings. On Saturday, the team weighed a 26.4 pound fish!! This placed "Meant 2B" in first for the Open Class in Division 4 and First for Lady Angler for Division 4.

Southern Kingfish National Championship

So, what does 1st place mean for team "Meant 2B"? It means that "Meant 2B" Joe, Jay and Jack and Melissa Barnett, will be off to Biloxi, Mississippi for the Southern Kingfish National Championship. The tournament will be held November 7-12. Some of you may be thinking what I thought...my husband will be leaving me at home 8 months pregnant!! Not so fast...Joe, being the considerate husband he is, made sure I could make it to Biloxi with him minus the 10 hour road trip . The plan is we will be flying out together to enjoy a few days in Biloxi.

We are very excited about how the 2011 season has turned out for "Meant 2B". Everyone who fishes knows that you are never in it to win it, it's just fun and when you do win it makes it that much more fun! Even though I am so excited about how well they have done and Nationals, I will be glad for us to actually be home and to have Joe home with me on Saturdays.

Where We've Been...Where We're Goin'

We've been on the go this summer. Joe and I rented a place at "the coast" for May, June, and July. Sad to say, we weren't there much on the weekends, but it was fun while it lasted.

At the end of May, Nan rented Eagle Island. Eagle Island is a private island off the Georgia coast, only about 30 miles from Shellman Bluff. While we were there we were able to spend time on the beach, take lots of boat rides, and make some unforgettable memories.

We also headed to Disney World! I'm not sure who loved Disney World more, the kids or the adults. We were only there a few days, but we made the most of our short vacation by getting to the park at 8a.m. and leaving at 1a.m. The kids were such troopers while their parents played!!

Of course, St. George Island was a hit not once, but twice this summer! We have already booked the house for next year...let the count down begin!

Joe and I haven't been able to make it to the lake as much as we would have liked to this summer, but there is always next year!

Chandler on the ski trainer, he is so ready for the big skis!


Sibley's first time on the ski trainer! She woke up Saturday morning and declared she was skiing and she was going first... and that she did!

Gaitz on the big skis! Can you believe it, only 4 and already trying to go outside the wake? He is our little dare devil, he will try anything at least once!

Lanier likes to ski too, but she also loves to swim and ride in the boat. When it comes to skiing she seems to be a lot like me at age 4...she does it, but there are so many other things that catch her attention too.

This trip was exactly what we needed, to RELAX! It's always good to have a weekend where you never have to look at your watch and you don't check your cell phone until you're on your way home Sunday!

We are moving into our house, but still have a lot to do. This is the nursery, but there isn't any furniture! We are planning on using Joe's brass crib and I've been looking for a vintage dresser to use as a changing table. Joe wanted PINK walls for the nursery so that's what he got! This is called "tea party pink" and I love it! In person it is what I would call a vintage pink. And of course, every girl needs a chandelier!

We have an open floor plan. The den, dining room, and kitchen are all one big room which I love! This is looking from the kitchen at the dining room table.

I thought long and hard before I posted any pictures of our house because we still have things to do! I am very much that person that wants everything done at one time, but I figured I could up date the pictures as we make progress. We hope our other sofa will be in at the beginning of September and I'm planning on going rug shopping Thursday!

I have been looking all over for bedside tables and for fabric to have some throw pillows made. Not being from the area really hurts my ability to shop, I seem to go to 5 stores before I find 1 that I like!

Joe is fishing in the Golden Isles Fishing Tournament this weekend so we are headed to St. Simmons Island. This may be our last beach trip for the summer which makes me so sad, I always hate to see summer time go!

Hopefully, we will be making a trip to Manchester soon! I miss being in Manchester and seeing my family and friends, but I also miss going to work everyday at Mountain View! The faculty and students are like none I have ever worked around before. I have gotten text and phone calls from them giving me a play-by-play of the days activities since they started pre-planning. Today was the student's first day back so I hope everyone in Meriwether County had an excellent first day back and I can't wait to hear all about today!!!

St George Island 2011

We are so blessed to be able to spend a week at SGI with our family. This year we rented a beautiful 6 bedroom, 6 1/2 bath home with 3 dens, needless to say, this was the first year we actually felt like there was enough room for all of us. With 21 people it takes a mighty large house to accommodate and please each of us! Yes, you read that correctly, as of now there are 21 of us, it is very difficult for an "outsider" to keep us all straight, but I'll give everyone the run down by family.

-Piper (Nan) and Alan (Bamps): My mother and step-father

-Tanner (brother) Whitney (sister-in-law): 2 kids Lanier (4) Chandler (2)

-Rob (step-brother) Hope(sister-in-law: Carstin (11) Jackson (19 months)

-Tori (sister) Cory (brother-in-law): Gaitz (4) Sibley (2) Render (4months)

-Matt (step-brother) Kacey (sister-in-law): Parker (5) Alania (3)

-Tyre and Joe: Baby Gill on the way (which will make 22)

I know what most of you are thinking, you're kidding right? Or at least that's what I would be thinking! My mother and Alan married almost 16 years ago and they have done a great job of making us all one big family, it is crazy at times but I wouldn't trade it for the world!!

Our favorite restaurant is Papa Joe's, in Apalachicola. The picture of me and Joe was taken on their dock. We try to go out to dinner every other night while we are at the beach, however, this can be difficult, but Papa Joe's is a MUST!

The mornings are spent on the beach, then pool time, lunch, naps, beach, pool, dinner. This is Nan and Bamps with 7 of the 9 grandkids that were there. It's almost impossible to get a picture of everyone!

The kids not only love the beach, but they also love the pool. For them to be so young they are actually pretty good swimmers. I tend to try and stay on "lifeguard duty" with so many little fish in th water.

Joe and I had to leave a day early in order for Joe to be back in time to fish in the Capt Hap's fishing tournament. He loves his fishing and I'm glad for him to go and have a chance to do something he loves so much. I'm going to do a blog with more information on his fishing, but his team is actually doing pretty well!





Then it was time for everyone else to load up and head home. It's always sad leaving SGI, but when we leave the count down is always on for the following year when we can come back and enjoy the "forgotten coast." Each of us feel so blessed our parents are able to give us a time to get away from the real world and relax, so THANK YOU MOM AND AL fo another wonderful trip to SGI!

Back to the Real World

Joe and I are moving into our house this week. We started last week moving furniture and trying to get organized, but we will actually be staying in Fleming starting this week. so look for a blog whenever I get a minute to sit down at the computer. So far our house is looking amazing thanks to the late nights from Mr. Moe, Mrs. Gay, Joe, and all the others it has taken to renovate in 60 days or less.

The Big Suprise!

With cheerful hearts Joe and I are excited to announce we will be welcoming a baby girl in December!

We found out when I was just 4 weeks along, but decided to wait until after the first trimester to tell anyone except our parents and siblings. From the day we found out we were going to be parents Joe just knew it was a baby girl.

At my last doctors appointment I asked my doctor if there was anyway we could have an ultrasound before we left for the beach, of course she said yes. On July 13th Joe and I went for a gender ultrasound. "Baby Gill" (as we refer to her because we haven't decided on a name yet) was sitting "Indian style," but the sweet lady doing the ultrasound was able to get Baby Gill to move and right away she knew it was a girl! As soon as Joe and I were alone the first thing he said to me was,"you know she's going to be a daddy's girl, right?"

Telling GiGi and Captain

After the appointment I called Two Smart Cookies in Savannah and had cookies made. Then, we called Mrs. Gay, GiGi, and Mr. Moe, Captain, and asked them if they would like to have dinner. GiGi set the table with fine china and Joe and I brought steaks. There was no way we would make it through dinner before letting them open the cookies so when we walked in the door I handed them the box and together they opened it to find pink cookies. Both, GiGi and Captain, cried!

To St. George Island for the Reveal

I left on Saturday to go to St. George with my family, Joe wasn't able to come until Wednesday because of work. I had made a promise to him that I wouldn't tell my family without him. On Wednesday afternoon I drove to Apalachicola to pick up cookies with pink icing for the kids. That night, when Joe got to SGI we piled all the kids in our room, gave them a cookie and allowed them to run upstairs and tell the adults "It's a Girl!" They loved being in on the secret before their parents. I was shocked I was able to hold out so long without telling them!

Video to Papa and CiCi

Because we weren't real sure the next time we would be in Manchester to tell my dad and step-mother we decided to send them a video clip. I had Lanier, Chandler, Sibley, and Gaitz on video screaming, "It's a girl!" We were so excited to be able to have the nieces and nephews in on our reveal.

Baby Gill

We have so much to do before Decemeber! We will be finishing our house in the next few weeks and will be moving to Fleming full time. Once we are moved in hopefully I'll have the time to find fabric for the nursery and for us to come up with the perfect name for our sweet girl. We feel so blessed God has chosen us to be this little girl's parents and know he will guide us as parents.

I'm sure I'll be Addicted

For several years I have been following my friends as they blog about "this-and-that" and I've always wanted to blog, but wasn't real sure who or what I would blog about...well now I feel like I officially have something to blog about that people want to read, my life in Fleming and my life as a "Gill".

The Proposal

Joe proposed on Mother's Day 2011. We had spent a fun weekend at the coast with his family and apparently he had been trying to find the right moment to propose all weekend. FINALLY, on Sunday Joe and I were on a boat ride and all alone. He stopped the boat, as I looked around there we were, just the two of us, no other people as far as the eye could see. I never once wondered what he was doing because the conversation about marriage and "if I would marry him" fit the moment. Of course after several minutes of conversation, he got down on his knee, opened the ring box and the rest is history!

The Wedding

My family vacation spot is St. George Island, Florida. My mother was first taken to St. George Island by her father and she has continued the tradition with her own family. Each year we take a week long vacation which is filled with countless memories and stories. When Joe and I started looking for wedding venues we knew we wanted to do it somewhere that holds happy memories for the two of us and a place our kids will grow to know and love , therefore; when the idea of getting married at St. George came up we both knew this was the place for us. The week before the wedding was priceless, both families rented homes on the island and enjoyed a vacation before wedding time! The Gill's had never been to St. George so this gave them the opportunity to fall in love with the "forgotten coast" that my family loves and charishes. Joe and I were not actually married on the island, but in the Methodist Church in Apalachicola, Florida (a small historic town where we go to dinner several times during our annual vacation to SGI) with the reception following at the Owl Cafe`. Everything was exactly what we had imagined from the vacation week to the ceremony to the reception, in our eyes it was PERFECT!

What We are Doing Now

We are renting a house at Shellman Bluff for the summer. We wanted a summer where we could just enjoy the coast away from everything. Of course, Joe has to go to work everyday but he loves coming home to the water. During our stay at Shellman, we have been in the process of remodeling a home for us on the Gill Family Farm. The house was known as the "pool house" because it is situated between the swimming pool and a pond. I had a difficult time convincing Joe to live in the pool house, but I managed! I fell in love with the huge screened in porch on this house and knew it would be perfect for us until we can decide exactly what we want.

More to Come

We are busy the next few weeks...Joe has several fishing tournaments and we will be heading back to SGI for a week with the family. Not to mention, we will be moving into our house at the end of July, thanks to Mr. Moe and his crew, and trying to get to the lake as much as possible between all of our chaos!