i scream you scream. we all scream for ice cream (and other food for thought)

My family is obsessed with ice cream. Always have been. We have a Mayfield following and everyone has a favorite. Jennifer's favorite is Mint Chocolate Chip. Suzi salivates over Chocolate Marshmallow and I am partial to Extreme Moose Tracks. Dad and Mom love everything in between. As I have mentioned before. If you want to be a Campbell you HAVE to love ice cream.

I understand that not everyone in the nation has the opportunity to finish a bowl of Mayfield's ice cream. It is a regional favorite. The Mayfield Dairy Farm is in Athens, Tennessee approximately 45 minutes from Chattanooga. We would love Mayfield Ice Cream no matter what vicinity it decided to occupy in the U.S. , but are very proud it is station so close to home. We also hold it close to our hearts. Mayfield Ice Cream saved my daddy's life. . .

Our family farm has not always been the most gentle to its caretakers. Almost twenty years ago a tractor flipped and the result was the loss of our Granddaddy's life. A couple years later our own father was also in a tractor accident. Coupled with several other severe ailments our father's bicep had been ripped off. Literally. Graphs from his leg were taken to resurface the area. He spent weeks in an oxidation tank in hopes that the body would accept the limb once again. After many prayers Dad had a full recovery. It was thought that he would not be able to fully use his right arm again, but odds were proven wrong. While we attribute all glory to God, we do like to joke that Mayfields saved our dad's life. With all the mangling that went on with the flipped tractor there were no broken bones. The calcium from the surplus of ingested ice cream had so strengthened his skeletal system that not one snapped.

So as you can see, we love ice cream for a multitude of reasons. This ideology has been incorporated in my "new" immediate family lifestyle. Jimmy has also developed a passion for the creamy cold substance. Last year when Mayfield (marketing geniuses) had an election for their newest flavor, Jimmy campaigned for Blueberry Pie Ice Cream (the end winner) by giving a persuasion speech in his Toastmasters club. So it has been explained that we adore ice cream and Mayfields, BUT since pregnancy the devotion has deviated to Ben and Jerry's. During pregnancy at least semi-weekly I would partake in Ben and Jerry's Half Baked. That is a pint (yes, I would eat a full pint) full of yummy goodness. Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Creams with Fudge Brownies & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Need I say more.

Now to the present. Okay, one more tangent. Jimmy does our weekly grocery shopping. Every Sunday night you can find him walking the aisles. Yes, I gave up my grocery shopping privileges months ago when I would get snagged by every marketing strategy out there. I should know better I have the degree, but that possibly makes it worse. I want to "reward" a company for its marketing perfection by placing its newest consumer product in my grocery cart. Unbeknownst to them I was saying congratulations to a job well done and then upon arriving home saying, "But, Jimmy, look at that packaging. Pure. Genius." So now Ada and I wait patiently at home knowing there is a surprise in the near future. This week even Jimmy could not say no to the newly packaged 99 cent cup of sweet goodness.


Jimmy is so sweet. Two for me and one for him. His intentions, not mine. So while we devoured ice cream, Ada had her first round of non cereal "solids". Peas. Why chose the repulsive (in my opinion) mush of green? My thinking was that if we introduce the nastiest first then for Ada's taste buds it is only up from there. Once she decides something else tastes better there may not be any turning back to what I like to call liquid hulk (peas). So far the strategy has worked, though in baby land eating ones words does come more often then expected. Here is a little, okay, a very long (5 minute) "clip" of Ada's first bites. MelDust-Jimmy obviously loved the bib :)



Lastly, with an email invite titled "a proposed lunch date bc life will be changing very fast very soon" 5 girls accepted an invitation to Southern Star. One girl had a baby 4 months ago, two due in July, one in September, a four month old and a partridge in a pear tree. So with one preggo hoping for a spicy wrap to bring on labor a nice lunch outing came to a completion. One down. Three to go.

Kristi (July), Melissa (hopefully any moment-her desire and mine too), Katie (September) and Ada. Sorry, Kristi, I guess your hand was up after all. I guess I was focused on the little pale munchkin in the direct sunlight.

Are these not three of the cutest pregnant bellies you have ever seen. You girls could be maternity models. We missed our Nashvillian girls Becca and Jessica.