Wonderful Visit

Last week we had the best time visiting Neal, Lindsay and our nephews in Nashville. Adam's mom, Lynn, was so sweet to buy our plane tickets so the three of us could go visit. It was awesome. It had been a really long time since all of us had been together for a , and I am so thankful we were able to make more memories. My nephews are the most loving, sweet, smart and funny kids I know. I am so proud to be their aunt! Some of my favorites highlights...

• Hearing the boys ask for their Uncle Adam. It melted my heart every time I heard it!
• Reading time with Sam or Gabe. I loved the questions, the pointing at pictures, the little head on my shoulder, so sweet!
• Lots of time with my sis-in-law, Lindsay, who is one of my dearest friends. We have been going through the Bible study Believing God, and I have cherished doing that with her every week over the phone. Since I was in town, we were able to sneak away for a couple of hours and talk in person about our study over some good coffee...I am so grateful for her friendship! The Lord has taught me so many things through her.
• Watching my husband build all sorts of things with the boys. He loved every minute.
• Seeing the beautiful lights at the Opryland Hotel. They were incredible!
• Sliding down the slides at Pump It Up with the boys. What a hoot.
• Going to Lindsay's shower and celebrating precious Luke...praying for him and meeting all of her friends. That was so much fun.
• Waking up to the sounds of laughter as the boys played in the morning. I don't think I could ever get tired of that!
• Admiring Lynn as she played with the boys every minute of every day. Non-stop! I don't know how she did it...her love for them is precious.

We were so sad when we left...I actually teared up on the way to the airport. God has richly blessed us through our wonderful family, and I am thankful. Here are some pics...(and there are even more on Lindsay's blog)

My beautiful sister-in-law at Luke's shower

Reading with Sam



Jumping around at Pump It Up

Uncle Adam and Gabe

Uncle Adam building with Sam

Opening presents

Decorating the Tree

We had a wonderful time decorating the tree with Adam's mom this year. She gave us a beautiful 7 foot tree that we love! The three of us drank spiced tea, ate popcorn, listened to our favorite Christmas music and laughed together. Ahhh, I just love Christmas decor in the house!

Christmas Getting To Know You...

Lindsay posted this questionnaire on her blog and I loved it.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? definitely wrapping paper

2. Real tree or Artificial? Because of allergies we go artificial, but I LOVE the smell of the real tree. Sometimes I will get a little evergreen plant to just get the smell.

3. When do you put up the tree? Different times every year. The Christmas production at church really dictates that one, because the Sunday after Thanksgiving we begin nightly rehearsals for two weeks. This year we actually got it up the first weekend in December, but last year it wasn't until mid-December.

4. When do you take the tree down the tree? Also varies...I wish we could keep it up until February, but it usually comes down the first week of the new year.

5. Do you like egg nog? Not a big fan. But I love flavored lattes from Starbucks this time of year...gingerbread, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Definitely my guitar my sophomore year in highschool. Still playing it!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, I'm thinking it will be a good b-day gift idea for next year.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My brother-in-law and brother.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Amanda and my mom.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? mail

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Yikes, I guess stuff I can't use? I don't know, that's a hard one. (I stole Lindsay's answer on this one!)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Carol, the old Rudolph (from the 50's?), Elf.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? no

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Spiced tea, pecan sandies (also made by my mom).

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear

16. Favorite Christmas song? It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, O Come O Come Emmanuel, Oh Holy Night

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Adam leads the music at our church Christmas Eve service, so we are always home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We typically travel around those dates as we are able. Right now we are in Nashville visiting our nephews and Neal and Lindsay!

18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers? "You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Doner and Blitzen...but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all...Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open one on Christmas Eve, usually pj's and then the rest on Christmas morning.

20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The busy schedule

21. Favorite ornament theme or color? Any of my ornaments with memories.

22. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? My mama's sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top.

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want a sewing machine, new camera lens, fun moisturizer for my face, quality alone time with my sweetie...the list goes on...

24. Who is most likely to respond to this? Hmmm...I'm thinking Kim?

25. Who is least likely to respond to this? I never answer this one, like Carly/Lindsay said, I don't like to set up someone to be an under-achiever!

Now it's your turn!

Mattress Weekends...

...are a favorite tradition at our house. We started them a few years ago as a way to "escape" from the busy schedule we keep and still stay in the budget. Adam and I realized that while we couldn't financially afford to get away to a hotel every few months, we could camp out in our living room and ignore the phones for a few days. We tried it one weekend and were hooked! We came up with the name "mattress weekends," and now our families and even close friends know that means we are "out of town," so to speak. It is awesome! Adam pulls the guest bedroom mattress out into our living room and we camp out. We do everything on the mattress--eat meals, play games, watch too much t.v., rent movies, stay up way too late, sleep in and eat our favorite snack/junk foods (may I suggest Grands Cinnabon cinnamon rolls with buttercream icing?!? They are incredible and have become staple on a Saturday morning during a mattress weekend!) It is amazing how just waking up in a different room makes it feel special. Kind of like making tents in the living room when you were a kid and then your parents letting you sleep in them overnight...did anyone else do that?

A couple of weeks ago I was having a particularly difficult day and had wept to Adam about it. I got home from a late-night rehearsal to find the mattress in the living room on a Tuesday! We had a Mattress Week, and it was so much fun. Adam knew just what I needed to get my mind off of things. We have been asked what we will do when we have kids--will mattress weekends end? Heck no! When our kids are old enough, they'll just join in on the fun!

Well enough talk, I have one more night to enjoy the mattress before we put it up for voice lessons tomorrow. I'm off to make some hot chocolate and find something good to watch!

So Thankful...

I'm sitting here next to my precious, exhausted (and sleeping) husband thanking God for random blessings this week. I had 3 large glasses of mango tea at dinner tonight and can't sleep. Some things I am thankful for...

• Free time with my sweetie to sleep in, stay in our pj's and snuggle all day. Love it.
  
• New friends (shout out to Kim and Eric) that we feel like we have known forever. What a blessing to laugh, cry, and challenge each other in our walk with the Lord.
  
• My trip last week with Amanda in New York City--more on that later with pics. :)
• Living near family and doing everyday things together. I know that I should cherish this time, because since we are in the ministry we must remain open to a nomadic lifestyle. I knew I would enjoy being close to them, but had no idea how much I would love it. I savor the little things like my mom inviting me over for lunch, or our families watching and worshiping as my husband leads the music at our church.
  
• Mattress weekends (um, again, more on that later).
• Chocolate. I'm finding that the older I get, the more I crave it...
  
• The smell of fall. Even in Houston, we have it. Kind of spicy mixed with a humid, musky smell from the wet leaves on the ground. In an odd sort of way it is comforting.
• Long baths with a good magazine.
  
• Deep, long talks with my husband after a hard day at work. I love to hear his heart, to be his confidant, his safe place. I am so thankful for his work ethic and desire to serve the Lord...his relationship with Jesus pours into everything, at work and at home. I am honored to be his wife.
• E-mail and blogs that keep me in touch with friends far away. Too cool!
• Samples at HEB and Costco. I get so tired when I shop, and those samples just perk me right up, not mention inspire new meal ideas!!
  
• An amazing BSF study at mu church and also a Beth Moore study I am doing with my sis-in-law. God is teaching me so much about His character, and I am loving Him more each day. What a gift we have in Jesus! He is my security and sufficiency, and God is continually revealing to me that this life is not about me...it's about Him; making Him known, loving Him more.
  
• My precious nephews that we get to see and love on in a month! Can't wait. And we get one more in just 2 months (Lindsay, can you believe it is only 2 months away??)
  

Ok, I'm off to get ready for bed. What are some things you are thankful for?

What a Day...

My friend Margaret and I had a blast yesterday at our local Costco. I have been debating over whether to renew a Sam's membership or try Costco out for a change...she has definitely switched me over, at least for this year. Anyways, check our her blog--she wrote about our ridiculousness yesterday, complete with pictures, of course!

Packers Game Traditions

We love them. We rarely dabble in the Packers traditions, due to the fact that we have regular cable (good old 12 channels!), not satellite, and therefore miss most of the Packers games. But not tonight! Much to our joy and anticipation, we found out the other day that WE could watch the PACKERS in our home together! Oh, the elation.

One of the first times I went over to Adam's house (Adam and I were just friends at that point, he was still living with his parents) we watched a Packers game. I remember Lynn, his mom, making Cincinnati Chili, everyone wore Packers shirts (Adam let me borrow one), donned their cheese hats and we had a blast. So, tonight when I got home from church (a full day today, up at 5 and home at 7!) I decided to surprise Adam with his favorite winter chili. It is simmering right now, and he should be home within the hour, in time to catch at least half of the game...I'm off to make sure his Packers shirt is clean and ready. Go Packers! And thank you for broadcasting on regular T.V.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attention Prayer Warriors...Another Baby In Need Of Prayer

Seems that my blogs lately concern the yet-to-be-born or a newborn in need of prayer. Praise God, Luke, our nephew who will make his appearance this winter, is doing much better. You can read the details on Lindsay's blog. We thank God for the positive prognosis!!

But my cousin Jenny is in need of prayer. She delivered a 9 pound, 14 oz. baby boy yesterday. He's a whopper! And yes, it was most definitely by c-section, thank the Lord. However, due to some serious breathing problems, Sawyer (LOVE that name!) is in ICU, and as of this afternoon, Jenny had yet to even see him. It sounds like he will be in the hospital for at least the next 2 weeks. Please pray for Jenny as she recovers, continues to mother her 4 year old, Gabby, and for little Sawyer as his lungs learn to breathe on their own. Her husband Jason is a great source of support, but because the hospital is an hour and a half away from their home, I know it will be difficult for him to juggle this situation with work. Jenny is a woman of great faith; following a two year bout with infertility, she miraculously concieved after doctors told her their was literally no hope. Sawyer is their precious miracle, and we all rejoice in seeing God's plan come to pass. Now if we can just get them home!! Thanks for praying...

Prayer Needed...

Please check out my sister-in-law Lindsay's blog and be praying for this sweet family. This has been a difficult year for them, and much prayer is needed for peace in their lives and the health of our newest nephew (at 21 weeks), sweet baby Luke.

Birthday Week

A little over a week ago we had a blast celebrating Adam's 27th birthday all week long. Since we live in town with family, b-days consist of multiple dinners throughout the week, and we love it! I love having any excuse to spoil my honey. This year it was extra special because Adam's grandmother and aunt came into town. She took us to a delicious steakhouse, Perry's, and we spent the entire day catching up with them. What a great gift! My brother Jeff also came into town, so we celebrated Jeff, Adam and my dad's birthday all together after church. On his actual birthday day, we had some dear friends over for pizza and cake. I decorated our kitchen really cheesy (complete with balloons and confetti) and surprised him with a cookie cake. Low-keyed and wonderful. Here are some pics...

With the family at Perry's

The waiter preparing our Bananas Foster table side. YUM!

Spending time with my one and only (and favorite, I might add) brother Jeff.

It is never boring and I love it!

Our at-home b-day celebration!


Nick and Alia

Nick and Alia are dear friends of ours that we were thrilled to spend time with. Alia and I met while at SMU and became fast friends. She was maid of honor in my wedding, and I was in hers. We have so many memories together...singing late at night in our dorm rooms, sharing fajitas at Pappasitos (a real treat for starving freshman!), meeting the loves of our lives and encouraging each other through each season of life. She is a wonderful musician (violin and singing), an incredible songwriter, and amazing friend. We never imagined we would end up in the same city, yet here we are, and it is wonderful! Nick is one of the happiest, sweetest people we know, and the two of them together are just incredible. We love you guys! It was great to kick back and relax together.

Kim and Eric

Kim and Eric are wonderful new friends of ours. We met them in the middle of the summer and love them already. We were at a Sunday School social for the first time (it has taken me 3 years to get up the courage to go to SS on my own, and now I am loving it! Adam can't go b/c he is always in the church service), and on our way home Adam told me he had a great conversation with a guy named Eric. I told him I had met Eric's wife and LOVED her. We were so excited to find a couple where we both enjoyed time with them, and were thrilled to find out that Eric and Kim wanted to get to know us better, too. (We laugh and think that making new couple friends is kind of like dating. You know...did they have fun? Do you think they will call us? I hope they liked us like we liked them! Haha!) Anyways, this couple has a contagious joy and love for the Lord. They are so much fun to be with, and even like the Target lady from SNL (Yes! It's a match!) Thank you, Lord for new, dear friends!

It was so special to join our seasoned friends with our new ones and celebrate together. We were so refreshed from that evening! Ok, back to pics...

Blowing out (ok, trying to blow out) the trick candles. Took him at least 3 times, heehee!

A cheesy message for my musician...

Adam's thank you for the cake. Apparently it went over well! :)

Looking forward to MANY more years, honey! I love you!

Why Not?

So last night we were sitting in church and I got a huge craving for cherry pie. Since it is Adam's favorite pie as well as mine, I felt justified in making one at 8:30 when I got home. I'm so used to being in the mind-set of cutting out fun, random things b/c of my schedule at work, that it took me a while to realize there really was no reason I couldn't go ahead and bake late at night! I LOVE working part-time! Anyways, I made the pie and we indulged ourselves (a 'la mode, of course) around 10:30 last night. Why not?

New Job

Well, I'm still waiting for my student, so I thought I would post again about the latest in our lives. Besides my shift from full-time employment to part-time, Adam's job has changed quite a bit in the last month as well. My husband is a music pastor, and his title is "Associate Minister/Pastor of Music," which means he works alongside our head music minister, Dick, and also leads the youth choirs/worship at our church. Since our church membership averages around 10,000, his work load has been pretty full for the last 3 years. In June we had a bit of a surprise. Dick's wife, Dot, has been sick for many years, and her health has unfortunately continued to decline. In light of needing to be there for his wife, Dick announced that he would be leaving our church for a 6 month sabbatical. Adam would take over most of Dick's responsibilities in his absence, effective August 1st. We were extremely overwhelmed at first; so grateful that Dick was doing the right thing to take care of his precious wife, but SO sad that we would lose our incredible leader for a while. Dick has been more than a boss to Adam; he and Dot have truly been like family to us for the last 3 years. We came here because Adam was so excited to be mentored by such a joyful, godly man, and have treasured every minute! Since Dick left, Adam has been leading the main worship every Sunday, directing the adult choir, sitting in on senior staff meetings, and also maintaining all his previous responsibilities as an associate. It has been a crazy ride, and we are still adjusting to the new demands, but thankful that we are here for this time. I am humbled when I see how God prepared us for this...6 months ago we began to pray about whether or not I should return to teach at school, and both of us lacked a peace about it. I was terribly sad at the thought of quitting my job, but it just seemed like the right thing to do. Wow, are we thankful that was the decision we made! I am so glad I can be flexible with Adam's schedule and be an available wife to him right now. I am still teaching, but I am able to be free on his days off and determine my own schedule. He can work nights or weekends if he has to in order to make it through this time, and I can help him through it. God prepared us to face the next 6 months together. Thank you, Lord! I'll try to post some pics sometime of Adam leading our choir or something, just to give a glimpse into where we are the majority of the time! Give me a couple of Sundays and then I'll post them...

Thunderstorms...

I am waiting for my next voice student to arrive for her lesson and it is POURING outside. My last student brought all 3 of her kids with her, and it started raining during her lesson. Since she was without an umbrella I escorted them one by one to their car and got soaked in the process. I guess I would prefer rain to heat at this point, but we have had so many severe storms lately! Better go dry off before my next lesson...

Lazy Day

Today has been the laziest day we have had in a while. Adam took the day off (the church gives them a free day off for their birthday, yeah!) and we didn't do a thing all day long. Last night we were at church, and a sweet lady stopped me to ask how she could pray for us right now. I told her we needed prayer for rest, b/c Adam has not had a day off for the last three weeks. He has been so busy, working on both of his days off every week. I am so proud of him, but a little worried, too! Anyways, God answered her prayers...we woke up at 11:00, ate breakfast and went straight to our big chair and a half in our pjs. It is now 6:00, that is, 6:00 p.m., and I just brushed my hair for the first time! (Poor Adam, I didn't think about what he was having to look at all day, ha!) We are actually going to go work out for a little bit, and then rent a movie and sit on the couch again...ah, what a wonderful day!

Tag!

I've been tagged by Lindsay! Here is some life changing info about me...

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

8 Random Facts or Habits about me:

1. My name is Laura and I love love love to cook. I also love to eat, so I guess those two hobbies go well together! I've noticed that I tend to bake when I'm sad and cook when I'm stressed. Both bring me great joy!

2. My favorite person in the world is my husband, Adam. He makes me laugh, cry, sing, think hard and also relax...all at just the right time. I thank God every day that I get to share my life with my best friend.

3. I am an aspiring song writer. Key word: aspiring. I tend to write campy, jingly songs most of the time, but I am inspired by great song writers of our time, such as Nicole Nordman, Bono from U2, and of course, my husband. :)

4. I take a bath almost every night. It is my down time and therapy for the day! I'll read a magazine or just lay back and take a short nap, with either bath salts or bubbles. The lights have to be off, with just a low lamp on. It is kind of a ritual, but I love it! I get really sad when we are out of town and I can't have my baths...I know, that is kind of ridiculous. Can you imagine how hard dorm life in college was for 3 years? No bath tubs there...

5. Lately my new hobby is working out, if you can call that a hobby. My favorite is the elliptical, but I also bike and treadmill. I am amazed at how much more energy I have, and I sleep better, too! Not to mention the pants go on a bit easier. :)

6. I am a creature of habit. As mentioned before about baths, I have a nightly routine, morning routine, a method to a lot of things I do. I also enjoy being spontaneous, but I think due to our busy schedule at the church, I enjoy the few things I can keep the same every day!

7. I am a crazy dog lover, I just can't have dogs since Adam is highly allergic. I am blessed to live near my parents and their dog who I grew up with, so I am able to go get some "Ginger-lovin'" fairly often and fill my need for a pup!

8. I love fresh sheets on my bed...the smell, the feel...I heard Oprah say once that she has new sheets everyday, and I fought jealousy over that! Every day? What a treat! I literally smile as I fall into a fresh set.

Ok, now all my blogger friends to the right are tagged! Go!

Perspective

Well, it has been a while since a post. We have been in recovery from our travels and finally getting back in the swing of things.
Last week I got to go visit hospitals with Adam during the day. Once or twice a month he will go make hospital calls, visiting members of the church (or sometimes non-members) that are ill or just had surgery. Since he is part of a large staff, they take turns going and make sure people are visited a few times a week. Anyway, he invited me to go, and I was excited to join him. He has done this for 3 years now, and I've always wondered what it was like. Wow, did it shake me and change my perspective!
Our first visit was with a lady, Jan, who just had brain surgery. Jan had back pain for 2 years that numerous MRIs and tests could not diagnose. She was told that she was imagining it, she needed to exercise more, try a chiropractor...but the pain worsened and continued...then in July, she visited a new doctor who ordered a scan of her brain, and within 3 days was rushed in for major brain surgery (from which she was told she might not wake up). Wow. Turns out she had a large tumor at the top of her spinal cord that was pinching and pushing, causing severe pain. We spent almost an hour talking with her, and I was reminded of how quickly life can change. One day it was just back pain, the next, a life-threatening tumor. She is now in rehab to regain movement on the left side of her body, and has an incredible outlook. Her main prayer request was for God to be glorified through her situation. Perspective.
Next we moved on to visit Rebekah. She was not a church member; in fact, she is not even from this city. Rebekah was in town and while here found out she needed surgery. Without friends or family near, she called our church for support. When we arrived she was not in her room--she was already in for her procedure. I can't even imagine having to go in for a big surgery, much less go without any family supporting me and waiting for me to come out. I also can't fathom being so alone, looking up a church in the phone book and calling for support. But I am so impressed and glad that she did that. We left her a note and prayed for her. She is still in ICU. More perspective.
Our day ended in the NICU. I was looking forward to this more than any other, because it involved a friend of ours, a fellow choir member named Carmen, and her preemie son, Tyler. When she was about 4 months into her pregnancy, Carmen found out that she was lacking amniotic fluid and that Tyler's stomach was not developing properly. Her doctor told her that most often this ends in death of the baby, but that there was a risky procedure they could perform to try to save him. Carmen went forward with the procedure and refused any suggestion of aborting. We all gathered around her on a Wednesday night at church and prayed. It was successful! Yet Tyler is still not out of the woods. He was born 6 weeks early, still has stomach issues (a surgery will be performed later to take care of that) and is unable to breathe on his own. Determined to breastfeed, Carmen goes to the milk bank and pumps every 3 hours (obviously I know nothing about this, but apparently pumping is a bit harsher than regular feeding, and this is her first time to do this--talk about tender!). I told her she is amazing for doing that. Anyway, I was struck in a deeper way than ever before that life is truly a miracle. I think I have taken for granted the healthy births my friends and family have had... I thanked God for my precious nephews and for the many babies born to my friends lately. I prayed for our future children, and I asked God to take care of little Tyler. Another child in the same situation as him died a week earlier. Life is fragile, and God is in control. I needed that reminder, and, well, perspective.

HOME AGAIN!!!!!!

I am so happy to be back home for good! My bed has never looked so comfortable, nor has my house every smelled this good. Don't you love the smell of your own house? It is so comforting. Anyways, July has been a crazy, busy month for us! One of our dreams since we got married has been to fill our summers with leading worship at camps. Adam and I met by singing in a band together, and leading others to worship God is our passion. Anyways, this summer we were able to live out that dream, and for that we are so grateful! We led worship for two different camps and also had some of our dearest friends come visit in between (more on that later). Our first camp was during the first week of July in good 'ol Lueders, TX. It was fun and completely exhausting at the same time, but that means it was a great camp! We returned home for a week and Chris and Amanda came into town. Then we left again last week for another camp in Alvin, TX and returned today. Actually, only I returned today. Adam left straight from Alvin to go to our high school mission trip in New Orleans. My poor, tired husband! He is my hero. I am so thankful for the way he relies on God's strength, not his own. And I never hear a complaint! My original plan was to go on mission trip with him, but with our busy schedule and friends still in town, I decided to return home. He will get back Wednesday and hit the ground running with his ever-changing job (more on that later, too. Sorry, I'm just too wiped to write about it now!) We had another camp planned for the end of the month, but due to Adam's changes at work, we had to cancel it. :( I have to say though, it really is nice to be home for good...here are some pics of what we LOVE to do more than anything!!!!

Lueders, TX
With Liz, the camp director (and our fun friend!)

Alvin, TX (this past week)

Our little worshipers :)

New Blog!

I am excited to announce that my sister-in-law, Lindsay, has officially joined the blog world! Now you can see even more pics of our adorable nephews! Check out her blog via the link at the right...

Weekend in Waco: Babies Everywhere!!

Last Thursday we were finally able to make it to Waco to see Kelly and her new baby, Patriot. We still hadn't seen Nicki and Tristan, or Amanda and Gracie, and in less than 24 hours we were able to see all three moms and all three babies! Everyone was so great to find time in their schedule to fit us in, especially when it was so last minute. We had a blast spending the night with Josh and Kelly...she is such an amazing mom, and wow, what a journey in parenthood they have had already! Patriot was 4 and 1/2 weeks early and in and out of the hospital a couple of times before they were able to settle in at home (their new home, by the way, that they had yet to move into. Kelly went into labor after signing the papers on their new house!) I can't imagine that...recovering from a surprise labor and delivery, and then not even settling in at home until a week later. But no complaints from Josh and Kel! They just went along for the ride and gave God all the glory. Patriot was just precious, and Kelly was so sweet to let me hold him after EVERY feeding. I was in heaven holding him, and stayed up with her until 2 a.m. Thursday night just talking and laughing at the precious things Patriot does. Ok, enough babbling, here are some pics from the 24-hour trip...I was especially touched at how much Adam enjoyed holding him, too!

Beautiful new mom, Kelly and Patriot

Sweet baby Patriot

Nicki and Tristan (I LOVE how much these two look alike! So precious!)




Handsome Tristan




Amanda and Gracie


Adam snuggling with Patriot



Me snuggling with Patriot (these were my favorite moments, I have to admit!)

There was a common thread I saw amongst all of the young mothers--all of them were radiantly beautiful. I mean striking. Motherhood fits them...they all seemed to have blossomed into this new season of their lives, with beautiful babies in their arms. Whether staying up all night constantly feeding their child (shout out to Kel here:), tending to their baby while dad is out of town (Amanda, way to go!) or stopping by in the midst of errands, working out and seeing Grammy (Nicki, I still can't believe how great you looked first thing in the morning running around! How do you do it? With a 4 month old?!?!), they all looked incredible and joyful to be moms. It was so special to see them and to see their little ones!

Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

Friday, June 22nd we celebrated our 5-year anniversary. I can't believe we have been married half of a decade! Crazy! This year we decided to make it extra special, and we both did some fun things for each other. Here's a tour of the weekend, complete with pics...(some of them are fuzzy or blurry b/c I had to take a pic of a pic with my camera--no scanner in our house!)

It all started with the Anniversary cake. If you have been reading our blog, you have probably figured out by now that we are foodies. I love to cook, and we love to eat! We LOVED our wedding cake--it was made by a woman who makes all of her cakes in her home, and they are incredible. So, every year since we have been back here, I order a sample cake (a small 2-layer 6 incher) for our anniversary and we eat it all week long. Adam especially loves it, since his favorite cake is white-on-white. The cute thing is, even though I do this for him every year, he still forgets, so it is always a surprise!


Friday we left for downtown to stay in the hotel we stayed in the first day we were married, the Four Seasons. I remember walking into the room on our wedding day, and they had a plate full of goodies on which they had written "Congratulations!" This time we walked in, and they had this waiting for us...

I loved that is said "Happy Anniversary"...I take such joy in the fact that we have such a beautiful history together now, and we can look back on all of our memories as a married couple.

But I'm getting off topic...after we checked in and I ate a ton of this chocolate, we went and had dinner at Brennen's, a nice New Orleans style restaurant.

Some of my favorite things about the hotel were the fact that they turned down your bed for you in the evening, and the HUGE breakfast they bring to your room (once again, food...I know, it is kind of sad!) I loved the breakfast so much that Adam took a pic of me eating it 5 years ago, and we had to take a pic of me eating it now...it was just as delicious!

Then...

Now...

Funny how my hair is fixed and I look awake in the first pic, but 5 years later I look like I couldn't care less. How things change in 5 years!

In the lobby of the hotel with my sweetie

We also got our fill of movies...we saw Oceans 13 on Friday, and watched Spiderman 3 in the Imax theatre on Saturday. We rarely go to movies in the theatres, so we went all out for a double feature.

I am so thankful for the gift of marriage, and grateful for God's grace in giving us these 5 years. Who knows what He has in store for the next 5, but if they are anything like the last, what a blessing that will be!

We also saw my bubba (brother, Jeff) this weekend, and I will post pics of our visit soon!

Father's Day and A Piece of Pie

First, let me start with a story about the pie. Last Father's Day I made my dad his favorite pie--Lemon Meringue. It was a Paula Deen recipe and it tasted great...but it came apart as I served it and formed puddles of yellow on everyone's plates. Not very appetizing. My dad said it was the best pie he had ever had and thanked me over and over again...one of the many reasons I adore my father. Anyways, this year I thought I would give it another shot, and voila! It worked! I used a recipe from The Joy Of Cooking (an incredible cook book I highly recommend) and it actually set up! Adam took a pic of it because he knew how excited I was. My dad, once again, said it was the best pie he had ever had. I'm convinced he would have said that if it was burnt, tasteless or soupy again...but I'll say again, one of the many reasons I love him! Pics from our time with my fam last weekend...

Digging into the pie!


Snuggling with Dad





My beautiful, wonderful Mom

My adorable hub! (I just had to throw one in there of Adam!)

I love celebrating Father's Day, because it is such a great excuse to make a fuss over my dad. He is one of the most selfless and caring people I know. Some of the reasons I am crazy about my father...

• He loves Jesus with all his heart and partnered with my mom in raising us in the the Truth.
• He adores my mother, and she adores him. They share an incredible love and connection with each other, grounded in Jesus. They still hold hands in church, sneak a kiss in the kitchen, and enjoy just having fun together...I am so thankful for their example of commitment and love.
• He was the perfect dad of a little girl...he always reminded me that he loved me, and complimented me often. I am thankful that he made me feel so special, even at times when I absolutely hated the way I looked. (Can we say junior high? Amen?!?!)
• He is one of the quietest people I know, but not without a purpose. He is always observing and taking things in...and at just the right moment, he will say something insightful or funny.
• He is a snuggler. Some of my best memories with my dad are spent sitting on the couch, just holding his hand. When I was little, I had MAJOR fears of monsters in the closet, and he would sleep with me until I fell asleep. Most of the time he fell asleep first!
• He is a great example of a godly man. I have him to thank for the husband I have today, if that makes sense. Because of my dad's example, I knew it was possible to have a man who loved God and would be faithful to his family. And God brought Adam into my life!
• He can do a stinkin' awesome impression of Bullwinkle! Hey, Rocky...

Dad, my list could go on forever. You are truly amazing, and I thank God for all you are in my life. I love you!

Weekend With The Fam

A couple of weekends ago Adam's brother, Neal and his family came and visited us. We had a blast! Our two nephews could not be more precious...Sam is 4 and a half, and Gabe is 2. Here's some pics of our time with them...

Here we are playing the guitar and drum with Gabe at our house. He loved playing the instruments!

Pool time at Mimi's!

The brothers

The sisters (in-law)

We had a great time with them and were sad to see them go. Since they live in Nashville, we usually see them twice a year, and we always have a blast! It was especially fun having them stay with us for the first time...I loved waking up in the morning to the sound of my precious nephews. They have the sweetest little voices! I also had a great time with my sister-in-law, Lindsay. I'm so thankful for her friendship...we are so similar in our styles and even in many ways our personalities, but just enough different to click. It is so easy to be around her...she is such an encourager and fun person to be with. It's funny with how different the guys are, and yet they picked two girls who are very similar. I guess they just have great taste, heehee!