the boy and the Braves...

On Tuesday I went to Milledgeville to be with Lauren for her ultrasound.
She is currently 16 weeks. We knew it was a possibility that she would
find out the sex of the baby, but the possibility became a reality.
Let me just say that the ultrasound was probably one of the
coolest things I have ever seen.
It was mostly cool because it was Lauren, and baby Brown.

And wow, let me just praise the Lord for baby Brown's life.

I am so thankful that God has blessed my very best friend with a baby boy.

And wow, isn't it just amazing how God forms us in our mother's womb.

How can people not believe in God?

For example, Baby Brown's humerus is now 8 mm long.
Get a load of that craziness!
I was so excited to see a glimpse of Lauren and Chris' sweet little one.
I can't wait to welcome him into the world.
(I get to be in the delivery room as well!)

Lauren asked the sonographer if she could tell what it was

and she said "I think I saw "it'"!!!
Sure enough, with some maneuvering of the probe we saw his little boy parts.

And Lauren said "I knew it".

All this time I have been thinking it was a girl (most people have).
In fact, Lauren told me there were only three people who guessed she would have a boy.
She thought it was a girl too... until Tuesday afternoon when I got to her house.
I asked her if she was excited about maybe finding out.
And she said "Yeah, and it's a boy...It's a boy...I just know it".

And she was right.

I am so happy that I was able to be a part of such a special day! I really can't wait till he gets here. Only 24 more weeks!

................................

Alan and I went to the Braves game on Wednesday night!
They ended up losing, but it was still fun!

And I have a prayer request that I really can't give any details about.

So if you could...pray...God knows.
It's big!

Well, we are off to Tennesee for the weekend!
So ready for a little vacation.
Shopping, hiking, eating, putt-putting, and go-carting!

Have a great weekend!
Gotta go finish packing!

it's a

BOY!!!

More details to come!

making memories of us...

I just added some new songs to my playlist
to the right. One of them is really special to me.

Making Memories of Us.
by Keith Urban.

Alan had me listen to this song
a few weeks before our wedding.
We were sitting in my car, in front of his
house. He told me that this could be our song.
Oh gracious...it is so sweet.
I gotta go find the lyrics to post here.

I'm gonna be here for you baby
And I'll be a man of my own word
Speak the language in a voice that you have never heard

I wanna sleep with you forever
And I wanna die in your arms
In a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm

(Chorus:)And I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I'll earn your trust making memories of us

I wanna honor your mother
And I wanna learn from your paw
I wanna steal your attention like a bad outlaw

And I wanna stand out in a crowd for you
A man among men
I wanna make your world better than it's ever been

We'll follow the rainbow
Wherever the four winds blow
And there'll be a new day
Comin' your way

I'm gonna be here for you from now on
This you know somehow
You've been stretched to the limits but it's alright now
And I'm gonna make you a promise
If there's life after this
I'm gonna be there to meet you with a warm, wet kiss

And I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I'll earn your trust makin' memories of us

I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I'll win your trust makin memories of us

We ended up using this song during the slideshow
that played before our wedding.

And here he is...my sweet hubby!

4.13.08: fishing with Boo...

We had a great visit with Mom and Dad.

Hated to see them go...

ready for them to come back again...

there just isn't enough time to do everything we want to do.

today...

I scored these awesome ornaments at Goodwill.
I also got around 50 other antique ornaments in a huge
bag for $5.41!

So excited!

And I took this picture of our little home.
It's too sweet, if you ask me!

Mom and Dad are almost here!

I gotta go make cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning!

Lexi's dresss...

Here is my first ever sewing project.
Really completed.
Lexi got it in the mail yesterday for her 3rd Birthday!

I just thought I would share!

Mom and Dad are coming today! :)
I'm off work! :)
And I've got some stuff to get done...
so I'm gonna run!

May 21, 2005...

In case you weren't there...here is a little taste of our day!

edited on http://www.picnik.com/.

imagine my surprise...

when Alan and I walked into an estate sale this morning

and I saw these...

27 antique ornaments.

Imagine my surprise when I realized they were only 10 cents a piece.

How many more months till December...?

wow...

and now the dogwood blooms. cropped and edited.

pictures...

while Alan fished this afternoon

I took pictures of whatever I could find.

(these are raw unedited photos straight off of the camera (sooc).)

Shout to the Lord...

on American Idol...for real?

They sang it so well...one of my favorite songs!

Do they know the meaning of their words?

a few of my favorite things...

Brown Sugar Bear...

it prevents your brown sugar from

drying out and turning into a brick. :)

If you don't have one, you need one.

I got mine at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Purpose Cleansing Wash...

This stuff works great.

Doesn't dry out your skin and doesn't

burn when it gets in your eyes.

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

So great for clean-up anytime, anywhere.

Love'em and use'em daily.

Fabuloso. My friend Libby introduced this to me when we were roommates in college. It's fabulous. Seriously.
You should try it.
What are a few of your favorite things?

decorating cupcakes...

Some of you (Elizabeth H.) were wondering...

I very easily decorated my cupcakes with the help
of these little decorator bottles by Pampered Chef.

I love a cupcake...
especially a cute or beautiful one
that tastes equally as good as it looks.
This blog has tons of ideas.

And I read on another blog I visit frequently
that this book is full of great ideas.

And the recipe I used...
is out of my Southern Living but I found it online.

So have fun! Make cupcakes!
I can always find a reason to celebrate!

I'll be back later...
Hollie

celebrate...

(and these are the cupcakes I just finished icing.

It is so beautiful...i had to take a picture.)

1. Today is Tuesday.

2. Anderson, the little handsome man of my friend Laura,

turned 1 today!

3. I made cupcakes tonight.

4. I'm going to an ultrasound with Lauren in 2 weeks.

(She will be 16 weeks at that time).

5. And most importantly...

Lauren and Chris decided to find out what

they are having!!!

Yippee!!!

Now, I am off to bed (if I can fall asleep from

all the sugar I just consumed).

Night.

flowers...

Alan had flowers sitting on the kitchen counter
on Thursday evening when I got home from work.
Beautiful red gerber daisies and orange roses.
So blessed to have him as my sweetie!

Today, Taylor is 10! I was in 10th grade when he was born.
I vivedly remember the day.
Maggie and I had piano lessons.
Mom was in Alabama with Paige.
When we got out of piano lessons, Dad told us he was here.
6:21pm.
9 # 5 oz.
A beautiful baby boy.
My first nephew.
I got to meet him in May when we moved to GA.
He is still so handsome.
So grown-up.
Happy Birthday Taylor!

Well, it's back to work tomorrow!
And back to the gym.
Done with week 8. Feelin' great!
(I know that rhymes, I can't help it!)

Don't you just love that Joy Williams song
that's on my music player.
We should live our lives that way, ya know!

night. night.

dreary day today...

we're at home.

it's dark and gray outside.

i'm in my p.j.'s.

i'm unmotivated to do anything.

i'm on call.

alan is on the couch. asleep.

i love lazy saturday's.

the main hallway in the cath lab @ ARMC. my workplace.

monday...

just got home from the gym.
i seriously had to make myself go.
but now, i am so glad i did.
ellipitical for 30 minutes.
treadmill (walk/jogging) for 15.
my goal is to start running on the treadmill.
i would love to be one of those people that
can run....and run...and run... (like Brionne).

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday!
Happy Birthday Ms. Beth!

oh, and this is random...
did you know that Sonic has a happy hour from 2-4pm and
you can get drinks half off?
if you have never had a Sonic Diet Coke with Vanilla
run to your nearest Sonic to try one!
They are yummy!
Alan is hooked as well!

I am really appreciative of Alan.
He got my oil changed today.
He took my car to get the transmission serviced.
He pays the bills.
He takes out the trash.
He takes care of me.
He makes his own appointments.
He calls me just to say he loves me!
I was talking with a co-worker of mine,
and she was telling me about the stress her husband
adds to her life. I just can't imagine that!
Alan is a stress-reliever in more ways that one. ;)
So thankful that God has allowed me to do life with him!

And Mondays...they just stink sometimes.
But I am so thankful for my job (most days).
Attitude really is everything.
While I don't share the same morals
as most of my co-workers, we can laugh and have a good time.

And now a bit on more and less...
I have been trying to live with less.

Less trips to Hobby Lobby...
Less trips to Target...
Less trips to the vending machine for D.C...
Less eating out...
Less wasting time...
Less wasteful spending...
Less traveling...

I have been doing this for several reasons...
things are costing more (gas, groceries, D.C.).
i have been wasting lots of time.
i have been wasting lots of money.

God calls us to be faithful stewards of our (His) money,
but also our time too.

I have just felt convicted about being so wasteful.

The neat thing is...

I have spent more time at home.
We have spent less money.
We have spent more time together
I have been drinking less D.C. (I'm addicted).
I have been getting so much more done.
I have been going to the gym 6 days a week for 7 weeks.
Taking care of our bodies as they are temples is so important.
And it is something that I have not been taking so seriously.

It's all about balance.
Sometimes I get off balance.
It is a struggle for me because I am an all or nothing person.

How is your balance?
Are you being a faithful steward?

And because I don't like posting without a picture...

a picture of our phone.

Oh how I love talking on it...

peace out.

dixie-doodle...

such a loyal puppy.

She got a micro-chip implanted so we can never lose her.
that's all...

i should never be bored...

yo-yo's. have made one of these. cute.

make lots of yo-yos to make one of these.

fabric covered bucket. want to make one of these. maybe for Baby Brown's nursery?

fabric labels. need to make these for my dresses.

grass. springy-goodness.

fabric covered ponytail holders. you can also make magnets and thumbtacks! these are the same buttons I put on my dresses.

embroidered felt labels. precious.

bitty booties. i'm so making some of these for baby Brown.

pincushions. gotta love these.

if you combine the yo-yo and the fabric covered button you get this.

totally cute lampshades. I tried to talk Libby into making one of these to match Luke's nursery!

night-night!

makeover...

the blog.
new colors.
new music.
new picture. (well, it's in sepia now)
got rid of some stuff.
changed the size of some of the fonts.
created my signature.

and i like it so much better! :)

if only i could add polka dots!

what's been going on...

week 7 at the gym is over. it's going great.

talked to my old bible study leader and friend from
college, Karen, the other night for a while.
so good to be in touch with her still...8 years later!
total sweetheart. so personal. great memory.
and she is so challenging! (Hi Karen!)

i also heard from my friend Lescoe!
i just love hearing from old friends!
(Hi Lescoe!)

i took the day off on Friday.
i got a haircut.
i ate lunch with Alan.
i sewed...almost done with two more dresses.
promised myself i will take off from work more.
life's too short.

Lauren had a doctors appointment on Friday.
Baby Brown is doing well! As are momma and daddy!
Only 27 more weeks!

we bought a new tree for the front of our
house today. i didn't take a picture...
but i will soon.

today we went to r. wood studio.
i loved it.
i love their pottery.
i read about them in Southern Living and also
Mary Englebriet's Home Companion.
I want a piece of their pottery.
one of the brightly colored scalloped platters.

we also drove around the Botanical Gardens.
the weather was a bit unpredictable so we didn't get out
of the car. the daffodils were amazing though.
we are planning to go back soon.

getting ready to celebrate our 3rd anniversary in May!
Alan asked me what i wanted.
he wanted to get me a wrap for my engagement ring, but i
want a new wedding band something like this...

Lexi and crafts...

He loves this little girl...and can you imagine
what it will be like when we have one of our own?

Wreath form, red ribbon, and gold and red ornaments...

details to follow...

Two more dresses in progress... (oops...they were upside down).

longer post tomorrow...I'm tired and ready to go to bed!

look at this fabric...

found this website tonight.

This makes sewing even more fun!

rambling...

totally need to buy the stuff to make some personalized
labels for the clothes I have been sewing...
found a tutorial here.

i love polka dots... i love platters...
i love this polka dot platter!

tomorrow starts week 6 at the gym! Amazing!

Cade turned 7 yesterday!

I love my husband! I love our relationship!

Night!

exhausted...

so, so, so tired today...i can barely keep my eyes open.
there is something about being woken up at 1am and
not getting back home till 4am, that is just not pleasant.

I have worked 22 hours in the past two days...
plus daylights savings...

i'm going to bed...

and this is what I love about spring...and my camera!