You Capture: Friends

Ah, friends. I am much more into quality over quanity when it comes to friends. I have a core group of girlfriends that I just cherish. We are beginning to spread out everywhere, but that's okay, because we have things like Facebook, and Twitter, and Blogging, and IM, and Email, and shall I go on? To keep us in tune with each other.

Yesterday was a much needed day for friends. Isn't it amazing how things can change when you are surrounded by friends and family?

Both my husband and I share a lot of friends. You know, the married couple ones. It's great. [I also have wonderful single friends, just sayin'.] When we go out to dinner together the girls all sit together and chat about baby spit up and wanting to get our hair done, while the men sit and talk about golf and how good their medium-rare steak is.

Here is a picture of some of my husband's close guy friends and of course, totting the kids along at the pool. They were taking the kids down the slide in the backdrop. (from left to right: Zach and his daughter Kierington, Evan and his son Carson, and my husband with Audrey)

You know your friends rock when they eagerly want to give your daughter a bath. Here are two of my closest girlfriends, Susan (left) and Kacie learning all about motherhood.

Then we have mine and my girlfriends fresh pedicures when we were down in South Carolina.

Friends are just lovely.

Be sure to check out other cool friends at You Capture week at I Should Be Folding Laundry!

Life As I Know It.

It's been one of those days. If you know what I am talking about. One of those days where I wish I was anywhere else but where I was. I actually wanted to be at a job. Doing stuff that adults do. Not trying for an hour and a half to put a baby down for a nap. Not slouching over all day long so my baby can get lots of exercise practicing walking around. Not waiting until 1:00pm to even start my day. Not cleaning a toilet while trying to entertain a baby that would not nap.

I wanted to be at a real desk. Wearing real work clothes. And lipstick. And talking on the phone having a real conversation. And feeling like I was accomplishing something.

It was a hard day. I cried. A lot. I felt stressed and overwhelmed and that where-is-my-life-going confusion.

But now the day is done. We had friends over for dinner. Actually, they brought us dinner. We drank some lovely wine. Had good conversation. And the baby went to sleep early.

Now I sit in the stillness. I hear the crickets outside. The hum of our fan in the dining room. And nothing else. It is peaceful. It is where I belong.

I realize I was exactly where I should have been today. Being a mother. A wife. A friend.

9 Months in 9 Months out.

It is amazing what can happen in 9 months. You can grow one giant belly. It even comes with swollen feet, sleepless nights, and numerous requests on the toilet. Or in 9 months you can have your beautiful baby turn into a beautiful baby.


It's hard for me to believe she is already so big. My little Audrey Rose isn't so little anymore. But she is definitely still my baby. She waves and says "iiiieee" (aka "hi"), pulls herself up (favorite places include the bathtub and coffee table), dances, squeals like high-pitch-did-that-really-just-come-out-of-that-baby. LOVES to read books and can even turn the pages herself. [I would like to think that maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was that mom that read to her since she was just a month old. That would be the teacher coming out in me.] Wants to walk everywhere. Which results in my back hurting BAD by the end of the day from walking her around. Thinks crawling is for the birds. Starting to cruise. Loves to play music on her little piano. Eats EVERYTHING in sight. And let me tell you, with just one little tooth and another on the way, her gums can mash anything down. I wonder if she will be in one of those contests one day- like how many hot dogs can you eat in a minute. Because she would probably win. No doubt.

I pretty much love her like no other. These moments are gone. But definitely cherished. And I can't wait for each morning to see what the day brings from my little Audrey Rose.

You Capture: Black and White

If you came over to my house the only things you would see hanging on the wall are lots of black and white photos of friends and family. [Oh wait, actually if you came over right this second you would see nothing on all the walls because of this, but you still get the point, right?] So you can see, I was excited to participate in You Capture this week- black and white. There is something so timeless and classic about a black and white photo. Plus, I think sometimes when you take the color away, you can really focus on the object.

I couldn't help but capture my two favorite people in the world- my husband and baby.

Celebrating 28 years. 28 squiggly candles to blow out on top of his favorite cake, German Chocolate.

Mission: To knock down blocks as quick as possible.

She came and she conquered. And then she sat there with pride. And she was also telling me she was tired after all that hard work. Hence, the ear pulling. That is what she does when she is ready to sleep. It is quite cute.

(side note: adorable vintage blocks came from a garage sale for 25 cents. Score!)

Be sure to check out more black and white photos over at You Should Be Folding Laundry!

Patience is a Virtue.

This whole house process is already driving me crazy and it hasn't even been a week yet since we began. And to think it could take months. Eek! We already had a showing of our home- on the first day it was listed (Monday). So I thoroughly cleaned every room and removed baby toys [in other words, stored them in our Jeep while the house was being shown]. And now I am wondering how many times I am going to have to do that. Everytime I leave the house I make it spotless just in case I get a call and someone wants to see it.

[Dear God, please let our home sell quickly. I know everything is in your perfect timing, but keep in mind how much I am ready to move. Thanks. You're the best.]

I have been looking at our local homefinder website WAY-TO-MUCH. I am kind of obsessed with it. We have found about 7 homes we have been interested in. I have dreamed about some of them. Drooled over them. Went and snooped in the windows. Drawn out how I was going to arrange the furniture. Okay, I didn't go that far, but I have thought about it. Only to find out every single one has been PENDING. I really don't like that word now. At all. I think I am going to take a break looking. [Probably not, but I should, at least I will admit that.]

I know the perfect home will come up right at the perfect time. I just have to be patient. Easy to write, not easy to do.

I am praying a cute, charming bungelow is going to pop up. 3 bedrooms. 2 baths (willing to do only 1 if cute enough- we only have 1 now and manage okay). Fireplace. Garage. Not on a busy road. Close to work. We don't need a big house. Or expensive one. Just one right for our family.

Feel free to pray that too? K. Thanks.

In the meantime, at least I have the most adorable baby to look at ALL-THE-TIME. Ah, love.


Sweet baby girl asleep in only her yellow BumGenius and the blanket we do not go anywhere without. Repeat, I mean anywhere. Look closely and you will see her fingers through the holes. She has been doing that since she was 6 weeks old.

Shoe Fetish.

I think girls are just born with the gene of LOVING shoes. Enough said.

Chaos at it's finest.

I am sitting here typing in the newly arranged very blank living room. Actually, according to this, my house is suppose to look like no one lives here but still inviting and charming. (Really, now how am I suppose to do that?) As of about an hour ago our kitchen is missing a stove [and still has ALL the dust on the floor from it, ahem, not being moved in over 4 years]. An office that has half filled boxes in it. A basement that has so much miscellaneous stuff in it that I don't want to even go down there.

And all this so we can sell.

But don't worry my dining room table is nicely displaying old pictures of my husband and cute plates and dishes ready for tomorrow's big birthday bash. (That's about the only thing ready.)

[That's right, in the middle of trying to get our home ready to sell, I am throwing my husband a birthday party tomorrow.]

Back to the selling. Our home goes on the market on Monday. So I have been packing, "staging" our home, cleaning, and trying to keep a 9 month old happy.

Why are we selling? I know, I know. The first thing you are thinking- the economy is down, don't sell now. Sorry, folks, it's time. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE our home. I mean it is our first home. It is a cute 3 bedroom, 1 bath, country home with a great view from the back deck and a finished basement. [Anyone interested in buying it yet? I will give you a blog discount. Haha. Just kidding. Sort of.] BUT it is too far from town for us. We are just tired of driving. A LOT.

Now, we are kind of taking a leap of faith here. Because we don't know where we will be moving to. But that's what is great about faith, we don't have to know everything. We just trust He does. We aren't trying to climb the property ladder or move to a bigger place. We just want something simple and close to the places we drive to most.

So here goes nothing. We are selling and moving and living life. If you have any tips for us (for those who have sold/bought before), throw them our way!


Do you like how I try to hide how much I use parentheses by using [this] all the time? Did I fool you any? Yeah, I didn't think so.

He's 28.

Happy birthday to the most wonderful man on earth. You are one heck of a catch! [I'm totally corny. I know.]

Things are Just Beachy.

I can't believe it's over. Our week get-away to the ocean. I have so many beautiful memories from this past week. There is nothing like staying in a house with some of your closest friends. We call ourselves the Fab Five. Dorky, I know. But true. We have been close since Middle School and still going strong. I feel blessed to have such close girlfriends.

And I can't get over how much they loved on Audrey. In fact, everyone did while we were there. I had like 14 babysitters. It was kind of awesome. I was happy that Audrey was very social too. She enjoyed the attention. In fact, On Saturday I realized she popped a tooth and I didn't even notice during the week that she was teething.

I was afraid it wouldn't feel like a vacation since, well, my work (aka baby) comes with me. But it was a great vacation. My hubster helped out so much- let me sleep in, let me go to the beach while Audrey napped. I pretty much have the coolest husband. Ever.

The beach is the perfect setting for pictures. Boy, did we get some good ones...

The most important part of this vacation was of course, the wedding of Drew and Steph. All week it was a little overcast, but Friday, it was BEAUTIFUL. ALL DAY. Not too hot. Blue clear skies. And ohmygosh the ocean in the back drop as the bride walked down the aisle and Somewhere Over the Rainbow playing on the ukulele, I definitely teared up.

(My husband built the trellis. He is pretty much a rockstar. Oh, and I am the one second to last from the left.)

You Capture: 4th of July

Oh, sweet Independence Day. I am glad I get to share it with You Capture. Because well, it was just plain perfect.

After driving 9 hours starting in Nashville, Tennessee, we made it to our final destination of Isle of Palms in Charleston, South Carolina on the Fourth of July.

We immediately visited the ocean.


[Dear Ocean, I love you very much. You are beautiful. And peaceful. And still strong and enduring.]

By the time the fireworks began Audrey was already fast sleep in the Ergo. I wanted to take in that moment. Wrap it up and put in my pocket and so I could take it out anytime I want. That moment standing on the beach with my husband. Wearing Audrey. Watching the fireworks reflect on the ocean. We were at just the right distance where it wasn't too loud, but we could still totally enjoy it with the sound of the waves roar in.



Be sure to check out out lovely pictures at You Should Be Folding Laundry. Hope ya'll (okay, I have picked up the southern accent already) had a nice Fourth of July!

Leavin' On a Jet Plane.

Okay, so I am not actually going on a plane. I just had the song stuck in my head from the movie, Armageddon. We are actually driving. To the beautiful state of South Carolina. For one whole entire week. My good friend is getting married there and I am in the wedding. Tomorrow we leave and take a pit stop in Tennessee to visit with friends and to break the trip up.

We haven't vacationed since our honeymoon four years ago. I mean, we take mini-trips here and there, but not a full out vacation. And we are so ready for this.

Except for the packing part.

We must cram our luggage, a portable high chair, a pack n' play, my friend's luggage (who will are picking up in TN), my friend, our baby, and ourselves all into a little Toyota Corolla. Oh, and my seven pairs of shoe.

We are staying in a beach house with 14 other people. This makes it super cheap for us to stay all week and it makes the ocean right there at our doorstep. Holla!