It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

We spend Thanksgiving at my grandparents home. It was so much fun seeing family and laughing together! Here are a few pics...I was so busy chasing kids and giving iPhone lessons that this is all I got!

Mackenzie and Mel

Mom and me

Graysen and Papa (the youngest great-grandchild and the oldest!)

My Papa and the great-grandchildren that were in attendance!

(R-L) Mackenzie, Peyton, Hunter, Avery, Graysen, Papa, Jaci, and Ethan

Mom, Dad, Me, Mackenzie, Mel, and Matt

Melanie, Mackenzie, and Matt

Mom and Dad

Mackenzie is showing me her teeth!

So precious!

Cute!

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I helped Lauren get a Christmas card pic of Sydney. I was behind the camera, but my secret weapon was Izzy. Sydney loves her and the feeling is mutal! Here are a few pics to enjoy, but the best one will be coming in the mail!

I LOVE THIS PIC!

To celebrate the patience of a 2 year old we ended with paytime at the part and lunch at Panera!

On December 5th we had Breakfast with Santa at Arkansas Children's Hospital and it was so fun we had over 900 people show up! I don't have any pics but check Melanie, Lauren, and Amber's blog for pics!

On Sunday I had the annual Aunt Erin's Cookie Decorating Party! The kids had so much fun! We had a house full and no tears! A miracle! They were too busy icing and eating...I can't wait until next year!

Me and Lauren

Jen, Nicholas, Erin and Mackenzie

Merrit and Greer

Here is the best group pic from my camera, but we are missing 3 or 4 kiddos.

Mackenzie LOVED the icing!

...and the cookies!

Dear Lord, please let my child have hair like Spencer...so stinkin' cute!

Carly and Greer

Greer's plate of cookies...um, I mean sprinkles! Hysterical...she loves sprinkling!

Lauren, Sydney, Melissa,and Jackson

Please note the icing on Mackenzie's face...it was on the wall by her seat too. I mean when your slinging iceing on a cookie what do you expect?!?!? The party was worth it just to see how much fun she was having!

Karoline and Dayle

Allison, Parker, Barri, and Truett

Isabella...so stinking cute!!!

Melanie and Mackenzie

Me and Isabella

Me and Sydney

Me and Anna Beth

So weird...for those of you who don't know me well I'm a clean FREAK! It's interesting because normally the thought of little sticky hands and sprinkles all over my house would make me crazy, but not so with the cookie party. I'm more calm at this party than when I have behaving adults over. I think it's the sheer joy of all the kids. They seriously had so much fun and I can't wait to add to it next year!!!

I'm a bad blogger!

OK, so I know I'm a bad blogger, but here is an attempt at a catch up. Things have been so so crazy with a million things going on.

In October, Sydney spent the night with me and we went to Karoline's second birthday. It was so fun and an absolutely precious theme!

The beautiful birthday girl!

Breakfast with Sydney and Izzy...she kept saying all weekend, "I pend the night wif Izzy." So precious! She also was very upset that Lauren and Brent boarded Misty (her dog.) So in an attempt to make her feel better I told her that Misty was going to spend the night with her doggie friends like she was spending the night with me. She looked up with her big blue eyes and her arms in a "where?" and said, "Izzy not hur friend?" So smart!!!

Mid-October was Castaways, the event where everything that could go wrong did! We had to make a tiki hut for the bar so one of the committee members cut bamboo down. A friend and I made the tiki hut that I designed in excel. Yes, you read it correctly! My dad had his doubts too, but in the end it turned out super cute. Look for pics in next month's Inviting. This is a picture of me with an air-compressed staple gun...it was so fun!!

One of the sides of the bar...this is a vertical pic but it goes horizontal when screwed together.

Better pic of the sides.

Katie, Dayle, Jen, Me, Amber, and Laura

Also in October was Homecoming weekend at OBU. Here is a pic of some of my best friends from college. We missed all of you that couldn't be there!

Well my yard welcomed fall in October, but to make matters worse we had flash flooding and all the leaves from all the neighbor's yards also came to mine. It was really bad...the water was in my garage and my front and back yard were under water. CRAZY! Anyway these are the 20 plus 55 gallon bags that a raked and bagged by myself!

Mom got these really neat pie crust cutters at Williams Sonoma. It made a really pretty pie:)

I had some really cute visitors on Halloween. Here is Mackenzie the leopard!

Yep, those are the blue eyes that help her get anything she wants from me!

Sydney aka Minnie Mouse

Me and Mackenzie...Lauren and Corbin have more pics, check their blogs.

November began with Matt's birthday and Art and Soul (a benefit for Easter Seals). Unfortunately I didn't have a camera at either event. This past weekend I went with 5 of my besties to the Alluvian. We had a great time just hanging out, going to the spa, and cooking school.

Lauren, Maria, and Mika

Me and Julie

Mika and Me

Lauren and me

Maria, me, Julia, and Mika before our Holiday Cocktail cooking class.

Lauren, Maria, Julia, Corbin, me, and Mika

Viking Cooking School...problem #1 the let us all be in the same cooking group!

Lauren, Corbin, and Julia

Cheers! Problem # 2...they served drinks during class. There is a reason they don't do that at school!

Maria, Mika, and me

Lauren with a really big knife!

Mika's impression of "bam!" Just kidding, I'm not real sure what she was doing in this pic.

You better back up!

Lauren assisting the "master."

Obviously Maria is the only one working:)

Problem # 3 the rest of us stepped in to "help" Maria and our orange glaze started to look like brownie batter...not good!

Lauren, Julia, Mika, and me

Maria and Corbin

The finished product! Very pretty! Don't freak out the pink meat is tuna.

Maria, Mika, and Me

Lauren, Corbin, and Julia

I had a great time with you girls and I can't wait until next time!

Ok so my new song obsession is Winter Snow. I've started listening to Christmas Music and it's on the new Chris Tomlin Christmas CD. I can't attest to the whole CD b/c I haven't really listened to the full playlist, but I LOVE this song! It's absolutely beautiful!!!!

Could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave

Or an ocean to ravish our hearts

You could have come through like a roaring flood

To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow

(Yes, You did)

You were quiet

You were soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Oh, no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning

No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind

It was still

It was small

It was hidden

You came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Falling

(Oh, yeah)

To the earth below

You came falling

From the sky in the night

To the earth below

My brother is married!!!!!!!!!!

It was a weekend of festivities! I didn't get as many pics as I wanted to since I had Mackenzie most of the weekend, but here are a few...

The Bridesmaid Luncheon

Me and Mom at the Bridesmaid Luncheon

Melanie and Mary

Kelly and Me

Me, Mel, and Mom

Flowers at the Luncheon

The Bride and her Bridesmaids

Mom, Mel, and Me

The Rehersal Dinner

Me and Mom

Me and Matt

Mel and Me

A pic of the dinner

Some red wine got spilled on my dress (no, not by me), but no worries it came out! Tide Stain Remover gets two thumbs up!

The Wedding!

...it was a beautiful day...

This is from Mel and Matt's photographers the Hudsons. They are fab!

My Sister-in-law and Brother!

Beautiful Day!

This is one of my favorite pics from the Hudsons. Mel and Mackenzie

Mel's something blue

The wedding was at the Botanical Gardens in Fayetteville and it was so so beautiful!

Me with the Bride and Groom!

Me and Lauren...thanks for all your help and keeping me sane!

Trying a new pose!

Jaci and me

Me and my beautiful grandmother! We both had to ditch our shoes!

The girls!

Mackenzie danced and danced...I think she was out there for 30 or 45 min just dancin'

First Dance

Mackenzie couldn't stand just watching...it brought a tear to everyone's eye.

Precious family

Me, Em, and Robin

My sweet parents

The man of my life...love you daddy!

Mel, Matt, and Mom

I love how we thought this was going to be the best pic...hum...minus the big spot light!

Home Again Home Again

While Matt and Mel were on their honeymoon Mom and Dad had Mackenzie, but I picked her up on Friday and we went to play with Lauren and Sydney. What a fun wagon ride!

Precious Sydney...she's getting so big!

Mackenzie and Sydney...Mackenzie I had so much fun with you over the last two weeks! You are such a blessing to all of us...I love you!

So blessed!

Stuff from the last few weeks. I left out so much, but this is a good start. It's been crazy so sorry some of these pics are very delayed. Hope everyone is getting ready for fall and football season!!!

Waiting for Anna Beth's arrival!

More waiting!

She's here!!! Me, Alan, Amber, Anna Beth, Katie, Lauren, Laura

Anna Beth is here and she has red hair!!!!

Mackenzie came over for dinner and I didn't have a bib for the messy stuff I fixed her...so she's wearing my apron. She thought she was big stuff!

We celebrated Maria's 30th Birthday and somehow this is the only pic I got. Happy B-day Maria! Welcome to 30!

Jenny and Eric came in for the birthday bash and we had dinner at Bossa Nova one of our favorites!

At the end of August I had a work trip in Maine. We flew into Boston b/c it was cheaper and drove it. The first day was terrible...thank you Tropical Storm Danny, but after Danny left it was beautiful all week and it never got above 70! It made me ready for fall!!!

The lobster theme was seriously everywhere!

Freeport, Maine. LL Bean was founded here and all the store are in old houses. The store fronts are beautiful and it makes for a VERY fun shopping experience!

This is Banana Republic

Downtown Portland. So old and so pretty!

Lighthouse in Portland

Portland's shore

These flowers were everywhere. I don't know what they are, but aren't they so pretty??

View of downtown Portland form the Lighthouse

In 1886, a ship wrecked at the lighthouse on Christmas Eve:(

Kennebunkport, Maine. View of the port from our restaurant. There were some very nice boats that I would really call more of a yacht.

More Kennebunkport, ME.

Boston, MA.

Cheer's Bar

My family loved this show!

More downtown Boston.

Boston's North End. Thanks Anne and Shawn for the restaurant referrals! Artu was wonderful!

This dog was so cute just hangin' in the North End park.

Boston Harbor

I wish we'd had time to go sailing!

Huge...Huge...Huge boats!

Paul Revere statue on the Freedom Trail

The Old North Church

More Old North Church

Old cemetery...for some reason this was really cool. The tombstones were so old and different.

Italian district in Boston's North End

When I got home I met Lauren, Brent, and Sydney for dinner. The next picture and the video's at the end are from that dinner! It was great to catch up with you guys!

Oh those dimples!!!

I took the Bagley's dinner and got to see sweet Anna Beth again! How precious is this face?!?!?!?!?

I had Sydney last Saturday night and we met Mel and Mackenzie for dinner, but I don't have any pictures. Mel has one so I'll try to get it. She was great even though she'd only had a 10 min nap all day.

September 11, 2009

I love this quote so I posted it on my desk so everyone could enjoy it too!

My current song obsession is While I'm Waiting by John Waller. Waiting on God's timing takes faith and patience!!!

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Takeing every step in obedience

While I'm waiting

I will serve You

While I'm waiting

I will worship

While I'm waiting

I will not faint

I'll be running the race

Even while I wait

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it's not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve you while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

More than words can express!

Here's a little story about my birthday week...I feel like this picture of Izzy b/c it's been a great very very crazy week!

In Wednesday my co-workers took me to lunch and it was so fun to hang out and catch up with the whole gang! Then on Thursday I got lots of wonderful calls and text messages and p.s. I love facebook on my birthday! Thursday Dayle and Lauren took me to lunch! Lisa (my co-worker) made me a wonderful fruit pizza for the afternoon celebration and Lauren and Sydney came to work to bring me an birthday gift! It was so cute! Sydney was telling me all about her trip to the Wiggles. Hysterical! Here are a few pics from the office visit...

Lauren and Sydney

Sydney (posing) and me

Thursday night Matt, Mel, Mackenzie, Mom, Dad, and I grilled out for my birthday and then opened presents! It was wonderful spending time with the fam!

Mackenzie...with the gift card she game me...she quickly decided she needed it back. I can't blame her it was a really good gift!

Mackenzie (again the card was super amazing to her) and me

Mackenzie was a great helper while I was opening gifts!

As you can see I had quite a bit of "help!"

Izzy's "helping" too

I received some beautiful flowers for my birthday! On Thursday I went to the front of the hospital and picked up a beautiful "bowl of sunshine" from Meg, Grant, and Brooke! I enjoyed it at work and at home! Then on Saturday, just when I thought all the birthday celebration was over I got a beautiful arrangement from Anne and Shawn! I'm so lucky!!! I missed all of you out-of-towners at the party, but I loved loved loved the flowers!

From Anne and Shawn!

From Meg, Grant, and Brooke!

So let me just say that it's really hard to pull one over on me. I mean I'm an auditor I've been trained to look for the small clues! So to my surprise, my friends were able to keep one...a surprise that is! Friday night I went to what I thought was dinner with my high school friends, but my wonderful high school and college friends, along with Tom and Bren, threw me a surprise party at the Juanita's party room! It was so fun and I felt truly blessed and very very loved! Thanks again to everyone who helped and came to celebrate!!!! Dayle also made some super cute invites that I'll post later! To Mom, Dad, Lauren, Julie, Mika, Corbin, Katie, Laura, Amber and Dayle...thank you...those words don't do my feelings justice! Julie also had a wonderful idea for everyone to write favorite memories, stories, why I make them smile, etc and put them in a beautiful box for me...the best present ever!!!! I seriously seriously don't have words to express my thanks!

Me, Josh, and Merrit

The cake mom picked out...it was Perfect!

Keri, Mika, me, and Julie

More cake pics

Matt, me, and Mel

Mom, me, and Dad

The fam!

Julie, me, Corbin, and Mika

Lauren, Julie, Keri, me, Corbin, and Mika

Dayle, Emily, me, Lauren, Katie, Laura, and Amber

Maria and me!

The gift Julie Carother's sent! I seriously didn't want to open it b/c the package was a gift in and of itself! Julie decorated it and it looked like a 3rd grader did it! We missed you Julie and thanks for all the laughs!

Matt, me, and Mel

Group pic

Lauren and Mel

Me and Shelly

On Sunday after church we went to Matt and Mel's for a bit. Mackenzie was as always precious!

At my party Lauren was explaining Sydney's love for the Wiggles so Melanie decided to see if Mackenzie liked them...what do you think? She was in a trance! It's so weird!

Mackenzie thinks my glasses look better on her...I have to agree!

Mom and Mackenzie

Just hangin' out!

Poor Izzy didn't get much attention this weekend so I guess I'll have to make that up to her next week!

Thanks again to everyone for making my birthday week so special!

Funny, funny, funny

The above video is of Karoline showing the dinner table how Gaga (Gracie, her dog) looks at her! Hilarious!!! I don't know why she thinks that the dog does that!

Please look at the below post too I've been catching up!

P.S. Dear random people sitting behind us, sorry you're in the video, but I couldn't crop you out!

Catching Up

Well somehow I have Strep Throat. Really?!?! Yep that's right I haven't had it since college or before soooooo I'm taking this time to catch up on blogging, cleaning, and the 140 episodes of West Wing on my DVR. I forgot how much I love that show!! It makes me want to work in the White House under President Bartlett!!

OK so I'm just now posting pics of Jen's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and great memories. Jen, I'm not gonna lie it's probably the hottest I've ever been and I mean hot like heat index above 105!

Rehearsal

Lingerie shower after the rehearsal dinner

Bridesmaid Brunch

Lauren, Dayle, Julie, and me

Dayle, Nikki (and her daughter), Jenny, Jennifer, Julie, Julie, me, and Lauren

The beautiful Bride and Groom!

Me, Lauren, Mr. Burks, Dayle, and Julie

Jen and KT

Happy 4th Mackenzie!

Me and Mackenzie hanging out at Tom and Bren's on the 4th!

Family pic! So cute!

So there was this weird week in July when the high was in the mid to high 70s. It was wonderful and I want it back!!!

Yes, I actually went to a baseball game in the summer, but like I said it was a beautiful night! Dayle and Karoline had fun too!

Me and sweet Karoline!

At the end of July Beau and Kelly got married! Congrats to the happy couple!

Mrs. Rita, Mom and Dad

Me and Mom

More wedding pics

Me and my soon to be sister-in-law!

Mom, Mrs. Rita, and Mrs. Pam

Me, Matt, and Mel after much dancing!

The happy parents! So cute!