Happy Valentine's Day...(I guess)...

I've never really been a fan of Valentine's Day (or "Singles Awareness Day" as Mandy sarcastically refers to it), although, I do enjoy any excuse to eat chocolate or drink my new favorite coffee..."Valentine's Blend" from O'Henry's Coffee. If you live in the Birmingham area, you're in luck, because this coffee shop is actually in Homewood. I've never been there, but Claire loves it. She brought a bag of the Valentine's Blend when she came to visit last weekend. She, Mere, and I put quite a dent in that bag in just a matter of a couple of days! If you are around Birmingham, you should definitely get some, and if not, you can order this yummy coffee online! I highly recommend it!

Tomorrow is our Valentine's party at school. The kids were already out of control TODAY, so I can only imagine what tomorrow will be like. I'm guessing that it'll be somewhat similar to the Christmas party, but hoping that it'll be a LITTLE less chaotic. Fortunately, tomorrow is a half day for the students, so basically, I'll have just enough time to "sugar them up" and send them home! :) I did bake heart-shaped cookies for the party (although some of them look more like big blobs than hearts...I don't really think the kids will mind though!).

I'm quite proud of my baking...(no one has to know that the cookies are "slice and bake" and the frosting is from a store-bought container...)

This is a card that Mandy's mom sent her for Valentine's Day...I just had to share. It basically sums up my feelings for this holiday! :)

If you DO have a reason to enjoy Valentine's Day, I hope that it's fabulous!

*Mere, I'm pumped about our Valentine's "date"... GO DAWGS!!!!

ONE more month!

It was a little weird hearing Meredith say "I'm getting married a month from today!" But, it's true...it really is almost here.

This was a great weekend. Mere had a shower Saturday and Claire was able to be here from Birmingham. YEA!!! The 3 of us were seriously overdue for some hanging out time. Claire got here Friday night...want to guess where we headed IMMEDIATELY after she got here?? Yep, that's right...Mexico Tipico of course. They both stayed at my house Friday and Saturday night, and besides going to Mere's shower Saturday afternoon, we hardly did anything. It was great.

I love love these 2 girls.

Here's a picture of my and 2 of my dearest friends Meredith (a.k.a. "Manboots"...also the BRIDE TO BE) Murphy and Claire (a.k.a. "Hotpants") Hardin.

Here's Mere playing "How well do you really know your fiance?" (I don't know the REAL name of it, but that sounds good...). You know, it's the game where she has to answer questions about Vic correctly or she must put a piece of bubble gum in her mouth. She had quite a few pieces at in her mouth by the end of the game...

...and again... attempting to blow a bubble with all 284 pieces of gum in her mouth.

Have a fantastic week!

OK...

So, I'm just a little curious...

I was told AGAIN recently (for, seriously, about the 10th time) that I look like Minnie Driver. Besides the dark curly hair that we both have, I DON'T SEE IT AT ALL! I'm just wondering if anybody else thinks I look "just like her."

Opinions anyone?

Like mother, like son...

Before Henry was born, my grandmother ("Nana") bought him some "baby" scrubs (who knew they even MADE such a thing?!). Of course, as most of you know, Kristen is doing her residency to be an OBGYN, so it was only appropriate that Henry have scrubs to match his mommy who practically LIVES in hers. I wasn't there when Kristen put them on him for the pictures, BUT I did get my hands on a copy of one that I had to share.

I also got a copy of this one that my mom took of the two of them...how perfect is it that she caught him in the very middle of the biggest yawn I've ever seen?! Everytime I see a new picture of him I always say "oh, this one is my favorite!"....I may really mean it this time. I can't get enough of him.

*On a side note, if there are any "Office" fans out there, you need to go to this fun site I came across...(totally random I know..but it's fun and really really entertaining ).

Have a happy Wednesday!

In case you haven't heard...

If you read or listen to the local news, you may have heard about the apartment fire in Meridian that took place last night. I actually have a couple of friends who unfortunately lost EVERYTHING in the fire. That incident, along with the recent disaster in Florida that also occurred over the weekend have both really hit me hard. Several people lost their lives in Florida, and several HUNDREDS of homes were destroyed. There's no way to really comprehend what it would be like to lose everything just like that (not to mention the people who lost SOMEONE!). It has made me realize how valuable life is and how so often we take SO many things (and PEOPLE!) for granted...I know I do! I don't know about you, but I'm definitely going to try to remember what's really important in life...and focus on the good things.
I ask you to join me in remembering these people and families in your prayers. Please feel free to pass this message along to anyone who will loyally pray for these people.
God bless you.

When I try to think of an "appropriate" verse to include in this post, I constantly go back to my all time favorite verse (which I'm sure I've posted before!):

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

Peek-a-Boo!

Usually Max is right at my feet, and when he's not, that pretty much means he's probably doing something he SHOULDN'T be. I started looking for him last night when I realized that he wasn't in the same room as me. I called his name...he didn't come. I then noticed that my linen closet door was slightly open and I heard a little movement going on in my laundry basket. I don't really know why Max thought it would be fun to play in my dirty clothes, but this is exactly how I found him. Luckily my camera was close by so I was able to take his picture immediately. I thought this was really cute and had to share! :)

My weekend of doing "nothing" was FABULOUS! I definitely needed the rest. I did go to a shower for Meredith today which was nice. There were tons of people there and she got lots of great stuff ( I was particularly interested in the blue serving pieces that she got from Pier 1 ... I LOVE that place!). Only a few more weeks until her big day, and she's so excited! I really can't believe it's already here. It seems like yesterday when she told me she was getting married and I remember thinking that March was such a long way away. TIME FLIES! Her fiance, Vic is already living at their home in Alpine, TX and she won't even be seeing him again until the wedding, so I know she's ready for it. She's definitely going to be spending lots of time with me until then whether she wants to or not! :) Most of her bridesmaids are getting together in a few weeks for her lingerie shower/bachelorette party at Claire's in Birmingham...I hope you're ready for that one Meredith!

I hope you have a great week...try not to have a "case of the Mondays" tomorrow (quote from "Office Space"...sorry).

Ahh...What a Life!

I enjoy staying "on the go" on the weekends. My sisters and lots of my friends are all scattered in various places, so I always have somewhere to visit. BUT, sometimes it's fun to stay at home and do NOTHING...and I mean NOTHING. That's exactly what I decided to do this weekend.
The house in which I live is actually a 2 story house divided into 2 different apartments. I rent the downstairs. When I moved here last summer, I had no idea who would be living above me, and to tell you the truth, I was a little nervous. Think about it, I'm a teacher, and the LAST thing I wanted was for a couple of loud college guys to move in upstairs and keep me up all hours of the night.

Let's just say that I was one lucky girl...

Not only was my "upstairs neighbor" NOT a loud college student, but in fact, she too was a 25-year old teacher. WHAT A COINCIDENCE! Her name is Mandy, and she teaches Drama at Starkville High School. Needless to say, we quickly found out that we had a lot in common and we became instant friends. It's nice to be able to just run upstairs if I need something or if I just need SOMEONE to listen to me blab or vent about something. We also treasure our Sunday nights, when we always watch Desperate Housewives with our wine in hand. So fun.
Mandy also treasures sleep as much as I do, so she doesn't make fun of the fact that I go to bed extremely early during the week. She understands the term "teacher-tired."
I came home from school sick yesterday, so I knew I wouldn't do much of anything at all this weekend (and I was SO looking forward to it). Mandy decided that doing nothing today would be fun too, so we came up with a "to do" list for today:

-stay in PJ's as long as possible
-drink as much coffee as we want
-eat cinnamon rolls .. (yum yum!)
-watch old "Office" episodes

I think sometimes we're all guilty of staying on the go so much and we rarely take time to stop what we're doing and just spend time with those close to us and do NOTHING for a change! I encourage you to stop worrying about "not getting everything done," and take time out of your day to spend time with those you love! You'll be glad you did!

Have a great weekend!

Here's a picture of me and Mandy at Thanksgiving. Mandy is from Michigan, so she was unable to go home for the holiday. She celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and we were so glad to have her there!

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for you today." -Matthew 6:34

Everyone's Doing It! (...and I'm bored...)

I, too, am a music lover, and as you see from my playlist below, I have quite an assortment of favorite songs. George is my number one of course, but I thought I would be considerate of others and allow you to listen to other artists BESIDES George.
Scroll to the bottom if you want change the song or turn it off if for some reason you're not really in the mood. ENJOY!


*Heather, I think I even included songs that YOU might even like!

Seeking Advice!

So, I have been wanting to "redecorate" my bedroom, but as most of you know, I'm quite possibly the most indecisive person EVER so I'm having a little difficulty picking out new bedding. When I first moved into my house last summer, I focused more on the OTHER rooms instead of my bedroom. Now I'm tired of it and ready for a change! If you've been to my house, you know a little about my decorating taste. I like browns, greens, and blues, and I am not a big fan of anything busy or with a lot of design. I'm definitely wanting something in my bedroom that I won't get tired of (and money is sort of an issue too! Nothing too expensive!!). I've been doing a little online shopping for some ideas. I found one that I really like, but the color I want is unavailable online (just my luck). Click here to see it (the color I want is the sky blue). You're really not able to tell a lot about it, but I got the catalog in the mail and I was able to see it a lot better. Does anybody have any suggestions on websites for me to check out? My comforter is green now (as you can see from the pictures below), and it's rather old, so I'm ready for something different! Suggestions are appreciated! (I know...I'm SUCH a dork! )

OH, HENRY...

I finally got to see my little Henry today. It had been several weeks since I'd seen him, so I drove to Clinton today just to spend a little time with him. I seriously probably took 40 pictures of him today. Is there something wrong with that? I'm a proud aunt...what can I say? He's definitely changed since I've seen him last (still JUST as adorable though!). Here are some of the pictures I took today.

I got carried away and had trouble deciding which pics to post, so you're seeing more than just a "few"....sorry! :)

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

It's Time to "Blog-Stalk" Heather!

Heather just started a blog... Yay!!!!



Check her out!



This is a picture of me and my beautiful little sister, Heather, at her engagement party last March.

My favorite!

OK, so it's been way too long since I've seen my little Henry. That's why it's been way too long since YOU'VE seen pictures of him. I'm about to go crazy because I miss him so much. Don't worry though, I'm going to visit Sunday, so I'll have new pictures soon! Until then, here is a recent picture of Kris and Henry. It's one of my favorites and I had to share it! (Doesn't Kristen look fabulous??). More to come soon! :)



ALSO, I wanted to let you know that my Heather, my mom, and I went to visit my grandmother at the nursing home in Meridian. Thanks to all of you who have remembered her in your prayers! We had a great visit with her and she seemed to be doing really well! Praise God!

Please Pray!

There have been a lot of things that I've been praying for myself, and I want to ask YOU to pray for them as well. I strongly believe in the power of prayer, and would appreciate all of yours...the more, the BETTER! :)
*My sister, Kristen, is back at work after being out for maternity leave. She's having a very difficult time (if you've been through this, then you understand!). She needs comfort!
*My grandmother (mom's mom- "Mamaw") was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's and has been placed in a home in Meridian. Although it's difficult on our family, we know she's where she needs to be now. Please pray for her and the rest of my family.
*My other grandmother (dad's mom- "Nana") also needs prayer. My grandfather passed away in November, and I know things are still very hard for her. She's been unbelievably strong so far, and if you know her, you know what I mean. She's an AMAZING woman.
*My dear friend, June Scoggins, and her family need prayer too. Her mom is 90 years old (wow!) and has not been doing well lately. Mrs. June does so much for her mom, and I know it's very difficult for their entire family.

I appreciate ALL of your prayers for these people! PLEASE let me know of there's someone/something specifically that I can pray for!
Thanks! :)

Walking in Memphis.......to see George!!!!

(For some unknown reason, the date is saying Thursday, Jan. 11, when ACTUALLY it's Sunday, Jan. 15. I don't understand why and I can't figure out how to change it!)
So, it's just become sort of a yearly thing for Candy and me. It's something (well,really, someONE) we both feel very passionate about. Who in the world could I be speaking of? That's right...George.

This past weekend, I went to my 5th George Strait concert, each of which were with Candy. I started going in 2003, and I've been going every year since. If you're a George fan, you'll understand the excitement that we feel each time he walks on stage (especially when he sings "Amarillo"...wow). If you're NOT a George fan, then I'm convinced that there may very well be something wrong with you and you should seek professional help.


It has worked out each year that George has played in either Birmingham or Memphis, both of which are fairly close to here. It's very convenient now that Candy and Chad live in Hernando, which is only about 20 minutes from Memphis. There are a couple of things you should know about the 2 of us when we get in "George mode" : 1. We sing every song along with him, caring very little about what other people around us are thinking. 2. We wear our "I Love George Strait" buttons very proudly, knowing that everyone there is secretly a little jealous. Here are some pictures of us at George Strait concerts over the years. (I was pre- digital the first year we went, and I'm unable to put my hands on pictures from that concert, so these pictures are from the past 4 years!). Oh, and you don't even have to say it, I know I looked pretty hot with braces in the 2005 picture!







2004

2005

2006

2007

WE LOVE YOU GEORGE AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN 2008!

Just for Fun!

Things I like (besides George Strait of course):

-Four jobs I have had in my life:
*2nd grade teacher at Sudduth
*counselor at Camp Lake Stephens
*employee at CLC (daycare)
*Aspen Bay Candles

-Four movies I watch over and over:
*The Sound of Music
*Elf
*Waiting for Guffman
*Christmas Vacation

-Four Places I have lived:
*Meridian, MS
*Starkville, MS
*Oxford, MS (only for a summer...don't worry...I got out of Oxford as quickly as I could)
* MSU campus (still in Starkville, I know)

-Four TV shows I love to watch:
*Seinfeld
*The Office
*Desperate Housewives
*American Idol

-Four places I have been on vacation:
*Colorado
*Florida
*New York
*Highlands, NC

-Four websites I visit daily:
*hotmail
*facebook
*fox news
*Starkville School District homepage

-Four of my favorite foods:
*mexican!
*chocolate
*sushi
*salads


HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!

"YAHOO!!!"

I love having visitors! One of my dearest friends, Candy (who is the only person who will find humor in the title of this post), her husband, Chad, and their adorable baby, Landon, are here for the weekend. Chad is in a wedding tomorrow, so of course, I am thrilled that they're staying with me and that they will be here for the weekend. They live in Hernando, MS, so it's not too far away, but I still don't get to see them as much as I would like!

Candy and I have been friends for about 6 years or so. We were both Elementary Education majors at MSU, and we had nearly every single class together. If it weren't for her, I'm not so sure I could have survived some of those professors...seriously...some were VERY interesting to say the least. We became instant friends, and since then, we have taken many road trips together, including 4 George Strait concerts (5th concert coming up next weekend...I'll be posting pictures!), I was a bridesmaid in her wedding 3 years ago, and I was fortunate to be at the hospital soon after baby Landon was born 3 months ago!

Those of you who know me and Candy, KNOW that we are A LOT alike. Not only is she the only friend I have who understands my love of George Strait, but she is also one of the only people I know who, like myself, can eat Mexican food at ANY time of the day. She and I are ALWAYS up for some Mexico Tipico, or Mi Pueblo. Nothing beats chips and salsa (and an occasional margarita!).

OK, well I'm finished with this particular post, but DON'T WORRY, more pictures of Candy will be posted after the

concert (it's so great to have a friend who loves George as much as I do...he's definitely one of the reasons we're so close today!). Please check back next weekend for concert pictures! :)

The Past 3 Weeks...In a Nutshell...

It's been several weeks since I've posted, but as you can imagine, with my sisters in town (not to mention my precious nephew), New Year's festivities, and lots of "family time," I've been just a little busy.

After I FINALLY finished school December 22 (deep sigh), I was actually able to actually relax a little and enjoy my family! Henry's first Christmas was a good one. Well, it's not like HE actually knew what was going on, so I guess I should say OUR first Christmas WITH Henry was great. The 4 days that Kristen, Rob, and Henry were in Starkville were basically spent with everybody just staring at him and him being held by somebody the ENTIRE time. Literally. Kristen and Rob probably hated us after they left. Look at that face! Absolutely adorable. I'm so in love with that little baby and hated to see them leave!

Heather and Trey were also here for several days, and they brought the new addition to THEIR family, Sophie, their maltipoo. This was the first time that Max and Sophie were able to spend an extensive amount of time together and they are BEST FRIENDS now. If we weren't staring at Henry, we were probably staring at those two playing with each other. It looked like a couple of stuffed animals playing. It was really, really cute and Max pouted for several days after Trey and Heather took Sophie back to Hattiesburg. I guess it can be said that my family had a very exciting, MERRY Christmas!

I always get a little depressed each year when I stop listening to Christmas music, stop watching my favorite Christmas movies, and start taking down my Christmas decorations. I have to wait an entire year before doing it all again!! This year, unlike any other year, I actually had fun New Year's plans, so I had something to look forward to! I've never been one who has loved New Year's. I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but I've just never really had FUN New Year's plans, and I kinda think it's a little overrated. I decided that at age 25, it was TIME for me to do something FUN for a change. I rang in the New Year in Birmingham with Claire and some of her Birmingham friends. We got dressed up (which is something I actually enjoy doing most of the time!), and went to Workplay, where we celebrated the New Year in different time zones. There were several different rooms, each of which were decorated in different time zones. For example, there was a "New York room," which had the feel of a big city, with loud music and a lot of people. There was also a room set up like the mountains. There was fake snow, hot chocolate, coffee, etc. Another was the "Hollywood room," which was my favorite. There was ballroom dancing, a Big Band, and a screen that played black and white movies. It was relaxing and more up my alley than any of the other rooms. It was neat to go from room to room each hour and countdown to midnight several different times. I actually didn't go to sleep until about 4 a.m., and if you know me at all, you know that I'm NOT a night owl, so staying up that late is something I very RARELY do. It was fun, but it may be an entire year before I'm able to stay up that late again! I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions, but I actually made some this year. I'm optimistic that this is going to be a GOOD year, and look forward to seeing what God has in store for me!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU IN 2007!!!!