Pumpkin Palooza, a baby shower, and 6-0!

I love football season. I do. But I somehow forget how exhausting it is! I've just realized that during football season, my weekends are not spent relaxing, but rather cheering on my bulldogs (and attending games that don't kick off until 8 PM!). I wouldn't have it any other way.

Friday night was Pumpkin Palooza in downtown Starkville. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are able to fit in the small town of Starkville whenever there's a big event. I love it.

Saturday was the MSU vs UT game, and before the game, I was able to co-host a baby shower for sweet Alexa, who's expecting a baby boy at the end of November! Such a fun time.

So excited about my dawgs being 6-0, and I'm hoping we'll make it 7-0 this weekend. (And then the following weekend we play Alabama, and well... uh...that could get interesting).

Hoping you had as much fun as I did this weekend, but perhaps a little more sleep than me?!

Hi. It's me.

Anybody there??
What do you blog about after it's been MONTHS? I have no idea.
A lot has happened during my blog hiatus, but I won't bore you with every detail of every event that has occurred (as I'm usually known to do on the 'ol blog).
I'm a very long-winded person, so there are a million things I want to "say" as I'm returning to the blog, but again- I'll refrain from boring you.
Instead, I think I'm going to just post some pictures- they say more than words anyway, right?
So here you go. A snippet of my life during the past few months. Hopefully after this initial returning-to-the-blog post, it'll be easier for me to get back to the day to day blogging. I hope I'm right!

3 big birthdays!

Our family celebrated the birthdays of 3 special men last month!---My dad, Uncle Bobby, and sweet Jones!

Our best attempt at getting a picture of them all!

Happy birthday, guys!

Feb 4: Stranger

For my day 4 challenge, I was to post a picture of a stranger.  That's just a little weird though, don't you think?  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want a stranger taking a picture of me and posting it on their blog.

So...instead, I'm including my new favorite picture....

My sweet nephews having a ball in the tub tonight! 

Does it get any cuter?  I think not.

Forgive me from swaying from the challenge today, but I thought this picture was much more fun.

Happy Super Bowl weekend! 

Who are you pulling for tomorrow night?

Christmas here, Christmas there, and AN ENGAGEMENT!

Hoping you and your family had a very blessed Christmas!

Here are a few snapshots of our family Christmas this year:

With family in Starkville...

NA, Henry, and Jones.  Love it.

Sisters and cousin, Jake.



My dear cousin Jake



Me and J.

H and me.

Me and that sweet baby girl...

Jones and Mom.

Dad and NA--her first Christmas!

Kristen and her sweet family...

...and Heather and hers...

Christmas with family in Collinsville...

First cousins!

My cousin Brian opening the gifts I gave him!  He loves the bulldogs!



I'm also super pumped about my cousin Jake getting engaged on Christmas!  I love his sweet fiance, and am so very excited about an upcoming wedding in the family!

Congrats Mary Kate and Jake!

traditions...

Growing up (as children AND well into our teenage years!), my sisters and I decorated cookies for "Santa".  And everything was homemade.  Mom made the cookie dough and the icing.  I still remember the bowls we used for the icing and how I would stick my fingers in them when no one was looking!  Her icing is the best.  Cookie making and decorating is one of my most vivid and precious Christmas traditions with my family. 

This is the first Christmas in--ummm--I'm not sure how many years-- that my sisters and I have all lived in the same town.  I love it so much. 

We all got together tonight so the boys could decorate their Santa cookies (a continued tradition perhaps?).

My heart was so happy tonight seeing this:

It was so neat for me to sit and watch them decorate and see their sweet personalities shine.  While each of them is so much like their daddies, I clearly saw my sisters in each of them tonight.  Henry (the older of the 2 and son to my older sister, Kristen) was in such charge.  He's a leader and he's very vocal!  He wants everything "just so" and gets flustered when things don't go his way!  It's just so Kristen.

Jones (the sweet "little"one and son to the little sister, Heather), is the entertainer.  He's just hilarious.  He's so chill, and everything he says and does is precious and funny.  It's so Heather.

I love the simple reminders that God gives me when I'm with these sweet ones. 

I used to think that if I never get married or have children of my own, I'll never feel happy or complete.  Or that I'll spend my entire life being completely lonely.

Obviously God only knows the plans of my future--but right now I know that my life is happy and complete.  I'm complete because I have the most amazing parents in the world, 2 sisters who are my best friends in life, a BAZILLION other best friends, and 2 nephews and a niece that I truly love as if they were my very own. 

I AM BLESSED and particularly thankful for Henry and Jones for reminding me tonight that my life is full of love and happiness.



...and it'll be oh-so-fun when this little princess gets to join her brother and cousin in Christmas decorating in a year or 2!

So...on the topic of Christmas traditions--what are some of your favorites? 

Please do share....