Five Years.

Five.

It’s been FIVE whole years since we said “I do” – can you believe it?

Five years.  A big milestone in a marriage, I believe.

Five years. Wow.

In five years, we have seen many, many firsts:

Our first home.

Our first fur babies.

Our first job loss.

Our first heartbreak.

Our first late Christmas present.

Our first baby, a daughter.

There have been many tears and frustrations, and many prayers.  

But even more than that, there have been many smiles and giggles and kisses and belly laughs.

And I wouldn’t trade a moment of it.

 B - 

Thank you for loving me…every single piece of me.  Our vows mean more to me today than they did on that beautiful May day five years ago.  You are the steady, never-failing rock to this relationship.  You love like no one I have ever known.  You are the best daddy, and I love the way you love our precious daughter.  You are my support system, my best friend.  I love you yesterday, today and tomorrow and every day after that…thank you for always being you.

I always thought it was kind of redundant when couples chose this verse to read at their wedding ceremony.  Today, when I read it, I understand why it’s one of the most-used verses for wedding ceremonies.  It’s beautiful and tranquil and endearing and lovely….everything that love is to me today.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

A "bird"day party for Annie Louise!

I realize it's been waaaaay over a year since Annie Louise's birthday party, but I just had to post some pictures here since this blog is pretty much the way I keep everything together.

So, here goes...my sweet Annie Louise's "BIRD"day party for her first birthday!  I will let you know that I started planning for this party when AL was about 6 months old.  I compiled all my ideas, made a big birthday to-do list and tackled everything as I could.  I bought things when I could (this saved me from spending a large amount of money on one trip), and I tried to do as many things as I could myself (along with my mom's assistance - she's a mastermind)...hello, DIY!

As far as the theme goes, we obviously went with a bird theme.  But I also wanted it to have an old-fashioned, eclectic feel.  I wanted the main colors to be bright and colorful, but I didn't want anything to be too matchy-matchy, think - lots of colors and lots patterns!

My biggest tip would be to hire a photographer, if you can.  Our good friend and photographer, Joy Chambers, took ALL of these photos, and I have hired her again for AL's 2nd birthday.  It was so nice to be able to actually enjoy the day and not worry about getting pictures of everything...not to mention, she's a PHOTOGRAPHER, so she takes amazing photos.  Just my two cents.

Now, all my planning and hard work in pictures for you to enjoy....

we had the party in our back yard - this was the sign that led everyone to the party!

the party sign was a large piece of cardboard that my mom painted (she's good, huh?)

we had lots of various snacks & desserts - these were white chocolate covered oreos...and the cute "towel" is actually an antique embroidered pillowcase!

a party just isn't a party without printed napkins, right?!

welcome table - bird masks made out of craft foam, quilt squares for guest to sign, bird fans (it was hot!) & favor bags for the kiddos!

water bottle labels with the same motif & font as the invitation and other paper goods!

decorated birthday hats - I just bought regular birthday hats & embellished them with pompoms, paper birds & 1s

felt bird garland for the umbrella

the birthday girl herself! my mom made her onesie to match our theme & the skirt was made by our friends at Bella Vista Baby (they did AL's nursery)

I wanted people to remember all the things from AL's first year - so, I made a picture garland of "Annie Louise's Year of Firsts" - I put various pictures from her first bath, first trip to the beach, first Halloween, etc.  All the guests loved seeing all the photos and taking a trip down memory lane!

My dad made this awesome bean bag toss game, and we painted it to match the theme! I wanted there to be lots of games & activities for all the kiddos!

this was the dessert/sweets table.  we draped a large piece of fabric against the house and used quilts, buntings, and lots of different pieces of fabric to decorate the table!

sweet birdie picks we used to decorate mini cupcakes! I just purchased little wooden picks, and we cut out birds out of paper and glued them to the picks...they turned out so cute!

this was over the food table - tissue paper poms and balloons in different sizes & shapes!

cupcakes + picks!

month-by-month pictures of Annie Louise

felt birds hanging from the umbrella

we had quite the crowd, and it was SO much fun!

bird cookie favors for all the guests to take!

year of firsts garland!

quilt squares for guests to sign - I'm working on having these  made into a quilt for AL 

smash cake!

AL's highchair all birthday'd out!

trying to get all the kiddos together for a picture is HARD work!

my pride and joy - styrafoam 1 covered in tissue paper rosettes...very time consuming, but VERY cute!

getting ready to attach the cake....

face first...no hands!  that's my girl!

I would say it was a successful party....

Feel free to leave me any questions about any of the details...I would be glad to help you!

party details:
photographer: Joy Chambers Photograph
invitations, water bottle labels & napkins: The Write Impression
smash cake, cupcakes & cookies: Virginia Claire's Cake Shoppe
"bird"day onesie: Mattie Mae Designs
bird skirt: Bella Vista Baby
decorations/food: LeeLee & SheShe (that would be me and my mama)

Stop & Smell the Roses...Wee School edition!

I'm back for another vlog linking up with Mandy from House of Rose - Stop & Smell the Roses vlog link-up.  I'm loving taking the time out every week to share something that I'm thankful for or something that I'm absolutely loving!

Are you linking up, too?  If you're not, you're seriously missing out!




I'm so blessed that our community has several amazing mother's day out programs that have a faith-based curriculum....they love our children like their own, and they teach our sweet babies (from the very beginning) that there is a loving God.  They teach them how to follow directions, how to stay together, how to eat nicely and how to play well together.  I feel 100% positive that God brought this wonderful program to our family, and every day I thank Him that our daughter has the privilege and honor of being in one of those classes.

Here's Miss Annie Louise with her teachers, Mrs. Maxine & Mrs. Lisa!  Love them so much!

As far as the notebook goes, it's nothing super fancy or complicated...just a simple notebook and LOTS of page protectors (like I said in the video, I put AL's artwork and her report together in one page protector). I hope to make one of these for each year of preschool - sure, that's a lot of notebooks, but like I said, I'm super duper sentimental.  I cannot bear the thought of throwing anything away...yet.

What about you?  Do you have any special/original ways to keep all your wee one's masterpieces?  Do share!

I hope you'll come back again next week...I'm truly loving this vlog link-up and all the fabulous bloggers I have "met"!  

Have a wonderful week!

Mama's Day 2012

I absolutely love Mother’s Day (or as I call it, Mama’s Day).  

A whole day devoted to mamas…c’mon, that’s just the bee’s knees!  

I had a great day with my little family – even though rain and allergies and sinus infections threatened our day!  It was a gloomy, rainy day, or as Miss Annie Louise says, “mama, ainin”.  We went to my parents’ house for lunch (ham and rolls, come to mama) – my Granny & Papa also joined us, as well Kiki and Ron (my sister, Katy, and her husband, Ryan).  

It was a full house, and Miss Annie Louise was the star of the show!

She definitely loves to be the center of attention singing her songs, rocking her babies and giving lots of kisses.  My child was born to be on a stage!

Anyways, you’re probably wondering what my sweet doodlebug got me for Mama’s Day…especially after LAST YEAR’S amazing gift.  

Well, she did really well (with daddy’s help)!  I received a gift card from my favorite spa to use for a manicure-pedicure and another sweet book with pictures and thoughts.  Seriously, my hubby goes above and beyond on Mama’s Day.  I told him I wanted to take both books and get them bound so that I can look at them easily and often!

I love love love sentimental gifts!

And I also received this adorable bunny painting that AL made at Wee School….seriously, can this be any cuter?

I had a fabulous weekend with my precious family, thanking God over and over for getting to be mama to this amazing little gal.  I also said lots of prayers for my sweet friends that are longing and praying to become mamas or have lost their precious babies all too soon – I know this day isn’t easy, as I’ve been in that spot, too.  But I know how our Lord is so faithful!  

I love this verse, especially for such a blessed day…
"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."

- Psalm 36:5

Stop & Smell the Roses Link-up...dedicated to all my mamas!

Today, I'm linking up again with House of Rose's Stop & Smell the Roses vlog link-up.  I have missed out the past 2 weeks because I have basically been a single mama with no time, so I'm so glad to be back!

Oh, how I've missed you all!

I'm dedicating this vlog to all the mamas out there...the moment I became a mama was the single most beautiful moment of my life, and it hasn't stopped since they placed that big-eyed baby in my arms.  I'm so thankful for that!



To all the mamas out there in the giant world known as blogging -  thank you for all that you do and all that you are.  For kissing boo boos and singing your ABCs a gazillion times and for knowing the perfect ratio of peanut butter to jelly.  You are amazing.  And beautiful.  And talented.  And you matter.

Oh, and I'm totally serious about the no-changing-diapers rule on Mother's Day - it's official.  LeeLee declared in case your hubby wants to know...

And for good measure, some of my favorite pictures from Annie Louise's birth day and the days that followed...

Finally in my arms!  Cue the tears and uncontrollable sobs...

She's here!  What just happened?  And now, what do I do?
Holy moly, I look a HOT mess!

In the postpartum room, getting lots of snuggles.  AL's nurse snapped this photo, it's one of my favorites!

The day after AL's birth.  Looking much better thanks to a shower and some make-up (and cute hospital gowns) - and how sweet is my little doodlebug with that head full of hair?!

Oh, yes.  The days of tears and prayers that followed...we didn't have visitors for days after AL was born because I was a blubbering mess!  To those of you that were there during those first few days helping me, THANK YOU and love you!

Hope y'all have a blessed day!  'Til next week...

Where have I been?

You have probably given up on me ever posting again.  You did, didn't you?

Well, life has been busy, to say the least.  B was gone out of town.  Then, I met a new friend called Fifty Shades of Grey, and I finished the entire series in like 4 days.  Next, we went to Georgia for the weekend.  And before you knew it, B's busy time at work came around, and I was a single mama for a week or so.  

Life.Has.Been.Busy.

But, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I told B that I needed a few hours to work on my blog because I had seriously been neglecting it.  So, here I am!  I am alive and well, promise...I even hope to have a vlog tomorrow....fingers crossed!

Yesterday, my dear friend, Katelyn started her 5th round of Chemo.  This is a really pivotal round of chemo, so we all decided to hit her hard with encouragement all at once.  

A lot of us had purchased shirts with our "slogan" - kick cancer, kate!  We have been posting them like crazy on Facebook, and we are hoping to just cover her in prayers, good thoughts and encouraging words.  

We had a good time taking a few photos...here are my favorites!

Family portrait time...yes, I used the timer on my camera!

We even purchased a toddler shirt for Miss Annie Louise!

Waving hello to Auntie Katelyn!

And of course, we couldn't do anything ADPi related without throwing up the toddler diamonds.  No, I'm not teaching my daughter gang symbols...

So, there's a quick update for you all...I hope I didn't lose all my readers with my 2 week hiatus!  I promise to be back with lots of fun updates and posts!

Have a blessed day, y'all!