Surprise!!

So I haven't posted in awhile but I have a good reason...we got quite a surprise in our Easter baskets this year!!

Yep, that's right!  The Southern family is expecting a new addition...making us a family of FIVE!!!  FIVE!!!  It still hasn't sunk in 100%!!

We found out Wednesday April 20th...right before Easter and we're due December 22nd.  So in the spirit of these two special holidays...we tied them both into the announcement for our families.  We had Kenley color a picture for each of her grandparents...something she normally does then printed off a little poem.  We folded the poems inside her masterpieces and placed them in Easter eggs.  Here's the poem:

Twas the week of Christmas

and who should appear??

Why another sweet baby 

to love and hold dear!!!

Our families were as surprised as we were and everyone is excited about our Christmas arrival!!!  When I told Kenley she is going to be a big sister again she said "Yay!!!!!!"

As usual with me and pregnancy I have been feeling pretty awful.  The nausea hit hard at 6wks 4days and hasn't let up.  I'm thankful for healthy pregnancies but wish the nausea wasn't so bad and didn't last so long.

We should find out if its a boy or girl right around our 6 year anniversary!!! We are so excited about this new miracle and cannot wait to welcome him/her into our family!!

12 Days of Easter

A friend tagged me in this on Facebook and I just LOVE this idea and had to share:

I saw this on a blog and thought it was something I would give a try. I am all for SIMPLE.. This seems "do able"~First you gather 12 different plastic eggs and then you number them 1-12.  When the eggs are filled, you will be placing them either in an empty egg carton or a basket.
In each egg you will put a piece of paper with a scripture on it.  You will also add a small item to represent the passage to be read.  (If you have more than one young child, you might want to put double or triple the number of items in every egg so each child can each take something away from the activity.)

The 12th egg, though, will be symbolically empty to represent the empty tomb when Jesus rose on the third day.

1. Matthew 26:26-27,39 (sacrament cup or small cracker or chex cereal)
2. Matthew 26: 48-49 (chocolate kiss)
3. Matthew 26: 14-15 (3 dimes) [This fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-14.]
4. Matthew 27:1-2 (knotted twine)
5. Matthew 27:15, 17, 21, 24-26 (chunk of hand soap)
6. Matthew 27:28-30  or Mark 15:16-17 (square of red or purple fabric)
7. Matthew 27:31-32 (small nail or toothpick cross)
8. Matthew 27:50-51, 54 (crushed rocks)
9. Matthew 27:57-60 (strip of white cloth)
10. Matthew 27:60, 62-66 (a small, flat stone)
11. Mark 16:1, 2-6 (bay leaf or other herb)
12. Matthew 28:5-6 (empty)

 (Not sure who the photo belongs to...it was in the post, isn't it pretty?!)

Say Cheese

Prayers

The terrible tragedy of the tsunamis & earthquakes are heartbreaking.  I can only imagine how terrible and frightening it is to experience something so horrific.  It breaks my heart when anyone has to endure such catastrophic events.  Even as a believer I sometimes ask God why things like this happen.  I'll never know 'why' on this side of eternity, I just have to trust Him.  The only answer and only comfort is that He is in control of all things and uses good and bad for His purpose. 

My heart and prayers go out to everyone who has been affected by these recent events.

Life Lately

Our sweet teeny, tiny Taylor turned 9 months old Wednesday. I just cannot believe our sweet little girl is NINE months old!  She has 2 shiny bottom teeth, she's crawling like a champ, she's pulling up and standing and she loves to climb!!!  She's starting to eat a little bit of table food...in teeny tiny bites of course!  At her doctor appt Wednesday she weighed in at 16lbs 1ox...4 lbs lighter than her big sister at this age!!  She still fits in some of the 3-6 month clothes!  She LOVES to high five!  She has an infectious smile that brightens the room and draws people near her.  Her laugh is truly precious and her personality is still so gentle and content.  She is an absolute angel!!!  Here's a little picture of our sweet-T

Kenley is truly the best big sister.  When Taylor cries, Kenley is quick to bring Taylor's favorite toys and soothes her saying "It's ok...mommy is here."  Kenley will sit and play with Taylor and is so sweet to tell Taylor she loves her.  I love watching them together and know it will be a true joy to see their relationship as they grow up.

Tonight we are grilling out burgers and hopefully enjoying our little backyard...one of our favorite activities as a family.  When it gets too dark or a little too chilly, we'll come in and watch the Cosby Show together...something Kenley has really gotten into and we couldn't be more thrilled!!  We may even make chocolate chip cookies from scratch.  A perfect evening!!

My first wedding is tomorrow and then again on Sunday.  I'm so nervous and excited and it means the world to me to know my husband is cheering for me.  He has been SO supportive of my new photography venture and I couldn't do it without his support, encouragement and enthusiasm...he's such a blessing! 

I've signed up for another 5k at the end of the month.  Running is something I NEVER thought I would do.  I totally used to think people who ran were a little crazy...but that's because I'm lazy and have asthma...not a good combination for a runner.  I have to say though...I've really been enjoying it lately!!!  I'm doing the couch to 5k and I just finished week 2!!  I've been trying to do this for a couple of years and I've never made it this far (remember what I said earlier about the lazy)  I'm totally excited and can't wait for my next 5k!!!

BIG Announcement!!

So I've been sitting on this news since January because honestly, it was just too good to be true!!  It's been long enough...time to make the announcement...

On January 1st I got an offer from J Messer Photography to be her assistant/second shooter!!!  This is EXACTLY what I wanted to do with my photography and I'm so unbelievably excited to be working with someone so talented!!!

My first wedding with her is March 12th!!!  I'm so excited and can't wait to kick off the wedding season!!

 Here we are at a bridal show back in February.

Photo by Tom Daspit

I'm pleating!!!!!!!

Having little girls in the South means they have to wear precious little smocked bishops.  Thanks to my "Do-it-yourself" nature, I wanted to learn how to smock...plus you can save a little when you make them yourself.  So 2 years ago I decide that I'm going to smock Kenley's Easter dress.  [It was a huge undertaking b/c I decided this kinda late in the game]  A dear friend, Ellen, sat with me at lunch one day and taught me the basics and my amazing mother-in-law (MIL) 'put the dress together' and Kenley had a beautiful handmade smocked Easter dress. 

 Here she is on her first Easter ('09)!

My love for smocking has only grown.  I seriously love it!  I love seeing my girls in those precious dresses and I love knowing that I made it for them.  Now I know how to put together my own bishop and [again thanks to my MIL] I can now PLEAT my own dresses!!!! 

Why is this a big deal?  Well pleating the dress costs about $15-17.  Multiply that by 2 and that means I'm spending roughly $30 just to have the dress pleated.  That does not include material, thread, smocking plate, etc.  By the time it's all said and done...you're really not saving that much making it yourself. 

MIL surprised me at Christmas with my very own pleater and I finally got the courage to give it a try today.  After doing some reading and watching a couple of videos I grabbed some spare fabric and turned the crank and successfully pleated for the first time!  I'm so excited!!!!  Now I can make dresses for my girls, gifts for friends and maybe over pleating services.

Once I finish my first 'start to finish' smocked bishop I will post pictures!!

 SQUEE!!!!!  Here's my pleater!!!

Check. It. Out.  I pleated something!!

This is a dress I smocked for my friend's little girl ('09).  LOVE this blue!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress!  I made this for Kenley last summer ('10)

This one is very precious....this was Taylor's coming home dress ('10).  It was the first dress I ever put together.  She was so beautiful in it!