It's A...

GIRL!!!!

Addisyn Kate will be joining us on or around June 4, 2013!  We are so excited!!! 

(I'm slightly behind in posting this, but I'm playing some blog catch up today.)

Another New Adventure Begins...

Since I was a little girl, it has always been my dream to be a stay at home mom.  I even dressed up as one for Halloween when I was 4.

When Matt & I got married, I had hoped and prayed that one day when we had kids that it would be possible.  Once we found out we were pregnant, we discussed and determined that it would be possible to do this.  I turned my resignation in early in March with the plan for my last day to be right before we left on High School Choir Tour.  I ended up returning to work part time for a couple weeks after we returned from New York in order to train the new girl they hired.

I am so grateful to have this opportunity.  I've been home for the last 2 weeks and it has been wonderful to be able to rest, get things organized & get back to my couponing & crafting.  

The Adventure of Telling Our Parents

I spent a lot of time googling how to tell your husband, your parents, your friends & students that we were pregnant.  I have a need to be creative in EVERYTHING possible.  I don't want to be predictable, but I do want it to be fun and meaningful.  So, one day while reading the forum on my what to expect when you are expecting app, I found the perfect way to tell our parents.  It was a letter.  One that could be emailed!  Now, some would find that an email letter is impersonal, but we really needed to find a way that we could let them know at the same time- to be fair to both sets.  So, here is what it said:

I do not have a face to see,
Or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss.
I don't yet have a name.

You can’t yet hold my tiny hands,
Nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song,
Or cuddle me so near.

But all that will change come June;
That’s when mom says I’m due.
I am your new grandson or granddaughter;
And I can't wait until I meet you!

All I ask between now and then,
Is your patience while I grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait,
Because of all the love we'll know.

So what I have to give you now,
Is a wish to you from me.
I cannot wait to be a part
Of this wonderful family.

Then we just sat back and waited for the phone calls.  :)

Starting a New Chapter in Our Lives

So, I'm behind in my blogging... AGAIN.  If anyone still reads this blog, I'll be amazed.  I have a good reason for being so behind this time I promise!
We have been so, so, so busy.  In the midst of all the busyness, we happily discovered we were expecting our first child.  So, due to being extremely nauseous and tired over the last several months, I was not really up to blogging.  It was all I could do to make it to work in the morning and then cook dinner at night.  Matt has been so good to me by handling all the cleaning so I could get some rest.  I am so thankful for him.  Here is the story of how I told him I was pregnant:
It was a Thursday morning when I took the test.  I was SHOCKED when it came out positive.  Matt sleeps later than I do in the mornings, so he was still asleep.  I was so hoping he would wake up so I could tell him, but alas, he did not.  So, I spent the day at work trying to plan a creative way to tell him. I knew that I had to use a Gigi's Cupcake as they have been a big part of major events in our life.  The question was how I could incorporate it.  So, I bought a pacifier, stuck it in the top with a piece of paper attached that had the estimated due date and then set a jar of Prego spaghetti sauce next to it.

 I had this great plan to video record it.  The phone was perfectly set up to go and when Matt finally walked in the door, my fat finger double clicked it, so no recording.  Boo!  He kinda stared at the cupcake and it took a little while for it to register.  Once it did, he got really excited.

(Good thing he thinks his wife rocks!)

Then, I had to tell him that he had to keep it a secret for awhile.  He really wanted to tell people.  Bless his heart!  I made him wait till after our first appointment before we even told our parents!

We are so excited to start this new journey!  It's going to be so much fun!

In the next edition, I'll share how we told our parents.

Oh My...

Oh my!  I guess I've been a little MIA on the blog lately.  Time seriously does go by so quickly for us!  We are so, so, so busy!  Student choir started back in August, so we've been working on getting back into a routine with that.  We have a great group of students that truly want to learn both about music and about God.  It's such an honor and blessing to work with them each week.  I have left some of my usual Sunday activities so as to cut back on stress.  Currently, I am teaching a 4 year old Life Group and I LOVE it!!!  It's been two weeks and I seriously have the MOST precious kids!  Last week, we pulled them together to tell the story.  The whole time I was telling it, they kept inching closer and closer to me.  I couldn't help but think of how at such a young age, they just wanted to hear more.  I am so excited to be with them again tomorrow.  I am also still a part of the adult choir.  It's been an amazing few weeks of worship with them.  The choir is growing and it is so exciting to see!  We are so excited to have a new Worship Pastor.

My latest craft project was a fabulous door hanging.  I love the brightness it adds to our door.  Plus, it was just SO fun to make!

 I had to say goodbye to my girls this past month.  Not going to lie, it was a very tearful goodbye for all of us.  I have been so blessed to be able to work with these sweet girls over the last few years.  We have been through quite a bit together and have bonded in some unusual ways.  They are all grounded in the Word of God.  I am so looking forward to seeing how God is going to use them not only at their school, but also in their future. I already miss them a lot, but am so thankful for texting and Facebook so I can still keep up with them.

(We made the awesome headbands/bows in our last girls day)

I think that is about it going on right now.  We spent Labor Day at home this year.  It was kind of nice to have a chill weekend.  Matt's birthday is coming up this week.  I've been working on a craft project for some birthday decor, but still haven't finished it.  Hopefully, I'll have it done by Tuesday and then I'll be able to do a post on it.  

Until next time...  :)

Beach... Round 2!

I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever met me knows I have a sincere love for the beach.  Some of my best naps have been taken at the beach.  I love the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.  It's the place where I don't have to think about the craziness of life.  I can sit back, rest and enjoy.

Somehow, I was able to convince Matt to take me back to the beach for a 2nd time this summer.  It was probably because he burned himself so badly the first time.  Haha.  This time we went with his parents, brother and nephew.  It was so much fun to play in the sand, swim in the water and rest a little more.  The best part was that we were there over 4th of July (my 2nd favorite holiday).  There was nothing better that week then laying on the sand, listening to the waves and watching the fireworks go off.  Perfect 4th of July in my opinion.  :)

We ate pretty good too.  Started at Lambert's (as usual) for Matt's rolls, then stopped at Lulu's for my shrimp fix & then our usual final stop in Birmingham at Jim & Nick's.  I probably gained 20 lbs. just from eating. haha.  Good thing we had a couple walks on the beach!

On the way out of town, we stopped at the USS Alabama in Mobile.  It was so neat!  There was so much to look at and do while there.  Not only did they have the Battleship, but they also had some fighter planes and a submarine.  There is no way I would have made it on any of those.  Major props to all those who have & continue to serve!

When we got back it was close to our nephew Ben's birthday, so we had a little birthday party for him. We celebrated with Tacos and Gigi's Cupcakes.  So fun!

Got an Oil Stain on Your Couch?

We have a micro suede couch upstairs in the "man cave". It's a light camel color, so stains are very obvious. We probably need to scotch guard it, but since we don't have kids yet, we haven't bothered. With students being over often, we have had an occasional spill, but nothing too bad. The other day I noticed an oil type stain in a couple places on the couch. This was unacceptable. So, I decided to give cornstarch a try on it.





I poured it on (a little too much) and scrubbed it in with my nails. Then let it set for about an hour and a half. The result?



It's not completely gone, but definitely not noticeable. Yay!


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