Little Birdies

We have birds.

Not as bad as having bugs.  And really what we have right now is eggs.  A little birdie made a nest on the windowsill of our bathroom a few weeks ago and when I checked on it this week, four little blue eggs had been added.

Sam has actually become quite obsessed with the "eggs" and we have to check on them at least 47 times a day.  "I wanna see the eggs.  Mommy, can I see the eggs?  I wanna see the eggs!!"  Again.  And again.  And again.  And every time we open the window Mama Bird gets real mad and chirps and chirps at us from a perch across the yard until we leave her alone again.

I'll keep you updated on our little interlopers when they appear from their blue shells.  Maybe we'll name them. 

Any suggestions??

Happy Easter!

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

The Wedding Day

Let me give you a little bit of a back story.

Dara and I have been best buds since 2nd grade.  Jennifer (the Bride), J Wads (also a Jennifer) and Emily were a couple of years behind us and have also been BFF's since early on.  We all went to church together since we were little tykes and at some point during our high school and college years, decided we would all be friends.  Jennifer, Emily, Dara and I also all lived together at some point during our college years.

So, you are left with five girls who have known each other for 20+ years and would do anything for each other.  I realize this kind of friendship is rare and now being 6 hours removed from all of them, it makes me grateful for the time I have to spend with them.  I am honored to be able to stand next to them on important days like weddings.  And blessed to have them by my side when I need them most.  I may go weeks or months between talking to them, but we always pick right back up.  We all love each other and accept each others flaws and gifts, as is.

Ok, done with the mushy stuff.

As mentioned before, it really doesn't take much to entertain us.  I'm certain that most people probably think we all hate each other, because we spend a lot of time making fun of one another and laughing at unfortunate things that happen to us.  Like falling flat on your face in front of lots of people at church.  Or opening a janitor's closet door when you meant to be going into a classroom.  And instead of acknowledging your mistake and looking for the room you actually wanted, you just go in the closet and shut the door behind you.  Brilliant.  This is important to know about us because it makes each moment only a memory to potentially poke fun at in the near future. 

So, we kicked off the day with a little tradition that involves waking up the bride on her wedding day by singing "Going to the Chapel" with lit candles and passing on the garter that I wore in my wedding.  (I am the most mature, so I got married first.  Right.)  Now, if you could hear us sing, you would know that waking up to this can't possibly be a pleasant situation, but is merely tolerated as you wait for someone to bring out the biscuits that also accompany the tradition.  It always goes back to what food is involved...

After the garter/biscuit tradition, we all rushed off to get ready for the day, reconvening several hours later, hair and make-up complete.  We rehearsed, took pictures and then anxiously awaited the main event that was located at the beautiful Sonnet House.

Now, here is where I remind you that as a child I was a huge tom-boy.  And I've never grown out of it.  Hair?  Give me the easiest cut available.  Makeup?  Less is better.  Jewelry?  No thanks.  All I need is my wedding band.  And heels?  No, not ever, not gonna happen.  For two reasons.  One, if someone is gonna fall or break a bone doing something that is typically not harmful, that someone will be me.  So why place myself higher in the air?  Only gives me further to fall.  No reason to further increase my chances of another knee surgery.  And two, there is absolutely no reason to wear shoes that are that uncomfortable...

Well. The only reason is if your BFF asks you to in the name of love on her wedding day. And for her, I will do anything. Including a hair and make-up session by my wonderful sister-in-law, wearing jewelry given by the bride herself and those lovely heels. And you want to know a secret?? I actually loved it all! Please don't tell anyone. I have an image to maintain, which doesn't normally include eye liner and heels! But who are we really kidding?? We were all smokin' hot. Smokin'.

This isn't the best picture ever due to the lighting issue, but I had to document the wearing of heels. 
Because it didn't last long...

So, the ceremony went on.  And thankfully no one, myself included, fell.  I did, however, have to stifle laughter throughout the ceremony (in between the tears) as the precious flower girl repeatedly scratched an itch that was in a most inconvenient place.  And at one point turned and asked me what was going on and were we almost finished. 

Lighting the unity candle.  Almost Mr. & Mrs...!!!!

Now, because those heels I was wearing made my toes literally numb while standing on stage, I took them off as soon as I was out of sight of the crowd.  And said a silent prayer thanking the good Lord that I had made it down the aisle on numb toes.  And because we always have something fun up our sleeves, we swapped our heels for our cowboy boots for the reception and proceeded to dance the night away!  (Cowboy Boots Note:  We went line dancing in Nashville for Jennifer's Bachelorette Party.  Let me just say that a love for line dancing that I wasn't aware that I had, emerged that weekend.  Doesn't make me good at it.  Just have a blast doing it!)

I thought our boots made us look even better...

This picture makes it look like I know what I'm doing, but really I was just stomping around in my boots, having a good time.  I have zero rhythm.  I think it's part of the whole tom-boy thing.



My date for the evening.  Since I had left my actual date in Kentucky.



He turned out to be quite the little dancer.  He asked me the next morning if we could
"go back to that wedding and dance again?"  Precious.

I even got Mom to dance.  Although I'm fairly certain if we hadn't been in a public place and I wasn't taller than her, she would have given me a spanking for dragging her on to the dance floor against her very obvious wishes.  It's OK, Mom.  You can be Baptist and dance!

Break it down, Mom!

And what's a wedding without half of the guests exclaiming over how they can't believe how big we've gotten (Really, people?  We are all pushing 30.  Or have already gotten there.) or talking about how they can't believe that we are all still friends and they remember this or they remember that.  It's really quite entertaining.  But in the name of memories, here's a picture with our beloved Mrs. Zo, who has been Sunday School Teacher to all of us at some point in the past.

Dara, Emily, Mrs. Zo, Jennifer, Jana & Jennifer

So, while I'm thrilled that Eric & Jenn are now forever The Brown's, I'm terribly upset that I don't currently have an event on the horizon that will require us to all be in the same state.  I mean, we have so much to talk about after the wedding...it was AAAAMAZING!  Hehe... 

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Brown!!!  I love you both!!

Now...line dancing, anyone??

Pre-nuptial Merriment

I'll break down this past weekend into a couple of posts and then we'll get back to regular programming.  AKA two handsome, smiling Ethiopians.

First, a million kudos to Kenny who has been Mr. Mom for the third and final weekend of this most recent wedding extravaganza.  Seriously.  I have no doubt that he would do it again in a heartbeat, but I know that it's also easier when you aren't being double teamed.  And half of that team locks you out of the house (and car) while you are trying to get ready to leave for church.  Thanks for that little bit of entertainment, Sam. 

Now, on to wedding excitement. 

Thursday night was full of girly fun at a local tearoom as we bridesmaids were treated to dinner.  It only took Dara and I passing the place no fewer than 47 times to find it.  But it was well worth the drive for great food, good company and lots of laughs.  We laugh a lot really.  I'm pretty sure my rock hard abs are from laughing.  Not the 2 and half sit-ups I so faithfully do each night before bed.  Pretty sure.

Friday night had us dodging tornados again, but we are getting pretty good at doing that. We joined everyone for a pre-wedding shrimp boil and hand-dipped ice cream.  I'm pretty much ate shrimp and cheddar garlic biscuits until I was almost sick.  And then ate some ice cream.  And laughed some more. 

Honestly, it takes little more to entertain us than somewhere for us to be loud.  We are our own entertainment.  Good food is just a bonus.  And I discovered what my love language is this weekend, which was fitting since it was wedding time.  Sarcasm.  Yep, sarcasm.  Thank you Matthew, for helping me realize that.  We decided the guy that wrote the love languages book missed a whole market of people when he skipped this.  And I'm glad to know that Kenny and I can speak to each other using this language of sarcasm and still know that the love is real.


A stunning group, really.  Although I look half asleep...



"Virginia.  I'm sick."  That's all I have to say about that.

Dara and I have known each other for so long that my little sister who couldn't say "Dara" when she was learning to talk, now has a kid of her own that can't say "Dara".  That's a long time.  And we still really like each other.

I'll wrap up the actual wedding day next.  As a preview, just know that I wore heels.  For the first time ever in my life. 

And yes, I'm almost 30.

A Happy, Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my favorite 3-year-old in Alabama...

What was that?  You said your favorite presents were your rain boots, umbrella and Cars PJ's.  Well, of course, they came from your favorite cousins Charlie and Sam!

So, do I get a kiss for being the best aunt ever??

I'm not leaving Alabama without one...



Awww, c'mon, you know you love me!

Ok, I'll settle for picture without your hands shoved up my nose.





A Mess

In case you ever wondered on what occasion you should don a poncho, shower cap, foot booties and goggles...

Erica, Ashley, Jana, Nicole, Leanne, Matt, Dwayne, Andy, Tyler & Pastor Nick
...and Ada who just HAD to get in on the excitement!

Only when you are about to be smeared head to toe with cool whip by 50 kids who have been faithfully learning scripture all year in order to earn pies!

Or if you lose your umbrella.

But either scenario is bound to leave you a little messy and in need of a shower.

Bad plan.

One of the flaws that I have as a human being is if I get it in my mind that I'm going to do something, then there is little anyone can do to change my mind.  I'm going to do it exactly how I had planned regardless of the other circumstances that may come about. 

For example, recording the obviously irreplaceable memories that my family is making.

I had decided before we even went to Georgia that I was going to take pictures of the boys next to the picturesque stream that I was sure we would be camping near.  So, the last afternoon we were there, I HAD to take the boys pictures.  HAD to.  It was part of the plan.  Even though Sam hadn't had a nap in at least 5 days and it was definitely showing.  And Charlie was in a foul mood for an unknown reason and smiling wasn't high on his priority list at the time.

Still, I had planned on taking these pictures and I was going to get them no matter what.  So, two ill boys, their equally annoyed father, overzealous mother and cheerleader grandmother, took a walk down to the creek and embarked on a picture taking adventure.

Bad plan.

Sam:  "I'm pretending to yawn, Mom. 
Charlie:  "This is the most excited I can possibly get about this.  Therefore, I will give you the same blank look
and generic non-smile for every single picture you take.  You're welcome in advance."

"This is the biggest, cheesiest smile I can muster."

"Ooooo, I bet those kids over there are having fun.  I wonder how much longer this will take..."

"I'm not smiling any bigger than this.  Absolutely refuse."

"I forgot...did you want GOOD pictures?"

"How's this??  Biggest smile I have in me!"

As punishment for not allowing me to get decent pictures, I will now drag them to the local photography studio so that I may document for all the world to see, what Charlie and Sam looked like at ages 8 and 4.  Where they will behave perfectly and give wonderful smiles to someone they have never met.  I can almost guarantee it.

Sigh.

Oh, well.  I tried. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ok.  So, maybe I got a few that are just OK...

Georgia Fun

This is the month of college roommate weddings and we kicked it off by going to Georgia for D & Christie's wedding.

Now.  For your reading and viewing pleasure, let me just break this trip down into 3 superb categories.

1.  The wedding
2.  The camping
3.  The putt-putt

So #1, the wedding.  In short, it was a beautiful ceremony, at a beautiful resort with a beautiful couple.  Kenny stood in as a groomsman for his college roommate Big D at Brasstown Valley Resort.  The downside.  Hurricane force winds all day long that made this beautiful sunny day in the 60's almost unbearable.  Seriously.  Wind advisories for the whole area.  Spinach salad from the buffet flying all over the place kinda of crazy.  But congrats to D & Christie!!



College roomies:  Jason, D & Kenny...oh, the stories I could tell on these 3...



Dressed & ready for the wedding.  And note.  Sam has decided he no longer knows how to smile. 
Every posed picture of him I have, has this weird, forced, sideways smile.  Great.

The ceremony

Next, the camping.  Since this trip to Hiawassee, GA fell the weekend before Charlie's Spring Break and it takes little to nothing for my parents to drop everything to come see the boys (not us, the grandkids), we decided to introduce the boys to camping.  So, we incorporated campfires, bike riding and playing in the mud into our wedding weekend.  The boys LOVED camping and despite our last evening in GA spent in the bathhouse with the rest of the campground due to yucky weather, we had a blast.

Sam telling Papa how to cook breakfast.  Really.

"Fishing."

Enjoying a campfire-made pie.  If you've never had one, you are really missing out.  Really.

He was stuck in the mud.  Quite entertaining, if you ask me.



While in Hiawassee, we made the short trek down to Helen, GA, which is best described as a biker's version of Gatlinburg.  Still.  We had fun and introduced the boys to the fabulous game of putt-putt.  All went well until Sam got 3 hole-in-ones and Charlie lost to his little brother.  But a quick trip to the ice cream shop helped ease the sting of a bitter loss.

Cheesy, obligatory family vacation photo.

And one with Papa & Gammy.

Stay tuned for outtakes from a fairly unsuccessful attempt to get some spring pictures of the boys...

Wait for it...

We are here.  We have just had relatively few days actually in the state of Kentucky in the last few weeks.  And my computer is being a turd.

Pictures soon.  I promise.