It's a wonderful life...

Embracing the Camera~Superstar Silly Style

2012-02-09T11:38:00.002-05:00

Because it's {still} winter...

and we may be

losing. our. minds.

from so much time spent indoors.

We're embracing the camera silly style today!

So please enjoy....

The good...

bad....

and.....

....the ~~ugly...~~

...silly!

...all at OUR expense.

Doesn't it just feel good to have a little chuckle out loud???

Now feel free to smile!

Lil' superstar, what did I EVER do for fun before YOU entered our world?

I mean...REALLY!!!

Here's wishing you a fun-filled, flat-out SILLY day!

Linking to: Emily @ The Anderson Family Crew

Coffee & L-o-v-e

2012-02-07T15:04:00.003-05:00

Hi, I'm Lois and...

I. love. coffee.

End of story.

{A yummy Hazelnut low fat latte made in my very own kitchen for under 5$...yum!}

Lately we've discovered a new love...

Lil' man loves Superman!

{Yes I'm aware he's close to the screen..and yes it has become a daily battle

ever since we got "his kindle". He's learning.}

He pretends I'm Lois. He "saves" me daily,

and gives me spontaneous hugs.

Hey, I'll take that. ;o)

He puts his fists out "just like Superman", we hum the Superman

theme song and I "help" him fly. ;o)

I'm well on my way to being the coolest mom. EVER.

I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

My theory is...

..if you can't beat 'em...join 'em.

It helps that I'm a kid at heart.

(..and actually more of a tomboy than I ever dreamed I could possibly be...)

He loves candy hearts

and....

my hips love them too.

I L-O-V-E this lil' guy and his creative granna that

made this adorable Valentine's day shirt for him.

The shirt is now in the shop.

I'm loving that we've had an amazingly MILD winter.

Thank you Lord!

I'm kind of leery of the famed groundhog seeing his shadow,

and there is lots and lots of talk about the blizzard of '93.

My ears just can't seem to listen to folks talk about

the possibility of a "late winter storm".

We shall see.

I was ready for winter to be over the minute it began.

Although it feels like it's early spring really.

I'm frankly just not a fan of winter.

What I AM a fan of is..."toy parties".

..and right this very moment I'm being summoned to one.

This time we're laying the capes aside, and

we're playing with tools. I am a PRO with power tools.

Pink ones. ;o)

Linking to: Amy @ Lucky #13

Live Life

2012-01-30T11:39:00.000-05:00

I live the life I love, and I LOVE the life I live.

It's that simple.

Happy Monday!!!

Kitchen Update

2012-01-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

{I apologize for not having this posted earlier...life happens.}

The kitchen project is pretty much done.

We just need to glaze the trim over the cabinets and silicone/caulk a few things.

{Yea, when I say "we"..I mean "he". The hubs. I tried my hand at a power sander

and I didn't hurt anything/anyone...not sure if I can handle a tube of caulk...}

It was an amazing transformation.

The only before picture I have is this one....

{Just a TON of wood. I love wood, but this was a bit much....}

Drum roll.......please!!!!

Ta--da!!!

The bar is my absolute fav thing about the kitchen!

Hubs did some amazing trim work on it.

We saw the box trim idea on Pinterest. {Go figure.}

I love the fresh clean look!

And how the cabinets POP against the wood now!

Hubs got me an early Valentine's day present--Tulips.

Too bad they couldn't have lasted until Feb. 14.

Now I can use any pop of color I'd like to update the kitchen area. I'm all about color, but

I also like to change things up often.

We placed bead board on the end cabinets and painted it black. It adds a really

custom touch to things.

I scored this huge hurricane canister at TJ Maxx for $5.00!

LOVE!

I love the bright white bead board. It really brightens it all up.

Soon those cafe curtains will go bye-bye! I've had them for three years and moved around from room to room. I'm ready for a fresh neutral update to open up the windows. Canvas panels will be there soon!

We used our existing hardware and I actually don't mind the white appliances so bad anymore.

It took about two weeks start to finish. My husband is UH-MAZING!!!

Weekend F-U-N

2012-01-23T16:37:00.003-05:00

What a nice eventful weekend we've just experienced.

Friday--play date at the mall.

(Nap time was pure Heaven on earth! Is it wrong if I want to take my kid to the mall everyday that it's cold out and let him play until he falls over???? Play hard--sleep hard will always be my theory for getting things done around my house.)

Saturday--Family lunch date at P.F. Changs. I've heard their chocolate cake is do die for, but no chocolate cake for us! We've got a wedding to get in shape for. (Uncle Seth and Rachel's wedding is ONE month, ONE day from TODAY. Holy COW!!!!)

Lil' man was stylin' and profilin' @ the Restaurant. The aviators are courtesy of picnik. They are doing away with picnik as of April 19, 2012. You can get the premium features for FREE until then. I've been paying $4.95 a month since Jan 2009. =(

Saturday after lunch we went to The East Tennessee Discovery Center for some F-U-N!

It's a small-ish museum with fun science exhibits, a few reptiles {eeewww!}, a planetarium, and some fun activities for kids ages 3-7. Bradyn loved the whole experience, and it was a great introduction to the museum experience.

There are TONS of museums in our area that we plan to hit up soon!!

Bradyn and daddy had so much fun with lego's, the train table & the Geo Board.

{Daddy is so creative with lego's and rubber bands. He can build a guitar out of mega blocks, and he made Phineas (from Phineas & Ferb) out of rubber bands on the Geo Board at the ETDC. I'm mainly creative with a camera around my neck..or at least I'd like to think so...or a glue gun in my hand. A new year's goal of mine is to become MORE creative with toys and such...}

We ended our fun filled weekend with church on Sunday.

Oh! How I love that sweet smile!

{Even if it was kind of forced...}

Lil' man looked SO stylish

sporting a bow tie his sweet Granna made for him.

{She pretty much supplies all of lil' man's accessories. Even D-ring belts now! I've been horrible about updating about the Etsy shop on my blog, but if you click here

you can see that Bradyn's Granna has been VERY busy creating cute accessories for boys all over the world. Canada, Australia, etc. There are some super cute and exciting things that will soon be revealed in the shop. Lil' man will be Granna's sweet model for a few more years I'm hoping!!!!}

Today we've been catching up on our chores--{ME!},

and playing with toys galore--{Lil' man!}

Isn't it crazy how your house gets so messy....

even if you're not home?

I wish the same "fairy" that made my house

such a mess would come back and clean it all up!!

We have made some time for some creativity in all the busy-ness.

There's always time for jumping on the bed

and snapping a few pictures!

Oh to be a kid again!

Today we gave mommy's bed a break and hit up the bed in

"the Grandparent's room".

Better lighting for photos,

and

more cushy...

...or so he says.

Happy Monday y'all!

Numbers

2012-01-19T12:13:00.001-05:00

I'm in a blogging "blah".

I'm trying to be more creative.

{Bear with me....}

{18--the number of times a day I catch lil' man jumping on our bed. *exaggeration*}

I read/follow many blogs.

I see lots of writing styles.

Take in lots of info....

the blogs I love the most are creative, innovative,

fresh.

Things I often think I am lacking.

But...who's calculating...right?

{8+--the number of times we read books, play games, watch Cars every day}

Mainly on my reading list is mommy blogs.

People like me.

It helps me to feel like I'm not alone.

{5+??--the number of times (a week) he "draws" a picture for mommy & daddy on his white board}

My life is not that exciting.

I once changed diapers all day...

now I'm flushing #1's & #2's

all day long.

{Even at 2:30am I'm doing this....I kind of feel like I have a newborn again...

but what's the purpose of potty training if I'm not going to enforce the rules???

YES, even at 2:30 in the morning.}

Being a stay-at-home mom isn't always as glamourous as it seems, but

it is the best choice for me.

Sometimes I do long for the day when lil' man is in first grade so I can

work outside the home or at home making $$$,

but for now I remind myself that

it won't be like this for long.

So I'm savoring the moment.....

..drinking lots and lots of coffee....

and I'm totally wishing I could

freeze time.

I try to memorize every morning that lil' man wakes up,

stares into my eyes, and says sweetly {and quite loudly}

"Wakey-wakey!!".

I try to memorize his sweet kisses, and those precious arms wrapped

around my neck.

When I'm in "memorize mode"...

the whining..

the screaming..

the tantrums..

the crazy madness of toddlerhood...

...seems to diminish.

Although mommyhood is a challenge, and requires sacrifice on a daily basis,

it is honestly the greatest achievement in my life.

I adore being a mom.

...I also adore being a wife to my sweet husband who

has lovingly been revamping the kitchen in our home.

He is simply THE best.

Here's a sneak peak.

The final reveal coming early next week!!!!

What do wish you could memorize or

what is your favorite moment in life you wish

that you could "freeze"???

The rest of the story....

2012-01-18T16:14:00.003-05:00

I realize I dropped the ball on documenting the

rest of our Christmas celebrations...

So I'm picking it up...

not a lot of talk...

...just {mainly} pictures.

ENJOY!

A couple of days before Christmas we did some celebrating

of our own by going to see Santa, and going to ride the

BIG train at the mall.

{Daddy made me pose for a pic with Santa too! Bradyn LOVED Santa this year!}

The night before Christmas Eve he was so excited
about opening his presents!

{Every year we buy him Christmas themed jammies! I love this tradition!}

As previously mentioned in this post about Christmas

and this one as well,
we have our own traditions for Christmas
as a family of three.
I'm so thankful for the priceless memories that we've made
and will continue to make.

The day after Christmas we drove to Kentucky to see
Brady's side of the family.

{Bradyn opening presents at Papaw Tim's (my father-in-law) house.}

We spent the evening with Brady's grandparent's
& Bradyn got some good play time in with some of his cousins.

(and Uncle Seth!)

We exchanged gifts with Nana, Poppy & Uncle Seth once we returned to our house.

My parents were in town after Christmas celebrating their
37th wedding anniversary, so we hung out with the grands
for most of the week.

We had fun eating at Mellow Mushroom!

{Lil' man mainly enjoyed coloring with Granna....}

After lunch we took a quick drive through Cades Cove.

{Our quick trip turned into a slightly longer one due to all the bathroom breaks! We also discovered lil' man's fond adoration for the game "Angry Birds".}

A couple of days later the family had to head back to Missouri,
so we had breakfast together before they left.

{Brady & his mom, Seth & Bradyn}

It's always kind of sad once we have family leave so we planned a fun day
at Dollywood for lil' man.

Granna & papaw accompanied us.

Bradyn LOVES driving the cars at Dollywood.
He is such a trip! He pretends to take me out on
"a date" when I'm riding with him. I love it!

He and daddy love leisure cruising!

We're going to have SO much fun at Dollywood this year!

So that sums it up.

Soon I'll post the end results of our Kitchen makeover.

I'm so excited to share it with you!

Morning

2012-01-12T09:16:00.005-05:00

This is attainable to me.

I love that there is no time frame, no pressure, no failure.

{My kind of challenge for my BUSY life!}

Christmas with the Grands[part 1]

2012-01-10T17:08:00.006-05:00

We drove to Granna and Papaw's house Christmas Eve night so we

could be there Christmas morning.

Lil' man has been into trains for quite some time,

and we've been wanting to get him a train table for a while now.

We thought about making one ourselves,

but then Granna & Papaw found a used one

for a steal!

It looks brand NEW!

...and to us..

it is.

Granna sat it out Christmas morning to surprise lil' man.

[His first look!]

He loved it! It's has these amazing drawers underneath for his trains, tracks,

race cars, and race tracks.

We've set it up in his room and it looks really cool in there.

Lil' man got more trains at Granna's house,

he got a cool backpack to store them in, and a new teeter-totter for his swing set.

{opening presents}

Giving Granna some love...

...in the form of "fuzzy pickle" hugs. =)

My Grandma came over later in the day, and we exchanged presents with her.

She got Bradyn a BIG robot which he calls Iron Man.

He loves it!

While Papaw & Granna went to visit Uncle David's

(my brother's) grave site, Bradyn & I took a short trip

to Walgreens.

(Daddy was out deer hunting.)

On a whim I decided that he should

wear his BIG boy underwear for the first time in public during our trip!

He did super good. I was quite surprised.

He's been wearing big boy undies ever since.

(and so far only a few accidents have happened.)

I'm really proud of him!

On another note....

Christmas these days for my family is really bittersweet.

As the time goes by dealing with my brother's sudden death has gotten

somewhat easier. However, Holidays seem to magnify the fact that

he's not with us.

It's never easy to deal with.

{Pics of my brother & I playing in the snow sit in our office nook.}

Thankfully the hope of Heaven & the promise that we'll meet again

helps ease the pain.

I do long for that day...

...and I pray that I can enjoy the remainder of my days

with my precious parents, husband & son.

I know that's what my brother would want me to do.

Next up is Christmas with my husband's side of the family....

...stay tuned...

Two (Christmases) down.

Two to go.

If you wonder what's taking me so long to get caught up....

it has a little to do with...

this...

#1 I am a mom to a busy boy who likes it when I play
with cars in the floor....

{This isn't even HALF of his cars...thus the reason I pleaded PLEASE NO more Hot Wheels for Christmas!!!!}

..and..

#2 ~~My sweet husband and I~~ OK mainly my sweet husband
is in the middle of a major dust producing room renovation.

{I will dust when the dust is done being made....}

We hope to have it complete in a couple of weeks.

A new, fresh, and beautiful look
in the most used room in our house.

(No, not the bathroom..ha! It's next.)

The Kitchen.

Maybe, just maybe, this will help me do the dishes more often.

[fingers crossed]

=)
Thanks for bearing with me.

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-09T09:08:00.004-05:00

{My Christmas angel the day before Christmas Eve}

Since we travel quite a bit for Christmas celebrations

we celebrate Christmas as a family on Christmas Eve morning.

It's pretty magical.

As a kid I remember waking up to presents & Christmas lights

early in the morning.
(Not too early though....my brother & I really enjoyed our sleep!

7am was the earliest I remember EVER waking up on Christmas morning. )

Christmas Eve morning we ended up waking lil' man up around 8:00am

I told him that when he woke up his door would be taped up so he

could "bust through it like a super hero!".

He was really fond of the idea before he went to bed.

Not too fond of it once he woke up...

but he got the job done!

We usually sit out a few unwrapped gifts to surprise lil' man.

This year it was a stuffed Simba & some super heros!

Watching him unwrap his gifts was really fun!

He is a very neat person when it comes to unwrapping.

His "BIG" present was a scooter that he had been wanting for months.

It has Lightenin' McQueen on it and is super cute.

He got lots of trains, a wooden train track, and a few other things,

but his favorite gifts were his super hero mask/cape & the scooter.

Most of Christmas Eve was spent scooting around

the house with his cape flying in the wind. ;o)

After we ate breakfast we sat down for a minute on the couch,

and Bradyn climbed up in our laps, named all of his gifts

and told us he was "Thank-fill" for them.

My heart swelled.

Christmas is so magical with a little one around.

It definitely makes it SO much fun!

Christmas at Granna's house coming up next.

Stay tuned......

Busy as a Bee...

2012-01-08T00:51:00.001-05:00

It honestly must be genetic...

because I've been thinking the

Very.

Same.

Thing.

Major transformation is underway at our house.

(Mainly our kitchen)

I can't wait to show you the end result.

[Mmmm.....yea, but first we've got to get there.]

{Get where??? You ask? To the END result...yes...it's going to be a fun week!!}

Christmas X's four...coming soon.

Friday Fun

2012-01-06T16:15:00.001-05:00

Whew! What a week and a half it's been.

Our house is quiet now, and surprisingly fairly clean.

We've had about eight guests {all in all} over the last week and a half,

we've experienced FOUR Christmas's, we travelled to 3 houses for Christmas celebrations and we experienced a rather peaceful New Year's celebration.

(We didn't even watch the ball drop this year. We were in the bed! This year was the first time since I was a teenager that I didn't watch the ball drop.)

We've been feeling a bit like Hercules with all the organizing, rearranging,

and cleaning we've been doing in between visits from our friends and family.

{photo booth fun after lunch!}

Christmas has been put away, and we're gearing up for the year ahead of us.

Our life is becoming somewhat normal again, the weather has been absolutely beautiful

so far this winter, and we'll be back on schedule with blogging regularly next week.

Christmas X's FOUR will soon be documented.

I know you're looking forward to it. ;o)

I didn't take that many pictures, but we did make some amazing memories.

Happy Weekend!!!

Goals

2012-01-01T15:52:00.001-05:00

I've retired the term "resolution" & exchanged it for "goal".

My list of goals for this new year goes something like this....

(I won't bore you with the entire list.)

1. LIVE every day. Seriously EVERY day...LIVE.

2. Back up the bazillions of gazillions of photos I have saved on our computer.

3. Be more active and take better care of myself.

4. Provide love for my husband and son & do the best I can do build

a happy home for us.

5. Get better & better at photography!

6. Enjoy quiet time and let things sit so I can do so.....

I think that's enough for now...

{This picture was taken yesterday while we were tracking through the woods.
He IS his father's son! I love my sweet men. }

Praying you and your family have a Happy New Year!

[I am so excited to see Christmas go bye-bye at my house. I love it when it comes, and almost as much when it's time to go. Clean & neat....I can't wait for my house to look that way again!!! ]

Little Performer

2011-12-23T08:05:00.003-05:00

Before nap time yesterday we enjoyed a photo booth session ~~or two~~, or three.

{You will need to pause the playlist at the bottom o f the screen before watching the videos}

Santa Clause What are you Bringing Me--Written & Performed by

Bradyn H.

3 years old

Lil' man is musically talented. He loooooooves to sing & play his instruments!

Love the fact that he knows the real meaning of Christmas!

...And the boy knows how to have fun!

He's got some "making up songs" kind of skill!

There is an accordion under the tree waiting for him to grace

with those sweet lil' fingers of his.

We may honestly regret buying it for the noise it's going to produce, but

I'll never regret encouraging him to love music.

Merry Christmas!!

Hope all of your last minute things get done today.

[I'm praying I'm finished with all the cleaning, shopping, preparing for guests by tonight!]

Happy FRIDAY!!!

Snow Angel

2011-12-22T11:35:00.001-05:00

I love old/faded photographs. My mom recently brought me a few copies of photos she took of me & my brother playing in the snow.

I've used them to help make the guest bedroom festive for the Holiday season.

The guest room is almost ready for Nana & Poppy!!!!

It's all comfy and Christmas"ized" now.

Here is a quick sneak peak....

{Lamp courtesy of Goodwill! I just recovered the lamp shade to give it a fresh look.}

Printable from pinterest!!

Found brown mailing wrap @ the Dollar Tree!!!

Ribbon was left over from some bows I have made in the past.

Another repurposed lamp shade courtesy of Goodwill. I LOOOOOVE burlap!

Coffee filter wreath. I used the unbleached filters to make it antique looking.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU mother for capturing these fun pictures of me and my sweet "bubba". These memories are so precious to me!!!

I vaguely remember that coat I am wearing in the picture. I think it had a fur hand warmer that came with it. =)

Below is a close up of a picture frame I made into a small bulletin board.

Printable courtesy of pinterest.

Nana, we're praying that it doesn't snow until you get here....and then

LET IT SNOW!!!!!!!

(...and not stop for DAYS! A "snowed in" visit would be super nice!!!)

Christmas Letter 2011

2011-12-22T10:19:00.005-05:00

The older I get the faster time flies.

I can't believe another year has come and gone.

{I do believe I say this every Christmas.....}

From here on out until the second week of January I will be SUPER busy with family & holiday festivities. I'll be taking a little blog hiatus to enjoy being with my parents & my in-laws. I'm seriously blessed with the BEST family! Since I'll most likely be too busy to blog I thought I'd do an early "Year in Review" post. I pray each and every one of you have an amazing, memorable Christmas & New Years!!!!

This year has been filled to the brim with happiness, blessings, & God's goodness.

Of course we've had our share of ups & downs, but I like to focus on the positives.

Here are a few highlights of our year...

January 2011--A B-I-G snow!!! We totally got a significant amount of snow for the first time since we moved back to the south. SIX inches worth. Daddy was snowed in with us for a week. We had so much fun sledding, drinking hot chocolate, playing games & eating cookies. Mommy & daddy took their first overnight hiatus since Bradyn's birth. Marriage retreat was well worth it. We missed lil' man, but it was nice to have some time just the two of us. Reuniting with lil' man was pure J-O-Y!!

February 2011--Bradyn got to experience a day at daycare while mommy helped arrange flowers for a Valentine's day fundraiser. He LOVED it!!! (Ever since seeing Toy Story 3 he has BEGGED to go to daycare...he got his wish!)

March 2011--I can't recall anything major for March, but I KNOW near mid March I had my Easter/spring decor up. We were SO over winter at this point, and READY for warmer weather!!!

April 2011--We celebrated Easter with our friends & family. We had a good weekend filled with Easter activities! We started planning our trip to Edisto Island!

May 2011--A somewhat sad month, but God helped us through it. May 19th is my brother's birthday, and five days after his birthday is the anniversary of his death. We're so thankful for God's grace & peace that helps us through the rough times. We took a road trip near the end of the month to celebrate with Uncle Seth who graduated from High School. It was a long trip, but well worth the time spent on the road!!!! FUN times!

June 2011--Lil' man was in my cousin's wedding!! We took a long weekend trip to Edisto Beach, SC with our friends, and started planning our trip to Disney World!!

July 2011--Bradyn came down with Strep. We were unable to see all of our extended family for July 4th as we normally do. Nana, Poppy, Seth & Rachel came to visit us though. We had a fabulous time!!!!!!! Mommy & daddy hiked to Mt. Leconte (there & back) in ONE day! It's a TEN MILE HIKE! I was SO proud of myself!

August 2011--Much of August was spent in anticipation for Bradyn's birthday on the 28th. We planned a ten day getaway with granna & papaw in Davenport, Florida. (just 12 mins from Disney World) We got to be with granna for her VERY FIRST visit to the ocean. We had an absolute blast at Disney World for four days. (MY-MY it was HOT!!) We spent some much needed time with some really amazing life long friends that are Florida natives.

September 2011--Brady & I celebrated 11 years of marriage. I am so blessed to have such an amazing, loving, caring, handsome, dependable, AWESOME man to share my life with!!!

October 2011-- Fall festivities!!! Bradyn was Scooby-Doo for Halloween. We paid a visit to the pumpkin patch with our friends. We went to Trunk or Treat at our church. We decorated our front porch for fall/Thanksgiving. We watched FOOTBALL all month long, and we prayed really hard for a good season. Go Vols! God sometimes allows us to experience trying times so we'll appreciate the good times. =) (Translation= BAD season!!)

November 2011--Disney on Ice, Mine & Brady's first UT Volunteer football game. (First of many I'm hoping!!) I got all emotional when I saw the team run through the "T". I felt so close to my brother it was insane. Although when he passed he wasn't much of a fan, he was, at one time, THE biggest UT Volunteer fan EVER. (Back when Heath Schuler was quarterback.... #21) We celebrated Thanksgiving at granna & papaw's house. We were so excited to spend time with Papaw Tim & Tina too! =)We also got to meet up with Auntie "K" and Sarah at the Biltmore in NC. We had the best day EVER!!!

December 2011--....and here we are. Another year closing and a new year upon us. This year was everything I hoped it would be. God has been so gracious to us to bless us with good health, a warm & cozy home, and a loving family. When I stop and look around I am seriously amazed and graciously overwhelmed at God's goodness. I'm so undeserving of all of God's blessings. I'm so thankful that He thinks enough of me to love me despite my short comings.

He really is an amazing friend and is my daily saving grace.

Psalms 33:18

Behold the eye of the Lord is on them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy.

I pray this Christmas season that God's love is so evident that you can't deny it, and that His peace fills the empty spots in your heart. I know He does that for me every single Christmas. I am so dependent on His love.

Merry Christmas from OUR family to YOURS!

Virtual Coffee~Lately

2011-12-20T09:15:00.001-05:00

Coffee this morning is a cafe latte. =)

YUMMO!

And I'm drinking from this adorable cup that my sweet boy picked out for me...

...he and daddy did some Christmas shopping last night and apparently he can't keep a secret as well as we thought he could. I was trying to stay out of their way so they could wrap presents and Bradyn bursts into the guest bedroom and asks me if I "wanted to drink something in my new cup?". Silly guy. I declined, but he insisted. Daddy OK'd it.

Lately it has just been crazy-busy.

We've had a really fun month.

Earlier in the month I had a birthday.

(My age will remain disclosed...)

I was spoiled SO badly on my birthday. I must say that I have the

absolute best husband & son on the face of the earth.

My parents and my grandma came up for my birthday and we had a really good visit.

I love spending time with my family. Bradyn is always beyond excited anytime granna & papaw are here. It was really special to have my grandma at our house as well.

I love seeing Bradyn interact with her. Totally brings me back to when I was a kid...

The day prior to my birthday,

My sweet friend, Sarah and I took a midday hiatus to a local spa for a pedicure. Oh I thought I had DIED and GONE TO HEAVEN. I could totally get used to being pampered. The silence and calm of the spa totally hit the spot.

My life can get sort of crazy at times....

So far this month.....

We've made cookies for a friend of a friend who is a soldier overseas.

Lil' man was my "taste tester".

It felt SO good to do something for someone totally unexpected.

We've pulled an "angel" from the angel tree at Wal-mart and we fulfilled his wishes. He was 3 just like Bradyn, and he loooooooooved anything from the Cars movie. So we blessed him with some sweet jammies and some amazing toys/books/puzzles from the Cars movie. While we were shopping and Bradyn was tracking around Wal-mart with his angel's list he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I am the angel's daddy and I'm giving him this present!". He was so proud to be giving someone a gift. My heart could have seriously exploded!!!

We've watched the local parade and our buddies were in it! They rode our church float and did SO well!!!

{Bradyn's buddy Mason & his big sis were "children playing in the snow" on the Country Christmas themed float. They are so precious and gorgeous!!!}

We watched the parade with friends!

This lil' guy is slowly turning into my sweet buddy. I've always loved him, but he's just now deciding that he REALLY loves me. ;o) He is such a sweet kid.

Bradyn & his buddy Kingston! Love those sweet grins!

Bradyn was VERY selective about the candy. It was really funny!

This was one of my favorite things about the parade...

Go figure! :oP

After the parade we ate at Red Robin. One of my absolute favs!

I love my hubs! He is so good to me!

[He hates getting his picture taken...can you tell?????]

These two have NO issues with having their picture taken. ;o) L-O-V-E!!

Granna, Papaw and Grandma were able to see Bradyn quote scripture and sing in the preschool program at our church. He did really well, but was somewhat mesmerized by the BIG screen behind him. He kept turning around to watch himself on "TV". ;o)

{ He's on the very top row wearing a black hat & red tie.}

I was so proud of him and all of his friends. They did really well.

Last Monday a couple of friends and I hosted a fun party at my house, and it was so much fun. We had soup & sweets, hot drinks, and some adorable handmade goodies for sale. I scored some really cool things for Christmas gifts. I love buying handmade.

We've made Christmas cookies......

...and we've ate a ton of them too!

This past weekend we took a trip to Dollywood with our friends!

{On the way to Dollywood--all smiles!!}

It was SO cold, but the kids had a LOAD of fun!

We've watched at least 1-2 Christmas movies a day...

The "Elf on the Shelf" has been on TV {CBS} twice this month, and it is a movie we CAN'T miss. Lil' man has been dressing up like "Chippy" the Christmas elf, and he's named his "Elf on the shelf", Chippy. ;o) I love the magic of this season. We've read the Christmas story, and learned that Baby Jesus came to bring us Salvation. I love hearing those sweet words come out of my baby boy's mouth.

We still have a few more gifts to buy/make/wrap, but we are SO ready for Christmas!!!!!

Linking to: Amy @ Lucky Number 13

Call Me Crazy

2011-12-16T09:48:00.000-05:00

{Seriously. I am. }

I e-mailed this photo to the Department of Athletics

at the University of Tennessee....

...and it made it into the Christmas album on

The OFFICIAL Tennessee Volunteers Athletics FACEBOOK PAGE!!!

Love it!

Now to convince lil' man to attend college there, and to save,save, SAVE like nobody's business!

This seriously MADE. MY.DAY.

Happy Friday!

2011 Christmas Home Tour

2011-12-15T12:38:00.008-05:00

The Nester

is hosting a fabulous home tour again this year.

Oh I love-love-love peaking at other people's homes!!

(...and getting ideas for my own home.)

I've always been a house junkie!

This time of year is so magical and lovely.

I've always loved decorating for Christmas, and since I've become a mama

I have amped it up a bit.

I LOVE the magic of Christmas!!

Here is a sneak peak into our home ...

...enjoy!

{The foyer}

{The decor on the shelf in the foyer is neutral & woodsy. Love-love-love all things natural!}

{Our big tree in the LR}

My husband and I love woodsy/outdoorsy deco.

It took some convincing on my part, but ever since we moved to "the mountains" I've been pushed over the edge and I LOVE natural decor.

The kitchen/dining room are decked out in the more traditional red/green deco.

The bar houses a few Christmas pictures from years past + this year's Christmas card.

This year since lil' man is older we made a gingerbread train together as a family.

It was fun, and quite nerve racking, but hopefully this is a tradition that sticks with us.

Christmas garland & white lights instantly "Christmas-ize" a room for me.

Doesn't take much.

A festive bowl of Christmas cookie cutters sit by the stove & sugar/flour/cookie jar.

I bought this adorable "Cookies for Santa" towel at the Biltmore in November.

Bradyn loves playing with his magnetic nativity set. =)

The tree in the dining room is crowded with handmade ornaments.

Below are a few of my favs...

Looking into the dining room from the kitchen....

I love our "hard candy-country Christmas theme". VERY kid friendly.

I filled the hurricane on the dining room table with candy & gumdrops.

So far we've only had one child stick his/her hand in there to grab one....

NO the candle wasn't lit.

Luckily Bradyn doesn't like gumdrops.

The tree topper for the dining room tree is different than anything I've done before.

Usually I just do a bow. I bought these neat little cards at a craft show back in November. I had no clue what I would do with them at the time, but I love how they look at the top of the tree.

The train was given to lil' man by his granna & papaw. I love getting Christmas cards, so I usually have to find a unique way to display them. Pinterest helped me out with that this year.

I love chalkboards! They're perfect for people like me who like to change it up often.

The guest bathroom has a few Christmasy touches in it as well....

I'm a sucker for leopard print. I love using it in home decor.

Lil' man's room has some cute, kid friendly Christmas deco as well...

Even though the Tennessee Volunteers weren't that much to talk about this season, we're still pretty big fans. Lil' man picked out this tree at Hobby Lobby right before Thanksgiving.

I made this Christmas themed banner last year for the dining room, but since we've changed the curtains out I couldn't use it in there.

I chose to hang it in lil' man's room to add a whimsical, colorful touch of Christmas.

He has a countdown to Christmas on his easel, stockings and a jolly sock monkey

in his room for the Christmas season.

Check out more home tours at

The Nester's lil' spot on the world wide web.

I'm going to be looking at websites/blogs for the rest of the month I'm sure!

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Also linking to: Kelly @ Kelly's Korner

Some days....

2011-12-09T07:46:00.000-05:00

You just feel a little like this......

Then Friday happens to come around,

and it seriously

makes. it. all. better.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

[Photographs courtesy of Devon Murphy Photography]

Oh! How Pinteresting!

2011-11-30T08:40:00.002-05:00

I've found SO many fun ideas for the Holidays

on Pinterest!

Here are a few ideas I'm going to bring to life in the next few weeks...

Who knew there were more uses for Epson salt than just soaking your tired feet in???

via

I loooooove this Advent calendar! We're going to make our version of this today!

via

...and how about all these fun ideas to incorporate into your advent calendar??

Maybe we can slow down and hopefully have some holiday fun this month!!

via

Our Christmas {card} pictures this year revolved around some GINORMOUS letters J-O-Y (seen in the blog header at the top of this blog). They will somehow be incorporated in our outdoor deco. Not yet sure just how, but this pin put me over the edge with decisiveness that they WOULD in fact be used outdoors.
=)

via

Yet again, J-O-Y!
I love this version of the word!!!
(and I love ANYTHING Ballard!)

via

I'm loving this creative way to display Christmas cards. I hope I get enough this year to do this. Last year was sad. =( I love getting/mailing out Christmas cards!

via

While randomly roaming Wal-mart yesterday I stumbled upon some amazing striped material for .86 cents a yard! I have been wanting a striped skirt much like the one below. My sweet mom is going to make me one! (with pockets!! Yea!) The material I have is satin, and the stripes are actually a bit wider and black and white instead of charcoal and white.

I am SO excited!!!

It's going to be perfect for wearing near the holidays with some pretty pumps, textured hose, and a bright colored sweater!

via

I love this idea of recreating a shoe with a touch of ribbon.
I actually have some round toed pumps that I was able to tie the ribbon onto directly.
I may try this with a pair (or two) of flats though!

via

We will be putting our Elf on the Shelf to work in a couple of days! I can't wait to hear lil' man's laughter......

via

Too cool!

via

Yes, my husband thinks I'm crazy.......

via

The next few things are on my to-do "wish list"...haha! I may run out of time in December...

Oh.My.Word. I've always loved vintage ice skates for winter deco.

*LOVE*

via

How cute are these ornaments???
Making them would be SO easy too!

via

This is so elegant, yet simple.

via

I love the Holidays!

Such fun time of being with your family, the magic of Christmas, being thankful for Christ's love , and a time of reflection of the past year.

Check out more "pinteresting" posts at

The Vintage Apple

Day Brightener

2011-11-28T11:28:00.001-05:00

{ Bahaha!! Pause the playlist at the bottom of this screen to experience pure Christmas JOY!}

Happy CYBER Monday!!!

A Day of Thanks 2011

2011-11-26T23:25:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving morning we watched The Macy's Thanksgiving day parade.

(I loooooove this tradition!!)

Bradyn wasn't into it much.

He watched it more than last year though.

He kept wanting to watch "The Lion King".

(His new thing lately is to walk around roaring like a lion. It's hilarious!)

After getting dressed he helped Granna make daddy's favorite side dish,

sweet potato casserole.

It was SO good!!

He is all about "doing it all by myself!".

See below...

He wasn't too fond of Granna showing him how to stir. ;o)

While I was getting ready he was hanging out in my (old) room

and he was being a bit ornery.

I put him in time out.

Time out was "his bed" (the pack-n-play) It totally didn't work...

...he got in and started jumping around saying,

"WOW! My VERY own bed!".

(He didn't want to get out.....hehe!)

After I convinced him to apologize for not listening to mommy, he told me

he "wanted to stay in time out".

For real?

Bradyn was all about sitting in a big chair at the table, but

he was the first one to sit down at the table, and the first to get up.

Dinnertime is a challenge these days.

The boy runs..and runs...and runs...

My mom's scrumptious "Glorified Squash Casserole"!

It's a mixture of fresh squash, cheese, bread crumbs, & seasonings.

(sage, salt, & pepper)

It is sooooooooo good!!!!!

Brady's dad and his girlfriend came over to eat Thanksgiving dinner with us.

We had a lot of fun and laughed so hard!

{Bradyn showing Papaw Tim & Tina pictures of him @ Disney World}

After lunch we put on our play clothes and went outside!

Lil' man looooooves running and playing at Granna & Papaw's house!

We walked to the park for some more fun!

Bradyn is all about his papaw these days. =)

{I'd say the feeling is mutual...}

He's still Granna's buddy too!

I love these three!!!

{Daddy was napping, tired from an early morning hunting expedition..

I, of course, was behind the camera.}

Friday--NO black Friday shopping for us!

Thanksgiving night we left lil' man with Granna & Papaw and we did some shopping for him.

We're seriously almost done shopping.

I'm so glad!

We played outside some more.

Bradyn loves playing football with Granna. =)

We also got to spend some time with my Grandma.

He's getting SO big!!!

Friday after the trip home we went Christmas tree shopping.

The past two years we've gotten a real tree, but this year we bought an artificial one.

(I miss the smell, but not the pine needles!)

We put our trees up last night, and I didn't get to bed until about 1am.

{Bradyn putting the star on the top of our big tree}

Christmas this year is going to be so much fun.

Lil' man is really into it!

We're waiting to wrap presents to save him from wanting to snoop.

It's going to be hard, but the surprise will be worth it.

Hope you all have had a memorable Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T15:12:00.001-05:00

Lil' man helped granna make the sweet potato casserole today.

I had ~~one of those~~ a million and one moments

of my heart swelling, smiling, and all that other gushy stuff happening.

Being a parent makes my heart do things that I never thought it would be capable of.

Fireworks shooting, explosions of pure love, and

just plain pride...

You know....all of those feelings.

It's so sweet to see him doing fun things with his grandparents!

There for a moment I felt like I was on the set of the Paula Dean's home cooking show.

It was that fun!

We've had a fun-filled day today.

We're stuffed up to our noses with turkey, dressing, and all the fixings (+ a ton of other goodies!!)

I'm so grateful for my precious parents.

They really are the sweetest parents on earth.

(And I hope I gave them all those ooeey-gooey, prideful explosions of the heart when I was a kid,

better yet....I pray I make them proud of me every.single.day.)

...and one more thing before I go...

Grandma, thanks for teaching my mama how to be

the

BEST.COOK.EVER!!!

(My hips thank you.)

Hope you have a had a fabulous day spent with those you love!

(More pics and funny stories to come!)

[With a lil' bit running around there's always a story to tell....]

Thankful...

2011-11-23T11:16:00.004-05:00

Today I'm thankful that my neighbors have a sense of humor.

{Explanation below}

God love their hearts. They are as devout about LSU as I am UT.

Lil' man was persuaded he needed to hold up 1 finger for the picture.

My sweet neighbor knew that our precious Bobo ate our other scarecrows earlier in the fall season, so when she saw these at Wal-mart for $2 each she called and asked if I was interested. Of course, I said, "Yes please!!".

Her husband thought it would be funny to pin these signs to their chests before bringing them over.

We had a good laugh and Bradyn actually said, "Go Tigers!"

[EEK!!!!!!!!]

{Thanks Catherine and Art!}

{Next year if TN can pull off a win against LSU your yard will look SO pretty dyed orange (with kool-aid) Haha!}

Speaking of football....

Saturday is a big day at our house.

See, Bradyn's daddy and I are a house divided...

I always say to ease the tension, "May the best team win!".

God only knows how it will be this year, but for the last 27 years the BEST team
has been UT.

We shall see!

If TN can pull this game off as a win we'll be bowl eligible.

Which will make for a fun visit with Bradyn's Nana & Poppy next month.

[Poppy and I share a fond love for football!]

Well.....as long as the team UT is set to play in a bowl game ISN'T Mizzou.

Happy thanksgiving eve y'all!!

....and for Friday's game [LSU/AR] seriously, may the best team win.

{I'll be whispering "wooo pig soooooie!" so my neighbors won't hear me shouting!!}

It's all good fun!