Providence...

Meet Giraffe…

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Carlisle’s bed buddy is her jelly cat giraffe! She’s had it since she was a wee one thanks to a good friend! If you asked me to think of 10 words that come to mind when I think of her they’d probably be..

smile
joy
dancing eyes
sleepy head
busy busy busy
giraffe
cuddler
loud
talker
big eater

So the other day I set out to capture the special relationship she shares with her giraffe. I love how these turned out.

Check out that bed head…

This is my giraffe…don’t mess with him!

We have FUN together!

relaxing…

hanging out…

uh oh!

and that’s what sisters are for!

Now it’s cuddle time…

I love him!

Betty Crocker in training…

2012-01-20T04:39:00.000-08:00

The other day I asked E if she would like to try out a new cookie recipe…this was her response! Ha!

So I had every thing laid on the counter & measured out so that she got to be the one who “made” the cookies! We learned some essential rules of the trade and had a fine time!

Adding the sugar to our softened butter…she even figured out how to work the mixer. This could cause problems in the future :)

Looks like she was really concentrating on getting all of our dry ingredients well mixed!

We were making smores cookies so when it came time to add Miss E’s most favorite ingredient…the marshmallow. She was little excited!

She may have eaten one…just one! :)

Excited about the final product! I was so proud of her cooking! She did a fabulous job & I can’t wait to bake with her again

Funny girl :)

After the cookies bake a little you add these Hershey bites and they really are the finishing touch! So cute & so good!

Giving them a try….

and she likes it!

I found this yummy recipe along with lots of others on Pinterest…come join me!

Sleepy Head

2012-01-18T19:15:00.001-08:00

The other afternoon, Carlisle was snoozing way past when she should…so I took the opportunity to open the blinds and catch some precious shots of an angel sleeping! So so sweet!

My other angel fresh from her nap with bed head and all! I am so blessed!!

This is what happens when…

2012-01-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

you leave a glass of juice unattended on a side table! The little tornado finds it and decides to go “bottoms up!” She is so busy!

Back in the saddle…

2011-12-30T18:46:00.001-08:00

Well I’m hoping to get back on the blogging bandwagon! I never really decided to “take a break” but it just seemed to happen. With the rush of two birthdays in two weeks. The birth of my brand new nephew, a 7 hour trip to see him, and then Christmas, I just couldn’t find time or energy to blog!

However, with the new year, I have some new resolve to share my family again and continue recording these precious memories of my kiddos. I’m afraid I’ve already forgotten things they’ve done & said over the last 30 days! They are changing and growing SO much! If you interested I’ll be going back and posting the detail of Sweet C’s birthday & chronicling our many Christmas Adventures!

For now, I’ll share with you some of my favorite pictures that I had the privilege of taking over the last month! Meet my nephew Connor who is just a sweet as he looks! We are smitten with him & Miss E can’t wait to go see him again!

And of course, we had to get big brother Grant in on the action!

Head over to Kitchen Bellecious & tell Jess Congrats! You’ll find lots of yummy recipes too

The Rushing Christmas

2011-12-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

On the 23rd, we all showed up at Nanny & Papa’s house expecting to have a good time and I’m pretty sure no one was disappointed! It was a great night full of good food, funny stories, and family!

Carlisle & Pops, these two are so funny together!

Cyndi & Ruth Lauren’s annual picture

The Rushing Girl's…I think their other name was t.r.o.u.b.l.e

Cyndi, Hillary, Emery, & Jackson…such a sweet shot!

Nanny & her girls!

Aunt Carmen & Ruthie, two sweet ladies!

Hil & her mama!

I’m pretty sure Phillip is showing Jackson a deer picture. He was into it whatever it was

Nanny & the great-grandkids that were able to make it in for Christmas! We missed u, Grant, Connor, & Cotton!

Somebody was excited to see what her present was….

What is it???

And she LOVED it! A baby bed for all 26 of her babies

And she does put her babies down for a nap every single day…many times a day!

Carlisle patiently waiting for her baby!

And she Loves it!

Nanny & Papa…their love is inspiring!

What a great night! We really enjoyed this time and getting to see so many family members! We Love Yall!

Christmas with Keggie & Pops

2011-12-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve morning, we got the girls and headed to Keggie & Pops’ house to share Christmas with them! We started the morning with pancakes and then after everyone was up and going we opened gifts. Once again, it was nice to slow down and watch everyone open gifts and really talk! We learned a lot about truly treasuring our family this holiday season!

Here are the girls giving Keggie & Pops their big gift! I’m pretty sure they really like it & have been enjoying it ever since!

Carlisle’s favorite thing about all the boxes was sitting on them!

Miss E got into the unwrapping too!

Here is Carlisle climbing on yet another box!

I’m think she likes her mini trampoline!

Sheer Joy!

Emerson’s new V-reader!

Keggie showing her how it works! She’s been “watching” stories ever since! This thing is great for the car!

Phillip’s new work overalls!

Here’s E reading to her baby You’ll notice that nice Nikon box beside her…I got a new lens for my camera & I’ve been putting it to good use ever since!!

A group pic!

Thanks Keggie & Pops for a wonderful morning & the amount of love you show us & our girls on a regular basis! We are so blessed to have you!!

Merry Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T20:03:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Card this year!

We pray this season finds you with the ones you love and focused on the One who gave up everything for His Great Love for you!!!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas with Shuggy & Papaw

2011-12-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

This year we had the chance to have Christmas early with my parents! My baby sister got engaged after Thanksgiving & we have to learn to share her now Seriously though, we love the man that will be joining our family! So Kristen & Brwyan spent Christmas with his family and we shared a meal and opened gifts on the 20th! I’ll be completely honest and say that I actually Really enjoyed it! We normally spend Christmas Eve & Christmas day in a full blown marathon of running from one house to the next trying to check everyone off of our list. By having this time early we got to really spend time with our family. We relaxed and talked and enjoyed each others company! It was a great time!!

My mom is probably the Queen of Stocking Stuffers! The woman just has a knack for picking out great ones! I’m pretty sure she spends months scoping out the perfect gifts that will fit in a stocking Here is Exhibit A…a brand new razor! Some people would wrap this bad boy up, but not my mama. It fits…it’s going in the stocking!!

My sister got the girls these adorable Adirondack chairs! Aren’t they cute?!

More Stocking goodness…

And More!

Emerson got this really cool digital camera that will actually take pictures! She has been a happy shutterbug since!!

My mom will probably kill me for putting this picture up, but I had to :) I made her a photo book of many of her animals that she loves so much! Yes, those are tears & a big smile! I think she liked it

It was a little dark when we gave it to them, but my amazingly-talented husband made my parents a fire pit!! It’s awesome & I can’t wait for him to get started on ours! (hint hint )

Anyway, it was a wonderful night full of laughter and good food! We love yall so much!!

Emerson goes hunting!

2011-12-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

For the very first time ever, Phillip took Emerson deer hunting today! They did see some deer in a field on the way to the stand. However, the hunt itself was unsuccessful. It may or may not have had something to do with a squirmy three year old who doesn’t really understand the meaning or value of silence just yet! Ha!

She was so excited though and I’m sure there will be many more hunts in the future!!

Have your cake & eat it too!

2011-12-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Carlisle was apprehensive about the cake for about the first, oh 10 seconds…

But them she seemed to dive right in!

She was a fan of Papaw’s homemade ice cream too!

I’m pretty sure she is thinking, “Are they really letting me have this?!”

“I mean seriously! Yall have been holding out on me!”

Yes, she even tried to eat the wrapper! Silly silly girl :)

I’m thinking this is her what do you mean I can’t have more look! :)

And the motto to this story is never get between a girl & her cake!

It’s Party Time!

2011-12-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some party pics from my Sweet Carlisle’s first birthday party! We just had our family over for a small party but I’m pretty sure everybody had a grand time! I really loved planning her party! I found the cutest invitations & printables from Polkadot Prints and then with it being Christmas time, I was able to use all of my red and green

We had cherry limeade to drink, black forest (cherry stuffed) cupcakes, and even homemade Berry Ice Cream! It was yummy & fun! Thanks to everyone who came & helped make this day special for my girl! She had a blast & that’s what mattered most to me!!

I’m in love with using Mason Jars to decorate! I have tons of them & they just seem so quaint!

Thanks to pinterest I made the most amazing slow-cooker candied pecans to fill these sweet cones! They were yummy!

“Sweet”—the perfect adjective to describe Carlisle

Goody bags for all of our friends & family who truly are the “cherry on top!”

Carlisle showing off her walking!

I’m so thankful to whoever picked up my camera and snapped pictures of me with my girls! I think it may have been our Keggie…thanks!!

The art of opening presents was not lost on Carlisle! She had apparently taken notes at Emerson’s party and she was all about pulling the tissue paper & ripping wrapping paper!

And finally it was cake time! Carlisle made such a scene I have reserved those photos for their own post! HA!

Here’s a pick of all the grandparents & great-grandparents that could make it to the party…I think you can tell they were having fun!

Happy Birthday Carlisle Mae!

2011-12-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

I have no idea where the last year has gone, but I do know that it has been one of the best of my life! Carlisle, it is hard to even remember what our family was like before you were a part of it! Sure things were a little calmer and definitely a lot quieter, but they weren’t nearly as interesting & FUN!

You are such a character & just tonight at dinner your daddy & I could barely eat we were laughing so hard at you. If you do something and get a rise out of someone, you repeat it over & over! You are still talking so well. You even tried to say your sister’s name today and it’s a pretty tough name to master. You told yourself Happy Birthday after you heard us say it a hundred times today! It shouldn’t surprise me every time you spit out a new word, but I always find myself staring in amazement.

You have started taking steps and walking the short distance from the couch to the coffee table, but crawling is still your main mode of transportation! You are so fast and when I spot you doing something wrong (like putting everything in your mouth) I’ll say your name, you’ll look at me, smile, & crawl as fast as you can in the opposite direction. I swear you hit a fifth gear when you are in “get-away mode!”

You are on full blown table food & you want whatever is on my plate or your sister’s. You even try to dive out of your high chair to grab her food. The other night Daddy heard Miss E telling you, “No Carlisle, you can’t have my food tonight! You eat yours!” Ha!

You are growing & have gotten so heavy lately. We go for a check up in a couple weeks & I’m anxious to see your measurements. You are in 18-24 month clothes. In fact, I just had to return something the other day for a size 2t! How’d that happen??

You really stick close to me & daddy in public places. You aren’t really a fan of big crowds right now; although, I can so see you growing into being such a people person. You love smiling and laughing and “talking” back and forth with others. You’ve also gained an appreciation for our dance time & you rock along to the beat with us! If you’re upset all I have to do is hug you & softly sing in your ear & you will almost always stop crying. It’s like you want to hear what I’m singing!

I absolutely Love you & I am privileged to be your mom! You have brightened everyday of the last year! We are so in love with you our Sweet, Sweet girl!!!!

Birthday Details

2011-11-28T04:56:00.000-08:00

I don’t think Miss E could have possibly enjoyed her birthday more! She woke up SO excited that it was finally her big day! We started the celebration with what I like to call “short-cut donuts!” These are so yummy and so simple. Just a can of country style biscuits fried to perfection

The birthday girl was a fan!!

We had a small party that afternoon. I decided to do an ice cream party because it is one of Emerson’s favorite things! Thanks to some great ideas I found online we enjoyed ice cream cake pops, ice cream punch, homemade ice cream, and cute little ice cream place cards. Emerson loved it and we even had a nice warm day so the ice cream felt appropriate '

We enjoyed having our family & friends from play group over! Emerson kept telling us, “I having Fun! I having Fun!” Here are a few shots from the day. I told Phillip it is really hard to be the hostess & try to capture the moments too.

These ice cream cake pops were a hit!

Miss E LOVED the ice cream punch! Thank you Pinterest!

We all enjoyed some roasted wienies for supper!

Some Dear Friends! These are some sweet girls!

Phillip, Pops, Carlisle, & Papaw

Nanny & Meme

Shuggy & Connie

Barbara & Buzzy

Blowing out the candles…

My dad made one of my childhood favorites…a homemade grape ice cream we call “Purple Passion” It was so good & everyone loved it! Thanks Papaw!

Mamie, Me, & Carlisle

Opening presents…thanks to everyone who made this day so special for our sweet girl! She is so blessed to have you!!

A snack for the road…

A heart of gratitude...

2011-11-24T19:26:00.001-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for. If I started listing our blessings I'd be here for quite a while, so I'll leave you with one picture from today.
These two go right at the top of our list! We love them more than words can say!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Birthday to my Big Girl!!

2011-11-20T04:19:00.000-08:00

Emerson Ann, three years ago today you finally graced us with your presence & forever changed our lives! I cannot even put into words the feelings that rushed through me when I looked into your tiny clear eyes. I knew I loved you with every fiber of my being & that I would do anything & everything in my power to take care of you, protect you, teach you, correct you, & cherish you!

You have turned into such a beautiful & thoughtful young girl. You are such a talker & a character these days! We are always on our toes wondering what you will say next. You make us laugh daily & your dance moves crack us up! We are so proud of the girl you are growing up to be & we just pray pray pray for wisdom to guide you & teach you. We desire nothing more than for you to Love Jesus, walk in His steps, & serve Him.

You already love going to church & being with our church family! I hope that this desire of unity that I see in your young heart will continue to grow & blossom. I know that our Father has a mighty plan for you my girl! I’m purposing in my heart to enjoy watching it unfold despite how the time seems to be flying by.

You are a ray of sunshine in our lives. Sure you throw fits, don’t want to share, and hit your sister occasionally. You do all those normal little kids things, but I can see so much potential in you, and you are teaching me to look for that potential in others too!

I LOVE YOU! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Fall Fun

2011-11-17T06:09:00.001-08:00

We have been to a couple fall festivals lately. Here are a few phone pics to document the day! The girls had a blast & I'm sure you will notice the adults did too! ;)

Where did my baby go? 11 Months

2011-11-09T07:58:00.001-08:00

Once again, I’m a little late on this post, but it’s mostly because I’ve been chasing a ~~crazy~~ super-busy 11 month old around! I don’t know where the time has gone or how we have gotten this close to the one year mark! It’s almost mind-blowing!

Lately I find myself thinking of how different things were a year ago. I was very very pregnant & trying my best to “walk that baby out.” You did not cooperate and it has been somewhat of a sign of things to come Our neighbor has a nice big circle driveway and I made countless loops with Miss E in her stroller. Now I’m pushing Carlisle & Emerson is pedaling her tricycle! The chill in the air & the leaves falling always makes me think of being pregnant & dreaming of what the future would hold. Phillip and I would sit and talk about how different things would be. We’d daydream about what our girls would look like, how they might act, and what happiness they’d bring. Those dreams no matter how grand pale in comparison to the Joy these two precious girls bring us everyday! Yes, there are many a day that I lose my cool, that they drive me cah-razy, that I’m flat out exhausted, but there isn’t a single day that I don’t laugh out loud, smile so big it hurts, or count how blessed I am to have them!

Carlisle Mae, you are such a character these days! You are still not walking & I count that as Jesus smiling down on me! I have NO idea how I will keep up with you when that day comes! I have never in all my life been around a child that is into as much as you! We finally have a gate on the stairs because you managed to beat some adults up them! You try to eat things daily…things like bugs or grass or a random piece of paper you find. You are a handful, but I pray constantly that you will be a Big force for Jesus! I know He has a great plan for you & I can’t wait to watch it unfold!

You are still talking up a storm! You try to repeat things I say all the time! It’s so funny when you say something & people are so surprised at how clear you are. You even surprise me sometimes! The other night I was cleaning up the kitchen & Emerson hit the corner of the island. I said, “Ouch! Are you ok?” You looked up at E and said, “Ouch” plain as day! I just laughed!

I do believe you are going through a growth spurt lately. You’ve always been a good eater, but your appetite has been ferocious. You are also taking really long naps! Instead of the normal 1 &1/2 hours they have been 2 to 3 hours! I can get a lot done during that amount of time The time change threw you for a loop for a couple of days, but you are back to sleeping til 7:30 in the morning & I’m so glad! Now if only your sister would follow suite!

Speaking of eating, you are on strike from eating from a spoon. You only want things you can pick up with your little fingers. For the most part, you are eating what we eat now, which makes things a lot easier. Some things I still make specifically for you are baby carrots and any kind of bean or pea! You will eat yogurt & oatmeal off of a spoon & you are a mad woman for bananas! Between you & Miss E we probably go through at least a dozen bananas a week!

You are now wearing 12 month & really mostly 18 month or 24 month clothes. You are getting long & any rompers have to have plenty of length! You are in size 3 diapers & you are wearing size 4 shoes!

You are still very much a mama’s girl, but you’ve grown to really enjoy interacting with others. You will flash them a smile or say hey or play peek-a-boo with them. It may all happen with you on my hip, but I’m glad that others are getting to see the fun girl I know! You also LOVE your sister SO much! You and Emerson are constantly giving each other hugs. Now sometimes, that is quickly followed by a struggle over a toy or somebody hitting, but I know there is a foundation of love & we will just keep building on that!

We all Love You So So much! I’m so thankful to have you & your sweet sweet smile!

Semi-wordless Wednesday—Pretty “Winged” Girls :)

2011-11-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

I had two pretty winged girls dressed up this year. A Monarch Butterfly & Bumble Bee have been fluttering about our house the last couple of days & it has been SO much fun!

Party pics

2011-11-01T05:30:00.001-07:00

We tried to make sure that the grandparents got to see the girls all dressed up yesterday! Here are a couple pics! (more to come)

That’s what love is…

2011-10-28T14:21:00.001-07:00

It has been a rough couple of days at my house. I had the stomach virus. It was horrible & I would not wish it on my very worst enemy. I woke up around 3 am Thursday morning feeling sick. I didn’t “turn the corner” so to speak until around 6 pm last night.

Phillip was out of town on a fishing trip, so as soon as I realized how bad I really was I called for back up. My mom & grandmother came over. My mom had to go to school later, but thankfully Connie stayed and helped watched the girls for me. I was confined to my bed all day long.

During one of those hazy moments while somewhat conscious, I had a memory of many years ago being really sick like that. I was in high school, my senior year, Phillip & I had been dating a few months but we were head over heels for each other. It was the week after Christmas & I had been playing in our local basketball tournament. Our team had made it to the finals but that morning I had woken up sick. Connie had stayed with me all day & Phillip came over that evening. I distinctly remember him carrying me down the stairs & sitting with me on the couch as we listened to the ball game on our local radio station. I remember how the furniture was arranged, I remember the look on his face. I remember it all so clearly.

So as I was feeling half dead yesterday, I relished in that memory. I thanked the Lord for the shared history that I have with Phillip. To me that’s what love really is…not just a physical attraction or what someone can do for you, but a past that you share. A history of ups & downs that bind you together. A track record of overcoming and growing “together!”

In fact, when Phillip got home last night I told him, “You know you really love your husband when even a stomach virus brings back good memories!”

Revelations from the pillow

2011-10-20T07:56:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up from a deep DEEP sleep to Miss E staring at me. Phillip was already up & going so I grabbed her up and stuck her in bed beside me. These are a few things I learned…

1. Emerson talks in her sleep. This is something I’ve suspected for a while, but it was confirmed around 6:30 am. She moans and whines, but she also uses complete, grammatically correct sentences. For example, she may have said, “Hey! Give that to me!” in a very loud and alert voice that would lead one to believe that she was wide awake. She was not!

So all those times that I’ve scurried to her room in the middle of the night with one eye open trying not to run into the wall only to find her sound asleep were not some kind of cruel joke. Poor thing was just dreaming.

2. I don’t know how people sleep with there kids all the time? I mean, I could just be extremely selfish when it comes to my sleep, but I NEVER sleep well if a little body is beside me. I’m afraid I might roll on them or they might fall off. They are constantly moving & elbowing & apparently talking too! I enjoy my rest way to much to suffer through that often.

3. Vicks vapor rub is a miracle drug. Well, I’m not sure if it is considered a drug or not, but whatever it is I love it! I’ve had a cold for the last few days and although it hasn’t really improved Vicks has allowed me to sleep pretty soundly. I kind of feel 7 again when I rub it on my chest.

I have a distinct memory of being sick when I was young and spending the night with my grandmother. Before I got ready for bed, Connie took Vicks & lathered me up & then took a towel & wrapped it around my chest so tight I could barely take a breath. I have no idea why one would do this or if it even worked, but I’m tempted to try it again if this cold doesn’t go away soon

Ta Da..

2011-10-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m typing this post from my brand new, fresh out of the box, still-smells-like-packing-material computer. I’ve been having some computer issues & it had caused what was once a fun hobby & release to become a dreaded “to do” list item. Cranking out a blog post used to take 5 minutes maybe 10 if I was feeling very wordy, but it had turned into a 30 minute ordeal. Anyone with small children knows that 30 minutes of free time is ~~impossible~~ hard to come by.

So all that to say, that hopefully my posting will be more regular around here! I’ve missed my blog friends & I’m looking forward to catching up with yall!

Happy 10 Months sweetie!

2011-10-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

My sweet Carlisle, how are you already another month older? We are less than two months away from the big One! I’m no longer in denial & have entered full blown party planning mode! I’m sure you & Miss E will have many joint parties in the future, but since this is your big First Birthday, you get your very own bash! Since I will have two parties & two major holidays all within six weeks, I’m trying to be prepared so I won’t be stressed. Parties are meant to be enjoyed afterall!

You, my dear, have no problem enjoying yourself! You continue to be a social little girl, always full of smiles & laughter. You still want your eyes on me & if I dare leave the room, you make the most awful, poke your lip out, pouty face! It’s so pathetic (and fake sometimes) it usually generates laughter instead of sympathy :) Speaking of faces, you make some dang funny ones! When you get really happy, you just open your mouth as wide as you can. Your daddy & I get a kick out of it often!

You also have a growing vocabulary. You now regularly say Dada, hey, and bye. You’ve started saying mama occasionally too :) We love to watch you wave & clap too! Put on some music & you will bounce, sway, swing or clap! It’s adorable! You especially love dancing with Emerson! I turn on our praise music most mornings & we jam in the living room! It’s one of my favorite times.

You are an eating machine these days. I’m still making baby food & you have eaten everything I’ve put in front of you :) I’m also cutting some table food into small pieces & you LOVE to pick it up & eat it yourself! We’ve also transitioned to the sippy cup & that was painless. I guess because you have Miss E to watch you wanted it. Also, you rarely drank from a bottle so we didn’t really have to “give it up.” You are also apparently pretty flexible. I know most all babies are, but your favorite way to sit is in a hurdle stretch. It hurts me to look at it, but if I move your leg you put it right back. I’ve even had other adults ask me to straighten your leg. When I explain that’s how you like it, they look at me like I am crazy & definitely not “Mom of the year!” Ha!

You are growing like a weed, wearing mostly 12 to 18 month clothes & size 3 or 4 shoes. You are sleeping great still. You take two naps during the day & sleep from 7:30 pm to 7 am! Ahhh, I’m so thankful for that :) You absolutely LOVE your bath! You usually take one with Emerson & yall have so much fun! You shed tears when it’s time to get out!

You are SO busy! I cannot take my eyes off of you for more than 2 seconds or you are into something…eating bugs, climbing stairs, playing in toilets. Those are all things that you tried to do today! I’m always on my toes & I’ve enlisted the help of your big sister as my eyes at times. It’s not uncommon for me to hear her say, “Mama, Carlisle’s on the stairs again!” She’s always looking out for you. I hope that never changes :) and that you remain thankful for her help!

If one more person asks me if you are walking, I might ~~just pinch their head off~~ tell them how much I’m not ready for that! I’m in no hurry to see you take those first steps. By this times with Emerson, I had her push toys out and she was learning to cruise behind them. Even though I haven’t gotten it out for you, you are still cruising along the couch & coffee table. Slow down!!!

Sweetheart, we love you SO much & are thankful for you every single day! You continue to come into your own & I enjoy learning more of your personality all the time! Every night right before I lay you down, we sit in your chair and I sing and hug you. I always whisper a prayer of thanksgiving over you! I hope you always know how grateful I am to my sweet Lord for you & your sister! I’m a better person because I’m your mommy! I love you!

A little getaway…

2011-10-12T07:56:00.001-07:00

A couple weekends ago, Phillip & I attended a beautiful wedding in historic Hot Springs, AR. I’ve been to Hot Springs too many times to count because my family has a condo there & we went countless summers growing up. However, I never grow tired of going! Now it’s not only a gorgeous area with lots of fun things to do, but every corner holds a memory for me :) Aside from the sentimental value of this trip, I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to spend some one on one time with my man! We haven’t spent the night away from the girls in over a year & a half. We missed them & I was ready to kiss their little cheeks when I got home, but we enjoyed ourselves immensely!!!

Saturday, before the wedding we did some sight seeing downtown. We had breakfast at The Pancake Shop which has been there since 1940! I’ll be honest and say it was very charming but I’ve had better pancakes :) Right next door though, was The Savory Pantry. I picked up some really good things there (like Maple Pumpkin Butter…Oh So Good!) & I plan on visiting their website for some Christmas gifts! Next, we set off down the strip & window shopped. Mostly we just talked & held hands & enjoyed our time. Here are some pics of the day…

I’m thinking he might be in the next J Crew magazine if too many people see this ;)

Phillip demanded that I get in some pictures & then he proceeded to act like a professional photographer even asking me to “work it” a couple times…

I essentially howled with laughter the entire time :)

Just some sights from the street …

One of my favorite bath houses

We toured the Fordyce Bath House & this was the ceiling in one of the rooms. Isn’t it just beautiful?!

We stayed at the Arlington Hotel & I loved all of the vintage details. I had plans of taking some shots of the Lobby & Lounge. They were beautiful, but I ran slap out of time. This was above the elevators…

The in-laws…I think they had too much fun too :)

The best part of any wedding….the cake!

All spiffed up :)

Thanks to my parents for watching our sweet girls so that we could enjoy this time & not have to worry one bit! We appreciate it more than you know!!!