Cute As Can Be!

I went to a baby shower last weekend for a friend of mine, Kristi Lynn, and I just HAD to share the adorable gift that Lisa and I made for her. A cowgirl themed diaper cake! Me and Lisa had so much fun making this, and are thinking about starting a side business and selling them. I have *several* pregnant friends right now, so I'll probably get to practice on a few more. Anyway, if you or anyone you know are interested in purchasing a diaper cake, please let me know. We can customize it any way you'd like!

Also...Kristi Lynn was induced 3 days after her shower, and had her beautiful baby girl, Madison Lynn, on Tuesday! Awww!

My baby fever is officially at an all time high!

Keep On Keepin' On...

This past weekend, my dear old dad celebrated his 50th birthday. In typical "Joe" fashion he threw an extravagant party to honor himself. The grand event was at his house in Dallas, and there were about 75 guests. He, of course, went all out on the party - catering, live music, and even valet parking. It was a total blast! I brought my own entourage of people, and we had such a great time. Friends from high school (who I *rarely* see) showed up, and it was so great catching up with them! We had so much fun, that we didn't leave his house until 3 am! I can't remember the last time I was out that late...I was literally falling asleep standing up by the end of the night. Here are a few pics to commemorate...

This stuff was deadly...or so I heard!

Superbird Cake...what else?

Shelly's tribute to my dad....her vocal stylings to "A Country Boy Can Survive" Don't quit your day job Shelly!

JD, trying to act like he's in the band...

Ashby and Shelly

Me and one of my best friends from high school, Sean

Bryan and his BROMANCE buddies our neighbors, Jason and Scott

Me and Bryan

Impressive, honey! Haha!

Kaboom! - 4th of July 2009

We got back from our family reunion a few days ago, and as always, we had a great time. Bryan and I got up early on Friday to finish packing, load the truck, hook up the boat, etc. Then we had to drive to an unsavory area of Dallas to pick up 40 lbs (our family is enormous) of fajita meat. We always get it from this little Mexican grocery store, and it is THE BEST! It's called La Michocana, and I believe they have locations all over Texas. So anyway, we hit the road around noon, and got down to the lakehouse early that evening....we had to make a few detours (Czech Stop! - SO worth the 20 minute line out the door). It was a wonderful reunion. We took the boat out, went swimming with the kids, visited with all the relatives, and saw an amazing fireworks show! In addition, I have to confess that I overcame one of my lifelong fears at the lakehouse this year. Ever since we were kids, my bold and fearless sister would jump off of the second story deck above the boat dock into the lake. I was always too scared....I don't do heights! I'd say it's a 15-20 foot drop. But, finally, at age 27....I mustered up the courage. Yay me! Here's a picture of my little cousin, Grant, leaping from the same deck...haha, maybe I'm not so brave after all!

All in all it was an awesome weekend! Here's a few pictures....enjoy!

Me and Lisa

Alicia's Homemade Sushi....mmm, the best!

Out on the Water!

I need a scrunchie! Me and Bryan cutting up ALL THAT MEAT!

Awaiting the fireworks...

ooooh....

ahhhh....

Bryan and I...in desperate need of aloe vera!

The Cousins

hahaha! Poor Bryan!

Ready To Get Outta Dodge!

This has been the longest, short week EVER! Luckily, just 1 more day....even though I don't get paid for Friday (jeez, Dad!). Anyway, we're leaving Friday to head down to our annual family reunion in Burnet, TX (northwest of Austin) at my aunt and uncle's lakehouse. I'm really excited...mostly to see the fam of course, but also for this....

Sad, I know. But it's a required pit stop anytime we find ourselves southbound 35. They have the best kolaches, sandwiches, desserts, etc. Mmm, I can taste the pimento cheese already. Haha, anyway, I look foward to it every year! I *highly* recommend it if you've never experienced Czech Stop! (exit 353 in West if you're interested!)

Not too much else going on. Bryan will be home tomorrow. We still need to get the boat ready for this weekend, do a mountain of laundry, and pack. I think it's safe to say I'll be up late on Thursday night. I'm so ready to get out of town though...I'll be sure to take lots of pics to post upon my return! HAPPY 4TH!

Colin's Graduation

My baby brother Colin graduated high school a few weeks ago, and I am so very proud of him!The graduation ceremony was held at Dallas Convention Center on 6/8/09. The ceremony was loooonnnggg (1000+ graduates!), but I was happy to be there to support Colin. He's going to orientation in a few weeks, and will be starting Collin County Community College in the fall. I still can't believe he's 18 and out of school! That means I am officially....OLD! : (

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Ok, as promised, here are some pictures of the inside of our house. I'm still in the process of decorating, but I've done a little.

Living Room

Kitchen

Dining Area

Master Bedroom

Bedroom 2/Office

Bedroom 3

Bryan and I are in disagreeance of how to utilize this space. My practical husband wants to buy a big screen plasma and la-z-boy, and turn the room into his "Man Cave", and *I* suggested we should go ahead and buy a crib and changing table just in case we have a new arrival in the future. Bryan informed me that it would be way creepy to have a crib with no baby to put in it, therefore we vetoed that idea (sigh)...so for now that room will stay empty!

Anyways, just wanted to share those for any out of towners, or lazy friends that haven't been over to visit us yet ; ) The door is always open!

Hellooooo....is anyone alive in here?

My poor little blog....I haven't written in over 6 months! Shame on me! And boy, have alot of things changed! I'll attempt to recap some of the highlights since I last checked in...

Bryan's Job
In November of '08, Bryan made the decision to go into business for himself, and start his own trucking company. He purchased his own truck, hit the ground running, and hasn't looked back ever since. Although this was a scary decision in trying economic times, it has gone extrememly well, and Bryan is loving the rewards of being his own boss. He mostly works in the Southeast region of the country, and is home about 3 days a week. I am so proud of Bryan, and all the hard work he has put in to accomplish this goal. We are both very thankful for this opportunity, and excited to see what doors it will open in the future. Here's a picture of Bryan's rig...

Our House

With Bryan becoming self-employed, this put a major snag in our homebuying plans. Apparently, you need at least 2 years of self employment history and tax returns to qualify for a mortgage. Obviously, we were lacking about 1 year and 11 months...so it just wasn't in the cards for us. Although it was really disappointing at the time, in retrospect, I am so glad that we didn't end up buying at that time. We *did*, however, find a great little lease house, and we absolutely LOVE it! Here's a picture...It's perfect for the two of us...3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a huge corner lot. It's only about 1400 square feet, but it's a great layout and seems alot bigger. I am WAY closer to work now, which is awesome. And we have the greatest neighbors EVER! It's been such a positive change for us. I've done *some* decorating, so I'll try to take some pictures of the interior to share.

MORE TO COME SOON...I SWEAR!