90 years

Saturday we celebrated my sweet Mamaw's 90th birthday. 90 years. Can you imagine? Think about all that this lady has seen and experienced in her lifetime. Amazing!

She lives in a nursing home now and her memory fails her at times and her eyesight is very minimal, but other than that she is healthy. She is an amazing, strong lady and I am so proud to call her my Mamaw.

We were able to get a picture taken with Mamaw and her 4 children, her youngest one being my mom, her 8 grandchildren, and her 9 great-grandchildren. So special.

She loves babies and wouldn't let go of Jones....until Noelle Adams got there! Then she just wanted to love all over the smallest of the babies! She kept saying "y'all just leave these babies with me and go on".

Sweet Mamaw.

Blessed family we are!

Lita and Grandaddy visit

My parents stayed with us last weekend. How I wish this was an every weekend occurrence. What a treat!

Jones (and Grandaddy and Lita) had a big time playing in our neighborhood park...

Please notice his wind blown hair. This kid has gotta get a haircut!Our friends met us at the park. Pretty sure the two dads had more fun than the boys.

Grandaddy bought Jones a soccer ball. He is in love with this thing. And is pretty good at kicking it already!

Saturday night we went to The Halfshell. It is one of my very favorite restaurants here. Although, I will admit, I haven't branched out much since I have lived here. I tend to stick to what I know and like.

It was my parent's first trip to The Halfshell - they loved it! So yummy.

Trying his first lemon
Sour...

but wanted more!

While they were here, I made Key Lime Pound Cake from this month's Southern Living. Oh my. It is mighty fine. It may have been as pretty as theirs in the magazine and I made have not used real key limes, but it was still delicious. Trey has already asked for another. They have several pound cake recipes this month. I may try them all. I may also gain 20 pounds in the meantime.

So here is the recipe. Try it for yourself. Delish.

Key Lime Pound Cake
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan.
3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.
4. Prepare Key Lime Glaze, and immediately brush over top and sides of cake. Cool completely (about 1 hour).

Key Lime Glaze
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Whisk together powdered sugar, fresh Key lime juice, and vanilla until smooth. Use immediately.

Come back soon, Grandaddy and Lita!

oxford wedding weekend

Well, mark Oxford off of Jones' places to travel list. He made it in style. It was his longest road trip yet. We could not have asked him to be a better traveler. Sweet kid. Trey and I did decide we need a bigger car. I swear we packed our entire home. This was our first night away somewhere besides to stay with my parents, who have a crib, swing, baby stuff, etc. Trey says if we get a bigger car it will be a 1987 Chrysler mini-van with faux wood paneling just so we can say we went through that stage in our lives. S'cuse me? I think not.

Anyway...back to the trip...


My dear, dear childhood friend was married this weekend at what was undoubtedly the sweetest wedding I have ever been to. Every detail was perfect and very much reflected Susanna's personality. It was an eleven am wedding so the reception was brunch. You know I love brunch. Mimosas and shrimp and grits? Yes, please. My favorite little detail (besides the amazing bluegrass band that played during the wedding) was the fact that her guest book was her favorite cookbook. She is amazingly gifted in the kitchen and loves food and wine, so it was so fitting for her guest to sign the pages of her favorite book. How creative. I love personal details in weddings. Hers was full of it! I hate to say that I didn't get one picture of the two of us. But Tricia was the photographer, so I am hoping I can get some of her amazing shots. I will let you know when the pictures are up - I am sure they are incredible.


Here is a pic of me and the bride at my baby shower. It's the most recent pic I have of us:
I love this girl.

I did get a picture of Trey and me before the rehearsal dinner. (one of about 4 that we have of just us since Jones arrived)



So not only did Jones get to meet Susanna, he also got to meet other very important people in my life: The Cantrells and Russell. It was a pretty big weekend for the little guy.


Here are some pictures of our very short visit with Luke, Amanda, Kate and soon-to-be Preston. (PS - Jones showed his love of Oxford by poo-pooing through his outfit while hanging out with them on the square)


How cute is she? and that outfit? precious.

We stayed the weekend with Russell and Callie. Long overdue. Being with close friends does my soul good. We miss those two daily!

The boys discussing something very important, I am sure.


Uncle Russ getting some quality time with Jones.


And this picture is just funny. My parents brought back this hat for Jones from The Varsity Grill in Atlanta. It looks like Jones has eaten one too many burgers from there. My little chunky monkey!

mmmmm...finger-lickin' good.

Speaking of my sweet parents, a big thank you is in order. They were planning all along to come to Oxford for the wedding and to keep Jones during the dinner on Friday night. Well, my grandmother had a somewhat last minute surgery in Jackson on Friday. My sweet daddy drove my Nana to Jackson on Friday morning at 3 am, stayed during the surgery, drove back to starkville, got my mom, drove to Oxford, kept Jones, woke up the next morning and drove back to Jackson to stay with Nana. What sweet, sweet parents I have! I told them we could figure something else out, but they wouldn't hear of it - they insisted on coming anyway. I have the absolute best parents. And Jones was very happy to see his grandaddy and lita. Thanks, mama and daddy. You are the best.

Nana is back home and doing great, by the way. God hears our prayers all the time! He is constantly looking after us.

And finally, I am asking for prayers for an old friend. We went to school K-12 together, cheered together for years, and went to church together our entire childhood. She is a wife to a wonderful man and mother of two precious boys, ages 2 years and 8 weeks. She found out last week that she has cancer. Please include Amanda in your prayers. I know God hears our prayers and still performs miracles! Thanks, blog friends!

Grandaddy went to the beach...

and all I got was this outfit!

Thanks, Grandaddy - I love it!

My dad went on his annual beach golf trip and stopped by on the way home to give Jones this outfit. It was so sweet of him to think of Jones while out with the boys! I can just imagine him dragging those manly men into baby stores in between golf games!