fairy godmothers come to town

Amanda named us Kate's fairy godmothers.  I like it.  I think it will stay. We had the best time last weekend in memphis. The three of us made the trip from south Mississippi to meet our new friend.  It is so wonderful, first of all, to see old friends, but I added a new friend this weekend! I was so happy to meet precious Kate. She is gorgeous.  Lindsey, Tricia and I agree that the pressure is really on to have cute kids in the future.  Thanks alot, Amanda.  

Anyway, lucky for the three fairy godmothers, Amanda left us alone with the babe for a few hours.  She and Luke had weddings to attend and entrusted the three of us to care for precious Kate. 

The moment she left, we knew a photo shoot was in order.  Kate was a really great sport, that is until we tried to make her wear a bonnet for an extended amount of time.  We dressed this child up like a doll.  And when she fell asleep? Well, we put her in props.  It was wonderful.  She slept like, well, a baby after the photo session.  

I have to shout out to Tricia's photography! She took so many pictures.  I resisted from putting them all on here!  She is so fabulous - Check out her stuff here.

So now the goods: the pictures.  She is so precious.  It was love for sure.  And I am pretty sure the feeling is mutual. 

Me and the new mama - my roommate for two years in college. My how times have changed!

We put her in a bonnet and gown. and when she fell asleep - props!! We put her in her Easter basket. ADORABLE.  You're welcome, Amanda. 

And, finally, the creepiest picture ever.  We found three bonnets. There were three fairy godmothers.  It just added up.  Please look at Kate screaming.  Bless her.  I promise we picked her up right after this picture. (only to put her in a basket!)

Thank you, Amanda, for sharing her with us! I loved every minute of it.  Beautiful baby - and beautiful mama! Love you dearly

Wickles. A happy day by any means.

So my not so great week turned out pretty sweet after all.  I was at the Corner Market getting the usuals - bread, cereal, hummus and grapes - when I spotted them. Wickles.  Do you know such a treasure? 

Let me explain. 

In October, Trey and I, along with my fabulous parents, went to Highlands, North Carolina for a little R & R.  There, I discovered a fabulous find at a farmer's market: Wickles.  The most perfect spicy sweet pickle in all the land. 

I thought this to be a rare find, and thus stocked up with a few jar's while on vacation, thinking I would not find this commodity in Mississippi. 

Wrong, friends, wrong.  It is in Mississippi. Hattiesburg,

 to be exact.  When I saw the jar of Wickles looking directly at me, it was a like a light at the end of a dark tunnel.  I have been to the Corner Market how many times? too many to count. Yet, never saw the most perfect form of the cucumber until this week. 

I have since made myself sick off of Wickles.  Trey doesn't like them.  Which is great news for me.  At $7.00 a jar, it is necessary for me to be selfish. 

So go find you some Wickles, you will be glad you did. 

To only add to my shopping pleasure,  Abita Sesonal Strawberry Ale is now is season.  

Wickles and Abita Strawberry.  What a perfect dining experience. 

On the house front, we made offer on house number 4 tonight. Cross your fingers and say a little prayer for us.  And when I say this house is polar opposite of the house we almost bought before the crazies took over, I mean it.  But I love it.  We shall see. 

Gotta go.  In need of some Wickles. 

hippity-hoppity, and a couple of prayer requests!

I love Easter. I am sitting in Clinton with my family, minus LT, who comes tomorrow, and minus Kristen who is on a 48-hour shift at the hostpital (bless her). Ok, so really not the whole family. Today was a great day. the boys - my dad, Trey and Rob - played golf while Nana, mama and I played outside ALL day with Henry. Now it is nice and quiet with most people asleep in the house and Trey, Rob and i are watching movies. Good times. Nice break. Looking forward tomorrow when everyone will go to church (laura is coming into town and kris gets off an hour before church!) and then we will go to Rob's mom and dad's for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. Henry is the only 'child', but I was told there will be money in the eggs - a trick to get the 'adults' involved. I would have done it for jelly bean-filled eggs, but money? Bring it.

I hope you all have a very wonderful Easter and rejoice in the reason for the celebration!

Few other things / prayer requests from the week:

1) I know there are many praying people out there, so I am asking you to please pray for my fabulous brother-in-law, Adam, Trey's little brother. We found out Wednesday that he has cancer, but a very curable kind and we are all so positive. He will be in surgery on Tuesday, so please think of him, if you will. I know he will appreciate it. It is a scary word and there are still a lot of unknowns right now, but we know that the Lord's hand will be on him and he will be just fine!

2) And secondly, and so secondary to the first request, our home situation went from great to bad very quickly! we were supposed to close on our new home on Thursday, but on wednesday about an hour after the news came about Adam, we found out that the sellers/builders of the home we were buying had not been truthful during the process and we lost the house. Basically they were in the middle of a family dispute and while the home was listed as 'new construction', it came out that the title had actually been switched three times between fighting family members, so all the appraisals/warrenties were wrong. Then one brother came forth on Wednesday and said that he still owned the property the house was on, while the other brother owned the house! What?! I am confused. It was a mess. But it is funny that after the news of Adam, this news really didn't affect me much and seemed so minor in comparison.

But I do miss Sophie, who has been living with my parents in S'ville since dogs aren't allowed in the family campus apartments on campus. But we are still very thankful our house sold three weeks ago, thankful for a place to live in the meantime, and very confident we will find something soon! But it is stressful, and my life feels very unorganized living in temp. housing with my belongings in a POD.

But with all the 'news' that came at the end of this week, what a great weekend / celebration this has been. Life is put in perspective during times like this!

HAPPY EASTER!
(and thanks for the prayers)

a new home....a baby is born... and a belated birthday shout

So much to share. Where do I begin? 

First of all, ya-ya had a birthday last week. Sorry for the delayed post, sis.  

Everyone should get to know her.  We had so much fun her b-day weekend.  I just wish I could have stayed for the real birthday.  But lucky for her, our family celebrates birthday months, not days.  So it's cool. 

So here's a birthday post, ya-ya.  I waited to post this because, let's face it, the come down after a birthday can be a real B****.  I am just trying to prolong the celebration.  LYLAS

Secondly, I am an AUNT again!  Well, not by blood, but one of my nearest and dearest gave birth to an absolutely beautiful little girl on March 18th.  I absolutely can not wait to hold this little thing.  

Amanda, you have come a long way from the "show me that smile" dance at 2 am in the KD house.  I can't believe you are a mom!  I mean, I know technically we are old enough for such actions, but it is just so crazy still.   The two years I spent living with Amanda at the KD house were two of the best.  And now....a mother! This is nuts.  

Anyway,  I can't wait to meet this sweet thing.  

Love you, Amanda - and I love you already, sweet Kate!

What a precious family.....

more news - the home front.  We are officially out of our old house!!  We are living on campus in a little apartment for a couple of weeks until we close on our new house.  Sophie can't live with us.  No dogs allowed.  I am sorry, what?!  she is my child.  But nonetheless, she is being spoiled at my parent's house until we move in.  I can't wait! The house is great and we are so excited.  I have tons of pictures, but the camera connector is in the POD in Jackson along with everything else I own.  Luckily the apartment was furnished, so we were able to just m

ove everything into a POD until we move into our new home.  So when I say I feel like my life is totally unorganized, I mean it.  But we are so blessed how this all worked out - the apartment worked out perfectly and literally fell into our laps, we found a new house we love

 in a great neighborhood, and our old house sold and closed with no hick-ups at all! Praise God!  

And, of course, Henry. Here's a picture of the future PGA star. Precious Henry in his "golf hat" that he only wears when playing golf.  Oh how I love this little man. 

 

Our old house closed on the day we were supposed to be in Orlando.  Just our luck.  We were so much looking forward to meeting another precious friend's precious little man for the first time.  The trip had been planned for so long and it just so happened to be at the time we had to close on our home.  Such is life, I suppose.  But now I am more than ever eager to squeeze this little buddy.  Nan, we need to start over on the trip planning.  

I mean, look at this little man.  I just love him. 

I want to just squeeze those legs.  Couldn't you just eat him up?!

Going dancing

I am so proud to be a bulldog.

SEC Champs and heading to the big dance.

I only wish I had a MSU alumni decal on my car to proudly display my school spirit.

(see below) Yes, I am bitter.

Here are pictures my mom took of the big celebration when the team arrived back home from Tampa last night. My family is very close to the Stansbury's, so I just love this picture of my Nana and Rick. He is like a son to my Nana and that is a love of a mother in her eyes!

( here is Nana and Rick; Rick and my daddy; and the MVP of the SEC Tourney Jarvis with the winning net around his neck!)

I say let's dance the whole way to the top. National Champs? Why not. Its 2009 and anything can happen.

Sat. was also my grandmother's birthday party. It was so great seeing family and watching Mamaw have fun! She has lived in a nursing home for a few years now, but looks great and really had a wonderful time. Our whole family wasn't able to come, but it was fabulous seeing those who did! Happy Birthday, Mamaw!

(My sweet Mamaw on her 87th birthday party and my precious little cousin)

After the par-tay in Meridian, my wonderful parents and middle sis came to the 'burg to provide moral support in packing up our belongings. Do you know me? If you do you might know that I can get overwhelmed and am a bit indecisive. Maybe that is why we saw our 53rd house yesterday? Hmmm...

Anyway, I could not have done it without their direction and help! So now literally our home is in boxes. If something crazy happens and our house does not close on Wed. we are in deep poo. Let's just all pray it does. I really will not unpack those boxes until we are in a new home!

We made an offer on house number 3 this morning. Yes, we have made 3 offers. I am tired. We are moving into a temp. apartment on Friday and we have 4 weeks there until we have to move on. So we must find a home. And we LOVE the one we made an offer on today. Really, we walked in and it felt like home. Wish us luck!

a letter to the citizens of Hattiesburg

Dear citizens of Hattiesburg, 

Someone out there stole my MSU alumni sticker off the back windshield of my car.  I do not understand.  I have given you all the benefit of the doubt.  I moved into your city three years ago and now claim you as my home.  A year ago when our house was robbed by yet another Hattiesburg citizen, I forgave you.  Yet, you have done it again.  And this time it is personal. 

 You have messed with my love for the bulldogs. 

I see no reason to steal my free alumni sticker from my car.  I do not go around stealing Golden Eagle flags from your yards or SMTT (Southern Miss To The Top, no less.  Yes, indeed) stickers from your cars.  I embrace your culture, even enjoy it at times.  But now this bulldog is a bit upset.  

I just want my 3 inch free MSU alumni sticker back.  That is all I ask.  That, and an apology. 

Thank you, 

Heather

CUTE STUFF!

I have a friend in the burg that does custom keepsakes for your baby! (she also does puppy prints, for us mothers to four legged fur-balls)  It is so precious.  She does clay prints, thumbprint jewelry and keychains, anything!  Check her out her new blog! You can also check her out on facebook, if you are there. 

Did i jinx it by posting this?

oh well....

Here's hoping it doesn't fall through!

2 weeks

We have an offer on our house.  YIPPEEE!  Praise God!!  They made us an offer we could not refuse!  

Catch: they want us out of the house by the 20th of March. 

18 days.  

They want to close on the 18th and move in starting at 5 pm on the 20th. 

Of course, this is the first of many steps.  We accepted the offer, but now the inspection, appraisal, etc...all have to go well.  

But if it does all go well, we will be out of the house in 2 weeks.  And move where, you ask? 

Good question. 

Anyone looking for a couple of swell roommates and one cute puppy?

Thank goodness I bought Trey a tent for Christmas one year when we were dating.  We may be pitching it in the park. 

catching up

hello. anyone still out there? My days of daily blog stories are long gone, so it seems.

that does not mean my life is not blog worthy.

I will number for easy reading, naturally, and include the subject matter.

You know, just in case you care.

1) Home Front: We are no longer for sale by owner - we have listed it with a legit agent. Who knew I would be so terrible at selling a home? Apparently a cute malte-poo and great candles are not all that sells a house. Our agent is great. In fact, I have been out of the house all day while she shows the house several different times. Awesome. I went to the gym, and now am at the coffee shop blogging. Notice I did not say shower. Which leads me to my next topic -

2) Death of a Chi - Remember my chi story from a year ago? Well, it kinda happened again. My Chi died yesterday. I told my boss I almost called in sick, but alas, I have a great work ethic. Dang my guilty heart. My hair was long last time this tragedy struck, so I was able to pull it back with ease. Well, now I have short hair. So it was an unfortunate sight. No fear, another Chi was overnighted, but has not come in yet. I shall wait to shower until then. If you are in the 'burg and see me today, I will go ahead and apologize now for the nappiness that is my hair.
To make matters worse, my hair dryer fried my hair last week. Really. Fried. I had an hour and half deep conditioning treatment at the salon to remedy this, with little luck. The only
hope: my chi, which is now dead. Trey says between my hair products and my speeding tickets, we are broke. Which is a perfect lead to #3...


3) Good cop/Bad cop - A few posts ago I told the story about my first speeding ticket. Whatev. I paid the ticket and went on my merry way. He was nice, and even though I peeled out in front of him, he wished me well on my way. Fast forward to last week: Enter bad Hattiesburg cop. I was heading to work, minding my own business, when I got pulled over. FOR GOING 21 MPH. get a life, cop. The limit was 15, and while I normally follow this rule, I
was on the phone with my mom and a bit distracted. I guess my lead foot got the best of me
and I hit the big 2-0. Pa-lease. This is when it happened: the tears started flowing. I was stressed anyway, and the mean guy was relentless. He demanded to know where I worked, and even put it on my ticket. Why does that matter? Was is it to him? I then witnessed him letting another woman go. Don't tick me off, cop. I called my state rep. (yes, indeed) , the city council, and the police station. To no avail. I had to go to court last week and pay up. FOR GOING 21 MPH. Next Tuesday I have driving school. Seriously, cop. Catch the drug dealers and robbers in the city. Leave me be.


4) New car - trey got a new truck. Not a big deal for some of you, but he was a bit attached to his old dodge. It was his high school truck. Yep. High school. Nothing else to say, except that I am proud that my husband was able to let go and move forward with a new car. He is growing up so fast.

(not his truck, but you get the idea. Looks like this:)

5) Baby mama - we had a shower for amanda last weekend in memphis. so fun. she is the cutest mama-to-be. All belly. Nothing else. I am not bitter, for I have never been with child, but fair warning, Boo: when I am large and in charge with a baby in tow, I will be bitter when my butt explodes and my face swells. Anyway, enough about that. It was so great getting to see
so many of my friends. I miss everyone so much! Let's do it again soon. At the birth of baby Kate, perhaps?

6) Terrible Twos - only not so terrible. Still a perfect angel. (I can say that, for I am the aunt) Henry turned two in december, but we had his party in November. It was a hayride. he loved it. Absolutely adorable. A few things of note: he can say his entire ABCs (even the LMNOP part) and adds the 'next time won't you sing with me'. He can count high. Like to
10 or something. And he will tell you that Christmas is here for Jesus's birthday. Cute kid. Birthday pictures courtesy of Laura.

Now you are caught up a bit in the life of Heather. I feel there is more to tell. I am forgetting something. Oh well, will think of it later.

Heading home to see if my chi has arrived. Wish me luck!!