The Chamberlain Chatter

Prayer Requests

2009-10-09T11:22:00.005-05:00

This has been a rough year for my family. I thought I'd take the time to document what all has been going, as it's becoming hard to keep up with everyone. Plus it helps to get as many people praying as possible!

1.) My stepfather was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year and has gone through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. It has been ROUGH on him! His last round of chemotherapy was this week. The doctors will check to see how the cancer reacted to the treatments and will then decide next steps. Please pray that he's been healed of the cancer and that no further treatment is needed.

2.) My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer over a couple of months ago and had a double mastectomy. She has decided to go through 6 rounds of chemotherapy in an attempt to prevent further cancer. She had her first treatment last week and it was HORRIBLE on her. She's really depressed and is having a hard time with the effects of the chemo. Please pray that she will have the wisdom she needs deciding if she should continue the treatments. Also pray that she never has to deal with cancer, or any illness, again! She and my grandfather, Bub, mean the world to me and it breaks my heart when they hurt. Bub is coming up on his stroke anniversary. It will be 4 years next week. (Can't believe it!) He never regained the ability to use the left side of his body and has essentially been confined to a chair these last 4 years. His mind is going and he stays depressed most of the time. It breaks his heart that he can't do more for my grandmother now that she's sick, which just adds to the stress for both of them. I wish there was more I could do for them, but visiting every week and praying ALL the time is about all I can do for them at this point. Please pray that God's will be done in both of their lives and that he will take away their suffering.

3.) My half brother's dad passed away Monday, the 5th, from lung cancer. He was diagnosed over 2 years ago and had been suffering badly. This was a blessing, but has been hard on my brother. Please pray for my brother, that he will learn a lesson and stop smoking and change his ways. He acknowledges that this is what his dad would want, so we are all encouraging him to stick to the promises he made his dad before he passed away.

4.) My mother-in-law was admitted into the hospital yesterday due to fluid on her heart. They were able to remove the fluid and she's recovering well, but we still haven't been told what caused the fluid and if there may be other problems. Please pray that the doctors are able to determine what is going on and what she needs to do in order to address any issues she may have.

I'm an aunt!!!

2009-10-09T10:53:00.004-05:00

So it has taken me FOREVER to announce this exciting news, which I'm sure you are all well aware of by now. I'm an aunt! Jodie and Farrah welcomed Baby John "Hudson" Mote to the world at 7:24 p.m. on 08/26/09. (I guessed that he would be born at 7:24 on the dot that evening. Can you believe I got it right?!?! We already have a special bond!) Hudson weighed 7 pounds on the dot and was 20 inches long. My mom and I were in the room for his delivery...and got to see the entire thing. It was incredible! (Mom was in charge of video and I was in charge of pictures.) Most people think I'm gross for having watched...and enjoyed...such a thing, but I thought to myself numerous times throughout the process that I'd love to deliver babies for a living. It truly was a miracle! Farrah and Hudson both did great. By the time they put Farrah's legs in the stirrups, you could already see Hudson's head. (She went into labor on her own...10 days before her actual due date...and was already over 5 cm by the time she finally went to the hospital. We actually did a maternity photo shoot at her house that day...before she left for the hospital...while she was in labor. That is what OCD will do to a person.) :) She only pushed a handful of times and her epidural worked perfectly. I guess all the exercise paid off! :) Her doctor and nurse kept bragging on her and said they'd never seen anything like her...being that she was a first time mom. They were dead serious! I'm so proud of Farrah and love that little boy SO much already. He has brought so much happiness to our family. I can't wait to spoil him for many years to come!

My sweet buddy!

The happy familyPretty momma & baby boy

Farrah's Baby Shower

2009-08-29T12:39:00.008-05:00

Mom, Sheila, Melanie, Dale, Kristina, Ashley, Helen, Tara and I had a baby shower for Farrah on 08/01 at Melanie's lovely house. We had a great time eating, watching Farrah open presents and playing games. She had close to 50 people there, if not a little more! Baby Hudson got some nice things.

4 generations

The hostesses

Playing the string game

The cute bouquet that Tara made

The pretty diaper cake that Tara made

Ashley painted this for Hudson

Tara getting the dirty diaper game ready

Helen's diaper cake

Jodie & Farrah's Couples Shower

2009-07-31T08:54:00.008-05:00

James, Heather, Chris, Angel, Leslie C., Leslie T., Andrew and I had a couples baby shower for Jodie & Farrah on 07/25. It was a laid back cookout at James & Heather's. We all had a great time and ate some delicious food! Baby Hudson is going to be one spoiled little guy.

We had shrimp, steak & chicken kabobs.

James & Heather have a shuffle board court in their backyard. Cool!

The diaper cake that Chris & Angel made.

The baby carriage James made.

Jodie loves the dress for his son! :)

Farrah's North AL Showers

2009-07-24T15:35:00.007-05:00

First of all...it's becoming quite apparent every time I upload pictures that I need a new camera!

Mom and I spent the weekend of 07/11 with Jodie & Farrah in north AL...as they were given two baby showers by both sides of Jodie's family. We had a great time visiting with everyone and we thank Steve, Jamie, Jake & Ethan for letting us spend the night! Baby Hudson got some nice things.

The hostesses at the Hartselle shower

Farrah at 32 weeks
The girls that make up my family

Hudson's cute baby book
The Moulton shower

Hudson's coming home outfit & blanket

Surprise Heather!

2009-07-24T15:19:00.009-05:00

We surprised Heather for her 30th birthday. She had no idea we were waiting for her at Sol Azteca...at least not until James told her she needed to change clothes and was insistent on going to Mexican. :) We had a great time and ate way too much!

Jodie & Farrah got in to a food fight!

Anna Kate is Here!!!

2009-07-23T15:36:00.002-05:00

Some of our closest friends welcomed their little girl into the world on Thursday, July 9th at 3:38 p.m. She weighed 9 lbs. & 4 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Anna Kate is a doll! She loves to eat and only gets upset if she's hungry or needs to be changed. Andrew and I visited the hospital twice and took Jim & Tara dinner one night once they were home. (I could visit them everyday!) Mommy & baby are both doing great. I'm so happy for Jim & Tara! They wanted a little one so badly and I know they will make great parents. Aunt Kelcei can't wait to spoil this little girl! :)

I love how she sleeps with her mouth open!

I love the rolls!

4th of July

2009-07-23T15:21:00.005-05:00

We went to our lake place for the 4th of July. Of course we had a great time with my family and the weather was actually nice. (It always seems to rain on the 4th.) Andrew, Farrah and I went to watch Thunder on the Mountain that night while Jodie went to a political rally at the Verizon Wireless Center. We went to the Nazarene church up the road from Jodie and Farrah. They actually have an outreach now...since so many people use their parking lot to watch the fireworks. They had free snow cones, hot dogs and drinks. I thought that was really nice...and smart...on their part. I'm extremely grateful and thankful for the everyday freedoms that I tend to take for granted!

Baby Hudson sunbathing...

Bub always has to feel for Baby Hudson's movements.

Don't you love our small grill? The big grill wasn't working, so we had to get creative.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary...

2009-07-23T14:44:00.005-05:00

I had an urge to take pictures of the plants and flowers on the inside and outside of our house. I love to grow things...perhaps it stems from my country upbringing and the fact that my granddad was a cotton farmer and always had a big garden each summer. Looking back, I didn't take the time to truly learn what farming was all about, but I have many memories of jumping in cotton once it was picked and placed in trailers. I also remember riding on the cotton picker with my granddad Bub. And I surely ate my fair share of produce from the garden...not to mention gathering, shelling, silking and shucking many a vegetable with my grandmother Bernice! I love those early memories of my childhood. Now that I'm done reminiscing, below is what this post is all about.

This is a pretty flower that spreads like crazy. Tara got it from Nick & Rendy's lake house and she dug me up some from her garden for me to plant.

I love this house plant!

My mom made this plant stand for me using terracotta pots.

These are pretty hydrangeas out of my mother-in-law's garden. (I'm trying to propagate them, but it's not going well.)
These are my hanging baskets waiting on the rain! (They looked SO much better before the heat got them.)

Something is going on with the soil in this bed. I know it needs to be tilled badly, but I think something else may be causing the flowers to look like this. :(

My pretty Stargazer Lilies! They did just fine in the bed. (Can we say low maintenance?!?!)

Lake Martin Trip

2009-06-19T15:34:00.007-05:00

A group of us went down to Nick & Rendy's the weekend after Memorial Day. Of course we had a great time! Nick & Rendy spoil us. They made three full course meals everyday! They are so good to us and we love them and claim them as our second set of parents.

J wiping out surfing

Captain Schultz...with the $73,000 Malibu boat he brought!

J surfing

This was a neat cooler!

How cute is their house?!?!

Beach Trip

2009-06-06T11:19:00.009-05:00

Our group of friends visited Seacrest Beach, FL this year over the Memorial Day holiday for our annual beach trip. (We've been going on these trips since 2005.) We had a great time this year...like always...even with two days of rain! This year Leslie, Lauren, Zach, Beth, Jodie, Farrah, James, Heather, Brooks, Jenny, Andrew and I made the trip. We ate lots of great seafood and got in some beach and pool time. Of course the guys managed to get in a round of golf while the girls went outlet mall shopping one of the days that it rained. The house we rented...The Funky Monkey...was SO nice! Leslie did a great job lining it up for us. It wasn't right on the beach, but there was a tram that would take us to and from the beach and pool. It was nice to catch up with everyone and enjoy some R&R away from work, kids and everyday life. I'm ready to go again!

Tara's Baby Shower

2009-05-22T08:43:00.005-05:00

Mother, Farrah, Dale, Melanie, Meemaw and I had a baby shower for Tara on Sunday, May 17th. It was such a great time! Tara had a great turnout and got some really nice things for Anna Kate. We ate great food, watched Tara open gifts and played fun games. The next step is Baby Kate's arrival!

Opening gifts

Great friends!

BFF's since 4th grade

The game & sign-in table

Tara, her mom & sisters

The mommy-to-be

The gift table

How cute is this cake?!?!

The flowers were very pretty.

"ASK" onesie

"Anna Kate" onesie

"AK" onesie

The clothesline

The food & drink table

The Big 3-0!

2009-05-20T10:08:00.015-05:00

I'm officially 30 years old! Most people seem to dread these milestone birthdays, but it hasn't bothered me at all. Perhaps a random year will have this affect on me, or maybe the aging process doesn't bother me at all. We'll see!

First, I must confess that I was so mean to poor Andrew! For those of you who know me well, this won't be a surprise. I was checking our Amex account online a week or so before my actual birthday. I noticed an $80 something charge from Edible Arrangements. I immediately knew what it was all about and asked Andrew if he was responsible, just to confirm. He told me he was and became so irritated that I was being sneaky, even though I wasn't. He said he had heard me say that I wanted one of those arrangements in the past and he wanted to surprise me at work. I of course came back at him asking if he knew what I could do with that kind of money and that I thought it was crazy to spend so much on chocolate-dipped fruit! I asked if I could cancel the order and he got mad and said I could do whatever, but not to expect surprises from him again. Poor thing! He can't win for losing with me. And I did cancel the order, by the way. I readily admit that I'm the MOST frugal person in the world. It's a disease! For the record...I have apologized several times. :)

I've always known I have the most wonderful family and friends. This past weekend further confirmed that belief. Andrew, Farrah, Jimmy, Mom, Jonathan, Morgan and Leslie had me an awesome 30th birthday party. I enjoyed hanging out with everyone and the food, drinks, and decorations were great. Farrah also had everyone play a game to see who knew the most about me. Tara won and Mom came in 2nd. I got some really nice gifts and was overwhelmed at how generous everyone was. I can't say thank you enough for such a fun time! (You can see the pictures below to get a better idea of how great the party was.)

I worked on Monday, my actual birthday. Kim and Tiffani surprised me by decorating my cube from top to bottom. They also had funny signs with pictures of me hanging all over the office. It was so funny and made me feel so special. They also took me to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch, which I thought was really sweet. I can truly say some of my coworkers are my closest friends. That's what happens when you spend most of your time with them! :) (I have some pictures from the office below, too.)

Andrew took me shopping and out to STIX Monday night. He decided that would be his gift to me since I dogged out his Edible Arrangement surprise! I'm now newly clothed and accessorized. Our dinner was SO good. I love Japanese food. I have the best husband ever! He puts up with my neurotic behavior and still seems to love me. :)

I had the BEST 30th birthday party! I'll never be able to thank my friends and family enough.

One of the signs that was hanging around my office

My decorated cube

Opening gifts at my party

These are the cute...and funny...banners & posters Farrah had hanging everywhere!

I refuse to show "The Bad" & "The Ugly"

Baby Emilee was the hit of the party!

Farrah had presents to open, too, since we share the same birthday.

Farrah leading the "How Well Do You Know Kelcei" game

This is how Emilee watched me open gifts...so precious!

The party exhausted her!

Farrah getting some practice!

Jim & Tara's Couple's Baby Shower

2009-05-10T08:05:00.009-05:00

Andrew, Claire and I had a couple's baby shower for Jim & Tara (my BFF since 4th grade) last night at 2 Pesos on 119. It was just perfect and all I hoped it would be. We had the restaurant serve up appetizers for everyone and then ate a delicious cake from Edgar's (yum!). Jim & Tara got some nice stuff and we loved catching up with all of our friends. We ended up having an after party at Jim & Tara's and we got to see Anna Kate's beautiful nursery. They are close to having everything ready for her arrival. That is a good thing being that Tara is almost 33 weeks! :) I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

The group

BFF's since 4th grade

Barbara & John

J & Andrew...(They were each other's date for the evening!)

The precious cake from Edgar's

Opening gifts

Randy & Susie

James & TaraThe Henderson Family

The Fortunis Family

The happy parents-to-be

Japanese & Bowling Fun

2009-05-01T22:20:00.003-05:00

A group of us went out for Japanese food and bowling last Saturday night. We had a great time! Our little impromptu gatherings are always the most fun. I love my friends!

It looks like we are at a church lock-in!

Definitely a lock-in...

More Projects

2009-05-01T22:01:00.009-05:00

I want to show off more projects that Mom and I made.

Chris & Angel's Housewarming

2009-05-01T21:51:00.003-05:00

Chris & Angel had a housewarming party. They have a cute house out in McCalla. We had a great time hanging out with friends!

Relaxing on the back porch

Me with Angel & Heather

Allison & Lynn with Baby Elliott

Angel, Vanessa & Heather

Heather & Farrah

It's Been a While!

2009-04-21T21:11:00.012-05:00

It hit me this week that I haven't blogged in quite some time So...I think I'll highlight some important moments...or important moments to me...in this post. :)

My sister found out on 04/15 that she's having a boy. We are so excited!!! I had predicted a boy from day one. I can't wait to meet that sweet thing come September. (Her due date is 09/06.) Mom, Farrah, Bernice and I went shopping for her furniture and bedding fabric last Saturday. She actually ordered everything this week...so that was major progress! She's going with the dark finished furniture and a neutral chair that is nice and glides. The walls will likely be green and mom's going to make her bedding. She found 3 pretty blue and green fabrics that will go well together. We all had a great time shopping for our baby boy!

Farrah and I went to Kid's Market and Mom a few weeks ago and got some great deals. I left there only spending around $160 and that included a Pack and Play, 2 strollers, a car seat base, bouncer seat, play mat, 2 new packs of onsies and a new pack of cloth diapers for monogramming. It was insane how much stuff they had! Farrah sold some stuff just to get in early and they accidentally gave her an extra ticket, which is why I got to go. We were number 350 something. Mom and I have everything we need now to keep the little guy at our houses. I'm so excited!

We had a great Easter down at Bub and Bernice's. Everyone brought a dish that made up a wonderful lunch. Andrew's parents were able to join us and we dyed eggs and hid them. The plastic eggs had money and candy inside them. (All the grand kids got to hunt, regardless of age.) We had a great time! Below are some pictures.

My sweet cousins Jordan, Kaylan, Baylee & their dog Sadie

Bub in his chair
Looking for an egg on Bub...disturbing!

Jordan going for the egg in the hay

Baylee not liking the search

Bub, Morgan & Jonathan riding over the farm

Andrew & his parents

Jodie & Farrah with their dogs Haley & Samford

Bub trying to feel Baby Mote

Andrew and I have been working in the yard since the weather got warmer. It is looking good! I love my flowers I planted and the newly laid pine straw. Hopefully the people we are paying to make our grass look like a golf course will get that in shape soon! :)

Our nephews, Noah & Luke, are playing baseball. We went out to see them play a few weeks ago and I can't get over how they've grown. Luke seems to really love baseball and is good. Noah isn't into it like Luke. I really think he will be the football player. He has a strong arm! Andrew's going to watch their games tomorrow. He is so great with kids and loves teaching them sports. Hopefully he'll have a little boy, or girl, someday to coach! :)

I don't think I left anything out! May is going to be a busy and fun month. I'm sure I will have a lot to document!

Projects

2009-03-16T11:40:00.005-05:00

Mom and I worked on more embroidery projects this weekend. I wanted to showoff our gems! I also included some numbers she and I worked on a couple of weeks ago. I love doing this and enjoy the quality time Mom and I have together. I will soon learn how to quilt and sew. Wish me luck! :)

BTW...my sister, Farrah, is still doing great! She is a little over 15 weeks today and goes back to the doctor next Monday. Now I know I may be going overboard, but I've already bought a Graco Pack 'n Play and Fisher Price jungle play mat for the baby to use at my house. The best part is I only spent $23 for both items! They were used, but are in great shape and cleaned up well. I'm going to Kid's Market & Mom with Farrah next week and plan to buy a bouncer seat and travel system. I figure it will be easier on all of us to have big items of my own to stay at my house so that Jodie and Farrah won't have to haul all of their stuff to my house when the baby stays with me...which I hope happens often. :) I'm still 100% convinced that we are going to have a little boy. Farrah and I have been calling the baby Collier. Don't ask us why or how we come up with this stuff!!!

Mom made me this towel wrap with the cute embroidery in the corner.

This is a kitchen towel I made for myself.
This is a onsie I made for my boss's new baby.

This is a burp cloth I made for Baby Harper.

I love this baby blankie with the name in the corner!

This is Farrah's design that she created for her boss's daughter.

I love this burp cloth & bib set designed by Mom!

Snow!

2009-03-03T11:52:00.006-06:00

Well I can't believe my one wish for the winter came true! We actually got some snow...and I'm talking 1-3 inches of accumulation. I've learned not to put a whole lot of faith in meteorologists. (After all, they aren't God!) They had been predicting snow all last week and I forced myself not to get too excited. I will say they were right on the money this time! Before I fell asleep around midnight on Saturday, there was no snow coming down. When I woke up around 6:30 on Sunday morning, we already had a decent dusting! I decided to go back to bed after checking it out and I'd say we had an inch or two when I woke back up around 9. I had to take lunch down to my family in Harpersville and we were having another birthday party for Bub. I figured I'd get in some play time down there with the kids. So...I took my time lounging around the house and finally got ready and was out the door a little after 11. It was really coming down at our house as I was leaving! Of course I had to play some with Andrew & Molly and our friends The Myers' and their dog Bleu who live across the street. Boy am I hating I didn't get more play time in at my house! Harpersville barely got a dusting! I was so disappointed. We couldn't even build a mini snowman and Bernice was barely able to make snow ice cream. By the time I got back to my house, it was ALL melted! :( Oh well. I guess I should be grateful and appreciate what we got. After all, I was able to capture some pretty pictures. Of course!

This was around 6:30 on Sunday morning.

Ready...Aim... Fire!

I look like I'm sporting a mullet!

This was around 11 on Sunday morning.

Molly & her friend Bleu, from across the street, playing...

I thought this was pretty on my drive to Harpersville.

This was my favorite view on my drive!

Our sweet little humble abode all in white!

Some Exciting News!

2009-02-24T20:30:00.005-06:00

My baby sister is going to be a mom!!! Yes...you are reading this correctly. She is 12 weeks and 3 days as I write this. A little one is set to join us September 6th. I'm so ecstatic I can hardly stand it! I've already bought baby books for Farrah, onseies, caps, etc. Can you imagine how bad I'm going to be when we find out the sex and when the little one gets here?!?!

My new name for Farrah is "Fertile Myrtle"! It only took them about a month to conceive. She took a test on New Year's Eve when she was barely late. My family went out to eat to Kobe for Jonathan's birthday, but she didn't feel like the timing was right to tell everyone. They went out afterwards with some friends and when she got home she saw I was online. She started asking if I would print a Hobby Lobby coupon for her if she emailed it. After going back and forth for a short time, I opened an email that had a picture of a pregnancy test with the caption, "I can't wait to meet you in 9 months Uncle Andrew and Aunt Kelcei." Shocked wasn't even the word! Of course I couldn't speak for a while and then started crying. She then felt bad for not telling me in person, but I told her I would not have been as surprised if she had shown up on my door step that night. Of course I would have known immediately that something was up. I sure expected a Hobby Lobby coupon to be staring back at me instead of a pregnancy test! :)

We had plans to take Bernice out for her birthday that following Saturday after she told me...on the 3rd. So of course Farrah and I started scheming on how to surprise the crap out of our family! (I had to remind myself that I wasn't the pregnant one! :)) We bought frames for Bernice & Mom and wrapped them as a birthday gift for Bernice & late Christmas gift for Mother. I'll let the pictures and video below do the rest of the talking!

I am so excited for Jodie & Farrah! I know they will make wonderful parents and I can't wait to be in this baby's life. Our family was ready for a little one, so this child will have more love than he/she can handle!

The beautiful mom-to-be! Farrah showing Mom the test Explaining what she saw on the test We had to go pick up Kaylan at a friend's house once Farrah called and told her the news! Jordan was excited! The books I gave Farrah & the gifts for Mom & Bernice 4 Generations

The video that captured Farrah breaking the news!

Surprise, Tara!

2009-02-22T21:02:00.006-06:00

Last night my BFF Tara received one of the biggest surprises of her life! A house full of over 40 people helped her celebrate her 30th birthday. She had no idea and was completely shocked! It was SO hard keeping it a secret for so long. Her mother, mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, husband and I pulled it all together and it couldn't have been more perfect. We had a fabulous dinner and some delicious cake. Tara got some nice gifts and had a great time hanging out with family and friends. Below are only a few photos...considering I took 60! She definitely won't forget this milestone birthday!

You can tell she was surprised!

The cake

One of the picture posters Farrah made

Peas in a Pod

Another picture poster courtesy of Farrah

More Fun Projects

2009-02-22T20:39:00.005-06:00

I went over to Mom's Thursday night and learned how to use her monogramming machine. I wanted to show off some of the fun projects we came up with and finished. I love them all!

Our first kitchen towel with an applique & monogram

An apron we made Tara for her birthday

This is Farrah's design.

Our second kitchen towel

A hanging pillow for Anna Kate

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice...

2009-02-18T19:48:00.008-06:00

I'm happy to post that our good friends Jim & Tara found out on Monday that they are having a little girl! Sweet little Anna Kate is still due to arrive at the beginning of July and Jim & Tara are just ecstatic. I went over to their house Monday night for dinner and to take them some precious little girl outfits, of course! Jim made the comment that he didn't know what to do with a girl and I told him that was all I could imagine him with. (I've been saying girl from the beginning.) It just seems fitting for the two of them. Of course they are grateful to finally have a little one on the way...no matter the sex...that is 100% healthy per the doctor's report on Monday. I'm so excited for them! It is hard to believe my BFF since 4th grade is going to be a mommy in a few months.

These two are going to make a beautiful little girl!

While I'm on the subject, well sort of, I'm so excited over my mom's recent purchase. She is now the proud owner of an embroidery machine. This is going to come in very handy as far as gifts are concerned, not to mention my future children. I've always been obsessed with monograms for babies and kids. (Just ask most of my friends that have children!) I'm going over to her house tomorrow night to work on some projects. She's also going to start teaching me how to sew. Yay! Below is one of her first projects. How cute is that?!?! I'm so proud of her and am really excited to learn and play. We so want to go into business together and open our own shop. A little wishful thinking, but maybe someday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T11:42:00.002-06:00

Andrew and I didn't have any big plans this year for Valentine's Day. We did go out to eat with Jodie & Farrah to the Lakeview Oyster House Friday night. It was very good! I found out that they are changing the place to a BBQ joint, which is very sad, but at least we got one more meal out of them. :)

I cleaned the house most of the day Saturday...(lots of fun)...and we then joined Jim & Tara for dinner and a movie that night.

Andrew and I made a pact not to buy anything for each other, but instead go shopping together and buy some accessories for our iPod.

I guess after being together over 13 years, there isn't a big fireworks show every holiday! But I will say we love each other more now than ever. I really do have a wonderful husband and I feel that I take him for granted at times. After watching Fireproof with Jim & Tara on Valentine's night, I want to show him more each and every day how much I do love him!

Super Bowl Party

2009-02-08T19:19:00.005-06:00

Our friend Leslie had us over to her new place for a fun-filled Super Bowl party. We had some tasty food and an enjoyable night hanging out and catching up! Andrew and I even spent the night and it was nice being able to get to work in less than 10 minutes.

Andrew & Leslie ready for the halftime show!

We had some interesting conversations!
very interesting...

Farrah & Leslie

Lauren looking cool!

Farrah had driven back from SC & was tired!

Bowling With Friends

2009-01-21T21:54:00.004-06:00

Andrew and I went out to dinner with Leslie and Farrah last Friday night. We had Mexican and then met Jarrod, Charlotte and some of their friends at the bowling alley. It was a lot of fun and of course I stunk it up bowling! Leslie and Andrew are really good and were very competitive.

Saturday morning I woke up with a nasty cold...(that I'm still battling). We went over to Andrew's parent's house to play the Wii Saturday night and I stayed on their day bed the whole time going in and out of sleep since I was feeling SO bad. I also cleaned all day before going over. Needless to say I was in awful shape on Sunday and have been feeling rough all week. (I didn't make it in to work today.) I'm feeling a lot better as I type this post, so hopefully I'm on my way to being well. Andrew's in pretty bad shape, too, and ended up going to the doctor yesterday.

Here are some of our bowling pictures...

Slow Start

2009-01-13T20:35:00.002-06:00

So the first full week of January went by at a snail's pace! I didn't think work was ever going to end last week. (I guess that's what happens when you take off Christmas Eve through the 4th of January!) I shopped with Tara and Farrah this past weekend and Andrew and I shared our date night with Jim & Tara on Saturday. We went out to Richard's Barbecue and Grill, which I think is the best meat and three in town, by the way. We wrapped up the night back at Jim & Tara's watching Fool's Gold. It was a descent movie, but not the best I've ever seen. We had a good time, though. I always enjoy hanging out with friends.

We had intentions to visit a new church on Sunday, but didn't make it out of bed in time. We want to find a church closer to our house since our drive to NSBC is 30 minutes. It is going to be hard to leave after nearly 11 years, but we are ready to find something within our community. Of course we will keep in touch with the friends we have made, but we are ready to make new ones, too.

We did manage to make it down to Bub & Bernice's on Sunday. Everyone was there except Jodie & Jimmy. It was a nice visit, with the exception of several folks being sick. (I'm still hoping I avoid coming down with something!)

Andrew and I finally got to see Jordan and Kaylan play basketball at Kingwood Christian last night. Kaylan played in the JV game, cheered for the boys' JV game and then played again in the varsity game. She did ALL of this sick! Jordan played in the JV game. Of course Baylee was all over the place with her friends. I had bleacher butt after being there for over 4 hours! I love my cousins, though, and really enjoyed watching them play. :)

All-in-all things have started off well this year, pretty slow and boring, but well.

New Year's Eve

2009-01-03T00:12:00.003-06:00

So our New Year's Eve was pretty low key this year. We went out to Kobe for Jonathan's 22nd b-day and that was it! Jodie & Farrah tried to talk us into going down to 5 Points to bring in the New Year after dinner...but we just weren't feeling it this year. We came home and watched some television coupled with Mimosas. Andrew turned in before midnight, due to a 3 a.m. hunting trip with Jim on New Year's day. I stayed up well after midnight, and continued to sip Mimosas alone, while I watched Carson Daly in NYC and chatted with my sister. I don't think I've ever had such a low key New Year's before, but it was a nice change of pace! While I didn't commit to any resolutions this New Year, I do anticipate 2009 to be the year of change for me...across many areas of my life. We will see!

Christmas Day

2008-12-30T22:37:00.005-06:00

We had another great Christmas this year with both families. I forced Andrew out of bed at 5 a.m. Christmas morning to exchange the few gifts we got for one another. He was really happy! :) Next we visited with my family down in Harpersville and watched my cousins see what Santa brought before walking over to Bub and Bernice's for Christmas breakfast and Dirty Santa. It was lots of fun! Around lunchtime we headed to Andrew's parent's house for Christmas lunch and even more presents. The nephews' Wii was a big hit and they brought it over for all of us to play. We stayed late playing and talking. It was a Merry Christmas for us all!

Noah playing the Wii

The nephews with Teddy the horse
Christmas Lunch

Jonathan & Morgan

This group can't take a good picture!

Baylee in her new Mustang

The cousins seeing what Santa brought

What a lovely look at 5 a.m.

Molly liked her twisted bone from Santa!What a book!

Molly excited over her new rope

Checking the stockings

Christmas Dinner With Friends

2008-12-27T08:41:00.009-06:00

We had Christmas dinner at the Macaroni Grill with some of our closest friends. It was delicious and a great time! Baby Brooks got sick and Chris and Angel couldn't make it. Kevin was with his family and Lauren was helping a friend move. We missed them, but made sure to eat enough food for them! :)

SEC Championship

2008-12-10T08:08:00.004-06:00

Jodie & Farrah had an SEC Championship Game party at their new house, which is lovely, by the way. (Actually Farrah called it a "Go Gators" party!) Of course we had a blast and the AU fans were happy with the outcome of the game, while Chris and Andrew weren't happy at all. We all ate tons of delicious food and had a great time catching up, as we had not all been together in a while. The night got a bit crazy for some...I won't go into those details...but those folks know who they are! I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

We got a bit silly with the camera!

Andrew was pretty disgusted!
The ZTA girls.. :)

Brooks & Mother got along well

Mom & her girls

The large spread that was oh so good!

Of course Andrew & Leslie had to pose together!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T15:06:00.004-06:00

Andrew and I started off Thanksgiving visiting with my family at Bub and Bernice's house. We then left around lunch time and visited with Andrew's family at his parent's house. It was a great time! I'm so thankful for all God has given me. I have a wonderful husband and terrific family and friends. I really love this time of year! I forgot to bring out my camera at the Chamberlain's. We ate, napped and played games.

The food was very good!

Baylee. Isn't she a doll?!?!
Bernice & Bub...two of the most important people in my life!

Jonathan & Jordan

Betty & Charles

Kaylan & Mother

UA/MSU Game

2008-12-05T14:14:00.005-06:00

We had our friends Kelse and Brooke, along with their daughter Ashlyn, over to our house for the UA/MSU game. I ran to Publix a bit before kickoff to pick up wings and chicken fingers. Now believe me when I say those were the only items I intended to buy! Something happened as I entered the store. An Alabama balloon caught my eye and next thing I know, my hosting instincts took over! It was like I blacked out and just started grabbing everything red and white. Below you can see what I did. Now although I don't get into football, I grew up going to the AU games with my family and it has been ingrained in me from birth. I now fear my sister may disown me if she dare sees these pictures. She is just like our Aunt Sheila and let me put it to you this way...Sheila would pull our hair or hit us if we ever said the curse words "Roll Tide". Oh my...what have I done!

The Alabama decorations

Andrew stays right up on the t.v. during games

We tried to build a fire outside, but the wood wouldn't light!Our poor kiddies were beat by the end of the night! Awe...sweet Molly!

Baby Emilee is Here!

2008-11-20T07:43:00.007-06:00

I haven't posted anything in over a couple of weeks, but I really don't have anything overly exciting to add. We did get to meet our good friends' new baby, Emilee, on the 17th, which I now realize was exciting. She had a pretty eventful entry into this world and finally came home from the NICU on the 12th, after being born on the 3rd. She is a doll and her Auntie Kelcei loves her so much already!

The happy couple and their proud addition!

Last Saturday I went to the "Bama Flea Mart and Antique Mall" out in Leeds with my mother, grandmother and cousins. It was interesting, to say the least, or shall I say the patrons were interesting! They had a wide assortment of items...everything from junk, to antiques, to hand-made goods. I didn't find any good bargains, but I'd go back.

We also had some friends over for the Alabama/Mississippi State game last Saturday night. I have some pictures that I will post later, which I'm sure will be shocking to some folks!

Oh yeah...remember I'm doing a lot of this posting for my failing memory...I did have a yard sale with my friend Tara and her mom Dale back on the 8th. It was a big success and I made me around $55, which I thought was pretty good considering I didn't have a lot of stuff and NO big items. I love having, and going to, yard sales!

Until next time...

Tanya's Night Out

2008-11-04T13:46:00.006-06:00

A group of girls from work went out on Saturday night to celebrate Tanya's upcoming wedding. We went to Starz and sang some karaoke. It was a lot of fun!

Me & Tanya

Tanya & Kim
Tanya & Jennifer

Tanya & Kelly

Me & Kim

Me & Kim II

Tanya & Heather

The girls

Mandy & Heather

Terri

Kelly, Tanya & Amanda

Tanya, Terri & Rhonda

Mandy & her crush

Lori had a great voice!

Kelly & Amanda breakin' it down!

Rhonda & Tanya

Football 2008

2008-11-04T13:40:00.003-06:00

Andrew and I went over to our friend Kevin's house on Saturday for the AU/Ole Miss game. It was a horrible game for AU! We stayed and watched the beating FL then gave GA. It was a lot of fun until Leslie got sick and I had to play nurse. I had to run out and buy a thermometer to see if she had a fever. She was in the ER the day before with Pancreatitis. She ended up not having a fever, but she looked like she was going to pass out! It ends up she started feeling better and was able to get home okay on her own. The game must have really gotten to her! :)

Andrew was thrilled!

Farrah and the precious hugger I bought her!

Halloween Night 2008

2008-11-04T13:24:00.006-06:00

Andrew and I went over to his parent's house and had a chili dinner on Halloween night. Glenda and I gave out candy to the trick-or-treaters in their neighborhood, while Ritchie, April and Andrew took Noah and Luck trick-or-treating. I made a cream cheese pumpkin pie that was sooo yum! We had so much fun!

Boo...the pumpkin I carved

Storm Troopers...aka...Noah & Luke
Sweet nephews!
The in-laws

Waiting on trick-or-treaters

Glenda

Part of the porch we decorated

The rest of the porch

This is what Andrew thinks of Halloween!

My pumpkin, Boo

Isn't he cute!

Halloween Party 2008

2008-10-27T09:53:00.019-05:00

Andrew, Jim, Tara and I had a Halloween Party on the 18th. We turned Jim & Tara's house into a haunted house. It was a blast! Below are some of my favorite pictures.

The crime scene out front

The freaky creature on the front porchThe haunted den

The real zombie in the grass that scared folks!

The sheriff & his white trash wifeThe Big Mac, victim & "Jodie"The nurse & cowboyThe LSU fansThe cowboyThe redneckBabe & the mermaid"Jodie" & "Farrah"

The Bama fans

The vampire & his victim

Howard the vampire & Josephine the vampiress

Hanging Vicky...my favorite decoration!

The zombie & Spirit

Spirit & Josephine

The mechanic & Jason

The redneck wedding party

Our Shakespearean presentation!

Spirit & the muscle man

The leaf blower

Something I Had to Do

2008-10-27T09:24:00.005-05:00

I have shied away from "blogging" for some time now. I've always felt this wasn't a step I could take until kids came along. However, as my memory continues to fail me, it is something I can no longer put off! I've gone back and forth with journaling and keeping a diary, but I hate my handwriting, so these efforts never worked. So...while my blog may be uninteresting to most, this is mostly for me and my benefit!