On the last day of Christmas...

After Christmas we had Cooper, Tucker & Talon and Jennifer & Courtney at our house for a little Christmas party.  The kids got some fun gifts and so did the moms!  It was also a belated birthday for Jenn!  The kids had fun playing together and we had fun visiting.

Cooper

Addy

Tucker trying on his Hulk mask

Love this picture!

Talon ate a few snowflake cookies :)

Cooper & Tucker

Talon (almost 2), Addy (3), Cooper (4) & Tucker (6)

Entering the Thirties

I turned 30 on December 6 and we got to celebrate a couple of times... it made 30 pretty painless!  On my real birthday, Addy & I were treated to lunch by JJ & KK at City Cafe - I hadn't been there in forever and it did not disappoint! 

For my birthday I told Courtney I did not want a surprise party but that I would like to get together at our house with a few friends... he enlisted the help of a few close friends and my sister and we had a fun evening eating, laughing and talking.  I love having people at our house but this time I did not have to cook or worry about any details so that was a treat! 

Courtney took me to run errands before everyone came over and the party planners redecorated my dining room for to make it a pink & black & white birthday theme! 

They had Celebrations bakery cookies as party favors - yummy!

Kayla, LeAnn, Jennifer, Courtney, Katie & Jennifer

They had a few fun props for us to take pictures with...

Everyone was a good sport and tried on a clown nose or funny hat for a photo op!

Jennifer & Courtney gave me a "This is the Year To" bracelet like the one we have given each other to celebrate turning 30 - love these girls!

Courtney was so sweet to plan a special night!  I felt so undeserving!

Kayla made the cute "The Big Three O" sign to match the party invitiation - she's so crafty!  I love my sis!

A week later, my parents had us & Mia & Pop over for dinner to celebrate one last time... I like having a whole week of celebrating!  We had chicken spaghetti and birthday cake and opened a few gifts - Addy was the self-appointed helper for gift-opening time!

Kayla got me a fun assortment of favorite things... Addy & Mia read a book... Addy got a skirt for our elf Lucy to wear!

Cake time!

Our traditional Christmas tree picture!

Advice Worth Heeding

A great servant-leader in our church unexpectedly passed away after a tragic accident last week.  The visitation Saturday night was held at our church.  I never know what to say in those situations but this sweet wife, who is always so spunky and sweet, made us feel completely at ease as we tried to comfort and support her.  She gave me some great advice that I don't want to forget... that's why I'm writing it here so I can look back at it every once in a while! 

She said she was telling the young wives that came through the (long) line that night that we needed to get busy spoiling our husbands.  She said her children always told her their daddy was spoiled and that she knew they were right... but she said that she wouldn't have done anything differently if she had it to do all over again.  She laid his work clothes out every night for him and always took care of him in the little ways, cooking, etc.  She reminded me that we aren't promised tomorrow and we shouldn't take anything for granted.  I have thought about what she said several times and have had a new inspiration to think of ways I can "spoil" Courtney. 

It also got me thinking - society has definitely changed what "accepted" and "normal" roles look like for husbands and wives since this silver haired lady was a young wife but I think it's obviously not working - the world has got it all wrong.  God reminded me of this passage from Ephesians that we recently studied - the Bible is clear that we are to respect our husbands and they are to love us.  If God is love and is the author of marriage... why do I think I know how to work it better?  As a control freak, bossy pants, sinner, this is something I struggle with.  This passage hits me right between the eyes every time.

Ephesians 5: Instructions for Christian Households

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.


22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.


25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011

Let us eat Cake!

My birthday is on December 6 and I hoped we could go to Dickens Downtown with both our families to celebrate but it was raining that night so Mia kept Addy for Courtney to take me out to dinner at Tin Top... what a treat!  The weekend before we had dinner with my family and birthday cake made by Kayla (see how cute it is with the pink and brown "stripes" on the inside?!) and the weekend after we had birthday cake at Mia & Pop's!  It was nice to be honored by both my families for my birthday!

Addy enjoyed helping me open...

 ... and try on my gift :)

Delicious cake made by my talented Sis!

Helping sing happy birthday at Mia & Pop's house

Blowing out the candles...

Pop & Addy were playing the piano - cute!

Birthday party details

This post is mainly for me... so that when it's time to plan another birthday party I can remember my resources! 

We had a big piece of burlap that we used as the main tablecloth at both parties and bandanas from Hobby Lobby/Michael's to coordinate with the theme!  For Addy's birthday and Courtney's birthday, I purchased printable files from Etsy vendors and made cupcake toppers to go with plain cupcakes from Sam's.  I thought they turned out so cute!

from AnnaandBlue

from Lauren Haddox Design

For Addy's birthday, LeAnn made these adorable Minnie Mouse cupcakes to go along with our theme!  The polka dot cupcake liners were from Michael's.

Rachel loaned us this cute Minnie Mouse centerpiece and a Happy Birthday banner

Pop was the hotdog chef and Mia assembled these adorable "hot diggity dogs"

 

Friendship

A few weeks ago, I got to have a girls night and it was so much fun!  Courtney (girl Courtney!) and Jennifer had been to Chuy's before but I had not... it was really good!  We had fun celebrating Courtney's birthday and laughing and catching up.  I love these two and I am thankful for their friendship!

He's Still Working on Me...

Last week, I started on two new Bible studies and I am excited about them both!  Our church has Midweek on Wednesday nights and they offer a variety of classes you can pick from.  The class I am attending is called "for women only: what you need to know about the inner lives of men" and I have learned a lot already!  The big thing for this first week is about R-E-S-P-E-C-T and how men need respect and women need love, based on Ephesians 5:33... this is the way God made us!  Something I have learned is that showing respect to our husband is a choice we make in obedience to God.  This is something that I struggle with because I find myself being negative and critical so often when I need to be thankful, encouraging and well, respectful!  I already know I have a lot to work on and I am hopeful that I each week, I will learn about how God wants me to be as a wife and work on the areas I need to improve. 

Our other Bible study is on Friday mornings and we are reading a book called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" and it is based on the story in the Bible where Jesus visits Mary & Martha and while Martha is making all the preparations, Mary is listening to Jesus teach.  Martha gets upset with her sister and tries to call her out in front of Jesus, but Jesus tells her that Mary has chosen the better thing and it will not be taken away from her.  I think I have a tendency to be a Martha sometimes and get too caught up in all the preparations and miss the point.  And I am finding out I'm not the only one that is like that!  The Friday morning Bible study is a small group of women and it is so refreshing to get together and discuss the Bible and hear insight from other ladies and build relationships.  If anyone lives in the Tuscaloosa area and would like to join in, we would love to have you!  Our church provides free childcare and we meet for about an hour each Friday at 9:00. 

I was just so uplifted last week by both of the Bible studies that I had to share!  And honestly, I am a little afraid that with all the work responsibilities and home responsibilities that I will have this spring that I will not be able to stick with it and keep up with the homework for my Wednesday class and read the chapter for the Friday class... so I thought if I put it out there, it would motivate me to stick with it even more!  Accountability anyone?

Happy New Year!

Did you make any New Years Resolutions??  I only have one.  I am not big on New Years Resolutions but I like to think of them as "goals" that I want to accomplish.  Is it bad that this year I only have one goal?  I guess I am putting all my eggs in one basket but I am just not motivated to make a big long list of things to work on!  I'd like to think I am being realistic!

Christmas with Friends!

A few weeks before Christmas, Jennifer, Courtney & I had our annual get together to celebrate mine & Jennifer's birthdays and swap Christmas gifts with each other and the kiddos.  This year, we went up to Jennifer's house in Helena and brought the kids along.  It was fun to spend a few hours together and I had fun watching Addy try to keep up with Tucker & Cooper.  They were both sweet to her and Cooper shared her toys - I think they all had fun... I know we did!

Tucker

Cooper

Jennifer was modeling the scarf and hat she got for her birthday!

Group picture!  Addy's face looks so disagreeable!

Trying to sit in Tucker's lap...

Weekend recap

I have started this post twice and not finished!  I know it is Wednesday Thursday and perhaps a little late for a recap of last weekend but I couldn't skip this one... Friday we had a party for our friend Julie who is getting married at the end of October!  It was fun to see friends from back in the day that I don't get to visit with very often - it felt like old times!  And it made me look forward to the girls beach trip that is coming up this weekend... yes, say a prayer for Courtney because he will have Miss Addy this weekend by himself!  He is so good with her and loves spending time with her so I know they will have fun without me!  Okay, back to last weekend though... here are a few pictures from Friday...

Yummy food we got from Moe's - definitely the way to go for hosting a party!  They did all the hard part!

Melanie, Jessica, Julie, Nikki, me and Courtney

And then Saturday we went over to Courtney's parents' to celebrate his birthday a little early and watch the Alabama game.  I meant to take a picture of the table - Courtney's mom always has a cute table set up and she had gotten those cute houndstooth hat and red elephant cookies from Mary's cakes to go along with the other "Alabama" decor.  All the football game snacks were so good - Addy even liked the smoked wings and Chick-fil-a nuggets!  Kyle had to leave early Wednesday morning to go back to school and we won't see him again until December so we were glad to spend the afternoon with him Saturday!

I think they look more like brothers the older they get...

We were trying to teach Addy to say Roll Tide!

Kyle brought Courtney this cool hat from Australia!  It looks very Indiana Jones or Crocodile Dundee :)

Babies On the Way

Tuesday, we had a girls' lunch at our house with my WRS friends to celebrate two new babies on the way... Amber is having a boy - Kurt, and Tiffany is having a girl - Bailey.  We had a 'potato bar' with sweet potatoes and baked potatoes and all the toppings and mini cupcakes and brownies for dessert.  I always look forward to our weekly lunch dates and it was fun to spend extra time talking and laughing with these friends this week!

Thank goodness for self-timers on cameras!

Amber with her miracle blanket from Pam... that thing is wonderful!

Tiffany's pretty blanket from Amber!

**new post below**

Eclipse Update

Okay, so I am a little tired today from staying up until all hours of the night like a teenager and of course Addy chooses today to not want to take a morning OR afternoon nap (I finally persuaded her but it took a while so we missed most of our nap time!)  The movie was GREAT and we had fun, even though we probably were a little bit enthusastic on what time we arrived at the theater.  We did have great seats and we all sat together and we enjoyed good girl time waiting in line so it was totally worth it.  Fun times!

This is the line before we got to go in the theater... about 9:00.  We heard it wrapped around the outside of the building!

The early crew... LeAnn, Carla, Jennifer, me, Amber & Trish

The whole crew!