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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

My big slugger is 30 {almost}

(my little slugger is {almost} 4 months)

On Sunday, August 5th, my hun will be the big 3-0!  Wooooo Hooooo!!!  However, due to other events and prior commitments, we were unable to have his celebratory party on the actual date of his milestone, so I threw it here at our house this past Saturday.  We were blessed with great weather and excellent company and had an absolute BLAST!!!  It truly was a wonderful time and I'm so grateful that all of B's friends were able to come in to attend.

Since my lovey is quite the baseball enthusiast/ player extraordinaire, I made his party theme vintage baseball.  Everything was about baseball and foods/ treats at an old time baseball stadium.  We even had an old fashioned popcorn machine that made quite delicious batches of the snack!  It was fun shopping for all things baseball!  I was at Big Lots, Party City, and GFS so much that week, I'm embarrassed to admit the actual number of times of visits.  Side note, their hotdogs are AMAZE-BALLS.  Real talk.

I had so much fun planning the event and was glad that everyone enjoyed themselves...since this finding a job thing isn't going so well, maybe I should be a party planner?  HA!

We had:
**popcorn
**soft pretzels
**cotton candy
**peanuts in shells
**sunflower seeds
**nachos
**hotdogs
**Cracker Jacks
**Big League Chew
**old-fashioned fruit slices candy
**watermelon
**gumballs
**lollipops
**peppermint sticks
**chocolate covered marshmallows (I dipped them in white chocolate since B doesn't much care for regular and then used red cookie icing to make them look like baseballs)
**suckers with B's picture on them



whaaaaat?  Daddy's the dirty 30?!?  














do we look like old school baseball players??


I made the banner out of old (and worthless) baseball cards

B's BFFs

His AMAZING cake, made by the incomparable Amy Blank!  


Meanwhile, Jack stayed at Nanny and Poppy's.  Here they are in their jammies!

our little Lexington Legend :)




Summer Lovin' (part 2)

We've continued the trend of being busy, busy bees!  We've had weddings, weddings, weddings, and more weddings...and birthdays, birthdays, birthdays!  Two weeks ago, we had 2 weddings AND a birthday...PLUS, we have now stayed away TWO nights from our little lovey (one with him with Mamaw and Papaw at our house and the other with him away at Nanny and Poppy's...eeeeeeee!)

On July 20th, I drove to Louisville (while B stayed home with little man) and met my college roomie, Katie, so we could go to our girlfriend (and fellow Chi O gal), Brittany's wedding.  It was BEAUTIFUL...I mean, plain and simple, it was absolutely gorgeous and just saying that about her doesn't begin to do her justice!  It was a wonderful thing being in the presence of such true love as well as getting to be there, celebrating with our gal...she's amazing and we are so happy for her!  Unfortunately, I could not stay too late because B was the manager at the branch the next day so I had to drive back to Lexington the same night of the wedding.  Plus, nursing/ pumping duties called :)
Here are a few pics from the wedding:
she's my special girl :)

Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Metten

so, so amazing 


Katie and me with STUNNING bride! and it seems as if someone had a little spillage...whoops.  And while the vicinity of the spill would make you think it's one thing, I assure you, it's NOT.  Give me a little more credit of handling myself better than that...it was the one glass of rum I had.  hahahahaha

our Brit :)

The day after that, we had plans to go to the pool, but it wasn't sunny like it was supposed to be, so we hung out at our house and then I went down to Beth and Kody's to help them paint their bedroom.  Their new house is coming together beautifully!  B brought Jack down so we could eat dinner and visit.  The following day, the weather was perfect, so we had a fun family pool day (my most favorite thing in the whole world!).

Here's our little guy at the pool...

can we say Buddha belly?!?

lookin' like Daddy: lounging shorts, no shirt, straps on his sunglasses like mini croakies :)

Toots and his Prissy

his rings are his favorite


someone is clearly trying to dodge the paparazzi

"get off my rings, Prissy!"

someone is ticklish 

little lover :)


getting tickled by his Priss



Gah, I LOVE him!

trying to ignore Mommy's camera

he likes when Daddy does the "Lion King" with him 

my boys :)

it was so nice outside (and not too hot) that Jack could be included in the family pool day and sit outside with us under the umbrella in his chair...it was so much fun!




Thursday, July 26, 2012

the meaning of today

4 years ago today, I married my best friend.  It sounds so cliche to say that and I most definitely hate cliches, but you must know, he truly was and still is, my best friend.  Many that know the roots of our relationship know that we defied the odds; almost 10 years ago (in January) we met and I can say with confidence that no one surrounding us would imagine it leading to this: almost 10 years of togetherness (college sweethearts), 4 years of marriage, and 1 adorable tiny toot.  To say we had a tumultuous start is the significant understatement of the year.  B and I lived in a sea of gray, undefined in our status and layers of complication clouding the "relationship" between us.  That time...oh that gut churning, completely annoying, baffling, infuriating, and nausea inflicting time (for all)... lasted a year before we were finally exclusive and finally a solid union (and a force to be reckoned with, I might add).

But see, you don't stay with someone for that long without overcoming many obstacles and little did we know, within 2 weeks of being exclusive, our first trial would test our relationship.  That trial was a big trial...someone very close and very important to me and my heart passed away.  Given the circumstances and who it was, any normal guy would run for the hills...especially in a relationship right out of the gate.  Not Brad.  HE is the reason that I am still here today.  HE is the reason I found hope to continue life in this world, because truth be told, there were many a days I considered unfathomable things.  But HE was my sunshine through it all and still remains to be today.  I thank God for him.  Everyday.  And rightfully so. You see, you must know that that trial put me in the absolute darkest place I have ever been.  It was beyond awful.  I spiraled to a world of deep, deep depression and have never completely recovered, but it is because of my Braddy Beawr that I was able to come through it to this side and speak about it today.  It wasn't easy, but we made it.  I will never completely heal, but I am greatly and almost fully recovered and all shiny and good and I owe my happiness and fulfillment with life to him.  Depending on which side of our loved ones you ask, some would say I was the one there for him as he was faced with battles and inner struggles of his own during that time...but it was HIM there for ME, and US there for each other.  Many wives can idealize that their husbands are their knights in shining armor, but I can rightfully declare that mine actually is.  He is my rock, and he is my saving grace and I do not know where I would be without him.  We've stood the test of heartache, the test of surviving long distance for 3 1/2 years, the test of many other very trying endeavors, and the test of time.  And through these tests, we've stood together, solidified in our union and solidified in our love for one another.  We knew we had something great then and we're confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that we've got something incredibly amazing today.

So the meaning of today means so much more than just saying we've been married for 4 years.  It means we have stood the test of many of our life's obstacles and represents a love that is unbreakable and unshakable.

Happy Anniversary, to my adoring and awe-inspiring husband!  In all honesty, YOU are my reason for happiness, my source of joy, my source of comfort, and my best friend.  I love you more than words could ever adequately describe.