Happy Halloween! (and only five weeks late)

I promised these pictures by Christmas and made it!  It was a great time, trick or treating with her cousins.  And I'm pretty sure you don't want a sappy account of how I was sad my baby was walking door to door with her big blue eyes and smiling at strangers for candy, so I'll jet leave you with pictures.  I'm pretty sure that's what you came for.

Getting Claire dressed.

Cousin Liam was a monkey

Claire's First Trick or Treat House

Claire and a bumble mee Mommy

Once they got tired of walking, it was into the wagon

How we will top Tinkerbell next year, I don't know.  But hopefully we'll come up with something!  Now, is it possible, I could also have Thanksgiving pictures up by New Year's.  We shall see.

Year 3

I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. Jeremiah 33:6

Mom just had her annual mammogram, and all is clear!  She is now three years cancer free, and we praise God.  He is good and He is the healer of all.

This is an old picture of us, but one of my absolute favorites!  Mom, I love you and am know that you will be around for me and my kids for a long time!

My Village

They say it takes a village to raise a family, or something like that...  Mom was having lunch with some of her closest friends that couldn't make it to Jay's wedding and asked that I send some pictures to Walgreen's so that she could pick them up to share with her friends over lunch.  And then I found this picture...

I remember Autnie Em trying to get us all together for this picture during the reception, thinking she was crazy!  But I look at it, and this is my village.  These are the people that raised Jay and I.  And no matter how far apart our lives may take us- Mandeville, LA to Jackson, MS to Charlotte, NC to Birmingham, AL- they flock back to us for those oh so important events as if we were there own children.

Leenie rescued me when my mom threatened to flush me down a toilet when I was a baby because I would.not.stop.crying.  Her backyard backed up to ours and we always said we should have built a gate to make things easier.

And Auntie Em... She read in mom's wedding, I think mom read in hers, her daughter Jackie read in my wedding and I read in Jackie's wedding earlier this year.  Mom and Emmie have seen the sun rise in like 20 states and they never met a bottle of wine they didn't like.

We used to do Mardi Gras at Aunt Abby's house when they lived uptown, and we did it big!  Like kids in buckets on top of ladders- BIG!  And buckets of fried chicken with all the fixins'- BIG!  She and Uncle Kerry are my godparents and my mom and dad are their daughter Alicia's godparents.

So there they are... My Village.  And I good looking one if I do say so myself.  I love you all, and you will never know how much you mean to me and my family.

Walking and Wedding Weekend

I know that was a tongue twister but it pretty much describes our lives for the past week.  First, my little angel started WALKING taking her first four steps Friday night (the cutest story ever is to come) and then my little brother got MARRIED!  And weel, he's not little, actually he is the same age I was when I got married.

I only took like four decent pictures of the whole weekend, so let's hope the photographer has more.  Or maybe I'll get some before tomorrow's Thankful on a Thursday post that I have yet to begin.

Family and Fat Kids and Babies Galore!

Claire and I had an awesome weekend!  We flew to New Orleans after work Friday (although my shoe broke and I had to email my entire company in search for superglue to put them back together!) and while we were a wee bit delayed, Claire had a great flight.  Honey and Pop picked us up and we headed home for some good times.

Kristen came over and Christine brought her sweet Laynie bug, who is only eight months older than Claire.  We had a few glasses of wines with a lot of catching up and a lot of laughs.  Saturday morning, mom and I had manicures, pedicures and massages (yes, I know I am spoiled) while dad kept Claire.  After a little playtime and some lunch, mom and I headed back out for some shopping (even more evidence I am spoiled).  We picked up a dress for Claire for Jay and Grace's and a few things for the Rehearsal Dinner.

Mr. Jerry and Mrs. Brenda came over for drinks before we all went out to dinner at Vincent's (my absolute favorite place in New Orleans).  I had a bowl of corn & crab bisque soup with seafood ravioli and broccoli.  I always get stuffed on the bread sticks- I think Claire will take after me on this because she went through at least a couple- but this time I restrained myself and actually had enough room to finish my wonderful meal.

Sunday was Holly's baby shower, and let me tell you, it was a.maz.ing.  Like the centerpieces at the bad boy were nicer than the ones I had at my wedding.  I'm sad I didn't get any more pictures this weekend, but I'm sure Christine with her awesome camera (that I am oh so jealous of) got plenty.  Hopefully she'll share with me, and therefore share with you.

It was sad leaving again, but we had another great plane ride home last night, and even made a new friend.  She actually lives close to us and works in the same industry as Luke.  Hopefully we'll find each other on Facebook.  (On a side note: How did we live before social networking?)  She sat next to Claire and I on the way down and she found us again on the plane ride back!  Yesterday, the flight wasn't full, so Claire sat in between us and made quite the mess. 


I cleaned up as best as I could (after taking a picture of course) and tried to apologize to the flight attendant but she just gave me the sided eye. Obviously she doesn't have kids.  But at least Claire looked adorable while making a mess.

And as always, coming home from a vacation just makes you feel like you need a vacation even more.  So it's back to work.  Hopefully, I'll find some more time to breathe and when I do I'll try to squeeze in a wee more blogging here and there.  Thanks for sticking it out with us!

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."  Isaiah 40:28

Surprise Flight!

I hope my Fat Kid friends don't read this (and I'll write a post about how we got that name- it's what we call each other fondly) because I am going home to New Orleans to visit them today!  

One of our Fat Kids is Holly- also affectionately known as Hurl- is knocked up with little Savannah and is having her baby shower in NOLA this weekend.  I looked at the flights and they were too expensive.  Luke had something to do and I didn't want to drive with Claire by myself, so I chalked it up as something I would miss as a consequence of moving far away after high school. 

That was until my mom had a Skype session with Claire last weekend and decided she wanted to see her in person (it's no longer about me, it's all about the baby now, and I have come to accept that) so she bought me- since Claire can't fly by herself quite yet- a ticket to fly home this weekend!

So off we go!  I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to share after this fun weekend- which will also be crammed with trying to help mom and dad get ready for my brother's wedding which is in ONE MONTH!  We are T-Minus four weeks until Jay and Grace tie the knot.  Lots and lots to do, but I am starting it off with drinks by the pool with good friends tonight!

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend with people you love!

Thankful on a Thursday: Vacation Edition

Oh, how I love vacations.  I love how they can re-energize you, bring the family back together, and create life long memories with those that you love.  Here is why I am thankful for vacations!

<a href="http://themcglothinfamily.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="McGlothin Family Nest" src="http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab30/ginimcglothin/TOATBadge3.jpg " /></a>

46. Family. Family. Family.  I can't imagine a better way to reconnect with those you love than on vacation.  After all of the packing craziness and menu planning has subsided, it's all about spending time with family.  And we were lucky enough to have our first vacation with both Luke's and my family.

This is the best we could do with all of these people.  My family was a bit smaller...

47. Piggy Back Rides.  It just seems to be some kind of family tradition with us.  There is always some piggy back riding going on.

48. More New Babies.  Yes, there is another McGlothin coming in February!  Actually, this is a Weathersby, but a McGlothin cousin nonetheless.  Josh and Bethany are expecting their second child early next year.  Looks like we'll need an even bigger cabin!

49. Uncle John.  Since he spends his Summers with the Navigators, we rarely get to see him, but he did wrestle a few hours away from work to join us in Elkmont.  He has such a way with kids (maybe because he's never really grown up) and they just adore him.

50. All-American Homemade Deliciousness.  Honey and Bela sort of have this tradition of making flag cakes for Fourth of July.  And why should a trek through the mountains be any different?  Pop went store to store (which are not on every corner in remote parts of the Smokies) to find raspberries, and when there weren't quite enough, we compromised with strawberries.

And again, don't forget to link up with us!  Happy Thursday!

Happy Independence Day!

So we are back.  Again.  But this time for good.  No more vacations for a while.  I hope.  Because I am exhausted.  Don't get me wrong, we had a wonderful time, but I am wiped out.  Between Grammie's funeral, my business trip, Atlanta and the Smokies, I am ready for the kind of R&R that takes place in my own bed!

But since you asked, here are some highlights from our Fourth of July trip to the mountains.  We arrived so late on Thursday, that it was an hour from Friday, so that day does really count.  Erin and her three kids (Dylan, Dalton and Rachel) along with my parents were already there. 

But they were kind enough to give Luke and I the basement bedroom of the cabin (aka: no windows) so we unknowingly slept until almost 10:00am the first day.  We both figured we'd get up when the baby did, forgetting that my parents wanted Claire in their room.  So some sleep and lots of snuggling that first day. 

After Erin's fabulous (and highly requested) homemade chicken salad for lunch, we met up with the rest of the family (who was staying in a nearby cabin because our group is just too big) at Elkmont.  It is this great part of the Smoky Mountain National Park with old houses and this great old cemetery.  I remember going to Luke's parents for the first time and seeing their picture on this bench at Elkmont, one each time they go, and ever since then, I have wanted Luke and I to do the same.

Claire was sleeping back at the cabin, so it was just the three of us...

There's also a little creek that runs off of the river at Elkmont where the babies were loving playing with the rocks.  I am so blessed that Claire will be growing up so close to her cousins Liam and Camille.

Friday night my parents grilled pork chops and asparagus with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.  After dinner, Luke and Erin took the kids to play putt putt and ride go carts.  Saturday was tubing (where I forgot my camera, but I'm praying Erin and my parents took lots and lots) and then fishing in the creek near our cabin.  Sunday was the Fourth of July and we went to the other cabin where the rest of Luke's family was staying for a little bar-b-que.

This is just a sneak peek, because there are more pictures to come in the Vacation Edition of Thankful on a Thursday.  Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend with people you love.

Life is Good!

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to come home to my girls, who are exhausted from a long day of playing in the sun, ready for me to make dinner, partake in some dancing and snuggle up after a bath for a good movie. 
That is living.

With a little prep work Sunday night and some help from my wonderful mother-in-law, I pulled off dinner before 8:00 at night.  And it was even tasty!

And then for some dancing (with Claire in her new outfit that big sister brought from Hawaii).

And lots of laughing...

And now Claire is tired and Bella is telling me that she is thirsty!

And while I'm usually wary of bathtime pictures, this one was pretty safe.

After Claire went down and I won a round of Wii bowling, we packed our new backpacks for two days at Grandmomma's house and it was off to bed to watch Marley & Me.  While I am exhausted as well, I could get used to this.  Just my girls being together and my family complete.

My Family is Together Again

I love when my girls, Luke and I are all together.  It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I feel like all is right with the world.  I feel whole.  Luke has his daughter.  Claire has her sister.  I have my family, and nothing can compare to this feeling.

Bella brought Claire some gifts from Hawaii but she was more interested in the paper than the bath time book!

And Bella got her big surprise... a cell phone.  Yes, she's only six-and-a-half and we bought her a cell phone, but don't judge unless the only visitation you have with a child is over the phone for more than forty-four weeks out of the year.  And now she looks sixteen laying on her bedroom floor, talking on the cell phone.

And after Claire's bath, it was time for a bedtime story.  Bella is an excellent reader and loves bedtime stories.  Claire, on the other hand, is not so sure.

We are gearing up for a busy week.  Jessica (my sister-in-law and nanny), her daughter Camille (who is two), Bella and Claire have lots of fun things planned for today.  Tomorrow the girls will go to Tuscaloosa to spend Tuesday with Grandmomma, Grandbarry, Auntie Bethany, Unclue Joshua and cousin Liam (who is one).  I am so excited that my girls will have time with cousins, aunts and uncles.  I grew up so far from any extended family and always felt that those who lived closer to each other had a special bond that I simply didn't share in.

A slumber party is in store at my in-laws for Tuesday night, and then Wendesday after work I'll pick up the girls (we do a meet in the middle thing).  We'll grab a quick dinner and then head to church.  Bella loves Highlands, and she is really excited that since promotion Sunday (when the kids move to the next grade level) was last week, she in no longer in the Clubhouse (Kindergarten) but now she is in Highlands Kids (1st-5th grade).  And who wouldn't be pumped about going from a Bible Adventure cartoon to a live teen worship band and being with "the big kids" ??

Hope you had a great weekend, and check back with us later in the week for more fun times with the girls!

If Seven is a Lucky Number...

Then I feel a lucky weekend coming on.  Remember when I posted this?  Yeah, well a few more miles have been driven since then so on my way home from work yesterday I saw this...

And I think I remember from my sixth-grade superstition that if you stepped on a crack it would break your momma's back, MASH would determine who you would marry and if you'd live in a shack or a mansion, wishes made at 11:11 came true and that seven was a lucky number.

I sure hope so because the 27 year-old version of myself with a slammed work schedule, sick grandparents and a teething baby could use a little luck these days.  (This is the first time I've actually said the words "I'm 27 years old" and I don't like how it feels.  It's no longer mid-20's.  Now I'm in my late-20's and all I can say to that is eeww.)  And while I know it's all in God's hands and there is no such thing as luck or coincidence, I hope you'll play along.

I do know this weekend will bring one good thing.  My sweet Bella.  Even just seeing her picture makes me smile.  Here she is with her Daddy last Fall at the State Fair.

Luke, Claire and I will pick her up Sunday night and have the whole Summer to make memories, "teach" Claire to crawl, have an amazing vacation in the Smokies, watch outdoor movies on a blanket at the park and take more than a few trips down the Lazy River at Alabama Adventure (aka Bella's favorite place second only to Chuck-E-Cheese). 

I will happily get beat in ski ball and air hockey, play princess dress up, bake perfectly imperfect cakes- both in the real and play kitchens- and relish in the time that my girls are together.  That, my friend, is no luck at all.  That is me leaving the housework behind (and hopefully getting a maid to pick it up) and enjoying every minute of the time God has given (and the court has mandated her mother allow) us with our sweet girl. 

I hope you have a lot of love and even a little luck this weekend.  And thank goodness I didn't marry the pimply-faced red head MASH predicted I would, although I would take the mansion!

Well, that didn't go as planned...

So I had dreams of spending my long weekend full of playtime with my little bear (Claire) and my big bear (Luke), but things just didn't turn out that way.  First I got hit by the cleaning bug.  Now you may think that this is a good thing- the whole spring cleaning thing.  But really, it just took over. 

I'll get back to that in just a sec, because more importantly, Luke's grandmother passed away Sunday.  She has had Alzheimer's for more than five years now and has been living from a feeding tube for more than four.  She is no longer in pain and is now in Heaven with Luke's cousin Timmy.  We are at peace with God's timing to bring her home.

Luke took Claire to Knoxville yesterday (since I couldn't get off work on such short notice) and is coming home tonight.  The service is this morning, and I am so grateful that his entire family is there to support his father and grandfather.

It's a little blurry, but here we are when Grandmother and Grandjerry came to our cabin in the Smokies last summer.

Sylvia was a wonderful mother and grandmother, and while we are sad that our children won't remember her, we will let the stories of her great love live on for years to come. 

So Sunday I did squeeze a little play time in with my little bear...

And Monday I packed her up and sent them on their way.

Back to the cleaning... I realized that my house hadn't been totally deep cleaned since Claire was born and my mom hired Merry Maids, and then my Granny (Pop's mom) came for the week after Claire's arrival and cleaned what Merry Maids missed.  (And y'all, she cleaned out my garage.  Yes, I know she is a saint and I love her very much.)

So needless to say the impending arrival of my middle bear (Bella- I don't know where all the bear references are coming from today, but I'll just go with it.) I got the urge to clean my house.  Not play on the living room floor with the Busy Ball Popper and V-Tech Crawling Ball.  Not stroll down the block with baby and dog.  Nope, clean.  And clean hard core.  (This is my biggest justification to get a maid.  I hate that cleaning was more important to me than spending time with my family.)

Saturday, I cleaned out the pantry and took care of the kitchen.  Then Sunday... stop.  Yes, the kitchen took me all day Saturday.  Don't judge.  Where was I?  Oh, then Sunday I attacked Bella's room.  My sister-in-law and niece often play in here with Claire while I'm at work.  But some of this stuff hasn't been touched since she was here in March.

And while part of me is so embarrassed to show this, I do want to encourage women and let moms know, they are not alone.  So, if your little's bookshelf and play kitchen gets a wipe down and the disinfectant wipe looks like this...

you are not alone!

And then Monday, after Luke and Claire left for Knoxville I cleaned Claire's nursery and my bathroom.  And while my hands still smell like bleach and my muscles are so sore from bending over into the tub and toilet and my knees are bruised from scrubbing tile grout, the finished product made it worth it.

Are you digging my pink bow wallpaper?  It's the last room in the house left to be redone!  I still have the guest bedroom and bathroom and my bedroom to get to this week, and then the living and dining rooms this Saturday before Bella comes on Sunday.  I do feel better knowing that things are clean, but I wish I knew we could keep it this clean!

Anyway, I hope your Memorial Day went a bit better than mine.  Oh, and if you haven't been by The Pioneer Woman to check out her Coming Home series of pictures, go over there right this very minute!  It is a beautiful tribute to the reason for Memorial Day and thanking the troops who serve and protect our freedoms.  And then come back to leave a comment about your Memorial Day weekend, ok?

Once Again... Ears Are Clear!

Six weeks post-tubes, Claire is sleeping through the night and her ears are still clear! 

To any mother who is fearfull of tubes, please don't be.  The procedure lasted less than ten minutes.  Really.   I didn't even have time to finish my one-year Bible reading before the nurse brought Claire back to me to feed her.  She was back to her normal self later that afternoon.  And it has made a world of difference!

Auntie Jessica took Claire for her post-op appointment yesterday, and the doc said her ears look great!  We are so thankful that our God is a healer.

We had a wonderful day in Tuscaloosa celebrating our birthdays with Luke's family, and then this evening Matt and Laura brought their beautiful baby Taylor Cate by our house while in the area.  Pictures coming soon.  Hoping your weekend is healthy, happy and full of love!

Party Like It's 1999!

Because that's when I was 16 years old!  Sixteen!  And while my Sweet Sixteen party was totally rad, this party is pretty cool too.

Alissa over at Mommy and Molly and D-Listed Blogs is throwing a shin dig, and let's just say I was glad to be invited.  She and I chat it up on The Bump boards, but she's all cool and important now & I can say I knew her "back when."  And if you haven't seen her adorable girl Molly, bounce over and check her out.  She is seriously giving Claire a run for her money!

So if you are new or visiting, here is where I introduce you to my Nest.  I'm Gini (aka: editor-in-chief of this here blog), and I'm the wife to Luke, mommy to Claire and step-momma to Bella.  Our faith and our church is very important to our family.  We're in Alabama so if I get real Southern on y'all, please excuse me. They're not a fan of proper grammar here, and try as I might, it's starting to rub off.

I am a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) kinda girl.  I have a weakness for Coach purses and anything peanut butter.  I love to cook but rarely make the time.  And while being a wife and mommy will always rank number one in my book, I also work for a medical software company training physicians (smart, but not always the best students) on electronic medical records.   And while I'm not pregnant right now, this was one of those "glowing pg" pictures of me that I thought was good.

This blog is just my life. (I know it says this is our "family" blog, but get real- my husband wouldn't be caught dead blogging- so it's really just me talking about my family.)  Most of it is about my girls.  They are our life.

And if you stick around, you'll notice that I talk about the girls the same.  (You can read more about that here.)  Bella is almost 7 years old and lives in Hawaii with her mom and step-dad.  We treasure every moment we have with her- which is about eight weeks a year (as a result of her step-dad's request to be transferred to a Navy base 5,000 miles away).  It's a long story, but to sum it up, we have a very stressful relationship with Bella's mother.

You can read more about my sweet step-daughter here or here.  Or come back to see us, because I'll be posting lots about her very soon as she comes for the summer in a few weeks.

But she is amazing.  And beautiful, no?  Even with chocolate on her face!

And Claire is our baby girl who was born last October.  She and her big sister (affectionately referred to as "be-be" by the barely speaking younger sister) are two weeks shy of six years apart.  Tiffany over at Mom-Nom.Com can relate.  Her Bubs and Bubbette are about the same.  It can present challenges, but for now we are managing. 

Claire is crawling backwards, though we are certain she'll go straight to walking and skip the whole forward crawl thing all together.  Guess that's just her style.  She now has four teeth, can muster up a few words, has blue eyes from Heaven (really from her daddy) and her belly laugh can make even the worst day seem brighter.

But every now and then, I'll post about the devilishly handsome man that made these girls.  Luke is an amazing father and husband.  He is truly my best friend and an answer to many sleepless and prayerful nights.  Luke is a good and strong Christian man and always stands up for what he believes.  He's a hard-cor conservative and watches way to much cable news.

He works in advertising, has an obsession with movies- especially oldies but goodies, loves jelly beans not just at Easter and hates smiling with his teeth.  But here's a rare shot of those pearly whites...

When someone asked me to sum up my blog, these are the few sentences I could muster:

This is our Nest. Our love and laughter as we navigate through life. I’m a working wife and mom trying to balance it all. Lots of pictures of two beautiful girls and the daddy that fears the day they discover boys. Fly over to the Nest to say hello!

I know it's really generic and probably could describe most "mommy blogs" out there (sans the beautiful girls- mine really take the cake- if I do say so myself).  But sorry, that's all I got.

If you're here from the D-List par-tay, I'm so glad you dropped by.  If you've made it this far and like what you read, go ahead and follow me.  And make sure to leave a comment so I can find you too!

Here are a few favorite posts.  I guess they're all really my favorite because I don't post anything I don't love.  I figure if I'm going to share it with all of the interwebz, I might as well love it.
Making Homemade Baby Food
Claire turning Six Months
Memories and Milestones

And I will conclude with my apologies for being tardy to the party (it started Sunday and goes all week- my kind of party!) but I have no real excuses.  Just life got in the way.  Went out of town, tried to recuperate from vacation, getting over a cold, giving Luke the cold, catching up on work- you know the drill. 

But again, this is my life.  Not always as clean and organized as I would prefer, but here it is.

Birthday & Wedding: Part Two

The wedding was amazing!  I mean she spent more than two years planning it, and so well worth the wait!  I loaded up on Tylenol Cold & Sinus (and as I mentioned yesterday, not a good idea to drink heavily on that) and cough drops and made it through the reading without really being able to tell I had a cold.

And here I am with the beautiful bride...

And here are all the Zetas, Jay and Grace dancing a jig (they are so cute, I know), Miss Martha with Grace and I, and the happy couple...

So the father-daughter dance was to "I Loved Her First" by Heartland (which I also danced with my daddy to on my wedding day, tear) started like this...

But it ended like this!

It was really a great time, and we had a ball spending time with family and friends.  Claire had a bit of a fever and got pretty fussy, so Luke took her home early so I could stay and party (and party, I did).  I just feel blessed to have been a part of this wonderful day!  Hope your weekend was filled with love and laughter.

Birthday & Wedding: Part One

I feel overwhelmed just talking about the weekend, so I figured I better split it into two seperate posts.  But I can start by saying it was a wonderful weekend!  Granted, I felt like I was getting sick all of last week, and I was right.  (By the way, Tylenol Cold & Sinus and white wine are a bad combination!  I learned this first hand, so please trust me, mk?)

But the rehursal and dinner were great.  Claire was a trooper and made it through with no major meltdowns.  She even got her first kiss. True story. Little boy, about two-years old, came up to Claire and kissed her on the mouth. His parents were embarressed.  Luke got his first taste of daddy rage.  Overall, a good time by all.

The bridal luncheon was Saturday morning at the Swan Coach House in the Atlanta History Center.  Jackie wanted a hat theme, and so it was.  I wish I'd gotten a picture of the awesome garden hat cake Grace got and the great garden hat earings that mom had made as favors, but I didn't :(

It was beautiful, Southern and delicious, as were the bridesmaids...

Even Julia with her cute little belly.  And while she didn't feel like it was little anymore, I told her to just wait for the immense growth in those last few weeks.  I give you Exhibit A.

And here is me, mom, Grace and Auntie Em...

After the luncheon, my dad agreed to keep Claire while Luke and I attempted to celebrate our birthday.  We went over to the AMC Fork & Spoon, and if you've never experienced a movie/ restaurant, I highly reccomend it.  Not for those on a budget, but hey, it was our birthday.  We saw Iron Man 2 (I also highly reccomend it) and had a pitcher of beer with queso dip and a burger.

And can I just say that I'm really glad that Luke drug me out of the hotel room.  If it were up to me, I just wanted to chill, maybe nap, while I had someone else volunteering to care for my child.  But he wanted to go the movies and I figured I shouldn't let him spend his birthday alone, or mine for that matter.  And when we got back, it was straight to hair and makeup and before I knew it the shuttle wad there to bring us to the wedding.  So I didn't get a nap, and now I wouldn't have had it any other way.

More to come!

Weekend Celebration

I haven't been this excited about a weekend in a while.  I'll admit it, I've been down on myself, my mothering, my lack of a clean house or cooked meal.  Let's just face it- I'm not her...

And while I love Bree's dashing wit and of course, her pearls, I'm not her.  But now I have accepted that it's okay that I am not perfect, but that I am me.  And this weekend is just what I need!

First, I am getting off early today (which is well deserved, considering the 12 hour days I put in this week).  Next, I am headed to Atlanta- always a plus to see my bother and Grace.  Third, my parents will be there.  And it's FINALLY Jackie's wedding!  The girl has been engaged forever, it seems, and her big day is really here.

Oh, and Saturday is our birthday!  Yes, "ours."  Luke and I have the same birthday.  Not the day before or the day after, the same day.  We figured this out on the first date and knew it was fate from the get-go.  Most years it stinks.  We usually say "let's save money and not get each other anything" or "let's see what Honey and Pop give us."  (Sorry mom, again your gift-giving preceeds you.  Take it as a compliment.) 

But this year, I don't care.  We are spending the weekend with family and celebrating Jackie and David's wedding.  Don't get me wrong, I do love a good card. (Honey, if you're reading this- wink wink... Like the ones from Mother's Day- Yeah, they were awesome!)

I have new dresses that actually fit (and my hubs even said one looks a little big, which made me feel amazing since this baby weight is darn hard to drop).  The luncheon mom and I are throwing Satruday morning is going to be lovely & Southern & just plain incredible.  The cathedral will be beautiful (as will the bride ;).  And the reception will be a blast!  Actually any time with Auntie Em and Uncle Cliff is a blast.

I really can't think of a better way to spend a celebration of my birth Jackie's wedding.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

To everything there is a season...

My trip to New Orleans this weekend has really hit this one home.  As I look into Claire's crystal blue eyes and then into the blue eyes of my Grammie, I see the circle of life. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)
“ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up."

Grammie is going into Hospice next week, and we just pray that she is comfortable until she goes home to be with Jesus.  I feel at peace with what is happening, but it breaks my heart that Claire will not know Gram and how much she enriched my life.  I will make it a point to tell the girls of my memories of Summers at her house as a kid, learning the difference between self-rising and all-purpose flour, creating the perfect ham glaze and how clothes dried on a line simply smell better.

But we did get to visit with my parents, Aunt Shirley and Casey, and Aunt Nancy...

We also got to go swimming with Claire in the pool for the first time.  She loves baths so I was sure she wouldn't mind the water.  I was right, she actually loved the water.  And since I was a lifeguard and swim team coach, I'm not sure why I was surprised.  I also got some video of her putting her face in (I think she was trying to drink the water?) and kicking her legs, that I'll have to figure out how to post.  Maybe she'll follow in momma's footsteps.

And then we had a wonderful Mother's Day lunch at the Harbor, our favorite seafood establishment.  I did what I always do... get so excited about my catfish basket that I dive right in and burn the roof of my mouth.  Hopefully, Claire will learn from her mistakes- unlike her momma.

Can you tell I just learned how to create a collage?  Maybe I should write more about how Claire has changed my life, and how this Mother's Day is especially special, but I think she knows.  But I will say that I am becoming my mother.  In every way that I swore I wouldn't- I am.  Guess that's one of life's little jokes.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day!