Southern Spice and Everything Nice

Wedding Planning?

2010-07-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

Many of you have been asking me how my wedding planning is going? And I must say- it is going pretty well, but is kind of at a stand still. I feel like I have done A LOT and now I'm just working on some little details....BUT a huge detail with hopefully (keeping my fingers and toes crossed) will be sealed up tomorrow. Yep, that's right folks I will hopefully be purchasing my wedding dress tomorrow!!!!! I am SO excited that I have told myself all week I not think about it because I knew I wouldn't sleep! Ha.

I am heading to Brinkley, Arkansas to the best place to "Say Yes to the Dress" in the South. Low's is an old plantation home with 25,000 square feet of display area and over 60 of the world's best known wedding dress designers.

I have been to Low's several times and they only allow you to take four people with you. SO, (of course) I asked my two sisters if they would want and (even more important) be ABLE to take off work to accompany me and my mom to find my dress. I made sure they knew that if they couldn't it wasn't a big deal and I promise my feelings wouldn't be hurt. They BOTH were ecstatic and immediately took off work (PS I have the best family- be jealous). and Get this- Hailey is even FLYING into Little Rock and mom, heather, and I are going to scoop her at the airport on our way to Brinkley! How great?

I'm very very excited and hopefully I'll have some exciting news to share (no details- sorry) when I return! Can't wait!!!!

{Low's- isn't it unique??}

Hope everyone has a great Thursday....this week has FLOWN for me and I hope it has for you too!!!

Practice Makes Perfect

2010-07-07T08:57:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know- this little girl is going to be a BIG SISTER!!!! So, what better to practice with than a teeny tinnny Ernie?? This little girl is smitten with our look alike kitten!!

{we swaddled him}

{worked on "holding his bottom"}{baby E is getting tired}{I looove hill's dog}{we practiced holding him like a sweet baby}{we talked about what you do when the squirm...ha}{she was in heaven}{love}{we even took baby E on some boogie board rides}

After seeing Blakely nurture and love on little Ernie, we all knew she was going to be the greatest big sister on the planet! She's such a little helper as well as a little mommy!! We cannot wait until the birth of Little Baby Swope (sex unknown- I hate my sister right now). September 25th cannot get here fast enough!!!! Hope everyone is having a great "hump day".

We are no longer a family of three

2010-07-06T13:09:00.001-07:00

I'd like you to meet Ernie, the newest edition to our sweet little family! He is a 2 pound 10 week old Chorkie. For those of you unaware of "hybrid" little dogs, let me explain. Ernie's mama was Yorkie and his daddy was a Chihuahua. So, there ya have it "Chorkie". I've been wanting a little dog for quite some time. What better time than now? Right? heehee. We got him last week and couldn't be more happy and excited to be raising this little guy!!! He has such a fun personality. He is SUCH a ball of energy, but he also sleeps A LOT. Here are a few pictures from his first week.
{Welll hello there!}

{Ernie loving his new bed and blankey}

{exploring by the creek in our backyard}{sratching on his ever so hated collar}{laying in the "tall" grass- it was just mowed}{running wild}{chewin a stick}{as for this guy? he's wrapped around his little paw}{as for this guy??? Momma and daddy stilll adore and dote on him A LOT. He likes his little brother, but is unsure of his size}

More pictures to come very very soon!!! Hope everyone had a productive and safe Tuesday!!!

My Festive Weekend in Pictures

2010-07-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Our Fourth of July was filled with food and family!! It was a blast and Ive managed to not get a single picture of ANYONE except Blakely (which, if you know me- you would know I am 110% alright with that). Well I'll stop rambling and let the pictures do the talkin'.

{she's been waiting all summer for the PERFECT time to pick mom's tomatoes}

{she was so excited }{we did some swimmin'}{some dancin'}{some story tellin'}{some more singin'}{she is hysterical}{singing Justin Bieber if I had to guess}{love that smile, melts my heart}

I really hope your holiday a fun as mine was!!! Today my mom and I just layed around while Steven and my dad went golfing!!! Remember! Come back for a sweet little announcement!!!!!

Happy Birthday America!!!!!

2010-07-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today, our little family will be spending the day at my parent's pool. Although, it is not sunny we will still enjoy our time together on this beautiful holiday.

My parents are cooking out for the day and

I am making some of these:one of these bad boys

some of these patriotic beauties

and last but not least, my favorite- a patriotic spin to my fruit pizza!!!!

I hope you all have a blessed Fourth of July full of friends and wonderful family! We are missing two members of our family on this holiday, but I'm sure they have some fun party planned!

Come back on Tuesday because I will be introducing someone verrry special!!!!:)

Mr. and Mrs. Wells

2010-07-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we traveled all the way to Jonesboro to see our friends Hilary and Robert get hitched. It was pretty fun because it was the first wedding that ALL of my best college friends would be able to come to one wedding and celebrate. The wedding was beautiful and we again, could not be more excited for our two friends!!! Here are some pictures from the wedding.

{mo, me, and kk at mo's house before the wedding}{the whole group minus a few}

{Steven and I before the wedding} {beth and me}
{kk, jac, and me}{me and Bone}

{best friends}{at the reception}{steven and his fraternity "big brother" Joe}{me with my sorority "big sister" Whitney}{cal, hil, and hill. She was absolutely stunning and so happy}{steven, Robert, and bone}

{a little after party, we were wooorn out!!!!}

Another successful wedding where we gathered many ideas and much advice for our coming day! Hilary and Robert are still on their honeymoon....ahhh!! Can't wait!!!!

David and Laura Hum

2010-07-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

I know! I've been a terrible blogger here lately! I've been SO SO SO busy and I have SO much to catch you up on!! First, we'll journey all the way back to June 19th. Our dear friends David and Laura got married. It was pretty special for us because this was the very first couple that has gotten married that we have known since they started dating. They started dating a couple of months after Steven and I did, so needless to say it was very "real" and exciting for us. Steven was an usher (hence the tux) and I was in Laura's house party (hence the black dress). Here are pictures from the WONDERFUL evening. They used the band we are using, so it was even more exciting for us to dance the night away to the band that will be playing at our wedding! Yippie!!!

{here we are on the trolley that drove the wedding party everywhere on Saturday. I love this picture because look at bride and groom in back. Laura is SO excited/ anxious and David is yawning!)

{me and the glowing bride before she said "i do"}{s and I as soon as we got to the reception...drink please. It was the hottest day of 2010}

{some of my sorority sisters}{Steven and the groom}{dancing the night away and taking many notes}{clancy, me, and julie}

{Mrs. Hum getting down!!!!}{me with the future in-laws}{LOVE this pic. Virginia and Me, but look at Wes in the background. HA}{me and jules again}We had such a wonderful time and could not be more excited for the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. David Hum.

Cohen...

2010-07-01T08:43:00.001-07:00

Today Megan and Brent will be holding baby Cohen's memorial service today. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan's blog community to stand behind them and support them during this difficult time. Linking up will give Megan and Brent a chance to see the support and all of the prayers that have been sent their way.

Those of you who wish to participate can LinkUp today at Send Love to Cohen.

Will you join me and help Megan and Brent's difficult day become a little better? Thanks

Its that time again!

2010-06-21T14:14:00.001-07:00

Summer!! Time for me to make my favorite thing ever!!! Fruit Pizza! The fruit is in season and very refreshing on this verrrry hot summer day! As we speak my sugar cookie pizza crust is baking on my new pampered chef baking stone. Steven helped me cut some fresh fruit and we're about to be in business. Tonight Steven and I are going over to my parents to cook dinner! I'm making them Mexican Pizza and coincidentally my Fruit Pizza!! I will post pictures sometime this week!

Thank you so much for those of you who were praying/ thinking of my last week! I really appreciate it!!

A request

2010-06-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

Long time no talk.. Ive been a little busy lately, but I promise it will be back in motion soon than later!

Just a quick request- If you could, do you think you could send some prayers my way? I would greatly appreciate the thoughts over the next couple days!! Thanks so much, it means a lot!

One year from today....

2010-06-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

One year from today...

I will be arriving at my beautiful church.

My dad will be walking me down this aisle, to meet my favorite person.

One year from today...

Our vows will be exchanged and we will arrive at our receptionand walk inside to the most amazing and memoriable party of our lives.
We will celebrate alongside our family and friends, and luckily these two will capture every single memory.After our party is over, we will go to the Inn at Pratt Place,and stay the night in this wonderful room.We will wake up the next morning and reminisce on the memories that were made.Then we will say goodbye to family and friends and hop a plane to Jamaica to continue our celebration...

One year from today....

Marks the day that I've been waiting for for 6 years. The day I will marry my best friend. The day we will celebrate with every single family member and friend. The day that will be celebrated for as long as I will remember!

(picture credits the great benfield photography)

Appointments, Appointments

2010-06-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of calling and scheduling wedding appointments. Its actually starting to feel "real". Still very far away, but its starting to actually happen. I have an appointment almost EVERYDAY next week just to discuss ideas and details. Eek. And to my surprise- I'm actually getting into this.

Looking back on this time last year, I was just starting my Master's program and stressing out immensely. NOW, I am talking to my florist and picking out bridesmaid dresses. How how life changes in one single year!

You know how strongly I feel about a blog post without pictures, so I will leave you with several UNrelated pictures from here lately.

{me and blakely in the car on the way to dinner one night}

{blakely and her oh so preggers momma}

{my little mermaid}
{swimming lessons are a BLAST}
{first tap recital- girl has got some moves}{she was a lion}{couldn't not post one of my other fav person...yep next to a hot dog stand}Come back tomorrow for a muy muy MUY exciting post (I mean I might be a tad bias)

Hope you had a fantastic day!

Our Amazing Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. Honestly, I felt like a young child on Christmas Eve. I was so very excited to spend a weekend with my best friends I could barely stand myself. It sounds queer, but when you spend almost every single day with these girls and then suddenly they are ripped from your life to begin the next chapter in their life- it is SO very hard. So, as I mentioned before I was ecstatic to spend the weekend at the lake with my girl frands! Honestly though, it isn't JUST my girls that I miss so dearly, its our entire posse! We've all been very blessed with boyfriends who are friends and it was so nice to finally be reunited again. It was like we were not even apart for a day- As I've said many times, God has blessed me with amazing friends. Anyway I'm rambling...We stayed at my friend Morgan's lake house and had a wonderful time. We ate well, drank well, and just enjoyed each others company. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talkin'.

{my sweet fiance and me out in Hot Springs}{me, callie, KK,Lauren, and Morgan}{us girls just talking and sippin' on some summer drinks}{Gosh I've missed this}{On the lake}{As you can tell, the party is getting started :)}{boys soakin' up some sun and reminiscing on college days}{my sweet sweet mo}{Me and bone truly enjoying being reunited}I hope your Memorial Day Weekend was as blessed as mine was!! I have oh so thankful for the men and women who have made it possible to live freely in this country!!

Red Drank

2010-06-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Let me tell ya about one of my favorite summertime drinks...I like to call it "red drank". For those of who do not know what "red drank" is- it is tropical punch kool aid. I LOVED it as a child and I LOVE it as an adult, but really only in the summer. When Memorial day rolls around and I I dont a pitcher of red drank in the refrigerator , there is something wrong. Two of my very best friends share the same obsession for the beloved childhood drink, Morgan and Callie. You can ALWAYS count on opening up their fridge and seeing a nice cold pitcher of red kool aid. Ahh as we speak I am drinking a nice cold and very refreshing class!! Yippie, i guess summer is officially here in my book. Come back tomorrow for my Memorial Weekend Post.

Can't live with it and I sure can't live without it

2010-05-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

My iPhone! I seriously LOOOOVE it to pieces and I really know for a fact I cannot function without it. BUT I think I got a freaking DUD! My phone has given me MORE trouble than anyone's iPhone that I have heard of. I mean, when I spend 2 and 1/2 hours (last summer) on the phone with a guy from apple and he says "Hm, miss- I've never seen anything like this before!!" OH GREAT!!!!!!! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside- GEEZE. Anyway- that phone conversation ended with me having to restore my phone to its original setting with them PROMISING me everything would still be there. And guess what? THEY WERE WRONG. It was NOT the end of the world, but it wasn't fun.

Anyway, so last week my phone started acting up. Not taking pictures, all of my emails AREN'T mine and they are all from 12/31/00 (and I'm not even kidding here folks), I can't make/or receive phone calls, and WORST of all- you guessed it NO TEXTING!!!!

Now, please don't think I'm a phone-a-holic, but the girl does enjoy texting her friends and family. And its SO frustrating. I send someone a text and my phone just SHUTS OFF.

Are.You. Kidding. Me?

So I go to AT&T fed up yesterday about to buy a new phone and they nicely inform me that they can "fix" it because the iPhone 4G will be out in a month! Okay, shouldn't have listened because they "fixed" it and here I sit with NO CONTACTS! Love my darn iPhone!!!

But all is good in the world, going to take my the love of my life to swim lessons! Yippie!!

{ahh... you have given me lots of fits lately, but I still love the services you provide for me}

Hope everyone has a fantastic day. Please let me know if you think you've been given a crazy dud of a phone like me!? I'd love to hear your stories!!!

Nice and relaxing day

2010-05-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

I had a nice relaxing day with my dear friend Jacquelyn. I feel like I haven't seen or talked to her in ages due to our equally busy schedules that have completely consumed our lives for the last year. She is getting married in October and it was nice for me to hear every detail of the wedding thus far. It was also nice to hear some advice that I know will come in handy since I am just beginning my journey down this fun "Wedding Planning Road".

It was so nice to have a relaxing day, where I really didn't think about my lack of job situation and just talked weddings! I love my friends so much and really take for granted how wonderful each of them are. God has blessed me with some very wonderful ladies in my life and for that I am very thankful! I hope everyone had an equally wonderful day.

{me and jac a few years ago}

Need your help

2010-05-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, the wedding planning is indeed in full force around here. We are almost approaching the "one year" mark, as our wedding date is June 4, 2011. It seems SO far off, but the last six months have literally flown by. ANYWAY... I need some of you CREATIVE ladies help.
You see, I would consider myself pretty creative. I honestly think that being a teacher I am constantly creating stuff, so I come by it naturally BUT I have literally been racking my brain trying to come up with a clever and cute way to ask my bridesmaids to be in my wedding. I've been waiting until its about a year out and that is right around the corner. My bff Lindley asked us with the cutest little poem and a martini glass. It was very thoughtful and original (i like that). SO, if you could help me out in any way possible with suggestions of how you asked your bridesmaid or a way that you have been asked. Please email me at hmcchri@gmail.com because I know some of my sweet little ladies creep on my sometimes! :) I appreciate the help!!!
Since I despise a blog post without pictures, I'll leave you with some cute ideas I have seen brides use to ask their favorite gals.

I stole some of these pictures- so thank you in advance to those of you I stole from, you will know who you are ;).

{here is how Lindley asked us}

{very sweet card}

{LOVE this cartoon}

{very cute cookie idea}
{cute handmade canvas}

Now, do ya get my picture a little? I need some ideas and/or a little inspiration because I have some really special gals, who deserve something wonderful. SO, again.. if you have been asked a unique way or you asked your girls in a neat way and don't mind sharing I would LOVE for you to help me out a little. Please email me at hmcchri@gmail.com! Thanks SO much. Hope you're staying dry and safe in all of this rain.

Hi... My name is Hillary

2010-05-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

I am BACK, with Masters degree in tow!!!! I cannot explain how amazing it feels to be back to my "normal" (I hate that word) but really... my real non-stressed self! I LOVE it! As much as I couldn't wait until I was free from "working"- I have eaten my words. I have been subbing every single day since my internship was over. It has been great experience for me... and its a novel idea - BEING PAID FOR THE WORK I'M DOING- WOW now that's the best thing I've ever heard. As much as I have adored the last year, it was hard to go day in and day out without getting a single penny for the hard work. But, hopefully all of that hard work will pay off with a job! I've had a few interviews and now its just a waiting game. The teacher hiring process is a long one and one that doesn't occur until later in the summer. So, for now, I'm just praying that God will teach me a few lessons through this: TRUST and PATIENCE. If you could keep my in your thoughts and prayers over the next few months which I'm sure will be pretty trying.

On a MUCH happier note, for the first time since December I've actually got to enjoy really being "engaged". I've been so overwhelmed with school and my internship that I have completely neglected my wedding! But...its on now! I'm currently just SO obsessed (even more so then normal) about working with the BEST photographers in the world, Dale and (soon to be) Meredith Benfield. Ahh... every time I stalk their website it just give me chills! I CANNOT wait until they are taking our pictures...eeek!

I'll leave you with some images from my new found "life" lately....

{my loves}{the best day ever!!!}

{WE DID IT MAN!!!}

{celebrating our accomplishments with the fam}

So... there ya have it! I appolize for not blogging for the last year, but believe me- I'M BACK and I'll be better than ever. I do appreciate you guys thinking positive thoughts for me in the job area!! Talk to ya soon!!

Light...

2010-04-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Oh. my. goodness. gracious. There is indeed LIGHT at the end of this tunnel I've called life for the last year. About three weeks ago I turned in my 156 page thesis (AKA my child). BUT... Monday moring at 8:00 I'll be in need of some prayers! I'll be defending my thesis in front of an audience...eeek!! I'm pretty calm, cool, and collected as of now.. but I'll be getting nervous Sunday night until I finish at 8:45! BUT.. guess what?? This is what will be waiting for me when I finish:

MY LIFE!!!!!
(insert me jumping up and down and smiling as BIG as humanly possible)

{my rock, my best friend, um the reason I kept it together for the last year}

{my little ray of sunshine}

{my amazing family and my personal support group}

{ah...a well deserved drink with my...}

{FRIENDS}

Oh how I can't wait to reunite with the finer things in life! I have to give the most thanks to God for getting me through all of this. I've figured he's gotten me this far, surely he'll help me out on Monday!!

LIFE I'LL SEE YOU MODAY MORNING AT 8:45!!! Couldn't be more thrilled.

Hurry Up Spring!!!!!

2010-03-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

With Spring right around the corner (hopefully) it has got me thinking about my sweet doggie Deek! I'm not sure I've told you about my precious fur-child Deek. Deek is Steven and my black lab who is the absolute love of our lives (with the exception of the teeny red head). He is 95 pounds of sweet, furry, shedding, energetic , L-O-V-E. He turned 8 on January 15th ... which is getting up there for a dog of his size. Since, well FOREVER we have been talking about breeding Deek because he has such an amazing personality, he is a wonderfully talented duck hunter, and he has the biggest heart and we would love nothing more than to have one oh his baby boys (Oh my-HOW FUN). Well, over Thanksgiving break Deek stayed at a Labrador Retriever breeder for a few days. It was a very long few days for this momma, but it was well worth it. We were so excited when we heard the news...Deek would be a daddy in late January. We were thrilled and instantly started picking out names for our sweet baby boy. His puppies were born on January 28th. Deek is the proud father of three HUGE, beautiful, pure black girls. You heard me.. Chloe (Deek's wife) only had three puppies and they were all girls. At first we were kind of bummed because we really wanted a mini-deek, but as soon as we laid eyes his girlies we literally wanted to take ALL of them home. So, on March 13th Deek's baby Delta will become a permanent member of our family! EEEEEEkk! The breeder says they are the prettiest black labs she's ever seen. She loves them SO much she's keeping one for herself. If you or anyone you know would like to buy our last pretty little girl please contact me! Here come the pictures!

{my baby and his favorite extra-curricular activity}

{I mean...just a great profile}{our pride and joy}{look at the proud grandpa with one of the girls- one week old, just opened her eyes}{Look at this...oh my goodness}{our little chubbies}

{the cutest thing at 2 weeks}{TWO weeks...they are soo big}{look at those rolls}

I hope you enjoyed my babies as much as I do! Steven and I are going to Little Rock this weekened for a friend's wedding and we are offically picking our Delta Pearl! I CAN'T wait! I'll have pictures don't you worry! Hope you have a great Week!!!

why do you love me today?

2010-02-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

Instead of doing my homework, I'll share my latest. For the last 4.5 years I always ask Steven "tell me something you love about me?" Lately I've started telling steven something I loved about him that day....not something I've loved about him for 4.5 years, but something today! It makes us stop and think of something one of us did or said that day that made us happy or smile! Sounds cheesy, but you should give it a try. Today I loved Steven because I was sick at work and he hugged me for a looong time and cooked me dinner! He loved me today because I smelled good (not sure how bc Im sick...but still its the thought that counts right??) I love Steven every minute of everyday, but its nice to hear a different reason everyday! XOXO

{i love him}

Thanks to the OH so talented Dale and Meredith for these pics! Hope everyone has a fantastic week! Hopefully I'll get the stamina to post some more this week! Love....

Much Needed Relaxing Weekend!!!

2010-02-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

This week has kicked my butt... a ton a stuff going on at school and its so nice to be laying on my couch totally engrossed in the Winter Olympics and sipping on some OJ. With my busy week at school, horrible timing for my Lent decision- no coke, dr. pepper, mt. dew...NO soft drinks for 40 days. If you know me what-so-ever you know I drink at LEAST three a day. I know- its TERRIBLE for me, but honestly that is about my only bad or unhealthily habit I have. So I'm trying to kick it for forty days and then maybe more than that.

On a side note- Steven are completely obsessed with anything Olympic. I kid him by saying if I could have the theme song for the Olympics for my ring tone year around- I would. We LOVE the games. Both of us were pretty athletic/ competitive growing up, so its just fun to be able to watch them for two weeks straight. ANYWHO. I was thinking about 4 years ago we would go to Steven's dorm room to watch the Winter Olympics in 2006. We had been together for about 6 months and now we're engaged watching the 2010 Winter Olympics. We have accomplished so much in those four years! It is so weird! I asked Steven "What do you think we'll be doing during the 2014 Winter Olympics?" Quote words "Probably sitting on our couch, in a new house, with a......" I was thinking BABY?? and he says "With a new duck hunting boat in the back yard!!" Spoken like a true duck hunter. Oh my...

{man..what a great sight}

{ahh.. Lindsey Vonn in her Gold Glory}

hope you are having a great weekend!!!

Snow Days

2010-02-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

Yippie! I've had TWO, yes TWO snow days this week! Monday is when I have class at the UofA (which still held classes), but my professor lives in MO and didn't want to risk the weather later on in the day. CHA-CHING- Snow day for me. I was ready for school today, but it was called off due to a layer of ice on the roads (yes, please)..hee I'm such a child. I've have completely enjoyed/soaked up every minute of the last two days! Since Steven is still in school finishing up a minor, we really enjoyed our lazy days off together. We were thinking these might be the last "snow days" we acutally get to have together...we all know that my snow days will never cease, but a civil engineer doesn't get snow days! HAAA... I love it! Anywho, Monday morning I made a huge pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup, the perfect thing for a snowy day. Then Steven, Deek, and I suited up and headed to the slopes. Steven lives on a golf course with a HUGE hill...we had such a great time! I really enjoyed hanging out with the two of them and not being on a constant schedule!

{look how beautiful..not us silly..the snow ;)}

{xoxo}
I hope everyone enjoyed the snow as much as we did! Stay warm and have a great week...just in case you didn't know tomorrow is my Monday..heehee!!!

My Life Lately- in pictures

2010-02-06T08:45:00.000-08:00

NWA has been hit with a TON of snow, which is A-OKAY with me for a few reasons: 1. the joy of being a teacher...SNOW DAYS and 2. The joy of being an intern- not having to make up the snow days for once! YAY...bring 'em on! So in honor of our snow days Bebe and I got out to enjoy her first big girl snow!!

{b had a big booboo on her nose a week earlier}

{such a cool niece}

Helped host a engagement party for one of my best friends Lindley! We also bought her wedding dress a few weeks ago! I have pictures of the beautiful gown, but I cant show!!

{Lin and I at her party}{the future Shaffers}{me and the fiance}{older sister, Heather, celebrated her birthday}Hailey and Matt came in to go to the fun, fresh, and fabulous award show, The Benny's! It was SOO much fun! Dale and Mere really know how to throw a party and they are just such fun and giving people! Thank you so much guys for letting us be a part of it! We loooove yall!
{the happy little benfield couple}{the award winners}
Okay, lets see...next on our agenda. A much needed night out with some of my best friends!

{Jacquelyn, me, and KK}{went to a few razorback basketball games with this sweetheart}{The Swopes}Ahhh... and yesterday the Kindergarten at Root Elementary celebrated the 100th day of school. If you know me what-so-ever you know my love for dressing up for different events, so Amanda (fellow kindergarten intern and friend) and I decided to get decked out. I made shirt with 100 sparkly pom poms on it (you can only see one 0, but i promise its there). I also made pompom bobby pins for my hair, earrings, and bracelets! Amanda put 100 buttons on her shirt! We played the part very well and had fun doing it!

{Amanda and me in front of the awesome 100's day quilt that the whole kindergarten made during math one day.}{Me dressed up with my sweet kiddos}

There you have it folks...my life for the last few weeks. I missed a few events due to my camera was being fixed. My friend Jacquelyn (pictured above) got engaged last Friday durng the snow storm! We are very excited for her and Brian and can't wait for the wedding!! Hope everyone is well! I'm preparing for the next "big snow storm" to come our way!! Stay warm!

Wooo Whooo..My first award

2010-01-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

This sweet little lady nominated me for this fun award!

Thank you Chelsea, I have really enjoyed reading your blog- its right up my alley.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Paste the award on your blog
3. Link the person who nominated you for the award
4. Tell 7 interesting things about yourself
5. Nominate 7 bloggers or less
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominated

Whew.. this is going to be tough because I don't find myself that interesting. Maybe I'll enlist the help of my oh so handsome fiance to help me, maybe not though- he's been talking wedding with me all afternoon, God love him. Ok here we go...

Seven Interesting Things About Little Ol' Meee...

1. I have a blanky- you heard me... and yes, I am 23 and yes I still have her. No, no, she's not a baby blanket she is merely a piece of fabric from hancocks. I've been doing this since about ninth grade. I twist her and smell her- it is a nervous habit. If I loose her, I got get another few yards of fabric. I've had my current blanky since sophomore year in college though, so needless to say we are pretty tight.Steven doesn't LOVE her, but he embraces the fact that I have her. For those of you who are concerned-Dr. Phil said it is completely normal (no I did not contact him...he did a show on it a few years back).

2. Some would say I'm a finicky eater, but I'm really not. I just don't enjoy most things that others do. As I have gotten older I have grown to dislike many things. I HATE peanut butter, olives, cake, icing, pretty much anything sweet besides toffee, ice cream, or peach cobbler. I thoroughly dislike Thanksgiving food...it disgusts me and I would rather eat a box a Kraft macaroni and cheese- the cheesiest kind please. I'm not a huge fan of pizza. Loved donuts for the greater portion of my life and for some reasons I can't stand to think about them. I am not a fan of breakfast food. This morning at 9 I ate a huge bowl of penne pasta I cooked last night, weird I know.

3. Getting engaged is one of the greatest things that has happened to me (meeting and loving my niece ranks up there too), but it has KILLED I mean completely stomped my motivation to do anything school related. Looking at wedding mags, talking to my sister/mom constantly, and looking at wedding blogs is FAR more interesting than applying for jobs or working on assignments.

4. I have the beeeest fiance that anyone could ever have. We have the coolest relationship and I seriously thank God every morning and night that I have him. We rarely fight and have such great communication. Instead of screaming and yelling at each other we talk through things- I love it. We have never gone to bed mad or even upset about anything one time in 4.5 years and I pray it stays that way.

5. Speaking of Steven, one of my favorite things to do it watch him talk about something he LOVES...like duck hunting. Often times that little hobby of his gets on my last nerves, but I love to hear him talk about it. His eyes light up, he smiles, and I really don't even listen to a word he says. But just watching him talk makes me feel like he is a little boy. I would give anything to have known my sweet man when he was little. Watching him talk about things he is passionate about makes my little heart flutter!

6. I pray every morning before I step foot on the ground.

The mornings are my least favorite part of the day (im usually exhausted and dreading school), but it is so nice and peaceful to be able to pray and start the day positively every morning.

7. I am a worrrrry waaarrrrrt! I'm not sure that is interesting, but Im running out of things to say. I worry about everything. My latest worry: When Steven and I go on our Honeymoon in 1.5 years, I'm worried about our Fur Child's feelings! REALLY HILLARY...oh my! That literally crossed my mind about three minutes ago. I'm strange. Also worrying about all the hw I HAVE to do tomorrow!! OH Goodness me!

I hope I didn't bore you to death!! Again, Chelsea thanks for giving me the award... I'm going to tag:

Short Southern Momma

Life as a Savannah Wife
Mrs. Guru at Off The Beaten Path
Callie

Sole Matters
Annie at Chapters of Our Life
Sarah at A Life More Exciting

There ya have it folks..enjoy!! Im exciting to hear some interesting facts from you ladies!!!

VOTE-VOTE-VOTE...Pretty please

2010-01-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Hello All! I hope your Tuesday was wonderful! The weather was SO pretty here in Fayetteville that my kiddos got to play outside for the first time in.. well I honestly can't remember when. It was a very nice treat for our kids as well as us! ANYWHO... I'm coming to ask you a BIG favor.. you see- my older sister Hailey has been nominated several times by our photographer Dale Benfield. He holds an award show for all of his brides and Hailey just happens to be nominated for 5.. you heard me...5 categories (if you've seen her pictures it shouldn't suprise you! They are phenominal). She and I both would just be tickled pink if she won at least one category...so if you would be so kind as take a few mins to vote for my beautiful sissy! Here are the links! The voting ends the 15th so please cast your vote for Hailey!!! thank you so much!!!!!

{isn't she gorg?}

Here are the links:

for best bridal portrait:http://bennyawards.com/?page_id=3

for best dance performance:http://bennyawards.com/?page_id=18

for best wedding design:http://bennyawards.com/?page_id=35

for best shoes:http://bennyawards.com/?page_id=37

for best leading lady:http://bennyawards.com/?page_id=46

Or you could just go to http://bennyawards.com

Thank you so so much!!!

Twenty Ten

2010-01-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

Wow..I'm on a roll, if I do say so myself. I'm trying to blog a few times a week (uh um.. callie)! I'm not sure how intense school will be this semester, but time will tell! With that being said...We had SO much fun on New Years this year! It was so nice to hang out with my best friends that I haven't seen in what seems like ages! It was also fun to show off my new best friend aka my ring to my girls who haven't seen it! It was nice to do something low key for once...and by no means was our New Years low key, but in comparison to years pervious this one was. We are used to the big Peabody parties or being in Dallas at a huge party for the Cotton bowl. This year I was so excited when we decided to stay at Morgan's lake house in Hot Springs, go to a nice dinner, and come back to ring in the new year. It felt SO good to be with my friends and just to enjoy each other's company! It has been really hard for me this year to only see my friends MAYBE once a month due to everyone's hectic schedules- but we make it work! They were so thoughtful to get Steven and I a cookie cake and some really sweet gifts to celebrate our engagement! I really have the best friends- be jealous! Here are some of the pictures from our fun little party for NYE! Ill let the pictures do the rest of the talking- we took A TON!!! I guess you could say we were making up for lost time! :)
{the pretty girls before dinner}

{oh how I've missed this guy}{my "fiance"- im still getting used to that word}{me and little momo}{the girls after our great dinner}{our whole group}{the cookie cake my friends got us- it was supposed to read "Congrats Hill and Steph". Steph being one of Steven's many nicknames, but instead it came out "Hill and Speph" Ha!}

{me and callie}{brad, mo, me, and Speph}{kk, mo, and me}{Jackie and Brian}{the newest addition to our crazy clan- Meet Patrick, KK's new boyfriend...we think he's a keeper}{Davy Crocket and Cal}{Bratlee and Momo- I love how Brad sported that nice headband all night}{ringing in the new year with my favorite person ever}

Just wanted to say thanks to my amazing friends for helping us celebrate this exciting time in our life. I can't wait to share this time with yall!! I loooove each of you!

I hope everyone has had a great start to 2010! Im looking forward to everything that is in store for us this year! I can just pray that 2010 is as wonderful, safe, and healthy as 2009 was! Happy Twenty Ten!

Some exciting news..

2010-01-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

I know, I know- I NEVER blog anymore.. I hate hate that, but I have been a pretty busy girl here lately. If you read a few posts down (2 to be exact) you would have known that I was SO SO excited about spending Christmas with Steven this year! I couldn't wait until the 23rd when he was finally in Fayetteville to begin our Christmas festivities. We had such an agenda for the next week, but I couldn't have been more excited. Our Christmas celebrating started with a romantic dinner at Bordino's the night Steven got into town. We had reservations at 7, but before Steven had mentioned wanting to walk around the square to look at the beautiful lights (something I have been wanting to do for fiiiiive years now...)anywho- as we left for the square it started POURING down rain and I told Steven that it really wasn't that big of a deal to not look at the lights before dinner, but he insisted and pulled out his big umbrella and we headed to the square. The square was absolutely DEAD....not a soul in sight, but then I see Dale Benfield photographing a couple in the rain.... I then said to Steven "Wow...theres a stupid couple just like us walking around the square in the rain".

{the "other" couple}

Steven then told me to turn around and I thought we were going home, he took me up some stairs and got down on one knee (insert me FREAKING here). He said some extremly sweet things and I was so excited and in such disbelief that I really don't remember much of anything he said! The rest is just history....

{checking out my ring}{realizing that steven was the guy dale is talking about here}{sooo happy}{terrible iphone picture- but.. it is SOO pretty}BUT- the most amazing part of our engagement was the fact that Steven gotten ahold of Dale to photograph the whole thing. I am so thankful for the pictures because they seriously capture our special moment perfectly and I will always have them remember our engagement.

After I called all of my friends we then went to Bordino's to be suprised (yet again). Steven had arranged for both of our families and my two closest friends to be there to celebrate with us! I honestly could not ask for a more perfect engagement. I am the luckiest and quite possibly the happiest girl in the world!

A special shout out to Dale Benfield for being one of the most thoughtful, caring, and giving (just to name a few) people that we know! The pictures are just breathtaking and give me chills everytime I look at them! We are SO beyond excited to work with you and your sweet fiance for the next...well LONG time until our big day! Thank you so much again!

Also, thank you to all of our wonderful and supportive family and friends who helped sweet little Steven make our day so special! We love you all so very much!!!

Here lately

2009-12-05T13:36:00.001-08:00

Since my last post was a little random and didn't contain one picture...I thought I'd post some of my pictures from the last couple of months! Enjoy!

{blakely's 3rd birthday}

{grandma and grandpa got her an awesome microphone}

{singing on her "stage"}

{went straight from b's party to see my dear friends new rock! I was SO excited..can ya tell?}
{one of my kiddos decorating his "Native American Vest"- they were each given "Native American Names"- his was Tall Pine}

{Arkansas Reading Conference in Little Rock. These are my fun teacher friends}

{while in LR for my conference, I stayed the weekend with my best friends Cal and Mo. I had a wonderful time pretending we lived in the same town again.. tear}{headed straight to steven's fams duck club for Turkey Day- Sweet boyfriend, Deek, and me enjoying a night with family}
{I'm so thankful for him}
{b and me at my mom's birthday party last night}There ya have it folks....the last month in a teeny tiny nutshell! I can't believe it is already December 5th! Whew1 I can't wait until the 18th!! Christmas break here I come! :)

-A little shout out-

My mom doesn't read my blog, but just in case...Mom- hope you had a wonderful birthday! You are seriously the best mom ever! You are always SO willing to help me in any way possible. We are so lucky to have you! I'm not sure if I would have made it this far without you by my side at all times! I love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Highlight of my day...

2009-12-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not going to lie. I've had a pretty terrible, horrible, no good, very bad do today. For starters, I forgot my lunch at home, THEN it was flu shot day at Root Elementary and Hillary forgot her insurance card, OH and while we're on the topic of FLU SHOTS- 22 five year olds receiving shots is NOT my idea of a great day! Let me tell you!! Ha.. my day started out pretty terrible, BUT my amazing boyfriend brought me something yummy to eat for lunch, my dad emailed me my insurance information, and I had a pretty darn good day with my little kiddos. BUT... I get home and I begin to read my blogs as I unwind and enjoy 25 or 30 minutes of complete silence. I get to Hailey's (my sister's) blog and about wet my pants. HA... hailey and matt had their first thanksgiving this year. HA... I really can't stop laughing. She didn't know that a pumpkin pie had to bake? Oh mee oh my! You gotta love Hailey! I haven't really heard the whole story, but from what I read made my day! Thanks Hail!

While I'm blogging I might as well give you a little update on my life! Thanksgiving was great! I have so much to be thankful for this year! I spent it with Steven's family because he's spending Christmas with me this year YIPPIE! Out of five Christmases together, this will be our very first! I'm really excited! Kindergarten is going great! I'm really getting the hang of the little kiddos! For the next three weeks we'll be learning all about Holidays around the world- How fun!? School has slowed down a bit, but I'm still working pretty hard to wrap up my last assignments before next week! Blakely is growing like a little weed. She's no longer my little baby, she's a big girl now! She's such a doll. I'm cherishing every moment I spend with her because I know she won't be at this sweet/hilarious stage for long! Well I hope all is well with you! I hope to be blogger more over the holidays due to lighter work load- although I have homework assignments over Christmas! Happy Wednesday!

I know, I know...

2009-10-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

So...although you may have expected I had fallen off the face of the earth...I really haven't. I'm just stuck underneath TONS of books, research articles, crazy assessment tools, and my trusty, new best friend- my computer. Ohhh do I have a lot to blog/catch you up on- second grade, a sweet four year anniversary, my bff's birthday, my sister's wedding, solo week, my sweet steven's 23rd birthday, leaving my second graders, and loving on my new five year olds... but I'm afraid that must wait until Thanksgiving break or Christmas break or perhaps May 6th. But for now, I'll leave you with this....

{you can find me here from 4:30-10 pm every night of the week... including most Fridays}

{Ah..how I miss my precious second graders, I'm LOVING kindergarten. This is what we did for math on Thursday. We made these adorable spiders and graphed them. Next week's math plans- counting candy corn!! WOO}

Just a teener update on this so called life I'm leading right now. Happy Fall Y'all!

Exhausted....seriously exhausted

2009-08-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry Ive been on a blog break...I honestly come home every NIGHT (not day bc I work until night) and I am literally drained of ever ounce of energy I have. I don't even listen to music in the car on the way home- i just need silence. My internship has been going great and I've honestly enjoyed every minute. Today was open house and I got to meet all of my little kiddos- and boy are they something else. They are SO precious...but that is a completely different post.

I'm dedicating this post (a little early) to one of my best friends KK because its finally her birthday (8.18)!!!!! Oh KK...I meet KK my senior year in high school at greek weekend. She is from "De-Queen" Arkansas and MAN we loved her accent. We hung out all weekend and then became really close after we both pledged tri delt our freshman year. We lived together in the house a couple of semester and made some great memories. KK is one of the sweetest people in the world, she always puts others before herself (esp when it comes to getting others ready to go out). For those of you who aren't lucky enough to know this gal- she's one of THE smartest people I know. She actually started Law School here in Fayetteville today, which I might add she got a scholarship :) . I was BEYOND thrilled when I found out she was staying up here to go to law school- I really don't know what I'd do without her. Not only is she genius- she's AMAZING at doing hair and make up. Having her around the last four years was like having your hair and makeup done for every single thing we did. There were many nights when there was a line of girls in the tri delt house who wanted KK to get them ready. Gah.. that poor girl- but she was always so sweet about it! KK will ALWAYS be there for advice or just to listen to me talk about my day. She can relate to almost anything I tell her and that is one of many reasons I love her so!

{thug life 2005- please excuse my freshman 15}

{ha...we love each other}{delta disco divas}{new years}{girls night}{spring break}{DDD senior night}{another girls night}{senior pictures}{graduation- tear}

KK ( I know you're reading this), I want to wish you a HAPPY HAPPY birthday!! Thank you for being such a great friend for the last four years i love you dearly!!!

Inservice

2009-08-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

So, today was my first full day of inservice and it wasn't as bad as expected. I literally sat in meetings from 8-4...and I know that sounds terrible- but it wasn't. My mom started back to the High School today and said "Ugh, wasn't it just terrible?" and I said "Well, you know what? I am SO used to sitting in class all day long and learning pointless theories that I know for the test, but two hours afterwards I couldn't tell you a dang thing (I know I'm a bad student, BUT honestly folks some of the undergraduate elementary ed. info is B-O-R-I-N-G). And every single topic that was covered today made sense to me and has a purpose for our school. It it crucial for me to understand this information to run my classroom successfully." So all in all- first day of full inservice was a total success. All of the teachers are super sweet and treat us "interns" as their peers and not students. I can tell they expect a lot from us and that is good! I'm really needing to pick out what I'm wearing tomorrow and iron it! hopefully talk to you soon (not making in promises) ;)

Crazy, overwheleming, not relaxing AT ALL last weekend off

2009-08-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

WOW WEE!! This was my last stinkin weekend off before i officially take the dive into my student teaching. My ideal plans were -laying out by the pool, loving on my favorite red head, eating some good food, shopping a little, getting my planner ready, laying out by the pool, and did i mention kissing and squeezing an adorable red head? WELLL... I should have known better- Hailey was coming in town and this wonderful schedule probably wasn't in the cards for me.... Now that you know what I wanted to do...heres the run down of how my weekend actually played out.

Thursday: Mom and I ran around (what seemed like) all day doing stuff for hailey- taking veils to be cleaned, picking up dresses, doing other little things...for some reason running errands really kicks my butt. All I want to do it come home and CRASH on the couch for a few hours...but thats what I did- for about 6.5 minutes. I then got the phone call from my teacher and went to meet her at Root to work for a few hours (great time), but I was whipped. Then went to Steff's (I sometimes refer to my sweet boyfriend as Steff, Steffy, or Stephanie (thats only the Stephanie renditions of his many nicknames- that may be a post of its own..hee) SO, I went to Steff's just to chill for about 15.5 minutes then we headed back to my parents house for dinner. This is when I got to snuggle, tickle, chase, and sing with that amazingly awesome red head (Check). Then it was off to bed because I was literally about to die and I knew friday would be ten times worse.

Friday: Mom, Hailey, and I headed to "Monogram It" in Springdale to get some stuff -monogrammed- (imagine that?). Im pretty excited because I bought this super cute black and white printed canvas bag for school that I got a big red H on it. I can't wait. Then we headed home and got prepared for the days events. Makeup sessions, hair do appointments, and photoshoots after photoshoots. I was excited because I finally got to meet the famous Dale and Meredith and let me tell ya - they both lived up to the hype everyone makes of them. They are SOOO fun and truly experts in their field. I told Dale I was going to go ahead and book him for my imaginary wedding day- HA! That'll really make Steve happy! Hee...we laughed. Then at about 830 we came back home to eat some dinner and GO TO BED. AH... we started running around at like 830 am.. Im about to pass out just thinking about it.

Saturday:

I got up bright and early hopped in the shower to get ready for hailey's first bridal shower. Blakers came over with some "pigs in a blanket" from Ricks (the girl knows the way to my heart, Im SO obsessed with them). We headed up to Springdale for the shower and it was a good time. I got to see a lot of my mom's friends that I haven't seen in quite sometime. It was nice to chat and catch up. I also got to spend the morning with my busy bff Hannie Banannie before she had to leave to go to Branson (she's ALWAYS on the go). Hailey got a ton of great stuff and the shower was really nice. We then went to get Blakely's flower girl dress.. she will be so pretty. I ended the night with Steven's parents over dinner from noodles. They are in town moving Emilie into the Tri Delt house.

Today, has been pretty laid back. Steven was golfing this weekend and ended up staying another night due to tire problems on his car? Ugh..:( Deek and I are pretty sad. Anywho, going to bed early today I have a big teacher filled day tomorrow- Can't wait...I'm going to pick out my outfit and iron it! Ha! Hope your weekend was great.

And My Predictions Were CORRECT

2009-08-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE her...she's amazing!!! We were friends at first sight and I couldn't be more excited. She showed me around her lovely room and then I got the tour of the other second grade classrooms! THEN I got the whopping tour of the entire school.. including the nice bathrooms and the not so nice bathrooms, the teachers lounge (which is very nice, if I do say so myself), the cafeteria, the copying room, the library, the office, and the playgrounds. Whew! I even was lucky enough the get the COPYING 101 class...which I loved! I learned how to make copies with 3 hole punches and staples! I'm becoming a teacher before your very eyes! We did some housekeeping in the classroom and its really cute! I'll try and snag a few pictures of it on Monday! She asked me "Do you like to sing songs?" and I responded " Well, I'm not great a carrying a tune BUT I loooove to sing". HA.. this is funny because around the McChristian household we have a song for everything- and by "we" I mean to teachers in our fam...me and mom! HA! She informed me we'll be singing a ton of songs- YIPPPPE! I knew I picked the right career! I was at Root today for a few hours and it just FLEW by! I'm really looking forward to this coming school year! Bring on those sweet little second graders!!!!! :)

{this little beauty is where i'll be spending the next year}

tomorrow is a very busy day...need sleep!

Ahh.. I'm soo excited

2009-08-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

So, after a week or two I finally got in contact with my first teacher I'll be interning with and I couldn't be more excited. I emailed her and she wrote back "just give me your number...and Ill call ya"- this is my kinda girl. We talked on the phone yesterday for about ten minutes and we were planning on going up to Root to put the finishing touches on her room...but she called back and her repair man was running really late and she wouldn't be able to make it. I can already tell I'm going to love her. I have heard from many teachers that she is an amazing person and even better teacher. Apparently, she's SO organized and very "with it". If you know me what so ever- I am a person of structure and habit...so it seems like we will get along great. I am really excited that I have her so I can see how she gets her classroom in order within the first few weeks of school! Ah.. I couldn't be more excited! I'm about to jump in the shower and await her phone call today. I'm really hoping she calls today and not tomorrow..because I've got a JAM PACKED schedule tomorrow. hailey is coming up this afternoon and we are preparing for her bridal portraits. I am really excited! It will be really weird to see her in her wedding dress that actually fits and isn't 15 sizes too big.

{insert my picture here..ha}

Well I better hop in the shower! WooWhoo for Thursday!!!

Happy Happy Birthday

2009-08-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today is Steven's little sisters birthday, Emilie! She is 19 today and will be a sophomore in college this year. It is so crazy to me that I met her when she was a sophomore in high school and she is now grown to be one of the most beautiful little ladies I have ever met! She has grown up so much over the last four years, it seriously blows my mind. Em is like the little sister I ALWAYS wanted but never had. One of my favorite memories I have with Emilie is about this time last year when I was getting ready for my last RUSH and Emilie was my number one rushee!!! I was so excited because I had been looking forward to her going through FOREVER, but I was also very very very nervous because her two lovely aunts were Pi Phis and I knew they would loved for her to follow in their footsteps. I tried my hardest not to pressure her throughout the years (but hey, it was hard because that's all she heard about from me- she even stayed with me in the "Delta Shelta" a few times...talk about no pressure..HA HA. I know, I'm terrible) I literally couldn't wait for her to come to the Tri Delt house because I knew everyone would obsess over her (not only is she bubbly and fun- but freaking adorable!!!) After a loooong rush week...Little Miss Emilie was a DDD...and I was SOO excited! I knew how much she would love it and how many amazing friends she would make. This is a bond we will share the rest of our lives (this is saying I become her sister-in-law in a few years ;)) plus...if we have little girls they will hopefully carry on our tradition. She is moving into that great green house on Maple street on Saturday and I couldn't be more excited for her. I know how much fun is in store for her the next couple of years- actually I'm kind of jealous! I sometimes find myself going back to the years I lived in the house and just reminiscing about all of the amazing memories and friends I have made. I could not be more proud of the person Emilie has become and there is no telling what she will accomplish in her future. She is SO smart...snagging a 4.0 last semester- Who does that freshman year..I know right? ((these pictures are in chronological order..))

{Florida 2007)

{summer 2007)

{em's graduation}{Tri Delt Bid Day 2008}{lovin on stevie wonder}{bid day paaarrrttaaay}{first DDD function, Delta Airlines}{Each pledge class goes to a different destination. Freshmen went to the "Wild Wild West" and Seniors went to "Woodstock"}{halloween party at Steven's House, 2008){grandparents 50th anniversary party, 2008){hillary's graduation party}{Kenny Chesney Concert- this summer}

Anywho, just wanted to wish Emilie the best 19th birthday ever! We can't wait until she's back up here for the year! We love you so much and have a very happy birthday!!!

What Have I Been Up to Lately?

2009-08-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Bows, Tutus, and more bows

I have had to best time making bows and tutus for Steven's cousins babies, Emmery and Ava...and of COURSE that sassy red head that I love so much. Ava is having her 6 month pictures taken soon and her momma sent me her outfits and I customized a bow for each. I put each bow on one of my old dolls I used to play with ALL the time, just picture two cute little dark headed girls...not this ugly Lee Middleton doll HA....here they are

Okay...let me explain this bow. Laura has these GREAT heels for little miss ava (www.heelarious.com) they are called "Heelarious" and are SO stinkin cute. Anywho- they are fushisha in color so I made this black bow with fushisha peacock feathers attached. You really can't see the feathers that well, but boy its cute. She is putting her in black frilly bloomers with pearl necklaces and braclets- How stinkin cute will this 6 month old be! Ha

{Ava's first tutu}

{matching bow}{Emmery's Tutu and matching bow}{This will be worn with a leopard dress with a red A monogrammed on it}

{miss emmery's feather zebra bow}

I also made a bunch of daisy/ flower bows that are TOO cute. I actually sold some of them today before getting pictures of them!! Hope everyone had a great day! I'm just sitting back and enjoying the rain!

I must explain

2009-08-04T08:39:00.001-07:00

No No.. Im not (dare I say it) "bored"... I do have TONS to blog about...but I've lost my camera cord and i REFUSE to bore you with just words. i have to have pictures. BOO.. I'm going to search today HIGH and LOW and if that fails head to best buy.. I will have pictures sooner than later. Hope everyone is stayin cool on this AWESOME day

I miss my friends

2009-07-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about how excited I am for my friends to come back up to school...then I really got to thinking and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Two of my best friends are NOT coming back to this great place...I just don't understand it (I mean I do, they are chasing dreams in little rock). I so miss the days of cramming into one room (when there were three bathrooms and three perfectly good OTHER rooms that could have been utilized) to get ready, waiting in line for KK to poof and fix our hair PLUS do our eye makeup, drinking a glass of wine or ridiculously strong martini before going out, nice walk or run around wilson park, or just a nice SHORT phone call about the day. These days when I talk to my friends on the phone it can't be under 20 minutes because there is SO much to catch up on. Ha..this is the same with Hannah- I swear I could talk to that girl EVERY DAY and I would still talk to her and laugh for a good 30 minutes..Thats another girl that I miss- although she lives in Fayetteville SHE IS SO BUSY!!! She is in school and working constantly and I'm always out of town on the weekends. What happened to the summers where all we did was swim and we seriously had NOTHING else to do or to even thinking about doing. We would sit on my front porch and long to be able to drive so that we could "do something" probably like go to the mall and just walk around- ha. I guess this is just a sign of the times. Soon our lives will take us all different places and we will be so busy that we won't have time to stop and think. Just want my friends to know i love them and miss them dearly! Lets have a girls weekend SOON..Please?

{my busy bff}

{mo, jac, cal, KK, me}

happy happy rainy thursday

I heart early days

2009-07-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ah... how i love when steven gets off work early! It makes me soooo happy! He usually doesn't call me until 5 saying "what are you doing? well I'm on my way home.." Today he just showed up at 1445 around 230 and my heart just about stopped! Im having a blast hanging out with him on this rainy afternoon! :) Lucky me!!!

{xoxo}

Hope everyone had a great hump day!

As Promised...

2009-07-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

As I promised- here is THE best summer dessert. Its not too sweet, but just the right blend of sweet and a light treat.

Ingredients

1 package of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough (I only use about 3/4 of it)

1 package of cream cheese

Sugar (I use anywhere from 1/4 of a cup to a little more)

Apricot preserves

Peaches

Strawberries

Kiwis

Blueberries

Preparing

I have always used a Pampered Chef baking stone and I'm not sure if you could use a cookie sheet,but I don't see why not. I spray my stone lightly with Pam then spread the cooking dough out to resemble a pizza crust. * I usually use a round pizza stone, but I only had a square one for this occasion- any shape works wonders. Bake according to sugar cooking package and let cool. Run a knife under cookie to ensure it didn't stick. Next you mix the cream cheese (softened) and sugar in a bowl (This can be done while cookie is baking). I add anywhere from 1/4 of a cup to 1/2 of a cup, it's really just to taste. Spread over cookie. Next, spread apricot preserves over the cream cheese. Then place the freshly cut fruit in a neat design. Cover and refrigerate...and ENJOY!

{the finished product}

I'm not really a "sweets" fan, but this really is such a refreshing dessert that almost everyone loves!!! Also, it seems really complicated and hard- people think you've slaved all day over it..HA!

Enjoy

A Birthday Bash

2009-07-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the blogging hiatus. As I have reunited with my best friend Spare Time, sadly enough- Ive really had nothing to blog about. I don't think think yall would find sitting on my butt watching TV or sitting on my butt in a lawn chair the LEAST bit entertaining.. so after my family filled weekend I have a lot to talk about. Steven and I loaded up Deek and Penny Poo Girl and headed to Little Rock on Friday afternoon. Why is Penny Poo Girl along for the trip you ask? Oh.. you know- my parents are in Maine for 9 days and Steven and I will be house/ dog sitting. Anywho- the whole reason for our trip this weekend was for Steven's sweet MiMi's birthday and we were having a birthday bash for her. Some of my favorite cousins were coming to Little Rock all the way from Louisiana for MiMi's celebration. I have been looking forward to this WAAY before summer school started. Let me explain my excitement...there are two sweet little girls coming from Louisiana as well- one of which I haven't even met...whew I could barely stand myself. Steven's cousins Laura and Josh had baby girls 11 months apart...and they are SO stinking sweet. Josh's little girl is Emmery(16 months) and Laura's chubby little girl is Ava (5 months). Okay...back to Mimi's party. Steven and I got up pretty early on Saturday morning because I was making Heather's famous fruit pizza (recipe soon to follow) and HAD to go to the Little Rock Farmers Market to get some home grown Arkansas goodies to go with. We headed downtown about 9:30 to pick up some peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and the most gorgeous sunflowers for the birthday girl. The the Louisiana crew rolled into to town about noon and the party began. It is so funny to see all of them with little ones. When we first met they were all just getting married! Wow.. how the time flies. David and Laura(Ava's precious parents) own a few restaurants in LA and ALWAYS bring some delicious food for us to eat. They came bearing ribs and the biggest beef tenderloin I'd ever seen...it was SO great. We ate, drank, played with the little ones ( I was in heaven), talked and celebrated Mimi's big day. For dessert we had my fruit pizza (which was a hit BTW) and some awesome cupcakes from this new cupcake joint in the Heights. I truly love Steven's family and very rarely get to spend time with all of them. They are the most loving and FUN group of people to be around. Steven is so blessed to have grown up with this great fam! Overall, we had a great weekend and I actually gained a purpose for this week: To make Emmery and Ava some BIG Arkansas bows and some Tutus. Gotta get on it because Miss Ava's 6th month photo shoot is right around the corner!:) Hope everyone had a great weekend! And sorry I took 9.4 million pictures this weekend.

{The birthday girl}{MiMi and Steven}
{mmmm}{Emmery with her beautiful momma}{Emmery says WOO PIG!! LSU who momma???}{Baby Ava...her eyes are breath taking}{happy to be sitting in Steven's lap}{Mimi, Josh, and Emmery}{Ava with her beautiful momma}{Little Sassy Thing}

Happy birthday Mimi..hope you had a great day!

Weekend Wrap Up!!

2009-07-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Before I recap my fantastic weekend, I must announce the BEST news ever- I HAVE OFFICALLY FINISHED 6 HOURS OF GRAD SCHOOL. Today was my last day!! =) I couldn't be more excited and proud of what I can get accomplished in such a short period of time. We got out of school at noon and headed straight for La Huerta for lunch and two for one margaritas. It was nice to be able relax with my school friends and eat something besides a turkey sandwich. Tomorrow we are having a teacher pool party at my house! I can't wait! I'm getting up early to go to wal-mart with my momma to get some stuff to make dips and some other goodies. Ah.. its so nice to be reunited with my BFF- Spare time!! Woot Woot!

**WARNING...THIS POST CONTAINS A TON OF PICTURES**

So for this weekend, I am not going to go into every single teeny tiny detail of the weekend. You can hit up Hailey or Tara's blog for the small details. I think my pictures will do most of the talkin'. As you will see from the pictures we had a really great time. We had fun time shopping, eating, drinking, swimming, laying out, drinking, eating, talking, getting ready...did I mention DRINKING? I'm really not a HUGE drinker these days, but I held my own this weekend. The pictures are pretty funny...I'll try and post some that the others haven't already.

{the cute table decorations}{the name tags I made}{Before Monica's}{Dinner at Monica's}{Hailey on stage with a tambourine}{The conga line around the restaurant- that ended with a tequila shot, no thanks}{all the girls}{the bride to be opening gifts}{ZaZa pool}{My view}{The girls sitting on our cool couch thing}{Before Sambuca}{kim, christy, hailey, tara}{Flirtini at Dragonfly}{Getting geared up for the night}{Sambuca...mmm}{Favorite picture of the weekend}{Tara REALLY wanted in the picture :)}{christy, me, tera}{the whole table}{typical}{dancing during dinner- so fun}{by the waterfall before heading to Lotus}{Hailey and I at Lotus}{best friends}As you can see from these pictures, we had a BLAST!! I think we accomplished our goal of throwing hailey the best bachelorette party she could have ever wanted.=) Hope your day was as great as mine!

I'm Really Looking Forward to This Weekend

2009-07-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you that follow my sister Hailey's blog, you know this weekend is her bachelorette party. At first, we thought it was going to be terrible timing because it is the weekend before my last week of school and I knew I would be pretty stressed. BUT.. lo and behold I think I have my school work pretty much under wraps..but now that I say that- it could rapidly change tomorrow. We shall see- BUT AS OF NOW...I am in dire need of a nice relaxing weekend. Although, I'm finding myself in a bit of a pickle- I have NOTHING but cute teachery clothes to wear. In a few years- this would be fine, but I am 22 and not technically ready to conform to going to a bachelorette party in a cute dress that goes below my knees. Nope, just not doing it. SO, I guess I'll try and figure something out. As of now, I am enjoying a night of having really not much to do. Finished one of my three hour course today (by turning in a 24 whooper of a paper) and now have four more days of my last 3 hours..yeee haw. Also, just cooked some din din for a sweet boy and now considering taking a sweet dog on a walk. Well I'll be leaving Friday morning to head to Hotel ZaZa in Dallas to hang out with Hailey and her frreee-anns. Well so long and fairwell!!

OH NO..WAIT... I totally forgot- I'll leave you with this..

I have a new friend...Meet Wart my pet Frog.

{he's so chubby}

He is quite possible the CUTEST thing EVER. It is SO neat. Every night right when it gets dark Wart hops up to Steven's backdoor of his patio and just sits there. If we open the door it goes over him just pefectly. We alway have the outside lights on so we're guessing its a great place to catch dinner. Wart has been living on Steven's back patio ALL summer and we've grown attached. I thought to myself last night..."Hmm...how cool would it be to see Wart eat a bug?" You know, like you see in the cartoons. The frog sticks his tounge out a few inches and SNATCHES the fly out of mid air right before your eyes. SO, ME- being the future elementary teacher that I am I grab a june bug and stick him right up to Wart's eyes...then I set the bug down...and just like I pictured SNNNNAAATTCH...and the rest is just history. Needless to say Wart won't be hungry for a while- I fed him every bug I could possibly find. Heee hee..

A Break From the Books..

2009-07-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

I interrupt this intense studying session to bring you the greatest news I've gotten since I started this stomach ulcer/acne mess that my teachers call "Grad School" to introduce one of my very best friend's blog.. Callie! AH.. i can't tell you how excited I am that she has a blog now. Not only is she THE most sarcastic, funny, SMART (she's in pharmacy school..duh), Martha Jr, great advice giver, did I mention hilarious?? Ah.. well honestly this blog WILL make you laugh. She is a freaking hoot! Callie and I met our senior year in high school( ok..you know you're old when you have to specify what "senior year") at Greeek Weeeekend- I knew we would be lifelong friends because we pretty much have the same sense of humor and Im pretty sad that she is moving to Little Rock to go to UAMS...hints UAMessing It Up..Haa. My ingenious boyfriend came up with the name..heee. But ANYWHO...this will be a great way to keep up with her over the next year as we adjust from being apart! :( She's moving in with her lifelong best friend...and mine too Little Morgan- yall have heard a lot about her! Well yall need to check out Callie's blog because its a guaranteed laugh and plus she's an AWESOME cook and does some really neat things! YAY Cal! Welcome to the blog world!! Now we just have to convert those other two!! :)

{haa... this is nice}{memphis for 2009}
{cal, mo, me}

{st pattys day on the beach- shall we go back?}

I must get back to the 24 page paper that I am editing...oh yeah and that test I'm "studying" for..

Only 6 more days! Woop Woop

WOO 9 More days

2009-07-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Friday and it honestly can't get here soon enough. I don't really know if I have taken the time to explain why starting Grad school has been a killer... Well you see- When I signed up for classes in the spring I signed up for the second session July 6-August 6, 830-1..NO BIG DEAL. I figured everyday after class my teacher friends and I would hit up 1445, do some homework, lay out, have a marg or two or three =)...really actually kind of relaxing. THEN I got the dreaded email...instead of taking the 5 weeks to do it...my teachers wanted to CRAM it ALL in in 13 days. 13 days my friends- from 8-4. The SAME work load as a 5 week session... and that is why I got assigned a 10 page paper on Tuesday and it was due Thursday..NO FUN! I thought I might like the idea of this..but I was wrong. Steven (the sweetest boyfriend ever) keeps reminding me that it is almost done and he will help me with whatever I need. How nice! I am so lucky to have some very smart and extremely fun teacher friends that I get to spend every waking moment with...so that- I am enjoying. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

{one of my sweet teacher friends, Alyson}

I hope everyone has a great Friday.. I know I will be SOOOO happy when that clock hits 4! =)

Im here..barely

2009-07-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let yall know Im not dead due to Grad School... although I am SO TIRED. I have been going non stop today. My day today 8-4 was spent doing research for a Literature Review on the effects of poverty and children. And I thought it was going to be an easy topic- i was wrong. Off to read and cite...good knowing ya!

{im hating literature reviews}

Woo Wee.. Whata Weekend

2009-07-05T19:26:00.001-07:00

Wow, this has been one heck of a weekend...very very relaxing, but very fun. One of my favorite things to do is lay out by my parent's pool, listen to country music, drink a fruity drink or two, and be with the ones I love...and that's exactly what I did this weekend. The only ones we were missing were Hail and Matt- they were having a fun time in St. Louis, so I guess we forgive them.

I thought the terrible weather was going to ruin my only weekend in Fayetteville this summer, but I was wrong. It rained and rained until late afternoon- which gave me the perfect reason to stay in the kitchen all morning and cook my little heart out- and boy did I. Mom was preparing to have friends over and I just wanted to bake some fourth of July goodies. I had previously baked my homemade chocolate chip cookies (thank you pioneer woman), and brought them over to my parents for their festivities, but that wasn't enough. Steven suggested I make the wonderful crawfish dip that my friend Morgan's mother makes and since we had a TON of leftover crawfish tails in the freezer from my graduation crawfish boil, I thought it was a great idea. It turned out to be a GREAT hit! I'll post the recipe soon...it is a MUST HAVE for any party. I had been talking on and off all day to one of my favorite friends Callie and she was making festive "cupcake pops" from the famous bakerella...so i was inspired. I didn't go through the whole making them look like cupcakes process...I dubbed mine "cakeballs". I did them in a hurry and just drizzled icing over them. They were so fun and very festive. We had a great time with my parents and their friends, but made it an early night. I had my little mind set on making it to church (see, when you're never in town- you never get to go to church). I love my church.. it makes me smile! Right after church we headed straight for 1445 (my parents house) and got our swimsuit on. What a perfect day with my parents, sis and BIL, my grandparents, stevie wonder, and the CUTEST/ SMARTEST child on the earth. I won't say much...I'll let my pictures do all of the talking. I'm off to pack my lunch and go to bed early- I'm officially a graduate student tomorrow-EEEEEK!!

{me with my creations}

{my "cake pops"- if cal had a blog, im sure her's would blow mine out of the water}{me and the absolute love of my life}{I'm so lucky to have her}{the next two are for Morgan- she gave B this cute doggie purse. She LOVES IT...thank you MO!!}{wow..look at that hair}{my little rockstar before she turned into a fish}{I have never in my life seen a 2 year old jump in and go all the way under}{see why i love her so?}{so excited to pick the first zucchini}{then she preceded to use it as a microphone to sing "The Climb" by her idol Miley Cirus}{I think she's hannah Montana here...you would have to ask her :)}

Hope everyone had a great fourth of July!

Woo Whoo.. an awesome giveaway

2009-07-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

My blogger friend, Tara, at jimmychoosandtennisshoes is giving away a great decorative bucket. This could be used for many things such as: drinks at a summer party, toys in a play room, or just for pure decoration!! What is even cooler is that her momma made them! Ah... you can find out more about these adorable buckets and other amazing things she's made by clicking here to see her blog. How awesome! Thanks Tara and Scarlett Boutique for putting on this awesome give away!

{aren't they precious}

Some Randon Thoughts/Worries

2009-06-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

I am literally soaking up every bit of summer I have left- exactly 5 more days. I can't believe that I will be starting my Master's in 5 days... it seems like just yesterday I was counting down the days until college orientation. Where has the time gone? In 5 days I will be hitting the books hardcore until May 6th, 2010 and then I will officially done with school. Starting Monday I will be in school from 8-4 with a teeny tiny lunch break- this means I need to hit up Wally World ASAP to get some goodies to fill up my cute new lunch box!=)

{my super cute lunch box}That is one thing that excites me about my master's. Having to pack a healthy lunch and being on a schedule (the kid's schedule) as to when I eat lunch everyday will be AWESOME. No more snacking all day long. Another thing that excites me is my new planner I just purchased with two of my teacher friends (yes, we realize we are dorks). Ah.. my planner, a good pen, and my multicolor sticky notes will in fact get me through the next year.

{ahh academic planners...bliss}

{this is what my stickys will look like next week- except bright teal}If you know me what-so-ever, you know I am stressing right now about the unknown- this is the main reason of this post- to vent my anxiety about next week/ next year. Our professors have given us absolutely NO insight into our Master's program... the only thing we know are the horror stories we have been hearing from the Master's students who were in summer session 1. Paper after paper, multicultural philosophies, and endless case study analysis... to me, this sounds like a stomach ulcer waiting to happen. Ugh- I'm going to start taking my "anti-ulcer" meds TODAY! Haa.. I'm such a worry wart. Why couldn't I be like Steven, AKA the MOST laid back person on this earth? He worries about little to nothing on a daily basis- me on the other hand, I'm already worrying about May 6, 2010. I'm worrying about not being able to find a job.. AH- that is just ONE of my worries! =) Well I hope I didn't stress anyone out by this post...I sure do feel better! Ha.. I'm going to transfer my birthdays and important dates from my old planner to my new..YAHOO!!

Mr. and Mrs. Pierce

2009-06-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend was our last wedding of the month! Whew.. it has been a crazy month for our friends and family getting hitched. Last weekend was our friends Jordan and Tyler's wedding. Steven went to high school with Justin (Tyler's) younger brother, but freshman year all the way to senior year in college you could find us hanging out at Tyler's house in Fayetteville. I met Tyler and Jordan my freshman year and have been in love with them since. They are one of the most fun couples we know. We always have a great time when we are with them. We have been anticipating this wedding for quite sometime now and we had an real life blast. The short and sweet church service was held at Pulaski Heights Methodist in Little Rock (the prettiest church in LR) and the PARR-TAY was at the Clinton Library downtown. The sole word I have is

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! The decorations were spectacular and the food was delicious and the drinks were refreshing. The band played all of our favorites, we even called the hog- WoOo Pig! To put a end to a perfect night- I caught Jordan's bouquet... and honestly I didn't even try. It pretty much hit me straight on my flat chest! We all know I will NOT be getting engaged or married ANYTIME soon... so it was just bad aiming on Jordan's part :) !! Here are a few pictures to give you a little peek into Jordan and Tyler's fantastic wedding. *Disclaimer- Please forgive me for the sweaty/ wet dog look...had to curl my hair due to the TERRIBLE humidity in Little Rock and plus the 100 degree weather didn't help my case much. ALSO, we had an engagement party at 6 to hit up before we went to the wedding at 7...geeze we are non-stop!

Enjoy...but disregard my looks.

{before the wedding}{right after the bouquet incident}

{steven and eric}

{xoxo}

{mr. and mrs. pierce's last dance}{they are SO fun}

{gettin' down}{sooo happy}{awesome old car}

Congratulations to Jordan and Tyler, we couldn't be more happy for the two of you!!! I'm off to meet Steven and Deek for a run/walk at Mudd Creek!! Woo Whoo!!

A Very Proud Girlfriend

2009-06-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you, I am one proud girlfriend these days! Steven took an 8 hour long test back in April. Literally, the boy was at the testing center at the U of A from 730-5 with a little break for lunch. This test is called the "FE" or Fundamentals of Engineering. This is similar to lawyers taking the LSAT or wanna-be pharmacists taking the PCAT (except those only last 4 hours). Anywho...As I picked my handsome boyfriend up that Saturday afternoon at 5...his look was not promising. He told me he'd probably be taking it again in October (meaning the poor thing didn't think he did that well). So we have been anticipating the news- he knew if he got a big packet in the mail= no bueno and a little letter meant he passed. Well Steven found out online on Friday that he passed with flying colors! I couldn't be more happy or relieved for him. WOO WHOO! Go Steven! This is the first step to becoming a Civil Engineer!! A few of his peers weren't as lucky...so we are tickled to death that he passed the first time. I DID NOT want him to have to take it again in October. Knowing our luck he'd be taking on Hailey's wedding or something- and that would have gone over like a lead balloon! I just wanted to brag on my favorite person because not only is he the smartest person I know, he is also a hottie!! :) Well Congrats Steven!! I am SOO proud of you and I love you!

{2005}

{2006}

{D-Mac...he's such a good sport}

{Delta Disco Divas}

{Valentines Day 2009}

{Ultimate 80's}

{2009}

Cheers to you Steven!! I love you!

I was on the phone with Brad the Apple guy

2009-06-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

I just turned to Steven and said “Do you think this will be like when Elvis died? Do you think Neverland will be like Graceland one day?” its something to think about. As I did when I was a child- I asked my mom “Where were you when Elvis died” and she knew. If and when my child asks me “Do you remember where you were when Michael Jackson died?” “Well sweetheart…” I would have to tell my child that I spend 2 ½ hours (literally…not exaggerating) on the phone with the Apple guy trying to figure out my phone- needless to say we had to restore my settings on my phone..ugh. ANYWAY… He was telling me step by step what to do next and then I hear “Uh..Uh.. OH NO.. this can’t be true..Im checking CNN!!!” and since we’ve been talking for quite some time now I said “Brad..what is wrong?” “I just found out Michael Jackson is dead, he died of cardiac arrest.” So, I will never forget how I found out about this tragic event. My prayers are with the families and friends of both Michael Jackson and the beautiful Farrah Fawcett. What a tragic day for Americans. After watching CNN for about an hour- we decided we needed to get out of the house and stop thinking about this weird day. Steven, Deek, and I went on the most relaxing walk around the neighborhood and down this new nature path that winded around two ponds and in and out of wild flowers- just gorgeous. We talked about the day and what we remembered about both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett- Of course Steven knew so many more facts about both of them than I could shake a stick at…that’s typical! Then we were hot and sweaty so we jumped in the car and went straight to IceManCometh. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this amazing place- it is THE best snow cone joint in Fayetteville. It’s located next to the hobby lobby parking lot- pure bliss. We got two medium tiger’s blood with cream and then headed home happy as clams. We then got our swimsuits on, grabbed Deekers, and headed straight for the pool. The lights weren’t working for some reason, so we swam in the dark under the stars. It was AMAZING…the sky is so bright and beautiful. We also saw two shooting stars- which OF COURSE I thought was ironic due to the events of the day…and OF COURSE Steven laughed at me. And now we find ourselves sitting on the couch starring at the CNN Special “Remembering Michael Jackson”. These two will be in our thoughts and prayers for the days to come.
I give a Shout Out to my big sister Hailey- One of my greatest memories of MJ would be Hailey and a friend practicing some sort of dance routine in our front yard every morning before school. They were performing to “Black and White” by Michael Jackson in our elementary school talent show- I don’t think they took home any medals.
I will also give a Shout Out to my BFF Hannah- we use to JAM out to Jackson Five cassette tape in the blue stallion for seriously years…great memories!
Peace

No words can describe this firecracker

2009-06-24T17:27:00.001-07:00

She's the love of my life

Bad Little Blogger

2009-06-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

Let me explain my absence.. I have good reasons. Steven is finishing up a summer class and his computer has since bit the dust and he has been occupying mine pretty much every minute since we arrived home from our big wedding weekend. And this my friends is why you have been missing me so.. just kidding. Ah… on to the fairytale wedding. As I mentioned in my last post- Megan and Clark have been dating since THIRD GRADE people.. third grade , so this wedding as been in the making for a while and boy was it something. All of the luncheons, dinners, and parties we attended were marvelous and it was great to see old friends. The reception at the Clinton Library was absolutely breath taking and the 30 minute slideshow was fun. I was great to see the pictures of the two of them together as small kids as well as my handsome Steven as a little boy! Megan’s younger sisters even read some old love letters that were PRICELESS. The wedding was beautiful and the reception aka party lasted until the wee hours of the night. Here are a few pictures of Clark and Megan and a few pictures of the reception (A LOT of them were out of control and didn’t need to be posted..needless to say we had a BLAST). They will get back from their honeymoon Friday and go straight to Oxford, MS as Clark is on Houston Nutt’s coaching staff… We don’t like that much…but we LOVE Mr. and Mrs. Clark Irwin, so I guess its ok.

{mr. and mrs. clark irwin just glowing}

{the beautiful cake}

{priceless}

{she's literally been dreaming of this their entire lives}

{ellis, groom, and steven}

{best friends with the bride} {throwing rose petals...really excited for the new Mr. and Mrs.}
Hope everyone is having a great week!

Dinner Date and let the Wedding Festivities Begin…

2009-06-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

I had dinner and a few margaritas with my very best friend in the whole entire world last night… Boy have I missed her. It was so good to catch up on the happenings of our busy lives. She is one heck of a busy girl with finishing up her degree, apply to physical therapy school, her job, and internships! Woo.. it’s pretty hard to keep up with Hannah. Of course I didn’t take any pictures, but I’ll leave you with a few pictures that describes our friendship!

{toga freshman year}

{sweaty after a pep rally}

{love}

{toga}
{my 21st}

{senior year}

Han I love you SO much!!

Steven and I are packed and I’m sitting on ready- waiting for him to stop doing important engineering stuff in order for us to hit the road. Steven is a groomsmen in one of his very best childhood friend Clark Irwin’s wedding this weekend. Clark and Megan have been dating since they were like in elementary school- so this wedding is really something special. And MAN, do we have the events to prepare for this amazing day. Tonight- Mexican Fiesta Party honoring the sweet couple (I think the theme was just a great reason to have a marg machine.. IM IN). Friday night- rehearsal dinner at the Clinton Library- Should be beautiful. Saturday day- wedding party luncheon and then off to the wedding with the reception promptly following at Littler Rock Country Club! WHEW.. another whirlwind weekend. I honestly can’t wait to spend some much needed time with one of my favorite teacher friends Alyson- she is a bridesmaid, so will be at everything too!! Woo can’t wait!
Hope everyone has a great weekend…Hopefully I’ll be sober enough to remember to take pictures. =)
In the famous words of Blakely Swope “Peace Out Dog”

The easiest and best chicken salad EVER

2009-06-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

As I ate my lunch today, I decided I needed to share the good news with the rest of the world…
The best chicken salad I’ve ever had! Not only is it tasty, it is SO easy.
A little disclaimer- I don’t measure much…so here goes

Chicken Salad Recipe
2 cans of Tyson chicken (the container looks kind of like tuna, but mucho better)
1 GRILLED chicken breast (chopped)
Toasted almond slices
Some light sour cream
Some light mayo
Some chopped celery
Salt and pepper to taste

The grilled chicken and toasted almonds are the key ingredients to this whole mixture. So if you’re ever grilling chicken just throw an extra breast on the grill- super easy. First, I preheat the oven to 325. I throw about 4 oz of sliced almonds on a cookie sheet and pop ‘em in the over. I let them bake for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (the smell is A-MAZING). Next, I chop up the grilled chicken and the canned chicken until it is pretty fine. It just depends on how you like your chicken salad- my momma likes it with big chunks- me, not so much. I then chop some celery- again it depends on how you like it. Dump the chopped chick in a bowl, and celery- salt and pepper to taste. Next, I dump some sour cream and mayo in the bowl and mix it around. Some people like it really wet and others dry, so just put as much as you like. And Waa-Laaa… you have a delicious lunch or afternoon snack.

I like to eat it on Oroweat “Heath Nut” bread its scrumptious. Steven adds cheese and tomato and I have seen others put it on top of some romaine lettuce… also pretty appetizing and healthy to boot! =)
On tonight’s menu- Chicken Parmesan, a light Caesar salad, a glass of white wine, and a nice run at Mudd Creek with our four legged friend! I can HARDLY wait!

Hope everyone had a productive and great Tuesday!

Shopping, Shopping, and MORE Shopping

2009-06-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Most ladies out there are thinking to themselves “Ah… sounds like the ideal weekend” me on the other hand, not so much. I like to shop if I know EXACTLY what I want and where I’m going to find it. Mom and I went to Dallas Thursday night with full intentions of buying the “essentials” for my blossoming teacher wardrobe. Hailey, mom, and I shopped till I literally dropped. I got so much stuff and most of it was on sale (which means more bang for my buck). I got a ton of dress pants, capris, very cute sun dresses with matching cardigans, and a bunch of other staples for work! We had such a fun weekend full of shopping, eating, drinking, and little laying out by hailey and matt’s pool. Gee Whiz- it was so hot in dallas I couldn’t hardly stand myself. I also got to spend some quality time with my only nephew- Tico the Freak-o. He’s the weirdest dog ive ever met, but I love him to death. We had such a great time in Dallas, thanks to hailey and matt for having us!

{having a beer on their patio thing}

{only pictures from the weekend}
Then on the way home I got the MOST amazing news I’ve gotten in quite some time: I got my placements for my Master’s year. This probably means absolutely nothing to most of you, but to me the BIGGEST weight has been lifted off my shoulders. This means I know what grades I will be working in and who my mentor teachers will be. I will be in 2nd grade for 9 weeks, KINDERGARTEN for 18 weeks (woop woop), and 3rd grade for the last 9 weeks. According to friends of mine that have already completed their master’s it can be a breeze or it can be a year of living hell. All dependent of who your mentor teachers are. When I found out I had goose bumps for most of the drive home from Dallas. The reason I am SO ESTACTIC is because 2 out of the 3 teachers I know personally and I know they are A-MAZING teachers. My mom knows the teacher I don’t know and says she a blast…so I couldn’t be happier. I wish I could just bypass summer school and pick out my first day of school outfit and meet those little Kiddos! Yippie… I can’t wait.
Well my timer just went off…I’m toasting almonds for some chicken salad. Yummy!
Hope you had a great weekend.
Peace

Sweet Sweet Lindley Beth

2009-06-10T20:22:00.001-07:00

(*a little disclaimer- Lindley is not near as weird or crazy as Bone- hence the lack of ridiculous pictures. Plus, a lot of my pictures with this sweet lady are on my parents computer.)

Tomorrow is one of my very best friend’s birthday, so I want to dedicate this post to her! Lindley and I became best friends our sophomore year of high school, as we cheered on the same squad. I honestly wish everyone got the opportunity to know her as well as I do…she is such a great friend. Lin is the sweetest, most compassionate, giving, hard working, goal oriented, driven, loyal, funny, and such a godly woman- I am beyond blessed to have her in my life. And this blogging friends, is why I love her so dearly. Lindley is the type of friend that understands everything that I go through. Whether it be boy problems, girl drama, school issues, or just plain life at its best. I could call her at any time and I know she would be there willing to drop everything to be by my side. Lin is also the type of friend that we could not talk for a month, but as soon as we do it’s like we never missed a beat- those are the best. It makes me so happy knowing I have her by my side at all times. We have so great memories together, many were made during our 4 years of cheering together. There was so much “drama” we faced as teens that we thought was THE END of the world…and now we reminisce on how petty and simple our lives were at the time. I will NEVER EVER in my entire life forget when we got a new cheer coach and we HAD to give her a run for her money (because we weren’t too fond of this idea of a new coach, our old one was perfectly fine with us). So we came up with the CRAZY idea that we would convince her I was Jewish? Oh all things…Me being Jewish.. HA! We were pretty ludicrous. We played this for at least two years and one cheer Christmas party Lin gave me Hanukah dress socks. Fully equip with dradles and glittered manoras, I still have these socks. =)
My very favorite memory of Lindley was disposing of memories of her ex boyfriend in a pretty funny way- she will know exactly what I’m talking about.
On a more serious note- Lin, I know you’ll read this and I want to thank you for being such a great friend to me over the years. You have been with me through a lot and I truly cherish our friendship. It is unlike any other I have ever seen. I am so proud of all you have accomplished and how you have remained the Lindley I met however many years ago! Thanks for being my best friend and I love you so much!

{Senior trip, Mexico}

{Was this before or after I flipped my kayak?}

{pretty pier}{ah.. gotta love math}

{Homecoming}{smile}

{i love my friends}

Have a great birthday and I wish I could be in Memphis celebrating with you. Please call me and let me how much fun you’re having.
Be safe, I love you, and Happy Happy 22nd birthday young one!

Our Dear Friend Bone

2009-06-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is one of Steven and my best friends 22nd birthday. We met Bone in college, as Steven and him are in the same fraternity. They lived together in the Kappa Sig house sophomore year and then moved into a house off of Dickson with 3 other fraternity brothers and just recently moved out. Bone is such a character and we cherish every moment we spend together. He is ALWAYS in a great mood and ALWAYS willing to have a good time. He may be the funniest person I have ever met in my entire life. Besides being funny, he is extremely smart- he got a scholarship to law school in Little Rock. We were SO excited for him when he received the news, but it was pretty bitter sweet. This meant he would be leaving Fayetteville and moving back home to Sheridan, Arkansas (right outside of LR). Besides pretty much being a member of the McChristian family, my little Blake is IN LOVE with him.

Yesterday she was on her “phone” and I asked her:

Me: Blake who ya talking to?

Blake: Bone, I’m asking him to come swim at my house.

Another great Blake/Bone comment: (Driving past the Tri-Delt house)

Blakely: “Hillary, bone LOVES the tridelt house..”

Me: This is very true blake, he does!
Ha.. bone has been known to love many a tri delt.. haa

I have so many funny memories with Bone, but one of my most recent favs would be on our Spring Break trip to Destin. We were so excited because Corey Smith (one of our favorite singers) would be in Destin while we were there. We went to see him and the concert was GREAT. Bone and I danced the night away and our dance moves got a little off balance and we fell to the ground. HA.. we took a few strangers with us..needless to say they weren’t too happy.

{this is when we fell..see the girl in the blue sitting on top on my head?}

{this is the next picture...we are in the middle of a HUGE crowd}

{we are in disbelief. A big thanks to Steven for capturing this moment}
{one of the cabs home in Destin.}

{on the beach}

{my 21st birthday}

{Memphis ringing in 2009}

{one of our last nights out in Fayetteville}

{T-Y-P-I-C-A-L}

{sad enough..even more typical}

Steven is headed down to spend the weekend with him and they are playing in the “Jack”. This is Sheridan Country Club’s golf tournament the boys play in annually.

Happy Birthday bone.. please be safe and we

love you

First wedding down and puppy dog tears

2009-06-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a blast and went by in a hurry! My mom, dad, and steven headed up to Illinois for my cousin, Hannah’s, wedding. The wedding was beautiful and so was she. I think she has the prettiest complection out of anyone I know. She is always so bronze looking.. I love it! It was nice to spend time with family and I finally got to meet my other cousin’s fiancé, Chris. He was so nice and it was great to finally meet him. Anyway, Hannah was absolutely stunning…here are a few pictures of her on her big day.

{hannah was glowing}

{mr. and mrs. bragg}-----------------------------------------------------------
On a completely different note, I miss my dog. Well, he’s not technically MY dog, but he might as well be. Deek is Steven’s 7 year old best friend/ only child/ Labrador Retriever. Since Steven has moved into his new house he FINALLY got to bring his baby to live with him in Fayetteville, but Deek had to go back to his grandparent’s house (steven’s parents) because we were out of town this weekend. Boy do I miss this dog, 4 years ago I would never imagined I would be saying this. Deek used to hate me and the feeling was mutual. He was SO jealous of me and didn’t want me anywhere near his BFF (literally). He would bark, jump, and nibble my clothes to get me away from Steven. About 6 months into our relationship, Deeky Doo started to realize that when Steven came home from college I would be there too. Now, we are INSEPERABLE. Wherever I go – Deek follows. Steven will take him outside to throw the ball and Deekers will stand at the back door looking for me… I love this dog and miss him dearly. LUCKILY… I will see this 94.5 lb of black furry love Sunday and I CAN’T WAIT!!!

{family pic..ha}

{how adorable}

{such a great retriever}

{deek's favorite past time- hunting}
What a beautiful day today turned out to be.. hope you enjoyed it!

The sun will come out tomorrow...hopefully

2009-06-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

{hi sun, where have you been?}

I hate to say this…but I may be dreading {you heard me- dreading} summer. For starters…all it does these days is RAIN and if it is not raining, oh no worries there is barely any sunshine. I know you can still get some sun when there are some clouds, but I’m really not in to that. Second, I have just looked at my calendar of events for the next two months and there is not ONE weekend where I will be in Fayetteville. Most would consider this a great thing, but me on the other hand absolutely cherishes the Saturday and Sunday afternoons spent with my family by the pool. I’m thinking to myself “Am I going to have to get blakely every day after school so I can swim with her at all this summer!?”- ps. I would be completely fine with getting her everyday BUT I want to be home at least one weekend. Between all of our weddings, a bachelorette party, and other reasons to be out of town- my weekends are booked. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely excited about all of my future engagements, but I miss my sunshine and pool time. This weekend you can find me in Illinois for my little cousin’s wedding, next- mom and I are headed to dallas on Thursday for a MUCH NEEDED teacher attire shopping spree..=), and the next two weekends will be spent in Little Rock celebrating weddings of some dear friends. I really shouldn’t be complaining because Im pretty pumped about my jam packed weekends- maybe this is a sign that we’re getting old?
Yahoo…tomorrow is Thursday, which means my weekend is almost here!!!!

What a great weekend

2009-06-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Friday, Steven and I left for the great town of Jonesboro, Ar. It’s about 4 ½ hours away, but it is well worth it to see our best friends. We were staying at Morgan’s parents house because the boys were playing in the Ridgepointe two man scramble golf tournament. Ridgepointe is the country club Mo’s parents live on and it is just beautiful. Morgan, Callie, and I spent most of the weekend laying by the pool. I was so excited for nice weather, strawberry daiquiris, margaritas, great music, and best friends. We had such an amazing time and I think the boys did too. Every once in a while we’d all three load up in the golf cart and find the boys. Steven and Tyler aka Bone played on a team together and Morgan’s boyfriend, Brad and Matt Marsh played together, and Morgan’s dad and brother played together. They all always have such a great time together. Steven did get thrown off the golf cart and landed on his tail bone. After ankle surgery in January, I wasn’t too excited about this, but all is well just a little case of a sore butt! Apparently, it was pretty funny to see, but I was still worried! Poor Steven. Saturday night we went to Ridgepointe for dinner and the Calcutta. It was a great weekend with great friends and to top it off Bone and Steven tied with another team to win their flight and they both won some money for the pro shop. They both bought some golf shirts and some golf balls… How exciting ;). I hope you all had a wonderful weekend… the weather looks so promising tomorrow you can find me at my parents pool! Woo Whoo!!

{steven, matt, brad, and bone}

{bone and steven}

{the spectators: cal, me, mo}

{before dinner saturday night}

{not the cutest, but the only one i took}

I have a favor to ask ya...

2009-05-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

How I love Thursdays, they are just so encouraging…like there is light at the end of the tunnel (not to mention, I start my weekends on this day! Wooo).
First and foremost, I have a HUGE HUGE favor to ask of each of you. I have a dear friend Sydney Scarborough who I have known a good portion of my life. We played softball and basketball together, but became best buds in jr. high and high school as we ran track together. We were inseparable during track season. We set a few records together (we still hold them) and received a few state championships together. She went on to run track for the hogs , graduated, and working as a social worker. She has been such a great friend through many good and bad times. ANYWAY…Miss. Sydney was entered in a modeling contest for Mason’s boutique here in Fayetteville and she is in the top three. This is no surprise to me or anyone else that knows Syd because she is naturally beautiful and is one of the nicest people you could EVER meet in your life. But if you could, please go to SHOPMASONS.COM and vote for her. She is the one on the far right. I really appreciate you doing this! You can vote more than one time too! =) Tomorrow is the last day though. Thanks so much.

{Syd is the cute one on the far right)

Just got home from Steven’s softball game, Deek and I opted out of watching the 10th million game of the “season” and went on a nice run around Lake Fayetteville. That is one of my favorite places to run in this town because it is so peaceful. Now, I’m off to pack for our little trip to Jonesboro… I can hardly wait. Tomorrow at noon, you can find me poolside at Morgan’s house with a homemade strawberry daiquiri in my hand *curtsey of Mrs. Diane! There will be no blogging this weekend, but will have plenty of pictures of our fabulous weekend!

{Ah.. pure bliss}

TGIF almost

Jon +4 and Kate +4???

2009-05-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who aren’t addicted to Jon and Kate plus 8 and for those of you who are sick of hearing about them… please move on to your next favorite blog (ha..hailey that is for you). I have been watching this show since the moment it came on TV as a documentary when the teeny weeny sextuplets were born ( they turned 5 on May 10 WOW). I truly feel like I know these children...ha its weird. I blame it on the teacher in me…I’m pretty obsessed with it! Anyway, the season 5 premiered Monday night and left me feeling very upset. There are so many speculations and accusations that I can barely keep up with everything that is going on. All I know is that, Jon and Kate interviewed only ONCE together (which is WEIRD, they always talk together during the shows), Kate planned and prepared the birthday party by herself because Jon needed a “weekend off" I'm sorry Jon, you’re a dad…that doesn’t come with paid vacays?, reluctantly he did show up to the party in a two door sports car- mid- life crisis? You have 8 kids- I don’t deem that necessary, anywho, he did show up and the two parents barely spoke. Tear. Many people may pick Kate apart for being mean or crabby to Jon, but really people...you never know how you would act if you had six 5 year olds and two 8 year olds. Gee Whiz! I do think she can be snappy and grouchy at times, but I would be too! As you can tell, I may picking sides but Im not a huge fan of infidelity (uh um.. jon). It just really breaks my heart to see such a large family being torn apart. I just don’t understand- how can you get a divorce with 8 kids…is that possible. Jon will go bankrupt paying child support! Whew! Well that’s all for now.. I’ve gotta go catch Ryan Secrest to see what E! News says about my family of 10!
Hope you had a great hump day

Aunt Hill to the Rescue

2009-05-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Heather and Martin have been in Florida since Thursday with friends enjoying a long memorial day weekend. I got a phone call from heather at about 11 this morning. She said “Hey hill, B’s teacher just called and said she’s having a bad day. She is really sad and misses us pretty bad. Is there any way you could pick her up early today?” Little did she know, I had already planned on it. But I immediately took Steven’s dog {deek- will introduce at a later post} on a walk, put some dishes in the dish washer, and got ready. I went and picked her up and she was still taking a nap, but I just couldn’t wait. As soon as she woke up she started balling because she was so happy to see me. We then proceeded to go to Maggie Moo’s for some cotton candy ice cream with gummy bears on top {sick}, a coke {sorry Heather, the girl had a bad day}, a trip to Wilson Park, then to grandma’s for a blue popsicle, and the first SWIM of the year in grandma and grandpa’s pool!

Gee Whiz… does Aunt Hill know how to fix a bad day?? =)

{bebe's first summer at the pool}

Hope your day was as great as mine

Happy Happy Birthday!

2009-05-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Morgan and Karen!

I’ll start with Karen first. Karen is Steven’s momma and one of the most dedicated moms in the world. I was so worried when I went to meet Steven’s parents a long 4 years ago, I didn't know what to expect. When i met her I was so relieved. She was so sweet and I knew we would get a long great. She has an amazing family in which they have all invited me in with loving arms! I’m not going to reveal how old she is, but I PROMISE you would never guess because she looks like she is in her 30's! =) Im so jealous of the jeans steven's little sister is blessed with!! Well Karen, happy birthday! Hope you have a fantastic day! I love you!

{me, karen, and Steven's cousin Laura at Steven's 21st birthday party}

{Twinkies at their farm one weekend}

Now on to my dear friend Morgan. Morgan and I met our senior year of high school during Greek Weekend here in Fayetteville. I fell in love with this little sweet and sassy girl. We both pledged Tri Delt our freshman year and lived together for two years. She is one of the most beautiful people I know and not to mention she has a GREAT personality. She is always willing to tell you exactly how she feels and gives some great advice. ALSO, Morgan has the BEST style and cutest clothes of anyone I know. The other great thing about Morgan and my friendship is that our boyfriends are best friends. I actually introduced Mo to her boyfriend Brad and they are SO cute together. So, we always get to spend time together, which I love. This last weekend we were at her lake house in Hot Springs and next weekend we are going to stay at her parent’s house in Jonesboro because the guys are playing in a golf tournament. I am pretty bummed because she is moving to Little Rock to pursue a big girl career, but hopefully I will see her on the weekends! It’s hard to believe this time last year we were in Vegas celebrating her 21st birthday! Whoa, how time flies. Happy 22 birthday Mo! I love you

{sophomore year}

{junior year}

{Tao in Las Vegas}

{Typical}

{Spring Break 2009}

{Howl at the Moon- Destin, Fl}

Happy Birthday to theses two fabulous women!

PS. Happy birthday to my future BIL's dad- Greg!

I love being an aunt

2009-05-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

I told you I would create an entire post for my favorite little person in the entire world.. so here it is! Words could not express the excitement I felt inside when I found out my sister was pregnant. I couldn’t wait until that little “baby Swope” would be born. It almost killed me that they weren’t finding out what she was, so the anticipation built. She was born on November 12, 2006 at about 3:08 in the afternoon. I had my ear on the door listening for any hints of a boy or a girl… I heard Dr. Seal say “It’s a SHE” and I freaked out! I ran back in the lobby and patiently waited for mar to come out and deliver the amazing news. She was beautiful…or so we thought. HA now looking back she wasn’t THE cutest baby on this earth, but man I thought she was. She has grown from this teeny weeny little baby to a sweet and sassy 2 ½ year old. She is so wise beyond her years I can’t even explain to you… here are some of the things she has been up to lately…

{her biggest fans}

{a precious 5 months}

“Grandma, do you have an itouch at your house?” yes she is 2 and has an itouch but her dad won it at a meeting! =)
“hillary can you get Lady GaGa Pokerface on my itouch please?” She sings “can eat mine can eat mine, no you can eat my poker face” PRECIOUS
Now she can fully operate her itouch, watch movies and tv shows by herself. The bad part is she can also fully work my iphone. This doesn’t seem all bad until she gets done eating cake or something sticky; it takes me 30 minutes to clean it off.
One of her very favorite songs is “That’s not my name” by The Ting Tings. Her favorite part being “Mary Jolesia” she just sings and laughs.
She has had the same boyfriend for a year..his name is Leo Bradley “Lelo Brrradleeey
because she is so smart she has moved into the primary class at her school which is with 4 year olds.. tear
She loves the Tri-Delt house…and loves to sing the tri-delt songs
Her teacher says that they will be playing in the classroom and she will look over and B is sitting in a chair and has the rest of the kids sitting on the carpet. She is reading them books.
She can spell her name “BLAKELY” and says it like “BLAKE- CAA-LEE
She can count to 10 or higher in Spanish
She knows all of her colors in Spanish and many times you will hear her talking in Spanish. That wasn’t my finest moments in school, so I couldn’t tell you what she’s saying
She loves to play with worms aka “Squirms”
When I’m at her house and have to leave she says “Don’t leave Hill-da-wee”. Melts my heart and I end up staying
She has been obsessed with Steven since birth…when she was about 6 months she would just smile and giggle. Now, she wants to play with him all the time. He’s great with her!

You will be hearing more and more of this little girl because she literally consumes my life. It’s the weirdest thing because my love for this child started the moment I laid my eyes on her that day in the hospital. I can’t imagine the love I will feel for my very own child? It blows my mind!! I can’t wait to see her on Monday!! Yippeeee.

I’m so blessed.

Fearless!

2009-05-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my sister called me pretty excited because she knew my FAVORITE little singer in the world Taylor Swift also known to me as Tay Tay will be in Dallas September 25! If you haven't bought or downloaded her new CD Fearless you are missing out!! I am a HUGE fan of her and have already met and seen her my sophomore year, but I HAVE to see her again. I mean I used to be a huge fan of Rascal Flatts and I met them once and saw then 6 times! Ha.. But anyway! Tickets went on sale this morning at 10 and due to my sleeping in I didn't get online to buy them until 1045 and they are SOLD OUT? Well, honestly they may not be sold out but I sure as heck can't get through on the tickmaster website. So I think to myself.. Uh.. Stubhub. com, surely they'll have some. Maybe a teeny more expensive, but she's worth it. She is NOT worth $1,995 smokes for ONE ticket..ha! Hopefully the website is just busy and maybe I'll be able to get some soon!!! Well I'm off to Little Rock for the night and then to Lake Hamiliton on Saturday to spend the weekend with my best friends!!! Can't wait! Be safe and enjoy your weekend!!

Peace

Well Hello There!

2009-05-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I’ve finally done it, created a blog! My sister Hailey created a blog a few months and we were all skeptical and when I say “we” I mean my oldest sister Heather and myself. Out of the three sisters, Hailey has always been the most technologically sound one and so I thought this was fitting of her. I have never heard of a blog before I got “addicted” to hers. I would read it every single day during class and almost laugh out loud at some of the outrageous things that girl says. After becoming a faithful follower of many blogs and with my new found love called “spare time” (Master’s program doesn’t start up until July), I have taken the plunge and created my own.

So I will give you a little run down… I was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas and quite honestly don’t ever plan on leaving. I love the small college town feel and did I mention I’ve lived here my whole life? My college friends joke that I have lived in the same square mile my entire life, which is entirely true. I grew up in a wonderful home right off of Razorback Road (for those of you not Hog fans, I live directly off campus) and lived there until I moved in the Tri Delta house which is about a quarter mile from my house. I lived in that big green house for two wonderful years until I moved back home to live with my parents. I am most definitely a home body and proud of it. I have the best family EVER! My dad and mom are the most amazing parents and role models that I have ever met. They have been together for almost 34 years.. WOW!!

(heather, me, hailey)

*this picture isn't too swell of Heather, but she's BEAUTIFUL

I have two older sisters Heather and Hailey. They are both very successful business women- I will not be following down their cubical loving lifestyle… but I commend them for that. Hailey is getting married October 3, 2009 and we are all getting very excited for her wedding. My soon-to-be BIL is Matt Hinz.. he’s from.. well I don’t really know where. I know he loves the Minnesota Vikings, so I’ll take an educated guess and say that is where he is from. Geeze.. I think he has lived a million places. Heather is married to Martin, who I adore. God put him on this earth to marry my sister because she is a handful and he handles her OH so well. Ahh.. and to my very favorite part of my amazing family- Blakely Katharine, Heather and Mar’s only little angel. Blakely is a red headed 2 ½ year old that has the most amazing blue eyes and beautiful skin. She is THE smartest two year old out there… I would be willing to put her in a contest of some sort. She is the absolute love of my life and I can’t imagine my life without her. I will dedicate a whole post about her in the near future.

(the sweetest girl in the world)

Another important person in my life would be my sweet boyfriend. Some may say the same things about Steven as I do Martin, apparently I’m a handful at times…who would have thought??=) Steven and I met our freshman year and have been inseparable ever since. He is SO laid back and relaxed and I’m the complete opposite…that’s why we get along so well. He is such an amazing person inside and out. People say that all the time, but he really is! He will be graduating in December with his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering…(he’s super smart…another one of our opposites) I am so proud of him as this is usually a five year program! GO Steven! Well those are the people who are near and dear in my life!

Me and Steven

Have a great Friday… I’ll be laying out by the pool!! I love you spare time!