Long Weekend in Pictures

Saturday we went to Red Lobster for dinner. We haven't eaten there in YEARS!! I treated myself to ONE biscuit. Just one! Boy, was it hard to keep my face outta the basket, though! :) Hudson got to try a RL biscuit for the first time....and LOVED. IT. I mean, who doesn't??

This picture cracks me up! He was laughing at his daddy!

One of my BFFs, Julie, had her sweet baby boy Saturday. I went down to see Hudson's new friend Sunday afternoon. I took Mom & Dad an Edible Arrangement to snack on, because I know how old hospital food gets and I figured some fresh fruit would be a welcomed change! Gage is SO precious! I feel like I haven't held a newborn in ages!! Hard to believe it's only been a little over a year since Hudson was this size. :'( ALMOST makes me want to have another one.....OK, not really, but it definitely makes me miss those days! Speaking of another one, my husband has been talking about a second baby WAAAAAAYYYYY too often for my liking. He says, "Wouldn't it be nice to have a little girl?" My reply is, "If you want to house it for 9 months, go right ahead! I didn't drop all this weight just to put it back on! HA!" I'd definitely like a girl, but gimme a few years, that's all I'm sayin'! ;-)

I left my boys at home since we've been traveling so much lately. I wanted to let Hudson stay in his element and routine so they had a day together so I could make the quick trip to Gadsden and back. When I got home, I found Hudson sound asleep on Joseph in the recliner. Keep in mind, it was like 6pm at this point and he had already had 2 naps. Somebody was worn out!!

Yesterday was really low-key, because we still have several more jam-packed weekends ahead of us so we wanted to just lay low. We grilled out for lunch and it was delicious!! Hubby got these steaks from Wal-mart and we were really impressed. I avoid Wal-mart at all costs, but he had to go there to get a few things and decided to try out the steaks we've been seeing on TV. I was pleasantly surprised. They were really tender!
We were going to try out his little pool yesterday but it just didn't work out so we'll have to do that one day this week and this weekend. :-) We ended our day with an Oreo Blast from Sonic and it. was. awesome. I haven't had a treat like that in months and it was as amazing as I remember. HA!

It was the perfect weekend.....my boys, good food, sweet friends and new babies, a little sun time, and a tasty treat to bring it to an end. We get to celebrate cousin Logan's 1st Birthday this weekend and we're so excited! He and Hudson are 5 weeks apart. It'll be a lot of fun! I hope y'all had a great holiday weekend and your week is just as wonderful!!

 

 

Mr. & Mrs.

Well, the BIL is married and I have a new sister! The wedding was absolutely perfect, beautiful, special, and fun! It was an amazing weekend to catch up with old friends I haven't seen in ages, spend some quality time with special friends and family, and a wonderful celebration of two very special people as they begin this beautiful new life together! 

Friday, we had the rehearsal dinner at the in-law's house and it was Luau themed. They had it set up so nice and the weather was perfect for the outdoor setting. Unfortunately, I left my camera at home so there are no pictures of it but we had a lot of fun. I did get a few pictures on my phone, but they aren't very good. Here's a picture of me and Spencer, my old neighbor and one of my oldest friends. We go waaaayyyy back!

The wedding was outside at a beautiful venue in Gadsden, Court Street Garden. Everything was decorated beautifully and the weather was amazing! A lil hot in the beginning, but perfect!

I'll start with a few pictures of my cutie, then we'll get to some wedding pics.

 He was so handsome!

 And looking entirely too grown!!

 Love this face! Looks like my dad here to me.

He was getting his groove on to the music they had playing during preparations. :)

 Adam & Kerrie's "first look" before pictures. It was such a sweet moment. I wish I had gotten a picture of her in her wedding dress. She changed into her party dress before I could. She was beautiful regardless!!

The garden is beautiful.

The runner was eventually moved to the center..I think it was just here so you could step around it. I should also mention that it's been Kerrie's dream to arrive to her wedding in a horse-drawn carriage. She searched and searched but couldn't find one that would be close enough to do it, or that was in their budget so she gave up. My mother/father-in-law made sure she didn't have to give up on that dream and arranged for a beautiful horse-drawn carriage to pick her up and take her to the ceremony. I didn't see her reaction, but I heard it was amazing. She was touched beyond words and when Melissa (the SIL) told me about what they did, we both just lost it. It was a total surprise to her and Adam, and everyone. I wish I had gotten a picture of it, but I think it was confiscated by my cousin at that point. ;-) OK, time-out to wipe my eyes as I lost it again after telling you this story!

 These two have my heart! 

This is Hudson's new trick. We'll regret teaching him this one day, I'm sure. :-)

 I could eat him up!

 It's a rare occasion that we get all dressed up! We had to have proof! HA!

Tommy (the FIL), my guys, and Uncle Glenn (Tommy's brother) Tommy was ordained a few weeks back and performed the ceremony. Ah-mazing! He did phenomenal!

The band starting up.

 The bride dancing with her nephew, Caden, who is just the sweetest and cutest boy ever!

 Spencer told me when he put on his dancing shoes, it'd be on! Well.....

 Garter time! HA!

 Figures....(y'all who know Spencer, know this looks about right!)

The sweet HUSBAND & WIFE!! I didn't get a picture of their first dance, but it was to "Tangled Up In You" by Staind. If you've never listened to it, you should. It's the last song on my playlist at the bottom of the blog. I forgot how beautiful it is and had to add it to my playlist(and buy it on iTunes). Staind sounds a little unorthodox for a first dance song, but the song and the words are just beautiful!

We had to make sure to get a picture with them before the night was over. 

The wedding was amazing, beautiful, and perfect. The reception was so much fun and everyone had a fantastic time! I am thrilled beyond words that this precious couple got the dream wedding they wanted and deserved. They mean so much to us all.

We could not be happier for Adam & Kerrie and cannot wait to see what the future holds for them! I knew when I met Kerrie, this was it. She couldn't be more perfect for Adam, and vice-versa. I've known Adam for a long time(I'm talking like, since we were little kids) and love him like he's my real brother. I'm so thankful he's found a woman like Kerrie, who is exactly what he needs and loves him wholeheartedly. It is so obvious how in love and happy they are. I wish them a lifetime of the kind of love and happiness they have now.

Have a wonderful time on your honeymoon and cherish every moment you have together...today, and every day! We love you both so much and are so glad you found each other!!

A Fly on the Wall.....

Literally. There's a fly on the wall and it's driving Hudson CRAZY!! He gets so mad and grunts at them, yells "bah" or "mah" at them, like most things right now, and tries his best to get to them, only to have them fly away out of sight. It's quite entertaining, actually. He'll go on for.ever. with it and I just sit and laugh.

We had one get in the house earlier today.

 Step 1: Notices fly on the dog bowl. Grunts and yells at it.

 Step 2: Fly leaves and Hudson follows after it.

 Step 3: Pushes bowl out of way to get to fly that is now on wall.

Step 4: Tries to catch fly. Fail.

Step 5: Pushes bowl back to its original spot. 

And he had no help with any of this, BTW. He cracks me up every day!! The days are NEVER boring around here.

Is anybody else about to FREAK OUT over this Grey's finale like I am?!?!?!? If you haven't watched the first 6 minutes they're teasing us with, go here. I was crying about 3 minutes in...that's how emotional this will be. I'm going back and forth between 2 people I think will be the one to die and I don't want anyone to!! 6.5 more hours!! I am on pins and needles waiting for this thing. And I swear if they leave us waiting and wondering until Fall I'm going to go crazy. I keep having to remind myself it's JUST a TV show! HA!

This weekend is my BIL's wedding! We're so excited for Adam & Kerrie and cannot wait to celebrate their new marriage!! I'll be MIA for a few days but hope to have some pics up from the big wedding weekend Sunday or Monday.(OK, probably more like Monday or Tuesday) ;)

Y'all have a fantastic weekend!!!

This May Not Get Me Mother of the Year.....

Let me preface this post by saying that Hudson is only allowed to touch the things in this post when we are with him and watching him VERY closely!!

He has come to be obsessed with the cleaning supplies under the sink. Now, before you report me for being an irresponsible parent, I realize we should lock the cabinets (the one under the sink with the cleaning supplies especially) but since we're renting, I don't want to drill holes in their cabinets. I wouldn't appreciate someone doing that to mine! SO, we just keep a close eye on him anytime he's in the kitchen (which is only when we're in there with him). He has never tried to drink, eat or lick something so that's good. He loves looking through the pots and pans, cutting boards, and the cleaning supplies. Here's the routine: go to cabinet under sink, rifle through supplies, mixing them up, throwing some on the floor, put them all back in (seriously, he puts them back!), WITH the exception of his 2 favorites....the Glade air freshener and the Pledge Multi-Surface. They're the identical style spray cans(which are in the locked position and luckily, he hasn't figured out they can unlock yet) and he's obsessed with them. Maybe it's the clanking sound they make or the fact that they're the perfect size for his little hands to get around, I have no idea. He takes them out and drags them all over the kitchen, to various cabinets, trying to get them to fit somewhere else, to the coffee and end tables in the living room, brings them to me for a minute, then, when he's satisfied with the job he's done, BACK to the cabinet under the sink they go! Strange? I think so too. All he's basically doing is toting them to different places, standing them side-by-side, and showing them off. He's really into stacking things lately(i.e. the Armor-all and Lysol wipes) and has tried this with those 2 and it just doesn't work. :) He's into building things and putting things together and I think he may be an architect one day.

I'm sure as he gets older he might get more curious about these things and we'll have to move them up higher, or lock the cabinet. I honestly don't think locks would do us any good anyway. He's extremely smart and can figure most things out. I realize that sounds like an annoying, snobby, bragging mom thing to say, but it's true. We'll probably end up moving them to the pantry down the road, but for now he does fine with them and we make sure he doesn't do anything he shouldn't do with them. You better believe the first time I EVER see him trying to lick or drink or eat or whatever any of it, they'll be put where he'll never get them again. I just try to let Hudson explore and discover as much as possible, but I make sure I'm always with him when he is. If it ever became dangerous, it'd be stopped. Every day, I'm constantly telling him that these things are not for our mouths, and I'll continue to say that every day.

Here are a few pictures of him in action earlier today. Evidently he had a need for the Windex, too.

 Trying to figure out how to best fit them in the pots and pans.

 Maybe this is better....

And, back to plan A.

Maybe he'll learn to use them in a few years and handle the cleaning around here. ;-)

Weight-Loss Update!

If you can't remember what I looked like before, go here. Those before pictures were from last August, but I was still at that weight when I started my weight-loss journey.

I'm down 33 pounds!!!! (if I get brave enough, I'll tell you where I started and where I end when I'm done!)
I'm in a size 6, with some of the 6s fitting a little loose!! AMEN! I'm about 7 pounds from where I ultimately want to be(mostly in the belly), but I am SO happy with where I am! It's amazing to think I've lost THIRTY-THREE pounds and I look at pictures of myself from last year(although I try not to too much) and don't even recognize that person. I can, however, look at that person and see how unhappy she was, and remember how low her confidence was. To be able to put on a pair of shorts and a tank top and actually feel GOOD about it is what this was all about. I needed my self-esteem back and I am so glad I found it again!

Oh, and those old size 4 jeans that I've had hanging in my closet to keep me motivated?? They fit. No lie. They're still a little tight and not comfortable enough to wear yet, but I can get them on, zipped, and buttoned!!! The goal is to have them fitting comfortably, though. I'm hoping in no time, they will be!

I hope y'all are having a fantastic week!! Friday is almost upon us!! :)

Catch-Up Wednesday!

Let's see, over the last week....we had a little snuggle time with Mommy. :)

A little riding time with Bryant.....typical.

We(okay, I) made a cheese ball for a baby shower. (and had to make a small log to do some "quality control" beforehand) I didn't get any pictures from the shower on my phone...and all I got on my camera was of the food/decor. :(

I realized that this, other than Hudson & Joseph of course, is the first thing I think about when I wake up! I think I've become an adult! HA!(which I guess had to happen eventually and since I'll be 28 in a month, now's as good a time as any!)

Made a tasty little pasta bake for dinner last night. Seriously, it's just spaghetti (with penne noodles) with some mozzarella and parmesan cheese mixed in and baked for about 20 minutes. It's so yummy all baked together!!

We decided we didn't need to put our toys in our toy box....the magazine/log/whatever rack works just fine.

We had some quality time with our favorite brother this a.m.

Thank goodness for camera phones! :)

Real exciting stuff here, people, I know!! ;-) Anyway, I know my posts have been scarce lately and that will probably continue for a bit. We've got Mother's Day this weekend, my BIL's wedding next weekend, my friend's baby will come into the world the next weekend, then my birthday (which I'm not planning anything for but just sayin'), another wedding & Father's Day in the same weekend, then possibly going to the beach, then my HS reunion, then.....ah, I think that's it....as far as I know! :) SOOOOOOO, if I'm not around much the next couple months, that's why. I'll do my best.

Happy Hump Day!!

Wordless Wednesday - A Hairy Situation