I'll Have S'more

I think we are skipping fall and going straight to winter here in Tennessee. Tonight they are expecting the first hard frost of the season. With it being so cold, we decided to get the fireplace going the past few nights. It was one of the top selling points for us when we decided to buy the house so we couldn't wait to take advantage of it.

We just needed a few more things....fudge striped cookies and marshmallows.

My sister shared this with "recipe" with me for s'mores. Who needs a campfire when you can make them in your living room? They don't seem to be as messy and they are oh so yummy. It's going to be a good winter!

PS. Thanks to all of you who wished Christy a Happy Birthday, it meant so much to her!

Happy Birthday Christy!

There can be no situation in life in which the conversation of my dear sister will not administer some comfort to me. ~Mary Montagu

Happy Birthday Christy!

You are not only my sister, but my best friend! I pray that today is filled with special memories--hugs from your husbands and squeezes from your children! Ask them to give you one from me!

My New Favorite Place

Have you been to one yet? It is a consignment store for maternity, baby and children's clothing. Plus they have a full line of cribs, car seats and more. I've read recently that more and more people are shopping consignment due to the economy and let me tell you, it's totally worth it!

I have bought the majority of my maternity clothes there at great prices (shirts for around $7, pants for $10). During my last trip there, I couldn't resist looking at the baby clothes.

When I mean I couldn't resist, I mean I also couldn't resit buying a couple of things. The onsies were $1.50 each and the pants were $1. Who can beat that? They have nice brands too...these are all Carter.

I guess I need to go back and get a couple of boy outfits...just in case!

PS. It's somebody's birthday on Monday! (hint...hint...it's christy--aka my sister-- at Between Here and Home). Be sure to stop by and wish her a happy day on the 27th.

Recipe Box giveaway

Monogram Chick is having this giveaway through October 29th. Go check it out along with all the other really cute monogrammed products. Leave a comment to enter and PLEASE mention my name as I have a chance to win along with you!

The Bathroom

Here is a picture of our guest bathroom.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was a fan of faux painted turquoise bathrooms in 1990, but now that we are in 2008, this really isn't the look I am going for. Also, please excuse the Rid-X box in the corner. I've never lived in a home with a septic tank and evidently there is "upkeep" that you need to do in order to not have the contents of your septic tank bubbling over in your backyard.

Once again, I am thankful for marrying a handyman. This past summer, Mike worked with one of his good buddies, Brad,whose family owns a tile business. We have big dreams for the bathroom and the project has officially started. We, well Mike, removed the old surround style tub/shower combo to put in a new ceramic tub.

We will be tiling the floor and the walls surrounding the tub. This is a sample of the tile. We were able to get a GREAT deal on the tile from Brad. The small tile will be used as an accent strip around the surround in the shower area. The tile has some golden honey color in it. I am going to paint the walls "Butter" by Valspar. It is nice, calming, soothing, golden yellow.

For the shower curtain, I bought this, in black, from Ballard Designs. They are on sale now for $14.99! Plus free monogramming! I hope it will all go together. At this point, anything is better than turquoise!

I would like to incorporate some black toile in with the bathroom as well, probably in the curtains. Our hope is to have the bathroom done as soon as possible so that we can begin working on the baby's room!

My Last Day

Over the course of the past several months Mike and I prayed and had decided that come the holidays I would leave my job. I am so fortunate to have worked for 3 years at the church where I have also attended for the last 8 years. With our move, we are now an hour away from the church, which also means that my commute is almost 2 hours a day. Because of those two things, I would quit and try and find something closer to where we now live. That was all before I found out I was pregnant.

Recently, there were some changes in the department and I really wasn't needed as much as I was in the past so we, my pastor (who is also my boss) and Mike and I, all made the decision that now would be a good time to begin making the transition for me to leave.

Today was my last day. I had been anticipating this day for a couple of weeks but really wasn't sure how I was going to handle it. No one was at the office when I got to work so I had the chance to sit and remember. I thought of the friendships I would be leaving, the boss I had grown to love as a father figure, the atmosphere of excellence, even my desk. It was now empty except for the last list of things I had to do. I didn't realize I would be that sad but I was. Even when I said goodbye to my pastor I told him that I felt like I was going off to college to start a new life. I know one of the reasons it was so hard is because a handful of these friends came to see me in the hospital when the girls were born and were there with welcoming arms and heartfelt tears when I returned to work. These are the people who shared in my grief during the hardest time of my life. They are people I want to always remember.

Marilyn is one of my best friends so I know that there will be lunch dates and Saturdays spent together.

Megan, Weylon and Sandy work in the Communication department. Our desks were right by each other and they each hold a special and unique place in my heart. Plus, they are each amazingly gifted and talented!

Some of the girls (Kathie, Sandy, Megan, Karissa (who is expecting her own baby in 2 weeks!), Susan, Tina, Lindsey, Robin and Marilyn) took me to lunch today at Puffy Muffin. It is an institution in Brentwood, TN and a definite girly, girl place. A perfect pick for today!


I shared at my last staff meeting something my dad told me when I graduated from high school. He told me that life isn't like a book where there are chapters that have a beginning and an end. He said that life is more like a scroll, where a little bit is being rolled back and a little bit is being revealed. I feel like this is exactly where I am, in the "in between." Tomorrow will be my first day as a "stay at home mom." I am so excited about what these next few months hold for me as the nesting phase settles in, but am also sad to roll the scroll up on so many wonderful memories.

To each one of you who has been a part of my life at FBC--you mean so much, have cared so much and loved me well. You are more than a co-worker, you are a friend.

October 15th

Please check out Angie's post today. Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

She is asking anyone who has experienced a loss, similar to hers and mine to leave a comment...a remembrance of their children. This includes babies who have died to miscarriage (at any stage in pregnancy), SIDS, stillbirth or other infant death.

Please leave a comment if you have experienced a loss or know someone who has.

Awards

Thanks to Christy, at Between Here and Home for giving me these two awards.

It's been so much fun doing this whole blogging thing! Over the course of the last couple of months so many of you have commented about my story and it has meant so much. To share a part of my life with you has been a lot of fun and as we journey into this next season of our lives, I can't wait to share more if it with you!

I am inspired by all of you who read my blog so with that in mind...if you are reading this, consider yourself a recipient of these awards!

With these awards I am supposed to include 6 interesting facts about yourself:

1. I'm an organizational freak. My closet is set up where all of the clothes are categorized by type (pants, capris, long sleeve shirts, short sleeve, etc.), then they are organized by color. It looks like a rainbow.

2. I rarely buy shirts with a print on them. Probably for the reason above, I don't know where to put them in my closet.

3. I love sushi.

4. This isn't interesting, it's more exciting....I felt the baby move for the first time this week!

5. Growing up, I either wanted to be Wonder Woman or the Wendy's drive-thru girl.

6. I have a criminal record. In college, a group of us were playing hide and seek in the downtown square of Helen, GA. We climbed up on a roof and set off the alarm of the business. The owner decided to press charges and the Dean of Students had to come bail us out. Thankfully criminal trespassing only stays on your record for 6 months.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Old Wives Tales....

We had another doctor's appointment today. I am so thankful for my doctor. She has gone above and beyond to make sure we are taken care of, has put our minds at ease and has offered for me to come in and listen to the heartbeat whenever I want.

For today, there are no new pictures to show, but we did hear the heartbeat again. The old wives tale is that a fast heartbeat means it's a girl, slower, a boy.

It was very strong and as soon as our doctor read our numbers, she said, "it's 156, It's gonna be another girl."

Mike was ecstatic and raised his hands like Auburn had just scored a touchdown.

We go for our 20 week ultrasound on Election Day!

What's your vote...boy or girl?

Did the old wives tale turn out to be true for you?

Oh, how cute!

Jessica, my niece, sent me this picture yesterday. She said she just couldn't help herself when she was at Target.

Now we just have to wait patiently to see which pair we are going to need!