The Hiltons

Heart Throb

2012-02-15T15:23:00.003-05:00

{One of my Valentines came home with this from MMO. One had a fever and kept me company all day long. And one came home...eventually.}

Sugar Sugar

2012-02-09T15:56:00.003-05:00

It's a girl ~ It's a girl ~
....and I'm still processing this news!

grace for the good girl

2012-02-03T15:33:00.000-05:00

I became a fan of Emily Freeman's blog about a year ago, when I had an eleven month-old and a two and a half year-old, and I read her post Shame Off You. A post saved in my Favorites that has been re-read countless times. I found Emily through her sister's blog, the Nester {also, quite a fan}. And so, all to say, that Emily wrote a book last year, Grace for the Good Girl. I finished it this week and want to buy a copy for all of my friends, my aunts, my Mom, my younger cousins! Where was this book ten years ago?

My favorite chapter is on Receiving. She says it so well I can't not share this excerpt (ready? it's long):

"good girls live obediently, but they do not know the mystery. They obey from their mask, from their fear, from their flesh on the soul level. They are obedient to the law. Jesus calls us to a new and better way. He still asks for our obedience, but it is no longer obedience to the law. Now we are called as believers to be obedient to the truth.....

How did you receive him? By faith. We tell unbelievers there is nothing they can do to be saved except to receive that which Christ has done. And when they receive him and discover struggle and hardship on the other side, we tell them to keep trying to do what Jesus would do. In other words, you may have been saved by faith, but now it's time to try really hard to make life work. That is not what the Bible says, yet that is what we live. We are to walk with him in the same way we receive him: by faith....

There is a becoming that happens as we walk with Jesus, but it isn't under a system of achieving. Rather, it is in the act of receiving. In order to receive, we have to first let go, to honestly release our right to hold on to those things we trust in for life....

I spent many years trying to be who I thought Jesus wanted me to be. I used the fruit of the Spirit as the ultimate good-girl checklist....By lunch on Monday I was done. Failed. The Christian life was officially impossible. Rather than admitting I couldn't measure up to the standard God had set, I thought I wasn't trying hard enough...If I could just be more like Jesus. What's wrong with me?...I had an inaccurate idea of the fruit of the Spirit. Rather than a checklist of things we are to work on, the Galations 5:22-23 list is a beautiful description of a Person who lives in us..."

Is that good stuff or what? I am in constant need of this reminder. Once we are his, there is no earning. There is nothing I can do. There was nothing that I did! His Spirit is within us and his grace covers all. So thankful I hear this every Sunday- not moralism but grace. Not pep-talks about living up to a standard, and then failing by lunch on Monday. Instead, true FREEDOM in Christ. And I had it all along.

Love this book and wanted to share~

When The Man's Away....

2012-01-30T16:35:00.000-05:00

Russell went on a hunting trip a few weekends ago, so I had looooots of time. I gave some love to my neglected bread machine. I finally finished painting our mudroom. I wrote (we already talked about that one). I also started researching our family trees. During the rainy RAINY weekend, I stayed in and got busy!

The hooks are from Anthropologie (why didn't I get 5?), frames from Michael's, and I made the silhouettes myself.

Trust me, they're not perfect! I did my best following this tutorial.

And here it is with all of our junk!

There's really not a solution for shoes for us. This basket is better than where the shoes were going.

I don't know why I ever stop baking bread. I love how it makes my house smell!

Here is another new recipe I tried from the cookbook Blue Eggs Yellow Tomatoes. Yum!

Butternut Squash Soup with Prosciutto and Rosemary
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 Tbsp diced prosciutto
4 garlic cloves
2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
s&p

Saute onion in evoo until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in prosciutto and garlic. Add squash and broth, and cover and simmer until squash very tender, about 15 minutes. Puree soup. Add rosemary and season with salt & pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Notable

2012-01-26T14:45:00.004-05:00

The gospel of grace is more drastic, more offensive, more liberating, more shocking, and more counterintuitive than any of us realize. There is nothing more radically unbalanced and drastically unsafe than grace. It has no "but": it's unconditional, uncontrollable, unpredictable, and undomesticated. It unsettles everything. There is a dangerous depth to the gospel that needs to be rediscovered and embraced.

Michael Horton, White Horse Inn

{from our church program this week}

Spellcheck Says "Journaling" Isn't a Word

2012-01-22T20:27:00.000-05:00

I have almost blogged about journaling several times, but when the time came, I chickened out. I guess it's because it's so intimate, but lately I've been writing a lot. Note: My journal and my blog are very different. On my blog, you see what I want you to see. My journal, which you will never ever see, is exactly that- for me. Is it laborious? No. Is it overwhelming? Heavens no. It isn't about recording events {I know you're all thinking about your Judy Blume diaries with the little key.} Journaling, for me, is about putting myself, my SELF, in a form and looking at it. It could be called a form of coping or therapy. It could be called art. It could be called self-actualization. I call it one of the most healthy things I could ever do for my well-being.

I started journaling my sophomore year in college but not at any one's suggestion. It just happened organically when my 19 year-old very fragile and emotional self didn't know what to do with itself. I started writing on notebook paper. Pretty much incomplete sentences {nothing's changed, huh?}. And I found that after I "unloaded" onto the paper, I felt free. It was there in tangible form, and that was that. Gradually, the entries did become sentences, and sentences became whatever was flowing out of me that day. Flowing out of me that day- that has been my journaling experience the last ten years- likes, dislikes, fears, worry, guilt, a funny story, a quote, a prayer, insecurity, how much I love my husband and children, a bittersweet moment, or line after line of random thoughts. And for whatever reason, I was knit together in such a way with a need to write. And the negative stuff?- the fear and the worry? Why would anyone want to look back and be reminded of a hard day? The way I see it is because God is faithful and I am broken, and to pretend I have it all together is simply untrue. I need to be reminded of my brokenness in order to see the redemptive story being written; to see my growth. To see, be reminded of, and be exceedingly joyful over answered prayer. How small I am! I am so small and I love chocolate and the Creator of the universe knows it and loves me.

Before Christmas, for whatever reason, I decided to read through my college journal. It was almost torture to get it out. I was cringing before I even opened it- oh, this is going to be bad. Yes, I was immature and naive, and oh so small, but it wasn't that bad. Frankly, it was really thoughtful and not as embarrassing as I was expecting. I was so grateful to see God's hand in all of those emotions and growing pains. I was so thankful to have it recorded. To be quite honest, if my great great great grandchildren find it one day, I think they will love me :)

Am I trying to convince you to journal? Maybe a little. Try it. Everyone has their own outlet but find one. Here are a few things to be true in how I manage journaling:

1. I don't journal everyday. I couldn't, even if I wanted to. It's a natural thing that can happen at any time of day, and even several days apart.

2. Some entries are several pages long, and others are 2 sentences. As I said earlier, some entries are lists, prayers, quotes, feelings, stories, or random thoughts.

3. Always date it. Some of my most treasured entries are the ones right before having a baby. I can read what I was thinking about right before my life changed forever. No picture or video can capture that. Also, Russell will ask me what was going on during such-and-such time?, and I will thumb through to find any morsel, any memory- like we played in the sprinklers after dinner, or Jameson had a fever the day we left for the beach. I love that I can find something for him.

OK, well, I did it. I may see this tomorrow and cringe...but probably not. I'll be glad, one day, that I shared with my small blog world that I like to write. I need to write. And we all need something which lets us express ourselves...even if nobody sees it.

Food

2012-01-18T15:46:00.009-05:00

I promised recipes, although with illness striking there hasn't been too much cooking happening. We're getting back into the swing of things, but I thought I would share three yummy ones.

Butternut Squash Pizza

Delicious and warm, and I think my favorite part were the caramelized onion. My littles ate it up!

Slow Cooker Potato & Corn Chowder

I didn't take a picture of this one...one of those "Momma, I'm hungry" nights where I'm throwing it together since there are tears and everyone is on the brink of starvation! But it was worth the wait and it made plenty!

And lastly,
here's a fun one! Once a month we have to provide a snack for Jameson's preschool class. This month I tweaked Robin Miller's recipe.

Berry Napoleons with Sugared Won Ton Wrappers
(we cut out lots of the sugar, used only blueberries, no tops, and make smiley faces)

And there were some left over for Daddy!

The recipe sites are very random, and I would never have the time to be finding these on my own. I found these via 33 Shades of Green. Her Tasty Tuesdays are not to miss!

Not So Hot

2012-01-16T15:45:00.004-05:00

1. It's freezing.

2. Stomach flu at 17 weeks pregnant.

Those two things sum up the last week- so dreary, so down, so ill, lots of gatorade and saltines. I read a lot and journaled a lot. I (tried) to sleep a lot.

This was taken from my bedroom window. Russell took the boys out for dinner Friday night and I watched the sunset. The pink and purple made me happy. Then on Saturday I ventured out of the house and bought baby shower and birthday presents. It cheered me up. When I came home, I wrapped them, and that made me well.

n e w y e a r

2012-01-06T14:53:00.008-05:00

Happy 2012! We rang in the new year (well, does 8:00 count?) with friends and lots of little ones!

Then we barely caught our breathe before celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary on the third. It was freezing outside so I made homemade soup, cornbread, and a little cake. We watched video from our honeymoon....while laughing and marveling at what babies we were!

photography by Jameson!

and so proud of the cake he helped me make!

Other happenings include plans to move the boys into the same bedroom, cleaning out lots of clutter, broken toys and 1/2 easter egg parts, and making our mudroom more functional. I've also been catching up on emails, blogs, backing up pictures, getting pictures developed (I'm so bad about that), and thinking about future projects. I've signed up for Pinterest but have not yet taken the "dive". And lastly, I'm cooking all new recipes this month. Hopefully I can share some yummy ones soon. Wait....and lastly, I read this article this week- so great for Mommas to read.

Christmas Part II

2011-12-30T20:39:00.010-05:00

So the rest of Christmas week was full of family! I regret not having my camera in hand more than I did, but I did get a few highlights. First, Russell's family came to town with a sleigh full of presents. The boys were ecstatic to get more presents and games, and to eat Grandmom's Christmas cookies. This snapshot captures a lot of their visit- games!!! I'm afraid Jameson almost wore everyone down with playing games, but he was most excited about the ones he got- Hungry Hungry Hippo and Farm Bingo to name two! We enjoyed our visit with them but missed seeing Adriane and Zach this year.

Not an hour after the Hudsons left, my family came in with their sleigh. More presents and food and fun!

The following day we decided to stretch our legs (literally) and go ice skating. Jameson has been talking about skating since Thanksgiving when we saw the rink at the Memphis Zoo Lights. So off we went! I was heartbroken not to be able to skate (being prego and all) so I was the designated photographer...and shoe holder.

Are these not the tiniest skates?! And if you don't know already, I was a competitive figure skater who began skating not long after my second birthday. Crazy to think about that now after having children, but I was so proud to see.....

my almost 2-year-old up on skates and stomping around! Then I was even more heartbroken not to skate with the boys.

Jameson as well had no problem!

Then there was Russell. He prefers dry land, but I was proud of him too :)

Last but not least, we ate dinner at Canoe. So so delicious and so so pretty on the Chattahoochee River.

And it was so so cold by the river, we bunched up for a family shot...actually several and this one is sadly the most decent on!. It was a cheerful Christmas dinner to say the least :)

And as a whole a very Merry Christmas 2011!

Christmas Part I

2011-12-30T17:02:00.012-05:00

Christmas at our home was wonderful! On Christmas Eve, we had a delicious dinner at home before going to church for the candlelight service. It was so special and I'll never forget that night of putting the kids to bed, stuffing stockings, and staying up way too late talking with Russell. The following morning it was cold and rainy. We ate warm cinnamon rolls and my Grandmother's sausage balls recipe, and opened our presents from each other. With no nursery at church, nor the night before (and Campbell being squirmy), we decided to stay in our pjs. The entire day we played with new toys and gadgets and enjoyed our slow day. Here are some snapshots of Christmas Eve and Christmas!

On Christmas Eve morning the boys wore their antlers that Aunt Chelsea made :)

On Christmas morning Skippy, Little John, and Robin wore the hats I made!

There's nothing like cooking Christmas Eve dinner with carols in the background!

Fun opening presents!

My favorite little men

My favorite man :)

The Children Were Nestled All Snug in Their Beds

2011-12-23T16:51:00.004-05:00

No packing- no 6 hour car trip- no pack-n-play. We are staying in Atlanta for Christmas!!!! I was about to chicken out on this brave decision about two months ago but now I'm so glad we decided to do this (although we'll see how I feel after I go to the grocery store tonight!). And no, it didn't snow. It's 52 degrees and sunny but isn't this picture more Christmasy? Our families are coming throughout the next week so it will be very very different for everyone. I hope to post here and there of our week at home!

A Glimpse

2011-12-16T14:51:00.012-05:00

Christmas songs have the best lyrics.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

Truly he taught us to love one another, His law is love and his gospel is peace

Now you need not fear the grave, Jesus Christ was born to save

He rules the world with truth and grace

Shouldn't we sing these all year long? What a blessed reminder as we.....

wait in line for the Pink Pig....

give and receive gifts {look at these beautiful eggs from Jane's backyard chickens!}

laugh and enjoy one another....

and play Candyland a zillion times in front of the Christmas tree!

{Just a glimpse into our week!}

My Year of Reading

2011-12-16T14:07:00.004-05:00

I love sharing books, and I love my book club, and I love good book recommendations. Who doesn't? My mother-in-law gave me a book journal a few years ago, and although it isn't exactly full of reviews and reflections, it does hold my list~ books I've started but gave up on, books I've read, and books I want to read/ask for Christmas! With Book Club in full swing this year (and yes we all went to see The Help together) I was able to branch out a little, meaning some holocaust literature and some non-fiction. And this summer, I went to a library book sale in Waynesville, NC and picked up some randoms as well as classics for $1, people! I averaged about a book a month, with my only reading time before bed. So without further adieu, here is my 2011 book list, giving credit where credit is due!

The Pillars of the Earth, thanks to Adriane
The Glass Castle, bookclub
The Happiness Project, thanks to Heather (good beach read)
East of Eden, bookclub and absolutely one of my favorite books of all time!
The Book Thief, bookclub
Comfort Food, library sale (good beach read)
A Million Little Pieces, library sale
The Girl with the Pearl Earring, library sale (dying to watch C. Firth in the movie!)
The Moviegoer, thanks to Russ
A Room of One's Own, bookclub
selected readings from Spiritual Classics
directed study on the Gospel of John
Grandma Called it Carnal, library sale

And there you have it! What was your favorite read in 2011?

The Stockings Are Hung

2011-12-12T11:09:00.004-05:00

and we will add another one next year! Baby #3 is due in late June and we are beyond thankful and excited! November was a rough month for us since Russell was busy and I had a very sickly first trimester. Lots of eating out (from lack of wanting to cook), lots and lots of sleeping, lots of...sick..., and wearing my trusty sea bands! I'm feeling more like myself every day~ I know my boys are happy about that!

And Christmas and Christmas parties have come regardless of my short energy. We have managed and even have wrapped presents under the tree. Tree? Yes, we still made our annual Golden Buddah Christmas tree shopping trip. Yummy eggdrop soup :)

Here we are {breaking the law} and waiting in line for our tree to be tied to the roof!

Hope you are enjoying the parties, celebrations, and traditions of the season!

Fall...but not forgotten

2011-11-29T15:14:00.003-05:00

Oh my...oh dear...this poor blog was neglected during November. The entire month was a blur~ more on that later. We are fine and healthy...do not worry...but it was a doozy of a month, which ended with an eventful trip to Tennessee for Thanksgiving.

December is practically here, and I am slowly getting into the Christmas spirit!

Fall + Festival

2011-10-31T10:16:00.003-04:00

Robin Hood (or Peter Pan, given the day), Momma, Monkey, and Daddy at our church Fall Festival ....then we came home with a 24 hr stomach virus. No candy for us! But that's probably a good thing :)

Fall + Fifth Graders

2011-10-25T20:48:00.002-04:00

{Perfect weather tonight: playing in the backyard with neighborhood kids.}

Fall + Four-Day Date

2011-10-17T20:17:00.016-04:00

When Russell and I go on a trip together, it feels like a never-ending date. This date was to New York City, and my oh my, did we have a great time. I repeatedly kept asking myself if I was an East Coast or West Coast girl, and at the end of the day I couldn't answer it. I love both. I love the energy and bustle on the East, but I also have a place for the simplicity and freshness on the West. But by far this was my most favorite trip to the Big Apple. We had great restaurant recommendations from a friend living in Manhattan, we caught a Broadway show {Wicked}, and I spent one day in Soho. What could be better?

Another day, (oh I failed to mention that Russell was at a conference 2 days!), I went to the Met. Totally impressed, even after going to the Louvre in April.

One night after dinner.

Dinner at Philippe Restaurant~ Chinese Chow

Gotta see the lights! And 2 puny celebrity sightings- "Pete" from "30 Rock" and Bill Hemmer from Fox News- both walking down the street.

And we went to Mood (means something even more if you're a fan of "Project Runway"). I felt like I should run around and be in a panic while there! And yes, I got to see Swatch.

Downside was that it was rainy until the last day, but that day was incredibly lovely and Russell was not in a conference. We grabbed some yummy NY pizza then walked in Central Park.

More lovely foliage and the best guy to spend the weekend with.

Fall + {Little} Fellas

2011-10-17T19:06:00.008-04:00

My Early Bird before the sun comes up!

My Night Owl, getting a bath to settle into the evening

After Tennessee lost to Georgia maybe my little Georgia boy questioned his allegiances? Georgia pom-poms courtesy of our neighbors. Yeah, I think we'll keep them since they've been in Jameson's underwear.

Oh I wish I could photoshop out the runny/crusty nose. Sorry! But this blonde, brown-eyed beauty melts my heart even when he's under the weather.

And this is what happens when I wear a scarf and try to successfully take a picture. Oh, my little fellas.

Fall + Friends

2011-10-17T16:34:00.008-04:00

Last year I had a Fall + {plus} theme during the months of October and November, and it was so fun that I'm doing it again. And what better way to start it off than with friends...friends celebrating a friend having her second son (very soon!).

And this picture has so much of what I've been meaning to blog but (shame, shame) haven't. I made these horizontal striped panels for my dining room, and love them if I don't say so myself. Second, I made a book wreath which was fun but time consuming. What 2 books did I shred to bits? Bad ones. Bad paperbacks I picked up at Target when I had nothing else to read. Some say I should have used really good books but I had these bad ones, and I know how Russell feels about good ones, so bad books won. Both ideas, panels and wreath, I got from the Nester. Thank you, Nester!

The Fourth and Final

2011-09-26T20:35:00.008-04:00

Wedding of the year that is! My cousin Kelsey had a beautiful outdoor Fall wedding. She made a gorgeous bride and we were so glad to be a part of it. Jameson was asked to ring a bell down the aisle to announce that the bride was coming. He was so sweet and did a great job!

Campbell with Kelsey at the Rehearsal Dinner

Mommy with the little Bell Boy! Lots of excitement happening...

Reception in the Barn~ I wanted to steal one of the chandeliers!

Mrs. Hilton with Mrs. Kennedy~ didn't we marry such lovely names!

Three!

2011-08-26T14:02:00.013-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated Jameson's third birthday. We had a small cookout in our backyard with our closest friends. The evenings have been cool, and I was crossing my fingers it would stay, but last night was hot. The kids were sweaty but I figure that's part of a summer birthday in the South!

Branching out from cupcakes, I made Jameson a shark cake this year! We found the recipe and picture in a Lilly Pulitzer cookbook, and J has been talking about it since March (Campbell's birthday).

I decided to give it a shot {and with the much-much appreciated advice from Russell's Mom} I actually did it! Wondering if I sabatoged myself for future birthdays...although I do love seeing the mesmorized look on his face.

Did I mention the kids {and I} had fun and were sweaty!

The only activity I planned was Sand Art Browines. The jars turned out really pretty but the true test will be how it tastes!

Here is the party crew!! Mom, Dad, and Cameron are always so helpful :)

Wonder what they're talking about?!

Enjoying shark and ice cream!

Three! Throw it up!

~Can you believe that after all of this, I got talked into seeing Harry Potter at 9:15!~

Winding Down

2011-08-22T14:03:00.002-04:00

There's a hint, just a hint, of cooler weather coming. The mornings are bearable, and the evenings invite after dinner strolls in the neighborhood. In July and August we had many visitors come our way, not to mention birthdays to celebrate and little adventures here and there. Here are a few snapshots as we say good-bye to carefree days, and say hello to routine and rhythm with the changing of the seasons.

Trying to stay cool

War Paint (with sidewalk chalk!)

Dinner with Justin & Meredith!

Kisses before church (one of my favorite pictures)

SuSu came to see us!

So hilarious that I found Jameson asleep with a trumpet!

A beautiful view we had in North Carolina one weekend

Learning our letters

What happened with our vegetable garden? Okra...and that was about it!

My cousin Caleb came to visit twice!

Breakfast in Decatur one morning

And the entire Hudson/McCain crew came to see us! Here we are at Farm Burger!

{Enjoy what's left of your summer}

dare I title this My Space...

2011-07-26T15:27:00.000-04:00

Do you ever change something and then think why didn't I do this a long time ago? I had that kind of moment when I decided to clean out a tiny room next to my laundry room. The previous owners of our house used this space as their children's homework area. It has a built-in desk, cabinets, and outlets. I've been using it the last three years as a perpetual junk room- Christmas decorations, Easter baskets, wreaths, wrapping paper, craft supplies, keepsake boxes...really anything miscellaneous. And after this past holiday season, I could barely see the floor. It was not good, people.

Something had to be done. At first, I just wanted it to be organized- to see the floor and to be able to find things. Also, utilize our attic space. Then I had the inkling to make it my own little place. A place to be creative. A place to have a quiet time. A place to check email and to blog. A place to keep my to-do lists. A place to write. A place to display Jameson's artwork that I love. A place to rest for a while.

I don't get to visit it everyday. Many times my quiet time is at the breakfast table and my to-do lists are sprawled out on the kitchen counter. Sometimes I don't get to write, or think about writing. However it makes it all the more special when I get to be in here. It is a big-time luxury.

There is also something deep down inside of me that likes to see every season in one room. Seasons of the year, yes, but also seasons of life- baby shower trinkets, journals from college, old birthday cards. I don't know what the deep-down-inside-of-me-something is but it makes me sad and happy at the same time.

I Ammmmm.......

2011-07-17T21:07:00.000-04:00

reading nothing. Just finished The Happiness Project. Plan to begin East of Eden.

wearing these sandals every.single.day.

watching "The Next Food Network Star" Vic is my favorite.

cooking Frittata, which I also made last summer, Green Smoothies (doesn't look green!), and Pakistani Kima.

listening to Mumford & Sons....I know, I know, I'm a year behind.

wanting so so badly Jill Rosenwald pottery! In another life...

loving how many friends and family are coming through Atlanta this summer!

not loving diapers! Just when I raved about Kroger's white diapers, they put bumble bees all over them! Now Campbell's in Huggies (wha-wha).

planning a Fall trip....but to where...???

What are you doing?

Anybody Know Where I Can Milk a Cow?

2011-07-10T21:09:00.009-04:00

My 29th birthday was last Thursday. I enjoyed receiving birthday cards in the mail and reading facebook messages from old and new friends. I also enjoyed a quick date night with Russell to try out some Indian food. Jameson wanted me to have a crab cake--not seafood but a cake with a crab on it (who knows...) and he sang happy birthday to me 4 or 5 times in the car. He busted his lip that morning but forgot about it as soon as we met friends for Pinkberry yogurt, or "New York" yogurt as I was told. It was YUM but next time I'll have to be a little more brave with my flavor options!

It's kindof a long story, but since January I have come up with my own original list of 30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30! Mind you, not thirty new things to accomplish in the next year, although since January I've been a busy woman. And to be honest, #29 and #30 are still blank- any ideas?? I love getting input from friends and my family. But more than anything, I love checking things off the list. I plan to add 10 things per decade. Some of my things to do are oh too personal for the blog-world but I will share a few that I've accomplished, and some I have not.

Checked Off
Tour the White House
Go Whitewater Rafting
Plant a Garden
Sew (with a machine)...anything (More on this another time!)
Run a 10K

Still To Do
Learn to play the Piano (started but not finding time to practice...)
Go to a movie by myself
Milk a Cow
Sponsor a Child through Compassion
Play a round of golf

No, no jumping out of an airplane for me. The sample I gave you are simple things, but things nonetheless that I could easily not experience or do with life as busy and quick as it is. We will see in a year if I have done all thirty! Now for #29 and #30........?

Reads

2011-07-10T14:20:00.003-04:00

From time to time, I like to share articles that made me think. These three definitely did!

1. 15-18 percent of girls under 12 now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly; eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down. I had heard these statistics before and had always blamed our culture's media for its emphasis on outward beauty. But as I read this article I cringed a bit knowing that I've definitely at times broken the ice, as she puts it, with a young girl by telling her how incredibly cute she was. And there's nothing wrong with giving compliments but I do think we need to be more mindful as we are around young, impressional girls.

2. This article on the American orphan crisis is controversial yet thought-provoking.

3. Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs personality test? I've always been fascinated with personality/love language type tests-- annoying to some I'm sure. But this site was particularly interesting to me becuase it takes your MB Personality (mine is ISFJ) and shows what your parenting strengths and weaknesses are...your Parenting Personality Style.

Our Fourth

2011-07-05T14:24:00.010-04:00

July is upon us and, for our family, it brings a season of birthdays! I remember as a child knowing that as soon as the fireworks were over, it was time for the celebrating to begin. Then, I married a July birthday, so it's fun all around. July also brings unbearable heat to Atlanta. I try to get the boys outside during the morning because the afternoons are too much for me.

This fourth of July we went to the park to feed ducks, "fish", and play. During afternoon naps. Russell grilled ribs. Dinner was de-licious!

Jameson was very proud to fish, but all of the fish were "asleep" and we didn't catch any.

Campbell wanted to get in the water so badly. This is his defeated face!

But he did get to chase ducks!

My boys

I'm hoping to blog a lot this month so stay tuned!

At Last!

2011-06-22T17:34:00.014-04:00

We took our first family beach trip after almost three years! I can't (and can) believe we never have before now. The boys were at a fun and manageable age (no nursing at the beach- more power to you mommas who do!), and Russell and I were rea.dy. Hilton Head, SC is under four hours from Atlanta so it was our pick. We also took some extra hands (Poppie, SuSu, and Uncle Cameron) with us to help. It was fun and laid back...exactly what I needed.

One of my favorite moments was taking pictures of the sunrise, appropriately with our little rooster, Campbell.

Here we are at sundown!

Here we are going back home!

fathers

2011-06-19T16:46:00.009-04:00

happy father's day, Russell

Whether you're playing in the snow

fighting pirates

playing in a sea of toys

swimming

or sleeping....or reading stories, making pancakes, or saying prayers, you make our lives rich and full and we love you very very much! You're a great daddy.

And happy father's day to my dad, too. You are a source of energy, encouragement, and laughter. I love you very much.

Year of Weddings

2011-06-05T21:02:00.005-04:00

Confession, I woke up at 6 AM to watch William and Kate's wedding from my bed. Confession number two, I burned my children's pancakes while waiting for the {disappointing} royal kiss. I do like weddings, I do. They never get old for me because each one reflects the bride and groom. Each wedding is unique and I appreciate different styles and tastes...and I l.o.v.e. wedding cake!

In January, we traveled to Chattanooga to celebrate with Jared and Audrey (not pictured). This is Jared's sister and family....all of whom are dear college friends. It was a very fun, and late, evening.

In March, we traveled to Memphis for Cecily and Matt's wedding. Cecily is Russell's cousin, and a remarkably faithful and talented woman. We are so thrilled for them!

Last week, we celebrated with Adriane, Russell's sister, and Zach. I can't believe I first met Adriane when she was in middle school! She has grown into a beautiful woman, inside and out. We're so excited that the McCains will be in Birmingham...not too far from us!

I have several friends and acquaintances who have tied the knot this year as well. Crazy all the weddings going on! We still have one more wedding to attend in September, with friend's baby arrivals sprinkled throughout. Russell and I feel so blessed to be a part of these special days.

(all pictures stolen from facebook!)

She

2011-05-25T21:02:00.003-04:00

My Grandma will be missed. My Grandma lived with us/we with her for seventeen years. She's no ordinary Grandma to me. She's by far the strongest woman I have ever known. A giver, a servant, with an amazing heart. We are leaving for Memphis soon to be with family and to honor her. What a promise we have that this really isn't goodbye~ and what a promise we have in the grace of our Lord.

As I'm flooded with memories, it's strange that I remember the detailed "unimportant" things like the smell of her car, trying on her high heels, her love of Twix bars, her hemming my pants, her bread on Saturday mornings, and how when I was sick she would put a silver bell beside my bed so that I could ring for her if I needed anything (and of course I felt so important and special while all the while thinking I was in the care of a real nurse because I knew she worked at a doctor's office, but didn't know she did the insurance!). And there are so many more. I remember big moments too like my graduation and my wedding, but the everyday memories are the ones I will treasure forever- the ones that make her her- the ones that only I have. She is no ordinary Grandma to me.

Know What I Like......?

2011-05-23T15:25:00.006-04:00

I planted seedlings and I actually see things popping up! Above is our okra, and there is also promise of bell peppers and onion. Come on, tomato!

A family of birds made their nest in our porch~

A white diaper. I use disposables but I don't like strong fragrances or cartoon characters on my baby's bum. I used Luvs forever- they were white until this Christmas. Now we use Kroger brand diapers- sounds horrid I know- but they are lovely and no leaks so far.

My sunporch at dusk with a little bit of cooking going on and a little bit of vino going on.

Easter!

2011-04-24T20:48:00.001-04:00

{Sigh}

2011-04-20T21:53:00.009-04:00

How grateful I am that we will soon have our Russell back. Today is day 11 of his being....in midtown Atlanta. We have periods like this throughout the year but I'm never ready for them, especially after having him all to myself for a week. But God is faithful during these times. He has given both Russell and me some divine energy, so really, I'm ok.

After school today Jameson was is no mood for his rest time, so we made cupcakes in a cross-your-fingers celebratory way. We made a huge mess. We dyed milk and powdered sugar to make our icing (yeah, it tasted as bad it looks), and he was very proud that it looked "like Thomas" (blue)...and proud of his messy hands.

And here is scrumptious Campbell hanging out, which is what he does best. I can see some toddler-ness starting to come out in his personality, but for the most part he's a cool cucumber.

Plain Liked It

2011-04-08T18:52:00.012-04:00

And that was Paris in a nutshell :)

Drawing Inspiration II

2011-04-08T18:33:00.008-04:00

Love-love Monet, and Impressionism as a whole. The Water Lilies at l'Orangerie were my favorite.

From within the Eiffel Tower- amazing

Opera Garnier- love it

Drawing Inspiration I

2011-04-08T18:13:00.009-04:00

How can you not be inspired by the art and design in Paris? I took a picture of anything I liked.

Lovey Doves in Paris

2011-04-08T17:03:00.016-04:00

A few days before we left, we attended a very sweet wedding (Yay, Cecily!). We have several weddings on the calendar this year but this one was timed just perfectly to get me in the right mindset to leave my babies on one continent and go to another with my groom. It's not easy to leave- there's fear, guilt (shocker), and lots of planning and arrangements. Why bother? Because, to steal something I read, I am a wife first and foremost. And wouldn't it make sense that when husband and wife are thriving it all trickles down? How simple yet how easily we're distracted. Paris was wonderful for us- it was beautiful and romantic, slow and fun. I am so thankful to that we were able to take a trip like this after having 2 babies so close together, and to have energetic and willing family to take care of it all while we were away.

Napping Euro-style!

We just happened on a Brahms concerto at the Opera Garnier. I was ecstatic to see anything in this opera house. It was such a treat and Russ, as you can see, is mocking my omg face!

Russell and trees and art :)

Nutella crepes...Chocolate crepes...Yes Please!

Versailles was beautiful

Walking around the city

Night

Bonjour!

2011-04-05T14:51:00.003-04:00

We got back last night from a lovely trip to Paris. I will have to post pictures in segments :)

Year with CLH

2011-03-23T21:19:00.005-04:00

Russell took this picture of us shortly after Campbell was born...so it's about 4 am-ish on a Friday. We were all tired but we couldn't stop staring at this new person, this new child, God had given us. I will love this picture always.

That baby turned into this happy boy whom we love, and laugh, and kiss his dimples all of the time. I meant to post many more pictures in this entry, but really, this is all you need :)

And I have to steal this quote from my dear friend's blog...

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. -Elizabeth Stone

Happy Birthday, Campbell!

2011-03-20T12:55:00.012-04:00

Yesterday, Campbell Lewis turned one year-old! It was a gorgeous day to celebrate with our closest friends. Here are some pictures of the party~

The past year has gone by all too quickly. I am beyond blessed and so thankful! I hope to post more pictures of the last year soon.

A Beautiful Weekend

2011-03-10T19:09:00.003-05:00

No, the weather was actually very yucky and chilly. But I was in the north Georgia mountains with about fifty women from our church. It was refreshing and good for my soul in more ways than one. I decided not to take my camera so I have zero pictures to show from it but the memory is sweet enough to last. I came home {tired-I forgot how fun chatting until the wee hours in the morning can be} yet encouraged and energized in a different way. I also came home to see that Spring has sprung in my backyard with the arrival of irises.

Spring and Vacation- oh my!

2011-03-02T20:46:00.006-05:00

The sickness cloud has lifted (knock on wood), but I thought I'd share two pictures that captured our icky state- lots of trains and wishes to play outside in the unusually beautiful weather. No one is more excited that March has arrived. Spring is coming, a little boo turns one, and Russell and I are going on a vacation...a vacation!

I read this today- God is your dayspring. You can be revived moment by moment. He is refreshing, invigorating, and satisfying! Open your neediness up to Him. Experience the mystery of Living Water flowing through you.

No Words

2011-02-23T09:18:00.005-05:00

Pink Eye, ear infections, fever, virus, cold- this has been my February. The boys, and I, have been s-i-c-k. And while this month is usually dreary and perfectly excusable to stay inside, the weather has been beautiful {sigh}. My parents came during a few healthy days. I got a haircut and got out of the house. Thank goodness they came and gave me a break because the night before they left, Jameson got sick...again. {The violins can stop now}. We are making it and I selfishly cherish these times when all my 2.5 year-old wants to do is cuddle with Mommy.

But in case you're wondering what I'm reading/liking.......

Ashli recommended Matchbook Magazine last month. And yes, I love it.

Ansley was one of my first friends in Atlanta. She and her cousin have a really cool blog, Two Cities Two Girls, that I have been eating up.

Really enjoying Big Girls Small Kitchen, a cooking blog.

And the Marksberrys post yesterday made my day :)

In terms of actual literature, I recently started War & Peace, recently finished The Pillars of the Earth, and have requested Being Polite to Hitler at the library.

De-Lish!

2011-02-07T15:25:00.003-05:00

I hope you know that if I post a recipe, which is not all that often, it is most definitely blog worthy. It's also probably easy and toddler-friendly. Last week when I was meal planning, I was so tired of "winter food"- soups, stews, chicken this and chicken that. Yes...I was in a rut. Then I found a recipe that I had scribbled down and thrown into my recipe book (this happens a lot). It's either from a magazine or food network- who knows. Ready? Fish tacos that are not too summery (nothing fruity) but light and filling...and something different. What we loved the most was the crunch from the asparagus! The recipe called for cod or halibut, however, flounder was on sale so it's the white fish I went with. Anyways, try this if you too are in a rut and like fish. *Oh, and on a toddler note, my toddler loved the tacos but I had to basically feed the entire thing to him because it was a complete and utter mess when he tried himself, bless his heart.

Fish Tacos from ????

1.5 lbs cod, halibut, or flounder

McCormicks fajita seasoning

1 cup sliced onion

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2"

extra virgin olive oil

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn

1/2 tsp ground cumin

flour tortilla shells, taco size

sour cream, optional

Season fish and broil on foiled baking sheet 20 minutes or until done. Saute onion and asparagus in evoo 3-5 minutes until somewhat soft. In a separate bowl, mix black beans, corn, and cumin. Place all in tortilla and enjoy! You can top with sour cream if you wish.

PINK

2011-02-04T16:47:00.010-05:00

There's not much pink in my house, so when Jameson's teacher sent home a note about a Valentine swap, it was my chance to do something girly with him. And there is nothing better than making Valentines in this dreary, rainy weather. Here is what I used, spending $0.

My Grandma kept bags in a closet. I do the same. Is it a hobby?! Well I had this one on hand.

I had these Cloud scissors, and love any excuse to use them.

Then with some tracing, cardstock on hand, and my little man's autograph- voila! I think they're fun!

Januaries

2011-01-26T08:48:00.016-05:00

All I can say is, thank God snow is white. It works. Know what I mean? - Howard, Father of the Bride

We were snowed/iced in for-e-ver. There were highs and lows, but it's a good thing that snow is beautiful and flawless. I don't think I could take it if snow were ugly....or yellow. I had plenty of time to do nothing. It was slow and lazy- and nice and refreshing. I read. I started to learn the piano. I made a to-do list and goal list (ok, that might be considered productive). I didn't cook much at all because our oven went out. I didn't exercise. I didn't blog. I didn't watch t.v. But I did sleep. I did embrace coloring with Jameson, and watching Campbell squeal and laugh in the bath. I did cuddle with Russell a lot. And somewhere in all of it we became a pacifier-free, only-one-baby-in-diapers household. It was unplanned, unmeditated, and we were all the better for it I think.

Since the snow melted, we've had a fun and random month. Russell has hardly worked at all- yipppeeee! We went on a date on a Sunday night to a Moroccan restaurant, Imperial Fez, where you sit on the floor and watch belly dancers (pic above). I met a friend for coffee on a Saturday morning- the drive there and back was so quiet and calming to me. Russell went on a guys hunting trip. I've been out late with friends twice in the last two weeks. I finally gave our bedroom some TLC by changing some things around and using a random store credit for new sheets and pillows- amazing what a difference that can make. I've said "no" to a few things which is a really big deal for me. Russell had lasik surgery. And the kicker, I have been waking up 2 hours before the babies to have some personal time before it allllll begins. I'm liking the pace and mood of the new year. If I can still say this in April or May, well, that would be a miracle...but let's hope that I can!

Happy Happy Snow Snow

2011-01-10T14:54:00.003-05:00

2-0-1-1

2011-01-07T11:56:00.018-05:00

We started 2011 with our closest friends from church. It was such a fun night even though the sparklers went out at 8:30! Having little ones mean the party starts at 5:00, but no reason not to do something special! We had appetizers, a saint-of-all-saints babysitter upstairs with the older kids, and a pianist to set the festive mood. Everyone brought yummy desserts to share! Dare I say I'll throw it again next year?

I wish I had a better picture of the food, although my favorite part of the spread were the trees I made. I got the idea here. Last July, Russell turned the big 3-0 but I had a 4 month old (and 2 yr old) and never got it together....so all of my ideas got turned into a NYE party.

Here is a major project checked off my list. I wanted a visible creed for our family, but didn't know for a long time what it would be or where it would go. We went with I Peter 3:8 because we think it embodies everything that we should be to each other. I followed this tutorial, but put it on an old canvas instead of wood. (Thank you, Adriane, for talking to me while I cut out the letters!) It is upstairs for us to see each day.

One new thing this year/month is Jameson going to "school" two days a week. He was very excited and a little proud :)

Another new thing is that we created some art space/playroom for the boys. We had a crayon incident in the living room so that quickly motivated me to get this room organized (finally) and let creativity happen. We love hanging out in here. Plus, I went to Goodwill and purchased a VCR player so that we could watch old Disney VHS tapes (from our childhood collection). However, I had the best time this week watching old Chi Omega rush videos and All-Sing performances from college. Oh I wish there was a way to upload those- so so funny!

And here is our Christmas family shot! Wow!

7 Years

2011-01-03T08:45:00.003-05:00

Moments....

2010-12-16T22:05:00.012-05:00

This month has had its up and downs. We've had very fun Christmas festivities, but it has also been a rough month for cutting teeth and Russell's work hours. God gives me strength is all I can say! I've wanted to post more this month but it just got away from me. This actually may be it for 2010....what a ride it was!

Christmas tree kisses

A beautiful 8 month old little boy

teeth!

More teeth (up top)- see the tear? but the smile? and the drool? Whew!

And somewhere in all of this, I managed to take Jameson for his first "real" haircut. He had a ball and, fortunately, we can longer but his hair in ponytails!!!

Merry Christmas to you!!!

Say Thanks

2010-12-15T09:20:00.004-05:00

Xerox is mailing (free) postcards to our troops overseas to say thank you this Christmas season. I know this time of year can be overwhelming with charity projects and sponsorships, but this one can be done from the comfort of your home, it's free, and it takes 2 seconds. I thought it was worth sharing! Take a look at the Let's Say Thanks Project. (Note: If you scroll to the bottom, you can send a customized message.)

Traditions

2010-12-08T12:51:00.015-05:00

When Russell and I had our first Christmas together (married & in Atlanta), we didn't know at the time that we were starting an albeit odd/funny (depends on who you are) holiday tradition for our family. But isn't that how traditions come about? You do something together one time and then it becomes a "thing"- a thing you look forward to each year.

It's Golden Buddha near the Emory Campus-- near our first tiny apartment. We pass Buddha (our pet name for it) on our way to the pediatrician's office, but never stop until Christmastime...Christmastime with tree in mind!

Buddha is legit, people. For some reason, their hot tea, soups, and egg rolls get me in the Christmas spirit. Weird, right? In years past, we've picked out our tree then warmed up with Buddha...but this year we thought it would be better to pick out our tree with full bellies.

And why do I feel so in love with Russell when we're at Buddha? Weird, right? I think it all has to do with our first tiny Christmas.

Now we have tiny people with us. The conversation isn't quite the same, but I still feel the same. IT'S CHRISTMAS! And mind-boggling that we get to open 4 fortune cookies this year!

Now on to the trees.....

and pushing a cart that we didn't need.

Don't you wish sometimes that pictures had sound bites?

Campbell was snug...and sleepy! (Finished tree pics to come!)

Fall+Food

2010-11-28T20:22:00.007-05:00

This year, instead of staying in Atlanta for Thanksgiving and taking a long Christmas break, we decided to see all of our families in Tennessee for Thanksgiving...and then we'll be going back for Christmas in just a few weeks. We definitly didn't starve while we were gone, and I tried to capture the main highlights of food this season. Gobble, gobble- we did indeed!

Thanksgiving 1 on Wednesday night

Thanksgiving 2 on Thursday

Thanksgiving 3 on Friday

I am exhausted (and stuffed), but nevertheless thankful to have seen so many friends and family. And of course, I'm very thankful that God gave us this precious little boy this year.

Fall+Fotos

2010-11-10T15:19:00.009-05:00

As promised, here are a few shots from our family photo shoot. We hired Anna Carson to come to our home in October- still nice enough outside to have some gorgeous shots taken in our backyard. She did an awesome job capturing our personalities and family dynamic. Enjoy~

Yummy

He makes this face ALL of the time so I loved that she got it!

This photo says so much about the stage of life we're in :)

Buddies

If this picture had thought bubbles it would read "oh yes, I remember you"!

Fall+Festivities

2010-10-31T21:24:00.009-04:00

Fall+Weekend

2010-10-20T09:02:00.009-04:00

Picking out Pumpkins with Daddy

Our little Campbell is now 7 months old! I can't describe his sweet temperament~ he's awesome! We love seeing his personality and preferences come out more and more.

During our weekend we had a family photo shoot (and cannot wait to see the proofs!), we got our pumpkins, we played in the yard, slept, went out for pizza {yummy Felinis}....pretty much did nothing productive and it was wonderful.

And of course we were silly as well!

I finished two books in the last couple of weeks. One was a re-read from 4th grade! Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume. I remember loving this book but I didn't remember why, so I got it from the library. Still don't know why I thought it so spectacular, other than thinking it was cool to read Judy Blume? It's a very good possibility. Second book was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- loved it

Kiss Kiss

Fall+Backyard

2010-10-12T15:32:00.013-04:00

Sorry, I don't have any pumpkins to report....yet. Our month, so far, has included teething, 2 of us being sick, more teething, then the other 2 of us getting sick. I haven't had the most restful 2 weeks of my life, but we are managing to come out from under the cloud of ickiness and enjoy the semi-cooler weather in our backyard.

What I Learned

2010-09-29T21:39:00.005-04:00

September is coming to an end, and so is our no-spend month. I really come away from it cleansed and more focused. Our goal wasn’t to save a certain amount this month; rather, our purpose was to rid ourselves of any poor spending habits and see where we do spend money. I didn’t go without, and I didn’t miss anything…which means I didn’t need anything...a thing. Ah, the lessons I learned and the little tricks that helped! I’ll share a few(!) with you.

1. I learned that I say the word need way too often and without any conviction. This realization actually made me a little sick to my stomach. I have a lot of luxuries that I have been blessed to be given. I need to be more mindful of this and not take those for granted.

2. Target is the devil. Ha! No seriously, it is. Oh how hard it was to walk in, pick up diapers, and make a bee-line for the register. Also, any catalogues or magazines that I got in the mail went into a drawer….just to keep my focus in check.

3. Meal planning is very freeing once you get the hang of it- not laborious and restrictive as I thought. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t slash our grocery bill in half or anything like that, but the idea wasn't to eat noodles and tuna all month. I know all of the couponers out there could give me a big lesson!

4. Be realistic and plan. I knew ahead of time that there would be a few purchases that I couldn’t/wouldn’t avoid- a birthday gift, a baby gift, a children’s consignment sale (so I saved in the long run!), and a sitter (because Mommy & Daddy are still Mommy & Daddy, but instead of a grand evening out we went hiking and took a picnic!).

5. There is always the unexpected. Right when we were in our stride, Russell’s truck needed repair. Goodbye, $$$. That wasn’t fun.

6. I'm not perfect. I had one impulse purchase all month...some Chick-Fil-A after a stressful pediatrician visit with both children. That office visit deserves its own blog entry! But nuggets made my little boo feel better and very special, and I kept my sanity- so there.

7. I love to give. I love to give and it was hard this month not to, or to be more modest in doing so. (This does not pertain to our tithe.) This was something positive.

8. An unexpected surprise was that we had less trash- significantly less. And wouldn’t that make sense? It felt good not to be wasting in this way as well. This too was positive.

9. I took advantage of something I had already paid for, and took care of myself in the meantime. I went to the dentist. A friend and I are doing a babysitting swap so it turned out lovely.

10. I was challenged. I love making my home personable, giving our children things because I love them, going somewhere beautiful for vacation. And I don’t think any of those desires are wrong. But after tightening the reigns of spending this month, I can definitely see that the timing was right for me to do this exercise. Now I can face the approaching holiday season with a fresh perspective…and a fresh perspective is always welcomed.

Picture Overload (for grandparents!)

2010-09-24T14:10:00.008-04:00

Campbell Lewis is a very busy 6 month old. He is sitting up very well on his own, squealing & laughing, and interacting with toys. Campbell is very sweet and easy-going- a very good baby. He weighs 17 lbs, 8 oz and is 28 1/2 inches. His nicknames are: bubba, campbell-campbell, little you, and puh-bull (ok, the last one isn't a nickname...rather what Jameson calls him).

Look at those rolly knees! We started solids last weekend, which meant that I cooked, divided, and froze lots of baby food. We are set :)

Our pediatrician jokingly asked me if I put mascara on the boys!

We went to the zoo on Monday with our playgroup. It was hot (still hot? come on!) but we had a really fun time with our friends. I'm dying to know what he's thinking in this picture.

Jameson loves his room. Can you tell???

And he likes to play dress-up. I try to keep things as masculine as possible!

Hope you enjoyed!

Fall, I love you

2010-09-06T16:04:00.009-04:00

I hope this weekend wasn't a mean trick. The weather was cool and bea-utiful, and motivating. With two little guys and a hard-working hubby, I'm ready for things to be calm & orderly. Here is what I'm doing/thinking/reading right now.

1. It's amazing to bond with another child who is his own little person. I learn something new every day about Campbell, which really keeps me on my toes!

2. Organic coconut oil on your feet- in socks- all night. You will thank me. And put a little on the elbows too!

3. September is our no-spend month. It took me 5 days (because we actually started on the 30th) for me to "get over it", and now I can truly say that not spending money, or thinking about spending money, is very freeing and detoxifying.

4. Sabbath- Russell works a lot during the week. My children are home with me 24/7. Once we're home from church, we rest. Everything can wait until Monday. We realized the importance of observing the Sabbath this summer, and it has changed my attitude and my energy level. I greatly look forward to Sundays.

5. Remember when I wanted to have a family mission statement? Well, when I finally quit trying to find one, it found me. More on that in October!

6. Our book club is reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett this month. Loved it.

7. This weekend I started The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey.

What are you reading?

The Twos

2010-08-25T08:42:00.009-04:00

Today, we start the twos! I have mixed emotions today. I'm excited to watch Jameson grow and learn, but I'm also sad to see his babyhood pass. There will be many more milestones, I know, in which I'll feel this way--but this first one is hard. On Saturday, we celebrated with a short and sweet brunch along with family and friends. Happy Birthday, Jameson!!!

Cheers!

2010-08-20T12:53:00.002-04:00

This month is a whirlwind! Our calendar has been very full.....all fun stuff, don't get me wrong, but I'll be glad when cooler weather is here and things slow down again. I like slow, but it has been fun to mix things up a bit and travel some. Last weekend we went to Nashville for Reid and Chelsea's wedding. It was super fun! Of course being at a wedding brought about some reflection- which is always healthy I think. When Russell and I got married, I didn't gain one family but two! All three of my families are very different from eachother, but I embrace different and count my triple-family blessings! I pray many blessings on the new Mr. & Mrs. Hilton!

(Do I have some handsome boys or what?!?)

Reads

2010-08-10T17:20:00.002-04:00

I thought these were worthy enough to share! Enjoy!

1. Don't stress!
2. The Wonders of Breast Milk
3. Grace & Patience (for moms)

Why Buy Summer Clothes?

2010-07-26T16:18:00.004-04:00

I realized last night that most of the pictures I've taken this summer are of my children in their diapers. Truth be told, they are much happier to be cool this way, plus I don't have as much laundry to do! It is miserably hot outside and I am enjoying not being pregnant during it. How are you staying cool???

And, happy birthday (yesterday) to Russell. He's beginning a new chapter~ the big 3-0! We had a wonderful Sunday celebrating him. The best present of all (and miracle) was all 4 of us taking an afternoon nap at the same time...ahhh! Then, Jameson wanted him to throw this soccer ball in the air 1,568,934 times. I love you, Russell.

Summer Update

2010-07-12T16:39:00.004-04:00

I have been an absent blogger lately. It would be nice (for lots of reasons) to say I've been on vacation, but that's not the case. The summer is flying by. What can I say? Campbell is growing so quickly. And it's already time to plan Jameson's second birthday party- what?!? Even though I try my hardest for us to have simple, slow days, father clock is ticking fast. This sweet baby turned 3 months old in June.

Last week I turned 28 years old- officially in my late-twenties now. That is even hard to believe. I had a lovely day with friends at the Botanical Gardens. Yes, it was h-o-t in classic Atlanta style but it was fun and refreshing to be around so many green things. I love the picture below taken in the orchid house. Orchids are my fave!

Campbell is now on his way to being 4 months old. He's a very sweet, laid-back baby with a kind personality, although his expression is very serious most of the time. Campbell loves to watch his big brother run (and I mean run) around. I thought he wasn't a "cuddler" but this month he has let mommy get plenty of cuddle time with him!

And little J is in full toddler swing! He's full of energy, which means there is never a dull moment around our house. He still lets mommy cuddle and kiss him, which I'm savoring. But as most boys, he loves his Daddy. Daddy is the coolest and best thing in the world. I actually think so too!

Quickest, Yummiest, Easiest Summer Dinner

2010-06-22T08:19:00.004-04:00

Frittata is light, rich in protein, quick and easy to make, manageable for toddlers to eat, and yummy! Add fruit to the side and ta-da....dinner is served!

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup of any vegetable you like! Chopped tomato & asparagus cut diagonally to 1", or broccoli or zucchini~ be creative!
6 large eggs, beaten (use just the egg whites if you prefer to make it healthier)
1 cup shredded swiss

Preheat broiler to 450 degrees
Heat olive oil in large pan and saute onion about 3 minutes
Add your vegetables, cover for 6-8 minutes
Uncover and pour in eggs- let stand about 2 minutes
Sprinkle cheese over eggs and broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese melted and evenly browned

Enjoy!

During our long weekend, I...

2010-06-02T21:06:00.010-04:00

got to sleep until 9:00 one morning (yes, this is late)

watched Avatar and liked it more than I expected

read these blogs here and here and thought I should share

rounded up the troops and went to Henderson Park

made bread

joined Costco, which was more organic than I expected

ate lots of fish

was ecstatic that my gardenia bush bloomed

organized the boys' clothes

was surprised that Campbell is in 6-9 month clothing, thus organized

shouldn't be too surprised since he was 14lbs,14oz at his 2mo check-up

watercolored with Jameson

was inspired (ha!) and took everyone to the Decatur Arts Festival

loved loved having Russell around the house

got a much needed facial

and went to a fun birthday party

Brothers Gotta Hug

2010-05-26T15:49:00.002-04:00

Let Go & Move On

2010-05-24T14:16:00.005-04:00

***SPOILER ALERT***

The phrase let go and move on was somewhat the theme of our last beloved LOST show. It also was a message to the viewers I believe. Let go of your questions, enjoy the story, and let's move on. Hmmm, can't let it go so quickly...

Three things I liked:

1. Jack's our hero! He saved the island/the world. He sacrificed himself. He brought down Smoky, almost. This one is obvious. It had to end this way, and Vincent was right there with him.

2. Richard was "freed" once again. I wonder what his life was like once Frank landed the plane. They landed, right? This will always be a mystery but I have to believe that they made it somewhere safely.

3. A 3-way tie between the character Desmond, Sawyer's one-liners and Terry (Locke) O'Quinn's acting (this goes for the entire series, not just the finale).

Three things I did not like:

1. Kate killing Smoky was the worst writing ever! Either let Jack finish him off, or let Sawyer shoot him. Sawyer needed that after losing Juliet, right? (But I did love the Jack-Kate kiss and iloveyous.)

2. The character Jacob. I think the writers could have made him more mysterious and authoritative. In the end, he didn't tell us anything, he had rules that didn't make sense, and Richard, his #2, felt betrayed. I wanted Jacob to be more respected and more "all-knowing".

3. Jack & Juliet's "son"- I did not did not did not like that the writers created David Shepherd, a fictitious son for Jack. Seriously...after all Jack's been through, let's give him a son that he loves and then say that it wasn't real. That was sad to me and didn't seem necessary.

Three things I don't understand (3 out of 100!):

1. The hydrogen bomb/Juliet's "let's get coffee"- As Juliet dies, she has visions of...meeting Sawyer at the candy machine and them going to the afterlife together? In general, the flashsideways have me puzzled.

2. Jacob's candidates- In Jacob's words, he needed to find a successor, so he brought people to the island who were...lonely like he was? Then he gave them a choice? This makes his selection process AND the candidates themselves super un-special. I thought the candidates would be Walt-kind-of-special. Why didn't Jacob give the job to Richard (he was the loneliest person ever)?, or to any of the lonely Dharma/Others? On top of that, there was nothing special at all about Jack handing the job over to Hurley via Ben's old gross water bottle- there was no blessing, nothing special, nothing.

3. Random things: Did the island's supernatural properties really have anything to do with the story? Sayid and Claire were "infected" but then were okay in the end? Locke could walk on the island, how? Jacob healed him? Who was Ilana really? What about the ashes that kept Smoky away? Whose ashes were they? What was the significance of the temple and the weird things that happened there? Ben said "this is where I summoned the monster but really it was summoning me"- what does that mean? And last but not least, a six month old Aaron at the church? That didn't make sense to me at all.

And I could go on and on, but I won't. Time for my blog to go back to much more normal happenings in my real world :) I enjoyed LOST, the characters, the journey, but now it's really time to move on.

are you as LOST as I am?

2010-05-21T10:37:00.005-04:00

Let me preface this entry with a huge nerd alert warning! Russell and I were sucked into the abyss of unanswered questions, a.k.a. the tv show "LOST", back in (goodness has it been this long) 2006. The show was already in its third season so we caught up with the dvds. Talk about an unhealthy amount of television! I normally don't write about tv on my blog, but this one has to be posted. If you aren't a fellow "lostie" then you probably need to stop reading in order to spare yourself (1) wasted time and (2) nerdiness.

Moving on, the 2.5 hr series finale is this Sunday night...and it better be good! Two weeks ago was the episode "Across the Sea", which told of the origin of Jacob and the MIB. Some people loved it and others hated it. I have mixed feelings about it. Ok, honestly, it disappointed me. 1. Their story was not nearly as mysterious as I thought it would be. 2. I now have MORE questions. 3. Maybe it was a little bit cheesy? All of that to say, I hope that this Sunday I'm not disappointed again.....oh but I might be. Word on the blogs is that many things will be unexplained. I can handle that I guess, but at least "wow" me. The wow factor of this show is what's kept me going for so long, and I want it to end on that note. We shall see on Sunday! I did read an interesting article- you may or may not agree, but it is an interesting perspective about what it calls the LOST decade.

Memphis

2010-05-18T11:20:00.006-04:00

With two small children, the word spontaneous doesn't fit in exactly with my life. The words flexible and routine do, but not spontaneous. However, last week I got a wild idea and spontaneously decided that all four of us should fly to Memphis for my brother Cameron's high school graduation. I'm so glad that we got to be part of his big day, and thankfully, my spontaneity didn't scar anyone! We are back today safe and sound...back in our routine.

With the graduate

Family Shot!

Family picture taking these days is quite entertaining!

I Love...

2010-05-05T14:27:00.008-04:00

my view from the kitchen

Campbell loves looking at the chandelier lights-- a good place for him when I need two hands. Jameson never fails to "entertain" at the table, whether with words or actions. As you can see, this morning he has abandoned all utensils! The lilies are from Russell :)

duck bottom

blowing bubbles in the sunporch

sweet potato burritos, Steady Days by Jamie Martin, my rose bushes, pomegranate lotion, pleasant evenings without mosquitoes, pulling weeds (I know this one is weird but it's cathartic to me), cooking out again, Jameson repeating things that I say, Campbell's much improved car riding, and last but not least, that things have sloooooowed down for Russell!!!!!

Happy 1 Month, Campbell!

2010-04-19T17:26:00.004-04:00

Little Campbell is already a month old! He's been an amazing blessing to our family, and I can't believe his first month as come and gone!

I had to include this dimple shot :) Mmmm, mmm- I could eat those up!

Our Easter

2010-04-07T20:53:00.006-04:00

This was our third year to stay in Atlanta for Easter, and our third year to enjoy a potluck lunch and Easter egg hunt with our friends. But this year was by far the hottest year!

My friend Ashley took these two pictures- I love them!

Jameson on the "hunt"!

Funny funny to me that this is the best picture I could get of the boys Easter morning! Wow

Another favorite of mine!

Hello, Again!

2010-03-31T15:32:00.011-04:00

I don't know where to begin except to say how richly blessed I am to be the mother of these two little guys. Jameson seems so big and so much older now that Campbell is here. And Campbell has been such a sweet, easy-going baby. We ventured out to the park today, and enjoyed some much needed sunshine and fresh air. We also celebrated my Mom's 50th birthday by taking her to lunch at Einstein's in midtown. It was fabulous to be out and about.

And here is our new baby boy, Campbell. His entry into the world was very very quick- just 5 total hours of labor. We were thankful, too, that we had another "drug-free" birth with our midwife. It was amazing.

Campbell eats about every 3 hrs and is already 9 lbs 4 oz as of this week. He eats very well! Big brother has been very patient, so far, with my sitting down to feed the baby. There is never a dull moment at our house these days, but we're taking one day at a time. Enjoy the pictures!

Campbell's Birth Day

2010-03-20T18:01:00.003-04:00

We welcomed our second son, Campbell Lewis, on Friday morning March 19th at 3:42 a.m. We are now at home, resting and adjusting to life as a family of 4!

March 12

2010-03-12T21:05:00.004-05:00

Another due date has come and gone. And I was cheesy enough to take the same picture as I did a year and a half ago (yes, there is a little boo trying to sneak on the steps)! Tonight we ate Mexican food with good friends-- a very rainy night in Atlanta. It rained all day but that was fine with me. We're hoping to have another drug-free birth so I'm praying that we go into labor in the next few weeks and avoid induction.

I am, of course, trying to keep my mind as preoccupied as possible.....a perfect time as ever to list a few of my favorite things: gardenias, memoirs written by women, going to brunch, my bread maker, npr, journaling, food magazines, seat heaters in my car, old Dave Matthews, blue, clean sheets, looking through old pictures, real antique shops, frozen blueberries, comfy tshirts, a good facial, and going to bed early. (It goes without saying that I love everything about Russ and J). Things I don't like: sporting events on the radio, scary movies, root beer (super yuck), pruning rosebushes, ants, texting, pecans and walnuts, clipping tiny infant fingernails, that the tulips I planted are not coming up, ironing, humidity, commercials, wal-mart, mushrooms, and Russell working late. Ok, good night for now and hopefully baby will be my next post. Ciao!

Need Some Inspiration?

2010-03-04T11:59:00.003-05:00

...in the kitchen that is? I love new recipes because I love to cook different things. Here is where I've recently been drawing my inspiration:

Simply Modern Mom

Simply Recipes

The Mother Huddle

Enjoy~

Last of the Tour

2010-02-28T15:13:00.009-05:00

Last day of February, and the last of our home improvement tour. Are you ready for Operation Dining/Living Room? This project was by far the most labor intensive project we tackled, and yet as always, all worth it in the end. I will take you through the before and after shots.

It only dawned on me after we had started priming the walls to get my camera and take Before shots, but I think you can tell what we were working with: some old carpet and a mustard situation (walls and ceiling). I enjoy yellow in other people's homes, but for me, I need something a bit more airy and calming.

And on top of there being mustard paint, there was sponging and more sponging and more sponginess!

After

Swatch after swatch (thank goodness for the tiny samples you can purchase), we finally decided on Almond Cream for the walls. We painted the ceilings Brownstone. I feel like my camera doesn't do the ceiling justice because it is so much more beautiful in person. I love these rooms now. They are calm, yet warm. Now it's time for art, a new chandelier, and a dinner party...but I'm tired and need to take a break, oh, and need to have a baby at some point soon!

I hope you have enjoyed the tour!!!

Just a Sprinkle

2010-02-25T16:05:00.006-05:00

Since I have every baby gadget known to man, and not to mention a plethora of baby boy clothing, there was absolutely no reason to register for gifts and the like this time around. My friends threw me a Baby Sprinkle, instead of a Baby Shower, this past week! Just a cozy dinner in a cozy home, without babies, to chit-chat, pray, and encourage me. I had a delightful time and am so thankful for the women God has placed in my life here in Atlanta. When we moved here right after our wedding, Russell was in school full-time, I had a terrible job the first six months, we lived in a tiny apartment, and I was terribly homesick. I never would have thought that we'd start a family here, and yet God had other plans, wonderful plans, for our family that I couldn't have imagined in those first few months. I'm so thankful that He was patiently teaching me as I grew- grew up and grew warmer to this city. We are home now. Russell and I have the most supportive friends from our Community Group and our church. With our families being six hours away, I know without a doubt that I couldn't survive without them.

Surprise Endings

2010-02-18T15:33:00.003-05:00

The Nester introduced me to L. Herbert Designs. I looooove her egg & feather prints, and her semi-new herb prints. I got these for Christmas and now they have a home in my kitchen (sigh).

Remember when my fabulous Ballard chairs had to go to the dining room because of too many little hands? I bought a more child-friendly table & chairs, but had to reupholster the cushions. Not bad for my first reupholstery job, eh? Took a toll on my hands....but worth it. Here is a before (left) & after shot.

And here is your surprise ending! One Spring day, a country mouse and a city mouse fell in love........and then one day the country mouse showed his country-ness and came home with deer antlers!! The country mouse continues to surprise the city mouse just about every day. And they lived happily ever after in Georgia :)

Hello, Snow

2010-02-13T10:56:00.006-05:00

Snow House

Snow Valentine

Snow Bear

Snow Belly!

3:30 on a Friday Afternoon

2010-02-12T15:29:00.004-05:00

Snow is falling
Baby is asleep
Husband on the way home
Other baby very awake and trying to make more room for himself
Me- hungry...as always
Ready for a slow slow weekend

Enjoy yours~

Tour of My Favorites

2010-02-09T13:49:00.009-05:00

The tour continues...to another blue room in my house. Imagine that! Formerly a guest room, it is now Jameson's "big boy" room. It's probably my favorite room in the house because of the built-in bookshelves- very childlike and dreamy to me. And am I that boring that I painted it the exact same color as the nursery? Apparently so, but I absolutely love this bluey-gray color, of which I don't even know its name. I took a page that I had ripped out of Domino Magazine (R.I.P.) to Lowes and they color matched it to the photograph. Do you rip pages out of magazines? I have a collection! Anyways, we still have little things to add here and there (like changing the butterfly cabinet doorknobs to my fun green ones!), but for the most part, he is settled in.

Part II of this entry is my fireplace mantle. What's so special? It all started with the bird cage that I fell in love with. And then I was stuck for a while and the cage was by its lonesome. Every other day Russell would ask whatcha gonna do with that cage? Well it found a home and I love how it all came together. Our family room feels more complete, and isn't that a wonderful thing?

Jameson Allan

2010-02-04T14:28:00.006-05:00

A firstborn is so precious. My now 17-month-old is growing before my eyes every single day. I love our slow days of collecting leaves in the front yard and "barking" at dogs that come by. I love our sick days, when all we do is read books and cuddle. I even love (ok, maybe at the end of it all) our busy days, when getting in and out of the car a hundred times makes us both cranky and our car very crumb-filled. It's been just the two of us at home together, and I have loved every minute of being in his little world. Russell has recently taught him to give kisses- real pucker-up smooch kisses. It melts my heart when he gives me one out of the blue. I've heard people say enjoy it now because boys always leave too early, but there's hope, right? Look at Paula Deen!

To give you a glimpse into J's world this week, he likes: the vacuum and the broom, the produce drawer in the refrigerator, his sleeves rolled up, crawling under the table, taking his socks off, pointing to his facial features (and for some reason calling his head "shaw"), hiding and chasing, bath time, saying cheeeeese for the camera, a new book Goodnight Beach, and all things telephone. He doesn't like: potatoes in any form or fashion, having to keep his crayons at his table, the sound of the blender, and trying on clothes or being "fussed" with at all (what a boy). And I love that next week there will be a completely new list of likes and dislikes by my little man!

Tour de Casa

2010-02-01T09:34:00.015-05:00

During the month of February, I'm giving a tour {via blog} of the improvements, changes, and little projects we have tackled at home since October. The amazing thing is that we have pretty much accomplished everything on our list in plenty of time before baby. And as I have said, none of this would have been possible without sweet Russell. So today, we begin......

What to do with all of the toys? What do to with a big blank wall? Blank walls overwhelm me, and you know this is true because it has sat blank for almost two years. Ok, it's still pretty blank BUT we've made great strides...I think. 1. Toys- No offense, but I don't want to see them all of the time. Solution #1 was to keep our favorites downstairs; the others go upstairs to J's room. Solution #2 was stealing storage ideas from Ikea and a friend- always fair, right?! This storage system is straight from Ikea's catalogue, except that I had our piece made by a small furniture company in North Georgia- same dimensions and all. The actual boxes are indeed from Ikea, a perfect fit for the cubby-holes. Now toys are cleaned up!

Jameson cleaning up before bedtime!

2. Big blank wall-ness- I had no intention to put two large lamps here but it just sortof happened. One rainy Saturday morning during the Fall, I was out-and-about and ended up at an Estate Sale. I bought the pair of lamp stands for $10, having no idea what I would do with them. Off-white paint, white lamp shades, funky fabric = lamps I love!

Before

After- ta da!

This last section is our guest room. We've made little additions this Fall~ enjoy and come visit!

Where's Julie?

2010-01-26T11:58:00.012-05:00

Where was I this past weekend? South Florida- as far south as I could go without leaving the country. I needed warmth and I needed some sun, so I called my Mom and we left! It was a trip for the soul, although I had mixed feelings about leaving the boys. It was the longest I'd ever been away from Jameson (2 nights) but he did awesome and had sweet bonding time with Dada. Now I'm back in the swing of things, refreshed and renewed. We have 6 weeks until baby arrives, and I doubt I will get much rest for a while after that. But I can always dream of the days when I could shut my eyes and shut off my brain for just a little while.

Why Should People Be Happy, When They Can Be Ecstatic?

2010-01-18T19:39:00.005-05:00

I sat on my front porch today and read. The sun was warm. I felt warm from the inside out when I came inside. How therapeutic.

We successfully moved Jameson into his new room this week. I held my breath every day waiting for some kind of emotional crisis, but it never happened. The only emotional one was me I guess! J loves his new room and actually wants nothing to do with the nursery now…which I find both odd and humorous.

I love a new year and that our family is about to add a new member. I’m officially nesting I think, and I love being a busy bird. I want our home to be simple, and I want our pace of life to follow the same. Oh how I want that. I loved Simple Mom’s post a few weeks ago about setting new year goals.

I heart fresh cilantro right now. My nose/taste buds have been a little off this pregnancy, but on Saturday I went to the Farmers Market and g-l-o-r-y. Just put a bunch in a vase in my kitchen for the rest of my life.

**Promise still stands to post pictures of all of our home improvements—thanks to my WONDERFUL and patient husband since I’m prego and have all of the momentum one should have to tackle house projects, and yet cannot contribute in any physical way!

Our Snow Day

2010-01-08T18:13:00.005-05:00

Ok, so it wasn't that impressive, but we did get some snow in Atlanta.

The adventurous bear going out into the snow!

And I gotta throw in a belly shot, right? Here I am at 31 weeks!

In Sickness and in Health

2010-01-03T16:10:00.002-05:00

The day before the day before Christmas Eve, Russell came home with a terrible head cold. The boy's immune system was nil after working until 3 or 4 in the morning, and getting zero sleep. We are ALL looking forward to a much more calm January. Jameson woke up on Christmas Eve with a runny nose, that turned faucet in the days to come- poor little guy. I thought I was in the clear, that is, until we got home from Memphis. What time did I go to bed on New Years Eve? 9:30....that's right. A shaky end to the year, or a shaky beginning? Whichever, I know that today I am on the mend. Thankfully I woke up this morning with a less-fuzzy head and managed to croak out "Happy Anniversary" to my husband of six years today. Love you, Russell.

Have Yourself a...

2009-12-21T14:42:00.001-05:00

To Believe

2009-12-18T09:37:00.006-05:00

I found a new blog recently that has become one of my favorites. It's called Chatting at the Sky, and the blogger herself is The Nester's sister, from what I gather. But instead of crafty home advice, sister's blog is about the every day...and I love that. She's real and honest...and I love love that.

In the last month I've had several conversations with my Christian friends about Santa. How much emphasis will I place on Santa, and the commercialism surrounding him vs the birth of Christ's Son? Can there be a balance in the home and so forth? I felt that at Jameson's age this Christmas, it was a mute point. I got his picture made with Santa at the mall just because that's what you do, right? It's funny and cute and J didn't know what a fat man in red had to do with anything. When I was little, Santa freaked me out. We didn't have a fireplace so I always wondered how he would get into our house. I did NOT want him to come through my bedroom window so I finally asked the question of all questions- is he real? What a relief to know Santa was my Dad! But I know for many families, it's a bigger deal to believe or not to believe. Chatting's post last week, To Believe, offers an interesting perspective so I thought I would share.

Oink! Oink!

2009-12-09T14:51:00.006-05:00

I love traditions, even silly ones! But I especially love Christmas traditions, and I'm so excited that Russell and I are starting new ones and continuing old ones with our growing family. Since the 1950s, Macy's in Atlanta has offered the Pink Pig train ride during the holidays. Our playgroup packed its sleigh and headed to Macy's early to get in line...only there was no line. A great problem to have on a rainy, icky day. The kids loved it, and it just might be a funny tradition we add to our repertoire!

Brrrrrr.....the Hiltons ringing in the Christmas season at an outdoor party!

What Christmas is All About

2009-12-02T16:26:00.003-05:00

My Mom gave Jameson a precious, talking Linus from my aunt's Hallmark store (shameless plug for Melanie's Hallmark at Poplar & Kirby in Memphis!). Press the shepherd clad Linus's foot, and he begins to tell Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about. Normally I would hide such a frequently played toy for a few days (you know the ones) to give me some sanity, but I don't mind little Linus reminding us each day...several times a day...of the true meaning of Christmas. So as I decked the halls this week, I could hear somewhere in the house:

For behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people. And on earth, peace, goodwill towards men. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Thankful for...

2009-11-24T11:07:00.007-05:00

our health this year
our roof and our bed
our babies, who are growing and growing every day
my husband, for his sacrifice and his love
weekends, my crockpot, smoothies, cuddling, and good books

but mostly, I am thnkful for grace and the One who gives it

First Football Game

2009-11-11T08:11:00.006-05:00

We took our little baby in the cold for his first football game this weekend, Tennessee vs Memphis. The whole family was there, and then.... wha-wha... the game started at 7:00 which is Jameson's bedtime! But we braved the cold anyways, bundled up, and crossed our fingers that we could stay until halftime. Surprisingly, yet not surprisingly with his Hilton genes, he watched the entire game until the last 4 minutes (see pic above)! Jameson loved watching fireworks after every touchdown, and especially the music from the band. He "danced" all night!

Leaving the stadium with DaDa

Some in orange, some in blue!

And we got to see Emily, Matthew & Abby- always a highlight when we go to Knoxville!

Monkey Biz

2009-11-01T16:15:00.010-05:00

Our weekend was a little bit tainted with Jameson having a 24 hr fever on Friday. Praise the Lord it was nothing more- I was a little freaked out. Our Halloween was kept indoors which was fine because it drizzled all day. On Tuesday our weekly playgroup had a Halloween party/brunch, and on Thursday we went trick-or-treating at Russell's office (an organized event, not a whim!). J was the smallest one, and the cutest I might add :) And since last year we didn't quite know what his costume was, this year I made sure we had a good one. Jameson was a monkey a.k.a. Curious George. Russell's deal closed on Friday so we had him all weekend- hooray!

I have kept myself busy this month furnishing our downstairs- child-proof style. I never thought I would say you can't have a white sofa with kids....but you can't I'm sorry to say. And you definitely can't have fabulous custom upholstered chairs from Ballard Design at your kitchen table....that's-for-sure. Well I guess you could if you're made of wipes and paper towels and you have the time to follow your child's every move 24/7, as well as other children who come over. The Ballards have moved to the dining room and I have new chairs. Once I put the finishing touches, I'll post pictures (let the anticipation rise).