Photografs Through Our Lens

Tuesday's Letters

2012-02-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Mr. Graf, Tonight I get to experience my first night of camper living. Shall we pray first? Dear U.S. Postal Service, UP stamps?! Could stamps get any cuter? Love it! Dear Maple Sausage, you remind me of when Gavin and I first moved in together and he cooked me breakfast every morning. Seems like ages ago... Dear new Sun Drop commercial, your are now my new favorite commercial. Boom Shakalaka, Boom Shakalaka, Boom!

What's your favorite commercial? I'm sure with the Super Bowl just airing, there are a few you liked!

Tuesday's Letters

2012-01-31T07:30:00.000-05:00

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Dear DJ Gav, thank you for the awesome soundtracks you make for me. Tunes such as "Bump That Rump" and "Hydraulics" really get me pumped for work. Dear Favorite Little Man, what makes a bad storm better? An early dismissal from school and an afternoon with you! Dear American Idol, your auditions are fab-u-lous. Especially the bad ones. Dear Lady Who Works Next to Gavin, thank you for making my day. Listening to your one-sided phone conversations is more entertaining than most TV shows. Keep up the good work.

On a serious note, February begins tomorrow and I'm expecting it to be a rough month seeing as my due date was February 5. Say a little prayer for me!

Planning, Packing, and Home Improvements

2012-01-30T15:24:00.003-05:00

We are emerging from a weekend of all of the above and I have to say- WHEW! I'm exhausted. Can I get another day off, please? We've been doing a lot of packing over the past few weeks and I'm amazed by all of the junk we have. I guess moving is a good time to clean out your closets (or your entire house), huh?

This weekend was our first weekend to really get some things accomplished because of the relentless rain that we've had for the past two weekends. With Gavin gone during the week, the only time we can do anything is on the weekends. So for the first time since all of this started, I feel a little accomplished. And I have to say- my husband is the bomb. I don't know of many people who can paint a bathroom and remodel a kitchen in two days. Right now, he's king of the world to me. Especially since I asked him what I could do to help and he told me to stay out of his way and go shop or something. Can do, my friend, can do.

I bet you're wondering why the heck I'd go shopping in the middle of home improvements, huh? Let's just say I didn't go on your average shopping trip. I went to buy stuff for the house. Stuff like a new oven because it's the only appliance we haven't updated since we've lived in our house. So yeah, kinda fun, but not really. Better than ripping out old counter tops and putting in new ones though, that's for sure.

Another positive on the weekend- I got to sleep in my own bed. Hallelujah! I haven't done that in two weeks and it was fantastic. So although I'm exhausted from the weekend, I'm also feeling pretty good about it. We got a lot accomplished and I got to sleep in my own bed. That's good stuff.

And because a post isn't a post without a picture, I'll leave you with a picture of two of my faves watching TV. Those two love some TV!

Tuesday's Letters

2012-01-24T21:34:00.001-05:00

Dear Gavy, after watching Grey's on Thursday you promised to sing to me when I'm old and have Alzheimer's. I love you more than cuppycakes! Dear Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant, Your bread is amaze balls. I'll take 50 loaves. Dear Maisy, how'd you get to be so cute? Dear sun, is that really you I saw today? I've missed you tremendously. How 'bout staying around awhile, mmmkay?

Do you get tired of the rain as much as I do? After basically two weeks of it, I'm ecstatic to see some sun!

Change is Coming

2012-01-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

This is all I've been able to think about recently- change is coming. This is our last week of our life being the "normal" that we've known for the past few years. Everything we've known is about to change. Let me back up...

After Gavin graduated from college, there was not a job opening in sight that worked with his degree. The only job he could find was working construction. He hung sheetrock before, so he took a job with the company his dad worked for hanging sheetrock. Two weeks later his boss discovered he had a college degree, was bilingual, and could read prints. Instant promotion. He became the field engineer on the job. So that's what he's been doing for the past few years. However, the job was temporary and we knew that it was coming to an end (July 2012 to be exact). He was offered to go to Colorado with the company after this job was over, but we knew that would be a stretch (although it would be pretty awesome to live in Colorado). We also knew that this was a temporary job in the sense that this was not a career- not something that he wanted to do for the rest of his life. It didn't offer benefits, retirement, or even paid sick days/vacation.

So while Gavin has been working this job for the past few years, he has also been applying for jobs in a field related to his college degree. And last month he finally heard something back. He was emailed about a phone interview, in which he would be one of 60 prospective hires. By now we weren't really getting our hopes up (let's face it, we haven't had the best luck with life lately). He was very nervous so as I left the house before his phone interview, I told him "Remember it's not the end of the world if you don't do well. There are 59 other people. Be yourself and you'll be awesome. Good luck!" When I returned home from grocery shopping he was still on the phone with the interviewers which we both took as a good sign. They told him they'd let him know within the next few days.

Two days later he was called and asked to come in for a face-to-face interview after the new year. He was one of their top 5! We were both super excited, but still refused to get our hopes up. We figured the other 4 would be tough to beat and also considered our luck lately. I took his suit to the cleaners, helped him read up on the material they'd be discussing at the interview, and tried to be a supportive wife in general. Two weeks ago he headed out for his interview and as he left I told him the same thing I had before his phone interview. I might have added "You da bomb!" to it though. And off he went.

After the interview he called and told me it went really well. They asked him to shadow someone in the same field for the rest of the day, which we both took as another good sign. He also told me that they were interviewing the last of the top 5 that afternoon and they were to let him know something by the end of the day. Fast forward to the next day and he hadn't received a call. I told him it was probably a tough decision for them and he'd probably receive a call later in the day.

Then, the call came at 6 that night while we were paying bills (fun, fun!). He talked to the lady for half an hour. When he got off the phone, he told me he was in the top 2 and had to go in to meet the director on Friday. Although he hadn't gotten the job, his demeanor had changed. He was much more confindent and hopeful than he had been. I had a good feeling.

So Friday, shortly after his interview, I received a text saying he was offered the job. And I immediately realized our life was about to change. You see, this job isn't local. It's about 90 minutes away. That's a long commute. We had loosely discussed our plans. We knew that moving would be the only option that would work well for both of us. So we're moving!
There's a lot of stuff we have to do before we can move. The main one being sell our house here. Which we haven't even put on the market yet. Which we probably won't be able to do for a month. But for now, we'll be in between. Gavin starts his new job this Friday, so we're taking the camper to a place closer to his job. He'll be living out of it until our house sells. He'll come home on the weekends so we can get the house ready to sell.

As excited as we are that things are finally starting to fall into place, we're also a bit nervous for what's to come. We have a long road ahead of us. One thing we're definitely not looking forward to is spending some days and nights apart. So prayers would be greatly appreciated. Life's a changin' folks. Ready or not.

Tuesday's Letters

2012-01-17T21:31:00.001-05:00

Dear Gav, last Friday I was concerned with you being cold at work after forgetting your mask. Your response of "I'm so hood!" accompanied by the above picture was hilarious. Thanks for the laugh. Dear cold, please go away. I don't have time to deal with you. Dear Pinterest, vanilla extract in paint does not eliminate the smell. Thatisall. Dear DVR, I'm officially dependent on you after only 2 weeks. What did I ever do without you?

Do you just stack your DVR with shows or do you delete then once you've watched them? I can't decide what to do with the shows I've watched! Should I leave only noteworthy shows and delete the rest, delete them all, or keep them until there's no more room and then delete?

Tuesday's Letters

2012-01-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

Dear hubby, have I ever told you how nice you look in a suit? Can't wait to see you like this more often. Dear pups, your nocturnal sleep habits are not appreciated. Keep it up and I'm kicking you out of the bed. Dear Dance Moms, you are so entertaining that we can waste and entire day watching you. Wow! Dear BCS, most boring game. ever. Can you say "Playoff System?"

What TV shows are you embarrassed to watch, but can't seem to stop watching? Gavin and I couldn't stop watching the Dance Moms marathon this weekend. It's almost as bad and Toddlers and Tiaras, but not as trashy. I'm ashamed.

Christmas Break

2012-01-05T11:18:00.004-05:00

As long as two and a half weeks off seemed for Christmas break, it sure did fly by. Here I am back at work and wondering where that two and a half weeks went. Here's just a little of what I did during my time off:

I had quite a few dates with this little man. On this night we went to Jason's Deli for some pizza and ice cream.

We also went with our friends Jeff, Ashley, and Cooper to check out the Ludy house. It was impressive as always. Cooper, however, was not impressed.

He spent most of his time sleeping. But then again, who can blame him?

I spent a lot of time baking with my new toy that my mom gave me for an early Christmas present. This thing is amazing and I've already gotten a lot of use out of it!

We also spent a lot of time with the pups. Most of it was spent cuddling...

The night before Christmas Eve we gathered with friends to fry Gavin's Christmas bonus.

But we saved it for Christmas night.

On Christmas Eve we put on a jammies and cuddled in the bed.

Which Maisy thinks is the best place on Earth.

Christmas morning was spent sleeping in and opening gifts. Then we headed to my mom's house to cook dinner and open more presents.

Later that night, we headed to Beth and Brett's for another Christmas dinner which has become tradition. We enjoyed Gavin's Christmas bonus too and opened presents. We also spent some time playing with Deacon's stash from Santa.

The next day I headed to one of my favorite places...

Where I got to spend some time with the littles...

Lexie cooked breakfast each morning, while Ashleigh and I hung out with the pups.

We also got to hang out on the beach some, which was wonderful as always.

I headed home later in the week to do some cleaning and reorganizing to prepare for our new wood floors.

And before I knew it, Christmas break was over!

I did do quite a bit of shopping while I was out too. New clothes and boots are great, but have you ever been to The Container Store? It's fabulous! Our house will definitely be more organized!

Tuesday's Letters

2012-01-03T20:13:00.001-05:00

Dear Gavo, I forgive you for forgetting to get me something for Christmas. Your credit card ended up being such a great present, I might just ask for that from now on! Dear Littles, I had so much hanging out last week. It amazes me how fast you are growing up! Dear Monopoly, for the first time in my life, I WIN! And I will probably never play you again. A 4 hour game is enough for me. Dear 2012, Please be good to us!

Happy New Year friends! Sorry I've been MIA, but it's been a crazy few weeks! Can you believe it's a new year?! What are you hoping 2012 brings you?

Tuesday's Letters

2011-12-20T13:32:00.001-05:00

Dear G, last week you and I dominated Christmas trivia at my work Christmas party. Reason #735 why you da best! Dear Christmas, here you are 5 days away and I'm completely done shopping. What to do, what to do? Dear Deacon, thanks for being my lunch date today. There's nobody else I'd rather eat pancakes with for lunch! Dear nap time, I'm so glad we get to visit every day for the next two and a half weeks. I think I hear you calling my name now...

What's your favorite thing to do on your day off? To me, there's nothing like an afternoon nap!

The Final Verdict

2011-12-19T11:19:00.001-05:00

I finally finished this year's Christmas card. I didn't really take much time with it, so I'm a little disappointed with it. Here it is:

I also created the following card for Monica. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I guess I tend to work harder on other's than my own!

Holiday Treats

2011-12-15T11:42:00.000-05:00

These week I've been making a lot of holiday treats for various events. I thought I'd fill you in on the two most popular. We'll start out with the Santa Hat Brownies:

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They look good, huh? They are! Here's what you'll need:

2 brownie mixes (unless you know how to make homemade brownies)

1 container of icing (or you can go with the homemade stuff)

Strawberries (I used 2 containers, but munched a little as I went)

Small circle cookie cutter

Start out by baking your brownies. I made mine a little thinner than usual so that my cookie cutter made it through. Let them cool. Use the cookie cutter to cut the brownies into small circles. Put icing in a ziploc bag and cut the corner just enough to squeeze the icing through. Squeeze a quarter sized amount of icing on the top of each brownie. Wash and cut the tops off of the strawberries. Place one strawberry on top of each brownie, lightly pushing down to push the icing out around the edges. Place a small dot of icing on the top of the strawberry.

Now let's move on to the S'mores Bars:

For these you'll need:

2 bags of milk chocolate chips

1 container of marshmellow fluff

1 box of graham crackers

Wax paper

Sprinkles (optional)

Snap your graham crackers into fourths. Spread marshmellow fluff on half of the graham crackers and place the uncovered graham crackers on top like a sandwich. Try not to use too much fluff, or it will later explode out of the sides (My husband compared this to a baby who has a blow out in their diaper. You can thank me later for the visual.). Use a double-boiler (or you can be creative and make your own with two pots) and pour the chocolate in the top pot. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Dip each "graham cracker sandwich" in the chocolate. Place dipped "sandwiches" on wax paper to cool. If you want to decorate them, let them cool slightly for a minute or two (not too much) before putting the sprinkles on.

Hope you enjoy these. They were both delish! The only problem I had was that they were a little messy to make. By the end of the night, I had chocolate all over my shirt and marshmellow fluff all in my freshly cut and styled hair. But we did end up having some chocolate left over, so we dipped our left over strawberries in it for desert. And all was right with the world!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-12-13T11:23:00.003-05:00

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Dear Gavin, last night while laying in bed I asked you to move over. You responded by bursting out in song singing "I'm on the edge of glory." Reason #501 why I love you. Dear scissors, you and I- we are not friends. You're fired! Dear school Christmas play, I'm glad you're over. Thatisall. Dear Maddie, your love of clean laundry is especially funny when you leave your bed, hop on the couch, leap into the laundry basket, and bury yourself in it. You're a silly pup!

Is there anything you just dread about the holiday season? I always dread the last week of school before the holiday break. There's no chaos like it. Pray for me!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

We finally got our naked tree decorated (it only took two weeks). Here's a few pictures we took last night:

And of course, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without our ethnic Santa!

The Great Christmas Card Debate

2011-12-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

So, Gavin and I can't decide on what picture we should use for this year's Christmas card. Let me rephrase that. We can't decide which picture to use for our "serious" Christmas card this year. We have a funny Christmas card that only people who get us will get. We know what picture to use for it, without a doubt. But the other one we are struggling with. So here's some of the pictures we took this year. I need your opinion on which one we should use!

So, which one should it be?

My Date

2011-12-07T18:49:00.001-05:00

As I said in an earlier post, I had a date with my favorite little man last Thursday. We took his pictures for the family Christmas card and he was a trooper. I picked him up from the school and we headed to my house to change him and pick up my camera. On the way home, he told me about his finger painting and sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to me. When he got tired of giving me the daily rundown, he said "Don't you got a movie or something?" Kids- they get right to the point. I turned on Robin Hood and he was a happy camper. After getting dressed and a slight disagreement over his attire, we were out the door. He did an awesome job! And I have to say, the pictures turned out pretty darn cute. See for yourself...

I love all of those, but these are my favorites:

Good lord, that's one cute kid! Towards the end he got tired of smiling, so we told him to say "Cheese, Jerk!" He loves to say the word jerk so that made his day!

You can check out the last batch of pictures I took of Deacon here. It's so fun to watch him grow!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-12-06T19:16:00.001-05:00

Dear Mr. Graf, After three rides on Space Mountain I'm glad we agree that it's still the best ride. Let's do it again! Dear Orlando, 80 degree weather + Disney World + Universal Studios = a good time. Thanks for the memories! Dear Christmas Tree, I'm sorry that we've left you naked for a week now. I'm sure we'll get around to decorating you sometime soon. Dear work, a week and a half until Christmas break. Let's move this along, mmmkay?

What's your favorite theme park ride? It's definitely Space Mountain for me, with The Hulk coming in at a close second.

A Busy Week

2011-12-02T09:51:00.001-05:00

Hello blog readers! Has your week been as busy as mine? Why does life seems to get so busy between Thanksgiving and Christmas? This is the time when I wish life would slow down a little bit. It's cold outside (a big change from the 80 degree weather last week), and when it's cold I like to snuggle in my bed with my main squeeze and our pups. But, with a week like we've had, there wasn't any cuddling going on in our house. It was more like our head hitting the pillow and we were out! We started off the week by heading out for our annual Great Christmas Tree Hunt with the Leatherwoods. First we had dinner at TGI Fridays and then off we went to find the perfect tree! Deacon was so much fun this year. He loved running around to find the perfect tree.

We finally found the perfect tree, paid the nice people at the tree farm, and strapped it to the roof of the car.

This week has been quite cold, so we ventured out on Tuesday to get the pups some new winter sweaters.

This picture of Maisy make me laugh. In case you didn't figure it out by now, she's in heat. She looks like she forgot to put on her pants here!

Wednesday we headed up to Opelika to get a new hitch put on my car for the camper. That took for.ev.er. Then, yesterday we had a super busy day. I had a hot afternoon date with Deacon. I picked him up from school and we headed down to the river walk for Christmas pictures. After that, Gavin and I headed over to his dad's house to celebrate his little brother, Warren's, 13th birthday. 13- WOW! I remember changing his diapers and how he's officially a teenager- YIKES!

Then, we headed to Outback to celebrate Richard, Brett's nephew's, birthday. It was delicious as always and it was good to hang out with the whole Leatherwood clan.

We got home late last night and had to do laundry and pack because we're headed to Disney World today. I'm so excited! I feel like a little kid again. I haven't been to Disney World since I was 12 years old. I can't wait to see the park decorated for Christmas and enjoy some warmer weather. I also plan on getting a little Christmas shopping done for some of my favorite munchkins while I'm there! We'll be taking the camper, which will make for a long and interesting drive, but it allows us to bring the pups with us.

Which brings me to a request. Please say a little prayer for my Maddie Moo. She had some tests run the other day, and the tests indicated possible early stages of kidney failure. We go back in two weeks to get the final verdict and we're praying hard that it was just a fluke in the tests. I'm trying not to worry about it, but I can't help but think of what could be. Her and Maisy are like our children and I can't imagine life without her!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-11-29T10:52:00.001-05:00

Dear Gavo, this Saturday you walked up on a live newscast from Toomer's Corner and asked the broadcaster "What happened to Kurt Schmitz?" It's been a long time since I've laughed that hard! Dear Black Friday, you got the best of me. I quit. You'll only see me for online shopping from now on. Dear Orlando, 78 degrees and sunny is alright with me. I'll see you Friday! Dear Maisy, I'd have to say you're pretty cute. But in a diaper, you're even cuter!

So did you get any good Black Friday deals? We were in line at Old Navy to get the free digital camera, but 12 people "cut" us in line and we never got one. Booo for poor organization on Old Navy's part. Gavin did rack up quite well at Best Buy though!

Iron Bowl 2011

2011-11-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

Well, the outcome of the Iron Bowl didn't go quite as well as we hoped for, but that was expected. But being the good sports we are, we still enjoyed our time tailgating, watching the game, and partying after. Here's some pictures from the day's events:

Our tailgate spot was across the street from Samford Hall.

Deacon was super excited for the game!

Before the game, Gavin and Deacon layed down for a nap.

Jessica and Krista stopped by to eat with us.

Then, it was finally game time!

Deacon knew to put his hand up when "All I Do is When" came on.

We headed downtown after the game with some friends.

And continued to cheer on our team.

We ended the night at 1716 with some drinks and pictures with Kenny Irons.

The Lumpkins

2011-11-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

My friend Monica asked me to take some pictures of her family a few weeks ago. We finally got around to it this weekend. The weather was a litle iffy, but Sunday after waiting out the rain, we headed to the park to snap some pictures. This was by far the easiest photo shoot I've had. Monica's daughter, Ellie, is a ham and definitely knows how to put it on for the camera. Here's a few of my favorite shots:

Tuesday's Letters

2011-11-22T09:22:00.001-05:00

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Dear Hubby, this weekend we watched Bad Teacher and Bridesmaids, which were both terrible, but we laughed at the same parts. Reason #174 why you da best! Dear IHOP, your pumpkin praline pancakes are awesome! Thatisall. Dear Black Friday, the ads are out, the plan is set. We'll show you who's boss. Dear Iron Bowl, here you are only 4 days away. This year we will be coming in style. I have high expectations for you.

Have you seen any Black Friday deals you can't pass up? Like last year, we have a game plan of which stores to hit at which times so that we are able to get more bang for our buck!

I Am A Slacker, but I Am Still Thankful

2011-11-21T08:28:00.001-05:00

Well, I haven't been doing to well with this whole "I Am Thankful" thing. I've really tried, but blogging every day can be tough! Anyway, I'll pick up where I left off...

Today I am thankful for friends. I have to say, I have some pretty awesome friends. Some I've been friends with for a very long time, while others I've picked up in the past few years. Either way, old and new, they are the best I could possibly ask for!

Halloween In A Nut Shell

2011-11-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

So I know I'm a little late, but better late then never. Here's pictures from our annual Halloween hayride...

I Am Thankful: Day 9

2011-11-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for cell phone cameras. For without them I would not be able to take such random pictures as these:

These are just a few of my favorite moments I've captured when I didn't have my big camera around. Glad I have my cell phone to capture these moments!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-11-15T07:16:00.001-05:00

Dear Gavy, this weekend I spent the weekend at the beach while you stayed home to babysit the dogs, clean the house, and watch football. I missed you like MacGyver misses paper clips. Dear Black Friday, you are quickly approaching. I can't wait to camp out with friends to get the best deals! Dear butt flap pajamas, why are you so awesome? I'm convinced I need you. Dear Starbucks, I recently discovered that your peppermint mocha is back. The only thing that would make it better is if I could order it with caffeine. Decaffeinated just isn't the same!

What are your favorite stores to hit up on Black Friday? There's so many good deals, it's hard to figure out where to start!

I Am Thankful: Day 8

2011-11-14T13:13:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful that the beach is close enough for a weekend trip. There isn't much else as beautiful as white sand and blue ocean. It's always so calming and relaxing. My mom and I spent the weekend in Destin and I loved every bit of it!

I Am Thankful: Day 7

2011-11-10T12:03:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for three day weekends, or in this case "fake Fridays." Tomorrow is Veteran's Day which means no work for me! We are going out to celebrate fake Friday tonight with friends and I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow. Then, my mom and I are headed to Destin for a little rest and relaxation. Since three day weekends rarely occur, I plan on enjoying every minute of mine!

Deacon's 1st Auburn Game

2011-11-09T17:45:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday Beth, Brett, Deacon, Gavin and I headed to Auburn for the Ole Miss game. This was Deacon's 1st Auburn game (he's only tailgated in the past). We decided to do the whole family friendly game day experience instead of the usual tailgating, which is something I haven't done since I was probably 7 years old.

We participated in all of the fan fare and got tons of free stuff which is always good. Gavin and Deacon took a picture for free hats, while Beth, Brett, and I waited in line to throw a football through a hole to get a free t-shirt.

When it came time to throw the football the only person who rang the hole was Deacon (with a little assistance from Gavin).

After that, we headed to the new museum to check out the coaches' trophy...

And visit Krista....
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On our way out, we ran into some of the Auburn cheerleaders who were coming in from Tiger Walk. We really wanted to get a picture of Deacon with them, but he got a little shy.

He did however give one of the male cheerleaders a fist bump...

Then we headed to the baseball fields to check in the stroller and all of our goodies.

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These pictures are funny to me. It looks like something from an episode of My Two Dads.

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On the way we ran into the cheerleaders and band as they pepped up the crowd before entering the stadium. Deacon joined in as they sang the fight song, which Beth has on video- sooo cute!

Then it was off to the game!

We got settled in and Deacon took it all in. His favorite part was when Beth would scream. .

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Gavin coached him on how to yell. By half-time Deacon was yelling things such as "Get 'em boys!", "Tackle 'em!", and "Touchdown Auburn!"

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We enjoyed the game, as well as a beautiful orange and blue sunset. God must be an Auburn fan too!

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We had a great time and Deacon was a trooper, hanging in there until the middle of the 4th quarter. We probably won't make it to another game this season, so I'm glad we had such a great time at this one!

I Am Thankful: Day 6

2011-11-08T15:44:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for forgiveness. In all forms forgiveness is wonderful. Most importantly the forgiveness that I am given for my sins. But today's story is about forgiveness from a child. Yep, you heard it right, forgiveness from a child. This afternoon as my students were packing up, many of them began to crowd around me to ask me questions about some of the papers I had just handed out. One student had just finished arguing with me about a grade that another teacher had given her, while I tried to justify the grade. At that moment one of the sweetest students came up to ask me a question and I snapped at her. In 2 years of teaching this child, I have never had to get onto her, so it came as quite a shock to her. I immediately felt guilty as she quietly walked back to her seat. After dealing with some other students and getting them settled, I looked over to her. She immediately busted out crying when we made eye contact. Hello horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I went over to her and explained why I had snapped at her, appologized for my actions, and hugged her neck. I seriously felt disgusted with myself. She was so sweet, and through tears she said she forgave me. Of course, the guilt I had didn't immediately subside. I still felt bad. But hearing her say that she forgave me let me know that in the end we'd be ok. Thank goodness for forgiveness. We'd all be in a bad place without it!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-11-08T08:42:00.000-05:00

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Dear Mr. Graf, last night we visited with a friend of yours who recently lost his wife. This made me so grateful to have a happy and healthy you and my husband. Dear traffic, you are not my friend. I'm pretty sure the good Lord is trying to teach me patience with you (as well as some other things), and I don't care to gain it. Dear Christmas Vacation, you are my absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time. When I see you on TV I squeal like a little girl. I'm happy that I get to enjoy your random appearances for the next two months! Dear LSU, thank you for winning Saturday's game. I had a few bets on you and you pulled through for me!

What tests your patience? I am probably one of the most impatient people in the world and I have never prayed for patience, nor will I ever. My patience is tested enough that I don't need God giving me more circumstances to test it!

I Am Thankful: Day 5

2011-11-07T09:03:00.002-05:00

I am super thankful for bye weeks today! For without them, I might never have a fall getaway with my husband. Seriously, he does not like to leave town during football season (really he doesn't leave the TV). So this weekend we were able to getaway and go visit my favorite cousin, Allison, in Nashville. It was wonderful to escape this town we call home and hang out with family. So, yay for bye weeks! Next weekend I'll be headed to Destin sans hubby (thanks again, football season).

Baby Cooper

2011-11-04T10:52:00.001-04:00

Last week I had the opportunity to take some pictures of our friends Ashley and Jeff's newest addition, Cooper. He was so sweet and I loved every minute I got to spend with him! Here's a few of my favorite shots:

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I Am Thankful: Day 4

2011-11-04T08:17:00.003-04:00

Today I am thankful that my husband raided the Dolly Madison store last week. This morning I was looking for something to eat for breakfast and couldn't find a thing. You see, we are headed out of town this weekend and have decided the grocery store can wait until our return. We're really only out of orange juice, milk, cereal, and bananas, but those things are my breakfast of choice when I'm on the go. I was down to my last resort, the snack cabinet, and when I opened it I discovered Dunkin' Sticks (basically a long, skinny donut with no hole). Definitely the breakfast of champions!

I Am Thankful: Day 3

2011-11-03T14:40:00.002-04:00

Today I am thankful for Maddie and Maisy. Since we don't have children, we treat them as if they are our kids. There is nothing like coming home from a long days work to two sweet puppies who want nothing more than to love on you and snuggle. And I might be biased, but they are pretty cute too.

I Am Thankful: Day 2

2011-11-02T19:14:00.001-04:00

Today I am thankful for my sweet, silly husband. He is always here for me no matter how crabby I may act, to make me laugh or show me that he loves me. Here's just a few of the sweet things he's done in the past week:

1. My mom showed up unannounced one night while he was cooking dinner. He had only made enough for me and him to eat, but offered her dinner anyway. Basically, he gave her his meal. After she left he made himself a sandwich and said "I didn't want her to have to eat alone tonight."

2. Sunday I wasn't feeling well so he cleaned up the house, changed the sheets on the bed, and folded laundry, all after making me breakfast in bed.

3. After taking the day off to go shopping yesterday, I came home and told hime that some friends were headed out for drinks. I told him I wasn't going to go because I had been gone all day. He told me that he could tell I wanted to go and ushered me out of the door and told me to go have fun.

And here's some silly outtakes of a maternity shoot I did for a friend. As always, he was there to entertain!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-11-01T20:11:00.001-04:00

Dear Gav, Sunday you brought me breakfast in bed and watched scary movies with me all day. Reason #328 why you da best! Dear October, I'm pretty sure you were longer than usual. No offense, but I'm glad to see you go. Dear Cash & Carry, you are by far my most favorite day at the mart. Our best find would have to be the $10 Lappers. I'm thinking I should have bought more! Dear personal days, I'm not sure of you'll ever know how much you mean to me. I. Love. You.

What's your favorite thing to do on your day off? Today Beth and I went to the mart for Cash & Carry. Shopping is great therapy!

I Am Thankful

2011-11-01T07:30:00.000-04:00

This month I have decided to blog about one thing that I am thankful for each day in hopes that I will see more of the positives in my life. So here goes...

Today I am thankful for my job. Teaching is truly one of the best jobs. Summers and holidays off, getting home from work by 4:00, and paid sick and personal days- you just can't beat that. Sometimes I complain, but for the most part I am happy with what I do. And with so many people being jobless, I am grateful to have one!

Right Now

2011-10-27T15:35:00.000-04:00

I am...

Watching: the computer

Eating: Nerds

Drinking: Water

Wearing: a tutu. It's rockstar day for Red Ribbon Week.

Avoiding: work

Feeling: exhausted

Missing: my pups. Who wouldn't miss this?

Thankful: for my health

Weather: sunny and 78 degrees

Praying: for a childhood friend of Gavin's whos wife passed away this morning

Needing: rest

Thinking: of my to do list- there's a lot on it.

Loving: my sweet husband. Tuesday he cooked dinner and when my mom showed up unannounced, he gave her his food. Then he stayed at the hospital all night with his granddaddy. And yesterday I found out he did something really sweet for me a few weeks ago. I wonder what he wants?

What are you doing right now?

Tuesday's Letters

2011-10-25T08:14:00.000-04:00

Dear G, while you watched football on Saturday you also folded 5 loads of laundry and cleaned the living room. You definitely know the way to my heart! Dear Baby Cooper, welcome to the world! Your sweet little cheeks are the cutest. I can't wait to love on you for many years to come! Dear Snickers Peanut Butter, holy moly Captain Canoli! Where have you been all my life? I'm. In. Love. Dear tacky day, I have been waiting on you since I was sick on last year's tacky day. I have my royal blue Reebok high tops and neon spandex pants ready for you. Can't wait!

What was your favorite dress up day in high school? One good thing about being a teacher is having the opportunity to dress silly during Red Ribbon Week/Homecoming. I'd have to say my favorite day is Tacky Day. Costume Day comes in as a close second.

Let Them Be Little

2011-10-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've entered an I Heart Faces photo challenge. I'm going to try better to get back into them again.

This weeks challenge is titled "Let Them Be Little." I thought the picture of Deacon digging into his birthday cake was a pretty good representation of this. An oldie but a goodie, for sure!

A Day on the Plains

2011-10-20T09:07:00.002-04:00

Saturday we spent the day tailgating in Auburn for the Auburn/Florida game. It was a beautiful day out and I was excited to tailgate for the first time this season.

We arrived at our spot around noon and the boys immediately started cooking. Wings and fries was the first meal of the day. Beth, Deacon, and I headed to some of our favorite stores in Auburn for a little shopping while the boys manned the friers and coolers. When we arrived back it was time to eat!
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The boys played a little football and then it was back to cooking. Our 2nd round of deliciousness was a low country boil. Acutally two low country boils, one for Gavin and Brett without shrimp (both of them are allergic), and one with shrimp for the rest of us.
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About an hour and a half before game time Gavin and Deacon set up post to yell "War Eagle!" to the fans that were headed to the game. For the record, Deacon yelling War Eagle to everyone = cutest thing ever!

Thirty minutes before the game we headed over to Matt and Monica's house to watch the game. Since it was a late game, Beth and Brett headed home during halftime to put Deacon to bed. The rest of us stayed put to cheer our tigers on to victory. Some of the boys were a little too excited about the W...
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And at the end of the night all was right on the plains!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-10-18T13:39:00.001-04:00

Dear Hubby, this weekend was jam packed with the fair, tailgating, the Auburn/Florida game, and a movie. But my favorite part was the sweet words "I'm going home with my wife" when the rest of the guys were headed to the bars. Dear Deacon, this weekend I let you play with my phone. Later, I found 38 pictures like the one above. You're cuter and smarter than words can explain! Dear new camera, I am so happy to have you in my life. Life without a camera was just too tough! Dear Halloween, you're quickly approaching and I'm getting worried about finding a costume. Could you hold off for another few weeks?

What are you going to be or Halloween? Usually I have some fabulous idea, but this year I got nothin'. Any suggestions?

Georgia National Fair

2011-10-17T08:39:00.000-04:00

Friday afternoon Beth, Brett, Deacon, Gavin, and I hopped in the car and headed to Perry, GA for the Georgia National Fair. We were all excited about the games, rides, and most importantly the greasy fair food. Because of the crowds last year, we decided to go on the 2nd weekend of the fair instead of the 1st. What a difference that made! It wasn't nearly as crowded and made for a good little night out. As soon as we got there we decided to head to the petting zoo, but on the way there Deacon spotted his favorite toys. We had to stop!

Then it was off to the petting zoo.

Next up- fair food. Giant corn dogs and funnel cakes for everyone! Deacon enjoyed checking out the rides while we ate.

After that we headed to the rides. Deacon and Brett rode the ferris wheel. That's one ride I will never ride!

Beth and Deacon hopped on a roller coaster and as they were taking off Brett and I noticed the sign:

See that second picture? That would mean no pregnant people should ride the ride. See that girl on the ride? That'd be a pregnant person. The ride wasn't rough at all, but we spent the rest of the night checking the fair out while Beth googled pregnancy + roller coasters.

By 10:00 we were loaded back in the car and headed home. Deacon and Gavin had collected tons of fair toys to enjoy for the next few weeks! It was a good night.

Slight Panicking Going On... Now!

2011-10-14T09:27:00.002-04:00

I sold my camera folks! Yep, that's right. The price was right and I bit. The buyer? My dad. And he needed it quick, so I shipped it out last night. I'm not sure if he understands that it's not just the camera that takes awesome pictures. I'd like to think it has something to do with the photographer + editing. But, like I said, the price was right and I couldn't say no. So, I sold it. When I shipped it off, I had to include the message "awesomeness not included" with it. Seriously, I don't even know if my dad knows how to use the thing. Maybe I should have sent the message "good luck" instead.

So now, I'm in panic mode. Here's why: 1. We are going to the fair tonight. I love fair pictures. But all I have is a phone to take them with. Boo. 2. My good friend Ashley is having baby Cooper today. Guess who's supposed to take his newborn pictures on Monday. If you guessed me, you're right. Major panic setting in right. about. now.

Say a little prayer for me. I've got to get a camera as soon as possible. Yikes!

Fall Goals

2011-10-12T11:30:00.001-04:00

My friend Beth over at Feels Like Home to Me recently posted her fall goals for this year and challenged me to post mine as well. It took me a while to come up with these, but here goes:

1. Enjoy the fall weather. I'm such a summer person that I get a little sad when fall comes around because that means winter is on it's tail. I really do like fall. I love when the leaves start changing and it is a nice change from the summer heat. So I really want to enjoy the outdoors and the cooler (but not cold) weather while it's here.

via

2. Cook more. If you know me well at all, you know that I am not much of a cook. Mostly because it's not something I love to do. Occasionally I'll whip something up, but that usually happens about once a month (yikes, that sounds worse when I actually type that out!). I've found a lot of yummy recipes on Pinterest and I really do want to try them out this fall.

3. Relax. Easier said than done. I'm not too good at this one. Why is it that fall is such a busy season? We have something going on almost every weekend, so relaxing is going to be a tough one.

via

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4. Do some fun fall crafts with my class. I love doing fun activities with my class, but now that they switch classes it's hard to find the time. Last week we did carve a pumpkin and next week we're going to try to make slime. I'll let you know how that goes!

5. Take more pictures with my camera. I had to be specific on that one. I've been taking pictures, but they've been with my phone. This one might be tough too, because my new iPhone comes in Friday and it's camera is supposed to be awesome! But I need to get back into the mode of taking my big, bulky camera with me because there's so much going on in the next few months.

Tuesday's Letters

2011-10-11T10:03:00.001-04:00

Dear Gavy, Friday night you carved my pumpkin while I drank wine and watched VH1's 100 Best Songs of the 00s. Reason #276 why you da best! Dear Checkers french fries, what is it about you that I love so much? There's nothing like a cup full of you after a long night out. Dear fall wardrobe, I think it's time for a revamp. I just hope my credit card can handle it! Dear Matte About You nail polish, I am officially obsessed! There's just something BA about flat black nail polish.

What is your favorite fall outfit? I'm a planner, so I've neglected my fall/winter wardrobe for 2 years with the intentions of getting pregnant. It's definitely time to go shopping!

Party Party

2011-10-10T11:10:00.001-04:00

This past week Gavin and I attended two parties. One was at my mom's house. It was a retirement party for a good friend of hers who just so happened to be Gavin's high school anatomy teacher. We enjoyed some good food and conversation. Here's a picture of us before the party:

Saturday we attended a birthday party. Actually a surprise birthday party for two people. Beth's parents both hit the big 5-0 this fall and her brother and her put together a fun party with good food and a band. We spent the night eating, watching football,

and dancing. Fun, fun. My favorite dancing partner was this little man:

We had a lot of fun spending time with friends at both parties.

On a side note, I have a confession to make. I've lost my camera. I'm not very concerned about this becuase I am sure that it's in my house or car. I plan on doing some cleaning this week and I'm sure I'll find it then (sad, I know). Until then it'll be iPhone pictures for me, which really is all I've been taking lately anyway. I'm such a slacker.

The Pate/Lisle Clan

2011-10-06T08:42:00.003-04:00

As I said in a previous post, Gavin and I headed down to the beach with Beth's family for Labor Day weekend. One thing that was on the agenda for the weekend was taking pictures on the beach. We were all a little worried when we saw the weekend's forecast, but we waited it out for a good time. Saturday afternoon we were blessed to have enough time for everyone to shower and get ready and snap some pictures. I had to work fast. It sprinkled a little bit, but we made do with Gavin as my assisstant holding an umbrella over me and the camera. I also moved fast because there were a lot of little ones to snap pictures of and I know how impatient little ones can get. I ended up getting over 150 good pictures so I was super happy about that. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Beth had asked me to take a few pictures of Deacon for his 2 year pictures. I had a feeling that he would be burned out after all of the picture taking going on earlier, but we attempted to take some anyway. Here's a few of my favorites:.

One positive thing about taking pictures during a tropical storm- check out the waves in the background!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-10-04T08:23:00.001-04:00

Dear Hubby, for our anniversary you gave me flowers and a stomach virus. I'll just take flowers next time. Dear stomach virus, you definitely put a damper on our anniversary plans. I mean, could you have picked a more inconvenient time to bless us with your presence? Dear Modern Family, welcome back to my life. You make me laugh uncontrollably and I love you for that. Dear fall, personally I'm more of a summer girl, but you're my second favorite. As long as you stay around a while, we're good.

What do you love most about fall? I'd have to say I get pretty giddy around Halloween. I mean, when else do grown ups have an excuse to dress up and look like fools?!

10 Things I Learned On Our Road Trip to Philly

2011-10-03T08:57:00.000-04:00

1. Northerners can't drive ~~in the rain~~.

2. I like taking pictures when driving over bridges. See below:

Exhibit A: The Delaware Bridge

Exhibit B: The Golden Gate Bridge

Exhibit C: The Charleston Bridge

3. Geno's Steaks is the best. Thatisall.

4. Doggies like Geno's too.

5. Our dogs have a fascination with trains like that of a two year old boy.

6. Tunnels are very fun to drive fast in.

7. A big, grown man walking a tiny dog in the city doesn't look too manly.

8. If you lock your bike up in Philadelphia so it's not stolen, they'll just steal your tires. And your handle bar grips. And whatever else they can get off of the bike.

9. GPS needs an "avoid ghetto" routing option.

10. Forgetting my camera is almost as painful as having blood drawn.

4 Years Ago

2011-09-29T11:06:00.003-04:00

4 years ago today I married my best friend. Happy Anniversary Gavin! I love you like Paula Deen loves butter!

(Sorry for the poor quality picture- it's from my old cell phone.)

Waiting v. Giving Up

2011-09-28T14:32:00.000-04:00

The other day, I saw this on pinterest and thought "wow, that's so true." I can definitely relate to this in my life right now. We've tried for so long to have a child and I know it will happen in God's time. But it's so hard to wait. But just as this quote says, it's even harder to give up. I'm not going to lie, I did temporarily give up. Everything that happened in July was so hard on us, I still can't fathom the idea of going through it again. But I also realize that it's not something I can just give up on because my want for a child is too strong to give up on. I'm not sure what the next step is for us and I know I'm nowhere near ready to start fertility treatments again (if ever at all). So right now, we're just kinda stuck in the middle. I guess we're just waiting on God right now and hoping that something will happen.

Tuesday's Letters

2011-09-27T08:39:00.001-04:00

Dear Mr. Graf, this week we celebrate 4 years of marriage. We've been through a lot in the past 4 years and I can honestly say that no matter what, life is good as long as you're in it! Dear roadtrip, why did I think you were a good idea? 2,000 miles in 3 days was not a good idea. Now, I need a massage. Dear cupcakes, why must I have an obsession with you? It's sad that I can spot a bakery from a mile away and insist on checking out their cupcakes. Dear Geno's, it's a good thing you are so far away otherwise I'd gain a lot of weight. Your cheesesteak "wit" whiz is by far the best I've ever had.

Do you have a special restaurant you like to visit when you're out of town? This weekend we traveled to Philadelphia and had to eat at Geno's Steaks. There's just nothing like it!

Hey Good Lookin'

2011-09-21T11:20:00.003-04:00

Watcha got cookin'?

Last night we had a delicious dinner at our house with our friends Beth and Brett. I wanted to try out some new recipes and I knew they'd forgive me if they got food poinsoning. Both of the new recipes I tried turned out to be wonderful, so I thought I'd share them with you.

First, we had a brown sugar and balsamic glazed pork loin.

Yummo! We ate scalloped potatoes and green beans with it.

For desert I cooked some lemon burst cookies. These are some of the easiest cookies to make and they are by far my favorite cookies to eat!

So here's the recipes. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork

Ingredients:

1 two pound boneless pork loin

1 tsp. ground sage

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 crushed garlic clove

1/2 cup water

Glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cups water

2 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions: Combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine the glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat and stir until the mixture thickens. Brush the roast with the glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve the remaining glaze on the side.

Lemon Burst Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix

1 8oz. container of cool whip

1 egg

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cool whip, egg, and cake mix until well blended. Dough will be thick and sticky. Drop a teaspoonful into a bowl a bowl of powdered sugar and roll to coat. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes. Let cool.

Tuesday's Letters

2011-09-20T07:53:00.001-04:00

Dear Coupon King, your ability to save us money amazes me. Yous gots some mad couponing skills. This means I get to spend more money on clothes- bonus! Dear Coffee, oh how I miss thee. It hurts my feelings that you give me migraines. To suffice, I stand in the coffee aisle at the grocery store and dream of life with you. Sad, I know. Dear J.Crew, please stop sending me emails and magazines about your new fall collection. The temptation is becoming unbearable. Dear Dancing with the Stars, you're really grasping for the "stars," huh? I'm more than a little disappointed at this seasons line up. You need to step it up.

All of my favorite shows have their season premiers this week and I am so excited I can hardly stand it. What shows are you most looking forward to watching this fall? This girl right here is pumped for some Grey's Anatomy!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-09-13T09:41:00.001-04:00

Dear "Schmedium," just when I think your done making me laugh for the day, you post something new on your facebook. Seriously?! Hih. Lare. E. Us. Dear Cardiac Kids (also known as the Auburn football team), you stepped it up a bit this weekend, but your close calls are not appreciated. Let's kick it up a notch against Clemson, okay? Dear 'Peppers, when we hang out I eat too much. Breakfast casserole, filet, mac n' cheese, drunken' chicken, and pizza within 8 hours is a big no no. Dear weekend, why you move so fast? I'm voting for you to become a 3 day event from now on.

With football season in full swing, there's never a shortage of good food. What's your favorite tailgate food? I'd have to say mine is anything barbecued. The epitome of health, right?

The Beach and Lee

2011-09-08T10:58:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we headed down to the beach with the Lisle/Leatherwood/Pate families. We were warned that Tropical Storm Lee was on it's way, but we braved the trip anyway and ended up having a blast. Friday we were all decked out in our Auburn colors to show our team spirit and when we stopped at Krystal's in Dothan, I just had to snap a picture of my little buddy in his Cam Newton jersey.

We arrived at the beach late Friday night and after a quick trip to the store we headed to bed. Saturday we woke up to lots of wind and rain, but we didn't let that bring us down. We hung out at the condo and watched some college football. I won't say much about the Auburn game, except that in the end we won and that's all that matters. Saturday evening it cleared up a little so we headed out on to the beach in our clothes for a little fun. The kids played in the water with our supervision while we hung out on the beach and chatted. After dinner that night, we broke out the sparklers.

Sunday we woke up to more of Lee, but we had plans- plans to have fun. So we started out the morning with breakfast at Flour Power, which was delish as always! After a catnap to sleep off breakfast, we headed out to Fun Land for some games, dipped cones, and 99 cent beer. Can't beat that!

On our way back to condo, we stopped by Dippin' Dots for some ice cream.

And then we headed to some of the beach stores. Our favorite one was Everything's a Dollar where we found Gavin this sweet shirt and fanny pack...

Which he proceeded to wear out and about as we continued to shop. Sunday evening it continued to rain, but we had plans to grill steaks, so grill steaks we did. Then we finished up the night with a little Scategories.

And somehow Gavin and Beth both won. Cheaters.

Monday we packed our stuff and headed home early because another band of rain was quickly approaching. We got home just in time because the bottom fell out soon after. We ended up having a great trip, even with Lee, and I can't wait to go back!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-09-06T08:20:00.001-04:00

Dear Gavy, this weekend we discussed finding our purpose in life and helping others recognize their good qualities to help then find their purpose at "church". I immediately knew yours- you are so kind and good with the elderly and children. I'd have to say that's a pretty good quality right there! Dear weekend, you were filled with great friends, lots of laughs, good food, a little beach time, a trip to Fun Land, and board games. One word- WINNING! Dear Tropical Storm Lee, you thought you'd ruin our weekend, but little did you know we could still whip up a batch of fun! In yo' face! Dear Auburn, you about gave me a heart attack on Saturday. Your defense better step it up. Play better next Saturday, mmmkay? Dear 60* Weather, where did you come from and why are you here? I'd like for you to leave immediately and not return until, ummm, December. Holla!

How was your long weekend? We headed down to PCB with Beth, Brett, and Beth's family. Lee brought in some major wind and rain, which meant we had to get creative with things to do, which brings me to my next question. What's your favorite board game? We played Scategories A LOT this weekend. It's time to find some new games for our game nights, and I need your help!

Oh, and did you see this link on Yahoo! today? It brings up the white after Labor Day issue. Thanks for the clarification Yahoo! I'll be busting out some white after Labor Day.

Weekend in Atlanta

2011-09-02T08:37:00.002-04:00

Two weekends ago Gavin and I headed to Atlanta with our friends Kim and Ward. On the agenda, the boys had free concert tickets and we wanted to go to a Braves game. We left early Friday afternoon and headed north. Kim and I dropped the boys off at the concert and checked into the Sheraton for the weekend. Then, we located the closest Melting Pot and headed over to ~~stuff our faces~~ eat. It was delicious! If you've never been, you should go. Gavin and I went years ago, but Kim had never been. We had a wonderful evening of girl talk with lots of fondue!

The boys got a cab back to the hotel and got in around midnight and we had a surprise for them when they arrived! The Sheraton had overbooked that Friday night and all they had for us was one king sized bed (if we hadn't already paid, we would have left). Luckily Kim keeps an air mattress in her car so we were able to bring that up. Unluckily, the air mattress had a hole in it. We ended up getting a roll away bed, which neither of them had heard of (hello? Spring break?), for Ward to sleep on and Kim and I took the bed while Gavin took the holey air mattress (which we didn't realize had a hole until the next day). It definitely made for an interesting night.

The next morning we ventured out for breakfast and ended up at The Flying Biscuit. I had the most delicious french toast I think I've ever had. Once again, if you haven't been there, you should go. Then, we headed to Lenox Square for a little shopping. By noon we were headed back to the hotel to get ready for the Braves game. We didn't have tickets and they were playing the Cubs, so we knew it would be a sell out. We planned on heading over there early. And head over there early, we did. About 3 hours early.

We ended up getting tickets for only $1, but the catch was you had to enter the park immediately. What a way to get you to spend more money! We headed to The Chophouse for a late lunch.

After wearing out our stay at The Chophouse, we decided to walk around. It was hot, I'm talking real hot. So we payed a dollar to go in the museum and cool off.
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After cooling off, we decided to head to our seats in the nose bleeds. And we were in for another surprise. You know those fireworks they shoot after every stike-out? We were sitting right beside them..

The Braves were losing pretty bad at the bottom of the 7th, so we decided to go ahead and head back to the hotel to clean up and head out for a night on the town. When we got back to our hotel, we had another surprise waiting on us (a better one than the others). Because of the inconvenience the night before, they upgraded our room to a suite! Now that's a good surprise! Before heading out, I wanted to get a picture of Gavin and me, but obviously I forgot how difficult it is to get a serious picture with him is....
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But we finally managed to get a decent one in..
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And then we headed out for the night. I did snap this nice picture with my phone in the elevator before we left...

And that's just how he went out. Jealous, ladies? I didn't think so. We headed down to an Irish Pub called Meehan's, where we met Kim's sister and her fiance for dinner. Our food was okay. The atmosphere was great. I love Irish Pubs anyway, so maybe it was just me. Gavin and I decided to call it an early night while the others headed down to the original Flip Flops.

All in all, it was a great weekend. We are still laughing about the fact that a free concert and $1 Braves ticket ended up being around $400 in hotel and food costs. But as Gavin said, "how often do we do this? Let's enjoy." And enjoy we did!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-08-30T12:49:00.001-04:00

Dear Cabana Boy, this weekend we lazed in the pool and enjoyed the sun. Thanks for relaxing and hanging out with me. You da best! Dear Shakespeare, I know we call you Lazarus, but it's only a joke. I love you and if you ever run away again I don't know what I'll do. Looking for you at 11 p.m. is not fun! Dear white pants, I'm gonna miss ya. It's been fun and I'll see you next year. Dear back to school yuckies, please go away! I don't have time to be sick right now.

Like my picture? My 15 year old one-eyed, deaf dog, Shakespeare, ran away last night. After searching for 3 hours, we put up missing signs and called it a night. This morning a lady called my mom to tell her they took him to the pound yesterday. Gavin immediately headed to pick him up and sent me this picture. I'm so glad he is ok!

With Labor Day around the corner, all of my white clothes are getting one last wear. So my question to you is, is the "white rule" still to be followed and do you follow it? I'm seriously contemplating being a rebel and wearing white after Labor Day!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-08-23T08:25:00.001-04:00

Dear Chef Boy r Hubby, your cooking amazes me! Your latest, the lemon porkchops, are the shiz! Dear Mom, last week you found my old soccer cleats box. It was full of A) 12 year old love notes from Gavin B) pictures from high school C) old candybar wrappers I hid from you or D) all of the above. Thanks for keeping all of my junk. Dear Rotel Shells & Cheese, where have you been all my life? I heart you. Dear Kitchen, this weekend you got organized. Now, would you please stay that way?

Is there something special that you've held onto from someone that you love? I completely forgot about all of the notes Gavin and I used to write to each other until last week. I'll probably never have time to look through them all, but it's still neat to have them all.

Shame

2011-08-20T09:33:00.001-04:00

I am full of it. I found out that two of my good friends are pregnant this week. I feel like I reacted in the right way. I told them both I was happy for them. The problem is, one of my reactions was more forced than the other. The first friend I was happy for. She has had miscarriages in the past, so when she told me she was pregnant I was that glad that this pregnancy was going well for her.

But the other, was different. I said I was happy for her. I told her congratulations. But later, it started to sink in. I think what was hardest was her saying it was an accident. How is it so easy for a person to accidentally get pregnant, but so hard for someone who's been trying for so long? It just doesn't seem fair.

I tried to let it go. But last night it came back- at 4a.m. as I laid in bed. I told myself: I don't want her baby, I want my own. Which is very true. But then I realized: I will see her more often than the other friend (way more often) & watch as her belly grows. My belly should be growing too. Then, I thought: I'm supposed to give her a shower. I have given her one before. Not only that, but the shower will have to be around my failed pregnancy's due date. Then I think, I don't know if I can handle that. So that makes me a bad friend. I feel like a horrible friend for having these thoughts and feelings.

I'm so ashamed for the way I feel. I also feel bad because neither of my friends wanted to tell me in the first place. And although I understand, it hurts that they dreaded telling me something that they should be so excited to tell. I felt like I was getting better. Everything that's been going on was off my mind. Then all of this happened and it brought back feelings that I thought had disappeared.

Tuesday's Letters

2011-08-16T08:20:00.002-04:00

Dear Mr. Graf, this weekend you made a make-shift cooler out of our hotel room sink and rocked a faux hawk. Your creativity inspires me. Dear 'Peppers, this weekend's spontaneous trip to Atlanta was good fun, but by far the most expensive "free concert" I've ever experienced! Dear school, last night I fell asleep at 8:00 after taking a nap at 5:30. You're wearing me out already! Dear new dishwasher, you are the bomb. That is all.

Have you ever gone on a trip without planning it? If so, where did you go and what did you do? I'll post more on our unplanned trip later.

Tuesday's Letters

2011-08-09T16:06:00.004-04:00

Dear Gavin, hopefully you've learned your lesson about waking me up at five o'clock on my last day of summer. Enjoy your new bank card with baby chickens on it. It should be a good conversation starter. Dear Monica, thanks for the fun beach trip. I needed to sing 80s music extremely loud while playing the air drums and laugh until my sides hurt. And although your suggestion to use diaper cream to eliminate my sunburn didn't work as planned, it made for a good laugh when it didn't come off. Dear new dishwasher, I am so excited you have finally arrived! I have been waiting a really long time for you and can't wait to "give you a spin." Dear First Day of School, be good to me. 5th grade scares me.

What are some pranks you have played on your loved ones? Gavin begged me to order him a new bank card after his last one broke, so I did. I ordered him one with baby chickens on it (I looked for kittens, but couldn't find one.)

Tuesday's Letters

2011-08-02T10:48:00.004-04:00

Dear Gavo, the other night you happened upon one of your little brother's shirts while doing laundry and decided to model it for me. Reason #362 why I love you. Dear punks, seriously?! You come to my mom's new house 2 days after closing to dig up and steal her plants. Seriously?! Dear August, go away and don't come back for another 3 weeks. I'm not ready for school to start. Dear beach, girls trip. This weekend. Be ready!

What are some of the things you try to cram in before the end of summer? One last beach trip is a must for me!

2?!

2011-07-28T18:12:00.002-04:00

A little past due, but I couldn't skip it. My favorite little man turned two almost a month ago and I just finished editing the pictures (sad, I know).

His newest obsession? Cars. So a Cars party it was.

There was a Cars pool, complete with a Cars beachball.

A Cars Slip n' Slide.

And even a car wash for the kids to run through. Of course, a birthday party isn't complete without presents- and there were LOTS!

And cake.

But the best part came after the crowd thinned out. Brett threw some steaks on the grill and a few of us just hung out and watched the babies play in the water.

Of course, Deacon is a Leatherwood, so he had to grill up some goodies of his own.

And the night ended with popsicles.

All in all, a successful event put on by our good friends. I still can't believe that Deacon is now 2 years old! Happy (belated) Birthday Little Man!

Tuesday's Letters

2011-07-26T15:56:00.003-04:00

Dear Husband, you made my weekend great. Thanks for being the master chef on the grill while the rest of us enjoyed the pool. You da best! Dear Jess, I'm so glad you came to hang out with me this weekend. There's nothing like listening to old rap and reminiscing about high school with you! You made me laugh lots & have awesome insight on life. I loves you lots. Dear Favorite Little Man, when you say my name it makes my heart smile. When you run around the pool naked, it makes me laugh! Dear computer, it would really be great if you could cooperate with me. I have some photos to upload and would really like to write a post from somewhere other than my phone. Thanks!

We had a wonderful weekend filled of good times with good friends. What are your favorite things to do with your best friends?

Tuesday's Letters

2011-07-19T21:11:00.002-04:00

I've totally decided to rip off Today's Letters, but put a twist of my own on it. What might that twist be? Making myself accountable for blogging by doing a brief recap of the week/weekends events every Tuesday. I liked the Today's Letters format and decided I would use it to do this. So here goes my first installment of Tuesday's Letters...

Dear Mr. Graf, The fact that you agreed to join me for a pedicure the other day made me smile (and laugh)- a lot. Thanks for spending time with me, doing what I like. Dear Fort Worth, You were fun for the weekend. I especially loved the ample amount of fellow Auburn fans you greeted us with. Thanks for helping me move on. Dear summer, Slow down! I still have things I want to do before you end. Dear Puppies, I missed you tremendously while we were gone. Next time, yous two are coming with!

Now, a question for you. What do you miss most when you go on vacation?

*I hope to be back soon with some posts that were previously promised, including the last part of our San Fran trip.

One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

2011-07-14T16:38:00.002-04:00

Well, I thought this was going to be a better week, but then I had to go to the doctor for a post op appointment. So after one step forward, the doctors appointment sent me two steps back. I'm guessing it was the discouraging news that there's a 50/50 chance that all of this could happen again. A 50/50 chance is not very encouraging. That's a 50% chance that we could miscarry again. That doesn't even count the problems we'll have conceiving to begin with. This discouraging news doesn't exactly help me get up the courage to keep trying either. Let's face it- I'm a wuss and the news that this could happen again doesn't exactly sit well with me. That's probably why I took two steps back (maybe more than two). Now I'm trying to dig myself out of this hole.

It doesn't help that I have nothing to do to occupy my time. Gavin is working 12 hour days plus weekends and my friends in town are getting in those last minute summer errands and vacations. So I spend most of my day in front of the TV or laying by the pool by myself (sweating my tail off because I can't get in yet)- not much fun. I keep telling myself that I only have 3 more weeks of summer and I need to enjoy it, but every time I plan something it falls through and I'm back to where I began.

Thankfully, we will be heading to Dallas this weekend for a quick getaway. I'm hoping that leaving town for a while will help. And one of my best friends, Jessica, who lives in Miami, is flying up next weekend to hang out with me. I'm really looking forward to that. So maybe I'll get out of this slump soon. I sure hope so.

Love

2011-07-11T13:06:00.002-04:00

First off, I wanted to say thanks for the kind comments on my last post. I'm beginning to feel a little better. I was looking through some pictures last night and I thought to myself "I had a life before this." And I realized that I will not let this consume me. This is the 1st day of the rest of my life and I'm moving on (This is what I'm pushing for anyway).

But before I forget, I must post about something:

I LOVE THIS BOY!

At 29 years old I guess he's technically a man, but either way- I love him. And it's not just because he makes me laugh. I've loved him since I was 15, but it's amazing how much our love has grown. With each year that passes my love for him grows stronger. But it's through the tough times that I truly realize how much more I love him. When we found out that we were pregnant he asked me "does it sound bad if I say that I love you more now?" and it didn't. I completely understood what he meant and I'm sure all of you who are parents understand as well. Something about a love for your child's mother/father, right? Anyway, I felt the same way. Then, all of this happened. And my love for Gavin changed again. It grew more. Because he was there for me. He knew what I was feeling and was sad like me. He sat with me through a two day movie marathon, brought me meals in bed, and continuously asked "what can I do, Beeb (which is what he calls me)?" The sad thing was, I was ungrateful. I didn't tell him "thank you" for doing these things. My fowl mood and bitterness remained strong, even towards him. I figured he was just going through the motions. Doing what he had to do. But then I went in for surgery. I'd never had surgery before. I was scared to death. I begged Gavin to stay with me, not to leave me alone. I didn't want to be alone until they put me to sleep. When the nurse came in he asked if he could go with me and explained that I didn't want to be alone. But the nurse said no. I was hysterical, crying so hard I could not breathe. And for only the second time in the twelve years that we've been together (the first time being our wedding), Gavin cried. As he walked beside me down the hall as far as he could, with tears in his eyes, I realized that he wasn't just going through the motions. He was doing all of this because he loved me and cared about me (not that I doubted his love, I was just in a bad place). I came out of surgery with a different attitude towards Gavin for the first time in four days. My bitterness subsided as I realized he was going through a tough time too. It wasn't just me who was suffering, he was too. Although the past week has been rough, Gavin has stayed strong and loved me no matter what. I haven't always been the nicest person, but he's still been here for me. And for that, I love him even more.

This Past Week

2011-07-08T14:59:00.002-04:00

This is the most difficult post I've ever had to write. I'm going to keep it short because, well to be honest, I can't deal with a long post right now. A week ago today I was headed to the doctor to hear a tiny heartbeat. I left the doctor more heartbroken than I've ever been in my life. There was no heartbeat to hear. In other words, we lost the baby. Because I was farther along and not miscarrying, I had to go in to the hospital for a D&C on Tuesday. The first surgery I've ever had in my life and it's a D&C. Since then, I've been recovering both emotionally and physically.

The most frustrating thing is how hard we tried for this baby. Only a handful of people know the trouble we had getting pregnant. But people act like this isn't a big deal. Like in a few months we'll be pregnant again and everything will be okay. But it's not that easy. We tried for over a year to get pregnant. After a year, we resorted to fertility treatments. After two of the treatments we were finally pregnant, but those two treatments were not easy. They were hard. The medicine and shots made me so sick. So getting pregnant was no walk in the park. It was tough, emotionally and physically. And the chances of us quickly getting pregnant again aren't good at all- in fact, they're slim.

I know this isn't easy for anyone, but I feel like it's especially hard for us. I'm scared that this will happen again, if I can ever even muster up the courage to go through treatments again. I'm scared we'll never have the chance to have kids. This is definitely the most difficult thing I've ever had to go through.

San Francisco: Day 2

2011-06-29T22:28:00.001-04:00

Day 2 in San Francisco was jam packed, but thanks to a rental car, a lot more relaxing. We woke up at 7:30 and started the day with a hilly (I'm not playing when I say hilly. Have you seen Dirty Harry? Yeah.) walk to the rental place to pick up our car. Our agenda? Muir Woods and Napa Valley. But along the way, we got side tracked. 1st distraction: The Crookedest Street in the World!

I'd have to say this was my favorite part of the trip. I mean, check out that view. And guess who drove The Crookedest Street? This girl right here did! After that we had another distraction:

And just to prove that I was there and that I (thankfully) don't get my photography skills from my mom, here's another:

After a drive across the Golden Gate Bridge (which only I had the guts to do) and a 13 miles, we were at Muir Woods. I took tons of pictures at Muir Woods, but I'm going to keep it short and show you my two favorites:

This one shows how old the trees in Muir Woods are. In case you can't see, it says that this tree was born in 909 A.D.!

And this one shows how big the trees are!

After taking a walk through Muir Woods, it was time to head to Sonoma and Napa Valley. We visited many wineries in the area and my mom enjoyed a few glasses as we explored.

If you get a chance to go to Napa and someone suggests you go to the castle winery- I'd advise against it. You had to pay just to get in and it was not as great as it was made out to be. Big disappointment! On the other hand, you must go by the Beringer winery. It was, by far, my favorite. The old house reminded me of my grandparents old house and the people there are wonderful!

We got there a little late, but that made all the difference. We were paying for our goodies as everyone was leaving and started discussing the house with one of the servers. Before we knew it, they were locking the doors and giving us a private tour of the house! They took us upstairs where private tastings take place and told us about the history of the house. My favorite part was getting to see the original stained glass!

After the Beringer house, we headed back to San Francisco with most of the things on our "to do" list checked off!

Grown Ups

2011-06-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

Can you believe June is almost over? I can't! Over half of my summer is over and I'm a little bummed. Seriously- I'm having nightmares about school starting back! And should I even address my lack of blogging? I guess so. Here's some clues as to why:

1. I've been unbelievably tired and spending most of my time in the bed.

2. I've been eating- a lot.

3. Sweets, onions, and condiments (such as mustard) disgust me.

4. Lately you can find me in the bathroom, paying homage to the porcelain throne (and it's not from drinking).

I'm sure by now you've guessed it- I'm pregnant!

Enough complaining. We are over the moon excited and can't wait to be parents. I'm 8 weeks along and counting the days until this 1st trimester ends- which just happens to be 3 days before school begins (thank God!).

In other news, this weekend was my 10 year class reunion. Can you believe that?! 10 years! Between that, my 28th birthday, and Gavin's 29th birthday I'd say we're getting old! So, in all the chaos of the weekend, I left the reunion with only 1 picture (really?):

So that's it. One picture of ~~an unusually furry~~ Gavin and me. Sad, I know.

Well, hopefully I'll be back soon with the rest of our trip to San Francisco and my favorite little man's 2nd birthday!

San Francisco: Day 1

2011-06-14T19:13:00.002-04:00

For my birthday this year, my mom wanted to take me on a trip. She told me to decide where I wanted to go and we'd go. It was a toughy between New York City and San Francisco, but I decided I wanted to go to San Fran in the end.

For our first day, we decided to just check out the city. Kind of go wherever the wind blew us (it was a cool, windy day too!). We started off at the farmer's market and immediately fell in love. There are hundreds of stores and vendors selling their local goodies. We racked up on quite a bit of stuff- we even had to ship some of it back!

After spending the morning shopping, we stopped in at one of the restaraunts in the farmer's market. Their specialty? Local seafood, of course!

After enjoying a delicious meal with an awesome view of the bay bridge, we hopped on the F-Train and headed down to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf.

I was excited to see the sea lions and their performance delivered. They "barked" and showed off for all of the spectators.

We walked to the end of Pier 39 to check out all of the sail boats as well. Since it was windy out, there were plenty to be seen.

Next, we walked to Fisherman's Wharf. There were a lot of street performers in the area, but I was more interested in the shopping! We got lots of goodies.

At the end of the road, there was a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I was excited to see the well known sight!

After a long day of exploring and walking, we headed back to our hotel. We were all so exhausted, that we ordered room service for dinner. We wanted to get rest for the next day's adventures!

What My iPhone Saw: The Start of Summer

2011-06-08T13:40:00.003-04:00

I'm a slacker. Seriously. Where have I been? I said I was going to do a better job of blogging and then I disappeared. Will the excuse of my summer beginning suffice? Either way, I'm using it.

So as I just mentioned, my summer has begun and it has been fantabulous! By far the best one yet. So here's a few pictures from my phone from the start of my summer:

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Gavin's super-sexy beach hair. Seriously- his hair is fabulous!
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The "gaw-juss" sunset in Orange Beach. I love sitting on the porch and watching them everyday!
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Our sweet puppies watching the boats on Old River. We had just come in from a boat ride ourselves.
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Deacon giving Gavin love. This was after he whacked Gavin with a dust pan. Boys!

So that's the start of my summer! Lots of time at the beach and time with friends. Layer I'll be back for a post on my latest trip. Until then, here's a teaser:

House Blessing

2011-05-21T13:50:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago we had a house blessing for my mom's new house. We invited her closest friends over to enjoy some refreshments and put their mark on the new place. Here's a few pictures from the event:

Even Gavin wrote something. However, I'm not sure how sentimental it was.

And of course, we had to put Georgie's mark on the place as well.

What My iPhone Saw: This Weekend

2011-05-16T15:17:00.001-04:00

Here's this weekend's edition of What My iPhone Saw. Enjoy!

Gavin's newest toy. A nice, big riding lawn mower- bag, bumper, and all. His one beef with it? No cruise control. Seriously?!

The Beatles tribute at the Amphiteatre. We took my mom to see it Saturday night and she loved it!

Maddie claiming my new body pillow. She thinks she owns it, as well as the whole place.

Gavin and Maisy watching the Survivor Finale. We've never been Survivor watchers, but since our good friend Krista was on it this season, it was a must! Maisy loves Krista almost as much as we do! (Please excuse the wiring all around the TV. We're looking for something new to hold our TV, but are having no luck. If you have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them!)

Happy Birthday Bestie!

2011-05-10T10:22:00.004-04:00

It's this girl right here's birthday...

And since she's the bestest friend I could possibly ask for, I have to give a shout out. So...

Happy Birthday Beth!

Thanks for being born. For if you were not, I would be quite lonely. Here's just a few reasons you're a cool friend:

-You are fun to be around.

-You listen to my rants and tolerate my mood swings.

-You make me laugh and laugh at me.
-You share my love of all things summer.
-Since you're a teacher too, we get to do lots of fun summery things during the summer.
-You are the woman version of Gavin, which can be scary.

-You know how to have a good time.

-Your cute kid loves me and gives me kisses.

-You are like a sister to me.

... and many, many more!

Basically- you da best!

Now, can we quit getting old? The down slope of our 20's is beginning to get a little scary!

Highs and Lows

2011-05-09T08:59:00.002-04:00

Ever heard of "Highs and Lows?" Basically you tell one high and one low for the day, meaning you tell one positive thing and one negative thing. Sometimes I play this with my class at the end of the day while we are waiting for the buses to be called. I've had a lot of highs and lows the past few weeks, so I thought I would share them. If not for entertainment, then for my own therapeutic relief. So here we go...

High: My sweet husband took me on a date to see Water for Elephants last Friday.

Low: We were running so late, we didn't get to go to dinner and got stuck eating McDonald's after the movie (I hate McDonald's).

High: Gavin bought new plants and replanted our front flower bed.

Low: He didn't weed eat before he planted the flowers (seriously?).

High: We had a friend date with Beth and Brett (who we don't see nearly as much). We went to dinner at Momma Goldberg's and to watch Gavin play softball. Gavin's team won.

Low: Because the other team didn't show up. It was an automatic forfeit and there was no game to watch.

High: I'm taking a new medicine. I'm hoping for good results.

Low: The medicine has some rough side effects. One is severe mood swings and I've been having them. I'm pretty sure I've ticked some people off lately.

High: Field Day was this past Friday. I wasn't really looking forward to it, but ended up having a good time. The best part?

Blasting kids in the face with my water cannon.

Low: I left field day exhausted and out of it. The result? I backed into a co-workers car. Yeah, that's a big LOW.

High: My co-worker is one of the nicest people ever. It was no biggie to him. No cops were called, no insurance filed. Good thing I know a good body shop.

Low: Gavin has been giving me grief about the wreck all weekend. Apparently one wreck means I am now a horrible driver.

So there's some of my highs and lows over the past weeks. Hopefully there are less lows this upcoming week. Friday the 13th is around the bend and that's usually my lucky day (strange, I know). I also have that day off. And the biggest high of all? Only 10 more school days until summer vacation begins. Yay!

Lilli

2011-05-02T10:14:00.001-04:00

During spring break, Shea asked me to take some pictures of Lilli. Here's a few of my favorites:

The weather wasn't very cooperative. The sun was out, but a storm was brewing, so it was windy. We still managed to get some shots.

And since it was sunny, Lilli insisted on stealing my sunglasses. How can you say "no" to such a cutie?.

We had a fun morning taking these pictures. Lilli was just as cute and silly as ever!

What We Love About Sundays

2011-04-28T08:03:00.002-04:00

Every Sunday we head to this place. Not many people know about it. It's not hidden. It's not far away. It's just a quiet, unoccupied place that we visit often. One day, we'll be there more often. But for now, we visit. When we go, we always take Maddie and Maisy. This past Sunday, others joined us. Berkley brought Hansel and we were watching Jake for my mom, so he came along too. Boy did they have a great time!

Maisy, Jake, and Hansel ran and ran..
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While Maddie stayed beside me and begged for me to hold her..
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Berkley burned off some energy too..
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And they were all happy puppies when we left!.
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We Have This Joke

2011-04-26T16:55:00.002-04:00

Well, it's not really a joke. Here's the story...

In case you didn't know, we are very close to our friend's Beth and Brett's family. We consider them our family as well. Every Sunday after church, we all gather at one of our houses for lunch. Most of the time, it's Beth's parent's house. Well, Sabra (Beth's mom) has these pants that her sister, Suze, gave her as a gag gift for Christmas. They are... indescribable. Anyway, one day Gavin insisted on modeling these pants for us after lunch. Now keep in mind- these are women's pants. So Gavin put the pants on and we all laughed so hard we had tears in our eyes. Since that Sunday, Gavin has put the pants on everytime we go to Beth's parents. Mainly to model them for a family member who has not seen them yet. Well, this past Sunday (Easter) the whole family was together and there were many questions about the pants and their whereabouts. While we were out hiding eggs for the kids, Gavin was inside getting into trouble. Before we knew it...

Oh yeah! There's the pants!
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They're so big, he has to poke his belly out to hold them up!
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He was quick to join in on the hunting fun!
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And model the pants! So that's our joke. Hope you enjoyed. Maybe you'll get another peek at the pants in a few more weeks!

Hippity Hoppity

2011-04-25T18:10:00.003-04:00

Well, I don't know about y'all, but our Easter was full of food, fun, family, and friends!

I kicked off Easter Friday in my classroom with some sweets. My students and I made these birds nests cookies to enjoy!

Saturday, we traveled to Dothan to spend the day with some of Gavin's family. I was especially excited to see these munchkins (even though Josh isn't really considered a munchkin anymore).

Gavin's cousin, Brandy, had Josh 12 years ago, right before we started dating. Exactly 11 years later, Morgan came along! She is adorable and a bit of a while one!

And if that wasn't crazy enough... check out Gavin and her playing in the pool. Notice anything?

How about those eyes? Gavin and her have the same eyes! Those genes run thick! If our kid doesn't have those big, brown eyes- something's wrong!

After hanging in the pool all day, we played a game of horse shoes. Apparently, it's a Graf tradition.

And this girl here, got a ringer on the first throw. Paul and I won!

Sunday, after a powerful message at church, we headed over to Beth's parents for Sunday dinner. Man, was there a spread! I ate way too much! After filling our bellies, we headed out to watch the kids hunt eggs.

Deacon was hilarious. He had no desire to hunt the pretty colorful eggs. He only wanted the ones with footballs, baseballs, and soccer balls on them! The rest were tossed to the side. He is all boy!

We spent the rest of the afternoon counting the "loot" and hanging out with friends.

It was an enjoyable weekend. How was your Easter?

What My iPhone Saw: Spring Break Edition

2011-04-18T08:35:00.001-04:00

Last week was my spring break. I enjoyed doing a whole lot of nothing! Seriously, I can count on my hand the constructive things I did during my break- sad, I know. But, I enjoyed it. Every break I have had this year has been spent traveling and staying busy. So, for a change it was nice to do nothing but relax! Anyway, here's a few pictures from the week...

Sweet Deacon sitting on my lap while watching Gavin dance.

Maddie's new haircut. She looks so tiny now that all of that hair is gone!

Gavin and I kayaking on the Coosa River. We had fun and got fried!

Gavin hard at work (not really), checking some measurements on mom's new house.

Little Nugget

2011-04-10T20:24:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my friend Kim had her sweet baby Corbett. He is so sweet and tiny, seeing as he was a month early. Months ago Kim had asked my to take Corbett's newborn pictures. I was so honored that she asked me to shoot his first pictures! I immediately started working on ideas. I even bought photo props for her shower gift! Last week I made my way to Auburn to take Corbett's pictures. Before beginning, I got the chance to hold the little nugget while Kim finished getting ready. I sat on the couch with that sweet baby in my arms for almost an hour. He cooed and stretched and slept while I played with his fingers and toes. I loved every bit of it! Finally, we got to shooting. At first, he was a little annoyed with the camera (it is a little loud). Finally after about 30 minutes, he eased up and let us get some good shots. He got fussy towards the end when he was hungry and left his dad, Ward, a little gift in his hand while he was holding him, but we ended up with some great shots. Here are just a few of my favorites...

What My iPhone Saw II

2011-04-07T13:51:00.000-04:00

So here's my second installment of what my iPhone saw for the past week. Enjoy!

Sweet baby feet. My friend Kim had her baby & I got to take pictures. More of those later!

A Stop at The Varsity. On the way home from Athens, Gavin & I stopped for some chillidogs & F.O.s!

Sleeps Head. When we got home from Athens, the puppies were so happy to see us. Apparently they had a wild night out!

Athens

2011-04-04T10:45:00.035-04:00

This weekend Gavin and I headed to our friends' Ashley and Jeff's wedding in Athens. The wedding was in the UGA chapel and it was beautiful! We had a great time at the reception too.

The above picture was taken on the way to the reception. Most people walked to the location, but we, the lazy people, decided to drive.

Sunday, before we headed back home, we walked around campus. Although I detest UGA's fans, the campus is beautiful. First, we headed back to the UGA chapel to get a shot of the outside since I forgot my camera when we went to the wedding.

Of course, Gavin had to check out our rival's field. Even though we've been to quite a few games there, it's very different when it's empty.

We also visited the famous arches.

And then it was time to head home.

We enjoyed our time in Athens and it was good to see Ashley and Jeff. They'll be moving to Columbus in July and we can't wait to have them closer to us so we can spend more time with them!

Few and Far Between

2011-03-29T12:07:00.002-04:00

That's what has happened to my posts. They have become few and far between. So I'm trying to get back in the swing of things and start updating this little blog o' mine more often. Bear with me.

Today I decided to post on my latest obsession, Pinterest. I discovered Pinterest through my friend Courtnie. She was talking about how obsessed she was with it, so I decided I had to check it out. An invite later and I was pinning everything I liked on the site + more. You can check it out here and if you want an invite comment me your email address and I'll send you one! I have many boards for pinning, but I thought that today I'd share some of my favorite pins from the site...
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Board: Room Ideas
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I love these colors and really want to do something similar to one of our guest rooms.
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Board: For the Home
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Aren't these adorable? I think I need them!
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Board: Photography
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Isn't this precious? I plan on trying something similar with my friend Shea's daughter.

Board: My Fashion Pinboard

I love this look! I'm not normally a tankini kind of person, but this all put together is too cute!

Board: Yummy to the Tummy

These make the fruit bars you buy at the store look boring!
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Seriously, if you haven't checked Pinterest out yet, you should!

What my iPhone Saw

2011-03-26T17:13:00.004-04:00

My friend Carly recently started something new on her blog. She posts various pictures taken with her iPhone weekly and calls it "What My iPhone Saw." What a great idea! I take so many pictures on my iPhone and this is a great way to share the random things I see. So this is my first installment of What my iPhone Saw. Enjoy!

Snacks my sweet Hubby brought home for movie night. I thought I was in Heaven!

The horrible sunburn on my arm after a day at the airshow.

Berkley celebrating a Talent Show win and preparing to make popcorn baggies for her classmates.

Lost.

2011-03-04T08:38:00.001-05:00

Do you ever feel lost? I'm feeling it now. I've been questioning God a lot lately. I don't doubt him, but I question his reasoning- his plan. What is his plan for me? Why will he not let me catch a glimpse of this plan, but instead leaves me wondering? I feel ashamed that I question him. Is it wrong? I mean, I'm so grateful for the things he has given me- a loving husband, a wonderful family, great friends, a nice house, a good job. But, still I'm left in this funk. What is my purpose? Am I supposed to be here or somewhere else? Am I meant to do something else? What is it? I feel like I'm supposed to be somewhere else, doing something else. But I'm not unhappy with where I am and what I'm doing. I feel stuck. Like I'm just here. Like I have no purpose. But God has a purpose for everyone. So what is mine?

Melts My Heart

2011-02-24T17:59:00.004-05:00

That's what this little guy does. Beth asked me to take some 18 months pictures of Deacon for her and we brainstormed on an idea. Since he loves trains so much, that's the theme we went with. He was such a sweet little man while I took his pictures. And the best part? As he was running to me on the tracks, he yelled "Bit-nee!" I could eat. him. up!
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I Have a Virus

2011-02-22T10:34:00.005-05:00

Well, technically I don't have a virus- my computer does. So this post comes courtesy of my iPhone. And although I don't have a virus I have been sick. After a cold that seemed like it lasted forever, I headed to the doctor to find out I was on the tail end of strep throat- nice! And to top that off I have had two migraines in the past week that resulted with me getting a shot in the rear (which I'm sure you wanted to hear about). While I was sick, these sweet babies stuck close to me...
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Notice one is rocking the latest in diaper fashion. Yep, she's in heat and I'm stuck wondering why we haven't gotten her fixed yet!

In other news, I've been working on some pictures of some friends lately, and my hubby was happy to entertain during the shoots...
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So easily amused, we are.
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And have you heard about the Toomer's Oaks? It makes me so sad to think that my children will not be able to participate in a tradition that I have been partaking in since I was old enough to throw toilet paper. We were in Auburn on Saturday and decided to visit the trees.

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We weren't the only ones with that idea. I guess everyone is trying to get by to see them before they are gone.
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We've also been doing a little celebrating around here. It started with Berkley's 6th birthday. Then, of course, there was Valentine's Day.

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By the way- does anyone eat all of the chocolates in the box? I prefer to bite each one until I find the ones I like. This box didn't have many.

Then, we celebrated my sweet mama's birthday on the 17th and Gavin's stepdad's birthday on the 20th. We headed to Gavin's mom's Sunday for cake and ice cream.
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But we had no idea what we had in store for us. We spent most of our time taking care of a sweet little munchkin who had her tonsils out on Thursday.

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She was pitiful!

I also got to spend some time with some of my favorite high school friends this weekend. Jessica, Krista, and Jenna were all in town for a wedding. Saturday night they all came over to our house. I was especially excited to see Krista since her big Survivor debut was Wednesday. We had such a great time and laughed until we couldn't breathe. Gavin and Jessica also demonstrated some of their musical talents. Gavin never lets me video him playing, but I was sneaky and able to get a few clips without him knowing. Enjoy!

6

2011-02-09T16:39:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that Berkley turns 6 today.

It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming her into the world. She is so special to us and we love her very much.

Happy Birthday Berkley Marie!

Blue

2011-02-07T08:54:00.001-05:00

So I did a little online shopping this morning. After I placed my order, I realized that there was a pattern- everything I ordered was blue. Apparently, I'm liking the color blue right now...

Gavin and I ventured to Old Navy the other day and I just had to have the two shirts above. But, Gavin told me I should wait until it was a little warmer to buy them. But, what if they were all gone?! Anyway, he's such a smart guy, because I ended up getting an awesome coupon code from Old Navy today and couldn't resist snatching those shirts up (along with a new scarf)! I'm excited and I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that I saved 30% on the shirts I would have paid full price for just two days ago- go me! So if you want to get a good deal on some Old Navy stuff, use the coupon code ONBIG30. It's only good for today, but they have some cute new stuff out, so check it out!

Bucket List

2011-02-04T09:19:00.001-05:00

Gavin and I have a Bucket List. There are so many things that we want to experience, so we started a list. This list isn't on paper, but it's in our minds. My mom and I were talking last night and she said how much she loved that Gavin and I like to go and do new things. I mentioned to her that we have a bucket list. She really got a trip out of that, which I thought was kind of strange. I mean, everyone should have a bucket list. She asked me what some of the things were on our bucket list, so I told her a few. I figured I'd share them on here too- just to hold us accountable. Here's a few of our items:

Visit every state in the United States.

Only 35 more to go! We should take care of more this year. We're planning on doing quite a bit of traveling.

Travel by train through Europe.

I don't know when we'll get to do this, but I can't wait for it.

Live Somewhere Tropical

There's still a debate over whether Florida counts for this one.

Adopt

This is a big one. We feel like there are so many children out there that need a good home and hope to be able to share our home and love with one of these children.

Here's a few of our individual items:

Gavin

Compete in a Man v. Food competition (yuck!), skydive, go to every SEC stadium, and be on TV.

Go to Italy and Greece (my mom and I are going to Italy this summer!!!), surf in California, receive an award for Teacher of the Year

Notice most of our things have to do with traveling. The biggest one of all- take every opportunity to do everything we can. When someone says, "Wanna try this?" our answer should be "Yes." Of course this doesn't pertain to breaking the law or something deadly. We'll try just about anything just for the sake of saying "I did that" or "I tried that."

So do you have a bucket list? If so, whats on it? I wanna know!