Hi All! I hope you all had a great Christmas! I know it is always such a blessing to be able to spend good, quality time with the family, and this time was no exception! :)
My New Year's Resolution is to take more pictures, especially with the family, so I got started a little early with Christmas. I still am in a habit of taking pics on my Dad's camera which leaves me with no pictures of my own, so I only have a few pictures from my own camera. But it's still improvement, right? Here are some of my pics from this weekend!
My Mom had the great idea of taking our family on the "Polar Express" in Springdale. It was SO FUN!
The kiddos got dressed up in their pj's (compliments of my Mom) and off we went. The train ride included dinner, cookies and even a special visit from Santa. The kids LOVED IT! Can't you tell by the smiles on their faces??
Mallory and Georgia Kelley were as cute as ever in their pj's! Even though they didn't really understand what was going on, and the fact that they are both deathly afraid of Santa, I still think they enjoyed the evening. :)
Come on, this pic is JUST. TOO. CUTE!
Mallory enjoyed the blinking Rudolph nose that Amanda brought. She definitely got a kick out of it!
Harry and Brooklyn watching the lights as we passed through town. I seriously think they were expecting us to round the corner and end up at the North Pole to meet reindeer and elves. ha!
Tyler had a great Christmas, too! He got head-to-toe Manchester United gear. He even asked if he could wear his new jersey to church on Sunday! haha! (It was a definite no, in case you were wondering)
I swear, this boy refuses to take a normal picture!
Tyler and I wearing our newest outfits! I loved my new pj's from Rachel and Josh!
Christmas with Tyler's family is always so great! I just wish I would have gotten some pictures. Bug! This is why I have my New Year's Resolution.
Tyler's mom has made all of the stockings for the entire family. Last year, she surprised me with my own stocking, making me an official part of the Herriman family. :) This year, Josh got his own stocking too!
We woke up, had a great breakfast and wonderful relaxing morning, opening up presents and enjoying time with each other. I tell you what, I am absolutely blessed to be a part of this family!
Then we headed over to my parent's house for Christmas with the Wares. We had a yummy breakfast (#2 for Tyler and I) and opened presents. I do have to say, with 4 little ones, this year was all about the kiddos - which was perfect! I think Harry and B like to open presents almost as much as they like the actual gift. ha! (I even caught B helping Grandma open all of her gifts)
This picture is of Harry opening his marshmallow guns from Tyler and I.
Mom had gotten Mallory and Brooklyn cute little outfits, but I'm not so sure B enjoyed the hat. (But maybe that's because Scott squeezed her head into the 18 month-size hat. ha!) Poor thing, I think her head was about to pop!
Jo Anne had spotted a special cape from Cracker Barrel and thought Harry would love it.... and he certainly did! Here he is, so excited for his Spiderman / Batman cape!
GK and Mallory got into one of the bags of marshmallows and certainly had some fun.... can you see the big pile on the floor? ;)
Mallory LOVES wearing hats! As soon as she put this hat on, Mallory was strutting around the house, smiling at everyone. It was so funny!
The next morning (Christmas morning) Tyler and I were able to stay at Scott and Amy's to see Brooklyn see all her presents from Santa. This age is so great because Harry and Brooklyn understand Santa and truly believe in him! B was SO excited the night before, she couldn't wait to go to bed so that Santa would come that much sooner.
Here she is opening up some of her presents from her parents.
Her favorite toy was definitely her Pillow Pet, curtosy of Santa. She would not put it down all day.
That night, Amy, Mom, B and I went to see Tangled. It was SUCH a good movie! I even cried! ha!
It was a great end to Christmas day!
The next day, Mom, Jo Anne and I went out shopping, getting some great deals. Oh, I LOVE day-after-Christmas shopping! :)
Tyler and I just made it back to LR last night, and are enjoying one more day off from work together. Definitely a lazy day today, but a great end to a wonderful Christmas holiday!
I know... I will never paint a room in my house red because it clashes with my hair
I know... I hate when people mispronounce the word "gyro." (Pronounced YEE-RO, not JYE-RO)
I know... My car is always dirty... always
I know... one of my favorite wedding gifts came from my BFF Whitney V. (engraved plaque with our family name and wedding date)
I know... getting in bed with clean sheets is the best feeling ever
I know... I want a Kindle reader
I know... I consider someone a good friend when they know how to order my Sonic drink - "Large Dr. Pepper, Easy Ice" is the only way to go
I know... I stole this blog idea from my friend Sarah and loved it so much I had to do it myself
I know... my mom always gives the best gifts, no matter who she is buying for
I know... I am obsessed with each "Real Housewives of..." show
I know... I paint my nails every Sunday night. I try and pick a color that will set the tone for the rest of the week.
I know... the best chapstick in the world is my Swivel
I know... when I need someone to be brutally honest, I call my friend Whitney Killebrew
I know... I have read the entire Harry Potter series 3 times, some books I've read 6 times, but it still won't be the last
I know... I have the CUTEST nephew and 2 nieces in the world, and I will fight you if you disagree :)
I know... I still miss Greece and my friends from HUG so much it hurts
I know... my TMJ is getting worse and worse. I think I will have to have surgery eventually.
I know... Tyler makes me SO incredibly happy and I am so blessed because of him
I know... Kings of Leon cd is my current guilty pleasure
I know... I am lucky to have the best in-laws ever. Tyler's entire family is just perfect and I truly think no other girl has it as good as I do
I know... if I had all the money in the world, my dream car would be a Volvo
I know... no one should talk to me before I've had at least 2 cups of coffee
I know... a shower isn't hot enough until my skin is burning
I know... we won't be having kids for at least another 4-5 years, but sometimes I catch myself actually wanting them now. Scary!!
I know... the first place I want to travel to is China
I know... when first falls asleep he twitches. Sometimes he twitches so hard, we both wake up
I know... my favorite hair product that I don't want to live without is "It's a 10"
I know... if I could go back and do it all over again, I would be a teacher
I know... I am using the lightest shade of foundation currently in production and it still is too dark for me
I know... if I don't sleep with the bathroom fan on, I will hear every noise in and outside our apartment
I know... if we could, Tyler and I would move back to NWA
I know... Tyler and I won't move back to NWA, possibly ever
I know... I will shed a tear or two when I finally go to Harry Potter world in April
I know... Tyler will be gone for 3 months next year and I am NOT looking forward to it
I know... cold, gray winter days are way better than any summer day
I know... I actually enjoy soccer and understand when I watch... thank you, Tyler
Hey everybody! Today was a very productive day. I am about 99% finished with all my Christmas shopping!Whew.... I don't know why I always wait to the last minute, but I am glad to say that I actually have a few days left to spare.
Tomorrow, Tyler and I are packing up and heading to good ol' NWA. SOOO excited to spend an extra-long weekend with the fams! Thursday night, both mine and Tyler's family will be together for a very special evening... can't wait to share pics! :)
SO... in true holiday preparation, I just had to get my nails ready! ha!
My winter nail colors are typically dark purples, blues or greys. I'm definitely NOT a pink / red girl. BUT, being in the true festive spirit, I busted out the SPARKLES... and RED!
"A Ruby for Rudolph" is my favorite holiday shade! It's just the right amount of sparkle and a fun red with a pinkish hue.
You like??
I will be sure and post pics after our very special night on Thursday. I seriously can NOT wait! AAAH!
Hi all! Are you all running around, finishing up your Christmas shopping like crazy?!?! :)
Today, I was able to break away from the office for lunch! (A rare treat!)
I went over to my friend Sarah's house. So great to finally see her cute apartment and catch up on life. MUCH needed girl time! It's amazing how some great girl time can really brighten your day! :)
On a side note, I just saw the funniest Christmas commercial I think I have ever seen!
Maybe it's because I know every word of "Carol of the Bells" or maybe it's watching the Big Man in Red sprint for dear life, but I can't watch this enough! ha!
Does anyone else find this hilarious? Or is it just me? lol..... ENJOY! :)
Immediately when I got home and saw the box, I opened all the individual boxes and laid out each bottle in order. I then read through the instructions and smelled each cream. I could not have been more excited! ha!
Now, in order for you to fully understand why this is such a perfect gift for me, I guess you should know that I have been using anti-aging creams since I was 17. Obsessing? Unnecessary? Slightly vain? Abso-freakin-lutely.
What can I say? I only have one face to last me my entire life.... gotta make it last. :)
What about you? What are y'all getting for Christmas? I'm having some serious Christmas-gift-block and can NOT come up with any other ideas for my family. What's on your Christmas List?
Hey all, Well I guess I finally got tired of reading all of your blogs without contributing anything of my own. :)
I. Am. Back..... like, for reals this time.
An update on my life? Work. :/
Boy, I really thought things would have calmed down after October, but that hasn't necessarily been the case. Granted, I have cut down my hours from 60+ hours a week to a mere 50 or so, but seriously....
I'm hanging in there, but am beginning to feel more and more resistant to continue to pour my life into my job. I even have called the Mom a few times and my dear, and always painfully honest friend Cortney during my times of weakness. I am definitely sticking with it through April, which is our BIG BIG event. At that point, I may be re-evaluating things....
But work is boring. What else is new?
Here are some things I've been doing lately....
1. Dexter!!
This show is blowing my mind! I know it is pathetic, but I seriously made my way through 2 entire seasons in one weekend. ha! Tyler and I just couldn't stop watching!
2. Re-reading Harry Potter series.... for like the 1,000th time!
Again, maybe pathetic, but I have not read these books like over 5 years so I have forgotten a lot of the details. I'm only finishing up book 2 right now, but plan to make my way through the series throughout the next year and then finish the 7th just in time for the last movie. This girl has got a plan! :)
3. Going HOME! During the past few months, I haven't had too many chances to spend at home, so I have been SOOOO incredibly thankful for family time. I have MISSED the kiddos like crazy, so this past weekend was AWESOME! :)
Tomorrow (believe it or not) is Harry's FOURTH BIRTHDAY!!! Oh my, I just can't believe it! I seriously remember the day he was born perfectly. And now it's already 4 years later? Craziness!!!
So this past weekend, Tyler and I made our way home to celebrate Harry's birthday. We even had a chance to play with the kiddos at Chuck-E-Cheese for a bit. It was so great because we went early on Friday and we basically had the entire place to ourselves. So fun!
(I realized that I never have ANY pictures... this definitely going to be part of my New Year's Resolution! So I stole these pictures from Amanda. :) )
I am REALLY looking forward to time with both families this next week. And promise to have pictures! :)
Now I just need to finish my Christmas shopping..... bug!
I will go ahead and venture to say YES, since I have had several threats from friends and family saying that if they saw pictures of my sailboat one more time, they would disown me. Well, I finally gave in.
I think once I took a break, I was almost scared to get back into the whole bloggy thing. I knew I was getting busier and less interesting and thought maybe I should take the opportunity and end on a high note. :)
Well, not really. I was never going to quit blogging, I was just on sabbitical of sorts. I mean, come on, 6 month of blogging serves a 6 month break, right??? :)
OK OK, enough sarcasm. I have had lots going on and now time to get into the nitty gritty.
My life recently? It consists of eating, praying and working. Oh ya, maybe some sleeping. Seriously, our office is gearing up for our "busy season" and this could get ugly. 13 conferences in 2 1/2 months. Yes, you read correctly. THIRTEEN!!!! Thankfully I won't be traveling to ALL of them, but I will definitely be rolling in frequent flyer point by the end of November! (always a silver lining!)
So, if you don't hear from me until November, don't be surprised. But I'll do my best. :)
Also going on in my life? Well this is some heavy stuff, so get ready....
When I first moved to Little Rock, I started a girl's Bible study at Fellowship geared towards women new to the Little Rock area. It was SUCH a blessing! Out of that class I met some INCREDIBLE women and made some great friends. Friends that have made an impact on my life on so many levels.
One of the girls that I had gotten to know was name Angela. Angela and her husband were in a motorcycle accident 3 weeks ago today. Since both of their families lived a few thousand miles away, her friends in the area were her "family" of sorts. Anyway, long story short - Angela went to be with the Lord on August 2, 2010.
The entire situation was something I had never experienced. And by no means can I even begin to imagine the hurt and pain her family and husband are going through. But that has been weighing on my heart. I mean, I had only been around Angela a few times, but she had definitely impacted me.
Now, I have my fair share of sassyness and sarcasm, but this girl could put me to shame. She was SO funny, SO witty, SO full of life and love for Jesus. WHAT AN EXAMPLE!
So please, keep her family and her husband in your prayers. They had only been married 2 years. My mind really can't wrap my mind around his hurt right now.
So that has been what going on my life recently. Now, I promise I won' be MIA for 4 months again, but I am giving fair warning that the next few months will be INSANE for me, so please have some patience. :)
I am spending this entire next week away from work and home. I will. Be at Navarre beach, FL with the entire Ware fam!!! We are in Mobile,AL right now so only about an hour to go!!!! Here is a pic of our first view of the ocean today. A little brown... Maybe that's the oil??? Let's hope we get just a few days of pretty blue water before the oil hits us!!!
Ok so I just got a new phone and am still learning how it works. I can't figure out how to upload a pic a just took so you will have to tale my word for it... It's not the prettiest i've seen it but I'm hopeful for a few days of bright sun and pretty water!!! :)
Tyler and I had a very eventful Memorial Day weekend! Well, the first two days were fairly uneventful. We basically laid around and did nothing :) But Sunday and Monday were very productive! We got our sailboat!!!!!!
The guys we got our boat from was supposed to come Saturday but ended up not making it in town until after dark. So we decided to wait until Sunday. Sunday rolled around and we made it out to the lake.
Here are some pics of the boys unloading the boat...
Then the boys worked to put up the Main Sail...
Then Tyler and I were able to spend the rest of the weekend cleaning, cleaning, CLEANING... The outside was pretty well taken care of, but the inside had pretty much been left alone. Boy, was it DIRTY!!!
BEFORE
AFTER
As you can tell, it's not super fancy, but its ours! We definitely have some work to do, but I know we will have it looking great.
I know it sounds ridiculous, but we actually didn't go sailing this weekend. ha! First of all there really wasn't any wind, so sailing would have been tough. But when we did decide to finally go out for a bit, we had a little "issue." I think Tyler was a little excited / freaking out so when he started the motor and tried to get us going in reverse, he accidentally broke a piece of the motor handle. Yep. That's right. Broke the motor. :)
I mean, you can't write this kind of stuff.
So as we almost crashed into a few other sailboats (ok, maybe I'm being a tad dramatic) we had to paddle our way back into our slip. So sailing was a no-go. But its ok. We figured out its just a little plastic piece that we will need to replace. But that's the life of a boat-owner, no? :)
As a result, our weekend was spent entirely tied to the dock, but that's more than alright, because we really do have work to do. Oh, did I mention that we got stuck out there during a thunder storm? Yep! Which was great, because we got a chance to see all the leaks. ha!
Seriously, we totally anticipated some work. If we didn't, we would have bought a $10,000 boat. (which will never never never happen) We are actually excited to work together and make this boat exactly what we want. Some hard work, sweat, and elbow grease will make this baby looking great!
My life, as usual, has been faily uneventful. (Hence the lack of postage)
BUT this weekend Tyler and I have some VERY exciting plans! We will be spending the weekend at Lake Maumelle on our very own SAIL BOAT!
Random. I know.
But Tyler and I have spent a lot of time talking and looking and sailing and we fell in love! We found a great deal and just coulnd't pass it up! Tomorrow our very own boat will be delivered and we are planning on spending the whole rest of our marvelous weekend outside. Cleaning. Fixing up. Sailing. Eating. Cleaning. Church. Sleeping. Deep cleaning.
We haven't picked a name yet... but I'll keep you posted on that.
Here are a few pics!
I'm sure I'll have much more pictures and details after the weekend...
I hope all of you have a very safe and happy holiday weekend!!!!! :)
I was just going through old pictures and came across this beauty.
I went with the Herriman family on vacation to Glacier National Park in June 2008. It was an amazing place. SO BEAUTIFUL! We all had so much fun exploring God's beautiful creation.
On one of our many hikes, this happened...
I hope this makes your day better, like it did mine! :)
Tonight I can't help but think about Rachel and her Pre-Wedding Busyness. All I have to say about that is EEESH! I do not envy her at. all.
Poor thing, this week has been so busy for her (and Jo Anne) and all she wants to do is be married already! I remember that frustration so vividly, and it was probably the biggest ball of mixed emotions I've ever felt.
You want to make sure and treasure every moment, every detail you plan, all the time you get to spend with your wonderful and patient Mom, the last few days as a Miss Ware. But at the same time all you can think about is the freedom you will soon have after getting thing whole, blasted thing over with! AH!
So tonight (and this whole week, really) I'm saying a special prayer for my Lil' SIL... because I know her feelings are so much of what I felt, I have so many prayers I'm praying!
I love you Rachel and I'll see you on the other side! :)
Also, I recieved another Blog Award! (Round of cheers and fist pumps from the Herriman residence!!!! And no, not from Tyler. Ha!)
Stylish Housewife gave me the Sweet Blog Award! Thank you S.H. I love love love your blog and always look forward to what you have to say next. :)
And now, I pass this award to one special friend, Whitney. She is by far the sweetest friend I have!
I am so thankful for the wonderful women I have my life! Not only do have an amazing mother, who selflessly gives to everyone around her, but I also have two wonderful, God-fearing grandmothers, an aunt that I consider to be a 2nd mother, and a mother-in-law that I absolutely LOVE! Seriously, God has blessed me beyond belief!!!!!!
First off, My Momma... This woman is hilarious. And the best part is that she doesn't even mean to be! It's not her one-liners that crack me up (she's not really the one-liner/stand-up comedian type), it's just her entire personality.
For example.....
The Ware Family likes to play games. A. Lot. We play pretty much every game you can think of. One night we played Guessture (basically charades and hot-potato mixed together) and it was Mom's turn. Halfway through her turn, she runs out of the living room and completely disappears for a good 10 seconds. And the clock keeps ticking. Everyone on her team was stressing, trying figure out where she would go and why she would leave in the middle of her turn! Well Mom comes charging around the corner, holding up a bag of carrots and shaking them profusely!!! ***In case you didn't catch it, Mom's word was "carrots" and instead of trying to act them out, she just decided to race into the kitchen and grab a bag from the fridge.*** WHO DOES THAT?!?!? haha!!!! Well, my mother does! :)
My Mom is so giving to everyone around her. I think the fact that she works for hospice explains that perfectly.... Not a lot of people can get over their own themselves or their own problems and really help others during a time that is so painful. But she can. I know she has been a blessing to so many people and touched so many lives through her work. But she doesn't just leave that attitude at work-- she carries that spirit of compassion to everyone she meets. My momma love her family (ok, well what wonderful mom doesn't). But my mom is truly the glue that binds us all together. She can't get enough time with her grandbabies and absolutely LOVES when we can all get together. I love getting to go home now, because I know how excited she gets, and I know she actually wants me there (unlike a few time when I was a teenager, I'm sure ha!!!)
If you want the worlds best shopping buddy... this is your girl. You want to play games? You have a partner. You want to ride the biggest roller coaster? Go to the movies? Eat chocolate till you explode? You are looking at your partner in crime.
I love how much she loves coffee, the way her head perks up when she really belly-laughs, her dancing when she gets really excited, and the way she always sings "Happy Birthday to you, You belong in the zoo" to me on my birthday! :)
I catch myself sometimes doing things I know I got from my Mom. I can't help but laugh at these moments, because I know all those funny things that she does is carrying on to me. I only hope I can be the life of the family to my family one day, like she is to ours. :) I love you Mommy!!!
Next up, my Grandma and Memaw....
Wow these two ladies are so inspiring. They have lived their entire lives serving others, giving selflessy and looking to get nothing in return.
My memaw has spent the better part of her life volunteering at the hospital, nursing home and countless church activities. This woman can NOT sit still. :) She still gets out at least 3-4 times a week to orchestrate some activity at church or spend time at the nursing home. She is the leading lady for her church's "No spouse in the house" group. I wish I could be a fly in that gym when they all get together, because I just know she is walking around making sure everyone is doing what their supposed to be doing. She is definitely an organizer (hmmm, wonder where I get that? ha!).
She is a talented artist. She quilts, sews, paints and crafts with the best of them. (Again, wonder where I get my craftyness from?)
She is a strong, no nonsense woman that has so much pride in her family. She continues to give to everyone around her.
My Grandma is so similar in many ways. Grandma taught me to sew (not that I remember much of it now) and made so many of my cute smocked dresses growing up. She continued her sewing up until recently and made the cutest burp cloths for practically every child under the age of 2 in our church.
Grandma started our church's World Bible School program. She took on hundreds of students from all across the world, sharing God's message with each of them through mailing Bible courses back and forth. There is no telling how many people became Christians because of her!
Both women have read their Bibles from start to finish countless times. They are encouragers, selfless and love their families more than anything on this earth.... although I'd have to say crossword puzzles would come in a strong 2nd place. :)
Oh Annie, Annie, Annie....
I think if there is anyone on this earth (besides my momma) that truly understand me, it's you. Maybe that's because we are so much alike? Ya... that's probably got a lot to do with it.
Some people may call it no-nonsense, others may call it straightforward. But that honesty is something I know I got straight from you. :)
My years at Harding were blessed because I had you there. You and your endless supply of Nutella Crescent Rolls kept my heart and stomach happy. Plus, you always made sure I had clean underwear! ha!!!
You are my biggest chearleader! You never told me how you thought I should live my life, you just let me live it, and love me through everything.
And last but definitely not least, my Mother-in-Law, JoAnne....
I don't know why God decided I should be the lucky girl to get to be a part of the Herriman family, but for some reason He picked me!
Of course I love the entire family beyond words... but this post is all about JoAnne :)
I have some friends that didn't get so lucky in the MIL department. I have heard horror stories.... straight out of this movie...
Although this trailer is stinkin hilarious, I can't imagine feeling like my relationship with my MIL was "kill or be killed." ha!
I have had so many friends ask me "Is she really that nice?" And I LOVE being able to look them in the eye and say "She is so much better!" :)
She is the most positive person I know. She is always smiling, always encouraging, always upbeat. I know I will be uplifted after spending a little bit of time with her. She is a great listener. I always know that she is ready to listen to whatever is going on in mine and Tyler's life, big or small.
JoAnne is the best mom. Ever. Tyler and I talk about it all the time! She always gave Tyler and Rachel the freedom to live independent lives, but gave them boundaries when it mattered. Tyler and Rachel are both hard-workers and very independent and I know a lot is due to JoAnne. She is such an encourager. And she gives us support and will do anything to help, but also wants us to go and experience things for ourselves. I love that! Joe and JoAnne have really instilled a sense of adventure in Tyler and Rachel.
I am so incredibly thankful to have a MIL that I respect, admire and love as much as I do! Her compassion and serving attitude are such an example, and I pray I can be a mother like her!
So here is a special post to all the women in my life, both my real mother and "other mothers" who mean so much to me! I love so much and am so incredibly thankful for you!
Tyler and I have been married for over 4 years. We are beginning the next phase in our lives and are expecting our first baby in May 2014!
And here is our life...
