Wedding Party and Ceremony

This week's Show Us Your Life is Wedding Party and Ceremony. I don't have any pictures of my ceremony as the photographer came a few hours before and did our pictures. We had such a small wedding that we didn't want everyone sitting around while we did pictures.

And as for the Wedding Party, we didnt have that. But I wanted to at least share pictures that I do have:

I didn't have bridesmaids, but my BFF Amanda did come and hang out with me before.

Here are our rings. They were given to us by Stuart's grandparents. They are both so beautiful and we are proud to wear them.

Our colors were red (to go with the marine corps colors) and burnt orange (for the fall). I was hesitant about these colors, but my florist talked me into it and I loved them.

This picture shows how beautiful the colors were. Plus Im a sucker for black and white!

I Heart Coat Hangers

For some reason, Abby has decided that she no longer likes to sit still for diaper changings. She just has to roll over on her stomach and squirm as much as possible. Makes it very challenging!

But the other day, there was a coat hanger on the side. She got ahold of it and it kept her entertained! So that is what I give her when she needs to be changed.

This morning, when I tried to take it away, she said No Way. So I put her back in her chair with the coat hanger. Odd little bird...

And make sure you check out those chicken legs!

Pretty in Pink

I just love this outfit of Abby's. I got in on clearance and just think it is so adorable.

Happy as can be playing with my daddy!

I love to hit his bald head (looks like mine)!

Let me join in the fun!

Quite the messy eater! Carrots and applesauce.

Applesauce and Bath Time

Our two newest foods have been peas and applesauce. Both complete hits! Stuart claims that the peas are not his genetics as he HATES peas. Me - I tolerate them, not my favorite, but I'll eat them.

But applesauce, that is a whole different ball game. She could eat applesauce all day every day. At first I tried to make my own, that got old quick. So I bought some sugar free all natural applesauce. For dinner tonight, she had carrots and applesauce. When we were done, she just looked at me like "More, please", so I gave her yet another serving. That gal loves her applesauce!

Getting ready to eat, the excitement of the applesauce is building.


Yes, I love it. Give it to me now!

Still very much a bath lover. She thinks it is hilarious to splash the water with her feet and hands. I have yet to make it through a bath without being drenched myself. We are thisclose to moving her into the big bath. She can sit up, but still a little unsteady.

Flash back to an earlier bath time...my how she has grown!

Stuart's Party

Stuart's 30th birthday party was Saturday night. We had about 30-40 people and had a GREAT time. Here are some of the highlights:

Last year's pinata was such a big hit that I got another one this year. It is a cowboy boot that was filled with 3 bags of candy (which I am still finding in the garage).

Unfortunately, Stuart trusted his friends to NOT move the pinata when he was swinging. Of course they did, so he fell over quite a few times trying to swing.

Getting blindfolded and spun by Meg.

We had another friend bring a bull pinata. There were some kids at the party, so Stuart held the pinata for them (apparently being 30 does not make you smarter!).

The highlight of the night was a surprise visit by our friend, Coffee. He has been in FL for a few months after being in a car accident. He just got back to Jacksonville Saturday night. Stuart had NO idea!

The gals: Meg, Melissa, Me, Justine and Maria (expecting her first baby!).

Beer pong table set up in the backyard.

We had a good turn out!

Here are pictures of the decorations!

"30" yard sign set up with the coolers of beer (and water of course).

Stuart's gift of S'mores from Julie and Mike.

"30" Balloons (not really sure what is on the tv)

Another set of balloons that say "Happy B'day Dad". A gift from Abby.

"30" trays for some of the food.

Speaking of Ms. Abby, I dont have any pictures of her from the party. The party started about 6, and since her bedtime is 7:30, she wasn't around for most of it. But she slept like a champ through the whole thing. But here she is wrestling with Daddy. Her excema comes and goes. We are keeping it pretty well lotioned, and it doesn't seem to hurt her. Happy as always!

We let our friends Thomas and Meg borrow our spare bed. Apparently their dog ate theirs. So while I was at the movies (The Proposal - such a funny movie), Stu turned the room into a playroom for Abby. How cute is that! Now we dont have to keep pulling her out from under the coffee table!

Wedding Dress

One of my favorite blogs Kelly's Korner hosts a weekly "Show us Your Life" where people share different parts of their life. This week was wedding dresses. Since I LOVED my wedding, I thought I should join in.

My husband-to-be was (well, still is) in the Marine Corps and wore his dress blues. I wore a dress off the rack from David's Bridal. I didnt even have to get it altered other than hemmed. It was strapless with beading at the top and gathered at the waist. The train was small, and that is how I wanted it. The veil was tucked under my hair, not a big fan of veils.

Here we are in front of the mantle where we got married.

My favorite picture, I didnt wear shoes at all for the wedding!

Right after he saw me for the first time!

Amber's Baby Shower

While I did not attend this shower (nor was I invited, thanks Mel!), my friend Amber's shower was a few weeks ago and I just wanted to share the pictures of the Mom-To-Be. You just have no idea how happy I am that she is going to have a baby!

What a cute preg-o gal!

This cake is just beautiful! I will have to find out which bakery, so I can get Abby's one year cake made there!

Amanda and Amber, my two best buds! We go WAY back!

Can't wait for Abby to meet her future hubby Caden....

New Layout

Well I am trying out some new layouts! My friend Lindsay is my mentor, but I am usually creatively challenged! So just bear with me as I make changes and finally find what I like.

No pictures today, but I do have a story. Abby and I were at the grocery store. There were two small boys in front of us in line. One was about 5, the other 7. They saw Abby and immediately walked over and started "loving" on her.

They were rubbing her arms, giving her hugs, etc. I am not a confrontational person and I really just sat there in shock. I looked at their mother thinking surely this woman will stop them.

She says "Boys, leave the baby alone" the way you would say "Oh, it's sunny outside".

Obviously they kept doing it.

Then when she was FINALLY done checking out, she said "Boys, lets go".

The older boy immediately starts screaming, " I want a baby!!".

The younger one joins in "I want a baby!!"

This woman NOW embarrassed stammers and stutters and herds them out of the store.

Abby is a wonderful baby and laughed at the boys and truly enjoyed the experience, but SERIOUSLY? Since when did it become ok to let your kids rub all over another kid without at least apologizing or asking the mother of that baby?? Abby has a slight cold and could give them what ever she has (for the mother's sake I hope she did).

And god only knows what those rugrats rubbed on my baby. I was in too much shock at the time to say anything, but I have got to start standing up for her, Im the only one (other than Stu of course) that is going to do it. Good lesson for me!

2 Birthdays in the House

In all the excitement of Stuart's birthday, I completely forgot that it was Ali's birthday as well! When we took her to her first vet appointment, they randomly assigned her a birth date. Only later when I got home, did I realize that it was July 20th as well...it is fate that she is ours!

While I did not get her anything for her birthday, she did get some extra lovin' and a rawhide bone which she was really excited about. Well, she is excited about everything, all the time! She is two and I hear that dogs calm down and get more out of the puppy stage when they are three...so only one more year of crazy Ali (at least we hope).

This was Ali when we first got her!

Isn't she just too adorable???

The birthday boy and girl wrestling

Lickin' is her way of lovin'

Meanwhile Abby enjoyed some bananas and carrots.

She makes a mess, but loves her food!

I thought she was going to go down quick tonight because she was acting very tired. But I heard noises in the nursery and this is what I found. Happy as can be and (again) pulling down the bumper. One day Ill go in there and that thing will just be gone!

****Also, the rash was due in part to the pacifier, the moisture of her mouth creates it. I would love to say that we give it to her less, but that thing is a life saver. I do try to wipe her mouth down more though. ****

Good times, great friends

Stuart is turning the big 3-0 tomorrow, the 20th! Wow, 9 years ago tomorrow, we "met". We have actually known each other longer (we don't come from that large of a town), but we started dating after his 21 st birthday. For his birthday tonight, we went out to eat with friends at Icehouse in Swansboro. Saturday night the 25th, is the big party.

Here we are sitting out front of the restaurant, delicious seafood place on the water!

Stuart, Me, Megean, Thomas, Justine, Steve, Julie and Mike

(Abby on the chair in front)

So, here is a picture of all of Abby's toys. For someone that is only 6 months old, that sure is alot. I am 27 and that looks like fun to me!

Yet, for whatever reason, I spend 90% of my time chasing her all over the room. That big blue thing (on the left) is Ali's bed. It has tags that hang off the edge of it and Abby will move ALL of her toys out of the way to get to this silly tags. I moved the coffee table and spread a huge blanket down on practically the entire room. Yet again, note that she is NOT on the blanket. She seriously has carpet burn on her knees from not staying on the blanket.

Also, sorry the picture is blurry. For some reason when I use the camera, it is blurry. Yet, miraculously when Stuart uses it, it works perfectly. I think he changes the settings when I am not looking just to make me think that I am crazy.

I finally tried setting the camera on the floor to make it not blurry (maybe I was shaking??). I thought this picture actually came out ok. She has started to crawl, well inchworm across the room, but won't let you take a picture of her doing it. This is kinda what it looks like.

Another great day at the pool!



She kicks and kicks in the pool, goes nowhere, but still loves it.

She is such a ham with the camera!