Welcome to my world

About this time 6 years ago, Daddy came home with some exciting news to tell about an early Christmas present he had gotten "us."

Us. Key word.

Cheers rang out and anticipation mounted as he told us what he had purchased.

"A Karaoke machine!"

Um, yeah. We did not put in a request for that, Big Al, but thanks.

I have to say that as he started unloading this state-of-the-art Karaoke machine - with it's huge speakers, it's high-tech microphone, and more cd's than a show dog could jump over - we were appreciative, but not overly enthused.

We saw through his initial mind game of trying to make us believe this gift was bought primarily for us. But as he smiled like a little kid on Christmas morning, we couldn't help but smile, too.

Because we knew the purchase was made to fulfill a dream of Big Al's. A dream that he takes upon himself to fulfill at any public event where a microphone is present.


The Karaoke machine has allowed him to belt out his favorites (Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Hank Williams, Jr, etc. etc.) whenever he wants, and the smile he had that day has only grown bigger as the many years (and the many, many concerts) have gone on.

And really, seeing the joy that this piece of equipment has brought my daddy over the years was kind of like a present to us.

Team that with the laughter and joy it brings to all who participate in a Tyson Karaoke Night (most recently my dad's brother and his family), and you can't help but want to just grab that microphone and bust out with your bad self.

So please know - should you ever come for a visit - there is always a microphone waiting for you.

And Daddy will be more than glad to sing a few for the crowd as you pick out your songs.

I am obviously VERY thankful for my camera

Memorable moments from Thanksgiving 2008...

Thanksgiving Eve

-Convening in the kitchen to take part in some preparatory activities.


-Watching the great Thanksgiving Meal Director work all his magic. (Many onions were harmed in the making of this meal)


-Admiring some dear friends. They were not long for this world.


-Knowing that not one dish produced this year lacked a certain glorious ingredient.


Thanksgiving Day

-Eating turkey in my favorite form for lunch. (We eat our big meal Thanksgiving night)

-Talking to my sweet brother, who could not make it home this year (tears), on the phone. He was greatly missed! (Picture brought to you by Tgiving '07)


-Going to the movies with Ashley (mama of 'my boys'), her mom, my mama, my cousins, and my grandmother to see a movie.


-Coming home from the movie and sitting around the kitchen laughing, catching up, and telling funny stories.


-Getting to hang out with these pretty girls - my cousins, Tara & Amanda! They were a Thanksgiving surprise all the way from California! I love surprises even more than I love Thanksgiving dinner.


-Ah, yes. Thanksgiving dinner. I'll dream about it for the rest of my life.

(Turkey, ham, dressing, yams, asparagus casserole, butter beans, rice, rutabagas, deviled eggs, onion pie, creamed corn, squash casserole, macaroni and cheese, and love)

Thanksgiving Day Night

-The moment someone (Alan, The Executive Chef) said "Let's eat!" Tara shared my joy.


-My uncle Ashley, Gram, Tara, Amanda, her husband John, and I thanking the pilgrims for coming up with this great idea.


-Having Al and Deb join via the kitchen counter. You know it's a Happy Thanksgiving when you can't even fit all your loved ones at the table!


(Al is not pictured because at this point he was hooking up the karaoke machine)

-Watching Alan (who loves the karaoke machine like it's his third child) sing with his brother (who loves the karaoke machine like it's his third child).

Big Al on air guitar.

-Being in the audience for the 3 hour karaoke concert that took place in our living room.


-Witnessing many memorable performances


-Ending the day so thankful for all of our many blessings on this very Happy Thanksgiving!

The Thanksgiving laughs have commenced

A little while ago, Big Al was cooking up a storm in the kitchen, and I walked in to tell him about a funny conversation I had just had on the phone with my cousin.

(It was funny by the way)

As I concluded the story, I said, "She laughed. I laughed. It was a gay old time." Ha ha hee hee ho ho.

Daddy (not overly humored) repeated me, "It was a gay old time!" And then added, "I guess you just had to be there."

"Ugh, Daddy!" I said half-annoyed and half-laughing. "Mama wasn't there and she laughed!"

"Jenna Babe, your mama would laugh at a goose fartin' in the wind."

Happy Thanksgiving, folks. From our home to yours.

Happy Thanksgiving

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."

~G.K. Chesterton~

{seconded by J.M. Tyson} :-)

Freedom, donuts, and the breaking of hearts

There are a lot of things I don't like about my current state of affairs.

I'm 6 months post-graduation, I have no job, money acts like it doesn't even know me and will not stay in my pocket, I'm totally confused about my life's purpose, and I don't have an exceptionally good plan to speak of.

BUT (bright side alert), there are many MANY things about my current situation that I do like.

One of those is my freedom.

I know this period of life will soon be over, and with it will go my freedom to choose how I spend my time. Right now, there are no restrictions, no scheduling days off, no one dictating what I do with myself except for me.

It's quite glorious as you might imagine, and all that glory helps to remind me (in the really stressful times) to soak it up as best I can now.

The real world is coming, I know. It's all gonna be over but the crying soon enough.

One activity this "freedom" has allowed me to take part in on a very regular basis is babysitting the boys. When Ashley calls me to see if I can keep them, my answer 9.95 times out of 10 is a (very enthusiastic) yes.

I would never get to be with them as much as I am if I was a real grown-up with a real job.

Grown-ness and job-ness are my immediate goals of course, but I only have so much control over that right now. And I am beyond glad that I can be so involved with my little thanksgiving turkeys until it all comes together.

Because as recent studies have shown, Brannen and Will have both reached their peak levels of cuteness in the past year.


Today, for example, is one of those days where I get to put my worries to the side and revel in this period of life God has given me to figure myself out and spend some good time with those I love.

Today I get to hang out with 2 little men who keep me laughing and break my heart with their adorableness - all at 3-minute intervals.

The boys are out of school, so I am actually getting to hang out with them for the next two days. It's like Fall Break all over again, but I am even more thankful this time around because, well, it's Thanksgiving, and that's the law.

This morning we made a little trip to the donut store for a some breakfast and conversation.

Food and talking. My faves.

Brannen and Will. My other faves.


While we were sitting there, an ambulance drove by igniting Precious Conversation #45878457 with the boys.

"Look, ya'll, there's an ambulance driving by!" I said. I'm all about soliciting excitement at any cost.

"Yep. Some-body's goin to da doc-ta," Genius child Will informed me, very matter-of-factly.

"That's exactly right. I hope they are not very sick," I replied.

"And after the doc-ta, the amboo-lance is gonna take dem to a west-a-wahnt. (Confused look). Is dat wight, Jenn Jenn?"

Um, not quite, Bud.

"Well, no, I don't think ambulances go to restaurants very much. Actually, when an ambulance drives by really fast, it is probably taking someone to the hospital," I explained.

"Oh yeahhhhh. (light bulbs, light bulbs). And to get a SHOT," Will said, suddenly burdened with thoughts of needles. I hear ya, baby.

"Maybe so. Hey, ya'll know what?" I said, remembering something relevant to this story that I would like to share. "I had to get a SHOT yesterday!"

(It's all about the drama here at Jenna's Day Camp)

"Really???" Brannen asked, intrigued by the unexpected twist I had just thrown at them.

"Yes. But I was very brave, and I didn't even cry (or pass out, for anyone keeping score)," I told them both.

I immediately noticed a troubled looked on my child Will's face.

"Jenn Jenn. When I go to bed tonight, I'ms gonna pway for God to not let you get a shot ANY MO-WA!"

(Personal moment of heart breakage)

"Aww! Thank you so much, Babe. You are just the sweetest."

I then noticed Brannen looking over at his baby brother (precious little head shaking back and forth and mouth curling up into a grin).

"Will. You are totally breakin my heart right now."

Couldn't have said it better myself, Big B.

Couldn't have planned this time in my life any better than this, God.

Couldn't be much happier, ya'll.

It was about time

1 year ago, this was where all of my earthly possessions resided.


It was a quaint and organized existence.

6 months ago, I walked (ran) across the graduation stage, collected my master's degree, threw all of my belongings haphazardly into any box or bag I could find, and subsequently sent all my aforementioned earthly possessions to their new home.


4 months ago, I finally (oh the shame) moved all of my belongings OUT of the back of The 'Hoe. Then I went through and organized every box and bag - putting everything in it's perfect place and living happily ever after because that's just the kind of person I am.

Syke!

(I think we should bring back syke)

4 months ago, I DID finally unload the car, but unfortunately I just shifted it all into my parent's living room.


Bless their hearts.

1 month ago, my parent's put a halt to their "we love you and totally support you leaving all of your crap in our living area" take on the situation, and Big Al moved it all upstairs. It totally cleared up the den, but it did not do much for the front door entryway.


Bless their hearts again, I say.

3 days ago, I woke up and had a stern talk with myself.

I reviewed with myself that yes, when I moved home 6 months ago, I did not know if I would be moving again in 2 weeks or 2 months or what. I sympathized with myself about the fact that when I finished school, I was so physically and mentally exhausted that I just couldn't bare the thought of unpacking and organizing it all right away.

I needed a grace period, I explained.

I also discussed with myself the fact that even though I still do not know if I will be here 2 more weeks or 2 more months or what, I think the disorganization has been causing me major feelings of displacement. I also believe it to be partly to blame for an overall feeling of disarray in all areas of my life.

Myself agreed with me.

So, for the past 3 days, I have been tirelessly working to get my life in order.

There is no photo documentation of the Great Clean Out (a woman on a mission cannot afford to stop), but it was a sight to behold.

I felt disgusted with all the excess stuff I had accumulated (that went on the Goodwill stack), I felt overwhelmed as I trudged through old school notebooks (much of that went in the trash stack), and I felt happiness upon finding many sweet old cards, funny letters, and pictures (those went on the Heart Box stack).

But mostly I just felt satisfaction and excitement as the contents of each box finally found nice, neat, organized spots in which to live.

Sometimes I think a Type A person lives deep inside me. I am glad she showed her face this weekend because all this cleaning and organizing brought me GREAT joy.

And I'm pretty sure I heard my parents extending an invitation for her to stick around.

:-)

Conversations with Will-Will

I know we can all agree that Will, child of my heart, is somewhat of an overachiever in the cute department.

He works his curls. He works his grin. He works his precious little voice and his adorable little phrases. He hugs at just the right times. He laughs at everything you say.


He will hit your from all sides with The Charm and leave your head spinning with thoughts of serving him up on a platter immediately.

But what you may not know, is that he is also an overachiever in the brain department. He is SO bright and so smart. I'll go ahead and say it...

Genius child.

And thanks to his older brother starting Kindergarten this year, Will has had the opportunity to kick his smarts up a notch. Every night he works right alongside his bubba as Brannen does his homework. Will's favorite homework component?

The Sight Words.

They are all the rage in Kindergarten these days, so this (barely) 3 year-old can now identify around 30 different sight words.

He can read them off the flash card with ease, and he (with great exuberance) can point them out in books without prompting.

Genius child. Love him.

But over the past few weeks I have noticed him taking it to the next level (self-motivator), as he will now identify a sight word and proceed to use it in a sentence.

Genius child. Love him. Can't get enough of him.

Last night while I was keeping him, we started going through the sight words and he began using many of them in sentences. I personally believe it was done with the sole purpose of rendering me useless in any activity except those which would involve giving him anything he wants. But that is neither here nor there.

The first flash card read, "WITH"

"Wif!" he exclaimed. "Like, Jesus wants to go WIF us."

Watch out boy, because when you start saying sweet stuff like that, I want to eat you.

Next card, "HAVE"

"Have!" he said excitedly. "Like Ma-wy is HAVE-ing a baby!"

Is anyone sensing a little Christmas theme here? Will-man, I heart you.

A few cards later, "GO"

"Go!" he proclaimed. "Like, GO! TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN!"

At that point, I was no longer able to contain myself and was forced to grab ahold of the child and kiss and tickle him until he had no breath left to even continue to the next card.

But, as I kept on tickling, I did catch a glimpse of the next one on the stack.

"YOU"

Like, I sure do love YOU, Will-Will.

Conversations with my parents

The other day as I was upstairs getting ready, I heard The Debster downstairs talking to someone. I knew I had not heard the door open, nor had I registered another person's voice.

It became my personal mission right then and there to get to the bottom of the mystery.

"Mama?" I called from my room upstairs. (So actually it was really more like "MAMA!")

"Yes, sweetie?" she innocently answered back up the stairs to me.

"Who were you just talking to?" I asked, channeling Sherlock.

"Myself."

Man, I should have known. Crazy people always talk to themselves. Rookie mistake. I was still intrigued, though, so I pressed on.

"And what were you telling yourself?" I inquired.

Share with the group, Deb. We're all friends here.

"That it is really cold in this house, and I need to turn up the heat," she stated.

Wondering aloud, I asked, "What did yourself say?"

"Go for it."


********

Last night, I was looking in the refrigerator for something to drink and came across a pitcher of tea. Since I knew it had been in there for a while, I was afraid it might have soured. But all of a sudden, I only had eyes for tea, so I put some feelers out to get a consensus on whether or not the tea was fit to drink.

"Daddy, do you think this tea is still okay?" I asked him.

"I don't know, Darlin, how long has it been in there?" he questioned. He's a facts-man.

"I don't know exactly. Since last week probably," I said. "Oh what the heck, I'm going for it."

(Risk-taker.)

I began pouring, but then I spilled some (typical), so I had to spend a couple of minutes wiping it up.

Big Al, who had been paying me no mind as I sloshed tea all over the counter soon asked, "So, was it sour?"

"I don't know, I haven't had a chance to taste it yet. But, I mean, even if it is a little sour, it's not like it will hurt me (becoming more confident in my decision). Right? Can it? (becoming less confident in my decision). I mean, what could really happen to you if you drink bad tea?"

Without skipping a beat, Daddy filled me in on a couple of the possible side effects.

"Well, they say it can make all your hair fall out. And I've also heard it can make your first baby be born naked."

Immeasurably more

on behalf of heather, faith, and myself...

thank you...

for taking the time to encourage kelly & scott as they prepare to welcome that

precious harper-girl!

and thanks for sharing your sweet, sweet stories about how much kelly

has meant to you. we know it was a blessing for

kelly & scott to read all of your touching posts and comments! ya'll are

seriously awesome, and we heart every one of you. your daily prayers,

encouragement, and love for kelly, as well as SOOO many other

bloggers out there, is absolutely incredible and inspiring - and it is truly what makes

blogging so amazing and so much fun!

We Love Kelly: Baby Shower Edition

Welcome to Scott, Kelly, and Harper's Bloggy Baby Shower!

Heather, Faith, and I are so glad you came! Please pull up a chair, grab an invisible petit four and some invisible punch, admire the invisible diaper cake, and join the fun!

It is such an honor for us to host a shower that allows all of you wonderful bloggers to come together and collectively share the love with the very dear and very amazing parents of Miss Harper Brown (formerly known as Scott and Kelly) :-)


We know that Kelly means so much to so many people, and we also know that the word "excited" doesn't begin to cover how we all feel about their new addition!

We hope you have the best time today as you pour out your love, your blessings, and your well-wishes. Feel free to give your parenting advice, your tricks of the mama-trade, and anything else you want to share about Kelly and how she has personally touched your life.

I definitely know that she has touched mine!

Which is why it is my absolute pleasure to kick off this shower with a couple words to my sweet, sweet friend...

********

Kelly,

I found your blog when that Harper Babe was just a huge, bright, shiny twinkle in your eye.

The minute I started reading about your love of family, friends, football, and food (The Great Quad-F), my heart was hooked. I loved getting a glimpse into your life, and I was so inspired by your faith as you and Scott were facing one of the hardest 'waits' of your lives.

And even though we were not necessarily in the same season of life, I felt an instant connection with you - a connection I know so many people feel as they take their trip to Kelly's Korner each day. :-)

I am so glad to have met you, and I have just loved getting to know you better through this crazy world of blogging. You are so sweet and so funny, and it has been an honor to pray for your family. You are truly a beautiful person inside and out, and the way you give your love so freely and your prayers for others so diligently means SO much to us all.

It definitely does to me and my future husband (whom I know you are helping to pray up). :-)

I am SO thankful for you, my friend! You are a true gift (with a heart the size of Heaven)!

And speaking of gifts, let's talk for a moment about that sweet little miracle girl!

I could not be happier for you and Scott and your whole family as ya'll await the arrival of that sweetbabe! I have loved watching the Lord do great things in your lives, and I am so glad He heard our prayers and is blessing you with a sure-to-be-precious and already-greatly-loved daughter!

“A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future.” Author unknown

I know you and Scott are going to be WONDERFUL parents! Thank you for letting us all share in ya'll's amazing journey as you welcome that sweet Harper-girl!

Congrats to you both!

********

Ok, friends! It's ya'll's turn!

Here are the rules (or should I say guidelines since this is a PARTY and parties, by law, have no rules).

1. Get excited

2. Write your amazing post

3. Add your name and link to the Mr. Linky below

4. Please make sure you link to your Bloggy Shower post and not just your blog

5. Have fun visiting with all of your fellow shower-ers!

Remember?

Remember the Tale of the Lost Iron?

I wish I had good news, but the iron you see here is new. While it will never replace the old iron's spot in our hearts, we have to find a way to go on. Our grief remains hidden behind our nicely pressed clothes.

(At some point, I do want to tell you the latest on this home appliance mystery. Let's just say the plot definitely thickened. Dun dun duuuuuun.)

Remember the scary game face of my father?

Well, it worked it's scary magic as our Eagles pulled out a victory yesterday. We watched the game at home on TV, and breathed a sigh of relief as the guys ended their season with a win.

Knocking arch-rival Furman out of the playoffs was a sweet way to finish a long and exhausting season. Not to mention the fact that if we had lost, I think we would have had to put Alan in a straight-jacket.

Remember where I was last weekend?

Has it already been a week since these people wed?

Since I ate this cake?


Since I had this hair?


Since I ate this cake?


Oh wait. Did I already mention the cake? Hmm, silly me. It's almost like I had 2 HUGE pieces or something.

Remember what you did on Friday?

I do! I hung out with this pretty girl.

We chatted it up in her cute house, got some coffee, and went to hear our very talented friend, Matt Mckinney (and his band) play some music downtown.

It all took me back to college days of olde. I wanted to stay there, but I was soon zapped back to my reality of life-confusion. Which is really only a smidge less fun. (Tear).

Remember my cute Gram?

She (and her trusty friend, the pear salad) will be coming over to eat with us tonight. I love that little pistol.

Remember what tomorrow is?

It's Kelly's shower! Get your posts ready because it is time to share the love, blog-style!

Please make your way over here tomorrow and sign your name to our good friend, Mr. Linky. Then let the well-wishes, mommy advice, encouraging words, blessings, and Harper-love commence! I can't wait to see you all tomorrow!

Finish up strong

Have you had that nagging feeling lately that something has been missing in your life? Can't seem to put your finger on it?

Well, do not worry, because I have figured it out for you - for us all. Because I am here for us. It's my calling in life.

What is it, you ask?

Why, it's AT's football commercials, of course! If you need it, take a moment now to collect yourself from the joy of this revelation I have set upon you.

Or to recover from this picture of a football lovin fool I am proud to call my daddy. That's his game face, by the way.

People say we look alike, but I can't think about that right now.

So anyways, you may or may not (more likely) have wondered where in the world Alan had gone these past few weeks. Saturdays came and went and there were no Gameday Commercials to speak of. It was as if the Eagles, our beloved hometown team, ceased to play.

Thankfully (or not so thankfully as their record now shows) they continued on. But for several weeks straight Daddy and I could not get our schedules together for the commercial tapings. Sadness.

But thankfully he is back today, as the Eagles take on Furman (BOO) for their final game of the season!

It has been a trying time in the land for our Birds. 3 new coaches in 4 years will do a number on a team. And a season full of defeats (many in the last seconds of the game with only a couple points seperating us from victory) can weaken some spirits.

But we are proud of our boys and we are confident in our coaches. And even though it was a hard season, we banded together in true Georgia Southern fashion - making sure fun was had by all.

We ate...

We drank...

And we were merry...

As for today, Alan charges our men to get out there and play hard til the final whistle blows!




Go Eagles!

Unsolved Mysteries

I had the pleasure of spending Tuesday night and Wednesday night with the boys this week. Yesterday morning as I was getting them up and ready for school, my cell phone rang.

Hmm. 7:05 am. Odd.

I looked at my phone and saw that it was Mama. I pressed send and balanced it between my shoulder and cheek as I went about taming The Will-man's golden curls.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Jenna Babe!" said Mama.

"Hey, Deb. Whatareyoudoing?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just getting ready. Hey, have you done anything with the iron?" she inquired.

"Like the iron that you use on clothes?" I countered very intelligently.

"Yessss," she said, obviously proud.

"No, I haven't," I answered as I tried to remember the last time I even used the iron. Ever since Downy Wrinkle Releaser came into my life, my relationship with the iron has suffered.

"Really?? Huh. Well, we can't find it." Deb stated with a confused tone.

"What do you mean ya'll can't find it?" I asked, proving that 6 years of Higher Ed. does not exempt you from asking the obvious.

Probably thinking, Master's degree? Really? Deb answered, "Well, we ironed our clothes yesterday, but we woke up this morning and the iron is gone."

"Hmm. That is interesting. I don't know, Mama. I haven't seen it," I apologized.

Closing remarks. End conversation.

I thought about the iron for a couple more seconds, then went back to my job as book bag wrangler, chocolate milk fetcher, and school bus driver.

After I dropped off the kids, I returned home to find my parents - dressed head to toe in wrinkled attire - staring blankly at the ironing board.

"Jenna Babe, when you got home yesterday, did you stay all day until you had to go get the boys?" Daddy questioned me all CSI-like.

"Hmmmm (thinking back). Yes, actually. I was here all morning. I did take a nap for about an hour (compliments of an accidental cough medicine overdose from the previous night) before I left to pick up the boys around 4," I answered.

And then it dawned on me. "Do you think someone came into our house and STOLE our IRON?"

Grand Theft Iron? I'm sorry, where am I?

"Well, I mean, (hands in the air) irons don't just disappear!" Alan informed me. I was glad he cleared that up.

After taking a moment to try and wrap my mind around this notion, I replied, "Ok. That makes NO sense!"

The main reason I said that? Because, really, that makes no sense at all.

As we discussed it further and I took time to ponder more, I came to realize that no explanation made sense. This revelation subsequently left me with much concern - even causing me to call out, "Seriously. WHERE is the iron?" on more than one occasion yesterday.

There were no answers. My cries were in vain.

Here's the deal. The iron and ironing board are in my parents bedroom (because they are romantic like that). Day after day, the ironing board stays in the same place and day after day, the iron resides in the same spot - right on top of the board. It never moves (where would it go? it's an iron. it has one purpose. and you wouldn't accidentally carry it off after use because hello, burnage).

More important information you need to know to help solve this mystery:

We have concrete evidence that shows both Alan AND Debbie ironed their clothes the morning before the disappearance (their alibis checked out).

After ironing on the morning of Wednesday, November 12, they subsequently left for work, steamed and pressed to perfection.

That same morning, I came home around 8:00 am from babysitting and was downstairs until about 1:00 pm when I retreated upstairs to try and cure my cough medicine hang-over. Less than an hour and a half later, I was back downstairs where I stayed until 4:00 pm.

Mama reports that she came home no later than 5:30 pm.

Dinner was eaten. TV was watched. They went to bed.

The dawn broke the next morning (Thurs). Al gathered up his clothes and headed to the ironing board.

The iron was nowhere to be found.

Say it with me now, "Seriously. WHERE is the iron?"

If that wise old owl, Alan, is right - and it didn't just disappear into thin air - then really, Where could it be?

We remain baffled.

Our brains remain confused.

And our clothes remain wrinkled.

Bloggy Baby Shower!

I love surprises.

In my eyes, there is nothing better in this world than looking up from the craziness of living to find that someone or something unexpected - with the main purpose of blessing you - has come into your life.

I think we find these "prizes" (as I like to call them) all over the place in our daily lives. I am a firm believer that God is big into the Prize Business - surprising us with people and experiences and simple everyday joys right when we need them the most.

I would venture to say that for a lot of people, blogging comes with it's own special, unexpected set of prizes.

I am sure every blogger out there could list off numerous reasons they are glad they blog. And I would be so bold as to say that on the top of many of those lists would be the people you encounter.

People who make you laugh and make you cry. People whose lives you follow - rejoicing with them in the happy moments, grieving in the sad, laughing in the ridiculous and random moments that pop up in all of our crazy lives.

People who you probably would not know otherwise, but who touch you deeply and inspire you to be a better person. People who challenge you to love God more - just by sharing their lives, their faith, and their journeys on their blogs.

People like the sweet, gorgeous, and lovely momma-to-be...Mrs. Kelly Stamps!


As many of you would agree - to know this girl is to love her! And so many people out in the blogworld have grown to love her dearly while following along on her blog as she writes about her life, her family (shout out to Scott & Dawson!), and most recently, their struggle with infertility.

So many of you prayed alongside Kelly as she and Scott waited for the Lord's perfect timing in granting them one of the greatest desires of their hearts - a baby.

And we all rejoiced with them like crazy people when we found out the Lord did just that - blessing them with a sweet baby girl, Miss Harper Brown, who will be here in January!


I could go on and on about how Kelly has probably touched your life, made you laugh and cry, helped you keep the faith as you shared some of her same struggles, helped to deepen your relationship with God as she gave Him all the glory in the great things He has done, etc. etc.

But Heather, Faith, and I want to give YOU ALL a chance to do that yourselves!!!!

That's right, my friends! It's time for a Bloggy Baby Shower!

On Monday, November 17th, we want you to shower Kelly (and Scott and Harper and Dawson) with posts containing encouraging words, baby advice for the parents-to-be, well-wishes, what Kelly has meant to you, how much you love her, how you think she is one of the cutest pregnant girls ever, and so on. :-)

The sky is the limit, people! This is your chance to shout from the blog rooftops (desktops? laptops?) your blessings upon this sweet family.

Get your posts ready, and on Monday head over here where we will have a Mr. Linky set up to direct Kelly to all of your sweet and encouraging posts.

Thank ya'll so much in advance - it is going to be so fun!

And please feel free to put your very own Bloggy Baby Shower button on your blog sidebar (made by my button-hero - the amazing Faith)!

<br /><center><a href="http://jennababe.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k54/adesignoffaith/babyshower-sidebarbtn.png" /></a></center><br />
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9

:-)

Love {and MANY pictures} is all you need

Words really cannot describe Risa's wedding.

One might think that would cause a problem since this is a blog and pretty much all I really have here is words. But fear not! There are always pictures - which I feel will do a heck of a lot more to show the amazingness of this past Saturday than anything I could ever say anyway.

I tried to narrow down from a trillion, and it proved to be as difficult as I predicted. Be forewarned that the number of pictures in this post is striking. My finger is addicted to the button on my camera. An addiction for which there is no rehab.

Camera addiction + Can't make decisions = Possible picture overload. Please take a moment to warn your eyes.

So without further ado, I would like to photographically present to you...

Ris and Joel's Ultimate Wedding

THE SALON

For the bride and her girls, the day of the wedding was spent at the salon for beautification purposes. Here is Ris getting her hair did.

Speaking of hair...here is the back of my head displaying my 'do for the wedding. I absolutely loved it! So much so that I am really considering sending Ashley (hair stylist extraordinaire) a thank you note.


Ris and I displaying our special wedding day shirts (mine says bridesmaid and her's says bride)


Let us all have a moment of silence for the greatness that is my cousin's hair. If you would like to join me in the pit of jealously, then please feel free to hop on down here.


Deb mans the veil...


...while the Mother of the Bride gets glammed up


ALL DRESSED UP WITH SOMEWHERE (THE ALTAR!) TO GO

Quick shot of Ris as we all walk over to the gazebo to take pictures. Excited, much?


Here is one of those time when I really don't have words


Neither does DD. But the smile and beams of pride coming off her face say it all!


The Tysons get in a quick shot before the wedding. FYI: The bright light you see here is not the sun. It's the glow from the bride :-)


THE "I DO'S"


TYSON FAMILY PHOTO SESSION POST-WEDDING

My smoking-hot Mama and my sharp-looking Daddy


The kids



Framer!


DING DING DING WENT THE TROLLEY

Immediately following the wedding, the bridal party and family of the bride and groom hopped on a trolley which took us to various spots on the island to take pictures. SO fun.


The Mr. and Mrs.



MOB and AOB (Aunt of Bride) loving life trolley-style


Seat's taken


PHOTO SESSION ON THE BEACH

The sun was just setting making the most gorgeous back drop for pictures. The beauty of it could have just brought you to tears (this is especially true for a person whose name rhymes with Debbie Tyson)


The groomsmen got very creative with their poses


OK, TIME TO PARTY

First dance


Cutting the cake (more on the cake in a minute, of course)


Some of our awesome family that made the trip. It was SO great to see them!


DD with our awesome cousins Jesse and Nicole


Deb and Al dancing it up


Some lunatic dancing with the Joel


Me, Daddy, and my hair shaggin


Ris and DD pose - they worked so hard the wedding and it was PERFECT


Another mother-daughter team


Big Al and The Debster - what's not to love


Another moment of silence for the greatness of this cake. It was like I was teleported onto Ace of Cakes, but this time I could actually eat it.


Which is exactly what I did. Twice actually. And really big pieces. Looks like the rest of the guests followed my lead.


Daddy singing 'Proud Mary'


He kept us rolling. Rolling. Rolling on the river.

Deb and DD doing their share of rolling.


ALL GLORIOUS THINGS MUST COME TO A SPARKLING END


Congratulations Ris and Joel. We love you!!

The End :-)

Back to life, back to reality

My Monday To-Do List:

1. Sleep (priorities)

2. Take part in a little suitcase exploration and organization


3. Wash all the dirty clothes found after completing #2 (in other words, all of them)

4. Work on a post with an obscene amount of WEDDING pictures and get that baby onto the blog ASAP (aka later today!)

Spoiler alert: Wedding was OUT OF CONTROL


Current picture count = 8 trillion(ish).


5. Organize my life (tackle the craziness that is my room, car, email, and so on...the word disarray comes to mind...)

6. Call the sweet mama of the boys I kid/pre-teen/teen-sat last week and tell her how much I love this ROCKIN shirt I found in my mailbox upon returning home. She brought it back for me from Las Vegas!


How sweet is that? I love prizes and this shirt is SO me

7. Return a different shirt to the mall (had a case of buyer's remorse last week and need to remedy the situation)

8. Return calls from many of my dear people since I have not hung out with my cellular device very much during this busy weekend


9. Get with Ash about keeping the boys this week (I've been missing those little turkeys)


10. Recover, relax, and regroup from a crazy-fun week/weekend (I'm envisioning me with a Diet Coke in front of a TV somewhere)

Happy Monday! :)

L&J: Day Three (Wedding Eve)

Wow. I'm tired. Having fun is hard work, my friends. Do not believe anyone who tells you differently.

And I have to say our commitment to having a good time is commendable. Inspiring even. Go forth everyone, and enjoy the splendor of life! This is our message.

Indeed, we leave no fun-stone unturned - as the (many, many, oh so many) pictures below will show...

Lunch at Barbara Jean's Restaurant (serious Y-to-the-UMMY)

I love the bride a great deal.


Speaking of loving something a great deal, I just have to introduce you to BJ's Pumpkin Bread (or what was left of it).


Oh my lands. Please listen closely. Go outside and get into your car. Drive down to GA. Pick me up. Go to this restaurant. Sit down and wait patiently for the waitress to bring this bread to your table. Die. Go to Heaven.

My pretty Mama and my pretty DD


The Scavenger Hunt (big-time F-to-the-UN)

My team! (Me, Ris, Lucy, Brett and Robert)


All the bridesmaids in their team hats (and/or capes)


On board and ready! We road these buggy things around the island (at an impressive speed) following all the clues. Absolutely hilarious.


I regret to say that we were robbed of a first place victory. But we are all winners here. That's what my mom told me.

They'll be comin round the mountain when they come


Rehearsal (some good P-to-the-RACTICING went down)

Larisa and her fair maidens


Me and Deeds!

Rehearsal Dinner (an A-to-the-MAZINGLY good time was had)


Ris, me, and Matthew with our cousin Jesse who we had not seen in years! He drove all the way from Illinois. He is thebomb.com.


Matthew and Larsen bringing joy to my life one beautiful picture at the time.


I love my parents. Like, really.


Larsen won for most amazing display of crab leg maneuvering/consumption that I have ever seen. Down to a SCIENCE. We stand amazed at her skill level and seafood eating greatness.


In this moment, Deb could not have been happier if she tried. She is a HUGE fan of her children.


She is also a huge fan of Larsen (who isn't, I ask you?)




And lastly, a cherished picture the Maid of Honor with the Guest of Honor :-)


As for today, the wedding bells are ringing loudly in our ears!

L&J Day Two

Yesterday was another great day in the land of shells, rolling tides, palm trees, and paradise. And let's see, what else am I forgetting?

Oh yes! WEDDING SHENANIGANS. They are our life's calling this week.

Yesterday morning started out with all us girls lounging around the room as we took care of various wedding details.

DD worked on the powerpoint o' love that will be shown at the reception.


Risa multi-tasked as she fielded 847 calls all while fixing her shoes. There is no stopping her, folks.


And Deb checked her email. Um, Deb, that is not wedding related. I'm sorry, but we are going to have to ask you to leave.


For the most part, our day was made up of last minute shopping trips, guests arriving, pictures being taken, people laughing and carrying on, and everyone just exuding happiness at the anticipation of The Big Event on Saturday.

It is a crazy time in the land, but it is all so fun and exciting. And somehow in the midst of all that is going on - quite relaxing.

Oh, the beach. It is the great tranquilizer of souls.

Ok, the next pictures I am about to show bring me great joy. Around 2 yesterday, we had Larisa and Joel go out to the beach for a "Trash the Dress" photo session.

Oh my word, I loved it with a passion. SO my kind of thing.

Risa had purchased a dress early on in the game, but it ended up that she found a similar (but even more gorgeous) one that she is going to wear in the wedding. So yesterday we took the lovebirds down to the beach to get some fun shots of them frolicking in the water.

There were hearts flying out of eyes all over the place.

It was precious, and I am so writing it down in my 'Ideas for a Wedding' folder that exists in my mind.

Here are few of my favorite shots...








Later that evening, we all met up at a restaurant on the marina. We sat outside and enjoyed some great weather, delicious food, and wonderful company.


This just in: I got a spray tan. Everyone say hello to Malibu Barbie.



And lastly, Ris and Joel capped off Day Two by getting in a little dance practice.


Pretty soon, it will be time to cut the rug as husband and wife. We can't wait!

L&J: Day One

Hello there!

This is JT coming to you live from Wedding Headquarters in St. Simons, GA!


I really cannot believe the time has finally come for Risa's wedding. But alas. It has.

And we are so excited! This morning we left the Boro bright and early (or dreary and not-really-that-early as it were) to head down south where we will enjoy a jam-packed week and weekend full of family, friends, food, and fun.

Or as I like the say, The Quad-F.

Here is Deb pumped and ready to go. She was really excited because she got to sit RIGHT in front of Risa's wedding dress. It only takes a little bit to excite Debra D. That's why we love her.


I didn't take any pictures of the next few hours of traveling, but this is basically how it went...

9:30 - Country store for Diet Coke
9:35 - Gas station to fill up the Tahoe (or as I like to call it, The 'Hoe)
9:40 - Drive, drive, drive (wedding talk, wedding talk, wedding talk)
11:00 - Stomach growled
11:02 - Lunch
11:30 - Drive, drive, drive (wedding talk, wedding talk, momentary pause, wedding talk)
12:15 - Welcome to SSI!
12:16 - Walmart (home away from home)
1:30 - Michael's (shout out to Mike!)
2:00 - Walmart again (always time in the day for a second WM trip)
2:30 - Check in at hotel (yay)

Once we got to where we are staying, our emotional well-being really started to sky-rocket into what some might call an excited oblivion. Mama and I illustrate that here...


Then reality set in, and we brought it down a notch or two in order to unpack the massive amounts of bags and wedding paraphernalia. I'm pretty sure it was stuffed into each square inch of the car.


About thirty minutes and all my breath later, we had gotten everything inside and commenced to stuffing the gift bags for all the wedding guests! I passionately heart and highly endorse gift bags.

DD, myself, and our makeshift table had a great time adhering the L&J stickers to all the beach-themed bags.


Bride alert! Stuffing bags like it's her j-o-b.


Once our bags were packed and ready to go...


...we realized we had worked ourselves into a hunger and promptly went out to pick up some supper. We ate, took part in a little more wedding talk, went over the schedule of fun for tomorrow, and now we are getting ready to call it an early night!

So far, SO fun. :)

Nov 4

Today is a big day in America.

Huge, actually.

IT'S MY MAMA'S BIRTHDAY!


I bet you thought I was going to talk about how it is Election Day. Of course today is ridiculously huge in that respect as well, but while the outcome of who will prevail in that race is still up in the air - The Debster can already call herself a winner!

Because in this family, she wins by a landslide vote for The Best Mama Ever.


All day, everyday.


Happy Birthday to my sweet and crazy mother, my steadfast confidant, my laughing buddy, my clothes borrower, my greatest supporter, my fellow sub-eater, my first and best role model, my daddy's soul mate, my brother's biggest fan, and my very best friend!


We love you, Mama Babe!

What to wear

In between picking up the guys from school this afternoon and cooking dinner (don't get excited, it was frozen lasagna), I had some free time to consult with myself about a very pressing matter.

My wardrobe.

Now, I am not talking about my wardrobe in it's entirety - that consultation needs to happen as well, but I am waiting for Stacy and Clinton to surprise me with a Visa card for $5,000 before I really dig deep into that dark hole of desperation.

No, I am talking about some "attire organization" on a somewhat smaller scale.

You see, on Wednesday I am leaving for sunny St. Simons Island, GA, to kick off the Wedding Weekend Extravaganza for my cousin, Larisa.

Well hey there, Fun Times! Great to see you yet again.

The wedding is on Saturday, but we are going up early to get settled in, get some wedding-type things taken care of, and because we never turn down Mr. Fun T.

As women, there is always one key ingredient to having the ultimate amount of enjoyment in any particular situation and that is looking (or really just feeling) cute in what we have on. But as we all probably know, this can get somewhat tricky when we are going to be out of town and away from the safety of our closets - especially when we are planning for multiple events.

I know. Blah blah girly blah.

Anyway, as my departure has started to draw near, I have become a little bit anxious about the clothes situation. Mostly because I am babysitting and running around crazy - I am also not at home so I can only survey the situation in my mind and there is limited time to wash, etc. Not to mention the fact that there are a LOT of activities planned for the week, and I have not had time to get a full grasp on the itinerary.

How much do I really need to bring? What is the dressiness level of all the multiple activities? Which days do I need two separate outfits? What is everyone else wearing?

These questions plague me in the night.

So in my spare time this afternoon I decided to make a little diagram to help my mind get a better handle on the packing situation that is going to be happening late tomorrow night when I get home from babysitting.

A little activity I like to call 11th Hour Packing. One of my many talents.

Without further ado, I give you Exhibit A:

If the picture is too small to make out, please keep your seat and do not attempt to find your glasses or (if you are my grandma) your magnifying glass. It is basically just a simple run down of what all shall be occuring and what I shall be wearing. This way, I know exactly what to pack, and I will not end up wearing my pajamas to the Rehearsal Dinner.

It's amazing how much better I am feeling in this moment. :-)

What I'm doing with my extra hour (and the rest of them)

This weekend brought with it another babysitting gig. I am staying with some different, older (ages 8, 12, 15) boys until Tuesday night when their parents return from out of town.

So I guess I am actually kid/pre-teen/teen-sitting, and it has been going really well. The boys are very sweet and have great manners, and being that they are all over the age of 8, they are somewhat more low maintenance than my two sweet little regulars.

No one's asked me for chocolate milk all weekend. No one has run in screaming allegations of bodily harm. There has been nary a frog or lizard proudly brought to the door for me to see/turn away from in horror. And there have been none of the normal requests to read books, color pictures, or even throw a baseball.

{insert missing my little regulars here}

Anyways, it's nice that these guys kind of do their own thing, play outside with their friends, and really only require food and transportation from me.

So in between cooking a few meals, taking a few trips to various places, and hanging out with the youngest one when he reaches his maximum level of boredom (and only has me left to entertain him), I have mostly been filling my time with a little of this...

Mama gave me the book, 'The Secret Life of Bees', for my Halloween present (anybody want to guess her love language??) and I have been thoroughly enjoying pouring over it in my down time as I kid/pre-teen/teen-sit.

It's a hard job people, a hard job.

The Debster and I saw the movie based on this book recently (loved it), but I have to say I am enjoying the book even more. It just takes the story to a whole new level since you are able to peak into what the characters are thinking.

The psychology degree in me enjoys knowing what is going on in people's brains.

And let me just tell you, if someone looked into my brain at the moment they would see some happy neurons flying all over the place. Spending the weekend with a really nice fam, having some downtime to enjoy a really good book, and getting a little bit of cash in the process?

Not a bad gig, indeed.