Our love for Montana...

So everyone knows that my family adores the great state of Montana...here are some pictures to show you just how phenomenal it really is. It has been a place of family, adventure, falling in love, and amazing beauty...I wish I could bottle everyone up and take them with me. Lee is seriously wanting to move out there soon...talks to my uncle every chance he gets about jobs...so maybe just maybe you will all have to come with us!! :)

My parent's old house nestled in the Aspens

One of the lakes near their house

The valley below my parent's old house - look at that sky! This was looking off the front porch - what a view!!

Uncle Norm and Aunt Cyndi's side yard - aren't you jealous??

Part of the Stillwater River

On the side porch of my parent's old house - we are so sad that they sold it!

The entrance to Norm and Cyndi's YME Ranch - the most beautiful place in Montana!

Happy Anniversary!

So techinally it was yesterday...but can you forgive me? Please?? I did call and send emails...but the blogging post came late! P.S. Remember I am giving you a nephew! :)

Cass and Melin's 1st Wedding Anniversary was yesterday, September 2nd. What a grand, grand day it was last year! So much fun...wish we had all been blogging back then...the greatest weekend!

I love you both more than words and am so thankful that God has blessed me with you both. Lee and I love our family of best friends as we say...you just can't beat best friends marrying your sibling! Guys...Happy, Happy Anniversary! We love you so!

Catching Up...

So I am in those last few weeks...sleeping is a foreign concept and blogging is the last thing on my mind. I read everyone else's but I want someone else to write mine! haha I am going to post a couple today...so get ready! Here is a catch up of things that have happened in the past week:

• We went to the Doctor for our 37 week checkup...I had gained another 3 lbs in A WEEK! My doctor reassured me that it is just water weight but WHATEVER! I hope this comes off soon...haha! Eli is head down (finally!) and weighed about 6 lbs. All was good!
  
  
• My family from Montana is here....Uncle Norm and Aunt Cyndi and they brought their newest addition with them....MEET ROCKY! He is the cutest thing ever! Everyone kept trying to steal him away...but they weren't amused. We ate a big ole meal at my grandmother's and had lots of time to catch up. It was just what I needed!

• Melin and Cass gave me money for a pedicure and manicure for my birthday. It had been about 4 months...trying to be frugal people! I was treated like a queen...every pregnant lady should go when they are 9 months along. They were so nice! I love my toes (even if Lee did step on my toe and break off the edge...UGH!) and my nails look so pretty! Thanks guys!!

• Sunday we headed to Kim and Lou's for a birthday celebration/cookout for me. It was very laidback...which again was super nice! I was having a pretty emotional day...poor Lee just takes it all in and hugs me and loves me regardless. As he says "My love for you pierces through all the rotteness...kind of like a lightening bolt". LOVE HIM! Mawmaw made me my very own pound cake which is my favorite...plus gave me fresh peaches and strawberries to put in the freezer for later.
  
  


• Monday was Labor Day and we ran errands....got some last minute things that we will need in the hospital and for when Eli gets here. It was such a relief to get that taken care of...think we have everything we need now except for ELI! (Come on dude!)
  


• Our dogs have always slept with us...we love to snuggle with them! However, we know that they can't stay in the bed once Eli gets here because I am terrified of putting him in the bed with us (every now and then after feedings - no co-sleeping in this family!) and him wallowing in dog hair. We have made the dogs sleep in their beds during the day (not on the couch) and at night. Winston does pretty well....poor little Roscoe has the hardest time. He gets up multiple times during the night and stares at me with those sweet little eyes of his...it is hard people, HARD! This was the 5th night...they decided to share a bed!

Birthday Love!

Well, yesterday was my birthday...turned the big 32! I don't really feel any older but probably look a bit older! haha It was a quiet day...nothing big...but that was exactly what I needed being 9 months pregnant. I had a pretty rough night the night before...literally was up every hour going to the bathroom. I would just look at Lee sleeping peacefully beside me and want to strangle him...not really! haha Needless to say, I was EXHAUSTED when I had to get up to go to work. The rainy weather sure didn't help either!

After my meeting with new clients at work, I headed to Mary's to have lunch with her and Sloane. Bailey and her sweet little guy, Landon, were there too so we had a great GIRL TIME lunch! It was really nice! We laughed and Sloane sang Happy Birthday to me and I got to take Audrey to her school (she had forgotten something)....it was just what I needed. I then met my mom to run some errands and then she came over to work at my house. She was helping me get everything organized and rearranged - my bedroom and office/new guest room look great! She is the best and that was the BEST present I could have gotten!!

Lee of course was a dream on my birthday...he woke me up early whispering/singing Happy Birthday in my ear. (could literally just eat him up!) He had cards from him and the dogs and some new perfume....which was all I wanted and needed. He had a pretty good day himself too....Everyone at his work started calling him and wishing him a Happy Birthday. He kept telling everyone that it wasn't his birthday. His birthday is in February...finally he said he figured it out. I worked at Manor Homes for a time and they had gotten our birthdays mixed up...he called to talk to the office manager and sure enough my birthday was listed under February 28th which is his. BUT he got cards, lunch and a homemade pound cake! So...on his way home from work he stopped at the store...got me some flowers and fresh strawberries. He had them cut up and soaking in some sugar by the time I got home and we enjoyed "HIS" birthday pound cake for my birthday celebration! How funny was that!! :)

I got many, many calls and emails from family and friends....I am so loved and definitely blessed! Thank you all for your loving words and silly songs (Cass called me early to sing Happy Birdle Daydle) and blog posts (Mary and Melin). I love you all so!!

Another Great Day...

What a family little Eli has...full of friends and family that love him so! I was so lucky to have another great shower today hosted by close, close family friends...Martha and Betty. They went to high school with my dad at Druid Hills and have been best of friends ever since. The neatest part of the day is that 32 years ago when my mom was a mere 21 years old...Martha and Betty hosted her baby shower when she was pregnant with me! Isn't that the coolest thing??

My mom's family and her close girl friends all came to Betty's house to celebrate. What fun we had! Eli got a ton of great gifts...lots of precious outfits, car seat from Grandmother Glo, and tons of stuff we will use everyday like our Boppy, bath tub, Baby Bjorn carrier and so much more! It was so great to see my cousin, Laura who just moved back to Atlanta from Auburn. I am so glad she is close....now we can see each other more often! Of course Melin was there...eyeing all the soft blankets and beaming whenever anyone mentioned her being an Aunt! Literally, Eli is SO incredibly lucky to have this girl as his aunt...God certainly blessed him!

Here are some pictures of the great day...it is amazing how loved a girl can feel!!

The precious cake that Martha made!

Opening gifts...was in LOVE with this box/wrapping!

Melin, me and my cousin Laura

Auntie Melin w/ me and Eli!

My grandmother, mom and me - 3 generations!

Opening gifts - Can you see my beat up knees?? haha! :)

So Yesterday...

Was one helluva clumsy day! I know they say the bigger you get in your pregnancy the clumiser you get...the whole big belly (and in my case big ladies) knocks your equilibrium completely off. That was definitely the case yesterday! I was just walking...yes, just walking in the parking lot of my mom's office when I stumbled and fell....busting up my knees, hands, ankle and my pride! I was not a tomboy as a child so I rarely had skinned up knees....THEY HURT! I sat in the parking lot for about 5 minutes crying and looking at my poor knees and hands. Finally, I made it up (no one was around to help me) and inside where my mom took care of me. I am not going to be ashamed...I was pitiful! I then went and had dinner at my parents house...was putting a plate in the microwave...lost control of it...it fell to the floor shattering everywhere AND cutting my big toe in the process! CAN I GET A BREAK HERE??

So I have a shower on Sunday...my dress comes to my knees...won't I look cute? I have been trying really hard to keep them ultra clean and tons of "Sporin" (as Sloane calls it) on both of them. Maybe they will heal really, really quick and you will never know? The funny thing is...about 8 weeks before my wedding two years ago I fell at work off a curb and sprained my ankle. A coworker was quickly by my side and all I could say was...."AM I GOING TO BE ABLE TO WEAR MY HEELS IN MY WEDDING??" He was a guy...probably could careless but he was real sweet and reassured me that I should be able too. (I did too!) BUT....both of my bridal showers....cute pink silk dresses....great hair....perfect makeup....CRUTCHES and FOOT CAST!! LOVELY!! ;)

It must just be my thing....shower to celebrate something beautiful and grand...I show up looking like a beat up girl! You see why I call my blog...Dash of Grace!

College Days

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of having lunch and a mini baby shower with some of my college girlfriends. We all met at good ole Georgia College (before it was GC&SU) in Adams dorm back in the fall of 1994...oh the memories! Some of us lived beside each other...some lived together...and some just put their mattress on the other's floors b/c her roommate sucked!! (that was me...thanks Susan!)

We try to get together every couple months and they were so sweet to come to me this time since I was pregnant...you know how that goes! We met in Covington to eat some Mexican food (another throwback to our college days) and catch up. It was definitely a different scene as we pushed two tables together...one for us "older" girls and a table for their "little" girls. (Listen, if you would have told me that Shannon would have been a mom to 3 PRECIOUS girls...we would have all fainted!) She and Susan are the "mommies" out of us now and they are SUPERB moms! Maggie and I have to constantly watch our mouths and what we are saying...as to not get in trouble...Tara, she never says an evil word! :) Anyways, I could talk all day about the things we did together in college...but I don't need those reminders...haha!!

Thank you girls for a wonderful lunch and for all the gifts for Eli! I can't wait for you all to meet him...just don't tell him about his crazy momma's college days!!! Love you all!