Wednesday, Wednesday

Hey y'all! It's Wednesday...time to link up with the lovely Jamie! I always look forward to reading everyone's posts on this day! Link up here!

Today, I am loving lots of things!!

-- I am loving that I got to spend this past Saturday with my best friends in the whole world, my hubby, and two sweet babies! Can life get any better?

-- I am loving that today I am doing my FIRST ever guest blog at Michaela's! Go check it out here! Thanks!

-- I am loving this yarn wreath that I made for Valentine's Day! It makes me smile!

-- I am loving that several people participated in my "this blog rocks" link up yesterday! Thank y'all SO much!!

-- I am loving looking at my hubby holding and feeding a baby! Baby fever, yes please!! (Just please don't tell my hubby)!

-- I am loving ALL of my new followers and ALL my "old" faithful followers! It's amazing how much I look forward to blogging every day! If you're new, please leave a comment or at least link your blog so that I can check you out, too!

-- I am loving that some sweet friend gave me another blog award, except I forgot who it was. Oops! SO sorry, please forgive me! : (

-- I am loving my sweet hubby and the 117 days that we have been married!

I hope y'all are having a wonderful week!! Link up and share your loves! I can't wait to read them!

Love, love!

Our Love Story, part 3

Hey y'all! Hope y'all are having a great day! Here's part 3 of our love story!! : )

(If you missed it, read part 1 here and part 2 here!)

So, I had been out of town for several nights. It had finally HIT ME that I liked this man and wanted to date him, but I didn't want to tell him on the phone or through text, so I was waiting until I got home! On my ride home, we texted back and forth constantly. I tried to "play it cool" as if nothing had changed, but I'm sure that I gave it away a little bit. I told him about what time I was going to get home and told him that I wanted him to come over. He agreed...yay!!

When I got home, I walked in the door and the first thing that I saw was this:

What a sweet welcome home surprise!

I should mention this: he had the keys to my house because he was taking care of my dogs.

After I saw my surprise, I called him right away to say thanks and he said he was pulling into the driveway. I let him in and we hugged...and I almost spilled the beans right there. I held it in though. We sat down on the couch and he started asking me about my trip. I was telling him about the concert and then I just stopped and said, "I really missed you." Y'all...his face LIT up. It was the cutest thing that I have ever seen. He said that he had also missed me and then it got kind of quiet. My heart was beating SO fast that I thought I might pee my pants (or something like that).

I said, "Remember before I left when you asked me that question?" His response? Of course, a dumbfounded look. (Men, they just don't pay attention sometimes)! So I said, "Remember you were asking me about us dating and all that?" (NOW he remembered). He looked a little scared and he muttered out a "yeah what about it" type of sentence. This was the moment that I had been waiting for!!!!!!!! I said, "Well I thought about it and I'm ready...like right now." He looked shocked and said, "Like ready? Really ready? Right now? To date me??" (So adorable)! I smiled and said, "Yep, so when you're ready to ask again, ask away."

Then, he popped the question...not THAT question! He said, "Will you be my girlfriend?" I, of course, said, "YES!!!!" (Cheesy alert)! We hugged a million times and then we kissed. It was magical, I tell you, simply magical. I know that y'all have felt that before. There was excitement and anticipation in the air! (Cheesiness ending here)! Oh, and yes, we are "those" people who ask the girlfriend question, instead of just dating and it becoming implied. We became boyfriend/girlfriend on October 5, 2009!

So there it is...all out in the open for people to laugh at and think we are silly! That's okay though, because it happened just as God had planned it out for us! I do feel bad for making him wait and probably hurting his feelings along the way, but I know that I wasn't ready yet, so it worked out perfectly! By the way, is it creepily weird that I can seriously remember exactly what we said this day? Please tell me no.

Here are a few pictures from our dating life:

Baking Halloween cupcakes.

Carving pumpkins.

Yes, we wore gloves...we ARE a nurse and a fireman, after all.

His first time meeting my college besties and little Miss Savannah!

Loving on the puppies...so sweet!

Being my hero...in more ways than one!

Our first Christmas together!

Happy New Year!

Celebrating grandma's 80th birthday!

Valentine's Day surprise at work...tulips are my favorite!

Thanks for reading if you made it to here! : ) Y'all always make me so happy with your sweet words!

Our Love Story, part 2

Remember part one of our love story?? Oh, you didn't read it? Well then, go here.

All caught up? Okay, good! Let's continue the story...

So after hanging out all weekend with Justin, I went to visit my best friends from college. My friend, Melissa (the one who just had the baby), had just had her first baby that summer (2009), so we were all meeting up to hang out and just spend time with our new baby love.

All my besties with baby Savannah.

I honestly can't remember what exactly happened, but something inside my head FREAKED out while I was away from home. I started feeling like things were already moving to fast with Justin and that he was already wanting to become "official." I felt like there was no way that we could just be friends and let things develop slowly...we had such a connection that I knew we were going to be serious right away. While I was still out of town with my friends, I told Justin that I was not ready to date and I just wanted to be friends. He was pretty upset, just because he felt like I had shown a lot of interest, but he said he understood.

So, I went back home. It was late August 2009. Justin and I talked every now and then, but really not a whole lot. He would text me sometimes, but I honestly don't think I ever initiated any conversation. (I still can't believe he put up with me through all this). We remained friends, but that was it. No more dates. I even went on dates with a few other guys (gasp)!! I stayed busy working and hanging out with my friends. It's not like I quit being interested in Justin, I just wasn't ready to be serious with anyone.

Around mid September, Justin and a bunch of his friends were going to go mud riding. He asked me to go and I told him I wasn't sure. My coworker, the one who introduced us, really wanted to go. Her husband had had a terrible accident earlier that year and was still in a coma. She had literally not left his bedside for months and months, but she finally felt ready to hang out with a few friends. I decided to go, mostly for my friend. We drove about an hour away and had a blast! It was truly one of the most fun days I've ever had!!

Our first picture together.

Rawr.

After that day, we started talking and texting a little more. Every time that he would ask me to do something that sounded like a date, I'd say no. I did ask him to come over one day to help me bathe the dogs...how romantic, huh?

Gradually, we were talking more and getting to know each other a little better. The first weekend of October, I went to a concert in Alabama, called Bayfest, with my friend Alyse. It's a huge outdoor festival/concert with ALL types of music. We only went for the country portion. Side note: we are literally obsessed with Gary Allan. We have been to see him about 8 times.

Long car trip with my friend, Alyse!

Gary Allan <3

What are we talking about again?? Oh yeah, our love story. Sorry, Gary distracted me. It's okay, my hubby knows. : )

Right before I left for this trip, Justin had asked me, "So, do you think you'll ever be ready to date me or be my girlfriend?" I had told him I wasn't sure, but definitely not yet. I was gone for three nights while on this trip with Alyse. Justin and I texted back and forth a lot while I was gone. On the second night that I was gone, it hit me hard. What hit me?? REALITY!! I realized that I was already head over heels for Justin and I was comfortable getting serious about him!! I didn't want to tell him this over the phone or in a text message, so I just decided to wait until I got back home. Oh y'all, it was like having a huge secret. I was dying to tell him and I literally was giddy at the thought of actually dating him!! I also wanted to kick myself for taking a month and a half to figure all of this out!!

Next up, my return home and how we became "official." Hooray!!

Thanks for reading all of this if you're still here. : )

Love, love!

Edit: Click here for part 3!

Oh Boy, Oh Boy

Hey y'all! I'm linking up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday!!

First and foremost, this Wednesday I am thankful for a beautiful, easy delivery for my best friend and her new, stunning baby boy. I'm also thankful that I was able to drive there (they live 2 hours away) and meet him on his birth day! I am already head over heels for my new little nephew! More of his story to come soon!

Sweet Andrew.

Are they not the most precious family in the world?

I am also thankful that our kindness link up went pretty well yesterday and that I was inspired by so many of you! It's truly amazing how God works amongst us and through us! : )

I am also SO thankful for my amazing husband. He is my rock and my matching piece. It has been a wonderful 109 days...and I can't wait for a million more!

A sneak peek of our wedding pictures...more to come. (I know, I know - I'm a slacker!)

I'm keeping it simple today, simply because I am just overwhelmed with joy and wonder at the birth of this new precious baby boy. What a miracle! God is amazing!

Last, but definitely not least, I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ, my family, my friends, and for all of Y'ALL! I truly love all of my blogging friends and y'all make my life brighter, happier, craftier, and more colorful!

Hope y'all have a wonderful Wednesday!!! : )

Love, love!!

One Kind Act

Hey y'all! Well, it's finally here!! Today is the day that we get to share the kindness and love that we have spread this week! I am SO excited to see what everyone has done!!

Copy and post this image to share on your blog!

If you aren't sure what's going on right now, see here! Now, you are all caught up!

This week, I really thought long and hard about kindness and doing something nice to those that we come across each day. Seriously, it is SO simple and yet we (I) never do it because we are too busy, too stressed, too something. I decided to spread some love in the drive-thru at McDonald's, which happens to be my favorite place to get a diet coke! When I came to the window to check out, I gave the lady an extra $5 and told her to apply it to the next person in line. I didn't get to see who it was or how much their meal was, but I seriously felt wonderful pulling out of there. I *hope* that I made someone's day and restored their belief in kindness!

For this challenge, I also decided to do something sweet for someone that I know! One of the nurses that I work with has really started to blossom in her job and I wanted her to know what a great job she is doing. I tell her to her face all the time, but I thought she would love to get another reminder. I slipped a note into her locker telling her just how amazing she was, what great care she gave to her patients, and how much she brightened up the day when she was at work. I didn't sign my name to it, simply because I wanted her to be excited about the possibilities of who it could be.

Both of the things that I did this week were SO simple and took literally two minutes on my part, but I truly feel like I made another person's day with my actions! Not only that, but I benefited as well! Doing something nice for another person really put a pep in my step. It was like I had this "secret" that no one knew about and it made me SO happy! : )

If you haven't done anything this week, that's okay...do it now and link up later. I'm leaving the link open all week. If you have done something, write a post and share it with us! Even if it's just something simple and only takes you one sentence to write, link it up! We'd love to read about it! Now obviously, this linky party is NOT to brag about anything that you've done, but rather to come together to share something. I really can't wait to see what everyone has done this week. It makes me a little teary eyed to think about how we can come together through blogging and change the world, one small kind act at a time. I really do believe that, too. : )

Love, love!!

PS: Keep praying for my bff! She's getting induced today!

Friday Night Loser

Hey ya'll! It's Friday!! Yay! : ) I am SO behind on ya'lls blogs, but it's okay...I'll catch up! Promise! I worked this morning and that is seriously about all that I've done today. My hubby is at work tonight, so my evening has consisted of: eat, lifetime, computer, eat, lifetime...repeat repeat repeat. I have been pretty lazy. I don't feel so bad though, because this little boy has been being pretty lazy himself!

Does this not look so uncomfortable??

What a precious snuggle bunny!

I did do ONE productive thing after work. I went grocery shopping for dinner tomorrow (yes, I tend to grocery shop one meal at a time - that's probably why I hate grocery shopping so much). When I got home, I was inspired by Jennifer at Peas and Crayons to organize the kitchen closet/pantry! Here is the before:

Okay, so it wasn't terrible, but still...messy and unorganized.

And after:

It is a little better, right? RIGHT???

Agreed? Good.

Now, I can definitely tell my hubby how I slaved for hours doing it.

I also have been working on a cleaning chart like the one that I showed ya'll here! I loved it and felt like it would make cleaning seem "easier" since I only had one room to do a day. Here is my winter cleaning chart!

And while I was at it, I went ahead and made a menu chart since I am determined to start cooking more!

This is the first one I made, but I decided that I wanted one that matched my kitchen better.

So this is the second one that I made!

I plan to print it out and put it in a big frame, so I can use a dry erase marker on it!

I decided that if I HAD a hot, fancy date for tonight, I would most likely be wearing this:

via

Or this:

via

But, since I don't have a hot date (because my hubby is at work, remember??), I am definitely wearing this (or at least a version of it):

via

And you know, I bet it's a lot more comfortable than that amazing sparkly dress.

This has been SO random, so if you're still reading, congratulations! You do not have A.D.D.

Hope ya'll have a great night, whether you're being a bum like me or wearing something fabulous! : )

Love, love!! : )

PS: Don't forget to do a random act of kindness (or several), so that we can link up on Monday!

Our Love Story, part 1

Hey ya'll! I decided that today would be as good of a day as any to tell our love story. Let me start by first saying that I was in a relationship during my 4 years at college. It was an unstable, unhealthy relationship...complete with screaming fights, lies, heartbreak, and multiple breakups. After I graduated from college, I moved to Shreveport. My then boyfriend had another year in college, which was in Pineville...about 2 hours away. We continued to date off and on and then through the grace of God we broke up for good in the summer of 2009. I can only attribute getting out of that unhealthy relationship to God...he kept me strong and kept me believing that there was something better out there for me. So anyway, yeah, summer 2009...I'm truly single for the first time since 2004.

via

After the breakup of that long relationship, I was not looking for anything serious. I actually prayed for God to show me that I could be single and happy on my own. I prayed and asked God not to lead me to another man until he was the one I was going to marry.

Here enters one of my work besties. At this point, we had worked together for a year and she had seen how miserable I was in my previous relationship. She always joked about "finding someone better" for me, but I never thought anything else of it. One day, she had Justin (my husband) over to her house to mow her yard. It had been several years since she had seen Justin and they spent time talking and catching up on life. As soon as he left her house, she texted me saying, "I have found the perfect man for you. Ya'll are going to get married." I laughed it off and kept saying things about not needing a man and not wanting to get married anytime soon. Over the next few days, she kept talking about him and going on and on about how wonderful we would be together. I had only been single for about 2 months and Justin had JUST gotten out of a relationship, so neither of us were looking for anything. She literally forced us into meeting by tagging us both in a random picture one day on Facebook. She "suggested" that we become friends on Facebook, and of course we did...honestly because it would've been rude to hit the ignore button. Ha!

via

So one night, Justin sent me a chat message on Facebook and we talked back and forth for awhile. He seemed super nice, but I just really didn't feel like I was ready for anything. Over the next several days, we kept talking and he eventually asked me out on a date. ON FACEBOOK! Yes, I know, the horror! Haha! We love to laugh about that even now! I agreed to go on a date with him.

Our first date was August 21, 2009...a Friday night. The very first time that I heard his voice was that night on the phone, as he called to get better directions into my neighborhood. I remember being SO nervous! I hadn't EVER been on a "blind" date! When I opened the door, my heart dropped to my knees. Literally, he took my breath away. He was handsome and had a gorgeous smile and blue eyes that looked like the sky on a summer day (I feel like Blanche from the Golden Girls...anyone? Anyone??)! We went out to eat at Logan's that night. He was a true Southern gentleman...he opened my car door every time and held the door open for me. I wasn't used to that at all! The conversation was natural and easy...we spent several hours just enjoying each other's company. After dinner, we went over to the house of the friend who had introduced us. We spent several hours there, just talking and laughing and playing games with her and her children. Later that night, he took me home and we said our awkward first date goodbyes.

via

I vividly remember what happened next. I immediately called my mom...of course! I am a true momma's girl! I told her about the date: what he looked like, what he acted like, how he opened the doors, what he said, etc. She listened through it all and then said, "Well, so what do you think? Do you like him?" I paused a moment and then said the truest words I've ever spoken. I said, "Mom, he's the kind of guy that I would marry." Cue the heavenly music and confetti! Ha! We hung out the very next day and then that Sunday he met my mom. Yes, two days into it, he met my mom! She came into town for a church conference and he stopped by to see me and meet her. She loved him...she wanted him as a son-in-law. Ha.

So, ya'll think we started dating right then and fell in love right away? WRONG!!

Guess you'll have to wait for part 2! : ) Thanks for reading along! Hope ya'll are having a wonderful day!!

Love, love!

Edit: Click here for part 2!

Joining the Bandwagon

Hey ya'll! I'm joining Jamie again for What I'm Loving Wednesday!!

I'm loving: that I got called off from work today! Hello wonderful day at home!!

I'm loving: that I'm cooking a pot roast tomorrow...yum!!

I'm loving: my sweet puppies and how they are all snuggled up around me.

Diesel doing what he does best

I'm loving: my absolutely wonderful husband! He just makes life worth living...him and Jesus, of course!! : )

I'm loving: that I'm wearing pink tights today.

I'm loving: the dialect Vlog that is going around right now. I saw it from Live What You Love...and she was adorable! And GUESS WHAT??? I did it!! I'm so sorry if I bore you to death or if you think this is totally cheesy, but I have LOVED hearing people's voices and accents, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon! : ) Hope to see you all there (on the bandwagon) soon!! I'd love to hear what you sound like!!

Here we go:

Well ya'll, there it was in all its glory! Now go and do one! Kthanksbye!

Love, love!!