Sunday, May 31, 2009

We couldn't wait!



Joel and I decided a few days ago to thaw out our top layer of wedding cake. I know...I know....you are supposed to wait until your one year anniversary...blah..blah...blah! There was nothing tradition about our wedding so why stick to tradition with the top layer of the cake. We hardly got any of the cake at the wedding and I know how good it was...I picked it out! So, dang it...I wanted some of it.... I had a little sweet tooth:-) We thawed it out over night and ate some...It was soooooo yummy! I was worried after a year it just wouldn't be the same. Besides...I want something else for our one year anniversary...Joel knows what I am talking about:-)

12 Years Old and almost 6ft tall!!!


It's hard to believe how much my son has grown over the last few years. He is 12 years old and almost 6ft tall. I am 5ft 10in and as you can see in this picture he is taller then I am. I remember thinking when he was little that one day he would be taller then me. I never knew that day would come so soon!!!! He is going to me jynormous!!!! He is such a handsome young man. He is going into 7th grade next year...crazy...high school is right around the corner. Next time I blink he will be off to college YAY!!! LOL Just kidding. I am looking forward to enjoying every second with him until he moves off to be a man on his own:-( That thought is much closer to reality now then it ever has been....scary! I am such a lucky Mama to have such a handsome, bright, sweet an loving son.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Wedding Pics - Sneak Peek!

Kandice posted a few of our wedding pics on her blog. She is an amazing photographer. www.krayphotography.com I love the samples...and CAN'T WAIT to see the rest of the pictures. I will post all of them when I receive them.

I love this picture. Even though you can't see Joel and I very well...it still says SO much.

So in love!!
Our rings in the sand ceremony jar which represents all of us becoming a family. Great picture:-)
I never knew I could love someone the way I love this man

Our wedding was on a boat....this picture is perfect:-)


Just after we were pronounced man and wife:-)

Poker Night with friends!


Tonight was all about your "Poker Face". We held a poker game at our house tonight with some friends. I made quesadillas...Pioneer Woman's 7 layer dip and other snack goodies. It was yummy. Joel and I love having people over. We always have such a great time. Just a few years ago you could not have paid us to stay home. We always wanted to go out and party. We finally grew up. We are adults with a family. We have children to take care of. My Mom told me something a long time ago that at the time made no sense to me, now it makes perfect sense. When Joel and I make plans to "go out" we ask ourselves this. Can you take your kids with you??? If the answer is no then we just don't do it. I mean...there are some things....like our honeymoon...DUH...and some nights that we go on a rare "date"...but for the most part...we want our kids, friends and family to be a part of everything we do. All of that means more to us now then it ever has. It's AWESOME!!! We don't let the kids play poker...because we are playing for money...but we involve them in the night with us"-) I look forward to our next "Poker Night" with friends and family. Maybe I will win next time. I wasn't the first one out....but I wasn't the last either. It's all fun though!!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

It's almost Friday!!

Today was a really long day. I have been CRAZY busy at work trying to catch up on everything. I had a great time being off for a week....but dang....the catching up part really sucks. It is what it is though right? I mean...what can I do??? It was a good evening though. Joel and I went to his moms house and had dinner. She made a wonderful salad (she makes the best salads EVER) and cabbage rolls, corn on the cob and bread. It was nice to be able to relax and not have to cook tonight. I love to cook, but sometimes you just need a break. We hung out and looked at wedding pictures and checked out her garden. It's so pretty and very peaceful. I can see why she enjoys it so much. I am going to take a nice HOT shower and cuddle up with my book "The Guardian". It's a good book so far. I have a feeling a crazy twist is coming in the story. I am eager to see what will happen. I will get through tomorrow (I HOPE) and be able to enjoy my weekend. We are having Poker night at our house Sat night. That is always fun....a little poker....food...friends...it really doesn't get much better then that. I am also about to start planning a baby shower for a good friend of mine. I have a great idea for the invitations...I can't wait to start working on them...so much fun!!! Then in a few weeks Joel and I are taking Haley and Brenden on a long weekend vacation. They have NO idea where we are going. I am really looking forward to it. We are going to have a great time!!

Thomas leaves for summer camp next Sunday....gosh...this will be his 6th year at camp. He LOVES it. He looks forward to it all year. I sure do miss him while he is gone but also enjoy seeing him have so much fun. I look forward to seeing the pictures the camp posts online daily. He is growing sooooo fast right now. He is 12 years old and has officially past up his MAMA...yes me...and I am not short...I am 5ft 10in. He will probably grow another foot while he is at camp.

Well...enough babbling for tonight...I am hitting that hot shower!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Our Honeymoon - St. Lucia

Well, we are back from our PERFECT honeymoon! I know I shoudl write about the wedding first...but I don't have my pictures back yet...so I will tell you all about the honeymoon....we will get to the wedding once I have pics:-) Joel and I decided to go to St. Lucia for our honeymoon. Neither one of us had been there and we heard nothing but good about the place so we figured..why not? We had to leave early Sunday morning to catch our 6am flight....I know that's a little early...not sure what I was thinking when I planned that part LOL! Anywho...we made it and arrived in St. Lucia around 2pm Sunday afternoon. It was pretty cool...we exited off the back out the plane and went down stairs to get off....not like the airports here in Tejas...at all! We picked up or luggage and jumped on the next shuttle to the resort. We didn't know that the resort was 1 1/2 hours from the airport. No big deal right??? We could take pics of the beautiful scenery on the way...Well...first off they drive on the left side of the raod there....so I felt like we were playing chicken the whole way to the resort....Secondly, I live in Dallas Texas...FLAT....STRAIGHT.....we were going up and down and turning so much it made me sick..>UGH...Not literally...but I wasn't feeling well! We arrived safely at the hotel...I got some water and headed to the beach...The rest of the day was all about checking everything out.
The next morning we had breakfast sent to our room and we ate on the balcony...It was very nice:-)


After breakfast we headed out to the beach....

We had to check out the Hobie Cat (spelling???) It was fun...kind of freaked me out a little though...

The beach was so pretty!!!

I had to pose a little in the water LOL

Joel and I tried to water ski LOL....and Joel had a blast on the Jet Skis


Just me and the beach...It doesn't get much better then this!!

Went to the local town of Castries and did a little shopping...and eating..(the local food was great!!)




Nice dinner at the hotel with my husband...he he...I like saying that:-)

Caught a boat ride with a local named Julian (he took us snorkeling)


We got a conk shell from a local guy -

Para sailing....freaked me out! LOL...At least I did it though!

More chillin' on the beach...LOVE IT!

Joel caught a big ole' barracuda! Like a little kid...he was so freakin' excited...He is freakin' adorable! LOVE HIM!

Our ride back to the airport...what fun!




Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My Day....just a few days before the wedding :-)

Well, my day was ok I must say. I had a "training session" with Monica on Photoshop during lunch and learned a lot! I am glad she spent the time to help me with it. Work was crazy busy....being gone all next week is making this week a little crazier then normal...but I will make it and will have all week to relax in St. Luica...I NEED IT! I can't wait to take TONS of great pictures and be able to play with editing when I get back.


I picked up a few new books tonight for the trip. I will probably start them before but still....I got a Nicholas Sparks book (The Guardian) and a Dean Koontz book (The Husband) I am looking forward to reading them. I haven't read anything from either of them that I don't like. Chelsea Kain has written two books (Sweetheart) and (Heartsick) which are AWESOME!! I checked to see if her new one was out...but I have to wait until September...dang it! If you haven't read either of these Chelsea Kain books...go get them...they rock! Heartsick is the 1st book and then Sweetheart. It's about a detective who is going after a female serial killer and has this weird obsession with her...IT'S GOOD READING FOLKS!


I had to spend some time with T-Man tonight on his homework...He needs a little extra push at the end of the year. I know that he is getting excited about summer camp....but dang! School isn't over yet...I have to stay on him at the end of the year. It's almost over though...then he can enjoy he month long vacation at the coolest summer camp EVER!! I wish I was able to go to a camp like that when I was a kid. I really enjoy looking at all the pictures the camp posts daily. I have to search through about 200 pics a day...I might see one of Thomas and I might see 20...you just never know:-)


The wedding...OH THE WEDDING. Well, it's coming along. Everything has come together quite nicely I must say. I am really looking forward to spending the evening with all of my friends and family! Is should be a good time!!! I won't jabber about the stress I am feeling...I am over it. It is what it is and there is nothing I can do to change the weather or anything else about the wedding. I have to stay positive or I am going to totally FREAK myself out. Maybe I will wear some rain boots just in case :-) LOL!!!


Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mother's Day!!

What a great day!! I spent time with my family...eating dinner..talking...laughing...and yes...they all let me play photographer:-) It was LOADS of fun!! They have no idea...but I am going to be bugging them all the time to take pictures of them. I was mostly proud of my step father "Sir"...he even went along with the whole thing....and let's just say he isn't very fond of pictures:-) I got a lot of great shots though. Here are a few of them. The flowers are what Joel send me to work on Friday and completly made my day!!









Friday, May 8, 2009

PLEASE DON'T CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I have been looking up the weather for May 16th for the past few days!! This is what it shows for the day of my wedding...gosh I really hope it doesn't change. This would be PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!! I know, I know....it will be perfect no matter what...but I am getting married on a boat...so it would be nice to have good weather...if not...I guess everyone will play in the rain! That would make for some really fun pictures!! LOL I am trying to think positive ok!


85...sunny...0% chance of rain! I can handle that!






Thursday, May 7, 2009

More before and after...

Gosh...this is addictive...I want to keep playing to see what I come up with!!!

Before



After
Before




After




Before




After