CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Our dearest and best friends found out they were having a baby! So I just wanted to give a shout out to Audra & Andrew! We are praying for a perfect baby!!!

Proud Mommy- and Daddy-to-be!

(this maybe old news to a few, but I didn't have an opportunity to publish my congrats)

I'm Back!!!

I think...

Justin bought me an early Christmas present...an internet card! It's a little slow, so I don't know if we'll keep it. But at least for the month of January we'll have internet at home! It's great, but I'm really nervous that we'll waste a lot of time on the internet. It can be just like TV...a misuse of time.

Anywhoo, last weekend the Christmas tour of homes went really well. We've heard that somewhere between 150-250 people toured our home. Everyone was really nice and very complimentary.

Leigh and I were on the local news advertising the tour. It was funny to have people come into the house and say, "HEY! You were on TV!" People at church and work have also commented on our appearance. We're famous now...Want my autograph? ;)


Here is the TV spot (click on #3) and we were also in the Montgomery Advertiser, but the article has expired and their archives doesn't work...sorry. I'll try to post some pictures from the tour later.

Deck the halls!

So the garland is up and I like it all! I wasn't sure about adding the red garland and the stars to the sunroom garland, but I really like it. I love the sparkle of the holiday season! I tried to get a good angle of the sparkle the red garland adds. The last of the decorating won't be completed until next week. I have to set the table for the tour, but since we have to eat on it, I'll have to wait. Justin and I are hoping that we can live somewhere else next week, so our house will remain neat and tidy. Which the neat and tidy part will come this weekend. Justin will be glad when I don't have weekend projects for him. He did get some shooting in last weekend, so it's not all bad.

This last picture is an experiment. Let me know what you think about it. I hung garland above our bed, but I'm not sure about it. Either it's too skimpy and weird floating in space or it's okay.

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care..."

St. Nick's festive spirit has certainly made an appreance at our house! In preparation for the Christmas tour and hosting my family for Christmas, I've done a few more decorations than usual. Our stockings are ready to be stuffed!

Not only is the fireside decorated, it also has wonderful light! Daddy and Justin installed some track lighting above the fireplace to illuminate it and the shelves. It makes a huge difference! The lights are also on a dimmer, so I can set the mood! I am so blessed to have such a talented family! Justin=jack-of-all-trades, Daddy=electrician, Mr. Sidney=workworker.

Justin and I are thrilled to be staying home; this is the first Christmas we haven't had to travel. Mama, Daddy, Leigh and my cousin, Rachel, will all be part of the festivities on the 25th.

Organization and Decorating Diva!

And no, I'm not talking about myself. Robyn came over last night after Jazzercise to work her magic on my living room shelves. They were just overwhelming to me. In my recent shopping trips, I bought a few accessories and more picture frames to add to the shelves. Robyn made quick work of my shelves and now, they look awesome!! I am so happy with them. When I get my Christmas decor added this weekend, they'll be perfect! Yea for Robyn!!

Here are a few pictures of our tree. Justin did a great job with the lights and he even helped me hang all the ornaments! Notice MSU has a special place on our tree this year (it's at the top). We are so proud of them!

Also, here we are on the roof adding lights. I'm not a big fan of the roof, but I'll get up there and work --only on the porch roof. I don't scale the peaks like Justin does. He thinks it's big fun. As Mama says, "it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt." Justin likes add "...then it's fun and games with a broke arm/one eye [add ailment here]!"

Pie and Decorations

Before we sunk out teeth into some delicious pie, we went for a walking tour of downtown. It was cold, but it was great to walk off some of that turkey and dressing. Coming home and eating our pie and drinking piping, hot coffee was a perfect ending to the day!

The next day we did not get out for Black Friday (yea!). Justin and his dad began a window box under our large front window. It’s always needed something more and now we have a wonderful flowerbox. It’s so good that it looks like it has always been a part of the house! Thank you to Mr. Sidney and Justin!! Justin and I painted it the following day. It was COLD that morning, but it ended up pretty nice. We spent the day decorating the outside of the house. We were the first on our block, maybe even our neighborhood, to put up Christmas decorations (lights, garland, wreaths). Daddy and Justin took a great picture of the house at night, but I’ll have to wait to get that from Daddy.

Wonderful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving break was wonderful! It was so nice to be home with Justin during the week. Wednesday we spent cleaning and cooking. We even took in a movie. We saw August Rush, which really wasn't that good. The only other negative [major] from the break was that Kama, Stew and Sage didn't make it. They were coming from Richmond, VA and the traffic was unbearable. They stopped for the night where ever they were and heading back to their house on Thanksgiving. We missed them so much.

But anywho, Justin's parents came in about 10 and Mrs. Carolyn and I started in on the turkey right away. Tom was injected and in the oven by 10:30ish and the dressing was cooking in the crock pot. About 30 minutes before the dressing was done, the casseroles were in the oven. We were aiming for 2:00 chow time and we only missed it by about 45 minutes. Everything went really well. Justin carved his first turkey. He did a fabulous job! Mr. Sidney even got in on the action sauteing the green beans!Everything was super yummy. But I am most proud that my greens and pecan pie turned out perfect!