Show Us Your Life 07.31.09

Kelly of Kelly's Korner fame is continuing the wedding theme this week as we show off more photos to include our wedding party and flowers. I managed to cram in a scanning marathon, so I am armed with wedding pictures to fit whatever she throws at me :)

But first, I want to show off my dress and veil a little more because frankly, I could look at them all day long, and I wasn't able to share all (22 ... 76 ... 147 ....) that I wanted to last week. Plus, it's my blog, and really, y'all should be thankful that I don't just post every single wedding photo I own :) So without further babble, here are a couple more dress photos before joining in with this week's theme:

The train was detachable, which was a han-dee feature, let me tell ya. Made reception fun, well, more fun :)

(By the way, I'm totally wishing digital photography had been the norm when we got married ... scanning loses some details, don't ya think? Anyhoo ...)

Now for the wedding party and flowers portion of our game.

I loved our wedding. I truly truly did. I can't think of a single thing I would change, really, other than I wish my Grandma could have made it (she lives in AL and I am in AZ and, well, Grandma don't do planes, ya know). We were married November 26, 2004, at St. Timothy Catholic Community here in Mesa. Since it was a full Mass, we had the opportunity to choose a number of songs, plus the readings. Our friend, Matt, played piano and guitar, and sang at our wedding, and Fr. Gerry was the celebrant. Here are the songs and readings we chose:

Prelude: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach
Processional: Fragrance Prayer by Tom Booth





1st Reading: Song of Songs 8:1-7
Psalm Response: The Lord is My Life by Matt Maher (Psalm 27)
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Gospel Reading: (can you believe I can't remember?! I'll have to find my program ... I'm pretty sure it was the wedding at Cana, but again, my memory fails ...)



Preparation of Gifts: Set Me As A Seal by Matt Maher
Communion Song: Your Love is Extravagant by Darrell Evans
Recessional: Love One Another by Kathy Troccoli



It was just beautiful. At least, I think so. I really, that's the opinion that counts, right? :)

We had a great wedding party, I must say. And super-cute kids to participate, as well. My friend, Mary (of Etsy store fame) made the bridesmaid dresses, so not only were they pretty, but fairly inexpensive as well, which I just think is important when you're asking people to spend their money on your wedding (dresses, shoes, hair, airfare, etc). It was Thanksgiving weekend, the first weekend of Advent and when my family traditional begins Christmas decorating, so I wanted a Christmas-y feel, which is why I chose the wineberry color for the girls' dresses. My Mom made the flowergirl's dress. And Hubby picked out the tuxes the guys wore (though I totally weighed in on the color and pattern of the vests. Ahem.)

And just to introduce you to everyone, from left to right: Ashli, Nicoletta, Nicole, Me, Mary, Sarah, with Ellie, the flowergirl (or Sugar Plum Princess, if you asked her who she was that day) in front.



The guys are: Tom, Ed, Hubby, Todd, Chad, and Danny (kinda in front).



The flowergirl (sorry! Sugar Plum Princess!) and ringbearer and Bible-bearer are: Ian, Ellie, and Anthony.





Cute little buggers, aren't they?!

All the flowers were white. My bouquet, Hubby's boutonniere, and the parent's bouts/corsages, each had gardenias in them, as well, because I love their smell and they remind me of home (Alabama). Otherwise, it was all kinds of textures and types of white flowers, and I'm still pleased with them.




And just because I can, here is what is probably my favorite photo from that day, just because it's all romantic and sweet and soft:



Oh, and I just want to say, I purposefully scheduled our wedding the week AFTER the Auburn/Alabama game and before bowl games started ... my momma didn't raise no fool :)

So, now it's your turn! I mean really, who doesn't like to see (or show off!) wedding pictures? :) Come on ... join in the fun!

An Evening Without Maggie ...

... and I totally survived. Even though I talked about her a lot. And thought about her even more :)

Hubby and I had an Adult Night this past weekend. We went to dinner and a movie with my little brother (I probably shouldn't call him "little" anymore, seein' how he's 32 ... but anyway ...)

We had a really nice time. One of my friends from work, Sharron, offered to spend the evening with Maggie (and who can blame her for wanting to do that?!), so out we ventured for an evening of conversation that didn't include the word "poo" even once. We headed first to Waldo's BBQ for dinner, which is my favorite place to eat bbq here in the East Valley. I ordered what I always order: The Pig - pulled pork sandwich and sides ... heaven on a bun with sauce ... mmmmm-mm! They also serve sweet tea there, which basically makes it a perfect restaurant, in my opinion.

Oh, and don't forget the skookie. Ah, I can feel the pounds packin' on just thinking about that mini-skillet-cooked, hot chocolate-chip cookie with ice cream and whippped cream on top. Goodness but that's a de-lish dish. Good thing we only go there once or twice a year!

Then came the movie, and boy was I looking forward to this. Can y'all guess the movie we saw? Yep. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Boy oh boy. That was some movie, folks.

I'll admit, I was a bit nervous going in because the director for HBP also director the last one, The Order of the Phoenix. And I didn't care too much for that movie at all. Maybe because it was awfully blue (in color, not tone ... digital grading, anyone?) Whatever the reason, it was the HP movie I least enjoyed, and knowing the same director was at the helm of HBP did make me a bit nervous going in.

However ...

Oh, however ...

HBP was an fantastic movie! I remember watching the credits begin to roll and thinking "if we didn't have a baby to get home to, I would totally sit here and watch that again." Funnily enough, Hubby had the exact same thought. We may actually break down and see that one a second time in the theatre. We NEVER do that but it's going to be difficult waiting for the DVD to come out (well, I did see Titanic more than once ... probably 5 or 6 times in the theatre, mostly by myself ... don't laugh!!). Little Brother was a little lost at times but only because he hasn't read a single HP book (I know, I know), and as the series has progressed, you kinda need some inside knowledge to keep up, so I had to do some quick (and quiet!) explaining a couple of times during the movie.

Anyhoo ... for all y'all out there who are Potter fans and haven't yet seen this movie, it is worth the time and money. Boy howdy ...

So, a nice night out - good dinner, great company, and a fabulous movie. Plus, a beautifully sweet and precious little girl to go home to ...



... even if she just refuses to smile for the camera :)

Blog Hoppin' 07.28.09

Time to hop again :) This week's theme is "Favorite Photo" and I immediately knew which one I wanted to share with y'all.

That was the easy part.

Getting to it, however, not so much.

I know where it is - it's in the little cedar box I received from the local Lane furniture store when I was a senior in high school.

And I know where the little cedar box is - in a Rubbermaid storage container at my Mom's.

My Mom? Somewhere between Branson, Missouri, and Chandler, Arizona. (Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" should just be her theme song, folks.)

So, picture #1 is out of the question. (But I want to tell y'all about it real quick before I show you picture #2 ... it's a picture of me when I was about 2 years old, with my grandfather, Pop. He had squatted down to take a picture with me and, instead of staying standing up so we'd be the same height-ish, I squatted down next to him, so in the picture, we're both squatting. It always makes me smile.)

Okay, so picture #2. It's not a Maggie picture, either. I know. I totally didn't ask permission, so hopefully my almost-13-year-old godson doesn't mind me showing off his semi-baby pictures, but this is my favorite picture of him and I just have to share. It still sits in a frame on my nightstand, all these years later.



Ian was about 15 months old at the time, and I was watching him for the evening. We'd driven up to my aunt and uncle's to visit, and they had 3 Golden Retreivers. In this photo, Sugar (who is as big sitting down as Ian is standing) was sniffing and licking Ian's ear, and Ian just laughed and laughed and laughed. I can still hear it ... I just love little kid laughs. They're so full and true and delightful. What a wonderful memory, huh?

So, now it's your turn. Be sure to hop around and visit while you're at it :)

Prayer Warriors Needed Now!!

Updated: Abby is also in urgent need of our prayers. She's being hospitalized for an infection. Click her button on my sidebar for her parents' website for further updates. Also, Stellan is being airlifted to Boston for further treatment. Please continue to keep him uplifted in prayer, as well.

Original Post:
Please pray for Stellan right now. He is in such need and things aren't looking good for him. I know nothing in this world more powerful than our prayers for him except for the God we will be crying out to. Visit MckMama for updates and tweets on her sidebar.

St. Gerard, who, like the Savior, loved children so tenderly and by your prayers saved many from disease and even death, listen to us who are pleading for this sick child. We thank God for the great gift of Stellan and ask him to restore this child to health if such be his holy will. This favor, we beg of you through your love for all children and mothers. Amen.

Show Us Your Life 07.24.09

I'm doing the Kelly's Korner "Show Us Your Life" today because, well, its about wedding dresses ... and I. Love. Wedding. Dresses. I had big plans to scan my favorite pics and show off all kinds of angles, but that didn't really happen. What did happen was I picked up my daughter after work and my mind could only hold one thought from there on out, and that thought was "Hold Maggie. Love Maggie. Hold Maggie. Love Maggie." (oh ... and "Feed Hubby" but that wasn't as insistent.)

And really, who can blame me? She totally adorable!

So, instead of boo-coo pictures, ya only get 2, and only because they exist in my email archives. Which, actually, might be plenty for all y'all who aren't me :)

So, here ya go ... this is me and my new Hubby, right after we walked back down the aisle all married and such :)



Here we are with my parents. I added this one just so you could see at least a little more of the volume of the dress. The back was simple and gorgeous, and if I ever get motivated to put down my child for some strange reason, I'll probably add that picture 'cause, well, it's an awesome dress for me. My veil was cathedral length and had tiny rhinestones in it that caught the light, and my tiara was a replica of Princess Di's French Knot that was given to her as a wedding present by the Queen. I'd kept a picture of her in that tiara for years, hoping that when I got married I could have something like it ... and I'll be dipped if it didn't happen :)



I don't think I'd change anything. I'm totally in love with pick-up skirts right now and really want to go to an event that will allow me to wear one (the dress I found for my niece's senior prom had them and it was gorgeous!) but other than that, my dress suited me pretty well, I think.

I have to say, I tend to be a bit old-fashioned, and I told my mom I wanted to be a princess for my wedding and dadgummed if she didn't deliver. I love my dress, and really love my tiara, and really really love my veil. I keep trying to come up with an excuse to wear it all again, but no oppportunities are presenting themselves, and Halloween just isn't a good enough excuse to unpack all that stuff :)

My Little Love Bug

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Oven-Fried Chicken

Yesterday's Blog Hop theme (Favorite Recipe) was so much fun! So much so that I had to share another of my favorite recipes with you (maybe this will be a regular feature, who knows!).

Anyhoo ... this is one of Hubby's and my favorite baked chicken recipes. Hubby doesn't even like baked chicken, but he really enjoys this one! Bon Appetit!

Oven-Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 sleeve Ritz crackers

In shallow dish, mix together egg and sour cream.

Empty Ritz crackers into a gallon-size ziploc bag and seal. Crush crackers in bag until well broken (you don't want a powder, but you don't want big chunks, either). Place crushed crackers in 2nd shallow dish, next to sour cream mixture.

Use a paper towel to dry off chicken as much as possible. One at a time, dip chicken breasts first in the sour cream mixture (front and back), then in the crushed crackers (front and back). Make sure to coat them well. Lay on foil-lined baking pan (either spray foil with Pam, or use Reynolds Release).

Bake at 400 degrees, for 40 - 50 minutes, or until chicken is done.


*Variations: To the crushed crackers, stir in a small amount of a favorite seasoning (ie: parsley and a dash of cayene pepper; or a favorite flavor of Ms. Dash) before coating chicken to give it an extra oompf :)

This dish goes well with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli ... man, this is making me hungry!

Chicken Pot Pie: Blog Hoppin' 07.21.09

Welcome to this week's blog hop, entitled: Favorite Recipe.

I want to be upfront and say I really can't take full credit for this recipe. My 'sista', Misti, gave me the basic recipe years ago because I enjoyed her pot pie so much and loved that it was super simple, and over the years I've tweaked it a little to make it go farther, plus a couple of other things just 'cause I wanted to experiment. So, without further ado, here it is:

Easy-Peasy Chicken Pot Pie
(Makes 2 pot pies, or 1 pot pie and 1 filling for freezing)

Ingredients:
2 packages of frozen deep-dish pie crusts (2 crusts per package)
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can corn, drained*
1 can green beans, drained*
2 boiled eggs, chopped
3 cans Cream of Chicken w/Herbs soup
salt and pepper to taste

*substitute favorite veggies here, but stick to these amounts

Boil peeled, diced potatoes until just fork-tender. Drain and place in large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in skillet. Add chicken chunks and cook until almost done; add onion. Continue cooking until chicken is done and onions are soft. Add to potatoes in mixing bowl.

Then, to the mixing bowl add: eggs, veggies, soup, salt and pepper. Stir well.

Place 2 frozen pie crusts on a cookie sheet or pan; add 1/2 of filling to each. Then, one at a time, flip other 2 pie crust over and place on top of filled pie crusts (so the edges meet). Remove tin from top pie crusts. Carefully cut slits in top pie crusts.

Bake at 400 until crust is brown and filling bubbly, about 30-40 minutes.

Note: Freezes well in ziploc freezer bags. Thaw well before adding to pie crust and cooking.
Also Note: We have used pre-cooked rotissierre chicken and uncooked onion, and it has turned out just fine, with even less work :)

Babies Can Sleep Anywhere

I just don't know how this is comfortable ...





... but apparently IT IS!

Everyone Needs a Great-Aunt Martha

Last Saturday was a bit of a whirlwind for us. We drove home from California, fed Maggie, freshened up (no showers!), then headed over to Hubby's Aunt Susie's house so Maggie could meet another of her great-aunts.

Great-Aunt Martha come in from Albuquerque, New Mexico for the weekend, and got to spend some time getting acquainted with the family's newest (and cutest!) member.



(Please note: Maggie is not upset with GA Martha! She was just a little fussy from being in a carseat all day long and took a couple of minutes to settle down.)



She also brought Maggie a gift and I just had to share it with y'all because it's too pretty and sweet and sentimental:



Martha stitched this back in 19-something-or-other (!) and gave it to Maggie for her room. Part of the gift is to have it reframed to match her furniture, but I couldn't wait for that before showing to you.

Pretty cool, huh?

Also, that night, during the popular game "Pass the Maggie", she and Cousin Matt finally got to hang for a bit ...



Then, it was back home and in our own beds for the night. Whew! What a long day, but our babe was a trooper and handled being passed around like a champ! Which is fine with us. The more people that love her the better :)

New HP Hits Theatres Today!!

Grab the popcorn and M&M's ... the wait is over!! Woo-hoo!!

Blog Hoppin' 07.14.09

***Updated: I just had to tell y'all that on my way to work this morning I passed a digital sign that said: "7/14/09 6:58am 93 degrees". Oh.My.

Welcome, folks, to this week's Blog Hop. The theme is 3 Things You Didn't Know About Me and I'll tell ya, this one took some thinkin' on my part ... but, although my irl friends are going to know these things already, I figured my bloggy friends wouldn't have a clue ... so ...

1) I have 2 tattoos. Yep, innocent-lookin', lil' ole me has 2 tats :) The first one is a Mickey Mouse tat on my inside-left ankle (he's about 14 years old and lookin' a little worn). The 2nd one is an old-looking celtic cross that has recent stretch marks going through it :)

2) I'm going to learn how to play golf. I know. What I once considered to be the most boring game on the planet will soon become part of marital bonding time. Hubby has been wanting to teach me for a couple of years now but since I've been pregnant for the past eleventy-hundred months, we've never been able to. However, once the weather here cools down, off to the practice range we go. (In my opinion, only crazy people golf when it's 115 outside, so we wait ... ). If I get good at it, Hubby has promised me an Auburn golf bag and pretty blue clubs :)

3) I own The Monkees tv show box set ... yes, I am that dorky :) It was a favorite show when I was a teen. I remember watching in on Nick at Nite, along with the original Batman show.

Okay, so now it's y'all's turn ... and be sure to hop around and make some new bloggy friends :)

Stuff I Just Had To Share

So, if imitation is the highest form of flattery then I'm flatterin' the heck out of BooMama, 'cause I'm totally 'imitating' (aka: stealing) her linky idea :) I feel like she's an understandin' soul and will probably just pass me on a 'bless your heart' at my lack of personal invention ... so, without further ado, here are a few links I want to share with y'all:

1) This first link is one I originally got from BooMama (I mean, if I'm gonna 'borrow', I may as well be in for a bushel of trouble). I liked it so much I downloaded the album from iTunes. Left Brain's Grocery List had me crying, I was laughing so hard!

2) I thought this should be emailed out to all pastors in warm-climated areas as a valid fix to the summer-skank look worn by many a teenager to church these days (and some older women who just ought to know better).

3) My MIL played this video for us the other night and I just had to share. The beginning is the best part.

4) Last but not least ... in anticipation of the new HP movie opening on Wednesday (yippee!!!), I offer you a pretty cool Sorting Hat quiz here. If you do the quiz, leave a comment letting us know what house you were sorted into. I'm a Hufflepuff, which isn't so bad except that I really don't like their colors :)

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Enjoy!

The Face of Hunger

Maggie and Headless Jerome

This is what happens when communication breaks down between a husband and wife:



Hubby's cousin, Jerome, was holding Maggie (obviously), and she's so little he just sat her up in his hands and suspended her in front of him. It was adorable because she's so little compared to him. So I said to Hubby 'you should take a picture of that, it's too cute' and Hubby replied 'okay'.

I didn't check the picture on our digital camera and just assumed all was well.

Never assume, because, well, you know ...

So, that's how we ended up with "Maggie and Headless Jerome". I wanted a picture of both of them and Hubby just zeroed in on Maggie.

If only husbands could read you mind ... :)

Heat Stroke. Getting Peck'd. Beaches. Books. And Paul.

75 degrees. Beaches. Cool ocean breezes.

That's what we left behind when we sojourned back to Arizona this past weekend. I would like y'all to note that it is expected to hit 116 this weekend.

116.

Degrees.

(That's 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Only the depths of Hades are a worse place to be during the summer.)

(Complaining about the heat is my favorite summer pasttime, btw, so just ignore the sarcasm, as more will surely follow.)

Anyhoo ...

Maggie did so well on her first extended car trip. Thankfully, she likes riding in cars (or strollers, or just moving in general), so it was a nice drive with the only fussing happening around feeding time, and who can blame her for that?

Our little love bug (it's what I've been calling her lately) finally met the Peck's, Hubby's Aunt Jan and fam, who graciously allow us to shack up with them every summer for a week (thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou).

Of course, we have pictures to share:

This is Maggie and her Great-Aunt Jan (and Paul, who MUST MUST MUST be involved in EVERYTHING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING) ...

(Paul is super-cute and is actually a very good little dog who minds very well and is pretty well behaved, but he really does need to be in the middle of whatever is happening!)



Then she met Cousin Jerome, who is completely smitten with her, as well he should be ...



Cousin Benjamin came down for the weekend to hang out and meet his newest cousin (actually, Maggie and Bino are 1st cousins once removed, if I remember correctly) ...



And, we even managed to catch up with Cousin Joe before heading back home, and got him to agree to a photo op with our cute little girl ...

Great-Uncle Randy is not represented this time around. He felt he was coming down with a cold and, good uncle that he is, didn't want to risk getting Maggie sick. He did, however, put 'dibs' on her the next time we see them :)

We had such a wonderful time, as we usually do. Hubby has to get his beach fix every summer, so he spent time every day at the beach (sometimes twice), often with his cousins, and even managed to bring some of it home in my Jeep. Since my ideal vacation involves lots of reading, and I haven't finished a book since Maggie was born, I totally took advantage of the idleness and read to my heart's content.

(I started and finished Rhett Butler's People, and enjoyed it just fine, just in case you're interested.)

(Heck, I'd have probably enjoyed "A History of Nascar" if it involved quiet reading time.)

(No offense to Nascar fans.)

(I just don't 'get' it.)

(I'm more of a college football girl, myself.)

(But I digress ... as is my habit ... )

So, all in all, it was a good week for everyone. Hubby got to inhale salt water and nearly moon the beach in Carlsbad in his search for the perfect boogie-boarding wave (please ask him about this when you see him next), and I enjoyed dipping into the pages of an antebellum-set novel until my eyes were blurry. (We also visited a mission, but more on that at a later date.)

And the super-duper best-est part? All day long with Maggie. I miss that.

I'll leave you with a little video clip we took while at the Peck's just because it made us laugh. Here's the story: Maggie wants to stand on those wobbly legs of hers, so if you hold her up and let her try she's happy as can be. Great-Uncle Randy was snapping pics and Hubby was videoing when ... well ... there's Paul ...

Next Stop: Sleepville, USA

I would like y'all to pause for a moment.

We have something to celebrate.

Maggie went 8 1/2 hours between feedings, so Mommy and Daddy got nearly a full nights sleep.

I'm so thankful I could cry.

We don't know if this is the beginning of good sleeping-through-night for her or not, but I'll take what we can get! (Isn't it funny, the things you appreciate as a parent? One whole night of slumber has made me nearly giddy! Even if the 4:30am wake-up call was earlier than I'd like, I'll deal.)

I fed her (her 2nd meal in 2 1/2 hours, btw) at about 8pm, then she was up and lookin' around (and fighting sleep, our new "thing" to do), and just a happy little clam. I fell asleep around 11pm, and when I heard her fussing this morning, it was 4:30am. I rolled over and asked Hubby is he'd fed her during the night and I just didn't hear them and he said 'no'.

Can I get a "Halleujah"?

Let us bow our heads in thanksgiving, and hope like crazy it's not just a fluke :)

Blog Hoppin' 07.07.09

I'm trying a new thing today ... a Blog Hop. The theme this week is "Favorite Picture" and since I have so many to choose from of our sweet girl, I feel obligated to share one that y'all haven't seen :)

This pic is currently the wallpaper on our computer at home. It's just to sweet for words:



So, for those fellow bloggers out there who'd like to participate, here's the dealy-o:

Once More Into Politics, Friends

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program of Maggie Super-Cuteness to bring you the following political video clip:



Thanks for puttin' up with me :)

Our Little Fashionista

Before I forget what today is ...

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!

We've just returned from our annual - and Maggie's first - trip to California and I am Tired with a capitol "T". But, because it has been A Whole Week since we've had new Maggie pics ... and I know y'all are just waitin' on pins 'n needles for 'em ... here are a few to tide you over :)

Introducing - Maggie's Beach Fashions, 2009:

Now, even though you're just visiting, there is no reason your sleepwear can't be adorable, as evidenced below (please note the pink faux shoes and ruffled heiny) ...

... and a beach trip is just not complete without board shorts.

Californians sport colorful summer clothes, so we fit in just fine with this outfit ... ... and this ensemble was completed with fabulous Mary Jane socks.

Since Mary Jane's go with just about every dress, we sported them often this week ...

... and of course, it wouldn't be July 4th without patriotic wear.

Please note the too cute tennies ...

The tennies are still big and they're newborn size but they were too fun not to wear, at least for a little while.

We'll post more when we're all rested up and recovered. Maggie met lots of folks, so there are many photos coming your way, plus a more Maggie In Motion - see y'all soon!