Snowy Day! (March 8, 2008)

It snowed and snowed on Friday evening...and when we woke up on Saturday, the sun was bright and the sky was amazing! I dashed outside in my pajamas to take pictures before it all melted! (Almost all 4 inches was melted by noon!!) We got out a couple of hours early Friday so we could make it home before it all hit. This is a BIG snow for Mississippi! (Okay, all you Chicago folks can snicker.....but 4 inches is a big deal up there too! Admit it!)

James and Larissa's house from across our yard....so pretty!

Our backyard and backporch.

~A Romantic Surprise!~ (March 7, 2008)

A very snowy night + two sweet husbands + two very appreciative wives = one nice evening together! The boys wanted to surprise us with a nice evening....so after we quickly fed the kids, Keri and I went upstairs to help them get settled in to watch a movie. We had to stay upstairs with them until the boys were ready for us to come down. When we came down, we had a delicious candlelit dinner, beautiful flowers, a warm fire, and music playing (yes, Amy Grant's Hymns!). The steak was incredible as well as the couscous and grilled veggies. They even bought us dessert! It was a very cozy evening inside while it was snowing and snowing outside! We watched "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks until close to midnight, and then we drove home in the snow! It was such a fun night! Our husbands are so sweet to us!

Ooooh! A Bed! (March 1, 2008)

No, you are not supposed to recognize this sweet boy or this room......neither are ours....BUT the BED is!! :) Johnna's friends from church have outgrown their need for their baby bed and changing table, so the offered them to us! We drove down on Saturday morning and picked them up. (The little boy is the previous owner of the bed!) It was such a blessing to be given these things....especially since we are trying to save all we can for the actual adoption!

Of course, while we were in Huntsville, we got to see Aaron, Johnna, and Catherine....and Al, Jennifer, Luke, and John David who were in town for a visit! As you can see, both of my sisters are expecting.......Jennifer in March and Johhna in June! VERY EXCITING!! We got to eat at Rosie's Mexican Cantina with everyone, and then we all had to head on back home! It was a very fun day trip!

Andrew and Ashley Come to Visit (Feb 22, 2008)

Andrew (Jonathan's brother) and his sweet wife, Ashley, came to visit us the weekend of February 22-24. As soon as they got in town, they met us at our school (which is where Ashley grew up going to church and school) and we split up. The girls went out for a nice, relaxing dinner at Newk's followed by a pajama movie event of Sense and Sensibility. The boys headed to the FedEx Forum to see the Grizzlies play Dallas.


I have no idea who these people are.....but they are very tall. I do know that below is Jason Kidd.
I should know this player, but I don't because my husband never takes me to the games! Ha Ha! The only player I knew got traded to the Lakers!! This may be Rudy Gay...not sure! I'm sure Jonathan is shaking his head in disappointment right now!! :)
If these were pictures of Jane Austen I could narrate wonderfully..... Well, we had a great weekend! On Saturday we went to see Vantage Point and then went out to dinner. On Sunday they went to church with us and we ate lunch with the Smiths before they had to head back to Nashville. Thanks for coming, guys!!

Our Adoption Profile (Feb 2008)

Well...it is feeling a bit more real! We are working hard on our homestudy and we are almost finished with all of our paperwork. We just mailed in our profile this week to the agency. This will be the profile that the birthparents look at to decide who to choose for their baby. It was very hard and emotional to create.....and I already know I misspelled a word or two! So at least they will know we don't claim to be perfect!! As soon as our homestudy is finished (probably in Mid March), our profile will be on the agency's website as well as in booklet form. So in about 3 weeks it will be possible for us to receive our first phone calls!! One couple from our group has already been matched with a mom and baby.....and another couple got a call this week! So...it is not IF it happens.....but WHEN! Keep praying for us as we go through this process!!

Surprise Sod!! February 2-9, 2008

Because of the generosity of the Smith family letting us live with them for 17 months while we planned, built, and tweaked our house, we wanted to give them something back.
This is a picture of mud---a yard full of mud! Keri has been desperate for grass...and so grass is what we wanted to give her! When we found out in April 2007 that they were going to be going to Disneyworld in February of 2008--we decided that was when it would all go down.
We ordered the sod and it was delivered to their house 2 hours after they left for their trip. Al and Jen had offered to help us...and true to their word and servant hearts...they arrived early (they left their house in Kentucky at 5 a.m.) to help get it all started Saturday morning!



We took a walk down the driveway to see the horses....John David and Luke were pretty excited. You can see the Daniels' house and our house in the distance. Sara Kate was very good about keeping this whole thing a secret. She did say "grass" a few times....but we felt pretty safe that she would not give it all away!!

Jen and Al went back home that same day---not getting into bed until after midnight...and then they had church the next morning! We were giddy all week....waiting for Keri, Andrew, and the girls to come home. We ended up getting two more pallets of sod on Saturday to put the finishing touches on the yard. It ended up taking 8 total pallets! When the Smiths pulled into their long driveway, they were met with signs along the way........a few clues!


And the look on Keri's face as she drove up to her yard was priceless!!

Jonny and Andrew just kept looking at it....and the girls danced around in it!!
Needless to say, they loved it! (Although now they need a lawn mower!!) We even caught Andrew staring at it while he brushed his teeth......! Giving is way better than receiving!! :)

Our Field Trip to the Bible Museum --- Feb 1, 2008

We recently took a trip to the Bible Museum in Collierville, Tennessee. Enjoy the snapshots!!