Could I Have This Dance

Here are some pictures from the reception at Matt and Ellie's wedding.

The beautifully decorated room at The Fontainebleau Inn .
The first dance.
More of the first dance.
Matt & Ellie cutting the cake.
Ellie and her dad dancing.
Matt & Ellie leaving for their honeymoon.

You can also see pictures from the rehearsal dinner, getting ready, the ceremony and pictures from my wordless Wednesday post.

Book Giveaway

Laura over at My Quotidian Mysteries is giving away this book:

Why? Because she loves all of her bloggy friends!! Isn't she sweet?

Click here to enter to win Katie Brazelton's Praying for Purpose for Women (Zondervan, 2005). Hurry up though because the contest ends Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday # 7

This is the first time I have used any words on one of my Wordless Wednesdays! Here are some pictures taken after the ceremony at Matt (my brother) and Ellie's wedding.

You can also see pictures from the rehearsal dinner, getting ready, and the ceremony.

May Day Weight Loss Challenge- Week #3

Weight lost this week- +.5 lbs

Weight lost since the start of the challenge- 3lbs

Total weight loss since Hailey was born- 36lbs

Well, this was not a good week. Since I did so well the week before I decided that I could buy some snacks. No, not the healthy kind. I was planning to eat the snacks slowly. You know, not all in one day. That went well. For the first hour. Apparently I have no willpower. Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip cookies are my biggest weakness. The thing is that I did not even enjoy the cookies because the whole time I was eating them I was thinking, "I should not be eating these." So, I felt bad while eating them and then I felt guilty afterwards.

The other bad thing is that I have not been exercising like I should. I only walked on my treadmill a couple of days. Not to make excuses, but Hailey's naps are so unpredictable that it is hard to do it. Usually once I get myself ready and start to walk I hear a little voice calling me through the baby monitor. We also did not take many of our neighborhood walks this week because we had a stagnant air advisory on several days. So, we stayed inside.

I need to get back on track. So, here are my goals for this week

1. No more buying the unhealthy snacks. I just don't have the willpower yet to eat them in moderation.

2. Drink more water.

3. Walk on the treadmill in the evening when Rich is home to watch Hailey.

4. Take our neighborhood walk on the days we are able to. On the other days, go to the mall to shop walk.

Time to go check in over at Tales From The Scales.

19 pounds to go.

Happy Memorial Day

Sunday Seven #9

Sunday Seven is a weekly meme for giving thanks and/or for noting important events in our lives. You can join the Sunday Seven group here.

1. My brother Matt was married last Saturday to the love of his life, Ellie. I am thankful that he found his true love, the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. You can see pictures here, here, and here. I will also be posting more pictures over the next few days, so keep checking back!

2. A half an hour before the wedding was to begin we (Rich, Brooke, Hailey, and myself) were lost a half an hour away from the location on the wedding. My cell phone did not have any reception, so we could not call anyone for help. On the verge of tears and certain that we were going to miss their wedding, I prayed that we would make it on time. I am thankful that God helped us to find our way and we arrived with 5 minutes to spare!

3. I am thankful that I have an awesome new sister!

4. I am thankful for all of the family we were able to see last weekend. It had been much too long since we saw many of our relatives. Although the time went by much too quickly it was a lot of fun to see everyone.

5. I am thankful for all of the family members who told me how much they love my blog. Sometimes I wonder if anyone actually looks at all the work I do, so I was very happy to hear that many people are enjoying it.

6. It was a really long weekend for a 7 month old and I am thankful that Hailey was so very well behaved!

7. I am thankful that everyone had a safe trip to and from the wedding.

The Ceremony

Matt and Ellie were married on May 19th at The Fontainebleau Inn. It was a beautiful ceremony with perfect weather.

This is where the ceremony took place.
Mother and Father of the Groom.
Pastor Hill, Matt, Mike and Jon.
Jonah, the ring bearer, and Kate, the flower girl, making their way down the hill. If you look closely you can see that Jonah dropped his pillow.
Jonah went back to get his pillow.
Bridesmaid Kat, and Maid of Honor Stephanie

Matt watching Ellie as she makes her way down the
aisle.

Ellie and her dad.

Saying their vows.

With this ring I thee wed.

The kiss.

The happy couple!

See previous posts for pictures from the Rehearsal Dinner and Getting Ready.

Getting Ready

Matt and Ellie were married on May 19th. Here are some pictures from before the wedding.

Matt, the Groom, getting ready.
Jon, a Groomsman, getting ready.
Mother of the Groom worrying about everyone getting ready on time.
Sam, brother of the Bride, holding his tux.
Mike, the Best Man, is ready to go.
Father of the Groom getting ready.

Ellie, her Bridesmaids, and the rest of her family got ready at The Fontainebleau Inn (the location of the wedding) so I do not have pictures of any of them from before the ceremony.

You can see my post from yesterday for pictures of the Rehearsal Dinner.

Rehearsal Dinner

My brother Matt got married on May 19th to his wonderful fiancee Ellie. Over the next few days I will post pictures from the weekend festivities.

These pictures are from the rehearsal dinner on May 18th.

The groomsmen open their gifts from Matt and Ellie.
Groomsman Jon, Matt, and Best Man Mike pose for a picture, with Ellie looking on smiling.

Some of Ellie's family.

Ellie giving a hug to Stephanie, the Maid of Honor.

Wordless Wednesday #6

May Day Weight Loss Challenge- Week #2

The results are in!

I met most of my goals from last week:

-I drank lots of water.

-I planned healthy snacks so that I did not get hungry.

-I exercised almost everyday.

My goals for next week:

-Continue to drink lots of water.

-Exercise every day except for Sunday. In addition to my regular exercise (using the treadmill and taking Hailey for a walk), I have taken Angel up on her Don't Take The Easy Road Challenge . I'll do things like park at the back of the parking lot and make extra trips up and down my steps. Every extra step helps! Plus if you enter the challenge you get entered to win a weight loss journal made especially by Angel! And, who doesn't love a prize?

-Continue the healthy eating.

At last weeks check-in I felt a little discouraged because the scale had not moved, but I was encouraged because I lost inches. So, this week I am extra excited because I lost inches and pounds! I lost 3.5 pounds! Woo Hoo!!! Now I am off to go check in at Tales from the Scales.

18.5 pounds to go!

I've Been Tagged!

Well, I figured it would happen eventually. I've been tagged! It's my first time being tagged, and I was tagged twice. First I was tagged by KC to post 7 random facts about myself. Then the very next day I was tagged by Serving Him to post 8 random facts about myself. I know I would bore everyone to death by posting 15 random facts about myself, I'm just not that interesting. So, instead I have decided to just do 8 to cover both.

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to tag 8 people and post their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment and tell them they're tagged and to read your blog.

So, here goes.........

1. I love to go shopping. Just not grocery shopping.
2. When I eat I like to make sure that each different food on my plate does not touch any of the other foods on my plate. Then I only eat one food at a time before I move on to eat a different food. For example if I have roast beef and mashed potatoes on my plate- I will finish eating all of the beef before I move on to eat the mashed potatoes. And, I always save whatever I like best for last.
3. I keep my cooking spices in nice straight rows in alphabetical order.
4. I love lists! I have a to-do list for each day of the week that I print out once a week. I also have pre-made lists on the computer for groceries and my weekly trips to Target. I just have to print my lists out and then I cross off what I do not need before I leave for the store. I take it a bit too far sometimes. If I come across something in the store I want to get and it is not on my list- I write it on my list so that I can cross it off!
5. When I was a teenager, my first job other than babysitting was cleaning the home of a family friend. I don't know if she (JenLo) knows this, but she is about to find out because she reads my blog. One of the first times I was cleaning I needed to run the dishwasher. Well, instead of putting dishwasher detergent into the dishwasher I used regular dish soap- probably something like Dawn. I started up the dishwasher and left the kitchen to go clean somewhere else. A little while later I walked by the kitchen and saw it was filling up with soap bubbles. In a panic, I called my mom and she came over and helped me clean up the kitchen that was filled with bubbles. The kitchen was sparkling clean when we finished! We had to run the wash cycle several times to get all the bubbles out of the dishwasher. I always wondered if there were any bubbles left over the next time they ran their dishwasher.
6. When my cousin Beka and I were teenagers we did some crazy things. Once she was old enough to drive we would go for some nice rides. From time to time we would pick a car and follow the car all over the place. I'm sure our parents did not know we did that (until now). I now know that was a really stupid thing to do! We were lucky we never picked a crazy person to follow around.
7. I have never had a broken bone.
8. I have an obsession with even numbers. When I listen to the radio or watch TV, the volume has to be set on an even number. When I eat something like grapes or M&M's I have to eat either 2 or 4 at a time. Not that I am eating M&M's with my diet and all. But, if I were eating M&M's and there was only one left- I would not eat it.

So, there you have it. Hope you're still awake. Now I have to "tag" 8 people to also do a list of 8 random facts/habits about themselves. I tag Beka, Angie, Laura, La Bellina Mammina, Angel, Jodie, Liz, and Military Mommy. So, play along if you want to. If you don't want to that's okay too! Come back and leave me a comment once you do your post so that I can make sure I see it.

Did I Say That? #3

I never thought I'd hear myself say, "Hailey, please don't put your fingers in Mommy's nose."

Wordless Wednesday #5

May Day Weight Loss Challenge- Week #1

The results are in....

I won't keep you in suspense with any commercial breaks! My first week went okay. There were a couple of days that I did do some unhealthy snacking. The unhealthy snacks are really gone now, so I can't do it anymore even if I want to. And yes, they are gone because I ate them. Oh, were we supposed to count calories on Mother's Day? We were? Oops.
Anywho, I did exercise everyday, except Sunday. I walked on the treadmill and took Hailey for a walk around our neighborhood everyday. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually enjoyed the exercise.
I didn't lose as much as I had hoped to lose. Because actually I lost nothing. I didn't gain anything either though, so that's a positive. I would be totally discouraged, but thankfully I took my measurements and my pictures. My measurements prove that my work paid off because I lost inches everywhere I measured. And, I can actually see a difference in the pictures.

So, although I was hoping to lose some pounds, I guess all in all it wasn't too bad for my first week.

My goals for this week:
1. Continue to exercise everyday (except Sunday).
2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day.
3. Plan healthy snacks, so that I do not get hungry and feel the need to start eating everything I can find.

Time to go check in over at Tales from the Scales.

22 pounds to go!

Teeth

Dear Tooth #1 and #2,

It's been over a week now. You've been working your way through my gums. It really hurts. I don't think I can take much more. And, my mom. You know she doesn't like to hear me cry, especially when it's dark out. I heard her mumble something the other night about turning into a crazy lady if she didn't get some sleep. So, my dear teeth-please finish making your way through my gums as soon as possible.

Love,

Hailey

Happy Mother's Day

A Child's Angel

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born.

One day he asked God: "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God replied, "Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

"But tell me, here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile, that's enough for me to be happy."

"Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel's love and be happy."

"And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don't know the language that men talk?"

"Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you, Lord?"

"Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"I've heard that on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?"

"Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

"Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard.

And the child in a hurry asked softly: "Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

"Your angel's name is of no importance, you will call your angel, 'Mommy'."

By Erma Bombeck

I am thankful for the angel God chose to be my mother.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

For All Moms

We are sitting at lunch when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of starting a family. "We're taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral. "I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations...."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give
it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years-not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reach across the table, squeeze my daughter's hand and offer a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all of the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings. This blessed gift from God . . . that of being a Mother.

Author Unknown

My Personality

I found this over on Melli's blog while I was checking out her Sunday Seven last weekend. You go here and draw a picture and then it evalutates your personality. Here is my picture:

My results:

You tend to pursue many different activities simultaneously. When misfortune does happen, it doesn't actually dishearten you all that much.

You have a peaceful mind, viewing the world with calm and serenity. To you, life is not about struggle and strife but about existence and co-existence.

You like following the rules and being objective. You are precise and meticulous, and like to evaluate decisions before making them.

You have a sunny, cheerful disposition.

What does your drawing say about YOU?

Wordless Wednesday #4