Tickled what?

What a fun weekend we had with our most precious family and friends! Jay and I did not find out the sex of baby #1 and for some reason, although adorned in pink, I was convinced I was an 'all boy mom'. But, once again I am not in control and can't wait to watch our precious new bundle come in to this world and bless us as much and more as Tripp.
Adorable shirts made by my sweet and talented friend, Jamie Hatfield. They were perfect no matter the color.

Center of the dining/food table


Branches with 'It's a boy' and 'It's a Girl' clips for guests to wear their guess


Oh, the cupcakes!!!! There are no words to express the beauty of these and the taste was even better! Thanks, Kristen Mullen with Crumb!



When it was all said and done....

They are both going to need their rest because....

Toys? Who needs toys??

I have started 'nesting' and totally wish God would give me Incredible Hulk muscles while doing so. The urge to rearrange every room of my house goes hand in hand with this crazy phenom! Tripp definitely benefitted from one day's nesting session. He got a super clean and organized closet in his big boy room complete with enough area to play! He also got to play with all the super cool BOXES.....umm,dude, we have hundreds of dollars of toys upstairs, in your room and in our keeping room but you were more than thrilled with boxes?? Good times that bring back memories for all generations I'm sure!

Rain on My Parade...

I constantly listen to music while I'm working and designing and because of that I find myself running through the same play lists on my itunes quite often. Today, in the search for some new inspiring music (I'm a huge contemporary christian gal) I found a song by Kathleen Carnali, called "Dangerous Prayer". When listening to the lyrics it totally was a slap in the heart!
I so easily ask God to show me who He wants me to be or what He has planned for my life but find myself running clumsily in the opposite direction when His GPS is turned my way. We are all so quick to say, "It's all in God's plan..." and this song says if it is YOUR plan then we have to allow Him to RAIN ON OUR PARADE even if it's the parade with the coolest floats and beads. STRIP ME DOWN AGAIN SO I'M DESPERATE FOR YOU even if that means being naked and unsure for a while of the path we are to be walking.
So, if you're like me at all (let's hope you're not;) then be sure that the next time you come to the Father looking for answers that we're not underestimating His love for us, His knowledge of us, and His protectiveness over His own children.
I'm honored to have such an amazing and all-knowing life-planner on my team but trusting Him is not as easy as it sounds.
Make your prayers dangerous with the idea that what's dangerous and uncomfortable for you is exactly what excites our Heavenly Father because it gives Him the chance to shine as He deserves!!
"Want to make God laugh, tell Him YOUR plans!"

Where has the time gone?

Not a single person was lying when they said, "It goes by so fast". Tripp is the most beautiful and amazing person I've ever come in to contact with and being able to be called his mother is the greatest gift God could have ever entrusted to me.
He is funny, tenderhearted, loving and sometimes I think he goes way over his word quota for the day but we are blessed that he is so smart (he must get that from my side of the family;)and capable of so much.
Just a few updated pics that I took this week in our backyard....doesn't he look just like his mama!! HA!

Leave a Legacy

September 10th, 2010 a wonderful, powerful tenacious woman passed away. Puddie Eason Ruff (yes her name was puddie;) was
a woman of character
a woman of extreme faith
a woman of family
a woman of team
a woman of love and most of all
a woman of GOD.
As my uncle stated at her funeral, she was a 5 foot 2 fireball and anyone that ever came in to contact with her figured that out in the first 5 minutes.
But to me she was home and the only home I really ever knew growing up. She was a constant in an ever changing navy brat world of moves. Her home was our "camp" and the laughter of all 14 grandchildren still rings over there on Thomas St. in Tupelo, MS.
Puddie was my rock and she loved to roll. I close my eyes when I'm discouraged and can see her coming out of her screen door to say, "Emily, move your feet, bend your knees, racket back...."
and I'm not sure she realized just how profound these words would be to me.
She didn't just teach, she demonstrated how to be a motivator, a team player, a coach, a mother and more importantly to me a grandmother in which I compare all others.
Never was an angry word said but you knew when she meant business. Never was a discouraging gesture heard because she was built to encourage.
A 5 foot 2 fireball....
She quoted scripture to her death and knew that God was forever her fortress and strength. She is in Heaven today playing the best rounds of tennis she's ever played and setting up swimming lessons for all the sweet children that went before her.
She was my Tupelo Honey and life is much sweeter because of her.
Thank you, Puddie, for loving me and blessing me beyond measure by being my grandmother.

It's Official

The candles have been blown out, the cake has been cut and yes, the little baby boy is OFFICIALLY now TWO!
Thanks to all our sweet friends that helped us celebrate this milestone....tear free!!
He's still telling every one he's three is the only problem!

He's what??

Please stop, and don't mention the word birthday around me right now when referring to my BABY! I got teary eyed at the church nursery yesterday when someone just mentioned the word 'two', so needless to say, this is why I'm doing his birthday entry 11 days early.
He's grown.
Those two words sum up everything that has happened from last June til now. Of course, he's grown in height, weight, hair length, and in ability. But the grown that is the most bittersweet to accept is the growing he's done in departments like; talking,understanding, loving others, laughing at Buzz and Nemo, loving nothing more than jumping (he calls it 'dumping') on the bed and being chased by his ever loving daddy (whom he calls 'gaggy'). He's grown into our hearts with roots so deep not even we have the depth to hold them inside.
We love him in every sense of the word and yet so much more. He is the blessing that God had in store for our family long before we could even fathom the joy He already knew.
And now, to stop the tears, I giggle at the sound of his precious lisped voice hollering, "Mama, um here, are you" and I grin because I know exactly what he's saying and what it is he wants.
Freeze time, please freeze!!
We love you Buzzy, happy happy birthday-God is too good!