Whew!

What a week! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. I even typed up several marriage posts last week...however I don't want to post them all right away. I am going to spread them out over several weeks.

Things have been crazy lately. Last week I took some time off work which was so nice! {and needed} Wednesday I baked the most amazing brownies. I hope to get the recipe posted soon.  They were such a huge hit at our Thanksgiving dinner. I also took newborn photos of Aubrey. I can't tell you how beautiful she is! I will do a post on her as soon as they are finished.

Over the weekend we took a trip to Branson. Did a little Black Friday shopping, went to Silver Dollar City and all came home with colds. :) It was a good trip, the kids did so well in the car, I was pleased.

Monday I had the pleasure of doing another newborn photoshoot. I have so much editing to do. These babies are so incredibly adorable.

The Marriage You've Always Wanted

On Saturday Brian and I attended Gary Chapman's "The Marriage You've Always Wanted Seminar" It was absolutely wonderful.  I learned so much and found myself constantly wanting more.  I was really sad to see the day end. Some of the topics he talked about were

- Communication
- Understanding and Expressing Love
- Initiating Positive Change
- How To Share Things That Bug You

 I came home encouraged and inspired.

Brian and I certainly have our fair share of struggles as most married couples do.  We fight, we bicker, we disagree and occasionally we are just down right mean and nasty to one another.  Sometimes it seems worse than others like we just can't catch a break.  There are constantly other things for us to be doing and we have lost the focus on us.  By attending this conference together we have taken the first step to put back together what has seemed broken for so long. 

I want to share what I learned at this conference, what spoke to my heart and what I am doing to honor my marriage and my husband.  I hope to write a series of posts over the next several weeks to months.  This is something that has been working up inside of me for sometime now.  It wasn't an easy decision to attend this conference and take the initial steps towards "the marriage we've always wanted"

Lauren-isms

"You can bounce your favorite ball on your head but it might hurt."

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

"I was about to say no because my brain didn't know the right thing."

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

"I'll have a taco with no carrots"

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

"The dish ran away with the spoon?  That's awful!"

 

The closer that she gets to 4 the more and more that she amazes me.  She is getting taller and smarter by the day!

Silhouette II

Now while I wouldn’t classify the first three photos in this post to be true silhouettes the last one certainly is, I still like them!


My mom looked at these and wasn’t really a fan.  She said they were too dark to see anything…I said mom that is how they are supposed to look!


I think they look romantic.


Ah!  so beautiful!  I love the sun setting behind their heads.  :)

Ornament Exchange Matchup

It's MATCHUP DAY!!

We had 144 people sign up!  I think that is so amazing!  Jenn divided the entries among the 10 hosts and each host is matching up her participants with their partners. She broke down the list alphabetically, by first name so if you signed up through my blog you may not necessarily be in my group.  Check the list to see where your name is at and visit that host's blog to find your ornament exchange partner. 

A - Ashely: Addie's blog, Just Another Day in The Life
Ashleigh - Be: Ashleigh's blog, This Lil Heart of Mine
Br - Co: Ashley's blog, Ashley's Carnival Ride
Cr - H: Faith's blog, Walk With Me By Faith
J - Joa: Jenn's blog, Knee-Deep in Munchkin Land
Jod - Kil: Kerbi's blog, So Are You to Me
Kim - Len: Leah's blog, The Imperfect Momma
Les - Mol: Emily's blog, A Beautiful Beginning
Mon - Sonja: Karah's blog, Chateau Stracener
Sonya - W: Sonya's blog, Ladybugs, Butterflies, and Boxing

******

Victoria - Stephanie
Summer - Timmarie
Wendy - Sonya
Whitney- Sonya K
Terri Lynn - Stephanie
Timsha - Teddie
Stormy - Terin
******
I will email each person in my group later today with their partner's information they provided on the form.  If for some reason you can't find your name and you are sure you signed up please feel free to leave me a comment or visit Jenn's blog and leave her a comment.  Thanks for playing!

Please remember the $10 limit and to mail your ornament to your partner by November 30th.

Close Call

Today I am thankful for my Dad.

Today I am thankful that he drives a big tank of an SUV.

Today I am thankful for God doing what he does best!

You see, last night my dad was on his way home from work...and well he didn't quite make it home in the SUV.  He hit a cow...yes I said a cow. Crazy country folk I tell you trying to tenderize a beef.  All joking aside my Dad is lucky to be alive today.  He was supposed to have driven my step mom's Civic home from work last night but "accidentally" left the keys locked inside his shop so he decided to take his truck home instead of going back in to get the keys. {isn't God amazing}

Now you may be thinking how can I praise God when his truck is totaled. Well I know that God let him forget the keys on purpose so he would be in the Suburban and not the Civic.  My dad was telling me this morning that during his prayer time he was asking God why if he let him drive the SUV home instead of the car did he let it happen at all? My dad said that he heard God tell him that he let him hit the cow in the SUV so that someone driving a much smaller car wouldn't hit the cow.  You see we have many friends and family member's that do not drive SUVs that drive that road around the same time that my dad hit the cow. One of their lives was possibly saved.  My Dad walked away from the accident sore but alive! Today I am thankful!

Fall Family Photo Fun

It’s not very often that I get in front of the camera!  When Mollie asked me to take pictures of her and Aaron my trade off was that she take some family pictures for us as well.  We have waited way too long to have any sort of family picture taken!!
   
I just love this next picture of Colton. He was having so much fun in the leaves and clapping his hands every time he would throw them up in the air.

I think this next one is my favorite picture of Brian and I.

And just to keep it real…Colton trying to get away.  He was hungry and tired and this was the very last shot of the day. LOL!

 
I am so glad we were able to do this!  It was nice to get out in front of the camera for a few shots.

A Couple Of Things

Monday is the last day for the ornament exchange!  If you haven't entered yet there is still time!

Here are the details. 

Anyone can enter.  You don't have to have a blog or a twitter account. 

There is a $10 limit.

We are accepting entries starting today until Monday November 14th.  If you would like to participate click this link to take you to a form, fill it out and someone will contact you by Wednesday November 16th with your match up for the exchange.  Once you get your match up go shopping and make sure to mail out your package to your partner no later than November 30th. :)  Sounds like fun doesn't it!!


This couple's baby girl was born on Thursday and is in need of some prayers. 

Shortly after she was born her heart started racing and they have since diagnosed her with Supraventricular tachycardia or SVT.  She is at the local children's hospital at least through the weekend.  I know that this sweet family has got a long road ahead of them and they would appreciate your thoughts and prayers. 

Thanks

Aaron and Mollie Fall 2011

Fall is always such a pretty time to take photos!  I just love the leaves changing and all the colors.  This year I have really paid closer attention to the whole process.  Some of the leaves start to change, then more and then the ones that changed before seem to change again and then yet again!  So beautiful!

Mollie wanted to get some family photos in the leaves and we couldn’t make it happen until the last weekend in October.  I was for sure the leaves would all be gone but look how pretty they were!


I love that my brother is such a good sport and a willing participant.  We went all over town taking pictures!

This is one of my favorites.  Mollie likes the antique looking photos so I put a texture on it. I just love the feeling it gives me when I look at it.

I was so pleased how the shots turned out.  I got so many good ones. 

Birthday Recap

Sunday started off to be a grand day.  Colton woke me up right before midnight.  He wanted to make sure that I experienced my birthday to the fullest this year, INCLUDING the extra hour that I got due to daylight savings time.  The poor little guy is teething something fierce.  He has molars coming in on the left side on both the TOP and the BOTTOM!  It took me about 2 hours to get him settled and back asleep for the night.

Later on the kids and I were eating breakfast and Lauren was talking about my  birthday coming up.  She asked me when it was and I asked her if she remembered what day of the week we said it was on.  She said “Sunday, church day.” Then it hit her that it was Sunday.  She got up from her chair ran over to me and SCREAMED “IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY” and gave me the biggest hug ever!  Gotta love that.  :)

That night Brian, the kids, my mom and my brother and sister in law all went out for dinner.  Since this was a special occasion I picked PF Changs, not somewhere we go on a regular basis. {please excuse the awful cell phone pics}  The food was of course delicious and I was in some of the best company I know.  At one point the waitress comes over to fill our water glasses and Lauren says…”EXCUSE me miss waitress.  Today is my mommy’s birthday” Again so adorably cute and I have a feeling that she will never forget my birthday!

Aaron and Mollie got me a whoopie pie pan and a whoopie pie cook book! Coincidentally Brian also got me a whoopie pie pan.  Oh well now I have two and can make lots of whoopie pies.  Brian also got me the Chicago Surprise Cupcake Pan. {picture from amazon}  I can’t wait to use this baby.  I have got big plans for it.  :) I also will be preordering my Kindle Fire! I am super excited.

My mom got me the yummiest ice cream cake ever! Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

It was a good birthday!

Silhouettes

These are pics from the same maternity shoot that I posted about yesterday.  I have to say that I am a bit obsessed with silhouettes lately!  I have lots of fun photos to share with you all this week.