Sarah and Jared

catch up... and NINE months!

2011-11-28T20:34:00.011-06:00

my sweet, sweet boy's best cheesy smile :)bennett and his ebbie at the so carolina gamethis picture CRACKS me up!! look at those faces.

think they

are a lot alike?!?! id say so.kisses from his momma.my big boy standing by himself!
im positive that this is the most angelic face i have ever seen. ever.

headed south for turkey day part 2this boy can EAT!!!!

turkey day part 1 is below (with mimi and poppy)

and with turkey day coming and going.... we are

in full christmas mode.

bennett helping daddy and i decorate his first christmas tree!!! helping mommy sew a tree skirt... he was adding the last tid bit of ribbon ;)my santa babyhungry boy!

baby bennett is nine months old!! we were at jared's parents for thanksgiving on his nine month birthday, so i havent done his photo shoot yet, i'll do that tomorrow :)

bennett was sick for the first time a couple weeks ago... he had little bugs here and there in the past, but nothing like this. i consider this the first time he was sick, sick.. and he was 8 1/2 months old. i am just thankful he wasnt 8 1/2 weeks old when he got this nasty stuff. he had a runny nose, turned ear infection, turned croup, turned double ear infection... yuck! thank GOD that i have my mom to help me out or i would have been off work for at least a week. what a saint she is. his poor little ear was so infected that he had to get rocephin shots. that was awful. the nurse said that they hurt really bad, and from my experience, when a nurse says that, it must be true. anyway, he started to feel better after countless late nights, antibiotics, steamy bathrooms, warm baths and cups of chicken noodle soup. all the things that mommies (and mimi's) are for.

thankful that the sickness has passed, we have decided to not take him back to his school this year. he was going on tues/thurs and my mom has him (and cousin ollie) the other days. we made the decision that mom will keep him 5 days a week until we are off work for Christmas. luckily, i am off for 2 1/2 weeks so it will be here before we know it... {which reminds me of all of the things i need to do in that short amount of time}.

we had the best thanksgiving. we got to spend time with both of our families and lots of time with our baby bear. we have a lot to be thankful for this year. items making the top of my list: a healthy and happy baby boy, a husband that i love more than ever, a wonderful family, great friends, a new home, good jobs and a successful business. i think that this is way more than i could ever ask for and i thank the Lord above for every one of those things. life is sweet!

SO... at nine months, here is what our angel has been up to:

--- he is sleeping better, still in his crib in our room... the family bedroom, if you will ;)

--- he is eating like a piglet. i shop for him at the health food store and usually offer a meat, carb, fruit and veggie for each meal (other than bfast, where he has yogurt and cereal). and lately, at dinner, he just eats whatever i fix for jar and i.... he loves spaghetti, green beans, lasagna, chicken dishes, etc. he has surprised us at what a good eater he has become!

--- he is wearing some 12-18 month clothes. which makes me terribly sad. size 4 dipey. he weighs 20 1/2 pounds now.

--- he says 'momma' 'bye bye' and 'ball' still working on daddy... which i find funny considering how he prefers his daddy 100 times to my 1. correction: jared just said he thinks his 'bye bye' is actually him saying 'da da', so we will go with that. ;)

--- he stands by himself and cruises around furniture. he took his first step on his nine month bday! i can tell he wants to let go and take off, but doesnt quite have the confidence yet.

--- he still likes to play ball, give kisses, belly laugh when tickled, yell like a little indian, play peek a boo, and his new favorite, tug at the Christmas tree and laugh hysterically.

--- he plays well with his cousin and they are the best of friends. you can tell that ollie is used to playing with big brother and not much phases him... bennett needs to be around his big cousin more to stay tough!

in other news, we are just preparing for christmas by decorating, shopping and listening to christmas carols. i cannot wait for bennett's first christmas!!!!!!! makes me so excited and totally changes the feeling of christmas for me. we want him to know the true meaning of christmas and we explain the nativity set to him that sits on our hearth. he just laughs and tries to put baby Jesus in his mouth. doesnt hurt to try though :)

i will post pics of him in his nine month onesie soon!

we hope that you all had a very blessed thanksgiving!

xoxo-sarah

bennett's first halloween

2011-11-01T21:06:00.006-05:00

getting ready to go to the fall carnival

{a very classic bennett face}

our friend, liza, rocking her costume

our cousins, lightning mcqueen

and ollie the lion

little foofa. look at those eyes!!

bennett and miller at the triplet's party!!

costume #2

bennett, miller and eli. how cute are they? seriously.

win, eli, knox, miller and bennett.

a first halloween for all these boys!

my little turtle.

with auntie candice... cheesin it up

with lots of our favorites!

after we left the triplets party, we stopped by kate and jason's

to see even more kiddos..... this was the only pic i got

im surprised i was able to snap this one.... this boy can run and play.

sweet mccoy!

we finished up the evening handing out candy in
aunt jess and uncle mark's front yard...

this was our best pic of the boys.. they were worn out at this point!

just a random pic of my happy boy..... .... and a piggy face to say good night to all and to all a good night.

xoxo, sarah

eight months.

2011-10-25T20:28:00.005-05:00

my whole life i have been obsessed with babies. literally, my entire life. every year when i was a little girl, i would ask my mom and dad for a baby brother or sister for christmas. sadly, i never got what i wanted {not true, but true in this sense} ;)

then when i realized i wasnt ever getting a baby brother or sister, the next baby in my life was my nephew, charlie. he was, and still is, the most precious thing to me. after that, it seems like i have been so blessed to have many babies enter my life. my sister had oliver, and many of my dearest friends have had babies. how can we be the age that we all have our own babies?

not a day goes by that i dont look at bennett and for a split second think 'is he really my baby??' it seems too good to be true at times. it's sort of like all of the build up of planning a wedding. then when the wedding arrives, the bride tries to take it all in and enjoy every second, all the while thinking that it is finally here and that this is the big day. i sort of feel like that as a mother. except it's not just one day, its everyday. every single day something changes with him. he grows, he has a different expression, he likes a new food, he looks at me different... he crawls, he pulls up, etc. it is like if i were to miss a day of his life, i would for sure miss something. i try sooooo very hard to take it all in and to realize that he will only be this little for a very short period of time.

i cannot believe he is eight months old today. it has been the best eight months of my life. i feel like a different person since i had him. everything i do, feel, think is centered around him and his well being. of course, i do a lot of things without him but i am always thinking of him, planning something for him, worrying about him, etc. he is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. and i love him with everything i have.

here is what that little monkey has been up to:

- he weighs just over 20 pounds

- he still takes 35-40 ounces a day. the boy loves his bottle and i love that he loves his bottle :)

- he isnt a great eater. he is pretty picky

- he eats some baby food and some table food, if it is a teeeensy weeensy piece

- he is wearing 6-12 month clothes

- he is crawling at the speed of light (started crawling on september 28, 7 months)

- he is pulling up on everything!!

- he started walking around furniture on october 23 and is now obsessed with that

- he likes his bath time and all of the toys he plays with in there

- he is going to mimi's part time and playlearn part time, we have really liked playlearn, and of course we love the days he goes to mimi's the best!

- he is not a great napper. he takes an hour nap around 11-12 and usually that's it?!?!?

- also not a super sleeper ;) poor baby. its not his fault

- he sleeps in a crib in our room (this is one of the reasons it's not his fault) and he stands up in his bed at 2:30AM saying "mamamamamamama" so i cant resist

- he is OBSESSED with his daddy. like to the point where my feelings are hurt. he reaches for him constantly, cries when he leaves, and constantly stares at him with this adoring, admiring stare that i am pretty sure is only reserved for his daddy. im working on redeeming myself by giving him tcby when daddy isnt around ;)

- he is very silly. he does this thing when he's sitting on my hip where if i am not paying attention to him, he sticks his neck out and brings that little face around so he's right in front of me. it's saying 'ummmmm.. hello. why arent you paying attention to me??' he did it to my mom tonight and we busted out laughing!!

- he is ridiculously cute and charming. he is getting more hair and i cant decide what color it will be... maybe blonde and maybe a light brown?? and his eyes are turning greenish blue and not bright blue.

- he is the love of our lives!!!!

Happy 8 months sweet baby boy. mommy and daddy love you!!!!!!

lots of fall pictures

2011-10-23T21:52:00.010-05:00

we have been playing in the yard............. with our pumpkin that daddy picked for us..........

we have been eating grass...................................

we have been crawling everywhere...........................

we have been trying to walk...................

we have been obsessed with daddy.................

and chasing lou..............................

we went to our first pumpkin patch..................

we went to watch our cousin charlie in the fun run............... and cheered loudly for him............

and we got even cuter since the last time i posted.........................

we love you bennett bear. so.so. much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 month pics

2011-10-12T21:05:00.008-05:00

we had bennett's six month pics taken by jessica ritchie a few weeks ago... couple things i would highly recommend: #1: jessica ritchie :) and #2: taking pictures at your home.
we loved the way they turned out. i love how she got his real smile, his goofy smile and everything in between. i love how they are all taken in our home rather than in a random place. they just all feel very warm to me, because this is where we spend everyday as a family. love, love, love them. and my little man.

my favorite smile that he does, you only see it if you're really funny!
this is my all time fav pic of him (so far). of course, i had to get it in a 2ftx3ft
for the living room ;)

kiss, kiss

our family.

on 'the family bed'
ha! that's a whole different post!

****

what happened to my little itty, bitty baby that couldn't push me away to take off to another room?!?! this was just seven months ago... look how much he has changed and grown up!!!!!!!!!

i love you bennett bear. you have stolen my heart.

mimi's birthday and catch me if you can....

2011-10-05T21:37:00.005-05:00

my loves :)
had to strip down because the banana covered spoon
made a mess of us!mimi's favorite dessert (other than TCBY) :)

her little helper.... 1st attempt to blow out the candles
by the third time.... charlie was giving it his best. those

darn trick candles, will get ya every time!

we celebrated my mom's birthday this evening. doesn't she look great at 35 ;)

we had everyone over for taco night, dessert and of course, presents. she got some lovely items from the fam! i am jealous of her new razorback necklace that dad got her, and her facial, pedi, new statue... she racked up!

if anyone deserves a lovely birthday, it is her. my mom is the most loving, caring, trustworthy, kind, selfless person i know. she would do anything for her family. don't get me wrong, she's not one of those women who doesn't take care of herself (as you can see, she is still very fabulous) but she gives her ALL to us and my dad. she takes such good care of bennett and oliver while my sister and i work. this seriously is something you cannot ever, ever, thank someone enough for. its funny because i can't even count the times that we have been in public and people ask who takes care of the babies and we say that our mom does... often times the response is 'wow, that's something i don't know that i could do' or 'wow, i cant believe she gives up everything to keep them' and my favorite is 'bless that woman, she has her hands full!' and yes, she does. but those people are right when they say that they could not do what she does, most people couldn't, or wouldn't. i thank the Lord every night for my family and for the blessings that we have. as a mother (and any mother would probably agree), your child's well being is the single most important thing in your world and the single thing that is constantly on your mind regardless of where you are. i am able to have peace throughout my days because of my mom. thank you, mom, for all that you do and all that you are. and thank you dad for always working so hard to allow for mom to be able to keep the boys. we love you guys so very much!

*
and in other news... bennett has decided that he would like to become mobile. i thought he was independent before, wheeeeeeeeeewwwww, he is one on-the-move little man these days. he is pulling up on all kinds of stuff, crawling, trying to stand, and bumping his head all too often. i seriously googled "helmets for infants" earlier and it was some pretty funny stuff. jared said that is ridiculous and this is part of him growing up, but my nerves are shot by bedtime because he is constantly on the verge of hurting himself :(
i know that this is a phase (that will last a while, and only get worse) but it is an adjustment for sure. i love that he is exploring and active, and we encourage him (mainly his daddy) to try and walk, pull up, etc, but it's just something new to get used to! one thing is for certain: he is growing up and changing every single day, right before our eyes.
we are off to bed!
we hope that everyone is having a happy hump day!!!!!!!
xoxo

seven months.

2011-09-25T20:17:00.007-05:00

seven months old today.

this little monkey has blessed our lives and brightened our days for SEVEN months. we love you bennett. we are so proud of you!!!

we hope everyone has a good week!!

xoxo

check up

2011-09-23T15:35:00.003-05:00

this little honey pie had his check up today. he is weighing in at 18 pounds 9 ounces and is 26 inches tall. this puts him in the 50th percentile on both.
he screamed at dr. terry the entire visit. a very, very loud scream that made it to where i heard nothing that dr. terry was saying.... that’s our boy ;)
all in all he is doing really well, growing like a weed and right on track. we are happy and healthy and thank the Lord for that every single day.
bennett will be 7 months old on sunday and i think for the first time in his life i truly feel like it’s going by way too fast. it brings tears to my eyes to watch him growing and exploring and taking in all that life has to offer. he is so curious, wild, interested, independent, determined, all while being so sweet, loving and genuine. i think that he will grow up to be as good of a man as his daddy.
i just love him so much and as much as i want to press pause on these days, weeks, months, i cannot wait to watch this little man grow up. i know his personality will challenge us and entertain us for all of our days :)
we love you bennett william. you are everything to us.
mommy & daddy

sippy cup and big boy bed

2011-09-21T20:16:00.005-05:00

our little honey at his first tailgate :)

we took him to our friend's, steph and jimbo's, tailgate before the troy game.

he had a blast. after we left there, we strolled him to the pit for a few minutes.

it got chilly so he and i went home and watched the game with

aunt jess, ollie, mimi and poppy. we decided that we love watching the

game all snuggled up on the couch with the fire burning!

a typical evening at our home ;)
showing off his new toofies

trying to drink from the cup in his own way...now he's got it....
and even better.... getting some juice!

got one eye on me ;)

we started giving him a sippy cup a while back to play with. i never put anything in it until this week. i put half apple juice and half water and he LOVES it. he tips it back and gulps it down.

on another note... jared and i are officially nuts. long story short, bennett has been sleeping in our room since day 1. not in our bed (although i would not judge someone for that, because you have to do what works for you and we will probably be there one day) but in his pack n play. since he is getting older and needs support for his little body, we thought it was time for the crib. we just couldnt stand the thought of him being across the house in his nursery. SO, we went and bought a crib (mattress, sheets, bumpers and matching blanket ;)) for our room. we are perhaps regretting this decision as i type since jared just laid him down and now he is standing up in there laughing and blowing bubbles at us, instead of sleeping. hmmmm. this is the 3rd night in his new big boy bed and he has slept great the last two nights. he has learned a new trick that i know he is doing to be a stinker.. he will reach his hand out of the crib, paci in hand, get our attention and then open his hand so the paci falls to the floor. so of course we get up, get the paci and give it back just in time for him to start over. what a little monkey he is. if he wasnt so adorable, i would have to get frustrated with his new game ;)

i love having him right here and i know that one day we will be ready for him to sleep in his room, just not today. i will post pictures soon of him standing in his new bed.. both hands on the bars, face squished up against it... it looks like he is in jail!! too funny!!

xoxo- sarah

six {and a half} months

2011-09-14T07:01:00.003-05:00

this not so little man has been growing like a weed. seriously... he is huge and all.grown.up.

he is pulling up on his crib

he is into EVERYTHING

he is wearing a size 4 diaper, 6-12 month clothing

sleeping decently... very inconsistent (some nights are great, some are not so great)

he has his second cold right now and is sort of pitiful

he has two of his bottom teeth!! the most adorable teeth i have ever seen

he is rocking on all fours and trying his hardest to take off

he still loves toys. his favorite toys are his cookie jar, bowls, spoons, that bulb nose thing ;)

he runs all over the house in his walker. he has even learned to go in reverse when he gets stuck

he is taking 5 (6 ounce) bottles a day and eating three meals

he is starting to drink out of a sippy cup

he is getting cuter, sweeter and more snuggly with everyday and as usual, jared and i are smitten with him. we love you bennett william. with our whole hearts!!!

what's for dinner?

2011-08-24T22:20:00.002-05:00

(he is sticking his tongue out at EVERYTHING and EVERYONE!!!!)
*
we are loving our baby food these days!!! i fired up the machine this past weekend and then again tonight. i love it! it's very easy (even though i had a few glasses of red wine tonight and messed it up)... luckily aunt jess was here to fix the problem(s). anywho, i made his batch for the next few days. he will have bananas for breakfast, sweet potatoes for lunch and green beans for dinner. lately i have been mixing up his rice cereal and adding the fruit for breakfast and then the vegetable for lunch and dinner. this way he gets a lot of good iron and protein. he has really started to pork up! he isnt the easiest baby to feed, but if i work with him for a few minutes, he will eat the whole bowl.
last weekend i even ventured to a place where i swore i would never go and thought i would never be.... ozark natural foods. jared and i both (mainly him and it's rubbed off on me) are not super into the natural foods/organic/green stuff. but after my family convinced me that i would be poisoning bennett if i made his baby food with anything other than organic food, i headed that way. i went to the produce section, the cash register and then out the door. i am not against other people being very 'granola' it's just not for me. however, i am willing to do everything i can for this little child of mine and if it means going to a place that smells like an armpit to get his food, i'll happily frequent it every weekend ;)
*
bennett is six months old tomorrow!!! i will do a post with his six month pics and what our little man has been up to!!!
xoxo

florida 2011...

2011-08-17T21:23:00.015-05:00

his very first time to lay eyes on the ocean

my sweet family

celebrating ollie's 6 month bday!!!!

taking it all in...

HILARIOUS!!!!! we said... 'charlie, put your hands on the

babies' and this is what we got :)

one of my ALL time favorites

our adorable babysitter, cassie, and our little man

***

our trip was absolutely amazing. we had the best week ever. bennett did SOOOOO well on the way down and back. he really loved the ocean. i think that it took him a bit to figure it out at first, but then he was so curious and couldnt take his eyes off it.

we played, we ate, we drank, we slept, we loved on our little ones, we shopped, we relaxed, we told stories, we made memories, and we had blast. thank you mimi and poppy for always making every day special and for taking us on a fabulous vacation. we love you very much!

***

back at home... this baby boy is turning into a full blown little man.... he sits and plays by himself for hours! he loooooves his alone time, which he 100% gets from his father. i for one never need alone time. sometimes bennett will be fussy and he just wants to go chill in his bed or sit and play with his toys by himself. makes momma sad bc i want to play :) not gonna lie though... sometimes it's nice to be able to get stuff done while he entertains himself.

as you can see below.. we also started feeding him this week. i started brown rice cereal on monday and he did great. he lapped up a bowl the first time, and every night since. i mixed it pretty thick tonight and he did great so i am going to start cooking all of my baby food this weekend. sweet taters are on the menu :)

as you can see... this milestone was well recorded.

***

every night when we put him to bed, i kiss his forehead and tell him that i love him to the moon and back and to have sweet dreams. i came home tonight from a meeting and jared had already put him to sleep, so i 'accidentally' woke him just so i could tell him.

we love you bennett william!!

xoxo

oh this child of mine...

2011-07-31T21:18:00.003-05:00

bennett and i ventured out on our first road trip today. we made a surprise visit to tulsa! micah, who is one of my best friend's little sister, had a baby shower today, so bennett and i decided we couldnt miss it! we talked to spears on the way over and she had no idea we were headed her way. of course she cried when she saw bennett and i... which jared jokingly said that doesnt mean anything because spears cries all of the time... which is true ;) nevertheless, she was thrilled to see us.

bennett was a perfect angel on the car ride over and back... while we were there, not so much. background on his fit throwing:

last week we were at the dermatologist for his ezcema and bennett started SCREAMING while we were there. a scream like i have never heard before. like a make your brain hurt scream. when we left there my ears were ringing and i didnt hear one word from the dr. the nurse even commented "he sure does throw big fits for a 5 month old." (which is true) anyway, i figured he was just out of his element and fussy. wrong. that is his new way of expressing himself and it hasnt stopped since that apt. if he doesnt have instant satisfaction, and i mean instant, then the screaming begins.

the first hour of the baby shower he was a perfect angel. dressed in his baby blue seer sucker bubble and looking as sweet as can be, with all of the ladies kissing his big cheeks and commenting on how perfect he was, i was a proud momma. then the second hour came and he had a blowout diaper that covered he and i in poop from head to toe. it was all down my dress, ALL over him (in his hair, on his arms, legs, feet, toes, hands, face, neck rolls, etc.). luckily i had a spare outfit for him. evidently i need to start packing an extra for me as well! then came the screaming. at first it was funny and everyone laughed. by the 10th time, it was time to go home. we left tulsa covered in poo but thankful that we made it safe on our first road trip. thankful for micah's baby girl that will be here in two months, and thankful for best friends that love us more than we love ourselves.

love this little man...

2011-07-27T22:26:00.005-05:00

a few pics :)

charlie riding bennett's horse with a diaper cover on his head... just the usual ;)

xoxo

five months

2011-07-25T21:57:00.004-05:00

baby bennett is five months old today. as you can see in his pictures, he now is more into the giraffe than the pictures. he wasn't in a smiling mood during his photo shoot, so you take what you get ;)

he has been cracking us up lately. he has this hilarious old man laugh and its totally fake. he does it when no one is paying attention to him... wonder where he gets that from?!

he is a faaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous little man. he has the best personality and i can really see it more everyday. i think that he will be a very loyal, sweet, boy. he is always studying people and it appears to be a bit difficult to win his trust and love ;)

i am not one that is into signs of the zodiac but i couldn't help myself but to look up the traits of a pisces... here is what it says:

Imaginative and sensitive

Compassionate and kind

Selfless and unworldly

Intuitive and sympathetic

i think this is pretty accurate so far. i hope that he is always very compassionate and kind. that will take him wherever he needs to go in life!

he is wearing size three dipeys and 6-12 mo clothes. lately everyone that sees him comments on how big he is.. he is only in the 60th percentile, but i guess he is looking heftier these days.

we still haven't started any food because of his eczema. i am going to wait another month to go down that road.

he loves to roll over, play with toys, stand up, chew on his feet, giggle, and snuggle.

he has been petting louie lately and watching his every move. louie likes him a lot, too.

he is such a sweetheart and we love him so very, very much! we can't wait to love him all the days of our lives!!!

xoxo

my week as a stay at home mom ;)

2011-07-10T09:58:00.007-05:00

we played with our cousins charlie says... auntie chase me, auntie tease me, auntie run around with me.....

we went to the splash park...
we went to a pool party at the triplets house...
bennett was not on best behavior
he had not had a nap ALL day..
he screamed while mommy was trying to float around..
and then came home to do this:

which only lasted 10 minutes

so mimi had to come help so that i could get ready for a
rehearsal dinner with my love.

and kk (jar's momma) got to town to keep the sweetie while

we did wedding festivities all weekend. thank you mimi and kk for

ALL you do for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

all ready for porter's party

slept for the first half

fussed for the second half ;)

he can't help it, he had shots last week and

they make him fussy.... oh, and the child DOES NOT take naps

that is probably contributing to the fussiness??!!
*

the adorable birthday boy! holding up a 'one' for his bday ;)

bennett and brooks with karrie and i

LOTS of little men

my favorite little man:)here we are last night at nick and katie's wedding.
it was so much fun! i feel like we look like kiddos here
like maybe we should be on 16 and pregnant since we have a baby?!
the best part of my week, and my life: waking up to

this face every morning!

there is nothing better than a sleeping baby...

with his feet crossed

even though bennett was four months old a few weeks ago, we just went to our doctor's apt. this week. our wayward doctor (and i say that jokingly because he was in Colorado with my mom and dad) was out of town for a few weeks and so our appointment got pushed back. he squeezed us in one afternoon last week to check out the little biscuit. bennett weighs just under 16 pounds (60th percentile) and is 25 inches long (40th percentile), his head is still in the 90th percentile... he continues to be very smart ;)

everything was great at his appointment except he has eczema. this isnt a big deal and we will just treat it as necessary and move on. i am so thankful that he continues to be healthy and everyday that we have our health and happiness, is another great day!

he sat up for the first time while we were there. it was kinda funny because the nurse asked me if he could rollover, smile, laugh, etc and i kept saying yes, yes, yes. and then she asked if he could sit up and i said no. about that time she sat him on the table and he just sat there... so i said 'well, i guess he can.'

i have SOOOOOO much enjoyed my week home with the little angel. i am sad that i go back to work tomorrow... but as i have said before, my job contributes to a lot of fun things that we get to do with him, and will get to do in the future. this week was so amazing, we just hung out, we ran errands, we slept in, stayed out too late, we watched fireworks, got our shots, spent time with friends, and i fell even more in love with that child every single day! he full on belly laughs at me every morning when i get him up. he really loves his momma these days and cries when i hand him off. i have been longing for the day when he started this ;)

we hope that everyone had a blessed weekend!!!!

xoxo-sarah

happy birthday america!

2011-07-04T22:38:00.008-05:00

friday night swim... loving the pool these days :)daddy and jollieour little familywith my nephews. love them like they are mine!so cute!! of course he is hamming it up! all dry!we headed to the fireworks at cross church on sunday.

we sold yogurt at a tent and just hung out. ms. leslie has

bennett in the pic below and he was sleeping soundly until the first

BOOM and then we were up! he LOOOOOOVED the firework show!how could you not love it... it was so amazing. watching his first fireworksthis is the face i get to wake up to. cant

explain how much we love him!daddy and bennett... always in deep thought ;)
miller came over to watch some fireworks on
their first 4th of july!

hanging out on our patio watching fireworks

not so sure of the loud one that uncle mark and uncle

jordan set off...

charlie loves a good sparkler!

the sweetest boy in the world. love him to pieces.

we had a blessed weekend around here. we spent the entire weekend together as a family, having a blast. we miss mimi and poppy, they are in colorado with the paytons, but will be home soon! i am looking forward to a fun filled week around here! off to bed!

xoxo!

in love with...

2011-07-01T21:56:00.007-05:00

i am in loooove with this website! there are a few websites that i shop from religiously for stuff for bennett... they consist of: ralph lauren, etsy, zulily (even though it irritates me bc it takes FOREVER to come in), babyGap, and diapers.com (my absolute favorite)! it amazes me every single time that i can order a ton of stuff and it will be here the next day... free overnight shipping!! they have everything you would ever need for a baby! here is what came today:

an adorable new activity mat

some stylish new undies :)

a new product that i am trying.. for washing bottles and pacis, etc. smells good and all natural

some more of his shampoo/body wash. this is the only kind that doesn't irritate his poor sensitive skin!
a couple extra bottles

my favorite baby product for his skin. he has had eczema and some baby acne since he was born and this stuff seems to really help calm his skin down! we have an apt with a dermatologist soon because he is always itching his poor little head and his legs get all red in the creases :( poor sweetie! but this cream seems to help soothe it... its a bit pricey, but totally worth it!

if you havent checked out this website, you need to!

we hope that everyone has a lovely holiday weekend! my summer shutdown officially started today! 9 days with the boys!! i have a 'to do' list a mile long that i plan to accomplish next week, so i am going to try my best to be productive. i need to get some window treatments ordered for the house, write thank yous, buy some gifts, order a change of address card and finish bennetts baby book, and about 999 other things that i have successfully put off! ill keep ya posted on the progress ;)

summer weekend

2011-06-26T20:18:00.004-05:00

this weekend jar wanted to teach me how to open our tcby. we wanted to make sure i could run the show in the event that he is out of town and something comes up, or whatever the case could be. neither one of us is there that often these days, but you just never know. so saturday and sunday mornings we got up early and drove up there as a family ;)

this morning baby bear was still half way asleep so we took him in his jammies! i told him it was pajama day at work so he wouldnt be embarrassed :)

we had a great time opening the store together. it is really cute watching jar teach me and the kiddos that work for us how to do everything. he is so passionate about what he does and he's really good at it. it may seem like the last thing you would want to do on weekend mornings, but honestly it is really fun and we have a blast while we are there together. as jar says 'its our special time to work together for our family.'

bennett is always a perfect angel while we are there. he never fusses and he just sits there and watches us get everything ready. we stop to change him/feed him and the kiddos at the store looooove him. they are all great with him.

here he is today in his big boy swimsuit!
this was the first time he stood in the pool...
he's thinking that this is the biggest bath tub he's ever seen!

not quite so sure...

he did pretty good. i let him hang his tootsies over the edge so he could kick around and he thought that was funny. what a big boy!
i got my new company car this weekend and we love it! it is the first SUV i have ever had, its a mazda cx-7 and its the perfect size for the three of us! the above pic is my favorite part... its fabulous to be able to open the back and have a good place to change him and let him stretch out! last night we sat on the back and ate yogurt in the parking lot and enjoyed the awesome weather!

we hope that everyone had a happy weekend. i have 5 days of work and then i am off for 9 days! my company shuts down for a 'summer shutdown' to give everyone a break and i cannot wait! i am so looking forward to spending it with my little man (and my big man, too)!

xoxo

4 months.

2011-06-25T21:54:00.005-05:00

he was over it at this point... then he ate the sticker ;)

bennett turned 4 months old today. we love him more every.single.day. i recently did an update on him and not a lot has changed since then, but ill give a few updates so i can remember every little thing ;)

- he full on belly laughs at us when we get him going. i had him laughing at me this evening at dinner and it made my heart melt.

- he loooooves his daddy. i will watch him look at jar and you can just tell that he is in love. (i think he likes me a bit too) :)

- i gave him a lick of white chocolate mousse... he had to have a little sample, right?? it was maybe a drop, and he didnt even notice i dont think... but he did have his first taste of tcby!

- he still gets 6, 6 ounce bottles a day. he is starting to get bored with it so i am going to start cereal/baby food in a few weeks. (more on that later)

- he has had a growth spurt lately and 0-3 month clothing is no longer acceptable... 3-6 is even snug :( it makes me sick to pack up all of his clothes that he has NEVER worn.. and they are so cute. tear.

- he has become a 'hip baby' and tonight at dinner, i was making a salad at jasons deli and he was riding around on my hip.. it was the first time i noticed him really holding onto me. he was gripping my shirt with one hand and my arm with the other. i love that.

- he has had some major blowouts in the dipey lately. that is probably tmi, but goodness, it happens at the most inopportune times!!! we were at the mall yesterday and i looked down to see that his diaper leaked ALL over his car seat and he was covered in poo :( i didnt know what to do other than head to baby gap and get a new outfit and then go spend 30 minutes in recovery mode in the bathroom. luckily, there was a really sweet mom in there with a bunch of wipes :)

lesson learned: carry a spare outfit and a sh**load of wipes everywhere we go!

- he is still sleeping through the night. i know that we will probably have bumps in the road (shots, teething, etc) but for now he sleeps from 9:30-6:30. when he wakes up, he lays there and talks really loud until we get him. he could lay there for an hour... and sometimes if momma and dadddy are really tired, he will lay there and talk for a while and seems to be upset when we get him. mr independent!

- he is still in the pack and play right by our bed.. i am totally not ready to make a change yet (unless jar will let him sleep with us) i know thats not going to happen so we will just keep things as they are for a while!

we love you bennett bear. you have stolen our hearts and we are so thankful that we are your parents!!

on another note, our hearts have been really sad the last couple of days for a family that we know, the woodruffs. their sweet angel went to be with the Lord and we are hurting deeply for them. i think that everyone i know has learned something from their little boy and like many have said, even though his life was short (way too short), it was BIG!

what he taught me: to love unconditionally. if i have had a bad day... let it go and be thankful for my loved ones. that life is short and fragile. to look at bennett and be THANKFUL for him every second of the day, even when he is extremely fussy and i am tired... be thankful that he is with me and being fussy. he taught me that a son needs his mother. he taught me that family and friends are something that you cannot do without. he taught me that we are all just "borrowed angels" and that the time we have on earth is just a small piece of the big puzzle.

we are thankful that we were able to pray for them and learn from them throughout their journey. we will never forget sweet Miller.

xoxo

dolce vita

2011-06-22T20:32:00.007-05:00

our model ;)

all the babies... from oldest to youngest!

in his new chair that granny nell sent. he loves it!

my little turtle!

bennett and daddy on jar's first fathers day :)

he likes to feel his daddys 'scruff'

my daddy and his little men

talking to his bestie/cousin

all of my cute boys

pic with mommy

our new home!

news on bennett this week:

-he is getting so big!! i was at michelles earlier this week and used her baby scale and he weighs over 15 pounds!! what?!? tear.

-he starting totally rolling over on his own. he was able to do it last week while pushing off of something, but now its all him. his daddy has been working with him and they are equally excited about the new trick ;) mommy was not so excited when the first night he starting rolling over in his bed and then screaming to get put back on his back. but thankfully that only lasted a night

-he got a bunch of new clothes and toys this week. i found some tiny toms that are so cute! i cant wait for him to wear them. i also found him an adorable white linen bubble for the beach. i told jar that if he doesnt behave then i will make us all dress in white linen and go take pictures on the beach... maybe even khaki shorts if he's lucky ;)

we celebrated jared's first fathers day last weekend. we got him some stuff for his playstation (yes, he is 30), a new shirt and some towels for his work out room. he is the hardest person to buy for, so it was a huge success since he didnt take anything back! we made tacos and had dinner with the fam so that we could see my daddy too! lots of men to celebrate in our lives! we are blessed with great daddies all around.

we had a cookout last weekend and lined up all the babies that were here. they are all so cute together and will be the best of friends! little ava is the only girl... bennett had his eye on her and was excited that he got to lay by her in the lineup!

we are all moved in and somewhat finished getting everything unpacked/settled. i am still waiting on a bunch of custom frames and some chairs, etc but for the most part, we are situated! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. i never thought the day would come! we are on cruise control with the business, moved into our dream home and bennett is doing wonderful (and sleeping through the night!!!).

life is sweet :)

my little man

2011-06-13T22:26:00.004-05:00

::miracle::

a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is considered to be divine

on june 10, it was exactly a year from the day we found out we were pregnant with bennett.

its so strange to experience the process from the start... until now. to think that each week, as my belly grew, it was him in there developing and getting bigger. i know that sounds like a game of stating the obvious.. but its truly a miracle if you really think about it!! he was in there for so long and i loved feeling him move around. i wont say that i looooved being pregnant, i didnt not love it either (until the end... if you get to 41.5 weeks... its miserable no matter what anyone tells you)!!

i just think back to that day that we found out.. we didnt know anything about him or even if he was a boy or a girl, but we loved him so much already. i will never forget the first time i saw him. i was so out of it and on way to many pain meds but the memory is more clear than anything else in my mind, and always will be. from that part on, the only way to describe it to someone that doesnt have children, is that you feel like your heart is outside of your body..

i love that little man and i pray everyday for his health and happiness. i cant wait to spend the rest of my life with him as my son!

aunties come to visit!!

2011-06-13T21:48:00.004-05:00

getting some love from his aunties.. anna and spearsy

auntie steph

with my boy

auntie 'ebbie'

uncle drewbaby

auntie brit, md :) (his smartest auntie)

anna and bennett in his room
taking a nap on mimi last week...

i am so glad he is a thumbsucker. how sweet is that?!

ok.. this is nuts.. look at this pic below of baby bear, and the one below of his daddy

he looks soooooo much like jar!

i love you bennett bear. i am the luckiest lady in the world to be your momma.

we had a great weekend around here. all of my best friends from college came to town. brita is an opthamology resident in LR, anna works in an infant room, spears is a speech pathologist and works with little ones, steph is an accountant, and effie is a fabulous teacher. safe to say, they are all good with babies :) it was so good to see them and catch up. i miss them so much but when we are together (as cliche as it sounds), it feels like no time has passed and we just pick up right up where we left off. it reminds me of one of the last episodes of SATC.. the part where carrie is having lunch with the girls before she goes to paris and says... "today I had a thought, what if I had never met you?"that part gets me every time... because i think that thought about these friends all of the time. i am who i am because of each one of them.... undoubtedly a better friend, daughter, sister, wife, and now mother because of those lovely ladies. i cant imagine if i had never met them. i am not letting the next year go by without going on a fabulous trip with all of them... even though we are all crazy busy, we are going to set a time to go away for a few days. i want us all to go to vegas, but if you know how wild we all can be (hence, if you knew us in college), im scared it would be similar to the hangover...part 1. :) maybe somewhere a little more low key would be better ;)

so glad they were able to come see us over the weekend and i am already looking forward to the next time we are all together!

have a great week!

3 months

2011-06-11T09:34:00.009-05:00

our angel turned three months old on the 25th. here's what the little monkey has been up to:

-- at his last doctor visit he weighed just under 11 pounds, 40th percentile.

-- his length was in the 50th percentile

-- his head in the 90th! (he is average weight and height, but evidently really smart!)

-- he still sleeps in our room, right next to our bed in his pack in play. he was in the bassinet for a while, but now we are in the bottom of the pnp. he looks like such a big boy in there :)

-- he is taking about 6 bottles/day, 6 ounces each

-- his bed time is 9:00 and he sleeps til 6 on a great day, and 4 on most ;)

-- i still swaddle him in the miracle blanket

-- he loves to play with toys and look at books. he gets REALLY frustrated with his toys sometimes and will throw them and scream at them... i think he may get his patience from his momma :)

-- he naps in his big boy bed (crib in his room) but thats about all he sees of his crib

-- he looooves a paci and can keep the thing in his mouth all night long, love the mam pacis

-- he loves the car and goes right to sleep when we take off

-- he likes to lounge at the pool, but hates the water

-- he wears 3-6 month clothing, and a size 2 dipey

-- he laughs and smiles for me and jar all of the time.. and for others if you work for it... he doesnt give those adorable smiles away for free ;)

-- he is the sweetest baby. we love him with everything we have

jess and i with our lovies at the fabulous sip n see that our mom's friends hosted for all of us

charlie, now a big 3 year old... and sweet as ever!

best buddies, ollie 4 mo, bennett 3.5 mo

his absolute favorite lovie, eeyore

he has the looooongest eyelashes! the family accuses me of

putting latisse on him.

and here is ollie on his 4 month birthday... obviously...he has HAD it

with the camera ;)

we have never laughed so hard!

all of bennetts 'aunties' are coming to town this weekend. he cant wait to get all cleaned up and flirt with all of them.. he loves a pretty girl. we hope that everyone has a fabulous weekend!

baptisms.....

2011-06-10T22:24:00.015-05:00

not happy about being naky in church...

wardrobe changes are not so much fun in public

with our wonderful priest, father john

his fabulous booties that our dear friend,

jenn, sent him to wear, so special!

bennett was baptized on may 7. it was a perfect day. we had a small get together at my mom and dad's with some family and friends before his baptism. he was such an angel during the entire ceremony and it was a special day for all. my sister, jess and my brother in law, mark, are bennetts godparents... he is one blessed little boy. two weeks later, jared and i were fortunate enough to become oliver's godparents. some of the pics are mixed in, but i need to get more from ollie's baptism. they both wore the same gown, the one that charlie, my dad, my uncles and my grandfather were all baptized in... how cool is that?!

thank you mom and dad...

2011-04-28T22:56:00.014-05:00

i could sit here and write this post for the next decade and it wouldnt put into words how much my parents mean to me and how much they have done for our family. for those of you that are lucky enough to know my mom and dad, you know they are the kindest people you will ever meet. you know that they would give ANYTHING for their girls (and now their boys). you know that they are the picture of what a relationship should look like, one that started as young kids. you also know that they are the parents that every mother and father should strive to be.

they have done so much for jared, bennett and i over the last couple of months. i will never be able to repay them for their kindness, love and support. it would take days to write out all of the things that they have done for us during this crazy time. a couple things that come to mind are:

the night we went to the hospital to have Bennett, my mom slept on the floor of the hospital by my side all night long. when we ended up having to stay for a week, she and dad never left our side. they brought dinner every night, they catered to our every need, they did more than we could have EVER asked for. the second thing that comes to mind are the last couple of weeks. not only does my mother keep bennett for me while i work, they have been staying with me every night until jared gets home from tcby. they help me with bennett, watch him while i take a bath, they just take care of us. they do this even though my dad has to get up at 5:45 every morning and my mom gets up early to keep BOTH of her grandsons. they know that this makes this busy time so much easier for me and that's why they do it.

for the last 30 years, their lives have been about me and my sister. that doesnt mean that they havent always put their marriage at the top of the list as well. they know how to have the perfect balance. they were always the parents that would rather be with jess and i on a friday night, than out on the town. they have never cared about being socialites because that meant that they would sacrifice time and energy away from their family. even though my dad always worked so hard (and still does), he never missed a single thing when we were growing up, and neither did my mom. they still havent.

i only hope that bennett finds the love, security, friendship, faith, family, and support in jared and i as his mother and father as i have been given by my mom and dad for the last 28 years.

i love you mom and dad, and i will never be able to repay you for what you have given to us.

thank you!!!

weekend..

2011-04-17T21:43:00.005-05:00

our little family sacked out on michelle's couch i tried his easter outfit on today, and it was too big... so i pulled out another cute outfit... that has a bonnet, and this is what he thought of that!

here is a family pic from earlier tonight. jared and i went on a date for sushi. i hadn't had real sushi since i got pregnant. it was tasty and it was nice to have dinner with jar. i have missed him! we had a lovely weekend around here. i got a ton of stuff checked off my to do list and we had some fun family time at the store. we went to visit michelle and introduce her to baby bennett. she is having her 3 babies this wednesday. we cant wait to meet those sweeties!!!

i am going to enjoy my final three days off work this week and then head back to my new reality ;)

i hope that everyone has a lovely week!

crazy...

2011-04-15T19:02:00.005-05:00

TCBY Ribbon Cutting

the ceo of tcby/mrs fields with bennett and i

saying... ooo, i like the back room of tcby...

i think i will spend a lot of time here :)

we had over 3,000 customers on saturday!!!

in our pjs

big smiles :)

all wiped out from a loooong week and weekend

for almost the last year i have had MANY people tell jared and i that we are insane.. we were building a house, opening a business and having a baby all at the same time. i would laugh and say, 'i know, we are pretty busy.' all the while, i would think that it wasn't that bad.. what was i missing? well.... now that we have opened the store, had our sweet angel, and are two weeks away from moving into our house, i understand why so many people made that comment. jared has worked 18 hour days for the last 11 days. the funny thing is that we didn't even order me a name tag for the store since i 'would never be there'. this is comical looking back :)bennett has been a trooper. sometimes he stays home with his mimi, and other times i take him up there to hang out in the back. we have been so blessed. we never imagined that we would have the business that we have had in the last week. our grand opening was fabulous, we had over 3,000 customers!!! the best part of the whole thing (other than free white chocolate mousse) is seeing all of the sweet families that come in. i have seen the cutest kids and they love tcby. everyday there is a new crowd at the store, i told mom yesterday that there were a lot of sweet older people in the store. everyone from 0-100 seems to be enjoying it. we are glad that we were able to bring something here that so many people enjoy with their families. we have been so fortunate to have such great help. our managers are awesome and the high school kiddos are adorable. they are all such hard workers and a joy to be around!!it has been very, very busy but very fun to get this thing going.

our house is getting so close to the finish line!!! i cannot wait to move in there in a few weeks. the painters just finished painting the whole house and it looks exactly as i imagined. i picked out two colors for stripes in baby bear's room and it looks perfect. i will post pics soon. the colors are turquoise and a bright green. i think we will love to lay in his bed and stare at his bright walls (this baby LOVES to stare at colors, prints, and just about anything else). i hope he loves his room as much as i do!

he turned 7 weeks old today. tear. i already feel like he is getting so big. he continues to be a great baby. he is still eating like a champ and our nights are getting better. they are pretty inconsistent, but they aren't bad. once we get our lives back to normal and have a schedule, i think he will do great. until then, we are making do :)he has been pretty good about taking naps lately. he has to be in his miracle blanket to sleep, regardless of what time of day it is. he loves being swaddled. i love getting him up in the morning and taking his blanket off and watching him stretch out. when he wakes up, he is pretty hungry and as i try to get him situated and ready to nurse, he becomes pretty impatient. lately he has started this funny thing where he yells at me. its not a cry, its him letting out these loud screams while making a mean face. silly little boy. he is very impatient like his mom and daddy. everyday he is looking more like his daddy. i don't think he looks a thing like momma :( he has jared's beautiful blue eyes and his entire face is looking just like jared. i think he even has the same belly button as daddy :) * i go back to work on thursday. i am ready to get that milestone behind us and get used to life the way it will be with me working. he will be spending part of his weeks with his mimi and his cousin, oliver. the other days, my MIL will be watching him, which will be a huge help to all. she will be driving up from little rock to watch him on mondays and tuesdays. safe to say, he will be in good hands. i will miss him terribly during the days, but i will be working hard to be able to provide a great life for him and our family. * we hope everyone has a great weekend!!!!

bath time, one month old and preg pics

2011-03-26T18:01:00.015-05:00

bennetts first bath at home this is how we feel about bath time. breaks my heart!!!!

still hating it.....

even madder than before...the cutest sad face in the world!

looking at me thinking 'why did you do that to me momma??' all better!

after i had bennett and they took him to the nursery to check him out, they gave him his shots and poked and prodded him and he was happy as a clam. oh but he lost it when it was bath time.... and he hasn't liked it ever since. i was in recovery from my c section so i missed his first bath. but judging by the pictures, he hasn't liked it from the start.

i am hoping that this changes because it is pretty pitiful. he is such a good baby and hardly ever fusses... so i sort of panic when he screams during bath time. any suggestions on getting them to enjoy it?! poor baby!

ONE MONTH OLD

i cannot believe that he is already a month old. when i look at pictures i can see where he has grown, but i don't notice it from day to day. he is still a little guy. we are just now graduating from our 'up to 7 pound' clothing and wearing some 0-3 month clothes.

he is sleeping good. i feed him for the last time around 9:30 at night and he sleeps until 2:00. then he will usually sleep until 5:30 or 6. i do feel really tired when we get up... i cant seem to get used to the broken sleep. hopefully he will continue to be a good sleeper.

he sleeps in his pack n play right next to me. he has only been in his crib for the above photos :) in the house that we are in now, his room is upstairs. when we move in a few weeks, his room is downstairs, so we may reevaluate things then. i tell jared that i want him in our room for at least 6 months ;)

i am pumping once or twice a day and it is going well. earlier today he ate on the left side then fell asleep so the right side looked like a basketball three hours later!!!! ouch! i decided to pump to get the pain to go away and pumped over 4 ounces from that side alone! normally i only get 3 total. no wonder i was hurting!

he is still eating about 8 times a day... i feed him A LOT during the day so that we have easier nights.

he has started smiling this week. of course his first big, huge, real smile was directed at daddy. i should get used to this. (even though i am the one who caters to his every need) :)

he has also started cooing and making some sweet noises. he has great head control and started turning his head to find our voices.

i love him with all of my heart.

**
below are two pics from my pregnancy.... i saw these today and have never posted any pics on FB or on here, but they are pretty funny!

the first pic was taken the day i found out i was pregnant.. i immediately grabbed the camera to document that i once was a normal size.. thinking that i would be huge by the next day. ;)

the second picture was taken the day we went to the hospital. OMG i was massive. i cropped it to spare everyone from seeing me in my bra.

luckily i am now about 3 pounds away from where i started. i was sooooo swollen at the end that i put on a bunch of water weight. it came off really quick (with the help of uncontrollable postpartum night sweats). i am thankful to be back in my clothes... now i would just like the black line down my tummy to go away as well ;)

i hope that everyone has a fabulous saturday night!!

sarah

almost three weeks...

2011-03-17T10:16:00.008-05:00

momma and baby, 2 weeks old

sweetest face i have ever seen

for some reason i kept him in his hospital hat

for days after we got home... the baby has a million

hats of his own... i just liked this one :)

first visit with dr. terry after we left the hospital.

he said we look great! he weighed 7 lbs, 8 ounces at this visit.

born at 7 pounds, 14 ounces, dropped to 7 lbs 3 ounces

and when we went on sunday, he was at 8 lbs, 4 ounces. he loves to make this serious look. he has the best eye contact

always looks like he is thinking up something reallllly important.

here are a few pics from the first days at home. we are all settled in, and actually have a pretty good schedule. bennett is doing so good. we are so lucky to have such a sweet baby! he will be 3 weeks old tomorrow and last night he slept for almost 5 hours at a time. impressed!

we absolutely hate bath time. i hate it, he hates it, daddy hates it. it is no fun for anyone because bennett screams and cries :( hopefully he will grow to love a warm bath, like his momma does.

in other news...

our TCBY is really close to opening! we have all of our employees hired and we are ready to get things going! i cant wait to have limitless vanilla with hot fudge ;)

this has been keeping daddy extremely busy.

while on this topic, i will brag on him for a second. the man has at least 4 full time jobs... opening a new business, managing several rental properties that he has to deal with on a regular basis, being a full time rep for Pfizer and he is smack dab in the middle of building us our dream home. he is also a fantastic husband and father, making those jobs number 5 and 6. i know that we have some busy and challenging times ahead, but i also know that there is nothing that we can't handle together.

he works so hard for our family, and never does anything nice for himself. if i buy him a new shirt, he makes me take it back because he would rather me have something nice for myself or the baby.. he tells me all of the time how good of a wife and mom that i am, and that i am his best friend. he means that, i know that i am his best friend. he's mine.

when we were pregnant, i thought a lot about what type of daddy jared would be. i didnt picture him being really hands on with bennett. i pictured him being more of a supporter than a doer, which was going to be fine with me. he has turned out to be both, which has surprised me. he changes diapers, worries about his well being, dresses him, reads to him, etc.

i am so blessed to be married to him, i dont know what i did in life to deserve him as my husband.

below is a picture of me a few days before we had bennett... i was the size of the house we are building that i am standing in front of ;)

hopefully our home will be done in a few weeks and we can get all settled in.

it will be crazy for a while... new baby, new business, new house all within the same month. i am trying my best to hang on and enjoy the ride. (with the help of friends, family and the occasional michelob ultra) :)

i hope that everyone has a happy st patricks day!!! we are going to get out and enjoy the sunshine this afternoon!

xoxo- sarah

our son...

2011-03-14T13:54:00.018-05:00

bennett william

our son entered into the world on february 25. he was born at 8:46 pm. he weighed 7 pounds and 14 ounces and he was 20.5 inches long.

i went into the hospital on thursday, february 24 to start the induction process. after a night of contractions and laboring all day the next day, we decided to do an emergency c section on friday night. the entire childbirth process did.not.go.as.planned. after almost a week in the hospital with a perfectly healthy baby, but high bp and messed up blood work for momma, we were able to take our sweet angel home.

luckily, most of the hospital stay is a blur, but i vividly remember him being born and hearing him cry for the first time. i remember looking over and seeing jared holding him for the first time and i clearly remember him showing me our son for the first time. he was perfect. he still is.

the nights in the hospital were pretty good. jared and i would take him to the nursery to hang out for a few hours so i could rest, but mainly he was right there next to us. jared would get up and bring him to me when he was hungry. some nights i was on so many pain meds that i remember jared holding him up to me so i could nurse him. it was for sure a team effort.

when we brought him home, i had that moment of 'what do we do with him now?' 'where are the nursery people to help me with him...?' it sounds so cliche... but it was true. thankfully, that only lasted a minute and then we were full on adjusting to parenthood.

he is 17 days old today and just fabulous. he sleeps 4 hours at a time at night. we have only had one or two challenging nights since we got home. he is SUCH a good baby. he only cries when he is really sleepy, has a dirty diaper or is hungry. mainly... he's hungry. he never turns down the boob :)

i am nursing him every three hours during the day and 4 at night.

we went to the clinic yesterday and he weighed 8 lbs 4 ounces. dr. terry was pleased with this and said that he is getting enough breast milk, that's reassuring because you just dont know.

everyone says he looks like his daddy. he for sure has daddy's blue eyes. i think he has my mouth and nose.

i swear he has changed so much in his little 17 days here. he is still wearing the 'up to 7 pound' size clothes from baby gap.

he poops and pees more than any baby around. i think we go through a box of 84 pampers a day :)

daddy was changing him the other morning and he went through 4 diapers in 5 minutes. he frequently tinkles on us while we are changing him! that little stinker!

we are so happy that he is here with us. it is a love like no other. one like we have never known.

here are a ton of pics from the days leading up to his arrival, and the big day.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TCBY!

2010-11-29T13:45:00.006-06:00

As construction continues to quickly move forward on the Northwest Arkansas TCBY store in Rogers, we are very excited to begin the process of bringing together the special team of people who will bring The Country's Best Yogurt back to the customers of Northwest Arkansas!!! If the weather continues to be favorable we anticipate opening our store in February 2011.

We plan to hire 2 Sales Managers for the Rogers location and we want to begin interviewing for these positions in the next few weeks. Once we select our Sales Mangers, we will begin interviewing candidates for our Sales Associate positions. The Sales Associate interviews will probably occur in January. We plan to hire around 10 Sales Associates to begin with and we hope to grow from there based upon the needs of the business.

Take a few moments to visit http://www.nwatcby.com/ and click on employment opportunities for more details.

our life... right now

2010-11-07T09:33:00.013-06:00

I made it to 6 1/2 months pregnant. We had a doctors apt this week and everything is looking good. He said that I was measuring three weeks ahead and that he has never seen a more active baby. He kicks constantly, I don't think he ever sleeps :)

I feel great most of the time.

Things that are making me feel great: the weeks going by fast and getting closer to meeting our little one, getting things checked off my to-do list, waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A, good doctor apts, making progress on our other adventures.

Things that make me feel less than great: heartburn, dressing myself, the overwhelming amount of projects going on in our lives, and not being able to sleep.

That pretty much sums it up right now.

Here are some pics of our 'projects'

TCBY is making significant progress. They are building away. We can't wait to have our store open. This keeps us (Jared) really busy.

We broke ground on our house this week!! YAY! We aren't sure how long it will take to get it built... this also is keeping us busy. If you've ever built a house, you know that there are a lot of decisions to be made. Ironically, the last time we built a house we were planning our wedding, and here we are building again, and having a baby. To that point, this is an example of how most of our conversations go these days:

Jared: Do you like this tile for the shower and this color hardwood?

Sarah: It all looks great. Do you like this mobile for the baby's room and these baby bottles?

Jared: Sure, looks great.

Ha! Luckily, we are both very easy going and we don't get too wrapped up in the details. We haven't disagreed yet and we try to just make good, quick decisions to keep things moving.

I finished our baby bedding. It was a project!!!!
As you can see, his name is Bennett. His full name is
Bennett William Greer
We will call him Bennett, and hope that it sticks, but if it is shortened to Ben, that is really cute too :) We had about three names that we had decided on for him and we kept going back and forth. I looked up the meaning/origin of the names that were left on the table and that made the decision for us. His name is English and means "Little Blessed One." I love it and I think it will be a great name at all ages.

Here he is in the last ultrasound pic that we had.

what an angel.

Our nephew, Charlie, is the other little man in our lives that is growing up too fast. Jess and I took him shopping yesterday and I can't believe how old he looks in this pic. Not only are we looking forward to meeting our little one, we can't wait to welcome Charlie's little brother, Oliver, into the world (maybe even on the same day!!) We will have to do a fun guessing game as to who will deliver first! I think Jess will go first... I am sure Bennett will be stubborn and hold out :)

I hope that everyone is having a lovely Sunday!

slg

It's a BOY

2010-09-21T20:56:00.006-05:00

Last Thursday, we found out that our sweet baby is a BOY! I never had a really strong feeling as to if it was a boy or a girl, I always went back and forth. It does feel weird to know!!! All of the sudden things are so different than they were when we didn't know what the baby was. Now when I internet shop, I can click on "baby boy" :) and I can picture myself down the road having a son and it feels wonderful. We couldn't be happier with what God has given us. I hope he is exactly 50% like his momma and 50% like his daddy.

We also had a doctors apt since my last post and everything is going great. I am feeling awesome and doing really good. The only thing that is hard to deal with is heartburn, but nothing that a couple Tums won't cure :)

I feel him kicking me a lot these days. I started feeling him move at 16 or 17 weeks, and now he is pretty active. I love it.

Here is a pic of the most beautiful face I have ever seen :)
I will write more soon!

4 months

2010-09-05T21:59:00.004-05:00

I promised myself I would document our pregnancy. In the beginning I wrote in a journal almost everyday... I just looked at it and the last entry was July 8 :( So, I figured I would document some things here on this blog.
I am a bit over 16 weeks pregnant. I feel great compared to the first 13 weeks. I can hardly fit into any clothes. I finally broke down and went to get some "maternity clothes" last week with my mom. Nothing fit me and NOTHING looked remotely cute. I decided that I will just buy normal clothes in a bigger size and that will work for the time being.
We went to the doctor last week and baby Greer was doing great. I always get a tad nervous going in... and then I feel happy and relieved when we hear the heartbeat. As soon as he put the doppler on my belly we heard that little heart ticking away at 155. This little one has always had a high heartbeat, meaning either: girl or high strung like it's momma and daddy.
We go back this Thursday for an ultrasound. I've had some cramping and pressure throughout the entire pregnancy, sometimes more than others and he wants to check my cervix to make sure everything is how its supposed to be. If it is, then we carry on, literally. If not, there is a procedure that they can do that would allow it to remain closed until the end of the pregnancy. I have a feeling that everything is A-OK, but I am so thankful that we will double check. ALSO, we will take a peek to see if this little one is a baby girl or boy. I have gone back and forth on this.. some weeks I feel like it's for sure a boy, then a girl, then boy, and so on. It's like the doctor said... its a 50.4% chance its a boy and 49.6% chance its a girl. Now where's the fun in that?! All this time I thought the Drano test, Chinese gender chart, and ring test were the real deal ;)
Everyone always asks if we want a boy or a girl and of course the correct answer is "we dont care, as long as its healthy" and I have found that its not just the politically correct answer, its how you really feel at this point. Would I love a little mini-me that is a prissy, curly blond haired, mess like I was? Of course. But, I would also love a little blue eyed, blond haired, smocked wearing, mini jared just as much. We will be forever blessed and thankful for this baby, regardless of if its a little jar or sar :)
I will keep everyone posted on what we find out this week and I will post pics soon of this growing belly.
Hope you all have a great Labor Day!
slg

exciting news :)

2010-08-03T17:06:00.009-05:00

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

Jared and I are having our first little one :)

We are beyond excited and so very blessed. We decided a few months ago to "see what happened" and as I laid the positive test on Jared's counter he promptly said "I thought you said it would take longer." I guess he thought there was more time for just the two of us..... wrong.

Of course I called the doctor 4 minutes later expecting them to be sooooo surprised, shocked, excited... then I came to my senses and realized that they probably get a zillion calls/day with the same news. Jared kept saying that we needed to confirm it and go in to the doctor... 6 tests later, I think he was convinced.

We went in at 6 weeks for an ultrasound and then back at 9 weeks for an ultrasound... I was having cramping and he wanted to give me peace of mind that everything was fine. The first time we saw the little baby on the screen was amazing. I didn't believe it until then, and Jared definitely didn't. Since then, we went in to hear the heartbeat and it was nice and strong... it was high.... hoping that means it's a girl :) We will be happy with either, as long as it's healthy.

We are also selling our home.... we close in a few weeks if all goes well. We are going to be leasing a home while we build.. so that will be where we are living when the little angel arrives.... in February. At first this freaked me out, because it wasn't how I pictured it, but ultimately, its exciting to be building our dream home for this growing family. The house we are leasing is great... bigger than ours now, so there wont be any roughing it :) I don't think I will make a nursery in that home... we will only be there for a couple months after the baby gets here and I am sure the baby will just need a bassinet in our room until we move.

And..... in February we will be close to opening our TCBY.

All that said... February will obviously be an eventful month around here.

ALSO--- My sister is due the day before me with her second little one! We are so excited and so fortunate to have each other... going through the exact same thing at the exact same time. We cant wait to meet the babies. My mom is resting up!! Two will be a handful for her, but she wouldn't have it any other way, and neither would we ;)

I will keep you posted on everything now that the secret is out!!

Hope you are all doing fabulous!

SLG

we won :)

2010-05-29T21:30:00.006-05:00

jared and i won THE GREAT TCBY STORE GIVEAWAY! last Wednesday they announced it live on the air.

the first link below is when we were on the news asking the public to vote for us and explaining how the contest worked. the second link is them announcing it live on the 6am channel 5 news :)

http://www.kfsm.com/news/kfsm-news-nwa-tcby-jared-greer-sarah-contest,0,1090431.story

http://www.kfsm.com/videobeta/?watchId=65c50e7d-31df-468c-8ac0-5f3b6ed14087

tcby told us they were going to be doing an interview to ask some final questions... but they tricked us and announced it live on air. SOOOOOO FUN! i was out of town for work when all of this happened. i was bummed to have missed it, but my job is very important and it was just unfortunate timing. plus, i was able to have my mom and dad hold the phone up to the tv while it was going on. all i remember hearing is "we have been tricking you and tcby is here to announce the winner"..... then mom and dad, spears, and i were all screaming. and then i heard jared say "i would be remiss if i didn't thank my wife who couldn't be here today, im very proud of her and i love her a lot." i was so happy i cried for a good 30 minutes. mainly because we worked really hard for this, but also because jared has always wanted to own his own business and tcby made this a reality. he is the most determined, smart, respectful, admirable man i have ever known. so proud of him!!!

we cannot wait to open our store! we hope to open this Fall but there are a lot of decisions to make between now and then... right now we are working on determining the perfect location for our first store. we hope to own several in the future, so the location of the first one is key. we want to thank everyone again for voting for us!! we couldn't have done it without our friends and family!!!

we will keep everyone posted on our progress!!!

have a fabulous weekend!

slg

we made it to the finals :)

2010-05-11T19:16:00.005-05:00

Thanks to all of our friends, family, the media, and this wonderful town that we live in (and to all of the hard work that we did), we made it to the final 5 for the Great TCBY Store Giveaway!!! That means that we received enough votes to make it to the finals. At this point, we have some work to do with TCBY headquarters and then they will decide the winner on May 25th.

We are so excited and if we have learned one thing from this great opportunity, its that people are there for you when you need them. WE ARE SO BLESSED and forever grateful!!

We will keep you posted!

TCBY

2010-04-26T18:53:00.013-05:00

For those of you that don't know the story, here it is :)
Jared and I have wanted to own a franchise for a long time..... We both love TCBY. He worked there in High School and I went there a zillion times as a kid (before the one here closed down).
One night last Fall, we heard of THE GREAT TCBY STORE GIVEAWAY. The prize is a valued at $312,000 and includes everything we would need for our franchise... and then some. We decided to go for it and make a two minute video and enter the contest. We recently found out that we are top 10 semi-finalists. This is a nation wide competition. The public will vote from today-May 10 and narrow the semi-finalists to 5, and then TCBY will pick the winner. We need YOUR VOTE!!! Please follow the directions below! We would really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The voting is now open!

Step 1: Vote Here: http://tcby.com/giveaway/videos/ar

Step 2: Forward This Info to All Your Friends

Step 3: Post This Message on Your BLOG/Facebook Wall/Twitter Account

Step 4: Print the Coupon Above to Receive Free TCBY Yogurt When We Win

Thank you so much for helping us!

We won’t be able to accomplish this without you!

Jared and Sarah

http://www.nwatcby.com/

wear to work. favorite boys. weddings.

2010-02-05T22:55:00.004-06:00

here are some lovely looks that are great for workin in the winter. i spend a lot of time getting in and out of the car in my job... most days i put on my trench coat over my clothes and keep it on all day. i figure i could just wear that and probably no one would notice :) just kidding. i love those wrap dresses, very flattering and versatile.

on another note, here are a couple pics of my favorite little boy and my favorite big boy. when we got a ton of snow, uncle and i built a snowman with charlie, mark and jess. when i bent over to kiss charlie, he said "missed you auntie". his little voice is heart warming. every time i see him i tell him i have missed him that day or the last couple days, so i think he was telling me back that he had missed me too ;)
my other favorite boy is also pictured below. we had so much fun 'snowed in' together. we are together almost all of the time anyway, but it was still fun to be at the house together for a couple days straight. i love that boy and thank God for him everyday.
(my daddy would be my other favorite boy, cant leave him out!!)

jared and i are heading to little rock tomorrow for a dinner in honor of anna and drew. their wedding is quickly approaching, 2 months!! steph and jimbo's is less than 3 months!! if you need me for a weekend, call me after may 1 and i'll be available.... every weekend til then is booked :) i am busy keeping up with my extra curricular activities and my bestie's wedding festivities.... and loving every second of it!

oh, and we are going to mexico in a couple weeks! between the bikini-in-february issue and my matron of honor dress not fitting... i am also not available to eat until may 1. just kidding! i have actually been very disciplined and exercised a ton lately... feelin good!

have a lovely weekend!

slg

splish splash.

2010-01-17T21:05:00.005-06:00

these cutie swimsuits are from j. crew and old navy. i purchased the first black ruffly one and it is cute.. but small!! if you order it from old navy (they don't have it in the store), order a size above what you normally wear.

as i just typed that... i wondered, sh**, maybe it's just that i am a size bigger than i was last year and the suit it true to size. hmmm.

speaking of. i have 37 days to get that swimsuit to go from not enough coverage to full coverage and since the swimsuit isn't going to grow... i need to shrink!

jared and i booked a getaway to mexico in february and i can hardly wait!

hope everyone has a lovely week. i am off for MLK day tomorrow for the first time ever! love this company!

SLG

sewing.

2010-01-11T21:18:00.003-06:00

one of my ultra lovely christmas gifts this year from mom and daddy was a sewing machine. my mom and dad kept saying that they were so excited because daddy had come up with a fabulous gift for me. this is really funny because dad is not the most creative in the gift department. even though he has lived with all women for years, he typically left the gift buying up to mom.

anyway, he did good this year and i love my machine. i haven't taken lessons yet, i just went to a quick overview to learn how to use my machine.

all i know is that sewing is something that i always thought was super hard and intimidating, and even though i don't consider myself an expert.... i must say my panels and shams turned out just as i wanted them to.

i told jess that a monkey could sew if they had the right machine :)

point is... if you think you need a new hobby and are interested in sewing, go get a machine, a quick lesson, some fabric and thread and you'll be amazed at what you can do!

hope everyone has a fabulous week!

slg

date night.

2010-01-04T11:28:00.014-06:00

these lovely items are from shopbop.com

i really put this one on here because of this woman's arms. these arms alone have become a new years goal for me. the next few are from banana republic. i love that green dress!

this black dress is by blaquelabel. you can get their line at karmaloop.com

love this dress from urban outfitters. i picked it up when i was in kc and it fits

really well.

scarletclothing.com

::resolution::

solution: a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem

(or) a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner

the latter of the two is what i plan to do this year. i didnt have any problems last year that need resolved this year, instead, i want to decide to change different behaviors. i think that is what most of us mean by ::resolution::
one thing i want to start doing more this year is having a date night with jared. sure, in the past, we have had tons of date nights and we have even had a day declared as that each week from time to time. this year, i want to try out new places and new things. if you know jared and i at all, you know we are by definition, creatures of habit, and maybe we are missing out on things we don't even know about. this is probably a stretch, but you get the point. i'll keep you posted on our new adventures :)

hope all is well.

2010

2010-01-03T17:37:00.007-06:00

its a weird thing that my last post was 10.25.09 and now its 01-03-10. i dont know how many days that is, but its quite a few :)

i would like to say that i have been doing something out of the ordinary, like traveling the world, and that is what has kept me away. not. the. case.

i have been doing all of the normal stuff, other than blogging.

so. here is the deal with the blog for 2010 and the reason i started to dislike this whole thing last year.

i found myself pressured to write on this old thing and upload every last picture of every last thing that i had been up to. not sure why, but this was the deal nevertheless.

this year my blog will be: different. written on whenever i get around to it. happy. uplifting. positive. stylish.

cheers to 2010. may it be the best yet.

SEC Tour 2009

2009-10-25T18:02:00.007-05:00

In the end....

There has been no shortage of football in our house lately... This weekend we traveled down to Ole Miss for the weekend to watch the hogs get beat. I was so into the game and wanted us to win sooooo badly so we could beat Houston, but maybe next year?! We had a blast even though the game was a bummer. Here are the pics from the weekend.

I am happy to be home safe and sound and with only 5 games to go :) 3 at home, one in LR and then to LSU. This really is a tour of the South. If anyone wants to come along, jump in!!

Hope that everyone has a fabulous week and a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

slg

catch up

2009-10-11T12:41:00.014-05:00

On the Pacific Ocean
The Flags at Pepperdine on 9/11

The flowers in my hotel room on our anniversary :)

Ann and I on the hill watchin the game My sweetie and I in DallasMy cute sister in law and I before the game

The Fam in our living room after the game...

chili, football and Charlies half bday!

Little Charlie Hall, MD

Since My Last Post:
Jared and I had our 3rd Anniversary

I finished training with my job

We celebrated my mommy's birthday

Jessica had surgery
My grandmother got very ill and is now doing better
I spent the weekend with my mom and Jess in LA

We all went to Dallas to watch the Hogs beat A&M

It got very cold outside, Fall arrived

Charlie turned 18 months old

I figured out our Halloween costumes

I found out that I love my new job and couldn't be happier with my decision

I have purchased many new lovely fall items

I have made potato soup a zillion times, and we have been cooking a lot more

I have got to see my friends a lot and they are all doing so well

I have played quite a bit of tennis

I have taken a break from running/working out :)

Obviously... I have also taken a break from blogging

What's to Come!

My brother in law, Mark is about to turn 30

My dad is about to celebrate his birthday

Steph and Jimbo's engagement party

Bethany is turning 21!

Traveling to Oxford and Baton Rouge

Anna and Drew's Engagement Party

Halloween

Lots of birthdays, lots of parties, lots of football, lots of showers, lots of work

I now feel like I am completely caught up on what is happening around me! Over the past month, I have been so happy that Fall has arrived. I say this every year, but its true... for some reason this weather makes me feel so comfortable and so complete. It must be because I am around family and good friends so often and the holidays are just around the corner.

I hope that everyone out there gets that feeling too when this time of year rolls around.

Glad to be caught up!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

slg

FOOTBALL!

2009-09-07T16:49:00.008-05:00

Jared and I tailgating

Steph and I

Boogie, Heather, me, Anna, Brita and Effie before the game

The boys swimming the boat back to the dock..

battery died in the middle :)

Doing our part to get the boat back!

Anna about to jump off a dock
Jumping.....

She made it!
One night last week... Charlie came over

for some ice cream!

This is what our bed looks like when I unpack... then repack for 12 days!

Jared and I made our way to Little Rock on Friday to get ready for the first game! As most of you know, he is absolutely crazy over the Razorbacks... in fact, we have decided to go to every game this year (other than Florida, because we have plans that weekend).... He has always wanted to do this and since he is done with school, we figure this is the perfect (only) year that we could... so I guess we will :)

We spent the night with Jared's family on Friday night and had a lovely time. We went to dinner with the entire fam and stayed up late visiting. Then we got up early on Saturday and tailgated all.day.long. It was a blast seeing all of my besties and cheering on the hogs. Our favorite time of year is officially here.

We woke up Sunday and went to Hot Springs to go on the lake with all of our buddies. We finally got everyone all ready and out on the boat just in time for the battery to die.. the poor boys had to swim the boat back to the house. It was hilarious!! We ate a wonderful meal that Anna's Aunt Suzy made and drank wine with Anna's family and our friends. We always stay at Anna's fabulous lake house when we are there, but this time they had a lot of family and friends in town. So Anna's mom got us a hotel room at a hotel nearby.... We arrived there (Anna, Drew, Brita, Cam, Jared and I) and we were all in one room. We will just say it may have been the funniest night of my life. I love all of them so much. One of my favorite quotes is "if you have one true friend, you have more than your share" and I feel so blessed because I know that I have way more than my share.

Tomorrow I fly to LA for the next 12 days... I am really excited and sad at the same time. I will be home sick and miss Jared terribly :( Hopefully I will be home before I know it. It will help that Jess and mom will be there for the weekend!!!! Cant wait for that.

Off to pack.eat.sleep.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend!!

slg

last day of august... really??

2009-08-31T21:45:00.005-05:00

Worst quality ever.... I copied off Facebook :)
Auntie swining a happy baby Charlie

HOW IN THE WORLD IS SUMMER coming to an and??? I feel like it was just the beginning and somehow tomorrow is the first of September.

I cant complain.. September is my favorite month of the year. for many reasons. First and foremost, its the month that Jared and I got married. The weather outside reminds me of our wedding. Other than our anniversary, I love September because its the time of year when football begins and the start of Fall, my absolute favorite season.

I have been terrible about taking pictures lately.. seems that the only ones I snap are on my phone. I will get better. I have been doing "home study" for the last few weeks. For those of you that don't know, this is where I study up on my drug, learn about the company, take tests, etc etc. I have been sitting in my office all day, everyday in my pjs or gym clothes and it has made me thankful for the everyday part of my job when I interact with all kinds of people. In my office, I get lonely and find myself not washing my hair as frequently as normal :) I am looking forward to going back to LA in a week because I get to visit the home office and the campus. I have heard it is really an outstanding place. Also, Jess and mom are flying out there for the weekend to spend a couple days with me. The three of us in LA for the weekend... will definitely be fun! I cant wait!

Off to bed! I hope that everyone is having a great week!!!

slg

Lazy Days of Summer

2009-08-23T21:03:00.004-05:00

The title of this post explains why I haven't been updating lately... Other than giving my all to my new job.. I have been lazy!

I did want to brag on my fabulous husband for a sec... he (and his team) received an award today at Bud Walton called the "John A. White Award" for the work they did with Tears For Life. They showed a video on them and then presented the award in front of all the upcoming freshman. I was so proud of that boy!! Good job Jared... you continue to amaze me. Here is the video:

Here are a couple pics from our cookout this evening. We had a wonderful time with family and friends! I will post more pics when I upload the ones off my camera :)

Have a fabulous week!!!!

slg

Birthday, Time Off and DRJ Tennis Tournament

2009-08-09T18:43:00.006-05:00

Happy 29th Jess. I love you!At Jess' Bday Dinner me, Steph, Anna, Heather and Effie at Shots

Just two girls sittin at a bar :)

SOOOOOO hot on the tennis court.

Steph, Drew and Jared watching our match

Molly, me, Abby, Amanda, Anna and DF

before they beat our butts :)

peace? At Grubs...Effie and I

Jared and I at Wasabi

Happy late bday to my fabulous sister, Jess. Her 29th was August 2 and we celebrated with a lovely dinner at Pesto, then went for drinks afterwards at Theos and LIT. It was a great night. Happy bday Jess, I love you!

This past week I have been off work I guess you call it... I dont start my new job until next Monday. Anyway, I had a fabulous week and got a lot done around here. My biggest accomplishment was painting the laundry room. I will post pics sometime so you can see the pretty color. I think it turned out great! Other than that, I worked out everyday, ran a zillion errands, hung out with hubby and that's about it. The week fleeeeew by as I am sure this next one will too.

This past weekend we played in the DRJII tennis tourney! It was so much fun and soooooo hot! Molly and I played our little hearts out but lost to Amanda and Abby 6-4/6-2. We still had a blast! It was at least 888 degrees and we had been out a tad too late the night before.. an interesting combo on the tennis court. :) I hope to not do that again anytime in the near future!Our pro, Zach, came to watch and afterwards he just said "How late did you two stay out last night?" Ha!! Anna, Effie and Drew came up to play and we had so much fun with them. Anna was able to pick out BM dresses on Friday at She Said Yes and they are gorgeous. As the matron of honor :), I am wearing yellow with the other MOHs and the other 9 are wearing green. Such pretty colors! I also got my dress for Steph's wedding while we were there. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! It is long, black, and one shoulder. Gorgeous, right? Such an exciting time!

I am truly exhausted and have 66 loads of laundry to do, so I better get started. I am off work all this week too! YAY!

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Boyfriend Jeans

2009-08-01T17:00:00.002-05:00

How to Wear Boyfriend Jeans
Boyfriend jeans are meant to be rolled up at the bottom so that the cuff sits just above the ankle.

Because this style is meant to sit low on the hips, it works on both curvy and straight bodies. If you are petite or have a short waist, even out proportions by cuffing jeans with a smaller roll.

Consider what you are going to pair with your boyfriend jeans. In order to maintain a look that is both casual and feminine, it’s best to stick with slim-fitting tops and girly footwear.

If you choose to pair your boyfriend jeans with masculine pieces such as a button-down cotton flannel, be sure to show off your feminine features by cinching your waist with a belt, slipping into a bold pair of shoes, and accessorizing with chunky bracelets.

On cooler days try pairing your cuffed boyfriend jeans with a pair of patterned socks or stockings.

If you do decide to wear a pair of men’s jeans, make sure they fit! Find a pair that fit you through the waist and hips, and do opt for a straight leg. Men’s bootcut and flared denim don’t work quite as well for this cuffed denim trend. But there’s no need to cross-dress or borrow your honey’s denim.

I got fabulous bf jeans today and I found this article and thought I would share with all of you. I like this trend!

Happy Weekend!

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Times... they are a changin

2009-07-31T09:16:00.004-05:00

jared after his last MBA class ever!
my best friend, anna and i in little rock

dr deacon :) and i

me, brita, megan at the white party we went to on saturday

lauren, anna, me and brita

my besties!

Its been a while since my last post. I have been cheating on blogger with Facebook, my new obsession. But, I commit to giving equal attention to both from now on :)

Since I was here last, Jared finished his MBA, I went to Little Rock to help Anna find her wedding dress, I have played a lot of tennis, worked out almost everyday!!!, shopped entirely too much, resigned from my job with Novartis, and accepted a new position with Amgen. It.has.been.busy.exciting.stressful.fun.

When I went to Little Rock to see my girlfriends and pick out Anna's dress, we had the funniest weekend ever. We laugh until we cry, have way too much fun and stay up way to late when we are together. I love those girls with my whole heart!

After careful consideration, I decided that I was ready for a change with my career and took a position with Amgen. It was a very big decision that Jared and I made and I couldn't be happier. I look forward to what the future holds.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer!!

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sandestin and 4th of july 2009

2009-07-11T11:37:00.009-05:00

view from the condo

mimi and charlie waving to the airplane

mark, jess and charlie... charlie wasnt looking but its
still a good family pic

hubby and i

night on the 4th

"mr sandman"

uncle jar was borrowing charlies baby pool

jared and i at a lovely dinner..

please excuse my hair. it gets BIG in florida!

snack time
mommy

daddy and i.. not sure why his towel is like that!

under the umbrellas

uncle playing bartender

Every year mom and dad treat us to a vacation in Sandestin over the 4th of July. I have been there every fourth of July that I have been alive... so 26 times I guess. We always have an amazing time. We eat too much, drink too much and sleep too much. This year I also got way too much sun! Evidently my new Bare Minerals sunscreen brush isn't all is is cracked up to be. My face burned so bad one day after I applied sunscreen 444 times. Now I am peeling. Fabulous.

We were beach bums the whole week and only got "dressed" for dinner one time! Jared, Mark, Jess and I went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant that overlooked a marina. It was wonderful. I had a grouper dish with a crab cake on top and mashed potatoes below. Delicious. Other than that, we cooked and got a lot of takeout. When we were younger, we would go out to eat every night but now we stay at the beach too late and don't want to wait for hours on end.. plus Charlie has a strict bedtime :)

All in all, I gained 6 pounds in a week, got a great tan and had a lovely time with my wonderful hubby and family!!!

Jared just called me to tell me that he is officially done with his masters. We had to come home yesterday so he could attend his last class.. the rest of the fam is driving now. I am so proud of him and relieved that it's over! I am going to take him to dinner somewhere fabulous tonight to celebrate! (why not make it seven pounds this week? :)

But first, I will go workout and buy paint for our laundry room.. my next project.

I hope everyone had a great 4th!!!

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Mary and Clark

2009-06-28T19:43:00.005-05:00

Jared and I at the wedding
Daddy and Jared

The Beautiful Bride and I

Mommy and I

Stephen Thetford (the photographer who was also our photographer)

Jared and Mommy

Fabulous!

Mommy and Daddy

Inside the tent

My favorite two men and I

Last night we went to Mary and Clark's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful from start to finish. I loved all of the flowers, tents, food, color and details. We had a great time with my parents and old friends.

Mary and I met in 7th grade and I have known Clark since second grade. They are both wonderful people and so good for each other. We wish them all the best!!

Congrats Mary and Clark!

I hope that everyone had a great weekend. It was the best I have had in a while... so relaxing!! It wont be long until we head to the beach! YAY!!

Have a great week!

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Here it is!

2009-06-22T21:33:00.011-05:00

My sister in law, Bethany and I
Jared and Bethany

Setting up the dock for Drew to propose

Brita and I with the final product!

Gorgeous!!!

Steph, Spears, Amanda, me, Brita and Megan

Cam and Jared

The happy couple!!!!! I love those two!

Anna's beautiful ring!

Congrats!

The "blindfold" that Drew made Anna wear before he proposed!!!

Heeelarious!

Cheers!

The Girls

Me with the beautiful bride to be!

Effie, Anna, Steph, me and Spears

Drew, Anna and John (her future brother in law)

The whole new clan... including Hank and Tash!

Lots of boys

Meg, me and Anna on the boat

Brita and I waiting on the others :)

Brita, Effie and Amanda on the boat. So Fun!!!

Besties!

Mark and Jess on their anniversary. Happy 6th anniversary!!!

Pops opening his gifts!

What I did all day Sunday

Charlie and his Dada. Charlie's favorite toy.... the hose!

Charlie watching his dad open gifts. So cute!

"Charlie, give the Razorback a hug and kisses"

Mark and Charlie on Father's Day

After helping Drew with his proposal plan and picking out a ring for about the last three months... it actually happened on Friday, he proposed!! Congrats Anna and Drew. We are so excited for you guys!!!!

Here are all the pics from the last week! What a great couple weeks it has been!!! I am so excited for Anna and Drew!! I cannot wait for April 10th (wedding day and Charlie's 2nd bday!!!). I look forward to all of the excitement in the next year. What a FUN year it will be.

Enjoy the pics!

I hope that everyone has a fabulous week!!!!!

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Happy Daddy's Day Daddy!

2009-06-21T22:21:00.003-05:00

Picture from a notorious night :) We stayed

in trouble for this night for a loooong time!

Football!

At my Wedding

Today
*

I have a TON of exciting things to post about... (n0, I am not pregnant) :). But I am too tired to post everything tonight. In a nutshell... my friend Courtney got engaged, we went to Little Rock for a reception last weekend, we saw Jared's family, we celebrated Father's Day and MY BEST FRIEND ANNA GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!! I will post about all of it tomorrow with the 9 million pictures that I took.

But for tonight, I want to tell my Daddy HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I love you with all of my heart and I thank God for you and mom everyday. You have always been the best father that a girl could ask for. I am so very thankful to have you as my Daddy. You have taught me so much over the last 26 years and you mean the world to me!

I love you!!

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Summer is here!!!

2009-06-07T11:19:00.005-05:00

Daddy, Mark, Jess, Charlie, Jared and I

Slip n Slide!

Poolside with my favorite little man

At Bordino's new patio

Summer is finally here! Thank goodness!! Here are a few pics from our first weekend at the pool. We were a little behind schedule due to all the craziness at the Greer household over the last few weeks/months. I am happy to say that Jared has two more classes and he is DONE with school. This makes me smile. We look forward to a year of just hanging out and traveling. HE told me yesterday that he might as well continue and get his PhD. That isn't even funny. Luckily he was kidding :)

We are heading to the pool for a lovely summer day. I will post more later... I need to soak up some rays while they are available!

Enjoy the beautiful day!

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Viva Las Vegas!

2009-05-30T23:29:00.008-05:00

Fun in the SUN!!! (I've been playing in Photoshop)

catching some rays at the pool

View from our room... Check out the mountains in the background.

Loved this pool!

At our favorite Brew Pub... for the second time that day :)

Cute Brothers!

Corie and I and a large beverage

Michael Jackson, me and Elvis on the strip

me and my sweetie

A lion laying on glass above me at MGM

View from the other side

Dinner at a fabulous Mexican Restaurant at The Palazzo

Below are pics from our first trip to Vegas together...

four years ago. I think we look like such babies in these pics!!?

Jared and I spent the last few days in Vegas. He had to fly there on Tuesday for his FINAL competition (they won first place!!!), so I flew there on Wednesday to meet him and vacation for a few days. We had an amazing time!! We stayed at Red Rock Resort (the pics above), which is about 30 minutes from the strip, the first night and then went to the strip for the next two. I loved Red Rock! It is nestled up against the beautiful mountains and is equipped with all the fun of the strip but minus the crowds, "Vegas smell" and noise. We went to the strip on Thursday and I sat at the blackjack table for at least 12 hours. No Joke. We will just say that I was unlucky and it didn't turn out in my favor. Darn! :) Jared was also unlucky at the poker table. Which is not the norm. This week is the World Series of Poker, so I think he was up against some tough competition. Well, maybe that was just his excuse :)

In addition to gambling too much, we walked the entire strip, had lovely food and drinks and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Here are a few pics from the trip.. I didn't take that many because I didn't take my good camera.

After being gone from home 9 out of the last 13 nights... I am THANKFUL to be home with Jared and Louie! I have never been more excited to take a shower in my our bathroom in my life!

I hope that everyone is having a great weekend!!!

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Wedding Weekend and 100th Post!

2009-05-25T09:39:00.010-05:00

My Hubby and I

Me and my Crawfish... Or as the Cajuns say "Mudbugs"
I ate all of this!!! It was the best crawfish I have ever had!

The BEAUTIFUL Catholic Church that they were married in

Simply Gorgeous

Bridesmaids, Bride and Flower Girls

The adorable Ring Bearer that I couldn't get enough of!

My handsome Husband. Doesn't this look like an

ad for suits?

Such a pretty bride

The Reception

The groom's cake... it was unbelievable! It even had

LCD lights that said "Go Jayhawks.. Congrats Chris and Ragan"

Jared was so jealous of this cake :)
*

This weekend we went to Lafayette, LA for our friends, Chris and Ragan's Wedding. They have been engaged for almost two years! Jared and Chris met at Pfizer training and have remained friends for years. Jared was an usher in their wedding. I started to feel better by Saturday and was able to enjoy myself. We had really been looking forward to this weekend and I was so sad that I got sick last week... but fortunately I felt better by wedding time. The Welcome/Rehearsal dinner was a huge crawfish boil and Cajun fest. It was some of the best food I've ever had! We stuffed ourselves and enjoyed good music and meeting new people. The wedding was a full Mass and was absolutely gorgeous. We had an amazing time. The reception was at a museum (which I thought was so different and cool) and they had lots of food, drinks, and fabulous details. They really spent a lot of time planning the wedding and it was obvious. In the museum, they had put up black and white pictures of all of their parents, grand parents and great grandparents. It looked like they were part of the museum. Such a neat idea.

Congrats Chris and Ragan! We hope that you have a wonderful honeymoon!

On another note, this post is my 100th post!! It has almost been a year since I started this blog and I have thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope that you all have enjoyed keeping up with Jared and I and our family and friends through this blog over the last year. I can only hope that we are just as happy and healthy for the next 100 posts as we have been for the last.

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

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