wedded bliss wednesdays- gift giving

I found this sweet link up through one of my favorite blogs Catholic Newlywed.

I think it's safe to say I'll be joining in again next week!

What is the best gift to give your husband? 

I like to give Beau gifts I know he really want but never thinks he'll get. It's a gift to me to know I found something he will really appreciate.

What is a meaningful gift that you can give that does not cost money? 

Cooking him a special meal, baking his favorite treats, giving him a massage, or those cute little personalized coupons.

What is the best gift you have given to him? 

I bought him a big fancy grill on the first birthday we spent together. He was so surprised and he still talks about it being the best present he's ever gotten.

What is the best gift he has given to you? 

Taking me on an amazing camping trip.

What are you giving this holiday? 

Beau reads my blog, so I can't say!  It's gonna be good, baby! ;)

my baby has a cold...

Beau was in bed all weekend fighting this awful cold and now little O has it. The poor little darling can barely breath through his stuffed up nose. He's such a trooper though, still all smiles through the coughing, sneezing, and runny nose.

I'm praying my sweet love will get better quickly, but until then I'm going to enjoy the extra snuggles!

<3KEV

Fall baking

I found this yummy looking recipe on pinterest and decided I HAD to try it.
The mouth watering picture I repinned led me HERE, where a found a fantastical cooking blog that I will definitely be revisiting for more delicious ideas.

OHHH, BOY! THEY WERE GOOD!

These magical cookies use browned butter, which I had never baked with before but will absolutely be using again in the near future. They also contained Rolos and Heath Bars which happen to be two of my favorite candies. It doesn't get much better than that.

I dare you to try them and not love them!

<3KEV

Weekend Update

Once again we had a busy weekend

Friday
Friday was Beau's last day at Home Depot. His team got him a cake with a police car on it and everyone signed a card wishing him luck in his new career. It was very sweet. But, because he was sick, he came home by 9am.

Friday evening we did our traditional pizza and a movie night with my parents. We watched The Lucky One. It wasn't all that great. Nothing lives up to The Notebook.


Saturday
Saturday we were supposed to go to a 1st birthday party, but because of how sick Beau was we decided against it. I know I wouldn't be happy if some sick man came and got my baby sick!

That afternoon I did my first paid photo shoot! I took senior pictures for a family friend and her friend. They were so gorgeous, I hardly had to do a thing. (I'll post some of my favorites later this week)

Saturday evening we went to a Halloween party and to watch the Dawgs beat the Gators. GO DAWGS!

Lots of spooky goodies

I made a spider web taco dip

Our little pumpkin buns

Sunday
Sunday morning, Beau received the Rite of Welcoming the Candidates. He has chosen my dad to be his sponsor on his journey to becoming Catholic.

Sunday night Mary babysat for Owen while Beau and I went on a much needed date. It was so nice to have some quality time with my man!

 

<3KEV

How I met your father

How I met Your Father

1. Tell us about how and when you met your love and what attracted you most to him.

I think about this, a lot. Many of my dearest memories are from when Beau and I first met each other.  I was working at Zaxby's and met a girl named Leslie and the two of us became friends. Well one Friday evening this guy came in. I noticed him as soon as he walked into the restaurant  He was tall, dark, and handsome and had a confidence about him that was just so darn sexy! I took his order and then he asked if Leslie was working. This bummed me out because I figured that must mean he was interested in her. (I found out later that he would come "visit Leslie at work" just to see me ;))

... anyway one day soon after that I went over to Leslie's house to sunbathe before giving her a ride to work. While I was there her friend, Beau, called and told her he needed to stop by to pick up something he had left there. (I found out later this was another excuse to see me!) SO we officially met on that sunny Saturday when he almost ran me over with his sexy red Jeep.

Later that evening, driving Leslie to work, Beau texted her saying that he thought I was cute and we should all go off-roading after work. I was beyond excited. He was this super good looking guy and he thought I was cute! That evening we went off-roading, we had an immediate connection , he kissed me, and the rest is history.

From that evening on we were inseparable. 

2. Show us the very first {or one of the first} pictures you guys ever took together. {Feel free to show us more than one}

This was on my birthday, 2 months after we met.

3. Tell us some of your favorite memories that you two had together.

There are so many! Especially from the first summer we spent together. 

I remember spending days at the lake, cooking-out and swimming. Going off-roading in his Jeep. Finding quiet spots to just sit and talk and... ;) He took me to my first concert to see Keith Urban. It was amazing, and after that I was hooked! We went to 4 more concerts in the next 6 months. 

My favorite concert memory was the Luke Bryan Farm Tour. We had so much fun singing and dancing. I don't think we'd ever been so attracted to each other. Then we spent the night in a hotel nearby, woke up early the next morning, and drove up to the mountains to camp for the weekend.

Oh, camping. I have such fond memories of our camping trips together. Especially our first camping trip on my 20th birthday. We hiked at beautiful Panther Creek and set up camp where we could hear the rushing water while we slept.

4. Tell us your favorite qualities about this man, what makes him "the one."
 
He is a hard worker- he can't go 24hrs without doing some kind of work because otherwise he "feels useless." 
He is confident and true to himself- Beau is Beau no matter where he is or who he's with. 
He is faithful and respectful of women- I thank God constantly for this, especially when I hear the way other men look at and talk about women. 
He has faith- my parents always told me to look for someone who brings you closer to God. I found that in Beau.
He is an amazing husband and father- he will do anything to protect his family.
He is just like my dad- I always said I wanted to marry a man just like my dad, and I did. Sometimes it's freaky how alike they are.

5. Tell us what your "date nights" typically look like.

Usually out to dinner and to do something fun. 

Our favorite date is going to the shooting range and then out for drinks and dinner. I think it's a turn-on for both of us to see the other shooting a gun, not to mention MAJOR stress relief!

<3KEV

A giveaway for a good cause

Lauren at the little things we do is doing an awesome giveaway for a $25 Barns and Noble gift card.

The library is great but nothing beats the clean look, fresh smell, and crisp pages of a brand new book.



Just head over here to get started.

3 months

I can't believe Owen is 3 months old already!

He now weighs about 15lbs and is about 24in long. He's wearing 6mo. clothes and size 3 diapers.

Our big boy still loves to eat, but this month we've tried to make his days more scheduled by nursing semi-on-demand. He's done OK with it, still trying to figure out why he can't just nurse every time he's cranky.

This month we started sleep training and it went really well. After just one night of torturous, sitting outside his door crying myself, crying he has started sleeping sometimes 12HRS at night.

Every night we do our bedtime routine. Mommy and Daddy give O a bath around 6:30. O loves his bath! After that O gets a fresh diaper and massaged with lotion by mommy. Then Daddy gives O his vitamins and PJ's and Mommy nurses him for 30min. After nursing, Daddy reads a book while Mommy rocks O. When the book is finished, we turn off the lights and say prayers, sing songs, and finally lay down to sleep.

We lay O down while he's still awake and he normally fusses for about 10-15min, but then he's out for at least 8hrs.

Most nights he wakes around 3am for a night feed. He probably doesn't need this feed anymore, but I'm not ready to give up the cuddles.

O loves to lay on his back. On the changing table, on his play mat, on a blanket, he'll smile and giggle and coo. On a good day, he'll have a full blown conversation with you.

He's not such a fan of tummy time, though. It normally only lasts between 1-5 min, but he's so strong! He can lift his chest off the ground with his arms.

O also loves standing! If you're sitting down and holding him he only wants to be standing in your lap. He has recently become a huge fan of his jump-a-roo. He hasn't started jumping yet, but he loves just standing there checking out all the toys.

As of yesterday, we can now see a tiny tooth underneath his gums! I KNEW he was teething cause of all the drooling he's been doing lately.

I love this little man so incredibly much!

<3 Mommy

Fill in the Blank Friday- Senses

1.  My favorite feeling in all the world is  Cuddling with Beau. My head fits perfectly in the crook of his shoulder. The warmth and just being so close to the person I love most in the world, there's no better feeling .

2.  My favorite smell is    as weird as it my sound, Owen's breath. It is so sweet and delicious smelling. I assume all baby's breath smells this way. I bet that's where the floral baby's breath got it's name! 

3.  My favorite taste is  salty and sweet combined. Chocolate covered peanuts are my weakness.

4. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen was    Owen, as I watched him being born. I loved having the mirror there so I could watch that miracle take place. And honest to God, even covered in blood and all that other gross stuff, I had never seen anything so beautiful as when I first saw his face.

5. The best sound ever is     O's sweet voice. I love talking to him and listening to him talk back to me. He gets so serious sometimes, like he's really trying to tell me something important. I could do that, listen to him talk, all day.

6. A smell that reminds me of my childhood is   the smell of honeysuckles. The brush behind my house growing up was full of them. Whenever I smell them, it brings back so many memories of running around that yard.

7.  My favorite of all the senses is  sight. When I think about not having each of the senses, I would never want to lose the ability to view all of the beautiful sights God has created for us.

Link up here

Happy 24th Anniversary! 10-23-12

 To my amazing parents!

You are better parents than a girl could have wished for and I am so blessed that God gave you to me. I only hope that I can be the parent to my children that you were to me.

Thank you for raising me in the faith and more than that, for always living the faith.

Thank you for pushing me to do my best in school and work growing up.

Thank you for giving me so many siblings that made, and continue to make my life more full.

Thank you for giving me the perfect example of a marriage and how to love your spouse unconditionally.

Thank you for teaching me the importance of honesty, even if telling the truth is hard.

Thank you for showing me how to manage money well and always live within my means.

Thank you for always supporting me and my decisions, even when they might not be the decisions you would have made.

Thank you for teaching me generosity. 

Thank you for loving and supporting Beau as though he's your 6th son.

Thank you for being the most wonderfully loving grandparents to Owen. Every child deserves grandparents like you!

I Love Like A Raven

By: Luke O'Donovan

Raven's colors of purple and black

In darkness there is no lack

Yet she mates but once and never falters

Unlike many humans who disgrace the altars

And yet he still woos his mate

Unlike some men who grow bored of what was once called fate

Yes very few men get to love like me

For I fell in love with thee

Inspired by the love of Liz and Donal O'Donovan, my parents

Locks of Love

Since Owen's birth my loooooooooong hair has started to get in the way. For the past 3 months it has almost always been up in a bun to prevent it from being covered in spit-up or pulled by tiny hands that are surprisingly strong! So I decided it was time for a new 'do. After a lot of thought, and measuring, and chickening out, and thinking again, I decided to donate 10 inches of my hair to Locks of Love. I was really nervous, but not as nervous as Beau (he loves my long hair) but I got through it with the encouragement of my fabulous hair dresser, Jamie.

LOVE MY NEW HAIR!
I love it even more after washing it and drying it naturally, so it's my natural, wavy texture.

P.S.- Beau loves it, too!

Owen's Baptism

Sunday was an momentous day for our sweet O. He was freed from original sin and welcomed into the Catholic Church through baptism. I feel so honored that God has entrusted Beau and I with the duty of raising Owen to know, love and serve Him in this world, so that he may be happy with Him forever in the next. 

My cousin Kelly and brother Michael are his God parents.

Owen's two Great Nanas traveled here just to witness this special day.

O was so blessed to have all the people who love and care about him there on this holy day!

My Style

1. Tell us your favorite stores to shop at.
For me- Target, T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, Forever 21
For Owen- Kid-to-Kid

2. What are your "signature pieces" to wear.. your go-to outfits?
Cute jeans and a boyfriend T, leggings, sheer tops

3. Show us your style through pictures {of you or pinterest finds}.

 4. Show us your favorite celebrity style icons.

5. If you had to spend money on clothes or home items, which would you choose?
This is a hard one! I think, right now, I'd choose clothes. Only because I'm at a weird weight right now, since I haven't lost all the pregnancy weight yet, so none of my clothes fit me just right.

6. Show us your favorite accessories.

7. Tell us in one sentence your philosophy behind shopping. {What makes you buy an item}

Don't buy anything that isn't on sale.

<3KEV

We deserve preferential treatment, not because of who we are, but because of whose we are.

Fill in the blank Friday :)

I've been running around like a headless chicken trying to get ready for the baptism this Sunday. I'm so ready for it to be here, so I can just enjoy it. It is going to be so wonderful to welcome our child in to our faith!

WE ARE BLESSED!

Link up HERE

1.  One thing I plan on doing to relax this weekend is   getting my nails done on Saturday! My amazing husband has been practically begging me to for the past month (he is so awesome) and with Owen's baptism being this Sunday, I figured now would be the perfect time .

2.  A big pet peeve of mine is      condescending people. When people speak to others as though they're idiots or just not quite as knowledgeable as them, oh it makes me so mad! No one deserves to be talked to that way.

3.  I am really loving  watching Owen grow. Every day he gets brighter and more chatty. Seeing him develop into his own is so absolutely amazing to me.

4. The rain is    peaceful. As long as I'm inside looking out at it. I hate going out in the rain.

5. My favorite girly indulgence is   pretty dresses in floral print and lace.

6. A song I always get stuck in my head is   "You Are My Sunshine." I sing it about 20 times a day to my sweet O.

7.  The best cure for stress is  the shooting range! Beau and I went last week when we were under a lot of stress, and it was AWESOME. I never thought I'd enjoy shooting a gun so much. I still never want to own one though, way too dangerous.

Letting it all out

The past three days, I have had a tight knot in the pit of my stomach. Beau and I have been disputing with his parents since Owen was born and we met with them yesterday, hoping to figure it all out before O's baptism this Sunday. However, the meeting went terribly, and we had to make the difficult decision cut off all ties with them.

It kills me. And even more so, it KILLS Beau.

This is the first difficult decision we have had to make for the well being of our family and it was hard.

This entire situation has caused a lot of stress on both of us, especially since we are newlyweds and new parents (which are both stressful things in themselves.) I worried that all of this fighting would cause us to fight with each other and tear down our relationship, but it has only made us a stronger couple and I feel more trust in Beau now than I ever did. My love for Beau has grown deeper with every confrontation we had with his parents. It means so much to me to know that he will always defend me.

I love Beau with every ounce of my being. I know it sounds mushy and cheesy, but it's true. He is the perfect man for me and I feel beyond blessed to have him as my partner on this long, hard, journey we call life.

<3KEV

A fun fall weekend

This weekend was jam-packed with fun. I think poor little O was worn out by Sunday night ( I know Mommy was!)

Friday

We spent a little time outside in the gorgeous weather before heading down the road to my cousin, Seth's, 12th birthday party. Happy Birthday Seth! 

It was a great night. Full of laughter and lots of stories and memories of my family's time spent in Ireland. I hope I can take Beau on a trip to the 'Old Country' someday to show him all the places I've told him stories about.

Saturday

My fabulous husband let me sleep in and spent the morning cleaning the apartment, all while keeping O happy. He really is perfect!

After O took a long nap, we spent the afternoon cheering Mary on at her soccer game. 

O Baby had the best seat in the house ;)

He loves his daddy!
I am so happy I finally caught this on camera.

Mary scored her first goal of the season and her team won the game! Go, Mary, Go!

Saturday night we went to an Oktoberfest party some friends of ours threw. There were lots of other babies and yummy food. But since the party started at 6:30 (when O's bedtime routine normally begins) we didn't get to stay very long.

Sunday

We spent Sunday in the beautiful North Ga mountains! Aunt Mary was kind enough to join us for the fun. (Lucky O!)

We left early and stopped at a little mountain church for Mass.

Then we hit up the Ellijay Apple Festival, Hillcrest Orchards, and ended the day at Burt's Pumpkin Farm.

Mary - very happy that I'm making her pose for pictures ;)

Sucking on my finger is the only thing that will comfort O Baby.

It's amazing to me how quickly his emotions can change. He was so upset seconds before this.

She is such an amazing Aunt!

My Beau enjoying the yummiest apple fritter w/ homemade ice cream.

He was just about over it all.

Aunt Mary and O Baby at the pumpkin farm

O's first pumpkin photos. I will continue to torture him with these for at least the next 15 years. 

The best picture we got.

O was done

But we continued to try 

He was so not happy about being kissed

Notice the first family picture, I have sunglasses on. Expensive sunglasses. I took them off to take the rest of the pictures and.... left them in the middle of the pumpkin patch. Damn.

Poor little O was exhausted. So was Mommy!

The weekend was exhausting, but lots of fun! And to top it all off Owen slept for 12 hours straight Sunday night! I was one happy Momma!