It All Started with a Blind Date....

It all started with a blind date in January of 2005!!  Kent was working for MNBB, a banker's bank, in Madison.  He called on Farmer's & Merchants in Baldwyn and ALL the ladies, especially Teresa, just thought we should meet! Kent was dating someone for a while, but believe me, I heard about him EVERY time he was in town OR even COMING to town. 

One day in December, I had come home from Mississippi State for the holiday vacation.  I won't ever forget the day, because Michelle brought a bank envelope to my mom, at home.  I'm sure you have seen one of these envelopes before.  They are probably 9 inches by 11 inches in size, the color of the worst orange you can think of, and consist of an excel looking sheet filled with signatures of ones that pass IMPORTANT information from one to another!  What was this very important document that Mama needed at home and on the weekend?  Well, Michelle didn't hand it to Mama.  She handed it to me.  Why me?  I have no business holding such an official envelope!  I don't want to get into trouble.  What if this envelope holds deeds to the capital?  What if this is, more likely, loan papers for someone?  I don't have the clearance to look through papers of this importance.  I looked in the envelope though!

You know what it was?

An 8x10...you heard me...8x10 of Kent Mortimer.

I could tell by the photo that he was standing with someone in the original photo shoot.  I also knew that the picture was taken in front of the FMB Christmas tree.  (It's the same tree they have had since I was little, probably with the same decorations.)  First reaction, pity.  I pitied this poor boy.  SURELY, he had NO idea that he was being cropped out of photos and being blown up to 8x10 photographs!

Second reaction, Kent, that I had heard about for probably a year, was stinkin' cute!

Merry Christmas to me!

I figured it would go NO further than this 8x10.

I mean this was silly.  Things like this don't come to fruition in real life.

Well, the holiday went on.  Our family moved into our new house that Christmas Eve..with the addition of 2 new dogs!

I mention the dogs because, unknown to me, KENT got pictures emailed to him of me with Tip, our new pomeranian.

How embarressing!

Pictures sent to him via email! AAaaaahhh!!!

Kent called my house after Christmas. 

I made fun of him for the picture.

He later told me he wasn't expecting me to make fun of him when I didn't even know him.

We had our first BLIND DATE January 4th, 2005.

It went well.

I thought.

But, the little stinker didn't call me for 2 weeks.

I think it was Guy Code...you know...let 'em sweat a bit.

Actually, he says, "I was just busy."

uh..huh

But, here we are 3 years later.  Kent has blessed my life in many ways.

I am now a part of his family and he is a part of mine.

Seamless.

We now have our own Growing family.

And can't wait to see what the years ahead hold!

Here is a few pictures of us together.

 This was taken the day before our wedding day!

 Honeymoon picture. 

 Our first Christmas card picture with Gus!

We were expecting Hughes at Bronwyn and Erik's wedding!

We had no idea though! 

The next week we found out!

I USUALLY take very goofy pictures.  Photogenic is not an adjective that is associated with my name!

This was the weekend I moved to Jackson!

Apartment living.  Kent helped hang curtains.  We were JUST deciding we liked each other...

6 months AFTER the first date.

We took it slow.

Kent showing public affection...

...not here Kent...

 We are awaiting the arrival of our firstborn!

 Hughes finally arrived!  And is the PERFECT addition to our family!

...now we just await the arrival of our 2nd addition.  We are so excited.

We have had the best 3 years of our life thus far!

Can't wait to see what the next 3 hold for us!

Friends

 Hughes and I had lunch with Jaime and Smith last week!

 Hughes looks super excited to see a friend at lunch.

Smith, on the other hand, doesn't seem quite sure about this curious little boy for the moment.

But the boys warmed up and enjoyed each other's company. 

Jaime and I, however, started MANY conversations.  But, we're not sure we finished any of them.

These two boys seemed to take LOTS of attention. 

Okay, let's be honest, Smith was SUPER easy.

Hughes was standing up in his high chair MOST of the lunch date!

...Or, turned around telling the older couple behind us..

"Hey! Hey!", with a big, fat, toothy, grin on his face! 

He said this over and over, to the top of his lungs,  until they stopped, their ONCE enjoyable meal together,

and waved and said, "Hey!" back to Hughes!

 Sweet Jack, Kate and Joesph came to celebrate Thanksgiving with us this weekend!

Kevin and Kent worked fearlessly on frying the Gobblers!

Poor birds.  If I think about ANY kind of meat for more than 30 seconds, I turn into a vegetarian.  Therefore, we will move on.  I'm pretty grossed out right now. 

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Moving on.....

The children played outside in the cool night air!

Daddy and Hughes getting ready to walk out the door to go to church!

Hughes is enjoying a little breakfast and learning to say

"CHEESE!"

Until next time...

B



A Little Bit of This...

A Little Bit of This....

Today we had our chimney sweeped!  Yes, that's right!  There are real live Chimney Sweepers out there!

The picture below is the chimney sweepers we had! 

I turned the flash off and snuck a picture!  I don't know why but I have been very intrigued to know that this profession exist!

....This profession doesn't only exist in Mary Poppins! 

I think, shallowly (is that a word...no), that this would be the experience we would have this morning!  At least twenty men dancing on our rooftop, swinging Hughes and I around sturdy broom sticks, clapping to the beat of "Step in Time." 

Needless to say, there was no music, just the sound of the LARGEST Vac Vac that you've ever seen and me bringing them the last of our garbage bags!

But, we can now enjoy the rolling fire during our frigid, frightful, freezing, ferocious Fall and Winter months!

(Sarcasm:  It's a pitfall of mine!)

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A Little Bit of That...

Ma'Lyn just made these pants for Hughes to wear during the Christmas season! 

Are they not adorable?

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Hughes walked around all morning in wonder and amazement!

The boy LOVES a vac vac and since we had the pleasure opportunity to have

the LARGEST Vac Vac known to man in our den today, he was pretty stoked!

Hughes WOULD NOT go down for a nap.

And I couldn't deny him the enjoyment of the Vac Vac monstrosity.

So, no morning nap for Hughes.

Or, lunch for that matter. 

Because we ran to the store.

He fell asleep on the way home.

And refused to wake up for food.

Too much entertainment for one morning, I guess!

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 I love shoes.

(I warned you this was "A little bit of this and A little bit of that :)

I love shoes.

Shoes was my first word.

Don't believe me?

Ask my Mama!

When I was little, I would lay under the pew during the sermon, and stare with wonder and amazement at the women's shoes.  The colorful ones were my favorite.

It must be said that Mrs. Daisy ALWAYS had the most appealing and entertaining shoes!

I used to dream of playing in her shoe closet.  Then walk on the kitchen floor to hear the most beautiful sound in the world.

The sound of confidence.

The sound of independence.

The sound of beauty.

The sound of a woman.

Click click.. click click ..click click

p.s. The skinner the heel the better the click.

Told you I loved shoes.

Maybe I need therapy.

This may not be normal.

 I love shoes.

I either love them.

Or hate them.

And I know it when I see it.

And the following shoes...

Well, I love them.

Actually, it is a love/hate relationship.

Why hate?

Because, I will never own a pair.

But, we can always dream!

Now, the below boots are more my speed.  I'm pretty sure, even if I had a closet full of the Christian Louboutin shoes above, there would not be ONE place to wear them.

But these brown boots...they would fit right in my wardrobe.

Oh, luscious black booties, I'm sure we could squeeze you into the wardrobe, too!

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And lastly, I am in the process of making Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls.

We are at the part in the process where we are waiting for the dough to rise.

It takes an hour.

PW's recommendation was to go fold a load of towels or something.

Never have been one to like people to tell me what to do.

I rebel.

I blogged instead!

Liberating!

You are my sunshine...

 About an hour ago, Hughes started getting a bit fussy. 

Around this time of day, he is ready for his afternoon nap.

 All of these pictures were taken right before he crawled up in my lap on the sofa.  Just twisting his blanket around his chubby dimpled fingers.  This was a sweet moment for me.  Hughes isn't really into cuddling with Mommy these days.  Therefore, I take in EVERY chance I get to snuggle with him.  Sitting in silence.  Counting the many ways that he has blessed our life. 

 Then, an even sweeter moment happened.  I said, "Hughes, you ready to go nite nite?"  He jumped down out of my arms, boots and all, grabbed his binkie with nuk tucked tight lipped and started running.  I knew where he was going...to his room.  This part is normal.  When he gets tired he will just run back there and stand in the middle of the room waiting on me.  However, today was different.  I went to his room to put him in his bed and he was sitting in the rocker.  "You want me to rock?" He shook his head with determination, like......uh...yeah....what do you think?   So we crawled in the chair.  Hughes lay/laid/lain ??? (I never know which to use ? this I will learn...promise)  his head down on my chest.  Then, he popped his head up and started snapping his fingers.  Hughes has baby rhythm and whenever he hears music he tries to dance.  Now, when I say "snapping" his fingers, it is more like a twist of the wrist over and over...but hey, he tries.  So, I started to sing.  I sang You Are My Sunshine.  EVERY time...I kid you not....EVERY time that I have sang this song to Hughes since he has been born I cry...normally finishing the song with frogs in my throat and my heart on fire. 

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are grey

You'll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don't take

My sunshine away!

The tears start to surface around "You'll never know dear"...because isn't it true.  We don't understand how much our parents love us until WAY too late in life.

I think the next canvas I paint will be the text to this song for Hughes room!

P.S.  I think it is safe to say that the pregnancy hormones are back..

and better than ever.

I still have a frog in my throat now...

which isn't helping my sore throat, ears that feel like little plastic bathtub boats could float on the fluid waves and a cough that surfaces when I lay/lie down! 

But, the joys that happen throughout the day with Hughes make all those aches go away...

for the moment anyway.

Love to all,

B

October Fun

Just thought we would update you on some of our October pictures.

Hughes attended his first Trunk or Treat!  He loved playing in the

donuts at the Bobbin' for Donuts area!

...can anyone say germ city?  ...But the children loved it!

...P.S. Hughes didn't eat one!

Hughes stayed on the playground most of the time. 

Little Johnny Depp needed a car instead of the Black Pearl!

...filled with rocks...none the less!

Hughes and Daddy "working" outside! 

Hughes has his boots on ready for work!

This is one of the few pictures we have with his hat actually on his head.

He was sweating like crazy!

Because Halloween costumes are made for NORMAL "FALL" weather.

...........whatever that is?

Whatchu say?

Little Johnny found Spidey to help him rescue the cursed ship!

Sketti Anyone?

Happy November!

By the way...

excuse the template with Little Women..

...Just felt the need to be surrounded by praying women