A Little Help For My Friends!

Two of my really good friends, who are getting married in April, are finalists in a major wedding competition.

They could win $10,000 for their wedding & a trip to New York City if they get the most votes.

Imagine planning a wedding in THIS economy? GAH!

$10,000 would definitely go a looooooong way for them.

If you would, please go vote for Courtney & Pete by clicking on this link.

You can also click here to see Pete propose to Courtney...it got worldwide media attention!

Thanks guys! I'll be sure to let you all know if they win!!!

A Wedding Weekend.

Last weekend, Matt, his mom & I (and, my MIL's dog, Donut) traveled to Northwest Arkansas for Matt's cousin's wedding.

We left our house around 9:45am & got to Matt's sister's house around 12:3o or so. I love the drive to Fayetteville. It's soooooooo pretty.

Matt's sister just got a new dog...an 8 month old Beagle, named Harper. We were a little nervous about how Harper & Donut do (because Donut's not as young as he used to be & we were afraid Harper would try to jump on him or whatever she thought she needed to do to get him to play).

Thankfully, Harper was just about perfect! She would dart in front of him every once a while, as if to say "Hey! It's me. I'm still here...you know, in case you want to play!"

Friday afternoon, Matt & I had to go to the tux place to make sure Matt's tux fit (he was an usher) & then we went to the church for the rehearsal & then to the dinner afterwards.

When we got back to Wendy's house, the WHOLE family played Rock Band. Matt, his mom, Wendy, Jim, Suzanne, Madeline & I all took turns playing the drums, the guitar, even singing.

I don't think any of us went to bed before 11pm! But, it was a blast!

On Saturday, Matt & I met our friends Tom, Sydney & baby Stella at the Red Robin for lunch. Matt & I had never been to a Red Robin & we LOVED it! Bottomless fries? Oh yeah!!

After lunch, we checked into the hotel in Rogers. (We could have stayed at Wendy's house again...for free, but I LOVE hotels & I never can pass up an opportunity to stay in one. Plus, we got a discounted rate because that's the hotel everyone from the wedding was staying in).

We went to the Promenade...mainly to go to the University of Arkansas Razorback store. Matt wanted to get a new shirt & of course, I found a few things for me, too!

After that, it was time to get ready for the wedding.

We had to be at the church at 4pm for pictures! The wedding wasn't til 7pm, but there was a Mass at 5, so we had to take some pictures, then get out of the sanctuary until after 6pm.

The wedding was perfect! Jennifer looked beautiful & Richard was beaming! I always tear up at wedding's during the vow exchange because of the whole "in sickness & health" part. That line means everything to me because of the car accident & our 2 miscarriages. So, cue the tears!

After the wedding, it was time to PAR-TAY!!!

The reception was at the Pinnacle Hills Country Club. It was gorgeous! The dinner was FAB! And, we all had a great time out on the dance floor.

Our 8 year old niece wasn't too interested in dancing (and, actually, I'm not sure where Madeline, our 5 year old niece, got her energy to dance because both girls were exhausted after staying up so late the night before & with all the build up to the wedding), but Madeline danced & danced & danced. She wasn't too sure until I picked her up & danced with her first. After that, you couldn't bribe this girl off the dance floor. She had a blast. Big sister enjoyed watching!

We didn't leave the reception until 11pm or so! We got back to the hotel & CRASHED. Seriously. I don't even remember putting on my pj's or getting into bed!

Sunday morning, I got up at 10:15am to go downstairs for the free breakfast while Matt slept! After that, we checked out of the hotel & met Matt's mom, sister, BIL & our niece's for lunch at AQ Chicken. YUMMY! We had to go back to Wendy's house to get Donut before heading home!

It was a GREAT weekend. I am so thankful for such a wonderful family, who I love spending time with. We don't see Wendy, Jim & the girls as often as we'd all like, so times like these are so special! I'm also very thankful for such a wonderful mother in law. Not every DIL can say that!

We are sooooooo happy for Jennifer & Richard. We think they're great people & we feel so blessed that they found each other & are starting a life together.

You know I have pictures, right? Right. So, here you go!

Donut & Harper.

The rehearsal.

Me with the Red Robin at Red Robin.

Me, Syd & Stella after lunch on Saturday.

Wedding Day! Madeline & Addie were flower girls. Suzanne was asked to hand out bubbles after the ceremony.

Jennifer & Richard with the flower girls.

The wedding party.

Matt & his mom.

My sexy husband!

The flower girls & ring bearers.

The groom, groomsmen & ushers.

Matt & me.

Wendy & me. We were both readers.

Leaving the church in a sea of bubbles.

The dinner.

The first dance.

Dancing with her daddy!

Me & Madeline. This is when I carried her onto the dance floor.

This is after I carried her onto the dance floor! She wouldn't stop. She was a dancin' fool!

The bride & me!

Loss.

At 38 weeks pregnant, a friend of mine gave birth to a beautiful & perfect baby girl on June 25th.

What should have been a joyous occasion, was anything but.

That's because Baby M was stillborn.

My friend went to her regularly scheduled OB appointment on the 24th. I don't know all the specifics, but something prompted her doctor to do an ultrasound to check on the baby.

There was no heartbeat.

No movement.

Baby M was no longer with us.

My friend was sent straight to the hospital to be induced to deliver her sweet baby girl that she & her husband had prayed for so hard & for so long.

She wasn't dilated at all & her labor lasted more than 12 hours.

Baby M came into the world surrounded by so much love, prayers, sadness & grief.

My heart's hurting so much for my friend & her husband. They had her little room set up & a closet full of little clothes for her to wear.

There was never any reason for them to believe she'd never sleep in her crib or wear her clothes.

It's just not fair.

And, I'll never understand why things like this happen.

Today, my friend posted this article on stillbirths on her blog.

Please read it.

I did.

And, I learned that 1 in every 160 pregnancies ends in stillbirth. And, stillbirths are not frequently talked about between doctors & patients.

You can read why in the article.

I'm curious to know your opinions about this.

I know what it's like to experience loss. Not of the magnitude of what my friend is going through, but enough to know a little bit about what she's feeling right now.

As soon as you find out there's a baby growing inside you, you fall totally & completely in love with that baby. To lose the baby at any stage in pregnancy is devastating.

A Weekend with Family.

A week or so ago, my sister, niece & nephew drove to Tyler, Texas to visit my aunt, uncle & cousins for 4 days. I have TONS of pictures to share, so why not let them tell the story.



Thursday night, cousin Ty spent the night at my aunt's house, so he & Riley had a sleepover.



On Friday, we went to a splash park. It was awesome! We all had a great time.



Cousin Maggi checking it all out.



Cousin Maggi splashing her mommy...my cousin, Shelley.



Ty with the football ball & Riley with the princess ball.



We always go swimming at my aunt's neighbor's pool whenever we visit.

While we were swimming, Jackson said he kept seeing something peek out of the drain. We didn't think anything of it, until he screamed, "A bird is in there!"

We lifted off the cover & wouldn't you know it?

There was a bird just sitting in there. (No, the bird isn't in this picture because it all happened so fast, I didn't even think about grabbing my camera).

The bird let my sister pick it up out of the drain & set it on the rocks.

The bird was so wet, that it couldn't fly right away. Jackson, my sister & Riley all pet the bird. It was the sweetest thing.

After it was dry enough, it flew away into these trees.

Jackson was SO PROUD of himself for saving the bird. My aunt's neighbor said she had found 2 other birds in that drain over the past week, but they were both dead. Jackson saved this one!

My sister & me. When we were younger, we always did this with our hair. You go underwater, flip your hair over, come up from underwater, then flip your hair back over. You get this.

My sister jumping off the board.

I love this picture of Jackson.

Me jumping off the board.

Holly giving Riley a ride in the pool.

Just a cute pic of the kids ready to go swimming.

Big Brother & Little Sister.

On Saturday, a daughter of a family my cousin's used to babysit for got married. Holly & I would always play with Molli (and her other sisters, Katie & Maggie) when we came to Tyler.

In this picture, Riley was eating Hershey Kisses. I think she ate about 30.

The bride & groom's first dance.

They took dancing lessons.

My sister & me.

Jackson's 1st, 2nd, or 3rd ice cream sundae. Whenever we weren't looking, he'd go get another one.

Me enjoying my ice cream sundae.

All of us dancing to "We Are Family."

My sister, me & our cousins: Shelley, Karen & Cheryl.