Happy LOVE Day

First of all, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

My thoughts on Valentine's Day are this...I like Valentine's Day...I don't LOVE Valentine's Day. I have always thought it is a fun excuse to do something romantic for your sweety but that it is a little over-commercialized and maybe even over-rated. However, my hubby has done such a darn good job of making this holiday special that I am starting to rethink its importance.

Our first Valentine's Day he took me to Savannah!

We stayed at the beautiful Foley House Inn (above). It was directly across the street from the bench Forrest Gump sat on! Probably my favorite trip ever. Seriously. It even gives our honeymoon a run for it's money! We are planning to go back for our first anniversary. Can't wait!

For our second Valentine's Day, Ben surprised me with tickets to see Norah Jones. I love her. Her music is so funky and romantic at the same time. It was perfect for this holiday. Another great gift!

And finally, this year Ben got me antique nest and egg prints. I have been eyeing them for almost a year. We found them while antiquing in Homewood at Tricia's Treasures one day last spring. I loved the soft blues and beiges. There were no prices on them but I thought, "They're old pages torn from a book. How much can they be?" So I picked out six of my favorites and took them to the counter. When they told me they were $60 each, I decided I would wait.I went home and did a little research. They are actually pages from a book by Reverend F.O. Morris from 1861. The nests are Hand-Colored Lithographs. Pretty rare. I looked on EBay to find they were only more expensive there. So I waited some more. But Ben decided I had waited long enough and surprised me with them this year for Valentine's Day! I am so glad he did...now I can't wait to get them framed and hung in my dining room!This is one of my favorites. It is the nest and egg of a Yellow Hammer. Being an Alabama fan, I couldn't resist it! "Rammer Jammer, Yellow Hammer. Give 'em Hell, Alabama!"


I look forward to many more Valentine's Day with my sweet and romantic husband!

Marley's First Bath

When I walked in from work tonight it was obvious Marley had been sick all day. I won't gross you out with details, but let's just say that he definitely needed a bath. And not a self-imposed "kitty bath" either. A REAL bath.

I wouldn't say he enjoyed it by any means, but he handled it much better than I thought he would. His usual fluffy fur looked pretty funny matted down. I couldn't resist taking some pictures...





He pouted for awhile, but after he started to dry out and I played his favorite game with him, he forgave me. Doesn't he look so pretty now?

Much Ado About Nothing

I feel like it is time to post another blog, but I have nothing to write about. Been a pretty uninspiring week. I was sick from Thursday to Tuesday and am still battling some of it. I guess I could write about the details of my illness, but who wants to read about that? I will say that I feel very blessed to have a husband who loves me and takes wonderful care of me when I am not feeling well. He is the best nurse ever! He doesn't even complain that all the congestion is making me snore. He says he is just glad I am getting some sleep. Too good to be true? Sometimes I worry, haha.

While I was sick I picked back up on an old series I was reading this time last year. It is the Southern Sisters Mystery Series by Anne George. Mrs. George is a Birmingham native whose writings are full of wonderful southern quirkiness, loveable characters and lots of laughs. All the books take place in Birmingham so it is fun to see where the characters pop up: The Vulcan? Birmingham Museum of Art? The Piggly Wiggly?

This is not your tyical murder mystery series. I have always been a fan of suspense novels where you can't put down the book because you are dying to know who the killer is. However, with these books I am only curious about the ending. I am more captivated by the dialogue, situations and characters. The main characters are 2 retired sisters who always seem to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. But they have fun no matter what happens to them. They make me glad I have a sister and look forward to getting old with her!

If you are looking for a good, light hearted read I would suggest picking up one of Anne George's books. She even has one titled "Murder Boogies with Elvis". It's no wonder I love this series!

And finally...just because I haven't posted a photo in a while and I miss my beautiful sister...

Weren't we cute? And yes, I was rocking out with the 80's bangs!

Worship and Wii's

It's been a busy week. Last weekend Ben and I attended "Stream in the Desert" at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. Stream is now in its thirteenth year. It is a time for people to come together to experience God’s presence, power and goodness. It is a gathering of families, friends, the hungry, the tired, the broken, those searching for a deeper relationship with Him. It is a time for praise and prayer, fasting and listening, rejoicing and celebrating. It is an opportunity to stop the clock, turn off the cell phone, take a deep breath and sit at the feet of Jesus. This was Ben and I's first time to do something like this as a couple. It was great for our relationships with God, but also beneficial to our relationship with each other.

The theme for the weekend was "You are good..." as in GOD is good. Mike Cope was the key note speaker, Ken Young led worship, George Rowe made a special Saturday night worship appearance and Bruce Marchiano (from The Gospel of Matthew) gave his testimony. It was a good weekend full of amazing praise and worship and messages from our God.

While in Nashville we were also able to visit with some good friends who live there. My friend, Cara Peacock, met us for lunch on Saturday and brought her fiance, Tracey. We had a great time laughing and catching up. It was good to meet Tracey. He definitely received my approval and I can't wait for their wedding in May!

Sunday, we met up with Ben's friend, Robin and her husband, Jeremy. We ate at a really good local mexican restaurant, Garcia's. It was not your typical taco-and-burrito-menu. They offered lots of cool dishes, including one of my favorites: shrimp and fish tacos. Yummy! We had a great time laughing and catching up with them as well and look forward to seeing them again soon!

Sunday night we got back to Birmingham and drove straight to our friends Hal & Maghan's house for CORE Group. CORE Group is what we call our small group Bible Studies at our church. They meet in people's homes on Sunday nights to get into the Word, pray together and build relationships. Our CORE Group is amazing. We really are so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group of young marrieds. They bless our lives every week. This week,after our time of discussion and prayer, everyone joined in on a Wii tournament. Who doesn't like a little Guitar Hero every now and then? Fun stuff!

After lusting after our friends Wii's for months now, Ben found one at Best Buy on Tuesday! He called me so excited and asked if he could get it. Ummm, duh...of course! We've only had time to create our mii's and play some Wii Sports so far, but we are already addicted! This game is so much fun! I love that it is interactive and makes me get up off the couch to play. I am going to be a pro at tennis, golf, bowling, baseball, and boxing before you know it! And hopefully lose a few pounds along the way!

Let us know if you ever want to come over and play! Our living room is open for Wii tournaments any time!