Baby Kalia Grace

(I thought this had already posted, but it turns out I saved it as draft and didnt post!)

Baby #4, Kalia Grace came into this world on September 1, 2006 at 4:50 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 15 oz, and measured 19 inches.

Ashleigh was induced Friday morning around 6:00am, and had normal labor all day long. She said the pain was not as bad as she had imagined, especially once she was able to get the epidural. (Apparently that thing is a miracle drug, and any woman would be crazy to pass it up!)

Kalia has more hair than any baby I have ever seen in my life. Seriously! Ashleigh was teasing her saying she would need a haircut as soon as they got her home! However, with all the long, dark hair also came long, dark eyelashes. A dream come true for any girl!

Ashleigh had MAJOR heartburn throughout her pregnancy and was popping Tums as if they were candy. According to her, there is an old wives tale that says the more heartburn you have, the more hair the baby has. I have never heard of that, but it sure seems true in her case.

Isn't she a cutie? Safe and comfortable on mom's chest.
Poor thing, she was still pretty tired when we got there to see her.
I absolutely love this picture of Rick (dad) and Kalia. This is one for the wedding slideshow! She had literally been crying as we all held her, even when grandma held her, but as soon as she was in Dad's arms, she calmed right down.
I think she Rick wrapped around her little finger already...

Fun, fun! At last! All four babies are here, safe and sound. Heather and Chris are due in December and maybe they will be the start of another round. They are expecting a girl too!

Congratulations Rick and Ashleigh. Kalia is just precious!!

Baby Savannah Lynn

Baby #3 arrived last Thursday, August 31, 2006.

She was due to arrive August 20th, and they finally decided to induce when she would not come out on her own!

Michelle was induced Thursday morning around 8:00am and her labor progressed as normal. She had her epidural around 4.5 cm dialated, and said the rest was smooth sailing. Savannah had dropped as she was supposed to, andMichelle's body was getting ready as it was supposed to. By 4:00pm she was ready to push.

They tried pushing for almost two hours, and finally decided it was best to go ahead and have a C-section. Turns out that Savannah was "sunny side up" with her face up, rather than down. On top of that, the way her head was turned, her little head kept butting up against Michelle's pelvis bone, rubbing bone on bone. There was nothing they could do to get her out vaginally.

A few hours later, after getting ready for the surgery (which was more traumatic for Matt than it was for Michelle), Savannah was born.

She was a rather large baby, which can be expected being a week over due, weighing 8 lbs 5 oz and measuring 22 inches long. But oh-so-cute!
The new proud parents: the happy Humber family!
Savannah looks a little drunk or something in this picture. I dont think she liked the flash on my camera.
I'm so excited for them, and I know this is the first of more to come for the Humber family.
Congratulations Matt and Michelle!

W -- A -- W!!!

**For those of you who are not cool, or simply not familiar with my strange brain, W-A-W stands for "WHAT A WEEKEND!!"

Let me say it again- what a weekend! Our Labor Day weekend was busy, full of fun, and tons of hanging out with our friends and family.

Friday night, Amy and I met up for dinner and then went to see Patti Austin perform with the Houston Symphony. To be honest, I had never heard of Patti Austin before, but I was pleasantly surprised. Man, can that woman sing! You know someone has a true talent when they make it all look so easy. Patti sang a bunch of Ella Fitzgerald songs, full of the 'scat' style. It took me awhile to comprehend what she was doing, but she did it very well. As always, the symphony portion of the concert was amazing and always takes me back to my old orchestra days. I really do miss it. I'm so glad Amy brought this form of music back into my life. We had a great time!

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early and headed to Dallas to make the rounds.

First, we stopped off at Baylor Medical Center, and saw my cousins Matt, Michelle, and baby Savannah. They seemed happy, healthy, and very content with their new little life. Savannah was beautiful, though slightly large for a newborn. I guess that's what happens when they are a week over-due. We thought it was pretty cute that Matt pulled out his laptop and started showing us his (already long) slideshow of pictures. New dads are so cute! I will post more details and pictures in a new post.

Then, we headed around town to Presbyterian Hospital at Plano to see the other cousins Rick, Ashleigh, and baby Kalia. Ironically, the first thing Rick did when we got there was pull out his laptop and show us his slideshow of pictures!! I guess that is thing to do for new dads! Everyone was happy and healthy. Kalia has more hair than I have EVER seen on a newborn. She is already due for a trim, lol. I will post more details and pictures in a new post.

Saturday evening we stayed with my other cousins, Bryan and Courtney. We enjoy hanging out with Bryan and Courtney, though we rarely get to stay with them or get one-on-one time. They cooked us a huge meal for dinner (steak, bacon-wrapped-shrimp, broccoli, scalloped potatoes, rolls) and we stayed up talking late in the night. Then we slept in, woke up, cooked another big breakfast (bacon, eggs, waffles, oatmeal) and talked some more. It is great having people in the family who an understand and relate so well. Hopefully we will be able to plan our ski trip for this winter sometime and hang out again soon!

Sunday afternoon we headed down to Austin. We went and stayed Sunday night with Chase, Rebecca, and baby Natalee at his parent's new lakehouse. It was a very nice place on Lake Travis, and it was cool to see how much his parent's have fixed it up. The boys smoked cigars on the porch overlooking the lake, while Rebecca and I chatted and played with baby Natalee. She is just too cute, and so much fun. I swear she smiled at me; I know they say babies that young can't smile, but I know I saw dimples. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures. I'm sure we will see them and hang out again soon.

Monday morning we slept in, then woke up and headed to see David on the other side of Austin. He took us out in his boat (you would not believe this boat of his!) on Lake Austin, along with Justin, who I have known since middle school and Kim, one of their friends in Austin. They are all big wakeboarders, and Jesse and I had never tried it. I have not even ski'd in years. David went first, and he was amazing. Jumping 8 ft in the air across the wakes, and even did a flip! Then Kim got up (she is still fairly new at it), and she did pretty good, going back and forth between the wakes, and even outside the wake. Jesse was up next. They had told us that 1st timers rarely get up, so I was hoping he would struggle a bit...but, no. Mr. Natural Athlete was perfect. He got right up, started going back and forth between the wakes, did some change ups (switched his footing), and even tried jumping the wake. Must be nice to be so good at everything. I tried after him. Notice I used the word "tried." I think I tried to get up 4 or 5 times, and every time struggled. It was as if I could get up, but not stand up, so I was off balance and could not get control. I would just wipe out. Justin went after me, and he was another pro, jumping back and forth, way up in the air. It was a whole lot of fun, and I can see how it would be addicting! If I lived up there, I would be out there all the time. What a great time!

SO, after my long post, you can see what a great weekend we had! We were able to see a lot of people, catch up, and have a lot of fun. Thanks everyone, for a weekend of awesome memories!

Update on existing babies

Baby Hayley Grace is doing wonderfully! Hayden and Lauren have settled into their new roles of Mom and Dad, and Hayden has even helped change diapers!
Lauren and I hung out a few weeks back, and I was able to snap this precious picture of Hayley in her carseat. This picture does not even show you how little she really is. That carseat looked huge compared to her. What a cutie pie!
I have seen Chase, Rebecca, and baby Natalee a few times, and always forget my camera. Natalee is another beautiful baby with wide blue eyes. She has had some pretty good gas when I have been around, which is sign that she is healthy!! She ripped a couple good ones, and we all died laughing...like father like daughter, right Chase?? J/K. These babies are too fun!

My cousin Michelle was induced yesterday morning and had her little one, Savannah Lynn last night. My other cousin Asheligh was induced this morning at 6:00am, and will hopefully be having Kalia Grace this afternoon. So, Jesse and I are going to Dallas tomorrow morning so we can check on the cousins and see their new little ones. I will update with pictures next week.

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

More of the pups

Jersey and Brooklyn sure love me working from home more...they play together from the time they get up in the morning until they go to bed. No one believes me when I tell them how much I actually feed these dogs- they look like I starve them! I think they just burn so many calories playing all day that they dont put any weight on. Still, being able to see the entire rib cage of your dog is not always good. I promise I feed them!!

We are thinking about trying to find a new home for Brooklyn. Don't get me wrong, I love the dog. But, having two big dogs in our small house is not working out so well. She is so much more maintenance than Jersey ever was, and is very needy and attention craving. I just think she needs a home that can give her more of that. Jersey is our baby, and no matter what Brooklyn does she will never be able to compete for that. If anyone knows of anyone who might be interested in a 10 month old, potty trained, people-loving lab, feel free to give them my number!
This picture cracks me up. They are so serious! It looks like either:
A) a mug shot
B) the old farmer and wife picture...give Brooklyn a hat and Jersey a pitchfork, and you got it made!

Catchin' up with the girls!

I have had such a great couple of weeks! A lot of my girl friends who I do not get to see very often have been able to meet me for catch up time. I have been catching up with a lot of familiar faces, and I have loved every minute.

Two week ago I was able to meet Amy for dinner, and hear all the fun and exciting things going on in her life. As always, we never ran out of things to say. Amy always knows how to make me laugh and just look at the brighter side of whatever drama is going on in my life. I really appreciate that about her. She reminds me to be a realist, while always keeping a smile. We are going to have more hang out time this Friday, and I cannot wait to see her again!

This past Saturday, Olivia came into town. Olivia and I played harp together in high school. We used to sit in the harp room and talk for hours (much better than practicing!) I have not seen her since her wedding last summer, because she and Philip live in San Antonio. I went to a movie with her and her brother and sister, and we quickly caught up during the previews and then after the movie. She seems to happy to be married and is looking forward to gradutation next Spring. I pray that she makes it through all the studying, practicing, auditioning, and everything else that is going to happen over the next year.

Monday night, Shelley and I were able to meet up for dinner and enjoy our favorite...mexican food! We used to be pretty good about meeting once a month or so, but life has just been too hectic lately. I had really missed her!! It was so great to catch up and hear all of the many changes that are going on in her life right now. Her and Mike are going to have a lot more changes in the months to come, and I pray that they will lean on each other to make it through. Even though they may be moving, I know we will get together again soon.

Tuesday, Stacey and I went to lunch. Stacey and I ran track together in high school, AND she married one of my best guy friends from high school. I have always loved Ben and Stacey, especially through all the dating drama in high school. I'm so happy that married life has brought them even more happieness. Stacey and I have always been able to relate so well to each other. It is as if God knew we would forever be going through the same things at the same time. I'm so thankful to have a friend who really understands what I am thinking and feeling. I pray that she and Ben are able to make all their dreams come true and begin their new family in God's perfect timing.

My friends have always been such a blessing in my life, and I know I do not thank them enough for all that they do and all they mean to me. So for all you friends out there who read this blog- THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOME FRIENDSHIP. I promise, you have all touched my life in ways you do not even know. I love you all!

What gender brain are you?

***Your Brain is 60% Female, 40% Male***

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female.
You are both sensitive and savvy.
Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed.
But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?http://www.blogthings.com/whatgenderisyourbrainquiz/

What breed of puppy are you?

***You Are a Chihuahua Puppy***

Small, high strung, and loyal. You do best in the city with a adults - young kids could crush you!

Haha, that's funny.

What Breed of Puppy Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatbreedofpuppyareyouquiz/

What color should your eyes be?

***Your Eyes Should Be Brown***

Your eyes reflect: Depth and wisdom
What's hidden behind your eyes: A tender heart

DANG IT. I was really hoping for a color, any color, besides brown. I give up. I guess I'm destined to have brown eyes. :)

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorshouldyoureyesbequiz/

What flavor ice cream are you?

**You Are Coffee Ice Cream**

Energetic and lively, you are always on the go. You're doing a million things at once and doing them well. You tend to motivate others and raise spirits. You are most compatible with chocolate ice cream.

Hmmm...interesting. I'm not a big coffee fan, but I sure do love chocolate (which might explain why I am compatible with chocolate). I do tend to multi-task, though not always "well."

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavoricecreamareyouquiz/

What does your birthday say about you?

***Your Birthdate: October 9***

You are a born idealist, with more pet causes than you can count. You prefer be around others, both when working and while relaxing. Generous and giving, you believe you can change the world one person at a time. You're open minded and tolerant. People feel like they can tell you anything.

Your strength: Your go-with-the-flow flexibility

Your weakness: Your flair for the over dramatic

Your power color: Pine green

Your power symbol: Circle

Your power month: September

I dont know if I necessarily believe all this...one, I typically prefer to be alone rather than around others. Two, I don't know that I am always open-minded, though I am working on it. I'm not always a go-with-the-flow person. I do like green; it is my favorite color. Can someone please explain how a circle is a power symbol??

Test it for yourself:

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/

Baby Natalee Anne

Baby #2 has arrived!
(And actually arrived Monday, I'm just late in posting.)

Baby Natalee Anne was born August 7, 2006 at 7:14 pm, weighing only 6 lb. 6 oz. She has a lot of dark blond hair, that looks a lot "straighter" than the curls that covered her head Monday after birth.

Rebecca was induced Monday morning, and was in intense labor all day long. She took the epidural around 4 cm, and yet it wore off three times, and they had to up the dosage. Jesse and I had decided to wait until later to head down to the hospital since we had been there every other time, and we had to work anyway. We left our house around five, and my phone rang. It was Rebecca. She said that when she dialated to 9.5, they went ahead and tried to push for awhile, but nothing happened, so she was resting to begin pushing again. She already sounded exhausted, and I just prayed for her the whole way there hoping that her little one would be safetly in her arms when we arrived.

Well, by the time we arrived, the family was all out in the waiting room and were making bets on the time of birth. Anywhere between 6:02 pm until 6:27 pm. Sure enough, 6:27 pm passed, and we all started getting nervous. Somehow we all conjugated outside her door (even though we were not supposed to be there, and were told to go back to the waiting room), listening at the door to figure out what was going on. One of the nurses kept going in and out, and she would kindly say "she's doing great...but not yet." Well, we started to hear Rebecca crying softly and breathing hard, and all you could hear of Chase was him saying, "you can do it, honey. C'mon!" (Kindly of course.)

When we heard the first cry, the new grandparents were out in the hall with us, and all started crying themselves. It was pretty cool. Natalee has quite a set of pipes on her! We all paced around outside excitedly, and after a bit Chase came out and just quickly handed us his camera then went back in. It had pictures of her, and we all were amazed.

Within 30-45 minutes, we were all allowed back in there to see mom, dad, and new baby. Rebecca was pretty tired, but holding Natalee in her arms, you would never have guessed it. As the family took turns holding her, Natalee was just precious. Her big blue eyes were WIDE open (I have never seen a newborn with eyes open like that), and she was just starring at everyone, soaking them in, as if to say, "ah, you must be ___. I've heard so much about you..."

Rebecca and Natalee had to stay for the full 48 hours at the hospital because she was born with a small temperature and was stuck in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They all came home late Wednesday night, and Jesse and I went to see everyone Thursday night.

Here are some pictures of the new baby and the happy family:


Congratulations Chase and Rebecca! I'm so excited for you, and I know your dreams have come true with the arrival of Baby Natalee. I cannot wait to watch and see how she grows into your own little princess. Congrats!

Baby Hayley Grace

Baby #1 has arrived!!

Hayley Grace was born August 4, 2006 at 1:55pm. She weighed only 6 lb. 7 oz. and is just perfect. Her little skin already has nice color and she seems to be a very easy baby. Of course, she was probably exhausted when we saw her yesterday from being born and all...might have worn her out a bit.

Lauren had contractions for about 24 hours (in and out of the hospital- they kept sending her home), but Friday morning she had started to dialate. They went ahead and broke her water and got her on the potosin (spelling?) to induce. By the time she had dialated to 4 cm, she was asking for the epidural, because the contractions had her in tears. Once she received the epidural, the rest was smooth sailing (according to her). Lauren only had to push for 20 minutes, and out popped little Hayley.

Hayden was beaming from ear to ear from the time we arrived at the hospital. It seemed so surreal, and yet it was more real to him that it had been in nine months. Both Hayden and Lauren seemed completely happy and relaxed the entire time we were there. Lauren was perky and talkative and so excited.
The nurses were moving Lauren to another room for the night while we were there, and the nursery was sending baby Hayley to stay with them for the remainder of their time there. So, it was the first time they really got to be with her since delivery (minus a 30 min quick visit earlier; in which I'm sure she was passed all around the room). They did a great job of letting everyone hold her...and finally Hayden asked for her back, since he had only held her about 5 minutes all day! He had been the "passer" and never the "holder." After nine months, it was time!
They are supposed to be sent home this afternoon, since everything went so well. Lauren was ready to leave last night, saying "we should all go to dinner!" Naturally, we thought she was still a little high from the epidural..

I'm so excited for Hayden and Lauren, and I know they are ready for their new life with little Hayley. I'm sure there will be a lot of pictures in the months to come...little girls are so cute!

Our 3rd Anniversary

Jesse and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary this week, on August 2nd. In some ways it seems hard to believe we have been married that long...in other ways it seems we have been together MUCH longer than that! :)

Every time we have a special occasion, I always unrealistically get my hopes up, and am inevitably disappointed. This time, I was determined to not do that to myself, or to Jesse. So we set rules. Since we have planned a "second honeymoon" in September with our trip to Mexico for a week, we agreed that we were not going to get each other gifts for the anniversary. Well, we have said that before (for Christmas or Valentine's Day), but I just can't NOT get him something. It feels wrong! This time, I was determined to stick to my guns, and I had prepared for the same from him, so I would not get my feelings hurt.

On Wednesday, he called me pretty early in the morning to tell me Happy Anniversary and just start the day off right- always a good thing. He was sweet all day long, calling much more than usual, and we excitedly spoke of our dinner plans. I had bought him two cards (I can never pick just one), and had already written them out, planning on giving them to him at dinner or something. Jesse came home from work (I was working in my office) and he had brought me a dozen hot pink roses. I have never had hot pink roses before, and they were beautiful!! He arranged them for me in a crystal vase, and I just smiled. Then I noticed there was a gift and a card sitting on the countertop. I looked at him as if to say, "I thought we said no gifts!" and now it was his turn to smile. He said, "it is kind of something for both of us- go ahead and open it."

So I opened the pretty bag, and pulled out two books: Blue Like Jazz and Rockin the Roles. See, a few months back we were having a bit of a rough patch, and I had specifically mentioned that I missed our devotionals together and I really wanted us to find something we could read together and grow together. I had heard of Blue Like Jazz before and had mentioned I was interested, and I had also told him I wanted to read something with the perspective of Christian husband/wife roles. He not only remembered, but he went and got them for US on our anniversary!! That is pretty sentimental for Jesse, and it got major plus points in my book. I was so happy, and he was beaming.

It was wierd not having anything to give him...normally I am on the other side, giving the gift and not receiving one. Maybe God wanted the tables turned for a reason. It was good to reverse the roles this once.

We went to The Cheesecake Factory in The Woodlands for dinner (we had a gift certificate) and ate more than I have eaten in the past week combined. Both of us stuffed ourselves to the brink, and were HURTING for the rest of the night. It was worth it though- no regrets!

August 2, 2006 was a GREAT 3rd anniversary- one that we both really needed.

Catch up

So, after my last post, there were more complications and issues with Chase, Rebecca, and Baby Natalee. Basically, her water did not break, and even after being induced all day last Friday, she still would not dialate (so her body was not ready). They sent them home at about 9:00 last Friday night empty-handed. Pretty tough; especially since poor Rebecca had been hurting and contracting for over 48 hours by that point. They saw their doctor Monday morning, and have decided to go ahead and induce this coming Monday, August 7th, and they will leave with a baby no matter what this time!

Saturday morning, I woke up early and headed up to Dallas for the weekend. My cousin Michelle had a baby shower on Sunday, and since I have not been able to be around her much during her pregnancy, I really wanted to go spend some quality time with her before baby Savannah gets here in a few weeks. Her nursery is adorable (I forgot my camera all weekend, so I have no pictures), and the proud parents seem ready for her to arrive. We had a great time hanging out in the nursery, Michelle showing me all of Savannah's little things, and just catching up in general. Her shower on Sunday was very fun, and I learned a few new "shower games" for future showers. My cousin-in-law Ashleigh, who is also due this month, came to Michelle's shower, and both girls looked ready to pop. I guess that is why they say that last month can be the hardest!

The little girls are all coming...prepare for pictures over the next month!

(Side note: Everytime we hang out with these pregnant people, they always ask, "so what's been going on with you and Jesse?" My answer remains the same: "Nothing; our lives are generally boring, so we are currently living our excitment through all of you!!" And it's true! It is so fun being apart of everyone's joyful and special time right now.)

Wow- what a week!

(...and a lot of "w's" in that title!)

This has been an exiciting and exhausting week. I have so many details to each story, but I will try to stay on track and give you a good overview.

Wednesday night Jesse had four tickets to the Astros' game, so we invited Chase and Rebecca to go with us. About half way through the game, Chase tells us that Rebecca has been having contractions throughout the entire game. By the end of the game, they are steadily about 5 minutes apart. Naturally, as first-time parents, they were alarmed by this, since she is still not officially due for another two and half weeks. When we got in the car to head home, she called her doctor, who wanted her to go to the hospital and have everything checked out. Better safe than sorry, right?

So we went to Memorial City Hospital and they hooked her up to machines and started running tests. The baby's (Natalee's) heart rate was pretty high, so Rebecca drank some water which calmed it down a bit. Her contractions remained fairly consistent, but she was not dialating and her water had not broken. Rebecca and I walked around the maternity area for about an hour trying to get her water to break, and no such luck. Around 3:00am they decided to send her home; she was definately having contractions, but labor was not progressing at a rate for them to admit her. So we all headed across town to go home.

Thursday mornng, I talked to Rebecca and she said she was doing okay. Her contractions were still consistent, but still her amniotic sac remained in place. Throughout the day, she and Chase went on many walks...around Walmart, the neighborhood, etc. I spoke to Chase around 6:45pm and he said her contractions were feeling stronger, but still nothing to get back to the hospital about. I went to sleep.

At 9:45pm my phone rings, and it is Chase telling me Rebecca's water broke and they are headed to the hospital. I know that even at that point it can take awhile, but Jesse helped convince me that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I would be mad at myself if I missed it. So, I put on my clothes, sent some emails to work taking a personal day on Friday, and headed to the hospital.

When I got there, I was the only one there- I just knew his family and her sister would have already been there! I went to their room and it turned out that her "water breaking" was inconclusive, according to their tests (so the families were waiting to hear more- Chase never called me back and told me to wait!). And on top of that, her contractions had pretty much stopped since she "felt the leakage." The baby's heart rate was normal, and the nurses/doctor were pretty perplexed. We waited a few hours and Rebecca started having contractions again, which were slightly stronger than they had been the past 24 hours. Around midnight they ordered an ultrasound to see if the amniotic sac was still in place around the baby.

I have never seen an ultrasound before, and it was simply amazing. As they rolled over her head, you could literally see her little face- it looked as if baby Natalee was looking right at us! She just looked beautiful. I think seeing her like this made Chase and Rebecca feel better, as they were starting to feel pretty frustrated and concerned by this point.

After the results from the ultrasound came back, the hospital would not let her leave. They gave Rebecca something to help her sleep through the night, and said the doctor would be in first thing in the morning to decide what to do. So, I hugged them both and came home (got home around 2:00am).

I have since talked to Chase, and they have gone ahead and induced Rebecca. It looks as if her amniotic sac has a leak (so it did "break," it just did not "pop" and gush out like some mothers experience). With a leak, it would be more dangerous to sit and wait for it to all leak out and could potentially add stress to the baby, so the doctor wanted to induce. They went in and popped the sac for her, and now labor has begun! Unfortunately, the doctor said it would still more than likely be a long process and she probably would not deliver until this evening at the earliest.

Jesse and I are going down there again this afternoon, and I hope to get some good pictures of mom, dad, and baby Natalee to share with everyone! I will keep you posted...

More pictures from the party

Here are some more pictures from our beach vacation lunch:

Tammey won first place from the drawing, and I dont think I have ever seen anyone get so excited!

Some of the girls...Ana was sure getting into something!
We all entered the "most festive dresser" contest- I actually won 1st place!! (I think they felt sorry for me wearing the stupid green headband thingy.)
George and Woody, deep in discussion about technical documentation. Woody even dressed up!
Me and Joanne (my new HP team mate). We went together to get our shirts this week- they were even on sale!
Lisa and Rebecca were our hula dancers- they were hysterical, as usual.
Pres and Vice-Pres
Collin, Chris, and Shauna- I think Chris was the only one in the entire office who did not dress up for the party, and he is even a TIGER officer!
A great time was had by all!!

Vacation from work...at work

My company has a specific recreation and event team who periodically throw parties and family events for the employees; I have recently been selected to be Vice-President (since Amy left us!!) and Shauna stepped up to take her place as President. This month we planned a beach vacation...at the office. Here are some pictures!

Happy July Birthdays!

George and EJ blowing out the candles...
A good time is had by all...especially the birthday boys!
Here are some of the decorations:

The hallway leading up to the "party area."
Fun!
Aren't those plates cute? (I picked those up, hehe.)
One of the festive tables
The drink corner: I made two different punches, one shower-type juice punch and one slushy punch. Both turned out okay, but I sure wish someone could have spiked the punch bowl!
More pictures to come in the next post...

At the lake

We were up on Lake Travis for Hayden & Lauren's baby shower this weekend, hanging out at her parents awesome lakehouse.

I caught the sunset up on the storm tower on Saturday night...tell me this is not a cool picture!
Jesse and I on the boat dock, about to head out to the lake Saturday afternoon. You can already see a little pink in my sholders and face from that morning, and yet we went out again, just so I could get good and fried. :) Always.
On the jet ski- Jesse and took one of the jet skies out with Kyle and Lindsey, and we followed the boat of the rest of everyone out to this waterfall area. Unfortunately there were only a few drips from the waterfall because the lake is so low. You can tell from this bottom picture...the water is supposed to cover all of those rocks behind us. I believe they said the lake was about 25 feet low! People's boat docks are stuck up on the rocks, unable to get to water, and others have had accidents as they have unintentionally hit the bottom, as it is so low! Pray for rain for the Austin area so Lake Travis begins to fill up again!
We had a lot of fun, and now I'm trying to convinve Jesse to buy a jet ski...keep your fingers crossed, 'cause I doubt it is going to happen any time soon. Hehe.

Hayden and Lauren's baby shower

This weekend we all celebrated Hayden and Lauren's soon-to-be daughter up at her parent's lakehouse in Austin. We had friends come in from Dallas, RoundRock, Houston, and even New York City! It was a great time to hang out and catch up with friends, as well as enjoy Hayden and Lauren's "last get-together" without a little one.

Here are some pictures from the actual baby shower:

Hayden practicing his reading skills...
The baby cake made of diapers, pacifiers, rattles, etc. (I took this vertical picture so you could see Lauren's cute, pregnant tummy!)
This was the most special gift of all. Brittany, our friend who lives in NY, came up with an idea about three months ago for each of us girlfriends (and Lauren's female family members) to embroider a square for a special baby quilt made of the colors of her nursery. Brittany sent each of us a pattern, supplies, and very detailed, helpful instructions, and we each completed our square and then mailed them back to her. She put together this beautiful quilt, and surprised all of us by hand delivering it to the shower. The neat part is that she added the initials of whoever completed the square to each one, so Hayden and Lauren know exactly who all participated. (Mine is the very bottom, right corner...the umbrella.)
This was the gift Jesse and I put together for them. This basket had about 10 pair of baby girl shoes, from infant size, all the way up to 18 month. There are tennis shoes, light-up sandals, black and white patent dress shoes, and many more. And of course the socks to go with them!
Another picture of Brittany giving them the quilt and explaining all the different parts of who did what to put it together. (Hayden and Lauren were still in shock at this point.)
It was a really great weekend. I cannot believe nine months have flown by so quickly! Baby Haley Grace is due in three weeks, and I know all of our lives are about to change. I am so excited for them and ready to have her here! I know the rest of us will all shower this little girl with love forever!

Fun with the family

I hung out with my parents and youngest sister, Julie, Saturday night. I went over to their house thinking we might go out to dinner or to a movie, but then my dad pulled out four gift cards to Dave and Busters. It may be hard to believe (since you all know what a fun, party girl I am), but I have never been there before. It was a blast!

We did not get there until late, and by the time we arrived we were all starving. So we ordered drinks and dinner...and even dessert. Talk about splurge night! I was so brave, I even tried two new drinks: Haiwaiin Mai Tai and Long Island Peach Ice Tea. Both were very good, though I preffered my mom's Strawberry Margarita the best. :) Julie and I split a triple chocolate cake, and to be honest, I dont think there was any cake in that slice of cake- only fudge, brownie bites, and mini chocolate chips. Needless to say, I'm sure my caloric intake was off the charts!

After dinner, we went into the Midway Gameroom, and I honestly do not think I have ever seen that many people and games in my life. I have never been gambling or to any place like Las Vegas before, but it was exactly how I imagined one of those type places would be. Lots of lights, excitement, people blowing money playing games, and smiles on everyone's faces. (I guess people dont always smile in Vegas, as I'm sure people lose lots of money... but you get what I mean!) We all four got to race each other on the speedway- my dad barely beat me. Julie and I played air hockey, and we were tied 6-6 until I put a fast one by her and won 7-6! Mom spent most of the night at the Roulette table, but it sure payed off! We came back to find her with an entire bucket full of tickets! Of course, I spent the greatest amount of time (and effort) at the Skeeball lanes. I think I could play that game all night. What a great time!

Between the four of us, we won over 2,300 tickets and each got a fun D&B souvenier to take home. This was definitely something new and fun for me, and I really enjoyed the night with my family. I can't wait to go back again!

Finally a vacation!

Jesse and I have been talking about taking a vacation for the past...well, forever! We have not gone anywhere in over two years, and even then we were with his family. We have not had a vacation by ourselves since our 1st anniversary, and before that, our honeymoon. Needless to say, we are both craving time away to relax and enjoy being together again.

We started looking a couple of months ago really seriously trying to plan a cool vacation. Last week we finally made a decision and a commitment (the bill is paid!) for a week in Solimen Bay, Mexico!

I found this little place literally right on the beach. It is located in a bay, surrounded by corral reefs. My main desire is to snorkel and Jesse really wanted to kayak. This location is perfect for both. It is a two story building, and we chose the top level. It is small, but has a full kitchen so we can cook if we choose.

This view is from our balcony- you can see how close we are to the beach! Literally the "front yard!" The kayaks down there are owned by the property owners, and so we have free access to them all week, which is perfect since Jesse wanted to kayak anyway- now we dont have to spend money on renting.
This is the kitchen. Not huge, but big enough for us have access to what we need and keep bottled water, etc in the fridge.
This is the front of the villa. Again, we have the top unit.
This is our balcony. As you can see, there is a nice table out there (I can see us eating many-a-meal out there), two hammocks, and a built-in grill that is not shown. Ah- heaven!
Like I said, the place is small. This is about it (with the kitchen opposite the futon). But it is nice, it is air conditioned, and we are going to either be on the beach or in the hammocks anyway!
I am so excited- it is going to be hard to wait until the end of September!! I'm sure it will be worth it to go for an entire week. :)

Rest assured that there will be more pictures come our return!

Dont play catch with a 12 lb. ball!

It is raining today. As a matter of fact, it is supposed to rain all week. Rain for Jesse means a day off work. Yes, he still has to wake up early, go in to work, and try to wait it out, but most of the time soggy soil equals afternoon nap for Jesse.

Today, he decided he wanted to go work out, and I said I would go with him over my lunch break. So, we headed up to the gym and began our respective workouts. He started out on the bike, and I began on the elliptical machine. Then we did some weights together, and finally began our ab finale.

Sidenote:
Luckily, the way the gym is set up, there is a mini hall that dead-ends, and they keep a lot of the ab equipment over in that corner (which I appreciate, because it is kind of hidden, so no one can laugh as you are dying trying to complete crunch #3 of a 25 set!) I was very thankful we were hidden in the corner of this small hallway, as you will hear later!

We headed over to the ab hall, grabbed a mat and a medicine ball, (12 lb. medicine ball to be exact), and began exercise number one. This exercise consists of one partner lying on the pat, while the other partner stands on their feet. The two toss the medicine ball back and forth, and the one on the mat does a sit up with each toss of the ball. Pretty simple, right? The only thing you have to be able to do is stay coordinated and focused...oh yeah, and know how to count! On my second set of 20, I tossed the 12 lb. ball to Jesse who was supposed to hold it, as I had completed the set. He had lost track of the count, and tossed it back to me, and since I was not paying attention, or looking to catch it and toss it back, it hit my square in the face. Yes people, I had a 12 lb. medicine ball hit me in the face, right on my nose.

I immediately fell over, all dramatic like you would expect in a movie, and instinctively started to cry. Jesse of course panicked, crawling on his knees to see my face and make sure my nose was not broken or bleeding. The throbbing set in at once, and has not really subsided since. Needless to say, I have been holding a bag of frozen corn on my face all afternoon. :)

12 lb. medicine ball + Melody's face = NOT PRETTY

The really ironic and funny part of the story is the fact that just Sunday morning I woke up with a giant fever blister forming on my bottom lip. It continued to swell all Sunday, until Sunday night Jesse finally got me some Abreva and forced me to put it on three times before bed, to try and stop the swelling sore. So, tomorrow when I go into work for a few meetings, I will have a puffy lip, swollen eyes, and a bruised nose. LOL. People are going to think I was severly beat over the weekend! I told Jesse he better hide...

**Note to self:
Do not throw a 12 lb. ball at the face of another human being, unless certain they will catch it!

Tory's wedding

This weekend I went up to Tyler so that I could attend Tory's wedding. I know she and Chris have waited a long time for their marriage day, and I was so thankful to be able to share in the special moments.

Isn't her wedding cake beautiful? I did not eat any of this cake, but I was all over the chocolate groom's cake. It was chocolate cake, with a chocolate fudge center, with chocolate (white and milk chocolate) covered strawberries, served on a warm plate. Man, that makes me excited just remembering...
Here is the picture of all four of us ex-Systek girls. Tory caught our eye as she was preparing to cut the cake (naturally I was one of the first in line), and so we were able to chat for a few minutes afterwards and get this picture with the bride.
The wedding ceremony was one of the sweetest ceremonies I have ever been to. Don't get me wrong, I love weddings, and I tend to cry no matter what. But these two were so sweet and loving towards one another, it made me cry. Chris looked so tenderly and so lovingly at Tory that everyone witnessing could see his love for his bride. It was an amazing moment, not only for them, but for all of us who could see the love.
I think Tory was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen. The entire wedding was simple, elegant, and super classy. Every single detail was fixed to the nines, without being over the top. You can tell that a lot of time, effort, and thought went into making this the happiest day of their lives.
I had a great time at the wedding. I was so thankful to get to spend time with my girl friends, Shelley and Sarah again. I truly miss our daily interaction (even if it was at the horrible place), and I look forward to getting to see them and "catch up" as often as we can. Now that the weddings are over, we will have to come up with new reasons to get together! Babies, anyone?? (JUST KIDDING) I guess we will have to hold out until Danielle gets married...

Thanks for being my dates and my friends! I'm so lucky to have both of you in my life.
CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS AND TORY VEY!