Weekend Recap

We did a bunch of nothing.

The End.

Just kidding! We really didn't do much, I took some pictures of Addison on Saturday and Uncle Jay came up and we went to lunch with everyone minus Poppy and Tracie. John and I braved Walmart on Saturday afternoon, because, we were out of everything. Then, later, we went out on a limb, and went to dinner with his family. But this time, Poppy and Tracie joined us. Addison, who refused to order a sweet tea, informed me that she needed to go tee-tee. This child is so backwards. She NEVER will tell me she has to go tee-tee at home, but in EVERY restaurant we go to, she always has to go. She then proclaimed to the entire restaurant that she went tee-tee in the potty. But was too shy to order her drink. How weird? She wanted to spend the night with MeMac and Poppy on Saturday, so John, Claire, and I got to sleep in until 7:30. We rounded off the morning with breakfast at the All Steak. We ended up going to Huntsville to help MeMac and Joseph get some new computers. I was super jealous and the new computer bug hit me. So, now I want a new computer. Even though, I certainly don't NEED one.

Addison didn't have ANY accidents on Sunday and even hit John on the head to wake him up to tell him that she needed to go poo-poo in the potty which she NEVER does. Afterwards, she proclaimed, " I took a crap! No... I took a dump." Grrreeaatt. Please tell your Christian Pre-School teachers THAT. It would make me look even better especially after dropping you off in my pajamas this morning.
Anyway, here is some pictures of the girls. I feel like I have been neglecting you.

M.I.A.

I know, I know. I have been M.I.A. We have been super busy and I have been trying to recover from it. We had an open house on Sunday and NO ONE showed up. We worked so hard getting the house ready. I even borrowed my mom's pressure washer and pressure washed the driveway and sidewalk and concrete patio area. It took pretty much two days of working non-stop to get it finished. I got a gnarly sun burn in the process. I also backed into said pressure washer Friday morning when it was left in the driveway and I didn't look where I was going. John didn't talk to me for a couple of hours, but he got over it.

I took Addison to the doctor on Friday and she weighed 30 lbs and was in the 50 percentile for weight and 25 percentile for height. Oh well. Poor girl never had it in her genes to be a model. Saturday I had a photography class all day and I had such a great time. It's so awesome to learn more about something you are passionate about. I have just recently realized that not everyone is as obsessed with pictures as I am.

Earlier this week, I worked like a madman getting all of our video onto DVD's and then decided to go ahead and upload my 6,000 pictures to DVD's as well. So, my computer has a TON of memory now! :) I have also been working on my photography website and am starting to look at building my portfolio. I am getting SUPER pumped about this. I have had to counteract all of this productivity with a little Twilight reading and you know I end up with my nose glued to a book when I start that.

My friend Jana is coming up today and I think we are going to get to visit and that is all we have planned for the weekend. I have to enjoy this down time while I can, because, hello? Football season starts NEXT WEEK!!

The Tradition Continues...

My friend Lindsey, posted this on her Facebook and I wanted to share it all with you because we are EIGHT days away from college football. And hello? Is there a better time of year? I think not.
It's part of Alabama's pre-game. Hope you enjoy! RTR!

It could be a cuteness overload...

I tried to do multiple videos on here, but my blog didn't want to cooperate. The girls just started taking a bath together this week and they both seem to enjoy it. There is lots of screaming and crying on both of their parts when they have to get out. Claire pretty much only laughs if she is in the water for some reason. Addison is doing great with the sharing. I cannot believe she offered Ariel to Claire to play with. She also tells her to crawl to me. She is so good with her!

Awesomeness

So, I have this bloggy friend Molly, who I think, would totally be an IRL( in real life) friend if she didn't live in California. Anyway, she is doing a 100th post giveaway, and if I being honest, I need this stuff. The jewelry box is houndstooth for cryin' out loud!! I want you to check Molly out because she is awesome, but if you enter then it lessens my chance to win and I should warn you that I hold a grudge. Just kidding!

Kind of.

I cannot believe it!

First of all... watch out! Two post in one day?? But, I couldn't wait to shout to the rooftops about Once Upon a Blog's blog makeover giveaway. I have always been a fan of what she does. (I mean, seriously? Who can read HTML, let alone figure out what to do with it.) Anyway, you should totally check it out and enter to win.

Friendships

Have you ever had a friend that you had to stop being friends with? I have. She was my best friend in high school. I always felt right at home with her family and they took me in like I was one of their own. Her mom was the first mom that I knew of that cooked dinner every night and they sat down together every night. We had a falling out during our Senior year of high school because, well, frankly, she turned a little sketchy. She quit answering my phone calls or calling me, just out of the blue. We continued to hang out during school and during group outings, but as for a one on one friendship, it wasn't happening. So, finally, I started to feel like I pushing my friendship on her and I stopped. I think she was mad about it, but I didn't care. I was through being friends with someone who, I felt like, didn't want to be friends with me. So, I went off the the University of Alabama and she went off to Auburn( see? this is probably why this friendship was doomed). She turned sketchy on my other best friend who was her roommate. She eventually moved out of the dorm.
I stayed friends with her sister. Once we came back home, her sister informed me that she wanted to be hang out. She didn't have any friends at home anymore( probably because she alienated them). So, I gave it a try. We never talked about what went down between us, but we were friends again. John never liked the friendship from the start. I think he thought she was too sketchy( which she was).
I love my friendship with her though. We laughed and always had a good time together.It wasn't the same friendship like in high school. In high school, we had numerous secrets and inside jokes and spoke in code. She was still a little distant in our new friendship, but it was fine with me, because I had a boyfriend, who I spent most of my time with anyway.
She was a bridesmaid in my wedding. But during that time, she started the old ways again. She never showed up to any wedding showers or parties that she didn't help throw and I had to get messages to and from her sister. She did come see me in the hospital when I had Addison( which, I didn't even know that she knew that I had her). I threw her a shower when she got married. I went to see her baby after she had her. But, I was once again, forcing my friendship on her. I knew she needed a mommy friend and I thought it was me. I let her borrow some maternity clothes ( which I never saw again). I tried and tried and tried to be a good friend to her. But I was the only one trying.
We ended up severing all ties this past fall. We shared some(I thought) playful words over the Iron Bowl. She turned ugly with it and I thought, "I'm done". I didn't need that kind of negativity in my life. I have enough drama already.
I'm still friends with her through Facebook and I drive by her parents house every day on my way to work and I always wonder what's going on in that house. Sometimes her car is there, but mostly not. I wonder if there will ever be a time when I don't look in that driveway. I do "Facebook stalk" her and she is pregnant with her second child.

John never understood why I waited so long to quit trying to be her friend. It was really hard for me to just stop caring about someone who was a big part of my life growing up. Essentially, it's divorcing a friend. Who wants to do that? Maybe Philly was right all along. Maybe our friendship never would have worked for one reason only. Maybe she was sketchy was because of that same reason.
That reason you might ask? Because she was an Auburn fan.

Happy Anniversary!

Dear John,

Happy Anniversary! Can you believe that 4 years ago today, we were getting married?!!? I know I can't. In such a short amount of time our little family has doubled in size. You have given me the daughter I always craved, two of them, actually. I see you in both of them everyday and I just can't believe that we were able to make such little miracles.

They say that the first year of marriage is the hardest. I don't agree. Sure, we had our disagreements, but I loved every minute. We have been through many ups and downs in our 4 years of matrimony, but I wouldn't trade it. Not even for a pair of Jimmy Choos and a Louis Vuiton. I would say, that where we are right now, is the hardest on me. The sleepless nights, the terrible twos,the messy house, the potty training, and just the general lack of time that we have to spend together is the hardest on me. I have enjoyed our tv time and movie nights spend on the couch. Believe it or not, I DO think you are quite funny( even if I find your jokes a tad inappropriate at times). You're carefree nature balances my type-A personality quite nicely, I think.

You are so good to me. You really are. You go out of your way to make sure I have everything I have ever needed or even thought about needing or things that I didn't even know I needed. You know when to hug me and when to wait me out. I love you for everything that you are, and I know I don't say it as much as you should hear it, but I love you with all of my heart. I wouldn't change anything about our lives. I am truly blessed to have married such a wonderful man.

I Love You,
Rachel

P.S. The picture is SUPER blurry, but I do not have a scanner anymore and it's a picture of a picture, but it's my very favorite wedding shot.

Show Us Your Life

Happy Friday! We are continuing on with our wedding theme. Since my anniversary was yesterday, I feel that a lot of you are probably getting into a little overload with my wedding, so I apologize. Our reception was at someone's house which is actually a barn. A VERY NICE barn, but a barn, none the same. We did a buffet style supper and it was delicious. We had it catered by Designs By Grace, which also did our rehearsal dinner. They did such a fabulous job! They did everything... set up, take down, ordered the tent, provided bartenders... everything. And the food was delicious. We had a great band! They were so awesome! We left after the reception and went to Birmingham to spend the night at the Winfrey Hotel. John's parents came down on Sunday and ate the breakfast buffet with us. We came back home and went back to work for a week before we left on our honeymoon. We took a Royal Caribbean cruise and had a great time. I don't remember the ship name( sorry, John!) but it went to Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and I think, Puerto Rico? I honestly can't remember. I DO remember that at Puerto Rico or wherever it was, they had these beautiful red and white beaded pillows that I didn't get because they wouldn't come down on the price and John said that we could find them somewhere else. WRONG!! I have never been able to find them anywhere and it makes me a little sad. :(




One of my favorite pics.. my mom and I toasting when it was all said and done. You can even see my brace!( Did I mention I had a wreck the week before my wedding and fractured two bones in my foot? I honestly can't remember if I did. I'm still extremely bitter about it and when it rains... my ankle still hurts.)

My wedding cake was so pretty! I loved it! I don't have a picture of John's but, as we say around here, "It was the mad note!" Chocolate and peanut butter was on one layer and chocolate and strawberry was another. YUM-O! We only got the pieces that we fed each other of his cake and of course, it was all decked out in Alabama garb!



Leaving on our honeymoon





I love a good lighthouse, don't you?

A Taste of Heaven

John and I love food.

That is the understatement of the year.

I am finding that I am becoming more adventurous in my palette. I will ask for suggestions from the wait staff and actually listen to them and surprising enough, its been great! So, it was no different this weekend when John and I did our normal anniversary celebration and spent the night at Ross Bridge. Instead of getting out and going to Panera Bread for breakfast, like we normally do, we went with the suggestion of some friends, and ate at the restaurant in the hotel. John got the buffet, which I must say, looked like a feast and had my heart not told me to push through and order from the menu, I totally would have craved and ate my weight in breakfast potato patties. One of the hardest things I have ever done was to walk past the omelet station. They had fresh prosciutto for cryin' out loud!

Anyway, the Lemon Souffle Pancakes came highly recommended from Steven. I'll be honest, I had my doubts when I came through the buffet area.

John was already finished eating by the time my pancakes came around. The chef hadn't been happy with the way they were rising. They looked like a thin pancake topped with powdered sugar with raspberry syrup on the side. By the way, I must say, that the only raspberry or strawberry flavored syrup that I have ever had was from IHOP, and I almost didn't put it on there because that syrup is so gross (I apologize if that is your favorite syrup). Anyway, the pancakes were very hot but, OH. MY. WORD. They melted in my mouth. It was pure heaven. The lemon in the pancake was so slight and mixed perfectly with the raspberry syrup. I told John it was like food art. Who comes up with this stuff?!!? It was the highlight of my weekend.

I also did what any self respecting blogger would do.. I took a picture to share with y'all. I didn't want to any of these pancakes to go to waste. They were too good to have to go to the garbage. THEY. WERE. THAT. GOOD.

The moral of the story is, if you are ever in the Birmingham area, stay at Ross Bridge and eat the restaurant, Brock's for breakfast and if you have a great hubby like mine, then he will sneak you some grits and breakfast potato cakes.

A Kiss On the Hand May Be Quite Continental...

Growing up, my sister and I probably didn't watch the "usual" children movies. Sure, I saw all of the Disney movies, but I never watched "Ghost Busters" or "Weird Science". I grew up watching "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Gone With The Wind". Those movies are some of my favorite memories of my childhood. My sister and I use to watch Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell sing and dance across the screen and we would re-in act it for my parents or neighbors or anyone that would watch.

Last night, I finally (FINALLY!) coerced John into watching Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ( against his will). It reminded me last night, that there used to be a time when women always wore dresses, hats, and gloves. Men dressed in suits and hats on a daily basis. Men always opened doors and ladies were treated, well, like, ladies. These clothes are fabulous. I had to wipe a little drool away. I want to be able to wear gloves on a daily basis. I look at what some of these girls nowadays are wearing... Chuck Taylors? Baggy jeans? No Thanks... I would much rather live in a Jackie-O time.



"I just love finding a new place to wear diamonds..."


Beautiful hats and perfectly coiffed hair