Jennifer's Engagement Party!

Chris and I spent a wonderful few days in Atlanta this past weekend! We took a flight out early Saturday morning for my friend, Jennifer's Engagement Party! It was so nice to be able to see Jennifer again and spend time with she and her family. Ms. Fran certainly outdid herself with preparing the house.. it was beautiful! Thank you to Jennifer, Chris and the Bollinger Family. I look forward to the year ahead!!

Jennifer and her mom, Fran

Jennifer and her Chris

Tommy and Matt (groomsmen)

Brunch at Mimi's Cafe! (yummy!!)

My Best Friend's Wedding

Tomorrow morning Chris and I are off to Atlanta, Georgia (without our kids for 2 whole days!) to attend an engagment party! My favorite friend in the whole world is getting married (a year from today actually!) and her parent's are hosting an engagment party for she and her fiance. Have I mentioned that she has bestowed upon me to great honor of being her Matron of Honor!! I couldn't be more excited!

Jennifer and I met our freshman year at the University of Mississippi. (OLE MISS!) We were next door neighbors in the dorms, sorority sisters and quickly the best of friends. We instantly felt as though we had known each other our entire lives! I truly believe in soulmates and I believe that she is mine! I just love her to pieces and can not wait to see her! I'm so blessed that she's chosed me to be a part of this special time with her.

For Jen.. a few things to make you smile and laugh!

* Big Easy

* sunglasses at midnight

* Donny P's and the candle incident

* Sour Apple Martini's

* Paige.. i think that's all i have so say about that one!

* Double Decker and the entire bottle of wine!

* Bid Day 2002 and the Tiki Bar

* running out of gas at the haunted house

* running out of gas AGAIN and almost hitting a tree!

* Halloween Swap 2001

* Big Easy.. again.. ha!

*YA-YA-YA

*Crackers in my bed

*Easy mac

*paint on my pillow - that is still there to this day!

*Nectarine and Sugar Plum

*ghetto riding.. and then crashing!

*jack daniels.. lots and lots of jack daniels

Soooo many more.. I'm just getting started! :)

Show Us Where You Live Friday: Home Offices

Today on Kelly's Korner, the topic is Home Offices. Well, I'm certainly NOT going to show you my "home office" right now b/c it's a MESS! Really, it is! I've been crazy busy all week with orders and making things for Ethan's birthday party! So... not showing! But I will show you a picture of my desk. It probably is my most favorite piece of furniture in my house. Why? ....

(and OF COURSE my office totally looks like this picture!! - yeah, right.. i wish! - i guess that would require not having kids!! hmm..) :) Because of THIS drawer! It's the entire length AND width of the desk.. HUGE! With adorable little cubbies built in. The picture below doesn't even show a third of the drawer! I AM IN LOVE! I seriously believe that I was meant to own this wonderous thing... we were meant to be! HA! :) In all honestly though, it fabulous and helps keep my sanity a little more in check with ultimate organization!

The best part is that it was my sweet, sweet husband who bought it for me! I had secretly (ok, maybe not soo secretly) been eyeing it for weeks. One day he called and said that Pottery Barn had marked it down. Long story short, in about 2hrs from that phone call it was MINE!

So, that's all of the home office (rather, bit of area that is strictly off limits to all persons under 4ft tall in my house!) you get to see. Maybe if it actually gets clean one day, and i stop being so busy and can clean it, then I can post actual pictues! Don't really see that happening though! :)

This is just what I needed today! A few words of encouragment! Thank you Kelly's Korner for posting these. I am forwarding these one to my readers as well, praying that in some way they can give you the hope you made need and remind you that God is ever present. Love to all!

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:6

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. – Matthew 11:28-30

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. – John 14:1-4

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. – Psalm 42:5-6a

my little helper!

Yes.. he's vacumming.

Yes.. those are Thomas the Train undies.

Yes.. he brightens my day!

We LOVE Summer!

Lately, with the weather being so incredibly wonderful, we have had so much fun playing outsite! The kids are really enjoying the backyard. They're growing up so fast. I snapped a few photos yesterday afternoon when we got home from school...

aww.. this seems sweet right... well, it was actually just because...

Ethan had "doggie poopie" on his fingers and she needed him to wash "RIGHT NOW!" ha!

Dancing Queen!

What another fun-filled weekend! Early Saturday morning we all got ready and headed back downtown for Lilly Kate’s dance recital. We got to the Canon Center around 10, for a show time of 10:30.. just enough time to put of the tutu and mascara-up those lashes of LK’s! Well, just like any other day in the Stickles house, what we thought was going to be smooth sailing quickly went into a frantic mess of a morning! Like I said.. it was 1o.. show time in 30 minutes.. and then it happened… I went to get Lil’s tap shoes from her bag.. NO BAG! WHAT?! … No bag! I forgot Lilly’s dance shoes!!! (and not just in the parking lot!) I jumped up and ran out of the dressing room to find Chris. I had him rush home to get the shoes! Now.. we have 30 min to show time.. LK was #6 in the lineup for her first dance.. and we live 20min away! Yeah, not going to happen! So, Daddy raced home to get the shoes (at least she’d have her ballet shoes) and I borrowed tap shoes from another pre-school group. Luckily, LK didn’t let the stress get to her and was totally ok with the new shoes! Daddy just BARELY made it back in time to see his princess perform her tap routine! WHAT A MORNING!! Lilly Kate did absolutely fabulous though!! She’s such a natural on stage and outshined all the other little girls! (really, she did.. not just saying that b/c I’m her mom!)  She knew her routine perfectly and had the biggest smile (and curls!) on stage!! I’m such a proud mom! Definitely makes me miss my 18+ years of ballet training! (and those legs muscles!!) HA!