Birthday Swag

My husband did such a great job picking out the perfect birthday gift for me! He bought me a diamond and black diamond infinity bracelet. He also took my daughter Kelsey to the mall to pick out a couple of other things for me. She picked out a starfish bracelet and a long starfish necklace to match. She also picked out a long flowy mint and white chevron shirt and a sweet little owl pencil holder from Versona. I will make his home in my new craft room! I love everything!

Loving life on Christy Street! :)

Jess

Who doesn't like birthday cake?

Another post in honor of my birthday!!

I love birthday cake. These are so pretty!! I want them all! 

You can find them posted on my Pinterest Boards. 

I want to order a pretty cake just for me! 

It's My Birthday!!

Yes that's right!! August 20th! I turned the ripe old age of 33 today!! In honor of that I will share some of my favorite pinterest/blog party ideas.

I have seen this pic floating around Pinterest for a while. I have always loved this party! It's so pretty and feminine. The branches are the best part! You can find more party ideas at Hostess with the Mostess Blog. There are tons to look at and get inspiration from. 

Shout out to the 80s! :)

How cute is this Vintage Chic Bicycle Birthday Party? I'm loving gold at the moment. Those chevron cookie are too cute! You can find more pics at Kara's Party Ideas. There are so many themes to choose from on her site. I love it! 

Nothing like a little tablescape/theme party eye candy! I love parties!

Happy Birthday to me! 

enjoy,

Jess

Life happens...

Sometimes life throws you curveballs you can dodge and sometimes it hits you head on with a helmet to the knee! That is how my son fractured his knee at football practice Thursday evening. Last play of the night! 

This is before practice!

The pen is pointing to a little dark crack in his knee.

Breakfast this morning and on the way to the Dr. for his cast!

Our house is upside down because we are putting down the brown paper bag floor in our hall bath and our master bedroom. Jack's bedroom is up stairs and he can't go upstairs so we are all sleeping on couches or mattresses on the floor at the moment! He got a cast put on today and we borrowed a recliner from my grandmother to make him comfortable. He's bored out of his mind and is ready to go back to school. I think it's to show off his cast and crutches. You know it's kinda cool at first! 

Going in for his cast.

Cast complete! He has a nice little set up with his xbox live and recliner. 

Why is it when you are in the middle of projects things like this happen? Six weeks in a cast. There goes the September vacation we had planned with whitewater rafting and hiking in the mountains. Maybe we can spend Thanksgiving in the mountains! Who knows, just another day on Christy Street!

Jess

Craft Room Progress

I have been a busy bee lately. I have been working on my craft room and have made real progress!!

Here is a before pic....yikes!

 I can't stand it!! So dark and drab! Let's face it no body really likes the color brown!! So I started painting!! I chose a high gloss white from sherwin Williams for my built in bookcases and desk. Here is where i am so far...

I have a vision it will just be a while before I get there!! I hope it turns out well!!  Say a little prayer for me! I'll update y'all soon! 

Jess

The Start of Our Baby Journey

Do you ever feel like you are at a crossroad in life? I feel like I am there right now! About 2 years after my son was born I decided to have my tubes tied. I was a 24 years old single mother with 2 children. I was scared but certain I had my boy and my girl and I was done. Its so funny how God works. If I had taken my blinders off I would have seen I was making the wrong decision. God brought my husband into my life about 2 weeks before my surgery. I had no idea that when he sat next to me on a bench at a car-wash and just smiled that I was looking at my future straight in his eyes. I thought who is this guy? Then he just got up and walked away. You see he was the manager of the car-wash and my mother worked there as the cashier.  I had no idea who he was. It was a few days later that he asked for my phone number and I of course didn't give it to him!  He found it anyway (probably from my mom) and the first time he called me was to actually check on me after my tubal ligation surgery.  He asked me if  I wanted to go out to dinner and I agreed but made it a double date with my sister and brother in law because I was so nervous!  We had a great time and have been together ever since.

We moved pretty quickly we were engaged in April and married by November of that same year.  He had 2 children as well so neither of us were interested in having anymore kids. There came a point where that changed. We were both young parents and still had a lot of living to do. I'm not sure when you actually feel "grown up" but I think we have come to that point in our life. We are settled and in real love and want to share the pregnancy experience and raising a baby, together. Although he is very much a father to my two kids and his own we still yearn for a baby of our own. We have had almost 8 amazing years to grow as a couple. We have worked out all sorts of kinks. We didn't get married because I was pregnant or because it was the next logical step in our relationship. We got married because we wanted to, because we knew that we had found our soul mate. We fit together like a puzzle.  I had not felt that before. He often says that I taught him how to love or what love was really supposed to be like and he did the same for me. Now don't get me wrong it's not always rainbows and butterflies. We aren't perfect. We have had plenty of ups and downs as most do, but we never give up on each other. You have to stick it out and work at it everyday. For better or worse in sickness and in health in good times and bad!

Back to the Journey. We have doubters of course. People that ask why? "Your kids are practically grown, why do you want to start over?" "You have a grandchild, its to late." "It will take time away from your kids you already have, what about them?" I had lots of comments and questions from different people about it. I have felt discouraged at times when I think about the up all nights and crying fits because our kids are far past that stage. But then I think, so what! This is what WE want. Why should we put something that is so important to us and something that we truly want on the back burner because of what others think or may think? Why should our hopes and dreams for our future be dulled because of others? We are still young.  I have no doubt that if I hadn't of had my tubes tied back then that we would have had a baby that would be a toddler by now. I know God was trying to introduce my husband to me just before my surgery to get my attention. To show me that I was making the wrong decision but I didn't see it. My Dr and even my nurse didn't think it was a good idea but no one could tell me otherwise.

We are now at a crossroad. We CAN have a tubal reversal. We are at a point that it's a real possibility! We just have to take that step. It's scary to think how our family and life will change. Do I have enough room in my heart to love another child as much as I love the ones we already have? That may seem like a stupid question and it is really but the thought has crossed my mind. I know once I hold that sweet baby that was made from so much love that that worry will disappear. Am I going to be able to lose the baby weight? Am I going to be able to juggle everything? Am I going to be able to stay home and care for our baby or will I have to continue to work? Can we afford it? When you have a decision like this one there are so many questions that you can talk yourself out of it just out of fear, fear of the unknown and the what ifs. Fear is crippling sometimes but you have to overcome fear for anything good to happen!

Babies bring Joy. They also bring expense and tears! Is it worth it? I believe it is. I have taken away the ability for God to bless us with a baby of our own. I feel that by having the tubal reversal I am bringing that ability back. After that we will be on God's time. It may take months or years to conceive but I believe we were meant to be together and we were meant to have children together. All the opinions, fears and doubts don't really matter. God's timing is always perfect. If he chooses to give us another child everything will work out. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20  "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." My faith is much larger than a mustard seed so I know everything be just fine. I'll keep y'all posted on our journey. Have any of you been on this journey? Any encouragement would be appreciated. Leave your comments below.

<3, Jess

Stop and smell the flowers...........

I am obsessed with hydrangeas! I love them! They are so beautiful and remind me of visiting my granny and pawpaws house. They have huge hydrangea bushes in their back yard right by the back door. The pretty blue ones. I have a few planted but they are not big yet and only produce a few blooms each year. Right now the lime light hydrangeas are blooming and I am so envious of my neighbors that have them. I have to get some soon to plant. I would love for them to line my property like the picture below. 

Down here in Alabama I think we all look forward to when our seasonal flowers bloom. Its nice to just go outback and cut some fresh flowers for you table or to just have here and there throughout the house. Another one of my favorites is the gardenia. I remember walking out back and just being so excited when the sweet smell of the gardenia tickled my nose. I looked towards the back fence and there it was peeping over. I immediately went over and cut a few blooms. It can't get much more southern than sweet gardenias in a mason jar!

When you move into a new home it's always fun to see what sprouts up as the seasons change. This little daffodil comes back every year in the same spot. Right in the middle of the yard. My husband always cuts around it. I remember when the kids first spotted it walking home from the bus stop. They were so excited to show me!

Another one of my favorites is the Stargazer Lilly. I wore this flower in my hair when Chad and I got married so every time I catch this scent it takes me back to that special day. We always have these in our flower beds and I look forward to them blooming every year!

Speaking of Lilies, Chad went to his grand mothers home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama shortly after we moved in. He brought back day lilies from her garden and we planted them along the front porch. A year later they still hadn't bloomed. They were just green leaves sticking up out of the ground. He came home one day and said i'm going to pull these up if they don't bloom soon. I said no don't do that give them a little longer. I also liked that even though there were no flowers it still filled in that space with some color and texture. Well they must of heard him stay they were on thin ice because it wasn't long after that he called me out side and said look! They were beautiful and they weren't day lilies at all they were irises! Beautiful yellow irises! I'm so glad he didn't pull them up!

We have so many other beautiful plants and flowers that bloom all throughout the year. Of course the Azalea always makes for a pretty backdrop in photos. 

I also love when the dogwoods bloom. It's such a pretty sight against the blue sky.

And I cant forget the crepe myrtle. These line our yard and side walk.

We have such beautiful flowers down south. Y'all should come for a visit and see for yourself. A great place to see different blooms is Bellingrath Gardens.

Bellingrath Gardens & Home was the creation of Mr. & Mrs. Bellengrath. The gardens first opened to the public in 1932 while a national garden club meeting was taking place in Mobile. Mr. Bellingrath place an ad int he Mobile paper announcing that anyone who would like to see the spring garden could do so free of charge. After an overwhelming response, the couple decided to keep the gardens open year round. Throughout the year, this 65 acre Garden Estate is in full bloom with camellias in the winter, azaleas in the spring, roses in the summer, chrysanthemums in Fall and Magic Christmas Lights display during the holiday season. 

It's so hot here right now. I am looking forward to Fall and the weather that it brings. I cant wait to sit outside and watch the sunset and just take in the beauty that surrounds us everyday. I am so thankful for the life I have been blessed with. There is beauty all around us. You just have to slow down and look at whats around you. Stop and smell the flowers people!

Peace,

Jess