Happy Birthday Honey!!

Today is my sweet husband's birthday!! I just want to wish him an absolutly wonderful day!! He is so precious to me and a WONDERFUL daddy to Emma! We both love you and hope you have a great day!

Friends....

I just want to take the time to give a "shout out" to all of our friends. As I have "grown up" I have come to realize how important friends are. Now don't get me wrong family is important too, but it is so important to have friends outside of your family. When I first moved here to Meridian...I didn't know anyone. I knew Tripp who was going to school 30 minutes away and I still only saw him on the weekends. That left me alone all week long. It was extremely lonely! It was then I realized I needed friends...to hang out with...to talk to...and just to have a companionship with.
I did still have my friends from home (Katie, Meredith...etc.) which I loved dearly, but I was still all alone in a strange town. It was at that point I went out and made friends of my own. I needed girl friends to talk to and shop with. I found many!! My/Our circle of friends travels beyond imagination. They are wonderful, supportive, caring, loving, and are always there when we need them most (Christmas...B & E). I have now realized that maybe we can't pick and choose our families, but we sure can our real family...the one we associate with most of all!! So I'm going to close this post the same way I opened it...with a "shout out" to our friend. We love each and everyone of you!! Thanks for everything!!

Come and Gone...

Ok...so I haven't blogged since Christmas...I've been busy! We had a delightful Christmas...minus minimal drama! Emma had a wonderful day opening presents and playing with new toys! After we woke up and played a little while we rode over to Emma's E. and D.D.'s house (Blair's parents house)! We ate delicious seafood gumbo and had fun hanging out! Here are some random pictures of our holiday season with a brief explanation under each!! Hope yours was as good!!

These 2 were our Christmas Cards we took before Christmas!!

Family Shot!!

This is Emma marching down the hall to see what Santa left!!

Ripping open presents and playing with toys!

Emma and her E!! She loves her E...just not his choice in the SEC!!

Notice the new shoes Hannah Kate is wearing...she is modeling a brand new pair of Elmo slippers!!!

Tee Hee Hee!! This was a special present just for Hannah Kate!! It is that stupid cat that Lynn and I have passed for years!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I hate that rasin box is blocking a perfect shot of Hannah Kate's new shirt!! It says M is for Mississippi State!!! She wouldn't take it off...the kid is Elmo obsessed!! She had to wear it all day and when her mom tried to take it off she would back up and say "No"

This is one of my favorite Christmas presents!!! Seeing my Stegall/Smith family!! We had a wonderful visit with Jane, Cal, Meredith, Ryan, and Katie!! Those were the good ole days!

Here are my girls!! Katie, Me, Emma, and Meredith!! We had a blast!! Need to do it more often!!

So there was a wrap up of my holiday season!! I will attempt to do a better job blogging in the new year!!

Christmas time is HERE!!

Christmas is coming...We are all ready! Shopping is done and stockings are hung! We are so blessed this year. We have a beautiful baby girl and she is truly a blessing. I am enjoying every second I have off with her. I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Pictures will follow Christmas!!!

This is Eskimo Emma!! Tripp found this coat in her closet and had to put it on her (and button it all the way up!!)

This is Blair, her dad (Bald head Ed), and his mom (Nanny)!! I finally got to meet Blair's Nanny!!

This was the annual Smitty Smith Christmas Party!! These are the females that came this year!!

This is me, Jamie, and Amberlie...we had a pajama party for our teacher friends!! We had so much fun!!

SUKURITY...This girl was trying to fight me!!

This is Jessy Smith, Maci Manning, and me at Cafe Du Monde!!!
Tripp and I at Cafe Du Monde!

This is Saturday night on Bourbon!

Tripp and I went to New Orleans for some of our great friends wedding! (CONGRATULATIONS Chad and Tytti!) The weekend began on Friday morning when I took Emma to meet Gigi and Pops in Scooba for the weekend. Then Tripp and I were off! We rode down with our friends Smitty and Jessy...and boy did we have fun! We cut up and told stories the whole ride! We finally made it to NO about 5 on Friday evening and Smitty and Jessy had to go to the rehersal/dinner. Tripp and I checked in and then it was time to hit Bourbon. We found a fun little place to eat and enjoyed shrimp po-boys together. Next we walked down and pulled up a table on the front row of Pat O'Briens piano bar! We sang and sipped and sang some more. Smitty and Jessy called us and said that they were almost finished with all the wedding festivities planned for that night so Tripp and I walked back to the hotel to freshen up and catch our second wind. By this time it was about 10:30-11 we caught up with everyone from the wedding party and hit bourbon again...this time settling in the Urban Cowboy (a country bar with a mechanical bull) We had so much fun watching intoxicated professional bull riders. We laughed all night (we also tried to be professionals ourselves). We made it back to the hotel by about 2:30-3 exhausted! Saturday we had a full day of beingets and shopping! The wedding was at 5:30 and BEAUTIFUL! Next it was on to the reception at the House of Broel (a beautiful antibellum home in the heart of NO) Everything was so beautiful and elegent with New Orleans style and traditions! It was a fun time had by all! After the reception everyone wanted to change and get a little more comfortable..which we did...and hit Bourbon again...which we did! This time we had a bigger crowd and a lot more fun! We drank and danced....and drank some more! Finally we found our way back to the hotel, but not before a stop at the all famous Krystal (Welcome to King Krystal, where we do it your way...BUT don't get CRAZY!!!) After clogging a few more arteries...we hit the bed...Now we are home talking about how much fun we had!

Emma on the other hand had just as much fun as we did with Gigi and Pops. (I have to get pictures from mom) They picked up pecans and played with play dough and many other things. The key note to the weekend was Carl GRADUATED!! Congratulations Carl! YAY....after 6 years...11 months...29 days...and 23 hours...You did it and we are so proud of you!!! PS...Happy Birthday!!
No promises but when I get pictures I will post!!

Chemo Kick-Off

Our great friend Gail is starting Chemo (for the second time) and we threw a party for her last week...we called it her Chemo Kick-off!! We made shirts for it and Kick Ass cards (litterally-thanks Amberlie) She has the best spirit of anyone I know...and we know she will do just great! (We keep trying to get her to just hook up to a bag of margarita and see how much fun she would have!)

YES, Amberlie posed for the picture of her ass and the card says...Go Gail, Go Kick Cancer's Ass

Front Row (L to R): Stacey, Jamie, Amberlie, Evelyn

Middle Row: Holly, Gail, Blair Manning Miles, Emily (and JZ)

Back Row: Me, Brenda, Tiffany, Angela (and her little girl)

Happy Halloween

Here are some pictures of Emma in her costume (a dragonfly). She got to wear it twice since last weekend we had the church carnival and this weekend we went trick or treating. She really had so much fun watching all the other kids and seeing their costumes...Enjoy...

Also here are some pictures of Emma and I carving our pumpkin...she had fun pulling seeds out of the inside!!