don't be shy...

Hello ladies!

(and gents...there may be a couple of you too...Dad :))

Hope this week is treating you well so far!

I've noticed that my blog has been getting a little more action as of late, so it's got me wondering...who is reading??

It's possible that there are just a few people who click over here often, (mom?) but my curiosity has gotten the best of me, so I've decided to host a little "meet & greet" of sorts.

If you're a visitor of this blog, will you leave me a comment? Puh-lease?

I feel like I could be missing out on some bloggie friendships here!

I'll even give you a question to answer...you know, just to break the ice. We don't want any awkward-ness here, right?!

So my question to you is....how do you prefer your steak cooked?

Profound, isn't it? Sorry. It's the best I can come up with right now...I work at a steakhouse, remember? The temperature at which one eats their steak can say a lot about a person! Not sure what it says...but it's true.

For the record, I like my steak medium rare to medium.

That probably means I'm high maintenance because I can't choose one temperature.

Whatever.

Can't wait to "meet" you, future blogging buds!

Thanks for playing along! :)

I have a sister!

Last Saturday (January 15th) my brother married the love of his life! I'm thankful that Kenneth has found such happiness in Nicole, I've prayed for this for several years, and as always, the Lord provides. What a blessing that is!

The entire weekend was so much fun and so full of love!

The festivities started Friday morning with rehearsal...

Of course, Nicole had everything planned to a tee, so there wasn't a lot to stress about that day!

After rehearsal, we enjoyed a YUMMY lunch at a Vineyard outside of San Antonio.

The happy couple!

We had some decorating and little projects to complete that afternoon so we could all relax and enjoy the wedding morning/afternoon!

On Saturday morning, we participated in some "friendly" bowling with the Boyce family!

Then it was time to get ready for the big night!

Kenneth surprised Nicole with a special something before the ceremony...

A beautiful "right hand" diamond ring...Nicole's face was priceless!

P.S. - He went to Jared!!

The ceremony was so sweet and even a little patriotic!

You see, my brother works at an air force base as a golf course superintendent, and that is where they got married. At 5:30 each day, the national anthem is played. It just so happened that KB & Nicole were lighting their unity candle about that time, so we all had a laugh as we listened to the anthem during their ceremony! The timing couldn't have been better!

After the ceremony, it was time to party!

And party, we did! The reception was such a blast! The food was awesome, the speeches were meaningful, and the photo-booth was a hit!

I was proud of my little signs ;)

My mom & her bestie (AKA wedding coordinator!)

I had a hot date, of course!

KB & Nicole impressed us with their dancing skills!

How awesome is this? They even had g-free cupcakes for me! They are so thoughtful. I had meals planned especially for me all weekend :)

Of course, our Nattie girl LOVED the cupcakes!

All the little girls flocked to the princess bride!

We danced the night away at the reception and truly celebrated the joy that this marriage will be to our family. Our Kenneth is now complete which makes our family complete! I'm looking forward to the years to come with the ones that I love most, and I know we will all live happily ever after.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Boyce!!

Now, I'll try not to bug y'all too much about when I'm getting a niece/nephew ;) hehe

i love you this much.

Last Tuesday (1-11-11!) was Rob's 26th birthday! It's pretty crazy to me that this is the 8th birthday of his that I've celebrated.

In honor of the big two-six, I thought I'd share 26 things that I adore about my hubs...

-He's kind to everyone he comes in contact with, even if they are rude or grumpy.

-He always has and always will only have eyes for me.

-He does his own laundry.

-He loves & trusts in our Savior.

-Every card I have ever received from him has had 'SWAK' written on the seal.

(Sealed With A Kiss)

-He is passionate about the career he has chosen. And he's good at it to boot!

-He lets me snuggle my cold feet to him when I get into bed at night.

-He's so patient.

-He often leaves little notes for me to wake up to.

-He supports me in all that I do.

-He's the best hugger I know.

-He eats whatever I put out on the table for him...good or bad. Makes me feel good.

-He makes me laugh on a daily basis.

-He (almost) never complains about taking pictures for/with me.

-He's awesome with kids.

-He's always willing to help me around the house.

-He's a manly man.

-He's a wonderful son/grandson to his mom/grandparents.

-He's intelligent.

-He's pretty much always game for whatever plan I've dreamed up.

-He rarely complains about ANYTHING.

-He never forgets my birthday or our anniversary.

-He's honest, trustworthy & selfless.

-He watches HGTV with me.

-He lets me "cry it out" on his shoulder whenever I need to.

And last but certainly not least...

-He's mine for life!!

How in the world did I get so lucky??

I love you, babe...always & forever!!

catching my breath.

Once again, the blog has been on the back burner for the last couple of weeks, but alas, I am back and ready to "write"! I've got some good stuff to document coming right up! The following have been occupying my days:

My honey turned TWENTY-SIX!

My brother married the love of his life!

Our "old" house SOLD!!!

We've been moving even more stuff over to the new house since we no longer have to keep the other house staged.

I've been a house-shoppin fool. And I'm not done yet...sorry, babe ;)

We've been in Dallas, San Antonio, and just about everywhere in between.

My cousin & her hubby are in town from Idaho...yippee!!

So, I hope you'll forgive me.

Be back soon!!

Wedded Bliss

Last weekend, one of my dearest friends got married! Kaila and I met in high school and have been friends ever since, despite the distance between us. She went to the University of Texas, so several hours separated us, but Kaila always made time for a lunch date with me when she would come home for visits. I'm so thankful for her friendship and I was ecstatic to be apart of she and Mark's wedding weekend!

The fun began Friday morning with a brunch at the oh-so-yummy Hickory Street Cafe! It was a relaxing morning, and I was glad to meet all of Kaila's friends from college!

Friday night was rehearsal and a DELICIOUS rehearsal dinner at The Beehive in downtown Abilene.

The happy couple listening to everyone's kind (and funny!) toasts...

Me & the bride-to-be!

After dinner, all of the wedding party went out to a little sports bar in town...

The bar owner took notice of the fact that all of us were pretty dressed up compared to most of the other bar goers, and brought out a bottle of champagne to toast the couple!

Sweet friends...

And only Kaila would be Purel-ing at a bar! HAHA! She is so "Type A" (personality, not blood) and reminds me a lot of myself, so I think it's okay that I make fun of her a bit ;)

Saturday, of course, was the BIG DAY!!

How gorgeous is my little bride?!!

So excited! Her last few moments as a "Miss"...

The ceremony was so intimate, and brought happy tears to my eyes!

Time to bustle, so we could celebrate!

First dance...

They are so adorable and so obviously crazy about each other...

My handsome date :)

Kaila,

You were a STUNNING bride, and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of your wedding! I so appreciate your friendship, and I know it will continue to grow as the years go by. You and Mark have a lifetime of happiness ahead; this is only the beginning!

I love you dearly, sweet friend!!