Big News!!!

We have one more thing to be thankful for this holiday, and since I announced it on Facebook Thanksgiving night, it's past time to disclose it here:  Ryan and I are having another baby!!

After a lot of discussion, thought, and prayer, we knew it was time to grow our little family.  I hesitated and hesitated on it (I hate making big decisions), but one day in church our pastor said, "If you tarry until you're ready, you'll never go at all."  He wasn't applying this logic to having a baby, but it definitely fit my heart and where I was at the time.  We were blessed with not having to wait long before we got that positive pregnancy test (and no, I didn't take a picture of it.  You're welcome.).

We've gotten to see the baby via ultrasound three times now, and it's so amazing!  The last time we went, about 2 weeks ago, we saw him or her kicking and flailing his or her arms like crazy.  It was wonderful!

How have I been feeling?  Ex.  Haust.  Ed.  I was nauseated for a few weeks, but the exhaustion has kicked into overdrive!  I can barely stay awake to drive home, and I haven't put Alli to bed in weeks because I can't stay up long enough!!  I'm also feeling a little overwhelmed.  It's been a long time since I've done this, and I feel like I have so much to do - nursery, getting the rest of the house decorated and done, oh along with resting enough and eating right.  It's all enough to make me roll over and go back to bed!  Except I'm not sleeping well with the crazy dreams and mild anxiety.  There's really nowhere to turn with wine crossed off my shopping list for another 6 months.

Alli is beside herself.  She's been after us for nearly three years to give her a little sister.  She's been a ray of sunshine in a trimester full of fear, worry, doubt, and sleepiness.  She talks about the baby constantly, and she's so sweet.  She's pretty set on a little sister, which is surprising for a tomboy, but she does tell me a little brother would be "okayyyy."

So we're thirteen weeks along, due at the end of May, and can't wait to find out what we're having.  Alli and I are on the same page, but Ryan would definitely appreciate another man around the house to balance things out.  Thank you all for the kind words, thoughts, and prayers that accompanied our announcement.  We are so excited and we cannot wait to meet the newest Lowe!

Thankful

Corn casserole prep

Due to the larger new house and the decision to move the LSU game to Fayetteville, I had the utmost honor of hosting Thanksgiving this year.  This is the first Thanksgiving in my 27 years that we haven't had dinner at my mom's house.  With all of the changes our family has experienced this year, I think we were all looking forward to altering traditions a little bit.  Plus, no travel and a house full of people celebrating my favorite holiday in my home?  Yes, please.

Mixing up her famous dressing

Mom, Dad, John, Nini and Alli (who spent the first part of the week in Little Rock) arrived Tuesday night.  Ryan and I worked on Wednesday, but I don't think it even came close to equaling the work that went on here without us!  Lindsey and John cleaned the house and Mom, Dad, and Nini started baking.  Nini made a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie, Mom made a pumpkin pie, and Dad make his pumpkin cheesecake with a praline topping (I die).  Needless to say, the house smelled delightful when I arrived home that night, but everyone was anxious to get out and grab some pizza.

The next day started early, because with a nearly 16 lb. turkey and double recipes for 4 casseroles and dressing to prepare before 3PM, you've got to get going quick.

Not everyone helped - some of us watched the parade

Fortunately, everything went off without a hitch.  Ryan cooked his first turkey (with some serious guidance from my dad, who's a pro), and Nini, Mom, and I coordinated our casseroles almost perfectly (thanks to Mom, who's also a pro).  We had sixteen people attending:  the eight of us (Nini, Mom, Dad, Ryan, Lindsey, John, Alli and I); my aunts (Vicki & Karen); my great aunts and uncles (Wanda & Philip, Joyce & Leon); and my mom's cousin and his wife (Kevin & Terri).  It was a house full, and we were so happy to have everyone and plenty of room too!

After wonderful family time, the best part is - we had a ton of leftovers.  I'm pretty sure I'm on my fourth straight meal of Thanksgiving, and I'm not tired of it yet.  Bring it on!

Friday we had tailgate-lite (only 2 tents and half the food) for the LSU game.  One of my best friends Lara and her husband Bobby came up for the game, so I got to spend some quality time with them.  The Hogs kept it closer than any of us thought they would, which was fun and depressing all at the same time.  I hate losing, but I really hate losing to LSU!!

Today we got up and hit Prairie Grove from some antiquing.  My great aunts came along and introduced us to Briar Rose, a bakery with delicious chocolate gravy in Farmington.  Then we forged ahead to do some serious thrifting.  There were 4-5 antique stores in a row down the main drag in PG, and boy did we rack up!  I got a metal horse statue, an egg basket, a sugar mold, a mason jar, and two bars of locally made soap. 

Totally goofy horse than now lives in my flower bed

I also had my eye on this table for a kitchen island, but I didn't pull the trigger.

After spending about half of the day there, we headed home to eat more leftovers.  I was pretty adamant about getting Christmas stuff out, even though I was afraid I was going to get too tired.  I popped in the Christmas music and got to work though, and two hours later - voila!

Yay!  One tree down, two to go!!  Doesn't this just look amazing in our office area?  I have dreamed about putting the tree here ever since we moved in, and I am so pleased with the way it looks!!

I better go grab a slice of the chocolate pie my mom made fresh for tonight - yes, we're fatties.  Yum-o!!!  I hope all of you had a wonderful time celebrating my all time favorite non-my-birthday holiday!!

Fall Family Photo Fun

I do love a good bit of alliteration, don't you?  I voted for Terry Taylor for Beaver Water District in the election last week on name alone.  I have got to get more up to speed on my local politics...

I digress, however.  Last weekend we scheduled a photo shoot with the wonderful Chris Blake to take our family photos for our Christmas card and to go over the fireplace at the new house.  Can you believe I talked Ryan out of mounting a TV over it?  Had to be because the opening was too small.  He got a new TV out of the deal, but I'm claiming a moral victory for home decorators everywhere.

Our last family pictures were for the Humane Society of the Ozarks photobook in June or July, and I loved them, but I didn't really want to send out pictures of Alli and I in sleeveless tops on the Christmas card.  So we set up a time with Chris that was perfect - it was a cool day, the leaves were changing, and I got a new outfit.  What could be better?  (Side note - this is a Piko brand top.  I now own 4.  I am OBSESSED.)

How fabulous are these?  I am so happy with how they turned out and I can't wait to send out Christmas cards (40% off over at Shutterfly right now...)

Where Did October Go?

I feel like I blinked and one of my favorite months of the year was gone!  And I didn't give the world a single update on it!  Fortunately, my all time favorite month is upon us, but just to keep everyone in the loop, here's an October recap.

• Football, and lots of it.  We attended every home football game the Hogs played in October, and tailgated for most of them, which means we had very few free weekends.  I love football, and I love the Hogs, but they really aren't making the time, effort, and money we're putting into them worth it this year.  Here's hoping it will pay off next year.  It's a good thing for us we have such great family and friends around to commiserate with.

• A field trip to the pumpkin patch.  It's really hard to believe that the last time Alli's school took a field trip to the pumpkin patch she was in kindergarten, and now she's in second grade!  I was able to go with her and it was so much fun.  The most wonderful thing about Alli's personality is that she thoroughly enjoys life.  So many kids on the field trip complained or didn't participate in the events, but Alli did everything that was put in front of her and had a blast the entire time.

• Halloween.  This is Alli's all time favorite holiday.  She's the kid who loves going in the Halloween store to see all of the scary stuff and swears she's not afraid.  I can't look at the demon babies, but Alli doesn't seem to mind them at all.  This year Alli decided to be a vampire.  We went to her school carnival the Friday before Halloween, and then went trick or treating in our old neighborhood with her good friends Addison and Samantha.  It was a great night, and I'm still sneaking her candy.  Someone stop me.

Here's to a wonderful October, and a warm welcome to the best month of the year, November.  Happy fall, y'all!