Blake & Steph's Pictures

We Haven't Forgotten...

2009-05-19T20:54:00.001-05:00

Here is a cute picture of our puppy!!

Introducing Taylor's Blog!

2009-05-11T22:09:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I'm very behind on EVERYTHING these days!! I have been working on a blog for Taylor, and am just now getting around to telling everyone about it. I have lots more posts in the works from the beginning, but need to add pictures to them. I will be doing my best to get it all updated and in order as soon as I can. But, until then, enjoy what I have posted!

The address for Taylor's blog is...

http://blakeandstephsbaby.blogspot.com

Some pictures of Taylor

2008-12-21T21:27:00.002-06:00

A protective big brother

2008-12-20T15:58:00.003-06:00

Hercules is adjusting well to little miss Taylor. He always wants to be in a lap with her and seems to be pretty protective of her. I think he will be a good big brother!

2008-12-12T21:55:00.008-06:00

Well Steph is a little busy handling little miss Taylor Alexis, so I thought I would try and upload a few photos. Taylor was born Dec. 7th @ 9:10 pm, after 21 hours of labor we went to c-section. She was 7lbs. 5 oz. and 20 in long. Here are some of her first few days!!!

Time For a Hercules Picture

2008-11-04T08:30:00.000-06:00

Have we mentioned that he loves laying in the sun?

Halloween!!

2008-11-03T10:25:00.003-06:00

Halloween was fun this year! Taylor dressed up as a pumpkin! We had 20 trick-or-treaters, including Savannah who was in town for the weekend. She wasn't sure what to think of my belly and asked "Where did Taylor go?" We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and watching Garfield's Halloween Adventure (best Halloween special ever)! Hercules even got in on the fun and dressed up! All in all, it was a great night!

Chattanooga Trip

2008-11-03T10:18:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, Blake took me to Chattanooga for one last trip away before we settle in and wait on Taylor! He had saved up some money and surprised me with it. We had a wonderful trip! We went to the Murder Mystery Theater, the zoo, and took a dinner cruise on the Southern Belle. We also got some good time to relax and ate a lot of good food (or at least I ate a lot)! We took so many good pictures, I couldn't pick which ones to post on here. This one is my favorite of us! The rest of the pictures are located at http://blakeandsteph.myphotoalbum.com. Head over there and check them out!

1st Baby Shower!

2008-11-03T10:01:00.006-06:00

I'm a little behind on getting pictures posted. Here are some pictures from my first baby shower! My Mom hosted it at their house in Nashville. I was a great day with family and friends! We got lots of great stuff for Taylor too! Enjoy the pictures!The custest cake ever!!

Lots of gifts!

Me and Mom.
Me and my Grandmothers.
Paula, Me, Savannah, and Maggie
The Angel Care Monitor from my Mom and Dad.

The adorable dress my cousin Casey made for me!

Miguel and Savannah saying bye to each other.

Savannah had to try out Taylor's stroller.

Birthday Celebration

2008-10-22T14:38:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Blake's Mom's birthday dinner this past Saturday. We had a wonderful time celebrating!

Blake grilling the chicken.
Blowing out the candles!

Licking the icing off the candles!

Opening presents.

Just For Funsies!!

2008-10-02T14:10:00.004-05:00

He was almost asleep on the bed.
Look at those tired eyes!
Hiding under the couch!
Up Close!!

30 Weeks and 6 Days!

2008-10-02T14:08:00.001-05:00

The Nursery Is Finished!!!

2008-10-02T09:25:00.004-05:00

Here are updated pictures of the finished nursery! I am so excited to have it complete! We still need to put a few things on the shelves and I need to work on my ribbon tying on Taylor's name, but that is all small stuff. I can't wait for everyone to see it in person!!

Puppies!!

2008-09-24T09:48:00.006-05:00

We went last night to visit with Hercules' dog mom and dad and the litter of puppies they just had! (Hercules' sister and brothers). They were too cute! Hercules did really well with them, and also did well with his mom and dad (Heidi and Pops). Here are some of the pictures from our night with them.Samson! I would love to bring him home!
Peek-a-boo!!
Hercules, Heidi, and Pops playing together!

Isn't he cute!!
Hercules and Pops. They look exactly alike!

Pops!
Sweet puppy!

An Outpouring of Love!

2008-09-23T16:18:00.004-05:00

I spent this past weekend in Nashville visiting some of my family and friends, and I was amazed at the nice things they did for me and Taylor! I spent a couple hours at Starbucks with my friend Vanessa and she surprised me with several goodies. She gave me a cute sleeping bag type thing for Taylor to sleep in, some great boxes for the nursery, burp cloths she made, and fleece blanket she embroidered, and a blanket she crotched! I was so amazed! Then Sunday, I spent the afternoon with my Granny and Mom and Dad. My Granny had several things for Taylor. There was a cute doll, a couple blankets, and shirt, and a quilt she is still working on. We also went shopping and she bought a beautiful dress and cute outfit for Taylor, and a really cute sweater for me! My Mom and Dad also sent me home with about 6 packs of diapers! I think Taylor will be "covered" for a little while. (Of course there are about 12 more packs of diapers waiting for me to bring back home to Cookeville!) All in all it was a wonderful weekend. Of course, it would have been just as wonderful to just spend time with everyone, but I do love all the gifts as well! It is so sweet for everyone to think of us during this time!! Here are some pictures below of a few things I brought home!Diapers in the changing table ready to go!
More diapers stored in the closet!
The cute boxes from Vanessa. They match perfectly!
Burp cloths.
The crotched blanket!

Love this dress!! I can't wait to see Taylor in it!
A cute winter outfit!!

29 Weeks and 3 Days

2008-09-23T16:15:00.003-05:00

Here is my belly at 29 weeks and 3 days with my Granny Doris. We spent Sunday afternoon together shopping. It was lots of fun!!

More Cute Puppy Pictures.

2008-09-17T08:48:00.002-05:00

Laying Between the pillows
Giving kisses!
More Puppy Kisses!
Look at that face!!!!!!

Where's Hercules?????????

2008-09-17T08:45:00.000-05:00

Do We Have A Problem???

2008-09-16T08:40:00.003-05:00

So, I'm thinking this little puppy is in for a rude awakening when little Miss Taylor arrives! What do you think? And yes, this is how he spends the majority of his time when we are home... either in a lap or on his back getting a belly rub! Can you say "Spoiled Rotten"!!!!!

28 weeks and 3 days!

2008-09-15T10:20:00.002-05:00

I think I watched my belly grow this weekend! Taylor is definitely getting bigger!! Here are the latest pictures!

A Lazy Weekend

2008-09-15T10:13:00.003-05:00

For some reason, this weekend was a lazy one for us! We did get up early both mornings for different things, but by noon, we were all napping for most of the afternoon! It was a very nice weekend just to chill and relax. Here is a picture of the puppy enjoying our laziness as well! He spent most of the evening Sunday in the glider curled up in a blanket. I tried to catch him asleep, but he woke up when I tried to take the picture. Oh well, he is still cute!!

Good News This Time!

2008-09-10T14:50:00.002-05:00

I guess I should update everyone on my experience at the doctor yesterday. I did my glucose test again and made it through the whole hour no problem! I didn't even get nauseous or light-headed. I really believe my bad experience last week was due to my major coughing fit (which I am over, by the way). Blake came by and sat with me for about 30 minutes to keep me company so the time would go by faster, and I made a couple phone calls while I was waiting as well. They did let me go sit outside since I was only there for labs. I sat in my car with the windows rolled down, which was less intimidating to me than the waiting room. The worst part of the whole day was when they were drawing my blood. The guy did not seem very "confident" when he was taking me back to the lab, so I was already nervous. He didn't get it on the first try (even after moving the needle around in my arm), so he had to try again! I was not feeling well on the second try and thought he was going to be picking me up off the floor, but I made it. (My arm is bruised pretty good today, though). Once we got through that, they ran my test, and I passed! No 3 hour test for me!! Needless to say, I was very relieved to have all of that behind me! Thank you to everyone who was praying me through yesterday! It was a good day!

Our Sweet Puppy!

2008-09-08T08:52:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of our sweet puppy sitting in one of his favorite spots. Isn't he so cute??

A Couple New Nursery Pics

2008-09-08T08:45:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of the chair rail up and finished! Scroll down a couple posts to the nursery pictures. Blake added some better pictures of the chair rail to that post. The last picture here is of Taylor's closet! She has so many clothes already thanks to our wonderful family!!

The Latest Belly Pictures

2008-09-08T08:38:00.002-05:00

Here are the latest belly pictures! These were taken Friday night, so I was 27 weeks and 1 day! I'm starting to notice it getting bigger, and it is getting harder to bend over to do stuff! I know that will get worse as we go on. Only 12 and 1/2 weeks until our due date! Its getting closer!!!

Glucose Tolerance Test and 27 Week Appointment

2008-09-05T11:17:00.002-05:00

Who knew this little bottle could be so scary?!?! I had my 27 week Doctor's appointment yesterday and had to do the Glucose Tolerance Test. They give you this little bottle of liquid to drink and make you wait an hour then draw your blood. I had heard that the stuff was nasty, so I wasn't looking forward to it one bit, but had no idea what I was in for! My drink was actually clear and lemon-lime flavored, which wasn't too bad. It just tasted like a flat sprite, so I wasn't too concerned about it. Well, 20 minutes into it, things did not go well. I began having a major coughing fit due to the cold I've been fighting this week. Once you have the drink, you cannot have water or anything (like a cough drop) until they draw your blood. I tried to fight through it, but I was coughing so hard I was gagging (which is not a good combination). The lemon-lime liquid decided it wasn't going to stay and made an appearance all over me in the waiting room! After that, it was all over, and I couldn't keep any of it down. So, now, I get to go take the test again on Tuesday. I'm doing everything I can to get myself better and over the coughing so I do not have a "repeat performance". I'm already really nervous for that one hour! I don't even care that they are going to draw my blood (I hate needles)! So, you know I'm pretty worked up!

In better news, the rest of my appointment was great! Taylor's heartbeat was 150 (good and strong is what the doctor said) and everything is going great with me! I'm a tad bit on the small side as far as my measurements go, but they have assured me that plus or minus 2 is normal, and I'm only minus 1. Blake is convinced that means I will deliver a week late (let's all pray that is not correct)! Taylor continues to move all the time! I was really concerned about this part of the pregnancy. For some reason, I thought it would be too weird to feel something moving around inside me, but I have to say, it is the best feeling in the world! I was up most of the night last night coughing, and she moved a lot of the time I was awake. Even though I knew I needed to sleep, and I was getting annoyed at all the coughing, I layed there watching my belly and enjoying every little kick and punch. I feel like it is such a bonding time for us!

Fortunately, we will not be on the road this weekend, so I'm planning several naps to catch up on sleep and try to feel better. In between naps, I'm hoping to get some organizing done around the house to get prepared for little miss Taylor's arrival! Only 13 weeks!! Can you believe it has gone so fast?! I'm also planning on getting some more pictures posted, so check back soon for some nursery and belly pics! I hope everyone has a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

Updated Nursery Pics.

2008-08-28T08:53:00.004-05:00

Here are pictures of the stripes! We do have the chair rail up now, but haven't taken pictures of it yet. We should be finished with the nursery this weekend, and I will get new pictures on here soon! Enjoy these until then!

New Belly Pictures!

2008-08-28T08:48:00.002-05:00

We took these pictures last night, so I am 25 weeks and 6 days in these!

Hercules and Edge

2008-08-28T08:29:00.012-05:00

Last Thursday, we went to a faculty picnic for all the teachers at Avery Trace. While we were there, Hercules made a friend with an English Bulldog puppy named Edge. It is actually one of the first times that he has played with a dog his own size. He usually wants to play with all the bigger dogs because he thinks he is as big as they are! They seemed to have a good time playing together, and I think they wore each other out!!

Starting to play.
Hercules was running circles around Edge!

Edge would get tired and just fall over! Hercules started going up to him and pushing him with his paw to get Edge to start paying again. It was too cute!

Edge in mid-fall!

Both of them getting a belly rub!

Both of them tired after playing for a long time!

Hilarious!!!

Pretty Toes!

2008-08-22T08:48:00.003-05:00

A couple weekends ago, Blake's Mom, sister, and I cashed in on one of our Christmas presents from Tracy. We all went to a spa in Brentwood and got pedicures! Normally, I do not like people touching my feet, but for some reason, this one felt so good! We had a great time, and as you can see, we focused a lot of our time on Savannah too! I think she enjoyed her little pedicure too! Here are a few of the pictures from the day.

My Growing Belly

2008-08-21T10:46:00.002-05:00

Here are the newest pictures of little Taylor making her "appearance" in my belly!! These were all taken Tuesday which would make me 24 weeks and 5 days along!

A Healthy Puppy!

2008-08-21T10:35:00.003-05:00

Hercules had his one year check-up on Tuesday. He did really good except for the times when they seemed to be obsessed with the wrong end of a puppy!! He did seem to be mad at me after that, but he got over it eventually. The good news is that he was perfectly healthy!! The vet told us that he was just a skinny dog. We were tempted to ask for that in writing since we seemed to have a lot of people ask us if we feed him!! The good news for him is that we do not have to take him back for another year!! Here are a few of the latest pictures of him for you to enjoy.

Baby Clothes!!!

2008-08-04T09:05:00.006-05:00

Here are some of the clothes I've purchased for our sweet baby girl! I can't wait to see her in them!

Progress in the Nursery.

2008-08-04T08:46:00.004-05:00

We made lots of progress in Taylor's room this weekend! We moved everything out of the room and got the dresser put together. We also figured out how we are going to do the brown stripes, because my attempt at painting stipes was a disaster! Here are a few pictures of Blake working hard to get the dresser together and the finished product!

Opening the box.
Getting it all out.
Almost finished! (look at that concentration)The changing table (there will be chair railing up soon)
My pathetic attempt at stripes!
The finished product!

Registries!!!

2008-07-25T14:07:00.004-05:00

We finally got all of our baby registries up and running! It is so much fun to look through all the baby stuff, and I know I put tons of stuff on them, but I like options! We have registered at Target, Walmart, Babies R Us, and The Market on the Square (in Cookeville). I'm posting links that will take you straight to our registry for your browsing pleasure. (I love looking at registriesClick Here To Go To Target Registry.
Click Here To Go To Walmart Registry.

Click Here To Go To Babies R Us Registry.

Bedding

2008-07-24T15:33:00.001-05:00

Here is the bedding we are looking at for Taylor! It will go great with the walls we have painted. I promise as soon as we get the room completely painted, I will post real pictures of the nursery!!

Nursery Furniture!

2008-07-24T14:49:00.003-05:00

Things are getting really exciting around the Shearer house! Taylor's furniture arrived Tuesday! We did get the changing table put together, but I didn't take a picture of it. Here are the pictures from Wal-mart's website of the furniture we got! I will post a picture of the bedding we are looking at too!!

Some Cute Puppy Pics

2008-07-17T20:12:00.006-05:00

Here are some of the latest pictures of Hercules that we took with our new lens we got in April. We didn't want him to feel left out with all the baby excitement lately!!

SORRY.....Great News (but a little late)

2008-06-09T21:14:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know, Steph and I (mainly Steph) are 14 1/2 weeks pregnant. Things are going great!! I say that b/c every morning Steph says hello to the beautiful world by throwing up on it. It really stinks for her, but it lets us know that the baby is developing just as it should. In two days we go for the 15th week checkup, and then the next appointment we should find out the sex.

As for names, we had no problem picking those out. It is a boy we are going with Jackson Taylor (not J.T. or Jack so don't work on ways to shorten it!) If it's a girl we are set of Taylor Alexis. Jackson is my grandpa's middle name and Taylor is Steph's great-grandparents last name. Alexis is just for fun.

If you are reading this and are a praying person, be sure to include Steph in your prayers to get to feeling better, and pray for a healthy little one!! I just hope it is not a boy to pay me back for all the hyperactivity that I once gave my parents, and now give Steph.

Click on the new ones to see them upclose!!

2008-06-03T09:43:00.006-05:00

Before
After - shrubs gone, door and shutters painted, nandinas instead of yews and boxwoods.
Here's the flowers dad brought up last year. They all came back up, I just have to learn how to transplant them.
Little dogwood and four knockout rose bushes. Can't decide if I want to edge the roses in and make a flower bed there or just keep em the way the are and mow around.

2008-06-03T09:29:00.002-05:00

Little closer pic of the front porch w/ nandinas in front with the welcome sign. That's a Magnolia Alto in the left corner. Blogger is struggling to upload photos, hopefully the others will come up soon.

Before and After Pics of the Yard

2008-06-03T09:24:00.001-05:00

Yoshino Cherry tree in the corner.

The Latest Craze in the Shearer House

2008-03-05T11:00:00.003-06:00

Blake decided that we needed to purchase Guitar Hero for the Playstation 2 that someone gave him. First of all, thank you to anyone who gave him money for Christmas, because he used part of it on this! I have to admit that I was sceptical at first, but I have played and enjoy it (not quite as much as Blake, though). Here are a few pictures of us playing!

Like a Big Pizza Pie...

2008-03-04T13:21:00.002-06:00

I thought I would share Blake's experiment with everyone today. He loves making homemade pizza (especially on the grill). This weekend he decided to find a recipe for a homemade crust. He got all the ingredients and made a whole wheat crust for our pizza! It was delicious!! The first pizza is a traditional pepperoni and the other one is a BBQ chicken pizza. Here are a few pictures from the pizza making day!

Snow Day!!

2008-03-03T12:00:00.004-06:00

Hercules got to experience his first big snow last week. We had about three inches on our deck with just about covered his legs completely!! Needless to say, he was not happy in the snow. He just kept looking up at me with those big eyes pleading to go back in and do his business on our floor! I did not give in, though! But we did wrap him up and love on him when I brought him back in!!

Babysitting...

2008-02-15T15:39:00.002-06:00

We got the chance to babysit last Saturday for Savannah. We had a great time as always! She is talking so much and acting so much more grown up!! Here are a few pictures from our day with her.

Catching the Ball!!

2008-02-15T15:26:00.002-06:00

America's Next Top Model????

2008-02-15T15:23:00.003-06:00

I found the cutest dress for Savannah the other day. Here a couple pictures of her when she tried it on. Check out her striking a pose in the second one! Too cute!!

Cute Puppy Pics

2008-02-15T11:38:00.002-06:00

Surprise, Surprise!!

2008-02-11T14:10:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, I went to a scrapbook workshop (see my other blog for the layout I did), and came home to a wonderful surprise! My wonderful husband had put in tile in our laundry room by him self (moving the washer and dryer and everything)! It looks so good. He did an incredible job! Here are a few pictures of his work!

One Mean Puppy!!!

2008-02-08T09:32:00.001-06:00

He's really not mean at all, but I thought this was a funny picture!!!

Some more Hercules Pictures!

2008-02-08T09:24:00.000-06:00

Tile Weekend!

2008-01-24T12:28:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we put tile in our kitchen. A big thanks to my Mom and Dad for coming up to help with the project because we didn't know what we were doing yet! Blake and my Dad did a lot of the tile work while me and my Mom kept clean water coming to them for cleanup. It was a lot of hard work, but the end result is great! Enjoy the pictures!!

Before!

2008-01-24T11:37:00.000-06:00

After!!

2008-01-24T11:34:00.000-06:00

More Pictures from the tile weekend!

2008-01-24T10:03:00.000-06:00

Putting down hardibacker. It took lots of screws and lots of time!

I think he was tired of drilling!

Mom taking care of Hercules.

The first piece going in!

Eating lunch under the counter!

Lots of spacers!

All the tile in!

Starting to grout!

Almost done!

Working fast!

Way behind on blogging!

2008-01-23T21:25:00.000-06:00

Okay, I realized what a horrible blogger I've been lately and haven't blogged since Thanksgiving! So, here are pics of the highlights of our Thanksgiving celebration. It is always a busy time since I have to work the Friday after, so I am a commuter for the day driving from Nashville to Cookeville and back. We had a wonderful time with our families and hope you enjoy the pictures!

Steph's Family Thanksgiving

2008-01-23T20:33:00.000-06:00

Hannah and Roy

Tammy and Hannah

Caleb

Family Fun!

Ben playing guitar

Casey and Jesse newly engaged!!

The ring! Beautiful!

Tag!

This was a large bowl of mashed potatoes!

Cindy carving the turkey

Hugs!

Madison and Ben

Madison. Too cute!

Josh.

The Keepers of the Turkey

Hannah trying to get away from the camera.

Yum-O! Can't you just feel the arteries clogging!

Thanksgiving with Blake's Family

2008-01-23T20:08:00.001-06:00

Savannah and Her Daddy

Reading with Grandmama and Tracey

Grandpa Making Fruit Salad

Savannah getting treats for Hercules

Looking for Treats

Me and Savannah

Savannah and Mommy

Too Cute

Getting the ball from Grandma

Sitting with Jackie

She loves Uncle Blake!

The Newest Hercules Pictures

2008-01-22T21:49:00.000-06:00

So Long Old Friend

2007-11-16T12:00:00.001-06:00

So, Blake finally sold the Camry. It was difficult, but he drove his truck more than the car, so it was the best thing to do. It was amazing that it sold so fast! He listed it on local sales and craig's list and had an offer in 2 hours! A young family from Alabama drove up here and bought it. Before it left, Blake had to take it to Jackie and Don so they could say their goodbyes too!!

Halloween Fun

2007-11-16T11:52:00.000-06:00

We had an excellent Halloween this year! Of course, we Halloween could not begin until we watched "Garfield's Halloween Adventure" (which is the best Halloween special EVER)! We carved pumpkins a few days before, and I was so proud of Blake! I think this is the first year he has carved a more complictaed one than me! He did an excellent job. We realized about 20 minutes into carving how intense we were! We had not said a word to each other, we were so focused!! Blake's pumpkin was the witch, and my pumpkin was the spider. We also had our first trick-or-treaters in our house. They are our neighbors, so we had to take a picture of them! The youngest one loves Blake's guitar (as you can see in the picture). All in all it was a great Halloween again this year!!

2007-11-16T11:38:00.000-06:00

Our Front Porch

2007-11-15T09:17:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures of our front porch decorated for Halloween! It is so much fun (and such a blessing) to have your own place you can decorate! I'm so proud of our home!!

Hercules Meets Pablo.

2007-10-19T09:28:00.000-05:00

Hercules finally got to meet his half brother Pablo a few weeks ago. Our friends Mark and Erin are Pablo's proud parents. The meeting went pretty well. Even though Pablo was a little more aggressive, they finally played and got along! Here are a few pictures from the day!

Hercules' New Trick!!

2007-10-19T09:16:00.000-05:00

Here are some fun pictures of Hercules "driving"!! We were on our way to see Pablo (Hercules' brother) and thought this would be fun. Hope you enjoy! I'll post pictures of Hercules and Pablo next!

Latest Hercules Pictures

2007-09-28T11:55:00.000-05:00

Fall Fun Fest

2007-09-28T11:50:00.001-05:00

We've started a tradition where my Mom and Dad come up for the Fall Fun Fest here in Cookeville. My Dad's favorite part is the barbeque! Here are some pictures of him going from tent to tent begging for scraps!!! We had a great time!!

Hercules and Ellie!!

2007-09-28T11:18:00.001-05:00

We dog-sat a few weeks ago for Blake's Mom while she and Tracy went on a cruise. Ellie was a good dog, but not quite sure what to think of Hercules! Of course Hercules was trying to be the "dominant dog" since it was his home. Just try to imagine 5 whole pound of "dominance"!!! They did end up playing before the week was over (they looked scary at times). We did take them on a hike to Burgess Falls, and they really enjoyed their time outside. Here a few pictures from the week.

My Family Meets Hercules

2007-09-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

After the 50th Anniversary celebration was over, we brought Hercules over for my family to meet him! I think Hannah, Madison, and Caleb liked him the most!!! Of course, he enjoyed meeting them too!!

50th Wedding Anniversary!!!

2007-09-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

We recently celebrated my Grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. What an amazing accomplishment to make it 50 years together!!! We had a reception at my home church with cake and punch and lots of family and friends! Probably the coolest moment of the day was when the "guys" gave my Granny a journey in time necklace. No one knew they did it and it was a great suprise. The guys were her two sons and two son-in-laws (my Dad and my uncles). It was a great day. Here are some of the pictures from the day. The first ones are of them giving my Granny her necklace.

More Anniversary Pictures

2007-09-19T15:17:00.001-05:00

Decorations

2007-09-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

Weekend Happenings

2007-08-08T16:32:00.000-05:00

This weekend we were at a wedding shower for Blake's cousin Jeremy and his fiance Anne Claire. We snapped lots of pictures, and here are some of our favorites! Plus, Savannah got her own little photo shoot before the day was over! Enjoy!!

2007-08-08T15:34:00.000-05:00

2007-08-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

Finally, a picture of us!

2007-08-08T10:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a recent picture of us! (And Jackie in the background!)

Hercules at Burgess Falls...

2007-08-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

We decided to take Hercules to Burgess Falls on Saturday for some excercise. He was so cute walking on the trail. He made it most of the way! I was shocked. Blake also took him out in the water to see how he would react. He is not a big fan of water right now. He didn't panic, but he was better being on dry land! We also ate at one of the picnic tables before the hike, and Blake fed Hercules his food on the table. (Bad habits starting now...) By the time we got back to the car, Hercules was exhausted, and it took him no time to fall asleep. I also took a few random pictures just to play with the camera! All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon in the park!

A Surprise Visit!

2007-08-07T11:42:00.001-05:00

Maggie and Savannah dropped by our house the other day, so we took advantage of the opportunity for some cute pictures!!

Playing our new piano.

She was seeing what she could get her hands on in there!
Looks like she found something!

I caught her right as she yelled my name (which is now nannie, her version of Stephanie). Too cute!!

Cream City Crankin'

2007-08-07T08:33:00.000-05:00

Last weekend my Mom and Dad came to Cookeville to visit and celebrate my birthday and my Dad's birthday. We celebrated right by heading out the the Cream City Crankin'. We paid $5.00 a person and got to try all the homemade ice cream we wanted. Basically you walked around and got a plastic spoonful of each flavor. At first we thought that one spoonful was not enough, but when you try 25 different flavors, it is plenty!!! Here are a few of the pictures we took from the weekend!

Some more cute pictures of our puppy!

2007-07-27T12:30:00.001-05:00

Meeting Cookie Dough!

2007-07-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

We decided it was time to let our rabbit, Cookie Dough, meet Hercules. Overall, it went pretty good. Of course, miniature daschunds were bred to hunt rabbits, so things could get interesting later on! We thought if we introduced them while Hercules is a puppy, then he might want to be her friend! We weren't sure who was scared of who some of the time. Here are a few pictures I could get while they were not moving!

A Tribute to the Easter Chicken!!!

2007-07-26T11:56:00.000-05:00

Since tomorrow is my Dad's birthday, I thought I would post a little tribute to him.....
We finally got several rolls developed so I thought I would share our Easter tradition. Every year we have an Easter Egg Hunt for all my cousins and my Grandparents house. My Dad would help the kids find the eggs, and it evolved into the Easter Chicken. Now as he finds a egg that has been hidden, he stands over it clucking like he's a chicken laying an egg!! Its really humerous, but the kids love it! Every year they ask if the Easter Chicken is coming! Of course the adults sit back and laugh!! Here are some pictures from this year's egg hunt!

Hannah and Madison looking for an egg.

I caught him in mid "cluck".

On the run with Josh!

Found another one!!

I doubt many other families have an Easter Chicken visit them on Easter!! It is such a fun tradition. Even though he may look hilarious, I'm so proud to call the Easter Chicken my Dad!!!

More Hercules Pics...

2007-07-25T09:44:00.001-05:00

This Weekend...

2007-07-24T12:23:00.000-05:00

This weekend we were in Nashville for an open house for Blake's Mom and Tracy. We were supposed to be taking pictures of everyone, but kept getting sidetracked taking pictures of Savannah and Hercules! The cutest moment of the day was when Savannah tried to climb into the ice bucket that had water bottles in it. I think I took about 50 pictures of her climbing in! Here are some of our favorites from the weekend.

Paula and Tracy standing by the food table.
Checking out the cold water.

Starting to climb in.

Cold!!!!

Eating Strawberries.

Looking for Hercules.

This one was too cute!

Reading with Nana.

Random Pictures With Our New Camera

2007-07-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

We have finally entered the world of digital cameras!! We saved our money for about six months and purchased the new Canon digital rebel xti, and we are loving it! Here are some of the 200 pictures we have taken in the first day of having our camera!

Birthday Thoughts

2007-07-19T09:21:00.000-05:00

I celebrated my 27th birthday yesterday. I am always amazed at what other people do to make you feel special on your birthday. I had a wonderful day and was so blessed by what everyone did for me! I do not think it is uncommon to reflect on the day you were born, and I had a little down time to do that yesterday. I recently read an article about paying it forward that talked about what a family did for their child on his birthday. Instead of buying him presents, they took him to an ice cream shop for two or three hours. At this point I'm thinking that is a wonderful gift, but the story took a different twist. Instead of buy ice cream and having a party for the child, they sat there and bought everyone's ice cream that came in the store. What a concept! I think we get too caught up in what we deserve sometimes that we forget about doing something for others. What a difference we could make in the lives of others if we did something unexpected for someone else on our birthday! It just really hit home with me to be aware of opportunities to bless others every day, and I hope I can try to incorporate that thought process into my life!

12 Weeks Old...

2007-07-17T11:39:00.000-05:00

Its amazing to look at this picture after two weeks! This is the first day we had Hercules, and he has grown so much since then. He has been sick the last few days which has had me worried, but we took him to the vet and got some medicine for him and he is doing much better! We actually take him tonight for his 12 week check-up and vaccinations. (I'm dreading that) When we took him in Thursday, he had gained a little over a pound since we got him, so I'm anxious to see if he has gained any more. He weighed 3.6 pounds, so he's on his way to being huge! :) Hopefully, I will be able to write an update about his check-up tomorrow.

Blake Passed!!!

2007-07-16T08:59:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, Blake began working on his master's degree last summer in special education. In order to become certified to teach after you pass your classes, you have to take Praxis tests. Blake had to take four of these tests. He took two in April and two in June. We found out in May that he passed the first two, and have been anxiously awaiting the results of the last two. Well, they arrived in the mail Friday and he passed them both!!! We are so excited because he was offered a teaching position for the fall, but had to pass the tests to be able to officially accept it! He has also been taking 9 hours of class in two and a half weeks to finish the class portion of his certification. The first week and a half was pretty intense, and I believe this week will be about the same if not worse. He has done such an awesome job in school and with his tests! I'm so proud of him!!

Camping Trip

2007-07-15T15:32:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to throw it right!

Blake looking determined!

The camper

Our campsite

Me, Blake, My Dad, and My Mom

My Dad and Blake

The squirrel trying to get in the cookies (he finally succeeded)

Tired from all the food

A few weeks ago we went camping with my Mom and Dad to Cedars of Lebanon. My parents recently bought a pop-up camper, so we were helping them break it in. We had a wonderful time of relaxing, talking, eating, bike riding, and disc golf playing. The first night was a little loud because a youth group was at the campsite across from us, and they stayed up most of the night laughing and singing. Their campsite ended up providing some entertainment when they left to go hiking. They left all their food out, and the squirrels decided to make a meal of it! We go some funny pictures of them rummaging! We can't wait to go camping again!

Savannah Meets Hercules

2007-07-13T16:25:00.001-05:00

Our niece Savannah met Hercules last weekend. She wasn't quite sure what to think about such a small dog since she is used to Golden Retrievers. They both seemed to like each other and gave each other kisses before the day was over! Here are some of the pictures from their introduction!

Hercules, Hercules!!!

2007-07-12T12:47:00.001-05:00

Well, Blake and I took the plunge and got a new puppy last week. He is now 11 weeks old and is a miniature daschund. His name is Hercules, and I always here Eddie Murphy from the Nutty Professor in my head when I call for him! He is so much fun, but this is my first dog ever, and I must admit it has been quite the experience for me. Who knew a puppy required so much attention?? Here are some of the first pictures we have taken of him. I guess since we do not have kids yet, we will keep everyone updated on our puppy!!

Three Years Behind Us!!

2007-05-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

Blake and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary Tuesday. It is hard to believe that it has been 3 years since our wedding day. I must say that I couldn't imagine living the last three years any other way. They have been absolutely wonderful!! Here is one of my favorite wedding pictures and here is to many more years to come!!

2007-01-25T09:59:00.000-06:00

2007-01-25T09:45:00.000-06:00

Well, we are way behind on blogging because we have been so busy moving! So, for those of you who do not already know, we bought a house! It is wonderful!We have been in it for two weeks now, and are not even close to having everything unpacked and in its place. It still kind of feels like we are visiting. We have gotten two rooms painted, and are going to try to get some more painting done this weekend. Its pretty easy to get things accomplished because we do not have cable or internet (yes, it is by choice). We have so many things we want to do, we just don't know where to start! The most wonderful thing about it, is the quiet! We no longer have people knocking on our door, or yelling out in the parking lot. Plus, there is no one beside us that we can hear running up their steps!! Home ownership is definitely worth it!!

2006-10-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

She sure was happy to watch her daddy judge a horse show!!! Looks at those pearly whites!

2006-10-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

The last mile of the 35!!

2006-10-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

2006-10-15T22:15:00.000-05:00

2006-09-08T23:19:00.000-05:00

Steph and I still love High School football,
though it is neither of ours alma mater.. Go Figure??