Snapshots: June 2013

{1}  Thrifting. The hunting and gathering continues for things around the house.  I've been exceptionally lucky lately with random stops at some of my favorite places.  .99 frames and blue and whites for under $2 make me extremely happy:)  Also looking for brass accents for Avery and Emilia's rooms!  Now that our weekend extravaganzas are over, I'm hoping to score even better at garage sales. I just love the hunt, and I especially love a good bargain!

{2}  Family.  Got to spend time with my family at a friend's wedding.  For the first time since Taylor and I were married, my hometown and some of our OSU crowd collided for the celebration.  It. Was. So. Much. Fun.  I danced the night away and was extremely sore the next day.  Even though I took my shoes off, my body made it clear that 26 weeks and dancing DO NOT mix.  We'll consider it my last hurrah until Emilia comes:)

{3}  Summer Nights.  Snapped this pic of the little one at Utica 5th Night Concert Series.  We love summer nights.  Concerts, walks, eating outside, playing in the yard...  This summer especially has been special.  It feels like Avery is growing up before our very eyes.  I guess that is part of being a parent.  You turn around and your kids are older, taller, smarter.  Something about summer brings this out even more.  I'm cherishing the moments that we play and talk.  Mostly I cherish the moments watching her dance, learn, play, run free.  She has no idea the joy those moments bring me and probably isn't even aware I'm watching.  She definitely has no idea that every night before we go to sleep, her daddy and I recount everything she said and everything she did that day.  Gosh, I love her.

{4}  Daddy.  We celebrated the best daddy in the world!  Avery and I are so lucky to have Taylor.  I couldn't ask for a better father for my children.  We took him to lunch at one of our favorite spots and ate outside.  She adores him and I wouldn't have it any other way.  He makes everything more fun and lately we've noticed that it makes her really happy when we are all three together.  Makes me happy, too, bunny.  Me too.

{5}  26 Weeks.  While this pregnancy is taking a bit more of a toll than the last one, I'm very thankful for a healthy one filled with energy.  I loved being pregnant with Avery and Emilia has been no different.  I love her movements.  I love thinking about her, imagining her, and praying for her.  We try to talk to Avery about her baby sister-  sometimes she is receptive and sometimes she is not;)  One of the most wonderful things in my life is being a sister and I pray that my girls know and experience that same gift.  We're so excited to introduce them in a few short months!

{6}  Blooms.  The hydrangeas in the back yard are still going strong.  Freshly picked ones last for at least two weeks!  They literally brighten my day.  I have them sprinkled throughout the house, but my favorite is the arrangement I keep on the dining room table.  Sadly, the demand is taking over the supply...

{7}  Play.  Avery enjoyed the pool last year but she doesn't remember it.  I've had a blast with her at the pool this summer!  Every morning she wakes up saying something to the effect of, "I swim in pool like a fishy!"  Pictured here are some neighborhood buds.  We've had a blast getting to know our neighbors this spring and summer.  Some are veterans in the neighborhood, while others are new like us.  Good neighbors are a huge blessing and we look forward to growing in the new relationships we've formed here.

{8}  Five Years.  We celebrated five years of marriage at the end of the month! Can't hardly believe it.  We ate a really nice dinner at a new restaurant downtown and then went to Utica to sit outside for dessert. It was fun to recount the last five years, but mostly we talked about all that we are anticipating in the coming few months.   I sure do love life with him.  We ended the night with a West Wing marathon.  Yes, you read that right.  We are currently HOOKED on The West Wing and are still in Season 1 on Netflix.  I've never been more excited for 154 episodes in my life!  The only pic we have to commemorate our anniversary this year is a selfie we took in a store front window... I guess that's better than nothing!

{9}  Surprise!  We hosted a girl's weekend and surprise baby shower in Tulsa to finish out our incredibly busy and fun month.  Some of my very best friends of life from college came for the weekend (pictured: Becky, Emily, Laura, Kailey, me).  We spent the weekend eating, talking, watching YouTube videos, strolling at Utica, and just enjoying being together.  Not much has changed:)  The highlight of the weekend was the surprise baby shower Emily hosted at her house for Laura.  Friends and family were already at the house waiting when we pulled up and she was so surprised.  It was a blast to celebrate Laura and Baby Caroline.We planned it months ago when we decided on a weekend for our girl's trip and I just can't believe we pulled it off without a hitch!  I've spent the last week being even more thankful to have these friends in my life than I was before.  Special shout-out to Taylor for being the primary care taker of Avery while us girls played all weekend:)

Snapshots: May 2013

1/  Dining. I got crafty this month.  Second trimester has been good to me, and motivation and energy levels have increased!  I completed a big project for the wall, and laid out a new centerpiece for the table.  Now if I could only transfer that motivation to the still ongoing backsplash project...

2/ Lake Weekend.  Got to go with friends to Tablerock Lake for a very relaxing weekend. Lots of rest, lots of food, great shopping, and heart-to-hearts.  What would a girl do without girlfriends?

3/ Peonies.  We have peonies, people!  Never imagined they would be this beautiful.  This spring has been so much fun watching all of the blooms in our yard.  We moved in last September, and as we are NOT experienced gardeners we had no idea what would come in the spring.  So far: azaleas in every color, pink & white hydrangeas, and white peonies.

4/ Sister's House.  Emily and I went to Dallas to visit my sister and while there helped pull her living room together!  She already had her amazing Crate & Barrel couch, as well as the rugs and coffee table.  We were able to have so much fun finding great deals on end tables, lamps, coffee table books and tray, etc.  P.S.  Emily just went into business as Emily Davis Interiors.  You must check it out:)

5/ Girl's Weekend.  Although May was post- tax season for Taylor, I have gotten lots of me/fun time (love you, honey:).  Emily and I spent a long, fun weekend in Dallas, one of my favorite cities (mostly because my sis lives there).  Terelli's, Hattie's in Bishop Arts District, antique shopping, and plenty of patio time relaxing!

6/ 22 weeks.  We're just a blowin' and a growin' over here.

7/ Antique District.  Although I've been to Dallas countless times, we've never ventured over to this part of town, and let me tell you, I'm in love.  These shops are filled to the brim with some really great, really inspiring things.

8/ Zushing.  Lots of zushing going on around here, especially with flowers from the backyard.

9/ Heirloom.   I took an old family photo of Taylor's great-great-grandfather on the family's original Northwest Oklahoma homestead, blew it up to a 36 x 45 and mounted it to foam board.  I first saw this project on Little Green Notebook and have been wanting to do it ever since.  Like most things, I wonder why I didn't do it a long time ago because it only took me two quick errands and 45 minutes before I had the final product.  Oh, and it was extremely inexpensive.  We hung it in our entryway (kind of symbolic, me thinks).  More on that later.

Snapshots: January/February 2013

Let me preface this extremely (un)exciting couple of months by saying that I have been extremely exhausted and sometimes under the weather (refer to #5) the last couple of months!  Projects have stalled, blogging has ceased, and most afternoons have consisted of lovely naps (which is a good thing).  Therefore, I don't have pictures of a lot of the things that we've done or witnessed since Christmas, most regrettably our one and only snow this winter :(.  Here are some things I did manage to catch...

1 & 2} Kitchen. We started our kitchen backsplash with vigor right after the New Year! We have most of the tiles up, but no grout.  This project has stalled because my morning sickness and the adhesive glue scent do not jive AT ALL.  Looking forward to finishing this project soon. I must say that it has already transformed our kitchen!

3} Breakfast.  I love eating pics of the little one.  She is so independent and loves to feed herself any and everything, even if I don't think she'll be able to eat it.  This results in multiple wardrobe changes throughout the day, but such is life with a toddler.  Here we are eating at one of our favorite breakfast places in Tulsa.

4} Treat.  Avery loves going to the gym as much as I do!  They have the best smoothies and she loves getting a "teet" post work-out.

5} Coming Soon.  The best news!  Avery and I surprised Taylor with the news when he came home from work one evening.  His reaction was priceless, but those photos came out too blurry to share. I am actually due on my birthday in late September. Crazy, huh? I really enjoy being pregnant, especially after the first trimester.  It's such a miracle.  I'm praying for one like the last.

6} London Calling.  Sometimes Utica Square is my salvation.  When we just need to get out and move around, I love taking Avery there, stopping at Starbuck's or Queenie's for a treat, and strolling around.  Sometimes we go in shops, and sometimes we don't, but the square is always full of people, good smells, and beautiful landscaping.  This time in particular Avery was drawn to one the red telephone booths.  She spent quite some time playing in it.

7} Canon Rebel.  Still practicing with my camera.  Avery is of course my favorite subject.  I tapered off a lot in February, but I'm resolving to break it out once a day in March!

8} Organization.  Folks, there is still a lot to be organized in our house, and we moved in over five months ago!  I scrubbed and organized the laundry room one very cold afternoon while Avery was sleeping.  Trust me, it needed it!  I hadn't felt so productive in months.  Sometimes organization just feels so good to my soul... I'm too embarrassed to show before pics.

9} Zoo.  Avery's second trip to the zoo.  This time we went with a bunch of friends.  The day resulted in a three hour nap, and a zoo pass, and Avery learning several new animal sounds.  I know where we will be heading once the weather is nice!

Snapshots: Looking Back on 2012

Looking back on a year's worth of pictures took A LOT of time, but it was also a wonderful reminder of the blessed life we live.  We are thankful for every family member and friend that helped us with our move and experienced life with us, big or small in 2012.  It was so hard to pick just 16 pictures to represent our favorite memories and most significant life events from this year...

1}  Baptism.  This was a special moment for us.  We baptized Avery at our church and took vows as parents and members of the congregation to nurture her into a relationship with Christ.

2} Girl's Weekend. Got to spend a fun-filled girl's weekend with some BFF's from college in OKC.  Unfortunately this only happens one, maybe two times a year.  I sure do love these girls.  We went to the movies, ate at great restaurants, did some outlet shopping, had a fun game/wine night in, and of course participated in lots of sharing and laughing!  Can't wait to see what kind of girl's weekend 2013 brings us.

3} For Sale.  We listed our tiny, Brookside charmer in March.  Looking at these pics makes me miss our first house.  The neighborhood was quaint, located near Riverside and walking distance from great restaurants.  The trees were abundant.  It was the house we lived in when Avery was born, and it will always be special because of that.  It was listed under 100 days before it sold in July.

4} Growing Girl.  I can't believe all of the growing/changing Avery has done in the last year!  I'm definitely grateful for beautiful photos like this one (taken by my friend, Lori) that helps me hold onto all those precious memories.  We spent a beautiful April afternoon with Lori and my sister at the Dallas Botanical Gardens, and left with some amazing photographs.

5} Church.  Our beloved church acquired its own property in the summer after being a thriving church-plant for six years.  We wish we could have contributed more blood, sweat, and tears to the property than we were able to because of our own renovations at home, but it has been amazing to see the place turned around.  A place our church family can call home.  We had our first worship service there the week before Christmas and we cherish this place.  

6} One. These are just one of the many "One Year" photographs my dear friend, Shari, took of Avery to commemorate her 1st birthday.  "How big are you? Soooooooo biiiiiig!!!"  What a fun summer!

7} Pilgrimage.  Taylor lost his granddad in February.  The entire family gathered in June from all over the states to make a trip to Northwest Oklahoma to spread his ashes in their family plot.  We made an entire day trip out of it and saw many of the old family houses, including this one where four generations of my husband's family are pictured together.

8} Homestead.  On that very same trip, we saw the family's original farmhouse built circa 1900 on the piece of land that Taylor's great-great- grandfather acquired during the land run.  It was an amazing experience, as most of the grandkids had never seen it.  I have aspirations to frame some of the photos I took on this trip, as well as copies of originals, to hang in our home.  

9} Walking.  Avery started walking this year, which was just one of the many firsts that took place in 2012.  First swim in the pool, first time to feed herself, first halloween costume, first busted lip, first words, first time to get sick.... The list goes on.  Yet another reason I'm so click- happy with the camera.  These pictures help me remember all that has happened! I don't have the best memory, you see.

10} Moving Day.  Longest. Day. Of. Life.  It started as a bright, beautiful day.  It ended at 2 a.m. the next morning with mommy and daddy crawling into bed wanting to sleep for days and never wanting to move again.  Ever.  Although the move was awful, it was monumental nonetheless.  I thought it would be hard to say goodbye to our first home, but it wasn't.  We had lived so happily in that teeny house, had grown out of it, and had found the perfect place to move onto.  Where I had expected tears and longing stares, I found so much joy and anticipation in getting into our forever-kind-of-home.  So I guess all in all, it was a pretty positive experience.  But, I'm not moving again. Ever.

11} The New Haven Home. We had always loved this house.  Amazingly, it was for sale at the same time ours was.  It sold several weeks before our home sold and we were disappointed.  However, it went back on the market the week before our house sold, and low and behold everything worked out:)  We are this home's third, proud owners.  Taylor and his family knows the family who built the house, as well as the family who lived in it before we did.  It's so neat to know the history and the love this house has been home to since it was built in the 50's- another reason we are so excited to settle and grow our family here.

12} Home Improvement.  A new home has meant TONS of home improvements.  We have loved making this house our own.  And it all started with our kitchen the day we closed.  To me, this picture symbolizes all of the hard work we've put into our house since September (although we didn't actually paint the cabinets ourselves).  It serves as a great reminder of how far we've come.  When I find myself being picky about our house and becoming discontent, I think of where we started and how much fun we've had in the process.

13} Chicago.  I was incredibly blessed to be able to jet-set to Chicago one September weekend with some girlfriends.  It was such a great little vacation after the stress of the move. It's such a wonderful city.  Doesn't hurt to be there with people you love:)  More about that trip here.

14} The Zoo! Another first for Avery and I this year was the zoo.  Taylor surprised us one day in October by taking the day off of work to take us to the zoo! Avery didn't have nearly as much fun seeing the animals as we did.  She was more interested in the kids and the toys the animals were playing with in the cages, but oh well.

15} MS 150.  Taylor participated in the MS 150 bike ride for the second year in a row.  It is a two-day  150 mile bike ride from Tulsa to OKC that raises money for Multiple Sclerosis research.  The cause is close to our heart as we have family and friends who are burdened with the disease.  Taylor also really enjoys it, as he rides with some buddies, eats tons of free food, and ends the race at the capitol building.

16} Stillwater. As always, we spent a good chunk of time in Stillwater cheering on the Pokes this fall.  We share a box with Taylor's parents and family friends.  The Cowboys weren't spectacular or anything this year, but that's really not what it's about for us.  We cherish the time we spend with Taylor's parents, seeing our friends at tailgates, and being back in Stillwater in general.  It's a very special place to us.

Happy New Year!!!

Snapshots: November 2012

{1} Play.  Man, have we been doing a lot of playing! This eighteen month old loves to be outside.  Good thing then, that pretty much all of November was in the 70's.  We've been living it up in the front yard, on walks, and on various play grounds around Tulsa.  I'm taking the lead from my little lady, too.  There's nothing like being outside to lift the spirits!

{2} America. Wore my red, white, and blue on election day and sported my sticker.  Going to vote didn't seem like a big deal at all.  Then I got to my designated voting place and the entire process, rather the entire privilege got to me.  I left feeling thankful and truly appreciating God's grace in allowing me to live in a country that gives all of its citizens a right to vote (even if they don't reside in swing states).

{3} Home Improvement.  Taylor and I spent all of our evenings over a two week period renovating our mother-in-law suite, which we affectionately refer to as the "guest suite".  It is a full bed/bath and closet combo that needed some serious love.  It had been neglected by the previous owners to say the least.  However, there's nothing like imminent visitors to give you a good kick in the pants!  The second weekend in November brought us three different couples and we had no choice but to kick it into gear.  We had carpet installed, then spent countless hours cleaning, caulking, painting, and moving furniture to get the guest suite ready.  My proudest moment came when I decided to spray paint all of the hardware instead of buying new.  Taylor thought I was a genius, and everything turned out great!  More pics of our reno coming soon.  I've been busy, okay people???

{4} My loves.  This is the one picture I got from our glorious November weekend with friends (all from the Lone Star State).  Featured here are my sister, Jodi and a bestie, April.  I so regret not getting any pics of Kailey or the guys.  I had a truly blessed and refreshing weekend.  Although I didn't get any sleep, I cherish every day that I get to be with my sister, and every hour spent into the wee morning hours catching up with my friends from college that I get to see so little of.  These women are encouragers and sisters.  I miss them so much, but treasure our conversations about Jesus, hooting and hollering about old memories, catching up on the every day, and relating about any and everything.

{5} Stillwater, America.  I am unusually blessed to have had two hometowns in my life.  One was where I was raised.  The other is Stillwater, where I went to college.  Stillwater is a true small town, home to Oklahoma State University that is its lifeblood.  I say Stillwater is like a hometown to me because five of the most wonderful years of my life were spent there.  The best friends I've ever had were made there.  So many of the best times I've had were had there.  I lived and worked four summers in Stillwater, and two of my sisters (Pi Phi and just plain sisters in life) were born and raised in Stillwater.  Their families welcomed me and raised me during my college years.  We return to all of the home football games during the fall, as do many of our friends, and there is always that wonderful settling feeling in my heart as we drive into town that says, "I'm home."

{6} Loot.  My first garage-saling in months happened this month.  Since the move, our weekends have been filled with painting, cleaning, repairing, traveling.  There really hasn't been much opportunity to drive around on a Saturday and look for steals!  However, this garage sale down the street rendered a lovely doggie portrait and a pair of foo dogs.  I also found out something very interesting about my husband: although he is terribly fond of dogs, and loves our Jake very deeply, he has a strong aversion to animal art.  He made me promise not to hang the portrait in any main part of the house.  It now resides in our guest suite and was promptly complimented by every one of our November guests:)

{7}  Hometown Restaurant.  My favorite place to eat. It's a family owned fast food Mexican joint that has been operating since the 1970s.  It is not owned by Mexicans.  The cheese is neon- yellow.  The food is microwaved.  Taylor thinks it is not so good...  You get the picture.  Yet, I'm addicted.  My mom has eaten there since her college days. My sister and I used to drive home from college to visit our parents and they would meet us there before we even went home.  I still have nights when I wake up craving it, and there are many afternoons when I would pay a pretty penny to have a Dr. Pepper from there. They are THE BEST.  Needless to say, I was a happy girl when mom took us girls to eat there the day after Thanksgiving.  That's probably why it is a special place to us- It was our second kitchen growing up (a fact mom not totally proud of).  If you want to see anyone when you come back home for a visit, this is one of three places that would actually happen (behind the movie theater and Wal-Mart).  Mom saved my life here once when she performed the Heimlich as I choked on a rubbery cheese enchilada.  Jodi once accidentally squirted a squeeze-bottle of salsa down the back of Dad's white Hanes t-shirt.  It has a juke box with songs that have not been changed since I was in grade school.  You want to eat there now, don't you?

{8} Thanksgiving.  My family loves to eat and my sister is a great cook.  She has been the head chef for the last four years. She takes the lead in the kitchen, and that suites mom just fine.  This year I paid particular attention to her stuffing from scratch.  She doesn't follow any recipes- she just knows.  She is gifted and I love learning from my little sister in the kitchen!  I don't contribute a whole lot, but I enjoy the time I spend with mom and Jo.  It's amazing how the same food wouldn't be nearly as good if we ate it without them!

{9} Florence Park.  Since I've had a kid, I've come to realize that Tulsa has a lot of great play places, especially in our area of Midtown.  Lots of our friends from church with kiddos live within minutes, so if we ever get the itch, there is usually someone who can join within a moments notice.  Afternoons like these, when I get to watch Avery play and steal some mommy time with my friends, remind me of how blessed I am to stay at home.

{10} Chalkboard.  I started and finished this project during the commercial breaks of Parenthood
(our favorite) one Tuesday night.  Seriously.  I knew it was going to look good, as well as temporarily relieve my itch to paint my entire house black (see post here).  I wasn't prepared, however, for how much I would LOVE it.  It adds just the right touch of depth and character to this part of the house.  I decided to write our weekly dinner menu on it, but I haven't quite worked out my spacing, font, etc.  More on this later...

{11} Hipster babe.  Did I mention how much fun I was having with this little bug?  She gives me so much joy.  Her little (or should I say big) personality is coming out in new ways everyday.  She loves to sing, try on my things, help me with chores around the house, and just overall act like a "big girl".  Sometimes at night I spend a good thirty minutes going through videos and pictures of her, reliving moments that have already become memories. I could never get enough of her!

{12} Blueprint.  I found several old landscaping blueprints the previous owner left in our guest suite closet.  They date from the late 60s through the 90s.  This particular one is from 1994 when the second owner (those before us) installed some updates in the backyard.  It's my favorite because it has some great color.  I also think it is such a fab find because it's instant art that also means something historically to our house! Just have to decide where to hang it...

{13} Christmas is coming.  I LOVE cards, especially greeting cards.  They are special because in this day and age we can make calls and send texts or emails to say what we want to say; but taking the time to prepare and send a card means so much more!  I love coming home during the month of December to expectantly check the mail, peruse family pictures, and read special greetings from family and friends.  I also love the process of creating our own.  I used pics Shari took of us this year.  I thought the cards turned out nicely!

{14}  Leaves.  We had trees at our old house, but nothing like this.  Taylor loves working in the yard, but the amount of leaves we have here can get exhausting.  Good thing he has a helper:)  We've decided it's a trade off, though.  There are only a few weeks out of the year that we will curse the trees while the rest of the year will be spent enjoying them.

{15}  Decor.  Christmas decor is coming a little slow this year.  I am a bit sad about it, but I've decided to embrace it.  So many people have asked me if I'm all decorated and if I'm having fun getting the house ready for Christmas.  The truth is, I'm overwhelmed!  There are so many things I want to make and do and buy, but there isn't the time, money, or energy to do them all!  I love the creativity that goes into decorating my home and the atmosphere it creates as we anticipate the holidays, however, increasing square footage three times what we used to have means a whole new game plan!  So, this year we've resolved to do lights on the outside, the mantle, and the centerpiece on our dining room table.  Why?  I think it's more important to remain focused on the hope of the season and enjoy the other various improvements that remain to be done rather than stressing about Christmas decor.  I'm hoping to go all out next year, though:)

{16}  Blue.  I just had to include this picture of Avery.  Sometimes I take a picture on my iPhone 4 that is actually really good.  This one just takes my breath away.  Her eyes are actually that blue when she looks into the light.  Since we've been playing outside so much, we've been learning a lot about nature. Identifying trees, rocks, sticks, and leaves.  Pointing out squirrels, birds, puppies, and bunnies.  Learning the difference between a run, walk, and hop.  In this picture she is looking up into one of the big "tees" in our front yard.

I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Snapshots: October 2012

{1} Doorstep. One of the many things I love about the fall is the decor and I drew plenty of inspiration from all of my neighbor's beautiful stoops in our new neighborhood.  Now if I can just keep those mums alive this year!

{2}  Pumpkin patch.  We did plenty of pumpkin- patching in October.  Avery loves them!  Here we are in Dallas visiting my sister.  Avery thinks pumpkins are balls.  She's kind of right.

{3}  Tulsa State Fair!  It was cold, but it was fun.  We decided to make a date night out of it and left the bunny to spend the night with her grandparents!  I, like most people, enjoy the people watching more than the food and rides.

{4} Utica.  October brings cooler (ahem, tolerable) weather to Oklahoma.  Which means it's the perfect time of year to stroll at Utica, my favorite place in town.  Outdoor shopping, beautiful landscaping, plenty of open space for Avery to run, and more than enough places to find treats and coffee:)

{5}  Wainscoting.  I need to blog post about this soon, but I finally finished painting the wainscoting, windows and trim in the breakfast nook! Took up most evenings over the course of two weeks, but it was much needed and looks so good.

{6} Zoo. Avery's first trip to the zoo. Taylor surprised us girls one morning by taking the day off of work and treating us to the zoo in the middle of the week.  I don't know what we were expecting, but she got more enjoyment out of the kids at the zoo than the animals.  Oh, well.

{7}  15k.  Taylor and Brent in the Tulsa Run! We were there at the finish line to cheer them on.  So proud!

{8} Feathers.  My first hand at a home made costume went well! I have to say that my last minute decision to incorporate glitter feathers was just the thing the it needed.

{9} Hoot.  Our little owl on her first trick-or-treating Halloween!  We started at her grandparents.  Three hours and four scheduled stops later, we finally tucked the little owl in bed.

Snapshots: September 2012

{1} Our new home. We closed in August and started living here in September.  The entire month has consisted of unpacking, repairs, deep cleaning, and getting settled, but we love it! The neighbors are wonderful and we've loved taking walks to explore the neighborhood.

{2} Football season! We go to all of the home games at Oklahoma State in Stillwater- one of the biggest reasons fall is my favorite time of year.  Family, friends, and football.  Go Pokes!

{3} Ikea.  Four hours and many Swedish meatballs later, we had a lot to show for Taylor's first trip to Ikea:) We went from a 2 bed/1 bath house to something much larger.  Needless to say, there were a few things we needed...  

{4} Chicago girl's trip.  I am so happy I got to go to Chicago with a few girlfriends.  There was great food, great conversation, and great shopping.  Among the things we did were Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier, Chicago Botanic Garden, Wicker Park, and the Hancock Tower.  See pics from that trip here.

{5} Family picture at OKC Capitol.  Taylor finished the MS 150 at the State Capitol Building and we drove from Tulsa to pick him up.  We were so proud of him for participating in the two day, 150 mile bike ride to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis!

{6}  One tiny hydrangea bloom in our backyard.  We have lots of well established plants and flowers in our back yard, but I'm most excited about the hydrangeas!  I've only tried bringing them in once.  Several spiders and one roly-poly colony later, I trashed the blooms I brought in and decided that bringing fresh flowers in from the garden might seem a little more romantic than it really is.

{7} Avery starting walking on September 1st.  She is so much fun! Exploring has reached an all time high and she started wearing shoes:)

{8} Birthday carrot cake.  My family came to Tulsa to spend the weekend with us to see the new house and celebrate with me.  I will have memories of that weekend forever!  They brought me carrot cake from Queenie's (my favorite) and we had a special, fun-filled family weekend.

{9} Living room.  We have put a lot of work into the main living areas of the house this month: painting, assembling furniture, and arranging.  Everything is coming along so well.  We love being in our new home!  I've had to make a conscious effort to sit back and relax now that the paint fumes have cleared and anything major has been repaired.  Even though I'm not done unpacking and have tons of organizing to do, life must be enjoyed!