Flipping Through My Camera Roll

Posted on May 14, 2013 by bethp146

Photography is definitely not my thing. I admire and am in awe of those who can take beautiful photos! That’s my disclaimer I felt I needed to throw out there before I posted this tonight.

Because I need to do a better job at documenting some of our normal days and special days, I started flipping through my camera roll on my phone tonight. I was surprised at some of the moments I’ve already forgotten about from this Spring. For my own memory’s sake, here are some (not so spectacular) phone photos from our life lately.

Several weeks ago, I went with Papa, Ree, Laura, and Mama up to Sir’s Fabrics in Fayetteville, TN. It’s one of my favorite places to go, and I have so many memories of going up there with my grandparents. We went because Laura was looking for curtain fabric for her dining room, but I managed to find some fabric I may use to recover a rocking chair. I took the photo of the calico quilting fabric just because I thought they were so pretty on that table. It was a great morning!

That same Saturday, I read a little on the porch while M grilled for the first time this spring.

Another Saturday, Laura came with M and I to Lowes & Home Depot. The back of my car was quickly filled up with our purchases, so the ferns had to ride in the backseat with Laura.

I have a thing for Gerbera daisies.

My girls.

We went down to Mountain Brook for the wedding of one of M’s college roommates. It was a beautiful wedding! I’m just drinking Sun Drop

Laura and I had our Planner Party we have every other month.

My parents are the cutest! This was taken at my cousin Rachel’s graduation Friday night. I’m so proud of you, Rachel!

This past Saturday, we went up to Springfield, TN to see M’s grandparents. AND his mom and brother James were also in town for the weekend. It was SO exciting to get to see them!

I love the yellow finches that gather outside their window.

On Sunday, we went to the river for Mother’s Day. Laura gave mama and me gel manicures while we were there. Now I want gel nails all the time.

I feel like we have been going non-stop lately. We’ve also been to two softball games, to a fish fry at the river, on a date night, and to see Iron Man 3. I’m grateful for a chance to sit down and document some of these memories!

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The Best Day

Posted on May 12, 2013 by bethp146

I chose the song “The Best Day” by Taylor Swift for the seating of the mothers and grandmothers at our wedding. I cry literally every time I hear this one. It brings back so many memories of my childhood, and one lady that stands out in my mind through it all.

Mama has become one of my best friends. She has guided me, taught me, and loved me. Through her relationship with my Daddy, she’s taught me how to be a wife. Through her relationship with Christ, she’s taught me how to be a daughter to our Heavenly Father. Thank you for everything, Mama! I love you Muches and I had the best day with you today.

The Best Day – Taylor Swift

I’m five years old, it’s getting cold, I’ve got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don’t know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you’re not scared of anything at all
Don’t know if Snow White’s house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today

I’m thirteen now and don’t know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop ’til I’ve forgotten all their names

I don’t know who I’m gonna talk to now at school
But I know I’m laughing on the car ride home with you
Don’t know how long it’s gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he’s better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you’re talking to me
It’s the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy’s smart and you’re the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn’t know if you knew, so I’m takin’ this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today

Lovely Little Blessings – 5/8/13

Posted on May 8, 2013 by bethp146

“When upon life’s billows you are temptest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And if will surprise you what the Lord hath done”

Because sometimes you are just having a blah day/week/month and you can barely keep your eyes open because you haven’t been sleeping well and nothing major is wrong but you could easily write a post full of whining anyway but instead you write a terrible and long run-on sentence that makes your English major heart cringe all because you just want to say that you realize you are blessed, so blessed. These are the things I’m particularly thankful for these days – my lovely little blessings:

a hard working husband. I don’t know how he has kept up the pace he’s been on lately. I couldn’t do it. He never complains, and I’m just so proud of him.

today’s sunshine

not having to water the yard because of all the rain we’ve had lately

not having to run the air conditioner much because of how cool it’s been. Those high utility bills and humid Alabama summer days will come soon enough.

health

good friends

getting to celebrate those we love. It’s the time of year for weddings, holidays to honor parents, and graduations.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Isaiah 55:9

these two:

What are you thankful for?

What M Says About Me

Posted on April 16, 2013 by bethp146

My husband has always been a big supporter of my blog. He encourages me even if blogging is not really his thing. When I saw that one of my favorite bloggers, Becky at From Mrs. to Mama, was having a “what my loved one says about me” link-up, I thought it would be a fun way to get M to do a guest posts of sorts.

Truthfully I expected more grumbling from him about his assignment. He did refuse to type it, but he narrated the facts to me to type. One day I’ll convince him to do a complete guest post!

He kept it short and pretty sweet. Here’s what M has to say about me:

1. She doesn’t like oranges, but she likes orange flavored stuff…sometimes.
2. She sleep eats.
3. She hates the sound of people clipping their nails.
4. Because of me, she now watches too much tv.
5. She once surprised me with a 3D TV. The best surprise ever.
6. She likes to fish but hates seafood.
7. She’s generous.
8. She’ll be a great mother one day.
9. She’s good at decorating.
10. She’s pretty.

Thanks, dear! I love you muches.

How M and I Met

Posted on April 10, 2013 by bethp146

A group of six bloggers are hosting a Love & Marriage post series in April. Click here for all the details! I’m a little behind. Several people linked up their “how we met stories” last week, and I enjoyed reading them. I’ve never shared this, so I thought I would join in this week.

(The summer after we started dating.)

My husband always tells people that I don’t remember meeting him. His version of the story is that we met at an AHS football game. It’s true that I don’t remember meeting him at a football game, but I do remember him from when I was in high school!

M and I grew up in the same town but attended different schools. He and my cousin Cody are good friends. I remember him coming with Cody to a fish fry at my grandparents’ house. That’s when I first remember meeting my future husband! I remember thinking he was cute! We didn’t really talk or become friends, but I definitely knew who he was.

He added me as a Facebook friend during my last semester of high school. I remember being excited about that. I knew from Facebook that he was in Tuscaloosa at UA for school. At some point that summer, I sent him a FB message asking about where he attended church there. We messages back and forth after that a couple times. When I started school, I ended up attending a different congregation and never saw him, but we kept talking via FB. He called one Saturday out of the blue and asked if I wanted to sit with him and some friends at a football game. I was outside the stadium with my friends when I got that call. We looked for him, but he gave horrible directions to where they were in the student section! We gave up on finding them.

I couldn’t get him off my mind. I knew he worked most weekends at Blockbuster. One Friday night my friend Dana and I made plans to go grab dinner. I suggested Jason’s Deli just because it was next door to Blockbuster. That night was the first time I finally got to see him again!

We started hanging out and eventually started dating. Oh, I should mention that after giving bad directions inside the stadium, he also got me lost in Tuscaloosa twice more, once to a volleyball court and once to his house for a cookout. Although I can’t blame him too much since I got lost so many times that first year! Despite getting lost a bunch, I’m so thankful I found him!

Easter 2013

Posted on March 31, 2013 by bethp146

We had a great Easter! It was a chance to spend time with my beloved family and look forward to the coming Spring. The weather wasn’t the best, but at least it wasn’t as cold as it has been. We went to our church, to the river for lunch with my family, and then to church and to eat with my parents. I shared some of these photos on Instagram already, but I still wanted to record the day here. Here’s Easter 2013 in photos:

I love his optimism

Posted on February 13, 2013 by bethp146

M’s smile was one of the first things that attracted me to him. Now that I’m sharing this life with him, I’ve grown to learn that behind that smile is a quiet optimism. He doesn’t just wish for things to work out… he expects them to.

Every night when he gets home from work, he greets me, takes Bailey and Charlie out, and looks through the mail. Most nights he then looks outside the front door to see if there are any packages. Sometimes, even though I already know the answer, I’ll ask him if he is expecting something. He answers, “I’m always expecting something.” He is always open to the possibility of something exciting waiting, even if he hasn’t ordered anything.

I decided to surprise him with one of his favorite things, candy! I left it outside the door and waited impatiently for him to discover it. Of course, this was the one night he started eating before looking outside, so I had to prod him a little. We aren’t doing Valentines gifts this year, so I had to have some excuse to buy some candy and use leftover red ribbon!

Mostly though, I love his optimism.

Christmas 2012

Posted on December 27, 2012 by bethp146

Christmas seems to always come and go so quickly nowadays. As a child it seemed like the day would never come, and even after it was over, you still had a couple weeks off of school to enjoy. I’m back to the real world now, but at least I have some fond memories of Christmas 2012 to think back on.

We had a very blessed and wonderful holiday!

Friday night we celebrated with my dad’s side of the family. Laura hosted us in their beautiful new house! We all brought snacks and finger foods instead of a traditional meal, and I loved it. It was wonderful to see and spend time with everyone. We played a game of Quelf, too, which is so funny. This is Laura, my cousin Rachel, Laura’s dog Betty Jo, and myself. Love them!

Saturday I did some decluttering and rearranging of our kitchen cabinets. I also baked a lot. That night M and I watched White Christmas – my favorite Christmas movie ever!

Every year my mom’s side of the family spends Christmas Eve at Papa, Ree, and Nickie’s house at the river. I love my large and sometimes chaotic family!

We had a ton of food. This was just the dessert and snack table.

After we left there on Christmas Eve night we went back to mom and day’s for Christmas with my immediate family. This book was Daddy’s when he was a little boy. He reads it every Christmas Eve to me and Laura. It’s my favorite Christmas tradition!

Mom, Laura, and I wore matching pj pants!

Christmas Eve with my family is always so special.

On Christmas Day we normally go up to visit M’s grandparents. Sadly, they weren’t feeling well this year so we didn’t get to go. I know M was so disappointed. We missed being with them. Instead we had a low key day. We exchanged gifts with each other. M got me my dream cookware set!

It’s so pretty! I’m just so scared I won’t be able to do it justice. I have to brag on M for picking this out for me by himself. He told me about it before Christmas, but before he told me I had no idea!

We went to Waffle House for lunch. It was strange, but anywhere I’m with M makes for a good holiday lunch in my book! We went back to the river after eating and hung out there the rest of the day. We played Dominoes, snacked on leftovers, and enjoyed being with family.

M even got some Polly Pocket time in with Aubree. Ha!

It was such a good Christmas! I’m blessed with the best family a girl could ask for. How was your Christmas?

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2012 by bethp146

From Michael, Beth, Bailey, and Charlie. We hope you and your family have a fabulous day!

3 Things Thursday – Happy Birthday Bailey!

Posted on December 20, 2012 by bethp146

1. This little cutie turned 2 yesterday! Does that mean I have to stop calling her a puppy? I hope not. She’s still a total Mama’s girl. Sometimes it’s hard to take a good photo of her because she is always right beside me when I’m home. I love it though!

2. There are so many things I need and want to get done. So, I’m trying to limit the time I spend on social media for now. Sometimes I just need a break. We’ll see how long I actually stick to it.

3. I start my Christmas baking tonight, and our first family celebration is tomorrow night. I’m getting so excited about all the family time coming up!

Love You Muches

documenting this lovely southern life

Category Archives: Family