Happy Birthday Uncle B!

Today we are celebrating Brian's 23rd birthday!
We will be eating crawfish, of course (crawfish are one of Brian's staple foods).
Uncle B, as Mary Stewart affectionaly calls him, holds a special place in our hearts. On two different occasions Brian has lived with us. The summer after his freshman year of college he came and worked in Atlanta and then of course this spring while doing his internship. He is a great house guest and I have loved having him in our home.
It has been so great to watch Brian over the past four years mature and become a young man (Do I sound like an old lady or what?). I have loved watching the Lord work in his life, from his involvement with RUF, to his summer at Alpine, and now with his relationship with Rachel. I feel so privlidged that we have gotten to share this with you as you have been in our home and even your weekends while at Alpine. It has been so encouraging the way you have thought things through as you have dated Rachel and the love you have for her. I look forward to many years together with ya'll and are excited for Mary Stewart to have you both (ecspecially when you move to Atlanta one day!)

Randi, Lizzie, Brian

Me, Mary Stewart, Brian, Anna Mae & Randi

Dee Dee with her birthday boy!
Mary Stewart enjoyed banana's while we enjoyed crawfish!

We love you Uncle B! Cheers to a wonderful year!!!

Going to the Chapel......

In August Brian (aka uncle b) and Rachel will be going to the chapel! We are delighted to have her join our family. This past weekend we celebrated their engagement with an announcement party in Tupelo, Mississippi. But before I spill on the wonderful party, here's a little background.........
Brian and Rachel met about a year and half ago when Brian was a counselor at Camp Alpine and Rachel a counselor at Camp Desoto. Some mutual friends set them up on a date and well the rest is history.....
When I first met Rachel I was immediately sold! Someone once described her as a "mini you" referring to me, so naturally I love her! I love Rachel for many reasons but particularly because she loves and adores Mary Stewart and the fact that she can roll her eyes at Matthew when he is picking on her and even better she fights back!
Rachel grew up in Tupelo, MS and is a senior at Ole Miss (doesn't God have a great sense of humor... Mr. LSU marrying Ms. Ole Miss). Brian proposed in January and they have set the date for August 14, 2010.
So on to the party.......
When the party was scheduled for this past weekend, it was perfect for so many reasons. First the LSU/Ole MIss baseball series was going on in Oxford and it was Double Decker weekend. The weather put a kink in many of those plans but God was kind to have the rain stop and the sun shine for the party Saturday night. Rachel's family friends hosted a wonderful party. It was so fun because most of Brian's groomsmen were able to come! We had a great "Louisiana" group. I have so enjoyed getting to know some of Rachel's sweet friends and her family. We (especially Mary Stewart who loves getting showered with gifts from nathan and ashley) were excited to see Matt's brother Nathan and his wife Ashley (yes two ashley donald's in the same family ). They recently moved to Texas and with us in Georgia our visits are few and far between! It's always so fun to have all of the siblings together!
We are thankful for such a beautiful weekend .....

The Family

Ashley, Nathan, Brian, Rachel, Randi, Matthew, Me!

Matthew & I

Mr. Vic, Rachel, Brian, Ms. Diana

Matthew, Todd, Eric, Elliott

The Baton Rouge Gang

Matthew, Me, Holly & Elliott

Ms. Diana, Ashley, Randi, Kim, Holly & Me

Congratulations Brian & Rachel, we love you!

Check out Brian & Rachel's website!

Celebrating Baby Cahill

My sweet friend Katy in Atlanta is expecting in June! We are so thrilled to have so many of our friends in our same stage of life. We celebrated Katy and this sweet blessing with a wonderful shower on Saturday, April 17. Everything was beautiful and Katy got some great gifts. There is something so wonderous about a new baby. We are are so thankful for Paul and Katy's friendship to us and can't wait to share in the the joy of this baby!

The hostesses with Katy

Me, Mary Catherine, Katy, Jenny, Ann

Laura & Mikki

Mary Catherine & Jenny

(Jenny & her precious family live in Nashville...we oh so miss them)

I love fresh flowers!

Great petitfores by Cakes on the Corner

Meet Baby Ella

About two weeks ago, one of my dearest friends Katharine and her husband Phelps stopped in for the night and brought Baby Ella to meet us! Though the time was short, it was oh so sweet.

The Lord has truly been gracious to me in the dear friends he has blessed me with! Katharine is one of them. Katharine and I's paths have crossed for the past twenty years or so but really became close once I went to LSU (she was a grade ahead of me). While at LSU she became of my closest and dearest friends (she was the reason I pledged tri delta). I am ever so thankful our husbands enjoy one another as well.

So the fun part of all this is that Katharine and I have baby girl's three months apart (yes they will be college room mates). We absolutely loved meeting Ella! She is beautiful and such a sweet baby full of smiles! I so look forward to our girls growing up together (despite the four hours between us, we will make it work).

Thank You Katharine, Phelps & Baby Ella for coming to visit! We can't wait to do it again soon!

Dee Dee's & Ya Ya's

Dee Dee's & Ya Ya's....... Everyone should have them! What? Your unfamiliar with a Dee Dee and a Ya Ya? Well please let me explain.........

Dee Dee's & Ya Ya's are very special blessings. Our Dee Dee and Ya Ya love our Mary Stewart. They are so good to her. We are so fortunate because we have the best of both worlds! Dee Dee is a great cook and super help around the house when she is in town. Ya Ya is wonderful in the yard and helps us to get our outside projects done. They are great at showering Mary Stewart with gifts and they are great about remembering me too!

Oh, grandmothers you say? Well I guess so, but with names like Dee Dee & Ya Ya, grandmother just sounds so boring ( & I assure you, there is nothing boring about these ladies)!

Thanks Dee Dee & Ya Ya for being so good to us!

This is a Ya Ya!

This is a Dee Dee!

Happy Easter

I love Easter on so many levels. It may be because Easter is in the spring as things are coming back to life. I am soaking up the warm temperatures, daffodils, camellias and the dogwoods (one of my absolute favorites; which just happend to bloom this Easter morning). Though bunnies and chicks aren't the real reason for Easter, I love the decorations! I'd be remiss if I didn't confess I am a sucker for Easter candy. There is something about the pastel colored M&M's that just make them taste better. I love the searsucker that will be displayed Easter morning and the permission to wear white and linen (yes I do follow the Easter to Labor Day rule, despite what modern fashion suggest).

Our first Easter with Mary Stewart was great. My mom (Ya Ya) was here with us. We are thankful that we can so freely worship our Savior on such a special morning. After church we enjoyed an incredible brunch at Aspens (check it out if!). Mary Stewart was anxious to see what the Easter Bunny had brought, and as always, she was super blessed.

However as wonderful as all of these things are, they are that much more enjoyable because I have a risen Savior who lives! What comfort that brings to mind as we live in what can be such a crazy and chaotic world. As I think upon the Holy Week, I am in awe that Jesus would take the ransom for my sin. I hope you are resting in Christ Jesus and that you have experienced even a glimpse of his grace and mercy.

"I am the resurrection and the life," says the Lord.

All of those who believe in Christ will never perish.

May the God of peace who raised to life the great Shepard of the sheep,

make us ready to do His will in every good thing, through Jesus Christ,

to whom be glory forever and ever.

Hallelujah! Amen.

-Easter Blessing

half way there!

"Whoa, we're half there, ohhhh living on a prayer!" (Yes I'm singing the lyrics out loud as I type, aren't you glad your not here to listen!) Well I can't believe we are half way there with Mary Stewart and yes we are living on a prayer =) This week we hit the six month mark! I see now how quickly time goes by.

Here is a little recap on month 5:

-You LOVE to eat, and it seems you can never get enough! This month we introduced you to oatmeal, pears, & bananas. Sweet potatoes are still one of your favorites!

-Rolly Polly seems appropriate as you are rolling tons from your tummy to your back (ecspecially in your crib!)

-You can put your pi (pacifier) in your mouth all by yourself!

-We love walking now that spring is upon us.

-You had a great trip to Baton Rouge and your family & friends adore you!

-No teeth yet, but lots of drool and things (anything) in your mouth.

-You like your sippy cup! Not sure if you are actually drinking anything, but you love to practice.

-Your feet found your mouth!

-You are still rotten, spoiled rotten that is! You have your daddy wrapped around your finger. What is it about daddy's and little girls?