Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Wedding Season Brings Blessings Abound


 



We are coming up on a year since my son married his best friend, Micah Elaine!
She is the woman who will be by his side for eternity. 
She is amazing and is now my daughter.
Steve and I know how blessed we are and are constantly pinching ourselves praying it is not just a dream that all of our children find they soulmates. Truly we do not take this for granted at all. It is a privilege and honor to witness this journey. For our children are ours to hold for just a small window of time and then we must let go and watch them take flight in this crazy, sometimes cruel yet beautiful world. It is hard work raising babies. I mean really hard but oh my goodness it was and continues to be our greatest joy, honor and gift from God. A gift so extraordinary we could never be worthy of and yet we continuously attempt to reach worthiness. Fortunately, God does not expect perfection from us but only that we long to be more like Him and be with Him. Our growth as a family unit is monumental and all of our triumphs and hardships just keep inching us closer and closer to our eternal life together in heaven. In heaven we will be united with all of those who have gone before us and will come after our arrival. We join those before us who have helped to shape us to be who we are. We are all connected and intertwined. We lost my Dad, our Paw Paw during the pandemic. It has been difficult and he is missed so terribly yet our faith promises us that we will see him again. It is that promise that carries us through those painful seasons and we discover that even in great sadness we can celebrate and experience tremendous joy. 
My son had planned his proposal in advance and then the lockdowns came and so we encouraged him to proceed with his plan even when his plan had to be altered not allowing family to be present. All was in place and on Easter Sunday he proposed on one knee to his Micah. My Dad went to heaven hours before Jake proposed. In my mind, this allowed his Paw Paw to be present and witness the proposal even while other family members could not be present. Finding beauty and joy in one of our most painful days and knowing that we will be together again was a blessing and a testimony to our love for my Dad and most importantly God, our Father. As we come to a close on the first year of celebrating the newlyweds and our family growing, we find ourselves privileged to begin preparations to add another family member to our clan and witness our daughter marrying her best friend, Drew. Again we remain humbled and in awe of our abundance of blessings. I pray that we never forget to offer prayers of gratitude. That we always remember our perpetual blessings in this life and pray for those who sufferings and sacrifices are larger and more painful than ours at this present time. May we keep those less fortunate in our daily prayers in hopes to mitigate their suffering. 






Jake is already starting to cry.



Now I start to cry! I mean seriously it turned very quickly into an ugly cry face!
















                                          

Welcome to the family sweet Micah!




Our Mother/Son dance! 
Look at that sweet boy's face!










I am blessed, blessed and blessed!
Yes I am!


The BEST wedding photographer!!














Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Liv and Lou "Amazing You Giveaway"

 


to enter now! Giveaway closes Sunday, January 23, 2022!














Just who are Liv & Lou?

Olivia and Isabella Louise are Holli's daughters. These sisters both have a contagious yearning for adventure and a beautiful passion for service. Holli is their greatest and loudest cheerleader. And don't underestimate the LOUD part. This innovative online shopping experience was created with the idea that one could step out of their chaotic life for a few minutes and step into a joyful online "Home" where you can find a little treasure or two to either keep for yourself and or gift someone you love. These treasures are part of curated collections chosen by perky and hip buyers. Each treasure delivered will be tied up with a velvet bow of "Giving". With each purchase made, funds will be carefully tucked away for the special nonprofits we are presently serving. Once you have visited our "Home" for the first time, you are forever part of our Liv & Lou community. We invite you to come back with your filled to the brim cup in tow and read our blog posts about how this community is changing lives. This community is making little changes which will in turn make a big difference. We are honored and grateful you have found your way here. Pull up a chair and sit on the porch with us for awhile. The sweet tea is extra cold and Granny's oatmeal cookies are almost ready to come out of the oven. Just bring your smile and your conversation.

See you soon,

Liv & Lou













Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Barkitecture - A Luxury Dog Room

 Is you pet the King or Queen of the house? Gone are the days of Rover living out his lazy dog days outside in a nicely built dog house in a gated backyard. The pets of today are pampered beyond their wildest dreams. From fancy pet strollers to luxury rooms specifically designed for the furry family member these pets are living the life! My dear friend Nancy recently renovated her kitchen and she designed a special nook for her pups so they are never out of the action. How awesome is this!



Ready for the Christmas Party!










Here they are ready for their afternoon adventure!

See ya later pups!

Check out these darling pillows in my store!

HERE






Friday, December 17, 2021

Gracie's Senior Photo Shoot

 






My niece Gracie asked me to take her senior photos and I was so excited! We loaded the car with a few props and multiple outfits and headed out for adventure! First stop was the Hallettsville town square. We found a few spots on the courthouse steps. The same courthouse that my dad and his best friend, George, attempted to scale to the top one night as a teenager, dressed in black and rope in hand. They took off on their bikes as planned but chickened out when they saw "the law" in town and they were stopped and asked what they were doing out at night all dressed in black. My sisters and I love that story and each time I pass by the courthouse I smile thinking of him and his big scheme many years ago.

The photo shoot was a success and after we took photos in town we drove out to Rocky, my uncle and aunt's property that has been in our family for over 100 years. My Granny would take us to the Rocky Creek to play in the hot summer days to attempt to wear us out a little before supper.  She would perch high above on a quilt under a pecan tree while we splashed and used shovels to dig a swimming hole in the sand which proved to be impossible. We had fun with Gracie taking some dreamy photos at the creek and under pecan trees. Everyone needs a "Hallettsville". A place to call home and hold memories both good and not so good. It creates your life quilt. Patches of memories all sewn together to represent time, people, events, growth and well, just life. Enjoy these photos of my beautiful niece Gracie. She is beautiful inside and out. We can't wait to see how her future unfolds!