Favorite Things Friday

**pics to come tomorrow...too tired to upload them tonight**

This week's favorite things are.....drumroll please.....

~Birthday clothes!! All of my old clothes have been hanging on me for awhile, but I've been far too cheap to replenish the wardrobe. Oh, and of course, when I do convince myself to spend money on clothes, they're always for my littlest lulu. So, Jared saved the day and surprised me with a goody bag of frocks from my favorite clothing establishment...without even the tiniest bit of help! Nana also chimed in on the new clothes symphony and outfitted me in a pretty pink shirt that she 'just knew I'd love.' She was right! Then, my sister gave me a cool shirt that my brother says is 'much too trendy for me' but I think I pull off nicely...so he can eat worms. And, then, there's my mom...who always comes through in a clothing pinch and did so admirably this past week. Thanks for the goods, y'all!

~Speaking of my mom, she gets spot #2 on this week's list. Well, my mom's big fat black eye from Henry practicing his headbutting skills does. I told y'all, he's serious about the headbutting.

~Smooth travel to and from Orlando...don't ever let me forget to be grateful when that happens. An angry 11-month old could make a 2 hour flight feel like a 20 hour root canal, so I award many props to H for letting us fly during his naptimes.

~Pottery painting with the life group girls. Y'all, I LOVE pottery painting places, and many times when I would get lonely and homesick in college, you could find me at Oxford's very own, Clay Canvas, painting my blahs away. I was jacked to hear that this month's girls' night was at Kingwood's own, The Mudpie Co., and after painting a highly overpriced platter in Christmas reds and greens, I left feeling happy, energized, and loving social interaction with the fabulous women in our group.

~The next morning, one of the gals suggested we meet up for a walk with our kiddos. H&I went...H&I loved it...and, not to brag, but H&I rocked it out again this morning!!

~You know how when you catch someone doing something they shouldn't have been doing, you might consider uttering this in a knowing and enlightened tone: "Well, well, well." Well, maybe you wouldn't, but I would. And, this week, I said it to Jared about something he was doing...and, then, not three seconds later, an eavesdropping 11-month old hit him with it one more time...."weh-weh-weh-weh-dadadadadaddada." Baaaaahahahaha. Take that, daddy.

~LSU wins the College World Series. Beautiful.

~Lunch with my brothers. Yesterday, my buddy and I met up with Uncle Justin and Uncle Jonathan for lunch at Uncle Jason's Deli. Okay, Jason's not really our uncle...but we sure do love his gingerbread muffins, salad bar, and Philly Chicks. I love meeting up with my brothers for lunch, because they're funny, always bring extremely engaging conversation, and because they don't feel rushed to get out the door like they do when I see them on weeknight evenings. So, thanks bros...let's do it again next week.

Lunch with my sister. Heather couldn't make it to sibling lunch at Jason's, but she DID make it over to the Cucina Chesser for turkey sandwiches the other day. It was awesome. I'll take almost ANYTHING to break up the long summer days inside the house with Taz...and I'll definitely take lunching with the best sister in the world!!

~My dad taking my car to the shop for me today. Sometimes in life, there are errands that - no matter how much we know need running - we cannot bring ourselves to get out of the house and run. Car stuff is always that errand for me. So, after a few weeks of hearing me talk about the waning AC in my auto, Lande took matters into his own hands and just drove the darn thing on in to the shop. Within an hour, he had it all done and done. What a guy, my dad.

Pray with me that bubby sleeps all night tonight. Jared's been in Las Vegas since Wednesday, and of course, Henry chooses these nights to terrorize my sleep. He did it the last time J left town, too. I really think he can sense that something's amiss around here, and well, it is. So, thankfully, the man of the house will be back in action tomorrow afternoon...and maybe we can rest up for the big fun we have planned for Sunday.

2 weeks and 1 day until we're lighting candle. Singular. Candle.

Strollin'

Today, we strolled with some of the fab ladies from our new lifegroup. It was hot as Hades out - even at 9 a.m. - but I really wanted some chatty girl-time and for H to get outside at least once this month. Poor guy, he's been confined to the living room so much lately, because I'm scared to death of sunburning or overheating him. Just take one look at his skin...can you blame me?!? Anyway, one of the girls brought her sweeeeet-A camera along for the adventure, and she snapped these adorable photos of Henry.Thanks, girlfriend, I just love them. Oh, and sweethusbandwhoisallegedlyonastrictlybusinesstripinLASVEGASforfourdaysthisweek...I hate to break it to you, but 'new camera' probably just made my Christmas wish list this year. :)

Favorite Things Friday comin' up tomorrow!

Favorite Things Fri...ahem, errr..Monday

We've been out of town forever, but I really want to continue with my Favorite Things Friday tradition that I started last week. So, even though it's Monday, here are a few of my favorite things from this week spent mostly abroad....

1. Henry playing in my kitchen when he first wakes up...-look at those sweet sleepy eyes!
2. Embroidered John-Johns in size 2T (http://www.jollyrompers.com/)
3. The Henry and Avery Show
4. Hosting a sassy lingerie shower with one of my besties!
5. The creative works of our esteemed shower guests...this is just one of many I could have posted. No photos of the guests, though...that, of course, would violate Rule 14 of Chapter 4, Section 17, Sub-part B of Hosting a Bad-Ass Lingerie Shower.
6. Bubby enjoying the view from our balcony at the James Family Reunion

7. My favorite fellas on Father's Day - I think their mischievous grins are so matchy and adorable...

- On a sidenote, I did consider writing an entire post about the daddiest daddy in all the land and how much Henry adores him. The thing is, though, my words don't do their relationship justice. I just can't explain the gleeful shrieks, the head-burying, the games only they play, the songs only they know, the pat-pat-patting, and the pure joy that passes over my baby boy's face at the mere sight of his daddy. It's just such a beautiful and amazing thing - a father and his son - and I count myself immeasurably blessed to be able to bear witness to the miracle of it in my very own home every day.

8. Quality time with Uncle Matt

9. Multi-generational family photos
10. A pint-sized helper for blowing out my 29th birthday cake candle!

So, there ya have it, folks. It's our week in review! Now, if you'll excuse me...I have some major unpacking and cleaning to tend to.

We have less than 3 weeks until the BIG birthday in our family...good thing little man got some candle practice this week with mom.

Favorite Things Friday

From now on, on Fridays, I'm going to post a Top 10 list of my favorite things that have happened in our family since the previous Friday. Favorite things will not be listed in the order of their favoriteness...just in whatever order they fly out of my brain and into my fingertips. Hopefully, this will make for a quick and easy entry, and we can get ON with the weekend! Without further ado, I present this week's...

~Favorite Things Friday~

*Jonathan and Stephanie got married!! I don't have pics from the wedding, so these of them at the RD and of Jonathan and me pre-wedding will have to suffice.

~Lande's speech outfit for their rehearsal dinner ~The way Jared looked in his tux. Yum. (again, no wedding pics...but here's the happy couple eating mudbugs...) ~My sister's dessert table at the rehearsal dinner...here they are dipping strawberries! ~Henry saying the following words: outside, dog, ball, baba (aka bottle), mama, dada, nana, nina, got it, raaaaaah (in response to 'what's a dinosaur say?'), moooooooo (in response to what's a cow say?), doo-dooo-doo-dooooo (when he sees any paper-towel holder shaped thing...get it, we taught him to blow in it like a trumpet), and nunn-nunns (explanation to follow). He also makes various animal noises that can't be spelled (birds, dogs, cats, bunnies are the cutest by far - he just scrunches his face and sniffs his nose). ~In response to, "Don't bump your head", H promptly headbutts whatever is in front of him. Sometimes it's really cute - like when it's your shoulder in front of him - other times, not so cute - like when he's near the fireplace bricks and he does it even without being told 'not to bump his head' because he likes the attention. sigh. ~He learned how to hold hands...and sometimes, cries when you let go. Bestill my heart.

~H's sweet new obsession with motorcycles...a.k.a. Nunnn-nunnns...get it, say it like the sound a motorcycle makes when you rev the engine. If you dare say the n word in his presence, you WILL be expected to take him to his Grampy's house and sit him on the nunn-nunn...or be subjected to one pissy baby...a fate worse than waterboarding around our house. Here's a funny photo of him riding the nunn-nunn at Fuddrucker's. ~This should NOT make the favorites list, but since it so typifies life with an almost-walker, I have to include it. Ready? Here it is...Henry's swan-dive into my empty bathtub yesterday morning. I understand the magnitude of the tragedy that could have unfolded, but thankfully, he caught himself with his hands and didn't even get a bump on the head. Mostly, just scared the crap out of himself...and taught us to NEVER leave a bathroom door open ever again. This kid is SOOOO his father's son. ~Family dinner with fun, new LifeGroup friends at the Tin Roof!!

Have a great weekend everyone...if you're in the Houston area, head to Bill's Cafe on Loop 494 in Kingwood this Sunday. My sweet friends on Team Happy Hour are having a fundraiser for their 60-mile breast cancer walk this fall. BBQ and boobs...two great tastes that taste great together! Hope to see you there!!

Polka-dot Pretties!!

Please check out this website of a friend of a friend. She's promoting her new etsy site and having a sweeeeet give-away this week, and I want all of you to have a chance to win!

http://fancyschmancydesigns.blogspot.com/

Wedding weekend photos forthcoming...

shhhh...

Don't tell anyone, but I'm breaking my blog hiatus...again! The pics are just too cute not to post. Besides, I have a clean house, sleeping baby, and I've already gotten my shower...

Turn your back for one second, and this is where you'll find me...


Mommy, I thought you wanted me to help you clean this bathroom...


This is a potty...thank you, daddy, for teaching me how to flush it and flush it and flush it.


Oh no, BUSTED...must make a quick getaway...


Mommy isn't sure she likes this picture, because I look 28 in it...


I went to my first 80s party...daddy dressed me as Kris Kross...JUMP! JUMP!!


Here's my grampy and me.


Here's my grammie and me...nevermind her fabulous hair and jewelry...how amazing is that balloon?!?!?


Family photo...fyi, I don't look at cameras unless I'm getting caught doing something naughty...



Thanks for checking in. We've got 3 days until the wedding...will post photos as soon as I can.

Florida family, thought y'all would love this, Henry has an enormous fascination with the mailbox and the mail that comes out of it. We go check it everyday together...and he squeals opening the door and pulling out the envelopes and tearing up the junk in the living room. Anyway, I was thinking it would be fun for all of you to send a photo over of yourself by mail. I know he'd love getting them, opening them, and we can put them on his wall and practice saying everyone's name and learning faces! He doesn't have his "G" yet, but he's got "N", "aaah," "uhhh," and "EEEE"...so we've been practicing "Nana" and "Nina" already...and, yes, he can say both!

A ne'er forgotten birthday.

June arrived today. It's the 1st. I just love the 1st of June. As a child, I would look forward to this day so much, because it signified two things: 1) summertime and 2) my birthday month was upon us. But the 1st is special for another reason. Always has been. It also marks the birthday of my grandfather, Dr. Henry J. Cabeceiras, Jr.

Today, he would have been 80.

He has been gone for the better part of a decade, and not a June 1st rolls around that I don't think of him. That I don't wonder what it would be like if he were still around. Not a June 1st rolls around that I don't wish he was.


He was smart in an unassuming way. He exuded a powerful, yet quiet, confidence - a quality I have always admired. He didn't brag about his multitude of accomplishments - he just tucked them away and focused on the present. He was a masterful physician and delivered babies for over thirty years...present company included. He coached his five sons' baseball teams. He didn't have a rush mode...just steadily kept his pace and brought the world around him to his speed. He was a true patriarch - a pillar of strength, fortitude, grace and cohesion - for our family. We have never recovered from losing him.

My grandfather was a man of very few words, but almost anyone who heard him speak remembers exactly the words he chose to say.

Paw Paw and I shared a special connection. He had time for me always, and let me know often how proud he was that I was his granddaughter. He never (not once) turned me down for a game of checkers, and he beamed wildly when I beat him. When I was 8, he taught me the Infield-Fly Rule and then gave me $100 when I remembered it a year later. He loved it that I played golf...loved it more that I played on scholarship in college...and loved it most that I did it and carried a 4.0 until my last year at Ole Miss. I know that he saw something of himself - or at the very least, something of the direction he hoped this family would go - in me. I will treasure that knowledge for the rest of my life.

Last year, when I found out that I was expecting a baby boy, there was only one name that we even considered for him. Only one name that I could give to the person I hoped would continue the legacy built by generations...and seen by me in my grandfather. That name was his...
Now it is his...

...and I know that, were he still with us, he would find unending joy in my Henry on this, his 80th birthday.