Archive for September, 2007

a little fun with the macbook pro…

So our dear friends Mikie and Naomi came over tonight, and let’s just say we all had a good time. After dining on grilled steaks and chicken breasts and enjoying lively conversation around the dinner table, Rich and Mikie became enthralled with Rich’s new MacBook Pro while Naomi and I sat and chatted about life.

Shortly before they left, Rich insisted on a MacBook Pro photobooth session, again, enjoying to the full his new piece of cutting-edge technology.

Here are a few of our favorites from the evening! I hope you laugh out loud…it’s good for your heart! And, please, if you have any heart at all, don’t say a word about these bearing any resemblance to me :)

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And here are Mikie and Naomi…we love these two!

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Finally… a normal picture! Here’s the whole gang…

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We did a silly pic with the self-portrait also but why bother posting since it can’t even COMPARE to the Mac photobooth!

Mikie and Naomi, thank you for coming over…we had a blast with you, and truly appreciate your friendship! We love you, and can’t wait to do it again! Thanks for letting us humiliate you…you are such good sports!

these funny cravings…

I recently saw a hilarious maternity shirt that read: “Yes, I’m pregnant. I’m due in October. I’m having a boy. I feel fine.” Obviously in response to the questions that a pregnant woman gets asked every day! There is even a website with that t-shirt and hundreds of other hilarious maternity tops (for men and women!) Click here for the website!

Along those lines, since I get the question “what are you craving?” all the time, I thought I’d post a blog about the answer!

In my first trimester, I had more food aversions than cravings. The few cravings I did have consisted of an affinity for strawberries and Caesar salads. Yes, I had to have these two things everyday, and didn’t want much of anything else! I was nauseated, so meat often grossed me out but my salads and strawberries kept me company.

Second trimester was a little different. Not so many aversions, but still, only a few cravings. My second trimester left me obsessed with eating a daily peach, and sometimes I wanted more than one a day. I think I should write an “Ode to Peaches”, since this entire summer has proven to be a bonding time with them. I think Alana loves peaches, because my body wanted them constantly! And then there is cereal. I love to eat cereal at anytime of day, and I love that there are so many tasty and nutritious cereals out there! I have had a bowl of cereal almost every day of this pregnancy!

Third Trimester has been interesting so far. I still want my fresh fruit, still want my cereal, and I’m still doing fairly well in terms of getting protein and calcium, but now I also want chocolate! I’m trying to figure out the “path of least damage” here, because almost everyday I want some chocolate, and I know that could easily be bad news!

I am 31 weeks along right now, and have gained 18 pounds. I know that the next 9 weeks before Alana is born will be more weight gain. Apparently, recent research has concluded that a baby’s birth weight has much more to do with the mother’s weight gain during pregnancy than previously thought. Which means that, not only is this little critter depending on me for her nutritional needs to be met, she is also going to be a healthy weight depending on what I feed her and how much I gain.

If that isn’t motivation to eat well, I don’t know what is! Hopefully I can keep these chocolate cravings in check :)

On a side note, I had an incredibly beautiful, meaningful baby shower last weekend, and I will post photos and commentary very soon! To anyone reading this who was at my shower, thank you, thank you, thank you for one of the most special days of my life!

The World of Coke!

I got the random inclination a couple of weeks ago to visit the World of Coke for a fun weekend date with Rich! Thankfully, he values my random urges and thought it was a good idea as well. So, we went off to Atlanta for the day and enjoyed each other and the entertainment.

Of course, the day wouldn’t be complete without some photos to document the occasion, so here are some fun shots!

We started our tour by watching this quirky documentary, which was highly entertaining…

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Then we ran into the Coca Cola Polar Bear and had a bit of fun…

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The Polar Bear liked Rich (I’m thinking there was some cute girl inside) and gave him a big hug :)

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And this is my favorite one…

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Then we caught a 3-D movie with moving seats and all kinds of fun sights and sounds…

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Somehow I felt glamorous with these high-fashion glasses…

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Then we were off to the Coke Products (from around the world) tasting room! This was so much fun! There were multiple stations around the room, each one with fountain Coke products from a different continent! We got to taste all kinds of drinks that we don’t have access to here in North America!

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Then there was the Coca Cola tasting room, with every type of Coke that is currently in production: Coke, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Coke with Lime, Coke Zero, Vanilla Coke, and on and on it went!

Of course, being pregnant and very concerned about my caffeine and sugar intake, I was cautious and only had tiny tastes of each beverage! I allowed myself one small glass of Cherry Coke, since I love it so much and NEVER ever drink it!

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Then Rich caught this shot of a HUGE Coke advertisement on our way out! What fun!

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Mango Tree

Rich and I had recently had the privilege to spend some time with our dear friends Tim and Steph in order to help Steph get her brand new business off the ground!

Steph has been thrust into this new venture because she has such great taste and an eye for design and color. She painted a couple of frames just for fun recently and, well, the short story is that everyone loves them and wants her to sell them. So, she has decided to move forward and just see what happens!

That is where Rich comes in! She wants to sell them with his photographs in them, and also have him take photos of them for her website and any future publications.

Before they officially began the photo shoot for the frames, Rich took Tim and Steph outside to grab a few photos of the lovebirds. We love these two people, and I love how these photos turned out! I just think my husband is the most talented man ever!

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And now for Steph’s amazing creations!

(I will post a photo soon of the frame that Steph made for Alana’s nursery! It is absolutely beautiful and perfectly cute at the same time!)

A detail photo, showing the perfect distressing that Steph does with the Benjamin Moore paint she uses…

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A beautiful frame with a photo of Tim and Steph’s son Reece that Rich took a few months ago

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A close up of gorgeous scalloped trim…

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A set of three amazing frames that coordinate beautifully, and we all thought they were perfectly conducive for these wedding shots by Rich. Two of them have the scalloped trim and the one in the middle has gorgeous pearl polka dots.

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I think this is one of Steph’s favorites, and I can’t blame her. I love love love it! And this photo is from a session Rich did of Jason and Kellie a few months ago!

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Here is the lovely Steph showing the magnitude of this frame…it is 30×40 inches, and it is stunning!

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If you are interested in Steph’s amazing frames, she will have a site up soon for Mango Tree Frames! If you are a Chattanooga local, you can already shop for them at Charlotte’s Web in North Chattanooga! We will keep you posted!

Steph, we are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what God does with your talent and willing heart! We love you!

old roomies reunite!

Last Saturday we were off to Lee and Kami’s wedding. This was a particularly enjoyable day for us since we hadn’t seen Lee and Gary and Kate since we were married three years ago! They moved to Maryland and we’ve been missing their company so much! These were Rich’s roommates when we were engaged, so they shared our wedding planning enjoyment with us and many other memories as well!

Rich says “If you botch a great shot, what do you do? You experiment with textures and colors!!!” He had just come out of the (much darker) sanctuary into the well-lit hallway after the ceremony, and hadn’t yet changed the settings on his camera. So, before he got creative with this photo, it was entirely blown-out and not usable! I love the result! Kami was a gorgeous bride, and she was radiating with joy!

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And here is our good friend Lee, handsome groom, awaiting his bride!

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Gary and Lee…yes, they are twins! Rich and I love that while Lee is watching Kami come down the aisle, Gary is watching his brother. So sweet it gives me chills. This shot really does capture how proud Gary is of his brother and close they are. These two guys are golden. I love them like brothers, and they are incredibly sincere, fun, and hilarious. I wish they still lived in Chattanooga, but I know their family is happy to have them close to home.

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A stunning panoramic of the Bridal Party during the ceremony that Rich captured from the balcony.

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A beautiful moment immediately after the ceremony. Lee and Kami are husband and wife!

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Here we are at the Walden club for the fun, special, and beautiful reception!

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We were hoping to spend a LOT more time with Gary and Kate after the wedding, but the day presented some logistical glitches and so they waited several hours until Lee and Kami had left for their honeymoon. We were thankful to be able to have dinner at the Mandarin Garden, along with Kate’s brother and some friends of Gary and Kate’s who had also come to the wedding.

It was so good to see them again, and it was truly like picking back up where we left off. We chatted and laughed, and reminisced about our dating stories all around the table. Such good times, and such good friends. Here we are with everyone, and Kate is holding little sleeping Brennen!

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One of my many fond memories of Gary is that when he was living at working in Chattanooga, at our local ice cream joint “Clumpies,” he knew of my love for Cookie Dough ice cream and brought me home an half gallon that he had made specially for me that day, with extra cookie dough. Man, that was truly the best ice cream I’ve ever had, Gary, and you made my month! Gary is also a big teddy bear and gives GREAT hugs!

One of my best memories of Kate was when she helped to plan a bridal shower for me, and when I came over to their house one day, she had several samples of invitations that she was designing for me! She showed them to me and I ended up choosing my favorite…but that is just one example of her thoughtfulness and generosity! She also willingly complied when Rich and I needed some engagement photos and she did a great job! We will always cherish those memories!

Gary and Kate, it was SO good to see you, and we hope for another chance soon! We love you! And congratulations on your beautiful baby boy!

Lee and Kami, thank you for including us in your special day! We are thrilled for you, and will be praying many blessings on your marriage! Congratulations!!!

take me out to the ballgame…

Last weekend our good friends Tim and Steph invited us to a Lookouts Baseball game at our local stadium here in Chattanooga. They had rented a box and were so thoughtful to invite us! Rich and I had a great time socializing with good friends and meeting some new ones! Everyone was busy either watching the game, taking, or eating, and so we definitely didn’t get all the pictures would have liked!

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Here I am with the beautiful, fun, talented Diana Simpson. I love this girl because she is so down to earth and authentic! I seem to remember a big fan blowing on me, which would explain the absurdity of my hair!

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And with Steph (with baby Lake!) and Christy…two of the kindest, most wonderful women I know. I am so blessed to call them friends!

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…And the men! Tim, Rich, and Scott. I know that Rich feels the same way about these guys as I do about their wives…grateful for such relateable, godly friends!

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This is their best “tough guy” looks…

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Tim and Steph! Thank you again for the fun times! We love you and will be posting more about you soon with the new business venture!

pensive, scary, angry, glam!

As an addendum to Rich’s birthday celebration, we went out to eat with our good friends, Jason and Kellie. Dinner and conversation were lively and engaging, as usual, but then things got a little goofy.

Somehow it ended up that we challenged each other to a photo contest, and Rich captured the whole thing. And I intend to share with you.

The object of the game? To make faces.
(Yes, it was a highly mature, serious game, and we are all better people for playing it).
The individuals involved? Rich, Heather, Jason, and Kellie.
The faces? Pensive, scared, angry, and glam.
Our waiter? Thought we were totally nuts :)

Kellie even whipped out her new shades for the glam part. The men were great sports. I think they even secretly enjoyed it ;)

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We need for you all to leave comments declaring who you think made the best faces!

Kellie and Heather demonstrate yet MORE sillyness…

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Thank you for sharing in this intellectually stimulating blog post with us this evening. We are here for you. :)

Kellie, I hope you are having a WONDERFUL time in Oregon with your family…tell them we really can act our age when we want to!

Highlands, Take Two!

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Rich and I ventured off to Highlands, N.C. (for the second year in a row) for our third anniversary. We spent a quiet weekend away, both understanding that soon, a weekend away will be anything but quiet! Unless Alana happens to be one of those angelic babies, of course :)

After enjoying a Saturday full of fun, shopping, and eating, we went to a local overlook spot called “sunset rock,” hoping that we’d be subject to an absurdly beautiful sunset to enjoy and capture on camera. Unfortunately, what we did get was a hazy, low-visibility evening with the sun so dim it was hardly detectable as it sunk below the distant ridges.

Oh, well. We appreciated the time together anyway, and the fact that we had to hike about a mile (uphill) to get there. The exercise was good, and we’ll enjoy a gorgeous sunset some other time!

Here we are on sunset rock while Rich captured a self portrait of the status quo evening!

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We actually ventured back the next morning to see if it was any clearer or more beautiful this time around. It wasn’t, so we spent a few minutes taking some shots before heading back to Main Street for lunch.

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A few shots of me at 27 weeks (I’m 29 weeks today!) with my baby bump!

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We marveled at the change of pace that a place like Highlands requires. We are accustomed to city life in Chattanooga, with countless options for meals, theaters, entertainment, and shopping. Highlands, however, offers only quaint Main Street and the great outdoors. Now, don’t get me wrong, Main Street and all of it’s shops and dining experiences are wonderful…what amazes us was how early everything closes down on Saturday night, and doesn’t actually re-open on Sunday! Not even the pharmacy! We attempted to go out to eat for a birthday lunch for Rich before heading back to Chattanooga on Sunday, but alas, there was one restaurant open and they were serving only brunch! Every place we tried to eat was closed! We left wondering if the local populous is forced to go home after church every Sunday and cook, or if there was a secret, hidden cluster of places that are in fact open on Sundays and we just weren’t privy to the information!

Once back in Chattanooga, we went to a local Italian place for Rich’s 31st birthday dinner! We had an absolutely delicious meal and headed home for birthday cake and gifts!

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Birthday boy making a wish…

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…And reading the largest card either of us had ever seen…compliments of my wonderful sister and her hubby, who think that Rich is actually Superman :)

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