Baby Shower Time!!!

This post will be very wordy and filled with pictures. Please excuse all the blabbing. I am just an excited 'Nana-to-be' so you will just have to over look it...I will be called CiCi. I always wanted to be a Nana but when I had Ashley, I came up with Nana for my mom. Now Brooklynn will have a Nana and I don't want to confuse her. So, I will be CiCi. Once of my nieces couldn't say Aunt Cherri when they were little so they just called me C. So, my daughter came up with CiCi. I like it. It also doesn't make me sound old enough to be a Nana, right? Well, on with the post...

Just a week ago I found out that my parents were coming to visit my aunt and uncle at their 'mountain' cabin. That is only about an hour from where we live so I asked Ashley, my daughter to come with them so that she could visit with us. She is pregnant (due in January) and we don't get to see her that often. She lives about 4 1/2 hours from us. I was last there for her ultrasound that told us that 'It's A Girl' in mid-August. I realize that was only about 6 weeks ago but you all know that 6 weeks can make a 'BIG' difference when you are pregnant. She is now showing and I got to feel little Brooklynn Elaine kicking around in there. It was so wonderful.

Since we knew that this was probably the last time that Ashley would come here before the baby was born, my sister and I decided to try and throw a 'surprise' baby shower for Ashley. Remember that we only had a week to do it in. I immediately designed a baby shower invitation and got them in the mail the next day. Then the other planning began. Now, Ashley was getting to my house on Sunday and the shower wasn't planned until Tuesday night, which meant, all that I was doing for the shower had to be done and over at my sister's house by Sunday afternoon. Yikes!!! I also had to hide all evidence that I had been working on a baby shower. I wanted to keep this a surprise if at all possible.

Well, there were times that I had to 'cover' up for things around my house and I had to be creative when going over to my sister's house on Tuesday night. Ashley wasn't dressed nice and hadn't done her hair. I told her that I wanted to take some 'good' pictures to document her pregnancy and I asked her if she was going to do something with her hair. It was just enough to get her to 'doll' herself up some...She looked beautiful.

When we got there, everyone was standing around the 'food' table as the surprise. Ashley was too buy petting Jackson (her dog that now lives with her cousins) and she didn't realize that it was a shower. I had to lean over and whisper into her ear, 'Happy Baby Shower Sweetheart'. And then, she got it... She has never been truly surprised. We totally pulled it off. I am so proud of all of us. Ashley said that we made her feel so loved, so cherished and so honored. (just what we were going for) She felt very special that we did all of this just for her.

















Thanks for taking the time to get through this entire post. Have a blessed day, Cherri

Today my baby is 17!!!

Happy Birthday Charles 'Matthew' Crisp. Seventeen years ago at 7:02pm you came into this world and made me one happy mama. At that moment I didn't think I could love you more than I did, but boy have I proven myself wrong. I love you so much and I am so proud of the young man that you are becoming. Keep at it.

Love,
Mama

Hail Storm in September

This past Wednesday a horrific storm came upon us all of a sudden. It brought heavy rain (the kind that rains in all directions), extreme lightening and loads of 'pea-sized' hail. I work from my home office and was on the phone with a client. Needless to say, the power went out, the phones went out and I just had to shut everything down until it passed. And just as swiftly as it came - it left. I don't think it even lasted 10 to 15 mins. It was a little bit unnerving because it was so intense. I was glad to grab a few pics of the hail. It looked like it had snowed in September. Of course the ice melted very quickly and everything was back to normal. (as if the storm had never visited us).

This is our front flower bed covered in hail.


My office is on the second floor in our home. My desk is directly beside this window and this was my view of the hail on the roof.

This is the back yard looking out the breakfast area on the main floor. Our house sits on top of a full basement and that is why it looks so far down from where I am standing.

Another one from the breakfast area looking into the back yard.

Our back deck off of the eat-in-kitchen area.

Yard Sale Goodies from this Past Weekend

Ok, this summer hasn't really be all that productive when it comes to my yard sales/thrift store finds...that is until this past weekend. I think it was the best ever for things that I found that I just couldn't leave behind.

At our first stop I was able to these three frames for $1 each even though they are marked at $2 a piece. I think she was willing to negotiate because I was buying quite a few things from her. I got a great deal on all of these items. A total of $11 was spent on the following few items and the same stop.

Table Runner was $2 Place Mats were $3 for 6 of them

This lamp was only $3 (I love it)

Another great deal I got (at our last stop) was this rug to go under my Dining Room table. It is at least a 9' X 10' (actually I think it's a little bit bigger but I haven't measured it yet). You won't believe me when I tell you that I only spent $10. Yes, you read correctly....$10. Yea!!!

My daughter is expecting in January so I just couldn't pass up on some awesome baby things. This bouncy seat (in excellent condition) was only $8. And this bassinet was (also in excellent condition) only $20. They originally had it marked for $50 (they started the sale on Thursday night) but came down on Saturday to make sure they moved it. It was a church rummage sales raising money for a mission trip. I didn't mind paying $20 for a good cause and an awesome bassinet for Ashley (and Brooklynn Elaine).

Also at the church rummage sale I snagged these three baskets/tins for .25 a piece.

A great day with my sister and her two daughters. Girls morning out - what fun. I also got a rubbermaid container full of maternity clothes for only $10 and 3 baby lullaby CD's for a buck a piece. I think that is everything that I brought home on Saturday. Needless to say, my husband is thrilled that yard sale season is quickly coming to an end...

Hope you all had a successful 'thrifting' day if you ventured out. I sure did...Have a wonderful week.

Hello September

My where has the summer gone? Boy is time flying fast these days. It seems like just yesterday our kiddos were getting out of school (one graduated from High School) and starting their summer and now the next school year is already in full swing. Is it just me or did summers last longer when we were younger? I think they did.

We are what you all would call empty-nesters. We have a blended family with three adult children (all living out of state), one that just graduated and is heading off to the National Guard, one in the 11th grade living with his father, and one just beginning 9th grade (1st year in High School) and she lives with her mother. It is extremely quiet around her most days. My husband and I both work from home. (we know what a blessing that is and we are so very grateful) But with no kiddos in the house sometimes (most of the time) I miss not having some of the children around all the time.

It's a Girl!!!

Last Thursday, Aug. 19th, my daughter had an appointment for an ultrasound. She invited me and my mom to go with her and Justin. If the baby cooperated they would be able to tell the sex of the baby. Well, she did cooperate and we know (fairly certain) that we will be welcoming a little baby girl into our family in January. This is Ashley's first child and my first biological grandchild. We couldn't be more excited about the upcoming arrival of this precious baby.

Here is Ashley and Justin at the Ultrasound Appointment

Me, Ashley and Justin
Nana (my mom), Ashley and Justin

Just a few Yard Sale Finds this past Weekend

This past Saturday was rainy and overcast which made yard sales very bleak. I felt so sorry for all those that put so much hard work into having a yard sale jsut to have the rain put a damper on it. However, we still decided to trek out in the rain. I found this table on wheels at our first stop. They were asking $8 for it and I paid full price. I felt so sorry for them being out in the rain I just wanted to bless them with their asking price. I still think it was worth $8. I a using it in my scrap room to keep items on and when I need them, I can just roll the table next to my work space and there they are...right at my fingertips. Then later at an estate sale I found this planter for $1. I will probably fill it with scrapbooking supplies to keep on the table with wheels...they are made for each other. That is all I bought this weekend. Not a lot to choose from but I think both of my purchases were good buys. Happy Monday everybody.