The Harpers

September

2010-11-03T11:46:00.007-06:00

Now I know everyone thinks their kids are special - which I would agree with - but I think God blessed us with one of the happiest kids He has made. (I'm not partial at all, am I?) Caleb is truly a JOYFUL little guy! He has his rotten moments, but for the most part he is a pleasure to be around, and we're really enjoying him and REALLY THANKFUL! September was a busy month. A couple of pictures of my boys playing at a park just because I think they're sweet...

Little Sloane Powell turned one on September 9th and we went to help celebrate on the 10th. Erika took a few pictures of my growing belly and Caleb while we were there.

I didn't feel very well while I was there. On the way home, we decided I might as well go to the hospital and get checked out. Turns out I was dehydrated, and it was causing me to have contractions every 8 minutes. I drank water, they monitored the baby, and we were home in a couple of hours. I never thought I was actually going into labor, but I didn't know what was going on. It sure made me sympathize for my friends who have gone into early labor. Thank the Lord all I needed was water.
(Sidenote: My joyful little boy is also T-R-O-U-B-L-E sometimes. He managed to climb in a chair, onto the desk, grab my camera sitting on the shelf above the desk and drop it. It bit the dust on September 16th so I only have pictures friends have been nice enough to provide from then on.)
Of course, we have LOVED this football season and Caleb has worn his jersey almost every Saturday. He knows all about Aubie and can cheer along. Wes fished in the Bay Point fishing tournament the weekend of September 24th. They normally hold this tournament in July, but it was rescheduled because of the oil spill this year. Below is a picture of the wahoo Wes caught. It was only a 2 day tournament this year, and I was grateful because that Saturday night I ended up back in the hospital. I caught some kind of terrible stomach bug that day and was SICK. They admitted me that night, gave me an IV, and I felt like a new person the next morning. Thankfully, my parents came down Sunday afternoon and I was able to recoup that week. Again, very thankful that was all it was!
Oh- and somewhere along the way Caleb turned into a Wiggles (he pronounces it 'Uggles') fanatic! He watches and sings and dances along with them. It is fun to watch, but I admit I hear about the 'Uggles' at least a million times a day :). Be back soon...

It's Been A While... Anyone still out there?

2010-11-03T09:21:00.011-06:00

So it's just been a short 3 1/2 months since I've updated. Sorry for the delay and thanks to Makenzie and Molly for your continued interest in our lives. Y'all motivated me. Let's see (this will most likely be a recap of times I had my camera)... we went back to Orlando in August with Wes's company for the FTBA convention. It was great, and we were SPOILED while we were there. Billy Dean and Travis Tritt were the entertainment. I'm pretty sure that my country music loving husband and I might have enjoyed it as much as anyone there. The first night we went to Universal Studios downtown and ate at Emeril's Restaurant. Delicious!
Friday night was a renaissance costume party. Here I am with Hercules (who is also apparently a Billy Dean music lovin' man). Wes knows every word to every Billy Dean and Travis Tritt song and we danced a LOT while we were there which makes me happy (6 months pregnant and all).

Saturday night was when Travis Tritt performed. Notice how close we are in the picture below. It's a relatively small crowd - it was fun! Wes's parents were kind enough to vacation in Orlando while we were at the conference and kept Caleb with them. That was so nice. We spent a couple of days with them and got to visit some of Wes's family that lives near Orlando before the conference started. Wes's parents brought Caleb to the place we stayed one afternoon to play. A picture of Pete and Repeat... Caleb and I went to Hartselle the end of August with Ashley and her boys. We stopped at the Williams to help break up the trip. If I haven't mentioned it before, Ashley's backyard is toyland, and Caleb LOVES it there! And the fact that Sawyer and Eli are there doesn't hurt his feelings either... See the look on Caleb's face in the picture below? This basically sums up the way he feels about Sawyer Williams...
Dancing in the sprinklers...
My dad, Ashley's crew, Caleb and I met the Braddocks at the Hartselle football game on Friday night. It was fun, and we got to see lots of people I hadn't seen in a long time.

We went to a wedding on Saturday night (our good friend, Renee's sister got married). Then, we were getting ready for church on Sunday morning and realized Ashley's and my parents' cars were broken into during the night. A bummer, but a memorable part of the trip. Caleb and I stayed in Hartselle for a few more days and enjoyed hanging around with Katie and her girls and my parents. I'll be back soon with September highlights :).

2010-07-26T12:23:00.017-06:00

We've really been enoying summer around here. A recap... Fourth of July (also Wes's birthday) was great. Well, church was great anyway. The rest of the actual day was pretty good- we enjoyed being together. Wes's company closes down the week of the 4th for vacation and it was WONDERFUL to be at home and have him here for the entire week. He works A LOT of hours the rest of the year, and I REALLY enjoyed just hanging out. It makes me remember how much I really like spending time with him and how easy he is to be with (even if it rains and we miss the fireworks on his birthday). We went out on the boat, went to a bounce house place, did the bouncey stuff and the carousel at Pier Park and went to the pool. These two precious friends came for dinner one night. Aren't they sweet?

While they were here, Erika took pictures of Caleb for me -

Caleb and Sloane were sweet playing together. Erika is easy to be with, too and we ended the night with a dance party in the living room :) This little girl is a DOLL and I LOVE HER!!
Caleb lounging at the pool

The end of the week was spent in Dothan for Harrison's birthday party. It was really fun and a cute party, but somehow I didn't get a picture of the birthday boy on my camera :(

Let's see... the next week Caleb and I rode with the Williams to Hartselle. It was a quick trip, but we got to go to Pt. Mallard one day, fishing with Grandaddy, meet our new friend Samantha Weinman and see the progress on Katie and Scott's beautiful new house.

Turner (Bo & Kim Weinman's little boy), Eli, Sawyer & Caleb

We've also spent a bit of time at hospitals lately. Wes's Grandmother Harper has been in the hospital for almost three weeks with an infection on her brain. She is doing a little better, but still has a LONG road to recovery. She is a PRECIOUS woman who is loved a whole lot and remains in ICU so any and all prayers for her are sincerely appreciated. While we've been in Dothan, Caleb gets to see the two things he talks about most often- Poppy and Pedro (well besides his daddy). This is Caleb with Poppy...

and here he is feeding Pedro...

He loves his Nana, too and the blueberries they have had this summer
and I had to show the peaches because I have really enjoyed them :).

On July 15th my good friend Lindsey (who we hang out with most days) had a new baby. This is Lindsey with Tripp who is a couple of months older than Caleb. Baby Beau was born healthy, but Lindsey had placenta precreta, and it was a really scary situation. She had emergency surgery and had to be given 11 units of blood that day. She is now recovering at home and doing great - Praise the Lord! Whew! That was a day!!

Two of my best friends from high school were in town this week. We went to dinner on Monday night. It was wonderful to catch up!
Jana (on the left) lives in Hartselle so I get to see her when I go home, but Alisha (in the middle)lives in California now and it had been four years since I had seen her last. Alisha, Ashley and I were best friends since kindgergarten, and we picked up like we hadn't missed a day. I love being with them. They are some of the sweetest people I know.

Ashley's crew was in town this weekend with Walker's family. I'm sure glad they picked PCB as their vacation destination and then let us hang out.

I went to the doctor today for a checkup and ultrasound. They couldn't see the baby's heart last time but told me today everything looks good, and I am very thankful the x-ray tech. was able to check 'normal' on everything. She told me he has my exact chin. What do you think :)?

It's A....

2010-06-28T11:38:00.003-06:00

BOY!! We are thrilled and excited Caleb is going to have a little brother. The dr. said everything looks healthy, and we are VERY thankful!!

18 Months Old

2010-06-27T13:42:00.005-06:00

Caleb turned 18 months old last Monday (6/19) and I wanted to be sure to record what he is up to right now. He is such a blessing and we are so thankful for him!!
1. He has LOTS of words. Some of his favorites are duck-duck, pop-pop, bath, BALL!, blocks, BUBBLES, I don't know (as in Caleb, where is your other shoe? He has a hard time keeping them both on - "I don't know"), Thank you, UP (I want to get up from this high chair, put me up on your bed, etc.), Da-dy, Maaaaaaaaaaaama, Amen (he bows his head and says it every time he sits down to eat), Hi, bye bye, Saw-ya, Nana, Ashee, juice, Aubie, Hooray, Hooray, Hooray, Car (he calls outside car now for some reason), Jump, Happy-Happy-Happy, Pool, I wuv you, ELMO!
2. He still likes to eat and is not picky about what you give him, but his favorites are fruit (blueberries, cantelope, strawberries, bananas), Goldfish a.k.a crackas, Spaghetti and Capri Suns. (This is a treat that he gets at the pool, but he can drink one in about 3 seconds.)
3. He is SUCH a happy/smiley kid and is really tickleish. He can't stop his laughter sometimes, and I think that is the BEST!
4. He wakes up in the morning, calls for Maaaaaaaaama (or Da-dy), when I go in there he is standing up smiling, hands me his duck and his blanket and then starts swaying back and forth to the music on his aquarium toy in his crib.
5. He will still give us 'sugar' right on the lips and has learned to give tight hugs.
6. He's an explorer/wanderer. We go to a pool almost every morning and he likes the water, but he also likes checking EVERYTHING out. One of my friends says, "Caleb is in the weeds again." He is fascinated by the gate, the chairs, everything!
7. He is CRAZY about his da-dy!! This is an understatement and the feeling is mutual! Wes plays with him, tickles him, teases him, reads to him... As soon as gets home until Caleb goes to bed, and Caleb thinks he is the best! It's really sweet. It's also sweet that when he gets hurt, needs something to eat, is tired, wants to snuggle he prefers me :)!

We should find out what the new baby is TOMORROW MORNING!! Be back soon!

Happy 4th Anniversary Wes!

2010-06-02T19:54:00.009-06:00

I'm so glad you married me! I love you, and I love sharing my life with you! Some older pictures just for fun...

Caleb's Dedication

2010-06-01T14:17:00.004-06:00

On Mother's Day, Caleb was dedicated at church. It was such a special day! My parents, Wes's parents, Ashley, Walker, Sawyer, Eli, Jenny, Ron, Hannah Brooke and Carson all came to be his cheering section. They called his name to come up front and he started clapping and said 'Yay'! I'm so crazy about that boy! I pray we model Christ's love for him, and he will grow up and have a deep love for the Lord! When I was pregnant with him, I prayed almost every day for a healthy baby with a sweet spirit who would grow up to love the Lord. My first two prayers have been answered so far (thank you, Lord) and I continue to pray that prayer! I am so, so, thankful for him and feel so blessed to be his mama!
We didn't get any pictures of our little family dressed up, but did get some at the park where we had a picnic lunch after church. A big thank you to my mom who was here early and really helped a ton getting all the food ready for Sunday. Some pictures...

We're Having a Baby!

2010-05-30T14:55:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty sure that everyone who reads this blog already knows, but just in case you haven't heard... Harper Baby #2 should be here around Thanksgiving! We are so excited and feel sooooooooooooooo blessed (way more than I could ever explain in words)! This little one is due November 22nd and Caleb will be two December 19th. I have an appointment June 28th, and if he/she will cooperate we will find out what 'it' is that day :). Praise the Lord!!

Spring

2010-04-30T11:20:00.014-06:00

I get behind on blogging and then I don't ever want to catch up so here is a spring-so-far recap, and hopefully I'll be a better blogger :)

Easter weekend was great. We celebrated our Lord's resurrection in Dothan with Wes's family. We took Caleb to an Easter egg drop on Saturday. Heather and Harrison went with us. The little guys didn't last long enough to be there for the egg drop, but they were very entertained by all the people, the puppets and the music.
Here are some pictures of the cousins checking things out and from Easter Sunday...

We've been enjoying the pretty weather and have been to the beach and the pool several days. Caleb LOVES the dirt and the water, and I spend a lot of my time looking at this face asking to turn the water on. How can I resist?

We have been outside almost all day everyday. We have one patch in our front yard that doesn't have grass, just dirt, and it's his favorite spot. He is a mess.

We also went to Mexico Beach for a weekend for the C. W. Roberts golf tournament. It was my favorite year yet, but I didn't take a single picture :(. The weather was beautiful and it was so nice to have a little vacation.

Last week, Caleb and I went to Ashley's for a 24 hour visit, and we picked strawberries last Friday morning before coming home. We all loved it.

Caleb might have loved it the most and ended up looking like this by the time we were finished. Hello country bumpkin! He is A MESS, I'm telling you! We went to Dothan because Wes had a doctor's appointment in Dothan . We found out he will have his tonsils removed June 30th. I hate that he has to go through that, but he really thinks it will be worth it. That's the recap for now. Have a great weekend!

On The Road Again

2010-03-30T12:01:00.007-06:00

We've been spending our weekends on the road. We went to Hartselle the weekend before last. It was a quick trip. We got there after midnight on Friday and left right after church on Sunday. Wes went to a golf expo with my dad and I got to play with my sweet nieces, my mom and Katie. I didn't take any pictures while we were there, but it was a lovely time.
We went to Dothan this weekend for Wes's good friend's wedding. Justin Barfield married a sweet, beautful girl on Saturday, and we were happy to get to be there with them. It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding. Thank you Nana & Poppy for babysitting so we could celebrate!

The Herrings came over Sunday afternoon for lunch and we spent the afternoon outside.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful all week, and I'm so thankful it's SPRING!

What Is Easter?

2010-03-30T10:07:00.004-06:00

Caleb is getting a new book for Easter that Ashley's boys already have. It's a cute little book that teaches what Easter is really about. It rhymes and has sweet pictures. I am excited about it so I just thought I'd share. I found it for $1.98 on Amazon about a week ago. Looks like the price is about $5 now, but I imagine it's a book we will read for years. If you're interested, click here for the link on Amazon.

Pink Eyes and Ear Infection

2010-03-17T17:44:00.003-06:00

So the diagnosis from the doc today was pink eye in both eyes and the beginning of an ear infection. Glad we went so we could get some medicine. He should be feeling 100% in a few days - Thank you, Lord! In the meantime, it hasn't slowed him down much...

2010-03-17T11:59:00.005-06:00

When I last updated, I was a young gal in my 20s. Now I am officially 30 years old, and I had a great weekend celebrating. It was the most beautiful weather we've had all year - thank you God!

Sweet Wes planned a birthday dinner with friends at a little Mexican restaurant for Friday night. I didn't take any pictures, but I sure had a good time and felt so loved that everyone came to celebrate with me.

Our birthday was on Saturday, and the Williams came so we could spend it together. It was such a good day. Ashley recapped it all here. She said a whole lot of nice things about me in that post. If you know her, you know that she is the 'better twin'. Ashley is about as good as they come. To know her is to love her :). I am the oldest (by four minutes), but I have always looked up to her and wanted to be like her. As far as I am concerned she is the coolest! I didn't take but a couple of pictures, but here is our happy little family before we went out to eat.

In other news...We are going to see Caleb's doctor this afternoon. His eyes are so red and swollen, and he has woken up the last two mornings with them matted together. I am afraid he has inherited the Brown's bad allergies (when I was in high school taking a final exam in the dusty old gym, my eyes swelled together so badly that I couldn't see the paper by the end of the test), but maybe it's pink eye. Kind of pitiful, huh?

I'm sure it's nothing a little Allegra or eye drops can't fix. I'll keep you posted.

Dancing

2010-02-16T10:51:00.003-06:00

Caleb has REALLY been dancing lately. He dances all day long and it makes him so happy. We went to Baytowne with some friends on Sunday afternoon, and I got a quick clip of his moves. He loved all the people, the dogs, the music and being outside. He would have stayed all day!

2010-02-16T09:41:00.009-06:00

Caleb, Ashley, Sawyer, Eli and I went to Hartselle last week to celebrate my daddy's birthday. We spent the night at Ashley's house (a.k.a. toyland) on Monday. Caleb gets SO EXCITED to be around his cousins. It's sweet. Sawyer took him for a ride They played in their house had a snack and made Valentines with Eli
I didn't get any pictures from the birthday party, but my mom cooked a big meal and the Braddock girls were there. It was a good time.
We met Katie and Caroline at Cook's Museum the next morning. It turned out to be a great idea for a cold Wednesday morning. Ashley (a former Cook's museum employee :)) gave us the tour...
They really liked all the (dead) animals

and then it turned into a photo shoot

We had a great trip and were even able to enjoy a little bit of this on the way home.

One Year Pictures

2010-01-27T12:37:00.005-06:00

2 Posts in One day! Caleb's one-year pictures are online if you are intersted. Go here, click on clients and Caleb is the password. There are also some pictures from his 3, 6 and 9 months pictures too called panel pictures.

The Beach In January

2010-01-27T10:51:00.003-06:00

Ashley, Sawyer and Eli came to see us yesterday and spent the night last night. It is so much fun to have them here! I think Caleb likes having them as much as I do. It's just really fun. It's a lot of work for Ashley. Two boys, by herself, away from home, not in their own beds, and not getting their normal naps, but I sure appreciate it! And when Sawyer cried this morning and didn't want to leave I wanted to cry, too!
We went to the beach yesterday, dug in the sand and fed the birds. We went shopping at Pier Park (with the help of some ring pops) and played and played. It was really a great day! I wish I could say they played so hard we wore them out and we all slept great, but Ashley and I decided that maybe in a few years that will be possible?!? :) Thanks so much for coming!! We loved it!

Now I know feeding the birds on the beach does not typically make friends, but there was NOONE else around, and those boys had so much fun chasing after them. I highly recommend it if you can go while the beaches are not crowded :).

It Sold

2010-01-25T12:51:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update...I sold the car this morning. Praise the Lord! :)

It's Worth A Try

2010-01-24T17:51:00.006-06:00

If you (or anyone you know) need a car, mine is for sale. It's a 2003 Nissan Maxima with approx. 122,000 miles. We've never had any trouble with it and I really like it, but we wanted something a little bigger. So if you know of anyone, please send them my way :) Thanks!!

I thought it's worth a try. You never know :)

2010-01-21T12:01:00.006-06:00

It's been almost a month since I posted. If I don't update now I'm afraid I never will :) so here goes...

We had a GREAT Christmas! We got to spend time with both of our families. We celebrated Christmas in Hartselle on Christmas Eve and it was fun. Lots of happy little cousins running around. The highlight of the trip was that Katie surprised Gmama with a new puppy! She REALLY wanted a dog and was thrilled! Little Lady was a hit with everyone (except my dad, but he's come around) and only added to all the Christmas excitement!

Christmas morning we were in Dothan. Santa Claus found Caleb there and brought him a few new toys. We are officially swimming in toys in our smallish living room now. I am thankful for all of the new entertainment and so is this happy little fella.. Hannah Brooke and I tried and tried to get a good picture and we settled on the one below :). I love that girl so much, but somehow she's gone astray. Please notice her shirt below. She and Carson are both Alabama fans and don't seem to care that I don't think that's cool.
Caleb's favorite part of Christmas was this singing Santa Claus. He danced and danced and danced...

Be back soon!

2009-12-28T10:05:00.004-06:00

Thought I'd share the video I gave Wes for Christmas...

Party!

2009-12-13T21:27:00.006-06:00

We've been partying this weekend! Caleb's birthday is next Saturday, December 19th, but because he was born 6 days before Christmas we decided to celebrate a little early.
I like to host parties. I REALLY like to think about them and come up with ideas. I really think them and research ideas to death - this DOES NOT mean that I am good at it, but I'm just saying I like to host them. So, when I started thinking about Caleb's first birthday I figured it would be best to invite family and a few close friends. I decided that Wes's parents house would be a great place to have it so it would be closer to family and they have one of the prettiest yards I've ever seen! When I tell you that I like to think about party ideas, I'm not kidding. I checked the farmer's almanac for the December forcast in Dothan around September or so. The average temperature for Dothan in December is around 55 degrees and my thinking was it really doesn't rain that much, maybe we'll get lucky. Well, sometimes it does rain! I mean, sometimes the bottom falls out ALL DAY LONG and it is COLD - Really cold!! That was the way it went on Saturday. Of course I was bummed, but I knew Caleb wouldn't care so I decided it didn't matter. We had the party in the garage, and had one happy little birthday boy and family and friends and cake and balloons to celebrate.
I sure do LOVE that little boy more than I could have ever imagined!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-08T11:40:00.006-06:00

I am behind, but I didn't want to skip over Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving in Hartselle. It was great! Wild (7 kids under 6), but REALLY fun!
I realize I am so underserving to be so blessed. I have lots and lots of reasons to be thankful. I am the most thankful for Jesus that He loves me so much that He came to save me from all of my sins and I thank Him for all of my blessings! I feel especially thankful for this year for our family (the Browns and the Harpers- I understand a little better this year how loved we really are because of how much we love Caleb. Our families are so special to us, and I'm so thankful we get to see everyone pretty often too considering we don't live very close to any of them), our health (something I have really taken for granted in the past, but I've heard so many stories lately of babies born sick and young people with cancer - Thank you Lord for our health!) I am especially thankful this year for Wes's job (we don't take it for granted and I am so thankful he is able to provide for us - especially in a year that SO MANY good, hard working people are unemployed and LOTS of those people are in the construction field.) I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay at home with Caleb. I'm thankful for good friends old and new. I could go on and on- it's been an especially great year! My prayer is that I am thankful in all circumstances even when every year is not as rosey posey as this one. Some pictures...
GMama with C on Thanksgiving

Ashley & Sawyer
Aunt Angela came to see us Thanksgiving afternoon. :)
Although you can't tell it from the pictures. Wes was there too :). >

2009-11-20T14:53:00.005-06:00

Last weekend we went here with these sweet folks
while this precious family took good care of our little guy...
Thanks so much Nana & Poppy for our fun weekend and to Aunt Jen, Uncle Ron, H.B. and Carson taking such good care of Caleb!

Catch Up

2009-11-13T10:42:00.012-06:00

We've been having a great few weeks, but I didn't want to post earlier without pictures so here is the long recap... Eli's Birthday party was a hit!! My mom has always made a REALLY BIG DEAL out of birthdays and it seems Ashley got the gene! She is 100% school teacher and did not miss a detail of sweet Eli's birthday! I think everyone had a great time. He had a barnyard theme. She served pigs in a blanket, haystacks, animal crackers and the cutest cow cake I've ever seen! She even MADE a bean bag toss. She had lots of games to keep everyone entertained - I was WAY IMPRESSED - can you tell?? She strives to make everything special for her kids in lots of ways (not just their birthdays). I admire that and hope to do the same. Maybe Eli didn't appreciate all that his mama was doing for him, but Sawyer sure did! I spent the week before the party with them and Sawyer loved gettng ready for Eli's party :)! On Tuesday, October 26 Caleb started walking! He was taking steps between the two of us and decided there was a lot more he'd like to check out and just walked off. I managed to get some of his first steps on video...

He has walking down now and walks everywhere. He is really getting more fun every day! You can tell by the drool on his face/chest/everywhere in the video that he has also been cutting teeth - whew! Teething has been wearing us all out! He got 4 teeth in 2 weeks.

Caleb wasn't feeling very well on Halloween (that dang teething got him again that night). I went to put his costume on him and it was too small! I thought I'd try and get one picture, but he was was not thrilled.
We did manage to make it to the Peanut Festival that night with Nana & Poppy. It was cold so we bundled up...

He got a second haircut, too. It's much shorter. The sweet lady who cut it was having fun playing dress up and decided to give him a spike. Before and after pictures...

We went to Auburn last weekend for homecoming. Wes's good friend, Justin, is getting married and we went to a tailgate shower for them. The weather could not have been better and Ashley & Eli decided to join us. We didn't make it to the ballgame because we were perfectly content playing on the grass in front of the library. I would say Cabub and Eli's first Auburn exerience was definitely positive :)!!

Wes has taught Caleb to make a 'mean face'. This is it in action. He wrinkles his nose and huffs and puffs pretty strong. He does it all the time -
And I might as well show you just 2 more since he was dressed up for church...

Okay - That's it. Have a great weekend!

New Pictures

2009-11-08T22:56:00.004-06:00

Sorry that it's been awhile. I haven't disappeared. I'm just way behind. I left the cord for my camera at Ashley's a couple of weeks ago, and I don't like to update without pictures. I hope to be back shortly with some of the 150 pictures on my camera (it's been a big few weeks around here). In the meantime, I got Caleb's pictures made if you want to check them out here. Click on Clients and enter the password Caleb.

2009-10-18T09:49:00.010-06:00

We had a great weekend (besides that Auburn game)! The weather finally started to feel like fall on Friday afternoon, and we've had sunny skies and cool air. It's been so nice, and we've been trying to make the most of it. Caleb and I went to a Halloween party on Friday. Although it was cooler than it has been, it was still not nearly cool enough for the heavy costume I had for him. What was I thinking when I bought a costume that feels like a heavy coat?? Oh well, it didn't matter a bit. Ashley made him a Halloween shirt and he was just as cute in it.

Here is our attempt at a group picture :)

Tami and Rykar -

Saturday morning Wes played golf, and Caleb and I met some friends and went to a fall festival. They had goats, a pony and horses. Caleb LOVED the animals! We went on a hayride and I took lots of pictures of Cabub and his buddies in the pumpkin patch. (It was Seaside Stables for anyone interested and everything we did was free.)

He could have stayed right there all day! He loved the horses and goats!

With his buddies, Rykar & Henry.

After that, we met Wes and went to a birthday party at Pump It Up. They have LOTS of inflateables. Caleb really wished he could have kept up with the other kids! He did get to go down the slide and jumped around a little. He was just happy staring at the disco ball.

I guess all that fun has worn him out. He woke up at 2:00 Sunday morning crying (which he hasn't done in months) and was up about an hour. His voice sounded kind of hoarse, and had a little cough. We stayed home and didn't go to church :(, but now he's sounding okay and seems like he feels fine - who knows? We took it easy and stayed inside all day. Hopefully he'll be back to 100% today. Hope you had a great weekend too!

First Haircut

2009-10-15T14:28:00.003-06:00

Caleb got a new 'do today to go with his the four new teeth he's been cutting lately. Our sweet friend, Leah, trimmed his hair this afternoon. She was very patient with us - he kept turning his head wondering what she was doing and wondering about those scissors in her hands. He was beginnig to look a little scruffy. I love it!! I could eat him up! He looks like somebody loves him again!! :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you Leah!! Not sure what to think about this?!? Ta Da! The finished look!

This was his hair this morning...
And here he is this afternoon...

Update on Caroline

2009-10-05T18:09:00.002-06:00

Katie updated her blog with an update on Caroline!! PRAISE THE LORD!! He is so good and so faithful!! You can read the update here. :)

9 Months Old

2009-10-02T11:14:00.004-06:00

Caleb went for his 9 month checkup on Wednesday. I can't get over how much he is changing lately. It blows my mind! He took his first steps a couple of weeks ago (9/17 to be exact). I can tell he is getting braver everyday. He is losing interest in baby food and wants to eat whatever we are eating. He weighs 19 lbs. 8 oz. (almost the 50th percentile) and is 27 1/2" long (the 25th percentile). His hair has taken off and has a mind of its own. A nice lady at Target told me yesterday he looked like he'd stuck his finger in a light socket (thanks a lot) and I'd just tamed it before we left the house. I don't have any pictures that really do it justice, but I will be sure to capture it soon :). A few new pictures...

Eating mac and cheese for the first time while we were in Hartselle.

Update

2009-09-22T14:27:00.004-06:00

I'm in Birmingham typing this from the waiting room at UAB. Caroline is out of surgery and in the pediatric intensive care unit recovering.
The surgery went well, as expected.
We've had an opportunity to visit briefly with her and meet and speak to the cardiologist, and now Katie and Scott are spending more quality time with Caroline.

They intend to update their own blog - link below - when they finish visiting with Caroline.

http://www.appreciatinghisblessings.com

Just wanted to update everyone. Thanks for your phone calls and prayers.

The time has come

2009-09-18T09:01:00.002-06:00

for Caroline's surgery. Little bit will have her heart surgery on Tuesday. Ashley & I are headed up to Hartselle on Monday morning so we can be with our family and help out however we can. It is expected to be a five hour surgery. Katie, Scott and Caroline are supposed to be in Birmingham at noon on Monday to check in. They have an amazing faith and fully trust that the Lord is going to take care of their precious girl. I know He is, and they are doing all they can to take the best possible care of her. Katie told Caroline on Wednesday that next week her heart is going to be fixed :)!! It's amazing. You can read more about the Braddocks story on Katie's blog. Please pray! Thanks!!

Caleb Lately

2009-09-12T13:15:00.004-06:00

Caleb has been walking behind his push toys lately. He walks and then looks at us to be sure we are watching and waits on us to cheer for him :). He's so proud of himself! He has started standing alone- only 15-30 seconds or so, but I was able to snap a picture...
His other favorite is a CORD! Man, this kid loves a cord! I know it might not be the best idea, but I just give them to him anyway and he's got four or five scattered throughout the house. A cord keeps him entertained better than anything else right now :).

Kenny Chesney

2009-09-12T12:48:00.004-06:00

We just got back in town from Tallahassee because we went to see Kenny Chesney last night. You know we really enjoyed Lee Greenwood last month so you can only imagine how much we enjoyed Kenny Chesney!! It was GREAT! No wonder that man has been voted entertainer of the year so many times!! Thank you, thank you to Wes's Uncle Ryan & Aunt Debbie for a great night and Nana and Granny for taking such good care of Caleb!

Sloane is Here!

2009-09-09T19:26:00.003-06:00

Sloane arrived this afternoon at 5:30pm. - 6 lbs. 14 oz. She is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL with a head full of dark hair! We think she looks like her sweet mom. Marla took lots of pictures and I am sure she will post on Erika's blog soon, but here are a few...

9.9.09

2009-09-08T21:23:00.004-06:00

Looks like precious Sloane Chancy will make her debut tomorrow! We are SO EXCITED and can't wait to meet her! Erika checked into the hospital tonight and they have started the induction. She is (of course) very anxious and would really appreciate your prayers! :) Sloane is one lucky little baby to have those two as her parents!! I can't wait to meet her!!

Weekend

2009-08-24T13:14:00.008-06:00

We had a great weekend. The weather was BEAUTIFUL!! We made the most of it and went to the beach yesterday afternoon with our friends Tami, David and Rykar (2 weeks younger than Caleb). Someone had mentioned a kiddie pool works well at the beach for babies. I agree!! It kept Caleb and Rykar out of the sand and entertained. Some pictures...

The boys other entertainment was FOOD. Tami must have fed them yogurt bites for an hour.And here is Rykar making sure he gets his share
This is Caleb's favorite toy right now...

And this is his favorite expression....
He bites his lower lip all the time! He'll be a very cute old man one day. Don't you think? Happy Monday!

Vacation

2009-08-22T07:36:00.007-06:00

So we've been on vacation. Wes and I left Caleb with his parents last Wednesday and headed to Boca Raton (near Ft. Lauderdale) early Thursday morning. I REALLY had mixed feelings about the trip. We went for an annual conference with Wes's work. I knew it would be fun and sounded fancy, but I wasn't so sure about leaving my little guy for FOUR NIGHTS. I'm glad that it was (kind of) a forced vacation otherwise I wouldn't have left him, and it turns out we all had a GREAT time. We were able to see what Caleb was up to by calling them on Skype while we were gone, and he was always as happy as can be. THANK YOU TO THE HARPERS FOR TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF HIM!!
Friday night was a costume party - Renaissance theme - and Lee Greenwood performed. I heard several people talking about how Lee Greenwood wasn't all that great. I disagree! A few reasons - ONE, I L-O-V-E country music (my roots run deep. It does not have to be George Strait for me to appreciate it), TWO- I thought he was entertaing (a side note: He is tiny! Maybe 5' and just a little person- I didn't realize this about him), LAST AND MOST OF ALL my husband is a big Lee Greenwood fan - who knew?!? He knew every word to his songs and danced and danced with me! I loved it! I'm sad to report that my camera battery was dead and I took NO PICTURES of the weekend. I have some from friends and hope they will send me more (please). Wes dressed up as a Musketeer. I hope I can post those soon!
Saturday night Billy Dean performed. I became a fan of his when we were at this conference last year, but I remain a big fan. He has such a great voice and puts on a great show!
Wes spent his days in a golf tournament and playing tennis while I hung out at the pool. It was very relazing and we really appreciated the trip! Some of the pictures I have...

2009-08-09T20:45:00.004-06:00

We've been having a really good time around here lately. I REALLY love summer and we've been spending as much time as possible outside. (I know it's hot, but I'm just thankful for the sunshine and I've never been one to mind a little heat.) I don't really have any new news to share so I'll just share a picture I took the other day of my happy boy in his big boy clothes.

Happy Birthday Willie!!

2009-08-06T06:50:00.009-06:00

32 years ago today Walker Andrews Williams was born. Who would have known he would become one of my best friends and one of the people I love most in this world?? Everybody always talks about how nice he is (which is true- he has manners like nobody else I know), but he is also about as silly as anybody else I know - he is a REALLY good match for Ashley, and I'm so thankful for him and what a good husband he is to her and good friend he is to me. He puts up with a LOT from me - I go see them a lot and am ALWAYS on their telephone.

The happy couple at one of our wedding showers

This was taken at his 30th birthday party
Here is cool daddy at the beach
Caleb meeeting his Uncle Walker - looks like he is in awe already
The video man in action at Christmas

Look how happy Shelby is to be with him!

I just thought this one was sweet

The morning before Sawyer's dedication

Eli and Walker- aren't they precious?

Swimming with Sawyer & the dump truck

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLIE!! Love you SO MUCH BROTHER! BUH-BYE!!

Reasons to Celebrate - Baby Powell & Caleb is crawling

2009-07-26T15:40:00.013-06:00

I am behind on this post, but we had a great weekend and wanted to share. Wes's parents came in town on Friday to spend the weekend, and Caleb and I spent the day with them at the pool on Friday. Have I mentioned this kid loves the water? I'm so thankful. I really had hoped he would because we love it so much, but he REALLY does. He just smiles and is perfectly content until he gets either tired or hungry. Wes worked all day on Friday, but he came over to their condo. and we went to Captain Anderson's for dinner - YUM!! It had to be one of Caleb's favorite days ever - he was outside and in the pool with his Nana & Poppy!

It was also the first time I had left Caleb overnight. I knew he would be compeltely fine, but I wondered about me. (I AM ATTACHED!) But we had a good reason to get away. Erika and Chance are expecting Caleb's girlfriend in September and we went to their shower to celebrate with them. We had a great time and CAN NOT WAIT to meet their sweet baby soon!! I was really ready to see him on Sunday monring, but I was fine. I am pretty sure everyone I know reads Erika's blog, but just in case you haven't seen it this week she posted pictures here and here.

Caleb learned to crawl last week. He has really perfected it this week and is pulling up on everything. OH MY HOW HE HAS CHANGED!! He's so proud of himself and I am, too. I know that crawling is an expected milestone, but it's amazing to me how much he's learning and changing lately! Here is a video of him crawling around and playing with his daddy.

Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

2009-07-23T13:09:00.006-06:00

Here is the recipe for the Reese's Peanut Butter Chocoloate Cake that I made for Wes's birthday. I cheated and used a mix for the chocolate cake and made the icing from the recipe below. It was good, but I'm sure it would have been better if I would have done it all homeade. Maybe next time?

I found the recipe on the blog Smells Like Home. Click here for her post about it.

Cocoa Buttermilk Birthday Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
source: Baking: From My Home to Yours and Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:2 cups all purpose flour½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon salt2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature1 and ½ cups granulated sugar2 large eggs2 large egg yolks1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 cup buttermilk4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)Countless amounts of miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups, smashed or cut up.Peanut Butter frosting recipe follows

Directions:Getting Ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To make the cake: Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs one at a time, then the yolks one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the buttermilk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); mix only until each new batch is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and, if you want, add the melted chocolate, folding it in with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the cake pans.Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (Once the layers are cooled, they can be wrapped airtight and left at room temperature overnight or kept frozen for up to 2 months.)

To Assemble the Cake: Place one layer top side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Frost the top of the layer, and sprinkle the smashed up peanut butter cups inside. Be careful to not overload the inside with peanut butter cups or else it will look uneven when you place the top layer.Next, cover with the second layer, top side down. Frost the sides and top of the cake, either smoothing the frosting for a sleek look or using a spatula, knife or spoon to swirl it for a more exuberant look. Press the remaining peanut butter cups around the sides of the frosted cake, and if you want you can sprinkle them on top too.Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour (or for up to 1 day, if that’s more convenient) to set the frosting, then bring it to room temperature before serving.

Peanut butter frosting:from The Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients:1 cup confectioners’ sugar1 cup creamy peanut butter5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/3 cup heavy creamDirections:Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

4th of July

2009-07-06T13:55:00.006-06:00

We had such a good weekend celebrating 4th of July which is also Wes's birthday! I've always loved 4th of July - it's my favorite holiday next to Christmas and Easter. Now it's even more fun because it's Wes's birthday, too. We had a cookout to celebrate at our house on Friday night, the three of us went out on the boat for a relaxing day at Shell Island on Saturday, and we went to a friends' house to cookout again on Saturday night. Some pictures... Here we are in front of his cake I made. It was a peanut butter/chocolate cake I found out on the internet and it ended up being a hit. If you have a Reese's peanutbutter cup lover in your house - let me know and I'll give you the recipe.

Pictures

2009-07-05T20:16:00.003-06:00

We had pictures made last week while Wes was off. If you're interested you can view the proofs here. Click on clients and the password is caleb.

2009-07-02T19:05:00.004-06:00

Caleb and I have been on the road again. After his doctor's appt. on Tuesday (he weighed 16 lbs. and was 26" long) we headed to Hartselle for the week. We got to meet precious Caroline and I'm in love. She's SO SWEET! I can't even tell you how much I love her already. She is going to be such a blessing to all of us! We had such a good time hanging out with my parents, Katie and her girls. Mama and I went to water aerobics at the good ol' Hartselle pool in the mornings. I haven't been there much lately, but I have spent countless hours at that place (I worked there 4 summers as a lifeguard and teaching swimming lessons). It does my heart good to be in Hartselle. I really love that town (and the people who live there) although the beach is not a bad place to come home to in the summertime. Some pictures... our newest niece, Caroline, with her sweet mama
Shelby (this girl is my buddy! she is so loveable and fun to be with!)
Grace

On Friday, Caleb and I headed to Dothan to meet Wes. We went to his cousin's beautiful wedding on Saturday night and enjoyed hanging out with family. Nana and Poppy (Wes's parents), Jenny and Hannah Brooke are all CRAZY about Caleb and Wes and I were able to take it easy while they played. Poppy says Caleb always has to have someone 'doting' on him. I know it's true, but I'm not the only one causing this kid to be rotten :) - They watch his every move. I'm thankful he is so loved :)!! Just one example below...

Now, we're back home enjoying Wes being off this week for vacation. :)

Happy 1/2 Birthday!

2009-06-18T16:40:00.008-06:00

Caleb is six months old today! He gets more fun everyday and I love spending my days with him! I took a picture trying to show how much he's changed in 6 months - Here he is 3 weeks old... and here he is yesterday... And in honor of his 1/2 birthday he has learned a new trick this week. We call it 'rocking' - he gets up on all fours like he's ready to go somewhere and rocks back and forth. He's getting into more and more stuff everyday. He's going to be a handfull I can already tell!!

2009-06-13T20:27:00.007-06:00

Wes and I agreed to babysit Sawyer & Eli last night because these 2 kids are celebrating their anniversary

Well, that's about the best job I've ever signed on for. Besides the fact that I love their kids like they are my own, they put them to bed before they left - pretty easy to take care of sleeping kids - PLUS it meant that they came to see us. We went to the beach when they got in town yesterday afternoon and have been at the pool today. It's been a really good weekend so far. A few pictures...

BamaJam Weekend

2009-06-08T15:13:00.008-06:00

Wes and I left on Thursday afternoon to spend the weekend with the Williams. Ashley and Walker live about 1/4 mile from the field where they had BamaJam and we are all big country music fans - we had such a great time!! We had so much fun hanging out and got to see Jon Anderson, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Randy Owen, Alan Jackson, Pat Green and Jason Aldean. It was the first time we've left Caleb with a babysitter and I felt like I was 18 years old just hanging out with my friends at a concert (but was so glad he was there when we got home :)). It was one of my favorite weekends in a long time (hanging out with Wes, Caleb and the Williams during the day and good music at night)! Thanks Williams for having us. We'll be back next year to see Kenny Chesney for sure! Some pictures...

Alan Jackson

Taylor Swift

Ashley & Walker with their friends Summer and Kyle

Blake Shelton

Caleb & Eli

Sawyer giving Caleb kisses - He's SO SWEET!

Baby Caroline is here!

2009-06-07T19:54:00.005-06:00

We have a new niece! Precious baby Caroline Scott Braddock made her appearance in the world late Friday night. She is BEAUTIFUL and is already surprising the doctors by how well she is doing medically. You can read more on Katie's blog. We love her SO MUCH and cannot wait to meet her!

Caroline Scott Braddock 7 lbs. 12 oz. 21 1/2"

Grace & Shelby with their newest baby sister

Julia is in L-O-V-E! Now she is a big sister, too!
The proud parents

2009-06-03T06:07:00.003-06:00

Three years ago today I married the man of my dreams - seriously. The Lord truly blessed me when He gave me Wesley Harper. He's not perfect, but he is perfect for me! I genuinely enjoy spending my life with him. He makes me laugh, takes good care of me, supports me, LOVES our little boy and he prays for me. Happy Anniversary Wes! I love you!

(Sorry for the poor quality of pictures. I don't have a scanner for this computer yet)

2009-06-02T12:52:00.002-06:00

So...Caleb and I were not doing much of anything yesterday afternoon so we decided to go meet the boat when they came in and we got this picture

For those of you interested they caught a ton of fish, the weather was beautiful and the water was flat.

It's A Great Day to Be Alive

2009-06-01T06:59:00.002-06:00

Wes is fishing with Travis Tritt today. I have to admit I'm a little jealous- I love Travis Tritt. They're fishing with Wes's boss, George. I'm not sure what the connection is with George and Travis. Actually Wes is probably just along for the boat ride while the others fish. (He was really sick this weekend and his muscles are too weak to move very much). I asked that he take some pictures. If he does, I'll post them soon. Happy Monday!

Week Recap

2009-05-23T08:25:00.012-06:00

I mentioned before that my mom is retiring this year. Well, Monday morning Ashley and I loaded up our boys in her backseat for another trip to Hartselle for my mom's retirement tea. It's a challenge to try to leave when Eli and Caleb will both take a nap and keep Sawyer happy. We did pretty well and made it in time for the celebration with no major problems. It was a really nice party. Here's a picture of the whole group (minus Eli who was sleeping)

She has been the school librarian at Somerville Road Elementary for 20 years. I asked her to pose behind the computer and act like she was checking out books. This is what she did...

"You better give me my book you little kid!"

She was kidding (sort of). I think this is more like it.
After the tea, mama had packed a picnic for us to go to the park. Decatur has concerts in the park on Monday nights in the summer. It was unseasonably cool that night, but it didn't matter. It is so pretty out there...

The next day these little rascals played in the water hose (that's Shelby with Sawyer)
and this little guy just watched Wes has been working A LOT this week with late nights so after our Hartselle trip Caleb and I decided we would spend a couple more days with the Williams. Ashley and I dressed our play pretties up and took their picture (I know you're surprised)

We had such a great week and are thankful to be home for the long weekend. Happy Memorial Day!!

2009-05-14T16:22:00.009-06:00

I LOVE spring and summer! I love to be in the sunshine and I love to go to the pool - always have. It's great to live at the beach this time of year for a lot of reasons but most of all because people will come visit us. Today has been about the perfect day because the Williams (minus Walker) joined us!! I love these three more than I could ever explain!

I made a banana pudding this afternoon. I usually don't post recipes, but I always enjoy it when other people do. So I thought someone might enjoy a new recipe (especially after Darby and Erika have recently posted about fudge pie. I've been good friends with those girls for a long time now, and I didn't realize I was holding back telling them about fudge pie (one of Betty Brown's staples)) so here's an EASY recipe for banana pudding that's always a crowd pleaser...

2 packages vanilla pudding
1 can Eagle Brand Milk (I use the fat free - it works fine)
1 package cool whip
1 package vanilla wafers
bananas

Make pudding as directed. Then, combine pudding with cool whip, Eagle Brand milk, wafers and bananas. Make one day ahead for best results. Enjoy!

2009-05-13T09:30:00.006-06:00

We spent the weekend back and forth between Enterprise and Dothan. Heather, Wes's cousin, is expecting a baby in July and we helped give her a shower at Ms. Linda's on Saturday morning. You'll remember her from a previous post here. Heather is the most GENEROUS person I've ever met. She got some really cute stuff and it was nice to do for her although she still managed to bring us gifts, provide the napkins, plates, punch and serving trays for HER OWN shower. I mailed the invitations, but instead of her sending me a list of people to invite she sent the addressed labels so all I had to do was peel and stick. PLUS she brought Caleb a new swimsuit. She's unbelievable! We can't wait to meet little Harris! He will be a very well taken care of and loved little boy!

We were back and forth because precious Eli was dedicated on Sunday morning. Ashley cooked a BIG meal for Walker's family, Mama and Daddy and us, and we were able to celebrate Mother's Day together! The food and fellowship were wonderful!! It was a really great weekend! I didn't get a picture of Eli this weekend, but I thought this one was cute. I love that little dollface!! He is a HAPPY kid and smiles all the time!

Sawyer playing with 'Cabub'

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T07:35:00.004-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to my mama!! She's about to retire after many, many years of teaching school. (My dad has been retired since we were sophomores at Auburn, but mama took 10 years to stay at home with us. Now she gets up and goes to work everyday while he takes it easy. She's going to be able to take it easy VERY soon - I think it's about 12 days or so. Maybe she'll choose to take it easy at the beach.) We sure do appreciate you!! I love you so much!

(The picture below is the most recent I could find. Ashley was about to POP and I was pretty far along myself. We obviously need to take more pictures if this is the best I can come up with)

For Our Families

2009-05-06T07:32:00.006-06:00

Don't let me bore you! We took Caleb swimming on Sunday afternoon, and you've ALREADY SEEN pictures of him swimming this week, but I knew our families would want to see more so this is for them...

All that swimming will wear you out!

Vacation

2009-04-27T20:19:00.005-06:00

We've been on vacation this weekend. It's the first time we've been somewhere besides our parents' houses since Caleb was born. He requires a LOT of stuff and planning, but it was so worth it - we had a WONDERUFL time! We really only traveled about 30 minutes from Panama City to Mexico Beach. Wes's company was having a golf tournament, but I really feel like I've been somewhere. We stayed in this cute little Victorian beach house decorated with antiques, and the weather was perfect.

I didn't mind coming back from vacation because my good friend, Ashley (Bourland) Collins, and her family are staying at a house in Destin this week, and I knew I was going to get to see her, Abby and meet Hudson. It was SO good to catch up with her! Plus, Caleb has been practicing his swimming in the bathtub for months now, and he got to show his skills for the first time today. HE LOVED IT! The pool was heated and felt like bathwater. He SMILED so big and laughed. Bourland - Thanks so much for having us!! Here we are with our boys below. Don't they look like they will get along great??

Sweet Surprise

2009-04-19T18:39:00.008-06:00

Ashley, our boys and I have been in Hartselle because we hosted a SURPRISE baby shower for Katie to celebrate baby Caroline (coming in June). It was a REALLY fun trip and Katie was VERY surprised! Katie wrote about the shower on her blog. Click HERE to read it. Below is her reaction on video and some pictures from our trip.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T19:16:00.005-06:00

HE HAS RISEN! "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

We had a great weekend in Dothan celebrating Easter weekend with family. Caleb is going to be so bored tomorrow when it is just me to entertain him again. He LOVED all the attention! It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend and we stayed outside in Nana and Poppy's incredible yard yesterday with Jenny, Hannah Brooke and Carson. Caleb met Pedro (the donkey) for the first time. Nana and Poppy treated us to dinner at the Old Mill last night with The Bagwell and Tice families.

We went to church this morning - LOTS of family was there and then over to lunch at Wes's Granny's. We got to celebrate Easter and were there for Hannah Brooke's birthday! She's 9!! Happy Birthday H.B.!!

Wes's Granny gave a speech about how Jesus lives and she knows He lives because he lives in her. I am SO THANKFUL that Jesus died to take away all of our sins and that He lives in me!! His love is AMAZING!! HAPPY EASTER!!

Skate Party!

2009-04-06T11:42:00.005-06:00

We went to Hartselle this weekend to celebrate Grace's 6th birthday with her. She had her party at the skate castle (Ashley and I had our b'day party there one year, too) and I'm pretty sure a good time was had by all! Grace was so excited! Caleb loved the lights and the music and Grandaddy (who couldn't skate b/c he has a bum knee) and Katie (who couldn't skate b/c she is pregnant) held him so Wes and I could both skate. Here are some pictures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE!! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

Our Favorite Time of Day

2009-03-25T20:17:00.005-06:00

I could eat him up!!

SO THANKFUL

2009-03-21T15:03:00.008-06:00

We have had an EVENTFUL WEEK and we are SO THANKFUL for the following:
1. Gmama and Granddaddy came to visit. It is my mom's last spring break (she is retiring after this year) and we are thankful they came to spend it with us! They got in town on Tuesday afternoon and we cooked out that night, did some walking around Pier Park on Wednesday morning and Ashley's crew came down on Wednesday afternoon. We went to the park by our house and then to eat dinner that night. We all planned to go to the beach on Thursday, but unfortunately Caleb and I were both a little congested and Ashley caught a stomach bug. So our fun had to end early and my parents drove Ashley and her boys back to Enterprise. We are thankful they were able to come and happy to report everyone is doing better! WE LOVED HAVING YOU!! PLEASE COME BACK SOON!!

2. As most of you know, we had a big scare on Thursday. Twice while I was feeding Caleb he got a blank look on his face, his eyes rolled back in his head and he was shaking. We went to his pediatrician yesterday morning and she said, 'It sounds like he had two seizures.' She referred us to a pediatric neurologist at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola and we immediately packed our bags and left. She mentioned meningitis, infections and epilepsy. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS!! After a LONG DAY in the emergency room we learned that what he has is most likely Sandifer Syndrome, a condition often mistaken for seizures and caused by acid reflux. PRAISE THE LORD!! We got home after midnight last night and the remedy is - we're going to start giving him rice cereal and Zantac and he'll sleep with his head elevated. He was very well behaved. (Wes and I took turns with Caleb outside while the other waited with the nasty germs in the emergency room. We're thankful it was a pretty day!) Here is our happy baby at the hospital once we FINALLY were called back to a room.

3. After a hard day yesterday, we decided to show Caleb he lives at the beach!! It is BEAUTIFUL outside and we're very thankful to be here and not in Pensacola while they run tests on our baby!! Again- We are so thankful for your prayers!! A few pictures from today...

Sunday Afternoon

2009-03-11T14:43:00.004-06:00

We went to Dothan on Sunday afternoon after church. Wes's Granddaddy Harper hadn't met Caleb yet and we wanted them to meet. Here are some pictures...
Four Generations of Harpers

Granny Efurd and Nana with Caleb

So Excited

2009-03-04T17:20:00.003-06:00

We are so excited that these three are coming to see us tomorrow!! It is supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees tomorrow and 73 degrees on Friday! We plan to go to the beach, the park and Ashley says she has some craft projects for us - we'll see how that goes. I can't wait!!

Do you know?

2009-03-03T15:17:00.003-06:00

Do you know about Skype? I may have been under a rock for awhile, but our new computer has a camera built in and we can now 'Skype' - which means we can now talk to and SEE our friends and family who also have a camera on their computer!! I am so impressed with this! It really is like the phone the Jetson's used! The connection is as fast as a normal telephone and you can see the person so clearly. This past week we've already talked to Wes's parents, Jenny and Ron and Katie and Scott. Ashley is now asking for a camera for her computer for her birthday so hopefully soon we'll be able to see them, too. It's really something (especially if all of your family is out of town) and it is FREE!

Click here for a link to the Skype website.

Happy Monday!

2009-03-02T18:59:00.002-06:00

We're Back!

2009-02-27T10:28:00.009-06:00

We FINALLY have a new computer! We've been having a great time, but I don't even know where to begin to recap our month so I'll post some pictures and then just have to start from here.
The first picture of Caleb and Eli was taken January 18th (the week of the computer crash)and the second was taken February 25th. See how they've grown!

Suzanne came to see us when we were in Hartselle. She taught me all kinds of tricks. She has Caleb swaddled like the hospital did - He loves it!!

All of Gmama and Granddaddy's Grandkids
Katie and Julia with Caleb. Julia LOVED Caleb. She loves babies and will be a GREAT new big sister!!
All bundled up for a walk on a cold day
Above are our new friends Tami and Rykar. Rykar is 2 weeks younger than Caleb and we've had fun hanging out with them.

Meltdown!

2009-01-29T19:58:00.003-06:00

I have a bit of bad news and an explanation why I haven't updated this blog lately. Unfortunately, our computer crashed last week. We are in the process of trying to get it fixed or learing if we need to buy a new one. I hope we're up and running again soon. As soon as we are, I'll post pictures from Caleb and my FUN trip to Hartselle last week.

Yea For Visitors!

2009-01-12T13:15:00.006-06:00

We've really enjoyed all the visitors we've had lately! Bo and Kim Weinman even came to see Caleb this weekend. It was really good to see y'all!! Please come see us soon!!
Click here to see pictures of some of the folks who have been by to see our little man...

This was a surprise!

2009-01-08T16:47:00.001-06:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free family tree maker - Family name history

Almost Three Weeks Old

2009-01-07T17:19:00.002-06:00

Christmas!

2008-12-29T20:33:00.007-06:00

We got to celebrate Christmas with our families at OUR house this year. My family(minus the Braddocks) were here for Christmas Eve and Wes's family came down and spent Christmas with us. It was the first Christmas I haven't been at home, but it was great and worked out really well. We've truly enjoyed our company. My dad says he'll come back next year if Ashley and I will have number 8 & 9 of his grandchildren (Don't think that's in the cards for next year, but we really enjoyed it this year!)

Sawyer had a really big Christmas. He was SO EXCITED!!
Wes with Sawyer and Eli
Caleb checking out Uncle Walker

Hannah Brooke and Carson LOVE Caleb - they are so sweet!

The Harpers

Our Christmas Gift Came Early

2008-12-23T14:54:00.011-06:00

(Sorry for the delay. I've been working on getting this out since Tuesday but am just now getting it up. I'll update with Christmas pictures soon!)

Hey Friends!! Caleb is now eight days old. We are getting settled in at home and life is great here!! Our new little man is doing wonderful. He's a very sweet baby so far. We're sleepy but overwhelmed with joy.
Thanks for all your sweet notes and for your thoughts and prayers for us.

Caleb with his new best friend and cousin, Eli

You can view more pictures here

Caleb Michael Harper

2008-12-20T09:09:00.005-06:00

this is auntie ashley.
i wanted to let you know CALEB'S HERE! Allyson, Wes and Caleb are all doing great! He's 7 lbs 1 oz, 20 inches long and ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! The delivery went great! He's beautiful, and everything's going good! The doctor said they may come home either tonight or tomorrow morning.
I am totally in love with this little boy, and I can't wait to see this little guy grow up! MERRY CHRISTMAS! WHAT A BLESSING!! I could cry at what a perfect little gift Allyson and Wes have!!
Click here for pictures.
ps-Erika posted more pictures here.

Caleb's Room Ready & Waiting

2008-12-07T21:56:00.005-06:00

We hung the pictures in Caleb's room tonight, and I feel like we're ready for him anytime now. I'm so excited that he will be here so soon!

My WONDERFUL and extremely talented friend Erika picked out everything in this sweet baby's nursery. We can't wait for him to get here!

Tis The Season

2008-11-22T08:59:00.001-06:00

I LOVE Christmastime! I am especially excited about this year! I thought I'd share some pictures of our last few years...

Handsome Angels

2008-11-08T14:41:00.008-06:00

I am a week late on this post, but we had a GREAT & busy weekend last weekend. We drove to Dothan after work on Friday to go to the Peanut Festival with Wes's parents. It has become a tradition for us, and we love it! We mostly go for the corn dogs and elephant ears.

On Saturday, we drove to Enterprise to check on Ashley & Walker, Eli & Sawyer. They are doing great, and Eli seems to be the perfect baby so far. He only cries when he is hungry and even then, it's not much of a cry. Sawyer is seriously the happiest kid I've ever met!! He is so funny and laughs all the time!! We got to go to church with Ashley & Sawyer on Sunday which was great - Walker stayed home w/ baby Eli so we could go. A few pictures of some handsome angels...

Baby Eli - So Sweet!

His mama will not appreciate me sharing these pictures with his passy, but I can't resist. His face is just too cute!!

Should Have Been In A Magazine

2008-10-29T17:00:00.007-06:00

If engineering & interior design don't work out, these girls (Erika and Kate Hartman) should start a catering business!!

My good friends, Erika and Kate, hosted a baby shower for me on Sunday afternoon. The two of them could seriously start a party planning business. It was worthy of a magazine feature. It was a perfect fall day (in Florida) 80 degrees and sunshine. We started with appetizers and socializing in Kate's backyard, and then went inside to eat corn and crab bisque soup, pumpkin acorn muffins, delicious cupcakes and beautiful fall leaf cookies. The food was amazing, the company was wonderful and I got lots of goodies. It was SO NICE - every single detail! Some pictures...

Michelle Baker with her daughter, Bella, Rosalie Pyetzki (our Bible study meets at her home every week), Morgan Palmer, Carla Riley and Erika

Eli

2008-10-28T17:02:00.005-06:00

Eli Marshall Williams

I know most of you who read my blog also read Ashley's and our pictures are the same, but I couldn't help post pictures of our precious new nephew. Ashley said Sawyer LOVES him, especially when he cries. He thinks that is FUNNY :)!!

Eli is Here!!

2008-10-26T11:01:00.002-06:00

I wanted to let you all know that my precious nephew, Eli Marshall Williams, was born this morning at 6:15am. He is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! He weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz. and was 20 1/2" long. He has dark hair - (not jet black, but not a blondie like Sawyer either). For now, you'll have to take my word for it because although I took a lot of pictures they are all on Ashley's camera.
ASHLEY IS A TROOPER!!! I am happy to report that she and Eli are both doing great. More to come on Eli as soon as I can get some pictures. YEA!!

Baby Shower in Dothan

2008-10-20T17:29:00.004-06:00

Wes's family gave me a baby shower in Dothan this weekend. It was SO NICE! Caleb will be one well dressed little guy!!

The centerpieces on every table :)

Our precious niece, Hannah Brooke and me

My mom, Ashley and Katie came (somehow Katie avoided getting in the pictures)

With Jenny - who kept track of all the gifts

A BIG THANK YOU!!

2008-10-12T19:43:00.007-06:00

If you have seen me over the last 3-4 months looking better dressed than normal Wes's cousin, Heather, is the reason!! I wanted to let you know of her unbelievable generoisty. After we told his family we were having a baby, Heather went and scoured her closet and let me borrow all the clothes she had that were flowy and would allow for a growing belly. I probably have 10 of her dresses hanging in my closet - she gave me EVERYTHING she thought might work- EVEN CLOTHES SHE WAS STILL WEARING - she just thought I would be able to wear them more. The huge bonus to her generosity is that she has GREAT TASTE! I LOVE every single thing she let me borrow! I just wanted to give her a shout out and know that I appreciate it SO MUCH!!

(Here is Ms. Generosity at Christmas a couple of years ago)

Our Baby Has A Name!

2008-10-05T14:06:00.010-06:00

After 7 months of considering baby names. Yesterday, we finally decided. Wes has been very agreeable to the names I like, but the problem was I liked so many and kept changing my mind. We drove to Clayton yesterday for Ashley's baby shower (Wes went dove hunting) and on the way up there we decided our son's name will be... Caleb Michael Harper. Michael is Wes's middle name and his dad's name. Yea!! So glad 'junior' (which is what we've been calling him) has a real name!!

Ashley's baby shower was so nice. We always enjoy being in Clayton with Walker's sweet family. After the shower was over, Ashley, Diana (Walker's sister), Mrs. Becky (Walker's mom) and I went outside and played with Sawyer and Diana's little boy Risdon. When we came back in there were a stack of presents sitting on the table for me. Who knew? They surprised me and showered me with gifts yesterday, too! Little Caleb will be so dressed up in all his goodies from the Williams' family.

Ashley, Sawyer and me at the shower

Production and Productive

2008-09-28T11:40:00.005-06:00

We've had a great weekend. We had a 'date night' on Friday night and went to dinner and then went to see 'Fireproof'. It was SO GOOD and I highly recommend it to anyone who is married or thinking about being married!! It is from the same people who did 'Facing the Giants'. If you haven't seen that you should rent that, too. You can see a preview at http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/.

We had a busy (productive) day yesterday. We're getting the nursery ready. We've painted the crib and changing table and Wes is putting the final coat on as I write this. We purchased a Wagner Power Sprayer from Home Depot yesterday. It was $69.99, but we both decided quickly it was money well spent!!! Wes kept repeating over and over, 'This Thing Is the Ticket'! Hope you've had a great weekend, too!! I'll post pictures of the nursery as soon as everything is complete- it's a work in progress.

What's Going On With Auburn?

2008-09-15T17:24:00.003-06:00

I'm with Sawyer (the cutest thing I've ever seen). After watching the ballgame on Saturday night I'm a little concerned about what's going on with The Tigers. Glad they pulled out the WIN, but it makes me a little nervous about this weekend's game against LSU. We're headed up to Auburn Friday night after work to stay with Sarah, Joseph, Ford and Luke - can't wait!

HHS 10 Year Reunion

2008-09-10T18:18:00.003-06:00

We had a great time at our reunion this weekend. It was SO MUCH FUN to see everybody. Some of the best, most genuine people I know are from Hartselle!! Ashley planned a whole weekend full of activities and had some of our best friends help. I think a good time was had by all. Here is the link to the candid shots that were taken on Saturday night if you're interested...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hartselle98/show/

FTBA Conference

2008-08-17T16:56:00.010-06:00

We've just returned from a fabulous, relaxing trip to Orlando. We were fortunate enough to attend the FTBA (Florida Transportation Builders Association) Conference with C. W. Roberts this year. We drove down on Wednesday night after work, went to the outlets and bummed around Orlando on Thursday and were treated to dinner at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant on Thursday night. I spent ALL DAY Friday and Saturday at the pool and Wes was runner-up in the tennis tournament (he won a trophey and all)! We dressed up from the decades we were born on Friday night - Wes from the 70s and me from the 80s, and went to the finale banquet on Saturday. Oh- and Wes's boss, George, grew up with Billy Dean (country music singer popular in the 90s for songs like 'Billy the Kid', 'If There Hadn't Been You' and 'Let Them Be Little'). He was the entertainment on Friday and Saturday night. He was great and a genuinely nice guy - I'm now a fan!

We were treated like royalty and hope to be invited back next year:)!!

IT'S A BOY!!

2008-07-25T16:37:00.004-06:00

We had an ultrasound today and learned we have a healthy baby boy!! We're thrilled!! He doesn't have a name yet, but we're working on that. We've been pryaing he would be healthy and cooperate today so we would be able to tell, and the Lord answered our prayers!! As soon as the ultra sound technician turned on the machine - she said, "It's a boy!" She told me she is 100% sure.
My original due date was December 27th. Today she said he measured to be due December 22nd - so we're expecting him sometime right around Christmas. PRAISE THE LORD!!

Thought I might as well join in...

2008-07-24T19:33:00.002-06:00

Hey friends! I've been stalking your blogs daily for a long time now and with a baby on the way I thought it was finally time to join the fun and let you all in on what we're up to. It also seems like a good way to be sure I take pictures of all the fun events of our lives - we have lots of them, but we don't EVER seem to have a camera with us anymore (the picture I added to the site was from Erika's wedding almost 2 years ago!) so I hope to do better. I hope you enjoy...

(This picture was taken scalloping last year :))