Obsessed

Ok...I know, I know...I haven't posted in a long while. I'll be getting back to that. I just needed to confess a love (obsession) of mine.



I could seriously scour this site ALL day and it wouldn't get old...I can always find something I need (or want, really).

See for yourself...Etsy

Yep, that's all...

So ready for spring!

I am so congested it's making me sick to my stomach. Delia has had the worst sounding cough and it's starting to sound a little better so I hope it's gone by the weekend, at least. Mike found out from Epiphone that they are in an "unofficial hiring freeze", whatever that means. He was pretty frustrated with the woman who called since he's been trying to get a hold of her and another guy there for over a month. So pretty much...he's giving up on that as a job prospect. But since they told him he had the job, he hadn't been looking as diligently for other things so now he's back at it, full swing.

Okay, that's the stuff that sucks right now. I needed to whine a bit. Other than that, we're good. So ready to be out of my parents' house but it'll happen. We joined the church we've been visiting and we're really excited. We had already started getting involved and have even started a new ministry there with another in the works.

I am loving the nice weather we've been having the last two days, even though I think it's supposed to get cold again soon. We're planning a camping trip for sometime soon and since I won't be working Saturdays anymore after this Saturday...we'll be able to get into more stuff on the weekends. I am so pumped about Easter since Delia will be able to participate this year! She has the cutest dress and we made a basket for her. Again, we'll be visiting Knoxville/Powell the first weekend in April and we can't wait to see everyone! I think we're also going to try and head up to Cade's Cove while we're there if the weather is good.

Mike is about done with my logo so I can start watermarking my photos. It's really cute. Since they're kind of pricey, I'm not setting up a website yet...I have a blog I'm going to post photos to for now. We also got Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2 and I am ready to figure them both out. I know a little about Photoshop...like basic stuff...but I want to be able to use it all on my own so I'm not constantly bothering Mike about it.

Well, I guess that's all that's been happening. Like I said, we're just itching to get out of here and into our own place. Please keep Mike in your prayers as he looks for another job so that we can get a place of our own.

We want to see our friends!

We will be in town the first weekend of April!!! We want to see everyone, so we need another hangtime.

Ok, that's it.

15 months old!

We took Delia for her 15 month check up today. She's doing great, of course. The doc did have some questions about her weight but once we assured her that Delia does eat and is one of the healthiest babies we know...she just gave a couple of new suggestions on how to increase her caloric intake. She's just going to be petite, I guess. She also got three shots and was not okay with it. She screamed and cried like she has never done after getting shots. We also waited two hours before being seen and she was really tired and not happy about not being able to get down and play (they had nothing to separate the sick and well children). We actually weren't so impressed with the office as a whole. The doctor was just okay. We just really loved the Blackmons and their quality of care.

Delia showed off her huge vocabulary and showed the doctor where all of her facial body parts are. Then she ran through all the animal noises she knows. And then she shredded the paper on the exam table. And tried to eat some of it...

Anyway, we're all good here. Nothing major going on. Epiphone seems to be dragging their feet all over the place with hiring Mike. It'll be 8 months this month since he first interviewed and all he keeps hearing is that they're sending his hiring packet through.

Well, we need to go eat...hope everyone has a good rest of the week!

It's another girl!

Not for us...that would have been strange and fast huh? Delia is going to have a little girl cousin to grow up with! I am soooo excited. When Jason and Miranda first told us they were expecting, I really thought it would be a boy but then after we moved...I didn't know anymore. Brooklyn Kate Barnard should be here in early to mid-July. I am already thinking of all the cute little things I want to get for her. Seriously, I don't know when or if I'll have nieces or nephews of my own so this is the next best thing as far as family goes. I already feel like I have little nieces and a nephew (Sophia, Aubrey, Isaiah and Miss Amelia!) from friends.

Anyway, I was just super excited about that and wanted to share.

We had a good weekend...not too eventful. I napped a couple of times (which I NEVER get to do anymore). My uncle, who is a former Jehovah's Witness, came to church with Mike and I yesterday. I know if it was confusing for my mom as a Catholic...I know it has to be even more confusing for him to understand God's grace. My prayer is that conversations will be had with either us or people put in his path and that his eyes will be opened. He has had such a hard go of things for the past 8 years or so. He has 4 children and all of them have either a mental, emotional, physical, and/or developmental disability. He's struggled with alcoholism for as long as I can recall. His ex-wife is bi-polar and makes life for him and their kids very hard. He is a great guy and knows no strangers, he can make friends with a tree if need be. I just want him to know God's peace and to receive His grace. It's a pretty huge step that he even came because I don't think he's been to another church since he left Kingdom Hall. Just pray for him with me if you don't mind.

Well, that's it. Now I need to go get that Delia Bird to bed for a nap.

Starting out

Sooooo...I have big, good news! After much prayer/thought/talking it over with Mike, I have decided to do something I should have done a long, long time ago. I have had a love for photography since I was a little girl. That was usually the main thing on my Christmas list...a new type of camera I didn't yet have or a better camera than the one I already had. In high school, I would wake up early on Saturdays and walk around Old Hickory with this ancient old Brownie camera I found in a thrift store. I would have gone to college for photography if I knew I wouldn't be met with rolled eyes and lectures of how it would have been a dead-end. I have had this thought/idea for many, many years and Mike and I have talked it over a lot in the 8 years we've known each other. I am just now feeling confident enough to do it and so I am starting my own photography business. I am literally just getting it going. I have ordered my equipment (after saving some Christmas/birthday money) and will be working on my portfolio. Mike totally, 100% supports me and has been trying to get me to just do this for a long time. I have gotten in my own way before by second-guessing myself. Please pray with me as I take this leap. I am still very nervous and want to be the best I can be. I am sticking strictly to families and children right now. I couldn't stand myself on my wedding day so I don't think I want to tread those waters just yet. I will be using my gorgeous, and much-more-photogenic-than-me sisters and daughter as my practice subjects. I really can't wait...I haven't been this excited about something for myself in a long time.

New theme!!!

Thanks again to Ashley for giving me an awesome new theme! I love this one just as much or more than the first!