Welcome Home and a Wedding!

Wow, since I have been back at work, I haven't had much time to update our blog.

Last weekend we went to Jackson and visited family AND friends. For lunch we met some great friends of ours, James David, Sonia, and Cayden Wells. James David has been serving in Kosovo flying blackhawks for over a year (15 months, we think). He is a wonderful christian man with a sweet family. James David and Steve have been friends since 7th grade. This was James David's first time to meet Laura Beth. We enjoyed our time together, and we were sad that it was so short.


After eating lunch with the Wells, we headed to Bampa and Mammy's house (Steve's parents). We visited with Bill, Laura, Aaron, Hannah Claire, and of course, Bampa and Mammy. Laura Beth wanted to watch Bully (their dog) the whole time. After visiting with them, Steve and I went to the wedding while Bampa and Mammy kept Laura Beth for the first time without us. They said Laura Beth was really good. Laura Beth told us that she loved every minute with Bampa and Mammy. She also said that Mammy has a special touch at putting her to sleep. :)Hannah Claire and I read MANY books. SO many books, in fact, that we had to lay down because I was tired. ha! She doesn't have clothes on in our pictures because right when we got to Mammy and Bampa's house, Hannah Claire got Ketchup on her dress and it had to go to the wash immediately. If you're wondering what Hannah Claire is feeding Steve, it is cashews. Steve loves cashews and apparently Hannah Claire does too. The two piles on Steve's chest represent "Hannah Claire cashews" and "Teve's Cashews." It was way too cute when Steve would try to feed himself, Hannah Claire would get upset because SHE wanted to feed him. She fed him Cashews REALLY fast and we all laughed because Steve was trying to chew really fast instead of telling Hannah Claire to slow down. She also did NOT want Steve to eat ANY that were in her pile. ha! We love her so much. She is so much fun! Also, I must say, since I'm a speech therapist and all, her speech is just phenomenal :).
After the wedding, Steve and I took Laura Beth to the reception to meet some of my college sorority friends (Theta! Whoo Hoo!).

Laura Beth had a great time meeting everyone. Steve and I really enjoyed catching up with Katie Hill and Jason (soon to be Katie Bushby, in October), Heather Far, Lauren and Kyle Jefferies, and of course Shana McGraw Ireland and Patrick.

Katie is basically going nonstop with wedding duties and being a lawyer. Her soon-to-be husband is a lawyer as well, so they are pretty busy.

Heather was the maid of honor at the wedding, and she looked beautiful. I didn't have time to catch up with her much because she was busy doing her maid of honor "duties." Lauren and Kyle are still the cutest couple. They are busy with work and loving life in Coffeeville, MS. This is Kyle's busy season with Landscape Architecture. Lauren was catching me up on the joys of living "near" her in-laws. She wouldn't have it any other way right now. :)

AND, of course, Shana is happily married. Her wedding was beautiful! Congrats to the newly weds, the Irelands!

Yesterday, we took Church Directory pictures. Laura Beth's first professional photograph. ha! She looks like an angel in the picture. She did well smiling for this really "interesting" man.

We also finished tiling half of the kitchen floor. Steve is so amazing to take on this huge task. We will need to paint under the chair rail in the kitchen now that the floor color has changed. We are quite happy with the new look. It's coming along nicely.

Steve starts school in a week and a half. He'll be traveling to the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Jackson every Monday. He'll be gone every Monday from Sun-up until sun-down. He is planning to take 10 hours (plus the 2 hour drive to Jackson and back), which doesn't seem like much EXCEPT all of those hours are in one day and he works the rest of the week. He is such a trooper. Pray for him as he begins another tough semester of traveling and studying.

Laura Beth has been making us smile more and more everyday. My heart is overwhelmed with happiness when I think about her even for a moment. What a joy!