a window to our WORKMAN world

Stihl has a secret to share

2011-09-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

Coming in May 2012, Sprout #2!

The first sonogram showed us a strong beating heart with a heart rate of 128.

We have a very excited household:)

Nine Months Old

2011-07-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

Eight Months Old

2011-06-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

Big Weekend

2011-05-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

This weekend we had a lot of first for Stihl man. He swam in a the pool at Aunt Niece’s and loved it. He is going to be a little water bug.

We went shopping at Target and he sat in the buggy like a big boy using his shopping cart cover.

Saturday morning since the weather was so nice we went out for a wagon ride and he sat up and buckled in the seat like he knew just how to do it. Our boy just loves to be outside.

Six Months Old

2011-04-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

Bunnies and Yolks

2011-04-03T21:02:00.001-05:00

Stihl met the Easter Bunny today at the Bunnies and Yolks, the Alexandria Junior League Easter event. It was at Lloyd's Hall Plantation in Cheneyville. He even got a bit excited over an Easter egg as I was trying to hid them before everyone got them.

Mommie and Stihl

Stihl was took a quick nap.

Cake time. No, Stihl did not have any just yet.

Trish and Stihl, the cool dude in the sunglasses!

Natalie Claire and Stihl, he liked her necklace:)

Beach Habit and Jock

2011-04-02T20:46:00.001-05:00

Stihl picked up a habit when we were visiting the Beach kids in Atlanta...thumbsucking.

He wants to crawl and get moving so bad.

Watching mommie give the puppy dogs a hair cut is not very

exciting for Stihl, but as long as he is outside he is good.

Rolling around in the grass at Memaw's.

Jock got in a few kisses too.

April is here

2011-04-01T21:45:00.001-05:00

This morning Stihl got up close and personal with Scout. I think Scout has a new buddy.

Stihl took a trip to the woods with Memaw and Papa Dave

on the golf cart to check out the hog feeders. He loves to be outside.

After being outside all afternoon, it was time to cool of in the pool at Memaw's.

Laid back and relaxed, Stihl loves the water.

Pawpaw's Stroller for Stihl

2011-03-03T13:03:00.000-06:00

First Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T17:30:00.000-06:00

His first pair of sunglasses and he actually wore them!

Four Months Old

2011-02-11T21:00:00.000-06:00

Stihl loves bathtime!!!

First Date

2011-01-22T17:00:00.000-06:00

Stihl is ready for his date with the girls: Ashley, Amalie, and Adaline Trahan and Amber and Jordyn Jeansonne.

Amalie was such a big helper with the babies.

Amalie, Stihl, and Jordyn

Stihl was really enjoying being entertained by Amalie.

Adaline would not sit still for a picture. That girl is always on the move.

Three Months Old

2011-01-11T16:19:00.000-06:00

Stihl is three months old today and was bumped from the youngest baby in the family spot.

Welcome Bowen Denise Beach!!!

One month old

2010-11-11T19:20:00.001-06:00

Family Time

2010-11-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

Ava was so excited to meet and hold Stihl.

Cindy and Stihl

Sandy and Stihl

Football

2010-11-05T21:57:00.002-05:00

Ready for the football game.

Wrapped up and all ready to go.

Stihl enjoyed his first Pineville High School footbal game, even if he did sleep through it.

First Road Trip

2010-11-02T19:23:00.003-05:00

Memaw and Ashley were both off for election day so we decided to bring Stihl on his first road trip to lafayette. Ashley and her kids were so excited to see us all.

Skye, Amalie, and Stihl

Skye and Stihl

Ashley and Stihl

Adaline

Adaline and Stihl

Ashley, Tanner, and Stihl

Me, Skye, and Ashley

Three Weeks Old

2010-11-01T17:46:00.001-05:00

Two Weeks Old

2010-10-25T17:46:00.000-05:00

Stihl is two weeks old today and also the 8th GREAT grandchild for Nanny and Pawpaw.

Stihl loves Nana

Snuggling with Nana

2010-10-25T15:27:00.005-05:00

While waiting to pick up Memaw at the airport we went to visit with Nana and Aunt Sandy. Nana said she would rather snuggle with Stihl over going to the airport to get Memaw.

Busy Weekend

2010-10-24T19:11:00.004-05:00

On Friday we got another special delivery. Our new expedition!

My mom-mobile

Saturday Dede, Nan and Carley came to visit on their way to shop at A Very Merry Market.

Stefanie was in for the weekend too! Memaw was visiting the Beach family in Atlanta so Stef came in to help me out with our little man. And...Stefanie's great news...she and Matt are having a baby BOY, Jaxon Matthew. We can't wait for Stihl and Jaxon to meet.

Ryan and Amanda came in to see Stihl too!

Sunday we had a visitors too. Carson likes Sihl's nap nanny. He politely took off his shoes before trying it out.

Lacye and Stihl...baby fever?

Memaw Loves Me

2010-10-19T15:05:00.001-05:00

Stihl enjoys his swing and loves his new blanket that Memaw made for him.

Memaw loves Stihl

One Week Old

2010-10-18T20:57:00.002-05:00

Happy one week Stihl!

A visit with Aunt Sandy

Sleeping at Memaw and Papa Dave's

Stihl meet Scooter...Scooter was so excited to see him.

Papa Dave and week old Stihl

Church Time

2010-10-17T15:25:00.016-05:00

Today was a special day for our family. It was Stihl's first time to go to mass and Nanny and Pawpaw received a special blessing from Father Martin for their 60 years of marriage.

Stihl was ready to wake up for his big day.

Mende, Stihl, and Alex

Father Martin during the marriage blessing with Nanny and Pawpaw

All the family that was at mass.

Nanny, Aunt Gayle, Pawpaw, Damien, Alex, and Mende

Memaw, Nanny, Papa Dave, Pappaw, Me, and Stihl

Aunt Neice, Nanny, Pawpaw, and Amy

Me and Stihl

Amy and Stihl

Aunt Neice and Stihl

Firsts...

2010-10-15T17:26:00.057-05:00

First time to lay in the nap nanny.

First time to ride in Memaw's car.

First doctor visit to Dr. Marzullo. He lost only 3 ounces, now he is 7 pounds 10 ounces. We have a boy that likes to eat and never misses a meal.

Sitting in the newborn waiting room.

Stihl slept the entire time we waited. All the other babies in there were crying or eatting, he just slept.

Memaw helped keep Stihl calm once we were in the exam room. Stihl did not like having his clothes taken off in a cold room and put on a cold scale. Then again, I am sure no one does.

First visit to the Ashe Broussard Weinzettle Architects office to meet the ABW crew.

Meet Jim

Meet Mike

Meet Kevin

First visit to Memaw and Papa Dave's but he just stayed asleep in the carrier.

First visit to Nana and Aunt Sandy's house. Nana would not let anyone else hold him.

I think we had a productive, full day.

Stihl comes home

2010-10-13T17:30:00.000-05:00

Stihl is ready to come home and meet his puppy dogs. He is just so precious and we are so proud and blessed to have him in our lives but he is not a fan of having his clothes changed.

Mommy's sweet little man

They wheeled us out to the car.

We got him all buckled into his car seat

Being carried over the threshold

Daddy introducing him to Sydnee and Scout

Flowers from Bella, Bryn, and Brody

Meet your new friends

Welcome home our sweet boy

Stihl at the Hospital

2010-10-13T15:28:00.046-05:00

Stihl had so many family members and friends come visit him in the hospital. He is one very loved little boy.

Memaw

Dede

Papa Dave

Aunt Gayle, Pawpaw, and Nanny

Nana, Uncle Ernie, Aunt Sandy, and Dede

Nana was so proud to have another great grandson.

Chris was our first visitor other than family.

Ashley came up from Lafayette

Ainsley

Jamie came down from Ruston

Nan

Pop

Father Martin from Prompt Succor

Doug, my boss

Lacye

Mrs. Kathy and Dede

We are ready to go home now.

A Stihl Delivery

2010-10-11T23:21:00.070-05:00

At 4:20 am I think my water has broken and this is going to be the big day. Stephen was supposed to be going hunting but 5 minutes before his alarm was set to go off I told him I did not think that he would be going hunting today, instead we were going to have a baby. I didn't want to be the lady that rushes to the hospital with false labor so we decided to sleep for a little bit longer just to make sure things were really happening because I was not having any contractions at this point. Of course I could not go back to sleep. I got up and started putting our bags near the door for Stephen to take to the car. I talked to my parents and of course mom insisted that I go to the hospital immediately. We decided to go ahead and get showered and then make our way to the hospital. We pulled up to Cabrini about 6 am. We walked into the labor and delivery area and I just said, I think my water broke. They moved us to a triage room, had me change into a quite fabulous gown;), and started tests to see if in fact my water did break and labor had begun. The first test was negative and i had to explain to the nurse why i thought my water broke. She did the second test and went to ask another nurse for a second opinion. She cam back in a gave us the thumbs up, it was go time, and we were anxious to meet our little man. The nurse also told us that my doctor was off today and that the on call doctor would be delivering Stihl. No problem, either way Stihl was coming today! We called our parents and said that it was time to come to the hospital to wait.

Proud and excited parents-to-be

They started the drip about 7:30 am and then the doctor came in and broke my water fully since it had not completely ruptured yet. Then the contractions started but nothing too intense at first. By 1:30 pm I was ready for the epidural. This was honestly the part that I was most scared about. I had an amazingly calm and reassuring nurse that stayed with me the through out the entire labor and delivery process and she was my rock while I was getting the epidural. Literally, I held on to her and she and the doctor talked me through the entire thing. I survived, not too bad at all, and best of all...Epidurals are fabulous!

Now we were back to waiting. Around 5 pm the nurse came in to check on us and said in probable and hour we will be ready to push. Well an hour came around and one more check with some practice pushes directed by the nurse, we were ready. In the middle of the second practice push, she said "wait stop pushing, let me get the doctor."

Dr. Ingalls said that delivery can get a little messy on her end.

Three contractions later our little man arrived. At 6:10 pm this evening we met our son, Stihl Anthony Workman. He is 7 lbs and 13 oz and 21 inches long. A bit bigger than we had anticipated, but he is just perfect.

Proud Daddy

then there were three

First Bath

First Outfit

Welcome to our Workman World Stihl Anthony!

Waiting for Stihl

2010-10-07T17:58:00.003-05:00

We are now playing the waiting game with Stihl. Stephen and I are so anxious to meet our son. Stephen came home from work last week and has been staying busy with projects around the house and hunting. He is trying to get in his hunting fill before our life is full of late nights with diaper duty and feeding time. Stihl's room is all ready, our hospital bags are packed, and we had another checkup yesterday. Stihl is doing great and has a strong heart beat of 135 bpm, he is just waiting for the right time to make his appearance.

Sydnee and I are ready.

Stephen trying on the Baby Bjorn.

Blessing of the Pets

2010-10-03T17:47:00.016-05:00

Tomorrow is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the saint of animals. At St. Rita's this afternoon they had the blessing of the animals. Mom, Aunt Sandy, and I brought Dixie, T-Beau, Sydnee, and Scout. They all did really good.

The priest came around and sprinkled holy water on each of the pets.

Scout was really into the ceremony.

Does my belly really look that big? Haha.

Puffy Feet and Hands = Puffy Toes and Fingers

2010-09-20T18:11:00.002-05:00

After my fun, busy weekend I am still exhausted. Today is my first day with swollen feet and hands. My engagement ring has found a new home, around my neck. I have also had a few more braxton hicks contractions today. Stihl’s D-Day (delivery day) is getting closer. I am so anxious. I am packing my bag for the hospital tonight! I am keeping my fingers crossed that Stephen gets to come home very soon.

Baby Shower Fun

2010-09-19T20:39:00.031-05:00

Stihl’s final baby shower was this weekend. Aunt Sandy and Aunt Deborah hosted a shower at Catering by Yolande’s in Alexandria. Everything was decorated so nice and the food was great. Of course we had my favorite, petit-fours. I think after this shower we have pretty much everything we need, well except for baby Stihl.

Aunt Sandy, me, and Aunt Deborah

Kelsey, Casey, me, Stef, Lindsey, and Jane

Aunt Sandy, Aunt Linda, Nana, me, Memaw, and Aunt Deborah

Memaw, me, and Nana

Dede and Nan with the great wreath Nan made for our door at the hospital.

Lindsey and Jane

Merritt had a blast at the shower, haha.

Amanda, me, Natalie, and Merritt

Jane, Lindsey, me, Stef, and Mindy

Kim, me, and Paula

So many of my girlfriends were able to make it in for the weekend. They all stayed with me Saturday night and helped me wash Stihl’s clothes and get everything in its place. His room really smells like baby now. Can I wash everything in Dreft? Thank you girls so much for helping me out with everything. Stihl will have the best group of “aunts” ever. Having everyone at my house this weekend really meant so much to me.

Weekly Visits and a finished Nursery

2010-09-12T17:07:00.005-05:00

We have started our weekly visits to see Dr. Moran and check up on baby Stihl. The time has flown by and I am stll feeling pretty good. This past wednesday we went and Stihl's heart rate was 138 bpm, he has dropped, and I am slightly effaced. I have attended the child birth class and the breastfeeding class, so I guess I am as prepared as a first time mother can be, if that is possible. With only one more month to go we are getting very anxious. I think that Sydnee and Scout are just as excited as we are, haha. they have no idea what is coming but they know something is going on. We have made our final touches to the nursery. We love it!

Diaper Shower

2010-09-10T22:29:00.031-05:00

I work in the best office in town! ABW Architects threw me and Stihl a diaper shower. Kevin and Rhonda Broussard hosted. Kevin fried catfish and hushpuppies and Mrs. Rhonda made an awesome broccoli salad, along with a potatoes salad, and most importantly an amazing cake. It was a hot air balloon with a special delivery for the Workman residence. Everyone from the office was there and we had a lot of fun. I got tons of diapers and wipes and surprise…Sthil got his swing! Thank you ABW and I am so thankful to work with such a supportive group.

Me with the great cake!

Zoe, Kate, and Ella

Me, Kate, Linda, Shelly, Amy, Doug, and Mike

West Lakes Floods

2010-08-29T17:39:00.011-05:00

We had some bad weather last night and woke up to a flooded neighborhood. We have never had this much water around our house

This is the street along the side of our house.

Lacye and Chris woke up to find her car flooded but Carson was having a blast in his new boots.

He wanted the dogs to come out and play with him.

Olla Baby Shower

2010-08-28T17:26:00.022-05:00

Stihl's baby shower in Olla was today! Natalie had some really fun games put together for us all to play. Our baby food knowledge was put to the test and we had to watch out for the b-word, Baby.

The cake was so cute and very good!

I had lots of help opening presents. Tori, Ava, Cason, and Brianne all helped out.

The hostesses: Natalie, Songia, Carly, Renee', and Cindy

Renee' made this great diaper cake.

Baby Shower Time

2010-08-22T17:38:00.023-05:00

This saturday was my first baby shower and boy was it exhausting. Opening presents is very tiring when you have limited lap room. We had a really good turn out and I was very excited to see some old friends and their little ones too.

Top Left to Right: Natalie, Ashley Amalie, Lindsey, Me, Lacye, Danielle, Amber

Bottom Left to Right: Adaline, Lesley, Kristy, Briley, Allison

The hostesses: Aunt Gayle, Aunt Neice, and Aunt Ann

Amy, Mende, Nanny, Amanda, and Aunt Ann

Memaw, Me, and Dede

Me and Amy

Whats been going on in the Workman household?

2010-08-17T07:09:00.014-05:00

Since Stephen was home for the past two weeks, he did a lot in Stihl's room. He painted a chest, hung up some shelves, and we got new carpet put down. The carpet had to be replaced due to a leaky faucet in the hall bathroom, so that was an unexpected task. We also got Stihl's letters painted, decorated, and displayed! Now all we need for the room is my glider and ottoman, which should be in this week.

This past weekend I attended a childbirth class at Cabrini Hospital. I learned a lot and realize that Stephen has a lot of responsibility during the laboring process. Yesterday I went and looked at our maternity picture proofs and they were great. I loved them all, it was really hard to choose my favorites. Lori Brian did a fabulous job and they turned out even better than I had imagined. I explained some shots to her that I saw in a magazine and then she put her on twist to them and they turned out just like what I wanted.

GROWING BABY, EXCITING PARENTS-TO-BE

2010-08-04T17:42:00.028-05:00

This afternoon we took our maternity pictures with Lori Brian. This photo shoot was all about the belly and our growing baby. Stephen and I took pictures for almost two hours. We brought a pair of Stihl's shoes, a bucket I painted with Stihl's name on it, and blocks that spelled his name too, all to have in the pictures. We will get to look at the proofs next week!

After the pictures we headed to the doctor's office for our check up and 30 week growth sonogram. He is now weighing in at 3 pounds and 8 ounces with a heart rate of 143 bpm. He is right on track and looking good. We go back in three weeks to check in on our little man again.

Stihl is moving around all the time now. They say he should have some sort of sleep pattern but I haven’t figured his out just yet. He flops when I first move in the morning, all during the day I get kicks and punches here and there, at night when I am going to bed I watch my belly move, and even when I wake up in the middle of the night for my usually potty breaks I feel him dancing. His dancing around never keeps me from my beauty sleep and I really enjoy counting kicks. Does he ever sleep? Oh Lord, please let him sleep when he comes into this world.

Third Trimester

2010-07-14T16:35:00.003-05:00

The third trimester has welcomed me and baby Stihl with open arms and lots of excitement, along with the downfalls of swelling legs, hands, and feet, heartburn with anything I put in my mouth, and mood swings that would knock you out of the park. I know that I have been lucky that these are the only major “not fun” pregnancy issues I have had so far. I do count my blessing everyday and with very kick or punch in the belly that our little man gives me. This has been an amazing experience and I have really enjoyed being pregnant. Stephen is super excited about my heartburn because he is hoping for a baby with a head full of hair. Luckily I have heard you get your hair from your mother and not your father.

Play Time and Busy Time

2010-07-11T13:09:00.004-05:00

We are already playing with baby Stihl. This weekend we turned the lights out in the living room and put a flashlight up to my belly to see if he would react to the light. Sure enough he started moving against the flashlight. This week he is very active all throughout the day. He pushes on my keyboard tray at work. I usually take time out to push back on him. He already wants to get in the last word like his mom, he always gives the last little nudge.

We were busy on Wednesday. I met with Stihl’s pediatrician, Dr. Marzullo, with Rhodes Pediatric Clinic. He was very laid back and easy to talk to. He got me in touch with the lactation consultant, Ashley, in their office. I have a feeling she will come in handy in about 3 months. I set up our maternity photo session with Lori Brain. August 4th will be Stihl’s first photo shoot. We had visitor’s come in yesterday too. Scott, Carrie, Bella, Bryn, Brody, and “beach baby in belly #4” came to Alexandria to stay with Memaw and Papa Dave for a few days.

Bryn and AJ

Bella and Bryn loved Scout

Friday night we had a fish fry at Aunt Neice and Uncle Tony's. We had so much fun.

Bryn, Amy, Brody, and Tyler

Me, Bella, Memaw, Bryn and Carrie

Bella and Bryn soaked Papa Dave.

Bryn was so excited that she got Papa Dave in the pool.

Nanny and Pawpaw with the Beach kids.

Brody finds anything to entertain him.

Papa Dave and Uncle John

Bella shows off her surfer moves.

Brody and Emerleigh

a brand new suit

2010-07-01T22:06:00.002-05:00

Stephen and I decided to splurge and spend some money on oursleves. We bought an entire new bedroom suit. We finally got a sleigh bed like we have always wanted.

our side tables and bed

Stephen's dresser

Play Festival

2010-06-28T18:56:00.002-05:00

This year I was again a part of the Spectral Sisters ten minute play festival. The show ran from June 24-27 at the Kress Theatre in downtown Alexandria. I was in the show "Telescum" and played the role of the jealous girlfriend with a cheating boyfriend.

This is the entire Spectral Sisters Production 2010 cast and crew!

The cast of "Telescum" in costume.

Belle (Irene, gives the telemarketer an english lesson), Tom (Eduardo, the telemarketer's boss), KP (Jake, Shelly's cheating boyfriend and Earl, the country dad that almost completes a sale with the telemarketer), Piper (Margarita Angelina Rodrigez, the telemarketer), Claudia (Maddie, she thinks the telemarketer is Barbie), Me (Shelly, thinks her boyfriend is cheathing on her with a woman pretending to be the telemarketer), and Paula (Faleene, she teller her daughter that the telemarketer is Barbie).

It's all about makeup, wigs, and basketball boobs!

This year I kept my wig at home.

Baby boy needs a name...

2010-06-20T12:52:00.001-05:00

Baby boy has a name! Since Stephen and I were dating in college we have always loved this name and knew that when we got married and had our first baby boy that this was the name that we would choose for him. World I hope you are ready to meet STIHL ANTHONY in a few short months. Stephen wanted his son to have the same initials as him, hence his name begins with an "s" and he will have the same middle name as Daddy too.

Thank you Papa Dave for our first STIHL truck.

Stihl's has boots that match his Daddy's

This is Stihl's bed, I am going to paint his name and hang it above the bed.

This is Sirling Wallace, his mom works with me. He wanted to show off his new toy and make sure that Stihl had one someday. Amy said that this is his new favorite toy.

Kung-Fu Nudger

2010-06-09T09:18:00.001-05:00

In honor of the upcoming Eclipse movie coming out June 30th, I have to say, I love my "little nudger!”

Last night I popped in one of my prenatal yoga videos and expected it to be a 30 minute or a combination of different 10 minute workouts like my other videos. No this workout was an hour long. Needless to say I was pretty pooped after the workout, so I thought a bath would be a great way to wind down. The dogs and I get settled in the bathroom and I am soaking up the warm water in the tub Ashley had given me this body scrub that she enjoyed during her pregnancies so I thought I would give it a try and yes it was nice. After a good scrub, I laid back, relaxed, and all of a sudden felt this huge Wham! Sprout was letting me know that he was thoroughly enjoying his scrub and bath time. This was my first feel of Sprout movement on the outside of my belly. I put my hands on my belly and felt three more kicks and/or punches (whatever he kung-fu fights in there) that made me laugh. Syd and Scout didn’t get what was going on but they did peer over the tub to see me cracking up. After taking in the rest of our bath time, I immediately got out and called Stephen to share the fun news.

We love our little nudger…and I am really excited for Eclipse to come out.

Ricky and Natalie got married!!!

2010-06-06T21:18:00.002-05:00

This weekend was busy and tons of fun. Ricky and Natalie got married. The rehearsal dinner was at Kiroli Park in West Monroe. Having a pregnant wife comes in handy when you need a designated driver, haha.

Ricky, Natalie, me, and Stephen

BJ thought this picture was necessary but it obviously was not about me.

We all miss Adam!

Hello little man in my belly, your Daddy loves you.

We are ready for the wedding. The wedding was at the First United Methodist church in Monroe. Stephen looked so handsome in his tux.

Stephen and Ricky, the groom, right before he watched his bride walk down the aisle.

Mr. and Mrs. Ricky Andrews!

The reception was held at Natalie's parent's house in Columbia. We had a blast dancing all night. For a pregnant lady I kept up pretty good, I think. Congratulations Natalie and Ricky, we wish you many happy years together.

While the guys were recovering from Friday night I went of to look for bedding for Sprout's room. I went to Rock-A-Bye Baby on the advise of some friends. They had really cute bedding, in fact, I registered there too!

Baby Registry Time

2010-05-31T08:27:00.003-05:00

Our toughest decision so far...which car seat and stroller should baby Sprout sport? This was a very tough decision, but I am confident with our choice. I am so glad Kate recommended the Baby Bargains book to us, it has been a huge help and this weekend Lindsey and Stef went to Target with me to get a "hands on" view. Thanks ladies! We are going with the Chicco Cortina Travel system stroller that comes with the KeyFit 30 car seat in the Adventure pattern.

Then we will go with the Graco Duo Diner highchair, Silhouette swing, and Newborn Napper pack n' play all in the Lowery collection.

So the growing Workman family is now registered with Amazon, Babies R Us, and Target!

New Orleans Visit

2010-05-30T19:06:00.004-05:00

I was way overdue for a visit with Lindsey in New Orleans, so for Memorial Day weekend I headed down. We had so much fun and ate some great food:)

Rebecca, Stefanie, Lindsey, and me

This was Sprout first visit with his Aunt Lindsey and

he is already getting kisses.

Kenny, Christen, me, Stefanie, Lindsey, Rebecca, and Ashley

Off to Florida

2010-05-16T18:18:00.127-05:00

I was due for a vacation and a visit with my brother and his family. I flew out of Shreveport Thursday morning, made it to Atlanta safely and then caught my next flight to Jacksonville. Carrie, Bella, Bryn, and Brody picked my up from the airport, oh and Russ (their new Yorkie). I think they were all excited to see me except Brody, he slept until we got home, haha. Bella and Bryn have grown up so much since I saw them last at Christmas. The second we got to their house, they showed me their guinea pigs. After I got my things in the house, it was time for Bryn's soccer game.

This was really fun to watch. Bryn did so great!!! I also got to meet some of their friends. After the game we met Scott and the Ferguson family for dinner. It was a school night so the kids were off to bed when we got home. Carrie and I stayed up talking and ended up watching animations of the growth of our babies online. We watched a few alternative option births as well but I wasn't up for all of that. Sometimes not knowing can be bliss.

The next morning I woke up to a little voice saying "Straw Milk! Straw Milk!". I slept in Brody's room and I never realized a little person could sleep so loudly. Bella and Bryn can in shortly after and I was up and about as well. I rode with Carrie to bring the girls to school. Then we changed into our swimsuits before we dropped Brody off at his school. We laid on the beach for a few hours and I got plenty of sun.

This is my new view of the beach.

After picking Brody up from school we had lunch at their friend's sisters new coffee / sandwich shop, Lillie's. Back to the beach with Brody after lunch. We saw the space shuttle launch from the beach. That was really neat to see going through the sky. Everyone on the beach stopped and stared. Scott came and met us after he got off work. There is nothing like having my pregnant body in a bikini for the first time in public, better yet when your brother asks you if your te-tahs are real. We had to laugh at that. He said I looked funny with a belly, haha:) Brody and their neighbor, Ella, played all afternoon in the tidal pools.

After Carrie left to pick the girls up, we eventually made our way back to the house. I got showered and ready, we were having dinner at an Italian restaurant downtown. After dinner I zonked out, growing Sprout plus the sun really wore me out. Bryn decided she would sleep with me that night and she proved to be a good snuggler.
Saturday was a morning on the beach.

Then off to the Dancing in the Street Festival downtown. We all loaded up on bikes and made our way down the street. The festival was really fun. They had art, clothes, bands, inflatable kid games, face painting, fair foods, so much going on. I bought my first baby boy piece of clothes, a super cute onesie with a frog hand painted on the front and the froggy butt on the bottom.

Bryn, the birthday girl!

We had lunch with the Ferguson's and from their decided that we would go out on their boat with them that afternoon. Brody was really excited about going on the boat. So were at home getting our things ready to go and I was deciding what to wear. Of course the kids put on swimsuits. I knew I was going to have to pee every hour on the hour so I thought my bathing suit would be good because I might have to jump in the water to pee. Carrie thought that was a good idea. They had never been on their boat either, so none of us knew quite what to expect. Well we all made it to the boat, wait it's not a boat, its a 48' yacht! Our jaws fell to the dock and we were super excited about this boat ride.

All the kids were down in the "hole" (kitchen, bedroom, bunk beds, table, seating, and bathroom). No need to jump in the water to pee, just go to the bathroom! This was very nice boat ride on the inter coastal. Since I quickly wear out these days, by the end of the ride I was laying down. Once back at the dock they fixed hot dogs on the boat for the kids and pregnant Christal. Once we got home, It was off to bed, I had to be at the airport the next morning at 7am.
Bella slept with me this time and I had to sneak out of the room in the morning to make sure I didn't wake her. Scott brought me to the airport and I was off to Louisiana, home sweet home. I got bumped on my flight coming from Atlanta to Alexandria, so I flew back to Shreveport. Stephen came to pick me up and we made a trip to the Boardwalk to eat and do some baby BOY shopping. By our third baby store I told Stephen we didn't have to buy something in every store, but we had so much fun. We can't wait for little Sprout to be here.
I had a great visit with the Beach family and spent some quality time with Stephen when I got back.

We're having a...

2010-05-12T17:12:00.011-05:00

BOY! We went to the doctor today for our anatomy scan. We saw our little baby squirmming around in my belly and heard a very strong and steady 150 bpm heart rate. Stephen could not believe his eyes when he saw that Sprout was in fact male, but he had all the proof he needed. Our little man now weighs 9oz. and his arms and legs are looking great. The nurse could not get a good profile of his face since he was turned with his face against my back, so we get another ultrasound in three weeks to check him out again.

Visit with Stef and Matt

2010-05-02T12:09:00.016-05:00

After Garrett's birthday celebration I headed to Humble to visit Stefanie and Matt. We went out to eat for her Aunt Diane's 50th birthday and came back to Stef's house for birthday cake for me and Diane!

Garrett Turns One!

2010-05-01T22:07:00.015-05:00

I cannot believe it has been a year already. Garrett is walking and keeping Yitin and Greg on their toes. I drove over to houston this weekend to celebrate his first birthday.

Yitin, Garrett, and Greg

Yitin and me with the Birthday boy!

He is so happy. Garrett was really good at opening his presents, he loved the tissue paper.

He was not so sure about diving into his cake, but we sure enjoyed it.

Sydnee's Summer Cut

2010-04-27T22:08:00.008-05:00

Sydnee Ann has been running around the back yard picking up every cocklebur along the way. There are so many cockleburs matted in her fur that is hurts her when I try to pull them out and when she lays down she lays on top of them. She was due for her summer hair cut. Sydnee looks so precious with her long , poofy hair, like a little bear. But when she starts to get uncomfortable in her own fur it is time for a change. With a few, well a lot of passes of the clippers she is good as new. I think she likes her new hair cut, she’s probably a pound lighter too.

Before: She would not sit still for a good picture.

After: She is sitting pretty for a treat.

Unexpected Squeeze

2010-04-27T21:16:00.001-05:00

Okay, something unexpected happened to me while I was at work. Today I wore one of my new dresses that Mom and I got last week. With this new dress a strapless bra is needed. I haven't worn a strapless bra since I found out I was having little Sprout. The day was going great, all the ladies at work complimented my new dress and I felt really good about it. Then I realized I was having to take really deep breathes and it was taking a lot for me to just breathe. My bra was literally squeezing me! I understand my breast will swell now that I am pregnant. They have already started "growing" but out growing my bra? I had no idea what I was going to do. I am at work and so uncomfortable. So I did the only thing I could do, I unhooked by strapless bra. Ahhhhhh, I could breathe easy. So for the rest of the day I went around with my bra practically hanging on me, but at least I could breathe.

Another Anniversary Surprise

2010-04-25T21:46:00.012-05:00

Stephen called yesterday and told me some great news. He was on his way home!!! He got in late Saturday night and we were able to spend our entire anniversary together. We had a busy day. We went to church, I fixed breakfast and we ate outside on our back porch in the great weather, put Sprout's crib together, cleaned out the baby's room, had a steak dinner at Outback, and came home to dig into our wedding cake. The crib looks great.

Our wedding cake tasted really good, of course I had to decorate it for the occasion. I am so glad Peanut was able to come home and we were able to spend our anniversary together. It has been a great year and this next year will be even more exciting.

Surprise!

2010-04-23T20:23:00.007-05:00

Stephen has been at work for the past two weeks and our one year anniversary is coming up this sunday. At work this morning I got a great surprise. My husband sent me a dozen beautiful red roses. I love you and miss you Peanut!

Pat my Belly

2010-04-21T20:40:00.000-05:00

Today at our April check up Sprout measured in at 5”, head to rump, and had a heart rate of 154 bpm. We got to see the heart, stomach, and spine. The feet were crossed at the ankles with tiny toes and the arms were in front with hands balled in fists in a boxer stance. Sprout was stretched out across my belly all laid out and had the hiccups too! The blood clot that we saw last week had disappeared and my placenta has shifted with my growing uterus. It is still low but not of any concern. I asked about my headaches and backaches. All are no need for worry and due to the massive amount of the little hormone called progesterone. Which Dr. Moran said is great for the baby but makes me feel yucky. Luckily he said they all should subside by week 18, just about 3 weeks away. I have to say that little Sprout is starting to make my belly grow lots. People are starting to notice...I had two people reach out and touch/pat my belly today! I had to laugh.

Roses

2010-04-20T21:44:00.001-05:00

These are a few pictures of my roses that have been growing.

Summer Wreath

2010-04-17T20:49:00.014-05:00

Our Summer decor is going up along with cleaning out the back bedroom to make way for Sprout's new furniture.

This is my Hot Cocoa rose in the great new bud vase made by my friend Shelly!

Stef and her mom were in town today too. We met at Tunks for dinner.

Stef, Bailey, Mrs. Wendy, and Brooklyn

In Harmony

2010-04-15T20:29:00.000-05:00

We bought Sprout's furniture today! The crib is the 4 in 1 convertible crib in the Harmony Collection from Million Dollar Baby. We also got the 6 drawer dresser, to use as the changing table. Dont get any ideas about the bedding in this picture, we still don't know if little Sprout has more testosterone or more estrogen.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2010-04-12T12:55:00.000-05:00

I guess along with the good, we should also blog the bad and the ugly. This pregnancy has been too easy some may say, I haven’t had any morning sickness, no irrational craving, and I am not the size of a house just yet. Last night we got enough scare to make up for all of the ease of the first three months of Sprout’s incubation. There was bleeding, which was more than I could deal with at the moment. Stephen, being nine hours away, could nothing for me and even my parents, 3 miles up the road, felt helpless. We called the doctor’s office and spoke with the doctor on call. He definitely put us at ease. Since I was not having any cramping, the blood was a bright red color, and was not continually flowing he didn’t seem very concerned but said I should come in first thing in the morning for an ultrasound which would tell us more. If cramping or bleeding worsened throughout the night to go directly to the emergency room. Mom came and spent the night with me and I made it through the night with no or very little bleeding at times and numerous prayers on my rosary. We got the doctor’s office at 8:30 am, right when they opened. They brought me back for the ultrasound first and when the nurse said something about the heartbeat, I am not even sure what she said about it but all I knew was that there was a heartbeat in there. Talk about a relief and an answer to all of our prayers. She went and brought my mom in and then turned little Sprout on the big screen. Sprout was squirming all around, we have a wiggle worm already. The heartbeat was a very strong, at 158 beat per minute, and Sprout is just the size he or she should be at 13 and a half weeks.

Now that we knew our little Sprout was doing just fine in there, what was causing the bleeding? We went in to see my doctor to get the answers. I have a low lying placenta which is common early on in a pregnancy. A small blood clot has also formed on the placenta which will dissolve over the next few weeks as my uterus grows and the placenta shifts further away from my cervix. The doctor said that there was no need for panic, to just take it easy, and we will monitor the placenta closely over the next few weeks. We were all so relieved that everything was alright. Sprout was just calling for some extra attention.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. God has a plan for each of us, we are just along for the ride.

Herb Day Inspirations

2010-04-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

Mom, Lacye (our new neighbor), and I went to the Kent House Herb Day on saturday and we found some great things.

I started a small herb garden and bought a "Hot Cocoa" rose.

This is not the "Hot Cocoa" but it is my first bloom from our rose bushes.

Scout helped me plant!

Hippity Hoppity

2010-04-04T18:28:00.001-05:00

Easter is here! Now I can eat all the chocolate I want and Stephen can eat fried food again. We went to mass with Nanny and Pawpaw then went to their house for lunch with the family.

But not before visit with Brianne to see what the Easter bunny brought her.

The Easter bunny brought Stephen some goodies too. Check out the awesome Peepshi, Peeps+Sushi.

Our family picture, including the Sprout Bump!

This is the cake I made.

Some quality time with the little ones.

Here...this will make you feel better.

2010-04-01T21:46:00.000-05:00

Stephen went to Gulf Shores for Ricky's Bachelor Party and I was left to hold down the fort. I started getting a little under the weather and Sydnee and Scout had to take care of me.

Sydnee brought me her new favorite toy for me to sleep with at night. She is just so thoughtful. She got to sneak a night or two in the bed with Stephen gone.

Graduation at my View

2010-04-01T11:01:00.009-05:00

We have graduated from our first trimester and moved right into the second with flying colors. We have also moved out of our relaxed jeans into jersy dresses and tights.

This is my view today looking down at little Sprout!

Our Flower Bed Are Growing!

2010-03-29T12:10:00.011-05:00

Saturday Mom, Ms. Denise, and I went out to Cotile Trade Days in hopes of finding loropetalums to plant in my flower beds. Our trip was a huge success. We found them along with a grapfruit tree and a purple magnolia. We also got Nan and loropetalum and a red knock-out rose bush. When we got it all home, they helped me place them where they should go.

Sunday was planting day, after church and Carson's (our neighbor) 1st birthday party. Stephen and I got to work. He dug holes and planted everything. I followed behind him watering and cleaning up. I even got around to planting my daylilies that I got almost a year ago.

Loropetalum

Daylillies around our Maple tree

Purple Magnolia

Grapefruit tree in the backyard

Stephen's green hands after weeding

Fishing Tales

2010-03-23T19:44:00.007-05:00

Stephen's new hobby is fishing, since he now has a boat he ventures a bit further than our neighborhood pond. He caught a good size one at Kincaid Lake and decided to bring him home and let him go in our pond.

We let Scout and Sydnee have a little sniff before we let him go.

Rodeo Weekend

2010-03-23T19:38:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we spent in Houston with Stefanie, Matt, Kelsey,and Jeff. Oh I can't forget Maple and Champ, too. Friday evening we went over to Devin and Sally Towe's house for a night of Fajitias and Margaritas. That was "virgin" maragaritas for me. We enjoyed hanging out and playing card games like our old college days.

Saturday was a big day, my and Stephen's first visit to the annual Houston Rodeo and NEW MOON came out on Blu-Ray! After a great french toast breakfast (I had 5, yes five, pieces) made by our very own Stef, us girls went off to Target to get New Moon and find me a sweater. The unexpected cold weather was a great reason for shopping. Then lunch at Choo! Choo! Sushi. It was really good and the sushi went around the restaurant on a little track and you just grabbed the plates of sushi that you wanted to eat. After sushi we were off to the rodeo. There was so much to see and we had so much fun. We saw calves, piglets, and sheep that were just born. I got to play with my dream pet, a goat, in the petting farm.

There was even a llama for Kelsey. The potbellies pigs made Stephen want another pet pig.

We met Elsie the cow!

After all that walking around I was hungry again so I got a BBQ beef sandwich and it was yummy. Reliant Stadium was our next stop. We walked in just in time to see the bull riding semifinals. Then we saw the finals for barrel racing, bare back riding, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, team roping, and bull riding.

President George Bush came out and starting the calf scramble and it was so funny.

The rodeo was almost over and the Brooks and Dunn concert was about to start but not before mutton bustin'. This was 5 year old kids riding on fluffy sheep holding on for dear life. I could see Sprout doing that one day, haha. Then the concert started. It was a really good concert and they played a lot of their popular old and new music.

Stephen and I would definately like to come back for the rodeo again next year.

Spring is almost here!

2010-03-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

Along with hearing our little Sprout’s heartbeat AGAIN today and knowing that the heartbeat was loud and strong and we are all doing well, another exciting thing happened today. Three of our tulips bloomed!!! I think my thumb may be turning a little greener. Spring is definitely around the corner, three days away to be exact. All of our plants and my belly are showing signs of new growth.

Girl Time

2010-03-12T18:39:00.001-06:00

Ashley and Amalie came up to visit before Adaline arrives!

Stephen found a new head scratcher.

Eatting breakfast as IHOP with Granny and Granddad.

This is Amalie's funny face, haha... she is so precious!

An Absent Mind in a Great Smelling Head

2010-03-11T17:07:00.000-06:00

Earlier this morning I noticed that I could smell my hair. Not really my hair but my conditioner. I have been using the same shampoo and conditioner for months and have never noticed this before this morning. I just chalked it up to my sense of smell getting a bit keener with the growing of little Sprout and I shared this new scent with Shelly, she sits ext to me in the office. I thought maybe I just used more conditioner than I normally do. Then this afternoon I noticed on my black shirt, tiny specs of what looked like dandruff. Okay so dandruff is not in my book as a pregnancy symptom but I have never in my life had dandruff. I asked Shelly if dandruff was supposed to itch on your scalp and she said “yea, I think so.” Neither of us know very much about dandruff. Well my head doesn’t itch but she too saw small flecks on my shirt. Hummmm…I was stumped. I thought about it a bit longer as I could still smell the scent of my conditioner. Wait, I didn’t RINSE the conditioner out of my hair! Oh, man, they say the baby takes over your brain, but has our 1” Sprout already taking action? Needless to say, Shelly and I, along with the others in the office, got a good laugh out of my absent mind today.

Drano Sex

2010-03-10T08:12:00.002-06:00

We have recently heard numerous old wives’ tales about how to find out the sex of your baby but this one in particular stuck out to us.

What you need:

       • The mommie-to-be’s first morning urine, during the first
          trimester, in a cup

       • Drano Crystals, it must be the crystals

What you do:

       • Once you have your urine in a cup, put about a tablespoon of
          Drano Crystals in the urine and Wha-La!

       • If it foams up a yucky, nasty brown color you are having a
         boy and if there is ANY tint of blue in the reaction you are
         having a girl.

Our Results:

I always say that Stephen is so smart and if this old wives’ tale proves to be true, I have confirmed once again that I married a smart man. Stephen has said from the beginning that we were going to have a little girl. The foam from our Drano/Urine reaction was nothing but BLUE and boy did it smell awful!

Meet Sprout

2010-03-04T08:07:00.009-06:00

We were introduced to Sprout for the first time yesterday. What we saw was amazing and truly a gift from God. We could hear and see the tiny heart beat so fast and strong. Measuring in at 1.34 cm, Sprout is doing great. Stephen could not stop smiling and asking the nurse questions about what things were. Along with smiles from mommie-to-be (me) I couldn’t help but cry. This was the very first time that we got a peek at what God has in store for our lives.

Proud Parents-to-be!

2010-02-23T16:28:00.002-06:00

Sprout Incubation Announcement

2010-02-22T16:19:00.001-06:00

To let the blogger world know, we have been incubating our little workman "sprout" for about seven weeks now. Stephen and I are super excited along with a slew of happy, proud grandparents, great grandparents, family, and friends.

"Papa Dave's Littel Hunter" and "Memaw Loves Me"

"Baby Workman"

Sprout's first hunting outfit!

"I love Nana"

"Great No. 8"

Sprout will be Nanny and Pawpaw's eighth great-grandchild.

"I love my Auntie Stef"

Please keep Stephen, Sprout, and me (you might as well go ahead and include Sydnee and Scout, beacuse they have a rude awakening coming sooner than they think) in your prayers. Everything is going smooth so far, I had an OB nurse visit on February 16th. They calculated my due date to be October 14th. Through all of our planning and charting with Natural Family Planning we had calculated the due date to be October 13th. Either way Sprout should be here by Halloween. We go back to the doctor next wednesday for Sprout's first ultrasound!

This was our Valentine's day present from Memaw and Papa Dave.

Bonding Time

2010-02-05T16:07:00.000-06:00

Today Stephen thought he was due for a little bonding time with Sydnee and Scout, so off to Lowe’s they go. Let’s hope they all come back in one piece.

"Let's tidy up Guys."

2010-02-03T13:18:00.000-06:00

Our dogs can do it all, including clean the kitchen.

Pictures, Pictures, and More Pictures

2010-02-02T12:30:00.001-06:00

Our picture wall is expanding!

Mardi Gras Ice Cream

2010-01-29T13:12:00.000-06:00

You have to try this awesome ice cream. It is my favorite! They only sell it during Mardi Gras and only certain grocery stores carry it. This past week on our grocery trip to Kroger we found it and got two half gallons! We have to stock up. It is soooooo good.

Sunrise

2010-01-15T07:30:00.001-06:00

This is our beautiful sunrise.

Scout's Limelight

2010-01-12T14:40:00.001-06:00

Since we get this sense from Scout that he always feels left out and unloved. I thought that he sdould get some time to shine on our family blog too.

Here he is stealing the thunder from Syd.

We are working on some new poses, he usually sticks to the same face.

How can anyone say no to this cute face? We love our Scout.

Stephen's Nintendo Partner

2010-01-11T22:15:00.003-06:00

Stephen found another warm body to watch him play Madden Football. Do you see her?

There she is, our little Sydnee.

She got a little pooped after all that football. Haha, we couldn't help but let her stay there for a bit, she looked so comfy.

Mardi Gras is just around the corner.

2010-01-10T14:12:00.000-06:00

Mardi Gras is in the air at 144 Grand Lakes Boulevard or at least on our front door. I put together a festive wreath for the season.

Rinse Cycle

2010-01-09T13:14:00.001-06:00

We like our dogs clean.

Sydnee Ann is about the start the rinse cycle.

Papa Dave is getting Old...

2010-01-04T22:13:00.001-06:00

To celebrate his 57th birthday we brought my dad and mom to Copeland's for brunch the sunday before the big day. Then we all surprised him at Outback for dinner with some old friends.

Columbia Visit

2010-01-03T13:12:00.021-06:00

Stephen and I decided it was time to head up to Columbia to see Ricky and Natalie's house. They are doing so much work to it. It will look great when they are all done. We went out to eat at the mexican restaurant and I found out that their gold margarita is yummy. Thanks for the recommendation Natalie:)

Ricky, Andrew, BJ, and Stephen

Ricky and Natalie

Stephen thought he would try out a scarf.

After dinner we went to the Parish Line, formerly known as the Lamplighter. We had blast dancing and hanging out.

Andrew and Stephen

Stephen, BJ, Daylan, and Andrew

Me and Stephen

Mahaley, Andrew, and Natalie

A New Year's Christmas

2010-01-03T10:24:00.005-06:00

Celebrating Christmas with children is always a bit more exciting than when everyone in the room is over the age of 25. They get as excited about unwrapping the present as discovering the goodies inside. Brianne, needless to say, is a child with infectious excitement and energy nearly every day of the year but especially on the day she gets to open presents and get attention from the entire family, most importantly Peanut. New years day we went over to Aunt Sandy’s House and had an evening of New Year’s champagne toasts, Christmas presents, and watching Brianne entertain us.

Brianne in a present

Brianne upside down

Brianne in Peanut's hat

Nana with her favorite present

Our "Beach" Christmas

2009-12-27T15:24:00.050-06:00

For Christmas this year Stephen and I, along with my parents, Deni and Dave, and my grandmother, Nana, went to Neptune Beach, Florida (near Jacksinville) to spend the holiday with Scott, Carrie, Bella, Bryn, and Brody. We had so much fun. We went to a Christmas party, had sword fights,

Stephen beat some locals at ping pong at Pete's Bar, we were introduced to bumper pool, got pedicures,

got ready for our visit from Santa, went shopping for the things that Santa forgot, walked on the Jacksonville Pier, went for a morning run along the beach, saw Bella and Bryn's pink school,

discovered a washed up pelican (Bella is getting a certificate for that find), found a horseshoe crab shell, played football in our Drew Brees jerseys,

put together lots of christmas toys, ate blue chips (zapps potatoe chips covered in melted blue cheese), played hide and seek with the kids over and over, sat in the street drinking beer playing chinese jumprope,

rode the EzyRollers everywhere, and I am sure there is more that I am missing. Oh yeah and we rode bikes to the bar. Well Scott and Stephen rode bikes, Carrie and I rode on the handle bars and in the baby seat.

Bryn and Scott

Scott, Bella, Brody, and Dave

Stephen and Bryn

Christal, Nana, and Scott

Bella, Christal, and Bryn

We are planning to go back in the spring when it is a bit warmer. We had a great Christmas, now we are ready to see what 2010 has in store for the Workmans.

Merry Christmas from the Workmans

2009-12-21T16:00:00.002-06:00

Click Here

Mr. and Mrs. Clint Davis

2009-12-14T15:19:00.005-06:00

Jacie and Clint got married this past weekend! Friday, after my ARE schematic design exam, we drove up to Ruston for the wedding rehearsal and dinner. The rehearsal went great and the dinner was at the historic firehouse in downtown Ruston.

The Riggins catered and they had gumbo, etouffee, and (my personal favorite) peach cobbler.

Pete, David, and Stephen

After dinner a few of us set off to the good ole Dawg House and BJ joined us. Then of course Rabbs was lined up to end our night.

Rebecca, me, Stephen, David, and Pete

Saturday Stephen had groomsmen duties, so I was off to get some Christmas shopping done. The highlight of my shopping was the Humphrey I had at Counter Culture. Yummy!

I had to be at the church early since I was designated to hand out programs. Jacie looked amazing in her wedding gown, the bridesmaids dresses were beautiful, and the men all looked so handsome in their tuxes.

The reception was held at the National Guard Armory and the decorations turned the room into a winter wonderland or lights. Stephen helped earlier in the week to put up the drapes along the walls and the lights.

Everything was perfect for Jacie and Clint, we are so glad that we were a part of their wedding weekend.

A Lock-In or a "Lock Out"

2009-12-13T15:04:00.026-06:00

Stephen and I came home from a weekend in Ruston and went to Memaw and Papa Dave's to pick up Sydnee and Scout. The two had been moved out to the shed since they thought it was nessasary to mark their territory all over the house numerous times. Memaw and Papa Dave were out for the morning but they left us strict instructions to clean up after their grandpups. Once we had our initial "yay, I am so excited to see you" kisses from Syd and Scout, we put them in the truck while we went back to the shed to clean up their "markings". On our way back to the truck after the shed was free of droppings, we could see the dogs through teh windows looking so excited and happy that we were going home. Stephen got to teh truck first and went to open the door. Ummm....its locked and the keys are inside with the dogs.

They were just so excited being in the truck that one of them jumped on the lock button on the door. We each got on one side of teh ruck and called teh dogs back and forth trying to get them to jump on the unlock button. We didnt get very far with that that idea, they just keep stepping back on the lock button, but they thought that game was really fun. My cell phone on the middle console got a beating during the game though.

Stephen apparently has had to get into his truck without keys before because he went to work with the truck antenna, two screw drivers, and a little help from me. After some pulling and tugging we got the truck unlocked and the dogs were once again SO excited to see us. Life is never dull with Jack Russells.

Thanksgiving Break

2009-11-29T13:18:00.019-06:00

We have done so much since I last blogged. Let's see where to start...last wednesday Sandy, Stephen's cousin, and her two children, Ava and Cason came to stay the night with us. The special occasion for the sleep over was because Stephen's other cousin, Brandon from New York, was flying into Alexandria late that night. We had a pow-wow of the cousins, haha. Ava and Cason throughly enjoyed playing with Sydnee and Scout. The kids got tons of kisses and the dogs got more belly scratches and food than normal.

Cason got a kick out of Stephen's ski goggles.

Ava helped me make the spinach salad for Thanksgiving.

In the meantime, Stephen made her into a burrito with the dog bed.

After staying up till way after my bed time catching up with the lastest in Sandy and Brandon's lives, we woke up to Thanksgiving and Stephen's 27th Birthday!

He had some help this year opening his present:)

Now off to Jena for Thanksgiving lunch. The weather was awesome, we ate outside and Renee' took some family pictures.

Brandon and I posed for a snapshot.

I had to get a picture of Cason and Brandon together, they had the same hairdo.

Then we headed back home for Thanksgiving dinner at the Beach household. Brianne is such a fun little girl and she absolutely loves her Peanut:)

The weekend was all about Christmas decorations! We picked out a perfect tree and started with icicle lights on the house and our wreath for the front door.

Our Christmas tree looks great!

ONSTAGE 2009

2009-11-22T11:10:00.016-06:00

The City Park Players ONSTAGE 2009 Awards Gala was held at Coughlin Saunders Performing Arts Center last night. Stephen and I had a fun evening catching up with the BlackJack cast and crew and others in the CPP "family".

For all four of the major productions that CPP put on this season, Driving Miss Daisy, Social Security, Flying West, and Black Jack: A Thief of Possession, there were hors d'oeuvres and a speciality drink to represent each. It was great tasting the variety of foods and drinks.

Theresa Louviere, won "Best Performance by a Female in a Leading Role" for her role as Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy. Jim Weinzettle, my boss, won "Best Performance by a Male Newcomer" and "Best Performance by a Male in a Leading Role" for his role as David in Social Security. Hold your breath... yes... wait... here it is... haha. I won "Best Performance by a Female Newcomer" for my role as Luisa in BlackJack: A Thief of Possession. Also from BlackJack, Susan Hathorn was awarded "Best Preformance by a Supporting Actress". Way to go BlackJack!

I had a blast with City Park Players and hope to come back next year.

Productive Weekend

2009-11-19T09:02:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, with Stephen at work, I was very productive. I painted our dining room table black (it was white with a light wood top), finished hanging the kisatchie pictures, new mirrors, and plates in the dining room, and put together lamps for our living room! Stephen came home and was really surprised and loved it all.

Stephen's "BOOM, BOOM"

2009-11-13T11:33:00.012-06:00

When our house was under construction they wired everything up for our television receiver, surround sound, and outdoor speakers and this Wednesday Stephen had everything installed and setup. I was more concerned about making sure the speakers lined up with the recessed lighting (I mean they were cutting holes in the ceiling anyone would be concerned) and Stephen was just concerned about which DVD he was going to have playing for me when I got home from work. He was so excited to get what he called the "Boom, Boom" in the house. I made sure Stephen sent me pictures every time they cut a hole in the ceiling and I was impressed at their precision in making sure everything was in line. After they left Stephen went to work on hooking up our DVD player, cable, and wii. But come to find out our DVD player did not have an HDMI input. Stephen took that to mean that we needed an upgrade, haha. He bought himself a blue-ray player for his birthday. Yes, it is a birthday present. When I got home he had everything all setup, the pictures were even put back on the mantle, and anywhere there was an electronic something it was dusted. He did not quite get all the furniture but I was pleased with what he did dust. The first thing he played for me to show off our new "Boom, Boom" was his treasured Eagles: Hell Freezes Over. It sounded great but then came to the tough part, explaining to me which remote did what, which button to touch, and which buttons not to even look at. I had it all together and felt like I had a good grasp on the new "Boom, Boom". Stephen left for work yesterday so last night I was able to watch my shows that I have DVR'd during the day. I did exactly what Stephen had told me to do on how to TURN ON the TV. It didn't work! I heard the TV sound coming through the ceiling and all around me but the TV just sat there in it's happy little slumber mode, laughing at me because it knew that I didn't know how to turn it on. So being the proud wife that I am I could not call Stephen and ask, "How do I turn the TV on?" I had to figure this one out on my own. I resorted to using the TV remote that Stephen told me not to use. It worked and I got to finally watch Days of our Lives. Shortly after turning the TV on, Stephen called. I was not about to tell him about my tough times trying to turn on the TV, then he said, "Did you have to use the TV remote to turn on the TV?" I thought it might be a trick question so I stumbled over my answer and tried to explain before I gave my simple answer of yes. Stephen said, "Yeah, I have to work on that I could not figure it out." What? The whole time I was thinking I messed something up and wasn't following the directions, tit for tat, when the directions I was given were not even correct. Haha, oh well. I managed to survive that one without messing up Stephen's new advanced technology. As the night progressed I moved on to my new favorite drama, Vampire Dairies. I have to admit with the "Boom, Boom" creepy scenes are even creepier when the sound comes from all around you. B.J. would not last one minute in our house watching a scary movie. Not that he would even watch a scary movie with us (he is not a fan of scary, this is the movie that did him in), but if he did, whoa, he would freak out. Needless to say the "Boom, Boom" is fun so far.

Ready for planting...

2009-11-03T12:35:00.002-06:00

Okay I have to brag on my wonderful husband for a brief moment. I got home yesterday and what do I find...our flower beds are all built up with garden mulch and along the edge of the house are the river rocks that I requested for drainage. Wow!!!

He has been doing some manual labor all by himself and the yard looks awesome. Now we are ready for our indian hawthornes.

My Favorite Holiday

2009-10-31T23:36:00.001-05:00

For Halloween this year we went to a murder mystery dinner hosted by The Unusual Suspects. We had a blast! Stephen even got to participate in the show, the "hair" show. That's my man Mr. Candy Corn Hair Do.

I dressed up as Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas and Stephen was Payne Stewart!

Ready for Trick-or-Treaters

2009-10-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

We finished up some Halloween decorations tonight and Sydnee and Scout practiced waiting for our trick-or-treaters.

Our Louisiana TECH cheerleader and football player!

Illinois Time of Year

2009-10-26T13:26:00.002-05:00

This year Stephen and I decided to make the drive up to Illinois together and bring Scout along. We left on the 21st and came back on the 25th. We enjoyed the trip up, watching the temperature drop the further north we drove. We got 6 hunts in but no deer to bring home. I really believe that my luck has run out, haha. Stephen got a coyote! He is going to be a beautiful mount on our wall.

Scout man and Jock had a blast running all around the camp. Scout discovered how fun it could be to roll around in fresh, very fresh, cow poop. In return he got a very cold bath outside.

We saw lots of turkeys and I made some racoon friends. The baby tried to climb up in the tree with me!

Stephen on his way in from a morning hunt.

We had a lot of fun with Daddy and Jeff, ate some great food, and I endured the cold.

The fall colors were beautiful up there.

This is my view but there really should be a big buck on the other end of my sights:)

Our First Workman Family Photo Shoot

2009-10-20T19:01:00.056-05:00

Today we took pictures with Lori Brian Photography for our 2009 Christmas cards. We wanted a fall look but the giniko trees in the garden district that we wanted as our background have not changed colors yet. Instead we made our way to the bayou for pictures. Stephen and I wore black shirts and jeans, a casual yet sophistocated look. Sydnee and Scout got baths the night before just for the occasion, they are included in family pictures, of course. Black might not have been the right choice, having two white shedding dogs, but we went prepared with a lent roller. Stephen, along with a fresh brushed Syd and Scout, met Lori and me down the bayou and the pictures began. It was a georgoues day for pictures. We thought it might be best to get some shots of just me and Stephen before we let the hounds loose. Good Plan! Stephen and I enjoy taking pictures with Lori, she is so much fun and really has a great eye for what we want. Cypress trees, old wooden fences and swings, the bayou, green grass, and even goats were our background. The time came for pictures with the dogs and boy were they excited to be somewhere new. After smelling around and investigating the scenery they were ready for pictures. Lori is great at photographing children, we saw that with my nieces and nephew, but she is a whiz with the dogs too. She got them to look at just the right times. Thank you Lori! We can't wait to see the pictures.