Y’all, it is daily that my people say things to make me laugh. Sometimes, it is just using the wrong word or phrase in a sentence. Other times, it is something outright funny. This is a collection of some of those things. On our recent hike to Bankhead, we crossed over a small creek. Kyndall turns to my parents and says, and I quote, “I’m a dam expert.” Can you.. Read More
The “Big Tree” Hiking Fail
Take note of that sling Jase is wrapped in–it’s going to be important later. And those closed eyes are Libby’s new picture thing–she does it in every single picture she takes, unless I fuss. The struggle is real, y’all. If you aren’t from around these parts (as in, North Alabama), you may have never heard of the Big Tree. We live near the Bankhead National Forest and about three miles.. Read More
A Little Old Update
First, some business. If you follow me on social media, you know I started back to work this week. (You also know how badly I hate leaving my sweet boy, so I’ll save my whining.) I’ve been trying to post regularly on here for the past several months and I’m still going to try to do that, my posts will just be more limited. Instead of three times a week,.. Read More
That Time I Met Jen Hatmaker
Last weekend, Lisa and I drove down to Birmingham to a women’s conference at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. The theme was For Such A Time As This and the speaker was my favorite, Jen Hatmaker. (Jen is the author of Seven, Interrupted, and the eagerly anticipated For the Love.) PS: I took Jase, since he is still dependent on mom for food and everything, and he was a trooper. He.. Read More
Easter Celebrations
We started out our Easter weekend with an egg hunt at church. Each year, TBC hosts an Easter Extravaganza with blow-ups, food, and several hundred eggs. It’s tons of fun. The weather was great and we spent the entire afternoon just hanging out at church, fellowshipping with our people. Saturday night, we hosted dinner at our house for some friends. Justin put some tri-tip on his new Orion cooker (which.. Read More
Currently
For the last week and a half, the girls have been delayed or out of school every single day due to inclement weather. For those of us in the south, that means the temperature is below freezing. I know it sounds crazy to those of you who operate in these conditions all winter long, but us southerners just aren’t equipped to deal with the cold/ice/snow. On last Friday alone, our.. Read More
Lately
We have been doing a whole lot of nothing around here lately and it has been absolutely wonderful. Basketball is over and between bed rest and a new baby and the freezing temperatures outside, we do not leave this house. Well, the girls leave to go to school, but that’s about it. You know what’s great about being at home? I get to spend it with my people. Like, really.. Read More
A Breastfeeding Discussion
This sweet boy will be four weeks old tomorrow. And today makes the first day in his four weeks of existence that breastfeeding him has not hurt so bad it’s made my toes curl. I’ll spare you the photos of him nursing (there aren’t any), but there are no shortage of them online if you are interested. Apparently, it’s all the rage for celebrity moms to post breastfeeding photos?!?! Some moms.. Read More
Jase Allen: A birth story, part 2
If you missed part 1 of Jase’s birth story, click here. I delivered at Madison Hospital, which is a relatively new, smaller hospital in our area. They were super laid back, but completely experienced. While other hospitals are very strict about procedures and the amount of visitors, Madison allowed me to set my own guidelines. The nurse told me I could have as many visitors as I wanted, and if.. Read More
Jase Allen: A birth story, part 1
If you follow me on social media, you probably already know that our sweet boy made his grand appearance last week. On Tuesday, January 13 at 9:41am, Jase Allen West made his arrival, a little earlier than expected. Let’s back up a little. On Monday, January 5, I went to the doctor for my regular 36-week appointment. My blood pressure was elevated and my urine showed small levels of protein.. Read More