A Month Of Visitors

Is it really almost November? This month as been action packed and full of visitors. My brother and sister in law came to visit during my brother's Fall break. They were not here very long, but we had a blast with them. You don't realize until you are married how big of a blessing it is to find a couple you both really enjoy to be around. It's a four way friendship and we are blessed to have my twin and his wife as some solid friends. 

Four days later my mom got here bright and early and ready to take on DC. We pulled into the driveway, she took one look at my yard and by 2 o'clock that afternoon we had enough plants to re-landscape our entire yard. We did lots of shopping, sitting in traffic, gardening, walking the dogs, and found some time to visit Arlington, Georgetown and even see Mitt Romney at a rally.

Halfway into my mom's visit, we realized it was time to move my mom's parents in a nursing home. My mom got me a ticket to fly back with her and for four days we did not stop moving, packing, loading and unloading. We went through a lot of Mommy Dot's stuff and I found this little gem. I love this picture of my mom because for the first time ever I think we look alike. What do you think??

If you know me at all you know that I am my mom's biggest fan and that I want to be just like her when I grow up, so seeing a little resemblance to my favorite woman on the planet was definitely the little ray of sunshine during such a draining week. 

After we got them settled into their new home and on Thursday I flew back home with Tori, our last but certainly not least, visitor of the month. I was exhausted from all the work we did with the moving, but ladies and gentlemen, Tori Beckham is one of a kind and I was thrilled for some quality time with her. We went to the Shenandoah Valley and hiked around with the pups, saw monuments, ate delicious cupcakes and just enjoyed being together. 

Our extremely neglected puppies loved having visitors all month long, it meant more laps to sit in and more attention for them; and boy did they take advantage of it. 

Tori had to leave a day early because Sandy is now here for a visit. It is dark and dreary, rainy and windy, and a perfect day to catch up on our favorite TV shows and update the blog. Everything is closed down around here and Kenny is off work, and as long as we have power it will be a little vacation.

I hope everyone is having a great Fall and enjoying the changing colors of the leaves! 

It's Fall Y'all

It's here! The leaves are changing, the weather is cool and crisp, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks. 

All is right with the world. 

A couple of weeks ago we were at the grocery store and I stumbled upon some pumpkin spice coffee. (And by stumbled upon, I mean we went to the store in search of some pumpkin spice coffee and a matching creamer.) After I had my first cup of the dessert drink, I had Fall flowing through my veins and immediately started to decorate.

 

I dusted off this branch-thingy I used last year like this-

And turned it into a wreath for the window. I love having a little seasonal pop of color on that window.  All the Fall wreaths are a little too Fall for me so I just made this one, and I like the simplicity of it.

 Next I went into my back yard, picked some acorns off the tree and some pine cones up off the ground and put them in a vase. I used a piece of scrap fabric to make the vases pop a little more on the white furniture. And my trusty ole bird from last year too.

So, this next project is a little emo but I just love it. I super glued pine comes onto some string I had in my sewing kit. What do you think?

       I made a little banner out pages from the books on the shelf and more sewing kit string.

 There was one thing blatantly missing from my Fall decor. A delicious smelling candle. I got this WoodWick Pumpkin Butter candle, and let me tell you, it's officially Fall at my house.

 I had spent $4 on the wheat  so I splurged on the Heaven smelling candle. Can't beat decorating the house for about $20. Last week we stocked up on canned pumpkin and have enough to make pumpkin spice pancakes for the whole neighborhood.
IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

(well except for Christmas of course)

It is that time of year where I can't end a blog post without a little Alabama Crimson Tide treat. 

I just love this video. 

RTR my friends. 

Weekend Trips

 These posts are a little late, but that is what happens when the weather outside beats the feeling of the trusty ole AC. It's almost too cold to be outside this morning so I am doing a little update. September was a much anticipated month for us. The first weekend we went back to Birmingham for a Legacy retreat. (That is the school of discipleship we went to, you should check it out here.) All the students who have ever been were invited and we met up at this retreat center. It was so great to see old friends and make new ones. Somehow I only have pictures from the couple of hours we spent at the pool, so just to give you an idea-

We miss days on the farm and our little Leg fam. We talk about it often and it was so good to reconnect with those that could make it. It was a great, quick, action packed trip.

Then, three days later we were on the road headed for Flushing, NY. You see, we love tennis. I grew up watching tennis with my family. We would wake up before the sun on the morning of the Wimbledon final and make a big breakfast and drink too much coffee while we cheered on anyone but Andy Murray. Kenny's love for tennis is more recent but he is a total fan of playing and watching. In fact when we watch tennis that usually means Kenny- full tennis gear, a new can of balls and his racket practicing his forehands while the dogs chase after the tennis balls and I just hope and pray he doesn't hit any glass.

All that to say we were NYC bound to see the men's singles final of the US Open.

We got there Friday afternoon and went into Manhattan.

 Ate a little pizza.

Talked about how crazy it was that it had been 11 years since 9/11

 Saw a little NYC Fashion Week shindig and said a quick prayer that Taylor Swift was in there and that I could meet her. Unfortunately, she wasn't there.

However she was at Carnegie's. Oh, hey girl.

 

 Can't talk about this cheesecake or my mouth will start watering. But it really is the best. And a wonderful way to end the night.

 The next morning it was raining cats and dogs. But how often are we in NYC?!! So we got dressed in all our water-wicking clothes and headed out once again to Manhattan. First stop, Canal Street/Little Italy.

 Oh and it was beautiful, not a drop of rain once we got off the Subway.

 We walked everywhere, went into tons of shops and ended the day at Central Park.

We were exhausted and headed back early so we could be rested and at the Tennis Center bright and early the next morning. We came back to the hotel to find out the men's final had been pushed back a day. What. A. Fail. We were so disappointed. Kenny had work, we had to check out of our hotel, there was no way we could make it. So we decided to just go home and call it a failure of a trip. Well the next morning we are packing up but Kenny was looking at tickets to the men's semi-final that was going on in less than an hour. We decide to go, when in NY right? We buy these tickets off Craig's List. Drive to meet this stranger and pay her cash for tickets we didn't think were that great, but we just wanted to get into the stadium.

 By the time we get there, we are an hour late. When we get to our section we ask the seat lady where we were supposed to be and he pointed to a box. We were shocked. We thought we were in the upper decks but sure enough we had somehow gotten box tickets. It. Was. So. Cool. It was old men in suits and scarves, very prestigious looking British women, and us. 

This was our view.

 And when we needed a little snack, we just waltzed right in here.

 After the match we walked around the stadium, went to the women's doubles final and got some souvenirs from the Nike shop.

 Andy Murray ended up winning the US Open. Let's just say, he is not our favorite tennis player and we were happy to watch it from our own sofa. Nonetheless, it was an awesome day. One of the coolest things we have done for sure!

I hope everyone is enjoying the first few days of this glorious season. Happy Fall Y'all!

Books Worth Reading

Post 2 of the day. While I am feeling a little sickly, my fingers are just a going and I am a blogging power house today. I thought I would share some really great books I have read recently.

I realize I might have lost some of you at books to read so I figured I should start with the one that is a MUST. Some of you were about to tap out, and I understand and certainly don't judge, but tap back in right this second. The series that you really should try is called Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin. My mom brought the first book on our family beach trip and I decided to read it for the week. Well, it was so good I finished it in a day. On that day, my family was laughing, making memories, and enjoying each other while my nose was in the book. And that is how it was for the next four books, too. They are all just as great and captivating as the first. They are set in Old Testament days, specifically King Hezekiah's reign. I know, Old Testament, you were about to tap out again, but don't do it!! Read for just one more sentence! These books grab you in the first chapter and at the end of the books my entire view of the Old Testament was radically changed. It took the Sunday school lessons that I grew up hearing that are so watered down and somehow almost boring  and turned them into the terrifying life or death situations where these people where completely dependent  on the all powerful Creator of the universe. I highly recommend you read this series!



Another really great book is Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It is a true story about two completely opposite people and how they become best friends and how the Lord uses them in each other's life.

Yesterday I started reading this book during our never ending lounge on the sofa sick day. After a couple hours of shunning Kenny I had finished it. It is a true story about a girl whose parents are threatened and harassed by a man in their community and their church. It's a great story about the Lord's forgiveness.

And lastly, I just had to put this one on here. Early one morning at the beach my mom, sister in law and I were talking about books while drinking some coffee. Ashley had heard this book was great, so later that day we got it from Sun Dogs. It's a super short and easy read, but y'all it is SO sad. I lost yet another day at the beach to a book. One morning everyone was putting on sunscreen and eating breakfast and I was sitting on the sofa, trying my hardest not to weep while finishing up this book. If you need a good cry, this is the one. It is a super sweet and completely devastating love story.

That's all for today! Who is ready for some football?? I know I am!!