Better Late Than Never...

I know I have been a complete slacker when it comes to blogging, but thankfully through the power of technology, most people are up to date! As of July 15, 2013, Stuart and I are PARENTS!! That's right, Kathryn Yates Brown made her early appearance (6 weeks to be exact). After a some what laboring labor (no pun), she arrived at 10:28 pm, weighing in at 6 lbs and 13 oz and measuring 18 inches long. Due to her eagerness to enter the world, she was taken to the NICU in Montgomery, where she spent 23 days.  On August 8, we finally got to bring our precious baby home and we haven't stopped since!! I am working to compile the full birth story for my records, but that will be posted later! Until then, here are a few pictures from our journey thus far...

Still kickin'...

So we are still here, still kickin'.... literally.  A lot has happened in Brown world since the last post (I will blame the lack of Internet at our house)!!  Baby Brown has now grown into Kathryn "Yates" Brown.  That's right... IT'S A GIRL!!  She is growing by leaps and bounds, kicking and squirming and making us very anxious for her arrival!  She is currently on track for a mid-August birth.  We have slowly started to put together her room, still need to order furniture, but that should taken care of this week.  So things are coming along nicely.  I continue to have good reports on her and me, from the endocrinologist, which is always a good thing.  I am going monthly for endo appointments and bi-weekly for baby appointments.  I am sure that she will be here before we know it!!

Other happenings in Brown world:

• The wretched murals are still on the wall:( 
• Stuart has 10 days left of school, so the above, said murals should be going in a matter of weeks.
• Memorial Day beach trip is quickly approaching, so that definitely provides something for us to look forward to!
• June 20 is my next favorite day of the whole year.... since we will be going to the NKOTB/Boys II Men/98 degrees concert!!  I feel certain that I will be as big as a house and may not be very comfortable, but it is all about making memories and exposing Yates to NKOTB early on in life.
• Baby showers have put us on the road, but it is kind of nice catching up with family and celebrating our newest blessing:)

So as you can see, we have not been total slackers, just busy.  It truly does put a damper on my blogging abilities not having the Internet at home, but one day....

So until next time (I promise it will be prior to Yates birth)... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

The New House

First off, I must admit that it is kind of nice being "exempt" from certain household tasks like moving heavy boxes/furniture, painting, etc.  This past weekend Stuart has facilitated the job of painting almost every room in the house (after you see the pictures below, you will see why) and I got to escape to my parents to be away from paint fumes.  It is also helpful to escape to Internet, since we don't have Internet service in our area (I promise we are not in the country).

I snapped a few "before" pictures on my way out the door on Friday, to make sure we can look back and see how far we have come. 

Yes, this is apple WALL PAPER.  That is now in the trash...

Crooked plate rack is gone...

All of the trim in the kitchen is this color, which doesn't even match the wallpaper.  It is now gone.



Our most prized possession in the house.  (NOT).  Yes, this is actually painted in the foyer and will soon be painted over.  Don't worry, we won't have a dog painted on the new wall.



 

Mural #2.  This is in the guest bathroom.  It will be going as well.





 



So as you can see, we SJB has his work cut out for him.  We are waiting to paint the two upstairs bedrooms after we find out what Baby B will be, so at least we have another month or so to choose colors.  Hopefully, Toby (the dog in the foyer mural) will not come back to haunt us:)

**New Post Below**

Our Favorite Room...

So a lot has happened since our last post (in 2012:)), but most importantly, WE MOVED!!  I think SJB and I both thought the day would never get here, but it has come and gone and we are slowly getting settled in our new abode.  Make sure you stay tuned for updates as we paint, do minor renovations and make our house a home.  So far, we love being homeowners (probably since our first mortgage payment isn't due until March), love being closer to work and LOVE having more space.  Right now, there are still boxes EVERYWHERE, but I am sure that one day everything will find it's place. 

As of right now, here is our most favorite room in the house!!

 

 

Yes, that's right!!  We will have an addition to the Brown family in August(ish) 2013!!  We are very excited about this beautiful blessing and can't wait for he/she to make their arrival!  So far things have gone relatively smooth, with the exception of have NO energy, but I am sure before we know it we will be enduring sleepless nights, long days and NO energy, so I am resting as often as possible.  Stay tuned for more Baby B news!!

 



Last 2012 Update...

Believe it or not, we are still here.  I know so many no one has been concerned, but seeing that the simple contact of Christmas cards didn't even occur, some might be wondering.  See.... here's what's up.   We had that little thing called a move taking place, right before Christmas.  We were super excited to celebrate Christmas 2012 in our new home.  Little did we know, it wasn't in the cards.  We found out the Thursday before Christmas that we would not be in the house until after New Years.  While we were both disappointed, I know that if probably worked out for the better, seeing that we would have had to move, unpack and set up Christmas in 2 days.  With that being said, our Christmas card was also our "We Have Moved" card, so we couldn't send them out until we closed.  So no worries, friends.  I will be "that girl" this year who sends her Christmas cards out in January.  No shame in my game, it's just the gift that keeps on giving!

We have made it thought the holiday(s), still living amongst the boxes and 95% packed up house, but can't help and reflect on the year that 2012 brought us.  2012 shared blessings, memories, tons of fun, life lessons, new friends and so much more that it truly keeps me on the edge of my seat for what 2013 holds for the Browns.  Hopefully, the next time I blog, it will be from the new house, and the magical moving fairies will have unpacked and settled all of our belongings.... but until then....

Blessings and Joy as we enter a new year!!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

MOVING!!  Yahoo!!  Finally... we can say that we are progressing in the move to our very first home.  We are very excited that in just a couple of weeks, we will be starting the tedious task of moving all of our belongings, finally getting them all under one roof.  This whole house hunting process has been far from fun for me, seeing that I feel we have looked at more houses than one should ever have to see.  But finally, we see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We hope to close the week before Christmas, just in time to host our families for a holiday feast.  I am sure that we will be far from settled in our new abode, but it will be nice to have everyone together, in OUR house. 

With the move taking place, we have not done much in the area of holiday decorating and probably look like the biggest Scrooge on the block.  But have no fear.... our Christmas tree might be the first thing that goes up in our new house.  I am so excited to decorate it for Christmas, that I might even leave my decorations up through January and become "those" neighbors.  But until the big day, our lives will include boxes, tape, more boxes, empty walls and lots of cleaning!! 

Our box collection

Empty walls!!

Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly and quickly!!

Freedom

free-dom [free-duhm]: noun; 1.  the state of being free and at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint; 2. political or national independence; 3. personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery

I am not only lucky to have freedom, but lucky and blessed to have family and friends who fought for us to have freedom. 

Top middle:  Helen Stribling
Top right: Bruce Latimer: Major in the US Army
Middle Right:  Leon Latimer: US Army
Bottom Right: John Latimer (my grandfather): US Army
Bottom Middle:  Jim Latimer:  Retired LTC in the US Army
Bottom Left:  Hugh Latimer:  Major in the US Army
Middle Left:  Boy Latimer:  US Army
Top Left:  Mildred Latimer: US Army
Middle:  Levi & Grace Latimer: my great-grandparents

Stuart & me with my cousin, David, who is a helicopter pilot with the Mississippi National Guard.

Josiah & Susan with my dad, who is a Retired LTC in the US Army.

Not pictured, but not forgotten, Hugh Wayne "Butch" Latimer who was a Captain in the US Army and in the Mississippi National Guard.

Thank you to all the veterans in my life who provide us with daily freedoms, which are most definitely not free.

True Story...

Have you ever had one of those days that you have to ask yourself, "is this fake planet?"  Well not only have I had one of those days, I have had one of those weeks.  It all started when our hot water heater had to be replaced last week.  Luckily SJB's dad was able to get it taken care of in a very timely manner.  Next up, every shelf in my closet decided it should be in the floor.  And even better... this happened as I was getting ready for work on Monday morning.  Just so you get the point, let me provide a visual...

Yes.  This happened.  True story.  At the time, seeing that I was already running late for work, I decided to just leave it and deal with it when I got home.  Luckily, I have a handy husband who is excellent at building and fixing things.  He hit the road to Home Depot and gathered some supplies to whip up a closet organizational system.  While he played Bob the Builder, I went through all of my clothes (since I was told they were too heavy for the closet), and made quite the donation to Goodwill.  Once the shelves and everything were all installed on Tuesday afternoon, I slowly re-organized my closet until it looked like this.

What you don't see.... is as this picture was being taken, the left side of the shelf with 2 layers of hanging clothes decided it needed to be back on the floor.  Once again, clothes were everywhere... and I simply didn't care.  I decided it could wait until Wednesday, as I simply didn't have the energy to deal with it.  As SJB and I were settling down for a long night's nap, we hear the faint noise of water dripping.  SJB investigated and found the H2O dripping in our air return vent.  We He decided it would be best to turn off the air for the night until his dad could come back and check it.  I definitely do not favor hot conditions, but surprisingly, slept OK.  Thankfully, we are back in business with cool air, a closet that is put together and hot water.  Is it too much to ask to space out the problems?  Needless to say, as I grab my pajamas out of my organized closet, after a nice hot shower  and go to bed in my air conditioned room, I am thankful things were not any worse than they were.  But I definitely still ask myself... "was that fake planet?" 

Just another weekend...

What a lazy weekend.  SJB and I semi-relaxed with the last weekend we both have before school starts... as if that matters with me.  We were able to meet with the realtor on Friday and see the house we are interested in.  It was fantastic and we both REALLY liked it.  And by really, I mean smiling, anxious and already talking about where we could put stuff really.  We actually met with the realtor again on Saturday to talk more detail with him and see if the seller would even consider some of our requests.  So, we will see shortly if we will proceed with this particular house.  It would be fantastic if we could, since it has everything we are looking for in a house!  Make sure you cross your fingers that everything works out!

Today, SJB and I went shooting.  This is something that I have never done with him, but it was actually fun.  I wasn't a huge fan of the people next to us having sonic boom-ish guns, but I excelled at the 9mm.  I felt better leaving, knowing that I could actually use it if I had too.  I feel that I will even improve as my hand heals from my surgery.

Coming up this week, I have a trip to Chicago planned on Thursday to help host a conference with some of my DFriends!!  We have spent many months putting together this event and I am really excited to see how it turns out and see everyone!  I fly out super early Thursday morning, so I will head to Birmingham to stay with Brett and her precious family!  I am ecstatic to see (and meet) her children!!  It will be a good time catching up with her and spending some time with them.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to share in this blog, but I should definitely have some in the near future.  I will also plan to update on our house hunt as we work our way down that road.  Feel free to shout out a prayer for things to go smooth!!

Home is where the heart is...

SJB and I have recently been on the house search and let's just say... it might be more stressful than planning a wedding.  We are looking in the Lee County area, more specifically, Smiths Station.  This would serve as the median for our places of work, as well as providing a great school system (for waaaaaayyy down the road in our future:))  I am not quite sure what I thought the house hunt would be like, but it is not easy.  Luckily, we have a realtor who is very honest with us about builders, locations, etc and it helps that SJB is familiar with the area. 

It seems that house hunting has brought out my OCD in full form.  I see a house I like, but then notice a small imperfection.  I guess that could be a good thing, but it probably stresses SJB out, as well as adds time to our search.  So far, we have only gone to 2 houses, but hopefully we will get some more scheduled in the next week.  Luckily, SJB and I have very similar interests in houses, including don't want a "cookie cutter" house, don't want our neighbors too close, no above ground aquatics, and definitely don't want to have to "flip" a house before we move in.  We are not excited when we see wallpaper or fluffy carpet, so it has been easy to make cuts off of our "to see" list.

I think that both of us are getting antsy in the condo.  While it has been a great space for us to spend the first 2 years of our life together, both of us are ready to move forward.  I am ready for a laundry room and having space for my fine china and SJB is ready for his shop, man cave and most importantly, yard work (this is actually the truth)!  I am most definitely not excited about the actual moving process, since I moved every year that I attended Auburn, but am definitely ready for the final result.  Feel free to cross your fingers that the perfect house falls right into our lap and exactly the right time. 

Regardless if we stay in our lovely and petite abode for the next 40 years, it will be complete, as long as we are together.  Simply stated.... home is where the heart is.

                         

Life Lessons...

First off-- get excited, Mom! I think I actually ENJOY reading! Well... let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, maybe I have just picked some really good books lately. Right now, I am knee deep in the book, "Bloom. Finding Beauty in the Unexpected." It is A-MAZING!! I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

This book by Kelle Hampton is the true story of her family's story of finding out their youngest child has Down Syndrome when she was born. Kelle reflects on this life changing milestone as well as the important things that aid someone in surviving the tough stuff, friends that go that extra mile, family that knows your mind's racing thoughts and communities that support your ups and downs. I have followed Kelle's blog for sometime now, but this book has taught me more about life than my prior 30 years. Not only does Kelle have the most amazing and cute family, but she is also a fantastic photographer and writer. I have truly been touched by her stories of life experiences that has brought her to where she is today.

Reading Kelle's experiences forced me to recall many life lessons that I have been blessed with in my day to day encounters. I can't help but be thankful for the many lives that I have crossed paths with and reflect on the lessons they have taught me. Working in the field I do, I feel like I get to really experience life as it was intended to be. Life was intended to be filled with experiences that teach you something, whether good or bad. The Hamptons have taken everything thrown their way, embraced it, given it 150% and shared it with the world. It only inspires me to provide open opportunities to all of the adults I work with, providing them with a foundation and education to take with them and live their life to the fullest. Everyone deserves the right to succeed and Kelle and her precious family are striving their daughter, Nella, with any opportunity they can. I can only hope that I can have her positive and eager outlook to strive for the best.

I am struggling to find my next read, since this book has placed so high on my reading list. I will gladly take recommendations, as I am drawing a blank. Kelle Hampton has truly put her thoughts and songs of her heart into words and shared with the world. I truly hope that others can take this material and take as many lessons as I have to maybe "better" the world.

I wanted to share a song that Kelle shares in her book that one of her dear friends shared with her while she was still in the hospital. The song,"Add to the Beauty" by Sara Groves speaks loudly to me how the world should be. I can only hope that these words can speak to mankind, that we might be a little more kind, a little more gentle and a little more beautiful to those around us.

We come in with beautiful secrets.

We come with purposes written on our hears,

Written on our souls.

We come to every new morning with possibilities

Only we can hold...

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces

Calling out the best of who we are.

And I want to add to the beauty

To tell a better story

I want to shine with the light

That's burning up inside...

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces

Calling out the best of who we are...

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful

...an invitation...

Calling out our best.

Kelle & Nella Hampton

For Real This Time!!

Ok... I know what you are thinking.  But I promise, I'm for real this time.  My blogging bug has bitten me once again and I am back.  I know there are no real excuses, but I will say that my summer vacation the past few/many weeks have been all work AND all play!!  I was able to get a bit of time in at CSH (my home away from home), trips to the pool, trips to the lake, Fort Rutger graduations, endless nights with friends, fun days at work and many more.  It's hard to think that the summer is half way over, but that only inspires me to enjoy it even more!!  SJB has been at Camp ASCCA since Memorial Day, so I have hated enjoyed having a quiet, empty house to come home to where I haven't had to cook a soul dinner or do absolutely anything.  He gets to come home every Friday-Sunday, so I definitely enjoy my weekends with him!  In the next few weeks, we will be enjoying:  our 2nd anniversary, trip to Birmingham, trip to Monroeville (just me:)), trip to the Neshoba County Fair and much, much more!!  I will have plenty to share over the next few weeks... I can only hope I have time to share it!!

Here are a few pictures from our past few weeks...

Olympic night at CSH

Zula's (& Joe's) Hug Booth

David's Helicopter School Graduation/Pinning

The 4th at the Lake

Liam or Langston....

4 kids under 8 months

The whole gang:)

Andie was a GREAT entertainer!!

Me and the sweet Suzanne:)

So... as you can see I have not just been sitting at home, choosing not to blog.  Well, maybe I have, but needless to say.... I'm back.... again!!

I have a lot coming up in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for a lot more fun!!

3 Decades Old...

Well.... It's official.  I am 10 decades old.  As of Tuesday, I have lived on this earth for 30 years.  My world-wind birthday WEEK has included a trip to the beach with Georgia and Allison, flowers, cards, a trip with work to Birmingham for a conference, dinners with co-workers, a new flash for my camera, a surprise dinner with friends and a fiesta by the pool to wrap it all up.  Needless to say, I am feeling very blessed having my family and friends celebrate this special day!  And believe it or not, I do not feel a day over 18!!  Here are a few pictures from my week-o-fun...

An un-edited picture before going to birthday dinner:)

A peek at what my new flash can do...

Our hats at the beach:)

Here's to my next 30 years!!!

Still Here...

I officially stink at blogging.  I went over a month without a post.  I am surprised I still have anyone checking this page anymore!!  Needless to say, the next few posts will be dedicated to playing "catch up" for the past few weeks.  It will include posts on two baby showers, Jimmy Buffett, Spring and various other randomness that life has brought the Browns.

I hope to not disappoint my 4 readers anymore.  I promise to make an effort to be a better blogger!!  In the meantime... HAPPY SPRING!!

Last Words For 2011...

It's hard to believe that it is the last day of 2011!!  This year definitely flew by and I am certainly looking forward to ringing in the new year with friends!  I can definitely put "more blog posts" on my list of New Year's Resolutions.

To end the year, I will post about our trip for Christmas in Huntsville.  We had a short, but jam packed trip, of family, friends and my favorite-ist cat in the whole world, Abby.  Abby and I go way back... and I don't doubt that she is quickly approaching her big nap in the sky:(.  She has definitely gotten slower and sleepier than before, but she still is my Abby.  While we were home, this is what I found...

A Stuart and an Abby!!  Stuart and Abby don't really have a strong relationship, but this trip brought it to a whole new level.  I am not sure if it had more to do with the fact that Stuart was napping on Abby's couch, or if Abby was simply seeking a new pal... either way, friends forever.

Find the hidden Abby!!

I hope that everyone has a great New Years!!

Happy 2012... and WAR EAGLE (tonight)!!

A Blessed Hump Day!!

First off... I find it disgraceful that it takes an almost disaster to get a post up, but here I am!!  As many people know, Auburn (Opelika and many other parts of the state) were hit with some tremendous storms and tornadoes today.  Our area was directly hit, but we are SO THANKFUL that is was not worse.  Stuart and I just got back from a walk around the hood to survey the damage.

Note the foundation on the left and the gazebo at someone's front porch

Gazebo's foundation

Gazebo's new home

No traffic lights left in any direction

All the sheet metal came from the Equestrian complex across the street

Tree at the Smurf Houses

Wire Rd/Webster Rd intersection--Exxon was hit hard



Back of the Vet School Fraternity on Wire Rd


After walking around, I feel very lucky that we only have thousands of leaves and limbs to deal with.  Alabama Power even has us back in business!! 

Another blessing...

WELCOME TO THE WORLD, BABY ELI!!

Can't wait to meet you and so glad to hear you and mom are doing well:)