Minnesota Family Visits!

We had so much fun this weekend!!!

My brother and his family came to visit from Minnesota.

This was my first time to ever meet my precious niece, Stella!! She's soooo sweet and such a happy baby!

Josie, Stella and Olivia

the crew :)
Stella, Jessica, Olivia, Brian (my brother), Josie, me and Josh

Is Stella not just soooo darn cute!??!

Nonni & Popee with the grandkids!

Olivia and Josie showing off their crazy dance moves!!

Casey Jones Train Museum

Josie lovin' on Baby Stella :)

We had so much fun and were extremely busy! Josie has slept like a rock the past 2 nights while they have been here. She has played sooooo hard. It was so much fun to watch Josie with her cousins. She was a big ball of energy! Josie absolutely followed Olivia around and watched her every move :) What fun memories! We can't wait to go visit them in the Fall!

It was also an exciting weekend, because this was the first weekend that Kreme Kastle was open for Saturday night and Sunday lunch. We recently changed our hours since Josh has started school. KK had a great weekend, but we sure missed Josh. I'm hoping that we will all get settled into our new "routine" soon and figure out how to juggle Kreme Kastle, Josh's school, my job, family time, Josh's rental property demands, etc..... Whew! It exhausts me just thinking about it all!

Now, here comes another Monday....... Looking forward to a GREAT week!

Flower Girl Debut

We have had a busy past few days! Josh started school AND Josie was a flower girl in our friend's wedding!! We have been talking this up for weeks now. We explained to Josie that she would be a princess in Miss Carleigh's wedding. She thought that was pretty cool :) We have known Carleigh for several years now. I actually was one of her cheerleading sponsors when I taught at HHS. Then, we really got to know her when we hired Carleigh to wait tables when we opened KK. She stuck with us for a really long time. Josh claims her as our "adopted sister." We love her so much and are so happy for her!

The most precious flower girl that I have ever seen :)

Josie and Carleigh at rehearsal

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Taylor!!!

The gorgeous bride

Josie and Peyton..... Josie was OBSESSED with sweet little Peyton. Isn't he cute?!?
Isn't this picture PRICELESS... I love Peyton's face!

Our family with the bride (not the best of me, but so good of everyone else... and Josie was actually smiling!")

Two proud parents with a very hot and sweaty flower girl :)

Josie did a great job! She loved that she was able to walk with Peyton and felt really "grown up" that she got to stand with the big girls (bridesmaids). I cannot wait to see the video from the wedding. Josie walked all around the bridesmaids and up and down the steps by the pool (outside wedding), but she never said a word! She knew that she needed to be quiet but just wandered all around. Of course, I was a nervous wreck. I stood at the back and tried to motion for her to just come stand with me when she got so "antsy", but she looked at me and shook her head and when I tried again, she put her finger over her mouth for me to be quiet! ha!! Of course, everyone else thought it was precious but Josh and I were pretty anxious!

This will be another big week for us...... Not only did Carleigh just get married this weekend, but she and Ben are also expecting TWINS in Feb and they are having a gender reveal party this Friday! I can't wait to find out! For the record, I'm voting on a boy and a girl :)

First Day of Law School

We began a new chapter in our lives today. Josh started Law School!

We have prayed about this for so long and I cannot believe that the time is finally here!

We are very excited about this new journey! Josie and I are so proud of Josh.

Funny story that I don't want to forget....

Josh has been telling Josie that he's going to school. They talk about it some, which is really cute. Josh has been telling Josie that he's scared to go to school and she will say, "Don't worry, Daddy... I hold your hand! I make you feel better!" Our sweet girl and such sweet memories :)

Josh wasn't very thrilled when I told him that I needed to take his picture this morning for his "first day of school!" However, he was a good sport :)

Josh said he had a great day! He's already working on homework tonight and has an entire book to read by Monday. Wow, they don't waste any time!

We had a rough night last night, because our sweet Josie wasn't feeling well. She's been telling us for a couple of days that her mouth hurts. I thought it was her 3 year molars, but....... As of tonight, I think it's Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease. BOO!!! Another child at daycare had it earlier in the week and I think it's our turn :( Poor thing has no appetite, has a low grade fever and a few blisters in her mouth.

6th Wedding Anniversary - August 6

Yesterday (August 6) was our 6th wedding anniversary!!!

Josie went to stay with her Grandmommy and JJ while we went out to celebrate!

We had such a great time going to dinner at Itta Bena in Memphis. It was such a fun treat to get to go out to a nice dinner and have adult conversation (even though most of it was about Josie!). We took our time walking around Beale Street and then came home and watched a movie. What a nice evening!!! I will admit that we really just wanted to go get Josie as soon as we got back to Brownsville and bring her home. We missed her so bad! However, a night away always does a relationship good :)

It's hard to believe that it's been 6 years. What a fun 6 years it has been!
We have certainly been through a lot of ups and downs in our marriage --- my open heart surgery, owning a business, losing dear loved ones, having our sweet Josie, job changes and now Josh going to law school. We know that God gives us these good and bad times to make our relationship stronger..... I'm looking forward to what the next six years will bring!

Why?!

There's a three letter word that has entered our sweet little girl's vocabulary........

WHY??

I knew this day was coming and here it is..... :)

Josie asks "Why?" at least 50 times a day! ha! And... it's tough thinking of the answers every time! I have officially entered the stage of parenting when the questions are going to steadily be asked. I love her inquisitive mind, but this old rusty mind of mine is going to have to get more creative!!! ha!

Our sweet girl is also very into her babies right now. She will tell me that they are crying and will tell me to feed them or love on them. Josie will just talk and talk to her babies, cover them up for naps, read them stories, change their diapers and even put them in time out! Her babies now are all called "Sally Sue." Oh, while I'm on the subject of silly names, Josie has started talking to her friend "Billy" on the phone. We do not know a Billy. He makes her laugh A LOT on the phone and she will tell me to tell him hey and talk to him. It's pretty funny!

Josie has also become quite the eater the past week or two! WOW! We have been shocked at how much she will eat. She's never really been a big eater. I think this is a growth spurt, but I will gladly take it! It makes me happy! I am trying to take the opportunity to get her to explore new foods and I'm still working on cutting out her snacks and drinks in between meal time. I feel like I would just give her anything to eat before if she would just eat, but now I feel like I can fill her plate with the things I really want her to eat and "reward" her with something that she chooses after she tries what I put on her plate. Her new favorite thing to eat is a peanut butter sandwich. Don't ever make the mistake of putting jelly on it! "Me no like jelly!"

Our grown up girl talking on my Iphone and wearing my heels!

Dress up diva....

Summer Fun!

Wow, where is the summer going?!!? I can't believe that it's already August. I must admit that I might be just a little bit ready for Fall. This heat is TOUGH!!! I know it's hard on me being out and about and in and out of the car all day in this heat, but I always remind myself of those REALLY tough summers in the Kreme Kastle kitchen! Now, that's H-O-T!! Poor Josh is going through it again this summer there and you can certainly tell.... he's lost a good bit of weight! We always laugh and say that the "Kreme Kastle diet" is the best. You get soooo darn hot working in that kitchen that you sweat a ton and then you have no appetite to eat from being so hot! It's a workout! ha!!!

We have been so busy working on restaurant stuff and getting Josh ready for school lately that I have not had time to blog :( BOO! I just downloaded a ton of pics from my camera. Here's a few fun summer pics from the last few weeks!

Josie & cousin Addison playing in our yard....

Sweet cousins :)

Our silly girl on the way to Memphis a few weekends ago. We went to check out parking garages for Josh to use during law school and then we took a spontaneous trip to the Rendezvous for dinner!




Josie & I made homemade pizza one night..... she loved it!

sitting in the shade trying to keep cool :)

It's hard to believe that it's time for school to start again! So many of my teacher friends are back in the routine. School seems to start earlier and earlier every year! We are enjoying our summer. It's a very, very busy time for us as we are trying to figure out plans for KK as Josh starts his new school year in just TEN DAYS..... Trying to figure out the logistics of keeping it all going is tough, but we have faith that it's all going to work out! We are most grateful for our super supportive family and friends!