In the meantime...

I have a busy week with school, so in the meantime, I thought I'd leave you a precious picture of Wyatt who, by the way, just started crawling!!! If you look closely, you can also see his 2 sweet bottom teeth.

All you need is love...

Joshy G. and I decided to go to Valentine's dinner a day early. We had a coupon for The Melting Pot, but didn't want to pay for the Valentine's special and wanted to try to avoid the crowds, thus... we went Friday night. It was still crowded, but fortunately we made reservations a week or two ago, so we were seated right away. If you'll remember, Josh and I went to The Melting Pot for our 1st Anniversary. It was fun and pretty delicious, but this time was way better. We didn't really like the cooking style/seasoning we chose back in May, so we chose a different one this time and it was fantastic. We also had a better waiter than in May. The one in May started out ok, but then she eventually got way too chatty. Our guy last night was a little on the chatty side, but way better than ours from May. Anyways...our original plan was to go to dinner Friday night and to get each other V-day presents-something we decided not to do last year to save money. Knowing how expensive dinner at The Melting Pot would be, I decided to propose an alternative to our original plan... I was already planning to get Joshy G. a new grill, which would definitely benefit me, too... so I suggested we just share the grill as our present and go to dinner. Note: Last year, we did not do v-day presents and the grill was less than $100. Plus, we could've done "no presents" again this year, but we would've still ended up getting a new grill eventually, so it was a win-win to just go ahead and get it for v-day. We're not typically "big spenders" for gifts, don't worry lol.... Joshy G. was on board. Knowing that we didn't spend even more money gave us peace of mind that I know made our evening more enjoyable :) Included with this post are two pics from the evening... (If you clicked on the 1st Anniversary link, you might also notice Joshy G. wore the same shirt last night that he did back in May Ha ha!) I've gotten so bad lately about taking pictures and have got to get more deligent about taking them again! You might appreciate these pics b/c Joshy G. is a fine male specimen, but they are ultimately for his mother, Regenia... who he likes to shock with all of the new foods he's started eating since we got together in 2004. (He is a very picky eater who used to claim he was allergic to stuff just so people wouldn't make him eat it, but now he's great at trying new foods---I'm so proud of him! He even had avacado on his sandwich today!) In one of them, he's showing the salad that he's eating... and the other shows him eating a piece of celery! He didn't like the celery, but loved the spinach and mushroom salad. There's some shock for ya, Regenia! I know you're proud :o) With all of that said... we hope that everyone is having a wonderful Valentine's Day.... and remembers to tell the people in your life that you love them every day, not just on this commercialized holiday :o)

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

I've been tagged!

I have been tagged by my precious friend, Claire! We met years ago at Camp Winnataska and reconnected in Summer 2007. She and I are constantly amazed at how much our lives have in common, but are also different enough to keep it interesting and learn from each other. She and her husband, Brian, are amazing. They are both so kind. I've been called one of Brian's "biggest fans" after saying, "Brian Jackson is a CATCH! You get him, you hold on tight and don't let go!" b/c Brian's sisters were teasing Claire at her bachelorette party that there was still time to get out... I was having none of that silly nonsense.

THE RULES:
Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
Step 2: tag—eight other untagged people... might not be 8...

Make a list of things you can see without getting up: I'm sitting in the study... there are khaki walls, a picture of me with my twin sisters in Paris in Summer 2001... pictures of Josh and me from various stages in our dating life-including those from the day he proposed... a framed bible verse Josh's mama gave us (Jer 29:11-13-it's Josh and my special verse).... Gracie, the Grays' tiny puppy running around on the floor trying to eat Josh's houseshoe that is bigger than she is! haha.... (we're puppysitting for them)... the daybed... you get the picture. :)

Favorite football team: Vanderbilt Commodores baby! My alma mater. I also like Texas and LSU through marriage.... don't hate.

What is your favorite thing to wear? .... well, basically anything SUPER comfy and/or jersey knit....

What color is your bedroom? um.... kinda coffee colored maybe?

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? I kinda have a few books going right now... The Power of a Praying Wife.... The Shack... anything for school... Falling in Love with Jesus...

Do you nap a lot? I LOOOOVE to nap!

Who was the last person you hugged? Well, she's not a person, but I hugged on Miley when we got back from dinner :)

What’s your current obsession/addiction? Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, and Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

What was the last thing you said aloud? "No" to Gracie trying to eat Josh's houseshoe...

What Web sites do you always visit when you go online? gmail, facebook, regions, blogs...

What was the last thing you bought? a new sweater (cannot find it on website anymore) and light jacket (in light grey) at Anthropologie tonight with some Christmas money! YAY! I'd been eyeing the sweater for a while, and was so glad that it was on sale!

What are you listening to right now? Miley barking at Josh in the other room as they rough house lol...

What is something you wish you could do more? Travel!

What gives you hope? God's faithfulness.

What is your favorite weather, and why? Spring! There is just this feeling in the air... the warmth of the sun on my skin... the flowers blooming... ahhh I'm so pumped that Spring is on the way!

What time do you usually get up? umm…depends on what time I have class, and whether Josh is around to take Miley out early AM. :o)

What is your most challenging goal right now? motivating myself to lose weight and exercise. I want it so much...

Say something to the person who tagged you: Claire, you are so precious to me. I cherish our chats, lunches, double-dates, phone convos, and puppy play dates. I adore your childlike naivete. I also admire your makeup application abilities. Maybe you can teach me sometime :) Thank you for coming back into my life!

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? I'm torn... I do adore beachy towns, but Josh and I also love Colorado.... and those Greek islands are amazing...

Favorite vacation spot? That is quite a hard question for me! I'd just glad to be ON a vacation in the first place lol.... I do love a good cruise! Anywhere with Joshy G though.

What is your favorite children’s book? I liked "I'll Love You Forever," and definitely "Once Upon a Potty (girl)."

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: chips and queso- hands down. (particularly from Cocina Superior and SATCO)

What is your favorite gift you've received? Cheesy as it might be.... I claim my fave (late) Christmas present was my set of twin sisters born Dec. 26, 1986.

Have you ever met anyone famous? If so who? Hmmm... Joe Diffie... Allison Krauss... Trace Adkins... I can't remember the others... all very brief encounters.

If you could have any job in the world , what would it be? It'd be fun to be a host of a travel show maybe.

Who is your hero? My parents. They have always raised us in a chrisitan household, encouraged us, loved us unconditionally, and have been very generous with us. I admire their 25+ years of loving and faithful marriage, and think they are absolutely amazing.

If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I'd have an eternally clean, slightly larger house. hahaha I'm so grateful for my life.

What is the best compliment you've ever received? I was flattered to tears when I received this facebook message from my friend, Allison in Summer 2007:

Hey,
Just wanted to tell you the story behind our daughters name.
About a year into our relationship we were talking about names for a girl...we both wrote down our favorite girl name and showed it to each other....we both wrote down Taylor. I asked him why he chose that name and he said he has just always liked it. He asked why I chose that name....and I told him about a girl I met in high school who graduated before me, who had a positive impact on my life and for some reason she just stuck with me. Her name was Taylor Brannon.
I just thought you would like to know that you have touched many lives (even if it was just a short time) and that I am sure every day you touch many more!
love,
Allison

I'm tagging:

Eden

Jenn

Elizabeth

Kimmie

Allison

Elin

New background...

Ok Y'all... so, I'm trying out a new background template. Opinions? Do you prefer this one over the last one? Josh and I really liked the old one, but also liked how this one was a little lighter. Sigh... I'm so torn. Also, how do you get the special Blog Title things with the fancy fonts, etc?

Smorgasbord....

This past weekend, Josh and I went up to Nashville to visit his parents. Trips up there always seem to go by too quickly! After it seemed that all that could go wrong DID before we left, we finally got up to Nashville and went to Cracker Barrel for a late dinner. Saturday morning, Josh met up with a cycling group for a 60 mile ride while Miley and I hung out with his parents for the morning. Regenia took that opportunity to show me the momentos from Josh's childhood that she'd saved--some of which were his "coming home from the hospital" outfit and "first christmas" pajamas--both were PRECIOUS! I cannot wait for our babies to be able to wear some of his old clothes and use the special handmade blankets he used when he was a baby! Around lunchtime, Miley and I went on a walk--YAY! I have been making an effort to get in more activity and was motivated enough to go walk for 30 min. three times last week! Quite an improvement over zero times the week before! It must've really been good b/c I still lost 1 lb this week after a weekend out of town full of food! That is enough evidence to convince me to keep up that activity! My ultimate goal is to get so addicted to exercise/find something I love doing so much that I can eat whatever I want because I workout enough haha. I'm up to 4 lbs lost now. While that's not huge, I've gotta start somewhere... and I'm taking it 1 lb at a time to reach my ultimate goal! I wanna lose to keep it off, and "slow & steady" is the best way! After Josh got back from his ride, he, Regenia (his mom), and I went to lunch at Panera and then to the movies to see "He's Just Not That Into You." I really liked it and thought it was very cute. Definitely some hilarious parts! We met up with one of Josh's college friends, Jamie, and her boyfriend at SATCO for dinner Saturday. YUUUUM! We sure do love SATCO and try to get it at least once everytime we go to Nashville. Miley stayed at home with Josh's parents... we did have a little bit of a scare when we got back from the movies b/c Miley had "eaten/chewed up" a glass angel that was sitting on the shelf. This meant she could've eaten some of the glass... which would potentially cut up her insides and she would need surgery or could bleed internally. (Um, panic!!) I tried not to overreact b/c it wasn't definite that she'd eaten any of it, nor did I want to make Josh's dad feel bad since she was under his watch when it happened. I decided that if she did swallow some of the glass, blood would show up in her poop, and we would handle it from there. I also decided to just lift it up to God. I prayed for God to put His mighty hands on her for peace and protection. He was so faithful b/c that sweet girl is fine! We've seen no blood in her poop, and she actually threw up Sunday early morning, so I was able to sift through to check for any glass, and didn't see any. Praise the Lord for keeping Miley safe. Sunday morning, we went to church with Josh's parents--loved it that I knew most of the songs that we sang... I don't like it when we sing new songs in church b/c it's hard for me to really get into them and sing the words with heartfelt meaning. After a delicious lunch at Blackeyed Pea, Josh and I packed up and headed home for B'ham. It was a great weekend that I wish could've lasted longer. I'm sooo blessed that I have good in-laws and that I actually like spending time with them...not everyone could say that!

Other randomness... Josh and I were honored to attend two incredible weddings this January: Adrienne C. and Caleb E.; and Carrie C. and Matt A. I was so disappointed that I forgot my camera for Carrie and Matt's wedding! Here are a few from Adrienne's wedding. She had one of the most beautiful cakes that I've ever seen. To add to it's wonderfulness--- Usually, you have to use fondant icing to do the ornate, beautiful cake decorations, but this one was done with buttercream!!! YAY! (Josh and I cannot stand fondant). Here is a pic! It resembled the ceiling in the church where they got married!

My BFF Eden was in town the week before last to help her mom with some stuff and brought my favorite ''nephew'' Wyatt to visit! Here he is at Chez Gamble looking precious as can be :o)
Eden and I are throwing a (post baby) baby shower for our friend, Beth, in a few weeks. I ADORE how the invitations turned out! Here's a pic! They are a lot cuter w/o the address and .number blocked out lol... but ya can't be too careful about putting your personal info out there.

Aren't they precious!??

Well, that's all for my random post... hope you're all enjoying this GORGEOUS weather! It is getting me sooo excited for Springtime!

Joshy G....J. Gam...Gambleenie...

In honor of Valentine's Day coming up, I borrowed this "husband quiz" from Elise H. so you could know more about my SWEET husband, Josh!

1. Where did you meet?
At Samford University on Cinco de Mayo 2004, 9 days before I graduated from Vanderbilt. I was in town with 3 of my sorority sisters on the way to "Senior Week" in Destin, FL. A high school friend called me, and since we were in town, we went over to hang out with him and his roomies...one of which turned out to be Josh! I went out of the country for a month after graduation, so our first official "date" was July 31st, 2004.

2. How long did you date before you got married?
About 3 years

3. How long have you been married?
1 year and 8.5 months

4. What does he do that surprises you?
He's really good at cooking "creatively".... meaning-he can think about something that would be good together and just cook it.... I, on the otherhand, like to follow recipes. He's also surprisingly good at making/decorating cakes. Here's a pic of his latest masterpiece, "SUPER BALLIN'" that he made for a Super Bowl party. (We name our cakes.)5. What is your favorite feature of his?
I like his dimples and his biceps.

6. What is your favorite quality of his?
He loves me unconditionally and is very patient with me.

7. Does he have a nickname for you?
Darlin', Tay, Babe, Taybug, Sweetheart, etc.

8. What is his favorite color?
kelly green

9. What is his favorite food?
He loves pasta and cake.

10. What is his favorite sport?
Football

11. When and where was your first kiss?
August 1st, 2004 on my doorstep.

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
We really like to sit at Barnes and Noble/Joe Muggs/Books-A-Million and read magazines while drinking coffee together. Josh and I made an agreement when we got married that we wouldn't buy magazines, so that's a nice way to get our fix while spending some time together. We also love to laugh together until we can't breathe . :o)

13. Do you have any children?
We have a "pup-child" Miley... but no babies yet.

14. Does he have a hidden talent?
He plays a mean air guitar.

15. How old is he?
27 on March 11th.

16. Who said I love you first?
He did while we were play-wrestling at my house before going to a Samford football game in Fall 2004.

17. What’s his favorite type of music?
He likes a little bit of everything.

18. What do you admire most about him?
His love for the Lord, knowledge of the Bible, and how much he loves/embraces my family. He is a very loving, loyal, and respectful husband!

19. Do you think he will read this?
I think so!

God knew EXACTLY what He was doing when He chose Joshua Brent Gamble to be my husband!

Pup-mom seeks peace of mind.

If Josh and I cannot come up with another option, we might have to board Miss Miley for the very first time in April while we go to Point Clear, AL, because I'm in my sweet friend Sarah's wedding.

I thought I'd appeal to the masses for suggestions of great places or other options. Help? Please?