I'm sure most of you have seen the shortened version of this video on facebook, but I just had to share it with those of you that don't do facebook or haven't seen this full-length version that I found on YouTube. Enjoy.
Put a ring on it, baby...
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Elsie Marie Brannon
For those of you who have met our family dog, Elsie, you know that she is the sweetest, most precious animal on the face of the earth. You also probably know that she is my mom's shadow. So much so, that she was even allowed to follow her down the aisle in my wedding in my parents' garden! She came into our lives about 9 years ago and has touched our hearts. My mom and Elsie have been inseparable since the day my mom asked my dad's best friend to take her home with her from his house! You read that correctly... Elsie was someone else's dog and my mom asked them for her. It's not as bad as it sounds... Our family friends (my dad's best friend since childhood), the Boones, have a good bit of land down in Headland, AL, so they have a "pack" of dogs... some that they chose, and others that chose them.... including a few bull mastiffs. Elsie (originally named Bugs) was a chosen dog, and was actually chosen to be a companion for Mrs. Boone's mama, Elsie. Shortly after getting "Bugs" for Elsie... Elsie passed away. Not long after this, my mom came to visit the Boones while she was helping to take care of my grandfather in a town nearby. While she was at their house, she was sitting on the outside swing and "Bugs" came to see her. Mom said that she took one look in those soulful eyes and she was hooked. She called my dad... "Harrison... I'm going to ask them for this dog." .... "Vicki! You cannot ask someone to take their dog!"..... "I really think it'll be ok... I'm just going to ask.".... and the rest is history. "Bugs" came home to Birmingham, was given the name Elsie in memory of Mrs. Boone's mama, and quickly became a welcome member of the family. She was originally brought home to be my sister Paige's dog, but that was quite short-lived as Elsie became mom's shadow as soon as Paige left for college (if not a little before haha). You also may or may not know that my mom was in a bad car wreck in February 2006 on the way to an early morning session of Beth Moore when she was in town. It was a head-on collision going around a curve on Shades Crest Road. The guy was in her lane in the curve so she had no where to go! Mom ended up with 6-8 broken bones in her leg/ankle, tears in her knee, and some broken ribs. She wasn't allowed to put any pressure on her leg/ankle for months and was basically on bedrest or bound to a wheelchair for a while. Elsie never left her side.
Well.... all of that to say... Labor Day weekend was a rough one. Mom felt a hard spot on Elsie stomach that seemed distented and she was having trouble going potty and eating... Mom ended up taking her to Auburn Small Animal Emergency Vet Clinic since it was the best around and my sister Grace is a student at the Vet School. Elsie had a tumor in her abdomen. The biggest question was whether it was in an organ and in which one. After muuuuch prayer, we found out that sweet Elsie's tumor was in her spleen... praise the Lord! This was good news because they were able to take the tumor and whole spleen out with no problems. The tumor weighed 2.5 lbs... which is a lot of Elsie's 14 lb body (with tumor). They also had to take a little piece of her pancreas and intestines, but not much. Other test showed that she had excellent kidney function and no nodes in her lungs.... so she was in good health and it hadn't spread to her lungs. Again, praise the Lord. After about 3 days in the ICU, mom was able to bring Elsie home. She is doing well. Elsie is about 14 years old, so we know that her days are numbered, but you're never ready to let go of a friend, which Elsie is just that. Our friend and a beloved member of our family. We are so grateful to God for His healing and for hearing our prayers. Hopefully we have much more wonderful time with our sweet Elsie! :o)
Well.... all of that to say... Labor Day weekend was a rough one. Mom felt a hard spot on Elsie stomach that seemed distented and she was having trouble going potty and eating... Mom ended up taking her to Auburn Small Animal Emergency Vet Clinic since it was the best around and my sister Grace is a student at the Vet School. Elsie had a tumor in her abdomen. The biggest question was whether it was in an organ and in which one. After muuuuch prayer, we found out that sweet Elsie's tumor was in her spleen... praise the Lord! This was good news because they were able to take the tumor and whole spleen out with no problems. The tumor weighed 2.5 lbs... which is a lot of Elsie's 14 lb body (with tumor). They also had to take a little piece of her pancreas and intestines, but not much. Other test showed that she had excellent kidney function and no nodes in her lungs.... so she was in good health and it hadn't spread to her lungs. Again, praise the Lord. After about 3 days in the ICU, mom was able to bring Elsie home. She is doing well. Elsie is about 14 years old, so we know that her days are numbered, but you're never ready to let go of a friend, which Elsie is just that. Our friend and a beloved member of our family. We are so grateful to God for His healing and for hearing our prayers. Hopefully we have much more wonderful time with our sweet Elsie! :o)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
4 EYES GAMBLE
Well, another "new" thing with us is that I got glasses! My vision had just gotten a little blurry after years of 20/20....and I was getting headaches. what a blessing to make it past 27 years old before I needed any help. Especially when one of my sisters is legally blind in one eye and the other has bad vision and astigmatism! Sooooo, I made an appointment and it turns out that I've now got 20/25 vision (not too shabby), but I have an astigmatism, which accounts for my slight discomfort when driving at night as well. The astigmatism alone can blur your vision. I got the glasses after searching and finding a way better deal than the doctor's office was offering (YAY ME!). Here I am my first time wearing them in the car. Not an awesome picture, but you get the point. They are Nine West, chocolate brown and light blue (on the insides). I wear them a lot when I am on the computer, in class to see the board from farther away, and at night when driving. Sometimes I'll also just wear them when my eyes/head are hurting. Well, that's that in a nutshell. Talk to you later, y'all!
Monday, August 31, 2009
quick catch up....
Hey y'all! I hope you're all well and very blessed!
Sorry that I've been MIA the past week or so.... Last Thursday, Joshy G woke up with some pretty intense stomach pain and what felt like a fever. Since we didn't have a thermometer at our house yet (got one that afternoon), I gave him some tummy medicine and sadly had to get to class. After a stop by Publix for some essentials, I came home to my sick hubby. Boy was he pitiful with his flushed cheeks and tired self. We took his temperature and he had a fever of 100.3! My doctor has told me in the past that b/c adult bodies are bigger, it takes a lot more to get our fever to raise, so for his to be elevated even a few degrees sent up flags. I really wanted to get in touch with our doctor b/c the fever really concerned me. Fortunately, I spoke to my aunt and she told me about our doctor's after hours service. Long story short, we finally got up with our doctor and because he'd had chills that afternoon, fever, headache, tired, and was a little achy, she called in some Tamiflu for him... Joshy G. had the flu. Bless his heart. She also told me that these days, they are calling all flu "Swine Flu" because most of the cases that they have cultured and observed have been Swine. So, I guess Joshy G. technically had Swine Flu, but we just say "flu" so people don't freak out Ha-ha. Anyways... I went to Walgreen's and got Josh's medicine and some Gatorade to really push the fluids. The next day, he was fever-free and on his way to well (although not 100% for sure... he still had his headache, tender tummy, and was still a little tired/achy). His mom and his Aunt Charlotte had already been scheduled to stay with us that Friday night, so I let them know what was up and let them make the decision whether they stayed with us or not. They decided to risk it since he did not have a fever and was on the meds. After they got here, Regenia (M-I-L), Aunt Charlotte and I went to Cajun Steamer and left Joshy G at home to rest. Don't worry... we brought him back a pasta dish as requested...although it might have been a bit overzealous of him b/c later it made his stomach hurt again. Saturday, Regenia and Aunt Charlotte left early that morning and Josh and I spent the rest of the day relaxing and medicating... (him, not me. haha.) Since "they" recommend staying home about 5 days with the flu to keep from infecting others, we stayed home on Sunday, too. (I stayed home to take care of Josh and to not spread the germs..just in case). Now, it's Monday morning, and Josh is feeling great! What an answered prayer---God healed him...and quickly! It's back to life as usual again....homework and personal training. I'm so grateful to have not gotten the flu and to have my healthy husband back. Speaking of homework, I'd better get back to it.... but I hope you're having a blessed week so far!
Oh! I also finally posted lake pictures on facebook. Hopefully this link will work for you!
Click Here
Sorry that I've been MIA the past week or so.... Last Thursday, Joshy G woke up with some pretty intense stomach pain and what felt like a fever. Since we didn't have a thermometer at our house yet (got one that afternoon), I gave him some tummy medicine and sadly had to get to class. After a stop by Publix for some essentials, I came home to my sick hubby. Boy was he pitiful with his flushed cheeks and tired self. We took his temperature and he had a fever of 100.3! My doctor has told me in the past that b/c adult bodies are bigger, it takes a lot more to get our fever to raise, so for his to be elevated even a few degrees sent up flags. I really wanted to get in touch with our doctor b/c the fever really concerned me. Fortunately, I spoke to my aunt and she told me about our doctor's after hours service. Long story short, we finally got up with our doctor and because he'd had chills that afternoon, fever, headache, tired, and was a little achy, she called in some Tamiflu for him... Joshy G. had the flu. Bless his heart. She also told me that these days, they are calling all flu "Swine Flu" because most of the cases that they have cultured and observed have been Swine. So, I guess Joshy G. technically had Swine Flu, but we just say "flu" so people don't freak out Ha-ha. Anyways... I went to Walgreen's and got Josh's medicine and some Gatorade to really push the fluids. The next day, he was fever-free and on his way to well (although not 100% for sure... he still had his headache, tender tummy, and was still a little tired/achy). His mom and his Aunt Charlotte had already been scheduled to stay with us that Friday night, so I let them know what was up and let them make the decision whether they stayed with us or not. They decided to risk it since he did not have a fever and was on the meds. After they got here, Regenia (M-I-L), Aunt Charlotte and I went to Cajun Steamer and left Joshy G at home to rest. Don't worry... we brought him back a pasta dish as requested...although it might have been a bit overzealous of him b/c later it made his stomach hurt again. Saturday, Regenia and Aunt Charlotte left early that morning and Josh and I spent the rest of the day relaxing and medicating... (him, not me. haha.) Since "they" recommend staying home about 5 days with the flu to keep from infecting others, we stayed home on Sunday, too. (I stayed home to take care of Josh and to not spread the germs..just in case). Now, it's Monday morning, and Josh is feeling great! What an answered prayer---God healed him...and quickly! It's back to life as usual again....homework and personal training. I'm so grateful to have not gotten the flu and to have my healthy husband back. Speaking of homework, I'd better get back to it.... but I hope you're having a blessed week so far!
Oh! I also finally posted lake pictures on facebook. Hopefully this link will work for you!
Click Here
Saturday, August 22, 2009
lake teaser....
I'll try to do a bigger post about the lake trip soon... but in the meantime, here are a few lake trip pictures...courtesy of the Byingtons!
Katiepie's FIRST time to have smores!
The cute Byingtions!
Did you buy your tickets to the gun show??
Trey showing us how it's done!
Dave, the master Cuban sandwich maker!
The girls: bcowart, katipie, kims120, and TBG!
Cullen and Josh.... double trouble!
Cullen on top of Lost Boys...he jumped off of it like it was no big thing!
My sweet Miss Miley Jean 
Sweet friends!
Culligan looking cute for a photo op during a very rousing game of "Things"...Sooo much fun!
Miss Miley Jean hanging out while we played "Things"
Miss Miley Jean hanging out while we played "Things"
Culligan
KIMS120, magetsfast, katiepie, culligan,TBG, jgam, bcowart, and davecowart.... and missmileyjean at the bottom!
The group... lovin' lake life.
Awesome picture of the guys!
The boys ride off into the sunset!
Isn't she the cutest?We can't wait to go back AGAIN! Love y'all!
The latest.....
Well, I'm so glad to report that my BFF Eden and her sweet family made it out to California safely after their three week trek across the U.S.! Along the way, they made some really awesome stops, which you can read about on their blog: http://keeverhouse.blogspot.com/. I cannot wait to get out there to visit them, see their new cute house, and check out how big baby girl keever (belly) has grown! My sister Grace gave me her old web camera and I'm really looking forward to doing some skyping with the Keevers soon!
In other news, Grace has officially finished her first week in Vet School at Auburn! She had 2 quizzes on Friday-bless her heart-but I'm sure she did really well....she's so smart!
I also just finished my first week back to school. Looks like it's going to be a good semester. I've started feeling a little bit of fall in the air and am not wishing away Summer, but am really looking forward to fall and all that it entails....especially the gorgeous leaves changing colors and Josh and my yearly tradition that we started in 2004 when we first started dating: Vanderbilt Homecoming! Usually, we stay with my in-laws, but this year is my 5 year reunion (omgosh!) and we thought it'd be a nice treat to get a hotel room downtown close to Vandy since Josh's parents live out in Hendersonville (about 20-25min away) and we're actually going to be attending some events this year. I'm really looking forward to getting back up there and enjoying campus.
It's been a little while since I've posted about Miss Miley Jean... She's doing GREAT! I can definitely tell that she's past the 1 year old mark b/c she has gotten more obedient, calmed (some haha), and comes when called (better). She is just such a joy to have in my life. Maybe it's sick, but I just love her SO much. How could you not... that precious face and the UNconditional love? It just touches my heart. We took 3 couples from our Sunday School class to the lake last weekend (a whole other post soon! OMGosh it was so much fun!) and they were all so so sweet to Miley. She had a ball! Usually, when we've been down at the lake this summer, my sister's dog Bailey has been down there. She and Miley are great buddies and always have fun together. I do think, however, that Miley enjoyed being the only dog dog there to relish in all of the love and attention from everyone! I don't call her my child, which you know from previous posts, but she is my "pup-child" and it makes me so happy to see friends that I care about love on my "pup-child" and adore her, too. I'm a proud "pup-mom."
Well, that's the latest, y'all! Hope everyone is happy and blessed :o)
In other news, Grace has officially finished her first week in Vet School at Auburn! She had 2 quizzes on Friday-bless her heart-but I'm sure she did really well....she's so smart!
I also just finished my first week back to school. Looks like it's going to be a good semester. I've started feeling a little bit of fall in the air and am not wishing away Summer, but am really looking forward to fall and all that it entails....especially the gorgeous leaves changing colors and Josh and my yearly tradition that we started in 2004 when we first started dating: Vanderbilt Homecoming! Usually, we stay with my in-laws, but this year is my 5 year reunion (omgosh!) and we thought it'd be a nice treat to get a hotel room downtown close to Vandy since Josh's parents live out in Hendersonville (about 20-25min away) and we're actually going to be attending some events this year. I'm really looking forward to getting back up there and enjoying campus.
It's been a little while since I've posted about Miss Miley Jean... She's doing GREAT! I can definitely tell that she's past the 1 year old mark b/c she has gotten more obedient, calmed (some haha), and comes when called (better). She is just such a joy to have in my life. Maybe it's sick, but I just love her SO much. How could you not... that precious face and the UNconditional love? It just touches my heart. We took 3 couples from our Sunday School class to the lake last weekend (a whole other post soon! OMGosh it was so much fun!) and they were all so so sweet to Miley. She had a ball! Usually, when we've been down at the lake this summer, my sister's dog Bailey has been down there. She and Miley are great buddies and always have fun together. I do think, however, that Miley enjoyed being the only dog dog there to relish in all of the love and attention from everyone! I don't call her my child, which you know from previous posts, but she is my "pup-child" and it makes me so happy to see friends that I care about love on my "pup-child" and adore her, too. I'm a proud "pup-mom."
Well, that's the latest, y'all! Hope everyone is happy and blessed :o)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
CAbi is at my house!
The CAbi clothes are at my house... just beeeegging to be tried on! Give me a call or shoot me an e-mail and come on over!
Hmm.... I think Josh and I will have a fashion show (well, I'll have one for him) after dinner :)
Hmm.... I think Josh and I will have a fashion show (well, I'll have one for him) after dinner :)
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