Wordless Wednesday

Do I have some pictures for you guys!!

I figure it might be fun to just look at pictures with a few captions here and there. So Enjoy!

Us gals from work....we have fun!

BEFORE:
Literally just hours before giving birth!
I was there timing her contractions
and got a great picture here! ;-)

AFTER:
She's just so proud to be a mommy!
I'm proud of her too!

Gunner Harlin Powell

3-26-09Just 3 hours old!Cutest smile at only 5 days old!I call this one, "Gunner Squats A Lot"

"Maybe if I hold it like this..."

My first evidence to my mom of my name change.
It was really weird for her! hahaI couldn't resist taking this one....he's
a man after his momma!!!

Of course Annie wanted her turn with a picture too! ;-)

Blogger Behind Here!

Hello....remember me? I'm just a little behind here.

SOOO much has happened these last 5 weeks. Where do I begin. After returning home from my elopement weekend I had to really get on with planning our reception!

We have a WONDERFUL photographer, Climer Photography, and am so extremely excited to be working with Lance and Amanda. I have yet to have the sweet moment of meeting them, but Amanda and I have spoken on the phone and e-mailed a lot...I feel like I already know them! So to you Lance and Amanda, I look forward to meeting you on May 2!!

I got my invitations in the mail...finally! They are just adorable and simple...which I love simple. Now if I could just finish with postage stamps and sealing. I believe some girlfriends are coming over tomorrow to help me - that is unless one of those girlfriends goes into labor. I'M SOOOO HOPING SHE DOES!!! (More on that later.)

Let's see....we found a tent guy and I need to book him for sure tomorrow. It seems as though tables and some centerpieces have been lent to us from friends....total blessing! A friend in Branson is so sweetly helping me with flowers, some of the reception food, and catering our BBQ that we're having with family and the wedding party after our reception! We will speak in more detail later this week, but from e-mail it seems like she'll be a saving grace!!! THANKS DIXIE! I need to order the cake, finalize what our centerpieces will look like, FIND BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES!!!, after finding dresses I need to coordinate what the groomsmen will wear, I still need to alter my dress (I'm moving in two weeks...think I can get it done that fast...doubt it!), and let's see...I know there's more. Oh gosh....I GOTTA GET CAUGHT UP! Here a few pictures from a fun girls outing to look at some dresses! This style was one of our faves!





FLASHBACK ANYONE???



Ok next.

Just a few weeks ago I threw one of my best friends a baby shower that was so fun! Katherine and her husband, John, are expecting a little boy OR a little girl on April 7. They have chosen to make it a surprise on the gender. I thought that it would drive us all nuts, but we have actually really loved not knowing! It adds so much to the excitement! We had a great time and she got lots of fun stuff. Thanks so everyone who came!!! Here are some pics to celebrate the occasion. PS: WE ARE ALL HOPING THAT THIS BABY COMES THIS WEEK!!





Putting her "Breast Friend" to some good use. ;-)


Ok next.

Last weekend I had the most wonderful blessing to get to see Joshua! We ended up having enough money left over after paying LOTS of bills this month to be able to drive me down there and stay the weekend. Of course, it rained the whole time, so we didn't get out to do much of anything. Josh doesn't sleep well on base so he napped A LOT! We watched lots of Disney Classic movies, ones we grew up with, on YouTube to save money on going out to the movies. haha We also had a little kitchen in the hotel room so we cook all our meals! So, since we didn't go out and do anything, I have no pictures from the weekend. :-(

Ok next.

MY NEPHEW, BRYSON, TURNED 10 TODAY!!!! Seriously? TEN? I'm not by ANY MEANS old, but THAT makes me feel it. I know I was young when he was born, but I grew up fast when he came....never would I change a thing. If you don't know, I took care of this sweet boy A LOT (and I'm not exaggerating at all....I mean, I helped raise him it was so much) for the first two years or so of his life. He and I have such a special relationship and I love him as if he were my own. He get's more handsome everytime I see him. I can't belive my sweet boy is already ten.



LOVE YOU BRY!

Ok next.

My dear girlfriends I work with at Jerry Heston's Hairdressing threw me a wedding shower last night. It was actually planned on a weekend that a lot of people already had plans, so it was a small crowd, but a quality crowd I must say. Josh and I got some more fiesta ware from everyone at the salon, and then the girls individually got me some fun lingerie! (Pictures so come soon....I haven't uploaded them and can't find my card reader right now.)


My goodness...I think that catches us up. This next weekend I'll be vising Overland Park, Kansas, for a Mary Kay Career Conference! I'll be staying with a good friend, Mandy Avery, and her little boy, Lucas! Her husband, Terrance, is currently in basic training with the Army. I figured instead of just visiting with her for a few hours, I would stay and keep her company for a few days! I'm looking forward to it!

It looks like Josh will be starting his schooling in a week...YIPPIE SKIPPY YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITED I AM I COULD JUST PEE MY PANTS!!!!! How do you like that? So, if all goes as hoped, he'll be done with school around April 23, have a few days in holding, get his orders and start his ten days off, have a reception, go back to Louisville to get all of my stuff, and head to wherever we get stationed. PHEW! All of that will happen in a two week time span. Ya, you're telling me. No wait, I'm telling you. THIS SUCKS! I won't be able to visit him again before the reception....which also sucks major bad.

Okay okay...I think I'm done for now. Hopefully I wont take so long to update next time! ;-)

I'M MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!

Josh and I are happy to announce that WE ELOPED on February 13, 2009, in Pensacola, FL!

After weighing lots of options within the Navy and our situation, elopement was the best decision!

As long as he doesn't get put on a ship right out of his schooling ending April 28, we'll still have our May 2 celebration!!!! It'll still be at my parent's place in Fordland, MO (just outside of Springfield).

HOW IT HAPPENED:

About two weeks or so before my visit to Pensacola, FL, we weighed our options and decided then that we would try to make it to the court house before it closed on Friday. Sure enough, I made to FL on time after a 10.5 hour drive, filled out paperwork, walked into a room with a white arch with fake ivy running through it, and said "I DO!" Definitely something we'll never forget!

Our families are extremely happy and so are Josh and I. We hope that you are all supportive and excited too! We look forward to seeing many of you for our big reception on May 2!!



The rest of the trip:

Saturday was filled with some tasks that needed to be done. I needed to get put on his bank account and we searched all over Pensacola for the best deal on a ring for him! He wanted to pick it out (so I didn't have it the day we got married), but after going back and forth between yellow and white gold....he settled on white!

Then Saturday evening we headed out for a nice dinner with Josh's buddy and his wife, Matt and Sarah. She lives just south of St. Louis, so she came to L-ville Thursday night, and we left early Friday morning and rode down together.

Before heading to Valentine's Dinner


At Red Lobster...one of our favorites!


Matt and Sarah Whitaker


It rained most of the weekend. All but of course our last day there! Sunday, we spent the day watching movies and hanging out with Sarah and Matt. The pictures of us and our rings were taken at the movie theater while waiting for the movie to start. We saw "Taken"....HIGHLY RECOMMEND....IT WAS AMAZING!!!

So since it stopped raining on Monday, we drove 30 minutes to spend the day on the beach!! It was SOOOOO pretty! A beautiful blue sky and clear blue water....and my hott hubby! Great combo!

My husband is so handsome!



AH! I'M MRS. WHITLOCK!!!


We fed lots of birds too! We had some cookies that we would break apart and they would hover just right above us and catch the pieces we threw. Pretty incredible!






So you probably noticed Josh wearing the same shirt all weekend...haha...he doesn't have any nice clothing on base with him, so we bought this shirt at the mall Saturday. To say the least, it became a favorite!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ME!!!

And what is my present you ask?

Actually, it's my birthday present from Josh....an all paid for trip to PENSACOLA, FL, TO SEE MY MAN!! Great present eh?

As for Valentine's, I'm just thrilled to spend it with HIM.

Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day....whether you celebrate it or not....I hope it's a day filled with smiles!

New Friends, New Family

Last weekend I had the honor of finally meeting some of Josh's long time family friends. Josh refers to Vickie and Berry as his "fake mom and dad". Their families have been very close all of Josh's life and they talk about Vickie, Berry, Nola, and Branson ALL the time! Over Christmas I was hoping to meet them, but our schedules didn't match up.

So, the gang ended up coming to Louisville for a wedding! I soooo enjoyed my time with them. Branson wasn't there, but I got to meet Vickie, Berry, and Nola. Vickie asked question after question about me....my favorite dessert, music, movie, etc. The questions just kept coming! It was lots of fun. We talked about future wedding plans (which we still have no date...ugg.), our favorite musicals, and our favorite places to shop. It was like we were long lost friends catching up. In a way, I met more family last weekend....it was great!
Here are a few pictures from our visit.


Me and Nola Stephens


Nola, me, and Vickie Ellis


Me with Berry and Vickie Ellis


The whole gang!

Changing The Plans...

I just have to say how amazing the Lord is! He ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, takes care of His children. Anybody disagree? Didn't think so.

After a great Christmas and New Year, I traveled back to KY to go back to nannying. Only to find out that my boss was unfortunately "let go" from her job. She was very high up in the administration at a hospital chain throughout KY and had been in that position for 10 years. They "dissolved" her job and made three different ones out of it...which she of course interviewed for...but sadly wasn't offered. Therefore, I am no longer a full time nanny. It's extremely heartbreaking for me not to see the boys everyday, but moreso knowing that my boss is suffering through this big time.

Praise the Lord though. I was able to pick up way more hours at the salon and will still see the boys at least once a week!!! God is so good!

Well, I have strep throat...ugggg. I went to the doctor Friday morning and got some meds...which seem to be working fast! I toughed it out for my Friday evening (mentioned below), but have been laying down most of the day today.

Next....I TURN 23 THIS COMING MONDAY!!! AH!!!! Okay, I know it's young...but for some reason 23 seems so wierd to me. Anyway, I'm super excited! Some friends from church and I celebrated a little last night by seeing the traveling Broadway muscial, WICKED! It was fantastic!!!!

Eating out at a nice dinner before hand.

THE SHOW! WICKED!!!


I guess that's all for now. Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

22 Christmases In My Life...This One's THE Best Yet!

In my 22 years of life, there have been many many memorable Christmases!

Memories like:

• The times we drove from Texas to Missouri every other year to be with family. As kids we packed the suburban full of toy and coloring books to keep us busy. Sometimes we would lay all the seats down and lay blankets out like we were camping out!
  
• The times something went wrong in the kitchen....burning things, forgetting to even make certain items, the year mom was so sick Dad had to do it ALL!
  
• The other time mom was so sick after surgery that we just had Christmas with our immediate family in our PJ's and having Missouri family join us a day or two later.
  
• The times Grandma Ellie complained that her stuffing just wasn't as good as it normally is, but really it tasted better to me every year!
• The Christmases without certain family members due to deaths and remembering to count our blessings because of it.
• Adding new babies and husbands through the years.
• Getting a kick out of the funny things kids say and do. Or getting annoyed by the things kids say and do.
  
• Decorating the house up and down to look like the North Pole.
• Playing board games after supper and gifts!
• Mom giving her mom a mink coat she won on stage with Mary Kay and seeing her face! So many memorable gifts given over the years that were so special to us. Mine in particular, a new car!
• Me coining the phrase when I was about 6, "IT'S JUST WHAT I WANTED!!" when opening EVERY gift and meaning it with all my heart!
• Lauren eating a Macadamia Nut cookie on Christmas Eve not knowing she was allergic to it. She woke up the next morning with her eyes swollen shut and her face as round as a balloon! Every picture of her she held her gift in front of her face. :-( Poor Lauren.
  
• Shelley using a roll of tape per gift and everyone making sure they told her she used too much! Love ya Shell!
• Dave being pissed at how messy the house was after opening gifts.

I could go on and on!!

But this year, adding another memory to all the above is something so special that I'll always remember. Looking back at the list and reading about adding people to our family excites me. It excites me because I've always looked forward to being the one responsible for adding on. Whether that being a husband or a child. This Christmas I excitedly added a fiancé to our family Christmas, and next Christmas, I so proudly will be adding a husband!

Here's the story!

We were spending Christmas Eve with Josh's immediate family and Grandma Nonnie in Shawnee, OK, opening up gifts and hanging out. I opened up a beautiful Willow Tree from Josh that was the "Sign of Love". A sweet figurine of a girl with her arms crossed in front of her in the sign of love. Then he said, the rest of your present is out there (pointing to one of the closed doors of the room). I said, "Well can't you just bring it in here?" That was a BIG no, so I got up and walked to the door. When he opened it I saw white yarn on the ground. He told me I had to follow it until it ended. We walked through the hallway and towards the front door. In his goofy voice he said, "Well lookie there, it goes outside!" So we walked, and walked, and walked! His parent's house is on Oklahoma Baptist University's campus and is across the street from the chapel...about 400 yards (we know that because the ball of yarn was almost used all up! haha).

I followed the yarn across the street, into the chapel (when I realized it went into the chapel, I thought maybe this was IT, but I still wasn't sure....it would be just like Josh to just be creative in how he gave me his gift!), and up the chapel stairs to see that it ended under the Christmas tree. He pulled the box out and opened up an EMPTY box! hehe Since he so persistently told me we WEREN'T getting engaged for the many weeks leading up to Christmas, I looked at the box still thinking, this could be an earring box!! But then he pulled my GORGEOUS ring out of his pocket and made the sweetest proposal! We both cried, I said yes, and the rest is history!
We walked out of the chapel to see that his brother Ryan was waiting to take our picture.



Then the security guard pulled in asking who we were, how we got in, what we were doing, etc. Once he found out Josh was the President's son and that we just got engaged, he offered to take us up into the steeple of the chapel!! Only three people at OBU have those keys, so it was pretty sweet!! It's the highest point in Shawnee and we could see everything! We walked back picking up yarn all the way. After meeting his family back at the house we circled up for prayer and of course showed off my ring! ;-)

How proud I am to wear this ring and show it off. How proud I am of Josh overcoming obstacles the past 4 months while in the Navy. How proud I am that Josh and I have followed God's will for our relationship. How proud I am to refer to Josh as my fiancé. How proud I am of him!!

I know some of you might be wondering when the wedding is! Well, due to his Navy schedule, we're not 100% sure (and may not be 100% sure until about a month or two before)! AH! I'll definitely keep you updated!