Birthdays all around

We don't take birthdays lightly in our family.

And September is especially birthday friendly....GT, Jamie and I all celebrate our bdays.

Along with numerous other family and friends.

It started early September with my whole fam party.

My moms side is rather large so we celebrate birthdays monthly...typically after church and usually at my aunt Chrys and uncle Johnny's house. 

It's a well oiled machine.

with one cake that has the name of everyone who has a birthday that month on it

This year, my bday fell on a Thursday and GT's fell on the following Monday.

We just keep celebrating the few days in between! It works out purty good.

My boo started it out right by bringing me lunch and a cookie cake to work on my birthday.

I almost didn't get a pic before we devoured it.

That Friday, his parents came in and we had a little birthday lunch for GT.

Later that night Jake Jamie and Beau came over to celebrate mine and Jamies bday!

I'm not joking when I say its one long month of partays

of course, we are more entertained with Beau 

more cookie cake never hurt nobody

Beau man made Gt a card...he's really talented

Saturday, after a shower for baby Taylor (post to come)...GT headed to Ole Miss for the Texas game with his fam and I stayed home with Beau! (no more traveling til baby gets here)

i'm pretty sure they had an awesome time

i told them that they couldn't have any fun without me.

oh well

While they were gone, Beau and I went to Bella's party.

Her birthday is the day before GTs.

it's safe to say that her party with a bunch of 10-year old girls was a little more exciting than ours.

We're birthday buddies with Bella, too

(that's her new horse....what!!!)

my Saturday night looked a bit different than GTs, but it was just fine by me.

We were partied out.

It was the year of practical gifts for us.

We bought each other a new mattress!

From our parents-He got a new tool box and I got curtains.

Practical gifts are what we're all about.

Although our September is pretty fun, I'm a little more excited about October!

Kate

my man

Every single day...i realize that i got the good end of this deal.

GT is a very modest man. He will never advertise for himself or his skill set.

Constantly I am blown away by what he can do and what an awesome man he is. 

Yesterday was his 31st birthday!

I am so thankful that I've been able to celebrate the last three birthdays with him and can't wait for 60 more! 

From the early days of love

His look has changed quite a bit over the last few years

i gave him a daddy backpack for his bday

hopefully it will be filled with child-care things and not baseball cleats or shotgun shells

mom made this "Evolution of the beard" collage for him

I like every look...but i also really love the man behind the beard

Happy birthday boo.

i'm gonna stick with you...beard or no beard.

you are proving to be a waaaay better man than i am woman 

and for that i am grateful

you make me want to be better 

couldn't even dream of a better man to raise my son

i think your 30's are gonna be pretty great.

lu 4eva,

Kate

Around the house: progress

We are in the final countdown!!!

a few weeks until the house is finished

and a baby will join our family next month.

maybe it's not really the final countdown, but it sure feels like it

GT has been working so hard to get the house finished.

He's not doing all of the work, but is very very involved and coordinating everything.

I'm so thankful he knows what he's doing and that he is good at it.

He solely designed the layout for the addition and has done quite a bit of the labor.

I'm pretty proud of my handy man.

Here's the progress from start...

...to this week

the electricity, plumbing and air conditioning have all been completed in the addition.

as we speak (or as i type) GT is putting in the insulation

he will also knock out the walls that will connect the addition to the rest of the house this weekend.

and next week....sheet rock!!!!!!

the view from the use-to-be carport

the current view

our new back of the house view

we've also been clearing the back yard/pasture

Trig approves

Almost finished!

Ready for guests and a baby(ok, not really ready yet).

But, we'll be ready with a room.

Happy weekend friends,

Kate

Sunday Portrait Series: 33 weeks

a few weeks ago, i wore a belt to church 

i wore it above my belly...as it is the only place for a belt at the moment.

My cousin Bella (she's 9) was sitting by me on the couch after church.

She leaned over and quietly said, "I have to tell you something".

eager for her insight, i asked her what that something was.

"You're supposed to wear a belt around your waist".

thanks, Bella.

I explained to her that my waist was temporarily unavailable and asked her suggestion on a location for my belt. She wasn't sure and pointed to my hips. Maybe I should give it a try. Perhaps she knows better than I do?

She's the same one who recently told her mom, my cousin Korie, that she would stay with me and take care of me while GT is out of town on business in October. She insisted that Korie call me and tell me that she would definitely take care of me and that GT could go on his trip. No problem.

I asked her what would happen if I went into labor.

Her response "I'd freak out and call mom".

I'm pretty sure that will be my response as well.

how I do Dallas

GT goes dove hunting every year for Labor Day weekend...every year.

and I pretty much use the weekend to stay with my gals in Dallas.

This year was no different.

Except, it was my last Dallas trip sans baby.

Mom and I drove to Dallas with Jamie and Beau on Friday and dominated Ikea.

We met up with her sister, who is also preggers. I can not believe I didn't get a pic with the three of us, baby bumps and all. We are all due within 6 weeks of one another...how much fun is that?!!!?

Then I met up with Buzz and Kyla and we ate some delish food, talked lots and lots and giggled.

bananas foster waffles. hello.

ginormous ice cream sandwhich. duh.

cinnamon roll the size of my face.

have i mentioned the positive things about being pregnant?

(p.s. these were all at different meals...i'm not THAT crazy)

Apparently on Friday we didn't do enough damage to Ikea. 

So on Saturday, Kyla, Buzz, Mom and I went back and annihilated my bank account. 

Since we're adding on two bedrooms to our house, I knew specific items that I wanted to buy to fill these rooms for baby and guests. 

We found everything that I was looking for (and maybe some more)!

One item was a rug for baby's room. 

The room is going to be mainly navy, white, gray and mustard yellow.

But, I could not find a rug that I liked that wasn't crazy expensive. 

I also wanted some type of tribal, native american print. 

Well, it was no where to be found. Except for my imagination.

So, Kyla and Buzz split from me and mom in Ikea and she texted this picture to me.

whaaaat!!!!!

it was a pure shopping miracle.

it was more perfect than what I had even pictured.

I am SOOOOOO ready for the room to be finished being built so I can drop this bad boy on the floor!

without Kyla's positive and determined attitude, there's no way we could have crammed all of our stuff plus our bodies in the car.

Luckily, I have a great mom and great buds and they were just as excited about our purchases and were more than eager to help me get it home! 

The weekend was short and busy.

We shopped til we dropped. 

I'm not your typical girl shopper.

It totally wears me out and I can only do it in short spurts.

I'm so glad I had great company for all of my browsing!

We ate at some awesome places...Fireside Pies, Breadwinners, R+D Kitchen, Pokey O's and Sonic (don't judge).

We shopped at Ikea (x2), Urban Outfitters, West Elm, World Market, Home Goods, Nordstrom Rack and Buy Buy Baby.

I stayed at some great places...Kyla's place and Le Meridien. 

That'll wear a girl out in 2 and a half days! 

Also, Kyla made me do this.

The only maternity photos you'll get.

caption title "focus on the family" per Kyla

thank you, Westin Dallas for the shoot setting.

Mom and I think it was a purty successful weekend. 

Perhaps, GT might disagree.

(i was super puffy at 32 weeks after all of the shopping. so kindly disregard my whole body in this picture)

Hope y'all had a great Labor day weekend!

I worked on Labor Day, but the weekend was excellent!

Kate

One small thing

I really can't wait to be back in my jeans...or perhaps some new ones...


...from Madewell.

That's all.

Still loving this little man and carrying him around in my body. But ready to wear some jeans. Can I just say that?

Happy weekend eve friends,
Kate


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