27 Years of Blessings

Today, Don and Elaine are celebrating their 27th wedding anniversary. What an incredible accomplishment! We are all so proud and excited to rejoice with them.

Over the years, they have been blessed in many different ways. This year, they are blessed with an empty nest. To commemorate the 27th celebration of their wedding (and their freedom), they are spending a long weekend together in Chicago; just the two of them enjoying the city as well as each other's company. I can't wait to hear all about their trip as we gaze through 100's of pictures (as she was instructed to take).

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I love you so much and am so grateful for the example that you have set. I couldn't have asked for a better set of in-laws.

The Duel of Dog and Dad

We're finally done painting for the evening, and Chester is anxious for some over-due attention. Can you see his tail just a-waggin'?

He immediately attacks his dad...
And challenges him to a duel....

...over the "squeeky guy."

Brad captures the toy. Chester advances.

A fight to the death! (Well not really...)

Somehow, Chester comes out victorious.

Grandpa "S" Update **UPDATED**

**UPDATE** Here is the latest letter from Elaine about her dad:

Hi, all!
I just spoke to Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa went back to the doctor today as a follow-up to his hospital stay earlier this week. The doctor said that the CAT scan showed that healing has begun in his back! He really didn't have too much to say about the other things the CAT scan had showed (i.e. gall stones, fluid on lungs, etc.). Again, the antibiotics are taking care of those things. His next appt. with the doctor will be in 2 weeks.

Grandma did say that Grandpa hasn't felt very good today, and that he had an upset stomach after lunch. Whether that was a result of the gall bladder inflamation or a reaction to the strong antibiotics that he is on is hard to say. Please continue to pray for both of them--they are both sounding very tired.
Thanks for all you are doing.
Love,
Mom

He continues to improve. Praise the Lord! I am so thankful for your faithful prayers and support! (Updated 3/13/09)

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Yesterday, I received the following update from my mother-in-law about her father:

Hi,
As you all know Grandpa was readmitted to the hospital last night. Grandma said that throughout the course of the day yesterday he began to feel worse and worse. He couldn't really say what was the matter, just that he didn't feel good. [...] The doctor sent him to the hospital and ordered a CAT can to make sure his bowels weren't impacted. From the CAT scan they were able to see that his gall bladder is inflamed and that he has some gall stones. There was also some fluid on his lungs. He has been on IV antibiotics since he went into the hospital last night.

At noon today they ran more blood work to check his white blood cell count and whatever else they can tell from blood work. All of his blood work looked really good!His numbers are back in line with where they should be. They went ahead and released him to go home this afternoon. He will still be on antibiotics for a while, and has to go back to the doctor tomorrow for a follow up appointment. Grandma said the gall bladder issue and the fluid were not a concern at this point. I guess the antibiotics will take care of both problems for now.

Thank you all for your prayers and concerns. I know Grandma and Grandpa appreciate knowing that they are not going through all of this alone!
Love,
Mom

I wanted to share this with all of you, because I know many of you have been praying on his behalf, as well. Praise God that everything looks alright for now. Please continue to pray for his comfort and overall health. I appreciate it more than you know. To God be the glory!

Prayers for Grandpa "S"

Last Tuesday, Brad's grandfather (80+ years old) fell while he was in his still-groggy state shortly after waking up. They took him to the emergency room and learned that he had a Grade 1 (mild) compression fracture in the L1 vertebrae in his lower back and was in severe pain with very limited movement. He has spent the last week at home on a medical bed in his living room with regular visits from a physical therapist. It has been a difficult week for him, and for grandma who is trying to take care of him as best as she can.

First thing this morning, I got a text from my father-in-law letting me know that they had taken Grandpa back to the hospital. His white blood cell count was 1700, which is apparently double what it should have been; this means that there is a possibility for infection. In addition, they found some fluid on his lung. They are supposed to be running some more tests today to see what is going on and if he'll be okay. Grandpa and Grandma "S" live in Texas with most of the family. However, Brad's parents are hours away in Indiana, and Brad and I, along with Brad's two brothers live here in Nashville. We're all scattered about and can't really offer much help. Regardless, we are all praying for his health and safety. It is the least (most) we can do. Would you please join me?

Renovations

Well, we're about out of paint. Thank goodness we were able to finish the main areas - living room, entryway, and hallway all with the one gallon. I was originally nervous that the khaki color may be too dark for that much space, but after much encouragement from friends, we stuck to our original plan and trekked forward. All that we have left are a few touch ups here and there, mostly around the edges. And I believe the house is starting to look pretty great, if I do say so myself. We're really glad that the carpet is being replaced, though. It has been so convenient to not have to worry about dripping, spilling, or swiping messes on the carpet as we've painted. However, they are laying the new carpet the end of this week; which means that we'll have to put back on our careful hats when it comes time to paint the bedrooms.

Last night, we had our friends Jay and Amy come over to provide a little decorating advise. Amy is an interior designer, and she definitely knows what she's doing when it comes to making a house look good. She helped us decide what colors and designs to use in each room, and she also helped to confirm that we need to get rid of the dated spindles. It just so happened that, in an effort to haul small loads over each time we make the trip to the new house, Brad and I had relocated all of our "outside storage" stuff, which included a circular saw, hours before. So, with Jay's help, Brad performed some serious spur of the moment renovations. Doesn't it look oh-so-much better?? Without the spindles, the entire room opens up and feels so much bigger!

Here's a little before and after of the entryway. And don't worry. We already have a light fixture to replace that one.

We completely finished painting our bedroom door and got it rehung, and Brad spent some time caulking between the cracks on all of the trim throughout the house. We're heading back tonight to hopefully finish the rest of the doors and the caulking. Then we'll have a break while the carpet is being laid. We still need to paint the master bedroom and the guest bedroom (the office can wait, and the kitchen will most definitely have to wait.), but we're hoping to make the official move over this weekend. I'm so excited!

Oh, and by the way... we stayed late finishing everything up and decided that it was about time to go when the clock said it was 12:30. However, once we got in the car to head back to our apartment, we realized that it was really 1:30 AM, and we had failed to bump the clock at the house ahead an hour for daylight savings time. Wow. I'm going on less than four hours of sleep today. Lesson Learned.

Updated New House Photo Album

Showering Beth and Baby Adley

All of us girls gathered together to throw Beth a baby shower for her upcoming little girl, Adley. To maintain Beth's sophisticated style, the cafe was tastefully decorated with sleek and simple pink and white tulips. The cake was intended to mimic the argyle design that embellishes little Adley's nursery walls, and Cristin even created a decorative "A" to act as the centerpiece on the cake table before it adorns the baby's room. On the guestbook table sat a precious little dress that was a special gift from one of the elder's wives.

We all visited over fruits and veggies, along with Beth's signature punch that she has served at every other shower ever. It's so delicious, and we couldn't even consider throwing her a shower without offering it. (No, she did not make it herself, even though she attempted.) We had a great time, and I believe that Beth got a lot of great gifts that will come in quite handy. Now, all we need is for Adley to arrive!

Here are some of the table decorations

Friends visiting, and Beth opening gifts

Look at all those presents!

Complete Watson Baby Shower photo album

Birthdays and Upgrades

Today is Rachel's second birthday. My little niece is officially a toddler! She had a great birthday party this past Saturday and was showered with love and gifts from friends and family. Unfortunately, Brad and I were unable to travel to Illinois for the celebration; we both had commitments and obligations this weekend, not to mention it's crunch time when it comes to the Move. However, Mom was able to snap a few pictures on her phone and send them to me. Isn't she precious??

On the flip side, Brad and I had a very beneficial weekend when it came to the house upgrade. With the help of Alex and Amber, we successfully painted the living room, painted a few doors, and disassembled the rusty old swing set in the back yard. The carpet is being layed at the end of this week, and we're hoping to get as much painting done as we can. We still have a long way to go.

Updated Niece & Nephew Photo Album / Updated New House Photo Album

Making the Move

Well, Brad and I are getting ready to move. Our apartment lease officially expires at the end of this month, and we're totally ready to move into a house. Since we're not completely sure about how committed we are to the area (and we don't want the responsibility of owning a house, financial or otherwise), we decided to find a decent rental home to claim as our next residence.

Some friends of ours from church are Realtors, and they actually own some of their own rental property. One of these properties is right up our alley. It is a 3 bedroom / 2 bath house on a cul-de-sac with a fenced in back yard that Chester already loves. (However, we may love it even more than him. No more leashed walks in subzero temperatures!)

Brad and I have already completed our first house project; we've painted all of the stained wood trim with white paint. Every edge of this house was a dated dark wood finish, and Brad patiently taped it all off for some modern updates. We primed (almost every room. We learned our lesson early.) and painted each baseboard and door jam for a clean, crisp finish. I'm sad to admit that I didn't get a single "True-Before" picture of the old trim. But if you look at the kitchen cabinets, you can see the original color. Eventually we'll tackle the cabinets, as well, but that will be a later project. Hopefully this weekend, we'll start painting the rooms. And all of the carpet and the tile in both bathrooms is going to be replaced next week. It's going to be like a whole new house by the time we move in!

I've tried to splice together some pictures of the inside, so you can get an idea of what it looks like. I attempted to lay them out the way the true layout is, but you'll definitely have to use your imagination. Let's go on a little tour, shall we? Welcome to our home...

Thank you for joining me on our tour. Sorry about the dark pictures outside. They were taken at night. Hopefully, soon, you'll see some Before & After pictures with painted walls and actual furniture in the house. I don't know, though. We haven't even started packing...

Album of pictures (without writing on them)

Girls' Night Out

What could possibly be better than a classic girls' night? Well, a mega girls' night that includes over 20 of your favorite friends, your all-time-favorite burger joint, and a great chick flick, of course! You see, in our group, we have quite a few babies on the way; a couple of which are really on their way. So, last night, "The Girls" organized a get together to enjoy some much needed pre-infant bonding time.

Our night commenced with a group meal at Red Robin, which is quite possibly the greatest restaurant of all time. For real. They are known for their gourmet burgers (with unusual toppings such as guacamole and fried eggs) and their bottomless steak fries. Yeah, you heard me right. Bottomless.steak.fries. I couldn't resist the traditional (also) Bottomless Freckled Lemonade. I eventually drank 4 of them, and didn't allow a single strawberry go to waste. The service was incredible, and they even provided us with a variety of appetizers free of charge! We decided they offered us the free food to keep our large party quieter while they prepared our meals. I'm not quite sure if it worked or not! After we were all stuffed to the gills and lugging around overflowing to-go boxes (left overs, thanks to those filling appetizers), we headed just across the street to the brand new cinema. We interrupted the last of the previews as we piled into the dark theater to watch "He's Just Not That Into You." All of the girls laughed and cried, and then laughed some more when they saw some klutz (yours truly) make a fool of herself as she fell down the stairs in the middle of the movie on the way to the restroom. Haha! So much entertainment jam-packed into one night! (FYI, I went straight from my job and was still in my work clothes. One of my heels got caught on the step, and I tumbled forward. No major injuries - just some scrapes and bruises on my ankles and knees... but mostly to my ego.)

After the movie, we all gathered in the lobby by the fountain for a group shot. A nice concessions boy offered to take the picture, and he didn't even run away when it took us 10 minutes to get situated, or when 3 different girls shoved their cameras into his hands. Thanks, concessions guy! However, even after the photo, the majority of us lagged behind for another 30 - 45 minutes talking and enjoying each other's company. If the Cinema people were glad to see us go, they didn't show it until after the last of us was safely out in the parking lot searching for her car.
I pretty much have the greatest group of girlfriends in the world. I really am so blessed.

2nd Annual Young Professionals' Retreat

For the second year in a row, our Young Professionals group at church spent a weekend together in the mountains of Pigeon Forge, TN. We used this time to grow deeper bonds with one another, as well as grow closer to our Lord. Nothing accomplishes these two goals better than sharing a cabin with 50 other peers on the top of one of God's glorious creations.

We enjoyed group devotionals and heartfelt singing along with three different sessions led by our guest speaker, Mike Wamble. After each lesson, we separated into six different small groups to further discuss the weekend's focus: the life lessons found within the book of James. We spent our spare time hanging out and playing board and card games. While each couple was able to enjoy their own private room in the lodge, most of us took the opportunity to hang out with the girls (or guys) during our free time. We, girls, had a flashback to our junior high sleep overs as we gathered together on a bed in our pj's and talked about boys (aka, our husbands). All of the men bonded over making fun of our squeals and giggles. What great memories...

Saturday afternoon's schedule was left open for us to utilize some free time in the Smokies however we wanted. Many people went to a shooting range (random) and a lot of people went shopping at the outlet stores. Despite the drizzly weather, Brad and I joined a group that walked around downtown Gatlinburg, being authentic tourists. We took tons of pictures, spun the 10,518 pound granite ball that floats atop 1/254 of an inch of water sitting outside of the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, and visited many of the little shops. Brad and I even got a Mehaffey sign to go on our new front porch. Thanks to Gatlinburg, we're officially a real family, now!
And don't worry. We didn't pass up a single opportunity to enjoy the completely unhealthy food. We found this glorious place called Fannie Farkles that made foot long corn dogs! I couldn't imagine anything more divine. I sincerely attempted to eat the whole thing, but just as I was getting to the end of my endurance, I took a bite that revealed a-whole-nother hot dog within! At that point, I handed it over to my husband and let him finish it off, even though he had already eaten a donut from The Donut Friar. Shortly after the corn dog incident, we came across The Funnel Cake. You wouldn't believe the plethora of varieties of funnel cakes they offered! Brad and I easily agreed on the cinnamon glazed one, and watched in delight as The Funnel Man poured icing over an already cinnamon sprinkled bundle of fried dough. Needless to say, our tummies were much too full to consume the (free) lasagna that was prepared for us back at the lodge that evening. Hindsight is 20/20. (But we still wouldn't have changed a thing!)

The retreat was a great weekend spent with great friends. Here is a picture of the girls as we randomly gathered in a doorway for a group shot.
And here are the boys that didn't want to be left out.

Yea for friends!

After we checked out of the cabin on Sunday, Brad and I went with Aaron and Erin back to Gatlinburg to take advantage of some real mountain pancakes. There were no less than 50 different pancake places to choose from, and we settled upon Flapjack's Pancake Cabin. Boy, did we make the right decision! This breakfast was dee-licious! And Brad thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to drink out of a genuine Mason jar. Right as we were heading back to the mid state, with syrup on our tongues, snow started to fall all around us. Could there be any better ending to a great weekend of friends and fellowship?

To view the condensed and narrated photo albums on facebook, click here and here. To view the unabridged photo album, click here.