flashback friday

these pictures were taken in the winter/spring of 2001.  this was a repeat picnic from a really special and memorable date we had to calvert, tx in fall of 2000.  the initial date (in the fall) was planned by charlie for me because, at that time, i was really into photography and charlie felt like it would be a cool little town (which it is and is located between waco and colllege station) for me to work on some of my photography skills.  after we took pictures around town, we had a picnic in this field off of highway 6.  we hung out forever that night talking and checking out the stars.  it was so fun and one of my best memories of when we first started dating.  so, these pictures were when charlie planned to return to that same field on the way home or on the way to katy one weekend from baylor.  always the romantic...love him!

spring is here

baby #2 updates

well, it looks like we finally have a name for our new little man.  we were torn between 2 that we loved, asked for votes from our friends and family, and decided on:

Boden (Bode) Charles Hastings

we are both really happy with the decision and it is a good thing because it looks like we have a date set for a c-section as well.  we had been holding off on deciding to have a VBAC or a repeat c-section pending the size of Bode.  so, we had a sonogram yesterday....at 36 weeks and he is already weighing 7 lbs. 2 oz.  he is at the 88th percentile and will probably be around 9 lbs. plus at due date.  that is another big baby for me (surprise, surprise) and i'm pretty sure i do not want a repeat of 18 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing just to end in another surgery.  so, this time around...i will be rested, refreshed, and ready with a planned surgery.  we are pretty sure his birthday will be morning of april 13th.  so now, smith was born on 11/26...me on 10/26 and bode will be born on 4/13 and charlie on 2/13....pretty neat, huh?  sorry for our future children, but we'll try to coordinate you as well.  we cannot wait to meet him.  i think he looked just like smith in the sonogram, but charlie says he has smaller cheeks but bigger lips/nose than smith.  i guess time will tell.

flashback friday

this is summer of 2004 or maybe 2005, backpacking near aspen in the maroon bells wilderness.  it was stunning!!  we are with our friends beth and shelby who, again, we are still really close to.  i remember, charlie used a computer program for our guide to map out how far we would go each day and it led us quite astray.  we'll just say it was not quite as accurate as your store bought topography map.  we overshot our abilities thanks to our 'not up to par' map.  anyhow, obviously we survived it...including a torrential downpour that happened one late afternoon about 20 minutes before we set up camp.  yeah, that was awesome.  i'm pretty sure beth and shelby's tent was over a pretty big puddle.  also, i remember we talked a lot about what we were going to eat when we got back into 'civilization' and it was decided we would have "hibachi grill" .... which we did, in denver, on the way home.  it is funny because it was not that long of a trip, but our stomachs told us otherwise.  it was truly a gorgeous backpacking trip and i hope to do this again someday with the same friends and kids in tow!

my blonde boy...LOVE HIM

no big deal, we just built a bed this weekend

when charlie and i sold our home in tennessee, part of the 'deal' was that the furniture sold with it.  this was a sad, sad day as i had worked many overtime hours while we lived in california to buy my beautiful furniture.  it was a good lesson in the fleeting nature of material goods, however.   our impending move this june (for charlie's residency) has me thinking towards how, on a small budget, i will furnish our home. since living with my mom, i have become more and more like her in the idea that i can make/do anything i set my mind to.  granted, this is not always the case, but the positive attitude helps and sometimes you achieve great things!  this was one of those things.  i think i am still going off the adrenaline of my happiness with our final product.  the Lord blessed us with a gorgeous weekend and the fam (my mom, dad, charlie, smith, luna, merckx, and i) built a bed.  i used this tutorial and followed it pretty close for the frame...modifying it some for the upholstery part.  the fabric is FABULOUS from ikea for like $9/yard.  (thanks to my mom-in-law for running the errand in houston, paying for it, and mailing it to me!!!!)  smith was quite the little helper as you will see in the following pictures.

the final product!!!  really, i do not think the picture does it justice, but here it is anyway.  of course, the mattress and bedding is not in place but i feel like i have such great options for bedding, wall color, etc. because of this fabric.  cannot wait to put it to good use.  THANK YOU to my mom and dad for the major help and tools and big house/driveway that made making a piece of furniture do-able.

flashback friday

i feel a little embarrassed about posting this picture on the world wide web, BUT it does have great memories.  this was taken after the dallas white rock half marathon in 2000.  we are with our friends tara and isaac, who are now married...and who we are still very close to.  charlie and i really started our relationship running together.  it is one of the first things we started doing together and it has continued to this day.  we started training for this before we were really 'officially' dating, but by this picture...we were pretty well together.  on a side note...love charlie's hair here..there is so much of it..i think he would hate running with that much hair these days.  we did not run the race together, i let him go ahead because i knew he wanted to go faster.  it is funny, because now, after more years together, i would probably want him to run with me...because we train together, etc. But, back then, being at the first of our relationship, i just wanted to seem so independent :)  since then, we have run a marathon together, many more halfs, and completed an adventure race together.  this is one of my favorite things about us, together...hopefully many more races to come! (if i ever stop being pregnant)

baby 2 update

i went in for a sonogram on the 14th to check the size of this new guy.  i was 31 weeks along that day and he was weighing about 4lbs. 5oz., which puts him in the 75th percentile.  i was surprised as i was expecting him to be bigger.  doctor said we will do another sono at about 36 weeks to see him again.  during the sonogram, the tech commented about how much hair #2 has.  i just laughed because i assume he does....smith was born with a head FULL of black hair. he looked sweet, but did not care for the camera..just as smith was in utero.  speaking of smith and 2 at the same time:  here is a cute video of smith and the belly.  he is into all bellies right now, not just my large one.  his sitti (my mom) taught him about kissing the belly and now he likes to see everyone's and show his as well.

charlie's 31st and Valentine's day

charlie celebrated his 31st on february 13...we had a date night that was delightful and i made his traditional strawberry cake (which also doubles as his v-day gift--sometimes i feel bad about this, but he couldn't eat 2 cakes, right?)  charlie surprised me with a delicious home-cooked meal (served after the little man was in bed) of filet mignon with a cream/wine/mushroom sauce, balsamic glazed veggies, and yukon/sweet potatoes au gratin.  for desert, he had a chocolate fondue.  it was excellent.  it was no surprise as charlie has been quite a good cook as long as i have known him.  however, it was a super night, very sweet.

this photo was taken before the melting of the fondue

flashback friday

ahhhh, yes...the days of FLASH pictures and sorority functions.  these are some of my best friends from college.  the only one missing is our other best friend, kelly.  our sorority had a 'christmas in salado' party every year with a cowboy theme.  good times for sure.  this particular year, charlie had just gotten home from a semester in the pacific northwest NOLS course.  we had missed each other so much, but that semester oddly brought us closer together and closer to engagement.  it was a great semester (senior year) for me to spend with my girlfriends!  love these girls and all the fun memories i have with them from college!