Sunday, February 27, 2011

Happy Birthday Cooper

A little trip down memory lane in honor of my youngest Birthday today! We love you sweet Cooper Monroe...You bring so much love and laughter to this family! Happy 3rd Birthday!!!!


New Born



1st



2nd



3rd

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentines Day!!!

LOVE IS...

Laughter

Photo Credit Kelli Trontel


Hope



Kisses

Photo Credit Kelli Trontel


Music



Brotherhood

Photo Credit Kelli Trontel

Me+You


Families

Photo Credit Lindsey Walker


Friendship



Motherhood



Smiles



Imagination

Photo Credit Kelli Trontel


Love is Infinity

Photo Credit Kelli Trontel


HAPPY VALENTINES DAY ONE AND ALL...May your hearts overflow with love for years to come!

My sweet Valentines XOXOXO

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Love Quotes

A few of my very favorite quotes about love. Do you have any favorites?


"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."
— Nicholas Sparks

"The course of true love never did run smooth."
— William Shakespeare

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
— Dr. Seuss

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
— Laozi

"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."
— Robert A. Heinlein

"I finally understood what true love meant...love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be."
— Nicholas Sparks

"Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."
— William Shakespeare

We loved with a love that was more than love. ~Edgar Allan Poe

Friday, February 11, 2011

Love+Marriage+Children = Dream Date Number 2

Dream date number two comes to us from the lovely and classy Mrs. Stefanie Byrd, a Baptist pastor’s wife and homemaker. Stefanie and her husband Jeremy have been happily married for ten years and are raising three adorable children in West Tennessee. When I asked Stefanie to share what her dream date would be, I would have never have imagined the answer I got. It was most unexpected. To her it’s not so much about the date, but about cherishing the one you share your life with. Stefanie shows us that the anniversary of a marriage is worth celebrating despite the unexpected circumstances and chaos that comes with life, marriage and parenthood. Her dream date was real and rooted deeply in love.

Here is what Mrs. Stefanie Byrd had to say about her dream date…

We celebrated our 10 year anniversary on January 12. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. We've seen many moves and 3 kids over those years. It was in celebrating our anniversary that I had my dream date.

We loaded up all the kids in the Expedition that is crusted over in road salt and needing a wash in a bad way; cheerios and crushed animal crackers all over the floor. We chose Outback because we got gift cards for Christmas and we didn't want to go over our monthly budget by going somewhere else. Anna started complaining about a stomach ache about 10 miles out and threw up 2 miles later. No big deal, we just pull out some wipes and get back on the road. Liam decides that he's tired of riding and cries the last 5 min before we arrive.

Since we are a party of 5 that requires two high chairs and a booster seat, we are seated at the largest table in the restaurant and the focus of many attentions as we get everyone settled. Jeremy and I engage the kids in coloring as our pre-dinner entertainment and are relieved as the bread and salads arrive. Anna's stomach starts hurting again and she is getting whinny.

As dinner arrives, Isla starts crying. Upon getting her from the carrier, I smell what the problem is. And so does most of the people in the booths behind me. As I clean her up in the bathroom, it's clear that she has the same stomach bug that Anna has.

When I return to the table, Jeremy has a worried look on his face as he has realized that the fragile balance of contentment was starting to break and that in seconds we could have any of the three kids pitching one of their grandest in the middle of the restaurant. I say that we need to just get our food to go. He scarf's his down, something he regrets later. We pack up our boxes and we quickly head out, patting each other on the back as we go. Not to bad.

As we were heading to the car, Jeremy said "Happy Anniversary, sorry it wasn't more special." I said "Are you kidding, I wouldn't have it any other way!" And I wouldn't. My family is such a blessing to me. Going out to celebrate the birthday of our family is one amazing dream date to me!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Winter Date Ideas For Nashville, TN

More dream date post coming up later this week, but in the mean time here is a little something to inspire you to get creative, and create your own perfect date.

Winter time is in full swing and so what if the days are gloomy and gray. That doesn’t mean you and your sweet heart should stop coming up with date ideas. After all, the most romantic night of the year is just around the corner. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Some are romantic, some are sporty, and some are just about spending time and doing things together.


1. Get in touch with the artistic side of yourselves with a trip to All Fired Up, a 'paint your own' pottery studio located in Hillsboro Village. The upside to this place is it supplies everything you need. You just show up and create. Another wonderful benefit to this studio is that they allow you to bring in your own food! So you could pack your own little indoor picnic to enjoy while you create a unique piece of ceramic artwork. The price varies depending on which piece you decided to paint, and there is a firing fee. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how bright and vibrant the pieces are when you return to pick them up. Also the staff is extremely helpful in explaining and even helping you decided on what to paint.


2.Spend an evening ice skating! You have to agree, it’s fun to hold hands while you laugh and concentrate really hard on not falling down to impress your date. Things to remember when hitting the ice(no pun intended); bring a sweater/jacket, gloves are also a good idea as well, and check the calendar for public skating hours. An afternoon of Skating at Centennial Sportsplex is 7.00 dollars per adult. Have fun giggling as you try to keep your balance!


3. Visit a local neighborhood bookstore(no chains bookstores). Spend an evening searching for vintage copies of your favorite classics. You will be surprised what you can learn about one another after spending some time together in a bookstore. Like, what stories got read during each other’s childhood years? What’s the first book your date remembers reading? Who’s your sweetie’s favorite poets and what section did each of you spend the most time in? A couple of suggested bookstores are Bookman/Bookwoman and Elder’s Bookstore. I would also recommend topping the date off with a trip to your favorite coffee house. If you don’t have one, look for one together and skip the hustle and bustle of Starbucks. This is one day you skip all the chains and find something new, even if it’s been around for years. That’s half the fun of this date idea!


4.Volunteering together bring smiles and hope to someone else, while spending quality time together. While this probably isn’t ideal for a first date scenario, it would be perfect for a couple looking to share the spirit of love. Make dinner for your elderly neighbor(cook it together) or serve a meal at the Nashville Rescue Mission. I guarantee it’s a date that will not soon be forgotten by you or the people you took the time to help.

Photo Credit Terasa Lewis

5. Just because it’s cold, and as a dear friend of mine said, "God has decided to turn middle Tennessee into a snow-globe with all this snow and continuing flurries" don’t let that scare you off from bundling up and enjoying the outdoors. Actually, winter time is a perfect chance to take a nature walk. You are likely to spot wild life that you wouldn't see in the summer and spring months. So pack a thermos of your favorite hot cocoa and head on over to Warner Park located 7311 Highway 100, Nashville TN, and enjoy a nice little winter wonderland walk hand in hand. Don’t forget your hat, mittens, and camera on this little adventure!


Hope you have be inspired to create your own special date for your sweet heart. I would love to hear your ideas on what you would do on your perfect/dream date?

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Adventurous Kirsten{Dream Date Series}

Dream date numero uno comes from the lovely and adventurous Ms. Kirsten Buccigrossi of Wadsworth, Ohio. Kirsten has recently become engaged and is set to take the stroll down the aisle come September. Here is what this beautiful young woman had to say about her idea of the perfect date.


When I think about a dream date, I picture something out of the ordinary. It's not a dinner and a movie or anything typical like that like. It is something creative, unique, and surprising, particularly something that "he" thought up himself without my input. Making a meal together, creating a time capsule, a road trip somewhere neither of us have been.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Love Is In The Air

We loved with a love that was more than love. ~Edgar Allan Poe



Valentine's Day is right around the corner. In honor of the Holiday set aside to celebrate love, I thought it would be fun to dedicate the month of February to the subject of all things LOVE. So, this month on Inside My Head look for blogs about marriage, dating, dates, cute little heart shaped candies, gifts, all things the color red or even the color pink, for that matter. Just be prepared for anything that runs across my head this month that is even remotely related to the subject of love, and you can bet that those thoughts in my head will most likely make it to my blog.

To kick things off, I thought it would be fun to ask several ladies what their perfect date would be like. The answers were so fun to read and as unique as the ladies that authored them. The first in this Dream Date Series will appear on the blog tomorrow. I hope you come by often this month because love is in the air the whole month of February here on ” Inside My Head”

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Today is my Dad's Birthday, I could not have ask for a better father figure in my life. I am so very blessed to be loved and cherished as his little girl! This little verse said best what I wanted to say to him today!




I find myself wondering...
Did I give you your due..
For all that you've done for me
Did I ever thank you?

For all of my childhood memories
For helping me deal with life's stresses
For helping me accept my defeats
And celebrate my successes?

Or for teaching me the value of hard work,
Good judgement, courage, and being true
The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared
Did I ever thank you?

If I have forgotten, I'm thanking you now
You taught me right from wrong....
I hope you know how much you're loved and appreciated
I hope you, instinctively, knew it all along. -Author Unknown



I love you Daddy, Happy Birthday Day!!!