Hidden Dreams and Aspirations

This image alone makes me want to pursue those desires I have hidden deep down to learn photography and all that comes with it. One of my favorite photographer couples, the image is found, joined the masses and just welcomed a new baby boy into the world on Sunday. Check out their blog, I'm sure you will fall in love like I did long ago.

Short weekend, as always

So I'm back in Austin after what seemed like a very short weekend. I got back to Dallas Thursday night, then worked at the office on Friday. We decided on Nelda's for dinner Friday night, as I haven't been home early enough to beat the rush in a while. We decided to meet up with a former co-worker of mine. He and his wife, another beautiful woman ready to pop....she is due any day with sweet baby Morgan or Reese, met us and we had a really good time. We always try to hang out with them, but it's just never come together. They are both glowing and so ready for their little girl to be here. Tammy (his wife) has been VERY lucky throughout the pregnancy and barely even had morning sickness during the first trimester. She is naturally very thin, and she looks like any normal lady would at about 7 months, not 38 weeks. She looks amazing and we're super excited for them.
We didn't get a chance to go meet the newest addition to Adrienne and Jonathan's world, little Juliana Ava, this weekend. We want to let their lives slow down a bit, so hopefully this coming weekend we will be able to go hang out with them a bit. I will be taking pictures when we finally get to meet her, so maybe my post next week will be a bit more exciting. I've really gotten bad about not taking pictures, but my little canon point and shoot just doesn't inspire me anymore. Hopefully purchasing a digital SLR sometime in the future will remedy that :).
It feels good to have one week behind me of my 4 week traveling stint. I think this week will be the worst, so if I can just make it through this week, then I'm home free. I head up to Boise, ID this coming sunday, and I'm super stoked about that trip. I'm ready to get back into my normal routine at home but Ash has been amazing with keeping the house clean while I'm gone.
It's off to another Monday of....well...doing my job, and I'll leave it at that :)

Have a good day!

Baby Murphy

**UPDATE**

I just got word she's here! Mama and baby are doing great!

**

So she is officially on her way! I got the text when I woke up this morning that Adrienne's water broke last night, and then got an update that it was only a matter of hours (hopefully) before the sweet little baby girl arrives! Jonathan made it back into town yesterday and this was a HUGE answer to prayers. He's in the Army and was overseas, and we all know how difficult it can be to make any travel arrangements happen as we want them to when the government is involved. I know Adrienne was stressing (rightfully so) that he wouldn't be here for the birth....so again God answers prayers and was able to lift that stress off of Adrienne so she could focus on taking care of herself and the baby. We don't know the name yet, as Adrienne and Jonathan decided to keep that between each other while he was overseas. We are VERY excited for these two!

She is in labor as I write this, so keep them all in your prayers!

I'm lonely

In case the numerous blog posts didn't give it away :)

I miss my hubby and my puppies...only one more day for this week!

I am most definitely in a funk today. The weather here in Austin has been miserable--COLD and rainy. Great weather to stay inside and do absolutely nothing. I know part of my funk is due to the fact that everywhere I turn, I hear people talking about Heath Ledger. It's such a sad story, and highly depressing. It's crazy how much this is affecting people (I have seen numerous blog posts about it), and we didn't even really know him. These past couple of months have been a constant reminder to me that life really is going to end one day, no matter how much we try to ignore that fact. I have made a decision to take control of things and do what it takes to be truly happy in EVERY aspect of my life. My husband is a great start to a life of happiness, and there will soon be other parts of my life that will fall into place as well.

We are in wait mode for 2 new babies right now. Two of our friends are due any day, along with many others in the next few weeks. If this doesn't give me baby fever, I don't know what will :)

Because every post needs a picture...One of my favorite people, as well as one of the expectant mothers ready to pop! We can't wait for the phone call-- I just hope I'm in town!

You Will Never Be Forgotten

Some days the reality of Ashley's dad being gone really hits me hard. Usually it's a song. This was today's. My ipod is on shuffle at work and this one popped up.

Jessica Andrews
You Will Never Be Forgotten

I’ll always see your face
The corner of your smile
And all the little things that no one will ever know
Like it was yesterday, won’t ever fade away
Goodbye is just a word that I will never say

You will never be forgotten
A million days could pass us by
But what is time but just a dream
Oh I still feel you here with me
You’re more than a memory
Oh you will never be forgotten

I can‘t hold your hand
Or look into your eyes
And when I talk to you
It just echoes in my mind
But If hearts are made of dust
And if we fell from the stars
I look up tonight and know just where you are

You will never be forgotten
A million days could pass us by
But what is time but just a dream
Oh I still feel you here with me
You’re more than a memory
Oh you will never be forgotten

And the world just keeps on going
It has no way of knowing
That you’re gone

You will never be forgotten
A million days could pass us by
But what is time but just a dream
Oh I still feel you here with me
You’re more than a memory
Oh you will never be forgotten

It's a good thing that I have these moments. I don't ever want life to be so busy where I forget.

**Update: as I was fighting my computer to try and get this post to actually post, Ash called to tell me they found Heath Ledger dead in his Manhattan apartment, at age 28. Life is entirely too short. Live it to the fullest.

Peaceful

Does it get much better?

In Austin for work....I'm away from home for the next 4 weeks. I don't know how people do this all the time with families at home. On the other hand, I am in a really cool city for these two weeks and then I'll be in Boise for the two weeks after. Ash will be coming up for one of the weekends I am up there so we can get our snowboard on. I'm REALLY scared I'm going to hurt myself. Grace was not something I was blessed with.

I feel like this next year will be one of transition. Why? I don't know....call it a gut feeling.

We'll see what God has in store for us.

It's what he does

Sleeps. Sleeps. Sleeps.

And boy is he cute when he does it.

Journey.

So I got an idea from one of the many blogs I stalk, here, and that idea was to pick one word to define 2008 (hence the new banner). There are two ways to look at this idea--you pick a word that you want your life to be, and you make it happen, or pick a word that you think your life will be, and watch life evolve over the next year to see how accurate you were.

My word is journey.

A journey is a passage or progress from one stage to another.

I truly believe that's where me and Ashley are right now--in between stages of life. It's not always easy to be in this place, but we're doing it together.

To another stage in life. To whatever the future holds for us.

That's a wrap.

So we made it through the holidays. I have pictures from all the festivities, but it'll be a couple of days before I can get them loaded. This holiday season was definitely not the norm for us. We couldn't wait to get the Christmas decorations down, as neither of us was in the mood to celebrate after losing Ashley's dad. It just wasn't the same, and we both know it never will be, but unfortunately we can't allow our lives to come to a screeching halt--we know his dad would never have wanted that. While it has been hard for us, there are always people in worse situations. My dad passed on this link not too long after dealing with Ashley's dad, and it definitely brought me to tears. A close friend of ours has also lost 2 loved ones this Christmas season, so hopefully it can bring comfort to her like it did me.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zCdZwitrNoY

I will post again soon with pictures, but I will end this on a happy note. The great baby boom has started, as of Christmas Eve. I know numerous people due within the next couple of months, so I look forward to hearing about the miracles that these wonderful girls get to experience.