Beginnings

Close your eyes & take a deep breath.

Now, let it out slowly & visualize everything in my new home organized & in its place.

That's what I've been doing in the few free moments I've had since I last blogged (hence, the no blogging).

Since I last blogged, Trey, Reagan, Sophie, & I changed our address, & my sister changed her last name.  Both were momentous, joyful occasions that came together beautifully after considerable work on the part of many wonderful people.  It's a new year, Reagan has a new uncle, a new home, & a bigger bathroom & closet she'll thank me for one day.

Trey & I closed on our house last Thursday.  As promised, a picture of the key in my hand.  I looked at it several times while I drove to the house after we closed.  Reagan was happily spending the afternoon with her Grandmama, & my car was loaded down & ready to fly once I had the key:

We made a few quick runs to the new house to drop things off on Thursday evening, & then the flurry of wedding activity commenced.

Bridesmaid's luncheon Friday:

My dessert:

Smiles:

Despite not feeling well, Reagan wanted to make sure her hair was fixed:

Rehearsal dinner Friday evening:

Mother of the bride capturing it on film:

Trey & I at rehearsal dinner:

Fajitas.  They were incredible.

I have a few pictures from the wedding day.   

The bride & her two maids met that morning for hair appointments.  Many thanks to my fellow maid,  Carson Huffstutter, who brought Starbucks coffee for everyone.  

Reagan's only nap on the big day was on the drive over to Shreveport:

A few taken right before everything commenced:

These next three are courtesy of Heath's aunt, who posted them on Facebook (yes, I pilfer others' photos).

The venue, Hill Country Village:

Decor:

Interior shot:

Portrait of the bride:

This cuteness is courtesy of Heath's sister, Rebekah (who also made the amazing cupcakes & cake balls I devoured at the reception):

I don't have any pictures of Reagan in her dress (so you know I was busy).  I know some were taken, so when they trickle in via the photographer & others there who took pictures, I'll post.  So, if you have pics of Reagan from the wedding, I am dropping a pretty blatant hint for you to email them to me and/or tag me in them on Facebook.  Thanks.

I've been in weddings before, & was even the bride once, but this was my first wedding as a mom.  Many thanks to Cheryl Zeigler, Reagan's grandmother, who was on duty almost all day, allowing me to do my maid's duties & enjoy some of the food at the reception.  

Many people deserve thanks and credit when a wedding comes together beautifully.  I want to compliment Mr. Tommy Lindsey, who performed the ceremony, on a job well done (& I am not one to be easily impressed).  Mr. Tommy & his family have been a part of our lives since before I was born, & Jessica made an inspired decision to ask him to officiate.  Jessica made many inspired decisions over the past few years that culminated last Saturday night.  It was the perfect evening for beginnings, a theme that resonated with me this week.

Mr. Tommy & his wife, Kay Kay, are two of my favorite people in the world:

Much of the past week since the wedding is a blur, but here is my best recollection of events.  

Monday was a long, long day.  Ross Movers arrived a few minutes before 8 that morning (followed shortly by my mom who dutifully picked up Reagan).  The movers had everything out of our house (& our store room) & delivered to our new home before noon.  Then, we surveyed the chaos.  There are not any pictures of the chaos because I was too busy having tiny panic attacks & trying to sort through boxes to take any pics. 

The haze began to lift a little Tuesday morning, & I took a few moments to enjoy my first cup of coffee in our new home:

Reagan's new friend, the tape measure:

I cooked Tuesday night!  Just a pizza, but I used the oven & even the stove (to brown the meat):

Wednesday, believing I had things somewhat under control, I decided to bring over what I've had stored at my parents' house.  Among other things, this included all of my wedding china.  It took quite awhile to haul all of the boxes down my parents' stairs & out to the car, unpack it all from the mounds of tissue paper, styrofoam peanuts, & other packing material used to secure china, & arrange it in the glass front cabinets in my new kitchen.  It's a little crowded, but it all fits.  It was great to see it all again.  It will be moved once more in my lifetime.  When I find a china cabinet I adore, I will move most of it out of the cabinet & walk it across the kitchen to the china cabinet, & that will be its last journey until Reagan decides she wants to haul it off.  I may or may not use it for actual dining purposes from time to time, but it really looks fantastic sitting in the cabinet.

Reagan is settling in:

My new Keurig is keeping me sane:

Reagan quickly discovered the cabinet full of non-breakable glasses & tupperware I arranged with her in mind:

I hope to have everything Trey & I own in its rightful place in a week or so, once I've discovered a rightful place for it.  I've watched HGTV for years & always wondered why, when people buy a house, the HGTV film crew returns 2 months later to film the interior.  I now know it's because it takes about 2 months to get everything unpacked and find places to put it.  I keep waiting for a phone call to tell me to pack my boxes again.  One day soon I'll wake up, stumble toward my Keurig, & it will sink in that we're here for good & we are never (ever ever ever) moving again.  My next home will be Heaven, & I agree to go since I am told my treasure is laid up there already.  

Moving is hard.  Really. Hard.  Until you experience some things for yourself, you just don't know.  I've done the dorm moves & the apartment moves, but something drastic happens to the amount of things you own after you marry, & especially after you have a baby.  Looking for a new house is fun, & packing boxes is fairly easy.  Unpacking everything you own & figuring out where it's all going to go is time consuming & exhausting, & made somewhat more difficult when a one year old & a 6 pound dog are in lock step with you as you move through the house.  At least 5 times a day every day since we've been here I have walked from one room to another & completely forgotten my purpose for doing so.  I think there is a box with half my brain cells in it sitting in a closet in our former home.  

If you're wondering, no, the Christmas tree never made it out of its box.  A little sad, I know, but it will probably have a nice long stint this year beginning sometime in early November.  

The view from my new kitchen & my new BFF Keurig have helped me through the week, & I imagine will be my retreat from chaos for years to come.  

So, to summarize:

*Never moving again

*Happy New Year

*Keurig, yes please

*Welcome to the fam, Heath! 

AZ