Nursery update!

All right, I really cannot believe this is the last post that I have shared on the nursery.  Boy oh boy have we made some progress since just under than a month ago!!  I continue to search "navy and lime green nursery" and get some good ideas from all over the internet and pinterest, of course!

First of all the stripes on the walls - I have to give credit to Jimmy where credit is due.  He did an amazing job of measuring those out for the big navy stripe in the middle first and then the lime green ones on the side.  After we were pulling off the tape it all turned out amazing and all perfectly level!  I was pretty impressed because that is not an easy feat to accomplish. And then my perfectionism came in handy when I went around 3 times with a small paintbrush in each of the colors and made the lines perfect.  I knew even during the 2AM wake up calls if I had to look up at an uneven line (even just a little bit) I would go crazy.  Needless to say - those lines are perfectly straight.

My mom and I worked on painting the closet and the shelves.  Then I built the shelf and here are a few shots of what that looked like sans doors, with the navy paint and just with the middle shelf sitting there.

And here is what it looks like with the 3 closet bars, baskets from target and Old Time Pottery, my wonderful diaper bag and all the clothes and shoes Baby Carter has accumulated so far.  I will just say he is going to be one stylish little man.

PS All these pictures are horrible quality because I took them all with my phone progressively to send to my parents as we went along.  I need to figure out how to just put them directly on my computer versus sending via email.  But I will. Someday, right?

So then came the other furniture pieces.  We already had the crib and the changing table in the room and I went to lunch one day with my sister and was complaining the whole time how we had gotten so far on the nursery and it was so frustrating that our glider and dresser weren't supposed to come in until mid-June and how I wished they would come in earlier.  Well, apparently someone was listening to that wish or was just sick of hearing me complain because literally when I got back to work that afternoon....BOTH Buy Buy Baby and Nebraska Furniture Mart called to say that the glider/recliner and dresser were in.  UM - lucky day!!  Score!  We ended up going to get the glider first since it was closer and required no assembly.  Since I found the large navy rug for so cheap, I thought I could splurge on the 2 super expensive lime green rugs from Walmart.  JK they were like $10, but I got the square one to kind of designate the "reading area" and then circle one to go under the glider.  Once we finally got it upstairs in one piece due to Jimmy's brute strength, it fit just perfect.  Right next to the lime green kids chair and navy basket I found a few weekends back in the West Bottoms.

The next night that week, we made the trek out to KCK to NFM to get the dresser.  I had read just horrific stories about the assembly and had Jimmy warned.  It actually turned out to be not that bad and fit perfectly and all the parts were in tact - good for everyone!  Very excited to start filling it with little onesies and socks and everything else!!!

There is a better view of the two of the new additions.  I pretty much love them.  Next up?  I'm currently working on some canvas wall art to hang right above the dresser and it's almost done!  I love it so far!

And then...I bought a crib sheet (lime green and white polka dots) off of Target.com but it came and it just wasn't the right lime green.  So on Amazon, I found a navy and white striped crib sheet and then navy with white polka dots - ordered them and in they came!  I put the striped one on the crib mattress we got from Tim and Shellie to see how it looked and it's a winner.  Now we need to measure for the fabric and my mom can get to work on the crib skirt, bumper and quilt.  I did find some great sheets that YHL featured on their recent trip to Target that we will probably use for window treatment fabric. Sweetness.

Here is a view of the other side of the room with the crib and changing table.  All these baskets that are lime green and navy were quite the find by my sister at Old Time Pottery in Independence during our Mother's Day shopping adventures.  I had looked past them and she pointed them out and said they were ON SALE.  And guess what?  They were perfect!  Got 2 for some toy baskets and then got 4 to serve as storage under the changing table for diapers, etc.  And then some little ones too!!  Love it!!

I'm almost done hanging up the nursery canvas wall...need to finish putting together and painting the bookcases that will go on the wall by the chair and figure out where I want to hang this circle mirror that I have.  And really figure out if I can paint it white.  I think it would look awesome in here!!  AND figure out a mobile.  I'm thinking I might try to make it so you can use the mobile for the crib and the changing table...but still need to figure that out.  We shall see.  Still have about 2 months left.  Wow, that doesn't seem like much time at all!!  Feels good to be making progress and walking into this makes me so so happy!!  It for sure wasn't everything I had originally planned, but I sure like the way it's shaped up so far!

Mr. & Mrs. Matlock!!!

Emily got married on May 12 (only 10 days ago...).  And it was a pretty amazing weekend all around I kind of wish we could do it again!!!  Full of lots of laughs, friends, family and most importantly topped off with lots and lots of love between this wonderful couple!!  Jeff and Emily are literally perfect for each other - so it was even more fun to help such a wonderful couple celebrate their day.  I remember when they first met and Emily pretty much said she knew this guy was special.  He sure is and we are all so happy that you decided to keep him around forever!!  He's a great catch and lucky to have you!!

Wedding weekend started off with a wonderful bridesmaid lunch at Houlihan's on Friday which was a great kick off to a great weekend!  Vanessa made it just in time from Houston and was so excited to see her!  We all took turns passing sweet Jackson around to give him lots of love.  And then we were off to get our nails done.  And guess what?  When you are 7-7.5 months pregnant, a pedicure is pretty much the best thing you can ask for because you cannot really reach your toes.  It was very fun hanging out at the salon, but then it was time to get ready for the rehearsal.

While Vanessa and I were busy with Emily and her sisters and mom and step mom during the day, Vanessa's husband Chris met up with Jimmy to have some lunch.  Apparently they showed up wearing almost the same outfit to lunch - KU or K-State shirt, KU or K-State hat and gym shorts.  And guess what?  When they showed up to the rehearsal later that night they were wearing the exact same shirt.  Oh man.  Had to document that.

Twins!

The rehearsal was wonderful and then we were off to Smokehouse BBQ for a delicious rehearsal dinner.  Oh my goodness - it was wonderful BBQ and wonderful company.  There was a great video of Emily and Jeff which showed just how perfect they are for each other and how they were meant to be....even when they were little.  They had matching glasses!  I need to get a hold of one of those pictures and put it on here because it was priceless!!

The next morning we all met up again for a lunch at her dad and Sharon's house with her entire family and it was GOOD!  Sharon always has a delicious meal, including her famous pasta salad, which I honestly cannot get enough of.  It's so good!!  And then it was TIME!  Time to head to the salon and get ready.  They were very nice and even though my hair was a little flatter than I liked, I thought they did a great job on everyone.  But the bride, well her hair and make up was stunning!!  Check her out getting ready and getting the vail in.  And if you can see it, check out that bridal clip.  She looked everywhere for it and I have to say it was PERFECT and matched her beautiful dress!!

This is her "I'm getting married, I look beautiful and I LOVE diet coke" face

Here is a picture that Vanessa got of the whole group at the salon!  I think they were ready for us to leave because we took up a lot of space, but they were very accommodating and very nice!  Everyone left looking stunning!!

From the salon, we were headed to the church to get ready to GET MARRIED.  And guess who got dressed first and looked pretty freaking handsome?!?  Baby Jackson!  Look at his sweet outfit!  He was such a good baby all day and got LOTS of love!

And the beautiful bride spent the afternoon loving one of her two favorite boys before she walked down the aisle.

Like I said, he was getting lots of love all day long. This is a picture I got of Jeff's mom loving on sweet Jackson.  And how stunning is she?   Vanessa and I just kept talking about how beautiful she looked!!

Then it was time for the reveal of the dress.  Now obviously Jackson is pretty young - 6 weeks at this time to be exact.  So if you do your math right, you are probably shocked at how fantastic Emily looks just SIX WEEKS after giving birth.  She was worried at first if she would fit into her dress, but guess what?  It was SUCH a beautiful dress and just looked perfect on her.  I don't think it could have been more beautiful.

The bride and her mom and step mom lacing up the back

And then....it was about time to walk down the aisle!  One last picture that Vanessa got of the 3 of us before it was time to get married!  (P.S. My stomach was a little hard to work with in this dress, so thank you Vanessa for cropping this picture!!  Haha!)

Here are some pictures that Jimmy got walking down the aisle.  First up, the groom waiting for his bride!  Jeff looks so handsome and so excited!!

The bride making her way down the aisle with her dad! She looked BEAUTIFUL!!!

It was such a wonderful ceremony and I'm not going to lie, I cried more than once.  I just love watching brides walk down the aisle and Emily looked just so gorgeous and happy walking down it!! And then the minister read these wonderful letters that they wrote to each other and yep, I cried again.  Especially when they talked about Jackson.  I'm a sucker for babies I guess.

And they DID IT!!  We all hopped in a limo and were off to the reception and took some pictures in between.  I love this picture!  Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Matlock!!!!!!!!

The reception was at Terrace on the Green in Leawood and it was beautiful!  Everything about it was perfect and just screamed Jeff and Emily!  They had a delicious buffet of their favorite foods - which included fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, brisket AND green bean casserole.  YUM.  I love green bean casserole - especially when you eat it when it's not thanksgiving time!

Emily's dad, the best man and her MOH, her sister (Katie) did a wonderful job of giving some funny and heart felt speeches to the bride and groom!

I love these cake cutting pictures (which btw, the cake was beautiful AND delicious!!!).  They show how much fun Jeff and Emily have together...so cute!

And she is laughing so hard she pretty much fell.  Classic.

They danced to their first dance and seriously - look at Emily's dress from this angle.  It is so pretty and was so full and fit just perfect!!

Finally - the dancing, drinking and music began...but not until Emily threw her bouquet!  I love her arm up in this picture and check out her younger sister Lauren in the front with the bridesmaid dress and converse tennis shoes.

We were one of the last people there until the party ended at 12:15 and her crazy fun cousins were STILL on the dance floor.  They were so fun to watch and there was so much fun dancing, catching up with friends and having a GREAT time.  But most importantly - celebrating this wonderful couple who were truly meant to be!  I couldn't be happier and it was such a blessing to be involved in their big day.  Love you guys both so much!!  And cheers to a wonderful wedding!! 

29 weeks - holy moly

Ok this is super late, since I'm 30 weeks tomorrow - BUT here we go.  Just because I don't want to miss a week and I took the picture so heck, I'll put it up.  (PS don't know why these are blurry either)

This week was super busy doing nursery things and cleaning the house and hanging out with friends.  It was a good and productive week and for the most part I was feeling good.  We got lots of walks in and had a fun Friday night at our niece's birthday party and then Saturday night at Danny and Kristen's wedding shower!

Best part of the week?  Seeing the movie What to Expect when you are Expecting with Jimmy on Sunday afternoon....I really did like the movie and thought it did a great job of capturing ALL different types of pregnancies and situations, including infertility, adoption and miscarriages.  We laughed, I cried and I only peed 2 times during the movie, so I'd call it a success.

Onto the bump pictures.  Also, this is not a maternity shirt and usually "flowy".  Haha.  Well, as you can see this little man has completely taken out the flowy part of this shirt...

How far along: 29 weeks

Size of Baby BOY Carter: 3 lbs and 15.5 inches 

Fruit/vegetable comparison: Size of a head of an acorn squash.  Weird, right?  If you are wondering what exactly that is...here is a picture...

Sleep:  Ok - just pee a lot.

Movement: Kicking and moving lots!

Unglamorous body changes: Pretty sure my feet are swelling.  Isn't it too early for that?

Food cravings: Watermelon, watermelon and more watermelon.  I finally bought myself a whole seedless one and it's pretty much gone.

What I miss: Um...I have been tired this week so caffeine is what I'm missing!

Strange experiences: Well - I went to a breastfeeding class and it wasn't strange, but definitely an experience!

Milestones: He's growing SUPER fast and only has 11 more weeks to gain 3-5 more lbs!!  Watch out, this baby and mama are getting bigger by the day!

Best moment this week:  Oh - I forgot to mention that we got the glider AND the dresser both in on the same day a month early!!!!!!!  Wahoo!  Picking those up and getting those in the room was probably the best moment.  It's all starting to come together and feel a lot more real.  Nursery pictures soon!

A tragic loss

There has been lots going on around here, mostly good and happy things (including Emily's wedding and mother's day celebrations), but one thing happened on Tuesday that broke my heart.  My mom sent me a text message at work to call her office phone, which by the way mom, if you ever want to signal to me something bad happened - just send me that text because the minute I got it, I knew it was not good.  Once I called, she told me the sad news that great uncle SM True died Tuesday morning in a tragic accident on his farm when a piece of tractor equipment that he was working on fell on him.  He was just 88 years old.  And I say "just 88" because he was still so full of life and energy.  Honestly, he was one of the most amazing men I have ever been blessed have a part of my life.

What's been amazing to me in these last few days is to see that he not only made that impact on me and my family, but on so many people in this world and the impact he made on Texas Agriculture.  The evening that he died, the story was all over the evening news at the tragic loss and honoring his life.  They referred to him as "Mr. Texas Agriculture".  Even the Texas Governor Rick Perry commented on his death and recalled the wonderful times the two of them had together.  He was truly a wonderful man and seeing all these amazing stories and videos come out about his time here and the impact he made on agriculture, but more important on the people he touched in his life along the way makes me proud to have known him.

His funeral is Saturday in Plainview, TX...which is about an 11 hour drive from Kansas City.  My parents and sister plan on driving down there early Friday morning to arrive just in time for the visitation for him on Friday night, which I'm sure will be packed. My mom pretty much pulled the "mom card" on me and said I can absolutely not go because I would be miserable sitting in the car for that long on Friday and then turning around and driving 11 hours back on Sunday.  And she's right (not to mention the fact that I would probably just slow everyone down by having to stop like every five minutes to pee).  And after talking it over with Jimmy we decided we should not go.  But I'm so sad because I want to be there with my family and aunts and uncles and cousins and especially my grandma, who just lost her brother.  She is one of 8 kids, from West Texas, and now there are 2 of them left...my grandma in Kansas City and my great uncle Riley, who also lives in Plainview.  I know that we all knew this time would come, as that is how the circle of life works....but no matter when and how it happens, it is just so hard to comprehend.  All the loved ones question how life will go on without that special person.  And SM was one special man.  I know it's always a matter of how and not when in dealing with death, but even in light of a tragic accident, he died doing something he loved: farming.  And that he was still out with his cattle and working on tractors when he was 88 years old shows his passion for farming, life and living life to the fullest and doing things that the loved surrounded by people that he loves.  And you know what, that's the best way to go.

My mom posted some wonderful pictures on facebook from the past, present and future that I wanted to share because he was such a special guy.

A navy pilot

In his younger days...

SM and Anna Jean on their wedding day

SM, Anna Jean and their young son David

SM, Anna Jean and their young son David (older in this picture)

Riley and SM

SM, brother Riley and their brother Carl I never got to meet

One thing if you have ever met or heard of SM, you know about his appearance on the Price is Right and winning this Thunderbird!  He still has it and his granddaughter, Larissa, and son, David, still own it!  It's a great car and so neat that it's still in the family!

SM and his famous Thunderbird!!

One thing that's funny to me about people in your life that you have always known as adults is that you don't realize when you are younger you don't realize that these people have jobs.  Right?  And they have lives and careers and major successes.  I would say I saw SM plenty throughout my life as a child growing up and he was always just the fun loving, funny and kind-hearted gentleman who loved spending time with family, loved Texas, God and always had a good sense of humor and knew how to lighten up a room.  He always was joking with people - especially once I started bringing Jimmy around to True family events.  But he was also an amazing business man when it came to Texas agriculture.  It's amazing to me that the death of this wonderful family man was all over the local Texas news the day of his accident and sense then the wonderful tributes, articles and reflections that have been written about him and his wonderful life he lived here on Earth.  SM was an excellent and knowledgeable farmer that also served on many boards and leadership councils.  He was also the president of Texas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization for 11 years (the second longest president in the history) and had many accomplishments throughout that time there.  Their website has a few write ups on him, one from the current public relations director that worked with SM when he was the president they.  They are pretty neat to read and hear how he touched so many different lives.  (read here and here if interested).  His obituary does a wonderful job of documenting so many things he and his wife Anna Jean did in life and even talks about his sweet little dog, Jet, that he loved so dearly and was with him when he died.

Texas Farm Bureau also posted an amazing tribute video to SM on you tube that is him talking and it made me cry to hear his voice again.  What a great man he was.  In addition, the news had a wonderful article about his life that I have read many times.

Some other great pictures of him...

SM on the farm

Still up and traveling no matter how old he was!

He traveled all over Texas on behalf of agriculture and as a spokesperson on issues, but he was still traveling for fun and to visit family.  He made the trip, along with his son and daughter-in-law and his brother, Riley, up to Kansas City for our wedding in April of 2010 and I'm so happy he did.  I know Jimmy and I were talking about him and how much Jimmy's grandma just loved talking to both SM and Riley at our wedding and how blessed we are that he made that trip.  My mom had just told me on Monday night, after it was announced that our family reunion was canceled this June that they were planning on making a trip to Kansas City in August to visit everyone and see new little baby Carter.  I so wish that would have happened and our son could have met such an amazing man, but I know they will meet again someday a long time from now in heaven.

For some more recent pictures...

SM feeding the cows with my cousin Brett

SM, my grandmother Ona Belle and brother Riley

SM, my grandmother, Ben Setliff (brother in law of my gma), Margret (Riley's wife) and Riley

This might be my favorite.  One of my 2nd cousins posted this picture as her cover photo on facebook and I just thought it was so beautiful and such a wonderful picture of his life.

As I mentioned before, I'm so so so upset that we are not there with our family members to help honor this great man's life.  However, I do know that there will probably be more people there to help honor him than most 88 year old men.  SM, you were a great man.  So many people loved and respected you and I'm pretty sure you made a friend with everyone you met!  Thank you for leaving such a great legacy and you will always have a warm place in my heart and the heart of all those you touched!!  You will be greatly missed but I know there are lots of people who are happy to see you in heaven.