To Aunty Ashley

**This is written to my dear friend Ashley, from Carli. Ashley is in Hawaii - but really is one of the sole reasons why I met Keith (besides God's wonderful sense of humor). She is a wonderful, sincere person - and we just wanted to make sure she knew how much Carli (and Carli's momma and daddy) appreciated everything she has done for us.**

Dear Aunty Ashley -

I know I have not met you yet, but I am looking forward to that day. My momma has told me all about you and what a good person you are. She told me that if weren't for you, my momma and daddy would have never met and I would not be - so I guess I owe it all to you! :)

I do not know what Hawaii is - or why it takes so long for you to come see me. But the way I figure it, it is okay if I'm 6 or 9 months old when you come b/c then I will be able to play with you and smile and laugh - rather than give you some blow out diapers to change or perhaps a good spit up on a really nice shirt (although I am not promising I won't do that to you when I am older, but the odds are better!).

I've heard lots of different voices through my momma's belly - and they all talk about my nursery and how it is coming a long. I'm not sure what a nursery is - but I think it is for me. And this week especially, I've heard lots of "WOWS!" and "THAT'S SO COOL!" from some random voices saying that the letters really will help make my nursery. No idea what that means, but Momma says those letters came from you and they are absolutely amazing - so I think I will like these letters - whatever they are!

Have I told you about my daddy? I think he is a pretty awesome guy. Sometimes I kick my momma really hard and make her belly do "the wave." Sometimes I am just trying to get comfortable, but mostly I think it is fun! But my daddy, he can calm me down. I know it is his hand on her tummy talking to me - I love my daddy so I will lay still for him! Momma says you've made a sign for my daddy - and I think you are right. My prince has come - and he is my daddy! Thanks for helping me to tell my daddy that!

Momma promises they will send you a picture of me as soon as I decide I'm ready to come check out all these voices and places I've been hearing about for so long. She says we will talk to you on the phone and send you letters and fun stuff like that. Whatever Hawaii is, I hope you get to tell it to let you come see me soon! Thanks Aunty Ashley for getting my momma and daddy together and being their friend. Thanks for helping my poor overwhelmed momma with the cute baby stuff every good, deserving baby needs. I can't wait to meet you!!

Love -

Carli Lynn

36 Weeks and a Baby Shower

Okay - first things first - Here is our updated "weekly" bump picture. This is the beginning of 36 weeks.

This weekend we had our first baby shower. Showers amaze me. People seem to come out of the wood work to let you know that they are so excited for you and to give you things that you need. I was truly blown away by the gifts and the people who gave them to us! I saw friends I hadn't seen since my wedding, and got to visit with people from the church I grew up in! My best friend from college even came down! I had 14 hostess for this shower, and they did an absolutely amazing job. It was so much fun! It was a busy, busy weekend - and it was exhausting, but so worth it. God has blessed me in so many ways - and I am so thankful!

Loved this part of Amber's gift - For those of you who don't know, Amber is a CPA.

Carli got tons of homemade gifts and monogramed things, her Great Grandma even made her a patchwork, blue jean quilt. (In our family, when you graduated from high school, you always got a bluejean quilt from Grandma. Now Carli has one too, and it truly is a treasured gift!)...I wasn't able to get pictures of them all and post them, but here are a few:

Grammy made Carli a quilt!

Naggy made Carli a quilt!

This is the amazing basket of goodies from "Grandma #3," AKA Mom #3 to me. She made the burp clothes - and there is a homemade blanket as well - absolutely amazing!

We got home really late on Saturday night - so Keith unloaded the car on Sunday afternoon:

"Our living room threw up pink baby stuff!" -Keith
And the attempt to organize has begun...

Chuy really enjoyed all the new blankets - he thought they were just for him!

It was an amazing weekend - and we are so very thankful for everything.

35 Weeks

For those of you who really think I should take more pictures of myself - I did. Aren't you proud? Check out some of the ones we took this wkd. I only had a few minutes to play with them...

Instead of going to a professional for "maternity pictures," Keith and I decided, we should be able to do this ourselves. Plus, it is cheaper this way too!

Okay - we thought this might be a cool idea - but are not sure. Do you all like the idea of the picture? If so, we'll do a better one, where I am not wearing my "comfy" clothes!

Guest Room - FINISHED!

Well, when Tessie came and visited us last week, we not only got the nursery started and as far as we could get to finished as possible during that week. But we also fixed up and finished the guest room. There is not an unpacked box to be found in the room! Just don't look at my living room - which yes, I know I have not posted pictures of yet. But be patient, I'm pregnant! :)

We are really pleased with the guest room. Whitey is the only one not too happy b/c his poof chair got relocated into this room - and it is his favorite. So beware - if you come to stay with us, WT may sleep with you!

This is the "BEFORE, BEFORE,"

what the room looked like when we bought the house.

This is the closet to a "BEFORE" pic as I have.

I didn't take a good picture when this room was the office.
AFTER! View from Doorway

View of the bed - right side of room

View of Left side of the room -

Keith's baseball collection goes on this wall

**Notice WT's Poof Chair in the corner**

The windows - I bought these curtains

when Keith and I first got married...they are one of my favorites.

The Nursery Has Started!!

The BEFORE:

Trying to figure out how to do stripes...

They wouldn't let me help paint the room - but I got to paint the baby bed!
Color on the Wall

Special message from Naggy...

Putting up the stripes...

Naggy painting the decorative tacks purple...

Stripes are finished!!

Putting together the baby bed

Who said Women can't use drills?!

The bed in front of our wall...

We aren't done - but we are making progress!!

PLEASE NAME ME!

Let me introduce our new truck. He is a blue, four door 2005 F-150. Mostly he belongs to Keith. He's a pretty truck - and he needs a name. Can a truck be a girl? I dunno - if it belongs to a guy, I suppose it could. But any name with the reference of "Blue" is out. There is only one "Blue" in my history of vehicles...so we need your help. I've been calling the truck "George" much to Keith's dislike - so I'm asking you guys to help us come up with the new trucks name.

FYI: Our black Volvo...his name is Volvie.

Ode to Old Blue

To my dear truck, Old Blue -

I remember the day we first met back in 2000. I couldn't believe my luck. There you were sitting at the bank, just waiting for someone to notice you. Grant it to fate, that Dad just happened by that day and spotted you. He knew we would make an awesome team! I took you for a test drive - you really impressed my Dad with the way you ran, but I was just so excited to not only get a truck, but a unique, pretty truck. I would never loose you in the parking lot!

We've had a lot of fun together - survived many trips back and forth to Abilene and Alto. Probably even more trips down to Houston to play softball. You were even a work truck at times, hauling off dead chickens after they committed mass suicide! I tried to keep you nice and pretty - and healthy. Got that oil changed as I should, got your hood repainted even! We both agreed that repainting your running boards would have been a waste of time since I often ran over curbs and the like. But you didn't mind - you kept right on trucking along.

The day has come when we must say good bye. It has been a good 8 years, but life circumstances are sending us in separate directions. While I can justify squeezing little Carli into your back seat, others give me funny looks and suggest I take the car. You and Keith haven't bonded well - and since I did promise to keep Keith until death do us part - I'm afraid I must let you go. The highlight of our departure, if we can find one, is that you will at least stay in the family. Uncle Tom will let me visit I'm sure on holidays! I know you will be a good truck to him, just as you were to me...

Here's to you old blue...

Carli Lynn's Pictures

We had our sonogram today. Carli Lynn is growing just fine and is right on schedule. She weighs about 3 lbs 13 oz. Has all her toes and fingers - and is simply just precious. She looks like Keith to me. She has his face and nose. Maybe she has dimples?! What do you think? She did move around quite a bit, but we got some good pictures of her. Only 60 more days till we meet!

Sleeping Soundly

She opens and closes her mouth...

She SMILES! How precious is this?

This one is not in color, but was taken right after her smiling picture - she put her hands in front of her face - she declared the photo session over!

I did tell the doctor that I was a 10 lb baby and had no desire to deliver a 10 lb baby! I think they'll keep a close eye on her. We go back for our regular appointment in two weeks - when Naggy is here!

Fourth of July Pictures

So the month of July is half over, but I finally got my camera to my computer and thought I'd share a few pictures from our fourth of July. We had a lot of fun out at the lake. More pictures to come later from our wkd in Amarillo and Keith's new truck - yes, it is a sad, sad time as Old Blue is being replaced. He is such a good old truck...

Mom enjoying her new boat

Chuy and Keith
Logan in his marshmellow life jacket - isn't he cute?!

Chuy is in heaven!

Not a picture to be found on my camera that proves I was at the lake - but I was, and it was fun! More later!