Saturday, November 26, 2016

#OurMenouHome :)

Progress on our land is happening. And we are oh-so-very excited!

I know one day I'll be so glad to have all of these pictures and details in order:)


We started with knee high grass that the cows were eating down and in the last week, it has been pushed, shoved, and uprooted into the place of our future home!


Philip's parents came out to see the land for the first time as "ours".


Branson loved every minute!



Knee high grass was getting to me so I took a ride:) Notice all the brush/trees/briar bushes ahead of us.




Taken at our wedding time on 11.11.16:) A year from this date, we will be two miles up the road saying "I do!"


:)




11.19.16
We gave the okay to get started with dirt work, but we had a lot of fences and hay to move first.


Peepaw took a ride around and gave me a thumbs up in passing:)


This is fun.

 
The small treeline that will soon be very much thinned out.


Philip and Jager under pine trees that our land will soon be rid of. Made for a pretty picture though:)


Finished the evening of work with pulling up fence posts.


Daddy cut the fence by the road where our driveway will go!


Trees on the left. Trees on the right. For now.


Day 1: 11.21.16 ~ Equipment brought out, pine trees by the road down.
Cool to watch, but sad to see.


Day 2: 11.22.16 ~ Scraped out our pad and started digging from the back of the land and bringing loads to the front. 57 total:)

He scraped our road and put in a culvert on the east side of what will be our home for a second entrance.




Day 3: 11.23.16 ~ It rained all morning so no work could be done, but we did get to see that our big hole out back HOLDS WATER!! This means that it can one day be made into a pretty pond on our southeast corner:) YAYY!


A Thanksgiving sunset:)


Day 4: 11.25.16 ~ Culvert to the East is completely finished along with our culvert at the road. And the treeline is cleared of all except some choice trees to give room to grow and add more in:)


Our house pad:)


View from the back corner. We love the big oak:)


Culvert on the East.


 Entrance from the road.


I love our windy road:)


I love this view. I love our future home. And I love that I can turn around from exactly where this picture was taken and wave at Momma on the front porch swing of what has been my forever home until 11.11.17.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Weekly Rays

So many highlights this week:)

A full day of working outside. Loved this whole day:)


On Halloween, I got to see all my kids dressed up:) This little Ninja cracked me up when he just decided he wanted to be a regular ole turtle;)

Momma brought a surprise to school...


I just love these boxes:)




Especially when THIS is in it! My Erin Condren wedding planner finally came:) I love it!


Phil met me on the way to his house at a shop going up that has similar dimensions to what ours will have. We went straight up to what will be our "loft" bedroom and discussed layout, size, height...all that fun stuff. It was so good to have some sort of reference. We actually decided to move some things around after seeing it. I love hashing things out with him and it was a huge bonus to watch the sun go down while we did it:)


There's something about the 1st of every month that gets me so excited! I love when a new month starts:) Especially the month that will kick off the holiday breaks!


November 1st was beautiful:) I missed my workout that morning so when I got home, I let Jager off and went for a run. Philip came over and went down to shoot his rifle. His target was a calendar and he colored in our wedding date. ha thanks Philip. He said it's because that's the day he's shooting for;) okay. haha


love him:)


and him!



Our key verse in church was Proverbs 15:1. Something I've reaaaallllyy been trying to get better at. House decisions get me sometimes;)


I love that this will be our view for life:) Riding across the road to just sit and look is one of our favorite hobbies these days.



Had a neighbor come over and give some advice about drains, dirt, house pad and the road. I love watching them think:)


Driving some stakes!


Saturday morning was nice and cool and full of pretty flowers.


Glass bottle cokes make me happy!


SUCH a good supper! Steak by Philip, sides by us, saying by Kayla:)

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

The Month of Weddings

October was the month of weddings! We had three to hit in four weeks. They were all so different and so pretty! All were outdoors and all were beautiful weather!

I had been waiting on Mel's wedding to come since she got engaged. We had a full year of planning, Hobby Lobby trips and Wasabi;)

OCTOBER EIGHTH

Mel had her wedding at the Christmas Tree Farm in Grant, La and I got to stand next to her as her Maid of Honor:)



We started hair and makeup at 8:30 am and it was a full day from there! The entire day was really so much fun! Mel was giddy all day and it made for the most relaxed and exciting day:)


Heading to the farm!

We got dressed in the Gift Shop and it felt like we were in a Hallmark Christmas Movie!


Hudson literally came in singing Jingle Bells. ha!




laughing together always:)


While Mel was off doing her first look with Brandon we snapped pictures and then, Philip and I accidentally had a first look too;)




  
Bridesmaids' turn for pictures!




Then the perfect ceremony:)


The whole Bridal Party.

Now back to my unprofessional pictures;)




They had Gumbo and dancing after and it was just the perfect night:)


I'm so happy for Mr. and Mrs. Morel. I just already miss her so much! Ready to see you today Mel!



OCTOBER TWENTY-SECOND

Our second wedding was in Haynesville, La. Heather got married at Connie & Benjie's house and it was so nice:) MeeMaw and PeePaw came too! PeePaw has been working out hard to be able to come on this trip with us. Early Saturday we packed up, piled in, and headed north:)


our car


and theirs:)

We stopped for sight seeing and lunch in Natchitoches and it was a BEAUTIFUL Fall day!
We passed the Steel Magnolia house on the way to the Historic Front Street and this past weekend we watched Steel Magnolias for the first time.






:)

We left Front Street and headed to lunch at Magee's Patio Cafe.


On the way in, we saw old friends of Daddy's and MeeMaw and PeePaw's from Haynesville. Small world:)


That couple that's always holding hands....eye roll. haha Probably was waiting to say the blessing so I could eat as soon as it was in front of me;)

Amazing Loaded Baked Potato gone too fast and not pictured:)


Next stop was the hotel! We got settled in and PeePaw wasn't feeling well. I went to the boys' room to check on him and found this.


hahaha apparently they were all a little wiped! After this, PeePaw said he just wasn't feeling good still. Then he said, "I didn't do my exercises today, maybe a need to do those!" :) We did them in the hotel and he seemed much better;) whatever works PeePaw!

We got ready and headed to Leton for the wedding.

We haven't seen them in so long. Mrs. Lee walked straight to us and said "There's my Best Friend!" and gave MeeMaw a big hug:)



The ceremony was set up on top of the hill that they always have their big slip 'n slide on each year:)

The reception was set up in a tent in front of their house. It was all so very pretty! and the FOOD! They had the best food! The groom wanted oysters so between the guys, the ladies with the trays of oysters stayed busy!


my Plus One for life:)


sadly my only picture at the reception. PeePaw was SOO COLD! big baby;)

Best part of the night: Philip ate raw oysters (ew!) and one had a small pearl in it!!

We headed back to the hotel and after breakfast the next morning, we went back to Leton to visit and eat lunch. At this point, the wedding was over and it was time to catch up and eat leftovers:)

But first, a trip to the pond on all the "WEEEE's" (what Bridger called the side by sides).



Bridger FINALLY went to PeePaw, but not for long:)


 I love how much PeePaw loved this:)
We rode around their property and saw their stands. A couple of which PeePaw and Daddy have hunted and killed in before. Even one that PeePaw built:)

We got back, ate, and said our goodbyes. We went on into Haynesville and saw Joe Lee at the nursing home and then drove around to see the Football Field and Daddy's old house and the Lee's old house.

A beautiful wedding, a beautiful weekend:)


OCTOBER TWENTY-NINTH

Our last wedding of the month was in Toledo Bend. So very pretty! This was Heather Brown's wedding to Kellum Davis. #DearDavis


Philip's parents were in Tennessee for another wedding that weekend and Mr. Jules had just sent me a picture of the Fall colors there...so I snapped one of my own:)





I loved everything leading up to the wedding:)


The set up was perfect and we were right over the lake.


The wedding was super sweet and so them:) After the wedding, the pavilion turned into the reception area. They had an area set up outside for hors d'oevres and drinks while we waited. Best idea ever!


Philip and I snacked, visited and then explored a little down by the water.



I loved her flowers! Heather's brother and sister-in-law brought the flowers from Houston and the girls did all the boutonnieres, bouquets, and centerpieces that morning! They were all in the cabins. I bet that was so much fun:)


Headed back in for the reception.


Heather's dad, Mr. Craig, BUILT the table tops and benches for the wedding!!! They were so perfect! Also, he built the white doors she walked through.



I love these.


Watching the sun go down over the lake was the best:) and so was this view<3


That ended our month of weddings! Made me even more ready for my own and definitely gave me some great ideas;)