baby haven

By definition, a haven is a safe and secure place. We all need havens. A haven doesn’t have to be a room or a physical place. It can be a person or even a state of mind. In a world that can be cruel and unkind, havens can serve as a respite or a creative place to be inspired. Tamara and Scott (sister in love and brother) have been busy at work creating the perfect haven for Baby Hooper or as I like to call he/she, petit cub (small cub).





I have never known anything, to date, that encompasses God’s love like that of a new babe born of love. Isn’t that the very nature of God? That He creates life out of nothing? That he would take away and GIVE? There seems to be this undeniable rhythm to it all. I love our future niece or nephew so much it makes me cry sometimes with tears of joy.



I can’t imagine how Scott and Tamara must be feeling. Scott and Tamara have been so gracious to let us be a part of the process. I wanted to share with you all some pictures of the nursery I took. The picture in the weathered window frame is from Canton. It is a blown up image of a postcard from the 1930s.



I think it is so sweet and nostalgic. The little camo boots won’t fit the tiny guy for quite sometime but I feel certain they will be put to good use in no time.


One more quick story, Scott sent us all an email the other day at work with an attached PDF map of the hospital with directions on where to go once we arrive at the hospital. He also gave everyone their quickest routes to the hospital from all of our various location, either work or home. So sweet. He is already Father of the Year!






We love you baby Hooper, only bake as long as you need to and then hurry up and come out already; we can’t wait to meet you ;-)

baby style

There is so much excitement hovering around our family right now. I got married on September 27th. Scott and Tamara are having a baby (the first one in our immediate family), and Todd and Lauren tie the knot on May 3oth!


Baby Hooper is due to make his/her debut on February 12th. Scott and Tamara did not find out the sex of the baby, which has made the whole experience completely thrilling! However my Granny said, “Well you can just shoot me with a double barrel if that baby isn’t a little boy. Look at how low she is carrying him.” I don’t doubt Granny.


We kind of all think it is going to be a little boy. I just went to Tamara’s baby shower last weekend and was obsessed with the adorableness of the décor. Martha coulldn't have done a better job herself.







I couldn’t help but to show you all how perfectly decorated every little station was. I have shown above the invitation (green rattle) and the same little rattle was on the pedafores. Oh the details! We are not quite into the baby shower season with my friends yet, but I know the day will come and I plan to implement the adorable baby style I learned here.









Outstanding party.

Bonfire Birhtday

My darling (in a Braveheart-manly kind of a way) husband just turned 26. I had been scrambling trying to plan a surprise birthday party full of all his favorites: bonfire, friends, smores, a movie outside and lemonade. Well I won’t tell you how he found out because it would make the people responsible feel really bad, but he found out basically the first day I started planning. Instead of telling me he knew he got busy devising a surprise of his own. He went down to his local Party City and bought a very silly scary costume and made plans to jump from the woods and scare me. Which, he did. Since it was his birthday I figured that getting to dress up and try to scare me probably was more fun than the surprise I had benn planning anyways. Our dear friend Jacob made his party a reality. I could not have done 1/10th of the planning without his servant’s heart, so thanks again for that Jacob. It was a really special night and it felt like college. Celebrating is just so much fun. Some of the highlights of the night were the bull that was roaming openly on the land the whole time we were there. Hayley and I got there to set up only to find that the bull and horse thought we were bringing them their dinner. After I said, “Mr. Bull, look, we don’t have your food please leave and go to the front of the property, near the gate where you were earlier.” And that didn’t work, Hayley got brave and waved a chair at his head causing him to at least scoot back enough for us to set up.
There was a great break out Boys II Men session in which everyone burst into song. We have great friends. I feel so blessed to have a husband like Christopher James. He is just so gracious and fun. In the words of Ben Harper, “You put the happy in my ness.”

Love you hubby.

Love their Love

What a year for my dear friend Lindsay Killingsworth SCHARDT! That is right…with the new year she also has rung in a new last name. Her wedding was wonderfully beautiful.
A collision of old world elegance and modern style. Lindsay made black and white with punches of Red, swirl romantically around every adorned detail. With black iron that crawled up the windows like groomed vines I thought Medieval and then I turned the corner into the grand ball room and thought Royal Court.
It was breathtaking. They had a macaroni and cheese buffet with all of these atypical toppings. It was a tasty surprise. I looked around and all of our friends and thought of all the love packed into one place and it was enough to make me teary.
More importantly than the beauty achieved with countless sleepless nights, are the hearts of these two dynamic people. Scott is funny, sweet, intelligent, gentle and aware. Lindsay is a tiny person with a huge heart. She is sympathetic, tender, talented and an amazing listener.
They have been dating for over four years and deserve to call each other roommate! Well done Linnie and Scott! They are currently in the Grand Caymans playing and frolicking in the sun I hope.

Cheers to the beautiful life you two are now starting together.