Monday, January 28, 2013

Sterling's Baby Shower


Yes, we finally chose a name!!! Sweet baby girl's name will be Sterling Grace Barron :) It doesn't have any particular meaning to us we just played with a lot of names and finally agreed on and love Sterling!

Once Upon a Time...
On January 27th my very sweet and creative friends threw Sterling and I the most beautiful baby shower!  It was a storybook theme and everything was absolutely picture perfect!  Here are some pictures of the cute and crafty decor:

This diaper wreath on the front door matches Sterling's room decor beautifully!  It is hard to tell but it is made of diapers, lace, pink ribbon and the S has a super cool shabby chic floral pattern.  I bet my friend Kim didn't know when she was making it that it would be hung right above Sterling's crib in the nursery!!!
Entry way baby book, adorable book mark and gummy worm favors, and those balloons you see hanging have cutouts from different books-so cute!


Hot chocolate bar, my niece and nephew were definitely fans of this part! 

The yummy food set up
Look carefully at the books where they made up cute storybook names for all of the food 

Some seriously delicious homemade sweets!!!
Won't be long till mama will get to have a mimosa of her own! Ha!  

I absolutely adore this part!  So on the invitation they asked everyone to bring a book in lieu of a card.  They had book tags for everyone to write who the book was from to be placed in the front of the book.  Anyone that knows us knows that we read a whole lot of books around here so we were so excited to get some new (and girly) books to add to our collection.  I know these books were meant for Sterling but we have definitely been trying them out on Brayden, such a change from our truck and tractor books!!!  The best part is that for years to come we can read these books and look back and think of friends and family members who so generously gave them to us!  This is the "before" basket of books, I just wish I had taken an "after" picture with this basket completely loaded with books!  Such a cool and practical idea that we just loved!!!

Sadly, I didn't get pictures with every person who attended the shower but I did get some pretty good group shots.  I so apologize if you came and I didn't include a picture of you!!!!

The amazing group of ladies that threw us the shower  plus Gwen's sweet new baby Lauren and minus our poor sick friend Lisa!!!  Nancy on the far left is due with her second boy just a week after me!  So exciting to have so many new babies around!  THANK YOU girls so much for a wonderful shower!
D-U-N-C-A-N-V-I-L-L-E!!!
My friends from high school :)
So glad to be living so close to Kim and Gwen and was blown away that Allie and Kristen (two of my very oldest friends from elementary school) drove in from Dallas, so great to get to see them!

My mom, sister, niece and nephew also drove in from Dallas, thanks y'all!!! Love you!!!
Brian's sister  Christi, Mamer Barron, mom, cousin Sarah, and Aunt Pam came to celebrate sweet Sterling too!  

Diamonds! :)
ADPi sorority sisters!!!  Fall 2000!
My family: mom, Aunt Kathey, Aunt Sally, Sister, Halley, Carson, and Aunt Rita all came too!

What an absolutely wonderful day shared with family and friends to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our sweet daughter Sterling!  So blessed to have so many amazing woman in my life and so thankful that you all came and shared this day with me!  I definitely came home with some adorable clothes, blankets, and much needed accessories to stock up her nursery!  Now we are just a little closer to being ready for her arrival!  


Here's to Happily Ever After!!! :)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Christmas 2012

Christmas?!  I know I am a month late but better late than never!!! We had a lot going on the week of Christmas and we took ALOT of pictures so I will let them do most of the talking! 

Brian and I's big gift for Brayden this year was a playset for the backyard.  A few days before Christmas Brian and his dad went and picked it up and started the assembly process...
A few hours later Uncle Keithy came to help out too, Brian was so lucky to have all of the help!  

As you can see here, it is dark...They definitely started when it was still light outside!

Aunt Christi came over and Brayden wanted to check it out early!

Still smiling :)

About 10 hours later and we have an adorable playset!!!  Thanks PaPa and Keithy for all of your help!!!


Christmas Eve morning we went over to Brian's Aunt Becky and Uncle Sandy's house for a chuck wagon breakfast.  They live on the most beautiful land on a river in Helotes and it was the most gorgeous day to spend time with family outside.  
  




Brayden loved this very old antique stroller and wanted his PaPa to push him around in it all morning!  
Brayden and his adorable and sweet second cousins (is that right?) 

They were so sweet with Brayden, sharing their toys and here they are tickling him


By the time we left Brayden was exhausted, he is so slumped down here about to fall asleep!  

We went to church Christmas Eve with Brian's parents and brother and sister.  PaPa even got there super early and saved us a pew so we didn't' have to stand this year!!!  After church we went to dinner with my Aunt Sarah, Uncle Tom, Aunt Sally, and cousin Chloe.  We kept Brayden up way past his bedtime but he is such a trooper and did great!!!

And finally here are some pictures from Christmas morning...
You know how much I love these pictures!  Brayden peeking downstairs before he came down to open presents!  

Look at that smile!  He went right for the train first!  

Was and still is a little hesitant about riding the train!

First stocking of the day




It took quite a while to open presents with Brayden this year because he would open something and then just want to play with it instead of opening more presents!  We were trying to keep him going though because we had places to go!  Next stop, Grandma and PaPa Barron's house...

Stocking #2

Helping Grandma open her gift


Getting help from PaPa

When we were living out there, Grandma taught Brayden how to get rides on a suitcase so of course when he opened his sweet little suitcase he thought it was a riding toy!!!

This child is obsessed with trucks and tractors!

And of course he thought this was also a riding toy!  Thank goodness  for a sweet daddy who is more than willing to please! :)
After Brayden's nap we headed over to my Uncle Tom and Aunt Sarah's house.  Unfortunately my poor dad came down with the flu just days before Christmas so we weren't' able to see Brayden's Grandpa for Christmas :(  We were able to see the rest of the Rehkopf family though, it is so great how close they live to Brian's parents house and it makes it so easy for us to see everyone!!!


Brayden LOVES his cousin Chloe and she is just so good with him!  You take this baby for a wagon ride and you'll have him in the palm of your hand!  She was so sweet to play with him so much :)

Hanging with Daddy, Uncle Tom, and his favorite one of their pups little Hunter

One of these days we'll get this guy a little keyboard.  He loved playing with it and especially loved playing with his Aunt Kathy and cousin Jonathan.
We had such a great day spending Christmas with family.  If I didn't mention you or get your picture I am sorry I just couldn't include them all!!!  Thanks to all of our families for everything and we are so blessed to have you in ours and Brayden's lives!

Finally the day after Christmas Brayden was able to go outside and play with all of his backyard Christmas presents!  This boy loves to play outside anyway and has a blast playing on all of his new toys!  He ran full speed ahead to check out his new things: 


A couple of days after Christmas my mom, stepdad, sister, brother in law, niece and nephew came and stayed with us for a few days.  We used to always head up to Dallas every year for a visit around Christmas but they understood that we had just moved in and were willing to come down here for a visit instead.  We all had such a great time visiting but Brayden had a BLAST playing with his cousins!  Halley and Carson were so sweet on Brayden playing with and entertaining him the whole time!  

Brayden kept on climbing up in their laps

They were so sweet and didn't mind a bit

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Torres for my new bouncy horse!  I love his face in this pic :)
He was and still is hesitant to get on but once he's on he has so much fun!

Cousins :)

Grandma and Grandpa Torres

Brayden learned how to swing like a big boy!

Sweet Halley helping with baths!  It is so cute to hear the way Brayden says her name

SO, that is our Christmas in a nutshell!  Only 11 more months and we'll get to do it all again!!!! :)
Happy New Year!  Here's to hoping 2013 is as wonderful as 2012 was!!!