My Beautiful Niece

We are here in Georgia, and my niece could not be any more perfect! She was in her swing this afternoon and I caught her sucking her thumb. I thought this picture was too cute. I also gave her a bottle this afternoon (Lindsay is supplementing a little with formula to get her back to her birth weight). We will do lots more pictures over the next few days and I'll continue to update. My sister is doing AWESOME! It has just been 6 days since she had Britten, and she showed up at the airport today with Justin and Britten to pick us up. I totally did not expect to see her, seeing as that Atlanta is about 1 hour and a 1/2 from their home. She looks so good...it's hard for me to believe she actually had that baby! It's so good to be here and see this baby in person.

Introducing Britten Nicole

Well folks, here she is and she's perfect!! Justin left the hospital to get Lindsay some food, so he stopped by the house while he was out to email us these pictures. I'm sure more will follow later, and I will have to continue to brag. She is beautiful and Lindsay is doing great!!

I AM AN AUNT!!!!

Yes, that's right...it's official. I'm an aunt! Britten Nicole Steffens was born at 5:18 Georgia time (4:18 Texas time) and weighed in at 6 lbs 7 oz...no length yet. My freakishly strong sister (yes, Ashley, you share this title with someone else) only pushed for a whopping 9 minutes!!! She's amazing. Mom and baby are both great. Oh, and baby has lots of curly hair! Can you believe it?! I can't stop crying. I'll post pictures as soon as they send some my way. I'll be there next week, and I think I'll probably take a few pictures myself. Can't wait!!!

I'm almost an AUNT!!!

My little sister is being induced as I type this. Both times that I have talked to her today, I have hung up crying. Tears of joy and excitement, but also tears of sadness b/c I can't be there right now. We'll be there next week, but I want to be there now, holding her hand, cheering her on, and seeing my precious neice right after she's born. Gosh, this is killing me!! Please say a prayer for Justin, Lindsay and baby Britten. I'll post the stats as soon as I get them...as well as pictures as soon as they send them my way!

Top Ten Reasons that I Love Christmas

10. Time off of work
9. Giving and Receiving Presents
8. An excuse to eat A LOT of food
7. Sleeping in and taking long naps
6. After Christmas Sales
5. Spending time with family
4. Watching Christmas movies
3. Wassail at my Mom's house
2. Waking up on Christmas morning next to my wonderful husband
1. Celbrating Jesus' birth and God's plan for Him to save us!!!


I hope everyone has a very safe and Merry Christmas!!

The State Capital

Also while Dustin and I were in Austin, we stopped by the state capital. I have been there several times, but Dustin had never seen it. Since he has his bachelors in history (he just finished and graduated magna cum laude so congratulate him next time you see him)this was really interesting to him! Here are some pictures I took...

Kandi and Brion

I did pictures this weekend for Kandi and Brion Owens in Austin. They got married at this beautiful facility outside of Dripping Springs. They wanted to have the ceremony outdoors, but the cold and drizzle kept them from that. But the day was still beautiful!! Their love for one another was so evident.

Meet Cowboy

Cowboy is my anniversary present from Dustin. He is hilarious!! He is so chubby that he waddles when he walks. He is also a golden retriever like Cassie. They sure played hard last night. Cassie got a little jealous when Cowboy tried to play with her rope, but other than that, they make a really cute pair!!

The Supremes

We put on a Christmas program each year for the residents at Carillon. This year we did the Ed Sullivan Show. We were The Supremes. After seeing this picture, I am strongly considering dying my hair black. What do ya' think? :-)

What a Morning!!

I took pictures for this family last year around this time. The little boy was SO adorable, I used him on my business card. Now, they have a precious 2 month old. They came to our house this morning for potraits since it's so dang cold outside. Carson (3 years old) was a little harder to chase this year, but I still think I got some good ones. Brantley (3 months old) is so cute and squishy!! I love those baby rolls...

A Mouse in the House

I guess the cold weather has caused these little creatures to invade our house! We caught one on Tuesday night, and I about FREAKED! I would not go near it. But when we caught this little guy on Wednesday, I took a closer look. As much as I hate them and want them out of my house, you have to admit, he's kind of cute! I know you think I'm crazy to take a picture of a mouse, but I thought it would be funny to post. So, we are doing everything we can to get rid of these little pests. Hopefully this cold weather will go away, and so will the mice!!

Senior Portraits

Some of you may know Nancy or her mom from Broadway. I really did not know her much before today, but what a cool girl to hang out with! I did her senior portraits this afternoon. Yes, we braved the wind, but it ended up not being that bad! My favorite place was this cool Coca Cola wall we found in the depot district. Nancy was really fun and photogenic. She let me try some new things, and only looked at me like I was crazy a few times!!!

Two Things - I've been tagged

Ashley tagged all of us that read her blog...thought this would be fun!

Two names I go by: Ally Cat and Smiley, one of the Smiley Sisters(thanks Dad)

Two of my everyday essentials: Mascara and wedding ring

Two things I am wearing right now: Watch and fuzzy p.j. socks

Two of my favorite bands or artists: FFH and Garth Brooks

Two things I want in a relationship: affection and forgiveness

Two truths I have: Somedays life just sucks and wedding photography is so rewarding

Two things I hate (or dislike with a passion): dirty dishes and smacking

Two physical things that appeal to me: dimples (have you seen my husbands) and eyes (have you seen the baby blues my hubby has)

Two favorite hobbies: scrapbooking and photography

Two things I want really badly: to have a baby and to be a stay at home mom

Two places I want to go on vacation: a cruise anywhere (I'm so jealous April and Kristin) and England

Two things to do before I die: be Jesus to as many people as possible and overcome my fear of reaching out to needy/poor

Two ways I am stereotypically a chic: chic flicks and yo-yo dieting

Two things I wouldn't normally admit: I have horribly smelly feet (just ask Dustin)and I hate brushing my teeth before bedtime

I tag Lindsay (This means you have to copy this on your blog - you've got to update that thing)!

The Settle's

Cory is Dustin's cousin, but may as well be his brother. I am proud to call Cory and Carla my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They are so special to Dustin and I and they are so much fun to be around. Their beautiful daughter, Mikaela, is a hoot! She has so much spunk and personality. We took pictures for their Christmas cards today. It was a little chilly, but a lot of fun!!

Our Christmas Card Picture

We took our Christmas card pictures on the Tech campus today. This one was my favorite of the family...

I Am Thankful

I realize this is a week before Thanksgiving, but I received an email this morning reminding me of what to be thankful for. I have recently complained about many of these things, instead of thinking of them as blessings...my clothes are too tight, our electric bill is too much, I'm so tired at the end of the day, etc. But today, I am thankful for these things, because they are ALL blessings. God has truly blessed me abundantly!

I am Thankful :

FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS HE IS AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

My Hero

These are my cousins, Kristin and Kelcee. Kristin, the oldest, is my hero. Yes, I realize that she is 8 years younger than me, but she is still my hero! I want to grow up to be just like her. If you knew what she's been through, she'd be your hero, too. She was diagnosed with a non-hodkins form of lymphoma a little over nine years ago. She was eight years old!! She is by far the toughest, most strong-willed person I know. She has been cancer free for almost 7 years now...praise God!!

Her sister Kelcee is the comedian of the family. Any impersonation that you want to hear, she can do. She is witty and very quick with one-liners. She sure kept us going when Kristin was going through treatment. And she still keeps us laughing today. Girls, I love you both so much! It makes me feel old to look at these pictures! :-)




Kristin is now in high school and is a cheerleader. I took Southland's cheerleading pictures this weekend. I am so proud of Kristin and all the things she's accomplished!

Busy Weekend

I have had a busy, but fun weekend! On Friday night, Dustin and I went on a date. This was our first date in quite some time. It was wonderful!! I came home from work to fresh flowers in a vase on our bar. Then, we had a wonderful dinner together! I love spending time with my hubby! On Saturday, I worked out in the morning, then took pictures for the Southland cheerleaders in the afternoon. Saturday night, Dustin and I went to his parents in Slaton to celebrate his Aunt's b-day (in Oct) and mine (at the end of Nov). We had a great dinner and played games. As always, Mikaela was most of the entertainment for the evening. Gosh, that girl is too funny! Today, Dustin and I went to church, ate at Lujan's with a few couples from our class, then I went to a Stampin' Up party. Like I said, it's been busy, but fun! Here are some pictures from last night.

MY CLOTHES ARE SHRINKING!

I don't know if anyone is with me, but with each change of season, I excitedly go to my closet to get all of my clothes out for that season. But to no avail, half of them seem to have SHRUNK! I just wonder in disbelief how the closet really shrinks your clothes??!! I've had a rough morning with clothes...they all seem to tight, and nothing seems to work with the season (it's cold in the morning and too warm for sweaters in the afternoon). Anyone agree??

The Cutest Trick or Treaters

You can't have a princess without her frog prince. Ramzi & Trax Adams are too cute!


Hunter Dutton...the cutest little monkey in town.

Retreat Weekend

What an awesome weekend! We stayed at a really neat place, had fabulous speakers, and a lot of fun together. It was a great time of fun, fellowship and spiritual growth with your spouse! I am truly blessed with an amazing husband and a wonderful group of friends in Class M.E.D.

Maternity Pictures

This is my beautiful pregenant sister, Lindsay. She is 7 months pregnant and glowing, as you can see! We had a lot of fun taking these pictures, even though she was exhausted after a busy weekend! I love ya' Lins!

My Sister's Coming Today!!!

I am so excited that my little sister is flying in today. I love it when all 3 of us are together...it reminds me of growing up! Lindsay is 7 months pregnant, and I am sure cute as can be. I cannot wait to hug her and to talk to Britten in her tummy. I will tell Britten that she is special, that she will be beautiful, and that her Aunt Ally loves her SO MUCH!! We have a fun-filled weekend ahead of us...Maternity Pictures, my cousins wedding, and Lindsay's baby shower. It's going to be great!!

Just Plain Cute

This is Cassie. She is by far the cutest puppy on the block! She loves her new neighbor and boyfriend, Titan. Titan is a full grown Great Dane and they like to kiss eachother through the missing fence picket. She teases him by prancing laps around the yard, then runs up to him with kisses. She is full of personality and is her "Mommy and Daddy's" pride and joy. If you ever come to visit, be ready for sloppy kisses and a game of fetch! She loves to play.

Lingerie Shower

We had a lot of fun at Amanda's Lingerie Shower this weekend. We ate at Ruby Tequila's, then went back to Amanda's cousins house for gifts, game, and fun!

Bridal Pictures

This is my cousin, Amanda. She is getting married this weekend to Chad. He is in the navy and is stationed in Hawaii, where they will be living. We had a blast taking her bridal portraits a couple of weeks ago!! Isn't she beautiful?! I have so many great memories with Amanda, including playing house, Barbies, dress up, and of course, learning how to eat ice cream "like a teenager." Thanks, Amanda, for all the great memories! I wish you the best as you begin this new chapter of your life!

Sleepy Puppy

As Dustin and I were watching Jay Leno last night, I looked down on the carpet to find our puppy, Cassie, sleeping with all four paws straight up in the air. She normally sleeps all curled up with her front paws underneath her face, but not last night. I guess she was REALLY tired! Dustin went to get the camera, and he could not resist getting in on all of the fun! After I took the pictures, he was going to wake her up. He picked up her back paw and she did not move. He shook her a little bit and she finally woke up. It scared me so bad...I thought something was wrong. I guess she was really sleeping hard.

WHY????

I must begin this post with a disclaimer: WARNING...this post could be a "downer." If you are looking for a bright start to your day, you may want to read this later.

With that said, I left my ladies bible study last night feeling pretty good! My fellow sisters in Christ are so fun, and they can make a bad day turn into a great one. So, generally, after leaving the study, I am on a high. But last night, I got home and was just in a terrible mood! I was short with Dustin, even though I had barely seen him all day. As I laid down last night, I could not stop thinking about why bad things happen to good people. This fact confuses me and frustrates the hound out of me. I also don't understand grief!! How can one hour earlier I feel great and one hour later I am crying my eyes out?! I had trouble sleeping last night. My mind would not settle. I'm mad, confused, depressed, frustrated, and on and on. Then, this morning, I received a very heartfelt and comforting email from a dear friend that I use to work with. She is probably the strongest woman I know. She found her 8 year old son, Carey, after he was shot accidentally. Then only a few short years later, they received a call that her step son had been killed in a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel. Once again, I want to scream, "Why God???" Although I know He does not cause these things to happen, I wonder why he allows them to happen. I'm just going through a really confusing time, but this email helped so much. Here is the email from my dear friend...her words are so powerful!! Sorry for the length of this post!

Darlin, there is grief in your loss. Many don't understand that, but it is just as painful as my loss. You and I have both lost a child, end of statement. That child was made from love, between you and Dustin, and there will always be a spot in your heart for this child. Fond memories...think about that just a minute.....remember how excited you were when you knew that you were pregnant? Remember how proud you were to tell your family and friends. I'm glad that you did, if you hadn't they would not be able to support you now, when you need them the most. Friends and family are always more than glad to be joyous with and for you in your happiness and cry with and for you in your times of loss. Remember what it felt like to know that your body was holding a gift from God. Yes, this child was and is a gift from God and this child is with God today, probably looking down on you, knowing your pain, your grief, and smiling upon you because this child knows that you loved and still love him. You may have never met this beautiful child but you did love it, with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your being. You wanted nothing but the best for him. I believe with all of my heart that Carey and Fletcher met him as he went "home" and they are teaching him the ropes of Heaven as we speak, your baby is not alone up there. :-)

Yes, each day is a new day. Each day is a day to love and live and grow and give all to the Glory of God. I don't know if you have heard the song, "Who you would be today"......God, that rips at my heart as it rips at yours I'm sure. Honey, we are in the same boat here and we are in a very special club that I never want another woman to ever have to join. In this boat, everyone takes their turn at rowing to carry the other mother's to the other side of this river...without each other all of us would simply be dog peddling, getting nowhere fast, but together we make many miles some days and other days we just float, then on other days we "allow" the current to carry us, where ever God wants us to be, totally faithfull that we are ok as long as He is carrying us.

I truly don't understand how anyone can survive without faith....look at the difference in me and Mike. I know that Dustin grieves, in his own way, but I pray that you two can share you feelings with each other. I pray that you two won't be "strong" for each other and let it go, let the tears, the screams to God rip. God does understand. He is your parent. As you will forgive your children when they don't trust your judgement, God forgives you instantly if you get mad at Him. He's a big God and He can handle it because He knows your heart.

Try to take care of yourself and allow your body, your mind and your spirit heal. It will take some time. Know that both of you have been in my prayers and will continue to stay there. In nine days I get to celebrate Carey's 17th birthday in Heaven. I hope they celebrate there. Whenever you get to where you think you can't take it any more look at the fact that only God got me through 17 years and He will get you through as many years as you have left in this life. He will send you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. Trust.

This is the tile that Dustin and my uncle, Mike, laid this weekend. The grout (sp?) has not been put on yet, but it's looking pretty good...

Close up of the new floors Dustin and I laid. The green spacers will eventually be replaced with cauking and a border.

This is our front living room...new floors and curtains.

Dustin's cousin, her husband, and 3 children were here this weekend from New Mexico. We did not get to spend much time with them because we were tiling our countertops, but they did come by to check out the house. I am so glad that I got to see their cute kiddos!! I know that they had a blast playing with their cousin Mikaela. I'm sure Mikaela enjoyed their company, also. From left to right...Mikaela (2 1/2), Katie (I think 6), Becca (will be 5 next month), and Jake (15 months). If only sound could come with pictures, then you could hear them all yelling "CHEEEEESE" at the top of their lungs.

T.V. is Addicting!

I have SO MUCH to get done on the house, seeing that I am having my sisters baby shower there in 2 1/2 weeks. We are saving the big projects for the 2 weekends that we have left, but I could be organizing, going through stuff, hanging pictures, etc. on the weeknights. And what did I find myself doing last night??? Watching t.v. for 3 solid hours. Well, of course I watched the Biggest Loser...that is a given. Gosh, that show motivates me. Then, as I cooked and visited with a friend, I watched part of My Name is Earl and The Office (probably the two dumbest shows out right now). Then, I was glued to Law and Order SVU. Did anyone else see this? These are suppose to be based on real cases. If so, I want to know how true to the real case they are. Last nights was really freaky. I was on the edge of my seat and biting my nails until the very end.

Needless to say, I accomplished almost nothing with the house. Then, I lay in bed at night, with my mind racing of all the things I should've done and need to do. I can't sleep and it's driving me crazy. I've either got to throw the t.v. out or find some willpower to turn it off and get off the couch!!!

HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT!!

This weekend, Dustin and I accomplished our first home improvement project together! We laid hardwood laminate flooring in our front room. After frustration, too much thinking, and sore knees, we finished in around 6 hours. And let me tell you, the sore knees were worth it. It looks great!!! This coming weekend, we are tiling our kitchen countertops. According to our Home Depot book, laying hardwood laminate is an easy job, but tiling is classified as a hard job. I'm sure I'll be giving an update after that...let's just hope it goes as well as the flooring!