The Murphree Family

We have a name!

2011-06-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

Choosing a name for a boy was not easy. Boy names are not super fun and exciting and you definitely can't make them cute like you can with girl names. So when we found out we were having a boy Kyle and I both had no clue where to start. I would suggest a name and he would veto it. After a couple of weeks of this Kyle finally said you make out a list and I will choose my favorite from it. So that I did.....it was not a long list. Ultimately, Kyle is not a huge fan of really traditional boy names but I was not a fan of going to crazy with the name so.....his name is Collins Edward Murphree. Collins has no significance whatsoever it was just a name we both agreed on. Edward was my grandfather's middle name. I always liked it and new I would want to use it for a middle name if we ever had a boy. Now that we have named him I try to add his name to at least one conversation a day with Kylie. She will say his name but mostly she just gives me a blank stare. I bet that blank stare will look a little different once he arrives! I have converted one of her unused drawers into "Collins drawer" and she knows that everything in that drawer is for him. Hopefully, within the next few weeks we will have painted her room and gotten everything ready for her to make the transition. I am nervous about the big girl bedroom but I think she is going to love her big girl bed. We have been undergoing several projects so pictures will come soon. I really need to do a better job of taking the before shots and not just the after shots. I am not trying to hide anything I just don't want to stop a job once it is finally getting started! More soon!

Kylie playing in the water hose (video)

2011-06-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

My favorite part is when she waves to Dada (I'm a little biased though).

Storms-Psalm 71

2011-05-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

It is impossible to predict where a storm will go or when it will hit, but it is good to prepare for it. No one can say that their lives are exactly how they planned. You can know that storms are coming, and knowing how to prepare for them is the only recourse we have. The Psalms are written by "storm survivors." Storm secrets: 1. Storms can give you a brand new shelter that you didn't know you had. Where do we run when we have trouble? David ran a well-worn trail of trust back to the savior. A rock-massive mountain stronghold. Sometimes storms will come into our lives so we will seek refuge. Storms grab our attention and make us say, "I cant do this buy myself." We must understand that when storms come, we do have somewhere to go. 2. Storms can give you a new perspective. David's storm was that there was a group of people who were violently pursuing him (enemies). However, his enemies made a miscalculation. The world says: "when bad things happen, God must not be there." This is not so. Storms take us on a new course God is with us, even amidst the storm. Even when we were in our mother's womb, He was with us. "Few of us ever fully understand that the heat of suffering is the refiner's fire....all of God's wisdom comes at a very high price." -David Jeremiah "So bless you, prison, for having been in my life."- Alexander Solyhenitsym Do we bless God for our storms? 3. Storms can give us a new story. The hero of my storm is God not me. Remember who the hero was and continually give him the glory. God controls the storm. "There is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until first of all it has come past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose."-Alan Redpath Passion should increase with age because you've seen God move in the storms you've lived through. God, I don't understand this storm, but I accept it. The above is from sermon notes that one of my dearest friends gave me. She had been working at a summer camp in 2004 in Tyler, TX. I have read these notes many times throughout the years but in light of the many storms-phyiscal, mental, emotional, and spiritual-that I have been weathering I needed them to resignate in me again. Weathering storms these last few weeks has brought me to my knees. I have never needed the power of God more. The storms have come and with great purpose. The purpose is not clear to me yet...it may never be but I am so thankful they are bringing me to a new place with God and my family. It is in these storms I am clinging to him the most and for that I can only be grateful.

It is a.....

2011-05-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

It is official we are having a boy! He is very healthy which is the most exciting thing to me. I am in complete shock. I just knew we were having a girl. Kyle and I were just praying for a healthy baby but I must admit I wanted Kylie to have a sister. So now there is a whole new level of preparation that must occur. I am so excited about adding blue to our house!

Reading List

2011-04-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Right now I am in the mood to read. I love reading. I love what I take away from a book once I am done whether it is fiction or nonfiction. I tend to read mostly Christian books (both fiction and nonfiction) but every now and then I branch out. Well right now I have quite the reading list. I am really not sure when I will finish all of these books but I am hoping to get through at least one or two by the time baby #2 arrives and I have even less time. All of these books came highly recommended. I will have to give my take on them later but I am sure they will not disappoint. Right now I have started Decision Points by George W. Bush and I am loving it. The other books are mostly for my personal growth as a wife, woman, and mother. I have always wanted to grow spiritually and I have daily strived to be a better more godly person but since becoming a mother there is definitely a since of urgency. I know she hears and sees everything I say and do. She watches my every move and looks to me for guidance and direction. I so want to bring her up to be a woman after God's own heart. So with that said here is my book list what does yours look like? 1. Decision Points by George W. Bush 2. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Vosenkamp 3. Treasuring God in your Traditions by Noel Piper 4. Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp 5. So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore

Times they are a changing....

2011-04-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

These last few months that I have not been blogging have been spent mostly sick. That is right the Murphree family has had something off and on since November. I am happy to say that sicknesses are passing and we are enjoying the beautiful spring weather. A couple of weekends ago we celebrated Kyle's 29th birthday! To celebrate we went to Connor's Steakhouse with his family and then on his actual birthday the three of us just stayed around the house and ate birthday cake. He loves thin mint cookies so I decided to make him a Thin Mint cake. I got the recipe from a friend who had made thin mint cupcakes. The recipe did not disappoint. It was the perfect amount of mint. Go here for the recipe http://themunciefamily.blogspot.com/2011/03/thin-mint-cupcakes.html. Now for Miss Kylie....she is wonderful. Everyday is a new adventure. She is just a sponge right now and soaks up anything and everything. Everyday I wait for her to show me what she has learned that day. She is finally getting more and more hair. Maybe by the time she is 2 we can put it in a ponytail. She is average weight and a little above average height. All in all I just love being her mom. I feel the pressure a lot of days as I stumble through how to raise her up to be a godly woman. I just keep praying for wisdom and I keep reading all of your blogs for ideas. And now to provide at least some blog exposure to our newest one. I have waited and waited to post about being pregnant. For several reasons: sickness, time, and fear. However, we have past the first trimester and it is time to post a belly pic and hopefully soon the sonogram pic of baby #2. Baby #2 is set to arrive September 29th. So Kylie will be exactly 2 years older than her sibling. I have always wanted my kids to be close in age. I hope that they will be great friends. I can only imagine what life will be like next fall but I am so grateful for the opportunity to find out. Kyle and I feel truly blessed. The next few months (really as all months) will bring about some much change in our family and with that so much dependence on the Lord. Anyway, here is a belly pic from I believe 10 weeks. I had no idea just how quickly I would begin to show. Based on the picture do you think Kylie will adjust well to sharing mommy?:)

November Kylie Video

2011-03-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Small video of Kylie From November

Happy Halloween

2010-11-02T14:44:00.001-07:00

Kylie had her first official Halloween this year. Last year she was only 5 weeks old so we did not dress her up. She did great and had a blast. We went to a church fall festival Saturday with some friends. It was a huge festival with things to do for all age groups. Then Sunday we had trick or treaters....I must say trick or treating seems to be going away...at least in our neighborhood. She loved when the doorbell rang (all fives times). She would run to the door and say hello and then once the kids got their candy she would wave goodbye and try to go with them. I am not a huge Halloween fan but after seeing her light up I am ready for Halloween to come around again. BTW, the bow you see on her head lasted about 40 minutes until she realized she was wearing it. Enjoy the pics!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we went to the Tate Farms Pumpkin Patch. Kyle and I had never been to a pumpkin patch so I thought it would be a fun and new experience for the whole family. It did not disappoint. There was so much to do...unfortunately we could not do everything since Kylie was a little young for a lot of the activities but it is definitely going to become a family tradition. The pictures above are from our day! What a gorgeous fall day!

1st Birthday

2010-10-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Our little girl is 1! I cannot believe how quickly time is passing. Each day is more and more fun. I just love watching her learn and grow. So what did we do to celebrate the occasion...well we had 2 parties of course. We really wanted her first birthday to include as much family and friends as possible so we decided to have a party at our house and then another party at my parents house. She had so much fun at both. Prior to her party Kylie had never had any sweets. Let me say that she knew exactly what to do when we put a cupcake on her tray. She was too cute....and too messy diving in. A few things to help me remember what she was doing at age 1: 1. Kylie started walking at the beginning of August. At that time she had also gone to only drinking out of sippy cups. 2. She had 6 teeth and 2 on the way. She got her first ear infection after her second party. 3. She weighed 19.12 lbs and was 29.5 inches long. 4. She can say momma, dada, nigh nigh(night night), more (verbally and through sign lang), hello, goodbye, shoes, a rough version of thank you, nummy nummy (yummy yummy), and nana.

10 months old today!

2010-07-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

My little lady is 10 months old today! She is all of the place. She is trying to walk but not quite there yet. It is so neat to just watch her explore and try to figure things out. I love to play with her when I get home but mostly I love to watch her and see what all she has learned that day. Everyday it seems like she is doing something new. As of late, she is learning to chew food. This summer I have slowly been integrating table food into her diet. She is finally starting to seem really interested. Before it was something new but too much of a hastle for her to eat a whole meal of table food (so much like her father!). But now she is really showing an interest in eating on her own. Yesterday morning my mom tried to feed her eggs...which she loves, however, she wanted to feed them to herself. When mom went to put the fork in her mouth she closed her lips together. It was so funny watching that strong opinion come out (so much like her mother...and her nana). I recently switched her to "big girl" oatmeal aka quaker oats and we are gradually adding sippy cups into the mix. She loves water out of her sippy cup but she is picky about milk from her sippy cup. If she is feeling well she will drink milk from the cup but otherwise forget it. She now has 4 teeth and the last two nights tell me more are on the way! All in all she is a happy baby. She is so sweet but wants things her way. She still clings to me but a lot of that has to do with not feeling well. Quick recap of her stats at 9 months: 18.4 lbs 27 inches takes 4 6 oz bottles a day eats 3 times a day-still "baby" food moved to a big girl car seat-still rear facing but our trips are greatly improving started crawling and pulling up I am truly thankful for her. What a blessing she is to me...I am reminded of that daily.

4th of July

2010-07-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

I thought this picture pretty accurately describes Kylie's first 4th of July. Unfortunately, this is how most of the day went but she did have some good moments. She was just completely out of her element. But we had a great time seeing family so all of the screaming was worth it. Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-06-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

This post is obviously late but our busy lives have not allowed for much blog posting. However, I had a great first Mother's day. Of course any day spent with my husband and daughter are great but to top it off my mom came into town and we went out to lunch with Kyle's family. So we all celebrated Mother's day together. Really all we did that day was go to lunch but that was fine by me because I love being at home! I hope everyone had a great Mother's day! What a blessing mother's are to us.

Swim Class

2010-06-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Kylie started her first swim class two weeks ago. I was so excited about it but not sure how she would handle it. Well, she did great. We got in the pool and she started splashing. Her swim class is more to get babies in the water and get them comfortable. It is meant to be fun and really a bonding experience with your child. Unfortunately, Kyle could not make the first class but he did get to go to the second. Here are a few pics from the day.

4 to 6 months

2010-04-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

So obviously we have been very busy. In the last 3 months Kylie has had a cold and a stomach virus...which she also gave to her momma, she has learned to sit up, pull up when holding your fingers, bounce in the jumper, say dada and momma, gotten her first tooth, started eating, learned to laugh,and I am sure there are more little things but these are the big things. So here's a quick recap so I don't forget what happened each month. 4th month: -Kylie began baby talking mostly just coos -we started her out on cereal which she hated! so we backed off of the cereal and just gave her plain foods until about 2 weeks ago. She started by eating sweet potatoes, bananas,carrots, pears, and apples. -The 4 month and into the beginning of the 5th month was the hardest time with Kylie. She fussed a lot. The only thing that would make her happy was for you to hold her and walk around. But every stage is temporary and once we got into the 5th month things started getting better. 5th month: -Began to sit up. -By the end she started saying dada -able to play with more and more toys -she rolled over -started playing in the exersaucer 6th month: -Perfected sitting up -started eating cereal again; we advanced her foods a little more and she did pretty well; the basic rule of thumb is she will eat anything with a banana in it -foods included: carrots, avocado, pears, apples, plums, bananas, chicken, peas, squash, green beans, rutabagas, & eggplant- unless you feed her these items individually off your plate she will not eat any of them by themself (except for the fruit) -started saying momma -started bouncing in the bouncy seat -beginning to show an interest in crawling -got her first tooth! teething started in January so we are thrilled! -of course she wants everything in her mouth...in particular paper. She is just wonderful! Being a parent has changed our lives. We just love her! Here are some pics of the last few months. I cannot wait to see her in the coming months it is so amazing how much she is growing and learning.

Kylie Videos

2010-04-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hello all. This is Kyle. Just posting a couple videos of Kylie. Kylie probably telling me she doesn't want to be in her jumper. Kylie dancing with mommy. BTW, while I was posting this, I have now realized an unforeseen annoyance in naming my kid after myself. Everywhere I have typed Kylie, I typed my name by mistake. Oh well, vanity has a price.

Kitchen Backsplash

2010-01-20T08:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend we finally put in a backsplash in our kitchen. When I say we it was really Daniel (a guy that works with Kyle) and Kyle. They did a great job. It took all weekend but it turned out really well. The backsplash was actually my Christmas present from Kyle. I have to say that I really wanted to get this project done but it got off to such a rocky start. I drove all over the place trying to find the tiles I wanted and the right design. So when it started off so rocky I was nervous about how actually putting it in would go but luckily Daniel has done this several times so it went extremely smoothly. Here are the before and after pictures. Thank you Kyle and Daniel!

One small accomplishment

2010-01-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

I have been try to coupon for almost a year now and to say I have not been good is an under statement. I feel like I have spent more than I have saved by just trying to coupon. But yesterday I finally had a small break through. Let me start by telling you how I used to coupon. I would purchase the paper and then each week go to southernsavers.com to see what Publix had on sell for the week. Well, for several months I did this and I would save at the most $12 and I would waste a good 30-45 minutes trying to clip the coupons. So after a few months I just gave up. Then this week a friend of mine/family member on Kyle's side told me about these 2 ladies in Athens, AL called "two thrifty sisters". They are a lot like southern savers but a little bit better in my opinion. They lay out all of the sales that Publix is having for the week and which newspaper to get the coupons from (southern savers does this as well but they are not always as accurate with the dates). So yesterday, I went to the two thrify sisters web page to get the coupon deals, I printed out the online coupons, and then I went home and Kyle helped me cut on the newspaper coupons. Unfortunately, in my couponing frustration I got rid of several papers from the month of November which were actually necessary for this week's sale but I still did okay. I say I did okay because so many people I know that coupon will spend $20 on $200 worth of groceries. I am no LB (Laura Beth), she is the one who started we on couponing. She blogs frequently about her couponing success and every time I am just amazed at the success she has since I have not had much. Okay so I cannot give you the whole grocery list to give you an idea of what all I bought but I can tell you that I spent $116 dollars and saved $79 this week at Publix. I blame the $116 on the sale items being more expensive (like the B1G1 olive oil and things like that). I needed to stock up on them but in general they are more expensive plus me not having kept all the papers did not help either. So there you have it a small accomplishment after almost a year. Does anyone else coupon? If you are a good couponer and have tips please pass them along. I love stretching a buck! BTW, these ladies will be holding a seminar next Saturday from 9-12 in Madison if you want to attend just check on their blog.

Mexican Casserole

2010-01-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe I made up a couple of months ago. I absolutely love mexican food but most of the carbs do not come in wheat so I decided to figure out a recipe that would allow me to eat more mexican. It actually turned out really well and it is pretty healthy for you depending on how much cheese you use. 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 1 package of taco seasoning 3/4 cup of water 1 bag of boil in a bag brown rice (family size), cooked 1 can of refried beans cheddar cheese, shredded Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the rice into a greased 9x9 pan. Then combine the ground beef, water, and taco seasoning in the hot pan you used to cook the ground beef. Pour the ground beef over the rice. Then spread the refried beans over the ground beef and then sprinkle the top with cheese. Bake for 45 min to an hour. Let me know what you think. BTW, this is a great casserole to freeze.

3 Month Pictures

2010-01-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures that my friend, Ashley Turnbull, took of Kylie as her 3month pictures.

More pics

2010-01-10T08:29:00.001-08:00

3 months and Christmas

2010-01-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

This was our biggest month of all. Kylie has started doing so many things. It is just incredible to watch her. Every week we have something new to look forward to. So this month I started back to work...it was extremely difficult for me of course not for her. However, she has a fabulous sitter whom I thank God for everyday. She loves Kylie and takes really good care of her. It took a few days to get used to the new routine but we finally got it down pat and then Christmas came. We went to Guntersville for Christmas Eve and then headed to Auburn for Christmas day. Unfortunately, Kylie and I were both sick but we still had such a great time seeing all of our family. Kylie got so many clothes and toys. This Christmas was exciting for us but not so much for Kylie since she was completely oblivous to what was going on. I cannot wait until next Christmas when she is a lot more mobile and will at least enjoy playing with the wrapping paper! I am posting some pictures of Kylie with my uncle Jimmy and Kyle's dad aka Grandpa. There are also some pictures of Kylie and Hadley...you will notice that some heads are chopped off. My cousin Chris took the pictures and was being all photographer like telling us to work the camera and then I go and look at the pictures and he cut several of the heads off of people (good try Chris but dont quit your day job!). After Christmas was over we came back to Huntsville. My mom came back with us to hang out since she was off from work that week and then my dad came up for New Year's. During the week we went over to Decatur so my dad's side of the family could meet Kylie. We dont get to see them very often but I have the best time when we get together. My cousin Phyllis loves to cook and be a hostess she always makes you feel special by making special treats like cappucinos or spiced tea. Kylie actually did really well with meeting so many people in one day. She is really not a baby that likes to be passed around a lot. Once she is comfortable she prefers to stay in that position and she is not afraid to make that known to us all....two words to describe my child: high maintenance! Unfortunately, going back to work this week was hard for both of us. We got used to being in our routine together again and then we had to change it back up. Our poor sitter had a long week but by Friday things got a lot better. BTW, it was freezing cold and snowing here Thursday and Friday. The snow is gone now but the cold remains. It is supposed to warm up to the fifties this week so hopefully we can stop having to run water at night so the pipes wont freeze. Milestones for month 3: almost rolling over playing with toys-she no longer wants to just stare at herself in the mirror she prefers to play with the toys on her mat coos and squeals frequently no longer prefers to be rocked to sleep for her nap...just lay her straight down takes a 5 ounce bottle like it is nothing! holds her head up well prefers to sit up and look out when in your lap sits in her bouncy seat and swing more she had her 3 month pictures made by a friend of ours, Ashley Turnbull. she has discovered daddy this month. when he talks she looks to find him. when he makes face at her she laughs. she loves her daddy and I love watching it. This month has been my favorite so far. She is learning to do so much and becoming so much more interactive. I know the months ahead are going to be even more fun!

2 months

2010-01-10T07:48:00.000-08:00

So it is time to sit down and recap the last 2 months. I have gotten so far behind on blogging and recording Kylie's milestones. So here it goes... At two months Kylie got to meet some very exciting people the first of which is my best friend Sarah. She came to stay with us for a weekend. It was so good to see her. She helped me tremendously by cooking, cleaning, and just catching up. So thank you Sarah for coming to visit...I am so glad you are Kylie's aunt! Then Kylie got to meet two of her cousins Lawson and Harper. They were born a week before Kylie. I was only able to get a picture of Kylie and Lawson...with three babies it was a challenge and of course my battery died. They live just down the road so I cannot wait for them to be best friends. I always loved having my cousins nearby when I was growing up and I really want the same for her. We also went for our first visit to Auburn so Kylie could meet the rest of my family and my former coworkers at Auburn (we met at Big Blue Bagel which I miss terribly). It was a long journey but we had a great visit and that was Kylie's best road trip...the rest have been a struggle since she still hates the car seat. Kylie's milestones were: Sleeping through the night smiling making cooing sounds beginning to play on the play mat and look around I think this is about it she weighed 10.10 lbs and was 23 inches long at her 8 week appointment.

Kylie's 1st Halloween

2009-11-02T09:02:00.001-08:00

Even though it was Kylie's 1st Halloween we did not really dress her up. We actually did not do much of anything but watch football. I figured that trick or treating was not an option since she is just now cooing so we dressed her up in a Halloween outfit and let that be Halloween. She looked so cute in her little pumpkin hat! We did however have some over night guests. Our friends Daniel and Laurel are in the process of moving and needed a place to crash. So they came over to eat, sleep, and play with Kylie....thanks Laurel for rocking her to sleep. So that was our exciting Halloween. I am sure next year will be much more exciting.

My First Sleepover

2009-10-30T07:45:00.001-07:00

My aunt Linda and cousin Kellie brought Hadley (Kellie's 11 week old) to visit this week. I think all of us were curious as to how it would go with two babies under the same roof but it went great. The girls did so well together. Kylie learned so much from Hadley this week. She has learned to take a bath without crying, take good naps throughout the day, and how to only wake up once during the night. Scheduling Kylie was so much easier with another baby around. Unfortunately, Kylie is still struggling as we introduce her to the bottle. I just hate watching her get so upset but I have to be persistant because other people are going to have to feed her in the coming weeks. Anyway back to this week, my aunt was a huge help with running my house and cooking up a ton of food for Kyle and I; and Kellie was a huge help with Kylie's schedule. It was so good to have them here. We hated to see them leave but we will see them again soon.

1 Month

2009-10-22T10:10:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that today Kylie is one month old. Time is flying by. She has changed so much this month. These are some of Kylie's one month facts: 1. Kylie HATES bath time 2. She loves her crib but only at night. During the day she will only sleep either on me or on my bed. At the moment I am not too concerned about this because once I go back to work she will have no choice but to sleep in a crib during the day. 3. She has started cooing, scooting, and holding her head up (not for long, just a few seconds). 4. She is beginning to enjoy being by herself. I could not believe it when Kyle put her down by herself on the couch the other night (he was sitting right beside her) and she could not have been more content. This is now making our days together so much more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong I love holding her but I do have to eat and go to the bathroom! 5. She has started to focus on my face when I talk to her. 6. She is slowly but surely working from eating every two hours to every two and a half to three hours during the day. She usually wakes up about every 4 hours at night. 7. I am trying to work on routines with her...mostly bathing off at night (not fun with all of the screaming), keeping a consistent time with her feedings, and keeping night times consistent. We don't have set times that we do everything that just depends on her but there is a routine at least so she knows when it is day and when it is night. 8. She loves to be swaddled and she still loves her mittens. 9. She constantly moves her arms and legs. She is wonderful..and beautiful. I love her more everyday. It feels like she has been with us for longer than a month. BTW, thanks to everyone who has called or emailed me with tips and advice and encouragement. We have been putting all of it to good use. Every week is better than the week before and every week is different than the week before. I cannot wait to see what all she is doing by month 2. The first picture is Kylie at 1 month and the next is at 2 weeks. The nudey picture is us trying to wake her last night to feed her. She had not slept all day so of course she was passed out last night but it had been three hours since she had not eaten. I hate waking up a sleeping baby. She just looks so angelic.

Visitors

2009-10-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the lack of posts things have been very busy around here. Every time I get to the computer Kylie calls for me...but we are making progress and right now she is sound asleep. So now for an update over the last month Kylie has had several visitors. At 2 weeks she got to meet her great grandmother aka Granny and her great aunt aka Aunt Lynda. This is Kyle's grandmother and aunt. And then this past weekend she got to meet her uncle Tyler. She was very good for all of them. They could not believe how little she is and just how much she loves to move around. Here are some pictures of her meeting family and a few extras.

Introducing Kylie!

2009-09-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Kylie Brooke arrived Tuesday, September 22nd at 8:20 pm. She weighed 7.4 lbs and was 20 inches long. Everything went smoothly but it was a LONG day. Kyle and I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am to check in. At about 7:20 my doctor arrived and broke my water. I dialated relatively quickly to 6 cm but then we hit a wall early afternoon. After several hours of no change I thought we were going to have to do a section but luckily things turned around at 4:30 and I rapidly progressed to 9 cm. This was a blessing but definitely the worst part of the whole day. I was shaking like crazy, burning up, and the pain was getting more intense (I did however have an epidural it was just kicking in again). Then at 6:00 pm the pushing began. It was such a surreal experience. I still cannot believe it is all over. I imagined it all completely different. I guess I always thought there would be several nurses helping my doctor and it would be very intense but I was calmly guided through the whole process and only did a second nurse appear at the very end and this nurse was there just for Kylie. Once Kylie arrived she did have to be monitored for about 5 minutes due to rapid breathing but then she was placed in my arms. I think I was too exhausted to truly take in that moment but it was amazing to hold her for the first time. She was so pleasant. She just laid there in my arms so quiet and peaceful. Then after about an hour our family came in to see her. I have never seen such happy grandparents in my life. They were all so proud. The grandparents were followed by my brother and two of my aunts. By this point, I was completely out of it and just let them enjoy her. We got to come home Thursday evening at about 8:00 pm. It was another long day but I was so thankful to come home and lay in my bed with no nurses to disturb us every few minutes. So now we are just focusing on Kylie's feeding times and resting. She sure does love to sleep! It still amazes me and Kyle that we had a child this week. She is just perfect. We love our precious girl.

The End is Almost Here

2009-09-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor for my weekly appointment and the doctor has decided that next Tuesday the 22nd will be the day Kylie arrives. She will technically be a few days early but the doctor is a little concerned with how big she may actually be. Right now she is around 7-7.5 lbs and my belly is ALL Kylie. This explains the constant pain I have from her. Kyle and I are so excited to have an official date but it is so weird to think that a week from now she will be here with us. How exciting! At first I was hesitant on the whole induction thinking that since it is before the technical due date. I just felt like I was being a bad mom, like I should just stick it out another week but I would rather her come now than to keep getting bigger inside of me and have further complications. So there we have it....officially parents in a week!

Labor Day weekend and 37 Weeks

2009-09-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I had a great Labor day weekend. We were so excited to just hang out and watch football together. Saturday we made chili and creme brulee. I know this sounds like a crazy combination but the chili was a must because of football and the creme brulee was something we have been wanting to make for awhile and we figure we better do it now. Then of course we watched every football game that was on for the rest of the day....and rest of the weekend(Some I paid more attention to than others). The rest of the weekend we just got some errands taken care of and did a few house chores. I had a little burst of energy this weekend to get things done but Monday was much needed for sleep. It was so nice to have Monday off. This morning I went to the doctor. We finally have progress! I am 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. It is so nice to no that something is going on. The doctor thinks the baby is somewhere around 6-7 lbs. Other than just feeling a little sick these last few days and of course being tired things are going really well. I am so thankful that things have gone so well. I cannot wait to meet our little girl and see what she looks like. I have been imagining it much more lately and I have to say it is making me much more anxious. I have been developing this picture in my head but of course that has no bearing on what she will look like. Will she have my red straight hair or Kyle's brown curly hair or a mixture of the two? I personally am hoping for red curly hair! I guess we will find out soon enough!

35 Week Appointment

2009-08-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor today to begin my weekly appointments. I had to start a week early with the appointments due to a car accident I was in 2 weeks ago. I started having contractions but with a shot we were able to stop them. Kylie and I are both fine but I had dilated a cm so the doctor wanted to start checking me more frequently. Today everything looked good. Kylie dropped last Thursday evening. It was so cool. Kyle and I were eating dinner and she was going crazy so I pulled my shirt up so we could see my belly. All of a sudden we could see her whole body just fall in my belly! I have kept pushing on the top of my belly to see if she really has dropped and there remains an empty spot on the top of belly. This has caused much relief to my ribs but much more pain in my hips but at least she is making progress. And the doctor confirmed her drop today! Anyway, her heartbeat is around 140. I had not dilated anymore which is good because she at least needs to bake for another week and a half. I cannot believe that we are getting so close. She moves constantly so I am always aware of her presence...not sure what this means as far as how she will be when she is outside of me. I am sure God is already laughing!

The Nursery is Finished

2009-08-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend we finished the nursery! I am really excited about it. It turned out so well. I cannot wait until we can bring her home and put her in her crib.

Suggestions

2009-07-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Hobby Lobby on my lunch hour. I have been wanting a shelf to put up in Kylie's room. However, the shelf needs to be painted. So my question is should I paint it white, black, or brown? Kylie's furniture is cherry wood colored(almost black), her curtains are white and I have a white lamp in her room. I originally was hoping to paint it white but I am just not sure since all of her furniture is cherry. I cannot wait to have her room finished! It has been fun to see it come together but a little stressful at times too. I just want it to look good when I am done. The funny thing is it will be the only finished room in the house...she is already taking over:)

A Heavy Heart and an Open Mind

2009-07-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

These past few years God has been trying to teach me to slow down and prioritize. I am used to sprinting when I need to be in a marathon. I have always put to much on my plate and too much pressure on myself. After all we are supposed to be perfect right? So when Kyle and I got married things did not change. He was in grad school and I was working. There was never a shortage of things to do..house work, school work, go to work (I even worked 2 jobs for awhile), travel, go to social events, and the list goes on and on. Well, with all these things on my list it left very little time to just be..to just be with God and to just be with Kyle. I just could not say no. Well, then we moved. This helped a little but of course we "needed" to search for a house and we "needed" to go to as many Auburn games as possible. Then we got the house and then almost immediately found out we were expecting our first child. Of course with pregnancy came morning sickness and then there has been the nesting to prepare for our newest addition. So finally, God says enough to me. Enough running around and making your long lists that take away from me and away from your last few months as just a family of two. I am taking away your ability to run all over town and the country. It is time for you to rest in me. I will show you what is important and what needs to be done. And I will make it all happen. I have provided you with a help mate who truly does want to help you. Let him help you and you in turn focus on me and your marriage to him. Of course, I do not give in easily because I just cannot fathom watching my husband run around doing everything while I rest. I "need" to do chores right? Wrong! I am constantly being stripped of myself. I am being forced to realize that my success comes not when everything on the list is checked off but when I put God and my husband first. Everything I built up as priorities is crumbling at my feet. I am paying the ultimate cost by putting my list ahead of God and my husband. I realize that now is the time for me to learn this lesson. Now is the time for me to put God and family first. I always think I am putting my family first when I complete my list but their needs are not always met by my list. We all have a different love language. So if I don't submit and humble myself before God now I will raise my daughter up to follow in my footsteps. As much as I want her to see me as "superwoman" I want her to see that "superwoman" knows how to prioritize. Life can change quickly so "superwoman" must realize the true meaning of life and what is really important. This post is a little different than most (I hope it makes sense) but I just have such a heavy heart right now. One of my best friends, Sarah, lost her dad this past week to cancer. He was young and in great shape and it all just happened so quickly. It just makes me realize that tomorrow may be too late. I cannot keep putting off this change that the Lord wants to make in me. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

The Answer Is...

2009-07-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor this morning. She confirmed that I was having contractions (some people get them in their back and others get them in their stomach) but she was not worried since they went away on their own. She said I need plenty of fluids and rest. So all travel is now but on hold. Basically, I have just been doing too much and I need to slow down. The good news is Kylie is doing well and she is head down now. I am measuring right on target! 9 more weeks!

Help Please

2009-07-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

Can anyone tell me what Braxton Hicks contractions feel like? I am pretty sure I had them all day yesterday. For awhile it was around every 15 minutes I felt sick and then I would get painful pressure in my lower back and hips. Gradually this feeling got further apart throughout the day. I am not sure if it is just the typical growing pains or if it is actually Braxton Hicks. Any opinions?

1 Year Ago

2009-07-15T09:25:00.001-07:00

This post is a couple of days late. We were painting and working on the nursery this weekend so I did not have a chance to post on the official 1 year mark of our move to Huntsville. July 11, 2008 was my last day working at Auburn University and living in Auburn. It was a day of mixed emotions. I was so excited to start a new journey in Huntsville. I new we were following God's lead so the possibilities of what was yet to come was exciting. However, leaving my job, church, family and friends was hard to swallow. Here is how July 11th went: I started off my day at work for the last Camp War Eagle session. Once camp was over I finished up some last minute office work and then loaded my car. After that the ladies in my office took me to lunch a Ariccia in the Hotel and Conference Center. Once lunch was over I said my tearful goodbyes (and I do mean tearful...I left sobing...oh the last impression I made:))I then met my mom and headed straight to the chiropractor...apparently stress goes to my neck. Then it was on to pick up the UHaul and Auburn Furniture to get our table and chairs, bedroom set and recliner. From the furniture store we went to the apartment and to meet the boys my father-in-law sent to help us load up all of the boxes. Who knew we could fit so much stuff in one apartment. It was such a long and exhausting day! That night I spent the night at my parents house and on July 12, 2008 my parents and I headed up to meet Kyle in Huntsville with the UHaul. Kyle had already started his job in Huntsville so rather have him come back down we decided it was much better for him to meet us at the new apartment and get things going there while we were on the road. We arrived in Huntsville about lunch time on the 12th and began the daunting task of unloading a UHaul FULL of our belongs. It was so hot and humid that day. Luckily we got all the boxes into the apartment by midafternoon when the downpour came. There was so much to unload but that would take several days to accomplish. Over the next few days Kyle went to work and I took care of all the odds and ends around the apartment and then we headed off to Destin for a much needed vacation. It took awhile to get used to driving around town, finding a church, finding a routine (I feel like we did nothing for several months). But here we are now. God has provided for us and met every need. We both have jobs, we found a house and a church. We are starting to meet people in Sunday school. And of course we have been blessed with baby Kylie who will arrive in September. Nothing is as it was but everything is as it should be. We are still trusting God for guidance and direction but as with everything else he will and it will be in his timing. I know no one else will be interested in the ins and outs of our last year but I wanted to write it all down.

Test Results

2009-07-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went for the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. It was long and miserable. The good news I did not pass out but it did completely drain me and I have been eating a lot since 11:30 yesterday. But the test paid off and I do not have gestational diabetes! I am so glad. I workout and I am pretty good about my diet so I was really not sure how else I could adjust things if the results came back positive. Thanks for your prayers!

28 weeks and counting

2009-07-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

I am now officially in the third trimester. I cannot believe. It is so wierd to think that Kylie will arrive at some point during this trimester. To celebrate our last few months alone we went on our babymoon for the 4th of July. Friday morning we headed down to Pensacola Beach. The real reason we were down in Pensacola was for a wedding of one of my dear friends but it is the closest thing to a vacation we will have before Miss Kylie makes her appearance. We had such a good time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Friday was the rehearsal dinner which was fabulous and then Saturday we had the bridal breakfast and lingerie shower. Saturday afternoon Kyle and I went to the historic square in Pensacola where they had festivites going on. However, it was SO hot that we were not there for long...we grabbed a corndog and then headed back to the room for a much needed nap. Saturday night we ate at The Fish House which was really good. Then Sunday marked wedding day! Ashley was a beautiful bride. Everything was so pretty. I just love weddings! It is so amazing to see the result of God orchestrating two lives and joining them in marriage. I wish I had pictures from that day but being a bridesmaid made it difficult and unfortunately we could not stay for the reception since we had such a long drive back. This morning I had my 28 week appointment which included the gestational diabetes test.....I did not pass. So now I am going to have to do the 3 hour test. Lovely! I was pretty disappointed just because I don't normally handle these tests very well...I pass out. So to have to do a 3 hour test scares me. On a good note everything else looks good and I am measuring at 29 weeks. So hopefully, the next glucose test will go well and I will be back on the "normal" pregnancy track. I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Auburn Baby Shower

2009-07-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was blessed to have some wonderful people shower me with their presence and presents. It was so good to see so many people that I miss so much. I had such a blast. We played games and ate delicious cake from Taylor's Bakery (yum!). The gifts people brought were wonderful. Baby stuff is just so much fun! Here the pictures from the shower. I thought I had the slideshow set up...I will figure it out and post it soon...sorry. So here are a few pics until I can figure out the slideshow.

Happy Birthday to Us!

2009-06-22T07:05:00.001-07:00

(Kyle feeding the sting rays)

This weekend Kyle and I separated our birthdays in Chattanooga at the acquarium. For Kyle this was an extremely belated birthday since his was actually March 26th but due to my morning sickness and the weather we had to postpone. So to make up for him being so patient with me these last few months I decided we should celebrate my birthday (Friday) in Chattanooga. So off we went Saturday morning at 7:30 am to Chattanooga with our friends Taylor and Amanda. We had such a great time! It was really hot but luckily we were inside most of the time.

Then after we got back Saturday afternoon Kyle and I headed off for a game night with our Sunday school class. Yes, that is right we finally have a Sunday school class and are starting to meet a few people! The class just started up in May so we are still growing but we have about 7 or 8 couples that attend on a regular basis. It will be neat to see just how this class grows.

Our busy weekend continued yesterday with Sunday school and then a trip over to Guntersville to celebrate Father's Day, my mother-in-law's birthday and my birthday. It was very relaxing. I even got a chance to get in the pool for a little while. It was a great weekend but I am now completely exhausted.

My first mom class

2009-06-17T15:18:00.001-07:00

I titled this carefully so I wouldn't just blurt out "My first nursing class" but that is what I went to on Monday night. It is actually only a one night class but there are several support groups that I can attend to get further information once Kylie arrives. But anyway, I have to say I loved the class. It was so informative but the instructor did not take it to far. I learned so much about what to expect and how to help prevent certain not so fun things from occuring. After watching some of the videos during the class I can see how easy it is for things to go wrong or not as well as we moms would like when the hospital lactation consultants are not very good at there job (one girl in the class shared her previous experience with this). I know I am not giving much information but I figure most of you moms no what I am talking about and the rest of you would rather I not go into too much detail...especially via the blog. I would highly recommend a nursing class to anyone who is expecting and planning to nurse. I know nursing will not be easy even with the knowledge but I do feel calmer after being given all of this information up front. I feel like I won't be a failure if nursing does not work out for me or for the baby. There is so much pressure with nursing that it is easy for me to let it overwhelm me. God bless all of you who have given nursing a try and can share with the rest of us your good and bad experiences. I will let you know how things go in a few months:)

Tagged!

2009-06-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Christen!! Things I am looking forward to: 1. Friday Date night with Kyle 2. Going to my prenatal swim class tonight-I am in major pain today! 3. Having a free weekend 4. Getting stuff for Kylie's room this weekend 5. Sleeping 6. Meeting Kylie in September 7. Ashley W's wedding in July 8. Catching up with people when I am in Auburn at the end of the month Things I did yesterday: 1. Worked 2. Picked up my prescription 3. Folded clothes 4. Watched TV with Kyle 5. Talked with my cousin Robyn 6. Made a BLT for dinner-I love these! 7. Registered for a nursing class 8. Ate ice cream Things I wish I could do: 1. Be outside all day 2. Everything on my thing to do list-my energy/back and legs just won't let me 3. Coupon-I am working on it-I really just want to get the hang of it 4. Sew-I have started but I think I am going to need lessons 5. See my friends more often 6. Go to the beach 7. Paint my house 8. Sing-just in general Shows I watch: 1. Reba 2. Food Network-in general 3. Jon & Kate Plus Eight-not sure if this will stay on the list since there marriage situation is completely depressing me 4. Wipe Out-Kyle and I watch this show together it is hilarious 5. Tori and Dean 6. House 7. Biggest Loser- this was my first season to watch 8. Most other shows just depend on if I have time Favorite foods: 1. Mexican 2. Italian 3. Seafood 4. Salads 5. Cookies 6. Brownies 7. Appetizers 8. Fruit Places I've traveled: 1. New York City 2. Los Angeles 3. Captiva Island-our honeymoon 4. Chicago 5. Las Cruces, NM/El Paso, TX 6. Disney World 7. Bahamas 8. Several places in Tennessee to go rafting-boy my list is exciting! I'd like to travel: 1. Wyoming 2. Canada 3. Boston 4. Alaska-cruise preferably 5. Hawaii 6. Italy 7. Paris 8. Greece People I tag: 1. Ashley Bell 2. Ashley W. 3. Alanna 4. Kellie 5. Julie 6. Laura Beth 7. Amanda 8. Lacey

24 Week Picture

2009-06-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

I finally took a picture last night. I have let way too many weeks go without documenting my pregnancy so now I am trying to play catch up. I can only imagine what week 40 is going to look like!

24 Weeks

2009-06-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my official 24 week mark. I cannot believe how time is flying by! I went to the doctor this morning and everything looks good. I am measuring right on target. Next appointment is the glucose test and after that appointments every two weeks...crazy! So this weekend my parents came up to go to my appointment with me. We worked on the nursery yesterday getting all of my baby stuff situated and put into place. Once I started trying to figure out where I wanted to put things I realized that I am in desperate need of some organizing bins for her closet. I have a dresser for her but that just does not seem like it is going to be enough. Kyle's family had a mini shower for me two weekends ago which is where I began accumulating a lot of the stuff I have so far. It was so sweet of them to start with the gifts....they are a bunch of shoppers! BTW, I have started on getting all of the bedding set up so hopefully within the next few weekends we can finish up the "look" of the room and I will be able to post pictures soon. I am so excited for Kylie to arrive but I am really enjoying this time of preparing for her. God has blessed us with so many people who are being so supportive. Sometimes when we are up here in Hville it feels like we are alone but he keeps showing us just how many people have not forgotten about us. With that said I cannot wait to see what adventures the next 16 weeks will hold!

It's a......

2009-05-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

It's a girl! Her name is Kylie Brooke. Everything looks great. She is right on target for 20 weeks. We are super excited and totally shocked. We thought for sure it would be a boy but either way was fine with us. I made pink and blue cookies last night to bring to work today for whatever it turned out to be. I should have more to say but I am so excited I don't know what to say!

There is a human inside of me!

2009-04-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

Last night as Kyle and I were lying in bed I felt the baby move. I have felt flutters here and there for a couple of weeks but last night it was like a fist rubbed across the inside of my belly. It was really cool but I turned to Kyle and I said, "Oh my gosh, there is a human inside of me." I don't think it has quite hit me until that moment. Of course Kyle looks at me and said, "Yup, there sure is!" I think he was confused about why I was so shocked because he knows I cannot wait to be a mom. And of course I cannot wait to be a mom but sometimes the reality just hits me. Our lives are already changing but they are about to change even more in September. In ways that I cannot fathom. Thank you to all you moms who blog so I can learn from you and feel comforted by the blessings and craziness that being a mom brings.

Finally!

2009-04-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally got to the gym. I have been waiting for the day when I felt well enough to go. I miss working out and how good it makes me feel. Plus I know how beneficial it will be for me during labor. So I will be honest and say that I did not accomplish much but I did do the eliptical machine for about 20 minutes and I did about 1.3 miles. It was frustrating to get on and not go my usual speed but hey something is better than nothing. Hopefully, I can keep this up and actually make it a routine. But if not praise God for at least one day!

Weekend happenings and baby updates

2009-04-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

My cousin Kellie and me this past Saturday. My cousin Robyn and her 8 1/2 month old son Cole. My friend Sarah and me two weekends ago.

The last couple of weekends have actually been pretty busy. Two weekends ago one of my best friends Sarah came to visit. We had a blast catching up and going maternity shopping. I miss her so much. She and her husband live in Atlanta and we just don't get to see them nearly enough.

Then this past weekend we went down to Auburn. We got together with my family on Saturday for my cousin's birthday. He turned 2! It was so great to see my family. I especially enjoyed seeing my cousin Kellie. She is also pregnant and about 8 weeks ahead of me. The cool thing is we are only about 9 months apart. It is so fun to have her going through this at the same time. Especially since she is further along and I can get her advice. Sunday we headed back up to Huntsville. I wanted to stay for Easter but I had to get home and rest. I am feeling so much better now but I get so exhausted so easily.

Speaking of which I had my 16 week appointment on Friday. Everything looked great. The nurse found the heartbeat much quicker this time. It was 174. My mother in law came and took me to the doctor. We had a great time and I think she really enjoyed getting to hear the heartbeat. So at my next visit we get to find out if the baby is a boy or girl. I cannot wait! This is the appointment I have been looking forward to the most. I just cannot believe that I will be half way through my pregnancy in 4 weeks. So mark your calendars for May 11th it is the big day!

12 week appointment

2009-03-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my 12 week doctor appointment. Everything looks good. It took the nurse forever to find the heartbeat. Baby Murphree is apparently going to be mischievous. He/she kept running away from the nurse. Everytime she thought she had the heartbeat the baby would move away again. Luckily, the nurse finally had success and the heartbeat is 164. The appointment itself was not too excited I was just glad to hear the heartbeat and know that everything is still on track and going well.

Guess what popped out this week.....

2009-02-27T13:28:00.001-08:00

My belly. Yep, all of a sudden on Wednesday I had a belly. When Kyle got home from work I said look and turned to the side. His eyes got really big and then he said, "Wow, you are going to be huge." I promptly hit him and said that was not the an appropriate comment. So it is officially obvious that there is a baby inside of me.

8 week appointment

2009-02-23T14:05:00.001-08:00

So last Monday I had my 8 week appointment. I know I am a week late posting but I could not get to a scanner. Everything looked great. The heartbeat was 179 which was right on target. The doctor said it will level off in the next couple of weeks. The baby has grown quite a bit since the first ultrasound we had done. It was so cool to see how much it has grown in 2 weeks. I am going to post a picture even though there is not too much to see. Oh, and I need to give credit where it is due my good friend Amanda was kind enough to scan the picture for me. Thanks Amanda!

Valentine's Weekend

2009-02-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

Well, this Valentine's day was different from others in the past. Kyle and I usually have a date that night...nothing big just usually a nice dinner. Well, this year we were not even together on Valentine's day. Over a month ago a trip had been planned for a group of Kyle's friends and their wives to go to Atlanta for the weekend. We were both looking forward to it and getting away for a few days to see friends. In the end Kyle got to go and I had to stay behind. I just did not think it was the best idea for me to go away for the weekend with as crappy as I have been feeling. However, Kyle had a great time in Atlanta hanging out with friends that he sees very rarely. While he was away my parents came up and took care of me. Mom cooked all day Saturday so I would have enough food for about 2 weeks. It was wonderful and much needed! It is so nice to have real meals again. I have not cooked in several weeks. All in all it was a good weekend for both of us but I am so glad he is home.

Nausea + Cravings = Baby Murphree

2009-02-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Kyle and I are expecting our first baby! I am seven weeks this week. We found out about a week and a half ago.We are shocked but really feel blessed.After a little scare on Friday I got to hear the heartbeat early. So far everything seems to be okay. I am really nauseated (sp?) and all food sounds disgusting until all of a sudden that is the only thing I can eat. I am tired but not exhausted. It actually has been a good thing that we unexpectedly went to the doctor on Friday because we got to hear the heartbeat which allows us to tell people and I got some nausea medication. I go back to the doctor in two weeks so hopefully at that point I will get to post a picture.

Our 2nd Anniversary

2009-01-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

Today marks our 2nd anniversary. We have had such a great 2 years with lots of ups and downs that have strengthened our relationship and brought us to where we are today. I am so thankful for him. God has truly blessed me with a great husband. I cannot wait for many more anniversaries to come. Tonight we are going to eat at Grille 29. It is a steakhouse in Huntsville. We have heard good things so hopefully we will enjoy it. We are not doing the present thing this year since we have had so many big expenses with the house (which is present enough). I will try to post a picture of our wedding later. I thought I had one saved on my jump drive but apparently not.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-23T07:13:00.001-08:00

Better late than never right. Here are some pictures from the month of December at our different Christmas gatherings. We had so much fun seeing all of our family over the holidays. We spent the weekend before Christmas with Kyle's family and then we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with mine.

Updates...

2008-12-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

Since I have not posted in awhile here are some updates on what is going on this month in the Murphree household: 1. Last weekend officially began the Christmas holiday season for us. Saturday night we had 2 Christmas parties (one for Kyle's work and one for Kyle's high school friends). Then Sunday we did Kyle's mother's side of the family Christmas. 2. I bought a couch, chair, an ottoman and blinds. So exciting! However, at first it was a little stressful to figure out the color scheme we want. 3. We close on our first home today! Everything has truly fallen into place. God's hand has been on everything since the first day we looked at the house. I love watching him work and see how he is going to orchestrate everything. 4. This weekend we are going to Kyle's parents house to celebrate Christmas with them and then we will leave on the 24th to see my parents. 5. The 27th will be move in day...hopefully everything will be finished before New Year's so we can actually rest one day before going back to work. 6. I sit back everyday and realize just how much I need God and need to continue to rely on him for everything...church, work, relationships, everything. He provides in more ways than I can imagine. I hope everyone has a great holiday! We will definitely do Christmas cards next year. Thank you to everyone who has us on your list. We love get the cards...especially the ones with your pictures.

6 Random Facts About Me

2008-11-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

I guess after being tagged twice it is time for me to give everyone 6 random facts about myself. 1. I love to read but until recently I have not had the time to do so. So I am making up for lost time. Right now I am reading the Twilight series....don't judge it is actually is not as weird as you might think. 2. I love to cook. I constantly watch the Food Network...it is my Saturday morning ritual to make coffee and then sit and watch the Food Network for several hours. I have learned so much and gotten so many great ideas from all the different chefs. 3. I desparately want a pet..preferably a dog but we are waiting until we get house. However, I am nervous because we will actually be the parents and deal with problems (i.e the pet getting sick). 4. I just started going to water aerobic classes. I never realized how challenging they can be. I still plan to do the eliptical machine but these classes will be my new regular exercise routine. 5. I used to be a great housekeeper. Everything was always really clean and orderly but now I tend to slack off. I will say part of this is the amount of space we have in our apartment but I hate for things to be out of order. Lately, I just have no motivation to do housework even though I would rather do housework than most other jobs. So I guess that means that I am just all around lazy now! 6. I love football, especially Auburn football! This year I have started watching all the other SEC teams play. It is just so much fun to watch. The six people I am going to tag are Amanda, Brooke, Ashley, Shealy, Tipi, and Brandi.

A New Church Home

2008-11-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

We are in the process of finding a Sunday school class but it looks like we have found a new church home. We have visited Crosspointe Church several times and we just love their contemporary service. We actually feel more at home than we have since left Auburn. Please pray we will find a Sunday school class and that we are able to get involved. Kyle and I have been praying for direction. The church finding process is so exhausting it will be nice to actually attend and not pick apart the church. Praise God for guidance!

Wedding Pictures

2008-10-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures from the wedding this weekend. It turned out so well. Everything looked really pretty. The pictures really do not do it justice. I had so much fun decorating! Happy Monday!

"Last" Wedding

2008-10-23T09:15:00.001-07:00

This weekend will be my "last" wedding or at least for awhile. I think most of you know I used to be an event planner. I did weddings every weekend in the spring and summer....sometimes more than one wedding in a weekend. But lately I have just done a few here and there with a wedding planner in Auburn. The fast pace, high intensity atmosphere is exhilirating! Getting to work with different people every week and hearing their stories was so much fun. Some days I do miss doing weddings on a regular basis and other days I am thankful to have my weekends and low stress job. But only God knows if he will put weddings in my future.... The wedding is at the Opelika Train Depot so it should be really pretty just maybe a little cold. I am really excited about it because I am actually going to be doing the ceremony and the reception. While doing both can make for a tiring weekend I will actually get to help do some fun decorating. Please pray everything goes smoothly and I am not too tired after this weekend. I do have to be back at work on Monday:( Hopefully, I will have time to take some pictures this weekend.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday Kyle and I went to the Payne's house for a Pumpkin Carving Party. We had so much fun! I was a little unsure about the whole pumpkin carving thing since I have not done it in over 10 years. However, I bought a pumpkin carving kit and it worked so well. I do have to say that we just did the typical old school pumpkin but now that I know how much easier it is to carve with the kit we will definitely get more adventurous next year. I was so excited to have our first pumpkin! I know that is cheesy but it is the little things that count right? It was also such a blessing to actually have people we know to hang out with at a party. God is definitely blessing us in our new city....home is still a little too wierd. Happy Halloween everyone!

Exciting Weekend!

2008-09-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that Friday is finally here and that this particular Friday is here. Kyle and I are headed to Auburn for the weekend. I am going to the game with my parents....still not sure that I will be glad with the outcome but maybe the game won't be as bad as I think. I am going to get to see my parents and my brother as well as some of my cousins. I am so excited! This is the first weekend we have actually had plans in a while. So I am sure that is adding to my excitement. On a side note, I did finally get the bobbin wound this week! Thanks to my crafty friend Ashley Gentry I found a website to look up helpful videos on sewing. So hopefully next week I will actually thread the needle....baby steps guys:) Have a great weekend!

Adventurous or Foolish

2008-09-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

For sometime now I have been wanting to learn how to sew. So after much debating on if I should take the big plung into the sewing world I decided to give in. Saturday morning I got up and went to Hancock Fabrics. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They set me up with a good sewing machine and all the necessities and off I went. Well Sunday I get the sewing machine out to start learning how to use it. I open up the directions and they seem easy enough. I start by loading the spool to transfer the thread to the bobbin. I followed the directions word for word and still the thread would wind loose on the bobbin every time. After several tries I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. I really don't want to give up on the dream yet so I have decided that it is time to call for back up. I am going to find someone to help me get started. I do not yet know who the lucky person will be but my search has begun. Hopefully, in the near future I will be able to post pictures of me sewing a straight line!

Huge Praise!

2008-09-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

I think most of you know about my neck pain but in case you do not here is the story. A little over a 1 1/2 ago my neck locked up. Apparently all the stress of our wedding manifested itself in my neck. After about a month the pain went away. Well, at the being of July my neck pain came back. This time it was due to the stress of moving....I really did not think I was that stressed out but whatever. So anyway long story short after a little over 2 months of chiropractor appointments several times a week I am healed. I prayed so much for healing because the pain was so bad and God was faithful. I feel so much better! Praise God for his healing touch!

Adjusting....

2008-09-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

So this was our first holiday in Huntsville. I did have one breakdown right before the Auburn game on Saturday. I really wanted to be at the game and I wanted to see my family on Sunday. The only hard part about our move is just not being so close to my family anymore. Other than the small breakdown I had a good relaxing weekend. Friday after work I went to Birmingham to visit with one of my bestfriends, Laura and her family. I love hanging out with them. Saturday I came back and watched the games with Kyle. Sunday and Monday we mostly just hung out around the apartment. Kyle's family did come over Sunday night for dinner. This was the first time they have visited us and seen our apartment. It was good to have visitors. This weekend was also big because because we officially began our house search. I am a little nervous because of how permanent that seems but it will be nice to get to settle into a house and actually use the gifts we got for our wedding a year and a half ago! So hopefully we will find something that will feel right. But until then I am enjoying our apartment and the pool we have at the apartment. I am ready for fall but I am loving the pool!

Kyle's Graduation

2008-08-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Kyle graduated....and there were no glitches. I had fears that at the last minute they would take his diploma away from him. Luckily my fears did not come true and we have the diploma resting safely in its frame. Here are some pictures from the weekend and for those of you who have not seen me in a couple of weeks I got my haircut.

Graduation is finally here!

2008-08-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

As all of you know Kyle has been in graduate school for the past 2 years. Well, thanks to the good Lord he will graduate this Saturday. I could not be more excited to close that chapter of our lives. What a roller coaster ride it has been! Kyle worked so hard. I am very proud of him and this big accomplishment. I cannot wait for Saturday!

Baby Cole came early

2008-07-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

So my cousin's baby came early. He arrived 7 weeks early and he is doing well but he will be in the hospital for a couple of weeks. He is absolutely beautiful. His name is William Cole but he will go by Cole. I will try to post a picture of him soon.

XBox 360

2008-07-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend Kyle went and bought an XBox 360. We agreed that once he finished school his graduation present could be a game system. I have mixed feelings about game systems because of how addicting they are. But, I felt like with how hard he has worked to graduate he deserved some fun. So, just as I suspected he did spend most of the weekend planning his game but it did provide me with some much needed down time....so maybe it will not be so bad after all.

The Big Move

2008-07-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I are about to complete our first full week in Huntsville. So far there have not been any major breakdowns but I think denial is where I am choosing to stay for now. Most of the boxes that were are going to unpack have been unpacked so that is a huge relief. But one thing I have noticed in the move is that you can clearly label every box and still loose things. There are several things like soap that I just cannot find in any of the boxes! But other than that the move went well. No major disasters. This is also my first week of work. So far everything is going well. Luckily my job at Auburn is helping me to not feel completely lost at UAH but there is definitely a lot to learn. Everyone has been really nice and welcoming so I could not be more thankful. Well, that is the update for now. We miss everyone!