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goodbye thanksgiving

hello christmas

our thanksgiving weekend included:

adoring these mischievous boys

   

                               

brother beating up dad

a cold morning at the park.

hanging with the sibs

eating way too much  berry and apple pie

       

playing pictionary

and everyone loving on my irresistible baby girl

giving thanks has always been easy for me!

the day i heard

i was finally starting to look pregnant in a cute way. the awkward chubbiness had turned into a small "bump" and i was excited. my semester had just finished and i was on a holiday high as i baked batches and batches of cookies for my friends and neighbors. i turned the oven off and put the rest of the dough in the fridge to finish later. before i hopped in the shower, i turned on a baby einstein movie to entertain the boy. my shower was warm and refreshing especially since i had plans. i was going to go visiting teaching and felt like dressing cute since my morning sickness was fading. my clothes were now on, my hair done, and i was curling my eyelashes when the phone rang. i looked down to see "dad calling" on my cell phone screen. i almost didn't answer because i was now running late. my gut told me otherwise and i reluctantly opened the phone to say hello.

" shalynn, are you busy, are you home?" i could hear something wrong in his voice.

"yes. what's wrong?" i replied as my stomach started to sink.

"something has happened." my dad started to cry. this is the worst sound in my world.
with each passing milli second, my mind hopped to each of my family members. mom, taylor, etc... mark was last.

"what dad? tell me. tell me."

"mark was killed last night."

i literally dropped to the floor. before i could start crying i told my dad that he was joking.

"no dad, no. your joking. your joking right?"

"of course i'm not joking." he said,

as i lay on my bathroom floor, my father is crying as he gives me a couple details about mark's death. all i know is that he risked his life for his team and the mission was successful. as we cry together, i ask my dad if he has told my sisters yet. jennifer won't answer her phone and noel is on her way to my house. he tells me he will call her. i hang up and scream. it's one of the few times in my life when i scream as i sob. i dial david and he can't understand me. i get the words out and tell him to come home now. i call jennifer and she answers.

"have you talked to dad yet?"

"no, why? what's wrong?" she's at the hospital waiting for carlos to get out of an outpatient surgery. i debate whether i should tell her now, but she already knows by my hysteria that something is not right.

"mark died."

"who, what?" she can't understand me as i sob loudly.

"MARK our brother. he's gone!"

"i'll call you back. dad's calling me." she hangs up.

david gets there before noel and finds me still on the floor. his eyes are wet and he holds me. the boy finally comes in the room to find out what is going on and he joins our hug. noel rings the doorbell and david runs to answer. my sister and i embrace on the floor and cry.

making holiday cookies will never be the same.

a conversation

me: "kavi, who are you talking to on the phone?"

kavi: "jennifer."

*disclaimer: outfit was chosen by the boy himself.*

i have a hot date tonight...

and it involves vampires.

my hubby is whisking me away on a late night rendezvous for a midnight showing of this movie. i wasn't a huge fan of the book, but i'm all for a movie. a date night is much needed in our marriage considering we haven't gone out in almost 4 months! i can't wait to feel like a teenage girl out past her curfew holding her boyfriend's hand in the movie theatre!

hopefully this old lady can stay awake!

a weeknight photoshoot with my studious husband in the background

chronicled: a road trip to omaha

noel is here for her first PT rotation. i love sleeping down the hall from my older sis and whispering with lisps late at night with our night guards (we're both teeth grinders). she is brilliant in her master's program to become a physical therapist and i barely get to see her because of it. she leaves before i wake up and gets home around 8 or 9 pm. even though she is supposed to get off at 5, she never complains about staying late to learn more from her clinical instructor. what does she do when she gets home you ask? eats, plays with my kids, studies more, then hits the sak. with her crazy schedule, it was nice to take a weekend

trip to omaha with her, paisley, and our mamma!

we left late on friday with cokes and m&ms.
the drive was about 3.5 hours and was accompanied by THE OFFICE dvds.
we arrive at cousin kara's house and crawl into bed after adoring all her newest decorations.
i get to sleep in the same bed as noel and paisley. just the girls.

the next day went as follows:

shop

eat

shop some more

eat while visiting grandma

cracking up at old people

show paisley off to old people

nap on grandma's couch

eat grandma's diabetic chocolate

chat

take loads of pictures:

3 generations

mom, grandma with paisley, aunt shadda, noel, kara, and me

don't you love my grandma's sassy hat?

she's so fashionable!

said goodbye to grandma

met my younger brother taylor for dinner

ooed and awed over how cute he is

played settlers of catan while eating peanut m&m's

crashed.

the next day we drove home with some more m&m's (this time plain)

after kara made us an awesome breakfast. we stopped at an antique shop and ate chipotle.

noel studied some more as i drove; this time i tried to help, but instead distracted her

by making her take pictures of the sunset.

ahhhhh. what a weekend.

the leaves were dancing

maybe it was because i had just aced my 

sociology test, but my way home from school today was exceptionally happy.

 as i blasted an upbeat enya song, i saw the leaves dancing in the street to the beat. the wind was full blast and the fall leaves were everywhere, 

bouncing off of each other and swirling around the ground. it was almost as 

if enya was their composer. 

i smiled.

then i went to CVS to pick up a prescription. as i was walking down 

the candy isle (with no temptation for some odd reason) i noticed my hips 

were swaying to the beat of the store music. with each step, my hip swayed and 

i felt the music through my body. 

i smiled again.

or maybe it was just because i was wearing 

my new mustard shoes.

delicious

I

WANT

TO

EAT

THIS

LITTLE

GIRL

!

!

corners of a home-part 3

corners of a (texas) home

leilani rogers

leilani is a mother of four who has a lot of creative energy, but a hard time 

sticking to just one thing. she adores her children that are full of inspiration and is grateful for her supportive husband who does the dishes! she is currently training 

for a half marathon and running 23 miles a week! 

leilani has many talents; one of her greatest being her passion for music and her fabulous photography. 

she is always changing her approach to life and is always willing to serve! 

this is one amazing lady with a beautiful home!

don't worry, she's just like the rest of us...she makes her children 

clean the baseboards when she's mad at them!

niche about stairwell holds pictures of leilani's ancestors.

she loves how they "watch over us."

                                       

                                         sasha's room      family planning area off the kitchen

                                                                      a 4x8 ft. area that has "saved her life."

                                              

"tree of knowledge"

a painting by leilani herself.

                                          

                                    front door              an inherited antique secretary

 

dining room

                                      
            leilani has a love for birds           unfolding clock collection

                                                    

halloween typography

master bedroom bureau

my favorite part:

her use of color. i love the plum wall!

what's your favorite corner?

anatomy of a cheap outfit

1. cardigan- purchased at ross for a small price.

2. dress- $2.00 at local thrift store (handmade i'm sure).

3. scarf- FREE- a gift from my momma from her recent visit to new york city.

4. shoes- 7 dolla-make-you-holla! at walmart.

feeling cute-priceless