Our sweet and perfect nephew!

I just wanted to take a second to brag on Baby Bryce! I am so in love with this little guy. He was born on August 19th. His momma was such a trooper and (not by choice) had him all natural! Brandon and I got to the hospital about 30 minutes after he was born. He was a week early and we were in Mobile, AL because Brandon had a work conference. As soon as we could leave, we put the pedal to the metal and drove the 7 hours to Jonesboro. I wouldn't even let us stop for potty breaks! We made it to the hospital in time to be able to see him for the first time with everyone else! I am so glad too, because I was going to be devastated if I wasn't one of the first people to see him! He is such a cutie - He came out with copper color hair and the longest fingers I've ever seen on a baby! He weighed 8 lbs 4.7 ounces and was 22 and 1/2 inches long! I'll never forget the first time I held him, I said his name and I kid you not, he looked right up at me! It was so amazing! I know that we are going to have a special bond - I definitely want to be the "cool aunt" and take him to do fun things and spoil him every chance I get! Here are a few more pics of this silly, sweet and perfect gift from God!

GINGER!

One of the things we were most excited about when we moved into our new house was the big fenced-in back yard! We were so glad that Opal would have room to run and play. Only, she was so used to being walked on a leash at our apartment in Memphis, she didn't know what to do with herself in our big ole yard. It wasn't long after being in our new place that I decided the house was just too big for the three of us! We needed a new addition! ENTER GINGER!

I found Ginger on http://www.petfinder.com/ - she was up for adoption at the animal rescue in McGehee, AR. She had been at the rescue for over a year, and they were going to have start putting some of the dogs to sleep that had been there for a while in order to make room for new dogs. I told Brandon that I was going to look at her....but I'm pretty sure he knew that meant I was coming home with her! I am so glad that we got to this sweet little girl in time.

We think she is a golden retriever / terrier mix. Dr. Heather came to look at her about a week after we got he and told us she was probably two years old (same age as Opal). Then she shared some bad news - she had heart worms! I just lost it and cried hysterically for a couple of hours! After I pulled it together, I knew that Ginger would be receiving first-rate care from Dr. Heather Curry (my sister) at Animal Medical Center in Jonesboro.

So, Ginger had to go to Jonesboro for two weeks to receive her first round of treatments. I just knew when I went to get her she wouldn't even remember me since I'd had her such a short amount of time. But, she did! She stayed home with us for two weeks, then had to go back to Jonesboro for her last round of treatment. I am happy to report that she is doing great now and is heart worm free with practically no heart damage! - We are so glad she is part of our family now. She is so sweet, goofy, loyal and loving. She always acts so thankful that she has a home now, and we are thankful that it is our home!

She and Opal are BFFs now! They never do anything without the other! We love our little family of four!

We moved back to ARKANSAS!

In November of 2009 God answered a prayer that Brandon and I had been praying for a long time. Brandon got an AWESOME job in Warren, Arkansas. He is now the Controller of the Bradley County Medical Center! I am so proud of his new position and he has been doing a great job!We really loved Memphis but both of us really missed being close to home. Then we started praying hard again. We prayed that I would be able to find a job in Southeast Arkansas! There isn't really a lot of demand down here for someone with degrees in Public Relations ans Writing. But, God is good and he answered our prayers yet again. The company I worked for in Memphis, The Cotton Board, decided to let me keep my job and set up a home office! What a blessing! I am loving working from home and working for a company that I genuinely care about! THE FABRIC OF MY LIFE!

So, then the search was on for our first home! What an exciting step in our lives. Once again, God answered our prayers and we found our house on DAY 2 of our search!! We just love our home and feel so blessed to back in Arkansas!

I have so much to catch up on!

So, Brandon reminded me today that I haven't blogged in almost a YEAR! I kind of forgot about my blog to be honest, so needless to say I have a lot to catch up on. I am going to work hard to catch you all up on our past year of adventures! Stay tuned...

Cotton For the Cure!

My office, the Cotton Board, is spearheading an effort to create a “Cotton for the Cure” team to participate in the Memphis area Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The race is Saturday October 31st at the Shops of Saddle Creek in Germantown. This year I will be running the race in memory of Brandon's Mamaw, Monwalah Gorman. I am currently trying to recruit supporters for this cause. There are three ways to support Cotton for the Cure:

1) Register to participate in the race

2) If you aren't local to Memphis, or don't want to run/walk to the race, you can register to be a "Spirit Runner"

3) Donations are always appreciated

To register for the race or donate please follow the link at the end of this post. My personal goal is to raise $150.

The Cotton Board is donating race day t-shirts to all race participants, so after registering online, please send an email to sgorman@cottonboard.org that includes your name, address and t-shirt size. These SUPER CUTE Race day t-shirts (that I designed) will be distributed in advance of the race.

Click here to view my personal page for Cotton for the Cure<http://race.raceforthecurememphis.org/site/TR/Race/General?px=1220004&pg=personal&fr_id=1090>

Oh the places I would go...

I love taking vacations! One of my passions in life is traveling and seeing new places. If I had my way (and a job thay paid a lot of money and gave hundreds of vacation days) I would would constantly be on the go! Before Brandon and I start our family we really want to travel as much as we can. Below are some places we (I) really want to go!

LAS VEGAS!

Vegas seems like a place you definitely need to visit before you have kids! The night life, fine dining and amazing shows are right up my ally! Below are some things I really want to do if I ever go to Vegas:

• See the fountains at the Bellagio
• Ride a gondola at the Venetian
• Watch Cirque de Soleil
• Go to a Criss Angel Show
• Play Blackjack at Ceasar's Palace

I'm sure there is so much more that I would find to do once I got there!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Start spreading the news...I'm leaving today...I want to be a part of it, NEW YORK NEW YORK! Ok, so I have been to NYC once already, but it was for work and I was only there for a day and a half! Brandon really wants to go to New York too! Some things I'd like to do if we go:

• See a show on Broadway
• Stay at the St. Regis Hotel
• Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Ride the ferry to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty
• Go to a taping of the David Letterman Show
• Go to the top of the Empire State Building
• And MUCH MUCH MORE!
  
  

ARUBA

This is strickly a place I want to go! I would love to go stay at an all inclusive resort in Aruba! The beautiful beaches and colorful marine life would make a great vacation. Also, the snorkeling in Aruba is some of the best in the Caribbean!

CHICAGO

Home of Wrigley Field and The Navy Pier, Chicago is a great place to visit. I went there earlier this month for work, but never even got the leave the hotel. So I definitely want to go back. Brandon REALLY wants to go there because it is where Batman: The Dark Knight was taped. Some things we'd like to do if we go there:

• Depending on the time of year, we would like to go watch either a Cubs game or a Bulls game!
• Devour a Chicago deep dish Pizza
• Visit the Sears Tower
• Shop on the Magnificant Mile
• Go to Six Flags Great America

Shelby Farms Dog Park

While my mom and dad are out of town, I am keeping our family dog Rinkles. Rinkles is almost 10 years old but is still playful! Since she is used to getting to roam around on my parents land, she was getting pretty ancy all cooped up in mine and Brandon's tiny apartment. So I decided to take her and Opal to the Shelby Farms Dog Park...and they had a blast! Rinkles and Opal ran and played until they were just exhausted! I had fun too; I love watching the dogs play and get all their energy out! They slept really great that night!