kat is PREGNANT (whee!) & we have photos of claire

I hijacked this photo from Kat and PJ's blog - wonderful news from them, they have a mini-McNicholas on the way. Click here to read all about it! We are so very excited for them, they are going to be awesome parents!

I saw that Kat posted a recipe on her blog yesterday, what a mom.

he/she arrives mid-december

Josh sent photos of Miss Claire and I've posted them below. She is gorgeous! This is the note Josh sent along, it has the specifics of her arrival (I had the time wrong and wasn't sure of her exact weight).

Claire Estelle Carson was born at 8:04 AM on Friday, June 13. Claire weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 20 inches long at birth. Mother and baby are well. Older brother Max and older sister Jordan are quite proud (not to mention Dad). For those who have not yet heard, we have also recently added Lara's 10-year-old cousin to our growing family.

she is so sweet, i want to hug her and give her a million kisses

claire with mommy

snug as a bug in a rug

here we have jordan holding her new sister, i noticed that josh has his hands ready for a dropping incident but honestly jordan is holding claire like a pro - very impressive

OK, and I have to let you know now that we did not take one photo this weekend...we are ashamed. I forgot the camera so we didn't have one for Jack and Holly's party (but I hope to have a few from other photo takers). And then yesterday it was so busy we forgot. Oops, please forgive us. I will take photos this week and post them - I promise!

Jack and Holly's party was way fun, Holly had on such a pretty dress and she looked so nice. Jack is such a little boy, I can't believe he is 3 years old. He's a cutie pie. The Hussar twins were there and it was neat to meet them as well. Emory and Will are doll babies and Chris and Amy were pros handling two, it was quite impressive.

OK, that's all for now. Post to ya later...

claire estelle carson, bb and grandpa grow a year and h-dub goes punk - plus other itmes of interest

Josh called this am to let us know that Miss Claire Estelle Carson was born this morning at 8:02! Mom and baby are doing very well, we can't wait to meet her! When Josh sends photos I'll post one. Congrats guys! Whee!

Also, today Grandpa and BB have a birthday. Lottie Sue specifically asked that I mention it today so everyone will know and send happy birthday hugs their way. Happy Birthday - we LOVE you!

And Becce sent this just a while ago, Harlan has a fauxhawk and I LOVE it.

oy oy oy!

I don't have any Lottie Sue photos for this post, it really started out as a pop culture post. Just a few things I've seen this week that I thought were interesting or funny. More Lottie Sue press to come, tomorrow we are going to Jack and Birdie Case's birthday party and I should have loads of photos to share with you. And then we have Father's Day!

Um, this breaks my heart. Strawberry Shortcake is going all MTV on me.

The 1980s Strawberry Shortcake has been updated to spend her time chatting on a cellphone instead of brushing her calico cat, Custard.

Click here to read more about the change. Honestly, I am surprised she isn't in a bikini and heels with a bottle of Cristal in her hands.

This is something else random I saw online, this is a crayon!

color me impressed

And lastly, Kenley sent the church bulletin email today and I'm posting them here to close this post. I see this email about once a year I guess and it ALWAYS cracks me up. I am literally LOL-ing.

These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:
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The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
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The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'
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Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
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Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.
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Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
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Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
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For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
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Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
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Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
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A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
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At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
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Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
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Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
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Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
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The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
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Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
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The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
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This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
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Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.
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The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
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Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
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The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
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Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
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The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.'

yes, it's a midriff jersey but the gun is the best part & becce is all business up front but partying in the back

Dear Matt and Becce,

I hope you both know how much I love you, but I found these photos and couldn't help myself.

Big hug,
Jen

OK, I think this is the most embarrassing photo of Matt. Ever. I assume that Matt cut the football jersey himself. My favorite part is the gun. I think the first time I saw this photo I didn't think it was real, I thought it was a funny photo but no - this is his official senior year football picture.

Stick em up

I think everyone would agree that Becce is very fashionable...today. Maybe not in the 5th grade. I give you, "Becce with Front Butt-Cut Mullet."

Business up front, party in the back

I'm in the process of scanning in lots of photos. Any that I find embarrassing will have to go up. And don't worry, there are bad ones of me as well. I will share those with you - I can laugh at myself (proof).

Ooh, I just found this one of Sara/Cera*...this is her "Wilson Phillips" hair style. She REALLY wanted to look like one of the singers in that group (the blond one with the super short hair). She was obsessed with the song "Hold On." This photo isn't too embarrassing...

Hold on to your curtain dress

And here are new and old photos I scanned in during Lottie Sue's nap. First, current-day Lottie Sue...

Lottie Sue is now 10 MONTHS OLD!!!

And now a few old photos...

This is a photo of Grandpa and our mom

Me with the tambourine and Becce playing in the driveway

A Halloween photo, I think maybe we are 6 & 8 (I don't know if it transfers, but Becce was so HAPPY to be a bride for Halloween)

This is me at 6 months old

Me again, not sure of the age

A YOUNG Josh and Matt (babies practically!), they bought a car to maneuver around their six-month stint in Europe in 1996

Matt and I are just dating here, on a visit to see Mike and Becce - we are at the horse track

I dream of Jeannie

Here's to a great week! Today is just a GORGEOUS day, makes me happy.

*I've had some of my friends question the spelling of Sara's name, it is actually S-A-R-A. When Cera was little she was obsessed with dinosaurs (this is pre-Wilson Phillips) and a movie came out titled "A Land Before Time." There was a triceratops in it and her name was C-E-R-A, once Sara saw that she wanted our parents to change her name legally to spell it like the dinosaur in the movie. I remember a particular crying episode in the JCPenney parking lot over this topic. Momma refused her plea and she pitched a major fit in the parking lot. This was around the time she was also demanding a rat tail, I think our mom was o-v-e-r her ill-intentioned requests.

Anywho, that's why we write her name as Cera...