Daily Slice of Sackett

Filled with JOY

2012-01-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been so happy that you think your heart could just explode? Well, imagine having that feeling every day. The past four months of our life have been wonderful, joyous, and completely fulfilling. I am, of course, talking about being able to have my Crown and Diet Coke again. TOTALLY KIDDING!

I am obviously writing about our sweet-precious-kissable-lovable-snuggleable baby boy, Cohen Samuel Sackett. He was born on September 7th and our little growing family has been God's greatest gift to me and Sam.

Cohen is happy, healthy, and very social! I plan to blog much more about him and our family, but for now, here are the past 4 months in pictures.

Newborn 8lbs 10 oz

1 Week old

1 Month

2 Months and becoming very animated

3 Months and laughing all the time

Some of Cohen's firsts....

First bath. Sam is the BEST father! He puts God and family first. And even after a long day at the office, Sam cannot wait to get home to see us. He always finds time and energy to play with Cohen before bedtime.

Cohen's first holiday was Halloween

Cohen's first snow
November 29, 2011

And more recently, Cohen's first try at eating cereal. This will go down in history as one of the best days ever for me. Such a great memory!

A few of his favorite things:

The Razorbacks

Bath time

Loves playing in his exersaucer

and his Jumperoo

And of course he loves the Buckeyes too :)

And dressing up to go out for playdates

My First Baby Shower

2011-07-22T10:06:00.000-04:00

My beautiful sisters, Brandlyn and Brittany, threw my first baby shower on Sunday, July 3rd. It was very well planned and every detail said "BABY BOY"! When I arrived at my sister's house, I was so excited to see a big blue wreath filled with pacifiers, burp cloths, and bibs which all said "Got Milk?". So cute!

All I can know is that God has immensely blessed me with so many people who love and support our growing family and I am so thankful for all of you. We got so many outfits, bottles, room decor, pacifiers, bibs, blankets, pajamas, SHOES (my favorite accessory), and baby toys, as well as other necessities such as diapers, a bassinet, the car seat, a boppy, gift cards and much more!

Here are some of the pictures from the shower and a few I took once we got back home to Fort Wayne.

This handprinted gift was from my parents. It was a car seat that my thoughtfully creative mom wrapped in my nieces and nephew's handprints. I kept a piece of the paper to frame in Cohen's room.

Me and Ms. Shelly, my high school small group leader at church. She is such an amazing woman and I've always looked up to her.

Me and my besties, Jessica and Kendall

This is me with my sweet and so much fun Aunt Terri. You can really see how big my belly has grown! BTW, I really wish people would quit asking me if I am having twins. I'm not, okay!

And here is my cake! Brandlyn ordered it to match the invitations. Like I said, every detail was very carefully planned.

These paintings were such a surprise! My incredibly talented cousin, Teresa Graves, painted these to match Cohen's bedding. Look her up on facebook to see more of her artwork!

My sister, Brittany, made a diaper cake, painted "Cohen Samuel" on baby boy plate, and took photos of some really cool scenery to spell out COHEN. Here is a better picture of that below:

Me and my sweet Mom. She is spending two weeks with me in Fort Wayne when Baby Cohen arrives. Thank heaven for Moms!

Lots of great gifts!

Sam's parents bought us this six dwarer dresser for Cohen's room. Thanks to all of our wonderful friends and family, four of those dwarers are full! But no worries, we still have plenty of closet space! :)

Home Sweet Hog Heaven

2011-07-15T13:23:00.000-04:00

My beautiful sorority sister and friend, Meredith, married Ryan Pettigrew on July 2nd. What a great way to start off the holiday weekend! I was one of her bridesmaids so Sam and I made the 11 hour journey to Fayetteville, Arkansas. The wedding was beautiful and Meredith was glowing! We also did a few other things while we were in Fayetteville. My favorite (not pictured) was going to Rick's Bakery to get some delicous desserts: red velvet cupcakes, mmmmmm mmmm!

"JENNIFER NICOLE BENNETT"

I finally found my name on Senior Walk! In my opinion, this is one of the best traditions at the University of Arkansas. Each graduate's name is etched in cement on campus. Pretty cool, huh!

The bridal party! Wow, my baby bump is growing and growing....and growing!

We just can't help but throw up the Deltas when we're together.

Here's the bride, Meredith, posing with me and Kendall.

This is one of my favorite poses. We have one from every wedding. 6 down and 1 to go! Collin is getting married this October! Left to Right: me, Kelsey, Collin, Meredith, Stacia, Kendall, Bekah

Me and Sam

All the TriDelts singing our wedding song, followed by my favorite rush song. We always have a good time getting loud and singing our songs!

I've only just begun telling you about my fabulous week in Arkansas. We still have a baby shower, the lake, and a bachelorette party to talk about so come back soon!

Brittany + Spencer

2011-04-23T12:20:00.000-04:00

THEY'RE ENGAGED! This post has been a long time coming and I am so happy for my sister and her new fiance, Spencer. They have been together for five years now and I cannot think of anyone more perfect for Brittany to spend her life with. Spencer is a true southern gentleman and my family has loved him since day one. Those adorable dimples will get cha every time!

They took a trip to the Little Red River with some friends for some camping and fishing and she came back with a very beautiful piece of jewelry on her finger. A canary yellow round diamond surrounded by round white diamonds, to be more specific! IT IS BEAU-TI-FUL! Spencer's proposal was perfect and such a suprise too! I have to brag a little...I was the first person she called to tell! Made me feel so special, but this is not about me okay. Here are some pictures from the day after their engagement.

The happy couple will be getting married next year on MARCH 31, 2012. Woo hoo, let the wedding planning begin!

Chief Valentine

2011-01-23T09:15:00.001-05:00

Chief Valentine is my Uncle Scott and Person of the Week. He is Chief of the Little Rock Fire Department and Bomb Squad, a U.S. Marshall, and a wonderful uncle! I'm told he is also a pretty great husband and father too. :)

Hands down, the most eventful part of our Christmas vacation was our day with Uncle Scott at the Little Rock Fire Department. It was an awesome and unforgetable experience.

My Uncle Scott works mostly in Firehouse #1 also known as "The Big House", Little Rock's first and largest firehouse.

Below: Uncle Scott, me, and Sam

Here is the LRFD Bomb Squad truck, complete with all your bomb squad necessities such as bomb detecting robots, special uniforms which are sure to keep your body intact for your funeral (Uncle Scott's words, not mine), computers, detonators, and the list goes on.

Sam tried on the bomb suit, which weighs about 100 pounds once it's all said and done. He also got to drive the robot and detonate something. I'm not sure what it was but he was 100% safe with the experts on board, no worries.

I just wanted to put on the mask. It was VERY heavy and made me look like a monster.

Okay, so we're in the bomb squad truck and all of a sudden something starts beeping really loud. It sounded kind-of like Morse Code and somehow Uncle Scott understood it all and he said, "I gotta go." And he asked us if we want to go on a fire run! Ummm, YES! We hop into Engine 1 - the big ladder truck - and we were off!

I have no clue how they drive those big trucks, but Firefighter Lance did a perfect job!

And I was busy trying on fire fighter accessories in the back seat.

Mom and Sam joined in too. We all got to wear these headsets and talk to the fire fighters!

We basically went to the end of the city, but another Little Rock firehouse was first on the scene so we didn't see any fires. I think a smoke alarm went off but there wasn't a fire. So back to the station.

I forgot to mention, Uncle Scott doesn't ride in the fire trucks. He has his own vehicle especially for the Chief. It's obviously not as cool to ride in. :)

As soon as we returned to the fire station the beeps started again so we got to go on ANOTHER fire run! This time it was across from Park Plaza Mall. I was just dying to see someone I knew while we were driving, but no luck. It was still so much fun riding around and seeing the cars move out of the way for us!

Once we got back to the station, Sam and I climbed in the back of the ladder truck to take a picture. There is a driver in the front and back of this truck! That's a big truck.

Sam had been waiting all day to slide down the ladder, but the guys made him turn around his "Ohio State Buckeye" hat first. Haha.

We had such a great time at the Fire Station! Thank you so much Uncle Scott and the other LR fire fighters for such a fun and exciting day! Most importantly, thank you for being heroes and risking your lives for our safety every day.

Love, Sweet Love

2011-01-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

I'M NOT EVEN GONNA EXPLAIN WHY MY BLOG IS NOT UPDATED. Let's move on and accept the fact that I just can't figure it out.

So, Christmas in Arkansas was great and let me show you just how perfect it was in pictures...

Nieces & Nephew...always one of the best parts of my visit!

Hanging out with my sister

Our family's dirty Santa gift exchange is always a crowd favorite! As is Elli's smile that will just brighten up your life like sunshine on a rainy day!

And the sassy Elli is just as wonderful as the sweet one!

Uncle Scott & Dad are all smiles for the holidays!

The fake, and not so fake, smile you give when someone has taken one too many pictures for the night.

Brandlyn & Aunt Terri

Uncle Scott and I traded dirty Santa gifts. I got Lowe's and he got Starbuck's. Obviously a trade needed to happen.

My brother and sisters. I always make it a point to snap a sibling picture everytime I am home!

One day they will be thankful for this, trust me!

Dad and Aunt Terri

My cousin, Braye, and my brother, Ryan. We were so sad Tiffany and Scott couldn't make it home for Christmas. Scott is an athletic trainer for Oklahoma State University's football team. They were in a bowl game so we missed the Parker's by ONE day! Tragic.

The Frensley's. Always showing off their PDA because they are just so dad-gone cute!

Also a personal favorite, Brit and Spence. Y'all know Spence already! He is my whiskey pong partner and Brit's boyfriend. Always ready to have a good time!

The Sackett's. Always adorable. :)

Ryan & Kathleen. She has a golf scholarship and she is just as sweet as she is beautiful.

Sam did not get a nerf gun for Christmas. This gift was Hunter's gift, which Sam so generously set up and then shot at everyone. He even shot Mom! Seriously.

Brandlyn found the Christmas Pickle. Darn her! I never find it!

Elli's sass came back that night. I was beginning to miss it.

Mom hearts Vera Bradley.

And we love those ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS! Dad now has five Razorback boat fenders to ensure he is looking good while supporting his team on the lake. Ahhhh, the lake. I CANNOT wait for lake season! But back to Christmas now...

Family Photo. I don't care if the toys are out and there's stuff all over the coffee table in front of us. Get in the picture! Just try fighting me on this. I dare you.

Seriously though, why does taking a family photo have to be such a big "to do" for my family?!

Dad and Mom had this frame made with a photo of Hunter killing his first deer. Now y'all, this is a big deal down south (and in other parts of the country I'm sure) so don't go getting all judgemental just because you don't hunt.

Elli & Aspen got new bicycles for Christmas...

...and Uncle Sam won the Uncle of the Year award for taking the girls out for a ride in the freezing cold!

Sam (husband), Blaine (cousin), Nick (cousin), and Hunter (nephew).

They had an epic Nerf battle outside that could put the war between the states to shame. Eventually they all turned on Sam, because well obviously he is from the north. {Glad you get my joke now.}

Now here is something I am especially proud of! My incredibly artistically talented sister (I love adjectives), Brittany, painted this beautiful Santa Clause. This picture I took does not even do it justice. The detail is amazing.

Under Construction...

2010-10-23T13:27:00.000-04:00

It is time for a blogger facelift. Sam and I have been married for over a year and the picture above does not exactly portray our daily lives. I promise this won't take long. Just be patient with me and my lack of blogger-editing skills. :)

Hey Y'all, It's Me Again!

2010-10-21T21:06:00.000-04:00

Well I guess I haven't blogged in a while. Okay, it's just been embarassingly way too long! You've missed a few things so let me catch you up...

Kendall turned 25 years old on 09.12.10! I just love her so much and miss her tons. We got to see each other a couple of weekends ago when I was in my neck of the woods, Arkansas! I went home to do lots of celebrating...

Speaking of celebrating, going home to see my family is always a reason to celebrate! Casa Mexicana is our Friday night restaurant ever since I can remember. PS, the first picture is NOT from Casa. Me and Brit were just havin' a little fun in the costume store.

GO HOGS...or maybe not. We lost to a higher ranked team, but losing in the SEC is always a big deal. You never want to lose.

ME AND MY SISTERS!

Another reason to celebrate: my nieces birthdays! Elli turned 3 in October and Aspen will be 4 in November. I also got to see and hold Tate. He is Lana and Jim's little boy. Remember, Lana is Chris' twin sister and Jim is her husband. Jim and Lana have two brautiful sweet children, Bella and Tate.

Brandlyn was the hostess with the mostess! She did the cupcakes herself while Chris handled the table spread. Team Frensley was armed and ready for a fabulous birthday celebration!

My very good friend, Allison, married the love of her life, Dusty Johnson. Everything was beautiful: the bride and grrom, all my high school friends, the wedding, and the reception!

Now, here is the highlight of my evening - me and my Lauren Kay. I just love her. She beat Leukemia just a few months ago, and trust me, she is still a handful! We always have a lot of fun together and we never take life too serious...or at all serious.

A Birthday Wish

2010-09-04T17:33:00.001-04:00

Dear Dad,

For your 51st birthday, I wish you two simple things: a perfect 12-0 Razorback football season followed by a BCS National Championship. (It's not that much to ask for, Hogs.) WOO PIG SOOOIE!

I sure do wish I could tailgate with y'all at the first game of the season, but I am definitely there in spirit and I will be callin' those Hogs from Indiana til I am razorback red in the face. And then I'll call 'em some more. I love you, Dad, and I hope you have a great birthday!

I am blessed with the most wonderful father, who also happens to be my Person of the Week. He taught me how to work hard for what I want and always stand up for what I believe. Thanks Dad for being so great to me and your less favorite offspring (my siblings). We love you so much! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

28 and Lookin' Great

2010-08-27T11:12:00.002-04:00

KISS THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!

Brandlyn, my tiny big sister, turned 28 years old today, and I am devoting this blog and the glorious title of 'Person of the Week' to her. She is a very hardworking mother of three, a wonderful wife, and one of my best friends. We are very much alike, but also very different. We've always had a close relationship, and you never ever have to "wonder what we're thinking". We'll tell ya! You could say we bond through our sass.

From helping me choose my own outfits to teaching me how to shave my legs and apply makeup, she has taught me so many things over the past 25 years of my life. I have so many stories about her. But then again she has so many about me, so I better keep it G-rated.

She is a great older sister to me, Brittany, and Ryan. I hate this picture, but somehow we've managed to go a year and a half without taking a sibling photo. No worries, I'll be there in October with camera in hand!

She loves her family and would do anything to make sure they are safe and happy. She also goes out of her way to make us feel special. Like for example, somehow she always knows when I am having a rough day. She is a very busy woman, but she has some sort of sixth sense when it comes to knowing when I need her. I love her for that.

She is a great mom to these three adorable children (Aspen, Hunter, and Elli).

She is a loving wife to the love of her life, Chris. I love this picture of the two lovebirds in Hawaii.

She is FUN! (keeping it G-rated)

...and so tiny. Seriously, how did she have three kids?

Most of all she works hard to be great in every role of her life: mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, back stage dance mom, cook, nurse, maid, chauffeur, office ~~manager~~ everything...I get tired just thinking about it! But she is the best big tiny sister anyone could ask for, and I thank God for her each day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDY!

Damsel in Distress

2010-08-18T12:55:00.000-04:00

"Chirp. Chirp." said the garage.
"Wait a minute, a garage doesn't chirp," I thought to myself.
"Creeeeeeek." I opened the door to the garage and the chirping subsided. I also realized that we need to put some WD-40 on the door hinges so I jotted it down on the "Honey Do List".
I shut the door.

"Chirp. Chirp." said something inside the garage.
I opened the door and this ferocious beady-eyed beast appeared.

I had a bird in my garage. Yes, a bird. I left the garage door open for an hour and it just stayed there. Until, like a rabbid beast, it flew to the opposite end and perched itself above Sam's lawn tools.

I was a prisoner in my own home, and clearly The Beast wasn't the least bit concerned about the errands I needed to run.

So I called Sam to tell him all about it. No sympathy there. He said "just get a broom or a rake and try to get it down."

HA! Right.

And then I reminded him who he married. And I don't mean that in a snobby I'm better than that kind-of way. I mean that I reminded him of how terrified I am of the wildlife up here in the north. Remember the Canadian Goose that wouldn't let me get in my car?! No more birds for me, thanks.

So I called my mother-in-law, who very sweetly tracked down my father-in-law to come resue me from The Beast. And I documented my rescuer in action.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!"

Come to find out, "The Beast" was actually a baby Cardinal. It flew right to his parents as soon as he got out of the garage.

Happy One Year!

2010-08-16T19:23:00.002-04:00

Wow, I cannot believe we have been married for one year. My how time flies! One year ago on August 15th, Sam and I were enjoying every moment of the most important day of our lives: our wedding day. To celebrate this momentous anniversary, we decided to take a trip back to where it all began: Chicago. Chicago was the first place Sam told me that he loved me and it was also the place where Sam asked me to marry him. We couldn't think of anywhere we would rather celebrate our first anniversary.

The river was right outside our hotel. Beautiful view!

And this should look familiar. This is where Sam proposed to me on New Year's Eve (Dec. '08). We had never seen it in the summer, and this time the fountain was not frozen.

I love the stained glass windows and green ivy.

We got all dressed up and had dinner at Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House. They have the most amazing food, wine, and specialty cocktail selection. After our night out on the town, we headed back to the Hyatt for champagne and wedding cake.

But first...who's up for a little mirrored elevator photo montage?!

And finally we turned the flash off...

Now let's get to that champagne, shall we?

So the cake tasted...lemony. We did not have lemon cake at our wedding. Perplexing, isn't it?

On day two of our anniversary trip, we decided to go to Shedd's Aquarium. We love aquariums and this was one was the best of the best! We got to see animals from the Caribbean Reef, the Amazon, the Pacific Northwest coast, and the Indo-Pacific Reef. I took about 100 pictures at this place and here are a few of my favorites.

The sea otters were our favorite! They just play around all day long without a care in the world.

I found Nemo!

The sand snakes were very cool too!

We found out that I could not live in the Amazon. I'm sure you are shocked. The sign says that after only three weeks, the waters rise above 5 feet!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

2010-08-03T10:36:00.000-04:00

Sam is 34 years old today, and it's his first birthday as my husband! You saw here that I already gave him his birthday present, but I have a few more surprises up my sleeve this year. I love birthdays and I think every person should feel special on his/her big day. So, no surprise here, Sam is my person of the week.
He is a wonderful husband...

my best friend...

and life partner...

Everyday I thank God for blessing my life with such a wonderful, Christian husband. Sam is compassionate, loving, a child at heart, and can make me laugh and smile more than anyone ever has. Those qualities are the things I love most about him. Happy Birthday, Sam! I love you!

Two Things I Luuuuuuuv

2010-07-29T16:18:00.004-04:00

Entertaining & Photography

Yes, it's true. I confess, I love and crave entertaining and photography. Put the two together and I am in, as we say down south, "Hog Heaven"! Speaking of photography, this past weekend marked another "family photo event". All eighteen (YES, 18!) Sackett's, plus two lovebirds celebrating their 66th wedding anniversary (Grandma and Grandpa Dunbar - Marlene's parents), came to our house last Sunday for burgers, celebrating, and family pictures.

Here's our grill master cookin' up some delicious beer burgers! Sorry about the smoky/blurry picture.

Noah, Charles, and Luke

Happy 66th Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa! Now some folks may think this cake looks too good to eat. You are wrong. And isn't that what pictures are for anyway? Take one savory bite and you will be hooked! Hall's Takes the Cake is a guilty pleasure of all Fort Wayneians. I was introduced to this heavenly place when I ordered Sam's very authentic Ohio State Buckeye cake for his 32nd birthday. Here it is:

I can still taste the four layers of chocolate cake and buttercream frosting, then more chocolate cake and buttercream frosting, and then even more chocolate cake and buttercream frosting....get the picture? Obviously, I'm a fan!

Ok so back to the topic at hand {entertaining and photography...seriously keep up}. I take pictures of everything, and I always have my camera on hand no matter where I go. But, when it comes to entertaining I never think to take pictures of what's going on. Tragic huh? It is a habit I must break! But until then, I want to say "THANK YOU" to Dean and Christine because most of these photos are courtesy of their thoughtfulness and amazing Nikon 300D. I dream of owning this camera one day...

Left to Right: Amanda, Ella, Nathan, and Owen

Nathan eating {and loving} the cake...or maybe just the frosting.

Keri and Leona. Please take a second look at Leona's adorable roley poley thighs. Don't cha just wanna squeeze 'em!?

Sweet little ladies, Amanda and Leona.

Noah and Charles are clearly conspiring a master plan....

Okay, the moment you've all been waiting for....family photomontage!

The Sackett's - We just barely fit everyone in the frame, which begs the question "When Sam and I decide to have children, where will we put them?"

The Sackett's + Grandma and Grandpa Dunbar (on right)

Les and Marlene with their beautiful grandchildren. Kids from left to right: Luke, Amanda, Leona, Ella, Nathan, Owen, Noah, and Charles

Here they are again. All looking in different directions and with various facial expressions! I love this picture!

The Original Sackett's: Aaron, Dean, Marlene, Les, Matt, and Sam

The Dean and Christine Sackett Family + Grandma and Grandpa Dunbar

The Matt and Keri Sackett Family

The Aaron and Allison Sackett Family

The Coolest Sackett Family

Marlene and Les Sackett

Well this pretty much wraps up our fun-filled family weekend. I have to say it went by way too quickly and I already miss seeing way too much of everyone!

The Happiest Birthday

2010-07-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

I told you here that this past weekend was my father-in-law, Les Sackett's, birthday. We also celebrated my nephew, Noah's, 9th birthday! In my opinion, it was their happiest birthday ever! Why is that? I am going to tell ya in pictures!

Friday Night (post manies and pedies) the whole Sackett family went to a TinCaps baseball game. Everyone had a blast as you can see!

Me and Sam

Left to Right: Amanda, Ella, Noah, Owen, and Matt

Left to Right: Dean, Luke, Sam, Charles, and Noah

Leona dancing for the dance cam. She's such a cutie!

Left to Right: Amanda, Noah, Keri, and Owen

Les and Marlene

Christine and me

Amanda and Aaron

Amanda and Allison

Saturday we celebrated Noah's birthday at his house. Watergun wars, friends and family, yummy cake, and of course tons of presents!

Dean and Christine

The kids are getting ready for the water fight.

HERE'S THE BIRTHDAY BOY! Determined, isn't he!?

Sam and John enjoyed the water fight ~~almost as much~~ probably even more than the kids! Courtney, John's wife, and I are married to kids ourselves. What can I say? It keeps life interesting, fun, and never too serious!

Kids vs. ~~Adults~~ Sam and John

Clearly up to no good....

What a day! I cannot stop smiling because of all the fun things we squeezed into one weekend (and I haven't even told ya'll about Sunday yet). Noah was so excited that Luke, Charles, and Amanda were here to help him celebrate his 9th birthday!

The Sackett Girls

2010-07-24T13:31:00.006-04:00

Pinch me because I must be dreamin'! The four Sackett boys and their families are together for a weekend of some long anticipated family time. Dean, Christine, and their three kids, Luke, Charles, and Amanda, live in Tokyo, Japan, and they are in town for a few days. And trust me, we are taking advantage of every second we get to spend with them! I told you a little bit about them here. But this time I promise to take lots of photos to go along with my blog posts.

Yesterday was Les's birthday and he and his four boys went golfing at the Sycamore Hills Golf Club, a golf course designed by the one and only Jack Nicklaus. You may recognize some of these photos because Sam and I live in this neighborhood. We do not live on the golf course, though, nor are we members of the golf club. No, we aren't ballers. Luckily, Matt and Keri Sackett are in fact ballers and members of the club. Below are two photos courtesy of Sycamore Hills Golf Club.

While the boys were golfing, we Sackett girls had some plans of our own. Plans to rest, relax, catch up on life, and pamper ourselves. Marlene so graciously offered to babysit all eight (YES, 8) grandkids while the boys golfed and the girls went out for some R&R. First, we headed to D.T. Nails to get manicures and pedicures. I am obsessed with their massage chairs. You know it's great day when the toughest decision you have to make is choosing a new nail polish color. I just love the polish names that OPI comes up with. I want that person's job. Hmmmmm, and this color shall be named 'Sackett-to-me'. It's red and flirty, of course! Ok, so back to reality...we had our nails done and then headed to a bookstore to do some shopping before Catablu, a closeby restaurant, opened.

Left to Right: Christine, me, Allison, & Keri

I had never been to Catablu and the food is ~~delicious~~ divine, fresh, and taste bud ticklin' good! After a day of treating ourselves like royalty we headed back to reality (a.k.a. Les and Marlene's house to pick up the kids).

My yummy calamari. Presentation is everything!

Thanks for a wonderful afternoon sisters! And that was just the afternoon...we had big plans for the night too!

Two Little Monkeys...

2010-07-19T13:51:00.000-04:00

I babysit the most wonderful children. I got permission from their parents to post photos of the kids on my blog, so today I want to introduce you to my sweet one year olds, Kaelyn and Lochlan.

Meet Kaelyn. We love baking chocolate chip cookies together!

She has 3 older sisters and loves playing soccer, taking "her baby" for a walk in the stroller, swimming, carrying all her toys in her purse, and making funny faces in the mirror.

Meet Lochlan. As you can see, he loves playing peek-a-boo!

He has an older brother, Kamden, who I also babysit two days a week.

Like Kaelyn, Lochlan loves playing soccer and swimming. He also loves bubbles, giving hugs, playing chase, and climbing on anything he can get away with. Lochlan is the most adventurous one of all the children I babysit!

Kaelyn, Lochlan and I took a trip to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, and had such a great time. I had never been to Fort Wayne's zoo and now I know why it is ranked in the Top 10 as one of the nation's best zoos! We went through an African Safari, rode the train, fed giraffes and goats, and saw animals from all around the world.

Kaelyn was already a little skeptical...

Lochlan, of course, was ready for the adventure! One of the coolest things about this zoo is that you can go right up to the animals. There is glass separating you from them, but that's it!

We saw so many animals and got to feed some too! Sadly, I do not have pictures of the kids feeding the giraffes or goats. Instead I was being responsible and making sure the kids didn't end up being the food!

The giraffe feeding station was really amazing! You buy a large piece of lettuce and the giraffe just licks it off your hand with its' long black tongue. Luckily, the handwashing station was right there too! The kids loved feeding the animals!

After seeing all the animals in the African Journey, we headed to "the farm". Told ya they animals from everywhere! The kids watched the piglets for awhile. They were fascinated! One pig wanted to sleep and the other wanted to play. Got a little tense in there. Glad we were on the outside of the barn.

We fed the goats here too.

Next stop: the train ride!

Disclaimer: The train was not moving when I took the picture below. I sat in between the kids and made sure they were safe in their seats!

And this was a cute little train for kids to play on. Kaelyn and Lochlan were not impressed. They knew this train wasn't near as fun as the real one.

Finally it's time for lunch!

And you can't go to the zoo with two one year olds without buying them souvenirs. Out of all the stuffed animals, toys, and games, they both chose to get a soccer ball!

After seeing a few more animals at the zoo, the kids fell fast asleep in the stroller. We saw alligators, penguins, birds, and the sea lions before heading home. It was such a fun trip and we didn't even see everything the zoo has to offer, so we will probably do this again soon!

HAPPY {early} 34TH!

2010-07-16T18:53:00.000-04:00

Knock, knock, knock. Ding, dong. "Who could that be?" I wondered to myself. "WHAT!? The FedEx man delivering Sam's birthday gift two weeks early. No way!" But that's exactly what it was!

So here is why I am super excited about his birthday present coming early:

Ummmm, what's the point of having a torn grill cover? An even better question, and probably what you are thinking right now, is why do they still have it when clearly it's not doin' the job?! Dumb...

Yah, my thoughts exactly! So I decided to give him an early birthday gift and then I made a surprise sign....

Then added to the sliding glass door decor....

And hid it all behind our black and white kitchen curtains that I LOVE so very much...

Trust me, the first thing Sam will do when he gets home (after giving me a big hug and kiss) is open the kitchen curtains because we love the natural lighting in our house.....AND.....wait for it.....

SURPRISE!!!!

But that's not all! Not only did I surprise Sam, but he surprised me! ...with a dozen beautiful red roses!

Happy Friday! I know our's is!

Troubleshooting

2010-07-14T15:17:00.000-04:00

FRICK! Blogger has officially made me go crazy! Is anyone else having trouble posting videos or do I just lack the intelligence it takes to get this thing uploaded!? The video says "upload complete"; however all you (my followers) see is a flippin' black, blank screen - Exhibit A: Get Sassy! The help icon is less than helpful!

Any advice? Please email me at jenisackett@gmail.com. Thanks!

On The Water

2010-07-13T20:25:00.002-04:00

Sam and I had a fabulous July 4th holiday weekend at Lake Ouachita with my parents and our nephew, Hunter. I got some ~~great~~ amazing videos of my Dad waterskiing, and even my Mom let me take a video of her slaloming. Not that she could stop me because she was in the water; I got her approval to post it! Sam, Hunter, and I also skiied and tubed. It was a very relaxing weekend filled with friends, family, Arkansas sunshine, southern cookin', and watersports! Here are a few pictures and I will show ya'll some videos in a later post.

Pictured below is my Dad. He is a brilliant slalom (just one ski) waterskiier. Seriously, the best I've ever seen. Just see for yourself below and check out that lean! His elbow is almost in the water, which by the way, is a trick he could pull off not so long ago.

Here is Sam on two skis jumping the wake. He gets better every summer!

Mom slolaming for the first time in 2 years! Look at 'er go!

And here's Hunter skiing on two separated skiis for the first time ever. No more tied together skiis for him!Sam stayed in the water to help Hunter keep his ski tips up.

Let's get some tubing action, shall we!? Been doing it since I was a kid and still can't seem to get enough!

Daddy's Girls - I was so happy that Brittany joined us at the lake for a day!

FIREWORKS SHOW!

Mom, Dad, Sam, and I took the boat out Sunday night to watch fireworks. Watching fireworks on the lake is one of my very favorite things to do!

"Here is your wine selection for the evening, madam."

Q: How many men does it take to anchor a boat?

A: Two, of course! You need one man to "show ya how it's done" and the other man is there to take notes on this difficult, scientific process. :)

I love it that Dad loves his TriDelta t-shirts.

Mom and Dad celebrated their 30 year anniversary on June 20, 2010. They spent their first July 4th as hubby and wife on this lake, just like we did! You may think I am cheesy, but if you know me, then you know I don't care.

Okay, so normally I do not swim in the lake at night, but I made an exception on this particular night. I don't really have a good reason for being scared to swim in a lake at night other than the fact that extremely dark water is scary and there's also that 50/50 chance of meeting the Loch Ness Monster!

1-2-3 JUMP!!!

And as always, the beautiful sunset was breathtaking.

Saturday Brunch

2010-07-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Group Photo: me, Kelsey, Meredith, Bekah, Baby Anna, Collin, and Stacia

As promised, here are the pictures from our Saturday morning brunch at Emelia's Kitchen on Dickson Street in Fayetteville, AR. The food was amazing and I cannot believe that was my first time to go there. Sam was there to snap all the pictures. I know I tell ya'll this all the time, but he really is such a great husband!

Baby Anna Hopper was 3 weeks old here.

Bekah promised I could have some "baby time" so I held little Anna as long as I could! She is beautiful, sweet, and has her momma's booty!

Mommy and Baby :) Bekah girl you look so good! Can ya'll believe she had a baby just 3 weeks ago!? Please, share your secrets!

She's Engaged!!!

2010-07-12T14:28:00.000-04:00

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN HERE THEY ARE: THE FUTURE MR. AND MRS. RYAN PETTIGREW!

One of my best girlfriends and POTW, Meredith, got engaged on Friday, July 2nd and I along with my 5 other besties were there to surprise her with a special visit! Sam and I began our Arkansas Road Trip-a-Palooza 2010 on that Friday morning and did not arrive to Fayetteville, AR until 12 hours later.

Whew, what a long drive. Completely worth it to see my girls! And while I am on the topic of my best gals, let me just say that I have the happiest and most amazing girlfriends anyone could ask for. I love them so much!

Anyways, so I was saying....a 12 hour drive seems like a long time, but I wasn't the only out of towner coming to surprise Mer! That same day, Kendall hoped on a private jet and flew up there to meet us, Stacia flew in all the way from Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Kelsey flew in from Dallas, Texas. Collin lives in Fayetteville, AR so she was in charge of getting us all together. Can you tell we were in dire need of a reunion!?

So how do you announce your grand arrival and surprise your newly engaged friend? Just bust up in the house like you own it, of course! She was so surprised...just look!

Collin and Meredith - they are both getting married in 2011! It will be a great year!

Front row: Kendall, me, and Stacia
Back row: Collin, Kelsey, and Meredith

Cheers! We heart champagne!

Here we are explaining just how in the world we masterminded this reunion/huge surprise in only two days! We're just that good. Thanks honey for snapping all of the great "action shots". Wonderful husbands are so great! Keith was doing the same thing for Kendall.

Reunited and it feels so good! Me and my Tova girl together again at last!

Mrs. Petrancosta and I haven't seen eachother since she got hitched! UN-freaking-BELIEVABLE!

The Outten sisters: Lindsay and Stacia
The most fun girls ever! Seriously!

Stacia and Collin (a.k.a the future Mrs. Zach Holderfield)

Mr. and Mrs. Sackett (that's us!)

WOW! Can you check out all that bling. We know how to pick 'em (our boys, that is)!

And finally, taking the Joneses, Clint, and Matt back to Drake Field. What a night! (pictured: Kendall and Clint)

NOTE: You probably noticed one of us is missing, my Bekah Boo. She could not make it to our grand reunion on Friday night because she has a sweet little newborn baby girl, Anna. But she came to brunch the next morning...new post coming soon!

Get Sassy!

2010-07-02T16:47:00.000-04:00

I have to post this adorable video of my sweet 7 month old niece and Goddaughter, Leona Sackett. I was trying to get Leona to wiggle around on her blanket and she was not havin' it, so Keri helped me out. Turn up your volume and listen for Keri to say "Get Sassy"! I love it!

Fitted Sheets

2010-07-01T20:10:00.000-04:00

Fitted sheets are incredibly annoying. I hate folding them. My idea of folding a fitted sheet is wadding it up, in a neatly organized way, of course, and throwing it into the linen closet. The problem with that is it always looks so disheveled. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about...it's such an eyesore! So I decided I should get help, and get it fast! It didn't take me two seconds to determine the person to go to: Martha Stewart. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, she knows everything there is to know about nesting! So here's the link, because I know ya'll are just dying to know the foolproof technique for folding a fitted sheet!

Here's my work of art!

Ok, so it's no work of art, but it's a start! Don't be so judgmental!

DMB + You & Me

2010-06-27T16:44:00.000-04:00

About one month ago Sam surprised me with tickets to a Dave Matthews concert at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Indianapolis. First of all, I love surprises! I always have. Whether it's surprising me with concert tickets or Chinese take-out, Sam always seems to do it perfectly! The pictures I have are sparse because the venue does not allow audio or video equipment of any kind.

First of all we got to see our good friends, Doug and Sarah Kramer, and their sweet little one year old boy, Drew. The five of us had lunch together and walked around a closeby market, which had some really great shops! Some of my favorites were Just Pop In!, The Good Earth, and all the unique design and home shops.

Doug and Drew

Drew and Sarah

Drew found a Drew-sized chair at one of the shops. He really wanted to take it home!

Doug, Sarah, Drew, & Sam

Indianapolis Fire Station - love this picture with the firefighters' uniforms beside the trucks!

Pretty soon after our rendezvous shopping it was time to leave the Kramers and see Dave. TONIGHT'S PERFORMANCE-SOLD OUT!

Pulling into the concert reminded me of tailgating at the Razorback games in college. We were definitely among the college crowd. Thousands of people, coolers, lounge chairs, college-logoed tents, and partying. No worries, we came prepared! Afterall, I am a Razorback and my parents taught me how to prepare for any festivity or event. Yes, I should have taken more pictures, but I was just too wrapped up in all the excitement!

Thanks honey for such a great weekend!

a little slice of Heaven

2010-06-21T13:35:00.001-04:00

Sam and I took a road trip to Arkansas over the Memorial holiday weekend. We had a pretty detailed agenda, but #1 on our list was spending time with family and relaxing. Between Thursday and Tuesday Sam and I drove about 1,500 miles, had family portraits taken, spent a day hanging out with only our nephew and nieces, spent a weekend on the lake, and celebrated Brittany's birthday, Kathleen and Spencer's graduations, and Mom and Dad's 30th anniversary! What a trip! Here are some of my favorite pictures from our little slice of Heaven on Earth.

McDonald's with Elli, Aspen, & Hunter

The Beautiful Lake Ouachita

Brittany, me, Tara, & Malisa

Brittany, Hunter, & Sam

Sam, Travis, & Ryan

Cute Couples: Brittany & Spencer and Tara & Travis

Brandlyn, Ryan, Elli, Malisa, Chris, Brittany, & Tara

Dustin Jones...we love him!

Dad, Ryan, Travis, Mom, & Malisa on the Party Barge

Elli & Aspen - Cutest Picture Ever!

Kathleen & Ryan on the Sea-Doo

Cheers! (Spencer, Travis, Dad, & Dustin)

Hunter Wakeboarding!

Sam Skiing. He gets better every year!

Hunter, Spencer, Tara, & Travis

Aspen & Elli are two peas in a pod. Hunter always says, "Those girls are crazy!"

I just love this mother-daughter picture! They are so sweet!

And I couldn't resist posting this last one...... :)

Fun In The Sun

2010-05-22T11:41:00.000-04:00

I have three "Persons of the Week": my mom and sisters. There are many things in life that bring me so much happiness, but none like sharing the beach with my favorite women. Yes, the first week of May marked our Bennett girls' sort-of-annual trip to Destin, Florida and it was marvelous! I believe that my moving to another region in America will prove to make this wonderful tradition a yearly occurrence. If you are a woman, you can imagine that we had such an awesome time! No schedules or appointments, except for the Cinco de Mayo festivities and amazing spa pedicures.

The ocean is so beautiful and for me it is a reminder of how amazing God is.

And of course we celebrated Cinco de Mayo! I could not help but reminisce the memories of this festive holiday with my beautiful Delta besties.

Lovin' our very relaxing spa pedicures. If you go to Destin, you must get a pedicure at Le Nails. They are professional, inexpensive, and serve champagne! Unfortunately Brandlyn had a sinus infection and was obviously not feeling up to getting a pedicure. Thank goodness for antibiotics!

Here we are on our last night at a new restaurant called Floyd's Fish House & Bar on the ocean.

After dinner we went shopping at Harbor Walk Village. It is literally a shopping and dining village on the water. So much fun!

My sisters, my mom, and I always have so much fun together no matter what we are doing. Living in a different state, being married, working, and taking care of the house can sometimes make life hectic and very busy, so spending quality time with my family and friends is very important to me. Especially the females in my life. They are good for the soul.

Happy 10 Years, Sam

2010-05-18T13:14:00.000-04:00

My Person Of The Week is my husband, Sam. He is a Product Director on the trauma team at DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. and he just celebrated his 10 Year Anniversary with the company! He works so hard and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful Christian husband. I would love to tell you all about what he does at work, but I do not even know where to begin. His role is in marketing, but he has also developed products (hip implants and surgical instrumentation) and has nine patents in the United States and worldwide. Seriously, just google Samuel G. Sackett and you will generate a bunch of drawings and patents. Pretty amazing stuff!

I love you, babe, and I am so proud of all your accomplishments!

I Guess I'm Not A Golfer

2010-05-01T12:59:00.001-04:00

Name of the game - Putt-Putt a.k.a. Miniature Golf a.k.a Mini Golf

It was a beautiful weekend to have my little sis and brother, Brittany and Ryan, here visiting us in good ol' Fort Wayne. Saturday afternoon we decided to go play putt-putt. Such a fun game. We decided to go to the "Fun Center" in Columbia City which is.....uhhhh......somewhere close to Fort Wayne. There were three 18-hole courses to choose from and we chose course C, which I now know stands to Catastrophy. It was hard, but so much fun. Putt-putt courses always make me laugh because they have the most random themes and decorations. We had a really great time! I even took a turn at the pitching machine and reminded myself why I stopped playing after t-ball. Anyways, here are some pictures from our fun adventure!

Sam, Brittany, & Ryan

Sam likes to change outfits every few holes...

here's a photo montage of me and Brittany...

Oops...somehow Brittany broke this cement block??? She's an avid putt-putterer...

We asked Ryan to stand next to this house. Where did he get his height?!

A mallard came to play with us. She didn't stay long.

On hole 14 I somehow managed to hit the ball straight up in the air, then again when it came down. I took a mulligan and accidentally hit it over the course on the next shot.Our fearless scorekeeper, Ryan, gave me an "N/A" as my score....so rude.

But I got a little confidence back after making a hole-in-one on #17!

So once we finished our game we decided to try the pitching machines. Afterall, this Fun Center had lots of outdoor activities. I think I hit maybe 12 of 20 balls. I have proof of hitting one...I am focused.

I think my favorite days are when I am able to be outside. The outdoors make me happy no matter what I am doing! Sam and I had such a great weekend with Brittany and Ryan! THANK YA'LL SO MUCH FOR MAKING MY WEEKEND SO GREAT! I hope ya'll had a great time too and I cannot wait to see you soon!

Keri Jo & Ice Cream Cake

2010-04-30T15:45:00.001-04:00

The person of the week is my sister-in-law, Keri Jo Sackett, because she is wonderfully sweet and her birthday was this month. Keri is what I like to call a supermom. She is all about family. She's super involved in her kids' school and extracurricular activities (Noah and Ella are in elementary school); she also chases around my 3 year old nephew (Owen), cares for her newest little addition, my 5 month old niece (Leona), and she still makes time for her girlfriends. I don't know how she has the energy, but somehow she does it all with a smile on her face. And I don't mean one of those "I'm about to jump off a cliff" fake smiles! One of my favorite 'Keri qualities' is that she always enjoys life and does not take a moment of it forgranted!

Ryan and Brittany also came to visit last weekend too so we had lots of reasons to celebrate!

Keri's favorite birthday treat is ice cream cake. She loves it! So Brittany and I decided to make our first ice cream cake together for Keri's birthday. I am the baker and Brittany is incredibly creative so we made a great team! The ingredients included funfetti cake mix, oreos, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, egg whites, heavy whipping cream, frosting, sprinkles, and of course, ICE CREAM (strawberry and chocolate chip cookie dough)!

Then I baked the funfetti cakes (divide batter into two 9" round pans) and let them cool completely. Just follow the directions on the box. I made the crust by crushing oreo cookies and mixing it with cream cheese. Basically, I used the first steps to making oreo truffles. Easy and very delicious! Make sure you press the crust out onto wax paper and then stick it in the freezer.

Next, we added a layer of cookie dough ice cream. Yum! Then a layer of funfetti cake. And then, oh yes, another layer of ice cream. Strawberry this time! Then more funfetti cake, and finally I made whipped vanilla icing to top it off. See all the delicious layers... And finally, our finished product!

Friends and family came over for dinner that night. Sam grilled some very delicious beer burgers. We had fresh asparagus from his parents' garden, and ice cream cake! Sometimes I forget to take pictures when I am entertaining and this was one of those times. I will try to do better.

Pictured below from left to right: Brittany, Aaron (Sam's brother), Nathan (Aaron & Allison's little boy), Glen, and Savannah (Glen & Brooke's 2 month old baby girl)

And the adorable little one pictured below is Drew Kramer. He is Doug and Sarah Kramer's little boy. He is such a happy joyful baby!

My Some Kind of Wonderful

2010-04-23T07:45:00.004-04:00

What a great weekend! Brittany and Ryan came to visit good ol' Fort Wayne, IN last Thursday and it was definitely the best weekend of the year thus far. I picked them up from Indy Thursday afternoon and we ate lunch in the heart of downtown by Lucas Oil Stadium (where the Indianapolis Colts play...you know, Payton Manning, Reggie Wayne, etc...).

Funny tidbit: We ate at Panera Bread because Ryan has never eaten at a Panera even though he lives about 5 minutes away from one! Can you believe that?!

Not so funny tidbit: They didn't have sweet tea. WHAAAAAT?! The look on Brittany's face when she heard the news was one of complete sadness and dissappointment. Artificial sweeteners are not the same thing as real sugar, people, but I digress.

Thursday night we went to the TinCaps baseball game. My fellow Arkansans, the TinCaps are very much like the Travelers. They are a minor league professional baseball team and the stadium is new and beautiful. My wonderful husband was able to get great front row seats along the 1st baseline. It was also "Thirsty Thursday" at the ballpark, which means $1 beers!

My favorite part of the game was probably the banana split dippin' dots. For the low price of $5.75 each, Brit and I got commemorative TinCaps full of dippin' dots. Yummy!

Ryan and Sam chatted and watched the game. Brit and I fashion policed the baseball uniforms. Speaking of, if you are a baseball player, stop wearing your uniform like your Granny wears her stretch pants. Enough is enough. Order your pants one size smaller than you think you should and do not pull them down to your ankles. You look ridiculous!

Here are the tin caps our dippin' dots came in. They look small, but looks can be very deceiving!

Now, back to the ridiculous baseball uniforms. If you don't know what I am talking about, please see below in an excerpt I like to call "Who Wore It Better?"

Seriously, is it even a question?! Guy on the left in grey did the right thing by ordering his pants a size smaller than normal and notice he does not have his pants around his ankles (like Granny's stretch pants). Guy on the right....what a mess. Such an embarassment to all women pretending to be baseball fans just to look at cute butts. I'm talking about Brittany, of course!

Come back later to see more pictures and posts from our weekend!

Hummingbird Feeder Fiasco

2010-04-07T18:13:00.003-04:00

I bought a hummingbird feeder today. I've always wanted one and I finally got it! My mother-in-law has one and during the spring and summer beautiful hummingbirds are always coming up to her window. Her's has a suction cup on it, which makes it stick to the window. I couldn't find one of those, but I saw one today that I just loved! It was a little heavy because it's made of glass, but that detail didn't bother me in the least...not then anyway. Plus it was on sale for $9.99! Yea! So I came home and thought, "where should I put this beautiful hummingbird feeder?" Then I figured out why it was on sale. Not even a tree branch could hold this thing up! Trust me, I tried. So what's my next idea, you ask? Well duh! The childless swing set, of course! I climbed up the slide. Yes, the way you aren't supposed to and hung it on one of the random 4x4's sticking out the side of the top. Sounds reeeeeeeeal safe, huh?! Well I did not care because I finally had a place for my hummingbirds. One gust of wind later and the thing goes soaring in the air, landed on the grass, and luckily did not break.

Now I'm starting to get annoyed so I called my mother-in-law to get some of advice. After telling her part of my hummingbird feeder fiasco, she told me to get a long stake to hang it on so I could see it from my window. Plus, hanging it low in a tree is easy access for cats. Oh yeah, I completely forgot about seeing the birds from my window. That was the point of getting a feeder in the first place! I love her practical advice! So I go to the Wild Bird store where they have enough bird feeders and bird food to single-handedly conserve the endangered wetlands of America. They were very helpful and I bought a brass rod thing that hooks onto the deck. "Ok, that'll be $28.94," says the bird lady. So much for my bargain, but it was on clearance, and anyways now I have all the necessities to feed the hummingbirds, right? Wrong! Turns out the only place on my deck that I can hook this thing to is on the steps. All the other boards are about 1 inch too long. I should have just bought the flippin' stake to put in the ground...no returns on clearance items!

So now I am just waiting on Sam to get home so I can say, "Hey honey! I spent way too much money buying hummingbird feeder accessories, but at least we have our hummingbird feeder now! By the way, could you build something to go onto the deck so I can position my $30 brass rod hummingbird feeder holder juuuuuuuust right? Oh, and how was your day, sweetheart?"

But I do love this hummingbird feeder and here are a few pictures.

Here is our view from inside the house.

Ryan & Kathleen

2010-04-04T22:19:00.002-04:00

The whole family adores my brother's girlfriend, Kathleen. She is peppy, sweet, beautiful, and so much fun to be around. And this is coming from someone who has only met and been around her once! The rest of my family would assure you that I am not exaggerating her great personality. The thing I love most about her is that she loves Ryan and they make each other so happy!

She is a senior in high school and her prom was last weekend. I have to dote on my adorable little brother and his beautiful girlfriend for a little while and show you some of their prom pictures (courtesy of Kathleen's facebook). Kathleen, I hope you don't mind my copying and pasting! :)

Happy Spring, Ya'll!

2010-04-03T21:44:00.007-04:00

No, this isn't our child. This is Leona, our niece. This is the most recent picture I could find of me and Sam, and I want to assure you that we are alive and well.

I sure do love the Spring season! Student teaching is over and I finally have some time to breathe and do fun wife things that I have been neglecting to do (cooking, cleaning, laundry, girls nights, etc). I loved every moment of teaching, but now it is time to get back to the bloggin' world! Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and we plan to have an Easter egg hunt with our nieces and nephews in Fort Wayne. It will be our first Easter as hubby and wife.

Brittany and Ryan, my sister and brother, are coming to visit us in a couple of weeks too! I cannot wait. I plan to spring clean next week to get ready for them!

Here is Ryan earlier today. He sent me a picture from Lake Ouachita. He went striper fishing with family and friends. HUGE fish!

...and here's Brittany!

Last week was Nathan John 1st birthday. I do not have any pictures of him because my camera battery died, but I do have a few pictures of these two cute little girls. Here are Leona Grace Sackett(4 months) and Savannah Katherine Weaver (1 month). They are two little peas in a pod. So cute!

My niece and god-daughter, Leona, was baptized last month. Here are a few pictures. She is so beautiful in her sweet little white dress.

God-mothers, Brooke and Jeni, with Leona.

Owen, Matt, Leona, Keri, Me, and Brooke

Trimming the Tree

2009-12-22T20:30:00.002-05:00

So this is our first Christmas as Mr and Mrs and we were super excited to pick out our first Christmas tree. I was unaware of the intense investigation these trees were going to require before Sam would buy one. Nevertheless I let him look at every tree branch and was actually pretty entertained by the whole experience. Afterall I have never actually picked out my own Christmas tree so the whole experience was new and fun to me.

Apparently there are tree farms that just grow Christmas trees. Neat, huh?! Then they cut them all down and sale them around Christmas time. There are so many different types of Christmas trees too - Fraser Fir, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Scotch Pine, and the list goes on. But no where will you find just a "Christmas tree". Perplexing isn't it.

So after Sam's thorough investigation...

We finally found our Christmas tree. It was a Fraser Fir...I know you were just dying to know.

Thank you tree-carrier-guy for taking our picture!

They even wrap the tree up for you! It was about this time that I remembered what happened in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Luckily I was safe! Here is our tree right after we cut the plastic wrapping off. But remember you have to let the branches fall before doing the lights!

I love this step ladder...use it all the time!

Always start at the top!

I sent Sam to buy lights and he only bought 500. As if that was going to be enough...amateur.

Three trips to Wal-Mart and 900 lights later here is our very well-lit tree!

This year I actually get to use my own ornaments! I've been collecting Old World Traditional ornaments since I was 16 years old. I don't have many, but almost all of them were given to me as gifts and they each have a special meaning to me.

Now if only I had a tree topper! To be continued...

Happy Everything...literally

2009-12-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago I blogged about mine and Sam's new house. We absolutely love it and our neighborhood, but we have been wanting to do a few updates, especially in places everyone sees like the living room, entry way, and kitchen. We love having people over and entertaining, but the interior of the house was beige and white when we bought it. Those colors don't exactly scream our home is warm and inviting if ya know what I mean.

So as if paying for our wedding wasn't enough, we decided that for Christmas, my birthday, and pretty much every other gift-giving occasion we would ask our parents for money so we could paint (henee the name of this blog title). And thanks my husbands ability to save money and to our wonderful parents we were able to do that and much more!

I absolutely love and need color in my life, which of course includes my home, and the new paint has made a world of difference! See for yourself...

Here is the kitchen - Color: Drama Queen (love it)

I love these cabinets.

The name of this room remains a mystery because it is called many things. So just so we are all on the same page, it is the living room/den/great room/room you watch tv in. The color is Amber Yellow.

Here is the entry way. I love this color - Bungalow Gold

The entry way and upstairs hallway are painted this color. Unfortunately, the color is extremely difficult to capture on camera because of an annoyingly huge awful golden chandelier. That thing is the next to go!

And finally the bathroom! It is the same color as the living room/great room, etc. And it has been totally renovated by my handy hubby! He replaced all the bathroom and light fixtures, mirror, and also put in a glass shelf. I love it, but we are probably getting a new mirror because I think it's a little too "matchy-matchy".

We also got to add some new entertainment to our lives. Sam has wanted a new tv for quite a while and he finally bought one. He works so hard and definitely deserved a new tv. Every time he watches a football game his eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. We got a great deal because we shopped the day after Thanksgiving sales...Sony flat screen hdtv, surround sound, and two blueray disc players! Next thing on our "Home To Do List" is getting the Morgan media and storage collection from Crate and Barrell. We decided that the floor is not a good place to keep all the surround sound speakers! :)

And lastly on my list of new things, Sam celebrated his 10th year with DePuy Orthopaedics! This means two important things: more vacation days and a gift. Out of the many gifts he could choose from the Johnson and Johnson catalog, he got a small flat screen tv for me to have in the kitchen. How thoughtful is he?! I've told you before and I'll probably tell you a thousand more times, he is such a great husband!

I'm Back!

2009-12-19T23:41:00.003-05:00

Well hasn't this past month been crazy!? I haven't blogged in a very long time and I have really been missing it. So I bet ya'll are wondering what I have been doing and I am gonna tell you!

THANKSGIVING IN ARKANSAS!

Brit got me this cute new purse for my birthday. I love it and carry it with me everywhere!

We went to Bonefish together, just us kids! It was great and I hope we do this at least once a year from now on!

And you cannot have Bonefish without a martini (and vice versa).

Ryan and me...and speaking of my adorable brother...

I met his girlfriend, Kathleen, and I absolutely LOVE her! Isn't she the cutest person you've ever seen?!

And Elli, you know the one who had surgery. She got into the powdered donuts and suckers. Caught her red-handed! She's feeling much better now!

I also got to spend lots of time with Hunter! We always have fun together!

Sam and I took Hunter shopping for his Christmas present and he picked out a skateboard and two swords. All three of us went on a walk on this warm beautiful day after Thanksgiving to try out the skateboard. It was great!

Yes, about that sword. Elli ate part of it. I have nothing else to say about that except for seriously, SHE ATE PART OF IT!

Here is my little trio! I just love them and cannot believe how fast they are growing up.

And of course, like every other Arkansan, we watched the LSU-Hog game. It was intense and a very sad loss for the Razorbacks.

And my family surprised me with a Razorback birthday cake! Yummy! Check out Sam's Arkansas Football shirt. I just love seeing him in Razorback gear!

We were back in Fort Wayne on my actual birthday and my wonderful hubby surprised me with balloons! Totally unexpected and such a great surprise! He's the best.

I was also super excited to see Kendall. We had breakfast at Panera the morning before I had to leave and it was as usual so much fun. I always have a great time with her! Speaking of, she and I are meeting in Chicago for Michael Buble!!! Counting down the days...

Oh yes, and here is my favorite picture...Dad riding the unicycle...hilarious!

I hope you liked the update and plan on seeing a lot more!

Prayers for Elli

2009-11-18T11:30:00.002-05:00

My sweet little 2 year-old niece and my new person of the week, Elli Frensley, will be having a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy on Tuesday morning, November 24, at Springhill Baptist Hospital in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Please keep her, as well as the doctors and nurses, in your prayers.

Brandlyn and Chris really appreciate all your thoughts and prayers.

Leona Grace

2009-11-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

Sam and I were so happy to see our new baby niece last night! Leona (Lee-O-Nah) Grace Sackett was born yesterday and weighs 7.3 lbs. I think Leona looks just like her big sister, Ella! Here is a fun fact for ya...Ella is the first "Sackett" in a few generations to be a big sister!

Here are a few pictures of me and Sam with Leona. Between the two of us we have 6 nephews and 5 nieces now. I love being an aunt!

Mommy and baby are both doing great! Please keep Matt and Keri's family in your prayers as they welcome the newest addition to their family.

The Harvard Club

2009-11-05T12:03:00.000-05:00

I completely forgot to write about our recent trip to Boston. Sam was in his friend, Clay's, wedding. Clay and his new wife, Inna, live in New York City, but they met while in college at Harvard University. The wedding was beautiful and the view from the reception at the Harvard Club was breathtaking. I was in Boston less than 24 hours so I didn't get to see much of the city, but Sam and I plan to go back sometime! I loved the city from the moment I flew in over the harbour...lighthouses and sailboats everywhere. The view was like out of a book!

Here is Sam posing in our swanky little hotel room in downtown Boston.

Sam & The Groom

Me & The Beautiful Bride - Her dress was all lace...so beautiful and feminine!

Sam and two other groomsmen taking shots with the Groom. Before.....

...and After. Wow, nice faces!

Sam's parents at the wedding!

A few pictures at sunset from the Harvard Club. Like I said, the view was amazing...

What a fun trip. I cannot wait to go back and actually see the city!

Congrats Clay and Inna!

Taking It All In

2009-11-04T11:16:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just need to take some time to look at all the beauty around you. I did that last week when I went for a run. Well, at least I started to go for a run. The fall colors on the trees were so beautiful that I ran back to my house, got the camera, and decided to go for a walk instead. Sam and I just moved into a new neighborhood and this is really my first fall season to be in Fort Wayne so I wanted to take advantage of all the new beautiful scenery around us.

As I told y'all before, the Fall is my favorite season, and I would say Fort Wayne has the most beautiful Fall I have ever seen! The leaves turn slowly and depending on the type of tree, the leaves sometimes stay on the trees for a month after turning colors. It really makes you appreciate the different seasons. Well, that is, until the leaves all fall off the trees because then you know winter is coming soon. And the winter here is frickin' cold! I also like the dramatic color scheme - evergreens are always green, then there are yellow, orange, and red maples, and Crabapple trees, and so many more...

Part of our neighborhood is on a golf course. Our house is not, but it's really close. As you can see, walkers are not welcomed on the course. Golfers Only!

This tree below is my very favorite tree in the neighborhood - a Red Maple. Sam and I are going to plant some in our yard next spring! The one here belongs to our new neighbors from Chicago. They moved in the day before Halloween and have 4 precious little girls. The youngest two are twins! So adorbale!

It doesn't really do the whole scene justice, but I love this picture! The cutest creek and bridges run through the golfcourse. And in the mornings it is so quiet here...perfect time to go for a jog.

The three pictures below are also on the golf course.

This one was taken at our house. I LOVE Crabapple trees and we have four of them! Aren't they so "Wintery Whimsical"?! They remind me of my Delta Besties, especially Collin, because we love going to Bonefish Grill! They have the most amazing food and seasonal cocktails and this one reminds me of the "White Christmas" martini!

I love the Fall! Keep coming back because in a few weeks you will be seeing pictures of more snow than I care to post!

Sweet Tea and Celebrations

2009-10-29T11:47:00.002-04:00

...are two of my very favorite things about going back to see everyone in Arkansas! Whether it's a wedding, birthday party, Razorback game, or just being with the people who bring out my southern accent (and my southern attitude), we always have a reason to celebrate down there! Now don't get me wrong, I love Fort Wayne, but there are things about the south that I miss. Things that you just can't get anywhere else. Like ordering sweet tea when you go out to eat! Here is a recap of my fabulous weekend back home.

Friday Night Slumber Party
Elli wasn't feeling very well on Friday. Personally, I think she just needed a little lovin' from Aunt Jeni. We played with my jewelry and apparently even two year olds feel better when they get new jewelry! I realize this is a terrible picture of me, but I woke up at 4:30am so gimme a break, ok!

Hunter, Aspen, and Elli spent the night with me Friday night and we had a blast! Of course I woke up really early Friday morning and I did not take that into account when planning our slumber party, but the reward of having my adorable nieces and nephew for the night far outweighed any negative thoughts of sleeplessness/insomnia/I'm literally staying awake on a glass of sweet tea and a double-tall-non-fat-white-chocolate-mocha, with whip cream, of course!

Hunter was such a great sport about our slumber party. Usually he gets me all to himself on Pogey Bait night, but I had him and the girls this time. He is really good at entertaining those girls. They adore him!

The kids got a special treat for dinner (McDonald's happy meals). Aspen and Elli's happy meals came with a My Little Pony toy and Aspen insisted on "riding her horsey"! She couldn't understand why the darn thing just kept falling over!

Saturday: A Birthday Party & A Wedding

Aspen and Elli's birthday party was Saturday. Elli turned two years old on October 6th and Aspen will be three on November 19th. They are only 11 months apart!

Make A Wish!

Elli, Aspen, Bella Cate, & Lana. Elli clapped for everyone when we sang Happy Birthday to her and Aspen. I wish I would have videoed it because she was so adorable!

Pawpa, Dad, & Meme (my Dad with his parents)

Me & Pawpa (my Mom's dad)

Spencer & Brittany...cute little lovebirds

My Mom with her three grandchildren. She couldn't be happier!

Ryan & Me. We should have taken this picture standing up. I swear he gets taller everytime I see him! I think he is at 6'2" now! Also, TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY! Stay tuned for my Person of the Week post!

Brandlyn & Chris in their new kitchen...my favorite part of the house!

Lana & Jim Eggleston (below) Lana is Chris' twin sister, and I swear we were meant to be related. I just love her and Jim, and their little girl, Bella Cate, is just as sweet! Lana and Jim are expecting baby #2 next year!

Bella Cate & Aspen playing with the new toys.

Elli demolished the Happy Birthday crown and made a headband out of it. Creative!

Now, this picture makes me laugh! You know how I always have a hair tie on my wrist (even when I forget to take it off at inappropriate times like when I am a bridesmaid)? Well, the other two sisters have apparently made this same faux pax. Obviously, as the eldest sister whom we look up to, this must be Brandlyn's fault.

The Wedding

Saturday afternoon I attended Lauren and Lee's wedding in Heber Springs. They had a beautiful outdoor fall wedding at Lee's mother's house and the reception was at the Red Apple Inn. It was beautiful! I should have taken more pictures, but I was so busy talking and catching up with all my friends.

Our small group with the beautiful bride! Left to right: Kendall, me, Shelly, Lauren, Whitney, Joanna, & Jessica

Ken & Jen...I was so happy to see her!

Me and Dustin Jones. One of my favorite people from NLR.

Me & Joanna. I just love this girl! She puts a smile on my face everytime I see her.

Jessica and I were each other's date because my hubby and her boyfriend couldn't come. She rode home with me from the Red Apple Inn and we had a great time catching up! Definitely one of the highlights of my weekend!

The getaway golf cart was very creative! For those who may not be familiar with Heber Springs, AR, the Red Apple Inn is on a golfcourse.

Blogger Facelift

2009-10-21T08:52:00.001-04:00

I am working on a new template and background for our blog. I want to give it a fresh new look, but I am not quite finished yet. Gotta few kinks to work out like finding the blog title...where did it go? Not sure! I am lovin' the pink and brown theme though. What do you think?

Happy Fall

2009-10-18T17:01:00.012-04:00

Fall is my very favorite season! I love seeing the change of seasons when the leaves turn to beautiful bright colors. I also love seeing my wardrobe change from wearing summer clothes to breaking out my scarves, sweaters, and coats! And of course college football season! The fall just makes me happy all around and, for the first time ever, I got to decorate my very own house! I've posted pictures of most of our fall decor.

I didn't know how hard it was to see the pumpkin (below) until I took a picture. I need to do something about it...maybe add a few other things around it??

Some pictures taken in the kitchen.

I'm still not sure what I want to do with this pumpkin or my pig cutting board, but I love 'em both so I had to at least take a picture.

Sam & Jeni as scarecrows; how do you like the apple on the haystack? Call me 'Teach'!

Pam, one of my girlfriends' mothers, got me these cute ceramic pumpkins as a house-warming gift. Love them!

I love having fresh flowers in the fall (ok, really anytime is great for fresh flowers). I have a boquet of daisies, lillies, and cat-tails in the kitchen and a bouquet of mums in the front entry way.

Here is the mantle in two pictures...left side, then right side.

I cannot believe the stores have their Christmas decor out already. I mean don't get me wrong, Hobby Lobby, I love your store, but at least let me enjoy the fall through Halloween. I will not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean I can't shop for a few things!

aspen brooke frensley

2009-10-16T09:24:00.002-04:00

This photo hasn't even been retouched yet! Seriously, my niece should be a model. Brandlyn and Chris, I see photoshoots and pageants in your future...

Insomnia Musings

2009-10-15T01:09:00.001-04:00

Insomnia-such a terrible word. I hate it when I can't sleep. I try everything to get myself to sleep. Eventually I start talking to myself in my head. That's when you know it's really bad...
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close your eyes and lie very still
relax all your muscles
change positions
get a drink of water
flip the pillow.....ahhhh, that's nice!
change positions again
elbow Sam while pretending to sleep because his snoring is clearly the reason i am awake
stop thinking...about to-do lists. that's why you have 'em in the first place!
stop telling yourself to stop thinking. doesn't help.
great, now I'm totally awake again....change positions, flip the pillow, relax
what's on my agenda tomorrow?
NO! stop it! i'm seriously annoyed!
tomorrow is thursday. best day of the week....grey's, the office, private practice
What is my "McName"? darn those writers for keeping me awake at night!
ok, now i'm just gettin' crazy!
change positions and flip pillow ten more times and...
did i just do my cardio workout for tomorrow?
THAT'S IT! I'M DONE!
1 glass of red wine. relaxed. finally. goodnight.

8.15.09

2009-10-13T17:31:00.011-04:00

Our wedding photos have finally been posted on The Hudson's website! Find our picture and then type in the password jenisamwedding. There are pages and pages of pictures so I took it upon myself to post a few of our favorites! Seriously though, when you think there are no more pictures just click the right arrow and there are more. Kudos to my wonderful photographer, Kara!

Right after the I DO's!

Bennett-Sackett Family Picture

My Family (Spencer must've been M.I.A.)

Me, Sam, & the Groomsmen

Kels & Aspen

My Deltas

LOVE this picture!

Some of my girlfriends from high school. Left to Right: Jessica, Lauren C., Allison, me, Lauren Kay, Kendall, & Elizabeth

Me & My Dad dancing...doesn't he look so GQ!?

Adorable family pic of Matt, Keri, Noah, and Ella

This picture is cute and halarious. Hunter ~~looks like he~~ is up to something...

Spencer caught the garter (this is definitely a sign)

Dancing

Honeymoon, here we come!

Hard Workin' Man

2009-10-07T20:03:00.001-04:00

Move in day! Sam and I, along with some of our wonderful friends and family helped us move into our new home. Ever since this picture was taken he has not stopped working, which is why he is my Person of the Week! We have been in our new house for a little less than two weeks and he is almost finished with his Honey Do List (I love lists)! I know I talk him up a lot, but he really is a great husband. And ya gotta give your husband some credit when it is much deserved!

Mowing the new lawn. It is much bigger than the lawn at our old house. Thank goodness for the riding lawn mower!

Here he is breaking up the concrete on the side of our house. This entire walkway off the driveway was raised above the rest of the concrete. Let's just say it was very hazardous! We had a new walkway poured last week and it looks great with our initials carved into it.

All the cabinet knobs in the kitchen and laundry room were gold...really gold! He bought new knobs, 69 of them to be exact, and changed them all out for me!

He hung the mirror by the stairs. I loved playing with the stud finder power tool thing.

I LOVE this iron/ironing board holder....

and my utility organizer! I just noticed I need a broom and dustpan...

Thanks Honey for all your hard work!

My Tova Girl

2009-09-19T13:08:00.003-04:00

Finally! Here is the much anticipated Happy Birthday to my Tova Girl/BFF/MOH/POTW (person of the week)!
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Kendall and I first met when she came to CAC in 9th grade, and we have pretty much been best friends ever since. We have been there for each other in the greatest times, the worst times and everywhere in between. She is thoughtful, creative, funny, and always puts a smile on my face! And she has gotta be the best matron of honor in wedding history. I love her to death and I miss her like crazy! I hate it that we live so far apart, but I know that we will always be great friends. Now since this is my blog and I can post whatever I choose, I am going to take you through a Ken and Jen montage!
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First things first, let's go waaaaaay back to high school!

First week of our senior year. Yes, we were really that cool.

High school seniors before a pep rally

Junior/Senior Banquet

Road trip to the Razorback game

Castle Bluff

Senior girls' Bible study (lake weekend)

Senior girls' Bible study (Christmas)

Graduation.....ahhh, success!

Senior trip!

Now onto college and more recent years.....

Birthdays...this was my 2-1

Tri-Delt semiformals

Row Weeks

Weddings, weddings, and more weddings!

My Bachelorette Party

And your bachelorette party!

Being eachother's MOH

Happy Birthday, Tova Girl!!! I love you!

Under Construction......

2009-09-17T12:30:00.005-04:00

I was not able to do a "Happy Birthday" post for Kendall because I wanted it to be unique and special. You see, I am blessed to have been friends with Kendall for years. And I have a TON of pictures that I had to take to Walgreens to put on a cd in order to post those pictures on my blog (ie; pictures from way back when). Prepare yourselves because it is going to be the best trip down memory lane of Kendall Jones!
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I am picking up the cd today so I should have it posted by tonight or tomorrow!

Our New Home

2009-09-16T11:00:00.001-04:00

Sam and I have been two busy little bees since we returned home from our honeymoon. The most recent news to date is that we sold our house and bought a new one! Sam's house is a perfect home for the two of us right now, but we eventually wanted something bigger. As you all know, it's a great time to buy and a not-so-great time to sell, but we decided early on to give this big decision to God so we have been praying about it for months. We wanted to trust God to put us in the place He wanted us to be. This meant no impulsive buys, sells, etc. For Sam this was easy because he does not have an impulsive bone in his body. Not even an impulsive hair folicle. I on the other hand like to "seize the day" whenever I get the chance. No acting on impulse was challenge #1 for me!
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We sold the house on the Saturday after our honeymoon. The catch was that the couple wanted Sam and I to be out of the house by September 30th. That left us about a week to find a house. We found what we hoped would be our new home on Sunday and placed our offer on Monday. AND WE GOT IT...FINALLY, after three very long weeks of negotiating! It truly is our dream home. We will definitely have to grow into it but we couldn't be happier or feel more blessed to have finally found it. I took about a thousand pictures so here are a few of our favorites.
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Our new home sits on a corner and we have a much bigger yard than we did at our old house. Also don't let these pictures confuse you. The front is brick and the back is cedar.
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Here are two photos of the front of our house. I absolutely LOVE the crab apple trees in front. My parents have the same trees in their yard.

This photo was taken of the front yard from the side of the house. And this one was taken of the back yard from the same side of the house as before. This is a picture of a few trees in the back yard. We think it marks our property line but won't be sure until later this week. Either way we get to enjoy the view! You can see some of the trees in the previous photo (just so you know where you are now).
NOW ONTO THE HIGHLIGHTS!

We've always wanted a big yard and this one even came with a swingset....don't get any ideas, this swingset is for our nieces and nephews! I have actually never seen cat tails other than in the movie The Little Mermaid. Apparently we have a "marsh" out back.Landscaping. It is difficult for me to keep plants, trees, goldfish, and other things alive so I was ecstatic to see that the previous owners did a lot of landscaping prior to putting their house on the market. They planted pink, red, orange, purple, and white roses throughout the flowerbeds! Now Sam can just effortlessly pick flowers from our beds and bring them inside. Doesn't get much easier than that now does it (hint hint)!We have tomato plants on one side of the house and a big raspberry bush out back! Woo hoo! I have always wanted my own garden and this is a great start. The plants look a little droopy and sad, but luckily there are a few green thumbs in the family. I found this one raspberry in the whole bush. Jacuzzi in our master bathroomHis and hers closets in the master bedroom. Ahhh, any married woman's dream!Lots of cabinets for all my new cook books, bakeware, cookware, and other fun kitchen gadgets!Living room with high ceilings....We are hiring someone to paint this room, but I am perplexed about how I am supposed to dust the fan and wash the windows.Nothing says "Welcome Home" like a Razorback Red deck! 3 Car Garage with a cute little window facing the side of the house.Beautiful windows (this room faces the front yard)Big basement, which includes a bathroom and a pool table. It does not include pool balls or cues. Hmmmm, my thoughts exactly!?I could post many more pictures, but instead you will just have to come see it for yourself!

Oooooooooo O-H-I-O

2009-09-14T08:03:00.005-04:00

I got to go to my second ever Ohio State Buckeye game last weekend. Every game is sold out. Isn't that crazy!? In order to get tickets you either have to buy them from someone (ie; not the box office) or you have to have graduated from OSU. Sam's grandfather graduated from OSU so he entered his name into a lottery for tickets. Basically, when you enter your name you can get two tickets, but there is no guarantee which game you will get. Sam's grandfather got tickets to the first game (OSU vs. Navy). Sam's dad, who is also an Ohio State graduate, entered his name into the lottery and got tickets to the OSU vs. USC game!

Sam's grandfather asked him to go to the OSU-Navy game with him, and he was so excited! My dear sweet hubby bought two more tickets to the game from someone he works with and was able to get all four tickets together. He bought the tickets for me and his mom. Very thoughtful! This was the first game of the season and they had an opening game record attendance. 105,092 people to be exact! The stadium is breathtaking. It is HUGE! This picture does not even do it justice, but it's the best I could do. The atmosphere is indescribable. Amazing! Sam took this picture at halftime. The band came out in three Deltas! Go figure!? I am aware that they look more like diamonds or arrows in the picture below, but I think I accidentally deleted the better one. You get the picture though.The game was at noon and the Hogs didn't play until 7pm eastern so I got to see the Buckeye game and listen to the Hogs' game on our way back to Fort Wayne via satellite radio!

Move-a-palooza 2009

2009-09-12T23:22:00.000-04:00

While the hubby was in Columbus with his dad cheering on the Buckeyes I stayed at home getting everything packed up and ready to move. I started packing things last week, and I began with a simple and organized plan:

1. Label, Label, LABEL! Every single box!

2. Keep the boxes organized by room, and then weight:

a. Room Categories: kitchen, great room/den, living room, dining room, office, laundry room,

basement, bedrooms 1-3/bathrooms (upstairs), master bedroom/bathroom (upstairs)

b. Weight Categories: Very Heavy!, Heavy!, Fragile! (all very important)

3. On the label, write what is in the box so we don't have to have this conversation: "Sam, have you seen the small tongs? No, not the All-Clad tongs, but the Good Grips kind? (Sam grabs some tongs bound and determined to be my knight in shining armor for lost kitchen utensils.) No, honey, those are stainless steel and they are medium size. etc...."

I also decided to look for a moving checklist online and like always, Martha Stewart came through for me! She has great ideas for just about everything and, ever since the marriage license ordeal, I decided to make checklists an essential part of my life.

My mother-in-law so sweetly devoted her night to helping me pack things up in boxes. We had a relaxing and fun time watching the game, drinking some wine, and boxing up stuff. Thanks so much for helping me!

the BIG 5-0

2009-09-04T11:35:00.001-04:00

HE CAN KICK, STRETCH, & KICK! Please click here if you do not know Sally O'Malley from SNL.

My Dad turned 50 years old this week! He is the best father and role model anyone could ever ask for, and I feel very blessed to have him as my Dad. He and my Mom raised all four of their beautiful children in a God-fearing, Christian, respectful, hospitable, southern, social, and hard working household. I have to say "Thank You" to my dad for raising me to be an independent thinker and do-er. If it were not for him I would have never had the courage or confidence to fly all the way to Indiana to see Sam, which means I would have never met the love of my life. And let's face it, we all know Sam overanalyzes everything so there is no way he was going to make the first move.
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I am really sad that I am missing all of the fun birthday festivities my mom has in store for the weekend. I can't tell y'all much about it right now because some of it may be a surprise, but I will post some pictures once Mom sends them to me. One thing we all love about celebrating Dad and Brandlyn's birthdays is that we always celebrate on GAME DAY! Tailgating all day with friends and family is how the Bennetts like to do things and we always do it big!
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Dad, I hope the Hogs bring in a BIG WIN for your birthday!

I love you and wish we could be there to celebrate. Here are a couple of my favorite photos from past birthday celebrations. Stay tuned for more pictures from Dad's birthday weekend...

She's the Birthday Girl

2009-09-03T01:25:00.001-04:00

My sister, Brandlyn (above, middle) just turned 27 years old last week. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by these past few years. I feel like it was only yesterday when she was shoving food into my 2 year old mouth because I was too young to tell my mother I was hungry!? Yep, my big sister has been watching out for me since birth!

All jokes aside though she really is the best big sister a girl could ask for. The word "big" is ironic because she is actually smaller than me. Three kids later and the woman looks like she works out for hours every day. I assure you she does not! She hates exercise. Yes, I am jealous. Pictured below are my two beautiful sisters, Brittany (left) and Brandlyn (right).Brandlyn is married to a very wonderful man, Chris, and they have three beautiful children, Hunter, Aspen, and Elli. They also just moved into a new house! She stays so busy being an office manager at my Dad's office, APMR, but somehow has the time and energy to juggle everything else in her life. The thing I admire most about her is her selflessness. She does so much for the people she loves and she expects little to nothing in return. She gives 110% to everything and everyone. She also makes people feel special. Somehow she has a sixth sense and can tell if I am having one of those days or if just need someone to talk to. Mind you those days are very rare, but when they come I swear she just calls me out of the blue to talk and it always makes my day...no, my week! I am very lucky to have her as my sister and one of my best friends.

I Thee Wed...Again!

2009-09-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

I like to believe that most people have a wedding checklist of all the things you have to do, should do, need to do, and maybe want to do. They do not miss a detail in those checklists in Bride's Magazine. My super MOH, Kendall Jones, made me an amazingly organized wedding binder full of checklists, photos, ideas, and tips just for my wedding. Not only did I have an organized color-coded & tabbed binder, but she also sent me her Guest List Excel Spreadsheet. This spreadsheet, ladies and gentlemen, was no ordinary spreadsheet! It was like GOLD! She had a tab for every shower, dinner, and luncheon, as well as the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. On each list was the following: invited guest(s) name, whether or not they were attending, how many attended, their address, and the gift they gave her. WOW! I mean she basically did all the hard parts for me, and all I had to do is fill in the binder and spreadsheets.

So back to my checklists. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU AND YOUR FIANCE OBTAIN A MARRIAGE LICENSE BEFORE YOUR WEDDING. THE CHURCH DOES NOT/CANNOT DO IT FOR YOU. You are probably saying to yourself, "Duh, that's common knowledge!" Well yours truly did not know she had to get a marriage license. Luckily I found out around 6pm the night of my wedding...ha. There was no need to freak out about it because Rev. Hampton assured us that the most important thing was to be married in God's eyes, not the state of Arkansas. Of course I questioned all my bridesmaids as well as the MOB and MOG. They all knew about this crazy marriage license thing. Even the girls who were not married knew. Now keep in mind that I've been in a few weddings in the past year and I never ever ever heard one of them talk about getting a marriage license.

Even without a marriage license Sam and I became Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sackett on August 15, 2009. So I thought. Apparently "legal documents" (ie; marriage licenses) cannot be backdated. We found out about this upon our arrival in Little Rock late Sunday night after our honeymoon. First thing Monday morning we had to go to the court house to get a marriage license. This tedious little document makes your marriage legal. Then we had to go back to Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church where Rev. Hampton re-married us, literally! I have the photos to prove I am not making this up. Back to the court house afterward to get the gold stamp and make this official. So I like to think of this day as just renewing our vows after 9 days of marriage. Mom was there to witness this blessed and 100% legal event and everyone at the church (and probably everyone reading this) got a good laugh out of it.It was one of the funniest learning experiences I've ever had. I hope everyone has learned a valuable lesson today.