Four years and counting.. :)

Every Memorial Day since the day we met, Chad and I have made it a point to head to Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie to do a little wagering.  Not cause we are expert gamblers or rolling in excess cash… quite the contrary actually… we don’t usually have a clue what we are doing… relying mostly on the expert’s picks for each race, how pretty the horses are or how funny the horse's names sound to us. :)

We head there each year in honor of our very first date. Our very first meeting actually. The day that would change our lives forever. Funny that Chad would’ve brought me to a place he knew nothing about.. flexing his gambling muscles (haha!) and losing his money as we nervously made our way through our first date.  I don't recall just how much money was lost that day, but I do remember that it DID turn out to be quite a fabulous day. An afternoon at the races, followed by taking in a few sites downtown and finally heading to a fancy schmancy dinner at Fearings. For those in the know, Fearings is quite the big deal for a first date.  I would later, and sometimes even to this day…give him a hard time for setting the bar so high right off the bat.  It worked though. ;) I was smitten and he stole my heart right from the get-go. There was no turning back now..

To read a little more about that first date goodness...and how our first few months progressed.. :) check out our ABOUT US link... HERE :)

This year, four AMAZING years later (Awwww..... ), with a strict baby budget in place, (YEAH for babies!!!) we set out to not lose the baby’s college fund.. (as if we’d actually wager that much...This cheap mexican would never let that happen.. hahaha.. ;) 

And wouldn't you know, we pretty much BROKE EVEN!  We spent a WHOPPING FIVE whole dollars on five hours of racing.  Can you even believe it?!?! We played small and won small but it was enough to make nine races seem like we had just won the lottery :)  It's amazing how much fun breaking even can be... can't wait to do it again next year.  :) 

And.... they're OFF!..

Heading back to their holding area after a hard race.  :)

It's A ............ :) :) :) :)

I can't believe the last time your dad and I caught a glimpse of your tiny little growing body, it was over SIX WEEKS ago.  Such a short litte snippet of time, in the grand scheme of this pregnancy...but at the time, it felt like an ETERNITY.  Especially since we knew this particular sonogram would reveal if we'd be having a sweet little GIRL or if you'd be a bouncing baby BOY?!?!? 

I have to say, I don't know how people go a whole nine months without knowing the sex of their babies.  Your dad and I are such planners.  I NEEDED focus.  I needed direction.  Going into Babies R Us has been so overwhelming... that on more than one occassion I have left feeling more confused than when we went in.  I knew that finding out your sex would bring that clarity that I needed to really start focusing on YOU.  YOU were going to be more REAL to us than just being a growing little body in my belly. You were finally going to have a NAME.  An identity.  Visions in my head would finally be more clear.  Or at least, the IDEA of you would finally be more clear.. and that's all I really needed to start planning for your arrival.  :) 

When the day finally came and the nerves had reached their peak, just when I was convinced.. and don't hate me for this later... that you were MOST certainly a BOY...  (I'd had THREE dreams of seeing a little baby boy by this point.. so I had begun to call you "he") .. we finally got to walk into that sonogram room to find out for sure.  

Right away the sonographer asked if we wanted to know your gender.  We OVER-enthusiastically said YES and she began her tour of your little belly apartment.  :)  Heart beat strong and clear, the sonographer made her way around taking measurements of your little baby parts until she stopped abruptly and said... 

It's a GIRL!!!!! 

Just like the first day we heard your little heartbeat, my heart took a flying LEAP straight up to my throat!! We were THRILLED!  Stunned to say the least...but OVERJOYED.  I knew, in that one instance, your dad was done for.  He was MORE than beaming sitting there beside me in that room.  You could light up a thousand city blocks with the light that was pouring out of his eyes.  I fell in love with him a little more that day.  All because of you.  :)  I can't wait to hold you in my arms... October can't get here fast enough...

Two SECONDS after leaving the doctors office, we immediately got to work planning our little "gender reveal" get together for that evening.  True to form, and VERY LIKE us Kelley's for planning things so late... your dad hit the ground running planning the menu and shopping for last minute neccessities while I tried my best to NOT scream it from the rooftops to EVERYBODY that we FINALLY knew you were a GIRL!!

Gender Reveal Cupcakes!! Pink Frosting in the middle, Yellow on top! 

Hard at work...

YUMMY Chef Chad Kelley spread..

Mmmmmmm... Soooooooooooo incredibly good Tri-tip.  Perfection. 

Homemade Cheese sticks, and cheese crackers.  Made by your dad of course.  :)

The kiddies.. enjoying the festivities. 

Everybody excited and anxious to hear!!

We even played the DVD of you moving around in my belly. 

We thought someone might be able to tell from the video but..

NO LUCK!!  You were STILL a mystery by this point.  :) 

So... we took a VOTE!! 

After some people took their first bite... they found... 

PINK frosting!! 

I was too busy actually watching people's reactions to get more pictures of their faces.. lol..

Your Dallas Grandma, Miss Lisa, spreading the good cheer!! 

Weekend Getaway - Addie's 4th Birthday Party

I seriously can't believe this little one is already FOUR years old!  I'm amazed at how FAST time flies.  It LITERALLY seems like yesterday that we were all waiting patiently in that hospital room with Christi (very appropriately watching Father of The Bride 2 by the way :) waiting for this little...well scratch that.. this BIG girl.. to finally make her appearance.  Crazy to think that you can blink just ONCE and so much time has gone by..

I love this girl.  Such spunk.  Such personality.  Four going on TWENTY FOUR it seems.. so mature and so dang smart for her age.  A girly girl through and through, she was the belle of the ball at her Rapunzel birthday party this past Saturday.. playing hostess to every single guest that came in the door and rockin' that little dress like no one else could. 

Happy 4th Birthday Addison Grace!!

Your Aunt Yvette and Uncle Chad LOVE YOU <3

Sweet Landrah enjoying the festivities..

With her sweet cousin Maya!  :)

LOVE THESE GUYS!!

The hubs, our sweet little nephew Andrew and my Pops <3 

Hahaha.. love the faces on these two.  :)

Party People

Me and my Dad with the Birthday Girl.. before her wardrobe change.  :)

That's one hungry dude!  :) 

Andrew, trying to figure out what the heck is on his sisters HEAD!!  :)

This cake was kinda, sorta ridiculously HUGE for a 4th birthday..

SOOOOOOO YUMMY!!

Proud parents :)

Weekend Getaway - Day 1

I love reasons to get away.  If only for a few days, I love the preparations, the mental distractions of planning and the chance to see good friends again.  This time, our 9 hour drive to the valley would take us to Little Miss Addison's 4th birthday party.  BUT first, a wonderful opportunity to cut the trip in half as we headed to Boerne, Texas last Thursday to visit one of my best friends Justin, his wife Jenna and their ADORABLE new baby Reed.  :) 

Before any road trip, Chad and I will always do a little research to see where we absolutely MUST STOP to eat.  This time, we'd gotten a tip from my co-worker Suzanne about an AMAZING little bakery in West, Texas.  As in the actual CITY of West, Texas.  :)  We still can't believe we'd never noticed this little place before.  Right off 35, right before hitting Waco... this little haven of goodness was just what we needed for a little afternoon pick-me-up. 

What they called Kolache's actually looked a lot like Danishes...

Not too sweet though but OOOOOOOOOOO Sooooooo yummy!! 

Czech Stop Bakery

heheheheehehe... Hot Chubbies... hehehehehe...

The immature kids in us got quite the giggle as we tried to figure out what these little guys actually were before we got there.. Their website had no description and lets just say that googling "Hot Chubbies" is NOT recommended.  hahahahaha... 

After about a five hour drive.. getting stuck in Austin traffic, we finally made it to the Hawkins house. 

Justin and Bo lounging around. :)

A little Father-Son bonding.. :)

Sweet, sweet little man.  So glad we could finally get a chance to meet this little guy. 

Thanks Justin and Jenna for giving us the chance to hang out.  It's been too long!!