Getting it all together!

Well, after the shower I couldn't wait to get everything set up and put away. Joel was so sweet to stay up and help until we finished. This picture was taken mid way through. We started with a beautiful mess! 

Braylin has the BEST daddy in the world. He took his time making each letter perfect! The lightest pink isn't showing up well in the pictures, but you can take my word that it is PERFECT and PRECIOUS!!

Joel wanted a dresser next to the rocking chair to hold all the books he will read to her while rocking. 

Papaw had the blanket that's hanging on the rocking chair made for Braylin. He kept it for a few weeks so he could send his love on it! What a sweet great granpa!

Mom and Dad worked hard on those curtains! When the sun rises, the whole room glows pink! It's beautiful and Braylin will love it!

Braylin won't be naked. She has a full closet full of clothes. (The shelf above the clothes is full of shoes. I think she has more than me and Joel combined!)

The nursery is still a work in progress, but we are getting closer. And the truth is, she will never know if she arrives before it's all done, so I am not stressing out about it. 

 I'll keep the updates coming!

Showered with LOVE!

First, we want to say that we have the greatest church family. We felt so much love and support at the shower. We are so blessed! Elizabeth and Jeanine did an incredible job hostessing, and we can't say thank you enough. 

                                                   Everything was pretty in pink!

                                                                             WOW

Mom and Dad (aka Nanna and Poppy as they call themselves) sent coordinating presents, of course!
                                                         It's official. Braylin is a wildcat!

tMom and Dad monogrammed EVERYTHING they sent. I don't know if the Oregonians had seen anything like it. My favorite comment was, "Now that is Texas!" It was all so adorable! We did joke that the doctor better have been right, because if Braylin turns out to be a boy, we are in trouble!
We almost threw away this diaper thinking it was a dirty one, but upon further investigation realized it was a keeper! 

                           Aunt Jill and Uncle Kevin sent the cutest swing! They were very sneaky about it.                                                                 THANKS  GUYS!!

                                   Notice how my face gets redder as the shower went on. 

Thank you to everyone who came and loved on us and Braylin. We are now feeling more ready to have her since we have the "stuff" she will need. The shower was more than we could have expected and are just blown away with what we received.

Here's to YOU Family and Friends!

                                                               About 5 weeks to go!!

We are taking the plunge! Joel and I know that it's not fair that we live so far away and that Braylin will be so far away once she arrives. Therefore, we decided to join the blogging world and attempt to keep everyone up to date on what's going on here in Oregon.  So this is for all of you so far away!

First, I want to thanks Sharon for the amazing blog design. What a talented and great friend! You can all thank her for getting us going and encouraging us to document our lives through a blog. 

The nursery is still a work in progress, but once we get it at least mostly finished, we'll post some pictures. We still have about 5 weeks...we have plenty of time to get it all done, right?!

Since Braylin Ivy is not here yet, I'll take this opportunity to tell about our lives right now. Joel and I have been in Oregon for about a year and a half. We are still really enjoying the northwest, and are looking forward to having some time to actually explore it. Our church is amazing and we are so thankful to have such a great support system. Joel is the youth minister, which has kept us busy and has really been a blast. Really all we do outside of church stuff is work. We co-own a fashion accessories store, ZIDA. What a learning experience it has been! None of us have had any business experience, but God has been so faithful to pull us through. We enjoy getting to know people in the community and being able to offer such affordable fun purses and jewelry (especially during this economic downturn). 

We'll get to work on the nursery and will post again soon.