Sister Gets Her Bling!

We always look forward to trips to Aggieland. The nostalgia of revisiting our old stomping grounds, the place we first met and the home of the Fightin' Texas Aggies just brings a sense of pride to us that is pretty much irreplaceable. This past weekend, however, we were filled with even more pride and excitement upon our return to College Station, as we were not only channeling our college past and Aggie spirit, but we were celebrating the biggest milestone of Kirby's college career-- Aggie Ring Day!

We surprised Kirby with our arrival on Friday afternoon, just early enough to accompany her to the Alumni Center to pick up her bling. She had no idea we would be there for every bit of the festivities, despite our long 6 hour drive and work schedules, but the look on her face when we showed up on her doorstep was absolutely priceless! The incredibly rainy (we're talking monsoon-style) weather wasn't exactly conducive to cute outfits, big hair or picture taking, but we made the most of the day nonetheless and celebrated with Kirby and her three roommates and closest friends. Later that night, we headed to Bee Creek Park and got nice and cozy with the rather large crowd of people that came to cheer on Kirby and her fellow dunkers in the continued downpour. Our awesome friends Ty, Lanna, and Carrie all made the trip to College Station for the weekend, so we had tons of fun spending time with them, too. How lucky are we to have the kind of friends that will drive more than an hour to hang out in the rain just to cheer my sister on at her Ring Dunk? They're absolutely the best.

Sister chugged that beer like it was her job, finishing first among all the girls in 47 seconds and making her family (especially Dad) incredibly proud. I've been proud of Kirby through her entire college career, but something about seeing that Aggie ring on her finger just made it all seem that much more real. Can't believe my sissy is all grown up and in her senior year of college!

Kirby and Shannon-- BFF's since Kinder!

Showing off our bling

Hayli, Caitlin, Meagan and Kirby- the fabulous four!

Proud Ags!

BFF's since Kinder and their mamas

Another close-up of the rings (which are much prettier than wet hair, but who's keeping track)

Proud parents with their Aggie girl

Look at that bling!

The proudest moment of my weekend... presenting my sis with her very own Aggie ring. Whoop!

Now let the dunk begin...

Getting pumped pre-dunk

One last photo op

And it begins...

Chugging like a champ!

Almost done...

She did it! Fightin' Texas Aggie class of 2014! 

 Seeing this girl made my weekend. Love ya, Roo!

Carrie, Shannon, me and Lanna

The next day, Cody and our friend Luke watched the Ags BTHO SMU at Kyle Field while the girls shopped. I was super excited to start picking up a few things for the nursery and to begin Hayes' wardrobe--priorities, people! Auntay Kay (as Kirby has dubbed herself) made sure he has a couple of gameday outfits and his first Aggie baseball cap, and GG (mom's official name, which stands for Gorgeous Grandma) ensured that he has an Aggie romper, so he is already well on his way to bleeding maroon just like his mama and daddy. This was definitely one of our best weekends in Aggieland, with countless memories made!

Snakes, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails...

That's what little boys are made of! And that's what we'll be celebrating when our baby boy makes his big debut on February 16, 2014! We had our 18 week ultrasound last week and were beyond excited to find out that our precious angel will be bringing a little more blue into our house. Cody jumped up and down, Dad hooped and hollered with excitement and I think we're all just counting down the days until Hayes William Johnson enters this world. Words can't even express how thankful we are for this little miracle that God has given us. I am still amazed every time I see the growing life inside me, and how incredible it is that our Creator could build such a complex being from nothing. We are already so in love with Hayes and are super excited to finally begin shopping, decorating and getting everything ready for his arrival.

That is one proud daddy! He can't wait to have a game-watching buddy for the Aggie's next football season.

Our precious little man's first close-up. His hands are in fists on either side of his face, and you can see his closed eyes, tiny button nose and full lips, along with a rather strong jawline. :) 

I am still feeling great and my belly seems to be growing more by the day. Hayes is currently the size of an heirloom tomato, weighing in at about 9 ounces. Looking forward to seeing him grow even more over the next few weeks... there is definitely no hiding that bump these days and I couldn't be happier about it! 

Home Sweet Home

After much anticipation, I am beyond excited to share a photo montage of our new home. The month of August was a bit crazy with my work schedule, so I was incredibly thankful to be able to have lots of help to get settled in on the one free weekend that I got during the month. (For those that missed the memo, I am working as an academic advisor at Texas State Technical College, just down the road from our house. It's been great and super busy so far with the new school year starting!)

We are so in love with our first official home and can't get enough of the cozy feel and the style. Plus, we can't shake this feeling that the house just seems to be more comfy than any home we've lived in for the mere fact that it belongs to us! I will forever be indebted to my fabulous mother who truly pulled out all the stops and had this house unpacked AND decorated with the addition of a few freshly painted furniture pieces within one short weekend. I think she gets better with every move, though I know she and I both hope that this is our last one for a very long time. :) Add to Mom's expertise our two precious friends, Jared and Heather Ede, and their willingness to lend a hand, grab a paint brush, pretty much do whatever was needed until all hours of the night, and we have the perfect house for our little growing family. It's four bedrooms (3 bedrooms and an office), two bathrooms and the perfect amount of space to last us for a while.

Now, without further adieu...

Back side of the master bath

Front of master bath (w/ closet to the right)

Master bedroom

Another angle of the master bedroom

Baby's room! Have I mentioned how excited we are to fill it?

Guest bedroom

Another guest bedroom angle

Guest bedroom again

Guest bathroom

Guest bathroom 

Formal dining

View from front door

My "Hill Country corner" in the formal dining room

Formal dining

Formal living room/Sitting area

Another view of the formal living room

Formal living room

Breakfast nook

Kitchen

The boys had to sneak in to make sure you don't forget about them :)

Family room/den

Family room

Cody's office

Backyard 

Rio giving the tour of his domain

And the front of our home! 

Now that we're settled, we're more than ready for visitors. Let us know when you need a little island getaway!