Christmas Card

It has definitely been a great year. We are very blessed. Merry Christmas and have a Happy 2012!!!

Farewell Mr. Pujols

Just wanted to say my thoughts on the Albert Pujols farewell. The media has speculated numerous figures, numbers, terms, etc. since the ball was dropped a few days ago. Whether Albert Pujols did it for the money, more years/security, etc. is neither here nor there to me. I see Albert Pujols as one of the greatest baseball players in history, and basically the greatest baseball player in modern day play. He had possibly the best years of his career (thus far) in a great, baseball loving city, and he helped bring two World Championships to St. Louis. Am I disappointed that he is leaving the Cards? Well sure...he's been such a great player and fixture to the St. Louis community and state of the Missouri. Do I understand why he's not going to be a Cardinal for life, and do I blame the organization? No. It's completely understandable why the franchise made the decision that they did, and I'm sure he has his reasons for not taking it. HOWEVER, I am completely disgusted with how many people among Cardinal Nation are acting toward Albert Pujols. The burning of his jerseys, the backlashing of many people, their awful comments, etc., just makes me sick. It is completely disrespectful. For the fans that have been labeled as the best fans in baseball, it is kind of slap in the face to the Redbird following as a whole. Yes, be disappointed...feel misled, feel upset that he is going to the Angels. But, to burn the jersey and make threatening comments to he and his family is just stupid. Ok..I've vented. That is all.

Da, Da, Da-Da (Bridal Chorus)

25 days from now I will no longer have a 6 letter last name, but an 8 letter last name. This Howard will be a new Mayberry. The wedding is quickly approaching. I've asked myself a few times why we decided to get married directly after the holidays. Matt says it was my decision because he didn't care, so I guess it was me that made the wise choice:) Busy or not, the wedding will be here soon and like most brides, I'm beginning to feel the time crunch. For the most part, I am somewhat ready and have things pretty much together, but there are always the little last minute things that add up. Matt and his "work team" have started getting the warehouse ready for the big day. I think he is really ready for it to get here just so he doesn't have to do wedding stuff anymore:) If things go how I've imagined, it should hopefully be beautiful and a great celebration with our families. I mean let's face it, I'm marrying my best friend...how could it not be a great day?!?!

Christmas Trees

The fresh, Frasier Fir living room tree. Meet Bob. (Yes, I decided to name the tree. That way when I have Matt check the water, I can tell him to water Bob. Sounds cooler.)

My Cardinals Baseball tree!

Champions

This....

Led to this...

One of the best (if not the best) World Series ever...one of the greatest comebacks (if not the greatest) in World Series history (game 6)...was lucky to go to a game (game 2)...and was ecstatic about the outcome.

St. Louis Cardinals..2011 World Series Champions

Fall Decorations

Just thought I'd post a picture of my front porch. They finished the brick work and the porch back in September and the landscaping was completed in October. This is the finished product, as well as my fall decorations. I plan on enjoying them just a few more weeks until the transition to Christmas:)

From Beach Bummer to Beautiful Bling...

I've been so delayed in blogging...MUCH has been going on! :)

At the end of August, beginning of September, the entire Howard clan packed up to head to Orange Beach, AL. We were met with a very unwanted vacation guest upon arrival. His (or her) name was Lee. Tropical storm Lee very much ruined our long awaited beach vacation...it was literally a beach bummer:( We stayed in a very nice beach house that had a great ocean view. However, due to tropical storm Lee, our view was of grayish-brown rough surf and red "caution/hazard" flags blowing in the 55 mph winds. It was not the vacation we had been anticipating over the past 6 months. Thus, we ate good food and shopped (a little too much probably) at the very nice outlet malls. My parents were able to get a small refund back on the beach rental, and we all made it back home safely.

On the upside of the trip, Matt and I returned home via an alternate route stopping in Florence, AL to visit friends of mine. We had a great time visiting with the Bridges, Amy B., the Manns, and the Thompsons....SO GOOD TO SEE THEM ALL!!!! I don't get to see them as much as I would like too, but it was a nice ending to the vacation-gone-bad:)

On the very very upside of the trip....the weekend ended with a beautiful new piece of jewelry added to my left hand:) Matthew proposed..oh yes..he did:) It was on Labor Day, 9/5/11. He had planned to propose on the beach. But since Lee had other ideas, making it impossible to go on the beach, Matt had to resort to carrying my pretty ring back to Missouri, and popping the question back home. In my opinion, it was perfect:) He said sweet words, we both cried, and then laughed at how his weekend plans were ruined because of an almost-hurricane. It was the best night ever and I am so happy....I'm still in that smile-when-you-look-at-it phase:)

We had engagement pictures taken about a week ago. Here's one of us by the sign at the seed company. Our ceremony and our reception will both be at the warehouse.

New England Love

I love New England...plain and simple. Matt and I returned August 1st from our Boston/New York vacation. This was my first tour of Massachusetts and New York state, and I must say that I fell in love with the picturesque, postcard scenery. It was truly beautiful. We flew into Boston on Wednesday night (July 27th). We stayed in the Back Bay area of Boston. I had done much research on where to stay (Matt laughed at my
meticulous pouring over customer reviews), and our hotel ended up being the perfect spot to reside. We soon found out Boston was a very easy walking city, and we were at a great location to find our destinations with ease. We took a guided tour of the city (via the amphibious duck boats), took in a Red Sox game, had a tour of Fenway Park, visited numerous historical landmarks, and ate until our little hearts were content. We had wonderful meals and enjoyed dining at the famous Union Oyster House (oldest restaurant in the U.S.) and the Cheers pub, as well as authentic Italian in Boston's North End district. I have to say that I have visited several cities across the U.S., and Boston is by far my favorite city to date. It was clean, easy to transition through, and overall a beautiful city. So, my dear Boston...you now hold the key to my heart....when it comes to metropolitan/urban areas of course:)



Back to our itinerary...after 2.5 days in Beantown, we rented a car (a tiny little white Chevy Aveo), and headed south towards the upper portion of Cape Cod. We stopped in Plymouth, Mass. to take in views of the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock. Plymouth is a very quaint little town, and the views of the harbor are beautiful. I also enjoyed the cute bed and breakfasts along the shore...pretty landscaping, neat old colonial houses with porches overlooking the harbor, and grass that was green and manicured...absolutely gorgeous there.


After our Pilgrim stop, we headed west toward Providence, Rhode Island. We made a quick leg-stretch stop in Providence, and then headed northwest toward Albany. A night in Albany was enough for me (scary!) before heading to Cooperstown, NY. (We did only see the downtown area of Albany, and it was during the evening when everything had shut down. It was a ghost town to say the least. So there may have been nicer parts. The city is on the Hudson River so at least he view was nice.)

The drive to Cooperstown was gorgeous with rolling hills of small dairy farms and old barns. It was as if we were driving in a Norman Rockwell picture...I loved it! Cooperstown is literally in the middle of nowhere, but we learned while we toured the Baseball Hall of Fame that it is located there because the father of baseball is from Cooperstown (who knew?). We spent about 6 full hours in the museum and hall of fame, reading through artifact after artifact....record after record...plaque after plaque. Matt said that it may be the only time he would ever come to Cooperstown, so he was going to make the most of his childhood dream:) I was glad to oblige and it was actually very neat.


After Cooperstown, we headed north toward the Adirondack Mountains. We had a late flight leaving Albany on Monday evening, so to make the most of our vacation, we drove north up into the Adirondacks and stopped in Lake Placid for lunch. We visited a 700 ft gorge and took in some gorgeous waterfalls, and finished up with some great photos of the mountains and nearby rivers and streams.

I know where I'm going...don't you wanna come to?!

Where am I going you ask............drum roll.............Boston/NY!!! Yes, I'm heading out to the Northeast tomorrow evening with my one and only main squeeze:) Gonna catch a Red Sox game, see the city, eat multiple meals of delicious cuisine, take an easy drive to NY state, and finish with Matt's childhood dream...a visit to the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. If I haven't mentioned it, I'm VERY excited! I'm ready for no work, new places, and yummy food:) I'll be back later with pictures.

Pray for Mrs. Pippins

I just found out this morning that one of my mom's long time coworkers, friends, and my 3rd grade teacher has a "spot" that has shown up in her brain. Karen Pippins was diagnosed with breast cancer over 10 years ago. She battled and won, but several years later her cancer returned this time to find her liver. She has been fighting this cancer for the past several years and has had lower tumor markers in recent months. She has been doing treatments for maintenance and has been looking great. She just retired in May from teaching and I know has been looking forward to retirement. I just found out that Mrs. Pippins has a "spot" now on her brain and she will go for an MRI this upcoming week. I was brought to tears and to immediate prayer. We all know the power of prayer...I've seen it through my family, friends, and in the world around me and truly God can do the impossible and unthinkable! I'm sure most all of you who read my blog have been touched by cancer in some way. Many of you may have similar situations to Mrs. Pippins. That is why I am asking all of you to stop right now and pray for Mrs. Pippins. She is a wonderful, strong, woman who needs our prayers and the healing hand of God right now. Thanks friends and God bless:)

Anyone up for rafting?

These are some more pictures from the flood (or ocean as I like to think now that everyone has some waterfront property).

aeriel view of Morehouse, MO (east of Dexter on Hwy 60)

homes that are built on stilts on Current River

aeriel view of spillway at Lake Wappappello

and out comes the water

Highway T--gone...look two posts below and you can see what the spillway looked like before it breached

Prayers for the South

Please pray for our fellow Americans who are mourning the loss of loved ones and destruction across the lower South. It is absolutely jaw-dropping to see the complete and total destruction that the tornadoes left after blowing through Wednesday night across Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. I have never seen so much destroyed from a tornado, nor have I seen that many miles of area destroyed by a tornado. It really puts into perspective the magnitude of force and power of mother nature. My heart aches with every picture I see of those searching for signs and sounds of life amongst the rubble and ruins. So this is my prayer....that those who have been affected by these natural disasters will find comfort, peace, and the help and aid that they need. I pray that they will find loved ones they may be looking for, and I pray that they will be able to rebuild. That what may be a long road back to a normal way of life, will bring about many blessings and reasons for praise. And that the South will rise again to its full beauty. God is good and we should always look to Him and praise Him, especially in the storms of life. Dear friends...please praise for everyone affected by the storms of last week.

Rain Rain Go Away......for a LONG TIME PLEASE!!!

If any of you have watched the news, you have seen the ridiculous amount of rain we've received from the terrible storms that have touched MO, TX, AR, OK, and TN. In Southeast Missouri it is very bad since there are numerous water ways in the region that have overflowed and flooded many parts of the area. People have had to leave their homes, farmers have flooded fields in the middle of planting season, and many businesses are flooded as well. Rural roads as well as main highways are closed due to water over the roads from flooded drainage ditches and fields. It's not a pretty sight. Actually...it's very sad.

Please pray for Southeast Missouri and other areas and states where they have had deaths, destruction, and flooding.

Here are a few pics from the area.

flooded street and business in Poplar Bluff, MO

View of emergency spillway at Wappappello Lake. You can see the water is almost to the top.

Highway 60, east of Essex--(about 8 miles from Dexter)

flooded farmland

truck washed out into a field

aerial view of highway 53 and farmland near Poplar Bluff, MO

Nephews

cheese:)

sweet baby Sam:)

blue eyes:)

don't you love Jackon's "natural smile"? :)

***Kalee will get her full solo post in a few weeks...she's supposed to be getting her braces off so I'm going to do a before and after of the big event:)

First Game of 2011

We got free tickets in the Redbirds Club from Matt's brother-in-law. Matt, Wes, Jackson, and I went to Opening Weekend at Busch Stadium. We had great seats, the weather was great, but we sat and watched a pathetic 9 innings of baseball unfortunately. Oh well...at least the seats were free:)
Jackson was very excited and sat with his glove ready for most of the game:)

Jackson took this photo...he's very in to taking pictures with my iphone:)

Things I've made....

I made this apron for my niece, Kalee. It's reversible. She loves to cook!

I made these burp clothes for my cousin's twins...

for Scarlett

for Jagger

My hardest project to date...I wanted to learn to make a simple dress (don't be fooled...not simple...it was tough for a beginner like me!) I made this for Matt's niece, Lanie. I'm not finished because there are little bloomers that go under it and the project has been put on hold for a bit. They are a purple check gingham which is also the lining of the inside of the dress. I'm proud of how it turned out and I think it will be a little easier next time I attempt to make one. I had some help though..Matt's mom sews so she helped me with the questions and the steps I didn't understand:)

Frustrations of a fan...

So what's up with the Cardinals' offense? I know most of the people that read my blog (if very many at all) may not be Cardinals fans but what is up?! We know that pitching is going to be subpar most of the year due to Wainwright's surgery and his inability to play, 3/5 in the starting rotation having prior season pitching woes, and a lackluster bullpen. SO...what does that mean?? There is a heavy reliance on the offense for picking up the slack. Yes, Holliday is out for a bit, but c'mon...we have some other guys that can hit and the few runs we've scored in the first 6 games combined is pretty sad. C'mon Pujols, Rasmus, Skip, etc....(or should I say McGuire who is the batting coach)....get with it!!! Otherwise our woes that are just beginning will be here all season long :(

It's back....the best time of year!!!

Tomorrow starts the best time of year...baseball season!!! It's time for our beloved Cardinals to take the field and hopefully give us a great 2011 season. There are a few setbacks (Wainwright's out for the year and the delay of Pujols' contract negotiation) but I'm still so excited about a new season!

We are Cardinal Nation.

We are the 3 million in the stands and the millions more at home.

We are generations of generations.

We are a father, a son and a scorecard.

We are Ducky, Dizzy and The Rajah. Albert, Yadi and Waino.

We are a hard nine.

We are a kid, an old radio and a disregard for bedtimes.

We are curtain calls and the Clydesdales.

We are sac bunts, hitting the cutoff and the 4-6-3.

We were "America's Team" before there was such a thing as "America's Team."

We are 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 24, 42, 45, and 85.

We are "Go Crazy Folks!" and "That's a Winner!"

We are Hornsby's .424 and Gibby's 1.12.

We are Bonilla's hamstring and a rookie named Albert.

We are Robison, Sportsman's and Busch.

We are "Seat Cushion Night."

We are Ol' Abner, among other Shannon-isms.

We are "Brummer's stealing home!"

We are 1892, and 1982. (And not to mention '26, '31, '34, '42, '44, '46, '64, '67 and '06).

We are the Gashouse Gang, Slaughter's Mad Dash and Brock for Broglio.

We are backflips on Opening Day.

We are peanuts, Cracker Jacks and home runs that break things.

We are a porch swing, a summer night and the crackle of the Mighty 'MOX.

We are Whiteyball and the baby blues.

We are Mike Laga and the Legendary Foul Ball.

We are "Meet you at Musial."

We are 42,396 on a Tuesday night.

We are 475 home runs, 3,630 hits and 3 MVPs, despite WWII.

We are George Kissell.

We are two birds on one bat. And always will be.

We are 43 Hall of Famers, 10 World Championships and counting.

We are the first team this side of the Mississippi...

And the best fans this side of anywhere.

WE ARE CARDINAL NATION. Let's go Cards!!!

Prayer Request

I would like to ask all of my blog readers and friends to pray for Matt's aunt. His aunt (Joan Mayberry) has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and they have only given her a few weeks. She is in her late 60s and her diagnosis has been recent and her health has deteriorated very quickly. Please pray for her comfort, a ceasing of her pain, strength, and for healing. Please pray for God's plan in her life. Also, please pray for her family and give them comfort and strength. Matt's family has asked for as many prayers as possible on Joan's behalf. Please lift her up in prayer and pray for her healing.

Thanks friends!

Guess what happens tomorrow?!?!

This man as well as all of the other pitchers and catchers for the Redbirds report to Spring Training...not too much longer and my favorite season will be here!!! Bring on April and the 2011 season!!! Go Cards!!!

Remodel

I refinished my parent's master bathroom cabinets a few weeks ago. I was really pleased at how they turned out. It completely changes the look of the bathroom and lightens things up. I may start to contract out-ha!

before

after


new hardware too