The Tolberts

8, 9, 10, 11...

2011-07-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

7 months

2011-03-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am officially a bad mom.....Here are Mary Collins' 7 month pics ( She is now 8 months....pics to follow soon:) I really can't describe the love I have for her! I think I kiss on her cheeks a bazillion times a day. She makes my heart smile:)

6 months

2011-02-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Better late than never right?? This little girl is 6 and a half months old!! CRAZY how time has flown by...it is truly amazing. We went to the doctor just before she turned 6 months and she weighed in at 18 lbs (90th percentile) and was 26 in (80th percentile). She is SO much fun and I truly LOVE every second with her.

I have been slacking on my blogging here lately due to several factors.....but mainly because school is keeping me super busy. SO hope to do better!

5 months

2010-12-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

Oh how I LOVE her.....

4 month photo shoot

2010-11-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

16 week stats...

2010-11-17T20:16:00.000-08:00

15 lb 11oz (90th percentile) + 25 in (80th percentile) = PURE CHUNKINESS!!!

LOVE her!!

Giggles

2010-11-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

I love love LOVE Little Miss Giggles. She makes my heart smile:)

Big weekend

2010-10-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a big one. Mary Collins made her first trip down to The Plains. Not only did she do that...but she also camped in the RV! She did really well and we had such a fun time! We went to the cheerleading reunion and I was able to see many friends that I haven't seen in quite some time. Mom and Dad found MC a mini Auburn cheerleader uniform and so she sported that to the reunion. However, she and mom hung out at the RV and watched the game on TV since it was a day game and WAY too hot. Such a great game!!!!

On the way back to Memphis, we stopped by Birmingham so that Mary Collins could meet one very special lady: her great grandmother, whom she is named after. It was a very special time for us and I will remember it forever!

Cheese!

2010-10-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

This smiley girl is my new running buddy. (Dad, you are still the handsomest running partner, but she is pretty darn cute:) Her personality is really coming out and is SO much fun! One of my favorite things right now is when I go to her crib in the morning and she gives me a HUGE smile as soon as she sees me. I mean..... MELT MY HEART!! She is growing like a weed and already in size 2 diapers at 10 weeks. She did roll over for the first time this week but I can't get her to do it again for the life of me. It truly is amazing how fast she is changing and I am trying to soak up every bit of it. I can't believe I have to go back to work in a couple of weeks, but I know she will have TONS of fun with her daddy. (She is already a daddy's girl!)

For you non-facebookers out there...

2010-09-29T18:50:00.001-07:00

This one is for you Amy Dennis:) Lins posted this on facebook and I just had to share it....I LOVE HIM!!!

Stats

2010-09-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

One Month

Two Months

8 week stats.....We've got a Biggun:) I love my lil chunky monkey!!

12 lb 10oz = 90th percentile

23.75 in = 97th percentile

He's here!!!

2010-09-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

My newest nephew John Everett Carreker "Rett" is here!! He made his big debut on September 24, 2010 at 5:29pm weighing 8 lb and 4 oz! I LOVE him SO much!! I wasn't there for the delivery this time, but I know my sis did AWESOME! As soon as we heard the news that Rett was on his way, Ben and I loaded up MC for her first big road trip to Dallas and drove all night to get there. It was a quick weekend trip but MC did great.

I wish I had more pics to share, but I forgot my camera...DUMMY...I know! Hopefully this will suffice for now until I can get more....LOVE this sweet little "indian boy"....hehe. That is what I am calling him cause he is a little red man:) Doesn't Lins look great:) She is the best mommy!!

sweet cheeks!!

2010-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

LOVE

2010-09-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

7 weeks of pure sweetness!

2010-09-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

we are 1 month old...

2010-08-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast this month has flown by....I promise to eventually write more....but for now...check out these sweet cheeks:)

3 weeks old today

2010-08-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

2 weeks old

2010-08-12T14:20:00.001-07:00

2 week stats for those who are interested:

8lbs 4oz, 21.25 inches, 65th percentile for head circumference and length and 75th for weight

Drop on by...

2010-08-04T13:29:00.001-07:00

We have had quite a few visitors come by and meet Mary Collins. Here are just a few pics I wanted to share....The first few are pictures from the Bradshaw's visit. Little Harper and MC are already good friends:) The next ones are of MC meeting her Aunt Kathy for the first time. She and Uncle Buck came all the way from Birmingham to meet her. Finally, Joy and Haley made a visit while the Jonas fam was in town. SO happy to hug my sweet friend who has been in China for the past year. It was such a sweet reunion. More pics to come....

squeaky bean...

2010-08-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

So this little "squeaky bean" (Lins' pet name for Mary Collins because she makes a really cute squeaking noise when she cries:) is officially one week old!! I can't believe how fast this week has gone. Not wanting to jinx myself here but she really has been such a good baby thus far and we are SO in love with her! I mean....I can't kiss these sweet cheeks enough! I plan to post more detailed info later but here is a pic from yesterday that I think is just too cute:)

Proud Mama

2010-07-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Introducing Mary Collins Tolbert. She made her debut July 26, 2010, weighing 7 lb 12 oz and is 20 3/4 inches.

I know this is not the best pic from my iphone but I wanted to be a good mommy and post at least one of my precious baby girl. We are so in love and truly appreciate all the prayers. We are still adjusting so please forgive me for not putting one up sooner. My sis took a bunch and I will try to get them up soon. Thanks again for all the texts and calls...they mean so much!

29 years and 38 weeks

2010-07-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

It is official. I am 29 years old today. So unless I go into labor in the next hour or so.....it is looking like MC will have her very own birthday. Things are going well. I am 2cm and contracting like crazy but no true labor at this point. Guess I just have one "irritable" uterus. Thank you all for your encouraging words and for your prayers. They are very much appreciated!

Waiting

2010-07-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

37 weeks and 4 days today.....we are in the home stretch. I constantly go back and forth between " I am SO ready" and "Ok...maybe she should stay in a bit longer." It is not that I am miserable being pregnant because I'm really not. Other than having a bit of trouble sleeping this past week, it really hasn't been bad. It is the WAITING that has been the hardest part for me the past couple of weeks. I will work my final "extra" shift tonight and then continue on with my weekend shifts until MC decides to make her big debut. So, until then.....we wait.

*Lord, please give me patience and peace as I gratefully await your blessings.

I have THE BEST co-workers on the planet!

2010-07-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post about the fabulous shower my friends threw for MC and I a couple of weeks ago. I felt so incredibly blessed and was completely humbled by the generosity of my co-workers. I honestly never imagined being showered with so many wonderful gifts. The decorations were precious and the food was awesome, too!! Thank you to my sweet friends. I am honored to work with such a great group of nurses. Love you guys!

This pic cracks me up because I look like a giant.....that...or my friends are all really short:)

Sweet Laura is just a few weeks behind me...can't wait to meet baby Jed!

Mary

Dana

Laine and Whitney

The adorable decor and great food!!

nursery completed...check!!

2010-07-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

So here it is......from guest bedroom to nursery. The pictures did not turn out the way I would have liked, but hopefully you can see the look that we were going for. When Lins and I went on our "sister's trip," we decided my "theme"...or what have you....would involve birds. We found a tiny little purple bird that is sitting on the table if you look closely. Then we found the bird cage that is hanging on the wall. It has little clothes pins on it so that pictures can be hung on it eventually. That is where the inspiration began.

After searching the globe for bedding, mom and I found the softest lavender toile fabric on the planet, which we had made into a bumper and accented with the gingham ties and crib-skirt. We then found the lingerie chest (which was originally a VERY bright shade of green), magazine/book rack (which was mint green), and wicker toy chest (which was ELECTRIC blue) at an antique mall for an absolute steal of a deal. Let's just say I am SO tired of spray painting....and YES, I had help, AND wore a mask:) I made the "frame" around the mirror with some decorative pieces that I found at Lowes for dirt cheap....and yes, they too had to be painted white. My mom and dad got some new patio furniture and it was my mom's idea to spray the old black patio table and chair white and use it as a table beside the glider....thus adding to the "shabby chic-ness".

The pictures of the little girl and boy praying were special to me because they were hanging in my mom's room as a child and in mine....so we thought it fitting to have them in Mary Collins' room, too. You can't really tell from the pictures, but there is a wall decal above the crib that is branches, birds, and a little birdhouse, which Ben thought was too cool and a must have addition.

The cube shelves with purple baskets are inside the closet and came from Lowes. Ben actually had to rip up the base boards just to fit it in the closet and then replace them. I must give credit to the hubs....he worked SUPER hard on the nursery as well. He had to get an electrician to come out and help do some re-wiring, then had to fix the sheet rock where the electrician did his thing, then helped the painters....it really has been an ordeal but we LOVE how it has turned out.

Now for the closet.....believe it or not....I have not bought MC a single piece of clothing. My wonderful friends and family have been oh so generous and I really can't even begin to describe how BLESSED I feel. I mean.....seriously.....look at the many outfits and bows would you!!!!

I am so excited to meet our little one in just a few more weeks. I sure hopes she likes her new home as much as we do.

34 weeks and growing....

2010-06-22T19:34:00.001-07:00

Nursery pics to follow....

still here.....

2010-06-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

It has been quite a while since my last post. Even though I am not taking classes, I have seemed to somehow fill up all of my time by getting things ready for Mary Collins or working extra shifts. Working as a weekender, I don't accrue a ton of paid time off (ie: I will only have enough to take off about 5 weekends). So, I have been trying to work a bunch extra to save up some money so that I can get a few more days off. Sounded like a fabulous idea at first, but I will admit that I am beginning to feel as though I am physically slowing down a bit these days.

The nursery is coming together and I am really happy with it. I sure hope Mary Collins feels at home. My glider came in this week and I have loved just sitting in it and wondering about what the future holds. I am VERY excited but a bit anxious, too. I promise to post pics as soon as it is complete.....which hopefully will be very soon.

My mom's sweet friends hosted a baby shower for me a couple of weeks ago and it was perfect!! MC received many great gifts and I truly felt blessed. I can't believe she will be here in just a few short weeks. God is so good!

The latest....

2010-05-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest happenings for those who may be interested. Well, the garage sale and project "making room for daddy in my closet" was thankfully a success! Mary Collins' room is now empty with the exception of these two additions.

At first, Ben was not really looking forward to putting together all of the furniture because he thought it would take a really long time. However, Mr. Handyman put it together in no time and was quite pleased. We are still waiting on the bedding and glider to come in so I think I will keep that a surprise until we get a bit closer to being finished. However, if you know me well at all.....you can easily guess the color scheme I have chosen:) Haha! Let's just say I was a bit obsessed with this color as a kid. Mom is helping me out with all of the decorating of course. I like the shabby chic look and so far things are falling in place rather well.

Mary Collins continues to get bigger and roll all around, which I still think is the most amazing thing ever! I love it! Oh, and as far as the glucola testing goes...I barely failed the one hour. BOOO. So I then had to do the 3 hour which was no fun....but I was told that I passed "with flying colors." YAY. One less thing to worry about:) SO glad I can still drink my sweet tea!!

As far as school is concerned.....I am DONE for the summer and loving it! Cohen came to visit for a week and I got to spend a ton of time with him. He is one active little boy!! Sure am glad they don't start off like that because I could hardly keep up with him! My sis is my hero!!! Here are a few pics from his visit....

My sis made a quick trip and I got to spend a little time with her as well. She gave me tons of great baby advice and took the time to help me register at babies R us which I totally appreciate because I didn't even know where to begin. Thanks sister! LOVE YOU.

Well, that about sums it up for now. Hope all is well with you and yours!

Happy Birthday Mom

2010-05-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

I would like to wish my wonderful mother a very happy birthday today!! She is the best mom on the face of the earth and I can only hope to be a fraction of the mom to Mary Collins as she has been to me. I love you mama and am SO.VERY.THANKFUL. for you!

Right on track

2010-05-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you that may be interested...my OB appointment went well today. Baby girl's heart beat was great and I am measuring right at 27 weeks:) I drank the orange drink and had my blood drawn so let's hope I passed my glucola testing! I should find out on Thursday. Mary Collins has been very active lately, which I LOVE. I think she was doing flips as I was taking my final last night and it made me smile. I can't believe we are heading into the third trimester...kinda crazy.

Project "making room for daddy" in my closet has officially begun. Our house was built in the early 70s and I love it, but it does not have much storage space. I have the "master" (haha) closet and Ben has used the guest bedroom closet since we moved in. Well, now that the guest bedroom is becoming a nursery, we are having to purge quite a bit of clothing and combine all of our clothes into our tiny master closet:) I had my doubts at first, but I think we are going to make it work. My parents are having a yard sale this Friday and Saturday so we are hoping to contribute some of our stuff and make a few "baby bucks."

I better get back to studying....one final down, one to go. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement.

look how far we've come...

2010-05-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here we are at 27 weeks. As you can see we have grown quite a bit since my last 20 week post. Things have continued to progress smoothly and for that I am SO very thankful. I have a final tomorrow and Wednesday so I am a bit nervous about that, but I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it and that I will have a nice break starting on Cinco de Mayo:) I am very pumped about finally getting the nursery together and focusing on all the fun baby stuff that I haven't had time to do thus far.

That's about it for now. I better get to studying. If you think about it, please say a prayer at 3:00 tomorrow (5/3/10). That is when I am taking my first final.

24

2010-04-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this little lady turned the big 2-4 yesterday! That means.....some of us are feeling really old:) We celebrated with some Corky's BBQ, followed by some delicious red velvet cupcakes. Oh and of course, like any true princess.....she proudly wore her crown! Happy birthday to one special lady! Love you Vanessa!!

Barf.

2010-03-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have always loved that funny word. However, I HATE doing it...with a PASSION!!! So, needless to say, Monday night was SO not fun for me. I got home from class around 9:30 that night and it began at 10 and lasted until about 3:30. Poor Ben went on a gatorade run around 4:00AM and luckily I was able to keep that down and did not have to go in for IV fluids. However, I seriously thought about it. I even thought about asking one of my nurse friends to come over and start an IV because I felt too crappy to even roll out of bed! I mean seriously...how ridiculous is that!??!! If you can't tell....I was pretty miserable. Not sure if it was food poisoning or a virus...but either way I am SO thankful it is gone! I had a routine OB appointment yesterday (Mary Collins is doing well... yay:) and spent the rest of the day sleeping in sweet phenergan land. Still feeling pretty zonked but I'm pretty sure I will survive! Not that I don't take pity on them already, but now I will totally be able to empathize with my barfing prego patients!

Helping hands....or paws:)

2010-03-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Copper decided he was going to help Ben by holding the ladder for him while he repaired the roof. I thought it was too funny!!

Halfway there

2010-03-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

I am officially halfway there. I told myself that I would not be posting pics of my belly all over the internet but I have had quite a few requests....so I decided to post one here and there. I think one of the most amazing things in the world is feeling my baby girl move ever-so-slightly. I began noticing it this past week and it truly is such a great reminder of this gift God has given to me. I know, I know....all of you moms out there are saying to yourselves..."just you wait!" But for now, the kicking is so fun for me:)

This past week was my spring break and I was able to go visit my grandmother and fam in Birmingham. It was a short trip, but a much-enjoyed one. I was so happy to tell my grandmother the name we have chosen for our little one...."Mary Collins"....named after my grandmother.... "Mary Frances Collins."

So, there is a quick update....gotta run to school to give a presentation and take a quiz.....more to come.

no longer an "it"

2010-03-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

BABY TOLBERT IS A GIRL!!!!!!!

stay tuned...

2010-02-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

tomorrow is a pretty big day. we should hopefully find out if we will be having a boy or girl......so stay tuned:)

look what happened

2010-02-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Ben was not home to help me take this pic, so it is not the best. It is truly amazing how quickly it happened...it literally seems like it just jumped out there over night:)

bummer

2010-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

So I am a bit bummed. Due to the not-so-wonderful winter wonderland we are experiencing in Memphis, my ultrasound got cancelled.....again....for the second time. Guess we will have to wait a little longer to find out the sex. I will keep you posted though:)

nothing fancy

2010-02-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

I really don't have anything exciting to report right now other than the incessant nausea has seemed to go away! Yippee!!!!YAY!!!! HORRAY!!!! So far pregnancy has been great other than that. I really have no room to complain because compared to all of you who were sick your ENTIRE pregnancy (ie: Joy Jonas), I have had it easy thus far:) No baby bumps pics from me yet. 15 weeks but the belly has yet to pop out there. I am sure come July, I will have a big ole belly though:) Ben has been wonderful and it is so fun to watch him get excited when we talk about the baby. I love it! He will be a great dad! Hopefully I will have a "for real" ultrasound on Tuesday and there is a TINY chance we will find out the sex. However, it is still kinda early to tell for sure.

I am currently taking two classes (Pediatrics and Women's) and going to clinical 9-5 at least 2 days a week. Still working the weekends. It is keeping me VERY busy, but so far it is going well and I am learning a ton. The plan right now is to take the summer off (yay) and start back in the Fall with an online class. My expected graduation date has been bumped from December to August, but I feel pretty certain this little thing in my tummy will be well worth it!!

Perks of the job

2010-01-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

I am 11+ weeks pregnant and there are definitely some perks to working in labor and delivery. My friend Dana and I took a peek at the baby with our mini ultrasound machine at work. The screen is the size of about two iphones. It is tiny but we found what we were looking for......SO incredibly amazing!!!! Check out the kicking and hiccups:)

Please note that I say "he" a few times in the video, but I have NO clue the sex.

In case you haven't heard...

2009-12-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

Ben and I are going to be parents!!! We are expecting our first child and are truly thrilled!! We broke the news to our families on Christmas morning. If you would like to see how it all went down.....please visit the carreker's blog:)

waiting...

2009-12-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

on these guys to get here!!!!!!!!

counting down the days

2009-12-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

The semester is winding down and I can't wait till it is over next Saturday! I have a presentation tonight, a powerpoint due tomorrow, and a final next week. Then I am off for a whole month!!!!! Whoooohooo!!!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am so pumped to spend Christmas with my family! Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

the big 3-0

2009-11-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

I'd like to give a shout out to my sister. It is her 30th birthday today!! Hope you had the best birthday yet sister! LOVE YOU!!

Happy birthday Co!

2009-11-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

Today is this lil man's 1st birthday!! Is he not the cutest birthday boy??

Anniversary Recap....

2009-11-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

Ben had to work on our anniversary but planned a day full of surprises. He started off by taking me to Panera for breakfast. We then went to Las Tortugas for lunch and ended the day with Flemings for dinner. It was such a fun day FILLED with delicious food from my 3 favorite restaurants. Finally, as you can see from the pic above, he gave me a gorgeous David Yurman pearl and diamond bracelet. LOVE him!!!!

3 years ago today....

2009-11-04T06:08:00.000-08:00

I married this hunk and truly could not be happier. I thank God for such a loving and compassionate husband who loves me just the way I am. He is a hard worker, a loyal friend, a good listener, and he always makes me laugh even when I am stressed beyond belief. He makes it a point to tell me I am beautiful and that he is proud of me every day. I am truly blessed. Love you Ben! Happy anniversary. It has been the best 3 years and I'm looking forward to many more together.

Blessing of the week....

2009-10-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yay for getting reimbursed for our sewer line disaster!!!! Back at the end of May, a cable company hit our sewer line, which caused our bathrooms to flood and our yard to be gutted down the middle. We originally thought that it must have been old tree roots that had done it. However, the city and cable company representatives came out to inspect and they determined that it was the cable company's fault. Well, we thought, "Great. They will have to pay for it".....WRONG. Both the city and cable company were arguing that it was the other's fault so guess who got stuck with the HUGE bill? We finally found out this week that we will be getting reimbursed!! Now.....that will cover the cost of the new transmission that had to be replaced in Ben's truck last week. If it is not one thing it's another, right? It may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but that was our blessing for the week and I thought I would share:)

Prayers please

2009-10-02T11:26:00.001-07:00

Please remember Micah's family in these next few weeks. I spoke with Mrs. Rine (Micah's sweet mom) and she said that they will see Thomas for the first time since May at the October 15th hearing. In case you haven't heard, the charges have been increased to first degree, premeditated murder. I ask that you pray for this very tragic situation. Pray for peace for the Rine family and courage as they go through this very difficult time. The trial will not be for another year, but these next few weeks will still be very hard. My heart aches for them, but they have been so incredibly strong through it all.

Ridiculous...I know

2009-09-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been a total blog slacker!! I plan on getting all of my pictures from this summer uploaded soon. But....here is a bit of what I have been up to....

-school
-work
-beach vaca with the fam
-hanging out with my sis and Cohen

For those of you that are interested, that is a brief synopsis of the past few weeks...will post more later.

copper is tired of studying!

2009-06-19T09:28:00.001-07:00

me too buddy!! me too!!

Why I have been M.I.A...

2009-06-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Studying ALL the time + Copper wearing a lampshade for for 2 weeks + Renovating my bathroom + Bathroom flooding due to busted sewer line + Back hoe destroying my front yard = NO TIME FOR BLOGGING!!!!

Dallas trip

2009-05-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun visiting the Carrekers!! We want to go back!!! Here are some pics from our wonderful trip!

renovations

2009-05-21T10:34:00.001-07:00

Ben and I had such a great time in Dallas last week! We were very sad to leave and come back to the real world. I will post pics of our trip later. I start back to school June 1st so I am enjoying my time off by renovating my bathroom. So far it has turned out great. I will post those pictures soon.

Remembering Micah

2009-05-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for praying. There are so many thoughts and emotions running through my head. I do not know the answers and probably never will. The ONLY comfort I have right now is that precious Micah is in the Father's arms. For those of you who did not know her, let me tell you a few things....Micah loved the Lord and earnestly sought to serve Him. She truly was a woman of God. Her smile was beautiful and completely contagious. Her words were always truthful. She loved her family, loved her friends, loved to run, loved her dog, loved her patients, loved delivering babies, loved learning, loved laughing....Micah loved to love. I was so blessed to know her, love her, and to call her my friend. Please continue to pray for her family during such a time of immeasurable sorrow. It is hard for me to ask, because I am struggling with this, but please pray for Thomas as well. Thank you again for your prayers. They have been felt and are so cherished.

Please pray for Micah

2009-05-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

Please pray for my dear friend Micah. She has been missing since last night. My heart is aching. I will post more when I know more but for now...please pray. God please protect Micah. Give her peace and comfort that only you can give.

look who came to visit....

2009-04-16T20:50:00.001-07:00

This little man took his first plane flight today! He and Lins are here until Monday and I am LOVING it! This pic was taken on the way home from the airport! I love this kid!!

Easter Bonnets galore!

2009-04-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have been a bit busy lately...studying and writing papers and what not. Sometimes I feel like there is just not enough time in the day. However, I did make time yesterday to go with my mom Easter bonnet shopping. Yes, you read it right....Easter bonnet shopping. I really wish hats were still in. If people wouldn't look at me funny, I would totally wear one to church. Anyway.....My mom is having some friends over next week and they are all supposed to come sporting their Easter attire. Let me just tell you that if it were a contest, my mom would win hands down. It is horribly ugly. We had a good time trying on all of the hats at Burlington Coat Factory. We tried on the biggest, ugliest, most gosh-awful "bonnets" in Memphis and tried our hardest not to pee in our pants. I really wish I had a picture!! I will try and post one as soon as my mom has her get-together.
Do you have your Easter bonnet? If not, you can pick up one of these beauties down below at your local BCF. Hope everyone is having a good week!!

vacation

2009-03-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

I need some ideas on where Ben and I should go on vacation in May. Anyone got any good deals/fun places?

worth EVERY penny....

2009-03-20T16:08:00.001-07:00

I finally did it! I worked some extra hours and finally got a Dyson! Let me just tell you....it is AMAZING!! I highly recommend it to anyone needing a vacuum....especially those with hairy beasts running around. It truly is spectacular! Trust me....I have never been one to get excited about vacuuming, but let's just say that I vacuumed my whole house twice!!!!

little things make me happy...

2009-03-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

I made a trip to Birmingham during my Spring Break and got to visit some family and friends. It was lots of much-needed fun but just too short. My friend Kristen had this fun easter egg wreath on her door and I just LOVED It. I just happened to come across it in Kroger of all places and just had to get it! Hope you don't mind Kristen:)

do i, or do i not...

2009-03-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Spend the money on a Dyson pet vacuum?? I need help! If anyone out there has any suggestions, feel free to send them my way. I have gone through two vacuums in the 2+ years that Ben and I have been married. As most everyone knows, I have this dog named Copper. I love, love LOVE him but he is one hairy beast! My last vacuum died a week ago and the dog hair is ridiculous!!! Plus, I am fresh out of swiffers! Let me know what you think.

crackin up

2009-02-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

I could just eat this kid up!!!!

dallas

2009-02-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

I love love LOVED my quick trip to Dallas! Lins and I got some good quality time together with the little man! I hate living so far apart but it makes the time we get together even more special. I left Wednesday and came back Friday and headed back to work on Saturday. This week is full of studying, laundry, cleaning house, and more studying. I have a big test next Tuesday so I am trying to get prepared. I have spring break coming up in a couple of weeks and I am pumped! I don't quite know what I will be doing but maybe I can make a trip down to see all my Bham friends and family:) I will post pics of Cohen as soon as I get them downloaded. Hope everyone is having a fabulous day....back to studying for me.

He loves me this much:)

2009-02-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

So this isn't the most flattering pic in the world of either of us...but it is still hilarious none the less!!!

Waiting...

2009-02-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

So it has officially been over a month since I last posted. Not much is going on in my life other than studying, working, and studying some more!! It has been rough but I must say that I have a wonderful husband who has been so very encouraging and supportive. I really don't have anything new to report other than I am currently sitting in the Little Rock airport waiting on my flight to Dallas. My first flight was cancelled (frustrating!) but I luckily am due to depart at 11:00....yay! I can't wait.....pictures to follow!!!

Good times

2009-01-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I made it through my first class. It is called Theoretical Foundations of Nursing...otherwise known as A Class That Really Makes My Head Hurt!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I like to think deep from time to time. However, this class is way beyond that. Basically, it is a glorified ethics class directed towards nursing. If you have ever taken ethics....you know how much fun it can be. I don't want to sound bitter or anything. I truly am hoping to learn a lot from the class but I can already tell it is not going to be one of my favorites! Who knows...maybe I will change my mind.

Ben and I went to the Brad Paisley/Dierks Bentley Concert last night with a big group of our friends. We aren't huge fans but recognized many of their songs and they put on a great show. I tried to take pictures but it was too dark and they didn't really turn out well.

On another note....Ben is still working for Bob:) We are very happy about this! It will be more of a part-time deal for now but hopefully things will turn back around someday soon. God is so good!

Not much else to report today. Hope all is well with you and yours!!

Happy Birthday Ben

2009-01-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...it has been a while. Not much has changed at this point. I am anxiously awaiting school to start on January 15th. My classes are scheduled from 4pm- 7pm every other Thursday and then 4pm-10pm every other Tuesday. I am excited but still a bit nervous, too. I won't actually be in the clinical setting for the next couple of semesters so it is basically going to be a lot of book-reading, paper-writing, and test-taking for me!! yay!!!!!

I am really enjoying working weekends. I miss my friends on the weekday shift but I like my new weekend friends, too. Here lately I have been picking up quite a few shifts during the week before I start school to try and make a little more money. Unfortunately, it is looking like Ben's job with Bob Reed Builders is coming to an end due to the economy. It is very sad because Bob has been such a great boss to Ben and he has really learned a lot from him. He is currently discussing a job opportunity with another builder so we shall see where that takes us.

So....today is Ben's 29th birthday!! Let me just tell you a little something about this man. He loves to ruin surprises!! He was the kid who would find his Christmas presents months in advance and this year....out of a bizzillion things I could have gotten him from Bass Pro Shops....he guessed what I got him two weeks before Christmas!! I played it off like he was wrong but I was soooooo mad that he got it right!! I mean seriously!!! So I had planned a little surprise get together for his birthday tonight at Osaka. I kid you not, he has already ruined the surprise. Last night he was asking me "So, what do you want to do tomorrow night? I think we should get some people together and go out to eat." The boy was trying to plan his own party!!! So I then had to tell him that I was the best wife ever and had already planned it all:) Haha.

So Happy Birthday to my man! Love you Ben!!

It's Christmas time....

2008-12-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

Tolbert Family Christmas

Cohen has arrived!

2008-11-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

I am so proud to announce that I finally have a nephew!!!!! His name is Cohen Matthew Carreker (LOVE the name) and he was born 11/20/08 at 6:09 pm weighing 8 lb and 14 oz!! He is the most precious thing in the world and I just LOVE him. I was so thankful to be able to be there for the delivery and it was honestly the most amazing experience ever. As a labor and delivery nurse I see deliveries every day. However, it's WAY different when it is your sister and nephew. I was a bit anxious watching my sister go through it all but she did wonderfully and I was just SO unbelievably proud of her. Chris did great the whole time! He coached her through everything and was so supportive! His face lit up as he saw his son for the first time...it was priceless!

I was so sad to leave but hope to get back down to Dallas soon before school starts! So here are a couple of pics of the most adorable nephew in the world.....

Big news

2008-11-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

No....I don't have a nephew yet. But I did get in to the FNP program!!!! I got the letter in the mail yesterday. It is now official and a huge weight has been lifted (Well, at least for now.) So, my plan is to finish in two years. But as I have said before...life happens in between.

Thanks to all for your prayers and support. I am so thankful for your encouragement!

When the boys are away, the girls will....

2008-11-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

I finally cut off my hair!!! I do this every year. I get to the point where all I do is wear it in a pony tail. Now, about this picture. I had no one to take a picture at the time so I turned to my last resort for picture taking. This person has always been...God bless her..my mother!! She can't seem to take a picture without cutting my head out of it! It is quite funny really. I asked her to take a picture of my haircut and we had to take about 10 shots because she kept cutting off the top of my head. I finally had to sit down in a chair. LOVE YOU MOM!!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!

So, my hunter is finally home from his trip. It was a really long week. Unfortunately, they did not shoot any elk but did manage to tough it out under some pretty extreme weather and living conditions. They literally were in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard. Sounds like so much fun, right? He did remember our anniversary and even sent me flowers at work!! Which means....he planned it a week ahead. I am so proud. I love my husband so much and it has been a wonderful two years of marriage.

I have officially started my weekend shifts. I LOVE having the time off during the week to do whatever I want. Who knows, now maybe I will blog more than once a month:) I still haven't found out if I have been accepted into the FNP program. I did hear a rumor that they received 95 applicants this semester and are taking 25. This is up from the usual 60 applicants. So, we shall see.

Have I told anyone that I am expecting my nephew ANY DAY NOW????? I am SO ready and can't even tell you how excited I am. I am just waiting on the call. I have my bags packed and everything. I even have my little 3 oz travel size containers in quart sized ziplock baggies. It's funny because Lindsay has not had any weird dreams during this pregnancy. I, however, have had them all for her. For instance, last night I dreamed that Lins and I were swimming at the lake and she said she thought she was about to have the baby. No warning of course. No labor...just that she was about to have him. So then I proceeded to flag down the nearest man on a jet ski and he so nicely offered to give us a lift to the hospital. Only this was no ordinary jet ski...it was an off -road, or should I say, off-water jet ski. We went up and down hills, through the trees, and back across the water....all while making normal conversation with the nice man driving us. Strange. I don't remember how it all turned out but I sure hope we made it.

Well that is about it for now. I hope to post pictures of my nephew soon!!!

HUNTING SEASON

2008-10-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

So it has been way too long since I last posted. Well, I am still waiting to find out if I have been accepted to grad school...so no news there. I officially switch to the weekend shift on November 9th...so same ole stuff right now.

Ben and I have been to a couple of Auburn games this year ( Can I get a War Eagle!!!!) Still love my Tigers through it all. I am still holding on to the hope that they remain better than Ole Miss..hehe. We shall see come November.

Believe it or not, Ben will be out of town for that game. He is celebrating our two year anniversary by going to Colorado for an elk hunt. However, I am not going to be there with him. It is a total boy's trip. He will be going with his dad, brother, and brother-in-law and will take a 3 hour horseback ride to the middle of nowhere and left there for a whole week!!! Sounds like fun right?? My hubby has been a hunter practically his whole life so HE is not the one I worry about...it's the Bears and what not that scare me. That and the fact that there may not be cell phone service in no-man's land.

So about hunting....I did not grow up around it. So therefore, it took some major getting used to at first. In Woodville, MS....that is what the men do. HUNT. It is abnormal if you don't have a four-wheeler in the back of your truck. Ben absolutely LOVES it!! It really is funny to watch him get excited when the weather gets a little cooler. He goes out into his shop and gets all his "gear" ready weeks in advance and then starts going out before the opening day to "scout out some land". I think he is secretly excited that I am switching to weekends because he can hunt all weekend long without me there to nag him about it:) I have gotten used to it now though. It just means that mom and I can go shopping:)

So here's to my hunter...hope he shoots a big ole elk!! I still have yet to figure out how he's going to get the thing home?????

Weddings and Babies

2008-09-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend was really busy but a ton of fun! Lindsay, Chris, Kathy and Buck all came in town for a visit. Lindsay and I were both in Debra's wedding...which was really neat. I wish I had a picture of Debra.....she looked gorgeous and so very happy!! I am so excited for Brent and Debra and wish them the very best!

My mom has such wonderful friends. They gave my sister a baby shower while she was in town and she got a ton of great stuff. He is gonna be the cutest baby ever and I can't wait...as if I haven't said that enough:) I don't have any pictures from the baby shower but I do have a few from the wedding and rehearsal dinner. Oh and don't let the picture of Linz fool you!! Her dress is totally an optical illusion. There is quite a baby bump and I am LOVING it!!!

Change

2008-08-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

So there will be quite a few changes coming up in my life here over the next few months....and no I am not pregnant...just crazy! First, I have decided to go back to school for the third time. If I am accepted, I will start the masters program at the U of M in January and hopefully become a family nurse practitioner in the next couple of years.

Secondly, I am switching to the weekend shift at the hospital so that I can focus on school during the week. CRAZY...I know. My plans are to go ahead and get school done now so that I can focus on "other things" later down the road. We shall see. Life as I have known it lately is about to turn upside down but hopefully for the good.

Thirdly (if that is even a word), I am going to be an aunt in November and I can't wait!!!!!!!! Oh, and for those of you who haven't heard, Chris' lymph nodes were all clear!!!!! whooohoo...check out The Carrekers blog for the update.

Meet Copper.....

2008-08-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

So these are just a couple of pictures of my baby...and they are pretty old acutally. Believe it or not...he is even bigger. Copper is completely spoiled rotten. His days consist of lying around all day in the AC, people watching out the window, and growling at whatever and whomever he wants. (Ben and I are convinced that it's usually at the wind.) However, he is still a puppy and LOVES to play. We can't get him out of the lake and once he is in he will fetch anything...tennis balls, trash, and even SNAKES. Yes, it's true. He tried to fetch a snake from the water. He bit the snake but luckily it didn't bite back!

That's about it for today unless you want to hear about how I cleaned house and washed clothes....Probably not!

So here I go......

2008-08-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

So here I go with my first blog posting. Of course, in DIRECT response to my sisters threats of posting more ridiculous childhood pictures of my scrawny, side-ponytailed, tap- dancing self. Believe it or not, there are some that are even worse. However, I don't want to give her any ideas. Love ya sis!

Well, I've been happily married to Ben Tolbert for almost 2 years. We live in Germantown, TN where I work as a labor and delivery nurse and Ben is a superindendent for a homebuilder. We have a precious golden retriever named Copper who is about a year and half.

Nope, no babies yet. However, I am so excited about my little nephew that is on the way!!

For now, that is about as creative as it's gonna get folks. I may not have gotten my sisters artistic talent, but I am trying right? I promise to try and post something a little more interesting next time.