Has it really been a whole year?

What a difference a year can make.

You are so big and so independent. You can say 10 words- some on command- some you just repeat for an hour or so. You have some cute blonde curls just on the side of your head- but you also have some Smeagol hair that tends to just stray out.

You have the prettiest blue eyes and the whitest porcelain skin that is so soft. Eight teeth and a tiny scar on your right eye from one of your many falls. Those dreamy lashes come from Daddy. 

You are a momma's boy through and through- there is no denying it. Piggy back rides and wagon rides are your favorites with mom. You love to watch the door for daddy and like when he plays with you on the floor. 

You have no favorite food because you eat everything- except pickles. Not a fan of those. You have no favorite book because you aren't in to sitting down for more than 10 seconds. 

Your dance skills are great and make me laugh. You love to stand on things- especially things with wheels. You are a dare devil baby- but you get that honest from your daddy.  

If you can touch it- you will taste it. You love to open and close any door and drawer. You love to look out of a window for birds. 

There are only a few things in this life that will make you stop crying. Your mama and Milk Milk from mama. Separation anxiety is a real thing- but you have been making some progress in the nursery. We have one full day on the record, that counts buddy!

The things you desperately want in life are the dog's pen, the dog's water, the dogs, and the working remote. We can't pull a fast one on you and give you the one with no batteries. 

You are such a loving baby. When you lay your head on mine or daddy's shoulder, I just want you to know we melt. Your daddy especially. He turns in to a big sap when you are sweet to him, because he doesn't get that from you all the time. 

But - Dada is your go to word- you never say mama anymore! You are quite the chatterbox. Sometimes I feel like Whitney Houston is reincarnated in you because you hit those high notes like crazy. 

You love to explore and are learning so much right now. It is crazy how much you mimic what you see. I truly underestimated how smart you could be. You can take the lid off of anything- figure out how things work- and copy so much.

I love seeing your face when we do new things. You watch so intently (for a few seconds) and it is so cool to see awe beam in your eyes. 

You are a pure delight to all you meet. Sometimes you are very shy- or just don't move at all- but within 10 minutes they see that big ball of energy. Sometimes I think God must have placed energizer bunny genes in you- because you keep going and going and going. 

Which brings me to my next highlight- you are quite possibly the biggest hater of sleep on this side of the Mississippi. You certainly did not get that from me or your dad. I promise it is one of the best gifts we have been given-start cashing it in son. 

Vacuums scare you and make you hide. You can be the most serious baby one minute and an all out banshee the next. Thankfully, if we are out shopping, you do fine in the carrier. That is your safe place on mama. THE BEST investment we made was spending that money on a nice carrier- so mama can get things done.  Loved it so much I made your dad go buy me a new one when I forgot our at home (thankfully another new mom bought it), but still- that carrier has been my lifesaver-especially when I vacuum. 

You love anything that goes- tractors, cars, boats..you have loved riding them all. I see many of these in our future- real and toy ones.

It has been a challenging- eye opening- scary- rewarding- amazing- humbling- and blessed year because of you. Maybe one day I can stop looking like Hagrid from my lack of sleep and lack of makeup, but you are all worth it. Maybe I will learn how to be on time at some point. I might even change out of my day clothes and sleep in pajamas every now and again. I'm still learning how one washes their hair, but we will make it. 

I never knew how much a baby could change you and you have shown me parts of me that I did not know existed. I thank God every day for you. Happy Birthday to you Kaleb Henry! You are mama's Bubba and my sweet monkey. Daddy's Boo-boo, Granna's Shuga, Granny's Boobsie, Papa's Buddy, and Paw's lil man. We love you so much!

..When 30 Was old

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

 age 3-4 Burger King Milly

 Age 22, Applebees Milly

Age 22, Amelia Island Age 23, Comedy Club Macon

 Age 24, Pottery painting Macon

 Age 25, ATL Airport- #5 missed flight to Vegas

  25, Vegas

  26, At my little house in Milly

  27, Milly at GCSU

 28, Hilton Head Island

29, Tybee Island

 29

30, Milly









There you have it. A look back over the last 10 years of birthdays- minus my 21st- because clearly that wasn't documented (trust me- that is a good thing). I did have a huge pool party- but those arent digital prints.

I have reached another milestone and can only credit God for that. In the past 10 years, I have done some incredible things. I think I wrote about those things a while ago (I think 10 year HS reunion). In the past 2 years, I have found the one whom my soul loves, got married, and are expecting our firstborn in a few months. Whoa- time goes fast when you hit that married point.

As far as an astronomical birthday for my dirty 30- I wouldn't take it that far- but good that is what we will call it. I woke up to 3 little pups snuggling with me and singing me happy birthday. My sweet husband had taken me out to dinner and a movie the night before- and was now at work. Then I said- what the heck I'm 30- I'm eating cupcakes for breakfast. ..with a bagel- it was balanced....

Sprinkles make everything better. Then I went to church and it was a really good sermon- and my sweet friends in Sunday school had brought me a breakfast strudel with "30" candles on it. After church I went home and Kevin was there.

Yay for presents! My husband is a PHENOMENAL gift giver- hands down. I got 3 dvds that were great- especially another copy of The Goonies since someone stole my other one... a HAMMOCK! (this is huge because I have been saying I wanted one for the past 2 years)... a foot spa (heated, massaging, and amazing..since I complained about my last one getting broken and my feet hurting now that I am pregnant) and the dinner and a movie (The Giver). Oh! and a onesie for Kaleb that says "My daddy knows a lot but my mommy knows everything". So good- he takes notes, literally, and never has to question his gifts!

After presents we did laundry and Kevin took a nap - told you it was exciting. I got SHOCKED from putting something in the baby's room and touching the wrong part of the missing light plate. Needless to say the cover goes back on today!!

We finally went to his parents for lake time around 2:30- the bottom fell out- we finally got the boat situated and ready to go- get on the water for 10 minutes as Kevin is about to wake surf- and ALARM ALARM ALARM... a SWAT callout.

High tail it back to the dock- drop him off- and he's gone. I did enjoy a nice boat ride with my in-laws and dogs- so I just made the most of it (my parents were out of town- if you were wondering). My sweet in-laws ordered my favorite pizza (Dominos hand tossed bacon, pepperoni, pineapple) and we had a nice dinner just hanging out. Kevin finally made it about around 9:30 and we enjoyed this masterpiece of a caramel cake made by my Mother in law. (it won't rotate in the program)

So, overall it was a good birthday. 30 seems so ancient when you are 21. Now that I'm here- it is still hard to say, but I'm guessing that I will be just fine. I'm surrounded by a great family and an awesome MIL and FIL, have a best friend, lover, and match made in heaven husband to share life with, and have a lot of friends who love me. A decade has come to a close- and a new one is underway. 

The Pope Life....as of late

Well. My sweet husband turned 30 20 days ago. I am horrible at keeping up with our lives- so here is a brief update.

He turned 30 and we had a big ol party to celebrate him and his awesomeness. College friends and Sunday School friends- some family, and both sets of parents- joined us for a day on the lake. I would show you some pictures- but I was playing hostess with the mostest and didnt have a chance to sit down let alone snap some pics.

I do, however, have a shot of his awesome cake that Milly (my awesome mother in law, M.I.L., Milly? you get it?) made for Kevin. She MADE those guns. Freestyle. Because she rocks.

This was definitely the highlight of the party- until I had Kevin open a gift before we cut the cake. We gave our friends a little surprise (at least we hope it was) and told them we weren't saying anything else about it until later. That- was then the highlight of the party.

Come the next week, we had people my poor husband didnt even know come up and tell us our "secret" news- and apparently we were the talk of the town before Kevin's party.....

...So.. we made the decision to post it on social media (even after we told our friends at the party we weren't for a while) since so many people knew and were asking our families..which isnt cool. And I give you:

The most-awesome baby announcement! 

That's Right! Come December SWAT will have a whole new meaning in the Pope House! These are my hott husband's flight suits for his SWAT team. We decided to go all out for Lil P baby. The American flag just adds to the awesomeness.  The onesie is what I gave Kevin at his party. In case you cant read it, it says "My daddy can arrest your daddy".

We got an overwhelming response of love for us and this baby- and it truly melted my heart to know that many people were excited for us. 

So- we have been doing really well so far. I have had some serious stomach aches, some sensitive teeth- and some serious need to sleep when I get any and every chance. Other than that- its great!

This week (5/20/14) was the big 12 weeks. I have been super worried and just nervous- because I dont care what any mom, book, or internet site says- it is still overwhelming and a lot to take in when a human is growing inside of you. My husband has been super lately and is the most excited about this little blessing. He has been subjected to rubbing my belly, like someone rubbing a lamp for a genie, and has only had to go on one ice cream run. He has also had to deal with my lack of energy to do the laundry...slowly Im coming back around. He wont have to go naked out on the town. 

Our second sonogram was on our 12 week appointment- but before we went, my perfect match, my heart, and my soul mate, Kevin, sent me these to work. Man- he knows how to make me chill out and just be thankful. I am the luckiest girl on the planet to be married to this thoughtful man. 

Our appointment went well and Dr. said Lil P baby is looking good. We go back in 4 weeks for another visit, but wont get another sonogram until 20 weeks. EEKS. That is a long time! But in the meantime- I leave you this sweet- most precious- and exciting blessing to tide you over until the next post. 

Lil P Baby- or Razz as we like to call it, is kicking up a storm! To see that little butt go in the air and those feet just kicking- is truly the most awe-inspiring sight I have ever seen. The baby was really far back- so the sonographer had to dig in my belly to get a good shot. Razz didnt like this and rolled over. I cant even put in to words what that was like to see on a screen! It was absolutely crazy and cool at the same time!

To celebrate a good report, we had Milly and Papa Pope over for dinner (my parents were packing for vacation) and Big Daddy Kevin made homemade ice cream. In case you didnt know, my husband is a master ice cream maker- and he is the one who registered for our awesome churn!

That is our life as of late. Stay tuned, more to come. Summer is about to be in full force- and I am excited about having half of Fridays off! 

Three hundred some odd days

Here is what is has been like to be married to you for a year (and some change).

So, I have heard all sorts of sounds I didnt know existed. Laundry was multiplied by 7 when I said I do. The art of folding your shirts has finally come around. You are nice and let me sleep because you don't like being yelled at. Saturday morning breakfasts are always fun. You have way too many socks. Your hearing is dang near awful. You can fix anything, even if I didnt break it. I like when you make spaghetti. Your dish-washing skills are quite impressive. We both are competitive sleepers. The songs that we sing to our dogs should never be revealed to anyone. The floss-fart rule still stands. You have changed my spending habits- no new clothes once a month anymore, and that isn't always a bad thing. You love my parents and I love yours. It excites me when you sing Christian songs in the car. You know how to communicate- and that is what makes us strong. You pray for me and us- and never waiver in your faith to be the best man you can be before the Lord. There is a lot more, but this past year has been awesome. 

Little did you know babe, that I was praying for you long before you came. If you haven't read any of my desperate, horrible,tearfest, pathetic, what in the world was I thinking writing all of that, blog  from 2012, then you truly don't know the heartache that I had before you. I wrote a post on June 19th, 2012 that had a lot of questions that I couldn't find the answers to. I wanted to answer them now, because I finally know the answers. All it took was you. 

The original post can be found here. Im just going to answer a couple of them today.

Why is it that every one of my friends from college is happy, married, pregnant, or living the dream- and I feel like I am barely getting by?
Answer: Because it was God's time for them. Each person's time is different and not on the same clock or schedule. My time had not come yet, and he was waiting for the right time to allow me to get to the next point in my life. You were surely worth the wait. I am so happy- overjoyed and married life is the best thing ever. He makes everything beautiful in its time. Ecc 3:10
Now the date of the old post is significant. I had my first date with you  3 days later. Thanks for the happy God, in the form of this hottie. 











What does it feel like to wake up next to the same person every day? What does it feel like to know that someone loves you so much they want to spend the rest of their life with you- no one else but you?
Answer: it is the most amazing feeling in the world. There have been many sleepless nights this past year waiting on you to come home for work. Your 3am shift is really hard on me, but the sound of the beep beeps from the alarm and the garage door opening are some of the most comforting sounds at that time in the morning. SWAT callouts (like the 2 this week) scare me because I want you to come back, but I do have a different, hard-to-explain peace because I know you and your team are really good at what you do- and it is a controlled environment. I guess I get more scared from routine traffic stops because people are idiots. I  miss you when you are gone. I look at my ring everyday and thank God for you. I pray for you daily- for your safety and for your return. 

To know that you truly love me- flaws and all- makes my tear up and I am so grateful for you. I never have to question (even though I ask every day) if you still love me. You are so patient with me. You love me so much- and aren't afraid to show it. You include me in your life- and ask my opinion and that makes me thankful. You are my happy ending and you were my new beginning.  It is so awesome to know that you wanted me- and went through a LOT to make me yours. 

What is it like to know that you make someone happy? What does it feel like to know that someone wants to make you the happiest person in the world and they do simple random sweet nice things to make this happen? Or yet- what is it like to know that someone WANTS you in their life as well as NEEDS you?

Again- you go out of your way to show love to me. I get the BEST birthday presents. You really do go overboard. Flowers are routine with you- and you still take me on dates. All I have to do is mention what I want, and you get it or make it happen. Like our anniversary trip. I said I just wanted a weekend enjoying Atlanta one day- and you planned the perfect trip. Or my Christmas presents. Down to the eye cream, you got it all right. or my engagement ring. You do listen, even when I think you are just not paying me any attention. The details you put into life are so sweet and genuine. It is so nice to come home and you want to hug me. I have never had that kind of love before. You never give up on me- even when I have long given up on myself. I know you need me. Not for laundry, or cooking you dinners, or doing the grocery shopping, or running your Epsom salt baths-I know you want and need me because you tell me. (hey I need you for yard work and ironing. and handyman stuff like hanging pictures- and because you make my life better. 

What is it like to sit back in your house and know that you are paying for this house- you own it? I don't pay the bills, but Hey- thanks for making my dreams come true. It is so cool to go to a place that you are contributing to- and own, and it ours. I love our house and I will never forget on our first date you said "My house is kind of empty. Maybe you can help me decorate it." Little did I or you know that I wouldn't be much of a decorator. Those 3 canvases though, they make it work. Maybe one day I will print out pictures for all the frames I am hoarding. 

How does it feel to know someone is really in love with you, and that they don't just love you as a person, they are in love with you? I cant even explain it. You are so open and honest with me. You really do love me, but even more so, are in love with me. You aren't afraid to show me off. Let's never let that go away ok? 

Why do we have to be alone, when we don't want to be alone- no friends, no common comforts, nothing- and why does it hurt so bad?
Because God has a bigger and higher purpose for you. When you get to the good parts in life, you will appreciate them more because of where you have been and what you had to go through to grow. Because being alone taught me that I didn't need any guy to define me. It taught me how to pick up and start over. It taught me that it is ok to fail and make mistakes as long as you don't stay there. Your character is who you are when no one is looking. For a long time, lets just say I wasn't worth looking at- or being around- or being suitable for someone. God had to work on me to get me ready. Ready for you. Definitely not the way I would have chosen, but I can say that now I understand why. 


 You are truly the best husband ever and I can't thank God enough. I hope the past year has been this awesome for you! I hope you have an extra special May Day tomorrow! The big 3-0. The Dirty Thirty. Yikes. Glad it's you first and not me! 

Frustrations in Part

Wow, it has been an incredibly long time since I put my 2 cents in on here. I can honestly say it has been for one of two reasons: I am incredibly lazy and have been enjoying some sweet time with my boyfriend, family, and friends.

So here I sit. At my desk on my lunch time. Pondering the vast complexities of life and wondering where I fit in the grand scheme of things, if I even fit at all.

My 28th birthday just passed. What? Did that really just come out of my mouth? Let me give you a fair warning: once you turn 25- it is all REALLY fast moving and gone after that birthday. I had one of the best birthdays ever- this side of my twenties (because a couple of my younger bdays were pretty awesome at McDonalds and Hardees. Oh- and a surprise pizza one for like my 10th). Ha- but really- I set out to have the week designated for me- and had a lot of help from that guy who has my heart. From lots of gifts, dinners, and even a trip to the beach for 4 days- this one will go down in the books as awesome. 

I have been thinking a lot lately about who I use to be- where I have came from- and where I am now. Not so much as to where I am going, because if you know me- I sometimes have this bad fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants attitude, and I just can't plan that far in advance- because life changes so much. 

These are are few things I have learned in my 28 years. 

Learn only to take advice that is scriptural. If it doesn't come from the Bible (or from people who regularly read the Bible) or point you to the Bible, it isn't going to hold much water or change your life that much. (Proverbs 12:5 The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful).

Time changes everything. It will change you, even if you think you can avoid it. Not just the physical attributes, but also the network of who you really are on the inside. Your opinions and ideals soon scratch more than the surface. There are appointed times for a variety of emotions, feelings, disasters, happiness, comfort, letdowns and disappointments, and renewedness in your life. Accept them and learn from each one. (Ecclesiastes 3)

Life here on this earth is very temporary- even if you can't see past your twenties into the horrible abyss called your 30s. I would like to say live it up- but instead I say invest in things that matter. Because when push comes to shove- it isnt about all the things you have done and seen- it is about the people you got to do and see those things with. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.


  The times when you are most desperate, most lonely, most confused, and most hopeless are the times that God will move the most in your life. These are also the times when you should go seek for him most. God moves the most in our deserts, there ain't much need for change in the oasis. Remind yourself of this when you get comfortable- always be on the hunt for more of Jesus and less of you. (Psalm 63:1-3 You, God, are my God,

earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,in a dry and parched land where there is no water.; Proverbs 14:32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.; John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world; 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.")



What people hear about you is what they will believe about you. That whole he said she said yo momma said..story gets twisted and people believe what others tell them- not what they see. So, live your life so that when they run their mouth about you, nothing but goodness can come of it. (Titus 2:8 "and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us").   Those are some simple, but true facts that have taken me 28 years to fully learn, understand, and put into practice. I hope you look over your life today- whether you are 18, 28, 48, 68, or 88 and realize the need to make the most out of what you have been entrusted with on this earth.