memorial day weekend/richard's birthday weekend

Richard and I didn't initially have plans to go home to South Carolina for Memorial Day weekend but were so excited to find reasonable flights, allowing us to celebrate the long weekend and his 32nd birthday with family and friends. We spent Friday in Columbia, then headed back to the Upstate for the remainder of the weekend. Poor Richard endured a Saturday full of baby furniture shopping and making additions to the baby registry, so he deserved a fun night out. We had lovely evening dining under the lights at Soby's in perfect weather. Richard had birthday dessert #1 of many, and all of our dinners were excellent. We even ran into my dear friend Drew! 

chocolate cheesecake

just needed Will to have all the siblings together- love that our families get along so well

soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Davis

yay for running into old friends!

For as long as I can remember, one of our family's favorite Sunday lunch spots has been Wades in Spartanburg. There's not much better for home cooking than Wades, which is hard to find in DC! Wades has a signature birthday song, which we made Richard endure in order to claim his peanut butter pie prize. He secretly loved it.

so embarrassed

Each Memorial Day, the Webbs hold a low country boil for their good friends. We usually miss it, but we were excited to get to go this year. The O'Sullivans and McDaniels were able to join too, and it was so fun to see their sweet little ones. They are growing up too fast.

Grady, Amanda and me (almost 23 weeks)

listening to Mr. Webb

introductions

and another birthday dessert! This time a Smith Island cake, one of the best things we've found in Maryland.

precious Penelope

Darcy supervising the itty-bitties. Grady and Penelope are only a few weeks apart.

Suzanne and James

hoping our baby girl and Penelope will be fast friends

love my SIL!

We loved catching up with Laurie and Daniel too, two of our favorite friends.

On Richard's actual birthday, Memorial Day, my born-and-raised Spartanburg boy chose the Beacon for his birthday lunch. Pretty appropriate if you ask me! So thankful for him, all of our family members and friends who have served or are serving, and those who have gone before us.

the Webbs

with my mom and dad

the Webb "kids"

A banana split as the final dessert of the weekend? Well yes, unless you count the strawberry milkshake purchased on the way to the airport. When it's your birthday, calories don't count!

it's a...

This Mother's Day is so special for me, knowing that in just a few short months we'll welcome our first baby. I clearly remember this day last year and thinking how desperately I wanted a baby. I'm not unaware of how hard Mother's Day can be for some. But Richard and I have been so blessed to have two wonderful mothers, and grandmothers who have gone before us.

We've known the gender of our baby for a couple of weeks, due to a sweet OB/gyn friend who snuck us into her office one Thursday night before dinner with her and husband, a general surgery resident with Richard. We were thrilled to learn the results but wanted to confirm them at our 20-week appointment. That didn't stop me with sharing the news when I was in family a few weeks ago, though!

My brother Jeff and his sweet girlfriend Leah got engaged in mid-April, and we celebrated the weekend I came home for Candy's baby shower. Leah was kind to let me use their engagement cake for the big reveal.

loved how this turned out...so excited for a wedding in our near future!

the happy couple

My unsuspecting mom cutting the cake...

And it's a girl!

the Davis family and the Webb family- hated to not have Richard there too, but he was stuck in a Board review course

so happy to have Meghanne come celebrate with us!

posing with Aunt Suz

and with Aunt Leah!

We cannot wait to meet our baby girl. Richard and I have been seriously thinking over a proper name and will hopefully agree on one soon. Like any good southern girl, she needs her share of monogrammed items. So thankful for this blessing!

showering bradford whit

One of the best parts of being pregnant right now is having several dear friends due to deliver little ones just a few months ahead or behind me, both from Clemson and from law school. Candy is one of the first up, as her baby boy Bradford Whit should arrive around June 21st. I was so excited to get to host a baby shower in Columbia for her with some of her best friends, and despite a slightly hectic morning of preparation, everything turned out well! 

We had sweet onesies monogrammed for Bradford, but in my haste to get to the shower, completely forgot to bring them with me. I ran back to get them just in the nick of time, and we hung them along the mantle for a cute decoration. The big silver and white gift was Candy's stroller, which was our hostess gift to her. 

onesies and lots of fun presents

Candy is much loved, and the shower hostesses ranged from high school friends to Wofford friends and friends from law school and work. They were such a great group of girls to co-host with! 

shower hostesses

We served traditional shower food, but it was all delicious- pimento cheese sandwiches and chicken salad cups, veggies and hummus, fruit, baked brie bites, "redneck" caviar, and fabulous petit fours. 

the spread

we didn't have a huge budget for flowers, and these hydrangeas and tulips came from whole foods and trader joe's...you never would have known that we did three arrangements for less than $50!

monogrammed petit fours

Candy's sweet nieces got to come to the shower and helped Candy open her gifts. Bradford is a lucky little guy to grow up with these fun cousins. 

seems like just yesterday we were in law school and RC was being born!

Mary Madison has a precious little girl who will turn 3 in July, right before our wedding anniversary. Little Lillian had just been born when Richard and I got married, so MM had to give up her bridesmaid spot and stay with her newborn. Now we're due about 10 days apart, and I can't wait to meet her little boy.

always love seeing and catching up with MM

Candy received so many lovely gifts, and we all had a great time catching up with old friends. That's a successful shower in my book!

Candy and her helpers

USC Law Section 1 ladies and Miss Bec, an honorary law school grad

Candy's friends and family

love this girl

four pregnant gals- Jess (due mid-August), Candy, me, and MM

everyone left with sweet treat