Merry Christmas From Our House to Yours!

I love seeing everyone's pictures of their house decorated for Christmas! So, I thought I would share a few of mine. If you are reading this and you haven't posted a picture of your Christmas tree, post it! I want to see it!

The Living Room Chrismas Tree!

The presents are wrapped and ready for giving!

Antique Christmas postcards hanging on the back of the kitchen table chairs.

The Fireplace...I love the mittens hanging over the fireplace.

The Guest Room Tree...we have a very tiny house, but yes, we have three trees.

The Master Bedroom Tree and this is my adorable rocker that I got for super cheap at an antique sale...it's so comfortable!

This Nativity Scene is super special. My parents gave Jenn and I a piece of it each year and when we went away to college, we had our very own Nativity Scene.

I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas week!!!

Much love,

Becca

Jordan and Nathan are Growing!

Bryan and I went to the doctor yesterday, just like every Tuesday! The doctor always does an ultrasound to check everything out but he only measures the boys every couple of weeks. Yesterday, each boy's weight was estimated to already be 3 lb. 9 oz. Ya'll, that is seven pounds of baby inside me and I am only 29 weeks along! I was so glad to see that they are both healthy and developing right on time. We are so thankful for this gift from the Lord...only HE could have made this possible with all of my fertility issues. High Five Jesus!

Tagged - Eight Things About Me

I was tagged by my sweet friend, Amber...so here are eight things about me...


8 TV Shows I Watch:

1) John and Kate Plus 8
2) The Hills
3) Grey's Anatomy (I know..it's a little weird this season!)
4) The Today Show (Does that count?)
5) Paula Dean on Food Network
6) Ellen
7)
8)
I can't think of a 7 and 8. I'm just not much of a TV watcher!


8 Favorite Restaurants:
1) La Hacienda (yummiest salsa ever!)
2) Olive Garden (Who does not love their salad and breadsticks?!)
3) El Fenix (I'm a Calvert...I have to love El Fenix. I might get shunned if I didn't!)
4) Pasados (Free ice cream!)
5) Joe T Garcia's (Gotta love the ambiance of this place!)
6) Pei Wei (Bryan hates chinese food...so this is a very rare and cherished occasion!)
7) Mi Chulas (also very delicious salsa!)
8) Babes (the best fried chicken on this side of the Mississippi River!)



8 Things that Happened to Me Today:
1) Woke up at 5:40.
2) Stopped at Sonic to get a Route 44 cup of ice to munch on at school today.
3) Made it to school by 7:45.
4) Visited with my precious teammate, Cindi, about our weekends.
5) Graded lots of papers at school today.
6) Ate potato soup for supper. (The temperature has been below freezing all day long today!)
7) Read "The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks
8) Laundry...and I think it is growing!



8 Things I Look Forward To:
1) The birth of my two baby boys! Only about 8-10 weeks left!
2) Christmas Break (two weeks off school...I love my job, but boy do I need a break?!)
3) Christmas Day (nothing like it all year long!)
4) Libby coming home for Christmas (Morgan is already home! I love it when Bryan's youngest sisters come in town.)
5) The Vegetable Soup I plan on making for supper tomorrow night.
6) My two cute dogs getting groomed on Saturday. They are just so cute and fluffy when they get a haircut. I'll have to post a picture on Saturday!
7) When my cute husband gets home from his basketball game tonight...oh the life of a coach's wife!
8) Watching The Hills tonight...(can you believe that Spencer and Heidi actually got married in Mexico?!)



8 Things I Wish For:
1) Two healthy babies in February.
2) A new kitchen table. (But I have to keep the old one too. It's very special because it was my grandmother's table.)
3) For Bryan to learn to like Chinese food. (I don't think it will ever happen!)
4) A cure for cancer. I HATE that disease.
5) The laundry to disappear.
6) A trip to the beach.
7) A grande Caramel Apple Cider from Starbucks right now. Yum!
8) A better economy.

8 People I Tag:
1) Jill
2) Janelle
3) Amanda
4) Sunni
5) Lisa
6) Lindsey B.
7) Cassi
8) Julie R.

Happy Cake Day Vivi!

Saturday was my niece, Vivi's, second birthday. Vivi calls birthday cake, "happy cake." So, this was her very own happy cake day...she was so excited!! I can not believe she is already two years old! She is obsessed with Minnie Mouse and "Cindererra." (Cinderella) Jennifer threw her the most adorable Minnie Mouse birthday party ever. She made the cutest Minnie Mouse cupcakes. And, even the cheese slices were Mickey Mouse shapes!

And, Vivi wore her Minnie Mouse Halloween costume. She was the star of the party!

She got her first tri-cycle from Mimi and Grandaddy!

I just love this little girl to pieces!! When we were struggling for almost three years to get pregnant, Vivi was such a blessing to me. Being able to love on her, take care of her, rock her to sleep, read books to her, play with her, and laugh with her was such great therapy for me! Okay, pregnant girl is tearing up...time to wrap up this post.

Happy Birthday to my little Vivi angel! I love you girlfriend!

Much love,

Becca

Showered by Friends!

Sunday afternoon, Susan Etter, Janet James, Linda Goodman, and Lisa Dunn hosted a sweet shower for my boys and me! The cake was so cute and I was so humbled by the gifts we received. Here are just a few pictures from the afternoon. I forgot to give my camera to someone while I opened gifts and I hardly got any pictures of guests...I am pathetic! Maybe my sister got some pics...hopefully! It was a very special day to celebrate our two little miracles.

Meredith, Maggie, Me

Gram, Aunt Emily, Me, and Granny

The Sweet Hotesses: Linda, Susan, Lisa, Janet

Mimi, Me, Aunt Jenn

Rolaids - A Pregnant Girl's Lifesaver

Bryan packs my lunch every day before work. Yes, I know...so sweet! But, let's get real. He has a shaved head and he wears t-shirts, sweatshirts, wind pants, and shorts to work every day. I mean, how long can it really take him to get ready for work? Hardly even comparable to my hair blow drying, clothes picking, clothes ironing mornings. Anyway, so I really am spoiled like crazy at our house. Today, I had leftover chili in my lunch and I was so excited. That was the perfect lunch for a very cold day, especially because I had recess duty right after lunch. So, I thoroughly enjoyed my warm chili and then braved the cold at recess duty. Not long after I got back to my classroom the indigestion started...burning throat, heartburn, you know? The works! Lo and behold, what did I find in the bottom of my lunch bag? None other than a new package of chewy Rolaids!!! Bryan thinks of everything! He even packed Rolaids in his very pregnant wife's lunch today. He knew I would be wishing I had some after my chili lunch! These babies just don't leave much room for my food to digest! Praise the Lord for Rolaids and a thoughtful husband to stick some Rolaids in my lunch today!

Brayden and Bryce are FAMOUS!

Seriously!! Remember the Santa picture I posted a few days ago?! My sister-in-law, Emily, emailed Brayden and Bryce's Santa picture to The Ellen Show and they called her this afternoon to tell her that they used it in the taping of the show today!! It will be on The Ellen Show TOMORROW (Thursday, 12/4)! Amanda, you were so right about sending that picture to the show! I am so pumped!

Much love,
Very Proud Aunt Becca

Bryan's Thanksgiving Day Cranberry Tradition

Every year at Thanksgiving, Bryan adds his own special touch to our Thanksgiving meal at my parents' house. You see, my mom always has the most beautiful table set up with the perfect dishes, the perfect centerpiece, and the perfect napkins! Bryan decided a few years ago that he would bring the cranberry sauce every year and to our family's surprise, he sculpted it into an art project. I'm sure my mom just loves Bryan's cranberry sauce creation on her perfect table! But, she is such a good sport! If you know my husband and his dad, you know that they never skip out on a chance for a laugh or a practical joke! Three years ago, Bryan made a turkey out of the cranberry sauce. Last year, the cranberry sauce had a Dallas Cowboys theme. And, this year, the cranberry sauce was in the shape of Minnie Mouse in honor of our sweet niece, Vivi. Vivi is obsessed with Minnie Mouse and Cinderella right now so she just looked and looked at the cranberry sauce in awe! Then, Mom's centerpiece for the table had pumpkins on it and Vivi pointed to the pumpkins and said "Bibbidi - Bobbidi - Boo!" I think she really thought they might turn into a carriage just like Cinderella's!

'Tis the Season...

To visit Santa Claus! How awesome is this picture from

Brayden and Bryce's visit with Santa yesterday?!

Two Baylor Bears and a Sneak Peak

Bryan surprised me this week with the most adorable Baylor t-shirts, newborn hats, and infant baseball hats! Both being Baylor Alumni, we will be tickled to dress up Jordan and Nathan in their very own green and gold. Look at how precious...

And, my sweet and talented Mother is sewing Jordan and Nathan's bedding, curtains, quilt and pillow for their nursery. Jennifer, Mom, and I drove all over the metroplex to find the perfect fabrics. Mom has been working away and I just couldn't stand to keep this picture from my blogging friends any longer! The quilt and pillow are complete!

Much love,

Becca

Update on the Twins!

We went to two doctors' appointments today. The first appointment was with Dr. Graham, a perinatal specialist. He did a sonogram and measured the babies. Jordan is estimated to weigh 1 lb. 11 oz right now and Nathan is estimated to weigh 2 lbs right now. That means they are measuring at about 25 1/2 weeks and 26 weeks! I am only 24 weeks, 4 days today! These boys could be some big ol' boys! Then, we went to Dr. Clark, my ObGyn, for our regular appointment. He measured my tummy again today. On Sunday, Janelle and Angela convinced me to ask Dr. Clark how my tummy measurements compare to a single pregnancy tummy and oh boy...this is hilarious! He said I measure the size of a 32 week single pregnancy! No wonder I feel like an 80 year old woman by about 2:00 in the afternoon. But, overall, I am feeling really good and I really have never been so grateful to feel these aches and be so tired! Here are a couple of pictures from our appointment with Dr. Graham today. But, I have no idea which picture is Jordan and which picture is Nathan. Bryan and I didn't notice that the pictures weren't labeled until we got in the car. Oh well, I guess they pretty much look the same anyway! :)

Much Love,

Becca

What A Week!

This past week has been super busy! My birthday was on Tuesday...and all my friends and family have spoiled me rotten!

Saturday: Jill started my birthday celebrations with a sweet visit to my house last Saturday afternoon. We got to sit and "girl-talk" for almost 2 hours! Oh, and do you love the new header on my blog?! Jill designed that and put it together for me...she is the greatest!

Sunday: Bryan's mom and dad, Emily and her bunch, and Granny took me to Mimi's Cafe for lunch after church. I just love their quiche! Sunday night, we celebrated my birthday with mom, dad, Jennifer, Jason, and Vivi. My cousin, Jason, and his wife, Teia, came in town on Sunday from Tennessee. It was so much fun to have them in Texas for a few days. My mom cooked one of my favorite soups and served a delicious cake after supper. It was divine!

Monday: We ate supper at Mom and Dad's house again to spend time with Jason and Teia. They are just the cutest couple!

Tuesday: We went to the Mavericks Game! It was such a blast! Pregnant girl (me) was such a good sport until about 10:00 and then I began to fade. Ya'll, that is one hour past my bedtime! Here are some pics from the game...

Jason and Teia

Pregnant Girl and her SWEET husband

Jennifer and Jason

Wednesday: We ate supper at Joe T Garcia's in Ft.Worth...delicious! My cousin likes to eat there when he is in town, and of course, we love it too. Vivi liked the Mariachi Band and queso so she was a happy girl!

WHEW! I'm hoping next week is a little more uneventful!

Love,

Becca

Lions, Minnie, and Audrey...Oh My!

Vivi (my niece) was the cutest Minnie Mouse ever for Halloween! Notice how she has a different lollipop in each picture...she was in lollipop heaven! And, Brayden and Bryce (my nephews) were the most huggable little lions ever! I got to tag along with them while they trick-or-treated on Main Street. We had a ball! We missed Bryan that night because he had a volleyball tournament at school to manage. He did meet us at Granny's house later that night just in time to see Brayden and Bryce in their costume.

This was our attempt to get all three of them in the same picture!

Lollipop #2

(I don't have any pictures of lollipop #3 and #4!)

PaPa is so silly!

Running through the hay maze!

And, I can not miss this opportunity to post pictures of Libby dressed as Audrey Hepburn for her Halloween costume. She's almost believable isn't she? Libby lives in Houston right now...we miss her like crazy!

Showered In Georgia!

While I was visiting family in Georgia last weekend, my Aunt Laura, Aunt Darlene, and both of my grandmothers (I call them both Memom) hosted a beautiful baby shower for me. I was so overwhelmed that my aunts and my cousins came together to celebrate the coming birth of Jordan and Nathan. Aunt Laura made her delicious iced coffee and quiche! It was DIVINE! My cousin's wife, Teia, is studying photography right now and she ended up with some great photos of our Saturday morning. I'm sure you can guess which pictures I took and which ones Teia took!

The Invitation!

Jennifer and Vivi

My Mom (I love this picture!)

Adorable hooded towels from my Aunt Darlene made especially for Jordan and Nathan

My cousin, Kate, me, and my cousin, Betsi

Aunt Patricia and Mom
Mom and Aunt Laura (What cute sisters!)

Aunt Pam, Cousin Lisa, Little Luke, and Aunt Jennifer

Memom Fuller, Me, and Memom Beam
(Aren't they beautiful! I hope I look that good in 50 years!)
Cousin Teia, Cousin Elizabeth, Vivi, Jenn, Me

Thank you Aunt Laura, Aunt Darlene, Memom and Memom! We have been so blessed by your thoughtfulness! We love you to pieces!!

Much Love,
Becca

God, the Giver of Life

Wow, this weekend was a whirlwind of emotions. It began on Friday morning, before school when we got a phone call from Bryan's mom that Ileeta Watson had passed away. Ileeta was a precious woman and friend of ours. She was one of Bryan's Mom's best friends for as long as Jan can remember. She has two daughters, Candace and Natalee. Candace grew up with Bryan and they were dear friends for years. I have had the privilege to get to know Candace in the recent years and am blessed to call her my friend as well. Her sweet mom battled cancer for over 5 years and her earthly body gave up on Thursday night. I was overwhelmed with emotions. I think I cried all morning on Friday. Bryan always says that the Lord doesn't have any surprises. He knew all along that He would bring Ileeta home on Thursday night. The funeral this morning was so sweet. Will, Frank, and Bryan's Dad spoke, along with Pastor John. Their words were so personal, funny, sincere, and full of love for Ileeta and her adorable family. The songs were beautiful and I know Ileeta smiled as she watched from heaven. She will be missed like crazy, but we KNOW that she is in a better place...with a cancer free body and with Jesus.





And, while the Lord took a special life to heaven on Thursday night, He delivered a special life to earth on Friday night! My dear friend, Paige, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Finley Grace! Finley was 7 pounds 12 ounces and 19 inches long. She is just perfect! Congratulations Paige and Jordan! I love you both!

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his children." Acts 17:24-28

It is with a heavy heart that I said Goodbye to Ileeta this weekend, but with a joyful heart that I praised the Lord for little Finley Grace this weekend.

Much love,
Becca

Prayer Request

Please see this at Amanda's blog for a major prayer request for our former youth pastor's wife and their family. I can not even stand to write about it...please lift up Kristi and Chuck and their three precious boys today.

I'm off for the weekend!

After school today, I will be catching a plane to Birmingham, Alabama with my mom, sister, and niece. We will then drive 2 hours to my Grandparents house in Georgia. I am so excited to make a trip and see all our family! My sweet aunts and Memoms are giving me a baby shower on Saturday at my Aunt Laura's house. Aren't they the best to take such good care of me from so far away?!

The Texas State Fair

Thanks to Libby, our Family Social Coordinator, all the Calverts loaded up and headed to the Texas State Fair this weekend! We had so much fun!

Bryan's Mom and Dad....Aren't they so cute?! Bryan's Dad loved the food at the fair! He introduced me to pineapple whip ice cream...Yummmm! I had always wanted Blue Bell to make their pineapple sherbet without the little pineapple pieces. Well, this was just like the sherbet, but without the little pineapple pieces. So refreshing! I wish I had a picture of that ice cream cone.

Only because several of you asked...a picture of me and Bryan, including my big ol' belly!

Brayden's favorite part of the fair was The Car Show. He was hilarious! He thought he was so big driving that car! Don't you love that face?!

Brayden feeding the little baby pig...so cute!

Morgan and Libby posing like Big Tex. The Texas State Fair is not the fair without Big Tex!

Libby, Bryan, Emily, and Morgan riding the "Love Bug." I think that crazy ride would have given me whiplash! Libby thought the wind made her hair look so voluminous. I think she was right! :) Looks like you just stepped out of the salon Libby!

Bryan and Morgan enjoying their Fletcher's Corny Dogs. YUMM!! You can't call yourself a Texan if you have never eaten a Fletcher's Corny Dog at the Fair!

Brayden riding on the Carousel! He was all smiles the whole time!

Bryce wasn't too sure about the Carousel at first, but he finally decided it was fun!!

So, until next year...