Ruby Slippers (and Sequin Pumps)

Over the past few weeks, a group of girls from my church and I have been doing some serious soul searching as we take a journey through this book, Ruby Slippers by Jonalyn Fincher. I love being a woman. I love everything about it. But this book challenges us to strip everything away that society has deemed "feminine" and look at the naked soul. It's amazing how we sometimes define ourselves by what the world (any many times, the church) tells us femininity is supposed to be. This is a line from the book and it has stuck with me ever since I read it.

"I am not a wife, a daughter, a niece, a sister... I am not a philosopher... I am not a writer... I am not fun, enthusiastic, motivated, organized, disciplined, creative... I am not bossy, demanding, impatient, stubborn, judgmental... I am none of these. I am a naked soul clothed in the righteousness of Christ. "

Speaking of all things glittery and girly, I feel it important to mention that I LOVE shoes! For the first 20 years of my life, I purposely avoided anything that remotely resembled a heel due to insecurity issues over the fact that I've been about 5'10'' ever since I was 13. But now, I've learned to embrace my height, and I love wearing heels. I purposely bought these shoes for the Emmy Awards on Saturday.. but they didn't show up in any of the pictures, so I wanted to give them their moment of glory. These are my fabulous, sequined, zebra print shoes from Victoria's Secret. So fun!!

I heard this quote today.. and loved it! "Be crazy, be stupid, be wild, be silly, because life is too short to be cool."
Speaking of crazy and wild, this crazy kid was in town last night. So much fun! A.B. has been Zach's best friend since junior high. They're actually more like brothers than friends. When the two of them get together, I usually can't stop laughing. They're hilarious together. I love me some A.B!! Anyway, A.B. was in town for business and spent the night at our house last night. We ate, drank, watched some basketball, and caught up. Good times!

So Excited!!

My brother, Fred, and his wife, Jennifer, have a new blog!! You can check it out here. Tori and Lee- you're the only ones left :)!!

It feels like Zach and I practically spend our lives on the road. Next to the wonderful conversations, this is my favorite part of our road trips!

After the Emmy's Saturday night, Zach and I got up early Saturday and left Nashville headed for Missouri. Sydney was in her first, and quite possibly her last, pageant ever. We all agreed we don't like supporting events that rate children on their appearances, but Sydney really wanted to get dressed up and be able to feel like a princess for a day. Well, in the end Sydney won "most beautiful" in the pageant. She was quite adorable! We'll get to spend the whole day with her this coming Saturday. Can't wait!!
Syd with her cousins, Lexie and Tori.

Syd with her mom and O.J.
Silly Girls!
So Precious!

The Emmy's

This weekend I had the honor of being able to attend the Regional Emmy Awards for WMC's region. One of the newscasts I produced last year was nominated for best daytime newscast. I, along with about 6 of my colleagues, were nominated in that category. I didn't win, but there was a very exciting moment for WMC. Megan Pope won the Emmy for Best Weekend Newscast. We were all SOOO excited for her. She is a diligent worker and a great person. I'm still so happy for her! Here are a few pictures (and a few more I stole from Krista) from the weekend.

So Funny!

Ok, I found this on my friend Steven's blog this morning and of course, I couldn't resist. It's a website where you can combine pictures of yourself with celebrities. I literally spent about an hour laughing hysterically after I got started.

So here's what happens when you put Liz with Beyonce. Too Funny! Here's the link if anyone else wants to play.

Go Tigers Go!

Seeing as how most of my family bleeds blue, you can understand why this is very exciting!

4 years...

Four years ago yesterday-- Zach and I had our first date (well- sort've first date). Zach and I had talked back and forth a few times leading up to that Monday night. We were both recently out of semi-serious relationships and weren't looking for anything too intense. We had a lot of the same friends, so we just wanted to get to know each other better. He had asked me to hang out with him several times, but it never seemed to happen until that night. I was working as a producer at WBBJ and got off work at 11:00. Zach wanted to take me out, but since it was so late, he came by my apartment and hung out with my roommates and me for awhile. We expected to hang out for about an hour, but once we started talking, we couldn't stop. We had so much more in common than we ever expected. We ended up talking and shooting pool until 5:00 in the morning. After that, we couldn't stay away from each other. It's been a lot of ups and downs, but four years later, we're married and happier than ever. I can truly say this man is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I'm so grateful for each day God allows me to share with him. These are a couple of photographs taken during our first month together. So fun!

What a fun Saturday! My college roommate, Heather, is having another baby. Heather and Blake Allen have a little girl named Hallie, who will be two in just a few months. I went to Humboldt yesterday for Heather's shower. While I was there I got to spend some much-needed time with Heather and Hallie. They are so cute together. Heather's next baby is due in February and will be a boy. So excited for Cade to get here!

Wonderful Husband

Yesterday was a very exciting day in the Wiggs household, but instead of putting all the attention on our new addition, I have to recognize my wonderful husband first. I have been sick all week long with some throat and sinus problems... which came at a very bad time since we were getting Bryant yesterday. But last night, Zach gave me the whole night off. He went and picked up Bryant and then spent most of the night keeping an eye on the two dogs, taking them outside, and feeding them. At one point, our cat got sick and threw up all over the floor and Zach took care of that too. I started to feel really bad, so I gave Bryant a much-needed bath... but the entire time Zach stood there telling me to relax and get some rest. I have a wonderfully compassionate husband and am SO blessed to have him by my side every day. He's a wonderful partner and teammate. He's also my best friend. Thanks, honey. I love you!

Ok.. to the dog. Bryant is a six-week-old golden retriever. He's absolutely adorable. He's a LOT more independent than Bear. Bear still doesn't feel comfortable leaving our side, but Bryant was running, playing, and inspecting the whole house by himself. He looked as if he felt completely at home. Bear was obviously really excited to have a new friend. He spent all night jumping on Bryant and trying to play with him-- probably a little too aggressively. Bryant didn't seem to like it too much, so Zach spent most of the night playing referee. But hopefully, as Bryant gets older, he'll get more used to Bear's hyper behavior. Of course, we took plenty of pictures.

Bryant trying to get some rest

Daddy with his two boys

Bryant after his first bath

Since Zach's time with Sydney is so limited, we try to document as many things as we can during their time together. I love this song, and I know it reminds Zach of his little girl. So, I thought I'd combine it with some of our pictures from the weekend.

Precious

With all the excitement of the new dogs in our home, Zach and I are working hard to make sure our cat, Precious, isn't neglected. I thought I would show her some love on my blog since I've posted a million pictures of Bear. This is her. Precious is 3 1/2 years old. Precious LOVES to sleep under the covers. Most of the time, she'll sleep next to me in bed. When Zach and I were on opposite schedules she would have someone in the house with her almost 24 hours a day. Needless to say, the past few months have been somewhat of a transitional period for her- but she's handling it REALLY well.

Out in the country...

Bear spent Friday night and all day Saturday out in Holly Springs, MS with his Aunt Tori and Uncle Lee. They apparently took a long walk, played softball, and played catch. Bear also got some time in with his cousins, Joey and Phoebe. When we got back from Missouri Saturday night, Bear was passed out asleep and didn't wake up until 8:00 the next morning. Sounds like a great time to me! Here are a few pictures Tori and Lee took that day. Thanks guys for sending them to me!

Don't do it...

I woke up with a sore throat and a small cough. Someone recommended this to me today. At the risk of sounding like a 5-year-old, I'd rather be sick with the flu than take that medicine again.

A few more pictures from our day with Sydney.

We had the most perfect visit with Sydney on Saturday. We got there around 9:00 a.m., picked her up from her grandma's house and then went to the park. It was so pretty and crisp outside. I couldn't resist taking a million and a half pictures. After our photo session at the park, we ate lunch at McAlisters, and then went to see "The Enchanted." That's the movie where the cartoon characters turn into real people and a princess is trapped in New York City. Sydney loved it! After the movie, we went back to Syd's house and played tea party with her for a while. She had a birthday party to be at, so we left about 4:30. The visit was much shorter than we would have liked, but we had the best time. We found out Saturday that Syd is going to be in a pageant (her first ever) in two weeks. We will of course be there! I can't wait! I love this girl!

Friday night, Zach and I invited Tori, Lee, Russell, and Alison over for a puppy play date. We ate burgers, played DVD family feud, and watched the dogs play. Russell & Alison have a weimaraner and a german shorthaired pointer. Tori and Lee have a lab and a collie mix. Bear was in doggie heaven. The visit made us even more excited about getting Bryant. 2 more days!! When Tori and Lee left, they took Bear with them so Zach and I could go to Missouri on Saturday. Tori said she took plenty of pictures of Bear. I'll be sure to post those when she sends them to me. I hear it was a fun time! Here are a few pictures from our dog-filled Friday night.