that your love may abound more and more

you know? life is really good. even though i'm the busiest i've ever been, it is really, really good. i don't really have the finger power to tell you all about it with words, so i'm just going to post a whole bunch of pictures....i think that will be okay with all of you.... :) :) :)

i'm at rembrandts and the connection is pretty slow, which won't mean anything to you as you read this. just know that this post took forever to create!!

i'll start with the most important... and what everyone wants to see....

there it is!! the beginning of alex liner becoming alex walker. WHOA! i'm so PROUD of my dear brother!! the ring is gorgeous and, as alex says, "exactly what i've always wanted!!!"

the story: i got a phone call from my dear and fabulous brother (who NEVER calls me...so i knew something was up) who told me, as you all know, HE'S ENGAGED!!!! he took her up to camp vesper point (of course! where else could it happen!) and he asked her to be his bride on the rocks of the point at sunset. AWESOME!! alex is just the PERFECT fit for him. all these years that we've prayed and prayed for a wife, turns out she was just too young at the time! the timing is perfect. what a great, great couple. i can't wait to see them together as husband and wife!!! and tonight the two of us went to taco night (thank you 79 cent tacos!!) and she (i'm crying in public again...) asked me to be her matron of honor. are you KIDDING ME?!?!?!?! absolutely rock my world. amazing.


and now back to the new year. brian got us a chocolate fountain for christmas! here it is in all its glory for our new years party. MMMMMMMM.........












we all played the most amazing game (it's called "the hat game", which is the WORST name ever. i call it EXTREME CHARADES!!!!) here is chris acting out "fatigue" to lee!











this is chris with his newest toy - a remote control helicopter!! his dad always gets him and his brother a fun toy as a little bonus to regular christmas presents. it's REALLY fun to play with....even if it does look like a creepy giant bug!!!















for christopher's birthday (which is actually before the new year, but who cares?) the two of us went hiking which was AMAZING. we drove to the ocoee - just about 45 minutes away which is not bad at all - which i've never hiked before. this is a LIVING tree. seriously. i marvelled.
















and marvelled. and marvelled. it had real live growing branches and leaves at the top. and this is what it looked like when you looked straight up into it. literally a 360 degree turn!!! it looks like a dragon!! BIZARRE!!!












jency turned 24!!! we had a fun party and had a little too much fun with balloons...we seriously must have played with them for an hour like this. don't let them touch the ground!! keep them in the air!! pound each other with them!! keep going! all at the same time!!!!









then we had a bit too much fun with static....(yes, that is "once" on in the background!!!)













everyone had to try....



















yes. we are adults.....



















no more cookie cake for you, husband!!!














we had an epiphany party (when the wisemen came to see Jesus) at nathan's mom's house! we made gnocchi (a pasta made with literally only potatoes and flour - the steam from the potato acts as the water! here is brian presenting the gnocchi as it is drying.) and then we rolled them into giant worms, cut them into inch long little pieces, and rolled them on the gnocchi boards to make grooves. when you boil them, they float to the top when they're ready! and they are SO GOOD!!! anne's genuine italian sauces help make them the best food EVER!!!




here are the lovebirds....i mean, jency and nathan presenting the gnocchi as it comes out of the water. MMMMM!!!!












RACHEL AND LEE GOT MARRIED!!!! the ceremony was PERFECT! i have so loved getting to know these two, and it was just so great to be a part of watching them begin their new life together!!! i could ramble and ramble and ramble!!!









this is my favorite picture. she is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! (this is her dad...)














colin and caroline are getting married TOOOOO!!! we went to a SUPER fun party for them last month down in atlanta and got to meet all their friends and just hang out. it was so, so good!!










AND we got to hang out and play with caroline's cats, lulu and jackmo. OH MAN. chris and i were in heaven. we both adore cats, and when they have a sea of wrapping paper and tissue to play in, it's a great adventure.

this is my favorite shot of jackmo. he is nothing but mischief!!!













*sigh* i told you life was good. it gets better.


last night we celebrated shoo's birthday, and EVERYONE was there. EVERYONE!!! we had a blast dancing to brad's (emily's new fella!) amazing banjo playing and just sitting around enjoying family.
















katie and chase are living in town preparing for going overseas with young life. i can't believe they're leaving!! but i'm so excited for them! the best part about it all is that katie and kendall are BOTH pregnant!!! WAHOO!!! more babies!!!!!!!!!

look at liza's eyes...i think she's trying to hypnotize me.....








and here is queen alice with her rick-rack crown and robe that matches her american girl doll. :) precious alice gets older and more awesome every time i see her!!! i hope my kids are as cool as the whitmire and crowder clan....i wish we got to spend more time around all of them.











the girls already adore alex. she's going to be the best mom someday!!! and she already fits into the walker family SO well!!

















another SUPER exciting thing about life lately is that kim shomaker gave me some of her TWENTY YEAR OLD sourdough starter to make bread. HOLY SMOKES! we're talking, chris grew up eating bread off of this starter. i've made bread twice - once the regular way and once with whole wheat flour. BOTH ARE AMAZING!!!! i can't believe i make bread - actual bread, not the cake-y kind. chris and i usually eat a whole loaf in less than 2 days. i like being able to give it away. if you want a loaf, let me know and i'll bring you one some sunday! (i bake on sundays...)



now i'm off to play with the video function...can i really post videos????

::::edit::::yes...apparently the video thing DOES work, but it takes truly forever...and i keep getting errors...so you'll just have to wait to see shoo and gege dancing with the girls, and chris, nathan and sami playing and singing the PERFECT processional in rachel's wedding. oh well. :)