Mr and Mrs Rice....

Saturday April 4, 2009, 6pm.

Do you know what that is?

That is when my best friend became Mrs. Channing Hefner Rice, beloved wife of Mr. R. Blake Rice Jr.

Growing up, my sister and I were raised with two other girls, Channing and Megan. Our parents began sharing a nanny before Channing and I were even an inkling in our mothers eyes. Megan is about a year younger than my sister, but since my mom took a year off with her, they both needed a nanny about the same time. Plus, since Megan was adopted and my parents thought they could not have any more children, the Hamm's and Hefner's decided it would be best for the two "big girls" to share a nanny so they would always have each other. Well, about 3 years later, "the babies", which we are still affectionately called, were born. Channing is about 4 months older than me, but she did come 3 months early. The 4 of us grew up together. We are more like sisters and than just friends. We love each other unconditionally and share a special bond.

This weekend Channing married an amazing man who we have gotten to know well over the past 6 years. It is very clear how much he loves her and is devoted to her. We are so happy for both of them and cant wait to see their love grow more and more over the many years to come!

Channing and Blake- We love you and we hope your honeymoon is wonderful! Blake, we are so happy you have joined the family, and Channing- there is no better man for you than Blake!

Love, Lolly


PS... I know I have to include pictures! Channing was absolutely beautiful!!! (She always is, but her wedding was so spectacular!) The wedding was at Port Royal in Hilton Head. The ceremony was on the croquet lawn and then the reception was at the clubhouse that over looks the croquet lawn and golf course. It was gorgeous and then weather was perfect!

The Croquet Lawn where the ceremony took place. The wedding was at

6, so the sun was just starting to set as the ceremony was going on,

so the lighting was spectacular!

My mom and the Mother of the Bride (aka Ms. Lana) before the ceremony.

My mom and Sarah Boyd before the ceremony. SB is wearing the dress Channing gave her for Christmas to wear to the wedding! She also gave her the tights and a cute pair of shoes, but the shoes were too big!

Mr. and Mrs. R. Blake Rice, Jr. coming up to the club house...

Yay! They did it!

The Horne Family just after the service. My bro-in-law, Chad, my sister, Kristen, and my niece Sarah Boyd!

Blake, Channing, my sister and Ms. Linda. Ms. Linda the wonderful lady who took care of the 4 of us! She is still an active part of our lives, for which we are all grateful!

Leaving for their honeymoon.. well sort of. They spent the night in HHI and then left for their honeymoon the next morning!

Totally Blessed

I have nothing to say, but that I am totally blessed. I have a family who loves me unconditionally, better friends that I deserve or could ask for, a life that I love, I working towards living my dream. God is Good and has totally blessed me!

Life

I have not gotten on here in a while to update... but life is Grand. School is going well and I got to spend last weekend in Columbia for a bridal shower for one of my best friend's and then got to spend ALL day Monday with my niece. Needless to say, I am sooooo totally in love with her! I thought I would put some pictures here for EVERYONE to see just how precious she is!

Tummy Time

Hanging out in the crib my Bro-in-law made her.... I had just stripped her down to her sweet pink diaper because she had a projectile episode on me and her. So I was changing her clothes....She just looked so sweet i had to take a picture! She did get frustrated when her animal got stuck to the Velcro of her cloth diaper. She made some funny faces trying to get it loose!

Our little photo shoot in the front yard. She smiles all the time except when she is chewing on her fingers because she is getting her first tooth!

Smiley baby!

Grandpa Steve is totally in love and came over while I was watching her to see her. They were singing and talking to each other here!

Prayer request for dear friends of my family

Prayer request for some very dear friends of my family. Sammy Simpson, father-in-law of one of my very dearest friends (One of the most godly women I know who encompasses the greatest attributes of a best friend, sister, and mother in my relationship with her) and close family friends of my entire family, had a heart attack on Friday night. It has been determined they can't do stints, so are proceeding with open heart surgery tomorrow morning. So I ask that you pray for them. Lift them up as they travel through this ordeal.....

thanks!

UPDATED!!!

I just got a text message from Debbie. Sammy is out of surgery and on his way to the ICU. They did a 5 vessel CABG (medical talk I don't understand... but some of you may understand) and all went well. They are expecting to be able to go back and see him in the ICU in an hour or so (so around 6ish EST... they are an hour behind us though in Tupelo.)

Please continue to pray for them, but thus far our prayers have been answered!

Valentines

So we all know that yesterday was valentines day. I usually dread valentines. Typically I am home alone while my friends go out with their significant others. Unfortunately it usually turns in to a pity party for one. This year I was somewhat dreading the holiday... not because I wanted it to turn into a pity party, but as much as I try to be 100% content being single, many days I wish I had a significant other. So this year, I decided since my roommate was going to NYC with her boyfriend, that I was going to try to do something fun and not just be home alone. Two of the girls who I have gotten to know in studio were free for the evening (one's husband is backpacking in south America and the other's significant other was in town last weekend from Va, so was not going to be here this weekend) so we decided to do a simple dinner and movie at my place. As much as I love entertaining, I decided to make a special evening of it as a surprise. I set the table with my red place mats, tied hot pink and light pink ribbons on the chandelier, and then put candy conversation hearts in my big candle bowl thing (kind of like a hurricane that goes around a candle, but it looks more like an apothecary jar... it probably has an official name that I just done know.) I then got little boxes of whitman's chocolates that were wrapped in cute valentines paper that I put at each place. I made beef stroganoff for dinner with a nice salad and bread. We enjoyed a bottle of wine and great conversation over dinner. Then for dessert, I surprised them by making molten chocolate cakes with homemade whipped cream. (i will admit that I cooked them a little too long, so they were a little more cake-y and little less molten-y, but still very good!) Christine brought champagne and strawberries. So we added the strawberries to the chocolate cakes. It was perfect! Then after dinner we enjoyed a girly movie (Maid of Honor) and enjoy the champagne. It became the best valentines day I have ever had!

I only wish I had gotten some pictures!!!

Life.

Do you ever feel like life gets the best of you. You get so wrapped up in the daily activities of life (school, work, whatever it is...) and just forget to focus on what is really important. I have discovered in past semesters it is the time when I feel like you have the littlest amount, if any at all, to devote to my quiet times, that I most need it and when God is trying to showing me something. This year, along with many other new years resolutions, I have made a mental note to self that nights that I would usually just say I am too tired or have too much work, that I am going to focus on doing my quiet time.(it is not hard for me to snuggle into bed with my Bible and do my quiet times when school is not crazy, but its a different story when school becomes a major time-hogger) I decided that I was going to redo a study I did several years ago that I did not really do completely. Last night I got in bed about midnight, which is really not that late, but I was tired and really just wanted to roll over and go to bed. Instead I grabbed my Bible, journal, and my study book off of my bedside table and started through chapter 2 of the study. An hour and 15 minutes later, I finished chapter two (it should not have taken that long, but I did get distracted by Riggs at one point and had to take him outside). I finished realizing He was telling me what I needed to hear but was too focused on the happenings of daily life to see and hear what He was telling me. I need to stop getting overly focused on the earthly things that are going on around me and open my eyes, ears, and heart to what He is telling and showing me.

Blowing Rock....

This past weekend we went to what has become one of my favorite places. We went up to our mountain house in Blowing Rock, NC. It was SO nice to get up there for the long weekend. I got up there at about 1030pm Friday night (I have class until 530 on Fridays, so I was delayed getting up there) to near-zero temperatures. Saturday morning after sleeping a bit late and relaxing around the house, we went over to Boone to run some errands. After that, We came back to the house and relaxed. My roommate joined us up there Saturday evening and we went to one of our favorite restaurants up there called Bistro Roca. We had a lovely meal and then went home and played a little Wii. Sunday we slept in and relaxed around the house. Lindsay and I went up to the parkway in attempt to show Lindsay what it looks like up there and the 100 mile views.... we had no luck. Because of the ice and snow that I had begun to fall over night, the parkway heading from Blowing Rock towards the Linn Cove Viaduct was closed. Instead we went over to the Moses Cone Manner, which is beautiful and has a nice view, but it is just not as long. Sunday evening we went over to the Lehman's house for dinner. It was great to see their new home which is absolutely beautiful! It was also fun to see Anna who is about 3 or 4 weeks from delivering their new baby!!! While we were at Jonathan and Anna's, the snow started falling. It snowed all day Sunday and Monday. We had to have someone come de-ice our driveway before we left. It was the most snow I had seen up there. It was LOTS of fun! Before we left, Lindsay and I went sledding in the front yard, which was also so much fun!!! Then, it was time to head back to Clemson.... school work was calling my name! It was a great weekend and so much fun to get out of Clemson and just relax for a few days!!! Enjoy the pictures from the weekend!

1. View from Moses Cone Manner towards downtown Blowing Rock.... it really is out there...

2. Another view towards Blowing Rock with the pond at Chetola out there.

3. Julian Price Pond from the Blue Ridge Parkway

4. The view out to Yonalossee from our porch... this is out from just under

the covered dining porch....