merry & happy.

Hello 2012!

I've been so distracted by all of the festivities of the past few weeks that I've neglected to document our pleasant little holiday. Dang sugarplums.

Christmas 2011 was arguably the most pleasant, non-fuss holiday that either of us can remember. Typically, eleventh hour shopping combined with conflicting family schedules sprinkled with nonsensical family drama is a recipe for a memorable but exasperating 25th. This year, however, was enchantingly different. We were able to revel in the true holiday spirit of warm hugs and smiles, tasty sweets and treats, and twinkly-eyed little people bursting with excitment.

Our festivities began with Christmas Eve lunch with my family ...

   the Callahan/Graham's 

  

and ended with Christmas Eve dinner with his family ...

the Overby/Palao's

Some notable holiday highlights included gift wrapping with my best lady frand ...



the family(s) tradition of whimsical, eclectic Christmas trees ...

MawMaw's reaction to her shiny, new 40" flat screen ...

a very sweet surprise from my Mr. Overby ...

he summoned alligator tears with that little romantic note.

a very sweet surprise TO my Mr. Overby ...

Dad completed his fish tank hood! (the top part)

AND the fact that Justin and I are going to be together for pretty much forEVER now.

After filling Christmas day with alittle praise, alittle gospel, and alot of thankfulness for our Savior's birth, we scurried back to our little home in Crest-tucky. Because Justin had to work the week between Christmas and New Years, we were slightly bummed that our New Years was going to be spent alone without family or friends. But much to our excitement, the best lady frand and her Mr. Morrison were able to come spend New Years weekend with us in Florida!!! Woot!

yep. THAT excited.

And speaking of excitement ... our weekend was filled to.the.brim with shopping/baking/gaming/ dancing/goofing/more shopping, so much so that we forgot to snap any pics!

Evidence of said dancing/goofing...

         

                                                           

The only other moment captured was right before our New Year's Eve steak dinner. And of course, since I'm snapping the pic, I'm MIA.

delicious is an understatement. 

Oh, how I love those three peoples. Truly. :-)

And now, in no particular order, the infamous and often neglected New Years resolutions.    *ahem* 

1. lose the fluff.

2. say 'no' to stretchy pants.

3. pray. and pray some more.

3. stop pinning and start doing.

4. tell my Mr. Overby he's the best. alot.

5. start my career. and be happy about it.

6. smile. when I'm happy. when I'm mad.

7. complete Operation Decoration

8. text/call family & friends more often.

9. ginger biscuit hair. grow the nuggets.

10. find a piano and play, play, play.

Call me crazy but I think 2012 is gonna be a great one ... maybe the best one yet. :-)

CHRISTmas is the time.

Christmas is the time when we should get together,
To share the happiness and joy,
To see the smiling faces of the little girls and boys.

Christmas is the time when we should all give thanks,
To the Lord up above,
For watching over us and sending down His precious love.

There are so many things to be thankful for,
Our health, our strength, our peace of mind.
But we must not forget those less fortunate than us,
We must give our love all of the time.

Christmas is the time to pray with one another,
Give thanks to God above.
Christmas is the time for us to share our love,
Just as God shares His from above.

Christmas is the time...    

"For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior,
which is Christ the LORD."

Luke 2:11

*lyrics by L. Rawls, pic found here

gnome for the holidays.

Tabitha C. Overby RN, BSN.

On Thursday, December 8th 2011, I proudly accepted, in my right hand to be exact, a diploma that proclaims to everyone in this big beautiful world that I, Tabitha C. Overby, have successfully earned a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. My grin was cheesy, that cap was squeezy, and the gown, quite breezy. But walking across that stage with my eye on the prize? Oh, so easy. :-) Thank you sweet Jesus for carrying me through these past 3.5 years! AND for blessing me with family and friends who have supported me a billion percent through my fears and tears.

        

                      Nursing School banner                                                                                                 Ready to get this show on the road!

the anticipation ...

the pinning ...

the sprint! ...

success!!!

My sweet family and best lady frand came to cheer me on...

       

After the ceremony, my parents hosted a banging BBQ graduation celebration, and the combo of pulled pork, baked beans, potato salad, and buttercream cake was scrumdilliumptious! Thank you to everyone who showed up to hug my neck and watch me oogle at my pretty, new diploma! I feel so loved and blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family. :-)

And because I'm still grinning about them, I must introduce my new, shiny Cracker Barrel rocking chairs!!! Thanks Ma and Pa!

Picture this... relaxing in one of these sa-weet rockers on a cool, breezy afternoon wrapped in a cozy sweater, cup of cocoa in hand, hubby at my side, puppies at my feet, and absolutely NO TEXTBOOKS IN SIGHT. Halle-stinking-lujah!

And one more thing!

All of these pics were taken on my brand new Canon EOS Rebel T3i! Much thanks to my Mr. Overby. Now I just need to use my free time learning how to use it!

what i love most about my home ...

oh, baby!

I am smitten. Plain and simple.
I know, I know. I'm only  23. (and?) I know, I know. I've only  been married alittle over a year. (so?)  I know, I know. Motherhood is not only  giggles and rainbows. (well, duh.) I know. But that doesn't stop me from conjouring up a splendid little image of brown curls with a smidge of red and freckles in tiny little patches and chubby cheeks and legs and fingers and toes. It doesn't help that I often read a sweet little blog about a mom who loves "way more than you know" her precious little baby girl. And it doesn't help that a little lady gave me an adorable owl baby tee and that everytime I see it, I feel like its just missing something (like curls and freckles and chubby chubbiness). And it especially  doesn't help that I am surrounded, at least once a week, by cooing and crying and suckling. By tiny fingers that grasp so tightly and tiny eyes that open just so slightly. Once, twice, occasionally three times a week for the month of September, I will be shadowing a mother-baby nurse for my final hoorah preceptorship of nursing school. And after just two shifts, I have that twinkle that just won't stop. I've got this little bubble of L-O-V-E growing and growing inside of me for life's sweet miracles, and I cannot WAIT to share it with our future baby O. Now, I'm not saying that a baby O will tumble into fruition anytime in the near future (unless it's a God thang, of course). No. What I'm saying is, when I experience a mother's love for the very first time, its truly going to capture me in ways I cannot even fathom. And that. just. thrills me!

*pic found via Pinterest

saturday. sunday. FUNday!

Wow! See that month up there ^ ?! Time is flying. And that makes me H-A-double P-Y! Hurry up, December.

Last weekend, Justin and I were the host & hostess with the mostest (we hope) for Michael and Mandy (Justin's brother and his wife) and their five kids. FIVE kids. all under the age of eight. insert *shudder * here.
Okay. I kid, I kid.     ha! so pun-ny!
It was  such a treat to have the house filled to. the. brim. with Overbys! Between burgers and hotdogs and cookies and muffins (and more muffins) and chaulk and bubbles and dolphins and sea lions and sand and sun, there was never a dull moment.
We took a trip to the Gulfarium Marine Show Aquarium on Saturday and from the get-go, we the kids were captivated.

I literally could not wipe the smile off my face when I saw that extraordinary creature smiling right back at us. And so close too! After peeking at what would soon be the show-stopper, we wandered on over to the other exhibits and saw some pretty fascinating creatures... 

Molly the sea lion, strikin' a pose.

one old, old, old tortoise.

penguins that dig the heat.

love birds. *sigh*

But the main attraction had our eyes a-bulgin' and our cheeks a-grinnin'.

Those faces just say it all! Dolphins are so fun and so smart! Like...genius smart. They follow commands, jump, dance, dribble, surf, sing and even paint! Pretty amazing for fins and flippers, if you ask me. or the kids. :-)

After all that amazing-ness, we grabbed a quick bite, lathered up head to toe in SPF and headed to the beach. It was a scorcher of a day and the cool ocean water was just  the thing keep us from melting away.

We stayed at the beach 'til the sun got all toasty and golden, drove back to the casa, and CRASHED. The sun knows just how to suck alll the life out of ya. But, oh, how I slept like a baby would with a full belly and clean hiney.  And speaking of babies...well, I guess that'll just have to wait until the next post. :-)

the crew.

minus

this handsome hunk.

P.S. Wonder not. I bear no babes. I'm just surrounded by them here lately and wanna say a thing or two about it. And later, I will. :-)

eight and a half decades, people!

Maw Maw turned 85 years young yesterday!

And I must say, ain't she as cute as a tiny little eighth note button?

 

Oh, I just L-O-V-E that lil' woman. :-)