There's a new Sheriff in town!

Precious, the neighborhood cat, comes to visit us often, either by sneaking in when you open the door or jumping in through an open window. We have treats for her and have always been happy to let her come say hi. Well Ike has made it clear that he's the boss around here now, and Precious better go somewhere else for treats and petting. They have had several stare-downs outside, but on Sunday, they had run-in at our window when Precious tried to come visit....

I Like Ike!

Aaron and I are really enjoying our new puppy, Ike. He has such a funny little personality and makes us laugh! The other night, he came walking down the hall with a roll of toilet paper in his mouth. He seemed to be saying, "Don't mind me, I'm just going to go over here to the dining room and take care of business.... chewing business." We were laughing hysterically and couldn't stop him. His face is just so expressive. I'm sure we'll come to regret not scolding him for chewing on something other than his toys, but it sure was funny!



Here are some other cute pictures of Ike with his Daddy. They have become big buddies already!

Ike's First Week as a member of the West Family

Ike is adjusting really well to his new home, and already has us wrapped around his little paw. He had never walked on a leash before we brought him home, but he's a pro already! And potty training is going well - still no accidents in the house (KNOCK ON WOOD). Our little guy is definitely the cutest, smartest, more wonderful puppy ever!! He slept through the night last night (snuggled right up against Aaron) without having to go out to go to the bathroom until about 6:30 this moring. Ike is responding to his name and being a very good boy - well, except for chewing through Daddy's computer power cord, but he apologized when Aaron got home! Oops! Here are some more pictures:

New Addition to the Family

Aaron and I welcomed home a new addition to our family last night, a healthy and happy baby boy named Douglas Dwight "Ike" West. He was born on June 6, 2008 - the 64th anniversary of D-Day, hence the name "Ike." Our little boy weighs 8 pounds, 2 ounces and has black hair. Mom and Dad only had to get up once last night for him to go to the bathroom. He's precious and full of energy, as puppies tend to be. And he can't wait to meet all of our family and friends!

Bridal Shower - April 19, 2008

My dear friends Carey Sullivan and Tracy Garrett threw me a bridal shower on Saturday, April 19, 2008. The shower was at Carey's beautiful home on Davis Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia. My mom flew in from Louisiana and Aunt Missy flew in from Texas for the occasion. Aaron's mom and lots of good friends attended this lovely party. Carey and Tracy did a great job and I enjoyed the shower so much!

Pre-Wedding Activities - May 1, 2008

Here are some great pictures of Aaron getting deputized by Sheriff Ken Bailey and Judge Clason, getting our marriage license, picking up Sarah and Carey at the airport, and hanging out at Tall Timbers Lodge. The fun started early and continued for days!

Bridal Tea - May 2, 2008

Toni Clason and Tiffany Clason threw a Bridal Tea in my honor on Friday, May 2, 2008 at the Glenwood Tea Room in Shreveport. It was a lovely celebration with all of the ladies, including mothers, grandmothers, friends and little girls. The food was delicious and the tea was such a fun and relaxing party. It was so nice to get away from Tall Timbers and the hustle and bustle of wedding preparations to just enjoy my family and friends and this special moment in my life. Thanks again, Toni and Tiffany, for giving me this wonderful party.

Rehearsal Party - Tailgating with LSU and Virginia Tech Fans! - May 2, 2008

Aaron's parents, Willie and Jeanne West, threw us the greatest rehearsal party ever! Because Aaron and I are both huge football fans (we bet on a football game on our first date!), and tailgating is such a big deal in the South, we decided that a tailgate party-themed rehearsal dinner was entirely appropriate. It was such a great party and the perfect way to bring our families together in a relaxed, fun celebration. Jeanne and Willie really outdid themselves with decorations representing our favorite teams, the LSU Tigers and Virginia Tech Hokies. The food was also fantastic, and included the local delicacies - Chick-A-Dilly fried chicken, Moon's bbq ribs, Tall Timbers jambalaya, Hightower sausage and boudin balls. And Aaron's mom made her famous macaroni and cheese! We had a yummy cake from the Sugar Shack decorated like a football field (designed by Aaron and a replica of the invitations he made himself!), Judy's bread pudding, and an ice cream sundae bar. Vic Middleton and his bluegrass band provided entertainment, and before the band started, Sean played a special compilation of Southern Rock and football fight songs out of Allison's pickup truck.

Thanks so much, Mom and Dad, for throwing us such a fantastic party, and for making all of our friends and family from near and far feel so welcome! We love you!

Wedding Preparations

We had lots of fun getting ready for the wedding. The girls went to Steel Magnolias in Homer for hair styling and pedicures, while the guys took care of getting rid of bugs and mosquitoes in the yard. Ginger supervised all activities and kept everyone on task!

I have to give a special "shout out" to a few people for all of their help in making our wedding a dream come true!

Carey Sullivan, the greatest wedding coordinator ever and an amazing friend. She coordinated our meeting (a blind date), so I guess it was only fitting that she coordinate our wedding! She claimed ours was the first and last wedding she would coordinate, but I somehow doubt that. Carey was truly a lifesaver. She kept all of the trains running on time, took care of all of the little details that I never even considered, and was really the glue that made everything come together. Her backpack was stocked with anything we could ever need, including kleenex, lipstick, snacks, pepto, a sewing kit, etc. She was so organized and made everything look easy. Thank you so much, Carey, for being so patient, helpful, loving and utterly fabulous!

Monica Miller, an amazing friend of ours who flew in from Denver to help my mom the entire week before the wedding. She did everything from make cream puffs to unpack and prepare cases and cases of flowers to take care of random crises that came up in the days leading up to the festivities.

Tiffany Clason, one of the most kind-hearted people I have ever known. Tiffany ordered all of the French baguettes for the wedding dinner from her former employer, La Brea Bakery. She baked them herself the morning of the wedding. We even used one for communion during the wedding itself. Tiff also helped with lots of details and errands in the days before the wedding.

Barbara Neill, an incredibly generous friend who is a talented decorator and floral designer. Barbara helped us with our flower order and many other "decor"-related issues for the wedding.

Mandy Kilgore, a special friend and florist. Mandy did an amazing job with the flowers. We had buckets and buckets of loose flowers, and she somehow made them all come together in beautiful bouquets, table arrangements, wreaths, vases, etc. It took hours of work and lots of talent to make everything look so lovely, and Mandy deserves lots of thanks!

Lori, John Monzingo, Miss Ruby, Miss Cora, Junior, and all of the great staff at Tall Timbers, for making our party absolutely wonderful. In addition to the actual wedding dinner, they worked so hard in the weeks and days leading up to the Big Day, and I can't thank them enough for all they did for us.