Sunday, July 7, 2013

Home Sweet Home!

Whew! April, May and June flew by! We have not had a weekend in Huntsville, together, since April. In fact, if I'm not mistaken the only month that we have been in Huntsville more weekends than we've been away is April. We are so relieved we don't have to be anywhere until the end of the month!

While being gone every weekend is exhausting, we are very thankful for both sets of parents who have let us crash at their houses on wedding weekends. We are also very thankful that our church has an app that allows you to listen to each week's sermon and that our Missional Community group (small group) meets on Mondays and not during the weekend. It has been great getting to know fellow believers that live in our area of Huntsville and having something to keep us grounded here while we've been so busy.

So we're finally home. The laundry is done. The dishes are done. The apartment is clean and we are currently in our seventh month of marriage.

Here are some pictures from our first six months of marriage! I can't believe it's been six months. God has been so good to us!

First Usborne Book Party

Dad's retirement from the Army

Sterling and AE's Superhero/Princess Birthday Party

David's 24th complete with Bauer approved decorations

David's Surprise Party

This is random but I discovered that I love baking.

Sterling's Huntsville Visit



She Must and Shall Go Free concert at Summit Crossing

 AE's Huntsville trip to Disney on Ice to see the Princesses

James Spann at Dave's conference

Game Night with friends


It's been busy but we've had a lot of fun these past several months!

Monday, February 11, 2013

UBAMondays


Callum Ormond has been warned.
He has 365 days.
The countdown has begun...
12 books. 12 months.



Hey Guys! I'm going to start a highlighting a book a week (maybe every two weeks) that I have found while selling Usborne. This week's book is a series called Conspiracy 365.

The tagline made me chuckle but I'm in April (book 4) and they are pretty good. It's about a 15-year-old boy, Cal Ormond, who is on the run trying to find out a secret about his family. This secret is one that his father was trying to communicate with him before his death. The story begins on New Years Eve with a warning from a man on the street: "They killed your father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days." Cal is thrust into the life of a fugitive after being wrongly accused of attempted murder and must find out this family secret to clear his name and keep his family safe.

With a main character who is on the run from two sets of bad guys and the police and with very few allies there is hardly time to catch your breath as Cal is hurdled from one life challenging situation to the next. This book is an excellent one for boys, girls who love adventure and mysteries and for the reluctant reader.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Cards for a Cause


My sister and brother-in-law are currently in the process of adopting from Ethiopia their third child. That means that the chances are pretty great that I have a little niece or nephew who is right now in an orphanage in Ethiopia.

The faster they get the money to do this, the faster my niece or nephew gets to come home, be loved, gain a family and have proper care and nutrition. I've been thinking about what I can do to help bring this member of the Winter/Vaughn family home. This past weekend, I found a way to help.


If you haven't heard, I am now a consultant with Usborne Books and More (UBAM), a publishing company that creates and distributes some of your favorite educational children's books (you can see their inventory at sikesbooks.com). This past weekend at our UBAM Training Weekend I learned about a great fundraising program through UBAM: Cards for a Cause.

At some point, we've all contributed to a charity by buying ugly wrapping paper or overpriced popcorn through a family member, a coworker's child, the kid who lives next door, etc. However, that cause or organization you're contributing to often ends up with only 25-30% of the funds—the rest goes to the company they fundraise through. So why am I even talking about Cards for a Cause if it's the same kind of thing? Because Cards For a Cause is SO MUCH BETTER. Why is it that?

1. For $30.00 you get 30 greeting cards. 30! That means each card is a dollar. Plus, as a bonus, just because Usborne is high quality and awesome you get a really, really cute keepsake box that holds them. Now, you may be thinking, "$30.00 for some greeting cards? No, thanks." But before you write them off, these are very high quality cards. Usborne makes really great products. I was skeptical about the cards, too, until I saw them. Each card is individually designed and embellished and wrapped with it's matching envelope that is designed to go with the card—no simple white envelopes. When I saw the cards I was shocked- these things at Walmart or Target would cost anywhere from $4.00-$6.00!

2. There are two choices: a greeting card box and a kids card box. You want some greeting cards?—done. You want some kids cards?—done. It's as easy as that.
***Side note: The kids cards are full of fun things like door hangers, stickers, magnets, etc.

3. The best reason this fundraiser is better: of the $30.00, $13.00 go directly to the cause: that's 42%! Most fundraisers give at most 40%. The remaining $17.00 of that money goes to Usborne, which means you're not only helping a cause but you're also helping a company that promotes literacy.

So here's the thing...

I am selling these boxes, and if you know Bethany and Alex, or if you just have a special place in your heart for adoption, I am asking you to help by either buying or selling boxes, even if that's just finding two people to sell boxes to. Because Bethany and Alex are not a tax-exempt program the boxes will actually be $33.00 to cover tax.

If you are interesting in making this family complete by buying a box or selling some boxes, or are interested in getting some really, really great greeting cards for a great price, email me at hillarysikes@gmail.com.

And obviously, since I want my niece or nephew here as soon as possible, any commission I earn from these sales as an Usborne consultant will also be contributed to this cause.



Aren't they precious!!!



Here's a little glimpse of the cards

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

So Here's the Thing...


So here's the thing....

You know how sometimes in life you say, "Hey, I think I'll blog through the next few months," but then you go to your blog and the last entry was posted September 3 and it's now February? That might have happened to me. I definitely wanted to blog as I planned the wedding but to think that I'd have time to do anything outside of eat, sleep, drive, work, school and plan was perhaps a little ambitious. From around September/October right up until two weeks before the wedding my schedule consisted of:

Sunday Night- Tuesday Afternoon: Nashville for class Monday and Tuesday 
Tuesday Night- Friday Evening: Tuscaloosa for work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Arts 'N Autism
Friday Night- Sunday Night: Sylacauga for wedding planning with my mom.

My final projects for last quarter were actually due the week of the wedding but I turned them in the week before- I have no idea how I even got them done. As far as school is concerned I just have my two senior projects which are both due in March and then I'm done. I don't have class anymore- HOORAY!

As far as the wedding goes- well, it was a success :) We are married and I loved every minute of our wonderful wedding! We are so blessed and are so thankful for everyone who made our day so special!

These are some of our photographer's pictures:

All the girls! So grateful for each of these girls and their willingness to be a part of the wedding and for their place in my life!

The Colonel and the Mrs. 
My lovely parents celebrated 30 years in November!


Each of the flowers were made by Mom, Bethany and I, but mostly Mom. That's 13 bridesmaid bouquets, my bouquet, the throw away, two grandmothers, two mothers and 14 boutonnieres, all handmade. 


Our first look

My cousin, Lynn, also took a bunch of pictures throughout the day. We were very grateful. It was only right, she has taken pictures of our entire relationship so far.

JB was super bm during the reception. She followed me around with food and drink. Gotta love my 2. 

I LOVE this picture. 


We haven't gotten all of our photographer's pictures yet, but he has given us a fair few. From what we've seen, we are so very pleased. He did a beautiful job!






So there it is. We're official. 






         From this:                                                                    


To this:







Have a lovely day!