Home for the Holidays

I had a fabulous post almost completed of my year in review until I realized that it didn't save... no way I was going back and uploading all of those pictures again so the post just got deleted. Anyway, 2015 was a great year with lots of new memories and I'm excited about what is to come in 2016. 

Since that post was deleted, I wanted to at least get my pictures from the holidays on the blog. Here is what my Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve looked like this year.

Thanksgiving

I got home the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and we had the Hall Thanksgiving that night. On Thursday we had lunch with Anthony's family and then supper with mine. 

The day after we found out Ally Grace is a girl!

Can't wait for a cute little girl to be wearing this outfit next Thanksgiving!

We went "Black Friday" shopping with the Wilsons... Karley wasn't very happy about it but was a trooper for sure!

Then it was back to school for finals to wrap up the semester. I watched way too many Hallmark Christmas movies this year and don't regret a single second of it... 

Christmas

Fairhope Christmas Parade

Class of 2016 Christmas Party

 Hall Christmas at Amy's the Saturday before Christmas

 The Sunday afternoon of Christmas week we went to the ASF to see A Christmas Carol

On Christmas Eve we went to the service at church and then home to eat with the Wilsons and play games... sad that we didn't take any pictures of the Halls/Wilsons this year :(

Christmas Day

New Year's Eve

On NYE, Jess and Cody had their gender reveal and had planned to shoot either pink or blue fireworks for the reveal and it's...

...another GIRL!!!!

So thankful for the past year with this guy and looking forward to 2016 with him!

...and can't wait to meet my niece in April! ;)

 Winter break is coming to an end and I'm excited about starting my LAST semester of classes... EVER!!!! 

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

It's a...

...GIRL!!!!!!

So two weeks ago I went home for thanksgiving on Tuesday. Before I left Mobile I had bought everything blue and pink for the gender reveal party (secretly hoping that I would be able to return all things blue). On Wednesday morning they had their appointment to find out the gender so Hillary took an envelope and had them place the ultrasound inside and seal it up. She then (without ever taking a peep inside) brought it over to me. To say that this was an honor is a huge understatement. I was so excited to be in on this huge secret for the day!

I was 110% sure that when I opened this envelope it was going to say "boy". SOOO glad I was wrong!! I wish someone could have videoed my reaction.. running around the yard jumping up and down like a crazy person any normal excited aunt would do. Inside the envelope was a piece of paper that said "It's a girl!" (with a heart), the ultrasound, and a CD. So sweet! 

So, off I go into the back yard to fill the ball with pink powder and decorate it like a baseball. During this process my hands are still shaking from excitement so I spill some of the pink powder on the ground and end up just sprinkling some blue also to cover my tracks. Hillary told me later that when they did the trial run, they did it over the sink and just washed it down... but at that moment, I guess I wasn't really thinking straight and just thought the yard was most appropriate LOL.

This day went by soooo slow... I was so excited for Hillary and Tyler to find out! I literally saw my sister like 4 times that day, my mom once, and this was my text conversation with Tyler...

I knew I couldn't see him before, or I probably would have spilled the beans. I do take pride in the poker face that I wore most of the day, though ;)

Okay, so then it was off to Andalusia to decorate and get the food ready for that night. 

(P.S. The following pictures were taken by Amy Nichols and Jessica)

 This was set up on a table right outside the gate at the baseball field

(I had already pre-planned that I was going to choose a bow no matter what because we needed to take a picture for the Christmas card)

Right before the big reveal! I knew they were going to be SO EXCITED!! ;)

PINK!!PINK!!PINK!!

So excited that I am going to be "Aunt Hay" to a sweet baby girl!!!

Allyson Grace Dent is already so loved and I can't wait to meet her in April!! ;)

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him."

1 Samuel 1:27