Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday to my Dad! He is celebrating his birthday today. He is a very kind and caring man. Dad is always ready to lend a helping hand. One time when we were visiting my parents, Mark shared that he was looking for a wooden barrel or two as props for the studio. Dad says, hmmmm ... let me look in the basement. And sure enough! He brings a wooden barrel up the stairs for Mark. Then he looks in the garage, and sure enough! A second barrel appears. Dad is fond of holding onto items, just in case. Dad also really enjoys fishing; that is a favorite activity for him. Trout fishing is his specialty and he will usually catch the daily limit. But I think that most of all, Dad enjoys spending time with his family and friends, especially his three grandsons. The boys just love their Pawpaw. And so do we! Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

On September 22, 1969 in the wee hours of the morning, Mark Andrew Ailor was born. Happy Birthday, Mark My Luv! I am so proud to be your partner in life and can't wait to become your sidekick in parenthood -- hopefully, soon!

When I asked Mark what he wanted to do to celebrate his birthday this year, he had to think about it. Last year on Mark's birthday, we officially started the adoption process by meeting with our agency for the first time. We spent the day in Indy and took a trip to the zoo. Two photos that Mark took that day are now hanging in Baby Ailor's room! It was a fun and memorable day.

After some thoughtful consideration, Mark decided that he wanted to cook a five course meal and invite a few friends over for dinner. Yep -- you read that right -- Mark wanted to do all the work. If you know Mark at all then you know that he loves to cook and create in the kitchen and is a very talented chef. Mark's wanted to plan a unique menu and try a few recipes that he's been rolling around in his head -- things he's seen on Food Network or read about in magazines, etc. -- but give the dishes his own flavorful flair.

Mark actually made this dinner on September 12 and we were honored to have Dan and Jana and Chris and Brian as our guests. They courageously agreed to Mark's one rule for the evening: you have to eat what he prepares. So here's a run down in photos of Mark's birthday dinner.

Mark is giving his best stern Iron Chef look for the camera. My gift to Mark for his birthday was a personalized chef's coat. Doesn't he look like he means business? Move over Bobby Flay!


Mark is busy at the stove, preparing for the dinner on Saturday afternoon.

The First Course: Ceviche with Watermelon Sorbet

The Second Course: Roasted Red Pepper Ravioli with Romesco Sauce


The Third Course:
Braised Venison Roast
Fig-infused Reduction
Black Truffle Shavings
White Bean Puree


The Fourth Course: Apple, Walnut and Gorgonzola Tart


The Fifth Course:
Banana and Macadamia Nut Mousse with Whiskey Toffee Sauce
and Mango Sorbet


The Added Bonus: Homemade Chocolate Truffles with a hint of Cayenne Pepper

It was a wonderfully delicious meal with lots of great conversation around the table. We are so grateful to our friends for helping us to celebrate Mark's birthday. Every dish was fabulous! Just like my forty and fabulous husband. Happy Birthday, Honey! I love you!

Mysterious Bag of Fabulous Prizes!

Friday evening was a beautiful night in Lafayette. The weather was gorgeous! Mark and I decided to grab some dinner and then walk around downtown for the Gallery Walk. We stopped to visit a few shops and to talk to other business owners. So many people were out on Friday night! It was a lot of fun.

One of our stops was at Two Tulips. It's a very quaint gift shop -- cool stationery and lots of unique gifts. Lately, any store that sells baby items catches my eye. (And Mark's eye, too!) So we wandered inside. We saw a few more people we know and chatted for awhile. I also registered for a few of the door prize drawings and guess what? I won!!! I won the baby prize pack. How awesome!

I got the call on Saturday afternoon and within an hour (I was very excited!), I was in the car and heading to Two Tulips to pick up the mysterious bag of fabulous prizes. It included the fun diaper bag, an organic onesy, a matching burp cloth and big, a pack of washcloths, the cute & soft bunny/blanket, and a zippered 'snack happens' bag. How fun!!!

Happy Anniversary, Ailor Photography!

I hope that you'll indulge me while I brag about Mark in today's post.

Today marks 13 years that Mark has been in business, 12 years with a studio. He started with just an office and his primary business was weddings and location photography. To build his customer base, he had several years where he photographed 45-47 weddings a year. (And believe me, he's seen it all! From fainting grooms to wedding cakes that have fallen over!) He enjoys when those same people whose weddings he photographed now bring in their children for pictures.

He also started out in business by working two jobs and living on cheap spaghetti and pizza. But his hard work and perseverance was worth it ... he had a goal and was able to build his business a little more each year. He made many sacrifices and learned how to be a business owner along the way. It wasn't always an easy road to travel but his thriftiness and ingenuity helped him to get to where he is today. He now employs three people and Ailor Photography is growing and thriving.

Congratulations, Mark! I am so proud of you and your accomplishments!

Working on Baby Ailor's Room

As excited as Mark and I are to get our referral, our families are also growing in their excitement, too. We are so grateful for their support! This month, we received a gift from my parents and did some shopping to get a few things for Baby Ailor's room. Here are a few photos so they can see the curtains we got.


The colors we chose for the room were taken from the pillow on the rocking chair. In true HGTV style, we found this pillow for $1 at Lowe's and decorated the room around those colors. The stripe on the wall was inspired by the Whipple's blog and the room they painted for their son -- we found their blog before we got to meet them in person!

The furniture is on loan from my sister. I love it because you can see little teeth marks on the side of the crib, courtesy of my three nephews. (She wants the furniture returned so she can use it for any future grandchildren she may have -- not because they are planning to have more kids! But you never know, right Heidi?? ha!)

Our next adventure will be cleaning out the closet and drawers and taking an inventory of what we have and what we need to get. We're also at the point of needing to update some paperwork for our dossier and homestudy which helps us to feel like we truly are moving forward! Even if we're only about half-way through the waiting. We are definitely learning patience!

A Gift From Grandma

Last week when I was in Pennsylvania for Grampy's funeral, I was able to spend some time visiting my Grandma. She is a knitter. She is always making a sweater or a scarf or a blanket or something else warm and soft to give to others. She is very talented! Mark and I knew that my Mom had taken Grandma shopping to get yarn to make a sweater for Baby Ailor. She asked us what color and we suggested pale yellow. Grandma gave me the sweater last week.

We just love it! A true gift from the heart and made with lots of love. I cherish time spent with my grandparents ... I miss the three that aren't with us anymore. The sweater Grandma made for Baby Ailor will be treasured for so many special reasons and we can't wait to introduce Baby Ailor to Grandma. When she gave the sweater to me, Grandma said, "I can just see big dark eyes peeking out from under the hood." She is so excited for us and is really anticipating becoming a Great-Grandma again. (Or Grandma Grandma, as my sister's boys like to call her!)

Thank you, Grandma, for this beautiful gift! We love you!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday to my Mom! Today is her special day. She's a very funny, kind and generous person. She has a knack for decorating and her house is always ready for guests and/or a gathering to break-out. She laughs a lot! She loves going to craft shows and shopping. But most of all, she loves spending time with her family, especially her three grandsons. Happy Birthday, Mom! We're thinking of you lots today.

We're also thinking of my Dad a lot today, too. His father, my Grampy, passed away on Wednesday evening. Dad has been a tremendous son and caretaker to Grampy, especially in the last six years since Nanny passed away. Both of my parents have been an inspiring example of what it means to be a caregiver to others as we have watched them take care of their parents. I'm looking forward to seeing them both later this weekend. I'll be traveling to PA for most of next week. Mark is swamped at the studio so he'll be staying here. Maybe he'll crank out a post or two for the blog? Stay tuned!