Baby Heido is Love.

Baby Ava is LOVE.

Being an aunt is amazing.... love this little lady to the moon & back. 

photo taken by Brett Heidebrecht

hb

FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND is HERE!!

Happy Friday, Ya'll!! & happy fourth of july weekend! 

So, who is excited for a festive holiday weekend? Uhhh... ME! I will say... I'm going to miss going to my uncle UM's house for an evening of family fun and a fireworks show... UM does it right and we always have had the best time. This summer has brought change... we have a new family member and sometimes just a low key weekend either fishing {uncle &brother} or lounging without much effort sounds just as dandy. That's what I'm doing this time around.... and although I will miss my family dearly.... I think a nice and relaxing LONG weekend without travel is in my nearest future. This is what I have planned....

That sounds relaxing right? Ha ha.... 

When I was a little lady we used to wake up and go to the parade, then decorate our bikes and go on the neighborhood bike parade with all the other little kids, then go to the neighborhood pool for ice cream sundaes and pool games and then go over to our neighbor's house and make these flag shirts and then have a street feast. To end the night our parents packed up the vans and we all headed over to Kickingbird Golf Course to lay on {run around everywhere} the green and watch the fireworks on blankets. MAN! Those were the good ole days.... :)  

I hope you all have a very safe and happy holiday weekend. Don't forget to have a moment of silence for all those brave armed forces that have given their lives for our freedom. God Bless them & keep them safe... :) 

recipes: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5

be safe! hb. 

:::Thank Heaven for Little Girls:::

Hi hi hi! Sorry I have been MIA - I have a good excuse though........ I was too busy becoming and AUNT! My sister and BIL had their baby on Monday afternoon and she is just the most precious, sweet little soul. I can't believe it. I am so proud of my sister.... she's my hero. 

I got a text from my brother in law at 5:30am on Monday, saying that Ava would be here today and to call when I got up. So... I called him at 6am... got all the details... and then immediately booked a flight to Kansas City. I was NOT going to miss this.. :) I got there around 2pm... I raced to the room and it was just sister, brett and nurse and she was in so much pain..... she said, " I hate to kick you out sister, but this is about to get bad.." - It's hard to see someone you love in so much pain. :( Also - it might have scarred me for life if I had stayed. :) SO PROUD OF YOU SISTER!!

Anyways, so I remember seeing her before she had Ava - right when I got to the hospital.... crazy pain... and then I saw the most beautiful sight about an hour later..... My sister sitting up in her bed with a giant grin {looking stunning, of course} and the most precious little lady in her arms. Needless to say, I completely lost it... :) She had an au natural birth plan and stuck with it and Ava came out just perfectly. Brett was a champ too - I saw a different side of him that I hadn't really seen.... he is going to be a most wonderful daddy. Congrats C & B... I can't wait to see you all soon... :) 

Doesn't get much better than that..... :)

HB.

Popping up in Dreams & discovering a GORGEOUS voice & Talent

Dreams are the darnDest things, I tell ya! You know how random people show up in your dreams.... sometimes from your childhood - people you haven't seen in 10-20 years? ... and sometimes you think {while you dreaming}, "what the heck? and "where the heck have you been?" That happened to me last night... 


My dream went something like this....... {backstory} I went to Savannah College of Art and Design for college in Savannah, Georgia. I played on the soccer team. {dream} All I remember from my dream was I was back in Savannah - visiting - and somehow my entire school turned into this old warehouse in the middle of the woods. So I find myself running through the warehouse opening all these doors and getting closer and closer to familiar voices.... I finally get there and I see some of my teammates sitting around and starring and chatting in front a wood burning fire like we were living in the 1900's. Anyways, so I'm scanning the room and I see a girl I used to play club soccer with in middle school. We played together in Norman and then again in Edmond. Her name is Hilary. I immediately say... " Hilary Pitchlynn! What are you doing here?!" - and then I woke up. Good dream, huh? 


....... That's besides the point. :0) 




Needless to say, I got my google creep on this morning because I was like - that's way too weird - I haven't seen or heard from her in like 12 years.... I wonder what she is up to?




Want to know what she is up to?!?!?




She's a STUNNINGLY AMAZZZZZING SINGER!! Beyond gorgeous voice...I am seriously blown away. She goes by " Penny Hill" - I can't stop listening to her tunes. You MUST watch this video and buy her music from her website. You can listen to her album on her website.

http://pennyhill.bandcamp.com/album/unbutton-your-heart

Soooooooooooo good, RIGHT?!

hb.

Brett Heidebrecht Photography :)

Meet Claire & Brett - aren't they just SMOKIN GORGEOUS?! They are so stinking cool too... trust me, you would want to be their friends :) - you'd want to go shopping, read magazines, play with makeup, watch movies, and have great talks with claire.... and you'd want to play sports, watch sports, listen to music, play board games (and get beat), get your photo taken and hang out with brett. They are both so talented in different ways - they compliment each other greatly. And they are having a baby in less than 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPEE!!!!

Their engagement photos in NY - Michael Norwood took this.

In this post I wanted to share with you the suuuuuuuuuper talented -- Brett Heidebrecht.... My BIL. :) The thing I love most about his photographs is they don't appear to be over-worked or over-photoshopped. He is a true talent (as you will see below ;) ) and I am so happy to call him my BIL!

Check out this video he made of their "Baby Announcement" - and please excuse my "yelping" - I AM OVERJOYED!! They told us over Thanksgiving break when we were in Colorado.... Brett said they were filming the trip and thats why the camera was set up.... WHAT A TRICKSTER! :) It makes me tear up every time.... :)

Baby Announcement Video

He has a lot more where that came from so check out his website : http://www.brettheidebrecht.com/ 

Brett's Blog:

Brett's Tumblr :

Claire's tumblr

Happy Hump Day!! HB

Gorgeous Heido's & the Weekend

Happy Monday!! I had a most wonderful weekend.... got some mom and brother time in on Saturday... a friends gorgeous wedding on Saturday night.... my mama's waffles on Sunday morning.... and a pool day with my bf's family Sunday....I got to hold and see his new, precious, tiny niece and it made me really anxious and excited for little Ava Cate to come (2 weeks!!) 

photobooth photo from the wedding...

Below are her gorg-ma-gorg parents......... I found these photos that my BIL took and posted on his tumblr - I couldn't resist - I had to post on my blog. The photo below of my sister is now my screen savor at work and my background on my phone.... I LOVE IT! Even if it wasn't a photo of my sister I would still love it - and want to frame it somewhere... the whole composition is breathtaking. Brett's ain't bad either, haha. ;0) I hope these are both framed somewhere in your house Heido's. My BIL is photographer. I will post about him soon - he takes beyond beautiful photographs ( see below! ) xoxo c,b,a!

I hope you all had a great weekend and got to spend it with your dad. Mine was in Colorado riding bikes, so I didn't :( He was missed. Anywho - It's almost my after work nap time! :) Yay! HB

My Daddio :0)

Hey HEY hey! It's Friday!! Woo hoo!! I hope everyone has had a great week.... I surely have had a pretty dandy one. Definitely ready for the weekend. I am heading to OK for probably my oldest childhood friends wedding this weekend. She and I have sort of lost touch over the college years but I am really happy for her and I'm excited for her to start this new journey and life. Congrats, Amanda! 

I would also be going for Father's Day but my dad is in Colorado riding in the Bicycle Tour of Colorado - around 450 miles over 6 days in the Rocky Mountains. Ummm.... GO DAD!! This is his like... 7th or 8th year to do it... I think. He is the man. Way to go, Dad! GOOD LUCK!! 

Anywho - since I will be really busy chillaxing in OK this weekend... I probably won't be posting on actual Father's Day... So I figured I would do it now.  So here we go..... :)

Dearest Daddio - You mean more to me than I could ever explain or put into words. Thank you for everything. Taking us to the pool and letting us hang all over you and your arms and throwing us all around, taking us camping at Lake Arcadia, taking us on drives, taking me to and from soccer practice and going to my games... taking me to tournaments all over the place and always being on the sidelines, encouraging me to stop crying and not quit soccer and get off the floor when I didn't make the soccer team I wanted to be on and go try out for a different team, for being my coach for softball and basketball and teaching me not throw a ball "like a girl", watching chick flicks with claire and I, creating all your songs and funny dad jokes that will surely and have surely stuck with us forever, for being a go getter and super smart, for being genuine, for being supportive, for being a positive influence, for being an active guy, for being a wonderfully great husband and friend to the best, most sweetest, incredible Carol B, for being artistic, for being so loving and forgiving, for the talks, and for everything else. Thank you so much... you are a truly unbelievable man. I hope everyone is as lucky and blessed as we are for a pops like you. I love you beyond forever, Dad. - Love, the Haley Haley of all Haley Haley Haley Haley's (my nickname) HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Here are some JHB classics........... :0)

- "Twenty three sixteen coachlight drive, twenty three sixteen coachlight drive, twenty three sixteen coachlight drive"...{this was said on repeat from when we entered our neighborhood until we pulled into the driveway... usually coming home from my grandparents house in Tulsa...}

- "Innnnn and out..... throoooough the door.... Innnnn and out..... throooooough the door." {.... my dad made this up because we would always ask " when will mommy be back?!? when will mommy be back" like a million times a night when we were lil kiddos.... so he came up with this and would say it while knee bouncing us on the blue chair, waiting for mom to come home from her nightly walk... somehow he always knew RIGHT when she would walk through the door.... and when she did we all cheered, haha.}

- "Sprinkler!" {this is a car/roadtrip game my dad came up with while we were driving to and from Lincoln, Nebraska to see my grandparents (My dad would come up with the most random stuff to keep us entertained. It's a true gift, ha ha.) To play "sprinkler" is very much like playing "slugbug" - and if you've ever driven through Kansas.... you can agree with me that there's nothing much out there EXCEPT those giant farming sprinklers.... so this game would entertain us for hours. I still get a little nostalgic when I see one. :0)

- "Soccer! Haley, Soccer!" {this was and is still said to me when I'm with my dad and he sees anything related to soccer.... a soccer ball... a soccer field.... a soccer goal... anything... anywhere.}

- "Nooooooooooo Whining" {my pops is not a fan of whining or baby talk. Ha ha... and he let us know.}

- "Yaaaay! Daddy home!" { he would say this every day when he would walk in the garage door.... <3 .... still says it to this day :) }

- "Daddy go ni ni" { that's how he'd end the day... :) .... still does when we are home, ha ha.... and to my mom when we aren't}

- "Faaaake, faaake" {I haven't heard this from him in a while but he used to always comment while we were watching movies or tv and say that.... ha ha. Which was usually immediately followed by one of us saying... " no comments, dad!!" - ( now I know where my commentary during tv shows comes from... =/ Thanks, dad!)}

- " Did I tell you today that I love you? " {This is one of the things I remember and cherish most about my dad. He is the most lovable man.... always giving "squeezes" and reminding us, not just by words, but by actions that he loves us. He would ask us "Did I tell you today that I love you?" ...everyday that I can remember.... and I would respond with " No....... :)" and he would give a big hug and say, "I love my Haley Haley waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much, can't believe it, can't believe it, can't believe it." It was always kind of funny at the time - and so we would giggle... but it's something that always meant so much to me. 

{Well.... there's a lot more where that came from but those are the main "dadisms" that first come to mind.}

I also want to recognize my Dad's Dad... Grandpa B. Although I don't get to see him much anymore... I know that he is a wonderfully wonderful man... he raised my dad afterall :) Grandpa B has NEVER missed a birthday, Holiday, or Anniversary of anyone of his family members... He sends cards for EVERYTHING. What a stinking inspiration. He is also 93 years old.... wow. 

Grandpa.... I doubt you will read this, but I wanted to say a grateful thanks to you anyways. Thanks for being a great gpa. I loved going to Lincoln when we were kids and running all around you and gma's cool house and yard. I'm sure I was a total mess sometimes... but I always had such a great time. Thanks for taking us around on the red wagon and for treating us for dinner at Valentinos. I remember the one movie you guys had that we would watch down in the basement when we were there... I think it was "Sleepless in Seattle"... always takes me back. I will never forget all the fond memories of your house on Jeffery Drive. I love you dearly and hope to see you soon.  

signing off.... HB.