Brown's Paper Bag: All The [Small] Things.

I know that it's hard to believe after the my last four posts, but things other than Hugo have been happening in our lives. Of course, he's front and center currently, which is why I haven't spent much time on other things.

I promise that even though there will be many pictures, the post won't be ridiculously long.

OK nevermind, I take that back. But I'm going to try, for sure.

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A quick round-up, starting in October 2014.

I'm a little ashamed that the better part of half a year has escaped me before writing about my big sister's wedding!

First, some pre-wedding activities, including getting our nails done.

The following day, we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Melissa's fiance's family was about an hour late, so our family filled in their spots.

Top right, my grandma pretends to be the flower girl; bottom

right, Hubs and the Wedding Coordinator pretend to be Lu's parents.

The morning of the wedding, we did what we always do in Weston the morning before a big event. We ate at Bagelmania. As some of you may know, I ate at Bagelmania the morning I moved to Huntsville. It's sort of a rite of passage.

Then we got to the venue- a gorgeous yacht club-

and started to get dressed. Mimosas in hand, of course.

I took Melissa out for a stroll.

I told her that we should go scout out some great areas

for photos, but really, I was trying to calm her down because

she was starting to get a little tense. As an aside, we did get

lots of photos on this dock.

The photographer told me not to smile, but I'm not sure why it

is so hard to stop yourself once someone tells you not to.

It's starting to creep in.

The ceremony. The weather was nice, sunny, and slightly breezy thanks to the water.

Here's a couple comparison photos from my wedding to Melissa's. Just because I love my wedding photos so much and I don't show them off enough. It's amazing how the colors and flowers in the photos (of the clothes and the backgrounds) really say a lot about how different my sister and I are.

9/10/11 and 10/17/14. Three years, one month, and seven days apart.

We were both so glad so much family could come. Left to right in

Melissa's: Mommal, Amanda, Mom, me, Melissa, Lu, Timmy, Kim, Jeff, Rocky.

Mine: Kim, Mommal, Aunt Elaine, Hubs, me, Timmy, Mom, Danielle, Melissa, Amanda

I begged Melissa to do that picture, and I'm so happy everyone played along!

Sadly, I don't have any really good pictures of Melissa and Lu at their reception on hand. Maybe one day I'll put some in! No promises.

Halloween:

My Dora the Explorer costume worked out so well, that a close friend didn't recognize me, and introduced herself. Win!

November 2014:

We started out the month enjoying a housewarming party for Nate and Rachel Brown! They have a beautiful home, and I look forward to lots of future fun there.

Fun fact: this is the last known picture of us before we knew about Hugo.

A week or so later, Hubs and I traveled to Nashville with the Harvey's for an Interpol concert! I don't think four people have ever planned so well for a one night trip and concert. Hubs and I had prepared by buying Home Depot "Let's Do This" orange buckets for us to sit on while we waited outside (the tickets were general admission- no assigned seats, so we had to get there early, naturally), we also brought umbrellas. The Harvey's, however, supplied road snacks (in the form of a GIANT bag of Sour Patch Kids!) and games to play while we waited.

The top row is before the rain started. We're using Micah's jacket and

legs as a playing surface for some serious Spicy Farkle. I don't always

use my friends' husband's legs as a table, but when it's cold and rainy and

I'm waiting outside a concert venue sitting on buckets, I do.

Yea, we were in the front row.

One thing to note: this is the same concert venue that a few years prior caught on fire and ended the show about 10 minutes in to the main event. It did not catch on fire this time around.

The next morning we played around imitating the paintings at our hotel, and ate some seriously amazing pancakes at the Pancake Pantry.

December:

Christmas 2014 was really fun. Hubs and I went to cut down a Christmas tree, and we got it home, and stood it up. But then I had to go to work. So Hubs was chilling with it at home, not decorating it per my request. Then he texts me and says it's infested with spider webs and spiders. Naturally, it had to go.

So sad, but so necessary.

Then, thankfully Hubs' parents lent (gave?) us their upstairs fake tree, which is incredibly huge, so I had an excuse to buy more ornaments. I bought a ton of ornaments. All on sale because Christmas was only a few days away! Thanks, WalMart!

Puppy skeptically sits in the way of the photo.

We spent a few days enjoying time at Hubs' parents' house, baking, decorating, and eating cookies, and taking family selfies, of course.

I only have a few photos (and they're all basically the same) from New Year's Eve since I had to leave super early to get to work at 6:30 the next morning.

Looks at Hubs' sexy wooden bow tie. Wait, wooden? Yes, wooden.

2015

January:

Nothing to note happened in January except Sarah's birthday, but I don't have any pictures she would be OK with me sharing.

February:

I finally got to visit sweet Gus Pettus outside of the hospital! My first visit was lack-luster because in addition to hardly being able to hold myself up, I could only look at this sweet child of God.

Don't mind our less-than-dapper appearances. I'm hooked up

to an IV and recently had been given large doses of Benadryl and

nausea medicine, and poor Hubs lovingly slept in the what had

to be the most uncomfortable looking "pull out" chair/bed thing.

BUT! I got to meet him for real in February.

Both Gus and I have plumped up nicely. Twinsies?

Also in February, Hubs and I hosted an Oscar's Party that I did not attend. Below are photos from Meg.

Clockwise from top left: Ryan, holding Gus, will soon be holding his own sweet baby.

Meg, Joe, Sarah and Jonathan enjoy posing for a picture. Zach, Daniel and Hubs.

The Palmers looking fabulous as usual. The Big Winners of the night: Sarah, Meg and Joe.

The Big Not-Winners of the night: Wade (holding Emmett), and Stephanie.

I missed the Oscar's Party because I was on a last-minute trip to Houston for work. I have about 100 more pictures I wanted to include. I will not. Here are some of the funnest.