special visitor

Matt headed to the Outer Banks this weekend with his brother Ben. My mom decided to come up and hang out with us. We started the day yesterday at the Science Center, it's become one of Ollie's favorite places to hang out.

Ollie's enjoyed having his Grandma around, well and so have I.

It's a bit difficult to catch a good, still pic of this little dude these days. He is on the go, sometimes faster than I can keep up!

But every once in a while you catch a good one...I know it looks like he's posing for his JV volleyball picture but really he was "swimming" in the sand at the park, I just caught him on the up stroke.

traditions '09...

...the dress (sorry for the cheezy face, it umm, didn't zip all the way but mostly.)

...the cake, mmm, delicious!

...the sweetie, thanks to our favorite Shelby, NC Debutante, Emily, we had a great evening out eating our favorite Japanese food at Kiha and then going to see the movie Hangover (it was a classy romantic comedy, actually it was really hilarious) at Brassfiled Cinema. Did you know movie tickets at Brassfield are only $4 now, what a deal!!! What a fun anniversary date night!

the story of us...part 4

I've been inviting you into a few pages of our story, if you're catching up here are parts one, two and three. Today's page...the wedding!

8 years ago today, July 7, 2001 I woke up early, couldn't sleep too excited. I grew up in Hollywood, SC which sits right outside of Charleston, SC. I remember getting up and walking outside and sitting on my parents big Charleston style wrap around front porch, with my Bible and journal. As I sat I looked at the humongous tent that had taken over my parents front yard...we had our reception outside at their house...but I am jumping ahead. I read a little and thought...then ran inside and threw up. I am serious...you see Matt and I had decided long before we even said "I do" that divorce was not an option for us, so in reflection that Saturday morning forever felt like a really long time. So once the getting sick part was over, I felt a ton better and those emotions turned into a flurry of excitement and to do lists.

By this time my family was starting to stir and it was time to eat and then head off to get my hair done...our big event took place at 12:30 pm. So all the bridesmaids gathered at Hair Bears ( a child's hair salon...I was the receptionist there for a few years in high school, my first job) to get our hair and make up done. Then we headed over to the church, James Island Baptist Church.

We all got dressed the color palette for this big day was sort of a pastelly spring day (even though we got married on one of the hottest days of July that summer.) My bridesmaid dresses were periwinkle, as were about the majority of weddings back that summer season. We put on our glitter razzle dazzle powder, and ate a snack and then went out to take pictures. My dad came by to catch a sneak peak and I remember I teared up a bit, I had never seen him in a tux until that day...so stunning! We had decided to take the majority of our pictures ahead of time, I know breaking tradition the bride did see the groom and vice versa (see pic above of us holding hands.) I loved doing it that way honestly, the photographer backed us up to each other and then counted to three and you see the sweet moment above we had. I was still quite nervous and seeing my best friend and soon to be husband calmed my nerves right down. It was important to do it like this because the reception was about 20 minutes away and we were having lunch at the reception, didn't want people to have to wait forever.

The stage was set, everyone in their places and my dad walked me down the isle to turn me over to Matt to no longer be a Lybrand but to now be a Hannam. The song "It's all about you" was being sung by two of our college friends. I love that song..."It's all about you...Jesus...and all this is for you...for your glory and your fame." That was (is) our prayer. Matt and I gazed at each other, said our vows, gave each other rings, said I do (you'll have to ask Matt about that moment one day) and kissed and headed out the door. It was beautiful and yet so simple.

The reception was fun, hot but fun. Our guests feasted on hamburgers, hot dogs, and bar b cue sandwiches, it was delicious, low budget and just our style. We walked around to meet and greet, took tons of pictures, ate some yummy cake, danced a little and just enjoyed being Matt and Whitney Hannam. I loved that day and am loving remembering that day, wouldn't it be fun if every year you could just transport back to your wedding if only for a few minutes. We do have two quirky traditions that we do every year...I try on my dress, umm not sure if it will fit this year, last year I couldn't really zip it and we always have a bite of our wedding cake. Yes you read this right, its the same cake today makes it 8 years old. Every year Matt unwraps about 75 layers of saran wrap and we have one tiny little bite and then wrap it up for the next year. Can't say it's as tasty as it was that day but it's those little things that make us who we are, Matt and Whitney.

I love you Matthew Oliver Hannam, Happy 8 years, baby!


I'm celebrating the gift of being married for 8 years today by linking up at Chatting at the Sky!

the moon over oriental

Matt and I got to slip away this weekend for some much needed quality time to celebrate the 4th of July and our anniversary a bit early in our favorite spot...Oriental. It is so refreshing to be away with your sweetie for a few days, I highly recommend it. We sailed to New Bern on Friday and spent the night then headed back on Saturday for the Croaker Festival.

The moon was bright, the sun was warm and being away with my best friend is just what I needed.

the story of us...part 3

The transparency continues...today's entry...THE PROPOSAL.


To catch you up a bit from the first kiss, Matt says I continued to woo him, but I secretly think it was the other way around. He graduated from GWU and moved on to Greensboro to start his first year as a Young Life intern while I stayed back to finish my last year of school. Being in love back then was so sweet, fun, and fresh don't you just wish you could have bottled up that goodness and then pull it out on a rainy day. Man that would have been nice over these past 8 years, once again this is why I write.

So it's my senior year I am about to go home for Christmas vacation several of my best friends are engaged, including two of my 3 roommates, needless to say that was all we talked about, there were wedding magazines on every side table in our apartment. I wanted to be engaged soooooo bad it hurt, it's funny how sometimes we focus more on a prize than a life time of togetherness, but I digress.

The story...it was Saturday December 9th, 2000. Matt had come to visit me for the weekend and one of my roommates let him into my apartment early that morning and he woke me up. He told me to dress warm and he would be back in 30 minutes. I had a hunch this was the day the magic was going to finally happen and you have to know a little fact about me...I dream big. So I put on about 5 layers of clothing convinced he was taking me to Boone or someplace of the like to go skiing for the day and then pop my ring on me at the top of a mountain.

So he came back and I waddled out to his car, dressed and ready for the day. We drove to a mountain much closer than Boone, a part of Kings Mountain, we hiked up a small trail and found a spot that looked over a valley and my sweetie busted out a container with warm hot chocolate and muffins. There we sat, it was beautiful and delicious I might add. Then he took out a spiral bound notebook, if you know anything about Matt know that when he wants to be serious or ponder there is a spiral bound notebook somewhere nearby. So he said we should make a list of the ways God had been faithful in our relationship in the past year and a half. There were many ways, remember it was a long road for me getting to this point, this relationship, but that is another story for another day. So my left hand is out ready for the prize, so perfect this was, I sat and smiled and waited. And then Matt packed up his stuff and said ok lets go.

What?!! I thought and we headed back towards school and he drove towards the baseball fields. Another Matt fact, he likes to be in the woods and he had a favorite spot that he would venture to, so we went to the spot. And sat down, what's next I wondered and out of his bag this time came a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. And he then proceeded to serve both to me and I for him and then we prayed a little and I thought this is quite possibly the holiest thing we could ever do, once again the left hand was out and ready. And then he did it again, packed up his stuff and said come on let's go.

So we get back in the car and he says ok, there's one more place I want to take you today, down by the creek. There was this tiny little creek a couple of miles away from school that fed into the Broad River. We had gone there a few times, but at this point in the day I have convinced myself that this is not the day that we were going to get engaged, because I dream big remember and what in the world would tiny little creek have to do with this special day.

So we get out walk down to the creek bank and Matt is messing with his fishing lure and pole. It is important to note that I am pouting at this point, picking at a dirt pile with a stick, real mature yeah, I know. Well Matt casts his line into the water and then hands the pole to me and says I want you to reel it in. Sure whatever I say, and I do. Guess what was at the end of the fishing line on a thing that looked like a paper clip...my engagement ring!!!!! He got down on both knees and said something like "I'm all out of tricks, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Whitney, will you marry me?"

Guess what...I said Yes!


I'm celebrating this special gift again today by linking up at Chatting at the Sky!

Little Boo!

Ollie has many nicknames at our house: little O, little boo, Olls, Ollsie, Ollsie Walsie, bunchers and sweet boy!

I snapped the pics the other night at Country Park, for these his nickname should be, "his holiness." Look at those heavenly rays shining down!

We sure love you little boo!

Pictures...

Umm, this was on the blog earlier, not sure what happended, but here you go!