Pumpkin Patch 2011

Today was the day that I have been waiting on for weeks! There was a break in Justin's schedule so we quickly put the pumpkin patch on the calendar! I have said this before...I don't require a lot.  But an annual family trip to the pumpkin patch is one of the things that makes me very happy...and it must include photos.  :)

This was Lucy's first trip to the pumpkin patch and she did so well.  She was also a hit with the kids!

 

 

I love him because he does things that make me happy like taking me to the pumpkin patch, lets me ask strangers to take our pictures, and spends money on pumpkins we will only toss out after a few weeks! :)

It was a wonderful day with the family!

Happy Fall from the Haire's!!

Making an effort...

I have been making an effort to be more positive.  I have been letting negative people really get to me and I could see where it was affecting my attitude in all areas of my life!  It seems like when you are trying to be more positive there seems to be more people trying to rain on your parade! 

Well a friend of mine posted something on Facebook this morning that really got my attention. I am not usually one to repost chain messages, but this one really made me put my attitude in check first thing this morning! 

Take a look and see if it helps put some things in perspective for yourself! 

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.' One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her,'Now t...hat you can see the world, will.................. ...... you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.' This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Today before you say an unkind word -Think of someone who can't speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food -Think of someone who has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion. Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you complain about your children -Think of someone who desires children but they're barren. Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep -Think of the people who are living in the streets. Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. And when you are tired and complain about your job -Think of the unemployed , the disabled, and those who wish they had your job. But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER. And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive.

I hope this helps you as much as it helped me!
I hope everyone is having a great week!

The big 25

 Well a few weeks ago I turned 25.  Mother Nature brought me a hurricane so we didn't plan a lot just in case the weather got bad.  Thankfully we were spared and it turned out to be a great birthday! Thursday I got a sweet card and gift in the mail from my in-laws.  It was an awesome way to kick off the celebration! Friday before I left work I got this little treat!

It was from my family back in Arkansas.  Don't get me wrong I love flowers.  But I LOVE ones you can eat!

Friday night my sister Jill and my sister out of law Vicki came over to eat "yellow foods" with us. 

If you haven't heard me talk about yellow foods before here is your definition-my fondest childhood memories all on one plate.  The perfect Birthday dinner! 

Fish sticks, creamed corn, Jiffy cornbread, and mac and cheese....Don't forget the yellow cake with chocolate icing. :)

Justin planned a great night out for sushi!  It was fabulous!

 

Funny story..while at dinner I was reflecting on turning 25.  I asked Justin, "Do you think mid life crisis are real? Do they really happen?"  He said, "Well....I turned 25 and I started dating an 18 year old!"

That 18 year old was me and at 25 that made me chuckle!

Family Photos at the beach

Our family is spread between two states and we are rarely all together.  There are times when we get together and a husband can't come or a sibling can't come or some situation that keeps us from all being together.  Thankfully the past two years because of mine and my brothers wedding, we have all been together.

This year we thought we would seize the moment and capture a few family photos at the beach while we were all together!  I had seen a family photo that I just loved.  Each family unit had their own color so that you could tell who went with who within the large family.  A young man named Isaac Pitman took our pictures and we were so happy with the few that he has sent us.

 By the way it was so hard to find outfits that matched!

 Such a good looking family!

Maybe we aren't the most athletic looking...but we have a good time! ;)

Anniversary Traditions

We had such a great anniversary week!  We had to be in Destin, FL for my brother's wedding so we went down a week before the wedding, spent some time on the beach, relaxed, and hung out with my family. 

 Once the wedding was over we decided to drive half way back and stopped in one of our favorite places, Savannah, GA and have some alone time to celebrate our anniversary! 
We had such a fun night!  We went to a fabulous dinner and ended our evening at a roof top bar overlooking the City Market and just spend time talking!  It was fabulous!

After getting back home we had to dig into our year old cake!  I had no idea my mom even had it!  But she put it in an ice chest and brought it to Florida and
we put it in an ice chest and brought it back to North Carolina! 
I was so happy to have it! 
We also thought we would add a tradition to our Anniversary fun....We decided each year we will open a bottle of wine from the year we were married, 2010.
I hope we can search for the perfect bottle each year through our travels and such.
This year we enjoyed a bottle from a winery we visited in Destin!
I like to think in 30 years we will be enjoying some fine wine. ;)
Like wine, love get's better with age!

 I

I even broke out our wedding cake cutters! HA

 And this...is the last tradition! 
A little background......my sister, Dr. Jill officiated our wedding.  When she began the service she told a little snip-it from the book, The Velveteen Rabbit.  Well for our anniversary Jill and Vicki gave us a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit and The Velveteen Principles. 
It was very thoughtful of them to think of us and give us such a meaningful gift. 
So we thought each year we would read it!  After our 2010 wine, our old cake, and a wonderful vacation...we settled into bed and read about being REAL!

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."   -The Velveteen Rabbit

This is a Blogger MUST READ!!!

I am writing this to hopefully help you and keep you from making the same mistake that I did.

Last week I noticed all of my pictures were gone. I went back to the very beginning of my blog and where all of my pictures had been there was a placeholder with an "!".  I had been using a new video tool and thought maybe I was out of memory, space, whatever.  I had heard of this before but couldn't understand why I could still create a new post and all my videos were showing up.

I contacted a few friends with blogs running this issue past them and brought it up to a coworker that I like to say is full of "useless knowledge."  He helped me make the connection  between Google+, Picasa, and Blogger.

This is where you want to listen closely...

I recently signed up for Google+.  I noticed that every picture that I had ever posted on my Blogger account had been placed in a Picasa album labeled with my blog name.  I thought...."Well I don't want to start my new profile with all of those pictures....so I'll DELETE them and start fresh."  This was all from my Google+ account. I didn't make the connection that my Blogger was connected.

I have done research and the consensus is that my pictures cannot be recovered.  I don't seem to be alone.  There are other bloggers who did the same thing and are now picture-less on their blog.  Thankfully I do have my pictures saved and can upload them again.  I was/am heart broken.  When  I originally made the connections, I was sick.  But I immediately knew I had to share this so that none of you had the same experience. 

1st Anniversary

I can't believe we have been married a year. It went by so fast and everyday is an adventure!
I thought I would make a little video of some of our wedding pictures so we could recap the day.

Enjoy our wedding day recap...

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Tomorrow I'll talk about what we did to celebrate our anniversary and
the new traditions we established!

Moves

We have been so blessed to have wonderful friends while being in North Carolina. The Gray's were here years before us and the Stewart's moved here just weeks before I joined Justin in North Carolina. These families encouraged us to become more involved in our church, volunteer, join a life group and just be good friends! The Gray's moved last year to be closer to family and this year the Stewart's made a military move! I started going through pictures and wanted to use this new program called One True Media, I thought this would be a perfect time to recap!

It's sad to have them both gone now. We have celebrated babies, birthdays, deployments, deaths of animals and family members, change, excitement, sadness, engagements, planning a wedding, family drama, holiday's, and many other things! When you live away from your family you see your friends as your family.

I am happy to say the Gray's will be visiting in just a few months and the Stewart's are just a few hours away!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our 4th of July

We had such a happy 4th. We had a few goals for the weekend and accomplished all of them! Getting some sun was a goal and we accomplished that by visiting a local "lake." I have a hard time calling it a lake, it is more like a huge pond with water slides, rope swings, paddle boats, etc. It has sandy beaches and they allow you to bring in your own food/drinks, chairs and umbrellas.

We came home with plenty of sun and longing to be back at the beach!

I also made a yummy red, white, and blue dessert that I wanted to share with you!
Layer angle food cake, whipped cream, strawberries, blue berries, and repeat.
Even I couldn't screw that up. :)
We hope you had a happy 4th with family and friends!

Beach Trip

Justin had to go on a business trip two weekends ago and for the first time ever I got to go. He had just come off of a two week trip and this was much need. He worked all day each day we were there, but we had dinner and slept in the same bed. (Which is more than we usually get!) I slept in and had plenty of time on the beach. This was the view of our room. This was my set up on the beach, not bad. I was a very happy lady! I took a few magazines with me and this was one of them.
Totally depressing while in a swimsuit on the beach! Beautiful Myrtle Beach, SC This sweet girl stayed with her friend Sam Stewart. We missed her.

We had a wonderful time and I got very spoiled. I know I can't go on every tip, but I was so glad to go on this one and the good news is.....we go back to the beach in just 25 days!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

BE BRAVE!

My Pastor often involves a little humor on Sunday mornings, which I think is fun! Because Easter Sunday is coming up he shared a little video encouraging us to BE BRAVE! I wanted to pass on the humor and the challenge! Funny right? I know you would never as like this couple. But take a chance, be brave, and ask a friend to church on Easter! BE BRAVE!!!

The lastest on the Luc

July of 2010 started our frequent visits to the vet for heartworm treatment. Well, three weeks ago Lucy received her final blood test to complete her treatment and it came out NEGATIVE! She is officially heartworm free and I thought I was handing my credit card over for the very last time. (For a few months anyway!)

(Waiting on the Doc)

Well, I was surprised when I went to shake Lucy's hand this week, she flipped out! She had an injured due claw. After freaking out and realizing my vet was closed....I calling my sister and two other friends who are all dog people. I was about to rush her to the Emergency Vet (because I'm a freak.) But they all assured me that A. I couldn't afford the Emergency Vet and B. She whould would live until the vet opened, so I waited. As the days went on, she seemed okay. I think I was more bothered by it than her. But I knew I needed to get it checked so to make sure she didn't have an infection.

Today was the day....we visited the vet to evaluate the situation. She suggested that we temporarily sedate Lucy, pull the nail off, and then reverse the sedation. After being assured this was our best option, I agreed. They took Lucy back for the procedure.....

And when they brought her back to me, she was DRUNK! It was one of those moments you wish you had a video camera. She turned the corner and her little legs were sliding out from beneath her, she stopped next to me and literally FELL DOWN! I couldn't stop laughing. The vet tech and I carried her to the car and we went home. After falling down our front stairs, I carried her into the couch. I have never in all my life experienced something so sad and funny. This is the middle of the vet's lobby, where she just fell down.

We finally made it home and battled the stairs! Sweet purple bandage!

And FINALLY on the couch, with a pillow of coarse!

The vet said everything went well with removing the nail, she will be in a bandage and on meds for a few days. Poor Luc, she can't catch a break. Hopefully she is on the mend and we can stay away from the vet for a little while.

Wish us luck.... (I think we need it!)

Girls Weekend!

The best cure all is a girls weekend hands down! My best friend Emily is in PT school in LA. This is her last semester and she decided to do her final clinical at Shriner's Hospital in Boston, MA. Talk about a drastic change, she went from sunny LA to a hellish winter in Boston. But she is doing awesome work with children at a very well known burn hospital. I couldn't pass up a trip to visit while she was on my coast line! In the mean time, my college roommate and other best friend, Monica decided to visit at the same time! Perfection, three friends, one location! I have to say we walked a record amount, saw lots of interesting things, but mostly enjoyed each others company!
Check out my little trip...

We met Emily at work right after we landed. I have to say...seeing her in her scrubs made it all real! She has worked very hard to become a Physical Therapist and I know she is going to do great things with her skills, she already is.
I had a "proud friend" moment!

The weekend we were visiting was restaurant week in Boston.
We took advantage and had lots of great food!We thought these potties were hilarious.
They are public bathrooms on street corners. And for a quarter or two, you can use them! ;)One of my favorite things was a beer at cheers. It seemed like a "have to."But my most favorite thing was Fenway Park!
After working for a minor league team and living with a baseball fanatic, I have grown to love and appreciate a baseball stadium. Fenway in particular has a lot of history.
I just think an empty stadium says so much and to see it come to life is almost magical!
I hope to visit many more minor and major league parks, in has been added to the bucket list!

Me on the Green Monster at Fenway, it's one of many famous seats in the stadium!

We also took advantage of the history in Boston. We did the Freedom Trail, it leads you to all the hot spots in Boston...its 3 plus miles of history.
I can't say I like history or 3 plus miles, but I actually enjoyed it!

This is where the Declaration of Independence was read to the public for the first time,
pretty cool I thought. Last but not least, the three of us in a cab. The BEST $30.00 I have EVER spent. Emily is a walker....Monica and I....not so much! We enjoyed every cab ride we got!

Joking aside, we had a wonderful time together! Like I said, a girls weekend is a cure all!
We aren't what we use to be or where we use to be and who knows who or where we will be in the future, but I am so glad to call these girls my friends!

Go Fighting Camels!

The themed doorhanger has been changed from valentines hearts to baseball!

We have been looking forward to this weekend since last May when baseball season ended. Justin has been working nonstop to prepare for Friday's opening weekend and I can't wait to prepare my bag for a weekend at the field!

It's funny to me to say Go "FIGHTING" Camels! When you look at the picture above do you think of a fighter, agressive, quick, athletic, or any other word that may go with a competative team?
No, I think weak, awkward, and slow. :)
The only thing that the team and the camel have in comin is spitting....but that is just grose.

But no matter the mascot, the Fighting Camels have worked hard this offseason and it is going to be a great season!

Good Luck
to my Husband and to the Fighting Camels!!!

PRACTICAL is how we roll!

Over the years my wonderful husband has come around to my need to celebrate Valentines Day! I think he realized that if the wife is happy the life is happy! :)

We have to be the most practical gift givers ever. But we focus on what we want/need and something we won't just go get for ourselves +food! Nothing in our life is complete without food!

Justin and I decided that we would each be responsible to plan a night out! He was in charge of Friday night and he took me to a wonderful restaurant called Peak City Grill. It is located in the historic town we were engaged in. It had a piano player, candle lit tables, and wonderful food. We enjoyed the evening talking about our week and goals for the next year!

Saturday was my night to plan. I chose to take Justin to a little place near our house called Steele Street Cafe. Justin loves live music and they were having an 80's cover band for Valentines day. The place was so precious and tons of fun! After a wonderful meal, we kicked our feet up and enjoyed the tunes! I really enjoyed our time together. It's not often we get hours of time to just talk. Valentines Day is just another day and just an excuse for us to hang out!

We both thought that planning a dinner date was going to be our gifts to each other. But no!

Justin came home with one of these.......

Yep, that's right. Nothing says I love you like an external hard drive! I have been asking for one to back up 6 years of photos that are on my dieing laptop. So he made me very happy!

I returned the favor and gave him these......

That's right, car floor mats. Don't worry I also got his car detailed. He always takes the time to clean my car but never his own and always is talking about his car being dirty. I know he doesn't have the time to do it himself and I realized his car smells like a shoe. He also has no floor mats and it drives me NUTS!!! So he is ready to roll!

Tonight I made breakfast for us with HEART shaped pancakes. They were festive and made me happy. I think Justin appreciated my thought and creativity.
I am already planning green saint Patty's pancakes. :)

It was a wonderful 4 days of celebrating. I always love a good reason to celebrate something, but my goal is to do more fun sweet things, just because!

I'll leave you with the most fun sweet thing in our house, The Luc!

Hope you had a wonderful day!

Oh-Christmas-Tree!!

So maybe I'm a little behind but it is only because I have been mourning the end of Christmas. It truly is my most favorite time of year. But I don't want my mourning to interrupt proper documentation of my most favorite time of year. :)

A few posts ago I told you about getting our tree and promised a few pictures of the finished product. This was our first Christmas as husband and wife and we started with 3 ornaments, all from my mom. HA By the end of the season we picked up a few sentimental ornaments for our "homie" tree!!

Justin and I at 6:00 am before leaving on a 10 day vacation. I had a panic moment....
"oh my gosh, we must rig a picture of ourselves with our 1st tree before it gets ugly!"
So here we are....with our HUGE Christmas tree.

This is one of my favorite Christmas items. My family gave this to us. I hope to get the wise men and camel next year.
I love it so much I almost want to leave it out year around. :)

We decided to have a meaningful tree rather than a beautiful tree...although I think our meaningful tree is beautiful. Our hope is that we can add to it each year with things we love or an ornament that sums up something in our year.
This year we knew we wanted a wedding ornament to symbolize our wedding year! This one is a bell shaped like a cake....on one side it says,
"First Christmas Together...." the other side says, " Mr. & Mrs. has such a nice ring to it..."
I thought that was too cute!

We decided to start our tree with lime green and red to jump start our collection and we found this "H" in our themed colors for $1.o0.....woorah!!!

And last but not least my tacky red bird. This is a tradition that was started well before my time but something my parents still do! Our bird started off like this beautiful bird....but is now featherless, beak-less, and is just a site to see. HA
But it holds lots of memories and it is always so fun to see where the tacky white bird is.

The story behind the bird, told my Father.....An old friend of my grandmothers named Ed was what we would call these days a "fashonista". He had a niche for decor and my dad and some buddies came across a tacky white bird and insisted that Ed have it. "He just couldn't, oh he just couldn't!" I assume it was too tacky for his taste, but that was part of the fun! Well the bird went back and forth from my parents to Ed as a joke! Well for Christmas one year the bird came back to my parents and never left and it has been on our family tree ever sense. Strange how traditions come about, but it is one I remember and I knew my family tree HAD TO HAVE A TACKY BIRD!!! I was so proud the day I found it, I text my parents pictures, I knew they would be so proud!

I hope we have many many more traditions to come, I am counting the days until we can decorate for Christmas this year.