A Work in Progress

What has kept me away...

2012-01-17T21:42:00.000-05:00

You haven't heard form me since October and that is because we have had our hands full. Meet Piper and Maddie. I have devoted 100% of my time to these two for the sake of my carpet and furniture! :)

My mom flew in the first weekend in November and about 3 minutes later while exiting the airport we saw these babies being led into the Highway by their momma. What a welcome present to my mom...but she couldn't leave them either. The vet guessed they were 4-5 weeks old when we found them.

Through social media I was able to find both girls homes. Maddie went to live with a friend from church after the first week and is doing really well.

This is Piper. She also found a home through social media but her home was further away in Ohio! Friends of ours were looking for a pup to give their girls from Santa and we happened to be going that way in a few weeks to visit family. We agreed to keep Piper for the rest of November and deliver her to Ohio just in time for Santa!

During those 8 weeks we had a long Thanksgiving break and I was out of work sick so we had lots of bonding time on the couch and in the middle of the night for pee breaks!

She learned how to wear and walk on a leash, sit, lay down, shake, and last but not least sleep through the night while she was with us!

I didn't introduce Lucy to both puppies because that would have been cruel and unusual punishment! But Lucy tolerated Piper well. Piper would harass her non stop, eat out of her bowl, and take a bone straight from Lucy's mouth with no problems! I have to say I was so impressed with Lucy's temperament! I can't say they were best friends...but I think Lucy missed her when she was gone!

I was so sad and maybe even cried a little at the thought and the action of giving her away. But two little girls were so happy when they woke up Christmas morning! I miss her, but I know she very loved!

Thank you to my family and friends for helping babysit and nurse these babies back to health and thank you to Maddie and Piper's new families for being willing to take a Heinz 57 pup with a lot of potential!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

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...

2011-10-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-08T19:59:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-18T18:25:00.001-04:00

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 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!!!

2011-08-14T20:32:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-08T20:24:00.007-04:00

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

2011-07-28T20:59:00.005-04:00

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

2011-07-07T21:31:00.004-04:00

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

2011-06-29T18:22:00.003-04:00

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!

2011-04-17T19:03:00.001-04:00

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

2011-03-25T17:10:00.004-04:00

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!

2011-03-24T19:22:00.007-04:00

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!

2011-02-17T22:19:00.004-05:00

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!

2011-02-14T21:55:00.006-05:00

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!!

2011-01-17T18:04:00.004-05:00

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.

Fairwell to Doggie Heaven

2011-01-03T21:03:00.004-05:00

Those of you who read often know I am an animal lover. I have one puppy, Lucy that I talk of often. She lives in NC with me. But back home at my parents I have 4 dogs. Today my parents had to make the hard decision to say fair well to one of our dogs.

She was the oldest at 13 or 14, so old no one really remembers but she was given to me by my parents on Valentines Day when I was in 5th grade. I told them I wanted a little puppy that would stay a puppy forever. So they gave me a Yorkshire terrier and I named her Carmel.

After leaving for college and moving to North Carolina, Carmel was old and "settled in her ways" so she stayed in Arkansas with my parents and their pack of 4. She was the smallest in the pack weighing just 7 lbs and wasn't scared of putting our 165 lb. English mastiff in his place. She ruled the roost and let every guest know it as they came in our house she would greet them with a vicious bark and a little nibble at their ankle. ;)

She was a great dog, a fun dog, and a little pup that we will not be forgotten.

Those of you who are pet lovers, you know the heartache that comes along with putting an animal down.

Say a little prayer for my parents tonight as they have a little extra room on the couch and in the bed.

Also, squeeze that four legged pup at your own home and let them sit on your furniture and bend a few rules....one day they won't be around the break them.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-13T19:30:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Haire's.

We hope you enjoy our our first Christmas card!

Picture taken by Image Forward Photography

Marriage and Compermise (or NOT)

2010-12-05T21:43:00.004-05:00

I spoke on my last post about me compromising for a real Christmas tree and I also mentioned an issue that Justin and I were having that I am just not budging on. I'll share hoping that others can relate and make me feel like I'm not a crazy wife, just a maturing wife. :)

From day 1 of this little relationship Justin didn't make his bed with a flat sheet. Nor did I. I was known for actually sleeping on top of the comforter with a quilt. We had multiple discussions about having this in common and making note that we liked it that way. We felt that a flat sheet made things complicated and messy and often made sleeping difficult.

But I have had a change of heart. Is that so wrong? When we got married we got a new bedding set that I love. It looks like an adult bedspread, not something from college. We have nice sheets and I am liking the idea of my bed being made nicely and keeping the comforter clean! Justin could care less....and every night when we straighten the bed he says, "Hey, I have an idea....why don't we just take this sheet off?" He is hoping that one night I say, "YES!" But I just keep responding with,

"We are grown-ups now and grownups sleep with a fitted sheet."

He is so over being "grown-ups!" Is it really worth it? I'm not sure. He really seems to think this is effecting his sleeping. I personally think it is all in his head. I can always replace the set if it is going to upset him so badly, in fact....

that may just be a good compromise.....

No flat sheet=New bedding set more regularly.

SOLD. ;)

We will see what he thinks about that deal!

'Tis the Season for Compromise...

2010-12-02T21:38:00.003-05:00

Being married gives you many opportunities to compromise with your spouse.

This year was the first year for Justin and I to decorate and have a tree. I mentioned in my last post that my family came to visit. When they drove out, they packed an artificial tree for Justin and I. See I never had a real tree, we always had fake. Justin, well he always had a real tree.

The moment my parents pulled away, I began to cry. In an effort to distract me Justin mentioned going to the Christmas tree farm to get a real tree. I weighed my options....

1. go to our storage closet, drag out a fake tree.

2. Drive to the Christmas tree farm and pick the "perfect" tree with my husband and then watch him cut it down.

Ding! Ding! Ding! #2 was the winner it just seemed like it had the potential to help us build a number of traditions. However, I hope to someday be fortunate enough to be able to have multiple trees so I can have 1 real and 1 fake tree.

Take a look at our day at the tree farm....

It was a beautiful day and we got to search for the perfect tree....

My husband cutting down our 1st tree. There were men to do the work for us...but he wanted to do it, he even brought his own saw.

The shaking process. They shake out all the dead stuff and wrapped it for us. This was a neat process for me because I had never seen it.

The moment of truth....Will it fit??
It fits, just by a smig. We have done some trimming, decorating, and admiring. We still need a topper and a skirt...then I'll show you the finished product.

I'm happy about this compromise.

Next post I'll be telling you about an on going heated discussion at our house. It happens every day and I'm not ready to compromise.

Thanksgiving with the ones you call "Family"

2010-11-30T22:05:00.004-05:00

This year more than ever I realized your family are the group of people you choose not always the ones you are given. Although I was blessed to do both I love them each family just like they were my own. My mom, dad, sister and nephews joined my sister and our families and friends here in North Carolina. We all pitched in and made a fantastic Thanksgiving spread. We were fortunate enough to out grow each of our homes with a number of 25+ so we met at our church for our Thanksgiving meal. My mom and I decorated to give it a "Thanksgiving-ish" feel.....and we had a blast.

The centerpiece for the adult table....

Next is the kids table....a little festive yet realistic....they were able to color and be messy!!

The drink table...with the many drink dispensers from our wedding.... :)

Check out the A-mazing food...

And more....FOOD. :)

Candace, My sister LeAnn, and My sister Jill hovering over the food while it is warming....it was nice to have 2 stoves to warm the food. It made for easy easy setup.

Last but not least GAME NIGHT!!!!! It is a tradition with my family that we play games on Thanksgiving evening. We started with a board game...Trivial Pursuit. Just for the record...Justin, Vicki and I kick tail. Then we ended the evening with a little card game....who cares who who that. ;) ;)

It was an amazing Thanksgiving. Having my family here and spending time with close friends made the most perfect combination for Thanksgiving.
I am so thankful for family and amazing friends!!!

And the WINNER is....

2010-10-21T20:56:00.003-04:00

Just to clarify: I am a two time giveaway hostess and I don't have a fancy system to draw a winner, yet. So I chose the next best thing available.

My husband. I am totally harshing his mellow during the game, but he was a great sport.

This was our method. I gave him the list of names and number of entries and he wrote them all out and I cut them.
We have outstanding teamwork in our house!!

Enough about those details...I know you are ready for the winner.

The winner is....

Julee over at Matt. Julee. Romeo
Go check Julee's blog out. She has the sweetest puppy, is always attending some fun event, or just having a real life kind of day.
I promise you won't be disappointed.

Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway.
I am already attempting to line up the next giveaway!

Pumpkin Patch/Update on Lucy

2010-10-18T19:33:00.004-04:00

Last weekend Justin was home and he promised me weeks in advance a trip to the pumpkin patch. I only require a few things regarding holidays and attending the pumpkin patch, purchasing pumpkins, and taking pictures is a must each year.

Justin was not thrilled about the weekend we picked because it was 91 degrees out. He said it didn't feel like fall. But we didn't have many open weekends a head of us and I couldn't bare the thought of skipping the pumpkin patch this year. So he put a short sleeved shirt on...and took it like man!

Our first trip to the pumpkin patch as Mr. and Mrs.

We got our "perfect" pumpkins.
1 for him. 1 for me. 1 for Lucy.
If you will notice we chose a mixed breed pumpkin for our mixed breed dog.
We put a lot of thought into it. :)

I heart this picture and this little red bench. Last but not least....Lucy with our pumpkins.
She is thrilled. Can't you tell?

Speaking of Lucy. It is time for an update on her.
We went back for her blood test following her heart worm treatment and it came back NEGATIVE! So, the vet cleared her to exercise. Which was awesome because she has been confined to leash walks for 4 months. And for a dog that loves to be outside this was torture for EVERYONE involved. She would just cry and pace the floor. SO SAD!
We will go back in March for a second blood test and hopefully be cleared for good.
WooRay for a healthy pup.
Please make sure and give your dog heart worm preventative. I would be happy to field any questions you may have, it is totally worth it. Heart worm treatment isn't cheap. The preventative is worth the bill and your pups life!

Remember to participate in my giveaway!
It will end on Wednesday! I'll announce a winner on Thursday

Tuesday's List: Slow Cooker Recipe

2010-10-12T21:43:00.003-04:00

Turkey Chili

We eat chili a ton in the winter . I have basically made this fool proof and a little more healthy.

I buy a chili kit called "2 Alarm Chili Kit". I don't follow the directions, I make my own. (Welcome to my life)

Combine the following with the chili kit:

2 lbs of ground turkey meat
2 cans of tomato soup
1 can of chili beans (or beans of your choice)
1 handful of wheat elbow noodles (noodles at my husbands request...wheat at mine. It's all about compromise)

It makes a ton and the two of us can eat on it for days and after each day it seems to get better.

I am currently hosting a giveaway on my blog, please go check it out. It is perfect for a large recipe like this.

Giveaway Time

2010-10-11T20:53:00.003-04:00

It's time for me to announce my giveaway choice from CSN.

I thought with the upcoming cool weather and time with family and friends...

many of you may need this.....

Doesn't this scream...Make chili in me!?!

And you can't have a new pot without a new spoon. :)

Each item comes in a variety of colors. I'll let you choose which best fits your kitchen when you WIN.

Speaking of winning...this is how you can win!!

1. Become a follower of my blog (1 entry)

2. Re post on your blog about this giveaway (1 entry)

3. Comment about becoming a follower, re posting, and well...just comment! (1 entry)

If you follow, comment, AND re post you get 5 bonus entries!!!!!!!

Don't just do 1 do them ALL!!!

READY

SET

*available to US and Canadian readers only.

Free Goodness on the Horizon

2010-10-07T18:57:00.005-04:00

Get excited....

there is a giveaway on the horizon here at A Work in Progress!!

Every time I get the opportunity to do a giveaway with CSN stores I jump on it and start to think about what goodness I will choose for my readers! If you are not familiar with CSN stores you are missing out. They have all sorts of goodness from an ottoman coffee table, pet paraphernalia, other decor for you home, and baby goods. Really the variety is endless.

The rules and entries are going to be super simple so be checking back for the

CSN FREE GOODNESS!

Who's excited??

I'm a Junkie

2010-10-05T20:02:00.003-04:00

Hi, My name is Lindsey and I'm a TV Junkie....

It's time for another list and this week its a list of my favorite shows! The fall has a pretty intense line up! I watch them all. This list will only give you a few of my favs! Apparently I have quite the soft spot for the whales. Whale Wars is a little extreme at times...but I am absolutely fascinated!
It's amazing to see the transformations of the contestants. I usually pick a favorite and cheer them on throughout the show. Plus Bob and Jillian are BEASTS!

You would think I have outgrown MTV. But Teen Mom just sucks me in! I personally like Macy, she seems to have it together!

The Real Housewives of OC, ATL, NC, DC, and NY...I do NOT discriminate. They are basically the definition of trashy TV and I LOVE IT!!!

Grey's, I am still watching you because I am faithful. But you better step it up.

I LOOOOOVE CASTLE!!! I'm sure you are thinking, "Oh, not another crime show!!" But in all seriousness...you HAVE TO WATCH! Justin and I live for Monday's just to watch Castle. It isn't like all the other NCIS blah blah blah....it is hilarious and mysterious all in 1 hour. It is a must watch.

If you have a MUST SEE..please share!!

Be looking for a giveaway soon, I am ironing out some details as we speak!

Tuesday's List: Christmas List

2010-09-28T21:12:00.007-04:00

This week I am going to try Tuesday's List hosted by Love from Texas. As you know...I heart lists and this will give me something to look forward to each week.These days I feel like everyone has an Ipod or some music gadget. Well...not this girl. I am not big into music or very hip in that department, but I am starting to THINK about exercising, and I feel like this would help distract me from the thought of....OMG, I THINK I'M GOING TO DIE. :)
A new laptop is defiantly on the list. I have had my laptop since my freshman year of college (6 years ago) and it is still kicking but just barely, it is temperamental. I can only have so many things open, if it goes in to hibernation it takes 3 days to come out, it has to have the battery plugged in, and this list goes on and on. I'm not picky about what kind...I just need a new spring chicken that can make it through an entire blog post without randomly shutting down. :)

I would love a kitchen table. Everyone that comes over think it is crazy that we don't have one. We make it just fine without...it is just the two of us and we aren't fancy. But I am ready to join the adult club and get a table so we can enjoy family meals face to face rather than shoulder to shoulder on the couch.

I would love to have an elliptical machine. I have had 3 knee surgeries and it is much easier on my knees than the road or a treadmill. I would really like to take one of our chairs out of our living room (The chair I'm currently sitting my backside in) and replace it with this machine. I feel like I could work out for hours instead of sitting!!! Hey...a girl can dream! :)

Last but not least a trip to Vegas to see the 2010 Miss America Pagent !! My friend and sorority sister, Alyse Eady will be representing Arkansas in the Miss America Pagent. My closest friends are planning a big trip to Vegas to support Alyse!! Plus, I need to be there...she is going to WIN!

None are necessary just fun to think about!! :)

I cannot believe that Christmas is almost here, just 3 short months away. So get your list ready!!

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-20T08:00:00.004-04:00

Labor Day weekend was an eventful weekend for us and one of our outings was to see the Durham Bulls play. I use to work for the Bulls and I haven't been back in almost a year. I was so excited to go back, see some old faces and WATCH a game rather than WORK a game.

There is nothing better than a minor league game, always some sort of entertainment. And this is a wonderful stadium to watch in, nice field, great shade, breeze, and good food!

So we know the food is good...because we may have tasted it. :)

I also got this while I was at the game. The Bulls won this during the 2009 season and I got to pick up my ring while I was there! It's strange to wear because it is so big and manly, but pretty cool to have. It is a nice way to remember my time with the Bulls.This is my good friend Mary Beth. She and I worked together and the Bulls and became really good friends. It was SOOO good to see her while we were at the game!

And this stud was my date and we had a blast! No mater the scene, I'm just glad we got to go on a date!

The Big 24

2010-09-19T17:59:00.003-04:00

At the end of August I celebrated by 24th birthday. It was really anticlimactic however, it was an excuse to eat cake, buy a new dress, go out to dinner, and spend time with friends.....ahhh, if only birthdays were more often. :)

The Stewart's joined us to celebrate my bithday. We started the evening at their house with appitizers and cake. (It gave us time to wait on Justin...he had to work late, but I won't complain, it is the first time in two years he has been in town for my birthday.)

Yellow cake with chocolate icing is my cake of choice made by Julianne. YUM!

I stopped by Target (love that place) on my way home from work to see if they had anything I needed for the evening. I ended up leave with the dress you see above. I went straight to the Stewart's and was showing Julianne my new dress! She then gave me my birthday gift...earrings and a bracelet that matched my dress perfectly. Basically, we were meant to be friends. :)

Last but not least, my Husband. This was our first birthday as a married couple. So now I'm officially an "old married woman!"

Me+Ouachita=the best years of my life

2010-09-06T21:06:00.009-04:00

Today my Alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University is having a Blog Day for founders day! I think it is such an awesome idea and I love an excuse to talk about my OBU days. There are so many things that I love about those years, I don't know if I can do it justice with one blog. You can look back here to read a previous post about OBU.

My mother was an OBU graduate and so I grew up hearing about this place. I wanted a small university, a place where I did not have to have community bathrooms, and I wanted to go someplace "different". After visiting multiple local universities, I was ALMOST sure that OBU was the place for me.

I have to say me ending up at OBU, finding friends, and actually graduating in 4 years was ALL a God thing. I guess you could say I was a "social butterfly."

Below are a FEW of my favorite things about Ouachita....

1. Social Clubs-

Social Clubs are OBU's version of Fraternities and Sororities and this was the turning point for me-BID Day 2004 when I pledged EEE and becoming a Rho Sigma Sweetheart. These days were the days that changed the "ALMOST sure" to an ABSOLUTELY sure that Ouachita was the place for me. Pledge Class 2005

Rho Sigma Sweetheart

2. Friends

There are no friends like OBU friends. (That's my motto) My best friends came from my years at Ouachita and continue to be my best friends today.

3. Outings, TWIRP Week, and Mixers....Again, I was a social butterfly so any time to get out, dress up, and meet new people I was in!

TWIRP Week-EEE 50's Night with Gus!

Two of MANY tacky Christmas sweater parties

2005 outing to Austin Texas-We hosted Dave Barnes

RUSH-Rho Sigma Saloon

Find Your Sister A Mister Outing (but who needs Misters when you have SISTERS?)

EEE-Haw

3. My Husband Justin. We met my freshman year of college (2004), started dating my sophomore year (2005), and got married August 7, 2010!!! I am so lucky to have found him at OBU.

4. And then.....I GRADUATED....look my name is even in the concrete. :)

In all seriousness. The four years I spent at OBU were the best. I would go back TODAY and do it all over again!

I'm a winner!

2010-08-24T19:36:00.003-04:00

This morning I got an email from Nicole over at The Life of a Baseball Wife. She is one of many baseball wives that use that blog to share their stories. Their husbands play at all levels of baseball and they are giving us a glimpse into their life as baseball wives. Because baseball literally runs my life I find such pleasure reading this blog, it reassures me that there are other ladies living a crazy life just like me and doing it really well. A few weeks back Nicole did a giveaway for Daisies in the Mud and I WON!
Even though I don't have kids, I know plenty of people who do and I couldn't pass up a chance at winning something super cute!

I am getting a custom tutu by Daisies in the Mud. One of the coaches on Justin's staff recently had a baby girl. I'll be giving this tutu to baby Kenzie so she is ready for opening day of Campbell Baseball!

Go check out both blogs, I promise you will love what you see!

Thanks Nicole!!!

Promises & Vows

2010-08-23T18:43:00.003-04:00

I thought I would share both our promises and our vows from the wedding. We wanted a good mix of a down to earth yet reverent words at our ceremony. My sister, who officiated our wedding guided us to do personal promises and very reverent vows....and that's just what we did.

Promises

The promises were very personal to the two of us. Lots of inside jokes about one another, they helped us laugh and remember why we love each other!

Groom:

I promise to love you as much as the Fighting Irish, and not to hold your obsession with the Ms. Arkansas Pageant against you. From this day forward, I will listen to all of your gossip from Facebook, as long as it doesn’t interrupt a broadcast of a Reds game. I will love you in sickness and health, through thick and thin, or until you openly cheer for the Razorbacks at an Irish tailgate party.

Bride:

I promise to love you as much as I love our dog, Lucy, and to not hold your over-indulgence with sports against you. I will make sure that I only buy clothes that I need, that are cute, or that say Cincinnati Reds on them. I will always have your lucky shirts washed, but never folded. I will love you in good times and bad—like when the Irish go 6-6—and in sickness and in health, or until we move to the great white north without a winter car or a winter dog.

Vows

We quoted Ruth 1 16-17. I have always loved this passage. I think is is very to the point and very blunt. I think vows are a time for bluntness and no "beating around the bush."

"Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

We were so pleased with both the promises and the vows. I know we will treasure them both forever!

These pictures are from Facebook, not our photographer!

Update on Luc

2010-08-15T16:08:00.004-04:00

A few weeks back I told you about us finding out that Lucy had heart worms and a few of you have asked about her progress with treatment.

The first step in treating Luc was giving her a heart worm preventative pill. The same pill that you may give your dog each month. The difference is that it is very dangerous to give a dog a heart worm preventative pill if the already have a heart worms. Because of the dangers Lucy had to go into the vet to be watched after receiving the pill. She seemed to do just fine and this began our leash walks.

The second step in her treatment was completed while we were gone for the wedding. Lucy had her first injection. Apparently it is very painful. But like all good moms would do I requested that she have plenty of pain meds. :) She had some swelling at the injection site, but that was her only major symptom after the shot.

The next step is in 3 weeks, she will under go 2 more injections. She seems okay at home. The only hard part is keeping her calm. Because the injections are breaking down the worms in her heart, there is a risk of blood clots. We have to keep her heart rate down to keep her safe. This is our biggest challenge. I have an inside dog that would prefer to live in the back yard all the time. She paces the floor and just cries to go outside. She also is bolting out the door any chance she gets, just to be outside. She doesn't bolt to run, just to go out and lay in the grass. Then I have to drag her in because she isn't obeying....so we are having to reestablish some rules. I think its mainly due to the lack of time she is spending outside. It hurts my heart really, but we are trying to find a balance in feeling sorry for her and making her obey.

She seems to be doing well and not hurting too much. I think our wallet is the only thing hurting.....but it is worth it to get her well. :)

Just remember if your dog isn't on heart worm preventative for whatever reason, it isn't too late. The most common myth is that preventative is expensive. Just remember you can treat your dog with preventatives for YEARS on what you can treat them for heart worms. STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND JUST DO IT!!

Welcome Home!

2010-08-13T17:31:00.004-04:00

On our way home we were on cloud nine. We had just celebrated our lives together with so many we love so dearly. Then we had a few days to rest and just be together. We were so ready to be home and back to our real lives.

The newly married, Mr. & Mrs. Haire on our flight home!

(Still enjoying wedded bliss!)

Then real life hit us like a ton of bricks.

Justin ran out to get the car from parking while I grabbed our 12 bags off the belt at the airport. I get a phone call from Justin, "Yeah, my car is dead!" My thought was "seriously?" Well we were in luck the parking people had a battery charger, it must be a frequent occurrence. We charged it up and got the Jeep started. We were on our way-Woohoo! We drove up to pay for our week of parking and kuplunk.....it dies!!

We take the battery pack once more and charge her up. We were on our way once more. We got out of the airport around a few curves, all the way out to a large intersection when....kuplunk....it dies again! I quickly realize we were being welcomed home to "real life". Justin looks over at me and said, "What are we going to do?" I'll spare you what all we did....you should just know that myself and 3 women who were strangers pushed our Jeep out of the intersection and over to a grassy area. (Justin was on the phone with AAA and we didn't wait for him. He felt so bad when the ladies had the situation under control! By the way if YOU aren't the AAA holder, they won't help you!) Next we met a series of gracious people, who were willing to help...but nether of us wanted to leave the scene to go buy what we needed and leave the other alone, plus our windows were down and there sat all of our luggage. Sticking together...forever....remember our vows?

I got on the phone and sweet talked a man named Mel at O'Reilly Auto Parts to deliver, install, and follow us back to the store so we could pay him. Mel was a life saver, he truly believed in customer service. Thank you Jesus!

In between my pushing the car and calling for help...I found time to document our little situation. After $150.00 later. We were on our way home once more.

The moral of this story is...."real life" doesn't care if you just got married. It doesn't care that you are on cloud nine. It doesn't care that you are so in love......."real life" is going to happen....you just have to figure out how to deal with it. I think we handled it perfectly. We could have been duking it out at the intersection, but we remained calm, relied on each others strengths...and we made it out alive.

I am not naive enough to think this is a one time thing. I know THIS is what is ahead of us for the rest of our lives. And the thing that makes it all okay....is that we are going to do "real life" together.

YAY Justin!!

2010-08-12T18:03:00.004-04:00

Today (8/12/10) while I was catching up with my sister LeAnn she said, "Why didn't you tell me that Justin got a coaching award?"

My response was, "He didn't?" She went on to explain that she had seen an article that was posted on Justin's sisters facebook. She posted the article on July 20. (So why am I just not finding out about it?)

You can imagine my shock, mainly because I didn't know! That little jack didn't even tell me. Which now that I think about it doesn't shock me, he is such a humble bird. :) But I am so very proud of him. He was named the SEBaseball.com Atlantic Sun Assistant Coach of the Year!!

I don't talk about it much on my blog. But Justin works 24/7. People think college coaching is a breeze. That baseball coaches only work during the 13 week season, but that is not true. Justin works year around, most weekends, and the job is never done.....there is always another kid to recruit, another kid to work after hours with, time to cut the grass again. He helps do it all and I am so proud that he was recognized for his hard work.

CONGRATULATIONS JUSTIN!!!

Special Note to Justin: By the way, I'm your wife now, you have to tell me things like this!

The best of both worlds...

2010-08-02T22:11:00.002-04:00

Have I told you lately how much I heart my job? I have the best of both worlds....work and fun! As an event/volunteer coordinator for a local non profit, I get the opportunity to do an awesome job and get to have a lot of fun doing it with some fantastic people.

This week is my last week at work and today my sweet coworkers planned a surprise wedding shower for me. It was decked out in my wedding colors with lots of my favorite foods. They even took the time to make a little slide show of Justin and I....which I loved. This made me feel so special and really helped me transition from "work mode" to "personal mode." It helped me finally realize that the wedding is just around the corner!

Thank so much for celebrating with me! I couldn't ask for a better place to work. Not only for the work we do, but the people that I get to work with!

Bad News

2010-07-17T12:17:00.005-04:00

Many of you have heard me talk about our dog, Lucy. She is our one and only pet and will remain the only child for sometime. You can check back to an earlier blog to hear how we came to have Lucy in our life.

For some time now I have been putting off Lucy's heart worm testing and starting her on preventative. She is up to date on all vaccines, and such, but that extra step I was slow to take. When I first got her I was in college and like most college students didn't have the money to do the extra, just the basics. Then the next phase of life, I moved across the country and didn't see getting Lucy tested as a priority. I had paying rent, buying gas to get to work, and food as priorities.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine found a stray pup that I desperately wanted to keep. But I rationalized the decision to death and decided that there were extra steps that needed to be taken with Lucy's health that we had put off, that we needed to get done before we took on ANOTHER animal. I would rather give Lucy 100% rather than giving two dogs 50%. By far one of the hardest but most responsible decisions I have had to make recently.

This is the stray my girlfriend found, she was known as Ellie or Puppy and she needs a home.

So without wasting anymore time, we made Lucy an appointment to get her heart worm tested so she could begin preventive medications. I knew once the Vet called us back that she had bad news. (Insert Meltdown #1) I didn't know all the details about heart worms, just enough to scare the crap out of me. I knew it was something that could kill her. And I knew that it was VERY painful for her to have treatment to get rid of them. That was enough knowledge for me, maybe too much.

The vet told me that Lucy's test came back positive. I burst into tears. (You may think this is ridiculous, but I am her care taker, I am responsible for her, she depends on me) At that moment, I felt like I had failed her. If only I would have made it a priority. I didn't, and now she will be subjected to pain, a shorter life, who knows what else.

The good news (whatever that means at this point) is that Lucy is young at 2.5 years of age and is in good heath other than this. So the vet things she is a great candidate for treatment. The treatment has begun. I ended up leaving the vet with some additional tests being done, an antibiotic, and an appointment for Lucy's first round of treatment. For the first test they made me sign a paper saying if she had a reaction to the treatment, that I approve any emergency actions to be taken including: CPR!!!!!!!!!!! (Insert Meltdown #2) She will be able to come home and will be boarded at the Vet's office during the wedding for the second step in her treatment. So points of stress the week of the wedding: 1. boarding my dog 2. leaving her for a very painful treatment 3. oh that thing called our WEDDING!!!!!

The thing that I normally am fretting over and I I haven't thought once about is the cost of this treatment. I am a worrier when it comes to money. But I told Justin, I would rather NOT go on a honeymoon, sell my ring, sell our TV, get a second job, whatever it takes to take care of the Luc. He assured me that we would do whatever we needed to do t take care of her and get her well. So that was a sigh of relief.

I'm sure you can tell how I'm feeling. I am borderline distraught. I feel like the worst parent in the world. This is something that could have been prevented. Something I could have protected her from. And now she has to endure pain for something I didn't do.

Sorry for the long post, but I have a lot on my mind. I'll keep you updated on Lucy's progress throughout the next few months.

Changing My Name

2010-06-30T19:25:00.003-04:00

With the wedding quickly approaching my upcoming name change is weighing heavily on my mind. I always dreamed of changing my name. I was THAT girl doodling my boyfriends name on my scratch paper. Now that the time is actually here and it is no longer a dream...I am freaking out. I have always been very sentimental, love traditions, and love family things. My name fits all of those categories.

Lindsey=my fathers middle name
Marie=my grandmother's middle name
Dawson=my families name and my oldest nephews first name

Does it get anymore sentimental that those? How can I just give them up. Justin will be my husband...and I want to take his name. But for some reason I'm having some internal conflict about this. And the spelling is an issue....Lindsey is commonly misspelled. (with an E, with an A, with a Y....you name it...I have seen it). My current last name is fairly simple...people can sound it out. My new last name, "Haire" is a disaster for spellers....Haire, Har, Hare, Hair........I'm already twitching at the thought of someone spelling my name...."Lindsay Hare" (twitch, twitch)

So the question is....do I drop my middle name? Do I keep them all and add Justin's name? Do I hyphenate? Oh the possibilities.

I guess I'll just have to get use to going to restaurants and putting our name on the waiting list and answering the question..."What's the last name?"....."Haire, that's H-A-I-R-E"

Christmas in June

2010-06-14T21:03:00.004-04:00

Getting married is like Christmas in June. Seriously! Most days we come home to packages. I'm telling you we feel so blessed. Because I get to have all the shower fun, I let Boyfriend open all the packages we get at home. I feel like it lets him participate. The other day I took some pictures opening a big box. He was like a 12 year old on Christmas morning. How cute is he? Wasting no time, he is ripping in to it!! Thumbs up for white dishes! :)

We also got this beauty too! I was at home sick one day from work and was startled by the Fed Ex man. No worries he left a huge box....and it was a GRILL!!! It was a gift from my parents. Boyfriend and I were SO excited.

Thanks to everyone for being so giving.

We are having a great time!

First Wedding Shower

2010-06-13T13:27:00.004-04:00

We had our first wedding shower last weekend. The shower was at my home church in Arkansas. I was SO nervous. I'm not one to get nervous, especially around people I know very well. I just felt very uncomfortable with everyone looking at me. I can't imagine what I'll be like on the wedding day. : / I'm sure it is a normal feeling...but its a new one for me, so I'm working through it.

These are the ladies who hosted the shower for Justin and I. They consist of family friends, teachers, family members, church family members, former Sunday school teachers, former teammates, really one of every kind. :) They are all too sweet and did a fabulous job decorating and organizing!

These are the gifts I walked into. Like before ANYONE showed up.

I started unwrapping gifts 30 minutes before guests arrived and NEVER STOPPED!

We are very blessed with such giving friends!

My mom and I on shower day. She was amazing all weekend.

We ran a zillion errands and got a ton accomplished.

Thanks Mom!!!

And these ladies made my day. Each one of these girls will be in the wedding and I literally could not imagine it any other way. Just their presence at the shower was comforting. :)

We are having another large shower soon. Please pray my nerves chill out, I want to be able to relax and enjoy these fun moments!

The Traveling Dress and Bridezilla moment #1

2010-06-12T16:47:00.006-04:00

As you know I purchased my dress in North Carolina and we are getting married in Arkansas, so my dress had to make the trip home. Naturally, I documented my dresses trip. The day I had to fly out there were storms in the area. So I double bagged my dress to protect the dress from any weather to and from cars and airplanes.

Yes, it went into the bathroom. TMI maybe?

Visited a terminal or two.

I called the Delta customer service line days before my flight and told them I would be traveling with my wedding dress and asked what my options were. (responsible right?) They assured me that I would have no problem, just to notify the flight attendant and my dress could be hung.

Well apparently my flight attendant was having a bad day. Because that is my wedding dress crammed into the smallest overhead bin in the world.

Note Bridezilla moment #1. I looked at her like she was CRAZY! Then notified the girl next to me that they had one hacked off bride on their hands. Whew, I was blowing steam! The kind young lady clearly felt my pain. She helped me move a few bags and lay my dress nicely in the overhead bin. On my connecting flight from Atlanta I had no problems. That flight attendant was having a fine day and offered to hang my dress in the Captain's closet. :)

I finally made it to Arkansas with dress in hand.

There it is, safely in my closet at my parents in Arkansas. Whew, what a little adventure.

Say Cheese!!

2010-05-31T18:39:00.006-04:00

Because we chose Image Forward Photography as our wedding photographer we were unable to get engagement pictures due to distance and mine and Justin's schedule. My mother was insistent on having a few pictures to use at showers, in the paper, and at local stores where we are registered. Thanks to my sister Jill, Vicki, Robin, and Diana for taking the afternoon to snap a few pictures of Justin and I. You all did a fantastic job and we really appreciate you all jumping in and helping us! Take a look a JUST A FEW (there were hundreds) pictures from our shoot.

68 days to go. I'll be going home this weekend for my first shower. On my trip home I'll be carrying my dress....any ideas on how to protect it and fly with it are welcome! I hope everyone had a wonderful restful weekend!

Wedding Transportation

2010-05-28T14:33:00.002-04:00

A Wedding + A Bus = A Party

That's right for our wedding we are renting a bus for our transportation. We wanted something our entire wedding party could be together and have some room to celebrate! We are so excited. It is important to us both to spend some time with our friends that took that time to make our day perfect.

2010-05-27T20:13:00.007-04:00

If you are ever looking for a new vacation spot, you should visit the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. I am so lucky to live in a state that has so much to offer. Sadly, I haven't seen the half of it. But I went with the weekend crew (My sister and Friends) to visit Asheville. It was absolutely beautiful and I learned so much!

The weekend started with a dog rescue. I am always looking for stray puppies, in fact Lucy is one. :) And I happen to be traveling with 4 other dog lovers. Between the five of us we own 6 puppies, most being rescues. So when we saw this little pup we had to stop. Happily, we found the owners...it was very rewarding!

We eventually made it to Hot Springs, NC where we had a mineral bath. Did I mention this bath was outside on the bank of a river? A-mazing!

While in Hot Springs we visited the Appalachian Trail. I'm sure you have heard of it, but I had not. This trail goes from Georgia to Main and Hot Springs, NC happens to be a place where the trail crosses. So I got to have my picture taken on the trail. It is fascinating to me that people hike that far!

Next we visited the Biltmore Estate. Isn't it beautiful? The grounds, the house, the winery ;) were all breath taking. At one point my sister asked me if I was having a good time because I was so quiet. I was just amazed. If you are looking for a romantic getaway in the US...look it up!

We spent some time in downtown Asheville and we saw this....

This is a REAL GIRL! Again, I was fascinated. When you tip her...she played her drum. I could have just stood and looked at her. Now, THAT is a long day at the office. ;)Last but not least....my sister and the Reverend at my wedding. Whoop. In just 72 days Dr. Jill will marry Justin and I.

We need to stop vacationing and plan the ceremony. :)

So maybe I'm a liar...

2010-05-11T21:17:00.003-04:00

I told you in my last post that my new love was the farmers market....and back in December I told you I was engaged and that Justin was the love of my life.

So maybe I'm a liar?

WICKED is the new love of my life!!!

(Boyfriend do NOT be upset....I think the perfect date would be Wicked WITH you.

Amazing right?

If you get a chance to go-GO! It is worth your money!

I know it will be a show I will see time and time again.

What other shows have you seen that you would recommend?

My New Love.

2010-05-05T21:07:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I went to visit my sister and some friendlies. They are always doing fun things on the weekends and exploring the area. They took me to the local farmers market and I fell in love. You see....I grew up picking veggies right out of my Memaw and Pawpaw's garden. I'm not so much the cooker (yet) but there is just something about getting your veggies right from the farmer. Take a look at my time at the farmers market....

These first couple just scream FRESHNESS!!

The farmers market also had AMAZING flowers.

Jill and Vicki purchased some of the flowers and we did their flower bed...I think it turned out great! It is so bright and cheerful!

And this my friends is a southern girls dream: Corn, BBQ pork chop, fried okra, grilled asparagus, and grilled squash.

D-LISH!!

Next outing with the crew is TOMORROW. We are going to see WICKED!

I have wanted to see Wicked for so many years and tomorrow it will happen. I am beyond excited, have heard so many great things.

I hope it is all I have heard it is!

Wedding Update

2010-04-29T19:38:00.006-04:00

100 days until the big day!

Can you believe it?

Because it is 100 days away I have some time, but I still have a number of things I need to decide on and purchase. I would love to hear about what YOU did or what you wish you had done differently.

1. Did you where heals or flats?

I need to decide this because of having my dress fitted Saturday. That's soon, so help

2. Did you wear your hair up or down? Did you have something in it like a flower or a broach?

Decisions! Decisions!

And the winner is.....

2010-04-28T21:00:00.005-04:00

I apologize for going MIA for the past week. I had four days of events-they were a crazy few days and I am so relieved they went well and I can breathe a little. So, I hope you didn't give up on me and you are ready to hear who the winner is!!

Rachel Bell over at Dinner Bells is the winner! She did the cutest blog to promote the giveaway. Her pup Jack did a little video, it's hilarious, it's a must see. She is doing some really neat things over on her blog, so make sure and stop by and congratulate her!

I almost feel bad letting Rachel win. She is a good friend, but believe me....she won fair and square. She had 6 entries and I let Justin draw because I had SO many people I know enter to win. I wanted to make sure I did this giveaway thing right. :) (Scouts Honor)

Congratulations

Rachel and Mr. Jack Bell

Give-A-Way

2010-04-15T19:31:00.007-04:00

If you haven't heard of CSN Stores by now, then you've been missing out! You will find a great selection of products ranging from entertainment centers, baby goodness, barbecue grills, pet paraphernalia and so much more! I was pretty amazed with how much you can buy and the quality of items that are available while you shop from the comfort of your own home. I had a difficult time deciding what I wanted to share with you. But I think I have found the perfect thing. I defiantly am jealous. How many of you have a bag of dog food stored away....its something you have to drag out once or twice day just to feed the pup. You may have it out of a bag...but stored in a plastic container....It is safe to say....whatever you are storing your puppies food in, it is not as cute as these Dog Food Storage Cans. I love them! They seem so practical, simple, and so much cuter than what I have going on.

How to win...

You must do 3 simple things.....

1. become a follower of my blog. (2 entries)

2. write a post about this giveaway on your blog-directing your readers back to me

(3 entries)

3. leave a comment saying hello and that you're a new follower!! (1 entries)

***If you are not a blogger you can still participate by leaving a comment and following***

Lucy and I wish you luck!!

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

2010-04-14T21:53:00.004-04:00

Exciting news is right.... I am going to be hosting my FIRST giveaway!!!

Who doesn't love FREE things? Especially cute free things!!

Check back tomorrow to see what it is.

Remember you do not have to be a blogger to win. So those of you lurking make sure to come back tomorrow and show your face!!

The Tradition Continues

2010-04-05T21:19:00.003-04:00

It was a great Easter at our house. To refresh your memory last years Easter post I went into full detail about the tradition of the bunny cake. Again, it was something my Memaw Maxine started and something I refuse to let go. This year I could NOT find all of the supplies, but I have a bunny in green grass, and I feel accomplished. I know one day I will have children who look forward to this tradition with me. Until then...I'll enjoy making the bunny cake and remembering all the special memories it has for me.

And this is a dead bunny, and a traumatized child. Lovely.

Happy Easter!!!

This may be one of those things...

2010-04-01T22:14:00.003-04:00

I realize this may just be one of those things that may only be funny to Justin and I. However, I think it is worth sharing. Who knows, you may just laugh.

The following video makes us laugh. We often watch it and quote it in our house. And when we quote it....we say it in the little lad like voice. Please watch the video, it will help you to understand:

There is a story behind me posting this, I promise. Yesterday morning I am getting ready for work. I am NOT a morning person and my other half gets up and around in the morning making breakfast and being productive. I hear him in the pantry getting out the new box of cereal that I purchased. It is the Special K berries and yogurt (cream if you will).

THEN IT HAPPENED....

I heard Justin say, (in the little lad voice) "Berries and Cream!!!!"

HAHAHAHAH and that is why I love him. He makes me laugh.

The kick at the end of the video gets us every time. You think the little lad is finished and then comes the high kick.

Who wants DETAILS?

2010-04-01T21:20:00.006-04:00

I have already shared where we will get married and where we will party. But I have not shared what vendors we chose to work with. I am very excited about all of our vendors, I am getting such personal attention and getting the opportunity to work with such talented people.

Photography

I think pictures are the most important thing. They will be the things that out last everything else. I am so excited to be working with Debbie Brower at Image Forward Photography. They were just given an award by the Knot-Best of Weddings. (Which is so exciting) Debbie is the mother of one of my best friends, Jaclyn. I have always admired their work and am so excited for them to be "shooting me" and Justin on our wedding day. Jaclyn works at Image Forward as well, but she will be off for the day, to be my bridesmaid.

Invitations

I found this vendor through my friends. I have had so many Hobart invitations in my mail box, the great work and recommendations made me call Sarah Hobart at Hobart's Printing. Sarah made me feel like the only bride in the world. She really wants to listen and make something that will make you happy. I wanted to do something a little different....she made my idea come to life and I can't wait to see the finished product.

Flowers

David Goodman at Mary and Martha's in Arkadelphia, AR is the man!! David worked at the university I attended and Justin worked at. He ended up buying a local flower shop and is one of the most talented people I know. I feel so comfortable giving him an idea and letting him do the rest....he is that good. I know when Justin and I walk into the reception space, I will be blown away. Here is one of the many pictures I gave David. I wanted a southern, romantic, vintage feel. We will see what he comes up with.

Website

We came across a free option for a website through the Knot.com. We were able to pick a template, colors, and add whatever information we wanted. It was very easy...and I'll tell you Justin did it ALL. This was his baby and I am very pleased on how it turned out. Please go visit our website and sign our guestbook.

Visit our Wedding Website

Thanks for stopping by, if you have suggestions on the vendor front I am all ears. Questions I should ask, things to think about, etc.

Dress update

2010-04-01T20:39:00.004-04:00

A few posts ago I told you guys about the Brides Against Breast Cancer event. My mom was coming out to attend the event and to help me shop for my wedding dress. The weekend was huge success. I had a small entourage helping me shop and put me in dress after dress. They were a huge help. At one point or the other...they all hauled dresses, were on the floor pulling fabric down, brushing away tears, or giving a pep talk. :) They were ALL life saviors!! I recommend every bride having a shopping support system.

The event was a good time-They had the dinner tables set up like tables you would see at a wedding reception. This particular table was black and green and those are my wedding colors. Which will look nothing like this...but I enjoyed each table.

We also got to see a fashion show and enjoy a great dinner. After dinner they let us go fight each other for the perfect dress. Because we went to the VIP portion, there were only like 15 brides and thousands of dresses. One was even a Vera Wang. Doesn't every girl dream of owning a Vera Wang? I was NOT going to own it, but I got a picture snapped while I was in it...check it out below. Wearing it in real life did not feel like it did in my dreams. HA. It make me look and feel about 2 miles wide and it was like carrying a line backer. (It was SOOO heavy)

I tried on so many, but just didn't find the one. I was very disappointed, because I wanted the money for my dress to go to the cause. But I couldn't even fake it to make it. Even though I didn't leave with a dress, the event raised $35,000 between dresses and VIP tickets. So I helped in a little way.

Saturday morning early we hit the ground running. I promised I tried every style and one of all prices. ;) But none just tickled my fancy. I requested to return to a store that I KNEW carried a dress I had tried on weeks before when I went "research shopping" (shopping before my mom arrived). I just couldn't get that dress out of my head. No other dress made me feel like that dress did. So my entourage made some calls and found a local store that had it. AHHHH!!! At the time....my sister Jill was in the dressing room with me. I said, "Is everyone going to be mad at me if I pick the first dress I tried on two weeks and about 175 dresses ago?" She assured me that they would not. So I proceeded to walk out and announce that we had found THE ONE!!!

After I found the dress...

.....and a well deserved drink to celebrate the purchase.

That's to Mom, Vicki, AJ, DV, and Autumn for putting me in countless dresses, driving all over the area, and being such great shopping support!

Snow Day #2

2010-02-18T21:38:00.003-05:00

Here in North Carolina we have had a hard winter, two snow weekends. My last post was about our first snow day and this post is going to be about our latest day in the snow.

We did something a little out of the box for us and went to the local State Park for a hike, in the snow! It was just beautiful! I found us walking miles and miles and not saying a word. We were just enjoying our time together and taking in the beautiful scenery!

Take a look of our hike in the snow!

Lucy and her friend Sam Stewart ready for their snowy hike!

The beautiful path before us. Ahhh...how refreshing is this?

Boyfriend with the dogs, they really had a blast!

We walked many many snowy miles (up hill bare foot) to see this....it was so worth the hike!!!

I hope your winter hasn't been to bad. I have to admit, I am enjoying this weather....I am getting some quality time with the fam.

SNOWDAY*

2010-01-30T13:23:00.004-05:00

I'm sure like many of you... we are experiencing some winter weather. I gladly had Friday off, so Justin and I had lunch and made a list of additional goods we wanted to make sure we had. I could not be THAT person running into the grocery buying milk and bread. So I added toilet paper to the list, that is 1 thing I do NOT want to get snowed in without. :) Justin got home just before the sleet started. I had a huge pot of chili going, so we settled in and got warm!

OH WAIT!!!!!!

We don't have wine or oreos? How will we ever survive in this winter storm? So before it got bad, we made a second last minute trip to the store. This is one thing I love about Justin...he is always up for purchasing randomness at the store. On a normal day it frustrates me that he buys junk and things we do not need. But sometimes it is cute and I love him for his randomness! We left the store with: wine, lemon drops, oreos, tomato past, beer, gummy worms, and butter cookies. HAHAHAH that list just makes me laugh. So we were officially set and ready for the winter weather.

This morning we woke up to SNOW/ICE whatever you want to call it! We took the puppies out and to evaluate the situation. Take a look.......

This is Sam Stewart. He is staying with us for awhile. His Dad is in Haiti and his Mom and brothers went to visit family in Washington. We are enjoying this guy, he brings calmness to our little girl, Luc!

Here is the Luc. She loved it outside....I had a hard time getting her to stay still to take a picture. She loved eating the snow!!

Next is our little mansion in the country. I love our little house. I think it is just precious in the snow. :) We are very blessed! Family picture time.... With a dog that hates to be held and a fiance that hates pictures. But they are such great sports!

And there goes my fiance....to work! 19 days until opening day, they cannot stand to not be doing something! It takes him 15 minutes to get to work on a good day....today it took him 40. I just pray that those boys make to campus okay and that those crazy coaches make it home okay.

I hope you all are staying warm and staying home! Enjoy being snowed in and relaxing with the ones you love.

I want your help...

2010-01-24T09:50:00.003-05:00

Today we are headed to Target and Bed Bath and Beyond to finish up our registry! I thought it would be fun to hear your opinions!

Please leave me a comment (here, facebook, or email) and tell me....

What are you so glad you registered for
What you got and don't use
What did you forget to register for and ended up buying

I can't wait to hear what you guys say! I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

BID DAY

2010-01-23T09:10:00.006-05:00

Today at Ouachita Baptist University it's Bid Day!! Bid Day 2005 was a day I will never forget. I am still so excited about this day because I know all the fun things that the new girls are about to experience. All the long nights, all the best friends, all the glitter, all the events....the fun and togetherness is endless....or the next 3.5 years. They will be meeting their best friends today, and that makes me excited for them! Take a look at me on bid day.....My long time college roommate @ our Bid DayThere we are in all our glory, PC'05

One week after bid day....The first day we got to wear our letters.....it was such a big deal to us. We were so proud!

And this picture was taken Bid Day 2006....at 10:00 when the new pledges were walking across the street....we were no longer pledges and we were MEMBERS!

Can you tell the excitement?

No really, I would have been a pledge for 4 more years. I would go back and do it again today. My pledge year was the reason I got so much out of my time being an E and my time at OBU and the reason I have the best friends a girl could ask for!

Today I am going to look for my wedding dress....5 years ago I was meeting my best friends. Those same girls will be my bridesmaids.....that is what makes me excited for PC10, like I said they are meeting their best friends today....they have no idea what the future holds!! :)

I am proud to announce....

2010-01-20T19:51:00.004-05:00

Justin and I are getting married on

August 7, 2010.

Where

Anthony Chapel: Garvan Woodland Gardens
Located in Hot Springs, AR
This is one of the most beautiful chapels in the United States, as the wood and glass structure features floor to ceiling windows all the way around the building that stand 57 feet tall. The laid stone flooring and exposed wooden trusses fit perfectly with the rustic feel of the Gardens. Outside the chapel is a mixture of natural flowers, trees, streams, and creeks spanning over 210 acres, that makes for an outstanding setting for the mid-afternoon ceremony.

Party Place

The Regency Room by Belle Arti Group
Historic downtown Hot Springs, AR will be hosting our Wedding Reception. The Regency Room is still under construction, as renovation and remodeling of the space is being done by the Bell Arti Group. They also own and operate Belle Arti Italian Restaurant, The Porter House Grill, and the Porter House Club...all of these are located directly across the street from The Regency. The renovation will be completed in March, and our reception will be among the first events in the space. This historic building will provide a unique location and design for the reception and will feature a large dance floor, seating for over 200, a full permanent bar, and classic historical, and Italian decor. The reception will feature a full meal, drinks, dancing, and a night that promises to be memorable, and, no doubt, very fun.

We are 199 Days away from being husband and wife :)

Happy Birthday to my Momma!

2010-01-19T20:02:00.004-05:00

This is my mom. Lookin' good for a 58 year old. Hott Mamma!

(She is going to kill me)

So now on to more serious things. My mom is a teacher and she has been for 30+ years. She always said that she would retire when I got out of college, and she is still there, and going strong. She is a fabulous teacher. She isn't stuck in here old ways, she spends her summer going to workshops to get better, well when she isn't in the pool!! She is that teacher that truly cares about her kids. Funny story....more than one time in my life my jackets would disappear. Year after year I would get a new coats, so the collection grew. I would see one piled up on the kitchen table....and be like what are you doing with my coat? She would say...oh this little girl at school really needs it. Which is totally fine with me! I think my Dad has decided it is cheaper to give them our coats than to bring them all home. :) I did my best to be a little liar. To look my mom in the face and lie. But I couldn't, I would come home, sit on my bed and tell her EVERYTHING!!! She said I had "diarrhea of the mouth". When I sat down, I had zero intentions of telling her the details, but by the end of the conversation....she knew all the juicy goods. Looking back, I'm glad.

The #1 thing me and my mom love to do together is SHOP!!! We use to go every Sunday! A small shopping trip for us is the afternoon. It is nothing for us to be gone all day, everyday for an entire weekend. It's always great fun! My mom was like super mom while we were growing up. I was in dance, gymnastics, played softball, was in church activities, basketball, school activities, you name it...I did it. She ran us from one practice to the other, fed us in between, and made sure we had all the right stuff to do whatever it was we were doing. And some how I passed school. Whew!

You did a great job mom. I know it was a lot...but I loved it!

I wore her out!! :) 23 three years of being my mother she deserves to shut her eyes! :)
This last picture is of my mom, me and my mom's best friend DV. DV and my mom met in college, live 8 hours apart, see each other at least once a month and on most holidays, and act like sisters! They are coming to visit me in 9 days to go wedding dress shopping. I could not be more excited. I am excited they are coming to North Carolina, where I live...to see my house, to meet my fun friends, to visit my church, AND to pick out my wedding dress. It is something all moms and daughters dream about! I am very blessed to have a mom to experience this entire process with. She even has a notebook. :)

Happy Birthday Mom! I cannot wait to see you!

Buy a dress...save the tatas!!

2010-01-15T15:11:00.002-05:00

Buying dresses is not a new thing in my house. I have multiple formal dresses from one occasion or the other, but buying my wedding dress is the biggest and most important purchase of them all. The old dresses are all stored at my parents, most of them I can no longer get into, and they helped no one. My thought was, what a waste!!

Months back, a co-worker told me about a wonderful cause! It is called Brides Against Breast Cancer. In America 1 woman every 12 minutes dies and 5 are diagnosed with breast cancer. WOW! That could be my mom, sister, friend, or me. When I heard about Brides Against Breast Cancer, I knew I wanted to participate. I starting looking for their local shows, figuring out how it all worked.

Designers donate their dresses to the cause. The 500-1000 dresses are sold at a discounted rate....the bride goes home with a dress and the money goes to help someone else. I love it!

The good news is there is a show here in North Carolina near me! My mom is flying out and we are going to the VIP show.

I am currently working on my entourage. We are going to be super organized in our shopping efforts and we will be leaving with a dress. Not just any dress....a discounted dress....for a good cause!

South of the Border

2010-01-07T21:16:00.007-05:00

On the border of North and South Carolina there is a place called "South of the Border". Hundreds of miles from either side of the border you start seeing advertisements for this place....like 100+ billboards. It is fascinating. It sucks you in. Just seeing the signs makes you want to go to this place. We have passed it multiple times going on little trips and I always beg to stop. Of course Justin thinks that my begging is completely ridiculous and doesn't see my need to go to "South of the Border".....but back in November on our trip home from the beach, he caved! I just felt like this place was picture/blog worthy. Take a look at how creepy this place is....

LOOK at this sombrero tower in the middle of North and South Carolina....WHAT? It just makes me laugh.

Creepy motel on the grounds. Looks like something out of a horror flick...

EVERYTHING was shaped like a sombrero....

They call this guy Pedro on all the billboards. There were about as many Pedro statues as billboards, I kid you not.

These animal statues were all over the property. This particular zebra was purple.

And this pictures made us laugh....the Pedro's cleaning Pedro! :)

All of these pictures were taking from INSIDE the car. Justin took the exit but would have no part of us getting out at this place. This little town is a mystery. I have done a little research on this place...I want to know who is buying these signs and roller coasters. Let me hear form you North Carolinians, what is South of the Border all about?

Thansksgiving at the Beach

2010-01-07T20:07:00.006-05:00

The week of thanksgiving holds many special meanings for us. It is Justin's birthday, it is the first time in 10 months Justin gets true time off, and it is a holiday! Instead of spending our time traveling, we decided to spend it near our home at the beach! We have been fortunate enough to meet some special friends while living far from our families. Most of our friends are also far from their families as well, so friends around here are like your family. The family we spent Thanksgiving with is also a coaching family, so they really understand the need of togetherness and down time, because so much of our year is spent on the go, or separated. So we did a lot of relaxing together and it was PERFECT! Take a look at our Thanksgiving....

The Olejniczak family...

The soon to be Haire family. :) The first night at the beach we found a local place by the water. We were the only people on the deck, but we couldn't resist!

Although holidays remind us of time with our extended families, it was so nice to SLOW DOWN, stop, catch our breath, remember what it's like to spend sometime as a couple. I was very thankful for the long weekend with Justin and friends.

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving....two months ago ;)

The Best Christmas present EVER!!!!!!

2009-12-05T08:09:00.014-05:00

You wait your entire life to hear the words, "Will you marry me?" And last night that wait came to an end! After 4 years and 2 months, Justin popped the question. I'm telling you it could not have been more perfect.

Let me tell you the story.....

We had plans to go to "Historic Downtown" to enjoy the Christmas festivities. We stumbled upon this little treat last season and I have been begging to go back sense then. I am really passionate about cute, little, festive places you can make memories. This year we invited our best couple friends...The Gray's and the Stewarts. We LOVE these couples. They are in our small group and we share so many memories with them...it was perfect that they were involved. Also, my sister Jill and Vicki were in downtown. We saw them before the big moment and they rushed back over right after. I was excited they were also there to be apart of this exciting evening!

This little street town is blocked off around the historic area and have a HUGE tree they light up, all the little shops are open, Santa and Mrs. Claus are there, and they have horse and caraige rides up and down the street. Screams charming right? Here are the pictures....

The street...it was packed earlier....we closed the place down!

Anna's Pizzaria, where we had dinner!!Justin getting down on one knee.....We were supposed to be taking a family picture and I thought he was tieing his shoe. :)

**airhead** Him showing me the ring and popping the question....I am finally figuring out what is happening!!

It's true, I said YES!!! Are you shocked?

Hey Hey, I like the look of that! ;)I am THAT girl putting my hand on his chest....:)I think I was talking to my parents, I am clearly very happy!My ring! Justin told his uncle exactly what he wanted and his uncle made it. He is very talented!! It is so strange getting use to having a ring on your hand, but I think I'll survive!! ;)

YAY! We are engaged. I think this is my most favorite picture! He seems so relieved!

Thank you everyone for keeping secrets and pulling off a great evening!

Casting Crowns

2009-12-02T20:38:00.008-05:00

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to go to a Casting Crowns concert. I have been a huge fan of their music for sometime and it has been years since I have seen a Christian band in concert....like DC Talk long time. ;)

I went to the concert with Justin's boss's wife and three girls......they are such good fun people! I love hanging out with these girls! The guys were working and totally missed out.

It was so amazing to see so many people come together for worship.....not only are they gathered, but they paid $$$ to be there. It gave me a little sense of hope......that there are still people longing to worship!!

If you get a chance to see Casting Crowns, go see them, you will be so glad you did. And between them and Kelly over at Kelly's Korner....I am looking to adopt 24 children from Compassion International. They support a great ministry and I hope to one day be apart of it.

Happy Birthday Boyfriend!!

2009-11-25T08:24:00.002-05:00

Today is Justin's (Often referred to as "Boyfriend") 29th Birthday. That number seems old, but I spend time with him every day and it seems like he should be 17.

The past few years Justin's birthday has been hit or miss with us.....one of us is usually traveling because of the holidays and we have to celebrate early or never and both are just over rated. BUT....this year.....we get to spend 5 entire days together at the BEACH! OMG-right? We could not be more excited or more ready for rest and relaxation. Be looking for a blog about our trip!

You know I love lists.....so I am going to list why I love Justin....

He makes me laugh everyday. I think if we had a hidden camera on us....most people would think we were childish, yet really really funny.
He totally takes care of me. Big things or small things....he is always willing to help.
He is not a worrier. I on the other hand sweat worry. It is really nice to have a level headed thinker in our home. Otherwise we would be in shambles.
He likes and is a great cook. I struggle with this from time to time. I mess up the simplest dinners....and he just laughs, wipes my tears, and fixes and finishes what I have messed up.
He is the hardest worker I know. His work is never complete, he could always work longer or harder to get to where he wants to be. This often annoys me, but deep.....I mean DEEP down...I am grateful that he has goals and that he is willing to work himself tired to get where he wants to be. I know one day all his hard work will pay off. I hope we can start with a winning 2010 season. :)
He loves Jesus. I always wanted to be in a relationship and marry a Godly man. Justin is that person. He is encouraging, and supportive and often challenging my walk with Christ. I can honestly saw he is a Godly leader and I am glad he is leading our home.
He is a giver not a taker. He would honestly rather me have something that I want or think that I need before he gets anything! He has a HUGE heart....and I hope it rubs off on me.
He loves me when I am not so lovable. (I know some of you are shocked, that I can be...not so lovable) I can be mean, and hateful, and sometimes just hard to deal with....BUT he doesn't hold it against me....which really plays in my favor. :)
He is very intentional about communicating. It often gets on my ever lasting nerves, but once things are out on the table, I am SO glad he MADE me talk to him. It always turns out better after we have talked.
He has a shoe fetish too and I'll never have to worry about buying a pair of shoes and him being upset. :)

With all of those things said....I think I'll keep him. :)

I love you and I hope you have a Happy 29th Birthday!!

The Patch of Pumpkins...

2009-11-09T18:55:00.010-05:00

**I thought I better get this post up BEFORE it is Christmas. Welcome to procrastination station...

A few weeks ago Boyfriend and I loaded up after church and went to the pumpkin patch. I have this passion for traditions and making new memories and I hope this is something we can continue to do. I know this wasn't something that was on his top 5 list for the weekend. But he took the planning into his hands and made it happen....and for that I was pleased. As a fellow blogger, I'm sure you understand my need for "documentation". I often ask random strangers to take our pictures and don't really feel awkward about it....its for the good of our blog. :) We went to a precious place that gave you a hayride and then let you pick a pumpkin for FREE. Let's be honest you paid for the hayride...so in theory you paid for the pumpkin...but it sounded like a good deal. Take a look at our fun day....

Us gearing up for a WILD and CRAZY hayride.....(with all the children)

Meet Elsie the cow....We milked her.
You could really MILK her....Super cool thing for kids. I was fascinated!

This set up had "Kodak Moment" written ALLLLL over it.....

Here is Lucy with the my perfect pumpkin! Justin said she wouldn't sit for a picture...but I showed him. ;) ;)

I hope you are having a fabulous FALL! One fake holiday down...now on to the real ones!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy-o!!!

2009-10-23T20:09:00.006-04:00

Today is a very special day for a very special man in my life....MY DADDY!

I think every girl says this, but I really do have the best Dad. He is a true trooper. From day one he has been out numbered. He married my mom and got more than just 1 girl, he got three. Dad is a soft spirit.....when we are yelling, crying, and bickering like a bunch of crazy women....he softly says..."girls".......and we ALL know Dad means he has had enough. It is funny to me that he says 1 word and we get it.

I feel like my dad sacrifices so much for me! I'll give you an example of what I mean. I remember my freshman year of college. My parents were making a trip to my school to get my voting registration papers. My mom called and asked me to come downstairs. I selfishly asked her to come up because my toilet was clogged in my dorm. So she ran up stairs and rushed me back down. I walked outside the dorm and there my Dad was leaning up against a silver Lexus IS300....AKA the car of my dreams. He was so proud and I was so excited. My Dad makes sure everyone else is driving a nice dependable car and takes what is left. A few weeks ago he repainted his "P.O.S." to make it look a little more presentable......just goes to show he puts his family first.

I love to call my Dad and just check in on him. I'm usually calling him to apologize for being a demanding little toot when I was younger. I didn't realize how hard my parents worked to provide all the essentials not to mention all the EXTRAS!!! Now that I am a working girl, it has opened up a new appreciation for all those extras they tried to provide. I also thank him for not beating me between the ages of 14-17....I was HATEFUL and he loved me anyways. :)

I think my Dad has taught me SO many things and I have SO many memories surrounding him. I don't know about you....but I have a smell for people. My smell for my Dad is Red Man chew and body filler. HA I know that is so random....but if I every see those two things I stop and sniff them....they always take me back to my Pops.

Dad, I hope your boss gave you the day off and I hope your favorite guys at Las Palmas gave you a discount because I know you paid for your own dinner!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

My shout out to Giada...

2009-10-21T14:36:00.004-04:00

How many of you out there heart the Food Network Channel?

Pick me, I do!

We often find our self watching the FNC and have our favorites! Giada De Laurentiis happens to be one our OUR favorites.

I think Justin and I like her for different reasons. I like her because she is a really easy to watch and is good at explaining the steps to easy recipes that I will one day try.

Justin on the other hand has a "crush" and it is CLEAR why. She is beautiful! Great eyes, BEAUTIFUL smile, great hair...oh and boobs....that ARE ALWAYS hanging out of her shirt and dangling over the boiling pasta.

Don't act like you haven't notice girls! We have all noticed. If she is on the TV and Justin is home I change the channel. I really like the show....but FOR THE LOVE Giada.....you are the only woman I know that has cleavage in an apron!

COVER THEM UP!!!!!!

I realize WHY she is made to wear such things, but I hope she realizes that we want to watch her because she is talented and I hope she realizes that people are skipping over that beautiful face and smile and are focusing on that rack and I don't mean of lamb. ;) ;)

Continuation of my trip home: Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-21T12:44:00.012-04:00

We couldn't have picked a colder day....but we made the most of our day at the pumpkin patch. One of my fondest memories is of my mom dressing me up and taking me to the pumpkin patch. So while I was home I wanted to take my nephews to the pumpkin patch at Family Farm...or AKA Fantasy Farm. (they had a name change a few years back) Last year the farm decided to be open for the fall. They have hayrides around the farm, a HUGE tepee where Mrs. May often tells stories of our heritage, they have a "Hay Play" with an enormous slide, and don't forget a large patch of pumpkins! Dawson had plans, but Chase was down for being the only child....so we ventured out for some fun!

LeAnn, Mom, and Dv on the hayride CB and I all cuddled up on the hayride!

A few pictures of the farm...

This is a picture of the brand NEW building at FF. They are open to weddings, receptions, family reunions, birthday parties...you name it!!! It is a HUGE place with a fantastic view. If you are in need, let me know I'll get you in touch with the right people. :)

GROUP SHOT!!! (Yes I am in a dress at camp. I came straight from homecoming!)

CB and a camp cat.

And THIS my friends is "Momma May". She is the lady that runs this place. She has been my teacher, boss, and friend. I had a cold that day and before my mom got there Mrs. May had made me chicken noodle soup and had given me meds. She is a mother at heart and a true woman of God. She will just call me and tell me that I have been on her heart and that she has been praying for me. It is always at the perfect time. God has given her a gift. She is a true "prayer warrior". If she says, "I'm praying for you".....she REALLY is.

It was so special to be back at camp! I am a camper at heart! :)

The to do list while being in AR....

2009-10-15T20:10:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to make a trip home. It is something that I have been wanting to do and October was my lucky month. Before ever stepping on the plane my weekend was planned from the moment I landed until the very lest hour! I am a planner and planning is a MUST on a trip like this because it doesn't happen often and there are SO many things you want to fit in.

My first priority was to head straight to the dress shop and try on my bridesmaid's dress for Al's wedding in December. The place does free alterations and I needed not a one, but it was nice to have it out of the way. I am so glad that Bug and I got to do this together. We also decided that we needed one SERIOUS tan before December. We were like....EWWWW white. No worries, that's an easy fix.

Another fun thing I got to this while being at home was watch my nephews play ball. They are getting to the age where they are really getting good! (if I do say so myself HAHA)Dawson is currently playing soccer. A sport I never played (after watching I realized it is because they run too much). He did awesome. He scored the only two goals of the game. Chase has taken up flag football and man is he good. He gets so focused and has quick little feet. This is his first year to play and I would say he is on the VARSITY team. ;)

You can not visit home without visiting the salon! I have the best place. Maybe because all the girls I went to school or church with. HA It is like a big reunion when getting my hair done. April is a long time friend and now my hair stylist. CRAZY, but hey I would rather give a friend my money than a stranger. Plus we get to chat and catch up while she makes me beautiful.

Dress fitting, Ball games, and Hair were the first three things on the agenda but that only is the beginning! Check back shortly to see what else I did while I was home!!

Birthday Week!!

2009-09-25T13:37:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday week Jill and Vicki!!!!!!!!

Here is a little back ground. Jill left for school after high school and stayed away for 10 years while she got all three of her degrees. I'll brag on her a little because she worked really hard and finished with her PhD. She always had that as a goal and did whatever she had to do to get there. While finishing at the UofA she met Vicki. Whoop!Whoop!They eventually moved to North Carolina after Jill graduated and have been here for two almost three years now. I find it very cool and that out of allllllll 50 states that I ended up in NC too and only a few minutes away from the two of them. They are the best. I have mentioned it before, but they are always watching out for me, inviting me to fun things, and don't invade my space all at the same time. :)

Over the last year we have gotten to do a lot of fun things....often times I am camera-less. :( We got to experience Beer Fest, kayaking on the lake and bird watching, talks around the fire, geocaching, many dinners, Pride, dog shows, concerts, the beach trip, and many other things that I am forgetting......but they were all a blast and things I may not have thought to do!!! I have a list a mile long of things I want them to expose me to: camping/hiking, white water rafting (I have been, but I want to go with them), and BINGO night.Us at the Willie Nelson, John Mellancamp, Bob Dylan concert

Group Shot....This is the usual crew.....I heart them...even Marble and Big White Dog.

Jill and I then...... ........and now!!

GOAL: to step up our individual picture taking, and do a better job of documenting our time together!!!!!! Looks like we should go to BINGO soon...so I can get started

I really am glad the two of you live near me. After 1o years of Jill being gone, it is so nice to get to do some fun sisterly things together. I hope the two of you had great birthdays....and continue to celebrate on your wilderness adventure this weekend! I love you!!

10 Honest Things About Me...

2009-09-25T13:37:00.003-04:00

A few of my friends have done this little honest post and while I am experiencing a little blogging lull, thought I would give it a shot.

1. When pumping my gas it is a must that I land on a complete dollar amount. For example : $##.00. The .00 is crucial. I would prefer the big number to be a multiple of 10. But on a bad day I'll settle for a multiple of 5. Nothing erks me more than $40.01. I have flooded my tank trying to make it to $50.00. Seriously, this ruins my mood and sometimes my day.

2. I have never done any coloring on my hair. I'm allll natural people. HA Sometimes I think about doing a little something to freshen up my look...but to be honest I'm too cheap to keep up with a hair color....and it is something I am proud of.

3. In every bathroom except my own....I rip off the end of the toilet paper and toss it in the toilet or trash....then go about my business. That may be a little TMI....but you NEVER know whose hands were on that roll before yours....and to think you are about to put those germs on your body. EEEEW. Think about it next time you are in the stall....I bet you consider the same.

4. I don't like to read aloud. It isn't because I can't...I just prefer not to. To be as out going as I am...this is strange I realize. I think people are drawn to call on me because they think I won't mind....but NO. I have even been kicked out of a college class for saying "I would rather not." I thought I was being polite but my professor thought otherwise. It is nothing personal, I just don't wanna do it.

5. I LOVE Special K with Strawberries. You think I am kidding, but I could eat it for every meal and be so happy. I recently had a friend tell me about the off brand. I was very skeptical at first...I'm not a fan of most off brand cereal....but I gave it a shot....and I am an even bigger fan. It taste the same and it was cheaper. WOORAH!!

6. I HATE the second half of doing laundry. Folding is for the freaking birds. I love sorting laundry, tossing it in the wash then to the dryer....but then the dreaded buzzer goes off....it is like I become the laziest human on the planet....I would rather do ANYTHING than fold the laundry. If you have tips to help me get over this, please share. Blah!!

7. When I fly I give God a little shout out! Nothing too major....Just a "Hey Big Guy, could you keep me safe while I'm floating in the sky at 3000 feet?" So if you and I ever fly together...if my eyes are closed during take off...please don't bother me....me and Jesus are having a heart to heart. :)

8. Mine and Justin's show together is The West Wing. We have every season!!! The West Wing NEVER fails us. When we didn't have cable, we had The West Wing. When a storm comes and the cable goes out, we have The West Wing. When there is nothing on TV, you guessed it....WE HAVE THE WEST WING!! I think if Martin Sheen ran for president, I would vote for him.

9. The people who deal with me on a daily basis know this, the rest of you may not. I am the most indecisive person around. Decisions stress me out!! It drives Justin NUTS! I tell him he should be thankful that I'm not overly demanding and that when I have an opinion he will be made aware. ;)

10. I could live in jeans, flip flops, an E t shirt, zero make up, and sporting a side pony. THAT is perfect day in my book. :)

Whew...this was almost therapeutic! I hope you will take the time to share 10 honest things about yourself.

Happy Birthday to me....I turned 23!

2009-09-08T19:08:00.010-04:00

I turned 23 last week. It was a great birthday! I must thank many of YOU for making it great! I received cards, gifts, flowers, dinners, cake, dinners, love, a trip, calls, text and any other form of social media you can imagine. I truly am blessed with the very best friends and family on the planet. Take a look at some of the things I got in the mail....Thank you for all the love. It means SO much!

Jill and Vickie hosted a fine dinner party for me. Complete with Robin and D, and my favorite "yellow dinner". Yellow dinner includes: mac and cheese (the blue box), fish sticks, Jiffy corn bread, creamed corn and yellow cake with chocolate icing (out of the box). I promise Jill offered to make ANYTHING I wanted or to even go out....but this is what I wanted. It reminds me of my childhood and it NEVER gets old. The evening could not have been any better. Thanks girls for making my real birthday dinner perfect!

The weekend after my birthday we joined our friends Julianne and Andy in CHARLESTON, SC! It is SUCH a fun place. Justin and I called it our "weekend getaway". We picked this place to celebrate my birthday together! Justin got us a really nice hotel room. I was so excited to see the room. Check out our views....

Our view to the left.....Beautiful right???

Aaaaand our view to the right.....

SERIOUSLY? A BASEBALL FIELD? Let me tell you how this went. Just flung open the curtains to see our view and was like..."come look at this!!" So I run over and THIS is what I see. He REALLY wanted to go to the game...or at the very least see the score board...but I'm pretty sure he got the hint that I didn't think that was a very good idea. ;)

We got allll dressed up and headed for appetizers with friends and then out to a local place. This place was too cool. It had tables on the top of this building complete with lights and music, running water and a view to absolutely kill!!!! We loved it so much we stayed for dinner and the remainder of the evening!!
Me and Boyfriend :) Thank you for this wonderful trip, you are the best!
Julianne, Andy, me and Justin. We are SO glad they are back!!!!!! This was also a celebration of Andy's homecoming from Afghanistan and Julianne's visit to Washington. YAY for togetherness!Look who we ran into....Huck!!!! I knew she was in town, so we text back and forth about our plans. We were headed to the same place. How strange is it that we are in South Carolina and we see each other. I loved it. It is always nice to see a familiar face and friend! We took this picture to make our cousins jealous. We miss you KB and Rebecca!!!!

You would think this is MORE than one girl could handle for one birthday. But one week late Julianne and Autumn were set on taking me out! We picked an Indian restaurant in town and totally stuffed ourselves. HA Which made for the perfect girls night. We talked about allllll kinds of things....and it was perfect. Thank you girls for being willing to take me out. You both are precious friends!!! (3 bloggers and no camera....we stink)

I'm telling you it was an AMAZING birthday. I expected nothing and got all of this. :)

I am one lucky girl!!! Thank you again!!

We Welcome Visitors....

2009-09-02T19:46:00.009-04:00

A few weeks back Justin's sister Jen planned a last minute vacation before the kids went back to school. I was so pumped to hear they had decided to come to North Carolina! They went to the Biltmore House before making it to our house....all 6 of them. If you remember, Jen brought Stephanie and Peter back in March, but Greg, Abigail and Gretchen got left at home. We were excited to have the entire family here at once and Peter was excited about showing everyone around our house. :)

We did a few fun things while they were here. One of which was a baseball game and the other was visiting the local ice cream shop that has HOMEMADE ice cream and FREE testers. (AMAZING!!) Take a look at some of the pictures I got of the kids.

Stephanie's food pictures. She is the most fascinating little girl! She is the littlest thing and has the appetite of a 12 year old. I mean really, look at that grilled cheese...it is as big as she is.

Peter at the game. Peter fits in with his Uncle Justin and Grandfather when it comes to baseball. He really seemed to enjoy himself at the game...but could you not with that view??

Stephanie, Gretchen, and Abigail at the game!!

Group shot at Sunni Sky's on the swing.

Another group shot by the giant ice cream trashcan. Please look at Peter!!!! He did this with NO coaching. I thought it was hilarious.

I think it was a pretty successful visit. We had good family time, adult time, fun time and all went well. We love having guests, especially family!

Thanks for coming to visit us Wanings! We can't wait to see you in a few months. :)

Also.. HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY PETER!!!!!

Lucy gets an A++

2009-08-24T22:15:00.004-04:00

A little background: Lucy stays in her crate while we are away. She has a very large crate and has enough room to maneuver, but it isn't the same as being free range in the house. She had been given an opportunity to show that she was mature enough to stay out in the house about a year back....and she tore up multiple things. So she has been grounded for the past year.

We felt like it was time to see if the Luc had learned her lesson. We started off by leaving her out for short periods...like when we were gone to friends houses, church, the grocery and such. She seemed to do really well. Then we ventured to ENTIRE DAYS!!! She has been doing GREAT!!!! We are so proud of her and feel like we are better parents because she has access to her toys and her food. (neither I think she touches during the day...but I feel better!)

I'm a proud parent....I just had to gloat!!!

1 year ago....

2009-08-24T19:24:00.003-04:00

One year ago this month I left Arkansas and moved to North Carolina. I'm telling you it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my young life. Leaving the only place I have EVER known, leaving my family, animals, friends, church, all the comforts of home you take for granted. I packed up mine and Justin's car (which was a challenge) and we hit the road to NC. It was like I had the whole world in front of me. I was going to a place where 1 person knew me. I could be anyone I wanted to be, do anything I wanted to do. That was exciting to me.

God has blessed me and showed me who I really am. He has blessed me with my first job and a work place that is so unique and full of fun people. He has also blessed me with a church home where I have made friends and really feel apart. I have learned that things are not always ideal...but they will always work out. That my plan and God's plan don't always line up...but his is always better anyways. I have learned to go with the flow and trust God.

My sister is not to far away in town and she is a huge comfort. I remember my first birthday in town was only weeks after I moved. Justin was out of town....so my sister saved the day and cooked my favorite meal :Fish sticks, mac and cheese, and jiffy cornbread. She also made me yellow cake with chocolate icing out of a box=my fav! She and Vicki are always keeping me in the loop with fun things and dinner, checking in on me and making sure I know about the nearest storm. We see each other the perfect amount...we don't smother each other, but it is so nice to know they are close. :)

I think Justin and I have learned so much in this year. We have really had to rely on each other. He has been so supportive and patient. He lets me cry and yell and be anything I want to be. He is such a good listener and is always willing to help me. He also went from a dog hater to a dog lover. HAHAH Maybe not a dog lover...but a Lucy lover and that is all that matters. He set 34398309 rules when she arrived and now he is a rule breaker!!!! :) I just love him.

For the remainder of the blog I will make a list (because things are better in a list) about a few things I have noticed over the last year.....

1. I HEART Bojangles-we don't have them in AR, if you see one STOP!!!!!
2. We have BP gas stations run a muck out here. we have 1 in my home town in AR
3. Sonic is a RARE occurrence in NC. Which should be a SIN!
4. NC doesn't allow billboards. Everything is about the trees!
5. No one is from here....we are the melting pot of America I have decided. Which is nice...everyone is in the same boat
6. I miss my family-I wish they were just a car ride away...8 hours not 16.
7. People should NOT make fun of AR for being hilbilly-ish...NC is JUST as bad.
8. Wal-marts aren't in every town like AR....they are in every third town...which I think is just crazy. I'll drive three towns away just to shop at one. (sorry Autumn)
9.I only knew you could get groceries at Kroger, Wal-mart, Harvest Foods. Well I think NC has to many grocery stores: Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Lows (not the hardware store), Kroger, Wal-mart, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods.....this list goes on and on and on-ridiculous!
10. No one in the country keeps their dogs A. in a fence B. on a leash. Hacks me off! But I do, because I am a responsible parent. :)

Enough of this list. Thanks to everyone who let me go...against your will. It really has been good for me....even though I miss you terribly. Thanks to everyone who has welcomed me, you are such a blessing!

I am excited to see what God his in store for me this next year. I can only imagine what all he has to teach me over the next few years. :)

Today is ANOTHER Birthday!!

2009-08-04T20:41:00.010-04:00

Today is my oldest sister LeAnn's 34th birthday! She is the oldest out of the four of us and I am the youngest. There are 11 years between her and I.....so you can imagine....she is like another mother to me.

I remember the day she "left me". Not like on the side of the street or anything...just to go to college. It wasn't like she went to another state, she only went 40 minutes away. But I remember her telling me goodbye in the Wendy's parking lot when I was 7 years old. It was REALLY traumatic for this seven year old who slept with her sister in a day bed for MAAAAANY nights. She says I owe her for taking care of me for so many years. :)

This is me paying her back. I'm at the ball field on a rainy day to watch my nephews. :)

I owe her for WAAAAY more than that. I owe her for all the ball tournaments she traveled to, all the dance recitals, basketball camps and games, birthdays, homecomings, rides, night after graduation, Tiger Tunes shows, bang poofs, shopping trips, secrets and the ones she told....she always knows what is best...even if I don't!!!
My 19th birthday and LOTS of cries all mixed into one night...the perfect night to have your sister by your side.

I like this one sis!! An Easter Sunday....

A night out...

TIGER TUNES!!!!!!!!!!!!

She really is the best. I miss her every single day. And that my friends is impressive...we talk most days...multiple times a day. HA But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you sister.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEANN!!!!!

Happy Birthday Bubs!!!

2009-07-30T16:13:00.011-04:00

July and August are full of family Birthdays! The latest was my brother Matthew's 25th birthday. Woahhh!

We are exactly 2 years and 1 month to the day apart. (What was my mother thinking? She CLEARLY wasn't!!!) I can remember many fights, many argument, many "he's touching me!" from the back seat. Not to long ago Matt and I were loving on each other and our Mom said, "Ahh, I knew you two would love each other some day!!" Mom, it wasn't that we didn't love each other....we just didn't know how to show it. :)

Matt showing off!!! HA
Do you think we look alike?

One of his MANY Tiger Tunes appearances. :)

No shirt...and a side pony...can we say WT?

Look how BIG he has gotten!! He has been working really hard. He looks all grown up and 25.

Happy Birthday Matt!!!!!!!!

Concert at the park.....

2009-07-29T11:46:00.012-04:00

Last night we had a huge concert at work. Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Bob Dylan were in the house along with 8,500 other fans. It was a long day work wise...but it was cool to see the park transform into something much different than we are use to. My sister and a few friends acquired tickets from a friend and got to come to the show. I think they enjoyed it and I was glad they were there to chill with...(yes...I just said chill).

This picture is a view of the stage and the mass of people on the field. We stayed away from the masses of people and enjoyed our little area with a good view. :)

This next picture is of my sister Jill and our friendlies. I love having them in the area so we get to enjoy fun things together. I heart them.
(left to right you have...Jill, Me, Vicki, Diana, and Robin)

Giveaway!!!

2009-07-23T11:32:00.001-04:00

My friend and fellow blogger is doing a giveaway of such cute and stylish things...check it out at Blissfully Enamored.

Follow her instructions and you could win something FREE!!!

Weekend Trip to Ohio...

2009-07-18T15:00:00.013-04:00

Last weekend Justin and I made a flying trip to his home. His older brother Jake got married in the Bahamas a few weeks back. To celebrate and get family and friends together the families had a reception for Jake in Andrea at Justin's parents home in Ohio. They have a beautiful place with lots of land so it was the perfect place! I didn't document as well as I would have liked, but it was beautiful....there was a big white tent, lots of tables, beautiful flowers, music, dancing, and fabulous food! I think we figured up a total of 11 hours of sleep the entire weekend!!! :( We were pooped, but that was our decision and we defiantly paid for it. Enjoy a few pictures from the weekend....On the road again....I became antsy about 1/2 way. Justin thought a photo shoot would entertain me a little. I'll spare you all the photos we took. :) Justin is on the road ALL the time, it was nice to travel together for once!!! We really enjoyed our time together. This is the entire gang! Well minus 1 grandchild...but with all these people participating, that's an accomplishment! 2 parents, 6 children, 4 non-bloods, 6 grandchildren...whew that's a crowd.

Boyfriend and I before the events started. This party was "Resort Casual" He went with linen shorts and polo and I went with the linen pleated sundress. (My dress looks awkward in this picture...I promise I'm not poking my belly out.)
This my friends is from Skyline. This must be a northern thing....because we don't have it back where I'm from! BUT...it will change your life. Because we don't have it at home...we got it on our way in and out. (TO SHARE....I didn't eat this alone!)

Now that's what we call TEAM WORK people!!!!

On our way home we ran into a lot of bugs. So many...at one point...I thought it was raining. It got so bad we had to stop because we could not see...totally unsafe!!

Boyfriend so kindly cleaned half the window so I could properly document. Isn't that disgusting?

So while we were stopped...we went shopping. This is the #1 reason I love traveling with boyfriend. I like to call this our "second wind"

As soon as we got home and unpacked the car...I went and fetched The Luc. She stayed at her normal kennel. I called to check on her a few different times. She ate great during her stay and she got to play in the "large breed calm group". The calm part shocked me, but made me proud. We always hate to leave her for trips but we LOVE to get her back home!!!

All in all it was a great trip. We loved seeing family and friends!!!

CB Turns 7

2009-07-10T12:55:00.007-04:00

My baby nephew Chase turned 7 this week. He isn't a baby anymore!! This kid is a little cotton top with a fiery red attitude. He is so funny and there is always a good "Chase Story" as my friends call them. He is a true test of your patience but is such a lover. I'm not going to lie after my first nephew was a boy...I was hoping for the second to be a little girl. I remember the doctor telling us that the second baby was going to a BOY! I remember this sick feeling. (they say you could see it on my face.) My brother in law and sister decided on the name Chase. I kept telling them that it was an action verb and one day they were going to regret that name. Boy was I right....but not a one us would change that kid for a second. My most favouritest moments with him are when he stays the night. He always sleeps with me (sideways in the bed) and right before we fall asleep we talk about THE MOST RANDOM things....for example: planets..like the ones in space, dinosaurs or just life. He is so smart and is a deep thinker. I heart him if you have not noticed. :) I'll show you a few pictures of how is has grown up on me. :(

Chase at his family birthday party when he was 5 years old

Chase and Ninny day at the park after school....

Chase in his Christmas PJ's

This could be the cutest picture of all time. Chase and Tiger in my daddy's chair. When this kid is ready for bed...You will know it!!!!

Chase and Ninny this past Christmas....Thumbs up Dude...Love you CB...Happy 7th Birthday!!!

Beach+Family=one GREAT weekend

2009-07-08T17:36:00.008-04:00

My brother Matt that still lives in Arkansas has been coming to North Carolina for years to work a basketball camp in Wilmington. Now that Jill and I live here....we planned a trip down to see him while he was in town "working". I say "working" because he A. plays basketball with little children B. goes to the beach and C. Golfs.....I don't call that work...but he does. :) July 4th turned out to be the perfect weekend! Matthew's significant other Amanda flew in from AR to visit, Jill and Vicki and Justin and I drove down from our homes just a couple of hours away!

Saturday we got up and going fairly early. Jill fetched up some snacks for the beach and my new FAVORITE breakfast-Bojangles. We had a nice family breakfast and piled in the car Beach Bound!

**I would normally post a picture here, but will spare you our beautiful beach bodies**

We headed in from the beach around 2:00 because we wanted to get ready quick and beat the dinner crowd! I also learned how to use my timer on my camera-so we got a group pic.
We headed to a sea food restaurant, because that's what you do when you are at the beach. It was SUPER good. Amanda is not a fan of seafood, but she branched out and we all shared food, which I love because I always envy others plates.

The fam at dinner....I promise...I'm not THAT bunt-I was just THAT white.
Now for the couple pictures...I'll spare you ALL the ones we took, but they turned out great, so I have to share!

Matt and Amanda at dinner
Jill and Vicki at the fireworks location...Boyfriend and I post fireworks. :)
And last but not least the 3/4 of our siblings with a beautiful backdrop. We missed LeAnn and Greg a bunch. But I enjoyed the time I had with the 2 above. We honestly had a fantastic weekend. I would love to make a it a tradition!

I hope you had a Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things....

2009-06-24T15:31:00.004-04:00

From time to time I want to share a few of my Favorite things with you. I am all about "Word of Mouth" advertisement. If a friend loves it....I assure myself I will love it! Today I am going to feature 2 of my favorite things.

The first thing is a flossing tool. Strange I realize. I have never gotten a passing grade at the dentist on flossing and I am determined to get an A+ in August. This is a "Reach Access Flosser". The head on it pops on and off so you can replace it when the floss gets worn. It is easy to keep clean and fits in your tooth brush older....which I think is key to remembering to floss. You don't think of it when your floss is hidden away in a drawer. Your teeth and gums are important...don't neglect them. The second thing I want to share with you is called "Scentsy". A good family friend starting selling Scentsy products. My mom hosted a party and gave me a few things for Christmas. Between the two of them I am a proud owner of a few different Scentsy products, and I LOVE them! Do you forget to blow out your candles...or even turn them on? Do you hate the smell of dinner lingering in your house? I do to all of the above...who doesn't? This product give you a STYLISH...SAFE way to keep your house smelling good. They have SO many things to offer. Check them out, I promise you will not be disappointed! Even the men can do it ;) Boyfriend comes right in, flips the switch and our house is smelling great...Another perk...you don't have to LOOK for matches....because that would be too much effort. If you choose to order please click on the link below, the Scentsy Rep will give you great customer service on top of you receiving a great product! ORDER NOW

I hope you take the plung with these two products. We love them and hope they bring you just as much health and pleasure in your life. If you decide to buy either...let me know if you LOVED and tell a friend!

I need your help!!

2009-06-12T19:54:00.007-04:00

See this sweet face?

PSHHH! Don't even get sucked in! That tongue is hanging out because she has been HARD AT WORK! You show off your kids new tricks, art work, and newest accomplishments...well I'll show you what mine has been up to.

HOLE #1HOLE #2 Hole #3

COUNT 'EM PEOPLE 1,2,3 LARGE HOLES IN MY HARD!!!!

The smallest hole is about 12 inches deep. The largest hole is about 2 feet deep. I don't get it. She doesn't dig to get out. She just digs!!!! STRAIGHT DOWN!!!!

I think I'm going to rent her out to local pool companies. People who want pools must have large holes first and they must pay....sounds like she would be perfect for the job.

It is baffling to Justin and I, we getting frustrated and do not know what to do to stop this bad habit! Please do not think she stays outside. She is 100% and inside dog. It isn't like we leave her outside alllll day long. She goes out for BRIEF periods and THAT is what she does.

UH! PLEASE HELP!! If you have suggestions, please do share!

Wedding Weekend and Trip to Arkansas

2009-06-09T20:56:00.011-04:00

WEEKS ago I went home for one of my best friends weddings. I told you about my busy trip home, but never followed up...my bad. I wanted to show a few pictures of my trip home. Lunch with my brother, sister, and silly Daddy. Notice my siblings and I are ALL the same color...YAY for spray tans!!! PC'05 at Rachel's Lingerie Shower....She got some really cute things. ;) ;)The BEAUTIFUL bride and myself at the bridesmaids luncheonMy best friends!! AHHH I have missed them so much!!!

The next few pictures are from a family friends wedding....The Green Wedding was on Saturday night....I felt like I was running a wedding marathon! Mom and I on the way to the 2nd wedding. I was trying to help her rack up pictures on her new facebook page. :)Me and Al Pal...she is the next bride!!! I'll be making an early trip home for Christmas to be apart of her big day! I hope she lets me wear flats. :) Notice I got my hair did while I was home.....at LEAST 6 inches..."if you can't change your life, change your hair."-My new life motto.

Amanda (my brothers girlfriend), Matt (my brother), ME, and my parents...good looking crew!!

Mom and I REALLY worn out!!! HA.

I'm bound for the Natural State

2009-05-20T12:37:00.004-04:00

After I finish up day 1 of the ACC tournament here at work and set my out of office reply on my phone and email...I'm headed to the port of air. And guess what?? My sister Jill and Vicki are going to be at the airport at the same time! They are going to see Vicki's family and fly out about 10 minutes before me so I am going to try and see them off! I fly from Raleigh to Charlotte then land in the Natural State about 11:30 p.m. (Dad was excited to hear that). I cannot believe I planned this trip...I'm so ashamed...not because it was too late for the parentals but because I'll be in the stinking air when the WINNER of American Idol is announced. SOMEONE please text me when it is announced!!

THURSDAY:
I arrive late and will sleep and hit the ground running. Thursday morning I have already promised to fetch my nephews and take them to eat breakfast...then to school! (maybe a little late, that's what Ninny's are for!) After I drop them off at the school house I'm headed to get a pedicure, a spray tan, and to get my hair did. I'll be doing all of the above with my sister LeAnn who has the day off and my Momma who took half a day! Whoop! After I complete all the necessary pre wedding beautifying things...I'm going to head to Little Rock to meet up with the BRIDE!! I told her I would come and just be "available" if she needed me. THAT IS JUST THE MORNING/AFTERNOON! The evening festivities are just as busy. We have the rehearsal at the church, the rehearsal dinner at a local hotel, pick up Emily from the airport (which I'm pumped about), then head to the lingerie party! WHEW....what an evening!
FRIDAY:
We have a luncheon, hair, pictures, ceremony, and party!! THEN I'M GOING TO CRASH!!!!
Saturday: I'm going to catch as many baseball games as I can. Both boys are playing in a local tournament so that should be easy to do. Then guess what......ANOTHER WEDDING! A good family friend is getting hitched. I am so glad both these weddings are happening on the same weekend and that I get to be apart of both!
Sunday: Church and LOTS of family time.

Wish me luck and safe travels. I am excited to see many of you. Prepare to "document" everything I just blogged about. :)

Justin, hold down the fort and don't let Lucy break all the rules while I'm gone!

I can't wait!!!!!

2009-05-11T21:14:00.015-04:00

In a matter of days I will be traveling back to Arkansas for one of my best friends wedding. Rachel and Evan are getting married. We have been waiting for this day for over a year and it is almost here!

This is Rachel....She is going to make a beautiful bride

This wedding is bringing me and 7 of my most favorite people back together! I have seen all of them at least once sense I moved in August....some over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and others just a few weeks ago. But there is always someone missing at each gathering...someone is missing. At this event EVERYONE will be home and together. I am almost beside myself with excitement! I want to relive a few memories with you...

One of ALL of us at a bid day.

"Find your sister a mister"...Who needs Misters when you have sisters right!?!?

Emily, Jaclyn, and I before Barn Bash. I lived with these two my senior year.
PC Christmas party at the Fruchey's
Monica and I obviously NOT participating in Rush. We lived together for 3 years in college!!
So...We decided to put our Tiger Tunes costumes to good use and play Hockey in the dorm!!

Jenna and I at the best planned outing EVER!!!
EEE-Haw-At least when you are made to dress fugly you get to do it with friends.

Allison and I sporting our Tiger Tunes makeup out on the town.Jilly and I after homecoming chapel. She is my voice of reason.

These are just a few of my favorite people! I miss so many things about them not being around. I shall list them for you.

1. I no longer have a "date" for Grey's or AI

2. My wardrobe shrunk

3. My standing lunch date to Mariachi, The Comb of Honey, or the Tea Room has been replaced with WORK.

4. 2 am McDonald's breakfast and Mcflurries with extra flur

5. Birthday cakes from Rachel

6. Spot lighting Innocent students "parking" around town (then pointing and laughing at them while they put their shirt back on)

7. going to Dean Keldon's office to talk our way out of some vandalizing stunt

8. Being and having a "wing man"

9. Visiting Alex in Hot Springs

10. Have 7 people on call for anything you may need, want to do, or persuade them to do!

I will see your girls soon. Be prepared to sleep 4 deep so we can all fit in one room!

My Bunny Cake

2009-04-30T22:23:00.005-04:00

My Dad's mom, my Memaw Maxine has a special place in my heart and a lot of my memories are based around holidays with her. One of those holidays was Easter. Each Easter she would make a bunny cake with fur sitting in green grass. :) After she passed the tradition kind of fell apart. Last year I expressed that I was interested in bringing this memory back to life and make it a tradition again. Last year my mom and my sister LeAnn attempted the cake with me. This year I did it all by myself. Take a look at how it started and ended.

He should have PINK ears. But I opened EVERY construction paper packet the store had and NO pink paper. I was more than sad but felt like I gave it my best shot and earned me the title of "that lady" in the store. I was very proud of how my bunny cake came out this Easter. It was so cute we didn't even cut him. He just served as a counter decoration and then we tossed him. I hope you have fun family traditions. I'm a big tradition person and can't wait to have my own family to pass traditions along.

A good date with good friends...

2009-04-29T21:14:00.005-04:00

My friend Julianne was kind enough to post pictures from our date night a few weeks back, so I thought I would blog.

We decided to go on one last date as couples.....we are taking a 4 month break from each other, thanks to the Air Force. Andy was deployed on Easter Sunday and Julianne and the boys have gone back to Washington to be with her family while Andy is gone.

The four of us LOVE wings so we went to Raleigh and hit up Wing Cafe, YUM! I think between the four us we had something like 75 wings, that is some kind of serious eating. After dinner we joined the Corn Hole Tournament. The boys went ALL THE WAY....they won us a $25.00 gift card. As for Julianne and I....we entertained ourselves by talking.

It was a great night and we have some pictures to prove it....

I have no idea...they are weird :)

....and that is why they love US!!!

Group photo...I think the one is a framer.

If you would keep Andy in your prayers...also Julianne and their two boys. Justin and I have talked alot about Andy leaving. There has been a war going on for years...it has never directly impacted our lives. We have men and woman fighting for our freedom and our life never changes. Those men/ladies are daddy's, husbands, sons, brothers, wives, moms, sisters...etc and we live our life like nothing is happening. Andy is the first person we really knew to have to be deployed and it makes it more personal, it really makes you understand what is happening and how it impacts not only them but their families. It makes me very thankful and proud all at the same time.

Happy Birthday Dawson!!!

2009-04-26T09:17:00.004-04:00

On March 29th my nephew Dawson turned 8 years old. WHAT THE HECK? He is supposed to be a baby and now he is in second grade, playing pitching machine baseball, reading chapter books, and talking back to his mother. He is officially growing up. Although we talk on the phone and web cam when we can.....I was unable to make it home for his big birthday. Which doesn't seem like such a big deal to you...but to his favorite aunt who has NEVER missed his birthday (including his birth) was a tad sad. :( Take a look at how he has grown over the years.

Part II of our company the Haire and the Waning families...

2009-04-13T21:20:00.009-04:00

A couple of weeks back Justin's family came to visit us. Josh who is Justin's older brother, Nikki who is Josh's wife, and their one year old little girl Kendyl were passing through on their way to the beach. Justin's sister Jenn also decided to come the same weekend with Peter (4) and Stephanie (22ish months) If you haven't noticed the Haire family has a "J" issue. They have 6 children...all with "J" names...John David, Jen, Josh, Jake, Justin, and Jordan!! My mom couldn't get our names right with all DIFFERENT letters. HA

Anyway....the weekend was VERY low key and couldn't have been more perfect. Friday night everyone was super tired from traveling in the rain so we ordered in Pizza and headed to bed early. Justin made it home at a decent time to catch up and have dinner with us.

Saturday the Camels had games and that was going to be our "entertainment"...if that's what you call it. But like most other days this spring the flood gates opened and the field was just too wet to play. (so the Campbell staff said) I think Josh was more upset about this than anyone. We didn't realize the game was canceled because the sun was out...so we got all dressed up and drove in just to catch the team pulling the tarp. We took FULL advantage of this wide open space and the time with "Uncle Justin". Here are a few pictures of our day at the ball park on that "RAINY" day.

This is everyone minus Jen...she was taking the picture

Jen and Stephanie

Nikki and Kendyl

The little girls in front of the CU sign....

Pete and some props we found. :) Pete and Uncle Justin on the gator...we took a few laps around the field!!

Later that day we got to go out to eat and enjoy Sunny Skies....which is a famous homemade ice cream shop in town....which was FABULOUS!!!! Later that night we sat around and talked till the weeee hours of the morning. Isn't that what all families do? Sunday the Haire's got up and packed for the beach. The Waning's joined boyfriend and I at church. The kids were perfect and we really enjoyed having them as our guests. Later that day we attempted a nap but it was just to pretty outside....so we went back out to the field to play. :) Like I said, we had a really low key weekend, but it couldn't have been more perfect. Just having family close and sharing everyday things are special. We can't wait to see them again...which will be MAY!!! Just a few more weeks. :)

Blogging Goals...

2009-04-10T09:56:00.003-04:00

I promise I have not given up on Blogging. Please don't give up on me. I have a few goals I would like to accomplish here soon. I figure if I shared them you all would keep me accountable about following through.

1. The Haire Family's visit-Part II of our company
2. Dawson's Birthday
3. Opening Day Week
4. The Bunny Cake

There ya go...4 post to come!!! Get excited!!!

I'm the newest Hotel in town...would you like to make a reservation?

2009-04-05T12:39:00.013-04:00

I complain when I have nothing to blog about and I don't blog when I have things to blog about. We have been so busy. We had 8 people in our house and non stop company for 9 days. We loved every minute of it, but it was exhausting! I'll start with our first round of company and go from there....I told you that Bryan and Rebecca were coming to town. Rebecca and I had planned a number of things to do, so we had an idea of what the week was going to look like. We picked them up on Sunday and went to downtown Apex to a little Pizzeria to catch up. We knew we would have a busy day on Monday because we were going to the BEACH! Justin had to work but I took off to spend the day with our company. We headed out early and Bryan made an AMAZING discover on a billboard...a WINERY!!! We HAD to stop!! We had never been and all of us were curious. We were given a free tour and a free wine tasting.

After our tour and our tasting we had lunch at the Bistro at the winery for lunch, it was the cutest little place!! I feel sure Justin and I will go back some time, it would be a great place for a date! We had to hit the road, Rebecca was getting antsy. Although Bryan and I could have camped out at the winery....we gave in to her and headed towards the beach. My first time at a Carolina Beach...I thought it was really nice...another place I would like to go again.

The sun was out, but it was a little windy. ALMOST the perfect day at the beach. We spent a few hours laying out, taking pictures, and picking up shells...it was very relaxing! We really missed Justin...all three of us had moments during the day when we said, "I wish Justin was here!" So we decided to have a moment for Justin....We laughed and laughed about this!!!

We were over the beach and wanted to visit the Aquarium before we left the beach...

After the aquarium we grabbed a good seafood dinner and headed home. The next day we enjoyed watching the Camels play ball...they played ECU and lost by one run. It was a sad end...but one of the best games I have seen them play. The next day Rebecca and I rented TWILIGHT...it was soooooo good!! Then that night we went to a Hurricanes game (hockey) It's a big deal around here, so I wanted them to experience it. After the game boyfriend met us in downtown Raleigh for a little dueling piano action. All in all we really enjoyed having them here with us. We can't wait to see them again!!

We are so excited...

2009-03-19T20:33:00.004-04:00

Our company will be here in just two days. Rebecca and I have talked a few times this week about a few fun things we have planned. I'll lay it out for you...

Sunday: they arrive early afternoon. Justin is "off" that day. I put that in "" because we use that word loosely. Let's just hope the Camels bring home some W's this weekend so Boyfriend can spend the afternoon and evening with BJones and Rebecca. I think we are going to have lunch and dinner up in Raleigh, do something fun in between. We really want to have time to catch up and just talk.

Monday: Bryan, Rebecca, and myself are going to venture out to the Beach. Rebecca is SET on the beach, so I'm going to do my best to give it to her. We are keeping our fingers crossed for nice weather!!

Tuesday: Campbell Game Day. I'm not sure what the plan is that day, maybe just chill because it will be a late night at the field.

Wednesday: We are going to a HOCKEY game!! I don't think Bryan or Rebecca either one have seen a Hockey game. I have only been once but thought it was a good time. Plus it's kinda a big deal around here and I want to experience everything. (I'm recruiting them to move here) :)

Thursday: They have to return home. Which is sad but we have other guests coming in that same day!!!!!

Thursday (Really Late)-The weekend: Justin's brother Josh and his wife Nikki and baby Kendyl are driving in. They will be at our house through the weekend for Campbell's Games. Then they are headed to the beach. (Be Jealous, I am) Justin's sister Jen is in limbo if she is coming along. She is trying to see what the weather is going to do before she drives all this way with 2 kids. She could be bringing Peter and Stephanie along, her big girls will still be in school.

I can't tell you how excited we are to have family and friends here in our home for the next week. It will be a tad stressful juggling work and quality time. But we are very fortunate to have people that love us and are willing to travel to North Carolina to visit us. Especially to watch Justin's team play. Not many people understand the time commitment Justin puts toward his job or ever get to see the outcome of those hours. So the fact they are willing to come and WATCH him coach first base is really cool.

I will document these visitors and our fun times together. Look forward to many pictures!! :)

I kissed the cook....

2009-03-14T11:35:00.002-04:00

I didn't really kiss him, but I wanted to. My biggest disappointment with moving to North Carolina is the BBQ. Around here they use a VINEGAR based sauce and it is DISGUSTING! For the past few Fridays my office has ventured out to find good southern BBQ, but I always leave disappointed. Nothing lives up to the tomato based sauce from home. You have to understand in my family we eat BBQ at least once a week.

Last night Boyfriends game was canceled so we went to dinner. He chose Howard's BBQ. It is a favorite of his staffs and they get all events catered through Howard's. But I had not gotten to go and pick what I wanted for dinner or try his famous SWEET SAUCE! I ordered a regular chopped pork sandwich with fries (healthy I realize). After receiving my food I had to ask to get the sweet sauce. I tried it out on a french fry before drenching my sandwich....I have ruined one to many dinners that way. I think Justin saw my face light up!!! It was so good you guys. I ate and ate and ate, we were so full! I had to express my thanks to Mr. David the owner and famous cook of Howard's BBQ. I told him of my many disappointing BBQ meals while living in NC and he said he could get me a jar of that sauce, I almost kissed him! Then I text my Daddy to tell him I was staying in North Carolina because I found good Barbecue!!! :) It was almost a deal breaker and I'm not kidding. :)

What a week...

2009-03-04T20:16:00.003-05:00

I have been such the blogging slacker. But I'm back and ready to update you all on what has been happening the past few weeks.

Baseball season is here in full force! The Campbell Camels started February 20. Justin's dad came down from Ohio to surprise us for Justin's opening weekend. I had a feeling he would pull a fast one on us and show up. We were hoping he would stay with us, but I think he enjoys a quiet hotel room. But we really enjoyed him while he was here and can't wait for him to come back! Justin is on a road trip as week speak. He left a week ago tomorrow and will not return until Sunday. This will be the longest road trip this season and thank the good Lord for that.

I love to think that I am an independent person and don't rely on others for much. But lets be honest with one another.....I RELY ON JUSTIN. I haven't slept well, eaten well, or woken up on time in a week. I get in bed and hear the wind blow and hear every car that drives by. I have been up later this past week than I have been in months. For dinner one night I had rice, wine, and girl scout cookies. Boyfriend cooked homemade spaghetti sauce and meatloaf before he left. That way I have a few things in the fridge to fall back on. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not so much the cooker. I often forget about items ON or IN the stove....this ALWAYS ends up with smoke, fire, my smoke alarm blaring, my dog freaking out, and my house smelling sick nasty. He tries to avoid all of these things and was attempting to take care of me. I try to change up the pace from night to night....so last night I had apples and peanut butter. Do you see now why I need him home? And as far as getting up late....me and the alarm have a love hate relationship. I don't know how to work it. So this week I haven't been up on time once....Lucy has been a big help in that department.

I'm just so ready for my life to be back in order. I want to sleep well, eat well, Justin to take the dog out in the cold ;) and have my friend back. When he travels we don't talk much. He is worried about 35 other people....feeding them, making sure they are up on time....all the things he does for me....so I'm beyond ready to have him home! Can you tell? HA

However I'm very proud of his team and his work...they are off to a fabulous start 8-1. They play Friday and Saturday this week...then home for awhile.

While they are home...we have a few people coming to see us. WE LOVE VISITORS! Bryan and Rebecca Dawson-Jones are coming to visit!!!! We cannot wait. Bryan is Justin's best friend and Rebecca is my cousin and they are married. We love love love them and miss them so much.

They are our preferred double date:)

Post Script: When Justin's Dad came to visit us he brought us the 10 boxes of Girl Scout cookies we ordered from Justin's nieces. Let me just tell you...I'm not territorial about anything int he pantry...but if you touch the purple box...we WILL have words. I hope you enjoy your cookies and savor each cookie like I do. :)