It Just Keeps Gettin' Better

Please don't roll your eyes at this post! This is a real blog where I talk about real things. And I just have to tell you that it REALLY does just keep getting better!

We just celebrated our 4 month anniversary! Like I'm sure I stated in earlier posts, I'm reverting back to high school dating days where we celebrate each month until our first year anniversary! And then I'll stop. Maybe.

We both were apparently thinking the same thing this time and both gave each other sweet cards. Every month has been a little bit different celebrating and it's been fun.

We went to eat at O'Charley's since I had a gift card from one of my student's to use {can you believe it, Mom, that we let that one go for so long?!}. And then came my reasoning of why this marriage thing keeps gettin' better.

Reason #4,568 of why I love my husband: our in-depth, hilarious, meaningful, amazing, deep, wonderful, real conversations.
I like to refer to these our patio talks, because it seemed like we'd have these wonderful conversations mostly when we were sitting on my patio when I lived at Merrick. We'd sit there for hours and just have the most meaningful conversations. Well just because I don't have my Merrick patio anymore doesn't mean those have stopped. They happen often on our new patio as well as in the kitchen, in bed, and on date nights.

At O'Charley's we ended up being there for way too long just talking and having one of those patio talks. It's so amazing the way we work together. It seems so easy to open up during these times, feeling unguarded, to discuss anything and everything. And my husband talks! I'm so thankful for that. For not ever feeling like he's not opening up or I'm talking too much. It's sooo nice to feel that {especially when you've had the opposite happen!}.

I also want you to know I'm not taking any of this for granted. I had my times with being single, and being with the wrong person, but it's so nice to be able to finally reflect on those terribly hard times to know this is what I was getting ready for!
*Hebrews 13:5, I will never fail you, I will never forsake you*
Have a great weekend!

Me in a Book Club??

I've never been much of a reader. I think it's because I read slow, get ADHD when reading, and have to re-read material over and over again to understand what I'm reading. Therefore, TV keeps my attention more!
{But don't tell my students, I pretend I read all the time for their sake.}

Well anyways, my group of friends from college started a Book Club this summer.
{To my husband's surprise he stated, "since when did your friends read books instead of drink martini's together" in which my response was "when we started checking the 26-30 box on our taxes and realized drinking makes us fat"}

I read the first book, The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, for the June club but wasn't able to make it! This time around it was this book:
{I didn't read it, whoops}.

So ~ We met at Ann's beautiful home last night and I attended my first book club. I felt very mature and adult-ish. The book they were discussing was anything but that! HA! It sounded like a crazy book, but if you watch Chelsea Handler on her late-night show, she is crazy!
Ann had lots of yummy food for us and a delicious drink she made from Tastefully Simple mix. YUM!
{the cute hostess, Ann}
{the girls + baby Grady}
{Grace - who also didn't read the book! - wore fake glasses to look the part!}

So I guess this is more of an excuse to get together once a month, but I think I'm going to love it! I'll really, really try my best to read the books, but as you know I'm still reading these books, so we'll see! The thing I love about it best is it's the same day of the month every month - perfect for planning! I'm going to host October and I'm so excited! I love a reason to host a good party!

*Hopefully by then I've found the perfect curtains I've STILL been looking for*

PS- All the girls are getting on Good Reads. If you're in to reading, you'd love this site!

Vacation in Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our Family Vacation to Hilton Head Island where my MIL lives. We planned the vacation around when Brian's sister and her family was coming so we could all spend a week together since everyone lives in different states.

But first Brian and I went to Savannah, GA for one day. We left after work on Friday and drove to Columbia, SC, and then woke up early to drive to Savannah. Although we didn't do a lot of sight-seeing in Savvy like last year, we spent our day on River Street and it was so much fun! We always seem to meet people on vacay's after a few drinks! We met some fun guys who had just arrived in the States after serving in the Army in Iraq, and then met a neat couple who the guy was a pilot and the girl was from the Netherlands! We ate pizza and listened to live music with them later in the night!

Then we drove to HHI and spent a great week at the MIL's home laying by her pool, going to the beach, eating yummy meals, and hanging out!

{In Savannah}


{MMMM fried pickles!}







{In Hilton Head Island}
{MIL's Home}



{Lowcountry Broil! I've been wanting to try this for a while!}

The Craft Store

I'm working on a few new items for the fall and Christmas! Check back soon!

Unfortunately I had to include a Copyright on the site.

Just as I site cute things I find, please site cute things you find there or copy from there! :)

The Craft Store

Ramblings &Thoughts

Since I didn't blog last week, I've got lots of thoughts to catch up on!

First ~ I need a new blog name. Get bored much? Yes, that's me. I get over things quickly {as you can tell I've changed the blog background and the header about a zillion times in a few months}, and need a new blog title. I'm over this one. Any suggestions???

Second ~ Oh Carrie Underwood. I think she's gorgeous, but I was SO disappointed in her wedding dress choice. I know, I know, it doesn't matter one bit if I liked it or not, I was just hoping for something a little more classier on her than the look-like-a-stripper-corset on her.

However, I LOVED her reception party dress. Hey, she's got the money to wear two dresses in one night!
{I'd love to add photos and the BB isn't letting me!}

Third ~ The Hubby and I are BABIED-OUT. How do I know this? We spent our entire date night at Puccini's discussing babies, baby names, and parenting. Too much time with our sweet nephews I think. :) Poor B came home and said "OH MY GOSH, we talked kids the whole time. We need a break." Okay, we're taking one now. However, in that conversation we FINALLY agrees upon names we'd like together {of course look back at number one, I will get bored of those names by the time it happens I'm sure! haha}, and timing of when we'd like to start praying about starting to get preggo.
NO MOM, IT'S NOT FOR A WHILE. :)

Fourth ~ Here are baby names I wish someone would use because I LOVE THEM and they were all vetoed QUICKLY. {this is before number three was over!}
Kennedy, Lincoln, Henry, Ellenor
B says he doesn't understand my love of old names and political names since I'm not political at all. Who say they have anything to do with politics?!

Fifth ~ I NEED a sewing machine. Ok, I WANT a sewing machine that can also monogram. Can't you imagine the money I'd save from paying someone else to monogram stuff for me? I could make baby clothes for friends, decorating items for the home, etc. However, B keeps reverting me back to numero uno. He's afraid I'll get over it and won't make any money off of it. Touche.

Sixth ~ I have to go back to work VERY soon. It makes my stomach cringe. I need help, obviously. Is it the unpacking? The planning? The world of unknown kids I'm getting? The excessive not-good-enough people in education feel? Not sure. I do know I'm about to have to start my chewable Pepto-Bismal routine daily again. Boo :(

Seventh ~ I have to go and get my ring sized bigger. I can barely get it off and sometimes I wake up at night and my ring finger is asleep! I'm afraid it's going to fall off! Bad news is the stinking people at the jewelry store TOLD ME I'd gain weight after I get married and shouldn't get it sized so small. Dang it. They were right. :(

Eighth ~ My sweet husband is moving today while I clean and start on laundry inside. It's about 97 degrees outside. I think he wins for worst job. He's also mowing with a mower that stops EVERY 5 minutes. No exaggeration. AND he's mowing the dumb neighbor's yard because they haven't mowed since they moved in {about 3 weeks now} and they have sunflower weeds growing. He's much nicer than me. I was going to call and complain to the city on them on Monday. I guess I can't now... I just walked outside and told him we could use the left-over vacation money to purchase a new mower. You should have seen his sweet face. I guess there goes Chicago in October! Oh well, maybe I'll get some more wreath money before then!

OK, promise to have pictures of the trip in my next post. :) {But now sure how long that will be since my computer has a virus :( and those of you who have BlackBerry's know the internet isn't that great!}

I've missed you, Blog

I'm back from my wonderful family vacation and my a-little-over-a-week-long sabbatical from the Internet {blogging, Facebook, etc.}.

That's big for me.
I spend a lot of time on the computer, and I remembered how freeing it was not knowing/stalking what was going on with the world on our honeymoon, so I decided to take a break again this past week.

But I'm glad to have it back. :)

We just made it home from HHI tonight, so I don't have pictures to post just yet. I can't wait to share them though!

I'm also excited to do some more decorating in our home and got some great websites from the MIL I'll share with you.

But yes, I've missed blogging. I've come to really enjoy writing on here! When I was younger, I used to love to write. I remember making up fiction stories all the time. I even have 2 books I 'published' in our elementary library that a teacher had found and given me when I started working at that school a few years ago. In high school, I remember writing a book of about 6 poems and having my English teacher write how talented and thought-provoking she thought they were.
Then I went to college. My freshmen year English teacher TORE ME APART and I cried in her office. I know - horrible. I quit writing.
So here, I like to use poor grammar, start my sentences with AND, and use run-on sentences. Because I own this thing. :)
So anywho, off my short soapbox; this is such an easy and fun way of keeping all our family and friends up to date on what we're doing!
Why do you blog?

Off to eat some non-seafood...Puccini's PIZZA! YUM!

Mix Tape

Although I did not discover him, a new favorite on my ipod is Corey Smith. He's like a Pat Green + Jimmy Buffet mix {I think}. I first heard of him when my friend Mandy was getting married. They danced to one of his songs for their first dance. So the other night B and I downloaded LOTS of his songs. Pretty good, you should check him out! We also downloaded the top 10 list off The Beat. If you're from around here, you know what I'm talking about. Lastly we downloaded some Hillsong. I mean what? Yea, good thing we both love ALL different kinds of genres. And why did we feel the need to stay up until 11:30 on a week night to download music?
BECAUSE WE'RE LEAVING for vacay!! {and driving!}
How fun! I mean I don't want to brag...but...we already had our awesomeamazingwonderful honeymoon *almost* 4 months ago ~ and now we're getting to go to Savvy and HHI for a week! We'll be visiting with the in-laws who live in HHI permanently {how great, right??} and B's sister's family. I'm so excited!

We're going to visit Savannah for about a day and a half on our own and I'm sure go back to where we got engaged for a little sentimental moment.
Little Memory Lane...
{YAY! Showing off my bling}

{Tybee Island, where B proposed}

{I was so in love with my ring and the thought of being engaged, I liked taking silly pictures to show it off!}



If you've never been to Savannah, it's a great trip to take. People comment that it's like Charleston. And while I wouldn't go as far to say it's as great a Chucktown, it is beautiful, southern, and has a heck of a fun strip called Bay Street. We're looking to do a Ghost Pub Crawl on Saturday night. Can't wait for that!

I'll try and blog a bit while we're there...but check back next week for some great photos I'm sure!

Jordan ~ enjoy our home while we're gone!! :)

Sweet Southern Gentleman from the Big Blue Nation

Lexington, Kentucky; of course :)
OK, over on Kelly's blog her SUYL is all about our sweet single guy friends. I was so excited about this! My husband's best friend, Adam, is SUCH a great guy. And the best thing is...he's single!

Adam and I were friends well before I knew of or about Brian, which is why I think I've always liked Adam so much. We've got our own friendship with roots without my husband. You married ladies know what I'm talking about. Some guys will always be 'my husband's friends', but with Adam, he's both our friends.

Adam's got a great J-O-B, which I KNOW is high on the list. :) He's also a great Christian guy. As my dad once stated, it's really hard for single guys to attend church on their own...something I always had to remember during my dating years when I'd ask where a guy was a member of a church. But Adam takes it all in and attends our awesome home church on his own or invites his buddies. That's something to say.

He's also really, really funny and I promise you'll never get a dull moment with this one. That's kind of nice especially during those awkward first date moments. :)

He loves playing sports, watching sports, and is a great golfer. {and although an avid UK fan, he also loves UNC basketball}

Lastly, he's actually a very thoughtful and sweet guy. {He might kill me for that one} Adam was SO AWESOME during all our wedding festivities, during all the years before B and I met up, and still is now. He continues to hang out with us even though we're a 'married' couple, he's always asking B and I to do things, and he's always there for either one of us.

So why is this great guy single? In my book, his heart hasn't been ready yet, and God hasn't introduced him to a girl that's perfect for him yet. Could it be you?? :)



Feel free to leave a comment, your blog address, your email, or email me! :)

Give-Away Winner and This & That

Give-Away Winner ~ Amanda!! I looked at the ones place on the visitor counter and it was a 5. The 5th person on the followers was Amanda! YAY! :)
Thanks for following us!
*******************
Also...I've been decorating a bit, and although I'm not over my slump I talked about here, I've added a bit to the home. I'm still trying to decide on the curtains...
But here's a few new things!
{horses I found that hang on the wall in the half bath downstairs}

{I added the cute Keeneland platter to our bookshelf. I think it helps balance the horseshoe wine holder and framed photos}

{Oooh, the pineapple. I've been searching, and I mean SEARCHING to find someone to cut me an outline of a pineapple shape from wood so that I could spray chalkboard paint on it and hang it on the outside of my pantry door. But BOO I just couldn't find what I was looking for. So I've settled for this little guy - which is of course from my favorite Specialty Store in Lex}

{YAY YAY YAY!} I am very proud of this! It doesn't seem like much, but it's taken me a while to figure out what to put above my kitchen cabinets. I'm so crazy about what I like and dislike about items placed there. We even thought about paying for the upgrade to have to cabinets reach the ceiling because I knew this would be an issue for me, but then realized I wouldn't be able to reach the bottom of the cabinets so that would be sooo annoying! I'm not big on the traditional~plates on stands, fake plants, etc. It looks great for others, but I'm just not a lover for myself. SO, I found this wonderful find of heavy iron detailing and the size was perfect!

Our wedding flower has also FINALLY bloomed! Mom brought this as a gift one of the first times she came over. I call it our wedding flower because it's what we used in our wedding and the ONE thing I always knew I wanted!