For my big sis

I wanted to write a special post for my sister's birthday, but I was out of town with no computer access for the actual day. So I'm a few days behind, but as the cliche goes... "better late, than never."

Anyone who has a big sister knows what an inspiration they are in your life, and that's definitely what Beka has been to me. I've found myself at various points in my life where I'll look to her and her life for wisdom on what to do. And I'm always asking for her advice.

Beka's the type of person who really would do anything for you. You need somebody at 3:00 in the morning and she'd be there. If you need somebody just to vent to on the phone, she's there to listen.

She is such a strong woman and has been through some things that I can't even imagine, but she always handles them with such grace. She's one of those people who truly can make the best of something where others may fall apart. When the economy went downhill and her company closed, she started her own design firm and now has created a successful business in the midst of a recession. I mean, who does that??

Not gonna lie, I'm a little envious of her life. She's constantly surrounded by such beauty, not only from within but also in the things she does. I wish I was as good as she is at taking something mundane and turning it in to something beautiful.

So, Beka, I love you. Thanks for being the best big sister ever! And I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

The week before Thanksgiving

Can I just say how excited I am about the coming week?? I think what I'm most excited about is the food! First of all, of course we have Thanksgiving next week and I am a very big fan of Thanksgiving. I mean, a holiday that revolves entirely around a meal? Can't beat that! Plus, this year, Jarrod and I will actually get to enjoy two Thanksgivings. In an effort to coordinate among the Lindseys, Hugheses and Fryes, we decided to have dinner with my parents on Friday. So this means we get to have a full Thanksgiving meal two days in a row. Last year, we had the two back-to-back, so you don't get to really dig in at either of them.

I love the preps and everything. And my sisters and I decided years ago that someday when we're the ones hosting the family dinners, we'd each take a meal. Beka took Christmas, Hannah took Easter, and I got Thanksgiving! So I always go over to my parents' house a day or two before Thanksgiving and help get everything going. We make the stuffing, so it's prepared to actually stuff the turkey. I made the sweet potatoes last year (complete with pecans and brown sugar!) And making dessert is always fun, too, but let's be honest, dessert is great, but it's not the highlight of Thanksgiving. I often don't leave much room for anything after dinner.

But even not counting Thanksgiving, I've got some good eating plans this week. I'm going to give my first go at making crab legs. They seem pretty easy. You just have to steam them, so we'll see how that goes. Plus, I noticed that filet is on sale this week, so I may pick up a couple of those to throw on the grill, too.

I'm also really looking forward to tomorrow night because we have tickets to go see STOMP with a bunch of our friends. And I bought these right when they went on sale so we literally have 5th row, center seats. We've never all gone out to a show, so I'm looking forward to doing that together. I've also always wanted Jarrod to see STOMP since I think it's a show he'll really enjoy and maybe he won't turn his nose up at theater as much.

And to top it all off, even though I do have to work Thanksgiving morning (the life of a broadcast journalist), I have a five day weekend starting at 12:30 that day. I'm excited to have that time to spend with my family and friends and... start decorating for Christmas!! Next Friday and Saturday, IT BEGINS!

Engagement Party Success!

I threw my first engagement party this weekend. Well, I had a lot of help. It was actually hosted by 3 of us and we held it at Jarrod and my house. Whew, it was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun and totally worth it in the end.

As I've said before, we threw the party for my brother-in-law, JT, and his soon-to-be wife, Alysia. They actually got engaged back at the beginning of August, but we hadn't had to chance to really celebrate it and mark the occasion.

Emily, Sarah and I decided to do a fun Italian theme and we set up cafe tables with wine bottles as candle holders and vases.

We decorated with gerber daisies because they're Alysia's favorite.

I also borrowed some fat Italian chef' decorations from Jarrod's mom to put around the kitchen.

We cooked up some Italian appetizers like bruschetta and pepperoni poppers (those are authentic Italian, right?) and had baked ziti and chicken alfredo for dinner. And! Alysia's mom is a cake artist and made these amazing cupcakes!!

Each one had its own engagement ring on it! And they were in fabulous flavors like funfetti or filled with pudding!

We ended the night with a bonfire out on the deck, which was great to just sit around for a while with some of our best friends.

It's quite an ordeal hosting a party for 25 people, but I think the three of us really pulled it off. As far as I'm aware, everyone had a good time and the food all turned out pretty good. I know we didn't have a ton of it left. However, I will say it will probably be a while before I host something this big again. Yesterday morning I woke up having a slight panic attack about getting everything ready and by the time we got a couple hours into the party, I was so tired I could hardly stand.

But I am glad we got the opportunity to do this. We all love JT and Alysia and wanted to show them how much we appreciate them.

So congratulations, you two! Can't wait to add another Mrs. Hughes to the group!!

Happy Birthday, Hannie!

Today is a special day for a very special person. My little sissy turns 22 today. It's strange watching your little sister grow up, because, that's exactly how you think about her: she's you're little sister and she's supposed to be, well, "little." But now she's growing up to be such a beautiful woman. She's in her final year of undergrad at UNCW, studying behavioral psychology (I think...? Well, it's some sort of psychology!) and pretty much ready to go conquer the world.

In all honesty, I envy her a little. She's fearless and carefree, never met a stranger, knows what she wants and goes after it. She takes advantage of every moment and doesn't let anything hold her back. Someday, she's going to have to best stories to tell her kids about when she was their age. (Or perhaps those are the sort of stories you DON'T tell your kids.)

I still remember the days of teasing her and sending her to do all of our "errands" that we didn't feel like doing or talking to people that we didn't want to approach. She and I were definitely not the best of friends growing up. In fact, we hated each other. She bugged me and I was mean to her. When Beka went off to college, she actually told my mom that she was scared of me because Beka had always protected her. That's pretty intense. But actually, after Beka went off to college, both of us grew up and we became really good friends.

My biggest disappointment now is that I don't get to see her more often. But she's in school taking like 18 hours of class on top of holding down 2 jobs and an internship (or something equally as crazy) and it's difficult for us to just pick up for the weekend and go to visit someone, especially with having a dog at home now. But I'm very excited that I get to see her this weekend! I'm taking a day trip with my parents out to Wilmington to hang out with her for a few hours to celebrate her birthday. I'm so excited! I don't know that I've actually hung out with her since Beka's wedding. That's way too long.

So, Hannah, here's to you. You are so beautiful and inspiring and I'm so proud to have you as a sister. I hope today and this year bring you that much closer to your goals and dreams. I know you'll accomplish whatever you set out to do. Happy Birthday, love!

A day at the outlets

I had so much fun outlet shopping with my sister yesterday! I had the day off so I figured, why not hit up the outlets when they're not so crazy like they are on the weekends?? I knew I needed a new pair of black heels, but otherwise had a little money to spend how I wanted.

As I look ahead to the weather coming this weekend (and the 60-degrees!!), I'm trying to really enjoy these final days of Summer and being able to wear sundresses and flip-flops. It was the perfect day to be outside at the outlet mall. I would've been fine just walking around, sipping smoothies and window shopping. But of course, you can't leave the outlets without picking up a few things.

I got some cute winter/work dresses from Banana Republic, but my favorite find were these Betsey Johnson shoes from Off 5th Avenue. $36, thank you very much!

Wedding Picture Fun!

I got to relive my sister's wedding a little today. Beka's pictures were posted yesterday by the lovely Nancy Ray. I had so much fun going through them. I remember all the fun of getting ready with everyone (even though I had a bit of a rough time because I forgot my shoes!) and taking lots of pictures and feeling goofy when Nancy tells you to "look at each other and laugh." We had a great time dancing the night away and watching Nate teach us all how to Dougie.

I love the emotion in my dad's face as he danced with my sister and seeing how proud my mom looked. I love the pictures that capture my sister and Nathan looking at each other with so much love. I love the pictures where the person obviously didn't know their pictures were being taken. I love the ones of baby Jordan! And I love the crazy ones of us dancing and well, just being crazy.

I know I've missed some gems in there, too, and I'll come across them later and get to reminiscing all over again. I picked out a few of my favorites. I tried to narrow it down, I really did, but it's the best I could do! So enjoy! You can take part in the fun, too!

A bouquet of newly sharpened pencils

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."
-You've Got Mail

Ok, so it's not New York and it's not quite fall, but I still love this line. This is how I feel about Back to School day. Going back to school makes me want to buy pencils and notepads and erasers! (I'm such a nerd, I know.) I miss that excitement of the first day. You're excited about seeing everyone and how they've changed over the summer. You spend hours picking out your best outfit for that first day. You look forward to seeing what the teachers have planned for the year. However, that's about where it stops. Once that first day is done, it's time for summer again! 

My wonderful cousins started school today for the first time in North Carolina. I'm really excited to catch up with them this weekend and hear all about it! Mariah started her first day of high school. I can't believe how grown up she is! That first day of high school was so BIG. Even though it wasn't quite as big of a deal for me as for others since I was in the same school as I was in middle school. But 8th grade was such a hard year for me since I was sick, so being in high school was a time to start over. Taylor began 7th grade today and Katherine started 4th grade. They are all growing up so fast! I'm so glad that they're here now so I can be a part of it. 

But I miss that excitement of starting something new. I love starting new things. Having a chance to reinvent yourself. That's what each new year always brought. That's what going off to college meant. That's what starting that new job did. I haven't had that feeling in a while. I've taken some big new steps, like getting married, but I don't consider that in quite the same category. I don't feel that you "reinvent" yourself when you get married, even though it is an exciting new stage of your life. It makes me really want to find something truly "new" to start. I guess for now, I'll have to live vicariously through my cousins... and take a stroll down the school supply aisle every now and then.

To Beka and Nate: A Toast

Sister, to you I raise up a toast
Because you’re the one I look up to the most.

You weren’t too happy when I first came to the house.
She used to pinch my cheeks, even pushed me off the couch.

But things are different now that we’re grown,
And you’re one of the best friends I have ever known.

When we were young, you always played the lead.
So Nathan, beware, that’s something she won’t likely concede.

And then came the years of Super Nintendo and bikes
Of capture-the-flag and telling Hannah to take a hike.

If you're privileged enough to sit at our family table
You'll probably think we're crazy, maybe a little unstable.

We laugh and joke and finish each other's thoughts
It drives our grandmother crazy. She says, “That's not how you were taught.”

All through my life, I’ve realized a lot
I ask, “What would Beka do… if she were in this spot?”

That's led me many places, some bad, some good.
But I know so much of who I am is because of you.

You were such a support when I was in your shoes.
No wedding planner could’ve been as good as you.

We say there's a FRIENDS reference for every part of life,
So after today “you'll never be a bride again, you'll just be someone's wife.”

Nathan, I’m glad to have you join our clan.
God knows the Lindsey crew could use another man.

And while I know you went to NC State,
I have to say “Carolina Rules!” Sorry, Nate

But now to some more serious stuff.
I’ll try not to cry, but it’s gonna be tough.

So love her, protect her and say nice things.
She loves a kind word… and a little bling.

So, Beka as you exchange your Lindsey for a Frye
Know that no one is happier for you, than I.

So once again, I raise my glass
To the best sister for which I could ask.

Here's to love and joy and a life that is great.
Here's to you, Beka and Nate.

2 Days!

My big sissy gets married in 2 days! Cannot begin to say how excited I am... and how busy! This week has already gotten crazy. I met up with the fam yesterday to put some of the centerpieces together (They look great, by the way. And now you know that they were personally made by us!) along with some other bits of the decor.

We'll be heading back over there today to actually set some of it up. I believe the tables should already be in place, so we'll be making sure they all look good and coordinating the table numbers and seating arrangements, etc. It's been a lot of fun getting ready for this wedding, I think because it's for someone that I love so much and I get to be really involved, but I'm not dealing with the stresses of it being my day. Also, my wedding was the first wedding I'd ever been in, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Now, 3 weddings later, I'm a seasoned professional (or whatever).

But following the set up today, I still got mani/pedis and dinner with the fam and the luncheon tomorrow and rehearsal in the evening, not to mention several errands that still need to be run. When will it all get done? I have no idea, but it will.

And somewhere in all of this, I still have to finish up my toast. I've gotten a good bit of it written, but I need to do some fine tuning and add a few more things to it. I've something special up my sleeve and I'm super excited and super nervous. I'm not the best public speaker. In fact, sitting here right now thinking about it, I just got butterflies in my stomach. Will definitely need a little wine beforehand to help calm my nerves!

It's probably going to be too crazy to do any more posts over the next couple of days, but I'll be sure to give a wrap up after the event. Can't wait!

Florida Family

Well, I didn't quite make it on my posting everyday, but that's OK. I had a very full day yesterday, between work and then meeting up with the Lindsey clan at the mall to shop for my little sis, who I haven't seen in over a month because she's been off gallivanting around the Caribbean (and getting school credit for it!)

It's nice having the whole family here. Sometimes you get so busy with day-to-day life that you miss out on opportunities to hang out with your family, so I'm appreciative to have this time with everyone. Plus, my awesome cousins are in town from Florida, so that makes it even more fun.

Karen is beautiful and awesome. She's someone I really admire and is such a wonderful mother. She's also great to talk to over a glass (or 3...) of wine or a margarita!

Mariah is growing up so fast! She's headed off to high school after the summer, but I still remember dressing her up in our old dance costumes when she was like 3. She's grown into a beautiful young woman.

Taylor is my guy. He is so much fun to be around, even when he sucks Jarrod into some zombie-shooting PlayStation game. He actually spent the night with us the other night and we watched "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and the next morning he helped Jarrod hang a new ceiling fan in our office. He's so handy!

And Katherine is such a cutie. She's always wears the most fun, colorful outfits with a fabulous headband or flower in her hair. She's pretty quiet when you first meet her, but not for long.

So seriously, it's pretty much my favorite time of the year whenever they come to town. If you remember, Jarrod and I made a trip to see them in March. Here's my post from that trip. We'd like to make that an annual trip, because seeing each other only once a year is simply unacceptable. (We're working on convincing them to move to Raleigh!)

Bacheloretting

Well here we are hardly a week before my sister's wedding. It's been a crazy couple of months with everything going on with this. I think I've been busier with this wedding than I was with my own. Is that normal? Perhaps it is, sometimes. But if there's anyone in the world that I want to make feel special on her wedding day, it's my big sis.

My sister is one of the sweetest, kindest people you'll ever meet and she'll do anything for you. If there's ever anyone I know I can call in the middle of the night and she'll be there to help me out, it's Beka. She was so great throughout all of my wedding planning, (which is perhaps why I didn't feel as busy... she took care of all of it!) and made sure that I had everything I wanted without all of the stress. I've done my best to be the same for her, but there's no way I could ever do that, but I've tried to make each step special.

A couple of weeks ago, Beka's future sister-in-law and I threw a shower for her and her fiance. It was a beautiful day and we grilled out and it was fabulous. (Plus, I had a great time hanging out with Beka's 9-week-old soon-to-be nephew!) Then this past weekend, we planned a Bachelorette weekend for Beka (and 13 others) in Asheville. It was magical, we rented a place in the woods that had a firepit and hot tub. We ate lots of good food... and drank lots of good wine... and explored Asheville a little. In the evening we went out to some local bars/nightclubs, and although it took us half of the night to find a good place, I think everyone had a great time wandering around the town. (There are some pictures involving a pig that I'm not allowed to show that can attest to that!)

But the best part about the weekend was just the time spent together. I don't know a lot of Beka's friends too well, so it was nice to get to know all of them a little more. It was nice to just get away and have some girl-time. Not all of the conversations were pleasant. Some were downright painful. But I feel that those involved left understanding each other a little better and having formed a deeper relationship.

I know there were some moments that were difficult (what do you expect when you've got 14 women in one place??) and unpleasant, but I really hope my sister felt special and realized how much everyone loves her... even if it wasn't always apparent.

So, Beka, I love you and I'm so happy for you and hope you've felt as special and you made me feel. I can't wait to stand next to you on your big day!

Sarasota Dreamin'

Well, I believe I can honestly say that I've never been so unexcited to be back in North Carolina. I left a very hot, 85-degree NC on Wednesday, spent 4 days of wonderful 70-80-degree weather in Florida, and came home Sunday evening to freezing temps! And the outlook for the coming week isn't good. What happened?? I can say, though, that it made me enjoy our time in Sarasota even more knowing it was much colder back home.

Jarrod and I had a wonderful time visiting some of our favorite people in the world: my cousins, T&K and their 3 kids (who, by the way, are the coolest kids ever!) It was a looong drive, though. But we had fun. It was the first big road trip Jarrod and I have taken together, so it was really great to have those 11 hours together, just the 2 of us. Nothing too eventful from the trip to report: just greasy food and sketchy little towns.

Thursday was actually our most relaxing day. The kids were in school, so we had lunch with T&K and hung out around the house until everyone got home from school and work. A very strange thing we noticed in Florida - we watched an episode of 24 while we were there and the TV picture is really weird! It's hard to describe, but it almost looked like a documentary. Something was different about the back lighting and made me very aware that we were watching the show through a camera lens. We noticed it on other TVs while we were there, too.

The next day we spent on the boat. Everybody took off from work and school and we took a friend's boat out on the gulf. It was a gorgeous day and the water was so blue.  But the amazing part about this trip was the dolphins. They were everywhere and would often come right up near the boat. We probably saw about 10 of them and I've never seen dolphins up close, outside of a marine show. But that's not even the best part! So as we're coming into the Venice area, we're slowed down since we know there are dolphins in the area. I'm up at the very front of the boat with K, just looking out ahead of us when a dolphin literally jumps straight up in the air! It had to be 5 or more feet out of the water. It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. Totally different than at a Sea World show. This was just a wild dolphin showing off. We all just kind of sat there in shock for a minute afterwards. So the boat was a great experience, however, apparently I'm no good and putting on spray-on sun block, because I got some crazy bad, splotchy sun burn.

Some more exciting news from that day, Jarrod was offered a new position that he'd interviewed for at Gregory Poole CAT. We celebrated that evening at the Blase Cafe on Siesta Key. Congratulations, baby!

On our final full day we made a trip to Tampa to go shopping but wrapped up the day on Lido beach to watch the sunset. And I've never seen a sunset like that (obviously that's because I don't live on the West coast, but still, it was gorgeous). After dinner we went to Kilwin's to get ice cream. Apparently this is a very popular place, because the line was out the door. A fun story: my cousin T worked there after high school and actually served Steven Tyler ice cream one time (sadly, he was not there this time).

Sunday was get up and go time (Jarrod does not hang around on travel days). So we set out that morning on another 11 hour trek. We did listen to the Carolina basketball game on the radio, but I wasn't feeling great and ended up sleeping for half the trip. But Jarrod was great and drove the entire time. That's why I love him! 

So after a day of travel and not feeling well, I came home to a freezing house. Thank you, North Carolina. Florida, I miss you already!

Comfort in silence

Wow, I've been very absent from the blogging world this month. And it's not even that I've been unusually busy. I think it's more that I've been caught up in day-to-day life and although I've had the chance to spend a lot of this month with the people I love the most, it's not been anything particularly inspiring. I've actually been very productive this month (but I'll get into that in my month-in-review post tomorrow), and I'm glad to have made some progress on the more mundane aspects of my life.

As I said before, much of this month was spent with the most important people in my life. Jarrod and I found some time to relax and unwind, just the two of us; I got to host dinner for my bestest friend and her new husband, before he heads off to military training; I got to see my beautiful big sister looking gorgeous in her wedding gown (and fabulous new shoes!) and celebrate with her at a bridal shower; and now my awesome cousin is in town from Florida for the week, so I've been trying to grab as much time as possible with her.

There's that quote I've heard before, something like, "The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had." Well that's what this month has been like for me. Nothing earth shattering or newsworthy. Just being with the people I care about. Sitting on the back porch after a cookout playing word games on your phone with the people sitting next to you...

The "Mushy Stuff"

My parents have always had a wonderful, loving relationship. They set a great example for my sisters and me of what it takes to make a marriage work. They also weren't afraid of being affectionate around us and I remember we'd always cover our eyes with our hands and say, "Eww, mushy stuff!" So, in honor of Valentine's Day, here's my "mushy stuff."

This time of year always brings out all those lovey-dovey feelings, not just because of Valentine's, but because this is the week that I met my husband for the very first time. This past Wednesday was actually the 5 year anniversary of that very date. This is how our love story started out...

It was a typical Thursday night in February my sophomore year in college and I was going out with the girls (Rea and another college friend). We went to a downtown Raleigh locale that will remain unnamed (because it's way too embarrassing to put out there for all the world to see!) I won't go into all the details, but I actually had some drama going on with a couple different guys who turned up at the same place that night. So when I saw this amazingly handsome guy standing on the steps across the room, I decided to go for it and ask him to dance. (Ok - so it wasn't as much "asking" as it was "grabbing his hand and pulling him out on the dance floor." What can I say? I know what I like.) We had a lot of fun that night, and I gave him my number at the end of it.

The next day I went to Myrtle Beach with a couple of friends for a concert at the House of Blues. It's actually while I was at that concert that Jarrod first called me, but we couldn't talk too long so we said we'd get up once I was back in town. That Sunday, we came back from the beach and I had just settled down to work on a paper that I had due the next day and hadn't even started on when my friend called me and said the guys, including Jarrod, were going out to eat and had invited us. I decided the paper could wait. I remember hanging out at the restaurant and giggling about the guys with my friend when we went to the bathroom. He was so shy though, it was very endearing.

And two days later was Valentine's. I had to work that night at my restaurant job, and I won't go into all the details of that night, but let's just say that I got flowers from 3 different guys that night (none of which were Jarrod!) but at the end of the night, all I wanted to do was talk with him for hours. It was the first long, real conversation we had. It was pretty awesome. I think it was about a week after that, that my parents came out to Chapel Hill and we were having lunch and they asked me if I was seeing anyone and I remember saying, "I've got my eye on someone..."

Then 4 years later, on February 13, 2010, Jarrod and I had an amazing dinner at the Angus Barn and at the end of the night he asked me to marry him. It's a pretty good bookmark that 4 years, nearly to the date, after we met we decided officially to spend the rest of our lives together. It's been the best decision I ever made.

Congratulations, Mrs. Reynolds

Yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the wedding of my best friend in the whole world. The newly Mrs. Reynolds is one of the most important people in my life. She and I have shared so many life experiences over the decade that I've known her.

Reagan and I actually just had our 10 year anniversary this past New Year's Eve! We met at the lovely Nancy Ray's birthday party in high school. A bunch of us went to a Clayton King/Jars of Clay New Year's event. Reagan and I met at the beginning of the evening and left that night best friends forever!

I said in my last post how Jarrod is one of the few people in this world who really "gets" me. Well, Reagan is one of the others. Most people in my life I know I need to put in some effort or else we could lose touch over time, but I've never had that worry with Rea. I think of her the same as I do my sisters: I know she'll always be a part of my life, despite how much time or distance may separate us.

More than anyone in my life, Rea has been there for nearly all of my major life events. We went through the giggly-girly early teen years, we experienced a time of religious extremism and spiritual growth, we rebelled together and questioned our purpose and God and found the men that we'd spend the rest of our lives with. Reagan was actually with me the night I met Jarrod. Here's a picture of us just hours before that happened:

I was so blessed to have her with me as I prepared to walk down the aisle. Although I think we both kept making each other cry!

≈

I love that last one. It's so us!

Living several hours apart and being in different places in life have made it more difficult to keep up in past months, but we spent the other night catching up once again and looking back at some of the funniest and craziest and most life-changing moments together. Then yesterday I sat with her as she got ready to jump into the next phase of her life. I couldn't imagine a more beautiful bride or be more proud to be there those final moments before the BIG MOMENT.

Reagan, your friendship has meant more to me than I could ever express. I love you so much and I have been so blessed to have spent the last 10 years with such an amazing person as you. I wish you the best in this new adventure and above all, I wish you a lifetime of happiness! Just remember, you'll always be my girl.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds!

Farewell 2010

It's that time of year again... where we start reflecting back over the past 12 months and looking at what we've accomplished and where we fell short. This year is a little different for me. Usually I'm always ready for the year to end and another to begin. Christmas is a great way to wrap up the year, but the New Year always offers a new beginning and a chance to start over. I'm a big fan of starting over. I like that feeling of moving into the next phase fresh and with a clean slate, and that's what the New Year has always brought. But this year, I'm going to be sad to see 2010 go. This has by far been the most monumental year of my life. So many of those major life events happened in the past 52 weeks. So here's my TOP 10 OF 2010:

 

1. I got engaged on February 13, 2010 to the most amazing guy.

2. We bought a house together

3. I spent a weekend in the hospital

4. I moved... twice!

5. Jarrod graduated from NCSU

6. I planned a wedding in 5 months.

7. I married the love of my life on July 24, 2010

8. I moved in with a boy!

9. We started a family with our puppy, Rylie

10. I learned what it's really like to be an adult.

 

I don't think you can get much more packed into 1 year than that!

 

I've been on my own for over 2 years now, but this year taught me a lot about responsibility. I've had to deal with a real budget and learn how to live within those means. I've had to take into consideration that pretty much all of my decisions now not only affect me, but affect my husband as well. I've had to balance family and friends and puppies!

 

But now, I'm sad to see such an amazing year of excitement and celebration and growth move into the past. At the same time, it makes me excited to see what 2011 will bring. I've already got a lot to be excited about: my sister's wedding, 25th birthday (ok, maybe "excited" isn't the right word), 1st anniversary, my puppy no longer being such a puppy. I like to go into each year planning for it to be better than the last, although 2010 is going to be pretty tough to beat, but I'm gonna give it my best shot!

 

So from our house to yours, Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year!

A Christmas Picture is Worth... Everything!

So this will be the first year of possibly my whole life where my family won't have a Christmas card picture. OK, so since I decided to write this blog I've realized that's not true and apparently a few years back we didn't do one for a couple of years, but you get the idea.

It's funny, because for the past couple of years of kept thinking, "Really? We're doing this again?? I thought once I graduated college that we'd move on." But now that we're not going to have one, I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I think taking the pictures have always meant a lot because it's been a constant marker at the end of the year and a great way to keep a chronology of my and my sisters' lives.

We had a wonderful time last year when we took part in one of Nancy Ray's portrait parties.

2009

It was really nice having the opportunity to get the whole family together in the picture and have it professionally done. I think the last time we had one professionally taken with all of us was 1990... seriously. We took this one out at Meredith College.

1991

You gotta love the early '90's hair!

And here's my very first Christmas card picture ever!

1986

We have so many fun and crazy memories from taking these pictures, such as last year when Beka and I showed up in the same shirt! And in each of these below, my mom actually made the outfits (at least the sweaters).

1995

1993

 

1992

I remember taking this picture, because I was in the worst mood and didn't want to do the pictures, yet somehow, it turned out alright

1998

I love this picture because I feel like it's when we all really started growing up.

1996

And this one, while definitely not a "favorite" picture, is very special since we weren't sure I'd even be able to be a part of a Christmas card picture that year. I had just been released from the hospital after spending about 4 weeks there in October. You can tell I was still taking a lot of medication at the time.

1999

I had actually considered doing one of Jarrod and me and Rylie (and surprisingly, Jarrod was OK with this), but I'm not sure if I didn't just feel a little too cheesy doing that. I guess I'll end up saving that for my kids. I would, however, like to document this year some how. (As if I don't have enough pictures from this year, with the engagement shots and everything from the wedding!) But Christmas has always been a very special time for me, and I love tradition! I guess tradition in this case more often involves a family member taking the pictures and the whole process taking entirely too long.

Here are a couple more pictures for you to enjoy! Merry Christmas!

1990

1987

1989

1994

1997

2006

2007

There's Magic in the Air

It's finally here! The most wonderful time of the year!

I have this thing about celebrating more than one holiday at once (You will NEVER see me with Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving!) But once Thanksgiving is past, I'm totally good with putting up the tree and turning on the holiday music. But once it finally hits December, I'm ready to kick it into full swing! I'm actually a little disappointed that my house isn't fully ready for the holidays at this point, but considering it's my first year of having my own home to decorate and prepare, I guess I'm doing alright.

This is the time of year where I revert back to being a little kid. But it's not about Santa and surprises and presents, especially since I never grew up believing in Santa (don't feel sorry for me, I turned out just fine). It's about a kind of magic that seems to enter the world as Christmas nears, where everything just seems brighter and happier. I don't think it could ever matter what's going on in my life, once December comes, I just feel happier and more joyful. The world seems to step away from whatever problems it has and makes the time to be friendly and smile more. For me, it's about pulling out old decorations that I remember as a kid and feeling the same excitement of figuring out where to put them and making up stories involving them. It's about wanting to spend the afternoon baking cookies with my mom or curling up on the couch with my dad. It's about wanting to spend my morning sipping coffee in front of the fire and just enjoy the lights on the tree and decorations around the room (OK, so I didn't drink coffee as a kid, but you get the idea).

And I don't understand those people out there who don't really care for Christmas. Yes, I know that society has twisted it into a consumerist holiday, all about "an exchange of money," but I choose to look past that. So there's no longer that feeling of waking up Christmas morning and running downstairs to see what you got (because Jarrod and I already know what we're getting each other and we're actually getting them a week and a half early), but I always love an excuse to give a present (not to mention getting one in return!)

But getting now to the monthly goals, I'm gonna be honest, between getting my wisdom teeth out, getting sick and Thanksgiving, I didn't get a whole lot done. I did some Christmas shopping and some organizing, and I did have a fabulous Thanksgiving with my family, but everything else sorta fell to the side, and I'm OK with that for now. But this is why I don't want to set a bunch of unrealistic goals for myself for this month, because I know there's just not going to be the time (or the energy) to get them done. I want to enjoy the holiday season and spend some time relaxing and letting the magic of the season sweep me away.