Sunshine ALL Weekend

We had a great weekend! Chad and I enjoy our little excursions, just soaking up the time away to relax and have fun together. We went to Greensboro on Saturday to visit with some of Chad's family. The guys went fishing while the girls went window shopping. Unfortunatly the boys didn't catch much of anything this time, his brother Andy hooked a bass right there at the end. At least they know they're out there so maybe next time they might hook the big one. I bet if I had my hand at it I might could have caught something, naa probably not, but I was really tempted!

Chad's mom was very sweet and let me pick out a plant at the Farmer's Market. I had my heart set on ivy so I got some little plastic pots of ivy so I could plant it myself when I got home. Sunday morning Chad and I had a gardening morning in the coolness of the early hours of the day. He got up at 6:30! I had some great pots to plant my ivy in, now I just have to watch them grow. It's the little things in life that mean the most. I think Chad was very amused at how excited I was. I am trying really hard to get our patio to be a sanctuary for us, and these plants really make it easy. Next I am going to buy some of those really great outdoor lights with little lanterns on them to hang around the edge of the porch. We are going to try and spend a lot of time outside, and this is going to make our summer nights outside that much better!

On Sunday we spent time with my family. We potted some plants in the morning, did our grocery shopping and Chad even found time in the wee morning hours to go to the gym to run a couple of miles. I hope he and I can get really fit. I am working so hard to stop drinking sodas, and I am down to 1 a day. I was drinking 4 or more a day, so I think I am doing pretty good. After all of our activities around the house we spent some time at the pool, and boy was today a good day for it. We don't have any time during the week to play outside so we try our best to enjoy what little time we have on the weekends. I look like a dork in this picture but I was having a good time. Everyone kind of bailed on me, they said it was too hot, but I found cool comfort in the pool! Bailey didn't bail on me, she swam a lot today, I think she found cool comfort in the pool too!

After a long weekend, we had a great meal, and I think we are all in need of some well needed rest. It's hard work driving to Greensboro and back, window shopping, fishing, grilling out, potting plants, going to the gym, grocery shopping, and playing by the pool! Who would have thought that activities we consider to be relaxing could take so much out of you?

The Sun Will Soon Shine Again

"It's Electric! I've got to move, Come let me take you on a party ride, and I'll teach you, teach you, teach you, the Electric Slide...."

Summertime is coming because all it does is storm in the afternoon. I am so ready for the sun to shine all day and be able to sit on the porch and have a margarita while the sun is going down. The weekend is sounding good but let's get through Friday first. I am praying for Shannon that it doesn't rain, at least not tomorrow night. They are having a luau rehearsal dinner tomorrow night for her brother's wedding and it is outside. So Shannon, I am praying for pretty afternoon weather for you! I hope that Saturday will be a fun day with Chad's family and Sunday I hope we will be spending by the pool with my family. Nothing beats family time, having water slinging contests and margaritas all around, I wonder if they make a low calorie margarita, hmm?

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feeling, everything's going my way. He had a freezer full of bomb pops, push ups, drum sticks, and dreamcicles and a paint chipped change box, full of sticky quarters, dimes and nickles. It was automatic when we heard that song, run home and get your money before he's gone. Looking underneath the Chrysler in the driveway, "hey dad, what ya doin'?" The smell of summer twilight, there's always somebody barbeque'n. Truth or dare with the kids on our road, hide and seek till your mama called you home... Sweet summer, yeah I remember that, Sweet summer, let me take you back......"

Words and lyrics courtesy of Diamond Rio "Sweet Summer": 2001

The Sidewalk Sale Consumed Me...... Whole

I have been working at Hallmark for 7 years. We don't have much of a back storage room so we have a storage pod. When we don't have room for things they get shoved in the pod. So you can imagine after 7 years how much stuff has been crammed in there. This year we decided to try something new. After a lot of talking and twisting a few wrists we were able to get our boss to agree to a sidewalk sale, finally! We have spent 2 weeks rummaging through things, pricing them and getting them ready for this weekend. It was a huge feat. It was kind of nice because I have had so much on my mind lately and not really anyone to vent to. I have been lost. Chad and I talk a lot but I think he gets tired of womenly emotions if you know what I mean. The sidewalk sale kept us girls plenty busy. Shannon with her man going back to Iraq in August, and Mel's man is in Afganistan right now, we needed something to busy us. We were buried with the treasure this week. It was kind of fun pricing things at will; I think they would all agree with me. We got rid of a lot of stuff but there was still a whole lot left too. I think I would still have to say it was successful though because we did get rid of a lot and if we didn't have the sale it would all still be right where it was 2 weeks ago, aging in the heat of the pod. Maybe we can have a sale next year too? Hopefully we won't have to ask this time, maybe it can be an annual thing?

Bracelets for Sale

Since I have been out of school, and my belly has kind of settled, I have spent some time making some bracelets. I have already sold a couple. I took some new pictures of the ones I have left. I am planning on making more sometime this week. If anyone has any requests I will try my best and fufill them for you. All of the ones pictured are $8.00 each. I don't have any charm bracelets available now, but I have plans for some summer ones with flip flops, sea stars, sand buckets, etc. Let me know if I can do anything for you!

The Climb

I know I am cheesy but I don't care; there is a new song out by Miley Cyrus called "The Climb" and I don't know about you but actually think it is kind of good.

"The struggles I'm facing, the chances I'm taking, sometimes might knock me down but no I'm not breaking. I may not know it but these are the moments that I am going to remember most. I just gotta keep going. I've gotta be strong, just keep pushing on. Cuz, there's always going to be another mountain, I'm always going to want to make it move, always going to be an uphill battle, sometimes I'm gonna have to lose, ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side, It's the climb!"

Those lyrics are so powerful to me. I have faced massive struggles through going to nursing school, and changing my major. I have made so many good friends at Hallmark and they've been through all of it with me. Chad has been the one driving my strength and only wants me too be happy. My parents and Chad's parents have always had the faith in me and I can't wait to finish just to see their faces. I don't know if I could have made it this far without all of these great people in my life. I actually feel like I am getting near the top of that mountain. It has never mattered to me how fast I get there. All of my high school friends have graduated or are in graduate school but I don't care because this is my life. I am enjoying every bit of time spending getting to the top of that mountain and I have made so many friends getting there.

To Chad, the love of my life

"I promise that where ever you may go, where ever life may lead you, with all my heart I'll be there too.... Gone are all my questions about why, and I've never been so sure of anything in my life... I wonder what God was thinking, when he created you, I wonder if he knew everything I would need because he made all my dreams come true. When God made you, he must have been thinking about me. He made the sun, he made the moon, to harmonize a perfect tune. One can't do without the other, they just have to be together. And that is why I know it's true, you're for me and I am for you and my world can't be without you in my life. I wonder what God was thinking when he created you. I wonder if he knew everything I would need because he made all my dreams come true. When God made you he must have been thinking about me..... He must have heard every prayer I've been praying, He knew everything I would need... When God made you, he must have been thinking about me..."

words and lyrics from Newsong "When God Made You"

I LOVE JET NOISE

And the adventure begins!

For pretty much all of Chad's life he has come to know and love all airplanes and he has come to a point in his life where he feels like he wants to be a part of the military. The Navy to be exact. He is very unhappy with his job there are some other very unhealthy things going on at his work as well. So we have decided to make a turn down a road that could lead us to better things. This trip meant so much to Chad and I. It gave us a chance to meet people in the Navy, Marines, and the Army. Even though he does want to join the Navy he was able to talk to all walks of life in the armed forces. This trip fueled our conversations about the future and it brought out many emotions from both sides. It could be a fun new thing in our life.

This past weekend we went to Beaufort, SC to see the Blue Angels and it kind of sealed the deal for us. He got to talk to pilots and see all of the airplanes. The happiness on his face was unreal. We had so much fun this weekend. There were 150,000 people at the airshow this weekend and we had VIP seats. We were at "center-point" which they refered to throughout the show. My mom's company Rea Contracting was a sponser which gave us the VIP seats. We had a tent to protect us from the sun (and rain, but it didn't rain, only threatened), we had free catered food, drinks and beer, and front row seats.

The pre-show was awesome, I met Patty Wagstaff!!! One of the most well know, award winning, stunt pilots, and.... she's a lady! After the pilots flew they parked their planes right in front of the VIP tents and signed autographs and posed for pictures, it was so great. This was probably the most fun I have ever had in my life! Patty Wagstaff was one of my favorites, after she flew she did a burn out right in front of us, it was AWESOME! I would tell anyone if you have never been to an airshow, you need to go!! It is free for anyone unless you want a seat, I think you can buy a seat for $10 or $15 or you can bring a blanket and sit for free. They have tons of festivities too before and during the show.

The icing on the cake was the Blue Angels! I was blown away!! They have to go through so much training and now I know why. At one point it looked like they were in a basket weave with one another, how in the world?? I got some killer pictures too. I took 223 all together. I am making an album for all of them if anyone wants to see all of them. I am kind of limited to what I can put on here, I don't want it to get too long.

The noise just shook your body and all of your insides. I have seen many a monster truck but this was nothing like any monster truck. I was rattled, but in a good way. We had a blast! Here are more pictures I took. This whole trip was meant to be and Chad and I have talked about feeling bad for not being there for his brother Andy and his accident but I think this trip needed to happen. It fueled Chad and I's converations about our future in the Navy and I think it needed to happen for Chad because like I said it sealed the deal for him. It is going to be a long nine weeks for me when he does sign the papers, but I am happy, truely happy for us!

"Momma, What does vacation mean?"

"It's when you go away, and you never come back..." ~Forest Gump~

Well, I wish that was the case because we went to Beaufort, SC this weekend and although we were very worried about Chad's brother we managed to have a good time and wish we could have just stayed there because it was an awesome area. If you have never been to Beaufort, SC, it is like a mini Charleston/Savannah. It was about a 3 and a half hour drive and we spent most of that time praying for Andy and on the phone with Mike and Whitney. Then, we got a bubble in one of the car tires. Thankfully we were in the Tahoe and Chad and Dad can change a tire really fast, even with tons of traffic going by at 90 mph. We didn't let it get our spirits down, we pressed on. We were only away for about 30 hours and we packed a huge amount of activities into that time. I am going to do two posts on our weekend because the two separate days were so different.

So we made it to Hunting Island, and there were some threatening black clouds, but it never rained on us. We had a picnic and heard a few claps of thunder but we didn't let it stop us. We decided that we would just walk instead of playing on the beach so we wouldn't have to change and change again and get sand all in the car. I walked out to the beach before I had my sammy and I found the most beautiful conch, I was so excited and ran back to the picnic table. When I sat down I realized this shell seemed awfully heavy. There was a hermit crab as big as my fist inside of that shell and he was alive, oh was he alive. So I walked along the dunes and found him a new home. Looking back at the picnic area I realized the beauty of this place. It was like it was out of Costa Rica or something. There were like 200,000+ palm trees, it was beautiful!

Something weird I noticed about this beach, and I am going to email my geology teachers about it; There was a lot of granite washing up on the beach. That is very unusual because granite is an intrusive, igneous rock which means it forms inside the earth's crust at high temperatures from hot magma. Usually you see fine grained sand on the beach which is sediment from the erosion of the mountains. You don't usually see granite on the beach. But it was very interesting and we managed to carry some big chunks of it back to the car, not me, my sister. I guess she thinks she's going to make something out of it. I found some small, really colorful pieces that I kept. We also found some awesome other seashells for our collections. When I was in my teens we used to go to a beach house at Wrightsville Beach, NC. We would come home from school on Fridays and my parents would be like.... "We're going to the beach!" It kind of got old after a while. But we spent many a days searching for seashells at Wrightsville beach because it wasn't always sunny. My sisters and I have become expert seashell hunters and Chad has gotten pretty good too. We know where to find the good ones.

Well, we walked for a good ways but we were all getting hungry and were in desperate need of a shower so we went to check in to our hotel. We stayed at a nice Hilton hotel right near a huge military cemetary. We all got dressed at headed out to a great dinner. My mom had made prior reservations at this reataurant on the water called Saltus. It was so nice. We haven't been to a nice restaurant with gourmet food like that in a while. My mom and sister both had their share of cocktails and Chad, my dad and I shared two bottles of wine. My mom, dad and Chad had awesome seafood dishes and my sister and I had sushi, and it was great. We closed the meal with awesome desserts. It was an awesome place to eat and I would tell anyone to eat there if you go to Beaufort. Right near that restaurant there is this boardwalk area with lots of other restaurants and bars. You can walk along, and there are lots of really cool boats parked along there. It was a very pretty sunset. By now it was about 9:00pm, we had been going and going and going and we were all tired and needed to rest up for Saturday to see the Blue Angels. But, my sister, Chad and I didn't let our night stop there. I will just say, we made some great memories, and we will be laughing about them for a long, long, long time.

Awesome airplane pictures coming soon......

Blessings

I have had a rough couple of months. I planned my school schedule a certain way so that I could work more because living on our own takes a little more money. Well, not much more, but you always have to have a little more to spend on yourself and for things around the house. But it has been a rough time for me this spring. Eat, study, work, sleep, eat, study, work, study, sleep, work, study, eat, sleep, go for a walk, eat, sleep, study, study, study, eat, sleep. I have never felt so tied down before and this semester didn't even matter, I already have my diploma and I have already been admitted to UNCC; I only took classes so I could have insurance and to take a few classes I WANTED to take. Silly me, I will never plan my schedule that way again.

Well our weekend started out ok, I was sick on Friday and missed some worktime but sometimes you just need to miss work, I work so hard sometimes, I forget what it feels like to to be off. Actually getting to rest, even though I was sick, it was nice to take a deep breath. Saturday I had to go in to work to greet the masses of people who waited until the last minute to buy their mom a card and an angel or gift of some sort. It always amazes me, 3-4 weeks or more before the holiday we get these nice customers to come in and buy their cards early. Then on the last possible day before the holiday you get these mean people in a rush wondering why I can't go any faster. Well, I have been in retail for 7 years, selling cards for 7 years, I think I know what I am doing. I wish people would take a chill pill, it's their fault for waiting until the last minute. Oh well, there will always be those people.

The day got better because Mike and Ann came to see us, and Jack, their "grandbirdy," hehe. I originally had this fantastic idea, or it could have been Chad but I was so busy this week, I didn't have the time. But we ended up getting these great oil paintings on canvas for her office and she loved them. We also took them out to dinner for once, we paid, and we took them to a new place. You know you always go to the same places, it was nice to let them try something new. Well, we went to Hickory Tavern and they loved it! It was really casual but very nice, I think the way they like it. The weekend was going great I was enjoying my resting time not having to worry about school work. It was nice concentrating on someone else for once.

This weekend was the first weekend I could actually take a deep breath and sit and enjoy myself. And after today going to CPCC will be a thing of the past. I will miss it greatly, I have made so many good friends, had so many instructors that have influenced me in my life, and I will really miss it. But, I am closing this chapter and starting a new chapter at UNCC and this weekend I celebrated my accomplishment and my mother's.


We went and had pictures made, just me and my 2 sisters last Tuesday. We went last year and had some made for Chad's mom and my sister's and I haven't had our's made since I was 10. So we had our pictures made and we probably bought way more than we should have but they all turned out so good and my mom loved them. We bought, I don't know, 6 frames so she could have some at work, some at home, some in the bathroom, some in the linen closet, and maybe one in her car, haha.


Anyways, it was a great day! I had been praying for some sun because all week we have had clouds and severe thunderstorms so I prayed for good weather this weekend and it was great! We all played by the pool, had many laughs, many margaritas, and great food to close the day. The pool cooperated too, it was 78 degrees, almost perfect, well.... it felt perfect after playing a 30 minute game of badminton. Now I get to start a great week, one more trip to CPCC, Thursday I graduate at the "Bo-rena," Friday morning my parents, Jill and Matt and Chad and I are leaving for Beufort, SC to see the Blue Angels over the weekend. It's going to be a great week! I thank God for all these joys in my life!

I love my mom's!

I love all my mom's! My mom, my grandmoms, and my future "mom" (I never want to use the "in-law" term when I get married). This week and weekend has been dedicated to all of my mom's and I hope everyone else in the worlds mom's are getting similar treatment. I work in a card shop and boy it has been busy, but this year I feel like I have seen more guys than I have girls, it could be just me. It has been busy and that is good none the less.

Chad has been trying to figure out a great gift to give his mom and I think we found it Thursday night, and my sister's and I figured out a good gift to get my mom on Tuesday night so hopefully both of our mom's will be very happy this weekend. I wish the sun would shine this weekend because I know my mom loves to play outside by the pool. I will leave the sun shining part to God.

"God if it be your will, please let the sun shine at least on Sunday, for all of our mom's." Amen.

God Bless all of the mom's in the world, maybe one day I will be blessed to be a mom too.

Bundle of Baby

On Saturday my sista and I got to play with and babysit and friend of the family's new little baby. His name is Caleb and we had a blast. He is the cutest baby I ever saw. We went to the hospital February 3rd to see him when he was only a day old. My sista was talking about how she felt behind because a lot of her friends were getting married and having kids. I told her, girl! You are only 21! After babysitting for almost 6 hours I asked her again, are you sure you think you are ready? She said it was a lot of work, so I think she might be rethinking it.

He was the best little baby. The only think I felt bad about was he had the hiccups for an hour I think. There was nothing I could do. He didn't seem to be too bothered. He loved looking up at the fan, he would just smile and smile at you! I think I will stick to holding and taking care of other people little ones for a few years. I just don't think Chad and I are at that "settled down" phase yet. I think we will know when we are ready and right now I think we are happy where we are. God is in control though and whatever his will may be, we will be happy whenever a new member of the family may enter our lives!

Beach Fest

It looks like it is threatening rain outside, but I sure hope it doesn't rain. Matthews is having "Beach Fest" this weekend and I am so excited. They bring a little of the beach to Matthews. Anything you can think of, it will be there, sand, beach bands, cookouts, carnival rides, etc.

Chad and I have been tanning by the pool for a few weekends, this past weekend, the pool was 76 degrees, I felt like it was warm enough to get in. You could say it was "refreshing." We have been spending a lot of time with my parents. They joined the wine club at Childress and bought a whole case of their new white wine release. I have to say that last weekend was perfect, laying by the pool, then having a great dinner, and then sitting by the pool with candlelight sipping a glass of wine.

My parents have been wanting that pool since we moved into that house when I was 5 years old. I remember we used to sit out there with the sprinkler and my mom would say, some day we're going to have a pool right there. And two years ago her dream came true! We enjoy it everyday even in the wintertime. This is a picture from underneath the wisteria (my mom's pride and joy). Hopefully this weekend we will get some sun, so we can hang out by the pool, and enjoy beachfest.