Baby Shower #2

On Saturday, David and I hosted another baby shower for some friends.  But this time we had the help of more friends- Phil and Emily!  

I worked the night before (why do I keep doing that to myself?!) so I was glad to have the extra help this time around!  We hosted the shower at Brian and Marybeth's house (the soon-to-be mommy and daddy!) so we got there about 12:45pm to set everything up!  When we got there, this pretty thing was already on the table!  Brian's mom made this diaper cake.  Isn't is so cute?!

Their house is already so pretty, we didn't have to do too much to decorate!  Brian and Marybeth are having a little girl and her room is orange and pink, so we stuck with that for our color theme!  We added streamers, a banner, and had pretty pink and orange plates and flowers, thanks to Emily!

David and I got the cake made at Couture Cakes of Greenville and we got it to match the invitations that David made.  They did a wonderful job!  Brian and Marybeth decided on the name Evelyn Felicity, so we thought it was fitting to add her initials to the cake. :)

The soon-to-be parents, Brian and Marybeth.  They are so happy and we are so thrilled for them!

We had a very special little guest.  Remember the baby shower we gave Casey and Jayma?  They brought sweet Nolynn to the party!  Isn't she so big--and absolutely beautiful?!

Aunt Erin had to get some lovin' in on the sweet girl!  Doesn't it look like I need a baby?!  Haha!
I just love this girl so much!

Emily had some great games set up!  For the first game, she printed out some pictures of babies making funny faces and everyone had to come up with a caption.  The guys really got into this game!  They all went to separate corners so no one could cheat off of them.  It was too funny!

They came up with some pretty funny captions!  We also played a game where you had to fill in the blanks on baby rhymes.  Some of them were pretty old and hard to remember!  I think Brian's mom won that game, haha!

Brian was excited to open gifts ;)    They racked up on a bunch of great stuff!

Both Brian and Marybeth went to Auburn so little miss got a onesie for football season! (It's okay, our friendship has survived despite the fact that they are Auburn fans ;) Just kidding!!....)

Brian's mom makes baby bibs, so they got a slew of those in a bunch of different, cute, girly patterns!  I'm thinking I'm going to need to get some of those when it's time for us to have a little one!

I hope Brian knows what he's getting himself into with a little girl!  That girl is already so spoiled!  She got so many wonderful things at her shower, including adorable clothes!

Beautiful Jayma and baby Nolynn!

We can't wait to meet you, Evie!  

The Random 11

This must be the week to be tagged in blog stuff!  Michelle tagged me in "The Random Eleven" and I thought it would be fun to participate!

The Random Eleven

The Rules:

• Post these rules
• Post 11 random things about yourself
• Answer the questions set for you in their post
• Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
• Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
• No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Things about Me:

When I was a little girl, I used to use whole boxes of band-aids on my baby dolls and my life-size big bird doll.  My mom says she always knew I would do something in the health-care field.  Lo and behold, I'm now a NICU nurse!  I guess my mom was right!

•  

I love to travel.  I was fortunate to grow up in a family with grandparents who took the three grandchildren all over the world.  I enjoy skiing in Beaver Creek, CO, swinging in Central Park, and learning about the cultures in Italy, England, and the Caribbean.  And because they instilled this passion in me, I have studied abroad on my own in Brussels, Belgium and am up for the adventure of having to move to Germany in a few years for David's job!

• I have inherited my mom's love of Target.  It will probably be my financial downfall, ha!  I normally grab a Starbucks and walk around the store for about an hour.  It's amazing how I always find things I just "have to have". ;)  I do have to say though, that I've been pretty good about not over-spending lately!
• I am deathly afraid of the ocean.  I love the beach, but can't stand the water!  On the east coast, our ocean water is murky and you can't see anything.  I'm petrified to think about what is swimming next to me and I don't even know it!  And David's cousins will go fishing and catch sharks of all sizes and I am not a fan.  In the bahamas and Hawaii, the water is crystal clear and while I'll venture into the water there, I still feel so uneasy because now I can see what is swimming towards me!  If something is going to attack, well, I'll see it coming...it's just awful to think about, haha!
• 
• Friends is my all-time, favorite show.  I just love it!  I've turned my cousin Amy on to it, who has turned her boyfriend Tyler on to it!  We all use Friends quotes daily. :)  In Amy's toast to me at my rehearsal dinner, she even quoted Joey!  And when David and I first got engaged, my mom got us lobsters with our engagement date on them because David is my "lobster".  They sit on the dresser in our bedroom. :) I do share my blue eyes with my handsome granddaddy! I am the only one in my family with blonde hair.  My entire family has brown hair, although my mom started out with dirty blonde hair as a little girl.
• 
• Speaking of my hair, I am a serial hair twirler.  It started when I was a baby and at 24 I still do it.  My mom tried to get me to stop multiple times when I was little and my 12th grade teacher called me out during class one time for twirling my hair so much.  I can't help it.  I honestly don't know that I'm doing it.  I do it a lot more when I'm concentrating hard and when I'm tired.  And because of this, I constantly have split ends.  Woops. 
• The only fast food restaurant I eat at is Chik-fil-a.  Occasionally I'll get fries and a milkshake from McDonald's, but as for actual food, Chik-fil-a it is.  I don't trust other fast food restaurants and now that I haven't eaten at other places in a while, the food doesn't even taste that great anymore!  
• I have had major jaw surgery.  I had severe TMJ with headaches and my jaw would lock- the whole shebang.  So in 2008, I had a Le Forte 1 osteotomy done to my upper jaw (The Le Fort I osteotomy involves separating the maxilla and the palate from the skull above the roots of the upper teeth through an incision inside the upper lip. The maxilla is fixed in its new position with titanium screws and plates.)  I can feel the screws on both sides of my nose and I can see the scar on the inside of my mouth! 
• 
• I love to read.  And I almost always prefer the book to the movie.  
• If I could go back and do my wedding all over again, I would.  In a heartbeat.  The whole day was perfect and I find myself wanting to put my wedding dress on quite frequently, haha!  But of course, if I went back and did my wedding all over, I'd have to do the honeymoon all over again, too. ;)

Questions from Michelle:

• What is your favorite vacation spot?  
• Hands down, Hawaii.  Specifically, Maui.  I would move there if I could.  It's beautiful, time means nothing and the atmosphere is so relaxing.  I can't wait to go back.
• What are the 5 items you cannot live without?
• I can't live without my phone.  I married a technology freak and I caught the bug.  I love staying connected!  I also can't live without my planner.  It's color-coded and my life line.  No surprises for this girl, everything has to be in the planner!  As weird as it sounds- I can't live without my toothbrush.  I don't like to have dirty feeling teeth.  It's gross.  I can't live without Pandora (or any music avenue for that matter).  I love music and I love to sing- in the car, in the shower, while I'm cooking.  And I can't live without a book to read.  I always have one with me and now that I have my nook, it's a much lighter load! :)
• What are your top 3 favorite movies?
• My favorite movie ever is Elf.  It's good all year round, not just at Christmas!  Second favorite is Pride and Prejudice.  I love the story by Jane Austen and the movie is wonderful!  My third favorite movie is a tie between A League of Their Own and That Thing You Do.  I like both of them for such different reasons, I couldn't just pick one!
• Chocolate or Flowers?
• Hmm, tough one!  I love chocolate to the point that I eat two pieces every.single.day.  But I hardly ever get flowers.  I think flowers are just beautiful.  I'd say flowers since I don't get them often enough. :)
• What are you most proud of so far in your life?
• I think I am most proud of myself for landing my dream job.  I worked really hard in school, graduated Summa Cum Laude, applied for a summer internship with 160 other people and was 1 of 15 chosen, and was offered 2 jobs on one day.  One of them being my dream job of working in the NICU.  And I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I love taking care of those sweet babies!
• What is favorite cocktail/drink of choice?
• I don't drink many cocktails.  I'm more low-key I guess!  But I really like a good Riesling!
• Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?
• The beach!  I love tan lines and the smell of the ocean.  (Not the actual ocean...).  I love going out to dinner, and warm weather!
• What's your guilty pleasure?
• Dessert.  Bottom line.  I love sweets, probably too much!  Whether it's a handful of m&m's, a bowl of ice cream, or pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, I always have to have dessert!
• What is your dream job?
• Being a NICU nurse. :)  And I'm living the dream!  Although, I do think it would be cool to have a job where you sit at Starbucks on your computer all day....who are those people?!
• Ballet flats, boots, or heels?
• I'm a boots girl!  I can hardly walk in heels (graceful is my middle name..) and I don't have too many cute ballet flats (maybe I should invest in more!) but I love all of my boots.  Cute with most everything!
• Would you rather run outside or on the treadmill?
• I enjoy running outside.  I'm a people-watcher and while there are always people in the gym, much more interesting stuff is going on outside!  Plus, fresh air is always nice and I feel like I get a better variety of hills and I don't have to run at a set pace!

My questions for you:

• Dogs or cats?
• What is on the top of your bucket list?
• What are your three favorite books?
• What do you like most about yourself?
• If you could interview anyone past or present, who and why?
• What is your favorite childhood memory?
• Yoga or zumba?
• What is your favorite meal?
• What do you wish to accomplish in the next year?
• Favorite piece of clothing?
• Favorite sport, to play or watch?

I don't have 11 people to tag, but here you are! :)

Lauren

Leslie

Anna

Circumstances

This post is more of a vent post for me.  I don't want to use names, but this is still my outlet and a way to express myself so I'm going to do that here.  It probably won't make much sense, but that's okay.

I am an only child and a child of divorce.  I am stubborn and I like things my way.  I am defensive and I'm smart at knowing what buttons to push to tick people off.  I'm completely honest, sometimes brutally so.  And I'm also the most loyal friend you will ever have, unless you screw me over and then I don't spend another minute wasting my time on you.

These are harsh realities that I've been working out over the last few years and trying to change about myself.  I am the way that I am because of the circumstances life has put me in.  (What can I say?  I was a psych major ;) ), but I also don't think these circumstances define who I am.  Which is why I'm working to change them.  It's humbling really.  And has brought my relationship with God to a whole new level.

But, certain circumstances that have occurred recently have tried my patience to the core.   I give everyone a chance, but I don't have time to waste on people who play games and are deceitful.  I'm not sure anyone really has time for people like that.  Unless you have no option.

There are a few people who have come into my life over the last few years who have lied to me multiple times, treated me with zero respect, and feel that they can take certain selfish liberties with my family that they most certainly cannot.  I have such a hard time dealing with these people!  Every bone in my body wants to give them a piece of my mind, turn away and stop wasting my time on them!  I know I'm not the best person in the world.  I'm not perfect.  But I don't deserve to be treated the way I'm being treated by them.  I'm pissed.  I'm angry.  And I'm ready to forget them and move on.  I've tried every way I know how to treat them with respect, to try to get to know them, and to let them know "you can trust me."  But ugh.  They are not receptive to it or don't want to see it or are just so self-absorbed that it doesn't matter.

I say everyday, "I'm washing my hands of this."  But I can't.  For more reasons than I can talk about here.  But one of them is my own stubbornness.  I will not give them the liberty to say, "well she didn't try hard enough."  I keep trying, thinking that one day my persistence will pay off.  Maybe it will, maybe it won't.  But it won't be because I didn't try.  So for now, I suppose I will continue to push through the best that I can.

One other thing, I'm not complaining.  I think this is more of a written promise for me- "yes these people make it difficult, but keep pushing yourself because you're changing and you're doing well."  Even through all of this, I've met some amazing people who I am blessed to know!  I'm encouraged to be a better person when I'm around them, I can trust them, and it almost makes  all of this other stuff bearable!  Thanks for listening if you made it this far :)    

Rehearsal Day

(*This post was actually written on the airplane ride to Hawaii because I didn't want to forget a moment of it!  I figured I would forget the special details as time went on...)
Well, I'm writing to you as a married woman now! Wedding festivities started on Friday morning (9/23). My mom and I went to get our nails done.  We both got manis and pedis...it was my mom's first time and I think she really enjoyed it!  On the way to run our errands, my mom pulled out 2 cd's and popped them in the player in the car.  My mom and David had put together a list of wedding songs for me to listen to while getting ready for my wedding!  I cried multiple times for a bunch of different songs :) It was such a sweet gesture and I really enjoyed listening to those cd's on rehearsal day and wedding day...in fact, I'm still enjoying listening to them!  

*Some of my wonderful bridesmaids :)

After getting our nails done, we ran to Target for some last minute essentials and had lunch at Zoe's Cafe.  If you've never been there, you should definitely try it.  They have the best chicken salad! Amy and I met at Amanda's house to get our hair done for the rehearsal and dinner that night.  (Amanda was our hair and make-up girl!  She did a phenomenal job both days!) 

*Getting our hair done!

The rehearsal went very well! We ran through everything twice, shared a lot of laughs, and enjoyed being with our friends who so graciously gave us their time.  We weren't able to practice in the same room as we would be in the night of the actual wedding so we had no idea just how beautiful it actually would turn out to be.

*Having fun before the rehearsal started!

*My wonderful cousin Amy and my granddaddy.

We headed to dinner at Maggiano's and it was absolutely perfect.  Their food was so delicious and the service was wonderful.  Just for my future memories, we had a fried mozzarella with marinara and calamari as appetizers, caesar salad and apple walnut salad for our first course, farfalle aglio pasta, chicken parmesan, and eggplant marinara with whole wheat noodles for our main course. For dessert we had their house cheesecake and a fruit platter.  We also had the groom's cake that I had specially made for David.  It was a replica of the Clemson soccer field as he played soccer for them.  I think he really, really liked it :). 

*Go tigers!

*Kenny, Casey, and Jayma enjoying the rehearsal dinner!

*Chatting it up!

We had a slideshow of pictures from our childhood, from the past 5 years of our relationship, and many of our friends and family who were sharing in our special day with us.  Everyone had a good time seeing all of the funny pictures and we thought it was a nice tribute to our friends and family :) David's dad gave a wonderful toast and opened the floor to others for toasts.  I know my grandmother video-taped them so I'm hoping to get a copy of those at some point, but David and I cried a lot!  My sweet cousin, Amy gave a beautiful speech and we were both crying before she even started! (I have since received the videos, so here is Amy's speech!  It still makes me cry when I watch it!)  

It was a wonderful, wonderful day and I am so thankful that our family and friends love us and support us enough to have been there.