People I Love - Day One

I decided to devote this weeks blogs to the people I care about most. The are in no particular order, and I may have to do more than one post a day, but they all deserve it :)

My first post is devoted to Carrie. Carrie and I met in high school, freshman year I believe. We weren't immediately close, but as the years went on we got closer and closer. Recently we didn't talk for a few months, because I was dumb :) I am so happy that we have reconnected. She is one of my best friends. She knows me inside and out and she doesn't judge any decisions I make. She listens with an open ear and knows when I am just venting or if I want feedback.

She is such an amazing person. She has gone through so much and is one of the strongest people I know. I couldn't imagine not having her in my life. Whether we are laying in bed watching Teen Mom and both on computers or if we are out shopping, everyday with her is fun.

She's in FL right now visiting another friend of ours Anika, she's been gone for 10 days and I miss her dearly.

I am so lucky that she and her boyfriend moved to Raleigh the same time I did.

Here are some pictures of us :) Carrie, I love you!

{Going out for my 22nd birthday} 

{Florida Vacation - July 2009} 

{Halloween in Florida, 2009} 

{Our friend Jessica's wedding} 

{Probably our 5th or 6th glass of champagne ;)} 

{Mini-Golf in Florida 2010} 

{Easter Egg Hunt 2011}

West Virginia, Amish Country, & Fireworks :)

We left NC around 11 on Thursday and headed towards West Virginia. We made a pit stop in Princeton, WV to have lunch with my cousin Sam. Luckily she was getting off work just as we got to Princeton so we were able to eat at Chili's.

Sam and I have a special relationship. Most people don't see their cousins except for on major holidays and normally don't have a close relationship with them. However, Sam and I are only a little over 2 months apart and we, along with our other cousins were all raised more like brothers and sisters instead of cousins. She's one of my best friends and I'm glad I got to stop and see her :)

We got to Parkersburg (where J is from) around dinner time. We stay with his mom and her boyfriend Curt. His sister Becky was there as well. We decided to have a quiet night and wake up the next day and make our normal visits.

Cheri (J's mom) offered to take Becky and I to Marietta, Ohio to do some shopping and have lunch. Marietta is such a cute little town with the cutests shops along the river. We had lunch at the Lafayette Hotel bar where we had the worst margaritas and the weirdest waiter.

I'm really glad I got to spend this time with Cheri and Becky. I've always wanted a good relationship with my mother-in-law & sister-in-law, so this made me very happy!

After lunch, J and I were scheduled to go to dinner with his Grandma Nancy. We went to an italian restaurant called Columbo's. She's such a sweet little lady.

Saturday we woke up and headed to Amish Country! Cheri and Curt (Cheri's boyfriend) came along with us. We stayed in the historic Hotel Millersburg, and while it was a pretty hotel, the no air thing was definitely a turn off. After an afternoon of antiquing, shopping, and driving around Amish Country, we came back and had dinner followed by fireworks.

We went back to Parkersburg, had dinner with J's dad & brother and then visited his sister-in-law Leah at work. We woke up today and drove home.

While our vacation is over, I still have 7 wonderful days off work :)

-Now for a few, and I mean few pictures. I wasn't my normal photographer self!-

(on the way to dinner with Grandma Nancy)

(such a sweetheart <3)



(fireworks! - i'm such a little kid)

My Cousin - The PA!!

If Justin knew I was posting a blog and not getting ready/finishing up my packing (I work best under pressure), he'd kill me...so this will be super short.

I just had to let ya'll know how awesome my cousin Elizabeth is. She has always been one smart cookie, but today she proved it once again.

Elizabeth recently finished up her PA rotations in Jacksonville FL. She came home a little over two weeks ago I believe. Monday, she took a 7 hour long PANCE test (to certify her as a PA).

Today she announced via Facebook that not only did she pass, she kicked the PANCE's butt!

So proud of you E :) Now go enjoy your time in Jamaica with your hubby!!

- since she got married in December, but still had 6 months of school left, she is just now getting to go on her honeymoon -

Vacation....Finally!

Either I'm super excited about this blogging thing and that's why I wanted to do a second post today, or I'm just bored and have the time...to avoid any negativity - we'll go with the first :)

My bedroom is a complete mess right now. While it wasn't the cleaniest before we started packing, its even worse now. Justin and I are leaving for Parkersburg, West Virginia tomorrow until Monday.

Justin was born in Parkersburg and lived there and/or the surrounding towns most of his life. He moved to NC, I believe 2 or 2 1/2 years ago (maybe I should know this). This will be my third trip to Parkersburg and to say the least, I'm excited.

I think I'm most excited because we are going on vacation. The thought of going on vacation always makes me happy. I don't know if its the road trip, the change of scenary or just being off work that does it, but I'm definitely look forward to it.

I'm also happy that I enjoy spending time with Justin's family. I met them Thanksgiving of 2010. While I was very nervous, I soon learned that I had nothing to worry about. They are absolutely the kind of people that feel "if Justin loves her, we love her". I am very blessed that I got good in-laws-to-be....one day at least.

I need to finish, well start packing and get off the computer and stop watching my guilty MTV pleasures.

I'll post pictures of our weekend in Parkersburg/Millersburg, Ohio (Amish country)

One last thing:

I've asked Justin 3 days in a row to pick up milk. I love having something sweet after dinner, but I need milk to go along with it. The only day I really, really wanted it was Monday. I just asked Tuesday and tonight to see his reaction. When he said that he forgot again today I said "I hope you don't forget our future children like this" and he said "I wouldn't put it past me, but I'll do my best" - gotta love that man!

This didn't go as planned...

As I have mentioned in some of my previous posts, when I decided to start a blog, I fully intended on posting several times a week. I have no where near kept up with that, but I really am going to start trying harder. I'll start with a few updates on everything:

The House:

We have been in the house a little over 3 months (wow, that's the first time I thought about that) and I am no where near where I thought I would be. While everything is pretty set in the main rooms (i.e. - kitchen, living room, guest bathroom, our bedroom & bathroom) the other two rooms have barely been touched. I really thought everything would be in its place by May 1st. Unfortunately it's not and I don't see it happening in the next few weeks either (I'll explain why later). We haven't had any guests, so the guest room not being complete isn't a total disaster. The bed currently serves as our laundry basket (where we keep all of our clean clothes right out of the dryer). I'm not going back to school full time right now & since the Internet was set up in our room and I'm too cheap right now to go buy a wireless router, in our room it will stay. The office is currently being used as storage. I am just so tired when I get home, or as you'll see in the rest of our post, our social calendar is PACKED!!

Work:

Around mid-February I decided I wanted to go back to school full time. I decided that being an office manager was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. However, I got a call on the morning of April 17th that quickly changed my mind.

I started working for Jostens in November of 2007. At the time I was still in school, changing from major to major and not really getting anywhere. At the time, I had no idea how blessed I was to have such a wonderful boss, that is until he left and I got the exact opposite. December 2009 brought about the biggest change in my whole 21years of life...Randy (my boss) asked if I would be willing to move to Raleigh and work out of his home. The previous February I ended a 2 year relationship, and at this time with the ever changing majors and not really "having anything to stay for" I decided to make the move. For those of you that knew me, I planned on staying in Hope Mills my entire life, but honestly moving was the best choice I have ever made. It has made me value "home" that much more, as well as it made me grow up once and for all. Three months after I moved to Raleigh, I get bad news "I'm taking a position at the corporate office (in Minnesota) and a new boss is coming and he has to keep you around for at least a year at your current salary".

So you mean basically I moved almost 100 miles away from the only home I've ever known, to a town where I knew less than 10 people, and now I have to live here for no reason and prove to a man I've never met that I deserve the job I've been doing for almost 3 years now? Great...

The new boss came in and the old boss (and his family, who I'd grown very close to) left. It was such a rocky start. It left me contemplating quitting right away. The only thing that stopped me was not having a back up job, or at least not one that paid my salary. The more time went on, and the more disagreeing my new boss and I did, I decided to leave after the school year was up. That is until April 17th...

RANDY CALLED AND HE AND HIS FAMILY WHERE MOVING BACK TO RALEIGH AND WERE TAKING THE TERRITORY BACK OVER!!!! :)  - My dreams had come true

So I have since decided to stay here, and take some online classes to at least finish up a degree in business.

Justin and I

June 19th marked our one year anniversary. I thank God everyday that he put Justin in my life and that he kept putting him there until my stubborn self gave in and took the chance of a lifetime. We have done some exciting things over the past year...two trips to the Outer Banks, which could now be one of my favorite vacay spots & only 3 hours away! We went to a drive-in movie in Henderson (about an hour away) and saw two brand new movies (Green Lantern & Hangover Part II for $6.00). We are going on our third trip (together) to Parkersburg, WV where Justin is from and most of his family still lives. We are leaving tomorrow, making a pit stop in Princeton (just inside the WV state line) where it just so happens my closest cousin Sam lives to have lunch, and then spending the weekend & Monday with his friends and family. Justin, his mom and I will be making the trip to Millersburg, Ohio to visit Amish country (something I've never done) and to see FIREWORKS. I am like a little kid when it comes to fireworks and since my lovely boyfriend knows this, he made sure to include fireworks somewhere in our trip since its 4th of July weekend and all! Another plus is that it is almost 20 degrees cooler in Parkersburg than in Raleigh!

Morgan & Blake's Wedding

Morgan has been one of my friends since she was in 2nd grade and I was in 3rd grade so for 15 years. When we were younger our families were very close. We went on vacations together and always had get togethers at each others houses. As time as gone on and we've all gotten older and busier we've spent less and less time together. However, Morgan is and always will be one of those friends that you can go months and months without even talking to and pick up right where you left off. She and Blake have been dating since her senior year of high school, so over 4 1/2 years. He proposed at a football game at their high school last fall. This was so appropriate for them as she was head cheerleader and he was the quarterback (seems like a fairy tale huh?). When she asked me to be in her wedding, I have never been more honored. Their wedding is scheduled for November 19, 2011 (their 5 year anniversary). The next few months are full of bridal showers, parties, and get togethers. So far the bride & bridesmaids have went and seen the movie Bridesmaids. Morgan and Blake's engagement party was 2 weekends ago. July will hold the lingerie bridal shower. September & October will house two more traditional bridal showers. November will bring a bridesmaids luncheon, bachelorette party & the wedding! I couldn't be happier for two people and I am so excited to share their special day with them :)

I PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE to post pictures after our trip and to update this more often. It will definitely make these posts a lot shorter! :)

Mother's Day Weekend!

I traveled to Hope Mills to see my Momma. I planned on devoting the entire weekend to time with her. Normally when I come home, I try to squeeze in visits with friends as well, but nope, not this weekend, it was all for this lady!

I arrived Friday night after work, and my parents, my grandpa and I all went to my favorite Mexcian restaurant. Now when I saw Mexican, I need to explain that I don't like Mexican food. However, this place has the BEST cheese dip ever! After dinner, we came home and watched a movie.

Saturday morning I talked her into sneaking out to breakfast, just the two of us. We went to this little cafe called Becky's. My grandma's best friend owns it and she serves the yummiest breakfast food! We came back, did a little of my work project I had looming over my head (more about that later) and then got ready. We decided to do a little shopping and a lot of browsing. We started at a garden shop where I got this nifty flag for Justin and I's house:

We then moved on to a cupcake shop in downtown Fayetteville. I am a sucker for all of the cupcake and wedding shows that come on TV and while I was super excited to try this place, I quickly realized this was nothing like DC cupcakes! The cupcakes weren't bad, just not really good and they served them on styrofoam plates like this:

Although the booths were quite adorable as were the decorations

We finished our shopping day with Target, where I bought NOTHING. I am an even bigger sucker for Target and can spend at least $50 on any given day. However, Saturday was just not my day.

We went home and had Beef tips and rice with brown gravy (my favorite). Then my brother, who had surprised my mom earlier in the day, had his girlfriend come over. My mom and brother wanted to go see Thor. Jessica and I decided to go see Water for Elephants! A definite must :)

We got back from the movie and I still had work left, I finished about 3AM.

Sunday, my brother and I went to church with my momma. We then we to lunch with my dad's mom and side of the family. We finished our day with a game of scrabble, by mom's request and I headed back to Raleigh. I'd say all in all it was a wonderful weekend :)

One Month Already!

Justin and I have been in our new house an entire month already. The time has flown by for sure. While some of our rooms still aren't as complete as I'd like them to be, everything seems to be coming together. I now know that the next time we move (which will be into a house we buy once we are married)  I am taking time off of work to move and unpack. We decided we would move over a weekend, March 25-27th. We started moving smaller items Thursday night when we got the keys, and then some of the heavier furniture Friday night. We were waiting on my brother to get here to help with the biggest stuff the next day, so we dropped off our last load at 1AM.

We moved all day Saturday, and Justin made two more trips on Sunday. He let me stay home with my parents who came to visit for my birthday. Then we spent the next week after work moving stuff and finally finished the following Friday.

The living room, kitchen, guest bathroom/Justin's bathroom are all done. The room we are using for a guest room and the room we are using an office are currently storage rooms so their doors stay closed most of the time.

Here is a picture of the outside of our house, I'll post pictures of the inside once everything is complete!