Saturday, October 31, 2009

For the first time ever, my husband was right. *

And he's making me admit that here. I guess he wants it in writing so he can savor it and remind himself for years to come. Until he's right again. ;)

*He made me say that. He's actually right quite often. But don't tell him that-- I don't want him to go getting a big head or anything.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Happy 30th, baby!

My dear, sweet husband turns 30 today. Though it's a milestone, I think he's still a little uncertain about the big 3-0. Tonight we had a small Imos celebration ;) but a couple of weeks ago, we celebrated in style with a surprise birthday party:








We had a great time-- thanks to everyone for celebrating with us and making it a great surprise!!

J, happy 30th! I look forward to celebrating many, many, MANY more with you!
Lots of love,
me

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Welcome to the world, baby Cameron!

J has been blessed to have an amazing group of friends that he's known since elementary school, and is still great friends with today. These guys don't all get to see each other as often any more (two live out of town now) but they may as well be brothers.

When Brian told us earlier this year that they were expecting, we were so excited to welcome the first baby into the group! Saturday night, little Cameron entered the world to join a loving mom and dad, and awesome big sister McKenna.


The adorable family.

We were lucky to get the call to come to the hospital to meet little Cameron, and gladly came by to hold that sweet little girl for a little while. I could hold little newborns forever.

She's amazing. Congratulations guys! You have two amazing little girls!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

So, it's been a while, huh?

Yikes. I just looked at the old blog and realized that I haven't posted since August! Now that's just wrong. To my credit, I've been pulling one and three quarters duty at work the last three months, so that doesn't leave time for stuff like the blog... but I'm coming back soon, I swear. I really appreciate being able to look back at the stuff we had going on...
So. Here's what's been going on lately, in random order:

  • J set exam dates
  • we survived a month of major social activities every weekend. and we're looking forward to a Saturday to ourselves :)
  • I have three friends with babies due in the next couple of weeks. woah baby boom!
  • Dad turned 60! and we partied with him
  • G turned 25! and now I feel old...
  • I bought my first blow-up lawn ornament. Our neighborhood has finally rubbed off on me. More about this later.
  • We're welcoming fall. and I couldn't wait for fall weather to finally show up. I think it's really true that as you spend more time together, you and your spouse become more alike. I used to hate fall, J loves it, now I can't get enough of cool breezes, sweatshirts, and all things pumpkin. And, J is starting to like some country music. Next thing you know we'll be wearing matching sweaters on our Christmas card
  • I'm getting a new workspace at work. Which is actually really exciting! (how boring am I!)
  • I need to get back to cooking. Lately I've been slacking. The whole job and three quarters thing kind of saps your energy. Speaking of three quarters:

(just throwing that out there)
  • Despite the crazy-business, we've gotten to see a lot of friends. We need that more. It's good for the soul
  • Entourage on DVD is also good for the soul. Just saying.
  • Sometimes it takes really crap-ass cable service that cuts out a lot for you to appreciate things like Entourage on DVD. Also just saying.
  • My husband got me flowers a week ago. That made my week. It's still making me happy. I used to get flowers all the time (like almost weekly) when we were dating. And somehow the frequency change makes me appreciate them even more. It's all the little nothings that thrill me. Like random outbursts into Jon Bovi


  • That was actually a lot for being just bullets... maybe I'm on to something...

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Seriously? Seriously.

As I trolled through the UK, I was planning blog posts in my head.
One is funny things we saw while in the U.K.
Like this, for example:
Everything's a pound, indeed.

(Get ready peeps, there's more of that coming your way soon!)

Another was the fashion.
But I don't have to do that post, because I just read it right here. Glad I'm not the only crazy one who noticed that stuff... So go read that stuff and just pretend I wrote it, k?

Friday, August 14, 2009

mind the gap (reader's digest version)

So at some point, I'll go back through and do a real post... probably a series of posts about our vacation, but for now, here are some of our favorite pictures. (We took close to 3,000 so consider yourselves lucky that I'm taking it easy today.) ;)


london bridge is falling down...
except this isn't london bridge. this is tower bridge. common mistake.


seeing Big Ben made me feel like I was really in london
except Big Ben is the bell inside, so I didn't really see Big Ben, but whatever.

such good weather!!

outside buckingham palace


that should seriously be a poster


the reason we went in the first place. look how smart he looks!

gorge.

j and tha' minster.

we had lots and lots and lots of these. seriously. sometimes 6 a day...

at the Temple Bar

when in doublin, drink guinness!!

see? i wasn't kidding.

gaelic

what can i say, paris spoiled me forever...


we were kind of obsessed with the guinness storehouse



the biggest beer i ever did see...

from the gravity bar while we drank our free (not really) pints


he's in heaven, people. ancient stuff and armor everywhere.

we couldn't not see oscar. what a stud.

a dublin sky

back in london


oxford

elementary, my dear j


look *really* closely. the swede who took our picture didn't zoom as well as he could have...

footbridge

our tube stop

st. pauls

I want to go back RIGHT.NOW. It wasn't cheap, but it was so worth finally going on our *real* honeymoon. Love you dear, and so glad we did it! :)

I don't know if you'd heard...

... but it's football season again.

I don't know what tipped me off... the late summer heat, the enthusiasm about getting home fast, or the LOUD expletives coming from the living room.

He's also taken to turning the expletives into "good dogs!" because it freaks the heck out of the dogs when he yells. That just doesn't happen much around here...

For a quiet, mild-mannered guy, he sure gets passionate about his football...

:)

p.s. he just read me writing this and said "it's not real yet! it's just the pre-season!"

J, I love you, even if you are an avid football fanatic.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

where do I start...

I have so much to update on this blog, I don't even know where to begin...
So I'm going to start with our beach vacation with my family. We've been several times to the same island in the very southernmost part of North Carolina, but it's been a few years since we've gone. We couldn't pass up an opportunity to go back! SO, we packed up the "kids," piled the car with our stuff, and started on a long road trip!


Celebrating our arrival ...
With dinner at Ella's (our FAVORITE restaurant ever!)
I was very, very set on not going deep sea fishing. I know better than that. But after explaining that it would be easier to let me stay at home than whine the whole time, my siblings (and everyone else) wouldn't quit pestering me. So I gulped down some dramamine, and went along for the ride...
The guys fishing:
J trying to find a big fish
Turns out the meds were a good choice... since those that didn't take them ended up VERY sick. I kept saying, "you have to respect the ocean!"

I spent a couple of days working while we were there to make the vacation time work, but still had time to have some fun. How awesome is this sunset?!?


My aunt and uncle live in NC, so they spent the week at the beach as well. So much fun to get sibling and cousin hang-out time!
We even squeezed in some put-put. (I, of course, did not keep score, and ended up getting a gold star at one hole and a smiley face at another)

All of us after the last hole:

We also made sure we had some fun shopping time while near so many outlet malls. While we were there, we also managed to find our way to Margaritaville!

The last day there, we took the dogs to the beach for the first time. We weren't sure what they'd think, but they had a good time! Both kind of pranced in the sand (they couldn't figure out why it slid away when they walked), and ran into the water a bit... until a wave came and they decided that was the end of the water.

A big thanks to Mom and Dad for our family vacation! We had a great time, and were so glad we could make it work.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

back from a month of travel....

so I've been absent.... but with good reason. I just got back yesterday, but look forward to lots of blog posts about the beach and the UK as soon as I unpack, do laundry and wade through the photos. ;)

Monday, July 6, 2009

why so far away, fall?

So yesterday's "cold" snap left me yearning for more. (And let's be clear. "Cold" snap means high in the low 70s. But it was cool enough to have the windows open and attic fan on. HEAVEN, I tell you.)

I'm so ready for fall. It feels like just yesterday, I was "ready for summer." And just before that, I was "ready for spring." Somehow I'm never ready for winter. But I digress.

I'm totally craving open windows, all things pumpkin, crunching leaves, and long-sleeved shirts. Mmmm.

But it's only July...

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy 4th of July!

We're just back from a week in paradise, but here's a little message from B & Ro:


Happy 4th!

:)