Congratulations, Tiffy!

CONGRATULATIONS to my Bestest, Tiffany, on her acceptance at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill! I'm so proud of you, and I know you're going to be GREAT! Love you! =.)

Soundtrack of my life...

Every time I hear She's Country by Jason Aldean, I immediately start thinking of all the other songs that I love! Whether they're country and about the South, or songs that I remember specifically from college days, or high school days, or riding in the car with my Mama when I was younger. Whatever the song or the year it came out, I just think about how that one particular song had a part in the Soundtrack of my Life. And some of these songs are going to be the same for my friends (like Tiffany and Kelli), because they were right there beside me singing in the car and along for the ride! That's the absolute best thing about a song. I can hear a certain song, and think about that particular time in my life.


Some of those songs that are sticking out in my mind right now:


Redneck Yacht Club by Craig Morgan - Reminds me of summers Hyco Lake with all my friends whose necks tend to be on the red side

Summer Girls by LFO - Reminds me of high school, and Abercrombie and Fitch

Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard - reminds me of Katie's bachelorette shower and all of my girls night out friends (and other trashy songs, including, but not limited to: Paradise City, Jack and Jill, etc.)

My Everything by Keith Urban - Makes me think of Marc, and our first dance as Husband and Wife

She's Country by Jason Aldean - I just really like this one right now! =.)

Cheap Seats by Alabama - Reminds me of summers filled with watching my Daddy play softball

Po' Boys by Nappy Roots - I know! Reminds me of concerts we attended at Appalachian State

I Go Back by Kenny Chesney - Reminds me of Mega Ticket Concerts at Walnut Creek


Just so You Know by Jesse McCartney - Beach trip with Tiff and Kelli

SuperWoman by Fabulous - Marc while I was in college...hard to explain that one, it just reminds me of Marc

These are my People by Rodney Adkins - Playing softball in the summer followed by Wing Nite at The Wooden Nickel

Where I'm From by Jason Michael Carroll - So the ultimate song of my life! ("I'm from the front row of a wooden church...)

Amazing Grace - Makes me think of my great grandma, Mama Hall

Christmas Songs by Elvis - Makes me think of decorating the house for Christmas with Mama

Are there certain songs that you hear on the radio, and it justs makes you smile with the memory? Or singing a hymn in church, and it takes you back to a special time? I hope you've enjoyed this, and maybe even made you smile as you thought back to a time in your life when one of these songs played in the background. =.)



And, on a really random side note: GO HEELS!


"My salvation and my honor depend on my God; he is my might rock, my refuge." Psalm 62:7

Happy Anniversary!

On Wednesday, March 25th, Marc and I celebrated 3 years of marriage. Yay! So, Happy Anniversary, Marc! I love you! We've had a busy week, and Marc's actually out of town for the weekend, so we celebrated our anniversary with dinner out on Tuesday.

We went to Rockfish Seafood Grill @ The Streets of Southpoint (thanks for the coupon, Tiffany!). We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine, great dinner, and the most scrumptious slice of Key Lime Pie. Yummy!

Rockfish Seafood Grill

Love of my Life...

Self Portrait

***

Wednesday, we hosted our Life Group at our house. Dave Ramsey is just awesome. He makes things sound so simple! And I understand that the concepts are, indeed, simple, but he just says them in a way that everyone can comprehend! Love Financial Peace!

***

So, on Thursday morning, I woke to a little discomfort on my right side of my mouth. Not a big deal, I figured it would go away. I swished with some Listerine and also some salt water throughout the day. No big deal, except that it kept getting more uncomfortable as the day progressed. I called to ensure I could see my awesome doctor before the weekend, and got an appointment for today at 12:00.

Well, when I woke up this morning, the 'slight' swelling that definitely increased to extremely swollen, and extremely uncomfortable. Still haven't felt any pain, but it's just been a bother. Well, the infection finally started draining around 10 a.m., so the swelling went down significantly. It was so swollen when I woke up this morning, that it was pulling the right side of my mouth down. Pretty bad, even for me. This picture is me right before I went in to see the doctor. If you look at the left side of my face at my jaw line, you can see the swelling. Normally, my face is symmetrical, so you can see that it's not exactly normal. Dr. V drained and flushed the incision, which is where the infection is, and placed a pack in, like he did on the other side. He is just so nice! He really feels bad that I'm having so much trouble! It's pretty typical for me, though, so I'm not too surprised! My face is closer to normal, now, but I'll spare you the photos!

I hope you've had a wonderful day! I'm off to bed to finish watching the Duke/Villanova game! =.)


"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." ~ Philippians 1:9-11

Weekend Recap

This weekend, we had some guests at the house. Marc's dad and stepmom, Lyman and Melinda, were up to celebrate Ma and Pa J's 60th wedding anniversary. Marc was wrong - he told me it was 50 years of wedded bliss, when it was really 60 years. Can you believe that?!? And Pa J is just so cute! =.)

We 'enjoyed' dinner at Carabba's on Friday night, and by 'enjoyed,' I mean we suffered through dinner. What a mess! For starters, there were 18 of us, at dinner, on a Friday night, so that was enough of a hassle, but then, we were told to go to the restaurant on 15-501 in Durham, when we were apparantly supposed to be at the one in Raleigh on Capital Blvd! I mean, it was an ordeal. Half of us were in Durham, the other half in Raleigh. About 30 minutes after we sat down in Durham, had ordered our drinks, and just put in an order for some appetizers, we get a call from Lyman's sister, wanting to know where we were. So, we then had to drive to Raleigh (it's only about 20-25 minutes), but we had the guests of honor, so we really just wanted to stay put and have the rest of the group come to us. Needless to say, by the time we got to Raleigh, we were an hour late for our reservations, and our half of the table didn't really converse with the other half. Boy, was I glad when my margarita came! =.) Yummy!

Saturday, I went with Marc to the gun show in Raleigh at the Fairgrounds. There was also a dog show going on at the Jim Graham Building, I guess, and there were so many beautiful Boxers there! They're still my favorite dogs! So, Marc really has been wanting to get me a gun. Until Christmas, guns just made me really, really nervous. We've been target shooting 3 times since Christmas, though, and I really like target practice! I've been shooting all kinds of guns we we target shoot, and I have my preferences. My favorite was one that my Daddy bought for my Mama. It's wood grain! It's just more comfortable (and a lot smaller) than Marc's Glock. So...Marc wanted to buy me a gun. While we were at the gun show, we walked around and I looked at all the different kinds. (And I really wanted a PINK gun!) So, the first time around, I found the one that I liked best. We still looked around and price compared, and about an hour/hour and a half later, we decided that the pink gun was 'the one.' So, while I helped Carl at his booth (we got in as dealers early because we know people), Marc purchased this beauty of an anniversary gift! How pretty is this?!? It's like a bowling ball! =.) Love it!

Saturday night, we hung out at the house and grilled out with Lyman, Melinda, Matt, Tammy, and Karleigh. Then, we played Apples to Apples. If you've never played, you should! It's so much fun! The more people playing, the better! =.)

I would squat to get a picture, she would do the same:

I sat in the floor so I could get a good pic, Karleigh sat, too:

We all went to Ma and Pa J's church on Sunday. It wasn't nearly as 'bad' as I was expecting. I really enjoyed some of the traditional hymns (did you know that Jesus loves me has more than just the one verse?). And I really think the grandparents enjoyed showing off their family. And Karleigh did so good! Isn't she adorable?!?

The Ladies (Tammy, Melinda, me)

The Gentlemen (Matt, Lyman, Marc)

Karleigh and Lyman

Matt, Karleigh, & Tammy

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, too! =.)




"I thank my God every time I remember you." ~ Philippians 1:3

Weekend guests

This weekend, we are going to be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Marc's grandparents (let's call 'em Ma and Pa J). We're going out to eat on Friday night with his dad's family - everyone we see at Christmas. It's about 20 people.

And Marc's dad and stepmom are staying with us this weekend. It should be fun! =.) We'll play spades, and maybe a few other card games, maybe we'll get Apples to Apples to play, too. On Sunday, Ma and Pa J's church is going to be honoring them with some sort of ceremony. I don't mind going, at all, nor does Marc, but we just really love Crosslink! I hope that doesn't make us church snobs! I also have a feeling that this will be a really traditional church, so that plays into a bit, as well. Anywho...should be a great weekend! We haven't seen Lyman and Melinda in a long time...maybe since Christmas?!? Too long!

Also, if you're in the area, and would love a contemporary church to stop in and check out, please take a look at Crosslink. Pastor Ken is awesome - you'll definitely walk away with something to think about and a challenge for the week. We're in the middle of a series on Vision, and God's Vision for our lives, for Crosslink, etc. Love it! =.)


And speaking of anniversaries...ours is coming up! March 25th marks 3 years of marriage for Marc and me! It's crazy how 3 years has gone by so quickly, yet seems like we've been together forever, all at the same time! I do have to say, though, that we've been dating since 2000, so maybe that has a part in the feeling like forever side of it! Have a wonderful day!


“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”- Galations 5:22-23

Thankful...

Every day, I wake up to a blessed life! God is so good!

Today, I'm thankful for:

• Waking up
• The love of my life
• My spectacular famiy! =.)
• Sunshine
• Spring blossoms
• Warmer weather! =.)
• A job
• My health
• A house to shelter me
• A home to come back to each night
• More friends than anyone could want
• An amazing church!
• Jesus Christ
• The Holy Spirit living inside me
• God who listens to all of the craziness that goes on in my head

I could just go on and on! God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good! =.)

Wordless Wednesday

**Disclaimer - I'm working with just the pictures I have on my work computer, so they're limited. Some of 'em are old school, so please forgive me if any of these are repeats. Have a great day!

Paisley as a Pup

Our first dance
My favorite girls! =.)

Newborn Allie

Mama and Daddy at my Graduation!

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." - Proverbs 31:10-12

Dancing with the Stars!

I absolutely LOVE this show! Marc, on the other hand, thinks it's the corniest show ever. It's like torture for him to sit through this with me.

My favorite is Melissa...besides being beautiful, the girl can dance. My runner up is Shawn Johnson, though. I want to see her loosen up, some, though. You can just tell she's a gymnast. I'm excited to see her become more graceful over the duration of the show.

I've heard a lot this season about how it's not really Dancing with the Stars, since some of the people aren't really well-known people. I'm not really hung up on the Star part. I just like to see the dancing.

I love how it takes people out of their comfort zone, and out of what they're used to, and watching (some of) them succeed. I just love it! =.)

I am, however, ready for some of the not-so-good dancers to leave, because it's just more fun to watch the performances of those who really can dance. However, I love to see them try. And some of them are just so dang cute, even if they can't dance!

So, who's your favorite? Who do you think will win? Who are you ready to see leave? What's your favorite part of the show?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." ~Psalm 37: 23-24

Picture Post =.)

The beautiful snow falling March 1st

How gorgeous is that?!

I love living in the country with undisturbed snow! =.)

Allie is just precious

Ava is adorable!


And these sisters just love each other (most of the time)

Marc played with the dogs when it snowed in February

He had on gloves, and Paisley went into intense play mode.

As much as they love to play, they really love to sleep, inside, on their warm bed.

And just how cute is she? =.)

Hope you enjoy! =.)

"...'I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'" Matthew 17:20-21

Easter is coming...

We're getting closer to Easter, and as we do, I'm getting more and more excited. I haven't been this excited and energetic about God since I was in college.

Side note - I was in a sorority - Sigma Alpha Omega. It's a christian sorority, started at NC State, and it's grown in NC. It might be outside of NC by now, but I don't know. Check out the website for the chapter at Appalachian State here.

But oh my goodness, I am so excited to be at Crosslink Community Church. Pastor Ken is just such an amazing speaker, and he just makes you want to go out each week and do something for God. I absolutely LOVE it! =.)

So, if you're in the Mebane area, and are interested in finding a great church that really wants each person to grow in Christ, please, please, PLEASE leave me a comment, or go to the link above and I think there are directions there. Our Easter service is gonna be awesome, so you should definitely come out if you can! =.)

Have a great day!


"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." ~Romans 6:6

Back to normal...almost

Hello, Blog World!

I'm finally back! I had my wisdom teeth taken out on Friday - first surgery ever for me, and I'm quite proud of myself! No panic attacks, freak outs, out right refusal to follow through with this (I'm pretty sure the Valium helped with that - Thanks, Dr. V!).

My Mama took me in on Friday morning - I don't think it will matter how old I am, my Mama just makes me feel like everything is going to be just fine. I check in and pay (OMG at no dental insurance - Dave Ramsey - there goes our emergency fund), and wait around.

By the way, I went to the Chapel Hill office versus the Durham office. Not sure how many of you are familiar with Chapel Hill, but it's full of...let's call them eccentric...people. So, the lobby to the office has CNN on and it has 3 different seating areas. Mama and I were waiting for them to call me back, and this "Chapel Hill" dad sits down a few chairs over in our little seating area. We're looking through mail order magazines, trying to mind our own business. This guy - he's listening to the newscast, and just keeps mumbling about the government, and they're the reason why our economy is the way it is, and how he'd like to see Obama do even one thing he promised. Just on and on kind of "under his breath" but not really. Really strange. People - this is typical of Chapel Hill - which is why I stay in Hillsborough. North of it really, as Chapel Hill-ians are migrating north. I don't like it, I tell ya!

But, off my soap box, and back to the story...so I finally get called back, because I'm still a little nervous about the whole thing. So I go into the room, and the nurse/assistant (not sure what they are at an oral surgeon's office) puts on the blood pressure cuff hooked up to the machine, and then the pulse reader on my finger. And I wait for what feels like forever, again (when in reality, it was probably, maybe, 10-15 minutes), for the doctor to come in and do his thing. He puts in the IV, they place the oxygen mask over my nose, a few deep breaths, and I was sleeping like a baby!

I wake up in a wheel chair in the recovery room where a nurse/assistant is telling my Mama what to do, what I can and can't do/have, getting all the forms and prescriptions that we have to pick up before we go home - all that stuff. Then a really nice man wheeled me out to Mama's truck, and we were on our way.

I distinctly remember Mama calling my Dad, Marc, and my grandma to let them know I was doing okay. I also specifically remember telling Mama to tell Marc that my lips felt as big as his. I was drugged, though! =.) Who am I kidding? I would have said that, drugged or not! =.)

We stopped by CVS on the way home to pick up the prescriptions, and we ran into Jessica, Royce's fiance. She bought me a tea - it was great! Thanks, Jess! And because I'm hardheaded, I just had to go inside with Mama. While inside, I saw my step-grandma, Shirley. Random.

After that, we went to Food Lion to pick up something edible for me with my mouth all out of whack. I think I slept while Mama was in the store, then we went through the drive through at CVS, and were on our way home.

So, basically, we just hung out and watched TV at the house all day on Friday. The pain meds made me sick, so I only took two of them before deciding it wasn't worth it. So I've just been taking the mega Ibuprofen since. I'm only taking them twice a day, now, instead of 4 times a day.

How am I doing, you ask? I'm doing really well! I went back to work on Monday, and it was tough! All I wanted to do was sleep (and I don't think the time change helped). Yesterday was my best day...so good to know that it will get better each day.

How serious was the surgery? My top 2 teeth had already come in, so they were just pulled. The bottom 2 were impacted, so they had to be surgically removed. I've got stitches in the bottom (and I keep feeling them with my tongue - I have to consciously make the effort not to touch them) and then just holes in the back on the top of my mouth. It's the strangest thing, really!

Last night, I was craving food - just real food, instead of all these startchy foods (I'm really tired of potatos and rice!). So, Marc and I went with Chris to The Wooden Nickel for wing night. It was packed - gotta love wing night and warmer weather. It was a gorgeous night - we sat on the side walk and enjoyed "fried tots"(this guy beside us just kept going on and on about how awesome the "fried tots" were! How else are you going to cook tots at a restaurant? Really? Bake 'em?) and some wings. I think I might have overdone it a bit with the wings, though. They were soooo good, though!

I'm sorry if I've grossed you out with my mouth descriptions. However, if you haven't yet had your wisdom teeth removed, have no fear. It was a pretty easy and seemless process for me. If you're in my area - definitely recommend Dr. Vandersea - he even called Friday night to see how I was doing!

Happy Hump Day!

Oh, yeah - I said I'd get Mama to take pictures of my face so you could see the swelling - I was really lucky and there was hardly any swelling, so no need for a pic! I didn't really want to put up a close up of me, anyways!


"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father..." Matthew 13:43

Super Anxious!!!

Tomorrow, Friday, March 6th, 2009 is a HUGE day for me! It will be the day that I:

1. Get my wisdom teeth removed
2. The first time I get operated on
3. The first time I go under local anesthesia (scary!)
4. The first time I take any pain pills stronger than IB Profen!

Needless to say - I'm starting to freak out! I know it's not like a major surgery - for goodness sake, my brother has had major back surgery, and he's okay - but I'm nervous!

So, please pray for me! I'll get my Mama to take pictures for ya! =.)

However, I'm really excited about dinner tonight at Saratoga Grill! I can't wait for some Honey Almond Salmon with a side salad and strawberry vinaigrette!


"For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does." ~Psalm 33:4

Travel Updates...

Airport...

I hate waiting at the airport. You have a few options, and fewer still if you’re by yourself. What options, you may ask? Here’s what I think:

People watch. I mean, really – an airport is FILLED with tons of different kinds of people, and I LOVE to watch people. Marc gets mad when I people watch at dinner, especially when we’re at La Cocina in Roxboro. I can’t help it, though!
Read. This is one of my favorite pastimes. However, if I know that I’m going to be reading on the flight, I feel like I get bored more easily if I read in the airport and in the air.
Play on the computer. My current option choice. J Now that I have a blog, I feel that airport thoughts are definitely something that most of you will understand.
Watch TV. Since the only thing they ever show on the TVs at airports are news shows, that doesn’t interest me. There’s too much else out there to be depressed about, what do I need to hear more from news anchors about?
Listen while other people talk way too loudly. I believe it is inevitable that while you are waiting on a flight, you will hear someone else as they talk on a cell phone – and you can hear about someone’s divorce (yes, someone was talking on their cell about how they were still going to be friends, because he really does like his wife? – or any other information that I, personally, would like to keep personal.

So…as I sit here, waiting for my flight to board, I have most definitely done a little people watching, listening in on other people’s conversations, whether via cell phone or person to person, played on the computer, and wandered into the extremely overpriced stores to see what I can find to keep me occupied for just a little while longer.

Happy flying!

****

Florida…

The weather here has been amazing today! It’s been around 70° and sunny. It would only be better if I were at home with the people I love!

I’m staying at the Wyndham Orlando Resort. The pictures online are gorgeous. It sits on 48 acres in Orlando, with a couple of pools, some very pretty gardens, a tiki bar. The grounds are beautiful. My room, on the other hand, leaves quite a bit to be desired. I guess I’m just really spoiled with all of the other hotels I’ve stayed at, but this is a bit much. There’s about a half inch between the bottom of the door and the floor, where light can be seen. It’s a standard room with 2 double beds. It has a small bathroom with chipped tile floors. There isn’t enough room to place 2 suitcases in the room/closet.

I think if I loved traveling, it wouldn’t be as bad, but I’d much rather at home. I’m such a homebody. So, since I’d rather be at home, anyways, being in a crappy hotel just doesn’t help matters any.

Starting tomorrow, Sunday, at 8:00 a.m. I’ll be enjoying sessions about real estate and leadership. I’m kind of upset about missing the final sermon on the Life Swap series that Pastor Ken is preaching on tomorrow.

Currently, I’m missing a baby shower for Dawn. Her and Jeff are having a little baby boy. Mama was going to take my gift, since I wasn’t able to make it.

So far on this trip, I’ve read on book, and I’m almost done reading my second. I really need wireless, preferably free wireless, so I can check emails and such. I’m bored, already.

So…these are my wonderful ramblings for the day…hope you’ve enjoyed!