How the Grinch Stole Christmas

"The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small." or maybe, he knew not how to bake and no one had ever gifted him with his very own cake!!! (yeah, I went there, haha)

~*~~*~MERRY CHRISTMAS FELLOW CAKE LOVERS~*~~*~

(I have more pictures and will update later, I just didn't want to let too much time pass before I shared my latest creation...I wasn't wanting to wait on Christmas, you know ;) )

***If anyone can spot the picture that is just a little off, something just isn't quite right, post a comment and show off just how observant you are!***

I'm glad it's Friday

because I'm tired.

I'm always tired, but that is besides the point...I think I have low iron, again, besides the point.
I'm tired because I stayed up entirely too late working on a cake.
Then I crawled out of bed (after hitting the snooze button no less than nine times) and spent the morning stuffing Christmas cards into envelopes, addressing and stamping each one.
No, not my Christmas cards, I don't do Christmas cards...not that I don't think they are lovely, they are...but they take up too much time.
They also cause nasty paper cuts!
and dry hands...
I have both now, nasty paper cuts on my fingers and dry hands!
However, last night, before I started on my cake, I painted my finger nails a pretty taupeish/greyish..maybe even slightly purpleish color. So at least my nails looked nice while I stuffed envelopes.

(please ignore the random website in the bottom corner of that picture...It was the first image that popped up when I googled the color)

That's it, that's all I've got...have a happy Friday! I hope it's loaded with Holiday cheer and no Christmas card stuffing!

I can't think of a good title...

but I wanted to share a link to a National Geographic documentary that Sev and I watched last night (you can order it off of Netflix if you're interested).
It was....humbling, eye opening, heart wrenching....I can't think of how to describe it.
http://movies.nationalgeographic.com/movies/restrepo

I won't go much into it, in case you have the guts to watch it, but ya'll...it brought back so many fears, memories, and feelings. As I sat and watched, my stomach churning, I glanced over at Sev and it hit me "what is HE thinking??".
Most everyone knows that Sev spent over two years of his life as an infantry soldier in Iraq. Sometimes I wonder what he saw and experienced that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. Thankfully, Sev was blessed with the type of personality that the Army needs and he was able to carry out his time in the service with little to no signs of PTSD, but after watching this movie...I can't imagine how hard it is to be a soldier in the United States Army. The things they see, smell, taste, feel, remember and try to forget.

I've watched a few different documentaries, movies and clips featuring deployed soldiers, but this one by far hit the hardest.

If you get the chance to watch it, let me know what you think! I promise you will gain an even greater appreciation for our veterans. I'm sure some will think this is too graphic and many will probably say it should not have been shown on national TV, I personally wish everyone in America was required to watch documentaries like these. This is not "the movies" there is no sugar coating, this is real life.

Here is a brief description found on the National Geographic website:
"RESTREPO is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo". It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you."


and

"The war in Afghanistan has become highly politicized, but soldiers rarely take part in that discussion. Our intention was to capture the experience of combat, boredom and fear through the eyes of the soldiers themselves. Their lives were our lives: we did not sit down with their families, we did not interview Afghans, we did not explore geopolitical debates. Soldiers are living and fighting and dying at remote outposts in Afghanistan in conditions that few Americans back home can imagine. Their experiences are important to understand, regardless of one's political beliefs. Beliefs are a way to avoid looking at reality. This is reality."

~Remember, we live in the home of the Free because of the Brave~

EXHAUSTED!

I'm back from Texas!
I arrived at noon today!! Finally! It has been a longggg 24+ hours.
We had the best time, spending time with family and meeting our brand new nephew. He is a doll and it was very hard to leave him...maybe that's why I ended up staying an extra day!? (not really, I had NO intention of staying an extra day).

Sev and I took two different flights to and from Houston this past weekend. He flew from Raleigh, NC and I flew from Charlotte, NC (long story, I'll spare you).
His return flight home was scheduled for Monday, he made it home safe and sound.
My return flight home was scheduled for Tuesday, I...just now made it home...it's Wednesday.

At 4am on Tuesday morning I crawled out of bed, packed my belongings, dressed, kissed my nephew goodbye and headed for the airport. We knew something wasn't right the second we pulled into line at the airport, the line was long. I jumped out of the car, grabbed my bags and high tailed it to the check-in counter. I stood in line. I made it to the front of the line. My bag was two pounds over weight, ugh. I fumbled with the zipper and removed the first two items I could grab, my hair straightener and a blouse. I was handed my boarding pass and off I ran to the Security line.
I waited.
I waited.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the next.
I waited.
I checked the clock.
I waited.
Oh my word, I have NEVER stood in a security line this long.
I made it! I tried to rush through security, but you don't RUSH through security by any means...and you don't try and rush through security with your jacket on either. I learned this the hard way.
I had my bags, I was running.
My gate was the last gate in the terminal, the one at the FAR end of the hall.
I dodged, swerved, apologized and ran all the way to my gate.
The door was closed.
I missed my flight.
I was not the only one to miss the flight, whatever the hold up was in security had caused a good handful of passengers to miss that flight.
I waited until they could find me another flight.
I was booked to leave at 10:45am, it was 6am.
My sister-in-law insisted she come and take me to breakfast. After breakfast I went through the whole ordeal all over again (only I gave myself more time to get through security-the line was still beyond ridiculous) I finally made it to the end of the security line, only to have the lady checking my id stop me in my tracks, look me in the eyes and say "and who is ceicilia?"
"huh?!" I don't have time for this! I've got a plane to catch!
Again she says "where is ceicilia??"
I want to cry.
She holds up my boarding pass and shows me the name printed across the top, I read it "Ceicilia Jones". Now I'M asking "WHO is Ceicilia!!??"
I explained that the boarding pass had been given to me earlier that morning, at the gate, when I had missed my first flight.
I was escorted back to the ticket counter and then, for a third time, made my way through security.
I made my way through the metal detectors, grabbed my bags, pulled one arm into my jacket, I pulled my shoes on while I ran for my gate.
My flight was delayed.
I was now scheduled to depart at 12:41pm.
I sat down and started to make myself comfortable.
"Any passengers with final destination to Charlotte, NC please make your way to the counter"
I made my way to the front counter.
I am told that my connecting flight from Atlanta to Charlotte has been cancelled and all though they now have me a flight out of Houston and arriving into Atlanta at 1pm, I have to wait in Atlanta until the next available flight to Charlotte, which...is at 11:30pm.
This would have me arriving to Charlotte around 1 in the morning, only to have to drive all the way to Columbia.
I made the decision to stay in Houston for the night and just catch the first available flight out in the morning.
I woke up at 3:30am this morning. I felt a bit like I was trapped in that movie ground hogs day.
Only this time I made my flight!
Only to sit on the plane for 45 minutes past original take off due to FROST!!
I still managed to make my flight out of Atlanta and land in Charlotte on time (only a day later).
My checked bag, which made the flight that I had missed yesterday morning, was waiting for me.

Here I sit, at work, after I rushed down I-77 after landing a full day after I was originally scheduled to arrive.
I won't complain though, I got to spend an extra day with the sweetest, baby nephew in the world!
Pictures to come!
Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

...and then there were crumbs.

We celebrated Thanksgiving over the weekend with my side of the family, therefore I ate way more than should be legal. We're talking turkey, two different potato dishes, casseroles, my favorite strawberry jello salad, rolls, mac and cheese, creamed corn, three different pies...and much more.

Today, I decided I needed to scale back at lunch, so I headed to Zaxby's for a simple salad. I found comfort in my plan to eat healthy the rest of the week, to offset the crazy amounts of food I've already consumed and will consume again with Severyn's side of the family this coming weekend. I drove away from the drive-thru with visions of crisp green lettuce leaves, ripe red tomatoes, carrot strips and grilled chicken. The ultimate "healthy" lunch. I felt the feeling of success!

I parked in my usual "lunch time parking spot" and cracked open a bottle of water while I dug my salad out of the bag.....

Guess what the lovely, obviously out to sabotage me, drive-thru attendant at Zaxby's gifted me with??




Curse it!
The cruelty of it all...

Excuse me while I lick chocolate off of my fingers.

Winter Weather and Christmas Wish #2

I'm married to a weather man.

Really.

No he didn't major in meteorology (though, he decided last week that he wants to minor in that! HELP me Ronda!)

He is just REALLY into the weather.

Do you want to know what the temperature is in Algona, WA? Ask Sev.

Planning a trip to Chula Vista, CA? Sev's got your "what should I pack" covered!

Is it snowing in Billings, MT? ...Puuulease! He has that exact weather application on his phone! Watch out! (I hear you! and I have NO clue!)

He's obsessed.

So, when my weather man told me that it was looking like a white winter this year, I added the following to my Christmas wish list:

These aren't your typical rain boots, these are Hunter Boots and while they are an investment, they will last forever (read: possibly outlast the Dansko's I've had since my junior year!)

I NEED these...mom, MOM are you out there?!

These would be perfect for the winter weather Sev is sure we'll get.

Football, Friends and Fire

Last Saturday morning, Sev and I woke early and spent the better part of the morning riding with dad (I'm still paying for it! My body hurts).

When we got home our favorite people in the world were at our house. Kyle and Kennedi had come to spend the evening with us. It was the first time we have gotten the chance to see the "newly married" couple since their wedding.

Kennedi and I spent the afternoon browsing a few shops downtown and then we picked up groceries for dinner. Later that night, we had our friends over for a football/bon fire party.

It was a success, we had so much fun! We got to watch the gamecocks STOMP the gators and claim the eastern SEC title and we got to spend time around a camp fire roasting marsh mellows and making s'mores with friends, it couldn't get much better than that!

Here are a few pictures from the night.

I don't know how my "little" brother grew SO much taller than me!

(No I still do not have My Boots...the ones pictured above are old, cheap and too peter panish but they are all I have)

We also had a little party for Ali and his four legged pals! We had a house full of dogs! Ali was worn out. You can see Layla, one of Ali's new friends, and Ali's cousin Bean (Chris' dog) in the picture above.

Our sweet neighbor, her boyfriend and our roaring fire!

Sweet friends make for Sweet memories!

Fall Favorites

Here are a few things I'm loving lately.

So much so that I thought it warranted a post!

Benefit Cream Eyeshadow. I Love this stuff! My favorite color is birthday suit, but I have a few different shades (including the one pictured below, RSVP). This stuff is soooo easy to apply and it stays on ALL day. It's perfect for me, I'm low maintenance (when it comes to getting glammed up) and typically have little to no time for makeup, but this stuff is super easy and quick.



One of my favorite holiday items. Enough Said.

THE boots. THESE are them. I keep looking at them and I just KNOW that these are the boots I want on my feet this season. However, I can only get these online (if I want the super discount I found!) and I have commitment issues...I keep waiting...just to make sure these are THEM!

This eternity scarf is so pretty. The jeweled broach can be removed so you can dress it up or down. I have it in this color but it comes in three other shades too. I like that scarfs are pretty popular, they are easy and don't require a lot of work (like necklaces or earrings...YES there are many days I go sans jewelery because I didn't have time to undo, unlatch, re latch, or untangle a piece)...and once again, I like easy!

There are a few more items that I'm loving right now, I'll add those as I find pictures :)

Happy Friday!

Walking in a Winter Wonder Land

Pppssssht anyone can walk in a winter wonder land. Try CAMPING in one!
That's right.
We spent last weekend camping in Tuxedo, NC.
It was cold.
I mean REAL COLD.
Not quite as cold as Yellowstone National Park in the middle of February cold...but pretty dang close!
As a matter of fact, we woke up to snow on Saturday.
I think I cried, but it could have been a snowflake on my eyelid.


I spent the weekend looking like this.

Ali spent the weekend looking like this.

That's little man zipped up in three layers of my coats! He stayed there pretty much all weekend.

We stayed around the campfire mostly, but for a brief couple of hours we rode dirt bikes and four wheelers out on the trails. My hands stayed frozen.

My feet...I'm just now getting the feeling back.

It was cold, we had no running water (unless you count the creek), nor electricity, but it was peaceful.

The stars were bright and the campfire was cozy, we enjoyed a big pot of homemade chili Saturday night and all went to bed with our bellies full.

I don't know that I'll go camping again until the Spring, but I'm thankful that we got the chance to sleep under the stars one more night during 2010.

The Boot Debate

I have been on the hunt for a nice pair of brown boots for...forever.
I'm not exaggerating either. I've really been on the hunt for forever.
Okay, well, it seems like forever...it might have only been a year or two.
I'm really funny about shoes.
You see, I have really big feet. So large, in fact, that most all shoes, regardless of how cute they appear to be on anyone else...turn into giant skis on my feet.
It's true, ask anyone that knows me.
Therefore, I do not own many pairs of shoes. The few shoes I do manage to run across, like and then purchase...end up staying with me for years and I tend to own several of the same pair of shoes, just in different colors.
The shoes on my feet now? Danskos...that I have proudly owned since my junior year.
My junior year in HIGH SCHOOL.


So it comes as no surprise that while I adore the boot look, I just can't find THE boots for me.
Here are a few of the boots that I've looked at, tried on, stuck my tongue out at, sighed because they cost way over my budget, turned my head sideways at and then ultimately decided against or put on my list of "maybe".

I like everything about these, except the funny little tie in the back. It's just weird.





I actually purchased these! Part of me thought they might be a bit too pointed, but I talked myself into them and took them home! That night, I got on skype with my cousin and the first thing she said? "WHAT have you got on your feet? Those things look huge!"
They went back the next day!
Pointed toe, OUT!




These look okay online, I'm just afraid that they will be too slouchy in person. Once again, they have a pointed toe.

These are the ones that I looked at, turned my head sideways and then thought better of. I'm glad I did, I showed them to a friend whose opinion I trust and she nixed them right off the bat! (and honestly, now that I look at them again, I'm embarrassed to say I considered them!)

I currently own these! Yep, I bought them on a presale from Belk's. I'm suppose to pick them up today. I still can't decide 100% if THESE are THE boots...but I thought I better buy them while they were on sale and then decide later. I just don't know if they are too clunky for the look I'm going for.



There are MANY more...many. many. many. more boots that I have looked at while on my hunt.

I don't know what it is about riding boots, but I really love them and I'm glad they are currently in style. I just hope I run across the pair that are meant for me.

Wish List take 1

I realize this could look really tacky, putting my "Christmas wish list" up on my blog.

Then I remembered it's MY BLOG...and really, I just found the cutest thing that I need and I knew I would forget if I didn't post the link somewhere.

So, on my Christmas wish list, we have item number one:

Please do not think I would not drink out of this mug EVERY day.

Love it!!

and just a little something to show off my little Brussels Griffon....

The cutest pumpkin in the patch!!!

"It's tough being so cute guys, really it is!"

"What's in a name?"

Kennedi and Kyle got married this past weekend!

The wedding was so much fun, it was beyond gorgeous. I had a blast getting to know the other bridesmaids and it wasn't long before we were all friends and taking pictures together that looked like....

They had a photo booth at their reception and I have to say it was a GREAT IDEA! Everyone seemed to really enjoy the photo booth...I know Sev and I did!

My sweet mom and aunt Jackie made the drive from Spartanburg to Rock Hill, just to be present at the wedding. We couldn't let the opportunity for a family photo pass us by!

..and I have to say, I think that picture captures our personalities perfectly, ha!

They held the rehearsal dinner at a WONDERFUL little restaurant in downtown Charlotte, Del Frisco's. The food was amazing and I was honored to make the grooms cake. Kyle and I have been friends for many years and when he told me that he really wanted his grooms cake to be a UFC themed cake, I gave it my best shot. I even added a little poem (it's written on the scroll of fondant going down the side of the cake).

Here is Kyle with his cake.

Just a snap shot of Sev and I at the rehearsal dinner. We really enjoyed our time with our sweet friends and were very excited to celebrate with them.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Christopher!

Just a funny little side story. Growing up, and still to this day, my best friends last name was Christopher. Kennedi is now Kennedi Christopher and I consider her one of my best friends. Not to mention my favorite little brother's name is Christopher too (yes, he's my only brother)! So "what's in a name?" I still don't know...but the name Christopher sure is sweet to me! It has proven to bring wonderful people into my life.

Last Weekend

Last Friday was "date night" for Sev and I.
I rushed home from work and met Sev in the driveway. We jumped in the truck and took off to our destination, the drive-in movies!
First we stopped and grabbed a bite to eat. Then we made the 45min drive to Monetta, SC to the Big Moe .
We had the best time! Thankfully, Sev packed lots of blankets and even pillows...it was COLD! We had a cooler packed with soda and bags of chocolate! The best movie combination there is!
They actually play two, new release, movies in a row. There is a small intermission between the movies and if you decide you don't want to stay for the second one, that is when you can leave...Sev and I decided to stay on for the second film....and then I promptly fell asleep. oops.
Here are some pictures from our date night! I tried to get a picture of the screen, but it was already too dark. Just picture a big, white, billboard. I will say, both Sev and I were very impressed with the picture quality!! To hear the sound, you just tuned your car radio to the station they provided.

It was sooo cold, so this is what I looked like most of the evening. However, Sev made me sit up for a "proper picture"...I quickly dove back under the covers! Burrrr!

Here is where I tried to get a picture of the screen behind Sevy, but...alas no picture of the screen.

On Saturday we woke up and drove downtown Columbia for lunch. We stopped by the USC campus to watch the ESPN Game Day being filmed, that was neat, and I managed to only get one picture. oops.We all know the rest of this story...USC goes on to STOMP the #1 ranked team in the Nation, Alabama!! It was a fun game to watch!


After the game we went out for dinner with some fellow Gamecocks fans. We enjoyed dinner and then headed home, I had lots of things I needed to do on Sunday and for ONCE we were going to be in town and could actually attend our own Church!

Not. So. Much.

I woke up early in the am on Sunday and was SICK. I have not been this sick in a long time. I could not move on Sunday and ended up spending the day in my bed. Thankfully, I had Sev to take care of me...until he left to go fishing, ha. Actually, I told him to leave, watching me complain about being sick when there really wasn't much he could do, wasn't very fun for him. Plus, I didn't want him to catch whatever I had!

Turns out that the friends we went to dinner with on Saturday were also sick! So I'm going to say it was some kind of food bug. I took half of work off yesterday, but I'm back today. I still feel weak, but hopefully I'll be over this bug soon!!

Kennedi is getting married FRIDAY!!! I have to be well because I can't WAIT to celebrate with our friends on their wedding day!!!

Happy Tuesday everyone, hope you all stay bug free this fall season!

Living With No Regrets

I contemplated blogging about this, because honestly it's something that I'm still struggling with, but then I thought "maybe, if I blog about what I'm currently dealing with, maybe it will help someone else in the future." So I'm going to give this my best shot.
First, I am a Christian, I know Jesus and I have a personal relationship with him.
However, that being said, I've never been good at witnessing.
I try to lead by example, but I'm still a sinner and I know I fall short time and time again.

My brother began dating a sweet girl in 2002. She was sweet, humble, kind, patient and beautiful. It wasn't long before she was going on family outings and spending the holidays with us. They dated for a good length of time, on and off, but she was always around and I guess part of me thought that she would always be around. I didn't think about how critical it would be to witness to her, because in my mind...there was always tomorrow.
She was killed in a car accident this past Saturday.
I will never know if she was saved.
While she was in a relationship with my brother she would call, come by, or email and we would talk and talk and I had no problem dishing out advice about their relationship, or other issues that were going on in her life.
We spent many moments together were I look back now and think "it would have been so easy to have witnessed then..." or "I should have said that when...". But I didn't.

As a Christian I believe in heaven and hell. I believe that while you may be one outstanding citizen here on earth, if you do not confess that you are a sinner and ask God for forgiveness, if you do not put your faith in Jesus, you will go to hell. That sounds so harsh and cruel...and maybe that is why I have a hard time talking about it. However, on the other hand, I also know how forgiving our Lord is and that all he really wants is for us to spend eternal life with him, in heaven.
Now why couldn't I have said all of this to Lexi when I had the chance? I don't know...all I know is I will carry this burden and regret for as long as I live. Now, I'm not saying I "know" she went to hell, I don't, I really don't know what was in her heart (because I never brought it up...) but because I don't know for sure, I'll always wonder and I'll hurt for her because of the unknown.

It is SOOOOO hard for our human minds to wrap around the thought of "eternity". We can not imagine what "eternity" REALLY means.

eter·ni·ty noun \i-ˈtər-nə-tē\
plural eter·ni·ties
Definition of ETERNITY
1
: the quality or state of being eternal
2
: infinite time
3
plural : age 3b
4
: the state after death : immortality
5
: a seemingly endless or immeasurable time


It seems that even Webster can not REALLY define what ETERNITY means.
It's just hard for us to grasp.

In the past three days I have cried, I have gotten really angry at God, I have questioned, I have sought advice, but above all I have struggled with regret...and let me tell you, it is NOT a good feeling.

I've decided that this will have to be a lesson, a hard lesson, but a lesson. I have vowed to work harder at speaking up about my beliefs. I'm scared...crazy, I know. However, I know that regardless of being scared of what others may think of me...having regrets is much scarier!
Someone can call me crazy for my beliefs and while that will sting...feeling like I let someone down in eternity hurts a LOT worse.
I will carry a scar on my heart for Lexi, and this may sound plain crazy, but I hope God uses this scar as a reminder, time and time again, that I should NEVER miss the opportunity to share his Word....because....you REALLY never know, when it will be too late.

He Had Good Intentions...

I adore him.

Severyn.

Seriously, I do. With every fiber in me, I simply adore him.

When it comes dinner time, Sev has basically been fending for himself this week (please see post below for reasoning).

However, on Monday I ran across this recipe. I LOVE my aunt Jackies meatloaf, therefore this recipe brought back memories and before I knew it, my mouth was watering.

I emailed the link to Sev.

On Tuesday I was sitting at work when I received a text that read "What is a broiler pan?"

Huh? ...thinking, thinking, thinking...OH!! He must be attempting the meatloaf!!!

I text back a brief description of a broiler pan and tell him where he can locate one in our kitchen.

Later on that day I receive another text, "Can I use wheat instead of white bread?"

Uhm..."Sure hun".

Bless him.

Later, another text "how about skim milk instead of whole??"

Sigh...."that would be fine hun".

and later "What is DRY MUSTARD??!!"

....oh good grief "just leave it out babe, don't worry about the mustard!"

.

.

.

..."hey, do you know where they keep the bacon at publix? I can't find it"

.

.

.

..."you didn't respond so I didn't get bacon"

I walked in the door after work and Severyn meets me with a smile.

"Hey babe! I made the meatloaf you wanted!! I was still confused about the broiler pan thing, and the ingredients wouldn't fit in a bread pan...so I improvised...oh and you never texted back about the bacon, so I left that out...but it smells good!"

He retrieves the "meatloaf" from the oven.

He had substituted the broiler pan for a cookie sheet and tinfoil.

I dubbed this creation "Meatpile"



He was right, it smelled good...

but...well....

Sev served up the meat...
We sat down at the kitchen table and Sev was beaming.
"I cooked dinner honey! Aren't you proud!"
I smiled back "Yep, but uhm...what are we having with this meatloaf babe?"
"Huh??"
I suggested "potatoes?"
"uhm, no"
I tried again "green beans!?"
"uhhhhh...nope."
I thought I would humor myself at this point "how about a can of peas!?"



We had meatloaf for dinner on Wednesday night. We had meatloaf with a side of meatloaf.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Sometimes, I'm really good at biting off way more than I can chew.

I constantly toss around the idea of getting my masters. It's something I've always wanted, but it's something I also have a hard time justifying (maybe one day I'll blog about why this is hard for me to justify-if it isn't already obvious!). However, while tossing around the idea, I decided that regardless...I needed to get more experience and volunteer more. I love to learn and I yearn to make a difference in this world. So, after much research, I decided...why not become a guardian ad litem?! It's a step in the direction of helping others! So I started the application process, I filled out and filed the proper paperwork, I called, faxed, and visited the different locations and counties in need of volunteers. Finally, I decided to volunteer with the Lexington county CASA/GAL program.

Last night started the first night of volunteer class. The class is from 6pm-9pm and it's 45min away from my house. This has me going to work at 7:30am, working 8am-5pm, driving to class, class from 6-9pm and returning home just before 10pm. I. am. exhausted...and it's day one! This is on top of cakes I'm working on, cleaning my house, keeping Sevy fed, and general every day chores. I need more hours in the day!!

The class lasts for three weeks, and I know it will soon be over, but man...I have to admit the thought "what did I get myself into" crossed my mind last night. Then I sat through the first hour of class and realized just how sad our world really is, how unfair life is, how cruel people can be and I decided that even if I have to walk around like a zombie for the next three weeks...it will be worth it if I can make a positive difference in the life of our future generations.


I'll keep you posted!

It's a Boy!!

Davis Paul Lundgren was born at 8:37 central time, last night.

He weighed in at 7lbs 11oz.

Both momma and baby were doing fine when Don called to let us know our nephew was born, we could hear Jessie in the background and she sounded happy and tired =)

We are very excited!

Sev and I will meet baby Davis on Thanksgiving day...we can hardly wait!

We love you Davis!!

September 13th

28 years ago, Severyn Robert greeted the world with his sweet grin, smiling eyes, and goofy personality. Happy Birthday sweet Sevy! We are celebrating his birthday tonight, with dinner at his favorite restaurant. He wanted a bicycle for his birthday, so I got him one last week. He took his new bike out for a spin on Saturday, where we rode 28 miles with his dad, my parents and our good friends Neal and Tammy. Sunday we celebrated his birthday with his family, where we enjoyed a wonderful, homemade, cheesecake (his mom let him pick his birthday dessert). So as you can see, I think he's had a pretty nice birthday weekend thus far! and to top it off....

Today, 28 years later, Severyn and I will soon welcome our new niece or nephew into the world!
My sister-in-law is in labor as I write, she was admitted into the hospital yesterday morning and has been updating us with texts on a regular basis. Severyn is beyond excited that he may share his birthday with his niece or nephew. I just can't wait to meet the little squirt. Soon "baby bambino" will have a name! We love you already baby bambino and we can't wait to meet you!!

And it was Good

I just polished off a chicken salad sandwich.

It's only 11:30am, my lunch is usually around 12:30pm, but I could not wait another minute.

Why?
Oh I will tell you.

It was no ordinary chicken salad sandwich, oh no.
This chicken salad sandwich was made by....

and it was good....it was so gooood.

I was at Bi-Lo last week, preparing for our big labor day weekend ride, when there it was...an entire refrigerated shelf full of Duke's sandwich salads! Oh yes. They had chicken, tuna, egg, and pimento! I tried to refrain from taking my arm and swiping the entire contents on the shelf into my buggy, it took some self control, but I left one container on the shelf.

I could barely stand the wait, the minute I walked in the house I made a bee line for the silverware drawer and peeled open a container of chicken salad. It was just as I suspected, perfection. I packed the cooler we were to take with us to durhamtown and secretly smiled to myself, I was going to be the envy of all! Everyone was going to want to be my lunch buddy...I had duke's!

After riding all morning Saturday, we returned to our cabin for lunch. I got my bread, paper towel, knife and went to get my Duke's, I couldn't wait to see the jealous faces!

Jonathan took one look at the container I was guarding holding and said "yeah man, Steph gets that stuff all of the time, it's so good!"

WHAT!?

Apparently Bi-Lo has carried Duke's brand for some time now....Where have I been?? If you haven't enjoyed a Duke's salad sandwich before, try one, and if you have been living under a rock like I have, check your local Bi-Lo....you can thank me later.

What do you think?

Does it say "FALL"??

If I get a Starbucks gift card, I'm likely to use it on my favorite Starbucks beverage, pumpkin spice latte. If I drink a pumpkin spice latte I start to have dreams about leaves, scarves, boots and jackets. If I start to have dreams about leaves, scarves, boots and jackets I start to feel festive and if I start to feel festive, I might just have to paint my finger nails to match. If I paint my finger nails to match fall, it might lead me to paint my finger nails a brownish/copper color. If I paint my finger nails a brownish/copper color, I might decide that I should take a picture. If I take a picture, I might decide to post the picture on my blog and if I post the picture on my blog....I might look at the picture and think "oh my gosh, those are my MOTHERS HANDS!!"

It's starting to happen...I'm turning into my mother, only my mothers child would write a post to the beat of "if you give a mouse a cookie!".

It's almost fall!! I can feel it in the air, and even though it is 97 degrees today, I wore a crocheted, short sleeve, top to work today. Do you know who LOVES crocheted tops? My MOTHER!!

I can't believe another season is just about upon us! I'm still trying to savor the long summer nights, but I know, it's inevitable...fall will be here before we know it, just like I'll always be my mothers child.

**Edit to say: I have a wonderful mother =) So I can't complain, it just amazes me how I can see her in myself more and more...**

2 Pictures

From this past weekend....sorry, but I never once took my camera out of the bag. I just couldn't find the energy it took to find the camera bag, retrieve the camera bag, open the camera bag and then use the camera....but here is our group:

and take a closer look at those faces!!!

Labor Day Weekend Recap

I hurt.
Every. Single. Muscle in my body HURTS!
Walking up stairs...can't do it.
Picking things up off the floor, can't bend to grab it.
and even though not one person would care to know this little fact,
just using the bathroom takes some form of gymnastic maneuver!
(picture: hands firmly grasping toilet seat, arms extend then slowly bend to allow body into the seated position)



We spent Labor Day weekend in GA for a three day dirt bike ride extravaganza!
I had Thursday and Friday off last week. I spent Thursday cleaning the house and packing for the weekend.
Thursday morning 6 roses were delivered to our house. One rose for each year Sev and I have been married.
Thursday night Sev surprised me with dinner at the melting pot, one of my favorite places to eat.
Friday morning I went grocery shopping for our weekend trip and packed last minute items. By 2pm Sev and I were on the road.
We pulled into Durhamtown park around 4:30 and unloaded our gear.
By 6pm everyone had arrived and not long after we had our camp fire blazing, steaks grilling and excitement building.
We tried to go to bed early but between the hard-as-a-rock mattress and the excitement, I don't think any of us slept soundly.
We were all up bright and early Saturday morning.
We enjoyed a big breakfast and then scattered about the cabin, pulling on gear, filling up camel backs and dusting off helmets.
We were on the trails by 9:30am.
We did not get off of the trails until around 12pm and that was for a quick lunch and then we were back out again.
We raced down roads, climbed hills, zipped through the trees, splashed through the mud and breathed in more dirt than I thought possible!
We pulled back up to our cabin when the trails were closed and no more riding was allowed. We scarfed down a big dinner of pork chops and bratwursts and fell asleep....more soundly than the night before.
Sunday morning I woke up, feeling like a train had run me over the night before. I was hurting.
I stumbled down the stairs and looked at all of the other eager faces...ready to ride....they were ruthless! By 9am we were back out on the trails. With every jump, bump, rock, and root...my body screamed. I finally began to feel back in the groove and was getting back into the swing of things when it hit me....or better yet, I hit it.

A tree.

A tree smack dab in the middle of the trail.

I never saw it coming.

I was following closely behind one of the guys and he had turned up a bunch of dust. It was hard to see and I was trying to hang on and just follow the leader when we hit a dip in the trail. I was focusing on landing the jump when the air cleared long enough for me to see the tree. There was not enough time to turn or even bail...I slammed, smack dab into the middle of the tree. The bike stopped. I went air born. My helmet kissed the tree, I slid down the tree found myself straddling the front fender of my bike and as if in slow motion the bike and I toppled over and I watched a few stars form in front of my eyes.
I was fine, the tree was fine, the bike was fine and after a minute or two I was back on the trails....I was just a tad more aware of the trees and tried to give them the respect they deserved, ha, because if I learned anything it's that trees do not move, for anyone.
By the end of day I was feeling my best yet and raced my brother out of the woods on the last trail. Victory was mine!
We headed back to the cabin and watched a few guys do some stunt riding before grilling up our last dinner of the trip. We calculated that in 2 days, we had ridden over 110 miles.
Monday morning, I felt every one of those miles.
I hurt.
It took everything I had to pack up our gear and head home.
Sev and I unloaded the truck, washed our bikes and gear down, did numerous amounts of laundry and then I hit the shower...where I washed off 2 inches of dirt, if not more.
Feeling clean and refreshed, I went to sleep, at 7pm.
I woke up this morning at 7am and I hurt.
My body hurts, but even with the stiffness and the sore muscles I would rather be sitting on the seat of a dirt bike then this seat behind my office desk. It's a crazy sport, but I love it and the only thing I would change would be that there were more female riders...I spent the weekend with 8 guys and if I learned anything, it's that men are nasty, nasty creatures! Ewww.
That is how we spent our labor day weekend.

I really hate it when I do this...

and I do it often.....but sometime I just get in a blog funk.
I just don't feel like I have anything to blog about, worth talking about or the energy to even try.



August flew by! I turned 27 and now, tomorrow, I'll be 27 and one month old!

August was pretty much a blur.

I did birthday things, I planned a wedding shower for Kennedi, I rode my dirt bike, I painted airplanes on one of my favorite little boy's wall, I visited with family and friends and I made cakes!

So...pretty much...I did what I'm always doing and that's running all over the place.



This weekend is my wedding anniversary!! On September the 3rd, this coming Friday, I will have been married to Sevy for 6 years!! That just seems crazy to me, I don't feel like I've been married for six years. For six years I have:
* Fought the battle over the covers.
* Checked the toilet seat before sitting down during a middle of the night bathroom run.
* Fallen asleep to the sound of snoring.
* Washed clothes that I swear could not hold one more ounce of dirt.
* given over the command to the remote control.
* spent the majority of my time in the passenger seat of the car instead of behind the wheel.

and really, I don't mind any of those things. It's the price you pay for living with your best friend.

"Awwwwwwww"

No really, Sev drives me crazy and it's no secret he can make me madder than a hornet...but when it comes right down to it, he's pretty much the one person, that I know, I can count on to pick me up when I feel down in the dumps and make me laugh harder than anyone I know. He is also one of the most patient men I know...and if you know me (at all) then you know I NEED someone with a lot of patience.

Six years ago...TODAY....actually, Sev took me to Fence (a little equestrian farm in NC) and we ate Ben and Jerry's ice cream, straight from the carton, on top of a little hill, over looking miles of trees and meadows. I picked Gerry Garcia Cherry flavor and didn't like the whole cherries that much, so instead I would suck the ice cream off of the cherries and when Sev wasn't looking I would dump the cherries into his carton.
Sweet of me, I know! ( I told you any man of mine would need patience!...not to sound like Shania Twain or anything)
In the middle of sucking ice cream off of cherry chunks and sneaking them into Sev's ice cream, Sev kindly informed me that I had a bug on my shirt and I should stand up to brush it off.........yep, that's the man I married!........basically, he wanted me to stand so that he could be on one knee when he asked me to marry him....and THAT was the best idea he could come up with. I'm happy to inform you that his creativity has not changed, one bit, over the past six years.

Tomorrow night, Sev has informed me that we have plans...he just won't tell me what the plans are. That's okay, if I know Sev we will end up doing exactly what I least expected us to do....and that is what makes our marriage so much fun.

!!HAPPY 6th ANNIVERSARY SEVERYN!!

My Favorite Colors...

Grow in Grandmas Garden.

Yellows, pinks, purples, blues...

all different shades, different hues.

My favorite colors,

Grow in Grandmas Garden.

With weathered hands she will grow,

My favorite kind of rainbow.

My favorite colors,

Grow in Grandmas Garden.

One of my favorite sites,

is watching a butterfly take flight.

Grandmas garden has a few,

bumble bees, hummingbirds too.

My favorite colors,

Grow in Grandmas Garden.

With her loving, tender care...

She's grown all of this for me to share =)

Enjoy!!