With This Ring

Pop

2010-12-31T19:55:00.003-05:00

This post deserves a lot more than what I have the energy to produce tonight, but I wanted to recognize the loss of one of the world's greatest grandfathers. We will all miss you, Pop!!

December 27, 1931 - December 31, 2010

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T06:10:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Movin' On Up

2010-12-24T09:34:00.003-05:00

Goodbye, Raleigh...

source

Hello, Richmond!

source

Oh, how this move is bittersweet! We're all packed and ready to go. We'll be traveling a lot for the holidays but will check back in after we're all settled!

Hello, Winter.

2010-12-05T20:25:00.001-05:00

It's gotten cold here just recently. Really cold.

We're trying to stay curled up and warm!

B.R.A.I.N.

2010-10-13T19:46:00.003-04:00

This past weekend we participated in the annual Celebration of Hope walk put on by the Brain Tumor Resource And Information Network. We were representing my sister-in-law's Team of Faith, in memory of her late husband, Daniel, who passed away from brain cancer in 2006. Many people are affected by brain tumors each year and this non-profit organization is just one of many that help raise awareness and funds to support ongoing research to find a cure.

Cancer sucks. Regardless of what type it is. I've written about it in two different posts in the past, but will never be able to fully explain how much this disease has affected the people I love.

*My uncle is currently battling brain cancer. He has had two surgeries, both fairly successful, but will soon undergo radiation treatment to further eradicate the cancer cells.

*My maternal grandfather lives with bladder cancer, and though it is currently under control, he has to have frequent surgeries to remove tumors.

*My paternal grandfather was recently diagnosed with leukemia. He is currently on chemotherapy.

The list goes on and on; a good friend's grandfather recently passed away from a brain tumor, another good friend's mother is in remission from breast cancer, a cousin of mine had a rare form of bone cancer and lost his leg, a family friend is in remission from non-hodgkins lymphoma, another friend's mother passed away last year from pancreatic cancer. I'm sure there are more that I haven't even listed.

My bantering is not meant to be a downer; instead, meant to serve as awareness that this disease affects everyone in one way or another. Organizations like B.R.A.I.N. are uplifting and positive ways to share hope. The walk was a success and the organization raised over $15,000!

Happy 1st Birthday, Reid!

2010-10-13T19:36:00.002-04:00

I'm a little late, but this cute boy...

turned ONE a week ago. We celebrated his birthday this past weekend and I'm pretty sure he had a great time at his party!

Cake? Yes, please.

Happy 1st birthday, baby Reid!! And a big thanks to Katie for hosting everyone!

Fall Favorites

2010-10-12T09:48:00.010-04:00

Raleigh can't decide if it wants to hang on to summer, or dive into fall. I, personally, am ready for fall. Don't get me wrong, I am totally a summer girl, but with several months of 100+ degree days I am ready for things to cool off. We've had a few days when it's been perfect - 50's in the morning, high of mid-70's in the afternoon - but recently the temperatures have been back up into the 90's and I'm just getting a little tired of it.

Despite the indecisive weather, I have a list of a few fall favorites I want to share with you. It's all about warmth and comfort this season.

Tall boots: Totally in love. These are my favorite lower leg warmers and I'm really looking forward to wearing them all fall and winter, rain or shine.

Leggings & skinny jeans: Again, it's all about comfort. I could live in these things. Best part...they're versatile. Easy to throw on to run errands, but can also be dressed up. Not to mention they look cute with the above boots :)

Long cardigans & sweaters: I love to layer clothes and this is the perfect layer every closet should have.

Trench coats: This coat is my closet's newest addition. I love it. It's warm, breathable, and *should* stand up to whatever weather the season decides to dish out.

Popcorn popper: I am a sucker for popcorn. I would eat it everynight if I could, especially when it's cold outside, but I know better than to do that. However, recently I purchased this air-pop popcorn popper and it's much healthier than microwave popcorn - score! No more feelings of guilt while indulging my cravings!

Pumpkin: One of the things I look forward to the most during the fall is anything flavored with pumpkin. Most of the things I've made in the past that involve pumpkin are sweet; my favorites being pumpkin roll, pumpkin chiffon pie, and mini pecan pumpkin pies. This year I want to try some pumpkin recipes that aren't sweet. Anybody have any ideas?

Oh, and these are obviously not real pumpkin...but I could eat these gems by the handful! Definitely a fall favorite.
Cookbooks: Is there anything better than eating warm comfort foods when it's cold outside? Nope, didn't think so. My slow cooker and stock pots will get lots of use this fall and winter and I'm hoping to come up with some new recipes for my recently-neglected recipe blog.

Games: A favorite pasttime, especially when family or friends are all gathered around. The two games below have recently made their way to the top of my fav list. If you haven't played either of them - get to it!

Two Years

2010-09-27T07:21:00.005-04:00

Two years ago today I married my best friend. It was raining (but cleared up for just a few minutes for us to walk out of the church), just like it is today, and was this day last year. I think rain on your wedding day (and I suppose anniversary) is truly a good thing.

Happy 2nd anniversary to my sweet and fun-loving husband. The past two years have been incredible and I'm anxiously awaiting the next 70 or so... I love you!

House For Sale

2010-09-21T08:09:00.008-04:00

It's official. We're moving.

Our house has been for sale for a couple weeks now. Everyone knows "the market" is volatile right now, but we're trying to remain optimistic. We keep saying that it only takes that one person who is really interested and we should be golden.

The move, for me, is bittersweet. This is my first house and I have a lot of memories invested here. I happen to really like Raleigh and have two great jobs and lots of co-workers that I will miss a lot. I do, however, think it's time to move on and I'm excited to embark on a new time in our lives and I think Richmond is a great place to do that. We'll be closer to family and friends and are looking forward to all the new things that come along with moving to a new place: house hunting, finding new favorite restaurants, new places to shop and hang out, and meeting lots of new people.

The next few months will be somewhat chaotic as we prepare for our move, ride the real estate roller coaster, look for a new job, and try to stay as calm and focused as possible. If anyone is looking for a great townhouse in Raleigh or knows of someone who may just be a great fit, please be in touch!

September

2010-09-02T10:16:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure where August went, but if you're a college football fan, like me, you've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of September.

NCAA football officially kicks off tonight, but the night I'm most excited about is Monday, September 6th. Virginia Tech is playing Boise State in their season opener on Labor Day at FedEx field in DC. As per usual, we'll be there cheering on our Hokies and honestly, I can't wait!

Let's Go Hokies!!

Corolla

2010-08-04T16:53:00.004-04:00

I took over 600 pictures while we were on our annual Corolla vacation and below are just a few of my favorites, in no particular order...

I already miss the sounds and the sand and the salty smell. I just love the beach. We had such a great week, and the best part of the entire trip...we're already booked to go back next year :-)

2010-08-02T12:12:00.000-04:00

lots of pics to come

Independence Day

2010-07-07T11:09:00.002-04:00

Since we were in Blacksburg for the Pearl wedding, we celebrated 4th of July with my family and some of our friends. We had a great relaxing day filled with food, drink, and fireworks!! These are just a few of my favorites from the night. Hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Pearl

2010-07-07T11:02:00.004-04:00

The anticipated nuptials of Jana and Alex have come and gone, and it was everything I thought it would be and more. We are so happy for this couple and wish them years and years of bliss. They are currently traveling the world on their honeymoon and I hope they're having a wonderful time, but I can't help thinking about their upcoming move to Brazil and how far away they will be. We'll miss you guys so much, but expect some visitors soon!! Love you both!

First Harvest

2010-06-23T09:20:00.001-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Jacob!

2010-06-23T09:06:00.005-04:00

Sweet baby Jacob turned 1 on June 7th and we celebrated this past weekend. He's so cute.

Thanks, Kirsten, for having everyone over, and for an excuse to eat really good birthday cake!

Garden Update

2010-06-16T11:44:00.005-04:00

So far the only things that seem to really be growing are our tomatoes and cucumbers. There are a few baby zucchini, squash, and okra, but they're taking their sweet time and don't seem to be in any hurry to get big. But, at least things are growing!!

Now, if only these tomatoes would turn red....

Jennifer & Kyle

2010-06-15T21:57:00.005-04:00

Our friends Jennifer & Kyle tied the knot this past weekend in Blacksburg. It was a beautiful ceremony and a fantastic party afterwards. Here are a few pictures from the night:

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Farmer! Hope you're having a fabulous time in Mexico on your honeymoon!!

Mr. and Mrs. Dawkins

2010-06-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

We spent Memorial Day weekend celebrating the nuptials of Jane-Claire and Kelly at Pinehurst, and what a beautiful weekend it was. Sunny days (with a few lurking showers that held off for the ceremony), golf for the boys, spa time for the girls, and lots of love and laughter with some of my very favorite people in the whole world.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Dawkins!! We love you both so much!

And for your viewing pleasure - a tradition that has been a must-do at every get together since Nancy's bachelorette party in 2005!

Chicago

2010-06-09T20:16:00.005-04:00

I've been to Chicago twice this spring, though I only have pictures to prove I was there once. I went in March to spend some time with my good friend Jana, but it was sleeting and snowing the entire weekend (meanwhile it was 80˚F in Raleigh), so needless to say I didn't get a chance to take any pictures! When I went back in May for Jana's bridal shower it was beautiful and I was able to see more of the city - which I absolutely fell in love with. If it wasn't SO far away from home, I would already be making plans to move. Who knows...maybe one day. (I think I've said that about Charleston before, too. I'm a dreamer, can you tell?!?)

Jana's shower was held at her future mother-in-law's house and was just perfect for her. It was a "green" theme, as you can see from some of the pictures, and there were lots of wonderful women there who absolutely love Jana. What a great way to honor a beautiful bride-to-be.

Just a few of the bridesmaids...

If you haven't been to Chicago - I highly recommend a trip. Preferably in the summer months, as the weather can be quite unpredictable the rest of the year. Or so it seems. The city has tons to offer and has the most beautiful back drop that is Lake Michigan. Sigh, I could go on and on.

Container Gardening

2010-06-09T12:03:00.003-04:00

Growing up, my father always had a garden. I have very vivid memories of helping out with plantings or harvestings, usually very reluctantly, and never really understood why we worked so hard to grow our own fruits and vegetables, other than just thinking it had to do with saving money. Now that I'm older, I realize that it may still have something to do with saving money, but has much more to do with how satisfying it is to plant something, take care of it, watch it grow, and enjoy your reward once it starts to produce. Since we don't have the best "backyard" to have a substantial garden, we decided to try out container gardening. These pictures were taken pretty soon after the plants were planted, and have changed quite a bit since then, but so far things look like they're growing!!

If everything goes to plan, we'll have tomatoes (Roma and Better Boy), squash, zucchini, cucumbers, bell peppers, and okra soon!

I also wanted an herb garden and I have gotten a lot of use out of these little plants so far. I planted sweet basil, rosemary, italian parsley, dill, oregano, and thyme.

Stay tuned for updates, as I hope things continue to grow!

The Blogging Recession

2010-06-06T09:22:00.004-04:00

I've been absent from the blogging world for awhile now. In my mind I wasn't thinking it had been that long, but when I logged in and saw that my last post was on April 29th, I was blown away. I guess that's what happens when the weather starts getting nice, and there are fun events that fill up every available weekend. So much for my goal of posting at least once per month.

Alas, I plan to update in the next few days, as I have lots of fun things to share: gardening, trips to Chicago {yes, trip(s)}, pictures from a recent wedding, and more.

And, for those of you who follow the recipe blog, I have several new recipes to be posted soon!

Stay tuned. For real this time.

Charleston

2010-04-29T11:01:00.006-04:00

Palm tree lined streets, historic lo-country culture, warm weather, incredible food, abundant shopping, AND the beach?!? What could be better? How about all that, plus your favorite girlfriends and a bachelorette party!

Charleston, SC is a place I would move to in a heartbeat, but this past weekend I had to settle for a four day mini-vacation. Jana and Jane-Claire are getting hitched, so 19 of us got together to have a wild and fun time in the ultimate southern city celebrating their last few weeks as single ladies! We even had an 80's theme night - it was hilarious!

Congratulations, Jana and Jane-Claire! And thanks for getting married so we could all have an excuse to get together!! Love you both!

Cannot Wait!

2010-04-29T10:48:00.002-04:00

May 27th

Happy Birthday, Sierra!

2010-04-29T10:38:00.002-04:00

Sierra turned two a few weeks ago and we were there to help celebrate. She's so cute and fun, and so easy to photograph. Happy birthday sweet Sierra!!

Congratulations...

2010-04-08T09:48:00.003-04:00

...are in order for our dear friends Nicole & Josh on their recent engagement!!! I couldn't be happier for this couple - they compliment each other so well! Congratulations, you two! Enjoy the engagement and we wish you years and years of bliss!

Happy Birthday, Pierce!

2010-03-12T17:29:00.005-05:00

3 is such a fun age. Pierce's birthday was around Christmas, but between schedules and snow, it has been a struggle to get most everyone together to actually have a party for him. Finally, last weekend we were able to get together and Pierce was so excited! These are a few of my favorite pictures from his party.

Pierce requested a "tree" cake and I think Katie did a great job of improvising. It was cute, and it tasted great!

Chyler Anne

2010-03-12T16:21:00.003-05:00

She's so precious.

I can't wait to take more pictures of this sweet little girl. Congratulations, Miller's!

Family Addition

2010-03-04T09:16:00.003-05:00

We have a new niece!

Congratulations to Karen & Brian on bringing their newest daughter, Chyler Anne, into the world last night at 3:40am. She weighed 8lbs. 9oz. and is 21 inches long! Everyone is doing great, and we are so excited to meet her this weekend! I'll post pictures as soon I have a chance to snap some!

Congrats Karen, Brian, and sister Sierra! We love you guys!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T21:05:00.003-05:00

Blogger Award

2010-03-01T10:11:00.005-05:00

Ashley, over at The Pollock Potluck, has passed along this beautiful blogger award. Thanks Ashley! I love your blog, and your fun-loving and down-to-earth realistic personality! It's so refreshing.

So here are the rules that go along with this award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for the award

2. Copy the award and place it on your blog

3. Link the person's blog who nominated you

4. Share 5 interesting things about yourself

5. Nominate a few other bloggers to receive the award as well

So here goes...

1. I love my job(s), but in general I don't enjoy working. I would much rather be doing something productive and/or creative on my own terms. Cooking, photography, web design, etc. I think it's that I don't like a schedule. I sometimes worry that that makes me lazy.

2. I would love to go back to school. Not sure if I will ever actually take the plunge, but I would love to get my PhD. I would also like to have a degree in photography and web design.

3. I love being married. Being able to spend everyday with your best friend is priceless.

4. I'm not sure I want to have children. I haven't ruled it out completely, I'm just not 100% sure yet. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE children, I just don't think I'm ready. I do, however, love the relationship I have with my Mother and think I would be sad if I couldn't reciprocate that.

For now, Rhea is doing a great job of acting as my child.

5. I want to change the name of my blog, but I have no idea what to change it to. Originally this blog was to keep people up to date on wedding events, but it quickly evolved into an archive of our lives. Any suggestions?

My beautiful blogger award winners are my beautiful sisters-in-law. I always wanted a sister and I feel so blessed to have three:

Kirsten at The Weimer Chronicles

Katie at the Arnold Archives

Karen at Blessed Beyond Measure

School's Out

2010-02-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

But not for a great reason.

The roof of my high school gym collapsed on Saturday afternoon. Pretty big news for a small town like Blacksburg. Apparently (and thankfully!) no one was inside the building, but according to a news report by the Roanoke Times, the gym was packed with hundreds the night before, and even just moments before the girls basketball team had been inside practicing. Someone noticed a wall was cracking and they immediately vacated the building. A structural engineer and school officials were notified and just as they finished surveying the building and were in the parking lot, the roof collapsed. Not sure what the students of Blacksburg High School will be doing for a while, but school will be out for quite some time.

**All pictures from Roanoke.com

Buckets of Hope

2010-02-14T20:05:00.003-05:00

For Haiti.

One of Mike's co-workers informed us of a local program that's being sponsored by a Raleigh-based church called Buckets of Hope for Haiti. 5 gallon buckets are stuffed with non-perishable items such as rice, oil, beans, peanut butter, spaghetti, sugar, and flour. Pretty simple, but these very basic, yet very necessary food items will be sent to Haiti and distributed to those in need, and allows us to help with the rescue relief in a more tangible way.

Pantry Challenge

2010-02-14T17:37:00.006-05:00

I grocery shop maybe once a week or even once every two weeks. Mike and I are very good about coming up with a menu for meals we'll make at home, and then buying only what we need for those meals. Still, every time I come home from the store and put my groceries away, I realize I've bought something I already had, or think to myself that I have way too much food in the refrigerator/freezer/pantry.

I've seen other people do these pantry challenges on their blogs and thought it would be a good way for me to really challenge myself to use up the things I already have in the house, instead of continually buying groceries that end up getting stored away and creating more clutter. Plus, maybe it'll save me some money in the short-term too. I'd love to have a more minimalist attitude when it comes to this so I'm going to try really hard.

Here's the challenge: use only items that have already been purchased to make as many homemade meals as possible, and blog about the {hopefully creative} recipes I come up with. Those recipes will be posted on my recipe blog - so stay tuned to check out some new posts!

As of yesterday {after going to the store to only buy chicken}, this is what I have in my freezer:

frozen chicken breasts

frozen whole chicken

2 frozen pork tenderloins

2 packages of frozen sweet italian sausage

frozen pork spare ribs

1 lb. ground turkey

2 lbs. ground beef

frozen turkey kielbasa

1/2 bag of frozen shrimp

frozen pizza

bubba burgers

garlic bread

frozen biscuits

2 containers of homemade brunswick stew

4 containers of frozen homemade spaghetti sauce

frozen mac & cheese

edamame

frozen peas

frozen sweet corn

frozen broccoli

frozen green beans

1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 bag of frozen hashbrowns

9 cups of frozen chicken stock

frozen raspberries

refrigerator:

butter

cream cheese

cottage cheese

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

block sharp cheddar cheese

american cheese singles

parmesan cheese

milk

heavy cream

lemonade

orange juice

16 eggs

2 egg beaters

2 pie crust rolls

carrots

3 cucumbers

lettuce

avacado

broccoli

white onions

garlic

cherry tomatoes

2 limes

2 blood oranges

yogurt

crab meat

turkey deli meat

frank's red hot sauce

salsa

bbq sauce

soy sauce

oyster sauce

ranch

mayonnaise

ketchup

mustard

worcestershire sauce

pine nuts

pantry:

olive oil

vegetable oil

peanut oil

pam olive oil cooking spray

sesame seed oil

white vinegar

balsamic vinegar

apple cider vinegar

sherry

marsala wine

white cooking wine

stir-fry sauce

chili-garlic sauce

honey

honey mustard

chicken bouillon cubes

sesame seeds

peanut butter

pumpkin

cranberry sauce

fried onion toppers

croutons

cashews

corn meal

panko bread crumbs

italian bread crumbs

2 boxes of shake & bake seasoning

stuffing

2 boxes of corn bread

flour

white sugar

baking soda

baking powder

cocoa

chocolate chips

chocolate baking squares

cream of wheat

oatmeal

powdered sugar

brown sugar

linguine

ramen noodles

kraft mac & cheese

udon noodles

spaghetti

angel hair

egg noodles

elbow macaroni

fettuccine

lasagna noodles

brown rice

white rice

risotto

potatoes

2 cans of tuna

canned artichoke hearts

2 cans of tomato paste

crushed tomatoes

whole tomatoes

minestrone soup

3 cans of beef broth

2 cans of chicken broth

5 cans of chicken noodle soup

refried beans

3 cans of black beans

2 cans of kidney beans

cream of celery

3 cans of cream of mushroom

5 cans of cream of chicken

tomato basil soup

coconut milk

Whew! When it's written down, it certainly seems like a LOT more than I even thought it was. I think I could open my own grocery store.

The challenge shouldn't be so hard in the beginning since I seem to have just about everything I could ever need, but I feel confident that it will get harder as things start to be used up. I'll keep you posted on how it's going.

Happy Birthday

2010-02-09T11:07:00.003-05:00

My sweet husband is 26 today. He's a youngin'. A whole 6 months younger than me :-) Funny thing is, most people think he's much older than I am. Often times if we are out and order drinks, I will get asked to show my ID and he will not. Just a few weeks ago when we were in Las Vegas, Mike was playing blackjack and I was standing behind him watching. The pit boss kept eyeing me and then about 10 minutes later asked to see my ID. He didn't even think I was 21. Quite the opposite, a couple days ago Mike went to the grocery store and bought some beer. The cashier, shockingly, asked him for his ID. As he was pulling his ID out of his wallet, he asked the clerk how old she thought he was, and much to his surprise she replied "probably mid-thirties." HA.

I love this man. He's simple. He says what he means and means what he says. He's thoughtful and funny. He's a hard worker and a big help. He's loving and romantic. He's my best friend and he gets me. I'm so thankful for him.

Happy Birthday Mike!!

Book Review: Just Don't Fall

2010-01-31T22:30:00.006-05:00

Another story of cancer. Though, this one is much more uplifting and inspiring.

Just Don't Fall was written by my cousin, Josh Sundquist. It's a memoir; a collection of stories of how he encountered and dealt with many adversities after losing one of his legs to cancer at age 9. It's a page-turner. I finished the entire book in a 24 hour period, despite having a 12 hour work shift in between. It's emotional; raw; inspiring. He doesn't hold back. I would be laughing-out-loud one moment, and crying the next. Josh is a very talented writer, and although I was able to incorporate all the characters personalities because I also grew up with most of them, I believe someone who never knew his family would get just as much out of it. I highly recommend checking it out. It's available on Amazon, in Barnes & Noble and other local bookstores, and may even be at your local library.

Josh currently lives in Washington, DC and makes his living as a motivational speaker. Check out his website to watch some of his videos, he's so inspiring and makes you view your life in another light. He is also the creator of Less Than Four, an online social networking organization for other amputees.

Jackson

2010-01-31T22:02:00.003-05:00

I don't know this precious young boy, but Jackson Laskowski is a distant relative of my husband and he and his family need all the prayers they can get.

Just this past week Jackson was diagnosed with stage IV Hepatoblastoma, a rare and somewhat aggressive form of liver cancer, which has already spread to his lungs. I can't imagine what this family is going through, though they outwardly appear to be extremely motivated and optimistic about Jackson's recovery. If you would like to read more about the Laskowski's and/or keep up with Jackson's progress visit their blog HERE.

Please send your thoughts and prayers to be with this family as they embark on what will likely be a very long and exhausting road to recovery.

Las Vegas

2010-01-30T21:29:00.002-05:00

Just a few pictures from our recent trip to Las Vegas that we took for a little mini vacation and some much needed R&R. We stayed at the Encore, which is Steve Wynn's encore to the very popular Wynn Hotel & Casino. I didn't take ANY pictures of the two of us - I know, how bad... but snapped a few shots of various locations, including our room and around town. We had a great trip and were able to spend some quality time with Mike's parents. Thanks Mike & JoMarie for a wonderful week!

Haiti

2010-01-18T08:35:00.009-05:00

These images are disturbing, but not half as bad as some of the ones I chose not to post. My heart breaks for this country on a daily basis. Being in the medical field, I have a strong urge to just get on a plane and go. I don't even know what I would do once I got there, but just to be there and offer any services I could provide. Since I know that's not feasible, there are other ways I plan to help. I know there are thousands and probably millions of people just in our country that wonder what they can do to make a difference. Haiti has struggled for a long time, way before this earthquake hit, but if there's ever a time to help, it's now. Below is a list of resources and organizations that could greatly use your help in this relief effort.

American Red Cross - initially focusing on feeding, sheltering, and supplying other basic needs. They primarily need monetary donations. Go to their website to learn how to donate, or text "haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 that automatically gets added to your cell phone bill.

Doctors Without Borders - monetary donations are going to help this organization provide immediate medical care, and eventually help rebuild medical facilities. If you're in the medical field and would like to go through an organization to provide direct medical care, this is a wonderful organization.

Food For The Poor - monetary donations and non-perishable canned goods are being accepted by this organization to provide food, water, and other supplies that are much needed.

Habitat For Humanity - donations to this organization, whether it be monetary or time, will be used for future recover and rebuilding.

Project Hope - a Virginia-based organization that provides medical care in the form of medical volunteers and medical supplies, with the commitment to help rebuild long-term sustainable healthcare for Haiti's future.

World Water Relief - donations to this organization will specifically go to providing clean water and building water filtration systems throughout Haiti for future needs.

There are many many more organizations that I didn't mention that are devoting their time and efforts to help out. For a more comprehensive list, check out this website.

All pictures courtesy of CNN.com

The End of a Decade & The Beginning of a New Year

2010-01-03T20:58:00.005-05:00

Unbelievable that another decade has passed. Ten years is quite a long time, but when looking back it seems as though I was celebrating the year 2000 with all my high school friends just yesterday. I remember it so clearly. This past decade has probably been the most memorable of my existence: graduating high school, graduating college, graduating graduate school, celebrating milestones such as 18, 21, and 25 years old, moving away from home, having my first dog on my own, buying my first home, starting my first real job, getting married, seeing my friends get married and/or have children, becoming a Daughter-in-law, a Sister-in-law, an Aunt, and a Godmother, experiencing my parents celebrate 30 years of marriage, many memorable births and deaths, and probably many more that I'm forgetting. The next 10 years has a lot to live up to!

With the end of the past decade comes the beginning of a new year. I'm not one to make many new years resolutions, but I do try to make new general goals for myself each year. This year is no different and we'll see how it goes as the time passes. For whatever reason, the thought of a new year is so refreshing. I look forward to what the new year has to offer. These are a few of my goals for 2010:

work less, be home more

travel

eat healthier, run more

take more pictures

send birthday cards

Christmas

2010-01-03T20:37:00.002-05:00

We had a very wonderful Christmas. Lots of snow and ice, lots of playing with Rhea and Bailey, lots of family and friends, lots of relaxation and eating yummy foods. Perfect. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas as well!

Deck The Halls

2009-12-13T18:05:00.003-05:00

Our shopping is done, the presents are almost finished being wrapped, our tree is up, our house is decorated, it's finally cold outside, and we're ready for Christmas. I love this time of year.

Rhea enjoyed watching us decorate our house as well...she loves Christmas, too.

Godparents

2009-11-08T10:43:00.002-05:00

We spent Halloween weekend in Richmond with Mike's family and had a great time with everyone, especially on Sunday at Jacob's baptism. Mike and I are definitely not ready for children of our own just yet, but it's very flattering to be Godparents to this very sweet and adorable baby boy. Thanks Weimer's for such an awesome opportunity! We love you all so much!

Etsy

2009-10-28T09:30:00.005-04:00

I don't know how many of you all shop at Etsy - I don't on a regular basis, but I love to look at all the fabulous stuff they have for sale. A blog I like to read featured this Etsy Shop that I thought I would pass along. Water4Christmas seems like a great cause and they have some pretty cute handmade stuff! Go here to read their profile, or check them out at www.water4christmas.com

Blog Award

2009-10-28T08:19:00.004-04:00

Thanks to my fashionista friend Jess at Living Under The Big Star for this Over The Top award. I'm new to this whole giving/receiving of blog awards, but I'm up for it! Thanks, Jess! xo

So, here are the rules:

Fill out the below questions, using only one word, pass along to six favorite bloggers, and tell 'em you did so.

Take it away...

1. Where is your cell phone? desk

2. Your hair? up

3. Your mother? work

4. Your father? work

5. Your favorite food? rice

6. Your dream last night? math

7. Your favorite drink? italian soda (sorry, two words)

8. Your dream/goal? success

9. What room are you in? loft

10. Your hobby? expensive

11. Your fear? snakes

12. Where do you want to be in six years? love

13. Where were you last night? work

14. Something that you aren't? sad

15. Muffins? blueberry

16. Wish list item? house

17. Where did you grow up? virginia

18. Last thing you did? cleaned

19. What are you wearing? sweats

20. Your TV? HD

21. Your pets? RHEA <3>

22. Friends? fabulous

23. Your life? fulfilling

24. Your mood? determined

25. Missing someone? always

26. Vehicle? accord

27. Something you're not wearing? shoes

28. Your favorite store? target

29. Your favorite color? green

30. When was the last time you laughed? morning

31. Last time you cried? unsure

32. Your best friend? husband

33. One place that I could go over and over? vegas (good answer, Jess)

34. One person who emails you regularly? work

35. Favorite place to eat? mura

& the next lucky winners are...

The Weimer Chronicles

The Arnold Archives

Blessed Beyond Measure

Paper Plains

Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams

The Pollock Potluck

Halloween 2009

2009-10-25T16:44:00.004-04:00

Some pretty funny shots from a friend's annual Halloween party we attended this weekend. Happy (early) Halloween! Enjoy!

Reid Thomas

2009-10-19T09:21:00.003-04:00

After a long awaited arrival (a little over 40 weeks to be exact), Katie & Shaun (and Pierce) have welcomed their second beautiful baby boy into this world. Reid Thomas was born on October 6th around 2:30pm.

We were able to go to Charlottesville last week to visit and though it's hard to get good pictures of a week-old baby, I managed to snap a few. I can't wait to get some more soon, though!

Congratulations Arnold's! We love you guys!

New Beginnings

2009-10-19T09:11:00.002-04:00

Congratulations are in order for several of my very best girlfriends.

Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Gary & Betsy Walker, who were married on October 3rd at the beautiful Maison Beliveau just outside of Blacksburg.

Congrats to Jennifer & Kyle on their engagement!

And to Jane Claire & Kelly on their engagement!

And to Jana & Alex on their engagement!

We seem to have added a handful of great guys to our group this Fall. I love all these girls so much and am so excited for all of them! Looks like Wedding Season 2010 is shaping up to be busy! Congratulations girls!

First Year

2009-10-19T07:56:00.007-04:00

Our first anniversary was 3 weeks ago! We definitely celebrated, I just never had a chance to blog about it! I can't believe it's been [over] a year since our wedding. This past year flew by. If the rest of our marriage is anything like the first year - it's going to be a great life. We have so many family members and friends that are so supportive of us and we are so thankful for that. Thank you to everyone who has nurtured our marriage this first year and for all the love you have provided.

These are just a few of my favorite shots from our wedding day...

Incredible

2009-09-12T21:21:00.005-04:00

I love good photography.

I received an email today that included an assortment of photographs taken by a very talented seasoned surfer-turned photographer named Clark Little. His pictures are just incredible. He has very quickly gained national and international recognition - for very obvious reasons. The picture below is my favorite, but you should definitely check his website out to see the rest!

photo by Clark Little www.clarklittlephotography.com

Atlanta

2009-09-10T10:38:00.009-04:00

We were in Atlanta this past weekend for the Chick-fil-A College Football Kickoff game between Virginia Tech and Alabama. Even though the game was on Saturday, we went down with some family and friends and made a long weekend out of it.

When we got there on Friday we went to The Varsity for lunch, which I haven't had in years. The food is obviously not good for you, but it's really tasty and some of the people we were with had never been so we had to go. Afterwards, we went to The Georgia Aquarium. I was able to get some pretty decent pictures, even though I was using my old point & shoot camera. If you're ever in Atlanta, I highly recommend the aquarium - there is tons of stuff to see, including beluga whales and whale sharks.

Our hotel happened to be in the perfect location - just across the street from Centennial Olympic Park, and only a few blocks to the Georgia Dome, where the game was being played. ESPN Gameday was set up in the park and they were even broadcasting on Friday. We were pretty close to meeting Kirk Herbstreit, but he ran off before we could get his attention. You can see our hotel in the background on the right of this picture below.

The game was so much fun and was the whole reason we went. Here's a video of the Virginia Tech entrance into the Georgia Dome. It was disappointing that we lost, but it's just the beginning of the season and wasn't a conference game. Bring on the rest of the season! I LOVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!

Sneak Preview

2009-09-07T21:49:00.003-04:00

We're home. Had a great time (minus the VT loss). More to come later. Happy Labor Day.

Staples and Hokies

2009-09-03T23:25:00.004-04:00

Quick update...

After Rhea's incision opened on Tuesday, it just continued to get bigger and bigger throughout the night and we were beginning to get concerned about it not healing properly. We took her to the vet on Wednesday morning and came home with some new shiny staples! 11 to be exact. These seem to be holding up a lot better so far and we're remaining optimistic! Check it out...poor dog is starting to look like Frankenstein.

We're leaving for Atlanta tomorrow morning to spend the weekend with a whole lot of Hokies for the Tech/Alabama game on Saturday. Rhea will be staying with the vet for the weekend, which we're happy about. Watch the game on ABC Saturday at 8 and help cheer us on!

LET'S GO HOKIES!!!!

We've Sprung a Leak

2009-09-01T11:02:00.011-04:00

CAUTION: graphic pictures to follow.

Rhea has been doing a bit better. She still doesn't want to put any weight on her bad leg, but I think that has more to do with the fact that it's still very swollen and probably feels unstable to her and less to do with it hurting.

We weren't crazy about having to leave her at home by herself all day yesterday since she still wasn't moving around very well and in case something happened we wanted to be here. I was scheduled to work 6a-6p this week, but was able to change some things around, and Mike's boss is very understanding and flexible in allowing him to work from home so we've worked it out that someone will be home with Rhea during the day. Nights are still a struggle because she can't climb the stairs, so we're taking turns sleeping on the couch. Thankfully our couch is somewhat comfortable!

The newest development is that her incision site has begun to "leak." The vet told us that this would happen, but I wasn't expecting it to happen the way that it did! Yesterday afternoon Mike was working from home and noticed that Rhea was laying in a sort of funny position. She's been trying to lay on her right side (even though that puts most of her weight on her bad leg) and we have been trying to not let her do that. I'm sure she's tired of laying in the same position for four days straight, but we have been trying to direct her in the right position to keep the pressure off of her stitches. He calmly went over to see if he could move her and to his surprise - and shock - she was laying in a pool of blood-tinged fluid. I think he freaked out for about 30 seconds because he told me his first reaction was to call 911! He spoke with the vet who did her surgery and he assured us that even though the fluid seemed to be pouring out, it wasn't a concern unless one of the stitches had broken or come out, which thankfully had not happened. He seemed to think that it was a good sign that it's leaking because that means her body is healing and is trying to get rid of that fluid.

It took about 30 minutes to get the leak under control, and as you can see from the pictures, Rhea didn't seem to be bothered too much. In fact, she was probably more annoyed that Mike had disturbed her nap!

Our only issue now is that her incision site continues to slowly but consistently ooze and we're trying our best to keep it from getting all over our house. It's definitely been a process, but I hope we're moving in the right direction!

Recovery

2009-08-29T10:48:00.002-04:00

Rhea is home from the vet hospital and is doing well, all things considered. Her surgery was successful, though now starts the hard part. We're on a very long road to recovery. Last night was her first night home and I think it's safe to say it was a rough night for all of us. She's uncomfortable and her leg is very swollen and tight, making it impossible for her to put weight on it. She managed to hop upstairs for bed, but she struggles to lay down and get up, and would only sleep for short periods of time. We ended up having to carry her down the stairs this morning and she seems to be sleeping better down here. Looks like one of us may be sleeping on the couch with her tonight!

Most of her leg was shaved in prep for the surgery, and her incision is quite long and gruesome looking. I just hope it heals well!

Thanks for everyone's comments, prayers, phone calls, and texts. I imagine the rest of our weekend will be pretty low-key. Hope everyone has a great weekend as well!

Surgery

2009-08-19T12:29:00.003-04:00

Rhea has been scheduled for surgery. Eek.

About 2 weeks ago, she was running in a pretty big, wide-open field like a crazy dog - just about in the same fashion that she normally does - when she stopped quickly and cut back to turn towards us and came up lame almost immediately. We didn't think much about it because she didn't seem to be hurting - no yelping or whining - but when she wouldn't put any weight on it still after a few days we took her to the vet. She's a pretty tough dog because apparently she ruptured her ACL. We are, to say in the least, not thrilled about this - especially since it will take 3-4 months for her to fully recover. But because she's such a large dog and so athletic, surgery is pretty much her only option to get her back to her normal [crazy] active self. She's currently scheduled for next Thursday, the 27th. Say a little prayer - for all of us. Rhea will most likely be fine, but I might just freak out.

Vacation

2009-07-23T09:43:00.006-04:00

We returned home from our week-long vacation in Corolla, NC this past weekend and it has been so hard getting back into the swing of things. We had such a great time being with all of Mike's family; laughing continuously, playing games, watching the incredible wildlife nearby, enjoying the sunsets, eating really great food, taking tons of pictures, and just relaxing in the sun.

We spent most of our mornings at the beach. The water was a bit cold for me, and I'm not a huge ocean lover, so I didn't get in much. Most of the other adults hung out in the water. The kids played in the sand most of the time and it was so fun to watch them. Occasionally they would take a break and I would try to snap some shots of them. I love spending time with these little munchkins. They're just so awesome.

Jake stayed covered up most of the time, but he looks pretty happy

Most of our afternoons were spent by the pool. This is much more my thing. A beach house with a pool is a must-have, in my opinion. The kids would usually take naps in the afternoons but would be ready to hang out with the rest of us when they woke up.

even little Jake got in the pool!

Jake and Mimi

One evening we went to Jockey's Ridge after dinner to climb the dunes and watch the sunset.

Mike posing for GQ

Our house was the last house on the beach road before you get to the 4x4 beach. Most days the beach was really busy with cars going in and out, but Mike and I drove out one evening when it wasn't so crowded. There are neighborhoods of houses out there with no roads - just sand. But there was essentially nothing to obstruct the views of the ocean. It was pretty awesome.

Like I said, we were pretty much the last house on the beach road, so there was really nothing behind us except the estuary. We saw tons of wildlife - deer, fox, rabbits, even horses. This mare and her foal hung out one afternoon for a few hours. Seems so weird that they're wild, but they seemed perfectly content.

Some of the sunsets off our back deck were incredible.

The last night we were there we went to the beach after dinner to get some family pictures. They turned out really great.

To me, it doesn't get much better than being at the beach. This vacation was truly what we needed. Thanks to everyone there for making it so worthwhile.

And if these pictures weren't enough...there are more online here.

Where the Road Meets the Sand

2009-07-09T10:11:00.003-04:00

...is where we'll be for the next week!

I'm jumping the gun a little bit, because I'm so excited....but we're headed to Corolla, NC this weekend to spend a week at the beach with Mike's family.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and share when we get back!! Hope everyone is having a really great summer!

Wedding Weekend

2009-06-28T20:32:00.003-04:00

This weekend we traveled to Front Royal, VA to celebrate the wedding of our friends, Kelli & Jed.

It was really great seeing some of our friends that we don't see too often, including the newest addition, Caroline! She's so precious.

Congratulations, Kelli & Jed!! Have fun in Jamaica!! We love you guys!

Blog Makeover(s)

2009-06-18T14:36:00.005-04:00

I spent some time this morning making over my sister-in-law, Kirsten's, blog (check it out, it turned out to be precious), and I realized that I hadn't done much with mine in quite some time. I really enjoy making blog headers and working with HTML code - even though it can be quite frustrating. I've made all the different blog headers for our blog and our recipe blog, but I've also made a few for my other two sister-in-law's, Katie and Karen.

It was definitely time for a complete overhaul (minus the header, which I really like at the moment). I learned how to re-do the code to have three columns instead of the original two and figured out how to make my pictures bigger!!! I think it turned out great! If you're on reader, come take a look!!

Jacob Michael

2009-06-13T13:00:00.016-04:00

Introducing Jacob Michael Weimer....

Congratulations to Kirsten & Keith on their first born! He's so incredibly sweet!

I took a bunch more pictures of the little guy that you can see here.

Home Improvements

2009-05-03T15:40:00.005-04:00

We've been doing a few "home improvements" around the house the last few weeks and yesterday we tackled the back patio.

Check it out:

We got these beautiful plants from the NC Farmer's Market - if you're in Raleigh and have never been, it's definitely worth checking out!

And we got our cute table and chairs from World Market. Love that store.

Next up: the front yard.

April 16th

2009-04-16T09:31:00.004-04:00

April 16th will always be a day that I will take time to pause and reflect. It was on this day two years ago that the worst shooting in American History occurred at my beloved Virginia Tech.

32 souls were lost and all students, alumni, faculty and staff were forever changed because of the tragic events of that day.

WE ARE VIRGINIA TECH

Love and the Beach

2009-04-13T11:50:00.006-04:00

I haven't been very good about keeping up with the blog lately, but here I am.

This past weekend we traveled to Duck, NC to celebrate the marriage of our good friends, Trisha & David. The weather was a bit cool, but overall we had a great weekend. I took a lot of pictures that are posted on picasa, but these are a few of my favorites:

2009 ACC Basketball Tournament

2009-03-12T08:07:00.007-04:00

Blakely recently gave me privileges to be able to post to our blog. I have never been much of a "blogger" before, but I thought maybe I would start. I am sure that I will not be as good as she is about including pictures and telling stories, but I'll give it a shot.

The 2009 ACC Basketball Tournament begins today at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Being the crazy sports fool that I am, I am sure watching the tournament games will take up A LOT of my time over the next few days and this weekend. Blakely has learned (starting last year and now into this year) that I am a HUGE College Basketball fan. I think she knew that I was a football fanatic, but I am not sure that she had any idea about my love for college basketball. I think that the NCAA Tournament is one of the most fun sporting events during the entire year. It's entertaining, exciting and so much fun to be a part of. The 'Road to the Final Four,' as it's called, begins today with an entire slate of ACC games.

My good friend, Erp is coming down from Virginia Beach to join me on the couch for the weekend. He arrives tonight and will be spending a few days here with us in Raleigh. Blakely and I are looking forward to seeing him and hoping that our Hokies play well today and into the weekend!

GO HOKIES!

Cancer: You Suck Part II

2009-02-20T11:05:00.009-05:00

UPDATE: Diane passed away peacefully this morning (2/21/09) around 9am. Please keep the Caro family in your thoughts and prayers.

***************************************

I feel like I'm just the bearer of all bad news, but I need to ask for more prayers and good wishes.

One of my best friends, Laura, is going through a very tough time with her family. Her Stepmother, Diane, is battling cancer once again. She's such a strong-willed, courageous and wonderful person who has always been full of life. She's realistic, she makes everyone laugh, and I have such great memories of her. She has fought her way through multiple bouts of breast cancer, but was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a month ago and is not doing well. She is home on Hospice and they are trying very hard to make her comfortable.

Please keep Diane, Laura, and everyone in their family in your thoughts and prayers. I can't even imagine what they are going through.

We're Famous

2009-02-18T21:14:00.003-05:00

Not really, but our wedding was just featured on our photographer's blog! Check it out!

Sam is such a great photographer and just seeing a few of the pictures from that weekend brought back so many incredible feelings and memories. What an amazing weekend it was!

Blacksburg

2009-02-16T22:32:00.007-05:00

We headed to Blacksburg this past weekend to visit with my parents, see Beth (update below), and meet the newest addition to our Blacksburg family, Caroline. Other than spending time in the hospital, we managed to stay busy.

Rhea had a great time playing in the "country." Sticks are easy to find and there's plenty of space to run around. She loves going to Blacksburg.

Playing hard requires sleeping hard. She's pretty good at that too. I swear everytime we leave Blacksburg she sleeps for about 2 days straight.

For Valentine's Day my sweet husband had flowers sent to my parents house on Friday AND Saturday. I guess just surprising me on actual V-Day wasn't enough. Fine with me! They're beautiful - one bouquet of red tulips (my fav), and another filled with tiger lillies, roses, and a few other types of flowers. I absolutely love having flowers in our house. I love the colors, and smells, and they just always make me really happy. I hope these beauties last a good while.

Saturday evening we ventured to Roanoke with my parents to do some window shopping and have dinner at Metro.

We had originally planned to visit the new Taubman Museum of Art, but got a late start and didn't have time to walk around. We did, however, go inside and check out the incredible architecture:

Apparently they were having a tattoo fashion show that evening - which actually sounded pretty cool to me. I'm not sure what all that entails, but I can imagine it was interesting.

Beth is still holding strong. She is still in the ICU and I believe she'll be there a while. She developed a few new abscesses while we were there, but her doctors are doing everything they can to take care of her. Continue to pray and send well wishes her way - she has a long and hard battle ahead of her.

Cancer: You Suck

2009-02-13T07:20:00.005-05:00

This sweet, sweet friend of mine:

Needs all the prayers and good wishes she can get.

You see, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Non-Hodgkins has a pretty good cure rate, with chemotherapy, but this battle she has been struggling seems to be getting harder and harder by the day. She has had most every complication you can imagine and has stayed incredibly strong through all of it. She's one of the strongest women I know, but her body is being put through the ringer.

If you are the praying kind, please pray for her and for her family. If you're not, please send good thoughts anyway. She needs them all.

Her children started a blog a while ago to keep family and friends up to date. Feel free to visit:

StayStrongBeth.

Rhea's Snow Day

2009-01-20T16:19:00.004-05:00

As promised...

We took Rhea to a baseball field near our house to let her run around and experience all this fun snow we're enjoying today!

Needless to say, she had a great time - running around like a crazy dog, catching snowballs, and rubbing her nose in it. She's so funny. I guess if I were a dog, I would probably act similarly...

Snow Day!

2009-01-20T11:26:00.007-05:00

The weather forecast last night was calling for snow, but since I've only seen snow 2 or 3 times in the 3 years I've lived here, I was more than a little skeptical.

I had already been scheduled to have today off, but imagine our surprise (and Mike's delight) when we awoke to this outside:

Yay! I love it when he has days he can "work" from home! And I'm thankful we don't have anywhere else we need to be.

I think there was 4-5 inches around 10am and it's still coming down! Everything is so beautiful in white! We're planning to take Rhea to play at a nearby park this afternoon so I'll post more pictures later - I'm sure she'll go crazy. She was somewhat scared this morning when we let her out - I can't remember the last time (if ever....?) she saw snow.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T10:14:00.003-05:00

2008 proved to be a tough and challenging, yet very exciting and memorable year. I passed my medical boards, started my first real job, got engaged and married the love of my life, took many incredible trips, celebrated new births, and mourned too many illnesses and deaths. Phew.

I imagine most of you had a similarly busy year, and I only wish that each of you will find 2009 to be just as fulfilling and blessed.

Happy New Year!

Tis' The Season

2008-12-19T22:42:00.003-05:00

For staying busy.

I realized tonight that the last time I posted was Thanksgiving day! Yikes. I have no idea where the time went, but it sure did pass by fast.

It's hard to believe that Christmas will be here in less than one week, but I think we're just about ready. The presents have been purchased, the wrapping is *almost* done, and we're just finishing up a few things here so that we can get out of town on Monday morning and enjoy a full week in Virginia with friends and family.

If we don't get a chance to post before Christmas, we pray that you all will have a very safe and blessed holiday! I am confident we will have many pictures and stories to post about after next week.

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-27T22:42:00.009-05:00

This post was inspired by my sister-in-law, Katie, who posted the other day about things she is most thankful for. I've seen similar posts on a few other blogs that I enjoy keeping up with, though some of them tend to do a 'Thankful Thursday' post each week, which I just love. I thought it was particularly appropriate today, and who knows, maybe I'll keep it up on a regular basis!

As I sit here at work on this Thanksgiving day, I am extremely thankful. My family is at home together, enjoying each other and cooking tonight's feast, and of course I am sad that I am not with them, but I am thankful for my job, which I love, and thankful that I have been given the opportunity to make a difference in the health of others.

This is just a *short* list of the things that I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving:

-My incredible husband. He's hard working, funny, sweet, loving, crazy about sports, and by far my best friend.

-My wonderful family who drove to Raleigh to be with us for the holiday since I had to work - not to mention they're busting their butts around my house while I'm not even there...

-My fabulous friends who have been with me for as long as I can remember, and who I hope will be there for a long time from now. I can't wait to share more memories with them!

-Rhea. I just love her cute little face.

-My Mac computer. It just makes life so much easier.

-Our awesome SLR camera. Love it.

-The holidays. Other than the cold weather, which I can stand for a while, there isn't a better time of year than the holidays. The smells, the music, the decor, the food...all of it is just wonderful.

-God. For being responsible for all these things I am thankful for - as simple as some of them may be.

I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. Take some time to think about the [big and little] things you are thankful for in your life!

Recent Happenings.

2008-11-10T21:43:00.004-05:00

It doesn't get much better than spending time with family.

Mike and I spent the weekend in Blacksburg, starting on Thursday when we went to the Virginia Tech/Maryland football game - which we won! I am rarely seen without my camera, but I somehow forgot to grab it on our way out of the house. And, of course, the game was awesome and they shot off fireworks the whole time!

The weather was so great on Friday that we took Rhea hiking, and attempted to get some "family" pictures, but weren't so successful. Rhea's not too great at looking at the camera on cue. And, it's hard to get great pictures when you ask fellow hikers to use a camera they aren't familiar with. It was fun, nonetheless.

The remainder of the weekend we celebrated my Dad's birthday, which is tomorrow. He wanted to make Brunswick Stew, which is an all day process, so we started that early on Saturday morning and everyone pitched in to help. We had more family over for a birthday dinner and my Mom made the best cheesecake for dessert! Love it.

It's hard to come back from weekends like these and get back to the grind of working. But, here we are. Back in the rhythm.

Election Day

2008-11-04T07:38:00.008-05:00

Several months ago a friend of mine sent this article out to all of our girlfriends, and I imagine a lot of them read it and then continued on with their day as regularly planned, including myself. I dug it up last night out of the hundreds of emails that I have saved because, although I didn't think much of it at the time, it left a memory in my mind and I felt that it had an important message. The article, as well as I, am speaking to the female readers of this blog: Regardless of your political, social, economical, or religious opinions, our right to vote is an incredible one that a lot of people take for granted. Don't take it for granted today. Exercise your right that so many women before us fought for. Go vote.

******************************

This is the story of our Grandmothers, and Great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90 years ago. It was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. The women who made it so were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.

Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold.

Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO 's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege.

Sometimes it was inconvenient. My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.'

The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again .'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a Psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote. History is being made.

written by Jana B. Matthews, CEO, The Jana Matthews Group

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T23:04:00.006-04:00

Well, yesterday.

I've never been a huge Halloween person - I dressed up as a child, and even a few times in college - but it's not my favorite holiday. I do, however, love fall and love to see pumpkins around. We finally bought a pumpkin (the day before Halloween) and spent some time on Thursday night carving it. Rhea wasn't sure what we were doing, but quickly ignored us when she realized it wasn't something she could eat.

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Can you believe it's November?!?

Whirlwind Weekend

2008-10-27T23:16:00.007-04:00

I feel like we're always on-the-go, and we always have a story when we return.

This past weekend we had plans to go to Rochester for Mike's Grandfather's 80th birthday party. We arrived at the airport on Friday evening around 6:30, only to find out that our 7:45 connecting flight to Atlanta had been delayed until 10pm. Not finding this out until after we went through security, I decided to go back out of security to the ticket counter to find out what the deal was. Sure enough, no flight until at least 10. And no promises that it would even leave then. Regardless, our flight from Atlanta to Rochester was scheduled to leave at 9:30, and that was the last flight to NY for the evening. [sigh] The earliest flight they offered us was scheduled to get into Rochester at 5:30 Saturday evening. The party was planned for noon. That was a definite no-go. We cancelled our flights, got our money back, and were feeling pretty somber about the possibility of getting to Rochester by the time we left the airport.

To make a long-er story short-er, we were able to find another flight for a similar price that left at 6am Saturday and put us in Rochester around 10:30. Just in time for the party! And what a great party it was! Papa was very surprised, and it was so great getting to spend time with Mike's awesome family. Even if it was only for 12 hours!

More of the same on our way home. We left Rochester at 6 on Sunday morning, hoping to be back in Raleigh and back in our bed by 9:30. BUT, when we arrived in DC for our connecting flight at 7, we were delayed 5 hours and didn't actually get out of there until noon! All in all, we made it home safely and are just glad we were able to be with everyone!

New Blog!

2008-10-27T13:04:00.004-04:00

Check it out: I've started a new blog!

I may be jumping in over my head, but I'm hoping that by having two blogs I will be more diplomatic about updating!

Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday, Rhea!

2008-10-15T17:36:00.007-04:00

Rhea is 2 today! I can't believe it. She was such a little squirt when she was a baby!

I'm sure some people think I'm silly (or maybe that WE are silly) for thinking of Rhea as our child, but she is just that. I'm sure it's a completely different kind of love compared to the love we will have for an actual [human] child, but for now, and probably for a while, she is it - and let me tell you, she is all sorts of loved. She depends on us for everything and I can't imagine my life without her. She has been with me since December 2, 2006 - and there haven't been many days she's been away from me. We're pretty attached, and I pretty sure Mike is attached as well!

She's such a great dog - and lazy, too! What a life...

Happy Birthday, Rhea!

A Week In Paradise

2008-10-15T16:31:00.004-04:00

::sigh::

It's hard to be back from Mexico and back to reality. Our honeymoon was literally just that - unrealistic. A full week of relaxation and pampering. I wish we woke up to this every morning...

Our days went a little something like this: wake up at 7:30 or 8, get swimsuits on and head to breakfast, be at the pool by 9, head to lunch around 1, unless we ordered lunch poolside, back to the pool or beach by 2 until we went upstairs to get ready for dinner at about 6. After dinner each night we would head back to our room and were usually asleep by 9! Pretty rough life...

About halfway through our week we decided we would try snorkeling. Apparently the reef that was just about a mile off the coast is the second largest barrier reef in the world. We suited up and hopped on a boat with about 8 or 10 other people (no camera, unfortunately) and headed out to the open water! Needless to say, I was a bit nervous. We jumped in the water - again, with just our swimsuits, a mask, a snorkel, fins, and a life jacket - and the water was incredible - probably 85 and so clear. But, as soon as I put my head in the water with my mask on, Mike nudged me and pointed to his left. 3 sharks were less than 20 feet from us! Thank goodness, they swam away pretty quickly. I'm sure they were just as uneasy about seeing us as we were about seeing them. We continued to snorkel for about 45 minutes and I think Mike and I were both getting to the point where we were ready to go back. Afterall, this was definitely the most strenuous thing we had done ALL week! Towards the end of our dive, our guide placed his hand on top of his head and started pointing towards something on the bottom of the ocean floor. Sure enough, it was another shark - but this one was probably twice, if not three, times the size of the others that we had seen earlier. He, too, swam away from our group pretty quickly, but went right between me and Mike on his way. Yikes. That was it for us - back to the boat and on dry land!

Towards the end of our week we had scheduled to have a couples massage - by the beach! We showed up at the Spa late one afternoon for our water treatment, which consisted of a steam room treatment, 10 water treatments to loosen each different section of our body, a sauna treatment, and a pre-massage neck and head massage. After all that, we somehow managed to walk to the beach and then had an hour-long full body massage with the wind blowing and the waves crashing behind us. It was perfect. It even ended with a perfect bottle of champagne, and perfect chocolate dipped strawberries.

All in all, it was exactly what we both needed. We can't wait to go back again!!

[More] Pictures

2008-10-15T16:29:00.004-04:00

The pictures that Sam Hughes took of the wedding are available to be viewed online. Go HERE and enter the guest information. The Event Key is Blakely.

Good work, Sam. You're so talented!! Thanks for being with us on our special day!

If Only I Could Just...

2008-10-15T15:57:00.004-04:00

Blog.

We've been home for almost 2 weeks now and I have yet to blog about the wedding, or the honeymoon, or the first 3 weeks of our marriage. We have had so much going on - unpacking, going through our old things, arranging the new things, doing laundry, getting back into work, cleaning, etc. - that I've caught myself saying, "If only I could just finish [insert any of the above tasks], I could finally update the blog." Instead of tackling my long list of to-do's, I've decided to move the blogging up a little and finish that first, then maybe I'll have a little more motivation to get the rest of the things done.

The wedding [weekend] was amazing! Not that I thought it would be any different, but really - everything went so well! Yes, it did rain most of the weekend, but isn't that supposed to be good luck?!? Personally, I think that's just what some wise person decided to tell brides so that they wouldn't have a meltdown... but it seemed to work for me! And, even with the rain, we still had a great time! Most of the weekend - from the girls having manicures, to setting up for the rehearsal dinner, and all the wedding preparations in between - was photographed by either Kirsten, Katie, or Karen. All the pictures are wonderful, you should definitely check them out!

I happen to be one of those girls who has dreamt of their wedding since a very young age, and I really can say it was exactly what I had in mind. A HUGE thank you to our parents, who made it possible; to our wedding party, who made it incredibly special; to all our guests, who made it unforgettable; to Sam Hughes, for capturing every little detail; and to everyone else who played a part, it wouldn't have been the same without you.

We're Back!

2008-10-08T21:04:00.004-04:00

We are home, finally, after being away from Raleigh for over 2 weeks. We are so incredibly blessed by everyone who helped celebrate our marriage! Thank you to everyone for everything!

We will be back-tracking and posting pictures, etc. very soon! In the meantime, this is where we'll be...

Bridal Shower #2

2008-08-26T14:23:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I attended my second bridal shower, hosted by my Maid of Honor, Jana Davis, her mother, Linda Davis, my great friend, Nancy Linkous, and her mother, Jo Via. Everything was so beautiful, it was great to see everyone, and the food was incredible!

I took a few pictures, and Karen, Mike's youngest sister, took a ton of great pictures with my camera that I've posted on Picasa.

Thank you to everyone who came and for all the efforts to make the day so special. I know I keep saying this, but Mike and I are so incredibly blessed, and we're constantly reminded of that. We are so excited to share our special day with everyone - in only 32 more days!!!!

Girls Weekend/Bachelorette Bash

2008-08-26T14:03:00.006-04:00

I'm a little late in posting this, but a few weeks ago some of my very best friends came to Raleigh for a girls weekend/bachelorette bash!

On Friday night, Jane-Claire organized a really awesome engagement party for Mike and I. All the little details that everyone pitched in made it so incredible. We're so blessed to have such great friends! Thank you to everyone who came and helped make the night so special!

After the party on Friday night, Mike took Rhea and went to Richmond for the weekend, so us girls had some time to spend together!

Saturday night we all went out for dinner at Mura - the best sushi place around - and then went downtown to celebrate. Jane-Claire and Jana had the cutest shirts made for everyone to wear, including mine that read "The Future Mrs. Stank" on the front, and "Bride To Be 9/27/08" on the back. SO adorable!

All around the weekend was wonderful. It's not too often that most of us girls are together, so we look forward to these annual girls weekends, and this year was just that much more special since we were celebrating the upcoming wedding!

Bridal Shower

2008-07-29T11:48:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, my Aunt Sheryl threw Mike and I our first of a couple bridal showers. We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives that love us and pray for us and are always there if we need anything. We had a wonderful time and it was great to see some family members that I don't get to see too often!

I didn't get to take too many pictures, but the ones that I did take I posted to Picasa. Katie, Mike's middle sister, took a TON of pictures and she also posted them here for everyone to see!

Mike and I could not be more thankful for all the hard work that was put into making the entire day perfect, including all the people that traveled to be there, and those who showed their love even though they could not make it. Thank you to everyone for making the day so special!

As Sheryl clearly pointed out... only 9 more weeks!!!

Engagement Pictures

2008-07-11T18:20:00.003-04:00

We met our incredible photographer, Sam Hughes, in Norfolk two weeks ago to have engagement pictures taken and have just received them! They turned out great and we're SO excited for Sam to take our wedding pictures.

To see the pictures, go to www.samhughesphotography.com and click on 'private galleries' on the left. When prompted, click 'login' and type 'Blakely' as the username and 'pictures' as the password.

Enjoy!

Honeymoon Plans

2008-07-01T13:09:00.006-04:00

After months of researching... and waiting for prices to change... and saving, we finally booked our honeymoon!

Not that we're more excited about going on our honeymoon than we are about our actual wedding and marriage, but I think it'll be a great way to relax and unwind after several stressful months of planning!

We had decided in March that we wanted to go to Mexico - but spent days and days researching different resorts and options. We had no idea where to start. Mike's sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Brian, had gone to an Excellence Resort in the Dominican Republic for their honeymoon and highly recommended checking them out. Luckily for us, there is an Excellence Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, which is on the Riviera Maya - approximately 30 miles southwest of Cancun. We looked into it and read a ton of reviews, and pretty quickly our decision was made!

It's going to be amazing, and we cannot wait!

Now, we have to finish the rest of the planning...

Less Than 4 Months!!

2008-06-13T17:27:00.002-04:00

We are trying to hold off on the day-to-day posts until after the wedding, but we've been continuously told we need to update our blog! So, here's a quick re-cap of the things we've been up to recently.

The wedding is less than 4 months from now! Mike and I both have been busy working, traveling, wedding planning, etc. and I can't believe how fast the time is going by - even though we often joke about how September 27th will never get here.

I was fortunate enough to have some time to get a lot of the planning done and out of the way before I started working, so a lot of the big things are done - the church and reception site are both booked, my dress has been ordered, the bridesmaids dresses have been ordered, we've decided on food for the rehearsal dinner, we booked the photographer, and the pianist for the ceremony, and the DJ for the reception, we bought our invitations and are having them printed as of today, we've bought our wedding bands, and we've decided on our honeymoon!

Needless to say, it's been a busy couple of months, but there's still a lot more to be done and we're looking forward to all of it! Most of all, we cannot wait to share our special day with all our family and friends. We'll try to be better about keeping everyone up to date!

We Set a Date!

2008-02-17T23:56:00.007-05:00

We are both very excited about our recent engagement and are looking forward to all the wedding planning that will take place in the next several months!

Our goal in using this website is to help everyone make easy arrangements so that we can all be together and celebrate in Blacksburg on September 27th.

Hotel Accommodations

2008-02-17T23:55:00.014-05:00

For those of you who want to go ahead and reserve your hotel room, we have blocked rooms for September 26th and 27th at the following hotels. They will be available until one month before the wedding:

Holiday Inn
900 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 552-7001
$105/night

Hawthorn Suites
1020 Plantation Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 552-5636
$94/night

Courtyard Marriott
105 Southpark Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 552-5222
$99/night

When reserving a room at these hotels, please be sure to mention that you are a part of the Hunnings/Stank wedding in order to receive their discounted rate.

In addition to these hotels, there is also a local Bed & Breakfast option:

Clay Corner
401 Clay Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060

There are other hotels in Blacksburg and Christiansburg that may also have availability.