Its Christmas time in the city

Wow! It is already New Years Eve. This year has flown by but it was such a good year. Last night Chris and I were counting and recalling all the things we did together in 2009. Just a few, River joined the family, we moved to Charlotte, we both got good jobs, Hannah joined the family, Rachel and Michael got married, we bought a house, and so so so much more. We are very excited to see what 2010 has in store for us.
This blog was really supposed to be about Christmas though. Chris and I have been very busy with the new house stuff that I havent got a chance to tell you how our Christmas went. This was the first Christmas that Chris and I spent together ever, so it was very special. On Thursday (Christmas eve) Chris and I both had to work for a bit. After work I went up to the mountains to see my family and Chris went over to his parents house. When I got to the mountains there was still tons of snow on the ground. (Now for those of you that do not know, I have only seen real snow on the ground once and I was 3 years old so I don't remember). The dogs have never seen snow either, so it was very interesting to see how they reacted. They loved the snow so much and they ran in it forever. My family and I tobogganed down the hill on the side of the house.
On Christmas day we woke up and opened all of our gifts which I love them all and am very thankful for everything. Christmas is also River's birthday. He turned one this year. It was so funny to see him turn his head sideways when I sang happy birthday to him as soon as he woke up. I think he had a great birthday in the snow. Later, we went back outside and tobogganed more, but this time we made a jump out of snow and we went down on rafts too that we have for the lake in the summer. We laughed so hard. Chris joined us alter that day and we had a great dinner and played with Davis' new Wii Fit Plus. That was very funny too.
The next day we relaxed and played outside in the snow and went out to eat at a Irish restaurant. On Sunday we went to a small small church around the corner from the house. There were only about 40 people there and the main lady that sang the songs upfront noticed that we were visiting and asked if any of us could sing. My mom said that we could sing but didn't have a song, but the lady didn't hear the last part. After singing one more song she invited us up to the front. When we told her that we werent going to sing, she looked a little disappointed. When we got back from church we ate pancakes and said bye to my family. We drove back to Charlotte and headed over to Chris' family's house. We ate dinner and opened more gifts from them. My favorite was the new Dyson animal vacuum. Now we can suck up all the dog hair that appears every day on the floor. It works very well.
All in all it was a wonderful Christmas. Anytime that I get to spend with my family is always a time that I love. We always have so much fun together. I'm glad that Chris got to share the special Christmas time with my family and I got to spend it with his. I hope that years to come will be the same way. I hope everyone had as great of a Christmas as I did.
I hope everyone has a great New Years celebration tonight and a great 2010!

Home Sweet Home

Even though I haven't posted about this yet, Chris and I have been looking to buy a house. We have looked at a few places and neighborhoods. The first house we looked at was the one we liked the best.

After a few months of thinking long and hard about it and looking at hundreds of houses (it seemed like), we signed a contract on the first house we looked at yesterday!!

We are so excited and happy. The house has all the things I was looking for in a house.

Laundry room (not laundry closet)

Fenced in Backyard (for the puppies)

Fireplace (to keep us warm in the winter)

Garden Tub (I love taking baths)

Walk-in closet (too many clothes)

plenty of storage (too many toys)

Two Car Garage (keep the cars clean)

The house has:

4 bedrooms

2 1/2 baths

living

dining

family

eat in kitchen

We may not have furniture to put in the house, but we will make due and slowly add stuff.

The neighborhood has:

pool

kiddie pool

pond to fish (cant keep them to eat)

miles of walking trails (for the puppies)

Right across the street from Lake Wylie

Right across the street from a Park (we can go camping right across the street)

The house should be finished at the end of March or beginning of April. The is nothing on the lot right now, but I plan to post pics of the process. This is what the house is going to look like when it is all finished.

Visitor

This weekend we babysat Chris' sister's boyfriend, Tim's (whew that's alot) puppy Stella. She is 6 months old, the same age as Hannah. Tim got her at the pound and she looks like a boarder collie mix. She is adorable. Even though they are the same age, Hannah is alot bigger than Stella, so Stella shouldn't get much bigger. The dogs had so much fun. They played in the backyard all day Saturday and even when they came inside, they just couldn't get enough of each other.

It rained today, so they stayed inside. I'm glad they all got along so well, and now River and Hannah are pooped!

We are looking forward to the next few weeks celebrating Christmas.Chris was cold outside while watching the puppies run around.

Update

Since Chris and I haven't had a computer in awhile, I haven't had the chance to put any pictures up on my blogs. But we just bought a new Netbook, so I wanted to update you on some pictures of Chris, the dogs, and I.
Hannah has gotten alot bigger since the last time I put pictures of her on here. They are both doing well, and still crazy as ever. Oh the joys of having puppies. They do make my day everyday, one way or another.

I have videos too, but I need to download something on the Netbook to play them so I know which ones I am putting on here. I have alot more pics, but this is good for now. I will start putting them up regularly.

Feeling Thankful

I know Thanksgiving has already past and we are supposed to be thankful everyday, but for some reason today I have been feeling even more thankful for the things that I have then I have ever been. It may be for a few reasons.
A girl that I went to high school with just lost her boyfriend in Afghanistan. I don't talk to her anymore, but she is my friend on facebook and I found out through the NewsFeed. I think the funereal was either yesterday or today. I cant even imagine what that feels like. I have been thinking about her all day today and I am just so thankful for all the people in my life. I'm sure all of her friends and family are taking good care of her, and I'm sure she realizes that and is thankful for them too. You never know when someone close to you will pass away, so make sure they know you love them.
I am also reading a blog that someone suggested I read. A woman named Stefanie (nienie for short) is a mother of 4 I think. She was in a plane crash with her husband and her husband had to pull her out of the burning plane. Her and her husband got burned pretty badly. She looks totally different now and she writes about her life. How she feels about the way she looks, how her kids react, how grateful she is to be alive, and much more. Every time I read it, I think about how lucky I am to be alive and well. I feel bad sometimes because there are days that I go through and don't even think about how lucky I am. all I can think about is, I want this and what can I do for myself. Instead I need to think about how great it is to wake up in the morning and be able to walk talk, laugh, and love.
Lastly, I think what topped it off today was when I was going back to work from my lunch break, I ran into traffic from a huge car accident. As I passed by, I saw a man on a stretcher. He didn't look good. Thanks God that wasn't me, thank God that wasn't any of my friends or family, but please help him to be healthy.
I think we all need to sit back sometimes and just think about how great it is to even be able to breathe. It sounds silly, but just think about how much worse your life could be. When I go onto Facebook, I see alot of quotes that people put on their statuses. Alot of them are the same, but there is one that I usually just read and not even pay attention to what it means. I really don't remember how it goes, but its something like "don't take life for granted. smile and laugh when you can because every minute you area sad is 60 seconds of happiness you will never get back." I don't know what has gotten into me but I can stop thinking about it today so I decided to write about it on my blog. You just never know when the last time you will get a hug from someone or even see someone is. I'm going to start being thankful for every kiss I get from Chris, every lick from the dogs, every phone call from my parents and brothers, and every day that I wake up. From now on, if I'm in a bad mood, I'm just going to remember the things and people I have in my life, and I know that will change my mood.

My new favorite song: Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews "I'm Alive"

"And today you know that’s good enough for me
Breathin' in and out's a blessin' can’t you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
And I’m alive, and well
I’m alive, and well"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was so much fun this year. Chris and I both had off Thursday(Thanksgiving) through Sunday off and each day was full of activities. This is the first time in a long time that we have had that many days off together!
Wednesday: After work we met at Best Buy to buy my parents their Christmas gift, a 42" flat screen TV. We wanted to bring it with us and give it to them on Thanksgiving so that we could watch all the football games on it! Then we went home, packed up the car and the dogs, and headed to Bluffton. We got their late, but we woke up my dad and gave them the TV. They were so happy (so were my brothers of course) and we set it up right away.
Thursday: Thanksgiving day we woke up and slowing started our day. My grandparents and cousins came over around 1pm and we ate Thanksgiving dinner around 3pm. It was so yummy! We cooked one turkey in the oven and my dad fried one in the fryer, both were delicious. Surprisingly there weren't many leftovers of the turkey but alot of the corn and green beans. The rest of the day, we sat and watched football, took the dogs on a long walk, and played many family games including the "what we are thankful for game" we play every year. By the way, when we took the dogs on a walk, we didn't put leashes on them for the first time and they listened very well....such good puppies we have!
Friday: This was a day full of more football, eating, and relaxing. Chris and I also went to the grocery store to get dinner for everyone. Since the fryer was already out from the turkey, my dad decided that he was going to fry some chicken wings. We always make a bunch of different flavors. We had BBQ, Honey Mustard, Hot, and Garlic Hot. They were all so good. That night we played more games and taught my mom how to play circle of death. That was interesting :)
Saturday: This was the big day for the game! South Carolina vs. Clemson, what I think is the biggest rivalry of the south. Chris and I were so excited for this game, especially since we had the new TV to watch it on. More of my family came over to watch with us and sure enough....GAMECOCKS WON!!!! Chris and I always say that we don't care if we lose all the games of the season, as long as we win that one, it was a good season. After the game, we had an oyster roast. My dad is a good oyster cooker for sure. I wish it was a little warmer outside that night so that I could have stayed out there longer, but I had to keep coming inside it was so cold. That night River got really sick. He was throwing up, shaking, and wouldn't eat or drink. River throws up alot normally because he has a weak stomach, but he has never refused to eat. I was so worried, I thought for sure we were going to have to go to the animal ER. Chris made him drink some milk and took him outside where he ate a ton of grass. He came back inside and was perfectly fine. We still aren't sure what was wrong with him, but I think he just had cramps from gas or something. We reminded my mom and taught my brother and dad how to play circle of death ans we played it all night long. We couldn't stop laughing the whole time.
Sunday: We slept in and ate breakfast. While Chris slept a little longer I went to visit Tatiana and see her new apartment that she shares with Brandy. They also have a new little kitten that was so cute. It was good to catch up with her...I really do miss all my girlfriends. Later that evening Chris and I packed back up and headed home.

Now it is time to get ready for Christmas. I love both of our families so much and I love spending time with them. I wish we could do things like this every weekend.

Pre-Thanksgiving

This past weekend, Chris and I drove down to Beaufort on Friday night and stayed at his family's beach house for a pre-Thanksgiving celebration. This is the second year they have done this. Its fun for us in two ways. One is that we get to go to his family's Thanksgiving, and then go to my family's Thanksgiving. Two is that we get to eat delicious food twice.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things that we may not always realize we are thankful for. I am very thankful that Chris and I can be together on that day. We are both thankful for our two wonderful dogs, our house we live in, our jobs, our families, and of course we are thankful for each other and alot more.
After work on Friday, we packed up and hit the road. We decided to take the dogs over to my parents house for the weekend, so that we could relax at the beach and not worry about them the whole time. They might have tried to eat all the food too. My parents only live about 45 minutes away from the beach house which is nice. After we dropped off the dogs, we made it to the beach house around 11pm. We were pretty tired, so we headed to bed.
The next day, Saturday was the day we would have Thanksgiving. Chris's family was cooking all morning and it smelled great. We watched football and ate around 1pm. Everything tasted so good and I of course got so full. We took quick naps and woke up in time to watch the Gamecocks play the undefeated Gators. The game was actually better than I thought. For awhile, I thought we had a chance to win but we couldn't hold on long enough.
On Sunday and Chris and I decided that we were going to go visit with my parents and eat lunch over at their house. We had sandwiches and beef stew which was so good. After visiting for awhile, we headed home.
The weekend was full of food and family and that's what we always love to do. I cant wait until the real Thanksgiving when we go to my parents house to eat MORE turkey.

Weddings, Birthday, and Promotions!!!

WOW! Ive had a very busy past 2 weeks. I've been wanting to update the blog, but haven't had much time. So here is a quick update of everything I've been up to.
October 17, 2009 Michael and Rachel tied the knot. It was a very busy but super fun day. I woke up early to get my hair done with Rachel then went over to the wedding venue and got my makeup done. Everything went by so fast but the wedding was beautiful. The wedding was outside and it was very cold, but we bared it for the hour we were out there for the ceremony and pictures and then got warmed up during the reception. I am so happy that I got to be apart of their day as a bridesmaid. Chris was the best man and his speech was great! Short but sweet! I know they had a great time at their weeding and that is all that matters.
My birthday was that Monday. I had to work because I took off on Friday for the wedding. My co-workers took me out to lunch which was very nice. Later after work Chris gave me one of my gifts. He got me a camera/video camera. It is so small that it fits in my purse and it takes pictures and records stuff. We have been using it alot. Chris then took me to the mall and he bought me a Vera Bradley toiletry bag and flat iron cover that I wanted. I think the pattern is called Green Cupcake or something like that. I love it. I cant wait to go on some sort of trip so that I can use it. Then we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant. I cant remember the name but it was so good. Too much food for us to finish but we enjoyed the leftovers. I am so grateful for Chris and the things he did to make by birthday very special. Being 23 isn't much different than 22. I have a feeling I might lose track of how old I am soon because they all seem the same.
Last Thursday I finally got a promotion at work. I have been asking my general manager what I could do to get a better position and get started on my career. We went back and forth about a few positions and we finally agreed on one. I am now a Sales Manager here at The Blake Hotel. It has been very tough already, but I'm ready for a challenge and ready to learn. I hope that I can catch on fast and book lots of rooms for the hotel. I'll update you soon on my progress since its only been three days.

Family Time

This past weekend my Moms side of the family came to Charlotte to visit Chris and I and to watch some football. It was a wonderful weekend and I wish we could do weekends like this all the time but its hard since everyone lives far away.
Growing up my family has always loves the Redskins. My grandmother goes to at least one game a year still and my dad and brother are die-hard fans. Personally, growing up I really didn't like watching football but now that I understand it, I enjoy watching and paying attention to college football more than NFL. Now that I live in Charlotte, its only appropriate for me to like the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers were started back in the 90s, and its a NFL team for South and North Carolina. In fact, the Panthers used to play in the Clemson stadium before their stadium was built in Charlotte. Did you know that the Panther head on the jerseys and helmets is the shape of South Carolina and North Carolina put together? Cool huh? Since Chris grew up in Charlotte, he has been a huge Panthers fan, he even went to the first Panthers game EVER!! Last year I went to two Panthers games, one on my birthday against the Saints (we won), and one during the playoffs against the Cardinals (we lost). I have never been to a Redskins game that I know of, and I wish I did. So long story short, on normal Sunday when Chris and I watch football ALL day, I cheer for the Panthers and the Redskins! But it got a little tough this weekend when they played each other. Like I mentioned before, my family LOVES the Redskins....they were all decked out in their Redskins attire and there I was. The only thing I had to wear was my Panthers jersey since I don't have anything Redskins. Chris and I were the only ones wearing Panthers. Nobody cared. So the game was pretty close and in the end the Panthers won. Finally, the Panthers won a game (their first this season). The Redskins had already won two games...so to be fair, it was the Panthers turn to win one! :)
So about the weekend. My brother Dylan drove from school on Friday night and he, Chris, and I went and ate at Buffalo Wild Wings that night. When we got home we waited for my parents and my other brother Davis to arrive. When they got to my house they ate a late dinner and headed to the hotel. I got my family $49.00 rates at my hotel, so they were excited about that. Davis and Dylan stayed at our house. My Aunt Laura and Uncle Dean and Grandma and Grandpa from Hilton Head also came in on Friday.
Saturday we got up to watch the Gamecocks take on the Wildcats at 12:30. The family came over to watch and my Aunt Lisa and her friend Fran arrived from Maryland to witness the Gamecocks win. (We are now #22 in the nation). I really get into the Gamecocks games...much more than any NFL game. I love my Gamecocks. After the game we hung around our house and ate and watched more football. Saturday night we went out to eat pizza at Intermezzo. The pizza was great and we had a great time.
Sunday was the big game and we watched that and hung around again, just watching football and catching up with family. Man, I was pooped when everyone left. Even though all we did was just lay around the house all weekend...it was tiresome. Like I said before, I wish we could do it all the time, I love my family so much and we always have such a great time together. I guess we will just have to wait a few more moths for Christmas to come so we can see each other again.
Lastly, just a little update on the Gamecocks. Right now we are 5-1, 2-1 in the SEC and we even beat #4 Ole Miss!! So we are now #22 and are about to take on #2 Alabama this weekend. We will be at the wedding during the game but you better believe I will be thinking about them and recording the game! I think we have a chance to beat them!! CROSS YOUR FINGERS! :)

Busy Busy Bee

Chris and I have been so busy lately with everything. It seems like the "to do" list keeps getting longer and longer no matter how much we get done. We try to talk about what things need to get done first and set our priorities straight, but like always things and plans change. The next few weeks are going to be busier than normal, but also very fun and exciting, so I wanted to tell you a little about what we will be doing these next few weeks.
My WHOLE Mom's side of the family is coming into town to visit Me, Chris, and the doggies. The only people that aren't coming from that side are my two cousins Michelle and Melissa. They will be missed, but are still loved of course. The original plan was to have them come and go to the Panthers vs. Redskins game on Sunday, but we couldn't find that many tickets for a good price. They all said they still wanted to come to see our house and have a great weekend. Most everyone is showing up on Friday and spending the weekend. I will write a post about how the weekend went. I'm so excited to see my family and spend time with them. I'm also happy that they are coming to MY house. This has never happened before. I'm starting to feel like a real adult. I need to start cleaning, straightening up and getting ready to be a great host.
The next weekend after that is Michael and Rachel's wedding (Chris brother). Chris is of course the best man and I am one of the bridesmaids. I'm so honored to be able to stand up there next to them on their special day. It will be something they remember forever. There are activities for the wedding from Thursday until the wedding day (Saturday). I know its a huge day for Chris too because his twin brother is getting married and he has to make a speech and everything, but I also know that he is very excited. I love weddings and I am really looking forward to being there.
The day after the wedding is Sunday and I think we are having a cookout at Chris parents house for my birthday which is Monday. I'm happy that I will be able to celebrate while most everyone is still in town from the wedding. I'm turning 23 this year and I really feel like I'm getting old. I know 23 isn't old at all but the time is flying by so much, which leads me to my next point.
Like I said earlier, I feel like we are always rushing around and always having something to do. Even when I am relaxing I cant really relax because I have so much on my mind that I could be doing. I think most of it is because I am worrying about money and making a living. I know Chris is stressing about the same thing. Sometimes I need to sit back and think about the things that I am grateful for instead of the things that I want or stress about. at least I have a job and am making money (some people don't even have that). I have the most wonderful boyfriend that I could ever ask for, two of the greatest dogs in the world, two parents that love me more than anything, two brothers that I love so much, a car that works, clothes to wear, money to buy food, and much much more. I know I just need to work hard, pray, and wait for God to give us more opportunities. While I wait, I need to smile and love what I am and what I have.
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3).
"Cast your cares upon the Lord, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7)."
"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. (Job 37:14)."
"I will give you peace and quietness. (1 Chronicles 16:11)."
"With God ALL things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)."

I MET KATE GOSSELIN

For those of you who do not know, I am a huge fan of Jon and Kate Plus 8! I have been watching the show since day one and I wont miss an episode on a Monday night. Even though their marriage had fallen apart, I still support their family by watching the show because the kids are too darn cute. People keep saying they need to stop the show and spend time with their kids, well here is what I think of that. Even though they make tons of money for each episode, they still do not have enough money to keep raising all eight children AND put them through college if they stop the show now. Jon and Kate both have said their kids like doing the show, so why not. If they stop the show, then they will both have to go back to work and therefore they REALLY wont have time for their kids. Anyways, as you can see, I love the show and nothing will change my mind.


My manager and I went to a meeting at Visit Charlotte on Wednesday to try and get a contract signed and while we were there we were both given two tickets to the Southern Women's Show on Thursday-Sunday. I asked my manager what it was and she recommended that I attend. She said it was a bunch of booths and you walk around and get free stuff like makeup, shampoo, etc. The next morning when I got to work, I decided to look online to see what times the show was open to see if I could go sometime over the weekend when I saw KATE GOSSELIN'S name! I thought surely she wasn't coming to this show, but sure enough, SHE WAS!!! The only problem I saw was that she was going to be there from 1:30pm-3:30pm on Thursday (today, while I work).


I quickly came to the conclusion that I would go during my lunch break and ask my manager if I could take a little longer tlunch and take a short lunch on Friday. She approved!! Man, I was so excited.


I left work at noon and got there at 12:30pm so that I could buy her book and find where she would be, in time not to miss a minute. I knew I only had an hour or two so I thought ahead and asked the lady I bought the book from where she would be signing them after so I could get as close to that area as possible. She didn't have a clue. I waited and waited for a long time. I didn't want to go anywhere else and lose my close spot to the stage. It got quite boring since I was by myself, but I didn't care. Lucky for me I heard a lady say where she would be signing the books after and sure enough there was already a line forming (before she even was on stage). I realized that if I got in line right then I would still be able to see the stage, so I hopped in line and waited some more. Lucky for me again because I was the last person they let stand in line until she was done talking because it was going to block the way of other attendees.


While waiting I saw Kate's body guard. The man that people say she is in a relationship with, and everyone was taking pictures of him. (by the way, Kate said that the body guard is NOT her man) Finally Kate came out and answered questions for an hour.


SOME HIGHLIGHTS TO HER QUESTIONS:

• Their dogs (Shoka and Nala) were given back tot he breeders. She says they may get them back in the future, but right now is too hard


• She really misses Jon, the old Jon (she cried)


• Mady and Cara are going to a Taylor Swift concert for their bday coming up


• Her recipe book is coming out in the fall

There are a lot more, I just cant think of them right now.

Kate finally made it over to the table where she was signing her books and I was about #20 in line. I found out later that there was about 1,500 people there. I was so happy I was in the front of the line. As we got closer to her, the security told us we could only take pics of her, not with her. (I wanted a pic with her). Finally it was my turn. I handed her my book and she asked how I was doing. I told her good and that I wished I lived in Pennsylvania so that I could babysit her kids. And she told me that I looked like a respectable young lady that she would definitely consider me to watch her kids if I lived close!!! WOO WHO! That made my day. Little did I know there was MORE to come.

The next day I got to work and I opened the Internet. My homepage that pops up is the Charlotte Observer Newspaper website. I read it almost every morning. I saw the title of an article saying something that Kate had said at the show so I clicked on it to read about it. I read the whole article and there was a picture of Kate on the stage smiling. As I clicked the back button to read more of the paper I saw that there was two pictures. I had a feeling it was going to be of her signing the books so I clicked back on the article. (I swear this was ALL in slow motion) I clicked on the next button to see the next picture and THERE I WAS. STANDING THERE WITH KATE GOSSELIN!!!!!!!! I stopped and thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Out of ALL 1,500 people, there I was with Kate.

I got what I wished for!!! A picture WITH Kate, not just OF Kate! Since the picture was the second one on the website I thought for sure they would use the first one in the actual newspaper, BUT NO! My manager walked in and handed my the newspaper, opened to the page where the picture of my newest friend Kate and I are in. I am still in shock that this is really me. I think I might try and get ahold of her and tell her that I must really be destined to babysit for her or something. But then again, she talked to 1,500 people, I know she doesn't remember me!

Dance Lessons and Gamecocks

This post is a little out of order, but I was reading my older posts and remembered that I never wrote about our dance lessons. Chris's brother Michael and his fiancee Rachel invited Chris and I to take dance lessons with them for the wedding. It ended up being Michael and Rachel, Chris and I, Rachel's parents, and Chris's parents. It was a lot of fun. Each week we would go into class and add new steps to the ones we learned the week before. After we got the steps down, we would rotate partners. So I ended up dancing with not just Chris. I danced with Michael, Mr. Hunt, and Mr. Crunk! We mainly learned swing, but the last few weeks we worked on salsa. It was so funny to see the boys try to catch on to the moves. They would always want to be a better partner than the other. My main partner was Chris though and I hope he remembers all the moves so when the wedding comes we don't look crazy on the dance floor.
I think Michael and Rachel are taking a few other classes without everyone so they can learn what to do for their first dance.
Chris actually, surprisingly liked dance class. At first I had to beg him to take it with me but then he loved it. He even wants to take our own private classes one day...and of course i would LOVE that. He wants to learn TANGO! whew...it looks hard.
All in all it was a great experience and great bonding for the two families.
Now skipping back to this past weekend. Chris and I drove to N. Augusta, SC for Rachel and Michael's wedding shower at Chris's Aunt Mary-Alice's house. It was a fun shower but didn't last too long. We stayed the night so that we could watch the Gamecocks play the Bulldogs. The game was sooo good but we ended up losing at the VERY end. The score was 37-41. So sad. But the good news is that Stephen Garcia (our QB) is looking very good. Finally we have a good looking quarterback, and our team looked put together. I am very excited for the rest of the season. I think we will do alot better than last year.
While we were in N. Augusta we had to board River for the first time. I was a little upset and sad but then I got over it. River had such a good time and he was pooped when we picked him up on Sunday. I'm glad that we got the boarding thing over with so now I wont be hesitant on taking him there. We had to bring Hannah with us since she doesn't have her rabies shot yet, but she wasn't in the way. We kept her in the crate for half the day when a bunch of people were around, but once everyone left we brought her out and she played with Reese (Mary-Alice's dog).
It was a good weekend...now back to work.

Gamecocks and Labor Day

Since my last post nothing has been going on to write about. Just work, entertain dogs, and rest! This past weekend was the first exciting weekend in awhile. Chris and I were supposed to go to the beach with some of our friends but that trip got cancelled at the last minute. I called my parents to see what they were up to and they were headed to the mountains for the weekend. I though that would be a fun but very relaxing time and its only and hour and 45 minutes from our house in Charlotte. It turned out to be a blast.
Friday after I got off work Chris took me to Outback Steakhouse which is one of my favorite restaurants ever (i know its lame because its a chain restaurant, but i cant pass up the cheese fries EVER). After eating, going home and packing we were on the road by 8pm and arrived at the lake house around 9:45 pm. My parents and Davis finally arrived at 10pm and by the time they settled in and we chatted for awhile we all went to sleep.
The next morning Chris and I woke up around 11am and put our bathing suits on right away. We hung out on the lake for a few hours. The dogs LOVED it. River had the most energy I have ever seen him have but he was so funny jumping off the dock over and over again like the energizer bunny. Charlie tried to keep up but he would get annoyed and go lay on the couch on the porch. Hannah would have spurts of energy and she was swimming more than we have ever seen her. (by the way...I would post pictures but Hannah chewed the cord that transfers the pics from my camera to the computer) Later that day after we had lunch we all got showers and headed to the Apple Festival in downtown Hendersonville with the family. I was so excited because my favorite candy store is in downtown Hendersonville so I got to get tons of candy. We didn't buy anything besides the candy and some hot dogs but it was fun to look at everything. After we left the Apple Festival we all went to the grocery and picked out dinner. We saw a really yummy looking Greek salad at the Apple Festival so we decided to have that and grilled chicken. It turned out great. My Grandpa wanted my mom to make some other stuff including fudge. YUM! That night we watched tons of football and played games and did puzzles. it was relaxing that is for sure.
The next morning we tried to sleep in a little but we couldn't because the dogs were so excited to get out on the lake again. Chris had some work to do so he did that and we all just took it easy for the day by the lake. My mom made beef stew and cornbread for dinner and fudge for desert. The beef stew was so good but the fudge never hardened. She thinks that Grandpa gave her the wrong recipe. It was fine though because we ended up using it for hot fudge on top of ice cream. It was so good and we got to bring some home. I still have tons of leftovers.
The weekend was fun and was much needed
As for the Gamecocks...I'm so excited for the football season. If you know me, then you know that I LOVE the gamecocks!!! They won their first game last Thursday and I'm looking forward to a good season. Don't worry if you don't keep track of them because I will surely do that on here. Our next game is this Saturday against Georgia. Tough game, but I think we can pull it off. Keep your fingers crossed!!! :)

Nothing much going on

Well there isn't much going on lately besides the boring work schedule, but I figured I needed to update my blog so that you guys didn't think I forgot about this thing.

This past weekend I went to Rachel's bachelorette weekend party at Myrtle Beach, SC. (For those of you who don't know her...she is Chris's twin brother's fiancee). I rode with Katie (Chris's sister) and we got there around 10:00pm on Friday. Just in time for Rachel to open gifts and get ready to go out on the town. We went to Senor Frogs and danced most of the night! The next morning we went straight to the beach. It rained a little, but not enough to go back inside. It soon stopped and we were out in the sand till about 3:00pm. Katie and I took showers and we had to head out. Katie started school on Monday and it was a long ride home for her. It was 4 hours for me but I think it was around 7 for her. All in all it was a good little getaway.

This coming weekend Chris is going to Michael's bachelor party also in Myrtle Beach and I know they are getting excited. They are actually leaving on Wednesday (tomorrow) and coming home on Sunday. So Ill be all alone this weekend. That's OK though, Ill just have to plan a girls night :)

Also this past weekend, Dylan drove up and got settled into his new dorm at COLLEGE!!! He is going to Taccoa Falls in Georgia. I cant believe that my little brother is a freshman in college. This is so weird. I hope he enjoyed his first few nights and doesn't miss home too much.

Other than that, I have been busy with teaching Hannah the rules about the house, and Chris has taught her a few tricks. She now knows sit, shake, and stay very well.

Chris and I cant wait until we can take some time, and go away by ourselves somewhere....it seems like there is always something to do, but I have learned that its going to always be like this, this is real life.

Weekend with the Brothers

This past weekend was so much fun. My brothers came to visit and we all had a great time. They arrived on Friday around 2pm and hung out with Chris until I got home from work. We then went to the epicenter in downtown Charlotte and ate dinner at Wild Wings. It was delicious except that we ordered way too much food then left our to go box on the table. OOPS! After eating we decided to go bowling which was also in the epicenter. This bowling alley is so nice, there was an hour wait to play! To kill time we walked around the epicenterr and showed my brothers around. Finally we got the bowl and it sure was a sight to see. We all did pretty well but surprisingly I WON!!! It was pretty late after bowling and we had to get up early for Carowinds the next morning so we went back home and played a little Rock Band before going to bed.
The next day we woke up around 10am and got ready for Carowinds. Chris and I haven't been in forever and we were excited. Dylan had been there once, I think and Davis had never been so they really didn't know what to expect. I said in my other blog that my brothers weren't even sure if they liked roller coasters. I was a little nervous that they wouldn't, but we would see. When we got there, we hopped on a small roller coaster right away. After standing in lines and riding a few roller coasters, my brothers felt brave enough to go on one that had a loop. It also happened to be the roller coaster that you stand up on (Vortex)Wow...it was crazy. Davis looked like he was passed out after the ride was over. He put his head down and closed his eyes the whole time, but he was fine. Dylan watched the whole time and he loved it, even though he was a little uncomfortable in the stand up position with the bar between his legs....if you know what I mean. After that we were roller coastered out for awhile. So we ate lunch. $20 for two slices of pizza and two drinks! RIDICULOUS
We then decided to go to the water park area because it was starting to get hot outside. We rode a few water slides but the best one was the one where all four of us we in a tube together. The man told us that we should hold on but I didn't think he was serious. The first turn there was I almost flew off and Davis was actually off the slide at one point. So fun but too long of a line to do again. The wave pool was fun too and I felt like I got some exercise swimming in those big waves. Then we rode the log flume. That was Dylan's favorite ride. On the way off the ride you can stand and get splashed from the water that the log shoots up and we did that 4 or 5 times.
Even though it seemed like there were so many more rides to go on we were there for 4 hours and we were pooped. We were also hungry again and didn't want to pay for another $20 meal. So we went home and relaxed for awhile before cooking some burgers and fries for dinner. We really didn't do much that night because we were so tired but the boys played some video games and we watched a movie.
The next day we woke up early again and made breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and hash browns YUM! Then my brothers had to go home. It was sad to see them leave because it didn't seem like they were here for long, but Ill see them in a few months for the Panthers vs. Redskins game!!
Although Dylan is going off to college in a few weeks, I wish we could do this more often. It was so fun to catch up with my brothers. It is so much different then when I lived at home because they are so much older now....5 years older. I'm going to start to plan another time they can come, we had too much fun!

Miss Hannah and Mr River

Miss Hannah sure is a handful, but its been so fun. She got to play all day yesterday while Chris and I were at work and River was in the crate. Our friend Jessica came and got her at 11am and played all day. She has a 1 yr old black lab Gracie and she said they played really well. Hannah isn't scared of anything. She goes after everything no matter how big it is. If something does happen to startle her, shes back in action in a second.

The past few nights we have been putting her in Rivers crate so that she can be potty trained. River sleeps on the floor next to our bed. Hannah would cry and cry. The longest she cried was 2 hours. It was awful. So she has been sleeping now in the crate in the living room so she isn't keeping us up all night.

Long story short, after playing all day and meeting tons of new people, she slept the WHOLE night. I couldn't believe it. I actually woke up at 5 am and was worried that something was wrong with her. I walked out to the living room and she was just sleeping. As soon as I made a noise she woke up and the crying started. oops! But she only cried for maybe 5 minutes so that goes to show how tired she really was. So I guess Chris and I need to wear he out a little more before bed time.

Everything else is going great. She chews alot more than River did and she is still barking some but we are in the process of trying to quit that. She is practically potty trained and I cant believe it, she is only 5 weeks old. (knock on wood) I cant recall her last accident and today during my lunch break she cried at the door.

Needless to say River had his bad moments and good moments, and it seems to me that Hannah is the exact opposite. The rough times we had with River are a breeze with Hannah; and the rough times we are having now with Hannah were a breeze with River. I guess that just means we will be ready for any obstacle if we decided to get another. HA!! don't worry that wont be anytime soon.

Weekend

So this weekend was interesting to say the least. The first and most important is that Chris and I finally got Hannah Sky Hunt. She is so precious but a handful. When we got River he was 6 weeks and Hannah is only 5 weeks. We thought she would be fragile and we would have to keep her and River separate for the most part but that is not the case at all. As soon as they met the were in love. River plays so well with her. They will roll around and play for hours. I'm so happy that he realizes she is small and he is very gentle even when they play tug of war. The only thing is that River doesn't allow her to have ANY of the toys. As soon as she is playing with a toy, he will go and grab it from her. I think he just wants to play, but she doesn't get it yet. She will soon be big enough to grab it right back.

Although she is very cute, she is SO SASSY! She already learned to bark from the place she was born and she will bark nonstop until someone is paying attention to her. This has to stop. River never barked until Chris taught him and now he still doesn't bark unless Chris is messing with him. If Hannah is not in the middle of everything, she will let everyone know. When we went to the dog park I took her in the little dog side so that no big dogs would run her over. That didn't last because she kept barking through the fence for River and wanted to be on that side. I soon as I got her to the other side, she was fine.

River and Hannah both had their easy and hard things to deal with. River was easy to put to bed but very hard to potty train. Hannah is opposite. She despises the crate but she is practically potty trained already. Its great!!! Ill post some other stuff about her later but I don't want this blog to be too long and I have one more story about the weekend.

Saturday night Chris and I joined Hunter and Jessica and some of their friends for dinner and going downtown. We went to this yummy sushi place and then went to the epicentre. Everything was going great and we were having a great time all night. Around 1:30am everyone in our group was on the outside part of Club Mez which looked out at the skyscrapers in the city. It was a good view and it felt good outside. All of the sudden I started feeling really weird. Now let me stop to say that I wasn't drunk. I had one glass of wine at dinner and I was only on my second drink when this happened. I had never felt like this before. I tried to wait to see if it would go away but it was slowing getting worse. Its hard to explain what I was feeling but my whole body just sort of felt numb. I guess Chris noticed that something was wrong because he asked if I was OK. I told him that I felt like I was going to faint but that I'm sure I was fine. After that I don't remember ANYTHING. (this is what Chris told me happened) He started telling me that I was scaring him because I had a blank stare on my face and I didn't reply to him. My pupils started to get very dilated. Then I put my arms around him and finally I fainted. Chris caught me so I didn't fall and Jessica's dad was supporting my back. I remember feeling like I was falling but I couldn't see anything. They helped me over to the couch and put my feet up. All of the sudden I remember feeling perfectly fine. I still don't know what happened to make me faint but it sure was scary. I didn't go to the doctor or anything because I felt fine right after and nothing else weird has happened. Chris reassured me that alot of people faint for different reasons and its not a rare thing. It was just rare because I have NEVER fainted before. Hopefully (and I am sure) I am fine, but I'm glad it happened so late because I sure would have ruined peoples night if it would have happened earlier in the night.

Hannah Sky

Yay! We get to go get Hannah today! I thought we were going to have to wait until Monday but I called the man and he said we could come TODAY! Yesterday Chris and I went to get appetizers and wine and were talking about her. At first Chris said he wanted to get her on Monday so that we can have one last weekend without running around after her. But he changed his mind yesterday after we were talking about her. I think this is a better plan anyways. If we got her on Monday night we would only have a few hours with her until we would have to put her in the crate for bed. Then all day on her first day at home (Tuesday), she would be locked up since Chris and I would both be at work. Then our first day of dance lessons is Tuesday night so she would be locked up ALL day. By getting her today, we will have all weekend with her.





When we got River, I had three days off so it was easy for us to get him used to the crate and us. Not only do we have to get Hannah used to us and the house, we have to introduce her to River. This might be an event!





So I called the man that has her yesterday after talking with Chris and asked if she was still feeding on her mom and he said that they weren't. They were eating dry food. He thought it was a good idea also if we went ahead and got her for the weekend. I was so excited because I didn't think the guy would let us since she is so young. I'm not worried because the reason that people say the puppies should be with the mom until they are 7 or 8 weeks is so the mom can socialize them and let them know what is right and wrong. but since we have River, he can act as the one to socialize her and teach her things.



We got a long road ahead of us but I know that we are going to be so happy. River has made Chris and I so happy that we cant even imagine what another will bring. Our family is just getting bigger and bigger. As Chris said last night, there is now more animals in our house than there is humans. Zeppelin River and Hannah vs. Chris and I.

After talking to the guy on the phone he surprised me by sending me a picture of her to my phone. I was so surprised and almost cried I got so excited. She is so cute with her little Mohawk in the middle of her face! :)

The Dog Park

Yesterday Chris and I went to the dog park. We met up with the girls that used to live in the house that we are in now. Jessica and Jessica. One of the Jessica's has a black lab that is about a year old named Gracie and we go to the dog park with her regularly. Gracie and River get along so well. The other Jessica is dog sitting for her friends and brought an 8 month old golden retriever named Holden. He was very cute.

The dog park is always an interesting adventure. Between training your dog the right etiquette, to having a very muddy dog to transport home in your car. Its funny because there are little kid pools that are filled with water so the dogs can have some water to drink. Gracie and River, without fail, will lay in the pools to cool off. NO other dogs do this, just Gracie and River. I think it is cute, but it does call for a very wet and muddy dog for the ride home. There is also a river right by where the dog park is so sometimes I will throw a ball in the river and let him run after it to get rinsed off.

There are some very interesting dogs at the dog park. I also cant believe sometimes, how owners don't try to train there dogs at all. River is not what I would call a well trained dog, but he looks like a genius sometimes compared to other dogs at the park. We have seen many dog fights and I'm sure there are more to come. But no matter what happens at the dog park River doesnt care. He loves going there to run around and meet new dogs each time. We like it because is wears River out so he is sleepy when we get home.

Speaking of River and being trained, Chris has taught him a few cool tricks. I'm very impressed how fast River caught on to these. He knows sit, lay down, and stay. When Chris says "stay" he will freeze, Chris will put a treat on his nose, and he will stay until Chris says "OK" Its too funny. I hope Hannah will learn tricks as fast as River did.

I think Chris and I are going to the store today to do some shopping for Hannah. I am so excited. We were supposed to go to dance lessons today but it got postponed until next weekend. Ill keep you posted on the dance classes, they should be very interesting.

Weekend in the Mountains

This past weekend was so much fun but I was so tired today at work. Chris and I left on Friday and made it just in time to the mountains for some ribs that my dad cooked. They were SO yummy. We stayed up late with my parents and the Wilkerson's and told a BUNCH of funny stories!

The next day we woke up and had a yummy breakfast that my mom cooked. We had blueberry, chocolate chip, and plain pancakes and bacon. Then Chris, Davis and I went down to the fair that was going on downtown. It was called Coon Dog Day! We at lunch and walked around. We got to see the champion coon dog and man let me tell you, those were some well trained dogs. Ive never seen so many rednecks in my life all in one place, but it was still fun and VERY entertaining Then that night we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. YUM! I love queso dip.

The next morning Chris, my mom and I woke up early and drove an hour to Ashville to see Dylan's baseball game. It was good to see him play because I don't get to see him much anymore. He played very good and it was worth the hour drive and getting up early. The rest of the day we spent resting before we had to pack and come home. :(

All in all it was a relaxing weekend and we had a great time. I think River enjoyed himself also because he got to play with Charlie all weekend long. Even though I was excited about having all of July filled with activities for the weekend, Chris and I think we may need one weekend to just relax at home. Even though we get to relax on the weekend trips, it still gets stressful trying to get there and back and all the in between stuff.

I hope this week flies by because we hopefully get to pick up HANNAH on Monday. Ill keep you posted. :)

Today was pretty slow at the office. Most everyone was off since they worked last Saturday for the 4th of July. I don't like when people aren't here...I get SO bored.

So we went to the cookout last night at Michael and Rachel's house. It was fun and we had some good burgers and wine. I also learned how to play Rummy and I WON a game!! :) I wish we could have stayed longer and kept playing but I had to be up early this morning for work.

I skipped lunch today so that I can get off work at 4:30 instead of my usual 5:30. Chris and I are headed to the mountain house to spend the weekend. My family has been up there since last weekend. I think the Wilkerson's and some other people are there too so it should be a good weekend. I cant wait to just sit on the dock or a raft all day and soak up the sun and relax.

Chris and I have been trying to fill up our weekends with fun events. If we don't plan anything, then we wont do anything. July is booked and I'm excited. Last weekend we went to Chris's family beach house for the weekend. This weekend we are going to the mountain house. Next weekend we are going camping, and the weekend after that my brothers Dylan and Davis are coming to visit me. We are going to have some cookouts and go to carowinds. Hopefully we can keep filling up the weekends with fun activities to do together.

First Post

Lets see how this goes. It seems lately that my life is FLYING by. I thought this would be good, not only for my family and friends to keep up with me, but also for myself so that when I feel that time is slipping away I can look back at my blogs and relive it all. Towards the end of my work day I am going to try and write a blog. That way I will actually have time to do it without being interrupted by everything I need to do at home. I hope you find this interesting and ill try my best not to put a bunch of boring stuff on here. If my life seems to be boring, then I wont write :)

So anyways, today was very HECTIC at work. This man kept calling all morning harassing me about a $69.95 rate that he agreed with my manager about. First of all, we don't offer that rate at all, and second my manager wasn't in yet so I couldn't ask her. So after finding out and telling him that his real rate was $89 he got so upset. Someone had to deal with him downstairs as he RAGED about the rate and I hear he never got a room. Than the new girl quit. She has only been working here for a little over a week. I guess she found a better place or something. good for her. Also the phones have been ringing off the HOOK! But enough about work.

Yesterday I convinced Chris to go to Ikea with me. I was so excited to find out that he loves the store just like me. I'm sure the food court is his favorite (last night was rib night). I ended up buying a new duvet cover and some jars for the kitchen. I was very surprised that Chris picked out the duvet cover. Its GREEN, his favorite color, and it is really nice. although I shouldn't be spending all this money, all these things are on my wish list so I can scratch them off, and I dont feel so bad. The wish list seems that it is getting longer even though I am buying some things on it.

Chris and I are also getting another PUPPY. We went to go see her two days ago. She is only 3 weeks old right now but she was so cute. She is a chocolate lab. She has a Mohawk! We get to pick her up around July 21st and that day cant get here sooner. I hope that River will love her and get along with her great. I know River loves his attention and he may get jealous (or have no clue whats going on). Ill be sure to put pictures up of the both of them as soon as I can.

Well I think that I've written enough. It may take me a few days to get the length thing down. I have a tendency to ramble :) I'm going home now and going to go to grill out with Chris's sister and boyfriend Tim. I haven't seen Tim since our Cruise last May so it should be fun to catch up together. I hope the rain stays away. It rained alot this afternoon, but I think its done. Ok, I'm really done this time. Ill write again tomorrow.