Life is a Song Worth Singing

"It's been one week since you looked at me" Barenaked Ladies

2012-01-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

As long as Reagan continues to be this easy going, I plan to do a weekly "photo shoot" {that will eventually probably turn into a monthly one} to track her growth.

The crocheted bear in the picture was made by Matt's mom and I thought it would be an adorable reference to her change in size.

Here are some shots from Week 1!

"Isn't she lovely made from love" Stevie Wonder

2012-01-30T23:56:00.000-08:00

Reagan Lindsey Hughes finally made her appearance on Sunday, January 22, 2012

Cookie cake courtesy of the Hills!

After several loooooong days of waiting and with an induction scheduled for Sunday night at 8:00 p.m., I ended up going into labor on my own at midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning. Looking back, I have to laugh at how nervous I was about not knowing what labor would feel like, but everyone told me {and it really is true}: "You will know!!"

After 21 hours of labor, Reagan entered the world and, based on the picture below, it doesn't look like she was too happy about it...

I am literally unable to put into words what goes through my mind when I look at her. She is the absolute sweetest little thing and I still have not fully grasped that she is ours.

Leaving the hospital was unexpectedly emotional for me. On top of being nervous about going home with a real, life human being, I wasn't ready to leave the quiet, safe haven of our hospital room. When it was time to leave, the reality started to set in and a series of small happenings put me over the edge. They are as follows:

1. Matt went to pull the car around, which meant I was left alone for the first time with Reagan. The solitude allowed me time to reflect on the pregnancy, the whole labor and delivery experience, and the magnitude of the gift and responsibility I have been given. That's enough to send me back over the edge just thinking about it...

2. I grew really fond of one of the nurses and it was kind of an emotional good bye. She is the one who had to repeatedly remind me that:

a) I am not bleeding to death

b) Pain is normal after you birth a child

c) I am fully capable of caring for an infant

3. I passed a childbirth class taking a hospital tour and in flooded the memories of our class just a few weeks ago. I remember craning my neck to see the moms with their new babies and dying to know what our little girl would look like. I saw these couples doing the same thing, only they were looking at ME holding my daughter.

4. There were a TON of people in the lobby of the hospital, including a man playing a piano. The combination of the live music and crowds of people {okay, "crowds" is an exaggeration}, and everyone staring at me Reagan, I felt like I was in the middle of a parade. Parades usually make me cry anyway {weird, I know}, but the thought of being on parade with my brand new daughter really made me really emotional.

5. As the nurse was wheeling me toward the door, Matt appeared and I really started to tear up. Then the nurse just had to say, "It sort of feels like your wedding day, doesn't it?" At which point I completely lost it. It happened to be exactly what I was feeling.

So far, recovery has gone relatively well for me and Reagan has been such a sweet and easy baby. We have already had several outings, which has been good for me, mentally and emotionally. It's nice to have encounters with the outside world to look forward to when your day consists mostly of nursing and sleeping.

Lunch after the pediatrician

Our first family walk

We are loving life with our little one!

"This killing time is killing me" Clint Black

2012-01-21T04:10:00.000-08:00

I'm back. No baby. Going in Sunday night for induction if she doesn't come on her own before then.

Anyway...

Over the past few months, there have been several "ongoing" {read:unfinished} projects in the Hughes household. I think I only acquired half of the nesting instinct because, although I have been very ambitious to start things, I haven't been very motivated on the follow through. Lucky for me, Matt has been a nesting nut and has helped complete most of them for me.

Project #1 began in September when my mom was visiting. We ventured into Architectural Salvage {a store in town I had been dying to visit} and I fell in love with a large window frame that had 6 individual panes on top and I immediately thought "'Hughes' has 6 letters!". Originally from a garage door, it was the perfect fit for one of the giant blank walls in our place and I had a vision of FINALLY getting some wedding pictures displayed.

The picture below shows where the window sat for 4 months until my mom got in town last week...

Needless to say, it was top priority when she arrived. And after a few attempts to mount pictures in a frame that isn't made for pictures, we figured out a few tricks. You would think that with the trend over the past few years of using old windows to display photos, there would be a tutorial online, but I couldn't find anything overly helpful. I ended up mounting the alphabet letters to the back of the frame with a staple gun and attached the pictures to the wall with sticky tack. I'm happy that it will be easy to add pictures because we will EVENTUALLY have a beautiful daughter join our family! That's what they say anyway...I'm beginning to have my doubts.

The finished product:

Project #2 started as a simple one: Stencil a passage of Scripture on a piece of wood {also from Architectural Salvage} to be mounted by front door. The evolution of this project is too boring to share, but let's just say it ended up in the baby's room--NOT stenciled--but still a passage of Scripture. I'm probably most proud of this one because, although the outcome is a simple one, there were A LOT of bumps along the way.

Project #3 was birthed out of two needs: 1. Another BIG blank wall to fill and 2. A way to display fun candid pictures that can easily be switched out.

I never take the time to replace pictures in frames, but really love having recent pictures displayed. I bought this wiry photo display thing from Pier 1 for our Christmas cards this year and decided to keep it up for a place to stick pictures, invitations, birth announcements, etc...simple enough!

The wall, like I said, is HUGE and it still needed a little something, so I bought one of those vinyl wall cling things from Michael's that says "The greatest joy in life is to see those you love happy" {something along those lines}, which is perfect for a wall full of smiling faces! Currently the wall is a whole lotta Matt and Jessica because that's what I had in prints, but I look forward to adding more of friends and family! In fact, send me some!

And our only pending project {which my mom will complete due to paint fumes...}:

So there's another update on what we have been doing while waiting for our daughter to join us. This WILL officially be the last post before she's here...I'm SURE of it!

One of Matt's friends texted the following to him the other day: "Welcome to daughters. They are great, but they take their time." We got a good laugh out of that :)

"I was sitting, waiting, wishing..." Jack Johnson

2012-01-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Soooooooo...we're still waiting.

This sweet girl is taking her time! I was almost two weeks late, so I guess it's payback.

Here's what we have been doing to pass the time and attempting to move things along...

Bouncing on my exercise ball

Walking. a. lot.

Bike riding

Eating eggplant parmesan (just once...and I almost gagged.

Textures have been an issue for me since being pregnant.)

We got a new grill and Matt has been making the most amazing meals!

Attempting to finish all my unfinished projects around the house. I'll admit, I've lost

the motivation to do anything that requires much thinking or creativity. My mom is finishing most of them. God bless her.

I'm not the only one anxiously waiting...

"Step by step...ooh baby...gonna get to you, girl" NKOTB

2012-01-07T16:12:00.001-08:00

I'm officially full term and my mind is officially blown.

As of today {Saturday, January 7, 2012}, we are 5 days away from our due date. Due dates are funny things...I've never known anyone to deliver ON their due date, yet there is still so much anticipation built up around it. For us, January 12, 2012 has been on our minds for months and months, but I have a very strong feeling we won't be meeting our girl then. I've often wondered if I'm going to have a hard time remembering her actual birthday each year, or if I will always think of it as January 12.

35 weeks at Disneyland

I was just telling a friend that even with all of the home preparation we have done, the changes my body has undergone, and the weekly doctor appointments...somehow it is just now hitting me that in a matter of days we will have a baby in our care. A child to love and nourish and protect.

Matt and I have both been humbled by the blessing of a healthy pregnancy and, as far as we know, a healthy baby. We are beyond excited...one of us a bit more eager to get this show on the road {Matt}, but it's only because I'm afraid of pain. And a bit anxious over the responsibility of keeping a human alive. Up until now, my body has been doing all the work and I haven't had to really remember anything!

As I write this, I feel a lot of pressure to say something profound that sums up my first pregnancy experience...like I should be wiser and more mature than I was 9 months ago. I know these months have changed me, I just don't know how yet. All I know is I've wanted to be a mother my whole life and I am days away from one of my biggest dreams being realized. What if I don't love it as much as I thought I would? What if I'm not as "good" at it as everyone tells me I will be?

But none of my fears are bigger than the truth, which is this: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness" 2 Peter 1:3

I'll close with a couple of pictures from last weekend when Sean and Erin were in town. We took a boat out on New Year's Day to welcome 2012 {and 80* in January} and also capitalized on Sean's talents and my ever-growing ~~body~~ belly :) Thanks, Sean!

Lucky to have this man on my team...I think we make a great one!

"Dad to Be" medal courtesy of Sean and Erin :)

38 weeks

Though I know every child is a blessing, I can't imagine there being anything quite like preparing for your first baby and I don't want to forget how special this time has been for us. I didn't plan to get maternity pictures taken, but I'm really glad I have these to remember this season of life. And I'm glad I have some "belly pics" where I actually have make up on :)

Signing off for the last time as a mommy-to-be!

"Rock-a-bye baby" -Mother Goose?

2011-11-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

I love seeing pictures of baby nurseries. There's something so special about seeing the environment parents have created for their little ones. And, maybe I'm over-thinking it, but I think a baby nursery has the potential to help shape and mold a child's personality. {It's okay, Matt thinks I'm crazy, so you can too} I'm a great example! My nursery was Winnie the Pooh and I was and have remained a lover of all things Disney.

Okay, so maybe my theory is a bit of a stretch, but it caused me to be pretty particular when picking out stuff for our little girl. After scouring Etsy's over-priced {for me} hand-made bedding and purchasing 3 very different bedding sets from target.com, I came across a set at a baby furniture store and immediately fell in love. It's girly, but not juvenile, and it really fits well into the rest of our home decor. I never had that as a requirement or even thought it was necessary, but now that everything is coming together, I'm happy that her room is an extension of the rest of our house.

Our furniture arrived last week and I was looking forward to a few days of getting everything unpacked from bags, washed, and taking my time setting things up. Well, Matt and I were both way too excited to take a few days, so we spent all afternoon and night one day getting everything set up. Drawers and shelves are still empty and the closet is a mess, but the majority of the room itself is complete! Now I just get to decorate and nest...can't wait!

Here's what we have so far!

The set is called "Delilah" by Cocalo Couture. I'm not usually a fan of buying all the pieces to a bedding set, but everything was so cute and we couldn't resist getting a lot of it.

Oh, and we took a HUGE risk on the red glider, but I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

**The large window pane is not part of her nursery...it's a project in process and her room has been our storage space :)

"Take another little piece of my heart, now {Buddy}" Faith Hill

2011-11-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

I swore I'd never get a dog.

And then this happened...

And then he stole my heart...

And he's just so darn cute and cuddly when he's asleep...

So eventually I allowed something else I said I'd never do and he started sleeping with us. And although we love it, it is kind of becoming a problem...

So we decided to buy him a little bed {that he will, hopefully, not chew to pieces} and we're letting him spend a few nights getting used to it ON the bed. Here he is getting ready for bed on night #1...

And below is a shot I took in the middle of the night...

I think he likes it!

"Be our guest, be our guest" Beauty and the Beast

2011-10-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

I have officially reached a new status...I was a guest blogger!

My friend, Marisa, is blogging everyday in October about weddingish things as she plans her wedding and she asked me to put in my two cents on an element of ours.

Click on over here to meet Marisa, and wish her a happy wedding planning season as she prepares for her January 14, 2012 wedding....which could also be the day our little girl is born :)

January 2012 is going to be an exciting month!

"She's got a baby inside and holds her belly tight all through the night" Colbie Caillat

2011-10-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Have you enjoyed my weekly postings on pregnancy and all the fun things I've been up to?

About that...

Well, let's just pick up with the present. I am 25 weeks pregnant and just finished another move across town. When I wrote my last post {in August}, I had no idea what this season would look like. We were in the midst of plans to move from our tiny one bedroom into a tiny two bedroom in the same apartment complex and God had other plans. And, in case you didn't know, His plans are ALWAYS better than ours. We have been blessed by a couple in our church {which we have been attending since May and are absolutelypositivelytotallycompletely in love with the people there} who is renting us their three bedroom, three bathroom town home in one of the prettiest, safest and most convenient places in Point Loma. We have been getting settled in and really love it here. It's overwhelming to think that this is the place where we will bring home our first child! I will do a blog tour once pictures are on the walls :)

I wanted to take a couple of minutes and update you on the pregnancy and my thoughts on the experience so far.

To sum it up: I love it. I don't love the shortness of breath, swollen feet, increasing numbers on the scale, or difficulty sleeping some nights, but I am still in awe that there is a baby inside my body. That I am the mother in Psalm 139:13 {For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb} and that when our daughter reads that Psalm one day, she'll think of me...just like I think of MY mother!

My pregnancy has been very normal and this is the one time in my life I have been content with being average! After a few panicking thoughts in my first trimester, I told the Lord that if He would allow me to carry the baby into the second trimester, I would commit to turn all of my fears and anxieties over to Him...and for the most part, I have been able to do that. He has blessed me with the gift of health and I want to be grateful for it.

I thought I would be better about weekly "belly pictures", but I have mostly forgotten. For a few weeks it seemed there was no progress, but I took one this week and compared it to my last {about a 5 week lapse} and WOW!! Take a look at the progression...

{9 weeks...already in maternity jeans. I probably could have gotten away with my regular jeans for a few more weeks, but I was too excited...and eager to be comfortable!}

{13 weeks}

{16 weeks with my Mom and Grandmother}

{18 weeks in Martha's Vineyard}

{19 weeks...finally starting to look more pregnant and less bloated}

{20 weeks}

{21 weeks}

{And here I am now at 25 weeks!!}

It really is amazing to see the changes side by side. I remember thinking around 20 weeks that I can't imagine getting bigger...and now that just makes me laugh. I know it will continue to shock me over the remaining weeks as I keep expanding.

"In August, and everything after, I'm after everything" Counting Crows

2011-08-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Seriously??? August?? Here's what I have been up to lately.

First things first. We found out that our baby is a GIRL!!! We are so stinkin' excited and can't wait to kiss her sweet little face. I'll start posting more about baby stuff when I'm back in San Diego and things are a little more...well, routine.

We traveled to Florida for my Aunt Holly's wedding. Not only was it amazing to be with family and to celebrate such an exciting event...it was SO fun to be back in Florida. I grew up vacationing in Seaside/Seagrove Beach/Destin and it brought back so many memories being there with family. Although the beauty of California cannot be rivaled, there is NO PLACE like the "Emerald Coast".

How gorgeous is my grandmother?

After the wedding, Matt drove me to Jacksonville where I met up with the ladies for our Girl's Cruise 2011! The guest list included myself, my mother, my mother in law, Matt's sister, our sister-in-law, and her mother. Whew!! It was everything a cruise should be: fun and relaxing. Hopefully we can do it again sometime! I have only one picture of this trip on my phone and it includes a pregnant lady in a bathing suit...not happening.

Now I'm in Georgia where I have been spending the past week visiting with friends and family...and melting into puddles of my own sweat. I swear it has gotten hotter here! There's no way I could have endured this for 27 years.

Mandy, Martha and Jen threw me a baby shower...it was so fun!

Here is a picture of the Hughes girls {Baby Girl Hughes included}

...and one {hopefully one day} Hughes girl :)

Since I've been home, I have gotten to spend a lot of time with Mandy and her girls. Would you believe Olivia is 2 and Emma is 2 months???? I have been having so much fun holding Emma and carrying on adult-like conversations with Olivia. I can't remember the last time I was around a kid who is as funny as she is!

Nanny is REALLY ready for baby girl to arrive!

A budding musician!

Such a sweet and content baby. She sat through an entire movie

in the theater with us. Eyes wide and watching the movie with us!

Playing games with the big kids

It will still be another week before I'm back home...where I belong...with my handsome husband and our little Buddy. It is almost painful to look at these pictures Matt has been sending me. Have you ever seen a more pitiful face?

"You said we could play ball, Daddy"

I leave Saturday for my annual getaway with my college girlfriends. This year's destination is Boston/Martha's Vineyard! Here's our itinerary per Jamie: "...riding around on bikes, eating lobster sandwiches, shopping at cute shops, and riding ferries--I have a very specific vision for this trip, which I basically pieced together from a J.Crew catalog."

Aww man...just realized I forgot to pack my Sperrys. Now I'll definitely look like a tourist.

I am so grateful for such a sweet and generous husband who would agree to let me trapse around the Eastern part of the country for days and days and days. I know this season will be over soon and the demands of mommyhood will be in full swing, so I am doing my best to cherish this time with friends and family! Even if it means I have to endure the separation from my two favorite living beings {I almost said "people", but Matt is trying to instill in me that it is unacceptable to call my puppy a person. :: Sigh :: I suppose he's right...

One more Buddy picture just for good measure!

"Oh, you make me smile" Uncle Kracker

2011-06-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest, well the hardest, thing about living across the country from our family and friends is being so far from our family and friends. Especially when really big things happen...like your best friend having her second baby!

Thank goodness for computers and cameras. Although I haven't met Emma Caroline Eden yet, with the help of her big sister, I can still see her sweet face!

And I even got a smile. I love babies :)

"Someone I'll always laugh with..." the Rembrants

2011-06-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have some pretty great moments captured on video. Just little clips that highlight some exciting milestones and surprises. One day we hope to compile them in some fun and easy-to-watch format...any ideas?

Recently, we've had a lot of fun capturing the reactions of our friends and family when we told them we're expecting a baby. One of my personal favorites comes from Kristin of Kristin Eats.

Because Glenn and Kristin live in Arkansas, we didn't think we'd get to tell them in person, but then we remembered they had a trip planned to San Diego and I only had to keep it in for a week longer than I wanted to! It was so worth it to get her reaction on video.

Quick background...we were out to dinner and right before we were seated, I slipped a picture of the sonogram into Kristin's menu. Weird, I know, but I had to think quick! Check out her reaction...classic Kristin snobby face before she realizes it's a picture of our baby, and not some weirdo who left a sonogram picture in a menu. I love it! Also, check out how hot she looks!

"Baby love, my baby love" The Supremes

2011-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

The rumor is true! I'm pregnant!

Speaking of Mother's Day, I actually found out I was pregnant ON Mother's Day...how fun is that?!

The funny thing you should know about this situation is that I wasn't actually in the same country as Matt when I found out. You see, I was in Germany with Joanna when I took the pregnancy test. I didn't actually think I was pregnant, but being with Joanna all week {who was 5 months along}, we kept talking about how fun it would be if I were pregnant. We were born 3 months apart, got married 4 months apart, and it seemed only natural to become mommies around the same time! Also, I was utterly exhausted and congested all week and she said those were her first symptoms.

So fast forward to Sunday night, May 8th when I finally decided to go ahead and take the test. And it was positive. And Matt was on an airplane somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily I was scheduled to meet him early the next day and only had to keep it from him for a few short hours!

Needless to say, we are ecstatic! At 11 weeks, it's still pretty early to be sharing the news so broadly, but I couldn't hold it in any longer! Also, the blog is the best way to keep all of our Southern friends and family up to speed on everything.

And now here's Baby Hughes. Busting on the scene after 8 weeks!

"Mama, I love you, Mama, my friend" Spice Girls

2011-06-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

We were away in Germany during Mother's Day, so I totally forgot to mention my amazing mother! I loved growing up with my mom. She always made everyday life so much fun. Since being married, I see glimpses {almost daily} of ways she has influenced me:

1. I can't go to bed with a dirty kitchen.

2. Candy is a perfectly acceptable way to end the day.

3. Even small holidays must be recognized with a little "happy" of some sort.

4. If I have to turn on the oven to warm anything, it's considered "cooking".

5. If you can't find it at Ross or TJ Maxx, you probably don't need it. {I'm still working on that one...}

We captured the picture below while we were chatting with her online. It shows the surprise on her face when we told her she is going to be a GRANDMOTHER!!

SURPRISE!!!!!

BABY HUGHES is coming January 2012!!!

"I'm proud to be an American" Lee Greenwood

2011-06-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have always heard me talk about Military Appreciation Night, but never understood what I was talking about, I am going to try and share with you!

A few years ago, the Chick-fil-A Restaurants here in San Diego County hosted an event at each of their locations where they fed military families a completely free meal, while also providing family-friendly activities and entertainment. Each year, the event has grown leading up to the exciting opportunity to partner with the other 34 Southern California Chick-fil-A Restaurants to show our appreciation as a market on May 25, 2011.

Being in a military town and having a platform to show our gratitude toward these families has been one of the greatest joys of our marriage. While it is a huge undertaking on many levels, it is SO worth it to know we are able to provide an evening of fun for these families. I can't even begin to comprehend the sacrifices they VOLUNTARILY make for me.

I thought I would include some pictures that really capture the heart of the event. Many of these include our awesome Team Members at Chick-fil-A Sports Arena who are just as passionate as we are about providing a great experience for our customers -- and not just on nights like this!

Can you find my cute husband in this line up?

Praying together before the event -- they are awesome!

We love our Team!!

Pictures were taken by the photography ministry at the Rock Church. You can view them all here!

"If the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility" Christopher Cross

2011-05-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

After a solid run of blog updates, we hit the open sea where internet was a little more difficult to come by. But we have pictures to document our amazing Mediterranean sailing trip with WinShape Marriage.

We set sail out of Civitavecchia, Italy {which I can now properly pronounce after 8 days of practice} and spent 7 nights in the Mediterranean Sea around the shin and toe of Italy. I'll highlight each stop with one or two pictures to keep myself from becoming overwhelmed and to keep you from being bored.

But before I do that, I'll explain the trip a bit more...

This was actually a marriage enrichment retreat and we had the privilege of being under the guidance and teaching of some amazing marriage counselors and experts. Each morning after breakfast, we would have a quick time of Biblical teaching and prayer before we set off on the day's adventure {or, in my case most days, a day of intermittent napping}. In the evenings, there were group sessions geared toward marriage, usually followed by some kind of entertainment. For the most part, we were free to do our own thing, so it was a great balance! Matt and I really enjoyed the intentional time we spent talking about our marriage. We learned a lot about each other...and to think, we were certain we knew everything there was to know after a year and a half of marriage! {just kidding}

Below you'll find some pictures of our ship {do NOT call it a boat or you will get scolded by the Captain}

My favorite spot on the boat. I didn't discover it until our

last day, unfortunately!

Our first stop was the island of Ponza. We arrived on a Sunday, so there was {quite literally} nothing to do besides walk around, which we did. Here are some of the pretty pictures we took.

Next stop was a not-scheduled stop in Naples. The water was too rough for us to anchor at Capri or Sorrento, so we had to pull into the port at Naples. Here's a quick fact to sum up Naples: The term "Va Fa Napoli" literally means "go to Naples" which, in the vernacular, means "go to hell." We learned that after our jaunt through the town on our way to the train station. At one point, a man walked up to Matt and told him {in very broken English} to put his watch in his pocket because someone would definitely rip it off of his wrist otherwise.

Trashy Naples

The redeeming part of the day in Naples was our visit to Pompeii. Remember learning about the ancient Roman city that was "frozen" in volcanic ashes in 79 AD? It was pretty fascinating to me!

Putting my things away in an ancient locker before I hit the ancient gym!

79 AD, people!! Does that blow your mind?

A "Beware of Dog" tile welcome mat at the entrance

of a home.

Serving up local fare at one of the "fast food restaurants"

Our next stop was Amalfi. It was a beautiful day and the little town was bustling, so it was a fun stop.

The best of many "practice" heel kick shots

The next day was in Taormina, Sicily, but we left our camera on the boat that day. We mostly did what we did everywhere else, only Amy and I got a $10 foot massage by ladies from Thailand on the beach. That was pretty cool!

Our final stop was Lipari where we took a little boat to the island of Vulcano to dip in the natural mud bath and hot springs created by the volcano. There are no words to describe the putrid smell of this mud pit. The sulfur smell was bad enough, but the closer we got, the smell intensified and began to resemble urine. You would think it would have deterred us from jumping in, but we had to try it!

The process is to first lather yourself in mud from this smelly mud pool. Then you have to rinse off with the muddy water.

Next, you hop on over into the natural hot spring that is bubbling up hot sulfuric bubbles from the volcano. Yum!

Rinse and repeat 12 times! Or, if you're us, barely make it through the first round and run quickly away from the smell only to discover the smell will NEVER go away. And I mean NEVER. We had to throw away the bathing suits we had on even after washing them.

We had an amazing trip and saw so many things that we will never forget. Italy is a beautiful country with great food and great people. We are so grateful for the experience and the opportunity to take such a trip!

There's no place like home, though :)

"I'm walking all of the ways to Rome" Tone

2011-05-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty short day for us. It turns out we still aren't quite acclimated to the time yet and keep staying up until 3 or 4 a.m., subsequently sleeping really late.

Our original plan was to go to Florence for the day, but we decided to save the money and have a relaxing day instead. It's funny how walking for almost 6 hours straight can be relaxing, but it was!

The one productive thing I did do was shop. My favorite purchase was this embroidered apron for Kristin of Kristin Eats. I hope the translation is accurate!

"When in Rome, I do as the Romans do" Barbara Streisand

2011-05-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a glimpse of Matt's view pretty much the entire trip. I have been fighting off the effects of a pretty bad sinus infection I had last week. Lovely, huh?

Today started out with a trip to Vatican City to tour the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel. We purchased tickets before we left the States, but ended up getting hustled by people on the streets trying to sell guided tours...and, thankfully, it ended up being a great choice! We would have never learned as much as we did had we wandered through on our own. And a bonus is that our guide was from Colombia, so it was almost like having Gloria from Modern Family leading the way! She had the same accent and was just as cute and sassy.

I'll highlight my favorite things

I don't remember the name of the painting technique used,

but this ceiling design is one dimensional!

This bath was cut from one slab of stone. I think it

is a type of marble, but I remember our guide saying it is

valued at $90,000 euro/kilo! The woman who used it would have

it filled with goat's milk for her baths.

The School of Athens painting by Raphael was one of the most

interesting to me. Supposedly, just about every great Greek

philosopher can be found somewhere in the picture.

In the center walking through the arch you can find Plato on the left and

his student, Aristotle, on the right. So neat!

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I don't think we were supposed

to take pictures...whoops!

My favorite thing about the history of the Sistine Chapel was hearing stories about what a punk Michelangelo was. He actually hated painting and preferred sculpting, but when he was commissioned by Pope Julius II, he didn't really have a choice. It sounds like he was a pain to work with!

We met a couple on our tour who live in Chicago and have family in San Diego, so we had a lot to talk about from the beginning. We ended up going to lunch with them after the tour at a Chinese restaurant. They spent a couple of years in Beijing and can speak Mandarin, so listening to them order was so exciting! We ate family style and talked about our lives, religion, and politics. Such an unusual experience after only knowing each other for a couple of hours, but it was one of the highlights of our trip so far. Hello, Heidi, if you're reading this!

I didn't want to be rude and take pictures of our new friends, but here is a quick shot of part of our meal. It was delicious and a nice break from pasta and pizza. We have yet to find good Chinese food in San Diego, but hit a homerun on our first swing in Italy...go figure!

After an afternoon riposo {rest}, we headed back out for dinner and enjoyed a passeggiata {evening stroll} to the Pantheon and eventually made it to Piazza Navona, one of the more popular piazzas in Rome. We are starting to get the hang of the Italian lifestyle and, I must say, I could get used to it!

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. That's amore." Dean Martin

2011-05-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to say that we are not yet acclimated to the time change after sleeping until 1:00 in the afternoon today! I actually woke up at 7:00, but quickly realized that Matt was nowhere near ready to get up. So I spent an hour or so catching up on emails until my eyes were so heavy that I drifted back to sleep.

One positive thing about getting a late start is that we skipped out on what probably would have been a high caloric breakfast and just jumped straight into lunch. Y'all, I just can't get enough pizza. It's all I have wanted since I've been here!

We spent most of the afternoon over by the Colosseum and the Forum, which was the epicenter of the Roman Empire's government, industry, and entertainment.

I happened to have listened to an Andy Stanley sermon just last week that talked about a trip he took to Rome and how it opened his eyes to how much power the church has to affect culture. There was a time when even imagining any Christian influence in Rome would have been impossible because to profess your Christian faith was a sure death sentence. Now it seems impossible to walk the streets of the ancient empire without finding evidence of the Christ.

Colosseum - Crosses stand in the entryways where the emperors

once entered the arena.

Temple of Venus and Roma - Thought to have been the largest temple in Ancient Rome.

What was dedicated to the goddesses of "good fortune" and "eternal Rome"

is now used by the Pope for public addresses, such as the Good Friday ceremony.

Arch of Constantine - Represents the battle that led the Emperor Constantine

to convert to Christianity, subsequently making it legal to be a Christian.

There are so many things I still don't know or understand about Christian history, but the little bit that I learned today was so neat!

After hanging around the Temple of Venus and Rome to get out of the sun for a bit, we eventually made our way back to the hotel to freshen up for a walk to the Spanish Steps and dinner. Although overcrowded, loud, and kinda smelly, I loved it there. The city felt alive tonight!

Until today, I didn't really feel like Rome was much different from any other big city I have visited. Most of the day yesterday, I felt like I was in Manhattan. But after tonight's walk to the Spanish Steps, I am beginning to understand why people love Rome so much {besides the food!}

"If dogs run free, then why not we?" Bob Dylan

2011-05-10T15:29:00.001-07:00

While we're away, Buddy is hanging out at Beckman's Dog Training in Ramona, California. He is in their Board & Train program, which means he is spending his days being challenged physically and mentally. This is amazing for us because we know he is being well cared for, while also learning a lot. I can truly say that, although I have really missed him, I haven't been sad about leaving him. My only concern is that he won't want to come home. Our little apartment really can't compete with acres of green grass and other furry friends to play with all day!

They posted the picture below on their Facebook page yesterday and they also emailed us a video of him playing fetch. It has been such a blessing to keep up with how he's doing. Being gone almost 3 weeks is quite a long time to go without seeing his sweet little face :)

We haven't seen many dogs while in Rome, but we did see this cute little guy today at the Colosseum. We also saw a pick up soccer game in a park that made us both think of Buddy's favorite toy - a soccer ball!

It's funny how random things remind us both of him...

"It's like I'm falling in love over and again" Chester See -From LA to Rome"

2011-05-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

I left Germany and met Matt at the Rome airport...old style meet-up that required me knowing his flight number so I could find him at the correct baggage claim. I arrived an hour before him and waited until I got restless and decided to surprise him right when he was exiting customs. Naturally, he ended up surprising me because I was waiting in the wrong area!

Either way, so great to be united at last!

The first thing he did was take this really flattering picture of me. We decided there must be a "shave off 10 pounds" setting on our new camera, so I tried taking one of him.

I think we could charge good money for this if we could only remember how to get back to that feature :)

After walking "just a few blocks" across cobblestone streets with all of our luggage in tow, we finally made it to our hotel. We were surprised to have such a large room after all we heard about European hotels. It isn't large by American standards, but the two twin beds were already pushed together for us and Matt can actually stand up in the shower, so we're off to a great start!

This is a little parlor down the hall from us...not our room!

I forgot to take a picture of it before we ransacked the place with our stuff.

Matt and I made a rule when we first got married that if we were ever staying anywhere more than 1 night, we would always unpack our bags into drawers to keep the room from getting messy from living out of suitcases. Sadly, this isn't possible here because there was only enough space in the "closet" for me to unpack part of my bag. Sorry Matt!

After "unpacking", we made food a priority and went to a little place down the street called Bottiglieria da Gino.

Bottiglieria da Gino is the place where I splattered ricotta and spinach cannelloni all over my shirt. When I asked the waitress for some water to remove the sauce, she returned with an aerosol can of what seemed to be Shout stain remover and proceeded to grab my shirt and start spraying. She advised me to leave it alone and continue eating, so I did {after a long spell of laughs with Matt}.

About 10 minutes later, she returned with a brush and grabbed my shirt {with very little warning} and proceeded to brush out the spots. I'm SO glad Matt snapped a picture of this because I don't think you would have believed me otherwise!

I don't look uncomfortable, do I?

After leaving lunch, we {quite literally} stumbled upon the Trevi Fountain. We saw this as the perfect opportunity to grab some gelato and bask in the sunshine with 500 of our closest friends.

We threw our coins in the fountain adding to the estimated 3,000 euros that are thrown into the fountain each day. That fact was unbelievable to me!

After wandering the streets some more, window shopping, and napping for a couple of hours, we had dinner and called it "night one in Rome". We have a busy day planned today that I think includes the Colosseum...the rest of the day is in Matt's head and he is still sleeping right now, so I'll just have to fill you in later. Ciao!

"I've got a feeling that we're going to stay / In this watercolor land" Two Nice Girls "The Holland Song"

2011-05-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

As soon as I booked my trip to visit Joanna, she began looking for a fun tour for us to do so we could see another part of Europe together. She found a day trip to the Netherlands that included breakfast and a cheese-making tour at Clara Maria Cheese Farm and Clog Factory, entrance into the Keukenhof Gardens, and a couple of hours in Amsterdam.

On Friday night after dinner, we slept for a couple of hours and woke up at midnight so we could meet the rest of our group at 2:30 a.m...first time for everything! We got on the bus and drove the 6 hours to the cheese farm and started the visit with a yummy breakfast of fresh cheese, fresh eggs, fresh ham, fresh milk, fresh orange juice...you get the idea!

My favorite cheese was called "Farmer's Flame" and it's a flavor the farmer created and named after his wife. I thought that was sweet :) And it's delicious! We learned about the cheese-making process {they make gouda} and bought some souvenirs in the gift shop. I would take this over a wine tour any day!

I really wanted these clogs!

The next part of the day was spent at the Keukenhof Garden, which is one of the top three most photographed places in the world! It's not hard to see why. Naturally, I have an excess of flower pictures that I will probably never do anything with, but here are a few of them! Tulips have always been my favorite flower, so I was loving it.

This one {above} was probably my favorite. While I loved the perfect shape and texture of most of the other tulips, I like how this one appeared frayed along the edges. I never found the name of them, so I named them myself: "Shabby Chic".

Our last leg before the long trip home was in Amsterdam. We got stuck in some traffic and really only had about an hour to walk around. At first we were frustrated, but after walking around for about 20 minutes, we were ready to go. Since we didn't have enough time for museums or much shopping, we just snacked and watched people. Probably isn't a better place for people watching than Amsterdam!

This is a parking deck for bicycles...I wish the picture could capture the amount of bikes!

We had another 6 hour drive back to Ramstein and I slept most of the time {which explains why I'm still awake 3:00 a.m.}. We were both really pleased with the tour {my first time doing anything like that} It was a fun way to spend the day!

"Silver white Winters that melt into Spring..." The Sound of Music

2011-05-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

For as cold as it has been for Joanna the past few months, we have had the greatest weather all week. It seems as though Spring has finally arrived in Deutschland! We started off the day {Thursday} making the 20 minute drive to the town of Idar-Oberstein for lunch and some sight-seeing. Idar-Oberstein is known for its gemstone industry and also for the "Church in the Rock". Do you see it up there?

The story behind the church is that two brothers, unbeknownst to one another, fell in love with the same woman. One of the brothers left town for business and when he returned home, discovered that the other brother had married the woman. Out of jealousy, he threw his brother out of the window of a castle onto the rocks below, and his way of making himself feel better about such a heinous act was to build a church for his brother in the place where he died.

Anyway, the architecture fascinated me. I still don't understand how they built the church into the rock!

We sat outside for lunch and enjoyed the perfect weather for an hour or so before walking around the shops for a bit. For a little treat, I was dying to try "spaghetti eis" which is ice cream topped with strawberry. To make it look like noodles, they put the ice cream into what looks like the tool you use to "make spaghetti" with Play-Dough. It was a fun twist on ice cream!

Although we spent a bit of time on the Ramstein Air Force Base on Wednesday, I really wanted to see Baumholder, which is the Army post where Joanna's husband is stationed. It is much smaller than Ramstein, but holds so much history. In fact, here's a picture of what used to be Hitler's office.

Hitler had Baumholder built in 1937 for training his army and supposedly it was one of his favorite camps. Having that knowledge definitely made the area feel very dark and heavy. I am glad Joanna and Ryan don't live on post! Here's a building under renovation...see if you can find the swastika. Joanna said they won't allow the U.S. Army to remove it because of its historical attachment.

When we got back to Birkenfeld, we walked to into town for dinner and I took some pictures of ~~every~~ my favorite houses along the way!

Caught ya! Hey...aren't you pregnant? :)

We got home and got in bed early because we had to wake up at midnight for our day trip to the Netherlands!

"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars..." B.O.B.

2011-05-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice if airplanes were like shooting stars? It would have made my 13-hour flight from San Diego to Frankfurt much more bearable! It was actually a great trip...due mostly in part to the fact that when I got to Atlanta, I received a phone call from a friend who was just returning from Asia and also happened to be in the airport! We got to catch up while I waited for my flight...such a blessing to see her.

Once I arrived in Frankfurt at 8:00 am local time {11:00 pm PST}, we went straight to the Ramstein Air Force Base to make me an official visitor of the U.S. Army.

I was probably a bit more excited about this than most people. But I am fascinated with military bases and the military lifestyle. Getting to go with Joanna to the PX will probably be one of the highlights of my trip. I even got a Vera Bradley bag $20.00 less than the normal cost PLUS it was tax free! Go Army!

After a quick lunch, we drove the rest of the way from Frankfurt back to her village of Birkenfeld. The entire drive, I was blown away with the beauty of the countryside and how green it is out here. Not sure what I expected, but I love it!

Below are a couple of pictures of Birkenfeld along with her little street and duplex. I love the slanted ceilings. They make everything feel so cozy!

I asked Kristin if I could bring her back anything from this part of the world and this is what she asked for. I was excited to find it tonight {I love a shopping mission} and I bought some for myself. It is great chapstick, indeed!

Does anyone else have a special request for a German souvenir? Since my checked bag was already 50 pounds on the dot, your requests will have to be lightweight!

"I want to get away...I wanna fly away" Lenny Kravitz

2011-05-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Told you I would be back!!

I have a fun new design thanks to Sharon at Redbud Designs! She is the greatest :) I felt like a new title would inspire me to start writing again. I haven't missed the {self-imposed} pressure of updating my blog, but I do miss looking back through the months and reminiscing. So here we go again!

I really wanted to get it started again because currently I'm sitting at the San Diego airport...gate 40...awaiting my 7:45 a.m. flight to Atlanta. Final destination: Frankfurt, Germany to see my cousin and her baby bump! From Frankfurt, I will meet my love in Rome where will spend a few days before setting sail {literally} on a marriage enrichment trip with WinShape Marriage.

Matt and I are constantly in awe of the opportunities we have had in the past year...most all of them somehow related to Chick-fil-A. God has blessed us beyond measure!

I'll leave you with a picture of Buddy. Here he is with his "cone of shame" because he wouldn't leave his stitches alone. He's so cute :)

Auf Wiedersehen!

New Blog Domain: www.lifesasong.com

2011-04-05T17:58:00.001-07:00

I realize this seems to make no sense seeing as I rarely write, but it has been on my mind to change the name of this blog for, oh...at least a year now. And seeing as I do have aspirations to someday update more regularly, I decided to go ahead and do it since my old domain expired.

So...although the new design is not complete and it may still be awhile before the blog is "active" again, allow me to introduce to you: "Life is a Song Worth Singing" otherwise known as www.lifesasong.com

Update your Reader or bookmark {again} and stay tuned for a new look!

"And they call it puppy love" Paul Anka

2010-12-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

Merry (belated) Christmas, everyone! I planned to blog about our trip to NYC, our first Christmas as a married couple, and other holiday shenanigans, but I really just can't think of anything more exciting than telling you about the latest edition to the Hughes family...

Meet Buddy!

With a little Christmas magic and a lot of help from April and Jordan {thanks guys!}, I was able to surprise Matt with the little guy on Christmas Eve.

I would explain more of the story, but Buddy just woke up and is doing a little dance around the apartment. We all know what that means!

Stay tuned for more Buddy updated. We are already so in love : )

"Fa la la la la la la la la..."

2010-11-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Matt and I worked all night on Saturday decking the halls to turn our apartment into a festive place. Since we aren't going back to Georgia for Christmas, we really wanted to make sure our first Christmas together was full of cheer and new tradition. Success!

"I've got plenty to be thankful for" Bing Crosby

2010-11-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

Our first married Thanksgiving was so special! We spent most of the week doing one of our favorite things...showing people around America's Finest City! This time, we had 5 family members to host and we had such a wonderful time.

To recap, I will make a list of things I was especially thankful for last week:

1) Family! I don't have a picture with all of us, so this will have to do. So thankful for a healthy, loving family!

2) Resuable shopping bags. Shallow, I know, but these were the biggest lifesavers on Thanksgiving Day! We transported tons of groceries and other items to our friend's house, where we had our Thanksgiving meal.

3) Pecan pie and Pioneer Woman

4) Amazing friends! We just moved into a tiny shoebox, making it really difficult to fit more than 4 people in our apartment, let alone 7 people around the same table. Knowing this, our friends Ryan and Julie offered up their home for us while they were out of town. This made it possible to have a normal Thanksgiving meal. Plus, it was really fun playing "house"!

5) San Diego! Although it was a colder-than-I'd-like week out here, we had some amazing sunshine and were able to show our family some of the things that make us love living out here...like sailing!

I am especially thankful for a loving God who has blessed me beyond measure and for a husband who has helped make the past 10 months of our life together such an adventure!

"A dream is a wish your heart makes" Cinderella

2010-11-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite moments from our wedding day took place about 30 minutes before I walked down the aisle. Several times throughout the day, Matt sent groomsmen to deliver gifts to me {yes, several times...he's amazing} and the very last gift I received was a pair of Disneyland passes for us!

{Photo by Bauman Photographers}

Over the past 10 months, we have visited Mickey and friends quite frequently and with the holidays around the corner, I have been anxious for the park's magical holiday transformation. So after work yesterday, we made the trek up the 5 to the "Happiest Place on Earth" for the first official night of Holiday Magic.

As is the case at every Disney park no matter the time of year, the attention to detail blows me away. But the store front windows, garland-laced everything, and holiday tunes piped through the speakers make this my favorite time of year at the park, hands down. It even "snows" at the end of the fireworks spectacular!

I am so grateful for my sweet husband who always does his best to get me to Anaheim when I have a Disney craving!

"Well surprise, surprise, surprise..." Bruce Springsteen

2010-11-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

At the end of last week, Matt told me he had a special weekend planned for me, but wouldn't tell me anything other than that. Naturally, I started speculating what was in store, and my mind jumped from camping to Disneyland to Catalina Island to Julian to Las Vegas...and everywhere in between. October was such a crazy month, so I was surprised he wanted to leave town again, but I wasn't complaining!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know by now that the surprise Matt had planned turned out to be my Dad!! Having him in San Diego was SO much fun! We kayaked, watched surfers, ate great food, toured the Midway, sailed, and spent quality time together that just doesn't happen when Matt and I are in Georgia and have to split our time between so many people.

Here's how it unfolded...on Friday morning, I got up and ran to the mall to score a free pair of jeans from Gap {sidenote: did not find any for myself, but Matt is enjoying the fruit of my dedication}. After that, I was supposed to meet April at my apartment and we were going to spend the morning together in between her shifts at Delta. I tell you this to help you understand why I said her name about 50 times in the span of this minute-long video {of course Dad recorded the surprise...}

Thanks for surprising me, Dad! I promise I was excited to see you...just a little confused when you weren't my little brunette friend :)

"Questions, I've got some questions..." Jack Johnson

2010-11-02T09:45:00.001-07:00

My sweet friend, Erin, tagged me in her blog quiz yesterday! According to blog world rules, I am supposed to fill it out and tag my own bloggie friends with a quiz of my own…watch out, you may be next!

1) If there was an extra hour in your day, what would you spend it doing?

I would spend that extra hour on the beach. We live so close, but I hardly ever go! It seems that there's never enough time to make it over there and actually enjoy it. So I would go everyday for an hour...to read, reflect, listen to music, nap, and get some color on my {currently transparent-purplish colored} skin!

2) What movie have you watched the most?

In high school, I would come home everyday and turn on Holiday Inn while I did my homework. Still today, it is one of my favorite movies of all time. With the holiday season approaching, it will definitely be in heavy rotation around here. I only have the VHS version, so I always count on its availability On Demand!

3) Which is worse? Being in a place that is too loud or too quiet?

I can't believe I'm saying this because it makes me feel old, but I think it's way worse being in a place that's too loud. Coming from the girl who used to live for concerts and loud music, I never thought I would say that. But these days, I really enjoy the quiet :)

4) Are you generally an optimist, a pessimist or a realist?

I asked Matt what he thought and he said, "depends on the situation". Not very helpful, but I was thinking the same thing. Generally, I'm an optimist. Occasionally, a pessimist. And almost never a realist :)

5) Who is your favorite celebrity crush?

I still have the biggest crush on Justin Timberlake! Usually teeny bopper crushes fade with time, and I think that's because those teen heart throbs sorta die out. Justin is still around and is just as cute, talented, and funny as ever!

6) What is the top thing to do on your bucket list?

Travel, travel, travel. I don't really have a list of places I want to go because I want to go everywhere! I should probably narrow that down...

7) Would you rather be a great photographer, dancer or singer?

Of the three, I would rather be a great dancer. Nothing intrigues me more than talented dancers. I would love to do hip hop and then become a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance so I could then be great at everything!

Okay friends, your turn! If your name is on this list, take the quiz and then tag 5 of your blogging friends with a quiz of your own! {Or steal a question or two from someone else's quiz!}

1. Kristin from Kristin Eats

2. Marisa from Joy in the Journey

3. Chelsey from The Goodwin Family

4. Adam from The Waid Family

5. Stephanie from frequently wanders

1) What is your idea of a perfect vacation?

2) If you could give all of your time and money to any cause, what would it be?

3) How does your personality today compare to your personality when you were a kid?

4) Describe the best meal you have ever eaten.

5) Do you have a secret celebrity crush?

6) Which Saved by the Bell character are you? Take this quiz to find out!

"This is home" Switchfoot

2010-10-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

For the past 9 months, Matt and I have lived in downtown San Diego. City life has been a lot of fun for us. I have enjoyed the luxury of walking to restaurants, the grocery store, shopping, the waterfront...I have gotten to know the city of San Diego in a way that I probably would not have taken the time to do otherwise.

We knew when we moved there, we would eventually downsize to a cheaper part of town in order to begin saving more aggressively to buy a house one day. Well, that time has come.

From a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom, 1,200 square foot condo, to a 600ish one bedroom/one bathroom...

We already love it! Although it isn't our first place together, it feels that way because we both put a lot of time and sweat into making it feel like home. Our old place was "his" before it was "ours" and we never really took the time to get settled. This time, we made that a top priority and have done just that in less than a week!

The invitation is still open to come visit! We have a great air mattress!

"Ready to run" Dixie Chicks

2010-10-25T20:54:00.007-07:00

I have never been a goal setter. Setting goals usually means there's something to accomplish that can't be accomplished quickly or easily. I play it safe and like commit to things I know I can accomplish with minimal effort. I have always assumed I lacked that inner drive which challenges a person to do things that are seemingly beyond their power. I am learning that I do this because I don't like to fail. And if I have to work really hard at something, there is usually risk of failure involved.

Which is why I vowed to never jump on board with the running trend that hit my group of friends several years ago. I knew I wouldn't be the fastest. I knew it would be difficult and I knew there was a great chance I wouldn't follow through, which would make me feel like a failure.

So when Kristin rallied together a group of girls to enter the lottery for the Nike Women's Half Marathon, I did not want to do it. Well, I did, but I didn't. I wanted to be a part of all the fun...a weekend in San Francisco...a Tiffany & Co. finisher necklace...free stuff...but I did not want to run. I didn't want to be the girl who couldn't finish the race before the cut off time. I couldn't even run a mile without walking part of it, so I couldn't imagine completing 13.1. You get the picture...

But I started training one day at a time. I followed Hal Higdon's training schedule {for the most part} and had little breakthroughs along the way. My first breakthrough was the first time I ran 4 miles. Then 7. Then 10.

Then came race day. Most of the nerves were gone by then. I was surrounded by supportive friends who had been working just as hard and a proud husband. Plus, there's nothing like the energy the morning of a big race!

To sum it up, I did it. I completed it in 2:28:57...before the cut off time, thankfully!

Thank you, Kristin, for pushing me to do something that I truly never thought I would or could do. What a great feeling!

Now for fun pictures from the weekend...

"The rest is still unwritten" Natasha Bedingfield

2010-08-24T20:54:00.007-07:00

Remember that time I had a blog? And how I was going to be really great about updating it since 90% of the people who know and love me live on the other side of the country and I'm really bad about keeping up with people on the phone?

Those were the days.

This summer has been too busy for words. And when words don't suffice, I like to use pictures. But the busy summer that has kept me from touching base with you has also done a number on my organization, so I don't have much to share because pictures are somewhere on a camera, in a bag, in a closet, I'm sure.

Actually, I'm not really sure.

What I am sure of are the wonderful memories Matt and I have made this summer as newlyweds, with new friends, with old friends, and with family. We are blessed to have such great people in our lives who make everything so fun!

Here's a glimpse at what's been going on with us!

My sisters came to visit (my brother, Will, also came, but those pictures are somewhere on the camera that can't be located at the moment)

The Edens came with sweet Olivia! She's only 18 months old and has already been to Hollywood, Disneyland and San Diego!

We went with Kristin to visit Glenn in Arizona

Lake Powell

My glee club had its first performance

Gorgeous friends came to the West Coast. More faithful bloggers than myself have recapped the trip here and here.

Each one of these events deserve their own lengthy, thoughtful post, but if I'm being honest, that just isn't going to happen.

Until next time!

"Feeling hot hot hot" Buster Poindexter

2010-05-21T10:28:00.004-07:00

Remember when I told you about the car that caught fire in our parking lot?

Well, our newest team member is the girl who owns {owned?} the car. She was so impressed by the way everyone handled the situation without making her feel stupid that she came in a few weeks later with a thank you note and asked for an application.

My favorite line from her thank you note: "I've told all my friends that Chick-fil-A is the best place to be if your car decides to spontaneously combust."

What a compliment! I love Chick-fil-A!

"Girls just wanna have fun" Cyndi Lauper

2010-05-10T21:55:00.006-07:00

One whole month has passed since we last spoke?? Yikes.

We spent some time in Atlanta in the middle of April and, honestly, the entire week was a blur. Turns out living across the country from both of our families can make for pretty exhausting trips back to visit.

The only time I took the camera out was to get some shots of this little sweetie. The last time I took pictures of her, she was 9 months old. Photographing a 9 month old and 15 month old are two totally different things. I have a new found respect for 'kid photographers'...is there anything more complicated? The child wouldn't stay still! She's still as cute as a button!

"Is everybody going crazy?" Simple Plan

2010-04-09T10:13:00.003-07:00

Never a dull moment at Chick-fil-A Sports Arena.

Last week, it was the van that spontaneously combusted in our parking lot.

And now this.

"The whole earth trembled and the veil was torn. Love so amazing!" Chris Tomlin

2010-04-05T09:26:00.005-07:00

Happy Easter! After an amazing church service, we came home and had a delicious lunch. I am on a hunt to find the greatest crock pot recipes ever created and make nothing but crock pot meals for dinner for the rest of my life! I mean, really...is there anything greater?

After lunch, we were heading out to Coronado Island to rent bikes to spend a couple of hours outdoors. It was then that we felt the earthquake! Now, I thought I had experienced an earthquake before, but those were more like earthiccups. This was unreal. We were in our parking deck, which is underneath a 42 story building...not exactly the most comforting place to be during an earthquake!

Nevertheless, we went on with our day since everything appeared to be fine.

Matt agreed to rent the bike cart thingy so we could ride AND communicate! He lucked out because HIS side was broken and I was doing almost all the work!

When we got home, we assessed the earthquake damage out our place...a candle had fallen over and knocked over my birthday card display! Horror!

"I'm bound to thank you for it" Natalie Merchant

2010-04-02T13:48:00.010-07:00

I know I have said it before, but I truly have the greatest friends. Last week, I received one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. It was a wedding gift that came the week of my birthday, which made it even more exciting! My sweet friend, Chelsey, has been working her little fingers to the bone to make this for me:

What a labor of love! I am so excited to have my very first quilt that has special meaning. I wish my photography skills matched her quilting skills so I could get better pictures...they don't really do it justice.

Thank you so much, Chelsey!!

"I woke up beside the ocean and I realized I must be in California" Owl City

2010-04-02T13:15:00.004-07:00

One great thing about our group of friends is that, since graduating college, at least one of us has been back in school, so there's always a Spring Break to recognize! This year, we have Sean to thank for the week away from reality. The Hills had a vision for a trip up the West Coast and, fortunately for the Hughes family, were kind enough to invite us along for the adventure. I mean, it was pretty necessary for the Southern transplants to become more acquainted with our new state! We also celebrated my birthday while we were gone. Fun!

The trip actually started on Saturday night when we had to say goodbye to our dear friends, the Reynolds who have moved back to Georgia :(

After a farewell with fondue, we set off on Sunday with just about everything we owned. Seriously.

Rather than the novel I would write, you can read a much more simple and complete version of the trip by clicking here. Erin's background in PR makes her an excellent blogger, especially when it comes to summing up an entire week. I've never been one for parsimony, so I'll just highlight some of my favorite things!

Our coordinating {not on purpose} tents!

Sand dune buggies.

There's not really a way to put it in words. Just imagine you are riding a go-cart over miles and miles of sand. Then imagine riding a go-cart over cliffs...only you can't tell when the cliffs are coming because all the sand is the same color. The videos don't really do it justice, but they're still fun!

One of the many stops we made so we could catch the sunset. I believe this is somewhere near Palo Alto {where Stanford University is}

The infamous redwoods!

Half Moon Bay

Spending the week with Toby was a definite highlight!

Big Sur

Hearst Castle

Elephant seals!

Madonna Inn is the tackiest, pinkest hotel. I loved everything about it!

Even had some yummy pink cake!

Sean and Erin, we had so much fun! What is our next adventure?

"I've got a city love" John Mayer

2010-03-12T15:22:00.005-08:00

For those of you who don't know, we live in downtown San Diego. This is my first time ever living IN the city and it's honestly not that much different from the 'burbs! Let's take a look:

Here is our backyard where we park our hundreds of cars and 2 cruise ships

We wave at our neighbors as they head out for their daily commute

Similar to having workers spray the yard with pesticides, we have workers spray our 9th story windows with Windex {that is our bedroom window...creepy!}

As you can see, it's really not that different!

"I'm so much cooler online" Brad Paisley

2010-03-11T13:46:00.005-08:00

One of the hardest parts about living so far away from Georgia is missing Olivia grow up!

Fortunately, her mom gives her permission to use the internet...

"We've got California in our eyes" The Wallflowers

2010-02-28T17:34:00.004-08:00

As I write this, we are 130 miles from home!

When we got into Flagstaff, we rested for about an hour before heading out for dinner. Right before we left on our trip, a bundle of envelopes arrived from Mandy. She sent one for each month of our first year of marriage. The idea is to go to dinner on {or around} the 16th of every month to reflect on the questions inside the envelope and the "word of the month". That way, at the end of the year, you've developed a habit of intentionally reflecting on your relationship dreaming together. Seriously, everyone should have a best friend like Mandy :)

That being said, Matt was sweet enough to remember to grab the February 16th envelope before we left on our trip, so we spent last night reflecting over the past month. The questions were fun and encouraged us to look back at our wedding day, as well as to look forward into the future. One of the questions was, "What is one skill you would like to learn in your lifetime?" I said I would like to learn Spanish. If you live 18 miles from the Mexican border, it's pretty much necessary.

We woke this morning to even more snow on the ground! Much to my surprise, Flagstaff is somewhat of a mountain town and there were lots of skiers at our hotel. It is a really neat place! We ate at a coffee shop called *Macy's for breakfast. This was the first day of the trip where we were able to enjoy a little bit of the town during daylight. It was great to mingle with the locals a bit.

A couple hours later, we made it to Phoenix to join our friends Destin and April for lunch at a great place called *La Grande Orange Grocery. Yum yum yum! It was great to catch up on all the exciting things that are coming up in their lives.

We had a couple of fun stops right as we entered California: Agriculture Check and Border Patrol. Interestingly enough, the ag worker was the only one who asked us to open the back of the U-Haul. So if you ever have plans to smuggle illegal immigrants into our country, load them in the back of a moving van and you'll fly right through border patrol!

The agriculture worker was very chatty. He asked if we had just gotten married {I think the wedding gifts in the truck were his biggest clue} and had this piece of advice to offer: "Marriage is like a bank account. If you start depositing all of your money into other accounts, there won't be much left in the main one." With that nugget of wisdom in our pocket, we were on our way. He was so nice...it kinda made me feel guilty about the bag of almonds I was hiding!

*If you get the impression that our entire trip was based around food, you are exactly right.

"Free and easy down the road (we) go" Dierks Bently

2010-02-27T17:44:00.005-08:00

Highlights of today:

Getting out of Texas

And into New Mexico

Where we had lunch at Standard Diner and shared the most amazing dessert either of us have ever eaten...S'mores milkshake. Complete with graham cracker pieces and some kind of marshmallow goodness. You MUST go if you're ever in Albuquerque. Better yet, you probably won't ever be in Albuquerque, so you should plan a trip just to eat at the Standard Diner.

Tonight we'll be staying in Flagstaff, AZ. Looking forward to arriving earlier than we have at the previous stops and possibly seeing a bit of the town. However, if my head happens to hit a pillow before we go out, I probably won't be leaving again.

"Amarillo by morning" George Straight

2010-02-26T15:56:00.009-08:00

After covering Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, we finally arrived in Arkansas late last night.

We had the blessing of staying with some friends of ours in Little Rock. John and Carol Spenst are Chick-fil-A Operators and have the sweetest little baby girl, Lily. It was so much fun to see their house and their restaurant.

A quick bite to eat and we were on our way!

Sweet Lily! She is SUCH a happy baby.

Shortly after breakfast, we were out of Arkansas! For lunch, we stopped at Pops in Arcadia, OK. It's a funky, modern gas station...uhhh...convenience store...hmmm...landmark...ehhh...diner...ummm...well, I don't actually know what it is! I DO know they have over 500 flavors of soda in glass bottles and a great burger!

The rest of the day was spent driving. We finally arrived in Amarillo in time for a late dinner. We HAD to stop at the Big Texan Steak Ranch because it is way too over-the-top and gaudy to pass over. They were on an episode of Man vs. Food showcasing the World Famous 72 oz. challenge. If you eat all of the food shown in the picture below, your meal is completely free. I tried to talk Matt into doing it so I would have something exciting to blog about, but we both decided it would be an expensive bit of entertainment...there is NO way he could have done it. Supposedly over 30,000 have attempted, but less than 5,000 have succeeded.

Matt is pictured above holding the menu...it was a really strange place, but at the same time, exactly what you would expect from Texas!

"I think I'm on a roll here in Little Rock" Collin Raye

2010-02-25T16:53:00.004-08:00

The trip has begun! My third cross country drive...first time without the Camry and my first time with Matt! So far, the U-Haul is just as comfortable, although a lot less nimble. Fortunately, Matt is behind the wheel, and I have the Internet to keep me distracted from frightening things like braking and merging...

We left from Fayetteville, Georgia and our first stop will be Little Rock, Arkansas tonight. Matt has been telling everyone to "check Jessica's blog! She'll be updating all along the way." So, with much pressure, here I am...

So far, there's nothing too exciting to share. Oh, except for the part where I entered an incorrect address into the GPS, landed us in a shady part of Birmingham and onto a dead end street. Not really a problem unless you have a towing dolly behind you with a car attached to it, both of which we happen to have. Matt had to unhitch the car, back down the street, and load it back on. Oops! I felt about as cool as I did the time my passport was sitting on the seat of a taxi somewhere in Atlanta while we were at the airport about to board a flight for Papeete, Tahiti.

A few moments of silence later, and we were good to go! Found some great bar-b-que in Birmingham at Dreamland Cafe. My favorite part was the banana pudding, naturally!

I look forward to keeping you updated...traveling with the Internet in the car is life-changing! I may even get around to filing my taxes.

Next stop, Little Rock!

I just noticed after posting this picture {taken in Photo Booth} that it appears I am seated on the driver's side. Don't worry, though...no blogging and driving for me!

"Could you take my Picture" Filter

2010-02-18T11:32:00.006-08:00

Our wedding pictures are on Bauman Photographer's blog! Go look at them and leave a comment {if you haven't already} telling the guys how much you love them :)

We could not be more pleased with such fantastic shots of our special weekend!

Thanks again Jared and Bronson!

"Email my Heart" Britney Spears

2010-02-18T10:34:00.007-08:00

First of all, has anyone else heard "Email my Heart" by Britney Spears? How she ever launched a successful career with that song hiding in the shadows is beyond me. I actually tried to like the song, it had a catchy melody...but even my 15-year-old self knew it was ridiculous.

I digress.

I spent the better part of this morning attempting, yet again, to create an email account with my new last name. I have been crossing my fingers that someone in Googleland would miraculously release the "jessicahughes" login and I could be on my merry way with my new email address. I even emailed the following people:

jessicahughes@gmail.com
jessicalhughes@gmail.com
jessicalindseyhughes@gmail.com
jessica.hughes@gmail.com

Just to see if they may be willing to give up their rights to the name...who knows? Maybe one of them recently married a Mr. Holt and we could just trade?

Listen, I know how ridiculous this is. I haven't figured out why it's so important to me...nothing in my life requires me to have a simple, clean email address, but I would feel so out of sorts with some of the suggestions Gmail offered!

I finally had to give into the pressure to add numbers. It's the ONLY way to display my new last name proudly. And I HATE numbers in an email address. Not only does it mess with the flow of my log in when I'm on a laptop (let's hear it for number pads on desktop computers!) Who can remember them?

So, without further adieu, I present to you my new email address:

jessicahughes325@gmail.com

I'm only sorta okay with it. 325 represents my birthday (March 25) which was the greater of my less-than-great choices: 2010, 1983, 123,...you get the picture. At least the number is significant and my birthday will never change.

Alright, I'm off to search for local therapists so I can get to the bottom of this issue...

"All you need is love" The Beatles

2010-02-15T11:06:00.004-08:00

I LOVE Valentine's Day! Have I said that before?

Yesterday morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn {not hard to do seeing as light begins pouring into our room as soon as the sun starts yawning} and made Matt's favorite chocolate cake. This was quite a task to take on seeing as Saturday morning, I had a tearful breakdown over my inability to make pancakes...

But I persevered {and read the recipe directions more times than were necessary} resulting in a yummy chocolate fudge cake! My only hiccup was when the recipe called for "one box of confectioner's sugar". "One box" means a lot of different things these days. I think I settled on 3 3/4 C and it turned out just fine!

I lined the hallway with cut out paper hearts and went back into our room to check on Matt who was just waking up to, what he thought, was the sweet aroma of blueberry muffins. Haha. He seemed genuinely surprised and excited to see the cake! I told him we could have some of the cake after church, but he convinced me it made just as much sense to have a piece for breakfast, so we did!

We enjoyed a gorgeous San Diego day and headed to Coronado Island for dinner. 1500 Ocean is a super nice restaurant at the Hotel Del Coronado and we hear the food is great! We wouldn't know because after we found out it was a fixed menu at $100 per PERSON, we politely excused ourselves and headed to our favorite Mexican place which happens to also be on Coronado Island! Hopefully we haven't been blacklisted from the Hotel Del because we would like to go back when the normal menu at 1500 Ocean is back in place :)

Happy Valentine's Day! How did you celebrate?

"Maybe San Diego...moon light at the lowest tide" Mat Kearney

2010-02-11T14:27:00.006-08:00

I'm home! In a home that doesn't feel like home at all...yet. I feel like I completed my Master's program and have been on vacation ever since. Bouncing from Athens to Tahiti to Moorea to Bora Bora and finally landing in San Diego, wow.

The wedding? Fantastic.

The honeymoon? Amazing.

The husband? A dream.

I am in the process of setting up our house and all that it entails, while preparing for a trip to D.C., followed by my third cross-country drive. We'll be bringing the rest of my things back with us (my Camry included) and I will essentially have to undo all of the organization I have done thus far in order to add the remaining things. And I love it! I am working on my presentation to Matt proposing that I remain a stay-at-home-wife...really, is there anything greater?

But in all seriousness, this is SUCH a sweet season in our lives. We love being together and not having to say 'goodbye' for weeks and weeks at a time. I have loved getting reconnected with the employees at ~~his~~ our restaurant and establishing my new 'normal'. We have internet as of this morning, so I hope to take more time to tell you all about life here in San Diego for the Hughes'.

"I'm not the only one staring at the sun" U2

2009-12-10T19:52:00.005-08:00

I have the best fiance ever. Seriously.

And NOT just because of the super sweet package I just opened from him, but because he is SO STINKIN' THOUGHTFUL!!

My step dad called me this afternoon to tell me a package had arrived for me...because he KNOWS how much I love mail {sidenote: our wedding response cards arriving by the multitude each day is like a dream come true for me. mail!every!single!day!} and he enjoyed taunting me with the fact that I had to wait 5 hours to open it since I was just heading to work.

So I rush home from a long night of work {"Hi! Welcome to Soma, sir! Are you shopping for someone special tonight? Oh, for yourself? Well...uh...let me know if I can help!"} to find a small white box from Point Loma Postal, which makes me even more happy because that means it's from Matt!

I rip open the box to find this:

Some of you may find it strange that he would send me tanning lotion, eye shields, and a Visa gift card for graduation, but it is the PERFECT gift for someone who is pasty, poor, and getting married in a month! He knew how badly I wanted to tan and how ~~much~~ little money I have.

For the record, I am SO not okay with tanning beds!! Especially with my fair skin. But I am even less okay with seeing veins through my translucent skin...

"Wait in the quiet, even in your fear. Your God is here to lean on" Shane and Shane

2009-12-08T06:42:00.003-08:00

I spent the morning pouring over journal entries trying to wrap my mind around the journey of the past two years.

If I could take a minute and try to explain how difficult it was for me to move home...
I am very independent. When I left home at 18, I never intended to return--not even for the summer. Not because home was a bad place, but because I knew I could make it on my own. All three of my parents are entrepreneurs, self-starters, and successful at their own businesses, so that's partly where it comes from, I suppose.

I can't explain how I knew it was time for me to leave California. It wasn't something that I wanted to do. I loved it and there was nothing driving me to go. I didn't want to leave Matt, I didn't want to come home, and I CERTAINLY did not want to commit to living in one place for two years.

I felt Defeated. Fearful. Trapped. Hopeless. Confused. Angry. Depressed. Anxious.

The only comfort I had was knowing that the Lord led me here and that He had a plan. But that didn't mean I had to like it! Looking back, I sounded like a small child pleading with my parent not to leave the toy store. It's really quite embarrassing when I read through some of what I was thinking and writing. Never in my life have I felt more incapable of accomplishing a task before me...I was certain that something would change my course...in fact, I was praying for that!

But the two years have passed and I am still here. Two years and 17 days to be exact. And I know for sure that I would not be the same person were it not for this season of my life; exactly as it happened.

Now I am 39 days away from leaving again. I thought for sure I would be bursting at the seams ready to go. In some ways I am, but the thought of it is much more difficult than I anticipated. In the past two years, I have reconnected with my family in a deeper way, watched my brother graduate high school and start college, walked with my best friend through her pregnancy and a year of her precious little girl's life, completed my Master's degree, met people who will be lifelong mentors and friends, Matt and I are more connected than we would have ever been living in the same place for two years, and we're getting married!

But more important than all of this, I can confidently say I have learned to trust the Lord in a deeper way than I ever thought would be required of me. I have learned what a waste of energy it is to lean on my own understanding or to search for understanding in my circumstances.

I will leave here in 39 days Victorious. Fearless. Free. Hopeful. Peaceful. Joyful. Happy. Content.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"It feels like home to me" Chantal Kreviazuk

2009-11-07T05:44:00.008-08:00

Like most twentysomethings, things get a bit complicated when I try to explain what "home" is to me. So many places, so many memories and experiences; so many different seasons of life, but they all still feel like home.

Part of my heart still sits in Columbus, Georgia. The place I was born. The place where most of the people who made me who I am reside. The place that will always feel like home, even though I haven't had an address there in over 20 years. Magnolia trees...holidays...family. When nothing seems right, it's the place I go to drive around town, connecting with many pieces of my heritage all in one day. The home that is always waiting for me.

Part of my heart is in Peachtree City, Georgia. My giant playground throughout childhood. Bike rides to school...lemonade stands...block parties...best friends...family. The place that raised me. Kept me safe. Saw me through all the rites of passage as a child and teenager. The place where I will bring my children when it's time to go to their grandparent's house. The place of which I am so proud. I feel privileged to carry a pice of it with me. The home that shaped me.

Part of my heart is in Carrollton, Georgia. My first experience on my own. Dorm room...first apartment...independence...road trips...family. We weren't with our own families, so we became family for one another. The place in which I was dying to leave, but almost took my breath away when I left because I didn't realize how much it had become part of me. The home that challenged me.

Part of my heart is in Athens, Georgia. A dream I didn't realize was in me until it came to be. New friends...new experiences...new fears. The place that allowed me a piece of her heritage even though our time together was brief. A place no one can fully understand unless they have been part of it. The place where Matt and I will exchange our vows. The home that welcomed me.

Part of my heart is in Atlanta, Georgia. She is so alive to me. The place that has always allowed me to call her "home" when I didn't have the time or patience to explain that Peachtree City does not have peach trees all around and, yes, we have a golf cart. The place that has seen almost every part of my life as I passed through for dozens and dozens of concerts and shows and visits with friends. The place where I love to escape. The place that took me in right after college when I had no direction, and gave me some of my most treasured memories. The home that knows me.

Part of my heart is in Powder Springs, Georgia. Although it has never been my home and probably will never be, I feel at home there. It's the place the man I love called "home" for so many years. The place where he grew into the man he is today. The place where the people who helped shape him call home. The other place we will take our children when we're going to visit their grandparents. So it holds a piece of my heart. The home that accepted me.

Part of my heart is in San Diego, California. With all of her excitement and opportunity. The place where I can finally begin to grow new roots. The place that is so different from what I've always known, yet so comfortable and, somehow, familiar. The place where I know I will learn more about myself in just one short year than the previous 26 combined. The place I will learn to love deeper. The place I will learn to cook better. Most likely the place where Matt and I will expand our family. The place that condures up more anticipation and fear than I've ever experienced. The one place that will finally give me the chance to make it my own. The home that will be ours.

---------------------------------------

Jamie and her friend, Elizabeth, had the idea to do a "blog carnival" and got a group of friends together to write about HOME today. Check out Elizabeth's blog here, where you will find other perspectives of "home".

"Oh Oh Oh..the sweetest thing" U2

2009-11-06T21:21:00.006-08:00

Mandy and I got together last week to take some pictures of Olivia. I am beyond smitten with this child. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when I move to California :(

Brian joined us for some family pictures, but the sun had almost set. Still a cute picture, though! Olivia was so happy to be with her parents.

"All I wanna do is have some fun" Sheryl Crow

2009-10-28T15:46:00.009-07:00

I've hit my quarterly blog slump. It happens at least once every couple of months...words are hard to find, so pictures help!

These are from my recent trip to California...and my last visit before I'm Mrs. Hughes!! It was a very strange flight out of San Diego knowing the next flight I take from Atlanta will not return to Atlanta.

The pictures begin with my last day in town...enjoy!

We heard about a cool diner (Maryjane's) in the Gaslamp, so we recruited our favorite foodie couple to try it out. It's in the Hard Rock Hotel and we decided it's probably an awesome place to come at 1:00 in the morning when you're leaving the club and are sweating and starving from all the dancing...so I'm not sure if we'll be going back. But we are looking forward to "stay"cationing at the Hard Rock Hotel sometime! The best part is, we walked to dinner!

We (Matt) took my aunt's sailing! I was pretty helpful, though...I've gotta learn how to be my man's ~~skipper?~~ ~~first mate?~~...what exactly is my title going to be, Matt?

Aunt Holly's 40th birthday dinner at the Ivy in Beverly Hills

Can't take these two anywhere...

As I mentioned, my aunts were coming out to run the Long Beach half. Here they are with their bibs. This was Aunt Holly's (on the right) birthday wish. Someone who asks to run 13 miles for their birthday isn't quite right to me...

And here we are with our bibs for the 5K. How was the run, you ask? Well, we missed it. The story is long and the details are unimportant. We still got the run in, it just wasn't tracked.

Our awesome friends threw us a super fun shower!!

These pictures are from my first night in town. Matt signed us up to host the monthly Finer Things Club with our fun friends. It was a little overwhelming having just landed and heading straight toward the kitchen, so I called on the help of my personal Julia Childs and she was able to fill in as sous-chef. I extended an invitation for her to spend the next 60 years with Matt and me as our wife, but she politely declined. I'll settle for frequent cooking endeavors with her as my guide.

Happy Fall Y'all!

"She's crafty..." Beastie Boys

2009-09-30T07:31:00.003-07:00

I've had to explain the concept of "nesting" to Matt since we got engaged. I've been itching to "nest" since I was around 7 years old. I've always loved rearranging my room, organizing closets and cabinets, making lists, window shopping for kitchen gadgets and holiday decor, etc. My mother is constantly starting new projects around the house {the great thing is she actually finishes the projects...I'm a little worried about that for myself}. I am beyond excited to get my hands on our apartment in January and really set up shop.

Matt had the idea of me having a 'craft room' one day when we have a house. He understands my need for creative outlet and how limited I have been because of space. I've never had enough room in all of my living situations to work on projects that require more than just a couple of hours because I always have to work on my bed or at the kitchen table...meaning I have to get it all out and put it all away. No space for drying, waiting for inspiration, adding, subtracting...you get the idea.

I have no idea what I would do with so many colored pencils, but if I ever have a craft room...this is SO going to be my first purchase. Not only is it colorful, decorative, and functional--you can sign up to receive 25 pencils a month until you collect all 500 of them. If there's anything I love more than crafty goodness, it's getting mail!

"My hips don't lie..." Shakira

2009-09-22T06:06:00.003-07:00

What have I been up to?

Zumba and belly dancing classes with mom.

"Whatcha gonna do with all that junk...?" Black Eyed Peas

2009-09-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

I know I've been so absent lately...it isn't because I haven't had anything to say! It's just that life is FLYING by and I'm having a hard time keeping up. And when blogging becomes stressful {which it always does when I'm really busy}, I tend to shy away. It's supposed to be fun!

But I think you'll agree this video was worth the hiatus.

While at the beach about a month ago, the girls and I were leaving Baytowne Wharf {after our night of bachelorette fun}, and were stopped by a shady character making green screen music videos. Jamie, jaded by the empty promises of New York street vendors, tried to convince us that his claim of a 'free video' was a lie. I have to admit, I was skeptical as well, but he kept telling me he wanted to put us all in the video AND give us a free copy as a 'gift for the bride'. Now, I'm not the type to withhold from anyone the joy of giving, so I decided we should take him up on his offer.

All of us were draped in a green gown and what follows is something that will go down in history. If you know all of the girls in the video, you will have to watch it six times {one girl per viewing so as not to miss any sassy head nods or pursed lips}. I promise you won't be disappointed. Also, we had NO practice...that'll be obvious when you see our heads coming detached from our bodies.

I do feel the need to apologize for it being such poor quality. I had to stretch it for you to be able to see it at all. I tried uploading it to youtube, vimeo, hulu, etc...but it violated copyright laws.

"Just wasting time. Let the hours go by, doing nothing for the fun" Dave Matthews Band

2009-07-31T08:20:00.007-07:00

I'm sure you're like me. When I have a lot on my plate, I look for little distractions to take my mind off of the mounting pressures. Last night, the distraction of choice was to beautify my tool set.

I "won" this in a gift swap last Christmas and have gotten great use out of ~~all the tools~~ the scissors.

Cute, right? I didn't have any ribbon on hand that would coordinate, but you'd better believe I looked for some! My step-dad said it looked ridiculous and the paint would come off whenever I use the tools.

Who said anything about using them?

"I be up in the gym just workin' on my fitness" Fergie

2009-07-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me occasionally mention CrossFit.

I just typed out a long post about what it is and why I started, but it was deleted. So, the short story is: It is hell, and Kristin made me do it.

Honestly though, it's been great to work out and actually see results. Though I haven't really lost any weight, I recently discovered a muscle in my arm I never knew existed! It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. I highly encourage all of you to look for one in your area, grab a friend and GO! My mom has been doing it with me (she's the almost-50 year old in the picture below who can wear bike shorts and still look awesome) and that has made it slightly less miserable!

Here's a typical sight right after a work out. Weights and kettlebells stewn about while mom and I beg for mercy and gasp for air.

With any good fitness regimen, nutrition is a huge component. The same is true for CrossFit who recommends the Zone. But I seem to have a difficult time merging the two...exercise and nutrition. I like to eat healthy and I enjoy working out, but I have yet to develop a lifestyle that incorporates both for more than a few days. Hopefully I'm on my way!

Starting in a couple of weeks, anyway...I'll be at the beach with most of my favorite people in just 9 sleeps!

"Baby, I'm back" Rihanna

2009-07-21T16:56:00.005-07:00

I know I've been absent...traveling, summer semester, working, wedding planning...it has all taken its toll. I'm finished with school for a few weeks, so I should be back in business.

But I actually don't have much to say other than, "I'm obsessed with this."

"You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast" Trace Atkins

2009-06-11T21:25:00.007-07:00

There are so many things I'm going to miss about living at home {did you ever think you'd hear me say that?}

I made dinner for the family tonight...an entire meal for 5 people without planning or making a trip to the grocery store. I predict it'll be at least 3 years before I can master that as a newlywed. "Honey, can you run to the store? We don't have any paprika." It's nice having access to mama's fully stocked kitchen.

My brothers and I also decorated the house for a surprise party my parents are throwing tomorrow night...and made cupcakes for the heck of it.

I'll miss nights like this.

"Could you take my picture? 'Cause I won't remember" Filter

2009-06-09T17:06:00.006-07:00

I have been waiting for this moment ~~for years~~ since the night we got engaged...

Our engagement pictures were SUCH a blast! I am so glad we have super amazing professional photos to document such an exciting time in our lives. Matt and I love being engaged {he seems to at least!} and I don't ever want to forget the laughter, simplicity and FUN of this season. The anticipation of marriage is so exciting as we sit in the waiting room, knowing something truly amazing is around the corner!

Bronson at Bauman Photographers spent countless hours with us over the course of two days shooting our pictures, and we could not be more grateful for his time and talent. Thank you again {for the millionth time}, Bronson!

Enough of my talking, go see a sampling of the pictures! And take some time to wish Bronson an early congratulations! He and his wife will be bringing a baby girl into the world very soon :)

"It's peanut butter jelly chocolate time" Buckwheat Boyz

2009-05-28T20:03:00.004-07:00

I NEVER watch commercials anymore thanks to DVR. In fact, it's almost embarrassing how impatient I become during the rare occasion I am forced to sit through them. But while zipping from one segment of So You Think You Can Dance to the next, I saw the Reese's logo and had to stop. I have a healthy ~~obsession~~ loyalty to the cheap chocolate and peanut butter and my ~~obsession~~ loyalty compelled me to watch it.

I've never felt more connected to an advertisement...plus, I think it's hilarious.

"What a splendid pie, pizza-pizza pie" System of a Down

2009-05-28T07:34:00.002-07:00

Take a look at what Matt made for dessert at the Murdock's last night! That's a sugar cookie on the bottom and some sort of cream cheese icing, I'm sure.

Am I marrying an awesome guy, or what?

In other news, do not download the song "Pizza Pie" by System of a Down. It's extremely annoying and slightly disturbing. But the lyrics were perfect for this post!

"If you left it up to me, everyday would be a holiday from real" Jack's Mannequin

2009-05-18T18:16:00.010-07:00

I've learned that if I don't blog as I go, it becomes so much more of a chore to share fun things with you. Great proof of this is the fact that I never shared my really fun baby weekend in Raleigh with Mandy and Chelsey. Documentation of that trip can be found here.

When I'm on vacation, sitting at the computer isn't usually at the top of my to-do list and when I get back, I usually hit the ground running and before I know it, I've been home for a month and it seems pointless to share. The iPhone has partially cured this problem because the process of taking/uploading/downloading pictures is so much easier. And who really likes to read blogs with no pictures? Don't kid yourself.

For starters, here's sweet Matt!

I arrived Saturday afternoon and, after a 2 hour delay on the runway before take-off, food was the #1 priority. I like In-N-Out, but don't typically crave it the way Californians do. Saturday was an exception. We couldn't get there fast enough!

Although I landed in San Diego, our plan was to head straight to Malibu to visit Mark and Amy. After catching up, telling stories, checking facts in Amy's stories, and a wonderful dinner at Plate, we went to the new Crumbs in town. What I love about California is the abundance of quality health-conscious restaurants. What I also love about California is the abundance of cupcake and frozen yogurt establishments. I think Crumbs beats out Sprinkles for me, though it's a tough call. The quality of cake and icing at Sprinkles can't be beat with their not-too-sweet, moist cake and give-you-diabetes with one sniff icing. But Crumbs had more unique options (of course I still went for a classic, but at least there were options). Crumbs doesn't have a website that I can find, though, so that knocks off a couple of points making them dead even.

Sunday morning, we went for a walk before church and saw some celebs. Here's Val Kilmer looking large and unkempt.

And here's Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron...kinda sketch.

We went to Mosaic and saw Erwin McManus. I really liked it! It wasn't as creative and dynamic as I've heard, so maybe it was an off week, but the teaching was great.

Then we went to visit Pepperdine where Mark is attending school. Who wouldn't love school with a view like that? It's a bit hazy, but can you imagine what it looks like on a clear day?

Next we have what can only be described as a "local". Our only guess was that she's allergic to the sun. I still think it was Britney.

The rest of the week was a complete and utter blur. We were so busy and I didn't document the rest of the trip like I had hoped. I'll just finish up the post with a few highlights.

Military Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Kelly and I are hoisting parachute cows onto the roof for the evening's festivities!

Getting engagement pictures on the sailboat...that's our photographer, Bronson!

After the shoot, we dropped Bronson off and picked up Glenn and Kristin!

We split our engagement shoot into 2 days and this is a picture from the second night: breaking and entering to get on the roof of a hotel!

Finishing up my last evening in town with a trip to Ghirardelli, naturally!

I can't believe we're only 234 days away from being married and San Diego being my home. This was my first trip back since being engaged and it was so sweet...much sweeter than my previous visits where there was a sense of sadness because I missed it, and was never sure if I'd be moving back or not. I'm so excited to be there, but there's so much to be done before then. {Which is making the time fly by!}

I can't wait to have visitors!! Who's first?

"I like to be in America" West Side Story

2009-05-09T13:12:00.011-07:00

We slept until 10:00 on Saturday and rushed to get out the door to maximize our few remaining hours in the city with Jen. Jamie took us to Kitchenette in Harlem for brunch. My eggs were great, but I filled up on my biscuit and grits. You can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl! The restaurant itself was so charming with its window of baked goods, and it was packed to the brim with people from all different walks of life. To me, that's when you know you're in a good restaurant!

We spent the next couple of hours at Ann Taylor Loft for their $40 dress sale. I found one for my rehearsal dinner. It's perfect with the damask{ish} print and I think it'll be suitable for January with with a sweater if I need it. {Side note: I've been pronouncing 'damask' incorrectly. It's not 'dahm-ahsk', it's 'dam-ehsk'.}

Then we had to say goodbye to Jen. It was so much fun having her on this trip! We are the best travel partners. Neither one of us care about not having a plan and we're really easy to please. I'm so glad you came, Jen!

After saying goodbye and freshening up, Jamie and I were on our way to see West Side Story! But not before stopping by for some pizza first.

About West Side Story...it really left both Jamie and me speechless. It was phenomenal! The cast was amazing and it was a surreal experience seeing such a classic production on Broadway. The current director is the same man who wrote and directed the original in the 1950's. Jamie and I figured he had to be around 85 years old. And the choreography was the same as well {from what we could interpret from the Playbill}. I've only seen the movie and that was years ago, so I didn't remember much about it. Maria was played by a 21-year-old girl from Argentina and she blew us away. Thank you Jamie!! This was actually my birthday present. You can read the story of how I received the present here. It's a really fun story!

Since we were in the neighborhood and Times Square felt so alive, Jamie decided to take me to Ellen's Stardust Diner. It's a total tourist trap with singing waitstaff aspiring to make it to Broadway, and exactly the kind of thing we love. We knew it was going to be fun when, as we were being seated, they started talking about taking a trip down the Atlanta Highway. Having lived in Athens and actually 'heading down the Atlanta Highway' ourselves, we were so excited and instantly began singing along. We loved most everything except the 9 minute Meatloaf song. Could have done without that.

After our dessert, we stepped out into the most beautiful New York City evening. Though we were 50 blocks from Jamie's apartment, we both agreed the walk would be much more enjoyable than a subway ride. It was really a perfect evening. The air was warm and the breeze was blowing. We discussed our favorite John Mayer lyrics and solved all of the world's problems on our walk home.

"I want to be a part of it, New York...New York" Frank Sinatra

2009-05-09T12:20:00.005-07:00

Jen and I started the morning with a nice run/walk in Central Park. We weren't sure of the forecast, but we wanted to get in some exercise. We were so pleasantly surprised as soon as we stepped outside. It was BEAUTIFUL! And the only time I've been the park when it's been above 40 degrees.

We passed a community garden and decided to stop by on our way back. It was such a sweet little garden. Here we are cooling down from our strenuous run around the reservoir. Okay, so it wasn't so strenuous because Jen didn't have her knee braces and I hate running, but between dodging puddles and locals, we definitely broke a sweat.

Jamie lives right above a precious cafe called Georgia's {I know, so appropriate, right?}, so Jen and I stopped for a light breakfast before meeting Jamie for lunch about 2 hours later.

After showering, we made our way to Grand Central Station. Jamie took us to The New York Milkshake Company...another place I've been wanting to visit because they're known for the grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm not sure what my fixation is with kid food, but I love it! Their sandwich was nostalgically delicious. But I'm not sure if I loved the milkshakes or the giant green straws more. There's nothing like a sturdy, large, colored straw!

The rest of the afternoon, Jen and I shopped even more. My past trips to New York did not include shopping, so I never realized how exhausting it is!

We had plans to meet Jamie and Cal in the East Village for dinner at Matilda's, which is a Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant named after the couple's daughter {husband is Mexican, wife is Italian}. Such an interesting, but very tasty combination. The guacamole with basil and cilantro gnocchi were my favorite.

Next, Jamie had a surprise for us. We hiked over to the Lower East Side to a super exclusive, hidden speakeasyesque bar called Milk & Honey. I can't really describe it, so take a second to read this review:

Milk & Honey is owner Sasha's personal retaliation against celebrity-obsessed nightlife. Only mellow, non-famous folk receive the unlisted address; and all must call ahead to be buzzed in through the surveillance system-equipped door. The space encompasses a candlelit lounge, a four-seat bar and a few reservation-only booths. Sasha himself meticulously prepares each expensive cocktail, with blood oranges for screwdrivers and fresh mint for mojitos. Drinks often arrive with complimentary warm nuts or honey-drizzled sliced fruit. The intended effect is achieved—even a nice nobody can feel like royalty. That is, if you can get on the guest list.

— Shana Liebman

It was honestly one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. Jamie had to text message the number {which is only given through referrals, not listed on the website} to get a reservation. They start taking reservations at 3:00 and by 3:30 in the afternoon, they were already booked for the evening. While we were at dinner, she received a text message saying another group canceled and to text back within 5 minutes if we could be there at 9:00. She did, and we made it! Kristin, you would have loved it.

Friday? Check.

"You can stand under my umbrella" Rhianna

2009-05-07T20:02:00.007-07:00

Day one and a half. Very rainy so far. But today is already looking better!

Wednesday night. Shake Shack. Loved it.

Thursday. Early morning for The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet. We got to see Ziggy Marley perform and even got a $100 gift card for The Cheesecake Factory. That will definitely be put to great use...even if it means $100 worth of strawberry shortcake! Who needs cheesecake?

Then we decided to stop by Anthropologie to get some engagement picture outfit ideas...two hours and a personal shopper later, I was in way over my head. Still no decisions.

Since we were in the area, we had to go back to the spot of Matt's magical proposal! Not quite as exciting without the tree around, but still a very special spot :)

Then the rain really started, so we darted to Peanut Butter & Co. because I've been dying to go. Now, I don't want to use the word disappointed because it was everything I figured it would be, but I probably wouldn't go back. I can make a pb&j at home for about $1.50. No need to pay $6.75 for one...no seriously. But a really cute atmosphere and definitely a great place to wait out the rain.

Next we played a game called "Spot the Tourist". Geez. In my defense, I tried to find a more city-friendly rain jacket, but apparently staying dry isn't important to people in Georgia, so I went with what I could find in the coat closet at home. Pretty sure it's mine from 4th grade or something. As for my pants rolled up? I have no excuse for that. You would have done the same to prevent puddles and grime.

Jen and I went back to Jamie's and took a nap since it was such an early morning for us and an exhausting day of shopping. Once Jamie got home from work, we had a lovely evening out at Pio Pio with her roommates. Definitely the best Peruvian food I've ever had! Since I haven't ever eaten Peruvian food {that I'm aware of}, that isn't saying much, but it was wonderful. Everything from the service to the sangrias {and hello? green sauce?} Yum yum.

We even walked past some movie or TV shoot on the way to dinner!

Stay tuned for more!

"I'd call that a bargin...the best I ever had" The Who

2009-04-25T08:15:00.004-07:00

If you don't follow me on Twitter, you don't know about my spontaneous trip to the Home Source warehouse sale on Thursday. I was meeting Jen, Erin and Suz for lunch {so fun!} and I knew I would be in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd stop by. It's a wholesale warehouse, only open to the public twice a year. I highly recommend you go next time! I heard they host the sale every April and October, for one weekend only.

Let me just say, I have never experienced anything like this in my life.

The line was long {over an hour} but worth the wait...here's a breakdown of what I would have paid based on what I found online:

1 Home Source Micro Cotton body sheet @ approx. $52=$52
+
5 Home Source Micro Cotton "finest" towels @ approx. $40=$200
+
6 Home Source Micro Cotton "finest" hand towels @ approx. $18=$110
+
12 Home Source Micro Cotton "suite collection" washcloths @ approx. $10=$120
+
2 Suite Collection beach towels @ $20=$40

=$522 + tax!!!

But thanks to the fabulous sale {and to Q100 for mentioning it}, I only spent $66.00. Seriously.

$66!!!

I'm thinking it may be worth hitting up this sale again in October...who's coming with me?

"I can't stop the smile on my face" Mae Shi Band

2009-04-25T07:43:00.004-07:00

I fell asleep with the TV on last night and woke up around 2:00 a.m. to the sound of a song so happy, I thought I was dreaming. Through burning eyes, I could make out scenes of families playing on the beach, people dancing with killer whales, friends enjoying a night out...and I thought, "it must be a Florida tourism commercial."

Then I got to the end of the commercial and smiled. I watched it three more times, turned off the TV, thanked God for being so sweet to me, and fell back asleep...