30 Days of Thankfulness: Weeks 3 and 4

Hi!  Sorry for the delay!  Better late than never!  Here's the last half of my November thankfuls...

15.  Greg and I were able to get a new Christmas tree this year, and that has been exciting! One day, we'd like to do a real tree, but we just need more space.  We found the perfect tree at Target.

16.  I am thankful for an unexpected day off!  One of B's grandmothers came to town, and I was able to take the day off.  A bonus on this day is that Greg also had the day off, so we were able to spend a lot of time together.

17.  I'm so glad that we started our Christmas shopping already!  We are hoping to get it done early.

18.  I spent the afternoon with a new friend.  We went to see Argo in the theater and then we spent the afternoon chatting.  I'm thankful for new friendships.

19.  I'm thankful for cold days spent cuddling with the dogs.

20.  Call me crazy, but I'm thankful for the struggles that Greg and I face.  I think that they bring us closer together and make our relationship stronger.

21.  I had a long phone conversation with a friend on the phone.  It had been way too long since I talked with her.  I am so glad that we were able to chat and catch up!

22.  I am thankful for mine and Greg's low key Thanksgiving together!  Don't get me wrong, we love being with our family on holidays, but it's nice to not have the stress of cooking for a large group!

23.  Greg and I were able to get out to the movie theater to see Skyfall after he napped to recover from working black Friday.
 
24.  I went to the mall, and it made me realize how thankful I am that we are almost done with our Christmas shopping!  Bonus: since Greg works at the mall, when we think of something we need to get for someone... Greg can just grab it when he's on break.

25.  I'm thankful for a long Skype date with one of my best friends.
 
26.  I am glad to have play-dates with friends and their children.  B really enjoys playing with his sweet friend.

27.   I love wrapping presents.  My mom always made wrapping presents an art, and I guess I got it from her.  I think that it's refreshing and exciting to sit down and make presents look beautiful.

28.  I'm thankful for a GREAT day with B.

29.  We had a wonderful meal tonight for dinner!  It's quickly becoming one of my favorites!  Homemade salmon fish sticks and pearled couscous.  SO good!

30.  I'm thankful for an afternoon off!  Greg and I were able to finish the rest of our Christmas shopping today!

I feel like I should clarify that I'm thankful for so much more than the 30 things that I have listed this month.  I just don't always take time to think about what I am thankful for on a daily basis. I feel like it was a really good thing for me to do this year.  Greg and I have had our fair share of struggles over the past year, but it's still been a good year with so much to be thankful for.  I hope that you were all able to think about all the things that you are thankful for during the past 4 weeks.  Now, we are moving forward to the craziness of the holidays.  I cannot wait!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Week 2

Hi!  I hope that everyone has had a great week!  I am excited that I have inspired some other people to post their weekly thankfuls.  I look forward to reading them all week!  Here we go with week 2 of November thankfulness.

8.  I am thankful for my wonderful in-laws.  I often talk with people who struggle with their relationship with the in-laws.  I seriously won the lottery when it comes to my in-laws.  They are wonderful to Greg and I, and we are so happy that they are such an important part of our lives.  They support us, and love us no matter what is going on, and we are thankful for that every single day.

9.  I am thankful for extra money that Greg and I had to use for a nice dinner out.  We don't go out to eat often at all because we don't always have money to spend on a fancy meal out.  This night was a rare treat for us, and we went to eat at PF Changs.  It was a delicious treat!

10.  I am thankful for new friends that we are making in Durham.  We have been getting to know several new people, and I am looking forward to seeing where our friendship takes us!

11.  I am thankful for veterans.  Greg and I have several veterans in our families.  We are especially thankful for those in our family that have served our country.  

12.  I am thankful for friends that call, text, and message when I'm having a bad day.  Those thoughts and messages really help when you are just having a crappy day.  It makes me think of how I can easily send those types of messages when I know a friend that's have a hard day.

13.  I am thankful for fuzzy socks.  I don't think I really have an explanation for this.  I just love them.  I am thankful to own several pairs that I wear all the time when the weather is cold.

14.  I am thankful for our sweet babies, Hershee and Penni.  It's amazing how they love us unconditionally.  I am so thankful that they are there to snuggle with me on cold nights.  I seriously cannot imagine our life without them.  I'm going to go love on them right now!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Week 1

I love November.  It's the month that I was born, it's the beginning of the holidays, it's a great month for college football, it's the month when cooler weather moves in, and it's the month when I like to think about all the things I am thankful for.  Last year I did one post where I talked about all the things I was thankful for, but I think this year I am going to try and do a weekly post.  I think it will give me time to really reflect on the past year, and I'll spend time each day thinking about what I am thankful for.

1.  I am thankful for Greg.  I know that I say it every year, and I will continue to list him every year.  There is really no one that I would rather face the challenges of life with.  I am thankful every single day that Greg is my partner in life.  I love him every day more than the last.

2.  I am thankful for time spent with family.  We were in Gatlinburg, TN last week with my parents, my brother, sister in law, and my sweet nephew.  I am so glad that we got to go there together and spend time together laughing and joking.  We missed that my other brother was not able to make it.  But, I am looking forward to all of us being together again at Christmas.

3.  I am thankful for my parents.  I am especially thankful for the time we were able to spend with them last weekend.  I am glad that we have the technology that we have, so that I can see them on FaceTime whenever I need/want to.  I am glad that Greg and I have their love and support throughout our journey.

4.  I am thankful that I got so spend time with my college roommate, Allison, last week.  I hadn't seen Allison since her wedding!  It had been way too long.  I am so glad that Greg and I decided to detour over to Cherokee, NC before heading to Gatlinburg last weekend.  I loved seeing her and Danny, and I really loved putting my hands on her belly trying to feel the baby move.  I can't wait for their little one to arrive!

5.  I am thankful that Durham is really starting to feel like home to us.  We have signed our lease for another year, and I am looking forward to staying.  We haven't lived anywhere long enough to feel the "home" feeling that we are starting to have here.  I'm excited about friendships that are being formed with people that we have met and been spending more time with in Durham.

6.  I am thankful for the holiday season.  For some reason, I am really ready to get all my Christmas decorations out!  I am sure that Greg would tell you how shocking this is because he thinks that I don't have a ton of holiday spirit, but he only thinks that because I don't love watching all those terribly corny Hallmark channel/ ABC Family holiday movies.  ugh.  They are awful.  But, I am looking forward to the long trip home at Christmas to see our families, and just general holiday cheer.

7.  I am thankful for Lauren, Bryson, and B.  I have been taking care of B for 14 months now.  I cannot believe how big he is getting!  I am so glad that I have a job to go to everyday that I love so much.  Every single day with B is an adventure, and I wouldn't trade spending that time with him for anything.  I am so happy to be a part of their family, and I look forward to watching B grow over the next year.

Wordless Wednesday

Fall decorating!

I've started decorating for fall now that it is officially autumn. For some reason, I have found myself mildly obsessed with fall decor this year. I absolutely hate that we have our TV hanging above the mantle because I think it severely limits my ability to decorate the mantle. I'm trying to figure it out because I kind of gave up during spring, but now I'm trying really hard to make it work. Here is a preview... I plan on doing a whole post when I get everything ready!

How are you decorating for fall? Do you have any tips for decorating around your TV to give your mantle a fall look?

Weekend trip home

In July we flew home for a weekend because one of Greg's good friends was getting married, and Greg was a groomsman.  We actually flew into Atlanta and rented a car for the weekend because that was cheaper than actually flying into Birmingham.  We stayed in Tuscaloosa with Mom and dad on Thursday and Friday night, and then Saturday night after the wedding we stayed with my brother and sister-in-law in Birmingham.

We spent Friday hanging out with my Mom, and luckily dad was able to meet us for lunch.  We ate at the new Jim 'n Nicks in Tuscaloosa.  Shocker, I know.  It was pretty good, and really busy.  Friday night we drove up to Birmingham for the rehearsal, dinner, and after rehearsal get together at Pale Eddie's Pour House downtown.  We had a good time, and it was really good to see some old friends.

Greg and I at the after rehearsal get together

Saturday was a little crazier.  Greg got up and went to Birmingham early to hit golf balls with the guys, and then they had lunch before they started getting ready for pictures.  I didn't want to go up there and be stuck with not much to do all day, so I stayed in Tuscaloosa with Mom.  We went shopping and got a manicure and pedicure.  It was a really good morning/afternoon.  After we got home, I rushed around getting ready for the wedding.  I drove up to Birmingham to my brother's house and dropped the car off, and he took me over to the church for the wedding so that Greg and I would only have one car.

The wedding was beautiful.  It was in an adorable Episcopal church downtown.  After the wedding, we all headed to the Vulcan Museum for the reception.  I had actually never been to Vulcan, so I was pretty excited to check it out, and see the views of downtown Birmingham.  It was so pretty!  We had a really good time!  I got Greg to dance with me a few times!  We ended up seeing a lot more friends at the reception, so it was really good being able to catch up with them.

Brian and Carson during the ceremony 

Greg and I at the wedding reception 

Brian and Carson's first dance

Sunday morning Mom and Dad drove up to my brother's house because we were all going to go have brunch at Another Broken Egg in Mountain Brook.  We got there around 11, and luckily only had to wait about 20 minutes.  It was DELICIOUS!  I'm so glad that we were able to get together with the entire family!

Mom and Dad at brunch 

Guy and Andrea at brunch

Ben and Alicia at brunch

 Greg and I at brunch

Overall, it was a crazy busy weekend, but I am so glad that we went!  It was really great seeing friends that we haven't seen since our wedding, and of course it was great to see my parents, siblings, and my nephew.

Here is Justin holding the book that Greg and I got for him.  I seriously cannot believe that he is going to be one this week!  It's amazing how time flies when you have little ones in your life.  I am looking forward to going through it all again starting in late January when Greg's sister has her little girl!  We are looking forward to become Aunt and Uncle again!  I can't wait to begin spoiling my newest niece!

The Science of Beer

Tonight we went over to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham for this after hours event. They had 25 different local breweries there serving samples. It was a lot of fun!

I'm not a huge beer fan, but Greg likes trying different beers, so I knew that it would be something that he would enjoy. I found a couple of beers that I liked, and I made sure to write them down.

They also had three food trucks outside the museum for dinner options. We got pizza from Pie Pushers and it was delicious!