The Post Holiday Blues?

Hi All,

It feels like we rush, rush, rush to get ready for Christmas and then in a blink of an eye its over. Am I right?! Oh well, until next year. This year's Christmas was one for the record books I think. It was actually the first one G and I actually spent together (the entire Christmas trip I mean). We also spent 24 hours in the car to spend Christmas with our families. We started off the long weekend heading to Georgia to celebrate with his family. And to do a bit of wedding planning- to be honest, we only did cake tasting and decided on the cake. We had an enjoyable time- would you believe it was G's first time experiencing a 'Dirty Santa'/White Elephant gift exchange?! Me neither. It was a blast. We picked up the remainder of his things (what couldn't originally fit in the car when we moved him up here) and then it felt like the trip was over in a blink of an eye. We then hit the road Christmas Eve to head to Va Beach to celebrate with my family. We started off celebrating with my mom and then stopping by to see her side of the family. On Christmas morning, we headed to my best friend's house to see her and her girls. And then it was off to my grandmother's house where G got to meet my dad's side of the family for the very first time. I warned him ahead of time of how crazy our family can be so I think he was prepared but he's convinced they went easy on him. I told him that's probably true. And then that Christmas celebration was over. I tell you- we spend at least a month getting in to the holiday spirit and then it flies by before you even know it.

So we headed back to Alexandria where we proceeded to pick up our brand new KEYS to our apartment. We will be right near Old Town which I'm very excited about. Our furniture gets delivered tomorrow and then the internet is hooked up on Saturday. Still trying to decide on a cable company. Thinking maybe we don't need it for awhile if I invest in an Apple TV/Roku type device with all of my gift cards? And signing up for Hulu Plus/Netflix... I know we'll need cable once college football comes on but I think we could get away with MLB.tv during baseball season. Not sure- weighing the options. It just seems like the satellite company and the cable company want to rip you off (DirecTV has great prices but the provider of DirecTV in my new complex has significantly higher prices than the normal DirecTV packages- otherwise its a no brainer between DirecTV and Comcast).

Anyways, I know I haven't posted in a while. But its been busy up here in NoVa- getting G settled in to the area, getting ready for Christmas, travelling for 7 days straight- it felt like there was driving on each of those days but it was only 3 out of those 7, picking up our keys, planning a wedding, etc. Hopefully in the new year things will settle down. Don't hold your breath though- its full steam ahead until March 30!

Until next time,

Christina

PS- if you have any thoughts or suggestions on the cable/no cable debate- let me hear them...

November Recap

Hi All,

How did I let a whole month slip by without posting? I guess because its been one busy month with not one but two trips to Georgia. So as most of you know, G and I have made the big move to (and back- for me) DC - Alexandria to be exact. We are both officially here as the second of my two trips to Georgia were to pack up his car and bring him up. He did the driving, I just simply gave him company on the long ride. I'm so glad we survived the six weeks apart. I knew we would, I know many people who have gone so much longer, but it was definitely tough. Its hard to get through a stressful day without your companion by your side. Them simply being there helps to de-stress yourself. The time apart is over and I look forward to getting settled in DC.

As for what I did during my two trips in Georgia. The first was for Thanksgiving. We had dinner with his family and then we hit the stores for Black Friday shopping. We started at 8:30pm and went all the way until 5:30am the next morning before going home, getting a few hours of shut eye, and going right back at it. But it wasn't all just for shopping either- the whole visit. I took advantage of being in Georgia to do some wedding planning. We met with our officiant- he is awesome, a perfect fit for what we are looking for. We met with a photography company- decided against booking them as they are too pricey for us and even if we went with their cheapest package, they couldn't guarantee our pictures would be ready for six months (ummm- NO THANKS). Last but not least, I picked out flower girl dresses and bridesmaid dresses. Definitely thanking the Junius clan for taking time out of their busy holiday weekend (one filled with the stomach bug even) to meet up and pick out dresses. I definitely went with a dress that didn't fit with what I originally thought I wanted. But its perfect and beautiful and fits the vibe of the ceremony/reception. We also figured out what the guys are going to wear too. I felt wonderful at all the things we got accomplished over the holiday weekend in regards to our wedding. 

After a short, exhausting week at work (lets just say I didn't get back until 12:30am Monday morning which put me behind on sleep), I was on another plane back to Atlanta. This time out of BWI. Which I have never been too. It was a nice airport and even though I was afraid I was going to miss the MARC train (I didnt), it was an easy, if  a little long, commute. On Friday, I had a blast hanging out with Carol while G was at work. I helped her pick out her dress for our wedding (would you believe it was the first one she tried on?!). She then took me to this amazing store filled with jewelry, purses, shoes, etc. that is inexpensive. Its a lot like Charming Charlies. I left with 4 pairs of earrings and a small Xmas present for a friend and it was only $12. I definitely plan on going back. We ran a few more errands, and then it was back to meet G so we could go to two wedding meetings before dinner. We booked a DJ and a photographer. Both are perfect for us. A photographer who doesn't buy into the wedding hoopla and is there to produce pictures for you. In our budget, this is what we need. The DJ was so laid back and fun, I can't wait for him to get our reception going. I'll skip over Saturday as I'm sure everyone is still heartbroken over the final score. However, I had fun watching the game with everyone and everyone loved the pumpkin dip I made (Thanks Steph for the recipe). Sunday was a long drive back.

So after two weekend trips to Georgia and accomplishing a lot of wedding tasks, I'm ready to relax. But oh wait- apparently my wedding dress already came in! I thought they took months?!?! So it looks like I might be on the road again this weekend to Va Beach to pick it up. I guess I'll rest after the wedding?

Until next time,

Christina

Well Hello November

Hi All,

November is here to stay for a bit and with it came Winter weather. Maybe I'm a baby or a wimp who got really used to Georgia weather, but its freaking cold up here in NoVa. Oh well, it'll be Spring before we know it. Or thats what I tell myself to get out of bed and brave the cold.

As for my job, I'm getting back in to the swing of things. After two weeks on the 8 hour schedule, I have now shifted back to my 4-10 schedule with Fridays off. Yay! That means I have a 4 day weekend coming up- I'd say perfect time to get my old schedule back. There isn't much work going on and I'm still gaining access to the systems but I'm still enjoying being back.

This past weekend was amazing. It was Danielle's birthday- so to celebrate, us girls (Steph, Danielle and I) got a hotel in the city for Friday night. After checking in, we met up with a bunch of people for appetizers and drinks at La Tasca (one of my particular favorites). We got to hang out with Patrick, Laura, Chris, Katie, Catherine and Danielle's boyfriend as well as other friends of Danielle's. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes to a portion of the group and headed to Zaytinya for more drinks and dinner (still tapas style). Being the old ladies that we are, Steph and I crashed after dinner while Danielle managed to stay out for a little while longer. Saturday entailed heading out to Gainesville to hang out at Steph's house watching college football and eating football food as I like to call it. Except I'd like to mention how we failed on pumpkin dip (we never made it). On Sunday morning, we all woke up (except Danielle who chose spinning over IHOP- I know, crazy right) and headed to IHOP (obviously) to meet up with Patrick and Laura. It was a great weekend to spend with old friends who I now get to see anytime I want. Yay!

On another note, I might get to see my best friend this weekend!!!! I'm trying to convince her to come up (90% there) and she says the only way is if I help with Kenzie and Callie. Challenge accepted since those are two of my favorite girls on the planet. I'm going to keep my fingers and toes crossed that this trip happens!!!

And now only 25 days remain of me in DC and G in GA. I'm so glad we aren't going all the way until Xmas.

Until next time,

Christina

Sandy is on her way...

Hi All,

So as Hurricane Sandy comes her way to DC and the federal government is closed, I have time to reflect on how my life has finally quieted down a bit. After two very busy weekends wedding planning/dress shopping and attending a wedding, I thoroughly enjoyed this past weekend of a whole lot of nothing. I wish I could say I was able to catch up on sleep but the cats and I are still getting adjusted to our new surroundings. I hope the cats are doing ok but I just feel like the adjustment is hard for them. Penny is crying a lot but her food is fresh, water is changed and litter clean. I think she's going around looking for G...

So I've been here for a week and I feel like I'm getting back in to the swing of things. I met the girls for happy hour at one of our familiar joints and we made plans for a girls weekend to celebrate Danielle's birthday. It only took 5 days to get my computer at work so I pretty much got paid to read books and magazines after the day and a half of training ended Tuesday.

I feel bad that I'm not back in Alpharetta helping G finish up packing our apartment. I only left a few things that needed to be taken care of but the big one was cleaning and being there for the movers and everything. Its a lot to ask him to take time off work to be there and manage it on his own. Unfortunately with the time constraints we had, thats how we had to do it. I'm grateful to have such a wonderful fiance who seems to be managing very well and still having some time for fun.

Well the cats and I are hunkering down. Sandy is on her way and its supposed to get worse as the day progresses. I just hope we don't lose power. I wouldn't mind another day off from work. Yes I know its only my 2nd week but I love having free days off. Gives me time to do some wedding planning from afar.

Until next time,

Christina

PS- Maybe I'll have a better blog post next time?! Just a quick update on the move.

My Next Big Adventure

Hi All,

So one would think planning a wedding in six months is hard enough on its own. Yes, yes it is. But add on to that a job change and a move, and you have My Next Big Adventure. As I wind down my last week here in the Third Party Administrator company world, I anxiously await a return to my old job with Census. I left Census in 2010 to remain in GA permanently with G which I've never looked back on because our relationship grew and became stronger (obviously). I knew I didn't want a long distance relationship at the time so I made the leap and stayed down here.

After much thought and deliberation a few months ago, G and I decided to take a chance and explore our job options in DC. Side note, this was way before the engagement. After sending a few emails, it became very apparent that we were getting signs that this was the right opportunity for us. Not 24 laters from my first email did I find out that there was an opening in my old office. And two months later, that position is mine.

I am so blessed that I have been given this opportunity again. Not only am I simply being reinstated (no starting over here) but they are paying relocation expenses as well. I will be back in DC in less than 2 weeks in my old office.

G has decided to remain down here for the first bit as his department asked him to remain there until the end of the year. We'll see if he stays that long, but it's the best decision for us. Considering we have a wedding to pay for and debt we want to pay off, both us having good paying jobs seems like a win-win. And it gives him a lot more time to find a job up there too. Even though I don't like the idea of being away from him, I know its only 2 months and temporary.

We've kept this pretty hush hush during the discussion of it, the possibility of it, and even when it came to fruition simply because we hadn't told our jobs yet and more importantly, I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up on my side. Also, it was out of respect for his family and friends too who were the one's being affected the most. G has grown up in GA for most of his life and this is his comfort zone and this is where his family is. But now its all a reality (for me at least). G is still working on an official end date with his superiors.

So if you see me and I look tired, stressed or overwhelmed, now you know why. Planning a wedding and a big move all in a few weeks is one Major Adventure. Add on top of that, being away every weekend so I'm losing out on prime planning and packing time, yeah I'm probably crazy. But it will all be worth it in the end. You only have one life right?!

Until next time,

Christina

PS/Disclaimer ~ If you are stopping by from facebook and are friends with both me and G, please only post responses on my facebook page. He is friend's with some coworkers and not everyone in his office knows of his departure since they are still working out the details. Thanks everyone!!

Wedding! Wedding! Wedding!

Hi All,

So I know I have been MIA from blogging lately but its because I had news that I just couldn't share with you yet. But now that we have announced it, I can say it - we are getting married! Most of you already know this because its all over facebook so its not really news to you. But now I can blog about the planning process and the stress that comes with it (happy stress all the way though).

We have decided to get married in 6 months. 180 days from today to be exact. March 30, 2013. Why are we getting married so soon you might ask? There is a perfectly logical explanation: we don't want to get married in the summer ($$$ and too hot here in the Atlanta area), we can't get married in the fall (college football anyone?!), and we certainly don't want to wait until Spring of 2014 (we've been together for 3 years so we don't need a getting to know you stage built in to the engagement). So Spring of 2013 it is. And we found that we can just squeeze in cheaper prices a bit by staying in March so 3/30 it is. Easter weekend no less so it'll bring the family together for sure.

So after narrowing down the time frame, we knew we had to hit the ground running. So off to site visits we went. To be honest, we only went to 2 official visits. We received a lot of email information from various sites though. We knew going in to it approximately where we wanted to have the ceremony/reception. Canton St in Roswell is not only beautiful up and down the street but it has many different venues in the surrounding area. After going to one site, we ventured to the one we absolutely loved. Founders Hall. Not only was it beautiful inside and out but the lady we'll be working with is just so very pleasant and nice that I know we are in good hands. It especially helped that we had my future in laws with us because they knew just what questions to ask and they absolutely loved the place too. So we officially booked an evening wedding at Founders Hall.

After that, G's dad hit the ground running with the rehearsal dinner after finding out what we were thinking- a laid back casual affair that included bbq somehow. There is a perfect little spot right near Founder's Hall named The Yellow House. It is a joint venture of two co-owned restaurants within walking distance (Swallow at the Hallow for bbq and Greenwoods for chicken). You can have items from both restaurants which is fantastic and its a beautiful venue. G's dad and his wife went to check it out and sent us pictures. Its so cute and lovely inside and we know the food is perfect. So mark that one off the list too.

After we got the venues set up, we made our to do list. And let me tell you, its a doozie of a list. Slowly but surely we'll get it done. We almost have the hotel blocks firmed up (Doubletree in Roswell and hopefully Holiday Inn in Roswell) and we finished our registries this weekend (the most fun ever). If you want to get a head start (cough, cough), we are registered at Macys, Crate & Barrel and Target... Just kidding on the head start. But if you want to see them, they are available for public view already. Crate & Barrel has an open house soon so we'll hit that up for free food/drinks even if our registry is pretty much done there.

So I feel like we've accomplished a lot so far. But we still have a list that keeps growing. We already went to the caterer's open house (no worries there, the food was amazing) and have a meeting set up to discuss our food selections. The biggest item on our list that needs to get done is firming up the invite list, getting addresses and sending out Save the Dates.

I'm definitely enjoying the ride though even if it is exhausting.

Until next time,

Christina

Why Social Media is Awesome...

Hello All,

I wish I had a better title than that, but I'm not that creative. Anyways, I have just realized why social media was created. They say its to keep in touch with others (blah blah blah) but in reality they created it for people like me. People who need distractions or something to do at work. Yep you heard right, its to give us worker bees something to pass the time when there is no actual work to be done. I promise, I finished everything on my desk by 9am this morning. Needless to say I'm bored. But yes, before you get on me -  I know I'm lucky to get paid to play on the internet. There are many people out there looking for work as we speak. So in reality, I'm not complaining. And this is coming from someone who recently worked retail and was on my feet all day dealing with rude customers, I am sooo not trying to complain. So thank you Facebook and Twitter for keeping me occupied today. Thank you to the following websites for keeping me entertained and at times trying to figure out a way to laugh quietly at my desk: People Magazine and most importantly, People of Walmart. Pinterest got blocked a few weeks ago so I lost that one. Oh well, I'm sure its only a matter of time before all of these others get blocked. Now if I could just get a faster computer with up to date software, it would make playing on the internet so much better.

Until next time, you can find me on facebook or twitter if you need a comrade to keep yourself busy during the day. Because I can't possibly be the only one not busy at work, right?

Christina

When Did it Become September Already?

Hi All,

Did you know it was already September? When did I blink and the year is almost over? The days just keep getting faster don't they.

But hey, now that its September, do you know what that means? Yep, you guessed it (well, if you live in the south you guessed it, if you are in the north - it could mean a bunch of things)... College Football! Yes sir (or ma'am), college football craziness has hit my apartment (I mean, I'm pretty sure G was salivating when August 1 hit because it meant UGA football was almost back). And now that the season has officially started (we went to the home opener last Saturday), I have to pull out my red and black. Fun side note (for all you northern followers), did you know that you are supposed to dress up for football games?! I mean, yes - I have had 2.5 years to get used to it but it still surprises me. So being that its a new season, I went shopping as I needed more red and black dressy options. My wardrobe consisted of 1 red dress and 1 black dress and thats it. Macy's had a bunch of options but I just wasn't impressed with the way they looked on. But leave it to G to find me some dresses. I swear that boy is better at clothes shopping than I am. We were walking by this boutique in the mall when I stopped to gaze at a UGA picture frame and he saw a "game colors clothing" sign. We walked in. I found two dresses (1 all red, and 1 red/black combo) in the first minute and they fit perfectly and were comfortable. Score! And let me tell you, with how hot it gets down here (last saturday's game was miserably hot), comfort is the name of the game. I'll be able to breath in these dresses. So yay for fall and dressing up for college football- it gave me a reason to go shopping! And if I can hope for one thing to happen this football season, its that UGA has a good year and lives up to the expectations. It'll make my fall so much better!

Other than college football starting, nothing else exciting down here. The cats are finally getting healthy (crossing my fingers it stays that way). They have become quite the Nascar kitties lately (now that we can let them out into the apartment).Be careful where you step because you might get tripped by a kitten on the run. They seriously bring smiles to our faces every day, even though they are a lot of work and a lot of $$ thanks to extra vet visits. We laugh daily playing with them.

Here's to an exciting fall. Who thinks I can convince G to take me to a pumpkin patch again? Or Helen's Oktoberfest? Anybody? Yeah, I might be grasping for straws on those.

Until next time,

Christina

Remember That Time I was Locked Out of My Apt?

Hello All,

I wish yesterday was Monday for the simple fact that I could chalk it up to a case of the Mondays. But unfortunately it was not and I couldn't really say "oh well, its because it had a case of the Tuesdays". That's not a thing. So anyways, I'm minding my own business, walking to my apartment after getting home from work yesterday. I put the key in the door and........"nothing". No unlocking occurred. I jiggled the door, the key and tried to use more muscle strength and........."nothing". I mean really, I'm locked out of my apartment. And G's still at work so he couldn't have locked the top lock. And when I say "nothing" I mean nothing was happening- you couldn't hear a lock moving at all. So I called the leasing office. Who first thought it was the key but I was like, "I think maintenance needs to come because the lock has been acting strange lately". So the maintenance guy comes with the master key (like thats going to help but thanks for trying). Again, "nothing". He tries lodging a screw driver in the door to help and still nada. At this point, G left work a few minutes early and comes strolling up and is all "let me try". Sure go ahead and use your muscly strength and open the door because the maintenance guy couldn't even open it using tools. So he tried. I'm not sure what he was expecting to happen but what I expected did happen- nothing.

At this point, I've been home for like 45 minutes with no end in sight. The mainentance supervisor comes over with a ladder. They decide to unlock the balcony door. BUT there is a privacy lock on that one too and of course we keep that locked when we are out. Who doesn't? Yes I know we live on the 2nd floor but still, if there is an extra lock of security, we use it. They ask for the screwdriver so G throws it up. And about 5-10  minutes later, they BREAK INTO OUR APARTMENT. Seriously, they had to practically bust open the balcony door to get in. And the only way the could let us in was by completely removing the lock on the front door.

I couldn't make this up even if I tried. Seriously, our apartment complex had to break into our apartment to let us in. Naturally, they replaced the lock on our main door and promised to return to fix the balcony door. We wanted to make sure that didn't come back on us when we decide to move out. The maintenance guy assured us it would not as they are the ones to do the walk through. Ok sure buddy. Now that I think about it, I should have gotten that in writing.

Oh well, at least its kind of a funny story to tell about how G and I were locked out of our apartment and had to break into it to get in.

Ahh life.

Until next time,

Christina

Cooking Disaster Part 2

Hello All,

I've decided I should probably break up with cooking. Cooking and I have an extremely love hate relationship right now. More towards the hate portion but whatever. Maybe I'll love it again soon. Anyways, so after my oh so delicious garlic-brown suger chicken (oh wait, nope it wasn't "oh so delicious, now was it?!) debacle, I thought I would try round 2 of recipe following. I tried Orange Chicken in the crockpot (the recipe can be found here). Where to begin- it tasted like orange juice with a little bit of chicken. Maybe I put to much OJ concentrate in but it tasted like FREAKING OJ (HOT OJ no less) with a little bit of chicken. Don't even get me started about the peppers and carrots I cut up and put it in there. I think I almost gagged.

In any event, there was a stop at McDonalds afterwards. Comfort food was definitely needed. I'm just so thankful that he attempted to eat it - more than me thats for sure. And pointed out the positives (the chicken was juicy and tender).

But I think its high time I get cooking lessons. Otherwise we'll just have to live at McDonalds. Or Wendy's, Taco Bell... well you get the picture.

Who want's to give me cooking lessons? Need a christmas idea for me- COOKING LESSONS!!! Otherwise, we will be 400 pounds living off of fast food.

Because this cook in training wants to give up. In better news, Stouffer's Family Entrees are on sale at Publix today and Publix has a coupon to go with it. Lasagna or Chicken/Broccoli Bake is on the menu for tonight. I can't screw up a box meal, am I right? Right?

I hope to have just 1 successful cooking post in my future. I await your cooking recommendations/offer of cooking lessons/gift certificates for cooking classes. I'm not picky.

Until next time,

Christina

I Warned Him I wasn't a Chef

Hello All,

I had a pretty memorable experience in the kitchen last Friday night in my attempt to be Suzy Homemaker for the boy. When I say memorable, I mean memorable in a bad way. He was so nice in saying it wasn't so bad but that he was just going to make some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because he was still hungry. Our apartment smelled like garlic for a few days.

Anyways, lets start from the beginning. I joined Pinterest a few months ago and at first wasn't impressed. Then work got slow so I started poking around and got hooked. I want to write a whole Pinterest post about the different crafts I want to try so this is my Pinterest cooking post. A side note, my work decided to block Pinterest this week so I can't link to my Pinterest so I'll be linking to original blog posts/sources for recipes.

So a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this blog titled Life in Yellow which you can see here. She has this Menu Planner sheet (found here) which allows you to write down a few recipes to take to the grocery store. So I implemented it. I like it for its simplicity and ease of use.

What did I do next, I scoured Pinterest for different recipes I pinned. Which led me to this Easy Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken (found here) and Zucchini boats (found here at another interesting blog you should check out here especially if you want healthier meal options). The chicken had very little ingredients which is what I like about cooking and it stated it wouldn't take that long to prep or cook. Sold. Or so I thought. Has anyone minced garlic before? Well I sure haven't. It was a mess. Between the chicken and the zucchini boats, I was mincing 6 cloves of garlic. 6?!?!?! I learned for the last 2 to just throw them in the Magic Bullet. But still, I will not use 4 cloves of garlic again on this chicken. Nor will I cook it at 500 degrees which it calls for. My bad for not reading through more of the comments to learn this little nugget of information until afterwards. Because when the chicken came out the brown suger had burnt and wasn't as sweet as I wanted. The chicken was cooked which was good but the seasoning/marinade (whatever you want to call the garlic and brown suger) was yuck. And after so much garlic, the zucchini boats felt like they were swimming in garlic.

All in all, I dont think I'll try the chicken again. I'll look for another brown sugar recipe because I did like the hint of sugar taste (surprisingly). I will try the zucchini boats again for sure but without any garlic at all. I'm not a huge garlic fan to begin with but I want to try recipes as close to the original post as possible when first testing them. So here's to a crash and burn on a Friday night of cooking.

Hey, at least I warned the boy in the beginning that I wasn't a cook. And at least I'm trying. An A for effort.

Tonight is Slow Cooker Phillys (again found on Pinterest originally but originally posted on 5 dinners 1 hour found here). We've already tried this blogs Chili Cheese Coneys (found here) and they were successful (except for a request of no relish next time). Seriously if you have any free time and like easy cooking, check this blog out (5 dinners 1 hour). You can subscribe to her menu plan (which I don't yet) or you can just check out all the easy recipes she posts to her blog for free (definitely for me).

Wish me luck on the Phillys (they are slowly cooking as we speak)....

Until next time,

Christina

Ramblings- Or the Jumbled Thoughts of Christina

Hello All,

Its another day in the life of Christina over here. Can you believe its already August? Jeez, the time is flying. Anyways, its been busy over here in Christina land. A trip to Orlando (Disney World and Universal) over July 4 with Grant, Preston and Lauren. Let me tell you- two Mintz brothers and 1 vacation... Lauren and I deserve medals I tell you. It was a blast and I plan on posting a whole blog with pictures (there's a few on facebook now I think). Highlight of the trip - HARRY POTTER WORLD! Yes, I finally made it to Harry Potter World. If I could live there I would, it was that awesome.

In other news, my mother is doing much better. She moved up to Virginia Beach to be closer to relatives (both her brother and sister live up there still with there respective families). There have been no more side effects lately or emergency trips to the hospital. Thankfully. Grant and I were able to get up to Virginia Beach a few weekends ago to visit her and to make sure she was all settled in. It was really good to see her.

Speaking of Virginia Beach, Grant finally made it there for a trip. 3 years later! Ha. We had a very quick trip as we drove and didn't have any time off around the weekend. Our primary agenda was to visit with my mom, reconnect with her side of the family and meet baby Callie. To put it mildly, we were exhausted by the time we got home. But it was worth every minute. We were able to visit with my grandma and have lunch with her and we were able to have lunch with the Smeads before we left too. It was so much fun and I got to hold Callie over and over again. As well as hand her off to her daddy when she needed a diaper change (Aunt Chrissy is still not on diaper duty). Mackenzie taught Grant how to play field hockey in the living room (I think Katy was too tired to fight that fight- the whole sports in the house thing). They didn't break a thing and Grant learned that you can't win against an 8 year old because the rules always change to her liking- haha.

And finally to round up this rambling post, our cats had a wellness visit as soon as we got back from Va Beach. It was supposed to be the day before we left but lets just say my car decided to crap out on me and request its very own new battery (thank you goes to the Ford Motor Company though who sent someone to my house to jump start my car for free so I could get to work). Thanks also go to Advanced Auto Parts for testing my battery and replacing it in the blazing hot summer heat. And I guess I should thank my car for crapping out the day before vacation instead of ON vacation. That was lucky.

Anyways, back to the cats. Where to begin. We thought it was a good idea to get two cats so they always have a friend to keep them company. But did you know if you have a sick cat, you have to treat BOTH cats (especially kittens) all the time. Yeah, didn't see that one coming. We noticed Pickles had been sneezing a lot (we thought maybe allergies) but the Vet decided to treat him for a cold (gave him an antibiotic at the office) and gave us a gel to put on their noses. Penny loves this medicine and comes back for more while Pickles cowers in a corner. On top of the cold, they found Pickles has a parasite. So we got the pleasure of trying to hold two kittens down for 6 days trying to give them this oral medicine (a little vial you squirt in their mouth). Yep that happened. And it made a mess a lot of the times. Until we employed the "wrap the kitten up in a towel" method that is. That at least minimized the mess. Oh did I forget to mention that it doesn't end here. Yep no dice. We noticed a small rough patch next to Pickles eye before the vet visit so we figured we should mention it to the Vet. It could be a variety of things but they wanted to test for Ringworm just to be safe. Lets just say we knew it was that before the results even came back because another spot showed up on his leg. Yes Pickles not only still has a cold, just got off a parasite (I hope) and now we are dealing with Ringworm. Which is apparently a 30 day vial treatment program for BOTH CATS. I mean really, we barely survived 6 days of a vial treatment. Now we have a 30 day medicine. Still waiting for that to arrive so I'll let you know how it goes. However, throughout all of this everything has been covered by the Humane Society or that 30 day pet insurance that is complimentary. One of the two. We have been very lucky that the costs have been zero so far. I just hope they get healthy because this mama is miserable seeing two unhappy cats because they have to be quarantined (in the bathroom) until the medicine comes in.

See what I mean, ramblings I tell you. I think I just had one of those mind dump things. I feel better. How about you? Next time I'll tell you about some of the lovely ideas I have gotten from Pinterest and have actually attempted to implement. I'm addicted to that site right now. Addicted I tell you.

That's all for now, I promise.

Until next time,

Christina

Our Newest Additions

Good Morning All,

What a busy month June and July have become. As I sit in jury duty, I figured I would introduce you to the newest additions to our family.

We adopted two kittens this weekend, and have named them Penny (darker one) and Pickles (orange one). We had the hardest time naming Pickles. I think he had 3 names in one day.

They are so adorable, cute, and sweet. They both love curling up on my lap and taking a nap. I love kitten cuddles.

After the stressful weeks we had there for awhile, they have made us smile beyond belief.

Enjoy the pics!

Christina

A Rough Beginning to June

Hello All,

Its been a while since my last post but its been a long few weeks. After a few weeks of fun and traveling, June has been rough so far. Two weeks ago, my mom fell and had to go to the hospital. After a few days in the hospital, we learned she had fluid buildup that was causing her brain to shift. Therefore, she had to have surgery to drain it. She's doing well now and at home, but its been scary and tiring and very very stressful. You realize at times like these how hard it is being an only child with no other siblings to lean on. I was very lucky to have an aunt and uncle who were able to go to Jacksonville for an extended visit as I was able to only go for a few days. But still, its times like these that make me wish we were all just a few years younger because I'm not ready for times like these. Here's to a better end to June and more exciting things to blog about.

Until next time,

Christina

Photo Dump

I've put into words the adventures of my life lately- 3 trips in a row to be exact. Here's just a few shots from these trips. Enjoy!

Katy in all her glory

Elizabeth is due 9 days before Katy. Don't they look so cute :)

Waiting for our table at Union Street Pub

It's very rare where I convince him to take a photo. Or have someone to take our photo (is more like it)

Takes me back to my childhood, going to Waterside where I could watch fudge get made and then get a free sample.

Not enough money in the world to take that mans job. I'll stay on this side of the cage thank you very much.

Ha. Go in for a drink, leave with a balloon hat. Sounds about right.

While we knew our hotel was near the airport, we did not realize it was directly under the flight path until now.

After a great dinner (and of course a margarita or two) at Margaritaville :)

Until next time,

Christina

Did Someone Say Roadtrip?

Hello All,


What a busy few weeks we've had here. I don't know what we were thinking but we decided to do 2 road trips in a row. Yes you read that right. TWO! One weekend we went to DC and then the next we went to Myrtle Beach. Even though you might think we are crazy, we had a blast both weekends. So here's a little recap (eventually I'll put pictures up I promise):


We went to DC two weekends ago to visit my friends and my dad (see dad, 3rd post- you were finally mentioned). This trip was supposed to happen in March but scheduling conflicts and finances delayed it 2 months. It was so worth it though because we were able to see everyone we attempted to see and go to the places we wanted to go. When we arrived on Saturday, we went and had lunch with my dad at Ballston after going to the Caps Practice Facility so that Grant could go to the store. I kept telling him to wait until we went to DC so he was ready to get his new Caps gear. We each walked out with at least 1 thing so it was a success. Saturday night, we went out to dinner with all the girls (minus Danielle) and their significant others. This was after we did a lovely house tour of new houses and updated houses. Everyone has done wonderful things and have wonderful ideas for future upgrades too. Dinner was at Hard Times (if you've never been, go and try the chili). We then spent the night at Steph and Adam's house where Steph and I polished off a bottle of wine and talked until late in the night. Sunday was great- we spent a lovely day in Old Town Alexandria. This time Danielle was able to join us (YAY!!!) and my dad and his girlfriend. It was a lovely day. Unfortunately our trip felt way too short and we had to leave (ON GRANT's BIRTHDAY NO LESS). Thanks everyone for making it a fantastic trip!


Just three short days later, we hit the road to Myrtle Beach for Memorial Day weekend. After taking an hour and half to get the last 30 minutes of the drive done, we came to find out it was Biker Week in Myrtle Beach. Making it very difficult to get anywhere. We were almost at our wits in 45 minutes in to our vacation but we got to our room, regrouped and headed out to find food. After a wrong turn, trying to go through the strip (where we got stuck for an hour), we found a back way to find gas and found our fix for the weekend- a back way to get everywhere we wanted to go. Did I mention our hotel had a lazy river? And a pier with a cafe that gave us free ice cream? Oh and a view of the beach that was walking distance. Saturday we went to the Alligator Adventure park (more for Grant but I had a blast). Afterwards, we headed to the beach. It was so relaxing and we were able to take a few laps around the lazy river. We enjoyed dinner at Margaritaville that night where obviously the margaritas were fantastic. Sunday was mainly a beach day followed by a trip up to Calabash, NC where apparently calabash style seafood was created. It was yum.


All in all, we had two awesome trips. Very tiring after a while but so worth it! Here's to many more!


Until next time,


Christina

Virginia Beach down and now its DC or bust!

Hello world,


So I feel like I'm finally catching up from my Virginia Beach trip. And yet, I'm right back on the road tomorrow headed to good old Washington, DC (well mostly the Virginia side but whatever). But first, a recap of Virginia Beach...


I got in to town Friday night and went directly to Katy's. I had already planned on staying there as we were getting up pretty early for Kenzie's field hockey game (why I was calling it lacrosse for weeks I will never know). It was fun to watch her game and even though they don't keep track of the score or who wins, her team still won. What I enjoyed most was that I got more time to hang out with Katy and her family and to catch up. Also, it didn't hurt that Kenzie had the largest cheering squad out there. After the game, we went over to Katy's parents house for lunch for what I like to call - my dad's favorite place in the world. And if you are wondering, yes- we rubbed it in his face. Then it was time for the main event- Katy's baby shower. It was a great afternoon where Katy was celebrated and her new baby girl soon to come. The best part- coming up with a plan with her cousins, Molly and Emily to best measure what Katy's pregnant belly would be. It involved multiple schemes - the winning one was making Molly and Emily hug while I wrapped the ribbon around them. It gave the room a laugh and their mom took a blackmail picture. While we were super close to the winning line, we didn't win. Sad.


The shower was a blast and I'm glad I went. I would have regretted it if I hadn't gone. After the shower, I went to my grandmother's house and stayed with her. We just relaxed and chatted for the longest time. It was nice and quiet and a great way to catch up. The holidays are always so hectic going this way and that and getting ready for festivities that you rarely get time to chill out and just talk. Which is exactly what we did. I forget how old she is getting and how lucky I am to still have her in my life (my one remaining grandparent). I cherish the moments I get to spend with her. 


Well that was Virginia Beach. A very quick trip as my flight was early Sunday morning. I'm so glad I went. 


And now on to the next main event (who needs to hear about my boring work week- right?!). Grant and I leave tomorrow night for DC - a trip that was originally supposed to happen in March. The best part- every one is in town and free. We will get a chance to see all of the girls (yay for no work trips- thats right, I'm looking at you Steph). We haven't quite scheduled out all the events but I do know one birthday boy who has been waiting to get his new Caps gear- so a trip to a sports store will definitely need to happen. Oh and Hard Times. Best chili ever. And I'll leave you with this- wouldn't it be great if Hard Times and La Tasca could merge into one?! What would be better than chili and sangria. I mean really. Just kidding- but definitely two stops we will be making.


Until next time....

Inaugural Post

Hi All,


So I've had a lot of free time lately at work (sshhh don't tell my boss) which has led me to read completely random blogs all over the internet. Let me tell you, this has kept me very entertained. Which got me thinking, maybe I should start one. I mean, I did enjoy writing in my livejournal (do people still have these?) way back when. I even enjoyed going back and reading some posts I made just to see what I was thinking, doing and saying. So here it is, my new attempt at chronicling my adventures. I have a lot coming up so it should provide for some good reading (i certainly hope). Maybe you'll be interested, maybe not. But I certainly will be. 


I fly up to Va Beach in a few hours for my best friend's baby shower which means this post will be brief. I'm extremely excited as I haven't seen her or my family since Christmas. I probably will only get to see my grandmother this visit as I fly back early Sunday morning. I want to get in all the visits with my grandmother as I can because I know I'm lucky to still have her around as we all get older every day. 


To end this post I'd just like to say welcome and thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy the ride with me. 


~ Christina