A Different Kind of Holiday

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We spent Thanksgiving at the NewlyHusband's parent's house. I tried some new foods (which is a big deal for me!): squash casserole, cornbread dressing, and pumpkin pie. The power actually went out at 2 am on Thanksgiving morning! A car hit a power line and the electricity didn't come back on until about 10:30 am. The NewlyHusband and I enjoyed some time on the pier at the beach where his parents live while the power was out. We watched a bird that had taken a shrimp from a fisherman's bait bucket and just kept hopping around with this shrimp in his mouth. I think he was scared that if he put it down to eat it, another bird would snatch it. A rational fear, I think, since the other birds seemed to be following him pretty closely. We had dinner, watched some football and ice skating, and then went to see NewlyHusband's sister and niece for a bit. A very relaxing Thanksgiving.

On Friday, we went shopping (in the late morning- no way we were getting up at 3 am and fighting the crowds.) We went to Target where I got 2 pairs of gloves for $1.50 and the game Apples to Apples for 10 bucks. I've never played it before but heard it was a blast. We then went to the mall. I wanted to go to Old Navy to check out their 50% off outerwear sale, but man it was a madhouse in there. We picked up some Christmas gifts and we each got a new pair of shoes. I got these:

for 15 bucks! We drove home Friday late afternoon and crashed early after a quick stop at Kohls.

Poor NewlyHusband hasn't been feeling well since we got back. He has very bad allergies and his parents smoke in their house which really exaggerates his allergies. It was so nice to have a couple days off to spend with the NewlyHusband and his family. Now it's back to school. This week is my last week of classes and next week is finals. Sooo I better get busy!

But I'm Thankful Too

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving (American Thanksgiving, that is, don't want to leave out you Canadians who already had yours!). I believe that everyday, we should all take a moment to think about what we're thankful for. I read something once that said we should be thankful for our pile of dirty laundry that needs to be washed because it means we have clothes and thankful for the weight we have gained, because it means we have food, etc. That is such a great way to think.

So, dear readers, some of the things that I am thankful for, both big and small:

• that I found my faith in God a little over four years ago. If God is all you have, God is all you need.


• my amazing husband. Read some of the reasons I love him here.


• my family. Although we certainly have our flaws, there is lots of love there and to me that is most important.


• my job. I complain a lot about working every weekend, but I am incredibly thankful that I am employed right now.


• prescription sunglasses. I wear my sunglasses all.the.time. Even if it's cloudy- if they're not on my eyes, they're on my head. I feel weird and semi-naked when I don't have them.

I am thankful for many other things, but those are the ones that automatically came to my mind.

This will be the first year I have not had Thanksgiving with my mom. We are heading to the in laws. It will be different, but I am looking forward to spending the holiday with people that have taken me in and loved me as their own.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Tired

I realize it's Thanksgiving week and there's some unspoken rule that we should all write about what we're thankful for. In an effort to not conform, I've decided to kind of do the opposite and write a post of the things I'm tired of. But no worries, I do have plenty of gratitude, so look for a post of things I'm thankful for tomorrow.

I'm tired of:

• my pants being too tight
• my neck being in constant pain
• homework and studying
• not speaking my mind
• being afraid
• working weekends
• missing church
• living on the westside
• my vision getting worse
• things breaking
• not having enough time

What are you tired of?

Let's Catch Up, Shall We?

I don't have much time, cuz I need to write a paper that's due tomorrow, but I just wanted to catch up with you all a bit. So, expect a bunch of randomness in this post.

-I went to Martini Fest Friday night with a couple girls. Martini Fest is an event here where you get a small martini glass and they have over 50 different booths, all with different types of martinis that you can sample. Best ones- American vodka and lemonade and one that was Bubblegum vodka, cranberry juice and gingerale. Yum! Worst one- caramel martini with chocolate sauce. Ick!

- I just registered for my last semester of college classes! WooHoo! That just feels amazing. My last semester will consist of these 4 classes: a seminar on the 1890's, Nazi Germany, Industrial Organizational Psychology, and the Sociology of Work. (Should be better than this semester which was Irish History, American Revolution/Constitution, Modern China, and Global Environmental History).

- I have 3 weeks left until the end of this semester. I cannot wait to have 3 weeks off of school. I'll probably be back to blogging every day then. I also plan on going to the gym Mon-Fri during Christmas break and painting some rooms in our house.

-Seriously guys, I'm not exaggerating when I say school is just wearing me out. Being a history major means lots and lots and lots of reading and writing. It is just very hard to keep up with. When I finish this blog, I need to read a chapter and a half in a book called The Belfast Diaries for my Irish History class and write a study guide for it, write a 5 page paper on the Okefenokee Swamp, and read something for my Environmental History class (I don't know what yet).

- We are going to a 1st birthday party for our friend's little girl on Saturday. We also have a housewarming party to go to. I took Saturday off so I can attend both, which I'm way excited about!

Sorry this wasn't the most interesting post! Bear with me, ya'll!

Posts Are Coming

Hey guys,

Just wanted to write a quick post to let you know I do have some posts coming and that I haven't forgotten about my lovely blogosphere. I have just been feeling so overwhelmed lately and not really known how to deal with it. There's been lots of tears.

See ya soon!

Dinner, Shopping, and Dissapointment

It's....Recap time! I don't get a weekend, so since the NewlyHusband was off for Veterans Day, Tues/Wed was kind of like my weekend.

Tuesday evening, we went to Bonefish for dinner to celebrate making it past 3 months of marriage. I know, I know, monthaverssary's are kinda dumb but we realize that a marriage takes work and darn it we want to celebrate being married and happy- we don't want to take that for granted. I shall now proceed to make your mouth water with what I had. I had a Bonefish Martini, which is vodka, champagne, and cranberry juice. It was tasty but man was it strong. Some of the sips felt like I was taking shots of straight vodka. We shared Bang Bang shrimp for an appetizer. Lemme tell you, I don't too much care for shrimp, but this is amazing! I wish I could describe the taste. The online menu describes it as "tender, crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce." For dinner, I had the Lily's chicken- chicken breast with lemon basil sauce and goat cheese- with a side of herbed jasmine rice. It was a really nice date night.

Wednesday, we got up somewhat early to drive to Orlando. We were going to check out Ikea. Have you guys ever been there? It is incredible. 309,00 square feet, 2 stories of homegood heaven. The whole top story is set up as showrooms. The closets...ohmygosh...the closets. I wanted to just move into the store. They also have a little cafe and a small Swedish grocery store in there. We spent 4 hours there. We didn't really go to buy anything though, just check it out. We did leave with 2 table lamps, a ceiling light for our kitchen, and an apron for me.

After Ikea, we decided to head down to CityWalk at Universal for a drink at Margaritaville. As soon as we started pulling in, I decided I wanted to actually go into the park and ride the rides. I put on my best pouting act, but it didn't work. Haha- we did decide we'll have to go back down there just to go to Universal and Islands of Adventure. I loovvvee roller coasters and I haven't been to Universal in at least 5 years. I had the Pomegranate margarita at Margaritaville though and it was fab! While there, I found a coat I liked at the Billabong store, but it was more expensive than I would have liked, so we decided to head to the Orlando outlet mall to see if I could find something cheaper.

Here is where the dissapointment part comes in- I always thought that outlet mall meant cheaper stuff. I thought it was last season or overstock or whatever. Yeah...turns out everything at the outlet store is the same price as in the regular store. What the heck is the point of having an outlet then? NewlyHusband got some new shoes at the Nike store, but after a while, my feet were hurting and we headed home.

It was a really nice way for the NewlyHusband and I to spend some time together and it was especially nice to get out of town, even if only for a day. I can't wait till we have weekends off together again. 5 and 1/2 months!

Blog Award!

One of my absolute fave bloggers, Brittany at Tales of a Southern Belle and Her Beau gave me the Kreativ Blogger award. I would like to thank the Academy... No really thanks Britt! I feel special. And of course there's no such thing as a free lunch (or award as the case may be). So let's go over the rules, shall we?

1. List 7 things about myself others might not know.

2. Pass this award on to 7 other bloggers.

So, here goes. 7 things about moi:

1. I brush my teeth really hard...like so hard I actually broke a toothbrush in half while brushing one time. Oops!

2. Although I am usually very messy and disorganized (my car is always a mess, I tend to leave stuff out, let's just say I'm far from a neat freak), I keep my closet incredibly organized. It is seperated into tank tops, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeves, long sleeve, jackets, scrubs, skirts, and long shirts. I get annoyed if something is out of place.

3. I am an awful studier. I just don't like to study. Thankfully I am a very good test taker, so my grades don't suffer too much for it.

4. I really want to be a stay at home mom when The NewlyHusband and I have kids. It is important to me, however I know I will feel weird not bringing in money.

5. I love kittens and puppies. I miss my cat dearly (she lives with my mom cuz NewlyHusband is allergic.) Although I would love for us to be able to get one, part of me is glad NewlyHusband is allergic, cuz I like not having anything to take care of.

6. I am a crazy list maker. I make grocery lists, to do lists, lists of goals, lists of wants, pros and cons for decision making, etc etc. I tend to make these lists and then never look at them again. I am a list maker, not so much a list crosser outer.

7. I hate that I haven't gone to church since March because I have to work every Sunday. I miss it so much.

Alrighty then, there ya have it. Now time to give some other bloggers this nice award.

1. The Continuing Adventures of a Recreation Addict

2.Chelsea Talks Smack

3.Mrs Southern Belle

4.Menopausal New Mom

5.Vanessaings

6.How to Survive Life in the Suburbs
7.Chris and Danielle Lenz

If You're Happy and You Know It

Vent, vent, vent. I feel like that's all I've been doing lately. I feel like I've been a Negative Nelly, so let's bring some rainbows and puppys to this blog. (Disclaimer: there will be no actual rainbows or puppies on today's blog post. Sorry to dissapoint.) 3 months ago today, the NewlyHusband and I were heading to Mexico for our honeymoon. I absolutely loved the place we went. It was complete perfection. We stayed at an all inclusive resort for 7 days and 6 nights. So behold- the fabuliciousness that was our honeymoon:

Zip lining

Swimming in a cenote

Rappelling

Beds on the beach

Beautiful sunrises

Mayan ruins

Snorkeling

Iguanas that roamed the resort

Swing bars (and I mean a bar with swings as seats, not a bar you go to to trade partners)

Carts with champagne and chopped fuit

Private dinner on the beach

I've got my magazine, my sunscreen, and my champagne ready to go relax on a beach bed. This was pure bliss.

This was the last thing I did right before we checked out: got a plate of chips and guac and a margarita and brought it to the beach bed. Perfect way to say goodbye to our honeymoon.

Hope you all enjoyed the pictures half as much as we enjoyed our honeymoon!

Be A Man (or Woman)

Warning: possibly offensive language in this post

What the fuck is wrong with people? Recent news both from my area and around the country

- 12 soldiers killed and many more wounded at Fort Hood. We thought we had to worry about our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan? Apparently, we have to worry about them on base too.

-7 year old Somer Thompson kidnapped and found dead in a landfill (I posted about this one a couple weeks ago.) It's not safe for our kids to walk home from school.

-Man shot while sitting on his porch. He was not the intended target. News article said he was at the "wrong place, wrong time." We can't even feel safe on our own front porch.

-2 young men stabbed to death outside a nightclub in what one would consider one of the safest parts of town.

-Father kills his 11 year old daughter and 16 year old son before killing himself. Him and his wife were going through a divorce. This is not the way to deal with your problems, dickhead.

-7 month old baby found in a box underneath a bed.

-5 teenagers set another teen on fire.


You have got to be kidding me. I am appalled that we have so many messed up people in this world. Because you have to be screwed up in the head in order to committ any of these crimes. If you have a problem, you need to stand up and be a man (or woman) and deal with it. These are not ways to deal with problems, people. I just.don't.get.it. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by these heinous crimes.

I Don't Belong

in the South, that is. I know I've written about how much I love the north before, but please indulge me again.

I get why we are here. It's cheaper in the south in general plus taxes are much lower (no state tax at all- holla!) The NewlyHusband has a great job. Our families are close. But there is something in my heart telling me I belong up north.

Things I don't get/don't like about the South:

Typical Southern Food - Now don't get me wrong- I can down some fried chicken, but I'm talking more along the lines of grits and sweet tea. Ick

The Sun and the Sand- I am white people, like really pale white. I do not tan. I burn like a lobster. And yes, I did go to a Mexican beach resort for my honeymoon, but I stayed in the shade 90% of the time. The beach just isn't fun to me. I'd rather sit at the pool bar (in the shade of course!)

The intensity that surrounds college football- I mean I just don't get it. You didn't go to the school. Why do you care so much? And also why is it necessary to get dolled up in a dress and heels to tailgate and watch a game?

The North...oh the north. I miss it and want to live there, especially this time of year. It is only this week finally down into the 70's.

Things about the north that I love:

Apple picking and hay rides- that is the definition of fall for me

Boston Red Sox- It sucks not having a MLB team where we live. (And yes this is Wally in the backseat of my car on the way to the ALCS in Tampa)

And just in general (although this goes against what most would say), I have actually found people nicer (and less fake) up North than down here.

I realize these are dumb and irrational reasons, but like I said it's more of a feeling than anything else. And I realize I have it kinda good down here, so I'm not trying to complain (too much!) And to remedy this feeling, I have decided that we should take a trip somewhere up north every fall so I can get my fall in and not drive the NewlyHusband crazy with my complaining about the south. Any ideas on where we should go?

Oh and ps, my hubby is a born, bred, and raised Southerner, so I still love you southerners. :)