The Inscore's

6 & 7 months old.....plus baptism!

2011-08-28T19:55:00.005-04:00

This post is long overdue. I am not sure why I was putting it off, because it is not lack for wonderful things to say about Miss Molly. I think I am just enjoying time with her too much and don't want to sit in front of the computer. Plus, it is hard to summarize everything in one post. It is almost overwhelming.

Anyway, since the last post, Molly has celebrated not only her 6 months birthday, but also her 7 months birthday!!! And she was baptized last weekend too!

One of the most exciting things about the past two months has been FOOD! Molly is becoming a champ when it comes to eating solids. Granted they are still mostly of the pureed variety but she is also starting to get some table foods to learn to grasp small things, and to navigate towards the mouth.

She is eating meats, and stage 2 foods now. Stage 2 foods from what I can tell just mean more in each serving, and a mixture of foods. Most of the veggies and fruits are a mixture of several. She likes garden vegetable (mixture of spinach, peas and carrots) and Apple/Pear/Banana. She isn't crazy about the meat (turkey, chicken, beef or ham all in gravy), but she still eats well and takes it better when it is mixed on the spoon with a fruit or veggie.

Her normal routine is a bottle when she wakes up around 6:45am. Rice cereal mixed with fruit around 9:30 or 10am. A small bottle around 11am. Lunch of either a veggie or fruit around 1pm. Another bottle (6oz) around 4pm. Dinner of a meat and veggie or fruit around 6:30pm. And a bottle before bed about 7:30pm.

She is still sleeping great! Bedtime has slowly moved from right at 7pm, to closer to 8pm now, which is nice, so we have more time with her and don't feel as rushed. And she sleeps until about 6:30am usually, but I even sometimes have to wake her up if she isn't up by 7am!

She has had a few nights here and there where she woke up only about an hour after going to bed, but that was usually because she needed to burp again, or just had trouble getting comfy I guess. But that has become far and few between now. I think her teeth have bothered her some in the past two months, but that seems to come and go as well. There have been a few nights I have given her Tylenol to help soothe her to sleep, but not much. No signs of any teeth poking through yet, but I am sure they are moving around and giving her funny sensations.

Molly is still not what I would consider mobile, but she is moving more now. She is rolling a little more - front to back - and - back to front. She spins like a top still on her back and starting to do so as well on her tummy. She is sitting up like a champ! We usually still keep a boppy pillow close by for when she tumbles back, but she doesn't need it most of the time.

She is gaining lots of strength. She tries to sit up (sometimes successfully) from a laying down or reclined position, and pushes herself up when she leans forward to grab a toy. One thing she has been doing recently that has us cracking up is when she is laying flat on her back on the changing table, she does what I would call an abs exercise and lifts her head and feet at the same time. We keep teasing that she is going to have a 6 pack soon. She has the funniest expression on her face when she does it too. We love it!

Basically, Brandon and I are just eating her up. We LOVE spending time with her and seeing all the new things she is doing. We LOVE to talk to her, but mostly hear her talk back. She is making all kinds of new sounds. We have even heard a few more sounds than just the AHHHHHH. There are a few Maaaa, Daaaa, or Baaaa's in there. And she loves to scream too. She LOVES hearing her voice. We will talk to her in her sounds, but also regularly too.

All I can say is just how much fun she is right now! This is such an awesome age! Her personality is really starting to come out. And she knows her mommy and daddy well - even to the point where separation anxiety is coming out more now. But she still does great going to others. She just gets shy in a big crowd and usually puts on her serious face for a while and then warms up to everyone. And she can even be a little shy by turning her head when someone talks to her :)

Not only do we love to hear her talk and use her voice, but we also love to get her to giggle. She has the sweetest giggle ever! She loves to play with Brandon's hair. All he has to do is lean down and put his head towards her face and tickle her with it, and she giggles up a storm. But she still ends up with the hiccups almost every time she has a giggle session. So, it is a catch 22 - we love to hear her giggle, but hate to see her get the hiccups.

Daycare is still going very well. There are more kids in her class now, which is fun so that she has more kids in which to interact. There are 4 girls around the same age. In the morning, I usually sit her down on the play mat with 2 of the other girls and they just sit and look at one another and talk and play. It warms my heart to see her having so much fun.

Molly was baptized on Sunday, August 21, 2011 at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. It was a very special day!! All of her immediate family was there, as well as some other friends of Mommy and Daddy, and of course our wonderful church family. Molly did great! She just took it all in :)

There is so much more I could say, but again, hard to put it in words sometimes. Molly is such a blessing, and even though I don't think it is possible, we still love her more and more everyday.

So, now for the all important stats! At her 6 month doctor's appt on August 5th, she weighed in at 17 lbs 12 oz which is the 75th percentile. And she was 27 3/4 inches long which is the 97th percentile! We are just amazed at how quickly she is growing and changing. She is currently wearing 9 month clothes, and even some are starting to get snug in the length.

God has truly blessed us!

5 months old!

2011-07-01T16:28:00.008-04:00

Our sweet baby girl is officially 5 months old! And so many new things this past month!!

1) Molly rolled over for the first time on 05/30/11 during tummy time with Mommy & Daddy in the evening. She rolled tummy to back. She had been sleeping on her side in the crib for a few weeks, but we were very excited to witness this milestone. However, she did it once and seems to be satisfied, because she hasn't really done it since. But oh well, at least we know she can! :) Per daycare, her first time rolling back to tummy was on Friday, 06/03/11, but we haven't seen that at home yet. One day, one day.....

2) Molly also started on solid foods this past month. Her first round was with rice cereal on 05/28/11, and boy did she make some funny faces!!! Since then we have gotten in our initial rounds (3 days each by themselves) of peaches, peas, green beans, apples, pears, carrots, squash and sweet potatoes. We decided to wait a little while on bananas and prunes for the conflicting things we have heard they do to baby's poor bowels :) Let's just hope she doesn't have her mommy's tummy troubles!! She never really took to the rice cereal, but we are going to try it again this weekend mixing it with some fruit to give it a little more flavor. Our goal for leading up to 6 months of age is to get her eating twice a day as opposed to just the once in the evening, and eating more. But she is off to a good start, and even though it took some getting used to, she is taking better to the spoon and the routine each day.

3) Another big first this past month was Molly's first overnight away from Mommy and Daddy. She had a sleepover at Grammy and G-Pop's house on Sat, 06/04/11. Mommy & Daddy enjoyed a date night, and Grammy & G-Pop LOVED their time with Miss Molly :)

4) While visiting Grammy and G-Pop, Molly took her first stroll in her big stroller without the carseat. Just her strapped into the seat :) She is getting to be such a big girl!!

5) Molly has been enjoying the entertainments of exersaucers at daycare this past month, and had her first go with the jumperoo at home too! She hasn't gotten in it much though because her feet don't touch yet, but she enjoys having "conversations" with her friends at daycare from the exersaucers :)

6) And one more milestone worth noting.....the feet have officially been discovered! And they have made it to the mouth as well :) She loves watching her toes wiggle and even more cramming those wiggling toes into her mouth :)

Words can't even describe how special Molly is to us, and how much excitement comes from each new thing she does! I am just simply amazed!!! And I love her to pieces!!!!

4 Months Old!

2011-06-04T16:12:00.008-04:00

Another month, and Molly is amazing us more and more each day! She is growing up so fast and really starting to interact which is so much fun!!

I have already blogged about one of her big firsts in her 4th month - her first road trip! The other big thing this month was starting to sleep through the night. Her first night doing so was April 30th. She slept 10pm - 7am. That has been very nice for Mommy, so that she isn't as tired :) We still have a few nights here and there where we don't make it the whole night or we are restless, but for the most part, Molly is doing great! She is pretty tired when she gets home from daycare, and crashes around 7pm, but then we just wake her back up around 9:30 or 10pm, change her, and feed her, and she is down for the night. In a way I hate waking her, but I know a full night of sleep is good for all of us.

Now that we are already into our 5th month, Molly is changing more and more. I don't want to spoil too much for next month's blog update, but we are starting to roll over, eat solids and do our first overnight sleepovers away from Mommy and Daddy!

Molly went to the doctor on her 4 month birthday - 05/27/11. She weighed in at 14 lbs, 12 oz (75th percentile) and was 25 1/4 inches long (90th percentile). She got a few more shots, but did great! Of course she cried, but once Daddy picked her up and comforted her, she was all good :) She really is a daddy's girl already :)

She continues to explore her mouth by sticking everything in it! She especially loves to eat her bibs, clothes, and crinkle book :) In some ways she appears to be showing early signs of teething, but the pediatrician said everything looked great, and since there is nothing you really can do anyway, just let her chew on her hands, and work it out.

She is really holding her head up well now. Mommy picked her up from daycare on May 16th to find her sitting in a bumbo seat! I didn't realize she was ready for that, but of course had to come home and get ours out of the box and give it a try that same night :) She loves to sit in it and watch Mommy and Daddy do things around the house. We also put the tray on it so she can play with some of her toys.

Molly helped her Maw-Maw ring in another birthday - the big 70 this year on May 15th. And then Mommy's 32nd on the 17th.

We can't wait to see what the next month brings, and all the new changes that will occur :)

Road Trip!

2011-05-15T19:34:00.017-04:00

Molly was busy last week! She went to 8 states in 8 days!! Molly, Mommy, Daddy, Grammy and GPop hopped in the car last Thursday and headed North. Brandon was in a wedding in Lewes, DE on Mother's Day weekend, so we decided to make a family vacation out of it, and take Molly to visit Ginny's side of the family up north.

So, Thursday morning, Grammy and GPop arrived at our house in Greensboro and we packed up the car. And boy was the car full! We had bought one of those soft top carriers to go on top of the car, and we had that filled to the brim with duffel bags of our clothes, and then inside the car was all of the things you need when traveling with a 3 month old :) But, it was bearable, and so we all piled in and got on the road about 11am. The first leg of the trip was from Greensboro, NC to Lewes, DE for the wedding weekend. The 7 hour trip took us about 9 hours. We made 2 two hour stops so that the adults could eat lunch and dinner, and so Molly could be changed, take a bottle and stretch. Molly did great in the car! We had tons of toys to try and entertain her, but of course she slept a good portion of it. And as the week went on and she spent more time in the car, she started to sleep even more. Hence why our days and nights are mixed up again, but that is ok, we will get back on schedule soon. About 30 mins away from our destination, Molly had had enough, but it wasn't worth stopping, so we all just gritted our teeth and listened to the poor girl scream. Of course as soon as we pulled into the parking lot of the Inn we were staying, she stopped. :) We stayed in a gorgeous Inn right on the waterway in beautiful historic Lewes, DE. Lewes is the "First Town in the First State", so we thought that was very fitting for Molly's first road trip destination. Uncle Andrew joined us from DC Friday and Saturday night, to hang out with Molly and Mom and Dad, while Brandon and I enjoyed hanging out with friends from Elon and the wedding festivities. Brandon was so excited to introduce Molly to all his college fraternity brothers :) So, throughout the weekend, folks stopped by our suite to meet Miss Molly. It was a lot of fun!! The suite we stayed in had a spiral staircase which lead upstairs to the bedrooms, so I pulled my first real protective Momma routine, and told my parents and brother that only Brandon or I was allowed to carry Molly up or down those stairs. Really I was just worried that if for some reason they fell holding her, that they would never forgive themselves. But I guess you could say I was also just really being an overbearing mom, but oh well, it is my baby! They respected my decision. And we had a great family weekend!! And Brandon and Ginny had a blast celebrating with Pat and Jennifer and friends at their wedding.

On Sunday, my first Mother's Day, we packed up and continued north. We took the Lewes-Cape May Ferry, which was really neat to start off the trip. Even though we were on the boat, traveling in the car, and not at home, I enjoyed every minute of the day with my little girl :) And it was even more special since I was also with my mother, and we were in route that day to see her mother in Connecticut. We arrived in Chester, CT at Ginny's grandmother's retirement community around 7pm that evening. Ginny's Aunt Diane (from Biddeford, ME), and Cousin Nicki along with her husband Adam (from Boston, MA) were there to great us all along with Ginny's Grandmother. Molly is the first great-grandchild, so Great-Grandma was especially excited to meet her!! We stayed up late that night talking, eating, and oohhhing over Molly :) The next day we enjoyed a stroll and lunch in a nearby town and just enjoyed our time together. It was so special that Aunt Diane, and cousins Nicki and Adam took off work on Monday so that they could be with us.

Monday evening, Brandon, Ginny and Molly packed themselves up in the car again (with just a few items this time) and headed to Natick, MA to see Ginny's college roomie, Mikaela and her husband Greg. They are expecting their first baby any day now, so it was very exciting to introduce them to Molly, and see the baby belly on Mikaela :) We had a wonderful visit, and then headed back to Connecticut late that night. Ginny can't wait to head back sometime soon to meet Baby M!! Since Molly was born on Greg's birthday of January 27th, we were waging guesses that Baby M might make a debut on Ginny's birthday of May 17th :)

Tuesday was a relaxing day (which was much needed!). Mom & Dad took Grandma grocery shopping, and Brandon and Ginny just hung around the condo and played with Molly and relaxed. Tuesday afternoon we did a 4 generation photo shoot, which was very exciting!! Ginny's mom and grandma had already had a 4 generation photo shoot when Ginny's mom was a year old, so we worked hard to position ourselves so that we could try and mimic that photo and have a very special keepsake. I think we took about 100 photos overall, but we came out with some great ones :)

Wednesday, we bid our goodbyes to Grandma Moseley, and started our trip south again. Our first stop of the day was in Langhorne, PA, to visit Ginny's Great Aunt Margie (Gary's aunt). She had recently had a bad fall and was in the nursing home facility of her retirement community, but we made the best of it, and made her day by bringing Miss Molly by for a visit. Dad's cousin's wife, Cindy was there with Margie when we arrived (Cousin Alan had to work), so it was great to see her as well. I am so glad Margie got the chance to meet Molly. Margie kept saying how much she wished Ginny's Nana (her sister) could have still been around to meet Molly. We got some wonderful pictures there as well, and will cherish those memories and will be sure to share them all with Molly one day.

After leaving Langhorne, PA, we continued south and arrived in Arlington, VA around 7pm Wednesday night for a visit with Ginny's brother, Andrew. He had prepared dinner for us, and we enjoyed grilling out and meeting his girlfriend, Shay. We were all pretty tired, so we weren't a lively bunch, but it was nice to have a pitstop and of course to see Andrew again.

Thursday AM, we packed the car up one more time, and finished our trip back to North Carolina. We arrived in Greensboro about 4pm, and we were all glad to be back safe and sound and looked forward to sleeping in our own beds.

Molly was a trooper on the trip, but I think she was glad to be home as well. She had a whirlwind week, and met tons of people, but I know it is trip we will all cherish and will talk about for years to come. With many of Ginny's relatives being older and so far away, it was really special to be able to introduce them to Miss Molly :) And all the adults were spoiled to have 8 straight days with our precious Molly, and were so excited to see her develop and grow up right before our eyes doing all kinds of new things and being much more interactive :) She was reaching for toys, putting everything in her mouth, and making all kinds of new giggling and cooing sounds. It was wonderful!!! And of course she captivated everyone with her smile :)

So, now our little girl is a traveling girl, and we can't wait to take her many more places in the years to come and show her everything this world has to offer!!

3 Months Old

2011-05-03T19:01:00.011-04:00

Wow! Three months old!! I know I will say this every month, but time is flying by!! And once again, we are falling more in love with her everyday. Especially now that she is making more sounds and smiles at us a lot. It is so much fun!! There were a few milestones this month that are worth noting.

Molly gave us her first giggle on April 13th. I was looking at her in the mirror, as she LOVES to look at both her own and our reflection together. And she giggled! It was one of the sweetest sounds my ears have ever heard. Luckily Brandon was just in the next room, so he heard it too. We haven't gotten a ton since then, but have heard a few more during playtime. On April 25th, she did another distinctive giggle, and this time also added a coo sound with it. Brandon and I were both with her this time, as we talked and smiled at her while she was on her changing table after getting home from daycare. That is where she seems to smile the most, and I think it is because we are a good distance from her face. The smiles are becoming more frequent. Every morning when I put her in the car to leave for daycare, and every night when I pick her up, I make sure I get a smile out of her before I close the car door. Just makes me feel better before we start out on our drive. Sounds silly, but it just does.

On April 15th, Brandon and I enjoyed our first Date Night Out! Our friend, Jess Pardue came over to watch Molly for us, so we could enjoy a dinner outing at one of our favorite restaurants, Natty Greene's. We people watched, relaxed and of course talked about Molly :)

Another milestone, but not such a happy one, is that Molly had her first cold this month. And of course she ended up sharing it with Mommy and Daddy too :) The joys of daycare, and building up the immune systems. She actually started showing symptoms the evening of the 14th, but when we brought her home on Friday night the 15th (before our date night), she was congested and sneezing. Jess was so great to deal with that so that we could still enjoy our night out! It worked out great that it fell over the weekend, because she slept most of the weekend to try and fight it off. Two weeks later she is still sounding congested, but much much better!! I know there will be plenty more to come, but I think the first cold and learning how to deal with it, was the worst. We elevated the mattress, made sure she stayed warm, ran the humidifier at night, and put some really good use to the nasal aspirator :) I also gave her the first doses of Tylenol to help her sleep better a couple of nights. But overall we survived, and hope to be better prepared next time.

Molly celebrated her first Easter this month! And had her first visit from the Easter Bunny ;) Molly and Brandon spent Good Friday (since both daycare and his work were closed) in Wilkesboro for the day to visit with Brandon's family. Of course everyone was so excited to see Molly, especially Aunt Jana, and Cousin Ashlyn :) Jana texted me that evening to say, "Guess who I am loving on!?!" And then I texted back to ask Ashlyn if she was enjoying her cousin, and she responded as I guess a 10 year would...."Oh yeeeeessssss!! I could just dump her in my Dr Pepper!". It cracked me up!! And I guess to her, that just meant she could just eat her up :) I am so glad Molly has such a great and loving older cousin. Cousin Weston loves her too, of course, but boys just aren't into babies the same as girls :) Uncle Andrew came in town from DC for Easter, and so we spent Saturday and Sunday with Ginny's parents and him. We did some projects around the Tash house in Winston-Salem on Saturday and then went to Guilford Park for church in Greensboro on Sunday morning and lunch back at our house. It was a wonderful weekend, and so glad Molly got to spend all that quality time with all her immediate family.

Molly also got to enjoy one of her first Guilford Park Presbyterian events this month. We attended the Family Church Picnic at Bur-Mill Park in Greensboro on April 10th. Several of the girls from my church circle were there with their families, so it was nice to have all the kids together :) I can't wait for them to all grow up together at GPPC :) Molly played on her blanket, and took in all the sights and sounds of her church family :)

There are so many more things I could say about our precious girl.....but bottom line, she is such a blessing, and we LOVE her to pieces!!!

Daycare and End of Maternity Leave

2011-04-06T17:34:00.008-04:00

Back to reality. I start back to work tomorrow after a wonderful 10 weeks off with my baby girl....weeks I will cherish forever. To help with the transition and give Molly and I a chance to adjust (mostly me, let's be honest!), she started daycare on Monday. This way I could get used to the routine of getting her there for a few days, and saying goodbye for the day. Monday was rough, I am not going to lie. I love her daycare. It is a church daycare. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that some places have now, but the important thing is that it is a loving Christian based environment. And the best part is that it is only 5 mins from my work! But of course it is still hard to leave her with strangers. Until Monday, she had only been watched by my Mom, or friends in church nursery during service, if she wasn't with either Brandon or me. I took her to visit this past Thursday morning. I got to meet her morning teacher, introduce her to the other babies in her class, and get a feel for things. Over the weekend, we got all the last minute things we needed for her to take with her, and I packed her daycare bag on Sunday. On Monday, we left on time (I was so surprised!) and I got her all settled around 8:30am. However, I had trouble putting her down to leave. I kept talking to her teacher, and kept giving her kisses, and then finally knew I had to leave. I held back my tears until I was out the door, but then let loose once I was in my car. I just drove and cried. I wasn't ready to go home yet, because that would have been worse - going home to an empty house. So, I ran some errands to keep my mind off things, and that helped. I went to the grocery store and got us stocked up for the week, and ran by the vet to get food and medicine for the animals. Then, I had to come home. And that brought on the tears again. I think I cried the hardest at home when Chelsi went looking for Molly and couldn't figure out where she was - it was so cute but so sad at the same time. I went into her room, and sat in the rocking chair for a few minutes, and then decided I couldn't sulk anymore. So, I ate some breakfast (a big fat cinnamon bun I had bought at the grocery store - yummy!), and then tackled my closet. I pulled out all the maternity clothes (well, to be honest, I kept a few in there that aren't obvious maternity that I can wear a little longer since I am still in between sizes) and changed out the seasons. I made a big pile for Goodwill which still currently sits in our hallway upstairs (will get to that eventually), and threw some other things out. Of course this was one of the tasks of many that I was convinced I would do while on maternity leave. But, did I get to any of the others??? Of course not! I just cuddled with Molly and got used to life with a baby - exhaustion and all :) I just hope I don't put off working on her baby book or scrapbook too long!! I was very proud of myself, because I made it the whole day, and didn't go pick her up early. I did however, call them about noon to find out how she was doing, and they said of course she was fine. When the clock hit 4:30pm, I hit the door running, and was so overjoyed to give her kisses and have her in my arms again. I even got a smile out of her before we walked out to the car while I was getting her in her car seat. Ah, made this momma melt :) Then, when Daddy got home from work, we gave him the full report on everything. I don't want him to miss out, since I am the one that will be taking and picking her up most days. Tuesday and today were easier. I didn't cry, but of course was still reluctant to leave her. I treated myself again to a cinnamon bun each morning when I returned home :) I will work on that post-pregnancy diet at some point :) But right now, I needed comfort food. Her afternoon teacher said she is adjusting very well compared to most babies she has seen, so that made me feel better. But then it made me wonder - did I not spoil her enough?!? I want her to adjust, sure, but why is she adjusting so well? Then I realized I can't question it, and just be thankful that she is transitioning well. Plus, for all I know, they could say this to all the parents to make them feel better. I know all day cares do this, but I still think it is neat. I get a little report card on her each evening. It tells me when she took a bottle, how much she took, when she napped and about her diaper changes. In a way, you still wish they could give you even more details on all the hours you just missed out on in your child's life, but I know I will be in constant communication with both her teachers. The ratio is very small right now, so that works out great for us! Molly gets lots of attention and I get to talk to the teachers more in depth about how she is doing. Right now there are only 4 other babies in her class, and one is actually getting ready to move up to the crawler room, so it will be down to a total of 4 babies, including Molly. So, now as I prepare to go back to work tomorrow, and hoping my brain will know how to function again after 10 weeks, the thing that is helping me hold on is that I know I will have a nice long week 24/7 with my baby again in a month when we take a family road trip up north.

Here are a couple of pictures I took Monday morning before we left for daycare. Of course I am a dork, and had to take a picture of her bags and everything. It was like the first day of school :) And I guess that just shows the scrapbook fanatic in me as well :) I can already picture this page in her 1st year scrapbook! :)

And check out that smile - I LOVE HER!!!

2 Months Old

2011-03-27T09:21:00.006-04:00

It is hard to believe that Molly is 2 months old today!! My little girl is growing up way too fast!!! I am falling more in love every day with her. She has brought so much joy to our lives. And I am so very thankful for the blessing God has given us.

Molly is now smiling in response to our smiles, which is amazing! She always smiled as a newborn, but it was more because of gas or a dream. But, now it is actually a response to us talking to her and smiling at her. Especially when you tap her nose -she giggles in response. I noticed her first smiles on March 15th. I am trying to keep track of little things like this, so I don't forget!!

At her doctor's appt this month, they said everything looked great!! She is now 11 lbs 1.5 oz, 23 inches tall, and her head is at 39 1/2 cm or about 15 1/2 inches. This puts her in the 70th percentile for weight, 75-90th for height, and 75th for her head circumference. We have a growing little girl!!

She got 2 shots and one oral vaccine. She did great! She cried of course, but then Brandon picked her up to comfort her, and she immediately calmed down. She slept on the car ride home, I fed her, and then she slept a good portion of the day. When she woke up from her nap she was really fussing, and I could tell she was sore and just didn't feel well. So, I just took advantage of time with her, and just held and comforted her, and let her rest on my chest. Even though I hated she didn't feel well, I LOVE those moments when she naps peacefully on my chest. I just lay back and stare at her and listen to all her precious sleeping noises.

Overall she is eating and sleeping great! She has had a few long stretches of sleeping at night, but they begin around 6pm, which means she is up around 2 or 3 am. But that is ok. We will get a better schedule eventually. I am not worried about it. She is still eating every 2.5 to 4 hrs unless she is having one of her long stretches of sleep. If she is awake she tends to go a shorter amount of time. We are offering her 4 oz at every feeding, and most of the time she takes all of it, but she still will only sometimes take 2 or 3 oz. I am thankful that she tells us when she has had enough, because I don't want to overfeed her.

She is getting better at dealing with her gas. That is what made her the most fussy as a newborn. But she is a little better at burping now after a feeding, even though sometimes we have to work at it, and she is a champ at passing gas! My little girl is not a lady - LOL :)

We started playtime this month too. Since we were having longer stretches of her being awake and happy, I pulled out her play mat and let her go to town kicking her legs and checking out everything around her. We also spend a lot of time on blankets on the floor playing, and just letting her explore her voice and environment. Of course her canine sister, Chelsi LOVES to come and give her kisses still whenever she has a chance - and the floor gives her the best opportunity :)

Overall Molly is a wonderful baby. Every baby is going to have their fussy moments, but hers are minimal. There was a stretch around 6 weeks, where it seemed every night around 5 or 6pm, she would scream for an hour, and nothing would calm her, but she seems to have worked herself out of that phase. Now she is actually the most fussy right before going down for a long stretch of sleep. She fights sleep some, and so we just rock her and she eventually calms down. Brandon loves to walk around with her and sing to her. It is so wonderful to watch. I love holding her anytime I can, but I almost love more watching him with her.

We get together with family whenever we can. Grammy and/or G-Pop see her about every week, and Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw about every two weeks. It is also wonderful to see her with her grandparents, and watch them interact with her. Her cousins, Ashlyn and Weston are adorable with her. Ashlyn is especially smitten, and keeps asking, along with Aunt Jana when I will let them keep her for a night! :) In time I keep telling them :) I am not ready quite yet to be away from her that long!

I have had some outings away from her, and she has also started to go into the church nursery so that we can enjoy service and not worry about her crying. Mommy's real test is coming soon though, and sooner than she would have liked! Molly starts daycare on Monday, April 4th, and I go back to work on Thursday, April 7th. I figured this way, it gives me 3 days to get used to the idea before I am thrown into the thick of work. I know she will do great, and will be well taken care of, but it will still be hard!

Molly's facial expressions still amuse us - she has so many funny faces!! And we are enjoying every moment with her!!

The 2 month photo :)

Look at those fat rolls!!! I could just eat them up :)

Such a pretty girl!

1 Month Old

2011-02-28T13:45:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe that Molly is already one month old! She was officially one month old yesterday, the 27th, even though she was 4 weeks old on Thursday. Not sure which is best to go by :) We went to the doctor this morning for her 1 month checkup. Here are her stats: 9 lbs 7 oz 60-65th percentile, 22 1/4 inches long 90th percentile, and 14 3/4 inches head 60th percentile. She gained 2 lbs in 2 weeks! No wonder she is outgrowing the newborn clothes already :) I put her in one of her new 3 month outfits from Carter's today. While it is sad to already be outgrowing the newborn clothes and feeling like she is growing up too fast, it is exciting to see her development and to put her in these new cute clothes :) The doctor told us to try and get her to a every 4 hr feeding schedule, and if she acts really hungry in between to give her some water. I had never heard of that. Makes sense as all humans need water, but just never thought about for a little baby. But since we just assumed she was only 8 lbs and surprised us with being 9 lbs already, we may need to increase her formula intake too. She is currently taking 3 1/2 oz at most feedings - sometimes a little less. But she is also feeding anywhere from every 2 to every 4 hours. I think this is the only thing we really had questions on for the doctor today - trying to figure out this feeding thing! But I was super excited to hear she was not only gaining weight, but putting it on well! Just want to make sure we don't overfeed and create bad habits early. All the things a parent worries about :)

This momma is tired, but not too bad. I need to be better about napping when Molly naps. Brandon is good about taking her on Sat and Sun mornings and letting me sleep in a bit to try and get caught up. I am doing all the middle of the night feedings now as I don't want Brandon to be tired at work. And really those aren't that bad, unless she gets really fussy, which she sometimes does. She is already spoiled and likes being held or likes the vibration of her bouncy seats/swing. But, it is so easy to spoil them :)

We have gone out and gotten a little exercise here and there when the weather is nice. It feels good to walk, but still trying not to overdo it which is hard. I feel so good and then push too much and pay for it the next day. But overall, momma's recovery has been really good. I go back to the doctor on Friday and will be anxious to hear if Dr F agrees.

We have taken over 600 pictures so far. Just can't seem to have enough of all her expressions and special moments with visitors :) The doctor mentioned today for us to enjoy all her little noises now, as they will quickly be replaced with new noises. We have taken a few videos of her, but now makes me want to get more! I don't want to forget anything!!

For the sake of not having to wait to upload a million pictures, since this post is entitled "1 Month Old", here is her 1 month old picture we took yesterday. I love it, because it looks like her Panda is her little buddy :) Our plan is to get one of these every month so we can compare her progress and see how much she has grown and changed. I just hope it doesn't go by too fast, but I am sure it will!

Molly's Birth Story

2011-02-09T13:35:00.005-05:00

We welcomed our precious baby girl into this world on January 27, 2011. We both worked full days at work on Wednesday the 26th. Mommy even stayed at work until 7pm that night as she had a feeling she would be early and didn't want to leave any projects undone. We ate dinner, watched some TV, and went to bed about 10pm. At 11:15pm, Mommy shot up in bed and said to Daddy, "Something is happening!". As it turns out, Mommy's water had broken, but at first she was unsure as to what was happening. No matter how much people tell you and how much you read, you never know what to expect. Contractions started about 5 mins after that and came about every 15 mins or so. About an hour later, Mommy called the on-call nurse who told her to go ahead and get to the hospital. Since contractions were still mild, Mommy went ahead and took a quick shower and of course shaved her legs (can't gross anyone out!! - LOL). Daddy went to town getting things settled around the house. He took out the trash, emptied the dishwasher, washed some pots/pans in the sink, took care of the dog and cat, and got the bags in the car. Already showing signs of a wonderful Daddy!! At 1:30am we were on our way to the hospital. We arrived and were officially checked in by 2am. There was one person in front of us, so we patiently waited in the waiting room. Luckily contractions still weren't bad for Mommy. Then the nurse finally took us back to confirm that Mommy was officially in labor and get all the information. We learned that they did not have any rooms available in Labor and Delivery and we were moved to a small room right off the admission area. We had what we needed for the time being - the machines to monitor baby and Mommy's heart beat, and a chair for Daddy to sit in, but the bed was uncomfortable and small for Mommy so we hoped to get a room soon. Around 4am the contractions really started to get intense and we were stuck in this small room for another two hours. Mommy didn't think she was going to make it, because they couldn't give her the wonderful epidural until she was in a L&D room. And Daddy was worried because with every contraction, Mommy was moving all around and Daddy was afraid she was going to fall off the narrow bed. This was a very long and hard two hours for Mommy. At 6am we got the word that we finally had a room. And by 7am, Mommy was getting the wonderful epidural she so badly needed!! Then it was time to rest and just wait. Mommy was comfortable, Daddy was able to get a snack, and Grandparents started to arrive to await the precious arrival of their granddaughter. Grammy and G-Pop (Mommy's parents) arrived first They stopped by the house first to take canine sister, Chelsi to the vet for boarding and arrived at the hospital about 9:30am. They stayed in the room with Mommy and Daddy until around noon and then went to get some food in the cafeteria. Maw-maw and Paw-paw arrived next and came to the room for a brief visit before joining Grammy and G-Pop in the cafeteria and waiting room so Mommy could take a short nap. Mommy wanted to try and gain some strength for pushing soon! Daddy was wonderful through it all. He kept everyone updated via text messages as everyone was anxiously awaiting news of baby girl's arrival. And he kept encouraging Mommy through everything and telling Mommy how beautiful she was and how proud he was of her. At 3:30pm, the doctor checked Mommy and confirmed that she was 9.5 cm dilated and confirmed we could start pushing within the hour. At 4:15pm, Mommy said it was time, so the pushing began. Mommy pushed like a champ (as the doctor, nurse and Daddy all said) for two hours. But, baby's head was not descending as it should, and it was determined that a c-section was the way to go. Mommy was very upset. She was taken by surprise by the news since everything so far had gone so well. And even though Mommy knew a c-section would be just fine, she was still scared and already upset that she wouldn't be able to hold her baby girl right away. Daddy got on his scrubs, and everyone tried to calm Mommy down, and we headed towards the OR. The doctor on-call that had been with us, texted Mommy's primary doctor to give her an update, and Dr. F upon hearing the news of the c-section decided to come straight from the office to the OR to assist in the c-section. Mommy was so relieved when she saw Dr. F! At 6:30pm, Mommy was wheeled into the OR. The hospital staff in the OR were wonderful and really helped calm Mommy down. Daddy was still nervous with how fast everyone was moving around and how quickly everything was happening. One of the doctors even teased Mommy as she came down the hallway crying, and said "oh, she sprang a leak, we can fix that in there too!" which made Mommy and Daddy laugh. At 7:07pm, Mommy heard the most wonderful sound - the sound of her baby girl crying for the first time! It was music to her ears, and when Dr. F held her over the sheet for Mommy to see, Mommy immediately started to cry and was so relieved to hear her baby girl was here and healthy!! So, Molly Kamryn Inscore had officially arrived. 7 lbs 8 oz on 01.27.11 at 7:07pm.

After a couple of quick moments with Mommy and the first family photo, Daddy and Molly went to the nursery, while Mommy stayed in the OR for the doctors to finish up. On the way to the nursery, Daddy was able to bring Molly into the hallway outside the waiting room, and all 4 grandparents rushed out to meet her! Mommy wishes she had been there to witness this moment, but luckily someone was snapping photos for us to help capture it. Grammy said Daddy was so proud and very emotional as he held his baby girl for all to see. Grammy also snapped Mommy's favorite first photo of Molly only 10 mins old!

Daddy stayed with Molly in the nursery while Mommy was wheeled to recovery. Mommy was lonely but very glad Daddy was staying with Molly. When Mommy asked when she could see Molly, she was told she wouldn't be in recovery long, that Molly was getting her bath, and then could join Mommy in her room for the rest of the night. So, Mommy was patient. At 8:45pm, Mommy was wheeled from recovery to her room. Mommy was taken past the waiting room on the way, and Daddy, Grammy and G-Pop came rushing out the door. Grammy was crying and holding her cell phone - she was talking to Uncle Andrew. They had all been very worried about Mommy and were glad to see she was ok. Even though visiting hours were over, Mommy insisted that Grammy and G-Pop come with her to her room. Maw-maw and Paw-paw had already left thinking they weren't going to be able to see Mommy. Daddy came with us to the room for a few minutes and helped collect all of our things from Labor and Delivery. And then Daddy headed back to the nursery to find out what was the hold-up on getting Molly to the room with Mommy. Finally at 10:45pm, Daddy and Molly joined Mommy in her room. Mommy has never been so overjoyed and relieved. After snapping some more photos for the new family, Grammy and G-Pop said goodnight, and left the happy family of 3 to bond.

Mommy and Daddy were exhausted, but couldn't have been happier. We finally had our precious miracle, baby girl Molly in our arms!! And already we were asking ourselves in disbelief on how we could make something so beautiful!! God is good!!!

Insomnia....

2011-01-15T03:52:00.002-05:00

I can't sleep......so, what better than to blog! Why can't I sleep.....

1) uncomfortable
2) stuffy nose
3) constantly having to pee
4) mind is racing
5) scared
6) excited
7) anxious
8) itchy belly
9) thirsty (refer back to #3)
10) hungry

I guess you can call that my top 10 :)

The mind racing is the worst part though. And I wish I could say my mind was always racing about everything baby, but it is not. Mostly racing worrying about work, and my upcoming absence and the stress and strain that will put on my colleagues. Yes, I know I deserve the time off, and Molly will be my priority for sure, but just feel like I am running out of time to train and make sure everything is in order. I don't want someone to look back and say, I wish Ginny had told me that, or provided that information. But, I also feel you can overwhelm people with notes and procedures. Bottom line, they will survive. But, I just can't stop worrying!!! AHHHHH.

However, another problem on top of this is that I worry about work when I am not there, and when I am there, I can't stop thinking about baby!!! Crazy!!! I wish I could crawl inside my brain and get the priorities straight depending on my location.

I am excited about this long weekend though. We are going to attempt to tie up most of the loose ends when it comes to all things baby.

1) Maternity photos on Sat afternoon
2) Notify vet about upcoming stay of dog (IE: unknown, but in the next few weeks), and get her food packaged and ready.
3) Buy new jammies for the hospital overnight bag - VERY IMPORTANT :)
4) Pack hospital bags - #1) labor bag, and #2) overnight bag
5) Install car seat and get it checked
6) Finish the "who to call" list for baby's arrival
7) Take some time to relax and enjoy time just the two of us
8) Take time to enjoy baby's movements in my belly while I still can
9) Buy/organize things in baby's room to try and be more prepared for her first arrival home.
10) Think/wait/dream......
3)

Nursery

2011-01-02T18:30:00.009-05:00

It has been a long work in progress, but it finally looks like a nursery now.....or at least enough now that I feel I can post pictures ;) My parents came over today to help us hang some prints on the walls, and brought the crib skirt my mom had finished. She still has some finishing work to do on the bumper pads but it was nice to see what they are going to look like. We ordered a toy hammock to put in the corner above the crib for the stuffed animals. It is all coming together!! I love it!! And can't thank my mom enough for all her hard work!! She did the curtains, the crib skirt, the bumper pads, and my mother-n-law gave us the matching mobile and diaper stacker that we happened to find in the same fabric!! Molly Kamryn is already one lucky girl :). I said I wasn't going to put her name in print until she arrived, but figure with her initials hung on the wall now, might as well put it out there ;).

Updates

2010-11-21T18:40:00.002-05:00

Well, another boring post with no pictures, but feel I have neglected to write something long enough ;).

The house is becoming a little less chaos which is nice. We had new carpet put in on Friday on the stairs and all three bedrooms upstairs. With the fresh paint, new carpet and all the cleaning we have been doing (or cleaning Brandon has been doing I should say, since I HATE to clean!), the house is almost like new!

I have slowly been pulling things out of closets and drawers and getting rid of things or in most cases just trying to find new homes. I have a tendency to find an empty drawer or nook in a closet and just throw things in it. So, you never know what you are going to find!!

My main objective has been to tackle the nursery first so that we can get all things non-baby related out and make room for all the new things we have coming. We are getting there. Problem is I get worn out so quick, so just have to take little steps, but that is ok. We still have plenty of time.

I promise to post some pictures soon. But right now all you will see is piles of junk :)

Chaos

2010-11-08T07:23:00.002-05:00

Chaos defines my house right now. Of course it is driving me nuts, but I know it is all for a good cause, and at least we are on track to getting some things accomplished. Brandon finished painting the 3rd bedroom upstairs yesterday, so now we have finally officially painted every room in our house now - no more painter's white! (unless of course you look in the closets) - only took us 7 years, but oh well ;) Next on the to-do list is new carpet upstairs. That is going to be a chore. We are going to have to clean out all of the rooms so that they can take up the old and put down the new. Hence why the chaos is only going to get worse before it gets better. My hope is that we can accomplish this by Thanksgiving, so that then we can finally start to get everything situated and ready for baby girl!

Progress....

2010-10-24T20:03:00.002-04:00

It hit me today, and that as of Tuesday, we will only be 15 weeks away from meeting our little girl! Even less if she comes early - yikes!! We are so so excited, but I also panic whenever I think about all the things left to do. But, we made great progress this weekend. We poked around Babies R Us on Friday night to start to narrow down some choices on big ticket items like cribs, strollers, and car seats. And then on Saturday evening after the disappointing Elon loss, we picked up our spirits by registering at Target! Brandon of course had fun with the scan gun, and I had fun looking at all of the choices!! I will admit, it was pretty overwhelming, but I know with the help of friends, and a little research, we will figure it all out. We plan to register at Babies R Us this coming Friday. Today after church we drove to Durham to go to BuyBuy Baby - so much better than Babies R Us!!!! I love that store, and wish they would open one in Greensboro. They opened a small version in Winston-Salem recently, but we decided to make the drive to Durham so we could see the full selection. And it was worth it, because we found our crib!! We had to order it, but went ahead and made the decision and purchased it today. It should be in within 8-10 weeks, or maybe sooner. But we will have it by New Year's at the latest hopefully. So, things are starting to come together :) And all along, I have been LOVING feeling baby girl moving all around inside me - so so awesome!!!

decisions, decisions, decisions....

2010-09-29T06:54:00.002-04:00

Ugh.....I know I have a million more hard decisions ahead of me, but I already don't like having to make them! Brandon and I are struggling with the decision on whether I should get the flu shot or not. Brandon has never had one, and my sister-n-law never had one while she was pregnant and also has never had my niece or nephew get one. You see, Brandon's dad had Guillain-Barre (a rare syndrome but severe paralytic illness). Rex contracted it from the 1976 Swine Flu vaccine. And while studies are unclear, it has usually been suggested that no one from that blood line get a flu vaccine as they are at higher risk for the illness. Brandon's dad was one of the lucky ones that overcame the paralyzing affects, even though he still struggles daily with tingling in his feet. I haven't had a flu vaccine since I met Brandon. However, in talking it over with our doctor, while she realizes it is a hard decision, and one only we can make, she pointed out that the risks involved with contracting the flu while pregnant can be just as bad if not worse. So, Brandon is worried about me and that baby. I feel like we are flipping a coin, and that is not really how I want my first real big decision involving my baby to be. I have been praying for God to give me a sign, so I hope he does, as I have another doctor's appt today at 10:30!

Nursery Fabric!

2010-09-26T07:32:00.004-04:00

Mom and I went shopping yesterday and I think we have found our potential nursery!!! I took swatches so that I could see them in the room itself and compare with accessories we can get at stores (sheets, etc). But, I keep falling in love with it the more and more I look at it ;) I originally didn't want to do a lot of pink and make it too girly. I wanted a neutral nursery. But, in essence, we will still have that since the wall color, furniture, and glide rocker are all neutral in green and white. Curtains and bumper pads can be easily changed. I also wanted something that my little girl could grow into, instead of just being for a nursery.

The walls are already painted Mint Ice Cream. We are using existing white furniture and plan to get a white crib. And our glide rocker is a medium tone wood that will be recovered in the green fabric. Then, assuming we can get everything we need, we are planning on using the other three as coordinating fabrics for the curtains, crib skirt and possibly bumper pads or other crib bedding.

I feel so lucky to have a Mom that is so talented and willing to do this for us!! I don't know why, but it feels so good to customize the nursery just how I want it for our little girl, instead of picking out an already customized theme from a store. I like being creative. And I didn't want something with a theme or over the top. I wanted something she can grow into and won't feel all baby baby. I did surprise myself, because I never thought I wanted this much pink, but I LOVE how it works with the yellow and greens.

So exciting!!!! Now we just hope she doesn't pop out as a boy instead! ;) LOL

20th week pics

2010-09-24T06:08:00.006-04:00

We had some fun with the camera last night and took some more belly pics :) I decided to wear my pink tank top this time for my little girl! And we took the pics against her "Mint Ice Cream" nursery wall ;)

We are still working on a name. Mommy has one she likes, but is waiting for Daddy to give his input and make sure we have the perfect name for our little princess! It is such a hard decision!!!

Half-way there! - 20 weeks!!

2010-09-21T07:37:00.002-04:00

Well, we have made it to the half-way point! I am excited and anxious all at the same time. It has started to hit me recently how much there is still left to do and I am feeling overwhelmed. However, I know that all will be ok, and as long as we have the essentials that is all that matters. Brandon and I have been so busy, we haven't had a chance to really stop and talk much. On Saturday night, I pulled him into the bedroom and closed the door. We needed to be away from the TV, the dog, the cat, everything. We layed on the bed for what I thought and hoped was going to be a long nice chat, and then I just started to cry. And I mean, I sobbed. I think I have been holding all my emotions inside, and it wasn't until I had some alone quiet time with my hubby that it all hit me. So, we still had a nice moment, but instead of a lot of talking, it was more him just comforting me. As always, he made me feel better, and we were laughing not too long after. I am also very excited on top of all this anxiety. I started looking online this weekend to get ideas for things to register for or get. I picked out my diaper bag - of course Vera Bradley! - and I think my mom is going to go ahead and order it since it is one of my favorite patterns that is being discontinued (Hope Garden). I am already going to turn our little girl into a Vera girl :) Since I have several things in this pattern already, I figure they will now become hers :)

This past weekend, our little AOII legacy also participated in her first Arthritis Walk (AOII's National Philanthropy is Arthritis Research). I met some other AOII Alumnae at Bur-Mil Park on Saturday where we were able to support a cause important to us all. And it was so neat to see that all 100 Elon AOII collegians joined the event as well! I had to be cute, and make a little sticker so everyone knew about our legacy in my belly. Here is a pic as our little girl and I got ready to leave the house :)

It's a GIRL!

2010-09-14T07:28:00.004-04:00

We had our 19 week ultrasound yesterday and found out we are having a GIRL! I was so excited and nervous going into the ultrasound. I remember just gripping the table and trying to hold perfectly still as the technician put the first images of our precious girl on the screen. She was ALL OVER THE PLACE! A drastic difference from the last ultrasound where they had me get off the table and do jumping jacks to try and get her to move. It may have had something to do with the Coke I had on the way to the appt :). I was in complete awe the whole time. I don't think I said much. Brandon was super excited and every time I looked at him, he was moving closer and closer to the screen. Later someone asked me if I cried. I remember shedding a tear, because I remember it rolling down my cheek, but otherwise, I really was just in awe. The 3-D images captured were absolutely amazing! I am already in love!!! So, both Brandon's and my predictions were wrong. We both thought boy. But, we couldn't be more excited about our precious girl!! And we get to see her again in a couple of weeks. They couldn't get a good picture of her spine because she was moving so much, so they want us to come back. Darn! :) I will remember not to drink a coke for that appt! When the technician left the room, Brandon and I just looked at one another. I am still in shock that I actually have a baby growing inside me and now to find out it is a girl! So exciting ;) I wore a yellow shirt to the appt and brought a pink and blue one with me, so I immediately put on my pink shirt and wore it proud the rest of the day!! Brandon is really going to be outnumbered in our house. With me, two girl pets, and a baby girl on the way.....but I know he is LOVING it! He LOVES his girls :)

18 weeks

2010-09-07T20:18:00.003-04:00

I am 18 weeks today! Overall feeling good. Starting to have some stretching and overall things shifting pain, but not too bad. Still having trouble sleeping, but better get used to that! At least my appetite is back. According to babycenter.com, I now have a bell pepper in my tummy :) Approx. 5 1/2 inches long, and 7 ounces. We go back to the doctor on Monday the 13th for our next ultrasound. Very excited, because hopefully we will find out the sex!! Brandon continues to be amazing. He does most of the stuff around the house, and is also very protective and attentive to me. We are both getting more and more excited everyday. Still haven't felt any movements but hopefully soon!

Finding out!

2010-08-21T08:07:00.002-04:00

We have thought and talked about it a lot, and Brandon and I have made the decision to find out the sex of the baby! Now that the decision is made, I am excited, and can't wait for our appointment on September 13th! I just hope Baby Inscore cooperates! I don't think I will be able to stand it if they can't really tell for sure!! My gut is still telling me it is a boy, but when I think about decorating the nursery or buying things, for some reason my thoughts first go to girls. So, who knows!?!

Brandon is planning to paint the nursery today. Mint Ice Cream is our color, and I can't wait to see it on the walls! I know I am going to love it :) He worked last weekend getting the walls all prepped - lots of repair work to do - didn't know we had made so many holes in the walls! But now he is ready to paint :)

This momma to be is heading out with my friend Amanda this afternoon. She is due with her first baby, Colin in 4 short weeks! So, we are going to check out some consignment stores she has been wanting to go to. Just to help fill in any last minute gaps for her. And of course I will start looking for myself, but don't see myself getting much. Still too early for me. I am excited though about thinking about starting to hit some of the church consignment sales this fall - especially after we know what we are having.

In other news, even though it is crazy early, my wonderful friends have already offered to throw me a shower and we have set a date! Main reason for setting the date so early is because we are having it at my neighborhood community center, and that place books up crazy early! We even had to go with our second choice on date, because the first one was already taken. So, Sunday December 5th it is! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends that are just as excited about this baby as we are. And I also feel relieved that 4 of them are going to do the shower together. I would HATE for it to all be on one person, and will make it easier for me to just have one big friend shower. So thank you again to Jess, Rachel, Michele & Sarah!

With football season right around the corner, our weekends this fall are filling up quick! I am glad I am starting to feel better, and can actually enjoy getting out of the house more and taking part in the fun. Elon has 5 home games this year, and we can go to all 5! However, we will have to skip tailgating for 2 of them :( But all for good reason. Oct 2nd we are in charge of an event at church in the morning, but hope to make it to the 2nd half of the football game that afternoon. And then one of the Saturdays in November, Brandon is doing "Daddy Boot Camp" class at Women's Hospital in the morning, but we should be able to make kick-off for that game. It is not that I am a huge football fan, but it is just really fun to have a tradition and to do something together as a couple. Brandon and I have already enjoyed our time together, but tend to have different hobbies. So, this is something we can do and enjoy together. He loves the game, and supporting Elon, and I love the social aspect :)

So, I am looking forward to this fall. Getting ready for all things Baby and just soaking in the last months of it just being the two of us. I know it will be a huge change when a little one joins our crew, but I can't wait, and I welcome all the chaos!

Baby Showers

2010-08-14T07:43:00.006-04:00

I have a weekend full of baby showers, and I can't wait! I think any baby shower will be more exciting now, as I prepare for a little one of my own too! I plan to soak in as much as I can, and start my wish list for what I will want to put on my registries, etc. But, I do have to gloat for a second, because I am the BOMB on making fun things for these showers. The first one is actually a "Welcome Baby Party" for my friend, Emily. Her precious Charlie was born on July 9th, and we are going to welcome him into the world and spoil him and his mom in style :). Just for something fun, I decided to give a try to some lifesaver pacifiers that someone at work told me how to make. What do you think? They are VERY easy to make. You just take lifesavers and jelly beans and "adhesive" them together with icing - it is best to let them set overnight, and then decorate with ribbon.

The baby shower tomorrow is for my friend, Amanda, who is expecting her first baby boy, Colin next month. I made a diaper cake as my gift and for some fun decoration at the shower. The idea came from a magazine that someone again from work gave me, and I think it turned out great! What do you think? The face just makes it!

I am loving all these crafts!! And getting more excited about getting the upstairs more in order now. Once we get the nursery all settled, Brandon can start to help me get the other bedroom ready for all things scrap booking and crafts!! YEAH!!!

As far as Preggo here goes, I am doing much better. Still feeling a little sick, but getting my appetite back more and more each day. I am just about back to the weight I was when I got pregnant since so far all I had done was lost weight. However, regardless of a little weight lost, the belly is definitely starting to pooch! I am calling myself "in-betweeny" since I am not quite in all things Maternity yet, but having trouble fitting in a lot of my regular clothes. I have worn a couple of maternity shirts that my good friend Michele generously let me borrow, and then luckily most of the stuff in the stores now which I had bought for summer wear anyway was baby doll style. Pants are really the struggle now, so I am just relying on all my elastic waist skirts and wearing lots of dresses too. I can't even begin to describe how exciting all of this is to me! Even though I am still not feeling the best, I am soaking in all of the "funny" feelings I am getting from my body, and loving every moment. It is just so amazing that I have a little person growing inside me, and I can't wait to meet him/her!!!!

Pregnant!

2010-08-02T17:57:00.002-04:00

So of course this blog is going to turn more into all about baby on board, and I am so excited about that! More later, but to start here are our latest u/s pics :) We are 12 weeks and due on Feb 8th!

Puppy sitting

2010-07-03T09:41:00.006-04:00

We recently puppy sat for our friends Jess & Richard while they were in Vegas for another mutual friends' wedding. It was a fun, crazy and interesting week, but overall we had a great time. Here are some shots of Chelsi with her friend, Winston.

Dover Nascar Race & Birthday

2010-06-08T07:17:00.016-04:00

Since I have been slack about blogging, I thought I better blog about our trip to Dover, DE in mid-May.....especially since it was almost a month ago! It just sometimes feels redundant, since I usually put most of the same pictures on Facebook, but it is fun to look back and see more of an explanation of them on the blog.

Brandon and I drove up to Dover on Friday evening, May 14th. We stayed with our friends from Elon, Pat & Jennifer. We had a great weekend! On Saturday we just hung around their house in the morning. Jennifer made us an awesome breakfast of blueberry pancakes, and then we all slowly got ready. That afternoon we headed to St. Michael's, Maryland. A small town with really cute shops and a restaurant on the water. We walked up and down the street checking out some of the cute shops, and then finished off the evening by enjoying some crab by the water :)

Of course couldn't resist the fun sign.....I was excited to be able to "pinch" BI's head off ;)

Dinner by the water.....so nice!

Sunday was the race! This was only my 2nd Nascar Race. The first was Martinsville, VA several years ago. So, of the two races I have been to, neither are in my home state and home of Nascar, NC! Crazy, huh!? Guess that means I need to go to Charlotte soon :)

Nicole and Alison joined us for the race. They drove down from CT late Sat night. Nicole is our friend, Brian's sister. Brian and Melissa were going to come to the race with us, and after he passed, we still had 2 tickets. We had a great time with them! We headed over to tailgate early. It was cold!

And even though Brian couldn't be with us physically, we knew he was with us in spirit. Nicole brought some of his ashes to the race, and he tailgated with us :) I know everyone around us thought we were weird, but we didn't care. It was funny, emotional and cool all at the same time.

Brian enjoying a cold one...

Brian and Nicole's cousin/uncle (can't remember which) was at the race as well, and so he walked over to join us for a little tailgating before heading inside.

Before we went to our seat, of course Brandon and Pat had to say hello to Danika Patrick!

The Monster of Dover Monster Mile!

And they're off!

Even though I was wearing my red for #9 Kasey Kahne, I am also a fan of #18 Kyle Busch, who just happened to win the race! Just for my birthday :) LOL

It was a lot of fun. A part of me still likes watching the races on TV, because you see more of what is going on, but it is still a fun experience to go to every once and a while. And it makes my hubby so happy! Plus, it was fun to go with friends and see a different track.

On Sunday night we just had a quiet dinner at Pat & Jennifer's. We were all pooped! And then Monday morning, Brandon and I headed back home. Since it was my actual birthday and we were driving through DC, my brother wanted us to stop and see him real quick so that he could give me a birthday hug :)

A good birthday and a good weekend!!

Telling our parents the news....

2010-06-08T06:53:00.004-04:00

JUNE 8TH:
We are still so early on, but so very excited, that we can't help but share our news with our immediate family. Figure if something goes wrong, we are going to need their support.

On Friday, June 4th, we have Ginny's parents over for dinner. We are standing in the kitchen talking and finishing up fixing dinner. I say, "Before we sit down, we need you two to put your thinking caps on. We need you to tell us what you want to be called......because you are going to be GRANDPARENTS!" I knew they would be excited, but never imagined how much. This will be their first grandchild. Well, I look at my dad and he is already bright red and eyes filled with tears. My mom looks at me and says "Are you serious?!" as she goes to hug me, and then starts jumping, or running in place, or something - she just can't stand still. It was awesome!! And if you know my family, we are big on signs. Mom brought me some of her hydrangea blooms to decorate the table. And she chose to bring the blue blooms from their front yard, as opposed to the pink ones from the backyard :) Only time will tell, but this was my first sign that we just might have a boy.

We told Brandon's parents the following weekend. We had planned to wait and tell them our first night at the beach, but due to a little scare we had early on this pregnancy, we had a last minute doctor's appt Thursday morning (the day we were supposed to be leaving for the family beach trip). So, Brandon called his parents to say, Ginny is pregnant, but there is a problem, and we need to go to the doctor. It wasn't the ideal way to tell them, but of course wanted them to know. They were of course concerned. The beach, although a little stressful, since the doctor visit still left us wondering if this pregnancy was going to survive, was relaxing. And Brandon's parents and he were so supportive and encouraging to me. So, I am glad I had the support of such wonderful family!!

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-11T07:31:00.008-04:00

Well, to be honest, I wasn't celebrating this Mother's Day as I would have hoped - as a Mother myself - but I had a WONDERFUL time being with my own mom! And I know my time is soon to come to be a mom myself......just have to keep practice being patient. My brother decided to come to town to surprise my mom. He is so sweet! He surprised me last year for my birthday and then decided to surprise mom this year for Mother's Day. I must admit, I think my surprise was better, because he came all the way from California for my 30th. But, it was still great of him to make the drive from DC and deal with the traffic both coming and going. He arrived Friday evening, but decided to get together with some high school buddies he hadn't seen in a while and wait and surprise mom on Saturday. I wasn't there yet to see it, but got the play by play later. Andrew called and talked to Dad on the phone (who didn't know he was coming either) to throw him off a little - he just wanted to make sure they were home - so he talked for a few minutes and then told Dad he had to go because he was getting ready to go and buy some softballs and head to a game. Then just a few minutes later he pulled in the driveway. Mom was out front working in the yard. Andrew honked the horn and she looked over and still took her a few seconds to realize it was him. She said she was thinking to herself, what neighbor has a black car? Too funny!! Needless to say, I am sure the squeals could be heard from a mile away. If you don't know my mom, she is a squealer :) She gets very excited when she sees her kiddos and isn't afraid to show it - I LOVE LOVE that about her!!! Brandon and I arrived a short while later and the family just enjoyed some quiet time talking on the back porch - such a gorgeous day!!

Then we headed off to check out the new minor league baseball team, the DASH take on the Salem Red Sox. The new stadium was awesome! We went early so we had time to walk around and check everything out and get some food (the food was much better than the Hoppers stadium, I must admit!), and then took our seats. We were on the first base line and really enjoyed the game. The DASH won, including a Grand Slam - it was great! And the best part was seeing the smile on my Mom's face!! She was just so happy to be with her family :)

Brandon and I headed back to Greensboro that night, but Andrew stayed until Sunday afternoon so he could spend more time with Mom and Dad. He even treated them to the Deacon Club for Mother's Day brunch - which they also said was delicious and wonderful!! I enjoyed waking up on Mother's Day cuddling with my canine child, and spending the day with my sweet hubby. We did what every girl loves most - shopping! After church we decided to go and check out some of the sales, and both got a few new things to brighten up our spring/summer wardrobes. I think I like some of things Brandon got for himself better than what I got for me. He is one handsome man!! We pretty much went separate ways when we hit the stores, so it was fun to come home and put on a fashion show for one another. You know, sometimes it is just the little things that make life the most fun and make me feel so lucky to live the life I do :)

Thoughts pre-pregnancy.....

2010-05-04T06:48:00.011-04:00

So, I thought I better publish the things I had in draft and couldn't publish until the news was public :) Just some thoughts along the way so far - it has been an emotional process, but so glad we are finally in the pregnant state!!!!

Tuesday, May 4th:
Not going to lie, feeling a little depressed today. But, as usual, Brandon knew just how to cheer me up. By the time he left for work, he had me laughing. I started this morning. And as I thought I would, I allowed myself to cry. Sure, I had been disappointed months before in the years we have been trying, but this one was different. Everything was going great! We finally got my body working like it is supposed to. Medicine was working and doctor was very pleased with results. So, I thought, this is it! And a part of me was hoping for a very early Mother's Day gift and birthday gift this year. But, now I am saying 3rd time is a charm. Brandon said he has good feelings about this next month. And once again, I have to remind myself, that at least I have a chance.....at least things seem to be working as they should. And most couples still have to wait almost a year to get that exciting news. But, my problem is, I don't have another year. I can't be on these drugs that long. So, 3rd time is a charm, right!?!? And if we have to, doc said we could go 4 months on the meds before going to next step. So, we still have a Plan!

Sat morning, May 29th:
So, I have been feeling funny the past few days, and of course was afraid I was overthinking every feeling my body had, but since I had 3 pregnancy tests in the bathroom cabinets, I thought why not? Well, at 4am, I had to pee, so I thought, ok, going to do it! I took a test. Taking all the wrapping off was so loud!! - I was afraid Brandon would come in and ask what I was doing. Not that I wouldn't tell him, but for some reason wanted this private moment. I guess a part of me felt funny for doing it, because come on now, the results are always negative, and my symptoms aren't that strong. So, pee on the stick (half asleep) and put it down to wait a few minutes. Stare at it constantly. Watch one line come up and wait to see if there will be a second. Wait, wait, wait. Ok, can't be pregnant because you hear people say the line shows right away. Wait, there is something appearing. Yes, it is a second line, but it is really faint. Frustrated, I throw the test in the trash, and go back to bed. I lay awake for a few minutes praying. God, please give me the strength. I know you have plans for me, and I trust you, but please give me the strength to know what to do. Go back to sleep. 6:30 am, alarm goes off. I know, crazy for a Sat morning, but Brandon is taking my car to be serviced and has an 8am appt across town. I love him by the way! He takes care of everything. While I was shopping after work yesterday, he was cutting the grass. As I type this blog, he is out getting my car serviced. Yup, I have a great man! He never complains. Ok, back to the reason for this post. So, I get up and just out of curiosity go pull the test from 4am out of the trash. Yup, still two lines, but one is a lot more faint than the other. Laugh. Brandon gives me confused look as he walks in bathroom. Yup, your wife took another pregnancy test. I know you say it is ok, and it isn't a waste of money to hope for something we really want, but I still think I should have waited until the missed period. I did buy the test that tells you 6 days before, and I am only 2 days before day 28. So, I show him the test. He says, look at the box and see what the faint line means. I read the instructions. ONE LINE MAY BE FAINTER THAN THE OTHER. Wow! Ok, so am I pregnant? Of course I am going to question it. I ask Brandon if I should take another test? He says do you have more? Yup, I have 2 more, because I planned ahead for my insecurity :) I take test #2. Same thing, 1st line right away, 2nd FAINT line appears about a minute or two later. Still confused. Leave both tests on the bathroom counter, and tell Brandon, we are not throwing these away. He says, well you threw the first one away. Yeah, because I thought I wasn't pregnant. Now, not sure. Come downstairs and go to computer to search about this type of test. Still confused. A faint line to some means, you are pregnant, just have low level of pregnancy hormone. Wait a few days. Yeah right! I am going to the store in a little while and buying some other type of tests. Maybe a digital one.

Digital result is PREGNANT!! I sent Brandon a text because he was still getting my car serviced, and he wrote back "SWEET....I LOVE YOU!"

So.....now I am scared! We might be pregnant, but we still have the miscarriage hurdle to get over, and a long road ahead. But, I can finally smile!! And now to make an appt with doctor for blood pregnancy test to make it official.

Ready for spring.....

2010-04-04T17:45:00.008-04:00

We have spent a good portion of this weekend out on our back patio. It has been wonderful! Even got too hot at times that I had to come inside to cool down for a bit. I am loving the warmer weather, but must admit I am a little worried about what this summer is going to hold for us when it is already in the 80's the first week of April! But, I know the nice weather and being outside is just what the doctor ordered. Let's just say it was a hectic end to March, and both the hubby and I needed some down time and fresh air this weekend. We have had a low key Easter. I think the first one that we didn't do a fancy meal, or get together with friends/family. We did however get to see family in Wilkesboro yesterday, so I guess I can't say we went without. And hearing the organ back in working order at church this morning made my heart smile. I had goose bumps a good portion of the service.

Two weekends ago, I had a nice visit with my family in DC. My parents and I rode the train to see my brother and his new apt in Crystal City. The train ride was neat, and now when I hear the sounds of the train in a distance off my back patio, I listen just a little more closely. Below are a couple of pics from our weekend together.

CELEBRATING MY GREAT AUNT'S 90TH BIRTHDAY IN LANGHORNE, PA

MY NEW FAVORITE PHOTO OF MY BROTHER AND ME (Old Town Arlington, VA)

MY WONDERFULLY SWEET PARENTS ;) (National Museum of American History)

THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF!! I GOT THE "TASH" SIGN AT THE CRAFT FAIR IN NOVEMBER.....OF COURSE GOT AN "INSCORE" ONE TOO :) HOWEVER, MY BRO WAS GOOD AND HUNG HIS RIGHT AWAY, WHERE OURS STILL SITS IN A CLOSET WAITING FOR THE PERFECT SPOT :)

Brandon did not have as good of a weekend as I did. He was supposed to have a relaxing weekend at home while I was away, but after a phone call Thurs night from our friend, Brian, he and two friends decided a trip to CT was top priority. And I am so glad they listened to their guts. Joey, Pat and Brandon drove up to Connecticut and had a good visit with Brian Cari. While he was weak and very sleepy, he had his sense of humor, and I am so thankful for that. Later that night, Brian passed away in his sleep. His fight against pancreatic cancer held strong for 9 months since diagnosis. I admire him so much for his positive attitude!!

Last weekend, Brandon and I met up with the rest of the Pi Kappa Phi clan + significant others from Elon in Connecticut to remember and celebrate the life of Brian. The service was beautiful, and the stories we all told to remember all the good times with Brian warmed all our hearts. Of course my heart still aches for Brian's fiance, Melissa and his family, but we all know the we now have a sweet angel looking over us.

PI KAPPA PHI BROTHERS REMEMBERING BRIAN

BROTHERS + SIGNIFICANT OTHERS TELLING BRIAN STORIES OVER DINNER

So, now I am ready for spring.....ready for some weekend get-aways already planned, and others that will come our way. Ready to sit back and relax and enjoy time with my family and friends. Because life is too short, and we all have to remember to stop and smell the flowers and enjoy those moments and people around us.

RIP Brian Cari (12/03/80 - 03/21/10)

2010-03-24T07:14:00.004-04:00

House projects.....

2010-03-06T21:38:00.019-05:00

......first on the "to-do" list....new flooring!! Brandon is doing it himself, and is doing an awesome job!! He has completed the office so far, and is getting close to finishing the living room. We decided to go with laminate, due to durability with having a dog, and not wanting to put a huge investment in them. I love it!!

A sample of a rug I found today that I think I like.....

....and it's already Chelsi approved ;)

Updated for your viewing pleasure....

2010-03-06T13:24:00.001-05:00

I felt it was about time I updated the blog background and added some "jazz". I am embarressed to say I spent all morning working on it while the hubby slaved away on our new flooring!! Oh well....enjoy ;)

So pretty.....

2010-02-17T07:38:00.004-05:00

Ok, so picture it is Lapis - or dark purple for those like me that don't know their color palet terms. Aren't I going to make a beautiful bridesmaid!!???

Our friends, Brian and Melissa are getting married on June 12th in Connecticut, and Brandon and I are both in the wedding :) So sweet!!

Vacation days.....

2010-02-16T18:44:00.002-05:00

Vacation days are wonderful!! And I think this is the first time in a LONG time that I just took some time off to chill. Granted the days off work were originally scheduled to take a trip to DC with my parents to visit my brother, but Winter Wonderland had other plans. We are hoping to reschedule for March, but I was ready for a break now, so I kept the days off work, and so glad I did!

I spent Friday with my hubby. We bought our laminate flooring, which he started putting down in the office this weekend! We enjoyed some Elon basketball game and then dinner with friends on Saturday night - I forgot how much fun it was to double date - we don't do it enough! And Sunday was church and then just a quiet VDay dinner at home. I even broke out the good china and a bottle of wine for the occasion :) While I only baked my sweetie a heart shaped cake, he surprised me with John Mayer tickets for March! So, we have another fun evening to look forward to :)

On Monday, the only thing on my agenda was an afternoon massage, and that is basically all that got accomplished. I managed to put a pizza in the oven for dinner, but that was about it. It was awesome!!

I had a few appts today, but still enjoyed one more day off. I could get used to it :) So, lottery tickets will continue to be purchased!!

Snow!

2010-02-03T18:49:00.009-05:00

I have nothing profound to say, so thought I would post some fun snow pics instead :) Of course most of them are of our favorite furry child!! She had so much fun playing in the snow and running around on Sunday. It did all three of us good to get out of the house for a little while.

I am not too excited about the chance of more winter weather coming through this weekend. I have had my fill of snow, and really hate the ice part, which is all we will probably get anyway. Plus, Brandon's installation as Elder was postponed to this weekend, and if it is postponed again, I will be out of town and miss it! ;( So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that all things GPPC will be a go for Sunday, and that the family can make it too.

Glass half full

2010-01-24T17:26:00.003-05:00

Today's sermon spoke to me. I always try to get something out of everyone I hear, but every once and a while, I feel they really speak to me, and give me just what I need to hear. God does not put us in situations to punish us. He doesn't take us down a path in life that we did not expect in order to hurt us. There is a reason for everything. This is what gets me through each day. Good and bad in life....we all need a reality check once a while. Reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Rascal Flatts, "Bless the Broken Road". We all have our days when we are down, and sometimes for no apparent reason. I know I have so many things to be thankful for, and need to remember that my life is my own, and no one else's. Even though I feel things should be happening for me a certain way, doesn't mean that is what my life's journey is meant to be. And honestly, that is what makes life so interesting! If everything happened exactly how we wanted and when we wanted, what would be the fun in that. You would miss out on opportunities and doors that are opened that you were ignoring because you were so caught up on how things should be. As some know, I have been struggling with God's plan for us to start a family. I know I am not alone in this struggle, and while you can't help for a split second to be jealous when others seem to have what you want, there IS A REASON.....God has spoken! I don't want anyone worrying about me, or taking pitty on me. I am ok with it. And I have nothing but joy in my heart for my friends around me that are welcoming God's precious gifts into the world. My day will come. Tomorrow, I am meeting with a new doctor. One who I hope will listen to what I am feeling, and how I struggle with interfering with God's plan. So, don't worry, just PRAY that God will make his plan clear and help me with the next step. I have so many other great things in my life to focus on, and stick with my theory of not letting this consume me. It isn't fair to me, my husband, or my friends. But I do appreciate those who let me vent and talk it out, because it does help from time to time. I just feel for my mom, who keeps getting asked about grandkids, for people who are just trying to start conversation and ask if you have kids, and for those who you know care what is going on with you. Some days I feel like talking about it, others I don't. I just want to focus my time and energy on enjoying the gifts that God has given me today, and let the rest fall into place when the timing is right.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T08:31:00.006-05:00

Wow - 2010! As we prepare to enter a new decade, thought I would reflect on the past one.

The year 2000 started off with a teary goodbye for me. I spend New Year's that year in Wilkesboro hanging out with my new boyfriend and his high school friends. On New Year's Day I remember sitting at a Subway in Wilkesboro with said boyfriend crying my eyes out. I was having to say goodbye for a WHOLE Month! Wow, remembering back to new love and how we just couldn't be apart just makes me laugh now. If you haven't guessed, said boyfriend ended up being my husband :) I was getting ready to leave on a study abroad trip to Ireland for the month of January. It was an amazing trip with gorgeous and breathtaking views. Unfortunately, I wish I could say I enjoyed it more than I did, because I was love sick the whole time :( And nothing could top by study abroad trip to London the year before in my eyes. But, I am still very thankful for the experience. May 2000 I rang in a milestone birthday of 21! It was a great birthday surrounded by wonderful friends!! That June I started an internship at Willis Re Inc. Never thought I would work in the field of insurance, but almost 10 years later, still there!

2001 - Ashlyn (our niece) was born in March, and May brought graduation from college and entering the real world. Even though I had lived in off-campus apartments at college, I remembering the excitement of moving in and decorating my first apartment that I could call all my own! Lincoln Green in Greensboro would be my home for 2 years.

2002 - I got my first ever pet cat, Clover. He was my best buddy!! However, the poor cat was also by-polar (no other explanation for his sometimes crazy behavior). He would be purring and loving on you one minute, and attacking you the next.

2003 - Weston (our nephew) was born in June! And Brandon and I did everything backwards. We bought our first house even before being engaged ;) Just couldn't pass up the interest rates and wonderful neighborhood of Reedy Fork that we had found. We started the process of building in February and moved in August 2003. Well, guess I should correct that - I moved in, he kept an apartment for one more year until we were married. I was able to live with my best friend, Rachel for the first time that year. We had a great time!! Our 2nd cat, Callie was also welcomed into our lives that fall. She and Clover were best buddies! Then, on Oct 2, 2003, Brandon made me a very happy woman when he proposed in Asheville, NC at Richmond Hill Inn. I am sad to say now that Richmond Hill burned this past year, so our memories of that day will have to remain in our hearts and in photos.

2004 - Wedding planing and on Oct 4, 2004 I became Mrs. Brandon W. Inscore!! I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful day!! Surrounded by family and friends. I cried my eyes out at my rehearsal because it hit me as I practiced walking down the aisle that everyone was here for Brandon and me, and all of this planning and preparation was for us! And I still break out the wedding video and watch it often ;) We enjoyed a fabulous week in Cancun for our honeymoon, and can't wait to go back one day.

2005 - May 2005 was a tough month. That is when I had to make the very hard decision to put our cat, Clover to sleep. He had been sick since December and they never figured out what was wrong with him. When he started having seizures I knew it was time, but was still one of the hardest things I have ever done, especially because he was only 3 years old. In August, Brandon and I both took on new career paths. He decided not to go back to teaching. He had put in his required 4 years for Teaching Fellows, and decided to go into the world of GIS. I stayed with Willis, but made the move to the Finance department.

2006 - We welcomed our new puppy, Chelsi into the family!! She has been spoiled rotten ever since! Her and Callie, the cat still don't really get along ;( And in May of this year, Brandon completed his graduate degree from UNC-G in Applied Geography.

2007 - In May, we said goodbye to Brandon's Mazda 626 and purchased a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado truck. We were so excited about our purchase, that we called my parents. We made sure they were both on the phone before we told them the news, and my dad still teases me because he thought we were calling to announce we were pregnant! Sorry daddy ;( Also, in May, we officially became members of the church we had been attending since the fall, Guilford Park Presbyterian. That fall we enjoyed our first season as Elon football season ticket holders and a great tradition continues. In November of that year, I had my first run in with a deer. Luckily the damage to my Honda CR-V wasn't too bad, and we tease that I officially became an Inscore since I killed my first deer! I was not amused. In December, we hosted our first Christmas at our house for my parents and brother.

2008 - I enjoyed my first year as a part of Circle 8, and have treasured the bonds formed with these wonderful women from GPPC. In May, I was promoted to supervisor of cash in the Finance department, and while I kept all my same duties, I have enjoyed the new challenges this role has brought me. We celebrated my grandmother's 90th birthday in Connecticut with family in June, and later that month said goodbye to my CR-V and purchased our 2008 GMC Acadia. It was a busy summer, because over 4th of July, my brother spoiled me with a free trip to Hawaii. He was there on business, and flew me over to join him on his frequent flyer miles. We had a wonderful time!!

2009 - I said goodbye to two roles in my life, and said hello to a new one. After two short years, but an eye-opening experience, I ended my at-home business with Passion Parties. Then in June, I ended my 6 year role as the President of the AOII Piedmont Alumnae chapter - I am enjoying just being a member now ;) And this fall I took on the 2 year commitment of chair of my church circle - love Circle 8! Brandon and I both celebrated our milestone 30th birthdays this year, and our 5th wedding anniversary. We have wonderful memories from all three events. A surprise party at Natty's Greene's loft for Ginny's birthday, a surprise Nascar ride-along for Brandon's birthday, and then an amazing trip to Barbados for our anniversary. It has been a wonderful year!

I welcome 2010, and look forward to what the next decade brings to my life!

Family visit

2009-11-16T18:36:00.007-05:00

Last weekend we went to Wilkesboro for a quick visit. We hadn't been up there since the end of the summer - BAD AUNT and UNCLE!!! It was my SIL, Jana's birthday while we were in Barbados, and my BIL, Derek's yesterday, so we wanted to give some birthday presents, do a little celebrating, and of course see the kids!! At least I know I will see them again shortly for Thanksgiving. I never can get enough hugs and kisses from them!! Here are some pics. Not that great, as taken with the cell phone, but of course Weston was thrilled to show off his first missing tooth!! Oh, how fast they grow up :(

Rain, rain, go away!!!

2009-09-26T07:36:00.002-04:00

I know we need the rain, but why can't it just rain during the week when we are stuck at work and inside. Instead, it is raining and yucky out and I am trying to decide if I should go to the Elon game. My parents are coming with us, but I have officially woken up with a cold this morning. And I am not sure sitting in the rain is going to help my cause of getting better before Barbados next Saturday!!

But, at times like this, I just look at my right wrist where I have been wearing the Yellow Band bracelet everyday and remember that there is no reason for me to complain. I am so blessed and need to remember to pray for the worse things people are going through.

But the little kid in me just wants to say "WAHHHHHH, I am sick and it stinks!!!"

GPPC's 2nd Annual Lawn Party!!!

2009-08-17T21:11:00.002-04:00

On Sunday we had the 2nd Annual GPPC Lawn Party!! A day full of good food, great music and awesome fellowship and music! I was the official "photographer" for the event, so below is a link.....beware, I am camera happy, so there are a lot to look through :) And of course you can tell who I know the best.....there is something to be said about not feeling comfortable putting a camera in just anyone's face, but hopefully I captured mostly everyone there in the other group shots!! Enjoy!!

Barbados here we come!!!

2009-08-02T20:36:00.002-04:00

Ok, so we aren't going until October, but I am still super excited about the trip we just booked!! Our friends, Chad & Anna are celebrating their 1 year wedding anniversary the same weekend Brandon and I are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. They had found some great deals on trips, and talked us into going with them. We all figured this was the only year that we would have milestone anniversaries together, neither couple has kids yet, and we all feel we can financially do it - plus there are some awesome deals!!! So, why not be selfish....right???!!!

Brandon and I had always talked about doing something fun for our 5th wedding anniversary, and so now we are fulfilling that dream by heading to Mango Bay, an all-inclusive resort in Barbados. We leave on October 3rd for a 5 night stay!! Now, I will admit, a part of me is a little nervous, especially when I see how small the island of Barbados is on a map :) But, I know we will have a blast. And I am still blown away by the deal we found......both of us are going for about the price it cost just one of us to go on our honeymoon to Cancun.

We got passport photos taken today, and I am sending off the package to get both of ours renewed tomorrow. Hard to believe they are already expired!! That means that 10 years have flown by :)

In some respects, I wonder if we should be taking such a big trip....why not save it for a 10, 15 or 20 year anniversary. But, since our plans for adding to our family are not going as we had planned, and after seeing our friend, Brian battling cancer, we just figure life is too short!! I need to do something to keep my spirits up and enjoy this time in my life. I love my husband so much, and everyday Thank God for bringing him into my life. So, I am so excited to be able to share these awesome experiences with him.

Now, the question will be, how will I play catch up at work when I return after being out for 6 days???? But, you know what, who cares!!

Updates, updates, updates

2009-07-29T11:28:00.018-04:00

Well, since I am home on my couch recovering from a nasty viral infection that has kept me out of work for 3 days now, I figured I might as well update the blog, right?

It's not that I haven't had much going on, or that I haven't had things to share, but for some reason haven't had the motivation to update the blog. I once again blame it on all the TV I am hooked on and the fact that the "crack"berry keeps me from going to a real live computer when at home.

My first question is, what is with all the pomegranate stuff??? Every other commercial has been about some new product that has to do with pomegranate scent or taste. It is in new cereals, shampoos, soaps, dressings, drinks; you name it! Pomegranate is like the new strawberry!! I wouldn't be surprised if my old at home business didn't come out with a pomegranate product soon....LOL.

Anyway, now onto all things Inscores.....

Since I have not done a blog update since mid-June, I will just give the highlights.

At the end of June, we helped celebrate with my good friend, Rachel as she joined the "30 club"!! Her boyfriend, Ken and I planned a surprise birthday party for her at a nearby High Point park. Ken snagged a shelter by the lake, which was really nice. Of course a blog update wouldn't be interesting without pictures, so here are a few to share (of course those on Facebook, this will be a repeat).

July 4th - this year, I decided that I wanted to just have a quiet evening at home. We had been invited to do a couple of things with friends, but just didn't feel like going anywhere. So, I spent some time at the pool, and while there ran into some neighbors that said they had gotten some fireworks and that we should join them later when they set them off. I figured, ok, cool, a chance to hang out with some of the neighbors we have lost touch with and we don't have to drive anywhere, bonus! Well, the quiet evening plans, turned into a lot of fun and a late night ;) But, we had a blast hanging out with everyone and enjoying the sights of fireworks set off by boys who were like kids in a candy store playing with fire....the jello shots weren't so bad either...LOL!!

The next weekend, we headed to Topsail Island to hang out with friends, Chad & Anna. Anna's parents have an amazing beach house on the inter coastal waterway. Chad's brother, Justin and his girlfriend, Ashley were there as well. And everyone brought their dogs, which made it even more interesting!! Chad and Anna just got a new golden puppy named Jake. He is only 3 months old, and absolutely adorable!! Ashley had a little lap dog that was a cutie pie too; Bailey, who held up really well around the big dogs. And of course, we brought our precious Chelsi, who is not all the time precious, but overall did great! It was so nice to just relax and hang out without a care in the world.

Since we weren't sure how she would react, we decided not to take Chelsi out on the boat so that we could relax and enjoy it more. But, we made sure to take her to the beach on Saturday morning before heading out so she could experience the sand and ocean. She wasn't sure what to think?!?

Newlyweds - Anna & Chad - too cute!!

...and their cutie pie - Jake :)

New love...Justin and Ashley :)

and of course the awkward but always necessary, self portrait shot :)

Then came a harder trip. We headed to Connecticut the following weekend to see our good friend, Brian from college that has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing chemo. Even though we are all devastated about the news and still trying to process it all, we were determined to have a good visit and to catch up with everyone. So, Joey drove up from Greenville, SC on Thursday night and crashed with us, and then Friday morning, the three of us started on the road north. We made a stop in Delaware to pick up Pat and Jennifer and continued north to Connecticut. Brian, Brandon, Pat and Joey were all fraternity brothers at Elon, and even though we don't see them as often as we like, we have all remained really close. Since I was already dating Brandon when he joined the fraternity, I feel like all of these boys are my brothers too. They are a really special and hilarious group!! Of course when others are added to the mix, it can get even crazier, but these 4 guys were just the laughter that we all needed. We got to meet Brian's girlfriend, Melissa, who is awesome!! It makes us all feel a lot better knowing he has such a great girl and support system right by his side 24 hours a day. And even though Brian was not his normal self, he still managed to smile and laugh, and I think the trip did us all a lot of good. I don't have any pictures from this trip, but I do have one of my favorites of these boys from a wedding a few years back in New Jersey.

Nick, Brian, Mark, Joey, Pat, Alan and Brandon

This past weekend was a much needed weekend at home on the ranch (Reedy Fork Ranch that is!). I was pretty lazy, enjoying a day by the pool on Saturday and movie outing on Sunday. Brandon on the other hand, was hard at work again on the Habitat House, but as usual, really enjoyed his time there. He even thinks he learned enough that he can install our wood flooring himself!! Yeah!!!

This next month we are looking forward to celebrating Brandon's birthday as he joins the "30 club", and then a week-long beach trip with my family. So, more updates and pictures to come soon.....

Reality TV

2009-06-18T20:50:00.006-04:00

I used to make fun of it, and vowed never to watch it, but now I am hooked on just about every reality show. Tonight is another night of "So You Think You Can Dance". I got teary eyed watching it last night! However, I could do without the judge, Mary. Her voice is like nails on a chalk board!! I am also hooked on "The Bachelorette", and can't wait to see who Jillian ends up with (akem....REID! - love him!!). And I am already looking forward to the next "Big Brother" coming this summer :)

I was trying to think about why I liked all of these shows. Maybe it is because I am very lucky and live a pretty drama free life, and therefore feed off the drama of others? Or is the nonsense that is comforting after a hard day mentally at work. And of course the "eye candy" isn't too bad either :) (check out some pics of my favorites)

Whatever it is, the networks have a viewer in me! Keep them coming.....

Cancer Sucks

2009-06-04T19:00:00.002-04:00

Cancer knows no age......it takes the ones we love, it comes out of the blue, it causes pain, it is scary, and it just plain sucks. I am not saying anything new or anything that anyone else doesn't already feel. Everyday it seems we all learn about someone who is faced with cancer, or we may be ourselves. Well, last weekend, Brandon and I were faced with the news that a good friend of ours from college has cancer, and he is ONLY 28!! The news is still fairly new as he is still learning the challenges that face him ahead. However, this was the first time I really felt the dagger to my heart of sympathy and pain for him. My grandfather had cancer, but he was older, had lived a full life, and I was too young to really understand. Since then, I have prayed for countless others as they have dealt with cancer themselves, or with a loved one. But, this is the first time that I can say I truly felt the anger. Anger that cancer could attack someone so kind, so young, so full of life and promise. But, this also gives me hope, because I know he can fight, and together with his friends and family's support, I pray we can beat this! It is not going to be easy.....but you have to have hope.....sometimes that is all there is in life.

Wrong side of the bed

2009-06-02T06:52:00.004-04:00

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today (figuratively...not literally)....or in other words, in just a plain BAD mood. So, thought maybe writing about it will make me feel better so that I can go on with my day.

As Brandon keeps teasing me about (since he doesn't turn 30 until August), I am not a spring chicken anymore, and when caffeine never used to affect me and keep me awake it night, it does now. So, my diet pepsi with dinner last night (which happened to be at 8:30pm) didn't allow my eyes to feel tired until midnight....plus I had to finish watching Bachelorette on DVR!! So, no night can start off that good when you know you are only max going to get 6 hrs (I know, I know....all those Moms out there would say 6 is awesome, but this one is milking getting 8 a night still whenever possible!).

As I was trying to close my eyes, my stomach was hurting, and my thoughts kept drifting to a friend who received bad news over the weekend. I must have fallen asleep because that is when the dreams set in.....

As a prenote: Last night Brandon was forewarning me not to take anything personal today at the DMV, because the people there have to deal with so many nut jobs and people who don't speak English, that they tend to loose their personalities. I guess that set me up for my dream......

Of course I can't remember the details and order of the dream, but I was definitely at the DMV trying to renew my license. However, in my dream, you got the card with the information on it first, and then had to make a separate trip to get your picture added on it. I went for the first visit and waited in line, finally got to see someone and they asked me a bunch of questions. I got my new license (without the picture) and headed home. I was kicking myself in my dream (again figuratively and not literally LOL) because I didn't double check that the information on the license was correct before I left. I get home and start looking at it, and realized that instead of my name, they had put some "jibber jabber" that didn't even make sense....something like my name was "XRarnjut Thsamal"....so, knowing I had an appt at 9am to get my picture taken and added to the license (at least my brain knew I had an appt this morning in the real world LOL), I arrived at 8am, which should have been plenty of time for the correction to be made. Well, anyway, as you can imagine, that wasn't the case, and I was told it would be 9 hrs (what is it with the number 9???) for the correction to be made. I threw something at the clerk and said "I have to wait 9 hrs for you to fix something that wasn't my fault!" Yeah, and I never yell at anyone at stores or offices, etc, I usually just grin and bear it. So, I have to wait for a phone call so that someone who can barely speak English can interrogate me as it was somehow my fault that the name was typed in wrong.....

Ok, reading this back, it was crazier in my head than it looks on paper. Anyway, so I wake up after this dream in a BAD mood, and to top it off, Brandon's alarm keeps going off (his alarm really annoys me!!) and he isn't turning it off and getting out of bed (he went to bed late too and is tired), the dog is stretched out under the covers and putting her feet directly into my back, and the cat (who is on a diet and convinced she is starving!!!) is rubbing back and forth on the bedroom door making it creak so that I will get up, plus I have to pee. So, I throw back the covers and say "FINE, I am getting up!!" It really stinks to be a light sleeper!! I feed the cat and go to the bathroom, and found the real cause of my BAD mood....I started! (no worries, don't think any men actually read this blog LOL)

So, now I get to go to the DMV this morning and hope my dream doesn't become reality, head to work where I am sure I will be annoyed by something else, lunch meeting so that I can volunteer some more of my time away, and all the while feeling crampy and bloated.....WONDERFUL!

All this being said, I have to step back and say, it really isn't that bad.....but we all have our days where we think our life is the worst. I have to remind myself that I am very lucky and very blessed. I have my health, my family, my friends, my job and a roof over my head.....which is more than a lot of people can say these days.

Whew.....I already feel better :)

Cramming for my test

2009-06-01T21:10:00.002-04:00

Don't ask me why I thought about it, but Brandon and I were driving around on Saturday and I suddenly realized my license expired on my birthday....OOPS! So, tonight I am studying my road signs so that I can pass with flying colors tomorrow when I go to renew. I know I should know them, but it is something about them being taken out of context that I always forget! Makes you want to ride me with me, doesn't it?!? :) On the plus side, I found out today that you can actually make an appointment at the DMV to renew your license. How cool is that!?! So, tomorrow morning, I get to go and jump in front of everyone else already waiting in line and say, "Hey, I have an appointment!" Wish me luck!!

Relaxing Sunday afternoon.....

2009-05-31T14:49:00.009-04:00

After church and lunch at Panera, Brandon and I came home and enjoyed some of our purchases from yesterday.....a new patio umbrella and chaise lounge chair.

Chelsi enjoyed being outside with us too! However, whenever the umbrella swung in the wind, she got a little nervous :)

Such a relaxing Sunday afternoon :)

Now off to listen to Elon vs. GA Tech baseball in the NCAA tourney....Go Phoenix! Beat those Jackets!!! (And catch a little of the Nascar Race too, of course!)

2009-05-28T19:31:00.003-04:00

Ever been so stressed, that you started shaking? Um, yeah, that was me today. It wouldn't make sense to most, but it was a bad day. I worked from home last night until 10:30pm to try and make the blow easier, was at work at 7:45am this morning, and worked through lunch......it still didn't give me enough hours in the day! I was feeling a lot better around 3pm, and then had an ice cream sundae at 4:00 which made things a whole lot better, and when I got home at 6pm, I changed into PJs, fixed myself a STRONG SoCo and pepsi and chilled out! I watched my birthday present slideshow video twice and listened to the rain outside. So, I have determined how to unwind after a stressful day, so now the theory needs to be contemplated on how I can prevent it???!!! My Thursdays have got to get better!!

On a brighter note, I decided to go blonder again after a visit with my hair stylist, Heather last night :) Fun for summer!!

Now back to the couch.......

30 something

2009-05-24T10:59:00.017-04:00

Even though I am a week overdue, I had to blog about my awesome birthday weekend!! I am officially no longer a 20 something, and now joined the club of 30 somethings!!

My weekend started off by Brandon and I meeting my parents at Chop House for dinner. Much to my SURPRISE my brother was waiting for us at the table!! He flew in from California to surprise me for my birthday!! I must admit I did feel better when I heard he actually had to be in Virginia on business all week, so at least he didn't come to the east coast just for me, but he said he had bought his plane ticket even before he knew he would have to be over on business. He is such a good brother!! And spending the weekend with him reminded me of how close we were growing up, and I loved having him here.

Saturday started off with some girl time at the pool with Sarah and then she treated me to a pedicure!! It was awesome. Saturday night, Brandon, Sarah, Andrew and I headed out for a night on the town. We started at East Coast Wings to watch the All-Star Race, and then migrated over to The Mix to enjoy some after dinner drinks, dancing and all around fun times. The highlight of the evening was the awesome strawberries we ate on the car ride home that my mom had sent with my bro......nothing tastes better at 2am!!

Sunday was my actual birthday. My wonderful husband planned a surprise party for me (ok, so maybe I knew something was going on, but I had no idea where, what and who was coming, so it was still a surprise!). He left the house late morning and just told me to be ready by 12:15pm, as my fashion consultant would be arriving then. Sarah arrived and made sure my outfit was appropriate for the day's activities, and then she and my brother helped me get started on a scavenger hunt that Brandon laid out at the house before he left. I am not so good at scavenger hunts.....so I had a lot of hints and help from Andrew and Sarah, but it was still a lot of fun! In my last clue I was told I would be blindfolded and needed to trust my kidnappers as they took me to get ready for my high dive.

After 45 minutes of driving around blindfolded, I had no idea where we were, and they proceeded to lead me up to the 3rd floor of Natty Greene's where my party took place in the Loft. I was excited, but also nervous from being blind folded and a little carsick. When I arrived at the top of the stairs and they had led me into the room full of my friends and family, everyone yelled surprise and blew noise makers. I took off my blindfold, but since I also didn't have my glasses on yet, I couldn't see who all was there!! It was kinda funny. So, when I retrieved my glasses, everyone yelled surprise again :)

The rain ruined the 2nd part of the day's plans, which was a Grasshoppers game, but we had a wonderful afternoon just hanging out in the Loft. I was so touched to have so many people there that I care about and to help me celebrate!! I am truly blessed by having so many wonderful people in my life, those both near and far.

Brandon had yet another surprise for me at the party. He had put together a slideshow of pictures set to music for which he played for everyone. My parents had helped him collect pictures to document all 3o years of my life. It was the sweetest thing ever, and I have been wearing out the DVD ever since just watching it over and over and over again!!

There are so many wonderful pictures from my wonderful wonderful birthday weekend, so thought it best to just include a slideshow for all to enjoy. Thank you again to everyone for making me feel so special!!

Ticks

2009-05-07T06:57:00.003-04:00

Someone posted an email at work in the break room that talked about a new way to remove ticks. Seeing as how Chelsi gets them some, and it is always a long song and dance to get it off her (which usually involves a trip to the vet because she won't hold still for us), I was intrigued. The theory is to take a cotton ball soaked in liquid soap and swab it over the tick for about 15-20 seconds and the tick will fall off on it's own. Sounds easy.

Well, I was able to make my first attempt at this just a few minutes ago. I saw a tick on Chelsi and so I grabbed a cotton ball and dipped it in my new Pomegranate pump soap (you know, gotta get the good smelling stuff!) and held it onto the tick. It was in a sensitive area, so I didn't want to do a lot of swabbing and of course she was resisting, so it was best to just hold it there. I am not sure if the liquid soap actually worked or not, but I think it may have at least loosened the hold, because then I took my fingernails (of course covered with a tissue) and pulled it out. The nasty booger was there head and all with the legs still moving. YUCKY!!! I know you should supposedly hold onto them in case there is an illness that needs to be detected later, but I flushed that booger down the toilet real fast!

Then, being the google guru that I am, I immediately came downstairs to see if my new found theory had any negative reports. Well, as with anything, there are always two sides to the story. I found a link that said that this "old wives tale" is actually bad because it encourages the tick to release additional saliva and/or regurgitate their guts, which means more of a chance of passing on harmful pathogen's.

Brandon hates that I do this, because of course I start bugging him and worrying if I did the right thing as he is trying to get out the door.

So, my question to the blog-world is, what is the right thing to do!??? I mean, if you have a dog that makes it impossible to remove a tick with tweezers while also trying to make sure you pull at the right angle and get the head, or is it worth the risk to have them regurgitate by using the soap on cotton ball method? The soap way was much much easier and a lot less traumatic. Bottom line, I just have to use my best judgement and do what works best, and for the Inscore's the soap method appears to be the way to go, at least this time.

Check out this link to see what I read:

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/tick.asp

Bottom line, I don't like bugs of any kind, but TICKS are especially icky!!! They just have nothing but bad news written all over them.

Montreat

2009-05-04T07:11:00.002-04:00

Had a FABULOUS weekend in Montreat! The relaxation, laughs and bonding time was much needed. I took my camera, but very surprisingly didn't take any pictures.....shocking, I know! The last time I had been to montreat, was many many years ago, and the memories are not all pleasant......it was Middle School, need I say more? But, I was very glad to make some wonderful memories this weekend, and can't wait to go back! There were 13 of us from GPPC that went, and it was really great to get to know everyone better. I seriously went to bed on Saturday night thanking God for bringing these wonderful people and this wonderful church into my life. And I even came home with some new and fun catch phrases.......still laughing in my head about it all as I trudge upstairs to shower and face the reality of Monday....blah!!!!

Merlefest

2009-04-28T07:59:00.007-04:00

I survived my first trip to Merlefest and had a great time! The weather was wonderful! It was hot, but not miserable, and at least it didn't rain (that would have been a mess). We took just enough stuff, for which I am proud of us. Usually I am bogged down with more than I need or forgot something I wish I hadn't. Brandon suggested bringing a sweatshirt and blanket, and I am glad I did, because I used both! We got a later start than we wanted (what else is new!), but still made it to the grounds of Merlefest by 1pm.

After getting our chairs situated on the grass near the main stage, we walked around a bit. The first band we checked out was on one of the small side stages - "The Belleville Outfit". They were a young group from Austin, TX. We really enjoyed them. Kind of a New Orleans style jazz with a Texan twist.

Then we stopped by the all important Food Tent to say hey to Brandon's brother, Derek and his wife, Jana. They were working at their church's food station. They do it every year, and put in some major hours over the whole weekend, but it is a great fundraiser for the church. I just wish others would step up to the plate so that Derek and Jana wouldn't have to work as many hours and could actually enjoy the festival some too. But as usual with any group, the same people volunteer each year. I am learning that more and more in our own church :).

Anyway, after seeing a few acts by the main stage and grabbing a "snack", we headed to see a band Brandon had heard on the radio and really wanted to see - "The Steeldrivers". They were really good too. And the bonus with them is that they were playing inside! So, we got to cool down for an hour, which was awesome! And by the time we got out of there, the sun was already starting to go down and it was really nice out.

We checked out some of the vendor tents on the way back to the main stage. I got a big floppy hat - perfect for the beach!, and Brandon got a Merlefest t-shirt. Then we grabbed some dinner, and pretty much camped out in our chairs the rest of the evening. Doc Watson was on the main stage doing a tribute to his son, Merle, the reason Merlefest exists. It was amazing to watch him play, since he is blind. Then Emmylou Harris came on. A lot of people loved her, but I wasn't that impressed. She was older, and I guess you could say I am more into the younger more upbeat artists. Sam Bush closed out the show, and that was awesome! Just watching his fingers go on that mandolin is amazing!!

We headed out a little after midnight - Derek and Jana were closing out at the food station as well. We got to the in-laws house, said goodnight, took showers and crashed for the night. I haven't slept that good in a long time! Brandon even let me slept until 9:45am. It meant I had to rush around and get ready for church, but it was worth it.

So, I think Merlefest will probably see me again :)

Artist in the family

2009-04-21T22:34:00.002-04:00

Need to brag on my Aunt Diane for a sec......she has created a website for her work, and I just had to pass along.....she really is talented and so glad she has been able to focus some time on her true passion more in the past few years. So, check it out! http://www.dianenobleart.com/

Concerts

2009-04-21T22:25:00.003-04:00

So, I don't know why, but I don't really like concerts.....never really have. I LOVE music, and enjoy hanging out with friends, but just not a fan of concerts. I think it is the extremely LOUD music, crowds, and craziness that usually surrounds them. Plus, just can't usually justify spending the money on tickets - since usually pretty expensive for anyone worth seeing.

Brandon enjoys going to concerts......so this has become something that I am perfectly fine having him go off with friends and do without me. We enjoy doing things together, but definitely have certain things that one of us enjoys and the other doesn't.

However, I am looking forward to this weekend. We are heading to Merlefest in Wilkesboro. This is an annual bluegrass music festival on Wilkes Community College's campus. Brandon grew up going, and it is something he really enjoys. It has never worked out for me to go before - either because I had something else going on, or just passed, again due to my distaste with concerts. But at any rate, I promised him we would go this year, and now I am looking forward to it. The weather looks like it is going to be nice, it will be a chance to slow down for a weekend and just enjoy the outdoors and time with my hubby, as well as a visit with some family (since we will be in town and all).

So, I will report upon on return, and hopefully have some pictures to share as well.

Pictures

2009-04-14T22:35:00.008-04:00

For those on Facebook, this will be a repeat, but wanted to post some pics from the Easter weekend festivities - Durham Bulls game on Thursday night and then Easter Sunday.

Amanda and me after the game enjoying a brew :)

BI & Lucas - the Wilkes boys :)

Chelsi on Easter Sunday morning

Strike a pose :)

My Daddy - like father like daughter

Mom and me - looking more alike each day

Easter weekend

2009-04-10T10:17:00.002-04:00

Not the traditional Easter weekend for us........but I am realizing more and more that Brandon and I need to start our own traditions and just do what makes us happy. While I would love to see the Inscore's and my niece and nephew for Easter, I am actually looking forward to staying in Greensboro and having fun with friends and doing stuff around the house. Plus, we will be up in Wilkesboro in a couple of weeks for Merlefest - can't believe I have been with Brandon for almost 10 years, and never been to Merlefest! Anyway, so we will get to see family then. We did tie down my VERY VERY busy parents and are having a relaxing afternoon with them in Winston on Sunday, so it will be good to see them, and at least we will have some connection to family during this holiday weekend. I am excited for my brother and all the awesome career opportunities he has, and it's not like we don't get to see him a couple of times a year, but I miss him more around holidays. My family was very close growing up. We always spent time together during holidays. I also miss my Nana at times like this. I would love to have her here and show her our house and have her get to know my wonderful husband more (since she only met him towards the end), and take her to church with us on Sunday so she could see the awesome church home we have found! Anyway, I am rambling.....hence the name of my blog! :)

Our Easter weekend started out with a trip to Durham last night to meet up with some friends for a Durham Bulls game. While we should probably have been in Greensboro for the Grasshoppers opening night, it was fun to see a different area of the triad and see friends. I will post some pics later. I took today off work so that Brandon and I could hang out and do some errands. We have started a wish list for things we want to do at the house, and are going to check out some paint samples and floorings today. Tonight is a dinner gathering with some people from church to welcome new members, so that will be fun! I always enjoy getting to know people from our church better. I tend to do what most do, and hover in the groups of people I do know, so this will force me to branch out and talk with more people, which is great! Tomorrow is NO PLANS day......I am determined to just play the day by ear (and not making plans....but we may actually check out a Greensboro Grasshoppers game on Saturday night if anyone is interested?!?). And then Sunday of course is celebrating the meaning of this holiday......I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL EASTER WEEKEND with those you love the most!

Fire at Richmond Hill Inn

2009-03-26T18:56:00.006-04:00

I was saddened today to hear about a fire at Richmond Hill Inn that destroyed the 120 yr old mansion in Asheville, NC. The Inn held a special place in our hearts, as that is where Brandon asked me to be his wife on October 4, 2003.

Here are some before and after pics I snagged from the local paper (linked to this blog entry).

March weekends - part two!

2009-03-24T20:18:00.007-04:00

This past Saturday, Brandon and I enjoyed a night away from home. Even if it was only 20 mins away :) Our friends Jess and Richard got married, and we decided to make sure we could enjoy ourselves and not worry about driving home late or getting home to the dog. So, we boarded Chelsi at her favorite spot at Lucky's and spent the night at the Double Tree (which is where the reception was held). It was a blast! The wedding was at 3pm at their church near our house, and then we headed to High Point Road and the Double Tree for the reception. We ate, socialized and danced :) Richard is a firefighter, so of course many of his fireman friends were in attendance and livin'd things up a little too :) But us AOII girls know how to have fun as well!!

After the reception, a bunch of us headed to J.Butler's which is a bar/restaurant attached to the Double Tree (used to be the Hooter's). We enjoyed a few more beers and hung out some more with friends (new and old) while catching the end of the Duke game.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast with our friends Michele and Tony who also decided to enjoy a night away from home, and then Brandon and I caught an afternoon movie before heading to pick-up Chelsi from Lucky's at 3pm. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun! I love date weekends with my hubby and hanging out with friends!!!

The only down side was High Point Road at 3am! I woke up to all kinds of ruckass outside when the clubs let out.....bass booming in cars, car horns, and just noise in general. Luckily with the cops helping move everyone along, it calmed back down by 3:30am and we slept great! But when we went to check out the next morning, CSI was dusting for fingerprints on a couple of cars right out front that had been broken into the night before - DRAMA!

March weekends

2009-03-24T19:49:00.008-04:00

Do I have to remind everyone how addicted I am to both TV and Facebook now that I don't even make time for my blog! Anyway, I did want to post about the past couple of weekends, because they were lots of fun, and I have pictures to share too - which we all know a blog posting isn't really that interesting unless it involves pictures :)

It up was our trip to Wilkesboro on the 13th. I took a day off work to join Brandon in his normal 3-day weekend (so jealous!). We met the in-laws for an early dinner at one of Brandon's favorite places growing up (10 years of being together and this was my first visit!) at Hadley's - good home cooking! Then we headed to spend some time at my brother-n-law's house and play with the niece and nephew for a while - we hadn't seen them since before Christmas, so it had been too long for Aunt Ginny!!!

It was so neat to see how much they continue to grow-up and for me, the best part was the excitement they had when we arrived - I dread the day that I am no longer the Cool Aunt Ginny in a teenager's eyes. After showing me everything new they had in their rooms and running around some, they settled in to play their Wii while we hung out and talked to Derek. They were so cute playing together and reminded me of my brother and me when we were younger.

We slept in late on Saturday morning, and then had our usual treat of homemade waffles courtesy of my mother-n-law - yummy!!! And then went and spent some more time with the kids before heading back home. Since it was rainy, we just took them to Walmart to give mom and dad a break, and then met the grandparents for pizza. They are such good kids! We let them each pick out a new toy at Walmart and it was so cute to see them try and figure out what they wanted the most. Here is a pic of them playing in the arcade area at the front of Walmart (too cute!!!)

In the car, Ashlyn especially had fun playing with my new blackberry and the video function and made all kinds of fun videos for me to watch when I am having a bad day at work. Most involved them singing to songs on Weston's mini-IPod (only holds like 4 songs), and they made my heart melt!! They are so funny :) I would upload one here, but it is such a pain to upload videos, so you will have to check out Facebook for the sing-along to "Apple Bottom Jeans".

All in all, we had a fabulous time! It is so hard to believe that Ashlyn just turned 8 already and Weston is almost 6! Just seems like yesterday that they were born :( Of course no trip is complete without the missing teeth pictures.......Weston lost his first baby tooth and had his first visit from the tooth fairy, and Ashlyn only has one more to go!

Fireproof

2009-03-01T10:36:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I skipped the whole month 0f February, but I finally had something worth blogging about.....Brandon and I finally watched the movie "Fireproof" on Friday night. I had been hearing so much about it, and had people keep telling me that every married couple needed to watch it together. I was like, yeah yeah, I will get to it. Well, now, I am going to be one of those who says the same thing.....EVERY married couple should see this movie!

http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/screenplay/vi3049979929/

www.fireproofmymarriage.com

Calling it quits

2009-01-25T19:12:00.003-05:00

I have decided to "call it quits" on my side business. It has been two years, a learning experience, a growth opportunity, and a little extra income. However, I am enjoying having my weekends back, and just don't have the energy to put the time in that is needed to keep it going and for it to grow. I am an extrovert, but just not a Type A personality enough to approach strangers about hosting a party, or to have a pushy sales technique. I had a lot of fun, and met some great people, as well as some I could have gone without meeting :) I have some stories to tell, experiences to share, and memories to keep. I have no regrets. Starting your own business is not an easy task, and I feel I have come out of this experience a stronger and better person. And down the road, I am sure I will try another, but for now, this was my first experience with the at-home party business. Now I am faced with the task of what to do with all my stuff!!! :)

44 Presidents

2009-01-22T07:18:00.001-05:00

My parents forwarded this to me, and I thought it was too neat not to share. Here is a look at all 44 Presidents!

http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.htm

Random blog

2009-01-15T21:08:00.002-05:00

I realize I have neglected the blog recently.......just got tired of blogging about all my happenings, and feel I didn't have much else interesting to say. Plus, I have become addicted to facebook. Anytime on the computer outside of work is usually on there these days. I don't know why, but I thrive on checking out what other people are up to. I think it is just a phase. I was all about My Space for a while, and then the Blogs, and now Facebook. Guess that means I need to get more of a live of my own, huh? But, really I think it is just neat to catch up with old friends, and feel more a part of everyone's daily lives (just like with the blog world). I know it would be better to actually pick up the phone and call a friend, or meet them for dinner if they are local. And sure, even an email or handwritten letter would be more personable, but our generation is more about IMing, blogging and general chit-chat online. I think most of it is the fact that everyone has their own stuff going on, and when you call you feel you might be interrupting something. It's funny, because I don't talk on the phone much anymore in my newer position at work, but even so, I don't do well talking on it for long periods of time at home either. Yet, I can stare at a computer all day at work, and then come home and do it some more catching up on Facebook, emails, and blogging......what is wrong with this picture?!?

This weekend ahead will be a busy one......I always seem to do that to myself......I was just saying a few months ago that my calendar looked pretty empty and maybe I could actually just relax and do some things around the house......but that quickly changed! But at any rate, it will still be fun - hanging out with friends and doing fun activities to include scrapbooking, Elon basketball, celebrating Founders' Day with AOII Sisters, and other various activities. So, until next time......STAY WARM!

Just call me Grace :/

2009-01-04T20:55:00.002-05:00

Hint for you fellow bloggers:

HIGH HEELS + FOOT THAT IS ASLEEP = DISASTER!

That was me at church today! Our Pastor was installed today, and Brandon and I of course wanted to be there for the occasion. The church was packed, but we managed to find a seat, even though it was a tight fit. We had a lot going on during the service with the installation and communion, so it lasted much longer than normal. So, after sitting with my legs crossed in the pew for about 45 minutes, I guess my foot went to sleep. It was so weird, because I didn't have the tingling feeling you usually get when that happens. So, when it came time for communion and I stood up to exit the pew, my left ankle gave way and I lost my balance. I had the pew to catch me, so I continued forward (what else could I do - couldn't change my mind mid-stream). However, when I made it to the aisle and started towards the rear of the church (thank goodness for small blessings in that we were seated towards the back and didn't go to the front for communion) my ankle gave way again, and DOWN I went. Luckily I didn't get hurt (just walked away with carpet burn on my knee) so I bounced right back up. I did opt to take my heels off though for the rest of the journey! Brandon was right behind me, and of course made sure I was ok. Even though it was embarrassing, luckily no one made a big deal out of it (hoping a lot of people didn't see) and it happened in a place a feel comfortable (my church family). My only concern was if I flashed anyone since I was wearing a dress today, but Brandon assured me I didn't.....Whew! On the way out after the service, one of the members came up to me and made sure I was ok, and we laughed about it. So, anyway, just call me Grace. I guess it happens to all of us at some point or another.....and I am sure it will happen many more times.

Holiday Baking

2008-12-15T22:52:00.006-05:00

Over 100 cookies later, and I just finished my first round of holiday baking! My Grandma's molasses cookies are my favorite thing to make this time of year. It can get a little messy, but I still have fun. And I got to try out the new camera we got tonight to take pictures of my progress. Yeah I know, pictures of cookies isn't that exciting, but it is for me, because it is with the new camera!

Internet sighting

2008-12-10T19:37:00.003-05:00

My brother forwarded me this link today that someone had sent him. As he said in his email, I guess Brandon if famous now :) This is Brandon walking to his truck in front of my brother's house in Charleston, SC when we were down there last fall for the Citadel vs. Elon football game. Kinda crazy!

Come on Christmas!

2008-12-07T22:31:00.002-05:00

This time last week I couldn't believe Christmas was just around the corner and I didn't feel ready at all! Well, after a weekend at home to get some stuff done, I am ready.....or at least very close :)

Brandon put up the tree on Friday (again gotta get him busy with his "honey-do" list while he is off on Friday's!), and we decorated it when I got home from work. Saturday morning I put up the rest of the decorations, and then we headed out shopping. We only hit two stores - Belk's and Wal-mart, but we got a lot done. We even picked up the wreath for the front door on the way home. I do artificial inside the house with the tree and mantel, but I love the smell of pine (reminds me of Christmas), so I love having a live wreath on the front door so that I can smell it going in and out of the house. The debris of pine needles on the ground is worth it.

I don't have pictures to post :( because our camera is still BROKE. But, we did check out possible candidates for new ones while shopping. If it were up to me, I would already have one, but I gotta respect my hubby for his bargain hunting and researching skills. He IS the reason we have all that we have right now, because I have ZERO budgeting capabilities (and they allow me to be in charge of paying out millions of dollars on a daily basis at work! HA!! - no seriously, I am good at that, but I am tired of worrying about money by the time I get home).

After a Target run later on Saturday night, I am pretty much done with the shopping. Not going all out this year - but don't think anyone is due to the financial situation (which doesn't boast well for the economy improving).

So, come on Christmas! - I am ready to celebrate with friends and family, and to celebrate the birth of Jesus!!

Stomach in knots

2008-12-01T20:42:00.003-05:00

I started out the day with my stomach in knots and it has stayed that way. On the way to work this morning I witnessed someone hitting a dog with their car. While I know animals getting hit in the road is an unfortunate fact of life, I still hate to see it. It is one thing for it to be a "stinky skunk", "rabid raccoon", "dangerous deer", or "stupid squirrel". But when it is an animal I have and love in my own home like a "cuddly cat" or "devoted dog", it just breaks my heart! Whenever I see a dog or cat on the side of the road, my stomach does a flip and my heart aches. But, this was the first time I actually witnessed one of this loving animals actually get hit. While I am grateful it wasn't my car that hit it, I still had to witness it, and it tore me apart! And to make matters worse, the guy who hit the German Shepherd with his truck didn't even flinch - and just kept driving like nothing happened. I, on the other hand, stopped on the side of the road, called my husband crying, and then managed to dial *HP to report it. I didn't know what else to do. The dog was obviously (or hopefully!) dead, but I just couldn't face getting out of the car and going over to it. If it was alive, I didn't know what I could do for it, and I know that animals that are hurt can attack. I did a quick look at the houses either side of the road, and didn't see any cars or signs of anyone home. So after I had a better handle on myself, I drove the rest of the way to work - of course still crying the whole way. And wouldn't you know this was the day I decided to change purses and didn't have any Kleenex with me!!!! I was able to compose myself in the parking lot and went into work, but I kept to myself most of the day. I just kept replaying the scene from the morning in my head over and over. Luckily some co-workers talked me out of going back to the scene at lunch (I just wanted to see if the HP had done anything yet), but I couldn't stop myself from making the same drive home from work. I did find some relief when I saw it was no longer in the road on my way home. It was dark, so it could have been on the side of the road, but I am hoping that it had been gathered by either the owner or at least collected by the city so that it didn't just rot on the road like all the other roadkill. I think that makes me feel worse - when you see a once living thing on the side of the road for several days - just seems so inhumane. But, I still keep thinking about the owners that no longer have their pet. So sad!! Now I have to be realistic in that I may one day have to be the horrid car that ends a loving animal's life, but I will keep my fingers crossed that I never ever have to experience that!! The few squirrels I have hit are different, and even the deer that kept running and I didn't have to see if it died or not. For now, I am off to watch TV and try and forget about this morning......

Visits with friends......

2008-11-30T09:13:00.012-05:00

So sorry blog world for being away so long! Things have been kinda hectic for the Inscore's. Plus, I wanted to wait until I had all the pics from friends of recent activities, because who really wants to read a blog entry without pics, right?!?!

Last time I blogged it was about Elon Homecoming. That was a fun weekend. Even though Brandon and I didn't venture far from our own tailgate to visit with friends who had come back to Elon for the game, we had a great time with Joey & Jen and others who stopped by to see us.

Then came the Elon vs. App State game on Nov. 15th. Brandon and I headed West on Friday night and made a stop in Wilkesboro to stay with the in-laws. Then on Saturday, along with Derek (Brandon's brother) we headed the rest of the way to Boone for the game. We were so glad Derek joined us. It was his 43rd birthday, and what better way to celebrate than to FREEZE at a football game :) We had fun though! Too bad I got no pics (camera is officially broke!) because we were a sight to behold. We wore our Elon attire proud amongst all the App fans. And even though they couldn't pull off a win, they put up a better fight than most had against App this year. So, the snow, freezing rain and cold was worth the trip! We enjoyed another night at the in-laws, church on Sunday, lunch with the rest of the family (love our niece and nephew!) and then headed back to Greensboro to pick up Chelsi from Lucky's.

The next Thursday, we were thrilled to have Mikaela and Greg visit from Boston!! They had a wedding in Pittsboro on Saturday and decided to come a few days early so they could visit us. Mikaela was a really good friend of mine from Elon, and I miss her terribly (I realized this more after their visit). Here is pic of my gorgeous friend at a stop she and Greg made at Elon before arriving at our house.

We enjoyed dinner in on Thursday night and just talking and catching up. Chelsi and Greg became best buds!!

Then on Friday, Brandon gave them the 50 cent tour of Greensboro (I am always amazed at all of his knowledge - I call him "Random Fact Man!", but even though it is all in fun, I really am married to a smart man). We headed to Lexington for lunch because they requested some good barbecue while in NC. And then we headed onto Charlotte for the day. They had never been and we thought it was a growing city they should see. Our first stop was Lowe's Motor Speedway. And even though I grew up in NC, I had never even driven by and was amazed at how large of a place it was! We made a stop at Hendrick Motorsports to check out the museum and team shop. We took some funny pics of us in the cut-away they had displayed in the museum. It was a tight fit! Must have been Gordon's size because Brandon couldn't even fit and we almost had to leave Greg behind because he was stuck!

Then we headed to Uptown to walk around a little and grabbed a beer before heading out to dinner with friends, Joe & Kristi. Kristi, Mikaela and I all lived together one year at Elon, and Brandon and Joe were our 4th and 5th roommates :) Greg went to Cornell, so Mikaela missed him from afar. We had a great time visiting with them and getting to see their beautiful daughter Katherine again!

Saturday morning after a big breakfast at the local Country Kitchen (yummy!), we said goodbye to Mikaela and Greg as they headed towards Chapel Hill for the remainder of their stay ;( And Brandon and I met up with Brian & Brianne back at our house to head to Liberty for another Elon football game! Just call us the ultimate fans!!! I woke up with a cold that morning and so I made sure to bundle up extra good and have plenty of kleenex with me!! Brianne and I were a sight to behold :)

It was a disappointing loss for Elon. They didn't even show up to the game!! But all in all, a great season, and glad we were able to help cheer them on. I was attached to the couch pretty much the rest of the weekend - my cold had zapped me of energy and I was running like a faucet from my eyes and nose (gross!!!).

I rested up best I could the next few days after work so that I could enjoy Thanksgiving!!!

We picked my brother, Andrew up from the airport (in from San Diego) on Wed night on the way to Winston-Salem to be with my parents. Thursday morning we all bundled up (again me extra good due to my lingering cold - don't laugh at the picture!!!) and went to the Turkey Trot Fun Run/Walk. It was really fun to do something different and get out of the house before stuffing ourselves with turkey later in the day.

We ate around 3:30, and then Brandon's parents came to join us for dessert and visit for a little while around 6pm. Both sets of parents hadn't seen one another in a while, so it was nice for everyone to get caught up. Brandon headed back with his parents to Wilkesboro to enjoy some time with them, and Chelsi and I hunkered down in Winston with the Tash clang for another night. Chelsi loves visiting my parents and playing with Aunt Maggie (my parent's 8 year old chocolate lab).

On Friday, I headed to Wilkesboro to spend some more time with the in-laws and to pick up Brandon. We boycotted turkey and went out for barbecue :) And then after another quick stop in Winston to pick up "wild woman", we headed back to Greensboro that night. I was so glad to sleep in my own bed again!!!

Yesterday morning, Brandon headed out early to go to the NC State/Miami game with his friend, Lucas, while Chelsi and I slept in - it was so nice! I met my friend, Amanda (in town for Thanksgiving) for lunch and a movie that afternoon, and then Rachel and Ken stopped by for a visit last night. I fixed dinner and they brought dessert. We talked, laughed, played a game and had a lot of fun!

So, that has been our last couple of weeks in a nutshell. Lots of visits with friends - all of which we enjoyed! Now can't believe it is time to start thinking about Christmas - I have some shopping to do!!!!......including a new camera so we don't have to rely on friends to capture our memories ;)

Weekend

2008-11-10T18:36:00.004-05:00

Not much to write.....feeling kinda icky tonight.....just a cold coming on, but still stinks! But, I did want to post some pics that Jen took this weekend at Homecoming. My camera is just about broke - couldn't get anything out of it, so luckily Jen had hers with her so we could at least say we were there :) and have a pic of our house guests from the weekend - it was so good catching up with Joey & Jen!! (The same pics are on Jen's blog, but I wanted to post them too since they turned out so well!)

More later....I have off to veg in front of the TV - what I do best! (Oh yeah, and read for Circle tomorrow night!!).

TGIF!

2008-11-07T07:18:00.002-05:00

Going to be a short post....I really need to start getting ready for work but once again I get sucked into the computer (maybe because the husband was hogging it all last night?!?!).

This weekend is Homecoming at Elon. I am feeling kinda bah-humbug about it. I am excited about the game, and spending time with Joey & Jen (who are staying with us), but just not into the whole typical weekend festivities.....so, I think we are skipping them this year. Just going to stick to our normal tailgate crew, and I don't think I am even going to do the whole dress up for a football game (like I do every homecoming and did in college - yeah that's right, went to a preppy school!) - just going in my normal tshirt and jeans probably. I don't know a lot of people coming back anyway.

So, in cleaning last night and getting the house presentable for Joey & Jen (not spotless - that is for sure!), I realize we seem to have a musky smell all over our house. I think it is time to wash (or maybe even replace) all the bathroom rugs and toilet bowl covers. But, not sure where it is all coming from......I admit, I am not the best cleaner in the world, and never lived anywhere this long - usually just in an apartment for a few years at a time, but now that we have been in our house for 5 years, I guess it is time to really clean in some of the nooks and crannies. For another weekend.....for now, Frebreze will have to do - LOVE that stuff!

GO VOTE!!

2008-11-03T18:45:00.002-05:00

We are setting the alarms for early tomorrow morning! We weren't one of the many who did early voting, so we want to try and make it to the polls when they open in the morning. I am excited about tomorrow. Even though I don't have a really strong pull one way or another on some of the races, it is still exciting to be a part of the whole experience, and especially with this election since it will be history in the making, no matter who wins the Presidential race! One for the history books - and one we can say we voted in!! I will be glued to the TV tomorrow night, as should every American. GO VOTE!!

Weekend

2008-11-03T18:18:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend in Charlottesville! Even though UVA couldn't pull off a win against Miami, it was a good game, and fun spending time with my parents and catching up with friends. Brandon and I arrived about 9pm on Friday night. My parents were at dinner with some friends, so he and I grabbed a couple of beers and appetizers at Mellow Mushroom next door to our hotel and watched App State beat up on Wofford. Not sure how I felt about that. Since Wofford beat up on Elon pretty bad, it was good to see them get from someone else, but doesn't make me feel very good about Elon's visit in a couple of weeks to Boone :( Then we went back to our hotel room where my parents joined us shortly thereafter. We had adjoining rooms, so that was fun - we kept the doors open and were able to just walk back and forth ;)

On Saturday morning, my dad had a meeting, so Mom, Brandon and I grabbed breakfast and walked to the game, and met up with Dad there. Here is a pic of the Wahoo fans ready for the game - we found some orange and navy to wear!

And I love this pic of my mom's socks. She bought those on Saturday morning to complete her outfit to cheer on the Wahoos!!

After the game, we went to the Sigma Pi house to meet up with some of my dad's pledge brothers and see some of the work that had been done on the house recently. Brandon and I left my parents there to visit a while longer and we headed back to our hotel to change and relax for a little bit. Then Saturday night, B and I headed towards to the Downtown Mall and met up with Allison and Gavin for dinner. We had a great time! Gavin went early and got a table for us outside at a place called Miller's. It was a great evening to be outdoors, even though it got a little chilly. And it was so good to catch up with Gavin and Allison, and also to give them an opportunity to meet. We chatted away for about 2 1/2 hours!! When we parted ways, Brandon and I ended up running into my parents who had come to the downtown mall as well with friends after leaving the frat house. Perfect timing!

Sunday morning we had breakfast with more friends. My dad's friend from law school's youngest daughter was in Charlottesville with her husband and his parents for a wedding (get all that?). So, the eight of us enjoyed a great breakfast buffet at the Omni hotel - yummy!! Here is a pic of us while we waited on the rest of our party to arrive.

Not crazy of this picture of us......my family has a bad habit of taking "posed" pictures, instead of trying to get candid shots.

It was so good to get to see Jamie and meet Matt. Jamie and I hadn't seen one another since we were in highschool. After breakfast, Mom, Dad, Brandon and I headed over to First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville to check out where Gavin is now. It was a beautiful church and everyone was very friendly. And it was so great to hear another of Gavin's sermons. Even though I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know our new pastor, there is something to be said about a familiar voice. Everyone at First Pres seems to be glad to have him there, and I know he will be able to do great things for them!

After church, it was time to hit the road, so we said goodbye to my parents and headed South on Hwy 29. The drive was so pretty!! Since we came up in the dark on Friday night after work, we didn't get to take in all the gorgeous views. I love the fall with the changing leaves, and there is something to be said about the peaceful feeling you get driving through the mountains. We got back in time to pick up our wild woman from Lucky's. She was one tired pooch ;) I am so glad she has so much fun there, because it makes it easier to leave her behind when we take trips.

And back into the groove of things today......

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:50:00.005-04:00

I am breaking my own rules and blogging at work (sshhh, don't tell!)......today is goody day at work - we love any excuse to bring food around here! - and so I am not feeling very motivated as I am currently coming down from a sugar high and already ready for a nap and it isn't even noon yet! Plus, the vents around here are all messed up, and we are all burning up. We freeze in the summer and burn up in the winter - makes no sense! Don't think I will be able to wear any sweaters to work this winter - just t-shirts with heavy coats :(

Brandon and I are heading to VA tonight. I hope to get on the road by 6pm, because with Halloween falling on a Friday night, I don't want to be on the roads late as I am sure there will be drunk drivers. I know I am probably overreacting, because people who drink and drive don't need an excuse to party, but I am always extra cautious on nights such as this (especially New Year's Eve) and try to avoid the roads whenever possible. I mean, we can take all the precautions and make sure we are safe, but we can't control the other drivers. Just sad that this is a reality that we really have to think about these days.

Our destination is Charlottesville. Along with my parents we are going to an UVA football game tomorrow. The game is at noon and according to the weather forecast, it is supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny! So, now I have the dilemma of what to wear!?!? The bright orange sweater I bought two months ago just for this very weekend isn't going to do :( I could go neutral, but when 99% of the stadium wears orange, I don't want to be a part of the 1% that throws it off (even though I have a feeling my husband will be a part of that 1%). I have thrown a bunch of options in the suitcase, and even though I may break every fashion statement, I will be in the right colors! (hopefully....). Or this just gives me an excuse to buy something new too :)

While in the good ol' town of Charlottesville, we are going to meet up with my friend Allison who works with InterVarsity at UVA, and our ex-preacher (how else do you explain this - because this doesn't sound very nice), Gavin. Blog world may recall me saying a few months ago, that the irony is that my friend Allison is a member of the church in which Gavin is now the interim. Small World! They hadn't had a chance to formally meet yet, so Brandon and I will be the tie that brings them together. We are looking forward to catching up with both of them.

So, until next week, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, and be safe! And I leave you with a picture of my Halloween mascot - our black cat, Callie - Halloween is her holiday ;) And she is going to enjoy it even more this year because her crazy dog sister will be at Lucky's Pet Resort and she will have the house all to herself tonight.

Upcoming Election

2008-10-29T18:12:00.003-04:00

So, I know some don't appreciate all the humor that has come up during this election, but the humor is what keeps me laughing, because if you just rely on all the commercials on TV, things you hear on the news, or mailings you get, you get fed up pretty quick. So, here is something to keep you laughing......

Next year on Dancing with the Stars.......

Turn that frown upside down

2008-10-26T08:52:00.003-04:00

Last night I was trying to remember that good ol' saying everyone used to tell us when we were young - "Turn that frown upside down". #3 Elon had a BIG game against #4 Wofford yesterday. It was our first televised game of the year, and two undefeated teams in the SOCON were playing one another. First of all, the day started out with lots of rain, but we had tents at our tailgate and were just glad to see the sun come out in time for the 3pm gametime. Well, our smiles quickly went away, as Wofford continued to beat up on Elon, and Elon fumbled and turned over the ball over and over again. It was embarrassing that this was the game that was being televised, and embarrassing after all of us had talked Elon up so much. They have had an amazing year, but I am afraid that last night ruined it all. The final score ended up being 20-55 Wofford. But, I can't be angry with the boys - they have done so well, and everyone has to have a bad day, just wish it wasn't this game! Makes me nervous about our trip to Boone on Nov. 15th when Elon takes on App State. Brandon and I still plan to go to the game, and just hope that even if we don't win, it isn't as embarrassing as this game. Brandon headed off with some of our friends after the game to see Elon take on UNCG in Greensboro in Soccer, and at least we came away with one win yesterday!

And the day wasn't a total loss for me either, I walked in the rain yesterday morning for a very worthy cause - Arthritis Research! A couple of other AOII alums and I joined in with a large group of girls from Elon, and many others from the community and walked at Bur-Mil park to help in the effort against Arthritis. It was fun, and always amazing to see people come out and support causes such as this! I told one of the girls from Elon that I was so happy that they were able to come even though it rained, and she said, "well it is required." Oh yeah, I forgot about those required events! That does make a difference, but at any rate, they all had fun, and I was so glad they were there! But it did remind me that I don't miss that part of the collegiate sorority days - being told where and when you had to do things! I swear, there were days I felt like I was back in kinder garden!! But, I wouldn't trade it for the world - I love my AOII sisters!

New Look ;)

2008-10-24T21:42:00.004-04:00

I picked up my new glasses today, and so of course I had to have Brandon take a pic of me tonight with them on :) Something about looking at a picture of yourself to decide if you like something or not - like an outfit, new hairdo, etc. Why is that? Everything looks different in pictures. Anyway, see what you think of my newest purchase and look....

Rachel=Palin update

2008-10-24T21:30:00.005-04:00

Well, she didn't win :( but she sure made me laugh as I listened to her on the radio this morning! And I am proud of her for trying. There were about 10 women that entered the contest, and the one that ended up winning played the flute like Rachel, but in my opinion didn't look as much like Palin as some of the others. At any rate, Rachel said she had a lot of fun doing it, so that is all that is important. Here are a couple of pics I snagged from "Murphy in the Morning". The winner is the one dressed in all red.

Rachel=Palin?

2008-10-20T20:46:00.005-04:00

My friend, Rachel is entering herself in the Sarah Palin look-alike contest this Friday at A Cleaner World on Battleground. Murphy in the Morning from 107.5 is hosting the contest, in which the winner gets $1,000 towards to school of their choice. Rachel is a music teacher and so she wanted to help out her school, and her principal is all for her taking the morning off for the good cause. Rach and I are supposed to have dinner Friday night, so I will update with the results after that :)

Well, with the right outfit and hairdo - I think she could pull it off - GO RACH!

Back in College?

2008-10-20T20:00:00.007-04:00

Ok, first of all, before I start this post, I need to reassure everyone that I really don't' drink that much, but I know a lot of my posts seem to revolve around that (at least lately). Just a social thing I guess. Anyway, on Sat night, Brandon and I headed out for a couples outing to celebrate my friend Michele's birthday. We started the night at a restaurant/bar in Mebane where we took some much needed updated photos of all of us while we waited for our table.

The girls :) AOII sisters and coworkers

The birthday girl, Michele and her hubby, Tony

Awww....cute picture, don't you think?

Jess & Richard - newly engaged!

Then, at dinner we tried out something that this bar is known for - beer served in a cylinder. It was pretty cool. Here is a shot of Brandon getting a refill.

After dinner and some beers, the boys dropped the girls off at a martini bar in downtown Mebane. Really cute place where they let you draw on the table with crayons. We were loving it! So, anyway, after coloring some cute pictures and drawing all over our table, cell phone rang, and turns out the boys got pulled over for running a red light only a block from the martini bar! So, we had to leave before we even had a chance to order :( All was fine, and we ended up back there where Michele and I downed a martini real quick (I had The Cake, which was delicious!) while we waited on our ride. The local cop was being a real jerk and wouldn't let any of us drive the car off the premises, even though one of us had only had a few sips of beer - literally! So, "Mother Teresa" and her hubby came to our rescue and drove us back to Michele and Tony's house. It was a fun night overall, and even though the cop cramped our style a little bit, we definitely have a memorable night to talk about! It is just that I was used to dealing with situations like this in college.....not now :)

A Nice Surprise!

2008-10-17T18:48:00.002-04:00

On Thursday I was late getting to work because I had a eye doctor appt (at which I ordered some new glasses!), but when I arrived, I had this nice surprise waiting on my desk...

....and no, it's not my birthday or anniversary......it was for Boss's Day! I didn't even realize it was this week, and I was very touched by the girls giving me these flowers and really sweet cards :) It made my day! So, I bought them home with me today to enjoy throughout the weekend.

Now, I am off to relax and hang out with the hubby. Gotta get caught up on TV shows (from when we were on vacation). I love nights indoors listening to the rain ;)

2008-10-12T16:58:00.002-04:00

Tonight marks the end of my vacation......I head back to work tomorrow after 10 days of stress-free living. I like myself so much better when I am stress free. I laugh more, sleep better and don't worry. But with the economy in its current state, I feel lucky to still have a job to help make ends meet. I checked my work email to try and get a head-start on tomorrow, and I had a "friendly suggestion" to change a process I oversee from another supervisor. While I usually welcome feedback, this one made me cringe. I know changes need to be made, but I need to find a tactful way to respond to this particular one as to say "not going to happen!".......anywho......not going to worry about it tonight.

We are meeting my parents and brother in a little while for dinner at Village Tavern....yummy! Since Brandon didn't get to visit with my brother on Friday as I did, they decided to head towards Greensboro to hang out with us tonight.

I just got back from the grocery store - after vacation - nothing in the house to eat trip - but I am proud that I got out of there right at $100. However, I am sure I forgot a lot of stuff and will have to make another trip later in the week - even when I make lists, I always forget something.

Was just online trying to design this years Christmas card. I love doing the photo cards, but don't seem to have a picture I love this year to use. Oh well, I have a few that will make do. Just crazy that it is that time of year already to be thinking about this!

This morning we finally made it back to church. We hadn't been in three weeks (two due to vacation and one due to laziness), so it was nice to get back into the routine. I am anxious to meet our new pastor, but in the meantime, enjoying the sermons of our associate pastor. I always enjoy hers. Today she talked about re-gifting, and I found it really interesting. I made me think back to times that I either gave or received a re-gift. I remember my freshman year of highschool there was this girl who ate lunch with my group of friends, and her family didn't have much money, and when my birthday rolled around, she still managed to bring me a gift. I know it is the thought that counts and that is what I tried to remember, as she gave me a used pair of earrings and a teddy bear that had obviously been sitting in her smoker parents' house for a while. Of course, once I got home they went straight into the trash (which I felt a little guilty about) but to her face I gave her the biggest thank you I could summon. I thought it was really sweet of her to do that even though we weren't that good of friends. So, as Margie talked about finding your gifts from God and re-gifting them to others, I tried to think of my strengths and how I could better use them. She made a really good point in saying don't think about what the world needs or what people want you to do, just think of the things the build a fire inside of you. Do unto others what you want done unto you.

My first day back at work tomorrow is going to be a short one, as I am heading out around lunchtime for a funeral in W-S. A neighbor that lives across the street from my parents, and whose grandsons I grew up playing with passed away on Thursday. He was a great man, and even though I know it will be hard for his family to see him go, I know he is in a better place. I just really worry about his wife whom he left behind with Alzheimer's. The family has some difficult decisions ahead as they decide what to do next, and I don't envy them at all. I am just glad I will be able to attend the service and pay my respects and be there to support them in this difficult time.

Cloe is 1!

2008-10-11T10:10:00.003-04:00

I am heading to "The Party of the Year" as my friend Michele called it, this afternoon. Michele and Tony's daughter, Cloe turned one years old on Monday and since they were at the beach the weekend before, they are having her birthday party today. I love this picture that Michele sent me of Cloe's first trip to the beach......only one word.....PRECIOUS!

It is hard to believe that a year has already gone by.......and as this one celebrates her 1st birthday, I am also excited to report that Baby Beale has arrived! Owen James Beale made his appearance into the world yesterday morning. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet, but snagged an adorable photo of him from his uncle's photo site. Welcome to the world, Owen! And congrats to your proud parents, Jenny and Jason!

The Good Ol' Days

2008-10-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

Do you ever notice that when you get together with a group of people that you have known for a long time, that you always end up talking about the past and the good ol' days? I guess it is because normally in cases as these, you aren't as involved in one another's everyday lives as you once were, so you naturally talk about the times you used to spend together. My family had one of those moments last night. My brother was in town from California (he spends more time on the east coast now that he is living on the west coast!) and so I headed to W-S yesterday evening to spend some quality family time. It was just the 4 of us, like it used to be, and so our conversation drifted during dinner and on the car ride home to days of the past. We laughed and laughed. But at the same time, it made me sad.....because it made me realize that we all have so many other things going on in our lives and don't spend as much time together as we once did, that we were migrating to the past for conversation. Even though I don't want to go back to highschool, and the awful days of middle school, I do miss the times we used to have together, sitting around the dinner table and playing games and spending time together. Before we all had all the stresses of our current lives. But, at the same time, I feel very lucky to have grown up in such a loving home. I can talk to my parents about anything, and my brother and I have always been close. I look forward to the days when Brandon and I can start a loving home and family of our own.

October Vacation

2008-10-09T13:06:00.005-04:00

Brandon's blog gives more details to the activities of our vacation, but I had to reiterate a few things:

1) I shot my first gun! A part of the weekend's wedding activities was a visit to the local skeet shooting place. I didn't think I could do it, but I did!! So, I am officially an Inscore now :) I was pretty nervous and as I prepared for my first go at it, I had butterflies in my stomach. After the first two shots, I wasn't sure I could continue as I had tears streaming down my face. Luckily I hid it well and prepared for the second round as Brandon reloaded my gun for me. And as we continued through the stations, I became more and more comfortable, and by the end, I was loading the gun all on my own. It wasn't as bad as I thought, and helped having Michelle there as well so I wasn't the only female. The boys were very patient and very encouraging, and I could tell Brandon was proud when he kept telling everyone I hit 4 skeet :) I even had a bruise as evidence of my adventure.

2) I joined the circle with the Wilkes boys as they passed around some Moonshine at the reception. We had to take the "ritual" to the woods as everyone wanted a taste, but I can now say I have officially tried it :) I only had a few sips, but that was enough as this was potent stuff!

We had a great time at the wedding! Brandon really has some great high school friends!! Of course the weekend was full of story telling of days of the past, but we came up with some new ones as well. And then we headed to the beach to celebrate our 4th anniversary and just enjoy some R&R together. It was wonderful!!

Lazy

2008-09-29T19:31:00.004-04:00

The best word to describe my day yesterday. I finally showered about 6pm last night - just lounged around in the PJs all day and watched TV and other various things. I did manage to make a big breakfast and Brandon treated me by fixing dinner last night. This was a preview for our vacation coming up for which I can not wait! Finally booked a hotel - haven't heard of it before, so hopefully it isn't The Ghetto or anything :) I couldn't resist the name - thought if I stayed at a place like this, maybe there was a chance I would look like someone from the show - NOT! - but a girl can dream ;)

The rest of the weekend was fun as well - we finally made a decision on a couch and it is being delivered on Thursday which happens to be our 4th anniversary, so we said "Happy Anniversary" to one another at Rooms to Go :) It's a lighter color, and of course isn't the whole sectional, only the couch part, but here is a glimpse of our newest purchase.

Elon pulled out another win on Saturday and the rain held off for the game, so we had another fun day of tailgating and cheering on The Phoenix!

Politics

2008-09-25T20:22:00.003-04:00

I usually steer clear of this subject. For one, I don't have strong opinions on anything, so I don't usually have a stand on particular subjects. Plus, to be honest, politics make me feel stupid. I just don't get into that stuff. Brandon (if you haven't read his blog to see) likes politics, and so I rely on him to keep me informed and explain things to me. That is the nice part about being married to a ex-teacher. He is so patient and really good at explaining things. I guess I am more the social butterfly. I am a people person and just focus my energy and time on things like that. I am not saying I am not intellegent - just selective on what I use my brain waves for I guess :) At any rate, of course during this political season, I am very interested to hear what has to be said by each of the candidates, and really on the fence for whom I want to vote, but still feel it is important to be informed even if you do not have a strong opinion one way or another. I received a funny forward today that I just could not resist posting. I don't know why, but when I opened this email, I started laughing hysterically. I think it was just the humor of combining the candidates that seem to be getting most of the attention right now. See what you think.....

Pinched Nerve

2008-09-21T17:27:00.002-04:00

This was the diagnosis Brandon received today. Instead of being at church, like we are most Sunday mornings, we sat in the waiting room at the urgent care. And even though I shutter to think we may have back problems in our future, I am glad they hopefully determined his troubles. I guess the running around with the kids yesterday and feeling like teenagers again wasn't all that great, huh? Sometimes it is strange the symptoms your body can have - as he was complaining about abdominal pain just as much as aching in his back and leg. Turns out the nerve that is pinched affects several areas of your body. Not sure how it happened, but the doctor seemed to think it is pretty common after a week long business trip where you sit in conferences all day as he just did in Annapolis. Huh? It is just strange that it was bothering him off and on all week and then this morning he could barely walk and I just couldn't watch him endure the pain. He promised to go to the doctor on Monday (even though I had insisted he go on Friday), but we both thought it better to go ahead today. Guess that is the joys of urgent care - they are there for that very reason. And speaking of the waiting room - the nurses on duty thought this was a good time to get caught up on their exercises. So, I heard huffing and puffing from the reception desk area, as two of them took turns stair stepping on some make shift work out area (I think boxes or a chair was involved). I am all for getting in shape, but not sure it should be done on duty, or when you have to help patients who come to the window while you are sweaty and out of breath. And why is it that sometimes nurses seemed to be the most overweight people in there? I know obesity is a problem across America, but just find it ironic whenever someone in the health care system is a heavy smoker, obese, or some other health problem that is usually self inflicted. I am not one to talk, because I am so not in shape! Just my tid-bit for the day. Anyway, so my boy is sleeping soundly now, and I am getting ready to do some work (no fun - but will make tomorrow morning all the much easier). I was so frustrated on Friday, that I left early - so now have to play catch up!

Perfect day

2008-09-20T20:11:00.002-04:00

Well, maybe not perfect, but I had a really good day. There are a lot of things that make me happy, and one of them is hanging out with my niece and nephew. Brandon and I headed out early this morning towards Wilkesboro, and after a breakfast stop at biscuitville (mandatory before morning roadtrip) we arrived at Derek & Jana's house. I felt like such a bad aunt since we hadn't seen the kids since May, and I always get a bit nervous on if they will still like to hang out with us, but my fears quickly diminished and a smile spread across my face when Ashlyn and Weston came running towards our car before we could even make it all the way up the driveway. I L.O.V.E. these kids!! We spent the morning outside throwing the baseball and playing basketball, and just laughing and having a good time. I felt like I was thirteen again. Days like today made me fall in love with Brandon all over again. I love this man so much, and just seeing how he interacts with his family makes me love him even more. He had just as much fun playing ball with the kids as they did. See, that is the joy of being an aunt and uncle - you don't have to be the ones to discipline or tell them to stop when they start to do something they shouldn't. You just get to play with them and be the one they fight over who gets to sit beside at a meal, or in the car......it is great! Ashlyn and Weston remind me a lot of my brother and me - and hanging out with them always takes me back to the fun times my bro and I had. There is just about the same age difference between them as is with us. They love to play together, and at the same time, get on one another's nerves. One can't be doing something unless the other one can as well. My brother and I used to play all day - we would run around outside, ride our bikes, and best of all - we made killer pillow forts! We would play until one of us made the other cry. And such was the case with Ashlyn and Weston. But, at the same time, when one of them started to cry, they would comfort one another. It is amazing that even at age 7 and 5, you can already tell what amazing people they are going to be. They have grown up in a wonderful christian home, with lots of family that loves and spoils them, and they also have their own personalities - ones that I love to see grow. Weston is such a sweet little boy, and gets funnier and funnier every time I am around him. And Ashlyn is smart, athletic, adorable and going to drive the boys wild. Right now she loves being a "tom-boy". I couldn't believe how tall she had gotten since we last saw her. At age 7, she is already almost to my shoulders. But, that didn't stop her from running and jumping on me ;) Around lunchtime, we all hopped in the Acadia (I love having a car we can all fit in!) and went out for pizza. Jana and I crawled in the back and chatted away, the kids sat in the middle, and Brandon and Derek had some brotherly bonding and guy talk up front. It was just so nice being with family. Just hate we don't see them more often, and aren't a part of one another's lives more. Usually when we visit we just end up going out to eat, but today it was nice to hang out at their house, play with the kids, and ride around town together. Jana drove the car home (there may be another Acadia or comparable Chevy Traverse in the family soon!) and then after three more throws each of the baseball by Ashlyn and Weston, we said our goodbyes. That is always the hard part :( We stopped by the in-law's house for about an hour for a quick visit and then headed home. What made this day even more perfect, is that Brandon chauffeured me and I caught up on some Sex and the City episodes on the DVD player from the backseat :) Now, I am home in my PJs, stuffed after a greasy Wendy's dinner, and listening to the Elon football game on the radio, with my sweet hubby beside me and a puppy soundly sleeping on the other side. What a better way to end a perfect day :)

I'm a 45er

2008-09-16T07:02:00.003-04:00

Ok, I know I am an open person, but normally don't blog about things such as this. And you may say TMI, but I don't care, this is my blog! If you know what I have been going through recently, you will understand. I am RELIEVED this morning! Last night as I was getting ready for bed and taking my last potty break for the night, and I got a surprise. It has been so long that it took a minute for it to register, and then I yelled for Brandon with excitement :) I was really starting to get down and thinking I wasn't normal, but God gave me a glimpse of a little thing called HOPE. It may not happen next month, but at least I know it can - and without medication! Sure, I am still taking Metformin daily which is what the Endocrinologist prescribed, and to tell you the truth, I am confused on it's purpose. I am one of those trusting people that believes the doctor's know what they are doing, so I just follow instructions. I have no medical knowledge whatsoever (is that a word?) So, anyway, after over a year, I am a 45er - not a 28er or 35er as the doctor's think everyone should be. And the count begins again.......

Pajama Party!

2008-09-12T18:17:00.002-04:00

Having a girls' night tonight! Sarah and I are heading over to Rachel's in our PJ's, and indulging in pizza, brownies, wine and girly movies!! Nothing could be better after a long week and stressful day. Then, I get to pick the hubby up from the airport in the morning!!! Yeah ;)

Gross!

2008-09-11T18:56:00.002-04:00

If your stomach can take it, you should check out this link. It is not the same thing I caught on TV last night, but it gives you an idea. There was nothing on TV when I headed to bed last night but I wasn't quite tired enough to fall asleep. So, in the midst of flipping channels, I think I landed on some type of National Geographic channel of sorts, where they were doing a segment on eating penis......yes, that's right, I said penis. If you want to learn more, check the link. It was one of those things that grossed me out and made me want to change the channel, but just like the TV in the car on Tues night, I couldn't take my eyes away! I must say I am glad the guys on this video link stuck to their morals of our country and stayed clear of the dog penis.....that's just wrong! But, I guess in a way you can respect those cultures that don't waste any part of an animal, even if it involves the reproductive parts, but I am sticking to my basic chicken tenders for dinner tonight, thank you very much!

Boogie Man

2008-09-10T22:02:00.002-04:00

So, being home solo this week while the hubby is away at a work conference, has made me remember how much of a "scardie cat" I am!! I know I have an alarm system, and a Boxer that loves to bark, but still - the boogie man is still out there! I am fine to be home alone when it is light outside, but as soon as it turns dark, the blinds are closed, the doors are locked, the alarm is on, and my ears are perked for any sound. As the nights go on, I am better, but I think it is funny how well my family knows me, as my first night alone my mother-n-law and mom both called me to see how I was doing! I have always been this way - I enjoy my alone time, but just not at night! At least I am over half-way there - tonight is the 4th night alone - only 2 more to go!

TV's in Cars

2008-09-10T21:44:00.004-04:00

Ok, before I start, I realize that I am one of these people now, as we splurged for a DVD player in our new Acadia. However, I feel that there is a size that is appropriate, as well as vehicles in which having one makes sense. So, this leads me to the purpose of this blog entry....

.....on my way home from my Circle meeting last night, I merged onto Hwy 29 and started the final leg of my trip home. Much to the amazement of my eyes, I got behind an older model sedan (not sure of the model), but at any rate, it was a old beat up car, and inside was a HUGE screen in which music videos were being played for all of Hwy 29 to see. I couldn't believe the size of the screen compared to the size of the car. This screen would have even been too big for an Expedition, let alone a Sedan! There is no reason to have a screen that big inside a car. I don't even know how anyone riding in the backseat could even stand to watch something that big and that up close! Plus, it was dangerous to other motorists. I couldn't keep my eyes off of it, and had to keep reminding myself to watch the road. It was crazy! It made me second guess having one in my own car, as I don't want to contribute to reckless driving. However, I do have tinted rear windows, and my screen is appropriate size. Oh well, different strokes for different folks, but I was blown away!

(But, I think this blog entry that I found tops the charts of why if you choose to have a DVD/TV in your car, that you need to monitor what you play. Can you believe it!!??)

Greatest American Dog

2008-09-10T21:35:00.002-04:00

So, I hope no one reads this who hasn't had a chance to watch the finale episode from tonight (um....Brandon, hope you aren't checking my blog!), but I was so excited when Presley and Travis won the Greatest American Dog competition!! Yeah for boxers!!!! I am sure there will be some skeptics that will think this young puppy shouldn't represent the Greatest American Dog, as there were some amazing dogs on the show. However, I guess it came down to the relationship of Presley and Travis - it was really hard in watching the show to determine what exactly the judges were looking for. And even though I was cheering on the boxer, I would get really angry at the judges at some of their comments towards the other owners (Brandon can attest to the fact that I do in fact yell at the TV :) I honestly didn't care for any of the three judges. It will be interesting to see if the show makes it for another season, or if this was a one time deal.

I really am addicted to reality TV. I can't wait for the final episodes of Big Brother 10. So far the two guys I have been rooting for since the beginning are in the final three - Dan and Memphis. You go boys!!!

Weekend...

2008-09-08T18:29:00.003-04:00

Had a pretty busy weekend - but what else is new - as my friends say, I have trouble saying NO! Friday night was fun though, a night out with the girls to celebrate a friend's 50th birthday, and I must say she is 50 and FABULOUS! We pulled one of those stunts that waitstaff and people waiting for a table at a crowded restaurant can't stand - we camped out at our booth for like 3 hrs. But oh well, we had fun, and they can all get over it! We usually get together for lunch, but always hate that we have to keep checking our watch and never really get to catch up. And I am proud to say that we got Teresa to do her first Shot EVER for her birthday!! You go girl!!! Then I drove home in the downpour - but glad we didn't get anything worse than that. Always makes me feel so bad for those who have to deal with the after effects of natural disasters - and makes me feel even luckier when something doesn't happen to us.

I was tired at work today - and on top of that, it was a pretty stressful day. So, all I want to do is crash right now, but I have an AOII Conference Call - YEAH! (NOT!!!) I will be glad when I can pass over the alumnae presidency position once and for all! I haven't minded doing it really, but enough is enough (I think this is my 6th year!). Luckily I have already read my chapter for Circle tomorrow night - looking forward to getting into the swing of things with that and catching up with everyone!

Nothing much else exciting to blog about - it never fails - the things I really want to blog about or complain about - or vent about - I don't, because I am fearful that someone will read it that shouldn't - I guess that is why Diaries were originally intended to be private! I know I am probably being paranoid and now all of you are wondering if I want to complain about you! Doubtful, but you never know who really is reading these things......

2008-09-02T22:50:00.002-04:00

I just spent the last three hours working on a month-close report for work. I understand that month-close duties are important, but sometimes, especially when working on this report, I feel my job is so pointless. I mean, all I do on this report is take figures from a report printed from our system, and put them into an excel document that is saved and updated month to month. Sure, it gives my boss and the auditors a "pretty" picture of what our advances were for the month, but it is such a monotonous task. It is almost degrading. I guess I shouldn't complain, because nothing else about my job description is this easy, so I should take the monotonous task and be glad to not have to think so hard for a few hours. I mean, I did it while watching Big Brother 10 and other things on TV. There aren't many other duties I have in my job where I can have almost a lake of concentration. I am usually pretty good an multi-tasking, so it isn't that hard. And me not complaining about it may have been true before I had to bring the report home to do (which is what I have done the past two months) since there is no time during the work day to get it done (I guess because of all those non-monotonous tasks!). But, I have a sneaky feeling it has to do with my new role as supervisor - just not enough hours in the day! I know I know, I should delegate and pass it on, but this is the only real picture I get of what is going on with cash during the month, so it is good for me to do it, especially since it is my "butt" that gets quizzed on it on a weekly basis by my boss. For all those who have no idea what I am talking about, and really don't care, here is something random for you:

Sarah tagged me on her blog, so here it goes:

The Rules
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 6 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag.

1)I like to drink soda from a can with a straw. Even though it has the small little hole from which you can drink, I just prefer to drink it with a straw. It is something about the smell of the metal can and not wanting that close to my lips or nose. Sure, I could poor it into a glass, but what is the fun in that. Which reminds me, I need to add straws to the grocery list!

2)I hate to clean, but I always straighten. If if I have a pile of stuff somewhere, it is usually a fairly neat pile. And believe me, I have a ton of JUNK in my house, especially paper - we have piles and piles of just paper - of what, I am not sure, but we just have trouble throwing it out. My straightening frenzy is usually outdone by all the stuff, but even so, I can't just have my stuff thrown anywhere - I always has a "place" even if it makes sense to no one but me.

3)I wash my hands a lot. No matter what I was doing - even if just getting the mail outside - I always wash my hands when I come in the house. I am not sure why, because I don't wash my hands a lot at work, or other places - not like I am a germ freak, I just like to have clean hands while in my house - I guess it makes me feel I am not bringing germs in - but if you saw how dirty my house can get, it wouldn't make sense to you, especially with a dog that loves to DIG outside and bring all the dirt in ;)

4)I don't like onions. I love the flavor they can give something, but just can't stand the texture of them. I guess that is why I resort to onion salt or powder in a lot of my own cooking. I just can't stand to crunch down on a raw onion or feel my tongue slide over a slimy cooked onion. I am not as bad as to not eat something if it has onions in it, but I just try to avoid them best I can.

5)I don't like secrets. This isn't a random fact to those who know me, but for those who don't, here is the rule - if you don't want to know something about me, don't ask, because I am an open book. You ask, and you can be assured I will tell (much to my husbands dismay at times). And if you tell me something that you do want kept secret, make sure you make that clear to me. I can keep a secret if someone asks, but the problem is since I don't have any secrets myself, it is hard for me to judge on my own what someone else would consider a secret.

6)I have a shower routine. I am sure most of us will admit the same, but I have to laugh at myself. I have a definite routine to how I "cleanse" myself in the shower. I have tried to change the order before, and it just messes with my head. But, since it is MY time, I figure, I can do as I wish, and I wish to stick to my routine ;) And since I know everyone is not as open a book as I am, I will spare you the details of that routine!

Ok, now onto the fun part - I get to TAG!! So, I tag:
1) Sarah Kate
2) Jessica
3) Mikaela
4) Jen
5) Jenny
6) Brandon (I know Emily has already tagged you, but you have ignored her request, and so I find it only fair to DOUBLE tag you, and plus, there aren't too many people that read my blog regularly that also have a blog and haven't already been tagged).

IT'S GAME DAY!

2008-08-30T09:38:00.004-04:00

Even though I am not the type of person to seat in front of the TV all day and catch every game, I am excited to say that Football season is here. Everyone has a different sense of excitement and it is fun to talk about the games that were played with friends and family. My parents and brother especially get into college football. Every Saturday morning (started when he went to college) my brother and mom will call one another and yell into the phone: "IT'S GAME DAY!" It is a neat tradition they have. However, with my brother in California right now and on a 3 hr time difference, Mom will probably have to wait until closer to lunchtime for their routine this season. Chelsi and I went for a long walk this morning while Brandon slept in. It is already pretty steamy outside, so going to be a Hot Game Day!

Long weekend!!!

2008-08-29T18:29:00.004-04:00

I am so excited for a long weekend!! Of course I didn't start it off too well......the office closed at 2pm today, but what time did I leave?......um, about 5:15pm, so basically around normal time. I was just trying to make my life less hectic on Tuesday morning, as well as finishing up some must-do duties before month-end.

Not too many plans this Labor Day weekend, but that is ok - I can't wait! We won't be bumps on a log - we do have a few fun things planned - I am just so glad not to be running all over the place.

Tomorrow is the start of FOOTBALL!! Elon's opener is at 7pm against Richmond, but of course our gang has to take advantage of a pretty summer day and start tailgating at 2pm. We tailgate with a bunch of my co-workers, and have a great time. I didn't realize how many people were coming out for the opening game, but it sounds like it is going to be "Willis" day at Elon ;) It will be fun! Brandon and I better start early tomorrow trying to get all our stuff together (it always takes us forever to get out the door to go somewhere!). Gotta take the tent, chairs, cooler, beer, snacky foods (hmm....have to think of what still) and all our Elon Pride gear! We basically camp out :) I know Elon is not on the top of everyone's list for THE GAME to watch, but Brandon and I really enjoy heading back to our Alma Mater and hanging out with friends. He has really really been looking forward to this football season (I think because I am all over the place all the time, something to do isn't new for me, but he hasn't had much to look forward to except for all the stuff he does around the house). And come on - he is a boy and this is sports!

Speaking of my boy - I am so excited to announce that he finally caught onto the addiction and CRAZE of blogging and started his own! So, check it out!!

If Sat. night doesn't go too late, and we don't have too many of Dave's tailgate special shots (this year we have a new one I hear - no more 'Surfers on Acid' - but can't remember the name of the new one), we will head to church on Sunday morning (shots and church don't really go together in the same sentence too well, do they??? OH WELL). And then Sunday night we are heading out for a couples dinner (YEAH!) to celebrate several things (Michele's employment at Willis - a little overdue, but still warranted - and Jess & Richard's engagement and new found home ownership!). We have called this outing "Dinner on Willis" since Jess, Michele and I all work together and Jess is picking up the tab with the bonus funds she got for Michele starting work there (having friends work with you has many perks!). I got the bonus when Jess started, so she got it for Michele. So, if anymore of our friends decide to join the Willis train - Michele is next!

Monday, we both have off - but no real plans. I am sure we will find things to do around the house, and I may even try and get in some pool time (I can't believe it is the last weekend already!) especially since I have only been to our pool TWICE this year! At least is doesn't cost us any extra - another perk of a new neighborhood where your $50 home owner's fees go real far!

Now, I am off to check out the movie listings to see if there is anything that catches my interest for a possible date night tonight......otherwise, I am sure we will get caught up in all the political stuff on TV. Oh yeah, Brandon picked up a DVR box for us today from Time Warner!! So, not only did we finally upgrade to Digital Cable last month, we now can record all our shows!! We tried hooking TIVO up again last night, but no luck - I think it is just too outdated.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day!!!

Hired Help

2008-08-22T21:54:00.005-04:00

So, later this morning, after the first set of ransom emails arrived, my husband sent me a picture email from home......

Subject: Hired Help

He was off today, thanks to his 4 10hr shifts he has been working this summer. He was working on his "honey-do" list, and Chelsi decided she needed to help. He said it was so funny. He put the hammer down on the grass assuming it was too heavy for her to grab, and when he turned around, she was running around the yard with it in her mouth! That dog is so funny.....she can make any bad day great! I thank GOD everyday that we have her :)

Here she was, worn out from running around the yard, but she still manages to keep the hammer in her mouth - silly munchkin!!

FYI - WE WILL RENT OUR HIRED HELP :)