babies, babies everywhere

Is it just me or is everyone pregnant or trying?  DON'T worry, I'm not experiencing the itch, but I have started noticing those around me who have...

First of all, my sister is trying (she may get mad that I'm sharing this on the internet, but I only have a few faithful readers, so we should be good).   This is actually quite exciting, but the hard part is that it hasn't happened for her yet and I know she is bummed about it.  I'm teetering on the line of am I asking her about it too much or not enough?  My intentions aren't to bring up a sore subject or annoy her with my wish to be an aunt, but I also don't want to shy away from mentioning it if she needs someone to talk to.  Getting pregnant isn't easy for everyone and I'm trying to respond in just the right way.

Next, a few of our friends are pregnant.  Jake's best friend shared the news about their little miracle on the way a few weeks ago and a good girlfriend of mine told me at our Christmas gift exchange that she was happily expecting as well!  I'm thrilled for them, both couples were trying and are so happy about their news.  On top of that, Jake's friend/co-worker/business partner's baby girl was born this past Monday... Sienna is her name and cute is her game.  Maybe that doesn't seem like a lot of babies to you all, but it does to me.  That doesn't even cover the people we know who have had a baby in the past year... and there are quite a few of them.  

Again, I'm not personally in a hurry for a little guy... or girl, but babies are growing on me more and more.  I've always liked kids, especially 6 months and up, but I'm even starting to take to infants.  Of course, my original preference of 6 months and or 15+ pounds remains, but I've noticed I'm not as afraid of the bitty babies as much.  I suppose this is a good thing seeing as how, Lord willing, we'll be meeting our fair share in the coming months!

snowed in

Virginia Beach saw around 14" of snow over the holiday weekend, which is crazy if your familiar with the area.  I've lived here my whole life and can honestly say I've never seen it snow that much.  The best part was how it stayed white.  Most of the time when it snows in VB it quickly gets dirty from traffic, etc. but this time since it fell on the Sunday following Christmas no one was working to clear the roads and no one was really driving... people were just outside enjoying the snow!

We (more like Jake) tried to play with Tank in the snow, but he wasn't interested at all.  As a matter of fact, he took the initiative to walk himself back to our front door and when I let him in ran right upstairs, jumped on our bed, and nestled himself under the covers.  Usually he has to be wherever Jake or I am and he especially loves to be outside, but snow and rain are his exceptions, so we've learned.

On another note, while we enjoyed the blizzard outside, we weathered the wintery season inside our apartment as well.  Yes, thats right, we had NO heat.  About a week ago we noticed our old school heater wasn't working very well, which isn't surprising really.   After I heard some interesting and new whistling sounds come from it multiple times I decided to actually call our complex to have it checked.  On the 22nd I called and that day they came out to take a look.  The guy told Jake everything looked fine, but when he went to show Jake how to properly use the thermostat he couldn't get the heat to turn on at all.  I think Jake got a bit of satisfaction out of this, seeing as how the guy was basically suggesting we didn't know how to work the thermostat.  Anyway, he said there was in fact something wrong with it so he'd have to tell the complex.  The next day we got a call that they'd be replacing our heater entirely and would install it on the 24th.  We hung around the apartment all day only to have no one show up and received word that this was in fact the case at 7pm; they rescheduled for Monday.  Keep in mind that this was an exceptionally cold weekend... the same weekend we got 14" of snow!  Monday comes around and there is no word from the installer, our complex calls to say that they won't be doing any jobs because of the weather.  At this point I'm pretty mad and so is Jake.  We've spent our entire vacation dressed in layers, wearing socks at all times, and with multiple blankets on the couches and our bed.  The complex sends over their main maintenance guy who after a few minutes reports that our heater isn't broken it just need to be cleaned so it can run smoothly.  No joke, thats what he said.  As happy as I was to hear it wasn't going to be another day without heat, I was mad about needlessly going without heat for days.  Time that wouldn't have been wasted if the first service guy knew a thing about heaters.  And that isn't an assumption I'm making, its a fact!  This guy told us that the other maintenance guy who answered our initial call wasn't good with these issues, more specifically saying, "Eddie doesn't know anything about heaters, it just isn't his thing."  Isn't his thing?  Then why did they send him to answer the call about our heater?   I don't think I'll ever be able to answer that seeing how sending him defies logic.

Nevertheless, we had a lovely Christmas and even enjoyed an extra day off because of the snow!  I watched some movies I got for Christmas, baked and ate cookies, and cuddled on the couch with Tank.   Vacation days don't get much better than that.

I've also been lying

So, we just recently told our apartment community that we have Tank... and by "told" I mean admitted it, after being confronted with a notice on our door.  Don't judge me.

I don't know why I let this tiny lie omission of the truth perpetuate to this point, but I did, and I'm embarrassed.  In case you haven't already figured it out, Jake is what some might call, frugal.   And I use that term lightly, because Jake doesn't mind spending money on things he understands or values, its anything that doesn't fall into those categories that he has huge issues with.  So as you can imagine, Jake was not excited about the non-refundable pet deposit and monthly fee; thus why we waited to say something.  But that is neither here nor there, because its out in the open now and the fee is non-negotiable.  Period.

Jake’s way of coping with this fact is to send me the following text message:

"Merry xmas.  I’m returning your presents and putting tank in a box"

Please excuse any errors in the above, I wanted to keep it authentic.

This is life though; you win some, you lose some, and you spend too much money on unavoidable things.  And I don't want to hear this could have been avoided if we didn't get a puppy in the first place.  Number one, that is just a ridiculous thing to say and number two, owning a puppy was on my 30 Before 30... which you know isn't optional.

Could you walk away from this face?  If you say yes, you're a liar and no friend of mine... or Tank's.

 

I've been cheating

Don’t worry it’s a loveless affair, but I have to admit… I’ve been spending time writing on another blog.  I’m awful.  I meant what I said in my last post about trying to get back into the groove, but with having to write for my company’s blog a lot lately, I’m drained.  By the time I get home, the creativity is gone and I definitely don’t want to sit in front of a computer.

Do you forgive me?  I hope so.

A few things have happened since Thanksgiving.  There was of course the whole Black Friday experience, Tech won the ACC Championship, I made cookies and an apple crisp from scratch, we decorated our apartment for Christmas, and Jake started wearing his “Believe” t-shirt every day since December 1st.

In other news, I’m almost finished Christmas shopping & bought the most recent Twilight movie, Eclipse, but haven’t found time to watch it.  Life’s tough.

Jake declared that he officially finished all of his shopping today, which has me intrigued.  I sent him some ideas for gifts, but they were all niceties and not necessities, and if you know Jake then you know that if it isn’t practical he isn’t buying it.  So I’m not sure what Santa is bringing this year.  Here are some things from my wish list (of course, I don’t expect to get a single thing, let alone multiple things from it):

1.    a new raincoat
2.    the first Harry Potter book (I’m behind)
3.    a scarf- I can’t get enough of them
4.    one of those tervis tumblers with a lid for my sweet tea
5.    bananagrams (fingers crossed Alison and Will pull through)
6.    a framed picture of Tank for my desk (Jake has 3 pictures of Tank up at his work)
7.    a shelf with hooks and baskets for our entryway, although I hate asking for house things for xmas
8.    a few seasons of my newest obsession, Bones, on DVD (that actually wasn’t on a list before this one)
9.    the Twilight ornament (of course!)
10.    a Starbucks gift card to feed my chai tea addiction, with 2 pumps of Pumpkin Spice (I’m sort of hoping my mom gets a bunch of these from her students though, because she doesn’t go there and probably would share them with me instead)

Is it weird that I just shared things from my list?  I thought it could make for a nice post Christmas blog.  This way if I posted a picture from Christmas day holding my new Twilight ornament and tumbler up close with a huge smile you’d really appreciate it.  Can you picture it?  I can.

coming out from under my rock

I apologize that I am just now blogging about the past two weeks of my life.

Let’s catch you up by hitting the highlights:

1. I visited my friend, Katie, in Atlanta… and it was awesome!  I flew out on Thursday and came home on Sunday.  We did all sorts of fun things like paint, shop, paint some more, eat at Zaxby’s (the South’s competition for Chick-fil-a), and hang out with her boyfriend, Nathan (if you know Katie, then you know I don’t use that term lightly).  I honestly wish I could have stayed longer, but it just gives me an excuse to visit again.

2. I lost at Bunco.  I haven’t talked about it in awhile, but the Bunco game I attend with my mom and sister is still happening every month.  As a matter of fact, I think this fall marked our second year of playing together.  I love the group and really look forward to playing each month… except when I go home empty handed!  December’s game is being hosted at my Mom’s house, so I’ll have to help her set up and cook- maybe even take some pictures.  Of course, now the pressure is on to have all the Christmas decorations up and in order in time!

3. Tank is learning to stay and to shake.  Jake is pretty awesome when it comes to training Tank, but my claim to fame is definitely teaching him to shake.  I’d like to think I’m primarily responsible for housebreaking him as well, but I hate to take all of the credit.

4. Some friends of ours recently bought a house (my dream house) which has made me uber focused on when we will be in a position to buy a home.  I am not trying to compete with them or take away at all from this milestone in their lives; it’s just made me more aware of that Jake and I haven’t really given this much thought.  It’s really not a big deal, except for the hours I spend online obsessively searching homes for sale.  I’m so over the top in fact, that I’ve searched for them in every city we’ve ever considered living in, just for comparison’s sake.  I’m a-ridiculous.

5. Our friend, Scott (aka Homo 3) got Lasik eye surgery.  Everything went well, he can see… better now than before and without glasses or contacts.   However, it is sort of weird to see him without his glasses; it’s definitely going to take some time to adjust.  Also in regards to Scott, you may have read about him on E, Myself, and I’s Bachelor of the Week post awhile back but I am proud to say he is no longer a bachelor.  I should have reported on this sooner, but time has escaped me.  He is dating Hannah, the sweetest girl ever and I love their relationship.  Period.

6. I’ve started running again and it’s painful, literally.  I am so out of shape, but I told myself that before I spend $100 to register for the Shamrock half marathon I need to be able to follow the training program.  Well, I’ve started it… and I’m dying.  I suppose each run gets easier but I am terrified to train in the cold and I absolutely hate running on the treadmill.  Sure, a couple miles on the treadmill isn't awful, but in a few weeks the program will require 5 to 6 miles and I can’t imagine it.  Eck.  For now, I’ve been running outside after work, but I’ve got to admit that sometimes I get a little scurred.  I stick to well lit areas and keep telling myself that its just too many Criminal Minds episodes getting in my head.  Another option would be  to wake up early and run in the morning, but who wants to lose sleep if they don’t have to?

So, as you can see so much and so little has been going on in my life.  I am hoping with the holiday and time off of work that I won't keep you waiting so long before my next post.  Thanks for being a faithful "follower" and Happy Thanksgiving!

always love a giveaway

If you know me, you know I L O V E giveaways!  Today I was stalking my friend Meredith on her blog and came across this giveaway from Shutterfly for 50 free photo Christmas cards!  It seems simple enough to enter and I'm pretty pumped to finish the steps to get my gift.  Being the planner that I am, I went ahead and started getting ideas from their website.  I figured if we do get to make a card it'd be nice to narrow down the 700+ options quickly.  It all depends on what photos we use, but I liked the following styles at first glance.

credit

While I have neglected my blog recently, I absolutely, positively, cannot neglect this week’s featured colleague. And let me tell you why. Kimetha Hill is a dear friend (and also co-worker) of mine whose last day in the office was today. She’s packed up her corolla and is headed to San Diego on Sunday to pursue her dream of a writing career. She doesn’t have a thing set up but remains on schedule to cross the country in just 2 short days! What a leap of faith! I am so excited for her and I will be praying hard as she searches for a home and job as soon as her feet hit the west coast.

We’ve worked together for 2 years, but have gotten pretty close this past year. She has been a huge source of encouragement for me in my faith and a true accountability partner. I don’t know how many times I’ve shared stories of her faith to friends because she constantly blows me away. She is a beautiful person inside and out and her generosity and grace towards others is inspiring.

I will certainly miss our Monday morning chats before everyone else got in, having her listen to ESPN radio while working because she couldn’t stand to get behind, Power Hour, her sassy boots, our lunch dates with Tank, break dancing in her cube (well I danced, she laughed), and the light she brought into the office!

The good news is she isn’t dead… just moving, so that helps things. She also informed us that she’s getting a webcam so we can and will be video chatting.

I can’t wait to hear about her first writing gig in San Diego, I know there are a ton of people here supporting her!

Florida

I PROMISE I haven't forgotten about you all or lost my motivation for blogging more immediately after getting it... I've been in Orlando since Tuesday and when I travel for work it's always difficult to post (I hope you forgive me).

Anyway, I had been trying to keep notes of funny things to recap that have happened while here, but tonight as a whole just takes the cake!  First of all let me start by saying that my roommate, Danielle, has been awesome!  We actually worked in the corporate office together (different departments, same division) for three years and she just moved to do her same job in the Orlando office.  It's been fun to spend time with someone familiar but everything with the Florida group has been great- they are hilarious!

Tonight, we were taken out to dinner off-site which is quite the process when your party is 18 people, the closest restaurants are 20 miles away, and you've got to fit into 3 cars.  The restaurant was this Irish place in Disney and the group really had a good time.  At one point some ladies at the end of my table were laughing so hard from the stories about this one office that people started leaving their seats to come over and listen, myself included.  I'm not kidding, I was laughing so hard and enjoying the main person's storytelling style so much that once I finished my food, I moved my seat til we left to their corner.  It was one of the best decisions I've made and the laughs kept coming.  Once I left that group to ride back, things got better.  Something to know about them is that every comment made is intended to be a punchline... and it is.  Melisa in particular is so funny to me.  A few of the things she said last night include (and yes, these are direct quotes):

"Oh gosh its a full moon, no wonder I'm so moody! I'm serious people!  The moon affects the tides and our body is 80% water... do the math bitches!" (excuse the profanity, but it was included to keep the integrity of the quote)

As she directs the driver on how to get out of the shopping center:

"You don't have to stop at these stop signs.  Seriously, I only ever stop if there is a person in the crosswalk.  I always stop for animals though, even if they aren't in the crosswalk."

"STOP looking at me while you're driving!  I'm afraid to make any jokes because when I talk you stop looking at the road and I can tell because the car literally swerves to the right each time." (this was true and dangerous... at one point the driver was laughing so hard she took off her glasses to wipe away all the tears and the rest of us panicked as we veered off the ramp).

Once we got back to the hotel, some people headed out to party and some wanted to just go to bed.  As part of the lame group, I got on the elevator for bed, but ended up riding it up and down to keep hearing stories.  This started when Kelly's floor came up right in the middle of her story, so we insisted that she get back on to finish... and then no one got off when their floor came up, we just kept riding and sharing until we finally decided to all get off and take our party of 6 to a stagnant place.  It was hysterical.  While I realize you might not see the humor in any of this, I wanted to remember the night so blogging was only appropriate, plus they'll get a kick out of it!

Featured Colleague: Meredith Mobley

 

Welcome to the first-ever Featured Colleague Friday post, exclusive to Walk a Day in my Flip Flops.  By exclusive I mean I'm not quite fancy enough to start a multi-blog series like the 30 before 30 or What I Wore Wednesday (give me some time), but if you have fun colleagues that you want to talk about on your blog, please do!

My sister recently suggested I give myself weekly topics to focus on so that I don't stop blogging and I think it was a great idea.  So, for the next few Fridays I'm going to attempt to post about my some of my favorite colleagues.    I know this combined with Office Shenanigans makes for a lot of office talk, so I'll try to keep it interesting and fingers crossed... you actually enjoy it!

Without further ado I'd like to introduce you to Miss Meredith Mobley.  Meredith is a diva by day and a diva by night.  When she isn't working at Dominion Enterprises as the Marketing Communications Coordinator, aka Queen of Communications, shes volunteering with PRSA, freelancing, and (not "or", because she does it all) spending time with her family and friends.  

Writing and Public Relations are Meredith's great loves, only second to God.  You can always find her in pearls, heels, and on the other side of a camera lens.  In case you can't tell, she is extremely photogenic and not camera shy (the above shot was taken in our office).  One of my favorite memories of Meredith was when I was walked by her cube and saw her checking out a photo of herself (practically full screen) out of the corner of my eye.  The best part was the smile on her face, in the picture and at that moment while looking at it, you should have seen it!  I laughed immediately and did a double take to be certain of what I thought I saw; I wasn't mistaken.  If you know Meredith you know that's not hard to believe, perhaps you've seen similar behavior by her yourself!

A few of my favorite things about Meredith are:

1. Her confidence.

2. Her frantic feet tapping when she thinks something is laugh out loud funny but doesn't want to cause a distraction at work.

3. That she passes me hand written notes in the office via post-its.

4. How she'll make sure to do a catwalk strut of a new outfit if you haven't noticed it.

5. When she uses her handheld mirror to spy on me in my cube or when she threatens to spray me with canned air dusters (wait, I actually don't like that).

6. Her initiation of and or quick retaliations to sassy office banter.

7. That she keeps a can of beefaroni or clam chowder in her desk at all times.

8. The heart she has for her friends and family.

My original intention was to make this post pretty funny, but I wasn't as successful as I'd hoped to be.  If you know Meredith you're probably laughing more than if you don't, but as I started writing it I realized I was doing it more for Mere's entertainment than anyone else's.  

I need your help

I know I just recently gave my blog a new look but I'm looking for a professional facelift.  I
would do it myself, but I don't know how which means I'll need referrals for custom blog designers... as well as more followers.

Allow me to explain that last part.  I was talking to Jake about paying for a custom blog (not the really crazy kind) and he said I'd need a good following before I put money into my blog.  I asked how many followers would constitute "good" and he said 100... umm, I'm only at 24.  That being said I negotiated a little and we agreed on 50 followers as a goal.  Again, as of today I'm only at 1/2 that so I've got my work cut out for me.  This is where you come in.  I need your help.

I've never been concerned with the number of followers that I have, because I'm just happy that people are reading my blog BUT it would be nice to get a feel for who is reading.  That being said, I've made sure to list my blog in my Facebook profile, I plan to share this post to my wall, I've made the URL my gmail "away" message, and I've told you how to follow (so if you're reading but not following, this is your golden opportunity).  Any other ideas?  


Well that's all I've got on this topic, I'll be sure to keep you updated.  Tomorrow I'm starting my own mini series around my colleagues, which I hope turns out funny.  If not, sorry in advance; it will at least be funny to me and my co-workers... who, for the most part, happen to be following my blog (hint hint).


Oh, and don't forget if you've got any suggestions for blog designers PLEASE send them my way!  I just want to show a little personality...

giving credit where credits due

Club Tank

 I try not to talk about Tank a ton, but let's be honest, I LOVE to talk about him and this newest story is definitely worth sharing.

To set the proper foundation I have to start by telling you that our apartment is beside the playground which we have to walk by every day.  When we got Tank in July, school was out for summer and the kids at the playground loved seeing him (I can't blame them).  At first, Jake and I thought it was cute that they were so excited about him, but after noticing the excitement wasn't dying down with time we started to get a little annoyed.  After a few weeks, it got to the point that when we got home from work they would walk up to us and ask if Tank could come outside.  It was then that we started to dread taking him out.  I am not exaggerating when I say that they swarm us like little bees and physical block us from walking Tank.  Once one of the girls tried picking him up and dropped him, which didn't go over well with Jake.  Are you starting to get an idea of what life's been like???

On my sister's birthday a friend of mine offered to let Tank out after work so that I could head straight to dinner and not be worried.  I was short on time, she wanted to help, and her kids love him so it was a win win.  As I handed her my keys I cautioned her about the neighborhood kids and how they can be overbearing.  I kid you not that it was the first thing she brought up to me the following day at work and her daughter sent me a text that night referring to them as the "Little Pink Gang"!  So true, I couldn't have named them better myself! 

Recently (aka yesterday) after work my patience was challenged yet again!  I was walking down the sidewalk and talking on the phone when I heard them yelling to me about Tank.  I started thinking to myself that they can't possibly expect me to answer them 1.) because I'm an adult and I don't have to answer to punk kids and 2.) because I'm on the phone... obviously!!!  Finally, after I walked past them without answering they realized I was busy.  When I got inside I avoided taking Tank out as long as I could.  Usually we take him out right away but I just couldn't handle them again, so I kept an eye on him and prayed he wouldn't tinkle inside... and he didn't.  Once I mustered up the courage and more importantly, patience, I took him out.  I was supposed to be meeting someone in the parking lot and had to actually ask the kids to please wait for me to come back so I could meet my friend, and then repeat myself because they wouldn't move.  After a few minutes they came and found me in the parking lot. U N B E L I E V A B L E.  But wait, it gets better.  They approached me with a sheet of paper that said, "Club Tank" across the top with names and rules underneath it.  They explained to me that they started a club and wanted to show me the rules and who was in it.

Rule #1: We can pet Tank at least once a day.
Rule #2: Tank comes outside to play after school.
Rule #3: (I don't remember it, because I was still in shock about this club and that they were telling me about while I was in the middle of talking to a friend at their car in the parking lot).

How does one respond???  I just laughed and told them they'd have to tell me about it later when I wasn't busy.  Seriously... I want to say something but they are KIDS.  Old enough to be annoying sure, but young enough to be super sensitive.  I would make a polite comment to their parents, if any were ever around, but their gang is completely unsupervised until almost 8pm.  Maybe that's part of the problem.

I really don't want to be mean, but it's too much.  I hesitate to walk my dog because I don't want it to take 5 minutes to get more than a few feet from my door but there is no other way outside.  And I don't want to be mean to them, because I am the adult and they're just kids.  Jake and I need to talk about this more.  Our original plan was to talk to one of the older siblings or this little guy in the group, but the siblings have been non-existent since school started and the little guy has become the ring leader for Club Tank.  Any suggestions???

Office Shenanigans... I'm bringing this back!

Well, initially when I posted about Office Shenanigans the thought was to keep the posts coming... but as you can see I haven't revisited the topic since August 17th.  I'm so lame.

However, now that some time has passed and I'm feeling motivated to blog more than I have been, this is a perfect time to bring the "series" back, or should I say start the series since there was only one story before now?  Shall we get started?  

Let's talk about AOL Instant Messenger, which I'm sure you've heard of.  Where I work it is strongly encouraged to set up an account for inter-office and more often inter-department communication.  We say its for ease in file sharing but really it allows for instantaneous conversation without having to get out of your seat or carry on a face to face conversation with your co-workers.  Genius. And we wonder why people are growing more and more dependent on email and less comfortable with phone calls.  BUT, this isn't even what I want to talk about, this was just to "explain" why we have it.  What I really want to talk about it what the above conversation.

First of all you should know that the Meredith (aka memobley) shares a cubicle wall with me.  Next you should know that these sort of messages aren't at all unusual to get.  I'm not sure why I initially assumed it was a misspelling- clearly she'd be using a greeting from the dark ages.

Anniversary Weekend in Manteo

 Manteo carries a lot of significance for me and Jake.  Its where we got engaged, 11 months later honeymooned, and then 12 months after that celebrated our one year anniversary!  As a matter of fact, I don't know that another town has more meaning to me right now at this stage in my life.

Since it holds sentimental value and is just over 2 hours away, it was easy enough to go there for the weekend to get away, relax, and celebrate.  We stayed at the same Inn that we did last October and made sure to hit our favorite restaurant, the Outer Banks Brewing Station.  We had plans to do dinner at Adrianna's, the site of one our all-time favorite dinners, but a wedding was going on there so we hit another local place instead.  It was a pretty chill weekend, which is exactly what we wanted!

Oh, and on Sunday we picked out a pumpkin from a Farmer's Market on the way home... something we put off last year and never got around to doing.  I'm pretty excited about it actually!  I can't wait to show you pictures after we carve it, but for now I'm keeping secret what its going to look like.

One Year!!! Can I Get a Woop Woop?

One year ago today Jake and I tied the knot!  Can you believe it?  We hardly can.  

I know a lot of people say this, but it really does feel like our wedding just happened.  I can still remember the day perfectly and its hard to tell where the past twelve months went.  A lot has changed and some things have stayed the same, but I can tell you the transition to living together after our wedding taught us a TON about one another!  Here are some things I've learned about Jake over the past year, that the 8 years of dating beforehand didn't reveal:

1. Jake loves to wear just his boxers, no matter what time of day it is.  Personally, I don't see the appeal say at 1pm on Saturday, but it's who he is.

2. Jake is isn't a morning person, despite what he might say.  Sure, he'll get up early to get a good workout in, but unless he has had breakfast its not a good time to talk to him.

3. Speaking of food, he can eat the same thing day after day after DAY and he loves to combine the strangest ingredients for these meal experiments.  A perfect example is his daily breakfast (aka his "Happy Time"): yogurt, bananas, milk, granola, and melted peanut butter... all mixed together in one bowl.  Gross.

4. Still on the subject of food, the grocery store is one of his favorite places.  Jake averages about 3 trips to the grocery store a week.  Nothing big, some bananas from Trader Joes, spinach from Kroger, and whatever else we may need come Sunday.

5. Jake isn't above reading my women's beauty and home decorating magazines.

6. He doesn't clean and he doesn't want to.  This is something I'm still working on with Jake, but so far the most I've gotten out of him is a few loads of laundry, trash taken out, and the stairs vacuumed (which actually happened for the first time today).

7. Jake has a way of showing that he does listen at the most random times.  I've found he'll do something for me based off an off hand comment or suggestion I made and forgot about myself! 

8. He is quick to forgive and forget.  So often I find myself trying to offer an explanation with my apology and every time he stops me and says he's already forgotten about it.  It's something I am trying my best to offer him as my first response as well.

9. Jake leads by example.  He is a man of God and shows me on a daily basis that our faith must be our top priority if we want everything else to fall into place according to God's plan.

10. He knows exactly who I am and happily married me anyway.  No one is perfect and being married sometimes bring those imperfections to light.  The key is to learn from them so we can love each other better.

That's just a few of the things I've learned and I'm sure his list about me would be just as awesome.  If I had to guess a few of the things he would say they'd probably be:

1. I'm a she-devil if disturbed before my alarm goes off.

2. I have really bad morning breath (I'd have to agree with him on this one, but I can't help it!  I have excellent oral hygiene).

3. I'm a good sport when it comes to what to watch on tv or rent at Redbox, unless it's multiple recordings of Colbert Report.  Don't get me wrong, I like him, but 30 minutes a day is sufficient... or else he'd record a longer show.

4. I am a treat monster... and always have been.

5. My showers last too long and I use too much toilet paper (He actually just commented, "You use a roll of toilet paper a day!" which is totally an exaggeration).

6. I spend too much time at Target.

7. I'm sensitive and speak my mind, which isn't always a bad thing.

8. At times I can be funny, but probably not as funny as I think I am (I made him laugh out loud this past weekend and was SO proud of myself).

9. I'm generous and have big heart when it comes to others, which rubs off on him.

10. I challenge him to be a better version of himself... I think this goes both ways.

There will be so much more to learn about each other over the years and I'm looking forward to it.  Nothing beats coming home every day to your best friend and being able to share life's big and small milestones with them.  It's simple, Jake is my person.

Here are just a few shots from our wedding!

Quarter of a Century

Yes folks, today marks my 25th Birthday. 

I think after a person turns 21 the "big" birthdays get fewer and farther between.  Honestly, 25 is really not an important age but its the equivalent to a quarter of a century, which apparently makes it special.  Regardless, I enjoyed my day and the people who made it a big deal!

I started the day with church and then headed to Cheesecake Factory for lunch with my family.  My Mom was awesome and took care of coordinating everything, including my birthday balloon at the table (which I happened to love).  After lunch we went to a nail salon and got spa mani/pedis while watching The Blind Side... it was so awesome!  Before I knew it, my Dad was there ready to go out to dinner (to yet another one of my favorite places).   So much for my "diet"...

Thanks to everyone for your phone calls, text messages, and cards!!!  I had such a great day and feel so blessed!  

Walk a Day in my Damn Flip Flops

Recently my sister-in-law, Alison, was over visiting and shared some interesting news with me.  Apparently, she was talking (and drinking) with her friends recently after a bachelorette party and somehow my blog came up in the conversation.  She proceeded to pull it up for them to see and to read.  The best part about her sharing this with me, was that she started off her story with, "this might be mean, but..." which is never a good sign.

Anyway, she went on to tell me the various comments made as far as how many times I tagged Jake compared to Tank and God, and other things like that.  I was m o r t i f i e d.  I suppose my blog comes across as young and naive because I'm recently married and blah, blah, blah.  To some it might serve as entertainment and to others my tone and genuine enthusiasm might be annoying.  Truth is, I type like I talk and try to keep my posts upbeat.  I mean who follows blogs that are somber and overly serious?  Talk about a fun, quick read in your spare time... 

Either way, my thoughts are if you don't like what I write about... don't read my blog.  Honestly, I'm not overly concerned with the # of followers that I have or comments I receive- this blog is for venting/sharing and keeping friends and family in the loop.  So you can decide whether you want to take the time to visit my blog and "walk a damn day in my flip flops" or not (that's for you guys and you know who "you" are).

For the record, I'm not upset about the jokes made, I know it was all in good fun.  Oh, and I made sure to mention Alison by name in this post because I knew she'd love that... and the new tag with her name to track with her friends.  I know it might be mean but... 

P is for promotion

I probably don't need to say too much more than the title, but I'll share anyway.  Right before the end of the day I was brought in by my manager and offered a promotion!

I did and didn't see this coming.  We had talked awhile back about my current position compared to the level I thought I was performing at but a lot of time passed between then and now.  I was excited to hear the news and finally feel like I had made progress.

It's one of those situations where you know you're at a different level than when you came out of college (which is when I started as a Marketing Coordinator), but that growth and your transitions aren't clearly defined in your resume.  Of course, I could tell a potential employer how much I had developed myself professionally but having it laid out on your resume sometimes says more.

While I feel it was well deserved, I also feel incredibly blessed.  I have friends that in the past year have lost their jobs or feel like they are still in the position I just came out of and that makes me grateful for this new opportunity.

Overall, my job isn't changing much.  I took on a lot more responsibility awhile ago and now it's officially becoming part of my job description, plus I'm responsible for an intern... eek!  But seriously, how fun is that?  I mean after this season's first episode of The Office, I have been having way too much fun thinking about the possibilities.  Just kidding, we won't send them on Starbucks runs or break into their car.  Although, if I was an intern I wouldn't mind.

30 before 30 update

E, myself, and i is doing a giveaway for 30 before 30 participants, so I thought I'd join!!!  Here it goes...

1. Take a pottery class

2. Spend a weekend in the Big Apple

3. Read the whole Bible

4. Become a dog owner DONE!  I'm sure you've heard of Tank by now...

5. Move with Jake to a new place for both of us

6. Host and cook a holiday meal for family

7. Travel to another country

8. Try my hand at cycling or a spin class, maybe form a hobby I really did do this after I drafted this blog, so I'm letting it count

9. Go on a mission trip

10. Visit a castle

11. Visit a vineyard on the west coast going to Napa Valley in November

12. Become very involved with or work for a charity/non-profit volunteering this weekend for physicians for peace; I hope it will be my last involvement!

13. Run more than one half marathon in a single year definitely on the right track if I follow through with the Shamrock and then another half in the Fall

14. Take a spontaneous trip (less than a week's notice)

15. Keep reading... I'd like to average reading a book a month, which equals roughly 64 new books by my 30th birthday I'm WAY behind on this one!!!

16. Discover my signature dish and perfect it

17. Confidently wear a bikini... in public, not just at the pool

18. Take a "girls only" trip

19. Buy a piece of art (not necessarily anything fancy, but a piece I love and appreciate) does it count if I buy it for someone else???

20. Pay off more than 50% of our school loans

21. Be more proficient on a Mac than a PC

22. Become more versed in Adobe Creative Suite

23. Swim with dolphins

24. Take a professional quality photograph; I want people to assume I bought it

25. See/meet someone famous

26. Revamp an old piece of furniture I've been on the lookout...

27. Throw/Attend a baby shower for either Alison or Dani (I'm ready to be an aunt)

28. Talk about/start trying for kids

29. Learn to ski or snowboard

30. Buy a house

where has the time gone?

It has been far too long since my last post and that one slipped in after too much time as well! 

Its quite busy here but we knew walking into the Fall that we had plans every weekend.  However, having that understanding and handling it are two different things!  The worst part is that in the midst of the chaos, there haven't been too many noteworthy moments!!!  At least now you know why my blog has been slacking.

This weekend Jake has a triathlon at Smith Mt. Lake, so we're traveling that way and will be staying with friends in Roanoke.  I'm not sure when we'll get in or when we'll head back, but I am sure that the weekend will feel way too short.  A perk is that we will bringing Tank along!

I don't remember if I blogged about this or not, but at the end of August Tank took his first trip with us to Charlottesville.  After hearing our friends Jeff and Elizabeth were bringing their dog I convinced Jake that Tank should be able to come too.  With hesitation, he agreed but made it perfectly clear this would be a test and would determine his inclusion on future trips.  

Well, I'm proud to say Tanky Tank passed with flying colors.  He slept with me both nights in my sleeping bag and was very well behaved at the wineries.  Jake couldn't deny this so Tank has officially earned the right to travel with us... as long as the people we're visiting don't mind!

Trust me, we're not going to be those people who can't be separated from their dog, BUT when you're traveling pretty much every weekend you sort of feel bad pawning them off!  Right???

never as easy at it seems

There are a bunch of things I could write about that have taken place since my last post, but I want to recap my evening while its fresh in my memory.  Here it goes...

I flew into Dallas today for an event and actually didn't feel stressed.  Everyone else arrives tomorrow, so I got a little bit of a head start which was a nice feeling.  One thing I'd planned to do was take a trip to IKEA.  I'd only been once before and we needed some modern inexpensive furniture for the event I'm planning.  Anyway, I took care of some things at the hotel and set out for IKEA in Frisco, TX which is just over 20 miles from downtown.  Luckily I didn't hit traffic and never got lost.  It was awesome!

After I loaded the car I headed back and passed a Wal-Mart.  I debated whether or not to stop and of course decided that I should have several miles past the exit.  So, I then tossed the idea around to go to Target instead, but thought it might be too late, etc.  After too much thought I reverted to the Wal-Mart decision and rerouted my gps.  Upon arrival I noticed the Wal-Mart wasn't branded like a regular store, the logo was solid green and it became clear that this location was solely a grocery store.  Not too worried, I selected the next closest store on the gps since it was only a few more miles out.  On my way there I thought how much easier it would have been if I'd just pulled over at the one in Frisco but tried not to beat myself up about it.  While in route I passed Target.  I told myself that the 30 minutes I had until the store closed and the fact that they are typically more expensive for the items I needed wasn't worth it and so I kept on toward Wal-Mart.  This time when I arrived at my "destination" I only saw a Sam's Club.  Realizing that they are affiliated but obviously not the same store, I got a little frustrated.  At this point I didn't want to give up because I knew the other Wal-Mart listed on the gps was another 2 or 3 miles and it would be a total waste to turn around and go back to the hotel.  So, one last time, I searched for the closest store and hit "Go".  After another 10 minutes, a few missed exits, and my gps unnecessarily "recalculating" I pulled into a vacant parking lot.  That's right folks, my third and final attempt to find a Wal-Mart was unsuccessful.  Now, even more frustrated I headed back to the hotel.  I passed the Target, again, at just a few minutes past 9 and immediately beat myself up over the idea that I may have actually had enough time to get everything I needed before they closed.  Just salt in the wound.

So, that's my night in a nutshell.  The only other highlights were seeing the following billboards:

1. "May the Pork be with You" (bbq place)
2. Brook loves her pacemaker (this was for a hospital I think and looked like it was written by a giant with a crayon)
 
Oh, and while it's sort of inappropriate I can't leave out this one out!  It was actually a neon sign that ran the full length of the store... "Condoms to Go!"

Seriously.  It was the sign I saw right before a handful of billboards that were borderline offensive and that I've blocked from my memory.  Hopefully tomorrow's errand to Target goes better than tonight's attempt to Wal-Mart.

interesting day at the office

Most of you know that I plan my company's industry/internal events for a living along with other various marketing tasks, of course... but if you didn't, now you do.  Anyway, each time a large national event draws near I get insanely busy at work.  I can certainly fill up a 40 hour week year round but when an event is close I stay late, eat through lunch, dream about things I need to do, and randomly write post-its to myself while at home.  It's intense.

Today though hit a whole new level I didn't think I ever would.  I had a panic attack at work.  It came out of nowhere.  One minute I'm walking to my desk and the next minute I'm looking at some mock ups that weren't the final files I was expecting.  All of sudden my chest got tight and it felt like I was getting less air.  Now, I've had panic attacks before and this was mild (in terms of my outward reaction) but it was still an anxiety attack nonetheless.  I stayed calm, controlled my breathing and tried to compose myself so I could work.  Of course, my close friend Gillian knew something was up, but I assured her I knew how to handle it.

I'm still baffled.  I didn't even think I was overly stressed.  I guess the body has a way of taking over when you're not doing a good job respecting your limits.

week two: mid-week laughs

E, Myself, and I is back this week with her blog series, "mid-week laughs" and I decided to participate again! If you're a blogger, feel free to partake!  This week's topic is:

_________ makes me laugh about MY PET!

I'll go ahead and fill in the blank with...

His big dog personality makes me laugh about MY PET!

 Just to give you an idea of his size.

My puppy Tank currently weighs in at about 5 lbs. with the potential to reach 17-20 as a full grown adult.  However, judging by the way he carries himself and the large dogs he tends to associate with you'd think he was working up to 100.  His favorite neighborhood dog is the German Shepherd Great Dane mix and his most recent friendship is with our friends' French Mastiff, Gus.

I know its been said that smaller dogs tend to be this way, but I'm convinced Tank takes this to a whole other level.  Combine his belief that he is way bigger than he is with his alpha dog personality and you get t r o u b l e!  Take a look for yourself.