DOLPHINS GAME!!

SO Sunday morning I get a call around 11:15am from Leslie Merrill one of my coworkers. She tells me she has free tickets to the Dolphins game and I should go with her. I really didnt want to go but she convinced me to go. then she told me I had like 20 minutes to get ready- so I rushed. We went to pick up her friend Erin who had the tickets and a parking pass and stopped at Starbucks on the way since I was STARVING! So after we get to the game Erin tells us that our seats are on the field! I was STOKED! We also had to get to them under the stadium. It was CRAZY! I watched all the players head to their tunnel and then watched them run out of it from behind.

The players walking to the tunnel

The tunnel from behind! I was a little slow on getting them running out of it. I was too excited! LOL.

Then we got to our seats and they were just unbelievable! It was really neat being able to watch a game from the field!! Since we had field seats we were able to get sodas and food for free- it was really nice food too! Sliders, rib meat, some sort of rotisserie chicken that a chef would cut onto your plate and then chips and stuff. it was really yummy!

Here are our seats! the dancers at the beginning were dressed up for Christmas :D

Erin and Leslie (THANKS FOR THE TICKET!)

Me! SO close to the field! LOL :D

Kick off!

Dancers in their Miami gear! I used to always LOVE watching people dance when I was little and I still do! They had a TON of make-up on and most were not as pretty up close as I would have thought. Some were very pretty though! It was fun watching them do their routine up close.


Dolphin players :D

Unfortunately, the Dolphins played awful and the players were mostly on the other end of the field the whole time. BUT I was SO close to the one touch down! Here is a video-I could have reached out and touched the players! and he threw the football into the crowd right near us. CRAZY!

Sadly, we lost- but It was so much fun and really a once in a lifetime chance to sit that close!

Weekend in Miami w/o John

Before I start talking about my amazing weekend, let me preface this by saying that of course I miss my husband and I wish he had been here to share my weekend!

With that said- this weekend (starting Thursday night) was awesome! (minus the fact that I woke up Saturday with a fever). Thursday night was Pearson's holiday dinner party (the other building I worked with all semester). It was potluck and PJs and it was just really nice to be able to hang out with all of them without worrying about work. One of the RAs is crazy and surprised us by being in a womans one piece swimsuit and some jammers-

I was EXHAUSTED after I left and did not want to work the next day- but I did. Friday night was Mahoney's staff dinner and we went out to a REALLY fancy restaurant. The food was AMAZING, pricey, but amazing. We did secret santa and the RA I had and I gave each other earrings. lol. I also had made her a bunch of candy and christmas ornaments and she gave me a cookbook. I pretty much adore this RA, so I was glad I had her. :D Since it was the last dinner my supervisor was going to have, it was sad for the staff. I have some real work to do next semester. I realized after they gave her this amazing poem that was framed that this is why I do this job. The way these RAs look up to her and the way she has touched their lives- this is why I do what I do. I can only hope that I get the same type of response when I leave this place too.

Anyway, so Saturday I woke up with a fever, but had to go to work to feed my RAs since the dining hall was closed. After that I headed home and took a nap and then watched Avatar. I really did NOT want to watch it, but John said I would like it and alas, he was right. lol It was great! My co-workers then convinced me to go out bowling with them and it was a lot of fun. We had to wait about 2 hours to bowl though. 2 hours!? for bowling?! crazy! we had a few drinks and appetizers and had a good time. Then, of course, I beat them all at bowling :D I won the first game and then by the second game I started to feel bad again and was playing awful. But thats okay- I still won the first! HAHA :D (if you dont know- i love bowling and am not that bad at it :D my dad and grandpa both bowled and so I think it's in my blood).

Sunday was the best of them all though! post to come:D

Bittersweet....

Well it's finally time for that big announcement! drum roll please......


I got a promotion!! YAY!

My supervisor has accepted a new position at another school and so I have been offered the Area Director position in Mahoney Residential College for the Spring semester!

What does this mean exactly? Well, technically it is an interim position, as I will have to go through an official interview process at some point. Hopefully, sooner rather than later and I know my director is working on that for me. I am not really worried about getting hired permanently, but there is a slight chance that someone that has a lot more experience than me could interview for the job and get it above me. BUT, in my favor will be that I have worked in this building, with the staff, students, and faculty for months now :D

What else does this mean? Well, I GET A RAISE! WHOOP! I was also pretty impressed with myself because I asked for a lot more than I was planning and got it! It also means that John and I will be moving again. AGAIN. Thats okay, because unless I am not hired permanently we will be here for awhile. If not, well that just means we'll be moving again. lol. Now, when we do move, we will be moving into a MUCH larger apartment! It is 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and has a really nice patio. Which means we will be able to get a puppy!!! YAY! Now, it will be awhile before we can actually move. They have to renovate the apartment and it will probably be more like February before we can move. But that's okay. I will just be excited to be able to live where I work since my job requires me to be in the building a lot. Right now it is hard because I have to drive back and forth- walking just takes up SO much time and is quite annoying when i have to do it multiple times a day. It will be a blessing that we will be able to live in Mahoney because when John gets a job it will just be too hard to walk back and forth multiple times a day. Also, I really want to have a presence in the building. My supervisor has lived and worked here for a little over 6 years and the staff and everyone here is very used to her. I feel like living in the building will help to send the message of who I am and the respect that I deserve. Plus, I would really like to attend more of their programs and really support my RAs as much as I can next semester. With so much change going on in the building, I feel that they will need it even more so than if they were just losing their supervisor. I forgot to mention that they are also losing the Administrative Assistant that has been here for 5 years and the graduate assistant. So LOTS of changes. I am excited about them and the challenges that I will be facing :D

Also, it means a LOT more job responsibility. Since I was the Assistant Area Director I have been able to learn a lot of the ropes- but there is just so much the AD did that I didnt even realize that will take some time learning. That also means that me really having a presence in the building will be important because I dont want them to still think of me as just the AAD.

I will also be changing offices (just next door) but I am excited about that too. NO more two doors that people try to cut through (drives me INSANE!) lol.

Overall, it will be a great experience and great for me professionally. Having the opportunity to move up this fast already is great. I will miss my supervisor, she has been a great mentor. I keep telling everyone it's bittersweet. and it is. A LOT of perks for me in so many ways, but I will miss her and will face many challenges along the way.

December in Miami

So, I am not really sure what to think. The weather here has been pretty much bi-polar. When John and I decided to move here, we were told to not bring any of our winter clothes and not to worry about coats. Well since that came from SO many people, my mother included who lived here for 20 years, we didnt bring much. LUCKILY, I am smart enough to have brought a few sweaters- BUT it's FREEZING today! It was 36 this morning. I know it's colder in Raleigh right now, but that's even cold in Raleigh usually. SO, I am wearing one of the 3 sweaters that I brought. lol. I wish I had my Emus. I know, I know, the girl that usually wears flip flops until their is snow on the ground wants her warm shoes. Well even if I want them- I am still wearing flip flops. lol. What really blows my mind is that on Saturday and Sunday it was in the 80's here and I was on the beach laying in the sun. John and I were even able to get in the ocean, albeit a chilly ocean, but we still got in! It was really nice and perfect out. I want the weekend weather I was promised was the average for December back! lol. I always thought the weather in Raleigh was ridiculous with the large swings in temperature, I guess it is more normal than I thought. :D

On another note- in 1 week I will be home!!!! I know I will have a cold shock, but I am still so excited! I LOVE living in Miami- but I miss home. John leaves me Thursday in the early AM. He is going to drive so we can take a bunch of stuff home. I cant believe he is going to drive that whole way by himself. If he wasnt going to his childhood best friends weddings on the 18th- he would wait, but he really wants to be there for his friend. I get that. I hope to fly home early March to be there for my childhood best friend when she has her baby :D So anyways, I am excited and cant wait.

My best friend Krystal always posts all of these amazing recipes on her blog and I want to steal them all. tonight I am going to be making her peppermint bark :D I'll let you know how it goes!

ps. That exciting announcement I have for you- I almost have the details, but not yet. BUT hopefully soon!

Life Update :D

Well I posted a lot about things that we've done, so I feel I should update you on other areas of my life as well. :D

I am SUPER excited to go home for Christmas! John is going to get to go before :( But that's okay- the job calls. He will be leaving the 17th of December and driving home. I will be flying home the 21st. It will be really nice to see all my family and get to spend a lot of time with them! We will be there until the 27th and then we will road trip it up with our besties Josh and Krystal! We are going bowling! and by that I mean to the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando :D YAY! I get to go to a NCSU football game this year afterall! WHOOP! SO STOKED! :D The game is the 28th at 6:30pm- so we will stay the night and then drive home the next day- yes crazy I know, but we want to spend more time with our families and be with all our friends from home for New Years. Plus, we get to spend TONS of time with Krystal and Josh! :D YAY!! Then we will be in Raleigh until Jan 2nd and then head home. I am very much looking forward to it if you couldnt tell. LOL. I will be VERY happy to have 2 weeks off also. It will be much needed before the crazy semester starts.

On another note, Krystal and Josh booked their tickets to come see us! YAY! They are coming February 28th! John and I have actually been trying to plan a trip to see a space shuttle launch and there happens to be one on February 27th- so we will drive up to Merritt Island and go see it and spend the night. Krystal and Josh will be in Orlando so they will meet us there and then drive down with us and stay for the rest of th week. I AM STOKED about that too! YAY! We are going to have so much fun. John and I are planning to visit them in Maryland when it gets warmer up there. I am excited to see their place too :D

As far as the weight loss goes, I have lost 10lbs! I am very happy with that and frustrated. I was hoping I would have lost more, but still glad I lost 10lbs. I dont know if you can really tell much yet though. I am going to keep working at it. I am also going to have to start over with week like 3 for the couch to 5K. I have not been keeping up with it, but I will do all that in January when I get back so I dont start and then stop again when we go home for the holidays. I did get a great sports bra recently though! I am worried about the girls getting saggy as I lose weight so I did some research and a good bra and specific exercises should help. Here is to hoping! LOL!

I think that may be it for now- I will have a HUGE update for you in a few days! and no- I am NOT preggers ;D

Snow in Miami!?

WHAT?! I am sure you think I am insane- I am not! LoL. One of our study breaks for the students included getting fake snow brought to our residential college! SCHWEET! :D We also brought Aroma Espresso- it is basically a coffee cart that does espresso, cappuccino, hot chocolate, hot teas, and other kinds of coffee drinks. It's pretty expensive, but I LOVE IT! It would also be great for weddings! :D My mind is always thinking about them. LOL. Anyway, the snow was a hit, BUT some people got out of hand which was not appreciated. But we will take care of that! Anyway, here is a picture!

This is in between my two buildings- Mahoney and Pearson.

Needless to say it was pretty cool and people really enjoyed it! NOT used to having this kind of money on the job though! haha :D

Heat Game and Cirque du Soleil!

So one of the cool things about working for the University of Miami is that I get to go on a lot of the "field trips" they take if I want to! So, the week after Thanksgiving John and I got to go to a Heat Game! YAY! We almost died on the way to the game. Our bus driver was AWFUL! We had another bus following us and we ended up having to wait on them. Well our bus driver didnt understand the other bus driver and ended up parking in a turning lane on Ponce (the main road in front of UM). When the other bus caught up to us, our bus driver ended cutting people off like crazy. I closed my eyes. lol We got there JUST in time for the pre-game stuff, which was what I was pretty excited to see! We sat in the nose bleed section, but it was still pretty cool. John brought his camera and they made him check his big lens :( So it was really hard to get any close pictures. We had a lot of students with us, and they all seemed to enjoy it. During the 2nd quarter if the opponent misses a free throw, everyone gets a free taco from taco bell! Guess where we went after the game? TACO BELL! lol. YAY for missed free throws from the other team. haha. To make things better the Heat actually won too! YAY!
The arena- waaaaay up there!

There were 2 fights while were there! This is a picture after one of them and us shooting our free throws :D



The second trip was AWESOME and probably one of my favorite shows ever. John and I again chaperoned and took a bunch of students to see Cirque du Soleil. We ended up taking the Metro- which was actually a lot of fun! It made me nervous with that many students going on the Metro (there were 50 of us) but I put everyone into groups with an RA as their leader and it worked out well. It was fun taking the Metro downtown because you could see everything! and it went in between buildings and it was just fun. It made it finally feel like a real big city. lol. ANYWAY, when we got there we had to wait a bit before we were allowed to go to our seats (better early than late though!). John and I got some popcorn and a soda :D I had been told the show was about an hour- I should have double checked that. It was 3!!! But, like I said, it was probably one of the best shows I have ever seen. It was called Kooza, and they had all acrobat artists and what not- a trapeze lady, bendable ladies (they could make their feet go all the way around their head when their chest was on the floor. CRAZY and my favorite because it was so neat!), they had tight rope walkers and rode bikes on them, two HUGE wheels that two guys did a lot of tricks on- it was REALLY scary! he almost fell one time! (these were Johns favorite and my second). It's really hard to describe all the events- you should really just go some time! There was also live music and not so scary clowns that did jokes and acts while other people changed the stage. It was awesome. I cant even say that enough! And one of the best things about it was it was FREE for me and John. SCORE! tickets to the show are EXPENSIVE!

I couldnt take pics inside :( but here are a few from the outside!


From a distance!


Me and John :D all dressed up for the event

Me and some of my wonderful RAs!


The stage (not supposed to take one, but I snuck one anyway! HAH!)

After the show we all headed back home on the Metro- it was great. AND FREEZING! I swore I wouldnt become a Floridian that thinks 60 something weather is cold, but I was wrong. I got used to it and became one! Geez. lol

Thanksgiving!

Why is that every time I post I am always so behind? lol Anyways, Thanksgiving break was GREAT! It was a MUCH needed rest from work. Of course any kind of break never seems long enough though. But it was still great.

On Thanksgiving, John and I stopped by my Residential Colleges Thanksgiving. We had it in our Master's apartment. One of the huge differences from working at NCSU and UM is that we have live-in faculty that work really closely with us and the RAs. Its a neat and great experience for students to have access to faculty outside of the classroom. They have AMAZING apartments too. Like as big as some ranch style houses. Kinda ridiculous, but awesome! lol. So we had Thanksgiving lunch there. It was delicious. Of course UM doesnt make any of the food like we would have at State, so we enjoyed catered Thanksgiving. YUMMY! lol. Thanksgiving at UM was kind of interesting though because a lot of our students and most that stayed for the break are foreign and dont celebrate Thanksgiving. That was just new to me, because back home everyone does! lol

Anyway, after Thanksgiving lunch John and I went back home for a bit and took a nap and watched football (of course!). Then we got up and headed to his Aunt Vicki's for Thanksgiving dinner. :D 2 Thanksgivings and I still didnt gain weight that week! WHOOP! lol. It was a really nice visit. It was nice to be with a little bit of family on Thanksgiving. It didnt really feel much like Thanksgiving though. It's supposed to be cold on Thanksgiving! I was wearing a tank top! LOL.

The rest of my four days off were great- we went to the beach and watched A LOT of football. Unfortunately, we lost to Maryland though. It made me really sad. I always laughed at the people that cried when they lost games- but Ill admit it, I cried a little. And not so much for the game, but because that meant John and I weren't going to be going back to NC for the game and seeing all our best friends :(.

But anyways, the overall 4 days off were great! :D

Home Alone!

So John flew home last Wednesday for a great opportunity he was presented :D His old employer- WRAL hired him to do some free lance work for them for the Raleigh Christmas Parade. :D They paid him well and I know he was honored by the fact that they wanted him to come all the way from Miami to help! I am SO proud of him! He decided that since he was going home to go home a few days before hand so he left on Wednesday and stayed until Sunday. I, of course, was sad he was leaving me. At the same time however, I was excited to spend some time to myself! I ended up really enjoying the time I had. I scrapbooked- A LOT and watched tons of Law and Order: SVU :D I also of course had to work still. BUT it was very relaxing! Then of course the State game against Carolina was that Saturday! I watched it and scrapbooked and the game about gave me a heart attack! BUT we WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D I keep being sad because my dad would have LOVED to have seen this season! BUT I also keep thinking that it might be a little gift from him :D I know that's silly, but a girl can hope :D

Anyway, I planned a VERY fancy dinner for John for when he flew back :D I made stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. Then I made homemade pasta! and I made them into raviolis and stuffed them with mushrooms, crab meat, and 3 cheeses. I put the ravioli in an mushroom alfredo sauce. It was DELICIOUS! I also made a ceaser salad and garlic bread to go with it. And brownies for dessert. It was AMAZING :D SO YUMMY!! I was very proud of myself!

Finally pictures! :D I wish I had more but here are some...

The stuffing for the ravioli...

The ravioli I made! This is before I cooked them and put sauce on them. I dont have an after picture, but I was really proud!

My stuff mushrooms! they were DELICIOUS!



Of course John wasnt hungry when I picked him up be we ate a little any way and then had more later. I dressed up for dinner and told him I was taking him to cafe Martin. lol. It was a lot of fun and really nice to have John home ;D LOVE him!

Now, I am EXCITED for a 4 day break! it is beyond needed!

4 months later...

I cant believe that it has already been four months since my dad passed away. Even as I write this, I still cant even believe it is real. four months. wow. I think I am actually not doing as well as I thought I was. I have been REALLY sad lately. I dont know if it's because I started thinking about him more or if it's because of the holidays coming up, or what it is. I just know it's been way harder lately. I just keep thinking about all that he is missing out on (I know Heaven is WAY better and he is no longer in pain, but I want to share so much still!). He is never going to get to visit us down in Miami, never going to get to see my children, and cant hear of the day to day stuff going on in any of our lives. And I keep thinking about all the things I miss. I miss hearing his voice, seeing his crooked smile, hearing him make fun of me and then there have been so many times that I am having tough time and want to just call him up and vent. I didnt do that as much as I wanted to while he was here and now I regret that. I guess there is always something you wish you did more of and I was VERY blessed with my relationship with my dad, so I guess I cant be too regretful. He was the best dad ever and still is :D

Lately, I have been thinking about Thanksgiving coming up and have been really worried about how my mom, brother, and sister are going to handle my dad not being there. I wont be able to make it home for Thanksgiving so it has had me really concerned. Then I realized that it's really going to impact me too. Last year, John and I decided to have our first Thanksgiving at our apartment and I cooked A LOT of good food! It was an AMAZING Thanksgiving and both of our families came. My mom, dad, sister, and brother and his mom, dad, and sister. We had to make a special ramp for my dad to get into the building, but it was totally worth it. Looking back I didnt realize that that would not only be my first with our families, but my last with my dad. It makes me so sad to think I'll never get another Thanksgiving with him, but at the same time so happy that I got to have that one :D Here are some pictures from it:
All the yummy food! :D

The first Thanksgiving we hosted as husband and wife :D

All our sweet siblings chowing down :D

The Martins!

Brother and sister love

My mom and daddy

Our last Thanksgiving all together :(


Again, I am SO thankful John and I were able to host a Thanksgiving with my dad here:D I'll always be thankful for that.

I honestly still cannot wrap my mind around him being gone. I think that makes it harder. I have decided that I will start seeing a counselor about it. I think that will help. While I have GREAT support, I think a counselor will be able to help too. I think it will always be hard, because I will always be his little girl. I watched our wedding video the other day and was excited and sad all at the same time because I got to see him again. pathetic- i know. But it was nice.

Should I be who you want me to be?

I am sure you are all familiar with the new Lebron Nike commercial where he is asking the question "Should I be who you want me to be?" I like it. The commercial and some recent events in my life have really made me think about who I really am. I have found myself over and over again trying to mold myself to what other people want me to be. I have always wanted people to like me and have cared a great deal of what people think about me. I think that's silly. I dont really know why I do this or why I even care so much, but the fact is that I do it. I know this may sound silly but I have also fallen victim to being who I want me to be and I find that to be very selfish and it gets me nowhere. NOWHERE. So over the past few days as I have been thinking about this I have really tried focusing one who God wants me to be and realized that that is how I need to live my life- regardless of what other people think. I cant do this life my way and by myself. But, God can help me be who I want to be. I want to be who He wants and needs me to be. I am tired of being selfish and I am tired of caring what other people think. If you dont like me and what I stand for- fine. Now please dont get me wrong, I am still southern at heart and I also have a huge heart- none of that will change. I just plan on focusing on what Christ has in store for me and figuring out who He wants me to be. This will take some time to get used to though, as I have lived most of my life trying to make people like me. I want people to like me, but I want them to like me for the real me, not the person I think I should be around them.

I believe because I work so hard at trying to make people like me and am constantly worried what people think I apologize for EVERYTHING. and that is just really not fair. I know it drives John nuts, but I am in such a habit of saying sorry that I dont even realize that I say it sometimes. I dont want to be that person. And I dont want to worry about what others think anymore. I just want to pay attention to what God wants. He has given me SO much in this life that I am so very grateful for. A wonderful husband that words really cant describe, a very loving family, the ability to get 2 degrees, and has provided me with an amazing job and above wonderful friends. I dont want to waste all that on trying to be someone everyone else wants me to be. I want to be the me Christ wants because that's who my husband, family, and friends love :D

Yikes!

This past week at UM was homecoming, which meant that Friday night was their homecoming parade. I was pumped because I was going to get to drive a convertible (had never driven one!) in the parade as I was escorting Mr. and Miss Eaton (one of the residential colleges here). We got the cars from Enterprise and ended up picking them up around 5:30pm that day (a pain bc they were supposed to be there at 3 and the enterprise people were really rude. Anyway, it's the first rental car that I got to drive at 25! woot! here is a picture of it:

I LOVED IT! It was a Sebring and so smooth to drive! :D well my awesome experience turned into not so awesome the next morning. I couldnt return the car that night because they were closed. It had to be returned by 11:30 the next day. It's like 2 minutes down the road so I left at about 11:10 :D I needed to get gas so I stopped at the closest station. I could NOT figure out how to open the dang gas tank and pulled out my phone to call John since he was meeting me at Enterprise to give me a ride home. I figured he may have an idea. Well of course as it starts ringing I figure it out, so I just hang up and set the phone down on the car. BAD IDEA. DONT EVER DO THAT. EVER. I pumped the gas, got in the car and drove away :(. I realized this about halfway to enterprise, but of course I was almost already late and didnt want to have another day charged. I went into the store and waited for the enterprise guy to help me. Of course he answered like 3 phone calls and was helping someone else. Then he looked at me and told me was going to go do something and then help me out and I guess he could tell I was in a panic because very rudely he goes "unless you are in a hurry or something." Ugh. I told him that I left my phone at the gas station and wanted to get there before someone stole it (this was before I realized the true horror of what happened). He goes well your boss hasnt turned her car in either yet and we close in a minute- will you call her. I looked at him like "are you serious right now?" I was like- I just told you I left my phone at the gas station, so I cant really call. So he started looking for her number and was like you can use our phone. He must have seen my face because then he is like I'll just give your receipt to her when she shows up so you can leave. I was like thanks and left. Well we drove back to the gas station and of course it wasnt there. I did however find it on the street :( it had been run over. a few times. :( Some how it still worked even though it was shattered. I was very fortunate for that because Apple was able to give me a replacement for $200 instead of $600. Ugh. I wouldnt have a phone if it was $600! $200 was already ridiculous. John is a great man for replacing it for me :D Here is a picture of it after it was run over.


The second reason Saturday sucked was because we lost our football game and we should not have :( Luckily, the awful teams that needed to win for us to be in the same standing we were before the game won. So I guess that's sorta good- I just HATE depending on other teams when I know ours has all the talent they need to do it themselves.

Luckily, the rest of the weekend was great! LoL! John and I just hung out a lot. I had also taken Monday off and it was AMAZING! It was really just what I needed! I think one of the best things about taking a week day off is that it means only a 4 day week. lol :D

moving on?

So the past few days have been really hard for me for some reason. Everything keeps reminding me of my dad and it just makes me so sad. On top of that I have had SO many dreams about him too! Not the good dreams where we are playing together or spending time together, but of the news of him dying again. Just awful. I am so glad I have John because it's made me pretty depressed. I am clearly not over it and have found that I may not have moved on like I thought I had. I thought I was doing better, but now I am not sure. However, I think there will be many periods like this in the healing process. I read many places that it may take a full year to comprehend it all and heal. So we shall see.

Yesterday, I got a card from one of my uncles. It was really sweet. It was a picture of an angel with a super soaker :D The front said something like "When rain comes out of nowhere it's fun dads getting us with their super soakers" That pretty much sums up my dad. lol I know he would be doing that! So it made me laugh and made me cry. However, it was really nice that so long after my dad passed that I got a card. I HATED them in the beginning because it was just a constant reminder of what had just happened. However, now it makes me think that people are still thinking about him and my family and what we are going through. So thank you Uncle Ronnie :D It really meant a lot to me.

So, if you can, please keep praying for healing for my family :D

busy, busy, busy

Woooooo! This past week and this week have been busy! As you know from my last post, Nate had a beautiful little girl! He is out (obviously) and has asked me to cover his building for the two weeks he is out. That was last week and this week. I LOVE that I am here to cover and help out a good friend:D however, it has made me super busy! Juggling 3 buildings is a lot! LOL. Last week we had a TON of programs- mostly Halloween related and we had the Mr. and Miss Eaton pagent- which was a lot of fun. Part of my responsibilty in helping out with Eaton is having 1:1's with his staff and attending the staff meetings and helping where needed. I must say this has been my favorite part of working over there. It's been fun getting to know other students on campus and they are a really good team. So it's been fun :D

I am however, exhausted! I think that it's a combination of a bunch of things, but I am looking forward to Thanksgiving so I can just relax. I may take a mental health day before that tho. lol. I just need to reenergize.

I have also been too tired to go to the gym like I have wanted to. HOWEVER, since coming back from home I lost 3lbs the first week and 2lbs last week! WOOT! The couch to 5K has really been kicking my butt and most days I feel like giving up on it. But I cant. I put it on my 25 things to do list. lol that and when I run a 5K I have decided I want to run it in honor of my dad. So, now I kinda have to. :D

So here is to some rest and continuing losing weight! :D

Miss Chayse Arabella Johnson!

Our friends here in Miami, Nate and Leigh Ellen, had their beautiful baby girl Chayse Arabella Johnson on 10-24-10 at 746 pm. She was 8 lbs 9.2oz and 20 inches long. I am SO happy for them! :D She is adorable!

She is also so TINY! We went to visit them in the hospital the next afternoon and I know I have seen a newborn before, but I forgot how little they are! I was afraid I was going to do something wrong! So was John. lol. So delicate.

It's a little strange that she's actually here now! We've been hanging out with them since we moved here and we kept waiting for it, but now it's kind of surreal. lol. I know they will be amazing parents because they have such great hearts :D

I talked to Nate one night about everything and started thinking about what he will mean to her as she grows up and it made me think about my dad and how important that relationship is. Of course it made me a bit sad because I miss my dad more than anything in this world, but Nate is such an amazing guy that I know he will mean that much to his little girl too :D Daddy/Daughter relationships are one of the most precious things that I can think of and that may be because I was so lucky- but I believe it to be true. And that's not to say that Mother/Daughter relationships are not precious also, they are equally as important- just different.

Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS NATE AND LEIGH ELLEN! I know you will be AWESOME parents and I look forward to being apart of that little girls life!! :D

(I stole these Nate! :D)
Daddy and Chayse


Happy Halloween!

Mommy and Chayse in her supergirl outfit! :D

I took a picture with her when we went to the hospital, but of course I dont have access to it now, but I will post it! :D

Jennie B!

Growing up I had two best friends- Jennie Baker and Jackie Rose. I met Jennie Baker in about 2nd grade and we were inseparable for years and years! In fact, everyone knew us as "Jennie and Anna." It was just that way! We did EVERYTHING together. Elementary school, Middle school, high school, etc. She was the best best friend a girl could have :D Here are some pictures of us growing up:

This us in 4th grade on the playground at Vena Wilburn Elementary

5th grade on our way to DC on a field trip :D

5th grade at the NC State Fair

Right before we went into 6th grade. This was at Busch Gardens, we were pretending to be drunk. LOL

7th grade- Jackie, me, and Jennie

7th gradish- we did our own glamour shots. we used to LOVE taking pictures and giving them as gifts to each other. lol

REAL glamour shots! Jennie took me for my birthday one year! SO much fun!

11th grade? we were making icing and decided to play in it because it was goopy. lol

Junior prom! Of course we got ready together :D

Around college time we didnt hang out quite as much, but whenever Jennie and I are together it's like we never skipped a beat. She was in my wedding (I wouldnt have it any other way) and was an amazing bridesmaid, she really did an amazing job and made my wedding journey amazing. I will forever be grateful to her for that.

Jennie is an amazing person and will always have place in my heart and we will always be best friends- even if we are far apart. We have been through so much together over the past 18 years from going through all the stuff girls deal with growing up to the hard stuff including both of our fathers passing away. It's such a blessing to have a friend like her who has been through it all with me and still loves me and will always be there for me. I will always be there for her too. LIfe is going to keep happening to us as we get older and I look forward to how our friendship continues to grow even after all of these years.

This was taken when we went home in October

Well recently, Jennie found out she was pregnant! YAY! and I am so excited for her! She found out she is having a little girl :D Her name will be Jordyn Grace McPherson :D Beautiful:D She is due March 1st, which means Jennie is at 22 weeks now! I am trying my hardest to go home for the birth! Jordyn has to have her aunt Anna in her life right from the start! and I wouldnt miss out on being there for Jennie if I can do anything to help it! I love that girl to death :D

Me giving Jordyn kisses!!

I LOVE YOU JENNIE B! :D

It's all about the U!

This past Saturday, after Halloween Horror Nights the day before, John and I went to the Miami vs. UNC game! We had planned to go to that one for a long time- to pull against carowina of course! The game was at 7:30pm so we were able to get some sleep after getting back from HHN so late the night before. We had plans to tailgate with some of my coworkers, Seth and Matt, and Seth's parents were in town so we were able to hang out with them too!


Me and John- It's all about the U! (really it's all about the Wolfpack, but we were at Miamis game. LOL)


Matt and Seth-

Seth' sweet parents!

Co-worker love!

Seth's dad grilled food for us and we played cornhole. I love tailgating for a game!! Matt had never played cornhole before either so it was fun teaching him and Seth's parents.

This was the largest chair ever!

We tailgated for a few hours and then headed into the game. The game was great!

We had seats in the end zone, which were not the best, but you could still see everything. I was sitting next to this 4 year old girl who thought I was so cool and kept trying to talk to me. It was sweet at first and then very annoying. We ended up moving and sitting with Seth at half time. lol. The little girl amazed me though- she knew all the words to "Dynamite." Crazy. Good to keep in mind for when my kids are that age! Anyway, Seth had great seats!
Heres a pic from our new seats:

and we had a really great time. and of course "it's all about the U" because they crushed UNC! :D WOOT! GREAT GAME!