My Happily Ever After

I'm movin' out...

2009-07-08T08:43:00.002-05:00

Of blogger that is... after too many examples of people getting in trouble for posting opinions and whatnot on blogs linked to their name, I'm moving my blog away to something less obvious.

Clearly, I realize that there are pictures of me and my family everywhere on any blog I post and it's not too hard to figure out who wrote it, but that's okay--baby steps. It's also important that for client purposes I know how to use different blog applications, so I'm moving away from Blogger and over to WordPress. I'll leave this site up for a bit longer (not as if many people read it), but after that, check my blog out at www.suddenlysimple.wordpress.com.

Happy Wednesday!

A couple more...

2009-03-03T20:52:00.004-06:00

I had to add a few more pictures, it's not often we have so much snow!

Snow Day!

2009-03-03T20:46:00.000-06:00

Despite the fact that I lost feeling in my hands for a good hour on Sunday, I was super excited to wake up (with Brad's assistance before sunrise) to see the wonderful winter surprise! The last time I had seen snow it was my wedding day, ha, so this time it was much more welcome.

Brad, Oliver and I had a blast outside in the snow. Oliver wasn't too sure about it at first, but he quickly became excited about the unknown substance (I think it was when he realized he could eat it?). We tried to build a snowman, but Brad said it looked like a dog and I thought it looked like an octopus, so we gave up and decided to make a cardboard sled. Brad braved the hill behind our house first, but Oliver and I were quick to follow. We made a big breakfast, watched the snow fall and drank hot chocolate. It was a perfect morning! See below for our first Stripling family snow!

Love is a wonderful thing...

2009-02-16T12:46:00.002-06:00

Yes, that's right, I just quoted Michael Bolton. I had a major obsession with him in the 4th grade (blame my mom) and to this day I still get super happy inside when I sing along to his tunes. The happiness that this little ditty evokes is not even close to the happiness that I felt all weekend with my husband.

I'm a love nerd, most people know this. It's why I choose the books and movies that I do and why I continue to obsess over each season of The Bachelor despite its unsuccessful history- I love, love. So, with that being said, Valentine's Day automatically ranks in my top 3 holidays (in between Christmas and my birthday of course). Brad and I don't typically make a big deal over elaborate Valentine's Day presents or anything like that, I just love the cheesiness that goes along with the holiday. The hearts, the flowers, the whole bit.

This year Brad and I are trying to stay on a budget, so I wasn't anticipating any big plans for the holiday. We'd decided to buy a desk for Brad to use to study as our gift and I thought we might do a simple dinner or something--but not so fast. Brad had a plan (and we know I love plans). When I got home Friday, after receiving a dozen beautiful tulips at work, he informed me that he had our whole Saturday planned and it would start with breakfast at V. Richard's. I was ecstatic and even woke up early on Saturday to begin my day of fun.

The day started with two roses, one from Brad and one from Oliver of course, and then we were off to have an incredible breakfast at V. Richard's. I pigged out on french toast and cheese grits and then we hit the road for our next stop--ice skating! Brad has always said he'd like for us to go, but it hasn't ever really worked out. Fortunately, this time, we got to lace up our skates and take the ice. Brad was hysterical--I called him Grandpa all day because he was hurting all over (of course I was a natural Kristy Yamaguchi, ha!) but we had fun none the less. Plus, Brad finally admitted that he had "found something he wasn't good at." Ha!

We finished off our day out and about with a late lunch/early dinner at Cafe Lazio, buying chocolate covered strawberries from Crave (the best I've ever had) and picking out a Valentine's Day surprise for Oliver at Pet Smart. As the traffic picked up and people were clearly trying to make it out for their Valentine's Day dinners, we were thankfully heading home. We spent the entire night hanging out, relaxing and watching movies; it was perfect.

This Valentine's Day was undoubtedly the best one I've ever had. For the first time in a really long time, Brad and I took the whole day just for us. We simply enjoyed each other's company and put all of our worries aside. I don't typically gush, but I have to say that I'm incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful husband.

Change you can believe in...

2009-02-03T12:31:00.003-06:00

One of President Obama's continuously reiterated messages was that he was going to bring "change" to Washington. He wasn't interested in the special interest groups, crooked lobbying deals and the like. To me, if it could have been true, would have been major points for him in my book.

However, that promise has already been broken. Don't you find it funny that so many of the people he nominates to lead our country with him have somewhat of a shady past? Sure, everyone has a skeleton in their closet, but when it's illegal (and immoral) that's inexcusable. Political figures are not exempt from the laws that govern the rest of us and mistakes made such as Daschle's should have immediately disqualified him for consideration as Obama's Health and Human Services secretary. I e-mailed my senators urging them to uphold conservative principles and refuse to confirm Tom Daschle and as it turns out...that wasn't even necessary. He withdrew his name today... yay for small victories!

See below for an article about Daschle's withdrawal and some of the other shady folks on Obama's list.

Daschle withdraws nomination
By JENNIFER LOVEN, AP White House Correspondent Jennifer Loven, Ap White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON – Faced with problems over back taxes and potential conflicts of interest, Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination on Tuesday to be President Barack Obama's Health and Human Services secretary.

"Now we must move forward," Obama said in a written statement accepting Daschle's surprise request to be removed from consideration. A day earlier, Obama had said he "absolutely" stood by Daschle.

Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader and a strong backer of Obama's presidential bid, said he would have been unable to operate "with the full faith of Congress and the American people."

"I am not that leader, and will not be a distraction" to Obama's agenda, he said.
His stunning statement came less than three hours after another Obama nominee also withdrew from consideration, and also over tax problems. Nancy Killefer, nominated by Obama to be the government's first chief performance officer, said she didn't want her bungling of payroll taxes on her household help to be a distraction.

Daschle was the third high-profile Obama nominee to bow out. Obama initially had tapped Bill Richardson to be Commerce secretary, but the New Mexico governor withdrew amid a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors.

"I was a little stunned. I thought he was going to get confirmed," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the panel that would have voted on Daschle's nomination. "It's regrettable. He's a very good man."

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Daschle's former Democratic colleagues had rallied to his defense in the wake of questions about his failure to fully pay his taxes from 2005 through 2007. Last month, Daschle paid $128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 in interest.

"Tom made a mistake, which he has openly acknowledged," Obama said. "He has not excused it, nor do I. But that mistake and this decision cannot diminish the many contributions Tom has made to this country."

Daschle also was facing questions about potential conflicts of interests related to the speaking fees he accepted from health care interests. Daschle also provided advice to health insurers and hospitals through his post-Senate work at a law firm.

It all proved too bitter a pill for senators to swallow, even for a former member of their club.

Last week, the Senate confirmed Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary despite his tax problems.

The controversy also has undercut Obama's promise to run a more ethical, responsible and special interest-free administration.

The withdrawal came after Republicans and major newspapers had been questioning Obama's initial decision to stick with Daschle.

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina said Obama was "losing credibility" with his statements in support of Daschle. "Part of leadership is recognizing when there has been a mistake made and responding quickly," the Republican said.

In an editorial, The New York Times described Daschle's ability to move "cozily between government and industry" as a cloud over any role he might play in changing the nation's health care system.

The Chicago Tribune opined that "Daschle is dispensable" and suggested that "to proclaim high standards and then suspend them exposes Obama to charges that he is either hypocritical or obtuse."

In a letter released Monday, Daschle sought to explain how he overlooked taxes on income for consulting work and the use of a car service. He also deducted more in charitable contributions than he should have. He also met with Senate Finance Committee members behind closed doors.
"It was completely inadvertent, but that's no excuse," he said. "I apologize to President Obama, to my colleagues and to the American people."

Some senators laid the blame for Daschle's tax woes on his employers rather than on Daschle. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said the friend that provided him with a chauffeur service for three years, Leo Hindery Jr., should have given Daschle a tax form that would make clear the service was to be treated as income.

Daschle began the day apologizing for his failure to fully pay his taxes from 2005 through 2007. He capped it off that way as well after meeting with the committee behind closed doors.

So it begins...

2009-01-25T17:37:00.004-06:00

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'" -Ronald Reagan

There are some things that no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to make sense of. This week both local and national government have done some of the most insane things I've ever seen--things that really get me fired up. The general tone--BIG government is what we need... I COMPLETELY disagree. I believe in personal responsibility and the below examples are so very far from that (and some are just absolutely insane).

First, did you know that the city of Birmingham "deserved" (according to Larry) to have an inauguration celebration with a $50K price tag? For me, that's more of a punishment. My tax dollars are being used for an excessive celebration? The decision from the city to fund such a party is completely irresponsible and I am appalled that they were able to get away with it, history or not. I can only imagine what other places around the country thought--it only reiterated the image of ignorant leadership. Locals are often frustrated by the tainted view outsiders have of our city--things like this only make it worse. If the city wants to celebrate, fine, but do it on a less grand scale. Asking for donations or sponsorships for the event was never part of Larry's big plan, no, that would make too much sense. Up front the city offered to foot the bill for a big party downtown and frugality was never an issue. Celebrate, that's fine, but do it in your own home or at least on a private entity's dime, not mine (and was an HD broadcast really necessary?). Clearly, I'm never letting this go.

Next, in another great local government move the county decided to hire a lobbyist (for $950,000) to seek bailout money for the sewer debt crisis. Another example of irresponsibly fun management. Does anyone see that its not the government's job to bail our county, or any other, out of financial trouble? Take responsibility for your own actions, stop trying to play an ego game and make some big decisions. Fix the mess you made yourself, Jefferson County. (Yes, I live in Jefferson County but Shelby County looks better and better everyday...our next house perhaps.)

Another real pain in my side is the state proposal to provide cell phones to low income families for "emergencies." Don't get me wrong, I totally believe that EVERY person should have access to a phone to call 911. 911 saves lives in medical emergencies, domestic violence incidences, and more. However, for what reason would an additional 68 minutes of talk time, with the option to purchase additional minutes for .20/minute be provided? Did you know that in most states that have this program the overwhelming majority of people who receive these phones PURCHASE additional minutes? If they can afford excess minutes, they can afford their own phone. Buy a pay as you go phone, whatever you want, but don't add on to a "free" plan just because you can. What kind of set up is that? It's pathetic. I'm glad this has hit a road block and I hope it doesn't ever come to fruition. By the way, the company that provides the phones makes a killer profit. I'll support something like this when it's 911 only.

Finally, the national government. Our now President tried to avoid the abortion issue on the campaign trail, but it was clearly a top priority. Not even a week into the job he has overturned legislation that prevents our US tax dollars from paying for international abortions. It's pathetic that yet again people (like me) are forced to pay for something they don't believe in. Obama said he wants people to have options--great, let's make it as easy as possible to be irresponsible. No worries, the government is here for you.

The most incredible quote of all from the week--Obama felt the need to remind everyone that "there was an election in November and I won." Trust me, I don't think anyone forgot that, no matter how hard they tried. However, I also hope that no one forgot all of the lofty campaign promises you made and how so many ignored the consequences of some of your big plans. Whether you voted for Obama or not, let's all hold him accountable, he says that's what he wants "no secrets," let's see how that works out.

I want to be optimistic, I really do, but this week didn't do much for that goal. On to week two of 44's reign.

Come out, come out wherever you are

2009-01-14T14:25:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I've officially been hibernating for almost two months, but I've decided to attempt a return to the blogosphere. The problem is that I'm not all that interesting, and I don't have a whole lot of extra time to devote to this bad boy.

However, with the nature of my career, I need to not only continue to become a better writer, but its also important that I am familiar enough with blogging that I can talk to clients about it without sounding like a complete moron. So... the solution is this-I'm coming back to the blog, but with a new game plan--focus less on Brad, Oliver and me, and focus more on things going on, interesting stories I run across, funny commentary, more general interest things, of course with my two cents added in. This plan should give me more easily accessible content and perhaps even more opportunities to fire up my liberal friends out there (just kidding).

I'm also thinking about trying to do some quirky design things, but I'm still learning how all of that works. The ultimate test--can I actually apply what I'm learning about web design to my own blog? Only time will tell.

Go Seminoles!

2008-11-09T18:19:00.007-06:00

Last weekend Brad, Mom, Dad and I packed up and headed to Atlanta to watch the Florida State Seminoles play Georgia Tech. If you know Brad even a little, you know he's a major FSU fan and every year that we've been together he's been able to make a trip to see the Seminoles play.

I equate his excitement about watching FSU in person to a child's excitement about a trip to Disney World. The Seminoles are his Mickey and Minnie. Despite FSU's loss, we had a fantastic weekend filled with fun and tons of incredible food. I love opportunities to get away and it was awesome to be able to spend some time with Mom and Dad. Let's hope the rest of the FSU season is filled with victories (translating to even happier Saturdays at our house)!

It's all about perspective...

2008-11-07T10:32:00.011-06:00

There has been some confusion about my last post and I think it's important to clarify. However, I think it's equally important to point out that I don't write to argue or offend anyone. This blog is totally for my venting and not for much else. Until this week, I thought that only my close friends and family read it...surprise!

First, I'm not by any means saying that electing Obama wasn't historic, it obviously was. Firsts are always a big deal. Whether we elected our first African American president or our first female VP, it was clearly a milestone. Our country continues to progress and that is encouraging. I understand how far we've come and I'm grateful for that, which is why I am discouraged by all of the racial issues surrounding this election.

My point in my last post was that it bothers me that the color of someone's skin, or someone's gender for that matter, is a qualification for office. It's not. I think it is sad if people chose to vote for Obama because they "wanted to be a part of history" and it would have been equally sad for those people that chose McCain-Palin based on Palin's sex. That's selfish, that's not putting your country or others first, that's not what our country is about.

I firmly believe that it is our duty to educate ourselves and cast our vote for the person who we believe is the most qualified to lead our great country. "Qualified" can incorporate many things (religion, policy, records, experience, character, etc.) but things such as race, sex, or age shouldn't be factors in the decision. However, I'm not so naive to believe they aren't for some people. No matter how you factor it in, it's silly. People define "qualified" differently and that's okay, I understand that, but that's not what people are arguing. That's why I'm frustrated.

The bottom line is this, we are privileged to have the opportunity to cast our vote for the person that we want to be our leader. A lot should go into that decision and while I'm glad people showed up in record numbers to vote I would be more encouraged about the progress our country is making if there were more headlines about people's faith in Obama's economic policies, or health care plans, or whatever issue is important to you, than those talking about the history being made and the racial divides. History is important and I'm thankful that I live in a country that allows anyone, regardless of race or gender, to hold the highest offices, but what's more important than that is the history that Obama chooses to make himself, history that doesn't involve skin color, history that includes our national security and our economic strength. Sure, he's the first African American president, but was he the best choice to lead our country? Only time will tell on that one, either way the election went there is clearly a lot to be proven and we'll undoubtedly see history unfold over the next four years.

Our country is at a crucial crossroad and we have a lot of ground to make up. People around the world, including me and my family, are lined up waiting to see what happens next. I truly hope that our new president finds a way to meet in the middle, for the benefit of liberals and conservatives alike, and that he is able to unite our country once again. Here's hoping that the next few years hold many unexpected pleasant surprises.

As for political rants, thank goodness election season is over--back to Oliver and the family!

Here We Go...

2008-11-06T16:42:00.005-06:00

Well, we've done it. Call it history, call it cracks in the glass ceiling, call it whatever you want, but one thing we can all agree on is--it's over. It's time to move on--pray, hold on to you wallet with all your might and prepare to somehow support the "change" so many have asked for (that's right, I'm trying to be supportive).

Obviously, I'm not pumped about the election results, but there is something that is bothering me even more than that and multiple stories in today's Birmingham News further my point.

For example, a headline (on the front page, nonetheless) reads: "State vote shows racial divide and Obama inroads" the article goes on and on saying things like "Black voters cast ballots in the presidential race in enormous numbers for Barack Obama, while whites voted overwhelmingly for Republican John McCain." Then it thoroughly describes how Obama overwhelmingly won the vote in all majority black polling places and McCain won 4/5 of majority white polling places (wait... doesn't that contradict the point?). Then on the front page of the local section we have: "Davis: A black candidate can win Alabama: Experts say statewide numbers are not a positive sign." Despite the confusing headline the article talks about how Obama might have broken the "biggest glass ceiling," but in Alabama that ceiling is still in place for black candidates. Really? How so? I give ole Artur some credit here, he disagrees with the "experts" on this one, but the paper goes on and on about racial disparities in Alabama and how difficult they are to overcome. We go to great lengths to show racism, when an educated African American himself is saying the "experts" are wrong. What's the logic? Let's be glad we've moved on, why don't we celebrate that?

My point, in citing these articles, is how disheartening it is that this election (which was supposed to unite the country) has somehow even further divided us. We're bringing up all sorts of old racial hostilities and somewhere along the lines phrases like "black power" have become politically correct again. I'm confused.

Why is it that if someone chose to vote for McCain instead of Obama, they're racist and it's assumed they don't want a black president? The numbers show the opposite )and personally I don't consider physical appearance a factor in my choice for Commander in Chief). More African American people voted straight for Obama (based on the color of his skin, perhaps?) whereas plenty of white people chose Obama too. Wouldn't that show reverse racism? We don't talk about that. It's okay for a black person to vote for Obama simply because he's black, but if a white person chooses not to vote for him it must be because he/she is a racist? It makes no sense and I'm truly sick of the argument. If anything, I hope this "historic" election puts some of this nonsense to bed. Let's move on. Let's talk about the things that matter--what's the next step? You've got your history, now lets see some results.

I'm frustrated that this election has become more about historic moments than what is best for our country. If you think Obama is the most qualified leader, then fine, I'm okay with that, but if you're rejoicing in the streets simply because our next President is black... you make me sad.

Pray for our country, pray for our current President and our President-elect. Here we go!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:05:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween!

We're off to Atlanta for the FSU vs. Georgia Tech game tomorrow!

Progress...

2008-10-19T22:08:00.005-05:00

After almost a full week of sickness, I think (fingers crossed) that Oliver is finally on the road to recovery. After multiple blood tests, two vet visits, including a night in the "Veterinary Hospital Intensive Care Unit" (who knew that existed?) and two IVs, Oliver is finally making progress. He hasn't been sick since we picked him up on Friday. Fortunately, he's eating his special food and showing signs of more and more energy each day. Tonight he's a little tired (and I'm paranoid), but I think his body is still trying to get back in the swing of things.

Over the weekend Brad and I tried to spend as much time as possible with the little guy. We ate a few meals and visited the Mt. Laurel Harvest Festival and church, but other than that we've stayed close to home with our little buddy. Oliver is loving all of the attention and he's becoming more and more spoiled every second. Oliver has never slept with us, mostly because he's a wild man, but we've let him snuggle up with us for the last two nights; he's absolutely loved it. I actually had to wake him up this morning. Maybe it's the meds, or his way of recuperating, but either way Oliver has turned into quite the cuddly guy and we're loving every second.

HUGE thanks to everyone who helped us out during all of our doggie drama. We all appreciate it very much!

Quick update...

2008-10-15T20:51:00.002-05:00

Quick point--when you work in a creative environment with all sorts of people having all sorts of crazy personalities, creating a small Lean Pocket smokey mess is no small feat. My day was filled with people playing the Hot Pocket commercial and various songs about fires and smoke (including Disco Inferno, We Didn't Start the Fire, etc.) over the office intercom and a running line of new nicknames. I was also repeatedly reminded of just how horrible it smelled (as if I didn't notice) and "welcomed to the o2 family." Nice start, huh? Fortunately, we're all okay and let's just hope the smell dies down before tomorrow morning.

As for more important issues, Oliver is still sick. My fantastic and super sweet neighbor came over to check on him during the day today (she saw just how ferocious our guard dog can be) and then Mom came by after work and kept him company. I was hoping that all of the visits and attention would be unnecessary because he would be feeling better, but no such luck. We finally were able to get some medicine in him tonight (thanks to Cassie, aka the dog whisperer), but he won't eat anything and his little face is pitiful. He will act "normal" for a minute and then he goes back into his sick sad mode. It's killing us. Please say your prayers that he starts feeling better soon. We've decided if tomorrow afternoon he's not improving, we're going back to the vet.

I'm off to care for our sick pup--HUGE thanks to everyone who helped us out today. We're a little crazy when our baby is sick and we all appreciate your love!

Where there is smoke...

2008-10-15T12:52:00.003-05:00

Okay, a little before lunchtime and I decide, I'd like my Lean Pocket. I go, as usual, and put it in the microwave, set it for 2 minutes and run to the restroom. I get back, not even 2 minutes later, and the entire kitchen is filled with smoke and the microwave is hidden by an enormous black cloud. Somehow, I caught my hot pocket on fire. And, that tiny little sandwich thing that doesn't manage to keep me full throughout the afternoon, is fully capable of creating enough smoke to not only fill the entire second floor (people were coming out acting like they were choking, complaining about asthma, worrying about the sprinklers going off and ruining computers), but also enough smoke to permeate through all six floors and cause an array of calls asking if we should evacuate. Clearly, I freaked out... not even 2 months on the job and I'm already creating literal fires... great. Plus, I'm supposed to talk to a church group today. Oh, I smell really ready for that.

Some very sweet people were super helpful and tried to minimize my embarrassment, but... too late. Not only did I ruin my lunch, but now I'm sitting here starving and smelling like burnt toast. On the bright side, there were some funny jokes, but mostly a lot of people just pissed about smelling like firemen.

Oh, what a day...

Oliver has a friend!

2008-10-14T20:24:00.005-05:00

Sadly, Allie's first puppy, Bentley, had a serious disease and he had to be put to sleep on my birthday. We were all obviously heartbroken by this, but it was very clear that he was incredibly sick and there wasn't anything that could be done.

Since then, on a much happier note, Allie has gotten another adorable little guy, Baxter. Mom was babysitting Baxter on Saturday and she brought him by to briefly meet Oliver.

Baxter and Oliver

I have never seen Oliver so happy! Baxter was super playful and they had a great time chasing each other around. Both of their tails were wagging at a speed I've never seen. I'm convinced they are already BFF. They were supposed to get to hang out tonight, but Oliver's sickness obviously prevented that.

I know Oliver can't wait to play with his new cousin again!

Our sick baby...

2008-10-14T19:58:00.007-05:00

Our sweet fur baby is sick again. At 5 a.m. I woke up to Oliver barking a bark I've never heard before. Usually when he wakes up before morning Brad gets up with him, but this morning something told me I needed to go. I found him in his house with throw up everywhere (sorry for the grossness). I took him outside and without going into details, he was clearly super sick. I brought him back in and made him a bed in the kitchen. When I went back to check on him he'd gotten sick again and the process continued throughout the morning. By 7:30 I'd gotten dressed and gotten him ready to head to the vet.

By the time Oliver and I got to the vet I was in major panic mode. The sweet vet was very patient and talked me through all sorts of possibilities. He tested little Ollie for parvo and a variety of parasites and all tests came back negative. I was relieved that the most serious options were no longer part of the picture, but if that isn't it... what is it? He proceeded to get sick four times in the vet's office and the vet took his best guess and diagnosed him with a virus. He gave Oliver a shot and sent us home with three prescriptions, ,special food and strict orders for no food or drink for 24 hours. Oliver was miserable.

Fortunately, Charles (Brad's dad) was planning to come over and wait for the alarm people today (another rant for another day) so he was able to check on Oliver during the day.

Oliver seems to be feeling at least a little better tonight. My awesome mom came by before we got off work and dropped off dinner so that we could spend all of our time tonight with our little buddy. We've been giving him all sorts of love, but unfortunately we haven't been able to get him to take his medicine. How do you get a dog to swallow 2 pills without any food or water? He absolutely hates his liquid medicine, therefore giving him that ended up with him getting about 2 mls of the concoction in his mouth and the other 3 mls were split evenly between the kitchen floor and my face (I was holding him while Brad tried to give it to him). I'm hoping to mix the pills in with his special food in the morning and that he'll come around to the liquid. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make the medicine process easier, I'd be super happy to hear them!

Say a little prayer for Oliver tonight; let's hope he's on the road to recovery.

Incredible Irony...

2008-10-13T13:20:00.002-05:00

"LOS ANGELES - Oliver Stone thinks George W. Bush was unqualified to be president. However, the filmmaker found him an irresistible figure for drama."

Okay, I couldn't resist re-posting the above lead for a story about the upcoming "W" movie (read the full story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081013/ap_en_ot/film_stone_s_w).

Oliver Stone, the film's director has been repeatedly quoted saying he "doesn't take sides" when it comes to politics--funny, huh? Does he honestly think anyone is buying that? As for me, not for a second. The film, especially the timing of the release, will obviously further a liberal agenda and I'm willing to bet that the irony is even greater. He'll attack George W. Bush saying he's "unqualified to be president," yet I imagine he'll cast his vote for a man who has never really proven to anyone that he's qualified to be president, or even qualified to be a senator for that matter. Funny how that works, huh? I wonder what 'ole Ollie Stone uses as his prerequisites for the most important job in the world. Hmm... point to ponder.

Liberal agendas, liberal media... if I wasn't so afraid of the outcome, I'd say I can't wait for this election to be over. For anyone who isn't registered to vote, you have until 10 days before the election to do so (Oct. 24th if I'm counting correctly) so REGISTER ASAP, unless you plan to vote for Obama, haha, just kidding--sort of. http://www.voteal.org/register.htm

My birthday...continued!

2008-10-09T16:52:00.009-05:00

I rounded out my birthday weekend with tons more fun. Mom, Dad, Allie, Brad and I went to dinner at J. Alexander's Friday night and then celebrated at Mom and Dad's with cake, ice cream and all sorts of fun surprises!

Saturday I spent most of the day out and about with mom (and catching up on the phone with friends calling with sweet birthday wishes) and then some of our fantastic friends came over for dinner and more celebrating. Have I ever mentioned that I have the best friends in the world? I most definitely do. Sissy made me awesome funfetti cupcakes and there were all sorts of other yummy treats (Brad's still talking about Amy's cheese dip). Most importantly, Brad and I were able to really hang out with some of our friends that we don't get to see nearly enough (I think I saw Amy more when she lived in Florence) and some of our friends that we are fortunate to see most every day (they're our neighbors). It's nice to have the opportunity to celebrate with friends from all aspects of our lives. I had a great birthday and can't thank everyone enough for all of their thoughtfulness. I am eager to see what God has planned for my 24th year!

Me and Amy

Sissy showing that my Halloween decoration is also functional

Yes, he rocked the seminole shirt all night long, it was good luck

Let the celebrating begin!

2008-10-03T15:47:00.005-05:00

If you know me at all you know that I absolutely love birthdays. You can't blame me though; for as long as I can remember my family has made a huge deal about celebrating the day we were born. I used to wake up to breakfast in a kitchen draped in streamers, or fun balloons, or anything else festive Mom could dream up. The festive-ness of birthdays has continued over the years (including the year I was in Mobile thanks to Melissa and Sissy) and my excitement over that hasn't weaned even in the least. While my actual birthday isn't until tomorrow the celebration has already begun and I couldn't be happier.

My celebrating began with lunch at Taziki's with Rachel. We really were getting together to catch up, but she brought me a super fun surprise and kicked off my weekend of celebrating! I left thinking... I can't wait until tonight when I get to celebrate some more... back to work, blah.

I was at my desk working away when the front desk called to let me know I had a delivery. My sweet husband sent me beautiful flowers (the picture doesn't do them justice) as a pre-birthday surprise--I was pumped, another tally for my "I love my birthday" list. Just as I was getting ready to head back to my desk to admire my lovely flowers, Holly told me she needed to talk to me in the kitchen (I panicked thinking something bad had happened); I was surprised yet again. Miranda (my cubicle neighbor) made me delicious funfetti cupcakes (yep, they picked up on my favorites already) and I celebrated with a sweet card and gift from my friends at work. I was completely shocked and incredibly grateful; I've only worked here for a month and I wasn't expecting anything at all. I am very fortunate to work with such kind and thoughtful people.

Birthdays aren't so much about the celebrating itself, but more so about the fun you get to have with the people in your life. That's why I love my birthday--I get to slow down a bit and hang out with the people that mean the most to me. Yay, for another year... let the celebration continue!

Funny question...

2008-10-02T14:32:00.007-05:00

Stopped at a traffic light on my way to work this morning I started flipping through the e-mails that piled up on my phone over night. After scrolling through a list of nearly 20 forwarded messages (sweet Nana), a Sephora ad and some pet pedicure solicitations, I noticed one with the subject "Quick Harmless Question," from a friend that lives in St. Louis. The e-mail included updates on her adorable daughter and then a question that surprised me--"What do you think of Sarah Palin?" She and I have always respectfully agreed to disagree on our difference in politics and I was intrigued by her interest in my thoughts.

What do I think about our potential Vice President? I was incredibly impressed by her at the convention and I thoroughly disagree with the intense, biased criticism that she has faced, but other than that I don't have a long list of pro's or con's. I've had to focus too much on the craziness that the actual candidates have elicited.

Hollywood?

However, as for Palin (I want to call her Sarah, but we're not quite there yet) no matter how much people want to taunt her for "inexperience" I like to believe that her experience in Alaska has prepared her to make tough decisions when it counts and to work under pressure. I also like that she's made controversial decisions and she's not afraid to do what she believes in. Perhaps, the kind of change she'd bring to Washington is exactly what we need. She hasn't drank the kool-aid yet, and if McCain plays his cards right come January she may be one of the only people in that town that has avoided the juice and finger prick. She's refreshing, she's not caught up in a bunch of partisan nonsense and her lack of time on the Hill gives her the opportunity to start fresh with some of the oldest names in the business. I honestly like the thought of her, and her enormous family, in Washington. Experienced or not, I'll take my chances with her over Obama any day.

Watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYEnDepMKwE for a glimpse at what we could have to look forward to. If it doesn't bother you at least a little bit, I am worried about you. I am disturbed by this and clearly some people on the Obama campaign are too (now that the public is scrutinizing it) because it has been on the official campaign site until yesterday. And seriously, this film was produced to share--it's not a casual home movie. It has an eery resemblance to the videos of kids signing and pledging allegiance to Hitler. I'm not sure about you, but I think we have freedom and I don't think we need to be saved by a president. That's the first step towards a major digression from everything we are founded on. Okay, I'm getting terribly side tracked, so I'll save more ranting for another day.

Watch the debate tonight and I'm interested in your feedback. I won't be able to check it out until tomorrow because we'll be at a fundraiser tonight (featuring Martha Reeves and the Vandella's none the less), but I'll certainly review ASAP.

Oliver's new cousin!

2008-09-28T20:11:00.005-05:00

The Walls family seems to keep growing--first Allie and I get married, and now we both have furry kids. Allie adopted little Bentley (he's a malti-poo) about two weeks ago and Oliver got to meet him for the first time on Saturday. On a scale of 1-10 Oliver's energy level is an 11 and Bentley's is about a... 1.5? Needless to say, Oliver's friendliness was a little much for Bentley, but I think he'll eventually grow on him. Despite the puppy madness, Mom, Dad, Allie and I watched the Auburn game together and were able to hang out, just us, for the first time in a long time. It was definitely nice; I have the most incredible family in the world!

Bentley

Oliver...again (I know I post too many pictures of him)

It's almost a new week (my birthday week!!)... time to iron clothes and get ready for tonight's all new Brothers & Sisters!!

Have a Happy Monday!

No worries...

2008-09-27T10:46:00.004-05:00

Well, it turns out all of my worries were completely unwarranted. I picked Oliver up from the vet Thursday afternoon and he hasn't slowed down yet. Fortunately he appears to be in no pain and is completely fine.

Since I wasn't sure what sort of state he'd be in, I passed up going to Auburn today and Brad invited his dad to go. They left this morning to go and cheer on the tigers. Oliver and I are going to do some things around the house (Halloween decorations anyone?) and then go to Mom and Dad's to watch the game. War Eagle!

P.S. Presidential debate last night--wow! I have way to much to say about that. I'll post about it once I can condense my thoughts. However, think about how many times the phrase "You're right, John" or "John's right" was used... hmm...

Say a little prayer...

2008-09-23T20:31:00.004-05:00

Oliver's Pre-Surgery Bath

Tomorrow Oliver will be getting neutered and staying overnight at the vet. Yes, that's right, despite Brad's arguments we are having the procedure done. I've read 1,000 articles about how important it is to increasing longevity of life and preventing certain illnesses, so we agreed--why not be proactive?

Although I know it is best for him, I'm a bit nervous. He's obviously never had surgery and we haven't ever boarded him, so he's not used to being in an unfamiliar place. North Shelby County Animal Clinic will be doing the procedure and they come highly recommended, so I know they'll take great care of him; I just have to be a bit more trusting. They kindly let you bring his blankets and toys from home, so hopefully that will offer him some comfort. I can already tell that I will be counting down the hours until we pick him up on Thursday. Say a little prayer for Ollie!

Obamanomics...

2008-09-22T12:31:00.007-05:00

When I ran across this column (in the Black and White of all places) I immediately knew that I had to re-post it. The columnist couldn't be more on point with my concerns for just one of the many "changes" we could have in store over the next four years. He gets it, and I pray that more and more people will continue to take off their rose colored glasses and see what's in front of them. Read the below article and really think about it... Philanthropy is one thing (and something I'm a passionate advocate for) but, government mandated wealth redistribution is an entirely different ballgame.

Seeing through Obamanomics

By Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe Columnist September 14, 2008

ALL THROUGH the spring and summer, opinion polls tracked a growing confidence that Barack Obama could handle the economy better than John McCain. Just before the Democratic convention in August, Gallup had Obama leading McCain on the economy, 54-38 - a 16-point margin. But now Obama's lead has nearly vanished. Gallup's latest numbers show the candidates nearly tied. Just 48 percent say Obama would be more adept at superintending the economy; 45 percent choose McCain.

Looks like voters have started paying attention to Obama's economics. On Sept. 8, Fox News broadcast an interview between Obama and Bill O'Reilly that focused on taxation and the economy. Obama repeated his pledge to cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, while raising taxes on the tiny fraction who earn more than $250,000.

"That's class warfare," O'Reilly objected. "You're taking the wealthy in America, the big earners . . . you're taking money away from them and you're giving it to people who don't. That's called income redistribution. It's a socialist tenet. Come on, you know that."

"Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill," Obama replied. "Teddy Roosevelt supported a progressive income tax." He acknowledged that he doesn't enjoy paying taxes either - "you think I like writing the check?" - but that "there are certain things we've got to do." His tax proposal, he explained, was a matter of civility:

"If I am sitting pretty and you've got a waitress who is making minimum wage plus tips, and I can afford it and she can't, what's the big deal for me to say, I'm going to pay a little bit more? That's neighborliness." If that is Obama's rationale for making the tax code even more steeply progressive than it already is, it's no wonder voters are having second thoughts about his economic aptitude.

"Neighborliness." Perhaps that word has a nonstandard meaning to someone whose home adjoined the property of convicted swindler Tony Rezko, but extracting money by force from someone who earned it in order to give it to someone who didn't is not usually spoken of as neighborly. If Citizen Obama, "sitting pretty," reaches into his own pocket and helps out the waitress with a large tip, he has shown a neighborly spirit. But there is nothing neighborly about using the tax code to compel someone else to pay the waitress that tip.

Taxation is not generosity, it is confiscation at gunpoint. Does Obama not understand the difference?

Perhaps he doesn't. Eager though he may be to compel "neighborliness" in others, he has not been nearly so avid about demonstrating it himself. Barack and Michelle Obama's tax returns show that from 2000 through 2004, when their adjusted gross income averaged nearly a quarter of a million dollars a year, their annual charitable donations amounted to just $2,154 - less than nine-tenths of 1 percent. Not until he entered the US Senate in 2005 and began to be spoken of as a presidential possibility did the Obamas' "neighborliness" become more evident. (In 2005-2007, they gave 5.5 percent of their income to charity.)

Obama claims his proposal would lower taxes for 95 percent of Americans, but well over 43 million tax returns, one-third of all those filed, already reflect an income tax liability of zero. In fact, Obama says, his plan would eliminate income taxes for an additional 10 million taxpayers. What he is really proposing, therefore, is not tax relief but a bald transfer of cash - $1,000 per family, he pledges - from the wealthiest Americans to everyone else. In 1972, George McGovern advocated something similar - a $1,000 "demogrant" for every US citizen. Just last year, Hillary Clinton suggested that the government start off every new baby with a $5,000 savings account. Voters didn't take the bait when McGovern and Clinton offered it. Here's betting they won't take it now.

Why not? Because you don't have to be rich to be skeptical when a candidate argues that the top 1 percent of taxpayers, who already pay 40 percent of federal income taxes, aren't being taxed enough. Nor do you have to be an economist to wonder about the grasp of a nominee who tells 95 percent of the public that they can have something for nothing. Obamanomics may look pretty at first glance. But voters are focusing more closely now, and they can see beyond the lipstick.

Vote--It's important!

2008-09-10T08:57:00.008-05:00

This will probably be the first of many entries highlighting my intense belief that this election could be the most important one so far in my lifetime (thus explaining Oliver in his campaign shirt to the left). I want to urge everyone to seriously research the candidates and know what they stand for. Charisma only goes so far...does charisma win wars? I think not. Does charisma save an economy? Nope. Will charisma matter when your paycheck decreases while your bills increase? Not even a little. The arrogance and charisma clearly exhibited by one of the candidates may very well be what makes you want to throw the remote at the television when you realize what this charismatic superstar wants to do to our country.

While issues like health care, taxes, education and the economy are key on the election trail, and certainly factors in my decision, character, a strong faith in God and morals and values in line with mine are equally important when I cast my vote in November. The differences between the two candidates (4 if you add in the potential VP's) are monumental and you better believe that this election will greatly impact some of the things you hold most dear. This election could change the face of our country in a way that no one has ever seen. Everything that we pride ourselves on as a country--freedom, free markets, independence, strength and dignity will be challenged.

It is my hope that more people will come to realize this. Realize that we can't have the best of both worlds and pay close attention to the messages your candidate spread. Are the messages strong and consistent across all playing fields? Can you only tax the rich and then expect jobs and wages to increase? Noway, the rich are the ones hiring and paying. With the current state of the economy can you afford to pay more taxes? Not me. Is it the government's job to take care of every individual, regardless of their abilities? No. It is essential to look beyond the flashy talking points and think about substance, consider the effects of certain changes. Think about what it means for you, your family, your community and your country.

We're less than two months away from election day. Now is the time to do your homework, learn about these candidates, their records and their beliefs and make your choice. Pay attention to the upcoming debates, pay attention to what the candidates are saying and learn to ignore extreme liberal media messages.

Study up, register to vote if you haven't and go to the polls on November 4th. The choice is ours and the stakes have never been higher.

When one door closes, another one opens...

2008-08-24T14:00:00.009-05:00

My office...before I started packing up

My final days at the CCC were much harder than I originally anticipated. While there was little sadness regarding leaving the actual work, leaving the people I've spent so much time with over the last year and a half was tougher than I ever dreamed.

Josh, Rachel and me at Gala '08

My final week was filled with thoughtful celebrations. Tuesday the "old CCC gang" ate lunch together (not because I was leaving, but for old time's sake) and it was really nice to catch up. They were the original team, the reason I ever came back to the CCC to begin with. Thursday Rachel and Josh took me to a fun lunch at Taziki's where they gave me this awesome print-out of all of my "favorite things" (Obama and the color purple being the most obvious) and very sweet cards (insert tears here). It was after that lunch that I realized I wasn't dealing with the transition as well as I'd hoped. How was I going to make it without these people that I'd come to rely so heavily upon? Friday was much of the same--discussions about fun memories and thoughts of what the days ahead would hold. The whole office took me to lunch at John's and it was nice to have everybody together again, one last time. I managed okay until it was time to leave. Rachel, Josh and I walked out just as normal and everything was fine until that moment. The one where I realized this entire chapter in my life was coming to a close and I would no longer have this familiarity and comfort. Rachel and I cried (I cried the whole way home), but I'm reassured that although we won't work together anymore, we'll always be friends. You don't meet people like her very often, and I' so grateful for the friendship we've built.

Now it's time for another chapter to begin--one with much less certainty and a whole new list of characters. Tomorrow should be a fun day--or at least an educational one. I can't wait to see what's in store!

Happy Birthday Kaley!

2008-08-18T20:55:00.004-05:00

Tonight we celebrated Kaley's birthday with dinner at San Antonio Grill and cupcakes at our house. We were a day late with the celebration, but that just made Kaley's birthday extra long--she's been celebrating since Saturday! The kids were all in silly moods tonight, so see below for their funny pictures. We love getting to see all of them! Happy Birthday Kaley!

She refused a "normal" face
Kathryn and Oliver
So silly...
Maci
All of the silly faces!
Yikes!

Not so beautiful day in the neighborhood...

2008-08-15T14:18:00.005-05:00

From the very first day I moved into our little house I have loved our neighborhood. It's clean, people are friendly and I've always felt safe. I lived alone there for more than eight months and never once felt uneasy about my safety. Well, that all slightly changed yesterday.

I was standing in my neighbor's driveway chatting after work when another neighbor from down the street pulled up. She was kind enough to explain, in detail, that her house and her neighbor's had been broken into sometime yesterday between 11:00 and 1:00. I was shocked--are people really brave enough to break into a house, one that's barely a driveway's distance from the next none the less, in the middle of the day?!? Obviously so! She hadn't figured out what all was missing yet because her home was completely torn apart, but she did notice that both hers and her husband's jewelry was gone and the kind intruders spilled drinks all over her bed! I really can't get over the nerve, and sense of entitlement that some people have. It's truly disappointing!

Needless to say all of the activity in the neighborhood has made me a little nervous. I freakishly checked the locks last night and was extra cautious going in and out. I'm not usually one to get scared, but this time it was a little too close to home. Our house is already wired for a security system, so who knows, maybe we'll activate it? I'm planning to check into some different providers. I hate to overreact, but on the other hand, I would die if I came home to a kicked in backdoor, a destroyed home and... well who knows what would happen to little Oliver! Better safe than sorry, right?

My all important review...

2008-08-14T10:05:00.003-05:00

Thanks to our recent weekend at the each, I have finally finished my latest read--Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger. I was hesitant to even begin this book because while I loved the movie version of The Devil Wears Prada I was incredibly disappointed by the book (which doesn't usually happen, movies are typically far less entertaining than the story in print). However, with my upcoming move to a more defined role in Public Relations I was interested to read about the lead character, Bette's, leap into the PR world.

As I muddled through the early chapters I feared that the story would be a complete repeat of Devil Wears Prada--plain Jane steps out of a lack luster life and into NYC mainstream chaos (take out Runway fashion and insert a high profile PR company and there you have it)... well, that proved true, but despite the glaring similarities to her first book, Weisberger managed to create characters I was able to root for and scenarios that actually bordered on realistic. Reader beware--there is not much mystery here. I am usually the last one to figure out who the "bad guy" is, but in this case it was embarrassingly obvious not even half way through the book. However, that aspect of the story line isn't what kept me reading--it was the love story. An unpredictable love triangle kept me turning the pages, pulling so hard for my favorite leading fellow (side note, if this man existed in real life I would insist that my friends pursue him like man eaters).

All in all, I'd definitely recommend this book to someone looking for a simple, entertaining story. There's nothing complicated to understand and it's definitely a quick read. Overall, I'd give it a solid B. Now, I need to move on to another book. Maybe this time I should venture into something a bit more... challenging or informative? Any suggestions?

Family Vacay!

2008-08-13T20:37:00.005-05:00

We embarked on yet another family vacation on Saturday. We were up and at 'em early that morning and arrived in Destin by lunchtime. We kicked off our weekend of eating excessively and enjoying the sunshine by feasting on a lunch (of complete fried goodness) at the Back Porch and then continued to eat just as much for the rest of the trip. I ate snack foods that I never eat (E.L. Fudges, donuts, Doritos, etc.) and topped them off with incredible dinners at places like Louisiana Lagniappe, Graffiti's and Harbor Docks. I still can't believe all that I ate in such a short amount of time (hey, it's vacation!).

For the other parts of the trip we lounged by the pool (where I caught up on some reading), shopped and genuinely enjoyed each other's company. I realize more and more everyday how fortunate I am that my family gets along so well with my husband. It's nice to all merge into one big happy family. Tuesday came too soon, but all and all it was a fantastic trip! I didn't take many pictures, but a few are below.

Yes, they showed up Saturday morning in matching uniforms

Mom and Dad

My family!

Allie and Brian with us

Two weeks notice... good idea!

2008-08-07T11:40:00.004-05:00

I have a new understanding of why most employers only require two weeks notice upon resignation. No one wants, or needs to work more than that--it's simply a bad idea.

I am starting week two of my nearly 4 week notice and I am confident that whoever thought that a month's notice was necessary, or even a good idea, was seriously mistaken. I have worked at the Cancer Center for about a year and a half and in that time, in my natural way, I have kept everything I am responsible for in an order that could be picked up and executed by any one who comes behind me, thus making the transition easy. Having these sort of things done, I assumed that should my time to leave come I would happily be able to work out a bit of a notice and then be on my merry way... not so much. I am SLOWLY transitioning (thanks to all of those folks) and then picking up every meaningless task along the way. Want to know who's organizing other people's e-mails? ME! Hooray, I love really making a difference.

However, the upside is that all of the nonsense that continues to fill my days is making it easier to part ways with an organization that I truly do care about. Some of the people I work with are undeniably some of the nicest people I've ever met and thinking about not coming in and "debriefing" with them in the morning is somewhat depressing. Oh how things work out... I won't even begin to explain that I'll be working the entire weekend FOLLOWING my last day of employment. Yes, that's right I won't be an employee, but am somehow required to come. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about fulfilling responsibilities, but this is far from that, this is payback... Nice!

I'm not going to ramble about this anymore... well at least not today. I'm simply trying to look forward to August 25th!!

Better late than never...

2008-08-06T20:08:00.004-05:00

Pre-wedding Dinner at Cocina Superior

(Hallie refused a "normal" face)

The girls at dinner (minus mom and Lynne)

So pretty!

The Bride!

Princess Hallie

I've been really bad about not posting updates lately, due in part to a lack of overall excitement paired equally with my laziness. One important event that I've failed to mention is Lindsay and Adam's wedding. They got married on July 19th. The pictures above are from the festivities. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Daniel!

Changes...

2008-07-31T09:11:00.003-05:00

I have super exciting news! Yesterday I resigned from my position at the Comprehensive Cancer Center to pursue a new career opportunity at o2 ideas public relations. I am super excited about this new challenge and can't wait to see what's in store for me there. Everyone I met there was incredibly nice.

Unfortunately, my supervisor here at the CCC isn't budging much on UAB's one month notice policy, so I'll be at the Cancer Center until August 22nd and I'll start at o2 ideas on August 25th. Oh well, more time to enjoy my fantastic friends here at the Cancer Center!

More details to come...

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-08T16:45:00.004-05:00

Our 4th of July weekend was pretty much fantastic (well, with one exception, but I'll get to that). It started out with a "date night" Thursday at Firebirds, which was so so fun! Brad hadn't really planned a night out for us in a while, so it was nice. He pulled out all of the stops like the old days--opening doors, insisting we eat nothing but our favorites and ultimately just being his normal wonderful company. We had a great time just hanging out and I LOVED not having to make any decisions about where we were going or when.

Friday I started off with a visit to my Mamaw in the hospital. She has pneumonia and at 85 that can be pretty serious, but surprisingly enough she was doing great (she's now back at home). Dad and I spent some time with her and then I headed home to start working on all of the festivities. We had a bit of a neighborhood celebration for the 4th. All of our fabulous neighbors and their families (and ours) celebrated with a low country boil and all sorts of other amazing treats (not to mention beverages). We had a great time and got to know some new friends in the neighborhood which is always nice.

We had red, white and blue covered, coincidence? I think not.

Some of the girls

Casey and Rebecca, so sweet!

Saturday was mostly low key until Dawn brought Kaley and Maci to hang out. We went and ate Mexican and attempted to make homemade ice cream (I'll stick to letting others do that or buying it at the store from now on). After that I started feeling sick and that's when the weekend took a bit of a dive. I was in bed all day Sunday and Monday with some sort of stomach bug. It wasn't fun, but I think I'm finally on the road to recovery. I only worked a half day today so tomorrow I have some catching up to do. Oh well, it's better to rest and be safe than get everyone else sick, right?

Oliver meets Hallie!

2008-07-05T17:07:00.004-05:00

Lindsay and Hallie came over on Wednesday night to bring me my bridesmaids dress. Hallie was so excited to meet Oliver, but she did not like how excited he was to see her. He kept jumping on her legs and she was not going to have it. After multiple "NO DOG!" commands she decided they'd be better friends if he just played in the floor and she took pictures of him. She actually got some really good pictures of our little guy. Thanks Hal! Although they didn't technically play together, she still managed to tell me at the end of the night that she was sorry because she probably made Oliver sad by coming over and then leaving so quickly. We agreed that they could be best friends--she is such a sweet girl!

Brad says this is Oliver's smile--cute, and sort of scary.

Sweet boy!

Hey!

I think he knows he's cute?

Oliver and Linds

A late weekend update...

2008-07-01T19:05:00.004-05:00

I just realized that I typically only post after the weekend. I'm not very good at posting during the week--or perhaps, we're just not that interesting? That's probably more accurate.

The most exciting aspect of our weekend was Kaley's All-Star game. They made it to the championship round of the District tournament and ended up beating McAdory in extra innings. Kaley got a crucial hit in the last inning; we were so excited for her and the rest of the team. You wouldn't believe all of the squeals and jumping up and down going on at that moment, it was great! Off to state they go--good luck!

Kaley before the big game--after her 2nd red Powerade. ;)

With her certificate after the big win!

After the ballgames (which lasted well into the night) Brad and I went bowling with Dawn and Brian and some of their friends. We had a really good time hanging out, I just wished it had been earlier so I wouldn't have been so out of it. Bowling at 11:30 at night after little food and a whole lot of ballpark-ness, I wasn't the most exciting company. Hopefully, we'll all hang out again soon. Below is a picture of Dawn with her bowling gear, haha!

That's really not her bag, but I thought it was funny.

Sunday Brad and I were pretty lazy. We hung out around the house most of the day (I did laundry and other exciting things like that) and he watched golf and helped Carl put a light on our garage. Then it was time to take Oliver to get his fourth, and final, set of shots. It was pitiful. The vet warned us that Oliver would be sore and wow, she was right. He was fine for a little bit once we got home, but barely and hour later he could hardly move. He didn't want much company so Brad and I let him sleep while we watched fireworks and sipped wine with our neighbors. The church up the street had fireworks that you could see from the hill behind our house--it was really nice! I love simple excitement like that--a big fireworks show right in my backyard!

Oliver is back to normal now and all is well. I'm counting down the minutes until I get off work on Thursday. I love the 4th of July (I'm a patriotic nerd) and I can't wait until the weekend. Hopefully I'll have more fun things to share after that.

Time flies when you're having fun...

2008-06-22T20:47:00.007-05:00

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of me living in our house (sorry the picture is a little hazy, I didn't think of taking it until almost dark). When Brad and I bought it and I moved in a year ago I had no idea how much my life would change in only 365 days.

Over the last year, I lived alone for the first time in my life, Brad and I got engaged (in the house, actually), we got married, added Oliver to our family and so much more. We had an exciting year of "firsts" in our house. We celebrated our first Halloween there (which is an entirely different story, but I definitely wasn't prepared for the chaos that erupted in Letson Farms that night), we've hosted our friends and family, made new friends, decorated "our first" Christmas tree (a hand-me-down from my parents, but still, our ornaments) and really began building a life independent from our respective families. The last year truly has been a whirlwind of ups and downs (more ups than downs--I'm incredibly blessed) and I can't help but realize just how quickly time passes by. Who knows where we'll be in our journey this time next year?

I am excited to see where our paths lead and even happier knowing that I have a wonderful companion on my journey. Brad is an awesome husband and I am so happy that our house not only sets the perfect scene for our story to begin to unfold, but that the characters that surround us are so fantastic. We are blessed by the opportunity to love and be loved by so many wonderful people!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T21:18:00.005-05:00

This could quite possibly be one of the worst pictures of dad ever, but it's funny!

Our Father's Day weekend was rather uneventful (in a very good way). Brad and I were fortunate enough to get to spend some quality time with both of our families and each other, so it was nice. Friday night we relaxed together with dinner at Taziki's (a Friday night favorite) and trips to Target and Best Buy. We finished out the night watching Evan Almighty curled up on the couch with Oliver, it was perfect! We haven't had a lot of opportunities to just hang out lately.

Saturday we celebrated Father's Day early with lunch at my grandparents' in Jasper. We had a really great time. They always have incredibly funny stories to tell and everytime we go we come home saying we should definitely visit more often. I wish they lived closer to us!

We spent most of Saturday night at Allie's house. Fortunately, she let us bring Oliver with us because he had a present for my dad too. Dreamland is one of dad's favorite so we had ribs, bbq chicken and banana pudding and showered him with presents. He always says he "doesn't need anything" but gets as excited as a small child when you give him gifts. Allie and Brian introduced Brad and me to Rock Band. I was surprised by how much fun we actually had playing. Our ridiculous pictures are below. Mom and dad were also very into it--it was hilarious and so much more fun than I'd imagined!

Real Rockstars!

Such a dork!

He was very intense on the drums!

Sunday, after Oliver and I celebrated Father's Day with Brad, we had Brad's dad and sisters over for lunch. Brad cooked excellent steaks--everyone was impressed with his grilling skills (fortunately, I benefit from them almost nightly). Brad's dad stayed for much of the afternoon; it was nice having time to hang out with him at our house. Unfortunately, Dawn and Rebecca had to leave early, but at least everyone got to be together for a while. Brad insists we have to do it more often.

We don't have too much lined up for this week, hopefully just some down time. I started a Jan. 1 yesterday for healthy eating, so I can't wait to see how long I last this time around. Oh well, it's worth a try!

2008-06-12T09:47:00.002-05:00

We've officially been "parents" for a month now. Yesterday was Oliver's one month anniversary at our house and I'm happy to say we've at least made some progress with the training and biting. We're definitely not all of the way there yet, but he's getting better. I can't believe he'll be 12 weeks tomorrow!

On Monday we took him for his check up and he's 100% free of coccidia, so we're very excited about that. I think he's a little disappointed that he won't be taking his butterscotch medicine anymore, but he'll deal. He has also gained a pound since our last visit three weeks ago, we're up to 3 lbs. 12 oz. and the vet was very happy about that. He said he's on track and looking healthy (I think it's because of his good parents, haha).

Monday Brad and I also had our first real "proud parent" moment while we were waiting at at the vet. This very sweet gentleman kept looking at Oliver and asking us questions and then typing away on his blackberry. Not long after he had been sitting idle waiting on his pup, he sweetly asked if he could take a picture of Oliver because he was just "too cute!" We of course said yes and loved every minute of it, Oliver was super excited about all of the attention he was getting. Yes, he was by far the cutest puppy at the vet that night and he knew it!

We've had a super busy week and the weekend is shaping up to be equally packed. We'll be celebrating Father's Day with my Grandad in Jasper, my dad at Allie's house and then with Brad's dad at our house. I'm excited about another opportunity to use all of the fantastic wedding presents we have (sorry to disappoint but I don't serve dinner out of our nice stuff every night). Hopefully today I can get out at lunch and finish up shopping. I really need to get on top of everything!

Time for another work week!

2008-06-01T21:26:00.006-05:00

When I sat down to write this blog, I realized that I don't really have much to report from the weekend. We were pretty low key. Girls Night and a dinner date are about it. However, I am quite grateful for weekends like this--not a lot of stress and fuss, plus I actually had the time to completely clean my house--top to bottom and actually enjoy it for a while. It was nice; I'm easy to please.

We started my "long" weekend (I took Friday off to get a head start on cleaning, I'm a nerd), with Oliver's second bath. He did much better this time, or maybe having Brad's help made it seem easier? Either way, it was much less painless for me and he seemed to be far less traumatized. He's growing like crazy, but he looks like a little rat when he's all wet. I'm proud of him, we've had far fewer accidents over the past few days and when we were home just the two of us on Saturday, he actually behaved himself--no crazy biting binges or accidents, which is always a plus. Today wasn't quite the same story, but I think we're making some progress.

Girls Night was fantastic! We had a fabulous dinner (and even better drinks) at Bonefish and then headed to see the new Sex and the City movie. The movie was good, but the company for the night was even better. I'm so glad we were able to get together--I have to remember to plan these nights more often. I have the best friends in the world! Below is Sissy's excited face--she counted down the minutes until the movie came on, which took great patience considering we had to get there nearly an hour early to get a seat. Can you believe they actually had a policeman guarding the doors before they opened? Yes, people were CRAZY about this movie.

Nothing much else exciting, off to prepare for the week!

Memorial Day Weekend!

2008-05-27T18:22:00.006-05:00

The funny thing about holiday weekends is that although it's great to be off work and have the time to hang out with people you don't see as often as you'd like, many times you spend so much time socializing that you return to work even more tired than you would have been after an ordinary weekend.

Our weekend was packed with festivities. Friday night we had dinner at my parents' house with my grandparents. Nana and Grandad met Oliver and everyone had a great time! Nana and Mom even had surprises for him. Nana had bought him this adoreable bumble bee harness and leash and mom bought him his new favorite chew toy (which Grandad called his cigar), some treats and his very first "Pawda" bag. He was too cute with all of his new gear.

He loves his fancy bag!Little Bumble Bee!

Grandad really wanted him to look like he was smoking a cigar too!

Saturday was much calmer. Brad and I spent some time around the house hoping to get Oliver into a potty routine, but needless to say, we were rather unsuccessful. We needed an afternoon break so we took a trip to Toys 'R Us to find Kathryn the perfect birthday present. The Cabbage Patch Kid I wanted to get her so badly was unfortunately not in available in the light skinned variety, so I had to settle for a "Mommy Make Me Better" doll set. We met up with Kathryn and Brad's other nieces and nephew and their mom's at McDonald's Saturday night to celebrate Kathryn's big day. Happy 4th Birthday Kathryn!

Sunday we had a fantastic time at Lake Martin with our neighbors, Carl and Nicole. Carl's family was so hospitable and their friends couldn't have been nicer. We had a great time and regretted having to leave early to get home to Oliver (BIG thanks to Mom for watching him all day--he wasn't very well behaved). Monday was filled with more family celebrations--lunch at Mom and Dad's and dinner at Brad's dad's house. We took Oliver and he got to meet his cousins for the first time. I wish I had taken more pictures of him and the kids--they were adoreable! I was very impressed by how well they all played together.

Oliver and Kathryn

Oliver's Adventures

2008-05-22T19:37:00.005-05:00

Playtime!

Aunt Allie helped with his first bath...too bad he already needs another!

After a long night at the vet...sweet boy!

He's getting bigger already... 4 lbs. maybe?

Oliver's first week

2008-05-21T11:53:00.005-05:00

We've officially had Oliver for a week and a half and to be honest, I had no idea how much work he would require. I also had no idea how quickly I would fall in love with him. I love it when he snuggles up next to me and gives me kisses, or when he decides to take a nap on my feet. It's nice having him to look forward to coming home to (not that I don't look forward to Brad, that's not what I meant, it's just different). We've gotten into a nightly ritual of the three of us cuddling up on the couch and watching episodes of Two and a Half Men until we can barely hold our eyes open (which isn't too late, obviously). It's so so nice--Brad and I laugh "it's our family time."

I realized on Monday just how in love with Oliver I've become. We had our first big scare. I got home from work and he clearly wasn't feeling well (I'll spare you the icky details); he looked absolutely pitiful. I knew he needed to go to the vet, so I decided that even though Brad wasn't home I was going to take him myself. This would be a good time to point out that I'm usually quite afraid of dogs and don't do very well with animals in general, so a room full in random pets and loud barks and meows is not my idea of an even mediocre evening. However, I stepped up, like all good mommies would, and took him immediately to the vet. We waited for over two hours (he was miserable) and they finally took us back. They ran some tests and had to watch him for another while--the end result, he has coccidia, a parasite that is potentially life threatening for puppies his size. The source can't really be known, it could have come from his breeder's kennel, or simply from grass or dirt. I was terrified and did not expect anyone to use the phrase "potentially life threatening" when I took him to his first vet visit. Fortunately, Brad had arrived in time for the news so he was there to comfort both me and Oliver. Sweet, sweet, Dr. Wilson sent us home with strict orders to watch for behavior changes and to give him a big dose of antibiotics every night. So far, I haven't noticed anything major. He definitely isn't acting sick.

Speaking of not acting sick, Oliver is a bit of a mischievous boy. He's into EVERYTHING! He chews bedspreads, rugs, the couch anything he can get his mouth on before we tell him "no!" We constantly have to watch him and are trying to learn how to read his "signals." We officially had ZERO accidents this morning, so I'm feeling optimistic. Brad will get home early today, so if there are any surprises to be found this time, it's his turn.

I'll post more pictures soon--he needs a haircut. Perhaps that will be our Memorial Day weekend adventure, Oliver's first hair cut--wow, we're exciting aren't we?

Hangin' Tough!

2008-05-16T10:16:00.009-05:00

Okay, today, driving to work I realized just how excited I am that New Kids on the Block is making a comeback. It took nearly twenty years, but I'm super pumped! I've heard the gossip, but it wasn't until I heard Rick and Bubba play their new single and callers phone in about their love for the group that I remembered just how much I liked these guys--talk about the good old days!

I was a New Kids obsessed kid. I had the sheets, Barbies, t-shirts, school supplies, pretty much anything I could convince my parents to buy me. My mom even took me to the concert! That considered, I had to call her this morning and reminisce about the good old days of New Kids on the Block. She of course remembered that I absolutely adored Jordan (I wonder if he'd still be my favorite now?) and how Allie thought Donny was super cool (I think it was the rebellious rat tail that drew her in). We would play with those dolls for hours and then sing their songs into hairbrushes in front of the mirror--yeah, we were cool.

I'm pumped about a reunion. Let's hope we can still call them the New Kids on the Block--I'm not a fan of the NKOTB idea. Gracious, I surely hope I like them as much this time around as I did back then! Even if I don't, simple nostalgia will keep me interested.

Thew newest Stripling...just in time for Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T08:50:00.010-05:00

When Brad and I woke up yesterday morning we had no idea that by the time we went to sleep last night we'd be new parents!! We had been thinking a lot lately about adopting a puppy and last Wednesday we thought we found the perfect one. It was a baby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in Georgia that had been rescued from a puppy mill and we applied to adopt him. Late in the day Saturday we found out that he'd found a family closer to home and we were so disappointed. I wasn't going to be a mom for mother's day after all.

However, you never know what's just around the corner. After a fabulous day of celebrating Mother's Day with my mom Brad found our new baby in the classifieds. We had been looking at different breeds online all afternoon and I was laughing showing Brad how cute malte-tzus were and I told him we should start looking for one. Not even five minutes later, he found one in the classifieds. We called the sweet family in Cullman and they offered to let us see him immediately. We didn't arrive at their farm until about 7:30, but it was well worth it. A little over an hour later we were on our way home with the newest addition to our family. We haven't decided on a name yet (suggestions are welcome), but we're sure we'll find one that fits him perfectly. We love our sweet little boy!

Look at that face!

Happy Mother's Day!!

So sweet!

Fiesta Ball Pictures

2008-05-09T18:11:00.006-05:00

So glad these girls were there!

Exhausted...to say the least

2008-05-05T09:41:00.002-05:00

Wow, what happened to the weekend? The last three days (clearly, I count Friday night as part of my weekend) have been so insanely busy that I can hardly hold my eyes open this morning. The concept of getting rest over the weekend, was completely inaccurate this time. I'm exhausted and lacking a lot of motivation this morning. However, despite the craziness and insane schedule the weekend was a great success.

Brad played in the Inverness Country Club Member-Guest tennis tournament this weekend. It was his first tournament in YEARS, so taking that into consideration, he did really well. I missed his match on Friday, but I did make it in time for dinner and drinks, which was really fun. We got to hang out with his aunts, uncles and cousins without it being a holiday for once--it was nice, they are super sweet people. He played again on Saturday, but I had to miss those matches too (no, he didn't win) due to Fiesta Ball preparations. However, yesterday, I was able to spend the whole day out at the raquet club watching him. I was so proud! It was mixed doubles day and he and his aunt made it to the playoffs--way to go! Carson and Charles also came out, so Carson and I decided we were Brad's good luck charms for the day. Coincidence that he didn't win until we watched him? I think not.

Saturday night's Fiesta Ball turned out really well. We had an incredible crowd and despite all of the nonsense leading up to the event, it was a success! I am so so happy that so many of my friends came out and supported the Cancer Center. It was interesting having my work world collide with my outside of work world. It was nice having my friends there though. By the end of the night we were all on the dance floor having fun, as if I wasn't at work. :) I'll spend the next couple of days wrapping up the "thank yous" and collecting outstanding money and then I'll have a total. I'm thinking we're way up from last year. Yay!

Okay, time to stop putting off work. So much to do...
Love!

Fiesta Ball 2008!

2008-04-29T08:32:00.003-05:00

My week is consumed with final preparations for the Fiesta Ball on Saturday, May 3rd at Ted's Garage. Come celebrate cinco de mayo early, and for a good cause! All proceeds from the event will be used to fund a young researcher at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. Plus, it's simply a fun party--Z and the Party Faktory will play and beer, wine, margaritas and mexican food will be served. Call me at 934-1603 if you'd like to buy tickets ($35/individual or $60/couple). Tickets are also available at the door.

Fun weekend!

2008-04-28T18:18:00.006-05:00

Sissy and I finally got to hang out this weekend. Between all of the post-wedding settling in and her studying for finals we haven't seen much of each other lately. We spent Saturday afternoon shopping and then celebrated with wine at the house Saturday night. Good times, I have the best friends in the world!

Brad and I hung out for the rest of the weekend. We went to Taziki's (one of our favorites) and Target Friday night. He wasn't up for much since he was getting up at 3 a.m. on Saturday to go fishing (CRAZY, I know!). He hung out Saturday night like a trooper (see pic to the left), almost 24 hours without sleep! Sunday we spent the day together running errands and just hanging out. All in all, great weekend!

Take me out to the ballgame...

2008-04-28T18:08:00.005-05:00

Brad and I spent last Thursday night at the ballpark. In just over three hours we were able to see some of three different ballgames--Carson, Kaley and Maci were all playing at practically the same time! Carson won and was super excited that his Uncle Brad came to watch him. We were so happy that we were there to see Kaley hit her homerun! She's above, just after her big hit, so sweet! I love those kids and going back to the ballpark... oh, the good old days!

Just call me Annie Oakley...

2008-04-24T08:35:00.005-05:00

My first time shooting a shotgun... wow! Six shots and one big bruise later, I'm certain I'm never going to be an outdoorswoman. The plus side, this year's Cancer Center Sporting Clays Classic raised over $36,000 for breast cancer research. Not bad for a day's work...

Happy Birthday Allie!

2008-04-15T21:57:00.007-05:00

Today my "Little Kitten" turns the big 2-0! Happy Birthday Al!

Since she has a major test tomorrow we celebrated her birthday on Saturday. Mom, Allie and I spent the day shopping and then we went to my parents' house and mom cooked dinner for everyone (we ALWAYS have birthday dinners). The food was fabulous, but the company was even better. I miss spending time with my family. They truly are my favorite people in the world (and Brad too) and I can't imagine my life without them.

Today, Allie's celebration continued with lunch at the 5 Points Grill with dad. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it, but thankfully I got away for a while. I didn't like the thought of not seeing her on her birthday! Overall, I consider her big day a success, even though she's stressing about school, and hope her 20th year is the best one yet (and that she does AWESOME on her tests this week).

"Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted. And it can be the most valuable thing you have to offer."

2008-04-08T19:00:00.002-05:00

The above quote is from an incredible article that I ran across in Sunday's Parade Magazine. I loved the quote, but I loved the entire lesson I learned from the article even more.

It was a brief look into a "Last Lecture" given by a Carnegie Mellon professor that only weeks after agreeing to give the lecture was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Obviously, after the diagnosis the "Last Lecture" took on a whole new meaning. The story explains that while the easy thing to do would be to cancel, it wasn't the best thing for this man, Randy Pausch, and his family. He needed to share his story--his incredible "life lessons." Not only does his family now have his amazing, heartfelt and overwhelmingly motivational message to hang on to for years to come, but thanks to the spread of his story, he's offered insight and hope to many others that wouldn't have ordinarily crossed his path.

If you read the story (which is just a brief excerpt of his story) http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_04-06-2008/1My_Last_Lecture, or if you watch his lecture on YouTube you can't help but be effected. His concepts are simple, but when I examined my own life, I realized that while they may be simple, and should be obvious, the things he points out are all too often overlooked. The simple lessons in life are what we should build on--they are the foundation for the big things.

If you haven't heard of Randy Pausch, and you haven't read his story, I encourage you to do so (there's a primetime ABC special about him tomorrow night too). While it may not change your life, it will at least give you a little hope for what life can and should be and will definitely inspire you to live each day to the fullest. As he so confidently says, "Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think."

A new kind of paradise...

2008-04-04T08:52:00.004-05:00

Less than a month ago Brad and I were lounging on the beach in Jamaica, thinking that life couldn't be any better. We had the sun, the sand, exceptional food and no worries--life was good. I worried that after all of the wedding festivities and the honeymoon excitement, settling into life at home would be a bit... dull? What were we going to look forward to now? No more wedding parties, or planning... what's next?

I'll admit, the first week was a bit rocky. We were trying to find a home for all of Brad's stuff, not to mention the mountain of gifts we had received. I was adjusting to having someone else share my space, and he was figuring out how to make do with a smaller closet, fewer drawers and waking up everyday without talking to his dad. We were both a little surprised by how different it felt. I assumed that after four and a half years together him moving in would be no big deal--clearly I had forgotten what having a roomate was like.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to today, a day that I couldn't imagine being any better. I like waking up next to him and having his tell me crazy stories in the morning that disrupt my routine. I love knowing that no matter what we have to do in the evenings, I'm always going to see him at the end of the day. I love married life! Don't get me wrong, he still leaves his t-shirts on the floor and doesn't pick up the bath mat until I ask him to, but instead of being annoyed, I have to laugh. I don't do his laundry like he prefers--I can't remember to dry his jeans! It's the little things that make me realize how incredibly awesome it is that we're building this new life together. We are creating our own routines--and I'm learning to let go of some of my obsessivenesss. This new life we have, it's our very own paradise, and the best part of it all is that we're already home, the vacation never ends.

Life is good. It's nice to love and be loved.

It's official!

2008-03-20T14:05:00.011-05:00

After all of the planning and stressing and finally relaxing in paradise--Brad and I are officially settling into our newest roles in life--husband and wife. However, before I can even begin describing our "newlywed life" I have to elaborate on what just so happens to be the best day of my life so far--our wedding day!

I have always loved fairytales and for that one day, March 8th (despite the snowy beginning), I lived my own fairytale--one complete with a fabulous setting, a handsome prince, and a million other tiny details that made it "ours." Every aspect of our day was even more perfect than I could have ever imagined. For example, the flowers were gorgeous, my Funfetti cake was delicious and most importantly, Brad and I were joined by so many of our very favorite people. We realized that it is not likely that we will ever again be able to bring all of our family and friends together for one big celebration. Being able to connect different aspects of our lives--from work to college friends to our dearest family members--was a truly special thing that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

For all of those people who believe that a wedding isn't worth it--too much money, time and stress for such a quick event, I will forever encourage them to think again. While it is "just one day," it's a day that I will replay in my mind forever. I look back now and think about how Brad and I considered a destination wedding and now thank my lucky stars that we decided it wasn't for us. While that is a great option for some, I wouldn't trade my extraordinary day in my hometown, surrounded by so many of our family and friends, for anything! That "one day" is better than I could ever describe--just wait, if you haven't already, you'll see!

More pictures (others will come later)!

10 days to go!

2008-02-27T16:41:00.002-06:00

Ready, set, go--it's crunch time! I cannot believe that in just 10 days and one hour I will be in the process of becoming Mrs. Brad Stripling--woah, even typing it seems crazy! Time is absolutely flying by--on one hand I'm so excited and can't wait until it gets here and on the other, I can't believe the whole wedding will be over before I know it. The most exciting part is that on the other side of all of the wedding craziness, I'll have a fantastic husband (not to mention a trip to Jamaica)!

I am on my way to that insane state of mind that everyone references when they hear you are getting married. Surprisingly enough, so far I've gotten a lot of "wow, I can't believe how calm you are" remarks. However, I feel that my seemingly calm demeanor is slowly shifting into an utter panic. "What have I forgotten? Who should I call? What do I wear to ___? Does __ know how to get to the church?" These are all things that run through my head at night, and part of the reason that I'm not averaging much sleep these days. Oh well, you only do this once!

I'm very excited about everything that is coming and I couldn't be happier with the way things have progressed. My fantastic friends never cease to amaze me. I haven't posted since our phenomenal tool and gadget party. Erin, Melissa and Erin's mom pulled out all of the stops to create the most incredible Fiesta I've ever seen. Brad and I had a wonderful time and couldn't believe all of the awesome things we got! Our friends are the best! This Saturday, I can hopefully begin to repay them with the Bridesmaids luncheon. My sweet aunts are so kind to host it and I can't wait to finally have the opportunity to be the gift giver again.

Today, I had a wonderful luncheon with all of my work friends. If only everyone could be lucky enough to work with such fabulous people. Everything--from the decor (all pink of course), to the food (without mushrooms and onions, thank you) to the dessert (pink, monogrammed petifores), to the unbelievable gifts--was absolutely perfect! I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon. I also received probably one of my all time favorite gifts--one of my wedding invitations, beautifully matted and framed! It was so thoughtful and it's going to look great in my house! Everything was perfect, I can't say enough good things about it!

Overall, I'm extremely blessed and so excited about everything that is going on in my life. I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be in love with such a wonderful person and to be able to celebrate our love with all of our friends and family--perhaps that's the best wedding present of all?

Love!
Katie

52 days to go!

2008-01-16T13:48:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe how long it has been since I published an update. Things are happening so quickly that I hardly have time to sleep, much less type a blog. Not only is the wedding quickly approaching, but our BIG black tie fundraiser is coming up on February 16, so I'm in dual planning mode.

The most exciting event since my last post was definitely THE "Bachelorette Extravagana." My incredible friends took me to Nashville January 4-6 and we had a fantastic time! It was better than I could have ever imagined. We ate fabulous meals, went out to some great places and they threw me the best lingerie shower ever--complete with pink champagne of course! I realize more and more everyday how fortunate I am to have such wonderful friends and I'm incredibly grateful that they are all celebrating this exciting time with Brad and me. The above picture was from our first night on the town.

As far as the planning goes, we are making progress! Flower girl dresses are picked out (probably not ordered, but they have until the end of the month), favors are in production, and next week I'm getting my dress altered and meeting with the designer. Brad and I plan to pick out the tuxedos and finish our registries this weekend--yes, that's right, we are getting there! Also, our pre-marital counseling is scheduled, so that's definitely a step in the right direction.

Next weekend is our tea at the church--I'm super excited! It'll be a great time to see some people that I haven't seen in a really long time. I'll keep updating as things progress. I can't believe we only have 52 days to go...

Love!

Countdown until 2008

2007-12-27T14:11:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe that Christmas has already come and gone. It seems like just yesterday Brad and I were passing out Halloween candy to the neighborhood kids, and now we're preparing to welcome 2008 in less than a week. The past three months have been a complete whirlwind. Between work, family and occassional planning time has flown by--faster than I could have ever imagined.

In August when Brad and I picked a date in March, I remember feeling like we had FOREVER to wait. Time couldn't pass fast enough. Yesterday I had my first realization that despite what I might have previously thought, time was passing and I needed to catch up. I woke up with a desperate desire to start creating lists of things I need to accomplish now, or perhaps yesterday. I'm a huge fan of "To Do" lists, actually, I can hardly function without them. About halfway through my most recent list, I realized that there are far more things left to do than I had originally thought. The most unfortunate thing about planning a wedding at the same time as someone else in your family is that there isn't always enough time to handle things in advance--it's the first things first philosophy. Until last week the Walls-Stripling wedding was on hold, and now I must make decisions in a haste. I need invitations, favors, flower girl dresses, tuxes, an event designer--and a lot more that I can't even begin to type! These things weren't urgent when Allie only had 3 months to plan, but now that I'm down to less than three months, they are quite important. I have to make some decisions, and I have to do it fast.

I imagine the next couple of weeks will be some of the most stressful. I actually kind of hope they are--making decisions will eliminate other stresses. I am dying to have all of these details ironed out--obviously I'm not a fan of the last minute. As I've said before, I'm a planner and advance plans are my favorite.

Oh the things to do... I have to get to work!

Love!

The grand scheme of things...

2007-12-19T14:34:00.001-06:00

If you know anything about me, you know that I'm very fond of sticking to a "vision" or a theme of sorts. I like to have a look and stick with it--carry it out into even the tiniest details. Every event I've ever planned has a clear theme. At one time I had a very clear vision of how my wedding day would "look" and while I'm still going for the classic, elegant fairytale princess concept my old color scheme is out the door and now we're moving on to plan B.

If you've heard my vision of a pink and brown wedding--pretend you never did and start imagining something new. Imagine a romantic, candle lit setting with shades of pink, sahara and, despite my overwhelming desire to prevent it from appearing anywhere on my wedding day, BLACK! I should explain that I have nothing against black at weddings, but Allie's was entirely black and white, so in an effort to keep some guests from feeling like they went to the same event twice, I made an effort to keep it out of all March 8th plans.

Well, my trusty everyday color (I don't know how I ever made it without my black Michael Stars turtleneck) has crept into my big day, in the form of a sash. The six sashes that adorn my otherwise perfect bridesmaids dresses have black undersides! How did this happen?!? It was all a big misunderstanding between the store and the designer, that everyone was incredibly apologetic for. The shantung fabric is absolutely perfect, the sahara shade is just what I had in mind but then when you tie the bow--surprise, it's not sahara like the other side, it's a deep onyx. I couldn't possibly have brown AND black, so the sash wins--black it is.

The colors are new, but in the grand scheme of things I don't think it will matter that much. I'm very anxious to flesh out my new concept, maybe it's all for the best. Now the girls will have a much easier time finding shoes--that's a plus. All in all, it's probably the first of many things that won't go exactly as planned, but hey, I prefer surpsises 80 days out, rather than the day of, so I'm counting my blessings!

We ordered our engagement proofs today! We love the photographers we are working with and can't wait to see the creative concepts they have in mind for our day. I'll share more pictures when I have them. We're getting closer and closer...

Love!

81 days to go!

2007-12-18T15:41:00.000-06:00

My blog now officially has a purpose--tracking my life in the days leading up to the wedding! Exciting, huh?

First bit of news--we have a honeymoon spot! Yeah for us! After weeks of contemplating (and watching the air fares rise and being mislead by a certain travel agent) we finally decided on Couples Swept Away in Jamaica. We'll be there March 10-15 and I am already counting down the days. I think it will make the perfect setting for our first week of marriage. Check out the resort at http://www.couples.com/.

If you're wondering why I didn't think of this wedding tracking thing before, I have been reluctant to post too much about it because the focus has generally been on Allie's big day (fair enough, I get Dec. 16-March 8, haha) and for me, it was on surviving Allie's big day myself. Yes, I'm her big sister and quite possessive. I didn't realize that I was so possessive until I had to start thinking about sharing her with someone else. I honestly hate the idea, but as of Saturday I no longer have a choice (okay, I didn't really have one before but I felt a little more in control than I do now). She's happy and therefore I'm happy for her. I survived her special day and in all honesty it was absolutely wonderful. She was truly stunning--one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen! All of the extravagance of course made me an emotional wreck who couldn't look at her without crying, but nonetheless I made it without causing too much of a scene and I'm officially moving into the acceptance phase (I don't have a choice, right?). Isn't she pretty?

Well, now that I have a purpose I assume that I'll be posting much more frequently. I am incredibly excited about my upcoming wedding and LOVE being able to share the details.

Love!

Just how far from the tree can the apple fall?

2007-10-30T14:46:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about families. Perhaps it's because I've learned (indirectly) that not only can you not pick your family, but you surely can't control them. While I agree with the "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" philosophy on some accounts, on others I can't seem to figure out if some people came from the same planet, let alone the same tree!

My repetitive analysis of families probably stems from my realization that in 130 days I'll be joining Brad's family and he'll be joining mine (I tend to think he's getting the better deal, but hey, who isn't at least a bit partial?). Also, in less than two months, thanks to Allie, we'll be adding a new member to our family. I've coped to the thought of Brad joining the dynamic, I actually really like that concept, but the thought of another outsider--gasp! My heart breaks--I didn't choose this one and I will have zero control on what he does to the mixture that I've loved for so long.

Obviously, this causes me some distress. What will happen to my idea of the "perfect" (haha) family? Will my little kitten be taken away? I should probably go ahead and admit (if it's not already obvious) that I typically don't like change at all, and I'll probably have severe issues with this merging of families, but I'm already working on my acceptance theory. I have to keep an open mind--a straight path to my goal "NO CHANGE." I want Allie around like usual, and most importantly, the holidays MUST remain the same. The thought of waking up on Christmas morning without my sister there, yikes! The mere thought makes me cringe. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the same nostalgia towards things like this that I do, and quite frankly she likely won't even think about the Christmas dynamic until a day or two before (if we're lucky). Ahh, the heartache.

Now for the other aspect, joining someone else's family. I think back to when I used to go on vacations with my friends. It always seemed like a good idea, and I usually always had a great time, but neverless by the end of the week, I was always ready to get back to my normalcy--my family. I am very used to (and happy with) the way my family functions and when I lose that structure for too long... I don't do well. I have a hard time understanding how certain famillies function, and while it doesn't really bother me in the grand scheme of things, I am very reluctant to partake.

After March 8, I won't have an option. The whole "to death do us part thing" encompasses a joining of two families and I'll instantly have new "sisters" and nieces and nephews and all sorts of other relatives. This excites me to a degree, (who doesn't need more people to love them, right?) yet on another level I am very nervous. This family is different than the one I was born into. They don't have to like me, they don't even have to love me--wow! There is no guarantee that we're going to fit perfectly together like me and my family, and there's no guarantee that we'll even bond like families do.

Oh so much to think about... however, the bright side is that families can be sent home and the one addition to my family that I can control is perfect. We fit, and I can only hope that the family we create will be just as special as the one I've valued for so long.

Is it Monday already?

2007-10-01T16:20:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a weekend! Friday we left for a journey to Jacksonville, FL--an adventure that it seems like Brad has been waiting for forever. For two years he's been talking about the FSU vs. UA football game that only happens once every million years in his mind. The road trip was long, but definitely worth it to see him so excited. Once he joined his fellow Seminoles, you would have thought he won the lottery!

We spent the weekend with Sissy's brother and his friend Michael. We couldn't have asked for a better place to stay or more hospitable hosts. They were wonderful and I'm confident that our trip would have been much more stressful had we been left to fend for ourselves in the city of numerous bridges and dreadful construction. However, overall, Jacksonville was fantastic and I'm glad I got at least a glimpse of what the city has to offer.

Now, it's Monday and back to the same old stuff...work! Today has seemed so long that I'm almost convinced that it has to be at least Thursday. Unfortunately, 4 more days until the weekend (but only 3 until my birthday celebration begins!).

WAR EAGLE!

Changes...

2007-03-27T08:45:00.000-05:00

Times change...quickly!

Have you ever noticed that nothing you plan out "perfectly" ever seems to work out that way? Things change and often things evolve into something much better than you'd ever seen coming.

I remember being so incredibly excited to graduate high school and move as far away from home as possible. I wanted to create a new life somewhere else--one filled with far more excitement than I'd ever known (yeah, right) and all new friends. I didn't even know if I wanted to be in Alabama, I had the typical assumption that the grass was greener somewhere else. Well... we all know how that worked out. While I loved my time in Mobile, I knew it wasn't a permanent fit for me. I couldn't see my future there and I was scared to say my plans were wrong. I made it all of 10 months away from home and then I was back. Back not only living in my parents house, but also back with the boy I'd known for years and the boy most thought would be the least likely match for me. Times changed before I knew it and surprisingly enough, I was completely okay. This turned out to be the best decision I ever made. Not only was I able to spend much more time with the one I love, but I also was able to explore my career path more extensively. I gained experience that I never would have in Mobile, I met people that would eventually lead me to professional careers, I found a love for Birmingham (yes, I was surprised too) and I developed a deep relationship with my family that can't be matched.

Then there was the post graduation plan. I never imagined that just six months into my first job as a college graduate that I would resign. My plan changed with one phone call. Now, I'm on job number two and I still don't know what I'm doing, but I have learned to not even try to predict what lies ahead.

Now, I say all of that to get to the point that the love, engagement, marriage process is not quite working out like I'd always imagined. It's much more complicated than that, but I'm realizing that I'm glad my plan didn't happen. Instead of having my prince charming come in and sweep me off my feet with a plan for the rest of our lives, Brad and I are rescuing each other. I'm his princess and he's my prince and we're planning our lives together. There is no predetermined plan and we are happy with that. No, I don't have the diamond on my hand yet, but we know that we're going to spend our lives together and we're planning for the future. He has a plan for the engagement process (or so he says) so it's left up to the both of us to decide important things like where we're going to live, how we're going to spend our money and what we want out of a marriage. Before now we hadn't really talked in depth about these things and when we had mentioned them in passing, it was usually a forced and awkward conversation that left me terrified about what was to come. Times have changed... We have meaningful chats about what we want from life and what we expect of each other. We're moving in the right direction and I'm very excited.

I'm anxious to see what other changes lie ahead for me. Some will undoubtedly seem to be for the worse while others will be some of the most exciting parts of my life. While change is scary on the outside, I'm learning that it is quite possibly something I should look forward to and certainly embrace when it comes around. You never know what's lurking around the corner...

Something New

2007-03-15T08:42:00.000-05:00

Well... I must admit it, I'm a blog skeptic. While I love reading blogs of people I know (it amazes me the things that go on inside people's heads that you didn't know about), I have never been a fan of publicly sharing my thoughts. For now, my blog is strictly for my use. It's not published because I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to use it for and I'm not sure that I'm brave enough to have people know what's really going on inside MY head. Perhaps, I'll use it mostly as a way to get things out without having to actually write with a pen, as I have abandoned my actual journal due to laziness.

I used to love to write. I was that nerd in sixth grade that thought I'd write the next great novel. Granted, my favorite books at the time were Sweet Valley High, I knew I liked to read and maybe on some level I figured I had to write at least as good as that author whose name I cannot remember. I do rememeber that those books made me want to do make a difference. The bright eyed, blonde twins were always doing something out of the ordinary, whether it be starting community clean up days, or selling lemonade for a good cause, they seemed to always have it together. I used to have that mindset--I was going to take on the world and as cliche as it sounds, I was going to make a difference.

Time changes these aspirations, or at least our perceptions of their possibility. Do I still want to make a difference? Of course I do, the lines are just a bit more blurred now. It's harder to start and it's even harder for me to decide what to start with. I lack the inspiration that I once had, the belief in myself and my ideas, and more importantly I lack the passion for things. Where does that go? How did I become this person?

It's hard to imagine that in just ten years I have changed so drastically. I used to be the first to volunteer to read aloud, I was the 4H public speaking champion, I wrote letters to congressmen and even town officials about things I thought should be changed, but now... now I get nervous and shakey when I speak in public (yes I work in public relations, go figure!), I have no idea how to ignite change, or perhaps I know how, I'm just no longer brave enough to do it. I speak up, soemtimes too much, but it doesn't seem to have the same effect anymore. I admit, not arrogantly, that I am respected (for the most part) in my field. I know my stuff and I'm not scared to ask for help, or do the research to help myself. I just don't have the same go get 'em, I'm ready for the world, I love life attitude anymore and realizing that breaks my heart.

How do you get it back? I don't have the crazy personable side that I once did, well I still have it, it just comes out much less often. I do a great job of whipping it out at work, or in other obvious social situations, but it's the one on one, the balance that I struggle with now. I'm self absorbed and can't escape. How does this happen? I certainly care about people, I'm a relentless worrier, but I can't seem to move from having the desire in my mind, to actually taking action. Where do you begin? How do you begin?

It's obvious that I have issues...wow, a lot of them! However, I think this blogging is going to be good for me. I can get things out and think about them, without having to bog down my friends, I can focus more on general things, worldly events, etc. rather than myself... this might be just what I need!