The One with the Old Friends

Can I just say that it blows my mind sometimes how fast life moves along. It seems like yesterday that I was cheering for Friday night football games and thinking that I would never get out of Hickory, North Carolina.

I just recently was on an email chain with my closest friends from college (some of whom I also went high school with) and it is amazing to me how grown up we have become in what seems like overnight. We were just updating each other on what is going on in everyone’s lives. I mean shouldn’t we still be planning keg parties and what fraternities we are going to hang out with this weekend… Sadly (but also excitingly!) no.

Casey and her husband Travis are expecting their first child in December. Lily. Their nursery is almost done! Krysta is the ever busy business woman with a serious boyfriend. Jessie is now, Dr. Castile, and she and her husband are building their first house. Kelly is also a busy working woman and is also going back to school to get her pharmacy degree.

Where did the years go? It makes me sad to think that we have moved on from our crazy college days (well for me to it was the crazy years afterward) and that the “care-free” part of our lives is now just a bunch of amazing memories. Life moves on. But I am very proud of where we all are now. Every last one of us has become a very successful career woman with drive, focus, and compassion. We are all also very balanced. Family is a strong part of all of our lives and that can be seen in the relationships we have all developed.


Oh life…..

:0)

The One with the Bridesmaid dresses!!

As I said earlier - I love my friends!!! We have such a good time all the time. However as of late they have ALL been getting married!! Now of course this makes for many really good parties (with open bars of course! ;0) ) and many fun memories. And I suppose it has become something of a running joke that I have been in so many weddings - not quite 27 - but I am getting there!! Yeah it costs a bit of money and time, but I love being a bridesmaid!! It is so fun to get all dressed up and see your friend off to married life!! So (mainly because I am bored tonight) here is a timeline of my dresses!!! Awe... memories.... :0)

This wedding kicked off the next five or so years of wedding season in my life! Casey was the first to take the plunge!! December of 2006

This at my friend Katie's wedding in November of 2008. Good times in HKY!!

This is at Stephanie and Adam's wedding in January of 2007 (I think! Is that right Stephanie??) Apparently I had such a good time at this wedding that this is the only picture I have from this wedding!! hahahhahaha

The picture below is from just this past July (2009). This was actually a first for me - I was English MOH!!! So much fun!!

The wedding below was in May of 2008 and was the furthest I have ever traveled for a wedding. This was in Columbia, MO for Jessie's wedding!!!

I probably had too much fun at this wedding! ;0) This is Frances' wedding in Newberry, SC. Cocky even made an appearance!

I was also an honary bridesmaid in Erica's wedding - another HKY reunion! Some things never change!

Just this past weekend I was also an honorary in Bex's wedding in Greenville, SC. It was the perfect weekend for a wedding and the ceremony, bride, and reception were all beautiful!

There are more to come! There are just the ones I had pictures of on my computer!

Maybe one day I will have bridal portraits to put on here...ha. ha. ha. :0P

The One with the New Bible Study...

I have to tell you that I have some pretty amazing friends!! I love them all so much! They get roped into doing a lot with me! hahaha (i.e. poor Frances in the Mud Run as seen below!) But I like to organize and plan things/events. Although this is not reflective in my day to day living because I am neither organized nor does anything go as planned! Ha! However, I got the bright idea that we get together with dinner club as couples but we never do anything with just us girls. So we have now deemed Monday nights Girls Night/Bible Study. The Bible study came to be part of this because let's face it -none of us go to church like we should (well maybe a couple of us do - but the majority do not) and because I figured if we are all getting together it needs to have a better purpose than just sitting around gossiping. So we discuss our chapter a bit, gossip a bit, and just have a good time. I love it! It's a great way to start the week and catch up with everyone about what happend over the weekend!! :0) We only want it to get bigger so if you want to join come on!

The One with a Lot of Catching Up To Do!!!

So I have gotten really slack on my blog postings - but I do have a lot to report back!! So since I have posted on here I have moved, Michael became a godfather, hosted an engagement party, participated in a mud run, etc.

Where to start hmmm....

Well I finally moved into the apartment complex I have been trying to move to for years!! It requires a paycheck- and now that I am a working woman I qualify!! hahahaha I live alone, which I love. I can do what I want, when I want, looking however I want to look! hahaha I think I am one of those really strange people that really loves living alone... Although I must say I am just as weird with Michael as I am when I am alone - not really sure if that's a good thing or not! hahaha

Then on September 12th we went to Charleston for Michael's neice's baptism -during which he became her godfather. He was so happy and so proud! Then we all hung out at Rachael's house (Michael's sister and the mother of his neice) for the Carolina game. Below is Alaina in her Carolina gear that Michael and I gave her... So cute!!

Go Gamecocks!!!

Then on September 19th my family decided it would be a great idea if we all did the US Marine Corp Mud Run together.... Whew.....It was fun but it certainly was a one of a kind experience. I was worried about being able to do it all!!! Michael, Dad, Matthew, and Matthew's friend Chris we a team - "The Carolina Renagades." Then Me, Patty, Michelle, and Frances were "Lady Mudonher" (say it like Madonna - apparently Lady Madonnna is an old Beatles song?????). And then Russ, Patrick, Mark, and Mark's friend Dennis were the "Rat Pack."

It was tough, butt-kicking fun!!! And for a team of all first-timers we did pretty good!! We finished 103 out of 215 of all women teams. Hey it's at least the top half! :0) I don't think I have ever been this dirty in my life!!! hahaha Believe or not that is me in that picture wiping the mud out of my eyes and that's Frances in the forefront of the picture!!

Finally - at least for this post.... My parents and and I hosted an engagement party for Nicole (my friend from high school) and Liam. Michael and I made the trip up to old HKY for the shindig... It was great to see a lot of people I hadn't seen in a really long time (and of course those I see quite often!) They are getting married next October!!

My mom, Nicole, Me, Nicole's Mom, and Nicole's Grandmother

The One with New Doggie Relatives!

Harley and Gus are not completely aware of it, but they have a very large and extended doggie family. On my side they have a half sister Layla, who they met recently.

She is a five year old beagle that I got while in college. Unfortunately, Layla was unable to make the move with me to Columbia so she has become part of the pack that live with my mom and dad. On that note, Harley and Gus also have many aunts and uncles. My parents have a 12 year old chocolate lab, Ranger, a 14 year old black lab mix, Blossom (they didn't name her - she's was a pound puppy), an 11 year old scottish terrier, Maggie, a tragic little mutt (you the "she's so ugly she's cute" type), Lexi. So recently Michael and I took a trip to Hickory to hang out with my parents for the weekend and so that Harely and Gus could meet their extended family!!

Well... let's just say the introduction of our young pups to my parent's geriatric brood was... tense. The old timers quickly put the little pups in their place. In fact we made fun of Harley all weekend because he would not come out of the doggie igloo when all the dogs were out in the back yard. Now when Michael and I got back to Columbia we figured out why Harley was being so shy and quickly felt guilty about making fun of timid little Harley. Turns out that Ranger put Harley in his place - physically! We found this large open wound on Harley's tail. Ranger had bit a huge chunk out of poor Harley. So he's now been on antibiotics for two weeks now trying to get over his mean uncle's bite! hahahahaha

Harley and Gus also have an aunt on Michael's side. Bailey, is a sweet golden retrevier mix. She would never bite her nephews. Although she has yet to have the pleasure of meeting Gus, so her tolerance may change... ;0)

And I am so excited to share that Harley and Gus now have a cousin!! My brother and his girlfirend recently got a little girl lab. Scout is only 8 weeks old, but you can already tell she is going to be a large - handful. :0) She is a unique color for a lab. She's full lab, but has the coloring of a golden retriever. Here she is:

P.S. She came to play with Harley and Gus and left minus her collar and filthy. Not surprising...

The One with Harley in the Garden...

Well well well.... I decided to replant the garden previously discussed. However, since it is so late in the season I had to settle for just planting herbs. So I went to this really nice nursery and got quite a variety of herbs and some new soil. Then Michael and I worked very diligently to secure the area from dog invasions. Well....I kid you not, one hour after we had finished the new garden it was gone again. We walked outside to find that Gus, in his weasel fashion, had gotten in and out of the garden again. Unfortunately, in between his Hudini entrance and exit, he had succesfully pulled out every single plant and dig holes so deep that the brick from the patio was falling in.... I quit. No more gardening for me........ this year..... ;0)

On a more humorous note, we did arrive home on Saturday to find that Harley wanted in on some of Gus's fun/destruction in the garden. However, Harley is substantially larger than Gus and though was some how able to get in (we still can't figure that one out!) he could not get out. We are not positive, but we are pretty sure he was in there for several hours.... hahahaha How guilty do these two brothers Grimm look!

The One with the Destroyed Garden and a new Gallery

Well it has been quite sometime since I have visited the world of blogging, so let me catch you up on all of life’s happenings since June 11th…..

Well that beautiful garden that I described below became this full, over-grown flourishing area in the back yard. Michael was even able to eat a few of the tomatoes and peppers that WE grew – so cool!!! However just as our little garden was on the verge of producing a plethora of cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs galore, cayenne peppers and bell peppers, the natural disaster that is know as Augusta “Gus” McMasterson happened. It still angers me to this day as I sit here and relive this story as I write it. I went over to Michael’s house one unassuming Tuesday after work and found that Gus had pulled some of the screen away from the breeze way. At that moment I thought okay no biggie that can be easily fixed.

Then I hear Gus. He is barking and whining. That lovely little darling had scooted under the screen he had pulled away and into the garden. In hopes of keeping our little terrors out of garden Michael had built a very functional fence that had been working wonderfully. So wonderfully in fact that now that Gus had found a way in he could not get out. So there he sat. Guilty as sin in the mess he had made of my poor garden. Tomato plants, cucumber vines, beds of mint, basil, and oregano, pepper plants all pulled out of the ground and RIPPED TO SHREDS. Deep and wide holes in the ground that was once so pretty and cared for with its organic soil. It was a disaster area. I was furious and Gus knew it… the moment he saw me all barking and whining stopped. We just starred at each other in silence – he knew I was mad and that he was absolutely caught. Ughh….dogs…. as I have said before, if I didn’t love them I would hate them. Now my aunt and mother think that this was Gus’ retaliation for having been neutered the day before all of this happened. Not a valid excuse in my book. If he hadn’t been neutered the day before, I might have done it to him that day after seeing his destruction. Hahahaha….

The plan is the re-buy and re-create the garden as best we can this weekend…. Well see….


Let’s see now … what else has happened….

English, one of my best friends in the world, got married on July 11th. It was a beautiful service and wonderful reception. I was the maid of honor in her wedding, which I cannot tell what an honor that was – however I was a nervous wreck! I knew at some during all of the festivities I would have to speak to a large group of people. If you know me, you know that I am not very good at this and certainly not good at this when I am not prepared…. So below is the speech I gave at English and Michael’s rehearsal dinner:

English and I became friends when I moved to Columbia in 2006. We were both very proud residents of 1902 College street – a house that will live on in infamy. We've seen each other through my failed teaching career, her ongoing moonlighting at Zorbas, late night parties followed by early morning classes (her attending and me teaching!), bad boyfriend drama and good boyfriend drama, an eventful raodtrip to Nashville, and endless amounts of peanut butter, frozen cool whip, and sushi – not at the same time of course, and who can forget the musicals that were often put on in our house after a lovely night out in 5 points, and now that we are in a different phase of life -dinner club and double dates. And eventually we would go on to be bonded even further as fellow Carolina Alumni – I say this only because I know her blood runs orange and I have to rub it in!. It would not have been the same without you. In fact, it was better because we did it all together.As I watch you graduate from your single life I can’t help but think of Queen's “Another one bites the dust”…. Just kidding… I see a bright future ahead. Tomorrow when you become Michael's wife, you are embarking on fun new adventures like changing your name on your social security card and joint tax returns, late night cravings to early morning feeding, silly arguments and romantic apologies, beach vacations in summer and of course a reason to attend Gamecock football games for the rest of your life! It wouldn't be the same without you so I'm glad we'll keep doing it together.So I propose a toast to the University of South Carolina for developing such fine alumnae and 1902 for making us such good friends. And of course to English and Michael as they begin their lives together.


Being one of few Gamecock fans in the room – it got a mixed reaction! Hahahahaha All in good fun! Anyways, her weekend was beautiful, she was beautiful, and they looked so happy!! Yeah!! Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Gallery!!!


Okay more to come later…. :0)