The Weekend Update

On Friday night, we went out with James, Elizabeth, Brandon, Meaghan, Jason, and Brittney. We had dinner at Blue Coast Burrito followed by cupcakes from Muddy's. Then, we went to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins for the carving festivities. We returned to the Parnells' apartment where we designed our pumpkins. The boys did the cleaning and the carving and were perfectionists. When they finished their masterpieces, we had a girls vs boys game of Nerts. We love to play games when we all get together, and it's always a battle of the sexes. The girls dominated the game. We are really going to miss all of our friends when we move in May. :(On Saturday morning, Craig and I went to the Farmers Market to meet a puppy we found online. Bixby was really cute, but after much discussion, we decided he was not the dog for us. We are going to Cookeville this weekend to pick up our Goldendoodle!! I spent a few hours at a Scrapbook Party with friends from work before returning home for the BIG game...Alabama/Tennessee. As most of you know, our house is divided. I'm a huge AL fan, while Craig cheers for UT. I was very disappointed in Alabama's performance and thought we were going to lose. However, Mount Cody came to the rescue on more than one occasion. Craig and I sat on different pieces of furniture the entire game. Don't worry, we are on speaking terms and our marriage survived another AL/TN game. Saturday night we had dinner with Meaghan and Brandon. They have a chocolate lab and are very excited we are getting a dog. It was fun to hang out with them.

Today has been a very relaxing day. We went to church, to class, to Panera for lunch, to many stores looking for puppy supplies, and to small group. I even had time for my Sunday afternoon nap. I've been reminded throughout the day "God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good." Even through our weaknesses, he makes us strong and can use those situations for HIS glory.

Happy Birthday Craig!

Today is Craig's 27th Birthday!! Happy Birthday Hubby!! Craig started a new rotation and had to be at the hospital really early, which is not fun on your birthday. Tonight, he chose our dinner plans and dessert option. We went to Carrabba's and enjoyed a yummy dinner. Muddy's was closed, so we went to our second favorite dessert location: The Cheesecake Corner. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and evening.

I am so blessed to have Craig as my husband and my best friend. He is so helpful even though he's very busy with school. Thanks Craig for being the BEST husband. I love you so much and hope you had a wonderful day!!

another BIG decision

When I started this blog, I stated that this year we would have a lot of BIG decisions to make. Well, Craig and I have decided to add to our family. We are getting a puppy!! The only problem is we are undecided about what kind of dog. We want our dog to be a great family dog and to be small to medium in size. We are also very interested in rescuing our puppy. So, if you have dog suggestions or know of any great places to rescue puppies....please let us know!! Hopefully, in the next few months we will be able to post pictures of our new addition!

Another Weekend Update

Right now, I am enjoying Fall Break, while Craig is in the other room studying hard for Step 2 of his boards. We had a relaxing weekend. One of my best friends from college and an old roomie, Betsy, came to Memphis to visit on Friday. We enjoyed dinner at Central BBQ and cupcakes at Muddy's. These are two of my favorite Memphis restaurants and will miss them when we move in May. After dinner, we went over to Meaghan and Brandon's to hang out and catch up. Saturday morning I slept in due to a terrible migraine. It was awful, and I'm so thankful I do not have those on a regular basis. Betsy, Meaghan, Brandon, and I went to see baby Rylan and her parents, Chris and Rebekah. Rylan continues to grow every time I see her, and she is still so cute!! We went to Abner's for lunch. Betsy left after lunch, so I spent the rest of the afternoon watching football. I love spending Saturdays in the fall watching college football!! The weather is turning cooler, which is also nice. I love fall!! I plan to spend the rest of my Fall Break cleaning, resting, reading, scrapbooking, and enjoying this time off of work. Happy Fall Yall!

Under A Tree

This weekend was my brother, Luke's wedding. Craig and I left Memphis on Wednesday afternoon when I got off work. By the time we arrived to Florence, I had caught the sickness that had been floating around my classroom. It's always welcoming to get home and be asked, "What's wrong with you?" Well, Craig and I skipped out on church, so that I could rest. When the family (my sister, parents, my aunt, and 2 cousins) returned home, I was ready to get to work. No more time to rest...work had to be done for the rehearsal dinner. Luke and Laura love the outdoors and were having the wedding on a mountain under a tree. We decided to incorporate the outdoor theme into the Rehearsal Dinner. We used branches and pea gravel for the table centerpieces. We also used some trees from my wedding that Luke and I had chopped down. It was a very simple idea, but the couple loved it.

On Thursday, Mom, Bethany, Craig, and I left Florence at 8. Dad, Aunt Marcella, Katie, and Emily left a little later. We arrived in Hazel Green and began work, unloading all the decor. We touched up the trees and moved LOTS of tables and chairs. Once we had the room set up the way we liked, we were able to decorate the tables and the rest of the space. We took a break to have lunch at Sonic. Luke met us at the church after lunch. It was so good to finally see the groom!! After some afternoon final touches, we left Hazel Green. We drove to Huntsville to check in the hotel. We freshened up and left for the rehearsal at Burritt on the Mountain. Beautiful location!! After the rehearsal, we went to the church for the Dinner. Luke and Laura wanted breakfast, so we had sausage, bacon, eggs, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, and fruit! YUM!! After dinner, many friends spoke about the couple, which kept us laughing and crying. We wrapped up the evening with a slideshow.

On Friday, Bethany and I went to have our nails done at the mall. It was a very relaxing morning! When we got back to the hotel, we ate lunch and fixed our hair and make up for the big day. (Thanks Aunt Marcella for curling my hair!!) We arrived at Burritt at 1:30. After a few morning rain showers, the sun came out and the day was beautiful!! The weather was perfect for an outdoor wedding. We spent the afternoon taking pictures and having fun with the wedding party.

I didn't shed a tear until I walked down the aisle and saw my brother standing there with a big smile on his face. Then, the tears began to flow. The tears came again during my favorite part of a wedding...watching the Groom while the Bride walks down the aisle. Luke had the biggest smile on his face and Laura looked beautiful. It was a very sweet moment. During the ceremony, I looked out over the audience and was so happy to see so many friends and family members. However, I was also very sad. On the first row on the lawn, set my uncle and my cousins, but my aunt was missing. It was hard to see them all there without her. She loved family gatherings and would have loved to be at the wedding.

The weekend was wonderful. It was so nice to spend time with so many family members and friends. Thanks to all who came to celebrate with Luke and Laura!! Luke, I love you and I'm so happy for you!! Laura, welcome to the family!! May God bless the two of you and your marriage!! I love you both!!