Our love story Part 1

4 years ago today I went on my last first date. Clearly I was smitten with the boy. 

Here's how the story goes down. We met randomly outside a cigar bar in the town I went to college in. I was outside with my best friend just smoking away at a big one when up walks this hunk of deliciousness guy. My best friend jumps up to greet him and give him a hug. He stands around and talks a little and then goes inside the bar to pick out some tobacco for his pipe. I'm still sitting there just oblivious to it all. Then. He came back outside and joined us. We got to talking. Again. I'm oblivious to it all. I didn't want a boyfriend. I didn't need a boyfriend. Plus. No way. I had just finished working out. I looked "horrible." Anyway. Back to the story. So we're sitting there talking and just hanging out. Finally, after sitting there for a while I introduced myself. My friend had sort of missed that little detail. We laugh and talk a little while longer. And then it was time to eat. I was starving. Jefferson's was calling. I needed some fried pickles. So, being smooth, I invite this new hunk of deliciousness friend to eat with us. He turns us down. Says he "is meeting a friend to hang out." Okay. No matter. Fried pickles were calling. Best friend and I head to eat.

Not five minutes later, she gets a phone call. Guess who it was? Your right. It's him. "Can my friend and I come join you?" Of course! Remember, this is hunk-of-deliciousness talking, of course he can come! Not that I want a boyfriend remember? It was just fun to flirt. No harm. Right? (Later I found out he had called his friend and said "I'm such an idiot, I just turned down a pretty girl for you. I'll be at Jefferson's if you want to join us." Isn't he a sweetie? Haha) So they join us and we eat. The fried pickles were delicious. A dream. We talked and laughed and just had a good time getting to know one another. And that was that.

A week later it's Valentine's Day. Same best friend and I head to the tattoo parlor. My gift to myself was an amazing tattoo. I love it. Then we were taking each other out to dinner. Hello Buffalo's. We go. We dine. We enjoy our time. A few mentions of hunk of deliciousness here and there, but again, I don't want a boyfriend. We start to head back to campus when a guy in the car next to us waves us down...Flat tire. Pull into the nearest gas station. Yup. Tire needs changing. So being the awesome woman I am, I jump out to tackle the situation. I know how to change a tire. No problem at all. One problem though. I can't get the stupid lug nuts off. I jump on them. Put all my weight on them. They wouldn't budge. Best friend whips out her phone and starts calling "the guys." First person we call can't come but says to call hunk-of-deliciousness. I'm okay with this. So we call hunk-of-deliciousness. He says he has to finish dinner and then he'll be there. Maybe twenty minutes later he pulls up with his best friend. Hello hunk-of-deliciousness. He jumped right in and changed the tire. In the process I distracted him with my good looks and he put the lug-nuts on backwards. Points for me. He finished changing the tire. That was that. I don't need a boyfriend was my mantra over the next couple of days.

I orchestrated a couple of run-ins over the next week or so, but that was all that really happened. Finally. February 28, 2008 I meet him again at Wendy's. We flirt. I steal his phone, and slyly say "You've got a new number in there." I mean come on guys, how smooth am I? Gag. I know. But it worked. I got a phone call the next day. Now are you ready for how smooth hunk-of-deliciousness is? After talking for an hour on the phone he asks me, "Well, I'm planning on eating dinner at Waffle House if you would like to join me." So smooth. I know. We were made for each other. So of course I meet him at the House. And we spent 6 hours there talking about this and that and the other. About everything under the sun. Just getting to know each other. We liked what we saw...

This is the beginning of our love story...

Nesting

Most people catch the nesting bug once they find out they're pregnant. I am not most people. I have been nesting since we moved into our home a little over a year ago. Is there something wrong with me? I've been laughed at and looked at when I tell people what I've been doing to our "nursery." 

This room has been has been designated as the nursery since the day we bought the house. I picked out the paint color based on the fact that it would eventually serve as the room for our little babies. I knew what it would be and I saw that it would be pointless to paint it otherwise when I knew that eventually I wanted a yellow room. Yes. A yellow room. I love yellow. I know that many people are told to stray away from yellow, but I love this color and it's what I wanted. So there. But I digress. As I begin to put this room together, with the mindset that eventually this will be my nursery. Until it would serve for that purpose it will be my craft room. My bright and fun craft room. But I didn't want to put much on the walls. At least, I didn't want to put up things for me. Well, not my age appropriate. I wanted to put up nursery things. So tough cookies. That's what I did. This room still acts as my craft room. And you know what, adding little childish touches here and there have helped add more creativity in my life. I now want to be in here and work and craft and create! I'm loving it. And this room is coming together piece by piece and touches are being added here and there to make this room just a little more baby friendly. And personally, I love it and I don't care what anybody else says.

Let me reiterate. No I'm not pregnant. Are we working toward getting pregnant within the next year? Yes. But not right now. I guess I'm just a born nester. In my mind it just clarifies what I'm meant to be when I grow up. I'm meant to be a mom. Just a mom. And I can't wait for God to let that dream come true!

Remember these bad amazing boys?

These are the curtains for the nursery. Yes. The nursery. And I'm proud of them.

Too much. In many ways.

March may kill me. It's not even here yet, and it's slowly chipping away at my sanity. I have a major event going on every week (sometimes two major events) this month. I might slowly pull all of my hair out. On top of that I don't know what I'm doing on a day to day basis. Today I sat down maybe a total of 20 minutes, not including lunch. It was the same story yesterday. It's been a long week and it's only Tuesday. But I know at the end of the month there is freedom spring break. It's better than nothing. Plus there's this gift certificate I got for Christmas for a 30 minute massage that I'm just itching to use. 

To top things off, first period in two and a half months has now come back with a vengeance. I know. TMI. But here's the back story... 

I'm officially off the pill. Yes. You read that right. I'm off the pill. This is a cause for celebration if you ask me. The past few months, since October probably, my body has been rebelling against me and this pill I've been putting in it. My hormones have been going haywire and my schedule has been off for the past three months while still on the pill. I've skipped the past two months. SCARY! I took pregnancy test after pregnancy test and they all came out negative. What had I done?! I began to get scared that I had put too much hormone into my body. That this thing that I thought was okay to take has ruined me. I was freaking out. So I took myself off the pill went to the doctor and we decided for me to stop taking the pill. 

Well, for this past month I've been off and it has been a month of miracles. I'm back on schedule. I feel normal. I'm human again (Only human again, When the world once more makes sense) Okay. Enough Beauty and the Beast. I couldn't help myself though. I pray that things continually get better though. And let me just say, I've never been as happy as I am now to have cramps wake me up in the middle of the night.

Okay. Now that this is in typing. I'm scared to hit "publish." Is what I said too much? Too inappropriate? I'm still trying to feel my way around this whole blogging sphere. But here I go. Putting myself out there. Jumping out into the unknown. It's written now. There's no reason to erase it all. Who knows. My saying this may help someone out there. 

It's late. Dinner needs to be cooked. The house needs to be cleaned. Here I go again.

Weekend in Review

This weekend was all about me and the hubs. After not seeing each other all week long, it's nice to be able to spend the weekend together, working side by side and focusing on spending time with each other.

Saturday we both worked around the house. I made these:

And then the hubs and I worked together and transformed a pallet into these:

(1 of 3)

It was wonderful to work alongside my hubby. I love when we are able to do stuff like that.

Saturday night we cuddled on the couch and watched the Princess Bride. This is our all time favorite movie. We love this movie and can quote it back and forth to each other. 

Sunday was church day. But again. We were together. It was a wonderful weekend spent working alongside my wonderful husband. I absolutely love it.

In other news...Today I got these:

I'm so excited and ready!

Seriously.

It's 73 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Really? It's winter. And tomorrow. It's supposed to be back in the 30s. No wonder I'm so sick. It's beautiful one day. Cold and rainy the next. 

Today was a long day. I need the beach. That seems to be the theme of life lately. I need the beach.

In other news...

{{1}}

In one month from today, my life will change. FOR THE BETTER! Hello Hunger Games! I cannot wait! I've got my outfit all picked out, tickets almost bought (just trying to nail down a location), and I'm ready. I'm so ready. 

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Longing...

It's February. 

Winter. 

Wet. 

Cold. 

Dreary.

Well. Some days. Other days it feels like spring. The sun is shining. The windows are open in my house allowing for a nice cool breeze. The sun feels warm on the skin. I love days like this. Luckily, most of our winter here in Georgia has been filled with warmer days. But these warmer days make me long for spring. Real spring. Not this fake one we're having where one day it's in the upper 60s/low 70s and the next day it's in the 30s. I'm not really digging this. Plus, it's not good for my allergies. 

I long for the beach. I long for life in Costa Rica. I miss those shores. I miss the fact that I was 5 minutes from the beach. I miss the "hora tica" lifestyle. The breeze. The sand. The open air homes. I miss it. Everything about it. I would love to be able to get back there one day. To see the school I taught at. The family who took me in and I called my own for those two months.

I took this photo in Costa Rica at our beach house in Matapalo.

But since it doesn't seem likely that I will be able to get to Costa Rica anytime soon, any beach will really do. I just want some sand, salt water, a cool ocean breeze, a good book, and my husband. Time to relax and renew. 

I don't know when the next time I'll get to see the beach will be, but at the moment there is a longing deep in my soul that is crying out. It's that feeling deep down that says "go to the beach, where everything is ok."

{{source}}

Southern Living

This has to be my favorite magazine ever. I love everything from the decorating tips to the recipes to the sites to see in the south. This past month's issue there was an article about a garden in northern Georgia, not too far from where I live. What caught my eye was this huge field covered in yellow daffodils. It looked like heaven. There's just something about a field full of flowers that takes my breath away and reminds me of the beautiful things in life. The garden is not currently open, but it will be soon and I will be one of the first ones through that gate!

To see the pictures for yourself click here