30 Things Im Thankful For

Every year there is a movement on Facebook starting November 1st to list something everyday that you are thankful for. I would try this, but I know that I would either get annoyed with it, or forget after day 5... or maybe day 8. So I thought I would just list 30 things that I am thankful for in one giant blog. Enjoy.

People.

1. Chris

      I am so thankful that I met Chris (almost) 4 years ago. It was a completely random meeting. We had no friends in common, we didnt go to the same school, or play common sports. It was a chance meeting that changed my life forever. I am so grateful that I am going to marry the greatest man I have ever met. He is so kind and caring; he is ambitious and goal oriented; he loves his family and values each and every friend he has. I could not imagine my life without him. I love him with every ounce of my being.

2. Mobley

(If even one person comments that Mobley is not, in fact, a person, I will punch them in the throat). I cannot remember what life was like before I had Mobley. I do remember rolling over at 4 am one morning, waking Chris up and saying "Baby, I just had a dream that we are going to get him a dog and name him Molbey or Neil" Chris grunted "Im not naming my dog Neil" and went back to sleep. A few months later, Mobley came into our lives.
I am so lucky & thankful that I get to curl up to my furry baby every night & am woken up by his kisses every morning. I am one proud mama.

3. Mom

I am so lucky that I have such a sweet mom. I am thankful for the amazing relationship that we have & all she does for me. I also feel especially thankful for her chatting with me on my drive home almost every afternoon.
4. Dad

I have the best dad in the world. I am truly grateful for everything you do for me. ((Paying for my gas gets you super bonus points, Dad)) My dad is laid back, hard working, and has a great sense of humor. Thank you, Dad, for everything, especially not freaking out and or killing me or Chris when you found out how old he really was...

5. Lauren

I am also incredibly thankful for my sister. I am excited about having the opportunity to grow closer with Lauren this year as she helps plan & participate in my wedding. I am so proud of her & cant WAIT to come visit at Alabama next year!!

6. Joshie

Ohhh Joshie. I am thankful for you because you make me laugh every time I talk to you. Shit, I laugh just hearing stories about you. I also love the fact that you stress Mom out about as much as I do. Youre my favorite brother (and Im sure Im your favorite sister... sorry Lauren).

7. Mimi, Nana, Pappy & Maybe Elton.
   I was given 3 wonderful grandparents (and one sub par grandparent) that I love very much. The three that are reading this, you are the great ones. :) I am thankful everyday that I have such an amazing family.

8. Suzy

Oh dear god, WHERE would my life be without Suzanne. ((Ill give you a hint, its probably in the shitter somewhere)) Suzanne is the most kind, loyal friend I could ever ask for. She is honest, and HILARIOUS and as weird as I am. I wouldnt have her any other way. I feel like my life is better because she is my friend.

9. Alisa

I am so glad I have found a friend in you, Alisa. Im glad we got over both of us being such strong willed individuals and decided to become friends. I truly value our friendship & cannot wait to have you support me and stand by me on my wedding day. I know we will be friends forever.

10. My Happy Life
Everyone has their days, but Im certainly glad that Im able to see the glass half full most of the time. It must be miserable to live life always being negative.
11. All of my Friends
I am thankful for all of my friends and the joy that each one of you brings to my life.

Traits

12. Education

You can tease me all you want about going to a stuck up high school, but I am extremely thankful for my education. I OFTEN look around my college class rooms & think that I was much more prepared for college that some of my peers. I am thankful for not only the foundation I got through high school, but also for my college education.

Thank you Mom & Dad for sacrificing & working your asses off to give me the best education possible.

13. Open-mindedness

I am thankful for the vast array of people that showed me somewhere along the way that it is okay to be different. I am eternally grateful for all of those who showed me what it was to be open minded & accepting of people who are different from myself.

14. Being Silly

Im thankful for silly days & silly friends. I cant imagine what my life would be like if I was serious all of the time.

15. Health

Even though I have some fertility & PCOS problems, I consider myself to be in great health, and for that, I consider myself very lucky. When I am tempted to throw a pity party for myself, I have to remind myself that it could always be worse.

Essentials

16. Home

I feel extremely blessed to have such a beautiful home to provide shelter, warmth, AIR CONDITIONING & a place to lay my head at night.

17. Food & Clean Water

I am also grateful to live in a place, and be in a place in my life that I am able to access nutritious food, and clean water. There are so many people all over the world that do without these essentials.

18. Good Sheets

Say what you will, but good sheets are essential. Im thankful for my comfy bed, my memory foam pillow & nice sheets.

19. Clothes... Well, mostly Spandex

Not only am I thankful for clothes to physically protect my body, but I also enjoy fashion. Im grateful for the heals that make my legs look killer, the spandex shorts that make my butt look awesome, the jeans that make me feel pretty & the Spanx that make me look thin.

20. Job

I am lucky I have a job, especially a job that works so great with my school and personal schedule. I know most people dont have it as good as I do at work, and for that I am so thankful.

Frivolous Things

21. Make Up

Maybe there are other things that are way more important things, but that does not mean that I am not extremely grateful for good make up. I would be a walking crisis every single day without red lipstick, eyeliner & a good tube of black mascara.

22. Music

It would be a boring world without music. Music is a part of every aspect of my life. I listen to it getting dressed, driving in the car, working out, doing homework, during work, while Im cleaning. I cant think of much I do without a little music to inspire me.

23. Facebook

Whether I am thankful for Facebook because I like keeping up with my friends, or because some people's statuses make me feel good about myself is debatable. But regardless, I am thankful for facebook, and all the drama that comes along with it. I cant help it. I love that shit.

Randoms

24. Kickball

I love kickball. But more than actually loving kickball, I love meeting new people, having a blast, taking a break from school and work, and having a hobby that Chris & I share together. I love my kickball team & am thankful for them

25. Books

Maybe this should be listed under essentials, but I am so grateful for good books. There is something about being surrounded by books & knowledge that is empowering & somehow overwhelming. I just want to absorb all the knowledge and life lessons from each and every one.

26. Laughing

 Today, I am grateful for this article. & This...

But mostly I am grateful for laughing every day.

27. Photos

I am always thankful for photos. I love looking back at old pictures and remembering experiences and being able to vividly remember when they were taken and what was going on. 

28. Internet

My life would be miserable if I had to call Pizza Hut and actually ASK what their specials were every time I wanted to order a pizza instead of just googling it. I would not do well in a society that I had to wait 7-10 days for a response in the mail instead of waiting 4 or 5 hours for an email. & HOW did people stalk before facebook? & GOD forbid I actually step foot inside a library to do RESEARCH. Needless to say, I am thankful for the Internet

29. The impending wedding of my dreams

While I am MOST thankful that I am marrying Chris & I FULLY realize that its not the WEDDING but the MARRIAGE that matters, I am still thankful for my parents, and grandparents helping to make the biggest day of my life one that I will never forget. There isnt going to be a detail that has been overlooked, and I cannot wait to see it all come together. (212 days to go, just in case you were curious)

30. My Planner

Again, maybe this should have gone under essentials, but I dont know what I would do without my planner. I love being on time and scheduling out my days. I like planning to make the most of every bit of time I have. I know it makes me slightly anal retentive, but I love my organized life.

Lucky

Im not sure why, but today I feel especially lucky to have the amazing life I have. :D I guess it's because last week was filled with such good times with friends and family.

On Wednesday, Chris and I went to Beer, Bands & Bingo @ Tacky Jacks. It was SO much fun!

But it was also very very crowded. We made friends with the people sitting all around us and ended up splitting some garbage nachos with the man sitting beside us. & he turned out to be a garbage man!! It was awesome, I was drunk, so I thought it was very appropriate that we shared garbage nachos with a garbage man.

The whole round Chris only got one number, boo.

I was pretty excited about bingo.

On Thursday, I had kickball after work. I am LOVING playing kickball on Thursday nights. If there is anybody interested in playing next season, please let me know. Id really like to put together a team! You have to have between 8-11 people on the field, and 4 girls have to be playing at all times. It would be a really great activity for couples to do together, or if your single, a great way to meet new people! & its not just about kickball either. Like last week after the game, we all hung out, drank beer, & ate chips and salsa in the parking lot after our big win! It was a really good time

Friday after work I got to have dinner with Lindsay! & it was so DELICIOUS! In fact, the ahi tuna salad at Ashland Pub was so good, I went back and had it again the next day.

Chris and I spent Saturday morning deep cleaning the house. Not very fun, but it was productive. I got to shampoo my carpets!

Then Saturday night we had a little get together at our house. Justin, Alisa, Bogdan, Suzanne, Janae, & Kevin came over and we just hung around, played a game & enjoyed each other company. It was nice just hanging around the house with friends.

& yesterday I spent the day scrap booking with my grandmother & hanging out with my parents. My mom & dad took my sister and I for a little boat ride & then we ate at the Mariner on Dog River. It was a good time hanging out with my family. Plus I got to discuss some wedding plans with my parents, and that was good too. (So far we've got the venue, the food & the dj & lighting decided on!)

After dinner with the fam, I took Mobley up to Satsuma to see Chris. I know that bed is teenie tiny, but I love those boys.

They are just too cute.

My Easter Engagement!!!!

WE'RE ENGAGED!!! Ahh I am so excited. I literally could not be happier at this moment. & I cannot wait to share our engagement story with you!
If you are new to stalking my blog, and/or unfamiliar with how Chris & I became a couple, you may want to read my Recap blog. It tell the story of how 'we' became an 'us'

                           Pre-Engagement Week

Okay so this engagement has been a long time coming. It all started last September when Chris and I went to look for rings for the first time. As if I wasnt excited before then, thats when this engagement frenzy kicked into high gear. Even though, at that time, I knew that an engagement was not right around the corner.
Around February we went and looked at rings again & found one that we both loved! Though I remained hopeful for a ring before Mardi Gras, I knew that would be pretty unlikely. But it was at that time that I expressed my real desire to share the day with family and friends. It was important to me to be able to tell my family and future family in person!
So fast forward to about 2 weeks ago. I knew a ring was coming soon. Chris was acting strange almost every time he was home. I could tell he was (trying to be) sneaky. But last Thursday I KNEW something was up.

Lunch With Dad

Thursday afternoon when I came home from class, I was a bad, bad girl and took a little, tiny, itty bitty, peak at Chris's phone. (Opps) & I saw that he had been talking to my dad on and off all day. I wasnt going to say anything to him. I was going to let him think that he got one over on me. But it kind of backfired. Chris realized I moved his phone and I was busted. Opps, agian.

However, their lunch story is way too funny not to share with yall. You may have to just know Chris and my dad to fully appreciate this story, but its worth reading even if you dont know them.

So Chris calls my dad and asked him to lunch. They decided on Outback. Apparently neither of them realized that Outback is closed for lunch. So what is my dads suggestion? RAISIN' CANES! As soon as Chris said that I said "You did NOT ask my father if you could marry me at Raisin' Canes.... did you?" Chris just laughed. He did, in fact, ask my dad for my hand in marriage over a $5 chicken plate.

I think its great though. It's so fitting for the both of them. So laid back & non-confrontational. Chris did mention that when he brought up marriage my dad just laughed, looked around and said "I guess I should have thought of this before I asked you to come to Raisin Canes"

Terrorizing My Mother

Once I found out that Chris had lunch with Dad, I was on a mission to find out every little thing I could about the impending engagement. I called my mom like 10 times a day to quiz her about what she knew. Even though every time I called her she conveniently had something to do... Over the course of our multiple conversations, I mentioned to her that I thought I would get a ring on Easter. It all made sense that way; we would be with family, Chris would be home, we would be dressed cute, and Chris had already talked to Dad. Mom asked me if I was going to be disappointed if it didnt happen, and I told her that I would try to to be. But just in case I was right, I made a nail appointment & got my nails done Friday after work.

Engagement Morning



I woke up early on Easter to get ready for church. I curled my hair, did my make up, put on my dress & waited for Chris to come home. We had already planned to do an Easter Egg hunt for Mobley before church. So Chris hid the eggs that were filled with turkey and cheese, then asked me to bring Mobs outside to begin the hunt!

He was SO cute! He loved finding his eggs! After Mobley found all of his eggs, we took him inside, and Chris asked me to come help him clean up the yard. (We just left open eggs everywhere) We picked them up and the rest went like this:

Chris: You know you have an egg out here too

Me: Really? Is it a golden egg!

Chris: Yepp, it sure is. I cant believe you havent found it yet.

Me: *Frantically looks around* Where is it? Can we play hot/cold?

Chris: If you were an egg, where would you be?... Up a chickens butt, thats where..

Me: You are not being helpful. Can you please just *sees egg* YAY YAY YAY *brings egg to Chris* Can I open it, or should you maybe do this?

Chris: You can open it

Me: *Opens egg & finds candy inside* *looks disappointed*

Chris: Okay that wanst your real surprise *gets on one knee*

Okay okay, the rest you can imagine. He told me how much he loved me, and asked me to be his wife. I didnt cry, I just stood there and BOUNCED up and down over and over and over. After I said "YES!" I just squealed really loud and hugged him tight.

Then I SHOVED the ring on my finger (its too small, Ill get to that later...) & Hugged and kissed him some more. I literally just bounced around for about 5 minutes, realized I ruined my hair & started calling friends.

Post-Engagement Bliss

Whitney's Family

I wanted my parents to know first, but I decided telling them in person would be a lot more special. So I sent my mom, my sister, and my grandmother a text that said "I didnt get my ring. I dont want to talk about it. See you at church." I knew my family would think that I was going to be in a terrible mood and was probably upset that they were going to have to put up with me all day.

Once I called a few friends, we headed to church. I basically ran into church holding up my finger and pointing at my beautiful ring!

My mom was elated. I was so glad I didnt tell them over the phone. It was so exciting to see the looks on their faces when they saw that we were engaged. & It was even more exciting when my mom introduced Chris as my fiance. It really had not occured to me that he was my fiance until that moment. I was ecstatic all over!

After church (which was held at the fair grounds) Chris and I walked around May Fest & I ate a corndog. Yes, after my engagement, I wanted a damn corndog. Dont judge. It was delicious.

We went to my grandmothers for Easter lunch. All of my grandparents were there, and my family. It was so nice spending time with them while I was basking in my engagement bliss.

However, at this little luncheon, my mom wanted to try on my ring. Thats when I realized that it was really really too small. I cant get it off. I dont know what Im going to do. We tried EVERYTHING. So today starts the day where I drink lots and lots of water and take diet pills till my fingers shrink. Ha. I am NOT getting this cut off my hand. But I will have to get it resized as soon as I can get it off my finger.

Chris's Family

After lunch with my family, we went to Chris' aunt and uncle's house for an extended family gathering. We announced our engagement there and celebrated with his family... Well most of them, anyways. There was one HATER who told Chris that he is obviously getting paid too much if he could afford my ring. I felt like tell her to mind her own damn business, but I kept my cool & just chalked it up to the fact that she's jealous. Chris stood up for himself & me and told her that he had been saving for over 2 years for my ring and he wanted me to have something that I'd wear for the rest of my life. I love him so much. I am so happy with our relationship and now my gorgeous ring. Im so PROUD & excited to call him my FIANCE!!!

 For dinner that night his dad, Fred and his wife, Gayle cooked dinner for us at their house. Gayle's daughter was in town this weekend and was nice enough to buy us a bottle of champagne. I really enjoyed spending the day with everyone. Im glad they are accepting me into their family with open arms.

Other stuff

Thank you SO much to everyone who has congratulated us! We are SO SO excited about taking this step in our relationship.

People keep asking 'when is the big day' But we have NO clue yet. We are just enjoying each other and being newly engaged right now. We plan to get married sometime next year around spring or summer, but we will keep everybody up to date.

Nothing about our wedding as been decided yet. But trust me, I will start the planning SOON!

Metformin: My Frienemy & Other Weekly Happenings

So last week my doctor prescribed Metformin to help with my cysts and I started taking in on Monday. I was excited to try something new, but my excitement quickly turned to... sickness. I found out that my body does not like whatever it is metformin is doing to it. It made me pretty sick for the first 5 days, but the last 2 days have been much, much better. & for that, I am thankful.

I cant remember if it was Tuesday or Wednesday night, but whatever night it was, I was convinced somebody was trying to break into our house. I was home alone, and Mobley barked around 1:30 am. I freaked out, called Chris and he stayed on the phone with me while I checked the doors and windows. (But seriously, guys, what the hell would I do if somebody was breaking into my house? Im getting a gun, but Ill get to that later) I attempted to go back to bed, but every noise I heard made me that much more nervous. By about 2:35 I was on the verge of tears I was so scared. I finnally told Chris that I wanted to get out of the house- it didnt matter that it was the middle of the night. So I grabbed Mobley and ran to the car ( I realize that this is not logical now, but you couldnt have convinced me of that then...) and realized that I didnt have my contacts. So I frantically ran inside, put on my glasses and made the 40 minute drive to Satsuma at 3 am. Im glad Chris loves me, because I kept him up all night long. Even when I got to Satsuma I couldnt sleep. After staying awake all night, we decided to get an alarm system. Yay.

Friday morning I packed up me & Mobs & we went to Orange Beach with Mimi. Mimi and I did some grocery shopping, and played scrabble all night. Saturday Lindsay, Justin, Alisa, Rian, Sarah, Chris S. and Zoe all came to hang out with me at the beach. Im so glad they did- It was SUCH a beautiful day. Plus we got to take a trip to Flora Bama and drink a few bushwackers!

After everybody left I had a buzz from the bushwackers, and was drained by the sun, so I passed out on the couch to rest up for Sunday.

Sunday Chris and my family met us at the beach. We went straight to the boat launch and spent the whole day out on the water. It was so nice spending time with my family together, and being in the sunshine. & If you have never eaten at Pirates Cove, it is so awesome! They have a really good greesy cheeseburger & there are dogs running all around! Oh god I loved the dogs. I made so many doggy friends, Mobley would have loved it.
After we were good and sun burned, we headed back to the condo and spent the rest of the afternoon eating and playing cards together. It was a perfect perfect Sunday.

Chris and I got up early this morning and headed back to Mobile so we could both get back to work. & I got to ease back into the work week by having lunch with my long lost friend Vicky. Im really glad she asked me to lunch, it was good catching up with her. BUT She told me her house got broken into Thursday night (THE ONE I USED TO LIVE IN!!!!). Thankfully noone was home, but they stole all of their electronics. I hate hate hate that that happened to her. Even MORE reason to get a gun and an alarm.

And though today has had some great parts to it, its kind of been bittersweet. Alisa and Justin lost a dear friend of theirs, Glen, last night to a heart attack. Even though I didnt know him, its hard to hear when someone so young and so loved passes away. Its things like that that flip your world upside down. It makes you cherish the time you have with your loved ones, & forces you to remember to tell them that you love them. I cant help but thinking about Chad and his family today. I keep hearing the last call and remembering the pain of his funeral. God, even as I type this I can  feel the anxiety, saddness, fear, and anger rising up in my chest.
Whew. I need a break from this...

Ill end with saying this, I am so incredibly lucky to have such an amazing family and a wonderful group of friends. I know I am loved by you, and I hope you know that I love each and every one of you. My life just wouldnt be the same without you all in it. Thank you for giving me so many memories and so much love and support in everything I do. I look forward each day to making a lifetime of memories with all of you.

Let The Good Times Roll

The last few days have been full of good times with family and friends; I have made so many memories, and Id love to share. Just as a warning, this post is going to be long...

                Friday                      

 I was supposed to work, but Chris was off and wanted to go to a pre-float loading party at the Wine loft, so I took off work to start the Mardi Gras party early. We had a little lunch at Wine Loft, and then walked around the corner to Twist (a new cupcake boutique). The plan was to split one cupcake, but we couldnt decide so we ended up getting 3... For those of you who dont know, Chris doesnt eat a lot of sweets. So after he devoured 2 1/2 cupcakes, he was on a SUGAR HIGH. It went kind of like this 'la la lalala bounce bounce bouncebounce lalalalalalala'. .....pause....stop.... "I think Im going to vomit" Sick. Hah, well Im glad he had a good time.

Friday afternoon we headed to Fred & Gayles to load the cars up and take the throws to the float barn. We met some of the fam down there too; Erick, Pam, Ericka, Jack, Debbie, John, Drew, Rachel, Tarriq, Mike & Kaylin. After float loading we all went to China Doll. Nobody wanted China Doll. It almost became a fist fight, but we tried to play nice since this was only Day 1 in what turned out to be a Four Day Family Affair. I had the best seat of the night though. I got to sit next to John (Chris's brother-in-law) who I found out is FUNNY AS SHIT. I also sat across from Chris and Drew, who kept me laughing the whole night.
After dinner, Tarriq and Drew came home with us. I am under strict instructions to keep all events of Friday night under wraps, but we had a really really good time together. We stayed up till almost 2:30 before I forced everybody to go to sleep.



Saturday

  We all woke up, gathered our things and headed downtown. Chris and I left Drew with Erick, and Tarriq with Fred (sorry 'bout that Tarriq...) and we checked in to our room, got some food and started drinking. Unfortunately around 3:30, Mobile Police Department called the parade off due to bad weather that was headed our way. It put a little damper on the day, Chris threw a little temper tantrum, but in the end all was good. The guys headed to due their 'ceremonial pre-parade things', also known as drinking... and I hung out with Justin, Alisa, Lindsay, SUZY, and Drew. Eventually the maskers made it back, we all got dressed and headed to the ball. We had such an amazing night. Somehow this year Chris and I managed to avoid all drama. Well, kind of. Mike, and Claude assumed Ginger was keeping their children during the ball, but didnt really ask Ginger. And Ginger was staying at our house... We werent prepared at all for having children in our house... Our pantry was basically empty. Opps. But the night was still fun- We danced, drank, took tons of pictures & spent lots of time with friends.

 A few of my favorite moments included:

Erick trying to convince me he looked like George Clooney. I never did see the resemblance....

Hanging out with my parents

Seeing Suzy, Her Mom and Her Date. I miss SueSue SO Much!

Hanging out with all of our friends

Sunday

Sunday morning we crawled out of bed, and headed to breakfast at the Spot of Tea with Debbie, John, their friends Becky and Chris, Pam, Erick, Fred & Gayle. It was delicious and crowded as always. After Breakfast Chris and I headed home to do some homework. I had completely forgotten that there were like 15 people at my house, mostly under the age of 10. Fantastic. But, it wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. They were very good while I wrote my paper. As soon as I was finished, we all got dressed and got ready to head down to the Island to grill out and spend some time with our family. This was my favorite part of the whole weekend. The whole family was there; Fred, Gayle, Deb, John, Drew, Rachel, Erick, Pam, Ericka, Jack, Ginger, Tarriq, Summer, Corey, Sarrah, Claude, Wanda, Ashlie, Mike, Kay, Chris & Me. Plus Deb's friends Becky, Chris, and their two boys. It was so beautiful down there.

We grilled out & played beach volleyball... My team kicked Chris' teams butt!!

Sunday night after the big dinner with the fam, Rachel asked to come home with Chris & me so she could play with Mobley. Ginger, Sarrah & Tarriq were also spending the night. By the time we picked up Mobs & got home, somehow we ended up with Ashlie too. We all piled in the living room and watched How to Train Your Dragon. I do have to apologize to everybody there though, about midnight I got TIRED and GROUCHY. Those of you who know me well KNOW that I HAVE to go to bed at a decent hour... 3 nights past midnight started to kill me.

Monday

We woke up, and mostly spent the morning just hanging around the house in our jammies. Chris and I eventually went to the store and came home to make spaghetti for everybody at our house. After lunch we got ready to go down to the parade. Chris, Tarriq and I piled in the car about 3:45 and left Ginger with the girls (sorry, Gin...). When we got downtown, Chris went with Erick to get ready for the parade, and Tarriq and I went drinking with John.

Eventually, the rest of the crew showed up to watch the parade. Here are some of my favorite pictures & a video of Chris riding. Look for my "Happy Birthday Jack" sign. I knocked that out while I had a little buzz Friday night! Oh & sorry about the recording quality, I was trying not to get hit with shit.

After the Parade

After the parade was an adventure of its own. Chris was pretty shitfaced... This is what he looked like coming off the float

We spent probably 30 minutes at the Malaga that Chris doesnt remember any of. He was harassing family and strangers a like. He kept making strangers take pictures with him, those poor people...But as funny as that was, this might be my favorite picture ever. (Chris and John)

I finally convinced Chris to get in the car and head home, and holy crap I was STARVING. I tried to go to Foosacks, but apparently at they are not open at 10:30, sad. So I went to Arbys. For some reason, Chris thought it was a great idea to throw his shoe at Arbys. I took his shoe from him, parked the car, and before I could put his shoe back on for him (yes, he was THAT drunk) he leaped out of the car and tried to run inside. Luckily for me, the door was locked. But instead of getting back in the car, Chris sat on the hood of my car and started peeing. It took what seemed like a very long time to convince Chris to put his wiener up and get in the car. Somehow we made it home without Chris causing a crisis.

Against my better judgement I let Chris take Mobley outside to pee... HOLY SHIT. After about 4 minutes I went to check on them and Chris was laying in our front yard.... I got Mobley to come in, but Chris was a different story. He was perfectly content chilling in our front yard. Im just thankful that our neighbors were already asleep. He finally came inside, and got really excited that I had Arbys. He had already forgotten that I picked up dinner. So we ate, and finally went to sleep around 1.

Fat Tuesday

Im exhausted. My house is a mess. Chris woke up drunk. He decided to finally roll into work about 9:30, and Mobs and I went back to sleep. We slept until 12, and now Im just sitting here wondering where the hell to start. I need a shower, and my house needs to be cleaned from top to bottom, but mostly Im just wanting to sleep all day long.

Its been a long long long few days, but at the same time, I wish it wouldnt have gone by so fast. I love having everybody here. I love Chris' family so much. I cant wait to call myself a Newman!

350 days until Mardi Gras 2012...

Preparing for Pardi Gras!

OhMyGod, Mardi Gras is so freakin close & I dont think its possible for me to be more excited. Inca is 9 DAYS AWAY! I feel like I have so much to do before then, like, hmm, get my dress altered maybe... Nothing like waiting untill the last minute... Oh well.
& as excited as I am about Inca, I am more excited about MOTs. Well, let me rephrase, I am MOST excited about seeing family & friends that I havent seen in a while, and seeing them all in once place and one time.
Lets run through the list, starting with Chris's family.
Debbie- We last saw Debbie over the summer when she brough her family here to visit, but I havent seen her husband, John, in probably 2 years. I am really excited about seeing her son Drew, and daughter Rachel. Drew keeps me laughing the entire time Im around him. (They are traveling from Indiana)
Ginger- I think the last time we saw Ginger is when Debbie was in town. Ginger is coming from Laurel, MS with her daughter Sarrah, & hopefully Summer. Tarriq is coming down from Wabash College with Deb & fam.
Eric- Eric, Pam, Ericka, & Jack are coming from Seattle. We havent seen them since last Mardi Gras!
Rob- I am really hoping Rob can bring his whole crew here for Mardi Gras! Even though we did get to see them last August, I cant wait to see Liz, Bella, Josie, Ethan, & Ashley very very soon! (They are traveling from London!)
Claude- We got to see Claude, Wanda, CJ, Jack & Ashley at Christmas, but Im still looking forward to seeing them again. We dont see them nearly enough, even though they live so close to Mobile.
Mike- I have only seen Mike once since New Years, which is extremely unusal. But I know life is busy & hope he is enjoying his new job

This will be my 4th Mardi Gras with the Newmans, and I this is the first time everyone is going to be able to be in Mobile at one time. I cant tell you how excited I am. I love this family so much, and cant wait to call myself a part of their family.

But more than just family coming in to town, my best best girl friend, Suzanne is coming in for the MOT ball. I cant wait to see her and to see what kind of trouble we can start up :)

In case you havent kept up with my list here is all the people that we will be partying our asses off with this Mardi Gras @ the Ball, Debbie & John, Ginger, Mike, Rob & Liz, Eric & Pam, Claude & Wanda, Fred & Gayle, my parents, Kim & Danielle, Danielle & Joey, Suzanne & Drew, Lindsay & Judson, Alisa & Justin, Karleen & Eddie, Monica & Bogdan, & Shannon. Plus the thousands of others that are going to be there!

So in order to get ready for Mardi Gras, Ive been hitting the gym, and tanning. Well this morning when I went tanning, I used my 'upgrade' for the month. I though I was a bad ass and could use my super tanning lotion and tough out 12 minutes in the platinum bed... NOPE. I burned my ass... It literally hurts to sit. Somebody better notice that I got a tan. :)

As much as we've done to get ready for Mardi Gras, it feels like we have so much more to do, mainly buy throws. & Puchase & Distribute tickets. But life is good, Im not gonna worry, it'll all get done.

Plus I am SO thankful for my flexible job that is allowing me to take time off while we have friends and family here so we can all spend time together.


On To Something New
 I didnt intend for this whole post to be about Mardi Gras, but, what can I say, Im exited! I almost feel like I should make a new post, but that would require too much effort...

Anyway! Our Valentines Day was amazing!! When I left the house Monday morning I left Chris a card, his present (a shoehorn; dont ask. he asked for it...) & set the coffee to come on when he was supposed to be home. He came and picked me up from work and took me to get a light lunch at the Jerusalem Cafe. Before I got off work, he showed back up to sign his tax return, and apparently while he was there he left me a card & flowers in my car for me to find when I got off work.
When I got home we spent the day being lazy, and playing with Mobley. Then we went to Pure for dinner & holy shit it was so good! We split a tuna appitizer that was to die for. Then he had corn chowder & I had gumbo, we both ate salads, then for out entree he had pork chops & I had chicken & goat cheese. & for dessert we had bread pudding & creme brulee. (They were having a 5 course meal special, we dont normally eat like that, haha) After dinner we went home & crashed. It was a very nice Valentines Day. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life.

Yesterday was uneventful, as Im sure today will be. I do have to go to the dentist though, yuck. Wish me luck.