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.

Halloweenie

Even though I really missed throwing our annual Halloween party, I had a blast celebrating this year!

On Thursday night our kickball team had theme week! We were superheroes!

I love my team so much! Even when we lost, my team was still in good spirits... well, kind of. We had a great time making fun of the other team. Normally, I would not jeer the other team, but this team was AWFUL to play. They were SO serious! & didnt dress up for theme week. They were SUPER intense about kickball. Jesus guys, give it a rest.. its KICKBALL. Not that serious. It is OKAY to have fun!!

After kickball, we went to Bojangles. Not that Im a big fan of Bojangles, but we actually did have a really good time.

Me & Chris

Doing the Cupid Shuffle!

Chris & Big Show. (Yes, you are seeing that correctly. Big Show isnt wearing any pants... )

On Saturday, Lauren & I picked out her bridesmaids dress! I love it! (Her actual dress will be navy).

I slept for a good portion of the day & then got ready for the Inca Halloween party & Copper Light at The Garage! I was go glad Chris got off work to celebrate! We both had a BLAST at the Inca party hanging out with Sarah & Chris Shuttlesworth, Leigh Ann, Curtis, Justin, Mark & Jenn!! I wish Alisa could have stayed longer! (Boo, work!)

After the Inca party, we went downtown to hear Kyle & Albert's band, Copper Light, play at the garage! They were SO good & we had a blast downtown. & as a BONUS I got to eat a cow tongue taco. GOD I LOVE THEM! & Suzy came & hung out too!

It was a good Halloween. Now I've got to get ready to hang out candy tonight to the Trick or Treaters!! Happy Halloween!!

Cow Says Moo. SlutSaysWhat.

Thursday: Worst Day Ever
     Jesus Christ. I had another HORRIBLE day on Thursday due to my lovely PCOS. I was in my French class with about 25 minutes to go when I tried to leave. (I was dieing) & My professor decided that, not only could I NOT leave, but she was going to embarrass me in front of the whole class. Sorry French Class for giving you every detail of my life, but apparently thats what our Prof. wanted...  I will spare YOU the details, but when I left I was so IN PAIN, pissed off & humiliated that I cried all the way to the doctors office. Thankfully my sweet mama met me, picked me up, and took me to her house so I could take a pain pill & a nap.
     Also, I found out today that my Professor told the whole class after I left that I could be out killing someone and that I would try to use her as an alibi.... Well, lady, you have a pretty wild imagination. Im pretty sure Ive never killed any one. And just in case I got accused of it, I would certainly use the nurse at the doctors office to cover my ass. So fuck you. Bitch.
    
Friday: Best Day Ever?
I am thankful that Friday made up for my shitty day Thursday. Chris was off work & we had a perfect day. I cant really think of anything specific that made the day THAT good, but we were both in good moods & we had no other distractions. No school work, No work work, No meetings. Nothing but quality time together.
We did go to the mall & I got an early birthday present! New Versace Sunglasses!! &&& I got my watch fixed!!

While we were still at the mall, I started having pain again. & I carry my pain meds with me, but that usually doesnt do me any good because I cant take them and function. I certainly cant drive, or work or think, or speak in logical sentences. But I decided to take a pain pill anyway and just ride in the car while Chris picked up his check and ran a few errands. I attempted to have a conversation with Alisa at some point in time, but I was kind of out of it. Im not really sure what we talked about.
When we got home, Chris and I played Yahtzee to determine which wedding invitations we would order. In our house, thats how we make any important decision that we cant agree on. We play a game. Winner gets to make the final decision.
It was actually pretty nice because during Yahtzee Chris "won" a 30 minute back massage for rolling 2 Yahtzees, and got to plan the rest of the night for having a higher over all score. I got to pick our wedding invitations because I won 2 games out of 3. (Well technically I only won 1 out of 3, but we tied on 1. And according to Chris all ties default to Mobleys Mama.)

Saturday: Wedding Planning
Saturday morning I met Alisa, Lindsay & Mom at David's Bridal to check out bridesmaids dresses. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a very painless shopping experience & both girls found something that they loved!
This is exactly what Lindsay's dress will look like! LOVE IT!!

& Alisa's will look like this except Navy. It looks SO good on her!!



After DB we went to lunch,  & DSW, and Mom and I went to the mall to get my birthday presents. Wheee new make up! I spent the rest of the day scrap booking with Mimi & going over wedding details & budget with Mom & Dad. Im pretty close to almost not going over budget ;)

Sunday Funday
I spent all day Sunday cleaning, doing homework & working out. P.S- 5 Hour Energy works, but its super nasty & if you drink it at say, oh 4:00, you will not be able to sleep. Period.

Monday: Best Day Ever, Again!

Warning: Not appropriate for work, children or anyone else.
But really, Monday was AMAZING. First of all, I spent the best $17 of somebody elses money that Ive ever spent! (Thanks, Chris) I mean really THIS was a great investment....

Its theme week for Go Kickball & our team's theme is Super Heroes!! Im literally in love with my costume. I kind of want to wear in it public more than once.
I went to class, and then WE WENT TO THE FAIR! I LOVE the fair. Like more than is normal for a person to love a trashfest. I cant help it.
My favorite part was probably the petting zoo... or maybe the corndog... or the Fireball... Ill stick with petting zoo...



After we did the petting zoo twice, Suzanne & Drew met up with us. We rode a bunch of unsafe rides & ate a bunch of fattening food. But we had SUCH a good time. Here we are on the CRAZY MOUSE. It was actually kind of craaazzzayyyy.

It was a good day. :)

Now counting down until Thursday when Chris is off again & we get to play kickball in costumes!!

Tickled By a Stranger: My Skydiving Experience

I cant WAIT to share my skydiving experience with you guys, but so much else has happened in the last few days, Im going to start with Thursday.

Thursday
Thursday night we had kickball & the team we played WAS undefeated! We won 4-0!!! It was a really exciting game. But I think the highlight of the game was when I did a complete split... I did not even know I was physically capable of doing a split, but it happened. I was running from 2nd to 3rd and the grass was wet... Sean was yelling at me to "slide" but I thought he said "stop". But when I tried to stop, my feet kept going. I tried really hard to keep one leg on the base, but I ended up just doing a split and sliding off the base. I immediately tried to reach back and touch the base, but the ball hit me & I was out. It was still a pretty good play though. Here is my depiction of what happened... Enjoy :)

After Kickball our team went to Los Rancheros to celebrate another win. It was an amazing night out. & As much as I wanted my "own" team of just our friends, I am SO thrilled about the team we have. We all play really well together. But more importantly I have really enjoyed getting to meet some new friends. :)

Friday
....was pretty uneventful. I did get to go eat dinner at Purple while Suzy was working. That was nice. But that was the only thing exciting about Friday.

Saturday AM
Saturday was AMAZING. Chris got off work early and we met at Nana & Pappys house at 7:30 and headed for Lumberton, Mississippi to go SKYDIVING!! My uncle Casey was in town this weekend & has been wanting me to go skydiving with him for quite some time. & I have wanted to go SO bad, but something always came up. This weekend I made sure we could go! Chris went for moral support but refused to jump. (Chicken. ;)- just kidding- Im glad he went)
Once we arrived everything went so quickly and smoothly. I was SO excited to be there... & at that point, I wasnt nervous at all.

After I got all suited up, it was on! I was so ready... Heres me and Casey before.

When we got the call to load the plane, I found my tandem instructor & practically ran to the plane. I was the first one in! Casey got to go on the same flight & jumped right before me.

Okay, now this is when I started to freak out. I knew we were going to jump at 14,000 feet. 65 seconds of free fall at 120 miles/hour. We were going to be in free fall for 2 miles. Awesome. I was good with all of that. But when we reached about 5,000 ft on the way up, I started to PANIC. I realized that in my excitement I didnt tell Chris, or anybody else for that matter, that I loved them. & I hadnt talked to my parents all day. I was almost in tears.

I think my tandem instructor started to sense that I was getting tense. He tried to make me feel better by tickling me.. but I did not like that at all... If you see my video youll see me make the weirdest face. Its a face you make when you are tickled by a stranger. Anyway. Once we got past that, I I started to relax a little more.

When we reached 14,000 feet we got ready to jump. We made our way to the front of the plane and didnt jump, but flipped out. It was incredible! I cant really describe what it was like, except that it was unlike anything Ive ever done. I didnt get that feeling in my stomach like I do when i ride roller coasters. It was just kind of, I dont know, amazing!! Here are some pictures of my skydive...

& Once we landed, I was ALL smiles.

If you have an extra few minutes and want to watch my skydive video, here it is...

Thank you, Casey, for taking me! I had such an amazing time! I cant wait to do it again!!

Saturday PM

After we got back from Lumberton, Chris and I got ready for football! We got dressed & went to Buffalo Wild Wings with Brandi, Leslie, Bogdan, Mike & Nicole to watch the Alabama and Auburn games.

After the Bama game was over, we all headed to Camilla to go bowling. Suzanne, Ethan, Alisa, Justin & Brittany joined us too. But Bogdan, Brittany & Alisa didnt bowl. We had a blasty blast right up until the cops got called... well maybe they werent ever called, but once I threw my shoes it was time to go home.

This has been an incredibly long blog so far, so Ill keep this story short. The bitch that worked at Camillas cut our game short. The game ended when we had only bowled 7 frames. I asked her to cut the game back on and she told me No because we had too many bowlers.... I was pissed because it let us bowl 7 frames.... why was it cut off then? & So I asked for a refund for the portion that we didnt get to complete. She said no. I was super pissed & drunk at this point. So Ethan asked if we could just finish our game. No. She bitched some more. So I took off my shoes and not-so-politely tossed them in her general direction. After that it was time for us to go home.

To those of you who were with me- Im sorry I was such a bitch. But I had a great time up until our game got cut off! We need to do it more often... and Ill be nicer :) To those of you who are randos reading this- I dont usually act like that... To everybody else- It was kind of like how people act at Mardi Gras once they get mad, there is no turning back. (*cough* Chris)

I still think that we got ripped off, but Im glad Chris made me leave. Because Im not going to lie, it crossed my mind to get all of the bowling balls and place them in the gutters. I guess it wasnt worth getting arrested. But that would have been a (bad) story later. "Have you ever been arrested?" "Yes" "For what?" "Throwing my shoes in a bowling alley" Classy.

I cant remember when the last time I've had such an eventful weekend was. But Im glad we got to spend some time with our friends & I got to do something Ive been wanting to do for a very long time! (Skydiving, not get in a fight in the bowling alley...)

Throw in the towel or Wipe the sweat off

For some reason this morning I work up super motivated to get back into the good habits I had formed... After I hit the 30lb mark, that I worked SO hard for, I kind of fell out of trying as hard. It became way easier to order something fried, or go to Starbucks. (DAMN those delicious Pumpkin Spice Lattes... they are so addicting). Plus I stopped keeping a food journal.
So as of this morning, I am back hitting the gym hard. I have new goals & a new attitude about it. I set the background of my iPod to this...

& I set the "lock" screen to this...

Good motivation for the gym! :)
I would like to lose 11lbs before the end of the year. I was 3 lbs closer to my goal last week. Id love to say Im carrying water weight, but its probably more of the muffins, tacos, and Pumpkin Spice lattes, Pad Thai, Pizza, etc. I've been eating.  But Im doing something about it. Here are my goals:

Week 1:
    1. Work out 5 times this week
    2. Complete week 1 of Couch to 5k
    3. Keep a food journal
    4. Increase Water- CUT OUT Iced Tea, & Anything from Starbucks
    5. Make better food choices. Nothing fried. Lean meats

Wish me luck... or better yet, correct me//yell at me when I do something wrong... Being pissed off makes for an excellent work out :)

Date Days

I love the days I get to spend with Chris. I mean, I love going out to dinner or curling up on the couch for a movie, but I like it more when I can make a whole day out of it. :)
We had a date day on Friday that was fantastic! Since Halloween is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER we decided to go paint some platters. I was a little sad when I found out the pottery place we went to shut down, but Chris drove me by there anyway to see what took its place.
I was SO excited to find PrissPot's Pottery! When we went in, the place was SO cute. The walls are all different colors & it was decorated nicely. Plus, we were greeted by a 10 month old Shih Tzu. His name was Mattie. I loved him instantly... and he loved my scarf. So I picked out a big plate/platter & Chris picked out a candy bowl & we started painted. Well, I started painting. Chris sketched for over an hour. He was really deep in thought about it.

After about 2 hours, I finished my plate..

I cant wait to see it after its been fired! After I was finished painting and Chris had just gotten started, I played with the dog, made friends with the owner & her mom, and her grandmother, helped fold some brochures ..... Annnd, wait for it.... Got a Saturday job! Whee. I am so excited. A few Saturdays a month Im going to work at PrissPot's Pottery from 10-6. It is a really really fun thing to do as a date night, or a family thing. I love having the pottery afterwards, but what is really fun is spending time together creating something. -Actually one night Id really like to have a girls night there!
After almost 4 hours, Chris finished his bowl. & I LOVE it. I think Im more excited about seeing his after its finished than I am mine!

Everything about this picture makes me smile. We're dead, drinking, & Chris's depiction of Mobley makes me laugh every time. Go check out PrissPot's Pottery on facebook!  We had a great time!!

The only other exciting thing we've done lately is register at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I thought I was going to go CRAZYY! But I really contained myself. I also tried not to register for all of the ridiculously over the top shit. For example, there was this one pillow that I really liked, but WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND BUYS $90 pillows? I registered for the $15.00 pillow. I mean, we registered for the stuff we wanted, we just tried to keep it reasonable. & We didnt register for a whole lot. Mostly because I want our 'main' registry to be HoneyFund. ((Which is an awesome little website that you tell your guests what you want to do on your honeymoon & they can give you money for activities they choose.)) Because we mostly have everything we need for the home. :)

Hope everybody has a great week. & if you dont have anything to do on Thursday night at 8:00 come watch us play kickball! We are going to win and then go to Bojangles! (At least, thats the way its playing out in my head..)

Redecorating

So my mantle was looking a little rough. I decided to do a little make over. Here are some pictures of what I've been working on...

Before... (Basically a storage shelf)

After

Im not sure where I got the idea, but I bought the letters to spell our names & little shelves at Hobby Lobby. I cut newspaper into strips and glued them to the letters until they were completely covered.

 & I spray painted the shelves black.

Then I hung the shelves on the wall...

Then I realized that it was kind of blank. So I added an 8x10 picture, and 2 5x7 pictures. Im also going to put 3 4x6 pictures above Chris's name but Wal*Mart was out of the matching 4x6 frames. (Sad)

I think it looks pretty good! Im pretty happy about it!