christmas eve eve party

december 23, 2009 marked the 2nd annual christmas eve eve party at our house! this year we decided to toss in a fun little requirement of the attendees...everyone must wear a tacky christmas sweaters! we've all seen them, but it was hysterical to see our friends in them! the night also included a 6 pack of beer exchange for the guys and an ornament exchange for the guys....we had a blast and can't wait to do it again next year! here are some pictures...what awesome memories!

it's a sickness time of year...

so after all of the windmueller family christmas festivities this weekend, i ended up sick monday night! i started feeling bad in the afternoon and got worse as the night went on...i knew it was bad when i woke up at 5:45 am with a really sore throat! unfortunately i had to take my first sick day ever from work (i usually get sick on vacation or when i'm already scheduled to be off!), so i went to the doctor first thing yesterday morning! luckily it was a 20 minute doctor visit and then on to walmart i went for prescriptions. i relaxed and slept all day yesterday (except for some baking and laundry last night!), and i felt so much better this morning!

it seems like this is the time of year for sickness...anne and reese were sick this weekend, kris woke up sick yesterday, jon was sick last week, and there have been several people at work who have been out sick recently! i'm hoping since i got it this week and jon was sick last week that we will have a healthy vacation in new york and boston next week!!!!

christmas eve eve party tonight....2 days until christmas....4 days until new york city!!! love this time of year....

time to celebrate...christmas

this weekend will begin family christmas celebrations for jon and me! my mom, kirk, laura, kate, reese, and anne are all coming in tomorrow for the windmueller christmas celebration! i'm super excited about seeing everyone and all of us being together!

my mom and i are going to do lots of baking tomorrow (i chose to bring desserts for christmas dinner on sunday!), once she arrives. i have a few more errands to run in the morning to finish up some last (well i guess not quite last...that would be if i waited until christmas eve!) minute shopping and then the baking will begin! i love christmas time....

making someone's christmas special

this christmas has arrived very quickly! i can't believe it's less than 2 weeks away! jon and i decided to do something we've never done this year at christmas...we adopted two needy children. there are so many unfortunate children that may not get to share in the joy of christmas, and this year was the beginning of a new tradition for us. christmas really is for children, and i can't imagine them not having gifts from santa on christmas morning.

i saw an angel tree at my gym that was sponsored by the salvation army, and i decided to check it out and pick an angel from it. when i started looking at the tags on it though, i was shocked! the "unfortunate and needy" children wanted ipods, wiis, playstation 3's, and wii games...this was not the type of angel i wanted to adopt for christmas! i wanted jon and i to buy gifts for a child who would be excited to just have something to open from santa.

after thinking about it and remembering the many days of helping my cousin who worked for the department of social services and was in charge of the annual christmas project (collecting, buying, distributing gifts for needy children), i decided to contact my old neighbor who works for a nonprofit organization that is affiliated with the department of social services. she was so excited to have us help and immediately sent me information for two young girls, ages 7 and 8. these two sisters wanted board games, uno, and a hannah montana doll...that's all they wanted!

i had so much fun shopping for them...picking out clothes, remembering the games i used to love as a child, and searching for the new character that the kids are raving about, hannah montana! on the saturday i shopped, i had the best feeling about what i was doing and how special these two sisters' christmas will be...and it really reminded that the giving is the important part, not the receiving! i am perfectly happy not receiving gifts this year, and just knowing that these two girls will have gifts to open on christmas morning will make my christmas very special!

on the road again...

in a little while jon and i are hitting the road with katherine and tee to head to litchfield beach for the weekend to hang out with jay, brittany, and will. this is a little bit of a spur of the moment trip which should be a lot of fun! there are always a lot of laughs when jon, jay, brittany, and will get together! (in fact there are moments when i have the thought that i might wet my pants while laughing at them!)

i'm hoping that tomorrow and/or sunday involves shopping in myrtle beach because i have a few more gifts to buy (and a couple things i would like for our new york trip)! the boys are playing in a golf tournament all day on sunday...and the rest of the fun will fall into place as the weekend goes on!

thirty more minutes and then i'm heading out the door and leaving work behind for the weekend...

personal matters...not facebook news stories

facebook is great...as long as it is used for the purposes in which it is intended. unfortunately some people think it is for airing dirty laundry and personal matters. a couple that i am close to is separated and today the husband announces on facebook that his wife has told him she wants a divorce...today - which also happens to be their anniversary. i know that she told him several days ago, but to the facebook world it looks like she dropped this huge bomb today and that he had no clue it was coming. divorce is a personal and private matter...not a facebook news story! it is a sad situation and i feel especially sorry for the wife (one of my closest friends) who now looks like a terrible person to her husband's facebook friends. she is not a terrible person though, and i love her and hope that they both will get through this unfortunate situation.

cookie baking mishap

jon and i decided to make cookies this afternoon, and thanks to my terrible conversion skills they didn't turn out like they were supposed to! i attempted to use crisco and butter instead of just butter, and i added twice the amount of crisco! as we finished mixing everything, the batter just didn't look right and it tasted way too smooth and creamy! after putting some in the oven, i read the crisco container again and realized my mistake! we decided to make the best of it and just add enough of the other ingredients to so that we would end up with a batch and a half of cookies...because you can never have too many chocolate chip cookies or too much cookie dough!!!! in the end they still weren't as good as usual, but they will do for now! next time i think i will stick with butter though!

another awesome weeekend ahead...

today is friday...and i love fridays! they usually go by pretty quickly at work, and i always look forward to awesome weekend activities! this weekend is funfilled...a party with friends tonight, the reindeer run with amy in the morning, my work christmas party tomorrow night, slumber party at katherine's tomorrow night (since the guys will be camping), and relaxing on sunday!

21 days until christmas and 23 days until NYC!!!!

all decorated and ready for santa...

this weekend jon and i got our christmas tree and decorated the house for christmas! i love this time of year...i've been excited about getting our treeand decorating since before thanksgiving! needless to say, jon wasn't nearlyas excited (about getting everything out of the attic!) as i was, but i think he enjoyed it! i can't believe tomorrow is the first day of december...our new york city trip will be here before we know it! 27 days before we'll be boarding a plan to nyc for a much needed vacation!

i am thankful for...

i have so many things to be thankful for in my life...my amazing husband, wonderful family, awesome friends, great job, good health, and a roof over my head. god has certainly blessed me and my life!

today has been a really good day! it started off with relaxing this morning, then making some food with my mom to take to the windmueller's house, eating a wonderful thanksgiving lunch with jon's family and my mom, and then a nice walk on the bridge with my mom. now it's time to relax for the rest of the evening! happy thanksgiving!

just another day....at the dermatologist's office

so today i had my annual visit to the dermatologist! which usually isn't nearly as bad as the other annual visit women have to go through...but today was not so good at the dermatologist! she decided to remove 4 spots! one in each of my arm pits, one on my cheek, and one on my butt! i'm hoping the one on my cheek (of my face not my butt cheek!) heals quickly because for now i have to wear a small bandage on it...and actually the one on my butt isn't very comfortable as I sit in my desk chair...and the more i think about it, the ones under my arms are a little uncomfortable as well! so what i thought was going to be quick body scan by dr. germain this morning turned into a few extra minutes of removing spots! now i'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they turn out to be nothing when they are tested by the lab!

birthday celebrations...

today is my 28th birthday...and the celebrating began last night! jon had beautiful fresh flowers for me when i got home from work yesterday and had my (technically it's ours, but it was my birthday present!!!) new camera all ready to go! he studied the manual yesterday and learned all about the cool features it has, so i am ready to snap loads of photographs now! we went to dinner at california dreaming and then watched grey's anatomy! it was an awesome evening of celebrating!

the celebrations have continued today with birthday breakfast bagels at work, lunch with abby, and tonight is dinner with kat, tee, amy, liza, and kris! (jon is going out of town for a bachelor party this weekend, but thankfully i am extremely lucky to be surrounded by amazing friends to celebrate with while he's gone!) i'm super excited, and so far it's been a good day at work...no stress (yet)! tomorrow morning i will begin the day with a walk over the bridge with amy to make up for all of the yummy food i am partaking in today! i love birthday celebrations!

sunday morning stroll...over the bridge

amy and i took a walk on the ravenel bridge this morning! it was an awesome way to begin my sunday...with a 2 hour brisk walk. the weather was perfect (it got up to around 80 today) and the view is amazing from the top of the bridge! if it wasn't going to be getting cold soon, i would love to be able to walk the bridge every weekend. it's definitely different scenery compared to the gym!

this weekend has been nice, and i really hate to see it come to an end! another monday (and very busy week) looms ahead! i'm praying for a less stressful week than last week, and hoping to not have to work quite as many hours this week!

girl time

today was packed full of girl time with amy! jon went to the usc football game with tee, so amy and i went shopping and out to dinner! it has been a lot of fun catching up with amy and having girl time...no boys allowed! :) tomorrow morning she and i are going to walk the ravenel bridge for some much needed exercise...especially after the calzone and peppermint chocolate chip milkshake i had tonight! i love my husband with all my heart, but girl time is definitely necessary in life! much love to all my great girlfriends out there...you are awesome and i'm extremely lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful friends!!!! xoxo

dear blog...works sucks

dear blog....work sucks right now! this month end stuff is taking up way too much of my time, and i'm ready to be done with it. getting close though...today has been quite productive and it's only 10:30. i'm hoping for good progress the rest of the day! back to work...

citadel homecoming...and good times!

this weekend was tons of fun! it was full of good times with great friends! saturday was citadel homecoming, so we packed up the necessary tailgating supplies....alcohol, food, radio, and chairs....and headed downtown to the the citadel! the weather was perfect, and there were a lot of friends in town that we don't get to see very often! these were all the ingredients for a perfect weekend!

fair food and people watching....

jon, amy, and i went to the coastal carolina fair tonight...and had a blast! we didn't go for the rides or the games...we went for the food and people watching! we started our fair meal by sharing cheese covered french fries, then it was on to some fresh squeezed lemonade (which was a let down!), next came a piece of pizza and a funnel cake (which jon wanted, but of course i had several bites of it!), and jon and i ended the night with a caramel apple! (i haven't had a caramel apple in many years, and it was pretty good!) i have to say, the food was pretty good, but i believe the funnel cake was my favorite...it was really fresh and delicious! the people watching was pretty good too! our 2nd annual trip to the fair was another great success! now we have another year to prepare our bellies for more scrumptious fair food!

halloween partying...

so we went to a halloween party last night with all of our friends and partied almost until it was time to turn the clocks back an hour. we had fun getting dressed for the party at our house...bowman, rachel, pat, and amy were all there for the pre party/getting dressed! jon and i were a pimp and hoe...quite impressive costumes for throwing it together in a few days (i thought!). i had a blast hanging out with our friends, and bowman and rachel (aka shrek and fiona) won the costume contest! pictures to come...

unfortunately today is not looking like it's going to be a very productive day! i can't seem to pull myself off the couch to do some work i brought home from the office, and my eyes feel like the need to be held open with toothpicks for any length of time! partying late seems to be kicking my butt anymore! i'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that i'm getting older! :)

another fun weekend down and another one to go next weekend...citadel homecoming weekend...and the fair in between! thursday night we are heading to the fair with amy, dan, stefani, and spencer for some fair food and people watching! i can't wait!

new york & boston bound...in 2 months!

in two months (exactly, from tomorrow), jon and i will be getting on a plane headed for new york city...and then after a few days in new york, we will hop on a bus headed to boston! i am super excited about our trip! the last few days we've been working on our hotel reservations (trying to get a hotel in the perfect location in both cities!) and checking out broadway shows (we have to go to 1 while we are there!) in new york.

i've never been to new york or boston, and i'm really excited about going at christmas and new year's! it's going to be freakin' cold, but we will take some warm clothes and wear lots of layers! i can't wait to see the christmas tree at rockefeller center, the empire state building, eat real ny pizza, see times square, and all the rest there is to see and do! 2 months and counting...

another relaxing sunday

today is going to be another relaxing sunday in the life of heidi! jon and i have had an awesome weekend with friends, but today is a day of relaxation....on the couch with a movie and/or book!

yesterday was a day full of citadel tailgating fun! the weather was perfect, the company was awesome, and the food was great....and to top it all off, the citadel beat furman! of course, we didn't watch the game, but we were listening to it on the radio from our tailgating spot! after the game we headed home to relax for a little while and then we headed to tee and kat's with a pizza for a little more hanging out with friends!

this morning jon and i slept in and made french toast for breakfast! (yummy!) we've got laundry to do, and i am planning on heading to the gym this afternoon (shocking for a sunday, i know!)...but otherwise i am hoping to sit on the couch all day and RELAX!

another work week begins tomorrow....with another fun weekend to look forward to at the end of it!

my girls...

i love my girls...those girls being my college roommates, who are like sisters to me! unusual circumstances brought three of us together this weekend, and although the fourth one couldn't make it, we were certainly thinking about her all weekend. i honestly don't know what i would do without the 3 of them...emily, katherine, and abby.

we've been friends since we moved into berry hall (dorm) our freshman year of college in 2000. who knew that we would become inseparable in the next 9 months! we've been through a lot with each other and i know that no matter what, those three girls will always be there for me. unfortunately we don't all live in the same town, but we can pick up quickly where we left off when we get together! i look forward to girls weekends with them from the moment we start planning them!

em, kat, and abby....our lives have gotten busy since we've left college, but i know that no matter what we will always be the bestest of friends! i love hanging out with you and always look forward to seeing or talking to each of you! love you girls to pieces! xoxo

another great weekend...

this weekend has been a fun one...and it's only saturday afternoon! last night we went to a restaurant in mt. pleasant with katherine and nick. it is a whole in the wall seafood place that only locals know about and it was awesome! afterwards we hung out at our house with kat and tee. this morning was a great morning of sleeping in and dunkin donut balls for breakfast (definitely going to the gym tomorrow)! then i decided i was in the mood for a little shopping. i found some good buys at the outlets and finally bought myself a sewing machine!

my goal this fall is to learn how to sew! i want to be able to make pillows and fun stuff for gifts, and i really want to be able to hem my own pants! hopefully next weekend i will have time to begin my sewing adventure!

tonight we are heading to tee and kat's to hang out with friends, eat yummy appetizers, and watch some football! then i believe we are going to hit the town with nick before he heads home tomorrow! it's been a fun weekend so far, and there is still half of it left!

is it friday yet?!

wow, it's been a hell of a last 8 days....at work! my boss is out for the next 6-8 weeks for surgery, so last week and saturday was spent trying to tie up all of the loose ends before she went into surgery yesterday! yesterday was a rough monday, so i'm hoping that it wasn't an indication of the rest of the week! i'm ready for the weekend, so i can relax for more than one day and not think about work!

jon and i had a great sunday together though. we slept in (our favorite thing to do on the weekends!), made breakfast, relaxed, and then decided to go to a movie. it was a wonderful day before the crazy week began!

we've got a lot going on this week...matt (jon's friend who lives in germany) is flying in tonight to stay for a couple of days and nick (jon's old roommate) is coming in on thursday to stay through the weekend. it should be a fun filled rest of the week and weekend...as long as i can keep my head above water in the office!

speaking of which...it's time to get working on these piles sitting on my desk!

a great weekend and now for a busy week

i've had a great weekend. my dad and stepmom came in friday evening and we had a great day yesterday. we went to easterby's friday night for all you can eat crab legs which we all thoroughly enjoyed! saturday morning we headed down to the farmer's market and then out on the boat. i can't believe it's october and we were able to relax on the boat...we live in such a great place! this morning, i learned how to make chicken bog (chicken and rice to some people!) which jon and i are going to really enjoy now that i know how to make it! jon and i have relaxed this afternoon and had a date to costco!

this week is going to be really busy at work. it's the last week before my immediate boss goes out for 8 weeks for surgery...that leaves me in charge of the accounting department and all of its functions! i'm a little nervous about it, but i'm sure everything is going to go well!

tomorrow is the day to get back into the gym and working out! last week was so busy trying to get our townhouse ready for our new tenants that i really slacked off and didn't go to the gym but one day! tomorrow is back to the grind though! a few more hours of the weekend to enjoy...

some people should not be allowed to have children and definitely don't deserve them

i got a phone call from my dad a few hours ago that my stepsister and her husband were on the way to the hospital to possibly adopt a baby boy who was getting ready to be born. i was so excited for them because they've had a lot of ups and then downs (none quite as close as this one though) as they've been searching for a child to adopt. i was really praying hard and hoping that this would be the baby for them. unfortunately though this one did not work out either. :(

they got to the hospital (where the baby had just been born) and the mother requested to see them alone with nobody else in the room. after meeting with her they found out she's had eight (yes, 8!) children that she's already given up, she's homeless (yet, she needed to contact her lawyer before doing anything!), on drugs, and was basically interested in money...not giving her baby to loving parents and giving him the best possible life. as far as i'm concerned, this lady should be sewn up for good...she doesn't deserve to have anymore kids. she certainly isn't capable of taking care of them herself and doesn't even seem to want to give them to parents that do want them and will love them and take care of them!

people in this world never cease to amaze me...and there are plenty out there who should not be allowed to have kids! please keep my stepsister and her family in your prayers as they continue their search for a baby to adopt.

a weekend of friends and tailgating

this weekend has been a lot of fun! yesterday morning i met katherine, emily, and andrew at the farmer's market. i haven't seen emily in months, so it was great to spend some time with her and catch up on life! we found some neat things at the farmer's market (ie. homemade pasta, which jon and i will be trying tonight with spaghetti!) and then we headed to cupcake for some treats! unfortunately i ended up with a parking ticket, but i've never had one as long as i've been in charleston so i guess i was way overdue for one!

jon and i headed dowtown yesterday afternoon (after he worked on the bathroom for a while and i baked cookies) for some citadel football tailgating! it was the citadel's first home game this season, and they did awesome....from what we heard on the radio in the parking lot and the news when we got home! we prefer to tailgate during the game rather than going in to watch the game! will and carol brought their rv, so we had an awesome tailgating setup, along with our own restroom...no portalets for us! i'm looking forward to doing it all over again next saturday!

i've got homemade spaghetti sauce on the stove, i'm doing laundry and doing things around the house, and jon is continuing to work on the bathroom...so we are being extremely productive this sunday! tonight we grout the tile in the shower!

here's to another week...but most importantly another fun weekend at the end of it! xoxo

another day at the office...with cake!

it's just another day at the office, but today we are celebrating the boss' birthday with cake! we also celebrated a birthday on tuesday with a really good chocolate cake! i'm not sure what type of cake we will be having this afternoon, but i'm sure it will be tasty!

tomorrow is friday....thank goodness! i'm ready for a fun filled weekend weekend to begin! we are tailgating saturday afternoon/evening for the citadel's first home football game of the season. also, one of my roommates from college, emily, is going to be in town, so i'm looking forward to seeing her and catching up at some point this weekend!

on another note, the guest bathroom is almost finished! we have someone coming to reglaze the tub (from the hideous green from the 1960's to a more modern white!) tomorrow morning, and then all that's left is grouting the tile around the shower and the trim work! i will definitely post pictures once the project is completed!

the new grey's anatomy starts tonight, and it's a 2 hour season premiere! it's going to be a great next few days!

one amazing year...

as of today, jon and i have been married for 1 year! i can't believe it has already been 12 months since we were married in a gorgeous ceremony barefoot on the beach....time has absolutely flown by! we've made some awesome memories the last 12 months and i'm excited about many more memories to come in the future!

jon is an amazing husband! he's brought so much into my life, and i don't know what i would do without him! i love waking up to him every morning and coming home to him every night! i love the way he makes me laugh constantly and enjoy life no matter what's going on around us! thank you baby for just being you and for being such an amazing part of my life! happy anniversary! xoxo

a weekend of anniversary celebrations!

jon and i have had an amazing weekend of celebrating our anniversary! last night we went to dinner at slightly north of broad (aka snob) downtown....and it was awesome! i had never been there and jon had only been once several years ago. they had two glasses of champagne ready for us...what a great treat! we started with some appetizers and then i had duck breast with squash casserole and asparagus and jon had triggerfish with wild rice. it was an amazing dinner at a restaurant we wouldn't normally treat ourselves to except for special occasions! after dinner we took a walk down to waterfront park and checked out the beautiful view of the bridge...what a great city we live in! we headed home to our dessert...a fresh mini version of our wedding cake that i picked up at the bakery yesterday morning! it was just as good last night as it was a year ago on our wedding night!


this afternoon jon and i had a couples massage at a spa in west ashley! it was so relaxing and we both thoroughly enjoyed it! we've decided that when we go on vacation from now on we will be getting one to help us relax...and maybe on some special occasions too!

tomorrow will be our 1 year anniversary!

fun times in indiana

jon and i arrived home from indiana around 9 last night. we had a great weekend with my brother, patrick, and his family. my niece, zoie, and nephew, maddox, are absolutely adorable! (i so wish we lived closer to them!) we got in late friday night, so we crashed as soon as we got to their house. we started saturday morning with zoie's first soccer practice and then headed to the iu/western michigan football game! we were able to get a little tailgating in before going into the game! saturday night we relaxed with some of their friends after a busy day!

sunday was zoie's 5th birthday...i can't believe how quickly she is growing up! the morning began with putting up the jump castle and getting a few jumps in before the birthday party guests arrived! she got lots of neat things for her birthday (and maddox even got some cool things too)! we got to see my cousin, holly, and her husband, matt, at the birthday party, and we haven't seen them since our wedding last year! sunday night we headed to greenwood, in to meet jon's friend from the citadel, josh, his wife, stacie, and their adorable son, aaron at the cheesecake factory (what an awesome restaurant)! jon and i hadn't met aaron (we'd only seen pictures), and he's even cuter in person! what a fun little guy!


monday was a big day for jon and i...we kept the kids while valerie and patrick went to work! what a day...we played, we went to the mall, and we jumped in the jump castle! we had a lot of fun with them, but it definitely made us realize how much work kids are...we decided we aren't quite ready for that full time responsibility! :) our time will come though...just not for a few years!

tuesday was a fun last day! we went to the indianapolis motor speedway for a track tour and to see the museum! we got to ride around the whole track in a bus while learning neat facts about it...jon and i definitely want to go to the indy 500 within the next few years! we met holly for lunch at buca di beppo....our favorite family style italian restaurant! it was sooooo good...i wish we had one near us! jon and i then boarded our plane home to sc!

what a great long weekend it was! i was sad to see it end and say goodbye! here are some pictures...

i hope i'm not getting sick....

so it seems to happen that every time jon and i go on vacation, one of us gets sick! we were both sick at some point when we were in utah in february, and the last few days my nose has been running like crazy! i haven't had any type of sickness since our trip in february, but of course, the few days before we leave for indiana i've got something going on in the sickness department! i hope it's just allergies, but i've been taking vitamin c pills, drinking orange juice (as much as i hate it, i've been attempting to get down at least a small glass each morning), and using zicam in an attempt to ward off any type of illness that may be trying to form!

on a good note...jon got our guest bathroom painted last night, so we are getting closer and closer to finishing it! it's going to look awesome!

a day and a half of work and then off to indiana....

awesome times with awesome friends and family!

this weekend was so much fun...i hate to see it end, but i guess we have to get back to reality at some point! we got the weekend started friday night with dinner at easterby's! saturday morning i headed down to the farmers market with my mom and saturday afternoon involved lots of fun on the ashley river. we hung out on the dock, philip got the raptor tube to actually fly (something jon and the guys have been working on for several summers!), and we watched the sunset on the dock to end the party on saturday! philip, abby, rachel, bowman, jon, and i headed to dinner at kickin chicken and then went to tee and katherine's for some games! what a great day!

sunday morning we slept in a little and then headed back to the windmueller's for some more fun in the sun! abby and i went tubing on the raptor and then rachel and katherine hopped on for a ride! we relaxed in the sun and had another great day with awesome friends before jon and i headed to pawley's island!

jay, brittany, and will had a condo in pawley's island for the holiday weekend so we hung out with them and liza for the night! i laughed hysterically most of the night as i usually do when we hang out with them! we grabbed some dinner and drinks at carolina wings and then went out on the pier for a little midnight fishing! it was so peaceful on the pier that time of night...and the boys caught a shark (not a huge one, but a 21 inch reef shark!) while we were out there!

we grabbed breakfast this morning before hitting the road back to charleston...and then jon and i collapsed on the couches the rest of the day! it was a busy weekend...but soooooo much fun! we have such awesome friends and family! love you guys! xoxo

resisting the urge

so let me start by saying i'm very proud of myself so far today...because i have resisted the urge to get a doughnut out of the dunkin donuts box! i had a great tae bo workout last night, and i hate to ruin it by eating a doughnut this morning so i stuck to my english muffin with cheese! also i'm looking forward to a great dinner at easterby's tonight, so i figured i should save up for that!

a little less than 6 hours until the beginning of an awesome weekend....

fun filled long weekend ahead

i'm so ready for this weekend to get here! we have friends and family coming into town that we haven't seen in awhile, so it should be a fun filled weekend...and it's a long weekend too! having monday off from work makes the weekend even better!

weekend events so far....
tomorrow night jon and i are going to easterby's (all you can eat crab legs for jon) with my mom and hopefully getting to see our nieces once kirk and laura and the babies get into town. saturday morning i am planning to hit the farmer's market downtown with my mom and maybe pick a few cupcakes at cupcake...the most awesome cupcake place ever!!! we are having an end of summer party at the windmueller's saturday afternoon...boats, jet ski, beer, jello shots, good friends and family - what more could we ask for?! saturday night will hopefully involve a trip downtown to go out on the town for the night with our friends! we haven't gone out downtown in a few months so i'm hoping that works out! as for sunday and monday...relaxation time and whatever fun might come along!

only one more workday to go until the fun begins! it's almost time to call it a day at work and hit the gym for a great tae bo workout tonight! xoxo

my husband has got skills!

my husband has awesome remodeling skills (among many other skills, i must add)! this weekend jon tiled our guest bathroom! he'd already demolished what was originally the guest bathroom and then started the remodeling part, but this weekend brought the tiling project. tiling was something new for him...he's watched/helped his dad tile our kitchen and master bathroom, but this weekend he did it all by himself...and i must say, it looks amazing! in the next few nights we have to grout it and seal the grout, but he got the biggest part done this weekend! next comes getting the sheetrock ready to paint, painting the walls, installing the vanity and toilet, tiling the shower, and getting the tub reglazed...and in the end our guest bathroom is going to look spectacular thanks to my husband's awesome skills! you're the best, baby! xoxo

donating blood

earlier this week, i heard about a local blood drive so i decided to make an appointment and donate today. it was a great experience! i went before work and everyone was so friendly and nice. they even had doughnuts, that believe it or not, i turned down!!! as they finished up the process with me, they thanked me for giving enough blood to save 2 lives....what an awesome way to start the day!

as i was leaving the american red cross center i was looking at my facebook page, and a friend of mine from high school who is now a nurse had commented on my status about donating blood. she said that she had just "hung donated blood" for a patient last night. that made me feel even better about donating this morning! i definitely encourage everyone who can to donate blood right now because there is a shortage...and you never know when you might be the one who needs it!

still trying to catch up on sleep...

i had an awesome time in myrtle beach this weekend with the girls! we celebrated amy's birthday with burgers, beer, and cupcakes friday night...relaxed by the pool after a morning walk on the beach on saturday...headed out for japanese and hit the bars/clubs at broadway saturday night (followed by a late night papa john's pizza before bed!)...ate krispy kreme doughnuts for breakfast on sunday and stopped by the outlets for a little shopping before heading back to charleston! wow, was it a fun filled weekend, but i collapsed on the couch when i got home sunday afternoon! i still feel like i'm trying to catch up on sleep...and it's wednesday! the other girls got up way earlier than i usually do on the weekends, so i think i missed out on my few extra hours of zzzz's saturday and sunday mornings! oh well, it was definitely worth it! i can't wait for the next girls weekend away in the spring hopefully!

another week is halfway over already...where is the time going?! jon was out of town last night, so i headed to bed early with a book! i'm looking forward to seeing him tonight though and can't wait to spend the weekend working on our guest bathroom remodeling project with him (i'm being serious, not sarcastic actually!)...we are going to be tiling this weekend! i'll post pictures when we are done...i'm super excited about the colors we've picked out for it! xoxo

another quote...too funny!

so jon and i met my cousin, edwin, and his family for dinner last night and i saw the most hysterical sign in the bathroom of the restaurant. on the back of the stall the sign said "please remain seated during the entire performance"! how funny is that?! personally i prefer to hover during the performance in public restrooms, but i make sure to clean the seat before i exit the stall!

the weekend is almost here! i'm looking forward to getting some sun (if the weather cooperates!) and catching up with friends that i haven't seen in a few weeks! life as an adult is so damn busy, and i miss seeing my friends! must make more time for catching up during the week! xoxo

life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...

i just saw an awesome quote in an email - "life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!" how true is that?! just thought i would share....

just another day...

today has been just another day...wake up, work, gym, home, and soon it will be sleepy time! today was busy at work, and by the time i got to the gym i didn't really feel like working out. i pushed through it though and got a little bit of a workout tonight!

i'm super excited about getting my hair "did" tomorrow! i always look forward to my hair appointments, and tomorrow is one of those days! not sure if i will make any drastic changes (probably not!), but it always feels good to have a fresh hairdo!

that's all for tonight! xoxo

doughnuts and cake...it's going to be a great day!

so i walk into the kitchen at my office a little while ago, and what is sitting on the table....a birthday cake (chocolate no less!) and krispy kreme glazed doughnuts! does it get any better than doughnuts and cake in the same day?! i'm only going to eat one doughnut (and man was it delicious - still warm!) and i will opt for a small piece of cake because i can't ruin all of my working out this week in one day! then to top it all off, jon and i get to meet our new niece tonight...what a great friday this is going to be! xoxo

boring work days

today is a very boring work day! i don't have much work to do today (although i definitely won't be saying that next week!) and the office is very quiet! i guess it's getting close to the end of the week and everyone is just ready for friday and the weekend...i know i am!

i am excited about jon and i getting to meet our new niece this weekend and see kirk, laura, and kate as well! is it 5:00 on friday yet?!

another great weekend...and the afternoon spent recovering!

this weekend was awesome (once again)! i headed to columbia early yesterday morning to meet up with jon at jay and brittany's, and we all headed out to will's house on lake wateree! will took us out on the boat and we relaxed for hours in the water on tubes...just hanging out and having a great time! it was fun hanging out with those that we don't get to hang out with on a regular basis! we eventually headed back to jay and brittany's to get the pool party started! what a night?! it consisted of lots of fun people, margarita and tequila sunrise jello shots, and the guys having a splash contest off the diving board!

jon and i got home early this afternoon and totally crashed on the couches! we've watched movies and tv and attempted to recover from another great weekend! why do they seem to end so damn quickly?! another week begins at 7 am...

numbers, numbers, numbers

my work life involves dealing with lots and lots of numbers...which is why i became an accountant! today i am beginning the task of trying to correct 2 1/2 years of financial data for a company related to the one i work for. now i realize why i've been putting it off for the last 2 months....because it's going to suck! i'm trying to pick it up after 3 other accountants have worked with it and the owner wants it corrected (which i certainly understand...bad financial information is not a good thing?)! i have spreadsheets, amortization schedules, financial statements, and tax returns sitting in front of me with numbers all over them, and i don't even know where to start looking for errors and discrepancies!

don't get me wrong, i love my job, but cleaning up financial data messes is definitely not the best part of it! i guess it's time to put on my big girl panties and deal with it (aka get down to business)! although it's 4:00 already...so i think i might put it off one more day and get a fresh start on it in the morning! that should make for a great friday! :)

chillaxin' on the weekend!

jon and i have had a great weekend! we've basically just relaxed and done things we wanted to do all weekend! we ordered pizza and relaxed at home on friday night. yesterday we ran some errands, he worked on some things with his dad while i sunbathed on the dock, and then we went to dinner at buffalo wild wings! today we slept in until 11 and had a breakfast (or maybe at that point it would be considered lunch) of champions....blueberry eggo waffles! then i sunbathed again on the dock with some friends while he did some more manly things with his dad! to cap off our great weekend we went to jack's cosmic dogs with dan, stefanie, spencer (although he slept through it!), and amy for a fun dinner and dessert! now it's time for a little more chillaxin' (that's chillin' and relaxin' if you aren't quite sure!) before preparing for another monday! the weekends end way too soon, and i hate to see another one go! xoxo

reese gabrielle...welcome to the world!

today jon and i became the proud aunt and uncle of a new niece! reese gabrielle was born at 12:29, was 20 inches long, and weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. we are thrilled to have another niece and can't wait to meet her! congratulations kirk, laura, and kate! xoxo

dunkin donuts for breakfast...how much longer 'til lunch?!

so i just enjoyed a chocolate doughnut from dunkin donuts that my boss brought into the office this morning. it was quite a treat, and i devoured it in less than 10 minutes! i'm not even a huge fan of dunkin donuts (except for their donut balls (or holes as most people call them))...i definitely prefer krispy kreme! that certainly didn't keep me from indulging this morning though when they were sitting on the table waiting to be eaten!

as you might know i LOVE chocolate and sweets! they are definitely my biggest weakness and the reason that i have to make myself go to the gym as often as possible! so as i'm indulging myself this morning, i'm rationalizing it in my head...i will workout longer tonight and take that kickboxing class that looked pretty intense last week. although i'm also already thinking about what i might eat for lunch even though i just stuffed the last bite into my mouth less than 15 minutes ago.

conclusion...that damn doughnut might have tasted good, but it didn't fill me up and i'm already thinking about lunch. plus, i don't even know if an hour and a half at the gym will work off the calories i just stuffed into my mouth in record time. next time i'm going to have to think even harder about it before i grab the doughnut out of the box...is it really worth the calories and time it will take to work off all those calories? i'm sure i will come to the same conclusion i did today...eat the doughnut and then rationalize it later!! :)

i love summer!

i love the summer! the weekends are so much fun....hanging out on the boat or on the beach with our awesome friends and family! it can't get much better than that. of course, when sunday night rolls around (as in right now), i get a little sad that the weekend is already over and that another week of work is beginning. now is also when i begin the countdown to the following friday afternoon...another weekend of fun! xoxo

missing my girls

tonight i miss my girls...those girls being my college roommates! i got to hang out with one of them tonight for girls night at the movies along with other awesome friends, but emily and abby don't live close enough to have a girls night during the week...with them it has to be a girls weekend! the movie, the proposal, was hysterical, and one of the main characters, sandra bullock, reminded me so much of emily! then i just got to thinking that i would love to hang out with emily, abby, and katherine.

i hate that we live more than a few minutes apart, but i guess that's grown up life...after college! :( grown up life tends to get in the way and it gets harder and harder to keep in touch, but those girls are my heart and we always fall right back into place when we are together...it's like we never spent any time apart! a girls weekend with my college roomies is definitely a necessity very soon! miss you girls lots and lots....and i love you to pieces, emily, abby, and katherine! xoxo

happy birthday usa!

this weekend consisted of a fun 4th of july celebration with family in myrtle beach! jon and i headed to myrtle beach friday afternoon (after a late lunch/early dinner with anne and kris at moe's on the crosstown!) to spend the weekend with my dad, stepmother, and stepsister and her family! we celebrated anna's (my niece) 4th birthday along with america's birthday this weekend! yesterday was extremely busy and funfilled...breakfast, then the birthday celebration, then the beach, then freestyle music park (and an awesome roller coaster ride along with some smaller roller coaster rides!), then dinner, then back to the park for a really cool fireworks display, and finally sleepy time! it was a busy, but great weekend with family!

an awesome weekend...with awesome friends

this weekend was awesome...we went to dinner and went out friday night when bowman and rachel arrived from savannah! we continued the fun yesterday at folly beach...just like old times! when we first arrived at the beach after getting our snacks and beverages, it was freakin' HOT! we finally felt a breeze after being there for a little while and the water was a perfect temperature for cooling down! we relaxed and played on the beach all day...i love the beach! we cooked dinner last night at our house and played catch phrase...which ended up getting a little brutal, but it was a lot of fun! we woke up this morning to breakfast being cooked by bowman...biscuits and gravy - yummy! it was nice to relax after breakfast and enjoy everyone's company before heading in different directions this afternoon!

now it's life back to normal....laundry, grocery shopping, cooking...all that fun stuff before the week begins! thank goodness for a 4 day work week! now it's time to enjoy the last several hours of the weekend! xoxo

is it really only wednesday?!

do you ever have one of those weeks where you keep thinking it will get better, but instead it seems to get worse? well, this week is one of those for me! monday was not a good day, yesterday wasn't great, and today my car is in the shop because i think it needs new brakes...and it's only wednesday! who knows what tomorrow will bring! thank goodness the weekend is only 2 days away so i can relax on the beach with a nice cold beverage while hanging out with aweseome friends! bring on the weekend....quickly please!!! :)

5 years...looking back

last week i was reading a friend's blog, and she did something i thought was really neat. she recapped the last 5 years of her life! so here is my recap...

graduated from the college of charleston (on an extremely hot day in may!). became a full-time employee at mbw. started graduate school at the citadel. became an aunt for the first time (now i'm an aunt 4 times over and soon to be 5!). went through the death of an aunt i was very close to. met the man of my dreams through my roommate of 5 years. purchased my first home. got engaged on the 13th hole at the cozumel country club in cozumel, mexico! finished my mba at the citadel. married the man of my dreams in a amazing ceremony on the beach! went parasailing for the first time ever. drove an atv on the pacific ocean. learned to ski in utah. drove a snowmobile for the first time. started a new job.

i guess that sums it up! wow, it's really neat to look back and realize what all has happened in the last 5 years of my life...and i'm sure i've left something out, so i may be updating this later!

graduation and celebration...and the 3 am sickness that followed

last night in my self defense class was awesome! it was very intense and made you feel like you were really in a situation in which you must defend yourself to get away. they choked us, grabbed us from behind, and held us down...and we had to use our self defense moves to fight them off! the instructors/attackers were awesome and i know they have to be sore today after 15 women had to kick, hit, and knee them to get away! next week the co-ed class begins...a class that will build on the women's only class we just finished!

after class, a few of us headed to kickin' chicken for dinner and drinks. it was fun and a great way to celebrate the end of our ass kicking class!

...and then i started getting sick at 3 am this morning. obviously something in my buffalo chicken salad did not go over well in my belly last night. i felt like i'd reverted to being a child...moaning and groaning and basically wanting to die! jon was awesome though...he got right up and nursed me back to health! i finally started feeling normal about 9:00 this morning...thank goodness! unfortunately i think i will be taking a break from my favorite salad at my favorite restaurant for awhile though! :(

rain rain go away....

i've finally gotten my new blog set up and all of my posts from the old one copied over! wow, what a process, but i'm happy to have it all in one place now!

we've had crazy weather the last few days...i'm sick of the rain and thunderstorms! we had a horrendous storm this afternoon. the roads were flooded on my way home from work, and i ended up canceling my personal training work out! hopefully i can make it up friday...what a way to start the weekend! :)

tomorrow night is "graduation" from my self defense class....we get to show what we have learned the last 6 weeks at charleston krav maga! of course there will be a celebration afterwards as a few of us head to kickin chicken! more to come about "graduation" tomorrow!

definitely not a farm girl....

i learned very quickly yesterday morning that i am not a farm girl...the city suits me much better! although i do have a much better appreciation for farmers and their workers! rachel and i went with dan and stefani to pick vegetables at the coleman's farm yesterday morning when it was about 95 degrees (although it felt like 130)! sweat was pouring over our faces as we attempted to pick squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers and there were bugs and spiders everywhere! at one point rachel made the comment that she hoped there weren't any snakes, and all i could think is that would definitely be the end of my vegetable picking days! don't get me wrong...we got some great vegetables for the week, but i'm thinking that i will stick to publix or the farmer's stands on the side of the road for vegetables!

beach weekend with zoie and maddox

jon and i headed to myrtle beach last weekend to hang out with patrick, valerie, zoie, and maddox! zoie and maddox were so excited to be at the beach and couldn't wait to play in the sand and ocean!

we had dinner with them friday night and then celebrated jon's birthday with some chocolate chip sandwich cookies with yummy frosting in the middle! of course, giving these to the kids at 9:30 at night probably wasn't the best idea...they were all over the hotel room after consuming all that sugar!

we met back up with them saturday morning and enjoyed the lazy river before heading down to the beach! maddox was a little hesitant of the ocean at first, but had a blast once he got into it...zoie, on the other hand, is completely fearless of it!

kids are so darn cute at the beach....laying around and playing in the sand doesn't bother them at all! just the feeling of sand in my bathing suit makes me cringe, but the kids don't even seem to notice if they have a whole load hanging out in their bathing suit! zoie wanted me to help her make a sea turtle in the sand, and i just couldn't bear the thought of sitting in the sand while we made it. instead, i attempted to hover/squat as we worked on our creation!

it was hard saying goodbye to them sunday evening...they are such adorable children! i hope they enjoy the rest of their week at the beach, and i can't wait to see them again in a few months!

lunch date

today i had a lunch date with stefani and baby spencer! stefani and i had great time catching up, and spencer slept through the whole thing! oh well...maybe next time he will be awake to enjoy our lunch date!

the work day is winding down...thank goodness! i'm getting ready to head to the gym for another workout with a trainer, so i can definitely plan on being sore again tomorrow! eventually i'm hoping all of my (normally) unused muscles will become accostomed to the workouts and not hurt so much everyday!

tomorrow i get to see my adorable niece and nephew! jon and i are heading to myrtle beach with toys and birthday cake in hand to celebrate jon's 29th birthday with my brother and his family and hang out with them for the weekend! how exciting - it's been almost 9 months (our wedding weekend) since i've seen them, so i'm super excited! hopefully tomorrow will go by very quickly at work!

is it 5:00 yet????

awesome cardio workout

yesterday i did a cardio workout with bill, a personal trainer who just got his black belt! it was awesome....he taught me how to punch and a few kicks as well. it was 30 minutes of hard core cardio! it ended with flipping a tire (semi truck sized, not car sized) over all the way down the gym and all the way back! it was the first time in a while that i actually felt like i had more energy after working out, and i can't wait to try it again next week. i'm definitely going to invest in some personal boxing gloves (possibly bright pink) before next week's session though because the ones at the gym were gross! tonight...self defense class!

fun in the sun

yesterday was our first "fun in the sun" party of the summer of 2009! it all fell into place friday night when we found out will and pat were coming into charleston and bowman and rachel had already arrived!

will just returned from iraq this passed week and pat drove straight in from his training in texas! also, baby spencer had his first day hanging out with the extended family! it was so much fun having everyone together, hanging out on the river!

we finished up the day with dinner at wild wings and drinks at our old favorite - tommy condon's! what a great saturday with great friends! i'm already looking forward to many more this summer!

gym buddies and tacky comments

on tuesday i began my journey with a fitness coaching class and personal trainer! it's definitely time to get back into shape...bathing suit season here i come!

at my first class on tuesday, i was amazed by the people taking the class with me. there was about 6 others, all of who have been taking the class for several months. they seem to be gym buddies....you know, those people who met at the gym and only hang out at the gym! personally, i don't care to have any gym buddies - i'm there for one purpose - to work out...and in the process i tend to get really sweaty and gross! (i like sweating though because it makes me feel like i'm really doing something!) i don't care to spend extra time at the gym chatting with "gym buddies" or talking to the trainers after my workout...at that point i'm ready to get home and take a shower because i'm sweating profusely and i'm sure that the b.o. is coming out of my pores.

tacky comments....as i was taking the class on tuesday (and keep in mind i had just met these people), a girl commented on my engagement and wedding rings. that comment led to another about my bling bling and so on until basically the whole class was talking about it, along with the trainer. i just couldn't believe the tackiness...the comments weren't like "i really like your rings". they were more like "wow, your ring is blinding me" and "heidi is having to lift extra weight with that big rock on her finger"! give me a freakin' break people! my ring is beautiful, if i do say so myself, but have a little tact if you decide to compliment someone!

american heroes

jon and i attended the american hero awards aboard the uss yorktown hosted by my company this morning....wow, was it a neat experience! trojan labor awarded stacy pearsall (a retired military photojournalist) and adam wenger (who died while fighting in iraq on his fourth tour of duty) american hero awards.

stacy pearsall had an amazing story of going into the air force straight out of high school and later attending syracuse university, while still in the military, to receive a degree in photojournalism. later she was sent to iraq to take pictures and was a in a vehicle that came under fire. she had to put down her camera and take control of a weapon to return fire and protect her comrads who were still alive in the vehicle and herself. what a true american hero...who now holds a medal of honor, many other awards, and is medically retired from the air force after ten years of service.

adam wenger's family was there to receive the award in his memory. his was also an amazing story and he was due to return home in 3 weeks when he was killed in combat.

thank you so much to those of you who continue to fight for our country and our freedom and who have done so in the past. they are true american heroes...thank you stacy and adam for your service to our country!

relaxin' on memorial day

today has been a very relaxing memorial day! of course i certainly haven't forgotten the reasons behind memorial day...thank you to all of the service men and women - present, past, and future. thank you for all you have done for our country and continue to do each day.

jon and i begin our day with breakfast casserole for breakfast and then donned our bathing suits and headed to the beach...despite the clouds! we got to the beach and relaxed for a few hours and then headed to the windmuellers to take the boat out. he and i had a relaxing afternoon boat cruise...just the two of us! what a great way to end a great weekend!

8 months of our lives together...and many more to come

yesterday marked 8 months since jon and i tied the knot on the isle of palms in our perfect little ceremony on the beach! i can't believe it has already been 8 months...time flies when you're having fun and enjoying life! it has been an awesome 8 months together! i still look at him and think "wow, i get to spend the rest of my life with him...how lucky am i?" he's amazing and he makes me laugh constantly! there were times i wondered if i would ever get married, but now i can't imagine not being married...especially to my awesome husband! thanks baby for a wonderful 8 months....and for the many many months in the future i look forward to spending with you! i love you!

kickin' some ass...

tonight was week 2 of my self defense class! it was awesome...we learned how to protect ourselves if someone breaks in our house...and got a good workout in the process! last week they gave each of us a t-shirt that says 'oops, i broke a nail...kickin' your a**'! i will be wearing it proudly!

speaking of workout, tomorrow i am going to the gym and getting a personal trainer! it's time to get serious and get in shape for bathing suit season!

i'm so ready for the long weekend to arrive...2 more days of work this week!

weekend with the fam

this weekend jon and i headed to myrtle beach for a weekend with my dad and stepmother. we hadn't seen them since the end of january, so it was nice to catch up with them for the weekend! plus there was lots of good food involved and some visiting with other family members along the way!

what's up with the weather? today it was cold...the high was only 60....and it was raining this morning! i'm ready for the 80 and 90 degree temps to come back, so i can work on my tan this weekend!

tomorrow night we get to see dan, stefani, and spencer leo rockers! i'm super excited about seeing the baby...tomorrow is his 1 week birthday!
back to the season finale of 24....jack has almost gotten himself out of one last debacle for this season!

it's a boy...

it's a boy for dan and stefani!!! spencer leo rockers was born at 8:29 am this morning. he was 8 lbs. 1 oz. and 21 inches long! i headed to the hospital after work because i was so excited to see him! our whole group of friends (aka spencer leo's aunts and uncles!) were all at the hospital tonight meeting the new little man and celebrated with dinner at kickin chicken afterwards!

stefani looked great for just having a baby this morning! she was supposed to check into the hospital at 7 am this morning and the doctor was going to induce her labor; however, her water broke around 2 in the morning so they loaded into the car and headed to the hospital! spencer leo was born several hours later!

happy mother's day

happy mother's day to all the mothers out there! jon and i celebrated mother's day with our mothers today at the windmueller's! we were planning to go out on the boat after cooking out, but the weather got nasty! luckily we got to have lunch outside before the storms rolled in!

mothers are a wonderful thing, and i feel for all of those who have lost their mothers too soon! my mom tends to drive me crazy at times, but i don't know what i would do without her! she raised me in tough conditions as a single parent, and i give her a lot of credit for making it through the rough times by herself! my stepmother has also been an important part of my life, and i don't know what i would do without her. she put up with me when i was little...i remember telling her that my daddy would let me do something when she told me i couldn't...i was about 6 at the time. what a brat i must have seemed like! i love you mom and diane...thanks for all you have done for me and all that you continue to do!

i've had quite a busy weekend, but i'm finally getting a little time to relax with jon this evening before another week begins tomorrow! yesterday i spent the day with my mom and katie car shopping for my mom. after being at the chevrolet dealership for almost 3 hours yesterday, i remembered why i don't like to go car shopping! unfortunately my mom has to buy a car this week, so she has no choice but to car shop. she found out on thursday that her car was totaled (after an accident a couple weeks ago), so she is driving a rental car which the insurance company will quit paying for tomorrow! she's found a car that she likes here, but she's heading back to columbia in the morning to check out a couple more before making a final decision!

this week is going to be pretty busy! stefani and dan's bundle of joy should be arriving on tuesday (if not before)! poor stefani...she's been miserable the last couple of weeks and was so hoping the baby would arrive before now! i can't wait to find out if it's going to be a girl or boy...sophie grace or spencer leo?!

wednesday night i begin taking a 6 week self defense class...which i'm hoping will also be a great workout! i have definitely stayed out of the gym too long (almost 2 months now) and i have to get back into it this week. i'm hoping to do some cardio this week and start working with a personal trainer next week! i definitely need some quick results because bathing suit weather is here!

time for a little more relaxation before heading to bed in a few hours! xoxo

friday...finally!

it's friday....finally! i've had a great week (or at least 4 days) at my new job, and i definitely feel as though i made the right decision to change jobs! i'm exhausted from all of the information i've had to learn, but everyone in the office is very nice and helpful!

this weekend should be full of boating fun! my mom is in town, so i'm heading to dinner with her tonight and tomorrow we are all hoping to get out in the sun for some fun on the boat! the weather is supposed to be gorgeous all weekend, so we are going to cook out at the windmuellers for mother's day!

now it's time to relax for a little while as i wait on the chocolate chip brownies to bake! yummy! :)

first day on the job

today was my first day at hire quest....and it was a great day! i was a little nervous as i was getting ready this morning, but once i got to work i was fine. i got the normal "new employee" paperwork completed and then i started learning some of my new daily tasks. before i knew it lunch time rolled around and then the end of the day was just around the corner! everyone was very nice and welcoming, and i think this is going to be a great company to work for as well as a great opportunity!

after work, liza and i met for dinner at our favorite restaurant - kickin' chicken! we kind of celebrated cinco de mayo....i had a corona light! :) jon is working out of town and won't be home tonight, so it was nice to hang out with liza after my first day!

now i'm settled in watching deadliest catch...i love that show...and hoping for another good day tomorrow! xoxo

nerves are kicking in...

it's 8:45 the night before my first day at my new job, and the nerves are beginning to kick in...just a little bit! i feel like i'm going to my first day at a new school tomorrow! although i haven't picked out my outfit yet, i have started packing my lunch! i'm excited about this wonderful new opportunity, and i know that once i get through the first day i will be good to go! wish me luck...

weekend in fayetteville

this weekend jon and i headed to fayetteville to see his brother, sister-in-law, and our adorable niece, kate. when we got in friday night, kate was a little unsure of us since she hadn't seen us since christmas. she came around the corner, saw us, and started crying hysterically! she got used to us as the weekend went on though and we had a great time with her (and her parents)!

jon got to shoot guns and play golf with his brother yesterday and laura, kate, and i did a little shopping! i found some cute flip flops for the summer and a couple picture frames for some of our wedding pictures....which i have to finish getting the rest developed tomorrow!

tomorrow is my last day off before beginning my new job on tuesday! i have a long list of things to do tomorrow...ending with happy hour with my friends from mbw! jon and i are relaxing with movies tonight before another crazy week begins...now that another fun weekend has come to an end! :( oh well...next weekend will be here soon! xoxo

gym...what was i thinking?!

so i haven't been to the gym in about two months, but today i decided it was time to get back into it! boy was it rough....i sweated it out for forty minutes on the eliptical and bicycle and felt good about it once i was done, but while i was doing it...not so much fun! it was a little strange walking into the gym after not being there for two months, but i got on the machines and did my normal people watching and a little reading in attempt to make the time go by as quickly as possible!

people watching in the gym is quite entertaining! i'm one of those people who doesn't go to the gym to socialize and i certainly don't wear short shorts and a skimpy top looking for attention. to me the gym is the place i go to work off (hopefully) at least a small portion of the calories i've consumed during the day and relieve stress. during this process, i become a sweaty, smelly mess and the last thing i want to do is talk to people as i'm doing it! i like to get it done and get out of there....however, i've observed many people there who seem to have all night to spend in the gym chatting with their "gym buddies" while tying up the machines! to each is own, i guess....just please don't sit on the machine i'm patiently waiting to use carrying on a conversation with your "gym buddy"!

another day at the gym tomorrow as i slowly get back into it and hopefully getting a personal trainer to kick my butt into shape...i'd like to at least see some progress before i begin consistenly wearing my bikini every weekend this summer!

those weekends will be here very soon!!! :)

back from vacation in perdido key, fl

jon and i finally arrived home around 9:30 last night after our 9 hour trip home from perdido key, florida. we had an awesome mini vacation/wedding weekend in perdido key....relaxing on the beach, hanging out with friends, and celebrating matt and savina's special day!

jon and i left as soon as we got home from work on wednesday and made it to tallahassee that night. we headed on to perdido key after our first of 3 waffle house meals over the weekend! unfortunately we didn't realize until after our arrival that we changed time zones, so we were 2 hours early for check in! we got some necessities....beer, water, chips, and sunscreen....and headed back to the condo to unload the car. we got to spend the afternoon with matt and some of his german friends before heading to dinner that night! we had a fun dinner at the lulu's in gulf shores, alabama which is owned by jimmy buffett's sister! jay and brittany arrived later that night!

friday morning we headed to breakfast at waffle house (number 2 meal at waffle house) and then met pat back at the condo before heading out on the beach for the day. we had awesome beach weather and spent about 4 hours relaxing and getting some sun before heading to a cookout for the happy couple!

we found a couple of hours on saturday to hit the beach before heading to the wedding! the weather couldn't have been more perfect for their outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour on the dock! the reception was longer than we are used to due to the german traditions incorporated into their special day! we partied until 1 in the morning and had a blast with our new german friends! the weekend was awesome, but it went by way too quickly!

today has been my first day off before starting my new job next tuesday, and it has been a very productive day! now i'm looking forward to my road trip to savannah with stefani to see rachel tomorrow! the girls will be loose in savannah for the day to shop, eat, and enjoy some time together before baby rockers arrives!

a bittersweet end...

today is my last day at moore beauston & woodham....after 7 1/2 years! i started working for mbw when i was a sophomore in college, so it will be hard to pack up the last items in my office and take down my diplomas this afternoon! i've worked with awesome colleagues who have taught me so much about accounting, but it is time for me to move on to new things...professionally! it's definitely a bittersweet day....i'm excited about my new job, but it will be hard to leave my colleagues who i've been with since the beginning of my career!

once i get home and get the items from my office unloaded, jon and i will load the car and hit the road headed to perdido key/pensacola, florida! i'm looking forward to our mini vacation on the beach and hanging out with awesome friends to celebrate matt and savina's wedding!

now it's time to clean out my files and finish up the last few items in my office! here's to an awesome 7 1/2 years and lots of accounting knowledge from my great friends and colleagues at mbw! xoxo

saturday of relaxation

today has been awesome! i began the day with heading downtown to the farmer's market with amy and liza! we enjoyed a great breakfast there and had fun looking around. when we left, amy and i headed to cupcake....a place that makes only cupcakes (and great ones at that)! although a little on the expensive side, they are good for a treat every once in a while. jon had never had one, so i brought him a chocolate peanut butter cupcake...he scarfed it down as soon as he walked in the door from work in about 10 minutes!

today also involved a little time on the boat with my in-laws and a picnic on their dock. it was so nice to get out in the awesome weather and get to enjoy it for a change...rather than just looking at it out of my office window! it's definitely time to work on my tan....brown fat looks so much better than white fat! jon and i are heading to dinner at california dreaming in a little while....can't wait to have nachos and their yummy salad!

tomorrow is supposed to be another beautiful day, so i'm hoping for a little more time in the sun (although i don't want to burn since we are heading to florida on thursday to hang out on the beach for a few days)! i need to wash my car (all of this pollen needs to go away!) and catch up on some laundry before another week begins!

speaking of another week, this one is going to be busy! i have 3 more days at my current job, so wednesday will bring to an end my 7 1/2 years at moore beauston and woodham. it will definitely be a bittersweet day. jon and i are heading to perdido key, florida on thursday (possibly wednesday night) for matt and savina's wedding and some fun in the sun! a mini vacation for us before i begin my new job and before the beginning of jon's busy summer work schedule!

my belly is growling...time for dinner!

tax season survivor

i made it through my last official tax season as of yesterday around 4:30! the 15th was crazy, but the celebrating at happy hour afterwards helped it end well!

i've certainly enjoyed my "accountant's day" (aka tax accountants' day to recuperate after 65 hour and 7 day work weeks for the last 2 months!) and enjoyed sleeping in and relaxing in bed before starting the day this morning! stefani and i had pedicures and lunch at kickin chicken and then i ran errands including a drug test for my new job and grocery shopping. i honestly don't know where the day has gone, but it's been nice to not have to set foot in my office!

speaking of my office...i only have 4 more work days at my current job and then i have to tell my office goodbye! it's going to be strange these last 4 days...finalizing the things i have on my desk and preparing to hand my work over to one of my colleagues. next wednesday will definitely be bittersweet!

time for grey's anatomy....more to come soon!