Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

While I'm thankful for the many blessings in my life every day, I relish the opportunity to truly reflect on all that God has provided for me and my little family. Here's just a few of the many things I'd like to say I'm thankful for today, and every day:

A warm home with plenty of food, water and love to go around
A wonderful husband who provides for me, takes care of me, is silly with me and is a shoulder to lean on
Warm puppies who wag their tails and give lots of kisses
My dad who has always been there for me even when no one else was
A now very large family of in-laws who have taken me in and made me feel like one of their own
My job that allows me to make money to pay our bills and enjoy life
Friends who know how to make me laugh
Sunrises, sunsets and every beautiful moment in between
My God who has a plan for my life even when I can't see it at the time

I hope all of you out there enjoy a day filled with family, love, football and of course, food.

Who Saved Who? Athena's First Adoptionversary

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” 

The day we adopted her

Our first family photo

Celebrating 25 Years of Marriage

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of attending the 25th wedding anniversary party and vow renewal for my in-laws. Their story is one that continues to amaze and inspire me each day especially as the hubs & I continue on our own marriage journey. While they didn't get married under the best of circumstances and they haven't always had it easy, they have always had each other, love and faith in God who has helped them through the good and the bad. It was a wonderful evening filled with food, stories, laughter, friends & family, dancing & most importantly, love.

Backyard Transformation: Jungle to Paradise

When we bought our house over a year ago, we knew we were buying a bit of a fixer upper (can anyone else not think of Frozen when they say that phrase?), but as newly weds and first-time homeowners, we were up for the challenge. For the most part, the home has a solid start, it's just dated and when we bought it, it hadn't been lived in for a couple of years.

As newlyweds (I guess we still fall in that category, maybe?) and fairly recent college graduates, we don't have tons of money, but we've been working on projects as we can. First came installing a vent fan into the bathroom ceiling, then the wallpaper came down and paint went up, we've swapped out a few light fixtures, replaced the dishwasher and made other minor changes. However, we just finished one of the biggest projects since we moved in, doing a mini backyard makeover.

Fun at the Fair

The fair is here! The fair is here!

This is absolutely one of my favorite times of year. The rides, the games, the deep fried oreos....Need I say more?

Check out some photos below from our trip to the fair.

Do you have a local fair in your town? I'd love to hear about it!

Celebrating Three Years

Because I'm a dork like this and I love my husband, today is our official three year anniversary of when we first started dating. I had known him through mutual friends for a couple of years before that and we had hung out together, but it took me awhile to realize I had feelings for him. Thanks to some miscommunication from one of my good friends, we actually ended up getting together, so I couldn't stay mad at her for too long...

It's been a wild ride. After spending the fall together, I graduated from college and moved back home two hours away (thankfully his hometown was 20 minutes from where my dad was living at the time). However, he still had another year-and-a-half to go, including summer classes. While we didn't get to see each other in person every day or even every week, we definitely utilized Skype and FaceTime.

For those who are curious, we actually just "celebrated" the two year anniversary of our engagement on August 6. He proposed to me at sunrise on a cruise in the Bahamas. His whole family was secretly taking pictures from above. Now I know to trust him when he tells me to get dressed, even if it is 6 a.m. on vacation...

After the hubs graduated, we tied the knot at a local wedding venue complete with a barn, lake and old cars (the perfect southern wedding). That milestone also celebrated it's one year anniversary on June 8. In honor of the occasion, we took a weekend trip to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry.

These three years definitely haven't always been easy or fun, but with the man I love by my side at the end of the way, they've been worth it. He truly is my best friend and partner in crime, and I can't wait for all the adventures yet to come in our lives.

A Little of This, a Little of That

Sorry that I've been sort of MIA lately, but life has been crazy [[or crazier than normal]] these past two weeks. Here's a little bit of what I've been up to:

• Last Sunday, we sent my sister-in-laws back to college. They are on athletic and academic scholarships at a small, private college in West Virginia, and I couldn't be more proud of all they are accomplishing.
• Work the past few weeks has been insane. I'm planning multiple events, juggling multiple projects and starting to work on budgets for next year.

Puppy Love [[National Dog Day]]

Dogs have always had a special place in my heart. From having a black lab when I was younger to getting a dog of my own when I was 12 to working at a dog boarding place for 3 years to today when my husband & I have our own four legged friend. Some of my fondest memories come from these faithful companions, and as such, I find it appropriate to celebrate them on National Dog Day.

Dogs may not be our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.-Roger Caras

Throwback Thursday [[1]]

In honor of Throwback Thursday, here are a few photos of me growing up.

Walking in Faith

Just pray about it.

How many times have you heard that phrase? I know that I've heard it more times than I can count. And, really, it's not bad advice, but sometimes God doesn't answer. I know God doesn't always answer for a reason, but it can still be hard when you know you have a decision to make and you'd like a little input from the man upstairs.

Tamarins, Pandas and Snakes, Oh My!

Yesterday, the hubs, one of our sisters and myself made an impromptu trip to the Chattanooga Zoo. We only got there an hour before closing, so we didn't have much time, but we definitely saw tons of animals! Of course, my favorite was the Tamarin Monkeys who especially seemed excited about posing for us.

Those ears though...

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

This week, the hubs and I are changing our latitudes (and hopefully brightening our attitudes) a bit with our first vacation as husband and wife (aside from last year's honeymoon at Disney World aka Disneymoon). While we will miss our fur baby very much, this break from reality is much needed. We've been through a lot in the past year from getting married, buying and moving into our first home, the hubs starting his first job, me changing jobs, adopting our fur baby, etc., so a vacation where we can just relax, enjoy and have fun is just what the doctor ordered!

Here's a little sneak peak at what we have planned this week:

Celebrating America's 238th Birthday

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend, I know I sure did. Here's my recap of how we celebrated America's birthday this year.

On Friday, we gathered with my in-laws and a few of their neighbors at a friend's river house to float down the river, enjoy some delicious food and partake in a few games of corn hole. It was definitely a lazy afternoon.

Weekend Update: Athens to Atlanta

We had quite a weekend! After our date night on Friday at SkyView, we got up early Saturday morning and made the trek to Athens to meet our new god nephew, Frazer James. He was born on Friday, June 20, so we were very excited to meet the handsome fellow.

Of course, we got asked the ever persistent question that I feel like I've been asked every five minutes since we got married. Any guesses? Bingo! When are you going to start having babies?? For those of you out there, the answer is in a couple of years. 

A Case of the Mondays

Oh Mondays. We have a love/hate relationship. Mondays mean the weekends are over, so it's back to work I go [& no sleeping in]. But, they are also the start of a new week, which means so many wonderful possibilities [plus only a few more days until another weekend].

Today, the work day passed relatively quickly, so I thought I was going to survive Monday scot-free, but it started storming just before time to leave & I came home to find out my hubby has a case of the Mondays [& it might have rubbed off on me]. Instead of cooking dinner, going to the gym and otherwise being productive, we settled for some fast food, couch surfing, good wine and a movie [Pitch Perfect].

Things I'm Loving Right Now

A few things I'm obsessing over right now...

Hydrangeas Blooming in the Yard

What Southern Girl Doesn't Love the Smell of Honeysuckle??!!

Comfy Shirt Perfect for a Lazy Lake Day

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