Holiday Traditions

I absolutely love traditions and my cousin is definitely more obsessed than I. So on my Dad's side of the family we have a number of traditions that sticks around. Here are a couple:

• My cousin has dubbed it Christmas Tree Morning. Everyone gathers at Cracker Barrel the morning after Thanksgiving. After we chow down on some good ol' Southern breakfast complete with grits and biscuits, we start Christmas tree shopping. (My goodness I'm really craving some biscuits now!) I have a pretty vocal family and when all of us gather together to do anything it's too much fun. Also, there's a constant battle over the size of the tree, and when the kids win there's always strategic maneuvering on how to get it into the house. 
• Christmas morning my family opens present at our house. We open each present one and at a time. I love it because there's no rushing around ripping through presents and you get to watch the genuine excitement on the face of the person who's opening the present. Once all of the presents are opened we head over to my grandparents' house. Everyone (my dad has 4 brothers and a sister) meets for breakfast and brings a dish. Let me tell you, there is some good food in that kitchen! Presents come after we eat, and all in all its one of my favorite traditions. My grandparents don't have a large house, but I absolutely love being crammed into their living room with at least 5 of us (grandkids) sitting on the coach together and wrapping paper covering the floor. Although half of us grandkids are "adults" now, Christmas morning hasn't changed one bit and I love that!

I'm anxious and excited about the traditions RC and I will start together. We have no idea where we will be next Christmas or if we will be able to get home. Although I'm anxious that these family traditions I mentioned may not be apart of my Christmas next year, I'm excited that RC and I will be starting our own. It's a little bittersweet, but we've already promised each other than we will be making a big deal out of Christmas. Even though we won't have children that's no reason to lighten the Christmas festivities. I don't have many of my old pictures on my Mac yet, but here's a picture of RC and I in our Tacky Christmas sweaters! :)

Wordless Wednesday

I've had a bit of a traveling bug lately.

Call me crazy, but I would much rather be in Paris again than studying for Business Strategy.

Oh, BTW!

In about 6 months from today I'll be an old married woman! :)

I LOVE HIM! :)

The List

My roommate/MOH/bestie and I created a bucket list for our senior year of college. There were so many things around campus we realized we had not done yet. So, here's to creating memories and taking advantage of Clemson's beautiful campus, traditions, and experiences.

Our Bucket List:

1. Go hiking.
2. Eat lunch at the Esso on a Friday.
3. A lot of Spill the Beans dates.
4. Get our class rings.
5. Tour the Tillman Bell Tower.
6. Go to an away football game. 
7. Go to more sporting events.
8. Take pictures in front of all sports fields/facilities. 
9. Go to Happy Hour downtown.
10. Eat at Todaro's after a night downtown.
11. Go to Mac's DriveIn.
12. Write our name in a booth at TDs.
13. Visit the Botanical Gardens.
14. Take a picture with The Rock.
15. Take a lot of pictures around campus. 
16. Get a football jersey. 
17. Get a picture with a football player.
18. Slip-n-slide down Kite Hill/ or any other hill on campus. 
19. Go to the Corn Maze.
20. Carve pumpkins.
21. Go on Santa's Sleigh ride in Greenville (with Becca!)
22. Awesome Spring Break Trip!
23. Tour Ft. Hill AFTER graduation.
24. Read Thomas Green Clemson's plaque AFTER graduation.
25. GRADUATE on May 13th, 2011 !!
26. Photo document the checklist!

What I'm Thankful For

1.  MY FIANCE
I am so thankful to have met the love of my life at such a young age. He has taught me so much about selfless love and makes me a better person. There is no one else I am more honest and comfortable with- he is truly my best friend. I am so honored that God blessed me with his love, and can not wait to marry him.

2. MY FAMILY
I honestly feel so undeserving of such an amazing family. I have the world's best parents. Seriously, there is no one on this Earth I respect more than my parents. I had the best childhood, and now my parents are two of my best friends. I only pray that I can be 1/2 as good of parents as they are.

And then my brothers. Growing up there were time I thought I wanted a sister, but God knew exactly what he was doing when he gave me two brothers. Playing sports in the driveway, rough housing, and wrestling was so much more fun than playing Barbies. :) I hope that I have been a good big sister because I love them both so much! I am so proud of them.

It's Fall, Yall.

Here are a few pictures documenting our fall activities.

Notice how we are all in short sleeves! Ha. Oh, SC weather.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today I'm linking up with Jamie over at This Kind of Love for 'What I'm Loving Wednesday'. IMO, it is so much easier to be appreciative when you know the week is half-way over! Yay, Hump Day!

1.  My Secret Girl Scout Cookie Stash
That's right, I've got connections. Connections that allow me to have a niiiice, cold stash of Peanut Butter Patties AND Peanut Butter Sandwiches (Do-Si-Dos) in my freezer. Yum! :) P.S: If you are not eating your Girl Scout Cookies out of the freezer make a mental note to do so when Girl Scout Cookie season rolls around! They are delish, believe me!

2.  Fall is FINALLY here
I love Fall. It is probably my favorite season. The cool, crisp weather. The beautiful colors on the trees. Everything about it is perfect-- college football, Thanksgiving, The Fair, pumpkins, and my list could go on and on. Technically it's been fall for awhile now, but until recently the weather has not gotten the memo. The last couple days have been absolutely beautiful and perfect fall weather! Another wonderful fact about fall, cute coats and scarves!

3. Signing on the Dotted Line
The contracts for our ceremony site, reception site, caterer, and photographer are rolling in. We have officially signed one contract! Although I am so excited to know that we have a place to get married, it still makes me nervous to know that the Army could have completely different plans. Please hurry up March, so I can plan with no worries!

Welcome Back Normalcy

I am so relieved after an extremely productive weekend at home. Every day was jammed pack with wedding stuff from reception locations to taste-testing to wedding dresses and engagement pictures. But I can not tell you how relieved I am to have accomplished so much. With the Big 4 (ceremony location, reception location, catering, and DRESS!!) details in their final stages of planning I feel like I can relax and be me again. The rest of the little details with fall in place over time. Balancing schoolwork, changing our wedding date and overall just planning a long-distance wedding was becoming a little bit stressful. And I know I was not a pleasant person to be around.

Now knowing that I have:
1. a beautiful chapel to exchange vows in
2. a unique cottage on the water for our reception
3. a wedding dress I am absolutely in love with
4. a man I admire, respect, trust, and love immensely
...
should make me a happy, happy person! :) I am so blessed and I need to remember that! So welcome back, Normal Me and goodbye, Crazy Lady! I hope you stick around for quite awhile.