Weekend getaway

This past weekend, I planned a surprise getaway for me and hubs. We woke up early Saturday morning and headed to The Rock Barn Spa for a little pampering {I got a pedi and hubs got a massage}, swimming, and brunch. After the spa, we headed up the mountain to Asheville. We stayed at the amazing Hotel Indigo.

In this amazing room, with a king sized bed, and a view of downtown.

Enjoying the beautiful weather.

Learning about the Cherokee Indians.

It was a wonderful weekend....relaxing and spending time with my sweet hubs.

birthday weekend

Yesterday was Andrew's birthday and we have literally celebrated since Friday! Friday afternoon, I left work a little early to pick Andrew's birthday cake up in Hickory (at least, that's where I thought I was going!). Mom rode with me and we stopped by Party City to get a few things for later that night. As I am getting off of exit 133 (where we were supposed to meet at a local McDonald's), I realize that Shannon (the person from the bakery) had said exit 33...as in Mooresville, not Hickory!! I was stressed! So, Shannon (being the wonderful person that she is) met me in Denver and all was well.

The cake was amazing!

Friday night, we ate at Kobe with our family and then came back to our house where we had cake and ice cream with family and friends.


Saturday, Andrew played golf while Ashley and I shopped and had lunch. Later that night, we grilled some steak and chicken with Ashley and Brandon. Sunday was a lazy day and Monday night we cooked out with Andrew's family. His parents had hamburgers and hotdogs and all the works! A wonderful weekend to celebrate a wonderful man!

march madness

Andrew LOVES basketball....he could literally watch it all day, every day! I like basketball but am not a huge fan. I do, however, love to fill out my version of a bracket when March Madness rolls around. I have no clue why, but I love picking out the teams that I think will win! So, yesterday, I filled my bracket out (very proud of my choices) and handed it over to Andrew so he could keep it with the rest of the guy's brackets. I have no real rhyme or reason to the choices that I make except this....I mostly base my choices on whether or not I have heard of or know anything about the team. ha! Some teams I have never even heard of (ie.Siena, Sam Houston St.) so they obviously can't be that good! Pretty easy, right? Well, yesterday Ohio played Georgetown.....and guess who I picked?!? Ohio! ha! I was the only person out of all the brackets (12 or more!) that had chosen them to win. Andrew was not very pleased that I had beat him {and still am beating him in my bracket!}. I love it!

On a different note, Andrew's birthday weekend starts today! I am going to pick up his cake today after work from the best bakery around and then we are off to dinner!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

stress and weekend happenings

Yesterday was an incredibly stressful day. One of the schools I work at had a school-wide lockdown where the police had to be called (talk about drama!) and the day only got worse. I won't go into all the dreadful details, but I will tell you that my diet went out the window last night after church! I really felt that I needed {and deserved} a McDonald's dipped ice cream cone. It temporarily made me feel better. I am back on track today!

On a different note, Andrew's birthday is this weekend and we have a weekend full of plans to celebrate him! Friday night we are going to a Japanese restaurant for dinner with most of our family (16 of us!), Saturday we are going to do exactly what he wants to do (which will more than likely be watching basketball all day!), and Monday (his actual birth day) we are grilling out with his family. It should be a fun (and busy) weekend! Pictures and a post to come :)

HELP

HELP! Andrew's birthday is coming up (March 22nd) and I really want to surprise him with a little day trip somewhere.....I thought about going on a hike in the mountains, going to a basketball game, or going to a winery....any thoughts or ideas?!?! Any good recommendations?!?!

please keep in mind, we are newlyweds and have very little money :)

road trip

I am a planner....so you can imagine how stressed out I got when Andrew called Friday morning and said we were leaving that afternoon to go to Boone for a training session Saturday morning. Since we don't have kids, it is a little easier to just pick up and go, but it is still a little stressful for me! I like a routine. I enjoy having plans. I write everything down in my planner. I have a list for everything. It's just how I operate. Nevertheless, I made a plan for the afternoon to prepare to leave and got to it! I had to clean my house, do laundry, figure out where Cooper Lee would stay, and pack my overnight bag. I felt much better about the whole situation when we left!

As you can see, Andrew was not stressed at all!

So, to my real story....our road trip to Boone. We left around 6:30pm and drove to Boone. When we got there, we ate at Macado's (yummy! loooove the macaroni and cinnamon sensation dessert!). Then we went to our hotel room at the Broyhill Inn. Now, I am super picky about hotel rooms and in general find them very gross. This one was clean but really outdated! I probably wouldn't want to stay here again! From the front, it doesn't look so bad, but I am sure that they haven't updated the rooms since the 80's.

There was snow everywhere, but the roads were clear (and for this, I was thankful!) Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel and then drove to the church where the training would be held.

The training was for The Truth Project...a small group study that answers all the important questions ("Who is Jesus?") and gives you Biblical references to back-up what we believe. How often have you found yourself trying to defend your beliefs and not had the knowledge to do so? Our beliefs are based on faith, but I think it is also important to have hard evidence to show non-believers that we are not out of our minds! {We are starting the study this Sunday and I am soooo excited!} All morning, we took notes....

My favorite quote of the day was "If the Devil can't make you bad, he will make you busy." How true!!

After the conference, we made a quick trip my Andrew's old house. He went to school at App so he felt right at home!It was a pretty nice house for 7 college guys to live in!

After reminiscing about Andrew's college days, we ate at Woodland's for lunch (my favorite bar-b-que joint!), went to Verizon (and got me a new droid!), and did a little shopping at the outlets (okay, maybe a lot of shopping). It was a perfect day!

And I couldn't resist taking a picture of this sign....

i'm back

I haven't had the time to blog in what seems like forever! Things have been busy in my life....work, home, etc. Let me just fill you in on what I've been doing for the past two weeks....

Work....has been crazy....everyone is sick! Plus, I haven't been feeling great (sinus/allergy problems). Usually, I blog in the mornings because I try to not get on the computer in the afternoons (so I can spend time with that sweet husband of mine!), but the mornings have been so rushed that I haven't had time to get my thoughts together!

This past Sunday, Andrew was called to bring the word to our entire congregation...can you imagine?!?! I am not one for public speaking, but Andrew does not mind at all! Not to brag, but I thought he did an amazing job! {an unbiased opinion, of course!} I think he was a little nervous the night before and morning of, but once he got up there, he was cool, calm, and collected. He talked about the fruits of the spirit (found in Galatians 5, starting verse 16) and about Jesus being the true vine and God the gardener (found in John 15). He also referenced 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, about Love (we all know this passage right?) and how this kind of love is only possible through God (how true!). He gave three principles to live by....get back to the basics (prayer, getting in the word, etc), surrendering yourself (completely, each and every day!), and going to war (because, let's be honest, it's a battle out there!) {as a side note, I like to think of putting on the armor of God, found in Ephesians 6:10-20}. I am so proud of Andrew for listening when God called! How lucky I am to have an awesome man of God as my husband!

We also went to a Bobcats game (and had box seats!) with some amazing friends {I'll blog about that later!}. And tonight, we are going to dinner for my brother-in-laws birthday {pictures and a blog to come!}. Hopefully this week will bring more blogging!

1 Corinthians 13

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13

No Words

I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.

No Words by Brian Andreas

I love Brian Andreas' work! Have you seen it? Check it out here and let me know what you think!

a few good reads

Playing the Blame Game

First Year Off

Understand and Accepting your Mate's Differences