We were hanging around the house most of the day getting ready for the week (and we didn't get home until super late from the Wake Forest vs. Clemson Game) and decided......tis the season to be jolly!!
So once we start...we are ALL in!!
I love pulling out all of our ornaments and some are so sentimental while others are simply cute and make me smile.
I won't put anything up outside until next Sunday but I'm excited to sit tonight with some vino and enjoy the holiday vibes.
We are also rockin and rollin on the potty training front!! Brandon turned 2 this month and he has had a few accidents (obviously!!!) but he tries to tell us and we are still putting him in underwear at night!
Hoping he can knock this out when he is out of school for Christmas break!
I'm BAACCCKKKKK!!!!! Hi everyone! I know what everyone is asking themselves..."Where has she been?" "Is she alive?" haha I am sorry for my absence but I am BACK to give life updates, my love for Disney and of course my absolute FAVORITE time of year...Christmas!
So let's start with how crazy and hectic October was....actually it's a bit of a blur so I can't tell you much except it included football, work, birthday parties, family, traveling, sick boys, more work, halloween chaos and some more football in there somewhere. The playoffs begin this week so I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! I have A LOT of time off of work coming up for the holiday's so I'm looking forward to having some much needed down time. I also tried to give Facebook up for a week after all the election madness...I made it about 2 days :)
We are hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year. (My mom is having knee surgery so will be out of commission) I'm trying to not stress about it too much...won't be a huge crowd or anything and let's face it...I LOVE hosting get-togethers at my house. Now, I love Christmas as much as the next person but I fail to understand the need/want of people to skip over Thanksgiving? Why...just why? I LOVE it...the food, the weather, family, the parade...and our family tradition--Turkey Chowder :) YUM. But...on Black Friday you better believe Fall is out and Christmas is IN!
We didn't get a chance to do a lot of the fun Fall things around town so we're going to try to do it all for Christmas. For us that means...the Christmas lights at the county park, live nativity, Christmas parades, etc. What is it about Christmas in the Lowcountry? You just can't beat it...whether it's the cool weather, oyster roasts or bonfires it will always remain one of my favorite times of year. This year, one of the things I am most excited about spending Christmas with my 2 adorable nieces on their first Christmas! EEkkk...cuteness overload!
Like any other warm blooded American I too LOVE Disney movies...the classics and get all giddy and excited when they come on TV. My kids especially love all the Disney songs and we play them constantly and for those of you who know me well probably know the favorite in our household....yes..."The Lion King". I am SUPER excited about the new "Beauty and the Beast" coming out in March...have you seen the trailer? It looks so good :)
Hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving and has fun decorating for Christmas!
Happy Monday everyone!! Has everyone recovered from the hysteria that was the elections? I had to stay off Facebook for the rest of the week just because it was too much. #Everyonehasopinions #Everyoneisapoliticalinsider
This week starts the busyness of the holiday season. I am a member of the Junior League of Austin and we put on "A Christmas Affair" every year. It is a HUGE holiday market and it does not disappoint. Seriously, they have bars placed through out so you can purchase a drink and shop. GENIUS on both ends. I mean, a mimosa in one hand and a credit card in the other....swipes easier than hot knife through butter. Sorry Brian!
They also have parties throughout the week. Brian and I are headed to the Date Night party on Friday night which is cocktail attire with a large silent auction, drinks, food, live band and a little shopping. Saturday I will do my part and volunteer with tickets. And maybe a little more shopping afterwards.
I can't believe Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK! We are doing Thanksgiving with our friends and I am super excited! The fooooooood!!!!! But y'all.....every year it goes by quicker and quicker and I feel like people are rushing passed Thanksgiving to hurry up and get to Christmas. NO MA'AM! Brian has been listening to Christmas music and has asked to put up our tree. Music, fine. In small doses. (If you are friends with me on Snapchat then you will have seen B last night washing dishes and listening to Christmas music. He just kills me. The man is Christmas obsessed.) Tree? NO! That thing doesn't go up until Black Friday. My rule. Y'all, they had a girl singing Christmas carols in my H-E-B (for all you East Coasters, that's our grocery store) on Saturday. I think my mouth dropped to the floor. Oh well. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. REALLY love it. But I don't want to rush the other holidays away.
After Thanksgiving, I have some volunteer work with the League once again in our big event, Coats for Kids. Every year we gather/buy coats to distribute to those who need them. Get this....we give out over 35,000 COATS!!!!! This year I get to volunteer on distribution day which means I get to see all those sweet faces & help pick out their new winter coat. I CANNOT WAIT!!!! I know I'll have stories to share.
We are still giving out our Snack Packs and I still feel SO good getting to hand them out. It totally makes my day when I see someone & get to say "Hey! Here you go!!!" Now that it isn't so hot out, Brian and I each have a box of pre-packed snack packs so we can hand them out at a moment's notice. I surely didn't want my friends drinking HOT water so I am so happy it has cooled down! We were having to bring a few here and there in the car whenever we would leave and a lot of times we didn't see anyone because it was literally too hot for them to be out there. We are starting to see them more and more now.
That's it on my end. I hope everyone is ready for the holidays. Do you have your tree up? Or do you wait? What are your holiday traditions? What are your Thanksgiving must haves?! Do you black Friday shop?
I love when I turn on my music to write my weekly blog. Yeah boy ; )
This week I got my book in the mail, "War Room." And like normal, I got invested and finished it in a few days.
I wouldn't say I'm a very religious person. I do my best to go to church each Sunday and stay involved in my church as well as give back to others. However, I've never felt I could completely relate to some ladies I've been around in some bible studies. I guess because I'm a little more spicy than sweet, haha! However, I never feel intimidated to share my religious journey or my thoughts about my faith because at the end of the day it is my faith and my relationship with God that I'm responsible for myself.
One of my dear friends is my Pastor's wife. She is one of the most amazing women I've ever met and not because she is a pastor's wife. She and I were discussing something the other day about being able to listen to other sermons and leaders and be able to form our own opinion of what we believe and what we are taking from it. I listen to other church's online. I won't share which ones but sometimes I am curious about other churches and definitely those with large masses. I think anyone who doesn't visit, study, or keep an open heart is missing out on the progression of their faith and misinformed that God only recognizes certain denominations, a certain path, or one type of Christian. It is extremely important to find an inviting and nurturing place of worship for YOUR family, though.
I've had quite the spiritual journey in different denominations and I took a lot of knowledge from each. I know my faith is still changing every day and it really is in God's hands. The person who is the most sure of everything is often the most ignorant.
War Room was a good read. I wouldn't say it was life changing to me. It was about a struggling marriage with the daily challenges of busy jobs, a child, and a large home. I definitely don't pray as I should. I have every intention but I don't spend the time I need to do that. The other day I was driving and something was really tugging at my heart. I spoke aloud in my car to God and that same day I received some closure. I know that was God. I know I need to do that more and God wants me to open up to him even though he knows my every thought.
This book spoke a lot about the power of prayer and praying for your family and even praying for your enemy. There is a movie made about this book and I'm looking forward to watching it with my book study group and also hearing their thoughts.
After all this election madness, I think we could all use some quiet time with our Savior.
But I probably should be a little kinder and not so spicy on my parent's answering machine!!! HA HA! I always leave them funny messages because they NEVER answer the phone. I left one today and my mom said DANA!!!! The painters were here and heard you! HA! Well, maybe I made them laugh and maybe they should answer the phone!
Anyways, the P-Hams have a big announcement coming soon! So stay tuned over the next few weeks!!
Both literally and figuratively some might think. I know I can say I am READY for election to be OVER. I have had enough. I voted early and honestly, I don't want to see anymore. Tomorrow is a HUGE day for our country no matter the outcome. I hope all of y'all get out and vote. It's our civic duty. And to make this lighthearted, I've rounded up some election funnies. This is no way depicts who I am voting for or what my beliefs are. Just comedic relief folks so please...take it with a grain of salt. Oh, and make sure you have your wine or beer of choice to start drinking tomorrow night when the polls close.
Okay we survived Halloween! It was fun and my spider family nailed it, HA! Cecilia is officially in charge each year and I will do what I do to spice it up. Boys just stand there...this is our show!
1. I'm loving that the Holidays are right around the corner. Can I just say that having a big family makes it SO much more fun! We do all the things. Whatever the things are...we do them and try to do them all. I kind of drive myself crazy but I'm the mom and deep down I live for it. So when can I decorate for Christmas?? (Plus, I have a cute Christmas card idea ; )
2. I had my book club meeting last night and I recommend you check out the book "For the Love" by Jen Hatmaker and if you have a book to recommend for a church women's group then leave me a message in the comments.
One of my favorite quotes from her book was "I say the couple that embarrasses their children together has a 100% chance of making it." The other day, Patrick and I totally messed with the kids with the popularized "We ate all your Halloween candy scenario." I've seen some other facebook friends do it too since then. It is harmless fun but I think that is what I love most about our little family. We have fun and we do what we want and we love to just spend time together. Patrick and I definitely see the type of parents we DON'T want to be so it helps us to be who want to be as parents in the long run. I think those who overact and tend to put this endless pressure on parenting end up missing out on the beauty of it all.
Another big thing we discussed last night was being in the moment. This is huge. I am guilty of not being in the moment with my kids or in situations because I'm thinking of my to do list. However, I do try to make every effort to be present as much as I can in whatever I'm doing at that moment. If you don't, you miss out on a lot and you aren't truly living and never doing anything 100%!
I had the absolute best time with the ladies. It really is good for my soul. We laughed all night about our quirks and marriages and our crazy kiddos. I even shared that I wear two men's deodorants every day because I can't stand to smell and I felt that after kids my hormones made it horrible to use any women's deodorants. (Legit I went to a doctor, I got prescription, I bought organic, I would by the MOST expensive ones.) Needless to say, I'M NOT the only woman with this issue and apparently wearing Old Spice Men's deodorant is what the young girls are doing. (What!!!! I'm in the know and I didn't know!!) So I add that with my Men's Gillette Gel. I do what I do.
I will formulate this and sell it. All the cool girls are doing it!
I love women who KEEPS IT REAL!
3. I'm all into make-up and skin-care. This week, I am digging the MicroPeel Facial. OMG! Life changing! I will definitely be getting more of those! You only get one face ladies!!! Plus, I had to get all this off my face...whoa!
4. I met with my trainer this morning. SO GOOD! My legs are so heavy I can barely walk. I think I impressed him so totes to me. I do want to go get new workout clothes. I can never have enough!!!
5. Million Dollar Spray Tan out of Charlotte came to my house this week and sprayed me. A spray tan is a game changer. I love a spray tan about 3 days after. It always looks so good and you have a nice glow! I WISH I could get them more!!
Well that is all for this week!! Bring it on weekend!!!!!
And just like that another month has flown by! At the end of September I found out I was being forced to go to Tampa for three weeks of training. I was extremely upset and frantic and had no idea how I could come up with a big enough milk supply, find clothes to wear since I have been working from home for 3 months, and trust Daniel to take care of SG all on his own.
October 3rd was Stella Grace's first and last day at daycare. We had a huge welcome from the lady working at the front and she was extremely helpful taking us back to the classroom and putting everything in its place. The teacher on the other hand was not very happy at all. We placed SG in a bean bag beside the other little girl, took a picture, gave her a big kiss and then headed to our cars. As soon as we step out into the parking lot I look at Daniel and he is a ball of emotions. He immediately regretted not going to look at daycare facilities with me. He said "if you are good I am good" and I am thinking "Why am I not crying?" & "Am I bad Mom?". I told him that it wasn't forever it was just until we came off of the waiting list somewhere else and maybe he felt that way because it was his first time ever seeing the place and I have been preparing for this morning since the day we brought her home from the hospital. About 10 minutes later, Daniel received a call from his friend Sean at church and he said, " Misty and I saw your picture on FB and just wanted to let you know that Misty would love to watch SG everyday. No pressure just wanted to offer." Of course he called me immediately and we discussed it and she started at Misty's house the next day. She is the one of the biggest reasons why the next three weeks I was not a nervous wreck.
October 5th at 4:00am I leave the house and head to Tampa for 3 days. At this point I have just enough milk to get through...SUCCESS! Training in Tampa went really well and I met the three new team members and I am so excited to split up some of the workload. Flew home for the weekend and then back out to Tampa on Monday morning. This was the big week of training and outings with the team. The week went really well until I walk into the airport Thursday night and realize I had left all of my milk in the freezer at work. I called my manager in a panic to see if she could drive it to the airport but she had already left the office. I didn't have enough time to Uber there and back to the airport. My manager called the office to see if anyone could bring it to me but no luck. When she called me back I could think clearly and I assured her NOT to mail it to me the next day and I would just bring it home the following week. The next week I fly back to Tampa to take all of my certification tests and complete my presentations and passed with flying colors. Then hopped on a flight back home for good...or so I thought.
Daniel and I decided to take a daytrip to Linville Falls to see all of the fall leaves and take Stella Grace on her very first hike. The park was packed and didn't really give us the chance to break away and enjoy the serenity of the woods so we hiked back down and drove around taking in the sights. We ate dinner at American Honor Ale House in Hickory. Their pumpkin beer was fantastic but everything else was too watered down. I had their hot chicken sandwich which was phenomenal. SG ate her first table food, Mac & Cheese. She loved every little bite! The last week of October I ended up spending two days in Charleston visiting clients. Besides making the clients happy the best part of the trip was eating dinner with my best friend, Emily Monsch, and hearing all about her travels while enjoying a delicious meal at Sermet on James Island. If you are familiar with JI this restaurant used to be named Heart. They are expanding the patio and creating an outdoor bar. I had mussels with a curry and garlic sauce which was fabulous and a house salad with yellow tomatoes (I usually despise tomatoes) and a yummy dressing. Then I went back to her house on Johns Island and got a tour of her beautiful new home. I am really looking forward to going back and spending a weekend with her and Eric.
To finish off the month, Daniel and I had LifeGroup on Friday night at the Duzans. Trunk or Treat on Saturday at our church. We created a sea themed trunk based on Finding Nemo. Stella Grace was our inspiration as the baby seahorse. I was Dory and Daniel was Bruce the Shark. Then a Pumpkin Carving & Painting event for our apartment. Lastly, Stella Grace had her 6 month check up and she is 27.5 inches tall and 17lbs 12.5 oz. Her height puts her in the 92th percentile and weight has dropped down to 74th percentile. She had all of her immunizations and flu shot and we decided to stay in since she wasn't feeling too good. There is always next year for trick or treating :)
Now that the month is over ALL I can say is that I am so thankful to have such an amazing & supportive husband. He did a great job taking care of Stella Grace almost completely on his own. Waking up early to get her ready and take her and too and from Misty's house. Starting a new job and going through training as well. We had a rough month but we made it through and now we are both enjoying our jobs a lot more. We also have an amazing support system and we are so grateful that they are willing to watch SG and pray for us through this crazy thing...we call LIFE!
Happy Halloween! I wanted to share with y'all a product that I picked up at Target and have been using for quite some time now. It is the Beautycounter for Target. If you don't know what Beautycounter is, it is a skincare & cosmetic line that uses only safe ingredients in their products.
The United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. Over the past two decades, the European Union has banned more than 1,300
chemicals in the product formulas of personal care products and
restricted the levels of over 250 more in such products. The United
States has only partially banned 11 to date. -Beautycounter
To put it into perspective, these chemicals that are being put in soaps, cleansers, make up, etc are known to cause problems such as cancers or infertility. REAL STUFF LADIES!!
I will be the first to admit that I have not thrown out all my "bad makeup" or "soaps." But being knowledgeable about what we are putting on our skin & lips (hello lipstick + food = ingestion) is better for future purchases. I think what Beautycounter is doing is very cool.
They recently released a line to Target showcasing some of their skincare & a few beauty products. I have heard that if you do not take off your makeup prior to getting in the shower and washing your face, it's like getting in the shower with your clothes on & suds-ing up.
With that being said, I picked up the Cleansing Balm. It comes with a muslin cloth. Essentially, you take a little bit onto your fingers and rub all over your face. It literally melts off ALL your make up. Once I have loosened everything up, run the cloth under warm water and wipe my face and eyes down. Consider it a "pre-wash" if you will. I then follow up with my cleanser.
I will not lie and say this line isn't pricey; the cleansing balm has definitely won me over. But trying it through Target first has been a nice way to ease into it. You can check it out in your local Target or double check online to see which store may still have it in stock. You can also visit www.beautycounter.com to buy directly from their site & learn a bit more.
Hi friends! I've seen so many blogs/posts about this in the past. Each highlighting the pros and cons of each.
I was teaching 4th grade when I had our first baby. We had only been married about a year and a half when we were bringing home a tiny little human from the hospital. I had to finish out my school year (gosh I had the cutest class that year and I loved them and I loved my coworkers and principal!) so I was excited to finish out the year. That summer I was waking up all upset, though, after having spent the summer with Whit and thinking of daycare in Rock Hill while I was working in Chester.
Our plan was always for me to be a homemaker but it just happened a LOT sooner! Plus, we wanted our kids close in age and at 7 months old I was pregnant again!!! We also knew we wanted 3 or 4! Here we are 5 years later. Great decision and I never looked back!
(Funny Because it is True)
Lately I've worked a few days a month when I'm needed to help out somewhere and I LOVE it. But, I have to tell you...it is hard to coordinate everything just for me to peace out for a day. That right there concludes...YES what I do is very important and it has to be done and someone has to do it ALL!
This brings me to the working mamas verses the sahms. I can tell you that being a stay at home mom is hands down the BEST! I am SO thankful and blessed to be able to have that option and that we make that work for our family! It makes me appreciate my husband so much more that he wants that for me and he has never said "you need to work" or "what do you do all day" or "well it's my money." I've heard of other husbands saying that and Patrick knows better because he has had to take charge on days when I was feeling sick or at work on a Saturday. Plus, his mom was always a homemaker so he knows better than that HA!
I want to say HATS OFF to the working moms! All us stay at home moms can complain but NOPE. It is harder to work! I've got great girlfriends and I NEED and DESERVE my nights out but day to day...no, I want it to be ALL me! I LOVE IT! I love being a mom and if I were a little less high maintenance then I'd want more kids but that baby stage...it is rough y'all. Give me a 4 year old or older!
Staying home also makes our marriage and life in general so much easier and happier. It is never chaotic. When Patrick gets home the laundry basket is always empty, the dishes are always done, dinner is ready, kids have completed their homework and it is time to hang. Now some days he may have to help out but in general MOST days are like that because I get to only focus on our little fam!
This is just my take on someone who has seen both sides and done both.
Of course I have to throw in memes! I live for memes and it is the only reason I still have an Instagram account. I will be laughing so hard in bed and Patrick and I are such nerds showing each other funny ones we find and texting them to each other. Marry someone who has a weird, dirty sense of humor like you! :)
I am loving this cooler weather and fall flavors lately! Is Halloween really this weekend? I tried a recipe last weekend that Kris and I LOVED! It is not only tasty but has a beautiful mixture of fall colors. It was so easy but also looks fancy enough for entertaining. Kris actually found it on tip hero, it's called One-Pan Harvest Chicken.
Ingredients you will need is:
1. 2 honeycrisp or gala apples diced/cubed
2. 1 bag halved brussel sprouts
3. 1lb chicken thighs skin on
4. 1 cubed sweet potato
5. 3 shallots or half a yellow onion diced
6. 5 strips of bacon crumbled
* you will also need some spices and olive oil etc. Check out the full recipe here: http://tiphero.com/one-pan-harvest-chicken/
I lined a pan with foil, diced up the veggies, seasoned and drizzled with EVO and put it in the oven for 30 min with the chicken on top. Be sure not to skip the last step of broiling for a few min at the end to make the chicken crispy.
Here is the finished product and was it GOOD! The sweet of the apples with the salt of the chicken and bacon was perfection! Not to mention I LOVE rosemary with chicken. Also I prefer my brussel sprouts crispy and not mushy so I left it in a tad longer, just depends on your preference. ENJOY and Happy Halloween! xoxo
My little business has been so busy trying to get ready for the holidays. I know it seems crazy (since its not even Halloween yet) but in the world of retail, Christmas goes out on Nov 1st. I at least wait until Halloween is over :) We've got tons of inventory in stock and have been working on a few projects here at home too. Here is a sneak peak at our latest project, mini farm shutters. They come in a pair of 3 and the perfect addition to any wall. I like to pair the shutters with wreaths or seasonal decor to make them really pop.
Here are some other recent designs we've come up with....
Today marks one year that I packed up, scanned my one-way ticket, and moved to Austin to be with my husband on this new adventure in his career. It has been a roller coaster for sure. I feel like everyone (a lot of the time) tries to portray their perfect life. And y'all, I will be the first to compare myself to others.
Comparison is the thief of joy.-Theodore Roosevelt
"They have their families close."
"They haven't ever had to move."
"Look, they are all getting together to hang out. We're missing out."
"Ugh, they get to experience this cooler weather and it's still flipping 90 degrees here!!"
With moving away from your family & friends, I have found myself bitter & sad sometimes. REAL TALK folks. I am NOT sugar coating it. I have felt bitter that I have had to even move. I have felt bitter that in order to see my family or friends, I have to pay $500 or more just to fly home. By the way...that's only one ticket. Brian and I are always traveling together if we are headed back East so you do the math. I have cried BIG alligator tears when my friends/family had to leave after their visit because the apartment was too quiet. Or when I was leaving them. When your momma cries in front of you because you have to fly back to Texas...oh man. Gosh, I have a lump in my throat just thinking about it.
However, through this first year we have gotten a lot stronger (mentally, emotionally, & physically). I am so thankful for a job that took a chance on me to work from home. I NEVER had to worry about finding a job in the midst of an emotional move. My husband is gaining valuable experience through his job that will set us up so well for the future. We have met AWESOME neighbors who honestly I believe would give us the shirt off their back if we needed it. And their boys...they have been such a light for me and make us laugh when we can't see our friends' babies as much as we'd like. (And yes, Dana, Rachel, Lauren and Kath, no matter their age...they are babies to me.)
And Austin (despite the traffic) isn't all that bad. They have GREAT barbeque. I have learned to LOVE breakfast tacos. Their Tex Mex is the real deal. When you buy something in the grocery store and it says spicy....it IS spicy. Oh and the grocery stores....if you want to make a Mexican dish, you can guarantee that your grocery store has what ever random Mexican ingredient that you need. Oh, and I got to go and see the Silos in Waco which I for sure never would have done if we weren't living here. And most importantly, this little space of the web that we call The Dainty Details, would not have been born.
All in all, at the end of the day, I am thankful. Not everything is easy. Not everything is rainbows and flowers & that goes for anything. For those that get a chance to do something like this, I would say do it. That doesn't mean that I don't want to come back East...I do. It has totally grown Brian and I in our relationship. It has gotten us out of being "comfortable." It has challenged us. It has made us look forward to visits here with family/friends or going back East when we otherwise would have taken it for granted. It is truly a treat. But when we do move back, I will miss parts of Austin/Texas living.
Can I just start by saying this song was playing while I pranced across a stage in a tiny bikini after having 3 kids in front of a sold out audience! Yep...I kind of want to dance when I hear it! LOL That took balls with all those lights! I will never forget that OMG!
This morning I knew I wanted to write my weekly blog because last week I got over 400 views so I felt I had a few readers out there in the world!
At church one of the words I heard this morning that caught my attention was "commitment."
I was at work yesterday when someone I did not know asked me "how was the Mrs. South Carolina Pageant?" In my mind I wondered how did you know I did this. What started out as just my innocent little adventure turned out to be a well publicized thing in the paper, tv and radio. I honestly was the last person to jump on board in this and I literally went in blind and just did it for FUN. I have been asked about it constantly. I didn't have much time to think about that whirlwind until this past week.
This week I really analyzed it and tried to make sense of me not winning (besides swimsuit and evening gown). I never put that pressure on myself but felt it from others. I had a friend from church (who was at the pageant supporting me) said she sent the photo of all us girls to her friend who LOVES pageants and she pointed me out that I had it in the bag. She had no idea that I was the one she was there watching. Even my hair dresser's husband was in complete shock when I didn't win that he said that's ridiculous...we are leaving. HA! Made me feel better lol.
But I think it is because like them, I'm new to this. I see what I think is good and on stage but being kind of new to this I didn't realize the importance of your platform and job as Mrs. SC. Not that I wouldn't have taken it seriously but that my platform is more of a local one instead of a country wide platform as you are going on to Mrs. America. So, commitment. That word! The winner has been involved in MANY pageants and her platform is much larger. Others have raised over $10,000 for their charities. The winner in NC was in People Magazine a week before the pageant and is a public figure (literally her facebook is a public figure one!). I think I do great things for the community and I LOVE my platform but I think in interview my newness hurt me. Even one lady on stage said she saved up enough funds to have a nanny for the year to do her job as Mrs. SC (I get sad if I don't see my kids just one day!! ha)
My friends were in shock and said what happened in interview? Like come on Dana...what did you say!? HA HA! Well it went fine and no worries there but I think when they asked, what do you do with the boys and girls club and what do you plan to do after you win was a big obstacle. I love reading and doing fun crafts with children (It was my favorite thing about teaching!!) so that is what I do. Now I can travel throughout the state and continue that at other chapters of the BGC but I think it wasn't LARGE enough for what they wanted.
I'm so glad I did it but I think I just had to reflect on this and that I'm really happy with it all. Mrs. NC from last year asked me if she could please help me to snag this next year. I just said no thank you...I'm a mom of 3. (She doesn't yet have any children). I just think COMMITMENT. It isn't something I can honestly commit that I'm determined to "win." I still serve my community, I still go to the B&GC, I still love working out and inspiring my children. I just don't think I need to invest all that time, money, and effort for a chance at something that really doesn't define anything.
So, my very long answer to this constant question!
Another special day in my life....one of the most DEFINING days in my life.....November 12, 2001!
On that day, Patrick messaged me on good ole Instant Messenger on the big back computer. He and I had world history class together at the humble age of 14 and he was always staring at me. It is all he did...he still kind of does that...LOL! We started dating and here we are..15 years later. COMMITMENT! This year is special because we have been together over half our lives this year. That date will always be our date even though now our wedding anniversary is celebrated and we will be married 7 years in January!
Patrick loves telling the story of Brandon's birth. Brandon's birthday is November 12 and he will be 2 next month. (Don't even ask me about a party...I'm legit thinking we will order pizza, a cake and take this plane obsessed kid to the airport!)
Patrick thinks it is amazing how we completed our family on this date. Brandon was born two weeks early due to an infection and was a NICU baby and had the feeding tubes and all. It was not fun and very hard leaving my baby at the hospital to come home but God had a plan. It was so strange how I never felt scared or worried. My faith was so strong and I think partly due to him being born on November 12th and he was given my brother's name who passed away at age 14.
Commitment. It is hard and we have to each individually decide what we commit our time to doing in this life. I was committed to Patrick because I always knew where I stood with him and I knew his heart. He still tells me one day I will wake up and realize I could have done so much better than him. Crazy man!
So, I think we definitely have to reflect on where our time is spent and what are you truly committed to because that is where your passion and your priorities lie day to day.
Sorry this is so long! I'm waiting on my cupcakes to bake.
As many of you know hurricane Matthew affected much of the south east two weekends ago and many were forced to evacuate from their homes including myself. I'm not going to pretend to be brave or think I could stop the storm damage by riding it out so Kris and I decided to make the most of our departure with an Airbnb in the mountains. As we were packing to leave I remember saying make sure you get everything important ;) knowing he would have to pack the previously designed and purchased engagement ring but I DID NOT expect for it to happen that weekend with everything going on. It all started with me being sick and very stressed about work so Friday when we hit the road for Robbinsville NC near Bryson City I was ready to get away from the news coverage of the storm and relax some! We had friends meeting us up there who got there before us with their two pups so with four people and three dogs we had a house full! We found the cutest cabin with a view that was hard to beat!
We arrived with chili ready on the stove, wine and card games ready followed by enjoying the hot tub on the deck! Needless to say I almost felt guilty having fun while the pending storm was approaching! Our weekend rule was no one could look up what the weather was doing while we were up there plus we had no TV and limited service anyways! After a relaxing night I had no idea it would be a night I'd not forget! The other couple went to bed and Kris and I were enjoying talking on the couch in front of the fireplace. He was recalling many of our mountain trips and how special they were to him and I! He gets up off the couch and in the process spills a LARGE glass of red wine on the cabin's rug. Being nervous he didn't notice on his way to the bedroom to get the ring. In the meantime I'm running to get the resolve carpet cleaner and am dabbing the huge spot on the floor and all I could think about was our security deposit and how bad red wine can stain! spray, blott, spray, blott....
Here he comes back out still talking not noticing I'm on hands and knees cleaning and at that point it's too late! He whips out the ring and omg did it sparkle even in the dark! And my first response was "Oh my god! Really?!? Right now?!?" His response was "what are you doing down here and yes right now!" Once I realize what's going on I forgot about the stain and as he's about to put the ring on my finger our friend in the other room walks out right in the middle of our moment! Once again I could only say "REALLY?!" Ha! I did say yes of course and cannot believe i was in such shock and the hilarious timing of it all that I'm embarrassed to admit that was my first response!
We laughed and cried in front of the fireplace all night and it's one story I will never forget! I later found out he had the ring in his pocket the whole drive up there! He had planned on pulling off at the Fontana Dam to propose but of course weather and traffic had other plans for us. We were very flustered and ready to get out of the car so he scratched that idea. Its funny hearing about it now how he couldn't hide the ring box in his pants pocket so he took the ring out and put it in the gas station receipt! OMG Thank god that didn't get thrown out ha! Sorry for the ring overload! I've waited almost 31 years for this man and this day so just going to soak it up a little more :)
LOVE LOVE LOVE....is it really mine? Question...does anyone wear theirs all the time? when do you take it off...sleeping...cleaning? etc. HELP i'm new! Also what about working out? I've seen those qualo rings and am for sure getting Kris one but what about my ladies?
There he is my fishing fiance! trying to forget a hurricane was coming to pour down on our home.
Of course we needed a pic of the future ring bearer ;)
Kris and I recently went to our friends wedding on King at the William Aiken House and thank goodness the hurricane spared their venue. Had to get a pic of all my matchy matchy rose gold! I had no idea i'd love it so much! When Kris first asked me early on in the design process what I thought about rose gold I was open to the idea of something different and I am so happy with the direction he took it from there.
So now starts the fun of wedding planning! And I'm happy to say we came home to only minor damages to the yard and our home was safe. Hurricane Matthew and the evacuation vacation is one I will never forget.
So I find it very interesting how many hits our little blog is getting...however, not many comments. With that being said, I am doing a roll call!! I have seen this done on other blogs & think it's a neat way to interact with readers. We have 5 ladies who post here so collectively that should be quite a bit of readers. If you will please, leave the following in the comments on this post. This will also help us plan.
