Familia Lawson

Water for Elephants

2010-05-20T08:22:00.004-04:00

One word: AWESOME!

I just read (actually a few weeks ago) this book "Water for Elephants." At first I was a little skeptical about it, cause lets be honest... the title is bizarre. But I wasn't expecting to really love it.

I am a difficult reader to grasp. My attention needs to be grabbed almost immediately or otherwise I will not finish the book. So I was a little worried that this story is set in the 1930s. The first line of the book is ...

I am ninety or ninety-three. One or the other.

The story of Jacob Jankowski, a ninety or ninety-three year old man who reminisces of his days working in the circus. He takes us back to the 1930s when he was 23 years old. A vet student at Cornell, his life takes a drastic change when his parents die and he is left with nothing. He runs away and more or less joins the circus by accident. How do you join a circus by accidnet?! You jump a train, who just happens to house a circus!

Jacob falls in love with Marlena, the wife of the schizo animal trainer. I will stop right there cause I obviously don't want to give more away cause I know you will read it and I would hate to ruin it for you :)

Definetly a must read!

Sidenote: It is currently being made into a movie, so stay tuned. Can't wait to see it :)

Downtown Knoxville

2010-05-08T20:48:00.002-04:00

We headed to downtown Knoxville a few weeks ago with the camera in hand in hopes of getting out and doing something different and maybe see something halfway interesting. Its downtown, so anything goes.

Downtown Knoxville is kind .... artsy in comparison to downtown Las Vegas that I am used to. No hobos or crack whores! Such a huge change of pace for us :) So anyway every year they have a Dogwood Arts Festival and the Saturday we were there they had a Chalk Walk.

Amateur artists creating AMAZING art on the sidewalk. It was freaking awesome! I was so in awe and it made me wish I wasn't artistically challenged.

This one was my favorite! I wish we would have stuck around to see the finished product. Look at that detail!

I think this one was done by some kids.... Impressive!

Sweet Coffee

2010-04-21T08:57:00.002-04:00

Happy hump day! I would like to thank Starbucks, without whom this day would not be possible. :)

Good Reads

2010-03-13T17:11:00.002-05:00

So I have been trying to expand my horizons a bit. I have been spending alot more time curled up on the couch with a good book then I do watching mindless TV.

I read The Time Travelers Wife after I got it for Christmas and I enjoyed it alot. It was an unconventional love story but yet sweet. I watached the movie once I was done with the book and to be honest it wasn't as good. Are the movies ever as good as the book? I guess not. So do me and yourself a favor, read the book first. It will make so much more sense. Trust me ;)

I recently found a used book store by my work called McKay's and I was in heaven. This place was huge! I have done my fair share of googling and wikipedia and I was looking for something very specific, and this is the WRONG place to go when you are looking for a particular book or author. But I did pick up an old beat up copy of Sense & Senseibility by Jane Austen. I want to challenge myself and read "meatier" books, you know?

I only recently started reading Sense & Senseibility but so far so good!

Valentines 2010

2010-03-13T16:57:00.002-05:00

This Valentines day we decided to keep it low key. Since we are saving for a house we decided not to buy each other cheesy presents that would just end up being put in a drawer somewhere. So I surprised Brandon with a special Valentines Day breakfast. I went all out with the hearts!

Even the butter was heart shaped!

Love you Brandon!

Time

2010-02-05T23:53:00.004-05:00

Where did January go?! I can't believe we are in the month of February and Valentines day is next week!

I have been a busy girl. We have decided to not renew our lease at our apartment and we are looking to buy our first house! Very exciting stuff, except that now the search is on to find an awesome house that we love and we have to be out of our apartment by March 3rd. That is like three weeks away. So we have pretty much come to terms with the fact that we will not be finding a house by March 3rd so it's a good thing I have gracious in-laws that have offered to let us stay with them until we find the house of our dreams (that fits in our budget of course).

So I have booked a storage unit to house all our stuff in the mean time. I tried to start packing in January unsuccessfully. I packed a few boxes here and there but nothing like I hoped. I keep picturing that March 1st will roll around and I will still have so much to pack and then being rushed and throwing stuff in random boxes! I hope to start moving some boxes into our storage unit this weekend... wish me luck!

As far as the house hunt is concerned... not so good. It's slim pickin's. We have not found anything that we loved yet and it is extremely frustrating. Actually we did find a nice house however we (I) took to long to make up our (my) mind so someone else beat us to it. I am kicking myself for that one. You live and you learn and I will be ready next time :)

On a different note... We got some snow last week. Bummer! I hate the cold. I stayed indoors all day! After the snow all the trees had icicles on the branches and it looked so pretty! And it all of a sudden occurred to me why people put tinsel on Christmas trees. Its supposed to look like icicles!

I will never look at tinsel the same way again! :)

True Vintage

2010-01-31T19:48:00.007-05:00

I have noticed latley that all the things I love are a bit ...worn to put it lightly.

This shirt belonged to Brandon when he was about 12. He gave it to me... actually I more or less stole it, when we were dating and have been wearing it ever since. When I first took it I wore it out in public. Now, as you can tell, it's not really appropriate to wear in public. In part to the large gaping hole in the boob area.

Here is a close up of the hole in question and if you look closely, the matierial is so worn that the shirt is virtually see-through! But I love this shirt and I cannot part with it. It is so unbelievably comfortable to sleep in.

PUSH By: Sapphire

2010-01-08T23:39:00.004-05:00

Precious....
I became interested in this book after all the hype I had heard about it. Everyone kept saying what a powerful story it was.

I got the book for Christmas. Although its only 139 pages it took me a little more than a week to read. It was... gut wrenching.

I was torn because although I wanted to finish, I could only take it in doses. Its not often you find a book you can't put down .... but you have to.

I definitely recommend it.

Christmas in DC

2010-01-08T11:41:00.006-05:00

First and foremost... SORRY! It has been over a month since my last post. Forgive me! December is a busy month for everyone!

So I didn't get to go home for Christmas, but we did get to go to Washington, D.C to visit my brother-in-law Anthony for Christmas. Earlier in the week they got a lot of snow (well alot according to my standards) and it was really pretty. It's an eight hour drive from Knoxville to D.C. Yeah that's right EIGHT HOURS in a car. I don't normally handle long road trips well but it wasn't that bad.

Being in D.C was pretty awesome!

I LOVE the detail in this picture!

Ahhh the infamous White House.

Check out the shadow of the Washington Monument in this picture! Cool huh?

@ the United States Botanical Garden.

This night was FREEZING! Here we are touching the Washington Monument.

At the White House they had a giant Christmas Tree along with a giant Menorah (it's D.C they have top be politically correct) Around the Christams tree were fifty smaller trees. Can you guess why?
That's right! Each one represented one of the fifty states! Each tree was decorated with ornaments made by children from the Boys & Girls Club from each state.

Here is a picture of the tree representing my home state of NV. Pretty sad tree if you ask me!

@ Botanical Gardens.

The Iwo Jima Memorial is HUGE! The guys in the statute are 32 feet tall. I never knew it was that big!

Would you Rather....

2009-11-30T23:06:00.007-05:00

I was asked an interesting question recently... Would you rather be rich but have your marriage fall apart OR be middle income and happy.

Money is the root of all evil. There are days when I daydream about what I would do if I won the lottery. With the lottery in my future, I picture pure happiness. How could you not be happy with so much money? It seems that the majority of problems arise from from money or lack thereof. For starters, I would buy a house near my family and friends. I would quit my job and travel the world. I would donate money to some of my favorite charities that I believe in (but have never been able to donate to for the lack of money mentioned above) like March of Dimes, Breast Cancer etc. I would drive a bangin' vehicle! Like a Range Rover. Oh and the purses that I could buy! Not to mention the wardrobe I would be rocking!

But even with all the things I would have, I know that I would not be truly happy. Sure my money problems would go away but I would be faced with new challenges. In the words Notorious B.I.G, "Mo money Mo problems." Our prblems would not go away, we would only be faced with new and probably bigger problems.

So I think I would rather be middle income and be truly happy. I have always said its the little things that make me happy. I do not need all the material things (and amazing purses) that money can buy. I am a content person. I prefer a Double-Double from In-N-Out over a pricey steak dinner any night!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T15:26:00.003-05:00

My MIL and I made thanksgiving dinner. Here is Debbie getting ready to inject our scrumptious turkey with buttter.

I have never made a turkey so I just stayed out of her way. I made the stuffing from scratch ;)

Dinner was really good, if I do say so myself. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it involves all my favorite foods and I don't have to buy anyone anything. Can't beat it!

Unfortunately after dinner, I started to feel really tired so I took a nap. At first I thought it just had to do with the fact that I just ate a really big meal. I took a 3 hour nap, which is REALLY uncommon for me. Friday morning I woke up and I was running a fever, the whole nine yards! Not fun! I don't get sick often. To be honest, I don't remember when the last time that I was sick. It for sure hasn't been since I have moved to TN because I havn't been to a Dr. since living here. So its been at least two years! So what was supposed to be a fun four day weekend has turned miserable and I have been in bed the majority of the time. :( Good news.... I am feeling alot better!

The end of an Era...

2009-11-24T19:41:00.003-05:00

Ahhh Oprah!

We are so sad to see her go, although technically we still have two years with her.

Believe it or not going to the Oprah show was on my bucket list. My Bestie, Damaris and I swore that we would go to the Oprah show one day. Back then I think I always assumed that she would always be on the air so its a little weird to think that the end is in sight. And in two years Oprah will be gone and my DVR will be empty. There will be whole generation of people who will not know Oprah. Someday when I am a stay at home mom... there will be no Oprah and that is just weird.

watch this hilarious video! Dane does such a good Oprah! Huuump Baaack Whaaaales! LOL

I tend to enjoy the serious shows alot more... like about pedophiles. On a serious note, her shows reach so many people and sometimes I enjoy just crawling up on the couch with a box of tissues and having a good weep fest with Oprah.

I would still love to go to the Oprah show however tickets will be ALOT harder to come by now. Who knows D, maybe we will get lucky! :)

New Moon... the wait is over!

2009-11-23T20:50:00.002-05:00

Months and months of waiting all comes down to this!

Brandon looks THRILLED right?

Brandon and I went to the midnight showing of New Moon. There was not much else to do while we waited ....so we took pictures.

It was AMAZING!

Happy Anniversary 11.02.09

2009-11-23T20:04:00.005-05:00

November 2nd was our two year wedding anniversary. As a gift to each other we decided to get concert tickets to see one of our favorite bands, The Script, play in Nashville. We drove to Nashville for the day on Sunday.

The show was at a small bar/lounge called Mercy Lounge. We saw the laughing stock of Nashville while we were there.

The opening act was a band called Heypenny from Nashville. They were pretty crazy but cool.

The Script....

After the show we got to meet the lead singer Danny.
and the guitarist Mark.

It was pretty cool. They were just hanging outside in parking lot with some fans. Danny was nice enough to sign our ticket (cause we didn't have anything else for them to sign.)

We didn't leave Nashville til about 11pm. I had to work Monday morning bright and early so we drove straight home. We didn't get home til about 2:30 am which made for an interesting Monday at work ;) but it was worth it. The way I see it, it's not an everyday occurance around here. We had a blast!

Goals

2009-11-15T19:23:00.002-05:00

So its a Sunday evening and I am sitting here bored. So I started reading through my older posts. Do you ever do that? Well I came a across an interesting post. Back in March I posted about Goals I was trying to accomplish. So ironic.

I talked about going to the gym... lets just say that was so long ago!

I talked about taking my lunch to work.... That is actually less of a struggle. I have gone a few weeks without even thinking about going out for lunch. Impressive, I know! It only becomes a problem when its time to go grocery shopping again. Which in turn has made up for the above mentioned goal. The fact that I don't eat from drive-thru everyday has helped make up for the fact I haven't seen the inside of the gym in months!

I talked about reading a book. Damaris can vouch for me on this one! I have read the Twilight Saga.... more than once. We'll just leave it at that. And I have realized that as long as its something you enjoy, reading doesn't have to be a chore. My excuse was always "I don't have time to read." To that I say again, if its something you enjoy, you make time. I have a whole new perspective.

I talked about laundry. And laundry is still mayhem in this house. I have done laundry all weekend. Its a never ending battle. And I have come to terms with that.

IMAX 3D

2009-11-06T19:05:00.000-05:00

We are waiting to see Christmas Carol in 3D. We look pretty goofy. I hope its good! We will let you know....

Family... Gotta love em!

2009-10-30T23:35:00.004-04:00

My family came to visit for 4 days last week. It was so nice to have them here with us. Tennessee is VERY different from Vegas in that it is not touristy in the same ways. There are not shows and attractions to see however we do have things that Las Vegas does not. And that's trees and beautiful views. We wanted to show them a good time and do somthign different that they can't do in Las Vegas. So we went to a Corn maze and pumpkin patch in Corryton, TN. Check out the link and see the ariel shots of the corn maze.

I am not sure if you can see the picture of the map Brandon is holding in this picture but it was HUGE. It was in the shape of a FOX and said Great Smokey Mountain National Park. There were a total of 12 check points. In the beginning, we didn't really know what we were doing so in the quest to find check point #1 we ended up at #4! And then when we were looking for #5 we ended up at #12! But once we figured it out it was smooth sailing. Actually Brandon was the navigator so he figured it out and lead the way.

This is a shot of the corn maze. It was a beautiful day.

Fabby & Aaron.
Aaron loved it! He didn't get tired or cranky. I would have loved it more if someone would have carried me through the whole maze... ahh to be a baby again!

I enjoyed the visit SO MUCH! I hope they can come back soon.
"I have never paid money to get lost before." - MOM

Aaron Levi

2009-10-29T00:18:00.003-04:00

As everyone is well aware, my mom, sister and nephew came to visit this weekend. Here are some pictures we took over the weekend!

Aaron was a very good sport and was my model all weekend. I think, he did a good job.

We call this one "exhausted." Sweet.

Thanks Damaris! These look WAY better!

I will post pictures from the rest of our weekend later!

Excited

2009-10-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

This is my "I am so excited to see my fam" face! We are driving to Nashville tonight to pick up my mom, Fabby & Aaron. It's going to be a long night and a lot of driving but it is totally worth it!

Surprise!

2009-10-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

Brandon surprised me at work with flowers! Isn't he so sweet :-)

Sydnie and Braydon

2009-10-10T15:58:00.005-04:00

My friend Alicia was kind enough to let me take pictures of her kids Sydnie and Braydon. We had tons of fun. And needless to say, I learned that it can be very hard to get a 3 year old and 1 year old to cooperate, but we did get some good shots.

I also recently got more aquanited with my photo editing program. I just learned how to use color in black and white photos and I was so proud of me. :)

I found that some of the best shots were when they were not looking at the camera. Go figure! But capturing a true moment sometimes may be more important than a big cheesy grin.

Alicia and her family live in the country so we took these pictures in a big open field. It was such an awesome back drop.

Because the ground was not exactly flat and level little Braydon here had some trouble staying on his feet.

So let me know what you think!

Super Cute Video

2009-09-26T20:49:00.003-04:00

HOLA Festival

2009-09-26T19:45:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we went to Downtown Knoxville to the HOLA Festival. I was feeling a little deprived of culture and familiarity so I was hoping it would be "authentic." To be honest I was half expecting Taco Bell to be catering "Mexican food."
But I was wrong! They had awesome food and entertainment!

There were TONS of people which I wasn't expecting. Overall it served its purpose, it got us out the house and he didn't spend a whole lot of money so we can't complain!

Football season is here

2009-09-26T19:27:00.004-04:00

Football season is back! And some of you might know that football is a VERY serious matter in this house. Brandon is a huge Georgia Bulldog fan. Last weekend Georgia took on Arkansas and it was a very excitng game. So exciting that Brandon couldn't stay seated!

Here is Brandon celebrating an awesome play. In the end Geargia won 52-41.

Doodles

2009-09-23T15:45:00.000-04:00

Is it 5 pm yet? This is what I do when i am bored!

Sunset

2009-09-16T22:23:00.004-04:00

#1
This is the sunset in South Carolina. The picture above is with no editing. I got a little carried away with the editing efffect below. Let me know what you think. Which one looks the best?

#2

Nana and Papa

2009-09-08T19:43:00.008-04:00

We drove to Charleston, SC this weekend to see Brandon's family. Here we are at lunch with Brandon's Nana and Papa at the Crab House. Funny Story: Nana loves bird watching. She has all sorts of bird feeders in her backyard. She also has a family of racoons and foxes that come through her yard every night that she feeds. But Nana is not "fond" of squirrels. She says they come and eat all her bird food and leave nothing for any of the other animals. So above is a picture of Nana with her bebe gun. Last month alone she "gunned down" 27 squirrels! Who would have have thought this sweet old lady had it in her! Nana is a trip!
Here is one of the baby foxes that comes through her back yard! It was pretty cool to see.

We went to Isle of Palms beach to walk around. Above is a picture of Papa waving at us. We all took our shoes off and put our feet in the water but he stayed far away from the water.

Three generations of Lawsons!

Cades Cove

2009-09-02T21:28:00.006-04:00

This weekend we went for hike in the Great Smokey Mountains. Now, I know what you all are thinking. "Drea, you don't hike!" And you are right! But I thought I would branch out a little more really given in to what Tennessee is all about. Plus, it was a great oppurtunity to test out my new camera!

This is my failed attempt of taking an awesome waterfall picture. I was trying to play with the settings, however I didn't keep the camera still enough. Oh well, it's still pretty cool.

Funny story: Brandon thought it would be an AWESOME shot if I went and stood on the rocks in the water. I bet you all can guess where this is going. Yep, I fell in the water! Needless to say, I was not a happy camper because Brandon, of course, laughed at me and there were other people around. It was not by best moment. For the rest of the day I was wet from the knees down. Luckily, Brandon was nice enough to give me his dry socks to wear :) how sweet!

The deer at cades cove don't scare easy because they are so used to people so I was able to get really close pictures.

SO pretty!

Strike a pose

2009-08-31T20:40:00.000-04:00

Fall Softball

2009-08-18T22:31:00.002-04:00

Brandon started playing softball again for Sevier Heights Baptist Church and they are off to a good start. They won the first game 11-2!
Brandon played awesome! He hit 2 homeruns and a single.

Happy Early Birthday

2009-08-18T22:13:00.005-04:00

That's right baby! I got an AWESOME camera for my upcoming birthday! I have recently took an interest in photography so my in-laws got me this camera to get me started. I am so excited about my new hobby :)

I have spent the last couple of days learning the ropes of what this camera can do and I am sure I have not even SCRATCHED the surface. Below are some pictures that I have taken. ENJOY (Damaris!)

I am hoping to take a photography class so I could REALLY know what I am doing.

The Guest Room

2009-08-02T21:57:00.003-04:00

Brandon and I spent the day decorating. I wish I would have taken a before shot of this room so you can truly understand how BIG of an accomplishment this is! Let me try to explain. Before the imense transformation, this room is where we put things that did not really have a place, if you get my drift. So to put it gently, there was crap everywhere!
We tried our hand at interior design. The shelf in this picture has been sitting in this room for a few months. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about it but it matched the comforter so I figured "what the heck!" We put it up and add the accessories and we LOVE it!

I love these candles! They look awesome at night reflecting on the wall.

So now all we need is guests. Any takers?!

Girls Day Out

2009-08-02T21:42:00.002-04:00

I usually work on Saturdays. Saturdays are not mandatory but more often than not I volunteer because it's only half day and you get a full days pay. It's not a bad deal! But I had forgotten how awesome it is to sleep in on Saturday mornings.
This Saturday was my first Saturday off in about a month so I took advantage and got together with my friend Alicia. When we usually get together, it's either at our house or her house and we just hang out. We met because Brandon and her husband John worked together. This was the first time we had gotten together without our husbands or her kids (she has two little ones Sydnie age 3 and Braydon age 1.)

We took full advantage of our new found freedom. We had lunch at Red Robin and did some shopping. Mainly for Braydon's first birthday but still shopping is shopping. It was soooo nice to get out and hang out with a girlfriend.

Smokies Baseball

2009-08-02T21:20:00.002-04:00

A couple weeks ago my work treated us to a minor league baseball game because we have been doing so well at work. We went and saw a Tennessee Smokies game. Here are some of my co-workers. L-R Meredith, Kristy, & Shane (Kristy's BF) The game wasn't very exciting but it was fun to hang out with all of my coworkers at a free, company paid for event! Can't beat it!

And of course the day would not have been complete without the self portrait!

The Lawson kids

2009-07-29T12:05:00.001-04:00

006
Originally uploaded by drea83184

We drove from Knoxville to Nashville to catch our flight to Las Vegas. Brandon's sister Stephanie was nice enough to drive us to the airport at 5 am (thanks Steph!)
Anyway, when we got to Steph's house we were suprised to see Brandon's brother Anthony. Needless to say, it became a mini reunion. We don't get to see them often so it was nice to see them and hang out. :)

Spit my coke out ... Funny

2009-07-27T19:55:00.003-04:00

Brandon and I saw "The Ugly Truth" this weekend and it was hilarious! At one point I was taking a sip of my drink and spit it out all over myself and Brandon! That was a little embarrassing.

The scene at the baseball game was definetly my favorite part. ;) If you want to get out and have a good laugh I reccommend this movie. Plus, if it helps it has a good ending!

Movies this weekend

2009-07-21T12:02:00.003-04:00

We saw a couple movies this weekend. The deal was that Brandon would pick one and then I would pick one. I bet you can guess who picked what! Friday night, we went and saw Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp. Its' the stroy of John Dellinger and it takes place in the 1930's. It is a true story so the ending is predictable but it was still good. I definetly would recommend it, especially if you enjoy action flicks.

The Proposal was, of course, my choice! It was soooo funny. Even Brandon enjoyed it. This is about a woman Margaret Tate played by Sandra Bullock who is successful editor in NYC. Her visa expires and she blackmails her assistant Andrew Paxton, played by Ryan Reynolds, to marry her so she can stay in the country. They do not get along so that makes for a funny movie! I definetly give it two thumbs up!

Next on my list, My Sisters Keeper!

Our time with Aaron

2009-07-19T23:20:00.006-04:00

While we were in Las Vegas we spent ALOT of time with our new nephew, Aaron. I decided to just post an array of pictures so everyone can get to know him a little better!

Look at that hair!

This picture was taken after the pediatritian appointment. Notice the band -aid on his leg where he got a shot :( but becasue he was so good he got a sucker!

He was asleep in this picture when I was trying to do this hence the face he is making.

He is asleep in the majority of these pictures! Thats pretty much all he does. Towards the end of our visit he was staying awake alot more.

I miss him already. The next time we see him he will be a whole different baby.

Favorite Commercial

2009-07-15T21:13:00.001-04:00

I just had to share my NEW FAVORITE commercial. Click the link below and let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt4UNYUSPD4

Home... Sweet... Home

2009-07-13T22:41:00.007-04:00

Being in Vegas was AWESOME. It made us realize how much we truly miss everyone and everything. We got there on Thursday July 2nd and my mom and sister picked us up at the airport. We laid low that day. We were exhausted from the flight and being up so early. Brandon is not a fan of flying so he was a nervous wreck on the flight so needless to say we didn't get much rest on the flight. We spent time with my family and got to know our nephew, Aaron (I have so many pictures of the baby so I will post them later)

On day two we went to luch with Andrew and Damaris at CPK! We were so excited to be eating there since we have not had CPK in over 2 years! There is alot of food places we wanted to eat.

It was so nice to hang out with Damaris and Andrew. After lunch we got a chance to drive around and really just catch up. It was nice! We got to go over to their place later in the week and they made us home made pizza for dinner and brownies for dessert! They are good cooks. Thanks for dinner guys ;) Maybe we can have you guys over for dinner soon!
While we were at the Fashion Show we went and visited HotCats, of course! It was so weird being there. I have moments when I miss HotCats and when I was there I realized it's not HotCats that I miss, its the people and my life. Ahhh to be a carefree teenager again!

We spent alot of time with my family, which was pretty much the whole point for me. I feel like I have to take advantage of every minute when I am home because it will be months before I see them again.

My mom took some vacation time so we could all spend time together which was nice and also my sister was on maternity leave. We spent alot of time just hanging out doing nothing which was nice. When I go home to visit I like things to be as "normal" as possible. I know that now I am technically a visitor when I come over but I don't want it to be that way. I just want to spend time together and have it be like old times.
On one night we had dinner at the Green Valley Ranch Buffet with my whole family. It was awesome! I had forgotten just how much I LOVE buffets. We got 4 plates of crab legs. It was delicious! You can't find anthing like this in TN.

In-N-Out was one of our definite stops while we were there! Animal fries are my favorite.

We miss the Vegas food the most! We made sure we ate at every joint we do not have in TN. Our list incuded Del Taco, Panda Express, In-N-Out, Pollo Loco, Aloha Kitchen and of course anything my mom cooked!

We loved being HOME with everyone and we miss everyone!

The Twins and Mia

2009-07-13T21:59:00.003-04:00

Wow how time flies! It seems like just yesterday these little guys were in diapers and now they are running, talking, and getting into trouble!

Look at those smiles! They look so innocent, right?! Don't let the smiles fool you, these kids are up to something.

Mia, Mia, Mia! This girl grew up so much! And I mean really grew up. She is 4 years old but she might as well be 10! Here she is with her Build-A-Bear she conned me into getting for her.

How can you say no to that face!

My babies grew up so fast and the saddest part... they don't want to be called babies anymore. They are Big Boys and a Big Girl!

awwww

2009-07-10T23:23:00.000-04:00

HAPPY 4th JULY!

2009-07-04T19:59:00.000-04:00

We Are Officially...

2009-07-01T18:37:00.000-04:00

on our way to Las Vegas! We are driving to Nashville. See you tomorrow!

Cooking with Wiliams-Sonoma

2009-06-28T13:29:00.001-04:00

Brandon and I took a cooking class today at Williams-Sonoma. They taught us some awesome recipes for the 4th of July and it was delicious! And the best part.... IT WAS FREE!

7 DAYS

2009-06-25T12:24:00.000-04:00

In 7 days I will be in LAS VEGAS burning up in triple digit weather and I could not be more excited!

Aaron sleeping

2009-06-24T12:11:00.000-04:00

he looks so sweet and innocent!

so much to do

2009-06-17T13:24:00.000-04:00

This is my desk at work. I have ALOT to do but can you believe I don't want to any of it?! Is it 5 yet?

New Layout

2009-06-12T23:29:00.001-04:00

I am trying out this new layout and I am not sure that I can crazy about it. What do you think?

Meet Aaron

2009-06-12T10:57:00.000-04:00

this my nephew Aaron Levi. i will post more pictures soon

Stress...

2009-06-11T22:16:00.002-04:00

In exactly 3 weeks I will be in Las Vegas and I am SO excited! But that means I only have 3 weeks to get everything together and that's kind of stressful. Along with dealing with our trip to Las Vegas we have to decide by the end of June if we are going to renew our lease or move! I hate that we have to decide so far in advance.

Part of me wants to move cause I am ready for a new chapter but I don't want to go through the hassel if I don't LOVE a place. I was hoping to find a house to rent but who knows! And if we decide to move its going to come at an aweful time! The last day on our lease is August 31st. That's right, MY BIRTHDAY! On top of that I was hoping that my mom, sister and the baby were going to come visit me towards the end of August sometime. See the problem.

Well I will let you know what we decide! Wish me luck and I hope I don't lose my mind!

See you in Las Vegas in 3 Weeks!

Photo Editing

2009-06-02T19:37:00.001-04:00

Knox
Originally uploaded by drea83184

Well I have recently found an interest in photography. And for Christmas Brandon got me a photo editing program. This weekend I was bored and decided to pass the time exploring.

I still have plenty more to learn but I thought this was a cool picture. Hopefully soon I can get an awesome camera. :)

the foam finger

2009-05-27T22:47:00.001-04:00

the foam finger
Originally uploaded by drea83184

I am testing out my new flickr account. More to come!

Randon never before seen pics

2009-05-26T20:42:00.006-04:00

At the sun dial in Middle TN 10/26/09

Being silly 1/22/09 My in-laws at a festival in downtown Knoxville 4/19/08

Beautiful flowers from Brandon! 5/1/09

Rainbow Row in Charleston, SC. 3/22/08

Brandon in time out! lol JK

10/28/08

I was bored and looking through my picture folders on my comp and since I have not posted in awhile decided to enlighten you with past pictures I had not shared before. ENJOY!

Currently keeping my attention....

2009-05-26T19:28:00.003-04:00

I am a total SUCKER for tabloids, I admit. So obviously this is the story that has been on every magazine and website. I have enjoyed Jon and Kate Plus 8 for sometime now. And if anyone saw the new episode last night... it was awkward, to say the least.

They didn't even sit in the same room together until the very end and they both agreed that they were only there for their kids. I don't know why I care so much. When the camera are gone they are just a family with a lot of kids who deserve privacy and it sucks that fame and money have come between this family.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to have your life (marriage) video taped. Marriage is hard enough some days without a camera in your face and your private life, arguments, moments broadcast to the world. I try to put myself in their shoes. There are some days when as a married couple there is arguing involved. (Come on admit it, no one is perfect) and I just think to myself what if our arguments were on TV? That would put WAY more stress on a relationship. My proudest moments are not those when I am arguing with my husband and I can't imagine being judged on those moments.

Any thoughts?

I guess we will wait and see what will happen. Only time will tell.

Astros vs Braves

2009-05-08T23:48:00.007-04:00

We drove to ATL this past weekend for our first Braves Game of the season. I am starting to realize that Braves games are becoming annual events and I enjoy that. We left Knoxville at 10 am and drove all the way there in crappy rainy weather! It was aweful and I was positive the game would be rained out.

We got there early as usual and the game was still on and the tail-gaters were out in full force. These guys were playing beer pong in the parking lot. (I was trying to be discreet about taking the picture but this guy obviously saw me ...oops, but I think he was ok with it!)

So about two innings into the game the clouds started to roll in and I just knew our odds of seeing this game were not good. Sure enough, after seeing only 20 minutes of the game the covered the field and there was an official RAIN DELAY!

We sat in the rain like "real fans." The rain delay lasted for two hours! And although that was not fun I was just glad the game was not cancelled.Here is a funny picture of Brandon! Those storm clouds look scary! I think the positive thing about the storm was that it was alot better than sitting in the hot sun! Here I am in my Braves gear.

Here I am touching my favorite player Jeff Francoeur. hehe!

I am sorry to report it did not end well for the Braves :( They lost 1-5.

New Favorite Read

2009-05-01T21:15:00.003-04:00

My time has been consumed by reading a new blog I heard about on Oprah. It's the story of Matt, Liz, and Madeline. If anyone caught the episode of Oprah about amazing fathers you know what I am talking about. Click on the link and read.

It was such an amzing story and one that touched my heart.

All for the love of the game

2009-05-01T20:40:00.002-04:00

This is Brandon's most recent softball injury. That is a GIANT bruise around his toe. At the game last night he was playing in right field and went to catch a fly ball and ran into the back fence at full speed! I know, right? And despite the injury, he finished the game. :) What a trooper!
At first we thought we had broken his toe, he can move it so we are happy as long as nothing is broken. He is limping around but we can handle that. Knowing Brandon, he will back out there at Monday's game.
This is the second injury of the season so I hope it can only get better from here.
NO MORE INJURIES!

Elite Club...MEMBERS ONLY

2009-04-23T21:36:00.004-04:00

Lately I have been feeling an unbelievable need to nurture. Here me out.
I have ALWAYS known that I want kids some day. It's never been, "well maybe someday, we will see."
NO I have always known that I would get married and reproduce. That's just the way things work, right? When we first got married I thought we would wait a year or two before having kids, no big deal. When that first year came to an end I felt nowhere near ready.
Well in the last few months it has crossed my mind alot more and the more and more I think about it, the more I feel like I can do this now. Well the second I decided its a definite possibility, it's like motherhood has been haunting me! Seriously!
Everywhere I look there are BABIES! Mothers with babies and fathers with babies! It's like all of a sudden I have noticed (or I am imagining things) that everyone in around my age has at least one child by now and I feel ... kinda like an outsider! Crazy, I know! I am only 24 I have plenty of time.
I have become very aware of the BABY CLUB and I am not invited. It's like once you birth a child you become part of this elite club. ( I have pondered this way too much). A perfect example of this is softball.
At Brandon's soft ball games all the other wives have at least 2 kids and they all sit in a row and they all talk while their kids play. It's just intimidating. Like I should go up to them and say "Hi I am Andrea and I have no kids but I am going to sit here and watch the game and watch all of your kids play. Oh and when you all share stories about your kids, I will have to tell you stories about my niece and nephews because I have no kids of my own."
Maybe I am so aware of these things because I just feel ready! Maybe in the not so distant future it will happen.
Brandon wants kids too but he is still in the "I don't see myself as a dad" stage.
Its a work in progress ;)

Ahhhh I feel so much better that I have gotten that off my chest. THANKS!

The wait is over!

2009-04-18T18:18:00.003-04:00

I am happy to report that Brandon was successful! He did not play Playstation for 40 days! Unbelievable! This is him so excited to play for the first time on Easter. I am so proud of him!
And as for me, I have slept ALOT better since I got my pillow back.

She's all mine!

2009-04-18T18:12:00.003-04:00

It's official, we are the PROUD owners of a Toyota Corolla! We made the last payment a few weeks ago and got the title in the mail.
I can't even express how excited we are to have finally paid it off. To be honest, when I bought the car brand new in 2004 I NEVER imagined I would pay it off. 2009 sounded so far off and I just assumed I would trade it in way before then. But luckily it has been a great car that has given me no problems. The thought of no more car payments is actually a little surreal.
It's nice... real nice!

Play Ball!

2009-04-18T18:00:00.003-04:00

Brandon LOVES baseball! ( For those of you who don't know) One of our friends invited him to play on the church league.

It's really been alot of fun going to his games. The games are every Monday and Thursday nights. I bring a chair, sit on the sidelines and enjoy the game. They have played 3 games so far and have lost two out of three but they are getting alot better!

At first I kind of felt out of place mainly because I didn't know anyone. All the other wives knew each other from church plus they all have little ones and end up going to playground. But luckily I have met some really nice people and I am not feeling so much like an "outsider" anymore. :)

I made him do this pose! hehe I love it!

SNOW! Are you kidding me!

2009-04-07T23:58:00.002-04:00

That was my reaction this morning when I woke up to find snow on my car! That's right we are in the month of April and it snowed today in lovely East Tennessee. It came as a shock seeing as how just TWO DAYS AGO we saw a beautiful of 80 degrees.

Now I realize I am using alot of caps in this entry but I just want to get my frusteration level across. I do not handle the cold very well and it's bad enough that the winter took as long as it did. All I want to do is where flip flops and tank tops! Now I don't think that is too much to ask! I will be estatic when the nice warm weather is here.... consistently that is! No more teasing me with the nice weather and taking it away. Only in East TN can I run my AC and heater all within a 48 hour time span. I never thought weather could be so frusterating.

I just needed to get that off my chest. I promise to try and complain a little less.

Accept my apologies...

2009-04-06T11:41:00.002-04:00

So I know that I have been slacking BIG TIME on this blog. I think this is the longest I have ever gone without blogging. Well until this weekend I didn't have much to blog about because all we had been doing was work and that's no fun. But I PROMISE I will blog this week about what has been going on.
Until then!

From snow to sunshine

2009-03-08T15:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the first nice day in months. I definetly needed this! As you can see I was wearing a tank top in the above picture and I was SO EXCITED to wear my flip flops! Little things make me so happy! :)

Its hard to believe that only about a month ago we had a snow day! This picture was taken on February 2nd when I got to come home early from work because of the snow. By the way, that is the only thing I enjoy about snow, is the possibility of getting out of work even if only for a couple hours!

I am so ready for spring!

March is a new month

2009-03-06T13:20:00.003-05:00

First off, I am happy to report that I have been doing really well with my goals for January and February, with minor slip ups. I have still been going to the gym (mostly) three times a week. I will be honest, there have been some times that I am exhausted and have only made it to the gym twice a week but hey, nobody's perfect. I am just proud that I am even still going!

As for the month of February, again I am not perfect, but I have gotten into the habit more of taking my lunch to work. Since the beginning of February the most I have gone out to lunch at work is twice in one week which is still a big improvment. I wish I could say the same for the book I have been trying to read. I have only read ONE CHAPTER! How aweful is that!?

Well March is a brand new month and I have thought long and hard about what I want to accomplish this month. The laundry situation in this house is unbelieveable! I still cannot explain how two people accumulate SO MUCH laundry. And after a long day at work, the last thing I want to do when I get home is LAUNDRY! So as you can imagine, it piles up. So my goal for the month of March is to keep up with my laundry and do 1-2 loads a day!

ASH WEDNESDAY

2009-02-25T11:51:00.003-05:00

Today marks the beginning of lent and I will be going to mass tonight. As part of lent we are to make a scrafice for 40 days. Well Brandon and I got to talking and decided to participate this year. So we thought long and hard about something that is important in our lives that we could give up for 40 days. My first thought was, " I will give up going to the gym for 40 days!" Sounds like a great idea, right?! Not exactly, that might actually be fun and that is not the point.

So after thinking long and hard Brandon decided that he would give up his Play Station 3! That's right, your eyes are not deceiving you! My husband, the video game addict, will not play his play station for 40 days! I was so proud of him and will be even more proud of him if he pulls it off.

I couldn't think of anything to save my life! I have already given up drinking soda for dietary purposes and Red Bulls have become few and far between. So then Brandon suggested I give up my pillow for 40 days. I agreed because I have not slept with that thing since I was one year old and it will definetly be difficult.
So wish us luck!

Scattegories

2009-02-22T10:50:00.002-05:00

This a fun game worth trying. Answer each question with the first letter of your first name. And you cannot use your own name for questtions 3 & 4. Good luck!

1. What is your name : Andrea

2. 4 Letter Word: Alot

3. A Boy's Name: Aaron

4. A Girl's Name: Annie

5. An Occupation: Astronaut

6. Something you wear: ACDC t-shirt

7. A Beverage: Apple Martini

8. A Food: Apricot

9. Something found in the bathroom: A toilet..<---- I know its a stretch!

10. A place: Alaska

12. A Reason for being late: asleep

13. Something you shout:: Ahhhh!

Your turn! I tag everyone who wants to give it a shot!

Work

2009-02-20T15:41:00.002-05:00

Well I am sitting here at work and our database is down so I can't work! And it is so frusterating!
Can you believe that all I had to do today was two things and it is not almost 4:00 pm and I do not have them done! That will just go to show it has been one of those days. It has been crazy. It's like everytime I sit down to do my work the phone rings or I am asked to do something else.

So I know I have been slacking with blogging but that because we are boring people! There has been nothing going on in our lives, I promise! Hopefully we will do something exciting and worth blogging about soon.

The Secret Life of Bees

2009-02-09T19:19:00.004-05:00

I feel like all I have written about lately are movie reviews but to be honest, there has not been much going on around here. The highlight of our weekend was the movies we rented, one of them being "The Secret Life of Bees." This was my choice, of course! It was an awesome movie! I first heard about it on Oprah (go figure, right?!) It was a book featured on Oprah's book club. I never got around to reading it but right before the movie was released in theaters, the cast was on the Oprah show.

Its the story of a young girl Lilly played by Dakota Fanning, who is trying to find out about her mother, who died when she was only four years old. It takes place in the Civil Rights era so of course race is a major part of the movie. Her journey brings her to a bee farm run by three sisters August, June, & May.

There is obviously more to the story but I don't want to ruin it! It is definetly a must see! I only wish I had read the book before seeing the movie. I would like to informally add a goal for February. I want to read more. I have so many books that I buy with every intention of reading but some how I can never find the time to read them! How is that possible! I find time all sorts of unimportant things. So I will start small... I want to read one book by the end of February!

New Month ... new goal!

2009-02-01T19:31:00.002-05:00

I have a weakness! No, it's not shopping like most women. And no it's not shoes or even purses. My MAJOR WEAKNESS is eating out! It's actually quite bad for many reasons. First of all, eating out can get very expensive! At a minimum of $5 a day for 5 days a week. That quickly adds up to a minimum of $100 a month. And I say minimum because now a days spending $5 on lunch is rare. Also, eating out can get very fatty very fast, which ties into my goal for January.

I figure it will be better for my health and for my wallet to cut back on eating out. So my goal for February is to take my lunch to work 4 days a week.

Fireproof

2009-02-01T18:55:00.003-05:00

This is a great movie! It is a love story with a lesson, if you havn't seen it I highly recommend it! It is the story of a fireman and his wife who are on the brink of divorce. Their relationship has taken a turn and somewhere along the way they have become more like roomates who do not respect each other. After another big fight she asks him for a divorce. He goes to his father for advice and his father asks him to put off the divorce for 40 days. A few days later he recieves "The Love Dare" in the mail and it states he is to do something new for his wife each day for 40 days in the hope of saving their marriage.
We give it two thumbs up!

Progress

2009-01-26T23:15:00.002-05:00

I am happy to report... I am still going to the gym!

Snow in Knoxville

2009-01-26T22:50:00.002-05:00

So last week we woke up to find this outside! Now everyone must know by now that I am NOT a fan of the cold so lets just say that I was not excited. Brandon on the other hand got out and took these pictures at 6:30 am which is why they are so dark.

But I must look on the bright side, beacause the roads were so slick, I was able to sleep in a little more and go into work 2 hours late!

Baby Steps...

2009-01-16T21:32:00.005-05:00

So I have decided to make a conscious decision to make some changes. Do you ever feel like you get caught up in daily routines that before you know it a whole week has flown by and then a month? I have been feeling like this for awhile. I have so many things that I want to do and I feel like I have no time to do them. Even simple things like organizing my closet or organizing the spare room--- tasks like these, that should take a couple of hours drag on for weeks! The sad thing is, I don't feel like I have any reason to put things off except pure laziness! I SAID IT! I can be a couch potatoe with the best of them!

So I am going to take Melissa's lead and set goals for myself! I figure if I write about these things I will be held more accountable for them and might be more likely to keep them. So I know January is more than half way over but I want to get back into the swing of working out. For about the last 2 weeks I have been going to the gym. Brandon has been going with me too so I hope it becomes part of our routine. So for the remainder of the month, I want to go to the gym at least 3 times a week.

Wish me luck!

Way to cold!

2009-01-15T11:57:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share the weather in KNOXVILLE, TN! It is freezing! Tomorrow when I leave for work it will only be 6 degrees!!!! I suggested we close the office due to weather but I don't think that will happen! Well wish me luck!
P.S. I am SOOOOOO jealous of all you people on the West coast and your nice weather!

Professional Bull Riding

2009-01-13T19:18:00.003-05:00

Saturday night we got an unexpected invitation from our friends Bridget & Brian to go to PBR! It was so fun! Now if you know me I am not really what some might call "country" but Saturday night was ALOT of fun. I think it was just doing something different. I am happy to report we really enjoyed ourselves!

I got SO MANY pictures but here is a good action shot! Sad to say we didn't see too many cowboys ride the bull. Most of them hit the dirt. So you might think "well at least you saw alot of good falls." Eh not really. It just seemed like they would fall really quick and it would take a few minutes to get the next cowboy ready. So there was alot of waiting. There were some exciting moments however. The rodeo clown got flung into the air by the bull and spun in a circle! Now I know it sounds aweful that I am excited about this but he was ok. If he had been hurt it might not have been so entertaining.

Here we are being silly at the Rodeo!

SO LONG....

2009-01-01T21:50:00.002-05:00

Ok so I realize it has been almost a full month since my last post! Things have actually been pretty hectic. Work has been going really well and I have been extremely busy. When I get home the last thing I want to do is get on the computer... you understand right?

Christmas was AMAZING! I was planning on spending Christmas in Nashville with Brandon's entire family, but last minute I got the oppurtunity to go home and I just could not resist. I Flew out to Vegas on December 23rd and surprised my family (my mom and sister were in on it.) It was so great to be home for Christmas. It was tough to be away from Brandon at Christmas but he understood and was very supportive. We both got to spend Christmas with our families so everyone wins!

I can't believe it is already 2009! We hope to accomplish big things this year. We just renewed our lease so we will be in our apartment for at least another 6 months. I am not really sure what we will do after that. Maybe a house is in our future! Alot can happen between now and then so we shall see!

So I know this must get old to hear but I REALLY want to get back in shape in 2009 and lose some weight! Doesn't everybody! I have the motivation to do it but sometimes I have a hard time kicking it in gear. Any suggestions?

I promise to post pictures of my trip home later! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Getting ready for Christmas

2008-12-08T20:36:00.003-05:00

So we are finally starting to get our Christmas decorations up. It's been so nice to have everything out since this is our first Christmas in our own place. Last year at Christmas we were still at the in-laws house.

This our first tree of many! Brandon and I decorated it on Sunday. We put lights out on our balcony too put I don't have a good picture of that. Brandon LOVES doing the Christmas decorations maybe even a little more than I do. It just makes our place feel cozy and homey with all the Christmas stuff up. We LOVE Christmas time!

P.S. This is my 100th post! Yeah!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-01T21:40:00.004-05:00

I had a WONDERFUL weekend with my family in town. Mostly we just spent quality time together. On Saturday (their last day here) we drove up to Sevierville and went to the "Christmas Place." It is seriously the biggest Christmas store EVER and it totally got us in the Christmas spirit! So much so, that everyone agreed to be in the picture above!

This is just part of the Christmas Village they had on display! Have I mentioned how much I love Christmas!

Me and my boys! I miss them already!

Me and my Dad with a beautiful view behind us. My dad just LOVED Tennessee! He loved how beautiful it is here. Maybe my family will move here someday *fingers crossed*

Dad & I next to the "Friendship Bell" in Oak Ridge.

Overall, we had a blast and I would have been happy if we just sat at home the whole time. I am just glad I got to see my family and they got to see our home and where we live. I hope I will be able to go home soon and see everyone that wasn't able to make it here.

So I am ready for more visitors anytime! Any takers?!

Fun on the Wii

2008-12-01T20:28:00.001-05:00

Here are some videos of us playing the Wii. Boxing is was so fun but, man was it a workout! My arms were hurting afterward but maybe that just means I am out of shape! Yeah, that's probably it!

Thankful

2008-11-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for....

My wonderful husband who is truly my best friend. He makes me laugh and smile. He works really hard to support our family and I know he would do anything for me.

My dad and my brother who were able to come visit me this thanksgiving. I am excited that they have finally been able to see where we live and I will be so sad when they have to leave but I am glad they are here now.

All my family back home in Las Vegas. I really wish they could have joined us for thanksgiving but I understand why they couldn't be here and I know they will always be there for me when ever I need them.

A job that I enjoy and that pays the bills. With the economy being the way it is, I am glad I have a realiable and steady job. Brandon's job is not always to secure so it is a good thing that we have my job.

The health of myself and my family. I try to remind myself that things could always be worse. Just when I think I have a problem I stop and think off all the people who are struggling with things like cancer and I am thankful that we still have our health.

My wonderful friends both new and old. Thanks for always being there and being a shoulder to cry on and someone to laugh with.

Now for some not so serious things...

Cable TV- for providing endless hours of entertainment

Internet- for having loads of info at my fingertips

Red Bull- cause sometimes I need a little pick me up to get me through the day

Delivery drivers- cause after a long day at work cooking is not always something I want to do

Appliances- washer/dryer, dishwasher, need I say more. They make things so simple

Milk and Cookies- comfort food :)

Oh and of course BLOGGING- great way to keep in touch with people I love so far away!

"BOLT"

2008-11-23T18:11:00.000-05:00

Brandon and I went and saw "Bolt" this weekend! It was the CUTEST movie! It is right up there with "Finding Nemo" in my book. Of course we were the only losers there WITHOUT children but we didn't care. We love watching movies like this. A couple weekends ago we saw "Madagascar 2." That was cute too, but I liked the first one alot better.
The best thing about "Bolt" were the hamster named"Rhino" and the pigeons! SO FUNNY! I definetrly recommend it! It makes me want a puppy!

ONE WEEK TO GO!

2008-11-19T22:53:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to report that my dad and brother will be coming to visit me in a week! It will be a little weird to be a hostess to my family. We have never had out of town guests at our apartment so our spare room will finally be put to good use. I am so excited to show them where we live and around Tennessee. It will be nice that they will be able to have a mental picture of where we live. Next Wednesday Brandon and I will be driving to Nashville (2 hour drive) to pick them up.
Why Nashville, you ask? Because it was seriously $300 cheaper each! So we figured the two hour drive was worth the $600 savings. The flight lands at 9:45 pm Nashville time (which is actually 10:45 pm Knoxville time and 7:45 pm Las Vegas time) Confusing I know! Anyway that will put us back home at like 3 am! So it is going to be a long day but I don't care at all! I am so excited!

SILLY

2008-11-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

Here I am trying to take a picture of myself... and Brandon ruining the picture behind me!

Take two.... Brandon still being silly behind me.

Oh we have so much fun together! LOL

Happy Anniversary!

2008-11-09T20:58:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it has been a year! We have officially been married for one year. November 2nd marked our one year anniversary. Time has flown by. We decided to just keep it simple and have a quiet date night together.

We had dinner at Connor's. It was delicious. Brandon had a steak (of course) and baked potatoe and I had the chicken pasta. My favorite thing about Connor's is their lobster and crab bisque. Mmmm!

This is us at the movie theater. We saw "Max Payne" and i actually liked it. It wasn't your typical anniversary movie but we had fun.

This past year has gone by so fast. Sometimes its hard to imagine how far we have come. We have known each other for over 6 years and when we first met I would never have guessed that I would be living in TN. It's amazing what we do for the people we love! I love my husband and I love our life in TN. Right now I could not picture ourselves being anywhere else!

Weekend in NASHVILLE

2008-11-09T20:17:00.000-05:00

I know it has been sometime since my last post. Forgive me! I do have some interesting events to post about so bear wtih me. October 24th Brandon, his parents and myself drove up to Nashville, to see my sister-in-law Stephanie. I had never been to Nashville so I was pretty excited to go on a mini road trip. Here I am in Downtown Nashville in front of a replica of the parthenon. It was pretty cool to see it since I highly doubt I will ever go to Greece to see the real one. It was in this beautiful park in Downtown Nashville called Centennial Park. We took a walk through the park and had lunch at PF Changs! DELISH... can we say LETTUCE WRAPS! Mmmmm!
We went to a place called Arrington Vineyards in Nolansville, TN. It was about a 45 minute drive from Nashville. It is a Winery owned by Kix Brooks from Brooks & Dunn. It was pretty cool. I had never been to a winery before. We got to do a free wine tasting, again which I had never done. So after the wine tasting we bought a bottle of wine and had a picnic. It was beautiful!
This is Brandon and Stephanie by the grap vines. There were acres and acres of grape vines.
Here is Wayne and Debbie by the fire. Right after our picnic we went up to the patio and sat by the fire. Brandon and I with the gorgeous view of the vineyards behind us. It was beautiful and I hope we can do more stuff life this soon!

PRNICESS MIA

2008-10-19T23:56:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

THE BOYS

2008-10-19T23:19:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Welcome Home Debbie!

2008-10-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

My mother in law came home yesterday! For those of you who didn't know, she was gone to Alabama for her job. Well after two long months she finally came home and we are glad to have her back!

Aunt Andrea and Uncle Brandon

2008-10-16T23:36:00.000-04:00

My sister Fabby and her husband Abraham are having a baby! We could not be happier for them. We got a really cute card in the mail yesterday that delivered the news. It said "For a Wonderful Aunt and Uncle." I was a little perplexed because I had no idea who it could possibly be from. Brandon opened it and started to read. I looked over his shoulder and jumped ahead a bit. At the bottom of the card it said, "Congratulations to a great Aunt and Uncle. I can't wait to meet you in June 2009." And it was signed Baby Banda.

My jaw just dropped! I almost couldn't believe it so I called Fabby and she confirmed the news! They are going to be awesome parents and I can't wait to meet my niece or nephew!

Congratulations! We love you guys!

We've been "BOO-ed!"

2008-10-16T23:23:00.000-04:00

The air is cool the season fall
Soon Halloween will come to all
The spooks are after things to do
In fact, a spook brought this to you
"BOO" is a shield from witching hour
Just hang it up and watch its power
On your front door is where it works
It wards off spooks and scary jerks
The treats that came with crypted note
Are yours to keep, enjoy them both
The power comes when friends like you
Will copy this and make it TWO
Then others here among our friends
Will give warm fuzzies that do not end
We'll all have smiles upon our faces
No one will know who "BOO"ed whose places
Just one short day to work your spell
Or a big ZAP will strike your tail
And don't forget a nifty treat,
Like something cute or something sweet
Please join fun, let's really hear it
And spread some "BOO"s and Halloween spirit

While hanging out at Brandon's parents house we were BOO-ed! The people in their neighborhood started this little game and they left candy on the door step with the challenge to BOO 3 other houses. We put the "BOO GHOST" on the front door so we wouldn't be BOO-ed again. So Brandon and I thought it would be fun to start it in our apartment complex. We BOO-ed 3 people in our building and hope that it catches on.

Start a BOO in your neighborhood! It can be really fun!

Makeover

2008-10-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

#4
So I recently found this website where you can upload your picture and try out new hair styles. SO COOL... I have always wanted bangs and after finding this website.... I am pretty sure bangs are not for me. So I played with some hair styles. Let me know what you think.

Check out this website.... http://www.taaz.com/

Things in 8!

2008-10-12T19:08:00.000-04:00

8 Favortie TV Shows: (in no particular order)
1. Desperate Housewives
2. 90210 (both old and new)
3. Biggest Loser
4. Jon and Kate Plus 8
5. Everybody loves Raymond
6. Hole in the wall <--- so funny!
7. HGTV
8. Amazing Race

8 Favorite Restaurants: again, no particular order
1. Taco Bell
2. Wasabi
3. Macaroni Grill
4. TGI Fridays
5. Firehouse Subs
6. El Cantarito <--- Mexican place in Oak Ridge
7. Pizza Hut
8. McDonalds

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:
1. Cleaned like a mad woman!
2. Called my mom
3. Laundry
4. Watch football
5. Ate Papa Johns Pizza
6. Blogged
7. Payed bills
8. Went to work

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Going home :(
2. having kids
3. one year anniversay
4. my family visiting
5. getting new car
6. getting a house someday
7. Fridays
8. Spending time with Brandon

8 Things I Love About FALL
1. Leaves changing colors
2. Thanksgiving
3. Nice weather
4. Halloween
5. Hoodies
6. Taking walks
7. Sunsets
8. Getting ready for Christmas

8 Things On My Wishlist:
1. Ride in a hot air balloon
2. lose weight
3. Vacation
4. Get my wedding pictures in an album (sorry Mom)
5. Finish decorating the house
6. Wish someone would come visit me!
7. Make-over
8. Move closer to my family

Anyone who would like to do this... Feel free!

Homesick

2008-10-11T21:53:00.000-04:00

I have been feeling extremely homesick lately! I miss my family so much.
I just wish that I could go home for a weekend or something but plane tickets are SOOOO expensive. We are hoping to be able to go home for Christmas so we will see what happens. But first my family might be coming here for Thanksgiving so I am hoping that works out. I am just hoping my mom gets the time off from her job *fingers crossed*
I haven't felt this homesick in awhile. :(

Saving Money!

2008-10-09T18:34:00.000-04:00

Did anyone else happen to catch Oprah yesterday? And was anyone else inspired to save money?! With the economy being so bad, SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE! The "thriftiest family in America" was on the show. This woman cooks for a family of 5 at $4 a meal!
My favorite part was about coupons! I personally do not use coupons only because I am not used to using them and I usually forget, but after watching this I will be doing research!
http://www.couponmom.com <------- This website is all about coupons and the secrets about cutting your grocery bill in half! While on Oprah this woman went to the grocery store and got $127.00 of grocery's and after using her coupons she only paid $37.00!!!!
I was very impressed! So lets just say I will be making a bigger effort to do my research and get coupons before my trips to the grocery store.
I hope this is helpful to everyone! Happy Saving!

Rainy day

2008-10-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to test out my new video camera.

Here is a video of a rainy day. I , personally love rainy days especially thunder and lightning. About 10 minutes after i took this video it was sunny again Go figure!

FUN STUFF

2008-10-05T16:49:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Our deal

2008-10-01T20:22:00.000-04:00

Brandon and I have made a deal! The deal is we are going to alternate making dinner. Tonight was Brandons turn and he made pork chops, pasta salad and sweet peas!
It was delish! So that means that tomorrow is my turn. Any ideas?

My Husband ... the Georgia Fan

2008-10-01T20:15:00.001-04:00

If you can't tell my husband LOVES football. I would even say he prefers College football over the NFL. So between September and January Saturdays at our house are all FOOTBALL all the time! That's not always my favorite but I take Saturdays as "ME DAYS."