Tuesday, July 23, 2013

downtown and a little cafe.

The last few days have been such a good great time and so full of family, friends, and fun...oh, and FOOD. How could I forget food?!  I couldn't.  I can't think of a better reason to splurge than a birthday, and I definitely splurged on mine.  This year's theme--cupcakes.  My husband knows me so well, he had these in hand first thing Sunday morning.



If you haven't had a Strossner's cupcake, you are definitely missing out.  Thankfully, my mom and her friend were coming for a visit so between family and myself I only actually ate two cupcakes.  Ok, I lied.  I had one every day for three days in a row.  But I'm done.  I'm back on the right track, and I honestly feel much better!  And yes, the birthday celebration lasted a solid three days.  I feel so lucky to have such wonderful family and a husband who treats me like a princess.

**************

My mom and her longtime friend, Louanne, came to Greenville for a visit to help celebrate my birthday.  We've been learning our way around Greenville and finding all of the best shopping spots.  This morning, we headed downtown to check out the shops and find a local place for lunch.  While I didn't find much in the way of shopping, we hit the gold mine of restaurants.  I'm talking heaven on earth people.  While in a cute little cooking store, we asked the store clerk where might be a good place to eat downtown.  She sent us to Tupelo Honey Cafe.  This super-cute place served up the goods!  My favorite is their Signature House-made Rosemary Peach Lemonade.  But at $3.50 a glass (no refills) and an unknown number of calories, I stuck to one glass.  You better believe I savored every sip.



Yes, those are FRIED okra.


After lunch, I took the girls to see Liberty Bridge...

The view from Liberty Bridge.

It is truly beautiful in downtown Greenville!  It's still hard to believe this is now my home, but I can honestly say it feels more and more like home each day.

Off to pick up the mother-in-law at the airport, and soaking up the rest of my visit with my mom this evening.  Wanted to leave you with this thought...

"You've only got three choices in life--give up, give in, or give it all you've got."  Make each day count. Choose happiness over the negative.  Choose to love others.  Whatever you do, do it with you're whole heart.  


Thursday, July 18, 2013

they're how old?!

Last week, Bo worked at a wrestling camp in Wilmington for a few days.  It only seemed obvious that I'd go home for a visit during that time especially since my sisters were having a BIRTHDAY!  It's so hard to believe that they are 11 years old now, going into the 6th grade.  It seems like yesterday that they were just learning to walk and talk.  Now, they starting to think about "big girl" stuff.  It's scary.  I am so thankful to be so close with them and I pray that they always want their big sister around.

On their birthday, I took them to the beach.  I was worried the weather wouldn't hold out, but it ended up being perfect...well, other than the rough waters and gloomy sky!





That's my favorite.  If you look closely, you can see that they gave Alex boobs!  So silly :)  That evening was the real celebration.  My family took the girls to their favorite restaurant, Musashi.  Musashi is a Japanese steakhouse and the girls love to watch them cook the food right in front of you. And, of course, there were presents and dessert.  Three desserts to be exact.

Camryn, Emma, & Alex turn 11!



Awaiting their gifts :)

Needless to say, they had a good day and I was thrilled to be able to spend it with them <3

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

our new home.

So many are asking for pictures of the new home, so here goes!  If you didn't know, Bo and I moved to Greenville, SC on July 1st to start a new adventure together.  Sometimes change is a good thing, and I believe in my heart of hearts that this was a great decision for us.  We absolutely love it here!

The trip down here was a hoot!  Bo drove the moving truck, pulling my car behind it, and I drove Bo's truck.  Lucy rode shotgun with me and Miller hung out with daddy in the truck.  What should have been a 5 1/2 hour drive took almost 7 hours.  Those trucks are slow!


After arriving, it took me a short two days to get all the boxes unpacked.  My OCD kicked in full gear! While it's still a work in progress, here's a sneak peak at the new place...






On a side note, I finally got a job!  I'll be teaching 5th grade at Hollis Academy, and I am more excited than I've been in a very long time.  It'll be a challenge for me since I'm changing grade levels and teaching all subjects, but I'm up for it.  As soon as I can get in my classroom, I'll be posting progress pics of the room as I transform it into my own.  I'm looking forward to building new relationships with coworkers, and getting to know my 5th grade babies :)

************************

Heading to our NEW gym to take a Zumba class with my sister-in-law!  So nice to have a workout buddy here.  Check back later...I'll be posting pics from the birthday festivities last week with my sisters.  Don't miss it!