Ants

Several weeks ago we had all of these tiny, tiny black ants in our kitchen.  Only in kitchen, in and around the sink.  My roommate found the spot where they have been entering in our kitchen, and said she took care of the problem.  And it worked.  For a while. 

Yesterday I noticed that the ants were back.  With avengence.  There were so much more of them.  The roommate is out of town -- for an extended time.  Looks like the ant-killing will be up to me.  Which I'm fine with, but am not sure how to go about killing these little dudes.  Googling produced a wide variety of ideas...if you have any ideas that have worked in the past, I'd love to know!

My purse was on the kitchen counter yesterday and this morning I noticed tiny, tiny black ants all over it -- inside and out.  Gross!  Hoping they haven't been trasported throughout the house...ugh...

DMV

I've been meaning to get my driver's liscense updated with my Charleston address (my old one still had me residing in Columbia...it's been about 2 years since I lived there).  I thought I could do it online, but for some reason I couldn't make that happen.  My next idea was to submit a paper application.  This got moved to the bottom of my to-do list and the application resided on my dresser for a long time...  So Monday I decided I had to get this taken care of.  I swung by the DMV on my way home from work on Tuesday.  I walked in at quarter to 5, not sure if they'd see me because they close at 5.

Not only did they see me, but I was in and out of there with a new liscense in under 15 minutes.  I was so impressed!  These folks are certainly exceptions to the rule that DMV's take forever.  Maybe it's because I showed up late and they were ready to head home themselves, but regardless of the reason, I was glad it was so quick.  What I wasn't glad about was the fact that I forgot I'd get my picture taken.  I was having a bad hair day and so it was up in a pony tail all day.  I took it down and tried to make myself presentable.  Ha!  It's still better than my old picture -- I look strung out in that one.

Also, since I'm too lazy to wear make up to work these days it was a good photo to look at my skin.  And I have to say, the Proactiv has really worked well for me! 

Everything I Know I Learned in Kindergartin

So I was signed up to be on a committee for work.  It's company-wide and our first meeting is today.  Yesterday, I received an email with the meeting's agenda.  There was also this list of rules:

1. Bring wins to share
2. Start and end each meeting on time
3. Silence cell phones and pagers
4. Be Consistent in attendance
5. Leave rank at the door
6. Agenda Distributed prior to meetings
7. Notify Team Leader(s) when absent
8. One person speak at a time
9. Be respectful toward others
10. No sidebar conversations
11. No whining

I think the rules are great; however, I also feel like there should be a number 12 saying, "Take the bathroom pass with you each and every time you go."

Street Find!

Some people have a knack for finding good things on the side of the road or buying a really cheap piece of furniture and sprucing it up.  Maybe its because I don't own a home, maybe its because I lack a good eye, maybe its because I don't come from a mother that is into home decorating, but for whatever reason, I am not one of those people.  I should say I wasn't one of those people.  I was walking Sunday night in the neighborhood and spotted this on the side of the road!

So I hurried home and drove back to pick it up.  I thought it would fit in my backseat, but it turns out that my door isn't wide enough to accomodate this lilttle beauty.  It also turns out that a man driving down the road saw me looking like an idiot and stopped to help me.  He graciously put it in my trunk for me and I drove the 2 blocks home hoping it wouldn't fall out of my trunk! 

A tiny bit of paint was chipped off one corner.  Let's be honest, I think I did that while trying to wrangle this into my car.  The bottom drawer is fully functional, but the top drawer was messed up.  I saved the top drawer front piece in case I ever think of something to do with it and then ripped out the broken pieces of the drawer.  I'm using that area as a shelf.  If I ever get really crafty, I can paint the inside of that space white and get a sturdy piece of wood, and paint it white to give a more polished and elegant look. 

But for now, I think this looks pretty good for a street find!

Just Josh

This past weekend rocked.  All the time in the car was well worth it.

After work on Friday, I headed to North Augusta to spend the night with my good friends Cameron and Jonathan.  Y'all, their patio home is so so so cute and well done!  It looks like something out of a magazine!  But more than admiring Cameron's decorating skills, I loved spending time with them.  We ate at Tacosushi in Augusta with their neighbor.  We all split queso & chips, guac & chips, and tempura fried asparagus spears -- delicious.  While you could go for Mexican or sushi, I went with sushi and enjoyed a delectable roll with tuna tartar, avocado, tuna, and yummy sauce.  Then we headed home and watched the night's episode of Friday Night Lights.  Gosh, I love that show!  Saturday morning, Cameron and I went running.  Ok, ok, she ran and I walked. 

Mary Anne met me at their home so that we could drive to Winder, GA together.  We had the best time laughing and catching up and taking in the scenery of small towns all across Georgia.  Chick-fil-A, Sonic, and a rest room stop in the middle of nowhere were all part of the fun. Also, for those of you that have never had the pleasure of riding in a car with me, my driving skills leave much to be desired...so I'm pretty sure Mary Anne was impressed when we actually made it to Winder alive. 

It was so good to get to Winder and see Mary Alice, her fiance Steven, and her beautiful moma, Susie.  We had a nice time sitting around and getting to meet/see some of Mary Alice's other bridesmaids that stopped by throughout the afternoon.  Showering, primping, and a drive to Athens later, we were ready for the big event to get started: Mary Alice & Steven's engagement party.

The party was really fun.  The food was awesome, and thanks to Josh, our fearless food leader, the 4of us below were able to enjoy the sustenance before anyone else.  Ha!  I sure do love to eat!  Brooke and Josh were really fun to play around with throughout the party!  [For some reason I'm not currently able to link...such a bummer.  Here's Brooke and Josh's blog: http://josh-brooke-vickery.blogspot.com/]  It was really fun to meet Steven's family, hang out with Mary Alice and her bridesmaids, and catch up with Mary Alice's family. 

Mary Anne was my date and such a good date she was.  As the bridesmaids and their husbands all left the engagement party to head out for a nightcap, I looked around and noticed that all of the couples were holding hands.  Of course I made a sarcastic comment to my date, Mary Anne.  Brooke heard and said: that's ok, Josh and I don't have to hold hands.  Ha!  They are such good sports.  But even better was that Mary Anne took my hand, and Brooke captured it on film. 

At some point in the evening, we started talking about blogs.  I mentioned to Brooke that they have a lot of "Just Josh" pictures on their blog and Josh is a really good sport.  At this point, Josh whips out his BlackBerry to start showing off all the "Just Josh" photos.  It was awesome.  [Typically I'd put the links to some Just Josh photos on their blog, but again, the link thing isn't working.  Thanks, Blogger.]  Brooke and Josh got the quite the kick out of the picture they took below.  Just EA!  Hahahaha. 

One of Mary Alice's bridesmaids married a rather tall gentleman.  Brooke, Josh, and I thought it would be funny for me to stand next to him and see the vast difference in height.  You know, since I'm a mere 5 feet.  I was doing my best to be stealth-like and not have anyone notice...and by anyone I mean the man I was trying to pose next to for a picture without him knowing.  As soon as I make my move behind him, Mary Anne calls me out.  Ha!  I'm pretty sure the lame excuse I gave wasn't too believable. 

We were heading to our car, when we heard some awesome live music.  I'm a sucker for good live music, especially when its outside, not too crowded, and not too hot.  We were able to snag a table right up front and I was in heaven.  Per my request, they played my theme song: Tiny Dancer.  And, boy, I danced...some with Mary Alice (one of my all time favorite dancing partners) and lots by myself. 

Random girls at the bar: Why are y'all so dressed up?  Have y'all been to a wedding?

Mary Anne: We went to an engagement party.

Mary Alice: I'M GETTING MARRIED!

The band: That's awesome! 

The band proceeded to give Mary Alice and Steven a shout out and dedicate their next song to them.  So fun!  And because I'm me, I of course asked the band to play one more song for me.  Van Morrison's Into the Mystic.  This is one of my all time favorite songs and if I ever get married and have a wedding, I'd like this song to be my first dance.  They played the song and I was thrilled!  Such a fun treat!  The band gave Mary Alice and I free CD's of their music.  All in all, a hit of an evening in Athens.  That town does not disappoint.  We headed home to Winder after a quick run through the McDonald's drive through.

Mary Alice's dad is an excellent host and cook and had us all over for a delicious breakfast the next morning.  It was the perfect note to end on as Mary Anne and I headed back to South Carolina.  I dropped her off at her car and then Cameron, Jonathan, and I ended up grabbing lunch together at Bojangles.  Good times and yummy food.  I think I may be doing Jillian 3 times this week do to my recent food intake.  Ha! 

I made it Back to Charleston around 4, met my mom at the pool for an hour or so and then made the treck back to James Island.  Home sweet home.  A great weekend...and now I'm dragging at work this morning...but it was SO worth it!

Barry-isms

This past weekend I had the pleasure of staying a few days and nights on Hilton Head Island.  I stayed with my friend Weston and his extended family.  The house was great and not far from the ocean.  We ate a lot and drank a lot (but not too much) beer - which is always a good combination and makes for a good time!  His family is funny and fun to be around.  But, I have to say, the most noted person (and often the topic of many conversations) was Weston's dad.

As long as I've known Weston, I've thought his dad was a pretty quiet guy.  Well, there was that one time he had one several margaritas at an oyster roast at Courtney's house.  He was quite the chatterbox!  And got pretty animated!  It was hilarious...  My parents were also at that oyster roast and my dad still talks about how lively he was.  Apparently, all of their family knows how funny Barry is.  One beer is the admission price to hours of entertainment.  My time around him at the beach this past weekend produced some pretty funny comments:

• Walking downstairs and asking everyone "Does anybody have any ointment?"
• "The most fun i has in college was making a B."
• "A wet exit with no skirt is much easier."
• "A story without details is just a headline."
• A 20 minute conversation about Smart Wool socks.  He was pretty much the only person in the conversation.

All in all, a great time at the beach!

Yesterday

Was free queso day at Moe's!

Today has been fairly boring thus far...

Jillian

Krissie told me she purchased Jillian's The Shred & No More Trouble Zones.  Being an owner of The Shred, she motivated me to also purchase NMTZ.  Last week I took a detour on my way home to Target for this exercise video.  After searching the DVD section of the store, I didn't see the prize I was looking for.  So I sauntered over to the fella behind the register to inquire about Jillian.  I told him what I was looking for and he replied with, "Yes.  That was a good idea.  However, its in the work out section...other 1/2 of the store."  Guess what?  They were out.  So, I ordered it for Wal-Mart.  $0.97 shipping!

NMTJ came in the mail this past weekend and I decided to try it out last night.  You can do one 40 minute work out or 7 6-ish minute target area work outs.  I did the full abs workout, 1/2 of the triceps work out, and 1/2 of the core work out.  Then I thought I might die so I stopped for the day.  Yet again, Jillian has kicked my arse.  Goal for Thursday is to see how far I can get in the 40 minute full work out (if I don't post on Friday its probably because my arms fell off the night before).  I do have to say that it is pretty fast paced and there are lots of moves so its not boring.  Here's a clip of some moves...



I should note that the video gals and myself do these moves quite differently.  I am not nearly as peppy as they are.  They don't appear to yell vulgar words while they're exercising like I do.

Tim Riggins

My love affair with Friday Night Lights began last summer.  Courtney purchased the first few seasons on DVD and we spent many a late night getting to know the fine folks of Dillon, Texas.  This show rocks, y'all.  Over the seaons, characters have come and gone.  I have to say, the show does this flawlessly.  Sure, I miss Lyla and Tyra, but I'm equally enamored with Becky and Jess.

Coach and Mrs. Taylor are my most favorite TV couple/parents.  I'm so excited that they were BOTH nominated for Emmy's this year!  The show looks at a lot of real life issues with humor and tenderness: sex, drugs, pregnancy, violence, heartache, faith, divorce, unloved children, drinking, death, etc...  If you haven't watched it before, I think you should check it out.

Oh, and perhaps the best reason to watch the show: Tim Riggins.  He's surprisingly tender and sweet, has amazing eyes, is a protector, and

enough said.

Here's a clip:

And While We're at It...

...I thought I'd post about my best guy friend, Weston.*  There's never been anything romantic between us and I love him like a brother.  I would LOVE to see him with a great girl. 

He and I met the first day of class at Presbyterian College and have been good friends ever since.  Here are some of his stats:

• He re-did his own house in Chapin, SC.  Think The Notebook.  He did a great job.
• Athletic and very active physically.
• Loves the Lord.
• Works with the youth group at his church.
• Can hold his own in the kitchen.
• Enjoys good beers and margaritas.
• Has a good paying job as a murse = male nurse.
• Will be starting nurse practioner school in the fall.
• Great dancer.
• Very outdoorsey.
• Loves to travel.

*I decided to act first and ask for forgiveness later.  And, for the record, Courtney helped me. 

I Can't Believe I'm Doing This...

...but why not?  I think the idea is fun; thanks Kelly's Corner!(http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2010/07/show-us-your-life-show-us-your-single.html)

My name is Elizabeth Ann.  I was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.  I became a Christian when I was 16 through the ministry of Young Life.  I left the lowcountry to get my bacchelor's degree at Presbyterian College, then moved to Columbia for a few years, hiked it up to the Upstate for graduate school at Clemson University, had a short stint of living with my best friend in Spartanburg, and came Back to Charleston in November of 2009.  I'm a spunky, introverted, petite 27 year old girl with curly brown hair and am looking for a man that loves the Lord, is smart, and can be silly.

Some things I love: the beach, boats, water, fishing, good food, cooking, reading, blogging and blog stalking, good beer, playing with my friends, dancing, and school. 

So, if you think I could be the girl for you OR the girl for your friend, brother, cousin, or co-worker, let me know!

Lemons

I was able to snag a bunch of lemons leftover from Jenn's reception.  When life gives you lemons, make these things:

Giada's lemon pasta.  Yummy!  I added some red and black pepper.  What can I say?  I like to spice up my life.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-spaghetti-recipe/index.html

Lemon sorbet.  I made it per the recipe...then tried to eat it the next day.  It was TOO sweet and not frozen enough, so I added some water, refroze, and enjoyed!

http://www.finedinings.com/lemon_sorbet.htm

Candied lemon peels.  Was nervous to do this, but they were easy!  And turned out awesome.  And pretty!  I saved the "lemon water" after I boiled the lemons and mixed that with the remaining (thick) simple syrup after the peels had been coated...and used those to make more lemon sorbet.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sweet-candied-orange-and-lemon-peel/Detail.aspx

Lemon cookies. The batter was really thin, so I added a bit more flour. It was still really thin and I worried about it forming one large mess, instead of cookies, so I cooked it in a baking dish.  Crisper than a cake, softer than a cookie...tasted a bit like lemon pound cake.  Good with jam; very English.  Not bad, but certainly not my favorite.

http://www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/20477

Learning to Pray

I may or may not have fallen in love with KP's books.  Here are a few quotes from Learning to pray. 

We are talking to a Father who is closer to us than our own thoughts. He is near, so near that no words can describe it.


If you thus pour out all your weakness, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subject of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back; neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of the heart, without consideration they say just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God.


I don’t understand how it works, but God said as we pray we must keep believing that He has answered our prayer.

I know that I have struggled with prayer as long as I have known the Lord.  I easily lose focus, have a hard time talking to someone I can't see in front of me or hear audible replies, and sometimes wonder if its worth it.  I know, the best way to grow in your prayer life and the best way to learn to pray is to, well, pray.  But it takes effort and vulnerability that sometimes I lack.

Parenthood

I sometimes think I make the perfect parent.  That's because I don't have anyone to parent. 

It's much easier to be a mom in your head.  Haha!  I know that it is much harder than it looks...ok, sometimes kids in Wal-Mart make it look very hard.  And very frustrating.  And the idea that a pre-parent test should be mandated.  For these reasons, I have deemed Wal-Mart "free birth control"...but I think that's another post all together. 

Anyway, I recently discovered the NBC show Parenthood.  Until the end of July, all 13 episodes of season one are online.  I gave it a try and was hooked with the pilot.  I have since watched all 13 episodes of the first season and was sad when I finished.  Yes, the show is a bit darker than I thought it would be.  But there are some funny one-liners, rediculous and loveable characters, and some things that happen are fairly outrageous.  Yet, all are completely plausible. 

It seems like a pretty realistic view of parenting AND being in a family.  It's hard and messy and totally worth it.  Stars of the show include Loralei Gilmore, the girl from Patch Adams, a kid that was in an episode of Grey's, and the dad from Coach.

Here are some clips for your enjoyment:

One of the Best Days of the Year

is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. July 9 provides a way of earning FREE food at Chick-fil-A by dressing up!  It doesn't get much better than that.

I did this several years in Columbia.  At our height, we had about 24 people dressing up over lunch.   I have a picture, but of course I can't find it.  Courtney and I did it twice last year.  Read about that here and here.  This year I printed out the Cow Kit (on the CFA website) the day before and suited up right before I headed out the door to go to work.  I was able to enjoy a chicken biscuit and Diet Dr. Pepper on my way to the office.  So worth being the only person dressed up like a cow at 7 am! 

There's not a Chick-fil-A downtown other than in cafeterias, so lunch wasn't happening.  But don't you worry, I re-taped my kit on in the car on my drive home.  Swung through CFA after work and racked up with a grilled deluxe sandwich (spicy no less!  yum!), fries, and another DDP.  Krissie went twice as well!  She and her dad ventured over lunch and then her mom joined them for a fun-filled, cow-appreciated supper.  She sent me pics and I couldn't help myself but post them!  Oh the life of a teacher without a summer job living with her parents for the season of sun. 

Like me, Jacqueline loves free stuff, free food is even better, and it doesn't get much better than Chick-fil-A.  She tends to rack up on Cow Appreciation Day and hit it up this year for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner.  That's dedication, people!  For lunch, she went with a whole heard of cows!  Here's a pic of some of their heard and of Jaqueline with a few smaller cows.  Cute, huh?! 

Until we meet again Cow Appreciation Day...

Yummy appetizer

I found a random recipe online, tweaked it, and came up with this:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• green onions, chopped

Mix and spread in the bottom of an oven-proof dish.   8x8 or something similar works well. 
Then spread a layer of blackberry jam on top. 
Then a layer of sliced almonds. 
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 
Serve with Ritz crackers or Wheat Thins.

It's delicious.

Destined to Soar

I recently read Destined to Soar by KP Yohannan.  It's awesome.  He says so much in so few words...I love that.  And it is free.  Here's a bit from the book's introduction.

God
gave
us
a
promise
in
His
Word
that
those
who
know
Him
and
are
seeking
His
face
will
soar
like
eagles
(see Isaiah 40:31).
We
were
made
to
fly.
But
so
often
we
instead
feel
like
we
are
tripping
over
potholes
on
the
ground
rather
than
taking
flight.
It
is
a
journey
to
the
sky.
...
I
invite
you
to
embark
on
this
journey.
It
is
both
stretching
and
enriching.
There
will
be
many
signposts
along
the
way
pointing
us
to
the
One
who
transforms
us
into
His
own
image.
It
won’t
happen
within
a
day
or
a
week
or
even
months.
There
will
be
times
of
introspection
that
will
result
in
cleansing
and
wholesomeness.
It
will
mean
giving
up
personal,
hidden
agendas
for
His
sake.
This
is
a
call
to
become
a
people
who
really
know
God.
...
This
journey
is
not
about
rules
and
regulations
and
directives.
It
is
a
sense
of
living
with
another
world
on
the
inside
of
us.
It
is
then
that
we
can
truly
soar
above
the
weight
of
this
world.
Will
you
join
me
on
this
journey?

Weekend Recap: Sunday & Monday

Courtney and I left our respective hosts around 9:30 Sunday morning to drive Back to Charleston.  My brother, Nathan, and his fiance, Shannon, flew in from Chicago Saturday.  Their friend, Halleran (lovingly called Hally), picked them up in Charlotte and drove them to Charleston.  Courtney and I met up with them at the pool to head out for a boat ride.  This is after Courtney and I devoured 1/3 pound charbroiled thick burgers and fries from Hardees.  Nothing says "bathing suit" more than a thick burger...

Girl, you got what I need...

We headed under the Ravenel Bridge and then up in Shem Creek...and just strolled along.  It felt amazing outside and the views were stunning.  I don't care how long I've lived in Charleston, I am always amazed at the beauty of this place.  I love the smell of the marsh.  The friendliness of others on their boats.  The camaraderie of those that love not only the South, but the coast.  It really was such a fun day for the 5 of us.  We anchored and swam and loafed around. 

But you say I'm just a friend...

At some point, we picked mom up to join us in the harbor cruise.  With her, she brought pizza, watermelon, more brownies, and replenished our stock of beer and water...

Oh baby you (oh baby you)

Got what I need (got what I need, yeah)
But you say I'm just a friend (say I'm just a friend)*

We snagged Dad and headed to hear the East Coast Party Band play from the pier beneath the Ravenel Bridge.  And then once it was dark, the fireworks began!  We saw the Mt. Pleasant, Charleston, North Charleston, and James Island fireworks from where we were in the water.  It was an awesome way to celebrate the 4th of July! 
 
Usually we are with my dad's side of the family.  Growing up, we went to family reunions at Lake Hartwell.  My cousin posted this pic the other day:
 

 

I couldn't make it any bigger without getting super fuzzy.  I'm guessing I'm around 12 in this picture.  From left to right: Nathan (my brother, around 10, and taller than me), Virginia (around 5, and soon to be taller than me; her brother Matthew is not in this picture, but would have been around 2), Megan (also around 5), Taylor (Megan's brother, and around 3), then me.  My dad and both of his sisters had two children: a girl and then a boy 2 or 3 years later.  Today, all 6 of us have curly, brown hair, and could pass as siblings.  For the past several years, we've been at a beach hose together at Wrightsville.  While I'm a bit sad that we weren't all together, and weren't at that beach house, it was a perfect runner-up 4th of July!

America is far from perfect, but even with all of it its imperfections, I'm thankful that I live here. 

It was so nice to have Monday off! Courtney and I headed to Jane Harper's beach house to lay out with her and my big sister in ADPi, Lindsey! A great ending to a fabulous weekend!

 
* This song was stuck in our heads for most of the day.  It took my brother about 45 minutes to find and play the correct version on Shannon's iPhone.  He's special.

Weekend Recap: Saturday

During the week, my alarm goes off at 6.  I turn it off.  Another alarm goes off at 6:30 and I snooze until around 6:50.  (Somehow, I always make it to work on time.)  Saturday morning, however, I received a sweet text message at 6:30 am and was wide awake after that.  No snoozing required.  I love life's ironies.  It was ok though because I was able to watch several episodes of Run's House...I laughed and gained a lot of respect for Run and his family.

Nicole graciously straightened my hair for the day and we got ready for the Bridal Luncheon.  The hosts did a wonderful job taking care of us and feeding us well.  We were imediately served a delicious beverage of pomegranite juice, tonic, and lime (for a night time version, vodka would be a nice edition) and muched on cheese straws.  Then we were seated to a beautiful plate of mini biscuits, chicken salad, asparagus, a giant strawberry, and ambrosia with homemade citrus zest whipped cream.  It was the perfect Southern luncheon meal.  For dessert, we enjoyed a trifoil of ice creams in pretty parfait glasses. 

There was a charm cake but it was done a bit differently (I think...I've never done one of these before).  Each bridesmaid pulled a charm and read a pre-written piece of advice, courtesy of Marshall, to Jenn.  Jenn presented us with our bridesmaid gifts: Ernest Lee "The Chicken Man" palmetto tree paintings!  Such a fun and thoughtful gift!  I loved it!  She told us what she has leaned from each bridesmaid which was tender.  Ok, ok, then Marhshall cut the charm cake and dessert number 2 was served. 

After the luncheon, I was able to go with Emily to meet Kristi and Duff's cute baby: Liv.  Such a treat!  Pretty soon it was time to head over to the Seibel's House.  I've had the pleasure of helping Jenn do some wedding planning over the past 4 months.  This was the day it all came to fruition, and I have to say: it couldn't have gone better!  Jenn's friend Jenny, along with Mary Glenn and Courtney (troopers!), and I set up the reception.  The tent, the giant outdoor fans, the table settings...it all looked awesome.  I'm going to be honest: I was proud of us.

From the Seibel's House, I headed to First Presbyterian to get ready for the big shin dig.  I got ready...as did Jenn.  She looked stunning!  Such a pretty bride!  (I know, I know, I don't have any pictures.  If I get some, I'll post them.)  We took pictures and before we knew it, it was time to saunter down the isle.  My escort was the fantastic Frank, Jenn's brother.  The ceremony was sweet and not too long.  This is important when you are standing in 4 inch stilettos (not my wisest move).  Duff did the ceremony and did a great job.  Jenn and Ryan chose verses in Lamenations; Duff made it interesting and relevant to marriage.

We all headed to the Seibel's House to celebrate The Roberts!  It was perfect.  Columbia is miserably hot in the summer.  Often over 100 degrees, over 90% humity, and no breeze in its concrete jungle...sometimes you just want to stay inside.  But this weekend was unusually cool and not humid.  Just what a  predominately outdoor wedding reception ordered.  The House and outdoor arrangements looked great.  The food was quite tasty.  The DJ did a great job.  The bartenders rocked.  All in all, it couldn't have gone better; God was very gracious!  We all had a great time eating, catching up with friends, and dancing.  And Jenn & Ryan had a blast which was the best part.  "I Gotta Feeling" was the last song of the night and we waved them into their limo with American flags (4th of July weekend, you know?!).  A sweet ending to a wonderful wedding.

And because I am me, of course I had a funny situation occur that night after the wedding.  Some of the bridal party and friends went out for a little bit.  After Nicole and I got home, I received a text message, "Get home safely?"  I thougtht it was my friend Katie Glaze Thompson (because her number doesn't show up in my phone as KGT even though I have put it in there several times), so I replied, "Yes.  You?  Loved seeing you!  Love you!"  Next text message, "we're still out.  where are you?"  That's right, it was NOT Katie...but rather one of the groomsmen.  I called and explained.  Then I put his number in my phone.  Hopefully that will prevent me from telling random people I love them.  Haha!

I don't take pictures, but am thankful that Sara Louise put these on Facebook.  Thanks, Weezie!

Weekend Recap: Friday

I left work at noon on Friday and headed to Columbia.  After taking a breather at Nicole's (and grabbing a beer), we headed over to see Jenn at her house.  My awesome Chicago-living friend and fellow bridesmaid, Emily, was there, too and it was good for us all to be together again.  We had a good time hanging out and being silly and such.  Then at some point, some of Ryan's family members busted in Jenn's house to make homemade ice cream for the rehearsal dinner.  I can't lie, I would have been a stressed mess with that little number, but Jenn handled it like a champ.  At some point, Mary came over...more catching up and so on.  Then it was time for Nicole and I to get ready and head to the rehearsal.  (I donned my fedora.)  We were told that the first ones there would receive a prize.  Nicole is not known for her punctuality, so we made sure to be there 10 minutes before 5 -- the time we were told to be there.

Well, it didn't actually start until 5:30 (move of trickery on Jenn and Ryan's part).  If you did the math right, you'd know that Nicole and I were 40 minutes early!  We breezed through the rehearsal and then were told that EVERYONE got a prize!  Yipee!  T-shirts!!  Such a fun and awesome idea!  For the Roberts Wedding Weekend.  I can't wait to wash and wear mine! 

The rehearsal was at 701 Whaley which is a pretty cool venue.  We all enjoyed catered Moe's!  Beer, wine, and then a nice homemade dessert of derby pie (yum!  makes me think of PC) and ice cream.  We also watched a tender slide show.  It was fun getting to hang out with the wedding party and family.  The fun ensued as we gathered a crowd of about 40 to go out afterwards.  The Roberts' wedding party took Liberty by storm.  Some things to note:

• One of the groomsmen wore a t-shirt that said: TAP THAT with a picture of a donkey below it.  He was deemed "Tap That" for the remainder of the weekend.
• Sara Margaret and Sara Louise's mad dancing skills.  Lots of folks were shocked that they were sober.  And they were.
• Some dirty dancing.  Names shall go unmentioned.
• Seeing Courtney, Mary Glenn, and Weston out.
• Learning the Sumo wrestler dance.
• Watching Brian Bridges 1/2 way jump accross the bar to hug the bartender...he went to high school with her.  Still fun to watch!
• Dancing, dancing, and more dancing.
• Jenn and Ryan went out with us!
• Having fun with a mixed crowd of people that I don't get to see ever/at all.

You may remember...

Jenn and Ryan getting engaged!  Well...

1 more day until Jenn gets married!

2 hour drive to Columbia.

3 years Jen and I lived together.

4 months ago, Jenn and Ryan got engaged.

5 years ago I moved in with Jenn and she became one of my best friends.

6 o'clock the ceremony will begin!

7 pm the toasting will ensue at the rehearsal dinner.

8 maids of milking ... I had nothing for 8.  :)

9 weeks of dating before they got engaged.

10 is how excited I am!  (on a scale of 1-10)

11 am we'll be celebrating at the bridal luncheon tomorrow.

12 o'clock is the time I'm leaving work today for this shin dig.  Wa-hoo!
13 bridesmaids to support Jenn.

Can't wait! 

ps.  I'll be donning this lovely silk-taffeta v-neck (for you, Courtney Thain Molony!):

Yay!

I was so nervous to go to the dentist yesterday -- for fear that I'd have like seven cavities.  But alas, I have none!  Praise the Lord.  (But I do have sensitive teeth, gums, and am a serious grinder...even with my bite guard!)

At some point the hygienist asks me my mother's name.  I tell her.  She says: yes, I thought so...that must be where you get your dental fears from.  I tell her I'm pretty sure that I'm less vocal about it than mom is.  She concurs and also tells me I move less in the chair.  Oh, how the apple did not fall far from the tree!