5 faves....

Borrowed this idea from Mrs. Sadlow =) Here are my five current faves:

5 favorite actors:

1. Leonardo DiCaprio (so good)

2. George Clooney (so sexyyy)

3. Denzel Washington (so talented)

4. Michael Cera (so cute)

5. James Franco (so hilarious)

5 favorite actresses:

1. Jennifer Aniston

2. Julia Roberts

3. Mary-Louise Parker

4. Cameron Diaz

5. Meryl Streep

5 favorite restaurants:

1. Zoes

2. Don Pepe

3. Buffalo Wild Wings

4. Shogun

5. Gutheries

5 go-to recipes:

1. Chicken Delight

2. Fiesta Chicken Salad

3. Tilapia and veggies

4. Homemade pizza (spinach, chicken, tomatoes, etc.)

5. Chicken Stir-fry on brown rice

5 favorite TV shows:

1. Project Runway

2. Jersey Shore =)

3. American Idol

4. First 48

5. Real World

5 favorite fashionistas:

1. Mary Kate Olsen

2. Olivia Palermo

3. Jennifer Aniston

4. Heidi Klum

5. Lauren Conrad

5 favorite websites:

1. Facebook

2. Google

3. Bloglovin'

4. Victoria's Secret clothing

5. Etsy

5 favorite shopping spots:

1. Targettt

2. Forever 21

3. Victoria's Secret

4. Belk

5. Thrifting

5 favorite stress relievers:

1. Running

2. Reading

3. Sleeping

4. Baking

5. Talking about it... usually to the hubs =)

5 favorite style trends:

1. Jeggings

2. Booties

3. Menswear

4. Vintage anything...

5. Big, wild rings

5 favorite things that make me happy:

1. Being with my husband

2. Being with my family

3. Shopping

4. Eating with no regards haha

5. Making a difference in a child's life

Oh ya... and to go along with day 11 of my challenge:

5 favorite drinks: (definitely depends on the time and day =)

1. Water with lemon all dayyy

2. Coffee in the A.M

3. Recently into Diet Sunkist

4. Simply Lemonade with Raspberry

5. Maybe a glass or two of wine sometimes =)

Day 10... already?

It seems like I just started this little "picture challenge"... I'm quickly losing inspiration with my crapy little camera and dyyying for a Canon Rebel or Nikon D90. Any opinions on those two brands?

The theme of today is "What I like to do". This one is hard because there is SO much that I enjoy!! Here are a couple of things...

I know I talk about them a lot... but I LOVE being with these guys all day every day =)

Then I enjoy going here for a little while after school to do my "running training" (wayyy to hot outside)

I love coming home after the gym and hanging out with my furry friend until Pat gets home.

And then it's bedtime with this guy! I love it!

Until tomorrow... xo

Do you believe in fate?

I have received quite a few questions about me and my husband lately so I thought it would be kinda cool to post this story. 

I got a message today that simply said, "So I have to know... how did you and your husband meet?"

Here it is guys! (It's a good one):

It is a crazy story actually. After I graduated high school in Pensacola I went off to college at Auburn University. After my first year of school my parents RANDOMLY decided to move to be "house parents" at a boys ranch in Alabama. They made the big move in August 2006. The ranch is "neighborhood style" and there are about ten homes- each with a set of "house parents" and up to 8 boys (ages 5-18). There is a swimming pool, lake, gym, office, horse stables, etc. Well, turns out HIS parents had the exact same calling 3 years before mine and left Trussville when Pat was about to enter the 10th grade. It JUST SO HAPPENS that the only open house for my parents to move into is next door to his. I was at Auburn and he was at Alabama but we are about the same age so everyone was like "Ohhh my goodness- y'all have to meet!!" Our parents quickly became very close friends and we finally met on November 3rd, 2006 (I will tell you why I remember this date later) at a high school football game (several of our boys play for the local private school team). We had an INSTANT attraction and we tried out the"dating thing" and quickly realized the distance was hard, we weren't really ready for committed relationships, and the friendship was more important. We dated other people but remained friends and our parents were (and still are) best friends. About 2 and a half years ago we were like "what the heck are we thinking?". We spent a particularly special time together in Nashville that 4th of July and I KNEW that weekend that we would be together forever. Honestly. We got engaged 10 months later on May 17th, 2009. We got married a year after that on May 1st, 2010. Talk about fate huh? Oh ya- and that November 3rd date? That is the day that Pat defied death almost 22 years ago. He drowned, had no vitals when the paramedics arrived, flew "life-flight" to the hospital, was unresponsive the whole time, and miraculously woke up the next day like nothing ever happened! I just got chills typing that by the way. We met on his 18th drowning anniversary. I will never forget... it was (and still is) an extremely emotional day for his family. Almost two years ago, also on November 3rd, I unexpectedly lost my "Papa". November 3rd is a very emotional yet very SPECIAL day in our lives that we will celebrate forever! Pat was saved by GOD, I met my hubby for the first time, and my grandfather went to be with Jesus. Wow. 

So... tell me now! Do you believe in fate?

Cause I definitely do... =)

My most exciting post yet...

Just kidding guys... sorry =( My photo of the day is supposed to be "What I Ate For Lunch", haha. Now if I had eaten at some insanely hip restaurant in NYC or LA- MAYBE it would be a cool post. I ate in the Mitchell Elementary lunchroom as a recovering stomach-virus victim. Get excited about this one!!!

Here is what I had:

On another note... today was a great day at school. I taught my first lesson this semester and it went over great. The lesson was mainly a review on subjects and predicates of sentences. We mostly just reviewed and did some examples but then we played a really fun game called "Silly Sentences". I assigned half of the students to write a subject on their strip (ex. My dog, or Mrs. Ryan's Class, etc.). I assigned the other half of the students to write a predicate on their strip (is really cute and cuddly, is the best class ever, etc.). I then called random pairs of students up to the front to put their subject and predicate together. It turned out SO funny. The very first sentence combination was "Bob the skeleton" and "shakes his booty". Bob the skeleton shakes his booty. Next up we have... "That crazy kid _____" and "ate a bird". I mean who else would eat a bird besides the crazy kid? Haha. Another combination was "Crazy women" and "are fun". Haaa little do they know =)

Good stuff today! Can't wait to see the kidlets tomorrow!

Day 8... me again =)

Day 8

This is how I felt this morning:

Chipper, excited, and ready to go to school after a long weekend of sickness. After a big lunch (first real food in a couple of days) let's just say I was not feeling so hot.

So... this is me tonight:

Back on the couch with Chicken Noodle Soup, Saltines, and Lemon Lime Gatorade =) Ughhh!

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

As you may know, joining a Book Club was one of the items on my 101 list. I asked around, did some "googling", and came up with NOTHING in my area! I was SO excited when I saw on Blue Eyed Bride's blog that she and a friend were going to be forming an "online book club" done exclusively through blogging. Yayyy! Every Monday we will meet on Book Beginnings and Bookends (the name of the book club) and discuss our current selection. The first book we are reading is:

 "The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes" by Diane Chamberlain. 

Today we are discussing Chapters 1-10.

An overview of what we have read:

CeeCee is a strong yet naive sixteen year old girl who has taken care of herself since her mother died when she was 12. She works with a friend at a local dinner in order to pay rent at a "boarding house". CeeCee is smitten when she meets college student, Tim, at the diner. He is a regular customer who flirts with her and leaves her huge tips. One day CeeCee receives a large amount of money in the mail and she believes it must be Tim who sent it to her in order for her to enroll in college. They begin seeing each other and CeeCee falls madly in love. As she spends more time with Tim some of his dark secrets begin to come out. He lives in a mansion with his PSTD-ridden brother, Marty. They live in utter chaos and filth. Tim reveals to CeeCee that his sister Andie is in prison for the murder of a photographer (who apparently raped her) and she is actually on Death Row. The boys join a political type group that is called SCAPE that takes extreme measures in order to show their disgust against the death penalty and people who are "wrongfully" incarcerated. The boys come up with a plan to kidnap the Governor's wife and hold her hostage until the Governor is willing to lessen Andie's sentence. The only problem is that they need "someone they trust" to help... oh CeeCee! How perfect =) They talk poor CeeCee into helping. She is young, dumb, and in love and this "smart" girl quickly decides to make a very "stupid" decision. CeeCee must go in disguise and stay with the Governor's wife at a desolate cabin in the middle of nowhere while the boys handle the negotiations. Chapter 10 ends with CeeCee waiting for the boys to come back with the Governor's wife. 

1. What was your first impression of Tim?

My first impression of Tim was that he was a suave yet extremely sketchy guy. Something automatically felt a little "off" about him. He was very smooth but flirted with a girl much younger than him (could this be because she is naive and may fall into his plan?) Everyone warned CeeCee that he was a "womanizer" but just like many girls are... she was convinced that it is different for her. He appears to be very passionate about his sister's case and will take desperate measures to make his opinion on the issue known.

2. If you were in CeeCee’s position, would you be willing to help your boyfriend in the way that she is willing to help Tim?

Absolutely not! There is a fine line between helping the ones that you love and compromising your own life. I am all about making sacrifices for my loved ones but this case is just plain ridiculous. Thank goodness I have such an amazing husband he would never put me in a position where I would be asked to compromise my life.

3. Why do you think CeeCee is so eager to please Tim?

She is a young girl who desperately wants love and attention. You would think she would be a little wiser since she has been on her own for years... but we have to remember she is 16 and has been without a father figure her whole life. I think that honestly plays a huge part in her desire to be loved by Tim. She is so "in love" with the idea of having love that she compromises her own life. Yikes...

4. Who do you think has it harder? Tim or CeeCee?

Definitely CeeCee. Tim is already off the deep end and does not seem to have any regrets about his behavior. He is either that passionate about his sister's case or just that much "off his rocker". CeeCee is so innocent and eager to please. She wants to help this person she loves but does not think about the fact that she is putting her whole life in jeopardy. When she realizes that she has made a huge mistake it is already too late...

5. What character trait(s) about CeeCee stuck out the most to you in these first ten chapters?

Her naivety. I feel sorry for her in so many ways. She seems like such a sweet and good person who gets caught up with a bad guy in a bad situation. She is so naive to the fact that he is using her, to the fact that her life will never be the same, etc. 

6. Do you think CeeCee is as mature as she seems?

I don't think that I ever thought she was "mature". I think she is a tough girl who has been through a lot and that makes her strong in a certain sense. Her actions show that she is clearly NOT mature. 

Day 7...

Day 7

A picture that makes me cry...

I really miss this man sometimes. He was such a joy in all of our lives. It is hard to believe it has been almost two years since I have seen this adorable face! It was so weird getting engaged and married and going through that whole experience without my Papa. I know he is singing in his beautiful voice for all the people in Heaven and probably taking care of all the cows up there too =)