obx trip - part II

ahhh, sunrise over the atlantic - doesn't get much better than this








(I will spare you the photos taken every 10 seconds of the sunrise - lets just say that if I ever figure out how to create a photo video collage and can put it in super fast speed, you could actually watch the sunrise. Maybe one of these days!)


after breakfast, we headed down to the beach for some quality sun and sand time











week 31, day 0




matt's goofy shoe



and off we went in search of lunch and some shopping

obx trip - part I

on the road again...


so excited not to be behind my desk taking phone calls


we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather


welcome to north carolina - I love driving into my home state, even if it is the wrong side of the state

and finally the beach...












week 30, day 6

after some beach time, we watched the sunset over jockey's ridge, while waiting for our dinner reservation at Pamlico Jacks



after a wonderful dinner, we went hung out on the balcony of our room listening to the waves crash and then fell asleep with the sliding door open to hear the waves all night long

a wee bit

{one} have you ever milked a cow or a goat?
nope

{two} what sound does your alarm make when it goes off in the morning?
I have it set to my favorite local radio station.

{three} chocolate milk or hot chocolate?
Both! Chocolate milk when it's warm out, hot chocolate when it's cold out. :: sneaking off to make momma's hot cocoa ::

{four} what is one of the quirkiest things about you?
It's not really that quirky, but the toilet paper roll always has to be positioned where the next sheet is facing out and not towards the wall. It drives me nuts and I will turn the roll around before I can pull a new sheet off.

{five} are you more like your mom or your dad?
I am much more like my dad. He and I have similar personalities and no one can deny that I look just like him. The only thing I inherited from my mom was my figure, the way I walk, and my love of animals.

{six} do you sleep with the tv on?
we fall asleep with the television on and set the timer for it to go off automatically

{seven} if you were a crayon, what color would you be?

courtesy of the Better Homes & Gardens color personality test...

It sounds like the hue you most relate to is green -- the color most evocative of nature. Adjectives such as kind, gentle, and contemplative likely describe you. You enjoy being involved with your neighbors and coworkers, but you also require plenty of time to yourself to recharge.You are social yet introverted, and modern but not trendy.


{eight} ross, joey, or chandler?
Chandler...??


{nine} do you play any musical instruments?
nope


{ten} what’s the worst thing you’ve ever cooked/baked?
apple clafouti - very eggy and just plain icky

peaches + cocoa

We are just back from our Outer Banks vacation and I couldn't be more glad that I took today off to ease back into daily life. I will be cleaning and catching up on laundry, but before I jumped right in, I enjoyed two of my favorite things... tree ripened peaches fresh from the farm stand in North Carolina and my momma's hot cocoa. Only this time of year can I enjoy both of these things at the same time. Have I mentioned my love of Fall before? (yes, yes, and yes)




Momma's Hot Cocoa
(easy as 1,2,3,4)

2 cups milk (microwaved for 3 mins)
3 tablespoons hershey's cocoa
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 dash of salt

I am in the process of uploading all 1295 photos as I type this. Check back later for a post on our trip. Did I mention we were only there Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning? Yes, I am camera annoying like that!

a wee bit

{one} grilled or fried?
it depends - I love anything on the grill, but there is nothing more comforting than something fried.

{two} if you could change one thing about where you live, without worrying about money, what would you change?
I would love to replace all eighteen of our windows!

{three} what is your favorite time of day?
morning

{four} what’s your favorite cereal?
cinnamon toast crunch or lucky charms - love, love love

{five} do you open your mouth when you put mascara on?
Absolutely! I would have it all over my face if I didn't.

{six} if you could make any fictional character come to life, which would it be?
Lucia Sartori from Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani
I loved her character and think she would be an awesome person to meet and befriend in real life.

{seven} what are your favorite pizza toppings?
fresh tomatoes, any kind of cheese, asparagus

{eight} are you a heavy or a light sleeper?
light sleeper, but I can go to sleep anytime or anywhere, so it's not an issue.

{nine} what is your favorite board game?
LIFE

{ten} what star/celebrity do most people say you look like?
I have gotten both Amanda Seyfried and Katherine Heigl. I don't think I look like anyone famous.

week 30, day 1

week 30, day 1

If you can't tell from these photos, Mason is the most loyal dog ever known to man - and he is the biggest ham for the camera. Skye was too excited about what was going on with the kids out playing in the cul de sac.

Today we went for our tour of the Labor & Delivery department at our local hospital. This is a brand new hospital that has only been in operation since June of this year, and is only about 3 miles from our house. The facility and equipment are state of the art.  The security protocol is very tight, but really gives peace of mind. Wouldn't want baby boy being carried off by some stranger now would we?!?  My favorite part is that the babies are admitted in room with the mothers - they feed, sleep, and bathe there and can remain there for the duration of the stay. There is a nursery you can send them to if you really need to get sleep. The whole floor is super quiet by design to facilitate getting rest.  There is a limit of three visitors in the room at a time, which is fine with me because we won't have many people at the hospital because my family lives so far away.  We will probably welcome most visitors once back at home.

I had considered not signing up for birthing classes because I wasn't able to find any that fit our schedule.  We learned today that the new hospital just opened their first classes, which amazingly fit our schedule and don't require a lot of sessions.  I singed up for basic birthing and breastfeeding, all set for early November.  Now, the only major task is finding a pediatrician that is welcoming new patients, which is almost impossible in our area for any physician - sounds fun doesn't it!?!

We have approximately ten weeks left and the countdown is on! 

thirty days, a recap

I did it!  I completed the 30 Day Blog Challenge.  Alright, so I may have cheated just a little and done some posts ahead of time scheduling them out for the weekdays, but at least the effort was there. I hope everyone learned a little more about me.  I have never been a very open person and it's not because I don't want to share - it just doesn't come naturally for me.  This series challenged me to share more about myself that I normally would have otherwise. Below is a recap of all the challenge posts. If you missed something, feel free to browse the links below!
 

• Day 1   – your favorite song
• Day 2   – your favorite movie
• Day 3   – your favorite television program
• Day 4   – your favorite book
• Day 5   – your favorite quote
• Day 6   – a photo that makes you happy
• Day 7   – a photo you took
• Day 8   – a photo that makes you angry/sad
• Day 9   – a photo of you recently
• Day 10 – a photo taken over 10 years ago of you
• Day 11 – something you are OCD about
• Day 12 – 20 of my favorite things
• Day 13 – where I live/a photo of the town you live in
• Day 14 - the meaning behind your blog name
• Day 15 – your dream house
• Day 16 – a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
• Day 17 – an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
• Day 18 – our wedding
• Day 19 - what's in my bag
• Day 20 – a hobby of yours
• Day 21 – a recipe
• Day 22 – a show you are currently addicted to
• Day 23 – your favorite season and why 
• Day 24 – a photo of you last year + this year, and how you have changed
• Day 25 – things you crave  
• Day 26 – a photo of something you ate today
• Day 27 – something you could never get tired of doing
• Day 28 – the best part of your day
• Day 29 – your day, in great detail
• Day 30 – a dream for the future