Sleigh bells ring...are ya listnin'?

Hello, All!
Christmas is almost here! I wish I could say that with a ton of enthusiasm..but I can't. I feel like my Christmas spirit..as well as Halloween and Thanksgiving were all sorta blah this year. We did actually get a Christmas tree...but I've been not feeling well enough to decorate it. I suppose I should..seeing as how there's only a few days left till Christmas. But, I can still enjoy it through New Years. I haven't taken out even half of my Christmas decorations. I haven't finished my Christmas cards...and to make matters worse, I haven't gotten my stamps yet...because I lost my debit card and I have to wait to have it sent through the mail and UGH! Hopefully I will get those sent out before Christmas for goodness sakes. We didn't manage to pull of a christmas card picture this year...so you better believe that next year I'm pulling out all the bells and whistles for the holidays! I will have to admit that I am feeling a lot better. I went to see a neurologist who did a full exam on me. He believes that whatever I have is not neurological...which is good because I had every single symptom of MS. He really believes that I have fibromyalgia. I'm going to say that I have to agree with him, mainly because that's something you can't really diagnose unless you've ruled out pretty much everything..and believe me I've had every test you name it! The only thing I'm waiting for results on is the MRI I had friday night. That's to completely rule out MS. I'm very happy with the fibromyalgia diagnosis because I know it could be much worse. Yes, I will have incredible pain all throughout my life but the good news is..for now, I can control it with my lifestyle. When I'm older I may require some medication. But Honestly, I've noticed the pain has gotten a lot less now that I was diagnosed. I think a lot of the pain that I was having was a direct result of anxiety I was having about not knowing. Yesterday, I felt great, I hardly had any pain until last night. Night, is when the pain or the symptoms are usually the worst but I'm learning to deal with it. Last weekend I landed in the ER thinking I had a blood clot in my leg, the pain was so bad. Lee has been my support through all of this. I think it has really brought us closer together. When you go through something like this, you feel really helpless and without him there I probably would have LITERALLY gone crazy. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers. We BOTH really appreciate it.
SO...on a lighter note..I woke up this morning to some snow! Ok...a dusting. BUT it's beautiful and our kitties love it! Pumba wont get out of the window..he's just staring at it. I'm so excited to go home this week and see Roanoke pretty and white for Christmas. Then, we'll be traveling to Winston Salem to spend some quality time with the Money's. John will be spending New Year's Eve with us here..honestly I'm not really sure what we'll be doing. I didn't really plan on doing anything but we'll think of something. I'm taking Lee out for his birthday...he's been wanting to go to the melting pot and there's some dumb movie he wants to see. Then, Lee got me tickets to go see Legally Blonde..the broadway show! I'm so excited! I can't beleive next year is when we're getting married! Only 260 days left...i can't wait to spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams!
Well...that's it for now..Merry Christmas to all! have a safe and happy holiday!

Optima Health is makin' bank this year!

So. Here I am again. This time with more fabulous news on my health. Well for all one of you who have been following my blog..here's the latest. I had to meet with my doctor to discuss cholesterol meds. Yes, I have high cholesterol. Very high. BUT, this did not come as a shock to me because I have hypercholesterolemia. It runs in the blood on my mother's side of the family (I've always said, the ONLY thing I got from my birth mother was high cholesterol..thanks Mom!) Stupid chromosome 19! Your cholesterol as many of you know is supposed to be under 200..preferably around the 180's. Cholesterol is a plaque that builds up in your blood and can block your arteries causing you to be at risk for heart attack, stroke, or heart disease. When I was 8 years old I had my cholesterol taken. It was 340. ( I heard all one of you gasp!) Yes, that's extremely high. Mind you, my mother and grandmother's were both in the 400's and they have always been on meds for it. A few years ago, right before or right after I met Lee, i had it taken and it was 320. Wow 20 points. Anyway, after all these crazy health problems started I told my Dr about the hypercholesterolemia and she wanted to take my blood. My pediatrician and primary doctor in Roanoke never wanted to put me on meds because I was so young. I told my new pcp here in VA BEACH that I WANT to be on meds if I can do it safely. I don't want to have to constantly wonder if these crazy symptoms are cholesterol related. She said that back in the days that I had my cholesterol checked that it was pretty much unheard of to have someone that young or even as young as me on meds. Well, times have changed. She has a lot of young children on Cholestorol meds. Therefore I got my blood checked and my cholesterol was 306! (the doctor gasped) I jumped for joy because its the lowest its been in my entire life....even if it IS TREMENDOUSLY high. FYI I am now an officially consumpting Zocor on a daily basis. Let's add that med to the list...my BC, ativan, Naproxen, daily vitamin, and metamucil (that I've really been taking for my own amusment since Lee had it recommended to him because of all of his bowel problems)I feel like a have a nightstand of a 70 year old woman. Oh but it doesn't end there. Because of everything that is going on...I have developed severe anxiety. You can add celexa to that list of meds....I'm excited about this one. Not only to calm my nerves..but Lee's mom went on it and lost 30 pounds. I've already lost 10..lets add 30 more! Not to mention feeling better? That would be amazing!? So the last test she is ordering is another test that could tell if I have MS or not. That's a big one. I had a negative EMG and normally if that is negative you can rule-out MS but because my symptoms seem to persist, we're going to try the MRI. AND even though my back and neck x-rays came back negative as well...she's going to do an MRI of the neck since I have a lot of tension and back pain just to make sure there are no nerves there that we've missed. I know my doctor is thinking positively so Lee and I are too. Please keep us in your prayers ..I don't know when the MRI's will be scheduled but probably sometime next week. Oh and to my one blogger reader..anemia was ruled out..b12 deficiency..etc etc. There's really nothing left to do. If this is all stress/anxiety/depression..the celexa will slowly take care of that. I'm so ready for a new year!! Not that I'm trying to skip Christmas or anything but...anyway.

Christmas photo shoot..because we CAN!

Ok so we decided to try to take our christmas card pic...I'm not really pleased with any of these..yes I KNOW the lighting is bad..we were experimenting...without further ado....






Thank you.

Where are you Christmas?

Hey everyone! It's finally that time of year! Christmas is here. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at home although I didn't feel very good most of the time we were there. On Wednesday night we headed home to stay with my grandparents so that I could help them on Thanksgiving day get ready for everyone's arrival. I woke up early and made a pumpkin cheesecake..which I was told was very good (I don't care for cheesecake!)and I made the stuffing this year. My mom hasn't been feeling so well for the last year or so and usually she makes the stuffing..she was going to use the boxed stuff this year and I said "NO WAY!" not for Thanksgiving! So, I took it upon myself to make it and it turned out really good! Yay! I didn't have much of an appetite this year because I've been feeling so poorly. We still don't know what's wrong! I had blood work on Monday after Thanksgiving and that came back normal so it's really just a guessing game now. The Doctor seems to think that it's stress and that my pain is coming from inflammation but I've been taking strong anti-inflammatories and the pain isn't really going away. we've ruled out...pinched nerves, stroke, heart attack, carpal tunnel, MS or any other anti-immune diseases, blood clots.. etc. It's starting to really affect my day to day because I'm in a constant state of worry that something is really wrong. Some days I feel really good and others I feel like crap. The only day that I felt good over Thanksgiving was Friday. THANK GOD, because Friday is when I had so much to do. My dad and step-mom and Lee's mom and Lee and myself went to the Kyle House to meet with Schaal's catering and see the venue! Everyone loved it! I'm so glad..I think they were all pleasantly suprised..my dad was especially happy about the prices and everything that is included. We have saved so much money! I'll blog more about that later on my wedding blog. Afterwards, we had lunch at the Cracker Barrel and then headed over to Carlos restaurant to meet with the lady about the rehearsal dinner...another long story in itself. UGH! We also had to get a new battery for Lee's mom's car because it was dead. Then we went to the coffee shop for a few. By the time we left there i was exhausted. I was supposed to meet up with friends that night and it just wasn't possible. The next day I woke up feeling horrible..not to mention the fact that I had an incredible stomach ache (which lasted for three days!) I spent most of the day on my dad's couch. I was supposed to go to a dinner party (MY IDEA!!) at Jenny's house and I didn't make it to that either. That caused a crazy amount of unexpected drama. I feel like with this illness or whatever is going on with me that a lot of people don't understand how it affects me. When the pain hits me it makes my whole being uncomfortable and I can't describe it..I feel like I've pushed people away lately because I haven't really been good at making plans and keeping them. To those people I apologize because I would be there if I could. Thank god I had enough energy on Saturday night to play a few board games with dad and Tina. We played cranium (we bought this for them last christmas) and they had still never played it! So we broke that out and played apples to apples as well. The next day sadly we had to head home. I was in tears to leave my family when I felt that bad. We drove home and Monday i woke up. It was a good day. Tuesday and Wednesday..good days. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and today..not good days. I have another Doctor's appointment Thursday. I'll keep everyone updated on what's going on. Oh, I almost forgot! I got my Christmas present early this year! Lee got me an AWESOME camera! He gave it to me last night..I guess he knows how bad I've been feeling and he wanted me to be able to use the camera for Christmas. We still have to take our Christmas card picture and hopefully I can get up enough energy today to clean the rest of the house and decorate! I wish I would've had it Friday night. We drove down to the boardwalk and drove through the 32 blocks of Christmas lights. They give you a CD and you pop it in and it plays as you drive. It was fun...we also got a combination ticket to go see the lights at the Norfolk botanical gardens. YES, you had to pay to go to the Christmas lights. I was really bummed because I'm so used to my sweet little FREE Elk's home! But the money does go to the Ronald Mcdonald House and I get patients coming over from there EVERYDAY at my job so I'm glad I could support such a wonderful cause. I really want to get some other volunteer work in this christmas but I haven't been feeling well. That will be a new year's resolution. TO give back. I really feel God pulling me in that direction. He's really testing me this year.
On a lighter note...I have been promoted! Well, transferred sorta. I've been offered another position. It's in Pediatric Surgery which is still in my department but I am being promoted to scheduling coordinator. Honestly I don't know what that means because I haven't been scheduling surgeries. I met with the manager, Stacy and I guess basically my manager, Tina and Stacy and our BIG manager John all wanted me for this job. I guess I'm doing a good job. It's a huge pay increase which I am beyond thrilled for because Lee and I really need it! I haven't told anyone this yet but Lee and I are moving. I'm ok with giving out these numbers because I don't feel its that personal. WE LOVE where we live. We live in Maple Bay Townhomes off of Laskin Road in Virginia Beach. Less than 3 miles from the oceanfront. The community is very quiet (which is strange because nowhere around here is quiet) and when I say quiet I'm excluding the jets..those are loud. BUT, we hardly notice them anymore. We have a pretty large townhome..I think its between 1200-1300 feet..I don't know the exact number. Two Bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a huge kitchen (eat-in) and a nice size living room, not to mention our Master is huge and our guest bedroom is decent as well. We have plenty of storage and a great fenced in back deck. We love it but when we moved down here we had one day to find a place to live. We didn't really know our way around that well and we settled on this place. We are pretty much getting ripped off. We pay over 1100 in rent. We pay another 100 for our cats to live with us. YES 50 dollars per pet PER MONTH! That was after a 350 dollar pet deposit! CRAZY! We shouldn't have to pay 100 dollars for our sweet babies to live with us! We live on the end so we were given one free parking space..which would've been 100 dollars but we lucked out in that..and we got a discount on the rent..so really we would be paying a LOT more. Total right now, we pay over 1380 to live here every month. In some places that would be acceptable but that's even expensive for around here! We are getting ripped off. Lee really wants to pay off his student loans so we can buy a house here in the next couple of years. So, we wanted to move someplace that is cheaper. I was worried because I wanted to stay in the same area. We love being so close to the beach and all the nice stores and restaurants and homes in our area. It feels really safe here. We ended up finding an apartment in another similar neighborhood literally on the other side of Laskin Road (across the street from us and a couple of streets back) It's a smaller apartment..the kitchen is incredibly tiny (hard for me to get used to because I've been lucky and always had a big kitchen in every apt I've had) the appliances are more outdated ( i could care less) and there's not quite as much storage...(our biggest problem) but we can make it work. There's only one bath which is ok because it's all on one level. I'm very pleased with it other than the fact it's a tad smaller. Get ready. With pets, rent, and parking (which is free btw..ugh) 884 a month! We are literally saving like 500 dollars a month and living in the same area that we wanted to live in! We are thrilled. We will be moving in March but we've already paid our deposit and reserved our special till then! I hate moving but I know it will be worth it to save so much money and have that much extra! I still haven't even posted pictures of this place for everyone to see but I will as soon as I decorate for Christmas. Wow...I think I blogged so much that my arm is asleep. Anyway..that's all I can think of for now. Hope everyone gets out there and enjoys their Christmas traditions this year!

Megan~

October came and went...

Hey everyone! It's so unlike me to not blog but to be honest I've just not been in the mood lately. The last month or so has been absolutely crazy and quite frankly I'm happy to see it go! I'll update. Halloween was pretty wonderful. Lee surprised me on that Friday, the day before, and we went to Old Towne Portsmouth and went on a ghost walk. It was similar to something that I had previously done in New Orleans but it was actually a little better. We got to wander through the town and see all the old colonial homes decked out for Halloween and hear all the stories of the different haunts told by people dressed up in character during the Civil war era. It was cheesy but fun seeing the old houses and how pretty they looked. The tour eventually lead us back to a park in the middle of the district for some hot apple cider! It was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we went to see paranormal activity! I LOVE scary movies and Lee HATES them. I couldn't believe he surprised me and took me anyway. He made it through the movie no problem and I was so proud...although that night he didn't sleep very well. He said he couldn't fall asleep because there were too many noises...poor baby! Hope was supposed to come visit me that weekend but she bailed and I was really bummed about that. I really needed a best friend.
The week before Halloween I started having some weird health problems. It was a thursday night and I wasn't feeling too good so I took my temp because I felt like a had a high fever. No fever. I felt nauseated and had diarrhea and thought for sure that I was getting the swine flu! This was before I had my H1N1 vaccination. Suprisingly, the next morning, I felt fine. I went to work. Business as usual. Then, at work I started to feel funny and decided to have one of the nurses take my vital signs. My BP was through the roof... 144/101! MY BP normally runs 110/70 or lower so I was on the verge of passing out. I marched over to the ER at Sentara next door and Lee met me there. They ran blood tests, did EKG and urine samples and everything was normal. They prescribed me some Ativan and sent me home. The next day I started to feel bad all over again only this time my whole left side was numb and tingly. I thought for sure that I was having a stroke or something. We went BACK to the ER again! My BP was 156/102! They did all the same tests including the EKG...and a CT scan of my brain to make sure I wasn't having a stroke. Everything was normal. They also gave me a GI cocktail for my stomach because it was hurting REALLY bad. Since then I've been to the gyno and the pcp. I've had an internal u/s...yes up the hoohah. Everything was normal. My BP has come back down to 120/86 but I'm still not satisfied with that number. Im still having tingling and numbness all over my body and it comes and goes. With that being said, the doctor is making me have an EMG test which I am NOT looking forward to. They are basically going to shock me all over and then poke needles intramuscular all over. I'm scared because I'm told it will hurt but they want to see if I have a pinched nerve somewhere. I also may have a thyroid problem or may be liking in B12 so I've stocked up on vitamins and I'm having my blood taken again after Thanksgiving to check my cholesterol and my thyroid. I feel a lot better than I did because I know that whatever it is, isn't life threatening but I'm still very worried so please pray for me!
As far as blogging goes..its not the same when you don't have a camera. I'm expecting a camera for Christmas but until then, you may not see as many blogs out of me..I will get it together folks, I promise. Love you all!!
Megan

October! Already?!

It’s October! October!! The beginning of the holiday season…I swear it feels like I was just at the beach for the Fourth of July! There’s a crispness in the air when I head to work in the morning and the sun is not shining as brightly because it’s still sorta dark outside. I hate that my favorite season is moving upon us so quickly because I know it will be over soon! I’m trying to slow down and enjoy it!
The Last few weeks have been filled with thoughts of my wedding day! Today we have officially 330 days till the big day. I’ve been going to the gym here and there, though not as much as I should. I’ve been scheduling appointments, searching for bridesmaid dresses, and buying little things for the big day. On another note I FINALLY got my engagement ring fixed!! Lee surprised me and tricked me! He told me I wasn’t going to be able to have it fixed until next week and I was really bummed because I have several wedding-ish appointments this weekend and didn’t want to show up ring-less. I came home last night and reminded Lee that he needed to try to keep the house as clean as possible this weekend…He said “Look, I already cleaned the counter..” and he pointed to it. I said “No, you didn’t!” He said “Yes, I did!!” I looked over at the stove and my ring was sitting in the soup ladle thingy all shiny and beautiful! I’m so happy..my finger has been without ring for almost two months. I feel like a newly engaged woman again!
Last weekend, Hope and Bobby came to stay with us! I needed my Hopey. I needed a girlfriend. I have Julie and Brandy, but I needed my Hope. Friday night we drank a few beers and dove DEEPLY into Apples to Apples. I got my fix of board games for the weekend..I love them. Saturday, Lee and Bobby went fishing on the pier and Hope and I went in search of bridesmaid dresses. I found the dress that I’ve been in love with for over a year. Longer than Lee and I have been engaged. I’ll blog more about that on my wedding blog. Saturday night we took them to Lucky Oyster for some O-SO-YUMMO She-crab soup! Amongst other things…it was SO good. We were going to go to the haunted hay-ride but we were all so exhausted we decided to head home instead. But, not before stopping off at Target. Hope bought Lee and I a lamp! Are you kidding me?? Our cats had broken our other lamp so when you walk into the house its pitch black and you have to walk to the kitchen or the staircase to turn on a light. This bothered Hope, so she bought us a Swanky new lamp! Woop! Thanks, girl! Sunday, Hope and Bobby got an early start. I was sad to see them go but I will be seeing Hope all weekend..as I am headed to Roanoke in t-2 hours! Yay!
One thing I’m really bummed about lately is not having a camera. I’m going to have to just buy one. I’m just going to do it. I’m having a hard time living without it. This weekend I’m going to go back to old faithful..and the Kodak disposable cameras. They get the job done..most of the time. We will see. Everyone have a safe and happy weekend!!

The Money Nups!

Here are all my favorite pictures from the Money Wedding a few weeks ago...very good photography...amazingly inexpensive..only 1200 dollars less than ours..DURN IT!!! OH well..I love mine too :) This is my future family..they all feel like my family already! In these photos you will see the new Mr and Mrs Money, Grandma and Grandpa Miller, My new soon to be sisters, Allison and Katy, Lots of good friends..Spencer, Noah, the Dockerys, the Mosers, and the Dentons, aunts and uncles, cousins..etc. Lots of Love..Lots of Music..Lots of alcohol..and lots of fun! We had a great weekend. All photos courtesy of Jennifer Pinkerton :) Enjoy!

FALLing in Love...

Ok. So, you may have noticed my new apple tree blogger background. yes, folks that's because once labor day hits, I like to officially commence with fall. Yes, the temps still reach highs in the 90's and yes the leaves are all still green and even though the internet officially tells me that fall begins on September 22nd at 5:18 PM, I like to get a jump-start on my autumn to do's. I also like to refer to this season as Yankee Candle season..time to drag out all the yummy scents of Fall. Our life now officially revolves around NFL and college schedules and the fact that people actually give out free candy just for dressing up really gets my heart a-fluttery! FULL SIZED SNICKERS BARS---ARE THEY MAD??
So it comes as no surprise that I am looking forward to experiencing all that autumn has to offer. In anticipation of the upcoming season, I decided to resurrect the goal list – but with a little tweaking. This goal list is not for a specific month. It contains no projects that would benefit me in the long run. No renovations. No diet restrictions or workout minimums. And especially nothing that would cause me stress for the next several weeks of my life.
A complete and total list just for fun. That’s right. I said it. My goals are purely pleasurable. I try to tackle most of these same goals every year..what you might refer to as tradition I suppose!


A list of my anticipated Fall Follies!

1. Visit an apple orchard

2. Go on a hayride

3. Make a homemade apple pie..and Eat it!

4. Carve a pumpkin (ok and maybe spray paint one or two as well)

5. Make something outta leaves

6. ....Pumpkin Pie..MMM enough said.

7. Drink apple cider

8. Go on a nature hike..or two or three.

9. Collect acorns

10. Throw the football-catch the football.

11. Roast smores over a bonfire

12. Go camping

13. Visit a haunted house

14. Make our own Halloween Costumes..can't wait!

There it is. Simple minded I might be… This is my list that I'm sure will be very FALL-Filling...ha! If any of you would like to join me in the festivites..feel free!

Meg~

Labor of Love

Labor Day weekend. Not only is it a long weekend, but in our minds its the end to a fabulous (and probably all too fast moving) summer. The last family BBQ, the last trip to the beach, (for most, not us!) the last week before school, and the last weekend to wear white pants, skirts, and shoes! (forgive me, I'm no fashionista and I'm aware that this rule is somewhat unofficial, just one I choose to humor myself) This labor day I had the pleasure of witnessing the union of marriage (well the conclusion to their elopement) of my future mother-in-law, (who will probably need to change this now) and her new husband Craig Money. It's sorta funny that she came into the marriage with two sons and he, with two daughters. Lee and his oldest daughter, Allison, are about the same age and Katy, his youngest daughter and John are the same age. Weird. I'm happy to say that I'm marrying into one incredible family and now I'm happy to not only have a fabulous brother in-law but 2 sister in-laws as well! Now being that I had no camera but merely a cell phone camera (which btw worked better than the borrowed digi from Hope) I have only a couple of pictures. I know several people took pictures and I'm waiting to see those and hopefully can post some of them for you.
Before I go into details..here are a few pictures of the fabulous hotel we stayed in. Its in the middle of downtown Winston-Salem in the middle of Olde Salem. The Brookstown Inn used to be an old mill. It was full of lovely details. Our room had 20 foot ceilings with wood beams and a chandelier. Our bed was up on a loft overlooking the living area. It was gorgeous! Here are a few pictures of the outside and interior of the hotel.





Here is a brief description of the Hammarback-Money wedding weekend (which I like to more commonly refer to as the Money Nups!)

On Friday upon arrival (after our jaws dropped at the beauty and splendor of our hotel rooms) Lee decided to Iron his suit. Glad he decided two hours BEFORE the wedding, as he left it a home. I packed everything right down to his hair gel and forgot his suit that we annoyingly purchased at the last minute the night before at Kohls. We made the 15 minute trek to Belk to meet Julie (she was having her make-up done) and we picked out a doozie of an outfit for the Money nups! We headed back to the Inn and quickly got ready and made our way downstairs for the complimentary wine and cheese at the bar. We met up with Loren and Janna (who had already lost her glasses somewhere at the bar) and Aunt Linda and Uncle Ken! Such a blessing to have all of them arriving from Minnesota! Grandma Merle and Grandpa Ken were hot on their tails..they wanted their free alcohol and dairy too! We headed into the ceremony-reception banquet room (goregous) and made our way to the open bar and found our table. AND in somewhat opposite fashion..had dinner (WHICH WAS YUMMO!) After dinner, Lee and John joined their Mom, Craig, Katy and Allison for their ceremony. After much debate over if Craig was really the one, I could tell by the tears in Lee's eyes that he knew C-Money actually meant what he was saying to Julie. There were tears and laughter. After the ceremony the bride and groom cut the cake and everyone refilled their glasses for the toasts. Several people made toasts including Lee who once again got a little emotional..(love my little sensitive man). A surprise was when Julie sang "God Bless the Broken Road" to Craig..with a little back-up vocal from Loren. It was beautiful. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. The band the starting playing some music for the bride and groom's first dance and was then joined by Katy and Allison and John and Lee. It was a great wedding...two weddings in Winston-Salem within' two weeks. I'm so excited for our wedding...we will have the same anniversary as Julie and Craig and my dad's anniversary is September 5th...Loren and Lizzy are September 2nd! Let's hear it for the labor day nups!
The next morning we headed across the street for breakfast at "Mary's of Course." I think that was the best breakfast burrito in the history of breakfast burritos. Lee's basil and mushroom eggs benedict were incredible..as well a side of southern grits! Aunt Janna was licking her plate..she loves some grits! After breakfast we said our good-byes and started on our way to Roanoke!
We arrived at my grandparents house to be greeted by my everyone! I was so happy to see them all..I think the last time may have been Jenny's wedding! We stayed and hung out with them for several hours and it was just what I needed. Then we headed over to Jeff and Alisha's for the Hokie game! It was the first game of the season against ALABAMA. I mean come on...as much as I love my Hokies...ALABAMA was sure to win this one. The Hokies did pretty well against such a good team but I'm a little more than disappointed in the Hokie offense this year..we shall see. We plan on going to a hokie game or two as well! We stayed the night at the Consroe home and woke up early to have breakfast and start the journey home. Lee really wanted to go see Jason and his new house and I went to see Hope! GOOOOOSH I miss her. She's coming down here in a few weeks for the Blink182 concert so I'll see her then! We decided to make our way home on Sunday so we could have a day to ourselves at home and go to the beach. Doesn't look good so far..its rainy and grey..drats! We're hoping for sunshine later so we can say our final farewells to summer.
Hope everyone has a fab weekend..stay safe!

Meg~

bad blogger

Hello everyone,

I know I've been really bad about blogging lately...I think its because I'm bummed out without my camera. Hope has been letting me use her digi camera but it doesn't have the cord to hook it up to the computer so I have to actually go somewhere and have the pictures put on a disk. It's kinda a pain in the butt so I'm waiting till I have several pictures or until I get a new camera..its no fun blogging without the pictures! Anyway I'll get you up to speed on the last couple of weekends. The weekend before last, we went to Winston-Salem for Lee Denton's wedding. on Friday afternoon we left..road tripped it 5 hours and headed into High Point to stay at Lee's mom's new hubbie's old house....just in time for rehearsal dinner?! Tuckered out..we slept in. Where did we sleep? OK let me explain. Lee's mom marries Craig Money. She is now Julie Money, but more notably signs her emails J$. I gave Craig the nickname C-Money when I first met him so I guess he can be referred to as C$. C$ was laid off right before we left for Mexico.(he's a pharmacist)He got a new job and new apartment in Florence, South Carolina. J$ has recently been laid off at her job (NC School of the Arts) She is staying behind and living in C$'s house until she can fix it up and sell it and then move to SC with C$. GOT IT?! Probably not..but we were staying in C$'s house in NC. Lee headed off with John and Spencer for what else? Frisbee Golf.. well I stayed behind with my sweet lil future mother in-law having girl time. We all freshened up and headed downtown to a little park in the middle of the city (I guess sorta like Elmwood park in Roanoke but better) where the ceremony was held. The we headed a few blocks over to this cool little house in Winston where there reception was held. I did take the camera with me but proceeded to leave it in the car for the entire evening..therefore the only pictures I have are the ones right after Lee and I got ready..and those are lame anyway :) The wedding was so much fun...let me start with the "highlights" if that's what you want to call it...
1. I was psychoanalyzed by Hunter Dockery. A very good friend of the family. He's a really cool pastor and is a beer and sailing enthusiast. He is the dad of Spencer, Jonathan, and Jackson Dockery...not to mention his sweet wife. We were sitting at our table, drinking wine, when I literally poured my heart out to him and in the end was tearing up. So was Lee. We both really want him to do something involving our ceremony..we're not sure yet. But basically I was diagnosed with OCD..which is classic. More than likely I do have it. I'll own it. SO weird incident number one benefited me. Now onto the more disturbing weird incident number two.
2. Julie (J$) and I had probably had one too many glasses of wine and were searching around for the bathroom. Someone told us there was a private one upstairs and that we could use it..so we did. After I used it, I guarded the door (they had no locks) so that no one would walk in on her. At that moment the wedding planner (or she seemed to be running the show, regardless of title) came upstairs and started talking to me. She said "Boy it sure is hot in this house!" I replied with "Yeah, it sure is." (it wasn't really...a little warm but that was perhaps of all the wine) THEN she proceeded to finish with.."It must be even worse for you since you're pregnant, when are you due?!" WHAT?!?!? Ok, first of all, I'm not. Second of all, I've been LOSING weight, so im thinking to myself..WTF? Without even a glitch or a stutter I replied with "October." She gave me her congrats and hurried on her way. TALK ABOUT MORTIFIED! I think the reason she said that was because of the way my dress was shaped..you know..ribbon around the waist..flares out at the bottom..either that or I'm HUGE and just don't see it! So anyway I tell J$ all about it and we both start laughing hysterically, and I conveniently made my way to the bar. OH WHAT A NIGHT.
The next day we slept in and then met up with Lee's dad and J$ for lunch at the Loop! We sat out on the patio and soaked up the sun..much needed after my night of intoxication. That was the most I'd drank in a long time! I'm a total light weight again! After Lunch Lee insisted on hitting up the Juice Shoppe for a Guava Gulp (his hometown fav other than Krispy-Kreme) and we headed off to Raleigh to see Lee's friend Sean (one of our groomsmen) He just recently bought a house with his girlfriend and they had us over to grill out and tour! It was beautiful! It made Lee really want to buy one..we've been looking on and off.. going thru phases. Ultimately we've decided to stay where we're at, at LEAST for a year or two more, until Lee gets another big raise or until I get a better job, or till we have children..whichever comes first. We had a great time with them and I loved meeting his girlfriend. Those boys have so much in common its scary. Glad we left when we did or Lee would've moved in! We made it home late Sunday night..it was a fun trip!
Last weekend we headed down to Sandbridge beach (sorta like the outer banks but in VA BEACH) We wanted to go see the big waves created by Hurricane Bill. They were pretty big alright! Last weekend was a chillaxer..we did a lot around the house and hung out together. Good weekend. Monday, my brother, Josh came down from DC on work. I made dinner and he came over to hang with us. We had a great time and we're planning on heading up to DC in October. Its been so long since I've been..probably since I was 13 and I really want to go see all the sites again! Thursday night, Lee and I had date night. The plan was to go to a LOCAL restaurant that we'd never tried and then go to the new Brad Pitt Movie. We went to this sweet hang-out called Margie and Ray's on the way to Sandbridge. Supposedly they have the best she-crab soup in the tidewater. Lee and I have made it a point to try it everywhere that we get the chance..and so far..its the best. With Lucky Oyster and Hot Tuna coming in at a VERY close second! These are all places you should hit up while visiting the beach! Anyway after a few beers, soup, and dinner..we were so full that we were sleepy! We decided to forego the movie and save it for the weekend. Last nite we ordered in with Wine and Pizza and today Lee worked all day. I on the other had, completed the primer coat on the nightstand that I'm refurbishing. I'll blog about that later (once I actually finish)! Tonight I'm making flounder and red beans and rice...another evening in..and thats just fine with me. Tomorrow church and I'm excited that Julie(not J$) is back from PA. Looking forward to seeing the whole Parsons family tomorrow..then maybe lunch and the movie. Loving these last few weekends of hot weather..but hoping the FALL weather kicks in soon. Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend..I'm sure you will now that I've bored you to tears!

Meg~

Here, fishy fishy! (for lack of a better title)

I just want to say that I've been thrilled to have my cousin, Andie here for the last two weekends! I needed some serious girl time with her. Briefly i will discuss what went down. The Office, Bridesmaid dresses, Cheesecake factory, Lucky Oyster, Beach, Shopping, Aquarium, IMAX, Funny People. Love. I loved having you here! I can't wait till I see you in October for all our fun wedding stuff!

On another happy note, Seth and Julie will be coming over for dinner on Friday night. My first dinner party in our new home. Should be interesting. I'm thinking Italian..or Mexican..or Chinese..I've trained myself in the fine art of take-out so I never have to order from a restaurant again..it's a gift!

Saturday we are going to North Carolina for a wedding. That should be fun!

I really don't have much to say...'cept peace and love :)

Meg~

Something weighing heavy on my heart today..

I've had a terrible day today at work. Actually a terrible week. Nothing has gone right. I've had nothing but trouble, angry patients, incorrect insurances/referrals, estranged co-workers, and countless other things that have been driving me insane. My best bud, Brandy got this in her inbox and sent it to me....I'm so glad she did. I feel 100 times lighter..

"…Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;"
(Genesis 13:14, AMP)

God has a place of victory in store for you today! You may be facing challenges. You may look around you and see impossible circumstances. In the natural, it may look like things won’t ever change, but God is saying today, “Quit looking at your circumstances and look up! Lift up your eyes of faith and look beyond where you are because there is victory as far as the eye can see!

Your enemies may have some power today, but remember, our God is All Powerful! There’s no foe that can stand against Him. Those things you are facing are temporary, but God Almighty is eternal. He’s the God who flung the stars into space. He’s the God who spoke the world into existence. When He said, “Let there be light,” light came at 186,000 miles per second. That’s power and that’s the God we serve.

I encourage you to stand strong today. Keep believing because He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you lift your eyes to Him, as you focus on His goodness, He will guide you and direct you in the path of victory in every area of your life!

Have a great day, everyone!

Love,
Megan

Adventures in babysitting...

Sorry for lack of bloggage guys!! I feel like I'm so exhausted you could tap me and I would fall to the ground! Lee and I have both been incredibly busy lately...he's working LOOOOOONG hours and I do mean LONG...7 days a week! SO my weekends have been spent..well..not doing too much..just cleaning and enjoying time to myself before it gets busy again. With three out of town weddings and a trip to DC in the works and several family members and friends visiting soon, we are pretty booked until Mid September! I will say that a topic that has come up a lot lately with Lee and is ...babies. Yes, Lee and I have the itch! BUT, believe it or not, it's Lee more than myself! Lee is constantly talking about how he can't wait to have a baby. I can't wait either..but I want to actually get married first! We still have 402 days left till the wedding! At first we wanted to wait a year or two after we got married and then start trying to have babies..so we decided to make a deal. After our wedding and we head off to our honeymoon..we will attempt to get pregnant during that week..if it doesnt happen naturally, we will wait. I know its kinda crazy! I can't imagine being ready to be a mother but I want it more than anything in the world! When I first met Lee and I made it very clear before we were even SERIOUS that I love children and couldn't wait to be a mother! He made it very clear that he was anti-kids...at least not for SEVERAL years. I must've had some strange affect on him because he talks about it all the time. I think it started with Jon and Kate Plus 8..he loves (ok ..LOVED) that show and always watched it with me. I would constantly point out cute children that we'd see out and about or in our everyday lives..now it's to the point where I don't even notice and he points them out to me. OR Maybe its the fact that I work in a children's hospital and I always come home telling him precious stories of little ones..or maybe its because a lot of our friends have babies. Either way...WE CAN't WAIT!
Well, i decided to put Lee to the test. I offered to baby-sit for our friends Seth and Julie's little baby, Leira. She is going on 10 months old and she is a doll. I thought.. 6 hours with her will make him or break him. Folks..it didn't turn out as I expected. It was better. LEE HAD A BALL. This was his first time caring for a baby. He LOVED feeding her, he loved watching her, hearing her laugh, rocking her to sleep..of which I have the MOST PRECIOUS PICTURE of him doing this on my phone. He loved putting her to bed and watching her sleep. He couldn't stop holding her! We had a ball and Leira was a very good baby. Or as Julie and Seth like to call her..Cakey :) We are now the official baby-sitters..well maybe not official but we'll be happy to do that again anytime soon. She's a doll! I pray to God that Lee and I (when we're ready) are able to have healthy beautiful children. They are a gift from God and I will be forever eternally grateful.
Also, please pray for Lee's mom..she's in the hospital today for her back spasms and is in a lot of pain..having a lot of trouble walking! We hope she will be ok! :)

Love, Us.

PS..how precious is this sweet little picture of Leira at 8 months?? Love you, Cakey :)

family+friends+fireworks+4th= fun!

Sorry this is a bit late but I hope everyone out there had a wonderful 4th of July! Lee and I had a wonderful weekend with friends and family! Friday night, Lee's Dad and his girlfriend, Michelle and John arrived! We went to the store and got lots of great items for our BBQ the next day! Then we headed over to Lynnhaven bay and had dinner on the water at Bubba's. The food and view were both incredible and we even got to watch some fireworks of in the distance at Harborfest! The next day Hope and Bobby arrived and we had our very first cook-out in our new home! Lee bought a grill a few months ago and we had only used it twice! Lee grilled the best burgers ever and grilled up of course, my favorite, hot-dogs! I made my FAMOUS macaroni and cheese and we had all the fixins!..coleslaw, chips, (my macados imitation con queso dip!) amd Michelle made her famous deviled eggs (lee's fav) I was pretty bummed that I had invested in some famous SPRINKLES red velvet cupcakes and didn't get one of the ingredients that I needed and didn't have time to make them! So much for my red, white, and blue dessert but that's ok! :) After the cook-out we all headed over to the beach for the day! We got there around 230 but we wanted to get a parking spot and stay for the fireworks! We spent the day with our beer cooler, snacks, and sunscreen! Lee and I even got in the Ocean a couple of times but everyone else chickened out! John made 2 bucks playing his bag-pipes for everyone..haha :) Seth, Julie, and Leira met up with us later for the fire-works! Finally I got to see some fireworks that were right up there with disneyworld! There was a huge barge sitting out in the ocean where they launched the fireworks so we had the perfect view! This was the first time that I was able to watch the fireworks with my future hubs! On Sunday I made a big breakfast for everyone..sausage gravy and biscuits..Hope even went to dunkin donuts and bought donuts and coffee for everyone! Lee's dad and step-mom left shortly after because there was a storm coming in and they were on the motorcycle and had a 5 hour ride to Raleigh. Lee and John and Bobby headed off for some frisbee golf so that Hope and I could spend some girl time together. We were going to go look for wedding dresses but I should've googled places first because we couldn't really find anywhere and the places we did find were closed on Sundays. That's ok..I think that was nature's way of telling me I'm not ready. I don't want to really try on dresses until I've lost more weight..I don't want to be that girl who buys a dress that's too small and has to fit into it. I want to feel super beautiful the first time I put it on! After our adventures in bridal store hunting, we came home and met up with the boys and headed over to Shorebreak for some pool and sangria! (ok..and nachos!) We were going to go the aquarium but it was super packed..probably because of the rain so we decided on that instead. After all was said and done, Hope and Bobby left and our fun weekend was coming to an end. We had a wonderful 4th in our new town..unfortunately there are no pictures to prove it. Hope has now actually given us her old digital camera until we can buy a new one but it wasn't charged up until sunday..by that time it was pointless! I hope everyone had a fun, safe and happy 4th!

MAJOR Bummer!

SO we were SUPPOSED to be going to the AEROSMITH concert this weekend..but it's been postponed!!!! :( They announced just a few hours ago that the concert in Hershey tonite and the VA BEACH concert is postponed until further notice due to a band injury! I'm so sad! They said that they would gladly accept tickets to the rescheduled concert but it has yet to be announced! Oh well... Hopefully it'll be a time that we dont have any plans!! WE wont let this ruin our weekend!

hodge podge of events..also known as the longest blog ever!

I haven't blogged in so long that I have been saving blogs in my head. I know my blogs are usually long and detailed but i decided instead of boring you to death I'll sum it up a little quicker! We've been so busy! A few weeks ago we headed to Roanoke for Jenny's wedding..actually it was the week after we got back from Mexico for time
s sake! I drove down with Hope on Thursday! She had driven down the a few nights before for the NO DOUBT concert and Lee needed the car to get up to Roanoke for the wedding (since mine is currently in the shop) on Saturday! Phew! Friday night I stayed with Hope and got up early to go to my mom's to get a few things and get ready for the Bridal luncheon! Hope dropped me off at the luncheon and then Jen and Nat and I ran a few last minute wedding errands! Gosh, I miss Natalie!! We were like the three musketeers again! insert picture here. haha




After a lot of running around we made it to the rehearsal right on time..ahem..give or take! After the rehearsal, Chase's parents hosted the rehearsal dinner BBQ at their lovely home! It was a blast hanging out with my ole pal, Stephen..and getting a little tipsy...insert more pics :)





Ok, Maybe tipsy was the wrong word..just moderate drinking..




OK!!..we were sloshed!



Natalie! The Shnozberries taste like Shnozberries!!!

Anyway..so much fun..I wish Lee could've been there but he was out of town working in D.C. but it was ok because I got to spend the last single night ever with my best friend! We went back to her new house and made a list of things to do in the morning and stayed up talking before we fell asleep. I was up at 7am. Jenny was up at 230 and never went back to sleep..she was so excited! As the day progressed several things went wrong..ie missing champagne, broken picture frames, missing veil, hair appointments gone awry, wedding coordinator getting slapped by an out of town guest, ..but these things are supposed to happen on your wedding day! Thats what makes it so durn excitin'! um...let's just say I was in Charge of Jen's cell phone for the first half of the day and i was so stressed I gave it to the MOH..poor Jenny is in for a treat when I get married! Long story short..Ceremony was BEAUTIFUL..RECEPTION..INCREDIBLE which is good because now I have an idea of how mine will be!! I can't wait!! AND after not seeing him in a week..the day after we got back from Mexico..I was finally in the arms of my beloved fiance! A happy moment:



Next year it will be us!!

On Saturday night we stayed with my dad and then headed over to Iron Gate for the Showalter family reunion! Lee hadn't met ANYONE on my Grandaddy's side of the family and it just happend to be kinda on our way home so I'm glad he got to meet them all! It was a great little cook-out at my Aunt Blackie's house and I showed Lee the wonderful house I used to love playing in as a child..all those christmas parties famous for their bourbon balls and sliding down the stairs..which sadly now have railings! The grand piano covered in desserts and the ghost in the attic! We personally invited Aunt Blackie to the wedding and she proclaimed that she would be there with bells on! My mom said she went on and on about Lee long after we left..but who wouldn't? He's the best!

A few days later..back at the beach (which I still can't BELIEVE is our home!) it started like an ordinary afternoon. I got off work to wait for the shuttle and it was very hot and EXTREMELY humid. I came home..made some dinner and Lee happily volunteered to take our clothes and do the laundry a few miles away! It was just starting to get dark and I was playing around on the computer when I got a text from my new BFF, Brandy! She said there was a tornado warning at the oceanfront. Now, we are less than three miles from the shore so that technically includes us. I didn't even notice it was storming because I had on headphones and was playing music. I ran downstairs and turned on the TV and there was a message going across the screen "TORNADO WARNING FOR YOUR AREA. PLEASE SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY." so of course..what do I do??? I go look outside..my stupid curiosity got the best of me. I could still see some dark blue where it was starting to get dark but just over the way I could see a cloud that was absolutely PITCH BLACK! I said that has got to be the cloud that is spawning the Tornado! I ran inside and got the cats and shoved them into the downstairs bathroom and grabbed a big blanket! It started raining so hard that it sounded like it was coming through the roof! I watched the TV a little more and it was telling where the Tornado was heading and when it would hit! (right down to the street and everything!) It was due to hit Donna Drive within 5 minutes..the street that runs right next to our house!! I was freaking out! I ran into the bathroom and called Lee. He was a few miles away in the Lynnhaven area and said he was watching it on TV but it wasnt even raining or anything where he was. I told him to stay put! I started to hear this sound that sounded like one of the Jets that we hear a lot around here..it sounded kinda distant so I opened the bathroom door to see if I could hear it better..Simone tried to run out and I grabbed her back in and shut the door! The lights started to flicker on and off and then they went out completely! The cats were going crazy..they had been all night..im sure they knew something was coming! About a minute later..everything stopped..the lights came back on! I came out of the bathroom and looked at the TV! A picture of the tornado that skipped and hopped right over us was on there. It started as a waterspout and made landfall..kinda hopped around the shore and went back out into the water! i was terrifed! I called Lee and Brandy and told them I was ok..Brandy was like "dang girl its only the beginning of the season..they're so common by the ocean front!" GREAT! Lee came home only to find TONS of flooding down our road and cars that were even underwater!! It was a crazy storm and I'll never forget surviving my first tornado!! Several tornados were spotted in the area..but none of them produced very much damage or any injuries! here's a picture of the big black cloud that produced the tornado that went right over me!!





This was taken June 18, 2009 around 815 pm!

The following weekend Loren and Lizzy called us and came up from Raleigh for a suprise visit!!! It was only Friday night and Saturday because we Loren had to be back Sunday to preach! I very much enjoyed our dinner friday nite, brunch at citrus and a fun day at the beach! Then, a wonderful dinner at Captain George's! We had a great time..here's a picture of our day at the beach with Loren, Lizzy and Bella!!..and one of me and Lizzy! LOVE her!






Lizzy and Loren had never been to Virginia Beach so we were excited that they got to see it and they actually loved it! The funny thing that happend later was..Wednesday after they left..Lizzy's new job in Raleigh wanted to give her a bit of extra training and they sent her to Norfolk! She called me Wednesday night and while Lee studied for a test, Lizzy and I had some girl talk, chocolate, wine, and a movie! it was so much fun!

This past weekend Lee and I took it easy and then took a long motorcycle ride down to Currituck in North Carolina and it was beautiful! I got excited because it wasn't too long of a ride and I saw lots of places that I couldn't wait to visit in the fall..such as..pumpkin patches and Christmas tree farms! I was worried that there wouldn't be a lot of that around here..but Virginia Beach actually stretches all the way to the NC state line and a lot of it is beautiful countryside! We did however see a snake in the road and that got me a little crazy because I didn't have the car around me..but other than that and the fact that my butt went numb, I had a great time!

4th of July is approaching this weekend and lee and i both have the 3rd off which is wonderful! We're having several guests this weekend and looking forward to our first holiday at the beach! Sun, BBQ, fun and fireworks! Sunday we are going to see Aerosmith!! WHOOO HOOOOO!! and next weekend we're headed to Nags Head for Hugh's Birthday! I'm so excited! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday..peace and love!

XOXO
Meg

no doubt about it!

Last week, Hope and Bobby came down for a visit and we went to see No DOUBT!!! The concert was incredible! It was supposed to storm but it held out for us! Unfortunately there are no pics due to the fact that my camera is still dead from Mexico and Hope's camera was not charged! It's too bad because we were REALLY close!! :( I will say that if you plan on coming to one of these concerts down here..be prepared to pay 11 dollars for a beer..yup..we still paid it! Hope and I danced and sang the whole way through!! Bobby was less than thrilled haha! Lee was supposed to come but he head to work in DC at the last minute! He would've loved it! I'm glad I got to spend time with my number one gal though! They are coming back to spend the 4th of July with us and we're going to see Aerosmith!! WOOOOOOOOP! I've seen them before but since they ARE my favorite band of all time..I think it's time to see them again and im going to make CERTAIN that we get some pictures of this one! :)

We survived the swine 2009!!

A fitting title...I'm still looking for the T-shirt that I saw in Mexico! AHHHH Me-hee-co! First of all, I'll say this: This was the most incredible, amazing, relaxing, fun, ultimate, adventurous, romantic, (you get the idea) vacation that I have ever been on!! In fact it will probably be better than our honeymoon it was so awesome! We were treated like royalty on a daily basis...everything was included...food, alcohol, room service 24/7. Want your breakfast delivered to your room every morning? you got it! Sitting by the pool and you want a drink or some nachos? You got it! 3 in the morning..need a drink from your own private bar? a beverage out of your own private fridge? Chicken nuggets delivered to your room? a back rub? everything on the left side of the menu at ANY restaurant? You GOT IT! basically your wish is their command..it was fabulous!!
We left on Saturday morning from Norfolk Internation and changed planes in Charlotte to head to Riviera Maya..about an hour from Cancun! (not before we were surveyed and checked for swine flu! Yikes!) Here's the shot of us flying into Cancun....GORGEOUS!!



We arrived and I was immediately given a glass of Champagne and a lovely carnation. Our luggage was taken to our room by the bell-hop who actually resembled one particular character in a particular disney movie. The candleabra (spell check anyone?) from Beauty and the Beast! What a hoot! First thing's first..a little exploring..a walk on the beach and a tropical drink in our hands!




Then we met everyone for dinner...Lee's mom Julie, Craig, Katy, Allison, Rachel, and Philip..at the argentinian steak house! MMMMMMMMMM! you could order anything you wanted...and as much of it as you wanted! (this was true of all the restaurants..it was like heaven..! My heaven anyways!) After dinner Lee and I took a romantic stroll on the beach..breathtaking. We kept saying.."are we really here"?? It was a long day so we headed back to the room for bed! Only three hours in and going strong!!






Sunday was relaxation day...as was everyday! Lee and i got up early and headed to the gynormous breakfast buffet...it was either that or have it delivered to our room? hmmmm? life is full of tough choices! The buffet was incredible..I can't even begin to describe it. AND I'll never again be able to have an amazing breakfast unless there's a mimosa in my hand! I had two or three of them every morning! After an hour or so of laying on the beach we headed to the pool...you know..the ones with the chairs sitting in the shallow water and the spa-ish music playing softly in the background. With an electric lemonade and Tori Spelling book in hand I was ready to relax the day away! Everyone gathered in one particular spot in the pool and laughed and drank our cares away..meanwhile on the otherside of the pool was a hilarious DJ by the name of Hugo that entertained the guests daily with fun spring break-ish contests and music! It was right next to the swim up bar, which believe me got a lot of use! That night, we had dinner at an italian restaurant, la trattoria..YUMMO! It was a great day..full of sun!

Monday..when I say full of sun..i meant full of sun! After breakfast, Lee and I headed over to the indoor pool for the day...we were VERY sunburned! The indoor pool was beautiful and you could still see the ocean and gorgeous view ..it wasn't enclosed! FANTASTIC! We enjoyed our time there in the hot tub with some smoothies from the bar. Later in the day I believed we joined the others in the outdoor pool for some lunch and activities..all the days kinda jumble together when you're this relaxed! I didn't have one back pain the whole week..the bed was entirely too comfortable! We even had a gorgeous hot tub in our room...which was used regularly at nite..as well as the bottles of wine/champagne..just imagine complete paradise! There were no clocks anywhere..they never wanted you to know what time it was!

Tuesday we took a fun excursion to Playa de Carmen for a snorkeling tour. We took a boat with about 100 people out in the ocean to go snorkeling. I had never been snorkeling before..well actually there was an awesome lagoon at our resort that I practiced in first (where i came face to face with my first baracuda and thought it was a shark!)I was so excited for this new adventure! So I put on my life jacket and sit down on the boat with everyone..and lets just say I hadn't quite gotten my sea legs yet! The sea was a little choppy that day and I immediately started to feel a little green! When we got out to the spot..i went to put on my flippers while everyone on the boat immediately jumped in (like i must have been the only beginner)! First of all..my flippers didn't fit so I had to grab new ones..all the while my stomach is doing somersaults! Then I get to the edge of the boat..it's about a twenty foot drop and everyone said jump in! (my first time in the ocean actually swimming!) so I did..only i didnt have my mask held against my face right and I swallowed about a gallon of salt water! I was terrified at the point. Lucky for me I have an incredible fiance who held my hand and guided me through the water! It was awesome! I saw tons of fish, sea urchins, starfish..even held one of those slimy ones. But, after awhile..the motion of the waves started to make me sick..I literally thought I was going to puke right there in the water! I told Lee we had to head back to the boat..luckily about that time a lot of people were heading back. I got on the boat and sat very still (Lee held the barf bag just in case..what a trooper) until we made it safely back to sure! My stomach was totally in knots..I managed however to keep the puke on the inside..it was so embarrasing! lol..embarassing but totally worth the misery..i loved it! After that excursion everyone wanted to go snorkeling to this other place and I said..I think I'm gonna relax here on the beach for a few hours..way better! When they returned our whole group had lunch at the playa de carmen..except me (still feeling a lil queezy) and then headed back to our resort! I honestly dont remember much about the rest of the night except that after dinner at the sushi restaurant(this was also the night my camera fell in the sand and the lens broke..i had to borrow Lee's mom's camera for the rest of the trip) we went to an incredible show with traditional spanish dancers and then afterwards had the option of riding a mechanical bull! Not me of course..I was still feeling blah but it was hilarious watching the ones who did..including this brave woman!

Wednesday...we hit up the pool again for most of the day..paradise! Then we had the official Money-Hammarback pool volleyball tournament. First it was basically the hammarbacks vs the moneys..then it was girls against guys...yeah we kicked some serious butt. twice. Dinner at the Greek restaurant..some tequila boom booms and a little piano music..followed by some fun in the hot-tub!

Thursday...SPA DAY!....let's just say a day at the spa was just what i needed..first I did the hydrotherapy! (suz, you will appreciate this) It started off in a cinnamon scented Sauna(cool towel over the eyes)..then a cool shower with jets all over my body...then the steam room filled with eucalyptus...then another cool shower and then a dip in a warm bath/cold bath/hot bath..and last but not least a foot bath/massage. Then they offered me a tasty juice beverage and whisked me away to my back massage overlooking the ocean! AND MIGHT I SAY..that Lee and I both DROOLED!! I was so relaxed that I actually drooled on the floor through the little hole..I was so embarrased that I wasn't going to tell anyone and then lee was like.."Meg, I totally drooled when they massaged my head!" So I confessed..hilarious! Ahhhh we really needed that. We had dinner at the sister resort that night at a fun little mexican catina...ever tried the Mayan coffee?? You must..just for the show!!

Friday after breakfast in bed..we visited the Mayan ruins in Telum! THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! I don't have pictures yet because these are some of the ones I took on Lee's mom's camera..but it was amazing. Old mayan ruins on a huge cliff over-looking the carribbean...my favorite part of the whole trip! Then we headed over to a mexican market where Lee and I bought some authentic mayan artwork..a frame and a calendar for my grandaddy. After that we went to another palace resort for lunch and some chill time at the zoo there and the pool..what a day! After a LONG last day we headed back to our resort for some more drinks by the pool before having dinner at the argentinian steakhouse..where we enjoyed a meal once again! (my favorite part of the day was Lee's mom getting incredibly wasted and falling off the bus at the end of the day..she laughed and said " I didn't feel a thing!" And believe me..she missed two whole steps!! I'll never forget that one!

Our last day in Riviera Maya consisted of breakfast...our last mimosas..a few hours at the pool and some sad good-byes.....adios amigos!
We arrived in Dulles around 8 that night..made it thru customs..and got back to norfolk around mid-night! Thanks to Brandy for watching our fur-babies..whom we couldn't wait to get home and cuddle with! However they are extremely sad because Lee is working in Washington all week..ok maybe I'm sad..BUT, Hope will be coming in tomorrow to keep me company and Wednesday, Hope, Brandy, and Bobby and I are going to see No Doubt! Thursday I'm headed back to Roanoke to start the wedding festivities with my Jenny........yay!! Have a great week, everyone!

Jon and Kate...Separate??

It's been a long time since I've blogged!! I'm sorry...I've been incredibly busy! MY car decided to break down..so Lee and I have one car right now..WHICH I have yet to post pictures of for some reason! Um..I've been in Mexico for a week (that will have its own incredibly exciting blog!) and that's it! So anyway..I've been dying to post my opinion about Jon and Kate Plus 8 for a couple of weeks now but haven't gotten around to it. Bottom line..I'm done. When Lee and I got tickets to go see them speak back in March..the e-mail we got about Jon not coming to the appearance was very strange..but I didn't think much of it..now it's all making sense. I refuse to watch the show anymore because the purpose of the show..is no longer the reason for the show. If Jon and Kate were having all these marital problems...why would they sign on for another season..not to mention 40 NEW episodes? Do they not care that this affecting their 8 little ones?? That these children are going to be in serious therapy?? That they don't see their mommy and daddy on every single tabloid when the go to the grocery store?? That their friends dont tell them mean things at school? TLC says they will continue making the show as long as people are watching and that the show that premeired season 5 had the most viewers of any show in TLC history..of course TLC wants to make bank! AND everyone wants to watch because it's like a bad car accident..you want to look away but you just can't! Sorry folks..I'm not buying into it..I'm a HUGE fan of the show..but I'm a huge fan of the kids..not this drama that will one day if it hasn't already have a great impact on them. GOODBYE, Jon and Kate...I pray that you can work out your differences for the children's sake..I pray that the number one thing you can do is show all love for your children...I'm sure I'll be seeing you all in about 10 years on E! True Hollywood Story when Hannah is snorting coke, Jon is incredibly obese and Mady decides to become a man.... UGH!

car trouble..again!!

So...Monday, I head off to work..and my car breaks down! That's two cars in less than two weeks. So yes folks, now I'm on the hunt for a new car...here we go again!! On a happier note I have to say that last week we had dinner at Seth and Julie's..then the guys headed off to the movies and Julie and I basically sat and talked for 3 hours! I love her! We have so much in common..it's been a long time since I clicked with someone so well...VERY long time and its refreshing! We're heading to Roanoke this weekend to spend some time with family and friends..and im ecstatic! I LOVE living at the beach and its really starting to feel like home! I didn't expect this to happen so quickly..but it has. Roanoke will always be my number one home though! We are looking to buy a house next year after our lease is up somewhere in Chesapeake or maybe VA Beach..we're not sure yet! Well that's all for now..I'm off to make dinner and start packing for the Noke! Short and sweet!

Car trouble!!

Well, since we've moved to the beach we've had a lot of money issues and things hitting us all at once. As most of you know, Lee's car never has been in the greatest of shape..i mean its 13 years old!! About 4 weeks ago..something happend to the car..it decided to slowly die on us. First it was the radiator or something like that..maybe I belt.. I don't know. Whatever it was..it was 300 dollars to fix!! OK so we fixed that. THEN, a WEEK later mind you, something else was wrong! (see this is why Lee needs to blog because I know NOTHING about cars!) ANYWAY, that was another 300 we had to shell out! With our other expenses..a few of them suprises..we were hit AGAIN a week later with Lee's car breaking down on the side of the interstate! It was the Sunday that I was coming home from Roanoke...Jeff was in Williamsburg and Lee was going to meet him to hang out at the farm for awhile. Here's the kicker: Thursday night (the day before I left for Roanoke) I told Lee that I REALLY wanted him to ride with me..I just had this horrible feeling that my car was going to break down..and in my head I could see myself standing on the side of 64 somewhere around or before Williamsburg. The thought was SO crystal clear in my head that I could not shake it and I BEGGED him to go with me..because I most certainly didnt want to break down on the side of a busy interstate alone!! He told me I was crazy and got mad at me and told me he wasn't going and to get over it! HMMMMMMMMMM....it's funny..now I realize that those visions I were having were for him and not me..my gut instinct was so right on..I just had a feeling. Anyway..to make a long story longer, he had the car towed back to the beach to find out the damages. YUP 1200 dollars and our precious little green saturn would be renewed to her rickety former self. I said forget it Lee (as we were told the car was worth 170 bones) Let's just get a new car! We had planned on getting a new car but wanted to wait a bit longer before we did...it seemed now was as good a time as any..we couldn't afford to keep fixing the car!!
So after MUCH debating..and much deliberation..and several test drives..Lee did not get his first choice :( THAT'S because his SECOND CHOICE (my first choice) won in the long run! Say hello to our BRAND NEW (but slightly used) 2007 Charcoal Gray Honda Accord that we deemed SHAWANDA!! She's a beauty ladies and gentlemen. With only 20,000 miles on her...in perfect condition..fully loaded (and when I say loaded I mean lots of room (we wanted to make sure we had room for our babies in the backseat!) ;) She purrs..she coos and she's all ours!! She drives like a dream.. we dubbed her Shawanda because Lee's brother has a 1992 honda (STILL KICKIN') and her name is Duwanda..so now Duwanda has a much younger and prettier little sister!..In a couple of years Lee plans on getting a truck and little Shawanda will be all mine..MUAHAHAHAHAHA :)

So anyway...that's the story of the little green Saturn that couldn't and the great big Honda that COULD make me the happiest girl in the world.. I will post pictures soon!!

Girls just wanna have Fu-UN!

Sorry I haven't been updating this blog very well lately! I've been so busy with work and everything and getting used to this new schedule is exhausting! I get up between 5 and 530 just to leave my house by 7..just to make it to the shuttle by 730 just to get to work at 8. I miss the days of waking up at 630..walking the block to work and getting there at 7.. oh well! I still love my job..its probably the best job I've ever had!!
Anyway..so this past weekend I headed back to Roanoke for Jenny's bridal shower. I knew that this was the only one I would be able to attend and this was for her bridesmaids and friends and some family! Friday nite I head to Roanoke right after work. I was a little anxious about the long drive for some reason but as soon as I hit Charlottesville and saw those beautiful mountains I was soooo happy! I got to my dad's around 1030 and hung out with him for a bit and then went straight to bed! I had to get up pretty early to make crab dip for the shower! Then I had to meet Jenny at Bride's house to try on my bridesmaid dress for the first time...! LUCKY ME!! It was too big!! Yes, I lost some weight! The funny thing was that it was big even through my boobs which for the most part is impossible because they're so gynormous..so anyway I was pleased and the alterations are pretty cheap too! The dress is gorgeous...I don't wanna post the pictures of the full dress because I don't know if Chase has seen them yet and I don't know if she'll want to keep it a suprise so for what its' worth...not doing it :)
After the dress drama I headed over to the shower location to help Ashley finish setting up. I'm really upset about not being able to devote time money and energy into my best friends bridal shower..the move hit us hard and we had a LOT of crazy expenses hit us all at once...she deserves the best because she is the best! I know she understood though..that's why she's the best! We did lots of fun things at the shower..let me elaborate!



We ate cake..



We opened gifts..



Wait for it..



That's right..its from her NANA!! And I don't know if you can tell by the expression on her face but she seems thrilled..



Others were less amused..as seen here knitting and rolling her eyes..




we told funny stories..



played silly games.. Megan looks thrilled to be a bride again..



we even had our very own KKK meeting..




the end result..

all in all..the afternoon got a little crazy..i think some people had a little too much punch if you know what i'm sayin... haha kidding!


After the shower, Jenny and I went to the mall so that she could pick up a few peices of her china with some gift cards that she had received. I met up with Hope and Bobby and Lily at the mall before heading to dinner!! Lily didn't seem to feel too well and Bobby took her home while Hope and I had the ultimate girls night..gabbing, snacking and watching bride wars..for the millionth time! Hope is so excited for our wedding..I gave cute card with a poem inside asking her to be my bridesmaid when she visited the beach and also included with that was a book on being a bridesmaid! She's never been a bridesmaid before so she's really excited!
The next day I just had to go meet my favorite girl..Suzanne! We decided to go to Fork in the City for lunch! Of course, it was awesome and just as cool as Fork in the Alley but in a bigger setting and in a different part of town...I loved it! We probably had a 3 hour lunch and the waiter was dying to get rid of us but we had so much to catch up on! After lunch and talking in her car for an hour it was time for me to head back to the beach..but not before stopping by Jen's new house to see our good friend, Natalie! I was so excited! She came up here from Alabama to go with her mom to a springsteen concert! I haven't seen her in years..the three of us were like the three musketeers and never missed a year of camp together..some of the greatest memories I have were with jenny and Natalie! I'm so excited that she and her husband josh will be coming to the wedding..actually Natalie is another bridesmaid! Love you girl!




The ride home was just as enjoyable as the ride to Roanoke..its always good to come home and see the mountains but I get a thrill of excitement when I head back to the beach and start to cross over the water and the bridges and smell the ocean..I love both places equally! It was so much fun to hang out with my girls this weekend! Lee and I will both be coming home for Memorial Day weekend and where we'll go to a family BBQ..and I'll have my final dress fitting! Can't wait to see everyone again!