a tru luv story.

Three and a half years ago, a Carolina guy captured the heart of a misplaced southern gal. 

After a few Facebook messages, phone conversations and months of anxious waiting they finally met. 

More months apart passed (8 to be exact)...with a few trips in between.

She couldn't stand being away from her southern hunk any longer so she returned to her southern roots for good. And before she knew it she was a Carolina girl herself. 

A busy fall semester came and went before he left her once again....for another year....to accept a job in lovely western N. C. 

She was heartbroken. But not for long....

Because that southern hunk got down on one knee and asked her to not spend one more day apart and  to marry him. 

And how could she say no?

So that one question and answer came with PLENTY more. Wedding plans were officially in the works...

...Starting with a massive sleep over with 30+ other brides at her dream reception venue to reserve her wedding date before any other bride did....

She survived the planning process. 

And so did he! 

And one year ago I made that southern hunk mine. 

Bryan, happy 365th day of marital bliss....here's to 456,785,684,564,096,854,000 more.

I love you. 

Brought to you by Dove...

Hey, Hey!

Where have the past 23 days gone? Usually January is one of the months that drags and drags and drags. I guess that's what happens when you're having fun, right? 

Right??

Right.

 Anyways, like my mother, I am a sucker for good quotes and words of wisdom. In my office, I've got this whole pin board to remind me of my very favorites. 

But, as many of you may already know, there are some things that speak to me with a bit more clarity than others. And this time it was chocolate. 

Dove's dark chocolate with caramel and sea salt to be exact.

Those little squares of perfected goodness already add a lot of love and sweetness to my life. But there was one individual square in particular that did a bit more than satisfy my sweet tooth. If you've ever opened one of these chocolates, you'll know that they can have some decent little messages inside. And this particular wrapper told me this: 

  

Not bad, huh? 

This little piece of foil made it straight to my computer screen where I can see it in plain sight as a daily reminder to keep going. To do what needs to be done to accomplish those things that you found important enough to decide that you wanted to do in the first place.

 I've had this taped to my desktop for months. For so many months, actually, that yesterday I realized it had lost it's posture and wrapped itself around to the back of the computer. So, as I was restoring it I decided that I wanted to share it with you. Yes, we're 23 days into the month of resolutions. And as I mentioned in my last post I'm not a resolution maker. But promises I do like. There's something about them that seems much more humble and rewarding.

So I've got a few that I'm working on and will continue to do so until they become a positive lifestyle habit. 

Promises that turn permanent.

 And although I am an avid list maker and find the utmost joy in crossing things off my list until the paper is scratched to it's maximum ink capacity, this is one list that I hope never ends. I hope that I can always find new things and ideas that keep me wanting to make promises. 

And that is what I want to leave you with. A challenge to never stop making promises. Promises that will mold themselves into habits. Promises that you once found important enough to decide that you wanted to keep in the first place and that will touch the lives of those you love for years to come. 

Blessings until next time!

Warmest of Wishes

Greetings to you all and 2013!

20 freaking 13. 

I remember bringing in the year 2000 in Park City, UT....half way through 5th grade, pre-braces and still years away from being acquainted with a piece of technology that would forever change my life. The hair straightener.

I've come a long way since then and I'm sure I can speak for more than myself. For example, I know more than I'd prefer to know about the game of football (courtesy of that husband of mine), I've miraculously completed a few half marathons and consider moments spent in my flour-covered kitchen with my Adele: Live at Royal Albert Hall DVD radiating throughout the house as some of my fondest memories. 

Since my last post, Bryan and I have been busy. We've become official North Carolinian's (thanks to me losing my drivers license), indulged at the Biltmore, traveled to Charleston and back, got 8 new car tires, became parents to a male betta fish named Si (a Christmas gift from Emily and Danny), willingly made ourselves sick at Paula Deen's restaurant and were able to barely stay awake to bring in the new year. So it's been a while since I've been able to chat with you. But, thanks to there being some Outback bowl football game on T.V. right now, I can sit down and take a few minutes to remember everything we've been up to and catch up with y'all.

Although there are numerous things about the South that I adore, one of my most favorite things is when us Southerners get snow. Yes, it's a rarity but when it snows, whether it's a sprinkle or a storm, it's an automatic southern assumption that everything is closed and you can take the day to do whatever you fancy. And that's exactly what we did this past Sunday. Church was cancelled because there was 2 inches of snow in parking lot (told you!). Although I enjoy church, this cancellation couldn't have happened on a better day. Bryan had to speak in sacrament,  teach Sunday school and help out with the third hour. And I hadn't opened the Primary manual in two weeks, something that is highly unusual for me. So we took full advantage of this day of rest. But us being the antsy people that we are, we had to take a mid-day break to get some energy out so we took down the little bit of Christmas we had up. Although it is always a bit sad to take down the decor that adds an abundance of cheer and beauty to your house that comes with the season, I always love the renewed freshness of the house from before the holidays. I know I'm early, but thoughts of warm, sunny days, spring cleaning, opened windows, cold lemonade, fresh flowers and colorful produce stands are already filling my mind. 

Are you with me?

Change is good. Positive change is even better. I'm one of the many who make un-kept resolutions. Bryan and I have made a few to do together this year but I haven't made any personal ones. Instead, I've decided to embrace whatever each day brings. One of my most favorite people once said:

-Joseph B. Wirthlin

I'm sure that there will be days that this will be a challenge. But it's worth a try, right? And while I've got summer consuming my mind, I'll leave you with a few more words that warm my heart...

So, here's my new year wish for you and yours...days full of sunshine, an abundance of love and kindness, and blessings overflowing.

Cheers!