Bon Voyage

It took a few stressful nights of crunching numbers and weighing options before we were able to make a decision on where Mr. BR and I will be going to celebrate our first year of wedded bliss (and heated discussions over things such as Charlie's haircuts, heights of chair rails, what kind of cars I like, shopping habits, phone habits...etc). Our initial idea was to go on a cruise and that's what we've decided to do. We had no idea which cruise line to pick so we selected the dates we wanted and found our best option. I ended up contacting a travel agent who did our actual booking for us. It's nice having something less than 2 miles from our home who I can email at all hours of the day with random questions. She's very helpful.

We are going on Royal Caribbean's 7 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise.

Here's the Ship: "Serenade of the Seas"

Here is our itinerary:

We are actually flying from Atlanta to San Juan to get on the boat. 

We will be visiting the following places:

                                          1. Bridgetown, Barbados

                                          2. Castries, St. Lucia

                                          3. St. John's, Antigua

                                          4. Phillipsburg, St. Maarten

                                          5. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Neither of us are crazy about being on the boat all day so this option is great because there is only 1 sea day. We've never been on a cruise so we don't know what to expect. I'm excited about being somewhere  new each day. When we left St. Lucia (on our Honeymoon) I really thought it'd be the last time I stepped foot on the island. I'm so excited to go back and hopefully get Brent on the pirate ship that was used in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (that was his one regret from the Honeymoon). I hope Brent and I survive each other in our 165 sqft interior stateroom. Maybe he'll be so mesmerized by the big boat that he won't even notice our cramped sleeping quarters (I've yet to tell him how small our room is). We were practical and purchased trip insurance. It's a gamble having an anniversary right smack dab in the middle of hurricane season. For $33 dollars a piece (thank you travel agent) we can sleep easy knowing that our investment is insured. (but I'm praying for calm seas)


Here's to "Embarking" in 61 days... (I log on Royal Caribbean's website every so often for the countdown). If anyone has any cruise advice please leave comments. If Royal Caribbean was a terrible experience for you please keep that to yourself! I'm still in my happy place and excited about my husbands willingness to travel fun places with me.

The work continues...

It's now 5:45pm and the last time I went downstairs the men had 1 more wall to build "boxes" on. They didn't get started until around noon and have been to Lowe's three times in that 6 hour window. The first time to buy materials, the second time to return/ swap for correct materials and the third to get what they didn't buy enough of the second time...MEN! Anyways we started this day off bright and early (7:15am to be exact) at the Goodyear store having both vehicles serviced. We made it to Justin and Jennifer's for a Thomas family breakfast and then Charlie and I passed out until 1:30. I went on a shopping hunt and found exactly what I was looking for. I even found it 30% off! (Thanks to Belk!)

(image from Coach)

I had gift cards left over from the wedding and had wanted a new small cross body bag for traveling, football games, or even when I'm out running errands and my huge purses feel like 100lbs of weight on my shoulder. I was super excited when the Belk Salesperson stuck a sale sign up right when I walked in (as this was the last brown purse they had in this style).

Tonight should be interesting. We need to prime the entire dining room and select a paint color. I have a feeling we will be painting post church tomorrow. If Brent would let me I'd do it tonight. I hate things being out of order but my husband is extremely OCD so I imagine we'll have it back together sooner than I've anticipated. Updates coming tomorrow.... (with Pictures, I promise).

Changes

I've managed to remove all my china and serving pieces from our china cabinet. It only took 10+ trips up the stairs to the guest room. I'll consider that my workout for the day. Brent's been busy working out the math on how to create/ arrange our "wainscott" woodwork around the bottom of the chair rail. In a perfect world the dining room will look like this (different colors of course)....

I'll post pictures from the progress tomorrow. Brent and I had a knock down drag out over the height of this chair rail. At one time he mentioned having it as tall as the light switches... seriously? Let's just hope it comes out the standard 36 inches and ends looking like it came straight from HGTV.

Did you notice the blog changes? I hope you like them. Took me 3+ hours and a few trys in Gimp to create our new "About Us" logo. I really like it... here's to keeping it for a few months.

Blogging Hiatus

Not much has been going on around the Thomas household this week. We were able to celebrate my cousin Ana's wedding last Saturday (which I was in) and Father's Day in Hartselle (Saturday night with dinner at Mikado) and Sunday in Wilsonville with Brent's family. The wedding was nice. One of the bridesmaids standing next to me blacked out/ fainted. It was scary because I did not know what was going on when she kept tapping my side while the bride and groom lit the unity candle. Luckily, Her dad and husband were watching and knew she was going down (she's 4 months pregnant). I'm so glad they ran up to catch her before she and I both went down.

We ended up going to Justin & Jennifer's home for Father's Day. Their new place has a wheelchair ramp which allowed Mr. Thomas to pick his mother up from the nursing home and bring her to the cookout. I think she really enjoyed escaping her usual surroundings.

Brent & His Grandmother

Justin & Jennifer recently got their first dog. You know what that means...Charlie has his first cousin! His name is Mork. Charlie was interested in sniffing Mork and first but then Mork went on the defensive and kept biting at Charlie's long haired ears and tail. It was funny to watch them skip/hop/slide all over the place. I think it's safe to say that they played well together and will be allowed at future family functions together :)

Charlie thinking "What is this...?"

Pouncing on each other

Attempting a "Grand-Dog" Photo for Mrs. Melinda

I'm so glad it's Friday eve. We've got big plans of grilling out veggies and baking pork chops tomorrow for a relaxing night at home. Which will be needed after our trip to Lowe's after work (to purchase supplies to install a chair rail in our dining room on Saturday). I'm excited about the home improvement...not so much about moving all that fancy china out of the way. Here's to hoping Sunday shows us a new glass storm door in the foyer and a primed chair rail in the dining room. Updates coming soon!

100th Post

 I can't believe I've written (and bored you with) 100 of these bad boys! I've been contemplating ideas on how to make the 100th post stand out from the rest. After tossing around ideas, I've decided to enlighten you all with 100 things you may or may not know about me and my other half (and Charlie).

Brent's first name is David
We met at my first post college job
We got busted for dating at the work Christmas party

We love to go to Costco

We go to Wal-Mart once a week even though we hate it

Spaghetti is our most frequent meal

I rarely drive when we go somewhere together

I won 3 State Softball Championships in high school

Brent once had a goatee (pre AJ days)

We drove over 2 hours to buy Charlie

My favorite wedding gift is our framed invitation

I had to BEG my husband for DVR

 Brent dressed up as "Tweedledee"

I have 4 sets of Grandparents

I had really terrible bangs up until 11th grade

We own a blu-ray player but not a single blu-ray

Brent likes "shot em up" movies

I had braces twice

My dad coached my softball teams my entire life

I threw 2 no hitters as an 8 year old

Brent went to the University of Montevallo

I went to the University of Alabama

I worked at Gap (and actually liked it)

I love the smell of "Birds of Paradise" candles

I'd love to have another dog 

Brent refuses to get another dog until we have a bigger house

Our favorite vacation spot is the beach

Brent's OCD when it comes to cleanliness

I spend 50% of my time at home on the couch

Charlie always chomps on his bone at night

Brent has only lived in 2 different houses

we broke down and bought a Tempur-pedic mattress

Neither of us have our college diplomas framed yet

Brent doesn't like to eat fast food

Charlie can do 4 tricks: sit, lay down, shake & high five

Charlie knows the word "Memaw" and does circles if I say her name

I used to be scared of tornadoes- I now find them interesting

I've never ridden a roller-coaster that goes upside down

Neither of us have tattoos

We are both the oldest children in our immediate families

Brent gives better Christmas presents than I do

I introduced Brent to sushi

Brent has really pretty teeth but never shows them when he smiles

 We have night and day taste when it comes to our next home

Brent's Toyota Camry has a bullet hole in the passenger door

Brent's still close to his two childhood best friends

Brent worked at Pottery Barn before I met him

I would eat pizza every weekend but the husband doesn't allow it

I hate going to the gym but like it once I get there

Brent does the majority of our housework

Charlie used to throw up every time he rode in the car

My mom once gave me a helmet head haircut

I like to spend, Brent likes to save

Brent's talks so slow on the phone to other people, it drives me nuts

People (outside of work and family) call me "AJ"

Those same people call Brent "BR"

We were both called by our initials before we knew each other

We got engaged at the Opryland Hotel

Brent says I want too many things

I like letting Charlie sleep in the bed

Brent gives Charlie all his baths

We both have a grandmother named Betty

Brent had a wreck before I knew him and smashed up the camry

I rear-ended a car at Skyland Wal-Mart and cried

I used to cry when I played softball...all-the-time

Neither of us can sing 

Brent has a guitar that he never learned to play

We recycle water bottles

We own a Dyson vacuum but Brent continues to use the old hoover

Brent only drinks Pinot Noir 

I only drink Riesling

Brent only listens to country & classic rock

We've been to a LA Lakers game (and left bored)

I'm scared to jump off high things at the lake

Charlie does the butt scoot a lot

Charlie sleeps all day and is awake all night

I was terrified of public speaking in college

I was terrible at slow pitch softball in college

The flag football team I was on was champs 2 years in a row

I rarely drive when we go somewhere together

we broke down and bought a Tempur-pedic mattress (5 Stars!!)

Brent talks on the phone all day long at work 

I'm highly annoying at times

My original middle name was Nicole. I always hated it

I wanted to name my sister Henrietta-- after a horse.

I slept with my Monk until I went to college... 

Brent hogs all the drawer space in our bedroom

I hate the thought of wearing shoes in the house

I ruptured a disc at the driving range with Brent

Brent's really shy around people he doesn't know

We LOVE tailgating but are tired of hauling all our crap to Tuscaloosa

Brent prefers Alabama road games to home games

I want to have a kid within the next 2 years

I love having yard sales

Brent's better at sharing things than I am

I knew I'd marry Brent the day he bought me Charlie

We put up 3 Christmas trees in the townhouse (overkill, I know)

Brent gets really ill if we don't have a list at Wal-Mart

Charlie lost his man-hood a long time ago

Brent doesn't like for me to take his picture

We drive each other crazy and nag all the time but I wouldn't have it any other way

Cross Eyed

I'm going crazy! I got the bright idea that changing the font and sprucing up the blog sounded like something fun to do tonight. WRONG! I'm half crazy and can't see straight. I was able to change the fonts (after several attempts). I couldn't bring myself to part with the old quilt background. For some reason it feels like home so who knows how long I will leave it. If you were ever my friend on myspace (back in the day) then you know I swapped backgrounds every week. I couldn't ever settle on one. I guess that's a sign that I'm a settled down old woman! 25 going on 50.

Earlier this week I mentioned my husbands jealousy of the blog. IT is in full swing tonight. He didn't understand how finishing a blog design was more important than making rice for dinner. MEN!

Works been good this week. Busy, but good. I like it that way so my days go by faster. We've got big plans for the weekend. My cousin is getting married and I'm in the wedding. My dress for the wedding reminds me of what "Baby" wore in Dirty Dancing when she snuck out and changed in the car to dance at that other club like place. It's a watermelon red chiffon-ish material. Maybe Brent will get crazy at the reception (in a Baptist church) and lift me up into the air... oh how I used to walk around as a 4 year old doing the dance she does when she's prancing down those wooden stairs outside.

With that image in your head I'm out. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to put a signature on this thing so I can sign each and every post with love. Until then- adios.

my world

I never said they were "normal" just special to me :)

Catch a Break

The old saying is true... "When it rains, it pours". Couldn't be more dead on for Kenshin Kawakami. Literally as I started typing that he gave up a 2 run homer in the 1st inning. Pour guy, he can't speak English and he can't pitch worth a flip this season. Granted, the Braves seem to be asleep at the plate during most of his starts. I just wish the guy would catch a break. My heart hurts for him even though I spend the innings he's pitching yelling mean things at our flat screen. (Come on though- he's making way too much $$$ to be so bad!). I keep thinking he will break down in tears one day. Isn't that what your supposed to do when life keeps kicking you when your down?

 I know that was a bit of a random introduction but I'm praying that someone very special in my life catches a break. It's been one of those years where things just keep piling on her and none of it has been her fault.  She is the sweetest person you'll ever meet and sometimes that comes back to bite her in the butt. She could be mad at the world after spending the better half of her adolescence with a boy that didn't end up being the one. But she's not. She's a true "glass half full" kind of person- Something I've never been able to be. The calendar may say I'm older but over the last few months I've come to realize I look up to her more than she could have possibly ever looked up to me. Kawakami may not make it but I've got a feeling my little sister will. 


With that I'm off to watch a 5 to 1 (yes, we are losing) Braves game and listen to my husband complain about me not doing my "chores". He'll never admit it but he's highly jealous of the blog. Maybe one day you'll all get a post from Mr. BR himself. 

Leah's Shower

Last Saturday Candice and I got together and threw our friend Leah Wood a Bridal Shower. Who'd a thought the two of us would make the entire menu and punch? Things sure have changed in a few short years. Back in the day we probably wouldn't have even been able to find the required ingredients in the grocery store.

The Spread

We had brownies, chess cake squares, pinwheels, a cheese ball, crackers, fruit and strawberry punch.

Some of the Girls

Add Jenna....

After the shower several of us stayed for our 1st annual post-college "Girl's Night" spend the night party. We went to see Sex & the City 2. We got the movie times mixed up and ended up spending a few hours at a new place in downtown Tuscaloosa called Moe's BBQ. We had so much fun that we've decided to plan a Girls Night once every 3 months. It's a must. I can't wait until the next one!

Good Thursday

Brent and I had dinner at Cocina Superior spontaneously tonight. That in itself is something worth blogging about. We had an errand to run (picking up my Dad's birthday gift) and he suggested we just eat out rather than rushing home to make dinner. It was a wonderful (unplanned) date night. We literally sat there and stared/ laughed about this huge group of girls that 3 old creeps kept buying drinks for. It was hilarious. The girls were eating it up and as soon as their buzzer beeped they hit the road and left the 3 amigos all alone. Brent's conclusion was that it was a sorority reunion- random, I know. We really do people watch too much.  Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. It's been the longest week in history (or so it seems). Bring on another jam packed weekend.

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Random

It's Tuesday- I'm tired and just having a bum around night. I finally watched the Season Finale for Grey's. Whoa... too much tension for me. I swear I'll see crazy shooter man in my dreams if I'm not careful.

Random #1
Check out Amelia Strauss Photography to see 2 images from my in-law's wedding. (Love you guys! have fun in Louisville.)

Random #2
This place just opened up in our city. We are heading there this Friday with the other in-law's (want to make a bet on putt-putt?)

Random #3
My best friend's little brother-in-law got drafted today. How awesome is that? And MLB network is going nuts over Strasburg.. Really? This is NOT the world series. Go Braves (and Go Rockies for you JB)

Random #4
My sister is planning on going to Auburn this fall. Anyone have any suggestions on student jobs there? I personally would have NEVER been able to stomach all that orange and blue but to each his own and no worries, she'll still be a "Bammer". (Love you Em)

Random #5
I'm crossing my fingers that hubs decides to book a cruise for our 1 year anniversary. I've got my eye on one that leaves from San Juan and hits up 5 different southern caribbean islands. I guess I better morph into super wife mode if I expect to swing that in late August. I'll be happy with whatever we do...but one can dream, right?

It's time to drain my spaghetti noodles and get ready for the Braves on tv. I've also got to baby my little man Charlie. He lost 5lbs of fur today and seems to be a bit embarrassed of his new physique. Got to love telling the groomer to "go easy" on him and walking back in to a skeleton haircut. Brent's forbid any dog photos for at least 2 weeks. Let's hope I never get a terrible haircut or he'll put me on house arrest! haha Happy Tuesday.

80th Birthday

We helped throw a surprise party for Brent's Pawpaw's 80th Birthday last Saturday. He was actually surprised! I've heard that Brent's MeMaw usually spills the beans but she did good this time and kept it a secret. It was nice to see how many people turned out to help celebrate and visit with the Birthday boy.

Brent's Grandparent's arriving at the party

Brent's mom LOVES to decorate for parties. I thought her centerpiece (if that's what you call it) was so cute.

The Birthday Boy

Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins

blowing out his candles

Us at the party

What the...

My sister stopped by on her way home from Auburn and we decided to go grab Zaxby's for dinner. We got in my car and as I looked into my rearview window to make sure it was safe to back out into the street this is what I saw...

Minus all the blue tape. My window was shattered. We have no idea how it happened. My car stays in our driveway so the only options are (a) Heat or (b) Vandalized. I don't really believe either. I mean why would it crack/shatter/fall out on the ground in heat? It's a 2006 4Runner. It's seen 4 summers including the start of this one. But who really comes on someone's driveway in a townhouse subdivision and says "Hey let's bust that window..." . Regardless it's complete crap and I'm upset about it. Luckily my sweet husband went out and taped it up. He's also volunteered to drive it to work tomorrow and contact a glass company about coming out to fix it. Hopefully they have access to this specific window and can work their magic. It burns me up when stuff like this happens to the most expensive thing I pay for each month. If you know of any window fixer suggestions please comment below. I can use all the help I can get!

Memorial Day

We were busy. By the time we finished all the wedding activities all we wanted to do was make it to the lake. That's where I'll start...

We went to Lake Guntersville to visit my family. We were all excited to go out on my dad's boat. It's the first time this year that we've been up and there's been enough of us on deck to take it out for a spin/   float and soak up some rays.

Here's my family is when Brent and I arrived...

You'll notice my dad and Lori have their small furry friend "Ace" with them. Ace hates being boarded so they thought why not bring him along. He did great. He sat up in the boat and watched everyone. He kept an eye out for whoever's lap he could lay in. He's a sweet but very smelly little pup.

Everything was rosy until I started smelling smoke. I kept telling my dad and sure enough we hadn't made it out of the channel before the blowers started streaming out smoke. Something overheated. I don't know anything about boats so I won't speculate. All I know is that a pontoon boat had to pull us out of some shallow icky seaweed water back into the channel because our anchor never took hold. The marina man then came and towed us back to the harbor. What fun... It's the first time in the 4 summers since my dad bought his boat that he's had any issues with it. It made me sad because I know how much he loves taking it out on the water. Hopefully the problem is minor and the marina will have it back up and running in no time.

Yes, Ace has different colored eyes. He was born that way. We think he can see just fine, people just like to say "that's strange..." when they look at him. He's a sweet boy though. My dad calls him "Thing 3" now since he got his summer shave down. 

This is the view from my dad's boat slip. I shot this on manuel mode. Go Me! I've gotten pretty rusty on my light metering knowledge that I learned in photography class last winter. Hopefully the new camera strap will inspire me to get out there and start shooting.

So needless to say we made it back to the marina before the monsoon rolled in. We sat my dads tv out on deck and all watched the Braves beat up on the Phillies. It was nice to just relax and be with my family for a little bit before heading back to pick up Charlie from his Memaw's and make the long drive home.

You know we couldn't just stay home on Monday so we decided to head to Atlanta to watch the Braves beat the Phillies in person. We got great tickets Sunday night for $20 bucks a piece and made it over without any issues... well unless you count Brent getting really made at the ATL's finest for blocking off the Green lot (where our parking pass just happened to be).

I was really impressed with the way the Braves organization embraced Memorial Day. They had tons of past and present service men and woman on hand and honored them in different types of special ways. It was especially moving when they honored a "Hometown Hero" who was wounded in Afghanistan and spent two years rehabbing just to go back and defend out country a little longer. It really makes you stop and think about the sacrifices strangers make for each and every one of us each day.

Here we are celebrating the win right before we browsed and suprisingly didn't buy anything in the clubhouse store

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day