"Baby It's Cold Outside"

This is what I would look like if I was a dog-miserable and hating the stupid ice and yellow coat-haha! In all seriousness, I am not afraid to admit the fact that I despise cold weather! I love the changing of the seasons, the leaves changing colors, the pretty flowers popping up in the spring, etc. but I cannot handle being cold. I always think of what the most miserable thing would be-being stuck in the middle of nowhere and literally feel like you are freezing to death. It hit me hard this week when I headed to my car each morning. Four words for you bloggers "I have been spoiled!" I am so used to having a nice, warm garage to park my car inside. I have never had to worry about my car being hot or cold. It was always a great room temperature. Whew! I learned the hard way this week when the temperatures were in the low 30's on my way to work. I literally saw my breath in my car-that has never happened to me! I always thought that only happened in the movies. My poor husband is really in for it. Let's just say it's a good thing we leveled our heating/cooling bill so I won't kill us with the heat being on all the time!

I have really tried hard to start focusing on the good things that can come out of undesirable situations. Let's use my hatred of being cold:

1) I can wear cute accessories-scarves, jackets, gloves, etc.

2)We can use our fireplace!

3)I will have a good excuse to drink hot chocolate all the time

4)It means Hunter will have to get used to more snuggling because the man is always warm whereas my hands and feet are always ice cold

5)Getting a trip to Highlands, NC where being cold means beautiful

6)Eating great warm food-soups and chilli

6)and finally-being cold outside means Christmas!

"Whoop Whoop!"

Are you kidding me? At this point I was ticked beyond belief!

So I have a doctor's appointment yesterday morning at 10:30. Knowing it would be a short drive, or should I say thinking, I left giving myself 15 minutes to make it on time. There is nothing I hate more than arriving tardy to anything-especially a first appointment with a doctor you have been waiting a whole month to see. I left work and followed Yahoo Maps-we will call this mistake #1. I let my better judgement fail me, and I used this map and directions to take me everywhere but my destination. I was literally driving in circles, looking at street signs, frantically changing the radio (which probably wasn't helping), and I finally gave up. I called the office and of course I got the "We are unable to answer the phone right now due to assisting other patients, blah blah blah..." I then made mistake #2-I continued to drive in the direction I felt was right-wrong again! The sweet lady from the office finally called me back to talk to me. She gave me what sounded like simple directions. I thought I could easily do it myself without having to stay on the phone with her-mistake#3. I hung up the phone and drove down the wrong road. I decided to do another loop around Birmingham and I made the biggest mistake of all-#4 which in my mind was not a mistake. I drove up 11th Court South, and I could see construction workers guiding traffic. As they were directing me around the mess, a Birmingham police officer turned on his lights and did that sound you always fear-the "Whoop Whoop!" sound. To embarrass me even more he decided to use his loud speaker to say, "Back your Honda down the hill. You cannot drive pass the construction!" I was HORRIFIED!!! I rolled my window down and yelled back, "Sir, I hate to be a pain, but I cannot back down the hill. You see I never really grasped the...." He then interrupted me with yelling, "Like I said, BACK DOWN THE HILL RIGHT NOW!" At this point I knew he didn't care why I couldn't back down. I thought well there is no need to prove this based on being pissed, I would prove it based on my original repsonse to him-I simply CANNOT back out of driveways, parking spaces, and most of all backwards down a curvy road that sits on a steep hill. I thought I was going to lose it. My car was fish tailing as if I were intoxicated at the wheel. I never perform well under pressure while backing up, but having a police officer flashing his lights and screaming at me, sure as heck didn't help at this point. Once I get to the bottom of the hill, he yells, "Howdy Ma'm! I ain't never seen someone back out so awful!" Now the jerk is mocking me and making fun of me. I look him right in the eyes and say, "Sir I need to get to a doctor's appointment that I was supposed to be at 20 minutes ago. Thanks to you I am going to be 30 minutes late." It was probably not the best thing to say, but I was pissed! He laughed and said, "Well then, what's stopping you?" Enough said-my facial expression said it all. If looks could kill, he'd be what I'd like to call-road kill.

I couldn't help but feel disappointed and humiliated. Disappointed you ask? I've never been given a speeding ticket, never been given a warning, and NEVER been pulled over. I know this sounds weird, but I always thought the first time I would get pulled over I would deserve it-like speeding, not coming to a complete stop, etc. not for driving up a hill with construction. The only good thing that came out of it was technically I still haven't been pulled over... "Yanked down the bottom of the hill is more like it!"

Date Night

Date Night-sounds so teeny bopper like, but I love the term. My sweet husband wanted to have a quality night together without family or friends (even though we love you all very much), but mostly without distraction. We have been so busy with work, and duties after work that we have not made enough time for each other. Hunter stressed the importance of our alone time, and I am honoring him tonight! We are going to see "Fireproof" which I hear is great-especially for newlyweds, and then we are going to dinner. At first I thought he was being silly-why should we feel like we never see each other? We go to sleep next to each other every night and wake up right next to each other, but Hunter is right. Just because you are married it doesn't mean you truly spend quality time together on a daily basis. We have been married for almost 3 months now, and we are in a routine. Come home, cook, watch tv, and go to bed. I'm excited for Hunter and I to have some quiet alone time tonight! This time won't last long because we are having friends over to watch the football game tomorrow night-ROLL TIDE ROLLLLL!!!!!!

"Do all dogs go to Heaven?"

For all the pet lovers out there in the blog world, this might be of interest to you. Some of you probably ask this question a lot. I know I do. I think about seeing my family pets, seeing my friend's pets, and other pets who have been an important part in my life. There are some pets I'm sure I would not like to see in Heaven-is that bad?! I will never forget this mean old dog at the end of my street growing up. He would pull me to the ground with my pony tail or bun (yeh that's right, a hair bun), and drag me around the yard while he tore clumps of hair off of my head. It sounds awful, and to be honest it was. This didn't keep me from loving animals-I still kept loving dogs and animals of most kinds, but I will never forget Linzee (that was her name).

On the way home from Montgomery on Sunday night, I asked Hunter if he thought we would see Susie again one day. Instead of looking at me like I was crazy he simply tilted his head to the side, like Susie when she is thinking hard, and said, "Of course babe. All dogs go to Heaven!" I couldn't help but laugh. He said didn't you ever see that movie? I of course did see the movie, but that didn't answer my question. I want to know if I will see Angel, my childhood cockapoo, Lilly, our mut from the pound, and our dogs we still have now in Heaven. People always say that Heaven is the best place on Earth, and everything in Heaven is more glorious than anything on Earth could possibly be. After reading "90 Minutes In Heaven" I was slightly upset. He never mentioned seeing an animal or pet for that matter. Did he simply not see one because he was overcome with family members or did he realize that pets were not there and he did not want to hurt the people left on Earth with the sad information. Hunter assured me that he believes 100% that we will always see our pets. He said it like a kid which made it even more cute-"God created us just like he created animals. He knows that animals are family and family goes to Heaven." As much as I wanted to agree with him, I still worry. Does anyone else feel this way? Am I crazy?

I actually came across this website that explained this to me in Biblical terms. The following scriptures are to encourage you to believe that there are in fact pets in Heaven...

"At some future time, Christ will bring about a time of peace where all animals and man will be in harmony." (Isaiah 11:1-9)

"God’s covenant with Noah included both people and animals." (Genesis 9:9-11)

Swanky Savannah

Savannah was our birthday destination. It was more than I expected! I stepped out of the car, put one foot on the pavement, and I fell in love.  It was beautiful.  The colors of the trees, the moss in the trees, the sound of horse feet clicking on the brick roads, and the sound of a cool breeze coming from the river and Tybee Island.  It was a great trip that I will always remember.  Savannah will always hold a special place in my heart.  It was our first "married" trip, and it was even better because we got to spend it with my sweet in-laws.  Dedee and Stuart are so much fun to be with.  Every time I go somewhere with them, it's an adventure-always fun! The highlight of our trip was the food. We ate at Mrs. Wilkes-by far the best food I have ever put in my mouth.  We waited in line for over an hour, but everyone reassured us it was well worth the wait.  You sit at a large table with other families and friends, and you pass the food to your right.  It felt like Thanksgiving with new friends.  I am never one to meet a stranger, so needless to say I kept the conversation going.  Here  is a small picture-it doesn't even cover 1/4 of the table. Yummmmmm

We spent the whole weekend shopping, taking carriage tours, scary ghost tours, and general sight seeing.  I had my camera in my hand at all times because I was snapping pictures every time I turned around.  Hunter was very patient and only complained once about the amount of pictures I was taking.  No one gets in the way of my photos! Here are some pictures from the weekend, but I will call them memories...Enjoy!

Secret Trip and 6 Zany things

Tomorrow, October 17, is Hunter's 25th birthday. I have planned a surprise birthday trip for him now for over 2 months. Hunter's parents are also going with us on our surprise destination. Hunter is the only one who does not know where we are headed. This is HUGE for me because for those of you reading who know me very well, know I can NOT keep what I call "happy secrets!" Gavin, my brother-in-law, realized early on that I was not one to tell good secrets to because I get too excited. One Christmas he told me he was getting my sister a diamond and pearl ring. He made me promise not to slip his news to anyone-especially Janelle. I was so excited that I could hardly stand it. Janelle knew this, and all she did was ask one time and it was over. From that point on my family usually keeps these "happy secrets" hidden from me because they know I may spoil them. It's kind of sad, but I have learned to accept it! But this time--I have done a great job hiding it! The only clues or details I have given Hunter for this weekend are...

1) We are going out of town

2) Pack walking shoes

3) You will be able to watch the Alabama game (in Bryant Denny or on television)

4) We are leaving very early (5 am) in the morning on Friday, October 17

5) He needs one nice outfit to wear

6) He will not need a sweatshirt or fall clothes to keep himself warm

So needless to say he is confused, but I'm keeping it that way! Tonight I will unveil the big trip at his family birthday dinner in Montgomery. I'll update my blog on Monday for everyone to see how our trip goes! I'm interested to see what everyone thinks it is....if you read this today, please guess where you think we are going. For those of you who already know....don't say a word!!!!!!!!!!

Hunter's 24th birthday!

Now for the 6 Zany things about me

1) I apply lipstick and lip gloss almost every hour unless I am sleeping of course

2) I sometimes like to listen to sad music so I will cry and release tension or anxiety

3) I love driving someone else's car and pretending it's mine-weird I know!!!! It's especially fun when it's a fast, cool car!

4) It is hard for me to wear tennis shoes because I have to have my shoes laces perfect with each bunny ear on his own side-a little OCD I know!

5) I always pick at Hunter's eyes because he always seems to have an eyelash in the corner or tear stains (is that what they are called?) It drives him crazy!

6) I will open a full soft drink or a water bottle with the full intention just to take a couple sips and then let it sit for a while. This also drives my husband crazy!

What are you zany about?

Happy Birthday Dad & Happy Birthday Natalie???!!

This past weekend Hunter and I celebrated one official birthday-my dad's and one unofficial birthday-Natalies' birthday! It was such a great weekend. I got to leave work a little early on Friday which always makes such a big difference in the kick-off to a great weekend. Friday night we celebrated my dad's birthday. As tradition would have it, we had great food, dad used the "I'm Special Today" plate, and we video taped the singing. This really was an exceptional birthday. I haven't asked my dad how he felt about this particular birthday, but to me this one was different. Having two grandkids, a new son-in-law, and a healthy family you simply cannot complain. Life is good. Me being the papparazzi that I am took a lot of pictures. My dad's big birthday surprise was a portrait of his baby-Gigi, our family pet. He adores the ground she walks on-literally! When he opened the package I saw tears swell in his eyes, and there were few tears in the room. It may seem weird to non dog lovers, but pets are family to us Boehms haha! Here are a couple pictures from his birthday celebration...

Our second half to a great weekend was Saturday. I got to spend the day with Janelle and Hunter's cousin Laura. We went to lunch at O'Carrs-yummy! I love their fruit plates. I then came home, and I took a nice, afternoon nap. Saturday night we met Kyle and Natalie for dinner at Iguana Grill and had drinks at Wined Down in Patton Creek afterwards. For those of you who have not eaten at Iguana Grill, you have to! It's authentic mexican food. It's located in a Spanish shopping market off of Lorna Road. While we were eating out of NOWHERE, four waiters and band members starting yelling and singing "Happy Birthday" to Natalie. They even put a sombrero on her head. Needless to say we all looked confused and tried our best to explain that it was not her birthday. They got the wrong girl! I literally laughed so hard I thought I was going to be sick. Here are some cute pics from dinner...

15 Things

My friend at work had a fun and insightful post that she got from a friend which I in return got from her...you get the picture. You list 15 things you are not afraid to admit. I'm sure that you will find the following humbling, embarrassing, and humorous. Without further ado, here are my 15 things:

1) I am not an organized person. My concrete possessions in life are scattered from my car, to our house, to work, to my parent's house, etc. It has always been seen as a flaw, and maybe it still is. I however have learned to embrace this quality! It could be worse....couldn't it?

2) I do not like to share food. I guess this makes me selfish, and I hate this. I try really hard to offer my food and favorite candy to friends and family, but deep down inside I'm hoping they decline! Isn't that awful?

3) I have an unhealthy fear of death. I do not want to elaborate.

4) I have a ritual I do before bed every night- take my make-up off, use the restroom, wash my hands, brush my teeth, lotion my hands and elbows, drink some water, and finally apply chapstick. I have done this ever since I was old enough to remember.

5) I feel that I am blessed with the quality of impersonating people-weird huh?! I don't know how it started, but my family and friends have started asking me to impersonate people. I don't know how this will help me, but it is fun!

6) I will not drive alone on any interstate or highway for more than 30 minutes. I hate driving long distances by myself. This is where I feel the most vulnerable.

7) I seek my sister's advice for just about everything. I always want her approval whether it be my clothes, my job, or a pillow :-) I don't believe this is a bad thing, but I do need to learn to be myself.

8) I would rather be with my niece and nephew than anywhere else in the entire world- football game (AL National Championship) -sorry Hunter-, vacation, or any other place for that matter.

9) I am sad everyday that I cannot see my grandparents. For those of you that don't know, they live in California. I miss them more than words can describe. The holidays are hard for me because I yearn to be with them.

10) My dream is to write fiction books, write for a magazine, and publish a children's book.

11) I am okay with the fact that I do not have a ton of girlfriends. The ones I have are precious and dear to my heart. I no longer try to make friends with people just to have them. I cherish the ones I know I will have throughout my time on Earth and throughout Heaven.

12) I do not pray often. This is something that I struggle with a good deal.

13) I love pregnancy-everything about it. I love to talk to pregnant women, read about pregnancy and research the new "hot baby items." Most of all, I cannot wait to be pregnant. I yearn to see my belly grow, and I yearn to hear my child's heartbeat.

14) I have a problem with shopping. Sometimes I think I should be a personal shopper. I love to walk up and down every aisle and imagine myself in a certain outfit. I also love to walk through At Home or Pottery Barn and make a wish list of the way I would like our house to look like someday.

15) I have loved my husband for over 5 years, and it took me all those years to give him a chance. Through our friendship I constantly turned him down for dates, screened his phone calls, and was scared to be close to him. I finally let go and listened to God, and gave us a chance. It was the biggest step I have ever made, and the happiest step I have ever made. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without Hunter.

I hope you laughed, was surprised by my comments, but I hope I didn't make anyone sad by writing any of this. This is me. How about you?

and finally...pictures of our little "love shack"

For those of you on facebook, you have probably already seen the pictures of Hunter and I's new home. We purchased our house, residing in Bluff Park, in May of this year. I clearly stated that although I would not be living there until August-it will not be decorated like a bachelor pad! I have to say I was impressed with Hunter's reaction. He was completely up for it! We are slowly, but surely decorating and fixing room by room. I love having an old house with cute bones! So without further ado, here is our nest...

I miss Susie's puppy stage!

Susie especially loves our big back yard and front yard!

"The Prayer"

Since last Friday, I have had something heavy on my heart. It has been there for a long time, but it hit me hard on this particular day. I would rather not go into too much detail, but I heard a story of a young man passing away. I was instantly bothered and deepenly saddened for this man. I thought, "How could God do this? Why did he die so young?" I found myself feeling sorry for this man. I wish I could have gone to Heaven and asked God to send him back, along with all of the other loved ones I miss. But here's the thing, I can't do this. I can pray all day long for death to be fake, but it is real. I decided I wanted to take a positive step in my faith and learn about Heaven. I realized I had a much bigger problem than I realized. My inspiration and one of my best friends in the entire world, Maryhelen, gave me the best advice possible. She told me to turn to God and strengthen my faith. For she feels Heaven to be the best place where we will be lucky to live someday. She said the only thing that would make her sad if she died, was leaving her two boys and her husband. Wow! I was shocked. I kept thinking, "How could she feel this way? Why would she ever want to leave this place? It's great!" Well, after a long and emotionally tiring day, I found a road to where I believe I will find my answer. Maryhelen presented me with a book to read-"90 Minutes In Heaven." At first I thought there was no way I would read that because it might prove that death is real, and there is no escaping it.

After dinner with my family on Friday night, I couldn't drive fast enough to get to Barnes & Noble so I could start my journey with God. I purchased the book, and I immediatly became engrossed in the words. This story is almost unbelievable to simply hear, but when I read the words on the page, I felt chills come over my body, and I truly sensed God protecting me. I read closely to the details of Heaven as the man described it. I was amazed by his words. He said he was greeted by his loved ones (his grandfather who happened to be his best friend), he heard beautiful music all in unison, and the most amazing part of all is when he said everyone was blemish/scar free. When I read that his grandfather was the first person to greet him at the Pearly Gates, a smile covered my face. For those of you who do not know, my husband lost his grandfather a couple years ago to cancer. Hunter and his grandfather were two of a kind, best friends, and most of all Hunter loved him like his own father. Even to this day, it is hard for Hunter to talk about his Pappa. I felt God pulling at me saying, "You have got to go tell Hunter this! He will be so excited to know that Pappa will be there waiting for him." I immediatly told Hunter what I read, and told him not to worry-he will be waiting with open arms in the front of the gate. It also made my heart smile knowing I would be able to meet him. From the first meeting of Hunter's parents and falling in love with his family, they all said to me they wished Pappa could have met me. I yearn to know this man. This man is loved by so many people, and everyone speaks so highly of him. After reading this, I knew not only would he be waiting on Hunter, he would also be waiting on me, along with the rest of my family and friends.

Another thing that amazed me was everyone in heaven were described as beautiful as the day they were born. He said all of the worries and anxieties he had on Earth were instantly vanished from him. He could no longer feel pain; he felt warmth and love. I became emotional. A part of me felt guilty for feeling that Heaven was a place to fear, but I soon realized that I didn't fear it, I was simply unsure of how great things would be. I am still in the beginning of the book, but I know with each chapter and with each prayer to God I will be free of my biggest fear-death. I know that I may never be as emotionally and spiritually strong as Maryhelen, but I hope that God and I create a deeper relationship where I can look forward to the days spent with him in eternity. I ask my family and friends to pray for me so I can find my inner peace. I love everyone who is reading this.

The following link is to my favorite song that gives me the inspiration and hope I need everyday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLeGdEX5E_Y

It was 88 days before Christmas, and all through the house...

Ok I know this is early, but I cannot contain myself! People always say that Christmas is their favorite holiday, but for me Christmas is so much more. I get so excited about it that I obsess over decorations, wrapping paper, buying presents, angel trees, ornaments, you name it! Last year I drove Hunter nuts because I started my tradition of playing Christmas music in the car on October 1st. Needless to say he was not prepared for it. I am excited to say that I am only 4 days away until my Christmas music hits my cd player. Every year I download a new mix of Christmas classics, mixed with some remakes from Michael Buble, George Strait, etc. This year will be no exception. This weekend I plan on making my 2008 Christmas playlist.

Apart from the festivities, the thing I am most excited about is spending my first Christmas with Hunter. When we were engaged, we went to California to visit my family. While we were there we went to Disneyland and bought an "Our First Christmas" ornament with Mickie and Minnie being a bride and groom. I have placed this ornament in our special spot for Christmas decorations. I also am going to carry on a tradition passed down from my parents. I will buy one Christmas ornament a year. Not just any ornament, but a special Christmas ornament that has a sentimental meaning for Hunter and I. Down the road I will also buy our children an ornament so that when they get married or move out on their own, they will have enough ornaments to decorate their own tree.

Here are some things I have already purchase or are on my wish list for decorations, ornaments, etc.

Hunter and I have our stockings! I ordered these stockings from Pottery Barn with some leftover credit from our wedding. Hunter's is green with his name monogrammed, and mine is red with my name on it. Susie's will be next!

Dedee has graciously given us wreaths to decorate with. I want to buy a stand for it at Old Time Pottery for only $10!

I love this wrapping paper! I found something similar at the Dollar Tree for of course...$1 a roll! You can't beat that!

This is similar to our ornament!

The Windy City, take me there...

Today my dad boarded a plane for Chicago! I have been begging my dad for several years (I have lost count) to take me to Chicago. When Janelle, Brent, and I were in high school my dad granted us each, a father-son/daughter trip. We could pick wherever we wanted to go. Janelle chose the Big Apple, of course! My brother Brent chose Indiana to see a Notre Dame football game. Where did I end up going?! No where...YET! My dad has promised me he will stick with his promise and take me on the father/daughter, now daughter with her husband trip. I am so anxious to visit there I can hardly stand it! My Doctor/2nd father/friend and his wife are big Chicago travelers. Kathy is originally from Chicago and has family there. She always comes back with the coolest clothes, stories, etc. I decided that I need to make a wish list for the things I want to do in Chicago once we get there. It goes as follows...

1) Millennium Park-I would especially love to see the Carolers during Christmas!

2) The Magnificent Mile-shopping, architecture, and historic hotels.

3) Wrigley Field-Although I am not a huge baseball fan, I would love to go to a Cub's game and come back with a cute t-shirt!

4) Chicago deep dish pizza-Need I say more?!

5) Stay at a funky hotel and spy on celebrities!

Picture Please

Hunter and I have been talking about our future as far as our dreams, goals, where we see our self, etc. His answer is almost always the same. For me, it wavers from writing to snapping photographs. While these are the two things I hope to accomplish someday, the photography is staring me in the face. Everywhere I go I see a great subject to photograph, whether it be an animal, a flower, or a complete stranger. I have a nice camera that my parents gave me for Christmas two years ago. It is nicknamed "my baby!" She goes everywhere with me. Some people say when they don't wear a watch they feel naked. When I don't have my camera with me, I feel naked and unarmed! Hunter's Aunt, Tootie, purchased a wonderful new camera earlier in the year. I took one look at her camera, and it was love at first sight! I have gone to Wolf Camera, researched it online, dreamt about it, everything you could think of. I hope to one day be a free lance photographer. I would love to shoot engagements, family reunions, small weddings, dog portraits, and baby portraits. I know this sounds like a big dream, but I really think I can do it if I put my mind to it. The following is a few photos I like that I have seen online, in magazines, on a photographer's website, and ones I have taken myself...

A gorgeous photograph for a gorgeous dress.

I love the way his smile is captured
http://www.abryanphoto.com/

This captures the beautiful scenery of the cathedral as well as the couple. Neither object takes precedence over the other.

I like the focus on the bride's bouquet.

Finally, my favorite photo I have ever taken...I think her photographer was a little annoyed with me because I kept capturing photos behind him!