Valentines

Let me just say that I love Valentines Day. Maybe it's because my mom has always made me feel special by surprising me with candy and little gifts each year, or maybe it's because I've had a pretty spectacular guy to call my Valentine for the past 5 years, or MAYBE it's just the fact that we can draw out the holiday season (including my birthday, my brother's, Maria's, and Nick & Sean's!) a little longer.

This year has been my best Valentine's day yet, because I got to celebrate it with my husband, instead of just my boyfriend or fiance. Nick took me to Greenville to spend some time and enjoy the beautiful weather on Saturday. We listened to part of Perry Noble's recent marriage series on the way into Greenville, and reflected on how God's been working in our marriage these past 8 months. Then we listened to the last few heartbreaking minutes of the Clemson/UNC basketball game. Nick decided to take me to the zoo--the only zoo we'd been to together was in London, so it was exciting to see Nick experience the Greenville Zoo for the first time and to reminisce of the times I'd been there on fieldtrips in elementary school. Then we went to one of our favorite restaurants, PF Changs, for dinner. Nick gave me a pedicure/eyebrow waxing/glass of wine package at a spa, which I can't wait to use! :)

On Sunday after church we headed over to the Botanical Gardens to walk around, which evidently was everybody else's Sunday afternoon gameplan, because it was pretty crowded! It was nice to get out this weekend, enjoy a break from school and work, and just hang out with each other. Sunday afternoon was spent baking for the bake sale we had at work today. I am the March of Dimes rep and this was one of our first fundraisers. I made brownies with heart sprinkles, Valentines funfetti cupcakes with pink icing, heart shaped funfetti cookies, Crinkles, and peanut butter balls.

Since I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning Nick surprised me by showing up with a Valentine's smoothie (which is one of my favorite foods). I seriously couldn't ask for a better hubby!

I didn't take too many pics this weekend, but I'll try to upload some of what I took sometime soon! :)

Time to Ketchup

It's been awhile since I've blogged! Like many of our favorite TV shows, I took a break for the holiday season. This was more due to the fact that the week after my last post I started a 40-hr a week job and my free time has been drastically cut back. But I thought it might be time to pick back up on recording the events and experiences of my life as a 23-year-old not-so-much-anymore-housewife for future posterity. I mean, even Glee is coming back tonight after a few-month long hiatus, so I know it can be done!

Here's what we have been up to the past few months:

November

Celebrated my birthday with a zebra cake

Learned the ins and outs of canning

Made apple butter

LOTS of apple butter

Learned that our couch eats remotes

Learned how to rescue remotes from the dark pit of the couch

Celebrated at Ashton and Taylor's wedding

(Probably one of the prettiest weddings ever!)

December:

Nick re-learned how to tie a tie

And I was proud

Celebrated Maria's graduation

Decorated for Christmas!!

Celebrated Christmas on the 22nd by opening our ornaments to each other

Celebrated Christmas on the 23rd by opening our stockings to each other

Celebrated Christmas at the Crandalls in Bluffton

January

Played in the snow!!

Some of us tripped in the snow

Celebrated Nick's first day of his second semester in grad school

Had a wedding shower for Dallas and Elizabeth

Ate chicken fried rice for Nick's birthday

Celebrated Nick's birthday with a zebra cake!!

I worked on my lack of cake-decorating skills

Saw Clemson make a huge comeback for a win against NC State

Celebrated the 8th year of Emilie's life...

And the 12th year of Kate's life!!

So now you're all caught up! Nick and I had an amazing end to 2010 and beginning to 2011!