My 29th Birthday.

So, I'm 29 now.

That means next year, I'll be thirty.

Like, I can't even say it out loud yet.

Isn't that sad?

I've had a terrific birthday.

The celebrating started Saturday at Matt's mom's house.

My sister-in-law, her husband & my niece's came to town because my mom-in-law & I have the same birthday.

How crazy is that?

Anyway, my niece's made us a "cupcake" cake.

Everyone's singing "Happy Birthday" to us

After lunch & our cake, we went outside & hung the Spongebob pinata that Wendy & Suzanne bought when they were shopping for party decorations.

Here's Wendy putting the blindfold on me.

I got the first whack, but I didn't do any damage to him.

I really did get pictures of everyone taking a turn at Spongebob, but apparently, I didn't download them all when I was at the library yesterday.

So, you'll just have to trust me.

I think Matt was the one who finally "broke" Spongebob. Below is Madeline & me showing off some of our goodies.

Then, it was time for PRESENTS.

I am a girl who LOVES presents.

But, the older I get, the fewer presents I get.

Does anyone else have that problem?

My niece's gave me a whole new set of scrapbooking scissors

I'm opening a card from my mom-in-law.

Inside was $50 dollars!

On Sunday, we all went over to my mom's house for another celebration.

I also share my birthday with my sister's husband, Matt.

Here we are blowing out our candles

Me & Jackson. He didn't want his picture made, so he's trying to hide.

Matt (Uncle Mop) tried to take a self-portrait of himself with our niece, Riley.

But, this is all he got of her.

So, I took another one of them before we left my mom's house.

But, I saved the best for last.

My wonderful, sweet, loving husband of mine made me my very own scrapbook cake.

Take a look.

He came up with the idea all by himself.

He went to Wal-Mart & got a bunch of birthday scrapbook embellishments.

Then, he came home & gathered some pictures of us from my box of photos, baked the cake & decorated it like a scrapbook page.

How cute is that?

Way cute.

And, probably one of the sweetest things he's done for me in our 10 years together.

In addition to my new flat iron, he also got me the Dyson Handheld Vacuum that I wanted & a new outfit from Aeropostale.

I know I'm not that excited about turning 29, but these last 29 years have been really great & I can't wait to see what the next 29, 39, 49 years have in store for me.

It's My Birthday.

At 6:34pm, I will be 29 years old.

Go ahead.

Tell me happy birthday.

I know you want to.

P.S. Thanks to those of you who already have!!

Christian's Name Frame.

So, here's Christian's name frame that I did for a friend of mine. This is the one that I was having trouble finding stuff for. The theme is Baby Snoopy. And, I realize you can't really see the Snoopy paper, but it's there.

How do you think it turned out?

Stupid E-Bay Guy Ruined My Birthday.

Well, ok, so he didn't actually ruin it.

But, he did spoil one of my birthday presents from Matt.

A few weeks ago, Matt asked me what I wanted for my birthday.

Which is July 31st.

Ahem.

That's Tuesday.

I'll be 29.

Anyway, I told him I really, really, really wanted a new flat iron, called a Chi.

Right now, you're saying, "A flat iron? For your birthday?"

I have naturally curly hair & every morning I spend about 20 minutes straightening it out.

In the end, though, it never looks like it does when I go to my hairdresser, who coincidentally uses a Chi on my hair.

It's the best flat iron ever, but it costs about $120.

I haven't been able to bring myself to spend that much on a flat iron, so I figured I could ask for it for my birthday.

Well, last Saturday when I was out of town, Matt bid on a Chi on E-Bay & won.

He told me that if a package came in the mail, not to open it. He also said that I wouldn't know what it was because it would be from a person, not a company.

I joked that it would come Wednesday or Thursday while he was out of town.

Guess what?

It came Wednesday.

And, the E-bay'er he bought it from just stuck the mailing label on top of the Chi box. He didn't even wrap it in brown mailing paper or anything.

So, imagine my surprise when I opened the mailbox, only to find the Chi box.

I called Matt & told him that my birthday surprise was ruined.

And, actually we both kind of laughed about it.

I told him I wouldn't take it out & he could wrap it up & give it to me on Tuesday. But, he said it was okay to go ahead & use it.

He said I would have something else to unwrap on my birthday.

I told him I hoped it was a new Dyson Handheld Vacuum.

******

And, now that I have your attention, I must apologize for my lack of posts & commenting these last few days.

Work's being kicking my ass & I've only had time each day, to skim over your blogs. But, thank you for being so loyal to my blog.

I promise to get back in the habit this weekend.

Plus, Erin tagged me for my very 1st meme.

Yep, I was a meme virgin, until now.

So, check back soon to read it & see who I tagged.

Should I Take This as a Compliment?

So, I was in the mall the other day & decided to stop in a local jewelry store & get my engagement & wedding rings cleaned.

I walked into the store & asked the guy there if he could do it for me.

He nodded, so I took my rings off & handed them to him.

He looks at my rings, looks at me & says, "What size are these rings?"

I said, "Size 3."

He looked at them again & then back at me & says, "How old are you?"

I replied, "28."

He said, "Oh, do you know your ring size is comparable to a 12 year old?"

Gee, thanks.

Party in the Big D

Wow.

How freaking fun was this past weekend?

I flew to Dallas on Saturday morning for my friend, Lauren's, bachelorette party / lingerie shower.

Lauren & I have been friends since 4th grade.

She was my maid-of-honor in my wedding, 5 years ago.

Here's me & Lauren in the lobby of the Hotel Palomar in Dallas. We started off the night at a wine tasting party, hosted by the hotel.

Then, it was off to Gay Bingo & the Lakewood Theater in Dallas.

Ya'll, I swear, this was so. much. fun. I was VERY leery of this when I first heard that we were going here.

But, it was a blast.

There are drag queens everywhere.

In the audience.

On stage.

Everywhere.

From 6 to 9pm, we played 10 games.

It's just like regular bingo, except instead of getting a BINGO in a line or up & down or side to side, you get a BINGO in different shapes.

Not ALL of them are foul.

During Intermission, O-69 Productions put on a little performance for us.

No, people, I'm NOT making this up.

And, really, the performance was FANTASTIC.

Drag queens can dance!

Towards the end of bingo, one of the drag queens asked anyone with a July birthday to come on stage.

Of course, Lauren made me go up there, even though, I was a little afraid.

But, it was completely harmless.

All we had to do was say our name & our birth date.

I'll turn 29 on July 31st, if you must know.

We had to leave bingo at 8:45 to make our dinner reservations at Monica's.

It's a FABULOUS Mexican restaurant in the Greenville Avenue district of Dallas.

But, not before posing for a group shot in front of Lakewood Theater.

When we got to dinner, a salsa band was just setting up.

Why not enjoy your food with a little salsa (music, that is).

This band was Awesome, with a capital "A".

The guitar player came up to Lauren & gave her one of the tambourines to bang on & got her out of her seat to start a conga line.

I didn't get up so that I could take pictures.

You can see Lauren in the very front.

After the conga line made a few rounds, Lauren got to up on stage & sing.

After dinner, we all went dancing at a club in Deep Elum, a party district in Dallas.

We danced for about an hour or so & around midnight, finally decided to go back to the hotel.

Lauren opened all of her shower gifts.

No lingerie shower's complete without edible underwear & fuzzy handcuffs.

After watching Lauren open her gifts, many of the girls who live in Dallas, went home. There were 6 of us who stayed at the hotel.

We put our PJ's on & sat around eating & talking about nothing & everything.

From marriage, to religion, to strip clubs & all that's in between.

Around 3:00am, me, Lauren & Kathryn (the only other person I knew at the party) climbed into this huge king size bed & went to sleep.

I got up at 8:30am to get ready for my flight home.

I had an awesome time in Dallas. It was a quick trip, but well worth it.

Matt picked me up at the airport & we went home & I got into bed & took about a 2 hour nap.

I'm still exhausted, but it's a good kind of exhausted.

So, how was your weekend?

Why, Oh Why?

Why is that whenever I'm getting ready to do something really, really, really fun...where lots of pictures will be taken, I get a HUGE zit on the side of my nose?

You know the kind.

When they're forming, they hurt really, really bad.

And, they stick around for way longer than a normal zit.

You know it would feel better, if you could pop it, but these zits DO NOT pop.

So, you just have to let it take its course.

Ugh.

Anyone out there have any "get rid of your zit quick" remedies?

P.S. I know you might be wondering what this really fun thing is that I'm getting ready to do, so forgive me when I say that I can't tell you.

But, I'll be sure to post pictures of me & my zit having lots of fun, on Sunday.

Tell Your Dad That You Love Him.

The father of a very good friend of mine passed away today.

He got very sick a few weeks ago & just couldn't recover.

The family made the choice today, to take him off the machines.

Hearing this news made me automatically think of my Dad & how lucky I am that he's still around for me to laugh with & to argue with.

But, most importantly, he's here for me to hug & love & kiss.

So, anyone reading this post: call or e-mail or write your dad & tell him that you love him.

And, say a little prayer for my friend & his family.

Please.

I'm a Self Proclaimed Neat Freak.

Yep.

I admit it.

I'm probably the BIGGEST neat freak you'll ever meet.

I CANNOT stand it when my house is messy or things are out of order.

I'll even admit that when I go over to other people's houses, who might, let's say, be a teenier bit messy than me, I actually have to stop myself from trying to clean their house.

What?

Is that wrong?

I can't help it.

I LOVE to clean.

Oh, I can go on.

I LOVE to do laundry.

And, I LOVE to organize.

I really have no idea where this need to clean came from.

When I was younger, I NEVER made my bed. I rarely cleaned my room & I don't think I ever knew where my mom kept the vacuum.

I think it started when I got married.

We lived in a pretty small apartment & if there was clutter ANYWHERE, I felt like the walls were closing in on me.

So, I started cleaning.

I kept cleaning when we bought our house 3 years ago.

Now, I can't stop.

My husband would probably tell you I'm obsessed.

But, that's only because one night, during dinner, he turned his head to watch a few seconds of a baseball game & I thought that meant he was finished, so I took his plate.

It was when I was cleaning it off to put in the dishwasher, that he turned back around to take another bite.

He was like, "Sweetie, I wasn't done with that." And, I said, "Sugar Muffin, you were watching TV, so I thought you were finished."

OK, I didn't call him "Sugar Muffin" -- I added that just now for effect.

And, he says, "Cuddle Bear, I still had my fork in my hand!!"

No, he doesn't call me "Cuddle Bear" -- I made that up, too.

*******

My husband would also tell you I'm a perfectionist.

I like our clothes to hang the same way in our closets.

And, I divide them into sections: Long-sleeved, short-sleeved, pants, shorts & so on.

Long-sleeved can NEVER mix with short-sleeved.

They don't get along.

I also like the towels in the linen closet to be color-coded & folded the same way.

And, yes, you guessed it.

The towels are divided into sections: washcloths, hand towels & bath towels.

I like my house cleaned a certain way; the laundry folded & put away a certain way.

It's called MY WAY.

And, thankfully, Matt had adapted nicely to this, so he's totally cool with things being my way.

One night, a few months ago, I said to him, "Doesn't it just make you happy when the house is clean?". To which he replied, "Sugar Plum, I'm happy that you're happy the house is clean."

Isn't he sweet?

Um, yeah.

I'm also a huge perfectionist at work.

My desk is arranged neatly, with my day planner, pictures & files organized in a way that makes me happy.

I can tell if even one picture's out of place.

(Lindsey, that doesn't mean you get to work before me tomorrow & rearrange all my pictures).

*******

All this cleanliness, organization & perfectionism, doesn't mean I can't adapt to changes.

Because I can.

Sometimes.

For like an hour.

Like, our laptop is on our kitchen table. I mean, if that's not adapting to something that's totally out of place, I don't know what is.

Please.

No, seriously, I've learned that I can't always do things my way.

Being bedridden for 10 weeks after the car accident taught me that.

And, I've had multiple surgeries since then, that kept me off my feet for a week or so at a time.

My wonderful husband, mother-in-law, mom & sister have had to step in & do some housework when I couldn't .

And, my mother-in-law has politely reminded me (dozens of times) that it's okay if my house isn't perfect 100% of the time.

I have to remind myself that she's right.

Sometimes.

For like an hour.

For now, though, I must log off.

If you need me, I'll be cleaning.

It Scares Me Sometimes. The Things She Understands.

It's been raining so much over the past month, that I haven't been able to take Maisy on a walk when I get home from work.

And, she's seriously making me suffer for it, too.

As I was driving home today, from running some errands, I noticed my car thermometer said the outside temperature was 80 degrees & for once, it WASN'T raining.

So, I decided that when I got home, I would take Maisy for a walk.

Matt was in our bathroom shaving & Maisy was asleep on our bed.

I walked into the bathroom & told Matt I was going to take Maisy on a walk, but that I wanted her to go outside first & do her business.

(I hate taking bags with me on walks, so I make her poop before we go).

All of sudden we hear this loud THUD.

We ran into our bedroom only to see Maisy's tail leaving the doorway.

We followed her all the way to the back door.

I open it to let her out and ya'll, I swear, she runs to the middle of the yard, poops & runs back inside the house in about 30 seconds flat.

Then, she runs over the to laundry room, where we keep her leash, collar & harness & sits down.

She knows when she goes on walks, she has to "get dressed" first.

This dog was snoring when I walked in the door, ya'll, but she heard me talking about a walk & she KNEW what I saying.

I didn't even think she could hear me with the water running & the TV on.

And, I said it in my regular voice, not my Maisy-Waisy-cutie-wutie-doggie-voice.

You know THAT voice.

Matt & I both agreed that sometimes, it's unreal, the things she understands.

Now, if we could just get her to understand that getting up BEFORE 9:30am on weekends is BAD. I don't see that happening anytime soon, though.

A New Name Frame.

Here's a frame I did for my friend, Sonseeahray.

A friend of hers just had twins a few weeks ago.

I like this one. I think it turned out cute.

And, now, I need your help.

The frame for the other twin, Christian, needs to be Baby Snoopy. I found some cute paper, but if any of you out there in BlogLand know where I can find Baby Snoopy stickers or die cuts, please let me know. If your local scrapbook store has them, I will pay for you gas, shipping & of course, the stickers & die cuts!!!

Oh, also go to my designs website & check out one of earlier frames on display!!

I Didn't Expect to Learn So Much.

When I came up with the idea to make a game out of asking you guys what 24-hour period in your life would re-live, I never expected you to open your hearts, like you did.

I mean, don't get me wrong.

I'm glad you did.

Because it made me realize just how strong all of us really are.

Girls, we've made it through some really tough times in our lives. And, in a way, I believe we're all better for it.

Many of you know I suffered a miscarriage in July 2006, when we were 11 weeks pregnant.

Not that I ever want to experience that heartbreak again, but part of me will always wonder if I did something wrong to cause my baby to stop growing.

What could I have done differently to make the end result a much happier one?

Do you realize that my baby should be 5 months old?

My baby should be laughing & smiling & learning how to sit up.

I know that one day, Matt & I will get pregnant again & we will have a healthy baby. But, sometimes, it's so hard to be patient. I feel like God's testing my strength & my faith everyday.

And, sometimes, I really just feel like that's not fair.

So, to those of who shared your stories with me, I want to share a little something with you.

Wendy: I totally understand it when you said you'd want to re-live the 1st time you met Jim. Every time I think back to the night I met Matt, I smile. I think that happens with the ones we love. And, it's a good day to remember, so that you can tell your girls how you guys met.

Jenny: I'm like you. My wedding day was so special. I loved everything about that day. I know that your wedding day was equally as special. And, I'm sure you looked beautiful. Keep your wedding video close, so that you can share it with your kids & grandkids.

MBKimmy: Wow. If I lost a friend that I was so close to, like you were with yours, I would certainly want to re-live the time we had together. What I think is so special, though, is the fact that you guys realized your feelings for each other before he died. Nothing was a secret anymore. While I know you'll probably never get over his death, I hope you find comfort in knowing that you have a very special guardian angel watching over you.

KimmyK: Even though you didn't want to re-live some memories, I hope you know that if there's a time when you need to talk or need someone to tell you that you rock, you know how to find me. I might not always know the right thing to say, but I am a really good listener.

Michelle: I'm so, so sorry that your wedding day wasn't all that you dreamed it would be. Little girls dream of a fairytale wedding & when that doesn't happen, it's disappointing. However, I do believe you still got your Prince Charming! Maybe for your 10 or 15 year anniversary, you guys could go somewhere special & renew your vows. Just the 2 of you. What a wonderful memory that would be!

Beth: I won't say much about your story for reasons you & I understand. But, just like I said in e-mail back to you, I'm so sorry for the loss & sadness you've been through. And, the offer's always open if you ever need to talk.

Suzie: What a heart breaker of a story. I can't imagine carrying a child for 9 months, giving birth to him & then losing him almost 3 months later. I know how horrible I felt after I miscarried my baby & I didn't even get to know him or her. You had already bonded with your son & then to lose him, I'm sure, was just so devastating beyond words. The fact that you survived that...I mean, you really might just be the strongest, bravest person I know.

After reading all of your stories, it seems so childish to pick a winner, you know?

But, I do want you all to know that we should be proud of the women we are today.

We're strong & we're powerful.

And, we're not afraid to love.

I know that I've never met any of you in person (with the exception of Wendy, my sister-in-law), but I really feel like I've developed some really great friendships.

I can count on you guys to cheer me on or cheer me up.

And, I hope you know I'd do the same for you.

**Group hug! Can someone pass the tissues?**

*****

Oh, thanks for all the well-wishes for my sister...you know, "Mono-girl".

She's actually feeling a lot better. She went to the doctor last week & he put her on some antibiotics, thinking it was just strep throat.

Yesterday, the nurse called her & said she tested positive for mono. By then, she'd been on medicine for 6 days & was already feeling like a new woman.

I think she got on antibiotics & knocked the virus out, before it had the chance to get really bad.

Amen for that.

A Conversation with My Sister.

My phone rings this morning at work.

It's my sister.

Me: "Newsroom. This is Robin."

Holly: "Hi."

Me: "Hi."

Holly: "Want to come share a drink with me?"

Me: "Why?"

Holly: "Because I have mono."

Reasons Why My Dog Isn't Like Yours.

She will ONLY drink water out of her blue bowl.

Why? I don't know. Her white bowl seems perfectly fine to me.

She's determined to get her choppers on my chopper guard.

I grind my teeth at night, so I have to wear a mouth guard. Maisy knows which drawer I keep it in & she'll come sit in the bathroom, while I get ready for bed. When my hand starts going towards the drawer, she practically beats me down, to get to it.

She thinks that when we open the refrigerator door, it's to get cheese out for her.

About a year ago, we started giving her a piece of fat-free cheese as a treat, because as you know, she's fat. We figured cheese was healthier than her fatty dog treats. Except that she knows where we keep the cheese & when she's sees us headed to the fridge, she does her best to position herself in between us & the cheese, so that we can't close the door without noticing her, staring lovingly at what we now refer to as "doggie crack".

She will only allow us to trim her nails if we feed her cheese in the process.

Why? See the above explanation.

She can smell chocolate milk, even if she's outside, at the other end of the yard.

Not only is Maisy a cheese addict, she also LOVES chocolate milk. She can be outside, doing her own thing, while inside, one of us is pouring some milk. In about 5 seconds flat, we'll hear a WHAM. That's Maisy throwing herself at the back door, wanting in to beg for milk.

She LOVES her heart worm pill.

We keep them on top of the refrigerator & she knows that. When she sees me reaching for them, she starts licking her lips, in anticipation. I break it in half for her because they're so big. When she's finished, she'll smell the floor, the counter top & my hand for more.

She prefers to sleep under the covers.

Whether it's our bed, the guest bed or her bed, she loves to bury herself under the blankets. We don't discourage it because I think it's cute. If she gets too hot or can't breathe, she comes out. The 1st time she did it at Matt's mom's house, though, Matt's mom thought Maisy suffocated herself. She got under the covers during the night & when Betty Jo woke up, she noticed Maisy hadn't moved. She said she touched Maisy with her foot & when she didn't move, she got scared. But, about 10 seconds later, Maisy popped up & came out. I guess I should have warned Betty Jo about that.

When she's out of food or water, she pushes her bowls, into the china cabinet to get our attention.

She started this when she was a puppy. We affectionately call this form of communication, "Pulling a Snoopy". Because you know, Snoopy's a Beagle & he pushes his food dishes around.

Her greatest joy in life is getting to go in the garage.

She loves running around the garage to take stock of any new bugs or trash that might be in there since her last visit. We usually have to bribe her back inside with cheese.

She's the sweetest, most lovable, most patient dog I know.

I love when I get home in the afternoon's & she jumps all over me & gives me tons of kisses because she's missed me while I was at work. I love it when she sits in Matt's chair with me & curls up, with her paws underneath her & her head under the curve of my knee. I love how she smells after she's been asleep. I love how she lays on my feet while I scrapbook. I love how she's so patient with little kids. She has NEVER tried to bite or snap or growl at a child.

But, mostly, I love her because she's a part of our little family. She belongs here with us. If we didn't have her, our lives wouldn't be as exciting. I can't wait to see how she reacts when we finally have a baby. I really feel like she'll be big buds with her little brother or sister.

She's my girl & I love her with my whole heart.

Let's Play a Game.

Here's how it works.

I'm going to ask you a question.

And, while you're thinking about your answer, I'll give you MY answer.

After you finish reading, I want you to type your answer in the comment section.

Wow.

I'm kind of bossy, aren't I?

To make it up to you, the person with most creative answer, will win a prize.

I can't tell you what it is, but it'll be good.

I promise.

Now, here's the question.

If you could go back & re-live a 24 hour period in your life, what would it be?

Here's my answer.

I have 2.

The 1st 24-hour period would be Halloween day & night, 1996, my Freshman year at Hendrix College.

Ya'll my Freshman year was super fun. I had the BEST time.

Halloween night pretty much sums up that year.

I remember my roommate, Amy, & I were dating guys, who were also roommates.

I was dating Brian.

Amy was dating Jason.

After classes that day, we got a friend of ours, who was 21, to drive us to Plummerville (about 15 miles from our college town) & buy us alcohol.

It was a clear, warm day, so on the way there, we rolled down the windows, turned the radio up & sang along at the top of our lungs.

Once we got back to campus, Amy & I posed with our alcohol & took pictures, which are prominently displayed in my college scrapbook.

Oh, c'mon, you know you have the same type of pictures.

Anyway, after dinner, we got ready (no, we didn't wear costumes & I can't remember why) & walked over to Martin Hall to meet Brian & Jason.

We got a little "jump" on the evening festivities & made some Margarita's.

About an hour later, we made it out to, what's affectionately called "The Drunk Pit"...an area between the 2 boys' dorms on campus.

The party was in full swing.

We talked, we drank, we laughed, we danced, we smoked...

Til about 2am, when about 10 of us decided it would be fun to jump into the fountain on campus.

We splashed around for a half hour or so, before calling it a night.

Amy, Jason, Brian & I all went back to their dorm room & played a few games of Poker, before making a pallet on the floor for the 4 of us & going to sleep.

Seriously, this night pretty much says it all.

We had to study so hard during the week, that the weekend's were our times to "let down our hair" & have some fun.

Plus, I was away from home for the 1st time, so I didn't have to answer to anyone.

And, quite frankly, I enjoyed that.

Maybe I went a little too wild, but you know what?

I don't regret a single thing I did during my entire 4 years at Hendrix.

******

So, my 2nd 24-hour period would be any 24 hours during my honeymoon.

Matt & I spent a week at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, in the Bahama's.

Hands down, that's the BEST trip we've taken in our 9 years together.

It was just us.

No cell phones, no schedules, nothing to do, but lie/lay on the beach.

Ya'll, it was WONDERFUL.

But, maybe my favorite night was our last night.

We took a dinner cruise around the island.

That's when we met a very nice couple from New York City.

They were our age, not married, but there for a little rest & relaxation.

We ate some really good food, saw some awesome views of the ocean, watched some great entertainment & even took part in a Limbo contest.

When the ship docked, we got off & took one last walk on the beach, hand in hand.

We're going back there on our 10 year anniversary, to renew our vows on the beach.

I cannot wait.

Not re-create the memories of that week, but to make new ones.

******

So, now it's your turn.

What 24-hours would you re-live & why.

Remember, the most creative will win a prize.

I look forward to reading your stories.

Here's how a 6 Year Old Processes Information.

The other day, my mother-in-law & my 6 year old niece, Suzanne, were at a local pond, feeding the ducks some bread.

There's a sign there that says, "NO SWIMMING".

Suzanne's learning to read, so she tried sounding out the letters to read the words.

She thought it said, "NO SMOKING".

My mother-in-law said, "Good try, Suzanne. But, actually, it says NO SWIMMING."

Suzanne processed this information for a minute or so.

And, very matter of factly, she says, "So, if you fell in, I guess you would just drown!"

The 2nd Half of My Weekend.

Ok, so...sorry I had to break up my weekend in 2 posts.

But, by the time we got home yesterday, I was so tired, I only had the patience to post about the concert.

Where was I?

Oh, I remember.

So, Matt & I got up around 10am on Saturday & headed over to the Wolfchase Galleria in Germantown, Tennessee.

I REALLY did not expect this to happen, but ya'll, for the next 2 hours, I shopped my freaking butt off.

I had so much fun.

And, the best part?

Matt didn't say a word.

Even though most of the stuff we bought was for me, we did manage to squeeze in a few new shirts for him.

But, the even bestest part?

We didn't pay full price for ANYTHING.

The total for the day was $159 (5 shirts, 1 tank top, 1 hoodie, 1 pair of pants, a necklace & Matt's shirts).

If we had paid full price, the total would have been $345.

Beat that.

After we shopped, we drove to Tunica, Mississippi & met some of our friends at Hollywood Casino & Hotel for a night of fun, food, drinks & gambling.

We checked in, took our luggage to our rooms & then headed to the pool.

Corey, Matt, Greg & Laurie

What a face!

After swimming for a while, we all headed back up to our rooms to shower & get ready for our big night.

We ate dinner at the buffet restaurant in the casino.

Buffet's are the one good thing about casino's.

You get to eat a lot of food, for cheap.

$14.95 a person.

Drinks included & you don't have to tip.

Once dinner was over, we had to pose for a few group shots, so that we could document this trip.

FOREVER.

Cecillea, Laurie, Me & Erica

Bryon, Greg, Corey & Matt

This is Pre-Drunk Fest 2007!

Laurie & I took a self-portrait in the bathroom

Yes, we got laid

Me & Matt after we lost money playing Black Jack & Craps.

Hey, at least we're still smiling.

After gambling, drinking & dancing, we went back up to our rooms, laughed a lot more, drank some more & had a really good time.

We finally all fell asleep around 3am or so.

About 7 hours later, we got up & headed back home.

It was a totally fun weekend, that I will remember for a long, long time to come.

It's Been a Busy 48 Hours, But It Was Freaking Awesome!

On Friday, Matt & I packed our suitcase (well, I packed our suitcase), dropped Maisy off at my mother-in-law's house & headed out of town for the weekend.

Our 1st stop: Memphis.

To see Keith Urban in concert at the FedEx Forum.

We got to our hotel around 3pm, checked in, changed clothes & headed over the Peabody Place around 4:30pm.

It's a huge entertainment plaza with shops, restaurants & so much more.

We ate an early dinner & walked around, browsing in the shops.

Around 7pm, we headed over the FedEx Forum for the concert.

The Wreckers took the stage around 8pm & Keith came on about 9:15pm.

Keith was awesome, people.

He performed for almost 2 hours, singing all his hit songs & then some.

I've seen some great concerts. Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Reba, Kid Rock, Aerosmith, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts..just to name a few.

Keith ranks in my Top 5.

1. Rascal Flatts
2. Kenny Chesney
3. Keith Urban

4. Dave Matthews Band

5. Dixie Chicks

There was a huge video screen on the stage. It really allowed us to see just about everything that was going on, on-stage.

Keith rocking out. Here's Matt & me after the concert.

We took this picture ourselves.

Can you tell?

After the concert, we walked around Beale Street for a little while, then went back to our hotel room to go to bed.

The weekend was far from over for us.

Next stop?

Tunica, Mississippi.

Stay tuned...