weekly roundup

this week has made me realize how lucky we are to both have such great families.  it stinks that our immediate relatives live so darn far away. . . but we certainly are blessed to have happy, healthy loved ones who are always close in our hearts and minds.  

the beginning of this week was busy and hectic, but we definitely made up for all the hard work with a fun-filled weekend.  i hope everyone had a wonderful memorial day weekend, while taking a little time to remember those who selflessly protect our freedom each and everyday.

despite my best unintentional efforts to kill this plant (via lack of water and re-potting into a much too small pot). . . it has proven to be a survivor.  i thought it was a goner, but it suddenly perked up and bloomed the most beautiful coral colored flower.  it has made me smile every day this week, each time i walked past my back porch. thanks, plant.

we kicked off the weekend with some great friends at the kenny chesney concert in raleigh.  i'm not the biggest country music fan, but kenny always puts on a good show.  plus. . . i'm a fan of anything that involves tailgating.

random acts from my iphoto library

soooo. . . . i don't really know if i should be sharing these photos on my blog, but they are too funny not to post.  we have had several bachelorette parties among my co-workers over the past few years.  and by far, the highlight of every bachelorette party is the large inflatable "male member" who, as you can see, makes an appearance for every party.  it makes me very excited for my future bachelorette party!!  as you can see, he's a show stopper and he pretty much deserves his own invitation at this point.  :-)

weekly roundup

this week has been refreshingly slow-paced.  there has been a lot of catching up to do, after our action-packed vacation to jamaica.  here's a few bits of our week:

i got to hang out with this super-sweet cutie and her mama, for a much needed bff date.

despite a week full of long work days for my love, we squeezed in a date night mid-week.  i really appreciate those nights, not only because we get to spend some alone time together. . .  but it's also refreshing to wear something other than scrubs and/or pajamas on a weekday.

celebrating katie k's birthday at arnies, probably the highlight of my weekend!  she's such a great person with an amazing group of friends!

margarita jello shots for the birthday girl!  she probably makes me laugh more than anybody on the planet.

it was a fun night!  happy birthday katie k!!

the second highlight of my weekend. . . cory and i finally got around to seeing the great gatsby.  it was such a great movie, but i did spend the rest of the day in a funk (i won't say anymore, in order to avoid a spoiler alert.)  and can i just say, leonardo dicaprio and carey mulligan can do no wrong.

i can't wait for this week.  i have kenny chesney and nascar to look forward to, y'all.

jamaica: part 2

my favorite photos from the last half of our amazing vacation to the dreamland of jamaica.

we had breakfast on the beach every morning.  no big deal.  :)

this is what every afternoon looked like for us, it's a hard life.

we tried to incorporate as much red stripe into as many photos as possible.

another great thing about jamaica. . . cubans!!

i probably spent just as much time in this swing on our balcony, as i did at the beach.

YOLO (that's for my ultrasound girls)

omg.  lobster pizza.

we went on a really fun catamaran cruise.  they took us snorkeling along a coral reef, cliff diving at the cliffs, and we sailed back to land during a beautiful sunset.

 

i felt like we were jay-z and beyonce/jfk and jackie-o.  it was a very fancy way to spend the day.

on our last night, we saw a live reggae band as we sat by a bonfire in the sand.

. . . and talk about a homecoming!!!  our amazing roomate brian (who is also partially responsible for setting me up with cory) had this waiting for us as we walked through the door.  it put a smile on our faces after a very long depressing day at the airport.  thanks, brian (attention ladies, he's single!!)

until next time jamaica.  honeymoon, maybe ;-)

random acts from my iphoto library

believe it or not, this is me and katie.  circa (insert cold month here) 2009???  we had both just been dumped literally on the same weekend.  so, i invited her over to to my place to drink some wine and pamper ourselves with some aloe vera face treatments.  thank goodness for girlfriends to get you through times like those.  and wine. 

jamaica: part 1

we were beyond happy to leave cold, rainy north carolina. . . .

. . . and arrive in paradise!

 

 we were met at the airport with a red stripe, well done rocky's taxi service!

"wastin' away again in margaritaville."

we spent our days and nights at the beautiful kuyaba hotel.

breakfast was so delicious.  actually, all the food there was so delicious.

which leads me to this photo.  let me introduce you to the best jerk chicken in jamaica, which can be found at bourbon beach.  yes, i ate chicken.  every. single. day.

 "fresh fruuuuuiiiiiiiitttt!"

oh, yeah. . .and my favorite part of the vacation, the sunset dinner proposal!!!!

our favorite bartender was kind enough to gift us with some yummy engagement shots :)

mama's day

here's to a very happy mother's day to all the beautiful mama's in my life (you know who you are).  especially one mama in particular!  mom, you are truly my best friend.  there's nothing like a relationship between a mother and daughter, and knowing that you will always have someone on your side no matter what.  i love you!

may six, two thousand thirteen . . .

 . . . was the best day of my life, because cory gave me this insanely gorgeous ring (he's a great listener) and asked me to marry him.

 after a very sweet, intimate, and heartfelt proposal. . . i of course said yes, and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and delicious dinner on the beach of jamaica.  it was just like the moment i have dreamed of since i was a little girl, and every time i call him my fiancé i can't help but get a huge smile on my face.  i can't wait to be a trottier. . . . and for all of the adventures we have in store!  i love you, cory.

au revior, mon

well, looks like cory's fortune cookie had it right. . . we are traveling to jamaica for a whole week!  I'm beyond excited, and can't wait to share all of our photos with you when we return.  oh, and since at&t roaming charges are kinda ridiculous and i won't be able to post while i'm away . . .

happy cinco de mayo everybody!

random acts from my iphoto library

bently.  circa 2007.  dressed in a crab suit.  this pic makes me laugh literally every time i see it.