Weekendings

This weekend we finally completed all of our London shopping!!  I plan to do at least three  detailed blog entries about all of our preparations, recommendations, etc... and of course plenty of pictures once we return, so stay tuned for that!

A few other projects are underway that I/we worked on this weekend. 

Troy's 30th Birthday Party! 

I went shopping this weekend to find napkins to spark some creativity on the color scheme for Troy's upcoming 30th birthday party! I tend to start with fun napkins when coming up with a color scheme for a party.  Random, I know. But so far it's worked every time! 

Of course I'll have a full and detailed entry after his party at the end of the month.

Storm Door.  We went shopping to price storm doors. I really want one for our front door and hopefully we'll have decided on one and purchased/installed it prior to Troy's birthday party!

I'm at it again...

I'm working on a frame project (which I also hope to have completed before Troy's birthday party).  I've purchased all of the frames (thanks to an excellent BOGO 1/2 off home sale at Target a few weeks ago), and now that I have my mock up to live with for a few days, we'll be ready to start hanging the frames in no time!!  Then I'll have to FINALLY print out some wedding pictures of family and friends to go in the frames.  Only took me four years... aw well!  I'm really excited to show you all how it turns out!  The wall gallery in our room is done, as far as the frames being up, but I am waiting until we get back from Europe to finish that wall so that I can add a good bit of our London and Paris pictures to the wall gallery in our room.  I'm sure we'll add at least one to the living room gallery also. Updates on both galleries to come!

Welp folks, those are just a few ways that I/we spent my/our weekend.  Shopping, cutting up newspapers to do a mock up on the wall and now a little bit of work.  I'm posting this blog as a work break, but now it's time to get back to billing some hours!! 

More to come!, 
SG 

365 More Days....

of being a "twenty-something!"  Today I turned the big 2-9! I am so grateful to see a new age! I'm enjoying a little couch time (while Troy hangs curtains in the living room) to share with you some details about my stupendous birthday weekend!

I'm SUPER excited about my birthday gift from Troy...

YES!! That's right folks! I'm FINALLY the owner of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer!! I've wanted one for years!!  Her name is Gretel!! And she looks so nice in the kitchen.  I'll have more pictures later, but here's one I snapped on the iPhone after setting her up on Friday night.

Then, if Friday's fun gift wasn't enough, on Saturday my BFF's spoiled me with some quality time, a beautiful cake, and birthday decorations! I came home from Publix and to my surprise Regina had decorated the living room.

 

And Allison brought cake!!! Which I love! Check out the Celtics green!

Us girls then headed to a private yoga class at my yoga studio which was a very light class just to ease them into the yoga practice that I oh so love! All smiles afterwards.

After a good workout of course you need food. So off to PF Chang's to pick up our to-go order and head back to the house to eat and relax.

Regina enjoyed the balloons as you can see in this picture. Balloon volleyball.

After lots of movie and tv-watching, some games, LOTS of laughter and lounging around the house we finally headed out to dinner before calling it a night.

It's been a great weekend and I'm so blessed that these three ladies took time out of their busy schedules to celebrate with me.  As for Gretel, thanks to a gift card from Charity, I plan to get the ice cream maker attachment to Gretel soon!!! I had just pinned it on Pinterest this week!  That Charity, she knows me so well!! 

Alrighty folks, thanks for tuning in on the birthday details. It's been a great one!  So grateful to Jesus for EVERYTHING!  He's given me such a beautiful life filled with joy, peace, and love.  And for that, I owe Him EVERYTHING!!  So, here's to this new year and seeing all the many ways in which He continues to develop me!  I'm beyond excited about it!!

29 and counting,

SG

Birthday Surprise!

Troy turned a whopping 29 yesterday!  This year we were in Jacksonville on his birthday weekend for a conference so we celebrated his birthday a little early and I let him "open" his gift a few weeks early.  You see, this year I decided to get Troy something that he's been talking about as long as we've been married.  According to Troy, "Every man needs a truck!"  He's said it at least 100 times over the past three years.  I can actually think of a few times when having a truck would've actually been quite helpful so maybe he's a little bit right.

Anywho, so I decided about a month ago that I wanted to really surprise Troy and get him a truck for his birthday.  Nothing too fancy, nothing brand new.  Troy is a very simple and unmaterialistic man and I knew I had to find the perfect truck that had an old man feel to it but was not a hunk of junk since it has to sit in my drive way! So the search began and within weeks I found the perfect truck!!

Long story short, thanks to help from Cody (he came with me to see the truck, ask all the right questions, look under the hood, test drive it, etc...) I found the perfect truck for Troy.  Now since it was a big purchase and I also wanted to make sure he liked the truck, I told the man selling it that I definitely wanted to purchase the truck but wanted Troy to see it first.  So I went home and told Troy that I needed him to ride with me somewhere for something.  Thankfully, he didn't put up a fuss and he came with me!!

It was perfect!! We pulled into the place where the guy was going to meet us and there was a mobile animal clinic so Troy looks at me and is like, "Did you buy a dog?!" Which really, I thought was hilarious because I am NOT an animal person and he knows it! So he clearly was so suspicious of where we were going that he started asking crazy questions like did I secretly buy a dog?! But this was a perfect opportunity to throw him off so I just sat and smiled and said "well, we are meeting a man whose bringing something."

The guy with the truck (Steve) drives in front of us and parks behind my car and I tell Troy, "the reason we're here is because I wanted to give you your birthday gift.  That's it behind us!"  I then have to hurry and pull my camera out to catch his surprise face!  Man, my pictures don't do it justice.  He was SOOOOO surprised!! I've never gotten him this good in the seven years we've known each other.  It was priceless and it made giving this gift mean more to me than I could ever articulate!!

Here are some pictures to semi recreate what happened! 

Me: "You nervous about what we're doing here?" Troy's face:

Troy: "What are we doing here?"

(and yes, he brought a book along with him as he usually does because he thinks we're going shopping.  He brings a book along while I shop. If he finishes the book, it's time to go!)

Me: "That's your birthday gift behind us!" (Shunta rushes to grab camera)

We get out to look at the truck. Pictures don't show it but he kept laughing and smiling FROM EAR TO EAR entire time!!

Troy: "I can't believe you bought me a truck?!!!" He said that about thirty times!!

And here's him driving away in his new truck...who has yet to be named!!  It's SO the perfect truck for Troy!

It was so great and a moment I'll always remember in our friendship, relationship, and marriage.  I tell ya, I can only imagine how Oprah feels when she gives away things because it really is such a great feeling!  The surprise on someone's face is priceless!!  Oprah, if you're reading my blog (ha!! did anyone else laugh out loud on that one?), can I just say that you are so right in how you describe how good it feels to surprise someone!!

That's what's going on around here folks-- we have a new addition to our family, lil red yet-to-be-named truck.  We like to take drives in him at night and it's pretty fun.  Troy's so excited about having a truck and he's actually been doing pretty good with not driving it all the time.  It's supposed to be for when he needs it to do things around the house, etc... not a replacement for his car.

Happy Birthday Troy! Love you,
SG

28...for the next 5 years!

Whose the happiest birthday girl who just turned 28?

ME!!  Last Saturday I celebrated one of Jesus' greatest gifts--LIFE!!  I saw yet another birthday!!  And all I wanted to do was spend time with some of the people who mean the most to me--my friends!!!  I must say it was pretty much exactly what I needed!!  Some of my closest friends took the time to let me know just how much I mean to them and I am more grateful than I could ever express!!! 

FRIDAY. MORGAN!! Morgan took off of work (that's right, she gave up a precious vacation day for me!!) on Friday and came up the day before my birthday!! We went out to lunch, went shopping, poked around in some stores, and then Friday night we vegged out HARD CORE and watched movies! 

 all the essential food groups--pizza, chips (pepperoni, chicken, pineapple), cookies, chocolate.  And in the fridge/freezer--Ben & Jerrys & cupcakes!

We visited a new store here in Greenville--Buy Buy Baby.  And here's what we saw... some new gadget called a Mama Roo!

 Morgan wondering what the mess?  This is called a Mama Roo and it rotates a baby in a circular motion to allow the child to be "bounced just like mom does."  Really?  Too much!!

We were just so confused about this Mama Roo. What happened to being rocked in a loved ones' arms?

SATURDAY! Saturday, I was surrounded with more love!  Friends came over to the house to hang out before dinner!

DINNER.  Then we headed to Myabi for dinner where Sonja jumped in the mix!!

Myabi was yummy as always!

And the fellowship--SUPERB!

 

Charity & Troy are like brother & sister!

 

Charity, Morgan, & Lauren

 Eric & Sonja

 Mike & Shemeka

Me & Troy!

I got to open some gifts at Myabi also and guess what Charity gave me GUYS?!!!  Just thinking about it makes me excited.  Not only did I get Volume 4 of Glee to round out my collection, but I also received...

RONDO JERSEY SHIRT!!! I am a HUGE Rajon Rondo fan!  And plan to wear this shirt during every game for the remainder of the season!  Here's a group picture of us leaving Myabi before heading to Bowling!

BOWLING.  Imagine my excitement when my bowling shoes matched my birthday shirt AND Rondo jersey!

And, while I wasn't the best bowler, I have my secret techniques!...

 roll the ball real slow!

 then spread your wings to show it which way to go!

works every time (except for when it doesn't!)...

Sonja sports her fun bowling socks!

And I even got to spin a wheel for a prize...

 I won two free games!!  Whose coming with me?! (although next time we're coming on NON-SMOKING night!! sheesh. My entire outfit has to go to the cleaners!)

LOVE.  Here's a pic of all of my beautiful and heartfelt cards!! It really was a birthday filled with well-wishes, cupcakes (Allison's husband made me cupcakes!! And she decorated them! so super sweet!), cards, gift cards, and so much more.  I am so grateful.  All I wanted was simply to spend time with positive people who love me for me.  That was enough.  I'm a happy lady I must say!! 

Oh, and I've decided that 28 was such a fun birthday that I'm going to remain 28 for the next 5 years.  Please note this.  Thank you!!

Grateful for the gift of friendship from a group of positive people!!,
SG

Happy Birthday(s) to ME!

January is a pretty fantastic month for me!!  Interesting that it is the month that marks the beginning of a new year because it is also the month that holds my spiritual birthday, which marked the beginning of a new life for me!!  So, January is a super special month for me for reasons that all work together!!  I give December a strong second because it is when I celebrate my natural birthday (those balloons are from friends from my birthday this past December!) and it is also the month that holds the spiritual birthday of a very special person in my life! 

On January 16, 2010, I will celebrate my most significant birthday!!  My 5th birthday to be exact!  You see, on January 9, 2005, Jesus Christ proved Himself to me in a way that gives me the confidence to boldly stand on His Word all day everyday!!  Just as on the day of Pentecost (recorded in Acts chapter 2), the Lord filled me with His gift of the Holy Ghost!!  It was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon! I remember everything about it--where I was (8 Logan Street Greenville, SC), who was there (Troy, Charity, my pastor's wife, a few dear Mothers of the church, and Elder Humphrey!), what I was wearing (black skirt, pink cardigan, black shoes, black hat), how I felt (GOOD!!! REAL GOOD! NOTHING CAN COMPARE!), everything!!  One week later, on January 16, 2005, I was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; Colossians 3:17) for remission of sin and PRAISE JESUS--newness of life!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

For me, it was one thing to read Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus (John 3: 1-21) but it was another to truly understand and experience what Jesus Christ was telling Nicodemus-- being born into His spiritual family!! (as opposed to my natural family that I was born into on December 4)!  Elder Evans, our assistant pastor, said a few weeks ago that we don't remember the day we're naturally born into this world.  Rather, we rely on what our parents tell us or on a piece of paper (birth certificate) that bears our name and a date.  We trust that that was the actual date that we were born into this world.  BUT, not so on the day of our second & spiritual birth!!  I don't need any paper documentation nor does anyone have to tell me the day of that birth!  You know for yourself without anyone having to tell you a thing!!  Jesus is so wise!!!

Since I failed to do a posting on my natural birthday, I'll give you a brief summary of how it went--I traveled to Athens, GA to visit the BEST hair dresser EVER (yay for a relaxer!), I came back to Greenville for service and had cake & ice cream with my church family, and on Saturday some of my amigos de Greenville surprised me at Myabi for dinner and we had a game night at our house!  Allison gave me Loaded Questions--one of my new FAVORITE games!!  So, we played that and had a smashing good time! 

Alrighty, I hope your 2010 is off to a fabulous start!!  I'm enjoying age 27 (feeling a little old) and looking forward to celebrating my 5th birthday this Saturday!! It truly has been the best five years of my life that's for sure and I just keep learning and growing, growing and learning!  Happy New Years Everyone! 

Happy Birthday To Me,
SG