From Gate A13

I'm headed home after an amazing week at the J&W Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. My company's national meeting was held there this week and after 3 days of meetings, awards, AMAZING food, and absolute FUN I am ready to get home. I'm not looking forward to the 4.5 hour flight....as I type this I'm hoping the poodle skirt clad gate attendant will hook me up with a first class upgrade.


I spent the afternoon yesterday riding in a jeep through the desert. LOVED IT!!! We saw a gigantic jack rabbit and even heard coyotes howling in the distance. It was blazing hot and I wish they would have told us we needed to wear real shoes (I didn't think we'd be getting out of the jeeps so of course I wore my Rainbows).

I'm looking forward to getting home tonight just in time for trick or treaters. I hope EJ remembered to buy some candy.....

Countdown to NAPA: 4 DAYS!!!!

The countdown is almost over...

I'll be here by noon tomorrow....

How about a little fire, Scarecrow?

The ability aka talent to quote movies line for line is something I am very proud of. Groomsmen Page and I can have a conversation entirely in movie script. Roo fails to appreciate this skill. I have no doubt she was ignoring it during Friday night’s viewing of Gladiator because I was lending a helping hand in the kitchen prepping for a baby shower we hosted Saturday. It was a Halloween-theme shower with good food and great friends. What I took most from the event was an advancement on when I might want to add someone new to the household of EJ & Roo. We both want kids, there is no dispute there…but we know we probably need to wait a little while and get everything in order in the house that we still have 28 years and 10 months to pay for. However, if having a kid means Roo will spend more energy on dressing a child up than decorating me and the dogs, I am all for it before next Halloween. I kid, of course, as Roo’s creative touch is one of the many things I truly appreciate about her. For Halloween, she has done a great job of transforming our home into the Land of Oz. Friday’s epic of dishing out tricks and treats will star Roo as Dorothy, myself as the Scarecrow, Max as the Tin Man and Kennedy as the Cowardly Lion. And as I write this, I am informed that future Halloween’s with little EJ’s running around the house will only add to the cast giving us munchkins and flying monkeys. So it looks like it for years to come I’ll need to try to keep my sleeves of straw away from the candles which I failed this year by the way. Roo warned me several times that I needed to mind my outfit around the food and fire. “I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers, consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin' if I only had a brain.”

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it."

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

You were my first love,

always there for me

You taught me how to walk and how to dream

God gave me your eyes

But it was you who taught me how to see

Now I can stand on my own

But I know that you'll never let go

I'll always be your baby

No matter how the years fly by

The way you love me made me

Who I am in this world

I'm a woman now, not a little girl

Wherever this life takes me

I'll always be your baby

You are my hero and that will never change

You still can dry my tears with just a smile

The one I've leaned on

From my first steps to walking down the aisle

Now there's another man in my life

But I know by the look in your eyes

I'll always be your baby

No matter how the years fly by

The way you love me made me

Who I am in this world

I'm a woman now,

Not a little girl

Wherever this life takes me

I'll always be your baby

Your faith, your love

And all that you believe

Have come to be the strongest part of me

And I will always be your baby

Anyone hiring?

I’ve been thinking about getting a second job. No, not because of the recent economic hiccup or because I'm not happy and successful in my current position, not because I want a bigger TV or a faster car. I have no intention of investing a dime more than my employer matches. Have you checked your 401K lately? I could use a second income so that Roo wouldn’t have to bring one in at all. And before you get excited about a super sweet hubby post, I must confess the reasoning for such is slightly selfish. Of course, I love having the Mrs. at home as opposed to her being on the road solely for the sake of having her home, don't get me wrong, but if I could have her home all the time, I’d eat like a king. She’s outdone herself this week with some new menu items added to the mix and complimented by some old favorites. We also had movie night on a Tuesday. We’ve walked the dogs around the neighborhood every day this week. So while I may have to share the tv and dvr a little more, a play a little less xbox with Riley around, I would gladly trade the Call of Duty 4 and the plasma for a stay at home mom. I’d even offer to cook a little more.

Fall Photos

Kennedy & Max

This guy is scaring the heck out of the neighborhood rugrats.

We've Been Boo'd

We woke up Sunday morning to find this on our doorstep!

We decided to jazz ours up a little.

Visit www.boograms.com to get your own BOO!! We're off to BOO 2 of our neighbors!!

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.

It seems like yesterday I was holding you mere hours after you were born.

I will always be your #1 Fan.

You've grown to become such a beautiful young woman.

Your sense of fashion and love for shoes is amazing. You were the best maid of honor a girl could ask for.
I thank God everyday for giving me such an amazing sister. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

The Great Debate

Me again. And the last thing I would do is try to make any kind of political statement here but given the times and the latest debate fresh in our minds, it kind of steered my thought process this morning. I don’t post as often as Roo nor did I realize anyone else was really reading this. I tend to get inspired by a thought or moment and put it in virtual ink so that I can look back later and remember it all. Time is really flying by, I can’t believe it has been 5 months. A great 5 months and I want to hang onto all the memories, so my posts here tend to be more of a moment that moved me or an idea that inspired me or just something that made me smile. I guess we could argue as to the purpose of our posts but why debate that? I made the mistake of mentioning the Presidential race at work and forget the battlefield, the civil war was reenacted right before my eyes. Riley and I rarely talk politics. I know how she feels and not so sure how I feel…especially about politics as it relates to our relationship. Roo and I don’t agree on everything…like the amount of humor found in the Family Guy. We agree to disagree on how good a driver I am. The definition of a clean bathroom registers a little differently between the two of us. I hold a generally optimistic and go with the flow, laid back sort of spirit while Roo is definitely more organized and structured. She loves butter beans, I hate peas. I don’t know how we ever watched TV without HD, she can’t really see a big difference. I’m an early riser, she not so much. We certainly disagree on where Star Wars rates on the list of all-time great movies. And of course, like any couple, we have our disagreements that come and go, some faster than others. I admit I am guilty of pushing buttons sometimes, especially when it comes to getting in the last word. In our pre-wedding counseling, the preacher told us that the most successful marriages are made up of those that don’t always see eye to eye, opposites not only attract but also attach. With Riley, I may not see everything the same way…but in Riley, I see everything. And there’s no debating that.

Can't believe it's been 5 months...

"I love being married. It's so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." - Rita Rudner

Go DAWGS!

No I'm not a Georgia fan but I am officially a fan of Athens, Georgia. I'm here on a work trip and had the pleasure of dining at Harry Bissett's tonight for dinner. All I can say is that my Carpetbagger Steak (Filet topped with fried oysters and Bearnaise sauce) was DELICIOUS! If I could go back to college (as an 18 year old) I would definitely consider the University of Georgia. The campus is beautiful and the surrounding area is full of awesome restaurants and bars. Don't get me wrong I love my alma mater - GO EAGLES! - but this college town is pretty awesome!

Mmmm...Pimento Cheese

Since I'm not traveling until later this week I was able to enjoy an amazing lunch with one of my old coworkers today. I'm a born and bred southern girl and this southern girl is a sucker for some homemade pimento cheese. NOFO on Liz is a lunch spot I frequented when I worked on a daily basis in Charlotte -- since my job keeps me on the go now, I don't get to go as often as my stomach would like!! The Grilled Pimento Cheese with Tomato & Applewood Smoked Bacon is the reason I keep going back! I topped it off with a side of potato salad and a big glass of sweet tea. Yum! If you're ever in Charlotte, specifically the Elizabeth area, I highly recommend NOFO on Liz.

NOFO on Liz - LOVE the Decor!

~ Roo

Happy Birthday to the Future Mrs. Connor

Happy Birthday to my favorite karaoke partner!! I'm so excited about the year that's in store for you and can't wait to stand beside you on your special day.

Where did the weekend go???

Max & Kennedy got much needed hair cuts on Saturday. They both enjoyed our ride home from Petsmart hanging out the windows with the wind blowing their freshly groomed hair! Too cute!!

We enjoyed a pretty relaxing weekend. Ordered pizza Friday night and watched SATC for the third time. Spent Saturday cleaning the house and went to dinner at a local dive Saturday night. We officially became members of First Baptist this morning and were recognized in front of the congregation. We're so happy to have found our church!! After church EJ & I went to lunch at McAlister's followed by grocery shopping. We tried two new recipes for dinner and they were delicious -- Hamburger Steak with Sweet Onion Mushroom Gravy & Three Cheese Potatoes. Definitely keepers! Back to another work week tomorrow. Glad to be in the home office Monday and Tuesday. Headed to Athens, GA on Wednesday for work. I've never been to Athens so if anyone has any restaurant recommendations please share!! Where did the weekend go???

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary to Roo's Mom & Dad!

Here's to many more years to come.

We love you guys!!

Let the Countdowns Begin

19 Days!

JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa - Phoenix, AZ

26 Days!

And they're both work related trips so my unlucky husband can't go!! Think he'll forgive me if I bring him back a cool tshirt?!?

From Gate E37

Blogging today from the ATL airport waiting on my connecting flight to Albany, GA. Just a recap of our eventful weekend!! * I can't stand the ATL airport.*

Saturday

Yard Sale - Wasn't a HUGE success but my sister and I managed to rake in around $160. Still have a ton of clothes to get rid of. Our neighborhood holds an annual Fall Yard Sale so we may hold on to everything until then or make a donation to the Salvation Army.

Yard Work - Wrapped up the yard sale around noon and headed to Home Depot. We'd been talking about doing a little landscaping for months and the yard work bug hit us on Saturday. We bought pine bark nuggets to freshen the flower beds and small hay bales & gorgeous mums to decorate our entryway for the fall (photos to come later!). Our estimates were off on how many bags of bark nuggets we needed so we'll be heading back to Home Depot at some point this week or weekend to get more. EJ finally removed a horrible bush that was planted right outside our doorway -- it was so big! What we've done so far looks amazing though!!

Sushi & Who's Bad - After our long day of Yard Sale and Yard Work we got dolled up for a night out on the town to celebrate my good friend Jessica's birthday. Our night began with sushi and sake bombs at an amazing restaurant called Nikos. Great sushi, great music, amazing atmosphere, and a great big bill but it was well worth it. If you're ever in Charlotte check it out!

Sake Bombs at Niko's

We wrapped up our evening at Amos' Southend. A Michael Jackson cover band known as Who's Bad was playing. They weren't that great but we enjoyed ourselves. Actually we enjoyed ourselves a little too much and spent our entire Sunday recovering.

Michael Jackson (wannabe) in all his glory.


Sunday

Wasted the entire day away napping on the couch watching movies and recovering from our night out. We are both plenty old enough to know better and we were very disappointed in ourselves for missing church. We've been visiting a church by our house for the past 3 months. We've been praying that we would be able to find a church where we could grow as Christians, meet young couples, and get involved in our community. We were to able get out of our funk yesterday afternoon to attend something the church calls "Dinner with the Pastor." Along with a few other folks we enjoyed a great dinner while getting to know the pastor and his wife as well as other church leaders. All of our questions about the church were answered and by the end of the evening we made the decision to become members through transfer of letter. We both were still members at our childhood churches. We are very excited and will officially be welcomed into the church family on Sunday. Keep us in your prayers as we start another new journey together!!

I Just Don't Know What to Do With My Time

Most of you will have to excuse the nature of this message. It doesn't quite follow shiny, happy, feel good posts Roo has been laying out here lately. Its hard to come up with the right words to describe how I am feeling today. You invest so much time and energy and emotion into a relationship only to be let down and it truly leaves you at a loss. I have spent most of the year, at least since spring...no, actually I have spent pretty much my whole life waiting for this to happen. And everything seemed to be going so well, the stars were aligned, the pieces were falling into place...and then the bottom drops out...again. 1984...1989...1998...2003...2007...2008? Every year, as a Cubs fan, you wait til next year. And when next year rolls around, as a Cub fan you naturally ease through even a slightly successful season with at least a hint of hesitancy. And here we are in October 2008 with the Cubs as postseason favorites to win it all and end a 100 year title drought and end a quarter of that century's worth of this fan's agony only to find the Cubs down 2-0 to the Dodgers. The Cubs didn't just lose the first two games of best of five either...they looked awful. No curses can be blamed here, they just stunk...at Wrigley nonetheless. So I sit here and wonder, while Roo is outside selling away our belongings that perhaps we held on to for too long, I am holding on too tight to the dream that one day the Cubs will win it all? If there truly is no Miracle on Addison St...and it will seemingly take a miracle at this point...what do I do with myself? What do I do with my time? The thought of going through the entire 2009 season really makes my head and heart hurt because we'll just be doing it all over again.

I just don't know what to do with myself. Going to the movies only makes me sad...because the last movie I saw, I saw by myself. Its my fault though. Choice really. The last movie I saw as the theater was Iron Man. Watching the screen next door were Roo and sister Jess, enjoying Sex and the City. Last weekend, there was discussion of going to see the new Nicholas Sparks movie. We didn't go and it may be partly my fault. Batman wasn't playing at the same time. Now that we're married, are movie dates over? Make no mistake, I enjoyed going to see the Notebook with Roo. I even read the book. But does that establish diplomatic immunity from being subject from sad stories ever again? Or would I enjoy a full series of sappy Sparks flicks more than yet another Cub-less World Series?

Moments

EJ and I are huge fans of Wonderful Graffitti - visit their website at http://www.wonderfulgraffitti.com/. We purchased two graffitti pieces for our home and can't be happier with the end result. These folks have an amazing customer service team as well. We weren't happy with the colors of the graffitti we purchased for our dining room -- they were horrible. I sent an email to customer service and a new one was shipped within 24 hours free of charge!!

The picture below is of the graffitti in our living room. We surrounded the graffitti with our favorite photos from our wedding day. We hope to change the pictures over the years when other special moments happen. Our house is finally starting to feel like a HOME and we've had so much fun decorating together. More photos to come of Wonderful Graffitti in our dining room!!

Garage Sale

We've decided to have a Garage Sale this weekend. We have a ton of STUFF we need to purge to make room for NEW stuff!! Meaning I need a new fall wardrobe and I'm secretly hoping EJ will finally decide to depart ways with some of his "college era" stuff. We originally planned to hold the garage sale next weekend but my mom convinced me that we'd make more money if we held it on the first Saturday of the month. Mom's always right so we changed our plans!! I put an ad in the local paper yesterday so hopefully it will attract a few bargain shoppers. One of our neighbors held one last weekend and the street was lined with cars!! Do any of you guys have any Garage Sale Tips??