Low Key New Year

Wes and I had plans to have a big New Year's Eve with some friends, but those plans fell through. Honestly, I was secretly happy! For the past few years we have always spent New Year's at an Ole Miss bowl game. This year, that wasn't an option. Instead, we decided to grill out with my dad and his fiancé. It was low key and pretty great! As I have gotten older, the whole "going out" thing has lost it's appeal. My college-aged self is cringing at my upper-20s self at this very moment! Speaking of upper-20s....tomorrow officially begins my birthday month--my 28th birthday month to be exact. Whoa, I am really "getting on up there"! However, most people still think I look 18. I'm sure that'll be a blessing in the coming years.

Hope y'all had a great New Year's Eve whether you spent it out on the town or at home like me!

2010-The Year in Review

2010 proved to be a pretty awesome year for me!  Here are a few highlights:

Started the year off in Dallas to watch Ole Miss defeat OSU in the Cotton Bowl at the new Cowboys' Stadium.  Incredible!

I laugh every time I see this picture.  Wes had just gotten a TERRIBLE haircut and has a 'shroom head!

Wes and I got engaged on February 14 in Gatlinburg. 

Sorry this is sideways...But I got my PERFECT wedding dress in March!

Had the privilege of working with some amazing ladies...and had fun doing it! This is at an academic pep rally where the "cheerleaders" pumped up the kids! 

 

 

Planned my dream wedding with the help of the best planner on earth-My Mom!

I was honored to have some amazing showers thrown for me by so many family and friends.  This is my school shower.  My best friend was so helpful in getting this all together.  Have I mentioned how much I heart this girl and how much I miss her????

LuLu and I moved to Mississippi and became a family of three!

"Enjoyed" Ole Miss football season.  Hard to do with how pitiful the team did!

I married the best guy I could ever dream of! 

We enjoyed a wonderful Mexican Honeymoon!

Celebrated my first Christmas as a Mrs. 

 

I hope y'all have an awesome new year!  It's gonna be hard to top this one, though!

Christmas 2010...It's a wrap!

I hope everyone had a spectacular Christmas!  I know I enjoyed my first married Christmas. 
Here's a brief recap of how Wes and I spent our holiday:
Dec. 23--met Wes in Petal.  He came up from work in Louisiana and I came down from Oxford to do Christmas with his mom's side of the family-his sisters and their kids, his mom's brother and sister and their kids.  They always have gumbo and Wes had the honor of making it.  It was delicious and much need break from the normal holiday food I'm used to having.

Dec. 24--Christmas with Wes's dad's side of the family at his MaMaw's house.  His MaMaw practically raised him (long story) so he's super close to her.  It was a short but sweet lunch with his aunts, uncles, and cousins.

*I should probably insert here that I have a relatively SMALL family.  I'm a only child and one of only 4 grandchildren on my mom's side and one of 5 on my dad's side.  His family is HUGE!  And they are all really close, so everyone comes.  It was overwhelming to say the least and very different from what I am used to.*

After MaMaw's, we drove back up to Oxford to spend Christmas Eve night at our house.  It was great to have it just be the two of us, because we don't get to see each other often and when we do, there are usually others around.  We exchanged gifts with one another.  I got an iPad!!!  He got a grill along with a few other small things. 

Dec. 25--My mom came over to our house and we exchanged gifts with her.  She's a great gift-giver and always gets the perfect things. 

Newest additions to my TB collection!

Wes cooked us a great steak for lunch/supper on the grill.  Then, we went to go see Meet the Fockers.  So funny!  It's a really cute movie.  I had forgotten how long it had been since I'd been to a movie.

Wes is home from work until January 6!!!  I am so excited to get to spend so much time with him. 

My camera cord is still MIA.  These pictures are from my phone.  Once I locate my cord, I'll share my other goodies! 

Only in Mississippi...

Tonight I am going to what is called the "Redneck Christmas Parade" in a town called Big Creek. 

I can only imagine what I am going to see.  Hopefully it'll be something along the lines of this:

Sorry PETA people, but living in MS, you get used to seeing stuff like this. 

Stay tuned tomorrow because I am sure I'll have lots of interesting pictures!

My Dog is TOO Stinkin' Cute!

Nothing much excting has been going on the last week.  My husband came home from work for a few days so I just enjoyed spending some much needed quality time with him.  I miss him so much when he's gone, but with me not teaching this year I am so thankful that he has such a good job. 

So, I decided to blog about LuLu today!  LuLu is a terrier mix rescue dog that I have had for 5 years.  She is my baby!  If I spoil my real child anything like I do LuLu, it's going to be bad! 

She didn't love her Snuggie.

On top of Mt. Cheaha

She loves to sun on the porch!

I won't bore y'all with any more pictures, but I could post pictures of that sweet baby girl all day long!
Are y'all as attached to your dogs as I am??

Christmas is in the air...

I addressed and stuffed our Christmas cards today.  I feel so grown-up!  It's like sending out Christmas cards is the ultimate symbol of being an adult.  It was alot harder than I was expecting to pick out the photo and design for our cards.  Shutterfly has so many great options.  I am happy with my decision. We went with a wedding picture since Wes and I didn't have a chance to take a "Christmasy" picture. 

So today, I sat at my work table (TV tray) and got to stuffing. 

That's one more thing I am glad to have crossed off my to-do list.  I didn't put them in the mail yet, though.  When do y'all usually send your's out?  I have already gotten a couple in the mail, but I don't want to be too early.  

I also have bought presents for most of the people on our list.  And saved tons thanks to Ebates and cash back at some stores through my bank.

I always have such a hard time buying for my dad.  He doesn't really have any hobbies so to say other than Ole Miss sports and he already owns everything he wants.  I am having a hard time buying for Wes's parents also.  And he is  no help!  

Does anyone else love riding around looking at Christmas lights like I do?  It is quite possibly one of my favorite things to do this time of year.  

The town next to where my mom lives has one family who have turned their house into a Winter Wonderland!  WOW!!!  This is over-the-top!  

St. Bernards and Palm Trees...why not??

I wonder what their neighbors think!

They even have a holographic Santa that appears in the window!

The had to build a storage building on the lot next door to store all this stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please tell me this is not just a Mississippi/Alabama thing...Do people all over go all out like this? 
Guess they have to make up for those of us simpletons with only a tree and some garland!

Today I miss...

These lovely ladies:

They are the wonderful women I was honored to work with for 4 great years at my old school.  This was when they threw me a lingerie shower before my wedding.  It is so great to work with people who you actually like and enjoy spending time with outside of school.


Add to that, getting to work everyday with your best friend...

 

Now, I am not going to lie...most days I love not having the responsibility of eighteen 7-year olds.  But, then I think about how much they taught me in the 4 years I was a teacher.  I am so ready to get back in the classroom next year. If nothing else, this year off has proven to me that I am supposed to be a teacher.  Because there were days that I definitely questioned it.

SO EXCITED!  I am going back to Anniston this weekend and am going to get to visit school on Friday!  I am so ready to see everyone.  I just hope I don't let my emotions take over and become a blubbering mess!  

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

 

This is our Christmas tree.  It's pretty blah compared to others I have seen posted on blogs and twitter.  But, seeing as how this is our first married Christmas, I wanted something new.

 

  Last year my tree was white with lime green decorations.  It was super cute (for a single gal).   

 

Living in a condo has it definite ups and downs.  UP--no yard work!  DOWN--Total lack of space.  Thus the reason the tree looks like it's just in the middle of the living room.  No other place to put it.

I scored this tree and all the deorations a few weeks ago at Hobby Lobby for half off.  

 

 Once we are in a "real" house, I will have more and better decorations.  I just can't justify spending tons on decorating this year.  There are just too many things on my wish list!!

So Long, Football Season

Last night ended Ole Miss's football season for 2010. Sad day in the Wade household...

         My mom and me at the
                        Egg Bowl 2010                       

Unfortunately,  I have misplaced my camera cord--AGAIN--so my pictures are from this season are pretty limited. 
But I'm not sure I'm going to even want to remember how the "Holy Masoli" season came to a screeching halt at a remarkably terrible record of 4-8, 1-7 in the SEC.  Last in the SEC West.  Only team in the West to not be bowl eligible (only SEC East team is Vanderbilt who we also lost to). 



This is not intended to be a sports blog but when you are married to a sports enthusiast, it's hard to think of anything else this time of year.  Wes is in mourning.  His only hope comes from the fact that basketball season has begun and we are supposed to be pretty good--however as an Ole Miss fan, you are always prepared for the worst.  

 Another thing to look forward to with the end of football--only 82 days until BASEBALL SEASON! I have always loved baseball.  What is better than sitting in the outfield with a cooler of beer?  NOTHING! (Ok, maybe an unlimited shopping budget at Anthropologie)  But since Wes and I actually met at an Ole Miss baseball game in the outfield, it has a special place in my heart.  

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving week!  There are so many things to be thankful for this year.  

*Still working on being a better blogger...

Weekend Re-cap

Wes works in southern Louisiana for an oil company--not on a rig, but still in the oil industry so he has to be down there all the time.  He's done this since we met, so I guess I should be "used" to it.  When we first started dating, he worked 7 days straight and was off for 7 straight days.  I loved that schedue!  But, then thanks to BP all that changed!  He has been doing logistics stuff with the clean-up process.  Don't know specifics, because I don't really understand the oil business.  He tells me but it sometimes feels like he's speaking another language. What I do know is that they have told him to work "as long as possible" and then take a few days off here and there.  Since I'm not working right now, we both feel like he needs to work to make the money.  Anyway, all that to say that in the month we have been married (aside from our honeymoon), I have seen him for a total of four days.  NOT FUN!!  

Since Ole Miss played in Baton Rouge this weekend, we decided that would be a fun weekend for me to get to go down there and meet up with him and some of his work buddies that are hard-core LSU fans.  We met some of them for dinner Friday night and had a blast!  Then on Saturday, we went to their tailgate.  On the way there, I guess we had to walk through the "student" tailgate area.  There were beer pong tables lined all down the sidewalk. They were literally yelling in my face "TIGER BAIT, TIGER BAIT, TIGER BAIT".  I was so scared.  Wes just ignored them and kept walking, holding my hand, but I had never had an experience like that before.  It was HARDCORE!!  I wish I had pictures but I wasn't about to stop and antagonize them  any more.  Once we got to the tailgate where we were going, they all apologized and were so sorry that we had to go through that.  It was just very different from the Grove at Ole Miss.  Made me miss Oxford!!

The game was good. We lost, of course.  But, the team did better than expected and actually fought hard! 

I am back at home now, and a lonely wife again :(

I am going to Wes's hometown on Wednesday for Thanksgiving with his family.  He will actually have Thursday off, so he will get to come up Wednesday night and stay until early Friday morning.  I am excited that I won't have to wait 2 more weeks to see him like I did last time.  

Hope you all had a great weekend, also!

Brandi's Big Day

One of my bridesmaids, Brandi, got married 3 weeks after Wes and I.  I was honored to get to be a part of her big day because it was so great to have her their for mine.  
She and Jared got married at the Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville.  It is a beautiful antebellum home with amazing grounds.  It was the perfect location for a Fall wedding.  
Jared is a Naval Aviator so the wedding was pretty formal with all the to-do that the Navy does: the sword arch was my favorite part!  

Really awkward of me (far right in blue dress)...but this is at the bridesmaid's luncheon.  

Brandi and her sweet momma

Yes, I am drinking a beer before we walk down the aisle...it had been a LONG DAY.  At the beauty salon for 6 hours, pictures for almost 3...I deserved it! 

 

And, no, those are not "drunk eyes", those are "let's get this show on the road eyes".  Sarah and I were the only non-pregnant BMs so she drank one with me.  We were bored and beyond the point of being tired.  Not to worry though, we rallied and had a grand ole time at the reception!  

Brandi's dress was large and in charge!!  And gorgeous!!!

Couldn't be happier for the two of them.  They had dated for 8 years and it was TIME!  I just hope Jared gets stationed somewhere closer in the near future.  Washington state is TOO far!

Wedding!

Most pictures from the wedding are either on my 
mom's computer or are on Facebook that other people took.  Still haven't gotten the professional ones, yet.  I know they are going to be AMAZING!  My photographer was David Walters from Avalon Studios.  He took all my pictures in high school and has been a major part of my life for so long, so it was so special to have him and his wife there for the WHOLE weekend documenting every step.  
Here are a few more that I do have.

With Cheryl, the wedding planner at WaterColor, at the Rehearsal.  She was so helpful.  

Chatting it up at the Rehearsal.
I loved my dress.  It's a BCBG from an outlet.  Super cheap, but I thought it was perfect!

My dad had a welcome party at the house he had rented after the rehearsal dinner for  everyone.
Wes and I had to be "counseled" by our minister before we got married, so that's what we were doing here!  Very informal!  He is one of Wes's very best friends and we were honored to have him perform the ceremony for us.  

Kinley (jr. bridesmaid, cousin), Megan (BFF), Brandi (college roomie)

Wes, me, and our wedding party.  We kept it small.  OUr wedding was very low-key, but exactly what we both wanted.

Picture Overload

I love looking (ok more like stalking) at other people's wedding pictures.  So, here are a few unprofessional shots of our big day and weekend.
All the festivities were in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

At the Courthouse getting our marriage license!


Bridesmaid's luncheon at Bud and Alleys.  Megan (BFF), Brandi (college roomie), and Courtney (Wes's younger sister).  Four of my "girls".

Make-up trial run with two fishes artistry.  They are amazing and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a makeup artist in the Destin, Florida area.

                             Yes, we all put on our Boscia masks!

Finished getting ready, complete with my Ole Miss garter!
I LOVE my dress!  It's a Modern Trousseau Keira.  I got it at Kelly's Closet in Atlanta.  I had the BEST experience there and felt so comfortable and NO pressure.  Highly recommend it to all brides!  

Delirious after SO many pictures and ready to get the show on the road!
My flowers were done by Grove FIsher. She's great! And so much fun to work with!

I am so lucky to be married to this great man!  So sweet and so caring.  He was trying to calm me down.  

Sign at the Garden for our ceremony.  

We walked to beach for a short sunset photo op.

First Dance...neither of us are great dancers, so we danced like we were at the 7th grade homecoming dance!

Wes's groom's cake table--ALL OLE MISS

NOBODY can say I didn't have fun at my wedding! 

After-party...LuLu came to see her mom and dad

More to come...Blogger doesn't want to let me upload any more right now.