Senior Year {2004}

I saw Sarah answer these questions about her high school days earlier this month and thought that it would be a fun post! I went to high school in Charlotte and really loved all 4 years of it!

1. did you date someone from your school?
No I didn't. But in college I dated a friend from high school.

2. did you marry someone from your high school?
Nope! Patrick isn't even from my home town!

3. did you car pool to school? 
Not usually. Occasionally before I got my license I would carpool with a neighbor but more often than not my mom would take and pick me up. Once I got my license I drove myself!

4. What kind of car did you have?
I had my dads forest green Jeep Grand Cherokee.

5. What kind of car do you have now?
A Tahoe. Total #momcar

6. its friday night. football games or party?
Football games, followed by meeting everyone at Ben and Jerrys and then usually a sleep over at my house.
7. It is Saturday night?
I was typically hanging out with friends, maybe going to dinner or a movie and then probably another sleep over at either my house or one of my girlfriends.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?
I didn't work during the school year but each summer I was a camp counselor at Camp Hollymont. I wouldn't call this work because I went for years and years and some of my best friends today I met there!

9. What kind of job do you have now?
After college I was an elementary school teacher but after I had Jack in 2013 I became a stay at home mom!

10. Were you a party animal?
Nope. Not in the least.

11. Were you considered a flirt?
Negative.

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
None of them! It wasn't a requirement so I didn't do any!

13. Were you a nerd?
No, I don't think so!

14. Did you get suspended or expelled?
Never! I definitely was not a rule breaker in the least.

15. Can you sing the fight song?
I can't even remember if we had one! How sad is that.

16. Who was/were your favorite teachers?
I loved all my teachers, but my favorites were Mr. Taylor, who taught me math! He was everyones favorite! I also loved Mrs. Bard, Mrs. Clark..I really could go on!

17. Where did you sit during lunch?
I can't remember! I think it varied by day. Senior year we would sit outside or in the senior lounge.

18. What was your school's full name?
Providence Day School

19. When did you graduate?
2004.. Which I really can't believe it was that long ago! Some days I feel like I just graduated and can't believe I'm 31 with 2 of my own kids!

20. What was your school mascot?
The PDS Chargers!

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
Yes, I loved high school! I loved my friends, the teachers, other than the school work I really had the best time!

22. Did you have fun at prom?
Yes, I did! Prom was fun both my Junior and Senior year.

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to prom with?
I don't talk to them, but I do follow them on social media! It's fun to see what they are up to! Both are married now!

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?
If my girlfriends go I will probably go! My parents still live in my hometown and most of my girlfriends from high school live there so more than likely we will end up going.

25. Do you still talk to people from school? 
I do! I have a great group of high school girlfriends that I talk to frequently. We were just talking about planning a fun girls getaway weekend. It's fun to see how we have all gone through different stages of life since high school. Most of us are now married and several of us have had at least one baby. I'm so thankful for this group of girls and love that all these years later we are still close!

So I was trying to find some photos from high school but those were the days before iPhones and social media (gasp!)  so all I could find were some from our college days, which is probably a good thing. High school was full of awkward moments and terrible outfits! Also would you believe it but I am a natural blonde! My secret is finally out :) I didn't have one of us all together but

*Linking up with Beth and Jen

Friday Favorites!

Happy Friday! So glad it's the weekend. This week has seemed extra long for some reason.

My favorites from this week are totally random!

O N E | Grahams curls! Y'all, I die over them daily. Yesterday after nap they were just so perfect and I had to snap a picture. I really probably should cut his hair but I can't bring myself to do it.

T W O | I have been using essential oils for a while but rarely diffuse. Well, I decided I wanted to get back into using my diffuser and of course I was missing a part. So when I saw my sweet friend Brittney post on her instagram about this diffuse I ordered two! Jack is obsessed with the way it changes colors.  (bonus..its majorly on sale! $19.99 usually $69.99)

T H R E E | Avocado Toast. Y'all, where have I been hiding? Why have I never tried this before. It is SO good! And so easy. I have made this the past two mornings and aside from it only taking about 5 minutes it also has kept me full until lunchtime. I just took half an avocado and roughly mashed it with a fork. Add a pinch of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread it on toast and top with a little red pepper flake. It's extra yummy with the friend eggs I had with it!

F O U R | If you know me it's no secret I love to shop for my boys. Thankfully they have matched up season wise so I have gotten lots of wear out of the clothes. But they still have way too much! There are so many Facebook BST groups out there and I decided to do a big purge earlier this week. Y'all, it was so successful! I am so excited and am not addicted to seeing what I can sell! This was my basket of packages that I had to drop off at the post office!

F I V E | I saw this on instagram the other day and it made me laugh! Knock on wood my kids are both pretty good sleepers right now, but you really do never know how many times a mom got up during the night! 

S I X | TGIT...who watched Greys, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder last night? I didn't get through all of them, (nap time today!) but I am so excited that they are finally back!! 

I hope you have a great weekend! We are hanging with friends and then will be celebrating Patricks grandmamas 94th birthday on Sunday! 

*Linking up with Andrea, April, and Karli

Thoughts For Thursday

I haven't done an confessions post in awhile so here goes!

I confess...

// That the toys are out of control in our house. I pick them up and not 30 seconds later Graham has pulled all the books off the shelf and there are toys everywhere. Thankfully they are contained in my playroom so I don't see them all over. I do get annoyed when they creep into my den though!

// That I have been trying to eat better, or be more intentional with what goes in my mouth. Yesterday I was really good...until 8:00 when I decided I should open the girl scout cookies I had to buy that day. I should have stayed strong and not bought any!!

// That I have noticed on days where Jack doesn't watch the iPad very much he is a much better child. He isn't as sassy and doesn't have as many melt downs. I am definitely going to be setting timers when he is on it and enforce him getting off!

// That I have taken nyquil the past two nights because of a cold I have and that is the best sleep I've had in a long time. Although I have woken up super groggy each morning, but the sleep is heavenly!

// That we have squirrels that some how get in our attic and they go down a wall in our bedroom and it FREAKS ME OUT. You only hear them in the middle of the night and it literally sounds like they are going to scratch through the wall and come into my bedroom. Patrick has set traps in years past and caught many. They must have chewed through the wire he put up because they are BACK!

// That I am so behind on commenting on blog comments. I need to start doing it right when I read the comment because I otherwise forget and then feel bad that it's been so long since I've commented!

// That we have had some awesome weather these past few days and while it has given me a taste of spring I am not ready for winter to be over! I haven't had enough time to wear all the winter clothes...uggs and puffy coats. They are my favorite!

// That I just can't stay on top of keeping my house picked up. I have tried so hard to keep my kitchen clean. It was spotless yesterday morning. As I look at it now, its a wreck! Just crap everywhere, not dirty dishes or anything.

// That Graham likes to pull every single thing out of any drawer I have in my kitchen and it's driving me crazy. No need to workout because I spend all day doing squats putting stuff in the drawer and he pulls it right back out!

// and lastly...that I need Graham to start walking!! He is so close and it would make life so much easier. He doesn't want to be held but I can't put him down when we are places...like the park, or a store! So come on buddy..walk!!

Well there are a few of my thoughts for this Thursday! I hope you have a great day, and yahoo tomorrow is FRIDAY!!

*Linking up with Annie and Danielle

What's Up Wednesday {January}

I love this link up and am excited to participate today! The last one I did was before Thanksgiving!

1. What we're eating this week....

Monday night we had these ranch pork chops that were so good, I highly recommend! Tuesday we were going to have tacos but at 4:30 my MIL texted asking if we wanted to come over there for dinner..of course I happily said YES! My cleaning lady had just left so I was more than happy to have a clean kitchen one more day! Wednesday will be Tacos and from there it will be down hill! I saw this on Facebook the other day and it totally made me laugh because it describes me perfectly! 

2. What I'm reminiscing about....

How little the boys were! I have been selling a bunch of their old clothes and with each outfit I pull out I can remember them wearing it. Im also thinking about our trip we took last weekend! 

3. What I'm loving...

We have had some warmer temps and I have really enjoyed them. I still am not ready for winter to be over and I'd love one really good snow, but I will take the nice weather while I can!

 4. What we've been up to...

A lot of playing at the park! It has been really nice weather this week and we have been meeting friends to play after naps! Its great because our boys get to run and play and we get to chat and interact with someone other than a toddler! #winwin

5. What I'm dreading...

I can officially say that I am NOT dreading potty training anymore. There really isn't anything I am dreading right now. Hallelujah!

6. What I'm working on....

Organizing. I'm a broken record on this subject lately but I am trying to get things organized and cleaned out! I'm also working on trying to get Graham to walk! He will be 15 months on Saturday and is so close but still won't do it. He wants to and it will be so nice to be able to put him down in public places and let him walk, so come on buddy!

7. What I'm excited about...

I've got a fun girls weekend coming up and then in March I am taking Jack to Disney!! I've been busy planning that (thanks to Erika for all her help!!) and I just wrote out our itinerary! I can't wait to see how Jack likes it!

8. What I'm watching...

This Is Us! I am sure along with every other blogger out there, this show is amazing. I find myself laughing and crying all within the same episode. If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend!

Quantico... another great show! Patrick and I both like this, and finding a show that we both like and watch together is pretty rare!

The Bachelor...What girl isn't watching this show right now? I really can't stand Nick and I think Corrine is a disaster but for some reason I just can't turn away!!

9. What I'm listening to...

We got an Alexa for Christmas and so anytime we are in the kitchen Jack loves to tell her to play "Old Mac Donald Had a Farm" so we've been listening to that pandora station! If we aren't listening to that then you can bet I hear Paw Patrol or Peppa Pig in the background. 

10. What I'm wearing...

I have been living in my Old Navy rockstar jeggings and the Target turtleneck tunic. I got the Lilly swing jacket and love it! It's so comfy and I will definitely be wearing it regularly between now and summer!

11.What I'm doing this weekend...
We don't have any plans. I am sure we will do something with friends and just hang around the house. After traveling last weekend I am up for a low key weekend.

12. What I'm looking forward to next month...

Valentines day! I know its a made up holiday but I really do love it. Its so fun to get extra mushy and I adore all the pink and red that comes around with this holiday!

13. Bonus Question...

This months bonus question is who was my favorite bachelor/bachelorette? I have to say I loved me some Sean Lowe. He was so genuine and I have loved following {stalking} he and Catherine on instagram since they got married! I also adored Ben. He was so cute and sweet!

and that's what's up with me! I would love to hear what you've been up to. Have a great day, Happy hump day friends!

* Linking up with Shay, Shaeffer, and Mel 

Weekending- Anniversary Trip

Back from a great long weekend! I hope you had a relaxing and fun weekend, if you live in the South and were affected but the terrible storms I pray that you are safe and did not have much damage!

Thursday Patrick and I loaded up and headed for The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. When we discussed taking a trip for our 5 year anniversary we went back and fourth on where to go. Originally planning to go somewhere tropical for a week, but ultimately after some discussion about a budget and other expenses we have going on we decided on somewhere smaller that we could drive to for a long weekend. I settled on The Homestead. Neither one of us had been there and I've heard good things about it. Fun fact, my parents spent their honeymoon there 44 years ago!

It was about a 5 hour drive for us. It really isn't a bad drive and we always enjoy time in the car when we don't have screaming kids in the backseat! I adore the mountains so I was excited to be up there. Once we got up the first part of the mountain we still had a ways to go. Our GPS took us through a tiny town and as we were winding our way through we kept making comments about how odd it was that we got off the highway. We got to this what could only be described as a one lane road but was not a one way road..We were unsure of it but GPS kept telling us to take it so we did. Y'all, this was singly handedly the scariest road I have ever been on. We are literally driving up the side of a mountain, with NO guard rail. On a road that allows cars to go in both directions. We came across two cars going in the opposite direction and thankfully we were going slow enough that Patrick could pull over far enough for them to scoot past. I was white knuckling the seat with sweaty palms and practically having a panic attack the entire time. If you follow me on instagram you probably saw my instastory about the whole thing. Once we got to the top it was quite comical, but during, I for sure was certain we would never make it out and my boys would never see their mama again. #dramaticmuch

We arrived at The Homestead about 3:00. The resort is beautiful. It is old, like built in the 1800s old. They have done an excellent job of preserving the historic nature of it. After checking in we went to explore the property some. They have the cutest little nooks to sit and chat, lots of fire places too! We happened to get there right as their afternoon tea time was starting. So we enjoyed a little snack and sat by the fire for a moment. We then found a sitting room that had table set up for checks and chess. Of course we sat down and played a game..I lost, twice!

We had dinner reservations at the Casino restaurant, which actually is not a casino at all. I'm guessing back in the day it was a real casino, but now it's just a pro shop and restaurant. It was a yummy meal. We both had different pizzas.

Friday morning we got up and went to the breakfast buffet. Y'all, this buffet was amazing!! They had anything you could ever want. The homemade donuts were my favorite, in fact I went on to eat one every morning we were there. After breakfast I headed to the spa while Patrick did a bit of work and relaxed. Of course when I booked my appointment a few weeks ago I wasn't think that it was the morning of the inauguration. Of course I wanted to watch this so as soon as my massage ended at 11:50 I booked it up to find Patrick. I was listening to the swearing in on my phone as I was racing through the hotel, which is not a small place! I made it to the Jefferson Lounge where they were showing the whole thing on about 5 different TVs. Everyone was watching and I even heard a few cheers and claps. Regardless of what side you stand on, it was a big moment and one that I was excited to watch.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out, playing games, and walking the grounds. We took a early evening hay ride around the property which ended with s'mores. We then headed to a light dinner of apps in the Jefferson Lounge.

Saturday we enjoyed that buffet again for breakfast. They offer a historical tour of the resort every morning at 10 so we decided to be nerdy and take part!  After that we went to the spa where we took advantage of the heated pools, hot tub, and hot spring. I wasn't able to get a good picture of the octagon hot spring because there were people in it, but Thomas Jefferson used to soak in that very pool. It is naturally heated by the ground at 103 degrees. It was really cool!

 we were obviously born to be models...

 That dark pool in the background is the hot spring that Thomas Jefferson once soaked in

Saturday night we had an early dinner. It was really good! You can order a s'mores kit to take down to the fire pit that is outside and we waited until Saturday to take advantage of this. It's the cutest kit. They give you everything you need! After this, we played a few more rounds of Skip Bo and then headed to bed.

Sunday morning we indulged one last time at the breakfast buffet and then hit the road. It was a wonderful weekend and super relaxing. It was so nice to get away with just Patrick but we missed the boys and were excited to get home to them!

We saw this sign as we were passing the scary road I said we WOULD NOT be taking down the mountain..would have been helpful if we had seen this before we came up it! 

Over all the resort was wonderful! There is not a lack of things to do. I had hoped that there would be snow on the group and we could have gone skiing but unfortunately it was warm and there was no snow. They have an ice skating rink which would have been fun, but again, too warm this trip! The only downside to the resort is most things are an additional charge. I knew this going into it, but my money conscious hubby cringed every time we had to charge something to the room! If we were to ever go back I would like to go in the spring/summer when Patrick could golf and the many outdoor pools would be open.

The boys had an amazing weekend with my inlaws and I am sure did not miss us one bit. I am thankful that we can leave them and not worry about them at all! It was a wonderful way to celebrate being married for 5 years! I can't wait to see what the next 5 hold for us!

the boys with their cousin, grandaddy and great grandmama! 

*Linking up with Biana