Complicated Simplicity

New Married Blog

2010-11-04T16:33:00.000-05:00

I did it!!

I made a new married blog!!

Be sure and add it to your blog reader or whatever that thing is!!

Home With The Homans

I have even updated it with the first blog about our first two days of honeymoon bliss!

I am still working on that whole import/export blog thing....so the wedding posts will remain here until I can pick and choose!

New Blog

2010-11-04T08:42:00.000-05:00

I have really been contemplating starting a new "married" blog.

The blog name of this current one is WhitneyAliceHall and I am no longer a Hall (well, legally I am because no one will send us our marriage license so I can go get anything changed yet...but you know what I mean).

But the thought of leaving this blog behind irks me. I am not a different person, I just have a different last name. Blah. I am sure I will do it at some point today. There is so much I want/need to blog about (the honeymoon, putting up our christmas tree-yes, we did it October 31st, etc etc) that doesn't fall under the single person blog anymore.

Just hold tight. Im sure a change is coming....

The Day Has Come....continued

2010-11-02T16:49:00.001-05:00

Picture Time!!!

After Brad and I walked out of the chapel together. It was time to gather together the bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, house party, flower girls, ring bearer, parents, sister, grandparents to start taking pictures.

We did the typical formal photos. Me with my dad, with my mom, with both, with my grandma, Brad with his parents, add his sister, etc etc etc. It was fun, and we got some great formal shots, but formal is not really US.

After pictures with everyone were done, Brad and I headed outside with our two photographers to take some pictures of just us two. We got to walk, hold hands, kiss. He dipped me, I sat on his lap, he spun me around. We just got to play together like we always do, just this time we had two photographers snapping our every move and we were in formal clothing! Those are the pictures I cherish the most! I can't wait to get them printed out and frame them!!

After pictures of Brad and I were done. We said goodbye and went our separate ways until 5 pm. I was in the brides room (obviously) with my mom, Brad's mom, my grandma's, bridesmaids, and flower girls. Since I was so calm, and seriously having an out of body experience, I dont remember if it was hectic, or busy. I was just a fly on the wall, or so it felt. I know Kirby touched up my lipstick one last time. People were taking pictures around me, and with me.

I got out my "statements" (Brad and I did the traditional vows, but we had also decided to write statements to one another). I read through my statements to myself. Not trying to memorize them, but trying to make myself more comfortable with them. I can write about Brad all day long, and about why I love him, but getting up on the stage and reading them out loud is a totally different ball game! These were the words I was going to say to my future husband. These were the promises I was going to make to him. These were important words.

Finally, it was time. The moms and grandmas disappeared out of the room, as well as the bridesmaids and flower girls. I was in there for a split second before my daddy joined me. I had already seen him, but he looked so handsome in his tux. All I could do was smile. He smiled back. I dont think either of us cried at that moment....but we were both touched by what a special moment it was.

I tried to frantically search for some lip gloss (like that mattered right before I was about to get married). All my daddy had on him was his Vaseline. It worked like a charm. I applied it. I checked my teeth to make sure I had no lipstick on them...and we were out the door.

On our way to the doors of the chapel, we were talking. I could tell Dad was nervous. We ran in to one of his very good friends, Charles Cella. Mr. Cella owns Oaklawn and his lives in St. Louis, MO. He has Parkinson's that is not very good to him, but he had flown to Little Rock that morning for my wedding and went straight to the airport after the wedding so he could fly back home. What amazing friends my dad has!

We were both shocked to see him, because we knew he was not doing well. As he passed us he said "I wouldn't miss this for the world, I gave away my little girl, and this is an emotional day." What a great man he is.

We headed to the doors of the chapel. There are two sets of doors. One set leads into the chapel, the other set (only a few feet away from the first set) divides those doors from the rest of the church (which is huge and has many sections). The outer set was open, so the only thing between us and the guests was one set of doors. Dad and I stood there for a few minutes, talking to the Ushers (who were supposed to open the doors when they heard the music), and the wedding coordinator. The wedding coordinator reminded the ushers to be listening for the music. I thought I heard it, but wasnt going to say anything. My jobs were done! I was there to enjoy! The ushers started to listen, heard the music, and opened the doors.

Side note (which I found out later): The ushers had indeed not been listening, and while Dad and I were standing out there waiting on the music to start and the doors to open....our music had already started to play and had run through once already. When Brad told me this, I asked him if he was nervous that I wasnt coming. He said he could see me moving through the crack in the doors, so he was calm, but he was sure that everyone else in the audience had had a moment of panic on his behalf. LOL

The doors opened, and dad and I started down the aisle. I had always envisioned that I would smile at a few people and my eyes would be locked on Brad for the rest of the trip down. That is not how it happened at all. I had a hold of my dad's arm, trying to keep him from running down the aisle, and I spent my whole trip down the aisle looking at both sides of me. Looking at people, smiling, acknowledging. I didnt realize how far we had made it down the aisle until we were at the end. I dont even remember who I saw...lol....but I remember feeling bad that I didnt look at Brad the whole way down. (I confessed this to him later, and he said he didnt even notice).

Brad took his place by dad's side. Robert Lewis said some words, Dad gave me a kiss, gave Brad a hug, and took his seat. Brad moved in beside me. The rest of the ceremony is kinda a blur. I remember being really happy. Smiling the whole time. I kept wanting to steal kisses from Brad (but couldn't, we weren't officially married yet). I rubbed his back a few times. I definitely cried and sniffled during my statements. We held hands.

Andrea Dean sang and played piano. It was beautiful. That was when we did the unity candle. I was afraid wax from my candle was going to drip on my dress. I was also afraid that I or Brad would blow out the main candle that we had just lit when we were blowing out our small candles. Neither of my fears happened. Whew!

At one point, after the ceremony, and the unity candle, I looked at Brad and said "We are married" to which our pastor replied "Not yet, not until I say so". HAHA. I was just so ready to be his wife I guess.

The pastor prayed. He pronounced us husband and wife. We kissed and then we headed down the aisle hand in hand.

At the end of the aisle were four members of the Air Force Saber Team. They had their swords up. As we walked through them, the last two put their swords down in front of us so we couldnt walk any further. I looked up at the man to my right (David Smith, a man in Brad's unit) and he said "Welcome to the Air Force Family" I, of course, said "Thank you!". Then someone behind us said "You are supposed to kiss". So we did!

The swords in front of us went up, and then one of them popped me on the behind as we walked out of the church. SO FUN!!!

Brad and I went to a back hallway with our family to hide so the guests would head straight to the reception. We took some family pictures with extended/out of town family while the ushers, house party, groomsmen and bridesmaids cleaned up the chapel.

It was time to head to the reception. We were married!!! As we headed out to the limo, I realized I didnt have my purse, and/or my keys...and my dad needed my keys so he could drive my car to his house and then get picked up by his town car. There was a slight moment of panic...but all was resolved. The car the purse was in had not left the parking lot yet! They swung by the limo, I grabbed my lip gloss, razorback sticker for my cheek and my keys to give my dad.

Brad and I piled into the limo and headed to the reception! I have always wondered what a couple who is alone for the first time say to each other right after they get married...and I finally got to find out. We literally looked at each other and couldnt believe that it was finally here and over. WE WERE MARRIED!!

We talked about the ceremony, funny things that had happened, and just enjoyed being alone and being married. When we got to the reception site, our driver immediately took us to the upper level where we met our photographer to take some more pictures of Brad and I. I had applied my razorback sticker to my cheek already, so those were in the pictures too!

Side Note: Every Saturday of football season, if the Hogs are playing, I am wearing the Razorback on my cheek. It is not negotiable. So it only seemed appropriate that I have it on my face for our reception. The Hogs played Auburn earlier in the day, and even though they didnt win, that didnt mean I wasnt a Hog fan. So on the sticker went!!!

Our photographer snapped some really awesome pictures of us with an amazing back drop of the sun setting. She is so wonderful! We also were met at the top by the High Profile Editor. We had been chosen for the Featured Wedding so she was there to get some party pics of us and our wedding party. This was a dream come true so I was super excited!!!

After our photos, we headed back to the limo. The photographer jumped in with us so she could get some limo shots. It was so funny. It was so dark in there, so couldnt see what she was doing, but she ended up getting some really great photos!

We were met at the door by the girl who had helped me with the reception. She whisked us away into a back room where they took our drink order and brought us a plate of food to share from our buffet. I really like how they did this. This way, we could have a chance to eat before we went into the reception and had no other chances until it was 10 pm and time to get in the limo and go to the hotel room. We picked at our food, but neither of us were very hungry. We were too excited to see everyone and enjoy the party we had been planning for 13 months!

Then it was time to walk in as husband and wife!!! They brought us out of the back room and introduced us! People were lined up and were cheering for us! It was a neat feeling. The first people we saw were my bridesmaids and four other girls that I had picked to do something special before we cut the cake! We walked into the reception hall and went immediately to the cake. The 12 girls who I had chosen were instructed to surround the cake and pick one ribbon that was coming out from the bottom of the cake.

I had planned a charm pull!!! Traditionally, only single/unmarried girls are supposed to pull the charms. But it was MY wedding and I wanted the people who were either involved in the wedding or had helped me out TREMENDOUSLY to feel special, so I picked my 8 bridesmaids and Brad's sister Angela, Cassie Howell, Sherri Hawley and Kirby Crone.
Each girl picked a ribbon, not knowing what charm was attached. On the count of three, they all pulled at their ribbon to see what they got. I had to lick the icing off of Cara Beth's b/c she is gluten intolerant. Then they all told me what they got and I told them what the charm meant. The one I remember the most is Jessica Doose. She pulled the stork charm...which means that she will be the next to have a baby. What is so great about the whole thing is that she had just had her son toward the end of July, making him only 3 months old!! It was GREAT!

This was me pointing at Jessie when she announced her charm!

After the charm pull, Brad and I cut our cake (promising each other we would not cram cake in the other's face) and did our toast. The toasting flutes I had purchased and had gotten the base engraved with our names and our wedding date. Hopefully we will be toasting to another happy year of marriage with these glasses year after year!!

After cake cutting and toasting...it was time to mix and mingle for a few minutes.That is where Brad and I got separated. I hugged so many people....and I was so thankful for every single one of them for being there. I was so touched that people would give up their nights to celebrate Brad and I. So sweet. I really didnt make it but 5 feet in either direction because I got stopped every few inches by someone. Such a blessing!

After that, it was time for my daddy and I to dance. Like I mentioned in a previous blog. Our song had been picked out by Brad. He was the best one to do it. No one else knows my dad and I's relationship better and he knew I wouldnt be able to make it through a song to listen to it because I would be crying so hard. It was perfect.

Dad and I talked, laughed, and cried. Typical of dad and I. There are some great shots of me hugging him, of us cracking each other up, and just enjoying the moment we had both been looking forward to and somewhat dreading for my whole life!! It was perfect! After the song, he walked me over to Brad, hugged Brad again and then passed me off to my husband.

Then Brad and I danced. It was also perfect. (Have I mentioned the whole day was perfect?). We held each other, and just basked in the moment of our first dance. We cant wait to see the video.

Then it was his turn to dance with his mom. She is the sweetest human I know and she looked just like a little porcelain doll the whole night. Their dance was so sweet and I know that they both loved every minute of it!!

After the dances, the dance floor was opened up and the party started. We did the cupid shuffle, we did the chair dance (I will explain this later), Brad and I danced to "Down" by J Sean (this song has reminded me of him from the first time I heard it) and we just had fun. If you wanted to see me, I was on the dance floor. It was a blast.

During the bouquet toss, the single girls lined up to try to catch my bouquet. I of course did a "false toss" for the photographer and then it was time. I THREW the bouquet so hard and so far that none of the girls even had a chance. It flew so far that BRAD was the one who caught my flowers. BRAD! The next thing I knew, as I turned around to see who caught it, my husband came shooting through the girls with his hands up in the air and my flowers in one hand. It was hilarious!!! We hugged and laughed and then I got the flowers back to try again.

I tossed them a second time, a little easier this time, and my dear friend Amanda caught them. I love this girl. She and I became good friends at OBU, and although we have lost touch over the years, we know we are still here for each other. She came all the way from Texas for our wedding, and I just think that was the sweetest thing! I am so glad she caught my flowers! I hope they bring her luck!!!

Then it was the garter toss! I sat in the chair, threw my leg in the air and waited for Brad to take the garter off. He removed it gracefully and then tossed it. Ethan, our ring bearer, caught the garter! It was too perfect!

After the flowers and the garter were tossed...it was time to dance again. I will explain what the chair dance is. It started back in high school. My best friends in high school and I loved dances, and we were more interested in dancing with each other than our dates. One of our good guy friends (who is still a good friend of ours) was my date to all of the dances. So, occasionally we would sit him in a chair and dance around him.

When Trisha got married, we made it a point to put Patrick in a chair and all dance around him. When Amy got married, we put G in a chair and danced around him. So when Ashley came up to me asking me if it was time to do the chair dance....I was so excited!!! I grabbed the chair and moved it to the center of the dance floor while Trisha went and got Brad and Ashley went and requested the song. We sat Brad in the chair and when the song started, we started dancing around him. It was great! It was me, Trisha, Ashley, Leah and Amy....then all of my college friends and bridesmaids joined in as well....so it became a HUGE circle of girls dancing around my husband!! It was hilarious! I loved every minute of it (and I am sure Brad did too).

Also, at some point during the end of the night, the DJ played "Dirty Pop" by *NSYNC. (This was a requested by me song). I know the whole dance, so naturally, I started doing the whole dance, complete with the part when they get on the floor...in my wedding dress. Needless to say, by the time Dirty Pop was over, I had broken my bustle and my train had fallen. I really didnt care at that point, but they tried to pin the dress back up so it wouldnt get in my way. A few minutes later, the pin broke and I decided to just drape my train over my shoulder....so i look like I am wearing a toga in a few of the pictures from the end of the night!!!

ALSO, at another point in the evening (its all kind of a blur of what order it all happened in) my dad got out on the dance floor in the middle of all my friends and started dancing and they were all dancing with him and around him. He had an absolute blast that night and you could tell! He was on cloud nine!!!

Cara Beth, Jessica, Andrea, and Alicia requested that the DJ play "Three Days" by Pat Green. We love Pat Green and go to see him whenever we can. We stood in the middle of the dance floor, all hugged each other and sang at the top of our lungs!

We also had a money dance. The DJ called Chris Johnson and Kirby (soon to be Johnson on March 26th) up to the dance floor to be our cashiers. During this dance, people could give our cashiers money to dance with us. This was so helpful because it gave us some cash to be able to use on the honeymoon!! So, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED US OUT A LITTLE BIT THAT NIGHT! At one point during the money dance, I looked over and saw Brad on two knees dancing with our flower girls!!! He is such a sweet man! I love him so much! Some of his groomsmen paid to dance with him, some of my bridesmaids and friends paid to dance with me. Kellee, the girl I work with who has been a saving grace, paid to dance with me as well. It was a fun way to get to spend a little bit of time with people and make some moolah!

On his knees dancing with a flower girl

All in all it was an AMAZING evening and I had so much fun!!! Here is a picture of my high school best friends and I....the second picture is very typical of us! We had a great high school group and its so fun to get back together and just be goofy!!

At the end of the night...it was time to close up shop and head to the hotel! We hugged our parents goodbye, I hugged a few of my friends goodbye and we headed to the limo! Not before walking through a line of people armed with flower petals
Side Note: That morning I realized I didnt have any flower petals to be thrown. I had called Fresh Market and they had already thrown out their old flowers. I was scheduled to be headed somewhere the morning of the wedding, so I asked my dad if he would just go and buy some roses and I would get them de-petaled. He agreed and headed to Fresh Market to buy my flowers. Next thing I know, he calls me and tells me that he will go ahead and take all of the petals off because he doesnt want me to worry about a thing that day. How sweet! So he bought the flowers and de-petaled them. What a sweet daddy!

So we headed down the stairs and into the limo, being pelted with rose petals! It was so much fun!

Petal shower!!!

Here we are in the limo, getting ready to leave!!

Once in the limo....we noticed four or five boxes sitting on one of the seats. The reception site had boxed up food from our buffet so we could take it to the hotel and eat it if we were hungry! How fabulous are they?!!?

When we got to the hotel room, we changed out of our wedding clothes and chowed down on our cake and pie (we served pumpkin and pecan pie as well as cake)....we didnt eat much of our other food...only the desert! It was awesome!

It was the most perfect day EVER and the most beautiful wedding! I am so blessed with amazing true friends and wonderful family and an AMAZING husband! He is so good to me and I dont know what I did to deserve him and his unconditional love!!!

The Day Has Come

2010-10-28T16:35:00.001-05:00

The day Brad and I had waited for for over 13 months was here! October 16th, 2010.

I woke up early that morning, thankful I didnt feel TOO exhausted having not slept as many hours as one would deem necessary to make it through such an important day. I was excited, but not nervous (but the more and more people asked me throughout the day if I was nervous, it made me nervous that I wasnt).

I showered and got ready. Put on my white sweatpants and my white hoodie sweatshirt that I had embroidered with "Mrs. Homan" on it, and headed downstairs to see my daddy. He and I had big plans that morning. We were headed to eat at Ozark Mountain Smokehouse. Some of the best breakfast food in town!

Before we got in the car, I had something I wanted to give him, and I knew that if I gave it to him at the restaurant he would cry...and it isnt nice to make men cry in public, especially on their daughter's wedding day.

I gave him a picture frame (without a picture in it) that said "My First Love. Father of the Bride". Yes, he cried. And I have already picked out the perfect picture from the wedding day that will go in it!

We headed to eat. It was so packed when we got there, but we found a booth and took a seat. He and I took a few minutes to look over the menu, placed our order and then just started talking. I am so lucky to have such an easy relationship with my dad. It isnt always rainbows and butterflies, but he is such an amazing dad, it makes up for it!

We talked, we laughed, we teared up a little bit, and then he or I would crack a joke to change the subject and stop the tears. It was a wonderful meal with a wonderful man on a wonderful day!

After breakfast, he drove me around while I ran some last minute errands (Walgreens, bank, etc) and cracked jokes about being my driver/chauffeur. After we got home, I realized that for the first time in 13 months, I had nothing to do. No checklists to go over, no phone calls to make, no payments to mail in, no Funkins to carve or anything to paint...NOTHING. So that is what I did...NOTHING! I laid in my bed for about 15 minutes and just collected my thoughts. It was great.

I then got myself up, made sure I had everything I needed for the wedding day (shoes-check!, veil-check!, overnight bag-check!) and I headed to meet my mom and our out of town family for lunch. We were originally going to eat at MiMi's Cafe, but they were PACKED due to the Race for the Cure, so we ended up at Applebees (Ironically, this is my LEAST favorite restaurant, but it was the only place reasonably priced that was near the church).

Lunch was mediocre, but time with my family who I never get to see was amazing! My uncle, his girlfriend and his youngest son (all from Kentucky), my cousin Jason and his girlfriend (from Virginia), and my cousin Laura, her baby Amanda and my Aunt Linda (from California) all came in early to the wedding. Later that day, my great aunt and cousins (from Kansas) and my aunt and her husband and son (from Oklahoma) drove in for the wedding so they couldnt make it for lunch.
After lunch, we all headed to the church. My mom, Grammy and myself so we could start getting ready, and the rest of the family followed so they could know how to get to the church later for the wedding. I carried a few more things in to the brides room and just about the time I was washing my morning makeup off of my face so my wedding makeup could be done....Kirby and Jessica arrived! They were life savers!

Kirby did my makeup for the wedding, as well as my mom's and my mother-in-laws. Jessica did my wedding hair and helped my mom with hers! Like I said....LIFE SAVERS!!! They both did AMAZING jobs!

Wedding hair and makeup began and then slowly my bridesmaids began to arrive. Trisha and Ashley got there first and brought me some sugar cookies. Some were shaped like pumpkins and two were shaped like Razorbacks!!! They also brought me a cup that said "Bride" on it and had already filled it with champagne. They are so sweet!

Then Steph got there, followed by Andrea and Lish, then Jessie and Cara Beth. Hey Hey, the gangs all here! (My great grandmother used to say that).

I dont have many specific details about that getting ready part of the day. I sat in a chair, Jessica did my hair, then I moved to a different chair and Kirby did my makeup. There were people moving all around me, touching up makeup, tying sashes on dresses, talking to me and to each other, taking pictures with one another, etc. At one point I know we tried to listen to the Razorback game (kick off was at 2:30) but it had a lot of static in the radio, so we turned that off.

I remember feeling very Zen. Like it was an out of body experience. I wasnt nervous or anxious. I was calm and happy. The happiest I have felt in a long time. All of my hard work had paid off and it was THE DAY Brad and I had waited for.

I remember the girls helping my mom get in to her dress and then it was time for me to get in mine. Brad and I had alone time at 2:45. This allowed us to see each other and share that special moment with just the two of us. It really took away the nervousness of the actual ceremony and allowed me to really relax and just take it all in. We were in this together!!!

After mom was in her dress, she helped me get mine on. Zipped me up and hooked all of my buttons with the elastic loops. I had worn that dress dozens of other times for fittings and such....but this time was different. I felt beautiful and special and like a princess who had finally been rescued by her prince. I felt like that dress was made for ME, designed with ME in mind (although it wasnt)...but it just felt perfect on me. I think I saw myself in Brad's eyes.

I hoped he saw what I saw. I was on my way to see my future husband for the first time in my wedding dress!

I put on my shoes, opted to not carry my flowers, grabbed some tissue, and met my handsome daddy in the hallway. He was going to walk me in to the chapel and give me a kiss at the end of the aisle and leave. I was still calm.

They opened the doors, we walked in, Dad gave me a kiss and then disappeared. It was Brad and myself (and our photographer and videographer). I could tell he was excited and anxious by the way he was standing and shaking his legs. His back was to me and he was at the front of the church. I walked down the aisle. I started to tear up. Getting excited but nervous. What if he didnt like my dress? (silly thought, I know).

I came to the end of the aisle and he slowly turned around to face me. We both teared up. He told me I looked beautiful, I told him he looked handsome. We just looked at each other, smiled, whispered, held hands, laughed, gave little kisses. It was very special and it was very us. The photographer and videographer disappeared after a few minutes, leaving us by ourselves.

I did a spin for him in my dress, made him do a spin for me in his pinstripe tux. I asked him how his golf game went that morning (he and some groomsmen had played golf together). He said they didnt keep score (which means they either were all terrible, or some were terrible and no one wanted to find out who). He asked how breakfast and lunch were with my family. We just chatted and caught up on our days.

We exchanged gifts on the alter. He got me a bible with my new name on it. I love it!!!! I got him a carry case for his cigars. On the front it says "My Husband, My Hero, My Best Friend. October 16, 2010". We spent a few more moments together and then walked out of the chapel, hand in hand.

It was picture time!!!

This will be continued on a later date...its almost time for me to get off work!

Wedded Bliss (and the days leading up to it)

2010-10-27T09:10:00.019-05:00

It has been entirely too long since I blogged....but I have been so so so busy with wedding planning that I didn't have a free moment to write down my thoughts...much less make it through a complete one!

Now the wedding is over and it was the most perfect wedding Ive ever been to (isn't every bride supposed to think that about their own wedding?), i wanted to blog about the experience so i can come back to read about it later.

Wednesday before the wedding, my Grammy came to work with me. I ended up testing her hearing and getting her the best hearing aids money can buy! I was super excited. It was also the day my flowers I ordered from Sam's came in to work. I spent much of the morning making bridesmaids bouquets, mother of the bride and groom clutches and the flowers the grandmothers carried. Yes, I made all of the bouquets by myself!

I spent the Thursday before the wedding running around like a crazy lady getting errands done...picking up programs, packing boxes to go to the church, burning cds, buying usher's gifts, buying Brad's gift, pedicure, bikini wax...you name it, I was doing it....and loving every minute!
Brad was such a life saver that night....when i was sitting in the floor of our apartment, frantically wrapping wedding party gifts and having an emotional breakdown because it wasnt going to all get done...he was searching for the perfect song for he and I to dance to, and my dad and I to dance to.....what an amazing man I married.

He made the best selections and if I could figure out how to play them on here, I would. He chose "Beautiful" by Jim Brickman (sung by Wayne Brady) for he and I to dance to and he chose "I'll Always Be Your Baby" by Natalie Grant for my daddy and I to dance to.
On Friday morning, I woke up, got ready and remembered to look for my passport...WHICH WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND!! i had another emotional breakdown while I tore apart my room and dad's living room. I called Brad, sobbing, and told him to have fun in St. Lucia, because I wasnt going to be able to go. The exact words of "I guess we will just have to go to Branson for our honeymoon" came out of my mouth. We love Branson, and actually have plans to go in the next few weeks....but after planning to go to St. Lucia, Branson is kinda a let down. (I found the passport later, in a random bag, at Brad's apartment)....crisis averted.

After the passport fiasco, Brad and I headed to the courthouse to get our marriage license. Talk about waiting until the last minute! We had no other time though! We both work and the courthouse wasnt open when we get off work...so Friday before the wedding was our only option. On our way there, we stopped by the Community Bakery downtown to pay for the pumpkin and pecan pies that were to be at the reception and to get a quick bite to eat....notice I said quick. Community Bakery had other plans. We ordered our food and waited, and waited and waited...people who ordered after us got food...not us. Then they came up to us (almost 45 minutes later) and asked us what we ordered. SERIOUSLY?!?! Then when we told them, they said they were out of half of the stuff we had asked for....needless to say, we were NOT happy with them and/or nice to them about it.

We headed to the courthouse, still hungry and feeling like an hour of our precious time was stolen from us....but we were still so excited because we were headed to get our MARRIAGE LICENSE. We filled out the appropriate paperwork, cracked jokes with some of the other couples doing the same, and then had the clerk take our picture with our unsigned marriage license. So cheesy but we love it!

After the courthouse, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Back Yard Burgers and headed to Conway to pick up our rental stuff from A Southern Tradition. We loaded up in record time, called Trisha and Rosie (Brad's mom) and told them to head to the church for decorating!!

On Friday, I also got to spend time with my best friends from high school Trisha (who is a blog stalker) and Ashley! They helped me and Brad decorate the church, along with Brad's parents, Brad's aunt and uncle from Texas, and my newest AMAZING friend Kirby (she was such a support system and life saver during the wedding planning). The menfolk (Brad, Brad's dad, Uncle Bob, and Jeremy-Ashley's boyfriend) carried all of the boxes in with the help of some of us girls (Me, Rosie, Aunt Betsy, Kirby, and Ashley). My mom and Grammy were there and they did a great job of helping too!

We got it all moved in and started to unpack and arrange. Aunt Betsy was such a help! She is an interior designer, so she made it so easy! Trisha, Ashley and Kirby helped set up the picture/guestbook table and opened all of the colors and coloring books I got for any kids that came to the wedding! They were such a help too!!! Trisha's mom (Peggy) and Ashley's mom (Frenchie) also came up to the church to help/hang out. It all went so smoothly!

After decorating was over, I showed Trisha, Ashley, Peggy and Frenchie where the bride's room was....and that is when Trisha and Ashley surprised me with a fun gift. Ashley had made me a bag that has Razorback stuff on one side and says "Mrs. Homan" on the other! Inside they had put a cute white bikini that says "wifey" on the butt (I wore it on the honeymoon), some peacock flip flops, some cute white Bride panties and a white hoodie sweatshirt that Trisha had made that said "Mrs. Homan" on the back and had a peacock feather on the front!

Due to the passport fiasco earlier in the day, I was running a little bit behind schedule, so Trisha and Ashley took all of my stuff (pictures, toasting flutes, cake serving stuff, etc etc) to the reception site for me! Such lifesavers AGAIN! It was so sweet of them to take some extra time to go and do that for me so Brad and I could leave and get ready for the rehearsal and dinner!

Rehearsal: Was so much fun! I wanted to make our ceremony very personal and show our guests who we are as individuals, and most importantly as a couple. We love each other deeply, but we never take each other too seriously. Since Brad is in the Air Force...I edited the Top Gun Theme Song so it could play when he, the groomsmen and the pastor walked out! It was a hit and so perfect. (During the actual wedding ceremony, the groomsmen actually walked out with Aviators on...I had no idea they were going to do that...and I love that they did!)

I had already burned all of the music selections for the ceremony onto a cd and had given it to the church a few days prior. I was torn about what the bridesmaids should walk down to. Either an instrumental song or "Wave on Wave" by Pat Green. My first choice was the instrumental, but at the last minute, I made the choice to go with Pat. I love Pat, (some of the bridesmaids and I have been to see Pat a thousand times) that is not a secret...and Wave on Wave has always made me think of Brad. "You know I always had you baby, just waiting for you to find what you were looking for"...so I went with my gut and it was AWESOME!!
All of our wedding song selections were so us and so personal and I hope our guests got that feeling too!

My dad kept teasing me about how he did a test run down the aisle and counted how many steps he would have to take from the back of the church to the front...he was so nervous!!! He did great (all three times I made him practice). We walked down to Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I edited out the beginning when they sing "Merry Christmas" over and over.

Back in June, I went to New Orleans with Leah and Trisha to stay with Ashley and spend the weekend together. It was great! We hung out, talked, ate, drank, went on a vampire tour, etc. At one point in the weekend, they through a mini-shower for me! Leah got me a gift card to Victoria's Secret and Trisha and Ashley gave me a pair of high heels. These werent just any high heels. They had enhanced these heels themselves for ME. They had put glitter on them and attached peacock feathers to make them as fabulous as myself and my wedding! They were a little big, so we knew I couldnt wear them the whole day of the wedding....but I promised to wear them at some point!

Well, I had done a trial run with my dad down the aisle once already and we were going to run through the rehearsal one more time. I did a quick costume change and switched from my black and gold wedges to my white heels with glitter and peacock feathers that Trisha and Ashley had made for me! I was so excited to finally get to wear them, and so touched that they would think so far in advance to make me wedding shoes in JUNE!!!

The rehearsal went well. No one really seemed to pay attention except for Brad and I and a few of the bridesmaids that had jobs....but I didnt really expect anyone to. It can get pretty boring when your job is to walk down the aisle and stand there. I hope they all had fun though!

Then it was time for dinner!!! Last November, I drove myself crazy trying to locate as many Funkins as I could so I could carve them and use them as centerpieces at the rehearsal dinner. After I bought them all, I realized how hard it was gonna be and got distracted. When I started my new job in Conway, the office manager, Kellee, was asking me about the wedding and I showed her the one Funkin I had done. She loved it and wanted to help me. So, Kellee and I carved Funkins for the next 7 months so they could all be done for the rehearsal dinner.

Brad and I gave the Funkins to Rosie (his mom) and Aunt Betsy earlier in the day so they could take them to Trio's (the rehearsal dinner site) and decorate with them. They did an AMAZING job!!

The food at the rehearsal dinner was AMAZING too! Rosie did a GREAT job planning that meal! I am not sure what exactly was on the menu...but it all tasted amazing! After we all ate...we watched a slide show that Brad's dad had made for us! It was so good! I, of course, cried like a baby. Chuck and Rosie (Brad's parents) and my dad and my mom all said a few words. Jordan and Stephanie Verdell (the couple who introduced us) also made a very sweet speech. The whole night was perfect!!!

After the slideshow/speeches we passed out gifts. The groomsmen's gifts hadn't arrived yet through the mail, so I printed out pictures of what they were getting and wrapped those (it was a lot lighter and easier to carry than all of their fire pits/grills or fishing rod bags we got them).

I also got to FINALLY give my bridesmaids their gifts. I had been working on these gifts for almost 2 months. The unmarried girls got wine glasses that I had painted with their names on one side and their favorite sports team on the other...and the married ones got serving platters that I had painted with their last names on them. (and yes, they are dishwasher safe and food safe). I also got them a string of pearls to wear on the wedding day. I didn't take pictures of them all, so I had to steal a picture from Cara Beth's facebook and the second picture I took with my phone.
After gifts were opened...or maybe it was as gifts were being opened....Andrea managed to set fire to her tissue paper by throwing it onto a candle. There was a tiny moment of panic...but fire was extinguished and the night went on beautifully!

After the rehearsal dinner...Brad and I helped to clean up the site a little bit and then we headed to Cajun's to hang out with some friends. Backstory- July 2007 my friend Trisha (who has already been mentioned) was the first to get married out of all of our high school friends. Her rehearsal dinner was at Cajuns. Her wedding weekend also happened to be the same weekend as our Ashley's bday. So we could have separate celebrations of Trisha's wedding and Ashley's bday we set up a gathering on the deck of Cajun's with our high school friends for Ashley's bday party. It was so much fun!
Fast forward to October 2008. Another high school friend, Amy, was getting married. I am not sure where her rehearsal dinner was, but Brad and I got invited to a gathering on the deck at Cajun's so we could all hang out with my high school friends and Amy's fiance and friends. We had a great time.
So it only seemed appropriate to send out an invite to my wedding party and high school friends to hang out on the deck at Cajun's after our rehearsal dinner.
There was a small group of us, but I wouldnt have wanted it any other way!!! It was great to relax, catch up, and remember how goofy and fun we still are when we all get together!! Amy, her husband G, Ashley, Jeremy, Trisha, her husband Patrick, Jonathan, and one of Brad's groomsmen Brett came!
Amy's husband bought me a shot of Patron to celebrate! I am not a shot taker at all...but I was a team player!

After that, Brad and I headed to our separate homes so we could get a little bit of sleep before our big day!!!
I will try and blog about the actual wedding day tomorrow...hopefully!!

Whew! Mission: Accomplished

2009-12-21T07:45:00.005-06:00

As you very well know, I got engaged this past Semptember....and I have really been thinking hard about who I wanted to be in my bridal party...and I finally decided!!!

Ive known for a while, even before we were engaged, that I wanted to ask my bridesmaids in a special way, I just couldnt figure out how. A few weeks ago, I finally decided how I was going to do it, and I set my plan in motion.

I was going to make Christmas Ornaments that said "Will you be a bridesmaid 10-16-2010?"

My roomate in Memphis and I headed out to Michael's to buy the materials and we had a blast. Picking out glass ornaments, the right paint colors and trying to find the best way to write the words.

I painted 8 glass balls a 14k gold color and picked out a red paint pen to write with. I ended up not liking the paint pen because it was too red, almost pink, so I headed to Michaels in LR to find the perfect red. I found it, but the problem was, it wasnt a paint pen, it was a little bottle of red, so I bought a variety pack of paint brushes and headed home.

The brushes ended up not worked well at all, so i found an old skinny crayola marker and dipped the felt tip into the paint and blotted the paint over the letters to make it stand out. I think it ended up looking pretty grand, if I say so myself!

I worked on ornaments for a little over 2 weeks, and had it planned out in my head who I would ask when. I knew I was going to ask Stephanie first for a few reasons, one being that I wouldnt see her until after Christmas unless we saw eachother one night for dinner and two, she is the reason Brad and I are together.

I made 8 bridesmaids ornaments and one best man ornament so Brad could give his best friend Jordan one when I gave Stephanie (his wife) hers at dinner one night.. They both said yes, and my plan was starting to work out well.

Next, I wrapped up two of the ornaments in bubble wrap and shipped them off to Trisha in Pennsylvania and Ashley in New Orleans. Trisha and Ashley are two of my best friends from High School. Trisha got hers within a few days, and Ashley didnt get hers until a week later! Oh well, they both got them, loved them and they said yes!!!

The last part of Mission:Bridesmaid was our friend Christmas party on December 18th. My friends and I get together every year for a girl party and have a potluck and just spend some time together. I knew this would be the ONLY time we would all be together, so I was so excited to finally ask them all!!! I wrapped each of thiers in a box and had a card on the top of each box with thier name and the card had a personal message to each one of them.

When I got there, I put the presents under the tree and assured them that I did NOT buy them anything, I made them something! Dinner wasnt quite ready yet, so we decided to do presents. I passed out the gifts and told them all that there were a few rules; 1) They had to open the presents all at the same time and 2) they couldnt read the card until AFTER they opened the gifts...my stomach was in knots.

They opened thier gifts and they all said YES!!! WHEW! Mission: Accomplished.

Here is a picture of the ornament I made...

YEA!!! My wedding is starting to come together and I cant wait until all of my plans are final and I can just relax with my fiance and with my bridesmaids and have a BLAST!!

The bridesmaids are:
Cara Beth Walker Buie
Jessie Watts Doose
Jessica Arthur
Alicia Slover
Andrea Dean
Ashley Kessler
Trisha Noble Hagge
Stephanie Henry Verdell

WOO HOO!!!!!

A November to Remember

2009-11-23T07:29:00.003-06:00

Well, for those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Holiday Season....Halloween, My Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas....anything that allows me to be around my friends and most importantly my family!!!

November has been pretty productive so far...and that is what I am going to write about!!

On the cusp of November, on October 30th, Bradley and I attended a Pumpkin Carving party at the Buie's...although no one ended up carving anything, we all did end up relaxing and sitting on their amazing front porch just talking (and reminiscing about our trip to Florida)

October 31st, Bradley and I went down to Hot Springs, AR to see my mom for her bday (which is November 1st)....and then after dinner with my mom, Brad and I headed to Magic Screams for Halloween. That was fun, we didnt ride anything, but it was fun to walk around, hear the scary music through the speakers and see all the little kids in costumes. We even waited in line for a "Haunted" House....not worth it!

November 8th is my birthday, and that is a day I am always excited about!!! This year, I wasnt so excited because Brad had drill all weekend, my mom was out of town, my dad was out of town, and it just wasnt a good weekend to celebrate with everyone...BUT after Brad got of work, we got ready and went to eat for my birthday at YaYa's (im not sure if that is the correct spelling)...It was pretty good, although I think they Calamari made me really sick...That sunday my dad and I went to eat at Dixie Cafe for my bday and then went to visit my grandma and aunt like we usually do on Sundays...

The following Friday, I spent the day with one of my great friends, Sara Jane. We ate at Larry's Pizza and went to Holiday House....so fun to see her and get caught up on life. That night, Brad and I, Alicia, Jessica, Ethan, Cara Beth, Brent, Stephanie and Jordan went to eat at P.F. Changs for my birthday and then we went BOWLING!!! I had an absolute blast and I really appreciate everyone for coming!!!! It was Ethan's first time to bowl and it was so fun to watch him try to figure it out.

That Saturday morning, I got up, got dressed and met my mom, Stephanie and Courtney at David's Bridal for a day of WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING!!! We started at David's at 10 am...tried on several dresses until 11:30 and then jumped in the car, grabbed food and headed to Brinkley, AR to Low's Bridal. I found a few dresses I liked at David's and a few I liked at Low's, and I had a BLAST trying on all those different dresses and trying to picture myself walking down the aisle in each one of them. I didn't find one that I just knew was "IT" so I am hoping to go dress shopping again in a few weeks. Brad knew I would be EXHAUSTED by the time I got home, so when I got to his apartment, he has some candles lit, two pink roses, dinner in the oven and he had poured me a glass of wine!!!! What a sweet man he is!

On Thursday, the 19th, as soon as Brad got off work, we headed to Branson, MO for a much needed, 4 day weekend!!! When we got there, we checked in to our one bedroom CABIN and headed out to find some food. We ate at a restaurant right off the strip called Charlies, it was alright! Friday morning, we got up and headed out shopping. Our plan was to drive down the main strip and stop at any stores we thought looked fun, and then end up at the Branson Landing. There were a few stores we stopped at, but didnt buy anything. I did see a real life Reindeer and wouldve taken a picture, but they were charging $5 for a cell phone picture...RIP OFF!!!

The Landing was AWESOME and we had so much fun! Brad even said he has never had so much fun shopping, but I think it was because they had a few "man stores" that he enjoyed going in to. We started at Bass Pro Shop then went to the As-Seen-On-TV store, the Budweiser store, the Lids store, along with several other girly stores that I found a few things for myself and for Christmas presents!!! We ate dinner on the patio of Cantina Laredo so we could watch the fire and light show at the fountain. It was AWESOME. It was a little chilly out, so we were the only ones on the patio...but we felt like we were VIP. We had two heaters on either side of us and a front row seat for the light show. It was so nice to just sit with Brad, have a nice meal, talk for hours and feel special.

On our way back to the cabin, we stopped at the Tanger outlet, found some deals we just couldnt pass up, so decided to get up and go back on Saturday morning, and we did!!!

Saturday we hit up the Tanger outlet and then headed to Silver Dollar City. We had a BLAST. I rode some rides (Brad doesnt ride rides), ate too much, saw a few shows, watched the Christmas parade, enjoyed the singing Christmas tree (well, the lights flash to the songs) and we went down in the Marvel Cave. If you dont know much about it, then you should google or wikipedia it! We went 550 feet down into the cave and got to see lots of natural formations, waterfalls, and BATS! If you havent been to the cave at Silver Dollar City...I recommend it.

This coming Thursday is THANKSGIVING!!! We will spend the day with his parents and grandparents and then go to my gmas that night for some more food! Friday morning, we are headed to Hot Springs to have another Thanksgiving lunch with my mom and Bob. We will be STUFFED but so happy! Saturday we are planning on decorating Brad's apartment for Christmas, so that means I get to drag out all my boxes of Christmas decorations, heat up the Apple cider, turn on some football, and GO TO TOWN DECORATING!!! WHOOP WHOOP!

Here is my apartment last year...im for sure going to miss my fireplace, but we will make it work!!!

So, I hope everyone has an AMAZING Thanksgiving!!!

WHY DO WEDDINGS COSTS SO MUCH?!?!?!

2009-10-20T07:20:00.002-05:00

Well, I havent had any new wedding news or funny/rude patients to tell about...so I figured I would blog about the cost of a wedding.

OMG! I cant believe how much this stuff really costs (and I am being my typical bargain shopper self)

I emailed my parents last week, telling them that the deposit for our photographer (Karen) is due so she will go ahead and schedule our date....and that sparked an email discussion of paying for the wedding, which was inevitable!

My parents asked me to come up with a rough amount and then they will go from there....THAT IS SO HARD!!!

I have a GREAT budget option on TheKnot.com AND my wedding planning book provides me with a budget sheet too....but I am afraid the little things will sneak up on me (Sparklers for the reception, number of invitations to order, postage for the invites, paying the wedding coordinater, etc)....and the big things are so expensive, they are overwhelming!!!

I know it will all get accomplished and paid for one way or another, and if it cant be paid for, then it wasnt necessary to begin with (I say that now....)

Another bride gave me a GREAT piece of advice....pick the three things that mean the MOST to me for my wedding and dont cut back on the price of those....unfortunately, 2 of the 3 things are photographer and reception, which are nearing an easy $14,000.....HOLY COW!!!

Do any of you have any cute and inexpensive ideas for centerpieces for the reception tables, church decorations, etc.....I want to do primarily candles...EVERYWHERE!!!!

A girl I work with, Rachel, said she went to a wedding this past weekend and the centerpieces were carved pumpkins with thier initials or cute polka dots with candles inside them AND around them....that sounds really cute, but so much work!!!

Luckily, my friend Stephanie Verdell gave me all of her vases and votive holders from her wedding, so I have TONS to work with....and that is SUCH a blessing....but I want to be able to work with what she had and expand to fit Brad and I's taste!!

In other news....My moms Bday is coming up soon, and Brad and I are planning to go down to see her on Halloween (her bdays the next day)....any cool gift ideas???

THEN, the following weekend is MY BDAY (on Sunday) and my mom and I are going to go look at wedding dresses for myself (on Saturday) while Brad is at drill....I am super pumped, but really insecure b/c I have gotten a little chunky AND pale....

THEN, on November 19th, when Brad gets off work, he and I are headed to BRANSON, MO for our second annual trip!!! This year, we are so excited, because we get all day Friday and Saturday for exploring Branson and Silver Dollar City and spending time with eachother!!! Last year, when we went, I was SICK AS A DOG and we got there late Friday night, spent the whole day Saturday at SDC and then headed home on Sunday....so this year is quite the treat to leave on Thursday night!!! He even booked us a single room CABIN!!!! I am so ready to get away with my fiance!!!

Well, that is all I have for now!!!

Twitter

2009-10-15T08:25:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been a few days since I last posted and my beautiful plans of sleeping in were shot when my sweet baby girl Rea licked me in the face at 7:30 am, needing to potty!

I've done all the Twitter and facebook stalking I can do, so I thought I would make a shameless plug for my Dad's Twitter account!

He is brand new to tweeting and really wants/needs to up his followers! His tweets will be basic statements about sports, razorbacks, and/or slightly more personal comments about his articles!

I highly encourage all of you Tweeters to follow him, not just because he is my dad, but because he is awesome and has some neat things to say and great insight on a lot of things.... And if you aren't in to sports and Razorbacks, follow him just for me! I will consider it a personal favor!

You can find him under WallyLikeItIs

Thanks guys and happy Tweeting!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New to this

2009-10-02T08:16:00.001-05:00

Well, since I want to keep my blog updated more, and I am hardly on my actual computer Wednesday evening through Sunday, I thought I would download an app for my iPhone that connects to my blog and allows me to post!

I am not planning on doing much wedding stuff this weekend, but I am planning on getting my nails done, hanging out with some friends, going Jean shopping (ugh, my other jeans are really way too tight), and of course watching the Hogs with my wonderful fiancé!

I am not much of a coffee drinker, and I really don't like the smell of coffee shops at all (but I love the smell of coffee brewing at home), but last night I got a craving for some coffee that us pumpkiny and fallish.....so once I get my happy self out of bed, I plan to go to Starbucks! Now, I just have to find one! (small joke). I do love the Carmel apple cider stuff they have too, but today is for sure a coffee day!

I have actually been working on the wedding website! It has a little bit of fun information and pictures! I still need to write the "How we met" section....but other than that, it has all the information that we know at this point! I don't know how to put a link into this blog format...so I will just type out the link and you can choose to copy/paste if you want...

www.theknot.com/ourwedding/whitneyhall&bradhoman

I hope you take a minute to browse and get to know us a little better!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and weekend!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Is that what you wanted to do?

2009-09-30T07:13:00.002-05:00

Something a little bit funny happened to me yesterday, and I had totally forgotten that it had happened until this morning when I remembered to tell Brad about it....

Yesterday afternoon, I was seeing my 1 oclock patient. It was right after lunch and I had forgotten to put my "work" shoes back on (those are a pair of plain black flats that I keep at work because I wear flip flops in and out of work and in between patients).
He noticed my flip flops and said something to the effect of "oh, you have your sandals on, are you going to the beach?"

It took me by surprise for a couple of reasons: 1) I have forgotten to change my shoes before and the patients have never made a comment, or probably even noticed! and 2) I felt TERRIBLE for wearing open toed shoes in a clinic setting.

I digress....I replied "No sir, not headed to the beach any time soon, I just got back actually"

To which he stated, "Well, did you have fun?"

(Here is where it got strange....)

I said, "We had a great time. I actually got engaged while we were down there."

AND HIS RESPONSE WAS...."You got engaged? Is that what you wanted to do?"

(Pause for a moment for impact)

WHO SAYS THAT?!?!!?!!? Most people say things like "congratulations"....or "when is the wedding".....not "is that what you wanted to do?"

I would have been LESS offended/shocked if he had said "Congratulations....marriage is a bitch"....or something to that effect....LOL

I guess people have differing views of marriage, and unfortunately, I have noticed a pattern in marriage with my different aged patients.....the 70 and 80 year olds still love their wives (or they have been trained to act like it) and the 50 and 60 year olds are usually divorced and on to a second wife (which is fine, I am not here to judge...my parents are divorced).

It just boils down to a difference in generations....(my patient was 55 years old)

That is all I have on that story...

Wedding updates....my videographer is free on October 16th....so I am hoping to make a deposit soon and get him scheduled away for that day!!!

Hopefully meeting with a photographer soon to talk with her about pricing and see some of her other work....and then get her scheduled away!!!!

I CANT WAIT....381 days to go!!!!

Goin' to the Chapel....

2009-09-28T07:20:00.002-05:00

Well, it is official....WE GOT OUR CHURCH!!!!

As you may know, we were hesitant about having to wait a whole year (and some weeks) to get married....but that was only because we are just ready to Mr. and Mrs. and begin our lives together.....but I met with the church last Thursday afternoon, and I now have a peace about it. Brad also is pleased with the church and seems to be excited to be having our ceremony there.

We are going to be married at Fellowship Bible Church....which is what I consider my "home" church. It is where I went as a child up until I left for college and I have returned a few times, but have not gotten truly plugged back in for various reasons.

They are a HUGE (literally, HUGE) non-denominational church now located off of Rahling Road. They are one of those big, overwhelming churches that has a HUGE sanctuary that would NEVER be feasible to get married in....but since they have relocated in the past few years, they built a chapel that is used for Deaf Ministry on Sunday mornings and also doubles as a Wedding Chapel on Saturday evenings...

It has a high ceiling with wooden beams, a stage and plenty of seating (400+)....I wish I had taken pictures so I could post them....

So...it is now official.....OCTOBER 16th, 2010 will be the greatest day of my life....I will be marrying my best friend and the type of man I NEVER thought I deserved to be with...

For several years, I have always said I wanted a man named Popeye to do my videography at my wedding....I have known him for several years (through RimRockers, his daugther-in-law was one of my pledge sisters, and he is an acquaintance of my dad)....and I emailed him this past week and HE IS AVAILABLE ON OCTOBER 16th!!!!! It is all coming together and I am so pumped....

Once my BIG details are taken care of, then it will be time to worry about the little ones, and those are the ones I tend to stress about....oh well, take it all in stride and they are just little details.

I really want to enjoy my engagement and wedding planning and try to avoid any and all drama that could break out....i know that is wishful thinking, but drama is only dramatic if you make it that way....otherwise, it is just an issue to deal with!!!

The current check list is as follows....
Reception site (check)
Ceremony site (check)
Pastor (check....if scheduling permits)
Videographer (check)

I have to brag on my fiance for one minute....he is more attentive about this wedding planning experience than I EVER expected....He asks me how meetings went, he wants to know what they told me or what thier answers were to our questions.....He also will sit with me and flip through our planning book and occasionally asks questions. I am very impressed....I am also not naive....I KNOW he doesnt care what our color scheme is, or what the bridesmaids dresses look like....but he will sit and listen to me talk about those things, and then will put in his opinion about other things. I am so lucky!!!

That is all the updates I have about the wedding planning....STAY TUNED!!!

Wedding Update

2009-09-22T12:54:00.002-05:00

Well....Brad and I really want to get married in May, and after looking at the feedback from some of you...May seems like the best time....BUT (isnt there always a BUT?!?!?!)...........

The church we want to get married in/at (Fellowship) is booked for May 15th, 2010....but it is available October 16th, 2010.....

Our reception site has us penciled in for both of those dates....so we are good to go for a reception site....but what it comes down to is the church.

Fellowship has 2 chapels....The Chapel and the Glass Chapel...apparently the Glass Chapel only holds about 50 guests....so that is something else for Brad and I to think about....do we want to have a small wedding with CLOSE friends and family and then invite everyone to the reception?!?!?!

We are planning to drive around this weekend and see if we can find any churches downtown or around that we could maybe get married in on May 15th....we are not opposed to RENTING a site, but that would also include RENTING chairs and decorating it, etc.....we are trying to budget!!!

Do you guys have any ideas of churches that may allow to non-members to marry in their place of worship???

Some things I am looking for....
*A single aisle, right down the middle....its the way i have envisioned it for as long as I can remember.
*A lenient policy on "secular" music....I would like to have a cd playing of love songs while my guests are being seated...some churches dont let you play "secular" music
*Allow visiting pastors to officiate the ceremony....I have a pastor in mind for the ceremony, and we would like for Brad's gpa (who used to be a Baptist minister) to do our vows....so we need a place that allows other pastors/ministers to participate.

That is all I can think of right now....If you guys have ANY suggestions what-so-ever....i would GREATLY appreciate it!!!

October or May

2009-09-21T11:36:00.002-05:00

Brad and I were originally discussing having an October wedding, but seeing that October 16th is over a year away....we are rethinking our original decision.

We sat down this weekend and discussed/wrote down the pros and cons of getting married in either October or May.

Pros of October are that we will have a year to plan a wedding, we can enjoy our engagement, we will have more paid off individually so when we join our debt wont be so awful, plenty of time to look for a house and buy one, etc.

Cons of October are that we have to wait that much longer to be married, its FOOTBALL season, it would link a big day into a series of others (my bday, thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, his bday) creating a VERY expensive Fall/Winter season, its close to hurricane season (aka rainy honeymoon), "small room" at reception site, etc

Pros of May are that we will be married sooner, no HUGE sporting events are occuring that we would miss, we have the "big room" at the reception site, etc

Cons of May are that I will be STRESSED to get it done in 8 months, tends to be rainy, we won't have our tax money back to pay for the honeymoon, etc.....

We had decided this weekend to stick with October....but I just have a hesitant feeling about it for some reason and I re-brought up the topic this morning....so we are in discussions....

Did you guys have long engagements or short ones??? What are some of the pros and cons???? HELP A BRIDE OUT!!!

Proposal

2009-09-14T07:49:00.003-05:00

Ive had NO time to update with pictures and stuff since we were packing up and cleaning up the beach house PLUS driving 10 hours home...

Then on Sunday, I had to do laundry all day and visit with family AND THEN drive back to Memphis...

Now I am at work (boo...id rather be on the beach), but I have two pictures to upload of Bradley and I's engagement!

The first picture was taken by Cara Beth (Walker) Buie...one of my best friends and a MAJOR player in the proposal...Bradley had asked her to take pictures for us....

The second picture was taken on my Iphone...lol...its of the ring!!! He did an AMAZING job picking out EXACTLY what I wanted...and I LOVE my ring...

I havent even started to plan or make stuff official because I keep getting distracted by the shiny thing on my left hand...lol...

Hopefully I can keep a detailed blog diary of the wedding planning process, but we all know that is not going to happen!!!

Can not wait to see the other pictures CB took of us....but she is a very busy lady with other photos to edit....she is an AMAZING photographer so if you ever need ANYONE, let her know...

9-9-09

2009-09-11T22:42:00.002-05:00

On September 9th, 2009....my AMAZING boyfriend (who I do not deserve) proposed to me!!!

We were at the beach and I am still here currently....he flew out this morning to go to drill in Arkansas so Alicia and I are driving back tomorrow morning.....but I digress....

The point is.....WE ARE ENGAGED AND IT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE!

I AM GOING TO BE MARRYING THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND MY BEST FRIEND! MORE TO FOLLOW...I HAVE ONE MORE NIGHT AT THE BEACH AND A LONG DRIVE TOMORROW...SO I AM HEADED TO BED SOON AND VERY SOON!

Dear Rain...

2009-08-31T07:21:00.002-05:00

Dear Rain (headed toward MY Florida beach destination),

Myself and several others in my party, and friends not traveling with me, will be headed to Destin/Beaches of South Walton in the next few days. I understand the changing weather patterns and this incessant "need" for Hurricane season, but what you may not understand is how badly I need a relaxing vacation and a natural Florida sun tan. This has been a difficult year and the last time I went to the beach was in 2005, which was cut a few days short due to Hurricane Dennis.

Currently, the weatherchannel.com is projecting scattered thunderstorms until September 9th. Now, I am not usually one to ask someone to change their well-laid plans, but I thought I might go out on a limb and ask you to alter your path slightly and redirect your route toward Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, if you must continue on your quest. I know that weather patterns are unpredictable and I was hoping to appeal to your adventurous side and suggest the scenic route instead of the current plan.

Myself, and several others, (including a bride and groom), would greatly appreciate your consideration of this request. I look forward to hearing of your trip, but I sincerely do not hope our paths cross in the near future. If, in fact, they must, be gentle during your visit and quick with your exit.

Good luck in your endeavours.

Whitney

11 days!

2009-08-25T07:32:00.002-05:00

I am so so so excited and I can not hardly wait the 11 days that I have to live through before I am on the BEACH with Bradley, the Buie's, The West's, Alicia and Alex.....

I cant believe we have been counting down to this trip from 211 days....and now, 200 days later, we have 11 days left!!!!

I have already started packing!

I plan on loading the car on Thursday with our things, Mr. Buie's golf clubs, maybe some of Lisha's stuff and then waiting impatiently for Bradley to get off work the next day.....

Hopefully he will get off early so we can get on the ROAD.....

That is all ive got to say about that subject.....I am just excited!!!!

WOW OH WOW

2009-08-04T07:21:00.002-05:00

I cant believe its been literally a month and a half since I have blogged...WOW....

I am such a slacker, but this time I am not going to make any empty promises about keeping up with my blog better, blah blah blah....i will blog when I feel like it...lol

Life has been busy....i finished working my fourth year June 30th....had 2 1/2 weeks off and started back as an OFFICIAL Au.D. on July 20th at the V.A. in Memphis.

I work Mon-Wed and its wonderful....I feel slightly like a loser only working part time with this degree ive busted my A for.....but oh well, when im laying out at the pool on thursdays and fridays, I dont feel like such the loser any longer!

Well, sorry to say, last week, my Motorola Pink Slvr AND SIM card crapped out on me....its been a good 3 year run with "Pinky" and a solid 10 year run with the SIM card....Brad has been trying to get me to get a new phone for MONTHS and I just couldnt justify spending 200 dollars on a brand new Iphone when my Slvr did exactly what I needed it to....make calls, send texts and take low quality pictures....

Now I am the proud owner of a 16 GB, 3Gs Iphone that provides me with more than I could have ever imagined that I would use....and I use almost all the applications....im obsessed with my new phone....constantly checking facebook, twitter, TMZ...making additions to my "Lose It" program (weight loss) and always trying to stay up to date with the newest (free) apps....

Ive had the phone one week, not sure how long that will last!!!

Bradley and I, the Buie's, the West's, Alicia and Alex go to the beach in just 32 days!!! Two of my other favorite couples will be down there around the same time we are....The Doose's and The Verdell's....im hoping that one night we can all meet up....

Stephanie will be celebrating her 25 bday while down in Florida....so hopefully we can have a big fun gathering of random people!!!

Speaking of Stephanie....on July 25th, we did the most AMAZING thing ever....we saw the American Idols Live tour at Verizon Arena (so wierd, it will always be Altell to me!)....THEY WERE AMAZING....of course, in typical Whitney fashion, my camera died right as Danny Gokey began to sing so I got NO pictures of Adam or Kris....but Steph got LOTS of pictures and i am still waiting to see them and get copies (hint hint)

I have never watched and followed American Idol, but this year I did, and really got in to it....and so seeing the top 10 perform live in the same arena was surreal to me....those 10 will never perform together again...so, to me, it was different than seeing a band who will always perform together (for the most part)....In other words, I highly enjoyed the concert, every minute, and even though my camera died, it forced me to sit back and enjoy the concert and the performers instead of worry about taking pictures so I could remember the concert....lol

I am about to start work....I am headed home tomorrow after work...I love these Wed-Sun weekends....

Busy couple of weeks....

2009-06-17T07:18:00.003-05:00

I didnt realize how long it had been since i have blogged...and I mean ACTUALLY blogged...my tagged/retagged thing didnt count!

The next few weeks are going to be very fun...but they are going to be hard too....I feel like all of my posts turn sad at some point...so I wont make this sad note long.
June 18th is my grandfather's bday...he passed away April 2007....so that is a day of rememberance for our family.
June 21st is Father's Day....I love having my father around and being around him as much as possible...and although this is a day to celebrate him, it is still very hard on us because his dad is no longer around to celebrate...
June 30th is my cousin Brent's bday...he passed away November 1st, 2008....suddenly from a brain aneurysm (however you spell that)....he would have been 36 this year....he left behind two VERY young daughters and a family who loves him very much...

Okay...that is it for the sad portion of my blog....

I have been so busy lately with getting hired (part-time) here at the VA in Memphis....packing up my apartment for the move...and enjoying my last few weekends to spend in Memphis.

I will be working part time (Mon-Wed) here in Memphis (PRAISE THE LORD), but the reason I am moving is financial. I work with a lady/girl/woman who owns a home and is willing to rent a bedroom out to me for $350 a month!!!! There are a few things I dont like to discuss....two of them being money and politics...money is embarrassing and politics just gets people feisty (in my group of friends at least)....I dont like talking about how much things cost...etc, but in this case....I HAD to make this decision.

My current rent is $750 (NOT including water, electricity, and cable...so add another $150 or so, depending on the season)....which is not a bad deal at all....BUT when you are newly graduated, only making 60% of what you should be making with your Doctorate....budget cuts are in order. Im due to start making HUGE loan payments in November and so I had to tighten the belt in some areas in order to make bigger payments NOW instead of wishing 20 years down the road I had done that.

PLUS...there is really no point in me paying that much to have an apartment in Memphis I will only be staying in 3 nights out of the week. Ive lived here a year and only 3 people have actually come to stay with me...and 2 others drove all the way here to help me move in last year (shout out to the Doose's)....so moving out became the best choice!

All that to say...ive been packing up my beautiful apartment (that only a few people have actually seen) and splitting up all of my belongings between three different locations...my dad's, Brad's and Lisa's....

All of my tableware will go to my dad's, all of my useful kitchen cookware and bakeware will go to Brad's (so I can cook for the boys when im home), my bed, chest of drawers and BIG tv are going to Lisa's.

Ive moved some small, breakable stuff home during the weekends....but this week is the pictures of my friends, decorative candles, candelabras, paintings, etc etc etc....and it SUCKS...my apartment is going to be SO bare the last week I live in it....*tear*

It is so strange...hopefully within the next 2 to 2.5 years I will be getting married, so there is a good chance I will be living like this for a good amount of time. I am glad for all the money I will be saving (not really SAVING because it will all be going to make loan payments, cell phone payments, etc etc) but I have loved living in my OWN place with my OWN things and I am gonna miss the alone time, the weekends in Memphis with Brad and the pups, and coming home to my HOME, not someone elses....but once I am married, I will have my own home again with the man I love....it is worth the sacrifice and the wait!

Its true...im a little sad about moving out of my apartment, but I know it will be a good decision in the long run.

OHHHH...and another drawback....Reagan (my furry butt princess, boo dawg, Tooter bear) will NOT be staying in Memphis with me...that is another hard thing to swallow. Since I will only be here Sunday night through Wednesday afternoon, it is easier for me to keep her with Bradley (and Patton) so when I get off work on Wednesday I can jump right in the car and head home...that is going to be quite an adjustment. My dog seriously is one of the greatest things that has happened to me....some people dont understand it...but that baby girl literally saved me from a HORRIBLE relationship and for that, I am thankful....so I dont care if other people dont understand my attachment to my baby dog....they dont have to. I digress....she and I will be separated Sunday night until Wednesday night and that is going to be hard....that is hard for any dog owner. Ive been away from her before...but that was for a week at a time...this is going to be EVERY week for who knows how long...SO SAD!

My last day at the VA is June 30th....I will officially be on VACAY July 1st through July 19th. My start date is July 20th and I am looking forward to laying out by the pool, reading, sleeping in, getting a tan (hopefully) and just having fun until then! July 4th weekend Brad and I will be down at the lake...then we have a few special birthdays to celebrate July 19th (CB and Jessie)...we are so excited for all the fun times ahead.

Sept 4th we leave for the BEACH....we are going to officially be there Sept 5th-12th....and we can not wait for a week long VACAY on the BEACH with some of our GREATEST friends (and we will miss the ones who couldnt come this year)....

All in all, ive been a pretty busy chica and ive got more busy times coming up...but I will TRY to post in between laying out, swimming, and reading my cheesy murder mysteries....lol

Tagged...and retagged....

2009-05-26T07:46:00.002-05:00

I was tagged a few weeks back by Mrs. Doose...and in honor of her one year anniversary...i will complete my tag and pass it on (maybe)

How you do this...I am pretty sure...is to fill it out....and say some names at the bottom of who you tagged....hmmmm

Eight things I look forward to:
1. Spending the weekend in Memphis with Brad
2. Starting my first REAL job with my degree (even though its part time)
3. Eventually getting engaged...no real rush on this one though
4. Completely paying off my student loans (not real rush here either...it will be AT LEAST 10 years)
5. Lake days this summer
6. Florida vacation with Brad, the Buie's, the West's, and Lisha/Alex
7. American Idol concert in July....8th row baby!!!
8. Being a homeowner....again, no rush...no immediate plan either

Eight things i did yesterday:
1. I was INCREDIBLY lazy
2. Ate Wendy's
3. Drove back to Memphis
4. Listen to my illegally burned Kris Allen cd
5. Unpacked my car (but not the bags)
6. Ordered a pizza
7. Watched Charm School on VH1
8. Kissed Brad goodbye

Eight things I wish I could do:
1. Be on a reality tv show
2. Make lots of $$$
3. Dance for a living
4. Do my own hair...all ive got in my arsenal is wash/condition and curl it with curlers
5. Pay off my student loans
6. Get a job in Little Rock (I am praying for God's perfect timing)
7. Be famous
8. Work out long enough for it to make a difference

Eight shows i watch: (I watch lots of tv b/c i live alone in a city where I know NO ONE)
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Private Practice
3. American Idol/So You Think You Can Dance
4. Any VH1 trashy reality show (Charm School, Rock of Love, Daisy of Love, Tough Love, etc)
5. Monday night Man-Show line up (Big Bang Theory, 1 1/2 men, How I met your mother)
6. Lie to ME
7. Lock-up (Its a prison show on MSNBC)
8. Ugly Betty (sometimes)

That is all Ive got!!!

Ive got to tag some people now....KIRBY, REBECCA ATCHERSON, JULEE.....hmmm...to be continued later

KICK AWESOME

2009-05-21T06:20:00.005-05:00

After months of devoting my life (okay, maybe just tuesday and wednesday evenings) to American Idol...it is over.

I have NEVER watched a season of American Idol before....not even the first one when Kelly Clarkson won....but this year was different...

There was an Arkansan in the top 13 and that, for one, was exciting to me. Not only was he a local musician who I have heard play on occasion, he also became one of the best representatives for this state I have ever known of.

Honest, humble, kind, genuine, I could go on and on and on....but after YEARS of our state having the reputation for "inbreeding", "going without shoes", Bill Clinton, Houston Nutt....etc etc....it is our time to show that not only do we have talent, we have charm (and the uncanny ability to produce 38 million votes in one night when there are only 3 million Arkansans)

I jokingly made the comment that Houston Nutt single handedly tore our state apart and Kris Allen single handedly has brought us back together...in a state where your "professional team" is the Arkansas Razorbacks...you learn to become a unified force....and Arkansans love Arkansans...

I will admit, I have only contributed to the voting the past 3 weeks....but I will also brag (or hang my head in shame) that tuesday night I managed to muster up 1330 votes for our one and only Kris Allen.

Not only does he have the talent, he has the charisma, and I do not feel that America could have made a better decision.

He has the most precious wife that I dont think he has gotten to touch since all the Idol madness has started....here is a picture of them right after he won last night!!!
Way to go Kris!!!! Arkansas is proud of you!!! Thank you for giving to us!!

Update on life....

2009-05-18T18:49:00.008-05:00

May 16th...Au.D. Graduation (im trying to figure out how to upload at slideshow)

Bradley and I after graduation...Amy B Galdemez (M.D.) and I (Au.D) after graduation....we have known each other since kindergarten

Me...my cap and gown...fake diploma...and flowers (from my mom and grammy)
Andrea and I in our "doctor" hoods
My daddy and I
My Grammy, Mom and myself
My grammy and I
Me, Lisha, Andrea and CB at celebration dinner
Lishy and I
Mrs. Doose and I
Cara Beth Buie and I
The graduates and our cake....I love cake!!!
The celebration table....Gov. Mike Beebe came to congratulate us!!!

The girls at the end of dinner....

April 18th....Sausage and Cassie's wedding...

Sausage (his real name is Nathan) got married to a WONDERFUL girl named Cassie....Bradley and I were invited and we had a blast!

The bride and groom...
The boys trying to catch the garter....Brad's roomate caught it
My love-bug (Brad) and myself

(APRIL 11th WAS THE DERBY...I FIGURED OUT THOSE PICTURES ARE ON BRAD'S CAMERA)

March 27th....Pat Green

The girls and I went to see Pat Green at the Rumba Room in Little Rock...it was so much fun...here are some pictures from that night...

The playlist....
Pat Green...the man, the legendMrs. Doose and I at dinner beforehand....

CB, Andrea, Jessica, Lisha and myself....
CB and I...we were pretty excited.
Jess, Lisha, and myself

How long have you been graduated?

2009-05-18T09:08:00.002-05:00

This JUST happened and I am too excited not to share it IMMEDIATELY!!!

As you know, I graduated this past weekend....I am officially a Doctor of Audiology....therefore I have been SUPER pumped about finally getting to introduce myself to my patients at "Dr. Hall". Ive been practicing it in my head!

I called back my first patient this morning, took him to the ear wash room, and introduced myself...."Good Morning Mr. So-and-So. I am Doctor Hall and I will be working with you this morning".....we continued with our conversation about his hearing, etc...I had butterflies in my stomach after finally getting to say it!

When I took him back to the testing booth, I was placing the ear tips in his ears, and he asked me..."How long have you been graduated?"

I responded...."That is a funny question, I just graduated on Saturday!"

He congratulated me and said he was happy to be my first patient as an official doctor. At the end of the appointment, he told me I did a great job and he was glad to have me at the VA hospital....It was an all together positive first experience!!!!

I also got to sign my first audiogram "Whitney Hall, Au.D."

WHOOP WHOOP!!!!

Just had to share!!!!

DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY!!!!

2009-05-18T07:20:00.004-05:00

I GRADUATED!!!!! A day I NEVER thought would arrive has come and gone in the blink of an eye.

I will post pictures of all of Bradley and I's recent adventures (Derby, weddings, Kris Allen)...and I can add this one to the list....I GRADUATED WITH MY Au.D.!!!

After graduation, Bradley, myself, my mom, dad and grammy went to dinner at Copper Grill...we celebrated with Andrea (who also graduated), her whole family and our friends (Jessie Doose, Scott Doose, Cara Beth Buie, and Alicia Slover)....

Afterward...the plan was to party it up downtown...but being 26 and EXHAUSTED from the whole weekend of events....we all opted for 1 or 2 drinks and then headed to our homes

Thank you again to everyone who attended the graduation and/or celebration!!!

TRUST ME...IM A DOCTOR!

Weekend of Firsts

2009-04-27T07:32:00.002-05:00

GOSH!!! Im such a blog-slacker these days...

Not a whole lot has been going on in my life....

Brad and I went to the Arkansas Derby, celebrated our friend Jourdan's bday, celebrated Easter w/ his family....all in one weekend!!! (Will update with pics eventually)

I have been twittering a little bit...i love it!!! My new twitt-obsession is SecretTweet....

You dont have to have a twitter account to read it....just go to SecretTweet.com....scandal!!!

Brad spent the weekend in Memphis...the last time we got to do this was when we went ring shopping in March....like March 20th or something like that....that is ALOT of travelling back and forth with no days to just sit and relax.

Brad and I are not big "party-ers"....we like to stay in with friends or go to dinner and then go back to someone's house....we arent bar people....not to say we werent in the past...but we arent now...BUT Friday night we were!!! LOL

Brad and I have NEVER been "out" like that with just the two of us. When Brad comes in town, we always like to eat somewhere different. We LOVE LOVE LOVE the Kooky Canuck (and if you come to visit me in Memphis, that is where I will take you to eat...GUARENTEED!!!)....but Friday we wanted to try somewhere new.

We headed down to Beale around 6:30 or 7 pm (clearly for dinner)....we ended up eating at Silky O'Sullivans....pretty good Irish pub/grill place with an AMAZING outdoor seating area that clearly is party-ready when the sun goes down and the people arrive at Beale....we ate dinner and decided to walk up and down Beale....this was the 3rd time ive been to Beale since ive lived in Memphis (9 months).

We went into a gift shop and piddled around there, watched some local people flip down the street for money, and just held hands and strolled up and down for a while. Brad found a cigar bar, so of course we ducked in there for some cigar-education and cigar purchasing (he really enjoyed what he bought)...while I sipped on my banana frozen concotion from Wet Willies...lol

Then, Brad wanted to know where Coyote Ugly was...I pointed it out and we headed there. Let me reiterate...we are boring and we dont EVER go out....

Next thing I know, Brad and I have approached Coyote Ugly...where we come to find out that ladies are free and so is MILITARY!!! On top of that...Military gets beers for 2 dollars...it was decided...we walked in, found a table and ordered some drinks.

Our waitress' name was Ashley. She was so sweet and so cute and we became friends!!! Brad and I had a blast, just sitting there, dancing and singing to the music in our chairs, and enjoying time together. You may think a loud bar with women dancing on the bar is not an ideal place to enjoy time with your honey....but this particular night it was. We just laughed and talked and I danced around and we sang to some GREAT songs at the top of our lungs....around 1:30 am we headed home...exhausted and SHOCKED that we both managed to stay awake until 1:30!!! We are usually in bed around 10 pm...lol

That was just Friday night! Saturday we did NOTHING and it was AMAZING....unfortunately, my air conditioning is OUT (and it was 80 degrees in Memphis)....
We sat on the couch, the windows open, and my small "Tornado" fan blowing on us...and we snuggled with our puppies and with eachother and just talked and laughed all day....until I drug him off the couch and we headed to Target.

On the way home from Target, we stopped and at at Dan McGuinness's (or something like that). Its right next to the "Wine Market" (which of course caught my eye) and down the say from Williams Sonoma outlet. The food was ok, but it was a new place to eat so we were happy!!! I even ate a burger with grilled onions and white cheddar cheese. No big deal to some people, but I dont think its a burger unless it has American cheese, lettuce and tomato on it!

All in all, it was a GREAT weekend with lots of firsts....the air conditioning is STILL out in my apartment (and ive already put in a service request AND called on Saturday to get it fixed)....

Brad doesnt have to work today, so he is currently at my apartment, still in bed...and he has big plans to watch golf all day until I get home after work!!!

Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend....

Wow...its been awhile

2009-04-20T07:29:00.003-05:00

Its been FOREVER since I have blogged...and this one will be stolen from Shaylea...Its a fun survey...i just felt like I needed to send some blog love out there!

A fun survey.
Bold the things you've done:
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain- Does Pinnacle Count? Even though its technically a hill?
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch- I used to cross-stitch.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty- I didnt walk, but ive been.
18. Grown your own vegetables- currently!!!
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise- yes, 10+ cruises
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted- yeah, at some amusement park where they make you a cartoon!
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business- technically, lemonade stand and candy sales...lol
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason-yes, I have an AMAZING boyfriend
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar- Nasty
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone- my nose
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone- if I have a blog, twitter, 2 facebooks, and a myspace, i better have a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee

Insomnia and the Bible

2009-04-07T07:20:00.003-05:00

I love to stalk blogs...not random ones, but people I know...even if I havent talked to them or seen them in YEARS...i love to read about thier lives, adventures, husbands, new babies, etc....

I recently started reading a blog written by a girl who I went to high school with. She just had a baby yesterday but prior to that, I have been reading her updates about her pregnancy and things....A few days ago, she posted about having insomnia and all the things she does when she cant sleep...including how she turns to God.

She included the verse:
"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." _ Matthew 11:28

Let me digress, just for a moment...I am a Christian, I own a bible, and I pray....but i am not as strong in my walk as I should be, I dont read my bible as much as a should, and I unfortunately dont talk to God quite as much as I G-chat...

I have NEVER been one of those people that you hear about...you know, the ones who have a troubled heart and they pick up thier bible and it magically opens to a page that applies to thier current situation...I am more like the person who picks up their bible and then get frustrated because whatever page it magically turned to is about Noah's Ark or something like that...not applicable what-so-ever.

That is why it is such a blessing to me that I read her blog the other day...and recalled that verse. I slept maybe, MAYBE, a total of 3 hours last night. I took some sinus medicine that was supposed to make me drowsy...more like spastic with hyperactive thoughts...as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, my mind began to wander....and then stress set in...

Where will I be in 3 months? What if I cant find a job? How am I supposed to pay rent, eat, pay for a wedding? Why did I go to school for 4 more years to NOT have a job when I graduate? Who should I ask to be in my wedding? How am I supposed to pay moving fees when I dont have a job? Where am I going to move all of my stuff? Is Bradley the right person for me? (yes, he is...i was just stressing to the MAX)...etc etc...the thoughts went on and on from 10 pm-3 am...NO BUENO

Around 2:20 am it hit me...Matthew 11:28....I calmed down, shut my eyes, and began to lay it all on God. All of my concerns, worries, hurt, anger, confusion...I gave it all up to Him...knowing that He has a divine plan that I can not even begin to understand...and while that is stressful not knowing, it is also exciting because I know He will lead me in the right direction, as long as I dont lose hope and trust him with my all. And that is what I plan to do.

I am also not naive...i know that Satan will do his best to break my trust in God...but as long as I remember that and I am prepared for it...It will be an amazing experience.

I just cant believe my first instinct WASNT to turn to God and talk to Him...but I am constantly learning and changing to be more like Him...its a process.

My comments?

2009-04-01T17:35:00.001-05:00

I just noticed that my comments option didnt show up on my last post...is this a blogspot April Fools Joke or have I somehow removed them??? HMMMM

April Fools Day

2009-04-01T07:18:00.002-05:00

I cant believe its already April....April 1st to be exact....April Fools Day

Ive never successfully pulled a prank on this day...to my memory at least, but my memory is not the greatest....

I think some pranks are funny, I think others are not....one year, while attending OBU, a boyfriend IMed me and told me his dad (who happened to travel alot) had been on a plane and the plane had gone down and they had no contact with him. The airlines would not release any information and his mom was a total wreck...after about a 30 minute conversation about his father possibly being dead on this plane crash he said....APRIL FOOLS!!!

What a sick bastard! That wasnt funny

Maybe that is why I dont care for this "holiday" much....I do, however, enjoy a good joke or prank...so let me know about yours!!!

April 1st...one month away from Beale Street Music Festival (Memphis in May) and I am going!!! I am not sure who else is going with me, so I may be going alone....

April 1st is also a month and a half away from my graduation from UAMS (Remember...I will be Dr. Hall and eventually Dr. Homan)...

April is never an easy month for me...

April 16th was my great grandmother, Nonny's, bday (i was VERY close to her and she died my senior year...i still miss her)...I am named after her and I plan to name my first daughter after her.
April 16th is also the day my mother decided to leave my dad my freshmen year in college...we wont go into all that drama and baggage...
April 16th is also the day that Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007....the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in United States history, on or off a school campus.

April 27th is my paternal grandmother's birthday and April 28th is the day my paternal grandfather died...he held on to stay alive on her birthday and took his last breath early the next morning. I cant believe its been two years.

Sorry for the debbie downer blogging post...that was not my intention what so ever! I guess I just got on a roll when i started thinking about how much of a hard time I have in April.

April brings fun times too...My good friend Jourdan's bday AND the Arkansas Derby are April 11th....Easter is April 12th....Bradley and I's couple friends Nathan (Sausage) and Cassie are getting married April 18th...Andrea's bday is April 22nd....and Bradley and I are talking about getting married in April (of 2011)....

See, April brings happy times too!!!

I still dont have a job....and I havent heard back from the applications I sent out on March 7th...please please please keep praying for me if you are...and if you arent, add me to your list! Its hard to start a life with someone when you live FOREVER away, so now I am contemplating moving to Little Rock and waiting tables with my Doctorate degree...what a waste of education and student loans...blah.

Im gonna go eat some breakfast here at work since i forgot to buy milk....

Hope everyone has a GREAT April Fools Day and let me know if you got pranked!!!

Part II of Brad's Bday

2009-03-25T07:08:00.007-05:00

On March 7th, I threw a surprise bday party for Bradley. BEFORE he knew about it, he had said he wanted to go to the races on March 14th for his bday. I also invited all the usual suspects to the races, but only a handful could come, and that was totally understandable seeing as they had ROCKED Brad's face off the weekend before!

Here are some pictures from the races on March 14th...

Brad and I before the races started

Always need a vertical picture just in case!!!

Mi madre and myself...she lives in Hot Springs so she came for the festivities

Close up picture of my main man and myself!!!

Britt and I...enjoying the day and eachother's company

Sneaky picture in the casino...SHHHH...these arent allowed

The whole group before leaving the track...and going to eat the most amazing food EVER (I dont remember the name or I would shamelessly plug it right here)!!!

The whole day was so much fun...Good food, drinks, and friends...not a whole lot of winning, but some....besides, WE ARE WINNERS AT LIFE!!!!

A post about nothing

2009-03-24T07:22:00.005-05:00

Hello all...

Todays post will be about nothing, or randoms, or whatevers but I dont have one set topic.

This weekend (Friday night) is PFG...(Pat Green for those of you who dont speak the "code"). I will be attending the concert with the "usuals" Cara Beth, Alicia, Jessica and Andrea...we were going to induct Britt and Jessie, but they had things "come up"...i think they are actually scared...JUST KIDDING...back to PFG...

This will not be our first rodeo seeing Pat...he is an old friend of ours (we wish)...we have seen him in Memphis, Little Rock, Texas, Louisiana, etc etc....some have traveled many miles to see him and he is worth every minute! I even took off half a day from work so i could be in LR in enough time to get ready and join mis amigas for whatever pre-gaming fun will be occuring...instead of arriving in LR at around 7 and then having to rush around to clean up, brush my teeth, redo my makeup and hair and meet them in a hurry!!!

I CANT WAIT!!!

Bradley is leaving for a bachelor party on Friday morning so I wont see him at all the whole weekend...I will be watching Patton though...oh LORD! He is a handful! He is so sweet though. Last weekend he busted my lip by trying to jump on the couch to snuggle and his little wet puppy dog nose ran right into my bottom lip...it was awkward and so sweet at the same time!

Back to the weekend...Brad will be gone with the boys up in northern Arkansas (I think) with a bunch of guys from his unit doing a fishing tournament for Sausage's (his real name is Nathan) bachelor party...lots of fishing, peeing standing up, and drinking beer...they can have at it!!!

He will be back with me in Memphis on Monday though!!! I will miss him, but I am glad he is gonna go and have fun!

Saturday I have NOTHING planned, I may head back to Memphis, I may stick around in LR, not really sure yet...

I still need to file my taxes...whoops!

Bling Bling

2009-03-23T07:26:00.006-05:00

Spring is here!!! I have planted some flowers (that I am anxiously awaiting thier blooming), the weather is warmer, and I am making BIG mental plans to take off work every other monday so i can spend two consecutive days on the lake when the lake becomes swimmable...

Bradley and I had a big weekend. He came in on Friday night (he even got off work early) and we went to eat at Bosco's...we both got the Palermo pizza (each got thier own...Bradley does NOT share entree food) and split spinach and artichoke dip...YUMMY!!!!

Saturday morning we woke up, lounged around, watched some basketball, got dressed and headed to the mall for the sole purpose of looking at rings...YES, ENGAGEMENT RINGS!!!

I am not the marriage type, so this really freaked me out, but it was super fun to go into all of those stores and look at all the different rings, finally try on the ones I have been eyeing online, and see all the sparklies on my finger....but after awhile, they all started to look alike....and Bradley and I were both exhausted; physically and mentally.

Bradley and I have differing views of what an engagement ring is....lol, but I guess its ultimately up to him, and whatever he chooses, will be the most perfect ring on the face of the earth...so when it comes down to it, I really am not that picky.

I like more of the antique style (the sparklier the better) but he is a more traditional kind of guy with the solitaire princess cut. We are working on a compromise, but like I said, whatever he chooses will be perfect. He completely surprised me with my Valentine's day necklace and he did wonderful selecting that!

I guess some couples dont go ring shopping and some do. "To each his own" is how i feel about it. Bradley is the one who initiated going to look at rings therefore I dont feel bad or shallow for going to look. He is the one with the ultimate decision, but he wanted to get a better idea of what I wanted since I will be wearing it....and that shows me right there that he knows me inside and out...which is what I want in a husband (among other things).

(The rings in this blog are NOT the rings that we looked at...I repeat, NOT the rings we looked at...although the one directly above would not hurt my feelings...lol)

All in All...it was a fabulous day that ended with us making home made pizza (one of our favorite meals to make together) and renting a movie. We are both overwhelmed with diamonds, cuts, clarity, color, styles, etc...but I am also glad that I dont have to choose! I had a panic attack, yes, during which I was telling him I dont need a ring, I know I love him, and I dont need a big diamond to prove that...he is insisting on a ring though. This was the first time we have looked and my head is swimming...it will all work out in the end...and there are bigger problems in the world (and in my life) than this....like filing my taxes (add that to the list of "to dos")

Sunday is one of my favorite days with Bradley, especially the Sundays when we get to do NOTHING. Usually, when I am home for the weekend, we have to drive back to Memphis, but since we spent the weekend in Memphis, we did NOTHING but go to Bass Pro Shop, where we spent 2+ hours looking at bait and rods and whatever else...I looked in the cooking section and ended up with some amazing black bean and corn salsa and some grilling sauce for steaks, burgers, fish, etc....

My bracket is doing well. I am beating Bradley in our facebook pool and I am tied with him on ESPN...whoop whoop...

Gotta start working in a minute. Still have not heard from any of my job applications....oh well, continue to pray!

-Whitney

Bracket update....big plans this weekend

2009-03-20T07:54:00.002-05:00

I am updating you all on the status of my brackets for the NCAA tournament...

Yesterday was the first day of games....my place of work has blocked realtime media streaming, so I cant WATCH the games online, but I can sit and watch the webpage with the scores refresh and update every 30 seconds...lol

Here is how well I am doing after the first day....there were a total of 16 games yesterday....

Facebook bracket.....14/16 correct

ESPN bracket....13/16

CBSSports.com....13/16

I have two other brackets on facebook, but I didnt check them this morning because I woke up at 7 am...which is the time I am usually LEAVING for work...miraculously, i only got here 10 minutes late...whew!!!

Off to another full day of patients and slacking off to watch the scores update.

Brad and I have big plans for this weekend (on Saturday)....if things go well, i will update later...

Tonight, he is coming to Memphis after work and we are going to eat at Bosco's....we usually like to go eat places that we dont have in Little Rock or North Little Rock, but i ate there a few weeks ago with Heather and Jennifer and it was DELICIOUS (of course), so now I am craving the Palermo pizza again....

Brad has never eaten there before, so it is like a new place to him!!! I cant wait to see my love bug and to go and eat!!!

Update you later on my brackets and my experience on Saturday!!!

-W

Ive got the MADNESS

2009-03-16T08:06:00.002-05:00

Selection sunday was yesterday!

I love love LOVE March Madness....

If you lived with me my senior year in college (or slept on my couch)...you will know that I am GLUED to the tv, missed classes (which I cant do that now), and would get red-faced ANGRY when Bobby Knight comes on TV....I love it, every bit about it...the thrill of the games, the upsets, the EVERYTHING...

I am currently filling out my bracket...and I wish I was at home, wearing the snuggie, watching Sportscenter and doing endless research on ESPN.com and NCAA.com for tips and statistics...

I have to go to work now...but I am sure I will keep an update of my bracket success!!!

And they are off....

2009-03-12T07:27:00.003-05:00

For those of you that know me...i love the horse races...I go as much as humanly possible between the months of January and April...and I DO NOT miss the derby.

I was afraid that with living in Memphis my horse racing days would be over...on the contrary, I think I have made it more this season that any other...lol

This coming weekend is no exception...Bradley, Kyle (Brad's roomate) and I will be loading up the car and heading down to beautiful Hot Springs, AR for some pony racing, beer (wine for me please) drinking and fun times with friends. I think the Verdell's, Horne's, and some others will be joining us down there later in the day!

In theme with the topic of my blog...I will include some horse racing terms, just for your educational benefit!!!

Basics: Each of these is a $2 dollar bet for each placement you bet on.
Win: You pick the winning horse
Place: You pick the horse that comes in first or second
Show: You pick the horse that comes in first, second or third.
If you bet a horse to win, place or show (aka "Across the Board") it will be a $6 minimum bet.

Exotic Wagers: Also $2 minimum
Daily Double: You pick the winner of two consecutive races.
Exacta: You pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in exact order in a single race. Exacta Box: You pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in either order in a single race. Trifecta: You pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in exact order in a single race.
Trifecta Box: You pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in any order in a single race.

Now...my knowledge of racing (or lack there of...lol) does not depict my type of betting...I am a basic kind of girl...

"#3 to win, place, show"....and usually I have picked the horse by his or her name...lol...

In the past...some of the "name" picks that have won me $$$ have been names like "Conner" (The Buie's dog)....and "Miss Maci" (The Verdell's dog)....Brad and I also bet on ANY military named horse "Seargent so and so" "Private whatever" etc....

Well, that is all I have on horse racing information...lol

Bradley's Big Bday Weekend (Recap)

2009-03-10T19:53:00.006-05:00

March 7th is a VERY important day to me...it is my dad's birthday and my boyfriends birthday...My dad spent the weekend in Hot Springs (which is rare for him to be home during March Madness) so I decided to do something special for Brad's bday.

Here is the recap of Bradley's Bday weekend...

On Friday night, Bradley had to work (and then he had drill all day Saturday and Sunday)...I knew he would be getting off work LATE Friday, so when I went by the apartment to pick up Patton, I also decorated to surprise him....
He was really surprised when he got home! I feel bad b/c since we don't live together, he is going to have to clean up all decorations by himself....

That was not the only surprise I had planned for the weekend. I had told Bradley that I would make reservations somewhere we hadnt eaten and I would take care of all the plans....I asked everyone to be at Creegans in NLR between 6 and 6:30....Brad and I would arrive between 6:45 and 7....We arrived around 7:05 (ish)
Below is a picture that Cara Beth took of us when we first walked in....

Brad was so excited and surprised....he has never celebrated a bday quite like this!!!

Earlier that day, I had dropped some balloons off at the Buie home so they would be at the party when Brad and I arrived (and then when I was leaving, I got in a minor wreck in the parking lot). Here are the balloons and the birthday "beer" cake for Brad!

Here is a close up picture of his cake....Yes, the whole thing was cake, even the beer mug...and it was delicious....a close friend of Brad and I's, Mrs Verdell, makes these cakes....

Brad was so excited and surprised. Earlier in the week, Brad had picked up the list of names that said "Creegans" on the top and I caught him reading it. It all happened so fast that I didnt know how long he had been sitting there and it all happened so fast that he SWEARS he had no idea what was even written on that paper....whew!!!
I had alot of fun planning and getting ready for the party (even though I did stress out a tiny bit)...I love Bradley and making him feel special is something I love doing! I am lucky to have found a man like him and I do my best to show him that as much as possible.

Cara Beth and I have been friends for years and in the past year she has introduced me to another friend of her's...Brittany Horne and her husband Clint....Brittany, Clint, Cara Beth, and Brent have really made Brad and I feel very welcome and Brad has become friends with Brent and Clint OUTSIDE of the girls hanging out....I had asked the Buies and the Hornes to be at Creegans AT 6 to help direct everyone in the right direction and make sure the room was secured for us! (Britt and CB with Brad)

Everyone was SO GREAT about getting there on time and calming me down throughout the day...this is how serious I was about the group being there AT 6...lol

I am a big believer in my friends being friends with my boyfriend and I am so lucky to have a group of friends who welcomed my boyfriend with open arms and even attended his surprise bday party...(Jessie is not pictured below b/c she is a selfless woman who was babysitting for free for a friend who needed an angel)
Below is a picture of myself with Stephanie (one of my greatest friends and Brad's best friends wife) and Jourdan and some of Jourdan's friends....it was great to see all the people who came out to celebrate Bradley's life!
Some of Brad's "unit" buddies showed up for the surprise...as well as his best friend Jordan and some of our couple friends. Brad was so shocked to see all of the faces of people from the different groups that make up his life....his best friends, his work friends, our couple friends, my friends, etc....he had a great time bringing them all together for fun!
We were both shocked (and very appreciative) that Bradley received a birthday card and gift...which was from the Buie's. Since becoming friends with the Hornes and Buie's...Bradley has become more interested in cigars....so Brent got him a cutter/puncher thingie...look at the happiness in his face!
Brad was kissing it because he was so excited....lol....i didnt know until right then, but he didnt have one and you need one of those to smoke a cigar!!!
Toward the end of the night, things were winding down and people were heading home...and I got to head home with the most amazing man I know (next to my daddy)....I love you Bradley and I am glad you had such a wonderful birthday!!!

How do I do that again?

2009-03-10T07:22:00.002-05:00

67 days until May 16th (graduation)

179 days until I am in Florida with some of my friends and the most amazing man I know (and my friends amazing men!)

Not that I cant count...but I am somewhat overwhelmed with having to countdown every few days to graduation/florida....

The other day, Jessie told me that I could ADD a countdown clock to my site so it would countdown for me....I pride myself on being computer literate, but I feel that this countdown clock has gotten the better of me...i cant figure out how in the world to do it...

Any pointers?

I threw a SURPRISE bday party for Bradley on Saturday...dont have much time to recap it right now (and it must be complete with pictures, which are on my laptop at home)...so i will do that later...

Job application update: After I spent a week working on applications, forgetting to eat dinner, and stressing myself out....i finally got my applications in the mail for Shreveport, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, LA....as well as Hampton, VA....and I got an added bonus; a VERY stiff neck and limited range of motion...

My main choice is Little Rock, AR....but God seems to have other plans for my life at this moment.

My boss here in Memphis, TN let me know that she was going to put in for another Audiologist opening at this VA (which hopefully I would get that job)...but it could take MONTHS for approval to go through and then the hiring process begins....and I am finished with my externship at the end of June....we are working with 3 months here people!!!

That is all the updating I can do this morning...stay tuned as my life unfolds before your very eyes...lol

Memphrica in May

2009-03-05T17:18:00.003-06:00

72 days until graduation

184 days until I am in FLORIDA!!!

Since I am in a concert going mood...i thought I would blog about the Memphis in May line up for 2009. The list was released TODAY...and it is as follows....

Friday, May 1 - Gates Open @ 5pm

The All-American Rejects
Steve Miller Band
Ben Harper & Relentless7
Tommy Castro
Katy Perry
The Cult
G. Love & Special Sauce
Jack's Mannequin
Rise Against
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Matt Nathanson
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Lurrie Bell

Saturday, May 2 - Gates Open @ 1pm

Al Green
Korn
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
John Lee Hooker, Jr.
Shinedown
Elvis Costello
The Roots
Curtis Salgado
Saving Abel
Los Lobos
Michael Burks
The Bar-Kays
Thriving Ivory
Susan Tedeschi
Julian Marley
Cedric Burnside & Lightin' Malcolm
Chancho En Piedra (from Chile)
Muck Sticky
Green Rive Ordinance
Hubert Sumlin
Shane Dwight
Jump Back Jake

Sunday, May 3 - Gates Open at 1pm

James Taylor
311
Fall Out Boy
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Hinder
Bonnie Raitt
Snoop Dogg
Guitar Shorty
Theory of a Deadman
Jerry Lee Lewis
Three 6 Mafia
Sherman Robertson
Chancho En Piedra (from Chile)
Amos Lee
Prosevere
Damon Fowler
Dead Confederate
Reba Russell Band

Now...I have NEVER been to Memphis in May...but since I live here now, I think its part of the deal...so I am FOR SURE going this year.

I would love for my friends to come and stay with me and we can all go together!!!

I do have a "list" of people who get dibbs....and I need to check with them before I go inviting other people...lol...you can hate me if you want, but thats how its going down!

Rocking my world...

2009-03-04T06:30:00.004-06:00

73 days until graduation

185 days until Florida....and I cant wait!!!

I am kinda falling behind on updating my blog...I will promise to do better.

I am also not doing well on my LENT decision....I have definitely eaten Gluten and I have been so busy with job applications that I havent been able to make my house green....seriously, I go to work all day, come home, work out, shower, and then sit down to work on job applications...

I mail them in on March 7th (which is Bradley and my Dad's bdays)....then I can BREATHE and enjoy the weekend until I have to start again on my research! I HAVE to finish it, since I graduate in 73 days!

I found out yesterday that one of my FAVORITE artists is coming to Little Rock...and my best friends and I are going!!! So, that influenced me to write about some concerts I would LOVE to go to...

Pat Green...okay, he is the artist that is coming in March, so I will be seeing him in the near future, but he is still noteworthy....very rarely do my friends and I miss a local concert. I few months ago, at the last minute, i realized Pat was coming to Memphis, but it was so last minute that no one was able to come...I think deep down inside Pat was sad his girls couldnt be there, but he seemed to understand when i told him....lol

Britney Spears...I love her! I want to be her (minus the whole going crazy, shaving your head, abandoning your children thing)...she is awesome, and she has really bounced back both emotionally and physically.... Remember the MTV awards when she sang??? I am not a hott body, but i am not getting up and performing in front of millions!!! Now she looks GREAT!

This picture is "crazy britney"

and now she is back to her old self...amazing Britney with fun to dance to songs and a rocking bod

Ive seen Britney once or twice before and she didnt disappoint me then...and I dont think she would disappoint now...I WANT TO GO!!!

Saliva...I know I dont seem like the typical person to want to rock out to Saliva...but I love them. I started to love them in college and just never stopped. One year, when Switchfoot was playing at OBU and Saliva was playing at Henderson...it wasnt even a question for me as to which concert I was going to. I may have been the only person NOT in all black....I may have been the only person to wear a pink collared shirt....but I was up in the mix, jumping around and singing all of thier songs and trying to find a way to sneak back stage and meet them!!! Ive seen them twice before and I loved every minute of it.

They are from Memphis, TN...and I live here...it HAS to be fate....I recently missed a concert of theirs here due to a friend's bday party...but my friends come first, so I will just have to make effort to see them on another date.

That is all I have for right now...as I think of more, i will post more...

I love Sunday nights...

2009-03-01T18:14:00.003-06:00

76 days until graduation

188 days until Florida

Bradley and I are home in Memphis....we are about to go and pick up our 10 rolls of sushi that we ordered from Sekesui in Midtown Memphis (we always try something new) and my order of fried rice from Pei Wei (I dont want to be hungry)....

Then we will head home to snuggle on the couch and watch Rock of Love and Tool Academy on VH1 while drinking wine (Brad drinks beer). I used to watch Desperate Housewives on ABC on Sundays....now that it is at the same time as Rock of Love....we compromise and watch Rock and I watch Desperate online later....

Gotta go pick up our orders...

Countdown updated...

2009-02-26T08:47:00.001-06:00

79 days until graduation

191 days until Florida (tropical drinks and sandy beaches)

going green

2009-02-25T08:26:00.002-06:00

Ive decided what I am going to do for Lent

I am going to go green...ive been thinking about doing it anyway...but needed a little kick in the pants to do it. I dont know what all it entails, but knowing my best friend Cara Beth, I have a feeling I know who to ask.

So that is what I am going to do for Lent...i am going to give up being a parasite on our environment....starting NOW....

I just need to learn what to do!

I am also going to ATTEMPT to give up gluten (by suggestion of Cara Beth) but I dont know how I am going to survive that!

If she can do it (b/c she has to do it) then I can do it for her!!!

Mardi Gras...Lent...my dilema

2009-02-24T07:47:00.002-06:00

81 days until graduation

193 days until FLORIDA!!!!

I am not Catholic

I am not French, Louisianian, or Cajun

I do like a good party and I do like a good reason to give up something bad for me.

I have only been to a Mardi Gras celebration once...my senior year in high school, my girlfriends and I went down to Galveston Tx for the weekend...it was fun!

Ive been on Bourbon a few times...one random summer weekend, New Years, etc....but never Bourbon for Mardi Gras...i plan on going next year (it will be interesting to check this post in a year to see if I actually went)

Im applying for a job in New Orleans, so if I live there, surely I will go to Mardi Gras...isnt the whole city shut down anyway?

Back to my post topic....giving up something bad for me...

I was thinking this morning about what I want to give up for Lent...(reminder, i am not Catholic)

I like to try to see if I can give up something until Easter...my record so far is Lent:25 Whit:0
I always end up forgetting or just giving up (see the lack of religious backing?)

I thought about giving up Soda...but I already dont drink soda, so that is pointless

What about chocolate...i dont eat that much chocolate either...or cake, cookies, etc.

Fried foods....but why should I suffer from French Fry withdrawls when I eat them MAYBE once a week as it is?

Wine?....ok, moving on...lets be serious here people

I thought about giving up being lazy...but I have already started working out, so that doesnt apply to me either.

I would love to say I would give up spending money on frivilous things...but since moving to Memphis, I have already done that because I dont like leaving my apartment after dark and I am at work during the hours of light....so there is no more fun spending in my life.

I just dont know what I should give up....Any suggestions?

Update on previous blogs

2009-02-23T07:40:00.004-06:00

82 days until graduation (dont worry, i still dont have a job)

194 days until Florida

I am currently working on applications for Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. I am currently praying that the jobs at the Little Rock VA will open up soon!

I would appreciate your prayers as well (and that I will get one of the LR jobs, if that is God's plan)

Update on Baby Reagan (not so much a baby, but MY baby):
The vet ended up doing an x-ray of her leg/shoulder and said that he saw no fractures, breaks, dislocation, so that is a good sign! He said it must be a strain or pull and that she is probably more afraid of putting weight on that leg than she is hurting...PRAISE THE LORD! I do have her on a pain pill for the next few days....so hopefully she will be up and running like normal soon!
Maybe my dog is a faker....therefore, the Academy Award should go to my dog, Reagan, for best performance in a drama....lol

Update on my 2nd Valentine's gift from Bradley:

Thursday night I drove in to LR and stopped off at Brad's b/c he had left my present there. When i walked in...there was a plastic (looked like a garbage) bag on the kitchen table...I walked over to it, ripped it open, and saw two smaller plastic bags. I opened one up and to my surprise...Brad had gotten me a....SNUGGIE!!! I took one with me to Jessica's to wear while watching Greys. He had gotten the 2 for 1 deal, so i am going to leave one in Memphis and one at his place so i dont have to pack it every weekend...im pumped!!!

ALSO...while at dinner last night with Lisha and Brad, we were discussing my necklace that Brad had gotten me....(see previous posts for picture)...and Lisha informed me that it has a meaning...I guess Brad forgot to mention it...LOL

The necklace is called the "Journey Diamond" and it is symbolic of how the diamond grows on the necklace, love grows...and it celebrates a lifetime's journey of love together. I thought that was sweet! When I was giving Brad a hard time about not telling me about the meaning, he replied with..."You had just given me 12 months of Beer...I was distracted"

LOL....he makes me laugh! For those of you who KNOW him, that statement was not as "macho" as it may sound...

I have to work, so thats all the update i have for right now....

Have beautiful days!

-W

I can NEVER be too careful

2009-02-19T07:32:00.002-06:00

86 days until graduation!!!!
198 days until Florida!!!!

Ok...up until I moved to Memphis, i had lived a fairly sheltered life. Went to a private school for junior/senior high that was a few blocks from my home, immediately moved to Arkadelphia to attend Ouachita BAPTIST University, and then moved home with my daddy for graduate school.

I have never met a stranger and will talk to anyone...so needless to say, this evoked some worry in my father before I moved to a strange city that isnt exactly Mayberry....

Before I moved here, my dad wrote an article about my upcoming relocation plans and how he will miss me but he hopes I will keep my head up and stay safe...in response, he received SEVERAL (im downplaying the number) emails from readers who have "watched" me grow up sharing thier own safety tips and horror stories from living in Memphis or having loved one who lived here (and got mugged). My dad forwarded each and every one of them to me.

Now, i live in a bubble....a bubble of FEAR....when I used to go to Target in LR, i would walk out to my car, possibly on my cell phone, digging in my purse looking for my keys...i was the IDEAL target for someone and that NEVER crossed my mind.

Now, when I go to Target in Memphis...i have my keys out and i continuously lock my car to make it beep to draw attention to my car while i constantly scan the parking lot looking for possible rapists....then i check the car parked next to my drivers side to see if there are any possible abductors waiting....then i check the back of my car, my back seat, finally unlock one of my doors, jump in (bags in hand) and then immediately lock my car....This is alot of work, so i have just quit going to Target in Memphis.

Okay...back to the point of my whole post....

In October, an acquaintence of mine was attacked in her own home ( a VERY safe neighborhood) and a few days later she died....this not only devestated me but it rocked my safe world even more. So, now everyone is a suspect, everyone is a bad guy, and EVERYONE is out to get me.

I have gotten in the habit of texting Brad random things that i think are unsafe or a threat, so IF something happens to me, then when the police question the last person i texted, he will be able to give them the information i provided....and THAT is the whole point of my blog....but i have digressed from my original story.

This morning, I was taking Miss Reagan out to potty.

They have recently opened the new club house behind my apartment, which makes me feel safe to some extent because now there are more people coming and going in that area, but it also makes me feel unsafe because ANYONE could be over there and wont be questioned for walking through my breezeway, etc...

Okay, back to Reagan pottying....I was standing there, encouraging her, and this man walked out of the gym in the clubhouse. He walked to his drivers side of his car (BTW...why would you DRIVE to the gym?) and stood there and STARED at Reagan and I. Just STARED...didnt get in his car, didnt do anything but stood there...CREEPY.

I kept glancing up at him but then majority of the time I kept my eyes on Reagan. A few minutes (YES...MINUTES) later he says to me (across the parking lot)...."Is that a Bichon?"

I replied, "No, she is a Maltese" He said "Are you sure?"
(#1 HELL YES IM SURE...DO YOU KNOW WHAT MALTESE LOOK LIKE YOU DUMB A...PLUS, WHY ARE YOU TALKING/ARGUING WITH ME?) I didnt say that, but i wanted to!

I then explained that Bichon and Maltese come from the same family line and they are cousin breeds and tend to favor, but she is for sure a Maltese....then he got in his car and drove away...slowly

I am freaked out....so if ANYTHING happens to me, will the people that read my blog make sure that the police know that between the hours of 5 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Feb 19th a Chinese (is that the P.C. name these days?) man creeped me out. He is driving a beige/tan car and if you are leaving the club house headed out to Island drive, he lives toward the right (or that is the direction he drove). Have them see if the apartment keeps a log of who enters the building at what time. We have cards we have to scan to unlock the gym door....so hopefully some kind of information is being kept because I have YET to see a camera on the parking lot.

WHEW...now that is off my chest and i can rest easy! I told you...EVERYONE is a suspect.

In other news, i am headed home today to watch Greys with Jessica Arthur tonight and then take Rea to the puppy doctor tomorrow....wish us luck.

I am getting my second V-day gift from Bradley tonight, so i am sure i will have a post about that!!!

Have a wonderful day and weekend!!!

-Whit

My baby boo girl....

2009-02-17T18:03:00.004-06:00

88 Days until graduation

200 Days until Florida Vacation....

I dont have much to say, just didnt want the countdown to lapse too long...

I am taking off work on Friday....I wish it was just for fun, but its strictly business...puppy business.

Reagan got stepped on this past weekend....it was an accident....but it happened and she is now limping (and no, I did not step on her)

I am taking her to the vet on Friday and then hopefully to get her hair cut....she needs one BAD!!! I hope her little boo bear leg starts to feel better. I talked to the vet today and they told me to put Reagan on some SERIOUS bed rest....lol...not like she does much to begin with...but i am supposed to carry her to go outside to potty, pick her up and put her on the bed/couch...etc.

I will keep everyone updated on her status...hopefully she wont need an X-ray...i hear those can get expensive (but my baby girl is worth it...)

For those of you who dont know my baby girl...here are some pictures of her...

She is so sneaky...taking a nap in my laundry (sorry for any intimates you may see)

Here she is...2008 Pumpkin Carving...can you tell which one is my baby girl and which one is the pumpkins???
Here she is...in 2007....semi-new to my life and of course one of the cutest things ive ever seen!!!

Valentines/One Year Together

2009-02-16T09:37:00.013-06:00

89 Days until graduation

201 Days until Florida Vacation....

Now...let me update you all on my AMAZING Valentines/Anniversary weekend with Bradley...

Brad had Friday off, so whenever he woke up and got ready, he headed here. I was planning on taking an hour early off of work so we could just be together sooner. While I was at work...our clerk came and found me, she told me that she had something for me....I was afraid of what it may be b/c you NEVER know what the Veterans will be mad about....When I came out in the hallway...

I HAD GOTTEN FLOWERS FROM MY LOVE BUG!!! HE COMPLETELY SURPRISED ME!!!

In some unrelated news, while I was at work, my bra broke...yes, it was embarrassing and surprisingly freeing...lol....none-the-less I needed to go shopping for new bras....so after work Brad and I headed to Wolfchase Galleria on Germantown Parkway.....after some unsuccessful shopping...Brad and I decided to eat dinner at Joes Crab Shack.....not for any special occasion, just because we have been wanting to eat there for some time, and Brad has never eaten there.

Our super yummy Calamari appetizer!!!Bradley in his Bib...ready to eat his crab legs!!!I wore a bib too!!!!

After dinner (and some really yummy drinks) we headed back to my apartment to snuggle and spend time with our babies (Reagan and Patton)!!!

On Valentine's Day...we spent the day hanging out and doing some more shopping...today we skipped on the bra shopping and went for my other dreaded clothing item...JEANS....

Needless to say, i didnt find jeans that I liked....but we did hit up the Chili's Happy Hour (2 for 1 drinks at Chilis in Memphis) and then TARGET!!!! My motto is "If its not at Target, then I dont need it"...while at Target, I bought the movie "W"...I am not the type of person who buys movies, but Anne is in that movie and I knew it would be something I wanted to have and keep forever.

We headed home to just kick back and relax because we were not going to be going out that night (that was saved for the next day)....On our way home, we decided to order out some Pei Wei, watch "W", and then open our gifts to each other after dinner. The dinner was yummy, the movie was good, and our gifts were so sweet and thought out.

I bought Bradley a 12 month membership to the "Beer of the Month Club"...he didnt see it coming and he LOVED IT....look at his sweet little face....

And here he is with his present...Bradley got me something that I NEVER expected....a BEAUTIFUL diamond necklace....now, I am not much a jewelry person but that is because I dont have alot of "nice" jewelry....but now I do, and they arent kidding when they say that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend"...Here is a picture of it....I look horrible, so dont focus on my face...

I am so proud of my necklace that I really have to show it off...this is a better picture of it...I am such a lucky girl to have such an AMAZING man!!!

After dinner and gifts, i fell asleep (like I always do) on the couch and then Brad had to wake me up and get me to get ready for bed while he got the puppies ready for bed and got the bed unmade...he is so sweet....

The next morning, Feb 15th, is our 1 year anniversary....i cant believe its been a whole year...its amazing how much has changed in a year and how far we have come....wow

We lounged around ALL DAY...and then got ready for dinner...Bradley wouldnt tell me where we were eating because he wanted to surprise me...but like I mentioned in an earlier blog, it was a fancy place where Brad was going to have to wear black pants....

Of course when I started to get ready...i had an emotional break down b/c i had "nothing to wear"....seriously?!?!?! Have you people seen my closet?? LOL

I finally chose a plain black dress and we were off....but not before we took some pictures with the self timer...(see my necklace???)

And then I stole a kiss....
We were lucky to find a parking spot right across the road from the restaurant...b/c parking in Memphis is crazy and walking in the dark in Memphis is dangerous....Here we are about to go into the restaurant...

Brad had made reservations at a very nice restaurant next to the Madison Hotel...it is called Grill 83 and it was SO amazingly good.....He had the famous "on the bone" 22 oz Filet, it was the BEST steak either of us have ever had....i got the "Ashley Farms Chicken" and Brad chose desert...some AMAZING Milk Chocolate something with Port infused cherries....WE WERE STUFFED WHEN WE LEFT THE RESTAURANT...

Sorry my post was so stinking long, but alot happened and when I look back on this post in the future, I dont want to forget a thing!!!

I hope all of your weekends were special to you too!!!

I WANT TO WISH ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! JESSICA ARTHUR...I DONT KNOW WHERE I WOULD BE WITH OUT YOU BUT I DO KNOW THE JOURNEY THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS FUN OR MEANT AS MUCH TO ME...I LOVE YOU ASSICA JARTHUR...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

-W

Quotes, Family, Puppies, Art

2009-02-12T07:39:00.004-06:00

93 days till graduation

205 days till vacation

So...i am new to this whole blogger nation....and i am still getting used to updating/coming up with something that is actually interesting to everyone else to say.

So...I added some Gadgets...i saw that button on the edit page, but I havent really spent time delving into what all it has to offer....i got to work a little early this morning, so I spent a few minutes flipping through its arsenal....

This is what I added (like you cant see for yourself)

Motivational Quote of the Day....I added this simply because we all need a little motivation....especially when its 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon, you have been at work all day, and all you want to do is go home and stare at a tv screen....ok, i cant speak for all of you, but that is how I feel when i dont take my ADD meds...lol....so I added a little motivation to my page for you afternoon bloggers (Jessie)!!!

Genealogy Sleuth Search...Ok, for those of you that dont know, I am a genealogy NERD...when I have the time to spend, I will spend hours calling my grandparents, asking questions, searching online, etc....i even have my family tree posted on the internet...and have connected with some VERY LONG DISTANT family members who answer my questions as well... My mom's mom (Grammy) has done genealogy for years and I guess I am such a family person that I want to do it as well...

Cute Puppies on PuppyFinder.com...this one is a given...I love dogs, I have a bigger heart for dogs than I do people (and I dont mean my close friends, they rank up there with the dogs, I more mean random people)...but I love dogs. How many times have my friends had to emotionally pick me up off the floor b/c I was DEVESTATED about animals being euthanized (DogsInDanger.com)....it actually became a bit of an obsession that they had to help me break...that is how we ended up with Patton, b/c i just couldnt let him go to the pound...so yeah, thats why I have the puppies on there...b/c there is nothing cuter in the world than a puppy...except for maybe Ethan Rhett Arthur...but he is a human and cute in a different way.

Vintage Art...im not much of an art person...i dont like pictures of "things" (except my friends and animals)....I guess I am more of an abstract art person...BUT, I also like history and the "look" of the vintage art...so i added it...i mean, come on, why not??? I dont add pictures alot to my posts...so i have to have something interesting to look at for you people!!!

Well, thats all ive added for today...and whose to say that those Gadgets will even stay there...but they are fun and its my page!!!

-Whit

One Year together...

2009-02-11T20:45:00.004-06:00

94 days until graduation

206 days until Florida

i dont have much else to say, but if I let too many days pass by without updating the countdown, then I stress my brain out counting the difference...

Valentines Day is the saturday....we, however, are not going out on Saturday (we are going on Sunday)...for several reasons

1) I dont like crowds or lots of people

2) I like going out when I want to go out, not when "the powers that be" tell me to go out...

3) The reason we are going out Sunday is because it happens to be our 1 year anniversary as well...1 YEAR...who wouldve thought??? I wasnt even able to SAY he was my boyfriend for more than half of our relationship...lol

4) I dont like/trust Memphis after dark...and on the day/night that people are going to be going out and spending money, i feel like we will all be targets for carjackings or robbery.

5) I get to spend Saturday shopping and dont have to rush home to get ready....

I am not sure what we are going to be doing...i know we are going to dinner, but not sure where...and I know that I was told that he will be "wearing his black pants"...lol...so that tells me that its a big deal, b/c he only wears his uniform or jeans...so he is busting out the black pants ladies and gents...guess I need to shave my legs....

I will update on what we ended up doing....im just ready to relax this weekend and eat more than steamed veggies and grilled fish (im on a diet)

Later!

Crisis Averted

2009-02-09T07:41:00.003-06:00

Well, CRAP! I meant to keep my countdown going everyday...and then i got busy with REAL life and forgot to update it...so now i have to subtract the days i have lived and update the countdown now...

96 days until graduation
208 days until Florida...

WHEW....crisis averted.

So, how is everyone this beautiful Monday?

I feel like the minutes this morning are passing very slowing...or maybe my clock is wrong...but I was sitting here, blog stalking, and thought to myself "surely, its time to start work" and when i looked at the clock, i was shocked that its only about 7:40 am....i was for sure it was well after 8 am.....

Maybe i got to work too early.....I had to after all...the VAPs are out and on the prowl for illegal parkers....and yes, I am one! (For those of you who are unfamiliar...VAPs is a term I have created for the VA Police....)

During orientation they came to talk to us and made the point several times "We are not Rent-A-Cops, we are federal policemen"...and I am not kidding, SEVERAL TIMES!!! I am not sure who they are trying to convince, me or themselves....

So, the VAPs are out making sure that no one is parking in the employee lot that isn't supposed to, and since I am a low person on the totem pole, I am not supposed to but still continue to (of course, rules done apply to me!)

I had to 007 my way to a parking spot and then avoid eye contact or physical contact with any of the VAPs who are kicking it in the parking lot patrolling.....

Another crisis averted....although, I feel confident I will have a ticket on my car this coming afternoon...

i spent the weekend in Jackson, Miss with my friend Lauren Hardy.... I am not much of a traveler, but she had an extra bed and Bradley was at drill, so I took the opportunity to be a good friend and headed down to see her and Eric Marks for the weekend...

It was fun to sit and reminise about OBU, Wilson Street, Eric sliding down the stairs in boxes, the Ten Commandments, when Eric was the reason we caught Jake cheating on Alicia with Keeley (lol)....oh those were some of the happy memories...i think one day i may blog about my OBU memories...back to the weekend

I needed a weekend to remind myself why I don't like going out....and when I woke up Saturday morning at 9:30 am with less than 5 hours of sleep under my belt and a HORRIBLE, THROBBING headache...i wasn't reminded of why I don't like going out...i was reminded of why I don't take shots....and I had only had one....seriously, only one! I didnt hate going out...it was fun!

I took a shower and some Advil and we enjoyed the rest of the day.....

Crisis number 3...averted....

Well, time to get focused on the day ahead....

Saving the world, one ear at a time!

2009-02-04T10:52:00.002-06:00

101 days until graduation...

213 days until my Florida vacation....

I am super pumped about it so i will blog about it AGAIN...

On September 5th, The Buies, Brad and I will be loading up and heading out to the beautiful beaches of South Walton, Florida...We will be meeting up with Cara Beth's so fun cousin, Lauren and her husband Wayne and two of their unmarried friends (whew...not the only one not in holy matrimony)

We will be staying in the "Sunny Delight"

It is a "short walk" (which is a nice way of saying "wear your walking shoes and dont forget any essentials") to the beach.

It is also super close to the Red Bar AND my all time favorite the DONUTHOLE!!!!

I havent been there since spring break one year in college...and ive been DYING to go back!

I am also hoping (hint hint) that we can eat at The Back Porch...so much better than the restaurant that has the same name in Hot Springs....this place is so good and you can look out at the ocean while you eat (duh, its florida)

Its calling my name already....and so is the gym...time to work out and try to fit back in to my swimsuits...I hope mine still fit b/c the swimsuits they are coming out with these days are next to NOTHING....YUCK

These days, now that I am poor, I am not much of a shopper...but one day (when its raining), or during the evening, I would like to visit the SilverSands Factory Stores...never a good deal but always a good time...lol

Ok...back to "working"....we ordered out for lunch so I have to meet the lady with our salads so i can give her the money....ADIOS

Whitney

PS Watched American Idol last night...FELL IN LOVE WITH DANNY...the one who sang "Kiss From a Rose"....such a beautiful voice

Counting down...

2009-02-03T08:07:00.002-06:00

102 days until graduation

214 days until vacation

Im so ready to be done with my program and have those 3 initials after my name..the ones that I have worked SO hard for.... Au.D

I sent in my application for the Nashville TN job....ive also decided that IF I get hired there i WILL try out for the Tennessee Titans dance team....i have missed dancing so much this past year, but was unable to do it because I was still in school/working full time and I really couldnt give my progam ANY reason to not let me graduate...so i decided to fly under the radar.

But next year....my life will be my own again, and I can make my own decisions....plus, it will be a GREAT way to meet new people if I have to move to a town where I know close to no one!

Well....just a quick update on my life.

Gotta go check the basket for patients and then if no one is there...get my application ready for Shreveport LA.

Prayer Request:

That a job will open in Little Rock, AR for me to apply to...and that God willing, i will get the job!

Things to look forward to...

2009-02-02T15:35:00.002-06:00

103 days until GRADUATION on May 16th (yes, i will be Dr. Hall)

215 days until VACATION in Florida (yes, i am still going to be Dr. Hall)

Thats the only update I have right now...i just wanted to get that recorded before I forgot...

"I was there"

2009-01-30T14:04:00.000-06:00

I am in the middle of work, and probably should not be blogging, but i just sat and talked with a piece of history and while it is still fresh on my mind...i wanted to share.

Working at the VA is a great experience for me...you have your good and your bad days...and your good and your bad patients...but there are days like today that you hope you never forget.

I brought back my 1 oclock patient, took him into the earwash room to take a peek in his ears and ask him a few questions about his noise exposure, ear problems, hearing issues, etc....

When I asked him what branch of the military he was in, he proudly replied "Navy"

When I asked him about his history of noise exposure, he replied "I was there, Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941...i was there"

My heart skipped a beat. I already get a warm feeling serving those who have served us. I have spoken with WWII vets who were shot in the face, fought face to face with Germans, rode tanks into Germany, etc...I come from a line of Navy Vets, Air Force Vets, a Marine Vet who was there for the raising of the flag at Iwo Jema...but I have never gotten to sit and talk with them when they were available to talk...and being here at work, i have little to no time to hear about history....and even if I did, I am not sure any of these guys would be willing to share. Some of them still have a hard time thinking about what they saw.

Today, I was selfish, and I took my time to hear him talk. It was after the hearing test and I was making impressions of his ears for hearing aids....I asked him to tell me about it. And he did.

He joined the Navy December 16th, 1940. Arrived in Hawaii in March 1941 and was on the U.S.S. Nevada on December 7th 1941. For those of you who are not familiar (which was me and I had to google it)...this is what wikipedia says about the U.S.S. Nevada.

"In World War II, she was one of the battleships trapped when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She was the only battleship to get underway during the attack, making the ship "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning".[12] Still, she was hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while steaming away from Battleship Row, forcing her to be beached. "

He spent 6 years in the Navy until he got an honorable discharge. He and his brother both were there, and they both survived.

After the appointment, he took me out to the lobby where his daughter was sitting. He showed me his official discharge papers from the Navy and his application for a medal for fighting in Pearl Harbor. His daughter told me that he didnt start talking about his experiences until about 10 years ago. Can you imagine bottling that up for 50 years?

I need to get back to work, so I will have to cut this short...but I was so blown away and humbled by the moment I got to spend with a piece of history...i wanted to share. It isnt every day like this that I am reminded just how much people have sacrificed for our safety and freedom...

Greys, Wine, One Day Closer to the Weekend

2009-01-29T20:01:00.000-06:00

Its Thursday night...usually the night I spend sipping white wine while snuggled up on my couch with my fluffy white pup and I watch high quality television like Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and now Private Practice....while either skyping with Jessica or calling Jessica and Lisha on three way during commercial breaks.

Tonight is different...but I am still sipping my white wine and snuggling with Miss Rea...tonight, i have a headache and Grey's is a re-run...

The headache I can handle...the re-run I can not....It should be unacceptable for the American people to be forced to watch a Grey's re-run when it is not summer, Christmas break, or during a writer's strike....

Since I do have a headache...my blog will be short and pointless, like many will be in the future...

Im going to finish my glass of Chardonnay, turn on my heated mattress pad, take my warm shower and get in bed...will have to pass on the extra strength Tylenol for the moment...the acetaminophen/alcohol mix makes me nervous.

Well, tomorrow is the weekend...and I am welcoming it with open arms...of course, I am headed back to Little Rock...spending the weekend with Bradley and my 2 favorite furry butts...Headed to the play the ponies on Saturday with the Hornes and then Bradley and I are headed back on Sunday for some Superbowl excitement and snuggling.

OH! I think that through my blog I will keep my loyal readers (aka Jessie) up to date with my job hunting endeavors,
Today, I applied for a job in Nashville, Tn. Not my first choice (hope no one reads this from Nashville) but I would like a job!
I plan on applying in Shreveport, LA and Hampton, VA.

Ok...now the headache is demanding my full attention...

Good night one and all!

Snowing in Memphis

2009-01-28T19:38:00.000-06:00

It snowed today...for the first time since I have lived in Memphis, we have actually gotten the weather that they called for...I am not NEAR the photographer that Cara Beth is...but I took these pictures with my camera

My First Blog

2009-01-28T17:38:00.000-06:00

i am not a blogger...i never think I have that much that is interesting to say...my days are boring and repetitive....however, i enjoy reading other people's blogs....so i figured I might make on too.

Jessie and I had an interesting conversation today about a blog she has been keeping up with...and referred me to read...and i became enthralled in that person's life like I had met her before (which I have not)...I saw her real friends and "blog" friends reaching out to her, comforting her, supporting her, and even driving long distances to visit her when she was going through a very hard time with the illness of her newborn. What an amazing support system to have.

Now it sounds like I have set the bar VERY high for my expectations of what this blog may bring....I havent. I actually expect that two people will read this periodically and then stop when I have quit updating it.

Like I said...i dont have very many interesting things to say or to report on.

I do miss my XANGA (I deleted it and now wish I hadnt)...it is so funny to look back on those from the past that were written by Alicia, Andrea, Cara Beth, etc and see what was so trivial and funny back then...and now they dont even seem to matter or even refresh our memory as to why it was funny...(X-Men...Andrea?)

So there, i have written my first blog...and it wasnt as painful as I thought it might be...

Keep checking for updates...lol

Walking in Memphis,
Whitney