New Laptop :)

Hi all! Finally, after 2 months of being without a laptop, mine was shipped off for repair but couldn't be repaired. I'm back baby!! I am the proud owner of a new mack daddy laptop. I've been on it for the past 2 hours and am in heaven. I'm a nerd I know......you just don't know what it's like to go without until you have no choice. Of course I could have always used Jonathan's desktop in the dark, dreary, cave of a room we call an office but that just wouldn't have done. I'm in a windowless room all day 5 days a week (my office) so the last thing I want to do when I get home is sit in another dark room separated from my love. So with this being said prepare yourself for more posts to come on a regular basis. Hope all is well with everyone! Sending our love!!!

Wedding Hotel

After a long delay I'm posting pics of the Embassy Suites hotel that I have a blocked rooms for the wedding. This place is beautiful and almost brand new! Not to mention that there is a complimentary cocktail hour each night, complimentary cooked to order breakfast each morning - not just toast, bagels, cereal and yucky scrambled eggs like those other places. To top off all of that The Embassy suites will pick you up at the airport and take you to the wedding if needed. How could I pass this place up?? Hope you will love it too! Don't forget to make your reservations!! The link is to the right.

Back to Civilization

I just received a phone call from Jonathan and he is out of the woods!! They are headed to Santa Fe and had a awesome time. Even got hailed on last night! Details to come with lots of pics I'm sure.

Mom's July Visit

My Mom came to visit me for 10 days to help with the wedding planning. Lucky for me she was a woman on a mission and almost single handidly printed, addressed & stuffed my wedding invitations. Funny how quickly the need to control something disolves once the pressure it taken off of my shoulders. I was sure that I would HAVE to be the one to address the invitations so that they looked pretty. Who cares! That's what I felt like after she started. I didn't even care that she didn't use a special pen. They all look very nice and it doesn't matter that I wasn't the one who addressed them. I'm just so releived that it is one more thing that I can cross off of my list of things to do. I love her so much and really appreciate the time she took out to come help me. While she was here we also purchased my veil, tiara & shoes! I have pics of them but want everyone to be surprised when they see me at the ceremony. So.... if all else fails I'll be fully dressed for the wedding!

Backpacking in NM

Two weekends ago Charlie & Chiara, Charlie's wife, invited Jonathan & I to join them for 3 days of backpacking in the North Carolina mountains. We had to decline as I'm saving all of my vacation days for our wedding and honeymoon. Jonathan was bummed as backpacking is right up his alley. Me, not so much! I would prefer camping to backpacking and a weekend in a spa to camping. LOL If you're not familiar with backpacking you basically have to carry everything you need in, set up and tear down camp each night & most importantly sleep on the ground. Sounds okay until you see what a pack weights!! I swear Jonathan's pack weighted at least 40 lbs. and that was without an air mattress and pump. Not to mention that water for drinking is obtained from filtering water from a stream. REALLY not my idea of a good time. Maybe next year honey! Luckily for Jonathan there was another "guys only" backpacking trip planned for the following weekend in New Mexico. Charlie & Jonathan headed out on Fri. morning (7/17) and arrived safely in Phoenix at Charlies parents' house. Sat. morning they headed out. Last contact was at around 11am. I have strict instructions to call the authorities if I don't hear from Jonathan by tonight. At the airport on Fri. both guys decided to stop shaving until the trip was 100% over. Charlie already had a head start since he didn't shave during his first trip. Here's their before photo! Do they look tough enough to survive the wilderness?? Bear Grylls you've got competition!

This is the backpacking facial hair BEFORE pic :)

4th of July

For some reason I've neglected taking pictures recently. Below are all I have of our 4th of July weekend! Lame, I know. We started out the weekend with a party on the 3rd in Fort Myers at a friends house. That's where the sparkler pic came from. It's of me and a friends little boy enjoying our sparklers while the big boys light off the big fireworks. Jonathan had a blast putting on a grande finale for the entire street! Sat. was one of my best friends little boys 2nd birthday party - yes he is a firecracker baby and I can't believe that Trenton is 2 already. Libby had a cute Elmo party at her house & we stopped by just in time for cake & to sing to Trenton. He is 2 and wanted NOTHING to do with cake, singing or presents. It was so funny because to him it was just another day. Kids! Gotta love'em. After the party it was back in the car to head up to Tampa to see my girls. First we had to stop and restock our firework supply so Jonathan wouldn't feel left out later that night. I swear! What is it with guys and fireworks? Too bad I didn't get a pic because the entire back of the vet was stock piled. We arrived just in time for a float in the pool. My girls are working on getting rid of their tan lines so they don't look ridiculous in their strapless dresses at the wedding. Big pet peve of mine! Specifically Rachel because she has killer tan lines from all the accelerator she uses. It's a running joke with us and Joanne even had to buy her a strapless bathing suit top! My other love, Curtis, was cooking up a storm at the apartment and had lots of yummy food waiting for us when we got back. We ate, drank and were merry! The night ended with my snuggling a beautiful baby boy while his Mama enjoyed the fireworks. Don't worry!! I don't want my own.....yet ;) Glad I wasn't outside because one of they guys got too firework happy and we had a near miss in the parking lot when a tube tipped over and shot a firework under someones car. It richoceted all over but luckily no one was hurt. This was the first 4th of July that I've gotten to spend with Rachel, Danae & Joanne in Tampa. I had a great time & miss them so much!

I lovingly refer to this pic as The Chocolate's and The Vanilla's! Joanne is one of my longest friends and her husband Chris stole my heart when he stole Joanne's. Chris was home on leave from the military for a few weeks and lucky for us we got to spend the 4th of July with them.

Why are our legs so close together but not out chests???

I love sparklers :)

We met someone famous!! Sort of...

A few weeks back Jonathan and I went to a comedy show on Marco Island. The main attraction.... Andy Dick. I was not really into going because of what a train wreck he is portrayed as being on tv. I was surprised with a hilarious show and the chance to meet him. Andy put on a great show and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to see him live. Plus...we met a celebrity!! D list but so....

MS 150 Thank You!

Ok, so I totally don't know what I'm doing on this blog. All of the pics I just uploaded are backwards. So....the pics on top are the end of the weekend and ride. The begining of the post is at the bottom. LOL I've been without a laptop so long that I've forgotten basic social networking site skills. LOL Oh well! Enjoy :)

Authentic Columbian Dinner

Look at the size of that meat!

YUM - I ate it all too..except for the snake thing on the right (pork ring blah)

Halfway point!! Not gonna lie...I wanted to quit here.

Day 2 Start Line with my man

Day One - we caught the guys at a rest stop

Yeah I'm bad, I know it

Taking our time in the parking lot on day one. NO idea that everyone already left!

Posing for pics like we have all day LOL Meanwhile all of the food is gone and we haven't eaten.

Finally I'm taking the time to post the link to the MS150 video our friend Charlie Bucket made. He of course is the funny looking one that is mostly behind the camera. I have to also point out the talent that it takes to ride 20+ miles per hour on a bike while videotaping & snapping pics. We had a great time raising money for a great cause. This was year three for Charlie and Jonathan, and the first for the rest of the team which is now 6 strong. Together we raised close to $4000 to help fight multiple sclerosis. Saturday morning when we got to the start/finish, most of the 3000+ riders had already left! The boys took it upon themselves to chase down the lead riders and by mile 35 had them in their sights! Chrissy & I rode at our own pace and made several friends along the way. To our surprise we caught up with the boys at a rest stop and were only about 30 mins. behind them at lunch. We saw our friends Janine and Tom, Trek reps for the South East, at the end of day one and met up with the Herreras for some S-E-R-I-O-U-S Colombian food in Miami at the end of the ride on day two. Here are some scenes from the weekend. Since Charlie was the designated photo guy you will see a lot of the boys ride. I don't think I was in any condition to be filmed anyway.. LOL this was definitely the most difficult challenge that I've had to do. WITH GRATITUDE!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a_6A3v13-4