I 'mustache' you a question...

Quote: "Yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it, you either run from it, or learn from it." – Rafiki in The Lion King

Abby graduated from high school this past weekend! woo.

My family was in town. woo.

I had a 3.5 day weekend. woo

Man life is good.

Abby's graduation was a little boring (sorry but it totally was). So we passed the time by photobombing mustaches onto everyone in the family.

Enjoy...

Gramps really can rock a stash.

Wittle baby bro.

Dad looks very creepy ha

The stash made him look so sophisticated.

Cross-eye stash girl. Sexy.

This family came up to Philip when we were leaving and said that they were fans. The daughter said she was a huge fan and did a school project on him (whatever that means). She wanted a picture with him so I photobombed a mustache on him. HA Got em'.

Grandma looks so attractive.

Grandma has no hair on her head but she sure can grow a stash.

Mom is cute even with a stash.

After Abby's graduation we went to some Grad parties for family friends. Then we woke up super early and 4 car fulls of people headed to the lake.

We spent Saturday morning through Monday afternoon there and it was GLORIOUS.

Pictures are on my mom's camera so until I get my hands on them I have nothing to show.

This weekend I have to head to Birmingham on Friday for a wedding. My little bro is in the wedding and I'm going to be his date for the rehearsal dinner. The night of the rehearsal dinner is his 21st birthday so I hope we get a chance to celebrate!

Saturday the whole fam will meet us in Birmingham and we will watch Neil and Emily tie the knot.

Can't wait.

Here's to another upcoming busy weekend. Seems like they never end!

It makes me a happy happy girl.

Smell ya later.

Happily Exhausted

Quote: "It is not length of life,  but depth of life." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

My life lately has been a whirlind. I am exhausted. But happily exhausted.

My littlest sister graduates from high school Friday afternoon. A bunch of family is and will be in town for her big weekend. I can't wait to see everyone but man has it already been tiring. We worked super hard this past weekend to throw her a huge graduation party.

My dad did a shrimp boil with 60lbs of shrimp. Holy shrimp.

It was a wonderful party and I loved spending time with family and friends. (and cold beer).

This upcoming weekend we will all head up to the lake after her graduation ceremony. I cannot wait.

Due to losing 30 lbs I had to buy all new swim suits for this summer (not a bad problem to have but kind of a pain at the time). Not one of my old ones would even stay up on my hips. I had been borrowing one of my roommates while I waited for mine to come in the mail. Luckily Victoria's Secret pulled through and I now have a bathing suit to wear this weekend! Woo!

                                                       

It's going to be as sexy as the picture above. Believe me.

Hopefully this upcoming weekend at the lake will be as wonderful and relaxing as the other weekend was.

Baby Reecie Girl went on her first boat ride.

She was confused about the water and tried to jump off the front of the boat while it was moving. I threw her in after that so she understood she was on water.

I may need to invest in a lifejacket for the little rat.

She is such a bathing beauty. Really knows how to "get her tan on".

 Even grouchy old lady Coe got in on the boating action. She kept trying to get too close to the edge though.

May need to strap her chunky butt into a life jacket too.



That same weekend we drove from the lake to Asheville to watch one of our good friends get married. It was a beautiful ceremony on a farm and the cutest reception.

We got to dance and spend time with old friends which was awesome.

Katie (the bride) looked beautiful and couldn't have looked any happier if she tried.

*******

This past month or so I have been asking for donations for Relay for Life. My company decided to get involved and we raised $6433.36!

I personally raised $1000. I was the highest fund raiser for the company and I couldn't have done it without the support of my INCREDIBLE family and friends.

Below are a few photos with some coworkers from the event.

The candles lit for HOPE.

Relay is such an important charity/event and I am so glad I was able to make a little impact myself.

I feel blessed to be working for a company that likes to get involved in charities like Relay for Life.

I couldn't stay long because my Grandparents got into town from Chicago but I'm glad I was able to raise alot of money and attend for a little bit.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and spends it doing something they love with people they love!

Smell ya later party peoples.

Sappy Sibiling Shoutout

Quote: "Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring, quite often the hard way."- Pamela Dugdale

Many of you may or may not know I am the oldest of 4 kids. As the oldest I guess I've always had a notion that I should be the wisest and most mature of the kids. As we've all been growing up and turning into adults I've quickly realized how incorrect the above assumption has been.

As hard as it is to admit... I am not always the wisest, most well versed, or most mature of us all.

And I've come to love that fact.

I love that every so often (mostly everyday) I am surprised by the incredible-ness of my siblings. They never fail to teach me something new about myself. Sometimes what they teach me isn't always good or what I wanted to know but it's almost always what I needed to know/hear.

Sometimes they just flat out teach me things about myself that really tick me off. It's hard to admit when you're wrong or admit when your little sister/brother is 100% correct. It is so hard sometimes that I want to reach over and punch them- jk I wouldn't punch them (at least not hard or in the face ha).

All in all I do feel blessed that I have this tiny team of people who call me out on my crap. They also support me far beyond any point I could imagine. We have a close dynamic that I wouldn't change for the world. They are the people I can be the most vulnerable around and they are the people I want around when I'm feeling happy, sad, confused, heartbroken, giggley, etc.

They are my world.

Anywho...

I started thinking about this because recently my little sister and I had a little spat about my past break up. She tried to tell me that there was a song that she thought perfectly summed up how/why my break up occured. I immediately got defensive and thought she should mind her own business because she hasn't been in my shoes so she couldn't possibly know that a stupid song could apply to my situation. (my bad baby sis... turns out I can be a real beeotch sometimes)

After I stopped and seriously listened to the song I realized she was 100% right and that she didn't tell me to listen to it to rub anything in my face. She just wanted me to see that the decision about breaking up was in fact a positive healthy decision. As soon as I realized she wasn't trying to be a brat I felt bad about snapping at her. I also quickly realized that she was right, I was wrong, she has my best interest in mind, and she is a really good sister & best friend.

Anyway...turns out the song did fit perfectly to how I was feeling and it made light of how good my life has turned out post-break up. I am happier, more confident, and I have a bright positive future. As much as the break up hurt me at the time (and months following) I can finally see it as the blessing it was. I am opened up to new life possibilities and it's exciting.

So thanks, sister, thanks for being right and helping me find a new song I really like.

You da bomb.

And here's the sappy song I just rambled on about like a typical girly dork...

[Chorus]
As bad as it was, as bad as it hurt
I thank God I didn’t get what I thought that I deserved
Sometimes life leads you down a different road
When you’re holding on to someone that you gotta let go
Someday you’ll see the reason why
Sometimes, yeah sometimes, there’s good in goodbye

I don’t regret it
The time we had together
I won’t forget it
But we both ended up where we belong
I guess goodbye made us strong
And yeah I’m happy
I found somebody too who makes me happy
And I knew one day I’ll see you on the street
And it’d be bittersweet

 

 

Thanks C. Underwood

(you really know how to write sappy love/break up songs)

And thanks Ann, Philip, & Abby for being more than I could ever hope or ask for in siblings and friends.

Smell ya later sappy readers.