our sunny weekend

It's been about 80 degrees or warmer here all weekend and it's been gorgeous!! Saturday, Channing met his little brother and uncle in Kingsport to go golfing. I tagged along, not to golf of course, but to go shopping. Because we all know that a 20 minute drive makes the Ross, TJMaxx, and Target that much better. Plus, they have a Hobby Lobby in KTown and I really needed to get some crafty stuff to decorate my graduation cap.

So, after waking at the crack of dawn just to get to an 8:15 tee time, on a Saturday, I was ready to call it a day at lunch time. But we kept going, so much in fact that we took Gracy to PetsMart wher I wanted to adopt a dog. Alas, that didn't happen. Then, about 6 that evening, I headed over to Kara's to decorate our caps. We had a faboulous time and I think our hats turned out just beautiful. Mine has a little bling, I won't lie. And of course, staying true to our fashion we went and had dinner afterwards and sat in the restaurant and talked well past 9. Then, I headed home and crashed because, well I'm a 22 year old that thinks 10 is late for a Saturday night.

Yesterday we had to go to the house to "approve" the minor repairs that we asked for after our home inspection. I mean minor...as in replacing the outside water faucet and having the heat pump serviced. Yes, I do believe we are the luckiest first home owners ever in the fact that the previous home owners are great. We had absolutely nothing, except these minor issues, to show up on our home inspection and they were fixed with no questions asked. And to top it all off, the previous home owners painted the whole house for us. Ya'll, it's move in ready. It's sitting there waiting on me and I'm aching to get to it. Of course, it makes it worse that I love the neighborhood I am moving into. And the fact that my awesome, realtor/friend, lives just right down the hill from me. We won't mention the fact that I'm a little sore from all of the walking we did yesterday around the neighborhood while the boys played xbox. And we are doing it again today. I'm determined to get into shape and I have a feeling walking our hills will do it. =)

I would post pictures but I really have none to post. I want to wait until my Graduation post to do the post about my cap, so you will have to wait.

Only 12 days.

Hoppy Easter!!

I have had a fabolous weekend in Pound since Friday. I got to get a ton of loving time with Brantley. He was such a sissy's boy this weekend; I hated to leave him. Mom, Mam, Brantley and I all went to church this morning and then I had to head back to JC.

I am officially done with clinicals as a BSN student; it's very hard to believe. My last day was Thursday and it was difficult saying goodbye to everyone. We had an extremely busy day and my preceptor and I ended up having a 1:1 patient and then got to leave about 30 minutes early that day after all of the excitement. I still have some paperwork to do and turn in to my instructor, but other than that I am finished!!

In other exciting news, I accepted a job at the medical center on one of the cardiac primary care units. ICU was my first choice, but I feel like this position will be good for me to start out as and get some experience before becoming an ICU nurse. I really enjoyed my interview with the nurse manager and cannot wait to actually start out on the floor!

This post is short; but, I'm leaving lots of pics!

mom, brantley and I before going to chruch

me and my big boy!


mam, brantley and I

playing early this morning; he is always so happy early in the morning

Brantley and cousin, Devin

Brantley and his momma at the park

..I think I'll Stop and Rest Here a While..

Do you ever have that feeling that all of a sudden life is too overwhelming? It's happening to me right now. Earlier tonight Channing made the comment that he can't wait until the end of the year to look back at this one. It struck me as odd because when I asked him to explain he told me that there was just "too much happening." He meant with our wedding, me graduating, and us buying a house. At first I told him that I didn't like the comment because it made me feel like he was not happy and didn't want to treasure these things. He told me that wasn't how he felt, just that it was a lot of stuff right now, in the next 6 months.


We have been so busy today. We've been shopping and to lunch with my mom. Then we went and looked at our house because the current owners just had it painted and we wanted to see the finished product. Then we went to eat with some of already friends/neighbors. We didn't get home tonight until almost 11. I started laundy because Channing has to leave tomorrow to be out of town all week. Then I read MckMama's blog about Stellan and though I have read all week about him...it struck me tonight. So I said a little prayer for him and felt better. Then that feeling hit.



I won't lie, life simplified a bit for me on Friday. I passed my Exit HESI (an pregrad/prepartion requirement for nursing school) and we found out that we locked in at a very great interest rate for our house. So up until about an hour ago I had been breathing so easy because I knew the only things I have left before graduation are minor. But then my heart felt heavy and Channing went to bed and the tears started flowing.

I think for the first time in two months, I've slowed to be able to reflect and realize that Channing is very right in his comment earlier tonight. This year will be/has been big for both of us, but for me it's been more like huge. I am graduating college in about 6 weeks, trying to find a job, closing on a house in the middle of May, and getting married in October. I've been blessed beyond belief this year...yet, it is a little overwhelming and scary.


I have nine days left for my senior practicum. I remember starting my final semester of nursing school back in January, on my birthday and thinking it seemed like forever away. Now, it seems almost too close. We had no intentions on buying a house this year, but we went and looked at one and we both got the itch. Now, we are under contract on a house that is beautiful and we got such a great deal. Gracy is going to have a yard and we are going to have something that is "ours". :)


I guess it's just something that happens to all of us. When life sometimes slows down; we realize that we are blessed beyond belief and start to feel guilty/overwhelmed/anxious. I cannot wait for all of this major events to occur, but I bet this won't be the only time I feel overwhelmed in the next 6 months.

Here are some fun pics of our friends/neighbors that I took tonight... The neigborhood we are moving in is also where two guys that Channing works with and their wives live and another one our mutual friends. So it's great to already have friends that are going to become our neighbors. Also, I'm only going to be about five minutes away from my friend Kara and one of my previous high school teachers. I can't wait to be so close to such great people!

Channing and I at dinner

Frank, Brittany, and Becca

Tina and Matt, one of Channing's coworkers

Brandon, another coworker, and his wife Heather, whom is also our realtor.

and no blog would be complete without my chunky, monkey..Brantley

-emotional-

The last few days/week have been a little hectic for me. I have rode an emotional rollercoaster since writing my last post and I can't see it ending soon. I'm usually not one to complain, but I just feel the need to get it out and let it go. (hopefully).

No house. We have wrote two offers on two different houses. The first one was rejected and they accepted another other over ours even though, in my opinion, ours was better. Our other offer was countered and we have wrote a counter offer back but have not submitted it yet. We are not really sure what to do it and it is a debate here in our small apartment. I see things one way, Channing another and it seems that right now we cannot meet in the middle. It's frustrating and I can feel my inner being and patience being stretched. The real estate world is so aggravating; I hate playing the waiting game. We have worked so hard to just get to this point and it seems like everyone (sellers) want to crush our work. Just in two offers I have left the realtor's office feeling great, only to know a day or two later that it wasn't accepted and feeling my heart sink to my stomach. It's a nasty feeling. I am trying really hard to have a positive outlook and pray about what is best for us right now.

On another note, I had clinicals the last two days and we went home last weekend. I feel totally exhausted. I had a midterm today that I'm not sure I did very well on and yesterday at clinicals my throat started getting scratchy. I am pretty sure I am getting a sinus infection because it's still there today only to add a headahce on top. Luckily, today started spring break for me. I have to work next Tuesday, but other than that I am doing nothing unless it pertains to me. Selfish, but I need it right now.

Yet, I have a list about a mile long of things that need to be done during my time off. We are going home next week to look at the church, talk to the lady about our reception and get things situated with that. I also have to study for my HESI exit exam because I have really been slacking on that. Our application packets for our NCLEX came in today and I have to get fingerprinted, a background check, and a passport photo all for that. So, probably not going to be much of a relaxing spring break but at least it will be a break.

I'm done rambling and I'm going to put on my pajamas. So tired.

new look, lots of new stuff

So, I have a new look for the blog and I must say that I love, love, love it. I am hoping that it will motivate me to update more. I am in the process of trying to get more people I know to blog because that is one of the reasons I don't blog much. No one that I really know blogs beside The Sipes and Sarah & Wes. I love to read about what is going on in everyone's life, so if you are just stumbling upon this...start a blog and let me know!!

The past couple of weeks have been calm, but very busy. Channing's ten day stent is coming upon an end and he will be home late tomorrow night or around lunchtime Saturday. I have been busy with clinicals, assignments, meetings, etc. Time has passed quickly some days and very, very slowly others. Next week promises to be busy as I have things to do almost every day except the weekend. Thank goodness, I am off next weekend and I plan to take the time to catch up with Channing. I've missed him lots.

The other "new" stuff that is mentioned in my post is that Saturday Channing and I are going to look at a house. After thinking about buying a house this year, we had both agreed it would be best to wait a year to pay off some debt, get settled with some money, etc. I was content with that. Yet, last Friday I had two hours to wait until I could pick up Channing's check from work and that was plenty of time to get myself in a little trouble. Well, not trouble but I did some major investigative work. I found the house we had both looked at and it's right across the street from two of his coworkers and about ten minutes from my bff, Kara. It isn't the absolute perfect house, but it's got everything we need. When I went and saw it, I just got that calm, "I just know" feeling. So, I've convinced Channing we need to go look at it and go from there. I decided last weekend that I would hand this one over to God and if it's meant to be...it will be. So, I've been praying and I honestly have a really calm feeling either way this goes. Deep down, I want it but I know that if we can't do it right now...it's because He has a bigger reason. :) Wish us luck please.

I'll update soon!

distance makes the heart grow fonder.

Channing and I have been living together for a year and half now. It all happened after I moved out on my own for the first time in June 2007. It had been a very hectic year and after a very rash decision, I moved to a less than desirable apartment. We had been back together for almost a year and he was living at home, with his aunt & uncle, working a job that he hated until he could find one within the realms of his IT degree. We were used to traveling the hour and half back and forth to see each other every weekend and it was a stretch if we went two weeks. You see, after we had been apart for almost four years, when it got back together it was all that and then some.

So when he ended up getting a job in the Tri Cities area in July, I jumped for joy. Well instead of us both struggling to pay our rent and bills apart, we decided to do it together. It was one of the best decisions I've made. It did not take me long in life to realize that I hated being alone. I had NEVER in my life been alone more than a day or so. I always had my Mam and Pap in high school. Then when I moved to college in 2005, I lived in the dorms where I ALWAYS had someone to be around. Then after freshman year, I moved in with my mom until I moved out in June of the following year. I was used to always being around someone, having someone to do something with at the drop of a hat, and just being in good company.

That's how things are now. We are together 95% of the time. I always know that when I have something to do, he will be here when I get home and vice versa. I love having him here when I need someone to talk or when we are feel like having a brawl over monopoly on the xbox. He is my best friend, hands down. Since living together, I have even learned how to semi cook a decent meal. Granted, I have gained about 15 pounds because we have both gotten into that "comfortable couple" stage. He has shown me so much about how great life with someone can really be. We are by no mean perfect; we fight and argue....what couple doesn't.

Well, my prince charming has been gone for two whole weeks. He had a training camp for work in northern VA the last two weeks. It was hard, but time passed more quickly than I thought it would. He came home Sunday night and left again this morning only to be gone until next Friday. Ten days. Yesterday was wonderful. We spent the whole day together doing a lot of nothing...it felt like old times before our lives got hectic. Channing even took a nap yesterday, which he totally never does. Of course, I was snoozing on the couch and all of a sudden he turned the tv down and laid down on the other couch. It made me realize that he isn't as invincible as he tries to think he is and that maybe he has realized that as well. We went to dinner at Outback and just had a great day. He said it was my early Valentine's since he can't be here Saturday. It was just fine with me; I just wish I could have him home longer.

I think these next ten days are going to be horrible. I almost wish yesterday had just blended in with the rest; it was too much of a teaser that I wanted to last forever. After he comes home next Friday, he will be leaving soon again for another two weeks. And this routine will continue for about 3 more times. His company has picked up some new areas of work in Arkansas and it takes a lot of time to install, train, etc. So, I have a long road ahead that I feel is almost impossible. I am not used to being away from him at all. I am having to do everything alone and me and I will admit that Gracy cuddling up to me at night isn't the same and feeling his strong arm around me.

You see, not having him here is like loosing my right arm. I cope, but life isn't quite right without seeing his face each day. It's hard stressing about what I am going to do with Gracy and what I'm going to cook for my lonesome self. Really, this gal has lost her best friend for what seems like forever.

As I was discussing this with Mam tonight, she pointed something out to me that really made me think. She told me that I should be thankful that Channing has a great job in the downward economy and that I do have the small breaks with him in between his travels. It hit home. While I'm still sad he is gone and want him here, I realize that I am truly blessed to have him and his job in my life.

Channing's company is wonderful (depsite the travels). They get to build up time off based on their hours worked and he is truly lucky to be able to pick and choose his days off when he wants. He loves his coworkers and I love their wives. It's a great company.

And even more so, I'm blessed because for the last year and half Channing has worked while I have gone to school. I have only been able to work during the summers and on an as needed basis at the hospital. We have been fortunate to make it off my extra school money and his salary. He is truly amazing; not many men would be willing to do this. Our relationship hasn't exactly been equal in this part of life for the last bit but he knows that if we can swim right now, once I graduate we won't sink.

I love him with all my heart and my heart is aching while he is gone right now. I can't wait to be Mrs. Short because life will truly be grand just because I know he will be in my life till death do us apart. I am so thankful that God blessed me to marry my first love, my best friend.

I love you, Channing.

the dress in the window

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday; somehow I feel about 30 instead of 22. I am sure there are about a million excuses I could use to justify this, but I won't waste my time.

My birthday was pretty uneventful because I had class all day from 8 until 4 and then I came home and in hindsight could have laid on my couch all night and not moved. Having a month off from school and then the first day back its a marathon. I was tired. Something about sitting and listening to people talk all day just does something to the body. And in the words of my friend Kara, "I am pretty sure I am developing a pressure ulcer on my butt."

Alas, I managed to meet my bff, Kara, my mom, my sister and of course baby Brantley at Olive Garden and proceeded to enjoy a wonderful dinner with some of the best people I know. There is nothing like good girl time and great pasta. Then Kara and I went to see Bride Wars. It was excellent! Yet, I have already realized that on the day of my wedding, everyone will be crying especially my maid of honor. She cried more than I did and she may possibly cry more on my wedding day, too.

After the movie, I was thinking about when I was a little girl. I never had that ONE best friend that I did everything with. I grew up with about 6 girls from the time I was in kindergarten till high school and they all stayed back home to go back to school except for me. Now, one of us is already married and four of are engaged with three of us getting married in the next year. Wow, it's crazy to think about. We are still good friends and keep in touch often. I wouldn't trade the memories I have with them for anything.

But back to the point; the movie made me exam how my relationships have developed. It's so funny that when I came to college I met Kara in one class, we didn't really become great friends and then when nursing school started it was like we were both wondering where each of us had been our whole lives. Then when Tisha first messaged me on facebook asking about Kappa Delta, I knew from about ten words that something great would happen. Well it did, she joined KD, became my sorority little sister and has since been one of the best friends a girl could ask for. I was thinking last night how funny it is when you meet someone and just have that feeling that they will be your friend forever. It's almost like when you meet the "one" you just know. You get that wonderful feeling. I love that I didn't know these girls till college and now I share everything with them. I love how our relationships grew quickly and that no matter how many days we go without seeing each other or talking, we pick up right were we left off. So after thinking about all of it...I had to stop and think about the movie. A maid of honor isn't just a childhood friend, theyre a sister for life.

Oh and other wedding news, I have been researching music all morning. And last weekend I found the dress! Oh, how I found the dress! Mom, Mam, and I went shopping at the store where I bought both of my prom dresses in high school. When we walked in, we all looked at the window and gawked at the dress on the mannequin. I fell in love with the dress, but it was the wrong size, one size two small and well we figured since it was the window display it was way out of budget. Well after trying on five dresses, I explained to the wonderful shop owner just how I absolutely had to try to the dress in the window on. Since it was a corset type in the back I figured we could at least see if I liked it and then order in a bigger size. Well, of course they obliged and people...the dress in the window was fabolous. It was the ONE. Absolutely stunning, absolutely not what I had ever imagined yet everything I had all in one. It even fit, like a glove. We said sold!! Mom paid half down and they put a new dress on the mannequin in the window.

Happy Thursday!