SURPRISE!

Mike PLANNED a surprise birthday dinner with my appfamily and bible study girls and it was perfect. It was complete with an evite, my favorite restaurant-Cantina 1511, favorite people, polka dot bakery cupcakes which I heart and me not having any idea!
Brownie points for Mike :)
I had so much fun and felt so loved by everyone. Thank you all for loving on me last night!
Here are a few pictures...

1 Year Ago

Kel Kel...this is for you!
One year ago today, we were not looking so hot! Happy Anniversary Pooks :)

Random Thoughts...

I am home sick from work today..not fun. This is actually the first sick day I have taken and it wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I think I got the stomach bug (hopefully it wasn't the healthy Choice steamer I ate on Monday night). So I slept, read, worked a little and watched TV. By the end of the day, I felt a little better and was going stir crazy! Sweet Mike brought over soup and crackers and made me eat it for dinner.

So I thought I would write a random blog entry for everyone.

Mike and I got our trees Thanksgiving weekend. Please notice that mine is still "leaning". Mike tried to straighten it, but I got inpatient and told him it was fine.

Here is the beauty...leaning and all!

O'Malley has been living at my parent's house since Thanksgiving. They are very sweet to keep him while I have been traveling. I have to admit, its nice not having to walk him in the rain or get up early in the mornings. But I do miss him a lot. The house seems very quiet and no one is home to greet me after work. I get to see him this weekend though...and I'm excited!

OLIVER'S everywhere...
Betsy (cousin) and Charlie had baby Oliver on December 6th. Betsy has sent me some pictures and he is so cute! Melissa and Matt Morrow are naming their son Oliver too. The West Girls are throwing a shower for Melissa this weekend. The 5 of us haven't been together in a while so I'm very excited to hang out.

I have gotten over my depression of the Twilight movie and have found a new series I'm going to read. I am trying not to get my hopes up too high...but I have heard good things! Here is the 1st book in the series. They should arrive any day!Last but not least-
I'm sure everyone has been hearing about BAC in the news. I have gotten so many emails and phone calls asking if I'm okay and I really appreciate it. YES, I AM GREAT! My groups is doing fine and I am grateful to have a job. Things could change in an instant (you never know), but I'm not going to worry about it. I will trust the Lord and His plan for my career.

That should be all my random thoughts for one day. :) Hopefully I won't be sick again...for a long time!

Tuesday Night Dates

Every Tuesday (when I'm not traveling for work), I have a date with 8 amazing women and I love it!
We decided to have a holiday dinner last Tuesday instead of our regular bible study. (as always, Ellen was the best host and everything was perfect) It was potluck style and of course it was all beautiful and delicious. While we were sitting around eating, Ellen asked us to go around the table and talk about our praises and prayers over the year. It was so cool to see how far we have come in 2008, the blessings we have been given and the many prayers that have been answered (many in ways we were not expecting)!

I am very grateful for all these girls-the accountability, the fresh perspective, the honesty, the laughter and the "get over yourself" reminders!
Here's to many more praises and prayer requests in 2009!

Ellen made each of us a personalized ornaments-love her!

Adele being oh so cute!
Love these girls

New York City!

New York City was everything I expected and much more...

I survived the plane ride in row 13 (you know how much I hate odd numbers), didn't throw up in the crazy cab ride, and made it to the loft in one piece.

Friday- Checked into the loft and made our beds (I got a top bunk). We went to a REALLY great pizza place for dinner and little sis, Linds, met us there once her plane arrived. After dinner we did the "walking window tour" to see all the Christmas displays. We stopped to take pictures of the tree at Rockefeller Plaza with the other 865 million people. Yes, there were so many people in NYC!

Saturday included lunch at place that ONLY served grilled cheese sandwiches...yes I was in heaven! We did a NBC studio tour which was awesome. We even saw the cast rehearsing for Saturday Night Live. After the tour, we headed to Ground Zero. We couldn't see much there but headed to the church right beside it. The church was amazing...apparently it was untouched during the tragedy and was a place where the workers came to eat and rest. We walked through the church and saw all the memorabilia, pictures and stories. The below picture is a cross that some of the workers made. While we were there, I got a call that my cousin was having an emergency c-section and was about to give birth. Oliver was born an hour later and I was so excited to hear that news!!!

After Ground Zero, it was time to head to 5th Ave for SHOPPING!!! We had a great time shopping and made some good purchases. After shopping, it was time for dinner and Hairspray. I was beyond excited to see Hairspray and it did not disappoint me.
This is where our trip takes a slight turn, similar to the "Becky & Kelly Europe Adventure". During intermission, Kelly mentioned how the loft was similar to a hostel and it wasn't the greatest idea. That's all it took...I called Mike and he got online and booked us a hotel. Yes, we couldn't cut it at the loft (sound familiar) and moved our adventure to the Hotel Roger Williams! It was a 4 star boutique hotel that was AMAZING and we got a great deal!!! After Hairspray was over, we checked into the hotel and I don't think any of us could have been happier!

We woke up on Sunday morning with smiles on our faces...we had a great nights sleep! Sunday was another day filled with lots of things. Our day was filled with eating, seeing the Christmas Spectacular and Alter Boyz. During Alter Boyz (which was hysterical), Mrs. Norman got pulled up on stage and was serenaded by the Boyz. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen! She was a trooper and there is a good picture to prove it. Later that night, we finally made it to Serendipity. I was so excited about eating at this place. Kelly and I shared their famous frozen hot chocolate (how romantic) and it was no disappointment!

We didn't make it to Central Park or the Today Show...but that just means I will have to go back sometime soon! We really did have an unbelievable trip and Kel Kel was the best planner ever!

New York & a bootleg purse

Tomorrow is the big day...I fly to New York City for the FIRST TIME! Yes, I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself.

I'm heading to NY with Kelly, her sister Linds and their mama. When the Norman's travel, they really travel. In other words, bring your walking shoes and a good attitude. Lord help me :)

We are going to see and do so much over 4 days (eat, shopping, plays, central park, Today Show and lots more). I might need a vacation just to recover from this vacation.

I can't wait for all the funny stories and great pictures that will begin tomorrow.

Bootleg purses here I come...

800 Pounds & A Reality Show

It's come to Jesus time...

This is my trainer, Billy...he should look hardcore b/c he is...and please note he usually doesn't wear a skirt. I am back at Fitness Together and I'm scared that Billy will kill me. Not really, but I think after taking 6 months off (to eat and drink) he wants to show me what pain feels like.

I told Billy that I didn't want to be 800 pounds and on a reality TV show. His solution...eat healthy and come back to see him. Brilliant idea don't you think?!?!

Here's to operation get in shape and fit into Kelly's bridesmaid dress!

Turkey Strut part II

Thanksgiving morning came a little earlier than normal for the Gibbs household. When my alarm went off at 6am, I was not a happy camper. I would call myself a "morning person"(even though others would disagree) so this should not have been an issue. But I wanted to lay in my bed and dream about the food I would be consuming later in the day.

Since that wasn't going to happen, I got out of bed and joined the rest of my family. We got dressed, ate our bananas or coffee, grabbed our gloves and hat and were out the door!
As we drove the course, I started to panic. 1) because my lazy butt hadn't trained and 2) because the first mile was STRAIGHT up hill...seriously. Em told me to deal with myself b/c it was only a 5k.

After getting our timing chips, making friends in the porta-john line (or dad running around cheering) and seeing old friends, we headed to the starting line. Dad wanted to be right up front and I would have been content being the last one in line!!!
We ran into Em's old cross country buddy and she decided to run with me and Em. WHAT?!?! Yes, these 2 former cross country stars were going to run with me.

Well the race started, my ipod turned on, and the uphill run began. Em was very sweet to run with me the entire race even though I know she could have been as fast as dad.

When we crossed the finish line, our sweet dad was waiting with cups of water and LOTS of snacks. My dads hands were filled with cookies, bananas, crackers, chips, granola bars, soda and who knows what else. I love this man!

Dad was one of the top 3 in his age group (great job old man!) and Greg, Em and I finished in one piece. Please notice how RED my face is in this picture...for the love! Dad also decided to wear the brightest 2 shirts he has..orange and yellow. Great fashion sense dad.

Em had a great idea of stopping by Krispy Kreme after the race. Yes, all of us walked in with our race numbers on and everyone gave us a weird look. We got doughnuts and coffee for the family and headed home.
Even though I was dreading the race, I ended up having a great time with the family. Em and I have never run an entire race together. We started the Wilmington half marathon together but she left me around mile 5! :) Apparently Dad and Greg are trying to talk Mike and I into running a race with them the day after my birthday! We'll see about that one...

Family, Friends & Food!

I had a great time off for Thanksgiving...I'm sad the break is over.

I headed (or sped) home to Clemmons Tuesday evening. It was Em's birthday and we were going to the Pueb to celebrate. After being in the car for 8 hours with a 15 month old, she was in desperate need of a JUMBO margarita :)


We had a great dinner and then headed home for presents and cake. Mom made a really good cake and we all enjoyed a piece while Em opened presents!


Wednesday I hung out with Em, mom and Nate for the day. We took O'Malley and Nate for a walk, played with Nate, read and just hung out!

Wednesday afternoon/evening, I headed to the infamous "Russo Thanksgiving" at the lake house. I have heard Mike talk about this event for many months now and I wasn't sure what to expect. When I arrived, the house was packed and the food smelled delicious! I have never seen so much food in my life. After some wine and mingling, it was time to enjoy all the food. Dinner was no disappointment...amazing! Mike even let all of his food touch on his plate :)


I drove home late on Wednesday night because my family was running the Turkey Strut on Thursday morning. The race deserves its own post b/c it was so funny.


After the race, we hung out before Thanksgiving dinner. Mom made so much great food as always! We all crammed into the dining room...I drew the short straw and almost had my plate resting on my chest :) We all went to bed early on Thursday b/c its tradition to wake up early and go shopping as a family!


Friday, we woke up before the sun and made it to all our favorite stores. We got some great deals and finished most of our Christmas shopping. When we got home, I had to pack and head back to Charlotte.

I had a great time with my family and it was fun to see my little Nate! This just makes me even more excited for Christmas break when we are all home for longer!!!!!!

Greg was teaching Nate how to play the piano

Nate wanted to try his first Krispy Kreme!!

Greg taught Nate how to pick his nose on command...awesome!

Movie Review...

Most of you know, I was one of the losers that went to see Twilight last Thursday at midnight. I have had a week to marinate on it and I still can't talk about it. I read the series about a year ago and LOVED them! I knew the movie wouldn't be as good, but I didn't expect it to be miserable.
I think Ellen said it better than I could, so I will just let you read her post.
Sorry for the disappointment Team Edward...
http://terryandellen.blogspot.com/2008/11/team-edward.html

Thankful

I know this is a generic post but I need to share some thankfulness! It would be nice if I remembered all the things I'm thankful for daily...but sometimes I forget. Today gives us the chance to just sit and remember all those blessings.
Here are just a few things I'm thankful for today(in no particular order):
Jesus
my crazy but amazing Family
my sweet boyfriend
all my wonderful friends (the "app family" included)
my health
O'malley
A job and a great boss
my cute nephew that gives open mouth kisses
That my sister ran the entire race with me today
Betsy is about to have a baby boy at any second
Cousin Jeff is home safe from Iraq and got to meet his son for the first time
Black Friday deals and all the coupons
That I drew Bone's name for Christmas
drinking wine and playing games with my family

I am thankful for so much more...but that is just a snapshot! There has been lots going on so I will have fun blogging over the next few days!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pizza Party

The Flemings decided to have people over this weekend for a Pizza Party. All we needed to bring was a "creative topping". Now you must know Kat... is an amazing cook and very creative, so I knew this would be the best pizza party I would ever attend. Each person has to start at the "rolling" station. Tester and Kess decided that it would be more fun to toss the dough in the air. Lord help us all! It was actually really fun even though I only threw mine a few times. Mike got so excited while throwing his dough, he threw it on the floor (it was clean) and then in the pizza sauce. He was a trooper and let us all laugh at him though.

It was honestly so much fun to build our own pizza, drink and hang out! Thanks Flemings for a great night :)

Kat and Tester busted out the aprons!

Kessler was a great "tosser"Mike looks like he is going to karate chop his!
This is typical...I am probably giving instructions to Mike on how it "should" be done. He is laughing and just ignoring me

The pure happiness on Kat's face is the best!

Tag I'm it now...

For the love of all that's holy...
So I was tagged by my sis, Emily. It's my first tagging experience...thanks!
Here are the rules: Go to your fourth picture folder and then go to the fourth picture in the folder. Write four things about the picture and then tag four other people. You never know what fun will follow...

Tag, you're it now... (you have to do it!)
1) Kel Kel
2) Ellen
3) Kat
4) Angie1. This picture was taken of Em and I on Christmas morning of 2005
2. Crazy Grandma, Deedee, gives us "interesting" gifts every year. This was the "coat" year.
3. Em and I got these 1960's down coats that went all the way down to our ankles
4. This was during Deedee fashion show time- other items received that you: Ohio State "condom" coat, dead animal scarf, kimono, children's size denim vest.

We know everyone is jealous they are not part of our family. Getting these gifts adds so much more entertainment to Christmas morning! Thank you Em for letting this picture resurface :)

MALIBU!

This post is a little late but oh well...
Over Veteran's Day, I got the chance to visit my dear friend Tara and her hubby Nathan in Wilmington. Tara and Nathan's love story is like no other. Without a doubt, it was written by God and its SO encouraging to see the love they have for the Lord and each other.

Tara and Nathan moved to Wilmington in August when they BOTH got jobs as youth ministers. That's right folks, these 2 are married, live together, ride to work together, share an office and minister to the same kids together. That's a lot of together time :)

While in Wilmington, it was so fun for me to see their church, meet some of their "kids", co-workers and members of their church. Tara sang on Sunday morning and brought tears to my eyes. I was so proud of her! When Nathan spoke to the congregation, I got to see his passion, confidence and love come alive. Talk about an amen!!!

The rest of the weekend was filled with the beach, shopping, eating, and seeing MY BFF (Brady)!!! She met us after church for lunch and I got so excited to see her! We had a good time catching up and hearing about her school "lock down" experience. I am still pushing for her to move back to Charlotte.

I am so excited to share the below picture with the world. Tara and Nathan had to get a new car after someone totaled Nathan's car. Nathan decided to keep the dream alive and get a MALIBU!!!! That's right, the Malibu lives on. Though it is not green, the white will do just fine. Nathan calls it the "Sunday ride" and faithfully drove it to church on Sunday morning.

Thanks for a great weekend Tara and Nathan!

Frankenstein

I was in Nashville last week for work and got a chance to visit my sister and her family. I had so much fun seeing my little Natebug. He is 15 months, cute as a button and is just about as stubborn as I am. He knows how to walk but will only do it once in a while. On Wednesday night, he decided to become a walking machine! I called him Frankenstein b/c when he walked, he won't bend his knees and holds his arms straight out...its hilarious!

Thursday morning, I had the pleasure of joining her "strollercize" group for their weekly workout. Since it was raining, we went to the local mall. I never thought I would be a "mall walker" until I was 95 year old. But at 26 year old, I have become a mall walker and really enjoyed it. I guess I really am a grandma :) All the moms, kids and their strollers met at the mall to power walk. After the workout, the kids got to play in the indoor play area. It was fun watching Nate and Will walk, climb and slide around the area.

Thursday afternoon, I had to check into my hotel and get ready to actually work. Nate gave me a big open mouthed kiss, hug and waved bye-bye before I left!

I had a great visit with Em and enjoyed catching up on life! I get to see them over Thanksgiving and hopefully Nate will be running around the house with the dogs!

11.20.08

This Thursday is a big day for me and many of my friends. At midnight, the TWILIGHT movie will be released! Alli has bought us all tickets and we are going to the midnight showing of this long anticipated movie.

I began reading the Twilight series after my neighbor Sara talked me into it. I wasn't sure if I would liked the books, but after a few pages I was addicted. I spent an entire weekend reading the first 2 books. Finally some of my other friends have jumped on the Twilight bandwagon too!

We are all have very strong opinions about these books and are VERY excited to see the movie.

So the countdown begins for Thursday at midnight...

Check out the Twilight Series here

Auld Lang Syne

It's never too early to plan right?!?! We are planning a NYE party this year and I'm SUPER excited about it. Here is a sneak peak at the theme and save the date!

Auld Lang Syne-is a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well-known in many English-speaking countries, and it is often sung to celebrate the start of the new year at the stroke of midnight on New Years Day.

I survived!

It's true, I survived my camping experience last weekend. To be honest, I had a great time! Don't get me wrong, I won't be begging to sleep in a tent anytime soon...but I would go camping again.

Mike and I headed to the campsite Saturday afternoon to meet up with our fellow campers. We had a few snags in the location, but thanks to Davids ability to flirt with old women we found a new location. Thanks bun boy for your skills!

The location was perfect...lots of grass, stream, car near by, and there was even a bathroom. I had to walk a little ways to get to it, but I got to use it twice. (I did pee outside every other time)

One by one, everyone arrived and set up camp. Mike set up our tent and I rolled around inside to make sure I wouldn't be sleeping on any rocks. (he made me do it just so he wouldn't have to hear me cry or complain all night long)

We all went on a hunt for firewood... I carried my green harris teeter bag to collect sticks! I looked like I was trick or treating in the woods. The guys started a fire and we began to cook our Paul Dean foil packets. Everyone sat around the fire and enjoyed their dinner...they were SOOO GOOD!!!

After celebrating Caroline's birthday with a cookie cake, we broke out the hot chocolate and began to play games. Catch Phrase was the game of the night. Guys vs. Girls...I started out strong but then it was all down hill for me.

It was getting colder and I knew bedtime was quickly approaching. We all begin to get ready for bed (meaning we put 65 layers on and stood by the fire to get warm before running to our tents). I climbed in my mummy sleeping bag and went to sleep. I knew I survived camping when I woke up alive the next morning!!! I heard Ellen yelling my name and asking if I survived. We all had breakfast by the fire and sweet Matt made everyone fabulous coffee.

We cleaned up camp and headed out. All in all, I had a great time. Camping would not have been as much fun if it wasn't for the company. My friends made the camping experience well worth it.

*Becca Fort-Sorry to say I won't be on any 5 day backpacking trips anytime soon. I will be happy to hotel hop for 5 days so you have a place to shower :)

Halloween 2008

Last year, my halloween was spent inside with my door locked. I was trying to keep the hoodlums out and not let O'Malley scare anyone :)

I was looking forward to Halloween this year b/c the ASU vs. Wofford game was at 8pm on 10/31.

We all headed to Boone around lunch time on Friday. Kelly and I entertained ourselves in the backseat by singing Miley songs! Not too sure that Kat and Ellen enjoyed it as much as we did.

We got to the game, set up shop and the tailgating began. We had fun taking pictures, eating all the amazing food and drinking our adult beverages.

We headed into the game and that's where the laughter began...
Robby kept reminding Kelly about her 23.12 left in "fun money", there were 16 extra people sitting in our rows, Matt gave Terry the most "heavenly" head rub, the ever lovin foam finger was passed around, Kessler was intoxicated, mullet man, girl in the Victoria Secret costume, Robby wanted to bar hop after the game and apparently thought App was just like Clemson. We had a great time at the game and I actually stayed for the entire game!

The next morning, we got to meet our old "ghetto 116" roomie for breakfast. Kelly and I shared a room our senior year of college (yes, 1 room with 2 twin beds and we are still best friends) and Holly lived in the other room. The 3 of us had so many fun times that year and we were excited to see Holly on Saturday morning. Holly brought along her hubby (our 4th roomie at times) and her 2 good friends from out of town. We had a great time catching up and hearing how being prego was treating her.
After that, we headed back to Charlotte so I could pack for my camping adventure!!