My Best Friend's Wedding

I'll never forget the day in 5th grade when my teacher introduced the class to our new student - Sairy. She shyly stepped in and I vividly remember her perm of tight curls, headgear braces and a sweater with a teddy bear that would land her the nickname "Teddy" later in the school year. Although she didn't speak much English at the time, we became fast friends through games of red rover and four square.

The next year we went to different middle schools, causing us to be track rivals, but luckily high school brought us together again. It was like those 3 years in between didn't affect us at all. We quickly became friends all over again becoming inseparable on and off the track.

As we've grown older I've seen Sairy grow into the selfless, encouraging and confident woman she is today. She is not afraid to speak her mind and often gives me the confidence boost I often lack. She is the first one to help a friend in need and lights up the room with her contagious laugh.

When Sairy first posted on Facebook that she was dating Julius as an April Fools joke, a tiny part inside of me knew their relationship was more than a joke. I knew from the moment that Julius started running more than one 5k that he was a keeper. He has been treating Sairy like a gem since then, embracing her family and friends while they made their relationship "facebook official". I was over the moon when I got an exciting call from Sairy last Thanksgiving with the news that Julius had proposed.

After a year of wedding planning, a room full of Sairy and Julius' family and closest friends witnessed the two love birds say "I do". It was the perfect evening at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden that included tradition, unforgettable dancing, laughing and unconditional love.

Marriage is a wonderful thing. I know how great it is to have a partner in life and I'm so excited for Sairy and Julius to begin their journey together. Jeremy and I wish you a lifetime of love and joy surrounded by family and friends. Just wait...the best has yet to come.

Cheese! 2014 Family Photos.

Each and every year, Jeremy (and Apollo) put up with my photo fanatic self and pose for our family photos by Sunny of Themba Imagery. This year we decided to soak in the beauty of the Queen City with the beautiful skyline as our background. Sunny did an amazing job (as always) capturing our love for one another and for the city we call home. Below are a few of my favorites. I can't wait to find the perfect frames and find a cozy spot for them in our home.

A big thanks goes to Reuben for taking care of Apollo behind the scenes. We couldn't have done this without ya! As always, thank you, Sunny, for always exceeding our expectations in the work that you do! Your talent grows each year and we love your passion for photography, hope and philanthropy. We look forward to working with you next year!

Pumpkins and Hayrides

I realize we're well into November and a trip to the pumpkin farm was taken over a month ago but I am determined to write about. DETERMINED.

Please excuse my procrastinating self and accept my apology by scrolling through these adorable pictures of my nephew.

Fall isn't complete without a trip to the pumpkin patch. Corn mazes, hay rides and slushies (it was unreasonably hot) made our day at the Hall Family Farm. Keegan loved sliding down the slide and hopping on the tractor for pictures. He is all boy, that's for sure. He enjoyed picking a pumpkin for his Grammie and Grampie to display on the front porch. It was a great day at the farm, full of memories to share in years to come.

Bachelorette Weekend: I Pink I'm In Love

My best friend, Sairy, is getting married in 2 short weeks and I cannot be more excited for her. Of course her bridesmaids had to send her off in style by planning the best bachelorette trip ever. Sianneth, Sairy's sister and maid of honor, planned an unforgettable trip to the sweet and southern Savannah, Georgia where Sairy kissed her single life goodbye.

The destination was kept a secret from Sairy as I kidnapped and drove her down in style to our humble abode in the historic district of Savannah. We scoped out the rooms like we were the new roommates on The Real World while we discovered our personal chef preparing dinner in the kitchen. Yes, you read correctly. A personal chef! Sianneth went above and beyond and hired an amazing chef that catered to our every need, including appetizers and a three course meal.

After stuffing our faces with appetizers, a liquor store run was needed. Believe it or not, this was my first time purchasing from a liquor store so it had to be documented. Yes, I am 28 years old. How this has never happened, I don't know but Sairy's bachelorette weekend called for it and I answered.

Night one was pretty low key as we had quite the crew traveling from New York, Michigan, Georgia and yours truly, North Carolina. We had the most delicious meal from our chef and ended the night playing the ever so popular game, Cards Against Humanity. You guys…my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard as we came up with quite the crazy and absurd scenerios.  Sleep came easy that night as we rested up for an even bigger day up ahead.

Any girl loves to get pampered but Sairy loves a good competition. We surprised her with a game of laser tag…in a castle. I meeeeean it doesn't get better than that. We split into teams while we burned off our breakfast from Goose Feathers earlier that morning. It was a close game but the brides team took the win in the last few minutes of the game. I would like to mention that I was on that team :)

On our way home, Forsyth Park was calling our name so we made a pit stop and toured the park. The fountain and spanish moss that framed the sidewalks made me quickly fall in love with the city.

We continued our day freely drinking in the streets (because we could), shopping, eating and gearing up for the fun to be had that night.

Dinner reservations were made at the historic Olde Pink House, the perfect spot for Sairy's pink themed bachelorette weekend. What's a pink party without pink wigs? We all dressed up with fabulous wigs and walked the town in "I PINK I'm in Love" style. We enjoyed the divine, southern cuisine that the Olde Pink House had to offer while touring the 18th Century mansion famous for it's traditional southern flare.

Sairy danced the night away with her pink haired crew by her side. It was a night to remember, that's for sure.

The weekend ended early for some girls as we said goodbye to a few on Sunday. For the others, we headed to the beach for a relaxing afternoon at Tybee Island. We got our tan on wishing Liam Hemsworth were still filming his movie, The Last Song. Liam or no Liam, it felt good to just lie down and take it easy.

Some great memories were made in Savannah that weekend. Sairy has surrounded herself with some great women and I'm glad to call all of them friends. Only a few short weeks until we're back together and sending Sairy off to marry her man, Julius! I can't wait!!!!