Jill Victoria

Well, David and I are back from our honeymoon and settling into our “normal” life now. I put normal in quotation marks because I’m not sure what normal is now. My life will never be the same in most ways. I’m in the midst of creating new version of normal with passing day.

The honeymoon was great. We left on our Carnival Cruise on Monday afternoon. Our two ports of call were Key West and Nassua in the Bahamas. I really enjoyed being in Key West more than the Bahamas. I’d really like to drive down and stay a while in the Keys.

In the Bahamas, we took a ride in a taxi cab of DEATH! Stop signs and traffic lights are just a suggestion down there. I was never so happy to be out of a vehicle! The sights were cool and the water was beautiful. Other than that, I don’t see why the Bahamas are such a big draw for people.

I enjoyed being on the cruise ship. David and I spent lazy times together, just enjoying each other and the ability to do nothing at all. We both kept journals the whole trip, some of which I may end up transcribing onto here.

Saturday we left the ship and drove back to the condo in Fernandina. We hung out on the beach and in downtown all day. I did some shopping while David checked out the classic car show going on for the fall festival.

Sunday we packed up and headed for home. We stopped in Savannah to have lunch at The Pirate House. David had never been before, and I love the food, history and the ghosts! After lunch, we stopped at the Savannah Candy Kitchen to get our parents (and ourselves!) some fudge and other sweet treats.

My mom and dad met us at our house and brought my car as well as our wedding gifts. After we got things settled at the house, the four of us went to David’s parents’ house for dinner. We visited with them, GrandMom, John and Yoly. It was nice to get home.

Last night David and I started unpacking my boxes and wedding gifts. We started putting things in their proper places. So far we’ve tackled the guest bathroom and the kitchen. Its starting to look more like our home.

I started making plans for our annual Halloween party. Anyone can come, just let me or David know!

My mom called me yesterday and told me that Sunday night she thought I looked the most beautiful she had seen me look in a long time. She said I looked relaxed, happy and had a glow about me. I guess married life suits me.

This weather suits me, too! I love the autumn! I get to wear lovely fall colors and fashions, like boots, scarves and coats. I got out my scarves last night and wore one today.

Life is the same in some ways. I still have school to do, and I’m still watching the kids in the afternoon. I’m also still making plans with friends and playing World of Warcraft. All that is a comfort to me. Makes this transition a bit easier.

Stuff like this weekend’s outting with Krista and Spencer to Oakland Cemetery for the ghost tour, and our Halloween party are just a couple of fun things coming up. Krista and I talked about a couples weekend retreat to Charleston in the next couple of months, too. That should be fun!

I’m pretty sure I’ve covered everything. I’m going to enjoy the autumn weather now. Later!

I wanted to write about our wedding day while its still fresh in my mind.

The day was PERFECT! That 60 – 80% chance of rain that haunted us for almost two weeks never even happened! How awesome is God for doing that?! I want to thank everyone who prayed for the gorgeous weather we had for the whole day.

David and I couldn’t have been happier! Everything was beyond what we could have ever hoped for and more than we deserve. All that we planned went exactly as we wanted. I successfully avoided David seeing me (Though I accidentally saw him out of the bridal suite window. Oops!) and we both got the moment we hoped for as I walked down the aisle. David told me that when he saw me that it was like his heart sped up and stopped at the same time. I knew exactly how he felt.

It was so great to see all the people we did. I scanned the faces as my dad walked me down the aisle (”Moon River by 101 Strings Orchestra, composed by Johnny Mercer) and couldn’t help but have my heart swell with so much love that I literally felt my skin tingle.

I wish I knew how to describe what the moment felt like when I reached David. Everything in my life, the good, the bad, the wise choices and the not so wise choices all fell into place. My dad gave me away on behalf of himself and my mom, and they left me in very safe and loving hands.

Rick Statham, the pastor, did a wonderful job. He didn’t over embellish love by reading Song of Solomon or 1 Corinthians 13, but talked of how David and I are to yield to each other and work as a partnership. If we both live for each other and for God, then we are living in a Christian marriage.

David was so sweet. I knew he was nervous because he was shaking as we held hands and said our vows. During the last prayer, before we kissed our first husband and wife kiss, David started to make what I call his “happy noises”. He basically sighs very content and happy sighs. I knew he was totally overjoyed that we were finally married.

My Aunt Donna served as our MC instead of the DJ. She did a great job. She announced us as we came in and went into our first dance (”At Last” by Etta James). My dad and I had our father/daughter dance (”True Love Waits” by Buddy Holly, which has been stuck in my head all day) and David and Ms. Deb danced their mother/son (”Life Story” by Grant Wilson).

The food was great. Marmalade chicken, roasted potatoes, and green beans. Our wedding cake was strawberry short cake and was delicious!

There was lots of dancing. I danced with Matthew, Emily, Lauren and kinda with Jonathan.

I wish we had more time at the reception. It was a great send off though. David and I walked out in a cascade of tiny bubbles and were driven off in a Model A classic car! I had always imagined leaving in a classic car, but never thought it would happen.

All my girls looked so beautiful. They were a great help and I was so honored they were able to be a part of the day. The groomsmen were handsome as well, especially my brother in his Army dress uniform. I thought my mom looked beautiful in her red dress, and Ms. Deb was lovely in hers as well.

David and I made it safely to the beach condo. I can’t believe I’m laying next to my husband! Its such a sweet yet still foreign word, but I love saying it!

I can’t wait to see pictures from today. Its hard to realize that today is still my wedding day. It was like two days wrapped in one. Though most brides have told me that they didn’t have time to enjoy anything, David and I can both safely say that we enjoyed and savored every second. We had the best day of our lives!

I’m sending out lots of love to our families and our friends. You all made this day very special and we were so blessed to have you as part of our wedding day.

And thus ends my wedding day and my first blog as Mrs. Jill Cole! <3

The wedding countdown is now at 10 days and a few hours. Its so hard to believe that in only 10 days I will be David’s wife! Its totally mind boggeling! And still, I haven’t finished what I needed to do before now.

This Saturday is my bachelorette party. Just a good old fashioned sleep over with some close girl friends. We’ll be going to eat Mexican before the sleep over commences. I really need to get the Goza Road house clean before then. Especially the carpet.

Tomorrow I have an appointment for a haircut and highlights. I’ve never had highlights before, so I’m nervous and excited. TheKnot.com recommended that autumn brides get some highlights to make their hair look fresh, and not dull. So, fingers crossed it turns out good!

I’m so loving the fall weather! Its my favorite time of year, and the cool in the air makes my heart race, because it means its time to get married.

I started my new block of classes. With all I have to do, school is giving me a hard time. Its hard to focus and learn, but I’m doing it. I had to tell my new teachers that I will be missing a week of class, but that I’ll be turning in my assignments the week before. Not sure how I will meet attendance though. I guess i’ll figure out a way around it.

The house is another thing that has my attention. We need to clean and paint and move furniture… but we have no time left. All the stuff I wanted to try and do before this late in time didn’t happen, so now its all bunched up with everything else going on!

Yeah, I’m a bit stressed. Everyone keeps asking how they can help, but how do you ask someone to come and help you move things, or paint, or scrub a carpet that just gets dirty again because no one bothers to care. Plus, when I do ask for help, no one responds. At least David wants to help me. He said he wants to help me as less stressed as possible. He’s wonderful like that.

I so can’t wait for the honeymoon! I plan to relax. At least someone finally have us something on our honeymoonwishes.com registry. Seemed like everyone was scared to do anything on there.

Still, with all the stress, I’m savoring every moment. I’m especially looking forward to seeing family coming into town next week! It will be fun, and I’m kinda bummed that I won’t be around after the wedding to hang out with them.

Please keep David, myself, and our families in your prayers. This is an exciting and stressful time, and it takes a toll on you after awhile. Part of me wants this over with, the other part doesn’t want it to ever end! This is the biggest event in my life, and I don’t want it to also be the biggest stress either.

Time is ticking, and its going by a lot faster than I thought it would. In my past experience, anytime I’ve anticipated something big and exciting, time has slowed to a crawl. With my wedding day approaching in just 23 days, I feel like I can barely find time to breathe, let alone do all that needs to be done.

Last week I didn’t have to watch the kids because they were sick. David’s great-aunt Sara died the Saturday before last, so we had the visitation and funeral (I missed the latter due to a migraine) to attend. This past Saturday was Krista and Spencer’s wedding! David was best man for Spencer, and Spencer is one of David’s best men for our wedding.

And yes, I took some mental notes at Krista’s wedding. Honestly, it seemed surreal to me that it was less than a month till my own wedding. I felt like I needed to be planning my wedding while I sat there, watching them say their vows. Strange how that happens in my head.

It was a very nice ceremony and reception. I’m sure that both Krista and Spencer are glad that they’re finally married. They should actually be at sea today on their cruise ship for their honeymoon about now. Luckies!

Sunday was a day of moving furniture from the house David and I will live in to his uncles homes and to John and Yoly’s. I FINALLY got to put together the dining room set that my mom have me three years ago! It looks nice in our dining area. My mom came over and helped put it together. I love seeing the house transform.

Still so much to do! School is getting more intense as it nears the end of my first block of classes. Then I also want to be able to hang out with friends. Its tough to find time for everything and everyone.

I’m excited for what’s to come and what’s happening now. Life is definitely keeping me on my toes!

I have actually never written down my story of my time in France. I decided to chronicle it here.

This time six years ago, I was living in France while I did mission work with my aunt, Ellen; uncle, Ross; and two cousins, Joel and Nate.

I ended up in France totally by God’s calling. I always wanted to go and visit, but I didn’t plan for it to be a year after I graduated high school. I especially didn’t know it would end up changing my life forever.

My Aunt Ellen called from France one evening to chat with my mom; I happened to answer the phone. We exchanged our hellos and then I just blurted out, “Would you mind if I came and lived with you for a while?”.

Yep. That was it. I was actually shocked to hear the words come out myself. Live there? Thousands of miles away from my home? Away from everything I have ever known?

As we made plans for my trip across the pond, God pulled on my heart and told me this was more than just a temporary move; it was an opportunity to be apart of a ministry in his name to reach the Catholics who were not living the life God wanted for them. (For those that don’t know, the Catholic church in Europe is very much into idol worship and recognizes Mary as more of an authority that Christ. My uncle, Ross Hindman, wrote a book on the subject called, The Great Divide).

A month before I was scheduled to leave, we found out that Ross had throat cancer and would need surgery while I was there. It became so clear right then and there why I was called to France.

People want socialized medicine, but don’t realize the toll it puts on a family. My uncle had to be admitted to a hospital two hours away from home and had to bring his own sheets, toilet paper, towels, and sit in a hospital with no AC during the hottest summer in France’s kept history. Sounds wonderful, huh?

I left for France after I got back from a weekend trip to Texas for One Day (which is actually three days), a college/singles/young professionals ministry headed by Louie Giglio. That trip helped get me in the mindset that God needed me in for this total change in my life.

I’ll never forget the feeling I had when the plane touched down in Paris. I felt relieved that I had arrived, scared to death of trying to navigate my way through a French airport and wondering if this was such a good idea after all. I had never been that far away from home on my own. It was a jolt into adulthood. I was on my own.

With the help of what little French I had learned in high school, I found my way to my next gate and boarded the hopper flight from Paris to Lyon, where my aunt and cousins would meet me. It would be an hour long flight followed by another two hours in a car to get from Lyon to the small town where the seminary school my aunt and uncle ran was located. It would also be an uncomfortable flight. A little French woman kept trying to talk to me, despite me telling her in French I didn’t speak the language very well and didn’t understand her.

I was so excited to see Ellen, Joel and Nate waiting for me at the bottom of the escalator. We grabbed my two bags and headed out to their van. The airport was so tiny compared to Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.

Traveling through the winding roads that snaked through the Massif Central mountains and into the Haute-Loir department (like states/counties in the US) and on to the tiny village of Le Chambon de Vorey, a commune of Vorey.

You could seriously put the whole village of Le Chambon de Vorey into a Super Wal-Mart with room to spare. The largest building by far was the one in which my family lived and ran the school, Bethany Ministries, Centre de Formation. The building is what is known as a cheatue forte, a defense castle on the outskirts of a larger town. The oldest part of this cheatue dates back to the 1500s. It has been everything from the fort to a hotel and restaurant and now a seminary school.

Being the history enthusiast I am, it was great getting to live in a building that was older than my own country! Every nook and cranny held something different, something new. You would find a room in places you never expected… like the door we found to another room that was at the top of the hallway wall.

My days were spent doing chores, washing dishes in “the dungeon” (what used to be the original entrance to the cheatue is now the wash room complete with archery window) and helping prepare meals for the students who were staying at the school. I only ever got to meet and eat with them once and they were fascinated with my southern accent. Anyone who believes that all the French are rude and American hating are just ignorant. That would be like saying that all Americans are rich and fat. Stereotypes are just that… stereotypes.

There were a couple of evenings that my Aunt Ellen and I visited fellow missionaries living in the nearby city of Le Puy. It was interesting seeing how people there lived. Air conditioning was a rare thing to find. Even grocery stores weren’t cooled. I remember being happy to visit their version of Wal-Mart, called Giant. It had A/C and everything else I wanted to find to be comfortable while living in France.

We also went on tours of the city, visiting the historic district and the Cathedral there. The city’s idol, The Black Virgin, is hosted in their cathedral. On a certain day during the summer, they parade the doll through the streets and people pray to it.

On the top of a very high peak in the city is the Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe Chapel. Pilgrims still come to this spot and will climb to the top of the stairs carved into the mountain on their knees.

The city also hosted two large statues of Mary and Joseph, both holding the baby Jesus. They faced each other from either side of the city and were made from the melted canons of Napoleon’s army.

The story goes that the architect who designed the statues placed Jesus in the wrong arm of Mary. He was so distraught over this, he climbed to the top of her and jumped.

After the seminar was over, my uncle went in the hospital for his surgery. Like the idea of socialized medicine? Yeah. Try staying for a while in a country that has it. I’ve seen public restrooms cleaner than the hospital in St. Etienne.

While my aunt went back and forth for two hours nearly every day to be with my uncle, I stayed and helped take care of the grounds with my cousins, Joel and Nate. We weeded the yard, cleaned the kitchen, cleared stones out of the ground for the garden and got to swim in the Loire River to cool off.

It wasn’t all work. We did get to take excursions into the nearby villages of Le Chambon, Roche-en-Régnier, Polignac and Le Puy. One day we made a long trip and stopped in Orange to the Roman amphitheater and to Marsiella.

In Orange, we toured the Roman amphitheater. It was dated to be older than the amphitheaters in Italy. At one time a whole city was inside the building. Everything from homes to business were run inside it’s walls. Ruins of an old temple were also located next door to the amphitheater.

Marsiella was amazing! We visited friends of my aunt and uncle’s in their home, where I was introduced to the French version of Kool-Aid. I became rather addicted and even brought home some with me. We toured the harbor, saw the Chateau D’If (one setting for Alexandre Dumas’ <u>The Count of Monte Cristo</u>) and went to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

It was on the hill up to this cathedral that the Americans overtook the Germans in World War II, saving France. Bullet holes still scar the face of the building. Inside, tiles thanking the Virgin Mary for miracles lined the walls. It made me so sad to see the glory that should have been given to God instead given to a mere human, sinful woman.

We visited a topless beach in Marielle. No, I wasn’t topless. All I wanted was a chance to wade in the Mediterranean Sea. I also took the opportunity to scoop up some of the tiny, smooth rocks that make up the beach. I still have them in a little glass jar that includes contains some of the water from the Sea.

I also had the chance to visit the highest peak overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Europe. That was quite a view! The French mafia also liked to roll people in their cars off the edge of the bluff to get rid of bodies. It’s impossible to reach where these cars are, so when you look down at all the shining metal at the bottom near the water, you’re looking at someone’s tomb.

I was having the time of my life! Not only that, but my life was changing for the better… finally. I was finally able to hear God and hear what He wanted for me. I was becoming a better version of me.

I wish I could go into the detail only my mind can vividly enough show. Just being in France, away from everything I had ever known, was enough to awaken me from a depression I had been in for years. God sent me to France for many reasons. I was able to hear Him clearly there for the first time in my life.

I will forever treasure the time I spent in France. Even to this day I get a warm feeling when I think of France and the people there. It doesn’t take being a citizen of a third world country to need the love of Christ to be brought. Pray for the people of France. They have it a lot harder than we do, but they are on their way to making a change for the better in their government. With the new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, they may be able to become the great nation they have the potential to be.

I just wish America wanted to be as great as we used to be now.

I have so many stories I wish I could put here. Finding the secret door in the top of the wall; how I nearly drowned in the Loire River; hunting to see if someone had broken into the school after I heard a noise one night; discovering the ruins and caves around Roche-en-Régnier; how I popped a wheely on the tractor; getting my hair chopped off and dyed firetruck red, and so many other stories!

France will always be dear to me. I really hope I can take my children there one day. We have roots there, afterall.

Current Mood: Cool

I finally have time to sit down and do an update!

I started working regularly on Monday at my new job. So far it’s not my favorite job ever, but it’s also not my most hated one. I do enjoy most of it. Working with Laura is fun and the other women in the office are nice.

There’s not much to tell when it comes to what we do. Mostly it’s making phone calls. I do also do data input and help ship out orders.

Getting a job when I did was great. With my last boss still owing me close to $1,000, I was getting way behind on bills. My parents and David were helping me with what they could, though I hated having to rely on someone else to support me. I know they did it out of love. If they were in my place and I in theirs, I would be doing the same thing.

It really is great to see how God works things out. He tends to make things happen exactly when I need them to, even if it’s not in the time frame I had in mind. Obviously, He knows best.

Tomorrow David and I are going up to Chattanooga to get our engagement pictures done by David’s cousin, Kathleen. She is an excellent photographer and was even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize! We’ll be going up Saturday morning to do some inside shots and then we’re spending the night and doing photos outside on Sunday morning as well. I went and picked out some outfits, so hopefully those turn out well. Just need to get with David and coordinate them.

Please pray for good weather and for good hair days for me!

Oh, and I’m still doing Mary Kay! We have some great new products for the summer, so make sure you check out my website and order while you can!

Current Mood: Cool

There is the old saying that when God closes a door, He opens a window. I’m going to have to go with that right now.

Friday night I was out with David, John, Yoly and their cousin Zack and his girlfriend, Ilia. We went to Don Pablo’s for dinner and then planned to see Angels and Demons afterward. While at dinner, I got a phone call from my co-worker, Jerry. He told me that my boss was letting me go and that he would pay me the money he owed me. I’m not holding my breath to the the close to a grand he owes me. It would really come in handy, though.

Jerry told me that my now former boss said that when business picks up, he’ll bring me back. Again, I’m not holding my breath. I had a feeling it was coming to this anyways. I mean, the man couldn’t even afford to pay me $160 a week.

I’m really counting on Mary Kay to help me out while I look for a new job. If you want to host a party or get a free facial, please let me know and give me a call. My info can be found on my Mary Kay website.

Despite the bad news, I still had a lot of fun with everyone. Angels and Demons was so awesome! It followed the book really closely and it did a fantastic job turning one of my favorite books into a movie. I wasn’t disappointed!

Saturday night was the benefit dinner and dance for the Joseph Sams School. I had a lot of fun there. I got to dress all pretty and visit with the Coles and a lot of other people in my impending family. My mom and grandmother came as well. My grandmother is a big fan of Ferrol Sams, so she got to meet him. I hope that made her happy. She was happy at Christmas when David and I gave her autographed copies of his books.

David and I danced our first dance ever to “My Girl”. It was sweet. We also bid on a golden rose at the silent auction and won it. It really is pretty.

Sunday Lauren and I had our Mary Kay booth at the Taste of Fayetteville. Despite the rain, the cold and the fact we both got pretty miserable really fast, it was a productive time. We got a lot of leads and hopefully that will turn into a lot of customers.

After we enlisted David and John’s help in getting the tent and the table packed away, Lauren headed home and I went with David, John and Yoly to eat at O’Charley’s. We went to visit with family at GrandMom and Pop’s house afterward for Patty’s birthday. Pop seemed to be having a pretty good day. He at least knew who everyone was. We sang “Amazing Grace” for him as a family. It nearly made me cry. Even typing about it gets me teary-eyed.

Today I decided I needed a haircut. At least Mary Kay has been good enough to me that I could pay off some bills and get a haircut. I’m really happy with how it turned out, too. I’d highly recommend people going to The Ten Salon for their next haircut. You won’t be sorry! I told Leigh, the girl who cut my hair, that she gave me the exact haircut I have been trying to get other stylists to give me for a long time. It’s the best haircut I’ve ever had!

Now I have to look for another job. I’m not thrilled with it, but who would be? I know that God has His hand in everything and that I will be just fine. It doesn’t make this any easier. At least with my GPE job I knew that money would come in eventually. I guess I have the same situation with Mary Kay. I will make money with Mary Kay only if I put work into it. I have a lot of calls to make.

Please keep me in your prayers. Pray that God leads me to the job I need to have, whatever that may be.

Current Mood: Cool

My trip to Fernandina Beach was a great time! It was so nice to leave the wet and rain for a few days of sun and warm breezes.

We started off a bit late and with some change in riding arrangements. Key had to go to Alabama Thursday night, so he ended up coming down Friday afternoon with Kris and Gabe. That worked out well for everyone, I think. It gave Emily and Laura more room in the back seat of my PT Cruiser.

David came to my house and left his car there. Then we went to Emily’s to wait for Key to drop off Laura there so we could get on the road. I had wanted to leave by 5:00, but we ended up on the road at 6:00. Still worked out fine.

It rained the whole way down to Florida. We all stopped for dinner in Dublin and sadly got some pretty bad service at Cracker Barrel. The next stop was Savannah for more gas and bathroom breaks. I have to say, Laura did a great job of holding it despite being pregnant!I was so glad that we had a covered parking spot because unloading my car in the pouring rain and lightning wouldn’t have been fun at all! David, Emily, Laura and I arrived at the condo a little past midnight. We were all exhausted.

It was nice and sunny the next morning. David, Emily, Laura and I decided to walk down to the beach to do some wading in the waves and tidal pools. The water was very cold! After that, we all went and got some groceries down the road at Food Lion. I love their prices! We made the most awesome sandwiches ever for lunch when we got back and then headed down to the pool and beach.

No matter what body of water you put your foot in, it was cold! Of course, it is just April and the water hasn’t really had time to warm up yet. I hope the next trip down produces warmer water for swimming.

Kris, Key and Gabe arrived in the mid-afternoon. After they unloaded and got situated, we went back down to the pool and beach. It was Gabe’s first vacation and his first beach experience. He didn’t like the water or the sand at all. I think Kris was a little disappointed in that.

For dinner that night we went down the road to a place called Sliders. I thought the food was all right. Emily and Key had this salad that was topped with steak tidbits and French fries. Yeah, it looked interesting but they both said it was really good. I may have to try it next time I’m down there.

Some asshole in a Jeep parked so close to my side of the car in the parking lot that I had barely a foot of room to open my car door. I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for the dent my fat self left in his running board when the door was forced against it when I squeezed in. Whoever was driving just didn’t want to have to park across the street, so they squeezed in as close as they could to avoid being in the tow away zone. Total asshole thing to do.

We all just chilled at the condo that night. In the morning Kris made breakfast, which was totally awesome of her. She made breakfast every morning.

That day we spent at the pool, beach and then out shopping in Historic Downtown Fernandina. I got us lost going there at first. The map I looked at showed a historic town, but it turned out to be a cluster of old house where the original town was first. That was interesting, but not what we were looking for.

After I finally got David, Laura, Key and I to the right place, Emily, Kris and Gabe had already started down the nice little strip of shops. We all just did our own thing. I ended up buying some awesome shoes at a place called Twisted Sister. We all met up at the end of the day so we could go back to the condo, get dressed and then go back to town for dinner at The Crap Trap.

That meal turned out pretty bad. I thought the food was good. Emily and I split the crab leg dinner, but Key ended up having a bad allergic reaction to eating food cooked in the same oil as shrimp. He and David both have allergies to shellfish. David didn’t have as bad of a reaction, but I ended up having to rush Key and David along with Laura to the nearest pharmacy to get some Benadryl.

Everyone was OK. Key slept his off and David just took a couple of doses as a precaution.

The last day at the condo we just spent hanging out there, either on the beach or at the pool, or even just inside watching movies. Kris cooked us all potatoes, steak and chicken on the grill and made salad and brocolli. It was all so very yummy! Kris really is an awesome cook.

Kris and Gabe left around noon Monday to go back to Georgia. It wasn’t until around 3:15 or so that David, Emily, Laura, Key and I piled into my car and headed back home. We stopped in Savannah to eat dinner at Vinnie Van Go-Go’s and to get some sweets at the Savannah Candy Kitchen. We got back on the road at 7:00 and I finally dropped off everyone and got back home by midnight. I was exhausted and already sick. Apparently I had allergies to something blooming down at the beach as I had started running a fever, coughing and just feeling achy Saturday night. To top it off, I started my period.

I spent yesterday and today (Tuesday and Wednesday) at home trying to get over all the allergies and their side affects. I’m finally feeling better. I went and had lunch with Krista at the sushi place where David proposed to me. Then she and I went to Dots and Game Stop. Now I’m home and waiting for David to get off so he can come have dinner and watch Ghost Hunters. He’ll also be bringing my dad more of John’s beer, which I’m sure my dad will enjoy.

If you’d like to see pictures from the trip, you can click this link.

Current Mood: Cool

Ok, so maybe Otis Redding will forgive me for changing his lyrics to “Dock of a Bay” up a bit for my entry title. I don’t think he’s rolling over in his grave of anything.

In less than five hours I will be getting on the road with David, Emily, Laura and Key, heading to Florida! I wish I could say we were heading for sunshine and warm breezes, but the forcast gives us one full day of sun with 30% chances of showers in the afternoon every other day. Plus we have to deal with bad storms on the way down tonight. Pray we have a safe trip and a safe time!

I’m really excited about going. Kris and Gabe will be coming down tomorrow to join us, which is awesome! I went and met up with Kris yesterday at What the Pho? and took my mom along. I’ve been trying to get my mom to go up and try Vietnamese food for a couple of months now. I think she liked what she had. She wasn’t a fan of the pho, though.

After eating with Kris and giving her back the coolers she left at David’s, I took my mom to Cafe Mozart’s Bakery for dessert. She had the NY Cheesecake, which I think is the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. My mom liked it, but I don’t think she’d be wanting to make a trip up just for the food we had. Ah well, at least I got her to try some new stuff.

My brother did leave yesterday to go back to Korea for another two months. In June he comes home and then begins his station at Ft. Stewart in Savannah, GA in August. I’m glad he’ll be in our own state for this stationing. The only thing I’m worried about now is that he may be in training for being deployed right as mine and David’s wedding is taking place. Matthew just has to be there! I can’t get married without my brother! I will only get married once and I want him there for it, standing up at a groomsman.

It will be all right. I just need to have faith.

I really need to get the rest of the stuff ready for the trip. I also need to move some things in my car so I can fit all five people in as comfortable as possible. Is it possible to put five people in a PT Cruiser and have them not feel like sardines in a can for five and a half hours? I guess we’ll have a clown car experiment.

Once again, another hectic and busy weekend has come and gone. Whatever happened to my boring, downtime weekends that I so used to enjoy? I miss them.

My brother, Matthew, came home from South Korea for a visit. He arrived on Thursday and surprised my mom by showing up at her work and meeting her as she walked out the door. I knew he was coming and I told my dad when he was too… mainly so my dad would shut up about it!

Friday I took the day off to spend time with my brother, but he went to Savannah instead to see a friend and to get an anthrax shot. He didn’t come back till yesterday morning, so I just did things with David all weekend.

I went to dinner with David and John on Friday night. We had Chinese. Then David and I went and got things we needed from Kroger before we went to his house to hang out.

Saturday David and I went to get two new tires on his car. My mom picked us up from the tire place and we went with her to Hun Il Kwan for some Korean food, since that’s what my mom wanted for her birthday. On the way back to McDonough, we hit a piece of metal in the road and it punctured my mom’s rear passanger side tire. Two guys who also hit the same piece of metal pulled over with us. Both of their cars were fine, so they offered to change my mom’s tire for her. It was a scary place to be to change a tire, right on the side of I-675 with cars whizzing past you at high speeds.

After we got back on the road, David and I went and got his car and then off to Best Buy for me to use my gift cards left over from my birthday to buy Twilight, so thanks to Emily and Jonathan for my DVD! We left there and David went into Sam’s Club to get stuff to sell in his little concession stand at work while I watched the movie on his DVD player on the dashboard.

We were meeting my parents at a restaurant down in High Falls called Falls View Restaurant for dinner later, so we went ahead and drove down there. We watched the water tumbling over the dam while we waited for my parents. It was a good meal when we all sat down to eat.

Sunday was another celebration for my mom’s birthday. My grandmother cooked a fabulous lunch for my mom and we (my mom, dad, brother, David and I) ate at my grandparent’s house after church. David and I then had to head to his grandparent’s house for his grandmother’s birthday celebration. I didn’t eat again, but David did. It was good to sit and relax and look at old pictures with David and his family for a while.

David took me for a pedicure after we left his grandparent’s. I needed one desperately! I walk around barefoot all the time, so my feet were covered in rough, dry skin. They look and feel much better now. I’m ready for the beach!

Speaking of which, the first weekend in April I’m going down to Fernandina Beach, Florida to David’s parent’s condo. I’ll be going with David, Emily and Laura for four days, which I am so looking forward to! We’ve planned a short day trip to St. Augustine one day and on the way back we’re going to stop in Savannah as well. It should be a really fun time and I’m glad that Emily and Laura can come with us.

So, there is what’s going on in my life now. Sad that the only time I feel like I have any down time is at work.

Current Mood: Playful