Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has been ultra-fabulous this year. I attempted making sweet potato casserole to bring to the Westerling residence, and it came out wonderful! I not only got to spend time with Rob and his family, but I also traveled to Mount Juliet to visit my pregnant sister and visit the awesome flea market on Black Friday. I never shop at the big stores on Black Friday, mostly to save my sanity, but I figured a flea market isn't really big shopping. I think spending time with family during the holidays is what makes them so special, and it was so great I could spend it with multiple families. I also helped Christine set up the baby nursery! That boy is gonna be so spoiled :) Here are some photos from this weekend:

My beautiful sister :)

I really can't stop touching her bump :)

Granny Frannie

Beautiful

There's a baby in there!!

Baby Boy C is already very spoiled by his grandparents and aunts

I really can't wait for my nephew to make his debut in March. Super excited!!

Engagement Party!

So this past weekend, Rob and I had an engagement party with our family and closest friends. My older sister, Christine, came in from Nashville to celebrate (which, btw, she's 23 weeks now. YAY!) The entire weekend was an absolute blast! The catered food at the party was amazing, the bartender service was a much needed amenity, and the night was unforgettable. Rob's parents went above and beyond hosting this party, and I'm so glad I'll be apart of such a great family. Here are a few of my favorite photos:

Awww, I love this photo of us :)

My sisters and I

I love my growing nephew! (Yeah, it's a BOY! I guessed wrong)

My bridal party! Love these ladies!

Nancy and I

I had to add this hilarious photo of Rob dropping the huge bottle. Yes, it busted everywhere and nobody got to drink it. But, hey, I learned it's not "a bad omen" to break a bottle of champagne :)

Toasting to good times with good friends

My peeps

As far as my wedding countdown, it's one month down and eleven months to go till I marry the man I've been chasing since I was sixteen. It's quite a surreal time in my life :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Here are a few things that I'm loving this Wednesday:

This past weekend, two of my really good friends, Scott and Hannah, tied the knot. I'm so happy for them and glad I got to witness such an important and memorable occasion. They are now on their honeymoon in Kauai :)

Mr. & Mrs. Brock

I was super tickled to receive this picture from my older sister who is 20 weeks pregnant. She also finds out the sex of the baby today :) Hoping for a girl!

Preggo

I still can't stop staring at my ring, especially under the lab lights. It looks sooooo good :)

MacDaddy Ring

I'm super in love with this new photo of Rob and me. It was taken at Hannah and Scott's wedding. I love this man so much.

I hoping like crazy it doesn't rain on my wedding day, but then I read an awesome quote I want to share with anyone who is engaged, planning a wedding, or about to have their wedding. Don't fret about the little things:

"A wedding is a party, not a performance. If at the end of the day the two of you are married, then everything went perfectly."

:) This quote definitely keeps my spirits soaring. Christine and my dad think I'm gonna have this wedding planned by the end of the month...so far, planning a wedding isn't as stressful as I imagined. I'm sure it'll get more interesting as time goes on :)

I'M ENGAGED!

Oh. My. Gosh. I am engaged. I can't seem to stop saying that. It's not that I didn't think Rob and I would ever get engaged, more-so I thought he was going to do it on our cruise in January. In fact, I was certain of it! I'd thought ALOT about it. I dreamed of him asking me, how he would do it, how I'd react, respond, etc. I don't like to sound like a heartless bitch, but I knew I wouldn't cry when it happened. I'd be really happy/excited, but I wasn't gonna lose it. HA! So, here's how it all went down:


Friday after work I headed to Plato's Closet to find a black cardigan. I was perusing through the aisles when Rob called. He gets off work at 5:30 and religiously calls me on his way home from work. "What are you doing?" he asks me. "I'm shopping," I squeaked out. I hate telling him when I'm shopping. I usually just say I'm running errands, because I don't want him to think I'm a spend-aholic. Running errands implies I'm doing chores, or things I have to do like paying bills or grocery shopping. It makes it sound like I'm not shopping for clothes. HA! "Ok," he replies, "I'm on my way home. See ya there." This excerpt is always included in our conversations when he calls me after work. I look at my watch, and decide I have about thirty minutes left to shop before Rob gets home and I want to be there. I try a few things on, put everything back, because I didn't want to walk inside the house with a bag full of new clothes when I was just trying to find a black cardigan. I get in my car, drive home, and walk inside. Sitting before me on the dining room table is a huge bouquet of red roses with a note, and some candles lit around it. Now, some of you might have known right then and there what was gonna happen. Not me, honestly. I saw the flowers and thought, "We had a really REALLY good day yesterday. He must have had a really good day yesterday too and so he got me some flowers." I open the card and it says that he loves me and has a question to ask me....


A question to ask me??? By this point, I'm still in denial because I'm absolutely certain he is going to ask me on our cruise in January. Last time I checked, it ain't January! I even had that, 'I'm confused' look on my face. I look behind me and Rob comes out from the bedroom wearing a suit. That's all it took. I knew what was happening now, and I was completely and utterly surprised. He came up to me, grabbed my hand, and got down on one knee. I started crying. And not the tears-streaming-down-the-cheeks-while-I-smile cry. Oh no, this was a full on face scrunched up into a shriveled raisin, probably had boogers coming outta my nose while I wail like a baby kinda cry. LOL! Super surprised kinda cry! He said, "Michele, I knew when I had met you I'd met someone special..." I almost couldn't hear him over my own sniffling and wailing! At one point during his declaration of love, he stopped and with a concerned tone said, "Are you OK?!" HAHA! "Yes," I sobbed out while I tried to get myself under control, "keep going!" He asked me if I would marry him and opened the little box he pulled from his pocket. I didn't even look at it. I pulled him up to me, gave him a hug and kiss, and just held him...


When we parted, he put the box in front of my face and I smiled. IT WAS GORGEOUS!! He placed the ring on my finger and I just stared. What a freaking sweet moment! The man I love tells me he wants to be with me for the rest of our lives, and gives me a precious gift. AWESOME! After that, he popped open a bottle of champagne and toasted to our engagement. He went on to tell me all the behind-the-scene details of the planning and such while I got ready for dinner. We went to Fleming's Steakhouse to celebrate, followed by heading out to see our friends (all of whom knew from earlier that day). It was a magical night; I was on cloud 9. I'm still walking on sunshine :) I am so truly blessed and grateful! 


Not everyone knows Rob and I met in Chemistry class when I was 16. We dated on and off through high school, and he was my first love. I don't think I could have written my fairy tale any sweeter than this....

Rob and I celebrating at Roaming Gnome with friends

The Ring

Camping Trip

This past weekend, four couples got together and we all headed up to camp at Elkmont. Little did we know what an adventure it would become. The night was filled with playing various games, roasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories, lots of laughs, some crying (lol many of us were hormonal), and ALOT some drinking. By the morning, everyone was sitting quietly around the fire, either holding their heads or stomachs, as Rob cooked us all a 5-star breakfast. Ahhh, many times I have wondered what would happen to us if Rob weren't around. All in all, it was the most hilarious, most amusing, most enjoyable camping trip I've ever been on. So, here's a little peak into the nights festivities (before everyone headed home to recover in their own solitude).

My girlies and I having a blast camping! And Scott trying to photobomb us.

TJ and Jared relaxing around the campfire.

Rob (with his dorky headlamp) and Lauren 

TJ and I ready to start the night

Scott and Lauren trying the homemade Rice
 Crispie Treats. Oh, and Rob looking stalker-ish.

Nicki and Hannah trying to stay warm

Scott and Hannah playing games

What I'm Loving Wednesday

A fellow blogger posted this today and I thought it was such a great idea!

Here's what I am loving this Wednesday...

I love old items you can reuse as new. I was going through my purse box this weekend, and came across this wonderful find! And it's a perfect change for the Fall...

I am loving the way my body feels after doing a beginners spin class at the YMCA last night. Makes me feel empowered :)

I love primetime drama....I checked out a new show this past Monday called the Playboy Club. It was pretty intriguing and entertaining (for someone who has ADD this show is great). It has drama, violence, sex, scandal, and mystery...what more could you ask for?!

I absolutely LOVE this tea. It's, by far, the best green tea on the planet (thanks Mary)! If you decide to try this, be sure to add some honey for a hint of sweetness.

I love that dinner tonight is steak fajitas :) YUM!

And finally, of course I'm loving Rob this Wednesday. He's been such an inspiration in my life and I can't imagine these last few years without him. Love you, hunny!

Fall & Football

I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone in the whole state of Tennessee when say, "Woo-Hoo to the nice, cooler weather!" It isn't as sunny anymore, but I sure needed a break from all the heat and general "oh my Lord, I'm melting" feeling. I know this cool weather isn't going to last very long till we're all back in sweat mode, but I plan to enjoy it while it's here. I think I'm going to wait a tad bit longer though before I break out the fall/winter clothes box and move my tank tops into storage. Come on, Fall! Get a move on! As for all this rain we've been having, well, it sure saves on the water bill and my flowers are no longer dying. Win/Win situation, except I run around with a big, frizzy fro all the time. Oh yeah, and it's FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE! I'm glad I didn't attend our first game against Montana though, because as explained above, it's been raining alot. Oh, I'm a Tennessee Vol football fan and my boyfriend has season tickets, but I'm also practical. The game was delayed like 1.5 hours due to bad weather, and everyone who was at the game got soaked. Not my idea of fun when I can sit at a sports bar with some girlfriends, watch the game for free, drink endless normally-priced beers, eat a good dinner, and not get a drop of water on me. But, to each his own if you find that sort of thing fun. I hope to post future photos of some serious tailgating and games, so keep checking back to see how it's done! GO VOLS!

Neyland Stadium