Halloweeeen!

Nothing says Happy Halloween quite like buying 200 hotdogs at Wal-mart.
...and then serving them at the Ward Trunk or Treat.
Here's our holiday cheer!


I'm a cat.
Tay's a mouse.
We're creative ; )

Home for the Holidays!

Can I just tell you I am ec.stat.ic. to go home for Christmas!
Do you know how long it has been?
2.y.e.a.r.s.

too long.

I can't even believe it!  I LOVE being home for the holidays. It really is the greatest feeling in the world.  Now, Taylor and I have really wonderful times together, and we have created some amazing family traditions that we can't wait to share with our children...

BUT IM (We're ; ) GOING HOME!
And traditions don't get any better than at home.
My emotions could be summed in the Michael Buble song wrapped in a picture-perfect chaos of glorious happiness. truly.

I just talked to my two sisters on the phone, who were having a blast of a slumber party at my cousin Shawna's house.  I'd kill to be there. Chocolate chip cookies and late night story-telling.

Best.memories.ever.

 Holly and Kandi, I haven't seen your beautiful faces in 2 years, and the thought of it is causing me to wipe tears from the keyboard.

I miss you guys.ohh.soo.much!

Shawna, I want to make homemade rolls and have slumber parties with you and all your kids!

 I can't wait to have Taylor Swift sing-alongs, late night cookie making, Christmas eve caroling, and Christmas day story-telling.

Let's bring on the HOL-I-DAYS. 

I love you guys' more than you know. 

P.s.
Who wouldn't want to wake up to this Christmas morning?

#best.family.ever.

Gator Games!

Here's to a happy anniverserary! Our second to be exact. Oh, the years just keep flying by ; )

Actually. This one seemed like it lasted for.ev.er.

I.sure.love.you.

I.love.you.more.than.band.music.and.cookie.baking.

 pregame excitement. can't you tell?

 Did I mention it was a bajillion and ten degrees out? Seriously. like the power of a thousand burning suns shining directly on us. We.were.drenched.in.sweat.

 

 Go Gators!

Daytona

So after finals, we moved into our new apartment (graduate housing!).

We basically dumped our stuff into our teenie new apartment and bailed to enjoy a MUCH needed vacay in Daytona. Taylor's co-worker in WA owns a condo on Daytona Beach (literally) and we went up for a few days.. which we spent somewhat ill/bed-ridden.. but it WAS DIVINE.

We spent the first couple doing our own little things, putting around the beach and enjoying the sunrise/sunset. It was truly stunning.

Then our friends David and Dana came for a night! We had a blast.. we watched an entire storm roll in and out, a rainbow arise and ate some wonderful banana bread/ice cream (thanks guys!). We love them. They're such a blast.

Dear Daytona,

We love your beach.
We'll be back = )

Seriously.late.up-to-DATE

So, remember that summer Tay and I spent apart. and I started nursing school. and then we moved again. twice. during finals. and i spent finals week camping at a friend's. and then i ended that week with strep..only to be on the WRONG antibiotic...and have strep+mono.

happy summer days.

Misery. emphasis.added.

Long story short, I got into University of Florida's Accelerated Baccalaureate of Nursing program which started this past summer. Tay spent his summer doing an internship in Midland, Texas and Orlando, Florida.

I strongly dislike the long-distance relationship thing. vomit.on.my.life.

However~We survived and here are just a few of the awesome things we did (when we WERE together = )

Let's go back to 4th of July:

Happy 4th from Archer, Florida

 We have no idea what this bug is. BUT it is gin-OR-mous. and cute.
It even posed with Tay all fanned out. So.cute...both of em'

 This is us. Sweating to death. Literally.

 Archer was a fun lil' get together! It's about a 30 minute drive to a SMALL town..we watched as stands were setting up, ate Watermelon, and celebrated out fabulous country. I.LOVE.the.fourth!

Gainesville did its fireworks the night before. Taylor barely got in town and we headed over to the fields for a short firework watch and some Chipotle's. Turns out the mosquitos come out full force to celebrate the 4th as well.

Hello, bug spray season!

After Archer we came home and celebrated Dalby style with some homemade burgers and strawberry slices! Our splurge, but hey, it's a hol-i-day. Tay can grill em'

Beta Alpha Psi

So my husband is a smarty pants Mcgee and super suavvve. He got inducted into Beta Alpha Psi (a highly recognized accounting society)...which is pretty impressive seeing as he's a JD student. Whatever, he's that good, he just sliiiipps into the lines.

Anyway, we had this super fancy meal at the Hilton. Let me share my experience with you.

Basically if I had never watched Pretty Woman, it would have been an epic fail.

Dress Code-business professional?? What does this even mean anymore? With Taylor's help I took it as wear all black skirt and top with a pop of a cardigan...I kind of felt like I was attending a funeral, but hey!




We arrived at the Hilton ready to schhhmmooze. ha. not. but seriously ready to chow down.  We walked into this cacophony of students mingled with professionals for a cocktail hour. Tay and I went to the bar to get some drinks.... meaning water...meaning actually tonic because the bar tender told us if we wanted water he would have to charge us...but tonic is free. weird. Who made up that rule?

PS. I have really only ever heard tonic referred to as "Gin and Tonic"..so without the gin, tonic is kind of like over-glorified seltzer. Whatever. Free is free.

So we were then seated in a circular table with about 6 other people... Tay knew one of the girls so we sat. I sat next to the girlfriend of the girl that Taylor knew. Complicated I know. But she was super sweet and seemed just as out of sorts as I did, so I appreciated her company. It was too loud to chit-chat much, but I got a few words in. When she spilled some gravy on herself I reassured her no one saw, seemed to help. I was seriously relying on her to show me how to eat...

Let's talk etiquette.  I know how to set a place when it's casual dinner and all you need is a fork, knife, spoon, and plate...when we start getting into multiples, you lose me and I think this is a waste of dishes. BUT. I really loved the experience.

Always start from the outside...and move in. When your Caesar salads arrive, you're supposed to use your knife and politely scoop the crouton onto the fork (thank you girlfriend of girl next to me). That could have been a disaster.



Dinner was green beans and wild rice with "Chicken Wrapped in Pastry"--seriously wrapped. It took me a while to find the chicken, it was hiding under a mushroom pate layer. ahhhh.

Dessert was DIVINE. I tell everyone I hate Red Velvet Cake. Obviously I have seriously eaten BAD Red Velvet, because this stuff was DIVINE. DIVINE. I loved it. The only difficult thing was trying to figure out if I was supposed to use the spoon or the fork because it came with BOTH. Umm. I opted for the fork, but that's just the kinda gal I am.

BUT the food isn't the important part of all this. I was so excited to see Taylor inducted with all his fellow companions. It was an impressive sight, and might I add he looks miiiiiggghty fine in a suit and tie.

I am so excited for you.  Thank you for letting me be your date ; )

PS, it's best we didn't get a picture of me.  I was reppin' the funeral look. Not.so.cute.

HungerGames.

I was addicted.
A-ddic-ted.

For about a few weeks and then the movie came out, and then I was so over it.
Basically Hunger Games is Fahrenheit 451 meets Gladiator.  It was a simple, intriguing read.
Had I lived in Panem I would have been part of the rebellion I'm sure.

However, my enthusiasm slowly faded as I read through the last book. eehhh. That's all, but let's say the movies for the last few will be quite interesting to see!

Anyway, here is picture overload of my excitement.

PS I was SERIOUSLY stoked.

 Don't mind my uber-creeper looking eyebrows...ha
I eased off a bitttt on the second shot ; )

Note my attempt at the Katniss braid.  ..give me a break, it's a lil' rough with layers in my hair.

We went 1 1/2 hrs early for our seats I think??...to wait in line...for a theater that was showing it every  
20 minutes
emphasis.added.
seriously? ..and we still waited.

And then we got soaked.