12.03.2009

Thankful.

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Better late than never, right? I've had a lot of time to reflect on all the things (large & small) that we are grateful for, and there are many. Here are a few.

God’s amazing grace & faithfulness, and the ways He shows me each daily
my husband, who knows me & loves me
my mom, the friend she is to me, and our meaningless conversations that are so meaningful
my sister, and how she understands
my dad, who taught me things that I can appreciate much more now that I am an adult
my nephew, who makes me wonder if I will be able to love my own kids as much as I love him
my sister-in-law, who is one of my best friends
my mother-in-law, who has a heart of gold
old friends & new friends
my
high school friends, the beats that are never skipped when we get together, & for still making points to get together
my college friends, heart friends, whose roots run deep
our husky, for providing love that trumps all of her “puppy” ways
curling up with my husband & watching “Days” each night
God’s direction, a job that I love – and how He got me here
Brian’s job, one that he enjoys doing every day
a hot
bubble bath, candles & a good book after a long day
unexpected mail
prayer
to-do lists (there are many)
christmas tree decorations, their ability to make an undecorated house feel like a home
frasier fur candles
tomato soup & a grilled cheese
our freedom
ponytail holders
laughing until it hurts
all of the cousins on the Thomas/Bailey side – Thanksgiving weekend
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11.18.2009

TWO

Yesterday we celebrated 2 years of marital bliss. I honestly cannot believe it's already been 2 years. Cliche, I know, but it really does feel like yesterday that we were in Seaside saying "I do!" The most fun weekend ever. Happy Anniversary to my very best friend!

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at our rehearsal dinner
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our first dance

*ps - sorry for all the sappy posts lately! (more) pictures & (more) interesting blog posts soon!

11.09.2009

Yes, we did.

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...celebrate Grey's 1st birthday that is...with a candle in her frosty paw. I had to quickly blow it out because she went straight for the ice cream with no reservations about the lit candle! We may be crazy for celebrating our dog's birthday, but for the past year she has been so much more to us than just a four-legged friend. Grey's love (& her quirks) are contagious - and while the paw prints on our floor seem to never go away, I am certain we'd rather have her around than have clean floors. So, Happy 1st Birthday Grey Grey!

In other news...we are all moved in!! Our hearts overflow with thankfulness because God got us out of our old house & into this new house, and for that we are truly grateful. Though it wasn't a flawless process, the whole thing went smoother than we could have ever imagined. One year ago (on Brian's birthday) was when I was laid off. One year later (again, on Brian's birthday) we closed on this house. God is so faithful and no doubt has every step planned out before we take them. So, that's where we are...settling in, enjoying our new home & giving thanks to God for His blessings!

ps - I lost my camera in the move, so I'll post more pictures as soon as I can!

10.30.2009

Happy Birthday Husband!

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I love this man! LOVE him. I respect him. He's my best friend. He loves me, adores me, prays for me, makes me feel pretty every day. Thank you Lord for this man and all that he is. Thank you for making him just for me! 

Happy Birthday, Brian!! I hope you have a great day!

ps – Happy Closing Day!

10.28.2009

Birthdays, Goodies & Grey

A few weekends ago we went to the lakehouse to celebrate my MIL's birthday – she turned 60! We had a birthday party for her & had such a fun weekend with family! Thank you Lee & Laura for letting us visit – we are looking forward to Thanksgiving!
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Last weekend we all got together at Jennifer's house for the game & to celebrate this dear friend... Happy Birthday, Laura (or Merlin)!
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And no weekend is complete without a little time in the kitchen & some goodies like these
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and these: 
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p.s. – Grey says "hi"
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10.21.2009

New York State of Mind

For the last 5 or so months we've been planning & looking forward to our first couple's trip with the Robinson's – to NY, to NJ, to see Bruce play the last concert in Giants Stadium. I truly can't believe it's already come. And gone. 

We met Jay & Mazi at Laguardia on Thursday afternoon & cabbed it to the hotel. After freshening up we were off to Soho. We walked around, window shopped and stopped at the Manhattan Bistro for happy hour. "Cheers to our first couple's trip..."
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We went to Dos Caminos for dinner & boy was it good! Their guacamole was incredible & the atmosphere was so fun. 
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We finished the night at this little hole-in-the-wall – Eight Mile Creek. It was  nice to hang out at a legit NY spot, they're the best! 
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Friday we slept in, had lunch, and stopped in at Magnolia Bakery. Before we knew it it was time to head to Port Authority & catch a bus to Meadowlands.IMG_3443.jpg picture by kristenebailey
(The concert pictures below came off the iphone. There was some serious searching before the show. No. cameras.)

Brian's take on the night: 

"Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey...." This is us arriving at the Meadowlands several hours before the Bruce show. Unfortunately we were unprepared for the amount of tailgating that went on before the show. We pretty much arrived to the concert empty-handed. Luckily thanks to the Jersey hospitality, that didn't last long.
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Quote of the night (from a NJ guy who we asked to take our picture) –"Nothin' better than using the porta-potty in the Meadowlands on a Friday night before Bruce." (Kristen took a picture of me so that we'd remember the comment). 
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This is us with the "Real House Wives of New Jersey."  We met a limo full of  New Jersians  who had an awesome spread, and were gracious enough to provide us with food, and plenty of Kettle One. They were some die-hard Boss fans, and made our concert experience perfect. We spent several hours before and after the concert with them, hanging out, drinking, talking all things Boss. They even invited us to a family gathering that Sunday in Asbury Park. By the way, Jimmy on the far left is a police officer in Monmouth County. We've got serious connections.
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This is me using my southern charm to woo the ladies, making my way to the chicken fingers. I'm sure I just said something very witty.
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The build-up before the show. There was a message on the jumbotron welcoming everyone to the final concert at Giants Stadium.
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Kristen's first Bruce show. She was in for a great one. It's big time that her first Springsteen show would be in New Jersey.
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Jay has been holding out for about 7 shows to hear " Hungry Heart." He finally got his wish.  
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Kristen and Mazi becoming prisoners of Rock-N-Roll, wearing their brand-new Springsteen t-shirts.
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Sold-out Giants Stadium.
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Over three hours, 31 songs later, the show went out with a bang, literally. It was awesome. I've always loved the "Born In The U.S.A" album, so it was very special to hear the album played in it's entirety.  The crowd loud and in to every song. I've seen the Boss 9 times, and I'd put this one up as my favorite.
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Saturday we went to South Street Seaport, the Empire State Building, the Library, Bryant Park, and ate at a great little Italian Restaurant for dinner. Sunday our flights weren't until 9pm so we had another full day. We spent the day on 5th, around Rockefellar, and in Times Square. What a perfect trip – I heart NY! 
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10.14.2009

We're back!

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We were in NYC last weekend with our good friends, the Robinson's. The photo above is Brian in all his glory – just hours before the last concert in Giants Stadium. The Boss. It was a great concert & a great trip – but more on that later!

It's been a crazy week back – we're moving in 2 1/2 weeks (yay!!) & there's so much to do before then. I promise we'll be back soon & Brian promises to give his take on our trip:) Until then...