Sweet Caroline

Whew....what a week! I have been CAAARAAAZY busy at work all week after being on vacay for a bit. I feel like I can't get ahead. I had some girls over Wednesday night for some wine, and four hours later...we had been drinking vino and gabbing till 12! I was a tired little girl at work Thursday and had to work till 7. Of course, we already had plans to do something Thursday night....so we were back at it by 8 last night. GO GO GO....that has been my life lately. I leave today after work for a weekend in Isle of Palms, SC with all the women in my family. It kind of exhausts me to think about being out of town again...but I know we will have such a good time, and it's hard to complain when you are going to spend a weekend on the beach! We are celebrating my Aunt's 60th Birthday with a girl trip. They want to go to all the places that Dorothea Benton Frank writes about in her books...we will be heading to Poe's , Atlanticville , Dunleavey's, Station 22, and Off ...

Back from vacation and NOT happy about it! After an *almost* full week at the beach...I am trying to DETOX a bit this week. Whew, we had the best time in Beaufort this past week with my family but I majorly over indulged....too much GORP and beer and not enough exercising! (GORP = good ole raisins and peanuts) Mikey gets such a kick out of this and always rags on us saying "the rest of America calls this trail mix." Well guess what, I don't care! My family and our "best family friends" who always went to the beach together have always called it GORP so that's what it will always be to me, and it is YUMMY. Of course, there is way more than just raisins and peanuts in there. We do raisins, cocktail peanuts, dry roasted peanuts, peanut m & m's and regular, butterscotch morsels, chex mix, pretzels, you name it! So, last night I went to the grocery store and stocked up on fruits and veggies!! No bread or diet coke for me this week....trying to lim...

This past Saturday was the 4th Annual Rock the Dock that our best friend DP puts on at his parents house on Lake Murray. (My friend kept being silly and calling it Shake the Lake...I kinda liked it!) We haven't missed a year yet, and this year was definitely the best so far. It was insane the amount of people there...he gets air conditioned bathrooms, two dj's, beer trucks, even a slip n slide!! We always go by boat, so really....we mostly stay in the water the whole time. It was such a beautiful day on Saturday and hanging out with tons of friends on the lake never disappoints! We spent Friday and Saturday night cooking out at a friends parents house that has an amazing pool overlooking the water, a little night swimming ensued. I didn't get many pictures this weekend unfortunately, y'all know how I always like lots of pictures, but regardless it was another fun filled weekend spent on Lake Murray. (Have I mentioned how much I wish I could still live there?? Are you su...

So, I forgot to do a Throw Back Thursday last week, oops! Sue me. I'm sure no one really cares anyways but me. This time last year we were getting into the groove of being a "married" couple and living on our own together! We spent a weekend in Charleston celebrating my best friend Kayla's engagement party. The party was held at someone's home in Mt. Pleasant overlooking the marsh, it was gorgeous. Random night out in Columbia. Love Thursdays.... During our weekend in Charleston, we hung out with other friends Friday night. Fun dinner at Bambu then on to Social for drinks. Two things about looking at pictures from last summer: 1. Damn it, why did I gain my weight back? Efferssss 2. I CANNOT believe this was a year ago. Time flies when you are having fun.

I love watching the ESPY awards, I love sports and I love seeing the mix of celebrities and athletes together. Last night, the ESPY's had me just a bawling though.... I don't know how many of you heard of the story about the high school football coach from Iowa that was murdered by a former player. Well his family received the Arthur Ashe award, also referred to as the Arthur Ashe courage award, it goes to someone who transcends sports. Well, this family most certainly deserved it. It seems like Coach Thomas was truly an amazing individual to hear his son speak of him last night...but what struck me most is the way his family handled the murder and handled the family of the murderer. From the beginning the Thomas family asked for support and prayers for the Becker (family of murderer) family as well, The Becker's were even with them last night to accept the award. Read more here: via the examiner: here was an emotional moment at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles Wednes...

What a fun and crazy weekend. I had my first "iced" experience. We watched a drug bust. Then hosted a baby shower! We headed out to the land of forever summer and no worries Friday night, aka Lake Murray and my parents house. I love going "home" (even though it is a short 30 minute drive from where we live) and spending the night still...it is the nice feeling of being "away" without really having to go far. When at my parents, we can just RELAX. (Well....wait, I did work really hard getting ready for the baby shower we hosted) But seriously, there is nothing better than a home cooked meal sitting out on my parents porch overlooking the lake at sunset surrounded by my family. This is exactly what we did Friday night and it was great. Unfortunately I took no pictures, but I did steal this one from a friend...the beautiful sunset on Lake Murray. Saturday morning I helped my mom around the house, she was hosting the baby shower and always has to go a...

So, Mikey and a bunch of our guy friends are playing on a soccer team this summer. It's an adult league type thing and they play TWO nights a week, whew! A bunch of girls decided to be supportive and attend the first game, umm....not so fun. It was literally 100 degrees and we were all soaking with sweat. I don't mind sweating if I am the one actually doing the physical activity, but sweating when I am just sitting in normal clothes? No thank you! The girls have now decided to have wine nights when there is a soccer game going on, as if we needed an excuse to add more wine nights in. It cracks me up the difference between us, guys always have to be doing something. Us girls, we need no activity to occupy our time...just give us a bottle of wine and we are set for a night of gabbing! A friend hosted last night and some birthday cupcakes left over. The e-mail inviting everyone over...."want to come drink wine and have cupcakes?" While our boys sweat their tai...

AMERICA'S....of course! We had a blast celebrating our wonderful country's birthday this past weekend in Hilton Head. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, it was gorgeous and not too hot! The breeze on the beach and at night was simply amazing. We had a fairly low key weekend with lots of beach time, card playing, and gabbing! Some of the girls on the beach...loving that wind! *it keeps me from sweating like a pig when lathered in suntan lotion* Our group before hitting the town! The girls at Riley's Mikey and I before going to watch fireworks, don't you just love our patriotic colors, I thought he was going to kill me=) Gorgeous view overlooking the water...waiting on dark and fireworks! Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend! I know I say this every month, but I am in shock that we are over half way done with 2010....my poor summer is going way too fast....

From Friday till Monday afternoon I was UNPLUGGED. I didn't get on a computer (only googled some very important song lyrics and a couple of restaurants on my BB), facebook, or twitter for three days and it was GLORIOUS. I do obviously love the internet, facebook, twitter, etc. but sometimes it gets so overwhelming and I feel like I am out of the loop if I am not checking one of them a few times a day. It was wonderful to just "disconnect" from those things all weekend long, I should do that more often. I rarely keep up with FB and Twitter on normal weekends, but I do check them occasionally, more unplugging from here on out. I get obnoxious if I always have my phone in my lap reading stuff. I get so caught up in reading on twitter information about an event, i.e., a sporting event...that I forget to enjoy the actual thing. It can be so draining sometimes....

So....as of 5:30 I will be in the car heading for Hilton Head Island with some of the greatest friends in the world! I couldn't be more excited, I will be spending THREE glorious nights away from Columbia.... I plan on being out here for as long as possible...HHI has the prettiest, widest beach. It goes on forever...it will be packed this weekend, but even better for my favorite beach past time, people watching! Definitely drinking plenty of these. Nothing better than fresh peaches to make amazing peach daiquiris in the summertime! Using lots of this on my face. Parking my lazy bum here from approximately 11am - 6 pm everyday. Finishing off this book. Playing lots of beach games, including some bocce ball and.... Ladder Golf! Cheers to a FABULOUS 4th of July weekend. Everyone be safe and remember the reason for the celebration. Our dear, beloved country! GOD BLESS THE USA!

Throw Back Thursday, last 4th of July! We spent a glorious long weekend in Hilton Head Island with my family last year on the 4th of July! All of our friends were kinda going in different directions with plans so we decided to hang out with the fam. The 4th is one of my favorite, if not favorite, holidays of the year! I am extremely patriotic and think that there is nothing better than celebrating our wonderful country. I always thank God to be born in such an amazing place where we have so many freedoms because of the brave men and women who risked their lives for us. Our Independence day is truly something to celebrate! USA!!! We spent a full day on the boat traveling the inter-coastal waterway, heaven! Miss Belle was such a trooper! Here she is with her Lolly looking adorable. Our flag flying high from the boat. Grandaddy and Belle Mikey and me Matt, Christie, Belle...cute little Richardson clan. being a mess at our condo! love her! We were supposed to be heading down to Mc...