Friends Thanksgiving

In years past, our friends have gotten together for a Halloween party. This year though Halloween snuck up on us and we didn't get anything planned in time. Instead, we decided that we would put together a Friends Thanksgiving. Being that Sam and I are the only ones without kids, we decided that it would be easier to have the get together at our house and everyone would bring a Thanksgiving style dish. Tyler and Rachel brought the best turkey I have ever eaten, which is saying something because I don't really like turkey that is not deli meat...you know I like the processed stuff! :) It was a beautiful, juicy turkey.

To complete the meal, we had mac and cheese, green beans, broccoli and rice casserole, sweet potatoes, and rolls.

I forgot to take a picture of the dessert table, but for dessert we had pumpkin pie, chess pie, pecan pie, no bake oatmeal cookies, and chocolate chip cookies. It was all delicious!

Our group is growing quickly with all the kids getting added to the mix.



We found out tonight that friends of ours are expecting their second baby! :) A little boy to be exact! YAY!!

We have had a whirlwind of a Thanksgiving this year, but it has been great! We have one more to go tomorrow with the Claud family and then we will be in full Christmas mode!

Thankful

It is that time of year again when people begin to reflect on the things that they are most thankful to have in their lives. As I read through several people's daily postings on Facebook, I began to think about the things that I am really thankful for. While I believe that people really are thankful to be in a size smaller pair of jeans, let's face it ladies..we all get excited when a smaller size fits, I think about what really matters. Yes, it is nice that this year I don't feel like I look like a can of biscuits getting ready to pop out of its little canister, but is that really what I am MOST thankful for?

I am thankful to have a husband, who loves me for being who I am. A husband who tells me every morning I am beautiful, even when I feel like I look my worst. A husband who can make me laugh when all I really want to do is cry. A husband who is blunt and real with me. A husband who motivates and encourages me to do the things I want to do.



I am thankful for old and new friends. Over the past year, Sam and I have found some new friendships. We have also grown closer with old friends.

I am thankful for new additions. This not only is applying to my new nephew, Boone, but also to the many additions that are coming by way of our friends. Our get togethers have taken on a new excitement that is for sure.

I am thankful for family. For parents that love and support us no matter what. For sisters who are there for us, who make us laugh, and sometimes make us mad. For nieces that can bring a smile to our face the moment they say "Hi Uncle Samuel! Hi Aunt Holly!" For two brother in laws that are loving and caring husbands and daddies!

This year though I am MOST thankful for a God who protects, loves, and heals in His plan. While we might not ever understand why it was not in God's plan to allow us to spend more holidays with Sam's dad, we are thankful for the healing that God provides overtime. I am thankful that we can celebrate and be thankful for the family that we have here on Earth, but still have faith that we will one day get to sit with one another again! I am thankful that God protected my uncle this week as he went through a quadruple by-pass surgery. I am thankful he was with doctors when he had a heart attack. I am thankful that the surgery went well. I am thankful that I get to spend more holidays with him, nagging at him over anything and everything I can. We have that special relationship that a niece and uncle can have. It started long, long ago, but I guess I'll have to play nice for a little while so he can get into shape.

This year, be thankful for the family that you have sitting around your table whether big or small. Be thankful that you are healthy. Be thankful you have a home and a job even if it is not your dream home or job. This year, be thankful for a God who has a plan for you in this upcoming year!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Zumba Madness

I have never been that person who can stick to a workout plan. I have tried for years to keep to something. Each time I would start something, I would quickly stop it due to always finding something that can take its place. Almost a year ago now I started taking Zumba classes. Dancing has never been something that I am good at or felt comfortable doing. I was extremely nervous about doing it, but I had SO MUCH FUN that first night that I haven't stopped going. I actually plan around Zumba classes instead of replacing that time with something else. I hate when I have to miss it. I think y'all get the point.

Today they had a Zumbathon in Clarksville, so of course I had to do it. We had a team from our gym go and I must say..we were the best group there. Not only because I have a biased opinion, but we were also the largest group!





Amanda, Libby, and I went out last night to find a good outfit to wear. We were called the Pleasant View Angels because our instructors name is Angel. Pretty nifty huh? Anyways we decided what better way to represent our team than to wear angel wings. This was a great idea until two out of three of ours broke. :/ It all lasted long enough for us to get a picture and then they were gone. It was a tiring day, but we loved it! It was so much fun! We shook and danced our booties off!



Sam and Steve took off for the South Carolina vs North Carolina game this weekend. North Carolina lost, but they still have a great time from what I hear. We've all had a pretty busy weekend, but it was a blast!

Birthday Getaway

Last year, Sam and I took a weekend away with Amanda and Steve to celebrate Steve's birthday and to get some away time. Well, this year we decided to have a repeat weekend getaway not only to celebrate Steve's birthday, but because we ALL needed to get some space from the world at home and hideaway in the mountains. I am sad that my Fall Day Break is over now, but it was an amazingly fun weekend!

The Shrewsbury's with the Birthday Boy!
Happy Birthday Steve-O!


We got in late on Friday night and just enjoyed some quality time in the hot tub. On Saturday, we went to eat in Gatlinburg and took on the climb to Clingman's Dome. We have been working on our physical fitness, so what better way to continue that trend than to workout by climbing a mountain! :) On our trek up, we saw a bear cub and bear poop. It was pretty cool I must say. I haven't seen a bear in all the times that I have been to the mountains so I was pretty excited. It was a hard and tiring climb but so worth it! You could see for miles and was B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.! Our God is awesome! Love seeing His beautiful work.


Sam and I before the climb.


Steve and Amanda before the climb.


The group together at the top! We made it! :)

We stopped by Chimney Top on our way back down, but didn't make it too far before we just decided to take a picture by the water and head back. We were exhausted!





We made our way back to the cabin to rest up, get ready for dinner, and then back to relax in the hot tub once again to end the night.

Sunday was spent shopping in Tanger Outlet. Love that place. It is a must visit whenever we go to Gatlinburg. We all actually had luck too which normally doesn't happen. We had a night in after an early dinner and enjoyed the night with Sunday night football and some hot tub time. Well funny story...we accidently made the hot tub go to sleep so the temperature held at 90* all day, so it was actually a cold tub. We ran hot water in the jaccuzzi tub and all four sat in the tub until the boys decided that they had to figure out how to get the water to warm up. It was a pretty funny sight to say the least. Finally, the water got warm enough to feel like a warm bath at least, so we hopped in to end the night.

It was a weekend of laughs that was much needed for all of us, although it flew by! Until next year I suppose...

Special Delivery

The long awaited arrival of our little nephew finally came September 4th! We thought he would be an August baby, but my nephew and I get to celebrate our birthdays exactly a week apart! :) We had a good time of family bonding as we awaited the arrival of our little nephew..plenty of laughs for sure! It could have been due to lack of consciousness or we are just that funny! :)

For nine months, our nephew was baby no name. We were not going to be told his name until he was born. At almost 1 in the morning, we were presented the precious "little" boy named Boone Avery Hampton! I use little lightly because he weighed 9 lbs 5 oz.


He is absolutely beautiful..or handsome! :) He has a huge family that are all about spoiling and loving on him.
Proud Aunt Holly and Aunt Libby. (Aunt Moriah visited with Boone before we got there.)


Uncle Sam and Aunt Holly with Boone


Congratulations to Regina and Michael! Your "little" boy is absolutely precious!

Results are In

Well people, the anniversary date has come and gone. Let me first give the disclaimer that I left my camera in the truck and we took the car for our date night, so unfortunately there aren't pictures of our night. This is a pretty sad thing considering we were both looking pretty fine if I might say so myself! :)

Okay, now on to our night since I know you are anxiously awaiting to find out! ;)Sam made reservations at a restaurant in Germantown called City House. It was hard to find and looked a little run down from the outside, but I guess you have to go with the saying of don't judge a book by it's cover because it was good! I had a pizza and Sam had a sirloin, but I am pretty sure that just about anything on the menu was good. After dinner, we had more reservations to hit. We had dessert at the Melting Pot which was FABULOUS!! I am not a huge dessert person, but I could eat that fondu goodness any day!

We had such a great night! Now..what will the days of year four bring us? Who knows.

Three

We are fast approaching that day three years ago when we committed to spending the rest of our lives together. Good times and bad times. Rich or poor. Sickness or health. Man have we covered all of these already many times and it's only been three years. :) It is so amazing to see where we started three years ago to where we are now. We argue and disagree sometimes. We hurt each others feelings sometimes. We laugh at each other and at ourselves a lot. We do not have a perfect relationship, but we do have a relationship that refuses to be complacent. We have talked several times over the past three years of our goals that we have for our marriage. Every time we agree that we want to continue to grow and learn about each other.

We started out in a one bedroom apartment. If you didn't have to start out this way, you definitely missed out on some get to know you time. When you only have one bedroom and one bathroom, there's really nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide. Literally, Sam once tried to surprise me with a movie night and you know where I was put while he set it up...in the bathroom. Told you..nowhere to hide..... but the bathroom. Now we are blessed to be homeowners, although sometimes we miss the closeness that the one bedroom brought us. It was tight, but we didn't have anywhere to go but to be with each other. I am thankful for the other TV that the move brought us because I can only take ESPN for so long and I begin to lose it! :)

We have had so many learning experiences over the past three years and there are so many more to come! We had to learn first and foremost how to live with each other! That was a little difficult, but we got the hang of it. Clothes in the hamper..toilet seat down..toilet paper must fall to the back not over the top (hard for me to catch on)...cooking is one I am still struggling with. We have learned over the past year how manage with both of us working full time jobs. This was an adjustment for both of us too! Overall, we have learned how blessed we are! We are truly, truly blessed and it is all due to the family and friends that God has given us! You guys are the best!

We celebrated year one with a trip to Florida and St. Louis. (separately of course)


We celebrated year two with a trip to Atlanta, Georgia and Huntsville, Alabama. (separately of course!) No picture available from Huntsville.. :(

We celebrated year three ______??????____________. The next post will reveal the answer to that question. I will find that out tomorrow on our surprise dinner date! :)