Let's do this thing!

Another year is coming to a close. Is it just me or does it seem like time speeds up as you get older?

This year has been chalk full of ups and downs, good memories and bad.

I went back through my posts and found some that I really loved looking at again.

Being inspired back in January by Meg and still needing to remind myself that my "book" has a birthday, I just don't know it yet.

Going through a rough point in February and reminding myself of the sometimes and all the time things that need to happen in life.

Being a host family to two precious little girls and being inspired to help somebody in March.

40 at 400 in April!

Also in April, a look back at being a nanny and a wonderful wine filled day.

Running the Color Run in July with my most favorite group of women.

Getting married on August 18th to my best friend.

Life flinging a deer my way in September...just a few days after moving across the country.

I hope that everyone has a great New Years and a wonderful 2013. 

I can't wait to see what it holds for my little family!

Merry Christmas to Us!

We finally have internet over here at the cottage.

I'm super stoked on life. I can't wait to share bits and pieces of our last couple weeks with you.

We have a few more days of vacation left and as soon as our normal routine starts I will get on that big post.

For now I just want to wish all of you a late Merry Christmas and I hope that everyone had a merry and bright day yesterday with your friends and family.

Lots to come

* this will be a short and sweet post*

We've moved!
We're trying to set up house.
We have no internet at home.

I will blog and post pictures asap.
I hope everyone is having a wondeful Christmas season so far!

p.s.

Just in case you forgot.

25 more days til' Christmas!

This December is shaping up to be a much different one than in years past.

It might be consumed with a move, trying to make a house a home, and squeezing Christmas in there somewhere.  I'm excited for these next few weeks, but I'm also stressed out and nervous.

I just need to keep in mind the reason for this season and know that He's got everything under control.

Have a wonderful last night of November friends.

dear..

Dear (perfect) house, I'm so sad that you weren't the one, but I know that there's going to be our perfect house out there...we just need to find it very soon!  Dear rude landlord, James and I really liked your house and were very interested in seeing it, but the way you handled that phone call was so unprofessional and awful that you lost our business. Too bad for you!  Dear Ripley, I love you even though you're big and people don't want a big dog in their house!  Dear Becca, I'm sorry you didn't win your contest.  Keep your chin up!  Dear blogging friends, Becca is trying to win another contest to meet one direction.  If you could just click this link and help her out that would be great!  Dear November, so long friend! I'll see you next year!  Dear December, you're going to be a difficult month...I can just tell.  Be gentle with us while we try and figure out how to make everything happen and fall into place.

oh christmas tree

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.

I know Thanksgiving came a lot earlier this year, but we were itching to get decorating.  I think this is the second live tree I've ever had in my life.  I think it's pretty, don't you?  

Last night I went a little online shopping crazy for my husband.  I'm so excited for this Christmas and I hope that it's everything that I'm envisioning.  Does anyone out there have any tips on how to make your first Christmas together memorable? 

So it's Tuesday night, which means we will all be hunkered down watching Sons of Anarchy.  There's only two more episodes left in the season.  I hope that everyone has a great day!!

untitled

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

These past couple days have been jam packed for us. We got another car, saw several houses, and celebrated my 24th birthday.  Sorry the blogging has been in short supply!  

We also got to decorate for Christmas and I'm super excited for this holiday season.

My wonderful parents bought me a new camera for my birthday so be prepared for more pictures on the blog!  Have an amazing Monday my friends!

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm probably going to be too busy stuffing my face tomorrow to write a blog about Thanksgiving.

Last year I headed up and participated in a 30 Days of Thankfulness series.  This year I've hardly blogged about what I'm thankful for and that makes me a little sad.

I'm so looking forward to tomorrow, but at the same time homesickness has sunk in and I feel like crying.  I knew that the first holidays away from my family were going to be difficult and I thought I was going to be able to handle it better than I am.  I'm so thankful that for 23 years my whole family did the holidays up right.  We were all together, both sides, and our house was always full of love and laughter.  Someday I hope my kids will get to enjoy their holidays with their family just like I did!

I'm thankful that tomorrow I will get to spend Thanksgiving with new friends who I would do anything for.  I'm so thankful that we have a place to live right now because of them and that when I needed to borrow a car or get somewhere over the last few months they would help me out with no hesitation.  I hope one day we can help them out as much as they've helped us.

95 days ago I married my best friend and I'm so excited to start our own family traditions for the holidays!  I'm so thankful for these last 95 days and how wonderful James has been.  Everyone told me that being married is one of the best things in the world and I have to agree.  It hasn't all been perfect, but then again, nothing in this world is right?  I'm so excited to see where the next few years takes us!

I hope that where ever you are tomorrow and whoever you're with, your heart is full of thankfulness and that you enjoy your day to the fullest.

Happy Thanksgiving lovelies!

hang on a second!

Last night my sweet husband took me to see Breaking Dawn and while we were driving through town there were already so many houses that had Christmas lights up and even trees in their windows!! Hang on people, if I'm looking at my calendar correctly we still have Thanksgiving to get through before the Christmas season starts.  Don't get me wrong, I'm more than ready to get a tree and start decorating, but I really like my Fall holidays and would like to see them stay around for a long time.

So just hang in there a few more days!

Have a wonderful Sunday lovelies!

friday letters.

Dear November, I can't believe you're halfway over. At least Thanksgiving is still yet to come.  Dear NC fall, I'm in love. In love with your cold weather and your pretty leaves.  Dear Thanksgiving,  you're going to be different this year, but I'm still very excited for you.  Dear self, you're about to turn 24 in a week, be grateful someone thought you were in high school a couple days ago.  Dear husband, I think you're a champ for riding in the freezing temperatures. Thank you for doing that so I could have the truck during the day. I love you!  Dear Breaking Dawn part 2, I hope that you're as amazing as everyone is making you sound.  Dear house we found, I hope that you look as good on the inside as you do the outside. I'm excited to go look at you tomorrow!  Dear love of my life, you get two letters today. Thank you for surprising me with wine and cheesecake last night and for agreeing to take me to see the new Twilight movie. You are amazing.

Link up with Ashley over at Adventures of Newlyweds with your Friday letters!

Rain.

Happy Rainy Fall Day!

It was so nice to wake up rested and to the sound of rain this morning.

Then I got to eat some oatmeal, drink hot coffee, and watch "The Devil Wears Prada."

I thought I would share a few things I've found on the internet lately that also inspire me.

 + I really want to take pictures in a library with my baby someday.

+ This awesome holiday gift list for guys Ashley put together over at Adventures of Newlyweds.

+ This video. Did not expect that voice to come out of that kid.

+ This board on Pinterest. I scrolled through the entire thing.

+ I really want to visit this shop in South Carolina. Road trip?

What's out there that's inspired you lately?

Share with me!

running out of gas

I can't believe that just three days ago it was over 70 degrees and the past two days we haven't gotten above 55.  We even got some rain yesterday.  I went and met James for lunch, which is something that shouldn't really happen again for a long time.  Last time I hit a deer, this time we found out just how much our gas gauge doesn't work and I ran out of gas and my husband had to come rescue me.  I guess we have fun stories to tell to our kids later on in their lives.  At least while I was waiting I got enjoy some good music and my first red cup of the season.

How's everyone's week going so far?

Any fun stories to share?

some maybe

photo by Joni Llyod

Maybe...

Maybe we didn't really get out and do anything adventurous this weekend.

Maybe we went car shopping again.

Maybe I picked out a car that I really want and might be mine in the near future.

Maybe I tried some Apple Pie Moonshine.

Maybe husband and I only lost at beer pong cause he accidentally knocked over the last cup.

Maybe we went to church on Sunday and it made me really homesick.

Maybe we chose the church because we ran into the pastor and he said we had to.

Maybe I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving.

Maybe I still look at our wedding photos multiple times a week.

 

 

..

Happy Veteran's Day everyone.

As a military wife it meant the world to me yesterday that I could love on my husband all day.

I have so many more veterans in my life whom I love and respect.

I hope everyone got a chance to say, "Thank you," in some way to the men and women who serve our country.

gearing up

via

It's another fall four day this weekend.

I'm about to get my Google on and find some cool things happening in and around our new state.

Now that we have the truck I'm itching to get out and explore.  Sitting around and being lazy is great, but the crispness in the air makes me want to go adventuring in scarfs and sweaters.

I apologize in advance for my lack of posts and make a promise to myself that I will charge the camera and take it with us so I will have fun things to share!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Get out and do something!

happiness for today

A happy/thankful list on this 7th day of November

+ Getting to have lunch with my husband twice in one week!

It makes long work days more bearable for the both of us.

+ Everything is all nice and legal on our truck and we can drive it everywhere now!

+ Driving the truck down the back roads to the house.

+ Good music.

Just bought The Lumineers' CD and I love it.

+ Having my wake up call be two cold noses pressed into my face.

And lots of extra puppy love once I got up.

+ My birthday is in a few weeks!

+ Thanksgiving is in a few weeks!

+ NO MORE POLITICAL COMMERCIALS!

election

Can we please talk about this picture for a second? She's putting up that sign with a gun.  Hilarious.

Anyways, Happy Election Day!  Hope everyone got out there and voted and remember to play nice with others in the next couple of days.  I know tempers are bound to flare and fingers will be typing furiously on keyboards everywhere, but just be happy we live in a place where people can vote.

Have a wonderful Tuesday lovelies.

newlywed adventures

This weekend was great for many reasons.

Friday we just got to hang out and be lazy all day, plus, we got to eat some North Carolina BBQ which would make any day a good one.

Saturday we got to sleep in and then my husband made me breakfast.  It's really nice when I can sit on the couch and drink my coffee, while he's in the kitchen cooking and singing along with his oldies Pandora station.  It felt cozy and wonderful.

Then we started looking at cars and trucks and finally found one that James wanted to look at...that was 4 hours away.  We were in the car within 20 minutes and thought that it was going to be a long day trip.  Not.  We ended up staying overnight because we found more trucks he wanted to look at in the morning over in Winston Salem.  So a quick Target run and we were set to spend the night.

The next morning, after a glorious extra hour of sleep, the truck was a bust and we needed to regroup over some coffee...and omelets...and biscuits and gravy...and pancakes...boy, do I love me some IHop.

We finally decided that we would actually get the truck we had originally set out to look at.  It's a little blue Ford pickup.  Older, but still in great condition.  He's happy and I'm happy.  

 There was a second yesterday where we felt very gangster and very rich.  

Please don't find me and try to rob us because it's gone. We're poor again. The end.

We ended up getting home well over 24 hours after we had left.

It was unexpected but a lot of fun.  I like being a newlywed and getting to do fun things like this with my best friend.

Hurricane, husband, and horrible luck...

via

This picture cracked me up as soon as I saw it.  We've been weathering a pretty awful storm over here on the East Coast for the last couple of days.  We personally didn't get too much of it other than some really strong wind, clouds, and a little rain.  It's also been down in the 50s and 40s as far as the temp goes and sweaters are out in full force.  Over on the home West Coast they've been dealing with earthquakes and I think I'd rather take some wind and rain.  Hurricane Sandy should be on her way out of our area by tomorrow.  I can now check "Survive Hurricane" off my non-existent bucket list.

My husband is finally home!! It was great to spend the weekend with him and get things accomplished (sort of, see next paragraph).  There was of course a lot of time spent catching up on sleep and cuddling during this stormy weather.  I really love him.  Is it too much to ask for him not to go away again for a very, very, very long time?  Yes, I know, keep dreaming.

The long story short of this whole situation is that we collectively have horrible luck.

Our mission in life this weekend was to find a car.  We need one desperately and thought that it was going to be a piece of cake finding one.  NOT! We fell in love with two different cars this weekend and were ready to buy and they had either been sold an hour before we called or the day before.  Really? It was very discouraging and now I obsessively check Craigslist every couple of minutes so that doesn't happen to us again.  Maybe by next weekend we'll be fully mobile.

 *Crosses fingers and says a prayer*

I hope your weekends were all lovely and if you were over on this coast that you were safe and sound!

Rut.

I'm stuck in a rut.

My "routine" over the last month hasn't been anything close to normal.

There's nothing to blog about except the occasional happy list, maybe list, and birthdays.

I'm anticipating that in two more days things will start getting back to a more normal state.

Hopefully we'll have a car in the next week and then a house shortly after.

Then holidays start and the job hunting will really pick up and I'll actually have things to write about.

Hang in there with me while this ginormous transition time is still, well, in transition!

Birthday #2

Happy Birthday Becca!

This picture sums up a lot of our relationship.  You're silly and make me laugh. 

You dream without any hesitation and have the sweetest heart.

You also are incredibly wise for your age and I want to be like you when I grow up. 

  

I can't wait to see you this coming summer!

I love you!

All photos by Joni Llyod Photography

ninja style

Today my lovely roommate, Jess, and I took our two dogs children for a walk in the woods down the road from our house. It has a bunch of dirt bike and quad trails that are perfect for letting these two big guys run around and expel some energy .  We were doing great until we decided to follow some pink tape tied in the trees back to the truck.  Basically, there was a whole lot of this going on...

'Twas fun and I really wish I had my video camera rolling.

Hopefully the boys will settle down and take a nice long nap for their mommas tonight!

shorty

A (short) Wednesday Happy List:

Seeing and visiting with people from home.

Watching Sons of Anarchy with Jess.

Getting my dog healthy...no matter the cost.

That the boys will be home shortly!

Waking up, rested, before my alarm.

Seeing pumpkins everywhere.

Apple Cider.

football weekend.

Yesterday I got to go to my first East Carolina University football game against the Tennessee Tigers.

It was so much fun and I feel like Long Beach needs to step up their game and get their football team back.

Here's a couple pictures from the day!

I hope y'all are having a great weekend so far!

Look how big my cousins are getting! I love my boys!

 

yesterday's letters

Dear Lisa and David, you guys are seriously the best. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you renting me a car and inviting me down to the beach this weekend. I needed to get out of the house and this is the perfect place to go.  Dear Ben and Matthew, I'm excited to spend some time with my cousins and go to my first college football game/ECU game with you today!  Dear Morehead City, you make me want to live closer to the beach so bad. See picture above...who could not want to come here?  Dear husband, I really wish you were here with me this weekend. It almost doesn't feel right having all this fun without you.  Dear mom, dad, and siblings, I really wish you were here too. I miss you guys a lot.  Dear Corinne, I love getting crazy text messages from you in the middle of the night. You're not sorry.  Dear sweetheart, you get two letters because you're special. I miss you.

Link up with your letters over at Ashley's blog!

guilty pleasures...we've all got em'!

I have just a few guilty pleasures.

Nothing crazy. They are as follows.

Reading a really good book.

Coffee, coffee, coffee.

Cheesecake.

Recipe for Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake here. 

And lastly, Vampire Diaries!

Season 4 starts in 15 minutes and I'm incredibly excited about it.

I'm sad I'm not going to be able to watch it with my CA family, but I'm glad I have some NC family here to watch it with me!

What is your guilty pleasure??

Bring on the birthdays!

Fun fact about my family!

All of us Mann, and now Massingale, siblings have birthdays within a few days/weeks of each other.

Except for husband...he misses out on being included in this super fun fact. Sad face. Moving on.

Starting in October and ending in December we get to usher in this fun time of birthdays and holidays.

To kick off these next few months is the only baby brother of the bunch.

You wouldn't think by looking at him now, but there was once a time in his life where Matt weighed just a couple pounds.  He was supposed to be due in November, (which I was excited about because I would have a sibling with a birthday in the same month as me...I was also the only one that wanted a baby brother...let that be know) but God and Matt had other plans and he was born early on October 11.  Now, he's 6 ft. tall, swims like a boss when he wants to, plays the guitar and drums, and can legally drive in about 6 months.  Shut the front door.  

I must admit that sometimes I wasn't very nice to my baby brother while he was growing up and for that I'm very sorry, but that doesn't change the fact that I love him like crazy and I'm super proud of the teenager he's becoming. 

Happy Birthday Matt! 

We love you!

cold day maybes

 

Maybe I've been in bed by 10:30 more nights in last few weeks than I can count.

Maybe I haven't been able to fall asleep til' after midnight.

Maybe the minute I get out of my bed I am looking forward to crawling back in it at night.

Maybe it's because I put my comfy down-comforter on and it makes my bed feel like heaven.

Maybe I've watched three awesome movies today.

The Birdcage, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Hook.

Maybe I'm going to look at a house tomorrow.

Maybe that house is down a dirt road.

Maybe I'm really excited about it.

Maybe I really wish my husband was home so we could go look at it together.

Maybe I made really good beef stew last night for dinner.

Maybe I've had two bowls of said stew today.

 Maybe I'm really excited for Sons of Anarchy tonight.

Maybe I realize that my life sounds a little pathetic right now.

Maybe I'm working really hard to change that.

A letter.

Dear Husband,

I miss you a lot.

While you've been away (which hasn't been all that long), I've found myself doing a lot of nothin.

I am on Pinterest way more than I should ever be, but I've found lots of yummy recipes to try when you get back and we get our own place.

Speaking of our own place, I've also obsessively been checking Craigslist every chance I get.  I wish I could say that I've found the most perfect place ever, but I haven't yet. Don't worry, we will.

I've also been looking for a job, watching a lot of movies, and cooking dinner every 3rd night (Jess, Tony, and I came up with a system).

Oh, I ALSO look at our wedding photos at least twice a day.

Our wedding was perfect and everything I could have ever wanted.

 Photo by the AMAZING Joni Llyod

Today made me miss you terribly more than any of the other days.

It was the first really cold, fall day of the year and you weren't here to cuddle with me and keep me warm (So I pulled out our down comforter and I'm currently wearing your pajama pants to bed).

Hurry up and come home.

I love you!

Finally.

via

It's finally cold.

Cold like I'm wearing multiple layers cold.

Cold like all the windows are closed.

Cold like we really need to light a fire.

It was nice waking up to the rain and thunder.

It's really nice to pull out long sleeve shirts from the garage.

It's really nice to say, "So long," to the humidity.

It's not nice that I didn't have anyone to cuddle with this morning.

It's not nice that I'm sitting on the couch by myself.

It's not nice that this month is going by so slow.

Happy Sunday lovelies.

Be it hot or cold, I hope you have a wonderful day.

Katy Perry

Isn't it funny how looking back four years you realize that things can change a lot?

Four years ago, I was in community college and working on our campus newspaper. 

I was covering the presidential election that year.

I watched both Nation Conventions, I researched countless differences in both party's policies, and when it came time for the Presidential Debate (which was tonight if you don't have a Facebook or Twitter or live in a hole in the ground) I was all over it. Now mind you, I don't like politics.  I'm not outspoken about them, I really don't follow them that well, and when it came time to take a class about it I was still not super stoked.

Fast forward to tonight.  I could have watched the debate, but do you want to know what I did instead?  I watched the Katy Perry - Part of Me movie.  It's not because I wasn't interested in hearing what Obama and Romney were gong to spar about tonight, but I was more interested in watching someone who has made their dream a reality.

See, my dream is to be a journalist.  Maybe not a political one, but one that delivers news to people everywhere.  A couple of days ago I sent off a e-mail to the editor of an online newspaper here at Ft. Bragg.  I was super nervous because I haven't applied to any jobs here yet and I even said a little prayer before I sent it off with lots of hope.  There hasn't been a response yet.  I'm debating whether or not to send another e-mail...it's hard to show up in person when you're still out a vehicle. 

That being said...

Sometimes I get caught up in the overwhelming talent of others.  

I get lost in other peoples' success and their gifts and then I start to throw myself a pity party.  Why do their dreams get to be a reality, when mine is still sitting on the ground waiting for its chance to take off?  Why was this student offered a job right out of college and I wasn't?  Why does this blogger have over a hundred followers and I don't?  Why can't some amazing breaking news happen right in front of me so I can jump start my career?

Then I have to stop and think logically for a second.

My life...is pretty damn good.

I have an amazing husband, family, and friends.

I have more support than I could ever need.

I have a God who has a plan for my life.

I might just be a little talented myself.

My career might not be taking off at lightening speed, but good grief, I'm only 23.

There is still time and there is no reason to give up hope.

  I'm also a firework...just kidding.

..

I need to start writing again.

Just for starters, I need to start writing thank you notes for all our friends and family who gave us wedding gifts

Then, I need to just write what comes to mind.  Poems, stories, and news articles.  Pen needs to be put to paper and my creative juices need to start flowing.

Wish me luck!

Time.

 

Time. Is. Moving. So. Slow.

It's only been four days? It feels like it's been 4 weeks already and the boys should be getting home!

In other news, I sold the Neon! Yay! So now we just need to find another car and things will hopefully start getting back to normal.

Wedding Pictures: Details

They're finally here and I'm so excited to be able to share some pictures from our wedding day!

All of these amazing photos were taken by Joni Llyod Photography.

Here are some detail shots!