in it to win it: November 2009

November 29, 2009

11-20 through 11-28

Goodbye November!

Friday, November 20

Flowers in bloom at the lake house (where we spent part of the weekend with Matt & Amanda Tingle -- good times!)

Saturday, November 21

Down on the dock...I love it there (especially when the lake is full!)

November 22

Curtains, a new way of life for us (thanks to my awesome Honey (my grandmother))

November twenty third

Gene!!!! The NUT - WREATH IS DONE!!!!!!! I am so proud of it .. I think it will definitely stay up year round (maybe I'll just get different colored / patterned ribbons!) hah!

November 24

(another) Pumpkin Cheesecake -- and it made me make a mess!! (This was also the first time I used the "mean green mixing machine" from Mike's mom -- I will use for everything from now on!)

Wednesday, November 25

Thanksgiving Gathering at Mike Hawkins' House in Greenville

Tag: Mike & Brock

Thanksgiving Day, 2009

This is our first Christmas tree (a gift from Mike's grandmother!) -- we LOVE it .. Charley Brown as it may be - it's ours!

Friday, November 27

A little off roading -- good for new scratches on the car, dings in the paint, mud on the engine & a crushed bumper ... priceless!

Camped Friday - Saturday with John & Elizabeth up in Gorges National Park -- GREAT weekend!

Saturday (11-28)

Just before we went our separate ways ... until camping / off - roading comes around again. (Hopefully soon!)

November 24, 2009

11-15 through 11-19

Sunday, November 15

This tree grows through our back porch

Monday, November 16

Dinner (:

Tuesday, November 17

Pumpkin Cheesecake! (my first [pumpkin one] ever)

Wednesday, November 18

Nut Wreath! (check it out on Martha Stewart's web site! Thanks MG!) -- LOVED the craft -- & I had so much fun doing it! ... finished product soon to come!

(1 Styrofoam wreath, hot glue gun (lots of sticks), 3 lbs of mixed (shelled) nuts, 2 yards of ribbon)

Thursday, November 19

*Happy Birthday Meredith!*

Slowly making progress!!! (Melissa, Carolyn, & Melanie I have missed doing crafts with y'all!)

November 15, 2009

11-9 through 11-14

As I sit here to upload the pictures for last week, I'm listening to Christmas music on the radio (this weekend preview has rocked) & it's about 70 outside. Absurd!

November 9

Dusk from our back porch

November 10

Spices for Steak .. YUM

November 11

Veterans Day. Thank you Veterans for all you do.

November 12

Mike & I walked downtown for ice cream (:

November 13

Our first lake trip since we've been married .. Mike LOVES Clancy.

November 14

Flowers. Flash turned down.

November 13, 2009

AHHH!!!! It's November 13 (Friday the thirteenth, actually) - and I heard Christmas MUSIC on the radio last night!! Oh what a glorious, glorious sound! (: I squealed like a little girl when my friend Ben called me to tell me to switch the station because it was on! My heart lit up! I ab-so-lute-ly LOVE Christmas. Everything about it...the lights, the smells, the music, family time (lots of it), everything red & green, carriage rides, all of the lights, Christmas trees, wrapping and giving gifts, and of course that it is my Savior's birthday (I am also a HUGE fan of birthdays).

I also love traditions...Mike and I have an annual Christmas Date. In years past we've done it alone and with other couples, but this being our first year married I've requested that it be just us. I'm not sure what we're doing or where we're going yet - but I can't wait! I grew up loving to wake up around 4:30 AM and then waking my sister up to peak at all of the goodies that Santa left for us -- even in my last few years at home I woke up in the middle of the night, however I had been threatened by both my brother & sister to not wake them up...so I had to force myself to go back to sleep until later in the morning (such party poopers!). [Mike is going to have his hands full keeping me asleep until after 4:30 AM... hahahahah!] From dating Mike so long we sort of have our Christmas schedule - but we've been able to split up as needed to make it where we needed to be -- this year we get to stick together (: I'm not quite sure where we'll be or when .. or who we'll end up celebrating with and at what times, but I know that it'll work out. I think it'll be neat to start our own sort of schedule -- making the rounds, but also making time for ourselves. We've already decided that Christmas morning is for us...and since it'll just be us - we're going to open gifts from "Santa" and then head to Simpsonville / Ft. Inn to see the fam!

I've already been begging Mike to take me to pick out a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I love decorating and I'm so excited to decorate our first house! a few things I'm really looking forward to: hanging our stockings (hand made by Meredith!), putting up lights, decorating our hypothetical tree, baking lots of goodies .. ahh - the list could go on forever! I just love it all! I think I'm also going to try my hand at making a few decorations for us this year!

November 10, 2009

11-1 through 11-8

November is here -- and so our first month of marriage was gone. Just like that! I can't believe how quickly it flew by. I also can't believe how awesome it was. (:

November 1

rod iron fence

not mine, but i wish it was!

November 2

More fall colors -- beautiful

November 3

Clancy came to visit while the Martins are out of town for a few days

November 4

On a walk around the block with Clancy

November 5

Another walk around the block

The Poinsett Club is one of mine & Mike's favorite places for a date!

November 6

Lazy Friday evening (:

(before a walk downtown for my first Sushi dinner & a photography studio Grand Opening!)

November 7

Trip to Gorges State Park

Off-Roading (: with Mike & Kayla

November 8

Paris Mountain, SC

While Mike washed all the mud from the off-roading trip off the car, I walked around & got some pictures of Paris Mt. in the fall!

November 5, 2009

10-24 through 10-31

the end of October

We are making it. We are loving it.

October 24

fall leaves

October 25

steps leading down (to our back yard)

october 26

pizza dinner + The Road to Perdition with OD = a perfect way to spend Monday night

(loved the flowers from Pier 1)

October 27

trip to Mike's house to pick up some stuff...in the pouring rain led to pictures

of course..why not?!

October 28

Halloween Cookies

October 29

A little late carving "Pumpky" the pumpkin this year.

We got it done none-the-less.

October 30

Happy Shower Elizabeth! (:

HaPpY HaLlOwEeEn

October 31

This is my pregnant husband and our food baby.

10-19 through 10-23

October 19

House Warming gifts from Dana, our upstairs neighbor!

October 20

Chicken Tacos

Yummy & healthy!

October 21

Coloring a Fall picture...I will send it to my sister when I finish it.

October 22

Mike & I live by the Confederate museum in Greenville.

It's pretty sweet.

October 23

Flowers on the block.

10-12 through 10-18

Pictures from our first week home from the honeymoon, back to "the real world" of work and life. This was also a week of great learning for us...learning how to be "us" at home.

October 12