Being Blonde Does Not Make Me Dumb...

I have now received a few awards and would really like to add them to my page. However, being new to this - I CAN use that as an excuse, right? - I can't seem to get it to work?

Can someone walk me through this? Please?

Thank you so much!
Happy Saturday - more later, I promise. I just need some caffeine.

A brief journey through 2008

A new year is here and I want to take a look back at 2008. So here it is, my life last year in a few pictures.
New Year's Eve 2007 - What a way to bring in the new year!

A weekend wedding in May down in Florida. What a great getaway that was!

Wedding Weekend in June here in Charlotte - wedding number #2 for the year! We actually had 2 weddings in June - whew! What a busy month!


Wedding Weekend in July in New Orleans! We made a long weekend out of it & it was HOT!


Our first couple's shower here in Charlotte in August. I had just recently cut my hair too.


Our couple's shower in Louisville, KY in August. We're with my Dad & Stepmom. It was hot!! It was also my birthday weekend! Notice the dress? Yep, same dress within two months! Score!!


Our family picture in September.
I had to put my Maddy down the beginning of October. That was the hardest day of my life. I'd had her since she was a puppy - 6 weeks old. She grew with me & got me through so much. I miss her every day & am sometimes startled when she isn't on her couch at home.
I love you Maddy!

We got married & went on our honeymoon to Barbados in November!

We spent Christmas in Louisville, KY with Mr. Potts' family.


New Year's Eve 2008 was fun! Hope you had a great 2008! We did & are looking fine in 2009.

I LOVE a Southern New Year!

Many of you may not know this, but I grew up in Charlotte. This is unusual, as we get mostly Northern transplants and there are not many people who can say they know a native Charlottean. Now you can. :)

The thing that I have loved about growing up in the South is the traditional New Years Day dinner. Collard greens, black eyed peas, a little ham & cornbread. I seriously look forward to it every year. My mom always makes the collards - I can still claim ignorance in the preparation, but probably not much longer. Today, we had the traditional ham, but also included kielbasa - not something we typically do, but it was really good.

Today also held special meaning as it was Mr. Potts and my first New Year's Day dinner as a married couple.

It also was a bit unsettling, since as we were cleaning up, my mom told me that she is having an echo cardiograph and angiograph on Monday. I was shocked, since she hasn't mentioned anything to me about this, but the more I think about it, I'm not so shocked. I know that she is tired constantly and has breathing problems. I know it doesn't help that she is a smoker and has been for 40 years.

It was wonderful to be with my family. It was great to spend the day with Mr. Potts. I'm praying that my mom's tests will yield normal results. I'm confident in God's plan for 2009.

How was your first day of 2009?

My New Year's Top

I've got to share - I'm super excited to wear this top. I think it is totally wearable again! Do you love it?

Happy New Year!!

Happy, Happy New Year!
XOXO
Mrs. Potts

Not Your Usual New Year's Resolutions

I was talking to dear Mr. Potts recently about New Years and how resolutions associated with it are so often broken (broken badly by most accounts) in the first month of the new year.

Examples: exercise every day for 1 hour, quit smoking, use less foul language, be kinder to people, drink less, eat out less, etc. etc. These aren't my personal resolutions, but ones I've heard before.

Now, I know there are many reasons why people don't keep up with their resolutions, one of the main ones being that it is not realistic to jump right in to something & expect to be able to keep it up.

I asked Mr. Potts if this year, instead of making resolutions (we never really did that formally, anyway) if instead, the two of us could start a new tradition. We're going to begin a New Year Journal. In it, we'll record special moments that have happened through the year. At the end of the year, we'll go through everything we've done and list our 5 (more or less) most favorite memories/events. Then we'll also take a look at our lives and list 5 things that we would like to work on to improve ourselves - either as a couple or individuals.

Some that I can think of off the top of my head are:

1. Our Wedding - Friends and family celebrating with US.
2. Our Honeymoon - Beautiful and relaxing
3. Time we spent with Mr. Potts' family - they've all included me and welcomed me
4. My adoption of his grandmother as my own - I send her postcards from where I travel & little notes as well as flowers and gifts so that she'll enjoy them. It really lifts my spirits to know that I have a small hand in reminding her of how much she is loved.

So those are some of my favorite memories.
A few things I'd like to work on to improve myself? Hmmm....

1. I'd like to be more consistent in working out. I was given this body & I should appreciate the time I can put into keeping it healthy.
2. My patience - this is a never ending battle for me, regardless of whether I'm driving, walking in a crowded area or with my mother. I think my lack of patience when I am with her is what hurts me the most.

What are some of your favorite memories from 2008? Will you be making any resolutions - want to share them? What do you think of my idea?

Not Me! Monday

In my morning reading, I came across Not Me! Monday over at Navigating the Quarterlife - make sure to go by & say "Hi!". Given my last week of travel to Louisville and Nashville, I thought I'd make this a weekend addition.

The gist of it is, you list a lot of things you "didn't" (read: actually did) do this weekend/past week. All in the name of admitting that we all make mistakes and aren't perfect. I thought this was perfect for me today!

1. I did not eat half of a medium tub of buttered popcorn with sour patch watermelons while watching Benjamin Button. No way!

2. I did not eat a bite of everything my step-mom put in front of me. Not a chance! I want to lose a little weight & know that would interfere with my progress - even though sausage balls are my favorite holiday snack!

3. I did not eat lightly at my in-laws and claim that my stomach still wasn't feeling well enough to eat. I think asparagus casserole & creamed corn is fabulous & hate that I missed out.

4. The thought never entered my mind to ask the woman beside me watching Benjamin Button to please take her phone conversation outside. OK, I'll definitely own up to this one. I did think about it. I came really close to telling her how rude she was being. I did not, however do it. I showed amazing self-restraint on that one. :)

Want to play? Tell me what all you "haven't" done the past few days.

Happy Monday!

PS: If you haven't already, check out the post below with hair pictures & let me know which style you like best on me.
Thanks much!