Fabulous Friday

If you didn't last week, you really should take a few minutes and peruse the blogs I highlighted last FF. They truly are fabulous. Plus, you'll get another gander at my new bag. Which I may or may not have named.

This week's Fabulous Friday is truly fabulous. This week brought the celebration of two of my most favorite people's births.

Mr. Potts turned 35 on Tuesday. I can't put into words how awesomely fabulous he is. So I won't even try, but I will share with you a little of one of his favorite things in the world.



Air Guitar (usually played to Bruce Springsteen). I can guarantee that each of these pictures was helped along by alcohol - most specifically Miller Light. And the blond hair in the first picture? Me. Totally strumming along. Cause that's how we roll.

There may be more of that this weekend.

This week also brought my precious niece's 6th birthday. My little munchkin is growing up so fast and I'm so proud of her.

Look how much she has grown over the past few years.



Sweet angel, you'll always be my most favorite little girl in the world.

Happy Friday, y'all! Make it a FABULOUS one!!

The post from yesterday. You know, my anniversary post, just a day late.

My post from yesterday experience technical difficulties. So, you're getting the original anniversary post a day late. A day late doesn't take away how much I love Mr. Potts. So some of our favorites. I promise in the next few days to recap some of the past year. But I won't go too overboard.

Mr. Potts began the day by making his Meme laugh. I try to keep that tradition alive with her.

My family arrived. I was so so excited to see them! My handsome brother.

At the alter, side by side. We were ready. The pastor begins to speak & Mr. Potts immediately says "I do!" The pastor laughed & joked that his job was done. :) The whole congregation laughed. Mr. Potts and I giggled.

We were so excited to get married, we could quit laughing & hugging & kissing.

I was so ready to see my mom. She didn't surprise me. She looked beautiful & somehow managed to hold it together. My momma was so happy for me.

One of our favorite images from the day. Love how she caught these.

A few pictures in the beautiful leaves - we couldn't pass them up.

On our trolley for a trolley ride around town before being delivered to our reception site.

It makes him smile to see pictures where I am so obviously in love with him.
We were able to take some pictures at a place we've always enjoyed - notice all the Charlotte signs! The pictures turned out well. What do you think?

One of our Faves! LOVE IT!!
We have so many wonderful pictures that these are only the tip of the iceberg. We had such a wonderful time the cake time was fun. He wasn't sure if he'd get just a swipe on his nose. He didn't.

Oh I DO LOVE ME SOME BUBBLES!!!

My brother. I'm so glad he was able to share this with me as well as with Mr. Potts, My Mom & my sweet niece & nephew.

Two of our very best friends who live in NOLA came to celebrate with us - they told us they wouldn't miss it for the world.

My sweet sweet niece had such a fun time & watned to dance with Uncle Mr. Potts more, but alas, it was time to go home. I got my last hug.

The last hug led to tears. My poor sweet muchkin.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Potts! You've been beside me the whole way. Holding my hands, giving me a gentle push when I've needed it, reminding me of what I find important.

Laughing with me
Holding me when I've cried
Holding you when you've cried

I promise
I promise you me
I wouldn't want to know a life without you

I promise to be the girl in your guy nights if you need one.
I promise to plan fun trips for big & little reasons.
I promise to make sure you always know how much you are loved.

I promise to cook & baby you when you're sick.
I promise to help you stretch your hamstrings.
I promise to pick good books out for you.

I Adore You
I find you incredibly strong
I find you extremely compassionate
I adore you
I love you.

For You Mr. Potts.

Fabulous Friday!

Don't we all love weekends, especially Fridays? Fridays hold such a great appeal, poised on the edge of greatness. Greatness comes in all forms.

Beautiful Fall afternoons spent at the park with Hayden, Mr. Potts, a blanket & a secret carry case of wine. Rainy Sundays cozied up under a fuzzy blanket watching movies. Cool Friday evenings with our favorite carry out. Late Saturday afternoon drinks on an open patio with friends. Greatness in some of its many forms.

Thinking about all the fabulous times that Mr. Potts and I have shared made me a bit nostalgic. It could also have something to do with a long 4+ hour drive from Burlington, VT to Portland, ME. It could be riding the escalator down to the baggage claim at the Charlotte airport and remembering one of my favorite memories with Mr. Potts.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we're coming up on our first wedding anniversary. In a little over two weeks we'll have been married a year.

So, switching up my Fabulous Friday just a bit, I thought I'd share this fabulous memory of Mr. Potts. It's one of my favorites, but also one of my first.

The Background

I used to travel a LOT for my job. It was so bad that the joke of my department was that I was on the road 54 weeks of the year. Get it? Not funny. It was heartbreakingly exhausting.

Mr. Potts and I started dating while I was still with that job. I was gone during the week & home on weekends. It may have actually been a good thing, since we were able to get to know each other without becoming that annoying couple that is always together.

The Trip

It was winter and I had been somewhere cold. I remember that it was a cold trip since I had checked my luggage. Now, most of you may not know this, but I am the queen of packing for a trip. I’m also the queen of the airport – at least in my own head.

I know how to navigate through security without holding people up. I pack a little pair of socks to slip on so I don’t have to walk barefoot. I know which places take Am Ex so I can get a snack to bring on the plane.

I also know how to pack so that I never have to check luggage, unless I’ll be gone for a while to a cold location & will need heavy sweaters & a big coat. That practically guarantees I’ll be checking luggage.

This is how I know it was a winter trip. I was exhausted. I had flown somewhere the beginning of the week, worked my tail off, worked at night and then flown home on a Friday afternoon flight.

Mr. Potts and I had plans for the weekend. Nothing big, still low-key (remember, we’d just started dating). I called him when I was getting ready to depart to let him know I was leaving. “Sounds good,” he probably said, “Call me when you land.”

Inevitably, my flight was delayed. As it always is when its winter & you’re flying later in the day. We circled. And circled some more. Finally, we landed. About 2 hours later than scheduled. Exhausted, I called Mr. Potts to let him know I had landed.

I made my way through the crowds (I can navigate those also – always gracious when people cut me off or stop right in front of me for no reason) to the escalator to claim my bag.

As the escalator takes me down to the baggage claim I see Mr. Potts standing there. Waiting for me. With a bouquet of flowers. I think I may have cried, but only because I was so tired, you know.

He told me that he had missed me. He told me he wanted to make me smile in the airport. He told me he knew I’d be tired and wanted to give me a hug as soon as possible.

I knew I had something special standing in front of me and that I had better not mess it up.

Love you Mr. Potts!

New Orleans picture - Mr. Potts' first trip.

It's gettin hot in here....

Tara from Jimmy Choos and Tennis Shoes tagged me to play! I'm to list 5 things that make me feel sexy. She is so absolutely beautiful & so very sweet. If you haven't been by her blog, you should go & say hello. Not only that, but give some love to sweet Sadie too!

The rules are as follows:

- Write 5 things that make you feel sexy

- Post a pic (only IF you dare)

- Pass it on to 5 lovely bloggers

1. The way that Mr. Potts and I laugh together - we always have the best time together & he always makes me feel sexy.
2. Getting dressed up & doing my hair. It doesn't matter if it is for a wedding or to go out, I love it!
3. When I'm done exercising. I'm a red, sweaty mess, but it makes me feel so good.
4. Painting my toenails. Enough said
5. Laying on the beach. Nothing better than dragging my toes in the sand.

Laughter - plain & simple.

I'm passing this along to the following lovely bloggers:

Mrs. Jetplane - Leaving and Loving on a Jet Plane
Lindsey - Learning to be a Wife

Whitney - That Girl & her pug
Ashley - Pink-ture Perfect
Megan - In this Wonderful Life

We all need to remind ourselves every once in a while of our own sexiness. Take a second & tell me what makes you sexy.

I'm such a planner

Now that Mr. Potts' birthday has passed it's time to plan the next big thing. Not my birthday, not our annual holiday party, not anything to do with the cruise we're taking in November. Nope - not a single one of those. Instead, I'm focused on Mr. Potts' 35th Birthday!

I admit. I love birthdays. I personally celebrated my 30th for 3 months. Yep, 3 months. I'd do it every year if I could, but Mr. Potts will only let me do that for the big ones. Big ones are anything that end in a 5 or a 0.

So....for his 35th birthday next year (I know, I know, I'm awful) we're going to go away.

We have 4 choices. We're blessed to have these choices because Mr. Potts' father is a member of the Registry Collection & has a house in the mountains of NC. He can trade a week out there for a week out somewhere else.

We're trying to decide between these:

The Grand Mayan - Los Cabos
The Grand Regina - Los Cabos

Vallarta Gardens - Nueva Vallarta This was the only one I could save pictures from. This is my favorite so far as they are actual houses. If we were to invite a couple (or 2) there would be plenty of room.
Grand Colony Island Villas - Belize

Has anyone had any experience with Los Cabos, Nueva Vallarta or Belize? Anyone pick one over the other?

Grateful

I stumbled across the Spohrs' blog yesterday. If you have never checked it out, you should. I sat for hours yesterday reading about their daughter Maddie - the rough pregnancy, the early birth and their sudden loss.

Reading this made me sit back and say, "huh". For you know, it's not what we didn't get done at the end of the day, it's about what we did. It made me realize all the wonderful blessings in my life. It opened my eyes to the fact that while I may be going through something difficult, there are people out there wondering how they're going to take the next step in their lives.

So, to honor that, I'd like to share with you 10 things I'm grateful for.

1. Mr. PottsThe person who gets me. Someone who will be goofy with me. Someone who loves me unconditionally.

2. My familyEven though we may have our issues - we're family and we love each other. This is one of my favorite pictures from our wedding. My niece wanted to dance with me and Mr. Potts so badly. She had been practicing for ages & thoroughly enjoyed our wedding. So much so that she didn't want to leave.
3. My friendsThose who love us. Those who laugh with us. Those who will cry with us. Those who will dance with us! To 80's hairband, most likely. Or maybe a little Journey - "Don't Stop Believin"

4. My health. Thankfully, I haven't had any major problems over the years. Sure, I'm getting old. My ankles pop as I go down the stairs. I've got some fine crow's feet at my eyes. I've had to had 2 gum surgeries (grafting - ouch!!!). I also managed to catch a bacterial stomach infection on my honeymoon. One that was tracked by the CDC. But I recovered! God has kept me healthy. I've got to step up on my part of the bargain.

5. My education. I do not have an Ivy League education, I have student loans & it took me longer than 4 years. Yet, I have my degree - which has been worth every minute. Plus, my loans are locked in at a 4% interest rate. That doesn't hurt. Plus, it's tax deductible.

6. Being Southern. I'm not putting down anyone who is not, but I celebrate the fact that I'm Southern. I love visiting other places & I love other cities (NY, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Fran, San Diego, Vegas, Seattle, etc) but I always feel a thrill when I come home. I love the charm of the South. I love the friendliness of the South. I love the weather of the South - I'm also not so far south that we don't have seasons.

7. The ability to nap. I can nap on command. 15 minutes - 3 hours. I love naps. Isn't this picture adorable? I snapped it at a wedding - one of the flower girls was worn out!

8. My job. Even though I worry about losing it, I still love what I do, who I work for & those I work with.

9. I'm thankful for my ability to see the positive. Sometimes it's hard and sometimes people may not appreciate it as much, but it is a great thing to see your glass as overflowing, versus half empty.

10. God. Last and certainly not least, I'm thankful that he has made everything possible for me.

What are you thankful for?

About Mr. Potts

Since Mr. Potts has been my rock through this past week (well, he always is, but this week deserves some special attention) I thought I should dedicate a post to him.

I faithfully read Leaving and Loving on a Jet Plane (and if you don't, you should!). One of her older posts was the Low-down on Mr. Jetplane. I thought I'd share my low-down on Mr. Potts. Thanks Mrs. Jetplane for the inspiration!
1. He is sitting in front of the TV, what is he watching?
If he had his way, he'd watch as many old cheesy movies as possible. You know, Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, etc. Wrestling too.

2. You are out to eat, what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Ranch of some kind. Odd note - Mr. Potts was a super picky eater. I don't think he ate a salad until he was in college. No condiments until then either.

3. What is one food he doesn't like?
Tomatoes. What is wrong with him?

4. You go out to a bar, what does he order?
Beer. Miller Lite - I helped him switch from Bud Light to ML. He also used to drink Captain & Ginger, but doesn't recover like he used to.

5. Where did he go to High School?

High School was in Louisville, KY

6. What size shoe does he wear?
Size 8

7. If he were to collect anything, what would it be?
Not a thing. He calls me his clutter bug - he doesn't like to collect anything.

8. What is his favorite sandwich?
He gets a sandwich from one of our favorite delis that is Roast Beef and Turkey with provolone, lettuce, banana peppers, horseradish mayo & spicy brown mustard.

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
He likes my egg sandwiches that I make on the weekend. But it also could be my fried chicken

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Captain Crunch. Though we never buy it

11. What would he never wear?
Jorts!

12. What is his favorite sports team?
He'll always be a Hoosier Basketball fan. During football season we cheer for the Louisville Cardinals. When it comes to pro-football, we're Panther's fans all the way.13. Who is his best friend?

Me, but his childhood best friend & the one he speaks to most often is Jamie

14. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Not much - maybe pick up after myself more often?

15. How many states has he lived in?
3

16. What is his heritage?
I think a little Scotch & French-German

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday, what kind of cake is it?
Yellow cake with chocolate icing. Definitely not my favorite.

18. Did he play sports in High School?
He was a soccer player and played tennis also.

19. What could he spend hours doing?
Reading (he read all the Sookie books too!), lazing on the boat, lazing at the beach.

Thankful Thursday

God has blessed me and I have so much to be thankful for that I thought I'd share.

Mr. Potts. God blessed me in brining him into my life. He loves me just as I am - dorky sense of humor, unending cheerfulness in the morning and the fact that I am happy in bed at 9:30pm.

Family and Friends - the picture below is all of our family (4 sets of parents!) and our friends who stood up for us at our wedding. You can see both of our nieces & nephews here. We have wonderful people in our lives who love us.

Our furry monsters Hayden & Pepe - I talked about them both in pictures in a recent post - The Right Place at the Right Time!

My health. I'm still working to become more healthy. A new pair of shoes would help with that, yes?A grown up bed! We registered for bedding and this is what we selected. The sheets are so nice, we just got a new mattress and the pillows are wonderful! The only thing left to do is paint.
I'm also thankful for the opportunity to share this with you. Thank you to those who have joined as followers and those who have shared me with others! What are you thankful for?