'Allure of The Seas'

Once the Titans season wrapped up I asked Patrick what we were going to do with the off-season. He figured I was trying to hint at something and flat out asked what I wanted to do. When I suggested we take a trip he said "Yeah, we're going to visit Ryan and Erin in Atlanta at some point." Now, not that I don't love Ryan and Erin or even Atlanta for that matter, but his response wasn't quite what I had in mind for our vacation this year - haha! When I suggested a cruise I was quite surprised at how quickly he started looking and booked it...now if only he was that proactive when I suggest going shopping...lol!

Patrick booked our week long vacation on Royal Caribbean's "Allure of the Seas"ship...AKA the largest ship in the world! When Patrick shared this bit of information I couldn't help but think of the Titanic outcome, which was also the largest ship in the world at that time. Then seeing the headlines on Carnival's sunken ship just weeks before our cruise set sail also didn't help...but I looked at it as I look at everything else in life...when God says its your time to go, then it's time to go, and no matter what I've had one exciting life thus far and there is a FAR better one waiting for me on the other side! Fortunately though, no problems on the cruise, actually quite the contrary.

We set sail on February 5th, Super Bowl Sunday. I should add that when we were leaving Nashville I spotted Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler in the airport! I had just read in US Weekly that they were living in Nashville, but I didn't expect to actually see them here. I always get really excited when I spot a celeb, mainly because I'm really bad at it. I must admit, Jay made it simple for me with his sunglasses on in the security line - haha! That was kind of a dead giveaway...

We boarded the ship in Ft. Lauderdale, and let me tell you, it is huge! There was so much to see and do!

 

After boarding we explored the boat and grabbed some food. Upon entering the restaurant a lady from the spa was handing out a raffle ticket. I decided we should fill it out just for fun. We had to drop it off at the spa and be present for the raffle in order to qualify. They were giving away $250 in free beauty products and $500 in free services. I'm almost positive Patrick wanted to kill me because we pretty much missed us leaving land for this and in addition had to dance around like weirdos before any of the names were pulled. Before the first name was pulled, the instructor said the winners had to do 10 push ups in order to take the prize. I immediately thought "Well I hope they call Patrick's name and not mine then!" lol...The first name was called and the man was there to claim his prize (he did "air push ups" by raising the roof lol!) Next they called off another name, he wasn't there. Then another, not there. And another, not there. Finally "Patrick Bailey" is called out and I literally yelped out loud! We had just won $500 in free spa services! Patrick represented on the push ups...try 10 one-handed push ups! I was so proud of my man! 

After all that excitement we decided to just order room service and enjoy the Super Bowl and the commercials in our room. We also got to enjoy a bottle of champagne courtesy of AAA! Love me some bubbly!

My favorite commercial was the Hyundai cheetah commercial "Yeah, it's that fast" - hilarious! Patrick's favorite was the M & M "Sexy and I know it" --- "So it's that kind of party!" - another great one!

It was absolutely crazy and mind boggling that we would wake up in Nassau, Bahamas, but oh did we! It was a little foggy at 7 am but beautiful none the less! That is Atlantis in the distance...

We were kinda ballsy on this trip and didn't book any excursions through the ship. We did one on our Honeymoon in Mexico and thought it was just okay for the money, so we decided to do our own thing and it worked out well for us at each port...thankfully! I fully realize it could have gone bad and I may not be here writing this blog today...!

Nassau was an early day and a short day, so we didn't have a whole lot of time there by the time we got off the ship. We did our shopping (I have to purchase a magnet and a Christmas ornament at each place we visit...tradition!) then met some other couples who were looking for another couple to join them on a tour of the island. For $15/person we got in a van with a Bahamian stranger named Roy and started to tour Nassau. Yes, we might be a little more than crazy because he could have easily kidnapped us! Fortunately, Roy was a legit good guy. He put me at ease each time he talked about Jesus, and thankfully he did that a lot! Below is Roy and Patrick after the tour.

Nassau is a neat little town. It's biggest income comes from the resort Atlantis, which has rooms that are $25,000 per night, crazy right?! I don't know how anyone can justify that. We got to go inside and see some of the architecture, but they made you pay once you got to a certain area, and we didn't care to do that. Below are some pics from Atlantis...

 

 

Another landmark in town is the Lighthouse. We stopped at the beach across from it to get some pictures and dipped our feet in the water. From the pictures you can tell a storm is coming and as soon as we got back in the van it poured!

 

So much fun in Nassau, Bahamas! 

Once we got on the boat we decided to use our spa voucher because we had to redeem it on a ported day. We decided to do a couples seaweed wrap massage, which was quite interesting...let me explain! The massage therapists told us to first put on a pair of disposable underwear (hilarious and mortifying at the same time!) then lay down on the table face up. Laughing all the way we did as we were told. When our masseuses came back in the room they started to lather our bodies with seaweed (which actually smelt really good!) then proceeded to wrap us in tin foil. We of course didn't have our camera with us, but I googled a visual for you...lol! 

We both felt so silly that it was hard to relax, but we did have a good time. After laying there for awhile, we showered the seaweed off. We were kinda surprised when they gave us another pair of disposable undies to put on, but it made sense when they wrapped us in tin foil once again - lol. After another shower we finally were rid of the disposable undies and it was time for the real massage, which was actually very relaxing and one of the best ones I've ever had. 

Fully refreshed, we got ready for the Captains Dinner, which was crazy formal! I sported the cocktail dress I wore for our rehearsal dinner and felt very under dressed...I felt like I should have dug out my old prom gown (not that it would fit!) We had a good night though :-) 

After dinner we went to a show. The shows on the ship were out of this world amazing! The first show was called "Blue Planet" and very Cirque Du Soleil like. All of the songs were current songs about the world (I hadn't realized there were so many) all the while doing unrealistic things with their bodies. Below are pictures from one of my favorite scenes where the actors/dancers came out of a tree!

I also liked the scene where they brought down a screen to make it look like you were watching an underwater show!

The next day we were at sea so we really got to take advantage of some of the stuff to do on the ship. We played mini golf (it was the worst game of mini golf though...they had foam golf balls...plus the ship is going and the wind is blowing...this all makes for a disastrous golf game!) and Patrick did the Flow Rider, which is a surf machine. I was not brave enough to partake, but gladly took videos of Patrick wiping out. They are mysteriously missing from my camera though...hmm!

The ship has an ice skating rink, which is where we saw that nights show. How talented are these skaters to to jumps, lifts and tricks on a moving boat! 

 

 

 

The next day we woke up in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, which was hands down my favorite port! St. Thomas is GORGEOUS!!! The water is so blue and all the rolling hillsides are so lush...breathtaking! See for yourself!

Again, we did our own thing and boarded an open van and headed to Magen's Bay. If you are ever in St. Thomas, go to Magen's Bay!!! National Geographic named it as one of the top ten beaches in the world and I can totally see why! The water is so clear and the sand is so white, plus it's surrounded by these green mountainsides, stunningly gorgeous! What was really interesting to me was that there were trees on the beach, so people could lay in the shade, and also cactus' on the hillside. Below are some visuals...

On our Honeymoon, the excursion we did came with our own snorkel gear, so we brought it with us to do some snorkeling on our own. We spotted a lot of little fish, but they were as clear as the water and didn't take on our camera. We did spot one big fish though, that you can kinda make out here.

 We saw a lot more fish when we snorkeled at the coral reefs, which you get to through an excursion, so our make-shift snorkeling was kind of a bust, but it was still beautiful! Loved, loved, loved St. Thomas!

That night I actually talked Patrick into going to the Casino on board...this is big! Patrick HATES casinos and gambling! We did find one game he liked though, where you put the quarters in the machine and money sometimes falls down, we did pretty well and won $40 total on it!

 

Later that night we took part in a game show which was called "The Quest"...eager me raised my hand to volunteer and got picked. Word from the wise...never do this unless you know what you are volunteering for!!! I totally wasn't prepared to run back and forth in stilettos as the "Female Team Captain" for a scavenger hunt! I had fun though, and came in 3rd place!

 

The next morning we were ported in Philipsburg, St. Maarten - which marked the last island we would be visiting on the cruise. We began this crazy day by taking a water taxi over to the shopping area. We splurged on some bamboo sheets that we heard about from a store called Cariloha (www.cariloha.com). We were told bamboo is supposed to keep you 3 degrees cooler and is lots softer then cotton. We just got them in the mail last week and we are very happy with them! They are super soft, and I guess they are a little cooler than regular sheets? I don't really know, I like to be warm so I have loads of covers over them. They are soft though, I do give them that!

We were kind of at a loss on what to do next, but then Patrick suggested we rent out a scooter. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to get on the back of a scooter with him! One, he has never driven one before, and two, we're on an island we've never been to before! All I could think was "My mother would kill us if she knew what we were doing!" and I told him this a few times to get him to slow down! Ultimately, I'm glad we did it because it was an awesome way to explore the island! My favorite memory of this adventure was when Patrick hesitated on which road to take and I said "Why don't you pull over so we can look at the map" and he responded "Nah, I think I know where we're at"...like we frequent St. Maarten all the time! LOL!

We saw some very cool stuff on our journey! Such as goats in the middle of the road! LOL! (My favorite part of the day!!!)

A Sea Urchin

 A Star Fish that may or may not be alive...we couldn't tell.

And of course, beautiful views!

I'm not going to lie, I got more than a little sunburned on this adventure. We were speeding quick on that scooter, but not fast enough to escape the sun! Just the outside of my legs got color (super cool!) and I got a nice circle on my back, as my dress had a tie in the back. Thank goodness I packed Aloe!

The last couple days we were at sea so we got to dive into the activities on the boat more. Gosh, there is so much to see and do! It's kinda crazy, but I guess it's the only way they can accommodate some 6,000 people at the same time. The ship offered a couple viewings of the play Chicago, which I have always wanted to see live, so we went to see it and it was awesome!

 We then channeled our inner child and hopped on the carousel and took this artsy photo...

That evening was the final formal night AKA lobster night. We had no shows to go to so instead took some photos around the boat and called it an early night. 

 

PB having too much fun at the arcade lol

The following day was our last day at sea, so we decided to put on our adventurous hat and finally take to the giant rock wall. This was my first time rock climbing and I totally got higher than it looks...Patrick took the photo showcasing how much more I had to go rather than how far I had gone...!

  

Keeping the adrenaline going, we then went zip lining across the boat. Although I was scared, I knew I would regret it if I didn't do it, and I'm so happy I conquered  my fear! Weee...!

 

That evening we went to the Ocean Aria show...hands down my favorite show on the boat! The pictures don't do it justice but I will share a few. Basically it is a water show. They had high divers and trapeze artists...it was out of this world amazing!

 

 

The pool they were diving into wasn't very large and was only 14 feet deep. You can kind of see the Royal Caribbean logo at the top of this next photo...the photo below it shows where the high diver came from...at the top of the giant logo!

 

Overall, I loved the cruise and would most definitely do another one in the future. Next time though, I would would like to go with family or friends. It was nice to have our alone time, but there were moments I wished we were sharing this special time with others.

If you ever go on a cruise, I have a couple of tips for you...just some things I wish I had known prior...

1.) Schedule all the shows you want to see and the time you'd like to do dinner as soon as you can. Because we booked our trip so last minute we had really slim pickings at all of this.

2.) Purchase a drink package. The only beverages included with the cruise are water (not bottled) and juice. It's like $2 per can of pop, and $6 per day for the unlimited package. They give you a refillable cup and Patrick and I just shared. We didn't do an alcohol package, but I imagine you would save more by doing so if you planned on drinking a lot.

3.) If you want to do excursions, book them prior to the cruise. I don't believe you can book them once you are on the boat. Plus it's nice to have a plan for ported days...something we never had!

4.) Know that gratuity isn't included and they expect you to tip out your maid, waiter, assistant waiter and the restaurant manager at the end of the trip.

5.) Go into the cruise knowing your room is going to be tiny (and the bathroom even tinier!) even if you upgrade. I was shocked at first, but adjusted well. They give you shelves and hooks all over the room, you just have to be creative with where you put things and how you utilize the space.
I also suggest splurging for a room with a deck. I think it was like an extra $500 for the deck, and we almost didn't do it. I'm so glad we did though because it was so nice to have that extra area and get some fresh air into our small living quarters...catch my drift?! LOL!

6.) Know that you will not have an iron in your room! Iron's are supposedly a fire hazard on a boat (like curling irons and straight irons aren't as well?!) so they don't supply you with them. I wish I had known this prior because I ironed nothing beforehand! They do have an ironing service, where you can pay like $3 per garment to be ironed (Nice how it isn't a fire hazard for them to have an iron isn't it?!) but I chose to outsmart them and hung what needed to be ironed in the bathroom while the hot water ran. The steam got a lot of the big wrinkles out.

7.) The cruise will have photographers taking photos all the time and all over the ship. Sometimes the photos are mandatory to take, and other times they are completely optional. There will be backdrops set up in various places around the ship. Take advantage of these photo sessions. We did not and kind of regretted it after. At the end of the cruise there is a folder with all the photos taken of you and you can purchase all of them for a set amount of money (still expensive, but the more photos you let them take of you, the more you will get for that set amount) The quality of the photos they take are phenomenal! If you purchase a la carte, it's $20/photo. We got suckered into purchasing this one...

8.) Be prepared for formal nights. Like I mentioned earlier in this post, people take it pretty seriously! They have a tuxedo shop on the boat for guys to rent out a tux, and some women seriously wore ball gowns. Not everyone is that dressed up though...

9.) On cruise days make sure you wake up early and get a seat on the boat. We did not do this on the first cruise day and had to sit in the shade all day...not cool! There may be 6,000 beds on board, but there are not 6,000 chairs by the pools!

10.) Be prepared to spend money. A cruise is not all-inclusive. Everywhere you turn there is someone selling something and they can be quite enticing! Every menu on board has upgrades and a lot of locations are off limits unless you pay.

Those were just a few things I hadn't known previously and thought would be helpful for anyone considering a cruise in the future.

We made some amazing memories on board! Can't wait to do another sometime in the future! :-)

Home Improvements In Pittsburgh

Please excuse that I'm extremely behind on my blogging!! After the Titans season ended, Patrick and I headed up to Pittsburgh for a few weeks to check out the on-going renovations that were taking place at our house. In total we got two completely new bathrooms put in (one in the bottom apartment and another in the upstairs apartment where we stay) along with a new kitchen floor and fresh coats of paint! It's exciting to see all changes take place, but it's also an exhausting process to have to go through, especially under these living conditions...below is our living room, which was completely unlivable up until the day before we headed back to Nashville! LOL!

Along with the clutter came dust galore...

And let's not forget the measures we took to try to keep the place clean that we had to live around...

So as you can see, we didn't have the greatest accommodations for our time back in the Burgh - lol! I wanted to clean this floor of the house (which includes the kitchen which the doorway is pictured right above) so badly, but I knew it was useless because it would just get dirty again. I pretty much caved myself up in the 3rd floor because it made me so sad to go downstairs and see my home look like this. 

Fortunately though, the bathroom is complete now and the mess is cleaned up...WOOHOO!!!

Here's introducing our new bathroom...kind of...we are still waiting for the washer and dryer (which will be stacked right as you walk in the door come March 13th) and we have to get a shower curtain and towels exc. Next trip to Pittsburgh it will be officially complete and we will host a "Potty Party":-) 

WARNING: The space is kind of tight. We took out a full tub and replaced with with the stand up shower and washer and dryer so the new tenant doesn't have to walk outside to get to the washer and dryer in the basement. 

We went with Behr "Chinese Jade" for the paint which was a total spur of the moment color choice. We initially wanted to do a sandy color, but decided to switch while going through a pamphlet for inspiration. I'm so glad we did because I'm in love with this color! Like anything else, the pictures don't do it full justice. 

I love the mirror we selected (American Classics Decorative Beveled Mirror; Home Depot)...it matches all the white woodwork throughout the rest of the house perfectly!

We also decided to try out the new water efficient toilets (American Standard; Home Depot). There are two different flushing mechanisms for the two different things you do on the toilet lol. This photo also gives you a good look at the wainscoting. 

 Last is a picture of the tile work in the shower...All of the fixtures in the bathroom are Moen brand, style Banbury (Home Depot) and are spot resistant, score! I hate cleaning up finger prints! 

 We are very happy with the results of our bathroom, but sad that we won't get to use for too long. We've decided to rent out our home come the start of this next football season. We figure it's a shame to just let it sit there, and we might as well try to make some money off of it.

The downstairs apartment looks great as well! I especially love how the kitchen turned out! I'm pretty much in love with the new floor, and the two-toned walls turned out great as well!

My Aunt is renting this apartment and selected a chocolate brown paint (sorry I don't know the exact name as I didn't pick it out) for her new bathroom. She complimented it with orange towels and the two colors look great together! We did the same mirror, toilet, tile and fixtures as the upstairs bathroom in this bathroom. Unfortunately I don't have a photo to share of this bathroom. It turned out great though! Very similar to the upstairs bathroom - minus the washer/dryer and a full tub added.

In addition to all these major updates, we also made some more minor cosmetic changes while home. Big shout out to my hubby...he surpassed all of my expectations with all the handy work he did!! I was so impressed! He fixed leaky faucets, did wiring work on outlets and lights that didn't work to get them working again, installed a keyless entry to the door, put up a TV mount, bolted down wires to make everything look more seamless...he was constantly doing something to beautify the house! Pictures below of some of those updates...

 New faucet...we went with black to match the counter top!

Mounted TV! 

Aside from all the cleaning I put up some new curtains!

The trip home was full of headaches, but it was also full of great times with some great friends! It was so nice to see my family and friends that I have missed so much! We got to enjoy dinner out with our friends Tyler and Maggie at Eleven, then went back again later in the trip with Kim and Valerie. We love hibachi and went to Miyako with my sister Katie and Brother-In-Law, Ted, then Nakama with my other sister Kristy and soon-to-be Brother-In-Law, Adam. We did a breakfast alone at the Rusty Nail, then did dinner there with Kristy and my Aunt Donna. We ate at Max's Allegheny Tavern with Patricks Dad's cousins family, and got to enjoy dinner with the Simon's, Harris' and Grisham's at Nikki's Thai Kitchen. Thanks Mary for capturing this photo there! Always good times with some of my favorite people :-)

We're looking forward to making another trip back to Pittsburgh in the near future! To everyone there, we love and miss you everyday!
XOXO

PS...Below are some side by side comparcomparisons to before and after...

Dirty vs. Clean!

Old vs. New!

Old vs. New - LOL Sorry my friend Jaclyn is cleaning the floor in the old pic! This picture dates back to our high school years when my sister lived in this apartment and we were cleaning up after housesitting! Sorry Jaclyn, this was the only picture I had on my computer of the old kitchen! LOL! 

For The Record...

Before I proceed any further with my blog posts I want to clarify why exactly I chose to blog. Point blank, I do it for me, not for you, but I do choose to share with all of you. See, I've kept a diary since the 4th grade and I still have each and every one of those books tucked away in safe keeping. I enjoy going back and looking over those lost days and laughing about what seemed like such a big problem at the time, or smiling at the memory of special milestones documented in my life. As technology advanced I realized I could blog instead and it would be so much simpler. Let's face it, my hand wouldn't get tired from writing so much (we all know I can be lengthy!), I'd never get another ink smudge on my pinkie finger and most importantly there wouldn't be misspelled words - thanks to spellcheck!

If you know me at all, you know I'm sentimental. I'm the girl who always has her camera on her, takes way too many pictures, scrapbooks for fun, and yes, blogs as well. I'll do anything I can to preserve my precious memories!

I put my blogs out there for my friends and family to read because in this fast paced life we don't always get to fill in those we love and care about with all the details of it. My blog allows me to do this, and for the most part I've gotten positive feedback. I have many friends who tell me they enjoy reading my blog, and even a few who tell me they can't wait until I post the next entry, which is so sweet and touching to me as writing has always been a big part of my life!

My point for this entry is this, this blog is not a bragging post, rather a memory keeper so please, don't get it twisted! Yes, I've had many blessings showered upon me and I am humbled that my life is what it is. I know God has been so good to me and I give Him all of the glory. Sentimental me wants to remember all the details of the exciting things that happen in my life and I'm thankful that such a thing as a blog has been created for me to do so so simply. So please keep the positivity. If you don't like my blog then simply don't read it. I'm not looking for comments or approval on what I post, rather I'm just looking for a simple way to preserve the special moments in my life :-)

-Maggie

'Fin'

I'd like to introduce the newest member of our family to y'all...meet 'Fin' :-) 

'Fin' otherwise known as 'Finny' is our new car, a 2008 Infiniti 35x. Patrick and I had to purchase him after our other vehicle, 'Ellie the Elentra' was crashed in an accident. Let me rewind...

I had to head home to Pittsburgh mid December for the death of my grandpa. I always look forward to visiting home, but I never enjoy a funeral. Grandpa lived a long life of 91 years though, and I have no doubt he is reunited with my grandma in heaven and at peace. 

While I was away I got a call from Patrick while visiting with my sister, Katie and brother-in-law, Ted. The three of us were having a great conversation about what we anticipate heaven to be like. When I answered the call, Patrick was audibly shaken and blurted out that he was just in a car accident (NOT what you want to hear when having a heavy conversation about heaven!) he said the car appeared to be totaled. These were the last words I was expecting to hear, and the last words I wanted to hear. I felt so helpless. My husband obviously needed me and I couldn't be there for him when he needed me most. He was stranded in the middle of an intersection miles from our home while I was hundreds of miles away from our home. I was a mess. 

Patrick had just gone to Taco Bell to get dinner. I couldn't help but think that if I were there I would have cooked dinner and the whole accident would have been avoided. As he was driving home another vehicle pulled out in front of him. Patrick says he slammed on the breaks, but he couldn't stop our vehicle in time. Both Patrick and the girl say they had a green light, so the right away is questionable. All of the witnesses left once they saw both parties were okay. The accident was ruled as a "he-said-she-said", which stinks, because obviously someone had to have been in the wrong. Patrick says he has replayed the scene over and over and knows he had the green light, but ultimately, what is most important is that both of them are okay, and they both are!! The police officer who came to the scene said he had never seen anything like the accident and stated that "no one will even believe this report"...Patrick tells me the car he hit into (a Jeep Wrangler) had no damage but a small dent, while our car was completely totaled...check out the pictures of our car...

I credit football for Patrick's lack of injury. He's obviously used to collisions, and this was probably nothing  compared to the collisions he faces head-on on the field. LOL! 

Speaking of football, Patrick now had no car to get him to work, since I had taken his vehicle to the airport and parked it overnight there. A big huge thank you to our friend Tim who came and picked Patrick up the following morning and took him to work! 

Patrick and I were so not ready to purchase a new vehicle. We had no idea what we wanted, so it took us a few weeks to select our new car. Car shopping with Patrick is kind of difficult. See, he's a big guy, so there are a number of cars he doesn't fit into. It's wild, his head literally hits the ceiling of some cars! On one hand, this is helpful because we can just rule those vehicles out, but on the other hand, it's not very helpful because it rules out vehicles that I really like and fit into just fine. Initially Patrick was set on us getting a sedan, while I wanted us to get another SUV. After one night of shopping we decided on the Infiniti...could it really be that easy?! Not at all! Patrick then noted how surprised he was at the fuel economy of sedans. They were pretty much getting the same mileage as an SUV, so he suggested we look at SUV's then, because we would get more space for the same mileage. I was torn then because there were so many SUV's I liked! Initially I was loving the Infiniti FX but of course, Patrick didn't fit in it. We did find that we really liked these vehicles...

 The Mercedes Benz R350 

And the Ford Edge

Both of these vehicles weren't on our radar previously. I of course liked the Benz (Patrick laughed when a friend told us it was the "Mercedes Minivan") while Patrick was rooting for the Edge. I honestly really liked the Edge (even though Patrick thinks otherwise) but I hated the front of it. It just seemed too masculine to be my vehicle. We dismissed the Mercedes due to a small trunk and impossible to get to third row of seating. It seemed like the Edge was going to be our car, and I had accepted that...that is until Patrick suggested the Infiniti 35x again. It was about $10,000 cheaper than the Edge and had more of the bells and whistles we were looking for. Our Infiniti may be a couple years older, and have some more miles on it, but its in awesome shape! Plus it has sensor touch doors and push to start, two features Patrick's vehicle has that I have grown to love and desire! And it has a navigation system built in, which the Edge lacked. 

We drove Fin to Pittsburgh and he runs good! I'm very happy with our choice! It was a difficult one to make, but I think we did the right thing. Here's to lots of safe memories in our new car! Yay! :-) 

A Year To Remember :-)

2011 marked the biggest year of my life thus far. It was full of anticipation and excitement, and so many memories I will cherish forever! It was filled with firsts that will last a lifetime, and I'm so thankful for each and every moment.

Obviously, the largest milestone was marrying Patrick. We had looked forward to that day for so long, and it came and went so quickly. It was followed by our first time together as man and wife and a fabulous Honeymoon to Playa Mujeres, Mexico! That trip marked the first time I got my passport stamped :-)

We then slipped back into the real world and learned how to live with each other for the first time. We adjusted to this change really well. Yes, I'm a neat freak, and Patrick is more messy than I'd like him to be, but other than that, we've had no real problems :-) I love falling asleep in his arms and waking up to his good morning kiss...life is good!

Patrick worked really hard this year and got his instrumentation rating in flying. He is now licensed to fly in the clouds and rain, and we did both when we traveled to and from Narragansett, Rhode Island for the Fourth of July. His flying still scares me, but there is a real sense of pride that cushions that fear. He worked so hard, and I'm so proud he accomplished what he set out for!

This year I ended my career in Medical Sales, and am really looking forward to starting a new one in Photography :-) I met a photographer in Nashville, and I'm going to assist her on shoots, organize her business and start selling for her. I also hope to learn more about this creative craft and ultimately one day maybe start my own photography business shooting children and families :-)

Another big change this year was us moving from Pittsburgh to Nashville for Patricks job. I have really enjoyed getting to know Nashville and the friends we've made here! I really adjusted well and learned to love this city. God willing, we will be here for the remainder of 2012 :-) Patrick had a great year with the Titans. He helped contribute on Special Teams with 9 credited tackles and a blocked punt that lead to a touchdown! It's been so exciting seeing him thrive and succeed! He is up for contract this year though, so we will be anticipating learning if God wants him to continue here or go elsewhere.

Our home in Pittsburgh underwent a tremendous amount of changes this year. We got the exterior painted, and re-stained our deck and all of our wood trimming around the yard. We've also gutted two bathrooms, put down a new kitchen floor and painted the entire downstairs. It's been exciting for our little home :-) 

2011 was a great year for us, so I was a little sad to see it end! I have faith 2012 will be just as good though - just in different ways. We hope to expand our family this year, and are hoping God has that planned out in our marriage! We also hope to do a little bit of traveling. We already have a few trips planned and will definitely visit San Antonio, Pittsburgh and Orlando. This year I hope to continue my writing, and become more diligent in doing so. I also want to continue my reading and digging into the Holy Bible. Each day I want to get closer and closer to my Lord, Jesus Christ! 

I wish you and yours the best in 2012...you have the power to make it a year to remember, so don't waste this golden opportunity at a new beginning! 

Below is a recap of our year in pictures...Enjoy! 

This free digital slideshow made with Smilebox