A mostly lazy, wonderful weekend

This past weekend was much needed for me.  I've been feeling like a walking zombie lately, tired all of the time, unmotivated and lazy!  Last Thursday morning I woke up and felt as if my eye lids were glued together, I was so exhausted that I couldn't even get out of bed.  So this past weekend I tried to do as little as possible.

Friday after work I headed out to McKinney, TX to spend the evening with my friend Hillary.  She just happens to be a phenominal photographer who has done several photo shoots for me over the years (see pictures below).  You can see more of her work on her website and blog.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

She really is an incredible photographer and we have SO much fun shooting together and playing with ideas.  So this past Friday we got together to take some Bridals of me in my wedding dress.  

I totally said that I would NEVER be that girl who got married and put on weight, because hello, why does being married have to change that?!  Well, here I am almost 4 months into marriage and guess who's 5lbs heavier.  Yup!  ME!  Needless to say my dress was a little tighter than the last time I had it on, but I sucked it up, squeezed myself in and we headed out to some really fun locations.  It was a pretty chilly afternoon and the sky was overcast and gray, but I think the locations really played off of that well.  Charlie even got to tag along and was able to take some pictures with me as well! 

The first location was in this huge field with a larger than life, lone-ranger tree in the middle.  It was all surrounded by these tall twigs that formed a maze around the tree.  It was fun making our way into the twiggy abyss, unfortunately I have several bug bites on my feet and legs to show for it.  SO WORTH IT.  

The next location was this little vineyard near her house.  There were beautiful stone archways and winding paths, it was a very storybook-looking place and I loved it!  I was pretty self conscious the whole shoot, hoping that the skin on my back wasn't hanging over the dress, that my chest was concealed correctly, and that my arms didn't come across lookin soft.  :)  BUT, I know that Hillary has a great eye and as a professional and as my friend she wouldn't have let me go out looking a mess.  I'm really looking forward to seeing some images from our little session, it was a little short lived, but we did what we could with what we had!  

After our shoot we headed to dinner and spent the evening chatting away.  She is such a breath of fresh air in my life, so honest, loving and selfless and I absolutely love every moment we spend together.  I knew the night was coming to an end when in my tiredness, during a brief moment of silence, I shouted out, "NOODLE!"  She had a little noodle she was poking around with her fork and somehow that was, to me, important.  We laughed for about five minutes and then every ten minutes after that.  It was a wonderful evening.

There was, however, one downfall to our time together.  At our first location, as I was getting out of the car in my oversized wedding gown with a dog, a purse, and other random things in my hand, my iPhone plummeted to the ground, smashing into the concrete. It had finally had enough abuse and the screen shattered.  I looked down and said, "Well that stinks..." and we went on with our evening.

 

That night on the way home, about 3 miles from our house, I was driving on a back road when out of nowhere a suicidal skunk walked out and jumped in front of my car.  I saw him waddling across the center stripes and then... CRUUUUUUUUNCH.  It was the first time I had ever hit an animal on the road.  I almost cried.  Seriously.  I got home and walked inside with a pout on my face, Josh looked at me with his nose all wrinkled up and said, "YOU STINK!"  Turns out the skunk left me with a bit of a present, my car too!  So I pulled my car out of the garage to keep it from getting stinky and hopped in the shower.  Today the car and myself are all stink free.  I still feel bad for the skunk.  (Oh- and don't worry... I didn't take any pictures of the little guy, may he rest in peace).

Saturday morning I slept in until I just couldn't sleep anymore, then proceeded to stay in bed watching TV.  Josh was such an amazing husband, bringing me some doughnuts (that I had been craving) to me in bed.  Eventually I rolled out bed and went on a quest with Mom to try and fix my iPhone.  I ended up having to buy a new one since the shards of screen were coming loose and falling out.  It was still a good afternoon though because I got to spend it with my momma!  That evening Josh and I had date night and went to Outback for some delicious food, he is the best date.  :)

Sunday morning after singing at church Josh and I grabbed some Chipotle and headed out to his first flag football game of the year. 

 

It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was out and it was even a little warm!  About half way through the game, however, the clouds rolled out of nowhere, the wind began to gust and the cold returned.  His team won by a landslide, I was so proud.  We enjoyed the rest of our weekend relaxing and finishing up some household chores.  It was wonderful getting to relax a bit- I'm hoping it will help me to feel less zombie-like this week.  So far, so good!

Some Exciting News!

This past week I got a phone call from my brother out in North Carolina.  I was napping when the phone rang so I missed the call, but when he sent me a text message a minute later that sounded urgent I woke up and called him back.

I was not expecting to hear what came out of  his mouth next... "Nicki, you're going to be an Aunt!"  That's right ladies and gentlemen, my big brother and his wife Melanie are going to have a baby!!!!

I am so overjoyed for the two of them and am praying that things continue to go smoothly through the first trimester.  It looks like the due date will be some time in early October.  Melanie and her family are all wanting a little girl but my brother, myself and mom are all hoping for a little boy.  We will all be thankful, however, for a healthy baby - boy or girl!

I'm thinkin' that little guy or girl is going to be needing this with my name on it! What do you think?

If you're interested you can keep up with their newly started blog that will keep you updated on their new life as the Koch's plus one!

It seems like just yesterday that the two of them were sharing their first kiss as husband and wife... Now they are going to be parents.

Tony and Mel, I am so happy for the two of you and cannot wait to have that little peanut in my arms.  God has blessed you two with so much love for one another and I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for your lives.  Thank you both for loving me so much and for giving me the opportunity to be an Aunt!  I can't wait until October!!!

Valentine's Day

This year Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday.  The day started off with an early morning, waking up at 6:50 after getting home so late the night before was rough!  But I still managed to make it to church for band practice on time.  After singing at church Josh and I headed home to relax and enjoy some free time.  He napped while I watched some movies on TV, it was SO relaxing.

Josh left for a minute and came back with something behind his back... We had already done "gifts" so I didn't know what he was up to.  It turns out that before we had decided on what to do for one another he had already gotten me something else.  He picked out this absolutely gorgeous turquoise necklace for me.  It's become one of my favorite stones and it couldn't have been more perfect.  It was just a coincidence that it went so well with the dress I was planning to wear that night!

 

 

After a while we got up and got ready to go out.  My grandparents were in town for the evening so we made our way over to my parent's house to see them before heading to dinner.  I love seeing them, I just wish it could have lasted a little longer. :)

We then headed out to our dinner date at the Keg.  Josh had been before several years ago but I had never been.  We usually go to a steak joint for our big dinners and wanted to try something new.  The wait wasn't too terrible, considering they don't do reservations, and we were soon sitting in our big booth getting ready to order.  We both had the fillet mignon- it was a great cut of meat but some bites tasted a bit citrusy.  It was nice to get out and try something new and spend some quiet time with one another, but I don't think we'll be going back any time soon.

After dinner we went to visit Josh's parents for a while.  We even got to see Jamie and Kenneth for a bit, too!  Steve and Marsha were so thoughtful and gave us a very sweet Valentine's Day card.  Before heading home we stopped by my parent's house one last time to say hi to my parents/sister and say goodbye to my grandparents. 

The day was very busy and full but I was able to spend it with the people that mean the most to me, my husband and my family... and for that I am so thankful.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day, yes it may just be a made up holiday to get people to buy cards, candy and flowers... but I hope that you took the time to tell each and every person you love how much they mean to you.  Love is not just something to be celebrated between a husband and a wife, or a boyfriend and girlfriend, it is something to be celebrated for each and every relationship in your life.  So to each person in my life, thank you for your constant love and support... I love you all very much!

Chase's 26th Birthday

This past Saturday Josh and I were invited to spend time with close friends at Chase's 26th Birthday party.  Josh and Chase have been close friends since high school and were roomates through college.  We all headed over to Chase and Leslie's house for some BBQ, I was really excited because I hadn't had the privelage of seeing their new home yet.  It's such a beautiful house and Leslie has really done a fantastic job with decorating.  It got me so eager to do more at our house!

 

  

 

After dinner the guys all headed in the back yard to sit around the fire and chat.  While they were outside they spotted an owl pearched on the fence so Josh called me out to grab a picture.

Upon further review of the photo we realized the little thing had a big ol' dead dove in it's grip!

We also took the opportunity to snap a quick picture of all of the guys outside.

 

While the guys were outside, Hillary, Leslie and I stayed warm inside chatting the night away.  It was SO refreshing getting to talk with two very incredible women, I went home with a big smile on my face, so thankful for the chance to get to spend time with such great people.  

Chase, I hope you had a great birthday that you'll remember always.  Thanks for letting us be a part of it!

A Wonderful Reunion

This past week I had the opportunity to see my friend, Trey, from high school whom I hadn't seen in almost 6 years!  Jamie, Kellie and myself were all close with Trey in high school.  We confided in him and he always knew how to cheer us up and brighten up our days.  In high school he was this little charismatic, humorous and genuine guy.  He was always a shorty and had the most adorable dimples!  Well, this past Tuesday night Jamie and I went to Saltgrass and met up with Trey for the first time in a long time.  Much to our surprise when he stood up to greet us we found ourselves looking up!  He had shot up to 6 feet and lost all of his high school tubby-ness, he still had those dimples though!

Dinner with Trey and Jamie was really great.  We got to catch up on our lives and stories and it felt as if we hadn't missed a beat since high school.  Trey has been through a lot these past few years and has been active in the Navy, his stories were awesome. 

This past Friday Trey sent us a message saying that he had access to tickets to the SOLD OUT Miranda Lambert concert at Billy Bobs!  I had been wanting to go to this concert for so long, so we told him we were in.  We all met up at Jamie's house and then headed to Johnny Carino's for some delicious dinner.

After we finished eating we piled in the car and made our way to Billy Bob's.  Jamie and I have been several times over the past few years but Trey hadn't been since he was 17!  So this was bound to be a wonderful night.  The whole place was packed, people everywhere!  Trey pulled out our tickets and much to our surprise they were reserved tickets in section C!  This was three rows from the main stage and in the center of the place.  The seats were phenomenal, we ended up sitting next to one of Miranda Lambert's teachers from when she was in school.

I couldn't get over how absolutely incredible she was in concert.  She bounced around that stage- in heels nonetheless - and her vocals were flawless.

We all sat / stood in awe watching her perform.  At the end during her encore she grabbed the mic and said, "I just love me some Blake Shelton!" To which the crowd cheered (she is dating this country star) and two seconds later as she hollered, "Hey Blake!"  He walks onto the stage and the crowd goes wild.  He proceeded to sing one of his songs and then they did a duet.  It was adorable watching them on stage together, you could really see the love shared between the two of them. 

The concert was amazing and the company, even better.  We had such a great time getting to catch up and see our long lost friend and were so thankful for the incredible tickets he gave us.

 He's now on his way back home to check in and head out to sea for the next few months.  We're hoping that he makes his way back to Texas in August so we can repay him for everything by throwing him a Birthday Bash. 

It's amazing how you can go years without seeing a person and then once you're together it's as if you haven't missed a single day.  True friendship lasts the hands of time and I am so thankful to have been a witness to that!

A Poll...

This past week my mom, sister and I attended a Premier Jewelry party for my friends Morgan and Regan.  We really had a great time and I fell in love with their line of goodies.  I came home with a big smile on my face and told Josh that he didn't have to worry about a valentines day gift because I had picked out a watch and a gorgeous ring at the party!  Hehehe! 

With that being said, I was contemplating the idea of hosting a party at our home sometime soon.  Regan is so knowledgable and was such a wonderful sales rep and I would love to host a party for her.  If you're not familiar with Premier Jewelry (as I was not) here is a little bit about them directly from their website:

Premier Designs is a direct sales jewelry company founded in 1985 by Joan and Andy Horner in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. They created the company as a way to support ministries here and around the globe, as well as provide a home-based business opportunity established on biblical principles, such as integrity and unselfish service.  
Premier Designs offers a wide array of beautiful, affordably-priced jewelry to suit a variety of fashion styles — from classic elegance to contemporary, vintage romantic to naturally simple. Our catalog includes more than 700 pieces of jewelry, with an average item retailing for about $34. And not only is Premier Designs jewelry beautiful and affordable, it's created according to standards of quality to ensure it "keeps its good looks" through many seasons of wear. Premier also backs each item of jewelry with an exceptional Golden Guarantee

The jewelry they offer is incredible.  I stood there for over half an hour just trying to narrow down my choices on what I wanted to purchase!  In the end I decided to go with what I didn't have in my collection, which was a watch and an everyday ring.  The pricing is great and their golden guarantee makes purchasing their jewelry a worry free experience. 

With all of that being said I wanted to see how many of you would have an interest in coming to a party if I decided to host one.  It would probably be at my house on a Friday or Saturday night with snacks and wine.  Basically it would be a night of hanging out and getting to see some gorgeous and affordable jewelry, I even learned a few new tricks on how to use a piece in more than one way.  We're all a little strapped for cash these days but this stuff is really pocket friendly and absolutely gorgeous! 

If you're interested in possibly attending please let me know so I can get it on the calendar!  Let me know what times and days work best for you and we'll get it scheduled.  Also, if you have any other questions about it that I may not have addressed don't hesitate to ask, if I don't know the answer I can always ask Regan.  You can comment here, on Facebook, or send me a message/email.  My email address is NickiLynneMorgan@gmail.com!  I'm looking forward to getting this party planned... Can't wait!

It's February already?

Boy how time flies. 

I've really dropped the ball with updating my blog this past week!  Here's a little life update for y'all.

The last weekend in Janaury Josh was supposed to go on his hunting trip with Chase, but the weather had a different idea and brought snow to the panhandle postponing their trip another week.  That Saturday night I drove out to Lewisville to spend some time with my girls.  Jami and Kristi both live in the same apartment complex in Lewisville and Angie lives in Roenoke which is about 30 minutes or so away.  We spent some time hanging out and catching up and then headed to the movie "When in Rome." 

 

It was supposed to be a cute and funny classic chick flick... But it failed miserably.  It was Jami, Jaclyn, Angie, Kristi and myself and NONE of us enjoyed the movie.  It was as if they tried way too hard to make it current and funny but it just turned out tacky and poorly acted.  The only reason we stuck through the entire movie was so that we could keep staring at Josh  Duhamel... Num num num...

 

 

He's no Josh Morgan, but he sure is easy on the eyes.

After the sub par movie we headed over to dinner.  BJ's had an almost 2 hour wait so we went to Fred's bar and grill.  The food was decent but mostly it was nice just to spend some time with friends catching up on our lives.  I wish I could have stayed longer but I had to be up early the next morning to sing at church.

This past weekend Josh headed to Floydada, Texas with Chase for their hunting trip.  I took advantage of the free time and spent Friday night with my family.  My dad had been in Singapore for work over the past week and surprised us all by coming home early, we spent the night catching up and playing a few games of Racko.  Saturday I caught up on chores around the house, even finished decorating our master bath (pictures to come)!  That afternoon I headed back to my parent's house to help finish decorating my sister's bedroom.  She is now 13 (almost 14, scary!) and has developed an incredible fashion sense and wanted her bedroom to refelct that.  I'll post pictures of that soon, too!  I've really dropped the ball lately!

That night I made dinner for my family and Shelley and then spent the rest of the night playing Wii games and hearts.  Mom pulled out a win by shooting the moon on the last hand, none of us saw that coming.  Way to go, Mom!

Sunday I went to church and then enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at home waiting for Josh to get home.  After he was back and all settled in we turned on the Super Bowl and started dinner.  We made homemade cheeseburgers and french fries,  I was really surprised with how well it all turned out. It was just nice to have him home!  

With all of that being said, these past two weeks have been great.  Work is flying right on by and we're really enjoying our weekends.  The house is slowly coming together ( I should probably add some pictures of that here soon, too!) and we're really enjoying being married.  This weekend will be our first Valentines Day as husband and wife, we have a busy weekend planned but are going to go on a special dinner date Sunday night.  Be sure to check back for an update!

 

One last thing.... I've had a few people mention to me that they tried to comment on these blogs and haven't been able to.  Is anyone else having this problem?  If you're able, would you please post a comment on this blog so that I can make sure the settings aren't all screwed up?  That would be much appreciated!  Thanks again for taking the time to keep up with our lives, we love you all!