Over the years....

Not that anyone has to read these....it is really for my own reasons...

1Year Anniversary!!! Thursday October 27, 2005


It's been one year... unbelievable, the best year of my life has already swung back around to complete and only start another. Shay my beautiful girlfriend has been with me the whole time and I am enjoying every minute of it. On october 25th 2005 (our anniversary) I got her a promise ring to signify our love for one another and how I promise to always be with her and one day marry her. From that point I took her out on a romantic dinner and then enjoyed the beautiful but cold night. I love you very much and I hope you had a great anniversary. I am looking forward to Oct 25th 2006! -Nick Wow I can't beleive we started dating a year ago!! Our anniversary was the best day ever!! I was so thrilled to be able to spend the whole day w/ my Nick!!! We had a great day a little shopping and out to dinner at Arzu's! MmMm Yummy!! Nick got me a promise ring!! It is so pretty! I love it...but not as much as my Yogi!!! Here's to many more years to come babe~Love YOU!! XOXO ~Shay~

Snow & Ice Tuesday December 13, 2005
*Wow* December sure has com in with a bang! We have already had it snow a couple times! Last week we had about 2 inches of ice!!! I hope we get a WHITE CHRISTMAS!!! Oh no...They are calling for more ice on Wednesday night! Wish us luck! There is a picture of the house with snow in the Winter is Here Album!!

Christmas is almost here! Tuesday December 20, 2005
We are happy to say that we are officially done w/ Christmas shopping! YEAH!! I think that is a record for both of us!! 5 days till Christmas!!!We hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday!XOXO

Christmas! Friday December 30, 2005
We had a wonderful Christmas this year!! It was our 1st one in our home! We woke up bright-eyed & bushy tailed & opened our gifts to eachother Christmas monring. We then headed over to Nick's parent's house for gifys & Christmas breakfast (yummy)! After that we went over to Nick's g-rents house for dinner! It was a very merry Christmas! Before we know it Christmas will be here again! So you better watch out-he know's if youve been good or bad!

New Car!!! Thursday January 5, 2006
What a new year!! On Monday we bought a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer! It is charcol-very pretty!!! It also has an extended cab~plenty of room for friends, family...babies (hehe)
Come take a ride! :op

We got a cat! Surprise!!!! Thursday February 2, 2006
Corey got 2 cats yesterday...he brought them home to Bobbie & they decided that they couln't have 2! So we brought home a sweet 6 month old kitty! We named him Amaretto!! He is almond colored & very cute!!
The cat has been around dogs before so it is going pretty well! The dogs are pretty curious! Frisco is a little It's really cute! We will have to see how Nick does around it! So far they are becoming buddies rather quickly!!
Wish us luck!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day! Tuesday February 14, 2006
Hope everyone and their loved ones have a wonderful Valentine's day!!!

Snowy Valentines Weekend! Monday February 13, 2006
Nick had a looonnngg 5-day weekend! He took a few days off! I took Friday off with him & we celebrated our Valentine's Day! We started the day off with some gifts!! We then met momma-G (Gayenelle) for lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings!!! I tortured Nick to watch one of my Valentines gifts, In Her Shoes!!! He was so sweet & took me to Indian for dinner ...which neither of us had tried, but I wanted to!! Nick ended my night with a nice bubble bath!!! It was the best day ever!!!
It snowed all day on Saturday!! We totaled 6 1/2 inches!!! It was so pretty! We even went sledding with Bobbie & Corey!!!!
Sunday it was still snowing when we met the family for lunch at Ragazzi's! It was awfully cold but Gayenelle & I managed to do a few crosswords & something that starts with a C...its some word game... in the newspaper! We had fun! Nick had band practice & then we all held our breath through part 2 of Grey's Anatomy!!!! It was a blast!
So long to the snow! It is now melting away! All in all we had a great weekend! A little update on the kitty: Amaretto is doing wonderful! He's a real cool cat~making friends & sleeping all day! We love him!!! Also an update on Frisco: He has demodex mange and we took him to the vet! It has cost a lot to treat. We have tried some alternatives as well! This morning we noticed a huge difference!!! His hair is growing back & hopefully we won't have to do any more treatments!! Hope everyone has a great week!


It's momma-G's birthday!!!!! Monday February 27, 2006 Hope you have a wonderful birthday! We had a blast on Saturday~Gayenelle & I went out for a b-day lunch & a little shopping! Then we went to a b-day fiesta at Wes & Aundi's with the best margaritas in town!!! Fun Fun!
On Sunday we painted the bathroom! Nick & I are both feeling it now! It looks great! Just a little touching up to do then we will be done! Pics are under the ~Our House Album~!
I also found out that my mom & Dan will be coming for a visit May 2nd through 10th! My mom will be joining Gayenelle, Chuck, & Me on the Longaberger bus trip!!! We are all excited!!!!

Please Keep In Your Prayers Monday March 6, 2006
Shay’s grandmother Brockly (mom's mom) in California has been in and out of the hospital for the past few weeks. She went in for a blood clot & then they released her. However she went back in for an emergency operation & they let her go again. However she may be going back in shortly she is not doing well.
We also received word that her MaMa (dad's mom) is in the hospital for Bronchitis. The doctors are watching it for Pneumonia.
-3/7 My grandma Brocklywas rushed to the hospital last night w/ congestive heart failure.
Please keep them in your prayers.

Devil's Marble Yard! Monday March 6, 2006 On Saturday we went on the first hike of the season! It was a blast!!!! Alicia, Cody, Corey, Bobbie, Nick, & I hiked the belfast trail up to Devil's Marble Yard! It was amazing! There are boulders the size of cars!!! We all climbed the boulders to the 1st gully while Bobbie slept on a rock ! We were able to view the valley over the trees!!! It is a must for all hikers! Pics to come!!
We are supposed to go camping & hiking this weekend!! Cross your fingers it doesn'ty rain! It is supposed to be 77 degrees so great for camping as long as no showers!!

We Love the Outdoors! Monday March 13, 2006
This weekend was awesome!! The weather was beautiful!!! We went camping at Patterson's Creek! It was a blast! Lot's of sun, creek walking, food, silly wet dogs, & fun!
When we got back from camping, Alicia, Chuck, Shay, & I went to the Peaks of Otter for a picnic lunch & then hiked to the Falling Water Cascades! It was beautiful!!
Unfortunently it is going to get cooler again & this weekend will have to hold us over until the next sunny day!!!

Woo Hoo! Wednesday March 22, 2006
Welcome spring! We are excited!!! It' almost April too! April showers bring May flower! This spring is bringing lots of fun!!!
We are going to Dad's & Momma Ruthie's for a long 4 day weekend!!! We are going to have lots of fun!!
In May mom & Dan are coming out for a visit. They are going to rent a motorcycle for a few days & when mom & I go on the Longaberger trip, Nick & Dan are going to take a trip on the Crooked Road!!!! Woo Hoo Longaberger trip! I think I'm addicted (Thanks Momma G!!!)

Trip To Cincinnati! Tuesday March 28, 2006
We had a blast this weekend in Cincinnati! On Friday we went to a yummy Chinese place once we got there!!! Saturday was filled with fun thanks to Ruthie our coordinator for the day!!! We went to First Watch for lunch--mmmm tasty!!! Then we headed off to the Newport Aquarium! It was soooo fun! Tons of fish, otters, sharks, turtles, jellyfish & penguins!!! Then we were of to the Observatorium...very neat place! Then we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner near this really neat mall!!! Needless to say we were so full from the dinner & dessert on Saturday night that we had a hard time eating Ruthie’s breakfast the next morning!!! It was so delicious though we somehow managed! Then Ruthie & I went shopping. We went to this awesome shoe store called DSW. I didn’t find any shows but then we went to Tuesday morning & I found lots of treats for the dogs & the cat! Then I went with Ruthie to see her wedding dress at a friend’s house! It is sooo pretty & it looks even prettier on!! We then all went to JUNGLE JIMS!!!! We got lots of goodies including stuff for your steak dinner that night! MMMMMM!!!!!! We also gave Dad his b-day gift since we wont get to see him!! Then we watched Derailed & Dreamer! We had fun! On Monday before we went home we met Ruthie on her lunch break from work for Mexican!!!! We had soooo much fun! We are looking forward to the next trip!!
THANKS DAD & RUTHIE!!!!! XOXOXO


Let the Good Times Roll! Monday April 3, 2006
This weekend was full of fun! Way too much fun in fact! We did a lot & stayed up toooo late! On Friday I went to see Martina Mcbride w/ some friends! She had a really great show...very enjoyable!!! I love her songs they are very heartfealt & moving!! After I got home I met up with Alisha for a late night celebration at Macadoos! Cheers to her new job! We had a blast! Well...our waiter sure did enjoy free nacho's & he stuck his finger in our FREE dessert haha! MMMM yummy!
On Saturday we went bowling with Sarah, Travins, Tabitha, Tiffany, Justin & Eric...I had to list everyone cause I beat them all!!!! YEAH BABY...there I go making up stories again!! We had a really good time! Afterwards we stopped by Jaren & Sam's new place. So by the time we got home & changed the clocks it was 4:00!!!
Sunday was fun we went to Gayenelle & Chuck's for some yummy burgers!! Then we headed off to pick up Anthony for Nick's band practice...we stopped ata gas station where we ran into Alisha! So Alisha & I wen't for a drive on the parkway w/ out the top on her Del Sol! It was such a blast!! I met Heather for dinner & then ALisha & I went to momm-g's for some wine tasting, TV, & popcorn!!!
So far this week is dragging...this time change is taking it's toll already! Hope everyone has a great week!!!

WOO HOO LONGABERGER & MOM & DAN ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday! Wednesday April 5, 2006
Yesterday was Megan Showalter's 21 st birthday!!!! Happy Birthday girl! We all went out to celebrate!!!! Plans changed and we decided that her party needed to be at our house on Friday! We are going to have so much fun! I hope it is warm so we can be outside some too...it's going to be crowded! I am excited to see everyone...there will be a ton of people there that we haven't seen in a while!!!!
Nick is working on getting a promotion at work! Wish him luck!
This week is going by quickly because we are counting down the days until my mom & Dan come out! We can't wait to see them!
I am excited...this Sunday is Longaberger Live! Gayenelle and I are going! I can't wait to see all the new stuff!!!

Lightning...Thunder...Rain...Hail...Sun...WEEKEND! Monday April 10, 2006
This weekend was a blast! The weather was a bit odd! They weren't calling for any t-storms but there were!! Friday we had a party for Megan's b-day! It was a lot of fun!!! We were up way to late!! On Saturday we rented movies: Prime, Mine Yours & Ours, Two for the Money, & Pride & Prejudice! They were good! It was so nice to just relax in the house all day! It was a little rainy so it was the perfect day! It kina sucked that it was all day Saturday but we didn't want to do it on Sunday because we had plans for family dinner & it was supposed to be sunny!!! Which it was! It turned out to be a great day! We went to Nick's parent's house for Taco salads YUM!!! We then went on a walk & then momma g & I sat out by the pool! I even got a little sun!!! Then we were off to Longaberger live!! It was so cool seeing all the new products & learning about Longaberger & what the company/family stands for! You really appreciate it when you here the story! NOT LIKE I NEEDED A BOOST! I LOVE LONGABERGER! I can't wait for the trip!! Afterwards we got some yummy Wendy's & attempted to watch our shows...but they were re-runs! Oh well!!
Hope everyone had a great weekend as well!!!
Today is my dad's birthday & yesterday was my MaMa's b-day!!! Happy Birthday!!!!
PRAY FOR MY MOM! She has a job interview today that is very important! I am sure she will do great! XOXO

Happy Easter!! Monday April 17, 2006
Happy Easter!
We had a very busy weekend! On Friday we went to a party w/ some friends! We had a great time! On Saturday I had band practice. Shay stayed for it and made Broccoli Casserole for our Easter event later that evening. I was surprised that she stayed. She hates to be there because it is so loud. I am shocked she said she liked it !! Later that evening we went to Corey & Bobbies for dinner & Easter egg dying. It was fun. I then headed off for a guys night. Shay was going to go out for a girl’s night but she was a little too tired to go listen to Madrone. Easter Sunday was great! We headed to church with mom. It was a pretty good service. Then we met all the family for Easter dinner! It was great. Shay and I got a "Picture Perfect" Longaberger basket filled with goodies for Easter! Then we went home and spent some time together watching a movie...it was really nice
We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!!!
Shay says: WOO HOO my mom comes in 2 weeks as of tomorrow!!! LONGABERGER here we come!

Goodbyes & Prayers Monday April 24, 2006
This weekend was tough. Nick and I decided that we could not provide for our dog Frisco any longer. We took him to the vet and treated him a few months back for Mange. He was doing well but the stubborn stuff would come back & then go, and come again. We just got the feeling that we were terrible people for keeping him & not being able to provide for him. We were able to find somewhere that would treat him & keep him in their care until he was better. It was a really tough thing to do but especially because we wanted to keep him...you know...I mean there are those people that get dogs & then take them back because they don't want them anymore or can't handle it. That's sad. We tried for a long to help him, we just couldn't. So we prayed about it and God knows our good intentions.
I also received news from one of my very good friends Kim, that she has been diagnosed with Lupus. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.
Other than that our weekend was pretty good. On Saturday we went to visit Pop Davis'. We had a good visit! Then we headed back to Raonoke where I attempted to go shopping with Alisha and Nick had band practice. I was only shopping for 20 minutes. I was just not in the mood after the crappy day we had. So I headed home to fix dinner. SHHHHH don't tell Nick but I really enjoy hearing his band play! They are coming together well & it sounds great!!! We went to a party at Megans & had a ton of fun!!! Then on Sunday Nick headed to Blacksburg to play drums & I went with some friends to the movies! Then Nick and I had grat eveing including FRANKS, GREY'S ANATOMY, & LAUNDRY! HAHA :O)

WOO HOO 12 days till Longaberger Trip!!!! My mom & Dan will be here nexty Tuesday!!!

Ready or not! Monday May 1, 2006
This weekend was a blur! Friday I met some friends for Kabuki! It was yummy fun! Then I headed home to hang out with some more friends! Saturday I met Momma-G for pedicures :O) Nick had band practice! He blew his bass drumhead so we are going to have to save to fix that! Then we had some friends over & barbequed shrimp & had weenies HAHA!!! We had a great time! It has been hard to meet truly good people lately... we are really excited Megan & Josh found each other :O) On Sunday we cleaned...our hearts out... ready or NOT my mom & Dan are coming tomorrow! We were able to get most of it done. Chuck & Gayenelle joined us for dinner! We had steaks, broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes, & dessert! It was good!!I am happy we were able to spend some time with them both. It has been hard with all the stuff we have going on! We cleaned some more & Nick headed off to his 1st night at UPS. He said it went well. We are looking forward to seeing my mom & Dan! This will be Dan's 1st trip out to the east coast...we are praying the weather will stay good! Hope everyone has a great week!
LONGABERGER is this weekend!!! WOO HOO!!!

I got a basket, I got a basket, I got a basket...HEY HEY HEY HEY!!! Thursday May 11, 2006
We headed off to Ohio to reach our goal...LONGABERGER USA! The bus ride was fun! We sat across from Gayenelle & Chuck...he thought we were headed to the beach haha! We played games & watched movies! My mom won a charm bracelet with a little bus on it for traveling the farthest. She gave it to me! I won a tie on! We also got tea baskets on the trip! Once we got into Ohio we went to the Homestead! It was amazing. So much more to see than Longaberger! Pictures are soon to come! We went to Miller's for dinner. It is an Amish restaurant! The food was delicious The hotel was great & there was Karaoke both Saturday & Sunday nights! We headed to bed early since we had a long day on Sunday. We went to Dresden & did some shopping! There are some great shops there. We found some really neat stuff. We then headed back to the Homestead for dinner & some fun entertainment! That night we did a Chinese exchange & my mom, Gayenelle, & I all ended up with what we wanted! On Monday we went to home office ~THE BIG BASKET~ It was really cool to see that! We headed back to the Homestead where we got to see the basket makers at work! We were really impressed!!! Then we went to Dresden for some last minute shopping & then headed home! We had a wonderful time!!!

To wave or not to wave... Thursday May 11, 2006
So it started early, not even fully awake yet! We hopped in the car to take care of the ladies... now when I say this...you think we took them to board the bus for their trip to Ohio...this time it had more meaning...We were getting rid of them! We had a little plan of our own. We dropped them off and it was a quiet ride back in the car to prepare for the journey ahead. We got home had some coffee and still silence... We started to suit up, Dan in his jeans and hardcore jacket that could have been bullet proof inside!! He even brought up some gear for me as well. No one was stopping us. 7:52 it fired up and sounded like a plane trying to take off. This wasn’t just any bike this was a Harley: fully loaded, customized with cruise control, full stereo with a cd player, and a couch for a secondary seat. We filled up at the local gas station and off we went! Shifting gears like it was nothing, just flying on the open road! When you’re on a bike everything feels so much more alive, like your actually flying! It is truly is an AMAZING feeling. We started off on the parkway headed toward Boons Mill. We had the Stereo cranked with ACDC and though the song wasn’t playing, we were two guys "On a Highway to Hell." We were on the Crooked Road. Now before I get to far into this story let me tell you about my club membership!!! Once you’re on a Harley you get a free pass to the club. Everyone on a bike waves to you to acknowledge you are a bad mamajama on Harley. So needless to say we were in and feeling cool....
Now this is a Famous road that a lot of us (Virginians) don’t realize is out there. Its called The Crooked Road Music Tour. The road takes you to all of the musical hotspots and Museums in Virginia and into Bristol. It has a lot of history of country and bluegrass music: like the legend Johnny Cash and the Carter Family. Signs mark the Crooked Road that are as big as a speed limit signs! We traveled all day and put about 600 miles on the bike stopping at the Crooked Road Restaurant and ending in Bristol with the speedway first and then finally the Museum. Now unfortunately as much as the website builds up the trail…the museum was a let down The sad part is that it’s in a mall!! It's not your average museum and for the trails age it really does discourage you. The museum was nice with photos and literature but mainly a gift shop to sell the items of the Crooked Road. After that we took the Quick way back, straigt down 81 and home. A new deffinition I learned is Saddle Sore: I will not let you in on its meaningful secret I would just ask you to ride a Motorcyle for 600 miles and see how your "cheeks" feel after the ride This was one of the most fun trips I have ever taken! There is nothing like a crooked road and a bike .

Here is the site so you can plan you own adventure!
http://www.thecrookedroad.org/
As for the next day we took the bike back and picked up my truck. A sad day none the less. I will miss that bad boy... We climbed in the truck and I waved to all the on comming bikes and no one waived back... I was out of the club untill the next time I'm on a Harley...

What a weekend! Monday May 15, 2006
We had a nice relaxing weekend! It was great! We were planning on going downtown with some friends to the movie in the park but it was a little too chilly! So we had everyone to our house! It has been great having everyone coming home since they are on summer break from school!!
On Saturday we slept in late! Then Alisha made us her famous breakfast skillet!! It was delicious!! It had potatoes, eggs, ham, onion, & 3 different kinds of cheese!! MMM MMM TASTY!!! We just hung out and watched movies for most of the day. Nick and I definitely needed a day to just relax since we were on the go with my mom & Dan! It was great!! Nick had band practice later that afternoon and Megan, Alisha, & I headed off for a grocery trip! HAHA I went to Megan's afterwards & we had a girls night while Nick & Josh went to a party & Texas Tavern! They were so nice they even brought us back a hot dog (for Meg) and me a hamburger!!!
Sunday we relaxed some more and did some cleaning! We fixed dinner for Gayenelle for Mother's Day!! Gayenelle & Chuck came over for a while! It was nice! We hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!! Megan, Dusty, Hope, Alisha, Nick, & I watched part 1 of the Grey's Anatomy season finale! Talk about holding your breath!!!!! WOW!!! We had fun!!
This week will hopefully go by quickly!!! Today hasn't been too bad! I am excited we are all getting together to watch the 2nd part 2 hour Grey's finale tonight!!! I am soooo excited!!! Tomorrow we have to dress business casual at work so that will be fun~haha!! I am working on Saturday from 9-1 so I will only have to work half a day on Thursday! Nick hasn't been to UPS to work for a few days since his foot is swollen & he can't wear his boots!! I am going to apply at a few more places to get a second job! Wish me luck!!! Hope everyone has a great week!!!


Who done itz? Tuesday May 16, 2006
So Truely I have no clue what this Blog is about but I am feeling bored and I want to type it somewhere. So recently of course we watched the season finale of Greys last night, the 2 hour special. We went over to Megan's house and it was all girls except for me, since Pope didnt want to come because of Hugh, and Hugh never showed!! It was fun because I didnt want to meet Hugh anyways ! So tonight we are up to no good, hopefully I will get a chance to mow the yard because it is getting rather long! I am trying to get onto Lowes or Orvis because the hours at UPS are crazy and the job is a true work out... no one needs to work out from 11-3 in the morning and then try to wind down and go to bed, its way to hard .
As for the week after next, I am excited because I am off Friday for the holiday and then off Monday for the holiday so hopefully we can do something exciting! We are thinking about going camping or hiking. I truely miss doing that and I dont get a chance as much as I would like to. All of our "shows" are ending for the season so we will be able to do a lot more activities. I think that I may have to admit Shay into "Grey's Anatomy Anonomys" she is in love with that show!!!
I am truely looking foward to this summer it should be very exciting! We have lots of summer birthdays in the family and Shay's sis Danyell gets to start it off with his on May 29th!! Corey's is shortly after on June 1st: which by the way I cant believe how old and grown up he has become. But of course the most important birthday's are mine & Shay's since we are turning 21 which is very exciting!!! We are hoping wecan save up the money and go to the beach or somewhere fun with friends!!!!
Well for now since I have just been blabbing...I will leave y'all back to your things you must do for the day, I hope everyone has a great week and untill next time...
peace easy my neasy

I have a problem!!!! Tuesday May 16, 2006
I am addicted! I have tried to turn to friends for help but they just get addicted too!! I don't know what to do!! I think I am going to breakdown I hear the 1st step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem...which I have...why isn't it getting any better?!?! The withdrawals are going to kill me!! I don't know what I am going to go until the fall when season 3 of GREY'S ANATOMY comes back on!!!!!
Cost of Season 1 DVD $20 Cost of DVD recorder for most of Season 2 $200 Cost of therapy for Grey's Addiction over summer "recess" $2,000 Watching episode 1 of season 3 knowing there's a whole season coming....PRICELESS!!!
We all got together & watched the 2 hour season finale last night!! OMG I won't be able to wait until the fall!
Box of Kleenex $1.99 A new remote because the pause and rewind buttons are dead on the old one $19.99 Number of Grey's Anatomy viewers on Sunday 27.1 MILLION Knowing you aren't the only one with Grey' OCD & the show isn't going anywhere.....PRICELESS!!!


Weekend Monday May 22, 2006
WOW last week went by really quick! I think it was because we were out every night with friends! We had a really good weekend despite the fact that Megan & Josh was at the beach! We went to a party on Friday & Saturday night. We were having a lot of fun since everyone is in from college!
On Saturday I worked for half a day. Let me tell you...I was so BORED! There weren’t a whole lot of calls coming in so I read the blogs about Grey's Anatomy! After that I met Amie for lunch. We had a good time it was nice to visit with her since we don't get to see each other very much. Later we went to Gayenelle & Chucks for hot dogs...YUM! They made me sleepy so we went & met Sam and got some coffee since we had a late night ahead of us.
Sunday we went to Nick's parents house again for dinner. We had beer can chicken! It was sooo good & juicy! We always enjoy visiting them! Afterwards we went to Wal-Mart with Gayenelle & then we went home & Nick had band practice I cleaned & ran some errands. At 9 we watched the season finale of desperate housewives & then we watched the shows that Gayenelle had taped for us. I was up until 3 because I didn't have to come into work today until 1:30. I regret switching with my friend because I have to be here until 10:00 & my allergies are really bothering me. I feel terrible. I took some allegra but that is not helping at all. I really wan to climb back into bed where they can't hurt me!

Hope everyone has a good week!



Icky sick week Thursday May 25, 2006
I am back to work. Feeling a little better. I am still feverish. Sunday night it hit... like a bomb was about to explode in my head Monday I just thought it was allergies. So I figured I would sleep it off and I would be ok. Boy was I wrong. By 2 am Tuesday my whole body was aching, I was weak & congested, & coughing like crazy. I made it into work for 15 minutes & decided to go home. I slept most of the day. I also took Wednesday off to recover. I am feeling better for the most part! Of course I scrubbed it to work today...sweatshirt, hair up in a messy something or other, a little makeup & chap stick. Not feeling too hot...WELL actually I was burning up by the time I got here! I was freaking out! Luckily I had a T-Shirt in my desk from one of the times I had given blood! I am glad this week is almost over, but it really sucks using PTO when you are sick & it is absolutely gorgeous outside I only have to work a full day today. I took 1/2 day off tomorrow since Nick took the full day off. We have some funs stuff planned for the weekend so we are getting excited! Bye for now!


Memorial Day Weekend!!! Tuesday May 30, 2006

We hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Memorial Day!
This weekend was full of fun, BBQ's, swimming, partying, & friends and family! This was the best Memorial Day ever!
We started the weekend off right. Nick took Friday off of work and I took a half of a day. Nick worked with Matt on a job for their landscaping company. He was done about 5. We relaxed for a bit and then we went out to Mexican for dinner before we headed to a keg party for Doug's birthday! We had such a fun night! There was tons of people there incliding a little surprise: Cody (formerly known as LUNCHBOX hehe)!! He didn't tell anyone except Chuck because he wanted to surprise everyone since he wasn't going to be able to make it!
On Saturday we slept in & did some stuff around the house. We had Josh, Megan, Kevin & Heather over for BBQ. Then we headed over to John & Megans for a part at their house! We had a good time!! Then we headed over to Megan S's & hung out for a while.
On Sunday we went to Gayenelle & Chuck's for a BBQ and swimming in the pool Nick then had band practice! Afterwards we hung out with Megan & Josh, then we headed up to Megan's dad's house at the lake.
On Monday Nick mowed his parents lawn early. While he did that I met up with Megan & Josh and we went & picked up breakfast at BoJo's! Then we all headed up to Smith Mountain Lake. Josh's dad has a house on the lake! It is beautiful! We took the jet ski & boat out! It was such a blast!! We all got lots of sun!! Then we headed up to Josh's mom's for a BBQ and Tyler is back from Ireland so he came over too!!
Well here we are back at work! At least it isn't Monday! We only have 4 days to go! We are going over to Nick's parents tonight for dinner. Nick is also going to weed eat. I am happy that we get to spend so much time with them Hope everyone has a greeat week!


The Bro's Birthday Thursday June 1, 2006
"Woman who go on trip with photographer, will become exposed"
As you can see my brother is such a lover from the picture above, thats him to the right acting like he is kissing my cheek
So for all of you reading this, today is my brothers 25th Birthday! He is finally becoming an old man. At this time, between birthdays, he is 5 years older than me... untill August 27th. I would like to rub it in for the 3 months . So everyone who knows him I hope you give him a call on this special day and let him know that he is a quarter of a century old...just because it sounds older than 25 . Thats all i got for today, untill next time.
Nick

Happy Birthday
Love Nick & Shay

Party it Up Monday June 5, 2006

We had a very eventful weekend
On Friday we went to a big party. Megan wasn't feeling well so she decided to stay at home. After I was at the party I went and hung out with her & Hope. Megan was feeling a little better so after Hope left she went with me back over to the party. Well when we got there Nick & Josh had went to Texas Taverns (haha) We weren't too far from there so we thought we could catch up with them. Needless to say we missed them. So we thought well maybe they went to Megan's house to get us. So we called Josh's cell...something ringing in my car then we realized that he had left it when the guys went on a beer run. So were on a mission... until they called from the party!
On Saturday we headed over to Nick's parent's house early so I could make the Broccoli casserole that she asked me to bring. Most of the family was there for Corey's birthday*. The food was great & it was nice to see the family, since we haven't all managed to get together for a while. Afterwards we headed over to a BBQ for Travis' birthday.It was fun...the food looked yummy but we didn't eat since we ate so much at Gayenelle and Chuck's. Afterwards we headed off to another party at Sam & Jaren's. We hung out there for a while and then we headed to Mike's for some more partying *. Megan, Dusty & I went to their house for a while & ate crispies
On Sunday Nick mowed his parents lawn & then he had band practice. We went to Schooners* to watch Sam play and have a few beers. Sam sounded great It was such a blast! Megan, Hope & I headed out to run to Wal-Mart & then over to Hope's dorm so that we could see it! The party was headed to Sam & Jaren's but they were still at Schooners so we went to Sonic. Everyone was still there & we were tired so we went back to Megan's and watched a movie.
It's Monday & we are oh soooo tired! I guess that's what happens when you have too much fun! HAHAHAHA We are looking forward to this weekend. Friday we are having a party for Megan's cousin who is graduating! Then on Saturday I think we are going to hit up a party since Colin is coming in. So hopefully this week will go by quick...well lets make it this month... we can't wait for the 4th of July!!!
*PICTURES ARE HERE!!!
Hope everyone has a great week!

The silence between us..... Friday June 9, 2006
So its finially that time. Friday, though its 12:30 and I have 6 hours left I believe I can make it. Its been a long week, as most who read this know me and a friend started a landscaping business. The name is Two Guys Landscaping...classic We are actually doing really well! I have been working the late shift at work 1:30-10:00 and in the morning from 7:00-1:00 I have been getting up and doing landscaping.. pulling in the money. Our intentions are to get really big and hopefully, God willing we can do that within the next few years. Luckily,Today I am able to work my normal shift 10:00-6:30 and I am able to get off early for the party at the house tonight. We are having a graduation party for Megan's cousin, Weston. We got the usual hot dogs and goodies since they are everyone's favorite and are cheap! Of course we will have some beverages . It should be very exciting. Then there is always tommrow...when I have to get up and go Landscape some more so I will probably be going to bed a slight bit earlier than everyone else.

So I dont know if Shay has talked about it yet in the blog, (and if she hasnt I am surprised) But we are planning a big trip to NYC for out 2 year aniversary (Oct 25th). We are going to go with Megan and Josh. We all know it is a long ways away but its good to plan in advance so we can save. We are all really excited to go somewhere new and do and see things we have never had a chance to do. Its nearly 5months away and she is planning like its next month, makes me ready to go tonight .

So recnently I am sitting in my jungle cubical and a person passes by doing some crop dusting aka cube dusting. To better explain this, you are sitting at your cube working and someone walks by your isle and farts while walking and continues walking away, nailing everyone in your cube making them go mad blaming one another with who did it. While all along it was someone who walked through your cube dropping the bomb.

Now after that story I am ready for some lunch. haha j/k. Though I am about to starve, I was used to eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner working the 15hrs with landscaping and Allstate and this morning I woke up late, and have a lunch at 2:00 instead of my yummy lunch Shay makes me at 12 so I am running off no food!
Well untill next time I will talk to myself later
Nick


Wish you were there... Monday June 12, 2006
MMM MMM Hot dogs~ So we all have the bright idea to have a hot dog eating & beer drinking contest! There are like 15 of us that are going to be engaging in this on Saturday! Wish us all luck!!!
This weekend was so much fun! We had a grad party for Weston (Megan's cousin) on Friday! It was crazy! On Saturday Nick worked & I hung out with Megan. Can u beleive it I got stung by a bee! It was sooo terrible. I can't remember the last time I was stung!! On Saturday night we went to a keg party. The gal's weren't feeling it so we went back to our house & hung out. After everyone left & the guys came home Nick passed out on the couch & Alisha & I watched the tapes that Gayenelle taped of Everwood. Then Nick and I went to bed & we couldn's sleep so we decided at like 6 am that we just wouln't sleep. So we got up & went to Wal-mart & did some shopping for my friends wedding & father's day. Then we went to breakfast! We went to this store to get a power cord for the Super Nintendo that Weston gave us. So we played DONKEY KONG for a while until I went over to Hopes w/ Megan. We met Nick at Frank's for dinner & then back to the Nintendo for a while. It brings back sp many childhood memories when playing it! Yeah XBOX is cool but nothing will ever beet Super Nintendo!! I fell asleep around 9 (what a looser) and Nick & Megan played the WHOLE game of Mario until about 1. Surprisinlgy Nick & I are feeling really good. Not tired at all. Maybe not sleeping at all on Sunday night is the trick! We will see haha
Hope everyone has a great week!!
XoXo ~*Shay*~

Love is in the air Tuesday June 13, 2006
I am in love with the best man ever! Nick I love you!!!
It has been hard with Nick working so much! I am so appreciative, but I miss our time together!! Last night I came home to dinner on the table! Nick made a yummy fresh salad with raspberries, steak, feta cheese, & walnuts! He also made corn on the cob & toasted bread! It was sooo delicious, wine & all! I walked past a dozen gorgeous roses that he got for me a few times...but when I saw them I melted! It was such a great night!
Nick~ Having your love has been the best thing that has happened to me. I have never felt so much love for anyone! I thank God I found you - I just wish I had more time with you to show you how much I love you. The way you show your love for me is unreal... I feel so loved! Nick, thank you for loving me the way you do.
XoXo ~*Shay*~


So I have a new addiction! Friday June 16, 2006
Thanks sto my my friend Megan...I am now addicted to Laguna Beach & The Hills. Last Saturday there was a marathon of The Hills which is a spin off fom Laguna Beach. I fell in love with it! So we decided to have a Laguna Beach night cause Megan knew I would love it! She knows me well! I am addicted!! We watched the 1st disc of the 2 disc season DVD & we are going to have another LB night tonight! Then we are going to watch Sex & The City! I know she will love it!
I am so happy to have a friend that knows me so well! Megan you are the best! Luv ya! XOXO



The Keg Kompetion King.... (no not the KKK) Friday June 16, 2006
This has been 2 weeks in the making, which once I explain the challenge you will think we are ridiculous or retarded for pondering on this for so long, for something so simple and dumb! We and by saying "we" I mean all of us competing for this glory are very excited.
What it is: Saturday within the bracket of 6-9pm we are having a hot dog/beer-drinking contest. Now for this contest it is 5 points for every hot dog ate (with bun). And 2 points for every beer drank. Talley's will be kept. To enter the contest you must pay a minimum of $5 and donate more if you want. The winner at 9pm will receive the pot of money. Now there are some additional rules such as you make puke as much as you need and still be in the contest... which I find disgusting. We are very excited about this, since we got a huge amount of people coming over, so we of course will be pulling out the futon and extra sleeping supplies for people to pass out and be sick...

As for the rest of the weekend during the day I am going to be working sprucing up the yard giving it a cut, and possibly doing a little mulching weeding and trimming trying to get it looking its best. I have had a very eventful week with working both jobs making some extra cash and the guy we are working for giving us extra outdoor chairs and things because he doesn’t want them anymore. I am hoping to go hiking to Dragons Tooth since Alisha invited us but I will see how much work is to be done or how tired I am at 10:00 am in the morning we she heads off. I am excitedto go to my sister's for a cookout for Father's Day! It should be fun!

So far life has been going great I am excited about my brother's new addition to the family, even if its only the size of a pea. Congratulations and the Best of luck. I only wish we could be nice to one another again, but some reason he doesn’t want to start on a fresh page. Unable to forgive and forget, I have prayed on this because it is really upsetting not having a brother in your life, so I only hope that words of wisdom from God will touch him with the theory of forgiving and forgetting. We are loosing so much time, and if he dies tomorrow I wouldn’t know what to do knowing he wouldn’t talk to me... Oh well I guess just another rant that I hope someone will read this and knock some since into the guy...

As for today it is the slowest day in my life! I guess just because its Friday and I am excited for the weekend. I tell you what though, I don’t know what happened but there for a while I was in a groove, every time I turned around it was Friday and time just kept slipping by from me. I have since then tried to take it more slow that way time doesn’t slip away but here lately it just flies! I hope this weekend things will go slow and I will make sure to make the most of my time off, try to do some things I possibly never done, maybe go out to a new restaurant or something I dunno. (Like earlier I am rambling because I am bored).

I hope everyone has an exciting weekend until next time, don’t get caught with your pants around your ankles...
Nick

I am the Champion my friends... Monday June 19, 2006

So it started, at 6:00 a little let down because the first beers were only between a few of us...but as 6:15 and 6:30 came around plenty more people were there. The entry fee's were paid and the grill was ready. For round 1 we threw on a total of 10 dogs, kinda getting started slow, I had 2 and then Andrew decided he would have 5 . Me thinking WOW! It was a little early to go full out and try to kill the kompetion in the begining. But I wasnt going to have this in my house. This is my place, I should win my own kompetion. So I decided to have 3 more on the next batch and Andrew matched me with 3 more himself. Keeping up with the game was Josh Pope who came in 3rd at the end of the night with a total of 10 dogs. I was going to win!Andrew and I had to finish this out to see who would win. Everyone else didn't have a chance to survive once we started going at it. We finished with my 14 hot dogs and 13 beers, and Andrew having 15 hot dogs and 10 beers. Now at the end it was a dead Tie. Even match with 30 seconds before 9 o'clock so here i go chugging a beer. In this 30 seconds there was an interstate in my stomach. To better describe my hot dogs were comming up as I am guzzling beer down, and then the beer decided to hitch a ride back up with the dogs . 9 o'clock hits and there I am letting everything out that went in with an empty cup in my hand the clear undefined winner of the game by 2 points (a beer).
Now as much fun as the competion was, this is something that will never happen again. The rules involved throwing up as much as needed, I did let go 3 times in that 3 hour period. Which includes the last one at the end of the game. Never the less the pain was not worth the pot of gold at the end of the competion. I know we all had fun but the party did end a little early since everyone was sick from eating to many hot dogs.
We went through a total of 80 hot dogs and we still have 20 left which I am willing to give away should anyone want, being that I dont want another hot dog for probably 3 months. But hopefully we will think of a better less sickening competion for the next party. There was about 10 of us after everyone left we kind of chilled hanging out outside enjoying the weather and our belly aches. Around 2 am. I decided to ask everyone if it would be wierd if I said I was hungry.. which I was! I mean I did toss up every thing I had ate that day at the contest so I was starving. Everyone started laughing, I ate some chips and then we all called it a night...

Untill the next episode, I wish no one to eat more than 5 hot dogs at a sitting! Trust me its in your best interest

MoRe & MoRe Wednesday June 21, 2006
This weekend was a blast! I have nothing more to say than I DON'T WANT TO EAT, SEE, SMELL, OR HEAR A HOT DOG FOR A LONG TIME!!!
Megan, Hope, & I put together a treadmill that Megan bought. It was very interesting. It took us forever because we had to get thise wire through this pole & it just wasn't having it! All in all we got the job done! The girls said that Nick will be a luck man to have a wife (someday) that knows what she is doing when it comes to tools & putting stuff together!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day! We went to Aundi & Wes' for Father's Day lunch! We had some yummy food & it was great to have all of Nick's family there! We love being able to spend time with everyone!
So tonight is The Hills night! WOO HOO! I am excited to go to Megan's to watch it!! She is coming over on Friday & I am going to help her make a cake for her rents 50th wedding anniversary!! I am glad that I will be able to spend time with her this week since I will be in NC this weekend for a wedding!
Hope everyone has a great rest of the week & WEEKEND!!!!

Just another day in paradise Wednesday June 21, 2006
So though people most recognize this phrase from the song, I have been using just another day in Paradise a lot lately when talking to people and they ask me how I am doing. It’s just the best way to describe things because I am blessed for every day I get to be here. It feels natural to say and I dunno its true though things don’t go my way, "Its just another day in Paradise".
Now that everyone feels better from that little tid bit!! I am really excited about the landscaping business! We started growing and we will have our business license and insurance by the end of the week. I talked with Shay dad and he hooked me up with some websites to get started with the commercial side of things. I took it from there and I plan on going to a pre-bid tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock for a landscaping job for the City of Roanoke. Now I don’t expect too great out of this, but it’s worth a shot! I am excited to possibly learn a little more of the commercial business aspect.
As far as the plans for the weekend I am really excited to hit up this wedding for Shay’s friends from Middle school. I know she is thrilled so It makes me really happy. We plan on heading up early to visit some of her family in NC (where the wedding is too) and then the wedding if I am not mistaken is at 3. As far as the rest of the weekend I don’t foresee to many plans probably relax and enjoy the time off since this working 2 jobs has its perks and kind of makes you tired.
So as most know I started this new diet that turns your body so pure that it will reject cancer. They have even done studies where followers of this diet have researched & tested this…they even injected themselves with aids and their body rejected aids because it was so strong and pure. The diet is based on raw food (veggies and fruit). As we all know veggies and fruit are good but the raw thing is based that if we cook food it loses all its nutrients from being cooked out of it and we are feeding our body dead nutrition. So I decided to try the diet and give it a shot! You aresupposed to loose weight too…so I want to loose some pounds and try this healthy thing... Well for starters this is so hard… in the book it talks about cooked food being a bad addiction just like nicotine to smokers and it is hard to quit. The good news it's mostly water weight... but in only 4 days I have lost 10 pounds! Unbelievable! I am still very skeptical on this whole RAW way of life! I mean I love some meat...I gotta have my steak and I miss my mashed potatoes but we will see what happens...
Well for today thats all but as usual I will check back in with my little fan base in a few days In case I dont talk to you guys, have a great weekend!!
Nick

merrrrrrrr merrrrrrrr
sorry i had to use it, and i couldnt think of anything else...

Too dog*gone hot!!! Thursday June 22, 2006
To today it feels like it is hotter than... where that evil guy lives! Its crazy outside, I had to work this morning landscaping and I thought I was going to have a heat stroke!! Pure Craziness... (yes thats a word ). But hey "Just another day in Paradise. ..sorry had to input that since my last blog.. I mean I was thinking it!
(he looks hot)
I am so excited about this diet believe it or not I have lost another 2 pounds probably more. Now I say probably more because A) I didn't weigh in the morning waited till this afternoon B) I drank about a gallon of water and ate lunch before weighing... so I figure it might mean I lost more. But either way... raw or not I am just happy this diet is actually working, plus this landscaping sweating all day is probably a factor.
As for life today, I saw mom this morning, we had a small talk and then I mowed their backyard for them. Didnt get to spend too much time but hopefully we will see them Sunday! But we will deffentally see them Saturday morning before we leave for NC!
So we have a problem on our hands... I am in a dilemma. I decided I was through fighting and no matter who was wrong or right I would apologize with my brother. I was told to hit the road! He said he doesnt want me in his or his childs life. In this case I feel my part has been done its only acceptable for us to A) get over it or B) he apologizes as well and we get over it. Now in my case I would rather choose option B over A but will gladly accept A. I spoke with Mom who noted that it's not over and my brother wants me to go to lunch with him and talk about it...apologize face to face. I feel I have already apologized its in the past and I dont feel like dealing with the past anymore. I mean come on I apolgized like an adult & got told to stay out of his life! Dealing with the past gets me angry and I rather work on the future something we can change.... so help me out lemme know what you think...
For now,
Nick
~Shay says: I miss my hot dog!!!~
Josh I hope all is well w/ the new job! XOXO & Megan I love you

Please Keep In Your Prayers Monday June 26, 2006
My sister is going through a lot. There has been another tragedy in her life.
My sister is very close with her best friend Eden & her family. Eden's brother Reid & one of their really good friend's Vanessa, was in a motorcycle accident yesterday. Vanessa has passed away. Reid was in surgery last night for 8 hrs. He has broken a lot of bones and both of his lungs have collapsed. He made it through the surgery last night & opened his eyes this morning. However he is back in surgery now.
PLEASE KEEP EVERYONE IN YOUR PRAYERS! Thanks!
XoXo ~*Shay*~


Bake Me A Cake! Monday June 26, 2006
Megan's rents had their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Megan got the bright idea to bake a Watermelon Cake! Well that's great & all... EXCEPT... she has never made a cake before! Don't fear...Supershay came to her rescue!!
Meg came over on Friday night. She had a rough day at work and left early she wasn't feeling well. Needless to say she went shopping to get the ingredients...by herself! She called me up freaking out ...where do I find this...and that?? After "WE" found everything she came over & I gave her a few tips while she made the cake batter! She did a great job baking it! While the cake was baking we watched a movie. She started to feel a little sick again so I finished up & iced the cake. It turned out so cute! I am so proud of her!!!
Everyone loved the cake! When we got back from Caroline & Joe's wedding Nick & I got to try it! It was soooo yummy!!!
Good Job Megan!
XoXo ~*Shay*~

My friend Caroline was married on Saturday! Congrats Caroline & Joe! Monday June 26, 2006
I was so excited when I heard the news & received the invitation! Caroline is a good friend from middle school (in NC). After I moved it was hard to keep in touch with everyone. So we lost contact for a while. But it was so great to see her & all my friends!
I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the wedding at all...we were having a rough time:
It seemed like everything was going wrong on Friday. I tried to take a picture of Megan making a cake...well the digital camera didn't work. A button fell off of the shirt that I was wearing to the wedding about a week ago & I went to sew it back on. Couldn't find my sewing stuff! Then I couldn't find my undershirt to wear under the shirt with the missing button By the time Megan's cake was done it was 2am!!!! We had to get up early to head to NC. I wanted to leave extra early so we could visit my aunt & uncle before the wedding!
Thankfully Gayenelle had a needle & thread I was able to use & they let us borrow their camera I realized that Megan had my undershirt and we just slept later & didn't visit my aunt & uncle on the way into NC
We were a little early getting into Hillsborough, so I decided to visit a friend! We were there for a while catching up! It was so great to see her & her family! I thought we were close to the Church where Caroline & Joes was getting married. I also thought I knew right were it was at. Why wasn't I surprised when we couldnt' find the church...like I said there was a lot going wrong this weekend! There is like 3 NC 86 in the town... we went on the wrong 2. I needed to be on OLD NC 86! WOW! We finally figured out where it was & by that time we had missed the ceremony
We made it just in time as everyone was heading to the reception hall! It was sooo great to see everyone! Megan & Jacob, Whitney, Ashley, Heather, Shane...they were all there!!! It was so fun!
*Pics to come
XoXo ~*Shay*~

The Rain & I Have A Love, Hate Relationship Wednesday June 28, 2006
It started raining hard on Saturday night on our way home from Megan's. It wasn't too bad on Sunday. Kind of off and on. Well Monday & Tuesday was a different story. There were news reports of flooding Monday morning! I couldn't believe it!I love the rain! It makes me sleep sooo well! But when it comes to getting up and getting going in the morning it's so hard to do when it is raining!
On Monday it was especially hard. It had not rained in a while & getting up for work after a long weekend was very hard. Work was hard. It seemed like all the agents would not listen. Everyone was pretty grumpy!! It was raining still that night so Megan & I couldn’t go running and we were both tired so we didn't do any other form of working out! Tuesday came...the alarm clock went off, over & over. It was just so hard to get up. I really didn't want to go to work! It was pouring when I got here & pouring when I decided to leave at 12:30! On the way home the roads weren't too bad. I made lunch for Nick & I. He decided to stay home too We then headed to Wally World to pick up some stuff for broccoli soup in bread bowls for dinner (yum yum)! This was at about 2:00. Let me tell you the creek going down Garden City Rd was overflowing & well above the bridges. There were roads blocked by the flooding water & some were completely closed. We drove across the river & it was up to 11 feet!! Too close to the bridge for my liking!! By the time we headed home around 4 most of the flooding had reached its peak & settled.... some waters headed back down. There was still a lot of water downtown near River's edge though. The whole tunnel to the other side was full of water!
Today has been a beautiful day No rain in sight! At work we had a "County Fair"! It was a lot of fun! It was nice to be outside for a while today since we had such yucky weather all weekend!
Tonight I am headed to Megan's to get a work out in! I already took the treadmill apart that I put together for her She decided to take it back! She is going to use the money for NYC! So that's cool that most of us have our money saved!!
We are looking forward to this weekend! Can you beleive it is Independence Day weekend?!?! We are heading up to the lake! WOO HOO!!
Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone has a great Thurs & Fri!!
XoXo ~*Shay*~
....I take it back: I just ran out to the Trailblazer to move it closer & roll the windows up! It is thundering & the clouds are back! The rain hasn't had it with us yet

My brother and me Wednesday June 28, 2006

So there has been little votes that have come in came but lots of e-mails...thanks! It has been decided with the help of you, to ask Corey to go out to lunch (well I have no $$ so a hike or something) so we can talk out our problems and I can apologize to him again face to face. I sent him an email on Monday and I still haven’t heard anything back. I don’t know what’s going on. It seams like only one side is trying or cares, but I will leave that note alone because he may have not received the email or been in the office to read it. I hope we can work this out. I took the advice from the comment "Trouble" it truly was a word of the wise (thanks for the advice by the way!). I hope we can fix things though it will take a long time to ever be like it was. I can't stand not being apart of my brother's life, its just not worth anything... I love him and I wish he would see/realize that. I hope he will see that I care about him so much that I feel like I should step in and let him know how I feel but it’s his business and my feelings just blow up in my face and don’t help anyone. Mainly it just hurts becuase I have lost a brother. I miss my camping buddy. The one that was to accompany me all summer on adventures and hikes that now I have missed out on and been left out on because I opened my mouth. So If I never get the chance to go to lunch or something "cheaper" to talk out our problems and apologize, I sit here at my desk and apologize again:
"Corey, I am truly and deeply sorry for the things I said about you and your wife. I didn’t mean them as harmful things but rather from my side they were caring things because I only want the best for you. In growing up I am realizing that what’s best for you, only you know, and you’re a man and you will be able to establish what is right and wrong for yourself. I am sorry for always stepping into your personal business and getting to deep into your life. I am realizing that you need me more as a friend/brother than a second Dad. I am sorry for looking out for you, I should realize that every man deserves to make their own mistakes in life so they can learn from them and they don’t always need someone nosing in their business to make sure theey're doing ok. For all of this and everything I have done to you I am truly sorry. The reason I say this now is because I don’t know if I will ever have the chance to say it to you, due to no response for meeting up to talk. I will love you always, and once again I am sorry."
Thanks to everyone who helped me in voting to help me do the right thing. I appreciate the guidence and the words of wisdom given.
Until tommrow, NICK

Good news!! Thursday June 29, 2006
So finally after this trying period, I have got in contact with my brother, nothing much but at least a start. I received a comment from him on a blog that noted he doesn’t read my blogs (confusing) and was directed to read it by someone. He also noted that he blocks my email (I guess he doesn’t want me in his life). But he did note to call him so we can make plans to talk and everything. I gave him a call and had to leave a message but hopefully he didn’t block my number. (haha j/k I mean my number is brand new no way he knows it) But anyways hopefully he will return my call and we can start working this out. I know that everything will go as God has planned. I hope he will be willing to forgive and forget, big mistakes have been made by everyone and I just hope we can forgive each other and get along. Time is flying by and I don’t want to be mad at my brother...when I have another birthday or even extended and be mad at each other through Christmas! I know I have been going on a lot about this lately but It really troubles me and hurts me. I hope everyone who reads this and they see how much I care and how important this is to me. It took me 17 years to get a brother and then only 3 years to loose him again. I will leave it at that till the next update on our relationship.
As for today...I am starving! I could eat a whole cow and probably fit in a side of lamb. This raw diet was working well but it was too expensive so I had to put it on the side for a week until I get paid again so I can buy all this expensive fresh food. I think when I go back on it, I am going to just eat way better and still partake in some cooked foods. Its almost way to hard to go all-natural!
Well even though this blog was short and random...I will talk to my reader’s tomorrow
See Ya Friday,
Nick


Can you beleive it?? Friday June 30, 2006

I can't beleive that today marks a full year that we have owned our home!
It was a shock to us all when we were approved & we signed those papers!! It has been such a great year! Everything has been a first! Our first night, meal, shower, bill, phone call, party, cleaning, snow, holidays...It has been such a joy! We thank God everyday! We are so blessed to have bought a home at 19 years old!!!!
Thanks to everyone that has helped us out!!
We spent last 4th of July unpacking! So this year we are excited that we have lots of fun plans!! We are excited to go to Smith Mountain Lake on Saturday with my aunt, unclue, cousins & some friends! It will be a blast! This is a tradition. We used to go every July with them when we lived in NC. Thats why my parents decided to move to Roanoke!! It will be a blast!! Then on Sunday we are going to go on a hike or float down a river somewhere haha! On Tuesday we are celebrating with Nick's family! Hopefully the weather will be nice so we can swim! We are also going to celebrate Chuck's (Nick's Dad) birthday! Then we are headed to Josh's mom's for a BBQ & then to Megan's for fireworks!!!
We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Independence Day weekend!!!


Wet n' Wild Weekend Monday July 3, 2006

Friday Megan and I took her treadmill back Oh that was a blast!!!! It was such a pain!! We made the guys dinner & just hung out for a while!
We had a great weekend!! It was such a blast!!
We headed over to Momma & Pop G's house early Saturday morning. Nick is helping with some yard work. So while he was doing that Gayenelle & I watched The Hills!! It was great hanging out with my TV buddy again...in front of the TV!! After that we just hung out and talked Once Nick was done we started off towards Bridgewater to meet some of my family & friends to head out on Smith Mountain Lake!!
Once we got to the lake we were ready to get in! The weather was great! My aunt & uncle rented a pontoon boat as well as a few other of the friends & their family. My cousins rented a jet ski. Nick and I just hung out on the pontoon most of the day...well that is when we weren't in the water! Let me tell you the water near the dam is much much cooler! I was in shock when I jumped in! It was so great to just hang out on the boat all day & get some sun
I think Nick got a little too much sun ~ My sweet lobster! We went back to their waterfront hotel & ate dinner! There was tons of food, burgers, hot dogs, steaks, ribs, corn, potato salad, cucumbers...I can go on & on...the food was great!! After we ate my cuz Ashley’s boyfriend Morgan gave us a little fireworks show! It was fun!!
Sunday we headed over to Gayenelle & Chuck's again! We love going over there on Sundays! It gives us an opportunity to spend some time with them after a long week! It was nice when the whole family came over...but it's been fun with just us too!! We had steaks for dinner & swam in the pool all day! It was so relaxing. On the way home we stopped & rented some movies & Nick experienced his first Japanese dinner...I didn't like it too much it was very Americanized!! We watched Fun with Dick and Jane & Wolf Creek. They were ok.
We both have to work today but we are off tomorrow!!! WOO HOO!!
~*Shay*~



Independence Day Monday July 3, 2006
Happy Independence Day

Independence Day celebrates the birthday of the United States of America. Founded July 4th 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America is celebrating it's 230th birthday this year!!!
The 4th of July is a time for the Red White and Blue!! A time for Picnics, Parades and Marching Bands. A time for Beaches, BBQ's and "Bombs Bursting in Air."
So turn up the speakers, pour yourself a cold one, put another "shrimp on the barbie," and celebrate our Independence!!!!



We hope everyone has a wonderful & safe 4th of July!!



How great is having Independence??? Wednesday July 5, 2006
We had a wonderful 4th of July!!! We went to Nick's parents for a BBQ! We headed over there a little early so we could spend some time with them and relax in the pool. There was tons ot foof & fun, it was great! We alsp celebrated Chuck's birthday (early) It was a blast!
We then went to Josh's parents house for some more good eats!! We saw fireworks in Fincastle at the Elem School! I can't express how much I love fireworks! Just watching them gives you such a sense of joy. I love watching them...they are such a great representation of our Independence!!!!!
We went back to Josh's rents house to set off some of our own fireworks...but we got rained out!!
WE HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!

Sisterly Love Thursday July 6, 2006

My lil sister hopped on a flight yesterday to fly to Ohio to see my dad & Ruthie. She has decided that she needs to make a change in her life & move to Virginia. She will be staying with us! We didn't get a long well when we were younger but we both have grown up & realized how important family is!
I am excited for her to be in Virginia again!! I know that this may be a challenge for all of us at first, but I hope to help her realize what she needs to do & help her understand what a change this can make in her life! Please keep us all in your prayers!
~*Shay*~ XoXo

Kong, Pong, Wrong, Bong, Song, Long, Dong, Thong, Gong Tuesday July 11, 2006
That's all I could think of that rhymed in that category. So it’s been along time since I have blogged. I think sometimes I just get blogged out! But I enjoy reading everyone else’s. So hopefully they enjoy reading mine. If so I must continue... As we all know, I now live with 3 females! Leaving the dog and me in the minority. So far its been good though no problems!!I did go for a job interview for a part time job from 7-1 in the morning with Penske. They noted they would contact me to let me know in a few days so hopefully everything will go well with that. I did send a follow-up email today just to see how the decision process was going, but I probably won't hear back until tomorrow from that email.As far as life is going: nothing really new happening, just been running errands to convert Shay's sister into a Virginian.... (DMV, bank account, Insurance...etc.) So sorry for the short blog, should anything exciting happen, such as I win the lottery... I probably wont blog about it,because I mean hey if I win the lottery, I will probably take the day off, call everyone personally that I know and take them out to lunch and then probably go spend it. But on the side of reality...I will be at work tomorrow.

Eggs, Mayo, Mustard! Oh My!!! Thursday July 13, 2006
So far so good!! My sister has been doing well here! It has been great having her here. I really have missed her! I am so happy that she has made the decision to move back to VA to get her life back on track. It seems the most difficult thing has been fighting the boys off with a bat...hahaha just kidding! Actually it has been trying to get her past employment history together. She just can't remember where she worked & when. So last night we made some progress… she remembered what job she worked by who she was dating! It was hilarious!!! It was getting stressful there for a while & she lightened the mood with one of those do you remember when stories: Apparently when we were younger I asked her something about ever seen a cracked egg...or something like that & then smashed an egg in the middle of her forehead!! I had no clue what she was talking about...but I wouldn't put it past me to do that HAHA! Then I returned do you remember the time: I threatened you with mayo & mustard?? She had made me mad so I got a huge spoonful of mayo & the squirt bottle of mustard (she hates both-so much they make her want to puke) and chased her around the house until she was in the perfect position...aimed & shot!! YESSSS!!! We laughed so hard we started to cry! I think she is bringing the inner ghetto kid out in me! HAHA I catch myself saying things she ONLY she would say when I am at work ahhhhh!!! I needed that!! I love her!!!!!~*Shay*~ XoXo

August Babies!!! Friday July 14, 2006

AUGUST BABY--outgoing personality. takes risks. feeds on attention. no self control. kind hearted. self confident. loud and boisterous. VERY revengeful. easy to get along with and talk to. has an "every thing's peachy" attitude. likes talking and singing. loves music. daydreamer. easily distracted. Hates not being trusted. BIG imagination. loves to be loved. hates studying. in need of "that someone". longs for freedom. rebellious when withheld or restricted. lives by "no pain no gain" caring. always a suspect. playful. mysterious. "charming" or "beautiful" to everyone. stubborn. curious. independent. strong willed. a fighter. (hahahahaha)

Birthday & Grant Gathering Wednesday July 19, 2006

We had a busy busy weekend! It was super hot and crazy!We went to Pop Davis' on Saturday for his 80th birthday party! We got there early to help set up. The heat was ridiculous! It was humid & hot...the worst this year so far! Despite the weather tt was great getting together with everyone and celebrating. We don't get to see Momma G's side of the family too often. Bobbie was there too! She seems to be doing well...a lot lett sick from the pregnanacy!! Pop seemed to have a great time! We had lots of great food an desserts! On Sunday it was still hot but a little less humid. We went to Arthur and Shirley's to get all the Grant's together. It was good to meet that side of the family. We had a great time! Bobbie was sick again & couldn't make it Shirley wanted everyone to have a little piece of Grandma Stella...so she brought out these wonderful figurine's that were from her collection. Shirley told everyone to pick one out. Nick and I were looking and he saq the beautiful little white angel that light up...she is holding a boquet of flowers...He said this would be nice to have at our wedding. Everyone was like what have we missed?! HAHA It was even funnier that I was on the family tree already hahaha After the gathering Aundi, Nick, Danyell, & I went over to Gayenelle & Chucks for some swimming & burgers!!!We had a great weekend!!! Gotta run!~*Shay*~ XoXo

I heart Grey's!! Wednesday July 19, 2006

Woo Hoo as of the 21st of July ( Friday) we only have 2 months to go until Season 3 of Grey's Anatomy premiers! I can't wait!!!!!The ABC Television Network has announced Grey's Anatomy third season premiere will be September 21, 2006. The show currently in re-runs on Thursday and Sunday nights on ABC will settle into its new time slot on Thursdays in a few weeks. Although details about the third season opening episode has not been released, many fans want to see how Meredith resolves her attraction to Dr. Shepard and Finn, the Vet.About Grey's Anatomy"Grey's Anatomy" follows the lives of first-year surgical interns Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) at Seattle Grace Hospital, the toughest surgical residency program west of Harvard. Though they were students yesterday, today they're doctors and, in a world where on the job training can be a matter of life and death, they're all juggling the ups and downs of their personal lives. The interns are guided by an established team of doctors who are determined to shape them into skilled surgeons or break them: Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), a senior resident responsible for training them, is so tough that she's nicknamed "The Nazi"; Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) is the flirtatious but very capable surgeon who shares a forbidden but undeniable sexual attraction with Meredith; and Preston Burke's (Isaiah Washington) arrogance is second only to his skill with a scalpel. Overseeing them all is Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.), Seattle Grace's paternal but no-nonsense chief of surgery. Shonda Rhimes ("Introducing Dorothy Dandridge") is creator and executive producer. Mark Gordon ("Saving Private Ryan"), Betsy Beers ("200 Cigarettes") and Jim Parriott ("The American Embassy") are executive producers. Peter Horton is co-executive producer. "Grey's Anatomy" is a Touchstone Television Production.

Vroom Vroom Thursday July 20, 2006

Woo Hoo!!! My sister was able to find a 97 Nissian Altima for a good price!! Today she bought it!! I haven't seen it yet, but I am really excited for her! Other than that no new updates on Danyell. We are working on finding a job! Wish her luck!!!

The Honeycomb!!! Monday July 24, 2006

We have been talking about trading in the Trailblazer for the past few months. So this weekend we traded it in for a Toyota Matrix. We love it!!! I call it the honeycomb because there are circles all over the place in it & then on the grills in the front it looks like honeycombs!! Hope everyone had agreat weekend!!! We had fun. We hung out with all our friends at Meg & Johns on Friday & then everyone came over on Saturday! Our friends Josh & Barry came too! We haven't seen them for a while!! On Sunday we went over to the rents! Nick went golfing. I hung out & swam a little & ate dinner! It was a blast!!!Have a great week!!~*Shay*~ XoXo

Meet Star, Sherriff, Midnight, & Mazzy Tuesday July 25, 2006

I have always wanted horses! My parents promised me horses when I was younger, but we never got them! Thats ok..cause my baby got me some today!!From left to right: Star: a champion PalominoSheriff: a bay ThoroughbredMidnight: a big strong, black Arabian stallionMazzy: a paint; Mazzy is short for Maasiqu'o a type of corn that has blue & gray spots LOVE YOU BABE! THANKS!!XOXO ~*Shay*~

1, 2, 3, MOVE!!! Monday July 31, 2006
WOW! What a weekend!! On Friday Alisha moved out. After her & Chuck broke up she said she couldn't stay there because there are just too many memories. Good thing she didn't have a whole lot of stuff to move. We didn't have to help ...good thing because we were really busy!Megan, Chris, Nick, & I went to McAdoo’s for dinner. We had a blast. We were sitting there & decided to go scare ourselves some so afterwards we headed home to pick up the truck to head up to the Seven Gates of Hell off of RT. 666.The lightning in the sky on the way there was beautiful. We scared ourselves with all the stories on the way up there. When we got there & jumped out of the truck almost immediately I wanted to get back in. We walked down the trail some. I decided I couldn’t deal. I love scary stuff but wasn't up for being part of my own Blair Witch Project. Megan and I headed back & sat in the truck holding hands while the boys went exploring. They only found 1 gate & a house & a tombstone. We told each other about our ghost encounters as we headed to Chris' apartment where drank some & went swimming! Megan taugh us the dolphin & Nick did the best Penguin, flopping into the water & all!! It was such a fun night!! Megan's roommate Dusty moved out this weekend for the past 4 days I have been helping her clean and organize. On Saturday we steam cleaned her carpet & cleaned most of the house! Boy we were tired!! She wanted to move her room around: ok now let me tell you this included a loveseat & entertainment that was she was giving away, an old antique dresser (careful ), a HUGE wooden bed, & a bookshelf. She also wanted to take the loveseat that was in the living room upstairs to make room for the big couch she was getting. Needless to say Nick was up at Pop Davis' scraping paint and being the hardheaded strong women we are...we were not going to wait to do this! Screw cleaning...moving & decorating is way better! The worst part of it all was the stairs...they are the devil! We picked up Firehouse subs & rented tha Matador. Meg brought the beer &we just relaxed. It was a hard day. Chris was supposed to bring be a vault but about 10 minutes into the movine I passedout !! They decided to head over to Sam's to party...I SLEPT! Sunday we went to her rents house to pick up the couch & table & chairs. We had men...so we watched After we got everything moved in & decorated we started a Newleywed's marathon! Woo hoo! We heart Jessica Simpson! He if you say Nicholas Shay real quick & run them together it sounds like Nick Lachey! HAHA Have a good week!!! ~*Shay*~ XoXo *

Updated Again* Wednesday August 2, 2006
So not too much to write about...but I have a lot of cool things to say: So we received word that my dad & Ruthie bought a house!!! They found a home that they both love in Louisville, KY. Ruthie will be retiring next year so it was perfect timing!! Danyell found a job at a restaurant!! I am so excited for her! She will be serving which she really hasn't done before. She has been a hostess & ran food for servers. I think it will be a great opportunity!!! YEAH!!!!My friend Sarah is pregnant! I am so happy for her! Congrats Sarah & Travis!!We got Direct TV! My new best friend is my dvr! Woo Hoo! I don't know how I lived w/out it! I have been able to record all my shows & watch them when I have time!! Nick and Corey are supposed to get together this weekend. I am glad that they will be able to spend some time together just the two of them I hope that they will be able to work through their problems. I miss having Corey & Bobbie around...plus we do'nt want to miss out on baby Grant's life!!!Well that's all for now!~*Shay*~ XoXo I must vent!! Friday August 4, 2006
I love my shows. One of the shows that I am addicted to is The Hills. This show follows MTV's Laguna Beach star Lauren Conrad (LC) as she moves to Los Angeles, attends college, and works as an intern at Condé Nast's Teen Vogue magazine. Well to get straight down to what gets to me: Lauren is dating Jason. Who she dated while on Laguna Beach. They broke up because at a party he kissed another girl right in front of her. He is an asshole! Well he moved to LA and got in touch with her a few show's back. They seem to fight all the time & he treats her like crap! She deserves way better!!! A few episodes ago Jason asked her to move in w/ him at the beach for the summer. On the season finale on Wednesday she was offered a once in a lifetime internship in PARIS!!! She was a little unsure of what she wanted to do. For those of us watching it was a no brainer HELLO! Well needless to say she is an idiot & chose to stay in LA for the summer with Jason. I can't believe she made such a HUGE mistake! AHHHHHH! Oh well her life! But sometime you just gotta let out the ranting & raving!!!Thank god Laguna Beach season 2 DVD comes out Aug 8th!!! Woo Hoo!!!~*Shay*~ XoXo

What will we do?? Friday August 4, 2006
We have been really busy the past few weeks. I am looking forward to this weekend. I am not too sure what we are going to do yet. I am hoping spend some much needed time together & relax!Nick & Corey are working at Pop Davis' on Saturday. I am hoping that while he is working I can get the carpets cleaned & spend some time with Danyell. She has been so bored lately. I am also hoping to see Nick's parents sometime over the weekend. I miss them!! Maybe we can go hang out with them? We are planning on doing dinner with Corey & Bobbie at Ragazzi's after they get home.. Saturday night we are planning on having some people over...kind of depends on how things go on Saturday. If Nick is too tired then we probably won't. We talked about this last weekend: we are going to sit all day Sunday. Just veg it with some movies & friends. We all need a non-stressful day to relax!!! ~*Shay*~ XoXo What a beautiful weekend! Monday August 7, 2006
We finally cooled off a bit this weekend! The weather was wonderful!!On Saturday Nick worked at Pop Davis' house painting. Corey wasn't feeling well so he headed up there alone. Megan, Danyell, and I went to the lake. We had a great time. The water was nice & warm & it wasn't too hot to tan! I didn't get too much sun though I am loosing my tan! Corey still wasn't feeling well enough for dinner. So Nick, Megan, & I headed to Jersey Lilly's for dinner. It was yummy. Afterwards we went to Josh & Barry's for a party.Sunday was PJ movie day! We woke up & headed to Blockbuster! We rented Final Destination 3 & Benchwarmers. We bought Polar Express, Hookwinked, Bad News Bears and Mrs. Henderson Presents! Then we headed to McAdos to get some lunch to go. We watched Final Destination 3 while we ate our sandwiches & queso dip! We didn't think that the 3rd movie would be as good as the others...we were wrong! It was great!! Afterwards Megan had to work for a few hours. So while she did that Nick and I headed to Wal-Mart to get a town hitch for Nick's truck since we traded in the Trailblazer. We were going to meet Nick's rents for dinner at Panera but we went home & Nick tried his hardest for about an hour to put the tow hitch together. He called his dad for some help so we headed over there. I was so happy to see Gayenelle & Chuck! When I was getting out of the truck I slammed my leg in the door! OMG it hurt soooo bad! You should have ssen how pittiful I was getting up the stairs! Gayenelle andf I just talked and hung out while the boys worked on the truck! When they were finished Nick & I went & got Wendy's for everyone. Afterwards we headed home to watch Hookwinked & Benchwarmers! It was nice to just have a day to relax!Let me tell you I am already to go home! I hate Mondays. I feel like a big baby but my leg is swolled & bruised & my whole leg is throbbing! PLEASE make it stop!!!Well have a good week!~*Shay*~ XoXo I HATE THIS!!! Thursday August 10, 2006
Cigarettes are the devil! We have a love hate relationship for sure! Nick and I are trying to quit today. Bad idea! Mr. Nick is not a happy camper! I want to quit so bad! I know that we can do it...I quit for almost a year & Nick for 6 months! I know that it is bad for you & it is expensive. But I am addicted! With out my cigarette's I feel lost. Like I need to be doing something! I am starving when I don't smoke a cigarette in the morning! I love to pair my cigarettes w/ coffee & I like them even more with alcohol & friends!!! I mean we are getting ready to turn 21 & even if we quit it will just be so easy to go back to! Maybe I can just be a social smoker hahaha yeah right! Wish us luck!!

Swear on our relationship? Friday August 11, 2006
OK so Megan & I were sooo excited that Laguna Beach season2 came out on DVD! She bought it last night! I was hooked after the first minute~of course! She has seen it...but I didn't have MTV so I have never seen any of it! Well we watched 1/2 of the 1st disk & then Megan bailed to go talk to Nick about what Josh said. No biggie...I was sucked in!! So let me tell you...the people this season are so different & seem so immature! There is this one girl Jessica who is dating Jason (currentl'y Lauren's boyfriend) and she is soooo annoying Jason treats her like crap & she knows it. But she is sooo in love with him. Anytime the 2 of them talk she says "Jason you are lying, I know you are"..."Swear on our relationship" OMG SO FREAKING ANNOYING!!!! Finally they broke up!! I just don't remember being so immature in high school! Maybe I am just getting too old to remember I will be a whopping 21 in less than 2 weeks! HAHA I am so excited! We have a lot planned for our long birthday weekend since we took some time off of work Hope everyone has a G-R-E-A-T weekend!!!! ~*Shay*~ XOXO
Oh What A Weekend!!! Monday August 14, 2006 We had a fulfilling weekend...that's for sure!!!After work on Friday Danyell and I headed over to Megan's to meet her & Chris to head to Jenny's party. We celebrated her new job as a teacher and her new house! And celebrate we did! We had a great time. We hung out played some beer pong and partied. Nick met us there after work. Around 12 we headed to Alisha's new house. Now we didn't know how well that was going to be. OK STORY INSIDE A STORY Plus Alisha moved out after Chuck broke up w/ her and she really hasn't talked to anyone but Josh-which we all think is really weird since they weren't too great of friends...but whatever! Well anyways my point is that it was going to be weird! It was good to see all of our other friend though Josh & Megan talked things out & we had fun! Afterwards we went to Sam & Jaren's for a little while. So needless to say a lot of parting.Saturday was like the day of the dead in our house. Everyone hungover But we had fun so it was worth it!! Saturday night NIck & I went to Tokyo Japanese. He had never had it before & he love it! We went to Josh & Barry's for a little partying and then we headed over to John & Megan's. We had a fun night!!Sunday we went to Ross & got some new clothes an early b-day present to ourselves! Afterwards we went to Nick's rents house. They were havinga problem w/ their toilet. FUN FUN! So Nick helped with that. We then headed off to see Pirates of The Carribean 2 w/ Gayenelle & Chuck then we ate at Red Palace for dinner! Yum Yum! Megan wanted me to go to Wally World w/ her and get some stuff to decorate since her roommate moved out. So I helped her w/ that! So cute! This week should go by quickly! I am working 1/2 a day on Wednesday & then it's girl/guys night. All the girls are going to Red Robin & then for pedicures that will be so much fun! We haven't allbeen able to get together in a really long time!Hope everyone has a wonderful week!! ~*Shay*~

Blow the Whistle on Asthma! Tuesday August 15, 2006

I have been wanting to help raise money for illnesses. I have discovered a walking team w/ in my workplace. I am planning on walking for these cures whenever I am able to. Please help me in the fight against Asthma on October 1st! Until recently, I did not know that Asthma is the leading chronic illness among children and the cause of more than 5,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. I'm sure there are many more people who are unaware of the devastating effects of this chronic lung disease. Therefore, I have signed up as a participant in the American Lung Association of Virginia's 2006 Blow the Whistle on Asthma Walk, scheduled for October 1, 2006 at Longwood Park in Salem. I have set a personal fundraising goal of $100.00 to help the Lung Association in its fight against asthma, and I would appreciate your support in helping me reach this goal. Please visit my personal web page and follow the instructions to make a secure online donation. I would appreciate any contribution you decide to make. Thanks in advance for your support. http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?rid=504203&id=1118&acct=2403173964 *Also this is tax deductable!


Luguna Beach Season 3 Thursday August 17, 2006
This program was taped over an 8 month period in the city of Laguna Beach, California.The people, locations, and the drama... are real. (fine print) Results not typical. haha I went to dinner w/ Gayenelle & Aundi last night for the sneak peak for Red Robin. We had a great time! It was really good to hang out with the girls I headed to Megan's to watch the Season 3 Premier of LB. I wasn't that excited because I had not finished watching all of season 2 and everyone was new. Well needless to say it didn't matter because I was addicted w/ in a few minutes. I hate drama in my life but I love to watch it on reality tv. Well once we watched the season 3 premier we decided to fginish up disc 2 of season 2 on dvd. Let me tell you I thought I would start to like some of the people on the show better towards the end because Megan was like oh she gets better & oh he is a jerk-or something like that! Well if you follow the blog (unlikely) you will know that Jason & Lauren (LC) are dating on LC's show The Hills. Well they initially dated when they were living in Laguna. Well I had heard that he kisssed another girl & I didn't like that but OMG I saw it last night on an episode in season 2. When they first got together it was sooo cute but he is such a jerk! I hate what he did to her & he does not deserve her I cannot believe that LC took him back in Los Angeles!! OH WELL-better her than me!!! Like I said results not typical!!!! Who the heck would do that?! Well thats all folks! ~*Shay*~XoXo

Things to Know!!! Thursday August 17, 2006
THINGS TO KNOW 1. Budweiser beer conditions the hair 2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish 3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes 4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair 5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads 6. Shiny Hair - use brewed Lipton Tea 7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water 8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste 9. Burn your tongue? Put sugar On it! 10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too , remove glue from labels on plastic containers. 11. Bee stings - meat tenderizer 12. Chigger bite - Preparation H 13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H (but don't get it in your eyes) 14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals) 15. Stinky feet - Jell-O! 16. Athletes feet - cornstarch 17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub 17a. Infection in/around nails - White Vinegar 18. Kool aid To clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (Wow, and we drink this stuff) 19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also Kool Aid in Dannon Plain yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it! 20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper 21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray 22. Pam Will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby 23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls 24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on 25. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar ! 26. Body paint - Crisco Mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour into an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice! 27. Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak 28. Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and cup of milk of magnesia , Soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years! 29. A Slinky Will hold toast and CD's! 30 To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste 31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt And watch it absorb into the salt. 32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel. 33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter ! 34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce Towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets , Soak overnight! 35. Crayon on the wall - Colgate Toothpaste and brush it! 36. Dirty grout - Listerine 37. Stains on clothes - Colgate 38. Grass stains - Karo Syrup 39. Grease Stains - Coca Cola, It will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries! 40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax - Sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again. 41. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox , or 2 Bayer aspirin , Or just use 7-up instead of water. 42. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you "squeeze" for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are: Monday = Blue, Tuesday = Green, Thursday = Red, Friday = White and Saturday = Yellow . So if today was Thursday, you would want red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue - Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember. I thought this was interesting. I looked in the grocery store and the bread wrappers DO have different twist ties, and even the ones with the plastic clips have different colors. You learn something new everyday! Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping.

Nice relaxing weekend! Monday August 21, 2006
We didn't want to do too much this weekend since next weekend we have a LOT going on for our birthdays!!! Saturday Megan & I went shopping! We had such a fun time!!! Nick helped his bro with some yardwork & then worked with Matt for a while. When he ws done we headed to get some food & then we watched some movies. On Sunday we-well more like NICK- helped Megan-well more like Megan's DAD- move Megan's new washer & dryer. Afterwards we went to Gayenelle & Chucks for lunch. We hung out there for a while. I was able to download some pictures...take a look http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vaisforlovers1025/my_photos. There are pictures of Aundi's b-day under the Birthday & Partaay albums. There is some pictures from the Aquarium under the Cinncinnati album. There is a new album full of Caroline & Joe's wedding pictures & an album from the Longaberger trip! There are some other new ones as well!!!! Afterwards we went to Megan's. She made us dinner for helping her out IT WAS YUMMY& then we watched the Choice awards. I can't wait for this weekend to get here! Thursday is my 21ST birthday...Nick & I don't have to work! Woo Hoo! I am planning on going to dinner with some friends & hopefully get a pedicure. It will be nice to spend the day with Nick On Friday we don't have to work either!! That Night we are going to Chuck's retirement party & then on Saturday Nick has SOMETHING planned for me...not sure yet? Then we are going to Megan's for a lil party before we PARTAAY downtown!! Woo Hoo! Sunday we are heading to Nick's rent's house for a little b-day bash! So we have a lot of fun stuff planned!! I am really looking forward to it!!!! Hope everyone has a great week!!! ~*Shay*~

Future Mrs. Grant!!! August 26, 2006
Nick proposed to me!!! He took me for a surprise horseback ride for my 21st birthday! We had sooo much fun!!! About an hour into the ride we stopped for a picnic with some wine. It was so romantic!!! Perfect timing for the sunset!! He pulled out this amazing scrapbook with tons of pictured of special moments. I swaIt was a picture of him in the very spot we were in holding my ring with "Will you marry me" on the page!! He asked me to marry me! It was so amazing!!! He is the best man ever! I couln't ask for anything more!!! I love you sweetie!!!!P.S. The ring is PERFECT!!!!

Remeber 9-11-01 Monday September 11, 2006
Today we mark the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11. Our world will never be the same. Please remeber those who lost their lives September 11, 2001.http://attacked911.tripod.com/http://www.september11news.com/ Why Freedom's Stripes Are RedI don’t need a weatherman to tell me of this cloudy day, I wasn’t playing against them when they took my rooks away, I saw the pigeons fly as all the clouds were turned to gray, And I hear the peoples cry, “We’ve got to make them pay!” Who covered streets and people with such a dirty snow? No one takes the blame whichever way we go, Who has burned our books that we had stacked so tall? We are now not running, for we can only crawl. I saw a black man turn white and a white man turn red, If we are not frightened then why have we fled? The children were orphaned as their poor fathers leapt, We mourn much more now than when their fathers wept. I say all five sides were the wrong sides to strike, And recall of pasts sins of the kings we don’t like, But we didn’t bear arms or capture the game, Out of our sloth march the bloody and lame. Call up neighbor and brother to make use of your hands, Don’t strip stars of freedom from all of our lands, Lower your Glory and save all the dying, All our heart was poured out in our sorrowful crying. All they could do then was shed their blood, All we can do now is give our blood, All we can do is take more blood with the dead, Twas the price of our freedom that stained our stripes red. Mike N Miller

Chit Chat... Wednesday September 13, 2006
We haven't had much time lately to post anything...sorry!We have been pretty busy. Well let’s rewind a bit.... On Friday August 25th we went to a retirement part for Nick’s dad Chuck. The party was a blast! They had BBQ from 3 Little Pigs & beer margaritas! We are so happy for him. He retired the next week from the city after many years as an inspector!On my birthday I met up with some friends & family at Rancho Viejo fir dinner we had a goot time...little did I know it was supposed to be a surprise which dealt with out engagement. You all know that Saturday August 26th, Nick proposed to me! Check out the new wedding website: http://www.ewedding.com/sites/shnickAlso that night we went out to celebrate our 21st birthdays and our engagement!! We had such a blast!! There was about 15 of us that headed downtown Roanoke. We planned on starting at the Green Dolphin to watch Bebop Hoedown and then just hop around. Well we ended up staying the entire time! The band was awesome & we had so much fun!! On Sunday we went to Mom & Pop G's for a little birthday party with the family! Afterwards we met up with some other friends that didn't make it on Saturday night. We went to Macadoo's for dinner & then Buffalo Wild Wings for some drinks & pool! On Monday since Nick & I were off from work we went to check out the House Mountain Inn in Lexington for the wedding. We loved it but we just don't think it will work Back to work we went on Tuesday! Since then we have just been busy busy. My mom is helping us figure out ideas & prices for the wedding. We have looked at a few places so far but nothing we just love! We do not want to get married in a church but we have been checking out new churches to attend. We loved the style of Journey Church but we are looking to attend Church in an actual Church and find a good pastor who will marry us. Last weekend I went out for Julie's 21st birthday! We had a good time. We ate Mexican at El Palenque & then we went to Cornerstone, Corned Beef, & Martins. Megan & I decided we weren't much on the bar hopping. We prefer the laid back places where we can just hang out with friends & listen to music. On Saturday we went out with some friends from work to Don Ho's for some Karaoke fun! We got up & danced & sang...I am not sure why because we cannot do either but we had a great night!!My mom has been going through a lot lately. She lost her job about a month ago & has had some wonderful opportunities but most of them have been on the east coast and they want to hire someone who lives out here. She has been playing with the idea of moving to Roanoke for a few months now & it just seems like it is time. She told me today that she is going to put the house on the market. I am sure that everything will work out & she will be happy with whatever she decides to do! Danyell has been doing well. She loves her job & has been promoted to a trainer that will hopefully take her to different places around the country. She is really excited!We are going camping this weekend. I am so excited. I am sure it will be the last trip of the year. We really haven't had much time to go this year There is a big group of us that are planning on going! It should be a blast. The weather is supposed to be nice! I am hoping that it will cool off in the evening for the fire & s’mores!!! Next weekend we are planning on going to the Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival with Gayenelle & Chuck. We are also going to see Aundi & Wes there! We should have a blast! I think Megan may come as well!On another note… We are patiently waiting to know the sex of little baby Grant. We are so happy that Bobbie is doing better and the pregnancy seems to be going well! We are going to a little BBQ at their house on the 30th to find out the sex! My friend Sarah's pregnancy is going great as well no problems and she is 3 months pregnant! I feel some fun baby showers coming on!!!Nick has been doing well with his landscaping. We are praying that the rain will let up so he can do his jobs this week. Matt is moving to CA so Nick is wanting to take over the business completely. So we will be talking about that! I also switched to the later shift at work so that I can bring home so extra money & we can carpool. So far it is going well. Thank God I have the DVR to record my shows!!!XoXo

Let's Try This Again...Monday September 25, 2006
Ok so last week I had put everything into the blog about our camping trip that we went on the 16th...but I hit the back button on accident & it was lost! I was not about to re-type everything...I think I can attempt it today...It seemed like we had been camping more than once this year but once we got all our camping gear out we realized that we had not went camping since spring! There were tons to do. We had to clean & organize all the gear. We decided that we wanted silver turtles for dinner while camping but we didn't want to wait 3 hours for them to cook on the campfire. So we decided that we were going to pre-cook them. So needless to say we were up late on Friday preparing for our trip. On Saturday we were going to meet Corey & Bobbie and head up with them. But we were running late and we still had to stop by the rents and grab a tent for Megan so we told Bobbie & Corey to head up there. We made a quick pit stop at Kroger, The ABC Store and Mill Mountain Coffee and we were on our way to Patterson's Creek last! When we got there Corey & Bobbie were almost done setting up and we just hung out for a while since we couldn't set up until we picked Megan up since her lil car wouldn't be able to make it all the way. Shortly we received a call from Megan and Nick went to the beginning of the road and picker her up. When they came back we set all our gear up. By that time Aundi and Wes were there and they brought the beer pong table. The men decided to start a fire, which was a good thing since it was mid-afternoon, and we had not eaten lunch yet. Well needless to say by the time the fire was going it was time for dinner so we had a few hot dogs. Then Keith, Audrey, & Emily rolled into the campsite. Keith made some yummy hot dog chili but it seems that his old stove sprung a leak & it was sitting on the back of Wes & Aundi's truck! Luckily nobody got hurt. Then Keith decided to pour some sort of oil onto the fire and the fire went right op the stream of oil onto his hand! Were we camping with a pyro Later on Sam, Jaren, Dawn, Matt, Jim and Audrey's brother Dj showed up. We had a great time. There were a few more mishaps down the road A lot of us were playing beer pong and we heard a screeching "OH DEAR GOD" we were all like omg Corey broke something...well Corey walked right into a stump that was perfect height to his family jewels! Then later that night Audrey's pants caught on fire. Overall it was an interesting night.The morning was just as chaotic! We all woke up early. I was definitely ready to go I felt fine but when we got in the car and drove no more than 2 feet I had to jump out. I got sick! It was terrible. I didn't drink very much! I have drank way more before but I had decided to drink a few malt beverages-beer for gals AKA Beotch Beer. I never drink them cause they always have made me sick. I thought I would try a new brand-BIG MISTAKE! Rocky bumpy road and being sick does not work well together!! After about 5 stops and we were off the back roads I was feeling a little better. Everyone met up at Bojangles for the traditional morning after breakfast & Megan, Nick, & I decided to rent a movie. We headed home & just relaxed for a while then we headed to Nick's rents house for dinner!Unfortunately I think that will be the last camping trip for the season since it is starting to get much cooler. It was a great trip!! Can't wait for the next one-WELL MINUS THE BEOTCH BEER

Wine With That? Monday September 25, 2006
What a great weekend! I left early from work on Friday. I went home and did some major cleaning and then I went to the mall with Megan to try to find an outfit for her to wear to a wedding next weekend. Since Jessie was in from college we met her, Heather, & Nick at Mcadoos downtown. We had a blast! Then we headed over to Martin's for a while to meet up with Suzanne and Liz. Heather and I headed back to Mcadoos for a drink just the two of us because we were trying to ditch this guy that is obsessed with her! SCARY! Anyways we were out late but it was well worth it we had a great time! Saturday morning came quick after such a fun night! Megan stayed the night so that we could get up early to meet up with Gayenelle and Chuck at the Food Lion. Then we all headed to the Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival! It was a gorgeous day and the wine was great! It was much fun! Nick and I were really excited since we were finally 21 and able to drink at the festival! There were so many vendors and the music was good too! Nick got an Outback hat! You know those expensive Aussie men hats! It looks good & he has always wanted one! Around 3 we decided to head home. We stopped off and let the dog out and then we headed to Payless and Target. Megan got some really cute shoes for the wedding and a new purse and I got some comfy brown shoes and a cable knit purse for winter At Target I got a pair of really comfy gauchos on clearance! I love getting deals! Woo Hoo!! After we went shopping we all headed over to Nick's parents house to relax on the back porch and eat dinner. Megan just loves his parents! We all had such a fun time!! Then we headed back to Megan's to scare ourselves with the movie White Noise! It was a good scary movie!!! On Sunday we headed out in search of some cinder blocks to get the shed ready for my mom. We are gunna lock her up in there! NO just kidding she is going to store some of her things in there. We are getting really excited! She should be here by mid October! My second mom Colleen is going to take the drive across the good ole' USA with her! I cannot wait to see them both! We are planning a trip to Pigeon Forge and they should get here the same week so they are going to come with us that weekend! We finished up Sunday with a nice dinner at Olive Garden! We had to splurge before we started our diets! Wish us luck! Hope everyone has a great week!~*Shay*~ XoXo

A new addition to the family! Tuesday September 26, 2006
Today Nick's brother Corey and his wife Bobbie (future In-Laws ) went to the doctors to find out the sex of their baby! It is a little baby girl! We are so excited for them! It looks like the pregnancy is going very well. Bobbie's due date is at the end of January! We were all pretty shocked it was a girl! I had an inkling that it was a boy-but I sure was wrong!We are going to a BBQ at their house on Saturday to celebrate! It should be fun! I cannot wait to start shopping for little Reagan! Congrats Corey & Bobbie! XoXo Patiently awaiting... Friday September 29, 2006
Woo hoo! Only two weeks to go & my mom leaves CA to move to VA! Her and my second mommy Colleen will be driving across the US together! They are really excited & should be here by the 16th or 17th!!! Then on the 19th we are going to go with Nick's family up to Pigeon Forge for the weekend! See ya soon!! XoXo

Bobbie's Request... Monday October 2, 2006
I beleive Aundi & I were talking about how great Grey's was this past week & Bobbie said why don't you blog about it ...so here it is: Cristina surprises Burke in his hospital bed by stripping down to her lacy red underwear -- just as his parents arrive for a visit. It was great!! It seems as if Addison found Merideth's black undies & put them on th bulliten baord! When Miranda sees Meredith's panties pinned to the lost and found board, she's furious -- and she thinks for sure they belong to either Meredith or Cristina. Callie comes to their rescue by pretending they are hers, which causes George to become insanely jealous. Meredith offers to tell George the truth, but Callie says she loves him being jealous. Addison tells the chief that she needs the day off to drink. Because she know's her marriage is over! YEAH!! It has finally set in with het that her & Derek are over! Of course I am on team Merideth!! Derek decides that today is the day he's going to end it with Addison, but he can't find her. Richard tells him that he knows something about affairs himself, and to give Addison some time. Derek tells him he can't wait, and that "Meredith is not an affair." Another surgical patient, Benjamin, says everything that pops into his head because of a tumor that's pressing on his frontal lobe. He tells Cristina that she always seems annoyed and he asks Derek if he's sleeping with Meredith. Meredith, taking a cue from Benjamin, is determined to follow her gut and pick Derek. Woo hoo But I knew it wasn't going to be that easy... she goes home to check on Izzie and finds Finn instead. He came with lunch for Izzie, because he says bringing food was the only thing that helped when his wife died. She told Cristina that "he's that guy that brings your friends lunch" & she thinks maybe she should choose him instead.The chief has been sleeping in his office since his wife & him are a little rocky. After hours, Richard finds Callie rocking out in the basement in just her underwear. George arrives with flowers, finally telling her he's jealous, and finds her in her underwear, sitting on the bed with the chief. She runs after George to explain and ends moving in with him. Cute!!!At Joe's, Merideth tells Cristina that she's going to flip a coin to decide between them and be spontaneous like Benjamin. Cristina tells her that Benjamin isn't spontaneous, he's mentally ill, and that he just died on the operating table. Finn and Derek both show up and Izzie tells them she's not choosing: she wants to date them both, if they're up for it. Neither man follows her out of the bar. Wow that was a huge shocker!!! Derek finds Addison at a hotel room, in a robe, drinking champagne. He apologizes for sleeping with Meredith at the prom, but adds, "Our marriage is over," and that he's very sad about it. And then the bathroom door opens and Mark steps out in just a towel steam rolling after McSteamy Derek grabs her champagne & says "I feel much better now," I did the woo hoo Addison & Derek are dunzo dance!!! I just know that this season is going to get better & better! Have I told everyone how much I love Grey's??P.S. Heres my song: Let's talk about Grey's baby, Lets talk about anatomy, let's talk about all the good things & the bad thigs that make Greys'...Let's talk abbooouuutt Gggrreeeyyy'sss!!! XoXo~*Shay*~

Hair, Wedding, Baby, BBQ, Wood...Monday October 2, 2006
Oh my! Well well...this weekend was something special for sure!Lets start with Friday~Well my day started off bad because I decided to where my stilleto boots work! What was I thinking Well my feet were killing me all day because I haven't worn the boots in almost a year! 1st boot wearing of the season always sucks! Well the reason for the boots was that I was going out with Amie and some friends for her 21st b-day! I decided the boots were not gunna cut it since I was walking around work in my socks! So I ran home after work & changed to a more comfy pair of heels that were just as cute! I met everyone downtown at Metro. Not really my style...but it was fun. Afterwards I headed to Megan's to help her get an outfit picked out for a wedding on Saturday. We thought we had it all figured out but the outfit just wasn't right for the occasion So we were off...to Wal-mart we went & searched frantically for an outfit no luck! So then we headed to my house & found a couple outfits. Thankfully we were able to through something together! Then we did a test run on her hair...it got pretty late & we were getting up early so I could help her so I just stayed the night. The A.M. came way too soon! We cleaned her car out & I dyed her hair a really pretty red & then we put it in curlers! It looked beautiful! I headed off to pick Nick up for his Aunt Sharon's wedding. What a shock it was 1:00 and he wasn't ready! By the time he was ready we were running a little late but thankfully we made it right on time! It was good to see that side of the family. Unfortunently we don't make it up to Buena Vista very often to visit. Sharon looked beautiful & her & robbie looked to happy. They got married at this little chapel in Salem. It was a nice alternative for those who have been married before and want to share that special day with the people that are important in their lives. It was a pretty ceremony. Afterwards we went to Famous Anthony's with mom & pop G! It was tasty. Then we headed home to clean a little before the BBQ at Bobbie & Corey's. All the family got together to celebrate that they will be having a little baby girl! It was neat to watch the sonogram on video. Afterwards Aundi & Wes came over to help with the pump for the water. Aunid & I were talking & there was a knock at the door! It was a party Gayenelle & Chuck came to help too! Thanks guys! Afterwards Nick & I headed to Wal-Mart for a few items...well that turned into a shopping spree! On Sunday the plan was to go to church but we didn't make it that far. We still have a lot to do before my mom gets here. We went to Lowes to pic up some wood for the posts on the shed and some plywood for the floors in the shed. We also are going to fix the gutters on the shed! I am exited because it will look so much better when we are done with it!! I finally got to get all my Halloween stuff out & put it up. I have meaning to do it for a few weeks now but I just havben't had the time! Then Heather brought miss Maddie over!! She is a sweetheart! We will be watching her little chihuahua for a while. Maddie and Diesel get along pretty well. She is still a little scared of him but who could blame her? We got her settled in and then we joined Gayenelle for dinner since Chuck was out of town fora class. Afterwards we stopped off at Wal-Mart AGAIN to pick up a few things & then we headed home. It was a fun weekend a little sad it went by so quickly and we have a lot planned for this weekend so I am sure it will go by quickly too & before we know it my mom will be here !! Have a great week!~*Shay*~ XoXo From one pumpkin to another HAPPY FALL TO YOU!!A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?" The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you fromthe patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed.Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see." Nick and I loved this! We wanted to share it with everyone! Hope you enjoyed!

Dedication to all those with cold feet! Monday October 16, 2006
So now that it is getting cooler I am noticing that I cannot keep my feet warm no matter what shoes I wear or how thick my socks are!! I really noiticed it after work when I finally got to my car...freezing in the parking lot...I swear my feet were blue!! I turned my heater on to notice that the "good" heat--and by this I mean the nice warm stuff--was only over my feet when I put my right foot on the brake!! How is that possible!! Who rides around with there foot on the brake all day??!! Most people use more gas then brake!! It makes no sense!! There is a conspiracy against those with cold feet-- Well we are going to have to buy brakes more often that's for sure!!!Wish me luck on warming those tootsies up!~*Shay*~

What a weekend! Monday October 16, 2006
I was a bit stressed going into this weekend because I knew my mom would be here this week & there was a lot of things that we wanted to do before her & Colleen arrived. Needless to say I decided not to be bothered with everything until Saturday & Friday was my night to go out!! all had a long hard week & were so excited when we all managed to agree to McAdoos! Of course-where else?! Megan's friends Ashleigh & Kelley were in from school. She was a bit shocked when they each called her & wanted to hang out. She wanted to hang out with everyone & it worked out perfectly that Nick, Heather, Tracy, Mary & I were going to McAdoos too! So we all got together & drank up our preferred drinks...most of us were sippin on yummy drinks from out HALLOWEEN 06' McAdoos glasses! GOTTA LOVE IT! By the time we were done eating we decided to end up at Martin's! It's kind of funny. We found out "hot spots" and we really can't go anywhere else--But why wouldn't we! Well anyways...after we wound down at Martin's Nick took Tracy home & Megan and I introduced Heather to our "infamous" ride! We has such a fun time listening to music & just talking ...oh and of course we cannot forget that we all popped a squat around Megan's car! Yikes! Friday was such a great night! I can't wait to do it again!!!Saturday we woke up early to get some things done. We cleaned out the shed and loaded the trailer up to take to the dump., but once we got there it was closed We thought it closed at 2! We mostly just cleaned this and that and visited with Nick's parent's for a little bit. We had lots of options for Saturday night...it was Sam's 21st so we were trying to get a lot done so we could head up to Richmond to party with him...or we were going to go to Don Ho's for some Kareoking with some friends from work...or we were going to go to a part at Jenny's!! All sounded like so much fun...RIGHT?! Well we missed out. Megan, Nick, and I decided to make a quick run to Wal-Mart & then grab a move & some T-Bell. We were just too tired to go party & we still had a lot to do! Sunday Chuck came over & helped Nick put the wood around the poles on the shed & tore those AWFUL rusted metal gutter's down!!! We put new ones up & the shed looks 50x better! I am so glad that we finally did that project!! Afterwards we headed over to the rents to eat dinner & visit! Gayenelle made my WW Broccoli soup recipe..YUM YUM and yummy turkey sandwiches! We cut our visit a little short because we were really tired but it was good to see them, even for just a little while. My mom & Colleen are just about to end the night in Saint Louis, MO! They have made really really good time & are planning on being here a day early! They are hoping to be here tomorrow night by the time we are off from work! WOO HOO!! Nick & I are really excited we are only working 4 days this week & then heading to Pigeon Forge! We are going to have so much fun! Have a great week!~*Shay*~ XoXo

Our Mini Trip! Monday October 23, 2006
Colleen and my mom arrived Tuesday night! Their trip went well!! On Wednesday & Thursday before I headed off to work we showed Colleen around Roanoke and looked at houses for my mom. After work on Thursday, mom, Colleen, Danyell, Nick & I went to Brambleton Deli to watch Bebop Hoedown play! It was a blast. We met Megan, Julie, Suzanne & Liz there. It was a great start to our 3 day weekend! Friday we met Gayenelle & Chuck for breakfast before heading off to Pigeon Forge for a little mini vacation! After stopping several times for potty breaks a Megan spraining her ankle while doing the happy dance, we were there! Once we got thru all the traffic we did some shopping and then headed to the Old Mill for dinner! It was sooo good! Megan was coming down with a fever though and didn't eat much. I was a little worried that she was getting sick. But thankfully she recovered quite nicely! After dinner we headed to our little home away from home! It was a cute little cabin about 5 miles from the strip on the mountain with beautiful views! We were a little shocked when we went to pull in the driveway & there was a huge tree down! We didn't think we were going to get to the cabin without a little walk but luckily there was another entrance to the driveway! After settling to the cabin we played some pool & then Gayenelle made some yummy beer margaritas and Nick, Gayenelle, Megan and I headed to relax in the hot tub. Aundi and Wes got there just before we headed off to sleep Saturday was very cold when we woke up. But it was so amazing to look at the views of the mountains from the back porch. Most of us bundled up… and Mom, Danyell, Colleen, Nick, Megan, & I went to Dollywood while Gayenelle, Chuck, Aundi & Wes went shopping!! Once we parked at Dollywood we had to take this shuttle train-like thing to the gate. Can we say freezing!!! As if it wasn't cold enough...put us in an open moving object at 25 miles an hour!! BBBRRRRRR! Well needless to say Megan was pretty cold still so she bought a hoodie we call it Chartreusette! It looks really cute on her, the green looks pretty with her eyes! After we did some shopping mom, Colleen, & Danyell went to some shows & we rode some rides! After riding the Tennessee Tornado 3 times we decided to meet back up and bring Danyell along. She made it clear that she didn't want to ride any roller coasters. We were headed to ride the big wooden one. So we went to get in line & before we knew it Danyell came & got in line. She said she just didn't want to wait alone. Well as she was waiting in line somehow we managed to convince her to ride it. Now let me tell you Danyell is terrified of roller coasters ! I remember as a kid we rode this tiny little tiny one & she flipped out...needless to say she did the same thing this time! She flipped out & started crying but I was so proud of her for trying it! It was a lot bigger than we thought it was...but she did well. She even rode the Tennessee Tornado a steel coaster with 3 loops. She loved that one!! After Dollywood we went to Dixie Stampede! A dinner and show! It was so much fun! Afterwards we headed back to the cabin to pop open some wine & the men played pool.Sunday mom, Danyell, & Colleen left early to head toward NC where Colleen was catching her flight back to CA. The rest of us headed to Gatlinburg to eat lunch and do some shopping! Nick and I did an old time photo and so did Gayenelle & Chuck for their 28th Anniversary. Then we headed to the Christmas shop and then to the Apple Barn. We hate some delicious apple pastries and cider & then did some wine tasting! We had so much fun! Nobody wanted to head back but the end of our vacation had come! The ride home was long so Megan, Nick, & I played games like think of a song/band/person with each letter of the alphabet & our new fave where you guess a person, place thing by asking yes or no questions only! We also sang some Christmas songs! HAHA but the time flew by!Unfortunately the vacation went by too quickly but we had a great time with all the family and friends. It is so important to us to spend time with the people that make up such an important part of our lives and this trip really did give us such a great chance to do that!! Thanks guys!! We will definitely have to make this a tradition!! ~*Shay*~ XoXo

2 Wonderful Years!! Wednesday October 25, 2006
Today marks the 2 year point that Nick and I have been together! It has been such a wonderful 2 years! I couldn't have asked for anything more! I love you Nick! You are the best ever & I cannot wait to call you my husband! ...PS we are so not working next year! Halloween Weekend!

Happy Halloween! Tuesday October 31, 2006
This weekend was something, that's for sure!! Friday we met up with Megan and some of her friends for some drinks at TGI Fridays! We had a fun time! Afterwards we decided to head over to Martin's! Well byt the time we made it over there it was pouring!! Afterwards we headed to Meg's to watch a movie!Saturday we were up pretty early and we went to Red Robin for lunch. Then Megan and I did some shopping! We met up with Nick, Greg, & Heather and then we then went to Jenn'y for a Halloween party! Afterwards Matt, Twigger, and Mike joined us for a pary at Jaren's. Nick & Megan stayed while the rest of us went to a couple awesome parties in Blacksburg! We had such a great time & from what I heard so did Nick & Megan! Sunday we went up to Valhalla to check out the location for a wedding. Needless to say we didn't fall completely in love with it! Then we headed to the Birkenstock store where we found some cute shoes that my mom got me for an early Christmas present! Afterwards we stopped by Amie's to check out her new house and then headed to Gayenelle & Chuck's for pumpkin carving and dinner! I carved out a Tigger and Nick did Scooby Doo! Everyone's pumpkins looked so cool! *Pics soon to come! Afterwards we met with Megan and her dad and went to a haunted house...they used to be so much better when I was younger! Oh well!Hope everyone has a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

To have and to hold....in the cold??? Friday November 3, 2006
So we found THE PERFECT place to get married!!! It is called the Boxtree Lodge! It is amazing inside! Very rustic and open! There is also a bunch of outdoor patio space as well as excellent views and an awesome gazebo to get married under!! The price is right in our range too! We called to check on availability & they only have September 16 or Nov 3 of 2007 available We really want to get married in the fall & September just doesn't seem "fallesque" to me & November might be too cold! We are up in the air right now??? We really want to get married in 2007 but it doesn’t look like that might happen!! What do you think....What should we do??

I can't beleive it!! Wednesday November 22, 2006
I cannot beleive that tomorrow is Thanksgiving! This year has flown by so quickly!!A little update:Everything has been going good with all of us! It has been pretty busy lately with trying to get some Christmas shopping done. On the weekends we have been pretty busy with friends & family. We have been going to a new church & love it! Mom is doing well. She is on her way to FL to pick up my cousin who is stationed there & then they are headed to visit some family in AL for Thanksgiving. My dad & Ruthie as well as my sister Kim & her hubby Tommy are coming to VA today & we are all going to my aunt's in NC for the holidays. I am so excited to see everyone! Then on Friday Ruthie, Kim, & I are going shopping! Then on Saturday we are heading up to Asheville & we are going to a candelight tour at the Biltmore! What a fun way to spend time w/ family & get in the spirit of Christmas!! We are pretty booked upo for the rest of the yearHope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Get Ready!!! Monday November 27, 2006
Thanksgiving was awesome! We had such a great time in NC at my Aunt & Uncle's! There was tons of family & friends and good food! It was so nice to see everyone. We did miss my mom & Nick's family but we will be able to spend Christmas with them! Ruthie, Kim, & I got an early start on black friday & found some good deals! We all ate mexican for lunch & Nick & I had to work on Friday but we did manage to keep Gayenelle & Chuck up until about 1 AM visiting with them after work!We had such an amazing time w/ my dad, Ruthie, Kim & Tommy in Ashville! We went to this awesome Italian restaurant. The food & wine was wonderful! We had some time to spare before our tour of the Biltmore started so we did some wine tasting and some shopping in the gift shops. The Biltmore was decorated for Christmas and it was so beautiful! There were luminaries leading up to the house, decorated trees, and wreaths everywhere! It was the first time Nick had been & he was amazed! We were going to head to a Jazz club afterwards but we were all so tired from the Biltmore we just headed back to our hotel. As soon as Nick & my heads hit that big king size bed we were out We went to breakfast the next morning & then drove around the Biltmore estate during the daylight so that Nick could see the grounds. It was simply amazing! Afterwards we did some shopping. Dad bought me a little gift: a Swarovski bracelet it is gorgeous!!! We headed home around 1 but didn't get back to Roanoke until almost 6:30!! There was tons of traffic!! I went to church with Megan for the hanging of the greens, had dinner with my mom and then Megan & I went Christmas shopping! Afterwards we decorated her tree and watched a Christmas movie!Speaking of Christmas...I have so much to do! I have lots of shopping left! We have started our Christmas cards. I still have to print out our Christmas letter and address all the envelopes and get those sent! YIKES! I am dieing to decorate but I don't know when I will have a chance! I suppose we will have to wait until Sunday to go cut our Christmas tree down! YES that's right I did say cut it down! I am bringing the family tradition back!!! Since I have been in VA I have had a fake tree & I hated it! It just doesn't seem like Chrismas without the real trees!! I cannot wait!!! We are going to be really busy the next month! There isn 't a week or weekend we are not going to be busy with shopping and holiday parties and work gatherings! Tonight I am going to help my sister decorate her apartment with my mom. It will be really nice to spend time with them! I can't wait for this Saturday! Sarah is having a Christmas party! Woo hoo 1st one of the season! I am in charge of bringing my taco dip that her & Travis love!! That morning I am going to Bobbie's baby shower. It will be nice to see everyone since we don't all get together very much any more. I will post new pictures from Thanksgiving soon! Hope everyone has a great week! ~*Shay*~ XoXo

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas! Monday December 4, 2006
This weekend was such a blast! On friday we went to Mcadoo's and met up with Megan, Mark, Lindsey. Mary, Palmer, Mary Ellen, Ashley & Mike-Nick's friend from middle school! We had such a great time! All the girls headed to Conrerstone for a bit & then we went back to Megan's since it was last call & we weren't ready to stop partying yet! I was up for a little bit but decided to head to bed while the party continued downstairs. I had to get up early to go to Bobbie's baby shower so Nick se Meg's alarm for 8 & I was out like a light Saturday morning came pretty quickly! I got up & headed out the door to get ready! Well once I got in the car I realized it was onkly 6:50 am!! WHAT???? I later came to realize that she set's her alarm about an hour early! YIKES! I wanted to get back in bed so bad...but hey I was already up! Gayenelle & Betty picked me up & on the ride up there it hit me hard-the night before was catching up!! I was sooo tired! We were the 1st ones there-we even beat Bobbie & Corey. Aundi threw such a sweet baby shower! It was fun & the food was great! Bobbie & Corey got a lot of cute things! I bet they had lots of fun putting it in the nursrey!! Afterwards my mom & I went to Lexington for the day. We did some shopping. It was really nice to spend time with her just the two of us. That night we went to Sarah & Travis' Christmas party! We had such a fun time! We played Battle of the Sexes ~of course the women won!! Then we played dirty Santa & I came home w/ the down throw I brought woo hoo! Nick got a gift card for dinner! We were pretty tired from Friday night we we left pretty early & went to Megan's where we met up with Mike & watched Yes Virginia there is a Santa...needless to say we were all sleeping after 30 minutes!Sunday was our day of decorating! It was such a great day! Nick, my mom, & I went to the Christmas tree farm & chopped down out tree!! It was so nice to carry the tradition on! Nick loved it!! We met Gayenelle & Chuck at Abuelo's for lunch! It was sooo good! Then we headed home & started our fist fire in the woodstove & decorated the tree's! I love decorating but it sure does tire you out!! I have had all the Christmas cards & letters donw for about a week now...I just need to stamp them & get them in the mail! Hopefully I will get that done soon! So far today has gone by pretty quickly...Thank the Lord! It has been awful! I am looking forward to the rest of the week! There are a lot of Christmas things going on! WOO HOO!! We have posted some new pics under Christmas 2006, Thanksgiving 2006, & Partaay!Hope everyone has a great week! ~*Shay*~

Bah Humbug! Thursday December 7, 2006
Today has really put me in the Christmas spirit! We had our Christmas luncheon for work, it was fun! There were decorations, prizes, friends & food!! Nick and I both won a prize! He won a portable cd player & I won a digital camera!! It was our lucky day!! It has even started snowing!! Woo hoo! I was really beginning to think I wouldn't get in the spirit this year after the beginning of this week. For the past 2 years Gayenelle & Chuck has treated the family to dinner to kick off the Christmas season! Unfortunately we will not be going this year due to a huge misunderstanding amongst the family members & unfortunently we were unable to talk things out. I am praying about it & hopefully things will get worked out before Christmas!I am excited for the rest of the evening. My mom, Megan, & I are going to see Scrooge! This weekend we are planning on heading up to the Elk's lodge to see the lights! If Gayenelle is feeling better hopefully she & Chuck will be joing us! Well I am off for now!Merry Christmas!!~Love Nick & Shay~

Good Play, Great Music, & Awesome Friends! Saturday December 9, 2006
Well here I am working Saturday morning! What a blast. I am pretty tired...we were out late! Last night Bebop Hoedown was playing at Green Dolphin Grille. Megan, my mom, & I met Mark downtown. Nick & Josh came down after work and we met up with Crystal. The band was great! I love going and seeing them! We are going to see them again next weekend at Martins...get ready next Saturday will be crazy is the "bar crawl" The weekend after that Allen Thompson is playing at Martin's! He is from Richmond so he mostly plays there...So I am really excited to see him play. Sam should be in town then so he is planning on coming too. I talked to him last night he is doing well in Richmond. I am glad for him, but Nick & I miss him! We may be going with Lindsey, Mark, Megan, Josh & Crystal to Richmond for New Years, so that will be nice to see everyone.Well going back to Thursday... I got off early because I am working today. So mom &I went and saw Scrooge. It was free & is put on by one of the local churches. We didn't expect too much since it was just church members and volunteers, but we sure were wrong! It was so awesome! I haven't seen such a good play in a long time! They did a nice twist on it-Scrooge eve goes to hell. I love that they were able to involve God's word in the play. It will definitely be a yearly Christmas tradition!! After scrooge I was able to finish up with our Christmas shopping. We have a few things left but overall we are done & it feels GREAT!Tonight we are going to Smith Mountain Lake to the annual Christmas boat parade. All the boats are decorated for a parade to collect gifts for charity for kids. I know it will be pretty cold but it sounds like fun & it is a great way to give to charity I am also looking forward to the Elk's lodge on Sunday! Every year we have tried to see it we have been too early in December. So I haven't been able to see it yet! Well I hope everyone has a great weekend! Have a holly jolly Christmas! Monday December 11, 2006 Saturday & Sunday was so much fun! We were planning on going to the Christmas Boat parade on Saturday night, but we all decided it was just way to cold! So Mark & Nick made all the girls Chili and we stay in for the night. Josh joined us after work & we played Boulderdash & we popped open the Christmas tradition-Eggnog...the only thing about Christmas Mark likes haha! Me & Megan didn't like it-I should have made some russian tea Sunday my mom, Megna & I went to Megan's Church to watch the hildren's Christmas play. It was so cute! Afterwards we ate at Red Robin for lunch since Danyell was working & then we went downtown for some Christmas shopping. Nick, Mark, Josh, & Lindsey went to Josh's. My mom, Nick, Megan, & I met Gayenelle & Chuck and headed upo to Bedford for dinner. We ate at Ruby Tuesday's. It was yummy & then we headed to the Elks Lodge. It was so amazing to see all the lgihts! There were tons of decorations and mini "stories." Megan knew of Liberty Lake Park, so we headed over there.They had tons of lights there as well. My favorite was a fish jumping into the water & the 12 days of Christmas! Afterwards we headed back towards Roanoke and stopped in at the house on Stoney Battery Park. It is truly amazing how many lights were up at one house. There were moving carousels, crosses with lights, an american flag, just tons & tons!! It was good to spend time with everyone. Aundi & Wes were going to come too but Wes hasn't felot good all week! I hope he feels better soon!Afterwards we watched Santa Baby, a Christmas movie on ABC Family. It was cute!This Wednesday Nick's team at work is having their Christmas dinner! It should be fun we are going to Zak's! Can you believe it-I keep forgetting to mail out all the Christmas cards! I am going to tye a big red bow around my finger to remind me!!! We only have a few more gifts to buy and wrap so we did pretty good this year, not stressing at the last minute!!Well I am gunna run! ~*Shay*~

Please Keep In Your Prayers Tuesday December 12, 2006
Updated Nick's brother Corey & his wife Bobbie are expecting a baby girl, Reagan, on February 1st. Last night Bobbie was admitted to the hospital because she is having some complications with her blood pressure. The doctors are keeping a watch on her and the baby. Please keep everyone in your prayers. Shay & Nick ~*~*~*~*Update 12/13/2006~*~*~*~*Overnight Bobbie's blood pressured continued to raise and the doctors have induced Bobbie into labor. Reagan is 32 weeks in gestation, and her chances of having any major complications is very low. We are all waiting anxiously to hear any news that she has delivered as well as praying that Bobbie & Reagan will remain healthy & things go well. We are with them in heart & spirit as they go through this difficult time. Happy Birthday to our niece!!

Happy Birthday to Reagan!!Thursday December 14, 2006

This afternoon Bobbie gave birth to Reagan Faith Grant. They did a breathing test on the baby and the range is a 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) and Reagan came in at a 9! She is doing ok with her breathing and has a low immune system. She should be released from the hospital in 2 to 5 weeks, but she won't be able to leave the house because her immune system for a few months Bobbie should be home in a few days as well! We are so thankful that there weren't any major complications and everyone is doing pretty well!!Nick is thrilled to be an uncle & I am so excited to have another niece! Hopefully we will be able to go see everyone soon!! ~*Nick & Shay*~ XoXo

Drop it & go! Monday December 18, 2006

Well the past week as been pretty eventful...as you all know there has been a new addition to the Grant family! A little update Reagan is doing very well & Bobbie was released from the hospital on Saturday We cannot wait to see little Reagan! She is expected to leave the hospital February 1st!In other news...Last Wednesday was Grandma Grant’s birthday! We headed to her house to spend some time with her and the family before we went to Nick's team Christmas dinner at Zac's. We had a great time! The food was yummy! Afterwards Megan & I went to see The Holiday! It was so good! It is definitely a movie to buy!! Thursday Nick went to see the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale. He said it was really good as well! Friday night our friend Hope graduated from her nursing program! Congratulations Hope!!! We are so happy for you!! A bunch of us went to McAdoo’s & then to Cornerstone to celebrate!! Saturday morning Nick & I both had to work. Afterwards he finished up a landscaping job & then we met a bunch of friends down at Martin's to watch Bebop Hoedown!! They are such an awesome band! We had such a blast!! We headed to Cornerstone for a bit & then headed home! I really am so thankful to have such good friends!! Sunday we went to Gayenelle & Chuck's for lunch! It was so yummy, they had made Roast & veggies, & mashed potatoes! It was good to take a break from everything and just hang out with them! Afterwards we headed home to make 7 layer bars & make our gingerbread house. Now let me tell you, making that gingerbread house was an event in all its own!!! First it started out pretty good...well that was until we got to the frosting in the bad...it wouldn't come out the tip...and the bad broke! I tried to use a Ziploc & it did the same thing!! So we just got down & dirty with it & used our fingers! We got all 4 sides up & the directions said that we had to let it sit for 1 hour before proceeding. Well we had other things to do so we wanted to make the frosting dry faster so I grabbed the blow dryer...big mistake that melted the frosting! DUH- what was I thinking???? So we put it into the fridge to let it harden. In the meantime Megan stopped by to get the futon for Hope. Once the futon was loaded up, we went back to get the roof on the gingerbread house. That went pretty smoothly and we decided to let the frosting harden again in the fridge. Well I got the bright idea to make the frosting a little smoother since it was getting a little hard in the bowl. Well I put in a little too much water and once we decided to start frosting the top of the roof it was just sliding right off. So Nick went to put the house back in the fridge while the frosting set up. Well on Nick's way to the fridge a piece fell off. We just said forget it & headed to the store for some shopping! I don't think we will be trying that for a good long while!! After we went to the store I went to Megan's to watch Santa Clause! I love that movie!!I hope everyone has a great week! Get ready~ Only 7 days until Christmas!! ~*Shay*~ XoXo

Not so Happy Holidays for us! Tuesday January 2, 2007

Little did we know that our holidays wouldn't be so happy after all ...Christmas Eve was nice, we headed over to Nick's parent's house around 11 am where we as well as Aundi & Wes opened our Christmas presents & ate some lunch! It was a blast, we missed Bobbie & Corey but it was good to be with the family. Earlier that day Gayenelle found out that her dad came down with the flu & we weren't too sure if we would be able to visit him. Luckily Nick, his parents, & I were able to visit him in Buena Vista. Unfortunately that would be that last time we would visit. Pop Davis passed away Christmas morning It was a pretty big shock to everyone since the doctors said he just had the flu & would be fine. It was absolutely heartbreaking to get the news. We all managed to keep our spirits up and visit Grandma & Grandpa Grant that afternoon. My mom made Christmas dinner, It was really good but hard to eat much, all we could think about was our Christmas Angel. The following days were really hard. The viewing & funeral was very tough for us all, Thankfuly we have family & friends that were able to help us through this challenging period. Pop lived a long & happy life and will be greately missed by all...We miss him very much and he will remain in our everyday thoughts.In Memory of Pop DavisIf tears could build a stairway, And memories were a lane. I would walk right up to heaven, To bring you home again. No farewell words were spoken, No time to say good-bye. You were gone before I knew it, And only God knows why. My heart still aches in sadness, And secret tears still flow. What it meant to lose you, No one will ever know. You and angels around Gods happy throne. I would have held you closer if I had knownSince we knew our spirits weren’t high enough to celebrate New Year's we decided to head to KY to see my dad & Ruthie. It was a nice visit. We were able to relax and spend time with them. It's back to work for us. We hope everyone had the best of holidays.Love Nick & Shay

And the quitting smoking award goes to... Friday January 5, 2007
Nick & Shay!! We have not smoked since Tuesday!!! Yeah for us!! Luckily it hasn't been too hard. Both of us realized that our health is more important than this nasty habit! We are saving money & are going to be around a lot long & have less wrinkles (haha)Tonight will be the true test...going out with all of our friends to the bar! Wish us luck! All of our friends smoke except 2 so hopefully they will all encourage us!! Have a great weekend!!!

Just another day in Paradise... Thursday January 11, 2007

Well well...some updates are needed I see! Things have been pretty busy the past few weeks with friends & visiting family. It has been a great start to the New Year! As our other blog noted we quit smoking! That is still going very well we quit last Wednesday we were out on Friday & Saturday drinking with friends and that was really tough! We made it through most of the night but once we got a little tipsy we had a few-they were gross...but none since then!! Last Saturday we went to the Rodeo with Sarah & Travis! It was such a blast! I think got a little aggravated with me because there was this horse that just didn't want to be there & the guy on her back didn't get it! But other than that it was a blast! We were in the vip section so all the food, soda & beer we wanted! It was nice to do something different for a change & with Sarah & Travis another plus! Nick left for Baltimore yesterday evening. He and some other guys are going to a landscaping convention. I am so happy for him that he will be getting great information & learning more about landscaping. I sure do miss him I can't wait for him to come home Friday night!!! I get off work early tonight because I have to work Saturday morning. The girls are planning a night out! I am excited to do a girls night! This weekend we are going to see Reagan!! We are soooo excited! She is almost a month old & is doing great! Saturday night we may head up to JMU for a friend's birthday party! So that should be fun too! Next Thursday Sarah is getting her 4D sonogram & she asked if I wanted to come along! That will be so cool! I have never seen the 4D! I am so excited for Sarah & Travis! They are going to be such great parents!! My mom has an interview next Thursday for a really great sales position! I am praying that everything goes well. She really wants that job. She also has another interview on Friday in Richmond. I am taking the day off & I am going to go up there with her for some much needed time together! Well I am gunna go! Hope everyone has a great week! ~*Shay*~ XoXo

A total blessing... Monday January 15, 2007

This Saturday we were able to see our niece Reagan for the first time!! It was way overdue...we were just itching to see her! She is absolutely beautiful & healthy as can be! They were projecting her to leave sometime next weekend. The only thing that they are still working on is getting her up to 8 bottles a day! Well today we heard news that she is up to 8 and may be coming home as early as tomorrow!! We are so proud of Corey & Bobbie for being such awesome parents and dealing with such a difficult situation so well! We are absolutely thrilled for them & cannot wait to get to know Reagan! Nothing tops seeing our niece for the first time ...but we did have a pretty good weekend! Friday night when Nick got home we decided to meet up with Megan, Mark, Lindsey, & Matt at Buffalo Wild Wings! We all had to work early so we didn't stay out too late. Afterwards Meg came back to our house to watch Grey's Anatomy Saturday we had to work at 9. Once we got home Nick ran to the library to get some Landscaping books & I started to clean. Gayenelle & Sharon (her sister) stopped by for a while! It was good to see them both. We then had dinner with my mom & then we were off to the hospital to see precious Reagan. Afterwards we were able to go to Bobbie & Corey's to visit for a while. We got to see Reagan's nursery and play some Rummy. It was so great to spend some time with them We really have missed them over the past few months! Afterwards we met Mark. Lindsey & Matt at Gerow's for some Karaoke! It was such a blast! I was tired so I didn't sing any but let me tell ya Lindsey has an awesome voice. It was a total blast!! Sunday we really wanted to go & see Nick's parents, but unfortunately we didn't have the time we were busy around the house & running errands. I was able to spend a little bit of time with my mom shopping. Then met Lindsey & Mark at Applebee’s Yum Yum!! We went to see Primeval..it was ok but not what I expected. Afterwards we headed to our house to pop opened some wine & play some Cranium (also much needed Nick & I played on a team & we beat them & then we decided to switch it up& play girls VS guys...big mistake! Of course the girls beat the guys & they wanted to prove that they could win...well needless to say... Girls: 3 Guys: 0 they finally called it quits at 3:30 AM!!! I don't think we will be playing Cranium for a while! Have a great week!!!! Love Nick & Shay

Reagan is home!!! Tuesday January 16, 2007

Just a quick update! We got news today that Reagan was out of the hospital & is settling into her loving home! We can't wait to come visit her at home!

A bit of a novel... Monday January 29, 2007

There has been a lot to update but unfortunately I have been sick for the past week & have had no time or energy to update. So sorry! So here it goes...Let's start of with the week before last the 15th-21st: My mom had a job interview in Richmond on the 19th so I offered to go up to Richmond with her so that we could have some daughter time. I had just been so busy with work & friends & everything that I just had not had the time to spend with her. Well on Wednesday I decided that I would take Thursday off since I wanted to meet Momma G for lunch & I wasn't too sure we would be quick enough for me to get to work on time..we can never keep quiet The weather looked ok Thursday morning but my mom was a little worried that it was ice & we wouldn't be able to get to Richmond. Well me not wanting to go to work decided to put the idea in her mind that we should just head to Richmond a little early. She wasn't too sure yet so I headed off to Sarah's 4-d ultrasound appointment. I met her & her mom there. It was so good to see her mom. I hadn't seen her in a while!! We were all hoping for a good site of sweet little Kaelynn & was hoping she was facing the right way--oh boy were we in for a surprise! She was positioned perfectly & they got tons & tons of shots! She is beautiful I can't wait to see her!!! After that Sarah had another appt & they were going to run her sugar test...which we later found out she had to go back in for a 3 hr test but everything is fine-Thank God. Oh yeah back to the rest of the day....Afterwards I talked with my mom & she decided it was better to just head up to Richmond Thursday night--fine by me now work!! So then I met Gayenelle for lunch! I love meeting up with her. We have so much fun! Afterwards I got a call from Heather saying that last minute her friend backed out on Fall out Boy tickets & wanted to know if I would come. YOU BETCHA! Wait...oh no me & mom were supposed to head to Richmond--YIKES! So I called my mom & she wasn't going to have it. Once I got home & checked the weather I tried to talk my mom into staying but she wanted to go. I didn't know how to tell her that I really really wanted to go with Heather. But eventually I was able to express how important this was & I was on my way to Raleigh with Heather!! The trip down there was fun & once we got there we had to wait in line for our tickets...we were freezing! Once inside we realized it was a pretty small place & decided to get our place standing in front of the stage. The standing area was about 25 x 25 feet. We were at the back of the crowd. There was an opening band & then Early November they were both really good. Once New Found Glory came on stage the crowd started to rush towards the stage. It was really neat. I was starting to get pretty hot by the time Fall Out Boy came on...no need to work the crowd repeatedly rushed towards the stage & crowded closer & closer together...by this time we were about 8 feet from the stage! I swear I could feel Pete's sweat hitting me, but perhaps it was just the guy in front of me?! It was such an amazing time just being there listening to the music jumping around...wow my 1st mosh experience. I loved it! We were going to meet up with some of my friends in Chapel Hill for a drink but we were just too exhausted. We got home around 2 am & I took a shower & headed straight for bed. 6 am came quick & Richmond was calling our names. We got up to Richmond around 11 & just took in the "big city." There was so much to see & do...pretty different than Roanoke. We headed to the hotel and then to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. My mom got to talking with a couple from Richmond & they invited us to eat lunch with them...there went my margarita ! They were very nice & even offered to help my mom with finding a place to live if she got the job. Afterwards she got ready for her interview. She looked great! I stayed at the hotel & slept. When she got back we headed back into the city. We went down to the Shockoe Slip-very cool part of town with cobblestone streets, cool shops, & good eats! We walked around for a while & then decided to eat at The Tobacco Company--Delicious! Afterwards we headed to a pub across the street where they brew their own beer. I ordered a pint of the Old Nick it was a pale ale--learning to love beer! It was pretty good but a bit to hoppy for me. Afterwards we headed to Mill Mountain. What?!? You ask....YES they even have a Mill Mountain in Richmond!!! Later that night we met up with Sam & his girlfriend Rachel for some drinks. It was good to see Sam, I had not seen him since he moved up there in October. Saturday we headed back pretty early I was really tired...but I did want to stop off in Buena Vista so that I could visit Pop's grave While in Buena Vista mom & I went into the bridal boutique too look at dresses. There were tons but the one bridesmaid's dress I love they didn't have in stock. Once we got home I went over to Bobbie & Corey's and spent some much needed time with them. Reagan is doing very well & is gaining weight pretty quickly! I got to hold her for a bit & just talk with them. It was a nice way to wind down from a busy couple of days. Afterwards I went home & hung out with Mark, Lindsey, & Megan. On Sunday we had a bid snowed in day & all just watched movies in our jammies! It was a lot of fun!!!Well now to this past week--eeeekkkk Monday I wasn't feeling real well but I thought it would pass. Not so much. Tuesday I felt awful but I didn't want to leave work because it would be an occurrence. So Tuesday night I called in for Wednesday...good thing cause I was miserable. Thursday I only had to work 1/2 a day since I was working on Saturday. So I got through my day. Feeling about the same that I did on Monday...so I thought the cold had passed. I had made plans w/ Amie & her mom about 3 weeks ago to go out that night so we did. Well I think that just made it worse. Friday morning I woke up feeling terrible. But I trekked on to work. Not wanting an occurrence. I made it about 20 minutes before I said forget it. Well I wanted to see if things got better. They didn't so I left early. Since then I decided to stay on the couch & fight the cold...then it hit me I had to work on Saturday. Well I want going to get an occurrence for that...so I went in. While at work I read up on this cold & realized I was fighting the cold the wrong way. My through heart so all I wanted was OJ & Milkshakes...not so good in fighting the cold in fact juice & dairy just creates more phlegm! YESS! Go me! So I switched to vitamin water with vitamin c real quick. Saturday Megan came & stayed with me for a few hours. Afterwards Mark & Lindsey came over & stayed the night. Sunday morning Lindsey woke up feeling like a cold was coming on. So the girls stayed on the couch & the guys ran some errands. Well later that afternoon Mark started to feel really sick-like a tummy bug. So needless to say our house was full of pitiful sick people last night. Not to mention Nick is at home right not not feeling well. I made it to work today...luckily. I am feeling better but not 100% Thanks to everyone that checked on me when I was sick!!!Well this week should be pretty laid back. I am going to try to rest up when I am not at work. I have to get better! Mark's birthday is on Tuesday & we may be partying at our house this weekend but I guess it all depends on how everyone feels! My mom is going in for a surgery tomorrow. Please keep her in your prayers! Have a good week!~*Shay*~ XoXo

OK...trying this again! February 13, 2007

Last week I had this all blogged but then I deleted it...Smart, I know!! The weekend of February 3rd...once again!Friday I met Chuck down at Martin's to see Allen Thompson play. Then Nick, Josh, Megan & Crystal met us. It was a totally fun night! We had such a good time.Saturday morning Nick & Mark did a landscaping job & then went to go pick up Lindsey & Mark's new dog. He is soooo cute. They named him Cooper & he is the sweetest dog! ! We were celebrating Mark & Matt's birthday's! Spencer & his friend Tony came up to vistit from NC, where they are stationed in the Air Force. It was so great to see him!!! Shortly after they got here we ordered pizza & then Bobbie & Corey came over with sweet little Reagan! Bobbie & Corey switched off staying inside with the baby. It was so much fun to have them there. More & more people kept coming & in the end there was about 40 people there, freezing there butts off partying around the fire! It was so much fun!! On Sunday we took Spencer & Tony around Roanoke & ate lunch at O'Charley's. After they left we just hung out at the house. A great end to a fun weekend!!!XoXo

Good eats & even better company!!

This past week was pretty hectic. Nick & I stayed at Megan's over the weekend since she was out of town. It was so nice to have some time alone at our home away from home. Friday night Nick & I went to Mcadoo's after work & met Mark. I got pretty tired & decided to head home. I fell asleep on Meg's couch & a few hours later Nick & Mark came in & wanted to watch Empire Records-love that movie!! Well needless to say I was the one who managed to stay awake for the movie while the other 2 sleepy boys passed out. Saturday Mark got the news that him & Lindsey were approved for their apartment We are so happy for them!! We headed to Quizno's for bread bowls for lunch & then went & took at look at their cute new apartment!! I then went & picked my mom up to go shopping. When I got there I found that my new cell phone & my iPod!! YEAH!!!!! It was like Christmas all over...but I got the iPod as my Valentine's Day gift, so I guess that would not make it Christmas would it?!? After the mall I went over to Bobbie & Corey's for a bit to visit! I got to feed Reagan, talk about nerve-plucking (haha) I haven't fed a newborn in years! If I say so myself we made a pretty good team haha! But I will have to give all the credit to her cause she has been sucking out of the bottle for a while now so she has got it down, I just sat there & held the bottle-no brainer!! We decided to all go eat Mexican. So we met up with Nick, Mark, & Lindsey! It was yummy! Bobbie wanted to come to Gerow's with us to sing Karaoke so Corey took Reagan home. Dawn met us there too! Usually Lindsey & her sister Jennifer are our Karaoke stars but Bobbie kicked butt too! t I knew that Bobbie loved to do Karaoke but I didn't know she was so good! It was so fun to watch! Sunday I went with my mom to look at a house in Daleville. It was cute but It needs a lot of updates. Then I met the family at Nick's parent’s house for lunch. It was the 1st time all of us has been together with Reagan. It was so cute seeing everyone with her Afterwards Corey, Bobbie, Reagan, Nick & I headed to the mall for some shopping. We didn't really find anything but it was fun anyways! We were all pretty hungry so we went to TGI Friday's, it was soooo yummy! Megan was back in town so I went over to her house to hear about her fun-filled weekend while Nick went & played some pool.Nick & I have Valentine's Day off! I am so excited to have a day just to ourselves! Not too sure what we are going to do yet...We may meet Nick's parents for lunch-Excited none the less!! Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!! ~*Shay*~ XoXo

La Saint-Valentin est le jour pour l'amour ! Thursday February 15, 07

Was yourValentine's Day magical... everything you hoped it would be? ~We sure hope it was!! We took the day off so we could relax and spend time together. We really didn't want to plan anything so that we could just do whatever we wanted.I got a new iPid! Once we find Nick a new XBox 360 that is what he is getting! We met Gayenelle & Chuck for lunch at Applebees, it was tasty!! Then we headed over to talk the people about getting new Landscaping signs for Nick's truck. We ran a few more errands & I got the bright idea to go get new tattoo's! We both have been wanting to get another one. They didn't have what Nick was looking for, they will have to draw it up. But we are gunna do it!! Then went to the store to pick up some last minute things for dinner. Nick wanted to fix me steak, potatoes, & sald. It was really really good. The steak was a bit odd, we watched a cooking show & they made cowboy steak so he wanted to make it. Now this consists of steak & a rub with lots of spices & coffee grounds It looked yummy on tv-however lets just say it was a little weird to be eating -not drinking coffee. Needless to say we had a great night! Well this weekend is going to be pretty packed. I have to work 9-1 on Saturday & Nick, Makr , & Lindsey are heading to TN to get move all of Lindesy's things back to VA. They move into their apartment this weekend. Then on Saturday night we are all going to Palmer's birthday party! It should be so much fun! Well I am off for now!~*Shay*~ XoXo

God Is Watching Over... Monday February 19, 2007
This weekend started out pretty well. Friday night me & Megan had a girls night. I went & picked her up after work & then we went to Applebee's and grabbed a beer & got some Nachos to take back while we watched The Banger Sisters- love that movie! I stayed the night there & then we both got up early on Saturday to go to work. Fun Fun! Nick, Mark & Lindsey went to TN to get Lindsey's stuff that was being stored up there. After work my mom & I met up with Sarah, her mom, Megan, & her step-mom, to go see Because I said so at the movie theater! It was a lot of fun! While in the movies I got a strange feeling & after we got out I quickly learned what it was. Nick, Mark, & Lyndsey got in a car accident. They were heading home from TN & hit some snow/ice & slit into the guard rail then spun into a tractor trailer, popping the tire on that followed by 2 360's!!!! Yikes!! I flipped. Everyone was ok & there was no damage to Nick's truck only the trailer he was towing! We are so thankful that God was watching over them all! It is such a miracle that things weren't as bad as they could have been. Since they were on their way home, after the movie mom, Megan, & I headed to Macadoo's for dinner. Tasty! Mom headed home & Megan & I met up with Amie to go to Palmer's birthday party at Mary's! It was a lot of fun! Mary did such a good job with everything! There was tons & tons of food...chocolate fountain & all!! I was a bit tired & still a little freaked out from the events earlier in the day Amie, Megan, & I decided to go have a few beers & hang out at Meg's. Once everyone got back from TN I went over to Mark & Lindsey's new apartment! It is so cute! I am so excited for them! Sunday I went to Target to pick up some things for Sarah's baby shower. Afterwards we went to mom & pop G's for lunch. As always it was good to see everyone! Afterwards we went back over to Mark & Lindsey's so that we could help the get moved it. Mark, Matt, & Nick went to pick up some furniture & Lindsey & I went shopping for some cute new stuff for their bedroom. We had pizza for dinner & then headed home. It was nice to go & rest after such a long weekend! Nick wasn't feeling well so he went home. I really think he is still shaken up over everything. He did feel like he was running a fever so hopefully he won't get sick! On another note I got my result's of my blood work that was done at the doctor's a few week's ago. My thyroid levels are withing the goal range, however it has dropped very much since the last test a year ago. So I am a bit worried about it so I am going to take the test results in to my new doctor's in April since this Doctor doesn't seem too worried! We have an appraiser coming out to look at the house this week so we have lots of EXTRA cleaning to do! Yikes!! My mom & sister are leaving for CA on Saturday so after all that cleaning is done I am sure it will be easy to keep clean for a while! Well I gotta go!Have a great week! ~*Shay*~ XoXo

Insanity. Monday February 26, 2007

What a weekend! After what seemed like a week that would never end Thursday was here. I met up with my mom, Megan, Ashleigh, & Suzanne at Brambleton Deli for some good ole' Bebop Hoedown! Gotta love em' Nick joined us later & it was such a blast! So nice to finally wind down from the week. Friday creeped by but when work was over the fun began! I went & got Lindsey after work & met up with Nick, Megan, & Hugh down at Macado's! Hugh was in town & it was good to finally just get to hang out & get to know him-he is one of Megan's best friend's & lives in Charlotesville so she doesn't get to see him much. We had some drinks & then headed off to Martin's for a while. Nick went to go hang out with Mark & the rest of us were in for a late night at Megan's! It was such a blast! Lindsey & I finally went to sleep at 4 am & then were up again at 6 since Lindsey had somewhere to be early that morning. I went back to my house to sleep before Sarah's baby shower! Too bad I didn't get too much of it. The shower was so much fun! The food was yummy & the game was a blast-even though I sorta kinna cheated. I didn't win but I got the prize in the end. Long story...ask & I won't lie about it. Sarah got lots & lots of nice stuff for little Kaelynn! I told her that I HAVE to have a girl when Nick & I decide to have kids because between getting her stuff & Reagan's stuff my kid will be the best dressed in town! Hehehehe Gayenelle's birthday is tomorrow & we all celebrated this Saturday! Chuck threw a surprise birthday dinner for her at Crown Sterling! It was so great to have dinner & celebrate with everyone! Bobbie didn't make it cause she couldn't bring Reagan but I totally get it...can't bring a 2 month old to a fancy place like that & Carolyn & Jimmy didn't make it but other than that everyone else was there!! It was so much fun! After dinner Nick & I went to Bobbie & Corey's for a bit. Dawn was there too. I hung out with the girls for a while, took some splendid pictures (soon to come hopefully) and Nick & Corey met up with Mark for a guy's night. Later that night I met Ashleigh, Julie, Megan, & Shawn down at Cornerstone. Now let me tell you I am not a big fan of that place. Since the girls wanted me to come I did & good thing too! I had such a blast. Cornerstone will never be the same! Thanks girls for an awesome night!! Sunday was just a relaxing day. Nick & I were planning on going to his parent's for lunch but I was just so tired & I really just needed a day to relax. I hung out at Meg's while Nick & Mark did something or other? To sum Sunday up...Laguna Beach, Blankets, Vacuuming, Meatballs, Sleeping, Con Queso Dip, Steel Magnolias, Laundry, Cheesy Garlic Pizza, Diet Coke (shame on me) & Crazy Text Messages! What a day! I love you Megan!Today has went by quickly! YAY! I can't wait to go home! The Hill's are on tonight! Woo hoo!! Megan's coming over to watch it with me & she is going to bring me a sloppy joe! MMM!!! I can't stay up too late though because I am watching Reagan in the morning. I am going to be there -bright eyed & bushy tailed at 8:30-Shock right?! Well it is well worth it! Duh?! I am sooo excited to watch her. I know she is just going to sleep but still it will be fun & I am thankful that Corey & Bobbie trust me enough to watch her ...well maybe that wasn't the reason... I am sure it is just cause I am the only one beside's Nick that doesn't have to work in the morning & who in their right mind would leave their baby with Nick alone...haha j/k Maybe I will have a Reagan story to blog about tomorrow-hopefully it won't be about any of her famous poo. Have a great week!!~*Shay*~ XoXo

Live and Learn...That's life. Friday March 9, 2007

We are human, we all make mistakes. By taking responsibility for these mistakes we are acknowledging & taking action for what we have done . Things take place in the course of a lifetime so that you can learn from it...learning from these mistakes is pertinent to our happiness. God has ultimately placed these obstructions in our pathway of life for a reason, he knows we can handle it & learn from it. However there are always the consequences that come from our actions that we don't expect. There is a difference when moving away from your friends & the feeling of loss...then is in the feeling of losing a friend because of the mistakes you have made, it is like your world has just came crashing down around you. Friends are special people. We can't pick our family. Society, morals, & often our own conscience, dictates who we are attracted to. But our friends can be as diverse and infinite as we choose. Our friends, in a very real sense, reflect the choices we make in life. I have always known but never fully relied on the fact that friendship is a very special thing, fragile at times, easily broken, and not so easy to mend, until this week. I guess you could say another thing I have taken to heart & learned from a mistake. It is so shameful to admit that it took something so painful for me to realize who my true friends are, I regret the things I have done up to this point. I have been neglectful of so much. For those of you who have been effected I am saying this from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize.Love Always Shay XoXo

Luck o' the Irish... Monday March 19, 2007

What a blast...this weekend was so much fun!!! I was still a bit tired from having the flu on Friday so I stayed in for the evening. Good thing too, I got a call from Sarah at 4:45 am, she needed me to take her to the hospital, no she didn't go into labor...Travis was in a very bad accident. I am glad that she called me, I would do anything for her. Thankfully God was with Travis and he is doing just fine. Sarah's Explorer on the other hand didn't do so well. It now looks like a Jetta! YIKES! Saturday morning Nick, my mom, & I met up with Corey, Bobbie, & Reagan to head down to the St. Patrick's Day parade. Too bad the weather wasn't as nice as it had been during the week It was bbbbbrrrrrrr cold, very windy, spitting snow...We met Aundi & Wes downtown & enjoyed the parade until we were too numb to stand any longer. Good thing Aundi thought to go eat some Thai food! Yum Yum! I had never had it before & let me tell you there is nothing quite like drunken noodles!!! May be one of my new faves! Afterwards Nick, Bobbie, Corey, & Rea headed home. The rest of us headed to Corned Beef to get an early start on the festivities! It was good to see Jason, Cindy, & Jerome. After mom had her 1st Woodchuck I decided that it would be best if we headed home. I needed some sleep before the night got started! Nick went & played pool with Mark while I rested up. Around 7 we went & picked up Matt & Mark & headed to Mary's for a St. Patty's party/potluck It was such a blast! The food was amazing, people were fun & it was good to meet Adam & hang out with Mel. Afterwards we met Bobbie, Corey, Aundi, Wes, Dawn, Audrey, Keith, Stu, Emily, & Jerome down at Martin's! Tracy, Rob, Brad & Misty were there & Amy was too! It was such a blast to hang out with everyone! Later on my mom came down for a bit too! Then we all headed to Corned Beef to end the evening. We saw tons of long lost friends & Amie & Chris met us down there too! I miss hanging out with Amie! It was so good to see her! It was the one of the best night's ever!!!! Well...I finally made it home around 3:30! I was soooo tired Sunday, my mom treated me to lunch at Frank's yummy in my tummy! We did some shopping & then Nick & I headed off to mom & pop G's for Aundi's b-day dinner I love it when everyone get's together! Happy Birthday Aundi! I am looking forward to this weekend! YIPPEE!!!!Have an awesome week!!!~*Shay*~ XoXo

Spicy, Hot, Good Times.... Monday March 26, 2007

No where in the Almanac does it say that I should have this much fun on a weekend in March!!! I mean the weather has been amazing!!!! I sure do wish I had this week off to just sit & relax in the sun! SO since Sarah has been off from work because of the baby I have slowly been going insane. She makes the day so much more fun!! Luckily my spirits were lifted on Thursday! We met up for lunch at Macado's! MMMMM I got a meatball sub! Yum yum! Her mom met us there a little later. It was good to see her, too!! Sarah is all baby & is just so cute & prego! Looks like Kaelynn may be here soon....cross those fingers! Friday before work my mom & I headed to the mall to buy an outfit for my dad's wedding & my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary! I had seen a dress on-line that I loved but once I got it on it looked like a parachute was around my waste, not good, not good at all! I decided to get the skirt in the same print with a little cami & shrug. I love it! I am really excited I was able to find something to wear to both occasions...hopefully I will still be able to fit in it! I am working on the weight loss thing-- Watching what I eat, Quit drinking sodas, trying to get my steps in, learning how to stay on the big ball...and so on and so on.This weekend was sooooo much fun. Friday I hung out with Lindsey and Brigette. We had a great time. It was nice out so we sat out on Lindsey's porch & had a few drinks. Somehow I got the bright idea to go look at the iguana. I have never been interested enough to look at it before...I just knew it was there. Well when I went to look I didn't see it anywhere. I called the girls in there & none of us saw it in the cage. Of course I flipped! The iguana was no where to be found. So that's when I decided to head home haha Luckily the next day when Mark got home he said that the iguana had been in the cage the whole time in some box or something or other?!Saturday afternoon I met up with Bobbie, Aundi, & Reagan for lunch & to shop for Reagan's Easter dress!! Bobbie found the perfect dress & bonnet at The Children's Place! It is sooooo cute! I can't wait to see her in her sweet little outfit!!! I found some earings & sunglasses as well as a cute new top!! I had so much fun with the girls! That was the 1st time we have had a change to all hang out just the 3 (well 4 including Reagan) of us! Reagan did really well we were all very proud of her! She is sooo sweet!! After we went to the mall we headed over to Sam's! I haven't been in there in so long. I saw lots of things that I wanted but I decided I would rather buy clothes than lots of food that will just cause me not to fit into my new clothes-haha! Afterwards Bobbie went home to get things ready for the party & Aundi & I hurried to meed Audrey for our pedicure appointment. Of course we ran late haha. We had a great time and our toes look great too! Audrey & I got our brows waxed too...mine were much overdue!! YAY! I must say we were looking pretty hot for the party hehehe. Aundi dropped me off & I hung out with the Nick, Mark, & Josh for a bit & then we headed to the party. Lots of wine, yummy food, & drinking games! It was so much fun & Reagan did good too...she wanted to stay up with us all so bad-she is just so darn cute!!! Nick & I had so much fun with everyone! Thanks Bobbie & Corey for having us all over!!! Sunday was full of spring cleaning, laundry, and cooking. We had Gayenelle & Chuck over for dinner with Nick, my mom & I. We hardly have the family over to our house since there is not a whole lot of room to eat, but when the weather is nice it works out well. We tried a recipe that Rob uses for chicken that Nick tried & loved. Well apparently Nick didn't get a good try because the chicken was really spicy when we made it & that didn't work out too well with Chuck--sorry!!! Never again will I let Nick pick out the meal plan when the rents are coming-haha! After dinner we went for a nice long walk, I couldn't tell you how long cause I lost my pedometer at the beginning but luckily we were able to find it on the way back!! My mom & I went to Sarah & Travis' for a bit to see the nursery! OMG it is so cute-I can't believe what a great job they did in such a short period of time!!! I love it-I swear I would hire them to do our's when the time comes. We got word last Friday that the house appraised for a lot more than we had thought & then this morning the bank called and told us that we were approved our equity line so we are going to close on it tomorrow morning!! YAY!!!! Monday--so far so good! The weather looks like it is going to hold out, hopefully next weekend will be nice too!!! Total kick in the pants... So I am totally feeling as though my world has just been shattered. My mom and I have been talking about the wedding all day today-her wanting to know budget, what we need to buy, my ideas, wanting me to try on dresses...all that glam. A little fishy since we haven't talked too much about it recently.So I got home from work tonight & we were talking about it some more & then she dropped the bomb! Dan & her are getting married & she is moving back to CA in a few weeks! Total shocker! I am so happy for them but is it totally wrong of me not to want her to go? I am going to go insane without her here. I have a wedding to plan & a family to start and without my mom here it just won't be the same. Yes, we have had our ups and our downs since she moved back to VA in October...but in lew of recent life realizations I have realized that I have made a lot of mistakes & neglected the most imprtant people in my life. I had made a solomn promise to myself to change. We have been getting along so well & spending lots of time together--don't ever take people/things for granted!! I did...and now I am loosing my mom, once again. I am sure Danyell will soon follow my mom. Here's to having things go back to the way they were when I moved out here...with no family in VA. I thank the Lord that I have awesome friends, Nick & Nick's amazing family to call my own, right here in Roanoke.

Shop til' you drop! Thursday March 29, 2007
So after hearing my mom's news about moving back to CA we decided that it would be a good idea to start looking at a lot of the wedding stuff. So yesterday I took the day off and we went up to Lynchburg to look at a couple bridal shops that we knew we could order the dress that I found. I tried one on like it & the style looks great. I must must must loose weight!! I am going to work extra hard at this!!! We then went over to the mall & looked at some dresses for me to wear in my mom's wedding. I actually found a dress that I loved for my dad's wedding & to wear to my grandparent's 50th anniversary. So I took my skirt & tops back today. My mom and I went to David's bridal & I found a really cute bridesmaid dress for her wedding. We also went to Ross and my mom found the prefect simple, yet elegant wedding dress for her. It looks so great . We also went to Michael's & attempted to put together a bridesmaid bouquet-I think we gave up on that idea! Yikes!!! Nick & I met up with Tracy, Kyle, Rob & his parent's for Tracy's b-day at Abuelo's-yum yum. This morning we went to AC Moore to check out the costs on candles and what they have there.All in all we are just trying to get as much in before my mom leaves. I am going to miss her so much. Thankfully I have lots of people here to help out with the wedding too! Thankfully Friday is almost here!! Yay!!!~*Shay*~ XoXo

If I could walk 10,000 steps... Friday March 30, 2007

So I have totally been watching what I am eating, stopped drinking sodas & trying to get in all my steps. You would think that I would have lost more weight but I have dropped 8 pounds in the past 5 days! Go me! I have a ways to go but I know I can do it! I have so many people supporting me & helping me out. I actually think that I am going to do WW core. My body sucks up all those bad carbs...Toni lost 75 lbs on it and she is going to help me out with it. In other news. Sarah is doing well. She is only 2 cm dialated and the doctor informed her on Tuesday that they would schedule an induction for Thursday April 5th! Ana seems to think that she will go into labor on the next full moon which is April 2nd, so we will see!! Either way I am soooo excited to meet little Kaelynn. Tracy & I switched shedules with some people at work so that we could get off early enough to go see Sarah & her little miracle. I pray that Kaelynn will be healthy and that everything goes smoothly. We got some more ideas for the wedding. Yesterday & today we checked around some more places on prices. The invitations that Nick & I had picked out were actually on sale so we went ahead & took care of that!! We also got some of the supplies needed for the favors, my veil & bouquets as well as some candles for the tables! Lots to think about & do! Mom is pretty bored at home so she started a new project, ripping the wall paper off the walls in the spare bathroom! Yay!!! I am excited to get that finally taken care of!!!Hopefully the weather will hold out for this weekend! Maybe we will have time to get a hike in!

Baby Day! Thursday April 4th, 2007

Woo hoo! Sarah is being induced today! I cannot wait for Kaelynn to be welcomed into the world! Tracy & I are going to the hospital after work, hopefully Sarah will have her by then! In other news...My dad & Ruthie were able to set a date for the wedding! They are getting married April 28th! So we are looking forward to going to KY for a long weekend!! This week has been pretty busy. I am glad it is almost over! Saturday I have my volunteer training for the Roanoke Valley Theraputic Riding program! YAY I am so excited!!!! I can't beleive it is almost Easter! I can't wait to see miss Reagan in her Easter dress!! It is soooo cute! Well I am off for now...trying to pass the time! XoXo


Welcome Baby Dooley!!! Friday April 6, 2007
Sarah had a long day at the hospital yesterday! They broke her water around 8 am. She had an epidural around 6 pm. Tracy & I went to the hospital around 6:30 to keep her company! She was doing well but she wasn't progressing as much as the doctor would have liked, so by that night they decided that a c-section would be best for mommy & baby!Kaelynn was born at 11:58pm April 5, 2007! Kaelynn weighed in at 9 pounds 12 oz and 20 inches long. She is beautiful!!! Both Sarah & Kaelynn are doing wonderfully! Sarah is expected to be released from the hospital on Sunday!Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Such a slacker. Tuesday May 8, 2007

Yes I know I have been slacking. There sure has been a lot going on that I can blog about. This may take a while to read. If you need a potty break go ahead & do that now (haha) Otherwise, sit back, relax, & enjoy the novel-Hmmm where should I begin?! Well as most of you know I have been going to the doc's recently trying to figure out what was going on, but my doc seemed to think that everything including my thyroid levels were just fine . Well Sarah told me about Dr. Knobee & I tried him out & right away he knew that I had a thyroid problem. He put me on some medication & it seems to be helping. I went back on weight watchers-but I am doing the core plan. I love it. In the 1st 2 weeks I lost 10 lbs!! Unfortunately a symptom of hypothyroidism is difficulty to loose weight. So this is how my diets always go-I loose a good amount in 1st 2 weeks & then the weight loss just kind of stops I have been slacking the past 2 weeks but I know that it is for my health & I WILL DROP THE WEIGHT!!! It just sucks that it is EXTRA hard for me! YIKES! Mom is back in CA safe & sound. Danyell & I took her to the airport in Raleigh on the 21st of April. We stopped off at the bridal mart in Burlington. They had the dress that I like there. It was way too big but I loved it! There were rumors that it may be discontinued so we went ahead and bought it It should be here sometime in August. I was right in between 2 sizes. So we went ahead & got it in the size smaller than the size that I almost fit in. So that helps with the weight loss motivation too! My dad & Ruthie got married on the 28th of April!! Nick, Danyell, & I took Thursday & Friday off from work & headed up a little early to help get things together & spend time with everyone! We had such a wonderful time! I miss everyone so much. Nick & I even talked about moving to KY to be closer to everyone, but we are not ready for that. Nick & I are going back to school. Nick is going to try to get landscaping design degree (since the business is going so well) & I am going to work towards either my general studies or a social science degree. We start summer classes on May 16th! Since we have so much going on this summer we are going to do distance learning classes! We are both really looking forward to it! I am taking History of Western Civilization & the Survey of the New Testament. Nick is taking a marketing class! Wish us luck!!This past weekend Sam was in town so we had a blast going down to the Green Dolphin & watching him play! We also found out that he is moving back to Roanoke! YAY! Nick is so excited to start jamming with him again! Saturday we went wine tasting with Chuck, Gayenelle, Bobbie & Corey (Reagan was there too) We had a blast with everyone!! Then we went out with Josh Pop for his B-day & then up to Megan & Johns! It was great to hang out with everyone!!!This weekend should be pretty fun!! We are planning on doing a lil cookout with Leann & Daniel on Saturday!! Then Sunday morning we have Reagan's dedication to the Christian Faith at church & it is Mother's day!! We are hoping to cook out with the family! Well I am SURE I missed lots in the past month or so but that's about all my fingers can take. Love Shay XoXo

Memorial Day Chaos!!!!! Tuesday May 29, 2007
This was the best memorial day weekend!!!! It was totally hectic & there was lots of weird luck!!!!! But all in all it was so awesome!!! To start things off right the gals decided it was out night & that it was!!!!! We had a total blast! Megan, Hope, Lindesy, & I headed to Martin's and then to Cornerstone!!! Well somewhere along the way we needed to be rescued-calling Nick & Mark to duty may or may not have been the best way to approach that! Either way it was a great fun filled night ending with a manly brawl! YIKES!!!! Saturday the va-jay jay brigade decided the best way to spend the day would be at the lake. We decided to go to Megan's dad's community dock. Well we pulled up & there was a good 20 people there with their own little canopy taking up the entire 2 docks. We are smart girls so we decided to look elsewhere for a place to tan & swim. No such luck. There were no other community docks Until yes an idea Megan decided to try our luck at one of her dad's neighbor's house. We made it half way down his driveway & realized there was no way I was going to get my grocery-getter back up the driveway! There were potholes & loose gravel everywhere-not to mention a 80 degree angle!! So we tried to back up but that didn't work we just slid right down the driveway!!! We get to the bottom & the neighbor isn't even home. All that work to be sitting ducks in the hot sun on some guy's property-can we say trespassing!!!! Once again the men had to come rescue us. How embarrassing!!! Afterwards we made it the lake...to the community spot where all the people were...but we made it!!!! We met up with Sam for a welcome home dinner! The food & margaritas sure were tasty-I drank one for you momma g! hehehe I missed seeing them this weekend!! We were just so busy that we never made it over to see them! DARN!!!!!!!After dinner we headed out to Doug's for a bonfire party!!! We all had such a great time & it was good to see a lot of people we had not seen in a good long while!!!!Sunday we went with Mark & Lindesy to Mark's grandparents on the lake. They have a beautiful home & awesome dock & boat. There was a big BBQ with lots of amazing food!! Z & I tried for a tan but really didn't get too much! We were all pretty tired from being out in the sun so we decided to watch a movie & grab some KFC. The gals went to get the movie & we were lucky enough to see Corey, Bobbie, & Reagan at the movie store! I am glad we were able to see them even for a just a few minutes!!!Monday we decided to go back up to Megan's dad's community dock. There were not many people down there this time. Nick, Mark, Taylor, & Mark (Lindsey's brother) came down too & brought the canoe & went fishing! Everything was going great until a storm rolled in. The people at the dock left & we decided to wait it out. About 30 minutes later these 2 guys came down saying that they were the home ownership Prez & VP & they had received a call from the people that were at the dock saying that we had no right to be there & they were going to call the cops!!!! UUUUHHHHHHHH can you believe it! Megan quickly said um I don't think so my dad pays his homeowners ship dues & he knows we are down here. They didn't say anymore about it. It just made us mad!! I mean come on if you have any doubts just ask don't send these poor little guys out in the rain to check on us hahaha The guys caught tons of fish so they headed to Mark's to fry them up & the girls headed back to our house. It was a nice way to end the weekend! P.S. Pics are soon to come !!!! We cannot wait for Labor Day weekend! We are already planning a trip to Folly Beach!! That will be a total blast!!!! Cannot wait! ****In other news: My grandpa was released from the hospital-he is doing fine. Nick's father was also released from the hospital & they are going to be doing more tests! We are so happy that he is doing well! School is going well for Nick & I. My allergies are bothering me & I feel like crap! I miss Sarah!!!! She is coming back to work on Monday! Thank God!! I am having withdrawls!!! My wedding dress is in! I have to go get it soon!!! Hmmmm other than that I think I am done for now! Have a good week!!!