Happy Monday

Hey people! I know, I know..my title is a bit annoying unrealistic..I mean, not many people consider Monday to be a happy day. Weekend is over, work week is beginning..your mind is filled with all the things you HAVE to get done this week. 

But today (even though it's terribly gloomy here in Nashville, and my to-do list is forever long).. I am going to make this Monday a happy one! 

Little catchup- Happy 4th of July!! I hope everyone had a wonderful celebration on the 4th..even though it was the most awkward day to have off..middle of the week? Yuck. However, we still managed to have a good time with friends even with the cloud hanging over everyone that they really had to go into work the next day. We had friends over at our pool, grilled hamburgers, played a little catch phrase..good times all around!

My parents came into town the next day and stayed through the weekend. We had an absolute BLAST.  We enjoyed eating out at a few yummy places for lunch, did a little shopping, enjoyed dinner at Mafiaoza's (a must eat place in Nashville), listened to some tunes at the piano bar, grilled steaks, saw the new Spiderman (request of Chris and my dad), and I got to take them to see my new classroom! I did not get one picture from the weekend. I am soooo mad at myself for that. Ugh..not one picture..so sad. Oh well, guess we were having so much fun I forgot to stop and capture the moments. 

Chris and I enjoyed a relaxing Sunday afternoon after my parents left. We went to church, ate some lunch, and literally spent the whole day cuddled up on the couch watching TV...it was storming outside..and in my mind, lounging on the couch is a must do while it's storming. We ended our comfort Sunday with a little Mexican food at Chuy's. Yummy.

On this rainy Monday morning, I am up enjoying my morning coffee..catching up on laundry..and heading to the gym soon. Going to spend the rest of the day working in my classroom..between traveling and conferences.. I only have 8 full days left to work in my classroom. Ahh!! Where does the time go?!? 

We will be leaving for California on Thursday! PUMPED. We will be staying in L.A. with Chris's brother and his family for three days...enjoying the beach and some quality family time. On Sunday, Chris and I are going to rent a car (hopefully a convertible.. my request..I want the wind blowing in my hair as we drive the coast. Yes, I'm cheesy)..do some sightseeing in L.A. and then drive to Solvang..a cute little Danish community in Santa Barbara Wine Country. The plan there is do some hiking, biking, wine tastings, and enjoy each other's company! Summer vaca 2012 is going to be awesome..I will definitely have pictures to share after!

I came across this while browsing Pinterest this morning...and it is a simple reminder that every day should be celebrated..for it is the day the Lord has made!! Even Mondays y'all... 

Love to all...go and enjoy your journey and your Monday!!

-Anna 

Summer Bucket List

Well friends, tomorrow is officially the first day of summer! If you're like me, your summer pretty much begins in May...but to celebrate the official beginning of summer, I want to share my summer bucket list. This list consists of a few small things..a few big things..but all in all it is just a list of things I MUST do this summer. 

I am a total list person. Like an OCD list person. I make a "TO DO LIST" for things at home, things at school, I make grocery lists, I make a menu list for the week, and I make Chris's "TO DO LIST," just because I enjoy doing it.  I even get a rush when I am able to check things off. And I don't believe in scratching off like my mother some people, and making a huge, ugly mess..I draw little boxes beside each "TO DO" so I can neatly place a checkmark there. I know...OCD. 

So, I figured if I make a list of things that must get done on a day to day basis in the White home..why not make a list of things I want to do that I am going to really enjoy?! Now, some of the things on the bucket list have already been checked off...considering my summer technically started over a month ago. But here is it..SUMMER BUCKET LIST 2012:

-Make a chalkboard for my kitchen...check! (Found an old one at a flea market and revamped it!)

-Make a collection of healthy recipes to cook...

-Go to CMA Music Fest...check! Four days of country music concerts, total blast.

-Go to many Nashville Sounds Games...

-Plant potted flowers for my patio...

-Plant an herb garden...check! Thanks to my cousin's plant knowledge, I now have one!

-Go to California...that will be a check on July 12!

-Have a cookout with friends...

-Go to the lake and spend the day on a boat...

-Visit all antique malls and flea markets in Nashville...

-Go to a concert at the Ryman...

-Go to the beach..check! My sisters and I had a blast!

-Cook something new at least once a week...

-Have a picnic at the vineyard...

-Take a painting class..check! Now have a beautiful masterpiece!

-Go to a wine tasting...

-Make scrapbooks of all my wedding events and honeymoon...

-Go on a hike...

-Run a race...

-Make fresh salsa...

-Go to a museum...

-Go to a farmers market...

-Go to an Atlanta Braves Game (my husband is obsessed)...

That's the list..for now, anyways! I probably will be adding to it as the summer goes on. I start school on August 6th..so the countdown is on to complete my list!! In the meantime, hope you're enjoying your journey! Happy Summer!!

-Anna

Happy Father's Day!

I cannot let today pass without sharing a few words about my wonderful Father! First and foremost, he is a wonderful man of Christ and raised me and my sisters in a home filled with Christian love. You really can't ask more from your dad than that, right? Above all the other great things he gave me, that is what I appreciate most- a Christian home. If you know my dad, then you know what I mean when I say he is selfless, down to earth, positive, caring, and overall just a super happy guy. I cannot say enough great things about him. Him and my mother both sacrificed all they could to make sure us girls had what we needed and more, and on this Father's Day I want to say, I love you daddy!!

Beach Life

To kick off summertime, my sisters and I took a trip to the beach!! I include my cousin, Kati, when I say sisters...well, because she is practically a sister to us. So the four of us took off to Destin, Florida to celebrate the beginning of summer, a new beginning for my sis, Jen, (her family moved back home from Oxford), and graduation for Mallory and Kati. We had a FABULOUS time! Luckily, Jennifer's father-in-law has a condo at the Emerald Grand/Harbor Walk, and he graciously opened it up for us to stay there on our trip! Our trip consisted of lazy days on the beach with a cooler and some tunes, dinners consuming yummy seafood, and nights out dancing and visiting! But my most favorite part about the trip was definitely renting the pontoon boat and taking it to Crab Island (a shallow part of the ocean where everyone parks the boats to get out and have some fun in the water). My cousin, Kati, was the boat captain and we had too much fun cruising the waves!! Good times for sure.

First night out!

My blonde sister

Ready for our first day on the beach!

Sisters...Love them dearly

Enjoying the water!

Captain Kati

Boat day

Not sure..but we were having fun


 I am so blessed with wonderful sisters. We are all so close and have such a special relationship...love all of them to the moon and back. Happy Summer!!

God Bless,
Anna 

Birthdays!

I have two very special birthday's to write about! My sister, Mallory, turned 23 on April 22nd..and we had a big celebration night in Oxford! It was so fun to be back in Oxford, even if it was just for one night! That place is simply the best (wish I was in college every time I visit..tear). Chris and I went down on Saturday, April 21st to meet my family for Mallory's birthday dinner. We went to eat dinner at McEwen's on the square..and it was DELICIOUS. If you go to Oxford a good bit and haven't eaten there..go ASAP...you won't regret it! It had been a few months since I had seen my family, so I cannot express to you in words how great it was to see everyone. Of course, we all went out after dinner and continued having fun on the square. Here are some pictures of the whole crew at Burgundy Room..

The birthday girl with mom and dad

Sisters!

The whole crew..Happy Birthday Mallory!

 

The birthday celebration continued with Chris's birthday the weekend of May 4th! He turned 25..so I had a special surprise for him! I rented the pedal tavern in Nashville for all our friends! This is the "pedal tavern"...

 So everyone has their own pedal..and you bring your own drinks for the cooler..and ride around downtown Nashville! It was SO FUN, and Chris was super surprised and LOVED IT!! We all had an awesome time pedaling through Nashville and stopping different places downtown. If you live in Nashville or are planning to visit..I highly recommend doing this if you have a big group!

Buddies celebrating Chris's birthday!

The whole crew!

Love him so much

We did the pedal tavern on Thursday night, and Chris and I went out to dinner on his actual birthday (May 4th) on Friday night!

I got him a cookie cake, of course!

Happy 25th birthday Chris!

At his birthday dinner!

Happy birthday to two very special people in my life!

Thanks for reading and God Bless!

~Anna

Praise the Lord, I got a JOB!

I am happy to finally say that I got a job! I will be teaching third grade at David Youree Elementary!! Words can't describe how excited I am... as many of you know, I have been praying about this since I moved to Nashville last summer. Unfortunately, when I moved here I didn't have any luck finding a teaching job for this school year. It was very frustrating and hard to accept. I love teaching, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. However, God had a different plan for me.. I was led to some different part time jobs. Ironically, the part time jobs couldn't have been a more perfect fit for the time being. I had my wedding coming up, along with two best friend's wedding. Needless to say, it was great having a flexible work schedule where I could take off when needed (which wouldn't have been the case if I had been teaching). So I learned... God's plan are always the best.. even if you had a totally different plan in mind! With all that said, I am so happy that God has answered my prayers, and I will finally be back in the classroom!it will be a new school, new grade, and a whole new adventure.. I couldn't be more ready! I found the quotes below and related to them very well!! Happy Monday!!

Thursday Thoughts

It's a beautiful Thursday in Nashville, and it's day 4 of Weight Watchers for me!! I must say, it has not been easy..but so far, so good! I don't know about you other married women, but after my wedding the whole "watch what you eat and exercise wedding plan" went straight out the door. And the pounds started showing up. I will give myself some credit and say that I took control before it got way out of hand.. and my new eating and exercise habits are more for a better lifestyle than for weight purposes. First of all, I used I run. I used to run and actually enjoy it (thanks to my teacher friends at GRE- miss y'all), but with the wedding and the move and the job search.. I lost that passion somewhere along the way. I am determined to get back into it. My goal? Run a half marathon this year. Secondly, while my weight is still healthy for my height.. like most girls, I want to shed a few pounds. More importantly, I want to change my eating habits completely. That's where Weight Watchers comes in. It is so much more than a diet.. I don't know if I would even call it that. It teaches you healthy eating habits and portion control so that when you get off your plan, you're able to keep the weight off because of the healthy habits you've picked up. With that being said, my goal weight is 120. Ha, I won't share how much I need to lose to get there :). As I was browsing pinterest I saw some motivational quotes to keep me going with my new lifestyle! Happy Thursday!!

Easter Weekend 2012

Well I know I am a little late with this post..but better late than never, right?! I wanted to write about our Easter weekend..which was FABULOUS. First of all, celebrating our risen Savior..doesn't get much more fabulous than that! We are visiting a Baptist church here in Nashville (we love it so much, it's the only one we have visited), and their Easter service was so wonderful! Chris and I are looking to join a church very soon..and it's looking like this will be the one! Of course, there will be much prayer in making this decision, along with some other visits to other churches to make sure we have found the right fit for us..but as of right now, it looks like Woodmont Baptist of Nashville is the perfect fit!! It is a traditional Baptist church, which we love, and it has many people of all ages. They offer a Sunday School class for young married couples, and we are so excited to get involved in that as well! We went to the Easter service with Ms. Lisa, Chris' mom, and his brother, Tripp. Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is always a moving service, and it was nice to have Chris' family visit the church we have come to love so much. Of course, on top of the amazing church service, the Easter bunny came to our house that morning and delivered baskets full of candy (and bubble bath in mine...my Easter bunny knew I had been wanting a new bottle)! After church, we all came back to our house where I hosted my first holiday dinner in our new little home! I was so excited to plan the Easter lunch menu and do a little decorating for the table. Chris and I dyed Easter eggs on Saturday afternoon, which I put in cute little tabletop Easter baskets for decor, along with fresh flowers for the centerpiece! I even wrote everyone's name on an egg and put it in front of their place setting :). Haha, I know..cheesy, considering we only had four people. But hey, give me a break, it was our first time hosting a holiday dinner!! Wondering what was on the menu? No worries, I will fill you in: Main dish was a baked ham, asparagus and potato dish. It was DELICIOUS and the perfect Easter dish for a small group (instead of cooking a big ham). For side dishes we had squash casserole, deviled eggs, a salad with fresh veggies, and buttered rolls! It was a yummy lunch for sure. Here are some pictures from our wonderful Easter weekend:

My table set up!

Chris with his mom and brother



Happy Easter!!



Outside our townhome

I am so excited about our upcoming weekends! This weekend we will be in Oxford celebrating my little sisters birthday and the next weekend we will be in Orlando! Chris met his sales goal for the year at work (he is so awesome)..so we get a free trip through his company! We will be enjoying golf, the spa, and Disney World while on our trip..along with nice dinner banquets with his company and some much needed pool time! Also coming up..Chris' 25th birthday! I have some surprise super fun plans his big day! Can't wait to post pics of our fun adventures coming up! On another note, I have many things in the works for a new teaching job for next school year. I have some interviews coming up..so please say lots of prayers for me! I know God will place me exactly where I need to be. Thanks for reading!!

God Bless!

Shamrockin

St. Patties day 2012 was awesome! My sister and brother in law came to visit Chris and I for the first time in Nashville. I was super pumped to have them. For those of you who don't know.. my sister is an AWESOME decorator. I had a list of things for her to help me with upon her arrival :). First, I needed her help with fabric shopping. I am not the biggest fan of our couch (Chris' "man" couch from his old place) so I was in desperate need of beautiful drapes and pillow to dress up the living room. My sister is fantastic at this. We picked out four different fabrics to be turned into drapes and pillows.. and even better... my sis can make it all!!! She is in the process of making it all for my living room makeover. Can't wait to post pictures of her finished product. It was great to have her help me decorate a few things in my home... and I was so happy to hear her say she loved everything I had done so far. Decorating a home is definitely a working progress... and expensive.. Sheesh! Anyway.. back to St. Patties day. We started off the weekend on Thursday night by cooking a fabulous dinner at our place.. followed by some wine and much needed chatting. After work on Friday, Jen and I went on our fabric shopping trip and then back home to get ready for our night out! We all went to Whisky Kitchen to eat.. fun and fabulous place in Nash.. and then headed out on the town. Long night I must say. Saturday.. St. Patties day was fabulous! We were on Broadway (downtown Nash) all day and had a little.too.much.fun. It was great to have them in town! Shamrockin. 2012. Until next time.. God bless!

Valentines Day Recap

This Valentine's Day was by far the best one I've EVER had.
I know I know, I'm a newly wed and i am just filled with mushy love sickness..but seriously, best.one.ever. I think what made it so great was that it wasn't anything fancy. Just a fun night shared by two people who love each other! Since Vday fell on a Tuesday, we decided to celebrate at home (we've realized we cant go out on weeknights anymore.. those were only in the good ole college days). So instead of going out for dinner, I made a wonderful meal: crab dip for appetizer, chicken with wild rice and mushrooms, bacon wrapped green beans, followed by HOMEMADE chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. Ha, pretty proud of the homemade part..considering I would usually just go pick some up. I must add, they turned out delicious! After dinner, we opened our "happies," and I was so surprised to get a necklace and earrings that Chris actually picked out himself! This is very rare. Haha, I'm usually telling Chris exactly what he can get me for holidays/birthdays/etc. but he did this all by himself! Super proud. And.. to make it better.. they are actually cute! Double proud. Chris was pretty excited about his happy as well.. which was a cordovan belt. He briefly mentioned that he needed one a few weeks before Vday. And me, being the awesome wife that I am :), took note of that. Of course, we also got each other loads of our favorite candies. As a result, I have gained probably 5 pounds in a week. Thanks to the candy bowl on our coffee table (not to my no self-control ability). After our yummy dinner and dessert we rented a movie and spent the rest of the night on the couch with wine and popcorn. Nothing better than cuddling with the one you love. We laughed, cuddled, share sweet words, and overall.. just appreciated having each other to spend the special love holiday with. What a wonderful night it was! On Friday, for a post Vday celebration.. we went to Cafe Nonna for dinner. I absolutely love that place. Super quaint restaurant and so yummy! Chris even took me to see "The Vow" over the weekend! He didn't want to, but he actually enjoyed the love/chick movie. Shhh, don't tell him I shared that. Now, that's my kinda Valentine's Day!
The pictures show our yummy meal!

Lately

 I haven't blogged in a while..so as I am sitting on the couch enjoying the warm fire and a cup of coffee..I thought I would catch the blogging world up on what's going on in the White world. My parents came to Nashville for a weekend visit, and I enjoyed every minute. They got to see our cute little home and have some fun with me and Chris. By the way..they were here for the super bowl..and I need to give a shout out to Eli. He sure does make the Rebels proud..Hotty Toddy Giants!! 

On another note, I have been traveling back to Mendenhall quite a bit for my best friend's wedding festivities. Jaime has been my best friend for as long as I can remember..and she is finally tying the knot with her boyfriend of 5 years. I am beyond excited for her. Me and some other friends threw her a Kitchen shower back in January and this weekend I enjoyed celebrating with her at their engagement party in Jackson and in New Orleans for her bachelorette party. Now..it's the final countdown until the wedding weekend..which is Feb. 25th..can't wait!

On one of those weekend visits I got to meet the newest addition to our family! My cousin and his wife had a baby girl (Ava Katherine) in January and she is absolutely adorable. I must admit, I got a little baby fever when I was holding her. Hahahaha, freaked Chris out. We definitely don't a need a little one right now..but boy oh boy holding a baby brings so much joy! She is the cutest little bundle of joy. 

Now for my big news...I finally got a break through on a possible teaching job...whoooo! I interviewed today for an interim position at an awesome private school here in Nashville..and it went GREAT! I am hoping to land this position pretty bad. It starts in April and will go til' the end of the school year. Kindergarten...yessss please. Love teaching the little ones. The next step is having to teach a lesson to the class for the administrator to observe..so keep your fingers crossed for me. Other than that, life is simple..but grand! I gotta get dinner going..Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches with sweet potato fries tonight..yummy! Here are some pics I wanted to share:

Chris and I before going out on New Year's Eve

 Sweet Ava Katherine

 This should sum up my parent's trip to Nashville.

Supporting Eli during the Superbowl!

The pretty Bride-to-Be on her Bachelorette Party!

Hope everyone has had a great Valentine's Day Eve! I must say that I am pretty P.U.M.P.E.D for Vday tomorrow..we will be enjoying a nice home cooked meal tomorrow night along with some cuddling and a movie on the couch..followed by a date night on Friday! Dinner at Cafe Nonna and going to see The Vow..yes, I am MAKING Chris go :).

God Bless!

Christmas on the Beach!

Hello friends! After blogging about our wedding, I find it only fair to blog about the next best thing (well, even better than the wedding..but don't tell my mom), the honeymoon!!! Following the wedding night we had to get up at 4:45 a.m. to catch a 7:30 flight out of Jackson. The alarm went off, and we didn't even push snooze..not even once (odd for us)! After a long day of traveling (with no delays..we knew it was a good sign) we finally landed in the beautiful city of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Our resort was absolutely breathtaking. When we checked in, we were escorted to the Royal Service lounge where they served us wine and sushi as we waited to meet our butler. Yes, that's right..we had our very own butler!!! Huge plus. Everything about the place was great. The service, the sunsets, the beach and pool (where we had our own private beds..another plus.), the restaurants, the night shows, the excursions, and of course..our baths we got prepared every night by our butler with champagne, candles, and chocolate..all GREAT! Chris got to play golf on a fabulous golf course, and we enjoyed a couples massage together! But the best activity we got to do was definitely the Buggy Ride. I know that sounds weird, but let me explain...we got to ride around Punta Cana and get muddy! Haha, we knew this was part of the fun when we signed up..but with Chris driving, he definitely made sure we got extra muddy! We rode to an isolated beach that was absolutely gorgeous, to a place where the locals were making cigars and coffee, and to a cave with fresh, natural water..which we got to jump in to wash the mud off. It was so much fun to get out of the resort and see the city and meet some of the locals! Truly an AMAZING day. Ohhh yeahh...listening to Christmas music on the beach was definitely another plus! Most of all, I enjoyed every minute I got to spend with my husband! I woke up every day even more happy than the day before. And it has been that way ever since. Each day I have with him just gets better and better. Ok, sorry, got a little mushy on ya. Here are some pictures from our fabulous trip!

 At dinner on our first night there!

 Beach!! 

 Hibachi Dinner!

 Kisses from my man!

 On our balcony before golf time!

 Sushi Dinner! 

 All clean after jumping in the fresh cave water!

 Christmas on the beach!

 Waiting for one of the beautiful sunsets!

 Chris enjoying the beach!

 Chris with our "buggy!"

 Waiting for our couples massage!

We're married..and loving it!

Wow, looking at all those pictures sure makes me miss the beach..as I am watching snow flurries here in Nashville. Oh well..I guess it is time to light our fire and cuddle up on the couch with a big cup of coffee! Thanks for reading, and God Bless!

Anna White :)