Camera's Back in Business, Just in time for Christmas!!

After two months without a post, I'm back!!! The Holidays can be SUCH a stressful time of year that no matter how much fun it was, I'm glad to be getting back into a routine!!

Kittie and Stella enjoyed their presents Santa left for them in their stockings (yes, Stella got Goldfish!!)

And I got a Dyson DC-17 for homes with pets!!!!

We started Christmas Day with breakfast at my parents house. And then headed down to Summerville around lunch. (For some reason, my sister's lips look blue in this picture...)

























































It's a house divided...at least where football is concerned!!

Of all the Bad Timing...

My camera is BROKEN. I do not know why. I have brand new batteries in it, and it will not even pretend it is going to turn on. I am going to North Carolina again on Monday and Tuesday for... the RUNNING OF THE SAUCE. That's right. On Tuesday, Courtney's BBQ will finally have our sauce professional bottled, in glass bottles (uuuh oooh!! look who's movin' up!!), with our NEW LABELS! Then on Thursday, we leave for Jamie's wedding in New Jersey which we are VERY excited about! So, hopefully somewhere between work this weekend, my trip to the big city of Louisburg, and Jamie's wedding, I will be able to get my camera fixed so you guys can see pictures of everything!!

Me being sad about my camera...

Go Cocks!

Matt and I managed to make it to Columbia for one football game this year! We headed down for the Kentucky game and met up with Matt's parents. It was so much fun just being in Columbia again (although it made me a little homesick, of course). It was also great being able to see Mom and Dad D. since we don't get to see them very often. Not to mention, Gamecocks WIN!


We set up our tailgate spot in the parking lot next to Public Storage: the PERFECT place!




While in Columbia, we stayed at the Hampton Inn in the Vista- if you ever have to stay in a hotel in Columbia, I would definately suggest this one. Matt and I loved it! We also ate lunch on Friday at Bull Market. I had never been to Bull Market, and if you haven't, you must! Also, check out the women's restroom. I know that sounds random, but it is BEAUTIFUL.

Saucey!

I have a new job! Not really a "new job"...but more of a project. For almost a year now, my dad has slowly been looking at marketing our sauce (the red, mustard, and grilling sauces and rub). He has now passed that ball to me! I took on my duties by planning my very first business trip to Louisburg, NC to glad-hand the bosses at Bobbee's Bottling, our sauce manufacturer. (Louisburg is above Raleigh and in the middle of NOWHERE! To give you an idea, my hotel turns off the lobby lights at 9 every night to save on the electricity, the clerk told me. When I left this morning around 8am, there were three other cars in the parking lot, other than mine-not exactly a hoppin' tourist's spot!). Our first run of the sauce is scheduled for the second week in October, hopefully in time for me to set up a booth at the Southern Christmas Show!

Bobbee's Bottling, Inc.

"Matt, what are you going to twirl now?!"

So, Matt lost a bet a few days before our wedding...and had to shave his head. Well, I was like, no way are you shaving your head right before our wedding!! So he didn't. I thought the issue was gone, forgotten about, never to come up again. Oh, I should have known better.....

My wonderful husband with his head full of beautiful (yet sometimes crazy messy!) hair.

My insane husband after I shaved his head!! (Different, but not bad, huh?!)

A Day in Charlotte

On Wednesday, Matt and I decided to get out of Clover and head to the city! We started our trip to the Discovery Place in uptown Charlotte. Now I normally associate the Discovery Place with school field trips, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and warm milk. But not this time. Matt and I went to see "Body Worlds-The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies". Yes, I said real. If you guys have not heard of this, go to www.discoveryplace.org to check it out. It was simply amazing! I'm talking we saw embryos in test tubes through the first eight weeks of pregnancy (on the eighth week, the "embryo" had visible hands and fingers!), a REAL smoker's lung, blood vessels, and on and on and on. To my disappointment, but not to my surprise, I wasn't allowed to use photography within the exhibit, so you'll just have to go see it yourself!!

After spending a large portion of our day staring intently at human cadavers, we went across the street to Stool Pigeons. If you are ever in Charlotte for any reason, hit up Stool Pigeons. We had the best time there!!!

My Mom Turns 50!

My Mom's 50th birthday was on Thursday, so my sister and I threw her a pool party Wednesday evening! Everyone from work came and joined in the fun- I think she really enjoyed it!
(This post is coming a few days after the party because I have been sick, with something we think was just a stomach bug/flu thing, or potentially something I ate...but I gotta tell ya, I haven't been sick with stomach stuff in so long that I forgot just how horrible it is!!! Poor Matt had no idea what to do when I woke him up at 3am -the fact that I woke him up probably contributed to him running around "What's going on, what's the matter? What's going on? What do I do!?" - he did bring me chicken soup and ginger ale when he came home from work that night though! Anyway, I am feeling better, and thank goodness for that!)