"When I Grown Up, I Wanna Be Famous"

Well it has been a week again and it seems like every Wednesday I get on here and blog about the weekend before. I joked with my friends this weekend that I should probably rename this blog the Weekend Blogger. I know no one likes excuses but this weeks delay has been due to a combination of studying for my last final of grad school (who am I kidding, one of the only ones I even had in grad school, usually its just papers) and trying to even imagine the words and stories to even post about my amazing weekend in Blacksburg with the girls.

There are few things in life I am more passionate about than my friends and family and Hokie Football. The only thing missing out of last weekend was my family, but when you have friends that you have been through so much with like the ones I got to see last weekend, they pretty much are family. We all have our moments, we can all get on each others nerves at times, and we know that no matter how old we get some things are just never going to change, and we are ok with that! Sometimes we see each other often and sometimes we don't see each other for months at a time, but its ok because we know when we all get together it will be like it always has been. I am so grateful to have several groups of friends like this in my life, especially with the girls I met in college through Chi Omega.

Hannah, Emily, Me, Michelle, Katie

The most exciting part of the entire weekend had to be our run-ins with our "famous Hokie football players". While it may not measure up to a run-in with Lauren Conrad like one of the girls that I work with and her husband had on their recent vacation to California, it was still just as exciting for all of us. So here are a few of the important celebrity tips I took away from the weekend:

• Never pass up an opportunity to stand on the field with all the 11 and 12 year old kids to take pictures and get autographs from the VT football players, you may just get your picture with...

Me & Bud Foster

• If a football player that plays in the NFL comes into the restaurant where you are eating, don't hesitate to go take picture with him, he may just buy a round for your table instead of the one next to you. But if you do hesitate, just make sure you have a friend who has a great boyfriend who is willing to go tell him that his little sister is his biggest fan and would like a picture with him and you may just get one...

Me & Deangelo Hall

• Just because that NFL player has a camera man following him around doesn't mean you want to be on the reality show.

  

  Hall's Camera Man for his reality show (don't worry mom, I talked to the camera man but not to the camera, so I won't be embarrassing anyone on TV)

• If you take enough pictures of a cute football player throughout the night he may just eventually come over the table to talk to you and let you get in a picture with him, and buy the table a round...

Me & Eric Green

• And finally, even Chris Ellis has to wait in the line at TOTS. But if you try to fight with the bouncer to let him cut in line he may just pay your cover charge for you!

The Girls with Ellis

Yes there were other exciting things about our weekend like our VT Cake and meeting EKenney's new boyfriend, but I think the "famous" football players sums up the best parts. Michelle, hope this entry lived up to your expectations!

"Your Best Friends, Your Little Hometown, Are Waiting Up Wherever You Go Now"

Sorry that it has been a little while since I posted, I am still getting into the hang of this blog thing, and finding time to keep it updated! Anyways, Timmy and I had the chance to go home last weekend and had a great time visiting family and catching up with old friends.

Our adventure started out Friday night when we began our 5 hour trip home around 6:00, don't worry we are used to the late night Friday drives home. Well we got a Garmin for Christmas and since we don't really need it to tell us how to get from SC to Chester, we still always use it anyways, we find it amusing to try to beat the arrival time it projects at the bottom. I have also enjoyed the "restaurant finder" option as well. Well as most of you know I love Chick-Fil-A and I do love being able to search where the closest one is as we travel home. When we got around Fayetteville, NC I was starting to get hungry and decided to search for the closest Chick-Fil-A. It said there was one 8 miles if we got off the next exit or that we could continue up 95 for 54 miles and stop at another one. I decided I would rather just get off and try to find the one we were closest to. Long story short that 8-mile trip to the Chick-Fil-A and then getting lost on the way back to 95 (yes even British Emily doesn't always give the most efficient directions, so we decided to give up on her and use the good old fashion navigation system of road signs to get back to 95) turned into an extra hour added to our trip. I was convinced we had driven south far enough that we were going to get back onto 95 back in South Carolina, but was relieved when we finally made it back to 95 and were actually 12 miles further north than where we had gotten off an hour before. I am lucky to have such a patient and kind husband whose only comment upon getting back on 95 was "well it only took us 55 minutes to go those 12 miles." Next time I think I will opt for staying on 95 for 54 more miles and getting off at the exit where Chick-Fil-A is visible from the highway, or just eat something else.

We really enjoyed the rest of the weekend. Saturday was a beautiful day and we got to go to a cookout for my sorority sister Liz and her fiance Adam whose wedding I will be in at the end of May. We haven't been able to attend any other parties or showers for them so were glad we could make it to this one. It was hosted by Adam's family in Urbana which was just a little over an hour from Richmond. We rode with our friends Danielle and Mike and it was great getting to catch up with them on the ride and during the cookout.

Danielle, "May Bride", Me

The Girls with our Boys

Saturday night mom cooked steaks and Mom and Dad Marsh came over for dinner, again it was great to just relax with our families, eat outside and enjoy the nice spring weather, and enjoy a good meal!

Sunday Timmy went over to help his parents out with some yard work and I had the opportunity to go to brunch with some of my closest Chi Omega friends (all named Katie (y)) who live in Richmond. Weaks just moved back to VA from Missouri a few weeks ago and we are very glad to have her back! It was great catching up with the girls and checking out Weak's cute new apartment. My mom also joined us and it was great having her there, I also enjoyed the little shopping trip I had with her following brunch!

My Brunch Bunch

It was over brunch when we were discussing blogs that Lawlor (who has her own blog, The Preppy RN) was discussing doing something creative with blogs. Well Timmy and I started talking on our car ride back to SC about this and decided since we both love music so much that maybe we would start naming our blog entries after song titles and lyrics. So this marks our first one (other than the actual name of our blog which is one of my favorite song lyrics from a Kenny Chesney song). I had to find something good about friends and home and these lyrics from a Miley Cyrus song seemed appropriate. We hope you will enjoy this new added twist to to our blog, and thanks Lawlor for making me think of something creative to do!

This week has been low key, I am wrapping up my last week of classes and my last few weeks of work in the Greek Life Office, its been very bittersweet. This weekend I am heading to Blacksburg to for a mini senior year reunion with some of my Chi O sisters who I graduated with. I am looking forward to another weekend away, getting a preview of the 2009 Hokie football team, and the chance to catch up with more old friends, should be a fun girls weekend!

neVer forgeT 4.16.07

Tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of a day that no one will ever forget, especially those in my Hokie family. When tragedies like the shooting at Virginia Tech occur you never forget where you were when you got the call, the fear you felt as you waited for your friends who were still on campus to return your calls and texts, and the sadness that came in the days that follow after the initial shock of the severity of the tragedy taking place in your own home finally hits you. April 16 will forever be a day where my heart will be heavy, filled with sadness for the pain and sorrow of the loss of 32 fellow Hokies, as well as day filled with hope and gratitude for the great lives that each of them lead and the opportunity that each of us left behind has to live each day of our lives the way they did, to the very fullest.

I ask that any of you who read my blog take time tomorrow to say a prayer for Virginia Tech, for those who were lost and their family and friends, and to everyone in the Hokie Nation. And in honor of the 32 lives we lost so tragically two years ago, hug your family and friends, tell them you love them and appreciate all that they do for you. Thank God for the many blessings in your life and let today be a day that you make a commitment to stop taking for granted the people and things we each love and care about the most in life.

A year ago on the first anniversary of the tragedy I took time to write my own reflection and note to my family and friends. I have cut and paste it below for everyone to read, even if you received the email last year I would encourage you to take a few minutes to read it again and remember how lucky we all are to have our faith, family and friends. Also, take time to click the "Live for 32" and watch the tribute video. Thank you all for the love and support you have given to Timmy and I throughout our lives!

LIVE FOR 32

Faith, Family and Friends: A Reflection on the Past Year (4.16.08)
Death is never an easy thing to deal with or understand, no matter what the circumstance. But it is especially hard when it happens tragically and to those who are young, full of life, and seem to have so much left to do with their lives when they are taken from us so suddenly and quickly. Many of you know that tragic death is something I have dealt with several times over the past year, beginning this day a year ago when 32 of my innocent Hokie brothers and sisters lives were taken in the shooting at Virginia Tech. Then in late October, after only being at the University of South Carolina for a few months, I got called out of church on a Sunday morning and told to get to the Greek Village immediately, there had been a beach house fire and there were fatalities but they were not sure how many. That morning seven young lives were taken in the Ocean Isle Beach fire, six of them students at USC and one from Clemson. And just three short weeks ago I got the call that one of my own Chi Omega sisters from Virginia Tech had passed away suddenly, later to find out it was from viral pneumonia. Each of these tragic incidents has forced me to stop, think, and reflect about my own life and the lives of those who have been taken from us. Each time I have meant to journal or reflect on my experience and I have not, and so today, on a day that my heart is both heavy and happy reflecting on the past year I want to take time to write down the questions I have struggled with and the things that have helped me to try to grasp why these tragedies happen not just to me but to everyone, and how I can live to honor those who we have lost.

I believe that the one thing that connects all the lives who have been lost and what makes it so sad and hard to understand is that they all had faith, family, and friends. They were taken in their prime of life when they were full of love and life, wonder and adventure, and a time when they were discovering who they were and who they wanted to be to the world. They were surrounded by friends and family who shaped their lives and made them into the wonderful people that they were. They were more than a number, more than a name on a website or in a newspaper, more than a picture on the television- they were sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, students, teachers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, and best friends. Faith, family and friends made them special, made them who they were and who they continue to be, and I believe that it is faith, family, and friends who help each of us who are left behind to move on and remember to live for all those who were taken from us.

We all struggle with tough questions during times of sorrow and sadness, especially when coping with the loss of loved ones. While we may never know the answers to all the “why” questions- Why them? Why then? Why there? Why not me? Why 32 innocent lives at Virginia Tech? Why did six survive the fire and seven not? Why someone so young, so intelligent, about to graduate and start her dream job? We find comfort in the faith we have in God, knowing that they are all in a better place and while taken from us before we were ready, God gave them all to us as a gift, and we can learn so much from all they did during their time with us. We owe it to each of them to continue to carry on their faith and love of life every day that we are here and able.

We also turn to friends and family during times of tragedy- they are the ones who love us day in and day out, not matter who we are or what we do. Those who we lost were surrounded by friends and family who loved them, challenged them, and helped shape them into the amazing people they were. So often we take for granted the family and friends in our lives who have loved us, challenged us, supported us, and shaped us into the people we are today. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day of life- school and work and family obligations. I am just a guilty as the next person in not doing a better job of staying in touch on a regular basis with the family and friends in my life who mean the most to me. We owe it to those we lost to make the most of our time on earth with our friends and family, just as they did. Try to remember at the end of the day it’s not really that important what grade you got on your paper, what didn’t get done on your to-do list, or who you had to hire or fire. What is important is the family and friends who have helped you to get to today, and remembering to thank them and let them know what they mean to you, because you never know when you may not have the chance to do so again. So never underestimate the importance of a voicemail, a text message, a posting on your Facebook wall, an email, a text message, an e-card, a card in the mail, or a road trip to visit a friend or family. These are the small things we do that make big differences to those who we love.

As I reflect on the past year I am sad for the many lives lost, but grateful for the opportunity to reevaluate my own life and priorities. I am grateful for the reminder they each left of how precious life is and how we must all live it to the fullest, everyday, just as they did, and love and appreciate our family and friends, just as they did. I am grateful that God gave them each to us, even if it was for just a short time- to remind us all of what life is really about- our faith, family, and friends. It is our faith, family, and friends that help us get through each day, especially the tough ones. It is our faith, family, and friends that we wake up for everyday and who remind us to make the most of that day. It is our faith, family, and friends that we must make our top priorities, for when we don’t we lose focus on what matters most in life. It is our faith, family, and friends we must remember to appreciate. For when our time is done, it is our faith, family, and friends that we will be remembered for- just like we remember today those who have been taken from us, for their faith, family, and friends.

Easter Weekend

Well we have certainly had a nice weekend visiting with friends and celebrating Easter.

On Friday night Tara and I had a chance to get dinner with several other VT girls who live in Columbia that I got connected to through Facebook. We had a good time and Tara enjoyed getting to eat at one of her favorite Columbia restaurants, Wild Wing Cafe.

Saturday morning we woke up to nice surprise from E. Bunny (apparently when you are an adult it is no longer the Easter Bunny). While he arrived in SC a day early Tara and I enjoyed our egg hunt around the apartment to find our baskets full of candy, a bottle of wine, and some other surprises. I certainly have the best husband ever! Addy and Zoey got some treats from E. Bunny as well. I posted some pictures below of our Easter fun. Luckily Mrs. E. Bunny had a chance to pick up surprises for Timmy as well!

Tara and I spent most the day Saturday shopping and enjoying the nice spring weather in Columbia. Saturday night our friend Lindsay came over for dinner and brought her dog Finlay over to play with Zoey and Addy. They had a great time running around and we enjoyed all catching up.

This morning we went to to church and are now anxiously awaiting our Easter Brunch that Timmy has been working on all morning. It smells wonderful.

While this is the first Easter I can ever remember not being with family, we have had a good weekend and are grateful to have such great friends to share the holidays with when we can't make it back home. We look forward to seeing our family and friends in Chester next weekend when we come home to visit.

I'm Finally a Blogger!

Well after over a year of avidly following many of my friends Blogs and wanting to start my own, I have finally done it! As many of you know I am finishing up my last few weeks of graduate school at University of South Carolina and am currently job searching. The next few months are going to be filled with lots of adventure as Timmy and I begin a new journey in our life together. I figured now was as good as time as ever to start blogging and keeping everyone posted on the excitement in our lives!

This weekend is Easter weekend and our good friend Tara came to Columbia to visit. We look forward to a weekend catching up and celebrating Easter together! I am especially grateful that she helped me figure out how to get my blog set up, it will be fun learning all the ins and outs of the blogging world. More to come later!