The Quarter Life

I'm so exhausted!!! Another crazy week has gone by... and before I knew it, the weekend's here AGAIN... *Sigh*! But this weekend's a lot different... I'm turning 25 on Saturday!

Well, last weekend wasn't too bad. My parents had a BBQ cookout at their house because we had relatives come visit from Miami on Friday night--The Solomon family. They came to drop off Angela--their daughter--and all her belongings as she starts the ever-life-changing college experience at...... where else? No other than... The Florida State University!!! I was so excited... she picked the best school!!! She could've gone to University of Miami (our rival school) or the University of Florida (our other BIG rival school), but that kid has got SOME sense in her and she is now officially a Seminole :-) So, she was asking for some advice and I could've given her the whole, lengthy Been-There-Done-That speech... but nope... I kept it to a mininmum! Two things she only NEEDED to know... a.) Where exactly to park b/c everybody knows how horrible parking is at FSU... and b.) to never EVER forget her cell phone... EVER!!!... and of course there are a lot more, but she'll live and learn like the rest of us... Besides, why spoil it for the Freshman???

The rest of the weekend was just busy... running errands and doing chores. And like I've mentioned on the previous posts, we've been looking at homesites and lots... The highlight of the weekend was Billy's birthday dinner on Sunday night at his parents' house--Pam and Bill... Uncle Bill cooked some awesome steaks. I'm not so big on steaks, but he did a great job, I must say!!!

Work has been really busy... I've been desperately trying to finish some web applications before next week... Because, as we all know it--everybody will be taking the rest of next week off for the 4th... except little 'ole me!!! But I'm perfectly happy to be having a break in the middle of next week :-)

So, as I said earlier... I'll be 25 this weekend. It just so happened that Rob's 10-year High school reunion (Lincoln High class of 1997) is this weekend as well. The festivities start tomorrow, Friday night--cocktail hour at Cafe Cabernet. Then Saturday morning is "The Tour of Lincoln"... Yes, our high school has changed A LOT since I've been there... Let alone, since Rob's been there!!! We're still debating if we're doing the "tour"... I suppose it all depends whether or not we have a huge hang-over from the night before!!! LOL... Saturday night, is the formal dinner at Killearn Country Club and Inn--the same venue we held our Wedding Rehearsal Dinner and is where Rob and dad always play golf at! Mama and I went dress shopping the other day. She bought me a cute dress for my birthday, which I'll be wearing to the formal dinner.

Sunday night will be my birthday dinner with our families. We still don't know where we're going... I've got some great suggestions, so we'll just see what we feel like having and go from there...

On Monday, I get to celebrate with Jess, Em, Ash and Carla... We're going shopping, then dinner at Ruby Tuesday! Kevin's going to football camp in South Florida this weekend. He's leaving tomorrow... So, we're going to dinner with him tonight... just in case he can't make it back in time on Sunday night!

Then, we're spending the 4th at the beach house in Alligator Point! I think dad's taking us fishing... so, JB, you better be ready!!! LOL... It's going to be one heck of a weekend (and week next week)... How's that to start off the other quarter of my life, huh?!?!

Well... hope your weekend will be as fun and exciting as mine!!! Next time I blog, I will have LOTS of stories and pictures from all the parties :-)!!!

Maddie

Last night, Rob and I went to visit Jenn Brewster (Bill Brewster's wife--son of Aunt Pam and Uncle Bill and Caroline's brother). I was about to get them the usual--flowers and balloons, but Rob's co-workers who are young parents said "You know what parents REALLY WANT???... DIAPERS!!!" They ARE so RIGHT!!! LOL... So, we brought them a bunch of diapers, onesies, wipes and bibs... The 4 necessities you can NEVER have ENOUGH OF according to new parents!!! See? I'm LEARNING a LOT here!!! It really IS a GREAT thing to have ALL these women in my life who can teach me a thing or two about what to expect...

Speaking of which... (we had my *early* birthday celebration at work yesterday)... and Cindy Cross came to celebrate with us (along with baby Jenna). She's still on Maternity Leave until September! And guess what she gave me??? Baby Books... The Number 1 Best Seller--"What To Expect When You're Expecting" and "35,000 Baby Names"!!! LOL... So, I have them sitting on my desk at work and everytime someone walks into my office, they immediately assume that Rob and I ARE expecting!!! GEE... thanks, Cindy!!! haha!

Jenn and the new baby are doing really great, despite having an induced labor... with (*GASP*) a REALLY huge baby! Well, their other daughter, Savannah (turning 2 this year) was even bigger. She was a whopping 10.10 lbs at birth!!! WHEW!!! And Both WERE NOT C-Sections either... Yup, you've READ that right! How's THAT for a birthing experience!!! Can you just IMAGINE?????? I think.... I'd RATHER NOT :-) !!!

I held the cute baby in my arms for almost an hour!!! Rob's kind of scared to hold newborns because they're so fragile... So, he just stood by me, touching the baby and holding her hand :-) Anyways, here's a rather grainy picture of us (since we forgot our camera and we only had our cell phones)!!!

Madison Corinne Brewster
9.9 lbs, 18.75 inches
10:45 PM, June 20, 2007
The Women's Pavilion
Tallahassee Memorial Hospital

Welcome to the family, Maddie!!!

Alive and Kickin'

My absence from the blogging world will be justified later on... First, let me say, that a lot of things have happened since I last posted. A few to sum it up... dinners with families, Dan and Melissa's house warming party on June 9th, movie nights, Rob's tournament ball game since June 11th (which is still going on tonight), my father's 49th birthday on June 14th, and many conversations with family and friends...


I have NEVER EVER felt more vulnerable in my life than these past few weeks! Being young and at that prime age, I've always felt invincible! But I've come to realize otherwise...


I had a lumpectomy done last Friday, June 15th! Prior to that, I went through many sleepless nights, anxiously waiting for the day to come. What prepared me and helped me the most are my family, colleagues, and friends! Their constant support and encouragement guided me through this journey.


It has given me a new outlook on our wedding vows. "In sickness and in health" means more than words can say and Rob has delivered his vows quite exceptionally! It has tested our love and all its boundaries, which has grown much stronger because of this. And so, I can say, I am THE luckiest girl to have the best husband in the world!!!


Our families have all been great... Thanks, ma, pa, mom and dad for your great words, support and prayers! And the same goes to our siblings... Kat, JB, Kevin and Spencer!!! We love you ALL!!!


My co-workers have been awesome... Some of them have gone through the same, exact experience and it has helped me a great deal to talk to them. Thank you very much, Cindy C., Cindy V., and May :-)!!! And most importantly, my boss, Pat... a big Thank You!!! Not everyone can say that they love their boss as much as I can!!! She has been a mother to me from the start and I feel so fortunate to be working with such a great team, who treat each other like family :-) They were all shocked to see me at work this morning and told me to go home and "rest"... LOL!!! I had a sweet card and flowers waiting for me in my office (from my boss) when I came in this morning :-)... Thank you all!!!


Last but definitely not the least... my girls--Jess, Em, Ash and Carla!!! Thanks for the endless conversations and camaraderie!!! Thanks for always making my day much much better :-)... I definitely cannot wait to paint the town red with y'all very SOON!!! LOL...


And so the day has come and gone... I was really worrying over NOTHING!!! An hour after the surgery, I was up and about--getting lunch with Rob at Tropical Smoothie, then renting a movie at Blockbuster... The next day (saturday), we drove to Valdosta, GA for Jess and Jim's baby shower/pool party... We had a really great time...



At the Bauers' (Jessica's parents) residence in Valdosta, GA



Spencer, mom and dad, relaxing by the pool house



Henry's ready to go swimmin' :-)



... and Jake's still being... well... JAKE!!!



A friendly game of shuttlecock!!!



The Maddox girls... getting ready for a swim



Before the pool got crowded...



The FUN part... Jess opening baby presents.... (No guys allowed) LOL



More presents



This is just the beginning... we're throwing Jess another shower (this time in Tallahassee) on July 28th!


Yesterday, we had dinner with mom and dad at Momo's Pizza, al fresco :-)!!! And I've finally gotten great news from Annette... She and Eric have set a date--Saturday, March 29th, 2008!!! I immediately marked it on my calendar--"My Best Friend's wedding"--at Watercolor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach, FL!!! I can't wait...


Despite what I've been through, we've had an amazing weekend... I would not wish this to happen to anyone, but I am in a way thankful it happened... Because of this, I am FOREVER changed... It has opened my eyes on things I will never EVER take for granted again! God Bless...

Crazy Friends = Good Times

So, where to start??? Well, last time I wrote, I was meeting my girls at Atlanta Bread Co. for dinner... And so I met Jess, Emilia, Carla and Ashley there. We had a really great time; did a lot of catching up. We actually stayed there until way past their closing time... We just didn't even think about it and before we knew it, they were "kicking" us out... LOL... So, hopefully next time (and yes, I am talking to you, Jess... since I know you read this), it won't take another month or so before we have another girls' night/day out... whatever! Get your calendars out, ladies! Geez... Those emails sure have been a ton of fun, though... What will it be next time? Spa party? Yoga sessions? Destin Getaway? Poker Night? Alright... coordinate... Get on it, Jessica!!! hahaha!

So, our weekend was short, as usual... When would it ever be long enough though? lol... Anyways, Rob and I have been so spontaneous... We just do whatever we want, whenever we want it done! We've changed our plans so much, we barely even know what they are anymore, but that's the fun of it! And this, my friends... is the beauty of not having kids (YET)!!! So, to everyone who keeps asking "When are you having kids?"... Well, hold your horses, I say!!! PLEASE... I waited 5 whole years to be with this guy... 5 years to live with him under one roof, sleep in the same bed, cook for him, do his laundry, etc... So, let us enjoy our time together!!! Which is EXACTLY what we're doing right now!

For instance... being so spontaneous that we are, last Saturday, Rob and I drove around Tallahassee (with JB), looking at houses! So, we nixed the idea of doing rennovations in lieu of buying our "dream" house. Yes, we just woke up one morning and said "Hey, we should just buy our dream home already before having kids!"... Well, we looked and looked and decided that we're never going to find it, so we are now in the process of buying a lot. My very good friend, Jess, is helping us out! She works for Re/Max Capital Group Realty. We found a couple of good ones, in great school zones--very important--and are at least 2 acres--again, very important for Rob---me, not so much!!! Rob has a childhood friend who is now a contractor and he's thinking of hiring this guy to build our house. We're going to keep looking for better locations and Jess is constantly emailing me with new listings... so, we will get it within 6 months... hopefully by Christmas--if not, then after New Year's. We've been looking at Architectural books, magazines, websites for a blueprint of our dream home. So far we have a few great ideas, but we're not in a rush since we're thinking of building in a year or two. But it will be a really "trying" time because we're building it from scratch and have to make all the decisions... Since it won't be a cookie-cutter, we can't just pick out a model house from the contractor and start building... Everything has to be customized... As Rob says, i.e. from what type of roofing (shingles or steel) down to what type of door hinges... I know, I laughed at him when he said this, but he's so right! So, Rob and I have to start tightening our spending a little bit... because this is "IT"!!! We may be too young to be building our dream house and it will be a tough process... but... The thing is, by the time our kid(s) will be in high school, our mortgage would be paid off!!! How sweet is that? And we'll have a house that was built to meet our specifications... for us, by us :-) So, this would be REALLY really worth it!!! Plus, can you imagine how much a house like that would cost 10, 20, 30 years from now??? Well... that is, unless you live in Texas where you can still, to this day, build a 3600 sqft house for less than $250,000--which in Florida, would cost you an easy $1 MIL!!! Heck, living in Florida, if we waited long enough, we might not be able to even afford the lot, let alone the house!!! LOL

Anyways... this is supposed to be a "friends" post... but I just had to let my friends know what's up and what's new with us... so, that kinda goes with it, I guess... Well, that was the latest, guys!

Moving on... Saturday night was dinner with the in-laws. We met them at Famous Dave's... I like Smokey Bones a lot better though... *Sigh* We miss Smokey Bones!!! Darn! Sorry, Kev, your fave place shut down without notice!!! How horrible!

Sunday, we had a crazy time at the Showmans' (Katie and Brian's) house... Let's just say, ALL the guys were wasted!!! It sure was a lot of fun though! We had a kegger, some BBQ wings, chips n' dip, quiches, hamburgers, fish fillets, and for the ladies--fresh fruits and veggies... oh and wine coolers :-)

Cornholin'... cigars and beer!!! (Alex and Matt)

Grillin' some good 'ole burgers

Brian and Rob... Cornhole Kings... LOL

Katie, Brian and Jimmy... Hey, Easy on the keg, guys!!!

Jimmy, Ryan, and Mike... Nice shirt, Mike!

ARod, get out of the way... This was supposed to be Melissa's shot, dude!

ARod and his best friend... how cute!

The wives club... well, technically, we're missing the others...

Brian was so wasted!!!

After the party, we all decided to go to the FSU baseball playoffs... There's nothing more hilarious than sitting with a bunch of drunk guys, throwing out insults to the opponents. LOL... I laughed my ass off... That was more fun than the game itself! We can't really do that in football, because Doak Campbell is much bigger than the baseball stadium, plus we all have different season tickets and seats! Rob's crazy friends... Good times!!! Oh well... we lost, but it was still a ton of fun!

Dick Howser Stadium

North Facade of Doak Campbell stadium... Gosh, I miss football already!

Warming up!

Crazy, drunk kids...

Man, we forgot to wear our FSU shirts!

N-O-L-E-S.... Go Noles!!!

So, last night... I had more fun hanging out with mom, Aunt Helen and 9 of mom's friends, playing Bunco! I was one of the winners and took home a whopping $14 cash!!! LOL... I think I might join Melissa next time... she's always asked me to play with her group and I'm seriously thinking of joining her! It's just a pain to coordinate a bunch of ladies with busy lives... you need 12 to play Bunco!!!

Well, after the fun night with the ladies, my cousins came over to our house--Teppie, Nic and Bella! Teppie's visiting from the Philippines and Nic and Bella are from Atlanta.... Alright, Nic, you said you read my blog, eh??? LOL... Then, heed this, you crazy fool!!! Don't let another year freakin' pass by without seeing me... lol... well, I guess that won't be fair, would it? Alright, when we're in Atlanta, I'll definitely let you know!!! Fair? Oh also... remember what I told you... no more poppin' babies out faster than you can count 'em... hahaha!!! So, we might go out to dinner tonight, but it all depends if they're back from their trip to Jacksonville earlier today.

Well, that's all, folks... Hope you have an awesome week!!! Oh, yeah... it rained... yay! How 'bout that, huh?