Endings and Beginnings

Today was my last day working in childcare for (hopefully) forever! I have worked with kids for the past 3 years and although its been a wonderful experience, it is past time for me to find something new. For the past year I've been with infants and I am absolutely going to miss my little babies and really all the other kids in the center.

Some of the toddlers were dying to take pictures on my phone today and I am so glad I will have the photo memories forever! These kids were in my baby room when they were little :)

 

Aren't they the cutest! I will definitely be back to visit my sweetie pies on occasion! My coworkers have been so sweet since finding out about my new job. They all ordered pizza and got a cookie cake today to celebrate! I also got a beautiful orchid from a parent and a bouquet of flowers from my dad! I feel so loved and so grateful for the opportunity to have spent 3 years taking care of kids. 

I can't wait to begin this new adventure working in a call center. It is going to be completely different, but I think it will help me propel myself into a job that I can call a career. I have never been more excited and more ready to get through the weekend!

Happy Blogging beauties!!!

Twitter Love

Hey so The Anthonys are finally on twitter. So I caved and created a twitter, I am totally lost when it comes to twitter so if you are reading show me some love!

Also I have GOT to fill you guys in on some news that I've been holding back. Remember last week when I told you I was waiting to hear back about a job. Well….I start my new position on Monday! Tomorrow is my last day working in childcare and I am beyond excited. I will be working in a call center and the office is directly beside our apartment complex. It is absolutely such a great opportunity and I cannot wait to start! 

Life is definitely looking up for us and we are so thankful to God for all the blessings! 

Be Blessed and Happy Blogging (and don't forget to follow us on twitter)

Weekend Trip to Charleston

This past week has quickly gone by and life has sort of gotten in the way of blogging which is definitely NOT a bad thing. This past weekend we celebrated Greg's birthday by taking a weekend trip to Charleston, SC. Charleston is one of our favorite cities because there is always so much to do. There are historical sites, the beach, shopping, and great food. 

We drove down early Saturday morning and spent the day at Folly Beach right outside of Charleston. We laid out for a while, walked on the beach, and looked out from the pier. 

Folly Beach was a new experience for us and we really enjoyed the beach. We had a hard time figuring out the parking situation at first because you can park along any street and we were worried about our car getting towed. Once we finally googled it, we parked on the main street and headed to the shore. There were lots of families out, but there was still plenty of room for us to be separated. At most beaches along the South Carolina coast, it is wall to wall people this time of year. By the time we got settled, I took my beach chair to the water's edge and got lost in Dan Brown's new book, Inferno. So good!

After our daytime beaching, we found ourselves shopping a little at the Outlet stores and then we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Is it just me or are outlets not really that much cheaper?  I can never seem to find good deals at outlet stores. Anyways, we headed to Hyman's Seafood for dinner which is one of the most recommended and visited restaurants in Charleston. We have heard so many great things about this place so we thought we would try it out!

Let the record stand, that all the recommendations were right on point! We loved Hyman's Seafood. The food was delicious and fresh. Greg got shrimp and grits (one of his favorite foods) and I got seafood fettuccine alfredo. We also got crab cakes as an appetizer. There is absolutely nothing like having fresh seafood, probably caught the same day. The service was exceptional! It was a little pricey, but the portions were big and the experience was definitely worth it.

On Sunday we spent the morning at Isle of Palms laying out on the beach again. Isle of Palms is a lot like Folly Beach only on the opposite side of Charleston. We decided after the beach to visit Patriots Point which is the home to the USS Yorktown, a Navy aircraft carrier from World War II. There was a submarine, USS Clamagore and a destroyer ship, USS Laffey. Like I've said before, Greg is very interested in historical artifacts and really enjoyed finding out all kind of neat things on these ships. I, on the other hand, could have spent more time on the beach, but it was his birthday weekend after all.

Overall we had a wonderful time together. Traveling really helps us to bond and grow closer. Its easy to get wrapped up in the routine of everyday and going away really helps us to focus on each other. There is nothing I love more than discovering new things with my husband and experiencing the journey together! 

Be Blessed Y'all! 

Washington D.C. Part 2

We were really able to explore the city more on our second day in Washington DC because we woke up early and stayed late. We were so excited to get the day started and woke up at practically the crack of dawn. My husband is such a history junkie and couldn't believe all the amazing things we saw throughout our time there. I mean come on, it is pretty awesome to see a letter written by George Washington and space suits with moon dust on them!!

Everyday we rode the train into town from the very last stop on the blue line. Talk about a long train ride with lots of stops! We really had a blast riding though. I love people watching and public transportation is THE place to do it. So many different people and unusual characters!

 There are tons of Smithsonian museums surrounding the National Mall and we were able to go through quite a few of them. This castle is the Information Center for all of the museums and was the original National Museum. They have since expanded the museum to 17 separate museums, all unique and amazing in their own way.

 Our first museum stop was the Air and Space Museum. At first I wanted to skip this one. I mean, I'm not really into space or air history so I figured why waste our time? However, Greg insisted and I am so glad he did! We saw so many awesome artifacts and original things it was amazing. My favorite things were the Space suits, the first airplane flown by the Wright Brothers (yes, the original) and the control center of Apollo 11 (the first to step on the moon!!). Crazy, real life history right there. It was beyond belief seeing all the artifacts!

I personally am not a saver of anything! I am not really sentimental about keeping old papers or cards, but it is awesome to see all the historical artifacts that make our history so much more real to me. It's unimaginable!

 Greg was blown away by the Capitol and how big it is in real life. We really fell in love with Washington, DC and hopefully one day we will be able to live and work there. Now THAT would be a dream come true. My husband has such a passion for everything political and would totally be in his element in DC.

Being that it was Memorial Day weekend, there was a massive bike ride through the city on Sunday. And when I say massive, I mean 250,000 motorcycles massive. It was the craziest thing. We waited to see them come by where we were at then we went to lunch and came out and they were still going strong. It was an amazing sight to see. So many of the bikers were veterans and supporters of POW-MIA. I just love patriotism and supporting this great nation!! And there's me in my blue and white scarf, it was was too cold for my red shorts though.

One thing I didn't get a picture of was our lunch. We went to the American Indian Museum and ate Buffalo and Duck burgers. Can I just say, yummm! They were delicious! Greg searched out some good places to eat in the area and apparently congressman walk down to eat at the cute little cafe in this museum! It was definitely a great meal!

The Museum of Natural History was next on our list and it was definitely one of the most crowded places we went in during our trip. Full of families with kids and strollers, but it was worth dealing with all the people. We saw so many different animal skeletons and human skeletons. We were very impressed with everything in this museum. We even saw one of the Moai from Easter Island. This museum was very fascinating.

Our next stop was the National Archives. I have no pictures of it because you weren't allowed to take pictures inside due to the sensitivity of the documents there. We saw the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. How awesome is that?! I was so impressed by the quality of these documents from long ago.

By this time it was afternoon and we had a few more stops to go. I don't think my feet have ever hurt as bad as they did by this point. I somehow managed to keep trekking along. Greg was determined to see as much as we could on this little weekend getaway. We were headed to see the White House next and made a quick stop at Ford's Theater where Lincoln was assassinated. Abraham Lincoln is Greg's favorite president of all time. I think he saw the recent movie Lincoln about 3 times in theater. Ford's is still an up and running theater so we weren't able to go in and look around. We did get a picture of the sign though :)

Here is the White House in all its glory. The first is the back and the second is the front. We were in definitely in awe of this building. To know that our presidents have lived in this house is just amazing.

And here we are with the beautiful gates and the front of the White House. I think this picture might be our Christmas Card. I'm sure Greg would LOVE that. While we were there we bought 3 Christmas ornaments for our tree. Just a LITTLE obsessive ;)

On our way to dinner we saw none other than Marine 1 and 2. When we saw this we knew that the president was in one of those helicopters and next thing you know it lands on the south lawn of the White House. This was probably the most exciting part of our trip because its not everyday that you get to see the President of the United States come home. Everyone around was snapping pictures everywhere!

To end such a wonderful evening we enjoyed a live orchestra concert on the Capitol lawn to celebrate Memorial Day. The event was live broadcasting on PBS and included many singers and famous people. It was nice to just sit and enjoy being in our Nation's Capitol celebrating the men and women who have lost their lives defending it. I was deeply moved by the performances and stories that were recounted.

Our trip to DC was unforgettable and will always be our first road trip together as husband and wife. We definitely want to go back one day, but there are so many places that we would love to see and do! DC is definitely a must-visit in my opinion! Just simply amazing.

3 Months >>> Forever

We are 3 months into the most amazing marriage that ever did exist between two people! Okay so I'm a little biased because I'm in this marriage, but we are a pretty incredible duo. I feel like we are becoming old pros at it now. We have settled into our habits and routines, making sure the house stays semi-clean and helping each other with whatever is needed. We enjoy spending time together watching our weekly TV shows and seeing movies together. We took our first weekend road trip as married people this month and are planning our next vacation for July 4th week.

It is so awesome to be married to your best friend because just being together is better than any other moment in the world. I love my husband so deeply and it becomes more and more each day. I'm so thankful that he is there for me when I'm sick and sad, and also when I'm happy and over the top. He is my rock during tough times and supports me no matter what. During this past week I found out that I didn't get a job that I had really hoped I would get and I don't know how I would have made it through the day without his love and kindness. He really makes my world a better place. I love you Greg Anthony!

Happy Father's Day

Today is a special day celebrating fathers worldwide! I feel so blessed to have such a great earthly father that has taught me everything about being a godly man and father for his family. My dad's commitment and unfailing love for his family has taught me what it is like to trust and love my heavenly father. I look up to my dad for many things, but most importantly for the Christ-like attitude he has in every situation in life. I know so many people have lost their fathers or aren't close to them and it truly makes me feel blessed to have the love and support of my dad through think and thin.

My dad has also shown my mother the utmost respect and love throughout their marriage which played a huge role in the man that I married. I am so thankful for the man that Greg is and I know that one day he will be a great father to our children. Yall, God has really blessed me with some awesome men in my life!

I look back on our wedding day and remembering the moment when my dad walked me down the aisle is a moment I will never forget. I held on to my dad for dear life, but couldn't keep my eyes off my soon to be husband. I was awestruck by the events that were taking place. Our wedding day was such a blur with everything happening so fast, but I literally feel like time stopped for those few minutes as I walked down the aisle. As my dad gave me away he gave Greg his blessing. He said "Today I am not losing a daughter, I'm gaining a son". Those words meant the world to me and they still do everyday. I am so thankful for the support of my parents throughout our relationship and marriage.

I have been and always will be my daddy's little girl whether I'm 5, 25, or 50. He will always be my first love. I love you Dad!

Proverbs 3:5-6

Today was a hard day for me. I've been waiting to hear back from a job interview from last Monday and thought that hopefully they would call today and I haven't heard yet. I'm sure they will call any day now and I am really looking forward to it. While I was browsing pinterest today I came across this verse and I just about lost it. It is so hard for me to give up control of anything in my life. It has seriously caused me a lot of frustration and anxiety over the years because I want things to happen how and when I want them too. I had to check my heart tonight especially after reading this verse because I haven't let God have control of this aspect of my life. I want to just push myself to get the job and I'm really let down when things don't go as I have them planned in my head. The problem is my view is so limited and finite and God sees the whole picture. I have GOT to trust Him and know that His way and timing are always going to prevail.

Lord, I don't want to figure it out on my own anymore. Teach me to stay on your track and follow you regardless of what I can see and what my plans are. In Jesus name, Amen.

Haircut: Before and After

I promised before and afters of my haircut so here you go! I can't believe I cut so much off and a first I didn't realize how much was actually coming off, but now I LOVE it. Short hair is so much easier!!

Before (this was a couple months ago, but you can really see the length here):

After:

It actually looks a little longer than this in real life, but I am loving it! It's just long enough to still put in a pony tail and curl it, but it is so easier to blow dry it out and do cute styles with. I was at the point where my long hair rarely was fixed because it took so much effort. Anyway, this care-free, easy style is probably going to stay for a while! If anything, it may become even shorter!! I just love my hair short :)

Be Blessed and Happy Blogging!!

High School Graduation

This weekend was full of fun and enjoyment as we celebrated my youngest sister and brother graduation from high school. They are the last 2 out of 4 kids to graduate in our family and it was kind of bittersweet to watch them walk across the stage. I am so proud of the man and woman they are becoming and it has been awesome to watch them grow up and follow after God with everything.

 The day started out drizzling and we were worried that they were going to move the graduation indoors. The rain held off though once graduation started. It actually turned out to be a beautiful day. 

Lacy is the youngest of us 4 siblings. Her and Luke are twins, but he was born 11 minutes before her. We are literally like the same person. We not only look alike, but we talk and think alike too. She is such an awesome woman of God. She will be heading to Minnesota in August to attend Bethany College of Missions. She has already spent 2 summers ministering in different parts of Africa and is seriously on fire for sharing the gospel of Jesus worldwide. 

My brother Luke is the only boy of the family and is spoiled rotten because of it. I don't know what us girls will do when he leaves for college or finds a wife. He will also be studying missions at Lee University in Tennessee. He is also become well known as school for growing his beard. I'm so excited to see where God leads him! 

Here is me and my siblings, my other sister Leanna will be a junior at NC State this fall and just left today to do a service mission in Florida until the end of July. Seriously y'all, my brother and sisters are world changers. I'm just honored to be their big sister holding the fort down in North Carolina.

On another note, did you notice my hair?! I chopped it all off last weekend. I'll post a before and after picture soon! This week I will be recapping Part 2 of our Washington DC trip and also diving into some exciting new things ahead for Greg and I. Stay tuned :)

As always, Be Blessed and Happy Blogging!!