One thing I forgot to mention...

My arm is broken from our ski trip. I fell, but didn't realize that I had injured myself like this! See, Dad, my threshold for pain is high. Yeah right! I made an appointment at the Doc, and he did x-rays and it is indeed a "non displaced radial neck fracture" on my right arm. I hate to say it's getting worse on a daily basis rather than better. Having only one working arm has (a) made us eat out almost every night since we got back as I can't cook with one arm; and (b) made me realize yet again to not take health for granted!

Last weekend I went home for my sister in law's engagement party, and had a ball! Saw my sister, my Mom, Dad, brother, some friends, and most importantly I saw my nephew! He gets cuter every single day, he really does. I adore him. I gave him a tshirt from Whistler and he got upset and said he wanted a big truck instead. It was funny. Note to self: don't buy a three year old little boy, who likes to play in the dirt and ride tractors, a tshirt and expect a grand reaction. One will be disappointed! Who cares, though, all it made me do was buy him something else that he liked: A dragon!

Less Is More...

I just realized that my blog about Canada was entirely too long. I'm sorry for all of you who probably started reading it, and then quickly got bored. I was just so excited and wanted to share the details of our trip! I need to remember, though, that not everyone cares about it as much as I do.
Well, I'm off to go shopping now to find some shoes for the party Saturday night.

North (Western) Exposure!!!

We're back! Canada was absolutely amazing, the most gorgeous sights I've ever seen in my life. Matt and I had SO MUCH fun together! Flying there, we turned off our phones and really didn't turn them back on until we got back to Atlanta, other than the occasional text picture I would send some of my family. It was so pretty, the mountains were full of snow, the air was cool, but not freezing. The first day we arrived we were pretty tired, had a quick bite to eat at the base of Whistler, went and stocked up on some wine, beer & a bit of food which we never ate. Our room was a one bedroom suite, plenty of room, spectacular views, and daily maid service which was a nice surprise. On the second day we awoke early and went to the gym for a quick workout, had a bowl of cereal, and my stomach in knots, we walked down to get our boards and rental equipment. Yep, I wore a helmet and wrist guards the whole time. I love helmets! So we walked to Blackcomb which is the mountain directly beside Whistler, and I arrived for my lesson. Matt walked with me and stayed with me until our lesson started. First things first, I have never snowboarded in my life. Matt used to live on a ski resort in Cali and snowboarded daily for over two months. He is good. Need I say more? My teacher, Dave, and my two classmates, Robin & Lisa, started to buckle our shoes, and I kissed Matt and said I'd meet him during my lunch break at noon. And off we went. All the way to the escalator in the snow. I don't know how many of you reading this has ever snowboarded, but the hardest thing for me to learn to do was walk with one foot while the other foot was buckled in, all the while dragging my board along with me. Well, it didn't go quite as planned. I knocked a few two year olds over, and finally got onto the chairlift, and lets just say that after riding the lift and trying to board off, I stuck to the gondolas the duration of the vacay. Long first day, the lesson was good but I quickly learned that once you get off, getting back on the next day I forgot each and every thing I was taught! Especially on the days we would say to ourselves, "perhaps a bit less apres tomorrow?" which never really happened!

So Tuesday Matt was my guide, and he was exceptional. Totally patient and reassuring, and he was so good at explaining things like, hook it, link it, don't wedge it, and when all else fails, don't fall on your arms, fall on your bum. Watching him he made it look SO easy, he would do the falling leaf, then link it, then go over a mogul, and then turn around to see what progress I had made. One day, after riding the gondola to the Green "Olympic Run" a conversation took place much like this:

Matt: "Are you ready, babe?"
Amy: "Yep, I'm good to go"
Matt: "Ok follow me this way"

Amy: "But I can't get up"
-at which time Matt would come over to me and literally pull me up...

Matt: "Ok, we're going to go down the mountain together, lead with your right foot"

-at which time I am so disoriented that I can't tell my right from my left

Amy: (falls down and starts crying) "I CANNOT DO THIS I HATE THIS I JUST WANT TO WALK DOWN THIS THING"
Matt: (laughing, sort of not knowing if I'm crying through my goggles or laughing?!?) (Answer to that: she is truly crying, sobbing really...) "Hon, you're fine, you've got it. Just link a turn!"

Amy: "I CANNOT (bleeping) link anything"

Matt: "Ok, I'll see you at the base"

-at which time skiers and boarders are flying past me, Matt is flying down the hill and I think to myself, I can do this, I can do this....there is a small child my nephews age just cruising down this thing singing at the top of his lungs...

So I got up and did the falling leaf all the way down. I was just glad I made it.

After that first day my entire body was sore from using muscles I didn't know existed. It was quickly forgotten about after a dip in the hot tub, some wine and a fantastic dinner! I won't go into details on every day we were there because that would take entirely too long. But the bottom line is this: our second honeymoon was perfect. The weather, the food, the snow, the snowboarding, the hotel, the staff, and most of all the company I was in...it was all wonderful! I felt so blessed to be there with Matt and have zero distractions!

And finally, Matt taught me how to link a turn. I think he was more excited than me! We will absolutely be going boarding again and I hope it's sooner rather than later! I'm hooked!

I don't know why the pictures are posting so dang small. Sorry for that, if anyone is reading this and would like for me to send more pictures just leave a comment or send an email letting me know!

Much love to ya!

We're Leavin', on a Jet Plane

Finally, our much anticipated journey to Canada is upon us. Leaving at 8 AM, we have a day full of traveling tomorrow. We are so excited! We will get there by 12:30 tomorrow afternoon, and after being picked up from the airport by the hotel, we have a beautiful two hour drive on the Sea to Sky Highway, as I've been told they call this stretch of road from Vancouver. Matt and I are all packed, we've gotten it all in our suitcases. Amazingly enough, as it's so much harder to pack for this sort of trip than a beach vacation...so much more to pack in order to stay warm! In any regard, we are not taking our laptop, we are turning off all cell phones and pagers, and for the next six days we are going to be by ourselves, enjoying the snow, the food, and most of all, simply enjoying each other! I shall write when I return, complete with fun stories and pictures. Have a great week everyone! And by everyone, I mean Jenn, and Sarah because I feel that they are the only ones reading!
Lots of love!

Blog much!??!

Ok, so I know I haven't written in ages, I wish I had more time to update this blog. Reading all of my friends blogs' who have children running around, whether it's one or two or three, makes me feel guilty that all I have is a rented apartment and a darling husband, and I don't blog as much as I should. I do want you girls who read this blog to know that reading your blogs makes my day...seeing the pictures of your babies, and reading about the trials, tribulations, and rewards of being a Mommy makes me cry, literally. It is very exciting to read and see how the little ones are growing. I love you all, and the babies! Even the ones I have yet to meet, but hope to soon.

Currently Matt is in the red chair in our living room, I am sitting on the loveseat and he is watching GPB - a story about Mark Twain. Yikes, what does the precious man see in me? I don't know much about Mark Twain, except the obvious like Tom Sawyer and Huck Fin, (Glynn Academy!) and my husband watches this stuff with such interest it makes me feel like I should? Should I? I went to Hemingway's house once in Key West, all I remember about that visit were all the cats, though. Oh, and the margaritas. Come to think of it, I really recall the margaritas more than the cats....but I do know I was there!

Anyway, all Matt & I are thinking about this week is our ski trip coming up soon. This time next week we'll be at our destination! We are really really excited. Since I've never been snowboarding, only skiing, and I was not good at that, I've decided to dedicate my efforts to learning how to snowboard. Online today, Matt signed me up for my lessons and rented our boards. We went and bought boots for ourselves on Saturday. So even though I've yet to "board, dude" I am well equipped to look like a pro out there. Mind you, my intentions of this trip so far have been to (1) go out of town with my hubby on nice, private vacation; (2) turn off any and all cell phones/pagers; (3) sleep in, have a late breakfast and lunch, and drink a Bloody Mary with the above; (4) look like a snow bunny....and now it has turned into hoping and praying that neither of us breaks any bones. Excited? Yes. Nervous? A little? Ready to get there? Absolutely!

SO, needless to say, I am going to be packing all week for our "second honeymoon" - I still can't believe it has almost been a year for us. Several of our friends are celebrating their one year anniversary too. The year of 2006 will always be one of my absolute favorite years of all times - so many of our dearest besties got married too, and it's one we'll never forget!

Although, I'm sure of it....the best is yet to come!!

Happy Heart Day!

In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of love.....
I personally feel (like many others) that you should celebrate your love for others 365 days a year, and not just on February 14th. That being said, I still secretly think the idea of this particular holiday has the best of intentions. Husbands send their wives flowers to their office, usually causing extreme jealousy from her coworkers, wives send their husbands cookies or balloons to their office, much to their embarassment, Moms and Dads still feel the need to send a card or at least a balloon to their children.

I grew up in a family that says "I love you" at the drop of a hat, and that is absolutely not an exaggeration. We say it ALL THE TIME! I love it! And even though we say it nonstop, it still means a lot to hear it, and to say it. And for those families who perhaps don't say it often, I think today is a great day for them, because there are some people in the world who may not hear it as often as they like, so today I am happy because maybe someone is hearing the words that they so need to hear.

Matt and I are happily celebrating our first Valentines together as a married couple. He was on call last night, so today he got home from the hospital at 2, and I picked him up shortly after that for a Doctors appointment. He is now in our guest room sleeping, and I'll be waking him up in a few hours so we can have dinner, and watch a few TV shows together. Mythbusters, and LOST. Our night is exactly how we would want it, and we are doing nothing out of the ordinary for each other just because of what today is - even though, for dessert, I've made chocolate covered strawberries. Ok, Ok, I'm a sucker for a little bit of romance and perhaps today IS special after all!

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

A SOUTHERN TRADITION

Many of you reading this blog will understand what this one is all about...

This past Friday I traveled about 40 miles North of Atlanta to visit my Mom and Aunt and Grandmother at my Great Uncle James' house in Cumming, Georgia. I had the best time sitting around their dining room table, snacking, talking, crying a little at old memories, and learning a lot about what their lives were like many years ago. There were four generations there at one point during the night, and I, with my journalistic tendencies, was closely just listening to the many conversations going on around me. There may have been just four generations there, but there were stories told about my relatives seven generations back. It was wonderful!

I began to ask questions to the eightysomethings sitting around me and I loved what I heard.

A few examples:

-My Grandmother's class ring was $14.00. Her brother, James, bought it for her with the money he earned pushing a wheelbarrow. Today, a class ring costs $320.00.

-"We need to go ahead and go so we can get back" - what does this mean exactly? Ask my Grandmother.

-"What in the Sam Hill are you doing?" - who is Sam Hill, you may ask? No one knows!

-"Hold it Newt, you're headin' for the pea patch" - this one just means you can't drive!

-"Hold it 'tween the ditches" - another reference to not knowing how to drive...

-"We didn't have much clothes, but what we did have was clean" - a direct quote from Uncle James.

And finally, just some Southern words to make you think:

-thingamajig

-doohickey

-shore 'nuff

-up yonder

-simon slick

-awright is the same thing as saying hello when you answer the phone

The night was interesting and fun to be around my family and I hope everyone has the chance to learn about the folks from our past who still have a lot to say!

Cuter, please...

We went to SSI for Helen's engagement party. Great party and great fun but as always, it went by too fast! We're back home and glad to be back in ATL, even though it's so cold outside! Yesterday I was running late for my Monday Morning Meeting (hereinafter dubbed the "MMM" by my husband) so I ran out with a wet head and pieces of my hair froze. It was funny.

These are the only pictures we have from the weekend - unfortunately there were none taken at the party and it's a shame because it was lovely.

Please enjoy the photos of my nephew, though!

Book Of Lists...

I am going to copy my friend Jennifer on something, and make a list. My list is titled:

Why Being A Member Of Your Public Library Is A Good Idea - Top Ten Reasons:

1. It's FREE. All you have to do to join is show your Drivers License. This is particularly important to me for several reasons.
(a) Instead of spending approximately $50 on books per month, you can save the money to buy a new pair of jeans every quarter.
(b) In an effort to go on trips without a hitch, pop a book into your cd player for a peaceful and interesting drive
(c) On said drive, you can now afford to stop at the Starbucks in Macon for a green tea latte, and then again if you so choose at Exit 224 for yet another frothy beverage.

2. There are no limits to how many products you can check out at a time. All you have to do is return the books on time. That's it.

3. You can check out books, cd's, dvds, books on tape, AND use their internet service. :)

4. No matter what, no matter when you go, it is always going to be quiet in there.

5. You get a new accessory for your key chain - your identification card!

6. You never have to worry about spilling your glass of wine on the books because they are covered in plastic wrap.

7. If a book is coming out, and you MUST read it immediately, simply put your name and your request with the librarian, who may or may not fit the stereotype, and he or she will call you immediately upon receipt of book. There you go.

8. If you don't like the book you don't have to worry about having wasted your money on it, because have I mentioned that it's free?

9. No more having to pass books along for another to enjoy and then never see the book again.

10. It makes your husband happy. Because he can play video games, xbox, and watch Mythbusters knowing you are content reading a checked out library book!

Oh Canada!

Whoopeee! Matt and I have decided to go on our next vacation on April 2, and we're going to Whistler BC. We've yet to go skiing together, so this is something we're really looking forward to! We hear the skiing is fabulous, the apres ski, shopping, and restaurants are all getting positive reviews as well, which is just as important to us. Or to me, anyway!
The last time I went skiing was in Colorado and I was horrendous. I forgot to tighten my boots, got off the ski lift and went crashing down the hill towards a restaurant, completely out of control, knocking over the stand where people had put their skis while dining. And snowboarding?

Forget about it....I was terrified. This time, I'll be with my husband whom I fully trust to help me as he lived in Mammoth Mountain after college and before med school, where he and some buddies lived for a few months at a ski lodge and Matt worked the ski lift. He's a great snowboarder and I am so excited to be going in just a few months with him!

These photos are from our Honeymoon which was in Jamaica. I hadn't posted any of them yet, and by golly I just wanted to do so! Plus, I think it's kinda cool that these are of us as we first experienced being married, and one year later we'll be in the snow together. Quite the contrast!

We're staying at the Westin Whistler in a Junior Suite so that we can have a full kitchen which will enable us to cook and stay in at night if we want, which is our favorite thing to do even on vacay!

So for the next few months, I'll be shopping for great ski clothes, warm sweaters, and just having fun planning our itinerary. We're thankful that we're able to go on such a fun trip to someplace neither of us has been before! Stay tuned!

Turning 30 Is The New Black

Saturday night was Ginny 30th birthday, and we had a surprise party for her! Mary Field and Katie orchestrated an amazing scavenger hunt, and I along with some other girls, April & Winston, helped along the way at the various stops. It was really fun and she was surprised with each stop! The last place was one of our fave restaurants, Eclipse di Luna, and there were almost 40 people there, including her Mom who came from Baton Rouge! We all had a blast, and ended the night at Fontaines, a stop which is always hilariously fun, and always causes a massive headache the next day.

Happy Birthday GG!

'Twas the Night Before....

On this ultra cold, 40 degree weather day I am sitting in my cubicle daydreaming....of being at home, of not having the beginning stages of the flu, of snuggling with my husband...and of warm weather! Don't get me wrong...I adore the winter, and I adore cold weather (mainly because of the attire) but at the same time, my mind sometimes takes me back to warmer days....May 26 to be exact.

OUR REHEARSAL DINNER! Loved it. Village Creek Landing. So fun, the blistering hot day gave way to a breezy, calm afternoon and evening. The weather was glorious. All of my favorite friends and family were there, all of Matt's favorite friends and family were there...it was great! Stories were told, food was enjoyed, dancing was done, and the band played on!

It was a stunning location, and the backdrop was made for pictures, and that is what I wanted to show everyone.

....Our lovely pictures from the night before we two became one.

Vacation, my dearest Sissy's?

Sisters....one of my favorite things to talk about is the two sisters with whom I've been blessed. We are all so incredibly different and each of us has such strong personalities, and there have been times when those strong willed opinions have caused a fight or two. But the bottom line is, we are the best of friends, and we share a bond that will never be broken, no matter what!

That being said, I wanted to put something on my new blog about my two favorite girls in the world...Jessica Leigh Spearman and Melissa Helanne Spearman. I miss them so much more than they know!

Last March, my Dad sent the three of us to NYC - yep, that's right. The Big Apple, just three gals from Georgia. Man, we were stoked to be going together, and the fact that it was all expense paid made it that much sweeter.

We left on a Friday, St. Patty's Day - sat first class on AirTran (quite the deal, I might add) and arrived in time for dinner. And what a dinner it was! We wanted to be in Times Square, so we found a precious little Italian eatery and drank our weight in wine, and called it a night in our hotel room - a little blurry, but we laid in bed talking and laughing. One of us got up in the middle of the night for a snack, and she ate that snack outside in the hallway of the hotel. We know this only because the bag of chips was lying outside of our room when we woke up, at which time said sister recalled leaving the room to go to the vending machine.

Next day, our wonderful Father met us in the Big City. Dad used to live there many years ago, and he was determined to take in the sights with his three favorite girls! So that we did. It was SO cold, and we did everything one can do in NYC! It was so much fun, and definitely a memory I'll never forget. We were wrapped up in scarves, jackets, gloves, and we rode the subway, took cabs, ate lunch, fought traffic, went to the Statue of Liberty, shopped shopped & shopped some more. At Chinatown, naturally. One of us even wrote a check to a street vendor. :)

That night, it was so cold and we made our Dad spend the night with us! It was so fun! So the four of us decided to not go too far, and made our way nearby the hotel to have dinner at a Thai Restaurant. One of the biggest mistakes of my life. We get there, order our food, and begin eating.....Jessica looked at me from across the table and made what I can only describe as "a concerned face" - I didn't know what she was doing so I resumed eating (thank GOD I'm vegetarian)....anyway, after a few minutes I finally asked why in the world she was looking at me like that. She pushed her plate to the middle of the table and said, "that's why"....at which point we all looked at her plate and almost got sick. It was NOT chicken. No matter what that waitress said. It was not chicken. The next time any of you see my sister, Jess, please just ask to see "the picture" and she'll know what you mean! EW, I still have nightmares.

After putting sweet Dad to bed, the three of us decide we have no choice but to go out for a bit. We all love reading about celebrities, so we know where THE BARS are in NYC.

We decide we can get in. We get dressed. We have a cocktail at the hotel. We get a cab to Chelsea. We go to Bungalow 8. We ask the bouncer "where is Bungalow 8?"....we get dissed. We get looked up and down, he says there is no way we're getting in. We look at him. We look at each other. We look at this cute bar next door and we decide to be civilians and we go inside a normal bar. We sit at the table by the window, which was so perfect for observing the goings on outside, and we do just that. We drink, we talk, we laugh. We're together and that's all we cared about. Going back to the hotel several hours later, we decide it's not time for bed. So, we have another cocktail at the hotel bar. As we go to our room, we decide walking is not the best option for all three of us, so we put Melissa on the luggage roller and roll her into the room, much to our Father's amusement/amazement/disappointment/shock. He wakes up, we all have some more laughs, and we call it a night. Or early morning, whatever.

Waking up, we say bye to Dad, and the Sissy's decide to do the only thing left in NYC we hadn't done the day before together, The Empire State Building. Such fun, and such a wonderful thing to experience with them. I bought a Christmas ornament there, and when I put it on our tree this year, I smiled at the memory.

Our flight was early evening, so we did some more shopping, drinking, eating, drinking, and having Cheesecake. Real, New York Cheesecake. It was glorious and coming home on the flight, I savored each moment knowing that the three of us would never forget our weekend with each other. Thank you Dad!!

So my only question to them is: Where are we going this year???

I'm Bringin' Sexy Back??

Last night my cell rang as I was attempting pilates, and it was Sissy. I answer, and it wasn't her, it was Baby Joey. He was SCREAMING at the top of his lungs "I'm bringing sexy back WOOOO" - thought I would cry laughing.

His little Elmo voice, mixed with him sorta laughing, sorta singing....what an adorable little guy. It's so hard to believe he'll be three next month. It seems like yesterday that he was born! He has been such an incredible blessing to our family, and my sister, Jessica, is one AMAZING Mom! I hope to be as good and natural as she is...but then again, we had a great teacher in our own Mother! And she in hers! Such a cycle. :)

One more thing - and Simple Blessings

Desperate Housewifes is a crazy show! Someone else who watches it, please comment as I am blown away by the writing for the characters. Who thinks of that stuff??? I love it.

Also, Thursday is a new Greys Anatomy. I love being able to watch mindless entertainment as a sort of escape from the real world, even though my world is lovely and I have no real need to escape from anything as I'm just happy for my health, my husband, my family and everything else with which I have been so incredibly blessed.

Need to go now, I have an early meeting in the AM and I hope that after all of my naps today I'm actually able to go to sleep.

OH, and I'm reading a cute book by Jennifer Weiner - "Goodnight Nobody" - kinda hard to start it but I am now having to force myself to turn out my nightlight as my hubby sleeps soundly beside me. See, I told you I'm blessed!