Summertime

What a busy week it's been! My mom came this weekend and we registered at Belk and Williams Sonoma. To see our registry, you just go to the perspective site, go to the Wedding Registry and search by either my name or David's name. Next weekend David and I are going to register at some more places such as Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond. 

I brought Mom home and while I'm here, Toris car is in the shop because the air went out. Yesterday we went to our friend's, the McDaniels, house. Bethany's mother-in-law, Mrs. Jane, was at the McDaniel's to make a wreath for the Vaughn's annual Forth of July gathering.

 Here is their super cute, pinteresting wreath:

Here's a quick bit of summertime fun:

Something Yum!

I'm alive, I promise! It's been a busy week. Last week on Tuesday my manager at BN told me that they were allowing people to request shifts that week in order to make hours. I wasn't scheduled to work until Saturday due to school and so requested off on Saturday. On Thursday afternoon after class I headed to Tuscaloosa and surprised David with a milkshake. It was a wonderful weekend. We got to hang out most of the day of Friday and for a few hours on Saturday before the wedding he had to shoot. On Saturday afternoon I headed to Sylacauga to see my dad for Father's Day. I had to be back on Sunday for work at 1 but it was good to be home for a little while. My mom cooked pizza Saturday....

BBQ and Cheese

My mom then taught me how to make one of  David's favorite desserts...

Blueberry Trifle

I want one of these! 

The final product! Hooray!

Little Women

It's time for summer reading at Barnes and Noble and we have tons of kids coming in asking about what books to get from their list. Several books on the lists are books that I have wanted to read at some point but regrettably haven't gotten around to it. The first book I decided to read is Little Women. I already have it and I've wanted to read it for a while. So here's a quote from Little Women.

My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world,- marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes, because love is wanting. Money is a needful and precious thing,- and, when used well, a noble thing,- but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for. I'd rather you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace."

"Poor girls don't stand any chance, Belle says, unless they put themselves forward," sighed Meg.

"Then we'll be right old maids," said Jo, stoutly.

"Right, Jo; better be happy old maids than unhappy wives, or unmaidenly girls, running about to find husbands," said Mrs. March, decidedly. 

Vera Wang

Want to know what my fiance did today? 

.......

Today was a really long day so David thought he'd change that. Change that, he did.

Thank you for loving me and sending me some beautiful flowers, Dave!

Hey you guys! Next week we'll be at less than 200 days! 

How Do You Choose a Movie?

Tonight Tori, Meghan and I decided to watch a movie. Sounds like a nice relaxing night, right? Well, not so much at 116. We have a process for choosing movies. It may get a little crazy but bear with me. On rare occasion we'll all three immediately agree on a movie or at least fall back on a Harry Potter or two. Tonight we were not so lucky.

Tori really wanted to watch Percy Jackson, but neither Meghan nor I wanted to. If you've read the book and seen the movie you understand. So we began the process. 

First Meghan and Tori picked any movie they were interested in watching. 

Then they ruled out half quickly. Meghan hid two behind her back and Tori guess between her right or left hand. 

This was followed by a game of rock, paper, scissors. Whenever someone won the a game they got to choose from the pile of five. After five rounds Tori had three movies and Meghan two so Tori's pile of movies was still in and Meghan's was out.

So it was down to three movies and down to these tie breakers:

Whoever stood the longest and won each round got to keep a movie. 

Finally, I chose a number....

 and the first to guess won as did their movie. 

 Drum roll please...and the winner is:

What A Girl Wants. 

So all of that for a simple movie. The funny thing is, as soon as I got home Meghan and I put in Percy Jackson. I guess Tori actually persuaded us to watch it after all.

The Silver Fox, My Post-Train-Wreck Car

This is my car. Her name is Alverta Roberta by day. By night, she's the Silver Fox. I love my car. Sure, she shakes when I brake or sit at a light. Sure, she shutters on and squeaks when I shut her off. Even though she's not brand new she has been very reliable. I fear, however, that today was the beginning of the end.

My parents weren't the parents to buy their kids brand new cars, much less at 16. I don't remember being bothered by that then (and am grateful for it now) but I'm sure 16 year old Hillary grumbled on more than one occasion about needing a car. When I was a junior my parents allowed me to begin looking at cars. I liked my dad's car at the time and I believe I was interested in one similar to it. Some time around my birthday my dad took me by Raley Motors, owned by a friend of ours, to look at a Nissan that had just come in. I loved it. It was a different model than my dad's but around the same year. The only difference was it had no sunroof and it was champagne. Mr. Raley told me, to my disappointment, that someone else had purchased it. I was disappointed but it was, after all, just a car. That year my parents threw me a surprise party for my 17th birthday. I remember a few things from that party.

1. Tori worked really hard on it and pointed out in fun Tori-fashion how great everything was 

2. David Kizziah, my cousin's husband, taught me what to do while everyone is singing "Happy Birthday" to you. 

3. Jimmy Raley's birthday card wasn't from Jimmy Raley. It was from my parents and had a key inside. 

I was a little thrown by the card but quickly got over the confusion and ran outside to see my new champagne Nissan Altima that my mom had just purchased.

But that car has a sad ending, as many know. Just a short month later, on the way to church, I totaled that car.  I walked away with nothing more than a nose bleed, and my parents were so beyond relieved that I don't even remember one lecture (though they were probably in shock after I walked a way from being hit by a train).  

By the time I finished high school my dad's car had become mine, probably a little bit out of necessity and a lot out of me being a ridiculous high school age teen who needed a car (entirely out of sacrificially generous parents). Alvie traveled with me to Tuscaloosa and then to Nashville. Most importantly, since being in Nashville she has taken me back to Tuscaloosa time and time again and over these trips I have gone from a single girl to an engaged one. 

Alas, I believe she is dying. Today I was sitting at a red light and she stalled out and died. Luckily she started right back up but this is a first for this car.  I think that this is the sad beginning of the end. With a crazy year ahead of saving for marriage and a wedding to pay for I praying and trusting that the Lord will provide. 

Here's to hoping the Silver Fox shakes, rattles and rolls a little longer.