Over the Hill

Last weekend my dad turned the big 50! Mom attempted to throw a surprise party. By that I mean, the only surprise was who would show up other than the family members. Then Mom let some things slip, like some people that were invited. Oh well, she tried, and she made a lot of enchiladas. The biggest surprise was Christopher! He said he originally was not able to come due to a huge project due on Monday (today). He said that he woke up Saturday morning and decided to come. I received a phone call around 11:15 am on Saturday asking what he should do for lunch. I told him to eat chili since I made it the previous week (and he hadn't even tried it yet). Then he asked what I was doing. I told him, and then asked what state he was in. He finally admitted he was in Georgia. I saw him after lunch. It was a great surprise for me and my dad! Dad found out when Chris walked in the door after me. Dad received some good gifts, but my wrapping was the best. I wanted to buy Depends, but they cost $15, so I noticed Poise pads. I think they're for women, but they serve the same purpose. Well then I was thinking that pantiliners are cheaper, so that's what I bought. I just stuck them all over the gift. It was very easy too! 

On another note, Mindy and I went to David's Bridal yesterday, and I made more decisions. I had already decided on the dress and color, but she helped me decide on the shoes. Bronze shoes look great with the dress, and they're in style, so it should be easy to find them (hopefully on sale too). I wish I were a bridesmaid so I could buy the dress and shoes. I would actually wear the dress (even multiple times), which was something I really thought about when picking the dress out. 

Also, our engagement pictures are finally here! They look great! We're still waiting on the CD, but we do have some actual prints, including an 8 x 10. I'm really excited about everything...now if only we could decide on the music. I would be relieved if that were chosen!

-Christie

Top 25 Songs

Actions say a lot about a person. Music, tv, movies, and interests all influence a person's actions. The funny thing is that the top 25 songs on my iTunes account even surprised me. With that said, here are my top 25 most played songs on iTunes...

1.) Coming Toward by David Crowder Band

2.) Deliver Me by David Crowder Band

3.) Beautiful (Acoustic) by Bethany Dillon

4.) Praise the King by Cindy Morgan

5.) Only You by David Crowder Band

6.) Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer

7.) I Need You by The Swift

8.) Jesus, Lover of My Soul (It's All About You) by Blessed Hope Chapel Praise Team

9.) Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional

10.) Indescribable by Chris Tomlin

11.) A Different World by Kristian Stanfill

12.) Unashamed Love by Ten Shekel Shirt

13.) Great Is Your Love by The Smith Band 

14.) Stay With Me (Brass Bed) by Josh Gracin

15.) Hallelujah by Bethany Dillon

16.) You're Beautiful by James Blunt

17.) Gavin's Song by Marc Broussard

18.) Aimless by Bethany Dillon

19.) We Belong Together by Gavin DeGraw

20.) Killing Me by Graham Colton Band

21.) Running by Kristian Stanfill and Steve Fee

22.) Be Near Me by Bethany Dillon 

23.) Deep Enough to Dream by Chris Rice

24.) Dreaming With a Broken Heart by John Mayer

25.) You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban

These songs are not necessarily my favorite but were from around 2004-2005, which is when I listened to my music on my computer. Now I listen to it on my iPod when exercising and in the house, and music in my car. The top songs do not register on the actual iPod, but only on the computer, so this is not completely accurate, but obviously, I do like these songs. I was honestly surprised that no NickelCreek songs made the list. I'll have to update it in the future.

And Christopher and I will be married in less than 6 months!

-Christie 

Politics

So many people treated this election the way that the Jews treated the politics of Rome. The Jews were waiting for a King, a political leader, to deliver them. Instead they got Jesus, which is so much better. Jesus died because they were looking for the wrong things. It's amazing to me how closely this parallels with what is going on today. People think that America is going to crumble because of a president. That's what checks and balances are for. People have forgotten who is ultimately in charge--God. That's all that matters and all that ever will. So to all those who believe in God and think America may fall apart, I challenge you to believe God. Believe He is in control of America and the world, not any one person on this planet.

-Christie

Kona and I Won $50!

I had to share what just happened...Kona and I won a $50 gift certificate from Petsmart thanks to shejustgotmarried.com. Click here to see Kona on the website. I joined the website because it looked cool. They had a Halloween contest, so I sent a picture of Moosey Kona, her name with her Halloween costume. I just found out today that we won! Yay! Kona saves me money! This is the closest we'll ever be to winning any other kind of competition. So to me, this is like winning a dog show. Kona is just too cute!

-Christie

Election Day

Happy Election Day! I'm glad that I voted in Alabama due to the 1 1/2 hour wait in Alpharetta. I left at 8:50 to vote and was back at home by 9:05...amazing! I am ready for the election to be over. Now I can watch the news and actually hear news instead of repetition. The student I'm tutoring loves Barack Obama. We finished his biography, and now he wants to read Hillary Clinton's biography, so we're starting that today. 

Good news, if you vote you can get free ice cream at Ben and Jerry's, a free cup of coffee at Starbucks, and a free doughnut from Krispy Kreme. There is no Ben and Jerry's in Tuscaloosa, but Starbucks and Krispy Kreme are both here, so you can figure out what I'm doing today.

This weekend was fun. Alabama is now #1 thanks to UT's lost. Thank you Texas Tech. We had our engagement pictures on Sunday. They look really great! We went to the river walk, Capitol Park, downtown Tuscaloosa, and the campus. I'll put a few on here. It was a lot of fun too! It was kind of like a date with someone else tagging along and taking pictures of us. I'm sure this upcoming weekend will be a lot of fun too...New Orleans, Christopher's B-Day, good food, Care du Monde, and LSU! This should motivate me to do my huge assignment due really soon.

-Christie

Halloween and Christmas!

Happy Halloween! Even though today is Halloween, I put up my Christmas tree with colored lights. The sad part is that I put it up before I even finished carving my pumpkin. I'm ready for the holiday season!

Today was also Christopher's and my 5 year anniversary. We finished carving our pumpkins today. He carved a script A (which looks really good) on his old-timey pumpkin. I'll have to post pictures. I carved a really weird looking jack-o-lantern. I tried to carve a schnauzer, but that didn't work. After I put the pumpkin out on display Chris told me that I could carve something in the other side. So I went to go get it, and I actually carved a schnauzer that looks like one. This is the first time I branched out and actually carved something other than two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. We did forget to buy candles though, but that's okay. They're still pretty.

After the carving, we saw the babies! They were so excited...so was I. Then we went to Cypress Inn for dinner. It was really good! Now it's time for November and homecoming. 

-Christie

5 Things (That a Lot of People Don't Know) About Me

1.) I grew up terrified of E.T. I couldn't sleep at night because of him. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I couldn't get back to sleep because I thought E.T. would come into my room. My friend said that if I kept my room messy, he wouldn't come visit me, therefore, I tried to keep my room messy. I wouldn't look at the night light in the hallway because I saw E.T.'s shadow on the wall. 

2.) I have some symptoms of those with OCD. For example, the volume on the tv and radio and the temperature of the air conditioner must be on even numbers. If my leg touches something (like a table or any object) accidentally, I have to make sure my other leg touches it so it will be even. If one of my eyes has something in it, and it twitches, then I have to blink the other one as many times as I did the other one to make it even. I never touch door handles or sink handles with my hands because of the germs. I wash my hands frequently when I go to the doctor for allergy shots and have Purell in my car for emergencies. I also have things very specific ways. In my kitchen, everything goes in a specific place. I like to load dishes on my own because people either put them in the wrong place or don't rotate the dishes. I want every dish to be used the same amount of times. 

3.) I found out 1 1/2 years ago that I am allergic to dogs (along with cats, hickory trees, pecan trees, and oak trees) after having one since I was 5. I now get allergy shots twice a week and take 5 daily medications so that I can have Kona and not be miserable. 

4.) I love cold weather! I love drinking coffee, eating warm soup, and snuggling up to watch a movie. I get sad when the weather starts getting warmer.

5.) I an a wannabe world traveler. I want to travel the world really badly but don't have the money to do it. I live my traveling dreams through Christina who has gone more places than anyone I can even think of. I should be a cruise director like her--then I will travel the world while making money...the best of both worlds!

-Christie