Shoe of the Month ~ September

Well I was hoping to be able to feature a Fall shoe for September since we’re now into the Fall months, but with all of this warm weather what’s the point? I doubt any of you will be purchasing boots/booties any time soon...I know I won’t be. So, I decided to stick with a more summery shoe that’s also a little dressy. September’s shoe is a T-strap Colorblock Pump by Colin Stuart:

 

I’ve never been partial to the super glittered pumps that stores have had out for the past 2 summers, but for some reason the glittered accents on this shoe make me like it that much more. The heel is 5 inches with a 1 ¼ platform bringing you just below 4 inches. I’ve always loved nude shoes, but the colorblocking seems to take it out of the boring, plain old nude pump. One of my birthday gifts was a Victoria's Secret gift card & that may be going towards the purchase of these shoes. =)

Happy shopping!

Red Lights

Dan has always told me that I have a “black thumb” when it comes to traffic lights. My luck didn't seem so bad in PA when we were in college but since we moved down to VA with quadruple the traffic & a gazillion traffic lights, it can get quite annoying. Whenever we’re in the car together, we hit probably every red light there is in-between our destination. If by chance we do catch a green light Dan gets pretty excited & sometimes when we get 2 in a row we both look at each other in amazement like “Did that really just happen?” Now you may think that I’m over exaggerating, but this is the truth. Since Dan isn’t the most patient driver on the road, this totally gets under his skin; he swears that he never hits as many red lights when he’s driving by himself. Yeah, yeah.

Well I can now say that I’m no longer bothered by the obscene amount of red lights that I'm stopped at on a daily basis & I owe this revelation to my brother. During Ben’s memorial service we played a song by Jonny Lang titled “Red Light” which, like all of the music on that day, he wanted played.

Jonny Lang is one of my brother's favorite musicians & I really do love his voice. I'm thankful that Ben introduced this music to me because this song now holds a special place in my heart. Now I’m sure I’ll still have those moments when I’m in a hurry & I’ll get frustrated by a traffic light but for the most part I honestly enjoy them now. I use that time to think about Ben, his sweet smile & reflect on all of the good times we had together. Sister loves you brother...

7 Years & Counting

This past July 29th Dan & I celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been married for 7 years and together for 10 - time sure does fly by. . . I still remember my Dad introducing us at Waynesburg College on the day of our matriculation. I remember thinking to myself, “Man, he’s pretty cute.” My Dad followed the look of interest on my face with a stern, “Don’t even think about it – he’s one of my pitchers.” Little did we know Dan had other plans; during that same day (before we were even introduced) he was telling his friends, “I’m going to marry her one day.”

After spending the rest of our college experience (2 ½ years) being inseparable & then carrying on a long distance relationship, we got engaged in December 2004. Dan’s proposal was completely unexpected & a pleasant surprise . . . We had just returned to my parent’s house after visiting a few of our friends in Waynesburg; it was absolutely freezing outside & there was even snow on the ground. As I started walking up to the house Dan grabbed my hand & said, “Lets take a walk around the park.” I instantly said, “No way! It’s freezing out here” & dismissed his suggestion. Somehow he talked me into it & off we went. If you’re familiar with the Waynesburg College campus, you know that there are a line of 4 parks totaling a little under a mile & the last 2 are right next to my parent’s house. We only made it to the gazebo park before I started complaining that I was freezing & wanted to go inside; we cut through the park & started making our way back. During the holidays, the gazebo is lit by a dim, yellow spot light & it’s really beautiful. We decided to go in & sit for a few minutes – apparently all part of Dan’s plan. He then got down on one knee & after some very sweet & romantic words asked me to marry him. After some very long kissing (=P) we made our way back to my parent’s house to tell my family. My Dad’s reaction to the news: “It’s about time!” My Mom’s reaction: Crying. Ben’s reaction: Congrats, Sister!

We were married on July 29, 2005, at the Presbyterian Church, across the street from my parent’s house & the gazebo park. We’ve survived my move from Pennsylvania down to Virginia, adjusting to our roles as a married couple, home sickness, tight budgets, the purchase of Lexi, our move to our townhouse in Sterling, coaching schedules, sicknesses, heart breaking losses of family members, workout fatigue & stubborn tendencies. I can’t imagine being married to anyone else – he’s my best friend. Yes, we have our moments where we want to ring each other’s necks but those are very few & far in-between.

To celebrate our anniversary, Dan & I decided to keep it low key. We went to see the new Batman movie & after that we headed over to Lightfoot Restaurant in Leesburg, VA. We wanted to go to a place that we’d never been before & we heard some really good reviews from our friends. Here are some photos we took of our day/night:

Dan's attempt at taking our photo.

I'm always the one that gets the task of taking the pics.

Trying to get a good family shot is difficult...

I love this one of Lexi's face - Dan was holding a treat by the camera (LOL!)

This one will do. =)

Getting ready to head out.

Lovebirds.

Me & my Lexi.

He looks good in pink.

Alright, I'm going to let you in on a little secret - I love to be dipped. My favorite is being dipped on the dance floor & if it's during a great 80's song it can totally make my night. Below are Dan's attempts at dipping me while using the timer on my camera - I couldn't stop laughing...

Looking forward to the future & seeing what it holds for us. I love you, babe.