Loving Lady Antebellum

No worries, people - I'm still in love with Kenny Chesney (XOXO Kenny!). But, right now I'm digging Lady Antebellum. I didn't fall for them at first - I'm not much for trios, and I thought they were a little corny. But, I saw them at the Kenny concert in the spring and liked them, and I'm in love with their new singles on the radio. Last night, I bought "Need You Now" on iTunes and have jammed it tons today! I have no idea why I'm obsessed with this song - its not really applicable in my life, the lead singer just has a beautiful voice :)

When I listen to the chorus though, I do think of situations I've been in, and one that my sweet friend is going through right now. Its so hard to say no sometimes, even though, as Christian women, we have strong morals and values. Sometimes, there's just something about the opposite sex that can make a woman unbelievably weak.

So, here are the lyrics to the song:

Picture perfect memories,
Scattered all around the floor.
Reaching for the phone cause, I can’t fight it any more.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.

It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now.
Said I wouldn’t come but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don’t know how I can do without, I just need you now.

Another shot of whiskey, can’t stop looking at the door.
Wishing you’d come sweeping in the way you did before.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.

It’s a quarter after one, I’m a little drunk,
And I need you now.
Said I wouldn’t call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don’t know how I can do without, I just need you now.

Yes I’d rather hurt than feel nothing at all.
It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now.
And I said I wouldn’t call but I’m a little drunk and I need you now.
And I don’t know how I can do without, I just need you now.
I just need you now.
Oh baby I need you now.

Winning is FUN!

Just got back from cheer camp this week and I'm such a proud coach. The SBS Varsity cheerleaders won EVERYTHING! Seriously, everything! They won the awards for talent, dance, spirit, and leadership! Other squads were so tired of hearing "Second Baptist Varsity" being called, but not us! I was crying like a proud Mom :) I'm so proud of them and I know it'll be an amazing year with the strength of the seniors leadership and the immense talent of these 20 girls! Go Eagles!

Back in the Swing...

Here we go, people. August is upon us. For me, that means: SBS football and volleyball season, LSU football season, 8 hours a weekend in a car for home LSU games, a TON of events at work (Homecoming, New Parent Events, DSL, PA Events, Booster Club dinners, etc, etc, etc), lots of cheerleading (including camp next week!!) and so much more!!! Ahhh - I feel like I cannot catch my breath till Thanksgiving!

But, its also pretty exciting to be back in my routine again. I love seeing my cheerleaders every day, and my co-workers are just the greatest! And, not to mention that all my TV shows are coming back on! Woo Hoo!!!

Do you guys like a routine? Or would you rather have endless amounts of time off without a routine?

Have a happy week!

Am I Enough?

Lately, I've been reflecting on how its just not that easy to be a woman in today's world. I'm in a ladies bible study at church, and we are reading the book "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." The bottom line is I'm such a Martha, when all I really desire is to stop and sit at the feet of Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42).

As women today, we are beyond distracted with so many tasks, self-consuming thoughts, and just flat out struggles. I feel God telling me that I just need to stop and strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman - not a perfect woman of this world.

Does anyone ever feel these things?
- When will these extra 10 pounds go away? I've been working out like a maniac lately, eating more fruits and veggies, and my clothes aren't hanging off me like I want them to...
- I wish my house was cuter and allowed for us to entertain more; but the thought of having more areas to decorate is terrifying - what if I make mistakes, or worse, get the decorations in and settled, then realize I don't like it (like I've done with our bedding - its so dark and dreary - why didn't I shop around more?)
- Just when I think I've got enough clothes, something new and fabulous comes out that I've just got to have; probably because I still have those struggles of wanting to wear the next best thing; honestly, do I need more clothes? NO! (BTW - I feel the same way about purses and jewelry)
- Why did I get the short end of the stick on great hair? I can't decide if I like it short, long or medium - honestly, sometimes it sucks all three ways! Haircuts are so defining, yet, I can never seem to stay happy with one style
- Back to my body - ughhhh!!!!! Just to lose the impossible inches on my arms! And the love handles - come on, I do so many oblique exercises - what gives???
- And finally, am I doing enough? Do I clean or cook enough to be considered a great wife? Do I call and visit enough to be a great family member? Do I ask the right questions and listen enough to be the best friend I can be? Do I work hard enough at work to make sure I'm not going anywhere - do I do enough?

Lord, am I enough?

Proverbs 31:28-30

Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised

Praising the Lord today, for making me a woman wise enough to realize that the only set of standards that matter are those of Jesus.

Spending Less...

As Jeremy and I are saving our money for a house house (as opposed to the town house we live in now), I've made a few promises to myself, and okay, him too, about ways I'll save money from now until the end of 2009. I'll have to come up with new promises for 2010 :)

So, I thought I would share them with you guys, as an accountability! That way, if I start blogging about something I just bought that I shouldn't have, you guys can comment and say, "BRITTNEY - what were you thinking? You weren't supposed to buy that!!!"

So, here we go.
My spending vows...

• I vow to not spend any money on holiday decoration items this year. Seriously - do I actually need another Christmas ornament or Halloween candy bowl? I think not!
• I vow to not spend any money on scrapbooking any more this year. UNLESS - it's absolutely necessary (e.g. buying new letter stickers because I can only spell out Vaca instead of Vacation)
• Deep breath, ladies - I vow not to spend any money on a mani or pedi - YIKES!!! This is a big one, because I love to unwind with a nice pedi after a long week. But, I am perfectly capable of doing an "at home spa pedi."

So, please help me stay faithful to these vows. I know it'll be worth it in the end, because we will be living in a fabulous home and I'll invite you all over for a housewarming party (or maybe we'll just all go get pedicures)!

Here we go....wish me luck!

Thoughts on ONE Year of Marriage

Yesterday Jeremy & I celebrated our one year anniversary! It was a perfect day - we went to church, lunch with my family, saw Phantom of the Opera (and LOVED it), cooked our favorite meal for dinner, exchanged presents and of course, ate the top of our wedding cake. FYI - our cake lady made us a new cake, we didn't freeze ours! We decided our anniversary tradition would be to dance to our song, from our first dance as husband and wife, which is "At Last." Of course, Charley wanted to join in on the dance, too, which was pretty funny!

To commemorate one year, I decided to do a "Top 10 Things I've Learned As A Newlywed" list. Enjoy!

1. You can't change him - no matter how hard you try, how faithfully you pray, how exciting you think your pep talks are - there's no changing someone else.

2. Boys are stinky - there's just no way around it!

3. Husbands don't like it when you get the tweezers out and go after their eyebrows!

4. If you really want to make your first year adventurous - get a cocker spaniel! Although Charley is a complete handful and total mess sometimes, we have had a blast with him!

5. Put each other first - don't give him whatever is leftover at the end of the day. He deserves more than that.

6. Trust his decisions - God made him the head of your marriage for a reason! Even though I don't always agree with his choices at first, in the end, I usually can look back and see that he was right!

7. Take lots of pictures - I'm never too shy to ask strangers to take our pictures on vacation - I want to treasure all of our memories right now & I'm excited we have SO many pictures together!

8. Have secrets and inside jokes - it only strengthens the connection that the two of you share!

9. Continue to surprise each other, and date each other. We didn't get a grip on this until a few months into the marriage, but it keeps things exciting when you go on dates and try new things together!

10. Talk to him - he's still a guy and cannot possibly guess what is wrong with you (even though you are his wife)!

Here's a picture from yesterday - he's holding our Phantom playbill and I'm holding our cake (I know, its cheesy, I just had to take this picture...see #7).

Our Latest Vacay

J and I just got back from a great trip to Boston and Cape Cod! We had a great time and the weather was just about perfect (unlike in Houston where it gets in the 100's everyday)! It was amazing to celebrate the 4th in a historic city like Boston and we had lots of fun celebrating Jeremy's 34th birthday there, too! We went to a Red Sox game, walked the Freedom Trail, did a Duck Boat Tour, went to the 4th fireworks celebration (with the Boston Pops and Neil Diamond) and lots more. We did LOTS of walking (I think I'm due for some new shoes now :) ). After a few days in Boston, we went to Cape Cod and stayed in Hyannis (and also made a short stop in Plymouth, Mass.). It was so beautiful there. We loved it, and wished we would've stayed longer! It was everything you see on TV - quaint, gorgeous homes, amazing beaches, cute little main streets with cuter shops! We had a great trip!

Captions for the pictures (I'm having computer issues tonight): A view from our favorite boardwalk in Cape Cod, us at the Cape Cod Summer League Baseball Game, us on the 4th in our 4th of July outfits, us at the Red Sox game, and then a picture of us at the Boston Public Gardens (my fave place in Boston)!