26th Birthday

Brittany's birthday was on Friday.

She turned 26 at 5:04PM.

We had a busy weekend and our house was full and noisy, just the way I like it. 

     Brooke and Mr. E left DC at 5:30 in the morning on Friday. Mr. E had to work, and can work from home or anywhere as long as he has his laptop and phone. That was why they had to get on the road early so that they could get to Raleigh early enough for him to get his work day started upstairs in our office. It is a little more than a four hour drive. 

     Brittany was just getting up when Brooke got home. Luckily Brittany didn't have to work on her birthday! I was sitting on my bed drinking coffee waiting for Brooke to get here. When she did, she and Brittany ended up in my room dancing, laughing and finally chasing each other around the house. Brooke was taking snapchats of Brittany and Brittany was protesting because she had just crawled out of bed.  

     After her classes on Friday, Barrett headed home for the weekend. She was so excited to bake Brittany's cake. She misses not being able to bake because of being away at college. She made a chocolate ganache raspberry cake.

     We had reservations for dinner, but they were a little late so we made a charcuterie tray to nibble on while we waited. Well, we went into the dining room because Mr. E wanted to give Brittany his birthday gift to her, a bottle of nice champagne........

when we went back into the kitchen this is what we found!

This is a picture of one of the dogs that had a tummy ache! 

Poor Lola (and Charlie)!

I was a little worried about leaving the dogs at home and inside while we went to eat, but we did and they were okay. 

We went to a little locally owned italian restaurant near our house that we've been going to for more than 15 years.  I love small family owned restaurants.

It was time for cake when we got home!

Then it was present time!

Brittany really liked the gift that Mr. B got her, can't you tell?

Barrett gave Brittany the cutest coffee mug!

It came out backwards in the picture, but you can figure it out. 

Brittany insisted we play a few rounds of  Guesstures and even though we were all really tired and so full that all we wanted to really do was lay around and watch a movie we played.....

it was her birthday after all. 

On Saturday we had tickets to the UNC/Duke game, but since it was raining, Barrett and I opted to stay home and go shopping a little.

 Today, was a lazy day and late this afternoon our house emptied. Art flew to Dan Diego this morning. Brittany took Mr. B to the airport later so he could fly back to Nashville. Brooke and Mr. E left for DC and Barrett loaded up her clean laundry and headed back to school.

I'm not going to lie, I am sitting in a chair in the living room watching TV and am enjoying some quiet time with just Brittany.

I am also very happy knowing that my bathroom no longer looks like this....

Girls will be girls! 

Catching Up On Brittany

Well Hello!

It has been way too long. 

Let's catch up!

Today is all about Brittany.

     Brittany - is turning 26 on Friday! For those who do not know, she is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and is a NICU nurse. She had been commuting almost an hour and a half to work to a hospital in another town for a year, but thank goodness, she was offered a position at a hospital here in Raleigh. She started orientation last week and will be in the NICU unit in a few weeks. I am so thankful that she is no longer having to drive so far to work, especially after working twelve hour night shifts. I worried about her constantly.

   I thought after Barrett (18) went to college in August, life around the house would be sad and lonely. I was not looking forward to being an empty nester. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with myself.  Well, I have a confession to make: I am not an empty nester just yet. When Brittany's lease to her apartment was up in August, she moved back home to save money.

     So there is life and activity still going on here in our house! In fact a lot of activity and planning is going on because Brittany is engaged! 

     

     After almost nine years of dating...on September 11....in Nashville...Mr. B proposed! 

(Mr. B was formally know as BF1, but he no longer a BoyFriend.)

first date: Homecoming Dance 2006

summer 2015

Sept. 11 2015

Mr. B is temporarily working in Nashville - he'll be back in Raleigh in March.  Brittany went to visit him that weekend.

That night after he proposed, our family spent a lot of time face timing.

 facetiming Brooke in DC



This is the picture that Brittany and Brandon Snapchatted their group of friends.
They wanted to see who would be first to notice the ring.
I am guessing the girls noticed first!

When Brittany got home from Nashville it was time for show and tell and some picture taking! 

Lola approved!   

  

She couldn't stop smiling or looking at her ring. She has been waiting a long time for this!

      The date has been set for October 29, 2016 - so we have almost an entire year to plan. 

We already have the venue, band, photographer and dress. We are working on our guest list and on the florist right now. With so much time, we are tackling one thing at a time. More on these things and the process in the upcoming Wednesdays (Wedding Wednesdays)! Woohoo, I have something to blog about!!!!

Exciting times around here folks!

Stay tuned! 

Little Bear Goes to College

Barrett is all settled into her college dorm room and her first day of class was on Wednesday.

She is officially a college student.

She is a Carolina Tarheel.

Her dorm opened last Thursday and had three move in days -

Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Barrett's roommate, who is from Charlotte (NC),  wasn't moving in until Saturday. So we took advantage of living only thirty minutes away and took a carload each day and moved in slowly. 

It was so nice taking all of her clothes on Thursday and getting it all  put away before bringing in the other things on Friday and Saturday.

It started to feel very "real" when she started to pack her clothes last week.

I don't know how my girls destroy their rooms any time they start packing! 

Lola knew something was going on and she would not take her eyes off of me. 

She must have thought I was leaving her forever!

This was the load Barrett and I took on the first day.

We couldn't decide if her room looked more like a prison cell or a hospital room!

It is very small, but luckily the building was recently remodeled.

I am so glad they removed the carpet and added the wood flooring. 

There are two beds, two desks with a row of built in shelves above them.

Each person has a built in chest with five drawers and adjustable shelves above them in their own closet. 

There is a small area for hanging clothes. 

There is a vanity and sink that is shared in the room with a large mirror. 

Barrett and her roommate decided not to match their bedding, but did try to compliment each other  in color and style. 

Barrett wanted to go with blue and white chinoiserie with touches of pink and gold.

We used baskets for storage everywhere we could instead of plastic storage drawers and bins. 

Our progress the first day!

Friday, the second day, Art took all of the larger and heavier pieces, hung pictures and connected all the tech stuff.  Brittany also tagged along, but I forgot to take pictures! 

Saturday, day three, since Barrett's roommate was moving in, we didn't go back until later in the day so their family could spend sometime in the room themselves. 

Brittany was home sitting by the pool and came in to say good-bye. 

This really got me.

Seems like last week "Little Bear" was the one hugging her big sister good-bye. 

When we got there,

Art hung lights around the room.

(Lilly Pulitzer lights we bought from Target.)

Between the two desk, the girls have a mini fridge, microwave and a coffee maker. 

We painted the shelf and a lot of the frames in her room gold and added battery operated candles that come on automatically every evening. 

Brooke painted the two rams for Barrett's room and also the pictures of Barrett on the shelf above the desk.

(She is opening an Etsy store very very soon!)

Barrett and her roomate S.

(Barrett and I covered the cork board with the same fabric as her pillow on her bed.)

I didn't want this moment to happen!

We did eventually have to say our good-byes.

There is a very good reason why there are no pictures of me doing this. 

Hard time for this mom!

I hugged her forever (or at least wanted to). Wordless, because I could not speak.

I didn't want to let her go and when I did I held her hand as I got into the car and didn't let go until Art pulled away.

I was hanging on as long as I could.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

One of Barrett's nicknames is "Little Bear".

When she got back into her room she found a little surprise from me. 

A small trinket dish with a little fuzzy bear sitting on it. 

I have a second fuzzy bear sitting in the kitchen window.  

I found a letter Barrett wrote to me and Art in her room the next day.

It was the sweetest thing.

I love you Barrett!

You will always be my Little Bear!

**********

Sunday night two of Barrett's high school friends paid her visit.

It doesn't take these girls long does it?

And everyone on the hall is enjoying the "Carolina Cookies" Barrett baked to take.

She is so sweet!

I love that girl so much!

Two More Days

I am still here. Hope you are too!

We have had a great summer, but as always it has come and gone too quickly. I can't wait to get into a regular routine and share it.  This also has been  a summer full of bittersweetness.  I've been taking a lot of slow deep breathes, swallowing hard and tossing and turning at night.

My house looks and feels like a bomb has gone off inside it. Closets are being emptied and every suitcase we own is loaded down. The dogs know something big is going on, especially sensitive little Lola. She must think we are leaving her and Charlie forever.

I am praying that I do not have to make another Target run to buy another plastic bin or drawer.

I 'd really be okay if this Friday never got here.

Just two more days we take Barrett to college.

See you next week!