Our best days are ahead of us...not behind us.

Lean on Me

2012-02-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

We all experience difficulties, problems, and trials throughout life. We also look for ways to solve those problems. One basic question we all ask is "What can I do to solve this?" Rather we should ask "What can God do to solve this?"

In my experience I’ve found, the more I try to take control of a situation (and not pray about it or involve God in it), the more the situation seems to fall apart or not go as planned. Not only do I feel like I’m losing control, I feel afraid and worried.

I found this really wonderful explanation of how we can handle problems throughout life. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me.

Colossians 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.

This is such an awesome scripture. It says that the way we are saved is the way we should live.
-We didn't get saved by trying and struggling; it’s free! Likewise, you don’t have to live your life on your own strength by trying and struggling.
-Help from the Lord is free. We just have to receive it.

Every believer is saved simply by believing (and receiving) God's love, grace, and mercy. We are not required to quote ‘clean house’ to receive His forgiveness. We simply need to receive a free gift. Pastor Ray Johnston at Bayside Church tells a really funny example that I know my family and friends can relate to. Of course his explanation is much more entertaining than mine, but I’ll try.

Ray compares receiving Gods grace to cleaning your house. For example, many people hire a cleaning lady to clean their house. We feel embarrassed by our messes so we actually straighten up before the cleaning lady come…which is silly. That’s what the cleaning lady is for!

Likewise, many of us think that in order to have a relationship with God we have to ‘clean house’. Many of us think God won’t be interested in a relationship with us because we’re not good enough. We think we need to become ‘religious’ or do certain things and act a certain way and only then will God consider a relationship with us. In truth, we don’t need to ‘fix our selves’ to have a relationship with God. He simply accepts us as we are.

Similarly, we don’t have to solve our problems on our own. We don’t have to fight and struggle to get by. We simply need to lean on him and He will carry our burdens.

-1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

-Psalms 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.

-Psalm 37:24 though he stumble, he will not fall, the LORD upholds him with his hand.

-Psalm 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

With all that being said, trust the Lord God in every area of your life, even during problems, because every problem He gives you an opportunity to strengthen your faith and trust Him.

Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. Isaiah 26:4

<3

Inspiration for Life!

2011-12-13T09:39:00.000-08:00

One of my moms friends husband was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. He is currently in the hospital recovering. My mom's friend (Jessica) posts updates on facebook every few days with her husbands status. Jessica's posts are so incredibly encouraging and positive and faithful and brilliant all at the same time! Im so inspired I couldn't help but to share one of her posts. It's listed below:

"I want my husband back. Body and mind, I want him back. I am contending today for his speedy and FULL recovery. He'll be undergoing PEG placement procedure at some point in the day (stomach feeding tube)which should help him regain his strength and muscle mass more quickly. The goal is to have him off the monitors and taking baby steps by next week. If all goes well, he will be transferred to the full-time rehabilitation unit at Mercy General Hospital for about 5-6 weeks.

Chris really challenged me last night. He told me his goal was to be out of the hospital and at the Steelers vs. 49ers game on December 19th. I poo-pooed him. How ridiculous! With weeks of recovery and months of healing ahead of him, what an absurd plan! But God put a check in my heart! "You think I can do this?" I heard him say. "But God! It's ridiculous! I know You CAN do it, but I just don't think You WILL!" Then i realized where Chris is putting his faith. He is simply thinking and living Phillipians 4:13! "I can do all things through Him who GIVES ME STRENGTH!"

True, God is famous for making rules for our own good and benefit, but God is also desperate for a RELATIONSHIP with us. Not A one sided affair where He does all the work or we live by our won strength only, but a give and take relationship where BOTH are involved. Chris knows that he can get up and out of the hospital bed because Chris knows God. He knows who God IS. They are friends! They have been in a relationship for years.

My prayer today is that you experience the God of RELATIONSHIP, who gives you strength to do ALL THINGS. Lean on Him. Trust Him. Talk to Him. And let Him give you HIS strength TODAY!"

Arbonne? Ever Heard of it?!

2011-11-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

Arbonne means “good things from the earth”. It’s also the name of a health and wellness company that sells safe skin care and wellness products. I began using Arbonne products a few months ago and I love love love the products for the following reasons.

All products are:
•Botanically-Based
•Hypoallergenic
•Dermatologist Tested
•Never Tested on Animals
•Formulated without Animal Products or By-Products
•Formulated without Dyes or Chemical Fragrances
•Formulated without Mineral Oil or Alcohol
•Glutton Free
•Vegan Certified

One of my other favorite things about Arbonne, there’s something for EVERYONE!
•Skin care
•Hair care
•Baby care
•Men’s Line
•Acne Line
•Cosmetics
•Healthy Living
•Detox

I love the products so much I decided why not try my hand in selling them! :)

So I took a leap of faith and jumped in 2 feet first!

I’m officially an Arbonne consultant and running my own little business! With my own skills and person effort, Arbonne is able to provide a fantastic income potential. It doesn’t limit me to a set schedule or long commute. I can work when and where I want on my own terms. It fits right into the nooks and crannies of my life. My goal is to have Arbonne help me achieve my personal and financial goals so that one day I can wake up in the morning, walk 10 steps to my office and be my own boss! :)

So excited for this new journey!

Planning for the future and taking control

2011-11-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

College- Check!
Job- Check!
Wedding- Check!

I’ve been looking into the future wondering what my next BIG step in life will be. At this point, most of my friends are starting to have babies and some of their babies are now toddlers! I’ve been trying to determine what exactly I want out of life. For me, there’s no way I could live an entire life time and not experience having a child or being a mother.

Am I ready yet? I think so.
Could I be more prepared? Absolutely!
Are there a few things I want to do first? A few.

However, I know exactly what I don’t want.

I think about being a kid and how busy my parents were. I remember my parents seeming like they accomplished something when all us kids were off to school wearing matching socks, and they made it to work barely at 8am and got the bills paid before they were 30 days overdue.

It seems like we get so busy that we’re desperately trying to keep one thing or another from crashing and burning. While I know there’s no way to completely avoid being “busy” I don’t want life controlling me. I don’t want my kids to grow up before my eyes, I don’t want to NOT get up for work every day and I don’t want to say ‘NO’ because I’m too busy to add another thing to my plate.

Ideally I’d prefer not to work a full time job. Get up, get ready, feed the kids, get kids ready for school, drop kids off, work 8 hours, pick kids up, play with kids, feed kids, bathe kids, go to bed and get up the next day to do it all over again! Yikes! Props to working moms! If I HAD to do it, I would. But I’m not sure I’d be the prime candidate for ‘the working mom’ job. I know how I function and instead of being ‘super mom’ I’d be ‘barely hanging in there’ mom.

Although being a stay at home mommy doesn’t sound all that appealing. I’ve heard the story told time and again that women get so caught up being a mommy that they forget how to be themselves. I'd like to avaoid that crisis as well! So, I’d like to have a part time job and be a full time mommy! Even though kiddo #1 is not even a ‘bun in the oven’ I’d still like to prepare myself.

So to all the people asking ‘when are you and Mike going to start having kids’ the answer is, when I can work a part time job. I’m currently working on that part time job behind the scenes in hopes that in the next year or so I will earn enough to replace the income from my full time job. In the mean time I’m simply enjoying being married. Enjoying my family and friends and enjoying the flexibility of a life without kids.

Life doesn’t have to be filled with BIG steps. They can be filled with little steps too! And that’s what I’ll be doing for a little while.

I Have a Decided Heart

2011-10-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

A wise man once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Knowing this to be true, I am taking my first step today. For too long my feet have been tentative, shuffling left and right, more backward than forward as my heart gauged the direction of the wind. Criticism, condemnation, and complaint are creatures of the wind. They come and go on the wasted breath of lesser beings and have no power over me. The power to control direction belongs to me. Today I will begin to exercise that power.

My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart. I am passionate about my vision for the future.
I will awaken every morning with an excitement about the new day and its opportunity for growth and change. My thoughts and actions will work in a forward motion, never sliding into the dark forest of doubt or the muddy quicksand of self-pity. I will freely give my vision for the future to others, and as they see the belief in my eyes, they will follow me.

I will lay my head on my pillow at night happily exhausted, knowing that I have done everything within my power to move the mountains in my path. As I sleep, the same dream that dominates my waking hours will be with me in the dark. Yes, I have a dream. It is a great dream, and I will never apologize for it. Neither will I ever let it go, for if I did, my life would be finished. My hopes, my passions, my vision for the future is my very existence. A person without a dream never had a dream come true.

I have a decided heart. I will not wait.

I know that the purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion. I have tested the angles. I have measured the probabilities. And now I have made a decision with my heart. I am not timid. I will move now and not look back. What I put off until tomorrow, I will put off until the next day as well. I do not procrastinate. All my problems become smaller when I confront them. If I touch a thistle with caution, it will prick me, but if I grasp it boldly, its spines crumble into dust.
I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart.
I am a person of action.

Andy Andrews~

San Diego

2011-07-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

So, this blog is way overdue. This year for my (our) birthday, we (Morg and Mal) flew down to San Diego to visit our very best friend, Brittany. Britt had a fun yet relaxing weekedn planned for us. Friday we started with pedicures. We made appointments at the cutest little spa called Mingle. The 3 of us enjoyed our pedicures with a glass of champagne! So relaxing and a great way to start the weekend.

Later that day we enjoyed walking around Pacific Beach. We had lunch at a little cafe called Zanzibar and shopped at all sorts of cute stores. We ended up on the beach where I have to admit was a little chili. That night Brit cooked us a yummy dinner at home and we spend the eveining drinking drinks and catching up with each other.

The next day we spend in Down Town San Diego. We started off at the Gas Lamp Tavern and had some yummy snacks and of course some yummy drinks. Then we headed to the coolest bar called Vin De Syrah. It's a Wine and Spirits parlor in down town SD. It has this very unique Alice in Wonderland feel to it. I've never been to such an interesting kind of bar before. It was so creative!

Later that evening we had dinner on the top of the Marriott hotel. The top of the hotel over looked the Padres stadium. It was so cool!

At about 10pm the top of the Marriot turned into a night club. We only last an hour before we left. LOL

Our flight left at about 5pm on Sunday, so we had a half day to play. We went to Belmont Park which is sort of like a mini carnival on the beach. We decided to ride the roller coaster which was SUPER fun! LOL I cant remmember the last time I rode a roller coaster. We did some more shopping and spend a little bit more time at the beach.

Then we were off to the airport to go home. Good friends! Good Times! It was a great birthday weekend!

Van Damme 11'

2011-05-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

Every year the Costellos/Carrolls (AKA Cartello’s) gets together for a camping trip at Van Damme in the most charming town of Mendocino. This year there were about 30 friends and family members of the Cartello’s who attended. We rented the ‘Group’ campsite to accommodate such a large group.

Not only were we camping, we were also celebrating the 30th birthday of my sister in-law and friend, Becky! It was a great celebration that included champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and gifts! It was a good time!

On this trip, some of the guys went abalone diving in the ocean. The campground is literally right across the street from the ocean. The men return with the abalone and prepare it for dinner the next night!

While some of the men are abalone diving, the rest of us spend some of the day on the beach.

This was little man’s (aka baby Andrew’s) first camping trip! He was such a trooper and seemed to really enjoy the camping environment.

It was a great camping trip and we're always looking forward to next year!!

♥ morgiegirl6@blogspot.com ♥

Napa

2011-03-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

Mike, being the social butterfly he is, made friends with our new neighbors, Drew and Ginny. One chat led to another and we found out our new neighbors were married, our age, did not have kids and were Christians. In fact, we they had visited our church a few times since they moved to the area! We all made plans to go to church together one Sunday. Since then, we’ve gone to church together almost every weekend. Mike and I were not able to make it to church one weekend because were visiting friends in San Fran. However, Drew and Ginny went and became aware of a marriage retreat the church was hosting in Napa. The 4 of us decided to attend the marriage retreat and make a weekend out of it! We went to several wineries and some super yummy restaurants.

Below is a picture of the 4 of us at Cosentino Winery.

Mike purchased a bottle of their wine and I enjoyed tasting their wine!

Right next store was this delicious restaurant called Mustard Grill. Mustards was named for the wild mustard flowers that bloom in the vineyards every spring. So pretty! Below are some pictures.

Then we went to the Robert Mondavi Winery which was absolutely gorgeous!!

Next we went to Cake Bread Winery. Unfortunately they were booked with reservations so we weren’t able to taste any of their wine. However, we did take advantage of their pretty scenery for some cute pictures!

Next door was Rutherford Grill! Yummy good food!

Then we headed over to the BV Winery for some more wine tasting. Lovely BV wine glasses for tasting.

Below is Drew pouring a glass of wine from a HUGE bottle! LOL!

Then we headed to the Castello di Amorosa. We didn’t have time to tour this winery but we did get to visit their gift shop and it was super cool! Very medieval like atmosphere.

Our final stop was at Sterling Winery. This winery was unique as we had to take a tram up to the actual winery. It was so awesome riding the tram and seeing the beautiful view of Napa.

We were greeted with a glass of wine to enjoy while we gave ourselves a tour of the winery. Along the way we followed the winemaking process as they had flat-screen TV at each stop that provided detailed explanations of how they make their wine. I was really fun!

Super fun and needed weekend away with good friends!

♥

Dont worry about anything...

2011-03-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:6-7

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

This year for Valentine’s Day, Mike and I laid low. We stayed home and Mike cooked a fantastic meal and then we watched the Gramies. As simple as that sounds, spending Valentine’s Day at home with the one I love is just as good (if not better) than going to a fancy restaurant (even though a fancy restaurant is great sometimes). Being home, in my jammies, arranging flowers while Mike cooked, was just right!

My pretty flower arrangement below:

Here’s Mike putting Blue Cheese butter on top of our New York steaks! Oh Heaven!

Yummy Veggies and bakers in the oven!

Shrimp sautéing in the pan!

Valentines dinner plate! Of course I could only eat half but it was amazing!!

And our wedding gift from Crate and Barrel for registering with them. Champagne flutes shaped like a hearts!

♥morgiegirl6.blogspot.com♥

Kitty Hair Cut

2011-02-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

My cat Kitty (yes her name is Kitty) was known to have really bad hairballs and would throw up almost every day. She has a very tender tummy…poor girl! We tried many things to prevent the hairballs such as a special food diet, extra grooming and this Vaseline type substance that’s suppose to help pass the hairball. We finally decided the most obvious solution was to get rid of the hair. So, we took Kitty to get groomed.

Grooming Kitty seemed to be the solution to her hairball problems! No more vomit or hairballs, EVER! We decided to get creative with Kitty’s grooming. We pretty much ask for all her fur to be shaved off. With the exception of her main and paws. Here is the final product! LOL Dont let the flowers in the background throw you off.

Below is a picture of her roaming aroung the car on the ride home. They even put cute little bows in her hair!!

And the bows were scratched off in a matter of minutes!

Below is a picture of her acting like a dog! LOL Can you imagine looking at the car next to you at a stop light and seeing a cat?!

In the winter time she gets a little cold, so we frequently see her all buddled up. :) Yes, she did this on her own! Silly girl!

Thats all for now!

♥ morgiegirl6@blogspot.com ♥

Saying Good Bye...

2011-01-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

2 of my favorite people in the world have left for a new adventure. My little sister Brittany (no longer little, but still my little sister) and my best friend, also named Brittany. For about 10-15 years I have referred to my sister Brittany as Britt Sis and my friend Brittany as Britt C. I also frequently refer to them both as skank, ho, prostitute, etc….LOL our loving terms endearment that are not true in any way but still fitting at the same time.

Britt Sis got engaged a few weeks ago. Her fiancé Mike lives in Massachusetts, owns a home and is very close with his mother and grandmother. After further discussion they made a mutual decision that it would be best for Brit to move to Massachusetts. Britt, being the free spirit she is, she was up for the adventure! She packed her bags and headed back east. She is even planning on going back to college!! They are currently planning their wedding which should be in the spring of 2012.

Britt C is moving back to San Diego (this time probably permanent, tear) to start a new job and move in with her boyfriend Billy. Throughout high school, our dream was to move to San Diego and live an exciting college life style. That dream fizzled quickly for me since I was broke and my parents were broke, and plus the thought of being that far from my family made me sad. I know right?! A 1 hour plane ride was hardly far away, but I was happy with where I was. Britt however, managed to leave Roseville and started a life in San Diego where she met many friends including her boyfriend Billy. Billy got accepted to firefighter school which is extremely time consuming and gave him no time for a full time job. He moved back home and Britt moved back to Roseville. Billy has now graduated from fire fighting school and they are ready to start fresh. (Keeping my fingers crossed that another engagement is coming!)

Funny how life works! Excluding my sister Mallory, all of my best friends no longer live in this area. Thank God Mallory is here or else I’m sure I would have a nervous breakdown. Britt Sis is in Massachusetts, Britt C is in San Diego and Kassi is in Connecticut. Even though there is physical distance between us all, I know I can call on then any time, morning noon or night, and they would be here for me. I’m so lucky! Good luck ladies!

My first “Religious” blog, or I should say “Relationship” blog.

2011-01-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

The church just likes to tell people “what to do and how to do it.” The church likes to give its people a whole bunch or “rules” to follow.”

I have a lot of friends/family who have made these comments to me. Over my 27 years of attending church I can see why people feel this way about “Religion”. However, as I get older, I learn more, I am challenged more, my faith is put to the test and more times than other I feel discouraged. It’s only natural as human beings to fail and be wrong. But it is also with great gratitude that we are forgiven and provided with more opportunities to grow. What I would say to my friends and family who are discouraged with “Religion” and “Church” is to re-read the 10 commandments. Most believers (I hope) believe in the 10 commandments.

These aren’t “rules” but “instruction” on how we should treat Him and how we should treat other people. Remember, it’s not about “religion” it’s about “relationship.” A relationship with God and relationship with people. He provides us a lot of instructions on how to behave and interact “socially”.

We are pursued and adopted by a God we all seemed to reject at one point or another. In our ‘Relationship’ with Him, we are being forgiven by the husband we cheated on, and being embraced by the Friend we betrayed. So again, my thought is, the “rules” that are in the Bible are really “instructions”. I’ve learned that people today are more open to respond to a faith that encourages positive social behavior rather than just “rules”.

It’s NOT about RELIGION – it’s about RELATIONSHIP!!!

ONE: You shall have no other gods before Me.

TWO: You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

THREE: You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

FOUR: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

FIVE: Honor your father and your mother.

SIX: You shall not murder.

SEVEN: You shall not commit adultery.

EIGHT: You shall not steal.

NINE: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Girls Night

2010-12-13T13:14:00.001-08:00

My very best friend Brittany got my sister and I a great gift for Christmas! She took us both to Bistro 33 for dinner and then took us to the RHS dance show! Dinner at Bistro was delicious as always! The company of good friends over good wine and good food is therapeutic, I must say! The three of us caught up with everything that is going on in our lives and reminisced about good times!

I haven’t been to an RHS dance show since my brother was in high school (spring of 07). I was used to going to the RHS dance shows every spring and every Christmas. But the last Tudor graduated high school and it’s been quite a few years now. Next we headed to the high school. In my day, Roseville High School didn’t have a dance theater. We essentially had to cart the ‘Dance Show’ to either Woodcreek or Granite Bay high school. It’s pretty amazing that a dance program can be so successful without a theater. However over the years the wonderful Patti Baker fought and fought and finally turned her dream into reality. This year the high school celebrated 25 years of the dance program.

2010-11-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

I’ve lived in Northern California my entire life and since I can remember my family has always routed for the 49ers, Kings and Giants. In general, I consider myself a sports fan and when one of these teams is doing well I’m a huge sports fan! I can honestly say (without too much pride) that falling asleep to a football game is some times more enjoyable than actually watching the game. LOL! There is something relaxing about watching sports and it makes me feel good inside. However, this past season of baseball has been super exciting and there has been no sleeping while watching the Giants this season!

Orange and black have followed me most of my life since those were my high school’s colors. But more over, those colors have represented the Giants! What an awesome team! What a great group of ‘castoffs’ or ‘misfits’ as some would say. Taking the trophy home to the city by the Bay for the first time in over 50 years have certainly stirred the excitement and emotion of almost all my family and friends. ‘Ohhh I want to be theeeere, in my cityyyy, ohhhh ohhh!’The song title Lights by Steve Perry says it all! How awesome would have it been to witness this fantastic victory?!?! Even if they didn't win in San Fran.

I remember a few years ago attending one of the games and witnessing Barry Bonds hit one of his record setting home runs and the thrilling energy that filled the stadium! I can only imagine witnessing the Giants win the World Series as being twice as electrifying as watching Barry Bonds break the home run record. It was an overdue victory and as MANY people would agree, TORTURE! I can’t tell you how many times I sprung to my feet with anticipation and anxiety waiting to see what would happen next! I have enjoyed watching this team of talent, young, down to earth bearded players who wear thongs for good luck! LOL They are so like able!

What a stunning Field!

Below is picture of my world series crew!

This ones a little blurry but still cute!

♥morgiegirl6@blogspot.com♥

Wedding Blog

2010-10-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

The whirlwind they talk about is true! There was so much excitement and emotions the day of the wedding, I couldn’t stop smiling! One exciting moment from the next! When I was a kid there was this TV show called ‘Out of This World.’ It was about this preteen girl who had a super power. She could press her two index fingers together and freeze time. I wish I had this power the day of my wedding. I wish I could freeze time throughout the day and take a moment to make a mental memory of what was happening! I wish I could relive the day and watch from the outside and see all of the special things that happened to us.

The day after the wedding I couldn’t remember certain things from the night before. Not because I was so intoxicated but because there was so many great things happening! For example, I couldn’t remember what the cake looked like?! I remember Mike and I cutting the cake and feeding each other the cake, but for the life of me could not remember what it looked like. As the days passed and I had conversation with my family and friends about the wedding, more memories slowly started to come back! And of course with the help of pictures. Thank God!

The wedding day pasted as I knew it would but at the end of the day, it was so worth the year and a half of planning! Now Mike and I have wonderful memories of a wonderful evening that include all of our wonderful family and friends. I get chocked up just writing this blog because of how lucky I am to be surrounded with the BEST people! My dreams have come true and I couldn’t be happier!! Not only did I have the wedding I always envisioned, but I am married to the man I’ve always envisioned. I really had the time of my life and wish I could relive it again! I still feel like I’m glowing from the special day!

Below are some of my favorite pictures from the day!

My dad and my step dad walking me down the isle, trying not to cry!

I love this black and white picture and how only the rose petals are colored!

I love how this pictures captures the moment of just being married!!

I love the arch way...so pretty!

So classic looking!

I absolutely love this picture! I really wanted my shoes to match the girls!

I Love this! All of my favorites in one picture together!!

So many good ones!!

Our photographer had the best ideas for funny pictures! So fitting!

And here I am skankin it up a bit! LOL I just love this though!!

I just love our photographer! Such beautifull photos! So sparkly too!

Heres a awesome shot of Mike with his guys!

Another picture of Mike and his guys. I love how green the grass looks!

My neice and darling little flower girl! Doesnt get any cuter than that!

The whole family! Including the Carrolls Tudors and Martinellis

This picture was taken right after my sisters maid of honor speech. It totaly captured the moment!

Our beautiful cake my friend Allison Coss made! She did a fantastic job!!

All my single ladies! Words cant describe how much I love these girls! So cute!!

And of course the dance with all my girls! This is when we were dancing to Thriller!

Group shot at the end of the night!! Funnest time ever!!

We have a million more pictures and each is worth a thousand words! But I think I'll stop here. :) Life has now started to go back to normal and we can't wait for all the exciting things that come next in life. Good or bad we are in it together and I find such peace it that! For now we are enjoying being married and living a pretty calm life. The Lord has a plan for us and we are doing our best to follow. So far so good!

♥ morgiegirl6@blogspot.com ♥

Final House Blog

2010-10-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

I have so much to write about its bursting from the seams. I actually have time to sit down and really evaluate the past few months, which have been unforgettable! I’ll start in order of when these events occurred. To start, we moved into our new house on September 3-4. My previous post was about our house purchasing experience and this post is about our move in experience. In my previous blog, I included before shots of the house under construction. Below are the after shots!

Before Kitchen

After Kitchen

Before guest bathroom

After Guest bathroom

Below is picture of the Arbor that Mikes brother and Dan Costello built for our wedding which looks so charming in our backyard!

Below is a picture of kitty exploring her new backyard! She's so cute!

Below is a picture of all the guys who contributed to our successful moving day!

I’m so eager to start living life in this house. As I look to the future I envision holidays, Christmas trees, the smell of turkey in the kitchen, girls night with wine and a movie, boys night with cigars and scotch, baby rooms, swing set in the backyard, barking dog…etc! Thank you lord for blessing us with this beautiful house!

♥ morgiegirl6@blogspost.com ♥

New House??

2010-08-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

House hunting…what can I say. It was not the most enjoyable experience. Short sale to short sale, foreclosure to foreclosure…it was a mess! It took days, weeks, even months to hear back from banks. And to hear ‘NO’ was even worse. Mike and I started looking for a house in February. We were certain we would get the first time home buyer tax rebate. Unfortunately too much time has passed and (both federal and state rebates) are no longer available so we are pretty bummed about that! But after many let downs we kept coming back this brand new housing development in Lincoln, CA.

Of course the cost of a brand new home is higher than a 5-10 year home, but there was something about walking into a house and knowing no one has lived in it before. The 5-10 year old homes were bigger (both inside and out) however with a brand new home we wouldn't have to paint the walls, replace carpet, landscape a backyard…etc. Also, we wouldn’t have to wait around to hear back or worry about other bidders.

With all that being said, we decided to put an offer on the house and we heard back within 2 day! We went through a round of negotiation and ended up extremely happy with our results! Like many new housing developments, we were given a chunk of money to put towards upgrading the house. With the upgrade money we were able to enhance few rooms in the house. The upgrades are currently a work in process but it is all slowly coming together. Move in date Sept 4^th! Go house!

Below are a few shots of the front of the house.

Below are a few pictures of the backyard.

Below are a few picture of the kitchen under construction.

Below is a picture of the bathroom under construction.

Everything is right on schedule! Can wait to see the finished product!

Keep you all posted-

Morgie ♥

New Car??

2010-08-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

So, I’ve taken a serious break from blogging. Life has been crazy busy but good busy! To add to the craziness of buying a house and planning a wedding, my Saturn decided to break down. I was at a stop light and the light turned green and I couldn’t ‘GO’. I thought maybe my car was in neutral? Nope, not in neutral. Maybe the parking brake is on? Nope, parking brake is not on. By this time the car was honking behind me like a jack ass so I decided to put my flashers on. I realized pressing on the gas would make the car roll. Probably not the best thing to do but I wanted to get the heck out of the way! So I rolled through the intersection and parked on the side of the road and Mike came to my rescue! Long story short, my transmission was dunzo!! Great! Just what need right now!

Thankfully, Mike’s dad works for Folsom Chevy and did a bunch of research. He found that Saturn had a lawsuit filed against them in regards to their crappy transmissions. Apparently Saturn went out of business before they issue a recall and the poor people like me could not get our transmissions replaced. Mind you I only had $70,000 miles on my 2004 vehicle. Not grounds for the transmission going out! GMC took over Saturn and decided to offer those who had a crappy transmission $5,000 towards the purchase of a brand new GMC vehicle. At the time, Chevy was offering at $3,000 rebate on their Malibu’s, Cobalt’s and HHR’s. (All of this working in my favor, but buying a new car right NOW was not in my plan.) Mike and I already have an HHR so that's out of the question. Malibu’s were too expensive and I had to keep in mind our debit to income ratio could not be affected since we were buying a house. So the options were either a Cobalt or HHR.

Maybe I’m ungrateful or snobby but I really did not like the Cobalts. And if I’m going to spend a lot of money on a car that I’ll have for 5 years, it better be something I like. (Plus I will need 4 doors for an addition to our family ;-) Not now, but definitely in a couple years). So I decided to go with the HHR instead of the Cobalt. And now Mike and I have 2 HHR’s!! LOL! Oh yeah, and Mike’s brother has an HHR too! We’re starting an HHR club if anyone is interested in joining! We plan on taking a picture of our new HHR family soon! JK!

Below is a picture of my new car! Nothing like that new car smell!

Morgie ♥

Mom's Girls Night Out

2010-06-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

For my Mom's 50th birthday, my sisters and I thought it would be a good idea to get a group of Mom's friends together for a Girls Night Out. We took my mom and a group of 10 of her friends to a tea parlor in Old Roseville called A Dash of Panache. Below is a picture of us in front of the tea parlor and my moms favorite pose!

After arrival, we were able to "partake" in their fun Vanity Closet for dress-up fun. From this point on, we all could not stop giggling. Below are a few pictures of all of us dressed up!

Below is a picture of the Birthday Girl (my mom) getting settled in to her seat!

Next we were served a fabulous dinner that included gourmet soup, spring greens with chicken salad, yummy flavors of iced tea, and a custom ice cream sundae!

We all participated in several group-oriented activities and games. Some of the activities involved trivia and juicy story telling! :) Another activity involved us getting out of our chair and doing the Macarena. I haven't done the Macarena in quite some time and I have to say it was fun! Below are pictures of us dancing around the table doing the Macarena.

Dash of Panache was so much fun

and I would totally suggest it to anyone planning an all girls party!! ♥

Bachelorette Weekend

2010-06-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

So this post is long overdue! Where do I begin? Since my sister and I are both getting married this year and pretty much have all the same friends, we decided to have a joint bachelorette party! We decided to make a weekend out of it and head up to beautiful Lake Tahoe. We rented a fabulous home in the Lake Tahoe Keys! Below is a picture of the house!

Below are a couple picture of our pack patio and the great view of the mountains!

We all carpooled in 2 vehicles (10 girls) and made it just in time before the snow started to fall. Below is a picture of me wrapped up in a blanket while it was snowing.

We all got settled in and picked our rooms. I can’t tell you enough how fabulous this house was! The bedrooms, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the windows! Everything was wonderful! Once we were settled in we made some yummy appetizers and mix some cocktails. Below is a picture of us all taking our first shot of the night!

Next we started dinner. We made lasagna, ceasar salad, and garlic bread. Here is a picture of the dinner table!

Next we turned up the music, poured more drinks, and started the naughty bachelorette games! Below are a few pictures of the games we played! I’m sure you can use your imagination ;-)

Following the bachelorette games was hot tub time! Remind you, it started snowing upon arrive and was still going strong! We didn’t let the snow keep us from enjoying the hot tub. Below are a few pictures of us in the hot tub while the snow was falling! It was such a great time!

And to keep those good times rolling (and of course the consumption of a lot of alcohol) we thought it would be fun to make snow angels in our bathing suites! So here we are, dying of laughter making snow angles in the snow!

The next morning we woke up, made breakfast and recovered from our hangovers by watching the one and only Dirty Dancing and of course Sex and the City. We started to prepare of the evening later that night which included dinner and dancing. Below is a picture of our dresses hanging, just waiting to be worn.

We made our dinner reservation at a restaurant called 19 Kitchen. It called 19 Kitchen because it is on the 19^th floor of the Harvey’s Hotel. Below is a picture of us at dinner. Look at the amazing view in the background!

The restaurant was cute and brought us a big bowl of cotton candy at the end of the meal.

Next we were off to the bars. Our first top was Cabo Wabo. Here we played a few bachelorette games and drank a huge margarita!

Then we headed across the street to Mont Bleu where we were on the VIP list to a club called Opal Lounge. We got into the club and got our VIP booth! Below is a picture of a few of us at the Opal Lounge in our VIP booth.

Over all a great weekend with a great group of girls!! I really couldn't ask for a better group of friends!! ♥

A poem for my mom

2010-05-30T11:41:00.001-07:00

Where does time fly, good Gosh Whoa Nellie!
Its' the 50th Birthday, for Sabrina Martinelli

On a summer day, she loves to eat melon.
She was raised by her parents, Monte and Helen.

She was a good little girl, no denying that.
Busy with so much, a great cheerleader with her clap!

Her big brother she loves, the road he paved.
To me he is known, as Uncle Dave.

A truly great mother, 3 girls as a test.
Morgan Mallory Brittany, and then there was Jeff.

She raised her family in Roseville, she's not one to boast.
She'd do anything for her family, she loves them the most.

Looking for love, a life time mate.
Then she met John, on a blind date.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, not flustered in the least.
She put out a spread, for 30 to feast.

She's sugar she's sweet, She'll some times use brandy.
She loves it so much, making chocolate covered candy.

Going to the movies, Dot candy by the ton.
Our lovely mother, she's just so much fun!

Let's go to the mall, I need a new top.
She'll never pass up, and opportunity to shop!

What makes my mom smile, so small and so speedy.
The answer is one word, her dog named BeBe.

And all with such humor, such grace and such style.
I tell you my mom, you make us ALL smile!

I pray to God, I feel him hover.
I thank him every day, for such a great mother.

So mom, on this day, your life is our glory.
Happy Birthday dearest mom,
Its and epic...your story!

♥

Carroll Family Photo's

2010-05-26T13:05:00.001-07:00

For Christmas we (Steve, Becky, Mike and I) decided to give Bruce and Char (Mike and Steve’s parent) family portraits. Becky found Photography for a Reason on Craig’s List. Denise and her husband take wonderful pictures and they are very reasonably priced! In fact, Mike and I decided to hire them for our wedding!

So, here we are 5 months later! We picked a great weekend! The weather was perfect! We arrived at the park at 10am and took pictured until 12pm. Ally was so adorable and Cooper wasn’t that bad either. This is the first time the Carroll family has taken professional family photo, so it was a special day!

♥ morgiegirl6@blogspot.com ♥

DJ and Photographer

2010-03-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

I have long dreaded hiring a DJ and Photographer for the wedding since they are extremely expensive. After some research, I found on average, the cost of a photographer and DJ are + or - $2,000 each. (Gulp!) I understand a DJ can make or break the flow of a wedding and pictures are the only true lasting memory of the big day, and perhaps that’s why their rates are so stinking high. However, I have a hard time spending that kind of money on one piece of the wedding. Had I grown up with wealthy parents who had money to spend, maybe my thoughts would be different. But I grew up in a house hold that didn’t have a lot of money and I was taught to save, not spend. These kind of spending habits have benefited me as a young adult and to this day I have a small amount of debit which is mostly college expenses. This habit has also taught me to think outside the box. Be creative and find a way to get what I want (quality) without spending mullah cabbage (quantity). And thanks to my parents and their teaching, I did just that!

I was able to hire a DJ for $700, for the entire night of the wedding! A co-worker of mine (Jen) was planning her wedding and shared with me her DJ. She said her and the DJ met a few times and she was really impressed at the DJ’s attentiveness to detail. And then she shared with me the cost. I thought to myself how incredibly less expensive she was compared to all the other DJ’s I had researched. My co-worker Jen said we were more than welcome to attend her wedding and observe the DJ. Mike and I went to the wedding and really enjoyed what we saw! The DJ was very organized, professional and energetic. Just what we were hoping for. We spoke on the phone with the DJ and I gave her all the idea’s Mike and I have for the wedding. We feel extremely confident that she will do a fantastic job at our wedding without breaking out bank!

Next, I was able to hire a photographer for $1,000 for 10 hours! Wow, can’t beat that! After looking for a photographer to take family pictures of the Carroll’s, Becky (my future sister-in-law) came across this photographer (Denise). In fact, we also decided to have Denise take our Carroll family photos as well. After viewing her website/photos and speaking with her references I decided I could not pass up the opportunity to pay such a small amount for such a great photographer! We feel confident she will capture our wedding in photos beautifully!

The big day is creeping up on us and 2 more things have been crossed of our to-do list. Starting to feel a little anxious for the big day to arrive….still about 7 months to go!

P.S. Shout out to my sister and Dave on their engagement!! WooHoo!

♥ morgiegirl6.blogspot.com ♥

Save the Dates

2010-01-28T16:55:00.001-08:00

I have an old high school schoolmate who’s wedding is just about the same time as mine! Both her and I are blogging about our experiences and its fun to share idea's back and forth! I didn't think of blogging about my Save the Dates, until I saw hers :) So here is mine! Thanks for the idea, Holly!

I decided magnets would be best. We will be sending them out shortly. Check em out!!

♥ morgiegirl6.blogspot.com ♥

Bridesmaid Dresses...Fabulous!

2010-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

I originally wanted burgundy colored bridesmaid dresses. After looking and looking and looking, I couldn't find a burgundy color I really liked. And if I did find a color I liked, they did'nt have the style of dress I wanted. It was strange because the more dresses I looked at, the more I liked the color black. My friend Brittany and I went to the mall one day and decided to mix it up and try on black dresses. All of the sudden the variety of dresses doubled. There was so much more of a selection of black colored dresses. We decided to visit this little store called Windsor’s. This is a trendy little store that I would compare to Charlotte Rouse, except they specialize in dresses: Formal dresses, Prom dresses, Cocktail dresses. We picked out a few we liked and found the jack pot! It was the cutest little dress ever. So trendy and so Morgie :)

I got home that night and sent an email to all the bridesmaids. I didn’t want any of my bridesmaids to be uncomfortable nor did I want to be the evil Bride who makes her friends wear an ugly dress. I shared the link with all my bridesmaids and luckily they all loved it! Well, at least that’s what they told me. :) With in one week all the dresses were ordered and big check was marked on my to do list! Best part…the dresses were only $70!! Man I’m good ;) Imagine the girls with a burgundy colored bouquet and burgundy colored peep toe shoe....Fabulous!! Picture below is an example of what I have in mind!!

♥ morgiegirl.blogspot.com ♥

2009 Blog!!!

2010-01-19T12:45:00.001-08:00

Here is my end of the year blog to recap this years events. It has been a fun year! In March we went on a camping trip to Van Dam/Mendocino with Mike’s family and the Costello’s. I have never been to Van Dam/Mendocino and was pleasantly surprised. It’s a beautiful town with all sorts of shops, restaurants and fantastic view’s of the ocean. Below is a picture of Mike and I with Matt and Kirby.

In May, my sister and I turned 26…how the heck did that happen?! I can’t tell you how fast the time has gone by. We went to dinner at PF Chang’s and spend the rest of the evening in Old Roseville at the local bars. Even though I’ve had my itches to leave this town, I have to admit, sometimes a night in Old Roseville is the best. Below is a picture of my sister and some friends.

Summer rolled around and my family made our first house boating trip together in Mount Shasta. It was HOT! It was one of those family trips that make you think you could totally have your own family reality show because of the drama. LOL It was a great time though! We spent some time wake boarding, drinking on top of the roof of the house boat, playing truth or dare…mostly truth, and docked the boat and told jokes around the camp fire. Below is a picture of the “Crew” of the “Ship”

Later that summer Mike and I got engaged! We’ve spent the last several months planning and still have several months to go. The date is officially set to September 25, 2010 at Sun City Roseville. It appears we are ahead of schedule in our planning, however there is still more to do. It has been a great time planning thus far.

Below is a picture of my siblings this Thanksgiving. (Missing Natalie)

Below is a picture of Mike and the “Cartello’s” (which is a combination of the Carroll’s and Costello’s) during Christmas.

And below is a picture of our child…Kitty! She is practice for now until we have the real thing. We stinking love that cat! Look at her eye-ing all the Christmas gifts!

I can’t forget to mention the Addison Avenue crew! Below is a picture of my co-workers. I’ve been with the company for about a year and half now and have learned sooo much. Thanks ladies (and Robert) for welcoming me to your group!

And that raps up my 2009! I hope that 2010 will be good year for everyone!

"I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.
"They are plans for good...to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

♥morgiegirl6.blogspot.com ♥

Losing the ones we love...?

2010-01-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

I’ve found the easiest way to express my feelings and thought is by writing them out. I don’t mean to put a damper on anyone’s day, however I love the feedback I get from my friends and family. I haven’t experienced the loss of a relative or loved one other than my great grandparents who lived long happy lives. Other than knowing a friend of a friend, or relative of a friend, no one close to me has passed away. I’ve never really had to face the loss of a loved one or deal with the feelings that come along with it. Recently my ex step grandpa, Tim (who I consider my grandpa) was diagnosed with brain cancer.

It seemed so fast and before we knew it, his head was shaved and he was taking treatment to cure the disease. A couple weeks later he fell into a coma. Things were not looking good for a few days so my siblings and I decided to visit him at the hospital and say goodbye. Miraculously (and I mean miraculously) he came out of the coma a few days later. To say the least, we were all stunned. He made an incredible recovery, considering his condition a week prior. In fact, his recovery was so great that he was released to go home, with the proper assistance.

My grandmother and him were able to celebrate Thanksgiving, their 21st wedding anniversary, Christmas, and New Years! We were also able to visit him Christmas Eve where he made sarcastic jokes and opened gifts. His progress was slow, but he continued to be a fighter. At the same time, we were painfully aware that the cancer in his lungs and brain were very hard to treat. We were all still aware what the inevitable future holds.

On January 11th Tim fell into another coma and passed away the next day, January 12th. I am thankful that he was able to celebrate the holidays with his family and friends before his passing. I am comforted that he is no longer in pain and will never have to suffer again. However, after this experience I am faced with so many feelings and emotions. It's an entire new emotion that I have not yet had to deal with until now. I’m slowly sorting through my thought and putting things back in place but I can help but to question EVERYTHING. Feelings of sadness, feelings of fear, feelings of thankfulness, happy memories, etc…

I know it’s important to experience these feelings and thoughts and they will help me grow as a person. At the end of the day I realize how blessed I am, not by things but by people. I have so many people who love and care for me it’s simply not fair. Once again I’m reading the purpose driven life. Its such a wonderful book that brings me peace, hope, and excitement. Does anyone else have any suggestions or words of wisdom?

Finally, a quote from my grandma, Tim’s wife, one of the strongest people I know:

“The realist in me knows this journey still has many twists, turns and challenges ahead. I just hope I can put my worries about the future aside long enough so that I don't miss out on enjoying the present.”

So simple and true for any experience in life!!

Morgie ♥

Bridesmaid and Groomsman?

2009-12-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

Deciding who will be involved in the wedding has been one of our biggest challenges. We started off wanting a smaller wedding party, however we ended up with 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsman. That’s not to say a wedding party of 10 is large by any means, but it did take us quite some time to make this decision. In the end, I am happy with our choice, although we are changing the traditional rules of bridesmaid and groomsman. We have created what we like to call a “Bridesman” and “Groomsmaid.” To prevent from hurting any of our friends feelings and for our entire family to be involved in the wedding, we have ask my brother Jeffery to be a “Bridesman” and Becky (Mike’s sister in law) to be a “Groomsmaid.” They both happily accepted! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! Feels good to have this part of the wedding checked off the list! Wedding Party ….CHECK!

Bridesmaids

Mallory Tudor
Brittany Tudor
Brittany Coss
Kassi Neff
Jeffery Tudor (My brother)

Groomsman

Steve Carroll
Matt Costello
Dan Vergara
Kirk Okenquist
Becky Carroll (Mike’s sister in law)

Jr. Bridesmaid
Natalie Tudor

Flower Girl
Allyson Carroll

♥morgiegirl6@blogspot.com ♥

Wedding Venue / Sun City Roseville

2009-11-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

When we got engaged I went into instant “To Do List” mode. There is so much to plan for and I wanted to be prepared. The date is officially set for Saturday September 25, 2010. We got engaged in June and have more than enough time to plan a wedding. (15 months to be exact.) I did a lot of research on potential venue’s in the Roseville area and found that weddings are not cheap. A couple of our friends got married at Sun City Roseville, so I decided to check out their website.

As I was looking at their website I found what my dad would say, “A Killer Deal!” The website was advertising their “Bridal Bail Out For $500” I thought to myself, to good to be true. There must be a catch, right? Maybe it’s only available on Fridays or Sundays, or maybe it was only to rent the ceremony site. I had a lot of questions so I though it would be best to contact the representative listed on their website. She sent me the following list of items included in the $500 package:

Wedding Ceremony

Ivory Chairs
Gift table with tablecloth and table skirt
Guest book table with table cloth and table skirt
Easel for engagement photo
Ceremony rehearsal time
Dressing room for bride and bridesmaids
On site complete wedding ceremony coordination

Wedding Reception

Use of Timber Creek Ballroom
Complete coordination of reception
Round tables that seat 10 guest
Large dance floor
Table clothes and variety of napkins to coordinate
Ivory China, glassware and silverware
Head table for the wedding party with tablecloth and table skirt
Cake table with tablecloth and table skirt
Buffet table with table cloth and table skirt
Portable Bar with professional bartenders
Complete serving staff

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. All of this for only $500! The package was available for the entire year of 2010. I asked what was available in September and all she had left was the 25th. I immediately had her book us on that date. At our appointment with the wedding planner we picked out our table linens, napkins, menu, alcohol, ceremony arrangement, reception arrangement, guest book location, gift table location, etc...

We decided to have a buffet style dinner instead of individual entrees. Like I mentioned before, Mike and I had already been to a couple wedding there before, so we know the quality of the food will be great! With the cost of everything combined such as food, alcohol, Bridal Bailout Ballroom Rental, 19% gratuity etc...I was very please with the price! Exactly in our budget! I am so pleased with the service we received from Sun City Roseville and can’t wait for the big day!

&hearts morgiegirl6.blogspot.com ♥

Wedding Check List

2009-11-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

Since there is so much to plan for, I thought I would put together a list of things to do. Below is a check list of completed/non completed planning items. I know many of you have already planned a wedding so I was wondering if anyone has any advice or suggestions? Let me know what I’m missing or should be prepared for.

Complete

Location for wedding (x)
Location for reception (x)
Rehearsal dinner location (x)
Wedding Party (x)
Guest list (x)
Engagement Photos (x)
Menu (x)
Drinks (x)
Wedding Dress (x)
Wedding Shoes (x)
Bridesmaid dresses (x)
Linens (x)
Table settings (x)
Center Pieces (x)
Invitation (x)
Toasting Glasses (x)

Not Completed

Save the Dates
Wedding favors
Wedding Party Gifts
Photographer
Florist
DJ
Cake
Veil
Arch
Glower Girl Dress
Guest Book
Limo/Transportation
And of course, some one to marry us :)

San Francisco Fleet Week

2009-10-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't know much about Fleet Week until recently, so here is a little background. Fleet Week originated in 1908 and became a San Francisco annual tradition in 1981. Fleet Week is now the Bay Area’s opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women of our nation’s Navy and Marine services. Fleet Week features Navy ships dock-side, while the Blue Angels and other aircraft fly above the San Francisco Bay.

Mike and I made a trip to San Francisco to visit a friend and to attend Fleet Week. Below is a picture of us on top of Kirk's building's roof that over looks the Bay! So awesome!!

It was pretty cloudy that day and unfortunately we were only able to see the Blue Angel's make 2 or 3 passes. I was however able to take an awesome picture of them flying in front of the bridge.

Below is another picture I took. I can't begin to explain the sound and feeling you have as they fly over you! It's insane!!

Over all, very fun trip and I'm open to going again next year :)

♥
morgiegirl6.blogspot.com

Old Friends and Fun Times!

2009-10-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

I recently got together with a few of my old friends. Although life has taken us all in different directions, we recently started getting together again. The five of us met in high school and shared some of the most wonderful memories. I want to take a moment to look back.

Below is a picture of the 5 of us at Marine World. This picture was taken our Senior year of High School. We were all around the ages of 17 years old.

Below is a picture of us at Brittany’s house ‘Twirling’ our hair. We spent many days in our PJ doing nothing really. Looks like Julie was taking this picture.

Below is a picture of our Senior years‘Saidie Hawkins’ dance. Don’t ask me why we thought these outfits would be a good idea. For some reason we collected clothes like these. We all had our own pair of animal print pants and thought they were awesome. This already is that high school picture you look back on and cringe cause you can’t believe you wore that in public.

Below is a picture on our graduation day. As you can see, we were really big fans of this pose!

And finally, a picture of us all today. From left to right, Morgan, Julie, Brittany, Mallory, and Amanda. We all did different things after high school and continue to keep in touch. Some of us moved away, some graduated college, some are married with kids, and some are engaged. “I Had the Time of My Life” with these girls and I’m enjoying catching up with them all!!

♥
morgiegirl6.blogspot.com

Engagement Party

2009-09-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

It was a Sunday afternoon and we all met up at the Carroll home…or I guess I should say, “The Focker’s” This is a picture of my future parents in law, Char on the left and Bruce on the right. They thought it would be a clever way to break the ice and have a chuckle.

We spent most of the day swimming and eating EXCELENT food! If you know Mike (or the Carroll’s) a day of swimming and excellent food is not uncommon. Below is a picture of Mike BBQ-ing.

My sisters and brother did our usual “Recite every line from every funny movie we’ve seen.” Today the funny movie was “Borat.” Here is a picture of my sisters and I. Mallory and Brittany, and a picture of my brother Jeffery.

My future brother and sister in law, Steve and Becky spent the day sharing their child Allyson with my family who adores her. Here is a picture of Steve, Becky and their daughter Allyson in the pool.

Bruce and Char were so kind to have bought us a gift. They got us Bride and Groom champagne glasses for the weeding. Of course we will be using these for the wedding and the many toasts. The bride champagne glass is shaped like a wedding dress and the groom champagne glass is shaped like a tuxedo. It’s really starting to dawn on me that I’m getting married. It’s crazy!!

We weren’t the only ones enjoying the pool!! The (second) love of my life Cooper took advantage of all the new people and played ‘Fetch’ in the pool for hours. Here is a picture of him pouting because no one wanted to play any more.

While everyone mingled and got to know one another, I thought it would be a good opportunity to listen in on the conversation. As I walked past my mom and future mom in law I heard comments like, “I always knew they would end up together” and “I will never forget the look on their faces when they told us the news!” Below is a picture of Char, me, and my mom Sabrina.

As I walked by Mike and his brother I hear, “Mini Sirloin Burger!” An inside joke between those who were on the Van Dame camping trip. The clever Jack in the Box Mini Sirloin Burger jingle caught on (thanks to me and my obnoxiousness) and to make a long story short became the anthem that weekend in Mendocino. Below is a picture of Mike and his brother.

That pretty much sums it up. It was a great day and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

CHEERS!

Patrick Swayze...

2009-09-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Patrick Swayze stared in my ALL time favorite movie, Dirty Dancing. The film was released in 1987 and I was a whopping 4 years old. I don’t recall watching the movie as a 4 year old, however at one point in my early childhood my sisters and I got a hold of the movie. To say the least, we watched the movie repeatedly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the movie, and how it NEVER gets old. We would stop and rewind all the dance scenes and learn the moves, including our favorite, ‘The Lift.’ Every summer, and I mean EVERY summer, we would do ‘The Lift’ in whoever’s swimming pool we were in. When we wore dresses we would spin in circle so the bottom would flare up like they did in the movie. And I can’t tell you the times I’ve utter the words, ‘Nobody puts baby in the corner.’ The sound track is one of a kind, ‘Time of my life’ and ‘She’s like the wind.’ As a child, you don’t completely understand certain aspects of movies, especially if they are rated PG 13. But as I grew older and continue to grow older, I watch the movie and it seems different every time. I’m sad to know that Patrick Swayze died, but glad that the movie gave me so many great memories. Below are some of my favorite quotes:

Well, it looks like I picked the wrong sister. That’s okay, Baby, I went slummin’ too.

Look, spaghetti arms. This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don't go into yours, you don't go into mine. You gotta hold the frame.

Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you.

I'm gonna do my kind of dancin' with a great partner, who's not only a terrific dancer; somebody who's taught me that there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them; somebody who's taught me about the kind of person I wanna be.

The proposal!

2009-09-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

After discussing marriage for a year or so, Mike told me to start giving him ideas of rings I might be interested in. I wanted to look at rings together, however Mike is pretty old fashion and wasn’t interested in my non tradition approach to our engagement. In the end we compromised and agreed that I would choose a few rings and he would make the final choice. I decided to go ‘browsing’ for potential engagement rings with my sis and one of Mike’s friends. After looking at a few jewelers it became very apparent what style I was interested in. With all the excitement I was able to convince Mike to come look at rings with me. In the end, we agreed on a ring and he picked out the diamond. Mike was still concerned the proposal would lose the element of surprise since we practically chose the ring together.

A few days later, at the end of my work day, Mike IMed me and asked if I wanted to get Mini Sirloin Burgers from Jack in the Box for dinner. Mike and I have a sort of inside joke about these Mini Sirloin Burgers. We went on a camping trip to Van Dame earlier in the year and the catchy jingle caught on (thanks to my obnoxiousness) while we drank and sang around the camp fire. To make a long story short, the jingle became the anthem that weekend in Mendocino.

By the time I got home from work, dinner was there and ready. I opened the bag and started pulling out food, and as I opened the box I found my ring perfectly placed in the bun of one of the burgers.

I was certainly shocked to find this sparkling piece of jewelry in a burger bun, however it was it was exactly our style, creative, unique, and funny as hell!! I was extremely surprised and had no idea he was planning on doing it so soon. He told me he knew I would never expect a proposal out of dinner at Jack in the Box and he was right. All he wanted was for me to be surprised…and I was!

My thoughts about blogging.

2009-08-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Blogs...?

Everybody knows what they are. You can’t go any where without finding one. What is a blog? Since I’m a beginner I’m still learning. I’ve read that a blog is, ‘A place where you can share your thoughts and experiences with the anonymous public about anything you wish.’

I never really kept an official journal, however as I grow older I find that writing (or typing) my thoughts, seems to keep my mind clear and focused. I think blogging can be considered a journal kept on the internet. I frequently see others using a blog as an online journal or diary where they post messages and photos to their own mini website. However, this seems to defeat the purpose of a journal….right? Isn’t a journal suppose to be a safe place where you can express your personal self with out anyone knowing or judging? Below is the definition of the word ‘Journal’ according to ‘dictionary.com’

A daily record, as of occurrences, experiences, or observations:

For now I look forward to blogging as a way to share my thoughts and experiences. It seems to be an outlet to dump my thoughts about regular life experience and to share with those who choose to follow. Keeping a log of my thoughts, work, and events, seems to be the easiest way to store memories and remember how I felt, and how I've grown and changed. If there is something to discuss or share I find useful to record.

Thanks for reading :)

♥

Morgan