Five on Friday

[one]

Our church had its annual Vacation Bible School last week and this year the theme was "Everywhere Fun Fair."  I helped out with the kindergarten group...all 23 of them to be exact!  I can't decide which adjective is more appropriate to use:  adorable or exhausting. ;) After a group assembly and dinner each night, they created arts & crafts projects, played lots of games, and learned a bible story about Jesus.  We ended the week with a "Fun Fair" carnival that included a night of perfect weather, lots of games, and tons of sweets outside.

[two]

Did you watch The Voice this season?  Gaines and I got super into it and were both so excited when cute Danielle Bradbery won last Tuesday night!  

[three]

Last Saturday I drove to Columbia for the day to celebrate Elisabeth (who I've been friends with for over 15 years!) and her upcoming wedding to Mike in August.  I loved getting to catch up with her, see her mom, and finally meet some of her other bridesmaids.  I can't wait for her big day in eight short weeks and will be sure to post more pictures from the shower soon.

[four]

We just got back from the best anniversary trip to Hilton Head and it. was. perfect. We stayed on the south end of the island (by Salty Dog) and had the best time pretty much doing one of five things: laying out, walking on the beach, biking, eating, and drinking. ;)  And I'll be back soon with more pictures from this trip, too! 

[five]

And while we were gone, this sweet girl was taken care of by Gaines' parents (thank you, thank you, thank you!).  She absolutely loves them and being outside, but I think someone's excited to be back in the air conditioning on furniture... she pretty much hasn't left the couch since we got back. 

Happy Friday!!

Empire State of Mind

Two weekends ago my summer officially started when I flew up to NYC to visit my sister.  The Turner and Story girls had talked about taking a trip up there this summer, and I was so excited that our idea actually turned into a reality. :) 

When we got there on Friday, it was absolutely pouring.  Our cab ride from LaGuardia took a while and since Amy and Julie were staying at a hotel about a mile from Dales' place, we just decided to do dinner separately that night.  After catching up in Dales' apartment, Mom, Dales, and I swam ran down the street to a Chinese place we had gone to the last time and got some delicious sushi and wine. 

The next morning we grabbed Starbucks (of course!) and headed toward Central Park.  The rain had stopped, the sky had cleared up, and it turned out to be a gorgeous day.  We met up with Amy and Julie in the park before heading back to Dales place to shower and get ready for lunch and shopping.  

Around five we met up with Amy and Julie again at Pier 82 for a sunset cruise around Manhattan.  I've seen a lot of the touristy sites in NYC before, but this cruise definitely takes the cake!  It was such an awesome way to see the city, and we got so many awesome pictures from the water.  I would definitely recommend the Circle Line Harbor Lights Cruise if you are visiting the area any time soon!  And we ended the night with a fun dinner at an Italian place near Times Square before walking back home.

Our last day was spent enjoying the beautiful weather.  Mom, Dales, and I ate brunch at The Smith and then walked around and did a little more shopping (surprising, right?).  That afternoon Julie and Amy came by to see Dailey's apartment and then we ended our trip by meeting up with Pat for a great Italian dinner at MiMis.  

We had the best time and I just can't express how lucky I am to have such a great mom, sister, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law.  Where's our next Turner/Story girls trip?? ;) 

Second Year Memories :)

Wow!  I cannot believe our second year of marriage is over and we are heading into our third.  I am so thankful for all of the memories we have made as husband and wife the last two years and just feel so lucky for every minute I get to spend with him.  From waking up next to him and going for walks in our neighborhood to sharing a drink together on the patio and traveling to the many places we seem to go, I just love that I get to spend every single day with my favorite person in the whole world.  He loves me, supports me, and always makes me laugh, and I just can't think of a better person to share my life with.  So, in honor of our anniversary, I picked out my favorite memory from each month of our second year of marriage, just like I did last year. :) 

[June]
Celebrating our first anniversary in Waynesboro, GA

[July]
Exploring the Venetian with Gaines' family in Las Vegas, NV

[August]
Visiting Windsor and Chris Lineback in High Point, NC

[September]
Spending Labor Day with my family in Deltaville, VA (aka "the Rivah")

[October]
Celebrating Stephanie and Kyle Martin's wedding in Charlottesville, VA

[November]
Celebrating Demetria and Matt Borges' wedding in Richmond, VA

[December]
Spending time with my family at Christmas in Deltaville, VA 

[January]
Enjoying a datenight in Augusta, GA

[February]
Having fun with friends at a Pub Crawl in Augusta, GA

[March]
Celebrating Lauren and Shepard Smith's wedding in Charlotte, NC

[April]
Enjoying a family vacation with my family in Charleston, SC

[May]
Spending time with Gaines' family at his cousin's wedding in Atlanta, GA

Happy anniversary, hubby, and here's to making many, many more happy memories together!  I love you so much!! 

Wedding Week 2011 [Honeymoon]

We spent our honeymoon at the Sandals Grande in St. Lucia, which I would highly, highly, highly recommend to anyone! I thought it was going to be really cheesy at first, but we had the best time.  The food was great, the view was spectacular, and most importantly, the drinks were free. ;)  We relaxed, met some friends, took a boat tour, hiked a mountain hill, and enjoyed our first week as Mr. and Mrs. Story. 

Gosh, it seems like yesterday, not two years ago, that these pictures were taken.  Thanks for taking the journey down memory lane with us! 

Recap:

Wedding Week 2011 [Thursday]

Wedding Week 2011 [Friday]

Wedding Week 2011 [Saturday: Getting Ready]

Wedding Week 2011 [Saturday: The Wedding]

Wedding Week 2011 [Sunday]