Karoline in the City

The P-word

2012-02-02T10:21:00.003-05:00

The last semester is in full swing and the picture at the top of this post is a word that has been haunting me, making me smile, causing lots and lots of questions and soul searching, and just plain scary! The resume is updated, the cover letter in the editing stages, the interview suit is hanging in the closet, and in the next week applications will be flying out with rapid fire.

I have shared with many who have asked that I feel that I am almost back at square one, right where I was three years ago before I made the big move here. Over the past few days as I have looked out my window and seen the lights of the city or driven by one of my favorite places, walked across campus, and worshiped with my church family, I am sad to think that this could be my last winter here, my final days as a city girl. But just like three years ago, I want to be where I am supposed to be, right in the palm of God's hand, and I know that just like He did then, He will once again open the right door and show me where that next step is. Should I stay or should I go? That is the looming question and only time is going to tell.

A Month of Friendships

2012-01-19T08:49:00.000-05:00

I got to do some super fun outings with friends during my time in NC.
The first weekend Jeff and Taylor treated me to a Christmas concert with the Getty's!!
Nails and lunch with Tay and Tricia and baby Landon.
Lunch with Sus, Di, Tricia, and Baby Landon.

Dinner and Straight No Chaser with Courts and Tay

Some things never change

Intermission is the perfect time for photos!!!

Rebekah and Jordan's wedding

Oh Charelle, I have so much fun with you, thanks for being my date!!

Beautiful table decor

Our little girl is all grown up and hitched!!!

Tricia, this picture is for you :)

A Month of Family

2012-01-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

I decided that since this was my last Christmas break as a graduate student that I would make it last as long as possible!!
I loved my weeeeeeks of family fun!

Sweet girls!

Ballet/Tap class

Lunch at school with my favorite kindergartner and listening to him read!!!

Surprise pj trip to go see Christmas lights

Sisters and lots of shopping!!!

The Belk bowl

Cheering on the Pack!

Baths, stories, games, Mario, Mario, and more Mario

Hugs, smiles, and laughs galore!!! If you haven't gathered, I love being an aunt and am thrilled that another baby will be added in July!!

(I realize I have zero pictures of Mason from Christmas, guess he was too busy to let me get a picture of him!!)

Ugly Sweaters and Happy Birthday Di!!

2012-01-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

I flew back ASAP in December and made it just in time to meet Landon, celebrate Di's 30th, and attend the Deeze's ugly sweater party!!

Me and the Birthday girl!!

Gotta love a quick wardrobe change and on to party #2 of the night!!!

The hostess with the mostest

Under the mistletoe with the hostess and Babs

I didn't know there were ugly sweater ornaments... awesome!

Sus and Abs looking rather "ugly"

Meeting Landon

2012-01-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

When you are 8 and 9 years old you foreshadow to what life is going to be and you have an Anne and Dianna moment vowing to be bosom friends forever.

You wake up one morning and you are in high school

Blink and it's college

Graduation and then the "real world"

One moves half a world away, returns, gets married,

The other moves seven states away

But the true crescendo is when the babies start to arrive.

You can no longer deny that you are grown-ups, yet you still have moments of longing for those days of sleepovers and easy bake ovens

with my good news your dancing on the table
babies born to celebration
the joy of life oh what a sweet communion
shared with you

I know we're growing older
can you imagine what that will bring
it's all a mystery to me now
but this one thing

will be half as hard, and twice as good
~Sara Groves

Happy Birthday, Annalise!

2012-01-11T08:30:00.001-05:00

Annalise, I can't believe you are 1 today! My how the year has flown. I am so thankful I was able to be there when you were born and get to know you your first few days of life. You are such a joy and a sweet precious miracle reminder of God's continued faithfulness and that even in the midst of storms, He brings rainbows to remind of His great promises!

Your smile and your Miss America wave bring joy to so many and you desperately want everyone to wave back at you, which is the cutest thing! I love you little baby and miss you so much!! I am proud to be your aunt and am looking forward to watching you grow and seeing how God continues to use your life for His glory!

Peeling Back

2011-12-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

Life has peeled back more layers this year, some have been good and others have been painful, leaving that raw feeling that takes time to heal.
As another year is only a week away from closing and Christmas is upon us, I find myself reflecting. Reflecting on what is behind me and looking with great expectation as to what lies ahead. A very similar place to where a young woman found herself in some two thousand years ago as she reflected on what was behind and looked with great expectation as she was to birth the long awaited Messiah, the promise was to be fulfilled.

Hail the heaven born Prince of peace
Hail the son of righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth

"Every year Emmanuel means something different. Life peels back more layers and we’re left standing raw until they heal. But God coming down to this gritty, dusty, land of the dying makes every difference in our hope for living. He is with us. He is in us. He is here." ~Emily P. Freeman

Jesus, continue to lead, I will follow!

New York City

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to see New York City decorated for Christmas so this year I did. I took the 24 hour window of time I had free in early December and went and visited my sister.

The tree at Rockefeller Center, very beautiful, very crowded!

Meredith and I

We dined at this super cute little Italian restaurant (Rocky's) and then desserted at a cupcake shop. Yummers, we got like 6 different flavors and had a little sampling of each. Lindsey came and met up with us for dinner, dessert, and then the girls hit a movie.

Sunday morning Meredith and I had breakfast and then went to the American Girl store, so much fun. Our shopping was cut short as I raced to catch the bus back to Boston. Thanks for having me Meredith, come visit the better city real soon, it's only a bus ride away!!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-12T15:33:00.010-05:00

I spent Thanksgiving in California with the Coleman's. I had my ticket booked prior to the start of the semester and that trip was the motivation that got me through!!

The delicious menu was set and it was so much fun to help with all the preparations throughout the week.

Juli and I ran in the Turkey Trot, she was very gracious to keep up with her very slow cousin!
Next year we will do the 10K!!

Cookin' Cousins

Why yes friends that would be a real live dessert and it tastes just as good as it looks!!

Hi-five after successfully pulling our delicious desserts out of the oven!

California livin' looks good on me!!!

Homemade rolls, oh my goodness these were the best EVER!!!

Why no this is not a Pottery Barn catalog, that would be the gorgeous table set for our feast!

Of course Phase 10 was part of our time together!

A little black Friday shopping with Kathi and Juli and Harry Potter came along too!

Thank you so much for a wonderful week and letting me be part of your family and for the best Thanksgiving! I cannot wait for my next visit!!

Three of My Favorites

2011-12-12T15:22:00.004-05:00

Fall, Football, and America

Boston College played NC State at home this year, so I made my way to Alumni Stadium and cheered for the Pack. They of course lost, but it was so much fun to get to a game this season. It's days like this that really make me miss living in NC, the people there appreciate the important things in life.... college sports!

1st Annual JJ vs. KG 5K Race for the Cure (for rabies)

2011-11-17T23:06:00.013-05:00

This may come as a big shocker to some, but I am competitive. So when I was dining with friends a few months ago and started running my mouth and smack talking John about his running only a few miles a week, I somehow agreed to a 5k race against him. The date was set for Saturday, November 4th and then the cyberbullying ensued. Good thing I am a trained professional when it comes to this!!

The forecast was for cold weather and I was secretly excited because I had trained last winter for my first half marathon and was used to cold running temps. I also had God on my side, because the night before my pastor told me he was cheering for Team Karoline!

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning!! I was feeling pretty confident!

On your marks, get set, GOOOOOOO!

Beating up on my competitor!

Some girls chase boys, I pass 'em..... or try really hard to at least :)

Janna, my favorite running buddy and my coach for this event, we need to train harder next time!

Thanks to all the fans who came out to support me in my valiant effort!
Yes, I lost, but I think it would have been bad to beat him, I didn't want to crush his manly pride.
I did get some very beautiful flowers from him the next day at church, so it was all worth it!

The Finish Line

2011-11-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

The finish line is fastly approaching. Yesterday I registered for my FINAL semester of graduate school.... how did this happen? The past few weeks as I have walked the path from the parking deck to my class, the thoughts of this being my last fall to walk this route have been bittersweet. The leaves have changed and mostly fallen off the trees. Several times I have been fighting back tears because this place has been such a pivotal one in my life. My months in Boston have marked a time in my life that I will never be able to fully explain in words. My heart swells with pain and joy all mixed together. The faithfulness of the Lord is written and marked around almost every corner. I pray that this is just the beginning of my time here. I have seen so much growth in my life over these months and have seen a small glimpse of who I was created to be, and I like her a lot!

Even after all these months, I still am humbled that I am here. On the mornings I drive down I-90 to my internship with the sun rising over the city, my breath is taken away by the beauty and I am in awe of where I am. I pray I never lose that wonder!

So what is after the finish line in May? I wish I knew! But what I do know is that I can't wait to find out and if it is anything like the past 26 months.... it's going to be AMAZING!!!!

Tricia's Shower

2011-11-12T09:16:00.000-05:00

I flew to Raleigh for a quick 48 hour visit for the purpose of celebrating Tricia and Baby Esh!!

Abby, Dianna, and I hosted a shower Friday evening.

So fun to display the invitation and the cute bib that Dianna got for Baby Esh

Diaper cake to match the theme, I loved the flowers in the middle!

Abby made the cutest banner to hang on the fireplace
(I didn't get a picture of the clothesline that Dianna made on the other fireplace)

Meredith Girls

We did dinner and had a taco salad bar, which was not only yummy but very festive and colorful!

Instead of a cake or cupcakes we did a trifle bar complete with pound cake, brownies, pudding, fruit toppings and whipped cream.

I can't believe that the next time I see her, the baby could be here. I cannot believe that we have gotten to this stage in our lives, where has the time gone? How can the little girls who used to sell painted rocks to the neighbors be so grown up? Tricia, I am so proud of you and the woman of God that you are and you are going to be an amazing mother. I love you so much!!!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-11T09:45:00.002-05:00

Our new house is perfect for parties and Halloween seemed like a great occasion to throw one! My flight from NC was scheduled to get in at 5:30, but with the nor'easter heading our way, I was worried I wouldn't make it in time. We were a bit delayed and ended up getting in after 6 and flew right through the storm. SCARIEST flight of my life and I was clutching the seat and praying!!

Snow during a Halloween party??? Yep this is definitely a first for me!!!

I had my costume all ready to go and Janna even braved the snow to pick me up at the airport!

I was super excited about my costume complete with my pants I got at Old Navy for $.47 and the bump-it I borrowed from Brea :)
Also, thank you to husky little boys who shop at Wal-Mart for school uniforms, because my white polo is all because of you!

Flo and the hippest granny in town!!!

Pass the Depends granny, I was laughing soooo hard at all of Angela's props!!

Baby Asher even made a cameo!!!

The final crew at the end of the night

The roomies

Happy Fall Ya'll

2011-11-09T09:28:00.002-05:00

Fall is such a fun time to do many fallish activities here in New England.

A girl from church hosted a pumpkin party complete with pumpkin chili, a pumpkin roll, and pumpkin carving.

My roommate Bethany and I collaborated on our carving.

The group displaying our masterpieces!

The next day a group headed north and hit up a corn maze and farm fun. I have decided that I may just have to rent the party barn for my 30th next year!!

The corn maze was fun, but I think we need to go earlier in the season next year because a lot of the path had been knocked down and it was easy to get through.... no 911 calls from this group!

This was the closest I got to the fair this year and I was excited to get to pet and feed the goats!

Happy Birthday Part 3

2011-11-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

The actual day of my birth, I got to celebrate with many of my wonderful friends at my all time favorite place to dine... Grendel's Den! Of course I also got my morning birthday song phone call from Meredith Rob, which is something I look forward to every year!!!

We had to wait over an hour to get seated, thanks friends for your willingness to wait (even with a baby, Brea) and celebrate!!!

Aurora, Brea, Angela, Janna, Kimmie, and Me
(church friends)

All four of these gals are so special to me in so many different ways, I am so thankful that God has brought us into each others lives!

Kelly, Me, and Maggie
(school friends)

These girls are so wonderful! Maggie and I have been in all the same classes this past year and a half and she has been my saving grace throughout this principal process, I am soooo thankful for her!

After dinner Kimberly took me for a birthday dessert. We tried to go to Sweet but they had just closed... Kimberly banged on the door and begged them through the window to let us in because it was my birthday.... we ended up at Finale and I had a DELICIOUS cake complete with a candle and a happy birthday song!!!
2-9 is going to be a great year, I just know it!!!

Happy Birthday Part 2

2011-11-07T11:06:00.000-05:00

For my birthday weekend Sus came to visit, celebrate, and run a half marathon together!

We hit up Concord for some Alcott house tourage and lunching!!

So fun to visit with yet another sister and reminisce about our love of the March girls when we were younger.

Friday we headed to NH to pick up our race packets, check into our hotel, and carb load/celebrate my birthday in downtown Nashua!

It was a gorgeous evening so we got to dine outside! Which was eventful, complete with witnessing a pedestrian get hit by a car, WOW!!!

Saturday morning was race day!

Pre-race
Matchy match.. so cute!!!

Cannot think of a better way to celebrate the 29th anniversary of my birth than with the 29th annual Applefest half marathon!

Post-race complete with medals and yummy apple crisp! I also beat my time from my 1st half in January by eight minutes!!!

It pretty much rained the entire 13.1 miles. The course was very hilly but beautiful with the fall colors and the rolling farm land!

Sunday was church, massages, and South Pacific at the Boston Opera house!

Monday we headed downtown for lunch at the Barking Crab and a little tour of the harbor and then it was time to say goodbye!

Sus, thanks for coming to spend my birthday weekend with me and for helping to fulfill one of my dreams, running a half marathon together! I love you!!!!

Happy Birthday Part 1

2011-11-06T11:00:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't like to draw out the birthday celebrations? This girl definitely loves to celebrate!
When I was in NC for my reunion I was able to co-celebrate my birthday (a few weeks early) and Michael's sister's birthday with a birthday dinner with my family.

Laila and Mary Kenzie helped me open my presents

It was so much fun to get to spend some time with the nieces and nephews from early morning wake up calls, to lunch at Chick-fil-a... I do love these kiddos!

Mario and two beautiful girls in tutus!

Aunt Karoline cannot wait to spend loooooooots of time with all 5 of you at Christmas, it won't be long now!

10 Year High School Reunion

2011-10-31T23:41:00.007-04:00

The last weekend in September I traveled south to attend my 10 year high school reunion. Yes, that is right, I have been out of high school for ten years! WOW!!

Can you find me?

Friday night was the homecoming football game. It was so crazy to be back in that stadium after all these years, but so fun to see old friends and meet people's spouses and children! (unfortunately, I have zero pictures from that!)

Saturday night was the main event at Natty Greene's downtown Greensboro. I was the decorating committee and it was fun to contribute to the weekend.

We had a fun photo booth with silly props and some maroon and gold props as well.

Emily and Vince were hilarious!!

Emily and Stephanie were the party planner extraordinaires

It was so great to see Jennifer after all these years. She and I played on the same rec softball team in middle school and then played on the volleyball team all 4 years of high school. She was always so encouraging to me. She is now the mom to two of the cutest little boys!!

Volleyball girls!! So fun to catch up and so precious for Emily's dad to tell me his favorite memory of me in high school when I got my nickname Karoline the Killer :)

Southern Guilford Class of 2001

My how time goes by and it was fun to reflect on where I thought I would be ten years after high school and where I actually am! So amazed at God's plan for me and the road His faithfulness has and continues to bring me down. What do the next ten years hold? I am not sure, but I am very excited to continue to take hold of His hand and take it one day at a time!

Abby and Lisa Visit!

2011-10-31T23:26:00.003-04:00

Abby has visited Boston several times already, but her mom Lisa has been wanting to come visit when it was not too cold, so fall seemed like the perfect time to visit! They came the 3rd weekend in September.

Thursday evening I picked them up at the airport and we headed to the Barking Crab for a delicious dinner!!

Friday morning, we headed north making a stop at the Friendly Toast in Portsmouth before heading up to Kittery for some outlet shopping!

Saturday we headed downtown for some shopping and to enjoy the beautiful day!

It was gorgeous weather for a swan boat ride!

Sunday we breakfasted before church and then hung out in Davis Square before we say goodbye.
Thanks so much for coming to visit, Abby and Lisa! It was so wonderful having you and I can't wait until you come again!!

Tricia Visits!

2011-10-31T23:14:00.002-04:00

Tricia came to visit over Labor Day weekend. It was so much fun to have her. She was my first visitor in my new apartment.
We went to Newburyport which is one of the last towns on the coast before you reach New Hampshire. In all its quaint New Englandness there are cute shops and restaurants. It was fun to explore a new town together. I have to say that I think this one is probably second on my list at the moment.

We hit up the outlets in Maine and then Tricia got to eat her first lobster roll, so much fun!

Newburyport Harbor

On her last day we got to visit baby Asher Puetz who had just been born to my friends Tyson and Kelly. So crazy to think that in a few months I will be visiting Tricia's little baby boy!!
We hit up IKEA for some fun items and then got to enjoy the first day of Pumpkin Spice Latte's before saying goodbye.

Thanks for coming to visit, Tricia! I am so thankful for our time together and can't wait til you bring Baby Esh to visit!!

Maryland with the Colemans

2011-10-19T20:22:00.001-04:00

As soon as I got back to Boston from taking Kaitlin to college, I repacked my suitcase and boarded a plane to head to Maryland to meet up with the Colemans.

It was so wonderful to spend a few days with them in Baltimore and Annapolis!

We visited Johns Hopkins. It was a gorgeous campus and I kind of wanted to apply, 3rd masters anyone?

Charm City Cakes, but you can't even go inside without calling ahead, bummer!

We met up with Tom and Allison for dinner one night. It was so much fun to all get to be together, it doesn't happen often enough!

We ate our way through Annapolis and I had the absolute best crab cakes I have EVER had to date, oh man, they were soooo good!!

We visited the Naval Academy too. After hearing the admissions talk, I was way impressed and admire the dedication and discipline that these young men and women undertake when they sign up!

I was quite excited to find out that that mascot was indeed my favorite animal, A GOAT!!

We got to watch the cadets file in for lunch, it was a really neat ceremony to watch.

Little did we know that our visit would be cut short :(

Unfortunately with Hurricane Irene heading our way, our time together got cut short due to cancelled flights and a frenzy of trying to get out ahead of the storm. Praise the Lord, I got my flight changed and made it home and wasn't stranded at an airport all weekend. But knowing that Thanksgiving was just around the corner made the goodbye not as hard! Thanks for the fun time in Maryland Colemans, I cannot wait to see you on your coast very soon!!!

Kaitlin off to College

2011-09-08T13:24:00.008-04:00

In the middle of August, I traveled south to travel even further south (I know I was surprised there wasn't a direct flight from Boston) with Erin, Sus, Kaitlin, and baby Annalise to take Kaitlin to college. Yes I went to Arkansas! Many people have been confused as to why one would travel there, yes I know this is quite a mystery to me as well :)

Nothing says "welcome" like getting off the plane in 100+ degree weather and walking through a shed type structure to finally make it to the terminal... very very interesting airport!

Unfortunately, there were no Dugger sightings during our time in their town :(

Off and on her way for a new adventure

It was Annalise's first plane ride, she was so good on the trip and hung in there with the big girls!!

We shopped and ate and ate and shopped and got all the essentials needed for a great dorm room.

Yay for the travel folder, though I was mocked by some of my sisters for this very important element to every trip! And my thorough college list helped streamline our shopping!

I showed off my amazing packing skills by filling the rental car to the max with all the gear and even saved room for the passengers!

Voila..... the model room on the hall that everyone kept poking their heads in to see how it was arranged, why yes we have done this college dorm room thing once or twice before :)
(Kind of scary to realize that I was moving into college this time 10 years ago!)

So great to share such a special time together!

These 2 are going to have mucho fun in college, I am way jealous and kind of wanted to stay!!

You know you have reached womanhood when you are finally carrying a purse, Kaitlin has finally reached womanhood :)

So thankful for the love and support of my sisters and it was so fun to get to be there to send Kaitlin on with love, blessings, and a few tears for a great first semester.
Can't wait to see you at Christmas!!!

Shakespeare on the Common

2011-09-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

With so many fun outdoor activities happening in Boston in the summer, Shakespeare on the Common is one I especially look forward to. This year's performance was All's Well that Ends Well. This is a play I was not at all familiar with, but really enjoyed it.

The play is free to the public and people come early to scout out prime spots and bring their dinner. I went with Maggie, Janna, and Sally. We grabbed sandwiches at a cute little deli across from the Common and enjoyed our picnic before the show.

Maggie and I have enjoyed some fun outings this summer from movies, to lunch to beach days. It is so nice to have a friend with a free schedule :)

Shakespeare crew

Each year the type of play alternates, last year was a comedy, this year a tragedy, meaning next year will be a comedy. Come visit, we can get cultured together!!

Bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi Big Apple Adventure

2011-08-01T22:26:00.006-04:00

No I have not picked up stuttering, but have picked up some very catchy tunes. This summer's VBS theme was the Big Apple Adventure. I had the privilege of being one of the co-directors and what an amazing role it was!

Elizabeth and I planned to wear our matching shorts one of the days.

We had so much fun transforming the church into NYC. The sanctuary was Time Square complete with a labor of love, my wonderful New Year's Eve ball (where's Dick Clark when you need him?)

Battery Park was in the foyer

Complete with Lady Liberty herself

And what is New York without a hot dog stand????
Each year we pick a theme based name, this year I was Coney Island Karoline!

The missions room was Grand Central Station and the Craft area was Central Park.

It was a fun filled week with about 90 children each day ranging from newborns to middleschoolers!
Each day was a different focus Connecting with faith, trust, love, others, and life.
Here is a reflection I wrote after the first day.

Connecting with Faith

I have never been in this type of role before and when I signed up I was so excited but really didn’t know what or how God was going to use it in my life. It amazes me (okay why does it amaze me, will I ever learn this lesson) how He orchestrates the little details and the big details to speak into my life and affirm that yes this is the path I have laid out for you. Connecting with Faith, stepping out in Faith into what He has called me to do. Little did I know the lessons I would learn through co-directing VBS would be ones that are sharpening my skills, talents, gifts, patience, and faith in Christ. Learning to understand others and realizing that we as the body of Christ are all different and do play such pivotal roles, though different, each is very very important one.

As the 86 children crossed the threshold today, the magnitude of what this week truly is, hit me. We each have people who have walked beside us at moments, seasons, or years of our faith journey and today we as a team were embarking on that path with these children. Committing to walk alongside them for this week and some for even longer on their journey. I am so thankful for those who have and continue to walk beside me and help me connect with faith in what God has called and will call me to do.

The Porch

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

My absolute favorite spot of my apartment is the back porch, I love drinking my morning coffee out there. I was in desperate need of some furniture and found a great deal for a set on Craigslist last fall. I decided to wait until spring to redo it because I wouldn't be able to enjoy it during the winter. Little did I know that spring would not come for soooooo long. I am so thankful for my contractor brother who I can call in the middle of Home Depot and ask what I should do to to get all the rust off my chairs. If you need some work done and you live in NC you should definitely check him out, he is AWESOME.... anyway back to my chairs :)

Before:

Very boring and blah

The set came with a table and 5 chairs, I wanted to do a fun vibrant color to dress up my porch. So in a shout out to my former digs as a princess in the pink palace, I chose a watermelon color.

After:

I only used 4 of the chairs so you will have to stay tuned to what I did with the 5th one!!!

I had little pink tea light holders from IKEA and filled them with citronella tea lights I found at TJMaxx to keep the bugs away.

Did a little planting and voila, my porch!!
Come on over for a glass of sweet tea, ya'll or some sangria!!!

The Deal of the Century!

2011-07-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

I always go into Target for 1 thing like toothpaste and I leave with a cart load, on this particular night I came across a gem in the end cap... a GORGEOUS Thomasville tv stand marked for $31.00. WHAT???? It had to be a mistake, must be missing pieces. But the box was closed so I opened it and it looked originally packaged, the store was about to close, so I bought it. It was originally $250.00. It was sooo heavy but I lifted it and put it in my cart. This was the night the guy "opened" the door for me 21st century style by waving his hand in front of the sensor. Luckily someone was out getting carts and he put it in my car for me. It sat in my car for a few weeks until I finally brought it into the building, where it sat on the first floor for a few days, I carried it up one flight of stairs, it stayed there for a few more weeks and then I finally carried it up the last set!

The night I put it together, Kelly and Tyson came by while on a walk to say "hello". Tyson said, "You need a husband to put that together for you"... THANKS A LOT TYSON!

Dear Tyson, I don't need a husband to put it together for me, I think I might just need a bigger TV though!!!

Beautiful!

A Latte Love

2011-07-13T08:00:00.004-04:00

Our community group threw a coffee themed shower for Dan and Sarah back in April. They met while working at Starbucks during grad school, which was the inspiration behind the theme. I volunteered to do part of the decorations and got inspired with coffee filters.

My coffee filter banner

The colors of the shower were green and brown so I punched out green di-cut letters and glued them on to brown cone coffee filters.

Then I sewed the filters together with the zig zag stitch

I was so excited how it turned out and think Martha would be proud!!!

Added some green ribbon and voila!

I also made coffee filter pom poms

We could have asked for the sleeves for the cups but it was more fun to acquire them over multiple trips to S-bucks

Dan has many nicknames, but one of them is Panther, so on the coffee flavored cupcakes, Deb topped them with Mr. and Mrs. Panther. Mrs. Panther even had painted claws.

The utensils were in jars filled with coffee beans

It was such a fun shower with delicious food, fun games, and lots of laughs. Congrats Sarah and Dan!!

The 4th of July

2011-07-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

The fourth of July is my 2nd favorite holiday and a day I look forward to each year. This year was one of the best 4th of July's I have had to date!
My celebration started off with a nice morning at home complete with a cup of coffee and the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest. This was the first year they have had a women's competition... I'm thinking about trying to qualify, who needs Miss America when you can be the hot dog eating champ??? just sayin....

The 4th of July outfit each year is a very important one and I was quite pleased with this year's ensemble!

The Boston skyline

After a BBQ (that would be a cookout for all my southern readers) at my friend Angela's house, I headed downtown for what proved to be the most amazing experience of my Boston life thus far!
My friend Kimberly lives in Beacon Hill and her rooftop deck over looks the Charles River where the fireworks are shot off each year. Needless to say the view was AMAZING!!!

Kimberly and I with Old Glory

FIREWORKS!!!

Such an amazing and fun day celebrating what I love, friendships and America!!

T-Swizzle

2011-07-02T22:30:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am one of those people, the kind who is still young at heart and enjoys the likes of teen sensations and teeny bopper movies and the Disney Channel. So when my friend Emily asked back in December if I would be interested in going to the Taylor Swift concert in June, I of course said YES!!!!

Most of these girls had never tailgated before, I was very happy to introduce them to the art of the tailgate
(Erin, Nicole, Emily, and Liz)

Even those who ride in limos wait in line for the port-a-potties

Here we come!!!

Gillette Stadium was PACKED!!!

Emily and I waiting for T-Swiz

There she is, though she looks far away, we actually had really great seats.

It was really fun to sing along to all the songs and see all the cute little girls so excited to be at the concert, well and the big girls too :)

The Deeze Does Boston

2011-07-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Meredith R. finally made it north for a visit!! I was so excited when she had texted me earlier in the week and asked if I minded going to Maine on Saturday... ummm hello, did I mind? Of course not because Maine is my favorite place in the ENTIRE world!!
Friday was mainly a night of chit chat and catching up.

Saturday we headed further north stopping in Portsmouth for breakfast at the Friendly Toast of course!!

We hit up Kittery and did a bit of damage at the outlets before reaching our final destination, Kennebunkport. We lunched on Lobstah rolls and walked through the shops in town before hitting up Walker's Pointe.

Georgie, we're here!!!

Meredith is one of the few people who truly appreciates what this house means and it was such a joy to share this with her!!!

The Bush Compound, one day I will go here for dinner!!

Saturday night she got to meet some of my church friends at a party and then she and I headed to Grafton Street for a little people watching.

Sunday was church and then another experience few people but she would enjoy, lunch at Spike's hot dogs!! I have been wanting to try Spikes but wanted to wait until she came. They were really good for what they were, but it was no snoops!!!!

Meredith, thanks for coming to visit. Please come again soon!!!

Know of My Love

2011-06-30T09:00:00.004-04:00

After each visit to NC it continually is harder to say goodbye and head back to what is now my home. As my nieces and nephews grow older and my relationships with them have started to form and become deeper and they know who I am, the goodbyes are very difficult. Knowing that the next time I see them they will have grown so much and I will have missed seeing this take place for many months often makes the short plane ride a tear filled one!

I hate being so far away and wish I could go to all the soccer games, swimming lessons, AWANA awards nights, and before long, school performances, or just make time for a special Aunt Karoline date.

As my younger siblings were growing up and I had moved away from home, I did all that I could to make it to as many of their events as possible. I wanted them to know of my love and I tried to show that in tangible ways by being present. I truly hope that they knew that then and can now look back and see it still. Even though I am farther away now and cannot quite make it to all these milestones, I pray they know of my love and the special place they each hold and will always hold in my heart.

I am continually amazed by where God has taken me and know that He has a plan. As I am seeking guidance for where I am to go from here, I am confident that God will show me where that is and if it is even further away from the people that I love, I pray that I will be able to still be present in their lives and they will know of my love!!

Congratulations :) and Goodbye :( to Kaitlin!!

2011-06-29T09:00:00.005-04:00

Kaitlin graduated from high school Memorial Day weekend. I am so thankful for a flexible schedule and summer breaks to be able to be in town for all these momentous occasions!!

It is hard keeping a 5 year old occupied during the ceremony and the "sermon" which was the address to the graduates and I was not about to give him my phone because I was ~~using it to play tetris~~ paying attention.

Not only was Kaitlin Student Body President, she also finished 2nd in her class!!! Way to go sista!!!

Won't be long before it's Annie's turn

I am one proud sister!!

Saying Goodbye :(
The next morning Erin, MK, Annalise, and I drove Kaitlin to the airport in Charlotte to say goodbye as she headed to be a camp counselor for the summer. Next time we see her it will almost be time for college!! YAYAYAYAYAY!!!

The Beach!!!

2011-06-28T09:00:00.003-04:00

After Taylor's wedding, Susannah and I headed to meet up with the fam for what has become our annual beach trip, next year it will be Boston for my graduation :)

As I looked through my pictures from the beach I realized that I primarily had pictures of the nieces and nephews... hmm does that officially make me old or does that make me a very very very proud aunt????

One afternoon, Annalise and I had some "Aunt Karoline" time in the shade, complete with magazines and a nap.

She is the sweetest baby!!

We did lots of swimming, some shopping, and I read a book for fun!! I even got to play lifeguard one day when Mason decided to jump in the pool and didn't realize he was in a deeper portion. I jumped in with my coverup on and I'm sure made quite a spectacle of myself as I jumped in. Later that night in the lobby a lady recognized me and said, "that was a good save today"... hmmm maybe I missed my calling?

We had quite a lot of luggage between 5 adults and 5 kids!

Laila helping with the loading process

MK rocking the romper... she is so trendy

We headed back to the Boro for Kaitlin's graduation :)

The Elliott Nuptuals

2011-06-27T10:24:00.000-04:00

As I have moved further up the east coast of the US, I have learned there are no beaches like the Carolina beaches and I was so excited to get to spend several days in May soaking in the sun and relaxing at the beach in celebration of Taylor and the Jeffster!!

Rehearsal Dinner:

Can't believe the time is finally here!

Everybody loves a good wrap!

Di and I

The rehearsal dinner was at the house where Jeff's family was staying complete with NC BBQ and Grandma's homemade pound cake for dessert.... needless to say this was an amazing meal and foods I have been missing!!

The tables were set with really cute beach decor

Wedding Day:
All the bridesmaids stayed in the same house with Taylor's family. Ocean front complete with a fabulous porch with rocking chairs and many many hours of rocking!! Just what was needed after an intense semester!

WEDDING DAY!!!!

It was fun to all get ready together at the house and I have to say this was one of the most low key wedding getting ready processes!! We got ready and then awaited the call that it was time for us to come to the church.

Courtney and I taking our traditional toothbrush picture!!

With the beautiful bride

Going to the chapel

Mr. and Mrs. Elliott

Taylor and her body guards

Courtney and Glendora

Meredith H. and I... we have gotten to see each other 4 months in a row so far this year!!!

The beautiful wedding cake by Darlin' Designs

The three musketeers!!!
(prom, formals, trips, weddings, weddings, and next up baby!!)

The seeester and I

Such a fun weekend, up next more beach with the FAM!!!!

Strawberries

2011-06-04T10:15:00.000-04:00

Courtney is still teaching at the school where I taught in NC and she has my last group of students this year in 3rd grade. While I was in NC I got to spend an afternoon with a few of them at the strawberry patch. It was so much fun to hang out with them, reminisce about our year together, and just laugh and laugh and laugh.... ~~kind of pulled~~ RIPPED at my heartstrings and made me begin to really think about where to go from here.

Taylor's Bridal Luncheon

2011-06-03T10:07:00.002-04:00

I flew in just in time for Taylor's bridesmaid luncheon the Saturday before the wedding, gotta love the direct flight!!

The decoration were gorgeous and the food was absolutely delicious! Since her wedding was at the beach the decor was very beachy with a mix of elegance.

The lovely bride to be and me :)

It's really hard for Courtney and I to take a serious picture!!

It was really nice to have the luncheon a week before the wedding which meant we could really just enjoy all being together and not have to rush to get to the next event.

Yay Jillian!!

2011-06-02T13:10:00.003-04:00

May was a busy month with school wrapping up (more on that to come) and then heading to NC for a few weeks for many festivities. The day before I left, my roommate Jillian graduated from nursing school!!

Congratulations, Jillian!! The nursing profession is lucky to have you and your patients will be so thankful for a sweet, caring, loving person to be taking care of them!!

Word on the Street........

2011-05-07T08:43:00.001-04:00

is that this little girl is going through an "I only want my mommy or daddy phase"... hmmm what's an aunt to do when she has been dreaming for several months of all the snuggles and hugs and storytimes?????

Why love on the other 4 of course until the baby is old enough to be bribed with the goodness that only Aunt Karoline brings to town!! Or maybe just maybe I will have the magic touch! Well just in case, the suitcase will be stocked with goodies!

A Royal Wedding

2011-05-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

I am a child of the 80's and I remember growing up and seeing some rather handsome royal little boys on the telly and in teen magazines. As every little girl did, I dreamed of being a real live princess. When I went to London a few years ago I searched to no avail for Prince William. On Friday April 29th HRH Prince William wed Catherine Middleton and I threw a royal party complete with hats and champagne! Kelly was gracious to open her house because they have a bigger tv :)

The spread complete with Janna's homemade scones!!
We had cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad, baked brie, cranberry/feta salad, and tea.

No girl party is complete without fondue!

Jenn, Me, Maggie, Monica, Kelly, Janna, Debbie, and Jill

Maggie and I

My roomie Jillian and I

My BC friends: Maggie, Kendra, Me, and Kelly M.

The wedding was gorgeous and so sweet, we also had a resident lip reader (Debbie) who helped us interpret what Will was saying to Kate, and the company was fabulous. Thanks ladies for a fun evening... we need to do it again soon :)

Sunday in NYC

2011-05-05T12:45:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning we headed down to 5th Avenue for the Easter parade. A parade of people who come from around the world with their Easter bonnets on display. We saw some crazy fun hats. I was really hoping for a Bethenny siting or some other Real Housewife of NYC but no such luck.

This couple went all out!

There were so many people!! It was a rather warm and gorgeous day with sunshine! We found a cute little place for brunch and then said goodbye to Kayce and headed out for a bit of shopping.
Now we fully support businesses that close for Easter or on Sunday in general, but selfishly I was sad that the American Girl Place was closed :(

We headed back to the hotel got our stuff and then said our goodbyes. I headed for the bus station and they headed for the airport.... Meredith and Kayce got home no problem... I had quite an adventure getting back complete with standstill traffic and almost getting locked in the bus with this sweet S. American lady I was trying to help find her memory card for her camera who spoke very little English. Courtney and Taylor ended up with a canceled flight and got to spend the night in a sketch hotel before finally getting back to NC the next day.... wow!!! No one can blame us for having boring lives :)

Saturday in NYC

2011-05-05T10:58:00.003-04:00

Saturday started out very rainy with a yummy breakfast at a super cute diner with the sweetest man who was the owner. We then trekked down to Chinatown for some deals and the rain stopped!!!

I found the purse/bag that I was looking for for months and now look like a trendy super cool student!

Courtney and I were excited to finally have gotten to eat a hot dog from a hot dog stand, which is one of our favorite things to do in any city we visit!

On our quest for the perfect cupcake in NYC we came across Sugar Sweet Sunshine bakery, which was our favorite!!!! Not only were the cupcakes way more delicious than Magnolia, but they were half the price!! The staff was so friendly and accommodating and we ate and ate and ate and even took some to-go, needless to say I need to hit the gym before I put on a bridesmaid dress in a few weeks!!! ;)

Saturday night we ate dinner at Dos Caminos with fabulous guacamole and sangria!! Two of Taylor's friends who live in NYC were able to meet up with us. We got to eat outside!!!! Okay yes some of you are like, big deal, Karoline... umm it is quite a big deal for a girl who has been trapped inside since November, what a lovely lovely evening to eat outdoors with friends!!

Daniel, Courts, Me, Mere, Tay, Kayce, Danielle, and Glendora

MOH, bride, and me

Friday in NYC

2011-05-04T10:42:00.002-04:00

Early Friday morning we got a knock on our hotel door and SURPRISE Kayce had arrived... Taylor had no idea she was coming. We all got dressed and headed down to SOHO for some shopping.

Courtney and Kayceon our way we passed the Plaza, I WILL STAY THERE ONE DAY!!!

So yes we all know I love me some reality TV so was super excited that Courtney was just as excited to stand in line to get into DASH NYC, I think the other girls thought we were cray cray. Needless to say since I am not a size 0 not much in the store was an option, but I did find a little something something for the Khloe' in my life (my sister Meredith) for her bday!!!

Cousin power, they bought the same earrings and relived matchyness from childhood!! We all bought some fabulous jewelry from the SOHO vendors.

Friday we had lunch at TAO an AMAZING restaurant, we had so much fun!

Our fabulous waiter took a picture of all of us, we even got one with him in it, he made our dining experience the best of the whole weekend!!!

Then that night we headed to Glendora's apartment. It was so fun to see a legit NYC apartment.

Her apartment was so tiny, but very cute!

She made us quite a spread!

Thursday in NYC

2011-05-03T11:53:00.000-04:00

Taylor had no idea where we were taking her for her bachelorette weekend, Courtney and I had been brainstorming and planning since the fall. We led her on a wild goose chase with random clues over several months including her thinking they were heading to the airport to pick me up. But SURPRISE she was the one flying :)
Meredith met them at the airport in NYC and they headed to the hotel and meet up with me.

We headed out to explore the neighborhood around our hotel and get the girls a snack.

Then we got dressed up and headed to dinner at Shang for some yummy sushi!!

Mere, Me, Tay, and Courts at dinner, the food was FABULOUS!

After dinner we made a pit stop at Magnolia Bakery to get some cupcakes, they were pretty good, but the efficiency in the store needs to be re-studied and more streamlined.

We then met up with Glendora at 230 Fifth a fabulous rooftop bar with gorgeous view of the city, heaters, and fun red snuggie type robes!

We then headed back to our hotel, the Intercontinental Barclay, oh my goodness that bed was AMAZING and the hotel itself was so great... thanks Meredith for finding it and for such a great deal.... there is nothing like staying in a suite that is bigger than your apartment!!
Then Friday morning another surprise was in store for our bride to be!!!

NYC Part 1

2011-05-02T11:47:00.000-04:00

I was heading to NYC for the weekend for Tay's bachelorette so when my friend Angela asked if I wanted to come a day earlier with her, I said YES!! So I got to experience my first bus ride to NYC.... quite an adventure and so glad I didn't have to do it alone!!

Wednesday night we ate dinner at this super cute Thai restaurant called Room Service then headed to Time Square.

Angela and I showing how glam we are!

Hmm I think it would be cute to sit down in the middle of Times Square and have my picture taken.... luckily my photographer obliged my request :)

This picture is an accurate portrayal of the real me and it makes me so happy to see it!!

Thursday we headed to the High Line, a garden that has been created where the old overhead railroad used to be, it was cool to see the buildings surrounding and the beginning blooms of spring!!

I used to read my students a book about a little boy and his mom who lived in the city and would go to a luncheonette... I was excited to find one!

After the High Line we headed to lunch and then I headed off to check into the hotel and meet Tay and the girls for the remainder of the weekend :)
Angela, thanks so much for letting me be part of your NYC fun!!!

Spring

2011-05-01T18:32:00.000-04:00

The sun finally makes its debut and for many days there is a hope and sense that spring has indeed arrived. Trees do not look as naked as they used to with signs of new life bursting forth. Windows are open throughout the city and the sounds of laughter and conversations carry with the wind. It's as if the months and months of cold are a distant memory and once again the love of the city fills your heart. And you think that maybe just maybe you could live here forever!

Oh Canada!

2011-04-29T18:10:00.001-04:00

The first weekend in April I went with a team from my church to Sherbrooke, Quebec to run an all night sports craze for middle and high school students. As we left Boston and headed north we drove through snow, snow, and more snow... and that ain't no April Fools!!

I made a special Canada mix CD for my car complete with the national anthem and of course J Biebs!!!

I got to show my mad packing skills and was once again wondering why I did not become an engineer. We got 4 people's stuff, food for the team for the weekend, and so much more in the trunk!!

When we got into Sherbrooke we met up with Robert and his team for lunch. I tried Poutine for the first time and was a bit sketched out by the looks of it and well by the description... fries with gravy and cheese curds. I was pleasantly surprised with how yum it was!!

The rest of Friday was spent preparing for the craze. We cut up colored armbands, made the schedule, put the kids on the teams, and then got dressed and ready for the craziness!!

The theme was The Incredibles so since my team color was black I decided to go more for the Edna look so got some amazing glasses at the party store

Pink team represent!!! (Adam, John, and Angela)

There were 188 middle and high school students who came to the sports craze... it was CRAZY fun to stay up all night and play sports games, even if my team came in dead last!

The Boston Crew (Mark, Connie, Neena, Janelle, Me, Angela, Adam, John, and Jonathan)

Bill the intern was trying to get in my picture, those crazy interns

When we emerged from our all night bubble we walked out to this, it was gorgeous!!!

After sleeping most of the day we went to a Maple Sugar shack place for a buffet dinner... the Canadians and Buddy the Elf have one thing in common, they love maple syrup on EVERYTHING... it was DELICIOUS!!!

At the end of the meal you go outside and they pour maple syrup onto snow and then you twist it on a stick for a candy like maple goodness... it was yum!

Saturday night we hung out and played games with the missionary interns and Sunday we went to church which was quite interesting because it was all in French

I was asked to write a little blurb for my church's e-newsletter last week about our trip so here is my little diddy:

When I think of unreached people groups, I think of people in remote villages in a deep dark jungle somewhere on the other side of the world. But a few weeks ago I learned of and visited a place, about four hours north of Boston, where one of the most unreached people groups in North America is located. Four hours is not very far, many of our hometowns and families are farther than four hours away! And yet Sherbrooke, Québec is a city so close, but very much in need of laborers willing to go and share the saving grace of Christ. As I stood in the gymnasium with the 188 middle and high school students our team went to serve, I could not help but notice that they looked just like I had at their age, wide-eyed and excited about hanging out with friends and about life, however many of them had never heard of Jesus or stepped foot inside a church. So we went and played fun and crazy games with them, built relationships, and showed them the love of Jesus not with flowery words but through dodge ball, crazy costumes, and merely by showing up. It was not hard; it did not even feel like a sacrifice, yet the mere act of going can seem so daunting and the lies of inadequacy can hold us back so often from being obedient to what God has called us to do.

What about you, what is God calling you to do? Sometimes it is merely showing up and when we get there He gives us all that we need for the task at hand.

Kakira/Bekira reunion

2011-04-18T18:00:00.000-04:00

Beth moved onto my hall first semester of freshman year. We became friends from biology class and then our friendship grew!! She unfortunately transferred the 2nd semester and I know that had she stayed we would have been thick and thin throughout college. Just in our short few months together we made so many lasting memories. Beth introduced me to Shakira and one night in her dorm room, Bekira and Kakira were created and some very incriminating photos were taken (oh to be that skinny again!!)
I visited her and her family soon after she transferred and then she came to visit sophomore year. Right before she moved, we made a friendship contract and I have thought of her for years when I would drive through Richmond or something reminded me of her or I would be cleaning my files and came across the friendship contract.

Several weeks ago I was so excited when she sent me a message telling me she was coming to Boston to be a guest lecturer at Bridgewater College for her talk: "Taking the First Step as an Ostomate: Deciding to Hike the 2,175 Miles of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, GA to Mount Katahdin, ME." I was so excited to reconnect and have the chance to meet up. Beth has always been someone I have greatly admired for the strength she has and her positive attitude despite all her health challenges. And she did something many of us could NEVER imagine doing, the Appalachian Trail!!

I got to spend the afternoon with Beth and her mom. We shopped along Newbury and Boylston and then lunched at a yummy Thai restaurant. It was so fun to catch up and hear of her upcoming schooling to get her DPT. Who would have thought that 9.5 years ago when we were dancing around 1st Brewer that we would meet for lunch as adults in the city where I live and talking about the amazing directions our lives have taken us.
Come again Bekira!!!

Time for Tea

2011-04-16T21:45:00.000-04:00

The Boston chapter of the Meredith Alumnae Association had tea together one Sunday afternoon at the end of March at the Inn at Harvard. There were five of us and it was so much fun to sip tea and eat scones on a lovely afternoon. I always love hearing the stories of Meredith long ago when gloves and hats and chaperones were required.

The table set for tea

'00, '60, '61, '37, and '05

Picking up Aunt Karoline

2011-04-12T19:48:00.004-04:00

(This cute picture is of MK and Annalise in the matching dresses I gave my sister for her baby shower)

When I talked to my sister on the phone yesterday she told me that Mary Kenzie, my niece who will be 3 this summer, told her earlier that day that they needed to go and pick Aunt Karoline up at the airport. My sister explained to her that I was in Boston, but MK was adamant that they needed to get in their van and come pick me up. That made me so happy, well especially because she hasn't forgotten who I am and that she wants me to come visit, which I am happy to say will be happening in about a month! I miss these little girls and my other niece and two nephews. Those 5 are the biggest part of why living so far away is so hard at times. Too bad they are not big enough to come visit sans parents!

I Imagine Myself in Time

2011-04-06T07:11:00.000-04:00

I imagine myself in time looking back on myself –

this self, this morning,

drinking her coffee on the first day of a new year

and once again almost unable to move her pen through the iron air.

Perplexed by my life as Midas was in his world of sudden metal,

surprised that it was not as he’d expected, what he had asked.

And that other self, who watches me from the distance of decades,

what will she say? Will she look at me with hatred or with compassion,

I whose choices made her what she will be?

~Jane Hirshfield

Ode to Tuesday Nights

2011-03-29T11:41:00.001-04:00

Tuesday nights
Oh Tuesday night before you didn't mean much to me just a simple night at the beginning of the week. No glitz no glamor, just a night.
But then came spring semester 2011 and you became a saving grace.
After a full day in the schools watching and trying to help mold the future teachers of American and then sitting through 5 hours of class. 2.5 hours of information overload from a type of foreign language called law then 2.5 hours of grandpa droning on and on about onion models and feeling your feelings and feeling the feelings of your staff (okay it's not that bad just well at that point in the night you can only take so much!)

And though we are all exhausted and probably should go home and go to bed we embrace you Tuesday night and head out on the town for some much needed food and fun and deep intellectual conversations. Representatives from countries around the world including, Australia, Tanzania, Kenya, Mexico, and various states... kind of like a mini educational UN. Topics ranging from single sex education to the Amish have graced tables throughout greater Boston!

So tonight we will toast to another week of trudging through and cherish the last few weeks we have with some of our great friends who will head out into the working world ahead of us!!

Kate, Me, and Janey

Joseph, Maggie, and Mike

Joseph, Joseph, Maggie, Mike, Quyen, Kate, Me, Janey, and Brian

So thankful for the Tuesday night crew well and being able to sleep in on Wednesday mornings :)

Swim Swim Jump Jump

2011-03-16T09:25:00.000-04:00

I don't want all the pictures of the baby to overshadow the other two kiddos and the fun we had too. Riley started his swimming lessons while I was there and was so excited and asked if I would come too, so I did. It was so cute to see him so excited and sweet Mary Kenzie came along and sat and watched the whole time... ummm what two year old does that??

Little fish!!!

I think this was before she did a split and got her pants all wet.. haha

We also went to Jump-n-fun, which is one of those inflatable bounce places. Oh my goodness, what a workout... carrying children up ladders, racing through the obstacle course, and sliding down and climbing back up and sliding down again.
My sister-in-law and her kiddos weren't able to meet us until we went to lunch so I don't have any pictures of them from my time in NC....but I had so much fun playing with them too :)

CRAZY Aunt Karoline having so much fun with the kiddos.

So much fun!!!

I was racing so fast through the obstacle course because I would not let a little almost five year old boy beat me, that I got a bouncy burn on my elbow... ouch it hurt, but I did win so it was worth it ;)

Sister Time

2011-03-15T12:12:00.000-04:00

While I was in NC I got to spend some time with my two youngest sisters. Annie just got her license so she and Megs met Kaitlin and I at the Mad Platter to paint some pottery. I have always wanted to do this and thought it would be something fun for all of us to do together. We had a blast and I cannot wait to see what they look like after getting glazed and fired!

Meghan chose a square bowl and Annie chose a square plate

Kaitlin chose a triangular bowl and I chose a coffee mug

My baby sisters showing their beautiful creations, some of us are more artistic than the others!

After pottery we headed out to dinner and then to Barnes & Nobles for some magazine time. Looking at prom dresses, Annie drooling over J Biebs, Meghan drooling over puppies and cakes, and Kaitlin reading up on Mother Teresa... quite a group we make, complete with a quiz about what we should all be when we grow up.
Love you girlies, come visit soon please!!!

Spring Break

2011-03-14T11:54:00.000-04:00

Who needs warm tropical temperatures and days on the beach for spring break when you can go and play with your very own real live baby doll!!!

I headed to NC for a few days over spring break and was very excited to get to spend some time with my new niece who is such a sweet baby. I had so much fun cuddling with her, dressing her up, and playing with her brother and sister. I was also introduced to the world of consignment sales with a church gymnasium filled to the brim with racks and racks of children's clothes.. wow!!

I'm awake and ready for some more shopping :)

She did a lot of this

We had story time a few afternoons and Annalise loved being read to.

More sleeping

Next time I see her she will be 4 months old :)

Showering Taylor

2011-03-13T11:37:00.002-04:00

While I was home for spring break we threw a bridal shower for Taylor at the Alumnae House. Everytime I drive back on campus a wave of nostalgia comes and I have flashbacks to my days there and cannot believe it has been six years... oh my goodness, I miss that place!
It was a wonderful afternoon with some great ladies and lots of fun presents!! I think TSA probably has a watch on my suitcases cause I always bring such an interested assortment of fun in my bag whenever I fly. This time it included: iron snail napkin rings, packs of plates and napkins. Not to mention the bag of glass bowls I took on as my carry-on... well it all made it safe and sound and the bride loved it :)

Ever the Meredith girls, clad in our pearls!

The yummy spread!

The shower hostesses with the bride
(Katie, Grace, Courts, Tay, Liz, Me, and Sharon)

The beautiful bride and her mommy

Moms, Daughters, Sisters-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law.... lots of Newberry love going around!!

The wedding will be here before we know it, with lots of fun festivities leading up to the big day!!

Home

2011-03-12T10:39:00.001-05:00

It happens every time.
I fly home and look out on the city lights and get that feeling.
The feeling of amazement and awe.
I live here!
And I am once again reminded of the faithfulness of God in bringing me here and as I wipe away the tears that are mixed with joy and a hint of sadness, my heart is thankful and excited to be here... home.
Yes, this is my home.
And though my heart is pulled southward,
I know I am where I am supposed to be.

But the places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I've learned and those roads closed off to me while my back was turned
~Sara Groves

Meredith's Visit

2011-03-11T11:51:00.003-05:00

My college roommate Meredith finally made it north for a little visit. True friends are those who will leave their warm climates and come visit you in February in the midst of piles of snow and very cold temperatures!!

Thursday
Meredith flew in Thursday morning and I had checked the weather and knew this was our one day for sunshine so we headed downtown. We walked through the Commons and the Public Gardens and Meredith had the obligatory photo with mama mallard and the ducklings! We lunched at 29 Newbury, though it is in a prime location, the food was not the best I have had, so needless to say, it is not on the top of my list for future visitors! We shopped down Newbury Street, Filene's was having a killer sale on their outerwear so I bought two more coats.. umm you can never have too many! Also, several of our Border's are closing so we picked up some fun books and then headed over to Anthropologie and various other shops. We headed home for yummy Italian and a bottle of red wine and lots of girl talk!!

Friday

We met Kelly at the diner for pancakes and coffee and then headed home in the monsoon and sat on the couch in our pjs the rest of the day!! Mid afternoon we showered and got dolled up for our hott date out on the town.
We dined at Ma Soba (thank you Groupon) which was fabulous and delicious sushi, I will definitely be returning! While we were at dinner it started to snow, it was so pretty.

Meredith looking out at the falling snow

Then we headed to the Boston Opera House for Mary Poppins. Oh my goodness, FABULOUS!!! We had so much fun and were so excited when Mary Poppins flies away at the end, right towards our section of the theater, ummm I know how to pick the good seats folks!

Shh don't tell, you weren't supposed to take pictures in the theater

Saturday

We headed back downtown to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market and shopping, shopping, and more shopping!

I had never actually been inside of Faneuil Hall so we walked inside

Whoa, check out this blast from the past.. a pay phone!

Sam in the snow with some construction in the background

We walked down to the waterfront and the sailboats were out, it was such a beautiful day!

We lunched at the Barking Crab, one of us got the lobster roll and the other the crab cake sandwich and shared... sooooo yummy!!!

Saturday night was FREEZING so I let Meredith borrow the puff magic and she was toasty warm... we dined at Border Cafe' in Harvard Square

Sunday

Early Sunday morning it snowed several inches, so we woke up to a winter wonderland, it was beautiful!! After church we headed to Concord and hit up my favorite children's boutique Fritz and Gigi for some auntie loving, buying fun gifts for our nieces!! We lunched at the yummy place that Tay and I lunched at when she came in December.

After Concord we grabbed a quick dessert at Lyndell's Bakery in Central Square before I dropped Meredith off at the airport.
Meredith, thanks for coming to visit! I had so much fun and am so thankful for your friendship and your love and support through the years :)
I am looking forward to the fun times in the upcoming months!!
And just name the day and I will meet you back at good ole MC and we can be roomies again!!

Never Say Never.... 3D

2011-03-10T10:44:00.001-05:00

Being in the education profession, I feel it is very important to keep my finger on the pulse of what is occurring in the tween culture... enter J. Biebs.

When I first was introduced to his music I thought he was such a cute little boy with some fun songs. When I heard he had a movie coming out I thought it would be fun to go see it. So I roped a few friends into joining me, 3D glasses, popcorn, candy, and a theater filled with screaming tweens and teens made for a super fun evening. After leaving the theater, I had a new found appreciation for this kid and really hope he doesn't do what every other teen star has done. As I have read more about him and the stands he is taking by speaking out for issues such as the lives of the unborn, I am quite impressed and truly pray that he will continue to do so.

Emily and I

Paths

2011-03-03T09:54:00.002-05:00

No one was there that morning when we got to the restaurant, I guess not that many people breakfast on a Wednesday in February. We got seated at a big table and as the minutes ticked by more people began to come and go, come and go. I sat across from her as she shared her story with me and then I shared mine with her. Hurt, pain, confusion, uncertainty, and fear, but there underneath it all was God and His faithfulness and it had been the same for both of us.
I love how paths cross and He uses someone, french toast, and a cup of coffee to remind me once again that He's always been faithful and the reassurance that His fingerprints are indeed apparent in and on my life are ones I need to be reminded of.

A Dream Come True

2011-03-01T22:10:00.007-05:00

When I was in undergrad my friends and I would trek over to the NC State library some evenings to do homework and study. I would strategically look at the layout of the library to decide where the smart boys would be studying, you know the future doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc. and would make my way to that floor. I mean didn't you go work on managerial accounting homework late at night in your best outfit and of course pearls???
It should not be a surprise to most people that one of my heroes is Elle Woods. She truly inspired me to go for my dreams and that a manicure is a great idea when you are having a bad day. Because of her and after seeing Legally Blonde in the theater roughly 5 times, I knew I wanted to go to Harvard.
Enter the year 2009 and the graduate school applications, okay I didn't get into Harvard, heck I didn't even apply, but BC ain't too shabby and they even have a Law School. THEY HAVE A LAW SCHOOL!! (disclaimer, I am NOT in grad school to be a lawyer, something even scarier... a principal) As soon as I found that out, I knew I needed to find my Emmett and that the library was going to be just the ticket. So for the past 18 months I have jokingly made comments about how I was going to go study at the law library.. ha ha. Well my friends it is time to throw that joking out the window. And I no longer need to look at the map of the library to see where the smart guys are because it is crawling with them, umm which of course is not important because I go to study while I'm in the library ;)

So about a month ago, after it only taking me about 15 minutes to find it and kind of feeling like I was a freshman in high school all over again, I opened the door and walked in. There are HUGE signs on the doors that you should not even dare set foot in there unless you are a law student. So needless to say the first time I walked in I felt like someone was going to come up to me and yell at me and tell me they were going to sue me if I didn't leave, but then I remembered I was a law student and I had the documentation to prove it, granted it wasn't pink and scented, but I could prove I belonged nonetheless. So my friends this is part of the new chapter of my life taking a law class this semester, stay tuned for more exciting tales!

GSA Charity Ball

2011-02-21T11:32:00.004-05:00

The Graduate Student Association held its annual Charity Ball on Saturday night. I had a new cocktail dress that was begging to be worn and who doesn't love an opportunity to dress fancy and spend a long time on your hair and then walk outside to 18 degrees with killer winds!! I have been deemed social coordinator for the Tuesday night crew, so sent out an e-mail recruiting my friends to join me for this fun night. Luckily, I am not alone in my love of dressing up and shaking my groove thang!

Mags and Me

Me and Janey

Kris, Janey, Mags, and Jeremy

My grad school girls!!

Oh Kris, he thinks he is too cool and can't enjoy a good dance to the Biebs.. sad for you!

Janey, Me, One of the Joes, and Maggie... half of the Tuesday night crew

This year has been way fun with my Edu. Leadership group and even the newbies of the assistantship have all been super social and up for hanging out and doing fun things. It has been such a much needed break in the week to go out after class and feel like part of a core group of friends to bounce exciting educational topics and ideas around with or heck to debate how much of an expert I am on the Amish... love you guys!!

Women's Retreat

2011-02-21T11:01:00.005-05:00

Last weekend was my church's annual women's retreat. I love retreats soooooo much. The biggest difference with this retreat was that I was in charge. We had it at a local hotel, but it was so nice to get away for a night and fellowship and get to know some new ladies.
I am so thankful for the four other women who were on the committee and helped plan such a wonderful weekend for the women of our church!

The theme was Spiritual Balance and De-cluttering our Lives. Our speaker was a wife and mom of two who is also the regional director for Young Life and involved in various ministry capacities at her church. She had many personal applications including drawing activities that for someone who is artistically challenged (my hand is waving in the air) were a bit stretched!

Saturday table decorations with flower pens as part of the take away for the ladies

Cindy, Mikele, and Kelly

Kimberly, Heather, and Angela

Accessory Swap: Since the theme was decluttering what better way to declutter than bring some accessories that you no longer use and swap for something that you would use/wear! This was a big hit and I was so excited that everyone brought things and loved the idea. I walked away with a gorgeous necklace and cute knit hat.

Lori and Kirsten

Tiffany and I (She was one of my fab 4 who helped with the planning)

I have been so in awe of God's grace as I have stepped into this position and am really looking forward to what God has in store for the women of Hope!!

Countdown to Snuggles!!!

2011-02-17T10:01:00.003-05:00

2 weeks from today I will get to snuggle with these cuties and cannot wait, especially that tiny one in the middle!!! I CANNOT wait to have little ones excited for me to wake up.... guess I need to brush up on my Wii skills!!!

Ode to Whitewheat

2011-02-10T11:00:00.003-05:00

Ode to Whitewheat

Oh Whitewheat how I love thee
I moved to the north and you I could not find
I search from the mountains to the sea
But there was no bread of your kind

Some miss biscuits and sweet tea
Some miss Krispy Kreme
Some miss hearing "howdy"
Some miss watching their favorite team

But you oh Whitewheat just can't be beat
You make my pb&j such a special treat

When I walk down the bread aisle, my heart sinks
Because you are manufactured in Georgia and that just stinks

Oh Whitewheat how I love thee
I will have to settle for mediocre bread
Lunch just will not be the same you see
And no, it is not just in my head

**This is a special ode to my favorite bread, Nature's Own breads are only sent so far in the United States to guarantee freshness and the cut off is Maryland. When I was home for Christmas I brought back several loaves and today I made my last sandwich, lunch will not be the same tomorrow :(

Mounds and Mounds of Snow

2011-02-09T22:48:00.004-05:00

I have new exciting things to add to my resume' the top one would be expert shoveler. I have had quite a bit of practice this winter digging my car out of my driveway as well as several times while driving down unplowed streets. I am becoming an expert at winter!!! This winter has been the exact opposite of last winter. I realized the other day that I had not been documenting the snow or more like the ginormous MOUNDS of snow everywhere you look. You can barely drive down streets, walk on sidewalks, and I swear I am going to run over someone before it all melts!

A stroll through campus.... hope no one wanted to sit down!

This is the back of my building with HUGE icicles hanging off the back

The sidewalk in front of my apartment

The park down the street, look how deep it is!!

Have no fear, the mail MUST go through, no matter if it rains or snows!

I am really curious as to what month all of this will melt, maybe like June???

Miami.. the city that keeps the roof blazing

2011-02-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Friday:
I felt kind of silly walking out of my apartment onto snowy sidewalks with open toed shoes, but well I wasn't paying to check a bag and I sure as heck wasn't bringing snow boots and the marshmallow coat because I was heading south... WAY south to the land of sunshine, palm trees, and lots of partying reality tv stars!
We flew into W. Palm Beach and took the train to Miami.... in Boston you can buy your ticket on the commuter train well this was not the case and both Janna and I ended up with a warning ticket and basically got a free ride..... oooops.....HAHA!! Veronica picked us up at the train station and we headed for some Cuban cuisine!!

Cute little Cuban coffee

Nothing says Cuban cuisine like a giant rooster and a wagon wheel, ole'!!

Saturday
We got up and headed to South Beach for some breakfast at this cute little french bakery called Paul. I was curious if there was a fancy way to say it, but nope you just say it like you think, Paul, like the name.

Janna and I chilled on the beach for a few hours and did some serious people watching. I also got a serious sunburn. Did you know that Miami is closer to the equator? I was having major flashbacks to junior year of college and my spring break trip and two friends who got quite sunburned... probably not the brightest thing for me to do prior to running 13.1 miles, but it was so breezy and my porcelain white skin was loving every second!

Just chillin in the sand... ahhh it was so wonderful and the water was so clear!

*Disclaimer: yes I did a segway tour. Yes I have always made fun of people who did these tours and will probably continue to make fun of them, however it was sooooooo much fun and was worth wearing the ridiculous looking helmet, gotta love a groupon and our guide, Rocko, was cute ;)

It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day and the segways were a really fun way to see the city.

This was also part of the race course for the following day.... so beautiful, in the distance is Fisher Island that can only be accessed by boat.

We even found Miami Ink and got a few tats... j/k

After the segway tour we headed to the convention center to pick up our race packets.

Now that I had the official number, there was no turning back!

We carb-loaded in Espanola Way at Segafredo. It reminded me of what I think a cute little European village should look like and ummm who eats outside in January, WE DID!!! It was so fabulous! We then headed home and set our alarms for 4am AHHHHHH!!!

Sunday: RACE DAY!!!!
I don't know about you but getting up at 4am has never been something I would classify as super fun. We made it out the door and headed to the arena. Veronica had been training with a group and her instructor led us in pre-race exercises and warm ups, I was exhausted after that and wondered if I was gonna make it. I started to get really nervous as we were waiting in the crowd!
I had my Ipod loaded with my race mix complete with a throwback to Will Smith in celebration of the city where the run was taking place. I also had some JT and JBiebs. It was still dark when the 21,000+ people and I hit the course. It was a gorgeous run, past the Miami port and the cruise ships, down through South Beach, and back over one of the causeways towards downtown to the finish.
Miles 1-3 were good, Mile 4 I was feeling great and really enjoying myself, Mile 6-7 the thought of "oh my gosh I am only halfway there, I don't know if I can do this". Mile 8 the pain started and I stopped and stretched a bit and plugged on. Usually when I have run it is my calves that really hurt and need to be stretched, but this time it was my hips that were killing me. By Mile 10 it hurt to walk it hurt to run so I figured I would run and get there faster. The last 1.5 miles was killer!! When I got to the turnoff where we split with the marathon runners and they continued and we headed for the finish, I vowed to myself that I will NEVER run a marathon. The end was in sight and I ran through to the finish and got my medal and wanted to die. I grabbed a banana and bagel and some cookies and WATER and found a spot in the grass to sit for a few minutes before I looked for my friends. I was worried I wasn't going to be able to get up. I finally got up and found Janna and we waited for Veronica.

Smiling through the pain and SUPER excited that I reached my goal of finishing!
I usually like to run my races in pearl earrings, but I had only brought my ginormous ones, so I settled for the awesome tiara on my headband that I bought the day before at the expo.... that headband is da bomb and keeps the whispies away during a run!!

Team Awesome (Veronica, Janna, and Me)

Afterwards we hobbled back to the apartment and showered and looked like humans again we even more slowly made our way over to Morgans for some brunch!

Morgans was this cute house that had been turned into a restaurant. I got the french toast with fruit.... fresh strawberries in January, OH MY GOODNESS delicious!!!

We then took naps and after headed over to CocoWalk and got some frozen yogurt and went to the movies. We saw The King's Speech. It was a wonderful movie and I highly recommend it and was a great post-race activity!

Monday morning we got up at 4am again and Veronica drove us back to W. Palm to catch our flight back to Boston. It was sunny when we landed in Boston and a chilling 20 degrees. Back to reality, but so excited to have had a little taste of warm weather and salty sea air and the excitement of accomplishing a goal I had set for myself. It has taken about 4 days for the pain to subside and the swelling finally went down on my ankles and legs, but I have beautiful black toenails to remind me! Now I am just waiting for the snow to melt so I can get back out there and run some more :)

Basketball

2011-01-30T10:47:00.000-05:00

So I got free tickets to the women's basketball game (YES women's basketball, I know, I know) BC vs. NC State and well I love me some wolfpack so I decided to rope some friends into going with me... I got 1!

Janey was so nice to go with me to the game!

I am sorry to say that NC State women are just as sad as the men, they were down by like 15 at the half :( I also was not super impressed with their sportsmanship nor their coach's attitude... I know Kay Yow was shaking her head from heaven.
I was one of 5 NC State fans in the whole arena and I think the people around me were getting kind of frustrated with my cheering.. oh well :)

Happy Birthday, Curtis!!!

2011-01-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

My pastor's wife had a surprise birthday party for his 40th over the weekend and it was 80's themed so we pulled out our fun clothes from when we were like 5, sadly many of the people at my church were but a twinkle during the decade of the 80's... so my roomie who loves her some 80's garb turned our apartment into the pre-party destination for some glitz, glamor, crimping, and dress up!!

Neena is showing off the choices

Jillian, Janna, Me, Neena, and Janelle

Awkward prom photo

Hotness!!!
I turned my tacky Christmas sweatshirt into a fabulous 80's ensemble complete with legwarmers!!

There was a smoke machine, great dancing, and sooooo much yummy food, nothing says church potluck like crockpots galore!! Michael Jackson even made an appearance.
I was surprised at how many of the songs I knew, oh yeah thanks to Karaoke revolution I was able to sing with the best of them!! Now, I just need to learn more sweet 80's dance moves :)
Happy Birthday, Curtis... I am so thankful for you and how God is using you in our city!

Saying Goodbye

2011-01-27T20:56:00.000-05:00

I loved my few days once Annalise came home from the hospital. It was so fun to snuggle with her for hours on end.

She is already such a trend setter in her super cute animal print

How do you say goodbye to this precious little cutie??

But I knew I had to go so I had my last few kisses and hugs and said goodbye to everyone and got in the car and headed for home. My month in NC was so wonderful and I am so thankful that I was able to stay for soooo long and spend so much time with my nieces and nephews. It has been so sad each morning not having little ones excited you are awake and anxiously awaiting you to make your coffee so you can play Wii together. How can you be two places at once? My heart has been so heavy the past few weeks that I have been back, feeling so torn between two places and so many people that I love and that love me. I am so glad that spring break is just around the corner!!

Chuck E Cheese... why you so ghetto???

2011-01-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

While Erin and Michael were in the hospital, I played mom for a few days. We played games, lots of Wii, read books, went to story time at the library, made cookies, and went to bed really late every night!!
To try and claim my "GREATEST AUNT IN THE WORLD" title, I did the unthinkable and took the kids to dinner at the K&W and then for a fun evening at Chuck E Cheese... epic fail to the max. When did CEC get so ghetto? I didn't realize I needed a tattoo to be allowed in the door or that I needed to bring along my shack up honey and our three children. And who in the world has their kid's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese at 9 o'clock on a Wednesday night??? Really???
Luckily I only bought $10 worth of tokens, I was gonna splurge and go for the $20 package but after about 15 minutes into the evening I was ready to leave and glad I only put an Alexander Hamilton in that machine.
There was not much for little kids, oh wait, little kids usually love to watch the show and dance with the characters and laugh and sing and give high fives... NOT THESE KIDS. My niece is TERRRRRRRRRIFIED of Chuck E, I turn my back for two seconds and that stupid rat is making a bee line for her and before I could distract her the flood gates open and she is SCREAMING!! After that it was game over for little MK and she did not want to have anything to do with the place. We still had half our tokens to spend so I quickly tried to waste them. Being ever the smart woman that I am, I thought while my nephew was riding the snow mobile through the Himalayas, MK and I could play the little pop the gopher's bubbles game and he would see us standing right next to him.... NOT. Before I know it I hear him crying and look around to see him frantically trying to find me and when I finally make my way to him he reprimands me for leaving him. I will have to give the kid this, he was making his way up to the counter to tell the people who worked there he was lost, though Erin, I know you will read this, I promise I did NOT try to lose your child!!
So we spent the rest of our money, counted our tickets and each of the children left with a blue twisty straw and hopefully will not be scarred for life!
I have learned my lesson, next time we will just go to the bouncy place!

Baby Nugget's Debut

2011-01-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

The waiting game continued as we waited for "baby nugget" to make her debut. On January 11th my sister was admitted in the morning to be induced. We figured it would at the earliest be the next day, so were quite surprised when we got the call that she was only a few hours away from delivery. Jenna came to watch the kiddos and I headed to the hospital. Then the whole gang showed up several hours later just in time to hear that the baby had been born!!!

This is how the little boys stayed entertained while waiting.

Such a big sister, catching up on her Southern Living while waiting

Mommy and her two precious little girls

Annalise King arrived on 1/11/11 at 7:11pm

Hello precious little baby, I am your Aunt Karoline, I am super fun and will teach you all kinds of things and spoil you and take you fun places and buy you lots of fun things... can you say American Girl doll?

Tay's Lingerie Shower

2011-01-25T11:04:00.005-05:00

While I was in NC for my extended holiday we had our first Newberry/Elliott wedding event. A few of the bridesmaids and bride's friends threw Taylor a wine and cheese lingerie shower.

Wine tags
I made these after being inspired by Kelly P, they are super easy and all you need is fun paper.

Pink Palace 4 Life!! (Me, Tay, and Tricia)

So needless to say these cupcakes are so cute and they were DELICIOUS.
Tricia, these are some of my favorites you have every done!

The bride to be and two of the hostesses.

It was so much fun to eat yummy food, drink some delicious wine, and open fun presents. It makes me so excited about all that is to come in the next few months!!

Wolfpack

2011-01-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

One of the things I miss the most about not living in NC are my NC State season football and basketball tickets! While I was there on my extended holiday (sometimes, I like to pretend I'm British), I got to experience these two loves!

NC State made it to a bowl game so my bro-in-law had his buddies over for a partay.... me and about ten 30something aged men were crammed into their family room watching the game.

Prior to the game, the kiddos and I had a photo session in our NC State gear, where else would you have said photo session? Why the NC State room of course!!!

Gooooooooooo Pack!!!

Nothing says, "North Carolina" like some deep fried goodness... pickles and bananas anyone???

We then later in the visit got to go watch the Pack play basketball against Elon at the Greensboro Coliseum. Luckily they squeaked out a win after being down at the half... my goodness.
NC State, I will forever love thee whether near or far away :)

SNOW SNOW SNOW

2011-01-21T11:53:00.004-05:00

Who would have thought that I would have to go to NC to see my first snowfall this winter, I mean after all I live in New England, crazy, huh?

Luckily my bro-in-law is a giant so he had some snow pants I could use.

We went sledding... my little dare devil nephews let me go with them.

My sister and bro-in-law... baby watch had officially begun at this point! We tried to encourage her to sled to get the labor started, but she refused... bummer!

Someone is loving the snow!

Oh and she is definitely NOT shy when the camera comes out!!

Christmas

2011-01-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more joyous than waking up and hearing your nephew and niece talking in their room wondering if Santa has come yet and if they can get up, even if it was 6:30am. These two little precious ones were soooooooooooo excited about Christmas and their excitement was contagious!

After they RAN down the stairs they were greeted with lots of fun presents.

Santa and his elves stayed up til 1am putting this bad boy together

MK with her Finderella (Cinderella) doll

Cousins doing a little happy dance with their backpacks.

Mason trying on the hat from his snowman kit

WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!
A first for all of us!!!

All the sisters, though I was made fun of for wearing a hat inside, ummmm people it's called fashion!!

Aunt Mega and Riley

Now that Christmas had come to an end we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Nugget, little did we know she wouldn't come for another 17 days!!

Friendships

2011-01-19T22:09:00.004-05:00

During my time in the south I got to see lots of my wonderful friends. Some I had not seen in a really long time.

Charelle, Rebekah, and Me
(Charelle and I led a high school small group together and Rebekah was in it, so fun to all be back together!!!)

Mere Rob and I
(518 West for a little Sunday brunch)

You are never too old to be a bit matchy match
(from matching bathing suits at age 13 to Black Friday steals!!)

Nothing says New Year's Eve like some sushi
(Courts, Me, Di, Abs, Sus, and Tay)

I also got to have lunch and coffee one afternoon with my dear friend, Ruth. She and I have known each other since we were in middle school. We usually go about 1-2 years between visits and have been so good and seen each other twice in the past 6months!!

I am so thankful for each of these special friends in my life and that I got to spend time with each of them over my extended southern tour :)

Christmas Tea

2011-01-18T14:22:00.005-05:00

Starting in the fall, I became the point person for the women's ministry at my church. My first official event was a Christmas Tea the beginning of December. We had it around "tea time". One of the ladies in the church had dozens of tea cups that she let us use and we had about ten different kinds of tea that we brewed. It was so much fun planning the menu and decorations. I was so excited that several of the women who attended where new to the church.

Each table had little recipe cards with different "get to know you" questions

Some of the yummy treats

I led a short Christmas devotional and we made a craft. Everyone got very creative and it was fun to see them use the fun Christmas paper to decorate their frame. Here is the one that Kelly made.

I am continually humbled by this opportunity God has given me to be part of the women's ministry and I am so excited about our retreat coming up in February.

Ugly Sweater Party

2011-01-17T22:59:00.004-05:00

Right before the end of the semester the Graduate Education Association hosted an ugly sweater party. While some people scrambled around town to find an outfit, I just opened my trusty closet door and viola there it was, the gorgeous green sweatshirt circa Big Lots that I had been told by friends when I was packing up to move last year, "YOU CANNOT TAKE THAT UGLY THING WITH YOU", well against their "better judgment" I did take that ugly thing with me and that baby helped me win 4th place in the contest. Which I got totally robbed because the guy who won totally had a non-holidayish sweater on... Puuuuhlease! I even had jingle bell earrings, I mean can you tell I was an elementary teacher???

Two of my favorite Edu. Leadership peeps (Brian and Maggie)

Joe, Me, Brian, Janey, and Maggie... we all had so much fun that night.

Me, Janey, and Maggie

It has been so much fun making new friends and building what I know are going to be lasting relationships both personally and professionally with some of my classmates this year. The fall semester was so awesome!!

Taylor Visits

2010-12-11T15:37:00.003-05:00

Taylor came to visit last weekend. She was supposed to get in around 10pm on Thursday night, well she got majorly delayed out of RDU and didn't end up landing in Boston til 1am. It usually only takes about 15 minutes to get to the airport, but as I got closer one of the tunnels was closed for construction. I was flipping out not sure what to do or where to go. I quickly hit re-route on the GPS and TOM TOM (who is usually a little ghetto but gets me there) blinked then the screen went BLACK!!! AHHHHHHHH my friend is at the airport waiting for me and I have no idea how to get across the water to get there!!! So I ended up having to go south get off an exit and then head back north on the same highway and was able to get there... whew!! Catastrophe avoided. So glad to hug her neck and then we had to find an alternate route home which at 1:30 in the morning through the streets with the construction workers, the police, and the street cleaning people was quite an adventure... only the best for my visitors!!!

FRIDAY:

Needless to say after our crazy night, we slept in and got a later start. We headed to Concord for pedicures and shopping. We lunched at Main Streets Cafe. They had the most yummy panini selection and super cute decor. We got to sit at a table booth in the window. We then did some shopping in the quaint little shops. Since it gets dark here about 3:45pm everyday, we felt like we were walking through one of those Christmas villages all lit up!! We both loved Nesting on Main which was breathtakingly decorated and it felt like you had transported to a magical world of Christmas. I got the most beautiful angel to add to my collection which can either be used as a tree topper for a small tree or just sit beautifully on a shelf!

SATURDAY:

One of my dreams as a little girl was to be a Rockette. They are always my favorite part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade each year. I was so excited to find out that they were in town so bought some last minute tickets on Craigslist for a STEAL from this lady who worked at a clinic where I went to pick up the tickets, it was quite an experience going to pick up the tickets, but well worth it for excellent seats.
We headed downtown first thing Saturday morning well we ended up being a few minutes late for the show due to my bad directions... I felt terrible as we traipsed over people to get to our seats. Well in spite of that the show was spectacular!!! The finale of the show is a living nativity complete with camels, sheep, and ornately clothed wise men. The prophecy of Isaiah was read and projected on a screen and as I watched and heard, it brought tears to my eyes. It was so beautiful and such a wonderful reminder of why we celebrate the season. This living nativity is something that has been in their Christmas show since 1933.

After the theater we headed to the Top of the Hub which is a very fancy restaurant on the top of the Prudential Center on the 53rd floor. We got a fabulous table by the window and were able to see for miles because it was a gorgeous sunny day! The food was superb and we enjoyed people watching. We then a little more shopping downtown and headed home for a relaxing evening!

One of the many views from the top. It was so fun to be able to recognize some of the buildings and landmarks in the city.

SUNDAY

I went to church early for a meeting and then Taylor and I tried out a yummy sushi restaurant near my house that I had been wanting to try. We then shopped it up at the Christmas Tree shop and I will definitely be like Santa next week when I head south for Christmas with a car full of treasures! I dropped her off at the airport knowing I would see her in a few weeks, that is such a nice feeling!

Tay Tay, thanks for coming to visit! I had a wonderful last fling before the ring... ummm make sure that husband to be of yours knows how important it is for you to visit!! I might even let you bring him along some time, we can send him to go hang out with his crush!! :)

Community Community :)

2010-12-10T15:23:00.004-05:00

(Part of our group with our tree)

I haven't written much about some very special people in my life, my community group. I met most of them last fall right after I moved. I am so thankful for them and what a blessing they have been in my life! Over the past year we have celebrated a baby being born and an engagement as well as adding new friends to our group this October! Many of the women are also in the women's study I am in. It has been so wonderful having a close knit group to fellowship with, laugh with, and well the icebreakers each week in our group are probably the best you have EVER experienced.

Last weekend was the church's annual Christmas Tree Giveaway. Our group decorated one of the trees that was being raffled off. Our chocolate themed tree was decorated with every type of chocolate you can imagine from hot to Lindor truffles...yummy!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Back!!

2010-12-08T10:32:00.003-05:00

Tricia and I hit the road the day before Thanksgiving to head west to NY. Traffic was pretty ridiculous on the pike and I was so glad that it wasn't like that all the way there. I got to be an honorary Eshleman for the weekend.

This was what most of our weekend consisted of, reading (Tricia for fun, me for school), sitting by the real fire (no dvd), watching football, and playing some games.

Friday we re-created highschool and chilled at Borders looking at magazines and drinking coffee. Though you know you have grown up when you are no longer looking at prom mags but home decor and cooking mags!

Brothers still love each other as they get older and John and Dave showed us this. Though Dave needs to be careful cause John is in the police academy and is gonna know all kinds of moves. I guess the saying of the older brother needing to be careful cause one day the little brother will get you is true!

Me with Daddy Dave and Momma T (my nicknames for them)

Thanks for letting me be part of your family for Thanksgiving guys! Can't wait to see you in a few weeks!!

New Look!!

2010-12-07T17:02:00.003-05:00

A big shout out to my fabulous blog expert extraordinaire for getting my new design up and running. Thanks, Erin, you rock :)

PS: tell Nugget that Aunt Karoline only has 8 more days of craziness so to hold tight and I would prefer not to drive through the night for her, but will do it if I must!!

Tricia Visits

2010-12-06T11:42:00.004-05:00

This fall has been crazy and I have had zero visitors :( Oh wait that is because I was the visitor for so many of the weekends!! Tricia had the whole week of Thanksgiving off so she hopped on a plane Monday morning and came to visit. After being delayed many many hours she finally made it only to sit on the runway for another hour, oh my goodness! We headed to IKEA Monday night for some fun shopping and had to try out the Swedish meatballs... hmm not super impressed.

Tuesday we headed to Newbury Street for her Birthday/Christmas surprise. We went to 1154 Lill Studio, it's kind of like build a bear for grown-ups. You first have to choose your bag design then you pick your fabric. Okay it sounds way easier than it really is. Look at all that fabric and that was just one section!! I think I should get a job there this summer, but I would probably never have any money because I would spend it all on bags!!

So many choices!

You can spread fabric all over the work tables. It was so much fun to let the creative juices flow. I chose the Holly and Tricia chose the Ellie. I cannot wait to get my bag in the mail, I am soooo excited. We then lunched and shopped.

Wednesday we met Kelly and Sarah at the diner for breakfast before we hit the road to New York for Thanksgiving.

It was so fun to be able to spend a few days together in Boston and then the rest of the week together in New York :)

O Christmas Tree

2010-11-21T19:59:00.005-05:00

I will first start off my saying, "Hello, my name is Karoline and I am a hypocrite!" I have always said that you cannot even think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is over and always got mad when the stores would already have out all the Christmas stuff before Halloween. With the realization that I would only be here for half the month of December I knew we needed to get our tree. My dream has always been to cut down a Christmas tree at a farm, but when I did some research and saw that most of the farms weren't open until the weekend after Thanksgiving it was good ole Home Depot to the rescue.

The perfect tree

I think we were the first crazy people to go get our tree because the guy looked at me like I had two heads. They didn't have the chainsaw out to cut the limbs, they didn't have the nets for the trees, and he was pretty special. I tried to make small talk as he carried my tree to the register, asking if he had ever gotten his Christmas tree so early to which he remarked, "Well I'm Jewish"... YIKES, insert foot in mouth! Trying to redeem myself I made a comment as he carried my tree to my car, good workout hey... to which he responded, "Not really". OH GOSH give me a break dude. It didn't get any better when we walked up to my car. He had not been privy to the many years prior that the K-Rolla had been the Christmas Tree Chariot. Trust me dude it fits in the back seat, I promise, and yes it did and we made it home successfully and were able to decorate with hot chocolate and Christmas cookies

Yay for starfish and the pink bow at the top!!

Now I love to sit in my living room with the Christmas tree lit and my fire via DVD and work on homework... very cozy :)

A-MAZE-ING Adventure

2010-11-21T19:43:00.003-05:00

My church does not have an official young adults ministry but we have recently started a list serve and planning fun outings to do so that we can build community and get to know more people in the church. The first outing was to a corn maze at Marini Farm in Ipswich.

Emily and I were "set up" via facebook by a mutual friend we both have in NC who knew we both lived in Boston, we were thrilled to find out we went to the same church and it has been fun to have a NC friend up north to talk about how much we miss Cook Out, even if she went to UNC, she is still a blast to hang out with!!

The losing team!!
My team was doing sooooo well and then we couldn't find our way out of the maze after we had solved all the clues.

The A-Maze-ing group

Jillian and I

Boston Night of Worship

2010-11-20T20:25:00.001-05:00

On Friday night October 29th I attended Boston Night of Worship (BNOW). It was held at Boston University's arena. It was amazing to see a packed house all there to worship. You see, I have been missing me some Jesus up in here!! Sometimes you just need a good concert and well we don't get that many Christian artists up here, which is really sad!

There were thousands of people from different churches and denominations throughout New England, all there to for one reason, to proclaim the name of Jesus and worship. It was so awesome!

Jillian, Heather, and Liz

Liz and I

2010-11-19T08:32:00.004-05:00

As I'm sitting here this morning with my coffee enjoying the beauty of my Christmas tree and listening to Christmas music (yes I know it is not Thanksgiving yet!) while franticly trying to tackle all that my Friday has ahead of me which leads to Saturday, which leads to Monday which leads to project, paper, end of the semester.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! I found this fabulous post on The Light at the End of the Tunnel. So I'm going to tackle one thing at a time and enjoy the time along this road for the next 28ish days and soak in the moments, memories, and even the mayhem of the graduate school life I lead :)

College Football

2010-11-14T19:10:00.003-05:00

One of the biggest things I have missed since moving to Boston are my NC State season tickets. Football season is so much fun and tailgating is a huge highlight. I am such a planner and love a good party, so tailgating is like weekly party planning complete with cute napkins.
One would think that since I am now a graduate student at an ACC school that I would be at every single game, the sad news is that is not the case. The good news is that the Graduate Education Association sponsored a tailgate before the BC vs. Maryland game and I finally made it to a game this season.

Janey and I at the tailgate, the only thing missing was cornhole!!

It was a gorgeous sunny day at Alumni Stadium

Maggie and Janey

Yay for football, even if BC didn't win. I am used to cheering for a losing team!!

Maggie, Janey and I

Maggie, Janey, and I all have the same assistantship and Maggie and I are both in the Edu. Leadership program. She taught kindergarten at a charter school in Boston before grad school and we are both the young ones in our program, so needless to say we have bonded!! We have all the same classes so it has been great to have a friend through this semester of craziness!!!

Al and Tom's Wedding Part 3 (Washington, DC)

2010-11-14T09:30:00.002-05:00

Saturday morning we got up and checked out of our hotel and met up with Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathi for breakfast. It was such a treat to be able to see them twice in a four month period when it is usually years between visits!

Then the clan said goodbye to them and headed to DC for the day. We checked into our hotel and then hit up the Metro... these little boys were so excited to be riding public transportation and could have done that the rest of the day and been so happy!

First stop the American History Museum and saying hello to Julia Child, the First Ladies dresses, and much more

Air and Space Museum was next. I really love spending so much time with my nieces and nephews. We did some walking and then found our way to the White House.

Some of the sisters

My four favorite kiddos at the WWII memorial

Me and Mere

Kaitlin and I, so fun to get to be bed buddies all weekend :)

Back to the Metro to head towards our hotel and then grabbed some dinner and got back late, said goodnight and I said goodbye to the fam.

Got up at 4:30 to catch the super shuttle to the airport made it to the airport five minutes too late to catch the earlier flight, but made it back to Boston around 10:30... not too shabby. So fun to get to see my family and so looking forward to Christmas!