Christmas in Georgia

As I've said many, many times before, I love this time of year! I so so so love time spent with family and friends. I truly believe that they are the true treasures of life. Christmas this year was spent with both the Hunters and the Hayes'. Around the Holidays, it's always a struggle to decide where we are going to spend what Holiday. One of the wonderful things about our families living in two different states! This year, we compromised. The first part of our Christmas break was spent with my family. My grandparents drove up from Florida, and we got to spend some really great quality time with them. The day after Christmas, the Hunters drove in. Overall, lots of laughs, fun, and memories! Here are some pictures- backwards of course because I still don't know how to upload correctly...

The Family

The Hunters trip to Georgia

Christmas Day at the Hayes'. Gram made everyone PJ's :)
Christmas Day at Mom and Dad's

Christmas morning. It wouldn't be a stocking without Jelly Bellies!

The week before Christmas, Branden had his annual tacky Christmas party. It was... fun, to say the least. I will officially ALWAYS look forward to that party. He and Ashton were such great party planners! Everyone had a blast!!

Early tomorrow morning, Will and I leave for our ski trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico. Besides having to leave Bear for 5 days, we are super excited about ithe trip! I am praying that I make it back in one piece. Yes, I grew up in Buffalo and skied all of the time, but I haven't skied in years... about 6 to be exact. And even when I did ski, most of Jackie and I's "ski trips" were skipped to sneak onto the boy's varsity basketball bus (Jackie, I know you are laughing right now!). So, I hope the slopes are nice to me! We are going with 4 friends from Baylor- Jon, Alicia, Katie and Cullen. We can't wait! You will of course see pictures when I get back!

Happy New Year! Looking forward to another year of memories!

Thanksgiving

As most of you know, my husband is an avid hunter (literally!). This is a complete change in lifestyle for me. People just don’t hunt in New York like they do in the South!! Will’s love for hunting means that every Thanksgiving, we truck it to Louisiana. For Will, the week is spent hunting, cleaning deer, and doing other “manly” things. For me, it’s spent shopping, shopping, and shopping. We love Thanksgiving in Ruston —we get to spend a lot of quality time with his parents, brother, grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins… the whole gang! After being away from my family for 4 years while I was at Baylor, I know it is hard for Will to be away from his family like he is, so time spent with them is precious. I have inherited the most loving and welcoming family in Will. Everyone in his family is wonderful, and we are blessed.

The trip to Lousiana this year was wonderful. Although a 9 hour drive seems a bit draining, once we are there, it is all worth it. On the first morning in Ruston , will shot an 8-point! He was so excited. I… was not. Another deer shot means another deer on our game room wall. As I said before, I spent the week with the gals… Will’s mom, aunts, grandmother, and cousins. I was able to spend a lot of time with his grandmother, “Momma Sue”. She is one of the sweetest women I have ever met. She is one of those people that you just want to sit there and listen to. She lives so simply and is so in love with life. I love her dearly and feel blessed to have gotten to know her as well as I do. Here are some pictures from our trip!

Will drug me out ONE day to hunt... I think he got annoyed with my nonstop talking. What else is there to do in a deerstand for hours!?

Family picture. I had to... we matched too well!
Will's buck.
Will and his proud, proud father.

Out of order-- This is on the way to Ruston. The Hunter gals.

We got home from Louisiana at midnight on Saturday, just in time for my Birthday on Sunday! It was a very laid back, relaxing birthday. We slept in, unpacked, and spent the rest of the day putting up our Christmas tree and watching football. I love days like that. It was the perfect birthday spent with my perfect little husband (sorry that was cheesy :)). The weekend before Thanksgiving, Will, myself and 6 of our friends went out to celebrate. We had dinner at Cheesecake Factory and then went out for drinks. Love our Georgia friends :) :)

CHEERS TO ME!

Kelby, Ashton, Britt, and I

That about sums up the past couple of weeks! Looking forward to Christmas in Georgia and our New Mexico ski trip for New Years!!! :)

She's Getting Married!

Meredith is engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I have been wanting to say those words for YEARS, and specifically for the past month. About 4 weeks ago, Ryan, Meredith's boyfriend called me to let me know that he was proposing to Meredith. I have been DYING to tell people. So last night, after 5 years of waiting, Meredith finally got engaged.


Meredith was the first person I met at Baylor, and we spent four FUN and EXCITING years together at college. We have an endless amount of memories, and I am beyond excited that she found Ryan. Even though we are states and states away, she continues to be one of my closest friends. Congratulations Meredith and Ryan!

I Love This Time of Year

I do. I absolutely love this time of year. Every weekend is packed with fun Holiday things, the decorations start to come up, and (for the most part) everyone is HAPPY! Will and I already have most of our Christmas decorations up. If it were up to me, we would be one of those that leave them up for all year round- the lights and the music make me happy. I am a dork I know, but I love this time of year!

Last weekend was spent with Will’s parents. It had been a while since they had been to Georgia, so it was fun to show them the things that had changed since they had been here at this time last year. We have done a lot to the house since then, and they also got to meet their granddog, Miss Bear. (I think) they loved her. She definitely loved them. While Bill and Jan were here, we also got to take them to our new favorite place, which I have mentioned here many times- Blue Ridge . We spent the day up there shopping and walking around the cute town. We made it back just in time for the LSU game… and Thank God they won because I was with BOTH of the Hunter men, and for those of you that know the Hunters well, it is never fun to be around then when LSU loses. Sunday was spent showing off our church and then shopping in Atlanta. Bill and Jan surprised us with tickets to the Transiberian Orchestra, which I was so beyond excited about! The concert was amazing, and we are definitely making it part of our Christmas tradition from now on. Thank you Mom and Dad Hunter for a fun weekend! No cameras allowed in the concert, but are a few pictures from the weekend…

Will and Bill. They matched. It was so cute. This is before the concert.

Our Christmas Card!

Beebs and I. This is at the front of our subdivision.

This weekend is NOTHING. I love nothing weekends, but somehow they always seem to turn into SOMETHING weekends. Saturday will probably be spent out with some friends- we have been beyond blessed to find some really awesome friends here in Georgia.

ALSO, there is another FUN and very SECRET thing happening this weekend that I sooooo want to talk about but I can’t. Hopefully by the next time I write, I can TELL EVERYONE! I have been sworn to secrecy and am busting at the seems to open my big fat mouth!

And last but certainly not least, for all of you Bear followers, her surgery went well and she is as energetic as ever. She goes to school once a week and is learning so many new cute tricks. Will has diligently tried to teach her how to “Sic ‘Em” since the night we picked her up and she can finally do it. It is so darn cute. She is beautiful and I swear we could not love her more.

To close, my friend Brittany sent me an email with this in it and it really hit home. Especially with everything going on right now and so many people struggling: "When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go, only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!" The power of one sentence!

I'm a bad blogger!

I've decided I just might be the worst blog person ever! Finding the time to do this stuff is tough-- better late than never though, right?

Well, our trip to blueridge was A BLAST. Our cabin was beautiful and out group was so fun. We all get along so well. We didn't want the weekend to end! We spent it lounging in our sweats, watching football, laughing, and completely relaxing. The boys got to do "boy things" ALL weekend, and the girls got to... watch. The second the boys stepped out of the car and into the woods, it was all downhill for the 3 girls from there. Chopping trees down, playing poker, watching too much football, and grilling on the big bad grill. Needless to say, the boys were entertaining. Kelby, Ashton and I did get to sneak away to go into the cute little town of Blueridge for some MUCH needed girl bonding time. I just love the town of Blueridge. It might just be one of my favorite places. Nice people, cute shops, good food, and not much to do... which means plenty of time to RELAX!!! Here are some pictures from the trip:

Our cute cabin... it was beautiful!

Bear came too. This was before but I don't understand how to upload pictures in order. Sorry!
I love her to death. We had so much fun together!

Right before we left. Sad to go back to reality!


Boys being boys. This was on the first day. Again, out of order. Sorry.

The girls- Kelby, me, Ashton.. and Brody.

Last weekend, Will had to go out of town for work. Not fun, but you have to do what you have to do! I, of course, took full advantage and spent the weekend with my mom. We had so much fun. Yes, we live 30 minutes from eachother, but I really don't get to see her a lot, so weekends spent together are special to me. On Friday, she came over and we made dinner, handed out candy to the cute little trick-or-treaters, and wacthed girl movies. Saturday we went shopping, and Sunday she was a champ and helped me paint the master bathroom. Will dreads painting (poor boy), so I wanted to surprise him. It turned out adorable!!

Bear had an oopsie on Saturday night. She was very bad. We left her at my mom's (in her master bathroom) while we went shopping. We had done this before and never really had any problems. Well... not so much. Bear managed to turn the tub on, overflow the tub, swim in it, and flood the bathroom. Oh don't worry, that's not the worst of it... the water leaked through the floor and into the kitchen downstairs and part of the cieling fell through. Yes, fell through. Water ALL over, hole in the cieling. It made for a lot of cleaning up and a lot of sucking up to my dad. Poor Bear. She had no idea what she did. I think she thought she had taken a bath and had done something good. I should have taken a picture because I really could not believe it was happening. Live and learn!

And of course, last but not least, the election. I am so sad and am so scared about the next 4 years. It literally makes me sick to my stomach that over half of Americans fell for his tricks. I think Barack is rediculous. He has so many people fooled, and it is so sad. The only thing that calms me is that God is in control. Barack was meant to get elected for a reason, even though we have no idea of what it is right now. I feel so sad for McCain. It made me cry last night- just to watch him and to know that the past two years, and ... nothing. I think our country is in for a rude awakening, and it scares me to death.

The next couple of weeks are so busy for Will and I. This weekend- Bear has surgery (snip, snip!) and Mackenzie is coming home (FINALLY!). Next weekend, Mom and Dad Hunter are coming to visit! I am excited, and I haven't seen them in so long. It's always fun to have family visit. Then it's THANKSGIVING! I love this time of year. :)

"Equity Weekend"

Here she is! She is getting so big. It's normal to be attacked by Bear after coming home. We love her so much.
This week, in Will's words, is 'equity week' for the Hunters. We've spent this week coordinating our new fence addition and painting our bedroom. This probably sounds miserable to most, but I love it. Since we have moved in, I have found a new love for making our house into a home. So, yes, we finally have the long awaited fence (for Bear.... she is so excited). And yes, we finally have our bedroom painted. Yellow! It is not a manly room, to say the least, but I love it. Will, ehh, it is growing on him. So I sit here a day later and literally, every bone in my body is aching. I discovered muscles I didn't even know I had!! Here are some pictures:

Love being in love... and procrastinating.

Our Friday night. We spent it painting. But at least we were together!
Bear painted too. Actually, Bear GOT painted. She was a mess.
After two days of painting. And being painted by Will.
The finished product!

I know, it's bright. But it makes me happy. If nothing else, it is something that Will and I accomplished together! The rest of our weekend was spent with-- guess who!-- Branden and Ashton. We watched LSU lose- miserably- and just hung out together. I don't think a weekend would be complete without them! We consider them housemates on weekends, and the guest bedroom is officially theirs. On Sunday after church, Will and I went up north to the outlets to walk around. Will got to visit his favorite store, Fuzziwigs! He is such a boy at heart. We walked out 30 dollars poorer, but don't worry-- we had 30 dollars worth of candy. Only we can spend that much on candy and be completely ok with it. Sure, we got plenty of wierd looks as we walked up to the register with our arms FULL of candy, but we had fun!!!

I am getting super excited about these last few months of the year. It has started to get cold here in GA, and that always makes me think about Thanksgiving and Christmas (and my Birthday!! :) ). Will has started getting up every morning to go hunting, and one of these mornings, he will win and will convince me to go with him. There is just something that my king bed offers that a cold deerstand doesn't. But yes, we are excited for the Holidays! We are also going on a ski trip over New Years to New Mexico with some friends from Baylor. This is new to us, as a couple. I grew up skiing, but haven't done it in years (since Jackie and I would play hookie on ski club and instead sneak onto the guys' basketball bus and go to the games with them.). But we are looking forward to hitting the slopes again! We feel blessed to have such a great group of friends to be able to do things like that with.

Football, Football, and Bear!

As I always claim it is, life has been busy busy the past few weeks. Will and I have decided that we live for the weekends of nothing and those week nights where we can finally get to the couch by 9:00 and watch a movie. We always try to stop and enjoy life but sometimes it’s hard not to get wrapped up in the hustle bustle! Will has actually spent a lot of time out of town for work. It's bittersweet for me-- of course, I miss him, but I get to spend that time with my mom- which is always a blast for me. We get to sneak in all of the little shopping trips that we miss out on when the boys are in town. Don't get me wrong, I hate it when Will is away, but mother-daughter time is the best!

We have spent the past two weekends enjoying football! Will is lucky to be with someone who loves football because he is SUCH a fanatic. Some of my favorite days are the lazy, cold ones spent watching football and grilling out. Last weekend, we drove to Athens for the UGA/Alabama (BALCKOUT!) game. Although Georgia lost (miserably), we had a blast and as we always do, we walked away saying “we need to do that more often!” It was great to see little sissy--I can’t believe Mackenzie is already a Junior. Time flies. I have so much fun when I am with her. We literally make eachother laugh until our stomaches hurt.

We were up at 5am to leave for Athens , per the boys request. Yes, Ashton and I are troopers. We did it with a smile! I have been so lucky that Will and my brother get along so well. They really are like brothers. And Ashton and I have becomes so close. I am so glad that Branden found her! The four of us are pretty much inseparable, but I wouldn't have it any other way!! Here are some pictures from the Athens trip…

Mary Beth, Ashton, Kelbs, Kim, and Me
Trouble and Double Trouble.
He is a fake Georgia fan, notice the little hint of purple...
Big bro and little sis. I am blessed beyond belief.
Ashton, Me, Kenz, and Em
Ash and Me

Will and I, along with 2 other couples (Branden and Ashton- of course, and Kelby and Bennett) made plans to rent another cabin in Blue Ridge in 3 weeks. I am SUPER excited-- Blue Ridge is one of my favorite places. Georgia is beautiful in the Fall, and being in the mountains at the end of October is even more beautiful! We cannot wait!

And last but certainly just as important, and because I’m sure many are wondering… Bear is doing great! She is getting so big, which makes me kind of sad. Will and I absolutely love having her around. She is so sweet and lovable...and spoiled…

This weekend... full of time with Will and Bear, just as the doctor ordered!!!! I love my little fam.

Exciting New Beginnings!

While celebrating our first wedding anniversary, Will and I looked at eachother and both agreed about one thing... Our first year flew by! Many up's and many down's- but just as Will said on the night that he proposed to me, there is no one else that we would have rather gone through them with. We have been eachother's rocks, and my wish for everyone is that they would find someone as amazing as I have. I am truly blessed. We have decided that a blog was a great way for us to remember the many, many fun times that we have. And, it's a great way for our loved ones (many of which are across the country from us) to keep up with US! So, here it is! Our Blog :)

Looking back a year, we never would have imagined that our life would be as it is today. It's hectic, stressful, crazy busy... but we always try to take time to remember the truly important things in life. God, family, friends, each other. I truly feel beyond blessed to be living the life that I am.

Some fun news...Will and I recently brought home a beautiful puppy!!-- Bear (Yes, Bear... and yes, she is a girl!), an English Springer Spaniel. Her full name: Baylor Bear Hunter. We have absolutley fallen head over heels in love with her. She has become my running partner, Saturday morning cuddler (sorry Will), and the center of attention in the Hunter household. We love her and we are excited for everyone to meet her.

As I mentioned before, Will and I just got done celebrating our first year of marriage. We spent the weekend in the beautiful Georgia mountains in Blue Ridge, which happen to be only a short hour away from our house. We had the greatest time, and we both agreed that it was the best weekend that we have had together. We spent the weekend eating some great food, playing in the creek with Bear (who by the way, was loving life all weekend), and shopping in the cute little railroad town. And best of all, our cell phones did not get service... which made the weekend ever more relaxing. It didn't take us long to admit that we were going to make this trip an annual one- at least!

Here are some pictures from our trip:

Will and I at dinner at Cucina Rustica.

My little family.

The view of Blue Ridge. Absolutely Beautiful!

Again, the family. I am so in love with them.

Lastly, we have finally, after months and months of talking about it, joined a small group through church. The four other couples that we meet with are outstanding. Each from different backgrounds, but still, we all share the same common denominator... we are newlyweds! Will and I have had such a great time getting to know these other couples, and we look forward to the next several months with them!

So, in the past couple of weeks, there have been many new beginnings, and I'm sure, many many more to come! Will and I are excited about what God has in store for us. If the first year is any indication, we have a fun life ahead! We hope you enjoy our blog :) :)