Shark Week

So Shark Week is my dad's favorite week of the year and he likes to send our family an email reminder right before it starts.  I'm not sure why he loves Shark Week so much considering he's an avid surfer.  After watching some of the attack stories I am now petrified of the ocean.

My dad surfing!

In honor of Shark Week, my sister and I decided to send my dad a dozen of Georgetown Cupcake's Shark Week themed cupcakes!  They just arrived and he's so happy!  I wish I could have seen the smile on his face!

Image Courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake

How cute are those cupcakes?  Do any of you get super excited about Shark Week?

A Fun Weekend With Friends

Okay, so I wrote this post earlier this week but hadn't gotten around to adding the pictures, so please forgive the delay!

This past weekend was P-E-R-F-E-C-T!  We started the weekend with a fun game of Top Golf on Friday night with our good friends, Jeff and Susanna.  We all took golf lessons together this summer and wanted to practice what we had learned.  Even though I forgot some of the things I learned during our lesson it was still a fun night with great company!

Dave & Suman at the aquarium!

Saturday we drove up to Baltimore to visit our friend Suman and his girlfriend Rupal.  It was so good to see them again since we hadn't seen them since our wedding except for about 5 minutes back in December.  We decided we would spend the afternoon at the Baltimore Aquarium.  I had never been to the Baltimore Aquarium and was really looking forward to it!  My favorite exhibit was definitely the shark exhibit...man, are those things creepy looking!! 

Dave w/his "grape soda"

Yummy baked gnocchi

After a fun day of exploring the aquarium we were all famished!  Rupal found the perfect little Italian place for dinner.  I had baked gnocchi which was TO DIE FOR!  Dave thoroughly enjoyed his "grown-up grape soda!" :)  The food, drinks, conversation and company were amazing!

After our big meal we decided to walk back to the Inner Harbor.  As we strolled we came upon this little park that had instruments you could play and the craziest walkway I had ever seen.  We hung out there for a bit before we decided to grab a drink.

Rupal & Me playing in the park!

I swear I'm only squinting b/c there was a huge fan over my head!

We walked by Dick's Last Resort and I was immediately drawn to the ginormous margaritas with beers in them!  We decided to get a drink there so Rupal and I each ordered a margarita and shared it with our guy! :)

What a wonderful day it was with great friends!

Sunday was spent relaxing at the pool and catching up on chores.  All in all I would say it was the perfect weekend!

The Big 3-0

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I'm not here to brag, but to inspire my readers to go after their goals and also to show you that hard work and persistence really does pay off! It also doesn't hurt to have a great support system! :)

As a lot of my family and friends know, I've been working really hard since the beginning of March to lose some weight.  I wasn't feeling good about myself and wanted to do something about it and boost my self-confidence. 

I decided to join Weight Watchers and I couldn't be happier with the program.  By measuring my food,  keeping track of everything I ate and getting back into running, I noticed the pounds just melt-away each week.  It was the greatest feeling in the world to see my hard work really pay off!

I started this in the middle of tax season, which took a lot of willpower since our firm often buys us lunch and has numerous snacks that are available in the kitchen at all times.  I stuck to my plan and with the help of Dave, a lot of willpower and hard work, I can happily say that as of today, I have lost 30 pounds since I started the program back in March.  I am so much happier with my appearance and feel great!  The only problem is that none of my clothes fit me! :)  I'm slowly adding items to my wardrobe and getting a few key pieces tailored. 

I am so thankful for Dave who has been there every step of the way and for my parents who have been there to give me encouragement along the way.  I'm so happy with the results and will continue living this healthy lifestyle.  A big thank you to everyone who has supported me along they way!  I hope this inspires you to go after your goals!

Awesome running watch Dave just bought me b/c I reached my goal!!

2 Years

Two years ago today, the sweetest, most loving and caring man in the world asked me to be his wife.  It was the happiest moment of my life (besides marrying him).  It was such a special night and will be a memory that I will cherish forever.  I love Dave more than life itself and am just so lucky to call him my husband.

The apartment all set up for when I came home from work!

Dave calling his parents after I said YES!

Dave - thank you for making every day so special and always putting a smile on my face.  You make me so happy and I couldn't live without you!  I love you with all of my heart!

Saying our vows!

It's a Smile, It's a Kiss, It's a Sip of Wine, It's Summertime!!

At the dunes in Kitty Hawk, NC

Life has been busy lately and I LOVE it!!  Last weekend we went to the Outer Banks with Dave's aunt and uncle and his cousins and had a wonderful time!  We relaxed, swam in the ocean, visited the dunes, had a few cocktails, played some games and overall had an amazing time;  I was sad to come back!

Having fun at the dunes!

I've also been busy with school, which is not fun, but it just means I'm that much closer to getting my CPA which is exciting.  We've also been taking golf lessons every Saturday morning with another couple which has been quite the learning experience.  I've learned so much over the past few weeks, that I think I might want to continue taking lessons every now and then.  We have our last lesson this coming Saturday which makes me sad, but hopefully I can takes some more lessons in the near future!

Since we were hit by that crazy storm on Saturday, we decided to do some outlet shopping with our friends instead of sitting inside our houses with no power.  It was so much fun and I came home with a few goodies! ;)  I think even Dave had a good time!

Celebrating my promotion!! :)

Saturday night we relaxed, celebrated my promotion from work and watched some swim trials.  I've been hooked on the swim trials which makes me super pumped for the Olympics!  I can't believe how young some of these swimmers are and the times they are putting out.  It kind of got me thinking about joining a Master's swim team....

Relaxing by the pool on Sunday afternoon...

 Our summer is pretty packed but I love it!  I'm looking forward to a short week this week and New Jersey the following weekend!  I hope everyone has an amazing Fourth of July!!!

Where I've Been

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I've been busy traveling: a trip to my parents' house and two weddings.  I'm also taking a summer class so that I can start sitting for my CPA exam this winter.  Life has been busy but I like being busy! 

This weekend Dave and I are starting golf lessons with another couple and I'm completely ecstatic!  I've taken a golf course in college and played a couple of times but it will be nice to learn from a Pro!  The rest of the summer consists of a few long weekend trips, continuing training for my half-marathon, fun times with family and friends, summer concerts and hopefully some relaxation.

I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start!  Below are some pictures from the last few weekends!

Celebrating Mother's Day!

Matt & Amy's wedding!

Delicious dinner in Quonnie!

Jo & Sam's rehearsal dinner!

Jo & Sam's wedding!  (Yes, I know, Dave needs some sunglasses ASAP!!)

StickyGram

Recently I stumbled upon this website, StickyGrams that takes your Instagrams and transforms them into magnets!  I thought this was a brilliant idea and I needed to try it right away!  I logged into my Instagram account on StickyGram's website, picked some Instagram pictures to be magnets and just waited for the magnets to be sent to me.  It was simple, quick and I'm so happy with the results!  I will definitely be using this again in the future!  The magnets come in multiples of 9 and the process is quite painless!  For all of you out there that are mildly "obsessed" with Instagram, I suggest you try this.  You won't be disappointed; I promise!

Our StickyGrams on our refrigerator!!