Hate to toot my own horn, BUT…

Well, it’s official…my final grades are in. Im graduating with my Master’s in Education with an overall GPA of 3.93!!! Why not a 4.0 you ask? Apparently since my undergrad days, many colleges and universities have adopted a new plus/minus grading scale. So, out of 12 classes, I made 9 A’s and 3 A-’s. Not too bad for someone who was on the “five year plan” for undergrad!

Not to toot my own horn, but I am extremely proud of myself! Im sure once G gets word of my good grades, he’s going want to run out and lavish me with gifts. That being said, I thought I would make it easy on him and provide him with a little assistance. So, here goes…below are my top 5 picks.

1) Chanel Chance Perfume.

2) Boden printed shift dress in purple.

3) A new non-nursing bra.. I like this one and this one. Lord knows I can use all of the help I can get after breastfeeding for 6 1/2 months!

4) Anthropologie Alhambra Lounge Pants. These would be great for our beach trip with a a top like this.

5) Tom Ford Camilla Oversized Sunglasses in brown (these are my all-time favorite sunglasses; I have had my eye on them for awhile, but just found them on overstock.com for quite a bit less than retail).

I am leaving you with 4 new pictures. The first is one that I debated on sharing; the picture was taken during last nights “family laundry time”. Instead of helping, Garrett and MR decided to play with one of my bras. Both got a kick out of it. The last few pictures were taken outside today. Getting MR to look at the camera and not eat the ivy/grass/bush proved to be next to impossible.

Well, Im off to eat a celebratory bowl of cereal and wondering what kind of excuse I’m going to give for not having super on the table…again!

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Stroll Down Memory Lane…

Now that I am done with school, I have a lot of time on my hands; perhaps too much time. In an attempt to refrain from my latest obsession (shopping for smocked dresses on Ebay), I have spent the morning looking through old pictures. Here are some of my favorites from the last five years.

 

One of the many requirements that G had to “pass” before winning my heart was getting along with my better-half, Sadie. This picture was taken right after we started dating. Sadie was just as impressed with her new friend as I was…

 

 

Once G had gained Sadie’s approval, he was off to meet the family. On Thanksgiving of 2002, G made his way down to Eastman, Georgia to enjoy lunch with the Harrell’s. We had only been dating 2 months. I still can’t believe I talked him into going! I also can’t believe someone didn’t take a pair of scissors to  my hair!

 

 

In Decemeber of 2002, G and I were going strong. It seemed that I had finally met my match. The only problem was that he was moving after graduation to begin a two year Leadership Program. His first stop was Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was during this visit in the Summer of 2003 that I told Garrett how much I loved him. Yes, you heard right; I said “I love you” first. His reply, “thank you; I like you too”. Garrett must have felt real bad about the situation because the next thing I know, he whisked me off for a weekend in Chicago. Our weekend was spent visiting the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Sear’s Tower, and eating at one of Chicago’s best steakhouses, Gibson’s.

 

 

It took me a while to get over G’s response to my heartfelt “I love you”, but by January of 2004, I had finally convinced him that I was the one…On January 23, G popped the question at the Old Mystic Inn Bed and Breakfast in Mystic, Connecticut.

Seven months later, on August 28, 2004, we sealed the deal with a ceremony at First United Methodist Church in Athens, Ga, followed by a reception at Athens Country Club. Click here to read about our engagement and here to read about the ceremony in the Athens Banner-Herald. After the wedding, we headed to St Thomas for a week of relaxtion before our big move to Lowell, Massachusetts.

We lived in Massachusetts for 6 months and got to experience our first “true” winter. Having only lived in south, I didn’t own a winter coat, much less a scarf, hat, or gloves. That all changed in January of 2005 when Boston was hit by a major winter storm/blizzard. The storm dumped over 3 feet of snow in our area and stranded one of our first visitors, a coat-less Will Harvey, at our house for several days. Click here to read about the blizzard and here to look at more pictures from our web site.

After enduring 6 months in the north, it was time for us to move again. In March of 2005, we headed to Charlottesville, Virginia. We lived in the local Holiday Inn for 2 weeks until we found a cute rental house near the UVA campus. While we were excited to get out of the hotel, we still had to wait a week before our furniture arrived. Fortunately for us, the previous tenant left an old leather chair for us to use. This chair and a blow-up mattress helped us to survive our week without furniture. Below are two pics of Sadie and I modeling the infamous leather chair.

Jump ahead three years, three rental houses, and many pounds later…G and I anxious and excited to welcome our first child, Mary Reese Harvey. On September 26, 2007 (ten days after our due date), MR made her big entrance. Here is a picture taken just before we headed to the hospital to be induced.

Our little one tipped the scale at 8 pounds, 15 ounces. She looked just like her daddy!

Seven months later, she still does…

Happy Tuesday everyone! I’m can’t take it any longer…I’m off to feed my addiction! Ebay, here I come!!!

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I got a new attitude…

Mary Reese was quite rambunctious today. When I received this “look” at bathtime this morning, I knew it was going to be a long day. Five dirty diapers, three changes of clothes, and a stack of half-eaten newspapers later, I have finally manged to get her down for the night. Ahhh, the joys of a 7 month old! Thanks for keeping me on my feet MR!

“I pity the fool”

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Springtime in Charlottesville…

Move over exersaucer…MR has a new favorite pastime! Although it was intended to be a beverage cooler for the front porch, MR transformed the small green tub into a relaxing swimming pool and place to sunbathe. Loaded with sunscreen, she had the best time being outdoors. When G got home, the afternoon got even better! A wagon ride in the backyard and a stroller ride around the block made for the perfect father/daughter time. To top the day off, Garrett presented MR with her very own personalized t-shirt, compliments of her old daycare. Apparently, the picture on the front of the shirt was taken on “picture day”; a day when poor MR wore a hand-me-down sleeper to school. Nonetheless, the shirt is priceless! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the afternoon.

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Back in action…

Garrett and I are horrible bloggers. It seems that we get caught up in the day to day affairs and forget how much fun it is to share stories and pictures. So, for the past 3 months, we have been M.I.A. No updates, no pictures. In an attempt to play catch-up, here are some of the events that have taken place since our last post…

March 8, 2008- Will and Kristen got married in Alma, Georgia in one of the sweetest ceremonies ever. Garrett and I are so happy for them! Kristen has been busy cooking, attending school, and whipping Will’s bachelor pad into shape. We’re looking forward to visiting the newlyweds this summer. Clilck here and enter your email address to view pictures from the wedding.





March 14, 2008- Our dear friends Jay and Alina, and their little girl Brenley, came up from Columbia, SC to visit. We met Jay and Alina back in 2004 when we moved to Lowell, Massachusetts. They were the property managers of our apartment. Interestingly enough, they got married a week before Garrett and I, and had a baby a few weeks after Mary Reese’s arrival. Jay and Alina are amongst the few friends that we have stayed in touch with throughout our travels. We always look forward to getting together with them. During their visit, we ate at one of our favorite diners and then headed to Veritas Vineyards to catch up on old times. The weekend was so much fun and we can hardly wait for the next visit.


March 21, 2008- I completed my 12 weeks of student teaching and became an official “stay at home mom”. Im still trying to decide whether or not to celebrate by ordering mommy business cards.


March 26, 2008- Mary Reese said her first word…Dada. Ok, I must admit, I was a little bothered that her first word was not mama, but seeing G’s face light up when she says his name made it worthwhile!


April 10-13, 2008- Many of our family members came to town to celebrate Mary Reese’s baptism. On Friday afternoon, Danette, Wiby, Hannah, Brantley, and Anne arrived. The weather was perfect, so we spent the afternoon visiting and relaxing at King Family Vineyard in Crozet, Virginia. Later that evening, mom and dad came over for a quick visit. On Saturday, we were headed to Veritas Vineyards. This time we were joined by my parents, Julie, Bill, Hendley, Trent, Danette, Wiby, Hannah, Brantley and Anne. Once again, the weather was perfect! On Sunday, we had a brunch at our house and then headed to church to get MR baptized. Mary Reese wore a beautiful Strasburg Christening Gown that Gran C had purchased for her and a silver cross necklace that Meme and Papa gave her. She was absolutely precious! As Reverend Jones walked her up and down the church isle, I couldn’t help but reflect on all of our blessings. The ceremony was a special reminder of all that God has in store for our little girl. Thank you to all of our family for being with Mary Reese as she begins her journey with God!






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Ladies Night…

Who would have thought a husband-less Valentines Day could be so fun? Poor Garrett had to work late on Thursday, so MR and I decided to make the best of our time together. After making a footprint Valentine card and heart shaped sugar cookies for Daddy, we decided to pamper ourselves at our less than posh, in-home spa. I enjoyed a much needed deep conditioning treatment while MR relaxed in a warm bath of lavender scented water. Later that evening, we caught up on our celebrity gossip and watched our favorite American Idol contestants compete for a spot in the top 24! While our Valentines Day may have lacked fine dining, flowers, and gourmet chocolates, MR and I found that a quiet evening at home can be just as pleasing.

~carly



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This is how we roll

Another busy week. Last Sunday, Mary Reese had her first serving of vegetables. Peas to be exact. Unlike her mom, she seems to enjoy her vegies. Next week we will move on to a different green vegetable and maybe even a fruit.

Evidently the peas were just what she needed. For weeks she’s been rolling onto her side, only to be stuck in place by her lower arm. By Wednesday, she had mastered the technique of rolling from her back to her stomach. We couldn’t be more proud…it’s the little things.

One more first for the week. It was the first time Car was able to get enough of Mary Reese’s hair together to hold a bow. I think this is more of a milestone for mom than for our little girl.

g



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Spring Fever

This may be a bold and somewhat arrogant statement. Who am I to tell the rest of the world they’re wrong??? But I think I’ll do it anyway…

I believe that the holiday calendar is out of synch with Mother Nature’s seasonal calendar for one holiday – Christmas. The weeks of cold weather, combined with the tease of spring we got last weekend have led me to this conclusion. Christmas and spring are just too far apart.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love cold weather, and I really love the snow. I love to ski. I love to watch Sadie get excited and run around in huge circles kicking up snow in every direction. But after a while, you get tired of having to put on several layers of clothes just to walk outside. If you live in an old house like we do, you get tired of the wind blowing right through it. If you have gas heat, you get tired of having astronomical bills each month even though your house never seems to get any warmer.

Ideally, everyone wants a white Christmas. It’s both a song and a movie for a reason. But once Christmas is over, there’s really nothing to look forward to, except spring. Imagine a world where Christmas is the grand finale of winter. The anticipation builds throughout the cold days and nights, leading up to the climactic celebration with family and friends. You no longer open the last present or attend the last party thinking I can’t believe it’s over. Knowing that spring, with all its energy and color is just around the corner, carries you through the last few days of winter.

Examples of holidays that work:

  • Memorial Day – spring is in full effect and summer is coming soon.
  • Fourth of July – summertime, the beach, grilling, fireworks
  • Labor Day – last chance for a “summer” vacation
  • Thanksgiving – food, family, football, and fall
We actually had our first taste of warm weather last weekend. Looking back, it really wasn’t that warm. But for some reason, Car and I got a little carried away and decided to welcome the weather with some of our spring attire. After dressing Mary Reese in a pink, short-sleeved dress, we had no choice but to follow her lead. I was sporting shorts and flip-flops before I came to my senses and realized that 60 degrees isn’t that warm when the wind chill is 10-15 degrees cooler. Nevertheless, we wanted to share some of our “spring” pictures with all of you.

g


“spring” time on the porch

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