I fell off the blogging wagon this week.

Sorry about that.

Tuesday night we had our first "lesson" from Feminine Appeal. First of all, I think everyone should read this book. It goes through Titus 2 and explains 7 virtues of biblical womanhood. It is really practical and so full of truth. So, Becca, Sarah and I knew we wanted to read this book, but we thought it'd be helpful to go through it with other people too. So we've asked several women in our lives who are amazing godly influences to join us for one chapter each. Diana came on Tuesday and walked us through the chapter on the Beauty of Submission. Honestly it was a great chapter to start with (even though it's the last one in the book), because it is probably the greatest struggle for us as women and wives. We learned so much about how God intended our marriages to look, and we were are very convicted about ways we need to be more submissive to our husbands (and future husband).

"...let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." - 1 Peter 3:4

I LOVE these friends.

In other news... there was a red-tail hawk outside my window on Wednesday. I've ventured into a new role at my job- major gifts fundraising- and I had my first meeting with a prospective donor. We had a fabulous dinner last night with the Rochas and the Walkers at Ghengis Grill. It was so great to catch up with the Walkers, who we wish we saw more often! Harley is still cute as a bug, and it's been determined that he likes David more than me.

jellyfish are cool

Here's a quick photo recap of three things we did last weekend.

1. We hung out with the Johnsons! They were heading to Disney and Chattanooga makes a great stopping place! We were so excited to spend some time with them and can't wait for them to be back on Sunday.

Brianna and Harley had so much fun with each other! Brianna called him a "she" the whole time.

2. We went to the aquarium! The two best parts were the penguins and the jellyfish! Amazing! We got season passes for Christmas, so we're looking forward to going back a lot.

3. Harley was suuuper cute.

just a few more...

... doggy pictures.

I took Harley to the vet yesterday. What an ordeal! He was totally rambunctious and difficult to contain. After all, it was the first time I had walked him on a leash, I forgot a toy for him to play with, and he had been in his crate for several hours. Needless to say, we were both worn out afterwards! The good news was, Harley is healthy as a horse. Or a puppy. Either way, he's healthy. He weighs a mere 4 lbs! We'll be getting used to this vet thing because we have to take him back 3 more times in the next couple of months to finish up his puppy shots.

Like I mentioned, our trip to the vet wore Harley out. He napped for most of the evening, even though we tried to keep him awake! Once David got home from class, he tried and tried roughing him up to get him to wake up and play, but it was all to no avail. Even though we wanted him awake, we could hardly mess with this cute puppy:

And, as I was checking out the other pictures we've taken on David's phone camera, I found this one of Bella that we took when we saw her at the kennel the first day. My mom held her the whole time and fell in love with her!

Looking ahead...

Tonight: Mattearley visits!

Tomorrow: The Johnsons visit!

thanks for the advice

Harley was so good last night! Thanks to all of the helpful suggestions here and on facebook, we got a good night's sleep. He only woke up once during the night, but earplugs helped a LOT. He is already such a joy to us! Yeah, it's an adjustment getting used to thinking about something other than just yourself, but we're enjoying the process.



Harley loves his homemade toys- old tshirts ripped up and tied into knots- and laying on his back to play! He's so much fun!

tmi? probably.

What a weekend! It was very, very full and eventful- and wonderful as usual! We are, however, still recovering :). Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start):

Friday

My Mom and Dad arrived in town just moments after we got home from work! We visited the National Medal of Honor Museum and ate dinner at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I love introducing my parents to new restaurants, because it's hard not to please my dad when it comes to good food! We spent the rest of the night hanging out and talking, and it was SO good. I've come to appreciate and understand my parents so much more in my recent "adult" years, and particularly my past few months of being married. It's so fun to still be learning about them, even 23 years into my life.

Saturday

...is when it all began. I had been researching dogs and breeders, and was recommended a kennel in Georgia by a co-worker. I scheduled time for us to go look at a new little of Maltizu puppies, but when we got there our plan changed a bit. This guy had tons of dogs, but my dad and David quickly noticed a breed of fluffy white dogs- who were the only ones not barking! Turns out, he had two liters of Bichon puppies ready to go to their homes! We played with them and loved on them for a while, but we didn't want to make a hasty decision. SO, even though we all (yes, my parents too) were in love with these little puppies, we left empty handed.

(David with Harley the day before we brought him home.)

After we left, we drove through Chickamauga Battlefields and then to lunch at Lupi's (one of our favorites that we were really excited to introduce the 'rents to!). Conveniently (since part of the purpose for their trip was for David and I to get to celebrate my dad's birthday), there were two bookstores on the same block as the restaurant. Obviously we had to go in.

Mom and I looking through books for any mention of Bichon dogs... or just dogs at all- we were on a puppy high!

Dad in his most natural habitat- a bookstore.

We finally made it home for afternoon napping/researching Bichon puppies online. Mom and Dad left (after helping me shop for puppy paraphernalia) anxiously awaiting news of our furry firstborn.

So, we proceeded with the rest of our day, but all the while thinking about the little white fur balls we had seen. Kasey and Kristin stopped by, and we ended up spending the entire night together! We had dinner at the Cleland's wonderful house and came back to our house... just to sit in the car because I didn't have a house key. Loser, I know. However, we entertained ourselves in the car with cameras and phones and chatting away. Once we finally got inside, we were in game mode. I taught them all Settlers of Catan, and we had a blast. It was SO fun to hang out with these girls. It's always so refreshing when they come in town! Have I mentioned that I am SO blessed?!

Sunday
(Ok, I'm running out of steam and creativity, so I'm resorting to bullet points)

• David made breakfast, as usual. He's awesome, by the way... in case you forgot :). He is SO hospitable and such a servant.
• Church at Calvary. Possibly the longest service everrrr. It was awesome (message about living in adventure with God- so great), but since we had post-church plans I found myself being very time sensitive.
• Back to Chickamauga Kennels to get our Harley! Yep, we slept on it and decided it was a go. We spent a lot of time talking to Curtis, the sweet old man who runs the place and then we headed home with our new family member.
• Harley threw up in the car.
• We bathed Harley.
• Harley threw up in the car again.
• David bought better smelling shampoo.
• We bathed Harley again.
• Becca, Kate and Anna came over to meet him!

  

Monday
Yep, Monday. I had a three-day weekend! You didn't realize you were reading the longest Monday blog of all time, did you? So. My parents decided they had to have a puppy too. But not just any puppy- the puppy my mom fell in love with when they were with us Saturday. So, it worked out perfectly that I was off work Monday. I picked Bella up and drove to meet my parents! Bella and Harley are going to get married, but they don't know it yet. Yep- our plan is to breed them (they are from different litters, don't worry).

Mom and her Bella

Next eventful task in the day... the hand doctor. I didn't expect much of anything, but it turned into an ordeal. I've been having pain in my hand for a few weeks now, so I thought I'd get it checked out. He found a ganglion cyst on my wrist and decided it needed to go. Unfortunatley, I hadn't eaten much and my body decided I also needed to go- face first on the exam table. After I came to, I was all green and sweaty. tmi? Anyways, I made it home, loved on our puppy and was very relieved when David got home because I was sick for the rest of the day!

Soo... now that I've relived the past 4 days for you (which I'm sure was way more than you cared to know), I have some questions for you:

1. How do we get our dog to sleep through the night? Sunday wasn't bad- he got up around 4 and then again at 5, but last night was brutal. We hardly got ANY sleep. Do we just leave him in the crate when he cries and hope he gets tired of it at some point (ps- he did it for almost 2 hours this morning and never seemed to tire)?
2. How do we get our dog to not bite? Clamp his snout shut and say "no"? Smack his nose? I'm up for whatever works.
3. How do we perfect our doggy potty training regiment? He hasn't had any poop accidents in the house, but he's peed a couple of times. We're taking him outside immidately when we get him out of the crate and trying to watch him carefully the rest of the time.

Ok, that's all for now. (I can hear the sighs of relief.)

dog wins

Meet Harley, our new Bichon puppy:

We love him already!

More to come later, I just wanted to post a picture :)

tagged

Ok, I was "tagged" by Anna and Alex to complete this fun little activity, but it's taken me a while to get around to it.

Here are the rules:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

And this was the result...

Not even kidding... What the heck?

I tag:

1. Blair McLeod
2. Em Rozell
3. Sara Zimmer
4. Melissa Richie

spectacles

After much delay (cough... kicking and screaming), David got glasses!

Isn't he cute?!

100

I've been anxiously awaiting this post for a while now... watching that little number beside my blog name until it reached 99... but now this is my 100th post! (Sarah beat me to it last night...) So, in honor of my 100th post, I have prepared a list of more things about me than you'd probably ever want to know...

1. I hate birds' wings flapping.
2. My grandma is Australian.
3. My spiritual gift is hospitality.
4. I love praying with my husband.
5. I watched all 10 seasons on Friends in 2 months on DVD.
6. I am an early bird which requires that I go to bed annoyingly early.
7. I am embarrassingly lazy.
8. Honey mustard is my favorite condiment (and virtually the only condiment I eat at all).
9. I secretly love my handwriting sometimes.
10. I am envious of my dad's patriotism.
11. I've always been an inconsistent journal-er.
12. My first car was a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron convertible.
13. I am terrible decorator.
14. I aspire to be as good of a wife, mom and friend as the women who have mentored me over the years.
15. I haven't flossed my teeth in years.
16. I could eat macaroni every day.
17. My brother is going to be famous one day. You should be friends with him.
18. I'm proud to be a Geyer, but I'll always be a Bourke at heart.
19. I want to know more about politics.
20. I have recently become incredibly sentimental.
21. I am a pack-rat, which does not bode well for being incredibly sentimental.
22. I am incredibly comfortable with confrontation.
23. I know I am called and created to be a mom, and I cannot wait for that time to come.
24. Gymnastics was my thing growing up. I quit when I was 12, competing at level 5.
25. Reading was my other thing growing up. I was never, ever without a book.
26. When I was in elementary school I made a library out of my books. Literally. Each book had a pocked with a card in it so Ashley & Greg could check them out and I had a “card catalog” with every book of mine written (in correct format) on an index card. I was serious about it.
27. Other than my salvation, working at Camp Vesper Point has been the single most influential experience of my life.
28. David and I have lists (ok, I have lists, but he helped make them) of things we want to do in our lifetime- categorized of course.
29. I pick my split ends. It’s a terrible habit, and I’m trying to quit.
30. I have had plastic surgery. Ok, not really, but a plastic surgeon did have to remove a cyst from my lower eyelid.
31. I love, love office supplies. Pens, paper, binders, notebooks, paperclips, etc.
32. In the winter I pretty much only wear black. I have 5 black sweaters.
33. Rarely does a day go by that I don’t remember all of my dreams vividly. I’m convinced that it messed with my deep sleep, which makes me tired throughout the day. (remember- hypochondriac)
34. I think grief training is something every person alive should have to go through.
35. David and I fell in love on a sand volleyball court.
36. Every time I type the word paragraph I spell it “paragraphy”.
37. Every time I say the Pledge of Allegiance I accidentally say “Amen” at the end.
38. I have always (ok, not when I was a little girl) had a difficult time making/being friends with girls. Thus, I am so thankful for all of my girlfriends who put up with me!
39. Homeschooling fascinates me, and we’re currently planning to homeschool our kids.
40. Each morning of elementary school (well, 4th and 5th grade while I was at Calvary) we had to say the Pledge of Allegiance, the pledge to the Christian flag and the pledge to the Bible.
41. I’ve recently become obsessed with paisley.
42. I’ve only been a bridesmaid once (refer to #38).
43. My mom is the youngest child of 6. There are 14 original grandkids, 7 grandkid-in-laws (with 2 more being added this summer), and 7 great-grands (1 on the way) totaling at 30 cousinish people.
44. It took 14 years for all 14 grandkids to be in the same place at the same time, and it was at my grandmother’s funeral.
45. There is a 30 year age difference between the oldest cousin (Charles, in New York) and the youngest cousin (my brother Greg, in Georgia).
46. I already have my children’s names picked out (but come on, what girl doesn’t?).
47. I am always, always cold.
48. David is the only boyfriend I’ve ever had and the only boy I’ve ever kissed. :)
49. I have my cartilage pierced on my left ear. So does my mom.
50. Though I grew up in Georgia, I have never been to an Atlanta Braves game.
51. In high school I thought I was called to full time, vocational ministry and thus started the process of ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. Then I got to college and learned about myself.
52. My fifth grade music teacher (Miss Pope) was the one to tell me there was no Santa Claus. Yes, in 5th grade.
53. I was born in Torrance, CA. Every single time I write Torrance, I have to check to see if it is spelled “Torrance” or “Torrence”. I usually get it wrong.
54. My favorite white cake is Publix brand. My favorite dessert in general is Linda’s Fudge Cake from Cheesecake Factory.
55. I love to play games, but I’m typically a sore loser.
56. I LOVE the Olympics. I mean, really love them.
57. Bunionettes run in my family, and I’ve had surgery to get mine removed from my left foot.
58. I went skiing every winter with my youth group.
59. I went white water rafting every summer with my youth group.
60. If I had my druthers I would wear sweat pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt every day of my life.
61. I bought my first house when I was 21.
62. I have really strong fingernails and really weak ankles.
63. Every book report I ever had to do was either on John Gregory Bourke or Clara Barton.
64. John Gregory Bourke is my only famous ancestor.
65. The thing that rid me of my fingernail biting habit was a gymnastics coach who explained how many germs there are on uneven bars.
66. I had 2 ancestors on the Titanic.
67. The standard high school graduation gift for girls in my family is a Huguenot cross necklace.
68. I compulsively check my email. And blogs. And facebook.
69. I almost always prefer the self-checkout line at the grocery.
70. Since knowing David, I call grocery stores simply “the grocery”.
71. Gchat is one of my new favorite things.
72. I really hate washing my hands after I go to the bathroom. (Just being real with you here.)
73. My high school didn’t have “dances” (Baptist school/church...), we had formal dinner events.
74. My favorite minor holiday (can you have minor and major holidays like you do characters in a book?) is Veterans Day, because I love going to services when all of the branches of the military are represented and the Veterans stand and salute their flag.
75. The sun makes me sneeze, and I used to think it made everyone sneeze.
76. I have never owned a key to my parent’s house (the house I lived in from 7th grade on). Hence, we never, ever locked a door.
77. My parents had my ears pierced when I was an infant, thus it was always an expectation that I wear earrings all of the time.
78. The elderly make me terribly sad.
79. My middle name is Louise after my great Aunt Louise.
80. There are 5 other “Louises” in my family.
81. Aunt Louise’s first name was actually Harriett.
82. The Pioneer Woman is my favorite blog.
83. I would totally drive a minivan.
84. I am prone to leaving the lid to the toilet up, but I’m working on putting it down…
85. My favorite number has always been 9. No idea why.
86. My mom’s first name is Mary, but she goes by Mollie.
87. I cheered at Samford my freshman year of college.
88. I broke my nose cheering my freshman year of college when an 80lb. flier fell out of a stunt and onto my face- with her elbow.
89. My sister and I are 2 years and 1 day apart. However, I was born in California late at night and she was born in Georgia (just a few weeks after we moved) early in the morning- so if we had still been in CA, it would have been the same day.
90. Until this year, I had never been to any doctor who was a female.
91. My most embarrassing moment took place in front of hundreds of parents, coaches and high school cheerleaders during an All-American run-off at cheerleading camp.
92. Every birthday party I had growing up was one of three things: a spend-the-night party (combined with Ashley and her friends, of course), a gymnastics party (combined with Ashley and her friends, of course) or a pool party (this was my choice as I got older and they weren’t always combined).
93. Growing up, we frequently had gerbils as pets. Until we woke up one morning to find that one gerbil had eaten the other one. Not kidding.
94. I have never attended a public school. Kind of a shame, huh?
95. I have 1,222 facebook friends.
96. Of my facebook friends, 11 are my past teachers.
97. I love headbands.
98. I wish I had dimples.
99. When I worked at summer day camp in middle/high school, one kid asked me why I had feathers on my arms and another kid asked why I had boy arms. Thus, I’m incredibly self-conscious about my hairy arms.
100. This took me a long, long time.
     

what do you think?

Ok, so I have a dilemma. Sort of. Here's the thing... David and I have been talking about getting either a nice new camera (probably a Nikon D80) or a puppy (a Maltipoo preferably :)).

We just found out the D80 is being discontinued, so that is a factor, but not a deal breaker. I've been wanting a dog on and off for months and months... actually since I graduated from college, so close to 2 years. So tell us... what do you think?? There's a poll right here:

OH, and comment to say why you voted for what you did.

(Thanks to Sarah for co-writing this post :))

Seriously, God?

When David and I started dating, I met this girl Sara. At the time she was dating David's best friend, so it was natural that we all would hang out. Little did I know what the Lord had in store for our relationship. This girl has blessed me in more ways than she knows. Pretty much every time we talk we are reminded of how random it is that we're even friends- not to mention that we are really, really similar, get along incredibly well and have this dynamic friendship from the Lord. She has lived in Thailand for the past year and a half, and we've kept in touch on-and-off, but the other day she encouraged me and challenged me more than anyone on this side of the continent. She sent me an email (that included the most beautiful and perfect prayer for me) and wrote this blog post. She said a bunch of super sweet things about us and then said she is jealous... jealous. of me. I didn't even know what to think at first. Then, I thought two things:

1. How encouraging.

Someone that I know in such a random, distant way thinks so highly of me- though I don't deserve it. Shoot, even that she reads my blog is encouraging :).

2. I am such a sinner.

Just re-reading her email and her blog, these were words about myself that came to mind: ungrateful.

cavalier.

lukewarm.

mediocre.

complacent.

lazy.

There is nothing in me or about me that is beautiful or praiseworthy. NOTHING. except Jesus. Not only do I forget to dwell on that and praise Him for it- I ignore it altogether.

Sarah said (about me and David), "God has been so good to them, and it's a testimony to how he loves his children and how he wants the best for them when you look at their lives." Absolutely true. Yet, look at how I live- totally ungrateful! The Lord has done/is doing things in our lives that are apparent even to someone on the other side of the planet, and here I sit. lukewarm.

Becca recently reminded me of our need to confess our sins, and though this is a slightly (ok, more than slightly) impersonal way to do that, it is incredible accountability for me to post my sins on the internet. Hold me accountable. Challenge me. Encourage me and David to be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:11).

And... on a lighter note... here are a few awkward, random pictures of the first time I met Sara (and Andy and Hannah- the gang that grew up together), in Oxford, 2005:

Does it get more awkward than this?? I submit no.

Though it looks like I'm giving Sara the evil eye, I think I was watching the boys playing behind her. Promise!

Dave and Hannah

We played (what's this game called?)... Sara and I were horrible. But it was fun!

And finally... this picture of me and Sara (from the summer of 2006) is hanging on our fridge now!

Love this girl and I am SO thankful for her!

grandparent visit

What a fabulous weekend (I'm sure you're sick of hearing that by now)! Saturday afternoon, David's grandparents came to town, and we had a blast together. They brought the leftover shredded beef that we missed out on Christmas Eve and we feasted! I had never had "the meal", but now I'm hooked too. We just sat around and talked for hours, and it was so much fun!

David and the g'rents. One final check of their directions...

Me and my grandparents :). We were freezing! It started flurrying as they were leaving! I was jealous that they were heading to Sanibel for 2 months!

Chester the dog, who was along for the trip also. He was such a good house guest!

David and Grandpa Dale. Two cuties!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my dad's birthday! Once again, it's weird being away for special events in our families lives, but we're adjusting. For his birthday David and I gave him "coupons" for a fun weekend in Chattanooga, and he's cashing them in next weekend! We can't wait for them to come visit.

the real deal

I grew up with technically 3 living grandparents. My mom's mom lived in California most of her life, and my dad's dad and step-mom were in Virginia. Since neither California or Virginia are very close geographically to Georgia, we didn't see them much. Christmas was spent in Virginia, but that was never often enough. We tried to make trips to California every now and then, but it was quite a feat. So, suffice it to say, I didn't really "have" grandparents as a part of my life growing up. All that has changed though :). David had 3 wonderful grandparents growing up. His dad's mom just passed away in 2007, and his mom's parents are alive and wonderful. They live near Oxford and are very involved in our lives. I have for so long desired a relationship with grandparents, and now I have the real deal. Grandma and Grandpa are coming to Chattanooga tomorrow! They are driving down to Sanibel Island to spend a couple of months (!!), and Chattanooga is conveniently on the way. We are SO excited to see them and have them in our home for a night.

Here they are dancing away at our reception. How cute are they?!

Debo

I had dinner last night with the most precious friend. Deb worked with us at CVP in 2006 and she is wonderful! I worked in the office that summer, but I got to know her through our small group. She has such a passion for the Lord, and it is so encouraging to spend time wit her! She is living in Chattanooga and going to grad school at UTC for some Englishy degree. We definitley don't hang out often enough, and last night was a good reminder of that! Deb, you're awesome! We love you!

PS- David calls Deb "Debo" ... I think it annoys her :)
PPS- sick picture of us... but oh well

confirmation

After we moved to town, got married and began to settle down a little, David and I hunkered down to start the dreaded (for me at least) "church shopping" process. I say it is dreaded only because Chattanooga has so many wonderful churches that we knew it was going to be a hard decision, and also because we both were/are so ready to be connected to a church body. Honestly, we probably didn't do our shopping process due diligence because we found what we were looking for pretty quickly.

I've talked several times about Calvary Chapel and the exciting things going on there. We've continued to enjoy our time in worship, and with the new year upon us David and I have been looking for ways to get involved and serve in the church. David has signed up for parking lot duty and I've volunteered to help in the children's ministry. I talked to the director (of the children's ministry) yesterday, and he really confirmed some of the things we love about Calvary. He reminded me that the desire of the church is for people to experience Christ through worship and the Word and grow in their relationship with him. Then, as a response to that relationship, feel called to give and serve- both of their time and their resources. This is why the church doesn't pass the plate and doesn't actively solicit volunteers. It works, folks! They have people giving generously (to the giving boxes that are available) and volunteering to serve- because that is the desire of their heart, not because they feel obligated or expected to. What a refreshing way to approach the practical needs of ministry!

phone photos

This is a really random post, but I'm trying to post every day this week...

My boss (and good friend) at Samford, Sheri gave me this orchid for Valentine's Day 2007, and until today it has never bloomed. I pretty much have a black thumb when it comes to growing things, so I've done a pretty shoddy job of keeping this bad boy alive. So you can imagine my excitement (and surprise) when I came in this morning to a bloom! I'm thrilled! I hope it keeps growing! (Any watering advice for orchids?? I have no clue what I'm doing.)

This little girl came to my office on Monday!! The Rochas were in Chicago for 2 whole weeks and we missed them terribly, so as soon as they were back and had an opportunity, Becca & Kate stopped by! I've talked to everyone at work about them a ton, so they were so excited to meet them. Especially Kate. All the ladies wanted to hold her and love on her, and I mean who wouldn't?! You might wonder why she's laying on newspaper though... she kind of had an explosive accident and in the unpacking frenzy, Becca forgot the changing pad. No worries though, newspaper makes a great substitute and Kate didn't mind one bit. OH how I love that baby girl.

bestest friends

David and Andy

Best friends since they were approx. 5.

They bathed together until they were 15ish... TMI?

David always refers to Andy as "my best friend, Andy".

Andy is on staff with Athletes in Action at Virginia Tech as of today.

If you want to get D started talking, just ask him to tell you Rhodenbaugh stories.

Every, and I mean every story of David's childhood includes the fact that Andy was there.

Andy has been a spiritual role model in David's life and continues to provide such encouragement to us. He is never without a kind word or a challenging thought. He stopped by for a couple of hours on Saturday night on his way through town, and you would have thought David hadn't seen him in years - he got so giddy. He loves that guy so much. We are thankful for you, Andy! Hope the outfit worked out for you :)

surprise day trip

I have an amazing husband.

I was a little bummed because David was off work last Friday (Jan. 2) but I wasn't. This never happens! I hated that we were so close to having a great opportunity to do something fun but not quite there. Little did I know... David talked to my boss and took the day off for me! He surprised me with a fun day trip to Atlanta! We have driven through Atlanta a ton and I've obviously been there plenty of times (being that I'm from Columbus), but we've been talking recently about all of the neat things we want to do that are close by. David planned out the perfect day to do most of those things!

Stop 1: Bodies: The Exhibition

David and I have been wanting to see this exhibit for several years! It was super cool, but definitely not for those with a weak stomach. Even I got a little weirded out by the real human bodies that were intact. If you don't know what I'm talking about- check out the website.

The part on veins was the coolest:

(photos courtesy of Google Images... you weren't allowed to take pictures inside the exhibit)

Stop 2: IKEA
This stop wasn't part of David's plan, but we were so close we had to go! Neither of us had been to an Ikea before, but we've been wanting to! We picked up a few small things for around the house, but we mostly just gawked and awed over how massive the store is!

Stop 3: The Varsity
Every time we drive through Atlanta on our way to Columbus, we pass the Varsity and I remind David that he needs to eat there! He planned our day perfectly and it included a yummy, greasy lunch at the Varsity!
Stop 4: The GA Aquarium
Yet another place David and I have been wanting to go! Unfortunately, so did every other person in Georgia... It was cold and rainy, but we stood outside in line for tickets anyway.

Even though there were a babillion people there, the exhibits were really cool. Since this place opened up, I've been talking about wanting to see the whales. Seeing them made the entire trip worthwhile! They had three Beluga whales that were incredible! We could have watched them roll around for hours (once again, I apologize for my crappy camera...):

This was the tunnel you walked through under the tank with all of the sharks.

If you think we look nice and damp it's because we were.

The coolest thing we saw were the Whale Sharks. They even beat the Belugas.



Stop 5: The Cheesecake Factory
Last stop of the day! David's favorite restaurant is The Cheesecake Factory, and he's been missing eating there since I left Birmingham. I love it too, mostly because they make my favorite dessert in the world- Linda's Fudge Cake.

After all of the activities of our day, we were pooped! We drove home and crashed (well that and took down our Christmas decorations). We had such a blast just spending time with each other and doing new things together!