Johnson Hagood here we come!!!!

This where I will be camped out all day today....GO BULLDOGS!!!!!! We're in Charleston to cheer on our beloved Citadel Bulldogs. I will have plenty of pictures with the Bug in her Citadel-themed romper!!!! Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!!

It pays to be honest.....

Award time! Award time! I love getting presents....even in blogland....
The Wife over at The Cobia Family so lovingly gave me the Honest Scrap award!! Thank you GMC!!! I absolutely love her blog and love her addiction to monograms even more!!! She is an elementary school teacher and when you read her blog, you will WISH your kids could have an adorable teacher like herself!!!
The more and more I blog the more I just become addicted! It's such an awesome way for me to pour my heart out. Even if no one read it, I would still do it and hope that Georgia can read it someday and know how much I loved her and how much joy she and her daddy bring to my life..... I am supposed to pass this onto 7 bloggers...but like The Wife, that's an awful lot so I am going to do a few....maybe it's blogillegal to change up the rules, but hey, I'm just being honest.
So here are two blogs that I love and I think you will love them too.........
1. Leslee over at Love Leslee
**She totally deserves this award for so unselfishly documenting their journey while trying to conceive an angel....I know she is such an inspiration to other women in her situation. Thank you Leslee for your strength!!**
2. dreaming in pink and green
** Love this blog! She's too cute and just started grad school!! Best of luck pink and green!!**
Here are the rules for the award.....
1) Thank the blogger that gave you award. Thank you, GMC! I love following you and thank you for following me!!
2) Share 10 things that your blog readers may not know about you. hmm....this may be difficult as I am pretty much an open book but I'll try....
3) Pass the award onto 7 fellow bloggers (or your own desired number as I did)

So here are the ten things you might not know about me....

1. I was in Spelling Bees growing up. LOVE to spell and like to think that it's a great quality I possess. I would personally guarantee this has come from my love of reading. What better way to expand your vocabulary? (Note to self: make sure I triple check this post for grammatical errors)

2. I met my husband when I was 18 and dated all through college. LONG DISTANCE the first 2 1/2 years at that!! I'd like to say that's a big feat these days!

3. I want to be famous. Ha! Seriously. One year I asked Raymond if he would hire some people to follow me around like the paparazzi. Then, when people saw the paparazzi following me, they would assume I'm famous. I wish I were joking.

4. I own a clothing business with my best friend. The name of it is Formosa:Curvy Couture. Formosa meaning voluptuous in Italian. It's fitting, right? (No pun intended)

5. I am so over Facebook. I think the older generation has taken over. I may get SHOT for posting this on my blog, but I miss the "old" days when I could put all my crazy pictures on there and not worry about my mom's cohorts seeing them. Thank goodness my mom is anti-facebook. There are just some places parents don't need to be.

6. Raymond and I have nicknames for each other. I never ever hear my real name in my household. But now, I am usually called "Mama" by him and it just makes my heart melt. Either way, the only time I am ever called by my real name is when I am in trouble {i.e. "unauthorized shopping sprees ; )! }

7. I missed my calling as a therapist. The only reason I never followed through? I can't cut it off. I take the world on my shoulders. I would love to eventually work with rehabbing addicts. That's an area that fascinates me (Intervention, anyone?)

8. I have a lot of friends. That may seem like a boastful statement but what I mean is that I stay in touch with all of my friends. I have friends from early childhood and can proudly say some of my oldest and dearest friends have known me some for 10 years, some for 20. I think it's hard to stay in touch with those you've grown up with, but I wouldn't trade my girls for anything in the world.

9. I am territorial. I'm like a lioness and my friends and loved ones are my cubs. I think I get this from my mama. She is the most kindhearted person I know, but mess with her babies and you better run for the hills. I have known to go apes**t on someone who threatens a member of Camp Hamilton. What does this mean for you? Just stay on my good side and you will have no worries! Ha!

10. I hate nature. I hate being outdoors. I hate camping. This includes sports. (Sorry Raymond) Nature and I broke up a long time ago and it was an ugly breakup. We have not been amicable since. I have grown to love (tolerate) football and hunting (okay, so just fourwheelin')because they are a just a few PASSIONS of my husband. Plus, the tailgating and socializing of football isn't too bad ; ) I get better and better every season. I'll get there....

Well there you have it...hope you're enlightened.

Love,

Charlotte

Beverly Hills What A Thrill......

If you recognize the title of my post, you know that it comes from one of the greatest movies of the 80's.....TROOP BEVERLY HILLS!!!! Shelley Long is a Beverly Hills diva who decides to become the troop mother for her daughter's girl scout troop. She learns the ups and downs of mothering (yes ma'am) and camping (no thank you!) in a two hour time span- all the while, winning back her ex-husband who left her for a younger floozy!! How can a movie get any better than that?!?!?
Well, tonight, I had my own Troop Beverly Hills moment. It was our first meeting for our Girl Scout troop out at the Department of Juvenile Justice (hereafter known as DJJ). I have 8 girls in my Wednesday troop and tonight, I was walking into a lion's den ya'll, and that's putting it mildly.
Let me back up- I am not complaining- I CHOSE this- this is my placement that I believe was God's divine intervention in my life. Every year, we get to pick our top placement choices (and is then delegated by the upper board members which one you end up with) which is where you will serve out your year in the Junior League. Well, apparently, I think I have all this free time on my hands and I bit off a big ole' hunk of this Charleston Chew (it's a candy bar ya'll) and I chose Behind the Fences: Girls Scouts and DJJ. It's a brand new project to the league this year so there is no template; therefore, this has become my baby. I, along with my co-chairs, are sculpting this baby from the get go......so fast forward 6 months......here we are starting the troop meetings.....
Tonight I walk in ready to Carpe Diem! with all of these girls. We were so proud of our meeting and the curriculum that we had planned out!.....needless to say, they were unmotivated, unimpressed, lackadaisical, and, to put it mildly, downright sabotaging to all of our efforts. These girls were so hard and so mad and just so p***** off at the world. I was totally in my element. If not before, God was truly calling down to me at this moment and letting me shine through. This is my dream. I feel as though I have a gift for "breaking" the weary. First, I was asked if my teeth were fake (PRICELESS) then I was asked how many babies (my body may look like more, but sadly, only one to show for it!) I had and how did I keep myself looking so young...(even though I am only 24, this was a huge compliment). There were several who told me my craft and activity were stupid and they weren't tasting my snack because it looked nasty and gross....however, by the end, I had all the girls coloring and crafting and even more importantly all of them trying my snack which was "ants on a log"...how can you beat that?!?! The fact that I had broken through to these precious angels brought tears to my eyes. I cried the whole way home. These girls, although appearing tough and unenthused, truly longed and yearned for my attention and praise. And there is no one in this world that wants to give it to them more than I do. Tonight I realized that not all us have an unconditionally loving household- not all of us have a household period- I came home tonight and squeezed my bug so much tighter and kissed Raymond that much harder. I know how blessed I am and I can't wait to get back to those girls and love them that much more. I feel so amazingly honored to have been given this ability and position and I look forward to learning so much from these girls who have so much to give.....
I look forward to giving you more updates on all of our progress!!!

Love the one you're with,
Charlotte

As promised....

My wedding day was everything and more that I dreamed of. I am so thankful to have had my fantasy day played out in real life right before my eyes. I was able to marry the man of my dreams which started this whole crazy ride. My brother gave me away in his Citadel uniform- an image which I know my granddaddy was smiling down on- we had all (28) members of our bridal party- all of whom we care so much about- standing up there with us as we said our vows. The love in that church that day was a mighty force to be reckoned with. The bagpiper piped me down the aisle to "Highland Cathedral", one of the most magical moments in itself- seeing Raymond down the aisle waiting on me is something I will never forget. I was so nervous- me? in front of a crowd, and nervous??? Never in my life would I have conjured that thought on my own!! One of my (and I owe it all to my mama) all time favorite highlights is surprising Raymond with a custom made dance floor that was the mirror image of the quad in the barracks at The Citadel- the smile on his face was worth it all....only to top it off he finally noticed I had died my shoes "Bulldog Blue" (not to be confused with Carolina blue, tarheels!!) It all remains a standing image in my mind and every now and then my dreams take me back to that romantic day-and when I am oh so lucky, sometimes, the remnants of some ole' beach music lulls as the soundtrack......

You know you're comfortably married when.....

So our nice dinner at Cypress was amazing. We were given a bottle of champagne from another table that knew it was our anniversary and then a few drinks on the house. Our meal was amazing, from the Crispy Oysters, the fresh corn chowder, the Red Snapper a top Johns Island butter beans, okra and tomatoes, to the Braised Beef with fresh grilled veggies, homemade marbled cheesecake to the very best part my Chocolate Souffle with freshly whipped cream. My mouth is still watering. Our service was impeccable and we could not have chosen a better place to spend our night. Here are a few pictures...... They wrote Happy Anniversary on the white chocolate, if you squint, you can see it....

However, the rest of the weekend didn't turn out quite like I had expected. I woke up Saturday with what we thought might be food poisoning until it lasted until, well, it's still here on Tuesday. I am at home for my second day today making sure my distance is not more than a few inches from the water closet. I spent all day Sunday in the Urgent Care hooked up to IV's getting bags of fluid pumped into me because I was so dehydrated. I saved my arm bracelet because it has our wedding date on it. You know you're comfortably married, and with the one who loves you the most when all he cares about is making you feel better, despite ruining the best made plans. Hopefully next year will be much better : )

Love,

One Sick Mama

We made it a year!!

So this weekend is our one year anniversary!! We made it a WHOLE year! HA! And for those of you doing the math....yes, Georgia was a honeymoon baby ; ) We are headed to Charleston and are looking forward to a glorious weekend. While down there we are double dutying it and going to one of Raymond's friends wedding. I am so excited because it is at The Summerall Chapel on The Citadel campus (the hub's Alma Mater) and it is just so beautiful.....I will have lots of pictures! I will also celebrate our anniversary with posting some pictures of our wedding highlights....GET EXCITED!!!!! I couldn't bid adieu without posting some pictures of the Bug...there are quite a few but I realized I hadn't put any on here in a while....so sit back and enjoy.....she's growing like a weed and pulling in at a whopping 14 lbs ; ) She has the most contagious little smile. I didn't know warmth in your heart existed like this until I met her......

She acts so confused....she should KNOW better by now as to what to do when Mama whips out the camera!!

Cheesin'

Nice Bug, I like the tummy hanging over the diaper......

It's amazing how at such a young age, she already has several different smiles.....

My favorite...dipping into the Mojitos......

Looking at yours truly....of course.....

hmm...lemme think about this......


Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!! Stay tuned for wedding highlights and another GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

Love,

Charlotte

Nobody puts Baby in a corner......

Patrick Swayze

August 18, 1952- September 14, 2009Everyone has their movie that brings them back to a time in their childhood. Well, Dirty Dancing is that for me. All I wanted for my 4th birthday was this movie (on VHS, yikes!). My Dad and I would dance in the front yard and he would toss me around just like Jennifer Grey. Raymond even gave me the Anniversary edition a few years ago for my birthday. This movie encompasses everything I remember about my childhood, and I will always love Patrick Swayze (my Johnny!) for that. May he always rest in peace.

St Augustine

This weekend we took Raymond's Aunt for a weekend getaway to St. Augustine. She has always taken all of the cousins on their own trips when they were growing up, and she took such good care of Raymond when he was at The Citadel. Her house has always been an open-door policy and we could not be more grateful to her for her unending hospitality. We arrived in St. Augustine and did some sightseeing, had an amazing dinner, did some serious shopping, "Spa Dazing", and indulging in some vino and beach time. It was an amazing weekend to say the least, and one that we will always remember and cherish. Bug did not make the trip but she did get to play hookie with Swoozie. We had a great time away but were chomping at the bit to get back to her on Sunday. She is smiling like crazy and starting to teethe so this makes it that much harder to be away from her. Before, it was a little easier, because I felt she didn't know if we were there or not....but now, her face lights up when I walk in the room or when I sing to her and it just aches to be away from her for one more second than I have to....... Dinner at The Conk House. I had Lobster Mac and Cheese. Yes, it was as good as it sounds.

Sisterly Love.

Big Daddy and myself

Touring Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest Fort in America. We also toured the Cathedral but I didn't take any pictures in there. It was really enlightening to be in the oldest city in America. Plus, the cars on the beach were interesting as well! (One thing I could stand to never see again!)

A good time was had by all.....

Love,

Charlotte

What I've Been Up To.......

That's right....my ladybug is starting to teethe. Understand why I have been absent??? When I get home from work, all I want to do is hold my angel instead of throwing her in the swing. Being gone from her all day when I get home, I (gasp) hardly want to blog. I promise to do better!!!! Despite Bug being a hot mess all day (bless her teachers' hearts), she is sleeping like a champ. So Thank goodness for Baby Orajel....it has literally saved our lives.

Next up...some new pictures and some updates from our trip this weekend.....

Six Degrees from anyone in Columbia.....

So many things to post....FIRST....Erin over at Blue-Eyed Bride and I have been exchanging emails for a while now. I am such a faithful follower of hers and she has the cutest blog!! She is such a daily inspiration to me- in blog world and in the real world. We both realized that we live in the same town, and are both in the Junior League. We have also vowed to get together for some play dates when our babies get a little older. Her precious Hudson is 4 days younger than Bug and I would love nothing more than my angel to meet a wonderful Southern gentleman! WELL, last night when I was at our Kickoff Junior League meeting, this beautiful, bright eyed girl walked up to me, and I immediately knew who she was!!!!! It was my blog friend!!! I couldn't believe we were meeting like this! All I could do was hug her!! She was even cuter in person!! I am so happy we have now met and I look forward to many more times!
This brings me to a quick thought, and I promise, it will be quick....I started this blog as a way of reaching out to the masses of family members to keep up with my pregnancy. It suddenly became so much more for me and I ran with it and have never looked back. I have "met" so many wonderful women and made so many friends. Erin, for example, is a wonderful example of a Godly woman, and she inspired Raymond and myself to find a church where we would not only walk in and walk out of a service, but find a Sunday school class that we love and can grow in. She and her husband have a wonderful balance going on. I read so many women's blogs everyday and sometimes I am in tears reading someoneelse's situation and realizing how small my problems are, and sometimes I find myself laughing hysterically at how similar my life and rants are to others....it's such a small world. I enourage all of you to pray with and pray for, commune with and uplift, all of the women that you encounter. Kelly over at Kelly's Korner constantly reminds all of us mamas and women to build each other up and support each other in all that we do. There is too much judgment in all other aspects of out lives that we need to unite in this.....okay, enough!!
I do want to leave you with a few images. Tonight is my husband's dream night, his three favorite girls and the beginning of college football season!!!! Other than fried green tomatoes (and okra), grits, bourbon and horse racing, college football is something that a Southern lady MUST love and follow!!! Tonight the Gamecocks faceoff agains the Wolfpack!!! Go USC!!!

Today more than ever I missed my little one and so tonight I literally held her in my arms from the moment I picked her up from nursery until she went to bed- I just didn't want to miss a moment. Neither did Tellie, as you can see below.......... This picture is from this morning when Georgia was obviously ready for her feeding- and if you know Raymond, this picture is so appropriate- he LOVES to mess with his girls!! He is forever a teaser and it gets on my everloving last nerve sometimes....I am sure Georgia will come to get just as aggravated as her mama!!!! I think she thought his big ole' nose was her bottle!!!! Love it....

Tonight was so wonderful kicking off SEC football with my family!! It's such an exciting time and we look forward to an exciting football season!!! Saturday is the Tigers!! Can't wait!!!! Hope you all have a FABULOUS FRIDAY!!!!!!! Until next time...........

Warmly,

Charlotte

Slacker Status

So I have officially entered into the status of blog slacker!!!! It makes me so mad because I lose all track of time and realize it's been a week in between posts!! I miss all of my blogging babes!!! To make up for it I am posting some pictures of the last few days!!! Here's my sweet baby in her daddy's arms.....she looks like she's got something she's cooking up her sleeve!!!!

Before Church in her CITADEL blue smocked dress from Aunt Gail!!!! It looks so beautiful on her!!!

Enjoying Mexican!! OLE!!!!!

One too many margaritas for Georgia.......

The waitstaff really took to her!!! I guess they know a good thing when they see one!!!

Ahhhhhh.....last but not least, my dear baby daddy mowing our grass......yes we live in the "country" But that's a WHOLE 'nother day and a whole 'nother post. You can't take the city out of this girl!! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Ours was so relaxing! It was so nice to have some uninterrupted time with my three favorite people (yes, I consider Tellie a person). The game on Friday night was so fun and the Wildcats really brought it!!! The precious color guard girls LOVED Georgia and were all googly eyed over it. I think I have officially transpired into an "old woman" and this suddenly occurred to me when the cute "little" high schoolers (who all had their bodies painted BTW) were saying "Ya'll! Move out of the way! Lady with a baby coming through!!" And when I said thank you, they replied "Yes ma'am".......hmmm....ma'am???.....yes ma'am I heard him right. It was priceless. At least they had respect and called me ma'am. Their mamas would be proud.

On Sunday at Church during the offering they showed a video of a recent mission trip to Haiti. It made my heart swell- and my eyes as well with tears- and made me miss my days of mission work so terribly much. These children and women in this video were so incredibly happy with absolutely nothing. I seemingly forgot about all of my trivial problems and found myself begging for God to intervene and calm my troubles. In middle and high school we went on so many mission trips and I have such proud and fond memories of those times. It was such a peaceful time in my life....it really lit a fire in my heart and even though I can't be ripping off to Haiti any time soon, it has inspired me to become a more faithful servant in my daily walk with Christ. I think that's a struggle that most people have and I hope that through our Bible small group and fellowship that this struggle will slowly dissipate. First step this week, I am going to attempt to be more diligent with my prayers- we all have so much to be grateful for....

Hope this week is off to a wonderful start for all of you!!!

Love,

Charlotte

Yippee Ki Yay It's My 3 Month Birthday!!!

That's right ya'll....my precious little ladybug turns 3 months old today!!! I can't believe it! Just three months ago I delivered this adorable little ball of fun!! I never in a million years would have dreamed of loving someone as much as I love her..... My sweet little Junebug,
Mama loves you more than you will ever know! You have brought so much joy and love into my life in the three short months that you have been here on this Earth. Thank you for making your Daddy and I the happiest two people. We truly felt like we have been floating on Cloud 999 the past few months watching you grow and develop. We can't wait for all the wonderful memories that we will create together!
I love you always sweet girl.