All you need is love

This weekend was a pretty eventful one for some friends of ours. First of all, our friends Bobby and Keever got married yesterday in Meridian. It was extra special to us because they actually met at our wedding and have been together every since.

If you haven't heard about the fight at our reception, it was Bobby who got beat up and pushed down the concrete stairs outside the Cultural Center. But he really did deserve it after being so drunk that he was pulling girls' skirts up on the dance floor. I think he just messed with the wrong guy's girlfriend, and that's all it took for a swift punch in the face. Needless to say, it was quite a memory for all of us. Too bad that part's not on video. And we don't have any pictures of it, either, but the one above kinda sets the stage. That was about 5 minutes before the fight. You can see Bobby being obnoxious on the right, and Keever's actually the one in the back of the group of girls almost wrestling for the bouquet. :)

And here they were yesterday as bride and groom...

We got a nice shout-out at the reception for "introducing" them, even though we really had nothing to do with it. Nevertheless, I don't mind taking credit for match made in heaven. :)

And also, I'm very excited to say that my best friend Cassidy is ENGAGED!!!! John proposed Thursday night on the beach, and they're planning on getting married next July. They started dating just a few months after Derek and I did, and I love them together. Their five-year anniversary is next weekend, so he surprised her a couple of weeks ahead of time. I'm so happy for her and can't wait until the wedding.

Here's a pic of the happy couple. :)

I just love it when things work out, and this weekend was a perfect example of that. These are four people who deserve a happy ending, and it looks like that's just what they've gotten in the Book of Love. :)

I'm a dancing queen!

So, after watching "So You Think You Can Dance?" last night and going to my Zumba class today, I do think that I have some rhythm. I'm nowhere near ready for Broadway just yet, but when it's just me in front of a mirror or anything that shows my reflection, I'm a dancing machine.

I really did take dancing lessons from 3 years old until about 10th grade, and I loved it. There's no better way to stay in shape than just listening to good music and shaking your groove thang. It's really empowering.

If you've never heard of Zumba, it's a lot of fun. Our gym offers it, and it's a cross between a little hip-hop and salsa. The music's loud, the steps are pretty easy to pick up, and it's a GREAT way to end the week. The class is at 5:30, and I try to go every time, even if I don't make it to the gym any other day during the week. You work your butt off and walk out of the class soaked with sweat. But it's all done with a smile on your face because you really feel like you can shake your stuff, and it's soooo much fun.

Now, I'll probably wake up tomorrow sore again from working muscles that haven't been used in a few weeks (I've skipped the last two classes), but that's okay. My dancing skills are improving, and hopefully I'm shedding a few pounds while I'm doing it. :)

Beautiful Birthday Girl!

Today we're celebrating Izzy Girl's birthday. I'm actually not quite sure when her actual birthday is, but I do know that I adopted her at 6 weeks old right before school started my senior year of college in 2002. That makes that pretty girl SIX years old!

When my roommates and I decided we wanted a pet for our apartment, we adopted two sister kittens, a pink and gray one that was mine and a yellow and white one that was Katie's. We named them both Isabella and called them Izzy and Bella. When we saw them at the adoption center, they both had on cute little Garfield handkerchiefs. How could you not fall in love with these precious things?

Izzy was the runt, but she made up for it by gaining some weight, and now she's a little chubby, but that's just more to love! We've battled the weight-gain issue most of her life, and I usually put her on diet food at least once a year. It doesn't matter to her, though. As long as there's food in that silver bowl, she's happy. And believe me, she'll let you know when she's not, too. :)

If you've never met this cat, she's the most un-catlike cat ever. She comes to the door when I get home from work and she LOVES some lap-sitting. If you let her, she'll cuddle right up on your chest at bedtime and snooze away. She's so incredibly sweet and one of a kind. She doesn't sleep with us anymore because I'm super allergic to cats. I knew this when I got her, but I just couldn't say no to that sweet face when she wanted to share my pillow.

This baby girl has traveled all over Mississippi - from my apartment in Hattiesburg to Jackson to live with her sister, Bella, while I was moving, then to my apartment in Vicksburg, my house in Vicksburg, and then to Jackson. She's even spent a week with my parents while Derek and I were in New York.

We introduced her to her brother, Bentley, three years ago, and I thought it was about to be World War III around our house with both of them. But she got used to him, and now they're the best of friends because he opens all the doors in the house when we're not home so she can nap on the beds.

I have to say, Izzy has been my sweet baby girl now for most of my adult life, and I love her for that. She's as sweet as they come, and everyone who meets her just falls in love. I really do think some people come to visit us just to get some Izzy-lovin. :)

So, Happy Birthday, Izzy Bella Marie Bice-Grey! Our world wouldn't be the same without you.

A little updating never hurts

So, with inspiration from Meredith, I ventured out and changed my layout. I hope everyone likes it! :)

I headed back to the gym today after about a week and a half off because of total exhaustion from softball. We played our third game last night and actually WON 8-7! It's really a lot more fun when you win, amazingly enough. Now we're getting the hang of it and really playing pretty well as a team. It just took us a couple of games to get warmed up, I think.

Not much else is new our way. We're still a little pink from the weekend, although not nearly as red and miserable as Neighbor Ben. Ugh... Sunburns hurt. I've just been trying to keep lotion on my face and shoulders so I don't start peeling. I think peeling is just as bad as burning sometimes. It's annoying, and it itches, and it's ugly. So maybe the lotion will help keep me bronzed and beautiful. Ha!

I forgot to mention that a mama bird made a nest in my flower arrangement in the carport, and now the baby birdies have their eyes open and are chirping all the time for food. They're not very pretty actually. And if you think about it, they haven't learned how to fly yet, so all bathroom business is done in the nest. Gross... and somebody will have to clean all that out when mama bird decides to take the babies and leave her humble abode. Guess that will be me. Joy. I guess I'll just take it as a compliment that the mama thought my fake flowers and pine straw looked so realistic that she wanted to make them her home. Now if only she would clean up her mess when she flies the coop. :)

A Fantastic Fourth

This long holiday weekend has been wonderful. We're worn out, sunburned and enjoying a lazy Sunday on the couch watching it rain. We had a great weekend out at Eagle Lake. It started with some boat-riding on Friday afternoon followed by some good food and a fantastic fireworks show that my father-in-law did. The show lasted about 20 minutes, and we all sat on the pier and oohed and ahhed as the colors lit up the sky. The patriotic cd that Ben made really seemed like it timed out perfectly with the fireworks, too! I even think everyone else on the lake stopped what they were doing to watch from their piers and boats. It was great to have a "private" show so big that the whole lake could enjoy.

After the fireworks, we all headed to Chotard for my favorite lake band, Magnolias and Moonshine. This band is a real treat, especially with their American flag outfits that they wear annually just for this holiday. Here I am with Katherine boogieing to the band. No, we're not the only ones on the dance floor, but we tried to stay at the front so they could clearly see who their biggest fans were. :)

Saturday we all slept in and then got the boat decorated for the boat parade. This is one of my favorite things at Eagle Lake. Everyone who's there for the weekend either rides on a boat or sits and watches from their piers. Supposedly there are winners every year, but we have yet to figure out who the judges are and what you get if you win. Nevertheless, we were super patriotic this year, complete with Katherine dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. Here are a few pics.

Katie and Derek decorating the boat for the parade...

Tina and I riding. Yes, that's an American flag bikini top I'm wearing, and no, I don't think it's that trashy. Fourth of July only comes once a year!

Lady Liberty herself assuming the position as our nation's most famous landmark...

As you can see, a good time was had by all. Now if all of our temporary tattoos will wash off, life will be good! :)

I'm really not a hypochondriac, I promise...

Well, last week I was convinced that Derek had West Nile virus.

All the symptoms were there - well, really just fatigue and sore muscles. He's never really been one to be sore after a good workout, especially now that we've actually been going to the gym. Nevertheless, he was complaining of his legs hurting all week long. And I guess working at the Department of Health doesn't help matters since diseases are talked about all day long, along with the thought that most people are walking around with diseases (like West Nile) and don't even know it.

Now, after we played softball game No. 2 last night, I can rest assured that it wasn't West Nile. I think it was a case of just using muscles that haven't been used in a while. We're both hurting today. Bad. Derek's pitched both games, and last night before the game even started he pulled a muscle in his leg. It's not his hamstring, I don't think. I think it may be his quadriceps? I don't really know my muscle groups, obviously. Anyways, by the end of the game he was hurting pretty bad in BOTH legs. I played catcher (or tried to) last night, and after one inning of squatting, I spent the rest of the game with my legs feeling like Jello. Today I'm hobbling.

Anyways, I'm glad Derek doesn't have West Nile. Now if we could just get our muscles to agree that more exercise is better, then life will be good. In the meantime, they (the muscles) just want to sit on the couch. And I'm really not fighting them on this one. :)

Pool time pageant party

So, this weekend we spent Saturday afternoon lounging in a 2-foot-deep baby pool in Katherine's backyard. It might not sound like much, but it's plenty of water to keep you cool on a hot afternoon. Too bad it really wasn't that hot, though. In fact, after it rained for about an hour, it was actually not hot at all. The water was almost chilly after that. It still felt good, though. The whole plan was to have a pool party/pageant party to watch Miss Mississippi, but what started with a crowd of about eight of us had dwindled down to only four by pageant time. Of course, I LOVE watching pageants, so the fewer people to distract me, the better. :)

Being a past pageant "professional" myself, (NOT in competing, but in covering it for the newspaper - Ha!) I really was not that impressed this year. Even my Granny, who ALWAYS picks the winner, wasn't impressed. I really remember being a little girl and watching the pageant with her and being sooooo enamoured of those pretty young women. They seemed so grown-up. Now they seem like such babies to me! I remember being a little sad when I turned 25, the magic age at which you can no longer compete in the pageant. It's not that I ever, ever, ever had intentions of actually competing, but I guarantee you many a girl in Mississippi had a fleeting dream of wearing that sparkling crown on top of her head at one point or another. Just imagine how incredible it would feel when they called out your name and the crowd went wild. Wow... Too bad for me the closest I ever got to the crown was writing about everything pageant-related in Vicksburg for a few years. But, to be honest, I loved every minute of it. :)