The Best of 2008

Am I the only one that can hardly believe that in just 90 short minutes, we'll be saying goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009?!! Wow! I swear it seems like just yesterday that we were bringing in 2008. This year brought such high hopes and expectations as "the year of new beginnings", and I must say, it did live up to those expectations. There were so many memorable highlights for Ken and me:

• Jump starting the year and our life together as husband and wife
• My 30th birthday
• Finding, purchasing, and moving into our first home
• Furnishing/decorating our home together
• Participating in an historic election that resulted in the first black President of the United States
• Celebrating/hosting numerous holidays here in Nashville at our house, including Christmas with our entire family
• And last but not least, establishing our own family traditions and memories that will last a lifetime
  

Although 2008 came and went in a flash, it brought with it many firsts and joyous memories. As always, it's sad to say goodbye and close another chapter in life, but it's exciting to welcome in a new year of endless possibilities and abundant faith. So we give a warm welcome to 2009 and a fond farewell to 2008...it's been a great experience.

Happy 1st Anniversary To Us!

I can hardly believe that our first year as husband and wife has come and gone! But, indeed it has. At this very time one year ago, we were gathered together with our family and friends preparing to walk down the aisle and vow our "full circle love" to one another. It was the greatest time of our lives and it is a day that we will always remember and hold dear.

Although this past year has had its ups and downs, it has truly been a magical time of many new beginnings for us. We purchased our first house, hosted multiple holidays in our new home, and most importantly, brought our parents a particular joy and pride that warms our hearts. I'm sure most married couples can attest that the first year of marriage is the most magical, and ours has certainly been. We are truly thankful for this first year and are looking forward to many, many more years to come.

One year down, forever to go...

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

There is always such great excitement and anticipation for the holiday season to begin, but for me, its end is always the hardest. Over the past few weeks, we trimmed the tree, hung the stockings with care, ate until our heart was content, and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. But now, the tree and all the other decorations are all neatly tucked away and the house is empty and eerily quiet. By about noon today, all of our family had left headed home to their various destinations. It was definitely sad to see them all leave. =(

Having all of our family here with us over the past few weeks meant the world to us. It brought a pulse to the house that was greatly needed and appreciated. I think we all share the same sentiment that this holiday was one of the best we've all ever shared together. Thank you to everyone for your help and support and for everything you did to help this Christmas be unforgettable!

A Little Retail Therapy

So in true bargain shopper style, the ladies and I decided to brave the crowds yesterday to capitalize on the after Christmas sales. I was reluctant at first and only had intentions of looking for Christmas decor and storage for next year, but boy am I glad I tagged along! It turned out to be a great day! We had so much fun and we found lots of good sales. Everyone came home with a bag. It turned out to be the perfect ending to a great holiday week filled with festive family fun. Ladies, I think we may have created a new family tradition. ;)

Christmas Day Recap

Well, we spent months planning the big day, and in a matter of hours it came and went in a flash. But after it was all said and done, it was a wonderful day filled with togetherness, love, and happiness. Ken and I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas day. We were with our family in our home, safe and sound and we loved every minute of it.

The day started out pretty slow (as you can see from the first few pics in the slideshow). I didn't wake up and get going until about 10:00 that morning (it took some other people that shall remain nameless quite a bit longer to wake up...you know who you are...lol). But once I woke up, I hit the ground running to get dinner prepared so we could eat. Although it was a LOT of work involved, I'm so pleased with the way everything turned out! I feel like the baton has officially been passed now that I have my first holiday meal under my belt. =)

This will truly be an unforgettable Christmas for us and we are so grateful for that.

Christmas Day 2008 at the Cook Residence!

Merry Christmas

Ken and I are so excited to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior with all of our family. It means so much to us to exemplify the real reason for the season. So from our house to yours, we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and an abundance of blessings.

Love you all!

Ken and Dolli

Santa Came Early!

And look what he brought us!!!...



This was our present to ourselves this year. We got the tv on Black Friday (at a wonderful price!) and it's taken all the willpower we have to wait to put it up until Christmas, lol. So as you can imagine, we were more than excited to finally get the tv stand put together and the tv set up last night. Thanks to Roosevelt for helping me assemble the tv stand! And thanks "santa" for a wonderful early Christmas present! =)

Let the Holiday Festivities Begin!

After much preparation and planning, our 1st Annual Holiday Family and Friends Dinner was a great success! We had so much fun spending time with our family and friends and celebrating the specialness of the holiday season. It was a lot of work and at one point, we weren't even sure if it was going to happen, but we're so glad it all worked out. Thanks again to all of those that were able to make the drive up! Without you, none of it would have been possible! We love you all...Merry Christmas!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Man, what could be better than waking up to a beautiful sight such as this?!! =)



That was the view from our kitchen window this morning when I woke up. It started snowing yesterday evening on my way drive home from work. It was a pretty heavy downfall, but it wasn't sticking at first. But later on as the temperature continued to drop, the snow started to stick. It snowed for a couple of hours and then stopped, but this was the wonderful result of it all. It wasn't much, but I'll take it regardless! I just love the fact that I'm still in the south, only a short drive away from AL, but living in a city that now gets the occasional snowfall! YAY! =)

Here are a few more pics of the wonderful snowy view from our house this morning as well as a few pics I took on the drive to work. Enjoy!

Holiday Frenzy...Final Update!

Now that our dining room set has been delivered, I was able to complete the final item on my checklist by adding Christmas decor to the table. Thanks to one of my new favorite places, Old Time Pottery, I was able to find these fabulous items for the table place settings! I absolutely LOVE the beautiful red chargers! Thanks to mom for letting me borrow the centerpiece items. All in all, I think we have a pretty decent Christmas tablescape! =)

It's Here!!!

Houston, we have a dining room table!!! LOL! So, our last and most important item on our Holiday Frenzy Checklist was delivered on Tuesday afternoon and we love it!!! Of course I had to take pics to show you all what it looks like, so here it is in all its glory :) ...

Yes, you are seeing correctly, those are a couple of boxes in the corners in the background. But trust me, it's a LOT better than it was before we cleared it out! See what I mean!...


Thanks again to mom and Ro for coming up and helping us clear everything out. We definitely could not have done it without you Love you!

What does 1 and 1 Give You?

Well of course, 11 wonderful months of marriage! =)

Today marks our 11 monthiversary! Oh my gosh! I cannot believe that in just 30 short days we will have been married a year already. It's kinda sad to think that the time is flying by so fast. But I'm so grateful to be married and enjoying our life together. God is so good!

Holiday Frenzy Update #2

Luckily I have had continued success making good progress with getting everything ready for the holidays. We now have Christmas decor up!!! Over the past weekend, we've put up our Christmas tree and mantle decor. Here's a look at how it all turned out...

Christmas tree before..
Christmas tree after!
Mantle Decor!
Mantle Decor Close Up!

Kitchen Table Decor!

I'm really pleased with how well the tree and mantle turned out. I still want to add a few red pillar candles around the garland on the mantle for a pop of color and get a centerpiece for the dining table, but that's about all we're going to do for decor. Next and final step is getting the dining room set delivered this Tuesday and we'll be all set to host Christmas dinner! =)

Holiday Frenzy Update

Ok, so my panic over the holiday season has subsided just a bit. I've been able to check a few things off my list, so I'm a little bit closer to being more prepared. So far, I've been able to complete the following:

• Dining room furniture ordered!
• Christmas decor purchased (half way there...still need to get Christmas tree ornaments)!
• Christmas gift lists created!

The last "big" item to check off my list is clearing out the dining room and living room and that is happening this weekend! The rents are coming this weekend and on their way back home on Sunday, they will be taking the furniture for my sister and delivering it to her. YESSSSSS!

So everything is looking to be shaping up quite nicely. There's still a LOT of work ahead to pull off the Family and Friends dinner AND Christmas dinner all within 5 days time, but we'll get it done. It's gonna be a great holiday season! =)

Yes We Can...and We Did!

I know I'm a couple days late commenting on the election outcome, but I am just now beginning to come down from an incredible excitement and high!! I am so proud of my country...words can't even begin to describe it. I am honored to have been able to witness such a pivotal moment in our American history. I know that not everyone is happy with the outcome, but the fact still remains that our country will never be the same. The fabric of our American tapestry has forever been altered, and for the better. I truly believe that we should all embrace this change and lend our support to our new 44th President elect. No matter what our individual political beliefs are, we are and will forever remain "one Nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

And the Holiday Frenzy Begins!

Oh.my.goodness! I CANNOT believe that the holiday season is already upon us! We are now 3 weeks away from Thanksgiving and less than 8 weeks away from Christmas! Aaaaaah! This will be our first time hosting either of the major holidays and I still have soooooo much to do to prepare! Don't get me wrong, I'm SUPER excited about hosting Christmas, but my checklist is not getting any shorter.

So far, I still have to:

• Clear out the dining room to make room for new furniture (baby sis, you have GOT to get your furniture!)
  
• Order dining room furniture
• Purchase some home decor items to personalize the space (wall art, pictures, decorative accessories, etc.)
• Purchase Christmas decorations
• Prepare Christmas gift lists
• Prepare Christmas dinner menu

I'm sure there's more to add to that list, but for now, that's all I can think of. But that's plenty! I'm trying to remain calm and relaxed, but it just dawned on me that the clock is ticking and I better get in gear! So as of today, I officially have my running gear and game face on.....let's do this Holiday thang! =)

Fall Is Finally Here!

And with it has emerged my inner "domestic decor" enthusiasm. =)

Since we moved into our house 6 months ago, I've yet to put any real "personal touches" on it in the way of decor accessories (hanging artwork, personal photos, accessory furniture pieces, etc.). Well, this past week, that all changed. Albeit a very small gesture in the large scheme of all that still needs to be done, I still managed to bring a small piece of Fall into our home. Here's a look at what I've done so far...

Added this Fall inspired wreath to our front door

Added this Fall inspired centerpiece and candles to our kitchen table

Added this Fall inspired decor to our fireplace mantle

Here's a close-up of the individual items on the mantle =)

Ken and I were both very excited about our first seasonal decor (I know, how sad are we, lol)! We both agree that doing so has made our house feel much more like home. Now we can hardly wait to decorate for Christmas! I promise I'll try not to lose my mind. =)

Just Call Me Charlotte...

I swear, spiders have GOT to be the official insect for the city of Nashville! Geesh! The picture above was taken from my kitchen window looking out onto our deck. Do you see how big that freakin' web is??!! Disgusting! And I shuder to think what kind of spider that could be. It's defnitely not the classic daddy long legs we've all seen at some point in our lives. Oh no, this one is the real deal. The kind with fuzz/little hairs! Eeek!

Sadly enough, this is a fair representation of exactly what Ken and I have been dealing with every since we moved into our house. There are spider webs EVERYWHERE and we occasionally find dead spiders here and there. Yuck! Can someone please tell Charlotte to come gather her friends and family and leave us alone??!! =(

On Cloud 9!

Ken and I celebrated 9 months of marital bliss yesterday! We can hardly believe that time is flying by so quickly! We also celebrated 11 years together last Wednesday on the 24th. I swear that it seems like just yesterday that we met and were getting to know each other. Now look at us. Wow! We're just so incredibly thankful for God's blessings and favor in our lives because we know that without him, we wouldn't be where we are today.

Lucky Number 7!

It's been exactly 7 months today since my sweetie and I said "I Do"!! Wow, I can't believe how fast time is passing by...that just means we have to enjoy ever minute!

Happy 7th Monthiversary Bay!

What's Up Doc?

Well, it seems our new house comes with a complimentary welcome committee! Check out our new little friend that visits us fairly often. :)

This was taken out our living room window looking out into our backyard!

We're Back!

West Palm Beach was beautiful! The trip was entirely TOOOOO short, but it was still nice to get away even for just a minute. We definitely have to get back down there for a longer stay so we can completely enjoy the scenery and the city. It was great seeing all of the Borden fam! This was the first time we've seen most of them since the wedding, so that was really nice. Unfortunately, I didn't get many opportunities to take pics, so I only have a few. But here's a look at the few I have...enjoy!

Bad Blogger! =(

I've been an awful blogger! Just wanted to let everyone know that we're still alive and well....just been lazy! =)

After entertaining for the 4th, I guess were have both been worn out and decided to just take it easy and recuperate. So, nothing much has been going on with us. Just work and business as usual. We're both excited though about our first (and probably only) trip this summer! We're leaving in the morning headed to FL for Ken's family reunion. It's a short weekend trip, but we'll take it! And hopefully we'll come back refreshed and with fun pictures to share. See ya later!

Happy Independence Day!

What a great 4th of July we had this year! We hosted both of our families and had a nice cookout and an all out fun-filled weekend. Now granted, we're both exhaused now that it's over, lol, but we couldn't have asked for a better first 4th of July in the new house. Love you guys! Can't wait till the next get together! =)

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Seriously, where did the time go!? Ken and I celebrated 6 months of marital bliss yesterday! We cannot believe that we've already reached half a year of being married. But we're so thankful that we're enjoying every minute of it though. We could not be happier and we're so grateful for God's blessing of love and marriage. It truly is a wonderful thing!

Calm, Cool, and Collected!

Because...we have air conditioning again! Thank God we didn't have to wait the entire 3 days! The repair guy called back yesterday afternoon and told us that his boss had found the part we needed. So he came back later that afternoon and installed it. God is good...because I don't know if I could have made it 3 days without air conditioning. =)

I've Reached My Boiling Point!

Our upstairs air conditioning went out on us Saturday morning and we've been miserable ever since!!! We called our home warranty company and submitted a claim, but they couldn't find anyone that was available to come out over the weekend. So we suffered through until this morning only to find out that we have to suffer another 3 whole days! The repair guy said that they don't have the needed part in stock so they have to order it and it will take at least 3 days to come in. SHOOT ME NOW!

Thankfully, we have both an upstairs unit and a downstairs unit, so the downstairs portion of the house has working A.C. So it looks like I'll be camping out downstairs on the floor until the other unit is fixed. Still, it's so frustrating to be helpless AND hot. Aaah, the joys of home ownership! :-\

Our First Holiday

So this past weekend was our first official holiday spent in our new home. All in all, it was a great time. Ken's mother came up to visit and was with us until Sunday afternoon. We enjoyed a very relaxing, lazy weekend filled with good food and good movies (check my food blog for updates on this weekend's menu). Of course, even with an extra day, the weekend was still too short. But I'm thankful for the extra time off and the quality family time it provided.

Check Out My New Blog!

In light of the fact that I am enjoying cooking in my new kitchen soooo much, I decided to create a cooking blog to document some of my meals during my 1st year of marriage. I absolutely LOVE watching the Food Network and browsing recipe blogs, so I've been experimenting with some of the recipes I've found here and there. So far so good! Check it out here: http://www.dollisdelectables.blogspot.com/. Submit your email addy and subscribe and feel free to leave comments!

Update Post: Getting Everyone Up to Speed

I feel like it's been forever since my last post. I apologize. Ken and I are doing well...still enjoying the house and taking as much time as possible to enjoy it together. I realized that I left everyone hanging on a couple of my posts, so I thought it was time for a quick update...

JET Magazine...I did finally get a copy of it. As it turns out, the lady here in the office that showed me her copy ended up giving it to me! So I was so grateful that she was gracious enough to do that. Thanks to everyone who read my post and offered to mail me a copy of the mag. You all are so sweet!

Living Room Furniture...As you all know I was much less than thrilled about the color of our living room furniture when it was delivered. However, Ken and I decided to stick with the set. I must say it has since grown on me and is not as bad as I originally thought. Granted if I had my choice, I would have liked a different color, but the color isn't too bad and it works for now.

Well, I think that's all the updates I have for now. And I'll make a more conscious effort to do a better job of posting more regularly! =)

I've Been on a Wild Goose Chase...

Why oh why is it so darn hard to find a copy of the Jet Magazine that we're in?!!! I've been to the grocery store, Wal-Mart, even Walgreens...and still can't find it! Luckily a lady that works on my floor just came by my office with a copy to verify that it was me in the article, so now I've at least laid eyes on it. But I want MY OWN copy! I'm sad because I know my time is running out because they only have each subscription out for one week. This is so unfair! =(

Boy Does Time Fly...

When you're having fun and happily married!!! We've been married 4 months today! Wow, seems like just yesterday we were home for the Holidays anticipating the wedding!

So much has happened in these short 4 months...so much good stuff. I'm so thankful and feel so blessed that words can't even begin to describe it. I love you bay! Happy 4 Monthiversary! =)

Home Warranty...

If you don't have one, get one! These things are lifesavers!

Ken and I had to submit our first claim on Friday...after only three short weeks of being in the house. Since the weather has recently gotten warmer, we started running our air conditioning a little more this past week. Well, low and behold, the upstairs unit was not cooling properly! So we called the warranty company and submitted a claim to have someone come out and check it out. That was it...that simple! So for a service job that would have cost us a couple hundred dollars, we only paid $65 for our deductible and we're now calm, cool, and collected in our air conditioned home! =)

We're In JET Magazine!!!

There is a write-up about us in the April 28, 2008 issue of JET Magazine!!! We're on page 26 in the "Love and Happiness" section!!! Eeeek!

Go check it out!!! =)

So Disappointed!

So our new furniture was delivered on yesterday and I don't like the living room furniture. =(

It's TOTALLY not the color that is shown in the picture below! It's more of a mustard color...similar to the wall color in the picture in the previous post. I'm sooooo disappointed because I really like the style of the sofa, but the color and quality leave a lot to be desired. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if our walls weren't a pale yellow color. But since they are, it looks as if the sofa and wall are the same or very close to the same color. =(

Look What the Furniture Fairy Is Bringing Us...

Ken and I are soooo excited about getting a couple pieces of new furniture!! We didn't think we'd be able to get any new furnishings for the house for a minute, but luckily something came through for us and BAM, new furniture! It's being delivered tomorrow morning! Yay! =)

We got the sofa and ottoman in this picture for the living room...



And this sofa is for Ken's "Man Room" a.k.a. our den, lol...

My Newfound Passion...

It seems I've discovered a new passion....cooking!!! I absolutely L.O.V.E. cooking in my new house for my new hubby! So to fuel that new passion, I made two very delish breakfast meals this weekend. Saturday morning I made pancakes, bacon, and eggs...and this morning I made chicken and waffles!!! I'm so proud of the success I'm having in the kitchen and even more than that, I'm sooooo happy about pleasing my wonderful husband!

Here's how my my two meals turned out...

Pancakes, bacon, and eggs

Chicken and waffles

Date Night Is Back!

After moving to TN, the hubby and I decided that we would start having a "Date Night" once a week where we would set time aside to spend some quality time together. Usually date night consisted of dinner and possibly a movie. Well, as the wedding day got closer and closer and our lives began to get crazier and crazier, our date nights slowly got pushed to the back burner. Then after the wedding, we replaced one stressful situation with another with buying and moving into our house. So needless to say, date nights eventually become a distant memory.

Well, last night, all that changed and I brought date night back! Since moving into the house and buying furniture has left us being more conservative with our money for right now, I decided that we'd have a nice, romantic date night right in the comfort of our own new home. So I tried out a new Italian dinner recipe and served up a cozy, candlelit dinner for two. Dinner was a big hit and my "Domestic Diva" points are continuing to add up! Yesss! =)

Italian Tomato Herb Chicken on a bed of Fettuccine
Noodles with a fresh garden
salad...yummy!

A Week In Paradise...

So it's been one week since we moved into our new house and we couldn't possibly be happier! We FINALLY got all visible boxes unpacked and the items put away, so the house is finally looking decluttered. Now that I can clearly see it and it feels so much more like home, I must say that I absolutely LOVE my new house!

I cooked my first meal in my new kitchen tonight. It was an awesome feeling! I love how much more room I have and how open and airy it feels. Ken is loving how my domestic diva side is finally shining through, lol. So now that I have new found inspiration, I feel many more fabulous meals in our future. =)

We Survived The Move!!!

After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears; the hubby and I are finally in our new house!!! With the help of my mom and dad as well as a local moving company, we moved out of our apartment this past weekend.

Being the huge procrastinator that I am, of course I waited until the last possible minute to start packing. So let's just say Friday was a looooooong night and is all a distant blur now. Despite starting extremely late, we eventually finished packing in the wee hours of Saturday morning and discovered that our apartment disappeared under a sea of boxes. =)

But luckily, the wonderful movers from Two Men and a Truck came to our rescue and did an excellent job of clearing out everything for us. I don't know how they do what they do, but my hat's off to them because I know I'd never last one hour doing their job! Thanks guys!

After we were all loaded up, it was off to our new house! We had a loaded moving truck and both of our vehicles packed. It seemed like the longest drive ever! I was just ready to get there!

Finally we arrived and got everything unloaded into the house. It was then that I realized that my "box hell" had returned and was worse than ever! I thought I would never be able to unpack everything and get any kind of order restored to my pretty new house! =(

But after a long, gruely 16-18 hour day, we finally made some progress. We've completed unpacking and organizing the master bedroom, guest bath, and kitchen. Here's a little taste of what it looks like now.

More pics to come as we continue to make our new house a cozy home! =)

Welcome to Our Journey!

So I have officially been bitten by the blogging bug! I've been contemplating starting a blog for quite some time, but had not done so in fear of not knowing what to blog about. However, after much persuasion by a few of my online friends, I've decided to start this one documenting our first year of marriage. So here goes! It's nothing too special, just a glimpse into our every day lives as we continue our full circle journey. Hope you enjoy the ride!