Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The 5 Year Plan







The five year plan is something I had never heard of before getting married. I definitely consider myself a planner, so when I did hear and read about it I knew this would be a task for me and the Hubs to do! 


Even though I'm a "planner", tackling the 5 year plan was something that I put off for a little while. I really don't want to "plan my life away"! After thinking about it more I looked at it as just a layout of our life, a way for us to plan for our future, and to make goals for our life together. 


This past weekend was such gorgeous weather that after a nice long walk with the Hubs and Hudson we thought we would lay it all out there and make our 5 year plan!


We both were excited to hear what each other had to put on the list, and nervous at the same time! Planning all of this is a little overwhelming for sure! So first things first we made ourselves a drink and headed up to the roof to soak in the sun and plan away! 


We made the top priority of each year and our #1 goal to continue to grow together and be a team, always working on our love and communication. We haven't been married long, but we know that we will surely face hard times and struggle at some point along the way. We really both want to keep each other the main focus and remember that we're a team. Thinking of each other as a teammate and partner is very comforting because you know you will always have your best friend there for you. 


I won't bore ya'll and share all the plans but here are some highlights:


*Continuing to grow our savings and buy our first house! This is something we wanted to always do together so it will feel like "our" place. I can't wait till that day and am very excited to shop around with the hubs and Molly- who of course will be our real estate agent! 


*Start our family! Eeeek! So scary but the past few weeks I think about having a baby SO much more than I had been! We are definitely planning on waiting a few years, but  especially after doing this 5 year plan- it's very obvious how quickly that time is going to go by! We really want to enjoy each other and travel more before taking the plunge for babies! When we do though I know we will be just so excited to grow our little family!


*Host our first Christmas and Thanksgiving with both of our parents being able to come! We love going home for the holidays, but can't wait to have our family over to our place to celebrate! I already have many ideas thanks to Pinterest about table settings and great holiday decor!


*Volunteer together- this is something we have talked about for a while and I hope we will stop talking and just do it! I really would love to volunteer at a local animal shelter. I did this with my Mom growing up and we had a blast giving the dogs baths, taking them on walks and getting them out of there cages for playtime. I'm scared to take Joel to an animal shelter though because I fear he will want to bring home a cat. UGH! The boy wants a cat- like BAD- I want a cat like NOT BAD in fact NOT AT ALL! I would be fine with never having a cat! I know this won't happen. I've always pushed off getting another animal to "oh we will when we get a house"....which now I'm kicking myself for even making it an option! I just hope when we do have to get one and it will be nice- because lord knows the thing will disappear if it even scratches my Hudson baby once! 


This 5 year plan makes everything so real and I can't wait to accomplish it all! For now though we will continue to just enjoy our life- I'm definitely a person that likes to enjoy each step of life, and not rush onto the other life stages too quickly! I want to relish in my new life as a married girl, and just focus on our first year of marriage! It's been wonderful so far that's for sure!













·      

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Taking it back to the Old School!

Taking it back to the Old School...cause I'm an old fool...who's so cool! OK... maybe not! But a little Tag Team just makes me instantly dance and smile! What can I say I'm pretty easy to entertain! Thought I would reminisce on the "old school days" with some pics! Enjoy the memories everyone!


But first for entertainment factor: Enjoy Listening to Whoop there it is as you look :) Can ya'll dig it?!!





Joel and I at his lacrosse game- we made shirts! Crazy that now I'm really a Heimbigner :)

Beach beauties...One of the many Charleston college trips

J
Just hanging out!


Queens University basketball game @ Oven's Stadium
Beer Fest at Memorial Stadium
Franzia- the drink of champions- or college girls!

Never a dull night out!

Cinco de Mayo graduation party!

The best girls in the world!

Halloween

The first week of college- Molly was the first person I met! We lived all in a row in Wallace!

All smiles!

Out in uptown

We have had many great girls nights!


And now enjoy some newbies!



Towel booty shot!

Besties for life- Tybee Island 2011

Love you girls!

We got to see each other a lot in 2011!

Our Rehearsal Dinner

Ha Ha- Hello Beauties!

The O'Malley wedding reception


Our couples stock the bar shower- SO much fun!

Bachelorette Party- out in Savannah, GA

All dolled up and ready to hit the town!

NYC for Becca's Bachelorette weekend






To all my Besties I love you girls SO much! I don't know What I would do with you! I know we have many more memories and milestones to come! 




Our Love Story

It had to be fate...for a Southern California boy to meet and fall in love with a North Carolina girl! Well at least that's the way we like to think about it! ;) We met the first day of Business 101 but were really introduced by our friend Olivia.  


Though we were friends first, we always had that little spark! In March of 2005 while on Spring Break with friends in Wilmington, NC Joel asked me to be his girlfriend. From that moment we have shared tons of laughs, made many memories, and fallen more in love than we both could have imagined! 


The most special day yet though was 11/20/2010 when Joel proposed. Back in Wilmington on Wrightsville Beach where it all began he asked me to be his wife! The rest is history!


How we got engaged below:


The weekend started out by Joel surprising me and taking me to Wilmington! We hadn't been back in at this point 5 years- so I was pretty excited! 
Joel got us a really cool suite at the Shell Island Resort- it's at the end of the island and the beach is gorgeous and private!


When We got into our room Joel left to go "get some more stuff from the car"...little did I know the little turkey was going to hide the ring in his pocket! When he got back we quickly opened the vino, took some pretty pics off our balcony and then decided to go for a walk on the beach! 
Our View- it was November and the weather was absolutely fabulous!



I love we got a lot of before pics! I love how this pic has our shadows! I also didn't know that nervous Joel completely downed his vino! Ha ha!  A little liquid courage never hurts!



Pure happiness! Just a few minutes after we got engaged!!
This one will always make us laugh and put a big smile on our faces!
Funny thing was the only people on the beach within walking distance of us was an older couple- from Charlotte of all places! They were so sweet and took some after pics for us!


Right where he asked me!

What a gorgeous setting! The sunset was incredible! We were SO ready to celebrate- Joel had lots of Champagne waiting for us in the hotel!
After Champagne we continue to night to a local seafood restaurant on the water to have a great dinner!

The next morning after brunch we headed straight to the beach to have another walk and take in the great weather!

After enjoying the beautiful beach we headed out to explore Wilmington! We went to lunch and shopped at the local beach shops!
Wilmington I hope we will be back to visit again soon!

After a great relaxing day it was time to hit the road to home! We we're so excited to skype with our families and see and celebrate with our friends!

Before we could head home though there was one very important stop we had to make.......Now that it was official I had to buy my first wedding magazines as an engaged girl!




They definitely kept me occupied and entertained on the trip home! We were so excited we even started discussing hopeful wedding plans on the drive back- so like me to jump into  planning mode!


Showing off my Wrightsville Beach Fall in LOVE shift! My little souvenir from the weekend!
Looking back at these pictures makes me so happy! It's so nice to be able to have memories of the weekend when we officially started the beginning of our life together! 




Thursday, February 9, 2012

Without further Ado....I Introduce my Family

I am so lucky to be blessed with the best family ever (no really- they are amazing!). I grew up an only child and now am so excited to have an ever growing family!  Everyone meet my Family!

Me and my wonderful Parents!
My new wonderful In-laws and Sister!




Me and my boys

And our newest VERY exciting addition the little doll below


Emalyn Gabriella Negrea- our GOD DAUGHTER! That's right we were recently asked to be this little angel's God parents! We could not be more honored!

Me and Emmie when she was just a few months old!

Joel and Emalyn- 6mths old















The start of my blogging life!

Welcome to my blog! I'm a 20 something, newlywed, celebrity gossip obsessed, travel lover, dog mommy, friend, nurse, and recently a new blogger!

I hope this blog will be a way to capture memories not only me, but and my friends and family as well! So many of us now after college are spread all over the globe- South Korea, St. Thomas, NYC, Asheville, Cape Cod, California, and Charlotte - so I hope this will be a way for us all to stay connected and in touch! I have no clue what I'm doing- but I'm going to try my best to figure this out! It's official I'm a real blogger :)