Life

Weekend Update – get prepped, this post is a doozy!

| cheriarmour

So a few weeks ago, I got an email from a friend, Kelly, with whom I went to Elon with.  Kelly invited me, the dog, and the husband-to-be to Fripp, SC, an island off the coast of South Carolina, to relax for the weekend.  The trip was a blast.

So, on Saturday morning, I got the dog up, fed my cat, dragged a very sleepy Austin out of his bed, and we hit the road for 5 hours to make it to our home, which was stunning.

We headed to the beach, ran on the beach, enjoyed dinner, got bikes, cooked, and drank to our little heart’s content.  I made sure to take pics so that you guys could see what we did!

IMG_0913Beach fun as soon as we got to Fripp.  That’s Nate photobombing us in the background.   IMG_0914 IMG_0915 IMG_0916 IMG_0917 IMG_0918 IMG_0919I am an awful dog mom.  I put Coco into the fake gators mouth and she actually let me do it! IMG_0920 (2) IMG_0920 IMG_0921 IMG_0922Then we actually saw a real gator.  He’s a little guy, and he lives in the pond, so I made sure to keep Coco away from the pound.   IMG_0923 IMG_0928 IMG_2549This was our view!  Can you even believe this?

P1160227Party Austin was ready for a good time.

P1160229This was us at dinner 🙂

P1160230I Usually never ever eat cream soups, but since we were on vacation, I figured it was okay, right?  Good call, because it was freaking delicious.   P1160231Nothing would be complete without Austin climbing on something.

P1160233P1160234American Idol contestant Candice Glover lived on St. Helena and worked on Fripp evidently, because her stuff was everywhere! P1160235I ate this with zero shame after we got a few beach cruisers to ride around on.

 P1160239 Bikes!

P1160241Hubs on a bike!

P1160243We didn’t take enough pics together this weekend.

P1160244P1160245

We practiced my new last name.

P1160246P1160247P1160248P1160249P1160250P1160251P1160252P1160253P1160254P1160255P1160257P1160259

P1160260We stopped on the way out of the island at a place called Sheldon Church, a historical site outside of Beaufort that burned down.  I literally whimpered on the way out.  I hope you guys had a good weekend, and enjoyed some of our photos.  What was your weekend like?

 

March goals.

| cheriarmour

Can we not even talk about how poorly I did with February goals?

45 Ridiculous And Amazing GIFs Of Nene Leakes For Her Birthday

February, I really got serious in a lot, my running, I traveled home a lot to be with my family, and I blogged and networked with other bloggers a TON.  I learned a lot this past month, but I did not in any way, remember, or stick to any of my goals for the month of February.  All I did was run.  Drive and run.  So here they are, March Goals!

  1. Pay my taxes.  Last year, I waited kind of until the last minute, and it was really stressful, plus I think I may have ended up paying more money than I need to.  I plan to start early, let my whiz of a husband-to-be help me out, and get it done early.  I will have this done before the end of March.
  2. This was a goal last month (and we’re forgetting about last month, okay!), but I really, really really, want to wake up early one day a week and work out.  I have said this time and again, but if I need to go to bed early one night and make sure this happens, I will.  I’m totally over having to drag myself kicking to the gym every day after work.  It’s contributing to my exhaustion and it’s not good for anyone.
  3. Make more efficient use of my time.  This means not dicking around.  Packing my lunch the night before, taking a shower when I have a spare second instead of right before I go to bed, and cleaning when I have a second or two instead of waiting until my apartment looks like a small atomic bomb detonated.  Because it makes me really anxious when stuff piles up.  I can’t do that anymore.
  4. Do ONE big wedding thing.  I am doing okay on this so far 🙂

What are your goals for March, beautiful readers?  

Here’s What!

| cheriarmour

I’m sorry ladies and gents, I’m so late with this post!  You can usually expect my posts at 7:30 each morning, but I’m walking on the wild  side this morning, and I’m a little late with everything.  I feel so swamped this week, and I hope to use this weekend to catch up on some of the stuff I let fall by the wayside this week.

Moving right along!

If you missed my Here’s What!  posts, here’s the review from the last few Fridays!

2/7/14

2/14/14

2/21/14

2/28/14

So here’s what three things I’m obsessed with on this gross Friday!

  • Playing catch-up this weekend.  Seriously, I feel like I’m so tired, and as a result, everything else has gone to poop.  I have a stack of mail on the dining room table, I desperately need to do some laundry and vacuum, and I want to do something related to the wedding this weekend.  Something. I don’t care what.  Just something.
  • Alcohol.  Just kidding!  No, so I tool these pics last night because me and Austin had the first date night we’ve had in a while.  (I promise this is going somewhere.) So anyhoo, I took these pics on my iPhone.  Well readers of this blog, rejoice, because I will be getting an actual real camera, and flexing my photog muscles a little more here on the blog.  As an early wedding present, a family member offered to buy us a camera of our choosing!  Can you believe it?  I’m so pumped!
  • photo 1 (5)Fripp Island, SC.  I am so pumped – I can’t stand it.
Fripp
via exitbeaufort.com

So a good friend, Kelly, invited us to spend some time with her and some friends on Fripp. I haven’t been before – we’ve only been to Beaufort once, but I am SO excited – not only to hang out/run on a beautiful island in beautiful weather, but to hang out with amazing friends.

So I have a beautiful life.  What 3 things are you obsessed with this week?

My brother fractured his wrist.

| cheriarmour

BroThis is my brother.  We look exactly the same, except he’s a boy, and I’m a girl, last I checked.

He’s extremely athletic, and when I’m at home, usually we do something fun together, sometimes running related, as pictured above.

So imagine how much I almost died when I got this text from my mom around 11:30 yesterday morning.

photo 2So evidently, my brother was dunking on someone.  Don’t worry, per a very reliable source, he completed the dunk before landing – HARD – on his wrist.

So my mom said Little Derek was really complaining that his wrist was hurting, and this morning, she took him to the ortho to get it set.

photo 1So Derek is casted up for 6 weeks – no tennis, and he goes back in two weeks for them to redo the cast.

Poor kid.  I’m so sad!

Tell me about your broken bones.  Have you ever broken a bone?

I have, and it wasn’t pretty.  Happy Thursday, y’all!

 

 

 

The Lenten Promise

| cheriarmour

As an Islander (Mom is from Haiti, Dad is from Trinidad), I was baptized Catholic, because it’s practically a law – if you’re from the Islands, you’re going to be Catholic.

Caribbean_general_map
Image via Wikipedia

And for your info, both Haiti and Trinidad are above. Haiti is partners with the DR, and Trinidad is down there, off the coast of Venezuela. When folks find out my parents are from these islands, they often ask me if they’re in Africa, so to avoid embarrassment, there they are!

So, back to the topic at hand. I went to Catholic School for a few years, got my communion, did the whole shebang, and here’s what we were taught about Lent. Following Fat Tuesday, where you’d indulge in all the gross awful things life has to offer, you’d fast or abstain from something that is tempting to you for 40 days and 40 nights, to observe the 40 years the Israelites wandered the desert, or the 40 days Jesus wandered around in the dessert while rude old Satan tried to tempt him.

I think challenging yourself is 100% cool – and even though I’m not a practicing Catholic, I totally respect everyone kinda of jumping into this tradition, and abstaining from those things that will distract you from being the best you, and the best you to other people.  For some of you that is social media, for some, your smart phone, for others it might be soda.  Whatever, it is that’s distracting you from living your best life and aiding others, that’s kind of the idea.

Thanks Mama Oprah.  So here’s my issue with some of these Lenten Promises I’ve been seeing.

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that people are starting to use Lent as their dieting tool, and to me, it sort of defeats the purpose of Lent. 

Like it’s totally fine to give up fried foods for Lent, especially if fried foods turn you into a bump on a log and you don’t do anything with yourself.  But if you’re giving up fried foods for the purposes of losing weight?  That’s not necessarily the point of Lent.

If sugar turns you into a monster and deflects your focus from being a good person, give it up!  But if you’re doing it to get bikini ready?

If candy is like heroin to you, and it’s keeping you from saving money for you and your family, give it UP.  But if you’re trying to get cut abs?

Am I making sense?  Have you noticed this as well? Are you practicing Lent?  What are you abstaining from? 

Random schtuff.

| cheriarmour

Hi!

I’m back to civilization, and while I absolutely loved my visit with my parents, I am super glad to be back.  I missed my honey, and my cat, and hanging out with my frands.

You guys ready for some Wednesday randomness?

  • First and foremost, I am so freaking sick of winter weather.  I mean, how much more can we take?  I have run so many miles on a treadmill this year that I am sick of every single song, and every single movie I’ve been watching all winter.  But hey, at least I have a warm bed to sleep in at night. 
  • How cute is this Sweaty Band?  I wore it for a few hours while I taught/grabbed a quick dinner from Whole Foods tonight and I got compliments on it (those are mustaches on it, in case you can’t tell).  But not to fear, we’ll be having a little Sweaty Band giveaway really really soon 🙂
    photo 4
  • This dinner from Whole Foods tonight. 

photo 3I could not muster the energy to cook anything tonight. So I grabbed this cup of carrot ginger soup, a beer, and grabbed some extra soup for lunch tomorrow.  It’s SO good.  If you have it at your WF, totally grab some (as long as you’re into spices – the ginger really really spices this thing up.)  Heat it up super super hot, and it is amazing 🙂

  • photo (24)This horrid creature has taken residence on my ceiling.  I’m too grossed out to do anything to him, and he’s disappeared now, so I’m really just hoping with all my heart that he hasn’t fallen into my hair.
    photo 1
  • Lily Allen has further proved how amazing she is by donning this Yonce belt.  I’m still extremely bitter that Bey only felt the need to release Partition, but I think I’ll manage to get over it somehow.
  • This Geico commerical. 


Almost as good as the Dikembe Mutombo commerical from last year. But still pretty good 🙂

Tell me something random about your Wednesday!  

Mommy judgement.

| cheriarmour

So, after the memorial service on Sunday, we were close enough to the Whole Foods in Charlotte to grab some lunch/dinner, and chat before we all had to go our separate ways that evening. 

If you haven’t been to the Whole Foods in Charlotte, it’s time to go, PS.

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Photo via Kelly Davis/Creative Loafing

Deb made fun of me and said that I always force her go go when I come up.  But whatever, it’s awesome, and I need my hot bar every now and again.

So here’s where the mommy judgement came in. 

As we were about to check out, I noticed a mom with a slice of pizza in one hand, and a screaming child hanging off of the other.  I might have imagined this, but I think she was wearing workout clothes, and she was practically begging this child to use her own feet and stop flipping out.  As she wove her way to the workout, one mom after another caught my eye and gave their best judgmental looks as if to say, “my child would NEVER!” I was embarrassed that these women thought I was in their same club, and I didn’t want them to think that their judgment was okay, like their kids had never flipped out.  

As all three of us, Mom, baby, and me approached the check-out line, I did the best thing I knew to do. 

Y’all knew I was a baby whisperer, right?  

“Would it help if I picked her up?”

Mom wearily mumbled something, which I took as a yes, and I reached down, scooped up little miss cranky-because-she-just-woke-up, and we chatted for a second while mom could pay for something.   When mom was done, I handed her back, and all was right, plus the cashier gave me my sparkling water for free.  

So what was easier?  Making faces at a struggling mom?  Or getting to snuggle with a really cute kid while the mama pays? 

 

My memorial service.

| cheriarmour

Okay, before we get into this post, can I just tell you how many times I have wanted to punch the router at my parents’ house?  I think I said this yesterday, but it must be federal law that if you are an old person, that that wireless at your house must suck, because trying to blog here?  I have been tempted to tear each and every one of my locs out.

Moving right along.

So the reason I’m here at my parents’ house in the first place is actually kind of somber.  A friend of mine, of ours, mother passed away after a long, long battle with cancer.  Her two daughters are me and Debbie’s age, so the whole family made it out to a beautiful, beautiful service.  Seriously, this church was packed.

As soon as we walked in, displayed was a beautiful picture of Wendy and her two daughters.  As we entered, we entered to beautiful singing, and were handed the most fun program I’ve ever seen.

And the service was great.  Full of friends, the service was more singing than talking (as was Wendy’s wish,) and the talking that was done was reflecting on Wendy’s life, her smile, and most of all, her love for Christ.

The service had me thinking, what would my memorial service be like?  What do I want to be remembered for?

I haven’t gotten as far as thinking of how I want my service to be done, or where, but I do know what I want to be remembered for.

photo (23)When it comes to this, I want to be remembered for:

  • My ability to love.  I’ve always loved love.  I love so much.  I love my family.  My family-to-be.  My home. My animals.  Writing.
  • My love for animals.  I am the proud Mama of two animals, and the stepmama to a third.  That is really more than enough but I love love love them all so much.
  • My love for music.  I was named after a Stevie Wonder song.  There’s no way I wouldn’t love music.  I love it all, I sing it all, and I dance to it all.
  • My love of laughter.  Ladies and gents, I love to laugh.  I love to laugh at myself, and more importantly, I love to make fun of others.  All in good fun, of course, I’m not gonna like, make fun of someone’s cockeye or something, but I love a laugh.
  • The right thing.  I think above all, I want everyone to know that I always tried/will continue to try to do the right thing.  I may not always.  I’m human, and I’m gonna screw up, but I really, truly have always tried to do what I thought was the right thing.

Now I hope all this wasn’t too morbid for you, but you have to understand, my mind has been on this, especially with the passing of my grandmother, and now Wendy.  If you’re comfortable with it, how would you like to be remembered?