10 months ago

10 months ago i answered one very, simple question with the word "yes".

"Meghan Elizabeth, will you marry me?"

Such a simple question with such an amazing and life changing answer. There are moments that i feel like we just got engaged, and then there are moments when i feel like we have been engaged forever and can we just get married already. On our wedding day, we will have had an engagement that has lasted for almost 13 months. Some would say we have had a very long engagement, I would say it has benefited us and made us a stronger couple.

For those who are not aware, Charles and I met online. We had our first date on April 28, 2011. We got engaged just a short 6 1/2 months later. He says he knew early on in our relationship that he wanted to marry me. My moment was last August when some awful hair dresser cut my hair way too short and colored it a horrifying shade of highlighter-orange. To "fix" this, i then had to become a brunette. I am not a brunette. I have never been a brunette.  I cried, and cried, and cried. I was so devastated that i went to his condo, sat on his bedroom floor, cried hysterically, and drank a bottle of wine. I did not know how else to react. What made that moment better, you ask? Charles didn't run away, he did everything he could to try to make me feel okay with what had just happened. He even went so far as to call his mom for advice on how to handle this. All he wanted was for me to quite crying. And i did...eventually...knowing that this man really loved me, and wasn't going anywhere. At that moment, i knew that i could and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. For your enjoyment, here are some pictures of "The Incident"

In the last 10 months, since we got engaged, this wonderful man has watched me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, and he has told me how beautiful he thinks i am, every day. He has watched me put on a ridiculous amount of weight and has cheered me on through my weight loss process. We have laughed, and cried, and screamed, and smiled, and felt just about every emotion possible and i know this is just the beginning. As we near the end of our engagement and move into the beginning of our marriage, I have a hard time expressing how excited I feel. I feel so incredibly blessed to be loved by this man. And as my dad said to me 2 weeks ago: to find a man who could love me the way Charles does, that's rare, and I need to appreciate it. And trust me when i say, I DO!! I'm not always easy to love or easy to like even, but this man, MY MAN, does. He loves me (and likes me) every day. I hope that I show him the same love back. I love Charles William Fox, Jr. with everything I have and we seem to just get better and better. In short, he rocks and because he rocks, WE ROCK! And now for some fun photos:

Til next time :)

~M. Johnson :) :)

3 more months...

Happy Monday ... ha, yeah right. Does anyone actually mean that when they say it? Happy Monday...it's another start to another work week with another long list of "to-dos." I know that after my last post i was going to be followed up with more of my thoughts regarding my views of the state of the world and such but I decided to keep it to myself. I did share some of my thoughts in that short blog, but other than that I spent a lot of time talking to Charles, my parents, and God about the way i felt and how sad i was about certain current events. I just don't see a place for hate in my life, and i try to avoid it, but when it is thrown in my face from every imaginable corner I will react. I strive every day to love and be loved and share God's love. I fail, i know this, but i am never hateful and i respect everyone's opinions. I did not say i agree, but i do respect their right to their opinion and that is all i can do. I know that this short statement does not tell you what opinion I have about events...i don't know if this is the platform...plus i don't know if it matters, especially since it is my opinion and has no bearing on how i feel about those in my life. I have friends of all faiths, orientations, and races. We don't always agree with each other, it happens, that is life, but i love them regardless.

Anywho...moving on. Mucho excitement with the Johnsons and Foxes. Friday, August 10th was the official 3 month mark til the wedding!! Woo hoo! I am so excited :) I say it almost every day, i would marry the man (Charles) tomorrow in a court house, but i am so looking forward to the celebration with family and friends! We had our first shower 2 weeks ago in Boone, NC. The congregation at First Baptist is easily the most generous group of people i have ever met. They truly love Charles and his family and reinforced my knowledge of how lucky I am to becoming a member of their family. Charles and I are incredibly blessed!

This weekend, I went home to Atlanta to address envelopes, glue ribbon, and put together the invitations with my mom. I made the trip alone (which was fine because Charles would have been bored out of his mind). It was a non-stop event. Today I am sore, like really sore, in my lower back and hips, but i feel like a champion that my mom and I were able to get it all done! They are all (all 142 of them) put together, sealed and stamped. What an accomplishment!! It helps that my mom and i are are pretty much control freaks, so we have the ability to just lay out a plan, sit, and get it done. Here is a sneak peak!

Also, while i was home I got to see my best friend's new baby. His name is Roman, he is just over a month old, and he is perfect! I joke with his mom (Josie) that she has been replaced and that he is my new best friend. I could just love on him and shower him with kisses all the time. That moment when i have to give him that last little kiss and put him in his little romper roo thing breaks my heart. These are the moments i miss since we live far away. He is just the most perfect tiny thing ever and what a stud! Check out his hair...seriously, a lady killer!

Now, to a personal "YAY" moment. While i am not quite ready to share my weight with you...oh well who cares...here we go. When i started my weight-loss/running journey it was January, the holidays had just ended, and i was fat. I easily weighed around 205 and that is the largest i have ever been. I do not have a large frame, so extra weight is easy to see and more than that, easy to feel. It effected everything. Well i have been working hard: running (i did a 5K in less than 45 minutes last week...woohoo) and eating correctly. 75% of my diet is easily veggies (with a little fruit), with the rest being lean meats, LOTS of seafood, and healthy carbs (on occasion). My weight is down around 40 pounds and it keeps dropping.

At my desk, i have the below piece of paper taped to the wall. I read it every day and it honestly, really helps keep me focused on the things i do from a day to day basis and the things that i choose to put in my mouth. I encourage anyone who might be trying to create a new life plan, to keep your "strategies" taped where you can see them every single day! It makes a world of difference!!

For you enjoyment, below is a pick of my sweet babies during a storm...what chickens! But aren't they just adorable??

Well that is all for now folks. I am glad i have been able to catch you up a little on what has been going on. My goal really is to make this blog a priority...i need to. It is good for my soul and my mind! As we really begin to gear up for the wedding, i know time will be tight, but i look forward to sharing as much of the excitement as possible!

Always

~M. Johnson :) :)

Think...

I'm currently working out my next blog post in my head....I originally wanted to write about my and Charles' first wedding shower and how wonderful it was and I may still do that. I also thought about writing a post regarding the Restoring Love event in Dallas that my sister was a part of. And then i thought, well maybe I will write about my feelings on the state of this country...it's not a political but i just feel so sad about where our country is and what it's people have become. Trust me when I say, I am not perfect and i make plenty of judgments on my own, but i have never felt the hate that is currently resonating throughout different races, genders, and sexual orientations. It makes me sad and disappointed. Maybe i'll figure out a way to write a post that incorporates the showers, Restoring Love, and my sadness. I don't know...i'm going to work on it and I'll get something finished before the week is over.

It's been awhile

Happy Friday folks!! I apologize for the delay in my blog writing. I could give you a million excuses, but i only have one...i just wasn't writing. I don't know if it is because i have  been busy, or if i wasn't sure what direction to go, or if i just didn't feel like it. Who knows and who cares...it's FRIDAY and i'm writing today!

How is everyone? I hope well :) I am 4 weeks into my new position (with the same company) and so far I have been doing a lot of inventory, searching, matching, and creating...I'm the first Advertising Account Executive (Charles LOVES the title, ha ha) and while the company has always sold advertising, we never had anyone on staff to solely look after the contracts, and keep up with clients, and make sure members were happy. Well now I am here, and that is what i plan to do :) Here is my new card...exciting, isn't it?

My parents also came to visit the first weekend of the month! So awesome for them to come down and visit with Charles and I. Mom and I had some serious wedding planning to do and the guys got to play golf. My dad loves the fact that Charles is a Golf Pro and i think it is great that playing 18 holes is something they can do together. Mom and I...well, we picked out a florist and flower colors (green and white/ivory), finalized the reception catering, and we picked out cake. Obviously, the cake tasting was the worst part...

ha ha ha ha....NOT!!! When the baker put this box down in front of us, I can honestly say that my mom and I had no clue what we were about to be presented. The lid opened and behold, 6 different types of cake, each with either white or cream cheese icing. The choices were: strawberry, chocolate, red velvet, carrot, vanilla pudding, and hummingbird. I will not tell you what we picked for the bride's or groom's cake, but i will say that our guests will have the choice of 4 of these flavors. Mom and I just couldn't decide on 2. Oh and we made sure to bring dad and Charles some too.

Charles birthday was on June 10th! My babe turned 27 (YIKES...i'm a cougar! ha ha). We went to Charlotte for the Lady Antebellum concert. It was awesome and he was happy...which is all I could want for him :) here we are at the concert

he's so cute, isn't he?

As an side note: My boot was able to come off on June 4th and then last week I broke my 2nd toe making the bed...welcome to my life. The good news is, it is feeling much better and I am hoping to start running again very soon! Next week is my goal. Which brings me to another topic:

My co-worker, Mayra, and I both have been comtemplating doing the Insanity workout program. She has gotten the DVDs from a friend and she is going to start tonight. It is AWESOME to have a friend and co-worker doing a workout program with you because it will keep us both motivated...BUT we are both pretty scared of Insanity. Because of my toe, I can't really start until next week, so she is starting before me. We are going to work out a system where we can switch the DVDs back and forth between each other. Her husband is in the Army and is currently in Afganistan, valiently serving and protecting our country. According to Mayra, when they aren't on patrol all he does is work out. They are newlyweds and as to be expected she wants to look great when he gets back. She looks great to me, but i understand where she is coming from. With my and Charles' wedding day less that 5 months away (wait...did you read that...LESS THAN 5 months away!!!) I really want to start shedding those pounds and inches. The boot and broken bones has left me plateaued, and it's time to start shrinking again. So, my hope is that you will all think good thoughts and pray that i make it through Insanity...or heck, just give it a good try! I am going to continue to run and do other things as well...especially if i am just not quite ready for Insanity.

Anywho...that is my month in a nutshell. Sorry it has been so long, i will try to do better! I hope everyone is having a great Friday and that you all enjoy a perfect weekend!

~M. Johnson :) :)

May Flowers

Good afternoon and happy mid-week of May! I love May, my parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary (only a few weeks after my soon-to-be, fabulous, in-law's celebrated their 30th), my baby sister turned 26 in "The Big Apple" and Charles and I hit our 6th month mark to the wedding...so far, a pretty rockin month.

Only 2 negatives that I can think of...1. my horrific trip to Philly and 2. My stress fracture...yes, my stress fracture. I may have mentioned that when i started running i was experiencing some pretty significant pain in my shins and ankles. I had bought some seriously cruddy running shoes and figured that new shoes would do the trick. So I bit the bullet, threw down some cash, and bought an AWESOME pair of Brooks running shoes...like magic, most of my pain was gone, most... not all..left ankle, still hurtin...oh and now it was swelling. It wasn't pretty...at all! I was having to ice it every night and wrap it, which only somewhat helped. Notice, i'm watching GLEE (love that show) :) ha ha

Determined not to let this "injury" affect my running, i continued to run, on the treadmill. Not my brightest move.  The day that I was almost crawling out of the gym because it was so swollen and i was in so much pain, was when i realized this may not be tendonitis. After about 2 weeks of pain I made an appointment with my primary care, hoping for a referral to someone who could make it better. That's all we ever really want anyways isn't it...to be better? Well my doc did refer me to a specialist and 2 week after that i saw Dr. Steven Shapiro, a foot and ankle orthopedic specialist. A few sets of x-rays later and we have an answer - i have a stress fracture...better news - i have to wear an aircast boot for the next MONTH...NO running AT ALL! This is a full on, to the knee grey boot, the latest in Orthopedic Footwear, and oh so NOT fashionable.

It's ugly, i hate it, and it is a massive inconvenience...but i must wear it if i don't want to further injure myself, so wear it I will. I don't have to wear it when i sleep and i can workout, kinda...i'm limited to the stationary, easy bike (no spin classes) and swimming.  June 4th is the date that it should come off permanently and then I will be given some sort of brace so that i can run again! I never thought I would miss running, but i do...BAD.

In other news, the Save the Dates have been mailed out and received by my friends and family! It's all just so exciting. Mom and I are working on the menus and hopefully she will be visiting Savannah soon to work on many of the other details :) Suits and Rehearsal Dinner are on next month's to-do list. My Charles is so handsome everyday, but i can only imagine how he will take my breath away on November 10! I am one, very, lucky girl.

I wanted to just quickly share my newest footwear :) Talk to y'all soon!

~M. Johnson :) :)

Wedding Update

Happy Wednesday my friends! I'm not feeling 100% today, but I am looking forward to a grilled pimento cheese sandwich and a 7pm bedtime :) I anticipate feeling much better tomorrow after a full and good nights sleep.  Tomorrow is a pretty exciting benchmark for me and my Charles...tomorrow is the 6 month mark til the wedding day!! Woo hoo...things are moving at a faster pace now. I remember telling my friend Brianne (who was just married this past weekend) 6 months ago that the time would fly by....HOLY CRAP...now it's my turn!!

Last week I was busy buying a new car and then on (what was supposed to be) a short trip to Philadelphia...lets just say i did not enjoy my trip and i do not plan on going back to Philly any time soon. I drove through West Philadelphia and I now understand why the Fresh Prince left and went to California. Anywho...i can't dwell too much on it. I made it home just in time for the Tall Ships Challenge/Festival being held, for the first time, in Savannah. It was amazing!! We had 14 Tall Ships docked along River Street and at Hutchinson Island for the weekend. Here is a picture of the 2 French Tall Ships

After a long and busy weekend i'm back to the normal grind of the work week. Days in the office and days on the road. Busy, busy, busy and that's just how I like it.

Now...on to the fun :) We have been taking care of wedding stuff the last week or so. Mom and I had a talk and we basically realized what i mentioned before...we are only 6 months away!! AHHHH!!! We finally got the guest list finalized (well as final as it is going to be for now) and Save the Dates were mailed out on Saturday. As my mom says, "there's no turning back now" ha ha ha! Not to worry, this wedding is going to happen, and i am so excited about being Mrs. Meghan Fox! Here is what the Save the Date looks like

Guests will receive the Save the Date card and one of the magnets we had made from our engagement pictures. The cards are a pretty ivory and the envelopes are a lovely stone gray. Our wedding colors are stone gray with green accents. I love that the Save the Dates and the Invitations are so simple yet, they go with the feeling of the wedding and, frankly, I think they are very pretty :) Also, mom and I are discussing menus for the food at the reception, and trying to find a time for her to come down here. When she comes down here we will have to figure out flowers, cake design, and whatever may need to be discussed. I also got the shoes that I want to wear with my wedding dress...i need a half size bigger, but I LOVE THEM!

Charles and I also had our first meeting/counseling session with our minister. It went really well. What a special time these sessions are. We are asked to really give thought to life situations and the "what-ifs" that Charles and I, as a couple (who are still blissfully in love), have yet to imagine. I think that we are both going to really enjoy this time Karen. I know I am looking forward to the next meeting.

Well that's about it for now. I am just so excited that we are a mere 6 months away. I can not wait to marry this man, and spend forever with him, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, til death do us part.

~M. Johnson :) :)



Easter - 2012

Good Monday morning!

Finally, I feel like I am almost caught up with my blog! Today, I just wanted to quickly share my fantastic Easter with you all. Charles and I loaded up the dogs and headed to Boone, NC to have Easter with his mom - Mrs. Fox, sister - Jessica, and adorable niece - Emma :) Charles' dad was still in Augusta working at The Masters and Brent-Jessica's husband, had to work too. Did you know Easter isn't a Federal Holiday? It was a beautiful weekend, and I always love seeing my soon-to-be in-laws! I am truly very lucky to be marrying into such a great family. They remind me a lot of my family, so it's always comfortable and always fun.

We arrived in Boone on Friday evening around 8:30, so we ate and went to sleep pretty quickly. Saturday morning, Charles wanted to go hiking and then teach me how to shoot. I was pretty pumped! We went hiking on a trail located off of the Blue Ridge Parkway with the dogs. That was probably a mistake...not the hiking, but taking the dogs. It had rained the day before so the trail was muddy and slippery, so we could only go so far... We did find a beautiful lookout point thought, and I was able to snap some great pictures!

Once we got back the dogs were promptly given a bath and then it was time to shoot! I have been wanting to learn how to shoot for years. I am blessed that Charles is so patient with me and is willing and excited to teach me different things (golf, shooting, etc). Charles created a target from a piece of styrofoam and we set it up at the curve on their road. I had to constantly remind myself that the Fox's live on a mountain and the curve in the road was a perfectly acceptable to place for target practice. I grew up in the city...you can't just shoot where you want in Cobb County. Charles started me off with a little 22 caliber rifle, no kick back, and very user friendly. Once i was comfortable with that and had made some nice shots, he moved me to a pistol where we used some 38 calliber bullets. This pistol had a little kick, and a lot of power...it was my favorite. Once I was comfortable with that gun and had used almost the entire box of ammo, Charles was ready to move onto the shotgun...this thing was a monster and had a kick back that startled me. It hurt too. This will not become my weapon of choice, but it was fun to shoot a few times! Here I am with the pistol!

Sunday morning we woke up, got dressed and headed to church. The service was great! I always love Easter morning service. There are few things in life as uplifting and promising as the resurrection. After church we went to Charles' grandmother, Mimi's house. She had quite the spread laid out for us. I also had the chance to FINALLY love on Emma a bit! Emma had not been 'feeling' Aunt Meghan this weekend. She is such a hoot...one day she loves you, the next you are getting the "stink-eye". I keep telling her that one day she'll be begging to spend time with "Cool Aunt Meghan" ha ha! I guess when you are one and a half though, you just don't care, lol! Either way, I love her and she makes me smile! Here are some Easter photos

Well I finally feel caught up. I will be back to my regularly scheduled blogging late this week/weekend. For now, I wish you all a very happy Monday and great last week of April!!

~M. Johnson :) :)



.

FORE! My month of golf...and it's not over yet!

Hey all!! I sincerely apologize for not writing more the last few weeks. It has been in incredibly busy month between work and golf and possible BIG changes!! In a few days i'll share Easter with everyone and hopefully I will be able to share those big changes soon as well. For this post, i'm sticking to golf.

Event #1 - The Masters at August National Golf Club in Augusta, GA.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I have never been. Charles has been going for almost 7 years now. His dad, Charlie (Mr. Fox to me), has the luck and pleasure of working the 5th hole during the tournament. So, luckily he gets a few tickets for each day of the practice rounds. The rules are (from what i understand) that after 20 years of service and work to The Masters, he will receive tickets for every day of tournament...that's Monday - SUNDAY!! How exciting! You really have to be dedicated to the organization and Mr. Fox is certainly that. He looks forward to this week every year and I am just so happy that he gets to be a part of something he has loved for so long!  Me... i was just excited about going, seeing Augusta National - up close, and eating one (or two) of their famous pimento cheese sandwiches! Augusta National really is everything and more than what i had seen on TV. We were able to see so many of golf's "greats": Tiger, Rickey, Freddy, Phil, Luke, and the incomprable Jack Nicklaus! It was absolutely amazing and I was so happy to be experiencing this first with Charles, who will be my forever. OH and the Pimento Cheese sandwiches were to die for (i figured out how to copycat the recipe) and the beer is CHEAP!! Truely, what more can you ask for?  Here are some pics from that day!

Charles and the Masters board

Me and the Masters Board

At the Par 3 with my awesome visor and Charles!

Charles and his dad

Jack Nicklaus!! LEGEND!

Event #2 - The Heritage at Harbour Town on Hilton Head.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Charles is lucky that he has such great accessibility to tickets for The Heritage Golf Tournament. He works at a very nice private golf club where many of the members are involved in the tournament and the golf community. We were given Sunday grounds passes along with a clubhouse pass, which made a lot of things easier (i.e. using the potty). Sunday, the 15th was beautiful, the day started off a little cloudy but by the time we got out to the golf course it was a crystal clear, almost hot, day! We followed Zach Johnson (i joke he is my cousin) then went and enjoyed the sun and other golfers on the 18th hole. It was an absolutely perfect day! It really was. Here are some pics from this past Sunday.

Me and Charles in front of the Harbour Town Lighthouse

18th Fairway and all the boats that watch

Enjoying the 18th in the grandstands

Zach Johnson (in the white pants)

Event #3 - Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf Tournament at The Westin in Savannah Sunday, April 22, 2012.

We have not yet attended this tournament because it is this coming Sunday. My office is a co-sponsor of the event so this time I was able to provide the 2 grounds tickets and 2 tickets into the VIP Hospitality tent :) I have my own golf connections too, ya know?! I looking forward to starting Sunday at church with my love and then heading to the course for some lunch, golf, and a few cold beverages! The forecast is iffy so I'm just hoping the weather holds out....

~M. Johnson :) :)

New Weekend Adventure

This past weekend Charles and I had an entire Sunday to spend together (this rarely happens because of his job). We started our morning at church and then wanted to do an activity, something fun, visit someplace we haven't been before. Hiking at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Preserve was it!!

Here we are at the beginning

We left the dogs at home and headed out. Bull Point was our intended destination, but would we make it?? It was going to take around 2 miles to get there but i was excited about a nice long walk with Charles, talking and laughing and taking in all that this beautiful island had to offer. It is a gorgeous island with over 14 miles of hiking/biking/exploring. Tall pines and massive Live Oaks lines the trails.

Charles wanted to pose by the first marsh we walked past...it was low tide

There is a beautiful Butterfly garden...unfortunately not the masses of Butterflies i was hoping for

More massive foliage

OH and in the above pic you can see Skull Creek Boathouse one of our favorite restuarants!

Then we started down a path that we THOUGHT would lead to Bull Point (our intended destination). I should have known by the dark shadows that we may be have headed the wrong direction.

We literally walked for an hour and a half...more amazing Live Oak trees and then we got to a clearing...

It was about this time that i realized for long we had been walking and where we were supposed to be ... and it wasn't anywhere near where we actually were.... in the picture below you can barely make out a tree line in the distance....that's where we thought we were

Finally we made our way back. My hips and shins were killing me (i apparently need new shoes BADLY to run) but we had hiked around 6 miles in gravel and grass! You'll notice the path that was so shadowy and dark is now beautiful and full of light... we were almost done!!

We obviously did not make it to Bull Point, but maybe we will when we go back (Charles grabbed a map). I am excited for our next adventure :) I'll be sure to share when it happens!

~M. Johnson :)

Details

Happy FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!! This is my favorite time of the year!! Everything is blooming (along with my allergies), the colors are so vibrants, the air is warm (but there is always a cool breeze), and people just seem happier. It is obvious that "Spring Fever" has hit my office...everyone seems to want to be outside or at the beach and work seems to get done quicker so that playtime can begin.

I just wanted to write a super quick post about my weekend. In Savannah it was St. Patrick's Day weekend, and if you are familiar with that holiday then you know what an insane party happens in this beautiful city! As for me, i avoided it, and went up to Atlanta to visit my parents and take care of wedding details. On the to-do list was to see my hair dresser and go back to my blond color (long story short that includes some woman turning me orange then chocolate brown), shopping for a wedding dress, looking at invitations, and figuring out what to do for Save-the-Dates. Mom and I also wanted to look at the menus from the caterer and work on finalizing the guest list. Overall i would say that the weekend was pretty successful!

1. I got my hair back!!! It feels awesome to be a blond again! I just feel more like myself.

2. I found my dress!!! First store, second dress I tried on! Of course I cannot post a pic of the dress but i do have this picture of me and my dress consultant. I was her first bride ever, and trust me when i say she did a fantastic job!

3. Invitations  and Save-the-Dates were designed with the help of a fabulous associate at Paper Affair. We are using a silvery grey (wedding color) and they are going to be uniquely ours :) I don't to show those off yet til i get them in all printed and finished :) Save the dates should be printed and picked up before the end of the month... It's very exciting!!!

4. We didn't get to make any final decisions on menus, but we did narrow it down. I definitely feel like we are getting there. I have discussed the pre-marriage counseling sessions with our minister, so hopefully we will begin those this summer and I am getting ready to send an email to the music director regarding the ceremony music :) And we think we have finalized the guest list...we think...

Well that's about it for now. OH and i did my first outside run with my mom ... 2 miles ran, about 1 mile walked...i was pretty proud of myself!!! Moments like that are always encouraging!

~M. Johnson :)

Sometimes...

Sometimes it's just not your day...sometimes you are so busy that you can't seem to keep it all together....sometimes you just get so tired that you can't sleep well...and sometimes you just want to fall to the floor and sit there, alone, in your own self pity...EVERYTIME this happens, I feel a little bit defeated.

You see, i am typically a VERY happy, almost giddy person. it is quite rare to find myself in "a mood" or a funk or sad. It's just not in my nature. Now, i get aggravated and ticked off like the next person, but to just be down-in-the-dumps...yeah, that rarely happens to me. Unfortunately today is one of those rare times...

I have been traveling  quite a bit lately. I was in Memphis, TN the first full week of February, then when i got back to the office i was immediately thrown into planning and preparing mode for my next 2 trips (which were back to back). I had 2 weeks to prepare a day full of appointments for my team on our Sales Mission while also preparing materials and getting the other 3 teams organized for their Sales Missions. I needed to prepare 125 binders, 125 sets of 5 tabs to go into the binders, organize a "packing party", make sure i had all of the materials from my company at everyone's disposal, and basically babysit the packing process. You see, in my job, there are times in which I must be incredibly diplomatic. This is not easy for me by nature, as i am a fairly opinionated person, but sometimes i just can't have an opinion and this packing party was one of those moments, and TRUST ME, i had a million opinions bursting to get out that afternoon. Immediately following the Sales Mission, i had a travel trade show in Louisville, KY. I had enough time between shows to hug my fiance, scratch my dogs' bellies, do laundry, and repack. Off to Louisville i went, for a week. Both trips were hugely successful and I would not have traded them for the world, but, when i got back the time changed and i feel like i am struggling to get back into my normal pace of life.

This week in itself has just been one of those weeks. I moved right before I left to go on my 2 back to back trips, so i am trying to adjust to the new living arrangement. My dog somehow got a gash in his eyelid which led to a $112 trip to the Vet. (Now, don't get me wrong, i would do anything for my dog, but $112, 2 days before the paycheck hits the bank, it just hurts a little) I have inadvertently become the contact person for a major event coming to Savannah in May (for the first time) so a lot has quickly been put on my plate. It is St. Patrick's week here in Savannah and the crazies have been in town since last week. There seems to be a constant line in our office bathroom (you can't close the potty when your office is also a VIC) and people get stranger as the week goes on, so things should get even "better"...And to top it all off, I am heading to ATL this weekend to see my parents and basically focus on nothing but the wedding. Charles will be staying in Bluffton/Savannah because he has to work. This weekend priority #1 is FIND THE DRESS!! Then invitations, save-the-dates, pick a menu, discuss flowers, order bridesmaid dresses, discuss favors, and anything else that needs to be done. I'm tired already, ha ha!! I am not good at making decisions when there are so many options, so i definitely need my mom's help so the time i have with her is precious. The process has moments that are just a little overwhelming...

Now, i know that life could be much worse, and that i have much to be thankful for, and trust me when i say i am thankful for every blessing in my life. I know God has given me so many blessings...just every now and then it's nice to whine a little. I'm am a self-described control freak and may have a slight case of OCD, so when i feel a loss of control (like the last month and a half) it just makes me crazy inside.

I'm finished with my whiny rant now...I'm sure i will be much better next week...can't keep me down for too long! I apologize if you actually read through this entire entry...I know that wasn't fun :( I will do my best to avoid having that happen again!

~M. Johnson :)

here is a picture of my Teddy and his poor wounds :(

Lent

Happy Wednesday everyone! I have been slack the last week or so about my blog...sorry :( It has been quite a busy couple of days...okay it's been a busy 10 days! I am exhausted, but alas there is no rest for the weary...at least not yet.

My future sister-in-law, Jessica, her husband, Brent, and their sweet daughter Emma came to visit twice last week. The first time they were here was on Valentine's day! This was my and Charles' first Valentine's Day, but seeing as I am not 100% into the holiday, there was really no better way for me to spend the day than with my new family. Plus...I was so stinkin' excited about hanging out with Emma. She turned 1 in October and she is just the sweetest thing! I love that Jess and Brent call me Aunt Meghan. I am really lucky to have such fantastic in-laws. Jess, Brent, and Emma left the morning of the 15th and then returned early afternoon on Saturday the 18th. It was a NASTY day in Bluffton, so we went bowling. We had a blast, even between all taking turns holding Emma and bowling pretty horribly, ha ha ha ha! Seafood dinner after and then off to bed! Of course wedding details were discussed. There is just so much excitement and I just can't wait to be a part of this family.

i LOVE this face!!! sweet, sweet Emma


I also have 2 big work trips coming  up. On Sunday, i leave for Hickory, NC, Asheville, NC and then on to Greenville/Spartanburg, SC on sales calls. 2 days after i get back i will jump on a plane and head to Louisville, KY for the Travel South show. I will make sure to bring back lots of pics.

Sometimes i feel like i don't have time to breathe!! On top of traveling and visitor's, I have also been in the process of moving. The lease was up and it was time to move, so move i did...probably not the best timing, but when it needs to be done you have to do it, right? So needless to say, it's been a little crazy and hectic! Luckily, today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. As a United Methodist, I have always observed Lent and the Ash Wednesday Service of atonement. Lent respresents the 40 days and 40 nights leading up to Easter, where some Christians believe that they need to give up something as a fast (just as Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before fulfilling the Prophecy). I am not sure if i am going to give up something or just promise to keep up the changes i have begun to make (healthy eating, running, being organized). I'm going to think about this today and get back to you.

I hope everyone has a blessed Ash Wednesday and now it's back to preparing for my trips...

~M. Johnson :)