You only turn 26 once...

I headed back to Gadsden this weekend after classes Thursday afternoon to celebrate....After all, you only turn 26 once....right?  At least that is what I said to the Wal-Mart cashier today when my parents and I were checking out with my awesome TRANSFORMERS birthday party decorations and groceries.....I know, my birthday isn't technically until 3:05(ish) am tomorrow morning (lucky 13), but tonight was my family birthday party!!!! It was absolutely fantastic!!!! I couldn't have asked for a better party!!!

So, just to let you know, Wallace family tradition is that on birthdays you have a family birthday party and everyone in the family is invited over for dinner, cake and presents...now the thing about dinner is that the birthday girl (in this case...ME) gets to chose what's for dinner and dessert.  Now I'm turning 26, so nothing to get to scared about - but ask a 6 year old what they want - anything - for dinner..and well, I shudder to think of the possibilities...they are endless...Guess that leaves you guessing what a 26 year old choses?!?! Well, I chose my fathers famous special family recipe BBQ chicken and my mothers famous special family recipe potato salad...and for dessert, dirt cake.  

So my mom got to cooking in the kitchen, Dad got to grilling, Molly and I worked some magic decorating the kitchen table and surrounding area Transformer style - and next thing you know...it was time for my family birthday party to officially begin!!! Woo-hoo! Dinner was delicious! An hour or two after dinner, it was time for dirt cake and presents!!! The desert was just like I remembered if from growing up - super yummy! I got lots of special birthday cards from lots of people in my life...a beautiful arrangement of flowers from my fiancee with a card that made my heart smile....a beautiful peal bracelet from my soon-to-be mother-in-law and sister-in-law, and a King bed and Wii Fit from my parents....let's face it....you're jealous!!! Don't worry, I would be too if it wasn't me I was talking about! Ha! Ha! :-) 

So thanks to everyone that made my birthday party so special - whether it be in person, spirit or heart! 

FANTASTIC weekend!

This weekend has been fantastic - I mean it, it has surpassed all expectations.  

Let's start with Matt's weekend....it started out with his good friend, and one of his best men arriving at his apartment late Thursday night (possibly Friday morning).  Then after working Friday, he had the opportunity to play some Tiger Woods playstation with Jeff and watch Harlod and Kumar 2.  Then, Friday night it was off to meet some other fraternity brothers/groomsmen at the bars.  Saturday, was the big game!!! If you haven't had the pleasure of attending a UVA game - it begins with the tailgating sponsored by a fraternity brothers parents and then it is time to enter Scott Stadium.  Yesterday, UVA Cavaliers took on the Richmond Spiders, and although parts of the tradition were cancelled due to weather (thanks Hanna) the game commenced and ended with a SHUT-OUT!!! Virginia 16 - Richmond 0!  It was also the game in which the team wore the retro orange jerseys (aren't they fantastic - the picture is from virginia sports)!   After the game - everyone got a chance to clean up and headed out to Baja Bean (fantastic mexican restaurant) and in true Viriginia tradition partying on the Corner in celebration.  I think the night ended for Matt sometime after 1 am! Sounds like fun to me!! So today he'll get to see the guys off at lunch somewhere and then probably take a nap!! 

Now on to my weekend...Spending time with family and friends (see below posts) but also (drum roll) Molly is all BETTER!!! Finally yesterday mid-morning she got some uhh, well relief, and she even wanted to play! It was the first time she has wanted to play in a long time.  We took a long walk which brought us to the dog park.  There she actually ran around with other dogs and chased after a ball! Just two days ago we went there, and instead of playing with the dogs she just sat down next to my legs! It's so good to see her back to being Molly - which also means laying out on the deck and barking!! Love it! Additionally, I have been able to get loads of homework done thanks to USA's House marathon.  So - all in all- for a weekend spent staying in Birmingham, it was more than I expected it to be..and I've still got all day today (it's only 8:30 am)!  Also, we are on Day 2 of no air conditioner and windows open.  It is another beautiful (dare I say FALL) day this morning.  

So, here's to today - the beginning of a new week...may it be as surprisingly pleasant as the weekend was - for everyone!

Wednesday and Saturday....

So this past Wednesday and yesterday, I had the opportunity to hang out with my niece, Abby and my older sister Barbara (didn't want to blog until had pictures).  Wednesday was a quick trip that involved me driving to Gadsden after my classes.  When I got there, my Mom (aka Gramecy) and Abby were playing in the pool while Barbara was outside the water watching and taking pictures.  The pool has little windows and Abby and I got a chance to play peek-a-boo! Ha! Abby is actually a really good swimmer - for a 1 1/2 year old! She love love loved the deep end of the pool (the pool is on a hill so one side gets deeper).  Then it was time for dinner @ Logan's with Gramercy, PapaDoc, Abby, Barbara, and I  after I dried my clothes because Abby was all about getting Aunt Kelly with the hose - and of course getting Mommy (Barbara) and Gramercy.  Dinner was fantastic and we took a group picture after - the only picture that had both Barbara and I in it...however, both Barbara and I agree that we don't so much love that picture and perhaps the web is better off without it being posted - on either blog!!! Ha! Ha! After dinner we went back to my parents house to watch a little Word World before bedtime.  (Now here I must state - Word World and Super Why are two different tv shows - just in case you didn't know! Ha! Ha! A mistake I made!) Then, I drove back to Birmingham for Thursday's PAD Pizza Tasting and Sea, Ocean, and Coastal law.  I thought I'd be able to make it back to visit while they were in Gadsden, but Molly was just too sick and there was nobody to watch her like Wednesday night.  So it was a nice surprise to be able to have lunch yesterday with just us girls at Red Robin in Trussville.  Barbara and I got to talk a lot about wedding stuff, while Abby enjoyed the balloon and football.  Yes, Abby noticed that football was on the television above the bar at Red Robin before either Barbara or I knew.  She looked, pointed and said "football" and well, she was right!  However, it was Auburn and not Abby's favorite team Alabama.  At lunch Abby went over the parts of her face that she knows, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and working on tounge...she also went over the sounds that animals make, cow (moo), horse (nah), frog (ribit), cat (meow), dog (woof) and of course Elephant, to which she replies ROLL TIDE!!! That's just freaking adorable and I'm not even an Alabama fan - you know my loyalties are Balyor (even though they are horrible) and Virginia.  It was a great visit!

To a/c or not to a/c...

So I've already posted about my love of cool, or in Matt's words, freezing rooms - aka blasting the air conditioner.  Everytime I begin the trip to Charlottesville Matt makes sure to turn the a/c on.  It's cute really - all bundled up together under the fleece blanket! Ha! Well, anyways, this weekend is full of surprises because today I decided to turn OFF the a/c.  That's right, no need to re-read that sentence...I turned the a/c off when I woke up around 2 am.  (Yes, I am waking up ridiculously early for no reason...and yes, it sucks)...I opened up the balcony door and my bedroom window...and then prayed for a breeze!!! Ha! Ha! Well, I got more than that - I got an overcast sky which led to rain and wind! Now it's beautiful outside, but the breezed stayed here and the a/c stayed off.  Crazy, isn't it.

I'll tell you my secret as to why I turned off the a/c, because it is time.  I'm sick of all this heat and humidity.  It is time for my most favorite season - FALL! A friend from college recently blogged about her love of fall, and she is completely right.  I love it when Iwake up and there is that chilly breeze.  I love wearing long sleeve t-shirts.  I love when the leaves turn beautiful colors, and where weekends are filled with hikes in Oak Mountain State Park with Molly. It's official, I love fall. 

So while everyone is enjoying this weekend - I hope they are able to get a glimpse of fall like I am...with the a/c off and the windows open!

Boys Weekend vs. Girls Weekend

The weekend is here - technically, it's friday morning at 8:30, so it's here for me, but it is only almost here for Matt coming at 5 pm today!  This weekend is special though, for both Matt and I. Normal weekends for myself include leaving the Birmingham area (I don't care where I go, I just get out, and get out fast) and during football season, Matt's weekends include recruits, basketball players, tail-gates, a big white van, a UVA football game - basically lots of work!  However, this weekend is distinctly different for both of us! Ready for the shock? 

I'M STAYING IN BIRMINGHAM and MATT DOESN'T HAVE TO WORK!

So, we'll start with Matt's weekend because honestly, it is going to be much more fun than mine! Matt is having a "Boys Weekend."  (That is just my self-proclaimed title for it).  Anyways, a lot of his fraternity brothers (some who are groomsmen) are coming to Charlottesville to watch the big game...

          

UVA Cavaliers              vs.    Richmond Spiders 

Hopefully Tropical Storm Hannah (potentially Hurricane Category 1 Hannah) won't drop too much rain and wind in C'ville and the guys will be able to enjoy tail-gating, the game, and the Corner afterwards!  I know what it is like with college friends living all over the place and no longer being able to see them on a daily basis - so I'm so excited for Matt to get to hang out with his friends this weekend, especially with no work!  Woo-hoo!!! So I hope you guys have fun!  

My weekend isn't nearly as fun (yeah, I can admit that - easily).  I will be staying in Birmingham and working on school project for one of my classes and papers for all my other classes.  Molly has been sick this week.  She hasn't puked since Wednesday - thank goodness, but her food also doesn't seem to be working its way through her as normal either (aka she's not pooping - sorry if that is too much for the blog).  So I take her out for really long walks and then she pretty much spends the rest of her time sleeping on the bed right next to me.  Currently her head has been resting on my right leg for the past 20 minutes (she likes to hear a heartbeat when she sleeps, isn't she adorable).  I'm fine with it because I want her to be able to get her rest - an upset tummy is no fun for anyone, human or puppy dog.  So other than a dinner out with the boys (two of my really good friends here in Birmingham, Robby and James - which was Chili's Thurday night) I'll be inside working hard and taking care of Molly.  (I've got a picture of Molly on the bed, but I can't get it loaded, so I'll put it up later)

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend, whether it be a boys weekend full of football and fun or a girls weekend full of an adorable puppy and homework!

Officially a genius - or at least really good at Admiralty!

   

Ok, so I'd just like to say, I have the best parents known to man...I mean really, they are great!!! This past weekend I've been their patient/house-guest, but tonight they totally surprised me with something that dealt with neither being a patient or house-guest, but rather a student.

Here's some background information for you first...This summer I was clerking at a law firm for 40+ hours a week in Gadsden, Alabama and also taking 2 Cumberland law school courses.  The courses were offered online, which I found out means a lot of reading, a lot of writing, the same 3 hour horrible finals and the only plus being that there is  not actual classroom you must sit in like a typical class.  The two classes I took were Professional Responsibility and Admiralty.  

Admiralty assignments were due every Sunday night by midnight and the Professional Responsibility assignments were due every Monday night by midnight...for 9 weeks! It was a lot of hard work, but at least it paid off!!! I did well in both classes which was great for me, but then I found out even better news for my admiralty class.

I BOOKED ADMIRALTY!!!!!  If you aren't familiar with that term, it means that I made the highest grade in the Admiralty class - out of all the students taking the class.  Now I found out this information in an instant message from a guy who is in the top 10% of our class (sidenote: I am not in top 10%)...and, seeing as how he was in that class, I thought he was kidding.  I was laughing and told him thank you for that laugh, well, he sent me an instant message to the "SCHOLARS OF MERIT" page for Cumberland Law School - and sure enough there I was in the number 1 spot (number 1 spot because admiralty is first class alphabetically)!

Anyways, my point here is that I decided to automatically share this news with the people who knew how much ass I had busted all summer - my parents and Matt.  Well tonight at dinner (Villa Fiesta - woo-hoo for eating solid foods), my parents surprised me with my golden admiralty book!!  I absolutely loved it, and it is sitting on my table in my apartment - proudly showing it off, as the table is the first thing you see upon entering my place.

So with that being said, I just want to take a moment to thank my parents for always supporting me 110% in all I do - being there for me when I'm down or fallen and picking me up and reminding me to always TRY and to do the best you can! Thanks mom and dad for supporting me this summer in so many ways - the words thank you are no where near enough! 

Here's to parents everywhere - It's not an easy job and to those of you that do it well, know that you are loved no matter how old your children get! 

Football is finally here....

  vs.  
  vs. 

Well it's finally here...you know what I'm taking about...FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!  

I know that Matt has been counting down until he was able to walk into Scott Stadium and watch his beloved Cav's; and other friends have been waiting for Alabama and Auburn to kick off, but I never thought that I would be this excited for football season to start.  I'll tell you why I was so excited...this season I was able to start it off by watching my alumni institution and then Matt's!!  Unfortunately, this weekend did not bode well for either.  

Baylor (SIC'EM BEARS) played Wake Forest Thursday night, and as it was the night before oral surgery I was able to watch it with my parents in Gadsden on the big screen.  Although the final score was 41-13 I'm going to call it a win for Baylor.  In case you aren't familiar with Baylor football, the fact that we scored on a ranked team should put a W in our column for the year! What a great way to start out our new coaches year.  When we scored I even stood up and did the Sic'em Bears sign - because let's face it, I can't remember "That Good 'Ole Baylor Line"  (and I'll be fine if that song never ventures back into my memory).  So way to go Baylor!!! I'm proud of you BU - here's to a season that could possibly hold an actual win or even perhaps 2!!!

Then that leaves UVA. I know what you are thinking if you know the score....52-7.  Well I would like to take this time to remind everyone that USC is ranked 3rd in the nation!  I'm not sure anyone was expecting UVA to hand USC an upset - but I can honestly say with the end of the first quarter being 21-7, I did have some hope.  Although the hope died out by the end of the 3rd quarter I want to say that I still can't wait to see those Cav's in action.  UVA football is some of the best I've ever seen (the atmosphere, scott staduim, tail-gating, adventures of cav-man, UVA first down, and so much more) and watching those people in Scott Stadium today,I was jealous!  I know that win or lose I can't wait to be back there with them as part of CAVALIER NATION.  So, here's to kicking some Richmond butt next Saturday - WA-HOO-WA!!!