Happy Birthday Mr.!

Today is my Husband's 28th BIRTHDAY!
I have been a busy little bee since 5:30am this morning doing stuff for him & I can't wait to do a full birthday recap soon!

Gregory:

Today I celebrate who you are...

And Thank God for placing us together!

You are my hero, snuggle-buddy, mate, movie-date, past, present, & future...

And most importantly...BEST FRIEND!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY! 28 years of perfection and a lifetime to go...

I Love YOU FOREVER & ALWAYS!
*Your Lucky Wife, Shan*

Q&A: Part 2!

Round 2. ding.

Mrs. Newlywed Giggles asked: A question for the each of you.
What is the one quality you love the best about your husband/wife?
My response: The one quality I love best about Greg (although there are many, MANY more) is his optimism. Greg has a notorious way of seeing the positive in EVERYTHING. In his world things are rainbows & cheerios. I swear, we could be in the middle of an Earthquake, in a dessert, stranded and Greg would notice how beautiful the sky is before anything else? His famous words are "It'll work out." I must admit, sometimes this drives me absolutely bonkers, but over time, I have become grateful for it. He doesn't have a bad word to say about anything or anyone! There are situations though where it gets him into trouble and that's where I have step in...we're a good team! :)
Greg's response: I love everything about my beautiful wife Shannon but if you bloggers really want to know what one quality I like most than here goes... I love the fact that I can come home from a bad day and when I first see Shannon smile at me everything prior to that moment goes out the window. She really does brighten up my days and I could not live with out her. Shannon is the most fun person I have ever met and she makes me want to be a better person. If you didn't know I am a bit older than her, but I like to think she keeps me young!

Annie said: where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hum...I cannot answer this question fully for a specific reason, that being Greg has not decided how long he will stay in the Army. We are going to see what our opinions on the matter are once that time rolls around. If we decide to stay in we will move to our new duty station & continue Army life or if we decide we're done, we'll hop on the nearest train to the mountains of NORTH CAROLINA where we will live happily ever after, forever & ever. However, in 5 years we will have one "overseas" duty station under our belt and [Lord-willing] 2 kids in our backseat. :)

Sarah Ann asked: What does your hair look like now?
[see pic in previous post] My hair is a somewhat shoulder lengeth shaggy bob. Lots of layers and new bangs! :) I love it and def. thinks it makes me look more my age. Change is good for the soul...

How are you enjoying where you are living?
We are having a blast here in Virginia! We will only be here a short time while Greg completes his last round of Officer Training, but we've done so many new things already and there's lots more on the list! Our little "place" is comfy and will do for now. However, I wouldn't recommend living in Army Temporary Lodging for an extended amount of time like we are, but it will do. All of our wedding gifts and furniture are in storage and we cannot wait to get them out at our new duty station! It will be like Christmas all over again, or wedding showers one. :)

What part of the country are you guys getting stationed in next? (feel free to be pretty obscure if you want- I totally understand privacy!)
Hummm......I'm pretty sure Greg would not want me to do this. However, I'm gonna give ya one hint and you better be able to get it without blowing up my blog with the answer: Part of the US, BEAUTIFUL, North Face Gear & 4WD :)

Lea Liz and Paige said: Where are your favorite places to shop???
Simple enough: H&M, TJ Maxx, Target, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21(hit or miss), kinda sorta maybe like New York & Company because they give a military discount and lately I've been into American Eagle because I need to buy more appropriate clothes for where we are moving! Greg and I call it our "new style" since most of our NC/VA clothes just won't do!

Ashley asked: what is your favorite thing about being married so far?
Favorite thing about being married so far is getting to LIVE and SEE Greg on a daily basis. Our time together was few and far between because of either our busy schedules before he went active in the Army {ie: work, coaching cheerleading, working out, etc} or spent miles and miles apart after the Army decision. But other than than waking up to his beautiful self everyday, I also enjoy using the words husband & wife! They are so new and still make me smile everytime I call Greg my fiance....opps, husband! :)

what is one thing that you absolutely must do before you are old and gray and can't do it anymore?
Raise a little girl! Sounds silly, but I'm such a girly-girl and I just would not think my life is complete without one to call my own. One way or another...(see answer below). I cannot WAIT for hairbows, pigtails, play kitchens, barbies, tea parties, tutus, dance class, cheer practice, pink fingernail polish, high heels, shopping buddies, and of course, be best friends! Or I could be totally brilliant and say go on a mission trip overseas...for real, for real!


do you and Greg want to same number of kids? if not, who do you think will win out when it comes time?
Well, come on ladies, let's admit it...don't most men want like a zillion children?!? haha. They don't think about the responsibilites of them, just the fun it is to make them. Anyways off subject, Greg of course wants a large family. He was raised in one having 3 other brothers, he makes the 4th. I think we have settled on the number of 3. Three children and I am hoping and praying one of them is a little girl. I think it would just be wrong for me to not have a little girl sometime in my life..so if we don't have a little girl by round 3, we'll adopt one and make our number 4!

oh, and p.s. - I always win ;)

Tamsyn and Bryce said: How do you enjoy being a military wife?
Ya know, like all occupations it has it's up and downs. However, I must say, there is NO GREATER feeling than being married to your hero! :) I have never in my life felt so proud to be who I was and married to who I am than on the day of Greg's OCS Graduation. I'm sure there will be many, many more experiences like that along our military journey as well. Of course there are some negatives, but my goal is to focus on the good and be a supportive, loving, caring wife! God would not give us wifes anything we cannot handle, so it is what we make of it! :) And I don't know about you guys..but I'm gonna enjoy the ride!



Shew! Final part coming soon! :) In other news, my parents were here to visit this weekend and that kept me super busy, but it was super fun! And for some reason, my blogger keeps messing up and opening like 1000000 screens at once! I have to restart my computer to get it to stop! Does anyone else have this problem?!?

Q&A: Part 1

Thanks for playing along! :) I have recently came down with something just horrible and I'm keeping my fingers crossed it isn't the flu! So this game has given me something to do today while I'm posted up on the coach for 12 hours straight..and not to mention I'm dying to go to the gym, but I'm afraid that's what got me here in the 1st place!

Meagan asked: What's your favorite time of the year and why?
My favorite time of the year is def. summer! I love, love, love tans, dresses, flip flops, bikinis, floppy hats, huge sunglasses etc. I'm also one of those people who gets VERY uncomfortable when I'm cold. I start shivering, my lips turn blue, and I literally try to wear mittens while doing EVERY task. This kinda seems hilarious if you know where we are moving to! However, while I love summer the mostest of the most, I also get very excited when it's a change of season. You can read about that here! I get easily bored with the same thing over & over.

Dollface said: What is your favorite post thus far?? What made you become a blogger?
This is tricky! Favorite post would probably be this one found HERE! It's a whole bunch of random pics from my wedding that some friends took and were put together in a little slideshow. Basically, my wedding was the BEST day of my life! I started this blog when Greg joined the Army. My sister-in-law has a blog because she lives far away from her family and kept things on it about her life so they could check up on her whenever they wanted. I decided to do the same since we would be moving off and starting a new life together. Little did I know that I would love blogging and "meet" some of the most fabulous people. Looking back on my blog, I don't know how I would have made it through Greg's OCS training without it! It truly has become my outlet...

Kim & Aubrey asked: How did you and Greg meet?
It ALL started in 2003, my freshman year of college while Greg was a Senior. He was a member of Kappa Alpha and at the time, KA was the "it" fraternity on campus. Needless to say, we met. Exchanged AIM screennames. Became friends. Good Friends. And hung out as friends for about 4 years. It wasn't until 7/7/07 {after we both had graduated college} that we met back up at a mutual friend's wedding. Afterwards our group of friends went out and since that day...well, we're pretty much two peas in a pod. Cutest little tid bit: Greg had joined the Army not long before this wedding and was in Virginia for AIT Training. He had to write the cutest letter to his Commander begging to be able to come back to NC for the wedding. He would send me AIM and text messages all the time asking, "Are you going to the wedding? I reallyyy wanna come." Looks like that letter paid off! :)

Whitney asked: How did you know that Greg was the one?
Because he NEVER gave up on me! In college I would never date him..crazy, I know! The poor boy tried and tried..he even locked me in a guy's room at the KA house to persuade me to date him, or at least give him a shot. I was just too busy having a blast with my girlfriends and enjoying my Dance Team! It wasn't that I didn't think Greg was amazing, because he was, He is. Greg graduated and eventually moved off to Florida and then joined the Army..but even from 12 hours apart & me still in college he would AIM me/text/random call. It was indeed adorable. We both knew pretty soon after we started dating that we were set. It was a TOTAL different feeling than I had ever had. It.was.forever. It felt as if all the pieces to my "life puzzle" had been put into place & I truly believe that Greg is an answer to my prayers! After above mentioned wedding and we started dating, we showed up at a KA Alumni Funtion as a couple and everyone said, "Well, it's 'bout time." Cute. Real stinkin' cute! :) Timing IS EVERYTHING!

Shay said: Were the last few weeks before your wedding super stressful? I am down to almost 4 weeks out and I am about to lsoe my mind!
Girlfriend. Absolutely...abso-freakin'-lutely! I planned my entire wedding by myself with my fiance away in Army Officer Training. I feel as if my wedding was one huge stressball that kept growing and growing the closer it got to the big day. There was even a time that I didn't think we were gonna get to HAVE our wedding...oh yea, about 2 months before it! You can read about that stressful issue here. However, our day turned out PERFECT and I wouldn't take it back for anything in the world!! Ultimately, the only thing that matters is that you marrying the man of your dreams! :) My advice to you: let go of the "little things" because they will go unnoticed! But if you're anything like the OCD me, you will want those little things, like the rhinestones on your monogram, or cutting the brown backings off the invites and replacing with pink, or the rounded edges on the programs, or the same amount of swirly springs in each centerpiece. And all of those things will make your day just as perfect as you always dreamed...just don't expect anyone else to notice. :)

Amber asked: Have y'all talked about when you want to have kids or are you just going to enjoy being married for a while first? And isn't being married just the best thing EVER??
I must be honest. Greg and I want children SO BAD! It almost feels like we are incomplete without them..like it's a calling for us. We have been praying about this for a while now. And another confession, I used to not be able to stand children...until I met Greg. Kids used to drive me absolutely bonkers...the crying, the screaming, the pooping, the burping...all of it! Now I see a baby poop and I find it absolutely adorable. Adorable, and also rather smelly..but still cute all the same. Greg being in the Army also plays a large role in our decision making process...ummm, going into labor while your husband is deployed. no.thank.you! It looks as if we are going to get to have approximately a year and half of newlywed life before we have to deal with a deployment so we're trying to plan it just right. We're also trying to work out a time of the year when family will be able to come visit and such since we will be living so far from home. I'll have to let you guys know what we decide... :)
[and please don't take this as liberty to write me about the pros and cons of having children..I know everyone has their own unwanted advice they love to spill out to newlyweds. k, thanks]
And to answer your 2nd part sweet Amber..YES! Marrying Greg has been the one of the BEST decisions of my life! I am loving getting used to the term "wife" and finding my inner domestic goddess...


Ok..that's all for now. Part 2 coming shortly! :)
Thanks for all the sweet questions, you guys are too much fun!

And as if I could leave you guys hanging without a pic of my new hair...

Before:

After:

super cute, no? You can't really tell from the pic because the wind was blowing, but it's a very shaggy and super stress-free! I also have some bangs that are fabulous & I'm trying to get adjusted to them :) And, Greg just absolutely loves it and says it fits my personality better..so haircut=SCORE!

100th Post..already?!?

Goodness, time flies when you're having fun! I cannot believe that I have already posted 100 ramblings..and that someone actually reads it! Or maybe I just tell myself that someone reads it, either way, I love bloggy land! Like I've said before, I orginally started this blog so that our family and friends could stay connected with Greg and I as we travel with the Army. Little did I know I would meet some of the sweetest girls and have so much fun {stalking}, I mean reading their blogs and oogling and googling over their fashion finds, workout motivation, cute kids, wedding stuff, etc.

Now my next point. 165 followers?!? Holy moly..who are all you people? Don't get me wrong..I LOVE new faces around here, but some of you never comment and it kinda, sorta, almost freaks me out. :) So, in honor of my 100th post and an attempt to get to know each of you better...and maybe let you get to know me. Yes, the girl who you read about from time-to-time or heck, maybe you don't ever read and accidentally clicked "follow", we're gonna play this fun little game that I LOVE doing on other's blogs.


ASK ME ANYTHING! :)

Or, if you have a random question for the hubby you can throw that in there too. Since this is our blog, I figured I would volunteer him for some fun! :)

And stay tuned because there will be a giveaway coming up soon! Yipeee!

p.s. - I got my hair cut and it is super ridiculously fabulous! :) Pic to come!
ok. ready.set.go!

Labor Day Happenings :)

This evening Greg and I are heading back home for the weekend! I am so excited! We are from this beautiful town nestled in the mountains of North Carolina...

Isn't it so pretty? I love, love, love where we're from! Such a fun, unique & diverse city! Hubs and I actually met in college and discovered we were from the same place (but attended different high schools). This makes it extra easy for trips to see family and friends!
My little hometown always has the craziest festival for Labor Day & it has always been a tradition since we were little that me and my girlfriends go to get a Snow Cone! I can't wait! Why yes, I'm a 24 year-old going on 12.

While we're in town for the long weekend I am going to pay a MUCH needed trip to my hair stylist! I feel like finding a good hairstylist every time we move with the Army is going to be such a task! I don't trust just anyone with my hair & nails...there's just something about it that scares me to death. And I've tried and tried to find another woman on post here in Virginia that has good hair to ask who her stylist is, but go figure...every single person I've seen has hair that makes me shudder! What's a girl to do?

I'm thinking that it's time for a change! I've had the same hair style since high school! I know, I know..I need to step out of my box a little! I'm leaning towards this hair cut...

It's pretty much what I have right now just WAY shorter and with more layers & volume. The worst that could happen is that I hate my hair short...but it'll grow back, right? Thoughts?

I hope everyone has a fabulous Labor Day weekend & enjoys some much deserved FUN!

Mr. & Mrs. Pro Pics Teaser

We got just a few of our pro pics back from our wedding photographer last night to include in some "Thank You" notes and I am soooooo in love with them & had to share! :)
[sorry facebook friends who have already seen these]
I love how the colors turned out!







[All images from Blue Ridge Photography]

fashion favorite.

This, dear friends, is what I'm excited about!

Boots with my dresses & Scarves!
This crazy pic was taken last winter before Date Night with my now Husband :)

While I L.O.V.E summer and all of it's perfectness, I also get really excited when it's a change in season. It was 65 degrees out here in Virginia yesterday and I was actually cold in capris and a tank top! I'm always that girl who pushes the seasons a little too much by breaking out the tank tops and sundresses in April and you better bet I will be bustin' the Uggs out on your booty in about ohhhh, t-1 week.

I get so sick of the same 'ole thing for 3 or 4 months straight and I'm soooo excited about switching up my wardrope! And not to mention all of the fabulous fall trends that are about to hit the stores! I know, I know, I'm on the bandwagon & usually wear one at least once a week, but I'm about sick and tired of seeing the maxi dress...