Little Floyd

Well currently our cat, Floyd, is who makes us "Three Little Riggs," so he deserves a post dedicated to him!

Family of  3

My mom knew we were on the hunt for a cat and noticed a sign at the vet in Newnan.  He was a little older than I wanted (5 months) but once I saw his sweet picture I couldn't resist!  When we checked the paperwork from the vet, they estimated his birthdate to be September 13, 2008 which is when Kevin and I had our first date!  It was meant to be :)

We love this cat.  Kevin and I got Floyd in February 2009, five months after we started dating.  Floyd technically lived with me but we always considered him ours.  Kevin wasn't thrilled about the idea of a cat but it didn't take long for Floyd to win him over!  

At first Kevin pretended Floyd was a dog and taught him tricks.  He can still sit and high five because of his early days with Trainer Kevin.

When we first got him home all he would do was sleep.  I put him in the litter box so he could know where it was and what did he do?  Lay down and take a nap.  The first place he went when we brought him home was the bathtub (and took a nap) and for a long time that was the spot we'd always find him in.

He is the perfect combination of cuddly, friendly, playful, and sociable.  He's not constantly rubbing against your leg but he doesn't hide under the bed all of the time either.  He actually enjoys visitors.  Our small group has named him our mascot and they have enjoyed seeing him don his sweaters and ties!

He is also perfect because he never scratches anything other than his scratching post.  We got this thing for $8 at a yard sale and it was money well spent!  You can't leave a plant around him though...

He LOVES to be brushed.  That is how we bonded when I first got him; every day I would come home and brush him.  He goes nuts when he sees his brush and if you just hold it out he will rub up against it and brush himself!

He is a sociable eater.  He'll pretty much only eat if we're in the room with him.  Especially at my parents' house - he'll lure us all the way back to the bathroom where his food is just so we can watch him eat.

All his eating is starting to catch up to him!

He is stubborn and never comes when we call him.  If he is coming towards us we have to completely ignore him or he will run away.  

He likes to curl up in the smallest places possible.  When we unpack our suitcases, he likes to hide in them and do sneak attacks!

At night we have "belly to belly" time with him.  This is where he comes and lays on one of our bellies, usually Kevin's, and we make him feel like the most special cat in the world.  When it's my first night back from being out of town, he likes to come lay on top of my head when we go to sleep.

He knows we like to see him roll over and lay in cute positions because we ooh and ahh over it, so when he notices us watching him, he'll roll and be all cute on purpose.  We spend a lot of time saying "Baby, look at Little Floyd."  We are going to be smitten when we have a baby because Floyd melts our hearts already.

Floyd has a few nick names.  The most popular being "Little Floyd".  Kevin started calling him that and it has stuck.  Recently he earned the nickname of "Million Dollar Cat" because after 4 1/2 years of living in this apartment complex and having a pet most of that time (my roommate had a dog even before Floyd's time), my apartment decided to send a letter to me saying I owe a $250 fee for having a pet - 3 months before I'm about to move out!!  (I got it lowered to $75, yay!).  I should also mention he is named after Pink Floyd.

Floyd will soon be getting a brother, a German Shepherd!  I keep telling him we're getting him a brother so he'll be ready.  He does pretty good when he stays at my parents' house with their two dogs.  "Uncle" Jeffery, their Labradoodle, likes to walk up and give Floyd a big lick, and Floyd likes to hunt and pounce "Aunt" Becky, their Schnauzer.  Probably because off all of the tiger training Kevin has put him through (tiger shows on National Geographic).  So I'm excited to see what he'll think of his new brother, expecting to get him in July!

                          

I don't think we'll ever be able to get another cat though.  We took him over for a play date with Brianna's kitten and it didn't go so well.  Floyd hid under the sofa and made sounds I never knew could come out of a cat!

Floyd will also soon be getting a new house!!  I tell him every day when I get home, "Floyd, we're getting you a new house!" trying to get him pumped up about it.  I think he'll love it.  We actually signed to go under contract for a house this past week!  We close on June 13th (assuming all goes well with the inspection).  That's right, we rode around and got it.  So excited!!

Well this was a long post.  Not sure if anyone stuck with me to the end but I know I'll love to look back on this.  Cats live a long time - I told Kevin when we first got him that Floyd is likely to live with us into our 40's!  I sure hope so.  It has been neat to love something so much together and I really feel like having Floyd has made our love grow.  I hope Floyd sees us through many phases of life!

Night we got engaged

Floyd's first Halloween

And just for your viewing pleasure...

Love that they are doing the same thing in these next three pictures!

Floyd loves cousin Maggie!!

  

Floyd's 3rd birthday

Adults Need Spring Break Too

I’ve been pretty busy at work lately and a little preoccupied at night with searching for houses and as a result my posting frequency has suffered a little!  On that note, I told Kevin a couple weeks ago that before we get a house and a dog and all the responsibilities that come along with that, we need to take a spontaneous little weekend beach trip.  Kevin responded with “How about this weekend?!”  So off we went!  My mom’s friend Nancy has this adorable little place in an old Panama City Beach hotel and she was nice enough to let us stay there for a very reasonable rate :)

It was just perfect!  I sounded like an old lady worrying if there would be high school and college spring breakers surrounding us, but as you can see, there weren’t!  Nancy’s place is in a perfect little spot where there are no crowds but just enough activity to do some people watching :)

In my description of our trip it will probably sound like all we did was eat, but we did lots of relaxing and hanging out on the beach too!  Food is just how I remember our travels – what we did that day, where we went.  If I don’t eat some good food in a place I feel like I never went there. 

So, we got there around noon on Saturday expecting there to be thunderstorms because that’s what the forecast said, but we were pleasantly surprised that it was nice and sunny!  Maybe a little too sunny because I still have the sunburn to prove it. 

We laid out on the beach for a while and then walked down to Sharky’s where we sat outside by the beach and had a delicious shrimp po’ boy and grouper.  Then we walked back down to our spot on the beach and hung out until the sun set.

That night we rode around a little looking for a place to eat.  The “strip” was a little crowded with spring breakers so we ended up at Pier Park – a fairly new development in Panama City where there are lots of restaurants and little shops across from the pier.  It is super cute and nice to walk around, but it's full of chain restaurants and we typically try to avoid going to those when we travel.  But we ended up going to The Back Porch there and it was pretty delicious!  We split calamari and crab legs and it was just what I wanted.

The next morning we woke up and had some yogurt and mimosas and then took a long walk on the beach.  Wish I could do that every morning!  We spent a few hours on the beach (Kevin finished the last book of the Hunger Games and I read some magazines) and then we went to the bay area of Panama City to check out this place my parents and Nancy recommended, Hunt’s Oyster Bar.  Well it’s closed on Sundays!  So we ate at another place that was right on the bay, Uncle Ernie’s.  It was really good!  We got the smoked tuna dip and grilled seafood platter, yum!

Then we headed back to the beach and enjoyed some margaritas and another beautiful sunset.  

We got a little hungry later that night so we walked to the arcade down the street and got hot dogs.  We even played some of the games and it turned out to be a really fun night!  After the arcade we walked down and got some ice cream from a little place Nancy recommended, Homemade.  It was delicious and as you can guess, it was homemade. 

On Monday morning we did a repeat of the previous morning and enjoyed our last few hours at the beach.  We left around 2:00 and ate lunch at Hunt’s Oyster Bar on our way out.  Perfect ending to our trip!  We had a half dozen oysters of each: raw, baked w/ parmesan and butter, and three cheese.  Then we had the fried grouper and shrimp platter, and a slice of key lime pie to eat on the way home. 

And we are now on a strict diet :)

It was so nice to have a little weekend away.  We resume our search for a house tomorrow!  And Kevin has found a breeder he wants to buy a German Shepherd from; they’ll have a litter ready in July!   Looking forward to this summer!

I'm Ridin' Around and I'm Gettin' It

It's mine, I spend it.

We have officially begun the house searching process!  Every time we ride around and look at houses we end up bouncing our shoulders and singing this ridiculous song.  Pretty sure we should be listening to some gospel music so we aren't tempted to spend everything we have!

Anyway, we are looking in the Roswell area.  Open to Alpharetta, Johns Creek, etc. but focusing on Roswell first.  In addition to location there are so many things to consider! It's exciting but a bit overwhelming.  How much do we want to spend?  Three or four bedrooms?  How much are we willing to update and how much of a premium are we willing to pay for updates that are already made?  How big of a backyard do we need?  Our lease is up on July 1st so hopefully in the next couple months we'll find something we want to put an offer on!

We have really enjoyed living in our apartment in Dunwoody, but we are looking forward to having a house!  With a yard for dogs!  a bigger kitchen for chef Kevin and baker Natalie!  cell phone service because we won't be in a dungeon (I know our family and friends will be happy)!  no neighbors fighting so loudly above us that we call the police on them!  Ha...so yes we are ready for a house, but we have loved our apartment.  It has been our first home.  Many parties have been hosted in the clubhouse.  Fun days by the pool.  Nice strolls to Dunwoody restaurants.  Wal-Mart conveniently placed in our back yard.  Memories of loving each other and loving Little Floyd.

We gotta grow up a little before we get a house though.  We joke with each other that we are like college roommates living together here.  We don't feel like doing the laundry, cleaning the kitchen, making the bed (pshh that's for adults!).  We invite people over so that we are motivated us to clean.  So the next few months are going to be operation "Get Our Sh** Together".  Excuse the language.  We are going to clean, exercise, eat healthy, pray together, and love life.  Oh yes, we have even made a poster.  Here's to preparing for a house!

A little montage of fun memories at our first home together...

First day in the apartment - my boys were tired!

Fun times at the pool!

Shower in the clubhouse

Fall cookout with friends

26th birthday - hilarious night!

best cake ever

1st anniversary

Floyd's 3rd birthday!

Phi Mu, Hell Yeah!

I joined Phi Mu my freshman year of college at Mercer University in 2003 and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.  Over the course of my 4 years at Mercer I developed as a person and made many lasting memories, and much of that had to do with my involvement in Phi Mu.  Some of these women have continued to be a big part of my life after college, and some I just enjoy seeing their cute kids on facebook :)  Either way, these women still mean a lot to me and I am honored to call them sisters.

In the midst of us building our lives after college with weddings and trips and making more lasting memories, my sisters and I have also experienced some tragedies.  In May 2010, the longtime boyfriend of one of our sisters was killed by an IED while serving our country in Iraq.  Only 1 month later, one of our own was killed in a car accident.  And, most recently, a sister's husband, who we also went to college with, died in a plane crash while serving our country.  Times like these fill us with deep sadness, can make you question your faith, and just plain ask why...But, times like these also make you feel tremendous support from those around you, hold your loved ones a little tighter, and they remind me of the bond I share with the incredibly strong women I get to call my sisters.  

Last night a few of us went to see our sister, Ashley, who just lost her husband.  I haven't laughed that much in a while.  Yes, you read that right.  I didn't really know what to expect, but certainly not to laugh as much as we did!  We hugged, caught up on what the week has been like for her, logistics of this weekend, and plans and fears for the months to come, but mostly we reminisced on old times, ate pizza, sat on the floor and laughed our heads off.  I wouldn't have cared if we would have cried the whole night, but Ashley said the night was perfect and just what she needed.  That is sisterhood! 

I have been collecting money for flowers and gift cards for Ashley and have been honored to do so.  The messages I've received, some from sisters who never even knew me or Ashley, have been overwhelming (in a good way).  I received my first round of checks in the mail today, and felt the flood of emotions all over again.  It's also been a little overwhelming handling the logistics - what should the flowers look like?, what should we do for a gift card?,  have we reached out to everyone?  (and my skills learned while being Sisterhood Chair and Treasurer have come in handy!).  But most of all it has truly touched my heart to see such love for Ashley.  

I can't imagine going through this.  As I think back on my Valentine post, I feel physical pain in my chest imagining losing my husband, best friend, partner in life.  While I don't want to be any less dependent on or less close to my husband in fear that I could lose him, it makes me realize the importance of my God being my rock.  I've heard my pastor Andy Stanley say that in tough times you can either lean toward God or against God.  I hope to continuously build a strong foundation that I would lean toward Him if faced with an unimaginable situation.  I love 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."  How comforting it is that in my weak moments in life, God's power can be made perfect.  I've been praying that Ashley will feel God's perfect peace and comfort in this dark time in her life. Visiting with her last night and seeing all the family at the Whitlock's house I can tell that God is at work; that is the only way to explain it.  

This weekend we will honor a true hero, loving husband, and loyal friend to so many people.  I will never forget him.  

So...my most spiritual post yet is titled "Phi Mu, Hell Yeah!"  Haha, well all these tragedies have also made me realize what an amazing group of women I am a part of.  Seeing everyone come together, hearts breaking for our friend, wanting to do something, sending cards and texts and facebook messages, collecting money for flowers and gift cards knowing that is a minuscule offering for such an enormous loss but it is done with such love - makes me feel both humbled and proud (is that possible?) to be a part of this sisterhood.  And, well, nothing makes me feel more Phi Mu pride than memories of being huddled in a group of my sisters loudly shouting, with fist pumps, "Phi Mu, Hell Yeah!"

To My Valentine

Last day of 8th grade.  Yes, Kevin has a goatee and yes, it is blue and his hair is purple - the boys decided to use crazy color hair spray for field days...

In honor of the month of love...thought I would share mine and my Valentine's love story :)  To avoid duplicating efforts, I will refer you to our wedding website for all the details (didn't even know if it still existed or not but it does, yay!).  While searching for that site so I could post the link on here, I also came across this awesome Buckhead Church blog post which describes a "wedding in Waumba Land" put on by a very creative and thoughtful mother - still cracks me up!  What a fun special memory.

Anyway, the last time we were at Kevin's parents' house I took a peek at his middle school yearbooks.  When we first started dating in 2008, I scrounged up all of our middle school yearbooks and I loved seeing what we wrote each other!  But now that we are married and have truly committed to "<3 ya always" it takes on a whole new meaning!  I snapped a couple pictures so I could share with you...

Note who Kevin considered his best friends in 7th grade...a bunch of guys and "Nat Dees"  love it!

Unfortunately Kevin only took the advice I gave him in his 8th grade yearbook once in 9th grade (we went to different high schools),  but 9 years later he made up for it!

I haven't taken pictures of what Kevin wrote to me in my yearbooks and they're at my parents' house - but I will never forget one line he wrote in my 8th grade yearbook: "you have the best looking legs in the 8th grade" HAHA!!

Sometimes I just can't believe I'm married to Kevin Riggs, one of my bffs from middle school who made me laugh like no other and still does.  He is my best friend, my companion, my partner in life.  Every night I am excited to come home to him and I always look forward to being together on the weekends - just told Kevin the other day that I feel like every night is like a spend-the-night party with my best friend.  Well I should really say most nights, haha...don't want to give illusions of perfection - sometimes I freak like a crazy person over nothing and sometimes Kevin isn't Mr. Sensitive, but we always land on giving each other grace and understanding even when we don't understand each other and that's a pretty incredible thing to experience.

So glad to be married to my Valentine!