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ghettofabnat271
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Name: Natalie :)
Metro:
Gender: Female
Interests: loving Jesus . spending time with my family and friends . taking pictures . going to the beach . listening to music . playing games . eating unhealthy food . teaching . reading . interior decorating . going on road trips . lounging by the pool . watching movies & tv . being outdoors . etc. .......................P.S. We're MARRIED!!
Expertise: being the paparazzi :)
Occupation: Gift Processing Coordinator
Industry: Non-Profit : World Help
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
8/30/2003
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| FabulousThis has been a fabulous long weekend. Deb asked Ben and I to go on an overnight trip with her and Jordan and it was awesome! We left Friday morning and drove to Richmond to spend the entire day at King's Dominion! It was SO much fun! We rode tons of roller coasters, ate lots of food, and I didn't get sick or tired at all. I was always afraid I might lose my sense of adventure as I got older, but I think it's actually increased. A lot of my friends' parents were never really part of their childhood. Sure, they were there for them and were supportive and whatnot, but they weren't actually actively involved in their lives. My parents always did tons of activities with us when we were little - camping, amusement parks, zoos, etc. So, I am relieved to know that Ben and I will be able to give our kids fun-filled childhoods!
I didn't take any pictures at the park because most of the rides were so intense that you couldn't bring cameras or purses on them. So, I left my camera in the car. It's sad that I wasn't able to photograph all of the fun, but at least I have the memories. My favorite roller coaster was the Flight of Fear, which is an indoor roller coaster that instantly catapults you forward and has tons of loops which are ridiculously intense because you can't see them coming - oh man, it was awesome!! My favorite non-roller coaster was the Drop Zone, which is the largest drop ride in America - 272 feet straight down at 72 miles per hour!! It was incredible! Here are two I scammed from some random sites online:
Drop Zone
Aerial view of King's Dominion
Pretty awesome, huh?!
On Saturday, we got up, enjoyed our continental breakfast at the hotel, and spent the rest of the day shopping at Short Pump - wow that is an amazing mall! They have every store you an imagine - well, at least, every store I wanted to shop at: White House Black Market, Ann Taylor, Crate and Barrel, Urban Outfitters, and my all-time favorite: West Elm! I've only purchased their decor online so I was ecstatic to be able to finally explore their incredible store. Plus, I had an idea in my head of what kind of throw pillow I wanted for the guest room, and they had the exact pillow at the store - I couldn't believe it! I'll be uploading pics onto my decorating blog sometime this week, so stay tuned...
Deb and I, posing for a pic after shopping at the amazing outdoor mall
I am really loving our modified budget. It allows each of us to spend a certain amount of money each month on anything we want without asking permission. If we haven't spent all of the allotted money by the end of the month, it rolls over into the next month. And if we want to spend more than our monthly allowance, we can't spend money for the next few weeks/months to make up for it. It's great because it prevents us from having to ask to spend $ on certain things like going to coffee with friends or playing golf. Plus, we love to buy things for each other, so this keeps us from getting carried away and saying "yes" to everything.
This morning, Ben and I woke up to find that it was raining. Rain in Lynchburg in July?? That is just unheard of! Thankfully, our plans for today did not include outdoor activities. What is the best thing to do when it's gloomy and chilly? Have lunch at Panera and spend the afternoon shopping!
Mediterranean Veggie Cafe Sandwich + Broccoli Cheddar Soup + French Baguette + Hazelnut Coffee = PERFECTION
Well, I had been drooling over a $400 metallic pewter purse I found online (a girl can dream, can't she?)...and today, I found a fabulous look-alike at Payless for $17! It was the only one left in the store and I couldn't believe how much it looked like my dream purse. Since I still had "allowance" money left, I snatched it up without hestitation. What a great find! I also had my wedding and engagement rings inspected, just in time because I need to have them inspected every 6 months or else my warrantee expires - and I hadn't had them inspeced since Jauary! The really amazing part of the day was the returns we made. We were able to return a knife set to Walmart that we bought LAST YEAR for just $5 less than the original price! Now we can finally buy a set of knives that actually work (I had bought the original one on an "oh no, we are having steak and don't have steak knives yet!" impulse). Afterwards, we went to Target to return the sad excuse for a comforter we'd ordered online last week. Not only did they let us return it without bringing in a receipt (we printed one off at a kiosk at the store) but I had bought it with an online coupon, so we actually got $8 more back than we paid for it! I love when stuff like that happens :)
Now, I'm about to watch a movie (Notting Hill - again!) and hopefully finish up Ben's anniversary gift. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Happy belated 4th of July!
"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."
:: Elmer Davis
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| Friendship
I had an incredible 2+ hour long conversation with one of my best friends last night. In a world full of shallow relationships, it's nice to have people in my life who I genuinely care about and who genuinely care about me. I am so blessed, I'm really lost for words. So, instead of writing a post, I will share some of my favorite quotes on friendship with you:
"A good friend is cheaper than therapy."
:: Author Unknown
"I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world."
:: Thomas A. Edison
"The essence of true friendship is to make allowance for another's little lapses."
:: David Store
"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better."
:: Plutarch
"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud. I am arrived at last in the presence of a man so real and equal, that I may drop even those undermost garments of dissimulation, courtesy, and second thought, which men never put off, and may deal with him with the simplicity and wholeness with which one chemical atom meets another."
:: Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The best way to mend a broken heart is time and girlfriends."
:: Gwyneth Paltrow
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one."
:: C.S. Lewis
"One measure of friendship consists not in the measure of things friends can discuss, but in the number of things they need no longer mention."
:: Clifton Fadiman
"A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad."
:: Arnold H. Glasgow
"If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it. "
:: Edgar Watson Howe
"Friendship is a sheltering tree."
:: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"Are you upset, little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you"
:: Charlie Brown, to Snoopy
"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."
:: Elisabeth Foley
"If I had to sum up Friendship in one word, it would be Comfort."
:: Adabella Radici
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."
:: C.S. Lewis
"A friend can tell you things you don't want to tell yourself."
:: Frances Ward Weller
"If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair."
:: Samuel Johnson
"It takes a long time to grow an old friend."
:: John Leonard
"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."
:: Henri Nouwen
"Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends."
:: Shirley Maclaine
"A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should. "
:: Author Unknown
"I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar."
:: Robert Brault
"'Tis a great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults; greater to tell him his."
:: Benjamin Franklin
"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
:: Ralph Waldo Emerson
And my favorite...
"But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."
:: Dinah Craik
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| LOVING Summer!Summer is my favorite season, and June is my favorite month! Granted, I prefer summers in New York (Virginia is much too humid for my liking) but I am not about to complain about the near-constant sunshine and 80 degree weather! I just love all of the options you have in the summer - swimming and lounging by the pool, boating, eating delicious summer foods (fruit salad, corn on the cob, strawberry shortcake, etc.), having picnics, taking evening walks, hiking, going to amusement parks, biking, having bonfires and making s'mores, watching fireworks, cooking out, camping, going to the beach - the possibilities are endless! 
This weekend has been just wonderful. Friday consisted of dinner, a movie (The Soloist - good!), and games with friends. Yesterday was spent at Chick fil-A, swimming, and lounging by the pool. Today consisted of an excellent sermon, more pool time, and a yummy dinner which included potato salad - yum! Oh, and I learned something fabulous at the pool yesterday. When I opened the book I had bought at the yard sale a few weeks back, I realized that it wasn't just The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - it was all of The Chronicles of Narnia! I have no idea why those people sold it to me for just 50 cents but I am so glad they did!
Good news: although we soon found out that the comforter we wanted wasn't available in the store, we were able to buy it online with $5 off and free shipping - and it arrived in just 2 days!
Bad news: the comforter looks NOTHING like it did online. It's not puffy at all, it is way too small (we ordered a King and it looks like a Queen), and it is impossibly wrinkled. So, we're returning it to the store and it's back to the drawing board. *sigh*
I can't wait for King's Dominion this weekend! Ben and I are going with another married couple we're friends with and the four of us are splitting the cost of a hotel room so we don't have to worry about driving back the same day. I haven't been on a roller-coaster in ages, and I can't wait to spend the whole day playing around like kids! There is also the possibility of shopping, which of course I am very excited about!
Well, I'd better get some cleaning done before the evening gets away from me. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
"The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you."
:: Elbert Hubbard
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| Wednesday, What Day?If you are a true Friends fan, you probably laughed at that title 
What a glorious week it has been! On Sunday, I began putting together my frame collage for the guest room/study. Ben was very doubtful when I first told him about the idea, but after seeing the frames organized on the wall, he told me he thinks it looks awesome! I appreciate that even though we don't always see eye-to-eye on decorating our home, he trusts my judgment - and in the end, he always loves what I do! I also enjoy the fact that he actually cares about what our home looks like and that he has an amazing sense of style. It's nice to discover even more hobbies we share. Being married to my best friend really is the most wonderful thing I've ever experienced.
On Sunday, I began reading Wicked - ha, you can say that again! The book is terrible. The storyline is dull, the characters are predictable, and the writing is mediocre - not to mention how completely vulgar it is! Blech. I tried and tried but I just can't read this book. Someone told me that once you get past the first few chapters, it's not so bad. Well, I have no desire to fill my head with this sort of rubbish - even if it's "just a little" dirty. So, I will either be throwing the book in the trash or using it for some sort of craft project. Luckily, I purchased the book for a mere 50 cents at a Yard Sale - thank goodness I didn't waste any more money on it! Oh, and at the same yard sale, I bought The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - also for 50 cents! I am psyched about that purchase and can't wait to re-read it for the hundredth time. I still have a rather large list of books on my "want-to-read" list, so hopefully I will find another good read - although I doubt I'll find one that surpasses Twilight! Seriously, the books are incredible. It must be understood that they are fiction books written for teenagers, so they are not going to stretch your vocabulary or test your theology. It's just a collection of wonderful summer reads that are absolutely packed with romance and suspense. Ah! I can't wait to read the whole saga again!
Monday evening was spent at Bible Study with Ben and several other married couples from Calvary Chapel. It's so much fun to learn more about Christ in an environment where everyone has different perspectives, yet can all relate on some level. God has been teaching me so much about Himself and about His people. The #1 lesson I am learning is that I need to be a lot more loving. So, if it comes to mind, please pray that I will learn to love others more than I love myself!
Last night, Deb and I went to Rolly Poly's (a wrap cafe) for dinner and then went back to my place to watch Twilight. It was so much fun! Girls' nights are always great, and it was neat to watch the movie after reading the book! We had all of the background details, which really made the story and all of the characters come alive. I know, I know, I'm obsessed with Twilight - but it is fabulous and I am not ashamed to say I love it! So there 
Tonight, Ben and I are going shopping for home decor! Tonight's purchase will be a new comforter for our bed. We have a full-sized comforter and a queen-sized bed - a combination which has resulted in me using a quilt while he uses the comforter. So, Ben said it is finally time for us to buy a new one! I had found a comforter we both fell in love with at West Elm. Of course, it was way out of our price range. Then, I discovered the exact same comforter at Target for half the price!! AND it comes with a dust ruffle and 2 pillow shams! We checked online and they're in stock at the Lynchburg store, so Ben said we can go over after work tonight and pick it up - I'm so excited! I'll be posting pics on my decorating blog, so stay tuned: http://lovelylittlenest.blogspot.com This weekend, Jeremy is coming to town, so everyone (my core group of friends from LU) is going out to eat and then either to Movies 10 or back to our place for a movie or games. This is definitely shaping up to be a wonderful week!
Well, I hope you all are having a wonderful Wednesday! TTFN
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."
C.S. Lewis | | |
| Oh helloI've been sick for the past 2 days. I was afraid it might be strep throat, since a few of the COTW kids had it. However, it rapidly turned into an agonizing 24 straight hour long migraine combined with about 8 consecutive hours of hurling. Bleck! I stayed home from work, slept, read (just a little on Thursday and not at all on Friday - it hurt my head to read), and watched about 8 million episodes of "What Not To Wear" on TLC. After 2 days of barely moving, I am finally feeling better, just in time to have a couple over from work tonight! I'm excited because it's the first time we've hung out with them outside of work. They also told us that they are a "game couple" which thrilled Ben and I to no end because we are a "game couple" too! So, I'll be spending the remainder of the day cleaning, cooking, and baking for tonight. Such fun!
Ben and I had an absolutely wonderful wedding anniversary!
Reason #3215 why Friday, June 6th, 2008 was the perfect day to get married: our anniversary was on a Saturday, which meant we had the entire weekend to celebrate!
We spent every moment together, just the two of us. One of the most romantic parts of our anniversary was when we went to dinner at the new Isabella's. We think of it as a symbol of our new life, as it was the first restaurant we went to after getting back together for the last time. It was so much fun to just enjoy each other's company and to talk about all of the fun times we've had, as well as discuss the incredible things that are to come. I'm so lucky to have married my best friend - someone who I absolutely adore and who makes me laugh more than anyone I've ever met!
After dinner, Ben had me wait in the car while he went upstairs. When he called me to come inside, the house was filled with candles and he had two glasses of sparkling cider waiting for us. So romantic!  Awhile later, we watched 2 episodes of 24 - because nothing says "love" like Jack Bauer annihilating some terrorists!
Oh, I almost forgot about the presents! Since it was our first anniversary and we have our whole lives ahead of us, we decided to go for thoughtful as opposed to expensive gifts. We also thought it would be fun if we gave each other classic anniversary gifts (i.e. first anniversary gift is paper). So, my gift to Ben was 2 tickets (paper!) to a theme park outside Washington, D.C. After all of our adventures, can you believe we've never been to a theme park together?! Craziness. Oh and my other gift to him is...well, it's actually not finished yet, so I can't say it on here because he often reads this and I don't want to give away the surprise! I will let you know that it is made of paper and that it is very sentimental. Well, mid-afternoon on Saturday, Ben gave me New Moon (book=paper!), which is the second book of the Twilight saga. I was beyond thrilled! Before dinner, he reached into the back seat of the car and handed me another present - Eclipse, which is the next book in the series! It took all of my willpower not to just sit in the car and read for the rest of the night! After dinner, our candlelit evening at home, and 24, Ben said "be right back" and walked into our bedroom, returning with a gift bag. Inside were the first and last books of the Twilight saga!! I couldn't believe it; he'd bought me the entire set! And he kept to the "paper" rule, which made me quite impressed. So, I finished the last book today and am ready to read the saga all over again - yes, it is THAT good! What wonderful gifts!
One of my favorite parts of our anniversary was when we fed each other pieces from the top tier of our wedding cake. We were SO excited that we'd remembered to bring it back from NY and we couldn't believe how d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s it was after all this time!
Since Sunday was June 7th, 2009, the one year anniversary of our Honeymoon in Jamaica, we went to church and then spent the entire day lounging by the pool at The Overlook at Stonemill. After several hours of reading, relaxing, and swimming, we agreed that our apartment complex makes us feel like we're staying at a luxurious resort!
Well, seeing as how my last post was filled with pictures from our Wedding, I'll conclude this post with pictures from our incredible Honeymoon!
"The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere; they're in each other all along."
:: Jalal ad-Din Rumi
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