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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Picture Perfect

So, last Thursday I took my best friend Brittnee's engagement photos. We met around 10:30 at the O club on NAS where I got married almost a year ago! ( I can't believe its been almost a year). Anyways, we walked across the street to a gorgeous long brick wall and stairs. The scenery is just absolutely gorgeous and totally worth the drive. After taking a few pictures there we walked back across the street to the O club and headed toward the beach. I love beach pictures because we have beautiful and clean beaches. Plus, beautiful people and beaches go together and make awesome photos! After playing in the sand for about an hour we headed to the other side of town to a deserted location. It looks super sketchy from the front of the building, but once you go behind it, it is just breathtaking. There is a tall and wide tree with thick and wavy branches that makes for a pretty badass background. This is my favorite spot and where I took my bridals last year. Around 1:30 it was time to wrap things up and head home. I love this part because I get to look at and edit the pictures. I could literally spend ALL day doing this. Brittnee was texting me the whole time I was editing them saying that she could not wait to see them. So being a good friend I gave her a sneak peak and uploaded a few pictures to my instagram page. I was not expecting anything out of the ordinary posting these photos, but just a couple of likes. Well, it turns out that people actually liked my pictures a lot and were asking me how much I charge and wanting me to take their pictures too. This got me thinking real hard and I talked to Dakota about making this an actual thing. I made an instagram just on my photography and I have already gotten over 100 followers. I decided to do a contest and the winner gets a free photo shoot! This gets my name out there and people other than my friends looking at my pictures. The best way for a business to get started is by word of mouth. Well, my hobby will make me some extra money by word of mouth! I absolutely love taking pictures and I know how expensive a session can be. If I produce good pictures and not even charge half of what professionals do then I can definitely get some business. Enough talking about my amateur photography skills! You need to see them for yourself :)








Until next time, Lexi

Saturday, February 15, 2014

My Valentine

So, yesterday was Valentines day and it was our 4th one together, but our first one as a married couple! I think this year was our best Valentines day yet. Cupid must of shot Dakota because he was SO romantic and spoiled me like crazy. Not that he doesn't do that anyway, but last night just made me feel really special and I loved spending the ENTIRE night with him.

Before V day even started I always told Dakota that I wanted the whole Nicholas Sparks movie collection. I absolutely love him and all of his books/movies. (I don't read, but if its Mr. Sparks you better believe I am opening up that book). My all time favorite is A Walk To Remember and I have been wanting that movie for a while, but when I saw you could get the entire collection that's all I could talk about. Dakota is the type of person that likes to surprise. The whole time I talked about it he would tell me no we can't spend a lot on Valentines, or I already picked out your present. The week before Valentines day we started to get a package in the mail everyday. He told me I couldn't open them or he would send it back. (For those of you who don't know me , I hate surprises and having to wait). So it was literally KILLING me having to get the packages from the mailbox and put it on the table and just stare at it. It's not easy trying to figure out what something is when you shake it and nothing makes noise because it is so wrapped up tight in bubble wrap and packaging. 

The morning of Valentines I woke up to beautiful yellow roses, a love letter, a candle, skittles, and the entire Nicholas Sparks collection in a pretty basket!!! Yes, my husband did that and was sneaky about it!! I don't think I have ever been so surprised (because usually I annoy him so much that he just tells me). Lol, but this time I couldn't stop smiling! It was such a wonderful present and he set it up on display and decorated it all by himself. The presents didn't stop there because that night Dakota had made reservations for us at Fuji! This is the place where we first had our awkward but cute date. It was so nice going back to the place where it all began. After dinner and wasting some time at Petland playing with the puppies we went to the movies and watched Ride Along. That was sooooo funny and I would totally watch it again. After the movies it was about 10 o'clock and our night still wasn't about to end. We headed to Chili's for desert because Fuji doesn't have the best choices to choose from. We ordered two glasses of milk and a skillet cookie with vanilla ice cream on top. It was so cute and felt like we were little kids ordering milk. The desert was absolutely yummmmyyyyy!!!!! After eating our desert we decided that we weren't ready to go home yet so we headed to Wal-Mart for some late night grocery shopping (crazy married couple, I know)! It was nice just being together and laughing over everything. I don't think Dakota and I have had such a wonderful date like that in a really long time. I am so blessed to have a man who truly cares about me and wants to make me feel special. He is the best Valentine I could ever ask for. Here's some pretty, yet kinda blurry pictures from our glorious night.
(My amazing gifts from my Valentine)
(Headed off to dinner)
(The AMAZING cookie)
 
Until next time, Lexi 
 

Monday, February 3, 2014

Patience is a virtue

So, it has been a long time since I have written on my blog! A lot has happened and life plans have changed. Last time I wrote on my blog I had a checklist and one of them was about Gulf Power. This blog is basically me venting because it makes me feel better :)

 Very shortly after writing that I received an e-mail from human resources saying my application was accepted and that I needed to make an appointment to take the CSR (customer service rep) and pass before I can interview. Long story short I studied my butt off and when I got to the testing center and started to take it I was completely lost. Nothing I had studied off of the southerncompany website was on that test. It has weird questions like how to read a meter and how many kilowatts are there per square footage of a 3 bedroom 2 bath house. Like really? How am I supposed to know this stuff and why do I need to know? First off, isn't that what training is for? And secondly, I am pretty positive you don't need that information when working in a call center. So obviously I did not pass the test or get an interview. After I got up and left the testing center I went and cried in my car like a little baby feeling sorry for myself and why me. I had been looking forward to this job opportunity for a very long time and prayed about it. I mean I applied for the position the very beginning of November. I think what hit me the most is that I had so many future plans with getting this job. Dakota and I could have awesome health benefits and I would bring in more money and we wouldn't have to live paycheck to paycheck. The most important thing I was looking forward to was a baby.

After finally swallowing all of this sadness and depression down I woke up one morning and put myself back together again so to speak. I realized that I needed God to guide me and started to pray for patience and direction. I know God has a plan for me and Gulf Power just wasn't it. I have prayed for patience before but this time I feel that God has really gotten through to me and my thick skull that having a baby is not what I should be focused on and that it is not my time. Before when I found out that girls my age are getting pregnant I would ball my eyes out. Now I am actually happy for them and I am not bitter at all. I follow along with their pregnancy journey and watch as the momma and baby grow. For the first time I am helping throw a baby shower and I am actually excited about it. I am so happy for the momma because she has struggled so much trying to get pregnant. Dakota and I had planned on starting to try to get pregnant May 1st, but then I realized that if we did that then I would be due in Feb. That is three months before my graduation date and I don't want that kind of stress. I still want to get pregnant this year, just not until fall. I was thinking maybe starting in September but nothing is set in stone yet.

My education is what I am focused on and what is most important. I know that if I just keep going then I will eventually get done! I am just ready to graduate and start a family with my sweet husband. Patience is something I don't have, but I am learning how to deal. I just take it day by day and pray to God that I can keep up the positive attitude. My sister has a friend who just had a baby back in December and wants to know if I can watch her 1-2 days a week. I think this will be really good for me because I will get my baby fix and I can really see how it would be with school and a baby. I call it another form of birth control! ;)

Well, I feel better after that vent session!
Until next time, Lexi :)