Fun Home

After moving back to Durham, we decided to get to know downtown a bit better and split season tickets to the DPAC Broadway series. Last month, we got the pleasure of seeing Fun Home. I highly recommend it as it has some parts of humor, yet brings up some very important issues that many people struggle with today. 

Five stars for Fun Home!

From Durham With Love

Last weekend, we decided to go to a benefit concert hosted by an old high school friend of mine. She happens to be a very talented vocal  artist and held a fundraiser for Hurricane Matthew relief. As many of your know, Hurricane Matthew devastated Eastern NC this fall. There is no better way to put my couponing skills to good use than couponing for charity. So off they went: my 35 cent full sized toiletries to those who could use a good clean. Ross and Liz met us out for the night filled with good friends, good music, and good wine. 

PA Reunion in Charlotte

Yesterday we took a day trip to Charlotte, NC for the Panthers game and to see Braxton's PA school friends. What a fun time! I wish I had a picture of everyone that was there, but it was a blur and rush of a day. Braxton and I even got the pleasure of meeting up with Mitch and Helen for the game. What  fun and tiring day! It was also freezing. Enjoy the pics. 

 Here's a few pics of Luna. I haven't posted any of her in awhile.

Whirlwind October running into November

My Goodness! Life sure has been busy! I had a super busy October including 6 shifts at the NC State Fair working at the Turkey Shoot Midway Game (no animals were harmed in the game) to raise money for the Raleigh Jaycees Community Impact Fund. October also brought me time with my bridesmaids picking out dresses (no pics! Wait until the big day :) ), the NC Wine Festival, and Halloween. Sure enough, the first week of November is done and we were able to bring in November with a visit from an old friend at Criterion Bar in Downtown Durham and a 7 mile/3 hour hike at Umstead Park with another wonderful friend. It's time for a week of slow prior to the beginning of the holiday rush! Yikes! Here are some pictures from the past month!

 The NC State fair was beautiful this year! Though attendance was down because of the recent hurricane, we were still able to raise funds for a great organization! Until next year fried foods!

 This year Halloween was DIY and last minute as I was volunteering at the NC Wine Fest from 9 am - 7pm prior to this. Braxton did a great job with his makeup (skeleton) while my vampire was a little rushed. Still had a great time with my MOH and friends. 

 Alexii came back! For one night only one of my great friends came to visit from NYC and we got the pleasure of having drinks. Cheers to a NC Ladies Book Club reunion! It was also the first chilly night of the year. Is it scarf season yet?

If you have never been to Umstead Park in Raleigh, I highly recommend their trails. Just read the reviews. On the map that trail looked like it would take 1 hr -1.5 hrs max. Then, we realized it was a 3 hour/ 7- 8 mile hike. Luna was certainly a trooper and hiked the whole thing! What a beautiful day for a hike!

Engagement Session - The Highlights!

Here are my favorites from the engagement session we had with Elizabeth Ashley & Co. 

I won't post ALL of the pictures here, have to keep some surprises coming for the wedding. 

I Tri'd Last Weekend!

You can say that last weekend was the "Weekend of Triathlon". Braxton had a race on Saturday, the Battle at Buckhorn, and I had a race on Sunday, the Ramblin' Rose Chapel Hill. It was nice to have each of us and our Luna dog to support one another throughout the race and cheer us through the finish line. Boy are we tired! Braxton placed 1st in his category, and I placed 6th in my age group (seeing as I was fighting a nasty URI and was in the top 30 out of 382). These are the last races of the season and I know my body is ready for a week or two of rest and dog walking. I only have pictures of my triathlon right now, the others are on Braxton's phone. 

 My Cheerleader Puppy!

 Kristina and I! Kristina and I lived in the KKG house in college together. She is currently in her last year of Vet school at NC State and I was lucky to race with her!

 Step One - Swim

 Step Two... Bike

 Step Two and a half.... be afraid of everything...

 Step Three... Run

I was lucky to do this race with an old college friend and a new Jaycee friend. 

Cheers to race season!

Engagement SNEAK PEAK!

Nothing fun but work and wedding planning this week. In lieu of an event pictures, I will give you a sneak peak at our engagement shoot this past week. We have a fabulous photographer, Ashley, from Elizabeth Ashley & Co. and I had a wonderful make up artist, Tanisha from In God's Image Make Up. Both will be there on the wedding day so it just made our engagement shoot more special. The images ARE watermarked at this time ( so do not steal them and remove the watermark) and I will post more pictures without the watermark when I get the rest next week. 

Our engagement shoot was done at UNC- Chapel Hill around campus where we first met. 

 Luna even got to be a part of our session!

 UNC Bell Tower

Davey Poplar and the "forever bench"

Rex Knightdale Triathlon

As you know, Braxton and I really enjoy the sport of Triathlon. Usually we time it so one person is support and the other person is racing, however today we both got to race and cheer each other on. Both of us came in 4th in our age group and I beat my goal time by 2 minutes. The best part about today was winning a free pair of $160 running shoes. Heck yes door prizes!

Next race is in 2 weeks so can't start slacking yet. 

:)

 The transition area is all set up!

 Running towards the finish line!

As Braxton says, "The couple that Tris together, thrives together."

Labor Day Weekend with the Kinsey Family

Labor Day weekend Braxton and I went on a special vacation with his family to Carolina Beach, NC. Not only did we get lucky with a Tropical Storm skidding right around the coast bringing 0% humidity, but we had nice waves and great company. We also got to spend time with Braxton's Aunt Vivian who lives in Wilmington. What a fun time soaking up the sun and eating yummy food. 

Carowinds Run and Ride

As many of your know, I have the pleasure of volunteering with a great group of young adults, the Raleigh Jaycees. Prior to all of the fall frenzy of volunteering (Turkey Shoot, Wine Festival, Turkey Baskets, Goodfellows) We decided to take a group trip organized by moi to Carowinds Run and Ride for a 5k race followed by a day of roller coasters. Overall it was a great day to see Jaycee friends, Charlotte friends, and Mitch. I also came in third in my age group. Yay!

CJ + Jon Reception - Mahwah, NJ

This past weekend I got the pleasure of celebrating the marriage of one of my best friends, Caitlin to her husband Jon,  in New Jersey with some of my closest friends and sisters. CJ (as she is most fondly known) and Jon were wed in New Zealand (where CJ is in grad school, Jon is deployed in Bahrain currently) this past January and we got the pleasure of celebrating with them and their families this past weekend. Sadly, I wish I had taken more pictures, especially of Kaitlyn and Evan's baby Ethan, but these will have to do!

 Kappa Kappa Gamma Pledge Class Fall 2007

 Kappa Girls in a "sorority squat" - a form of getting more girls in one picture. 

 Making our owls

The happy couple

Oh. And there was an ice cream truck. YUM.