Keeping up with the Carters

Wow! I have gotten really bad at this blog update thing. So, here goes another long-winded, yet filled with fun details all about our summer, update!

JUNE

We have a Doctor in the house! Christopher graduated from pharmacy school on June 5. It was a memorable weekend filled with many of the family and friends that we love dearly. We could not have asked for a happier celebration to celebrate all of Christopher's hard work and dedication. After all the festivities, we were fortunate enough to have both of our moms stay a little bit longer to help us pack for our move to Saint Petersburg. Their help was greatly appreciated by Christopher and me!

While Christopher spent most of the month of June studying for his board examinations, I took some time off from work and went to North Carolina for a week. I celebrated my best friend from college, Ashley, and her upcoming marriage at her bachelorette party in Wilmington. We celebrated her in great taste by visiting Duplin winery, soaking up some sun on Figure Eight Island and eating fabulous food all weekend long. After the bachelorette festivities, I spent some time at home with my family. It is always great to catch up with them!

Carolina Girls...Best in the World

Lunch & Wine Tasting at Duplin Winery

Out on the Town in Wrightsville Beach

Pi Love

Gracie & I at the Pool

Kai & I Riding in Grandma's Car

JULY

The first weekend in July, we made our "big" move to Saint Petersburg into our adorable, bungalow home in the historic district known as Old Northeast. It is a quaint old home with hardwood floors, a claw-footed bath tub, a fenced in backyard and everything is just our size! We absolutely love the area and feel we can make this area our home.

Christopher began his residency program July 5 and has hit the ground running in the program. He absolutely loves the VA Hospital, the staff and his co-residents. I think it has been a great fit for him.

I made a professional decision and left my job at Massage Heights. Between the extensive commute to Sarasota, and the unknown expected opening date of the Brandon location, I accepted a position at a managed health care company in downtown Saint Petersburg. It was an excellent decision! I am working for the Human Resources department and am learning new working skills and things about the company everyday. I am hoping to continue to plant more roots in the ground, so to speak, and continue to grow with this company.

AUGUST

We got to experience our first taste of what its like to be a professional as we attended a pharmacy conference in Orlando. Christopher represented the VA Hospital in hopes of recruiting current pharmacy students for the 2012 residency program. It's a life we can get used to...free car rental (we'll ignore the fact that it was a minivan) and a free night's stay in the hotel. Thank you US Government! Jackie and Alan also participated in the conference; so we were able to enjoy some time with them and ate some great sushi at Dragonfly. We couldn't go to Orlando without seeing Gary and Brandon. They treated us to a fabulous celebration dinner at Ruth Chris' steakhouse; it was a great evening filled with fantastic food and wine. And, of course, our weekend would not be complete without them if we didn't play games!

The Famous Godzilla Roll

Christopher's residency class has lovingly named time that we (spouses and loved ones included) spend together outside of the hospital "Spring Break Sunday." We have cooked out, gone on boats, played games, eaten pizza, etc. It has been a great way for all of us to get to know each other and spend quality time together.

SEPTEMBER

With some time off for Labor Day weekend, my parents took advantage of the holiday and drove down to see us. It was a great weekend packed full of things...from shopping at the outlets, to eating sushi, to playing games, to painting the inside our house! We certainly know how to do a few things in a short amount of time.

We got to spend an afternoon with our favorite football-watching family, the Bradleys. Boone has gotten to be quite the big boy and we loved our time with them!

Earlier in the year, Jackie, Alan, Christopher and I purchased a Groupon for a catamaren adventure in Tampa Bay. We spent a Sunday morning on the open sea with fabulous weather, food, drinks and company! It was so much fun and I am pretty sure we will do it again one day!

Derek Jeter's Home - The Size of a Best Buy

I made a quick 48 hour trip home to North Carolina to celebrate Ashley and Andrew's wedding. It was everything Carolina and was absolutely beautiful and perfect for the two of them! I was truly honored and felt so special being able to come and be a part of a wedding where two people truly care about and love each other.

My Beautiful Niece, Kennedy

The Gorgeous Bride!

Christopher's family came to visit us last weekend. Again, another packed weekend of fun for us! From shopping, to playing games, to spending time outside, to family portraits in Palmetto, we had a great time together.

I have recently developed an interest in cupcake making. I have brainstormed ideas and have begun playing in the kitchen. I think Christopher loves having weekly treats to munch on! In my dream world, I will one day open a shop called Sweet Southern Comfort and all its yummy treats will be inspired by the fabulous cities of the South. Take a look at some of my creations!

The Memphis - Banana Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

The Louisville - Chocolate Bourbon Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting - Topped with Pecans

The DC - Spice Cupcake Topped with Cream Cheese Frosting - Filled with Apple Pie Filling

Now, that you are yet again caught up with the Carters, we hope this update finds everyone doing well and getting ready for the fall, and even, holidays season! It is hard to believe Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner! We will be traveling A LOT in the next coming weeks...Amy and Nick's wedding in Kentucky, Orlando for Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, Thanksgiving in New York City with the Miller family, New Orleans for Midyear Pharmacy conference and a quick drive to Kentucky and North Carolina for Christmas. As they say, it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Long Overdue!

Well, so much for keeping my new year's resolution. I guess that is the way most of them work out anyway...good intentions, but not enough time. So, to recap the past 4 months, I believe bullet points are sufficient (Right, Kimmy?!)...

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Christopher spent his January pharmacy rotation at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg.

We hosted a Super Bowl party complete with hotdogs, hamburgers and all the "fixins."

Christopher applied to 7 residency programs and received 4 interview offers...1 in Kentucky, 1 in North Carolina and 2 in Florida.

Christopher spent his 2 final rotations in Kentucky. He was able to enjoy quality time with family and friends, eat gingerbread men and drink great coffee from the Hub.

I had the joy of experiencing my first call to jury duty. After spending 8 hours in the courthouse lobby waiting to be called for questioning, I was not asked. Thank goodness for iPhones and new apps!

My mom came to visit me for a week while Christopher was away. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together exploring Venice, the Ringling Museum, eating great food, doing lots of shopping and getting facials. It was a lot of great mother-daughter time with lots of laughter and fun.

Christopher matched at Bay Pines Veteran Affairs Hospital in St. Petersburg.

I spent a long weekend in Kentucky with Christopher. We toured bourbon distilleries with our good friends, Amy & Nick. We also ate at the infamous Wallace Station and watched the disappointing Final Four basketball game in downtown Lexington.

Gayle, Christopher's mom, came to visit me for a weekend. We, too, had a great time shopping and eating great food.

Before Christopher's return to Bradenton, he spent some time in Atlanta. He visited with his distant cousin, Cheryl, and her family, as well as our friends Brady & Sean. I think it was a great taste to the city life we are about to endure!

Once Christopher returned home, we set out to find our "new" home in St. Petersburg. We spent numerous hours on the Internet and the phone as well as traveling to the area several nights per week in search of a home. Finally, after 3 weeks of searching, we found a home that will be perfect for us. We will be moving to an area called Old Northeast, which is part of the historic district of St. Petersburg. Imagine brick streets, oak trees covered with moss and picket fences; that's the neighborhood we will be living in. We are excited we will be able to walk to the beach, shops, restaurants, bars and church.

We have ventured to the beach a few time to enjoy the Florida sunshine.

Earlier in the year, we purchased a 4-day Disney pass. On May 1, we visited Animal Kingdom. The weather was perfect for the rides, the food and seeing the exotic animals.

This past Saturday, we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios and spent the evening with Gary & Brandon playing games and drinking wine. We always have a good time with them.

We just returned this evening from a weekend getaway to St. Augustine. I surprised Christopher by taking him there for his graduation gift. We had an incredible time in the old city touring by bicycles, sightseeing, eating TOO much food and staying at an adorable B&B. We definitely plan to return as we said it is one of new favorite cities. We also have decided we will be purchasing bicycles when we move to St. Petersburg. It is the way to travel the town!

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So, now that you are all caught up, I will let you in on what is in the future in case I frequent this website later as opposed to sooner...

Christopher is graduating from pharmacy school Sunday, June 5.

We are moving to St. Petersburg July 1.

Christopher begins his residency July 5.

I have been offered and have been accepted the position as Retreat Director at a new Massage Heights in Brandon, Florida. I am very honored and happy about this position. The Retreat will open later this fall.

Until next time, we hope everyone is doing well, loving life and having fun! We certainly are!

Happy 2011!

Wow! Again, I am really terrible and have gotten oh-so-slack at the blog updates. Anyway, it is a new year and a new decade. Double Wow!

To recap...

Our Christmas season was great! We enjoyed visiting our families in Kentucky and North Carolina. We are so blessed and fortunate to be able to travel in one week's time and feel the immense love from our families and friends. We spent 2 days in Kentucky eating gingerbread men, enduring the cold weather and celebrating Christmas twice. On Christmas Eve, we drove to North Carolina where we celebrated Christmas. What was supposed to be another 2 night visit, turned into a 4 night visit due to the 15 inches of snow that fell on the 26th. It was the most beautiful snowfall I had ever seen. After being snowed-in for a few days, we were able to safely get back on the road and head to Bradenton just in time to celebrate the New Year.

New Year's was a quiet evening. We celebrated with our friends Jackie and Alan. It was an evening of lots of laughs, good food and plenty of champagne!

Here's a triple wow! Our first anniversary was last weekend. It is so hard to believe that it was a year ago that we celebrated such a special day with our families and friends. We can only smile and laugh when looking at this past year, and smile even more to know that our futures are so bright. We celebrated all weekend long; we ate a great dinner on the riverfront in Bradenton and then played with Mickey and friends at the Magic Kingdom. It was a great way to celebrate such a special day!

As 2011 is in full swing, we are excited to see what this year brings. Here's just a few highlights of the year to come:

- We have begun the P90X workout regimen (If the results are what they say they will be, we will be happy to share those pictures).

- Christopher is graduating from pharmacy school in June (Time sure does fly by).

- We will be moving to a new home (either St. Petersburg, Winston Salem, Charlotte, Wilmington or Lexington) in July.

We hope that 2011 only brings happiness and good health to you and your loved one. We look forward to hearing from you soon as we hope to continue to keep you in touch with the Carter family (I guess I can make that my new year's resolution).

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Our Beautiful Nieces & Nephews

One Year Later

Where Dreams Really Do Come True

Even Mickey Knew It Was Our Anniversary

Lunch Date at the Magic Kingdom

Here Comes Santa Claus

Well...maybe not, but close!

Christmas is Just Around the Corner

Do You Need a Gift for Yourself or Your Mother?

Candy Canes, Presents and Glitter Galore

A Perfect Decoration for a Wall or a Door

Special Colors, Sizes and Ribbons Too

They are Made With Love and Uniquely for You

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The Christmas spirit has hit me and I could not think of a better way to share the season than to paint!

I am selling 8x10 canvas boards.

$10 for one

$25 for three

Customized colors and sayings are included.

Other sizes are available upon request (pricing will vary).

Extra fees may apply to cover shipping costs.

Please contact me for further information, questions and orders! Pass along this blog post to your family and friends!

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Time for an Update

Wow! I seem to have failed miserably at a Carter update as it has been close to 2 months since my last post. So, here is a brief recap of August and September!

Throughout the month of August, Christopher enjoyed his time in Kentucky with both his family and his rotation in Louisville. He worked at a nuclear pharmacy and was able to experience some new things in the pharmacy world. He lived like a nomad, staying with friends and family members throughout the state of Kentucky and even Indiana; it seemed he was sleeping in a different bed every night when we called each other. His rotation was easy with short hours, which enabled him to spend a great deal of time with his family. From playing lots of golf, to eating good food, to venturing out to Kentucky sightseeing adventures, Christopher had a great time in his home state. While he worked and played, I did the same in Florida. Although it seemed like a long, and at times a lonely month, it truly did go by fast. I was able to enjoy time with Derby, scrapbooking our wedding albums and visiting with friends throughout the month. From dinner dates with Kimmy, to beach day trips with John Thomas, to "me" days of shopping and spa visits, I took care of myself. Then, on August 21, Christopher and I were finally reunited! It was a great day when he walked through that front door. I do not know who was more excited: me, Christopher or Derby!

The Carter family was all together again. And since, Christopher's return home, we have managed to stay very busy. I think that is what we do best! Here is our month of September in summary. We have bought a king size bed, redecorated almost our entire home, gone to a friend's wedding, gone to the Lady Antebellum concert and enjoyed time with both of our moms as they each ventured to the state of Florida in September. Gayle was in the Orlando area over Labor Day weekend dog-sitting her "granddogs" while Gary and Brandon ventured on a cruise vacation. She brought along some friends with her, so it was great to visit with them, shop with them, and of course, eat with them; we always have a great time together. My mom and Nanny came to Bradenton just a short time ago for a long weekend. It was Nanny's first time to our home and she thoroughly enjoyed herself. We could not have asked for better weather and a better time together.

Now that we are all caught up, pictures and more details will come later. As October approaches, Christopher has begun his 4th rotation in Target at St. Petersburg; only 5 more to go! All is pretty much the same with me; I have begun to tackle many projects at home from repainting a canvas, knitting (thanks to my mom for teaching me) and scrapbooking. I will be venturing to North Carolina for a quick 48-hour trip home at the end of October. We are looking forward to the cooling weather. Florida is still hot, but it is getting better.