Whirlwind Vacation

We went on our first "family" vacation about 2 weeks ago to spend some quality time with our families in North Carolina. We spent just as much time in our parents' homes as we did in the car! The 6 day trip went by so quickly; we managed to see everyone, get lots of love and hugs and introduce everyone to Derby!

We set out on our adventure Thursday, May 20. Christopher finished his last final EVER and we hit the road. Derby did great in the car (both coming, in between and going); we were a little hesitant of the way she would travel as she had been timid and nervous in previous car ride experiences. She loved to play with her toys on the floorboard and loved to take naps in her crate. She is easy to travel with, which makes Christopher and I excited for future trips! We stopped half-way to North Carolina for the evening.

Friday morning, we set out for Rocky Mount. We arrived home around lunchtime where Mom and Dad greeted us. Soon after a quick bite to eat, we set out for family visiting. We first saw Russell, Robin, Halie and Gracie. It was great to see Halie as she had been recently discharged from a scary time in the hospital with a urinary tract infection, strep infection and pneumonia. We were so glad to see a recuperating, young girl. Gracie, as always, was quite entertaining with her funny antics. After a short visit there, we, along with other family members went to the wonderful K&W Cafeteria to eat dinner for my grandmother's 85th birthday. It is where she wanted to go as they had her favorite meal for dinner, chicken livers. Although I do not care for chicken livers and sometimes the "old folk" scenery at the cafeteria, it made for an entertaining dinner with our friends (Get it, Russell?), I mean family.

Saturday, was the day to celebrate Nanny! All of our nieces and nephews came over early to play outside. We played with sidewalk chalk and on the playground, ate popsicles and prepared for Nanny's birthday party. Our family was able to enjoy the warm weather all day. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, danced on the porch and so much more! There is never a dull moment of laughter and entertainment with the Miller family!

Sunday, soon came and it was time for us to hit the road and head to Kentucky. After lunch with my mom and dad, we endured the long 8 hour drive to Christopher's mom's house. We made it there around 9pm and were greeted by Gayle and Aunt Susan. We spent the evening on the patio drinking coffee and eating banana pudding!

Monday was a day of visiting family! We spent the morning running outside with Derby at Gary's home. Derby loved the grass and open fields! We ate lunch with Granny; she always has great stories to tell and normally a "honey do list" for Christopher. For dinner, we spent the evening with Christopher's dad's family celebrating Christopher's recent 24th birthday. We ate steaks, fresh vegetables and more. As always, Gee cooks a fabulous dinner! After dinner, we found ourselves on the patio again with Gayle and Susan enjoying coffee and conversation.

Tuesday came and the road was again calling us! We spent the morning and afternoon visiting and saying our goodbyes. Before heading out of town, we got to meet Christopher's second cousins. Hadley and Hudson, twins, were born on the day of our wedding. We were so excited to meet them as well as congratulate their parents, Street and Erica. Those babies are adorable! After dinner with Gayle, we hit the road to head to Chattanooga for the night.

Wednesday morning, we hit the road again and made the lengthy and boring trip on I-75 back to Bradenton. It was nice to be able to break up the trip in Gainesville; we stopped to see John Thomas for about 20 minutes. After saying goodbye to him, I was able to introduce Christopher to Pita Pit. We also discovered Mochi frozen yogurt. I felt like I was back on Franklin Street in college enjoying Pita Pit and The Yogurt Pump; it was AMAZING! We finally made it to our home, sweet home!

Our whirlwind trip was fun and exciting! We love being able to spend time with our families, even if it is a short amount of time. We are now back in our same routine, except Christopher is not in school! He began rotations for pharmacy school today. It is hard to believe that this time next year he will be graduating from pharmacy school and will be a Doctorate of Pharmacy! Time flies by! Hopefully, as his rotations progress, I will be able to get him on here to blog about his experiences! Summer is in full force here; temperatures reach 90 degrees and with humidity, it is close to 95-100 already! If anyone needs a vacation or getaway, we are just a phone call, e-mail or text message away! :)

It's A...

...Puppy!

We are proud owners of a brand new AKC miniature schnauzer! Here is the little story about how our new baby came to be a part of our family.

This past Monday Christopher spoke with our landlord in regards to staying at our condo for another year. He gladly said yes to our request. Christopher asked if we could get a puppy as it was not in our contract from the previous year. He also said yes to that only if we would send him a picture once we brought her home. With that in our heads, we knew we were on a mission. And, as my mom said when we told her we were looking for a puppy, "When you two are on a mission, you succeed quickly."

Originally, we set out to find a puppy from a rescue center or the humane society. We looked online and on Craig's List. We found a few puppies that we were interested in, but nothing that we seriously fell in love with.

Friday afternoon after work and school, we began the search for our puppy. We visited adoption centers and the human societies , but all the dogs were either too big for condo living or too old for us to truly enjoy. We also visited a pet store and fell in love with the puppies, all of them. Of course, they were too far out of our price range. We went home Friday night without a puppy, but had a clearer mind of what exactly we wanted, a schnauzer.

While I was at work Saturday morning, Christopher continued the search. He found that the sister pet store had a miniature schnauzer on sale. He told them we were very interested and would be in later that afternoon to meet her. We arrived to the store and saw her in the window and thought she was adorable. We also played with a yorkie poo and thought she was adorable too. Although they both were very cute, playful and sweet, we knew the schnauzer was for us. It was not much longer that she was in my lap driving home to our house!

We brought her home and she immediately began sniffing her surroundings and becoming acquainted with her new home. We then gave her some food and water and put her in our bathroom while we went to Target and Walmart to get some puppy supplies. We bought her toys, food and water bowls, a crate, puppy treats, a collar and a leash. The majority of everything was pink; I am not sure how much Christopher enjoys the fact that everything is pink. Oh well, she is a girl.

When we came home we began the quest for her name. We had a few in mind, but wanted to spend some time with her before we named her. She loves to fetch her toys and play tug of war. At first, she was not crazy about going outside or climbing up and down the stairs, but by the last time we took her out Saturday night, she was going up the stairs. Saturday night, she spent most of the late evening sleeping on me on the sofa. We placed her in her crate, "her home," for the night and only heard a small whimper from her for about 10-15 seconds. She did so great.

This morning we woke up to see that she had not had any accidents in her crate. We also had a name for her when we woke up...Derby! We named her Derby because we brought her home on the day of the Kentucky Derby.

She has been great all day long. Derby has not had any accidents in the house today. She loves to chase Christopher around the house. She also watches TV throughout the day. If she in near the computer, she has discovered the mouse and tries to get that as well. She is a very quiet dog as she has only barked twice in the past two days.

Here is just a bit more information about Derby. She was born January 11, 2010, the day we left for our honeymoon. She is currently 8-9 pounds and is expected to only be 10-12 pounds. We are so excited to have Derby and cannot wait for everyone to meet her!Enjoy the pictures below!

Spring Break!

Well...we technically did not have a Spring Break, but we had a great week with Holly's family last week.

Our week long visit began last Monday afternoon when Holly's Mom flew into Tampa. Holly's oldest brother, Gary, his wife, Blair and their 4 children flew into Orlando on the same day. They made it to Bradenton just about the same time we arrived from the Tampa airport. That evening we spent quality time together at our house. Boy, was it fun finding places for luggage, toys and a place for 6 extra people to sleep in our 2-bedroom condo; it was like we were at camp! Once everyone got settled, Mom, Blair, Christopher, the 4 kids and I went to the pool. The kids enjoyed the water and we enjoyed the sunshine. As Mom, Blair and I sat with our feet in the water, Mom made the comment, "When we get back to the room, it will be so nice to have dinner ready." How funny of a "blonde moment" for Mom as she must have thought she was at a bed-n-breakfast; it provided for some great laughs. For dinner, Gary made a delicious Italian feast complete with Italian sausage, spaghetti, salad and garlic bread.

Tuesday seemed to be a normal day for Christopher and I; he went to school and I went to work. Mom and Blair dropped me off as they had acupuncture appointments. Gary spent the morning with the kids as he prepared to leave for Orlando later that evening for a business training meeting. Mom, as always, enjoyed her acupuncture treatment. Blair got to experience it for the first time and found it interesting and different. Later that day, I was able to enjoy lunch with the girls at Jason's Deli. After Christopher and I finished our normal day, the whole family ventured to Bradenton Beach for some fun in the sun. Although the water was a bit chilly, Ridge, Kennedy and Connelly did not mind one bit. After a few hours on the beach, we ventured to Cortez Kitchen for dinner. The food was great as always. Kai became quite hungry as we waited for our food and proceeded to say, "eat," while blowing kisses to people in hopes they would share their food with him. The boy sure does love his food! After dinner, Gary left for Orlando, and we headed back to our home to call it a night.

On Wednesday, I took Mom, Blair and the kids to Red Barn so they could experience was a true farmer's market was like. They found all the fresh produce to be heavenly. They picked out a yummy feast for dinner as Christopher would be studying and I would be at work. For lunch, we ventured to Thai Wasabi for sushi. As always, it is so yummy!

Thursday was an all day fun day at Siesta Key Beach! Although it took an hour to get there and find a parking space, it was so worth it! We packed sandwiches and snacks for a picnic lunch and spent all day in the sunshine. We later found that the Florida got the best of us as most of us came home with sunburned shoulders, cheeks and legs. As Ridge, Kennedy, Connelly and Kai played in the water and the sand, Blair, Mom and I found pure enjoyment in people watching; we saw 2 groups of college boys walking in American flag speedos stopping for pictures, singing songs and providing great laughs. We found it to be quite hilarious! On our way home from the beach, we enjoyed frappucinos from Starbucks. We ended the evening by eating pizza and enjoying massages from yours truly.

Friday was a more relaxed day as we spent the morning shopping at the outlets. Blair found some great clothes and accessories for the children. After shopping, we met Christopher for lunch at Subway. We spent the afternoon at our house. The girls played outside and Mom and I were able to look at our proof albums from our wedding photography. Gary came back to Bradenton that afternoon and for dinner we visited Thai Wasabi once more! It was a great, relaxing day to end the visit.

On Saturday, we said goodbye to Gary, Blair and the children as they flew back home to North Carolina. After we sent them on their way, Christopher spent the day studying and Mom and I spent the day shopping and exploring Sarasota. I introduced Mom to Kohl's as she had never shopped there before. We both found lots of great deals and racked up on some great new clothes and jewelry for our wardrobe! We then ventured to downtown Sarasota to see the waterfront and the infamous replica statue of the Kissing Sailor. After walking the waterfront and taking a few pictures, we then drove to St. Armand's Circle for more shopping and fun. We walked in and out of stores imagining that we were not in Florida anymore. We fell in love with Tea and Spice Exchange and The Olive Company. We purchased some great additions to our kitchen cabinets since we both love to cook. After shopping and a gelato break, we ate dinner at Pei Wei. When we arrived home, Mom and I went from shopping girls to redecorating girls; we rearranged furniture and accessories in our living room and kitchen to give everything a fresh new look. The "new" room looks great. After redecorating, we ended the evening by watching The Blind Side.

I took Mom to the airport Sunday morning and returned home to begin getting ready for the new week. The house was quiet when I returned home and somewhat messy. But, Christopher and I would not trade anything for the world. We enjoyed every minute of our week with our family. We cannot wait to spend more time with our entire family in May to celebrate Nanny's 85th birthday. Enjoy the pictures below of our great and memorable week!

...Pool Side...

...Splish-Splashing...

...The Beautiful Beach...

...The Carters...

...The Millers...

...Ha! Ha! Russell...

...Kai Loves Trucks...

...The Joys of People Watching...

...One Handsome Young Man...

...Sandcastle and Hottub Builders...

...Can you find the Real Models?!...

...Sweet, Sweet Children...

...Beautiful Downtown Sarasota...

...The Kissing Sailor...

...At Marina Jack's...

Happy Easter!

What a BEAUTIFUL weekend we had in Florida to celebrate our first easter as Mr. & Mrs.! The sun shined all weekend long, which made it so easy to be thankful for our Savior and the great things He has done in our lives.

Friday night, Christopher and I retreated to our childhoods and dyed Easter eggs. It was quite fun and exciting. We laughed a lot at each other, from Christopher forgetting that a white crayon may be used to write secret messages, to Holly being disappointed that the pink dye was more of a pastel pink and not a bright, highlighter pink.

On Saturday, Christopher's brother, Gary, drove from Orlando for an early Easter dinner. I got in touch with my inner Paula Deen and made a delicious, Southern feast. The menu included ham, biscuits, green been casserole, pineapple casserole, fresh corn, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs and strawberry pie. The food was delicious! The company around the dining table was great too; Matt came over to enjoy the meal.

Yesterday, we enjoyed a great service at our church dressed in our pastel best! The message focused on forgetting the things we should not remember, and remember the things that we should remember. After church, we treated ourselves to Dunkin' Donuts and then returned home to do some spring cleaning to prepare for arriving guests today! We took a lunch break to eat leftovers; Mike joined us for lunch. Again, it was great to surround ourselves with fun conversations and good laughs. We ended the day by baking banana bread and homemade pimento cheese (Thanks for the idea, Mike!).

Today, Holly's mom and oldest brother, Gary, and his family arrive for their Spring Break vacation! It is going to be in the 80s all week long; that means lots of trips to the beach, the pool and playing outside! Sushi, seafood, acupuncture, massages and more are on the agenda for the week too!

...Getting Ready...

...Before...

...Christopher's Secret Message - "I love my wife"...

...After...

March Has Come and Gone

It has been quite some time since our last post. March has been a month full of visitors, traveling and more.

Ashley & Andrew came to visit the second week in March while on their Spring Break. We had such a great time visiting with them. Nothing says fun like a seafood dinner at Cortez Kitchen followed by wine and board games at home! Although the visit went by quickly, we are looking forward to doing it again real soon.

...The Best Seafood & Cold Beer Anyone Could Ask For...

The following weekend, we spent in Orlando with Gary & Brandon. We spent the weekend together, along with Gayle, celebrating Gary's 30th birthday. Friday night, we spent the evening outside cooking steaks on the grill, drinking wine and playing board games. Saturday was spent by the pool. The weather was gorgeous! We then ordered wings, ate Italian ice and played board games. If you have not played Balderdash, we highly recommend it! We were also excited to be at Gary & Brandon's home over this weekend, as they welcomed home their newest puppy, Bella. She is an adorable miniature greyhound!

This past weekend, Christopher was busy with his fraternal organization, Kappa Psi, as they inducted their newest pledge class. Sunday evening was a night of celebration as they participated in their first inaugural founder's day and initiation dinner. We enjoyed a great dinner, slide show and awards ceremony. Please give a round of applause to Christopher as he won the scholarship award for the third year pharmacy student with the highest grade point average in the fraternity!



Some other things we have been able to enjoy over the past month include: dinner dates at Hickory Hollow, flower and garden shopping, date nights-in with fondue and cooking on the grill and more.

This past month, Christopher also received his rotation assignments. He will be able to enjoy 3 rotations in Kentucky and the rest will be in Florida, mostly within driving distance to Bradenton. We are both very excited for the opportunities that are before him as it will better help me decide what and where he wants to practice pharmacy. Although we know the 3 months he will be away from Bradenton will be difficult, we know that is a short, temporary thing and it is for the betterment of our future.

As April approaches, we are excited to celebrate our first Easter together and welcome Holly's mom for a week long visit. Also, Gary, Blair and their children will be coming for a visit. As the weather continues to get warmer, we hope to make trips to the beach, go for walks outside and maybe play some golf.

A Week or So of Firsts

It has been a week of firsts here in the Carter home.

ONE. We were able to enjoy a sweet Valentine's weekend together. Friday, we watched the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics while enjoying chocolate fondue. We lit candles and pulled blankets and pillows on the floor as we indulged in yummy fruit and chocolate and drank wine. It was a fun evening! After a day of working and studying on Saturday, we enjoyed dinner-in and were able to talk to my entire family via skype as they were together celebrating my biggest brother, Gary, as he turned 40! It was fun to see everyone and chit-chat even if it were only a few minutes. Sunday, I worked for a few hours while Christopher spent the day studying. We enjoyed dinner at Thai Wasabi, our favorite restaurant! We ate delicious sushi.

...Our First Valentine's Day as Mr. & Mrs...

...Always Something Fun & Silly Between Us...

TWO. This past week I was diagnosed with an inflammatory disorder called erythema nodosum. Here is a summary of how it all came to be. I came home from work Tuesday evening with itchy legs. I took a shower and I soon looked like a lobster, red on all my extremities. I took a benadryl and basically hurt all over. After a sleepless night of burning and itching, I woke up Wednesday with blotchy rashes all over my body. I went to the acupuncturist for what was to be a routine session, but we ended up focusing on the rashes. They were completely confused. They treated me to release some of the heat associated with the rashes and inflammation. As the day progressed, my rashes began moving all throughout my body, mainly in the extremities. I don't have any rashes on my stomach, chest or back. I went to urgent care where they diagnosed me. I will have the symptoms of burning, moving rashes for about 6 weeks. This also explains the malaise and joint aches that I have been having as it as a common symptom as well. I am going to be taking OTC aleve for the pain and then a prescribed medication to help relieve the itch discomfort, but that will make me sleepy so I am only taking it at night. Erythema nodosum is not contagious and over 50% of the cases are diagnosed with no known cause. It could be caused by anything from strep, birth control pills, cat scratch fever, allergies to food/lotions and so much more. I was lucky enough the rashes only lasted a little over 24 hours. I woke up very stiff, Thursday morning, but thought that if I get moving, ate breakfast and took my medicine then I would be good to go when I arrived at work. I had already spoken with my boss the night before and she assured me that taking care of my body should be my number one priority. I felt relieved from our conversation. I went to work and I guess God was carefully watching over me as my appointments at the spa were canceled. I decided it was a sign that I needed to go home and rest. I napped off and on throughout the day on Thursday. Overall, I felt pretty lousy...sore muscles, stiff and swollen joints, skin warm to the touch but no fever, etc. I looked like an old woman walking around the house. I was able to get some sleep Thursday night, but it took my body a long time to settle down and get comfortable. I woke up Friday morning feeling about the same. I decided not to work again today as it seems rest is the best thing for my body and healing right now. I napped off and on throughout the day and felt much better when I woke up this afternoon. Since Christopher had a meeting, I thought I would cook dinner. I chopped a few vegetables, picked up a frying pan and began to make a fritatta. I put in the oven, sat down and noticed my left hand (my dominate hand) had a rash on it and was swollen again. My arm began itching and a small rash appeared on my forearm. In about 20 minutes, the rash faded. Saturday, in summary, was pretty much the same as Friday. I was able to go to the grocery store with Christopher, but the walking I did around Walmart fatigued me. In flash-forwarding to Sunday and today, I feel so much better. The soreness is concentrated to my knees and wrists. I am so thankful for the prayers and concerns from our family and friends! I am going to see a dermatologist this coming Thursday to talk about ways to care for the signs and symptoms associated with this disorder.

THREE. We attended our first wedding as a married couple. Saturday evening, my chiropractor got married. We felt so honored to be invited to her reception to celebrate her marriage. The reception was so fun and intimate, only 90 guests. The bride and groom looked so happily in love and beautiful. We enjoyed cake and desserts, wine and dancing. Funny story...the DJ played The Cupid Shuffle. Christopher and I were the only ones on the dance floor; no one else knew how to do the dance. We even got a round of applause when it was over. As we were slow dancing, Christopher said to me that he finally felt like we were a married couple. It was very sweet!

....Celebrating Kristin & Rob in Downtown Bradenton...

FOUR. Our friend, Kimmy, came to visit us Sunday. She was able to spend the afternoon with me while Christopher studied at school. Kimmy and I enjoyed great conversations about our honeymoon, camp, friendships, life and so much more. I thoroughly enjoy the time that she and I get to spend together. Kimmy's visit originated from her 2010 goal list. She wanted to watch the sunrise on the east coast of Florida, and watch the sunset on the west coast of Florida. Well, clouds and scattered storms set in Bradenton Beach, so the sunset was really not there. But, we did find a piece of a sand dollar while walking on the beach. We went to a local seafood restaurant for dinner with Christopher. Over dinner, Kimmy explained the wonderfully new, yet somewhat old, hobby of geocaching. It is a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants in the activity. It is amazing! Christopher and I cannot wait to explore Bradenton one day while finding hidden treasures. Go to www.geocaching.com to find how many hidden treasures are in your zip code.

FIVE. Christopher and I learned so much today at the Honda car dealership. In seeing lots of advertisements on TV, we decided to check out the deals on leases to see if we could lower my current payments. Boy, was it tiring and tedious! It took a lot of patience, communication and wheeling and dealing! After 5 hours of trying to get in the driver's seat, we finally made a deal on a 2010 Honda Civic. We were able to lower my payment by $70. We accomplished our goal and learned so much. We feel like big kids now!

Marriage is great. We are learning and loving each and every day!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Our first wedding announcement was posted in The Nashville Graphic, of Nashville, North Carolina today. Rocky Mount's Telegram will feature our announcement this Sunday on Valentine's Day; how appropriate!

Miller - Carter unite in marriage

Holly Lynn Miller and Christopher Lewis Carter were married Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at Nashville United Methodist Church, Nashville. The officiating minister for the traditional 5 p.m. ceremony was Pastor Wayne Hicks. The bride is the daughter of Lou and Sharon Miller of Rocky Mount. She is the granddaughter of June Ward of Nashville. The groom’s parents are Gayle Spoonamore and Gary Carter of Stanford, Ky. He is the grandson of Katherine Spoonamore and Carl and Mary Carter, all of Stanford, Ky. A program of nuptial music was presented by Rev. Sylvia Sutter, organist. Soloist was Gary Miller, brother of the bride. The bride was given in marriage by her parents. She wore an ivory draped satin bodice with slightly dropped waist featuring beaded, embroidered detail with an allover beaded lace chapel train. She carried a bouquet of white calla lilies and roses. The maid of honor was Brady Keeter of Raleigh. Bridesmaids were Rebecca Arcebido of Bradenton Fla., Ashley Bass of Chapel Hill, Amy Potter of Louisville, Ky., Kelly Sims of Charlotte and Cayla Williams of Abbeville, S.C., all friends of the bride. Junior bridesmaids were Halie Miller and Kennedy Miller, both of Rocky Mount and nieces of the bride. Flower girls were Connelly Miller and Gracie Miller, both of Rocky Mount and nieces of the bride. Gary Owens of Sanford, Fla., brother of the groom, was best man. Ushers were Clay Carter of Danville, Ky., cousin of the groom, Matthew Antonopoulos, and Michael Riner, both of Bradenton, Fla., John Thomas of Lake Butler, Fla., all friends of the groom, and Russell Miller of Rocky Mount, brother of the bride. Junior groomsman was Ridge Miller of Rocky Mount, nephew of the bride. Ring bearer was Kai Miller of Rocky Mount, nephew of the bride. Program attendants were Crystal Collier of Raleigh and Victoria Broome of Bradenton, Fla. The bride is a graduate of Rocky Mount Senior High School and UNC-Chapel Hill and is employed as a lead massage therapist at a spa. The groom is a graduate of Lincoln County High School and University of Kentucky, and is currently enrolled at LECOM School of Pharmacy seeking a Doctorate of Pharmacy degree. Following a wedding trip to Napa and San Francisco, Calif., the couple will make their home in Bradenton, Fla. A rehearsal dinner was hosted by Gary Carter on Jan. 8 in Nashville. Courtesies A couple’s shower was hosted by friends of the groom on June 6 in Stanford, Ky. A bachelorette weekend was hosted by Brady Keeter on Aug. 13-15 in Savannah Ga. On Sept. 6, a recipe shower was hosted by friends of the groom in Danville , Ky. Sept. 11-13, a bachelor weekend was hosted by Gary Owens in Lake Blackshear, Ga. On Nov. 28, a Christmas shower was hosted by family of the bride in Rocky Mount. A bridal shower was hosted by friends of the bride on Nov. 29 in Rocky Mount. On Jan. 7, a lingerie shower was hosted by Brady Keeter in Rocky Mount. A bridesmaids luncheon was hosted by Gayle Spoonamore on Jan. 8 in Nashville.