The Proposal

Parker & I had planned to go to the beach with his family for Labor Day, so on Saturday afternoon, we drove down to the beach. I thought this was going to be a normal weekend, especially since I had no idea that Parker had the ring and had asked my dad for permission to marry me.

So, we got to the beach and Mrs. Lydia said that Jacob & Candice had gone down to walk on the beach. Parker called Jacob to say that we were there, and Jacob told him that he and Candice had seen a man catch a shark and we should come down and see it... or so I thought. Mrs. Lydia even said "Here, take my camera to take a picture of the shark." So we start walking down to the beach and it dawned on me how ridiculous it was that a man had caught a shark on the beach. I asked Parker about it, and he smoothly replied, "Jacob's caught sharks before" but I thought, "That was when the Triple S pier was there." Parker just shrugged and said "We'll see."

Meanwhile.... Jacob,

And Candice,
were getting ready for us to come down. Candice wrote a message in the sand for us and then they hid behind the dunes...


[hahaha] They did see dolphins while they were waiting for us!

So we walked down the beach, looking for Candice & Jacob, and the shark. The thought crossed my mind, "What if he is going to propose?" but I dismissed the idea because I didn't want to be disappointed if he didn't. So we walked...

Then, Parker bent down to pick up something in the sand, and when he bent down I saw Jacob, in a bright purple shirt (they had been to the ECU game) hiding in the dunes. I started giggling because I knew what was going on.

So, we kept on walking... and walking... and we never found the message they wrote for us. So finally, Parker just wrote in the sand, "Will you marry me?" and got down on one knee and proposed. (This is the original message that Candice showed us after the fact)

Of course, I said yes and we laughed and hugged.

And Candice came running out of the brush with a camera to take pictures and give us hugs.

And I kept laughing about the shark. So cute! :) I love it!

And, I love my ring. It is so gorgeous and I can't stop looking at it!

And I am crazy excited to marry my best friend!!!

Apparently, Parker asked my dad on Tuesday if he could have permission to marry me. My dad replied, "Yeah, that'll be fine." So much like my Dad!

We went back to the condo and of course Parker's parents knew he was going to propose and they were excited. I called my mom (3 times) before I got in touch with her and she was so excited that she cried, and then yelled at my Dad for not telling her. [haha]

I can't believe it! We're finally engaged!

We're Engaged!!!!

Details to come.... but Parker proposed last night on the beach...


And I said yes!

::cue "At Last":: HAHAHAHA! :) We're so excited!!

Showers, Showers, Showers

When I made a New Year's Resolution to host showers, parties, etc, I did not know how many I would be hosting throughout the year! First, I started with my cousin Rebecca's baby shower. I "co-hosted" with my mom, cousin Amanda, and a friend of Rebecca's. It was HUGE - like 100 people huge (she was having triplets, she needed a lot).

We did "Three Peas in a Pod" theme as you can tell by the cake.

I did a fruit mound... the pineapple opened so you could yogurt dip.

Here is the new mom:

Then... I through my Dad a surpise birthday party, which I posted about here.

Then, I gave Candice a bridal shower with the help of a family friend. You saw her invitations here (which by the way, a friend of mine's mom used the tutorial to make shower invitations for a shower she was hosting! They looked so good! How cool is that?)

There's the fruit mound again... see what I mean about the dip in the pineapple?

Here is the cake... well part of it. There was a green square tier on top of the pink, but we cut it up before I got a picture. The daisy was on top. It was really cute!

Here is Mrs. Lydia (Parker's mom) and Mrs. Candy (co-host)

And of course... the bride, Candice with Mrs. Maxine from the river.

The most recent shower was at my apartment for my friend and former roomate, Katherine. You saw her invitations here (her mom is the one who used the tutorial!). Amanda, another friend and roomate and fellow bridesmaid co-hosted.

Here are Amanda and I guarding the gifts (ha, just kidding!)

And of course, the bride-to-be, Katherine!

I LOVE giving showers and making invitations and entertaining! I will be helping my Aunt Kay and Mom give my cousin Melissa an afternoon tea/bridal shower next month! How are your New Year's Resolutions turning out?

Breaking News

Duke has been rated the #2 "douchiest" colleges in American by GQ magazine. The following is the Daily Dose from Wednesday's DTH:

"GQ magazine has spoken. The article, "America's 25 Douchiest Colleges" published in the September edition of the publication officially declares Duke the number two 'douchiest' college in America.

'They're probably number one. But we'd rather not rank Duke number one at anything,' the article says. That's just embarrassing for the Dookies, who, unlike UNC, did not win a National Championship last year and camped for months outside Cameron Indoor Stadium only to watch their team get pummeled.

The article also defines Dookies to be the 'O.D.' or 'Original Douche.' Duke students should have seen this coming. Notice also, UNC was no where to be seen on the douche list. Laugh out loud."

Also on the list:
25. University of Virginia
24. University of Texas
23. Randolph Macon
22. Vassar
21. Trinity
20. Morehouse
19. Ohio State
18. Boston University
17. University of Chicago
16. USC
15. Notre Dame
14. Arizona State
13. University of Georgia
12. University of Phoenix
11. NYU
10. University of Colorado
9. Charter College, Wasilla
8. Rollins College
7. Amherst College
6. Bob Jones
5. Deep Springs
4. Harvard
3. Princeton
2. Duke
1. Brown University

Now, how about that?

What the First Week of Class Can Tell You

Over the past couple of years, I learned that the first week of class can tell you a lot about the professor and how the class will turn out. For example:

Professors/Instructors with really long, wordy syllabi are usually new. They like to use big words and complicated course objectives to intimidate you. They have complex, unorganized layouts and reading schedules. On the other hand, the best professors, the ones who have been teaching for years, have 2 page syllabi that are short and to the point. The course schedule includes 3 things: the date, the title of their lecture, and the reading assignment. These are the professors you want to have.

I've also learned that you need to plan to spend more time getting your food at Chick-fil-a in Lenior because the Freshmen (pardon... "First-years") really do not know what they are doing in line.

It's also important to take a look at the books before taking the class if at all possible. Book titles tell you a lot about what the class will be like. For example, a textbook written by the professor is usually a good thing - they'll have structured lextures. Several books not about religion in a religion class is usually not a good thing - it could mean that the professor thinks crazy abstract and tries to relate unrelated topics to their subject. Just saying.

It's always good to get the TA that smiles and laughs. Not the one that dresses in a suit and acts nervous around the professor.

Old people in the class = good news! In my experience, if an old person is taking the class, it's usually because the class is super awesome and the professor comes highly recommended. Why waste your retirement years in a class that's no good?

You can also always tell which girls plan to rush - it's easy. They are the ones that still dress cute, put makeup on, and straighten their hair after the first couple days of class.

If a professor asks how many students are enrolled in the class because it meets a requirement, it's a good sign. Usually, this means the professory recognizes that their course isn't the center of everyone's world. I love these professors.

Finally, the people who haven't yet fallen in love with Carolina and don't act crazy for Carolina athletics, won't know who the basketball players are until Late Night with Roy comes around. Sad, I know. Take for example this scene at Chick-fil-a:

Girl from Kaplan Testing goes table to table asking if people are interested in going to grad school and if they have taken the GRE, MCAT, etc... She stops at me and Amanda's table goes through her little spill... we chat with her, blah blah blah... she moves on to the next table. She proceeds to ask Deon Thompson if he plans to go to grad school. He smiles and says "no." She asks him if he's considered taking the GRE in case he changes his mind. He laughs.

So Kaplan girl...

...this is Deon Thompson.

Starting forward for the 2008-2009 National Championship team, otherwise known as UNC.

Back to School!

Whew. I'm tired. First day back to classes today! Can I just say how crazy it feels to be a senior? And, furthermore, can I just say how crazy it is for my little brother to have his first day of Middle School today? This cute little third grader is now in MIDDLE SCHOOL!
Yikes! I can't believe it. This was his first day of 3rd grade. Where has time gone?

Anyhow, I think my classes today went well. I like them so far. This semester, I have African American History to 1865, Holocaust, World Since 1945, American Art, Senior Seminar, and Teaching Fellows MAT. Tomorrow I start picking up a 7th grader from school as a part-time job. I'll pick her up Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and my friend Holli picks up Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's such a great deal and I am so thankful for the money.

I also will be doing observations/tutoring for a couple hours a week as a part of my Teaching Fellows coursework.

Other than that, I think that's all. I mean, that's plenty to keep me busy. I'm looking forward to this semester! Whoo hooo Senior year is here!

Happy 6 Years!

Six years ago today, Parker asked me to be his girlfriend! Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you!