Beach Bums... :)

Every year, Chris's family takes a week-long trip to a beach in Florida. For years they went to Destin, but ever since I've been going (for the last 3 years), it's been to Panama City Beach. They have some friends they rent a 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo from that is right on the beach and is immaculate! It has tile floors throughout and granite countertops, and the decorating is absolutely superb! It's all the way up on the 12th of 17 floors and so our view is amazing! (The hotel actually doesn't have a 13th floor for superstitious reasons... funny, huh?)

This was Macie's first year to go to the beach, and she did pretty well! It's actually funny, because it was this same trip the year before where they decided she was, in fact, going to be named Macie (up until then, they had been calling her "Emily.")

I was especially excited about going this year, because it gave me a break from school work, and we had our own room! Yes, this may sound silly and unimportant, but for the last 2 years, we've always invited one of his grandmothers to go with us, and we gave the extra room to them, leaving Chris, Jonathan, & I to sleep on the single couch, pushed together chairs & ottoman, or the tile floor.... not fun!

Every morning, we would all get up, have a nice breakfast that our brother-in-law, Wesley would usually fix, and go down to the beach until lunch. Chris & I were especially excited about laying out at the beach this year, because we got these great beach chairs with some of our wedding giftcards to Target (sorry, i can't find a picture of them!). They have footrests, cupholders, gadget pockets, headrests, etc. We were set!

Macie would do great, but since we were in the middle of a heat wave, she didn't cope with the heat as well as everyone else, so in order to keep her happy just a little while longer (so no one had to go up to the condo just minutes after coming down), I decided to share my bag of Blow-Pops I had gotten for the trip down there, and boy did she love them! She is just now starting to want to taste "real food" and as she was watching me lick mine, her little lips and tongue were just a goin' mimicking my motions. She also only has 2 bottom teeth, and was currently getting 2 more in, so knowing she couldn't bite it, I gave her a classic Cherry one for her very first taste at yummy goodness! Boy, oh boy! She was loving it!

I ended up enjoying a lot of my trip down at the pool. It was great! I found a great lounge chair that was in a great location and waiting just for me everyday! It was near the part of the pool that had this great cove where you could sit in the deep in on a step that put that water just at chest high -- so it was away from all the little children learning to swim, and right near my chair! I even made new friends down there -- they loved my little cove too!

All in all, it was a really great trip... I am always ready to come home and get back to reality, Chris however will be sulking for weeks that we're not still there... Bless his heart! We're already looking forward to our next trip, though, to Lake Junaluska, N.C. for the 4th of July with our family! :)

Enjoy these next few pictures of our trip down there...

Our Wedding Day

It has come & gone. Thank you so much to everyone who blessed us with your presence, gifts, showers, prayers, toasts, thoughts, etc. The day was perfect -- absolutely flawless! We were so blessed to have been surrounded by so many of our closest friends and family members on our very special day! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We are absolutely loving being married & have already started decorating and settling further into our "home." Everytime I have gotten to call him my husband, I get butterflies all over again! I love signing the credit card receipts with my new last name, since I haven't gotten to change my name over anywhere else, like the bank, as we just received our Marriage Certificate on Friday. My favorite part is seeing him with a ring on his finger! :)

If you missed our big day, don't worry! Our videographer, Roy Spillers with Moonrize Studios, did a fantastic job of capturing the day on film! We love to watch the video over and over to relive the best day of our lives so far! You can check the video out here: www.moonrizestudios.com/giles. There you will find our "Love Story" that we filmed at his parent's lake house in Milledgeville, Georgia. This was where we, well... told our love story! It is absolutely precious! You can also see our Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, The Ceremony (which includes the pre-wedding festivities!), The Reception, Family & Friends (their advice and sweet comments to us!), and the Cast of the big production (Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, etc., and of course starring: The Bride & Groom!)

Here are a few professional pictures we have so far. Enjoy!

To my husband... :)

Today is the "big day." The day that I become Mrs. Christopher M. Giles. I am a little nervous, very excited, and sort of... numb feeling. It is all so surreal that I am getting to marry the man of my dreams today! To Christopher, I just want to say this:

I love you with my whole heart. You are my whole heart, and with every beat of it, I love you more. I find something new to love about you every day. You never cease to amaze me. You are so smart! I will always feel safe with you around me, and never feel as if I have to be someone I am not. I love who I have become since I met you. I've become myself -- the real me. You are creative and fun and never fail to make me smile. I laugh continuously when I am with you. Not at you. With you. :) You are my world, my heart... and you know you're my favorite everything! I love you, Christopher... husband of mine! :)
(officially!)

Counting Down the Days... :)

Okay. We have about 4 days left until our wedding day! We get asked all the time "How are you feeling?," "Are you getting nervous?," "Are you excited yet?" Well, it depends on who you ask....

My Story:

I have waited, and waited, and waited for May to get here. It got here, and I still wasn't nervous. I started Maymester in school where I had to keep an intense calendar of what is due everyday -- looking at the calendar everyday, and marking off days as they got closer... still wasn't nervous. The week before the week of my wedding, people would say "Are you getting nervous?" And I would say "Eh, not really..." Then, Enter.Newnan. I went to Newnan this weekend for my Bachelorette & last Wedding Shower -- and it HIT me like a ton of bricks, y'all! Literally pounded me! When I started seeing all of the details, and buying the last minute things, and finding my lipstick I was going to wear, and finalizing on a hairstyle, etc., etc., etc., ... it just hit me! I wasn't able to sleep at night -- I would just lie in bed. Awake. Until the wee hours of the morning when my body just finally would give out. And then I was up again bright and early to do it all over again! I have never been in such a hurry to get back to Milledgeville so that I could SLEEEEEEEEEP!!!

Oh, but it hasn't stopped here! Oh no, I think it followed me... Atleast, I was able to sleep! In fact, I got home to Milledgeville about 6:30, slept from 7-8:30, went back to sleep around 11 and slept in until 9.. I have also taken another 2 hour nap since then! Boy! Oh, boy! All day, I have thought about this wedding, made appointments to meet with vendors so they could set up, checked on the delivery of the tux's, bought the attendants gifts, etc. Atleast I am able to sleep now, though!

I absolutely cannot wait until the Big Day! I know it is going to just be absolutely beautiful and I am eternally grateful to the many hands and opinions, and bank accounts that have gone into making this wedding possible! Thank you, thank you, thank you -- from the bottom of our hearts! :)

His Story:

I ask him "Are you getting nervous?" He says "I'm nervous that I'm not nervous." Typical.

Wish us luck! Hope to see you there! & if you are unable to make it, for whatever reason, toast us, pray for us, think of us, and share a little smile at 5:00 Saturday - for that's when the magic begins! :)

I am going to marry a college graduate! :)

The month of May held two very big days for us. The first one was Christopher's graduation from Georgia College & State University (Bachelors in Business Marketing) and the second being the day we become Mr. & Mrs. Giles! :)

Today, was that first "big day" for us. Christopher jokes that people would come up to him and say "Are you ready for the big day?" and he would reply "Yeah, May 9th!" when really they were referring to our wedding day!

Since graduation started at 9 a.m. the graduates had to get there at 7:45 this morning! That put us setting our alarms for 6:30 this morning! Yikes! That's early for a Saturday! So, I put on my p.j.'s and hopped in the bed! Christopher stayed up a little while longer, but just as I was asleep good he wakes me up... "Becca! I can't find my cap, stole (sp?), or tassle! You've gotta help me!" We looked everywhere! His gown was hanging up in the closet...and we eventually found the rest of his ensemble crammed in a dresser drawer! Phew!

6:30 a.m. came bright and early -- we got there, and I found seats to save for me, his mama & daddy, and his sister, Kacie. We didn't sit long before us girls needed to find the little lady's room... As we were walking back, we noticed how wonderful the shade with light breeze felt under the trees in the back, rather than in the hot sun where we were sitting! We stayed back there as long as we could, and eventually moved back to our seats. After a while, Kacie & I decided we would go see if we could get a closer view. We walked all the way around and found the perfect spot! We could get great pictures from where we were! So we called his mama & daddy and they came and found us too! It was wonderful, because Chris knew exactly where we were and where we would be when it was all over with! Chris graduated among 1,050 other students... you can imagine how hectic it was trying to find your families!

After it was over, we took the pictures and said our congrats and decided it was best that we didn't go to lunch somewhere, because everywhere was probably crowded! And so here we are... he's waiting on some friends to come over and I'm on my way to McDonough to see my best friend Katie Sprinkle get married! I absolutely cannot wait! :)

Much Love,

What a wonderful weekend! :)

I spent the most wonderful weekend this past weekend with my two sisters, mother, and grandmother, and little Nutter-Butter! But, this time, they were on my turf! :) That's right -- Christopher I hosted them all here for quick sandwiches and a tour before my very first wedding shower (since Sara has not seen the house since Chris moved in -- and Nutter-Butter hasn't seen it at all!) After lunch, my mom and grandmother decided they needed a nap, and so all of us young folk stayed out & played in the living room. Christopher & I learned real quick that our house is not baby-proof! Nathan was trying to climb on the rock hearth, eat the cat food, play in the cat water, and chew on Uncle Chris's schmorgezboard of power cords! And we didn't have very many toys for him to play with. Uncle Chris tried to put in a Baby Einstein, as his neice, Macie, just enjoys them so much & is so close in age with him -- but he wasn't having it -- he wanted to explore!



We went to the shower -- which, by the way, was so nice! The women who hosted it were friends of Chris's mom's and had such a beautiful home! It was such a blessed feeling to be surrounded by all of these women who care and believe enough in your marriage to shower you with gifts and take time out of their afternoons to do so! :) So far, Christopher & I haven't received anything we would want to exchange/take back. We love it/need it all -- and are very appreciative! :) Tooting my own horn, I have also been on top of all of my thank-you cards! (Toot! Toot!)



After the shower, Mom, Sara, Meme, & Nathan all traveled back to Newnan -- however, Christy stayed behind to spend the night in Milledgeville! :) I love it when Christy comes to stay because we always have the BEST time hanging out together and we always leave with just a few more inside jokes (I will swirl you.... right. here. ;) She knows what it means!) She wasn't there just for fun -- I had commissioned her to do my hair and make-up for the Love Story video Christopher & I were having done the next day, as part of her maid of honor duties! :) At one point during the day she said, "Becca, I am not your maid!" and to that I said, "Yes you are! You're my maid of honor!" :) We, of course, had to go shopping for the perfect outfit to wear -- and seeing that I had been given a gift certificate to Maurice's (a favorite shop of mine here in Milledgeville) for my birthday, we went there first! We found my black top, shoes, and two pairs of earrings (buy one get one half off!), then went to Rue21! and found my white shorts, and then went to Rack Room Shoes to find me a new pair of just everyday tennis shoes. I learned here, that I wear a size 5 in Youth shoes (yay for me getting an extra $10 off!) :) What a happy day!



We went home, made sandwiches on my new toasted sandwich maker that someone had given me at the shower (which, by the way, were the bomb!) and waited, sadly, for my internet to come on -- which never did! Then, the next day was.....



LOVE STORY VIDEO DAY! :) :) :)

When Christopher & I first got engaged he said to me "the only thing I care about absolutely having this entire wedding is a videographer." I thought, "a videographer & a photographer? Seriously?" So I got to work right away searching for one that I liked. I finally found one! His name is Roy Spillers and you can check him out here at his website http://www.moonrizestudios.com/ -- he's pretty gifted at what he does... I really can not say enough good things about this guy! When I was watching one of the love stories the first time I visited his site, made me cry! If I cry at somebody else's video, I know I'm going to love mine! We booked him right away!

So, on Sunday, he came down to Milledgeville and shot our love story! It went so well -- Christy was there to make sure my hair and makeup stayed looking good! Christopher & I both answered questions about each other and our relationship seperately so, neither of us know what the other said -- that should be interesting to hear! We shot so many interesting scenes like us feeding the catfish, walking the seawall, doing wrestling moves (you know we had to!), and a few extra surprises! :) I will let you know when it is finalized and posted on his website so that you can go see it!

Well, I must continue to write thank you notes...

Love,

Birthday Weekend #2

It has come & gone...

Friday was great -- Christopher had me thinking I was going to have to cook dinner that night when he got home, but he surprised me with a pizza! yum! & yay that I didn't have to cook! He then spent the evening with me playing my new Playstation 3 game that he had gotten me for my birthday -- Ratchet & Clank! I finally wrapped it up around 10:00 and let him play with his brother-in-law online while I curled up on the couch to some E! News and fell asleep....

Saturday was just wonderful... pretty much more of the same as Friday, except this was to be the night of my birthday party! So, I started getting ready around 3:30, about the same time that Wesley came over to play with Christopher, and boy, did I look cute! I got over to his parent's house where they had Wesley, Kacie, & Macie, MaMa & Pop, David, Laura, Grant, & Megan, and of course Cindy & Smiley! :) Cindy had made the most delicious meal of pot roast and tenderloin, butter beans, cream corn, potatoes, carrots, rice, croissant rolls, etc. & MaMa had made me a "poke-hole" cake -- just normal cake with holes poked in it so that the icing can seep through! YUMMY! Macie was so sweet, and I got several sweet pictures with her. Kacie got me a gift card to a store I love to shop at around here, Maurices, & Cindy & Smiley and MaMa & Pop went in together to get me a one hour massage at a day spa here in Milledgeville. I am so excited!

To start today off, Mama called to tell me that our engagement announcement was in the Newnan Times Herald! Yay! Then to top it off....

Christopher & I set out to find my wedding ring. My engagement ring is difficult to fit, because it has to have a curve, due to how it curves out itself. Also, since it has the illusion of 3 bands, I felt like it needed to be one of those rings that had one on each side ;) (only because it made it look the best!) So, we went to Kay Jewelers, where I was deciding between two different enhancers. One was curved on both sides, like I originally liked, and one was open but still had diamond bands going down both sides, so that my ring could fit right down in the middle. I, of course, picked the latter one.... and it is beautiful!

So, now it is over, and another school week begins... only 4 more weeks! ... and then Maymester! Yippee!

P.S. Only 48 more days until the wedding! :)