T minus ONE day!

T minus one day until (I hope that's the right saying - Mack agreed that it wasn't just some phrase i'd come up with in my mind, so if I got it wrong, my bad) ...

THE STATE FAIR!

I was raised here so I've been to the state fair EVERY year and I love it! The smell of fried food, all the happy kids, all the policemen, what could be better right?!

Well last year, Mack and I went to the fair approximately four times and spent wwwaayyyy to much money so this year we're trying to conserve and only go like two days but realllyy pack in our two days full of all the food, entertainment, and excitement we'll get till next year (whether this two day plan will actually work, who knows).

Mack and I now have our State Fair experience pretty much down pat...

STOP ONE: Every year my parents work at the fair booth for their church and I worked there growing up for years (my mom and I always waitressed together, my dad was always a cook).

This is their actual booth except its usually packed to the brim with people

All the money raised at this booth goes to the church to help send kids on these amazing trips with the youth group (for example, every four years all the high school kids have an oppurtunity to go to New York - it was one of the most memorable trips of my life) so I always eat here, EVERY time I go to the fair. They're most famous for these delicious biscuits...

There's nothin' better than these homemade biscuits they make fresh everyday! I can taste the salt already! YUMMMM.

STOP TWO: Mack's not a big dessert person (unlike me) so anytime he wants dessert, I'm all for it! So after eatin' our amazingly delicious ham biscuits we make a dessert stop. There's a little stand right by my parents booth we go to.

Mack prefers these:                                                 

Where as I prefer these:

                                              

STEP THREE: We go on the Ferris wheel, in hopes that the line wont be too ridiculous. I'm not a big fan of things that move in circles, nor things that take me off the ground (other than airplanes - I'd ride on an airplane any day!).

STEP FOUR: We go in search of a bloomin' onion, we've learned over the years that we both agree the best bloomin' onions come from the fair but in all fairness, they should have a sign above their stand stating: "BLOOMIN' ONION $3.99 - HEARTBURN FREE WITH PURCHASE" because daggum we have to eat at least two tums before we eat one of these amazing bundles of grease!

STEP FIVE: Everyone who goes to the fair must attend a tractor pull and the destruction derby!

it doesn't get much better than this

STEP SIX: While waiting on the second round of the derby to begin, I get my hand stamped from the derby people (so I'll be able to re-enter the stadium) and I walk my little, already cold, self over to the NC STATE ICE CREAM BOOTH! I wait in line anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to get me some Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream. Then I walk back to the stadium and continue to enjoy the destruction derby/tractor pull.

STEP SEVEN: I feel the need to always visit the baby animals and day dream about how awesome it must be to live on a farm and see all these baby animals born right in front of you!

Baby donkey from the fair last year - I just wanted to take him home he was so cute!

So I think that's about it for my list of to-do things this year, I can't wait for tomorrow because even though I'm not going tomorrow, as I drive home from school, it'll be wonderful to smell all the fried food in the air! Ah, love it. Remember, buy your tickets early (aka today) because after that they go up in price! 

I love me some howlin' cow!

Okay so for anyone who doesn't know what Howling Cow is ... shame on you!

Here's some Howlin' Cow for you...

and yes they actually come in these awesome containers

This is NC States FAMOUS ice cream and lemme tell you, it's worth EVERY penny! For people who don't go to NC State - you only get the advantage of howling cow once a year at the state fair (which is coming Thursday if you don't know already!) Anyway, while you're at the fair, get you some of this, the booth is right near where they have the tractor pulls and all that...

Be ready for a line though because eeeevvverrryyybooddyy wants this ice cream!

Now cows are my favorite animal and NC State uses the cow milk from their cows at the vet school to make their world famous ice cream!



This delicious ice cream comes in these flavors (so you can plan ahead - though they may not have all of them so pick a few you'd like to try!)

Butter Almond, Cherry Vanilla, Chocolate, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Mint, Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, Lime Sherbert, Orange Sherbert, Pecan Krunch, Raspberry Sherbert, Strawberry, Vanilla, Java Bean, Chancellor's Choice, CocoNutt, Campfire Delight, and (my favorite!) Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl.

Y'all support NC State and buy some ice cream at the fair pleeeaseee!

Friends Are The Family We Choose For Ourselves...

This is Caroline...

Would you believe it if I told you I'd known her for 21 years? (keep in mind I am 21)

We are sixteen days apart and in many ways total opposites...

a. she's crazy about killin' some germs (me, not so much - even though she's made me more conscious about all the nasty germs that surround me on a daily basis, so I thank her for that)
b. she always looks beautiful - on the inside and out
c. she drives like a maniac at times
d. she's outspoken (which I love)
e. she's extremely protective of the ones she loves (but I'm okay with this because I happen to fit into the "loved ones I must protect" category)

I honestly believe, if you haven't had the SAME best friend your entire life, then you probably can't understand the deep friendship we share. We grew up as next door neighbors and we spent most of our free time together (church, school, home, everything).

This was us in 6th grade

Since we were next door neighbors, her kitchen window faced my dinning room window in my house and when we were in trouble and not allowed to see each other (like the time we strapped her little sister into a jogging stroller and pushed her down a hill and I was sent home by her dad) we would sit in front of our respective windows and talk on the phone (this started at a young age probably around 4 so it's not surprising that we talk on the phone at least once a day now).

The day of my surprise party for my 21st birthday!

Over the years she's become more than just my best friend, she's become my sister. We cry together, we laugh together, we have good times and bad but no matter what she's there for me at the end of the day. She supports me in everything that I do, even if she think it's not a good idea (she always voices her concern but she's never too pushy). She loves me even though I'm not perfect and I make mistakes. She is my voice of reason.

Senior Prom

Words can't describe all that we've been through together, we all know for most girls high school is pretty rough and Caroline and I had plenty of obstacles we faced in those four years. Over time I've come to realize how much I should treasure the friendship I have with her because I do realize most people in the world never get a chance at a friendship like ours.

Tim McGraw concert (with both share equal love for this man)

 But aside from the fact that I couldn't live without this girl she couldn't live without this boy...meet Rus...

Now these two love birds have been goin' strong for 7 years now (if you want that calculated, that means they met when they were 14). So essentially I've grown up with Caroline my whole life and I've grown up with the two of them for the last 7, almost 8 years - it's scary to think I'm getting that old. Back in the day, I wasn't always the biggest fan of this boy but I've come to love him and accept him into my family because I can honestly say he is one of the best men I know.

Christmas Picture 2010

One day these two will marry (and we hope it's in the near future) and it will be one of the happiest moments of my life. We've dreamed of our weddings since we were small.

I only hope that when we have kids (in the very far future) they can grow up together and experience how special it is to have the same best friend your entire life.

All I can say is cherish every moment you have with your best friend, whether you've known them for a year, or (like in our case) you've known each other your whole lives. Support each other in everything you do but be honest at the same time - as much as I don't like to hear what she has to say sometimes, she tells me the truth and she reasons with me and at times, that's what I need most.

I hope that some of you out their share similar relationship with your friends because I honestly couldn't imagine what my life would be like without her.

Do you have a snuggle bug?

Oh how I love my snuggle bug (aka Carley Sue)

My pup's got quite an interesting story. My boyfriend Mack and I got a call one night from some friends saying they had found some puppies along the side the road during the storm that night and they had brought them all home...all SIX! (Can you imagine six puppies? I've lived with dogs my whole life - thanks to my loving parents who always belived a child should have a companion growing up =) but six puppies is overwhelming)

So anyway, I begged and begged and finally Mack agreed we could go see the puppies. This is what we walked into...

If you didn't notice ALL of their bellies are HUGE - that's what happens when puppies get the wormies! I fell in love with Carley Sue the second I saw her, she had these beautiful blue eyes and I felt like she could see into my soul.

Let me tell you, talking Mack into letting me have a puppy, now that was interesting. Eventually he gave in and as my two year anniversary gift, I got my Carley Sue.

Carley came to me at a point in my life when I was truely struggling. Everyday she brought the excitement to my life that I needed, the love that I so desperately wanted, and the companionship unlike anything else in the world.

we share the same love for Boes!

There's nothin' like coming home to a furry ball of excitement who only wants your love (Yes, obviously I'm obsessed with my puppy, I've known that since the day I got her, nothin' new there).

Now a days my puppy is a WHOPPING 23.2 pounds!

But she just had surgery so she's slightly pitiful looking at the moment and refuses to leave my lap 90% of the time.

Anyway, I felt the need to share my love for my snuggle bug with everyone else in hopes that they receive the same kind of love from their own pup at home! If you don't have a dog, I highly suggest you consider it, they're a wonderful addition to your family!