Jungle Island

When Vlad first brought up the idea of taking a trip to Florida, his initial statement was "...and there's a parrot place where we can go and you can take tons of pictures"!  This boy knows me far too well, because not only was I immediately excited for our trip to Florida, that's also exactly what happened!  So this is the first post I wanted to share with you from my amazing vacation!

After a lunch on Hollywood Boulevard at The Big Easy, we arrived at Jungle Island for an afternoon of tropical wonder!  We strolled through the paths the guided us through the thick green foliage with beautiful flowers blooming everywhere!  Hanging parrot stands lined the paths, with all different kinds of these vibrant birds in every color combination you could imagine, perched and waiting for company!  They greeted their visitors with friendly "hellos" and when I walked by one little orange parrot and started laughing at a joke Vlad made, I heard an echoing giggle beside me.  That little orange parrot and I just giggled at each other for a good 5 minutes before I could finally compose myself!

We spent another 15 minutes feeding flamingos who would bravely lean out of their enclosure and gobble up the small pellets right out of your palm. After walking through the gorgeous reptile exhibits with the colorful lizards and snakes, we went into the habitat area, where the little monkeys would walk right across your face and eat their monkey biscuits in front of you!  I could barely contain my excitement from the day!  I was already completely satisfied with our entire trip and we had only just started!  I could have stayed for days taking pictures; all the brilliant colors just fascinated me!  So I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do for this rainy Monday morning!

Valentine

Right after Mardi Gras was of course Valentine's Day (still playing a bit of catch up on this little blog).  Vlad and I had a quiet night in, and he made me an amazing steak dinner with asparagus and potatoes!  The bouquet of speckled roses he brought me were just beautiful, so as I always do with Vlad's flowers, I give you a post about them!  They are still thriving in their vase and make my apartment smell so sweet!  I hope you enjoy them and wish you a splendid week!

Celebrating 2013

Since I've already told you all about my upcoming resolutions and goals, and recapped 2012, there's only one thing left to show you: the celebrating!  Just my luck, I've had a migraine since Christmas, including New Years' Eve,  and didn't started feeling better until today!  So Vlad and I had a low key New Year's, spending the midnight hour at a friend's apartment with a few of our favorite people!  Ellie surprised me by coming into town, and kept on our tradition of spending New Year's together.  It was a perfect night, focusing on all the good things in  my life and starting off 2013 just the right way!  I hope you all had a happy and safe New Year's as well!  Here's to 2013 Everybody!

Early Thanksgiving

         Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday!  It marks the start to a new season, and since I've lived on my own, its a time to enjoy with my family!  This is the week that marks the beginning of all the holiday festivities!  As Thanksgiving is this Thursday, most people travel back to their hometowns by Tuesday or Wednesday to spend time with their families and have a few days to eat good food and relax a little.  I can't wait to spend the week with my own family in Concord!  

          So to kick off the holidays a little early,  we had our own traditional Thanksgiving dinner before we all left Greensboro in different directions!  We each chipped in to put it together: Vlad cooked the rosemary and sage turkey, David brought the rolls, Derek helped with the mac & cheese, Lindley and Nic made the stuffing, Eric and Emma brought gravy and cookies!  As a party of 10, and having a Christmas movie as a background, not to mention all the extra mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pasta salad and pumpkin or apple pie for dessert, our family dinner was a perfect setting to say hello to the holidays, as this season is all about realizing what you're thankful for and cherishing the family and friends dearest to you.

Homecoming

          This time of year always brings my favorite event of the season….Homecoming!  While I was still in school, it was time of year to meet new people and celebrate on the busy campus with a week of activities!  But since I've graduated, it's become a time to reconnect with old friends and spend a little time on the campus that has a special place in my heart.  It's always interesting to meet those who have crossed ahead of you and to look back at those who you've surpassed.  UNCG has been a home to so many amazing people, and homecoming is one time every year when we can call it home again.

           This year I spent most of the weekend celebrating alongside the guys who I spent so many crazy weekends with all four years of college!  Friday night was the kickoff event, at a private lounge in a local Greensboro brewery with a bar, pool table, darts, and big cozy couches where all the alumni got a chance to mingle with the new faces and spend a night out on the town!  

          Saturday was more of a progressive party, and while wearing Spartan blue and gold, I couldn't wait for the day's festivities!  They began with a bloody mary and mimosa brunch, serving mini queshes and breakfast items to start out the day. After the morning mingle we headed to campus with the younger crowd and spend the afternoon playing cornhole and enjoying the company of other greek tents and more recent alumni.  The campus events were all family friendly and provided balloon animals, moon bounces, and an arts & crafts table set up for the kids!  My EUC (UNCG's student center) worker reunion was also Saturday afternoon, and went great! It was so good to see the people who I had spent so much of my college career with!  I worked there all four years so many of them have seen me grow up!

         We ended the day with dinner and a party that went into the night for alumni, brothers, and friends!  I couldn't have asked for a better day, or better people to spend it with!  Happy Homecoming UNCG!