THE HAPPIEST POST OF MY LIFE

Okay, there is going to be limited verbiage.  I'm going to let the video and the pictures do the talking.

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So, I will apologize for the fact that I look absolutely HORRID in this video - I had bawled my face off with sheer bliss and makeup reapplication apparently never occurred to me.  For that, I am truly sorry, but I guess it can be forgiven since I was clearly high on love while this video was filmed!

So, needless to say, last night was amazing and I am greatly looking forward to spending THE.REST.OF.MY.LIFE with this man, and I am absolutely the LUCKIEST girl I know! 

He could have any woman in the world that he wanted.  Even as the ring sits on my finger, I still can't believe he chose me.

Okay, okay, you didn't think I would actually leave you hanging without seeing the most incredibly amazing gorgeous drool-worthy insane beautiful ring in the whole wide world, did you?  Come on, now, you know I'm not that mean. 

What do I love about this ring?

Let's do this in list form, because we all know that's how I roll.

1.  It was chosen by Comanche with absolutely no guidance from me or anyone else.  (Dang, he did good!)

2.  It really reflects my sassy, sentimental, and girly personality.

3.  Comanche used what I call the "lucky stone."  The lucky stone is the diamond that my darling PaPa (whom I lost last year to Alzheimer's) gave to my Grandma.  He picked it out for her, and she wore it for my whole life.  They were married for almost 59 years!  Also, the diamond once fell out of her setting when she was at a craft fair, and she didn't realize it until she got home.  After calling them frantically, she asked if she could take all of their trash home (hoping and praying that someone had swept it up).  After going through industrial-sized bag after industrial-sized bag, she found her diamond.  In the bottom.  Of the very.last.bag.  So, I call it the lucky stone, and I was honored and privileged to have her want to pass it along to me!

4.  It was designed by a pro.  Seriously.  You may know this guy:


Neil Lane, meet my peeps.  Peeps, meet Neil Lane.

 5.  Most important reason ever - because my Comanche gave it to me as a symbol of the fact that he wants me to be his wife.  There is no greater honor that I've ever achieved and I am so incredibly blessed to call him my future husband.  If he would have given me a bread tie or a popsicle stick, I would have been just as thrilled because the symbolism would have been the same.  I will say that this symbol is amazing, though, and I find that I will need to invest in more sunglasses.  ;) 

I love this man, I love this man, I love this man.

Until next time,

Fun For Friday!

Okay, so my cousin posted the link to this video today and I thought it was equal parts adorable and hilarious and I wanted to share it with all of you!  As you probably have been able to deduce by the obsession I have with my furbabies, I believe dogs make the world a better place.  There is no better feeling than coming home and having furry creatures bark, wag their tails, and spin in circles - just because you came home!

Meet Carrie the golden retriever from Chile! She is a sassy little thing - look at those hips go! I think that Dancing With The Stars or So You Think You Can Dance should totally have her and her person, Jose, on their shows as special guests! She is obviously a very smart, spirited, and talented girl!


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Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Until next time,

My Little Boy Is FOUR!

Today is a very special day for the Chicken Wing household as it is my fur-son MuChi's FOURTH birthday!  My little man is growing up!  There will be special treats given today and lots of love and playtime.  And for those of you who don't believe in the truth that dogs are very intuitive, MuChi definitely knows it's his birthday - we've been talking it up for a week!  :)

So here is a mother's wish for the best snuggler and cuddlebug that's ever lived:  I hope you know how loved you are, little buddy!  I hope you know how much joy you have brought to my life.  I hope you know that I so look forward to coming home every day and having you "hold my hand" all the way up the stairs when I go to change into my lounge clothes.  (He literally puts my hand in his mouth and walks two steps ahead of me - he is my little helper).  I hope you know how grateful I am for your assistance with loading the dishwasher.  I love how you know how to sit, high-five, lay down, and roll over and how you get so excited to perform those tricks!  Thank you for being my lap dog - and for always stealing all of my blankets (Snuggie included).  I love you, my baby!  Happy Birthday!

Until next time,

Reverb 10 - Prompt #27

December 27 – Ordinary Joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown)

I have had several ordinary moments of profound joy in 2010.  Many of those were ordinary moments with my Papa before he passed away.  Whether we were talking, watching TV together, or eating something delicious that Grandma had made, they were all moments filled with joy and living in the present.

Others were ordinary moments spent with friends.  From group game nights to pre-wedding events, from dinners to movies, there were plenty of times in the past year that I was truly happy during ordinary times and thankful for the great people in my life that I have to make these types of memories with.

Others still were moments spent with family members.  Moments at home playing intense marathon games of Mexican dominoes.  Moments at the beach stuffing ourselves to the brim with seafood or delicious doughnuts.  Moments watching UNC games and getting into heated debates over what was going to happen.  Moments celebrating birthdays and holidays.  Moments where we had to lift each other up when things weren't going right.

Finally, there have been the moments with Comanche.  Most all of them have been moments of profound joy.  From every Sunday at church where I have a partner in worship to Friday night movie snuggle parties, there have been consistent smiles and fits of laughter.  One moment in particular where I was profoundly happy may seem odd to others, but I will share it here.

We were at Comanche's parents' house helping his father split up a large amount of wood that he needed to keep the house warm for the winter (and for the wicked awesome fire pit they had recently bought).  It was mildy chilly outside, but it was easy to lose the jackets once we really got to work.  In attendance were Comanche, Comanche's father, Comanche's older brother, Comanche's three little nephews (ages 9, 5, and 4), and one little Chicken Wing.

We worked for several hours, and the three grown men had the task of splitting the huge pieces.  Then, they passed the now smaller pieces to the oldest nephew, who then passed them to me.  I got the smaller boys involved by letting them point out where each piece should go, and we made a game of it.  They were so eager to help and they stayed out there the whole time!  What troopers they were!

I can see where it would be easy for someone to ask me why that moment would make me profoundly happy.  I can hear the eye rolls and thought bubbles now.  "Um, why would you want to run the risk of splinters and getting dirty?  Why would you want to be the only girl in the group?  Why wouldn't you rather be the one serving the sweet tea in this situation?"

Well, it was the first time that I've gotten to really participate in a "Be Dad's Little Helper" activity in many, many years.  Not only was I in that mindset, but all five of the boys who were also present felt exactly the same way.  I got to spend a day doing hard work, which is always rewarding in itself.  I knew I was helping someone with something that needed to be done.  I got to look over and be proud of my man for being a great son.  I could also see the pride in Comanche's father's eyes when he realized that his small army wasn't going anywhere until the job was done.

That's something I've been missing for a long time.  So, while it may be an odd choice, it is an ordinary moment that created profound happiness for me.  Lucky for me, I have been smart enough to take the time to notice and appreciate moments like that.  I've taken the time to analyze why they made me happy, and that makes me happier still.

How about you?  Have you had any moments of ordinary joy?

Until next time,

The Reason For The Season

It's very, very rare that I actually like a Christmas song that is modern, and by modern, I mean not one of the standards we grew up with.  There are a few exceptions, and I'd like to share one of them with you today.  I'm sure you've most likely heard this song, but it is one of the most meaningful and beautiful modern Christmas songs I've ever been blessed enough to hear.

There are plenty of words that come to mind when you hear the name Faith Hill.  Some that always come to mind to me are as follows:  beautiful, gorgeous smile, incredible voice, loving, caring, devoted, passionate, creative, great mother and wife, grounded, inspiring.

Couple the incredible artist with a song that exceptionally highlights the actual reason for the Christmas season, and you're bound to have a grand slam. 

In church this past weekend, the message was about how easy it is to get caught up in the Christmas clutter - the things that don't actually mean anything at the end of the day.  It doesn't matter if you decorate your home, or fill your stockings, or shove people in the mall when you're trying to score the perfect gift - the reason for the season is the birth of Jesus Christ.

So, I ask this of you, Peeps.  Take a moment and listen to the words of this song (and appreciate how beautifully executed they are by Faith Hill).  Let the passion in the song move you, and make you pause - take a minute and remember all that's been done for you.  I guarantee it's the best way to get over any holiday gloom you may be experiencing.

It's my honor and pleasure to present to you, one of my favorite "new" Christmas songs, appropriately titled A Baby Changes Everything.


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Until next time,

Do What You Love FREE Print!

It's no secret that when I find goodness, I want to send it your way.  Today, some extreme goodness was found.  If you haven't heard of Joy Kelly, then you are missing out, Peeps!  She is one of the most talented and amazing women I've ever "met" on the interwebs.  Although I don't know her personally, I can plainly see the ridiculously crafty goodness she possesses.  Her blog is How Joyful and in it, Joy showcases the amazing things she makes.

She is the proud owner of a shop on Etsy, also called How Joyful, where she creates accessories like belts, hair flowers, headbands, wristlets, purses, etc.  She also finds time to run How Joyful Design, where she custom designs templates and codes for blogs, websites, and pretty much anything!  She even makes clothes, and they are amazing!  She made her own wedding dress, for crying out loud.  (To see the finished product in the amazing pictures of her wedding day "first look," click here.)  Literally, this woman astounds me with her craftiness!

Basically......I declare today the day that the How Joyful blog has been officially given "Chicken Wing Approved" status!

In addition to showing her some love for all her hard work, I wanted to share with you an amazing free printable download that she is offering!  Joy made this gorgeous graphic in several colors, and you can pick which one you love the most.  I plan to put mine in my home office, as it is such an inspiring saying!

Natually, I chose the pink one!

If you would like to score one of these beauties for yourself, all I ask is that you head on over and check out Joy's blog by clicking here.  She truly is an amazing woman and an incredible talent, and I'd love for my Peeps to throw some love and support her way!  And a HUGE THANK YOU to Joy for the amazing poster design!  You rock, lady!

Until next time,