Go Colts! =)

Ok, so growing up in Indiana I have ALWAYS been a Colts fan. Which kind of helped me fit right in when I moved to Knoxville, since everyone I met there were Peyton Manning fans -- It was an instant connection. It actually probably even made Sam just even a little, tiny bit cooler when he told me he went to UT at the same time as Peyton! haha, j/k but anyways...

So now that I am past my first trimester of pregnancy, I finally feel up to taking road trips again. The last two months had been spent feeling like I had the flu constantly, so it has been REALLY NICE to feel more like myself. I'm sure Sam appreciates me not craving Cracker Barrell EVERY NIGHT (when I could eat), and us going to bed sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 EVERY EVENING!

So anyways, we went to see the Colts play in a Sunday afternoon game against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 30. Sam's dad Roy and his wife Cathy come with us for their Christmas present. But come the day we were leaving, if we hadn't already had our hotel reservations made in Indianapolis for that Saturday night, we probably wouldn't have gone! There were over 200 accidents in Louisville in two hours that afternoon, and it took Roy and Cathy over 6 1/2 hours to get here from Knoxville (normally takes around 3 1/2), because of the bad weather in Kentucky. From the weather reports, they were pretty much experiencing the same icy/snow storm in Indy as we had here. But since we already had the rooms booked, we decided to leave anyways. We made it to Indy safely, and got to see all of the Christmas lights (and the huge "tree") downtown. So anyways, we had a great trip, and it was a lot of fun to finally be inside the stadium. Sam and I had been to Indy at the very beginning of September for a wedding, but we didn't stay that Sunday for the game (it was a later game) because Sam had to work bright and early in Kentucky on Monday morning. So we were happy to finally get to see a game inside the BEST PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL STADIUM ON THE PLANET! =) lol.

Roy and Sam waiting to eat @ the Spaghetti Factory

The big Christmas "tree" downtown

Toy Soldier

Sammy looks thrilled to be by the candy cane... but it was like a negative 15 degree windchill!

Us and Baby Crass in front of the "tree"

My friend that was married in September in Indy (the one in the pink beenie), her and her hubbie have a tailgate across from the stadium for all home games. So Sam and I hung out a little bit before the game =). You can't tell in this picture, but we had all put Colts tattoos on our faces.

Girls with the stadium across the street =)

Sammy and I inside

60 Years of Togetherness! =)

So my Gpa and Gma Miller celebrated 60 years of marriage at our Thanksgiving in northeast Indiana this year. 60 YEARS! I had aunts and uncles come in from Arkansas and New York for the occassion!


Anyways, I have been taking cake decorating/ baking classes in Louisville, so I told them I would make their anniversary cake! This is the first cake I have made that wasn't a "practice" cake for one of my classes. I put buttercream frosting underneath the fondant, and made all the pearls around the top and bottom layers out of fondant as well. I had to decorate the top with fondant roses, because everywhere I went to look for a 60th anniversary cake topper - yep, didn't have them! Apparently they only expect people to make it to 50th wedding anniversaries these days!
There is a little bit of a gap between the bottom and the second layer, b/c I should have pushed down harder when putting them together. But, I was too nervous about ruining their cake! =) Poor Sam, I made him drive SOOOO CAREFULLY on our way to Indiana, I was paranoid for the first thirty minutes everytime we would hit a bump. I'd have to go to the back and check on the cake... haha! But anyways, it made it there ok, and it was so great for us to get to spend time with them for Thanksgiving and their 60 year celebration!

What? I have an Old Man's Disease!?!?!!

I’ve been meaning to put up some of my fav honeymoon and wedding pics, but those will come later. It’s time to use this blog for its true purpose, to provide updates and TO VENT! So last night, Sam and I were both tired from our weekend in Indy (we went to bed late Sunday night), so I decided to make pizza and we would just stay at home and watch a Christmas movie, Fred Claus. I even went as far as to use yeast and everything to knead my own pizza dough! So anyways, Sam and I ate dinner at like 7:30 and then we put on the movie. Well, we were so tired, we only made it until like 9 p.m. and we had to turn off the movie with the plan on finishing it tonight. Everything is fine, we fall asleep.

So at about midnight, I wake up and I FEEL ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. My chest hurts and I feel like I could throw up. So I get up, turn off the thermostat (I’ve had a habit since I’ve been pregnant of turning off the heat completely at night, b/c I get so warm), and head to the spare bedroom. I felt like all might be solved with a change of scenery, plus that room is sometimes colder. No, I’m in there about ten minutes, and sprint to the guest bathroom. I feel absolutely awful, and I hate throwing up, and I’m sick and throw up a few times!

So, me being the over-concerned pregnant person that I am…I immediately think, do I have food poisoning? Because I have been past the whole morning sickness nauseous stage for about two weeks now. I don’t know what happens if you have food poisoning and you’re pregnant?!? So I go to the internet for help. I’m like maybe the egg I used in the pizza dough was bad…I check the eggs, they don’t expire until Dec. 17. Well, I read on the internet that sometimes eggs can still be bad, and you are supposed to put them in water, and if they sink they are fine. So I test our two remaining eggs, they both sink…ok, good I’ve ruled out salmonella poisoning. What else could I have???

Well, I took a prenatal vitamin right before Sam and I fell asleep last night, maybe I had accidentally taken one that morning and I had too much iron in my system or something. So I go get my prescription prenatal vitamins, I had my prescription refilled on Nov. 14. There were 30 originally, so I pull up a calendar and start counting if I have the right amount left (excluding the days of our trip to Indiana for Thanksgiving b/c I had forgotten to bring them with us). Nope, I have the right amount left, so I didn’t overdose on iron or anything. Then I look in the fridge and I’m like well…I did have a little bit of this freshly pressed apple juice, maybe that’s what made me sick???

Well, anyways, I quit worrying about it, b/c sitting up and doing all my internet searches has made me feel a little bit better. So I decide to go back to our bedroom. I lay down for about five minutes and I immediately have that burning in my chest and think I’m going to throw up again. It’s like that pizza is just sitting at the top of my throat. I get up again…Sam wakes up this time. He is like are you ok hunny? I explain how horrible I feel, and he rubs my back and breaks the news to me = that I have HEARTBURN!!! I’m like what???? This is what heartburn feels like???? I was like this is HORRIBLE! He was like yes, the pizza must have given you heartburn! I thought only old men and my husband got heartburn (and no, I don’t think Sam is old, but ever since I met him, he’s just had problems with heartburn – but I never really knew what it was). And then proceeded to tell me that this awfulness may last well into today! I took all the guest room pillows and made a pseudo recliner on the bed beside my husband and basically tried to sleep sitting up (at about a 90 degree angle), b/c laying down was not an option.

Anyways, I am not eating anymore pizza EVER AGAIN while I am pregnant - LESSON LEARNED!

My Favorite Engagement Photos!!!

Sam and I had our engagement photos taken at the end of April 2008 by Dixie Pixel Photography. We started our session at northshore, then UT's ag gardens, the riverwalk by Calhouns, and then finally ran through the fountains in World's Fair Park. I don't think Sam was originally all that thrilled about a three hour photo shoot, but he was a trooper =). Here are a few of my favs with my handsome man =).

Our 6 Months of Engagement!

I take wayyyyy to many pictures... but here's a little bit of what we did in the six months leading up to our wedding! =) So after the engagement on Christmas Eve, we drove to Berne, Indiana (my hometown) to celebrate at my family Christmas's. My family was super excited to hear our good news! =)

Me kissing my little niece that still had a few months to go before being born. These are my sisters Steph and Katie.

While in Indiana Sam got to meet a lot of my friends from high school and college and tour my alma mater, Huntington University. So we met up with some of the track girls at Applebees before we headed back to Berne.


In February 2008 my little niece Addison Suzanne was born! =) So Sam and I made a road trip through the ice and snow to southern Indiana. A small town called Madison to visit my sister, Steph, her hubbie Zach, and of course my new niece! =)



The little family on their first outing =)



Sammy trying to do the moonwalk on the ice

Addie is a little tired, b/c we didn't get there until about midnight but of course I still had to hold her =)

We loved going to UT bball games!

An early morning at the Awful Waffle... I had NEVER been there until Sam took me one night

March 1, 2008 we celebrated my birthday at the show the Blue Man Group.

Oh softball season...I had to bring Chloe to a few games =)

Sam had to have an exploratory thing done at the hospital on a Friday morning. So on our way to the hospital, we were listening to sports talk radio. Well, you could text and try and win Lynard Skynard and Hank Williams Jr. tickets. While I was in the waiting room, the radio station called and told me I won! So when Sam woke up, I told him, and of course he was thrilled b/c he had told the nurses about it. So this is the pic of the next night on our way to the concert! =)

So, Sam was supposed to go to NY in May 2008 for work, and I was going to fly out on a Wednesday and meet him out there when his work was done. Well, the government postponed his trip for two weeks - so we were able to buy Sam a last minute ticket on my flight and go together! =)

Walking all over Times Square to find the WWF restaurant (it no longer exists) but I did find this cool globe =)

Brooklyn Bridge, we just happened to be there for the 125th anniversary. Had we gone like a month earlier, the bridge and I would have been exactly 100 years apart =).

Sammy on the bridge with Manhattan behind him

Little Italy

A cute restaurant in Little Italy! =) I LOVE pasta!

China Town

Sammy's feet were soooo sore, so he got a foot massage in China Town. I think it might be the best $20 he ever spent =)

Empire State Building!!!

At the top of the Empire State building in line... his boots are not made for walking!

Oh yes, we were that couple... Sammy and I in our matching (except for different colors) "I Love NY" t-shirts! =) Sam thought our touristy shirts might get us mugged on the Subway, luckily he was wrong =).

Lady Liberty herself

Our first Broadway show! Wicked

In the Hershey's store in Times Square after the show

Chocolate = YUM!

At the replica of the "Friends" fountain in Central Park!

Instead of horse and carriage we took the foot taxi around the park =)

Sammy had a love/hate relationship with the subway map!

At Madison Square Gardens... Sammy shooting hoops on our tour of one of the VIP lounges

New York Knicks lockerroom

The scale famous boxers used to weigh in on before matches...

Yankee Stadium!!!

Everything costs more in NY! Sammy went to the concession stand and got us one pop and two cheeseburgers and a french fry. I think it was like $35!

Final Season!

Our last ride on the Subway on our way back to Times Square to get our bags and head to the airport!

Bonnarroo to see Jack Johnson for Sammy's 30th Birthday!!!

We saw my friend Minda there!

Sammy hanging out with some hippies

In June Sammy and I went househunting in Louisville and then I headed to Indianapolis to see some of my favorite girlies =)