Scandal

I can finally say that I'm addicted to Scandal. I've been trying to get into a TV series that was interesting and always kept me guessing on what was going to happen next. So my sisters suggested Scandal to me. This past Monday we got hit with about 10 inches of snow, and my office was closed for the day; so I watched one episode of Scandal and now I'm hooked. 

This TV series has politics, corruption, crime, lawyers, police, betrayal, love, lust, friendship and trusting your gut. Being a Criminal Justice major in college, this show is right up my ally. I love this show. I'm already on season two on Netflix. The addiction has gotten pretty bad. I watch the show while I'm on the elliptical at the gym, I stay up late to watch the show and come into work so tired from being up so late but I don't mind it. I'm hoping to start season 3 by late this week and early next week. I love this show. The cast of the show is amazing! Kerry Washington, Columbus Short, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes, Gullermo Diaz, Tony Goldwyn and the rest of the cast is just AMAZING! 

I promise if your looking for a good show to get addicted too. This is that show. You will be hooked as soon as the first episode is over. 

40 Promises For Marriage

When Matt and I went down to South Carolina to visit one of our best friends, Anthony. We went to Hyman's Seafood Restaurant and Anthony got this card titled "40 Promises for Marriage" for us. I look at this card everyday because I think that it has some powerful messages that are such a good reminder to anyone who is engaged, married or having troubles in their marriage. The 40 Promises for Marriage are: 

1. Start each day with a kiss
2. Wear your wedding day at all times
3. Date once a week
4. Accept differences
5. Be polite
6. Give gifts
7. Smile often
8. Touch
9. Give back rubs
10. Laugh together
11. Send a card for no reason
12. Do what the other person wants before he or she asks
13. Listen
14. Encourage
15. Know his or her needs
16. Fix the other person's breakfast
17. Compliment twice a day
18. Call during the day
19. Slow down
20. Hold hands
21. Cuddle
22. Ask for other's opinion
23. Show respect
24. Look your best
25. Celebrate birthdays in a big way
26. Apologize 
27. Forgive
28. Set up a romantic getaway
29. Be positive
30. Be kind
31. Be vulnerable 
32. Respond quickly to the other person's request
33. Reminisce about your favorite times together
34. Treat each other's friends and relatives with courtesy
35. Send flowers eve Valentine's Day and anniversary
36. Admit when wrong
37. Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires
38. Pray for each other daily
39. Say "I love you" frequently
40. Seek outside help when needed. 

This is such a wonderful reminder on why we love our significant other. I am a lucky girl to have such a wonderful fiancé in my life. I hope everyone finds that special person in their lives and cherishes each day with them. 

Snow Day

Since we got a few inches of snow last night, my work was closed and I was able to work from home for a few hours and catch up on some of my TV shows that I have missed last week, and to share some exciting news. 

First, I'm currently catching up with my TV shows. I just finished the Big Bang Theory and Two and Half Men, now I'm watching the Voice and I'm going to watch the Bachelor (I love this show because I can yell at all the girls who are so ratchet and out of control on the show.) But now on to the good news! So Friday, Matt and I went out for drinks with an old high school friend of ours, who introduced us. We had a falling out during college but I guess everyone wanted to make amends and move forward. She gave Matt and I one of the greatest engagement gifts that we could ask for. She gave us her father's DJ card and said that if we use him for our DJ at our wedding, that her family would pay for it. So it would be free for us. Which is a wonderful and thoughtful gift. We will definitely be looking into this. 

On Saturday, Matt and I went to check out a vendor that we were looking for our reception area. We went to Chartwell Golf and Country Club to look at the grounds and to meet our coordinator, Cati. After seeing the ballroom and some of the grounds, we were hooked. Matt and I looked at each other and we just knew that we had to book or at least try to get our name down on the date that we wanted. Cati was able to pencil us down for our date. We are penciled in for September 17, 2016. Which is super exciting!! I thought it was so funny because Matt was involved in the entire time and he was asking Cati if we could have the tables set up this way and if we could all this stuff. Matt should have been a wedding planner because he is just so involved right now. He keeps sending me table number ideas, save the dates, and wedding invitation ideas that we could use. We are both really exciting to get started on this wedding journey.

On Sunday morning, Matt and I went to get order his tux for his brother's wedding and while we are in there Matt found a gray tux that he fell in love with. I'm thinking Matt might buy that tux for our wedding. He is so funny. We then went to Arundel Mills Mall to walk around and check out some of the stores. We had fun just spending time together. Its always great to just be in each other's company. Then I sent my pastor a message on Facebook, so we could get some information on what we will need to do before booking our wedding at the church. I was surprised to know that the only thing we need to do is the premarital classes which can take between 5-6 weeks. I'm excited but I'm nervous at the same time because I don't know what to expect in these classes. Its kind of like trying to figuring out what to expect in your first college class. You just don't know what to expect. I wish there was an agenda that I could look at so I could prepare myself for these classes. Ahhhh!!!!!!! Excitment! Confusion! Stress!

Audio Book Addiction

I have a serious problem with listening to audio books while I'm at work. Since there is not rule against not being allowed to listen to music at work, I figured I would listen to some audio books. When I was younger, I hated reading. My mom could never get me to read to save my life. But I guess when you get older you discover things about yourself that you didn't know that you would enjoy. My first audio book series that I was addicted to was the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. The reason why I chose to read this series first was because one night Matt and I were looking for movies to rent and we came across City of Bones. I wanted to watch it so I told Matt we should check it out. Do you ever watch a movie that has so many loop holes throughout the movie and then at the very end of the movie your like, what just happened? Well that was me after we watched the City of Bones. I goggled the movie title and found out that it was a six-part book series. Which got me interested in finding more about what was going on to happen in the next part. 

       This a six book series that is about When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to Pandemonium, a club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder – much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons.Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of Nephilim warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons.  This is her first encounter with Jace Wayland, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears, Clary is attacked and almost killed by a demon, and is soon pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance.

But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did suddenly get the Sight? Secrets will be told.The books in order are Mortal Instruments City of Bones; City of Ashes, City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels; City of Lost Souls; City of Heavenly Fire.
My opinion of the books vs. the movie. The books were completely by far 110% better than the movie. I mean honestly, what they should do is just fire the production team and just start over. I mean seriously. They left out so many details from the book it really just made me angry. My coworker Rachel, can tell you that I would get to certain parts of the book and I would just rant about how they never showed this or that in the movie. It was a a hot mess. However, I have finished all 5 of the books and I'm currently waiting for the 6th book to come out in May. I'm pretty excited for it!

Moving on to my latest book addiction. I just finished listening to the first book of the Divergent series, by Veronica Roth. I was interested in these books because again, the movie is coming out in March and it has a great A-list cast, but also I'm really into series with a futuristic twist. The book summary for Divergent is as follows:In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimes-exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

I just finished the first book today, which is titled Divergent, and I'm probably going to start the second book tomorrow, which is titled Insurgent, followed by Allegiant. I'm excited to get started on this new book series and hopefully its worth the read. 

Missing My Twins

I can honestly say that I have the best little sisters in the world. They are always there when I need them for advice or when I'm acting completely insane. My sisters help balance me out whenever I get crazy. My sisters are my best friends and I would not change that for the world. Words cannot describe how happy I am knowing that they will gain a big brother (in-law) after Matt and I get married. I know that whenever they need him for something that they can always count on Matt to be there for them. My family is my world, and even though we are loud, crazy and out of control sometimes. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Missing Aut and Ash tonight. 

Our Adventure

How We Met

We never would have met had it not been for a mutual friend, Kimmy Rentuma.

Ali and Kimmy were good friends since high school where they both were active in sports. Ali played field hockey and Kimmy was on the Volleyball team. Matt and Kimmy knew each other from the local bowling alley, where Matt and Kimmy both bowled at.  A few months after, Kimmy, Matt & Ali graduated from high school in 2008; Kimmy planned a day trip to Kings Dominion Adventure Park.  

On August 5, 2008 Kimmy, Bobby (Kimmy’s boyfriend), Matt and Ali all met at Kimmy’s house to get ready for a fun day at Kings Dominion. Ali and Matt were “riding buddies” for the day. The drive up was very silent because it was 8 in the morning and everyone was still tired from the night before. Once we arrived at the park, Ali and Matt were inseparable. They talked for hours and hours just getting to know each other. It was a great day, plus at the time Ali and Matt were both single so that was a plus as well.

At the end of the night Matt bought Ali a pair of light-up sunglasses which Ali still has till this day. A token of their first day together; after the park, Matt and Ali exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch.  Two days later, it was Ali’s 18^th birthday as she was celebrating with family and friends; she received a text message from Matt, wishing her a Happy 18^th Birthday. This text message was extremely special to Ali because she didn’t think Matt would remember her birthday. 

For a few months, Ali and Matt continued to talk through texts messages and MySpace. When fall semester started at Anne Arundel Community College in August, Ali was surprised to see that Matt was in the same English class after her. So after class, Ali and Matt would be able to see each other and talk for a bit before heading to the next class. On October 31, 2008 Matt and Ali had their first official date. They went to Muvico Egyptian 24 Theatre, and saw the Haunting of Molly Hartley.

After that first official date, Matt and Ali have been together ever since. They will celebrate their 6^th years together on August 5, 2014 J