Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their Thanksgiving. I know we here at the O'Dell household have. Last Wednesday we celebrated a little early by cooking a turkey just for Josh and myself. It was a huge feast, but it was definitely enough for us. I made a 4 pound turkey, mashed potatoes, candied carrots, and gravy. We almost had it all eaten up that night, but luckily we were able to contain our hunger and save just enough turkey for some hot turkey sandwiches the next day.

Then yesterday, we headed to Helen, GA to visit with Josh's parents. This has become our Thanksgiving tradition and we look forward to it every year. Josh's mom makes a huge spread of food for the 4 of us, and the bonus?? We get to bring home a huge doggie bag of leftovers! How could anyone not be excited about that?!? This year she made a 28 pound turkey (toooons of left overs :] ), mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, carrots and broccoli, rolls, homemade apple sauce, and gravy. For dessert we had dutch apple pie and a pumpkin crumble pie. We ate to our heart's content.

This afternoon we drove back home and have been relaxing with the sounds of football through our house. (Both tv's of course had to be turned on to the game; in case either one of us missed something!) We don't have much planned for this evening, it's just nice to be able to relax at home with each other. That's of course my favorite part.

I never took part in the whole "what I'm thankful thing" throughout the month, so now I would like to say a few things that I am, truly, thankful for.

1. God. He has given me the most amazing life and I am forever in debt to him for his love, strength, and salvation. Because of him, I am here.

2. My Husband. It is amazing to be able to say this. Josh is my best friend, my rock, and my love. He is beyond good to me. I completely adore him and could never imagine what my life would be like without him. I love him for his humor, for his sensitivity, and for his flaws. We have ups and we have downs, but each day we become stronger and stronger. I can't wait to see what this life brings us.

3. My family. They have always been by my side. I am grateful for the family that raised me, and the family that I have married into. They are the best. No matter what, I know they will be there for us; to guide, support, and cheer for us.

4. My friends. I don't know if you know this or not, but I have the bestest, prettiest friends in the whole world. They are near and far. Some I see almost everyday..others maybe once a year. Either way, they are always there for me and have helped me to find who I am and better yet, push me to be who I want to be.

5. My babies, Kitty and Lola. Yes, I am thankful for my pets. They are the sweetest babies ever. They may be annoying (more Lola than Kitty) and may pick on each other. But the best part about coming home after work is being able to snuggle up with them on the couch or bed (and Josh of course). They know when we don't feel well or have had a bad day. And while they can't speak to us at all...they say everything we need to hear.

6. My Job. I am blessed to have a job. It may not be the hours that I really care to have, or dealing with the situations I have care to. However, in this day I am truly blessed to be able to go to work and provide for my family. I have one of the best bosses I could ever imagine. She strives to make herself better, her establishment better, and more importantly, us (her employees) better. She truly cares about us, and works very hard to make sure everyone is happy and appreciated.

If I sat and thought about it, my list could honestly go on and on. But at this moment in time, these are the biggies. Thank you to all who read this and take an interest in my little life.

Happy Thanksgiving from the O'Dells!

A Week in Paradise

Josh and I decided to leave for our Honeymoon on Monday morning; just to give us a chance to relax a little bit and pack on Sunday. It was the best idea ever...we definitely needed a day to re coupe after all the wedding festivities. Plus we got to open all the great gifts our loved ones gave us. Way too many things to list here...but each and every is cherished and loved. After a relaxing evening, we loaded up the car early Monday morning and got on the road to Atlanta. Please let it be noted that I: 1. had no idea where the airport actually was 2. what the traffic situation was going to be like and 3. what the lines at the airport would be like. So with this being said..early in the morning means 3 AM....our flight was at 9:50. And of course there was not a bit of traffic...the airport was a breeze to find...and there was a very little wait for check-in and security. By the end of it...we were sitting at the gate, ready to board our plane, except the plane wasn't due for another 3 hours. OOPS...

After 2.5 hours on a plane we finally land in Jamaica. However, our trip was not over yet. We get herded through baggage claims and customs straight to buses to take us to our resort. When we get on the bus, that's when we find out we still have another TWO HOURS til we are at the resort and able to enjoy the beautiful day and water. Luckily, time went pretty fast..and before we knew it, we made it to our resort, checked in, and got settled into our room.

The rest of the week was an absolute blast. Since everything was included, we got to eat, drink, and play as much as we wanted. Everyday we made it to the beach by 11 AM...played in the water, laid out, had some drinks, and ate some lunch. Then we would go to the room in the middle of the afternoon, take a nap, and then get ready for dinner and a night of fun.

On top of that, we also got to do a glass bottom boat tour over one of the coral reefs. It was so neat to drift over these beautiful communities and get to learn about all the different parts that make it so beautiful. We also tried doing the water tricycles...but we did not like them one bit (it's really hard for both of us to use the peddles with such a height difference). On Thursday we went on what they call a Booze Cruise. We left the resort around 9 AM and sailed for probably 45 minutes. At this point they allowed us to get off the boat and do some snorkeling around one of the reefs. I had never snorkeled before, so not only did I get a quick lesson, I also got a guided tour. We saw so many different types of fish and coral, but the best part was being able to feed the fish. They were literally an arm length away from me!! And you all know that I have short arms, so that's pretty close. HA!

After snorkeling, we climbed back on the boat and headed toward Dunn's River Falls. If any of you get the chance to go there, PLEASE DO! It was so much fun. We were told that it was a hike to the waterfall. However, this is not the case. It's actually a hike UP the waterfall. Like, get in water at the base of the waterfall and hike, climb, swim, your way up the the rocks and rushing water until you are at the top. IT WAS A BLAST. You are put in a group of about 30 people and for the most part you are in a single file line, holding hands with each other. That way if you or someone around you needs help getting through a part, there is always someone around to help. It was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again.

Once we are down from the falls, and still drenched, we get back aboard the boat. This time however, there is a ton of food and a bar open up, with music going as loud as possible. The whole way back to the resort was just one huge party. Everyone dancing and having fun in the sun. Again, it was a blast and we HIGHLY recommend this excursion to anyone who goes to Jamaica.

Also on Thursday we travelled into the flea market and shopping centers to pick up some goodies to bring home. It's amazing how many people were there. There is such beauty in the country, but then also such poverty. But despite it all, everyone we met was happy to be where they were and happy to have another day to live. It was completely humbling. These people who really have nothing and make such little paychecks were some of the nicest, truest people Josh and I have ever met. It made us take a step back and realize what we've got going on in our lives and at home is nothing but a blip on the radar, and that we really don't have it bad at all.

Friday was spent relaxing on the beach one last day and we were able to get in some sailing as well. Saturday we slept in, packed, and loaded ourselves back onto a bus to head to the airport.

We had the most amazing time and I would not change a single thing about it. We got to learn about a new country and people. Make new friends. And become closer with each other. Sandals Grande Riveria in Ochos Rios was the most beautiful and hospitable hotel I have ever been to and anyone looking to go should definitely look into the resort. By far the best trip ever!

P.S. .I'm gonna try to get a photo album pulled together using shutterfly (I've never used it before so wish me luck!) So as soon as I get that done I will post it. But for the time being, if you wanna see most of our pictures, just look at either mine or Josh's facebook.

Miss to Mrs

Wow! What a crazy few weeks since my last post. With work and last minute wedding details, there was no time for putting up new posts. But now, it's all over and there is plenty of time to update all of you one what's been going on! So...without further delay...let's start.

In the beginning of October, my matron of honor, Amy, hosted another bridal shower for me. My mom and I headed out to Amy's house in Ooltewah on October 9 to be greeted by the smiling faces of Amy, Amy's mom Vicki, Rikki, Ashley, Sarah, and baby Jackson. It was really nice to spend the afternoon eating wonderful food and being able to relax and catch up with the girls before the wedding.

Then just a few short weeks later, before I even knew it, it was time for Halloween. At the Big Chill we decorate for Halloween so ahead of time, I had no idea how quickly it had approached. So the week of, I frantically start searching for costumes for both Josh and I. Luckily in my first trip out I was able to find these:

Josh was a zombie version of a Western saloon keeper and I was Robin Hood (girly version of course). Halloween is always a blast at work. We always throw a huge party and have a costume contest...tons of food...tons of drinks flowing..and tons of people. Even over at Sing it or Wing it Josh had to play up to his part and entertain all night long during the Scarioke karaoke contest. Sunday after Halloween we were beat, but with the wedding quickly approaching, there was absolutely no time to rest.

Before I knew it, Tuesday night arrived and it was my last night at work before vacation. On Wednesday I spent the day running a few errands with my mom and got back just in time to get ready to go out with the girls. We started with dinner and presents at The Terminal. From there we migrated to the Chill to start our night. A little dancing at Southern Comfort, a little more dancing at Alan Gold's and lots of drinks in between led to one wonderful (and very drunken) bachelorette party.

Thursday was kinda a blur with last minute details getting taken care of, but on Friday I spent the day being pampered with a massage that Lindsy set up for me, a mani/ pedi and one last run through for my hair. Then it was off to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Luckily after dinner we got to go decorate the reception space, then it was off to bed for the big day.

Now, when I said that Thursday was a blur...it compares nothing to the blur of a day Saturday was. I woke up for breakfast and then next thing I know it was time to get to the church and start having my hair and make-up done. Then I blink..and I'm walking down the aisle trying to hold back my tears of excitement and joy. The rest of the day was full of celebration. It was the best day ever. Beautiful weather...the love and joy of friends and family...and Josh by my side. Nothing will ever compare and every second of that day will be cherished for years to come.

P.S. If anyone has their own pictures of anything that happened that was wedding oriented...please email them to me. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!