kiss me at midnight

as an elementary school kid, i loooved N*SYNC. i had all their albums, including the holiday one. well the other day, i was tired of the christmas music they were playing on the radio, so i popped the CD in and listened to it. the very last song on there, i had completely forgotten about. it's about new year's eve and when i was younger i guess it never really registered about the whole kissing at midnight for the new year thing so i didn't pay to much attention to it before. but it's one of my favorites on the album now. so i just thought i would share it with you since it's new year's eve and all ;)

"Kiss Me At Midnight"

Kiss me at midnight(5...)

hey yeah...(4...)

oh...(3, 2, 1!)

Kiss me at midnight

Dance until the morning light

Party into the New Year

All of my friends are here

And when the timing's right

Kiss me at midnight

I've been waiting for the special night

To be with you

The colors of Christmas are still shining bright

And I know what we're gonna do

Anticipating, music is playing

The magic is in the air

All through the season

You've been the reason

I have so much love to share

Kiss me at midnight

Dance until the morning light

Party into the New Year

All of my friends are here

And when the timing's right

Kiss me at midnight

Kiss...

Kiss me at midnight

Kiss...

We've been making promises in the dark

Our resolutions

As a brand new year is about to start

And we're together.

Celebrating, no more waiting

Our time has arrived

The beat in my heart

As the countdown starts

Just look into my eyes

Kiss me at midnight

Dance until the morning light

Party into the New Year

All of my friends are here

And when the timing's right

Kiss me at midnight

Baby, it's New Year's Eve

Time we can believe

In making wishes

Dreams come true

Just for me and you

Kiss me at midnight

Dance until the morning light

Party into the New Year

All of my friends are here

And when the timing's right

Kiss me at midnight

it's a fun little song...sure does have a ring to it and it's quite catchy lol! this year, i probably won't be getting a kiss at midnight, but i'm perfectly fine with that. i'll be ringing in the new year with some friends and mango margaritas!! lol hope everyone has a great night! and good luck in 2009. stay happy and healthy!

boo :(

all i have to say is....

Rutgers sucks.

final score: Rutgers 29 NC State 23

go pack!

NC State is in it's first bowl game in 5 years today!! We are in the papajohns.com bowl in Alabama playing Rutgers. The game started at 3. I'm hopeful my boys can pull off a win!! Unfortunately, I'm at work so I can't watch the game but I have it up on ESPN lol so i'm keeping track. And i'm wearing my red and black to show support!! I'll be rushing home to catch the end of it, that's for sure.

cross your fingers everyone!!

GO PACK!!

ho, ho, ho.... merry christmas!

i know tomorrow is going to be hectic and crazy, so i just wanted to wish everyone a very merry Christmas. try to remember the true meaning and enjoy the spirit of Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
♥ rachel and kobie

tattoos

people say once you get 1 tattoo, you can't stop there. well i've come to realize that the saying is true. i have 1, but now thinking about it, i want some more. 2 more to be exact. my absolute favorite saying is "live well. laugh often. love much." or for short "live. laugh. love." my first tattoo is the chinese symbol for love. well now i want to complete the rest of my saying...i want a live tattoo and a laugh tattoo. a few problems though - (1) i don't know where to get the next ones and (2) do i stick with the chinese theme or mix it up? for the problems i've come up with a few solutions but i'm still undecided. this is where you, my beloved reader, comes in. i need your opinions!! what do you think?!

possible solutions to my problems:
1. where to get the next ones: (a) wrist, (b) ankle, (c) foot, (d)...?

2. the design: (a) stick with the chinese symbols and get both live and laugh in chinese (look below to see what the symbols look like) (b) or should i go with something different for both of them? like have laugh be written in cursive and live be a different design. (c) or do one in chinese and then the other in a readable font.

ugh, so many choices. so many decisions. what do you think i should do? where do you think i should put them (there are 2 remember, so preferably in different spots)? what design should i get? you're opinions will be considered! i'm serious, i really need help!! lol

workin' girl (again!)

so i'm back to my old working roots, as of today. i started working for State Farm again today and it's so nice to be back! i'm pretty sure everyone else is glad i'm back too, as it's been pretty busy lately. the phones were ringing off the hook this morning! i forgot how stressful it can be, but i can handle it. being on break from school is nice and having some relaxation time without having to worry about any schoolwork is nice. at times i wish i didn't have to work, but i'm glad i decided to. it keeps me busy during the day, but i still have my nights free to see the family and spend time with some friends as well. the only part i don't like is having to actually wake up early lol but i'm making some extra spending money, so that's good.

it's so nice to see Veronica's smiling face every day as well :) i've missed seeing her every day! i keep in touch with her, but it's just not the same....we both have very busy schedules - her with the kids and work, and me with trying to keep up with school and the rest of college - we play phone tag a lot. but here, if i need her, she's right upstairs. or an email away.

seeing everyone else is nice too, although i'm not as close with them as i am with Veronica. chris, ryan, nathan, and sally act like i haven't even been gone, which is nice. one of my favorite parts of working here is the people, so i'm glad to see everyone! it's my first day, and i'm back in the swing of things. it's great! but only 7 days of work and then i'm back to school work. ick :/

saying sorry

saying sorry has always been a tricky thing for me. i don't know why, but i'm always afraid the person won't accept my apology or i just feel so guilty that i don't want to dwell on the situation, which makes saying sorry very hard because i have to talk about it. well i'm in an interesting predicament for myself right now. have you ever felt the need to say sorry to someone even though it really wasn't your fault that a certain something happened. well that's basically how i feel right now and i can't shake that feeling. i know that i shouldn't feel guilty or feel the need to apologize, but i want to. i think it will help with the closure that i need. i think it will help make me feel better for once to actually talk about it and get my thoughts off my chest. usually venting to other friends will help, but for this, that's just not working and i don't know why. i guess i just need to face the person and the situation head on to clear my head. but i don't know if i should because the situation wasn't really my fault. i guess i'll do more thinking on it to decide, but i'm very conflicted.

what to do, what to do......

GA quote of the day

"Four hundred years ago, another well-known English guy had an opinion about being alone. John Donne. He thought we were never alone. Of course, it was fancier when he said it. "No man is an island entire unto himself." Boil down that island talk, and he just meant that all anyone needs is someone to step in and let us know we're not alone. And who's to say that someone can't have four legs. Someone to play with or run around with, or just hang out."

~Meredith, Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is one of my all time favorite shows. One of the reasons is that some of the quotes are meaningful and I can actually relate to them. The above quote...take a wild guess how I can relate to it lol my adorable, lovable, playful, cuddly, furry little bundle of joy - Kobie ♥

*kisses from my baby*

I've had a roller coaster of a semester...so many high and low points. Some great learning experiences but that doesn't mean I haven't struggled through some of them. I've shed many tears but also had many laughs. And I think God was watching out for me. He placed Kobie in my life to have something stable and something that I have when I'm in need of comfort. And I couldn't be happier that I have my little girl in my life. Yes, she can be a handful, especially lately, but I would never ask for anything more or less from her.

I know, I know, I talk about her all the time but I can't help but brag :) which, by the way, I just found out that if a cat goes nose to nose with you, or licks your nose, it means they think you are part of their family. As you can see in the picture above, Kobie loves giving me kisses, especially on the nose. It makes my heart melt to know that I mean as much to her as she means to me!

my grown up christmas list

My Grown Up Christmas List

"Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies

Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal the heart
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end oh,
This is my grown up Christmas list

As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath the tree

But heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
Oh, This is my grown up Christmas list

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up Christmas list
This is my only life long wish
This is my grown up Christmas list"

my Christmas list this year consists of a few small things like a straightener, a coat, and some clothing items. but these are all tangible items. what about the things that you can't pick up or touch? this is one of my favorite Christmas songs because it really reminds us of the idea that Christmas when we were young was all about the presents. and presents are always great, but what about the things we can't put a bow on? the things that really matter in life can never be wrapped and placed under the tree.

so here is my "grown up" Christmas list...the things I want for this year that I won't find under the tree or with a bow on top:

1. stress less about situations i find myself in
2. be happy with myself more
   
3. have my mom show her pride in me to me
4. love unconditionally
   
5. be loved unconditionally
   
6. spend more quality time with my family
7. create stronger bonds with my friends
8. let my heart be completely open to new possibilities
   
9. be more open minded in situations
10. worry less and have more fun
    

it's not quite world peace, but if i can get some of these things, i know i will be able to live a more happy and complete life. so what is your grown up Christmas list for this year? what do you want this Christmas season that can't be unwrapped on Christmas morning?

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

every year, Christmas time at my household has been the same (not that i'm complaining). the saturday after Thanksgiving, our Christmas tree comes out of hiding and the rest of the decorations go up. it's always a special day because Grandma gets to help decorate and it's really the first day we start listening to christmas music and get into the Christmas spirit. then not much else goes on until Christmas Eve, where we attend the service at church...it's always a skit of the nativity scene which stars the entire congrigation. after that, we head home and open a present from my mom's parents which is always an ornament for each kid. That way, when we move out and have our own Christmas tree's, we will already have a collection of ornaments started. I think it's a cute idea and I hope my parents continue that tradition with my children. After opening our ornaments, we get into our pajama's and get the cookies and carrots ready for Santa and his reindeer. we can't forget to spread the magic reindeer food (oatmeal and glitter) all over the front lawn. once all of that is done, we hang the stockings over the fireplace and then hop into bed and wait for Santa to come. when i was younger, my brother and i use to wake up at 2 in the morning and go down with flashlights to examine all the presents before morning. then he would come back to my room, discuss what we thought were in the biggest packages and fall asleep in sleeping bags until 8am, when we would go down to wake up mom and dad. that tradition has stopped since we've both grown a little older, but 8am is still our wake up call for mom and dad. way too early for me, but my sister enjoys every minute of it, so i wake up for her. once mom and dad are awake, we open our stockings first, then our "Santa present", and then the rest of the presents. after all the excitment is over, we have donuts for breakfast (the only time of year when that is allowed in our household).

i love our christmas traditions. it's my favorite time of year. but i think all these years i've taken them somewhat for granted. i've forgotten that some people don't get to experience all of these things. i just learned yesterday that someone close to me never experienced all of these things. they each got one present but never did stockings or christmas music or lights. the children of the family didn't even know about stockings and that Santa put presents in those too. so this christmas, i will savor every minute of it. the music. the tree. the lights. the stockings. family. everything.

and i wish everyone a happy holiday season and that you savor every minute of yours.

stress

life has been a little stressful this semester, i'm not gonna lie. but for some crazy reason, someone decided the week before finals should be the most stressful i have felt this entire year. karma? maybe. but i don't think i've done anything that bad to deserve this kind of stress. stuff is complicated. but basically the gist of it is that i had my first disagreement with my roommates (which is now cleared up), a fight with my mother, now a fight with basically the entire family. and on top of all that....3 papers, a presentation, and a final all due this week. and 3 finals next week. fantastic.

thank goodness the school work is over and the weekend is finally here for me. everything has been cleared up except the fight with the family. and basically that just ruined my entire night. i've been on and off the phone with so many different people about it and i'm just so ready for it to stop. i want it to be cleared up soon, but with my family, i doubt that will happen. so stress...it's gonna be a big part of life for me until this one is cleared up. and of course that added stress doesn't help the stress i'm already feeling about finals. one monday. one tuesday. and one friday. and then i'm done for the semester! i can't wait.

and for my sanity....i hope this stress/drama ends soon.

for bethany

I just wanted to wish my best friend of 15 years, Bethany, a very happy 19th birthday! She's at Liberty University this year and it's the farthest/longest we've been apart. I miss her so much but I hope she has a wonderful birthday!

happy birthday!

Thanksgiving adventures

I can't believe Thanksgiving is over. The break went by too fast. It was a nice little break from classes though and it was great to spend some time with the family. Grandma (from Dad's side) flew in from New Jersey for her annual Thanksgiving trip on Saturday and stayed until Monday. It seems like a long time, but it flew by. I came home Monday night for dinner, but was home to stay starting Tuesday night. We played games and talked and it was a lot of fun.

The day of Thanksgiving, Uncle Paul came for the day, Grandma cooked the turkey (as always), Dad made the rest of the meal, and we had a lot of time to reflect on what we were thankful for. Thursday night, Grandma, Rebecca, and I left with Uncle Paul and spent the night at his house in Charlotte. It was the first time Grandma and Rebecca saw the house...and they both loved it! The rest of the family (Mom, Dad, and Ryan) came the next day. We spent the day walking around all the little shops by my uncle's house. It was nice and relaxing.

Saturday was Dad's 50th birthday!! I still can't believe it. He doesn't look (or act) anywhere near his age. But, of course, that's a good thing! We went the the North Carolina Symphony Christmas Concert in the afternoon, then Mom cooked dinner (SHOCKER, I KNOW! I'll let you in on a secret though - fresh market made it...she just had to put it in the oven lol)...chicken cordon bleu! and man was it good! After that we had a ice cream birthday cake for him which said "still nifty at 50!" I think he really enjoyed his day!

I would also like to add that it was Miss Isabella Grace Lara's 1st birthday as well on Saturday! Happy birthday sweetie!

Oh, and another quick shout out - Thank you so much Lara family for taking such good care of my baby girl. She slept like a baby last night! Kobie always loves being at your house and having little playmates, so thank you again!

I had a great break but now it's back to reality. school and finals, here I come. Unfortunately, it's another hell week for me before finals. This week I have 3 papers due (1 Wednesday and 2 Thursday), a presentation (on Wednesday), and a final (on Thursday). Wish me luck....hopefuly I'll survive. And next week starts finals. And then I'm done until Janurary! I cannot believe it!

Hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday. Now it's time to prepare for Christmas!! Yay, it's my favorite time of year!