fair weather.

Saturday was our designated date night for the week.

It was the Saturday of my desperately needed Fall break, and this was our chance to relax and have fun (because when you're a student with 19 credit hours, 15 hours of work, Senate rep, and a wife, even fun can be exhausting).

We:

ate chocolate dipped ice cream

ate a Chicago-style Polish sausage and veggie gyro

viewed the beautiful hand-made crafts

looked at all the art work

oogled over the homemade wine selection winners

pet cows {Frank actually pet one this year!}

spent lots of time with the bunnies - that was our favorite part

I got to pet a bunny

braved a chairlift

{we thought that would be the least scariest thing to ride, but it was not...}

viewed the beautiful world at night from the lift

and enjoyed being South Carolinians on the fair 70-degree, clear night at the fair.

Can't wait 'til next year!

who has two thumbs, great beard, and turns 22 today?

THIS GUY!!

He doesn't know about you, but he's feeling 22 ;)

Happy birthday, sweetheart! I love you so much!!

Have a great birthday extravaganza!

blue ridge mountains.

(If you look super hard, you can see Raven Cliff Falls between me and my mom)

So guess what? My camera is completely dead...

I have/had a Nikon D70 that had two previous owners before me, and I've had it for a little more than 3 years.  I loved that camera.  On the lookout for the new one.  So these pictures are courtesy of my sweet mom and her smart phone :)  Every year, before I was Frank-and-Jessica, my family went hiking and camping to celebrate summer.

To celebrate the 4th together Frank and I went with my family on a five-day trip to Table Rock State Park to hike the eight-and-a-half mile Pinnacle mountain trail, swim in the Pinnacle Lake, hike another four-and-a-half miles to the Raven Cliff Falls look-out, slide down Sliding Rock into icy-cold water, and watch a fantastic fireworks show in nearby quaint Pickens.

Fifteen hiked miles and many achy muscles later, I did not want to leave the radiant, lush, saturated green around me, but I left breathless from the blue haze that settles on the mountains for which they have been named. I love living here.  We are already vamping up for some more trails!

| dear frank |

To my dear husband Frank, who is also known as Panky:

I call you Panky because we bonded over the Little Rascals, and I loved the kid who called Spanky, Panky. So I pinned that name to you.  How do I love you? Let me count the ways... You are my best bud because we laugh - together - we play - together - we cry - together - we love - together.  You are so smart; your ability to understand new concepts and to absorb information to recall years later is incredible.  I am impressed.  What's more impressive is that you still think that I am smarter than you!  I'm flattered.  You encourage me to strive for my full potential, and you encourage me to keep going with life even when all I want to do is roll over in the grass and go to sleep.  You have hard times when you doubt yourself and feel that you are not worth anything, but honey, you are worth more than symbolic words can describe, and I love you more than the stars in the sky.  No one can replace the meaning of your life in mine.  I love watching you grow in your understanding of the world, in your relationship with God, and in the confidence you are daily finding within yourself.  Despite your doubts, you are so creative! I love seeing your miniatures which you are so proud of! I love listening to all of your ideas for the house that we want to build someday. I love seeing your face light at the mention of our someday-kids, our someday-pets, the events of the coming summer, the days of our retirement way in the future, the joy of having grandkids someday, the pleasure you find in reading a new book, when you reminisce about your childhood and memories of days spent with your Gramma.  You bring me so much joy, and so much happiness.  We have our tough days where we are fighting each other over a problem, and our tough days when we are fighting the problem together.  But in the midst of it all, no matter what is happening, I love you.  I love you more than anything.  You are so special to me, a precious gem in a pit of coal.  You are my darling, and I cherish you as my best friend, my husband, my confidante, and my love.  Today, I want to say this: I am so proud of you.  I am so proud of how hard you have worked to earn your degree in Humanities.  I've seen how hard you've worked, and how frustrated you could get sometimes.  And I've seen the days when you have truly enjoyed what you are learning, when you didn't want it to end; and I've seen the days when you just wanted to quit.  Now you are at the end of this little chapter, I look back with fond memories of how this diploma you will be receiving not only represents work well done and bravery to have done so, but also the beginnings of us and all that we have walked through together.  You have done so well and worked so hard to earn this degree, and I. am. so. proud. You are amazing, loving, and brilliant, and I'm so excited to see what God leads you (and us) to next! :) Congratulations my dear, with God's help, you did it.

Love, Jess (aka Bunny, because you know I love bunnies)

| frank's last huah |

                           This is Frank..................................................this is where Frank has Gen Psych.

And this is Frank entering Gen Psych for the last time - to take his LAST EXAM in his LAST CLASS OF UNDERGRAD!!!!!!!!!  I'm cookin' tonight ;)

Anybody else share that feeling?

{Through Rustic Red Doors: Jr./Sr. 2014}

We mostly danced and talked and reminisced about the past four years of college. So not many pictures were taken. But we have a few that captured the fun we had!  This was a beautiful venue, and so many nicely dressed people, and good food, and good music, and lots of ballroom dancing... and trying to convince Gentry why he should dance with his wife... I love these events, shared with people we know and love. Especially when these events are meant to celebrate our time together. Through Rustic Red Doors.  Another rustic theme for the school year, but beautiful, happy memories for life (cheesy, right?).

{Isle of Palms}

The last days of Spring Break 2014 were spent with my dear grandma (whose visual identity I will remain disclosed).  We went to her church and heard her sing beautifully before the congregation.

We had some good chat time and food time with her, and we got to share what's been going on in life lately.

The last day, after we thought thunderstorms would damper the weekend, Frank and I walked down the block to the beach.  The water was cold, but it was so nice to end our Spring Break in the beaches of South Carolina.  I love living here.

What did you do for Spring Break (if you're in school)? 

If you aren't in school, what have you done recently to take a break and relax?

{Southern Winter}

While a good portion of the States is experiencing crippling ice, snow, and sleet, we in South Carolina are experiencing low 70's on a sunny Sunday afternoon.  To enjoy it to its full potential, Frank and I gathered up some hot dogs and veggies dogs, some apple-banana salad, bottled root beer and a blanket and headed out to the lawn to eat our lunch.  This was followed by a relaxing few minutes just soaking up the vitamin D.  Reason # 46 why I love living in the South. ;)

What's the weather like where you're at?  And what are you doing to enjoy it?