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I have had the last week off of work and it’s been B.L.I.S.S. With a sick day AND a snow day prefacing it…it feels like Christmas Break all over again. There is SO much to blog about! SB took care of our Vday weekend with his previous post. It really was a magical weekend for us. It was our first Vday that counts, but I truly hope we continue to have weekends like that for a long, long time.

When we got home SB was off for President’s Day. We stayed pretty busy in Chattanooga so it was nice to have him home to rest up and unpack from the trip. We also realized though, that if we were going to try to go car shopping together, today was the day. So off we went to Gossett VW in Alpharetta. I had my sights set on a Jetta…but drove it and just felt….meh. Next was a Passat and as soon as we got 1/2 a mile down the road we look and each other and just knew. This was the car! I’ve had it for a week now and I love it! Old Greg is gone (for $500!) and the new car needs a name. One will find her soon.

The rest of the week stayed pretty busy! My break’s usually fly by, but honestly I usually spend them being lazy as ever. I got a LOT done! My new driver’s license is on the way with my maiden name and I found a new doctor in Dunwoody and the whole office is awesome. Wednesday we planned on going to Snow Mountain, but waited too late to realize they are only opened on the weekends. doh! SB had the day off anyway so we enjoyed some family time at home. We went to dinner with SB’s parents for his dad’s bday and had some delicious food at Red Lobster. Our week of getting shit done continued on until the weekend rolled around and BAM! We were hit with some beeaauuutiful weather! Blue skies, slight breeze, sun shining in the 60’s. Chase and I drove around to look at schools earlier in the week and came across an awesome park that is literally around the corner from our apartment.

Saturday morning we got up, I went for a run, then we picked up some lunch and headed to the park! You would have thought they were giving away gold! People were just as in love with the weather as we were and it was packed. As we sat in the sun, ate our lunch, and watched the families, dogs, and our Chase, play and swing….it was just a great way to end the week.

But wait!! We have one more in us!! We were going to Snow Mountain dangit!! After two failed attempts (saturday time slots were sold out), we finally got a time slot at 6pm Sunday night. It seemed late for a school night, but it turned out perfectly! There was a small crowd at first but by 7:00 we were going straight up to the slides and tubing away! I was so nervous for Chase b/c I’m telling you…those things went fast! He loved it though…and I learned again that I need to let go just a little bit and let him be a boy. We have some great pics from the week. Now…if the next 9 weeks would just fly by so we can have Spring Break!

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After the falls we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. At this point I still had no idea what was in store for the evening. Either way, I was totally excited and eager to have a night out with Jess.

Since Jess was in charge of everything, she drove us down to the river front and was all “Hey, that’s a cool lookin’ boat. I wonder if you could eat dinner on one of those?” As it turns out… we WERE having dinner on the Southern Belle Chattanooga Riverboat. I’ve heard about the riverboat, and my parents have done it, but I’ve never been myself. I was really excited once I found out what the plans were. Jess and I were lookin’ pretty fly and we were about to begin our first ever, Riverboat Adventure.

Well, upon stepping aboard the boat we were transported to 1984. It was as if we ran 88.5mph and triggered the Flux Capacitor. I could tell that Jess wasn’t overly excited about the experience. There were old people all around and the boat itself didn’t appear to have gone through any major changes over the past 20 years or so. I knew that in Jess’ mind this was a lot more magical and modern than what we were experiencing, but never-the-less, we were going to make the best of it.

We waited in line to get our picture made and step onto the actual boat. We were promptly sat by the 3rd string Quarterback from the local YMCA. Our waitress, brought us out some water as I went to get some drinks from the bar. I had to remind Jess that it wasn’t about the boat or the lazy-eye’d waiter walking around or the buffet prime rib. It was about she and I on a dinner where to us, no one else existed. It was about having our first Valentine’s Day (that counted). So we sat there and chatted and talked about the past, present, and the future. We marveled at the people and the odd couples that were everywhere. We went outside and enjoyed the night looking out at the city. We did what we always do, we had a wonderful time.

The whole trip was about 2hrs. Near the end of the excursion, the DJ guy decided to bring out the big guns and hit up some Cupid Shuffle. I mean, it was only fitting seeing as it was Valentine’s Day. So he called everyone out and taught them the steps. Then the music got going and…oh boy… This was a sight. Watching some old people who just learned the cupid shuffle attempt to dance was quite entertaining. Jess and I couldn’t just sit there so we got up and showed everyone how it’s really done. I’m pretty sure we gave some people heart palpitations, but what ever, we did what we had to do.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After the dancing the boat docked and we headed back to the hotel. We were both eager to go out and do something fun, but since neither one of us had ever really been to Chattanooga and sought out the night life, we didn’t really come up with anything. So it was back to the hotel.

Duppa duppa doop! Next day we headed over to get our Valentine’s Day massages. We had found a local shop that had some openings and jumped all over it. I have to say, that there really is something that is so much better about a) having a massage with someone you love there beside you and b) going to a place that isn’t like the Target of massage (Spa Sydell for example). After that we headed over to the TN Aquarium. I’ve been there a few times, but always enjoy another visit. For some reason I kinda like it a bit better than the GA one. Maybe it’s because it’s no so crowded. Who knows, it was still a ton of fun.

We were both pretty hungry after seeing all the fishes so we decided to head to what I thought was the Mexican place I eat at every time I go. As it turns out, that place closed down a few years ago and they built a new one it it’s place. We had a great lunch. Sitting, talking about the riverboat, the weekend, Ruby Falls, the blizzard like snow that was coming down outside, the chlorine leak that was taking place in the building next door, and all the other wonderful things that make us happy.

We finally decided it would be a good idea to head home. It was a great drive. The weather was perfect, the tunes were pumping, the sun was shining, and our Valentine’s Day was pretty much it was the best it could be. We got home, got cleaned up and then just enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the afternoon.

Our Valentine’s Day Weekend had come to a close and it was just as amazing as both of us had anticipated. We got to play in the snow, stay in a hotel, enjoy a wonder dinner/experience on a riverboat, dance, laugh, see some fish, sing, etc. All the things that make life worth enjoying. I can’t wait for next year, the year after that, and the many, many, many more years to come. I’ve continually fallen more and more in love with this woman and our lives. She continues to inspire me and bring me more joy that I could ever imagine. I love her and cherish every thing about her. This will certainly be a weekend to remember.

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Last weekend was Valentine’s day and man…it pretty much blew all other V-Day’s out of the water.

For about a month or so prior to the day, Jess has been planning something super secret. She would drop hints every now and then, but never telling me the full details of what our plans were. All I was told for sure was that under no circumstances was I allowed to plan anything for that weekend. I was happy to put it all in m’lady’s hands.

The weekend got started off right with some snow flurries on Friday. It was one of those rare moments when the weathermen were right and Atlanta was actually hit with some serious snow. We knew we wanted to get something “fancy” to wear on Saturday so we hit up the mall, then we went and met up with KiBob and some other friends at Taco Mac. The roads were treacherous, but it’s the Snipers, we don’t let a little ice and snow stop us. After the T’Mac we headed over to Kit and Bob’s for some more drinks and general chit-chat by the fire. The snow was perfect for building a snow man, so Jess and I got out there and built the best one we could. Then all hell broke loose. There really is no way you can be in the snow with a group of awesome people and not bust into a snowball fight. It was inevitable. So after an hour or so of attempting to slide down the hill on nothing but our chests, an epic snowball fight, snow angels, and a snowman that looked more like a snowpenis, we headed inside to warm ourselves by the fire. We knew we had to get up early and hit the road for Chattanooga, so we called it an early night and headed home.

The next day we got up and, oh boy… there was ice all over the place. It looked pretty bad (in that ice storm day after cool sun shining perfect day to play in the snow kinda way). Never-the-less, we weren’t going to let a little ice/snow stop us from heading north for an epic Valentine’s Day.

We hit the road and it wasn’t as bad as it looked. There were a few patches here and there, but for the most part, it was smooth sailing. We made great time and got to Chattanooga in just under 2hrs. Jess had made reservations at the Double Tree and damn, the room was nice. There really is something about hotel rooms that just makes everything nicer and more special. This one was no exception.

After getting settled in we decided that we were gonna hit up some Ruby Falls. Jess had never been, and I always enjoy going 1200ft under ground and seeing all the crazy rock formations. So we made the 10 min drive, snapped a few exterior pics in the snow, then headed on in. Now, for anyone that’s ever been to Ruby Falls, not much has changed over the years. They still have all the same formations, the guides still tell the same jokes, and the falls are still lit up to showcase all it’s grandeur. Jess was very skeptical of being underground for that length of time, but all that went away after we stared seeing the rocks and formations and stuff. It really is a cool place that you should check out. We definitively are going to bring Chase back. I think he’d get a kick out of it. Also, I didn’t think it was possible, but that day…I really did FALL a little more in love with Jess.

Now on to part 2!

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no more grrrrrface! Things are still the same with the previous situation…I’m just channeling some really positive energy (from somewhere?) and going to make the best of it until May. It certainly helps that SniperBen is always there to be a voice a reason for me.

In other news…I have a change in my top 5! I’ve added Bob from The Biggest Loser. We’ve been watching this season and I just love him! He’s hilariously intense and pretty damn sexy! I happen to think he looks like SniperBen as well…*delish!!!

Oh! SB also introduced me to www.thesuperficial.com this week. I have to admit that I am all about these dumbass celebs and what they are up to. This site has the goods! Check it out if you haven’t.

I hope the rest of your week goes by fast…b/c that means mine will too! Winter Break…car shopping…sleeping in…VDay weekend…*SQQQEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!*

So it seems The Snipers have been a bit absent or lazy in their upkeep on this thing in the past few weeks. Well, that’s mostly true. The main reason is that we’ve been getting settled in to our new apartment, been working like the dickens, dealing with ailments that just won’t go away, cooking, watching movies, and all manner of things. Now this blog is supposed to capture that all that stuff, so it seems only fitting that one of us go back and jot some things down that have gone on in the past few weeks.

So as you know, we’ve officially moved into our very own apartment. It’s like really real and legit now. Before it was either my place or Jess’ place. One weekend here, one weekend there. On Wednesday’s I’d drive to Milnertowne to hang with them and back here the rest of the week. In December Jess moved most of her stuff to ol’ 3202, but that wasn’t really the same as it is now. Mr. Chaserson was sleeping on an air mattress and half her stuff was still at her old place, well Jan finally rolled around and we got our very own place. Chase has his own room, complete with his toys and 3 DS’s, and posters and a bed he can call his own. We got all our clothes into the closet so there’s no hunting around in the morning looking for stuff, all the books, games, furniture, dishes, liquor, decor, etc. are in the place they belong. There’s not a single box that hasn’t been unpacked or relocated to storage. It finally feels like home. Most importantly, last night was the first night we actually got to eat dinner at our very own dining room table. That was a great feeling. Sitting there, looking around, everything was as it should be.

Reading that you’d think it’s just been easy peasy and like butter and/or cake. Well, that’s not all the facts. Jess and/or Chase have this never ending cold that has crippled 2/3 of the Sniper clan. Undoubtedly it’s from all the kids runnin’ round the school of hers touching things, rubbing their snotty noses all over the place, coughing, hacking, spreading germs and such. So she’s been under the weather for the better part of 2010, but that hasn’t stopped her. She’s a trooper and has been pressing on. She’s unpacked boxes, moved furniture, organized books and the kitchen, done about 1 bajillion loads of laundry and dishes. This woman has pushed threw the sick and got this place feeling like home. I love her more than she probably realizes. I mean, I was in a house for seven years, and it never felt this close to a home.

In addition to all the unpacking and getting settled in, we’ve still managed to have some fun. Last weekend was our fist “date night” of 2010. Dinner, dancing, drinking, peeing in a parking lot, busted hands, laughing, all the things that make up a good night. We’ve got into a groove during the week of shows to watch and dinners to cook and all the stuff that families do. It didn’t take us long to figure these things out, because we worked together. Heck, I’ve even started watching Vampire Diaries and a little bit of Grey’s Anatomy. Jess watched one episode of Heroes and was lost, but that’s to be expected with that show. Speaking of LOST, we jumped right back into that. It was no big throw-down premier party, but it was a lot of fun. The show is amazing and I can’t wait to watch every episode with Jess, and explaining time travel all over again.

Other than that it’s been fairly normal for The Snipers. The weather has kept most outdoor activities at bay, but I have a feeling that’ll change soon. I went back to kick-boxing this week and am eager to continue doing so. We are both signed up for a 10k in March that we’re not actually going to do, because we’re in no condition to run 6 miles. We do have big plans for our health and fitness though. We’re slowly moving into a healthier lifestyle, cutting things out here and there. Making better decisions and such. I can honestly say that aside from the plague of doom that appears to be attracted to Jess, we are feeling a lot better, both mentally, and physically than we were back in December.

So that’s that. I’m going to try and get some pics of the place and post them up. Not just to show the place off, but to see how it changes over time and we live here and continue to grow and add more and more memories to it. Oh, and our doors are always open for people to come by. It doesn’t take a passport and a treasure map to find us, a phone call should suffice.

Stay tuned for more!

I never uploaded Christmas pics! whassupwidat? Well…it’s been a crazy few weeks. We made it through Christmas with flying colors and everyone was spoiled with lots and lots of goodies. New Year’s was lots of fun and we are slammin’ through January. We’ve moved SO much, and we’re finally feeling settled in the new place. We have a few more things to hang, and a ‘to buy’ list…but it feels like home already. Regretfully…we didn’t snap many pics during the movapaloosa, and additionally, I had the WORST virus for the better part of it. What I do hope to do is get a few pics of the place once everything is complete. For now, I want to make sure I post our Xmas pics. Hope everyone is having a Happy New Year so far!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Truth.

It would appear that I’ve found it. My Jess is by my side. The Viper has been taking down. It took quite a lot of doing, but it happened. I know we still need to make a New Years AND Christmas post, and we will, but for now, this is my random Saturday night post. Everything is pretty much exactly as it should be.

I didn’t really have a whole lot else to add. I just wanted to throw a quick post out there to say that I am on the pursuit of happiness, and I do believe I’ve found it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Truth.

It would appear that I’ve found it. My Jess is by my side. The Viper has been taking down. It took quite a lot of doing, but it happened. I know we still need to make a New Years AND Christmas post, and we will, but for now, this is my random Saturday night post. Everything is pretty much exactly as it should be.

I didn’t really have a whole lot else to add. I just wanted to throw a quick post out there to say that I am on the pursuit of happiness, and I do believe I’ve found it.

Our family adventure begins

A few weeks ago Jess and I decided it would be nice to take Chase to Stone Mountain to see all the Christmas decorations, the laser show, the Atlanta skyline at sunset, and the building of the Snow Mountain area. Despite living in Georgia my entire life, I have never been on top of Stone Mountain. I know…it is a shock to me too! We packed up the camera, got bundled up, made a quick stop to get a snack, and we were on our way.

The park was NOT crowded at all. Then again it was a Monday afternoon and people still had to work I reckon. We walked around for a bit, checked out the Snow Mountain area, snapped a few photos, then decided to take the sky bucket thing to the top. I was pretty excited. I mean, it’s the top of Stone Mountain! I had heard how beautiful the city was from up there, but I never imagined it would’ve been as beautiful as it was on that day.

Got'cha!

Chase pretty much took off running as soon as we got up there. Jess and I just took our time and enjoyed the view. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. Yeah it was cold and the wind was kickin just a bit, but the sky was perfect and the view was amazing. There were a good deal of people up there, but not too many where we couldn’t just sit down in a nice cozy spot and enjoy it all. Chase had fun jumping over puddles, climbing on trees and rocks. However, he got a little ambitions and slid off the side of a big on. Luckily, Jess was there to catch him. Using her Super Mom abilities, she pulled him to safety! To celebrate, we decided it would be a grand idea to walk down instead of take the lift.

I had always wondered what it was like walking up/down the mountain. I mean…where did it go? How steep was it? Were there steps or was it just huge rocks you had to navigate around? Would there be bears or timberwolves? Perhaps there was a great chasm that one could fall victim to if you stepped in the wrong spot! Unfortunately there was no such thing, instead it was a gentle walk down a steep graded rocky mountain. Don’t get me wrong though, the walk down, far outweighed the ride up.

The sun never sets on happiness

Neither one of us were really prepared for the mountain excursion we had just embarked on, but we weren’t going to let some mountain get in the way of our fun. So we took off and every once and a while would stop, take it all in, enjoy the view, holler at Chase for going to fast, slip on a slippery rock, or race each other to the next tree before realizing we were running down a mountain…and there were slippery rocks all around. About half way down we paused at a clearing and watch the last few moments of the sun set. It was beautiful to see the sun just slowly move out of view before saying goodbye and dipping just below the horizon. It was definitely one of the best sunsets I’ve witnessed.

Once we got to the bottom we realized we were now standing in a random parking lot on the other side of the mountain. The train was no where in sight and there didn’t appear to be any easy way to get back to where we started. Never fear, Jess and I are not one to let a little diversion stop us from having a good time. So we pulled out our map and decided on the best course of action, which was simply to walk back around to the front of the park. Chase was tuckered out from all the scurrying around, but that was nothing a quick piggy back ride couldn’t alleviate. We finally made it back to the front and were all set to walk around the shops, get some hot chocolate, and fill our bellies with what ever wonders the great people of Stone Mountain Park could come up with. Unfortunately, the only thing they could come up with was an additional $26 PER PERSON to just walk into a shop. Wait…what?! Yeah. In order to walk around the “towne” we had to pay MORE money. If we wanted to go into a shop and buy a glass blown ornament of a fat Santa snoozing in a chair or a snow globe of Stone Mountain it would cost us about $80. Even if we DIDN’T buy anything, it would still cost us. We couldn’t even walk around the village and look at the lights!

So rather than hang around any more, we chose to pack up the kiddo and head on back home. After a stop by Garcia’s for some delicious Mexican food, we got home, got warmed up and settled in for a long winter nap. Well, more like a few hours, but still.

And there you have it. Our first trip to Stone Mountain. I have to say that it is an adventure that I’ll not soon (or hopefully ever) forget. There were so many “ahhhhh” moments that I can’t even begin to recount them all. Despite the fact that we had to walk around the mountain to get back where we started and the steep price to pay for some extra fun, we found our way. We got back to where we needed to be. We made our own adventure. We made the trip ours.

Our family adventure begins

A few weeks ago Jess and I decided it would be nice to take Chase to Stone Mountain to see all the Christmas decorations, the laser show, the Atlanta skyline at sunset, and the building of the Snow Mountain area. Despite living in Georgia my entire life, I have never been on top of Stone Mountain. I know…it is a shock to me too! We packed up the camera, got bundled up, made a quick stop to get a snack, and we were on our way.

The park was NOT crowded at all. Then again it was a Monday afternoon and people still had to work I reckon. We walked around for a bit, checked out the Snow Mountain area, snapped a few photos, then decided to take the sky bucket thing to the top. I was pretty excited. I mean, it’s the top of Stone Mountain! I had heard how beautiful the city was from up there, but I never imagined it would’ve been as beautiful as it was on that day.

Got'cha!

Chase pretty much took off running as soon as we got up there. Jess and I just took our time and enjoyed the view. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. Yeah it was cold and the wind was kickin just a bit, but the sky was perfect and the view was amazing. There were a good deal of people up there, but not too many where we couldn’t just sit down in a nice cozy spot and enjoy it all. Chase had fun jumping over puddles, climbing on trees and rocks. However, he got a little ambitions and slid off the side of a big on. Luckily, Jess was there to catch him. Using her Super Mom abilities, she pulled him to safety! To celebrate, we decided it would be a grand idea to walk down instead of take the lift.

I had always wondered what it was like walking up/down the mountain. I mean…where did it go? How steep was it? Were there steps or was it just huge rocks you had to navigate around? Would there be bears or timberwolves? Perhaps there was a great chasm that one could fall victim to if you stepped in the wrong spot! Unfortunately there was no such thing, instead it was a gentle walk down a steep graded rocky mountain. Don’t get me wrong though, the walk down, far outweighed the ride up.

The sun never sets on happiness

Neither one of us were really prepared for the mountain excursion we had just embarked on, but we weren’t going to let some mountain get in the way of our fun. So we took off and every once and a while would stop, take it all in, enjoy the view, holler at Chase for going to fast, slip on a slippery rock, or race each other to the next tree before realizing we were running down a mountain…and there were slippery rocks all around. About half way down we paused at a clearing and watch the last few moments of the sun set. It was beautiful to see the sun just slowly move out of view before saying goodbye and dipping just below the horizon. It was definitely one of the best sunsets I’ve witnessed.

Once we got to the bottom we realized we were now standing in a random parking lot on the other side of the mountain. The train was no where in sight and there didn’t appear to be any easy way to get back to where we started. Never fear, Jess and I are not one to let a little diversion stop us from having a good time. So we pulled out our map and decided on the best course of action, which was simply to walk back around to the front of the park. Chase was tuckered out from all the scurrying around, but that was nothing a quick piggy back ride couldn’t alleviate. We finally made it back to the front and were all set to walk around the shops, get some hot chocolate, and fill our bellies with what ever wonders the great people of Stone Mountain Park could come up with. Unfortunately, the only thing they could come up with was an additional $26 PER PERSON to just walk into a shop. Wait…what?! Yeah. In order to walk around the “towne” we had to pay MORE money. If we wanted to go into a shop and buy a glass blown ornament of a fat Santa snoozing in a chair or a snow globe of Stone Mountain it would cost us about $80. Even if we DIDN’T buy anything, it would still cost us. We couldn’t even walk around the village and look at the lights!

So rather than hang around any more, we chose to pack up the kiddo and head on back home. After a stop by Garcia’s for some delicious Mexican food, we got home, got warmed up and settled in for a long winter nap. Well, more like a few hours, but still.

And there you have it. Our first trip to Stone Mountain. I have to say that it is an adventure that I’ll not soon (or hopefully ever) forget. There were so many “ahhhhh” moments that I can’t even begin to recount them all. Despite the fact that we had to walk around the mountain to get back where we started and the steep price to pay for some extra fun, we found our way. We got back to where we needed to be. We made our own adventure. We made the trip ours.