The Roadtrip of Life (updated)

It occured to me that I haven't properly boasted about Fuzzy's and my amazing vacation that we have planned for next month. Oh man, I can't wait. We haven't had a proper vacation since our honeymoon, and we haven't had a trip that was over 2 days in the last few years that didn't involve some sort of medical emergency, so as you can probably imagine, I am excited.

SO! Next month, we will be driving down to Biloxi, MS, for my dear Chad and Elizabeth's wedding. I will be officiating the ceremony, which means the world to me because of my love for these 2 people. Chad is my step second cousin, but he is more like a close friend, and Elizabeth is just a ball of awesome. We'll be in Biloxi for a couple of days--come on Gulf of Mexico! My swimsuit is all ready to go. From there, we are driving to Columbia, SC to visit my brother and sister-in-law. Christopher will be graduating from grad school the same day as the wedding, so we'll have to miss that, but we'll be there the next day to help celebrate. I'll even get to see my mom for a little while, as she leaves the day after we arrive. After a few days in SC, we'll then be driving up to Baltimore, MD to explore, visit DC, and more importantly--eat so much crab that our faces fall off. I managed to score a nice hotel room for 4 nights in downtown Baltimore for only $64 a night thanks to hotwire.com. What a bargain!

This weekend, I also did a little discount shopping and was able to assemble this awesome outfit to wear at the wedding.

Imagine this dress in Navy Blue (thanks Schaumburg sale rack at J Crew!):

paired with these adorable (and super cheap) shoes from Payless:

And this belt that I just got (also on sale!) at Urban Outfitters:

Ha Cha Cha! I've never been so fashionable! And for so cheap!

It is really nice to have some things to look forward to, and to start doing things that I want to do. I am starting to feel more confident than I have in several years now, and I can feel myself getting to a good place mentally and emotionally. The house is coming together, and things are starting to calm down a bit and get more settled. That might seem weird to say, because as I type this, my sweet grandmother is in Vicksburg struggling to hold on, and as painful as that is, it is also a beautiful thing. I am part of who I am because of her, and I carry her with me in my heart. I just hope she is peaceful and calm and able to look back at her life, happy with how it turned out. Especially because life is so fleeting and short, Fuzzy and I are trying to work on living now to the fullest and enjoying every moment. If we say that we should do something, then we need to actually do it. One day, we won't have that chance.

So! I challenge all you readers to take a risk this week--do one thing that you've been wanting to do, but just haven't gotten around to it. Whether it is take a dance class, go for a run, try a new restaurant, or even just treat yourself to something small to make you smile, Do It. Feel free to post your results in a comment! Good Luck!

(update--I just got to talk to Memaw on the phone! I told her how much I love her and that I am turning Papaw's story and her old photos into a book so that their lives can be shared with generations to come. I also wished her a happy early birthday and told her she was beautiful. She was actually awake, and when Mom told her to say hi to me, she said "hey Erica." What a blessing!