Feeling the Burn (literally) with Colton Dixon

Hi guys, do I have a story for you today! Last Saturday my best friend, Lyndsay and I, spent our day volunteering at a Colton Dixon concert. Lyndsay is a cosmetologist and one of her clients owns an event planning business. This particular business does a lot of work for the Christian radio station in our town, which is called The Bridge FM. Lyndsay’s client asked us last week if we’d help with Colton’s concert and we said we’d love to. We were instructed to be at the theatre at 11:30am Saturday morning and plan on being there until after the concert was over that night. We were so excited we even went shopping Friday night to find new outfits to wear. We had no idea what we were in for…..

Upon our arrival, we were told to steam tablecloths for the merchandise table and start setting up the items on the Colton’s rider. A rider is a list of requests an artist makes for his performance. We headed to the green room to start setting it all up. Lyndsay filled the steamer and I started putting their snacks in buckets on their table. Within several minutes more volunteers were showing up and more jobs were being handed out. Things got a little crazy and just when I could feel the sweat starting to trickle down my forehead (RIP my foundation) I made the most embarrassing mistake ever. I walked over to the steamer to see if it was hot and it was, finally, so I grabbed the handle off of the hook and pulled it over to a tablecloth. I thought the cord was longer than it actually was, so when I pulled steamer over to me, the entire thing fell over. I dropped the handle to catch it, but as I did that the boiling water started pouring out of the handle and onto my left foot (and my new Jack Rogers L). Ya’ll, I have never experienced so much pain. Not to mention as I’m jumping around like a maniac trying desperately not to cry or say an ugly word, the director of the event walks in just in time to see the boiling water bubbling over my foot onto the ground and the tablecloth being soaked. I could have curled up in a ball and died. I decided right then and there that I was not cut out for this type of work.

Lyndsay and I picked up the steamer and tablecloth and she started to steam desperately. By this time Colton and his crew were arriving and we were under a lot of pressure to get things finished for their green room and get lunch set up. My foot was still on fire and I’m pretty sure I know what it feels like to have someone trying to cut your leg off with a chainsaw. Seriously, if childbirth is worse than boiling water on your skin, Count. Me. Out.

After that, we hung the tablecloths over a couch in the lobby and started to set up lunch. Colton and his band came in and ate, then headed into the auditorium for sound check. Lyndsay and I ate and I ranted to her about how embarrassed I was. The director came in and asked to take a look at my foot (she used to be an EMT) and said she thought they were 2^nd degree burns. She told us we could go home for a little while but to be back by 3pm. The break was much needed, as we were sweaty, shiny, ill and hungry. We went back to Lyndsay’s and took a quick 15 minute rest, touched up our hair and makeup, then went to my mom’s house to get some cream for my burns. Luckily, she had something to put on my foot and once she did the pain went away almost immediately. We decided to head back to the theatre and tough out the rest of the afternoon and night.

 

We got there around 3 and watched the end of Colton’s sound check. After that the director gave us a rundown of the ticket booth that we were in charge of and gave us a few more duties. We had a meeting at 4pm with all of the volunteers then ate a really quick, but delicious dinner. After dinner we headed back to the ticket booth and lines were already forming outside. People who bought VIP tickets were allowed to come in at 5:30pm for the meet and greet. After getting the VIPs sorted and in line to meet Colton, we opened the doors and let the rest of the concert goers in. There was a mad rush of tickets, cash, and children for about an hour then things quieted down. The opening band started at 7pm and we let the last people in at 7:05pm. Lyndsay and I headed upstairs to watch the concert from the volunteer section in the balcony. The opening band was the praise and worship team from Covenant Church, based out of Washington, NC and they did a great job. There was about a 10 minute intermission while Colton’s people set up then he started right at 7:50pm. He opened with a few rock-ish songs and he had a great energy. In about the middle of his set he did one of his singles on the radio right now “More of You”, and then he said a few words about faith and what it means to be the church verses going to church. He did a few songs on the piano, one of which was “Through It All”. I could feel the energy change in the crowd and I think everyone really enjoyed that time of worship. It was really wholesome and pure and I think God touched a lot of people during that. Lyndsay and I headed back down to the ticket booth to get ready to start selling tickets for the next event before all of the people came out of the show. We sold several tickets for October’s event, which is the “Time of My Life” tour featuring Chris August, The Afters, Unspoken, and Among the Thirsty. Colton came out to the merch table and signed a bunch of autographs and took a lot of pictures with the fans. He was kind and made lots of jokes, so he was an instant hit with the tween girls. Overall I think everyone really enjoyed the show and he seemed like he genuinely had a good time. After he went back to the green room, Lyndsay and I grabbed our things and headed home. I haven’t been that tired in a long time, but it was a great experience and although my foot still burns if I touch it, I’d definitely do it again.

 

 

 

 

Nexplanon: Week 3

So it looks like this is going to be an every other week update type of thing. Nothing really changed except my incision is itching constantly. I know this is just where it's healing but it's been so hard not to scratch. I'm making a valiant attempt at keeping lotion on it. The only other thing is that I'm feeling a bit sluggish, but I'm not sure if that's related to the birth control or that we've just had a very busy summer that seems to be flying by (2015 is halfway over, y'all). Over all, so far, I would say my experience has been pretty positive with the Nexplanon implant. Part of me is still a little worried that it could change after this first month, but I'm hoping all of the review I read where just written by really dramatic women. Have any of you guys tried it? What type of BC are you using? Any tips?

Nexplanon: Week 1

Hey ladies! So I've had my Nexplanon implant in for a week now and fortunately I don't really have anything to report. The bruising looks much better and is almost completely healed and the cramps have eased up a lot. I'm having PMS symptoms (acne breakouts, cravings, bloating and my emotions are on a roller coaster) but that's because it's about that time for my cycle. No spotting or anything yet so it's looking good so far!

Oh, Say Can You See!

 

What a great Independence Day weekend!

 

There is nothing like spending time with family and friends to remind you how blessed you are.

 

Sarah, the sweetest Grandma in the whole world and I playing around with the selfie stick while we waited for Susan and Alyssa to meet us

 

Thursday, after my doctor's appointment, my cousin, Sarah, who was visiting from Indiana, and my aunt Susan, cousin Alyssa and I headed to Nags Head for a day at the beach.

 

A ridiculously oversized chair we had to snap a picture in

Despite all of the shark attacks, Sarah was determined to swim. I waded in about mid-calf deep but the water was unseasonably freezing. I decided to stick to the sand and not take my chances with hypothermia or Jaws.

 

Is that a shark behind you, Sarah?

About 1:00pm I got a call from Tanner's mom saying that we had a new addition to the family. Carter Jerome Hardy was born at 11:19am at 7 pounds and 11 ounces. He is so precious and has so, so, so much hair and bright blue eyes like Mommy and Daddy.

So Sweet!

 

Once we got back from the beach I took the quickest shower of my life and met Tanner at the hospital to meet our nephew. We grabbed a quick dinner at Cheddar's and got home around 10:30, Thursday night.

Friday mom, Sarah and I went to a few stores in Greenville and had lunch at McAllister's. After that it was time to head back home to get ready for the streetdance in Belhaven. Tanner was a trooper and agreed to drive 5 crazy ladies to the streetdance and we all had a blast. We ended up going to a restaurant called The Tavern that turned out to be a really neat spot.

Lyndsay and Sarah

Tanner and I

Saturday we woke up about 8:30am and headed to the river to celebrate the 4th. We had a great day laying out, swimming and eating with all of our friends and family. Around 4 a storm looked like it was heading our way so we packed everything up and headed back up to the house. Sarah snapped this picture just as it was getting cloudy. God is an amazing artist.

Beautiful!

 

 

Saturday evening we met up with the girls again and headed Downtown Washington to catch the fireworks. There were a ton of people downtown. We found a good spot and got the hear the band finish.

This weekend was chaotic, busy and wonderful. The 4th of July is one of my most favorite holidays!

My Nexplanon Experience

Hello, ladies! Last week I ventured into a new territory with birth control so I thought why not take you along with me?

(Men, not sure you'll care to read this one.)

First, I must make a confession. Because I am the world's best procrastinator, I had been putting off visiting the lady doctor for quite some time. I know, I'm married, therefore obviously sexually active, and should have taken care of lady business a while ago, and I've learned my lesson.

Now, the main reason for my visit was a pap smear, with the intention of talking about birth control. Not only do I need something to make sure that Tanner and I do not bring an unplanned little one into the world (not that there's anything wrong with that, we are just not ready), but something to regulate my cycle. Since the 7th grade I have never been regular and it's time I get a handle on this.

After the whole pap smear, which was cringe worthy but not as bad as I expected, my doctor came in and talked with me about birth control options. There are 4 basic options; the pill, IUD, Depo shot, and Nexplanon. I knew right away that I did not want an IUD (too many horror stories) or the depo shots (a shot every 12 weeks, no thank you) so basically I had a choice between the pill and Nexplanon. My hang-up with the pill was that I knew I would probably forget to take it every day and I knew there was a possibility of weight gain. The doctor gave me a pamphlet about Nexplanon and said she thought that would be a good option for me. We talked a little more and I was on my way out. When I checked out, they gave me an appointment exactly 2 weeks away for my Nexplanon implant.

 

 

Nexplanon is a small bar that goes into your arm, between your shoulder and elbow, that releases hormones which cause your ovaries not to release eggs. You can leave it in up to 3 years, or if you decide you want children before then, you can schedule an appointment at any time to have it removed. I did a lot of research about Nexplanon and it seemed that the reviews were about 75% positive and 25% negative, so I decided to go for it. I arrived to the doctor’s office at 8:20am on July 2^nd. After check-in I peed in a cup, had my vitals checked then was put in a room. My doctor came in and asked me to lay back on the table with my left arm up. I had two small bug bites in the area where they normally put the implant so she put it about an inch lower than normal.

 

 

I wasn’t super nervous about the implant but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt a little. The worst part was the Lidocaine shot they gave me to numb the area. After that, I could feel the gun in my arm, but there was no sense of pain or anything like that. The whole process took maybe 2 minutes. The medical assistant in the room put a steri strip and band-aid on my arm then wrapped gauze around it. The doctor said that I would probably bruise and be sore for a day or so.

 

Boy, was she right. By the time I’d gotten home, I had a huge purple welt wear the implant was. It was little freaky to look at and if I touched it very gently I could feel the implant in my arm. By the end of the day my arm was pretty sore but it wasn’t until Friday that I started cramping. While shopping with my mom and cousin, I started having small cramps. I’m still having them today, but not as bad or often. Several reviews I read said they experienced heavy spotting and bleeding for the first month or so, but I haven’t experienced that, yet. So far, I don’t have anything very bad to say about the Nexplanon implant. Aside from the cramps and bruising, I forget it’s there. I’ll keep you all updated!

 

 

We Moved!

Whoever decided to move the same week as Vacation Bible School has absolutely no sense at all......

Oh wait, that was me. And what a week it was!

Tanner and I were scheduled to move in Sunday, June 21st, but plans changed and we had to wait a day. I had to work Monday so my sweet husband took the day off, recruited some family and friends to help and by Monday evening almost all of our belongings were moved! Have I said how amazing he is lately? He is one hard working man.

Vacation Bible School started Sunday night so we spent every night that week at church until about 8:30pm. Although we were swamped when we got home, I managed to unpack a few boxes every night. My mom and stepdad were lifesavers Saturday, June 27th. Michael hung the new blinds at the old house, mom helped me clean up a little and then she helped me unpack at the new house. My family rocks!

As of right now (July 6), I have about 6 more boxes to unpack, but other than that we're settled. I've made a few trips to TJ Maxx and gotten a few little things but other than that I haven't gone décor crazy.

 

The couch came with the house and the pillows were pretty dated so I found these 3 at Wal-Mart. I'd like to get another blue one if I can find it. The throw I found this past week at TJ Maxx for $14.99! It was meant to be.

 

Here's a shot of our bedroom currently. The bed is pretty plain so I'm in the market for some silver-y pillows and maybe a throw similar to the wall color.

 

This is just a close up of what's on our dresser. I love candles!

 

 

This is just a shot of the house from the front before we moved in. Super cute, right?

We are beyond blessed to have found such a great space. Monday night we prayed over the house that we would make great memories and that it would be a place that harbored love. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this new Bright household!