4.25.14

Dear Dave, I'm excited for this weekend since we're both feeling better (well not you again). Hoping we'll get out of the house and do some stuff! Dear Sister Friend, I love you, your new hair cut is too cute! So glad we got to Facetime, if only for a few minutes this week. Dear suitcase, why has it taken me so long to unpack you from the cruise? Fail. I'll need to pack you up again soon for Tera's wedding next weekend! Dear movies, I haven't been to you in a while and I plan on hitting you up this weekend. The Other Woman looks hilarious and Draft Day looks like a good date night pick. Dear Dave, my camera roll is lacking in pictures of us lately. We used to be so good, but it's filled with only Finley pics so we need to get better of capturing US.

{oh Friday's}

Dear March for Babies, I'm excited to walk on Saturday. Dear friends, If you want to donate for our walk tomorrow please click HERE. Thank you! s h o u t   o u t to those who have donated to the cause already-thank you so much! Dear Jessica, I'm so excited for the drawing you're creating for me. Thank you, it means a lot to me. Dear Mom, I'm excited for our girls night tonight!

Friends I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday!

4.18.14

Dear Work, thanks for giving me Good Friday off. It's pretty cool.  Dear Finley, you have no idea what's happening today- you're getting snipped! I'm nervous for the procedure but am praying all goes well and you recover quickly. I love you so much you little fur ball. And good job with being out of the crate most of the week, even though I did rush home every lunch break to check on you. Dear Dave, I'm glad we both have today off so we can take Finley together and both keep our eyes on him afterwards. Dear Dad, so happy you're in town this weekend. It's been too long since we've all been together. Glad we can celebrate Easter as a family. Dear Tera, this time next week I'll be in Arizona for your WEDDING! So crazy. Dear Bahamas, I'm missing your gorgeousness. I love Florida but I don't feel like the beaches I go to are this blue and clear. Dear Megan, it was so good to see you at dinner last night and spend some time with our parents and Caroline. Felt like old times us all being together again.

  Dear Dave, I've missed you while I was gone and then you were gone for work. I'm excited for us to be together for a long weekend of just us. Dear Katie P, I'm so glad we have a date for your next visit! I love that friends are enticed into visiting by promises of beach time (and the craft room in Katie's case!). Dear mom and dad, thank you for your endless love and support. Dear Janet, I can't believe you had snow this week! Are you ready to move down here with us yet? We miss and love you.

4.11.14

Dear Dave, I miss you, I love you, and I miss you. I don't care if it makes me lame because I've been gone a day and I'm missing you. I think it means our relationship is healthy and YOU make me happy. Dear Tera, yay for bachelorette cruise weekend! I can't believe your wedding is almost here. Yay for celebrating you and Nathan-but mostly you and your last days a unmarried woman! Dear skin, I'm hoping you'll be less white when we return. Don't worry I'm protecting you with sunscreen but it doesn't mean I can't get a little color. Dear open sea, there's nothing like relaxing on a cruise, with nothing to stress me out. This couldn't have come at a better time. Dear pirates, if you come for us, my only hope is its an identical twin of Johnny Depp.

 

 

Dear Dave, did you find all my hidden love notes? I hope you love finding them as much as I love leaving them for you. And I hope you love all the Paperless Post cards you're getting on the daily! My crime is loving you too much. Dear Paperless Post, I'm available to be your sponsor. Get in touch! Dear Finley, I miss your fuzzy face. When I get home maybe we'll try you sleeping in bed with me while daddy is gone for work? shhh.

3.7.14

Dear Dave, First off, I love you so incredibly much. Have a fun weekend with your family and I can't wait until you come home. Dear friends, thank you for being so great and for all your prayers this week for me and my family. Dear Momma, you're awesome. Thanks for being there for the couch delivery guys and for letting Finley out almost every day. You're the best and Dave and I are so appreciative for all you do for us. Dear Spaz and Nate, I can't believe FaceTime works to talk to you guys! So cool. It was good to see your faces. I miss you. Dear friends, you'll want to tune in next week as we have more pictures of my sister's beautiful wedding!


Dear college kids, you're not the only ones enjoying spring break next week! YES, I'll  be enjoying it too as I get the week off (paid) from work. The perks of working at a community college! Dear Avacado's, you're my current obsession. I love that you're on sale at Publix lately. Dear Carole, thanks for the sweet Paperless Post card. It really brightened my day and I love knowing you're reading the blog! Dear house, you feel officially done now that we have our man cave couch. I can't wait for Dave to get back home so we can snuggle up on it and watch movies or Hulu on the big tv! It'll double as our second guest bedroom for now if more than one visitor comes to town.

Enjoy your weekend!

2.28.14

{This is what true excitement in a 27 year old looks like. Yay for Minnie ears!}

 

Dear second week of work, you went a little better than the first. And I did save a substitute teacher's butt with my ingenuity. So that's good. Dear Strawberry Festival, thank you for happening and for giving me the day off on Monday. Dear new neighbors, I'm a little freaked out you knocked on my  back door the other day at night. I will be shutting my curtains from now on so you can't peek in. Dear Moe's, I hate that you are so close to work. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I've eaten there this week. I really need to go to the store and buy food so we can make lunches. Dear Emily, I can't wait for you to be down here for your Spring Break! Yay cousin time. Dear sweaty bands, I think you are awesome. You stay on my head all day and look so cute! Thanks Mary for introducing me to them at the half-marathon expo. Dear Momma, thank you for being so good to Finley and us this week by dropping by the house to let him out and play during the day. Dear Dave, thanks for always loving me even when I'm a brat. Dear friends, enjoy your weekend!

2.21.14

Dear Nicole, It's weird being at a full time job without you. We were very lucky to have each other and I miss you more this week than ever. Everyone is very nice but it's not the same. Dear Tera, your envelope liners are beeeeeeyoutiful. It's been so nice seeing you the past couple of weeks and having some quality time to hang out!

Dear blog readers, I promise to try and be back more next week. Dear eye, WTF-two eye aura's this week where I can't see anything. It's scary-please stop. Especially since I'm starting a new job and the excuse "I can't see" doesn't sound like a real thing. Dear Finley, you are so big now. It makes me kind of sad how big you've gotten and that my little puppy is officially grown up. Dear Dave, I will love you no matter what you look like. You're a real trooper this week with getting Shingles at 28! Dear Connecticut (and sometimes Florida) Mac's, I miss you guys already. Hurry back! I'm so glad my plan for all our loved ones to move down here is working! Your house is gorgeous and it's too funny we have the same dining room table. You've got some good taste! 

{Katie P's instagram pic-now I'm self conscience about my head size}



Dear Momma, I promise we're going to find some time for quality time together. It's been a crazy week, but I do miss you. Dear Dad (look a shout out!) thanks for coming by to just hug me and give me the Fl map present when you were in town.  Dear Spaz and Nate, I miss you guys and can't wait to schedule Skype dates so we can hear about your honeymoon in Hawaii! Dear Mary and Katie, I'm so glad you guys are here visiting. You will ROCK your half marathon on Sunday-so no worries. I'm going to continue to work on you both moving down here!

 

Enjoy your weekend!

2.7.14

Dear Dave, I can't wait to see you tonight! I've missed you so much this week and I can't wait to hold you and kiss you and have you here to celebrate love with me. I'm so glad I have your love and I love weddings to cherish it and celebrate it. Dear Katie and Nate, TOMORROW you will be married. Let that sink in. That is exciting and wonderful. I can't wait to celebrate you two tomorrow.  Dear grapefruit, I just learned how to properly cut you. Mom, Grandma, and Papa got a good laugh from my mistake. 

Dear Momma, you've worked so hard for Katie's wedding, thank you for all you've done. You're an amazing woman. Dear Aaron, hey best friend I'm so excited to see you and meet your girlfriend. Hope she likes me because she's stuck with me if she's stuck with you! Dear Finley, I miss you furball! Dear Dave, you're amazing and so good to me and my family. Thank you for taking care of Finley and Bella this week and being willing to let me be up here to help out. Dear Dad and Tera, ummmm watching you do downward dog was amazing and I loved it!

1.17.14

Dear three day weekend-hello and welcome. I'm happy to have Dave all to myself without any shifts at work. Dear Spaz, I'm so glad you're back in the states and just a phone call away again. Makes my heart so very happy. Can't wait to hug you next week! Dear Finley, you're six months now! I can't believe it. You were such a good boy at the vet the other day. You're getting so big-41 pounds now. Crazy! Dear Hulu, you've sucked me in with catching me up on all my shows. It's bad.

Dear Dave, you are so fun. I love how goofy you are and how you make me smile every single day.

Have a great weekend everyone!

1.10.14

Dear weekend, I'm so excited that I don't work at the mall until Sunday night. It's like my first full relaxing weekend and I'm ready to just chill. Dear new church, I really like you and I look forward to attending on Sunday! Dear Mom, let's try to keep it together in church with each other this time ok? We're so similar we make each other cry. Crazy ladies. Dear Spaz, hope grading is going well. I miss you and can't wait till we can get back to regular week Skype dates. Dear Tera, I love our Bible study, thanks for doing this one with me. I feel like we're growing as Christians and friends! (gag that was cheesy). Dear gruyere cheese, I love you so much but dang you're an expensive block of cheese. Don't know how I'm going to justify buying an $8 block when I just eat it all myself. But yum. Dear Nicole, now that you have a Cameo too let's have card-offs with our free shapes! Dear Aubrey, I've been meaning to catch up with you on life but I want to tell you before then that your photograph's are beautiful and I'm so proud of you friend. Dear Finley, you are sooo cute.

12.27.13

 Dear Friday's letters, I can't believe this is the last one of the year! So crazy how fast this year is coming to a close. Such a very good and transitional year for Dave and I. Dear Dave, I had a wonderful Christmas with you. I love embracing our traditions and I can't wait to make more memories with you. Yes, I even enjoyed the you and steve wing tradition. Lip smackin' good!

{my sweet little family on Christmas day-Dave is in shorts as it was 75!}

Dear parents, thanks for the collaboration Christmas meal, it was so good. We definitely napped after you left we were so full! I'm so glad you're close by. Dear Janet, move down here already, so you can be nearby too! Dear Dad, it was so funny that you ran to our house and mom had to come get you. I love that you're able to do that. Can't wait till you're down here full time. Dear Sister Friend, I really missed you. Christmas just isn't the same without my little spaz muffin celebrating with me.

Dear Finley and Bella, I think you've officially formed a wonderful friendship. Dear Kristyn, I can't wait for you to get back into town!!! Dear friends, I hope you enjoy your weekend.

12.20.13

Dear Meg, God it's so good to have you here. I miss you and every day best friend time. Thank you for taking the time to come visit. Miss Caroline is so adorable, I'm looking forward to the weekend with you two!

Dear Cards Against Humanity, oh.my.gosh. Such a raunchy game, but so very funny. I'm so thankful it brought a couple of my work friends to my house this week to play it and get to know each other better.

Dear Bella, I think Finley is lonely without you to play with. You two were so cute together. Play date soon! Dear Finley, you totally won our stare off the other day. I was thinking back to when we first brought you home and we've come such a long way. You're turning into a really good little dog. Dear Momma, thank you so much for taking Finley out the past two days while I was working my shift at LOFT. You're such a big help and I appreciate it, even though you did get us the wrong milk at the store-we'll overlook it this time! haha. Dear Sister Friend, I miss you so much. Can't wait to Skype and hear about your week.
Dear Dave, I love you so much. Thank you for all your hard work at work and on the house this week.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

12.13.13

Dear readers, first thank you for checking in on this little blog of mine but I do have to say I'm a little heart broken that my guest post on Tuesday didn't receive any kind of feedback. My friend Cassie shared something that is personal to her and no one said anything. I'm fine when I don't get comments on my silly little posts but this one just stung a little. In case you missed it you can check it out HERE. Dear Cassie, I know people read it and I'm praying they'll feel moved to do something like what you and your fiance are doing in their area to help those around them. Hope you'll still want to guest post in the future! 

Dear Spaz, your wedding invites have been sent! I really feel like we're making great progress in wedding stuff, as we should since you get married in 58 days....OMG! 

Dear Official I hate Florida week, haha I got a kick out of it. Please hate away, I was in shorts and a tank top enjoying 80 degree weather while you were scraping ice off your cars (most with ice scrapers-some with frisbees and other household items-Christa and M.V I'm lookin at you!) 

Dear Dave, I love that we were able to have a lunch date randomly this week. I love that you're always  excited to see and spend time with me. I'm a lucky girl.

Dear Finley, you're a stud muffin. I love little moments like this when you just sit and take it all in. I'm glad I finally brought my phone on one of our walks so I could capture this.

Dear mom and dad, Dave and I are taking great care of Bella while mom's out of town. Finley and her are getting along just great, it's really cute to watch him copy her. Hope I'm sending enough pics to assure you she's just fine! Dear Dad, talking about all the food you're making mom makes me miss your cooking. Come to Florida already and cook for me full time. Thank you. Dear Meg, you come to visit in less than a week!!!!! I could scream I'm so excited. Can't wait to hug you and kiss on that little girl of yours.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Friday's Letters

Dear week, you've been tiring, I'm glad you're over. Dear Schiller, I'm so excited for your visit and to meet the new girlfriend! Dear Florida, please stay in the 80's for their visit so we can convince Schiller to move down! Dear Net Net, I love you and am so proud of you. Praying for swift recovery. Dear Momma, you're a good person, sister, daughter, and mom. I know you don't think so at times and I don't say it enough but I'm proud of who you are, what you taught me, and I'm so thankful for you. Your kindness and love has impacted my life and who I am more than you'll probably ever realize. I love you. Dear Finley, you're the cutest but I'm really over all the biting in the mornings. Please stop. Dear myself, as people from college start requesting friendships on FB or Instagram remember who you are. Don't compare, don't look back, and stay true to who you are. It's hard when you feel like you never fit in.

{throwback....look  how tan he was! 4th of July on the Capitol}

Dear Dave, thank you for all your hard work this week and always. The house is coming together and I'm loving it. I'm excited for some down time together this weekend with you.
Dear Dave, sometimes it's fun to look back at old pictures and remember how much we thought we loved each other then. It's crazy to me how much more I love you every day and how much stronger our relationship gets with every passing moment, struggle, and celebration. I'm so thankful for you and our marriage.

Friday's Letters

Dear Momma, I'm so glad you're so close by that you can stop by for just a hug. Dear Christmas shopping, I just can't get into you this year. Maybe it's because the temps are in the 80's or because I don't have my disposable income anymore, but whatever it is I'm slacking. And it looks like immediate family will be the only ones getting gifts this year. Sorry friends, with a different lifestyle comes some changes.

{haha gotta love Bridesmaids}

Dear Florida, you're wonderful! No lines at the DMV, 80 degree weather at the end of November. We definitely made the right choice to live here. Dear Kelsey, it's so fun running into people I know in Home Depot (our second home). Makes it feel like we're really settling down. Love that! Dear Carole, you don't know how much your prayers mean to me. I can feel God at work in my life because of Mom and your weekly prayers. Thanks for being my second mom!  Dear Finley. can you get any cuter? I just love you so much and am grateful for all the time we spend together. It's funny, as soon as he hears the fridge ding for the ice cubes he ALWAYS comes running in hopes of getting one.

Dear family walks, you're something I look forward to everyday. I love leaving our phones and just being together with Dave as we teach the little furball how to LLW (loose leash walk-thanks Petsmart). A good way to catch up on the day together, enjoy the weather, and unwind from the day. 

&

Dear Dave, I'm excited for this weekend being just us. I'm hoping that you'll be able to relax around the house. You work so hard at work and then come home to take Finley on a walk and do more things around the house. I'm so appreciative for all that you do. I love you so much.

Friday's Letters

{my man at work}

Dear Dave, first off thank you for all you do. I'm so lucky and blessed to have you as my husband. You've amazed me this week with your hanging skills, putting together and installing fans and light skills, and as always your patience with everything. Dear Finley, you're getting so big. You're 21.8 pounds now and we've taken out your little divider in your crate since you need more space. You're starting to look more like a dog and not a puppy every day! 

{still working on things....but this is a good start!}

Dear Vigo (that would be my car's name), you're officially paid off! Got the letter in t he mail making it official! YES! Dear Spaz, I'm so glad we caught each other and got to Skype. Lots of things going on in our lives and sometimes it makes it hard to settle down and include one another. Promise to get better. Dear Finley, you're so silly. I love watching you eat a little, run around the house for a second or play with a toy and then circle back to finish your meal. Weirdo. Dear Mrs., I still love seeing that on letters and paperwork. It's so weird to be a Mrs. sometimes but I love it and it still takes me by surprise at times. Dear Dave, you're feeling a little under the weather and I hope you feel better soon. You've been working hard at work and at home that you deserve some rest. Dear weekend, I'm so glad you're here. Dear Aaron, it was so nice chatting with you the other day. I'm so very proud of you, who you are, and what you're doing. I'm so blessed to have you as my best friend and I can't wait to meet this girl of yours! Dear friends and family, I'm keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers, especially those with medical stuff going on. I love you.

Enjoy your weekend!

Friday's Letters

Dear Momma, thanks for being willing to "feel creepy" and take pictures of my little family during Finley's bath time. Dear Dave, I hope you have fun at Boy's Weekend, but I miss you already. Dear friends, ahhh sorry I have been MIA this week. So much going on and we are living at mom and dads with my aunt and uncle visiting-so it's been a little hectic. Promise to be back in your lives next week...I hope. Dear Janet and Jeri, I get to see you today! Dear Finley, you've been so good during this transition, you're such a good boy. I love you a lot now. Dear sister friend, I really miss you. I may have listened to a voice mail you left this summer so I could just hear your voice.

{omg, he's toooooo cute, sometimes I just kiss and kiss and kiss him}

Dear Finley, you are sooooo good at "sit". Thank you for sitting still so I could get a picture of you in your Halloween bandanna. You're not scary at all, until I have to get something out of your mouth and your razor teeth come out! Dear little trick or treater, sorry Finley got excited and pulled on your tiger tail. He's a baby and I couldn't help but laugh when you said, "he almost ripped my pants." Dear friends with kids, I loved seeing all your little ones dressed up. My favorite was my friends Allison's baby boy as the old man in the movie UP.

{I mean....come on. Adorable}

Dear house, FOUR more days till we gets keys and you're all ours!!! Wow, I can't believe it's really happening. Dear prayer warriors, please continue to keep us in your prayers. There is still a lot to be done in the house and I'm anxiety riddled thinking that it won't get done and closing will be delayed...again. So pray for patience for me as well as everything being done correctly and timely.

Enjoy your weekend!

Friday's Letters

Dear Dave, I miss you. I'll be back home soon though-and I'll be bringing my Momma and Dad (and Bella). Dear Finley, I hope you're being good for your dad while I'm gone. I miss you too you little polar bear. Dear Spaz, seriously Skype date soon? Dear 50 shades of gray (it's what I'm now calling our attempt at finding the right shade of gray for our living space), I hope these next five samples have a winner in there. We're now up to 12 samples of gray. Dear Dave, I'm so glad that you understand the vast difference of gray, but I think we're onto it now. I have a feeling that brown/gray is where it's at!

Friday's Letters

Dear Dave, I'm really excited for some down time/alone time together this weekend.It's been nice having friends visit but I'm ready to get back to just us for a while.

 Dear blog fantasy league, I'm currently in 1st place and it feels awesome. It may only be because Dave reminds  me to check my other league's line up (which I'm in 2nd by the way) but that's ok, I'm still making the picks. Yeeeee! Dear Spaz, let's Skype soon. I miss talking to you and we have wedding stuff to go over. Dear Judy, Thank you so much for Finley's new blanket. He loves it. He now brings all his toys onto it and plays with them on there.

{Finley the hoarder //  fam pic}

Dear Tera, love you lots-you know! Dear Katie P, Thank you for your prayers and doing this Bible study with me. Can't wait for us to find some time to FaceTime and get each others thoughts on it. Dear Christa, Thanks for checking on me this week about the hardships of puppy hood. So glad blogworld introduced us! Dear Government, there is a reason I don't like politics and refuse to vote anymore. Grow up and act like adults and if you can't do that at least don't get paid like everyone else. I'm so grateful to be out of DC during this time. Dear God, you are so good. Dear friends, have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Friday's Letters

Oh hello blog world. I've missed you, as I am sure you  missed me. No excuses for lack of posts but things have been a little crazy around here. Babysitting kids, going to Loft to work until 10 pm some nights, constantly watching the dog....lots of transition stuff that is tiring us out over at the Bounds house. We're working on a lot of things though, like not forgetting to eat all day, spending time in prayer with God, Finley getting better at sit, stay, come, and not to bite, and just every day things while camping out at Mom and Dad's.

I feel like I'm slowly getting a handle on things though and promise to dazzle you with more witty and thought provoking posts next week. In the meantime I'll leave you with my favorite....Friday's Letters.

{another family photo because I wasn't mad at Finley that moment!}

Dear Kafi, I'm so glad you're coming to visit. It's been rainy here in Florida but should be nice this weekend for us to go to the beach! Dear weekend, I'm really looking forward to you and can't wait to relax. Dear house, it's exciting to see how far you're coming along. Our granite was even installed this week and makes the kitchen look awesome! Dear Dave, I seriously am so thankful for you. I don't think I could have a better partner in this journey of life. Thanks for always being there with an uplifting word, hug, goofy song, or whatever I might need. I adore you and love you so very much. Dear parents, thank you for always being in my corner and taking such good care of me. I love you guys.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Friday's Letters

Dear Finley, we've had a rough first week huh little man? You've learned come and sit and have gotten better at whining at night, but you've also had a couple of shit storms in the house (thank God for Florida tile) and now have a cold. It's been a love/annoyed relationship this week, but ultimately love wins out and I'm glad we added you to our family even if I am tired and missing the days when I didn't pick up crap on a daily basis. Dear Dave, I have fallen more in love with you this week. You are so sweet and loving to Finley and me. You take care of me when I break down and pick things up when I just can't carry them anymore (figuratively speaking y'all) We make a great team and I appreciate how you take care of us and acknowledge all my hard work too. Dear Nicole, REUNITED and it feels so good! Can't wait to show you around Tampa and have a weekend together again!!!! So stoked to have a friendly comforting face down here. Dear LOFT, I'm liking working there. It's fun to talk to grown ups again and to have fun styling women's wardrobes. Dear House, you're looking great! We have cabinets, the house is painted, and I'm pretty stoked about having a closing date! Oct 30th can't get here soon enough!Dear Spaz, I adore your Save the Dates!!! I can't believe my baby sister gets married in 6 months. Wow.