Goodbye Wedding Season

Wedding season is finally over! This year was full of weddings. In addition to our wedding, we had four more MBW weddings, a Florence wedding, and my DC roommates wedding. We made it to all but two of them and think going 5-2 on the season isn't too shabby, especially when you move during the year. We attended one wedding in the Commandant of the Marine Corps' backyard, one at the Biltmore, and another at the US Naval Academy. Each wedding was so beautiful. After planning my own, its even more fun to see each brides' unique taste and style on their big day. After wrapping up this wedding season, its nice to reflect on the good friends we have made over the years and the memories we continue to make with them. Next year is shaping up to be another year full of celebrating. We have one final MBW wedding (officially changing the name of our group from WAGs to just Ws), 2 Marquette weddings, a DC wedding, and a family wedding in WI. I'll be flying solo at a few thanks to Uncle Sam, but it should be a fun year! Enjoy a few pictures from this wedding season!

MBW ladies in Ashville, NC

MBW ladies at Crawford Hall in DC

Me and the hubby with the Thigpens at RTJ in Florence

Lauren, Me, Kerri at the USNA Officers' Club in Annapolis

Home Sweet (temporary) Home

I'm finally back! I've had a draft post saved since August about our last few weeks in Maryland, moving South, and our first few weeks in Georgia. As I procrastinated on posting it, the post got longer and longer. Now its at the point that I'm just going to delete the entire thing and give you bullet points of what has been going on in the life of the Reiffs...

• During our last few weeks in DC, we were lucky enough to visit the White House 3 times: July 4th Military Family BBQ with Brad Paisley, lunch in the White House Mess, and our departure photo with the President in the Oval Office. While I may not agree with Mr. Obama's policies, it was an honor to be invited to the White House and it will remain a cherished memory for years to come.
• I played in my fourth and final CAN softball tournament. We didn't do as well as we have in the past but we had a great time. There is absolutely no way to describe how lucky I am to have these people in my life. This tournament, and a missing glove (#SGRsGlove) prompted my joining Twitter.
• The movers came and packed up our house in Thurmont; after a few false starts. Once the moving truck drove away, I put my Romney sticker on my car and headed South. Steve followed me with Archie in tow.
• After visiting a few sketchy houses in less than desirable neighborhoods in Alabama, we settled on living in Georgia near Fort Benning. We had an interesting time trying to cram all the stuff from our 3 bedroom/2.5 bath house with garage and under the stair storage into a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment. 
• Steve's busy with school and I'm spending my time hanging out with Archie, volunteering with the JL of Columbus, taking day trips to God's country (Auburn), taking a few exercise classes, and working on some DIY projects. Once Steve's new orders come through I'll start the housing/job search all over again!

Sorry, that was a lot of information coming at you all at once. Now that we're all settled, I'll update more frequently; with shorter posts.

One Last "Oorah"

Last night, the hubby and I attended our last evening parade at MBW. For those of you that don't know that I'm talking about, each Friday during the summer months, the Marines of 8th & I showcase the best the Marine Corps has to offer - The Commandant's Own, The President's Own, and 2 marching companies, one of which includes the amazing Silent Drill Platoon. If you ever plan to be in DC on a Friday night during the summer, it is a MUST see. For the past 4 summers I have had the opportunity to attend at least a dozen or so parades. However, last night was our final parade. Since 2009 I have enjoyed our time at MBW - the history, the parties, and the wonderful friendships we've made. I will always cherish every single memory made over the past 3 years and will continue to look back on them fondly as we continue through the hubby's career. As the parade drew to a close last night and I witnessed my final pass and review on that pristine parade deck, I caught myself tearing up. It was a fitting farewell to a place that means so much.

FOUND: a few extra pounds

Is anyone missing some pounds? If so, please contact me because I've found them. As anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm not one to exercise. I don't know why, I just HATE it...can't get into it. When I was living and working in DC weight was never a huge issue because the 15 block walk to the metro and stomping around the Hill all day (and occasionally being too busy to eat) really helps keep the number down. Once we moved my lifestyle became more sedentary. I got it in gear before the wedding and was at a respectable weight (the dress zipped) on the big day. Well, the 2 months since the wedding have been a little different...I haven't been watching what I eat and will sometimes skip a workout or seven. I knew I had put on a few pounds but didn't really think much about it. Since I don't really go anywhere important, I'm usually in running shorts and a tshirt which makes it easier for the extra inches t go unnoticed. That all changed last night. Today was the change of command at MBW and I needed a dress to wear. All day long I had been thinking about options and had narrowed it down to 3 - I even thought ahead to jewelry, shoes, and a purse. Right before hitting the hay (for the 4:30 wake-up call - damn you DC traffic) I decided to try them on. They didn't fit...not a dang one 'em. I pulled 3 more out...same thing. I could feel the panic starting to set in and my eyes starting to well up and at that moment I lost it. I cried a lot; much to my surprise the good Captain was there with some words of encouragement, which helped a little. Then Maddie called to finish saving the day. I did finally find a dress that worked albeit one I was trying to avoid since the ceremony was outside, in direct sunlight, in DC. The moral of this rambling is, if you have a second, pass on some workout tips, healthy recipes, or words of encouragement (or berate me until I get off my butt) to help me get back into the swing of things!

Delicious Dish: Texas Caviar

Snacking...I LOVE to snack! One of my favorite snacks is a little something my dad always makes, Texas Caviar. Its a salsa of sorts and the best part about it is that it makes a ton and keeps for weeks. I have no idea where my dad got this recipe; I've tasted variations on it and heard it called numerous things, but this is our version. This is VERY popular at our house and among the Marines at work. Obviously any tortilla chips will work, but we prefer using either the lime ones or the new pepper jack kind.

TEXAS CAVIAR

• 1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow, and 1 green bell pepper - finely diced
• 1 purple onion - peeled and finely diced
• 4 tomatillos - husked and chopped
• 3 jalapeno peppers - chopped with seeds
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. of minced garlic
• 1 (28oz) can petite diced tomatoes - drained
• 1 regular size can of black eyed peas - drained
• 1 regular size can of shoepeg corn - drained
• 1 regular size can of whole kernel corn - drained
• 1 regular size can of black beans - drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup lime juice
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. chili powder
• 3 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper
• Garlic salt to taste

Blend cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and spices together in a food processor; the pour over chopped ingredients. Store in refrigerator and salsa will keep for at least 3 weeks.

**I tend to pick around onions and peppers and usually end up with a bowl full of them towards the end. To remedy the situation, I use the chop feature on my food processor to chop the onions, peppers, and tomatillos finer than normal. I also double the beans and corn and throw in a Serrano (or two) for a little extra kick.

The Excellence of the Excellence

After our busy wedding weekend, we left for our honeymoon at the Excellence Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Surprisingly, its the first actual vacation we had ever been on together. We've traveled together several times, but always for holidays with family or for weddings...never just because! This was a much needed break from the craziness of his work schedule and wedding planning. We mostly lounged around by the pool or on the beach, ate delicious food, drank fruity drinks, and slept. Here's a few pictures from our wonderful honeymoon!

A view of the ocean from our cabana

 Me, relaxing on our beach bed

 We went on a horseback ride along the beach and through the countryside.
Afterwards, we enjoyed fresh coconut milk.

 Dinner at the Lobster House (very tasty snapper)

Every evening there were shows to enjoy.
This photo is from the history of the island show.

Wedding ABCs

We are back at home and are settling in to married life. We had several friends that were unable to make the trip to Alabama for the wedding, so I thought I’d post an update here. Before we get started, I should warn you that this is long. I should also give you a heads up that the “ABCs” were taken from a blog belonging to a friend of a friend. Who am I kidding; none of you thought I was creative enough to come up with this. I promise to, or at least try not to, include a picture with every letter. You can read about the whole wedding after the jump. Enjoy!

I'm Back...FINALLY!

Sorry I've been completely MIA, but the weeks leading up to the wedding were all kinds of crazy. But now, everything is over (which I'm both happy and sad about) and things are the Reiff household are slowly getting back to normal. You'll notice that the blog title has been changed along with my last name.

Also, S got his web orders and we'll be moving to GA! Although its only for 6 months, I'm super excited about living only a short drive from Auburn during football season. I've been in contact with a few of my former professors and have some leads on potential short term jobs to keep me busy while S goes through his course. My fingers are crossed!

Stay tuned for updates on the wedding and honeymoon!

Win...Woe...Win

Today's post is about my latest wedding drama (fair warning...I'm a little dramatic). On Monday, I had my bridal session with my photographer, Kristen. I had my mom and oldest friend, Shell, join me to give input and help me TRY and keep my dress clean. The pictures went great. We started out by the old railroad bridge in Muscle Shoals and then moved over to UNA in Florence. I'm very antsy to see how they look. Kristen's work is beautiful, so hopefully they turn out nice. Now for the woe part: Its spring in North Alabama, so that means pollen...lots of pollen. Its ALL over my dress. I started freaking out. The dress shop said that they couldn't get it out and the dry cleaners couldn't spot clean it. Luckily they are going to be able to clean it. They kept it and it should be ready next week. Whew, crisis averted. So that's my win, woe, win for today. I'm also dealing with an issue with my pesky wisdom teeth. I never had them taken out so now they're trying to act up at a time when I don't have the time to be out after having them removed. Fingers crossed that the drugs Dr. Mac gave me do the trick.

I'm Baaaaack!

So, its been exactly one month since I last posted. Here's a quick run through of all that's been going on: I campaigned, albeit unsuccessfully, and I did wedding stuff. Yep, things have been really exciting here in Alabama. However, there are now only 27 days until THE day. Holy crap! Where has the time gone? At the beginning of planning this wedding, there were certain things I kept putting off. I'd say "oh, I'll do that LATER" or "I'll take care of that LATER." Well, now its later and my to-do list is really long. I keep joking that I need a personal assistant, a pledge, or Jennifer Lopez's character from The Wedding Planner (minus the groom stealing part). Thankfully my mom is taking the day off tomorrow to help me tackle a few things: bridal portraits, limo rentals, choosing table linens, bridesmaids' luncheon cake, and the announcement for the newspaper. Hopefully we'll get a lot done. I promise to start blogging a lot more now that the campaign is over. My dear friends, Maddie, B, and Steph, are throwing me a shower in DC this weekend. With that and my bachelorette party coming up, I'll have lots to share!

An Update From The Trenches

Just a quick update on how things are going down here in Alabama...its been a super busy week for the campaign. We've been trekking all over the 5th district and visiting with old friends and meeting new ones. Even though I'm a little biased when it comes to Dr. Griffith and the 5th district, I love this area and I think he is by far the best person to represent the people of this area in Washington. As I type this, there is a little over 23 days and 3 hours until election day. Between now and then we'll continue to be out and about talking to North Alabamians about where this district is headed in the future!

Uncle Sam, is that your final answer?

What? Could it be? Did Uncle Sam really just tell us where we're headed? Did he? Yes and no. Yes, we have a tentative post Maryland plan, but it isn't set in stone. As it stands right now, S will be taking a 6month detour through Fort Benning, GA before heading back to the fleet. This isn't what I was hoping for, since I'd really like to get started on a second degree, but you just have to roll with the punches. Here are a few positives about this short little jaunt in the South: we'll find out our next stop a good bit in advance which will help while planning for school, my dear friend Joe and his soon-to-be wife will be there, and its Auburn Football season! This is my favorite part...obviously! I'm already in the market for tickets to all the home games, so if you or someone you know has a spare set just lying around, I'd love to take them off their hands! Cross your fingers that Uncle Sam doesn't pull the ol' switch-er-roo and change his mind. That's all for now...updates on my time in Alabama, the campaign, and the wedding coming soon.

Sweet Home Alabama

So, I have big news...I am moving home to Alabama. Recently, my former boss decided to throw his hat into the ring to represent Alabama's 5th Congressional district. Since I was already planning on heading down to Alabama a few weeks before the wedding to prepare, I figured why not bump that up and go home  to help out on the campaign. Not only will I be able to get plenty of wedding related things done, I can also help make sure the 5th district has, in my opinion, the best representation in the 113th Congress.

I will be travelling to Alabama, as scheduled, for wedding showers the first weekend of February. However, my little brother will be flying back with me to help me pack up and move me and the Arch-Man back to Alabama. S will stay here and work until the wedding. It will be hard, considering we've been living together for almost 2 years, but it'll be good practice for the 7 months we'll be apart during deployments. Hopefully he'll be getting orders soon and we can find out where Uncle Sam wants us to go next!

Wedding Win: Wedding Day Gift Replacement

Yes, I realize this is the third straight post about a wedding day gift for Steve. I found one, then I blew the surprise and gave it to him early, leaving me empty handed. Well, problem solved! Thanks to ideeli, a discounted shopping site like RueLaLa, I was able to find a great gift for Steve. I found a mini Packers helmet, signed by Clay Matthews! I'm hoping he really loves it...too bad the Packers blew the season  in their game against the Giants Sunday.

Wedding Woe: Wedding Day Gift

Some of you may find yourself doing a double take on tonight's topic. Yes, my last post was about a wedding day gift for S. And yes...I broke down and gave it to him. After unwrapping both of my wonderful gifts (exactly what I asked for), my little gift felt crappy so I supplemented it with my planned wedding day gift. I did wrap it up in a vintage Packers shirt (thanks Mom)! So now I'm back to square one and am trying to think of another gift idea. It needs to be almost as awesome as the first gift...I say almost as awesome, because I just don't think you can top NFL ownership. All suggestions are welcome!