This fourth of July was one for the books. It was the first time Jason and I were able to celebrate it together, so that made it so special for me! Last year, we were doing the whole long distance thing. This year, we had planned to go to the beach, but since there was a hurricane headed straight for us, we decided to spend our fourth somewhere else. We decided to go to Ashville. It is about 3 hours away from Charlotte, and we both have been wanting to go there since we moved here. Why Ashville, you ask? Well, it is the home of the Vanderbilt Mansion, or otherwise known as the Biltmore Estate. Anyone who loves art, history, nature, architecture, culture, etc. would absolutely love visiting the Biltmore! I highly recommend it to anyone.
We spent all day looking around, and we were even mischievous and slinked into parts of the house that weren't for public viewing.... oops! Really, I don't feel bad about it at all though... I'm the most curious little thing there ever was. One time I was visiting Nauvoo and we were in Lucy Mack Smith's house, and I opened a drawer in her bedroom and I found a falling apart, hand written journal! I was so excited! I showed my Dad and he told me not to touch it, then he told the ladies who worked in the house and they sounded alarmed and they took care of it... ahhhh I just wanted to read it so badly! I'm too curious for my own good. Anyway, they didn't let us take pictures of the inside of the house, but the furniture and the art is absolutely gorgeous. There was still clothing in the closets, and I was in heaven. The library? Don't even get me started on the library! It is filled with thousands of first edition books that are hundreds of years old, and they were like... the prettiest books that I've ever seen! Picture the library on Beauty and the Beast, only better. And did I mention it is the largest home in the U.S? If ever you get the chance to go to the Biltmore, GO! Jason and I had such a great time!
After we were done with the inside of the house, we explored the gardens and the grounds, and then we went to the winery and they had free wine tasting! Cool right? Except we don't drink.... Luckily for us, they had fresh squeezed grape juice, so we took advantage of that. We sat in the park and people watched, and everytime I saw a dog, I ran over to pet it. It was just such a good day. Then we went to dinner at Cedric's and we were able to sit out on the patio of the restaurant and watch the fireworks that the Biltmore puts on every year. It was so magical. I love America so much, and I am so incredibly blessed to live here! On Sunday at church when we sang the National Anthem, it brought tears to my eyes as I thought of our history and those who came before us. So many people have sacrificed for our freedom, and there aren't words to describe my gratitude for them! If I know anything, I know that this is truly a blessed land, and that we are in fact, "one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all." I love my country. God Bless the U.S.A.
Hello my pretties! Jason and I had WAY too much fun with this little video announcing the winner of the giveaway! Watch to find out who won!
In other news, Jason and I live above Mr. Heckles.
Except, our version of Mr. Heckles is an old lady with a light pink bathrobe. Apparently this woman has nothing better to do than pound her sealing for 5 minutes every time either of us walk from one room to the other. You may think I'm exaggerating, and I seriously wish that I was! But, unfortunately, it's true.
Yesterday, I was putting away laundry while Jason was at work. You know, just your average, everyday activity. Then, someone came to my door and knocked quite loudly. I got nervous, because I don't know anyone in North Carolina yet, so I ignored it and just sat there waiting for whoever was at the door to leave. The knocking started again, and again, I ignored it, willing whoever was at my door to go away. Once more, the knocking started, so I decided to go to the door to look through the peep hole. The only problem with that is, I'm too short to look through the peep hole. So, I hesitantly opened the door to see a lady in a pink bathrobe. She explained to me that I was being much too loud, and my footsteps were like elephants have been walking around in here. Talk about the last thing a girl wants to hear.. am I right? I mean... elephant footsteps? What am I? 500 pounds? Anyway, I told her I was just walking around my apartment, and I'm sorry and I'll try to keep it down. I thought that would be the end of it... oh how I wish it was the end of it. Last night, when Jason came home and we were eating dinner and doing dishes, suddenly we heard a loud pounding sound coming from underneath us. Mr. Freaking. Heckles. We took a few steps, and the pounding started again. Seriously? We don't even have shoes on, lady!
Tonight, we had a friend over for dinner and we finished it off with Breaking Bad. Guess who was tap-tapping (more like pound-pounding) away underneath us? None other than Mr. Heckles. Has it stopped? No. I can't walk from one room to another without hearing that awful pounding. I'm going crazy. Anyway.... that's all the news I have for you... to be continued.
Congrats Emily Cooper for winning the giveaway! And Thank you all for entering! Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future! Emily, please email me at sheree.otterson@gmail.com so I can get your prize to you!
As all of you know, I moved from Utah to North Carolina last week. I haven't even been here for a full week yet, but my loneliness is apparent to me. I am not an introvert, so being alone isn't my most favorite thing in the world. I gain my energy from people, friends, family, conversation. These are the things that I live for, the things that keep me going. I had a complete breakdown the other day, and I could tell Jason's thoughts were.... 'uh.... what do I do?' haha it was like a cry fest, guys. The waterworks were on, and they weren't stopping, no matter how hard I tried! You know how when you're really emotional, but you're composed, and someone asks you "what's wrong?" or shows the slightest amount of sympathy for you, and you just lose it? That's exactly how it was. Even though I'm sure Jason felt a little helpless and confused by my sudden sob attack, he was sweet and comforted me and helped me feel better. I'm so grateful for a supportive and loving husband! I'm also especially grateful for some of my close friends that have helped me immensely, and they don't even know it. My dear friends Sarah and Kirsten have helped me a lot as I've been out here, whether it be a phone call or a quick text checking up on me, their support has been so appreciated, and it's little things like that, that make a world of difference. They are so sweet and caring, and they are so helpful because they've both been here before. They have both felt this loneliness, and they have been genuinely concerned about me. Personal connection and authenticity is something that we are beginning to lose as a society, but I'm glad to say that I have friends and family that haven't lost that.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how truly flat social media is when it comes to the deep relationships that I have gained over the years. I never noticed how much my phone has been hindering my relationships until I came out here. Between Jason being gone all day and me not having a job yet, and not knowing a soul out here in North Carolina, I have spent a lot of time on my phone (and at Target.) Me being on my phone is nothing new to North Carolina, it's been in the works since I even got a cell phone. I've become so reliant on social media to keep me entertained, that I have missed opportunities to get to know someone, to get outside myself, and see the beauty around me, all because I'm too focused on my cell phone. It's a serious problem that I have failed to recognize, but it's real, and I'm guessing that most of you can relate.
Remember when you were a little kid, and the first thing you did when you got home from school was rush outside to play with your friends? When sitting at home was the most boring thing in the world and the question your mom heard about 100 times in the hour that you had nothing to do but watch T.V. was, "I'm bored mom!" When you and your friends would go on adventures, get into trouble, and the neighbors always called your parents and told them how rotten you were being? When the only games you could play were Uno, go-fish, and the ones that you made up with your friends? This is the childhood that I remember.
Remember these guys? Was your childhood something similar to theirs? I know that mine was. These kids are much different from the kids today. Where did it all change? It all started with Nintendo, and it has only declined from there. Technology has over-run everyone, including children. As I walk through the grocery store, instead of siblings annoying the heck out of their mom and running around the grocery store pretending to shoot guns, I see children sitting on their individual ipads, or even worse, their very own cell phones. Sure, their mom can get her grocery shopping done much easier with quiet, well behaved children, but where is their childhood? They are losing it. They are losing it to games, social media, fake friends. And what do they do when they get home? They sit and watch T.V. and play more games. Year after year I notice the decline in children playing outside, and it breaks my heart! I remember being a kid and being able to run outside if I had nothing to do, and BAM! Instant friends and instant fun. We used our imaginations, we played games, we had social skills.
Now we are seeing more of this:
And less of this.
Adults aren't much better either.
Instead of talking with one another, we exclude ourselves from people and conversation, and we converse online. We're constantly looking at our phones, and we fail to see the endless opportunities surrounding us. We fail to see the beauty in the world. We fail to make those most important to us, feel important. Lets turn it around, because in reality, we are both the problem and the solution.
Lets make our lives look more like this:
"We're becoming a generation of idiots: smart phones, and dumb people." I watched this incredible video this week that describes my feelings perfectly, I honestly couldn't have said it better myself. After watching this video, Jason and I made a pact that we were going to put our phones away, and live in the moment. I hope that you all take the advice in this video like I have. Our phones are meant to be our servants, not our masters. When you watch this video, I'm sure it will make you want to "look up."
So sorry I've been away for so long! You wouldn't believe the craziness that has been my life the past month. It all started with Finals. Yes, that nasty little word that sends a shiver up my spine every time I hear it. Sound familiar? Well, this past semester, among other classes, I took the last Math class that I will EVER have to take!
Here's the thing... Math and I? We have a relationship where no matter what I do, I can't seem to understand him, and he wont let me go. Finals were coming, and I knew that in order for Math to let me go, I was going to have to hit the books hard. When I say that I spent every free moment I had in the math lab the month before finals, I'm not even exaggerating. I was once there from 9 am to 8 pm. They had to kick me out! To say that I fried my brain would be an understatement.
Good news everyone, my professor entered the grades last night and.... I'm free! I got 104% on my final! Guys... hard work really does pay off! And who knew that I was capable of such a high grade on a math test? That was definitely a shock to me!
The second most time consuming thing in the world? Moving. For those of you who haven't heard, Jason and I moved from Utah to North Carolina.
Big move, right?! Guess what's even cooler? We drove to North Carolina! Guys... that's not cool... Driving for 30 hours straight is NOT COOL. Okay, Enough with my complaining. It really wasn't that bad. But, I was MIA for 4 days, and Kansas? Can I just say, why does anyone want to live there? The most boring thing I've ever done is drive through Kansas.
Life in North Carolina so far has been excellent! Last night was Jason and I's first night out together since we moved here, and we went to Jason's favorite Mexican Restaurant, Azteca. I miss Jason while he is at work, because I don't have a job yet, but I applied for jobs all day today, so hopefully I'll have some good news to share by the end of the week! Check out this Video I made of us on our Cinco de Mayo Date night.
Because I've been neglecting my blog, and because I'm celebrating passing math with flying colors, I'm doing a GIVEAWAY!
What am I giving away? I'm giving away 3 products that I literally can't live without.
1. The Beauty Blender
2. La Licious Body Butter
3. Baby Lips
Here's what you've gotta do to be entered into the drawing! Word to the wise? The more things you do, the more times your name gets put into the drawing.
1. Share this post on Facebook or twitter and comment below telling me where you posted it
2. Share this picture on Instagram and tag @sher_pear with the hashtag #shereegives
3. Like my post on Instagram
5. Tag 3 friends in a comment on my instagram post
4. Follow my blog
If you do all 5 of those things, you'll get 5 entries into the giveaway! The winner will be announced this Sunday, May 11. Thanks for reading, and good luck!
My wedding was pure perfection. From the Rehearsal dinner the night before to the actual wedding day, I couldn't have asked for everything to go better. It was so sweet to hear everyone's speeches at my rehearsal dinner. I laughed, I cried, and I was so touched by everyone who was there to support us. Not to mention the amazing food that we had, courtesy of La Jolla Groves. I'm so happy that my friend Caitlyn was kind enough to film all of those speeches for us. That is something we are going to be able to re-watch and enjoy for the rest of our lives. If you want to check out more of Caitlyn's work, be sure to go to Caitlyn Cutler Videography. If you want to see our wedding video (and trust me: you do) click on the link below!
I got a lot of questions the week prior to my wedding along the lines of, "are you nervous?" It was an odd question to be asked the week before my wedding. I've always heard of the term "cold feet," and I have always wondered if I would get them. I am happy to say that the term "cold feet," is foreign to me. I was in no way nervous to marry Jason. What would I need to be nervous about? He's my best friend, and I couldn't want anything more than to spend eternity with him, and I know that I am so lucky to be able to say that. I truly found the best, and I am lucky he's all mine.
The night before my wedding, I slept like a baby. Seriously, I just went straight to bed, no thoughts to keep me up; nothing. I just hit the pillow and BAM. Best sleep of my life. I woke up and my dear friend Kaci came to my house to do my hair and then I went to the darling Jade Baird to get my makeup done. After I was all done up, it was off to the Temple to meet my soon to be husband. The temple ceremony was so beautiful, and I am so blessed to have been married there surrounded by my family and closest friends. It was truly an incredible feeling, one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Pictures are amazing. I'm obsessed with pictures. However, getting 2 huge families and multiple friends to cooperate and form one picture is so frustrating! I don't know how my photographer Shay did it with patience and a smile on her face. It was seriously such a project, but I'm happy to say that we were able to get some great shots!
After we were done taking our pictures, we went to our reception hall with the wedding party to eat some food before the reception (because any of you who have been a part of a wedding, know that it's so busy you can barely get a bite in.) I am so glad we did that pre reception dinner! If you're getting married soon, seriously do it. I didn't even know what food we had at my reception until I got my pictures back! There is honestly no time to eat during the reception, so I would strongly suggest eating beforehand, cause if we wouldn't have, Jason and I would have been starving. And quite frankly, hungry people suck. I know I am the worst when I am hungry! So do it, eat before, you wont regret it.
Our reception turned out beautifully. My mom is amazing. I don't know what I would have done without her. My mom and I went around to multiple thrift stores for weeks to find enough candle sticks to cover each table. We spent weeks painting and glittering these candle-sticks. The flowers that I chose for my flower arrangements were soft blushed pink and cream. We had garden roses, heather, sweet pea and hydrangea's, and I loved the way that they turned out. I wanted my wedding to be simple and classic, and it turned out exactly how I imagined it!
We had a line for a small amount of time during the wedding, you know, common courtesy and all. Which, can I just say something about lines at weddings? No one likes them. Literally, no one. When I go to a wedding, I don't know the parents often, and I usually only know either the bride or the groom well, so wouldn't it just be easier to go to a wedding, not have a line, and then be able to talk to the people you really do know for a longer period of time? Just sayin'. Anyway, after 45 minutes. we had our friend Coulsen cut it off so we could get to the other things we had planned. We cut our cake, and I was sure Jason was going to shove it in my face, but he didn't cause he thought I would be mad! I really wouldn't have been... and I did put some cake on his face... oops! And can I just say how in love with my wedding cake I was? Seriously, I am obsessed. Then we did the garter toss (I was definitely blushing for that one.) and the bouquet toss. We had dancing at the end of the reception, and that was so fun for us! You know those weddings that they try to have dancing, but then it is just awkward and basically only the bride and groom are dancing while everyone else is watching them? Well, I'm happy to say, that's not how it was at our wedding. Jason and I love to dance! And so does our "crew." So, we had a very large number of people dancing and having a good time. Anyway, I wont bore you anymore with the details, but please do enjoy our pictures! I know I do!
