My Best Friend's Wedding

Jared, Peyton and I traveled to Tallahassee this weekend to see my best friend, Casey, get married! This was Peyton's very first road trip out of town and we didn't want to go through all the hoopla of spending the night away from home with her, so we decided to just go over for the day and come back that same night. I was super nervous about traveling that far in the car with her, but it actually went pretty well. We didn't need to stop nearly as much as I thought we were going to have to and we made pretty good time. She was very well behaved during the wedding too and basically slept the entire time, so mommy had time to catch up and visit with her friends.

We had a great time celebrating Casey and Tom and the wedding was a perfect representation of them. Plus, I got to meet baby James for the first time which was super exciting. I wish them the very best as they embark on this new life journey together.

 It was great to be reunited with these amazing ladies that I'm so blessed to call my sisters. 

Peyton's first road trip to Tallahassee!

 All dolled up in our monogrammed dress for Auntie Casey's wedding!

The ceremony and reception took place at the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy which is basically out in the woods almost to the Florida-Georgia state line. I loved it, especially with all the little rustic details that Casey used to highlight the Southern charm of the venue. I had no idea this place even existed, but it was beautiful. The perfect location for a good 'ole country wedding!

 Peyton's very first wedding and she basically slept through the entire thing. Mommy win. 

 Phi Mu love :) 

 Phi Mu sisters and now mommies together!

Peyton (1 month old), James (12 weeks old), Preston (6 months old)

Congratulations to my Phi Mu sister and very best friend. I love you. LIOB

Throwback Thursday

Five years ago today, I graduated from Florida State University. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I am so grateful to have spent 4 amazing years in Tallahassee and thankful to FSU for providing me with an outstanding education and so many fun memories, as well as introducing me to my husband and some of my closest friends. Therefore, today's Throwback Thursday is dedicated to this day 5 years ago when I was honored to graduate from my beloved alma mater. Go Noles!

I may have become a little nostalgic in the process of writing this post and gone a tad overboard with the amount of photos...

Throwback Thursday: FSU Graduation

May 1, 2009

 Graduation present from my Phi Mu family :)

 Phi Mu Senior Bar Crawl

Celebrating after graduation at Ken's

The best part about graduating...finally getting to sign the ceiling at Ken's!

Congratulations to everyone graduating this weekend, including my husband who has earned yet another degree from Florida State and graduates with his Masters of Business Administration on Saturday!

Ahoy, It's a Boy

This past Saturday, we threw a baby shower for my best friend, Casey, in Tallahassee. She is due on Easter, only about 7 weeks ahead of my due date, and I am so excited that we are both having babies around the same time and embarking on this journey together! The baby shower was so much fun and I especially loved getting to spend time with some of our Phi Mu sisters.

Casey and I met on the front lawn of Phi Mu on Bid Day back in 2005. Both of us came to FSU not really knowing anyone, and from the moment I heard her start talking I knew we were probably going to be friends. Being from Dixie County, Casey had a deep southern twang and a small-town conservative way about her. I could tell she was my kind of people and we instantly bonded. Plus, when she really got to talking, her super southern-speak would come out and most of the other girls in our pledge class couldn't understand what the heck she was talking about. Since my dad is originally from South Georgia, I grew up around all those little southern-isms so I always understood her completely. For the past 9 years, our bond of friendship and sisterhood has been ever growing. We started as strangers, a little recruitment fate made us sisters, and now we have become life-long friends.

In honor of our "meet cute" and our notorious tendency to do everything together in college, we decided that it would be funny to take maternity photos together in our Bid Day t-shirts. I'm sure that no one in Phi Mu ever intended for Bid Day shirts to be worn over baby bumps, but leave it to us to do something this ridiculous.

 Sisters, best friends, and now mommies!

Casey at 35 weeks and me at almost 28 weeks

That Bid Day t-shirt was definitely a tight squeeze, considering mine is a size small and it's been washed like 1,000 times and I'm probably about 30 pounds heavier in this photo then I was on Bid Day.

We sure have come a long way since Bid Day 2005

Now, on to the actual shower. I was in charge of decorations because we all know that my crafting/decor abilities far out weigh my cooking skills. Casey has decorated "little dude's" nursery in a nautical theme so I thought we could incorporate that into the shower as well.

This diaper cake was my pride and joy of the shower. Many hours of labor and 160 diapers later, this masterpiece emerged. I actually had a lot of fun making this diaper cake, so much in fact that I took pictures along the way of how I made it. The blogger in me couldn't resist the opportunity for a tutorial blog post (read here!) on how to make a diaper cake.

I made this banner as well, which was fun and super easy...much less time consuming than the diaper cake. It is being featured in a how to tutorial here on the blog. (Read the post here!)

The other hostesses did a great job preparing all the amazing food, included some delicious treats (like chili and pulled pork) not pictured on the table here.

Casey and her shower hostesses

 The proud soon-to-be parents!

Casey with my family

 It's getting a little difficult for us to pose in pictures together because our bellies get in the way. 

Congratulations Casey and Tom! We can't wait to meet little dude!

Founders' Day

Today, I am celebrating 162 years of sisterhood with my amazing sorority Phi Mu. I have written a lot about Phi Mu on my blog over the years and that is because it is still a huge part of my life. Too often I hear people who are Greek say, "I was a...in college". You were? Well, what happened? When did you stop being Greek? I became a Phi Mu in college, but I still am a Phi Mu and I will continue to be a Phi Mu even after they lay me in the ground. I'm sure that some people still think it's weird that I continue to be involved with my sorority after graduation. Most people think that fraternity and sorority life is just a college thing, but the brotherhood and sisterhood never stops. Phi Mu will always be an important part of my life and I will continue to be involved as an alumnae as long as possible. So today, I celebrate the exceptional organization that my sisters all over the world and I have worked so hard to preserve for the past 162 years. Happy Founders' Day ladies.

This past weekend, my alumnae chapter hosted our annual Founders' Day Brunch. This is probably one of my favorite events of the entire year because it honors our heritage and celebrates the traditions and rituals that our sorority was founded upon. One of the best things about being president of a Phi Mu chapter is getting to lead ritual ceremonies. It was my favorite part of being a collegiate chapter president at FSU and it is still my favorite part of being our alumnae chapter president. Without our ritual, Phi Mu is simply a social organization. Our ritual is what makes us a fraternity. (Sidenote: Phi Mu was the 2nd women's Greek organization ever founded and it was founded before the existence of the word "sorority" which is why we are technically called a fraternity.)

Performing the ritual this year was particularly special for me because of Peyton. Phi Mu has always been something special just for me, but now that I am going to have my own legacy to share it with, it makes this sisterhood even more important in my life. Technically, Peyton was there and heard our ritual already so now she has no choice but to become a Phi Mu. Just kidding...or not. Maybe since she technically performed her first Phi Mu ritual in utero, she will one day become a Phi Mu chapter president too. Ok, now I'm getting way ahead of myself. Just stop, Jacki.

Seriously though, my dream is for Peyton to become a Phi Mu one day. And yes, I realize that she might not go to FSU and that she might pledge another sorority. But Jared and I are going to try our hardest to brainwash our children from an early age that they can only attend FSU and they can only pledge Phi Mu and Kappa Sigma. Ok, I am so kidding. Only just a little though. Alright, back to being serious. I am hoping that my love and dedication to Phi Mu will set a good example for Peyton as to what being in a sorority is really about. I hope that she will recognize how much Phi Mu means to me and perhaps that will inspire her to pledge Phi Mu too. However, if she chooses to go another route, I will support her in that as well. But there are already quatrefoils in her nursery, so I think we are off to a good start :)

It might not be Thursday yet, but I figured that Founders' Day was a good opportunity for some Phi Mu throwback photos...  

My Bid Day 2005. Back when denim skirts were in style, I had blonde hair and was pre-rhinoplasty. It was raining that day, as it does everyday in August in Tallahassee. Plus, we had already jumped in the Wescott Fountain...I'm so glad that FSU Panhellenic tradition is still going strong. This photo also just made me realize that next Founders' Day I will be celebrating my 10 year anniversary of pledging and being initiated into Phi Mu. Oye vey.
 

Founders' Day 2008. I was president of our collegiate chapter at this time and a group of us came over to what is now my own alumnae chapter to present one of their members (she was initiated at our FSU chapter in 1933) with her 75 year membership pin.

FSU Graduation 2009. Leaving Tallahassee and FSU behind, but taking Phi Mu, my sisters and so many wonderful memories on with me.

My wedding day 2009. Having my Phi Mu sisters sing to me on my special day was my favorite part of my wedding. Don't worry, Jared understands :)  

Happy Founders' Day to all my Phi Mu sisters!

FSU Homecoming

We went to Tallahassee this past weekend for FSU Homecoming. While I was excited about going to the football game, I was most excited about getting to see my Phi Mu sisters! FSU beat Syracuse 59-3 on Saturday, they are still undefeated, and still ranked #2 in the country. Go Noles!

Reunited with my Phi Mu family!

Only 4/9 of our Phi Mu family actually. One of these days we will all be together at the same time. 

Everyone had fun meeting the bump! Prom posing with my great-great-great-grand-little Kate!

With my grand-little Chelsea! The bump is very popular at tailgates :) 

Our final football season as Roche, party of 2!

FSU vs. Maryland

This past weekend we made a road trip to Tallahassee to watch the Noles play! Our friends from Fort Lauderdale, The McGuires, came up to Jacksonville on Friday night to stay with us and then rode over to Tallahassee with us on Saturday for the game.

It was a noon game so we had to get up super early to make the drive over and start tailgating. Noon games mean mimosa tailgates!

We were trying to take group pictures of the girls and Mark kept messing around with the camera taking silly pictures which of course was making me pissy because I'm insane about my pictures and want to be assured that they will come out good. I'm ridiculous, I know.

 At least we got some entertaining pictures of Erika enjoying her Andre :) 

 Enjoying our 7th Florida State football season together :)

 Jared and his Kappa Sigma brothers

The game started...and we kept tailgating. We didn't feel like sitting in the noon heat in the stadium just yet, so we continued the party in the parking lot for the entire 1st quarter.

The Noles managed to defeat Maryland in a shutout 63-0! 

We enjoyed a great weekend with our friends! 

Go Noles!