Four

Did you see my post about what my dad is doing for charity? He left at midnight last night! Follow along at http://riding4areason.org

I'm a little late jumping on the "four" bandwagon, but here it goes.

Four nicknames

1. Owey- my family/sisters called me this when we were young and it just stuck. Now all my friends call me this too!

2. Wee Wee- my niece couldn't say "owey" so she started calling me "wee wee" and it has stuck; funny but I secretly think it is the most adorable thing ever

3. "O"- my dad calls me this

4. Ross- my maiden name; this is what all my volleyball coaches called me; I love this name and hope to use it for a future kid's name

Four movies I've watched more than once

1. Dumb and Dumber- best movie ever

2. The Notebook- I can basically quote this whole movie; such a classic

3. Elf- slightly obsessed with this movie and all other Christmas movies

4. Pearl Harbor- such a classic!

Four things in my purse

1. Chapstick- I am such a chapstick hoarder. I have so many tubes because I always seem to lose them

2. Planner- my OCD side doesn't let me go anywhere without my planner… just in case I need to write something down ;)

3. Advil- never know when you could get a headache. Gotta be prepared!

4. Protein bars- because I'm always hungry

Four books I would recommend

1. "Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall

2. "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young
3. Any book by James Patterson will be amazing, I promise
4. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn

Four places I've visited

1. Turks and Caicos- took a family trip here a couple years ago and loved it! I want to go back!

2. Cayman Islands- this is my family's favorite vacation spot. I've been a handful of times and it gets more beautiful every time I go. The most pristine beaches and crystal blue water of all the places I've been.

3. Cape Cod/Nantucket, MA- my husband played in a summer baseball league in Cape Cod when we were dating and I went to visit him for a week. We made a day trip to Nantucket and fell in love with this quaint, beautiful island. We rented mopeds to explore and had the best.day.ever.

4. Riviera Maya, Mexico- our honeymoon location. We loved it and can't wait to explore more places in Mexico in the future.

Four of my favorite foods

1. Sushi- could eat it all day, every day

2. Mexican- chips and queso, yes please

3. Spaghetti- my mom's specifically

4. Mashed potatoes and gravy

Four things I'm looking forward to in 2015

1. Being an aunt x2- my sis is due in just 4 weeks!

2. Graduation from PA school- December 12, 2015 [not that I'm counting…]

3. Key west in 7 days!

4. Summer weekends at the beach

Packing for Key West!

I leave for Key West in 9 days! I am so pumped for a long weekend of sun, sand, crystal blue oceans, and fruity drinks! This is what will be in my beach bag:

1. I recently got the cutest fedora at Monkees in my hometown. I can't wait to wear it all weekend and keep the hot sunshine off my face. Stay away wrinkles!
2. Tory Burch sunglasses. I am currently swooning over these aviators. I don't have these exact pair but I do have a different pair of TB sunglasses that will be in my bag! I love her sunglasses. My next splurge will definitely be these shades.
3. Neutrogena sunscreen. My face is super sensitive and I have always dreaded putting sunscreen on it until I found Neutrogena sunscreen. It is oil-free, rubs in easily, and doesn't leave me with breakouts the next day.
4. Cover-up from Victoria Secret. I bought it before my honeymoon and love how light-weight and flowy it is. The last thing I want when I am sweaty and sandy is a hot cover-up that sticks to me. This is just the opposite!
5. Tory Burch rubber sandals. These shoes are the BEST. They are perfect for the beach and sand. Am I the only one that used to wear Rainbow sandals and after rinsing off my feet I was left with brown, nasty stained feet? Solution: TB rubber sandals!

What are your favorite beach essentials?!

Weekending: beach weekend with friends!

This weekend we went to the beach with some friends. My friend Katie Dare was in the class above me in PA school and we became really good friends. I would not have made it this far without her guidance, support, and words of encouragement! Her and her husband moved back home to Charlotte in December and I have been so sad without her in town.

I was SO excited they made the trip to the beach for the weekend and I was even more excited to see her growing baby bump! The day she found out she was pregnant we went to lunch and squealed with excitement the whole time. The last time I saw her she barely had any baby bump so I was so happy to see how adorable she looked and feel baby Liam kick!

OPI "Pink-ing of You"

Friday night hubs and I sat on the porch with music and drinks while we waited for our friends. It was great to have a little alone time to relax and enjoy the view. Once they arrived we had a low-key night and cooked steaks on the grill.

Saturday we spent the day on the beach relaxing and playing bocce aka the girls relaxed while the boys played bocce.

Love my husband so much

Painkillers with this view= perfection

After cocktails/mocktails at our favorite bar on the water, we took them to our favorite restaurant at the beach. As always, it did not disappoint. Both the girls got crab cake with jasmine rice and green beans and both the guys got pork chops with barbecue sweet potatoes and collards. For dessert we got their famous sticky toffee bread pudding. Our plates were basically licked clean.

Didn't want this weekend to end! Today starts my last week at this family medicine rotation and I am so glad to be moving on. Hope everyone has a happy Monday!

Linking up with Meghan and Biana

Four on Friday (because my week has been uneventful)

O N E

My 3rd week at my family med rotation was great! Wednesday I had the day off so instead of relaxing at home like a normal person would do, I contacted a family friend OBGYN and spent the day with her on call at the hospital. We delivered 2 babies! I cannot even explain the feeling of delivering a baby… it is nothing short of a miracle. I will never get used to that feeling. I just need to work on composing myself… tearing up isn't very professional! One mama pushed out a 9lb 6oz baby in just 3 pushes. That's what I want whenever that day comes!! Wednesday was the best day I've had in a long time. It truly reassured me that I love medicine and I am so thankful to be following my dreams.

T W O

Remember this post when I said I was swooning over these Tory Burch sandals? Well, I finally pulled the trigger. And I cannot wait to wear them every.single.day this summer.

T H R E E

You know what really sucks about being an adult? Having to pay $500 when the AC in your car breaks. Ugh. That's like 5 new maxi dresses or 10 mani/pedis.

F O U R

If you missed my post on Tuesday, be sure to check it out! Dad leaves a week from today for his trip! Follow along here: http://riding4areason.org

A letter to my 17-year-old self

Dear 17-year-old self,

This is the year that you will have your heart broken into a million pieces. You will fall in love with a guy that doesn't deserve you. You will make excuses for him and his bad choices. You will cry yourself to sleep every night for months. You will blame yourself for not being pretty enough, fun enough, good enough. It will take a long time to heal this hole in your heart. But! God planned this heartbreak to teach you many lessons.

This is the year that you will learn that family is irreplaceable. Your precious mom will sleep with you and rub your back for weeks while you cry yourself to sleep. She will be there to simply listen when in reality she should be telling you to WAKE. UP. and get over this jerk! Your sisters will become your best friends, finally!

While you are suffering through this heartbreak and wondering how you will make it to tomorrow, God is preparing your heart for your future husband. Hold on, 17-year-old self, because next year you will meet your future husband! I know it sounds too good to be true! When you two meet, it will be the perfect timing. He will turn your world upside down! You will have your guard up and have a hard time letting him in due to the way you've been treated in the past, but he is so worthy of your whole heart. He will cherish you, respect you, and mend your precious heart.

In the midst of this heartbreak, your parents will break your heart even more. They will blindside you with the news that they are getting divorced. No warning, no fights, no big fall-outs. They've just grown apart. You will immediately jump into "middle child mode" and try to make sure that everyone is ok. You will comfort your mom, go house hunting with her, and never leave her side for fear that she will feel alone. You will take care of your baby sister and try to provide her with a sense of stability and normalcy. You will neglect yourself in order to take care of everyone around you.

This year will test your faith, your strength, your friendships. But you will come out stronger in the end.

This year God will teach you that you are worthy. You are a Princess of the King and you deserve to be treated like one. He will teach you to trust Him. He already has your whole life planned, so why are you worrying? He will teach you that a relationship with Him is the only relationship that will not let you down. Remember that.

17-year-old self, the best is yet to come.

Linking up with Annie

Liebster award!

I was recently nominated by Ashley at Hanging with the Hirsts for the Liebster Award! Be sure to go check out her cute blog- so happy to have found it a while back!

1. What's your favorite family tradition? On Christmas morning we have a huge breakfast, complete with breakfast casserole, grits, monkey bread, fruit, pastries, etc. It is my favorite part of Christmas! It's so great to stop the hustle and bustle of opening presents and sit down at the table with my family and soak up what that day is truly about.
2. What's your favorite holiday? Christmas, by far! And it's my husband's favorite, too! We literally had to force ourselves not to decorate for Christmas in like September ;) Not only is it so special because it's the day our Savior was born, but there is just such a happy and cheerful feeling in the air throughout all of December. Christmas music, Christmas movies, Christmas lights, I love it all!

3. If you could live anywhere in America, where would it be? Hmm, great question. I am definitely not a "big city" girl but I think it would be an amazing adventure to move to NYC or LA for about a year. The other half of me says somewhere beautiful like the mountains in Colorado or Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
4. What is one thing you could not live without? Chapstick. I am a chapstick hoarder. I seriously have a minor panic attack if I forget it. Solution: have one in every place. I have one in my car, in my white coat pocket, in my wallet, on my bedside table, etc.
5. What is your favorite store? In the mood for workout clothes? Lululemon. In the mood for work/business casual clothes? J. Crew. In the mood for fun, stylish clothes? Monkee's of Greenville/Anthropologie/Vestique
6. What is your favorite way to relax/unwind? On the beach with a good book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. If the beach isn't an option, let me go on a looong walk with my furry Bella girl.

7. What would your dream vacation be? Bora Bora. Husband and I dream of the day when we win the lottery and can spend $1 million to go stay in these huts on the water. I mean, I dream about this vacation daily.

8. Do you like chocolate or vanilla better? Chocolate 100%
9. What did you want to be when you were a kid? I wanted to be "a doctor that delivered babies". I can remember being in elementary school and saying that to anyone who asked. When I was 5 years old and my mom was in the hospital delivering my little sister, I begged the doctor to let me help. It's pretty amazing that it has come full-circle. Though I am going to be a PA and not a doctor, I am hoping to work in OBGYN! I guess you can say it has always been my "calling".

10. What's your favorite room in your house/apartment and why? Our bedroom. Not only do I love our furniture and how we decorated this room, but this is the place that I feel most relaxed. This is where I spend quality time with my husband and have meaningful conversations with him. And there is nothing better than getting in bed and watching your favorite tv show!
11. What was your most recent purchase? These Tory Burch sandals. I have been wanting them for foreverrrr and I finally splurged on myself last weekend! Can't wait to wear them all summer!
Here are my nominees: Champagne and Suburbs Medicine & Manicures The Mrs. & Co. B Loved Boston The Newly The Modern Tulip Life As A Wife
Here are your questions: 1. If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would splurge on? 2. Where is your dream vacation? 3. Mani or pedi? 4. What was the "best day" of your life thus far? 5. If you could only use 2 make-up products for the rest of your life, which 2 would you choose? 6. What's your favorite drink? 7. Who is someone that has inspired you or made a positive impact on your life? 8. Morning person or night owl? 9. What is your favorite physical feature about yourself? 10. What's a random interesting fact about you?

Riding 4 A Reason

On April 23 my dad will ride his bike from Greenville, NC to Key West, FL. Why in the world would anyone want to ride their bike that far? To raise money for the Boys and Girls Club! These clubs are located all across the US and they provide a safe place for children to hang out after school. It gets them off the streets, promotes healthy lifestyles, and fosters their learning and education.

My dad rode his bike from Canada to Key West last year for this same mission. He also rode 3,000 miles from the North Carolina coast to the California coast for the same reason. He was riding 300 miles a day and was on track to set the world record for fastest cross-country ride until their suburban got hit by another car in the middle of the Arizona desert. Turns out the man was drunk and just slammed into the back of the suburban that was following dad. Dad was right in front of the suburban and if it wouldn't have been there, he probably wouldn't be here today. Dad was so shaken up that he flew home immediately, unable to finish the last 500 miles of the trip but 2 weeks later he flew to the place he stopped and finished the ride. He raised over $100,000 for the underprivileged kids in our area.

Follow along and read more about his journeys here! You will also be able to live track him from this website when he leaves next Friday.

"Like" his page on Facebook for videos and updates: Riding 4 A Reason

Follow along on Instagram: riding4areason

Read about his last trip here!

Interested in donating? Even $5 can feed a child for a day! donate here

Riding 21 hours a day. He would take 20 minute "power naps" anywhere he could.

He stops at Boys and Girls Clubs along the ride to talk to the kids about healthy lifestyles and setting big goals for themselves!

The suburban after they got rear-ended in the middle of the Arizona desert

I am so proud of my dad's determination and giving heart. He is using his gifts both physically and financially to help those in need. As always, praying for safety and strength for him.

Oh and p.s. I am meeting him in Key West to celebrate but I am traveling there via airplane ;)