New house finally under construction!

Our new house is finally on its way! The poured the slab 2 weeks ago & we should finally have some framers out there this week! Can't wait to see an actual structure!

It's been a while!! Finally reporting on NYC!

It's been WAY too long since I've updated!! Things have been very busy, but I don't feel like I have that much to report on!

I'll start with our trip to New York!

We went over Labor Day weekend with our good friends, Tara & Jeremy Magee. We all had a great time! We arrived in the city around noon time on Friday & didn't fly out until Monday afternoon. We had lots of fun sight-seeing & Tara & I enjoyed doing a little shopping. I'm sure the guys would tell you that was B-O-R-I-N-G!

Here are a few pics from the trip!

Central Park

On the ferry to the Statue of Liberty!

Ellis Island

US Open 2008

View from Arthur Ashe Stadium

Tavern on the Green

4 weeks 'til Jody's big day!

This weekend marked 4 weeks until Jody & Phillip's wedding! Wow! The countdown is on! Us girls headed off to celebrate Jody's bachelorette weekend! We had a little get together on Friday night with lots of good food & fun! We hung out & got to catch up with several friends we haven't seen in a while! Saturday morning, we headed to Shreveport for a fabulous day!! We started with lunch at Posados & then headed to Spa Concepts! This was a wonderful spa & everyone enjoyed it! We had 7 in our group- everyone had their choice for services.. Many got massages, pedicures, facials, etc.. It was a relaxing, fun day! We then showered & got ready for dinner at Superior's Steakhouse! WOW! Love that place!! Definitely on my list for mine & Eric's next special date night!! :-)

Although I don't have any pics from this weekend, I will leave you with a couple of Jody & I!

Best wishes, Jody! Can't wait for your special day! I'm so thrilled that I will be standing up there with you! Love you!

This is Jody & I before Stacy's wedding.

This me, Ainsley & Jody about 3 years ago!

Greensboro, North Carolina

I headed out last weekend to Greensboro, NC for a work trip. It was a flying trip for a company conference, but I enjoyed it, learned alot, and met alot of fun people! Yes- insurance folks do know how to have fun! haha! I flew out Friday morning, arrived there around 4:30, and the first person I met was a girl named Nicole. We arrived about the same time & were both waiting on our transportation to the hotel. From the "Hi, my name is..." til the second we parted ways in the Atlanta airport on Sunday, we pretty much hung out together! I was so glad to meet somebody to hang out with! Those conferences are pretty miserable if you don't have somebody to tag around with! Also, there are not just a ton of people our age there! She is 25, from Buffalo, Ny, and a proud new mama to 3 month old Carly! I got to see lots of pics of Carly throughout the weekend- and she is precious!!
On Saturday night, the company hosted a party at the Greensboro Grasshoppers Minor League Baseball game.. It was fun!

Here is a picture of Nicole & I at the game!

Cheers to new friends who you feel like you've know forever!

Summer fun with friends!

After church tonight we gathered with a group of friends in Railroad Park in downtown Ruston to eat & hang out. It was still a little warm, but we had a great time! The kids really enjoyed having plenty of room to roam around, and the fountain was pretty enticing as well! One of the guys brought a watermelon so he sliced it up & we all enjoyed a very juicy piece! We are lucky to have a group of church friends that enjoy getting together & hanging out!

Some of the group!



Doesn't that look good?


The kiddos!


Aren't they precious?

Happy Birthday Mom & Gavin!

Saturday was my Mom & my brother, Gavin's birthday! We won't tell what birthdays these were! :-) Gavin was not able to come into town for a visit, but Eric & I went with my Mom & Dad out to dinner at the Warehouse in Monroe. It was a great dinner & lots of fun! They even brought my Mom out a special dessert with a candle! Wish I had a pic of that!

New York City here we come!!!

And the countdown is on!! In just over a month, 34 days to be exact, we are heading to NYC for Labor Day weekend with our good friends the Magees! We are so excited! We are leaving on Friday early am & should arrive in the city by noon. We have reservations at Peter Luger Steakhouse for Saturday night & on Sunday night we are going to the US Open!! I am thrilled to be going back this year! Eric & I had a wonderful time last year! Such an amazing experience! I am praying now that we will get to see some of my favorites play during our evening there! Venus or Serena Williams, James Blake, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer.... Any of those would I would be excited about!!!

Tara & Jeremy have never been to NYC so they are really looking forward to the trip as well! We are hoping to catch a broadway show & of course visit all the famous sites. This is my 5th trip to NYC & it never gets old! I love this city! Years ago as a child I visited NYC & I climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty. That is no longer allowed but I am hoping we have a chance to take the ferry over to the Statue again this year.

Well, I will leave you with a few pics from the Wilkerson's trip to NYC in 2007! Just looking at them gets me excited for this years trip!!!

US OPEN

US OPEN

5th Avenue!

Wall Street

Times Square

NY Stock Exchange

Rockafeller Center

Times Square

Central Park

Have a great weekend!
Love,

Emery

Bootcamp!

My oh my I forgot how sore you are the first week of workouts! Sharon Jackson, a trainer here in Ruston, started a Bootcamp for Women. I go on Tuesday's & Thursday's from 6-7am. It is tough but I am really enjoying it! It is a combination of many different things- running, weights, lunges, core strength, etc.. She keeps us moving the whole time & keeps it interesting so you don't get bored. I'm drenched by the time I leave so it better be doing some good! :-)

Girls Trip 2008!

Last weekend I took off to Gulf Shores, AL with 4 fabulous girls! Let me identify them in the picture above: Paula, Stacy, me, Jody, Lynette. Three of them, Paula, Jody & Stacy, are 3 of my best friends from college! Lynette is Jody & Stacy's cousin who is currently in college! She was quite the reminder of how we all were several years ago in our college days! Paula, Jody & Stacy are all like family to me! I was thinking the other day how long we've been friends & it's over 8 years now. We've all been there for each other through so many things & I can only imagine what the future holds! Jody, Paula & I lived together & we often recall "Wilmuth" memories. (Wilmuth was the name of the street) Boy were those the good ole days!! So many fun memories in that house. I am looking forward to the next couple of months as we will get to be together frequently for Jody's upcoming wedding! She is getting married on September 13 & I can't wait! Her fiance, Phillip, is Eric's 1st cousin! Eric & I are both in the wedding so it should be a fun time for all!

Anyway- back to the girls trip! We left on Friday at noon & headed down to the beach. We had good weather for about half of Saturday & half of Sunday. We got several hours of beach time both days & also fit in some shopping in Foley at the outlet mall! Paula, Jody & I had dinner a LuLu's one night & I highly recommend it! Such a fun place & a great relaxed atmosphere on the bay. The 2nd night we headed to Tacky Jack's & that was a great place too! Live music & we were sitting outside overlooking the bay.

We headed home on Monday so it was a short trip, but well worth it!

Is it time to start planning Girls Trip 2009 yet?!?!

It's about time!

Well, I enjoy keeping up with lots of friends by reading their blogs, so I thought it was about time to start one of our own! I'll start by updating you on us & our lives at the moment!
Our 3 year anniversary is quickly approaching! It is 2 months from tomorrow- September 24! My how time flies! I can't even explain how blessed I am to have such an amazing husband! He really is wonderful! We have so much fun together! I can't imagine a life without laughter! It really does cure the soul!
Eric is getting into his busy time with work so I'm not looking forward to that.. I miss him just thinking about him being gone! :-) I am staying really busy at work & wondering where my evenings go! By the time I get home, start cooking, we eat, & go check on the progress of my Mom & Dad's new house, it is time for our nightly "us" time watching tv, reading the paper, just good old relaxing. We are really enjoying this time in our marriage! As our friends with children tell us often- time will not be the same after kids! We know that, and although I am looking forward to the day we are ready to start a family, I am loving this time of just us & getting to go & do as we please! We love to travel & are enjoying several trips a year!
Well, I better go for now!
Hopefully there will be more blogs to come sooner than later! :-)