We Are The Red and White From State!

Oh football season. Football has a love hate relationship in our (future) family. Chase loves it. I mostly love it. Chase lives and breathes anything sports related. I like napping while watching sports. Chase can rattle off facts about football players and coaches like an encyclopedia. I am just now learning the names and mascots of the different teams. Its a slow process.

The one thing about football that Chase and I both agree on is that we love NC State Football. NC State is where we both attended college and where our relationship deepened to the point where we began to consider this whole marriage thing. We were both members of the Student Wolfpack Club (and are now members of the Wolfpack Club). The tradition of piling a bunch of people into our car, going through the Bojangles drive thru, and standing up the entire football game cheering at the tops of our lungs was something we will always remember. Boy those were the days.

This year was the first football season that both Chase and I were State Alums. Our budgets would not allow us to get season tickets, but we were able to grab a football mini-pack so that we could go see our team play 4 times at home this season. We still tried to hold on to a couple of old traditions such as going through the Bojangles drive thru before the game, and seeing friends from college. However we also began to create some new traditions which were pretty amazing such as tailgating with new friends from Winston Salem who are also pack alums, and also eating at Smithfield's BBQ on the way home from the game.

Chase and I were thrilled that State did as good as they did this year. Last year they did not win one single ACC game. This year they are bowl eligible and they beat our rival UNC. All we have to say is Go Pack!

What is crazy is that my photo skills were lacking this football season. Usually my camera phone or real camera is snapping pictures left and right. This football season I took two pictures. Two pictures!!!! I must be going crazy. But the neat thing is that the first picture is from the first game of the season where is was close to 90 degrees and the second picture is from the last game where it was around 45 when the sun went down. Oh football season, I know Chase loves you, and I am starting to realize why. We are looking forward to what next season brings. By then we will be Mr. and Mrs. heading to the game together…!!!

First game of the season where we left with tan lines and sweaty memories. 

Last game of the season where we had to wear layers and bring blankets. 

Now its time to gear up for basketball season. Where the learning curve for me is steeper, but where it's always a constant temperature inside of the arena, and where Chase is like a kid in a candy store.

Lets Go Pack! 

- S & C

Examples of Love

Chase and I have a pretty sweet home church. In fact, when Chase and I moved to the same city recently we looked for a church that reminded us of our home church. Collectively, the members of our home church have nurtured us and our relationship as we have grown up and grown together these past six years. Much advice has been given, many stories have been told, and signs of their love and affection have been abundant. What true examples of love our home church has been for us. In 75 days we will be walking through its doors to become husband and wife.

To celebrate the joyous occasion our church threw us a wedding shower. It was a beautiful fall themed shower with an apple bar and a cookie bar, and plenty of love to go around. Chase and I were overwhelmed with the amount of support that was shown for our marriage. We left the church that day with full bellies, a full car, and full hearts.

Chase and I would like to take this time and space to thank everyone who had a hand in making our church wedding shower a reality. You are all amazing and wonderful people to us. We would also like to think every person who took the time out of their busy day to come to our wedding shower. We felt the love, and it was beautiful.

The cookie bar. 

Receiving some much needed advice! 

Sweet friends and future family.

Childhood friends.

My sweet sweet daddy.

Our Sunday School teachers and examples of a wonderful marriage. 

Us 

Much love on this Monday!

-S & C

Time For A Tailgate

About a month ago Smith wedding festivities officially began with our first wedding shower. It is absolutely mind-boggling to think that it has already been a month since it happened. Time just seems to be flying by. We know that we are ready to have the big day here, but at the same time we are trying to cherish every moment we have together in this wonderful period of engagement. The love that has been shown to us during these months has filled our hearts with anticipation for what married life will bring.

ANYWAYS…back to the party. I met my college roommate Michele when I first moved to the mountains in middle school. She thought I was weird at first, and I am pretty sure those feelings haven't changed much over the years, but we have a great relationship with one another. Her family were the ones who introduced me to NC State when I was in high school and I credit them with guiding me down the right path to picking NC State as my college home. Our group of friends and Chase's group of friends get along good together and my time spent with her in college was a season of life that I will forever cherish. I miss her as my roommate and I am glad that we are still buddies and that she agreed to be one of my bridesmaids in the wedding. When her family offered to host a wedding shower for Chase and I we were very excited.

They decided to throw us a tailgate wedding shower since the fondest memories of their family and us were during football game tailgates. Boy was it a wonderful party. From tailgate games, to a crisp fall day that was perfect football weather, to football on the TV, to delicious food, and one of a kind fellowship, Chase and I were so thankful for their generosity and love. It was the perfect way to start off our wedding festivities.

Tailgate Games

NC State Themed Corn-hole 

Michele and I 

Michele and her beau Zach

NC State cupcakes with our wedding initials on them

NC State game attire 

Us…so happy and so in love

81 days and counting until "I Do". There is so much more to get done before that day arrives. However looking back on things, we are glad that this tailgate was the beginning of the crazy. We wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Surrounded by friends and family and the college that continued our love story. We feel so loved and so thankful. Thanks be to God.

- S & C

Our Space

C and I get married in 85 days. With the wedding countdown getting so close there has been a flurry of activity happening. From finishing papers before the end of the semester, to working on big engineering projects, we also have had to fit in time to wedding prep and plan. We have been grateful that our friends and family are so willing to jump in and help us make our future a reality. We are so excited to be husband and wife in just a few short weeks (its been over six years in the making). 

With that being said, this new phase of life for us means changes (for mostly the good!). One of those changes means the end of my old blog. My old blog was just that…mine. It was a wonderful place to voice my thoughts, but it has served it purpose. Now I get to focus on "we" and not "me". C and I are excited to be able to use this new space to share with friends and family our life adventures together. It is our space. We are joyful about this. Our hearts are full. 

I will be truthful for a moment. I will probably be the main contributor to the blog, but C will also say a word every now and then. The posts will most likely not be life altering or deep. Instead they will probably be cheesy and humorous or about food (because lets face it…I like food). But I promise you that they will be real. They will be about our real life, our real love story, and our real ever evolving family. 

See…this is our normal…but I LOVE it! 

So check back every now again to catch up on life with the new little Smith family. You are important to us and we are so grateful for all of your love and support. 

- S & C