Oh.......Mexico

So the time has arrived and me and my wonderful friend, Melissa Thompson will be Cozumel bound on Thursday at 6am.  Words CANNOT explain how badly this trip is needed and how excited we are to be heading somewhere tropical and not in the U.S.  More pics to follow. 

Me and my traveling companion

our resort

Another Stockton is getting married....and no, it's not me!

So the day finally arrived (that we all knew was coming soon) that my baby sister (6 years younger than me) called to inform me that she had just gotten engaged.  Brad and her have been together on and off since they were in the first grade.  How did they meet?  ME, of all people.  Brad and his family moved from Michigan and I was his and his brother's fun babysitter.  In the back of all of our minds, we knew that she would marry Brad. 

Well their day has come, they're now engaged and looking to get married sometime in August or September of next year.  Brad is training to become a pilot for the Navy so he'll have to wait and find out if he'll be stationed in Jacksonville, San Diego or Hawaii. 

I love this kid more than life and am so happy that I was the first person she called, after my mom and dad, because she said I was her best friend. PRECIOUS!!!

Congrats to Em and Brad...here's to #18 as a bridesmaid...wonder if I'll beat her to the alter. :)

Back to the good ole stomping grounds (for the weekend)

I believe all of my "avid" readers know about my obsession with my hometown.  Well.....me and Kolby are leaving Jackson and heading back to C-Town for another fun-filled weekend.  I cannot wait to be back in Northeast Mississippi and hopefully sooner than later!

So this is how our weekend is going to go.....

We're leaving Madison after work in hopes of making it there by 9:30ish.  If we make it in time, we're going to support a good family friend's (Ben Mathis) band, Nash Street at the annual Slugburger Festival.

So what is Slugburger Festival???  If you've never been, it's a must see.  You eat Slugburgers, enjoy rides, great music, people-watching and hanging out with friends from childhood past.  I haven't been in several years so I thought that it was appropriate to break go back and break the boyfriend in "true Corinth style."

On Saturday, we're going shopping around town (not that he wants to be is being sweet and coming along) and then I'm going to take him to....

 

to try his first ever.....

What's this you may ask?  The infamous slugburger!!! My mouth literally waters thinking about these delicious things...notices I said things because you have to eat more than one they're THAT good! 

Don't really know what else is planned for the day but I do know (that night,) we're going to one of my next favorite Corinth restaurants.....

and can't wait to visit with my best guy friend from home and owner of PG.....

Joshua Bryant (the goofy one on the left.)

The dinner is special because Sunday marks one whole year that I was lucky enough to meet this sweet guy....

who called and bugged the mess out of me for the longest.  I finally gave in around October and went out with him.  He took me to.....

in Canton and wined and dined me.  I somewhat developed a mini-crush and then he told me that he wasn't ready for what I was ready for....which is my luck to start crushing just to have a guy that's been actively persuing me for so long to say, "I'm just not ready for what you're ready for."  What exactly was I ready for????  Well....our problem was that he was 24 at the time (yes, I'm robbing the cradle a little) and I was 28; however, I wasn't necessarily looking for marriage but wasn't wanting to play games either.  Since he had just graduated college, he was ready to play games.  Make a long story short, I told him that was fine and I knew that he would be back.  He would talk to another girl, break it off and then call me again.  This pattern repeated almost every month until the middle of February.  We ended up going out again one night, had a blast, he started calling again, asking me out and I knew that he was back to his old tricks again so I wasn't 100% invested in it.  Well....something happened and we've been together ever since the middle of March.  I will save all of the sweet gross stuff for later but I will just say this....I have been in several relationships before where I was SO in love with that person and it was never reciprocated the way it should be, I wasn't treated kindly and was hurt 80% of the time.  Now, I have finally found someone who truly cares, loves me unconditionally and even in the bad times, does anything and everything he can to make me happy and is happy when he does these sweet things, goes above and beyond in everything that he does and has so many of the same great qualities I see in my dad with my mom (which is SO appealing to me.)  I'm not going to lie...it's been a hard transition and actually at first was a huge turn off to me for someone to be this sweet to me but GOD brought this special guy into my life and I love him for it.  So there's a little history for all of you that don't know the whole "kid and grown woman relationship" story. 

Back to the agenda......

After dinner we're heading back to....

Downtown Corinth to enjoy some more "rednecking" it up at the Slugburger Festival.

I cannot wait to see some of my hometown friends (of all ages!)

On Sunday, we're going to this place, (which I love)....

and then to eat a good lunch somewhere in town. 

That afternoon, I am hosting a baby shower for this sweet friend....

(both of these gals are preggers and due on the same day!!!) 

I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of these girls that I haven't seen since Sal's big day.

Kolby and I took off of work on Monday so we're going to hang out with these special people and enjoy the rest of our day....

I wonder if I can talk this special man...

into taking us to one of my other 2 favorites places......

OR

If you've ever been to either, what's your vote?

Monday morning, we will be heading back to the daily grind in Jackson but first we're stopping here to finish our fat eating for the weekend......

So.....after I've gained 50 lbs., I will have successfully shown K how wonderful Corinth truly is.

One of my favorite holidays with some of my FAVORITE people!!!

For some reason, I have always loved the 4th of July holiday weekend.  I used to love it because I would go home, well actually to our lakehouse in Pickwick, spend tons of time with the family and friends.  The big highlight of the whole weekend, Freddy T's.  If you've never been there, I apologize because you're truly missing out.  I always feel like the most sane person when I visit the Freddy's; however, we always have the best time!  Now that I'm an old foogey, all I crave these days is to drive from Jackson to Pickwick, sleep, eat, drink and be merry on the lake.  Something about that place is therapeutic and I never appreciated it until now.  So here's to a relaxing and great weekend with several of my favorite people at the lake!!!

Me & my sweet man

My wonderful siblings

The Ladies in the Stockton family

The Parentals with their favorite daughters

Another one bites the dust...in other words, GETTING HITCHED!

Watch out New Orleans....Truitt & Shelley are getting hitched in the Dirty Dirty and we're all coming along!!

One of the most common questions that people ask me now is "aren't you getting too old for all of these weddings that you attend every weekend?"  Well the answer is No, not at all.  A lot of the time I feel as though they forget that I too am unwed and still have a wedding to plan one day.  Yes, I am 28 and almost 29; however, the Lord has not blessed me with marriage so I'm content the way my life is at the moment.  I have to remind myself that he has a plan for each of us and my "time" has not arrived yet but one day it will...in HIS time, not mine. 

With all of that being said, I LOVE attending my friend's special days and can't wait for them to be apart of mine one day!  So this weekend will be dedicated to one of my dear and special college friends, Truitt Taylor and his precious future wife to be, Shelley Segrest.  They will be married in the ever-so-fun city of New Orleans.  I cannot wait to spend time with college friends and celebrate their future.  So off to NOLA this weekend for a fun time, great memories and coming back to Jackson on Sunday with another married friend.  Congrats to Truitt and Shelley...you never saw this day coming when you were younger and look at you now!  Another friend bits the dust.....out of our crew, Brad and Maren are up next!

Definitely a Daddy's Girl!

I would like to wish my sweet dad and best friend a very Happy Father's Day.  This man is the most important man (besides GOD) in my life and I cannot imagine having a different one. He is everything that I hope to have in a husband and if you do not know him, you should.  As I grow older, I realize how much this man truly loves me and would do ANYTHING for his "baby big girl."  GOD truly blessed me with a one of a kind, loving and AWESOME dad!  Ricky Stockton is a man of GOD, strong Christian who enstalled the same values in us (his children,) a hard worker, dedicated and true friend, inspirational, goofy as all get out, the worst (and painful) tickler (which I hate but he loves,) the BEST RiRi to his grandpups, a provider for his family and even us grown kids, a wonderful husband to my mother, would give anyone the shirt off of his back and most importantly, a loving and caring father who loves his family unconditionally.  When my daddy hurts or I see him hurt, it makes me hurt!  The older I get, the more I come to understand his reasonsing behind everything he says and does.  I've always been a daddy's girl and will continue to be until the day I die.  Daddy, I hate that I missed spending this special day with you, but please know how much I love you!!!  Happy Father's Day from your grown, still unwed, spoiled, big baby, queen of it all, loving Daughter #1!

Another Upcoming Wedding for a Happy Couple

I know that I have been out of the loop in the blogging world and have lots of catching up to do. Here's just a quick shout out to two of my close and dear friends, Brad and Maren, who got engaged on Wednesday night. Brad proposed in front of the Chapel of Memories on MSU's campus. The three of us have made so many fun memories and I cannot wait until their big day and all of the days leading up to it! Congrats to the happy couple....the third musketeer and tag-a-long could not be any happier for you!!!

My obsession....MSU sports and especially Football (SBW 2010)

This year's Super Bulldog Weekend was once again a huge success.  I started the weekend off by riding to Starkville with Mel.  We met up with Amanda and Ashley and walked to Sushi Martini.  We had a great time eating sushi, drinking martini's, listening to great music and catching up with friends.  After Sushi Martini, we decided to take a long stroll down to Mugshots.  If you know me at all, you know that I'm not the biggest fan of this place.  Mainly because I feel really old and out of place when I'm there.  Lots of people I knew were there, both my age and older and even 8 years younger than me (the reason I don't like going.)  It was a fairly early night that ended in me and Amanda walking to the infamous 

Papa John's for late night pizza grubbing (gross!)  

We woke up early the next morning and got ready to meet friends at the Grill (my fav!)  Melissa decided to join friends in the Cotton District for the Arts Festival and we went to the Grill to eat lunch with LC, Margaret, Georgia and Christi.  Oh, and Kolby came with us too (bless his heart, he was the only male.)  After we ate, we went to Dudy Noble to take in some baseball.  The weather was perfect and we beat Tennessee!  The best part of the day: FOOTBALL time!  We packed our coolers and headed to the stadium.  Kolby and I met up with the Hutto's, Andy Ryder and the Menetre's.  We decided to sit at the very top of the stadium which ended up being cool because we could see everything and were free to do as we pleased.  Here are some fun pics from the Spring game.

Me and Grace taking in the beautiful scenary of Davis Wade

Me and the Menetre's aka the Family

Our normal and infamous pose: mom and dad looking at me with "those eyes"

Once we left the game, we walked to the Cotton District to hang out at Blake's until we decided our next step.  Jon Mark and his new wife, Lindsey came over and we decided to go back to Sushi Martini.  The Menetre's and Hearnsberger's came and met us so we had a rather large crew take over the restaurant and couches.  After the restaurant, everyone pretty much went home but me, Kolby, Grace and Bailey.  We had great bonding time and so much fun!!  Here are more pics from the night:

Me and my best friend from college...some things never change and especially with us!

What a Life!!!

I have a child whose name is Bella.  She is just like a human and is my best friend, the best nurse and saving grace.  When I'm down or don't feel well, I have her there right by my side to cheer me up.  When I found her, I decided her name was going to be Emma after her aunt Emily and Bella because I liked the name aka Emma Bella.  Ever since she entered my life, she has adopted the names: Bunkins, B, Miss B, Bella Boo, Bella Bop or Bop, Boo, Boo Boo Head or Bump.  The funny thing about it is that she knows all of these names belong to her.  I could not imagine life without my Bella Boo and I don't know if she can imagine life without me.  

Oh the life of a dog aka my child

St. Patty's Day Parade... one of the BEST days in Jackson!

I know that I'm getting older in age; however, not too old to still have fun on one of the most fun days in Jackson, MS....Hal and Mal's St. Patty's Day parade.  As I said, I know that I'm getting older; therefore, I knew that I would need an adequate amount of rest the night before the big event.  I kept my word and went to bed early, got up early that Sat. morning and went to Melissa's house for some breakfast pre-game.  We ate and drank mimosa's and got ready for the day long event.  Me, Amanda and Ashley decided not to ride on a float so we met up with Carmen, Dea, Clare and others and then found the rest of the crew post parade to round out the day and night.  These are some pics during and after the parade.....until next year!

The GRAND MARSHALL....Kermit the Frog!  Theme of the parade: It Ain't Easy Being Green!

Me, Carmen, Clare, Dea and Kendall during the parade

Me and my double trouble

I even found Dooters aka my 2nd mother that I swear is my birth mother....we're JUST alike!

I LOVE my Corinth Best Guy Friends!!!

 

 Besties Reunited!

                                                                  ROOMIES!!                                                                

  I heart my JJ!!

Me and my TWIN seester

 

The Three Musketeers together once again