My Mint-Chocolate-Chip Life

Blog Homework

2011-04-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

It was recently pointed out that some of the many blogs that I read and my own have been seriously lacking and failing to meet their true entertaining potentials. So, over the weekend, we were "assigned" blog homework.

I'll admit, I forgot about it.

Which sadly made me realize that I just don't have a lot of time for this blog anymore. There isn't enough going on in my life...well, that I'm ready to share with the world, and isn't that the point?...to blog about. I tried the 30 days of pictures and got bored by it very early on. I've tried to post about fun, exciting things in my life, but I've fallen behind on those, too. I think what I'm saying is that I'm taking an extended leave of absense from my blog.

I'll still be working on my 1001 things in 101 days list, but I probably won't blog about them. Maybe I'll see you all again one day. Until then, thanks for reading. I hope you've enjoyed My Mint Chocolate Chip Life.

I've started another blog, but I'm not making it public for now. I'll post the new link when I'm ready.

Day 3 Photo

2011-03-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Mmmhmm! Criminal Minds.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of a habit you wish you didnt have

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of someone that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture of last year and now how have you changed since then.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Day 2 Photo

2011-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

{Deanna and I ~ I wish we had more recent pictures together}

Deanna is the type of friend who is there for you no matter what, no matter when. We don't see much of each other any more, but we know both know the other is never far away. She's a very special person, and I'm very thankful to have met her.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of a habit you wish you didnt have

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

30 days, 30 photos

2011-03-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm a boring blogger, and I know this. Again, I'm going to attempt something that will make me blog a little more! I know I didn't do so hot with the 30 days of truths, but lets try out 30 days, 30 photos and see how far I get!

Here we go!
Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

{it's 2.5 years old as of yesterday, but this is my favorite picture of myself}

1. I consider myself a feminist

2. I love to belt out my favorite songs and dance in my car...or in my bathroom

3. I often feel more empathetic toward animals than I do people

4. It takes a lot to put me in a bad mood, and I pride myself on being very level headed

5. I'm a terrible procrastinator

6. I'm a clean freak, yet often don't have time to clean (see #5)

7. My favorite color is pink...pink anything

8. I'm a huge tomboy

9. I would drop everything in a second to be able to travel around the world

10. I love to put peanut butter on my hot dogs

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of a habit you wish you didnt have
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of someone that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture of last year and now how have you changed since then.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

One immune system, please!

2011-03-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have never met anybody who gets sick as often as I do. Bunch of lucky bastards.

I get sick, and I get hit hard. Very hard. Several times a year. It's a pathetic, vicious cycle. I was just sick two short months ago around the time my father-in-law passed away. This is about as bad as that time. Sickly, achy, fever, cold tremors, sleepless nights, gagging on my own mucus. Gross, I know. I'm going on day 4 now. Why don't I get a flu shot?, you're probably wondering. Well, 'cause I'm stubborn, and I'm arrogant. I like to think "Nah, I'm not going to get sick. Not this time. I laugh in the face of viral infections!" Meanwhile, said viral infections plot and scheme (not so different from myself), coursing through my veins, coveting my health. And, they win. Every time. That's alright, I like a challenge. And the doctors office loves me. It's win-win, right? ::insert sarcastic, doped up eye roll::
I swear to all things holy, next year, I'm getting a flu shot.

Umm, yeah...

2011-02-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive, I swear. Life is crazy busy. When I feel like I have a few minutes to post, I find 10 things I should be doing instead. My house is in serious need of a top to bottom scrub (damn dogs) and work has got me running my butt off. Speaking of which, I joined a gym! Woot, go me!

Colorado trip coming up next month, very excited about that.

Ok, gotta run.

So many pictures, so little time!

2011-01-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Our trip back to Mexico was amazing, as always. I am so in love with the Riviera Maya. I'm already planning a return trip! Unfortunately, it's going to be over a year before we can get back down there. And this time we're headed back to Cozumel! While Playa del Carmen is gorgeous, there's just something about Coz that stole my heart last December. While we were laying on the beach at the Reef Playacar, I could look toward the horizon and see the outline of some of the larger buildings and resorts on the island, and it made my heart ache a little. I've felt that way about two places in my life. Cozumel and southern California. Le sigh. I hope one day I can live in either of those places. The things I would give up to have a tiny little bungalow on a beach somewhere...

Anyways, back to the vacation at hand. Playa del Carmen! It was my brother's wedding, so we had a nice sized group down there. The resort was really great. It was set in this intimate, cozy jungle atmosphere with small blocks of rooms and winding little paths. The beach and the water were phenomenal. It was truly a perfect backdrop to Sean and Alyssa's wedding. In was relaxing, it was fun, it was exactly what we needed. I'll leave it at that since I am usually so long winded. Instead, I'll plaster this blog with pictures. I took almost 800, so this is just a snap shot of the best moments of our trip

These last few weeks have been insane!

2011-01-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

I dont' have a lot of time right now, but I wanted to post before I lost all of my followers! I promise I'll get pictures up soon. But, since mid-December, here's what's gone on in our lives...

1. We continued to slave day in and day out over our basement.
2. We finished the basement! Well, mostly...all that's left is trim, and we will finish that over the next month or so (working on weekends)
3. We got some new furniture
4. We hosted Christmas
5. We hosted Christmas again
6. My father-in-law died on the 28th
7. We made funeral arrangements
8. We had the wake last night and funeral today
9. We leave for Mexico for my brother's wedding on Thursday

Other than the death of my father-in-law, who was a truly wonderful man, everything has been going ok. The basement looks GREAT, and both of the Christmases turned out really well. It was crazy, but went pretty smoothly. It was really nice to have our families here for the holidays. The clean up sucked, but it was nice not having to travel!

My father-in-law has been battling cancer and MDS for 5 years, and made the decision to stop all treatments on Christmas Eve. That, needless to say, was not the best timing. Things were really bad toward the end though, and I can't say I blame him. He's been fighting so long and hard, and he just didn't have anything left. He was moved to hospice on Monday, and died Tuesday at 3:20pm. Myself, Wade, one of his brothers, his sister, and several of Ivan's siblings were with him when he passed. I'm just so glad we were all there and he wasn't alone. The wake and the funeral were beautiful, and so many people came to say their goodbyes and pay their respects. It was such a comfort to know he was so loved.

Now we just need to recover and try to get ready to leave for Mexico on Thursday. My brother, Sean, is getting married in Playa on Friday, and I am so excited! Alyssa, his fiancee, is a good friend of mine and I love her to death. I've considered her my sister for years, but I can't wait for it to be official. It should be a beautiful wedding! Sean, Alyssa, and my parents all flew down today and Alyssa sent me a text letting me know the weather is absolutely perfect! I can't wait to get down there on Thursday. I'm super sick right now, so I'm hoping that either a) I'll feel much better before leaving or b) the sun will snap me out of it.

I'll post pictures of the basement and of our trip after I get back!

Beyond stressed

2010-12-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

I need a giant glass of wine and an even bigger piece of something chocolatey.

This week has been crazy. I thought we could have the basement done by Baby Jesus's Birthday, but I've got serious doubts right now. I have so much to do, and not a lot of time to do it all. Wade is no help unfortunately, and instead of pushing my family Christmas back a week, he insists that we will be done and the show must go on.

So, here's what we're looking at:

Tonight: Nothing, I've got a pounding headache sniffing stain isn't going to help
Tomorrow: Staining the doors, possibly a trip to Menards and/or Home Depot for trim, closet doors, and different bathroom counter
Friday: Start priming the walls if the texture is dry. If not, wake up at 3am on Saturday to get started.
Saturday: Prime and paint until my arms want to fall off
Sunday: Rinse, lather, and repeat. Install bathroom flooring, cabinet and vanity (hopefully)
Monday: Plumbing is being completed, finish any painting if necessary
Tuesday: Carpet being installed (that was almost a complete disaster), hang doors, put up closet shelving
Wednesday: Final inspections. Install trim, closet doors if they are stained
Thursday: Put up any remaining fixtures (ie, shower curtain rod), work on trim
Friday: Finish trim if at all possible, pick up new couches, pick up coffee table set, move the sectional downstairs and shampoo it, mount TV to wall in basement, assemble media shelf, clean the entire house top to bottom, prepare for Christmas the next day.

I want to puke just looking at that list.

Somewhere in there I need to find time to actually stain and varnish all of that woodwork and do some massive shopping. I still need a ton of stuff for the house including but not limited to:

Trim boards
Oak boards for around windows
Closet doors
Closet shelves
Door handles
Drawer pulls
TV mount
Shower curtain rod
Toilet paper holder
Towel rack
Shower curtain
Bathroom rugs

...and that's honestly just what I can remember right now. I'm seriously doubting that we'll have time to get a Christmas tree and decorate it this year...and I still need to go shopping for all the gifts.

Shoot me. Is this over yet?

Does sleep exist anymore?

2010-12-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

It doesn't? Effinheimer.

This weekend has been crazy. Friday night was my friend Nicole's bachelorette party, and it was such a great time! We started out having dinner at a local bar and restaurant (super good food!), then went back to her cousin-in-law's for drinks and a few fun games. Talk about some awesome photo ops! Ha, I'll have to post some pictures. It was pretty epic. We ended up going out to a couple bars for about an hour and a half, and then our DD took us out baja-ing through some fields in his Suburban. We were in a massive winter storm warning, so it was a pretty intense ride! We're totally hick-classy, though, so that's how we roll.

After we got back from the bars we drank and ate some more at the cousin-in-law's, cranked up the tunes, shook our stuff, and then finally passed out around 4:30. Getting going a few hours later was rough, and Bridget's Explorer got stuck in the driveway trying to get out to go home. It took us about twice as long as it normally would have, but we finally got home a little after noon.

...and my husband hadn't gone to sleep yet. He woke up at 5am, as usual, on Friday and proceeded to go to work, go to wrestling practice, and then come home and hang drywall for 19 hours. He is insane. After that, he decided he needed to get a work out in, so he went to the gym! I honestly don't know how he does it. I finally got him to go to bed around 9pm. After a good 10 hours of sleep, he was back at it this morning. Bridget and I ran errands and did the grocery shopping, and Wade finished up the ledge around the basement. I am very, VERY happy to announce that my basement is completely sheet rocked, and some of the taping has been started! My husband is a rock star, and I am so incredibly grateful to him for everything he has done and for all the time he has put into our home.

We helped him clean out the basement and got a small fraction of the dust and debris vacuumed up. Granted, all the scraps and waste are now hanging out in my garage (which I can't wait to be able to park in again!), but at least they're one step closer to the dumpster!

And without further ado, I give you my beautiful, sheet rocked basement!

{the bathroom}

{the family room}

{basement bedroom #1}

{basement bedroom #2}

I'm SO happy that the drywall is done. It was so much more time consuming and tedious than we had expected. I felt terrible because I really wasn't a lot of help drywalling. Thankfully Wade's brother and friend put in a lot of hours helping him.

As soon as the tape, mud, and texture is done we can start painting! I bought the drywall primer, paint, brushes and rollers today. I can't wait to get started!! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have a very strict schedule to stick to to be done in a week and a half, but I think we can do it!

Tomorrow I just need to get started staining the woodwork!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

2010-12-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

My best friend, confidant, and evil side-kick-genius-idea-master-mind is moving in with us tomorrow!! She is currently driving somewhere through Kansas, and should be here around noon tomorrow. I can't wait to see her. I haven't seen her since she dropped me off at the San Diego airport, after moving her out there in September, to fly home...solo. And then I cried the majority of the flight home...and then again in the airport
picking up my bags...and then again the next day.

Needless to say, I am STOKED to have her back.

I won't lie, it's going to be really weird adjusting to having a roommate. It's always been just Wade and I, other than a 10 month period early on when his brother lived with us, and that was ~~a horrible, wretched nightmare~~ a bit of a headache. I think that things will go just fine, but will definitely be a bit strange at first. I'm looking forward to it, though. I think it is going to be great having B around all the time...at least until May when she moves back with her husband. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get some sleep tonight, but I'm so excited to see her (oh, and Wade and his friend, Cody, are still working on finishing the drywall in the basement), that I don't know how many zzzz's I'll be able to catch.

I'm Exhausted

2010-12-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

I have spent the entire day scrubbing, dusting, and washing every surface, nook and cranny on/in the main level of my house. The foyer and basement are another story, but the foyer is the walkway to the under-construction basement...tornado alley. I'm looking around and can't believe how clean and straight everything is. I'm in Heaven. I don't think my house has been this clean since we moved in! And, I think I can say that we are all ready for Bridget to move in! She will have to live in the guest room for a few weeks while we finish up the basement, but at least she has a nice, clean room to move into.

I took about an hour break from cleaning today to bring the dogs to the dog park. I got a few pictures of them with my new Nikon D3000, but I haven't had a lot of time to play with it and really figure out all of my settings, so they aren't great. I'll have to try again next time. But, because they are so stinking cute, I'll post a few that I've taken just messing around. Many more coming soon!

{Ellie and her beautiful brown eyes}

{Handsome Jake}

{Chester watching the snow fall}

{I love close ups}

In other news, my basement ceiling is sheet rocked!! My brother-in-law, Blake got here around 10am, and he and Wade have been working on the drywall all day. For a couple of DIYers, they did a great job! Unfortunately, we were hoping that the entire basement would be sheet rocked by tonight. That didn't happen. Wrestling season is upon us, and it takes up so much of Wade's time. So, the walls may take a few more days. Hopefully our tape/mudder can get to work by mid-week. We won't be painting this coming weekend, but fingers are crossed that we can get that done the 17th-19th. Carpet will have to go in the following Monday or Tuesday, and then we'll have to bust our butts to get the trim and doors in, do all of the finishing touches, and move all of the furniture down in time to host Christmas. I have a headache just thinking about it.

{Corner of the family room}

{Hallway}

{Bathroom}

{The guys hard at work in a bedroom}

And you thought Black Friday was over!

2010-11-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

So did I! Since when does Black Friday carry all throughout Thanksgiving weekend?! I don't know either! But, it's amazing stuff, let me tell you. It's no secret that Best Buy is the place to be on Black Friday to score some sweet deals on electronics...if you make it to the store around 6pm Thanksgiving day and wait in line for 11 hours. And would you believe it, I was actually planning to do almost just that for the Nikon D3000 bundle. After a lot of going back and forth about the idea and trying to be reasonable, I decided that I didn't need the camera. We are finishing the basement, after all, and that ain't cheap! So, I sucked it up and skipped Best Buy all together.

And then an amazing thing happened. My husband, my super-awesome husband, went to Best Buy yesterday after visiting his dad, and came back with the BEST surprise ever!! He got me the bundle!!! Not only that, but they gave it to him for the Black Friday price! How cool is that? They didn't even have the camera in stock, so they gave him everything that came with the bundle and ordered the camera. It'll be here on Tuesday. Talk about customer service! Who knew? Wade said it looked like they were honoring a lot of the other sales from the previous day as well. He tried to be sneaky about bringing the other gear home, but I saw it right away. He set the bag down in our foyer (he was going to try to hide it until the camera came in) and it caught my eye as I was walking to the bedroom. I saw a blue Best Buy bag, looked at him, ran down stairs, squealed like a little girl, and then ran upstairs and jumped into his arms. Needless to say, I was pretty happy!

I feel so spoiled after this weekend. I didn't need that camera, and I know Wade didn't want to spend the money on it with everything else we have going on. He is too good to me. I owe him one :-)

So, I don't have my camera yet, but I am the proud new owner of a great camera bag, a 55-200mm zoom lens, a tri-pod, and an 8 GB memory chip. I've already watched the DVD that came with the bag on the different features and functions of the D3000, and can't wait to pick up my camera on Tuesday! This is your warning to expect a ton of picture posts in the near future.

What a day!

2010-11-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

I will start this post by forewarning you that there probably won't be many cohesive thoughts. My mind and body are still spent. I got in about a three hour nap Thursday night before waking up around 12:45. I threw on some layers, made some hot cocoa, and I was out the door. I got in line at Kohl's around 1:30, and stood there in the freezing cold weather for an hour and a half with the rest of the lunatics. But, I got some good deals! I got a really nice quarter zip sweater for Wade for $22, a few sweaters for myself ($10-$13), and two awesome pairs of boots that I really wanted for $30 each! (The first pair is brown, but I could only find a gray picture)

I scored a really nice doggy bed for about $18, and Jake proceeded to tear the stuffing out about an hour after I got it home.

I had seen a lot of the serving ware in the Black Friday ad and wanted the 3-tier serving platter. I had to fight through the masses, but I finally made my way into housewares (which was by far the most crowded department) and snatched one up. I wish I would have taken a little more time to look around, though. There were a lot more things I would have liked to get!

I bought a couple small gifts as well, and --because I'm a nerd-- I got the Twilight Scene It? game.

While I was standing in line to check out (which took over an hour, btw), I saw a doorbuster 5-piece luggage set that somebody had ditched. I decided to snatch it up for my parents. It was only $38!

After that, I went to JCPenney's, but nothing really caught my eye. I stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond for a hanging shoe rack (wasn't really on sale) and decided to stop at Walmart before heading home. That place was insane!! And it wasn't exactly filled with the classiest people I've ever seen... I ended up not finding anything there, and went home. I was home a little after 6am, and asleep by 7am. I had planned to sleep until around noon, but my dogs are insane and woke me up only an hour later. After sitting on the couch in a zombie-like state for about an hour, I decided that since I was up, I might as well do more shopping!

I headed back out into the craziness to go to Target. I was hoping they still had some of their cheap DVDs. I ended up getting Toy Story 3 (can't wait to watch that later today!), Knocked Up, Happy Feet, Julie & Julia, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Everything else was pretty well picked over, so I paid for the DVDs and left.

Once I was back home, I started to unpack everything and clean up the house. Wade got home from coaching wrestling practice around 11:30 and told me he needed to go to Menards to exchange a few circuits. His cousin showed up around noon to do our heating rough-in in the basement, and then we headed back to town...for the third time. Wade got what he needed at Menards while I wandered off into the Christmas department. Menards always has the best Christmas stuff, hands down! I got a few ornaments, a cute snowman decoration, and a couple Christmassy scented candles. I also found a cheapy DVD player for our bedroom, so I grabbed that, too. Our old one stopped reading discs a few months ago.

After leaving Menards, I convinced Wade to go to Becker Furniture where we made our biggest purchase of the day. They were having a 50% off sale for the day, and their doorbuster was a microfiber sofa and love seat set. The sofa was only $479, and the love seat was free! It's super comfy and will look great in our living room upstairs. We got it in chocolate brown.

By the time we left the furniture store, I was completely exhausted. I finished putting everything away when we got home, and decorated the house for Christmas. After that, it was a struggle to keep my eyes open so I didn't sleep the rest of the day. It felt SO good to finally hit my pillow last night. Unfortunately, after 8 hours of sleep, I'm still exhausted. I'm off to take a nap before heading to my mother-in-law's for our final Thanksgiving.

I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday and that all of my fellow Black Friday shoppers got some great deals!!

Starting to furniture shop!

2010-11-24T15:09:00.000-08:00

So, here's my list of furniture I need:

Upstairs living room
   ~ Couch and love seat or chair
   ~ New coffee table set
Downstairs family room
   ~ Console table
   ~ Bookcase for DVD's and knick knacks
   ~ Coffee table set

...aaannnddd I'm sure I'll think of other things for my want list.

I have picked out a few things and ordered the bookcase today.

This is the media console table that I will be purchasing as soon as it goes on sale. It's from Home Decorators and I just love it! Our 42" TV will be mounted on the wall above it.

This is the bookcase that matches the media console. It was on sale for 40% off today only, so I ordered it! I can't wait for it to be delivered

This is the coffee table set that I'm thinking about getting from Ashley Furniture. Our upstairs living room is on the small side, and this set would be the perfect fit.

Happy Early Thanksgiving!

2010-11-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

Between working, going to school, and trying to finish the basement I feel like I have no time to blog! I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving, a bit early, to all of my lovely readers! I hope you have a wonderful holiday with great friends, family, and food! If you're traveling, be safe!

Good luck to my fellow Black Friday shoppers!! I hope you score some awesome deals.

My dog ate my USB cord for my camera, but hopefully I'll be able to upload pictures of the basement progress soon.

Our basement is under way!

2010-10-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

After wanting to start the project last winter/early spring, we are finally finishing our basement! Ok, maybe I can't say "finally" since we just built the house a year ago, but we seriously need more room...so it feels like it's been a long time coming! My bff, Bridget, will be moving in with us for about 6 months come December, and we thought we could make it work with two bedrooms and the one bath upstairs. Then we got real. It's not happening...not with two big dogs and the cats, plus random work and school schedules between the three humans. So, we decided we need to do this, and we need to do it now!

When the basement is finished, it will consist of two small bedrooms (10.5' x 10.5') with 5' closets, a full bathroom, a utility room, and a family room (12.5' one side - 14.5' other side x 24') with recessed lighting. This is not our forever home, and we are finishing the basement on a very tight budget. So, it isn't going to be the most exquisite or awe-inspiring basement in the world, but it will be added living space, and I have no doubt that we will make it very comfortable and cozy! And unlike the rest of the house, we're going to go with more neutral, soothing tones. Not that I don't love my bright, Caribbean colors!

Now, before we could start framing (again -- the exterior bedroom walls were put up last year before we had to put the basement on hold), we had a few issues to deal with. As I mentioned, my friend is moving in with us in a couple months. However, her stuff has been living here since the beginning of September when she went out to California. On top of that, "our" half of the "family room" was a complete mess. We had to get everything cleaned up and organized before we could get underway.

Before

{our stuff}

{B's stuff - at least hers is organized!}

{everything that was deemed garbage, minus some bags that had already been taken out - Chloe's hiding in there...can you see her?}

{only the big stuff is left}

{sooo much better!!}

{everything neatly tucked away under the stairs}

{bedroom #1 (or 3?)}

{bedroom 2/4}

{closets in between the bedrooms - they still need to be divided down the center}

We just need to frame in the bathroom and one wall/doorway for the utility room, and then it's on to plumbing rough-in and electrical!

I have an excuse!

2010-10-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

I know that I said I would post every day for 30 days. Obviously, I haven't. The reason is that a message board that I am active on decided to do the 30 days of truth as well. I was a week ahead of the board, so I decided to hold off on posting on my blog so that I'd be on track with everybody else. I forgot to post Day 7 yesterday, so here are my last two days of truths!

Day 8: Someone who made your life hell, or treated you poorly:
I don't have anybody who ever made my life hell. If somebody treated me badly, I tended to just break ties with them before it could go any further. Except with my bio-dad, aka, my sperm donor.

He was an ass. He truly did make my mom's life hell, and he thought he could get away with treating her kids the same way. They divorced when I was only a year old, after 9 years of a terrible marriage. Having Sean and I finally gave my mom the strength to leave. Sperm donor moved to Montana shortly after. We would get Christmas and birthday cards with a good amount of cash (for kids) ever year. We very rarely got a phone call, and never any visits. When he did call or right, he was always full of false promises.

When I was about 9, he started trying to come back into our lives. It was great at first, but then I started to see his true colors. He would show up to our house drunk, bad mouth my mom and dad (who never said a bad word about him when we were kids, even though I'm sure they wanted to), and just had no idea how to be a dad. Then on Christmas Eve, when I was twelve, he showed up drunk at our house in front of my entire family. He made a total jackass out of himself, and then told me that he wished I would have been aborted. Shortly after that, he said he always wanted me but my mom didn't (which even at 12, I knew was BS).

That was pretty much the last straw, and he was no longer welcome in our home. He didn't call for years after that. I heard from him around Christmas 07, and all he did was make false promises again ("I'm coming to see you soon", "I want to have a relationship with you again") and try to feed me lies about my parents. I put my foot down and called him out on it. I told him I was sick of him trying to turn me against my mother when he had no idea who I even was or what kind of relationship (or the lengths they had gone to to give me a good life) I had with my parents. That's the last I heard from him.

When I was younger, it really affected me. I didn't know why he didn't want us. Sean and I were both really smart, did awesome in school, had a lot of friends, never got in trouble. My parents said we were "dream kids". I couldn't figure out why, if we were so great, didn't he want us? Later, especially after the Xmas Eve incident, I realized he was nothing, and he didn't deserve for me to wonder or care about him. I feel nothing toward him now. I rarely even think about him unless somebody else brings him up or asks about my bio-dad.

Day 7: Somebody who made your life worth living for:
I have never felt like not living. I am not that type of person and could never see a reason that would be enough to end my life, so that thought has never even crossed my mind. So, I can't say that there's somebody who made it worth it. If for some reason I was on a serious down-ward spiral and the thought of not living seemed like a good option, I'd stop myself because of Wade and my mom.

I could never leave Wade like that. I could never make him deal with the fact that I killed myself. He makes my life so fun and comforting and easy. He is worth living for. And my mom, I just could never do that to her. She lost her first son when he was only 18 hours old and it nearly killed her. I don't think she could handle the loss of another child. She's been such a huge rock for me, and I can go to her for anything. I wouldn't ever want to leave her.

And for sure Chester. I love my other furbabies, too, but Chester is my main man. I love that little guy so much that I think it scares people.

Got a little behind

2010-10-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

...so, I'll play catch up really quick.

Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.
This is another one that I have a really hard time with. I am not a person who hangs on to things that hurt me. I deal with problems as they come, and then move on. I don't think there are any feelings that I'm harboring that I just need to let go of. Honestly, I am the type of person that will forgive almost anything immediately. If I don't forgive somebody right away, there's probably a really good reason for it...something that doesn't deserve forgiving.

I can only think of two things that I will not forgive or forget, so I don't think they apply to this truth. One is my biological father telling me I should have been aborted. That kind of goes along with all of the hell that he put me, my brother, and especially my mom through. The second is my uncle nearly beating his infant son to death.

I've gotten over my dad being a douche, and he truthfully just doesn't matter to me. The things that he's done mean almost nothing to me and I don't even think about him, but I still won't give him the satisfaction of being forgiven. My uncle on the other hand, I can't just let that go.

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.
Move to California. Preferably sooner than later, but I doubt very highly that it will happen.

Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.
Bury my husband. I don't ever, ever want to deal with that pain. My high school sweetheart died a year and a half ago, and it was the worst thing I'd ever experienced in my life. Dustin and I had broken up 5.5 years ago, but he was still important to me. The pain of losing him was unbearable, and we hardly ever spoke anymore. I can't imaging what it would be like to lose Wade. If it hurt that much when Dustin died, losing Wade would kill me. I can truthfully say that I hope I die before him.

Truth: Day 3

2010-09-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.

I've been thinking about this one all day. I can honestly say that I don't really know of anything that I blame myself for or have dwelled on. I am one of those people that believes some good comes out of every situation, and I have always tried to maintain a positive outlook, even if a situation was pretty crummy. I've done things I'm not proud of, but I've let them go long ago rather than holding onto them.

This is a pretty boring truth day. If something strikes me later, I promise I'll post it.

Day 2 of Truths!

2010-09-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Woot! Two days in a row. I am on a roll!

So, on the schedule for today is something that I love about myself. And this post is going to make me sound really conceited.

I can truthfully say that I love myself. Not just a certain aspect, but I love me in general. I'm not talking about my physical self, but who I am. I know that I'm a good, caring, honest person. I know this because of how I treat people and how others have treated me. I love walking away from somebody knowing that I put a smile on their face, or I helped them through a tough situation by just being me. I like that I'm funny and I can make my friends laugh. I love that I want to help every vulnerable human or animal that I see. Honestly, I don't think there is much more gratifying in life that just being good.

That's not to say that I never have an off day where I just want to be a bitch, but deep down I know who I am, and I like what I know :-]

30 days of truths

2010-09-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

In light of the fact that it has been over a month ::ducks from flying objects:: since my last post, I'm going to try something. I saw this on Krysten's blog, and I think it'll be a good way for me to make up for being so absent. For 30 days, I will post a new truth every day. The reason I want to do this is mostly so that I can be honest with myself. This last year has brought a lot of realities, smiles, tears, laughs, and heartbreak. This is where I'm going to let it all out. So if you're a ~~nosy person like myself~~ curious person who is interested in what I am going to attempt to reveal, stick around! The schedule is as follows: Write about...

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.
Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.
Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13 → A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15 → Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16 → Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs.
Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28 → What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29 → Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30 → A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself

I'm going to kick off right away with something that I hate about myself.

I hate myself for what I did to Wade this spring. I ignored him. I wouldn't touch him. I wouldn't kiss him. I didn't respond when he told me he loved me. I acted like I was nothing more than his roommate. I thought about leaving him and our life almost every minute of the day for months. I did all of this because I had forgotten who I was and what was most important to me. Looking back, I can't believe what a heinous bitch I had been. Wade is the most amazing man I could ever ask for, and I was willing to give it all away to chase a dream. A dream that really wouldn't be worth anything without him by my side.

I can say now that what we went through earlier this year has strengthened our bond and our marriage, so maybe the rough patch did some good. I can promise that I will never again take for granted what he brings to my life every day. He is all I could ever want, and more than I deserve.

Silly puppy, you're so easily fooled.

2010-08-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Oh, What A Night!

2010-08-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

My big sister got married to a wonderful man this weekend! It was a great time, and I could not be happier for the two of them. They had spent a long time trying to find each other, and their future together is so bright. I love them both, and was honored to be a part of their wedding day. I'm not going to go into a ~~ridiculously long and drawn out~~ lot of detail as I normally do, but I will share some non-pro pictures of Anne and Chris's very special day!

{the ladies}

{the fellas}

{wedding party}

{my sister and I}

{my wonderful family}

{me and my fave soon to be sis-in-law}

{Anne & Chris}

{exchanging the bling}

{Mr. & Mrs! <3}

{exiting the church}

{entering the reception, I'm a rockstar, I know}

{grand entrace to Kung Foo Fighting}

{bridesmaid bouquet on the head table}

{getting down with the kiddos}

{me and my hubby bustin a move}

It was a fabulous day and night, but the journey has just begun! Congrats again to my sister and new brother-in-law. Love you both!

Yikes! It's been awhile.

2010-08-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

I seem to have an annoying habit of letting myself fall into blogger slumps. I know it's been a few weeks since my last post, and I apologize. I've been working a lot, and when I have time to blog I'm just not in the mood. Unfortunately, I'm not going to give you much now either.

What I will do is tell you what will be posted soon! Whoohoo! I know you're excited. Anyways, I promise to post about the following items in the very near future:

~ My sister's wedding
~ My best friend moving to Cali for a few months, which equals another epic roadtrip
~ The upcoming month's activities (school starting, weddings, etc.)
~ I may just delve into a few heavy feelings I've been dealing with lately

Until a later date, hold tight!

My Sister's Bridal Shower

2010-07-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

My sister, Anne, is getting married on August 14th! It's coming up very quick. In the beginning of this month, there was a lot of confusion about her bridal shower. Her fiance's aunts were supposedly planning one shower, while our other sister was planning another. The aunts kind of backed out, and Tammy wasn't going to be able to plan a shower due to some family complications. So, about three weeks ago, there was no shower in the making.

I agreed to step in and try to throw together a shower for my sis. I started talking with her soon-to-be mother-in-law, and with the help of her one of her sisters, I was able to coordinate a pretty successful bridal shower! It got stressful at times with three different people trying to plan, so I sometimes felt like I had to just say "Hey, this is how it's going to be". We ended up having the shower at her STB-MIL's house, and had a great turn out. Despite time constraints and a bit of irritation, it turned out great! The food was good, the games were fun, and most importantly, my sister had a great time!

The menu was yummy, and everybody seemed to enjoy the food. We had an awesome chicken salad that I had at my own shower (I'm posting the recipe later), croissants and dinner rolls, fruit with dip, veggies with dip, and some really yummy cupcakes! We also had lemonade and a great tasting punch.

We played a couple simple games that were a lot of fun. My older sister, Tammy, took charge of the games. We did the "Can't Say" game where each guest got a necklace. If anybody was caught saying "Bride", "Groom", or "Wedding" then their necklace was stolen. The person with the most necklaces at the end of the shower got a gift. We played a memory game where Tammy brought out a tray of about 12 items (that Anne got to keep afterwords), and the guests had to write down as many items from memory as they could. The groom's aunt had a game as well, and it was a lot of fun. She called it Bingo, but it's played with cards. Each person gets 5 cards that are hole punched and attached together. When your card is called, you simply flip down the card. When all of your cards are down, then you have a bingo. We played quite a few rounds, and then once all of the gifts were gone, you had to steal from other people. That got pretty entertaining, as the gifts were really good!

Here are a few pictures!

{me and my sis}

{the food}

{yummy!}

{bread basket, cupcakes, favors}

{bingo winners digging for prizes -- awesome Dove chocolate gift sets!}

{the bride got lots of wonderful gifts}

{my lemonade stand that I finally had an excuse to use,

that I got at my own shower}

{me, my niece, the bride, my older sister, and my youngest niece}

Weekend Recap

2010-07-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend and is all rested up for the new week.

Something very rare happened in our household. I had an entire weekend off! Do you know how huge of a deal that is?! I work two part-time jobs, with one being in the restaurant industry. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest times of the week, so naturally I work almost every one. I took Friday and Saturday off this weekend, and was supposed to work Sunday night. A coworker needed Tuesday night off and had offered to work my Sunday if I would switch with her. Sa-weet! I now had a three day weekend! Well, four day if you count the fact that I'm off today as well.

So, what did I do with all this time off?

{Friday}
My sister is getting married on August 14th, and Friday night was her and her fiancee's joint bachelorette/bachelor party. We headed to the cities with my brother and future sis-in-law to meet everybody at Dave & Buster's for dinner, drinks, and a night of good ol' fashioned arcade game fun!

The food was not so great, btw, and I paid $8.50 for a super small margarita, but other than that the night was a blast! And my sister and her soon-to-be husband had a fantastic time. That's what really counts!

{group photo ~ I'm in the grey shirt down in front with my two sisters behind me}

{the bride, my other sister, future sis-in-law, and me taking a shot. I won}

{the bride about to kick butt on DDR}

{Saturday}

Even though it was a late night the night before, we had to be up early to clean the house and get ready for our niece and nephews to come over. Hubby's oldest bother was going to be out of town for the weekend, so we agreed to watch the kids on Saturday and then bring them over to my mother-in-law's to spend the night. Lets just say, even though they're good kids, ~~I'll never have any of my own~~ it will be years down the road before I embark on that journey! We're not around kids that often, so we really didn't know what to do to keep them entertained. We decided we could waste a big chunk of the afternoon by taking them to a movie. They had already seen Toy Story 3 (bummer!), so we took them to Despicable Me instead. I really liked the movie. It was funny and enjoyable for all ages, but there was a subtle presence of adult humor, which made the movie bearable for me and the hubs. I don't want to spoil it, but the ending is really sweet. But holy highway robbery, Batman! We spent $48 for two adult + three child matinee tickets and three kiddy boxes of treats. Reason #1 why I prefer to just buy a DVD when it is released instead of seeing it in theaters...I can own the movie for less than it costs to go see it once on a Friday night. The little ones loved it, though, and we don't get to treat them very often.

{scene from Despicable Me}

After the movie we brought the kids home and gave them ice cream bars (cause you've gotta have ice cream at aunt and uncle's house!) and tried to think of another way to keep them occupied. With ice cream smeared faces and tee shirts, they bombarded Wade for piggy back rides and dog piles. It was exhausting just to watch, and I don't know how he did it for over an hour! He seemed pretty happy to let them jump and climb all over him and the kids were squealing with laughter the entire time. After a long afternoon, we rounded everybody up and shipped them off to Grandma's. I guess you could say we got a glimpse into the future!

{after the kids had calmed down a bit}

We were exhausted by the time we got home, so we plopped down on the couch after making a very easy dinner and watched movies. The weather had other ideas, though. Our satellite lost signal around 7:30, and we were forced down into the basement by tornado sirens. Luckily none formed near our house, but it was a scary hour. We had Jake's crate under the stairs and the kitties were locked in the basement with us, too. The sky looked really bad for awhile, and there were a few reported twisters in the area. After all that excitement, it was back to the couch for a bit and then to bed.

{the sky during the tornado warnings}

{Sunday}

Yesterday was by far the most relaxing day that I've had with my husband in a long time. We slept in and then got to be lazy all morning long. We spent a couple hours running errands and grocery shopping in the early afternoon, but the rest of the day was ours to do with what we wished. That doesn't happen. Ever. There is always something around the house to do, or somewhere to go. We weren't really sure what to do with ourselves, to be honest! We decided to take Jake to the dog park before dinner so he could let out some energy and play with his puppy pals. The park is right along the Mississippi river, and he loves to show off to all of the other dogs what an awesome swimmer he is!

{this obviously isn't at the dog park, but it's a recent picture and he's so cute!}

I had been craving comfort food for awhile, so I made baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and biscuits for dinner. It totally hit the spot! I'm a sucker for a good buttermilk biscuit, though ::drool::. After cleaning up, Wade watched a bit of TV and I putzed on my laptop. Around 8:00 we decided that the weekend wouldn't be complete without a trip to Dairy Queen. We took Wade's bike into town and treated ourselves to a couple blizzards. Mud Pie for me, Chocolate Extreme for him. And of course after getting good and fattened up, we came home and took the pup for a walk before bed. We ended the night with a friendly little card game before calling it a night.

It was one of the best weekends I've had in a long time <3

66. Have a game night once a month

2010-07-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Since I started my project to complete 101 goals in 1001 days, I have not had a single game night. Number 66 on my list was to have a game night once a month. Ideally, this would be with friends and/or family, but it would count if it was just Wade and me. So far I've failed miserably.

Actually, scratch that. I did technically have a game night. I'm going to count game night #1 as the Friday night back in March that Bridget and I spent in our California hotel room with a couple of friends playing Categories and F*ck The Dealer. I probably forgot about counting that night because, well, we were all pretty well intoxicated due to said games.

But anyways, I FINALLY had ~~a game night~~ another game night. While it wasn't much, it was a nice way to finish off our weekend. I found a deck of cards down in the basement when we were hiding out from tornado warnings and sirens last night. I asked Wade around 9:00 if he wanted to play a card game before bed. Neither of us are card connoisseurs, so I had to turn to Google to pick out a game. We settled on Gin Rummy. Easy to play, yet it had a competitive edge. After about a half hour of playtime, I kicked butt. The end.

Go me for getting on track of an otherwise failed goal! We had a lot of fun playing with each other, and I think we'll try to make it a regular pastime. What are some of your favorite games (cards or otherwise) to play with your family and friends?

I've got a little problem.

2010-07-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

You may notice that at the end of this post, I have a pretty new signature! Now about that ugly box around it...

How in the world do I get rid of it?

I created my signature online, copied the URL, and put the html image tag in my blog. It worked, except the signature (picture) has a border around it. The only way I could get rid of it was to turn the borders in my blog white instead of brown, but that didn't look right. I like having the border around my blog title (which I have changed, btw) and pictures, and the dividers between sections in my sidebar makes everything look organized. So...how do I keep the border and dividers around everything else, but take it off of my signature?

10 points to anybody who has the answer!

Working on another of my goals!

2010-07-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've accomplished anything on my list of 101 things in 1001 days, but I'm definitely thinking about my tasks frequently. Unfortunately, there's a few that I've already failed. That's ok, though...there's always another 1001 days to follow!

One of the items on my list that I was really excited about was to completely revamp my blog. I'm sure you've all stumbled upon those blogs that are so cute and well put together that you're sucked into reading them simply because of the design elements. I want a blog like that. Cause lets me honest here, my life story isn't really all that captivating. I need something to draw in the readers!

So, I began working on my redesign a couple nights ago. You may notice that I've got a flashy new background, courtesy of Shabby Blogs. I've also spruced up my titles and header with a cute new font, thanks to a wonderful step-by-step tutorial that can be found here. For whatever reason, my post titles are showing up in blue, but they are supposed to be the same color as the sidebar headers. Oh well, I'll figure that out another day.

Next on my agenda is to create a new blog header with a picture or two. Still not sure how to do that, but I'm open to any tips! I'm also going to add a post divider and a signature.

But, what I'd most like to accomplish with my blog is some consistency! I'm thinking themed days. Monday Musings, Finally Fridays...you know, cheesy stuff like that. I think it'll give me a reason to really keep up on my blog and help me find interesting or amusing things to write about. And of course I'll have to figure out how to create my own buttons for such posts!

Stay tuned. We're going to change this blog from drab to fab!

The Last Song

2010-07-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

I was never really a huge reader of Nicholas Sparks books. Prior to Dear John, I had never read any of them. My best friend is a fan though, and has several of his books. She borrowed me The Last Song insisting that I would love it. She knows me so well :-]

Without spoiling the book, Ronnie transforms from a rebelious, bratty teen to a compassionate, caring, respectful young woman. She endures hardships, falls in love, and suffers a great loss. There are several things that I enjoyed about this book. While it wasn't a "I can't go to sleep until I finish it", it did capture my attention and tugged at my heart strings. Who doesn't love a good love story mixed in with a little sea turtles?? For those of you who don't know, I'm sea turtle obsessed. I loved the parts in the story where Ronnie and Will cared for and protected a nest of Loggerhead turtle eggs. So cute.

I liked that Sparks wrote the book from several character's points of view. While I prefer books that are written in the first person narrative, third person from several angles gave you a bigger picture and helped the story really unfold. It was a sweet book, with a little mischief, mixed in with heartbreak. It drew a few tears from me, but ultimately it had a happy ending. And this brings my reading count up to 7 books for my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days!

Want some fun facts?

2010-06-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm bored. So, I'm going to give you all a bunch of random fun facts about yours truly! Maybe it'll help you all get to know me a little better :-]

~ My birthday is July 21st, making me a Cancer...not that I really have any idea what my astrology sign is supposed to indicate about my personality.

~ I got my Associate's degree when I was 18, but feel like I'll be 30 before getting my Bachelor's.

~ I have two cats, Chester and Chloe, and one dog, Jake. I've had animals all my life, and honestly don't feel like a family is complete without them. Maybe this stems from growing up on a hobby farm surrounded by furry friends.

~ I talk to my animals like I would talk to anybody else. And when I was a little kid, I used to sing to our chickens...that's really weird, I know. People did always said we had the best tasting chickens, though...

~ I can watch the same movie over and over and never tire of it. And by over and over, I mean the same movie for 36 days straight. I've had month-long marathons of just about all of my favorite movies, including but not limited to: Ice Age, Lilo and Stitch, Charlotte's Web (the old cartoon one), Iron Man, Transformers, Finding Nemo, Lake Placid, Deep Blue Sea, and the list goes on. I don't know why, but I'll put a DVD in, and watch it night after night while I fall asleep. I think I'm just too lazy to switch to another movie.
~ Papa Murphy's pizza is my favorite. Pepperoni, please.

~ My left eye is considered "lazy", but you can't actually tell.

~ I don't believe in soul mates or "the one", yet I am happily married and love my husband to death.

~ I have a deep love for sea turtles, and I have no idea where it came from. I think they are such majestic, amazing creatures. I have little sea turtles all over my house, and my one and only tattoo is of a sea turtle.

~ I am often accused of smiling too much, as if it's a bad thing to be happy. I'm a very positive, cheery person. It's not over-the-top annoying...I keep it pretty in check, but there are a lot of bitchy people out there who have asked "what are you so happy about?". Umm, my life doesn't totally suck, I guess?

~ That smile, mentioned above, will fade in about 1/16 of a second if I'm hungry. When I'm hungry, you best bring me a burger or get out of my way.

~ I can't bear to throw away stuffed animals. The thought of them dirty and abandoned in a dumpster makes me really, really sad. I don't sleep with them or have them around my house, though. They're actually suffocating in a garbage bag in my basement. But still, I just can't toss them.

~ I can't eat Chipolte. This causes my friends and family grave stress. It's not that I don't like it, but the spices give me what I call tingly headaches. Something about the spices make it feel like tiny nails are stabbing into my forehead. The same thing happens if I drink Pepsi or Coke, or if I eat Doritos. I'm aware that this is really odd.

~ I have zero hand-eye coordination. I'd love to have participated in sports in high school or college, but it was to everybody's benefit that I refrained. I would also love to be able to dance, but I save that for times of intoxication.

~ I love the look and smell of an empty notebook.

~ I love the look and smell of a notebook filled with writing.

~ I have no self control when it comes to snacks and goodies. I will plow through a pan of brownies or a bag of tortilla chips like there were diamonds at the bottom. I don't have a favorite snack, but lately I've been obsessed with pretzel M&Ms. I try not to keep sweets in the house though...it usually ends badly.

~ I have been in love three times. The first was my high school sweetheart. We were together for two and a half years, but broke up the spring of our junior year. The second was a guy who was in the Marines, although we were never an official couple. We're still close, and a part of me will always love him. The third is my husband, who means the world to me.

~ I can't stand excessive PDA. I feel that couples who are overly touchy-feely in public are trying to compensate for other areas that are lacking in their relationships. I love to see elderly couples holding hands, though.

~ I broke my tailbone when I was 12. It hurt like hell, and I had to sit on a pillow for weeks at school.

And that's really all I can think of. Those are some random facts and tidbits about yours truly!

Cruisin' with the top down, crank it up real loud

2010-06-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite summer song. Normally I only listen to country in the winter, while opting for the hits and modern rock in the summer (weird, right?), but I was getting pretty damn sick of Ke$ha's stupid songs (can somebody drop a rock on her head or something?) and flipped to 98.9 Wild Country to escape the ~~crap she thinks is music~~ mind numbing repetitiveness. I heard James Otto's new song, Groovy Little Summer Song, and was instantly hooked.

But...what do I do now?

2010-06-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, It's official. I'm a serious Twilight fan [insert string of profanities here]. I read Breaking Dawn in about two and a half days -- I really hate when work gets in the way of a good book! I finished it up Saturday morning, and almost cried when it was over. I don't know what to do with myself now! I've let myself become entrapped in Meyer's writing and the characters. I wish the story could continue on...

Now, on to how I felt about the book...

After I finished Eclipse, I was looking on YouTube for trailers of the upcoming video. It kept routing me to trailers for Breaking Dawn, and I kept seeing images of Bella pregnant. This freaked me out. First, because I automatically assumed that Bella could not become pregnant with Edward's child, so she must have ended up with Jacob. Noooooo!!! Then I started thinking I wouldn't be thrilled if she were to become a mother. I had to half beat my BFF into telling me who she ended up with, because I couldn't wait to find out. I mean, come on, I can't handle that kind of suspense! I was very relieved when I finally read the book and Bella and Edward married. Then came the honeymoon when Bella started to realize that something was happening to her. Noooooo!!

I was, at first, not happy about the baby. I don't know why, but it just didn't seem right to me. I think the biggest problem I had is that after Renesmee was born and Bella was finally, finally changed into a 'cold one', my whole perception of her changed. She was a completely different character to me. A mother. A vampire. It was a little odd, and I felt like some of the feelings I had for the character were lost. But, that's not to say I didn't oooh and ahhh at the fact that Bella and Edward would finally be together, bonded for eternity. And of course having Renesmee made their lives perfect. Sigh.

I loved the book.

What has happened to me?

2010-06-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Since posting about finally reading Twilight a couple weeks ago, I had to read the next two books in the saga. I've officially given up on being a Twilight hater. I've conformed.

New Moon was a great book. I really enjoyed it, but wasn't able to read it in a matter of a day or two as I prefer to do with a good book. I started reading it on the plane to Mexico, and then had to read bits and pieces throughout the rest of our vacation. Hubby got upset with me on more than one occasion because I was "just reading...ugh". I didn't want to put it down, though! I really admire Stephenie Meyer's style and the way she makes you feel like you're walking right along side the characters experiencing and feeling everything with them. The ending was for sure my favorite part, and I was anxious to dive into Eclipse!

I didn't have Eclipse on hand and was really busy after getting back from our vacation, so I didn't pick it up until Sunday afternoon. I started reading it on Monday and spent a good part of the day finishing it up on Tuesday. This was my favorite book so far! I am definitely on Team Edward and couldn't help thinking that Jake needed to back the hell off throughout the book. I was actually a little embarrassed by how into the story I was! I have spent the last hour stalking trailers for the movie, and can't wait for it to come out! I'll probably get Breaking Dawn tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about where the story is going to go. I kept seeing "pregnant Bella" clips on youtube, and to be honest I think that will disappoint me. I am curious if she will finally change or not, though. No spoilers, please!

Hello Husky!

2010-06-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

Wade and I have been talking about getting a dog for awhile now. He was more on the fence, as he is still getting over a lifelong fear of dogs. Is career forces him to be in yards with strange, unfamiliar dogs, and this has helped a great deal. He had really softened to the idea, and even threw in his requests for certain breeds. We did a lot of research on different breeds, but ultimately chose a Siberian Husky. Now seemed to be the perfect time to expand our family.

We met with the breeder and spent about an hour and a half at his house in the end of May. It took us a long time to pick out our puppy. I wanted a black and white one, and Wade wanted the sable colored pup, then called Sammy. Ultimately, the black and white pup was just too mellow, and his personality didn't fit what we were looking for. We decide on who is now known as Jake, and brought him home on June 8th. He has so much spunk, but is very sweet and loving. We've already had our ups and downs as far as training goes, but we knew that training a husky would be a task requiring a lot of time, patience, and a ton of treats.

Jake's favorite activities include playing disc golf with Dad, chewing on his squeaky toy, and sleeping under the coffee table. He's getting more and more comfortable with his crate each day, and is thankfully sleeping about 6 hours at night with no accidents. The first night he howled continuously, and we had to take him outside almost every hour. It was rough, but we're willing to have sleepless nights for our new little guy.

The cats are adjusting to him, although it's going to take some time before Chester and Chloe fully accept their new brother. Chloe hid in the basement for the first three days, refusing to even come upstairs to eat. I had to bring a bowl of food and water down to her so she didn't starve. Chester's biggest issue with the new puppy is that he isn't the center of attention right now, and that is seriously cramping his style. And he's not to thrilled with the fact that Jake wants to chew on his stumpy tail. However, Chloe has come out of hiding and, while she still runs from the puppy, she is comfortable sleeping on our bed again. Chester ignores Jake for the most part, only giving him thumps on the head when Jake starts playing too rough.

Having Jake is certainly going to change things for us, but we're so excited to help him grow into a smart, well-behaved, happy dog! Next on the agenda is puppy classes!

7. Plant a garden

2010-05-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

I do not have, by any interpretation of the phrase, a green thumb. I have no landscaping vision or capabilities. I have no idea what flowers and shrubs go well together. So, my lame attempt at a garden will have to be a work in progress. I have to say though, I think it looks pretty darn good so far! I have a long way to go (and would some day love to landscape all around the house), but at least there is some proof of life in our otherwise dull looking yard.

Honestly, I can't even tell you what each of the plants are. I do know that I planted some celosia, johnny jump ups, petunias, and...well...I'm really not sure. I just thought they were pretty. I still need to fill in the garden with a few more plants and flowers, and put down some mulch.

Where do you get your gardening inspiration? I could definitely use some help!

2. Read for leisure

2010-05-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

I've been able to knock out a couple more books!

The first was a quick read, The Italian's Wife by Sunset. It was a cheesy romance novel, but overall it was an ok book. I'm in no hurry to pick it up and read it again, but it was a nice way to kill an afternoon.

The second book needs no explanation...Twilight.

I hate to say it, but I'm really into this book and can't wait to read the three remaining books. Some of you are probably ripping your hair out trying to figure out what took me so long to get started. Honestly, I did not want to like these books or the movies. I thought the media buzz and over-popularity was ridiculously undeserved. They're about vampires! How lame is that?! The only reason I ever even picked up the book in the first place is because I happened to watch the movie when it was on HBO about a month ago. I didn't hate the movie. In fact, I watched it again the next day. And then a couple weeks later, New Moon showed up on my doorstep from Columbia House (I forgot to decline that week's "director's selection"). I figured, what the heck, and kept the movie. Then while the hubby and I were doing our shopping at Sam's Club on Sunday, I happened to notice the series were only $7 a piece. I decided to stop being so judgemental, and argued that maybe I'd help me pass time during the plane ride for our upcoming vacation (more on that later). Well, I started reading it Sunday afternoon. So much for waiting. I read half the book in the first few hours before forcing myself to stop and go to sleep, and then nearly finished it yesterday...but I was ~~rudely interrupted~~ about to be late for work last night. I had 60 pages left, and finished it up this morning. I'm going back to Sam's tomorrow to get the rest of the books.

I've got some catching up to do!

2010-05-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I kind of suck at this. I'll start out on that note! I used to be such a dutiful blogger, always keeping you in the loop. This is where I rattle off my ~~lame excuses~~ completely understandable explanations. I've been busy. The weather has been nice, so I've been away from the computer. I'm working odd hours. I have nothing to really write about, and when I do I can't seem to find the time or motivation. I think that about covers it.

But I do feel that I owe you an update. If nothing else, I've made some progress on my list of 101 things in 1001 days list! This first "task" is almost 2 months old...that just goes to show how ~~lazy~~ preoccupied I've been.

13. Take a road trip out of state: This is by far the funnest item on my list to report on. My bff and I decided to go to the San Diego in late March. It was pretty much on a whim, but we both felt we needed the girl's trip. It was a VERY long and exhausting (but gorgeous) 30 hour drive from home to our hotel in Cali. Straight through. Well, almost anyway...we took a 2 hour nap on the side of the interstate at one of the rest stops outside of Vegas. It took a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Starbucks Frappuccinos, but we made it!

My best girl and I

Being in California was awesome, and we had a couple unexpected surprises. First, my old friend found out that we were going to be in San Diego. He was living on the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, and we ended up hanging out with him and his friend most of the weekend. It was so great to see him and catch up! Bridget and I also got a great, new friend out of the deal. The boys ended up being our chauffeurs and took us all around to go shopping, eat, and to the beaches. The weather couldn't have been better, and we had an amazing time. To say we made some incredible memories, and that Cali stole our hearts would be an understatement.

My friend and I walking in San Diego

Pacific Beach

On the way home, we stopped in Diamond Back, CA and had an amazing lunch at the Yard House with my uncle who I hadn't seen in ten years. That was another highlight of the trip, and a reason I'm so grateful that we were able to go!

My uncle, me, and his friend

I've got a few more items I've crossed off my list, so I'll be posting about them soon! Don't look at me like that, I swear it will be soon. Really.

I'm still alive

2010-03-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

Have no fear, I know I've been pretty flakey on the blog lately. I need to update my 101 things in 1001 days, but I'm going to wait until after next weekend. One of my best friends, Bridget, and I are going to road trip out to Cali for a long (and exhausting) weekend! I probably wont have anything else exciting to post until then, so sit tight!

2. Read for leisure

2010-02-27T17:48:00.000-08:00

It's been two and a half weeks since my last update. How sad? That's not to say I haven't been doing anything in my spare time, but...well, yeah ok, it's been a little dull. Even now, I don't have much to say. I lost my job yesterday.

Sucks.

I can't say I was completely blindsided. I have been predicting this for several weeks now; work has been getting slow, and I'm a temp. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that's a bad combination. So, after nearly 10 months at a job that made me feel worthless regardless of how hard I worked and my great performance, here I sit. Part of me is upset, but an even bigger part of me is just...relieved? You may recall my post from about a month ago where I semi-declaired my hatred for the place and wanted to get away from there. My dad always told me to be careful what I wished for. Right again, Dad.

But, regardless of the list of things weighing on my mind about my current employment status (what about finsihing our basment? what about our plans to TTC, how long will we have to put it off? what if I'm already pregnant? what if I can't find another job?), I'm going to put a positive spin on an otherwise crummy situation.

Ready? Here goes.

~ There was absolutely no respect for employees where I worked, and employee moral was never a concern of management's. The environment was just terrible, and it was sad to see that my depressed state was reflected in so many of my coworkers. My mood is already uplifted knowing I never have to go back (although I would have rather this been on my own terms, of course).

~ For the last 6 months or so, my friends and family have noticed a negative change in my demeanor. I was always the happy-go-lucky girl whose smiles seemed endless. When I say that place was eating my soul, I was only half kidding. I am so ready to get back to my old self!
~ My school work has taken a serious backseat, and my grades have suffered tremendiously. My instructors have noticed, and I'm completely ashamed of that. I'm going to take a couple weeks before really hitting the job search to catch up with school and try to salvage my grades, which I otherwise thought were doomed. PS -- I have never done so poorly in school as I have this last quarter, and it's because I was constantly exhausted from the long days. I am so looking forward to focussing more on school.
~ Which brings up my next point...no more 12 hour days!!! I always love when I hear people complain about having to put in OT. I worked a 12 hour day every work day and that was just normal. Actually, since I've done it so long, I really don't see what the big deal is. Regardless, I'll be happy to go to an 8 or 9 hour work day when I find a new job.

~ No more alarm clocks going off at 4:00am! I think this is what I'm most excited for. For more than a year now, I've had to wake up super early. Actually, 4am didn't seem so bad compaired to waking up at 1am like I was doing 7 days a week when I had a paper route. But, again, glad I don't have to do that anymore! I don't know what it's like for a work day to start at 8am. I had 3 hours of work in by then.

~ Hopefully I'll find a job with a weekday schedule and no weekends.

~ Since I do not, in fact, have a job anymore, I have no reason to put off searching. Before, as much as I disliked where I worked (not the job itself, just almost everything else) I still had a job. I wanted to look, but the fact that I was comfortable where I was kept making me put it off.

~ I don't have to disappoint my family and friends by constantly turning down invitations because I have to go to bed at 8pm, or because I have to work that weekend. I can't tell you how many times I heard my friends and family utter the words "I hate your job".

Ok...I know how all of this sounds. Actually, I had no intention at all of putting this all out there for the World to see. Really, I only came to post about partially completing a goal on my list, but I'm on a rant so that will have to wait. I know this has turned into what sounds like a whiney post coming from somebody who just doesn't want to work, but that's not it at all. I really enjoyed the job that I did. I enjoyed the people I worked with. I enjoyed contributing to our household. What I didn't like was the environment and how it made me feel. The ridiculous rules and report cards and dirty looks if you went to use the bathroom combined with so much more negativity just made me feel...depressed. I guess that's the only way to describe how I felt. I am scared about being without a job, but I also know that new doors will open, and it's only a matter of time before I graduate and can move on to a career -- not just a job that I have to go to. I guess what I'm trying to say in all of this is that I hope that me being laid off is a blessing in disguise. I have been wanting to find a job that allows me more time with my loved ones and that doesn't completely drain me, and I'm hoping this is my opportunity.

If you made it though all of that, give yourself a pat on the back.

Now, ~~half a bag of tortilla chips~~ a half an hour later, onto what I really came here to tell you! One of my goals on my list of 101 things in 1001 days is to read 25 books for leisure. I figure since I just started the project this month, I'm doing good by now having read one! My good friend insisted that I read Dear John when the movie came out. I got the book from her sometime earlier this week, and found myself with nothing to do today. It took about 6 hours, but I read the entire thing in one sitting. While I should have been doing other things (does that homework ring a bell?), I just needed to take a little me time.

My feelings on the book are mixed, to be completely honest. I have to admit that I got caught up in my own memories of a soldier, and what that time in my life was like. I found myself relating to Savannah, and wondering if it is possible that my "John" still thinks of me. Maybe this was a book I shouldn't have read. Some people will just never be forgotten, even if you want them to. It's really hard to shake the feeling that I know completely what John and Savannah were both dealing with, even if it was a fictional story.

Putting my personal feelings aside, I liked the book. It isn't one of my favorites, but it was good. It was an easy read, and I'm glad that I took the time and dove into it. I used to love reading and could often be found with my nose in a book, but it's been so long since I've gone on a reading binge. I think I may have to do just that!

69. Get glasses

2010-02-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

Whoohoo! One more check off my list! And one that I am actually super excited about because I saved a butt load of money. I finally got glasses! This is something I have been battling since ninth grade...when I did actually get glasses. And wore them one time. And then never wore them again...

I finally went for an eye exam last year, was told I needed glasses, and never picked out any frames. So this year when I went for my check up, I told myself I was getting them. Well, after picking out my frames and finding out that after insurance they were still going to be $250, I decided to forget it. My perscription is so low (as low as a single vision lens goes, actually), that they wouldn't make that big of a difference. And then I started to get headaches at work. Ok, fine, I'll get some damn glasses. I was going to go back to the eye doctor and ~~just suck it up~~ buy the frames I had previously picked out, but then my coworker told me about Zenni Optical. Say hello to my $14.90 prescription lenses and frames! I will never buy glasses through an eye doctor again. Is that bad considering I work in an optical lab processing LensCrafters orders? Nah.

99. Random wikipedia search #1

2010-02-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

Since I started my project over a week ago, I figured I should complete one of the more 'regular' tasks on my list. I am kicking today off with a random Wikipedia search. The first thing that came to mind was: Jerk Chicken (hey, this is supposed to be random).

"Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meats are dry rubbed or marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. Jerk seasoning is traditionally applied to pork and chicken. Modern recipes also apply Jerk spice mixes to fish, shellfish, beef, sausage, and tofu. Jerk seasoning principally relies upon two items: allspice (called "pimento" in Jamaica) and Scotch bonnet peppers (among the hottest peppers on the Scoville scale). Other ingredients include cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme and garlic.
Jerk chicken, pork, or fish is said to be at its best when smoked over aromatic wood charcoal or briquettes. The wood ("pimento wood"), berries, and leaves of the allspice plant among the coals contribute to jerk's distinctive flavor."

I have had the OMG this crap is hot! experience pleasure of trying smoked Jerk chicken while my husband and I were honeymooning in Jamaica. I have to say, there is nothing else like it. All of the flavors are so intense. However, I don't do hot food. While it was a really flavorful and downright delicious, I could only handle a few bites.

I'm addicted

2010-02-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Megan...and I can't put down my phone. Holy moley, I can see why people walk around with phones seemingly glued to their hands. My LG Chocolate has been due for an upgrade for about 14 months. It was still working fine for texting and talking (which is all I did anyway), so there was no rush. Hubs kept telling me you need a new phone, that thing is so out-dated, yackity yack blah blah. Flash forward to last Saturday when he tells me the Droids are buy one, get one. Yeah, ok, cool...we'll go look. Sunday: Enter, the Verizon store. We look at the Droid Eris, estimate the bill with data package, what have you. Yay, fun, getting a new phone...whatever. Leave the store, really start playing with the no-need-for-any-other-electronic-device-ever-again gizmo (cause really, it's so much more than a phone): OMG this thing is so cooool!!! AAAHHH! Did you know there's a barcode scanner app?!

Yes, I've become that person. We're losing sleep. There's so much the NNFAOEDEA gizmo can do. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world. A beautiful world.

44. Have a day at the spa

2010-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

I can officially check off the first item on my list of 1001 things in 1001 days! Going to a spa was actually something I didn't anticipate being able to check off so soon, but I'm happy to say that I can. My girlfriend and I spent Friday afternoon getting facials and manicures. It was so nice to be pampered a little bit. Now I'm planning another spa day with my mom, aunt, future sister-in-law, and a close family friend! We're going to make a weekend of it, go into the cities to the Aveda institute (wwaayy cheaper and oh-so-amazing treatments), get a really nice hotel room and go out for dinner and drinks. I can't wait!

I'm going to set a goal

2010-01-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Well, a lot of goals, actually.

I've been seeing lists of 101 things to do in 1001 days on a lot of blogs lately, and I want to jump on the bandwagon. Day Zero is the home of the project, and is inspiring thousands of people to think about their lives and what they want to accomplish. I have been thinking of many of these "Want to do, Have to do, and Need to dos" for quite some time, and others are inspiration from different lists I've seen.

The criteria for a list is simple: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

So here it is, in no particular order. My 101 things to do by Tuesday, October 23nd, 2012. Just in time for the Mayan Apocalypse.

1. Graduate college
2. Read 25 books for leisure (0/25)
3. Pay off all credit card debt
4. Pay off Wade's bike
5. Take a cooking class
6. Buy a great pair of heels
7. Plant a garden
8. Learn to sew
9. Finish our basement
10. Start an exercise program
11. Start my career
12. Have our first baby
13. Take a road trip out of state
14. Donate unworn clothes
15. Complete the 30 Day Shred
16. Try yoga
17. Attend a professionally produced play
18. Go to an art show
19. Go to the movies solo
20. Learn Spanish
21. Paint a canvas to display in our house
22. Buy stock, any stock
23. Take inventory of our personal property
24. Play a round of golf with my husband
25. Go to Chicago for a long weekend
26. Go to Florida for a long weekend
27. Start buying nicer clothes
28. Run a 5k with Wade
29. Go to a museum
30. Try two new dinner recipes a week for a month (0/8)
31. Start an IRA and/or 401k
32. Create a will and inform my family of it
33. Make a photo book of me and Mom's Cozumel trip
34. Start a real scrapbook
35. Send out Christmas cards each year (0/2)
36. Give a really nice gift to my parents
37. Host a holiday dinner
38. Go to a concert, any concert
39. Donate to the ASPCA
40. Go snowboarding at a ski slope
41. Read 10 self help books on a variety of topics (0/10)
42. Get Chester and Chloe's picture taken professionally
43. Give Wade a 20 minute massage
44. Have a day at the spa
45. Sleep out under the stars
46. Go to a wine tasting
47. Buy and keep good wine in the house
48. Write and send a thank-you for good service
49. Visit my grandparents
50. Pay for a stranger's coffee or lunch
51. Catch a big fish
52. Refinish a piece of furniture
53. Donate plasma
54. Take a vitamin every day (1/1001)
55. Put into savings the amount spent on 5 unnecessary purchases (0/5)
56. Memorize the location of every country in the world
57. Go out for a romantic dinner with Wade
58. Meet my half sister
59. Get a library card
60. Renew my passport
61. Spend a day with my niece
62. Send flowers to my mom
63. Stay up all night long and sleep all the next day
64. Learn how to use Photoshop
65. Meet a Nestie IRL
66. Have a game night once a month (0/33)
67. Buy all new make-up
68. Get life insurance
69. Get glasses
70. Call my dad twice a month just to chat (0/66)
71. Spend a day alone with my mother-in-law
72. Go to a country music festival
73. Buy Finding Nemo and Ice Age on DVD to replace the VHS tapes
74. Have 5 consecutive internet-free days, excluding school related (0/5)
75. Pay it forward
76. Go to a big National Park
77. Try 5 new entrees at restaurants where I always order "the usual" (0/5)
78. Completely revamp my blog
79. Create an organized and usable office
80. Go see Morgan
81. Learn to make 5 alcoholic beverages (0/5)
82. Build a deck
83. Host a Super Bowl party
84. Quit my current job
85. Get all seasons of Criminal Minds on DVD
86. Plant a time capsule
87. Learn how to play poker
88. Get a real hobby
89. Be able to comprehend politics
90. Successfully bake a complicated dessert
91. Fulfill my Columbia House membership
92. Take an anniversary trip
93. Randomly dance with my husband to our first dance song
94. Meet at least 4 of our neighbors
95. Stay in a hotel close to home for no reason
96. Volunteer once a month for a year (0/12)
97. Thank one of my teachers
98. Truly support Wade in something I'd normally fight him on
99. Do 2 random Wikipedia searches a month, blog about the subjects (0/66)
100. Go to the dentist every 6 months (0/5)
101. Create a new 101 list by day 1001

I need a new job. Like, now.

2010-01-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

And trust me, I've been looking.

So I wrote out this ridiculously long blog post with all of the reasons I hate my job and how horribly they treat people only to decide I didn't want to depress my readers...or sound like a whiny, ungrateful brat that I even have a job. Lets just put it this way -- that place is eating my soul. I need out. Now.

I have a happy hubby

2010-01-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

My super fit, super studly husband has one small problem that he just can't understand. High blood pressure. He works out, he eats right, but he refuses to take medications. We have been doing everything humanly possible to cut out all unnecessary salts. It's kind of tough. It's ridiculous how much sodium is in a can of tomato sauce or a slice of bread. So our new mission in life has been to make as much of our own food as possible. For Hubs, this mainly means baking his own bread. He's been doing it for about a month and a half now. Reasons I like this include 1) freshly baked bread smells aaaammmazing 2) it's saving us money 3) everybody loves a man that can cook and 4) because he decided that he needed this:

Of course, like many other women --those who can cook and those who pretend (like me)--, I have wanted one of these bad boys for a couple years. I was never able to justify the purchase knowing I'd only use the mixer several times a year. Now that Wade is baking a couple loaves of bread each week, it was a lot easier to toss this baby in the cart and stroll happily up to the check out lanes. Oooh, and I was able to save $$ with my 10% off Target Rewards coupon + we used a gift card. Only $130 later, Helllllooo KitchenAid stand mixer. I think I may mix up a batch of cookies later!

Miss me?

2010-01-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

Cause I sure miss you! I guess I just haven't had much to say lately. Everything and nothing is going on at the same time. I've been meaning to post a recap about our vacation (which.was.AWESOME!), but I started and it just got sooo long. Ha. Wade and I are all settled into our house and have a new routine and adjusted to the new financial obligations -- which luckily was not much of an adjustment at all, so that has been nice. I still hate my job. You know, the usual! But, life is good for the most part, and I have no complaints.

I guess the most exciting thing going on in our lives is that we are no longer TTA pregnancy! While I'm trying not to get too wound up and anxious to get pregnant, I can't help but be very excited and nervous. Will it happen right away? Will I have a healthy pregnancy? Will we have to try for months? I'm really hoping that we can conceive quickly. Financially, we're ready. We're stable. We have our house, and we have each other. All of this makes me feel very confident, but it's so hard to know if the time is ever "right". However, I am a huge believer that if you wait for that perfect time to have a baby, it'll never happen. So now I'm trying to resist the urge to start buying things in preparation for a baby...trying not to stalk Target and Babies R Us. Wade did have to gently remind me that I am not, in fact, pregnant yet. Oops :-] I guess now we just wait and see!

In other news, I went dress shopping with my two older step-sisters and my mom for my sister Anne's wedding today! All of her other bridesmaids went last weekend, but I had to work. Everybody picked out their dresses and ordered them, so I was the last one. We were in David's Bridal for about 20 minutes and I had chosen and paid for my dress. I chose this one because the other girls all chose dresses made of chiffon, and I can order my normal size (well, I went 1 size up), and if I do happen to be a few months pregnant by the August wedding, there is more than enough give in the dress that I wont need alterations. It's amazing how stretchy (and super comfy!) this dress is. I'm excited to wear it! It's style 13291 and I really love it. The dress will be in apple red as shown in this picture.

Brody

2009-12-31T17:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to my good friend Amanda and her husband Keith on the wonderful addition to their family! Brody David arrived on New Years Eve!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you wonderful readers have a very safe and Merry Christmas and holiday season. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by, and all of the amazing things that have happened. I'll be sad to see 2009 go!

That being said, what a strange Christmas. I spent the last week in Mexico, and I was much more consumed with getting ready for my vacation than I was getting ready for Christmas. We only bought gifts for the kids in the family this year, and my house is not nearly as festive as I had hoped. We went to my parent's house yesterday and were the only ones there other than one of my sister's family. We ate pizza. It was fun though, just different. Wade and I decided not to exchange gifts this year due to all of our recent major purchases, so we just woke up like it was any other day. He has some bread dough rising and is playing an Xbox game, and I'm...well, I'm here! We are going to go out to eat with my father-in-law and two of the sibling-in-laws later, which is also really strange to me. I've never 'gone out' on Christmas day. After that, we'll come home and just relax. Tomorrow evening, after work, I'll go to my mother-in-law's to celebrate with her and the sib-in-laws and have dinner. I'm hoping next year will be much more traditional, and maybe we'll even host the holiday at our house!

Merry Christmas again!

12 more days, 12 more days!!

2009-12-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

Mom and I talk almost every day, but for about the last month we have talked about nothing but our Cozumel Vacation!! I can't wait to take our first (and possibly only) mother-daughter trip. We have so much in common and are both very spontaneous and adventurous. We like so many of the same things, so I know this trip is going to be awesome. We've got so many plans for our 8 days in Cozumel, and I hope we can do everything we want and still have plenty of time to relax at our resort. In 12 days, we'll be settling into an adorable little bungalow!

Quaint, cute, and completely Mexico!

That really didn't do it for me.

2009-11-27T05:09:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to do some Black Friday shopping, but we're not exchanging many gifts this year since I'm going to Mexico with my mom in a couple weeks, we just built our house, and I just bought a brand new car. The moola is running a little low for Christmas gifts this year. But, I still love shopping. I'm not a crazy, gotta-shop-all-the-time, my-closet-is-stocked-full-of-things-I-never-wear shopper, though. In fact, I pretty much recycle the same handful of outfits over and over because I almost never shop for myself. At least not for clothes. I like stuff shopping. I like looking at things for the house, DVD's, cookbooks, things like that (of which I usually don't end up actually buying). I'm the type of shopper who just loves to be in the stores. I go for one or two things, and can look at others for hours.

So anyways, since I puffy heart being in the stores with the masses, it was fitting to at least go out for something on Black Friday. Since I wake up at and ungodly hour anyway, there was no need to set an alarm. I woke up around 4:50, threw on some sweats, and was out the door. I figured if I got to Target after it had opened that there'd be no line waiting outside. Uh, yeah...wrong. I got there around 10 after, and there were cars circling the lot trying to find a spot (just big enough, I could park my old truck --- ha, song lyrics came out there...it's too early). I ended up having to park in the back of the store along side the building. And there was STILL a line. I had to wait outside a few minutes before I was able to get in, and there were no carts left. Good thing I wasn't there for much! The only thing on my list was a set of 700 thread-count sheets for $30. Luckily there was one queen size set in the color I needed. I snagged it along with a few DVD's (can't wait to watch Up later!) and headed out. I was home and back in bed before 6:00, with this overwhelming sense of disappointment. What am I doing back home?! There are crazy sales out there! Ugh. I'm having a hard time here.

I wonder if Best Buy still has any of the $50 LG Touch Chocolates...

6 months post op!

2009-11-25T06:16:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted about my breast augmentation since June when I was only 10 days post op. What a difference 5 and a half months have made! After years of wanting it, I finally made the decision to have the surgery last spring, scheduled a consult, and 10 days later on May 22nd, I gave myself the gift of boobs! I haven't regretted my decision for a moment, and finally feel so good when I'm trying on dresses and tops. It's great to feel like a woman! I was told by posters of an augmentation board that the look and feel of my new breasts would continue to change throughout the first year following my surgery, and I'm surprised at how true that is. Looking back at the pictures from my first month, it's crazy how natural they now look. Anyways, here are my 6 month post op pictures!

Why in God's name did I ever take an online Algebra class?

2009-11-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

I suck at algebra. Really, I do. I'm good with numbers, but when it comes to algebra my eyes glaze over and my brain starts screaming. And to take matters worse, I'm taking it online. Why I have to take algebra again, I'm not even sure. I graduated with my AA in 2007 and thought I was done with those sorts of math classes. Apparently not.

But back to this whole online business. My homework for each week consists of posting and solving a problem from the book in a discussion forum (easy because we choose our own problem), taking a test from the previous week's chapter (semi-easy), and completing and submitting 10 problems from the book (hard as freaking hell). The problem with this class is that there is no guidance, no real instruction. We get a book which shows you how to solve the easiest, most basic problems in the section. Well, that's all good and fine until the problems we need to do for the homework are NOTHING like the other examples in the book. I and many of my classmates have emailed our instructor for some help, only to receive replies such as "look over the discussion questions again" or "read the book". Yeah, duh, read the book.

I'm getting a solid C (sucks), and I don't see my grade going up in the next 4 weeks. I'm struggling so much with this week's chapter on rational expressions and equations that I'm considering not even turning in the homework.

::throws algebra book on the floor::

Happy Birthday Chester!!

2009-11-02T17:48:00.001-08:00

My little man is a whole year old today! I can't believe how big he's gotten, and how much we love him.

Kids? Who needs kids? I have my kitty.

I had planned to get him a birthday hat and a kitty cake, but I didn't have time. I think we'll be celebrating with his 'grandparents' this weekend.

I miss him being so tiny!

My life is amazing, so why do I feel this way?

2009-10-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

I grew up poor. I was born into a trailer park poor. My mom and bio-father divorced when I was about a year old, and my mom started dating my dad. Things were better than with David, but still never great. We moved from house to house, town to town, and disposable income was completely unheard of. We moved to our permanent home when I was 7, but things were still shaky. I remember my mom agonizing when it was time to buy school clothes. I remember getting free lunches. I remember broken down cars and no money to fix them. I remember the fights.

I think you get the idea.

But I look at my life now, and my family's lives. I don't know really when or how things turned around, but they did. I thank my lucky stars every day that we are where we are now, and I don't take anything for granted.

This has been the most amazing year. I have been happily married to such a wonderful man and my best friend for a year now, I was able to have breast augmentation --something I've wanted since I was 15--, we built a brand new home, I got a new car, my mom and I are going to Mexico in a few months, I have the most amazing family I could ask for. The list just goes on. Granted, most of these are material things and in the grand scheme of things, truly don't mean much. But to look at where I've come from and where I am now...I don't know, I guess it's all just hitting me tonight.

This feels like an amazing, unbelievable dream. And I'm just waiting to wake up. Is all of this just too much too fast? I'll never forget where I came from and what my family has overcome, but I can't help but wonder what if everything I have is taken away from me? I don't know how or why I got so lucky when there are people out there who are suffering with no hope.

I'm feeling oddly depressed, and it is utterly and completely unwarranted.

It's been a good week for me!

2009-10-25T06:44:00.001-07:00

We've been living in our new house for almost two weeks now, but we actually closed on it on Tuesday! It feels so awesome to own our new home. It's a huge accomplishment for us. We love it here, and it already feels more like home than any apartment I've lived in. And Chester and Chloe love it here too!

And in other exciting news, I got a new car yesterday! We decided in the spring that it was time for me to get a new vehicle, but knew we had to wait until after closing on the house. So, we went and talked to our banker yesterday, got our approval, and went to test drive some of the cars I have had my eye on. I've been looking around casually for months and had narrowed my choices down to a Ford Edge or another Malibu. I've been driving a 2002 Chevy Malibu for 4 years, but it has some serious cosmetic issues due to being hit by an idiot driver and me taking on a 90-mile paper route in the middle of last winter. It has also been running really rough for about the last 15,000 miles and I know it's only a matter of time before something major goes out. It has a salvaged title from before I got the car, so who knows what happened to it prior. But I do have to say it's been a great little car for me the last 4 years, and I'm going to be sad to see it go. Lots of memories in my little Bu. But my shiney new 2010 Malibu sitting in my garage makes up for it!

Out with the old, in with the new!

Ya think I have a thing for black?

It's been awhile!

2009-10-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

So I haven't had a new entry in a week and a half. We've been so busy cleaning, finishing up the house, packing, working, etc. etc. I have a lot of new pictures up of our now-finished house, but it's been a total pain in the rear trying to upload them -- Google Sites is putting a serious damper on my attention whoring.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to close yesterday. We're really disappointed and ticked off at our lender, but we're dealing with it. Dean let us move some stuff into the garage, and we put all of our big furniture in the house already. Our landlord showed our apartment on Thursday without giving us a notice (illegal, I know!) and found our stow-aways, aka Chester and Chloe. Oopsies! When she confronted me about it today, I lied. I apologized and said they had only been there for the week while my brother was on vacation. She didn't seem too upset, but I told her they had come and picked up the kitties. So now, C & C are living in the house without us :( But, that gives us an excuse to come hang out here every day. In fact, I am writing this from my brand new living room!

We packed and moved everything that we wont need in the next few days, so it's just clothes and kitchen stuff left at the apartment. We'll be sleeping on an air mattress until we close, and who knows when that will be! Our cable is set to shut off on Monday, which is going to suck if we don't close early this week. Oh well.

I just want to be able to come here and not have to leave later. I'm amazed at how much this house already feels like our home. This is our first place, so I can't say for sure, but something about building a home is just so...totally ours? I don't know. All I know is that I love this place. I can't wait to start making memories here.

One of the first: my husband and my brother who are currently outside laying sod in 30* weather while it's sleeting. Fun times!! I cannot believe that it is already snowing. Last year we didn't have snow until late November!

More later :-]

It's our anniversary again!

2009-10-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Obviously not our wedding anniversary, since that was a week and a half ago, but Wade and I have been together for a wonderful 4 years as of this morning. We started dating when I was 17 and we were both in our first year of college, me as a PSEO student. We had met a month and a half before when Wade moved from his home town to Willmar to go to school. I had been dating a guy I worked with for a couple months after coming out of a serious relationship in high school. This guy was more of a rebound. I'm awful, I know. Anyways, He was two years older than me, had his own place, and he could get beer. Again, I know.

I swear, I'm an angel now.

So I'm dating this guy, who in all reality is really not my type and was kind of ~~a loser~~ an interesting character. He was living in a student apartment, and didn't necessarily get to choose his roommate as each resident was on a separate lease. He got a call from his landlord that he would be getting a new roommate in August. No big deal, we knew it was coming. We actually got some good laughs trying to guess what kind of person he'd be matched up with.

On the night that the roommate moved in, I had to close at the most horrible retail store imaginable (aka K-Mart). I told the bf that I would come over to meet the new roomie when I got off. So, around 9:15, I walked into their apartment and met my future husband. He was shirtless. I was fascinated. The boyfriend...what boyfriend?

Awful.

I'm going to hell. In my defense, the bf and I didn't break up because of Wade. Or maybe subconsciously it was because of him. But none of that matters now, right?

The ex-boyfriend ended up moving out, we got engaged, and then moved in together within the year. It's been such an wonderful ride since then, even though we had a bit of an intense start. I just can't believe it's been four years already. I don't know where the time has gone. So much has happened so fast, and it all seems so unreal. We've shared and experienced so much in such a short time. I wouldn't have it any other way, though. We have such an amazing life together, and I can't wait to write the rest of our story.

I'm a dead woman.

2009-09-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not kidding, if you don't *see* me for a few days, call the cops and tell them my husband did it. He isn't home yet (him and his brother are still installing some flooring at the house), but he is going to flip out when he walks through that door. I single handedly pulled the St. Cloud economy out of a recession.

Here's what I got for...

the entry:
Mirror
Rugs
"Home" sign (from Mom)
Shoe rack for inside closet

the bathroom:
Bath towels
Hand towels
Wash cloths
Rugs
Shower curtain
Shower hooks

the living room:
Curtain rod
Mini blinds
Window treatments
Decorative prints to go over the couch
12 frames for photo wall
Decorative rocks to go in candle/water feature that I already have

the kitchen/dining room:
Hand towels
Wash rags
Oven mitts
Banana hanger
Paper towel rack
Blinds for window over sink
Curtain rod
Window treatments for patio door
Bar stools
Place mat and decorative pumpkin for centerpiece

the bedrooms:
Curtain rods
Blinds
Window treatments
Sheets for master bedroom
Lamp and shade for guest bedroom
"The Perfect Pillow" for hubby and I (**maybe he won't kill me because of his new awesome pillow??)

...of course all of this doesn't include the new bed sets I bought for both rooms, the money I've spent refinishing the guestroom furniture, and numerous other decorative items. They don't tell you when you buy a house that you're going to spend your life's savings moving into it!

Oh shit...he's home! Eeeks!

I've been so busy.

2009-09-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

And my blog has taken a hit. I apologize! With work, the house, and finishing up my first quarter at a new college, I haven't had time to blog. Not much is going on anyway, just house stuff.

I'll give you the rundown of the last couple weeks. Last weekend was a very busy, exhausting, but really great weekend. We primed and painted the entire house, and Wade and I celebrated our first year of married bliss.

See how happy I am in this picture? He still makes me smile like this each and every day.

Wade and I have a wonderful life together. We get each other. He knows me better than I know myself. I would go to the end of the World for him, and I know he'd do the same for me. It's been an amazing year for us, and I know it's only going to get better from here! We didn't get to spend our anniversary on a special trip or doing something really romantic, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. We woke up at the crack of dawn after having stayed at the house until 1am priming, and gave each other our cards. Wade got me a really silly card, as I knew he would, but I was touched by the very thoughtful and sweet message that he wrote inside. After that, we had a quick breakfast, got ready, and headed back to the house. We spent the entire day together painting our brand new home, just the two of us. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

With the help of my brother-in-law and a friend on Friday and part of the day Sunday, we finished priming and painting in an exhausting 32 hours. We left the house on Sunday night around 7:00, and everybody was definitely ready to get out of there. The house looks great! Very colorful, and probably not everybody's taste, but we love how it all turned out. We went back today to check on the progress, and we have a kitchen!! All of the colors look awesome together, and I can't wait to see how the flooring and stainless steal appliances pull it all together. Two weeks until we close!

Check out the rest of the progress on my Nest Bio.

Trying to plan my shopping trip

2009-09-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

I am waiting on a text back from my wonderful mother to confirm a shopping trip for next weekend. I have a plethora of house goodies to acquire, and who better to have tag along?

I'm mentally trying to prepare myself for the hit my checking account is about to take. Aside from the other not-so-fun stuff that we need (hoses, ladders, lightbulbs, etc.), I have a list a mile long of things I want. Here's what I'm going to try to get next weekend:

~ Window treatments for every window (including rods, blinds)
~ A new garbage can
~ A stainless steal toaster to match the rest of the appliances
~ Kitchen towels and pot holders to match the new color scheme
~ An entry way rug
~ Shower curtain
~ New towels to match color scheme in bathroom
~ Lamp(s) for nightstands in guest bedroom
~ Frames to do a photo wall (which reminds me, I still have to order prints)
~ A shoe rack for entry closet

I'm sure I'll be adding to that!

End of Week 2 progress

2009-09-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

So it is now "Week 3" of our home building extravaganza, but the guys weren't working yesterday (Labor Day), and I don't think much is happening today or tomorrow. But, Friday was a productive day! I think the biggest changes with the project took place in Week 2, and I don't see that changing. We went from having a brick foundation Monday morning with some minor framing, to a full house that is shingled and has windows installed on Friday. I've never paid much attention to a house-in-process before, but I'm just amazed at what this crew can do. Check out the latest pictures!

Two days later

2009-09-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

Our house looks like a house! You can follow the weekly progress here on my Nest Bio. I'm posting regular pictures there and on Facebook, so to do it in three places gets to be a little much. I'll post the link once a week with new updates, and maybe still a few pictures here and there on the bloggity.

I can't believe that three guys have gotten so far in 9 work days!

They are just blazing!

2009-09-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

This was our house yesterday! After only a week of construction, we went from a hole in the ground to having something that resembles a real home! The upstairs is almost completely framed in. It's a mess, but here's a general idea. I can't wait until the dry wall goes up so we can really see everything come together. The only problem...our furniture is not going to fit in our livingroom. It's tiny, which is why we plan to finish the downstairs so we can have a large family room. It's going to be really tight/awkward for awhile.

We have our electrical walk-through tonight. I can't wait to see the progress they made today!

Watergate

2009-08-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

I am taking a course called Visions of America Since 1945. It's mainly a multimedia course focusing on television history. I have a smallish research paper due...uh, today...on Watergate. Specifically how it affected politics and pop culture, why I believe it happened, and if it has caused politicians and those in the media to chase the truth amidst power and popular opinion. I'll be honest, I really don't know. I haven't studied the Watergate scandal since my freshman year in high school, and I really didn't pay much attention back then. I didn't get anything from my reading. I have to leave in 15 minutes to meet my sisters for lunch. Hopefully I can hit it hard when I get back, but I have a feeling this my put a damper on my awesome grade.

Oooh, shiney!

2009-08-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

We decided on our appliance package today! I'm so excited about these. We were going to go with the appliance packaged our contractor typically uses from Sears, but we weren't thrilled with them. The fridge seemed a bit small, and the stove had an exposed heating element. They were still nice, but for only $100 more we found a great Whirlpool package at Benusa. They do mostly contracting sales, so we got an awesome price! We went with a side-by-side refrigerator so we could get the built in water dispenser and ice maker. The stove in this package also has a hidden heating element, which is going to make cleaning it a breeze. I love them. They're pretty. I can't wait to have them.

Couldn't find a picture of our over-the-range microwave, but these are the rest of the pieces.

My blog got a make-over.

2009-08-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

So the changes aren't that drastic, but I'm much happier with the new look! I hated that big maroon banner at the top of my blog, but didn't really know what else to do. Changing the format, some font colors, and getting a new skin made a big difference. I also added "reactions" at the bottom of my posts. I still want to find a cute banner that I can put a picture in, or have a funner font, but that's a work-in-progress. What do you think?

Not only do we have a hole, we have footings!

2009-08-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

We went to see how things went on Day 1 of construction expecting to just see a big hole. We were pretty surprised to see they had already poured the footings! And we were also informed that our lot extends even farther back that we thought it did. Our builder told us he was at the back of the lot this morning when the neighbor behind us came and asked if she could help him with something. He told her he was just checking out the property lines and asked if they realized they had been mowing part of our yard. We thought our property line ended about 15' farther up. Their back yard is tiny! She said they knew that but were just taking advantage of the extra yard while they could. Well too bad for you, lady, we're movin' in! The lot is 200' long, so we'll have plenty of room to run around with future kids, throw a football, have barbeques! I can't wait :)

And without further ado, I bring to you...our hole!

Gotta love heavy equipment!

Our meadow

Front of the house

Back corner of the house

The other corner

House building delays

2009-08-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, our builder was unable to close on our lot last Friday, which means construction could not start on Monday as planned (insert sad face here). It turns out the lot was foreclosed on, which explains why we were able to get it for $25k instead of the $65-$70k it was originally going for. But, that caused some complications, and there was something to do with a bank in Switzerland (??). Our builder thinks everything has been straightened out now, and they *should* be able to close tomorrow. He may start digging tomorrow, if possible, or construction will begin on the 24th. Here's hoping it goes as planned from here on out! Dean, our builder, is not happy about being a full week behind. Luckily, the house should still be finished by early October, and we still have our apartment until the end of November if anything else should come up.

We deciding on our siding color yesterday, and we're trying to decide on the best shingle color to compliment the bright green. We drove around looking for houses with our same siding color to see what other people chose for the roofing, and found this house.

This is much larger than ours will be, but it gives you an idea. We're going to go with a similar color shingle. It was hard to find examples because not many people have bright green houses. We did see about 79 shades of tan, though! And yes, I did feel like a creeper taking pictures of a stranger's home.

Oh, how I love 'house stuff' shopping.

2009-08-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

Wade and I woke up bright and early this morning to go meet with our mortgage loan officer, sign a bunch of papers, and fill our our official application. After that we drove about 45 minutes to Albertville, home of the famous (or at least very well known around here) Albertville Outlet Mall. It seems to go on forever with outlet store after outlet store. There is an Ashley Furniture outlet there, which was our reason for going today. I wanted to see the two tables that I had picked out online in person. The Conover is much longer, and can seat 8. The crossover can only seat 6 and has a semi-funky pattern on top that I'm just not down with. Even though it's an outlet store, the prices at Unclaimed Freight are still better, so we'll be ordering it from there in a few weeks. I have never --in my entire life-- had a real dining room table. My parents had small tables, but the chairs usually never matched, or was missing a chair. But anyways, got a little off track. Basically what I'm saying is I am pretty darn excited to have a real, formal dining room table! And a very pretty one at that! Not super thrilled about the upholstered chairs, so I'll have to find a different fabric for those.

Next, we drove back to St. Cloud and grabbed a quick lunch. Chipotle for him, LeeAnn Chin for me. Then we made our stop at Menards to look at lighting. What we are supposed to do is find what we want, and then give the style numbers to our builder so he can go and pick everything up. Well, we decided that was a bit of a hassle. And Dean has sooo much to do already, and we were just excited....so we bought it ourselves. The money we paid out of pocket will back to us as the unused portion of the lighting credit.

We decided to go with semi-plain flush mount fixtures for the guest bedroom, closets, and bathroom. We have very simple taste, so these are great for us. (They are brighter in person)

In the dining room, we will have this Thomson chandelier from the Tahoe collection. I didn't want brushed nickel and was hoping for a darker stain but that isn't what Wade wanted. I decided since I was picking a lot of the other elements he could have the lighting. Give and take, right?

This light, also from the Tahoe collection, will go in our kitchen over the and another one will go in our foyer.

We also bought a simple brushed nickel mini pendant light with frosted glass to go above our kitchen sink. There wasn't a mini pendant in the Tahoe collection, so we just matched it as best we could. We also got the fixture for above the bathroom mirror, but for the life of me I can't remember what it looked like or what brand it was, so I couldn't hunt down a picture.

All that is left is exterior lights and a ceiling fan for our master bedroom. And we haven't even spent half of our credit yet!

We also meandered to the paint section and chose all of our paint colors. I am really excited about this because I thought it was going to be like pulling teeth to get Wade to help choose colors. He surprised me, though, and actually chose some pretty bold (for him) colors for the living area. The two kitchen walls will be painted in Pittsburgh Paints' Mandarin. Yes, orange. The rest of the living space, which includes the other dining room/living room wall, the hallway and the foyer, will be painted in Fresh Peaches. They look really well together, and are going to go great with our cabinet and trim color. I'm just so glad we are going with something out of our comfort zone. I can't wait to see how it looks!

The Master will be mostly blue (Sonata, to be exact). My accent wall will be cream and brown (Almond Brittle and Iced Tea respectively). Our guest bedroom will be Bleached Spruce, which is a cheery shade of green. Our bathroom, which was Wade's choice and I'm a bit nervous about, will be a very light but bright shade of green called Lantana Lime. I'm hoping it turns out alright! So now we just wait for Dean to tell us when we need to start painting, and we'll go and pick it all up.

Salmon burgers??

2009-08-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

I got home from work and was welcomed by the wonderful aroma of warm vanilla sugar. Yes, my husband had lit my oil warmer. That in itself was great -- I love when the apartment smells so good. I know he hates the smell, so it was really sweet of him. And even better yet, he had cleaned the entire place top to bottom. I love it when he helps out like that. I wasn't surprised that he did some cleaning, as he usually does when I have to work the weekend, but he even went so far as to fold all my laundry and even sort my undies! Needless to say, all of this made my day.

Until I asked what was for dinner...

I saw hamburger buns on the counter, so I assumed we were having hamburgers. I was instructed to look in the fridge, and then my day went downhill. Salmon burgers?! Uh...yucko. Have I told you that my husband doesn't eat fish? He doesn't like fish. Any kind of fish. This, my friends, is going to be interesting. I don't even know how to go about eating a salmon burger. Can I put cheese on it? Does it taste anything like a burger?

Oh...boy...

I have a feeling I'll be ordering a pizza.

Do you know what tonight is?

2009-08-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

Why, it's the Benton County Fair, of course!! Well, it's been going on since Tuesday, but I get to go tonight. I'm so excited. I wait all year for the fair. I love the smells, the animals, the greasy heart stopping food. Everybody just seems so happy at the fair. I have to work super early tomorrow, so we wont be there long, but I should have time to visit all of the barns and the booths. Hubs is jonesing for a funnel cake, and I've got my heart set on some mini donuts and a corndog. And maybe some ice cream. And cheese curds. And cotton candy. Ooooh!

Ok, I know I just posted about the house...

2009-08-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

But I'm just so excited!! And hubby is golfing with his older brother --or should I say on his way home-- so I've had all morning to myself to browse furniture, stare at paint swatches, look for bedding, and all of that exciting stuff. I think I have our paint colors for the bedroom picked out, but the final decision rests in the hands of whatever bedding I choose. If I can ever find a set that I'm in love with. So far that's been a rough road. Oh well...I've got my basic idea. Wade is not happy with my 'design scheme' that I have planned for the master, but he just has no vision for these types of things. His actual words, "That's going to look stupid".

Here's what I have pictured in my mind. *I actually drew it out in Paint, but the picture wont show up right* I would like to do the entire room in a spa-like blue with a brown/cream/blue accent wall. I want to have a brown section from the floor to the ceiling just behind our bed. On either side of the brown section will be a cream stripe the width of our nightstands. The rest of the wall will be the same blue color as the rest of the room. Our bed will go in front of the brown, and our nightstands in front of the cream. I'd like to put our wall sconces that are currently over our bed above our nightstands in the cream section, and blow up a (possibly) wedding picture to an obnoxiously overlarge size to put above our headboard in the brown section. I may not do a wedding picture, but whatever it is will most likely be in sepia tones. Maybe one of our honeymoon pictures of the beach would look nice. Unless of course I can find a great art piece to put above the bed in blues and browns. Agh, the decisions!!

We're going with the Ashley Bittersweet bedroom collection for our new master in a cherry stain. Here it is shown in the lighter stain. I love it!

We're also on the hunt for a dining room table, but we're not having a ton of luck. So far I've found two online at the Ashley Furniture website that I like.

This is the Cross Island dining set:

And the Conover:

Less than two weeks to go!

2009-08-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

I emailed our builder last week to see what day he planned to break ground, and was a little disappointed to find out he had pushed it back to mid-August. Even though the house will still be done several weeks before we plan to close, I was excited for them to start the beginning of August. But, it makes sense. There's no reason for our builder to sit on the house and accrue interest any longer than he has to. I'm just so anxious! Dean plans to break ground on the 15th, so we'll see if that date holds. Wade and I just can't wait to be in our own home. I'm so sick of loud neighbors and wondering if anybody knows about our cats (oopsies). I had a scare this morning when our landlord came to our apartment. I had to hide the cats in the second bedroom and hope they didn't make any noise. Luckily she was there to return our screen that had fallen (again) from the window, and left quickly.

In about two and a half months, we'll be in our first home!!

This stuff is so....GOOD!

2009-07-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to refrain from blogging about my new favorite treat, but it would be a crime for me to keep this to myself. When we went to see Mt. Rushmore, Wade found a new love. Birthday Cake ice cream. We believe it was either Ben & Jerry's or Edy's. It tasted just like the funfetti cake out of the box. *Also super good, btw*.

We couldn't find the exact same thing when we went grocery shopping, but we did find Kemps' version. Cake and Ice Cream. It's perfect. It's delightful. It's such an interesting infusion of cakey flavors. It's the love of my life.

There are real cake chunks in it, and I just can't get over how awesome it is. The flavors blend so well. I was in utter amazement as I spooned bite after bite into my mouth. It's not a vanilla-y ice cream. It almost tastes like frozen milk. Strange, I guess, but it's so good. But don't take my word for it. Go get some for yourself.

Finally 21.

2009-07-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

You have no idea how weird it feels to be saying "I'm finally 21" when I'm already married and building a house. I haven't thought of myself as being so young in a really long time. But, alas, I am finally of age to gamble in a Las Vegas casino. Happy birthday to me, and thanks, Honey, for my nommy birthday cake.

And how did I spend my 21st birthday, you may wonder? I worked from 5am-5pm, got home and cleaned up to go to dinner, enjoyed my first legalized strawberry margarita, came home and had cake, and was asleep by 9:30. I know, getting crazy!

Great American Road Trip: Volume 1

2009-07-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

I mentioned before that I was going to bust in my new camera on our camping trip this weekend. We were going to head up to Ann Lake, which is only about a 45 minute drive. Well, on Thursday while I was on my lunch break at work, I caught a glimpse of the weekend forecast. Sucky. Weather. All. Weekend. Long. We're talking record breaking (or close to it, not sure what the verdict was on that one) cold weather for July. Global warming, where the Hell are you?! So, I joked with Wade that we should just road trip out to California. After tossing the idea around for awhile, we decided that driving to and then from Cali in three and a half days, a cumulative 48 hours of driving, probably wasn't the best idea we've ever had. But after that, there was no way we were staying in Minnesota. After tossing around the idea of about 10 different cities and places, we decided to head out to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Wade has always talked about road tripping around the US to see everything it has to offer, and we figured this would be a great way to kick it off.

So, within about an hour, we packed up all of our gear and headed out. We left around 9pm to begin our 9+ hour treck. We drove for about 3 hours before getting a room for the night. Side note: If you are ever in Pipestone, MN and need a hotel, please, PLEASE bypass the Super8.

We got up at 5:45 after sleeping on the worst bed ever (seriously, I didn't know beds that hard exsisted) and continued on our journey. Man is South Dakota boring! After about half way through, it does get better!

We ended up stopping at the famous Wall Drug after seeing about 3 billboards/mile for it for 300+ miles. I'm a sucker and wouldn't let Wade go by it without stopping. It was your typical tourist trap, but was cute and a great place to stretch the ole legs.

We finally made it into Rapid City, SD around 1:00 to load up on groceries, and then it was into the Black Hills! It was definitely worth the drive. The hills are gorgeous and it was definitely the prettiest drive I've ever been on. I just wish I would have gotten some better pictures!

We stayed at Pectola Pines campground, and it was so nice and relaxing. Other than on Friday night when we had crappy neighbors who let their brat kids scream bloody murder for about 6 hours. We had a nice big camp site, and had a great view of our little corner of the lake. The whole place was just gorgeous. I couldn't believe how tall the trees were!

It was so great to just kick back and relax. We sat around a campfire, ate, went to the beach, rode our bikes a bit, and just lavished in the peace and quiet. And since we were only 20 minutes away, we decided Volume 1 of our GART wouldn't be complete without a quick trip to Mt. Rushmore! It was actually a little smaller than I had envisioned it, but it was still cool to see and I'm glad we can say we've been to one of America's great monuments.

After seeing Mt. Rushmore, we had to stop in Keystone and walk around the adorable little shops lining the streets. Again, it was a total tourist trap, but a can't miss. There we all sorts of trinket shops, a place making salt water taffy, and plenty of ice cream!

We packed up all of our gear on Saturday night so we could leave first thing in the morning. We ended up getting up at 5:00am (which was actually 4:00 "mountainy time" as my husband called it) and leaving before the sun was up. It started to rise just as we were about to leave.

As much as we loved being there, it was nice to come home. They only had vault toilets, and no sinks in the restroom. There was a water pump, so we were able to fill a tub for dishes and to wash our faces. All I can say is, thank God I remembered to buy hand sanitizer! Needless to say, our showers were very welcomed when we got home!

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-07-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

My husband is generally not the greatest with birthdays or Christmas or anniversaries. He could care less. In fact, the first year we were together, I don't even remember getting a birthday card. And I still married the guy ;)

Despite his previous lack in the gift-giving department, he did good this time. Granted, I showed him exactly what I wanted. But that was about 9 months ago, and he remembered. Every time we'd walk by it in the store, Wade would sneak a glance at it as though he had a deep dark secret.

So, when I stumbled across a wrapped box hiding (ok, so I hunted it down after seeing a receipt for an ATM withdrawal) in the second bedroom closet on Saturday, I knew exactly what it was despite Wade's best efforts. And even though there's still a week until my birthday, I got to open my present tonight! Woohoo!

He got me this Olympus digital camera. My other digital camera is an Olympus, and I really like the brand and its features. I hate complicated, and this one is so easy to use. It's actually the exact same one Wade used to use for work, and he loved it. He showed it to me one day at Target, and it was perfect for my clumsy self. It's shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof. And I love the color! I wanted this camera specifically because we were planning a family vacation to Cozumel, and I wanted a good camera for snorkeling and scuba diving. Family Vacation went down the tubes, but now my mom and I are planning our own trip, so I'll still get some great underwater shots! I can't wait to test it out on our camping trip to the state forest this weekend!

Thanks honey!

I think I've mentioned this before, but...

2009-07-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

My husband is a stud. Yes, I said it again.

Today was the Green Lake Road Race in Spicer. It is a 12 mile run around gorgeous Green Lake. And it started at 7:00am.

:: cursing the heavens ::

So, we were up at 4:30 to get ready to go. Ok, so the alarm went off at 4:30. I rolled my lazy bum outta bed around 5:00. We left around 5:30 and drove the hour to Spicer. Luckily it was shaping up to be a beautiful morning. When we got there my mom and her best friend, Laurie, were already there. How great are they to come cheer Wade on?

Wade got into his running clothes and started warming up. Soon after that, the race started, and they were off! We knew it was going to be awhile, so after the 267 runners were out of sight, us girls walked down to the Westwood Cafe to nab a little breakfast. I was telling them about how Wade was hoping to finish under an hour and a half, and how he wanted to place in the top twenty. We talked about how cool it would be for Wade to win, but then dismissed it because we knew it wasn't happening. There were marathon runners who had been doing this for years there to compete, and Wade has only run two 5k's prior to this (finishing 4th and 3rd respectively). So, we finished up our breakfasts and headed back towards the finish line. About five minutes after we got back to the truck, we saw the pace car rounding the corner by the lake followed closely by the first runner. We figured Wade would be coming within the next ten minutes or so.

Well, my mom was standing in the back of her truck trying to get a better few when she yells "Oh my GOD!! I think that's WADE!" I started freaking out. "No way!! Are you sure?? What is the runner wearing?" She reported that the runner wasn't wearing a shirt and had sunglasses on. Ok, well that fit Wade pretty well...but it also fit about 50 other guys. I kept asking what color his shorts were, but my mom and Laurie couldn't see the lower half (cars were in the way). Some guy heard us trying to figure it out as he was walking up (I think he had gotten out of the pace car) and said he was wearing yellow shorts and had a tattoo on his shoulder. At this point I'm ectatic and asked if the tattoo was a blue cross. He said that it was, and we took off running towards the finish line, jumping and screaming. We definitely were not prepared for him to finish so soon! It was such an awesome feeling watching Wade come around the corner, down the street in front of the beach, and through that finish line.

Luckily my mom was able to snap a picture as he was coming up to the finishing line.
Laurie and I were too busy running and completely forgot we owned cameras.

He amazes me more and more every day. We truly did not expect him to do as well as he did, and definitely not to WIN it!! Oh, and he felt pretty good that the 2nd placer was two minutes behind him. His finishing time was 1 hour, 14 minutes, and 57 seconds.

Trophy for the overall winner

Congratulations to my sister!

2009-06-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

My older sister, Anne, has been dating her boyfriend for about two years, and he proposed on Sunday night! I'm very excited and happy for them. My sister deserves all the happiness in the world. And I can't wait for them to start planning the wedding!

All the best to Anne and Chris!

First house purchase!

2009-06-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

Wade and I went to shop around for flooring, and a few other things, on Saturday. We were previously quoted at $4600 to do the entire upstairs. That was for a plush carpet in the livingroom, and nice linolium for the kitchen/dining, bathroom, and foyer. We have a $5k credit for flooring, but we thought we could do better. Plus, any money we don't spend on our credits will be contributed to closing costs by our builder.

So, off we went! We checked out another place in town that quoted us at $4500, and then we decided to try the Carpet Garage. They carry the same brands as the other flooring stores, but their prices are much better. We also decided (well, I was talked into) on laminate flooring for the kitchen/dining, hallway, and foyer. I told Wade if we were to do laminate, which I didn't really want because I don't like the look of wood floors, I got to pick it out. I decided on a full plank style rather than the planks that look like they are made up of many smaller pieces. The best part? EXACTLY the color I wanted in the style I wanted was on closeout for $1.29 a square foot!! It was down from $3/sq. ft., so we couldn't beat it! We ended up just buying it ourselves since it was only $500 for what we needed. So, now it sits in our garage until Wade installs it in our new house! Which is another awesome part, our builder will let us do some of the work ourselves, so we save on having to pay somebody to install it!

Of course, my hubby had to see what it would look like put together, so he brought a box upstairs and put it together in our current kitchen. I have to say, I really like it. The color is perfect, and will look great with the light cherry stain of the cabnetry and our stainless appliances. The planks will be staggered, however, and not all lined up as shown here.

We also decided on our carpetting. We're going with plush carpet in a neutral color for the livingroom, and a very similar carpet in nylon for the bedrooms. We'll be putting duraceramic (like ceramic tile, but doesn't require grout...it looks so awesome!) in the bathroom. I can't wait to see everything come together!

Oh, and I also decided on my washer and dryer! I am super duper excited about these. I've done a lot of research, and am pleased to say this sounds like an awesome set at an unbeatable price! They are from LG, have all the settings and more that I'll ever need, and are about the quietest front loaders that I can get.

My husband is such a stud

2009-06-15T09:05:00.001-07:00

Ok, so not the most flattering picture of my studly hubby, but...

...Wade ran his first 5k on Friday. Granted, he's athletic and very active, so that in itself isn't a huge deal. I knew he'd do well. Over 450 people showed up to compete in the Sartell Mayor's 5k, and Wade ended up coming in 4th! I'm so proud of him. He finished in 17 minutes and 50 seconds, and took 1st in his age division. Of course, now he plans to win it next year.

TCOYF

2009-06-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

I broke down and bought Taking Charge of Your Fertility while out shopping with my mom yesterday. No, we are not planning on trying to conceive. I am also not planning on going off of birth control. I am far too spoiled by having only four, chemically controlled, relatively painless, short periods a year, thankyouverymuch. But, I do think that it is about time I educate myself on the goings-on of a fertile woman. Hopefully after reading this book, I will better understand my own body and what to focus on (or when!) when we do start trying for a little bundle of poo--- I mean, joy.

Oh what the hell, skin?!

2009-06-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know what has been going on lately but about 600 hard, little red bumps have taken refuge all over my face, neck, and chest. This started a few weeks back, and I don't know why. I thought maybe it was the stress of my upcoming surgery, but that has come and gone. I have always prided myself on having really nice, smooth, non-oily skin. And now this. I should not be having this problem! It's like all of the years when I should have had acne are hitting me with one giant hail Mary assault. They are all over my forehead, my nose, along my jaw line, and even some on my cheeks. They spread down on my neck by my ears, and then there's some on my chest.

I've been washing my face with Acne Free cleanser, never go to bed with make-up on (actually, I haven't even been WEARING make-up for a couple weeks, except for on a few days, thinking that would help -- nope), and I've tried attacking the little bastards with an arsenal of acne products. They are persistent, and they show no mercy.

If you need a laugh.

2009-06-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

This definitely got a few good laughs out of me. I love the way Kate Hudson carries herself. She seems so fun! I have yet to see a movie of hers I don't like. And well, Dane Cook needs no words.

Oh how you anger me, HTML.

2009-06-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that none of my links are working. Don't know what the problem is as I am entering the exact same code I've always used. I know this because I copy and paste it from a document I have saved 'cause, really, I can't be expected to memorize such things. But even so, no linky linky. Humph.

I'll get around to fixing it.

Day 10!

2009-06-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

I've been the proud owner of new boobies for 10 days now. So far, it's been a pretty easy recovery. I'm loving them more and more every day!

On Thursday I drove myself an hour and a half to Burnsville for my first post op check up. I saw Dr. Joe for literally three minutes. Long enough for him to tell me my boobs were starting to settle, and of course will continue to do so for months, and that the pain in my left arm was a Mondor's Cord. I suspected this anyway. I suppose a surgery such as this can't be complication free, so I'll take this over some of the others (::fingers crossed that I don't have any other complications from here on out::). He also informed me to come back in a month. Super, that was well worth the drive. Oh well, I still like the guy. He is an artist, I tell you...an artist.

Yesterday my tapes came off in the shower. This worried be a bit because the surgeon would prefer they stay on for two to three weeks. I was informed that if they fell off early than to just let them be and not to worry. What made me nervous was actually seeing the incisions. I obviously knew they were there...the tapes were covering them, but I could feel them. I guess I liked thinking the implants just magically showed up. It's a little unnerving seeing slices in my armpits with huge ridges under them and wondering how long they'll take to heal (and when exactly can I shave my entire armpit?!?!). Ahh the harsh realities of a breast augmentation. And this may be a little bit TMI, but my nipples are hypersensitive right now. To the point of being painful. I guess I didn't really think about the fact that the areola would stretch along with my skin once the implants were placed. They are taking a little while to heal, and even the fabric from bras or t-shirts rubbing on them makes the nerves go crazy.

No pain, no gain...right? Right.

Other than that, they are feeling great. I would take a vicodin in the morning mostly for back pain (it was hard sleeping on my back) and maybe a couple tylenol to get me through the day for the first week, but I've been off all pain meds for a couple days now. There is almost no pain at all in my right side. The left is my problem side, I guess. But I'm sure by this time next week I'll be feeling great. I've been able to sleep on my side the last two nights, and it is so great! Oh, and I had pretty bad bruising under and on the sides of my breasts, and it is completely gone today!

I had the hubs take more pictures, but I'll spare you full frontal nudity. Instead, here they are, conceiled under my new VS bikini. They definitely look softer and lower than they did the first night. You can also see that lefty is a little lower than righty. The left side is more swollen and has already dropped just slightly more than the right. I'm looking a little pointy from the side, but that will decrease as they settle. It will take awhile for them to 'catch up' to each other.

I still miss you.

2009-06-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Dustin L. Johnson

May 1, 1987 - May 22, 2009

Dustin and his friend, LeSha

You were taken from us too soon, Dustin. I still can't believe you're gone. I remember so many wonderful things about you, and so many moments that we spent together. It hurts so much to think about, to think about you gone forever from our lives. Being at your funeral was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, and I'm so sorry that I had to leave. But I know you understand. It was just too hard for me to be surrounded by unfamiliar faces while I cried over the boy I once loved so much. They didn't understand, and they didn't know what we had been to each other. And it hurts.

I hurt for your life that was taken, I hurt that you died doing something you did so well, I hurt for your son who will grow up without his father, I hurt for your sister who lost her best friend and protector, I hurt that your parents didn't realize what a wonderful son they raised, and I hurt for me. I know that we hadn't spent much time together in the last few years, but I will forever cherish the times we did have. You were my first love. I can't ever forget you.

I can remember that first day in 8th grade, sitting in science. I remember the note the next year. I remember our first kiss. I remember you teaching me how to ride a dirt bike. I remember the way you smelled, and what cologne you wore. I remember camping with your family. Prom our Junior year. Valentine's day with Deanna and Bobby. Football games. By our lockers between classes. Motocross. Valley fair. You sticking up for me. Making me smile. Making me cry. Loving me. And I remember the hurt we both felt when it was all over.

We had nearly three years together, Dustin. We were inseperable. Looking back at my life over those years, every memory includes you. I can't think about highschool without thinking about us. It's just so hard to imagine that somebody who was such a monumental part of my life is gone forever. Like you were never there.

I know that in time the hurt will fade, and I will smile at my memories. Soon I wont hear your name and cry. Soon I wont see things you gave me and wonder why God would take you, somebody who was so generous. The world lost a great guy the morning of May 22nd. You always knew the right thing to say to make somebody feel better. You were funny. You were a dork. You didn't always do the right thing, but you tried. You were kind. You were a good friend.

You have a beautiful son, and I know that you will live on through Kaiden. Your family and friends will always miss you, but we know that you're smiling down on us every day. So I will say goodbye, Dustin. I hope that the short years of your life were always lived to the fullest, and that you have no regrets. I know I don't. And while I wouldn't change my life for anything, I would never take back those three years.

Our Half Acre

2009-05-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

It's official, we're building our home this summer! Wade and I met with Dean from Bravo Homes last night to go over and sign our contract. We will be building a bi-level 2 bed, 1 bath (until we finish the basement with two additional bedrooms and another bathroom), 3 stall garage home on a great lot. We got amazingly lucky and are purchasing a half acre lot in the exact location we wanted to live, and for an AMAZING price! The lots in this particular development originally started at $68k. And that was for small lots. We're getting ours for $25k! The nice thing is that the lot is somewhat narrow, so we have a really deep back yard which is exactly what I wanted.

We'll be moving in late October!

5 days post op

2009-05-27T04:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought it was supposed to get easier as the recovery went on. I felt so good the first two days, but it's been getting worse each day. I was hoping to be off the pain killers within the first few days. My breasts themselves don't hurt all that bad, but the incisions are really starting to bother me. The tapes pull at the skin in my armpits every time I move and it's really irritating. I have my first post-op check up tomorrow, so I'm hoping Dr. Joe can replace the tapes. I'm curious to see the incisions anyway. I know the scar will hardly be noticeable once it's completely healed, but I don't really know what to expect in the first few months.

I also have absolutely terrible back pain today. I started having back pain in the mornings a few weeks ago, and I know our mattress is at the end of it's lifespan. It definitely doesn't help that I can't sleep on my side. I had to take two vicodin this morning just for my back! Luckily Wade agrees it's time for a new mattress (we were going to wait until the end of the summer), so I'll be going to look for a suitable replacement later today.

But on a good note, I'm noticing slight changes in my breasts each day, and they look great!

2 days post op

2009-05-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

Well, where do I start?? The surgery went wonderfully, and I am so pleased with the results. My surgical team was amazing. I was so confident in their abilities that I had no nerves prior to my surgery.

My mom and I got to the Minnesota Valley Surgical Center at 12:45 and got all checked in. I met with the anesthesiologist and all of my nurses, and then Dr. Joseph Gryskiewicz ("Dr. Joe" because nobody can pronounce his last name) came in and we went over my procedure in detail. He was light hearted, which helped ease my nerves, but was very precise and serious about his work. I was completely comfortable with what was going to be done. After that I walked into the OR and was greeted by a room full of smiles. I still can't get over how great the entire staff was. At this point, I was so excited about the surgery that I couldn't stop smiling. The anesthesiologist was about to put me under, and he went "Ok, Megan...seriously, you've got to stop smiling so I can get this mask on your face!" I tried my hardest to listen to him, and the next thing I knew, I woke up with a very full chest!

I wasn't really in pain. My chest felt really tight from the skin stretching, but wasn't bad. I could feel the incisions but it was more of discomfort. One of my nurses came over as soon as I woke up and asked how I was and brought me a basket of snacks. I had a bag of Milano cookies and some Sierra Mist, which I much appreciated because I was so hungry. I felt great at this point, and couldn't stop peeking at the new ladies! I stayed in the recovery room for a bit longer and then I was able to go.

What impressed my mom and I the most was that all of the staff caring for me stayed passed their shifts. The surgical center closed at 5:00, and I didn't leave until around 5:30. It didn't seem to bother any of them. They didn't want me to go before I was ready and didn't try to push me out the door. Everybody seemed very concerned about making sure I stayed until I felt I was ready to leave. The staff was just so curteous and helpful. I would 110% recommend the MN Valley Surgical Center to anybody having a procedure of any kind. The care I received was so great!

By the time I got in the truck to head home, I had probably already spent 15 minutes just touching my breasts (sounds weird, I know)...but I was just amazed by them! I honestly was not expecting such great results. I have looked at thousands of before and after pictures, and I expected that my implants would be very high and hard looking on my chest, but they aren't at all. They are very firm, but will start to soften and settle very soon. My mom was even so impressed with Dr. Joe's work that she started joking (or maybe not??) about having the procedure herself. This cracked me up because when we went for my consult she said "If I leave this consult wanting work done myself, I'm going to be so mad at you!"

So we left the surgical center and headed to Schlotzsky's Deli to pick up some sandwiches to bring home. We stopped for gas and a potty break, and I was able to walk into the bathroom without any help and with very little pain (I was surprised that I wasn't groggy from the anesthesia). My throat was very hoarse from the breathing tube so I asked my mom to stop at Culver's and I went in, again on my own, to get some ice cream. Did wonders! And then we were finally on our way out of the cities.

We didn't get home until almost 9pm since my surgery started late and because of all the stops we made. My brother and husband were throwing around a football when we got home, and we all went up to our apartment together. My poor brother! Lol...I think he was a bit traumatized. He went "So, uh...I'm just going to pretend you had a nose job". My husband is still a little weirded out by my new breasts, so he wont really touch them. He looks at them a lot but keeps his distance. He said he just doesn't feel like he's touching his wife. I know he'll come around though! This is a big change for both of us. He has spent the last 3 and a half years with my small breasts, and now they are completely different. I am so lucky to have him. He has loved every part of me, even the parts that I was so critical of.

My mom and brother went home, and I had to do arm exercises (basically just getting my arms above my head) and then lay on the floor on my breasts for 15 minutes. I had a hard time getting down on to the floor, but did ok. Dr. Joe instructs all of his patients to do this because it softens the implants and moves them into position faster. He doesn't want his patients to "baby" their new breasts. I was instructed that to get out of the house the next day and carry on with as many of my normal activities as I could.

I didn't sleep well at all Friday night and woke up at 3:00am. I slept on my chaise lounger but I couldn't lay on my side, which is how I normally sleep. So needless to say, I was pretty tired yesterday. But I wanted to follow Dr. Joe's instructions. I showered, blow dried and did my hair, and put on a little make up. I was able to get dressed by myself. I did have some bruising under both breasts, but it wasn't really that bad. Then Wade and I went into town to get a few new bras. And I am very pleased to report that I am a very full 34C! I couldn't believe how easy it was to find a bra that fit! Every one I tried on was perfect. It's never been that easy. I hated shopping for a 34A because I couldn't ever fill them out completely, or they just didn't look right. My new breasts don't look huge in clothes, but man do they look big in just a bra! I'm so happy with my new size.

After my very joyous experience in the lingerie department we went home and I took a nap. It was our nephew's birthday party, and we weren't sure if we were going to go but I decided I was feeling pretty good, so we got ready and headed up north. My brother-in-law's in-law's have a cabin up at a resort, and that's where they were having the birthday party. It was a very easy hour and a half drive up and I still felt really good. I was able to walk around and mingle. My brother-in-law (hubby's oldest brother) came up to me when nobody else was around and said "So, I don't want to sound like a pervert, but umm...your boobs look really good." We laughed it off and then carried on with our day. I was happy that nobody made a big deal out of it.

We stayed a lot longer than we had planned because the food wasn't ready until 2 hours after they said we would be eating. I was pretty exhausted by the time we left, and slept almost the entire ride home. Luckily I got some good sleep last night on the recliner end of our couch. I did wake up in some pain today, though. My chest feels a lot tighter despite my very frequent massaging, and I can feel the ridges from the incisions in my armpits. That is the part that actually hurts. I took some more vicodin and am feeling better. I'm just hanging out on the couch and trying to take it easy. My parent's are having a cook out later today that my sister and I originally planned before I knew the surgery would be this weekend. They said they didn't want me to come and to just get some rest instead, but after seeing how well I was doing on Friday my mom said to come if we could. I'm not sure if we'll go or not. I'd love to see everybody but I feel like I over did things yesterday. I go back to work on Tuesday so I should be rested. We'll see how I feel a little later today!

And if you made it through this entire post, you deserve at least half a dozen gold stars! I more or less wrote this all out so that I have a record of my recovery. Hopefully in a few months I'll come back and read this and know it was all so worth it!

I had Wade take 'before' pictures, and on Friday night we took 'afters' in the same (now too small) bikini top.

Before:

After:

So hungry

2009-05-22T04:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's not even 7am and I'm complaining already. This means...the Big Day is here! I'm surprised at myself. I thought I'd wake up all anxious and excited, but it just feels like a normal day. Come to think of it, this is how I felt the day of my wedding, too. I guess this is just the way I handle life-changing events. All I really feel is hunger. Strongly. I am the type of person who grazes all day long. I wake up hungry, I go to bed hungry. So this seriously sucks. I can have water for another hour (small sips), and then I'm cut off.

So, what's left? I've got all of my prescriptions, list of questions and pictures, and my comfy clothes ready to go. I just need to do some last minute straightening up of our apartment, and shower and shave. Which is also not going to be fun. I can't put on any moisturizer when I get out, so my face is going to burn like crazy all day. I also can't wear any make-up (no problem, I can deal with that), have any product in my hair (this...not so much. I need a little hairspray to help straighten my unruly hair), no lotions, no powders, and no deodorant.

We're going au naturale today!

I'll just be putzing around my apartment until my mom gets here, and we have to leave around 11:00. My surgery is in Burnsville, so we have about an hour and a half drive. I'll be admitted at 12:45, do all of my pre-op stuff, and then the procedure is at 2:15!!

Poor Wade looked so sad walking out the door today. We did have a funny conversation though.

Megan: So, are you going to miss the old set?
Wade: *sad face*
Megan: Ok then!
Wade: Well, can't you just have the surgeon put them in a jar?
Megan: Uh....nooo? I kind of need those.
Wade: You mean it's not like changing your tires?
Megan: *looking puzzled*

It's getting so close.

2009-05-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Four more days until my augmentation!

I went to the store today to get the last few things I need (ok, so I didn't need some of it): sports bras for comfort, spray deodorant so I don't rub the incision, a new bikini, and of course fudge from Scheels for when I'm recovering. I also got a call from the surgical center making sure I was all set, and received some final instructions for the Big (hehehe) day. I picked up my prescriptions on Friday, so I'm all ready to go! I got vicodin for pain, something for nausea (which will be caused by aforementioned vicodin), a muscle relaxer (not quite sure on this one), an antibiotic, and some sort of cleanser that I have to use Thursday night. So I've pretty much got a small pharmaceutical station in my apartment.

I think I'm going to need a valium for my mother, however.

Why am I up right now?

2009-05-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

It's 7:15am, and I've already been up for an hour and a half. It's my day off. I guess getting up at 4:00am to go to work will do that. Boo.

At least I'm getting an early start on my cleaning list!

Crazy little worker bee.

2009-05-17T15:52:00.001-07:00

Ok, my new job is crazy. I do not have a spare second to catch my breath or think in that place. Luckily we take a lot of breaks. And I guess I should be thankful that I have a lot of work to do because it makes the time go by really quickly. Which is hard to do with 12 hour days! But, I just worked my first weekend (*sad face here*), and it flew by. I wont bore you with the details, but I basically edit lens prescriptions. I tried to tell Wade about my job last night and after a minute and a half he stopped me and told me I was giving him a headache (*another sad face here*)...too many letters and numbers to keep up with. I was so freaked out my first couple days thinking I would never remember the different materials, coatings, tray colors, etc. but I'm slowly getting the hang of it.

Oh, and on a funny note. I got a certificate in the mail yesterday from the St. Cloud Times. Apparently I was Employee of the Month for April! I find this funny, because I gave my notice April 15th...so they knew I was leaving, but gave it to me anyways. I must say, I iz the shit.

Only 4.5 days until my surgery!!

I wish it was 5/22

2009-05-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I'm having my surgery in only 8 days. I was so nervous and almost sick after having made the appointment at my consult on Monday, but now next Friday cannot come fast enough. I have been thinking about this for 6 years, so I am definitely ready. At this point, I have no anxiety, only anticipation. I cannot wait to emerge from the surgical center finally feeling like a woman.

Big News

2009-05-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that I was having surgery in my last post, but didn't elaborate. My mom came with me to a surgical consult today, and I am having breast augmentation. Next Friday.

I am nervous, anxious, and extremely excited at the same time.

I had no idea that I'd be able to get in so fast, but there was a cancellation. Next Friday is my Friday off, and with having Memorial Day off I'll have an extra day to recover before going back to work. The surgeon specializes in rapid recovery augmentation, so 95% of his patients resume all normal activities the very next day, and return to work by Monday if they have the procedure on Friday. I basically had my mind made up even before the consult, but when I was 'trying on' the different sizes I couldn't stop smiling and looking in the mirror and knew I was making the right decision for myself.

Yesterday rocked.

2009-05-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Why, you ask? Well, because yesterday was the start of something beautiful. A new, stable, long-term, good paying, great benefit giving, jeans and tee shirt wearing desk job. Just what I wanted! I am going to be working for an optical lab as a data entry technician, and I really couldn't be happier (well, unless I didn't have to work every other weekend, but I'll definitely deal!).

I am going to go to school part time, so my new job will work out well. I can still attend evening classes, or take courses online. Granted it's going to take me forever to get my BA, but I'd rather be working FT right now. And this means that we are for sure a go for building our house, me having my surgery (which I haven't said anything about up to this point -- check back Monday or Tuesday), and me replacing my car late this year! It's going to be a big year from here on out!