One Day At A Time

12 Things

2012-01-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

During a late night feeding recently, I read the following article as I sat with Baby Girl. For some reason, it really struck a chord with me... even though I am slightly older than 25 (just slightly... cough cough), it definitely gave me some points for reflection. Enjoy!

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12 Things I Wish I Knew at 25: Spiritual Learnings on My 50th Birthday

Rev. James Martin, S.J.Catholic priest and author, 'The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything'

For a lark yesterday, on my 50th birthday, I Tweeted 12 things that I wish I had known at 25. Or more accurately, 12 things that, had I put them into action, would have made my life a lot easier. Some are bits of advice that wisdom figures have told me and took years to sink in. Others are the result of some hard knocks. A few are insights from the great spiritual masters that I've adapted for my own life. Maybe a few will help someone you know who's 25. Maybe one or two will help you.

1. First up: Stop worrying so much! It's useless. (I.e. Jesus was right.)

2. Being a saint means being yourself. Stop trying to be someone else and just be your best self. Saves you heartache.

3. There's no right way to pray, any more than there's a right way to be a friend. What's "best" is what works best for you.

4. Remember three things and save yourself lots of unneeded heartache: You're not God. This ain't heaven. Don't act like a jerk.

5. Your deepest, most heartfelt desires are God's desires for you. And vice versa. Listen. And follow them.

6. Within you is the idea of your best self. Act as if you were that person and you will become that person, with God's grace.

7. Don't worry too much about the worst that can happen. Even if it happens, God is with you, and you can handle it. Really.

8. You can't force people to approve of you, agree with you, be impressed with you, love you or even like you. Stop trying.

9. When we compare, we are usually imagining someone else's life falsely. So our real-life loses out. I.e. Compare and despair.

10. Even when you finally realized the right thing, or the Christian thing, to do, it can still be hard to do. Do it anyway.

11. Seven things to say frequently: I love you. Thank you. Thank you, God. Forgive me. I'm so happy for you! Why not? Yes.

12. Peace and joy come after asking God to free you -- from anything that keeps you from being loving and compassionate.

*Original article link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-james-martin-sj/12-things-i-wish-i-knew-a_b_802687.html

What I am loving now.

2012-01-15T22:11:00.001-05:00

- My new purse that Husband surprised me with at Christmas... It is so cute! I love it! I also love the fact that he bought it and hid it in the basement for weeks to make sure I was surprised!

- Sugar-free strawberry Jello... I ate a ton of jello in the hospital and have been addicted since!

- Dermalogica Moisturizer... Active Moist most of the year, Intensive Moisture Balance this time of year... it's the only thing that keeps my dry skin from flaking.

- Essie Bobbing for Baubles nail polish... My first time away from Baby Girl was for a quick mani/pedi at my favorite salon... I got this color on my nails and toes and I love it!

- Southland... An excellent show that Husband and I enjoy watching together! It starts this Tuesday if you are interested.

- Snow Days... My school had their first snow day on Friday! I was so happy for all of my fellow educators, but also selfishly happy because snow day = 1 less day of maternity leave I have to take off.

- Non-pictured items I am loving... watching Husband and Baby Girl together, baby snuggles, and afternoon naps (especially after being up for night time feedings)

What are you loving these days? Please share with me :)

The best early Christmas present ever.

2012-01-09T22:21:00.001-05:00

I started contracting at midnight... arrived at the hospital at 5:30AM... admitted at 7:30AM... epidural at 11AM... told that my baby would arrive by 5PM. I was told "no one ever progresses this quickly on their own! You are doing great!"

Then... 5 hours of pushing... some puking... a few scary moments... and an emergency c-section (boo).

Luckily, what came after that was a beautiful, healthy baby girl with amazing red hair. She has brought so much joy to us and was the best Christmas present I could ever ask for (even if she arrived a few days in advance).

Thank you for all of your good thoughts and wishes. We are doing well at home - a little tired, but deliriously happy.

Still pregnant...!

2011-12-10T21:23:00.001-05:00

I'm still pregnant! I'll be 39 weeks this coming week. At my last appointment, my doc said "It could be tonight or it could be a few weeks."

I feel a bit like we are living in limbo... trying to be normal and do normal stuff, but also knowing that she could arrive at any time.

I'll keep you all updated! Please send me good thoughts and vibes :)

Playing the waiting game!

2011-11-30T17:41:00.001-05:00

I am officially 37 weeks pregnant - yippee! Hard to believe that I am now "full term." As my doctor said on Tuesday, things could start happening any time!

With all that being said... nothing is happening! I am not dilating at all and my doctor said she expected to see me next week at my appointment. Our appointment was slightly more exciting this week because we got to have an unexpected ultrasound. My doc couldn't feel baby girl's head (and she had the previous week), so she wanted to make sure that she hadn't flipped around. Luckily, her head was still down, which makes me happy.

I was sort of expecting this ultrasound to be like the ones you see on TV and in the movies - very clear and detailed. Instead, it was very hard to see because she is so scrunched in there! She refused to turn her head to look at us, but we did see her little hands, legs, belly, and much more. She had a nice strong heartbeat and was practicing her breathing, which is the doctor says is a great sign. She was about 6 pounds... they think she will be around 7.5 at birth. I just cannot wait to see her!

I also am getting a bit tired of my yucky end of pregnancy symptoms. I can only wear Uggs because my feet/ankles have gotten HUGE. I have terrible indigestion and have trouble sleeping. When I do sleep, I snore terribly and kick poor Husband out of the bed! He said he could hear me snoring 2 rooms over last night...

Any advice on making it through these last few weeks? I'm trying to work until December 16 (unless she comes early)... some days, that seems far away and on other days, it seems like it's sneaking up on me. It's very strange to try to live normally while also knowing that this big event could occur anytime! EEK! So exciting :)

Exciting Monday Night.

2011-11-23T06:27:00.001-05:00

My sister and I decided to go crazy and go to a movie on a Monday night! We have attended all of the Twilight movies together (except for the first - I think that we were still reading the books then) and we enjoy the tradition. We have gone on opening night before, but decided to wait a few days this time (being tired and 9 months pregnant does not lend itself to a midnight showing of anything!).

Needless to say, it did not disappoint! I thought that the movie was very well done and I can't wait to see Part 2. Are any of you Twilight fans? I thoroughly enjoyed all of the books and feel like each movie is better than the last. It was definitely a fun evening out!

This pretty much sums it up...

2011-11-20T12:04:00.001-05:00

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this! Very appropriate for how I am feeling right about now (almost 36 weeks). I've suddenly hit sort of a wall of tiredness, discomfort, terrible indigestion, and an overall feeling of being ready for my little one to arrive!

At the same time, I am freaked out about labor. Husband and I took the class and know all of the technicalities, but I am still scared. I'm sure that is perfectly natural for your first pregnancy... or at least that is what I am trying to tell myself!

3 days of school this week, then Thanksgiving break! I am feeling ready to stop working, though my last day is not scheduled until December 16. That seems far away right now, but I know that it will sneak up on me.

How are you guys? Any big Thanksgiving plans? I hope that all is well!

Checking In.

2011-10-09T21:33:00.000-04:00

Hi guys! I'm sort of appalled that I haven't posted since September 11... what the heck is my problem? Without sounding whiney, my only defense is... I am TIRED. My more peppy, energy filled second trimester is over and I am on to the third and final trimester! While it is super exciting (and scary) to only be about 10 weeks away from meeting our baby, I am definitely slowing down! Between the craziness of work and the pregnancy, I feel tired most of the time. Combine that with this cold I recently contracted (YUCK) and I'm a mess!

In baby news... Baby Girl is doing great! I feel her moving around all of the time, which is so cool. Recently, she has had the hiccups a lot! My stomach is getting bigger and bigger... even though I know it is supposed to happen and it's my body, it still seems strange. I go to the doctor this week and will be happy to see how things are measuring and to hear her heartbeat. It's always reassuring!

I hope that you are all well and that your fall is off to a great start! I'll try to be around more... if I don't fall asleep first ;) Have a wonderful week!

Never forget 9/11/01.

2011-09-11T09:07:00.000-04:00

2011-09-08T18:36:00.000-04:00

I am an emotional person and often cry... military homecomings, the old coffee commercials where someone came home on Christmas morning, the Pampers commercials, the Coca-Cola commercials that commemorated the Olympics and the Special Olympics... they get me every time! Husband always says, "Are you crying?!" I then try and deny, but sniffles give me away 9 times out of 10!

What could possible increase my crying behavior? PREGNANCY HORMONES! I feel more emotional than ever. Earlier this year, I cried at the Belmont Stakes while Husband looked on incredulously. I cried at the 4th of July fireworks on TV. I still cry at all of the old stuff, but now I cry at a whole host of new stuff too! Often times, my crying makes no sense (the Belmont Stakes?!)... it just happens.

Someone was talking about this video on a message board I was reading this morning. I watched it and and of course, I cried! I think it is such a great video though and I love that someone thought to put it together. Watch and let me know what you think. Also - do you have any advice? If so, please share!

College Football is back!

2011-09-04T11:21:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Husband and I attended our first college football game of the season! While always exciting, the weather was less than desirable. I've sat through hot weather, rain storms, snow, and pretty much every other yucky condition, but yesterday was definitely the worst. While the temperature said 93 degrees, we were sitting directly in the hot sun with absolutely no breeze...the game and company were super fun, but the weather was pretty miserable! I can easily say it was the hottest game I have ever attended.

Knowing in advance that it wouldn't be pleasant, we prepared! We lathered up with sunscreen at home and purchased 4 waters as soon as we entered the stadium (then 2 more at half-time). Luckily, our team got off to a great start and we left early in the 3rd quarter when we were up 28-0 on our opponent. I felt like kind of a wuss for leaving early, but I was boiling hot and I think the baby had enough as well! It allowed us to go home, shower, drink some more water and gatorade, and be a little more refreshed before meeting my parents for dinner. After dinner, we came home and crashed - the heat really takes it out of you. *I took my camera to the stadium, but of course, didn't take any pictures (baby brain, anyone?) - sorry that I don't have any to share!

Today, we are going to a birthday party for my college roommates' son and then to a concert tonight. I am looking forward to a nice, long day of nothingness tomorrow :) What are you all doing this Labor Day Weekend?

Christmas Shopping for Kitty!

2011-08-31T19:49:00.004-04:00

With the impending December arrival of our little one, I have been trying to get a little bit of Christmas shopping done each month. With that in mind, I found the perfect (purrfect?) gift for Smartest Cat Ever:

I saw this advertised in one of my Daily Candy e-mails and knew that I just had to have it! It's called the SnoozePal Cat Hammock and is available here. Smartest Cat Ever has multiple styles/types of beds around our house, but how fun does this one look? In addition, since there will be baby stuff everywhere, I want to make sure that he gets a special little gift :) So fun!

"...But it's life."

2011-08-30T21:02:00.003-04:00

I can't wait for the new Jack's Mannequin album to be released on October 4, 2011! I have shared in previous blogs how much I love this band and how inspiring I find the music. This trailer of sorts was released today talking about the new record and what all led up to it - the history, the struggles, the triumph. My favorite line: "It may not be life and death, but it's life." Watch and enjoy!

A few good books.

2011-08-18T21:55:00.004-04:00

I've read quite a few good books over the last few months. I don't read as often as I used to (or would like), but I manage to be slow and steady. I'm currently reading two books:

This book is so funny and makes me laugh out loud time after time.

This book has me giggling one minute and really thinking about life experiences the next. The dialogue is well-written and I am totally wrapped up in the story. I can't wait to see what happens!

When I first heard about the Hunger Games trilogy, I didn't think it sounded like something that would interest me. Over time, more and more people were recommending them and talking about how great they were. I read them all in a week or two and started pushing them on my sister and friends. I really enjoyed the storytelling and can't wait to see the movie version next March.

Have you read any good books lately? I'm always looking for recommendations and would love to add a few to my list. Please share :)

2011-08-13T15:06:00.002-04:00

I've always loved this song and had a strong emotional reaction to it. I can barely listen to it these days without breaking down in a pool of tears (pregnancy hormones anyone?!). It's so surreal 1) that I am going to be someone's mother and 2) that I am going to have a daughter! So exciting, touching, and scary all rolled into one :) So here is a little Martina McBride for your day...

Baby Girl.

2011-08-08T14:33:00.002-04:00

I had the surprise of my life this morning... our baby is a GIRL! I was so convinced that she was a boy (so much for mother's intuition, right?). Husband has predicted girl, but I think that we were both still shocked to actually receive confirmation.

It was amazing to see her! Her brain, heart, spine, arms, legs, hands, and feet all looked healthy and well. I am so thankful for that! In addition, she was moving like crazy and kept waving at us.

We feel so blessed that she is healthy and developing as she should. It seems more real now than ever when we say "our daughter" or even when I type "she." We cannot wait to meet our daughter in December!

One week.

2011-07-31T22:26:00.002-04:00

One week from tomorrow, we will have our big ultrasound. We will get to see our baby and find out if the brain, heart, spine, and other things are healthy and working. We also get to find out if we are having a boy or girl! Health is obviously the first concern, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't crazy excited to find out if we will have a daughter or a son.

I continue to pray for the health of this baby. I have no reason to think something is wrong, but I always worry. I just try to remember that these things are out of my hands! That helps calm the anxiety a bit.

I've had two dreams about the baby - in one dream, I had a little girl that I was holding and putting in her crib. In my other dream, I was at my ultrasound and my doctor said "It's a boy!" My intuition from the beginning has been boy. I have no idea why, it's just my feeling. Husband thinks it's a little girl. We just keep saying someone will be right! And of course, we will be thrilled no matter what the answer. I am just excited to buy something gender specific once we know.

Did you all find out the sex of your baby or did you wait until the baby was born? If you don't mind sharing, I love hearing different experiences. Hope that you all had a great weekend!

NKOTBSB.

2011-07-25T00:24:00.003-04:00

I went to the NKOTBSB concert tonight and had an AMAZING time! I totally relived my youth and enjoyed the music as much as ever. My sister and some other girlfriends went and we all had a great time! I could go on and on, but I'm totally beat and have an 8AM meeting. Hope that you all had a great weekend!

Where I'll be in a few weeks...

2011-07-20T22:16:00.002-04:00

In a few weeks, Husband and I will be heading to the East coast for a short (4 day) beach vacation with his family. Our niece and nephew share a close August birthday and celebrate it every year at the beach. We try to make the beach trip as often as we can to celebrate with them and have a mini vacation.

This year will be especially nice because my in-laws rented a house next to the one we usually stay in for a little extra space. I'm excited that Husband and I will have a bedroom to sleep in and not be sharing one bathroom with 11 other people ;) Last time we went, I ended up sleeping in a camper 2 inches from my in-laws (who were not my in-laws at that point)... needless to say, I was not a happy camper! HA!

The drive East will be a bit boring, but the excitement of a few relaxing days, beautiful sunsets, and fresh seafood will carry us through. I can't wait!

I'm sorry, what?!

2011-07-17T22:37:00.002-04:00

My sister and I often talked about the totally inappropriate things various people said to her when she was pregnant. I also had this talk with a girlfriend recently - she is almost 40 weeks and is definitely DONE with all of the crazy comments!

I know that people generally don't mean to be malicious, but geez... sometimes they are so rude! I'm sure that hormones are making me more sensitive, but sometimes, I'm ready to punch someone in the face when they make a comment. For example:

Lady at work: I think you're having twins.

Me: Nope, there is just one in there. I know for sure.

Lady at work: Are you sure? I mean, you're pretty big.

Me: Yes, I am sure.

Lady at work: I don't know, I still think you are big.

I mean, WTF LADY?! How in any way does she think that is helpful? What I find the most interesting is that women are the worst offenders so far... I haven't had a single man say something inappropriate to me. Truthfully, most men don't say anything beyond "congratulations."

I know that these comments will only get worse as I get bigger. Do I make a snarky response? Smile and remain silent? I don't know the answer. I think that not crying is my main effort most of the time!

Obviously, at the end of the day, this baby is a miracle and blessing and we are so excited about it that I am willing to deal with whatever. I just remind myself of the great gift I have coming in December whenever someone makes one of these crazy comments!

Well this is awkward...

2011-07-16T11:24:00.002-04:00

My 400th blog post contest ended and... there are no entries. Since this is only me second blog contest (and the first was quite successful), I guess I now have a 50-50 success/failure rate! Maybe the GAP Feed USA bag wasn't as cute as I thought? Or people are on vacation? Or I lost more readers then I thought during my absence? Who knows!

Maybe I will be more successful with my 500th blog contest ;) Have a great Saturday!

Contest Deadline Tomorrow!

2011-07-14T16:40:00.003-04:00

My 400th blog post contest for the super cute GAP Feed USA bag ends tomorrow! Please remember to leave me a comment on the original post by 5PM EST. Questions? Send me an e-mail at the address to the right.

Happy Thursday!

This breaks my heart.

2011-07-13T18:52:00.003-04:00

If you have a chance, please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers... I can't even imagine what they are going through. I don't know them personally, but was directed to their blog off another that I read. My heart is simply breaking for them.

Jamesie beats the tumor

400th Post Contest

2011-07-12T19:02:00.005-04:00

Alright, I'm finally posting it! I planned to post on Sunday, but we got back late from our weekend out of town and I've been running around like a crazy person.

In celebration of my 400th post, I am giving away a GAP Feed USA bag (new with tags). It looks like this:

It's adorable! While I would typically be tempted to keep it for myself, I am trying to downsize my bag collection (and everything else) with the impending arrival of our baby.

No big complicated rules or requirements...

1) Leave me a comment as to why you would love to win OR how long you have been reading my blog OR how you found me... just tell me something interesting :)

2) Only one post per person please!

3) I will accept comments/entries until 5PM EST on Friday, July 15, 2011.

4) Winner will be announced by blog on Saturday, July 16, 2011.

Feel free to e-mail me (e-mail address to the right) if you have questions. Otherwise, enter away! :)

Coming Tomorrow: 400th Post Contest!

2011-07-09T08:04:00.003-04:00

Husband and I are heading out of town today for a little weekend away. We are heading south to a family reunion for his side of the family. It will be quick (36 hours!), but should be a good time!

When I return tomorrow, I will finally (FINALLY) post my 400th blog post contest... even though it will be post #403 :) I've had the prize for quite a while and am excited to give it away to a lucky reader! I think that I might add a couple of fun little things to it as well to sweeten to the deal ;)

Have a great weekend and please check back tomorrow to enter!

My new toy.

2011-07-06T22:10:00.004-04:00

After 7 years, I finally decided that my iBook G4 (purchased in June 2004) needed to be replaced. It wouldn't hold a charge, ran slowly, and the cord was fraying a bit. Husband and I went shopping over 4th of July weekend and I came home with the beauty above :)

I am absolutely loving my 15-inch MacBook Pro. It's so fast! And updated! And... PRETTY! Silly, I know... but I just can't stop looking at it ;)

Are any of you Apple fans?

Big News (and why I have been MIA)

2011-07-04T12:13:00.005-04:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend full of family time and relaxation.

I know I have been MIA. There have been some big pretty things going on in my (our) lives and I haven't been able to talk about them. Therefore, I haven't been able to blog at all! So, the big news... I AM PREGNANT!

Husband and I are are so so excited and over the moon. We found out in April and are about 4 months along at this point. It was a secret for a long time - we waited to tell people until we had three appointments and were about 13 weeks along. The news is slowly spreading - I've managed to keep it off Facebook for the time being! I really wanted to tell most people face to face and not have them see it online.

So that's where I have been :) I am very excited and grateful to be in my second trimester and continue to pray for good health for our baby. We're due in December and I have a feeling this will be our best Christmas yet!

Thanks for sharing my exciting news! I hope that I didn't lose too many readers in my absence... now that you all know, I plan to be blogging regularly again :)

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T09:19:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all service members past and present for their sacrifice... without them, there would be nothing to celebrate this weekend.

I hope that you all have a wonderful day with your family :)

In less than 7 Days...

2011-03-15T07:47:00.004-04:00

I will be in FLORIDA! Can you tell that I am excited?!

Have a GREAT Tuesday :)

Catching Up

2011-03-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I hope that the month of February treated you well and that your March is off to a great start... I really can't believe how quickly it has flown by! We have been busy around here and will only get busier as spring arrives. Here's what we have been up to...

- We had a quick trip to the East Coast a few weekends ago to visit Husband's sister, her husband, and our adorable nephew and niece. It was a quick driving trip and turnaround time, but we had so much fun! Nephew is 2 and Niece is 6 months, so they were super fun to play with :) We brought them our favorite ice cream from here and they were very happy about it! We also had an adult night out at an amazing restaurant. It's always nice to have times like these to catch up on life.

- We might be moving! The owners of our house are "exploring" the idea of selling. I'm hoping that they don't... we would love to rent this house for one more year and then buy our own house. If they do decide to sell, we might be forced to speed up the buying process. Scary, but exciting! I'll let you know what happens.

- I walked in to a mess on Wednesday morning. Someone decided that it would be a good idea to throw a large piece of concrete through my office window. I left school at 4:45PM on Tuesday and all was fine... sometime around 7:30PM, someone threw the concrete through my window. We think it was a random event - we don't believe it was a student or anything personal against me. It sucked though - there was glass ALL OVER MY OFFICE. I was even picking it out of my papers, keyboard, etc. Boo.

- Two weeks from tomorrow, I leave for a week in Florida! I can't wait! It's my parents, sister, brother-in-law, two nieces, and Husband traveling to share a house in the Florida Keys. I cannot wait to relax and enjoy the sun and family time :)

- I have tickets to see two of my favorite bands in the next month (Dashboard Confessional and Jack's Mannequin). I am so excited! I love going to concerts :)

- I did something the other day that I have never done before... I ran a mile without stopping! It took me 12 minutes and 40 seconds, which I didn't think was too bad. I am definitely more the tortoise than the hare, but I did it. I'm going to try again today. Who knows - maybe I will start running a mile (or more?) on a regular basis.

- Reminder: I will have a contest celebrating my 400th post! Make sure to keep reading.

Mystery Reader Extraordinaire!

2011-02-15T21:24:00.005-05:00

I had the best day today! I had the privilege to be the "Mystery Reader" for my niece's preschool class. She had no idea that I was coming and I was so excited to surprise her.

I arrived and knocked loudly on the door. The teacher cracked open the door and I handed over my note that had 3 clues on it. The teacher read each of my clues and the girls in the class would say something if the clue applied to them. By the 3rd clue, my little cutie knew that it was me. She then was allowed to come open the door. She immediately threw her arms around me - it was so sweet! I really needed to swallow my tears so I could read the book! She showed me where to sit and snuggled right up next to me. I read one of her favorite books to the class. It was so so funny, as the the little girls (ages 3 & 4) would make the most random comments while I was reading! I just tried to smile and keep going :)

After the book, my niece showed me around her school. She was so proud and delighted in showing me every detail of her classroom and school! I was sad to have to leave her. She drew me a picture to send me off to work with, gave me a hug and a kiss, and told me that she loved me. She then ran off to rejoin her class and I stood there, feeling so happy and proud. It was truly a special day that I will never forget!

**Thank you for the prayers, thoughts, and good wishes! The flu knocked me down for quite a few days... I was home sick Friday through Monday, then returned (very tired) to work on Tuesday. I (knock on wood) am feeling better and hope that we are done with the flu at our house!!!

Flu.

2011-02-06T21:21:00.003-05:00

The cold that I couldn't get rid of got worse and worse. I felt like death on Friday and barely made it through graduation - it was awful. I was literally praying the entire time that I did not fall over on stage. I went straight to the doctor afterward where they told me I had a 101.5 fever. They scared me by initially mentioning whooping cough, but luckily, I had a vaccine for that in January. They tested me for the flu, which I didn't know that you could even test for! The test involved putting a flexible q-tip thing through my nose and down into my throat. Needless to say, it was NOT pleasant.

I was expecting it to be negative since I had a flu shot, but, alas... it was positive. I HAVE THE FLU. The doctor said it would knock me on my ass for probably 5 days, that I would feel worse before I felt better, and that all I could do was rest, drink liquids, and take extra strength Tylenol.

Needless to say, I've been absolutely miserable since Friday. I am congested, have a terrible cough, sore throat, body aches... I had a fever, but I think I am past that finally. I can't work tomorrow and am just praying I can get back to work on Tuesday. I hate being sick and missing work! Please send me healthy thoughts - I need them :(

Ice Ice Baby.

2011-02-01T10:20:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure how well you can tell from my picture, but we had a pretty good ice storm here last night! We originally heard that it was coming around rush hour yesterday. It stayed dry through rush hour and another few hours. When I went to sleep, we didn't really see anything happening! I kept checking my phone this morning to see if I received a "no school" text from my boss... and nothing came. At 5:50AM, I finally thought, I better get up and moving. I always jump directly in the shower, but I thought that I would turn on the local news to see about the storm missing us (or so I thought). Well, how surprised was I to see that my school (and every other urban, suburban, and rural school district in the region) was CLOSED! I was excited, texted my boss (who somehow missed me when notifying everyone!), and got back in bed. Of course, then I couldn't sleep! I was back up at around 6:10 and made coffee.

I settled in to relax and then... the call came. The school was having 3 smartboards installed today and the people were coming from a big city up north. Even in this crazy weather, they still came! Because I live closest to school and am one of the few to have a master key, I had to go open the building. I could BARELY walk to my car. Actually, absolutely no walking occurred... I shuffled because I couldn't lift my foot without falling. I drove probably 10mph to school, opened the door, showed them where the smartboards were going, drove 10mph home, and shuffled back in the house. I was glad to help and even more glad to make it home safely!!!

It is a pure ice skating rink outside and scary to walk/drive/do anything in! We are supposed to get part 2 of the storm later today/tonight, so it's possible we could be off tomorrow too. Crazy weather! Are any of you being affected by this massive storm? Do tell!

**Sorry for my week-long absence! I still have this darn cold and am trying to knock it out. Thanks for all of your good thoughts and wishes - I hope that I can kick this soon :)

Under the weather.

2011-01-25T21:21:00.002-05:00

I'm fighting a nasty cold and I feel pretty yucky! I have some major congestion, a headache, and I think that I had a fever earlier today... I could not get warm! I set the thermostat in my office to 85 degrees - people kept walking in going "Oh my gosh, it's so hot in here!" I made it through the day and hope to not miss any days this week - no time to miss work! We have winter graduation next Friday, so I am crazy busy getting ready for that.

Husband is at a work event tonight, so Kitty and I just relaxed. I am actually typing this blog in bed with some ginger ale :) I hope that your week is off to a healthy start!

Gym Update

2011-01-22T08:44:00.002-05:00

Okay kids, remember how I was doing the Couch to 5K program? I talked all about it on here? I was doing great, going to the gym by myself, and well into week 3 of the plan. Then, the holidays came and I totally fell off of the wagon!!! I'm not sure if it was the celebrations, the shopping, the Christmas cookies, the travel, the 6-day flu that husband had... I don't know, all I know is that I quit.

Okay, maybe I didn't quit, I just paused (that is my attempt to reframe my negative reaction). Instead of being embarrassed and just beating myself up over and over again, I have just restarted! I went back to week 1 and started over (though I am doing an abbreviated week 1 [2 workouts instead of 3] because I feel ready to move on).

This is what my workouts looked like this week:

Sunday - Gym - Couch to 5K Week 1/Workout 1

Wednesday - 30 Minutes of Workout Video(s) - Did a combination of yoga/pilates videos

Thursday - 60 minutes of snow shoveling (it's not the gym, but DAMN... it was a workout!)

Saturday (today) - Couch to 5K Week 1/Workout 2 (taking place in approximately 1 hour)

I've decided that if I can't make it to the gym during the week for whatever reason, I can still do something. This week, that was a workout video and some snow shoveling! I'm also getting a small calendar so that I can document my workouts - I'm super visual and super TYPE A, so I will love writing it all down!

Have a great Saturday!

PS - Today's post is #392! I will be having another fun contest for my 400th post (similar to the 300th post contest). Make sure you keep an eye out for it :)

Holy Snow Day!

2011-01-21T09:11:00.006-05:00

School closed at 2PM yesterday due to a crazy snowstorm that blew in around 8AM. The roads were okay when I left school, but they got bad quickly. It took my sister almost 2 hours to get home when it usually takes around 15 minutes... yuck! My entire family was not home and had to fight the roads/traffic at some point... I was so happy when they all arrived home safely! I was also thrilled when I found out LAST NIGHT that school would be closed today - it is so rare that we find out in advance. Here are a few pictures for you (taken out my front window)...

Yesterday around 3PM:

This morning around 9AM:

I think we ended up with about 5 inches? Doesn't sound like a lot, but the roads were pretty terrible AND the temperature dropped overnight. It's 7 degrees outside right now! YUCK! Have a great Friday :)

A busy 2 weeks.

2011-01-17T19:53:00.005-05:00

Hey there... how is January treating you? I can't believe that it is already January 17 - the month is flying by!

I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. The first week back to school flew by as we all got back to a normal schedule, worked with students, and began preparing for winter graduation. The weekend was busy, as Husband worked part of it and I ran around trying to get stuff for our big occasion.

The big occasion was on Monday - we went to the Inaugural Ball for the new governor! It was such a neat experience. Highlights from the evening (in no particular order):

1) Meeting and taking a picture with the new governor. He was so pleasant and friendly!

2) Meeting and taking a picture with Jack Hanna and having him offer to show me PENGUINS in the other room... except that they had already gone back to the zoo :(

3) Husband in a tux :) He looked so handsome!

4) Wearing a party dress and having hair/make-up done (it sort of felt like prom for adults). Here is the dress I wore:

I ordered the dress online at the last minute and it fit perfectly! That never happens to me, so I was very happy about it. The whole evening was a really amazing experience and I felt so lucky that we were able to attend :)

This weekend, we did a lot of nothing! We were fairly exhausted from the busy week we had after the inaugural ball. I had today off, though Husband did not. I went downtown and had a great lunch with him though, so that is always a treat.

I hope that your 2011 is off to a great start as well!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:40:00.003-05:00

Happy 2011! I hope that this upcoming year will be full of love and good health for you and your families. I have a really good feeling about 2011 - I think that it is going to be an amazing year :)

What are you doing today? I will spend today with Husband (FINALLY over the flu) and my parents watching college football and eating ham, cabbage, and potatoes :) Have a wonderful New Year's Day!

Spoiled and Blessed.

2010-12-27T17:34:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had! The only yucky part was that Husband has come down with some sort of flu bug/virus. He was in bed all day on Christmas and on the couch most of the day yesterday. I felt bad, as he wasn't really able to enjoy the holiday at all :(

Our holiday started when we left on Wednesday and headed SE to visit Husband's family. We were able to see both his immediate and extended family, eat lots of delicious food, and relax! His parents and sister spoiled us with many great presents - they did too much. Sunday morning, we drove back up to home and Husband hit the couch. I went on and had Christmas Part Deux (as we lovingly referred to it) with my side of the family. Again, we were super SPOILED with gifts! Everyone did too much. The best part of the holiday was having time to spend with the people we love the most. We are so blessed!

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday with your family! Any plans for this week or the upcoming New Year?

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T12:41:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas - I hope that you all have a wonderful day :)

Schools out for summer...

2010-12-19T12:05:00.004-05:00

...or just the next 2 weeks, but hey, I'll take it :)

I never got any snow days last week. We had some yucky weather and some careful driving, but school was in every day for me. Friday was it though and I am so happy to have 2 whole weeks to relax and regroup before we go back on January 3.

Yesterday, Husband and I did a marathon shopping session! We were very efficient in our travels, but we had so much to do that we were out for about 8 hours. Needless to say, we came home and flopped on the couch! We ended up getting pulled into the movie "The Book of Eli." Has anyone seen it? It definitely was thought provoking! Sort of depressing though and not the kind of movie I would probably watch again.

Today, my niece is turning 1 :) We are heading to her birthday party - I can't wait! I got her some cute chestnut baby Uggs and a Melissa & Doug toy.

Send me some healthy thoughts/prayers tomorrow... I have a doctors appointment that I am sort of tense about. I won't go into detail now, but I would appreciate any and all good wishes you have for me!

Hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend before Christmas!

My Must-Watch Christmas Movies

2010-12-12T20:33:00.004-05:00

Every year, there are certain movies I MUST watch to get in the Christmas spirit. I'm a bit behind this year, but I am hoping for a snow day tomorrow so that I can watch a few (fingers crossed - it's coming down right now!).

My Classic Favorite:

My Laugh Out Loud Favorite:

My Christmasy Movie That is Not Really About Christmas:

My Christmas Eve Viewing:

*This last one is the 1930s version of A Christmas Carol - it is the best (in my opinion!).

Do you have essential Christmas or holiday movies that get you in spirit? Do tell!

Another busy week...

2010-12-10T15:36:00.002-05:00

TGIF! This has been another long, crazy week... I am happy that it is over!

Unfortunately, I did not work out once this week :( I had something almost every night after work and I could not get up in the mornings (I was too snuggled in my flannel sheets!). Instead of freaking out, I just decided that I will go next when I can (Sunday) and just redo my week 2 of workouts. I figured if I took a week off and jumped to week 3, I might have a hard time and be discouraged. I'm very type A and feel like I am bad somehow for being off of the plan, BUT... who is checking? I'm doing this for me - if I take a week off and choose to redo week 2, I can! Who cares! I just really want to stay on my program, even if I am working more slowly that expected.

My in-laws are coming up for the weekend! They will come this afternoon, dinner and Christmas shopping tonight, then off to the Christmas tree farm tomorrow. We drive about 30 minutes out of town, eat at a little diner, then go cut down our trees. It's always a fun time!

Word is we might get a snowstorm on Sunday. I can't help but hope for a snow day on Monday! Even if we don't have one, next week is my last week of school until January 3... I am SO HAPPY about that!

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend :)

What a week...

2010-12-04T21:04:00.002-05:00

This week was crazy busy at work! I felt like I was either with a student every second or out of the building in meetings (yuck)... I feel like I didn't get very much done!

On the Couch to 5K front, I did okay! I want to the gym on Monday and Thursday night and did my work out :) Here's something new too: I went by myself!!!! I typically go to the gym with Husband - if he doesn't go, I don't go. Now, he is awesome and will go by himself (and has many, many times), but I was never brave enough to do so... but now I am! I am really trying hard to stay on plan and sometimes, if he isn't home until late, I need to get in my car and drive to the gym. My workouts were definitely harder in week 2, but I am getting through them.

Husband and I did a 5K today with a group of my work colleagues. I WALKED - while I felt like I should run, I know that a key component of my Couch to 5K plan is taking is slowly and doing the workout as prescribed. Since I am only in week 2, I didn't think that I should jump ahead to week 9. The walk was fun, I did it in a timely manner, and we raised money for a great cause (and got a cute t-shirt!).

Aside from work and work outs, we have been busy getting in the holiday spirit. Husband put up our "exterior illumination" (a la Clark Griswold) today while I cleaned and put up some Christmas decorations inside. Next Saturday, we are going to cut our tree! I can't wait!

Are you all in the holiday spirit? Having a good weekend?

Wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-28T21:14:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone already! Husband and I had a wonderful weekend full of family, football, and of course... FOOD!

Thursday, we spent the day with my side of the family. We had a great time eating, catching up, playing with our adorable nieces, and relaxing :)

Friday, we did a ton of stuff around the house. I put away all of my pumpkins and fall stuff and started pulling out my Christmas candles and decorations. I only got a little bit done, but it definitely got me in the spirit!

Saturday, we had a visit from Husband's sister and her husband! They live about 6 hours away and were 2 hours away (at my in-laws) for Thanksgiving. They drove up in the morning (sans kids) and the 4 of us spent the day at a great college football game. It was so nice to spend time with them and our team won! Yay!

Today, we followed them out of town/2 hours away to visit with our niece and nephew. We had a great time playing with the kiddos, visiting with Husband's parents, and eating more delicious food! It's a rarity that all 6 of us (plus 2 munchkins) get to sit and talk, so it was a real treat :)

Even with the how busy last week was, I managed to finish week 1 of the Couch to 5K program :) Week 2 is about to begin... I have to run for a little longer each workout this week. I am still positive about the program and hoping that I can keep up with it. Thank you for all of your comments and support - it really does keep me motivated!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:01:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I am so thankful today for my wonderful husband, cat, family, and friends (including you awesome bloggie friends!). I am also thankful for all of the men and women serving in the military - because of them, we are all able to celebrate today. I hope that you all have a wonderful day with your family and friends!

Couch to 5K... (UPDATED)

2010-11-23T07:08:00.002-05:00

I am trying something new... Couch to 5K! Let me give you some quick background...

I've always WANTED to be a runner while HATING running at the same time. My Dad runs, my Mom runs, my Sister runs (she has even done multiple half-marathons and a full marathon - WOW)... I do not run. The day that we had to run the mile in PE was my least favorite day every school year! I was active throughout my life, but never ever a runner.

A few years ago, I decided to try a program that was supposed to take you from the couch to a half-marathon in a number of weeks. It involved a plan, running group, etc... I made it to 2 miles and then it was too cold to run outside (or so I said). I have not run since other than the occasional few minutes on the treadmill when I felt inspired.

Recently, a friend of mine from graduate school started talking about this Couch to 5K program. I kept up with her from afar (she lives in another state) as she completed the program, ran 3 5k's, and is now training for a half-marathon! Besides that, she has gotten healthier, lost weight, and is just awesomely inspired and honest about the process. In addition to her, I have seen other bloggie friends do similar things (like Kiki and her recent running accomplishments!) and been so inspired by them :)

I have not been good about working out recently... I rarely go to the gym :( I decided that I really needed to get myself together. I know that I work well on a plan (remember the 30 pounds I lost on Weight Watchers?) and that I can do something if I set my mind to it. Looking back, I think a half-marathon was too lofty of a goal for a girl that won't run a mile.

So...I pulled up the Couch to 5K plan, printed it out, and decided to get started! I did my first workout on Monday (success!) and will do Week 1, Workout 2 tonight! I'm wavering between NOT telling people (so that I am not so embarrassed if I quit) or telling LOTS of people so that I have accountability. For some reason, I feel like I might NOT quit this time... like, maybe I can really do this?!

I rarely post twice in one day...

2010-11-21T21:10:00.003-05:00

But I had to share this article with you! It is so appalling and upsetting. While I am a huge sports fan, I have trouble even looking at Michael Vick on my TV since his dogfighting ring was exposed. It just really really upsets me that people are talking about him being the MVP of the NFL... I personally cannot look past his actions and his abuse of animals.

Click below to read:
Dog owner can't forgive Michael Vick - latimes.com

It's the most wonderful time of the year... (almost)!

2010-11-21T07:54:00.005-05:00

Thank you all for checking on me! I am recovered! I felt a little more normal on Sunday and then returned to work on Monday. Monday night, I stopped at Kroger to get one thing and BAM... my appetite returned! I walked out of the store without a variety of impulse purchases and knew right then that I was better :)

The holidays started this weekend for me. We have a big family dinner with a close family friend at the same restaurant every year. It used to be in December, but as life gets busier, we are now getting together in November. We had that dinner on Friday night and it was so fun! It always feels like the official kick-off to our season :)

Yesterday, I cooked and cleaned all day long. My parents came over to watch college football, so Husband and I cooked up a storm! We made pico de gallo to snack on, chicken philly cheesteaks and potatoes for dinner (my mom brought her awesome homemade coleslaw), and brownies and funfetti cookies for dessert! We were all STUFFED by the time they left :) It was a super nice day! Oh, and our team squeaked it out at the last minute... thank goodness!

Today, I am going Christmas shopping with my Dad. This tradition started with him and my sister. Every year, they would go shopping on December 24th. Once my sister got married, she was out of town with her husband on December 24th, so I started shopping with my Dad. Now that I am out of town with my husband on December 24th (ever other year, anyway), my Dad and I just try to go whenever we can. I am excited to help him shop and of course, eat lunch at Nordstrom Cafe... I love that place! YUM! Plus, it's super nice to have this Dad-Daughter time... even as an adult, I really really cherish it :)

Have you started any holiday preparation?

Tomorrow's Blog: Couch to 5K... can I do it?

Tuesday's Blog: Thanksgiving Traditions!

I have the flu...

2010-11-12T21:42:00.002-05:00

...and I got a flu shot! BLECH. Hope that I can kick this in a day or two... not really the best way to spend the weekend :( At the same time, I'm thankful to have a few days home to recover. This kitty pic pretty much sums up my day (including the not being able to go to school part!).

Hope that you are all healthy & well! TGIF!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2010-11-11T07:26:00.004-05:00

THANK YOU...

- To the men and women who choose to serve so that we can all live in freedom.

- To all of the family members who sacrifice their loved ones to ensure freedom for others.

- To my Dad, my hero for his 30 years of service in the US Army.

- To my Mom, who kept everything running smoothly at home, school, and everywhere else when my Dad was away.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TODAY AND THANK A VETERAN!

And it's November...

2010-11-08T21:55:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks have flown by with amazing speed and chock full of activity!

Last week was totally consumed by the election... I am happy to say that my brother-in-law was reelected for his 2nd term in a state position AND the candidates that Husband and I supported won! It was a great evening of celebration in all parts of our lives. I got some great pictures!

In my last post, I mentioned a coworkers sister... I am sad to report that her sister ended up passing away :( I know my coworker appreciated the support, thoughts, and prayers from all over, including those of you who read my blog. It's such a tragedy but she and her family are doing well.

I am really looking forward to spending time with family and friends during the upcoming holiday season. Work has been busy, but not unbearable. Overall, I am really happy and really enjoying life at the moment! I am so grateful for all of my blessings.

How are you? :)

Life has a funny way of showing you things.

2010-10-17T21:24:00.004-04:00

I've been so stressed about my own work life, as well as the usual little life things here and there recently... I think I've been pretty selfish. I know I've been tired, whiny, and complaining. Last week, a few hours before Husband and I flew to the east coast, someone totaled the back of his Jeep. We had to haul ass to our flight - we made it, but he was in a bad mood and of course, our flight was turbulent. Then, someone hit our rental car while it was parked. Some very intoxicated person spilled beer on me at a party we were attending. My expensive face stuff spilled all over my luggage during the flight. Basically, over the last few days, I have constantly found something to be pissed off about.

Last week, my coworkers 33 year old sister had a stroke while driving her car and got in an accident. They had to remove part of her skull due to brain swelling. She will not regain feeling on the left side of her body. Today, I read that her brain was swelling again and she stopped breathing on her own. This was all totally out of the blue.*

After hearing this most recent news, I feel so petty. I mean, I'm busy, I'm tired, I'm stressed about work, stressed about money... but SO WHAT?! I am healthy. My husband, cat, and family are healthy and happy. In the grand scheme of life, that is all that matters. I wouldn't trade health or happiness for one less stressful day of work. Isn't it funny how life does that to you? I'm pretty sure perspective just slapped me in the face.

*If you have a moment, please keep my coworker and her sister in your thoughts and prayers! Her sister is still in the hospital in critical condition.

30 Day Return Policy.

2010-09-26T18:07:00.007-04:00

I learned the hard way today that GAP had changed their return policy! I purchased 4 white t-shirts for my hubby (2 s/s, 2 l/s) on August 21. I brought them home, he tried them on, and... he didn't like them (he is super specific about his t-shirts!). I put them back in the bag with the original receipt and have been meaning to take them back.

Well, school started, football season started, general life craziness started! We finally got back to the mall today and headed over to the GAP. I pulled out the t-shirts (still with tags) and the original receipt. As the very nice gentleman looked at my receipt, he tells me that I am beyond their 30 day return policy. I can have a store credit, but only for the current price of the item. I looked at the receipt and pointed out that I was only beyond the 30 days by a few days, but he stuck to it.

Luckily for me, none of the shirts had gone on sale. He gave me the option of shopping around and buying something then with the credit OR waiting approximately 10 days for a store credit to be mailed to me. I was sort of shocked that those were my only 2 choices. I mean, it's not a huge deal, but I am not a frequent returner, everything was in original condition, and I had the original receipt! Dumb me then says "is this a new policy?" and he tells me that it has been in place for a year! I laughed and told him we obviously don't return very much :)

Anyway, it all ended well, as I came home with a nice new pair of curvy jeans that I exchanged for. Has anyone else experienced this new return policy? I'm usually pretty on top of this sort of thing, so I am shocked that I was so out of the loop. I'm guessing that it was put in place due to people who abused the previous return policy. I understand from a business standpoint, but still find it frustrating that those of us that do the right thing are penalized for the poor actions of others. Oh well - I will definitely have to be more on top of my returns!

Please stop touching my stomach.

2010-09-17T21:47:00.003-04:00

I am NOT pregnant. I hope to be one day, but I am not at this time. I am AMAZED at the frequency with which I receive this question these days. I have been married for approximately 4.5 months... can I enjoy being a newlywed for the moment?

Some people even touch my stomach (why? why? why?). If I am overly tired... pregnant? If my face has a bit of extra glow... pregnant? If I am having a bad day... pregnant?

Why do people do this? I try to remember that they are probably not doing it maliciously. I'm sure they are just excited and now that I am married, they feel that asking me about kids is the next reasonable thing. A few women with older children have told me that they wish they were having a baby... so why don't I hurry up and have one? I always try to smile politely and be kind, but man, sometimes it is hard!

NOT PREGNANT. Trust me, I will tell all of you when (hopefully) I am lucky/blessed enough to have that experience. And lucky for me, none of you can reach through your computer and attempt to touch my stomach ;)

Never Forget.

2010-09-11T11:37:00.003-04:00

I still remember Tuesday, September 11, 2001 as if it were yesterday. What I was doing, who I was with... how SCARED I was. Thinking about how grateful I was that my father was home and not flying in and out of DC as he usually was on a weekday. How happy I was that he was not in the Pentagon (as he had been on the Friday before), but how bittersweet as we learned of people we knew who were wounded or killed in the Pentagon attack. Sitting in silence with friends, watching hours upon hours of news coverage and individuals looking for their friends and family at Ground Zero in NYC. Hearing about the brave heroics of those individuals on Flight 93 that crashed in PA... "Let's Roll!"

I can't imagine every forgetting any of this and I hope that other people out there feel the same way. Never forget 9/11/01!

Fall... where are you?!

2010-08-31T19:09:00.004-04:00

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Fall! Considering it was 91 degrees outside today, I think I will be waiting for quite a while... My favorite things about Fall (in no particular order):

Back to school (Loved it as a kid, love it now! Something about all of those new school supplies and the hope and excitement we start every new year with!)

College Football (My all-time favorite sport! LOVE IT!)

Hot Drinks at Starbucks (it's not even that I get anything special - I've never had the pumpkin flavors or the apple cider or anything - I just like ordering hot drinks versus the venti black tea lemonade sweetened that I have been drinking all summer!)

The return of my argyle sock & sweaters

Changing Leaves (There is nothing like it in the Midwest! It makes me happy every year.)

Other beloved things not pictured: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Febreze Fall air freshener, Yankee Candle Fall candles, wearing the color burnt orange, layering clothes, the crisp feeling in the air, making hot meals like chili, beef stew, and chicken in a crockpot, not having a $300 electric bill from the air conditioning, pulling on a fleece to sit outside and look at the stars...

A new school year

2010-08-29T10:17:00.003-04:00

Well, the 2010-2011 school year officially kicked off on August 25! I'm a 12-month employee, so there was no big end of summer break for me... though there is a huge difference when the students return! I always feel excited for the first day of school, much like I did when I was the student :) I feel very positive about this school year - I don't know if it is just because it is the beginning or because it is my 4th year and I am more confident or what... it's just a good feeling!

My goals for this school year:

1) Be more patient. I am fairly patient most of the time, but I know that I sometimes am more snappy that I would like to be. I must continue to work on this!

2) Try to be more productive during the work day so that I don't take work home every single weekend. As an administrator, there is always paperwork to be done and I often find it easier to get it done on the weekend. While this make the week easier, it also make the weekend less relaxing...

3) Try and live more by the Serenity Prayer I have posted in my office:

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."

I have to remind myself to do the best I can and be okay with that. Easy to say, hard to do!

This week will be super busy. First full week of school, presentation for teachers at professional development Wednesday night, college football game Thursday night, and then... 3 DAY WEEKEND!!! I love starting school before Labor Day because you have a built in break after the initial craziness.

Did any of you have back to school weeks recently? Any big plans for Labor Day?

Swim*

2010-08-10T08:10:00.004-04:00

I recently introduced you to Andrew McMahon, Something Corporate, and Jack's Mannequin. Today, I'm leaving you with the video and lyrics to one of my favorite Jack's songs: Swim*. Any time I am struggling, having a bad day, need a little comfort... I turn this on. Let me know what you think :) Happy Tuesday!

You've gotta swim
Swim for your life
Swim for the music
That saves you
When you're not so sure you'll survive
You gotta swim
And swim when it hurts
The whole world is watching
You haven't come this far
To fall off the earth
The currents will pull you
Away from your love
Just keep your head above

I found a tidal wave
Begging to tear down the dawn
Memories like bullets
They fired at me from a gun
A crack in the armor
I swim to brighter days
Despite the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I'm not giving in
I swim

You gotta swim
Through nights that won't end
Swim for your families
Your lovers your sisters
And brothers and friends
Yeah you've gotta swim
Through wars without cause
Swim for the lost politicians
Who don't see their greed as a flaw

The currents will pull us
Away from our love
Just keep your head above

I found a tidal wave
Begging to tear down the dawn
Memories like bullets
They fired at me from a gun
Cracking me open now
I swim for brighter days
Despite the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I'm not giving in
Well I'm not giving in
I swim

You gotta swim
Swim in the dark
There's no shame in drifting
Feel the tide shifting and wait for the spark
Yeah you've gotta swim
Don't let yourself sink
Just find the horizon
I promise you it's not as far as you think
The currents will drag us away from our love
Just keep your head above
Just keep your head above
Swim
Just keep your head above
Swim, swim
Just keep your head above
Swim

A-MAZ-ING!

2010-08-08T11:25:00.007-04:00

I love listening to music. My taste is eclectic - I like everything from Rascal Flatts to Jay-Z to Tom Petty to Simon and Garfunkel and on and on! I'm not really a fan of super hard rock (lots of screaming and loud banging doesn't do it for me), but otherwise, I'm very open!

One of my all time favorite musicians is Andrew McMahon. He is an amazing piano player that has been in two different bands: Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin. SoCo has been on a break since around 2004/2005... they had been playing and touring together for quite some time and decided to take a break. The break ended up extending approximately 5 years due to a variety of factors, including Andrew fighting leukemia and finding success with the band Jack's Mannequin (if you want to know more about his struggle with cancer, watch his documentary "Dear Jack" - I promise that you won't be disappointed!). I can't explain to you how much I love this music - it really speaks to me. The lyrics are heartfelt and hearing Andrew play the piano is almost a spiritual experience.

In the spring, it was announced that SoCo was reuniting for a reunion tour. I immediately knew that I had to go. Unfortunately, they were not playing any shows in my state :( I looked and saw that they were playing in Detroit - after consulting Husband, we bought tickets and decided... ROAD TRIP!

We drove up Friday, checked into a beautiful hotel downtown (The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit - I highly recommend it!) and headed over to the concert. SoCo did not disappoint! It was an AMAZING show... I only wish that I could see them again this summer. I guess I will just have to wait until Jack's Mannequin goes back on tour to see Andrew play live again (he is the guy standing on the piano below!). Here are some pictures from our trip:

I was going to include some video from my camera, but it was pretty shaky (my arms would get tired during long songs! ha!). If you want to check out some SoCo songs, here are a few of my favorites:

21 and Invincible
Ruthless
Space
The Astronaut
I Woke Up In A Car
Punk Rock Princess.

Another song that I like that is a HUGE cult hit is Konstantine... the piano is particularly haunting on that song. Let me know if you check them out! I have lots to say about Jack's Mannequin as well, but I will save that for another music post :)

Delicious Desserts

2010-08-02T19:56:00.012-04:00

After reading Lindsay's post on cupcakes, I started thinking about all of the delicious desserts provided for me during my bridal showers, wedding, and reception. Let's take a look, shall we?

These were the favors at the bridal shower husband's mom & sister threw for me! Aren't they so cute? Even better: they were filled with homemade buckeye candy! YUM!

At the same bridal shower, we had Buckeye Pie... chocolate, peanut butter, whipped cream... need I say more?

**Insert cake picture from the awesome shower my Mom & Sister threw for me - I think that we forgot to get a picture! But it was delicious!**

Cheesecake at our wedding dinner - YUM!

Chocolate Fudge Cake at our wedding dinner - also YUM!

This is the picture of our wedding cake and cupcakes from our reception. The cake on top that we cut was white. The cupcakes were 4 different flavors: white w/white icing, chocolate cupcakes w/buckeyes baked into them & peanut butter icing, red velvet cupcakes w/cream cheese icing, and lemon cupcakes w/raspberry puree inside and buttercream icing (with fresh raspberries on top). Can you believe that I didn't even eat one?! The guests though said that they were delicious :)

What is your favorite or most memorable dessert? Do tell!

Smartest Cat Ever

2010-07-30T16:54:00.011-04:00

I haven't talked about Smartest Cat Ever in a while. He is still a wonderful, ornery, lovable little guy. Husband placed him on my desk last night... SME was confused at first, but then seemed to remember that long ago, in a galaxy far far away, he always sat on my desk (now this was also when he slept with me and ruled the roost, mind you). Today, SME came right back upstairs, hopped up on my desk, and relaxed as I did some work...*

Being leisurely

I think this was his look of annoyance as I clicked, flashed, and pleaded with him to look at the camera

And... he had enough :)

*My desk is in our office on the 2nd floor of the house. Some of you may ask, "But wait?! Your husband didn't like cats and didn't believe in having cats in the house, on the furniture, or above the first floor? And didn't you get a baby gate to keep SME on the first floor? And your husband put him on your desk?! What?!" Why yes, Husband seems to enjoy it these days when SME sneaks upstairs and visits us in the office. It is now a daily occurrence. So much for not liking cats, right? ;)

I love shoes!

2010-07-28T07:33:00.004-04:00

Not a surprise, right? These Nike's are my newest purchase:

They might look a little weird by themselves, but they are so cute on! They are also super comfortable and basically feel like wearing a sock. I haven't gotten a new pair of sneakers in 2+ years, so I felt like it was time. Bonus: I got them on sale at the Nordstrom anniversary sale :)

Now the hard part: I made a deal with Husband when we moved in together that every time I got a new pair of shoes, I would get rid of a pair! I have many, many pairs of shoes, so this is not an unreasonable request... but it's sometimes hard to do ;) Did I mention that I also just got a pair of Sperry's boat shoes and a pair of silver flip flops from GAP? Off to find 3 pairs of shoes for Goodwill! Have a great day :)

Sneak Peek

2010-07-22T18:36:00.008-04:00

I'm not trying to torture you... but Blogger is torturing me! Seriously, it took approximately 5 minutes to upload each individual picture. It's actually not Blogger or the internet... I think the pictures are such nice quality (thank you to my great photographer!) that they take longer to upload.

Later today, I'm going to do some more... for now, you can see the first 3 that I was able to upload! 1) My shoes & handkerchief, 2) the detailing on my dress, and 3) My bouquet with my engagement ring in it.

Check back later for more (if I don't fall asleep at my computer in the meantime!).

I've been trying to upload pictures...

2010-07-22T11:59:00.004-04:00

Not just any pictures... but the long-awaited and promised WEDDING PICTURES. Do you think Blogger is working with me?! NO! I've been trying for 30 minutes and am super frustrated. I'm going to take a break, run some errands, and try again later. So... check back tonight and maybe something good will be there! Happy Thursday :)

Work work work.

2010-07-16T23:53:00.003-04:00

That's pretty much all that I have been up to! This week was especially busy with a state curriculum meeting for 3 days, meeting with the department heads, and just regular work. Student enrollment starts at the end of the month and staff returns on August 16, so it will be the 2010-2011 school year before I know it! EEK! Where is the summer going?!

I'll be back tomorrow... see you then :)

See ya LeBron!

2010-07-08T22:28:00.003-04:00

I am NOT a fan of the NBA (love college basketball), but I am sad LeBron is leaving Cleveland. LeBron did so much for that city and that team... it's sort of just another slap in the face for a city that historically has poor sports teams.

See ya LeBron - hang in there Cleveland! Guess I will just have to keep cheering on the Buckeyes :)

Sick + HS reunion = BLECH

2010-07-03T10:07:00.003-04:00

I have a nasty cold and it has totally been kicking my ass :( I did okay through the first part of the week, but then I started getting worse. I am feeling a little bit better today, but still under the weather. This is not ideal considering that I am going with Husband to his high school reunion tonight! EEK! I have zombie eyes and dry skin on my face from blowing my nose so much. He insists that I look beautiful (as a good husband should!), but I am not feeling too hot.

We are packing up this morning and heading to his hometown (about 2 hours away). The reunion is tonight at 7PM. I am hoping that taking it easy, drinking lots of fluids, and taking a nap this afternoon will make me feel better for tonight. Please keep your fingers crossed!

*Sickness has thrown me totally off, so I am behind on all of my posts. Hoping to post wedding pics on Monday after we get back :)

Funny Wedding Stories

2010-06-28T19:04:00.002-04:00

Wow, thank you ALL for such wonderful comments! It's always reassuring to hear that others also go through periods of gloomies from time to time. I'm actually feeling a lot better - I think a combination of your comments, spending some quality time with my husband, and just relaxing as bit has helped :)

Right after the wedding, I mentioned that we had some hilarious moments during the actual ceremony. There were 3 pretty funny things that happened:

1) I burnt myself on the unity candle. Significant Other (or maybe I should call him HUSBAND now?!) and I were lighting the unity candle. As I picked up my individual candle, hot wax dripped down the side and on to my hand. In an honest moment, I said "Oh shit!" then I realized a) I just swore at my own wedding, b) the minister is standing about a foot away from me, and c) damn, that hurts!

2) I was so emotional at one point during the vows that I totally blanked out on what I was supposed to be repeating. I just said the last line of the paragraph the minister asked me to repeat. Everyone laughed (including me).

3) As we got towards the end of the service, I knew that the kiss moment was coming. And then... it didn't! The minister said "I would now like to present to you..." and I yell "WAIT! YOU FORGOT THE KISS!" Everyone laughed again (including the minister) and then he went back and told us that we could kiss.

Hope you enjoyed reading these... I was laughing as I typed them, so if anything, it was a good laugh for me!

PS - I decided I wanted to show you some wedding pictures. Not sure if you will see my face, but I thought you would like to see my dresses and some of the other neat details. I will try and post those tomorrow...

A bit of a funk.

2010-06-27T12:20:00.002-04:00

I've been in a bit of a funk. It was bound to happen when I think that I got engaged at Christmas, spent 4 months planning a wedding, got married, went on a honeymoon, came home and turned 30, and then... normal life. Husband working late. Me balancing my full-time gig and my side job working with a student with autism. Cleaning the litter box. Paying bills. Scrubbing the toilet. I don't mind doing any of these things (I actually tend to enjoy cleaning!) - I think it has just been so crazy and then it got calm and I felt like, what do I do now?

I haven't been feeling pretty. I feel bored with my wardrobe, but I don't know how I want to update it. I attribute a lot of this to the fact that I got to wear two gorgeous dresses, have my hair and make-up done twice, and have 1000+ beautiful pictures taken of me ;) Who wouldn't feel a little down after that?!

Another recent bummer was that the restaurant that we got married in ("our" place - so many dates, celebrations, and memories there) announced Monday that they were closing. It probably sounds dumb to be emotional over a restaurant, but it has been such a part of Significant Other's and my lives. They closed last night, so we ate there Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday! What really made the place was the people. We shed many a tear with them this week. We told them that we would come visit them wherever they work next and exchanged information so we could keep up. I told them I was only saying "see you later," not "goodbye." Sad :(

All of this being said... it's just a funk. It's not anxiety, depression, or any of those things! I've been there and know what that feels like - I am very grateful that this is such a little spell of the gloomies.

So here's the question: what do you do when you feel gloomy? What do you do when you need a wardrobe update? What do you do for a little pick-me-up or to make yourself feel pretty? All advice is welcome :)

USA! USA! USA!

2010-06-26T12:17:00.003-04:00

This video made me cry! I never thought I would be so interested in the World Cup... but I've been swept up in the excitement. TEAM USA is so talented and has not given up, even if the face of adversity and quite a few unfair ref calls. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed today at 2:30PM for their game against Ghana. USA! USA! USA!

PS - Sorry for my long absence. I've been in a bit of a funk... will address that more tomorrow, so check back.

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T11:14:00.003-04:00

On this day, please remember all of those brave men and women who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom. Special shout-out to my Dad - a career Army officer, veteran of Desert Storm, and MY HERO. Love you Dad!

Some random musings.

2010-05-22T11:28:00.003-04:00

- We're adjusting to married life over here! It's amazing after so much time and planning how quickly things go back to the day to day. S.O. and I keep talking about how we need to integrate more of our honeymoon behaviors (long talks, dinner out, RELAXING!) into our everyday lives. We are trying to do a better job of avoiding our black hole (the couch!) - it's too easy to flop when we get home from work and not go out and do things.

- I have a big birthday next weekend...3-0! I can't believe it. I keep thinking of the line from an Alan Jackson song: "Remember when thirty seemed so old - Now lookn' back it's just a steppin' stone."

- I have some hilarious moments from the wedding to share with you - check back tomorrow, as they get their own blog ;)

- I just had my 1 year Weight Watchers anniversary. I lost close to 30 pounds last year on WW... my 1 year anniversary means that I have been at or below my goal weight for quite a while :) I'm pretty proud of myself!

- Significant Other is an awesome husband! I didn't expect any less, but I just had to tell you.

- Thanks for continuing to stop by and leave comments! I am starting to get back on top of my blogging, blog reading, and commenting... keep an eye out for me :)

****Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

What a week (with a picture at the end!)

2010-05-08T10:14:00.005-04:00

Last Friday I got married. Last Saturday I had my awesome reception. Sunday through yesterday I spent at the Wynn in Las Vegas... what an amazing place! When we arrived we were able to upgrade our room (for only $25) to a higher floor panoramic view. We stayed on the 52nd floor all week with an amazing view of the strip! Significant Other and I have never been on vacation just the two of us (without family, friends, etc.), so it was amazing to just be on our on schedule and relax.

I am still debating how much to share, but I couldn't resist showing you this picture of my wedding dress... sorry, it disappeared after a few days! :)

Yesterday was magical.

2010-05-01T10:17:00.002-04:00

I'm officially MARRIED! So exciting. I have a ton of funny stories and details to share... but I have to run and start getting ready for my reception this evening. Check back for stories and pictures :)

To Reveal or Not To Reveal.

2010-04-28T19:42:00.002-04:00

Hi Guys. Big day in 48 hours. Nervous, but excited!

Something that has been on my mind... I've never showed a picture of myself or my family (other than Smartest Cat Ever) on my blog before. I read lots of blogs where people post pictures and a lot where they do not. I've been tempted to post a personal picture from time to time, but not too often.

I am suddenly feeling tempted due to this wedding celebration! I so want to share my wedding pics with you guys... but that would be revealing! I don't think that anything crazy will happen... but I am still nervous about showing you "me." What if my picture doesn't match my writing voice? What if you know me in real life? Or know me and don't like me? Silly questions I am sure, but still things I think about.

What do you do? Why do you do it? Am I crazy for having this conundrum? Or for loving the word conundrum? :)

What I did yesterday...

2010-04-24T21:29:00.004-04:00

Step 1 in becoming official! I had to giggle when I was asked to raise my right hand and swear that I was not drunk or related to Significant Other. Heehee.

Forecast for next week.

2010-04-22T07:29:00.002-04:00

Friday, April 30:

High of 73°
Low of 55°
60% Chance of Showers

Saturday, May 1:

High of 67°
Low of 50°
40% Chance of Showers

HMMMMM.... I'm slightly nervous about this forecast. Temperature is great, but the showers people, the showers! Not such a big deal for Friday (though I don't want hair/make-up/dress to get soaked going to wedding), but on Saturday, we were taking pics outside. I know that a little rain is not the end of the world... but is some sun too much to ask for?!

I have not forgotten you guys!

2010-04-20T22:19:00.002-04:00

But I seriously feel like my brain is about to explode. I am getting married in 10 DAYS! Trying to juggle all of the last minute details and stress with working full time and attempting to stay calm and get sleep. So far, I am being probably 50% successful.

I know I haven't been posting, but please keep checking back! I miss you all and can't wait to catch up soon. Hope that you are all doing well :)

I love this show.

2010-04-08T09:46:00.006-04:00

I started off not knowing too much about it, but I ended up loving it! I watched every episode and basically cried my eyes out every episode. I just keep thinking "what a cool idea!" Plus, it did make me think about what I wanted to do with my life... I am so caught up in the day to day sometimes that I forget to think big picture. While it probably seems silly that a show on MTV helped me do this, it really did! Did any of you watch?

Wedding Shoes.

2010-04-07T21:56:00.004-04:00

I found these shoes at Piperlime and I love them! They are delicate, but still kind of sassy :) They match both my wedding and reception dress (this was not planned, but it worked out great).

Significant Other picked up his tux (for wedding) and his suit (for reception) tonight. He looked so handsome! I am getting so EXCITED :) :) :)

How cute are these?

2010-04-05T10:05:00.002-04:00

My Mom was sweet enough to buy me these baking pieces from Williams-Sonoma for my first wedding shower (it was 2 weekends ago in Significant Other's hometown - it was great!). They were one of the first things I registered for... not only are they my favorite color (RED!), but I thought they would be pieces that I would have for a long time. S.O. has been laughing at me because I have this 1950's-esque picture in my mind of cooking in my red apron (another cute thing I requested!) with my new bakeware and serving us a delicious dinner! Heehee :)

Wedding is under 4 weeks away... eek! So exciting!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T10:59:00.001-04:00

I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter with your families and friends! I am on spring break this next week and hope to take the opportunity to start posting again (and catch up with all of you!).

I should probably be watching what I eat...

2010-03-15T22:44:00.002-04:00

But I can't resist a Reese's Egg! DELICIOUS! Between these and Starburst Jelly Beans, I love love love this time of year. Is there a candy (Easter or otherwise) that you can't resist?

Wedding Reception Dress... WINNER!

2010-03-14T16:06:00.006-04:00

Hello lovely!

I was sort of despondent that my second attempt at J. Crew did not work out! But then, I found this dress yesterday at Macy's. Of course, the one I tried on and loved had some stitches out, so I decided to order it online. I couldn't find it at Macy's, but I did find it for $60+ less at Von Maur online! SCORE! It's exactly what I was looking for and super comfortable. I am so happy :) :) :)

First Dance

2010-03-06T10:37:00.004-05:00

What song did you/would you like to do your first dance to at your wedding reception?

These are my current front runners...

Bless the Broken Road - Rascal Flatts

Feels Like Home - Chantal Kreviazuk

Only You Can Love Me this Way - Keith Urban

Here - Rascal Flatts

Then - Brad Paisley

Not sure what I will choose, but I think they are all pretty good choices... and of course, I cry when I listen to all of them :P

Could this be the wedding reception dress?

2010-03-03T23:06:00.003-05:00

I hope so! Classic, beautiful, easy to dance in... it should arrive at my house in 5-7 days! I'll let you know what happens :)

April 30

2010-03-01T22:31:00.002-05:00

Significant Other and I are getting married on April 30. Besides being OUR big day this year and for many years to come, I thought it would be fun to know what other historic events happened that day...

April 30, 1992: The last episode of the Cosby Show airs.

April 30, 1975: Communist forces gains control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Duong Van Minh.

April 30, 1947: In Nevada, the Boulder Dam is officially renamed Hoover Dam again.

April 30, 1789: On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.

Hmm... also wondering if any famous people got married on April 30? Why yes, there are a few...

April 30, 2008: Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon

April 30, 1988: Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson

And that's all I could find! Kind of interesting, right? :)

What kitchen/home item...

2010-02-28T09:45:00.003-05:00

... could you not live without?

I have a very selfish reason for asking this! As we get closer to our big day, I am updating our registries :) I constantly tinker and am adding and deleting things. I go back and forth between not wanting to appear greedy and making sure to ask for things that we need/could be helpful as we start our life together.

Both of our mother's have looked at our lists and thought we did a good job. They have even encouraged us to add more! In that vain, can you tell me something that either a) you bought yourself, b) you received, or c) something you want (that you think I might need as well!)?

Feel free to also include something that you THOUGHT you wanted, but really have not used/found unnecessary :) Thanks for your help!

Here I Am.

2010-02-27T20:35:00.002-05:00

I've been MIA! I have turned in to one of those people that NEVER updates their blog... and I hate that! So, starting tomorrow, I am attempting to be back at least once a day to update :) Even if it's not that exciting, I'm going to try! See you soon.

Snow Day #2

2010-02-10T12:14:00.002-05:00

One of the great delights of working in education is having snow days! This is especially true for me, as I am a 12-month employee and do not get summers off. I technically don't get breaks off either (holiday break, spring break, etc.), though my principal works with me so I don't have to come in every day.

Today is my 2nd snow day of the week! We had one snow day a few weeks ago, but otherwise, we have just had a few early dismissals. The first snow day is always really exciting... that's how I felt yesterday. I ventured out in the terrible weather and had lunch with my sister, then came home and watched The Time Traveler's Wife (AWESOME - I cried through most of it!). Today is a little less exciting. Significant Other has gone to work both days, so I get a little bored! I think I am about to go clean the bathroom...

I'm sure that I will be back to work tomorrow. We are supposed to get another big storm Sunday/Monday... another 8 inches! I have been looking online at spring dresses, shorts, and sandals and dreaming about my spring wedding and honeymoon!

The one great thing about being home is hanging out with Smartest Cat Ever. He sleeps a lot of the day (see above), but I think he likes having his mom around :)

Fortune Cookie Quote.

2010-02-08T20:56:00.002-05:00

"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."

This was in my fortune cookie on Friday night... I thought that this was a particularly good one! Definitely something for me to think about...

Ramblings...

2010-02-06T21:27:00.002-05:00

Hi guys. So much going on! Here are a few things I have been thinking of sharing with you...

- One of my best girlfriends from college has been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. The news was a shock, as she is only 30... and I'm about to be 30... and well, it was just shocking! We don't see each other much anymore (she moved to a different city), but I immediately e-mailed her to see what I can do. This is my first friend my age to have something like this happen... I am hoping and praying for the best. Keep her in your thoughts!

- Our engagement announcement was in the local newspaper last week. I was very excited, as I read these announcements every single Sunday! It was pretty cool to see mine in there :)

- I am trying to find a dress for my reception. Because our ceremony is private and our reception is a different day, I'm not wearing the same thing. I ordered this dress from J. Crew and am waiting for it to be delivered. I love it and hope it fits!

- Smartest Cat Ever isn't eating as much as usual the last few days. He is eating, however, and using the litter box and playing as normal. I wonder if he is stressed? Significant Other and I have been very stressed recently with work and stuff, so I almost wonder if he senses that?

- I finally watched The Hangover... my stomach hurt the entire time from laughing! I thought it was pretty hilarious.

That's it for now. We just finished a delicious dinner of red wine, spaghetti (made by S.O.), Italian herb biscuit loaf, and cheesecake topped brownies (the last two made by me!). It was delicious! It is so nice to relax and be together... we haven't seen each other very much recently. Happy Saturday!

Relaxing Day.

2010-01-24T21:07:00.003-05:00

We had no events this weekend! While I love birthdays, parties, dinners, get-togethers with friends... it's nice to have nothing on your schedule from time to time. Significant Other returned from Chicago Friday night at 10PM, so I cleaned and watched TV before I picked him up at the airport. Yesterday, we ran errands, made chicken fajitas for dinner (YUM), and watched the rest of the 24 season premiere (I love Jack Bauer!).

It's been raining all day today, which makes it a perfect day to be lazy! While I read magazines, caught up on my DVR, and ate pizza, I also did an hour of yoga. I used my Yoga for Health: Depression & Gastrointestinal Disorder DVD... I think it was a fairly successful 55 minutes. I will admit that it is a bit hard when a) Smartest Cat Ever thinks that I want to either play or snuggle and continually tries to rub up against me and grab my head with his paws and b) to hold the poses and look at the TV to see what happens next. It was a good step though in my plan to de-stress!

What did you do this weekend?

TMI, followed by a dress!

2010-01-17T19:40:00.002-05:00

Okay, this post might be TMI (too much information) for some of you... if you think that is the case, skip to the end to see my wedding dress :o) Otherwise, here we go...

I mentioned that I was having stomach issues. These were actually bathroom issues and caused me to go to the doctor. My grandmother died of colon cancer, so I will automatically begin getting colonoscopy's younger than the recommended age. In the meantime though, I always consult my doc with anything out of the ordinary just to be safe. My doctor starts by talking to me about diverticulosis... I learn all about pockets in my colon, how they can get infected, how they can make you sick, how you can have part of your bowel removed... and I'm freaking out here! She tells me I need to get my diet in order and says "what do you eat?" As I run through my standard daily meals, she tells me that I eat well and that maybe diverticulosis is NOT the issue (thank God!)

She moves on to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). I've always had a nervous stomach that was affected by stress and anxiety, so this wouldn't surprise me too much. She asks what is going on in my life... I discuss wedding stress. She says "If it is stressing you out so much, why are you doing it?" Now, I love my doc... but, CHILD PLEASE. I am excited to get married and be with Significant Other... the planning is just a bit much. So then she says "You should be enjoying this time." Agreed - I should and I am... but I am a bit stressed. THEN, she writes me a prescription for an anti-depressant. Um, WTF? I have no problem with anti-depressants or their use... I myself was on one for 3 years during a time of severe anxiety and it really helped me crawl out of that helpless place. I am NOT there now - I am stressed about my wedding, not feeling like I don't want to get out of bed (which is where I was before). I was sort of explaining this to her, but she seemed to just want me to take it and be happy (and therefore, I guess, not make my colon flare from stress? who knows).

I left there defeated. I worked to so hard after getting off anti-depressants to exercise, get massages, practice yoga, do breathing, talk it out, keep an anxiety journal... and now I was going back on? I was hysterical. I then talked to SO and my sister who really helped me understand I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to do. With everything going on, I have not been doing a lot of the right things. So this week, I am back to my therapeutic massage. I have my yoga dvd cued up for the morning. I took my multi-vitamin, vitamin B12, and vitamin D this morning. I will continue to talk it out with SO, my sister, and my fabulous friends (bloggie and others!) who can listen to me and help me through. I'm not in a place where I wish to go back on something... I know that at some point in my life, I might actually NEED it again... but that point is not now, you know?

Friday afternoon, I got my first bikini wax (see? more TMI). Not as bad as I thought, surprisingly.

Saturday, I FOUND MY DRESS! YES! Amazingly, this has made me so feel so much better. Maybe this was hanging over my head? See pics from the website below :)

**If you made it this far, thanks for hanging in there. Sorry for all of the info - thanks for listening!!!

Description: Exquisite beading adorns the figure flattering waistband of this A-line gown. Design details include a gathered surplice neckline and beautifully structural faille fabric. Chapel train.

Wedding Sickness.

2010-01-14T21:38:00.003-05:00

I am very excited to be married to Significant Other. Very excited. I think about it all of the time. I listen to possible first dance songs in my car as I drive (and sometimes I cry thinking about dancing to them! so mushy, I know!). I look at wedding dresses online. I am totally in the wedding mood!

Here's the problem: this wedding is making me SICK! I feared being a bridezilla, but instead, I am turning into a mess of stress and sickness. I actually am going to the doctor tomorrow because my stomach has been so on the blitz. I am guessing she is going to tell me to drink more water, exercise, and RELAX. I really am trying. To relax, that is. I still get massages, I'm trying to do some breathing everyday... but man, I'm stressed!

So tell me this: how do you de-stress? How do I continue to enjoy the experience while not worrying about dj's and cupcakes and money and dresses and random stuff? Please tell me what works for you!

T-minus 4 months and counting.

2010-01-02T21:58:00.003-05:00

Wow, these past few weeks have been crazy (see previous blog). In addition, I am getting married in less than 4 months... YES, I did say LESS THAN 4 MONTHS! And no, I am not pregnant, but thank you for asking ;)

Significant Other and I have been together about 4 years, lived together a year and a half, and feel no need to wait a year to plan out our wedding. The ball is already rolling - we have the location of both wedding and reception and a tentative guest list drawn. Did I mention that we are doing things a non-traditional way? We are getting married on a Friday night in a private ceremony (with only a few close family members) and then having a big, traditional reception on Saturday. We both want the wedding ceremony itself to be intimate and special, which is why we chose small (in addition, the thought of walking down the aisle in front of 150 people makes me want to puke on my laptop!). We did some registering today (it was so FUN! FUN! FUN!) and are getting together our thoughts on caterers, hotels, DJ's, etc etc etc.

I really am trying to stay calm, not be a bridezilla, and enjoy every minute of the experience. If you have any great wisdom or insight for me, please share!

PS - ring picture coming soon! Promise! ;)

All sorts of news worth smiling about :)

2009-12-27T20:59:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas... a few days late! I hope that you all had a wonderful day full of family, friends, and love :)

Sorry for my long absence... life has been a bit crazy! On December 19, my new niece was born!!! She was almost 9 pounds, 22 inches long, and of course, BEAUTIFUL! My sister did great and they were both able to come home from the hospital that Monday. This gave them a few days to recover before we were all able to have Christmas together :)

Other big news... I AM ENGAGED!!! YAY! Significant Other surprised me Christmas Eve with a perfect, surprise proposal and a gorgeous ring. I was bawling! I am so happy and excited though and it was wonderful to share the news with our families over the holiday season. I am thrilled beyond belief and so full of joy right now... I'm not sure I can even verbalize it!!!!

What have you all been up to?

2009-12-07T11:26:00.004-05:00

Thank you for all of your kind words last week... they really touched me! I have become so numb to so many of the trials and tribulations of my kids at school, but this death hit me very hard. I just wasn't expecting it and I had just seen him... I don't know. I know that I don't have to explain my emotions or my grief... so I guess I will stop trying!

I thought that this would be a good opportunity to tell you more about my job. You all know that I work in education... specifically I work at a high school that takes kids up to age 22 that want to earn their high school diploma (instead of their GED). Many of them have been kicked out of the less than awesome city school district.... or they have had children... or been in jail... or been in foster care... or been homeless... really any number of awful situations that probably would have made me curl up in a ball and give up at that age. It's a challenge on a daily basis. You hear amazing stories that make you want to cry everyday. There are kids in gangs, kids who sell drugs, kids who have been locked up for terrible things... it's not your every day high school. Most of my kids have experienced more in their short lives than most of us (hopefully) will experience in a life time. It's really unbelievable.

Why do I work here you ask? I like the challenge. I like the feeling that I am helping kids that will not get help other places. Every year, I consider trying to move out to a suburban school... and I get sort of scared that I would get bored. At my current job, the money sucks, it's draining... but I LOVE IT. The idea of sitting at a desk all day typing letters of recommendation or filling out college applications does not thrill me. I know that kids in those schools need help too, and often even more so because their problems aren't discussed as openly... but I'm still not ready to make the move out of my inner-city, very urban, crazy setting!

So that's a little bit about my job - I welcome questions! Hope that you all had a great Monday :)

A Heartbreaking Day.

2009-12-03T20:21:00.004-05:00

When I arrived at work this morning, a colleague of mine immediately came into my office and said "Did you hear about Tom*?" He then told me that Tom was murdered last night. I immediately teared up and sat at my desk in silence for about 5 minutes.

Tom was a kid that came to school high a lot. His mom was in jail. His attendance was spotty. But gosh darn it, he was LIKABLE. He was always smiling. He was polite to me. Now I know he smarted off and cussed at other teachers sometimes... I know he disappeared for days at a time... I know that he smoked a lot of pot and would sometimes come in blown out of his mind... he was not a saint. Generally though, he was a good kid that was TRYING. He was attempting to rise above his circumstances. He was always smiling.

He waited until the very last minute to finish a couple of math classes. He showed up to graduation practice on the phone and to the actual ceremony right before it started. He did finish though. And he did show up. When I announced his name, hugged him, and told him congratulations, his smile was so infectious. He had done it. He GRADUATED.

I saw him a few weeks ago. He came in to say hi and grab a copy of his transcript. He talked to one of the teachers about applying to community college. He also asked our social worker "What do I do now?"

This morning around 1AM, he was shot to death in his car. The police have said that it wasn't a drug deal and wasn't a robbery. I don't think it was a gang thing (we usually have a pretty good sense of what kids are involved in those things). It sounds like being in the wrong place at the wrong time or hanging out with the wrong crowd. Even with that high school diploma, the neighborhood still got to him.

I cried a lot today. I cried with colleagues that I have never seen shed a tear. I talked to other colleagues that were sad about the situation, but didn't really have strong feelings about it. Grief manifests differently for everyone I guess.

At the end of the day, I am just so sad. I keep picturing his smile and how happy he was at graduation. He had done something and he couldn't wait to tell his mom about it. 6 months after he climbed the mountain, he has a chest full of bullets and is lying in the morgue. WHY???

I have no answers. All I can say is that I am heartbroken.

*name has been changed