Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Home is where the Heart is

June included a trip home (to my parent's house). I like that it can be home too. I have 2 homes now!! :) This was shortly after we bought our new little cannon so I have lots of pictures. And lots of 'artsy' pictures since we were trying out the features.
Highlight of the trip may have been checking out Dad's barn - more like castle/monstrosity.
Here are some views from the top... This barn has a tower of sorts on the side. You climb a very tall ladder and then climb through a small hole in the ceiling. Then you climb through another small hole to the very top where you can look out and see forever. I love how the corn is all green this time of year. So beautiful!
Here's the fire pit down by the lake (aka puddle) where we had brats for lunch. Don't worry we boiled them first so they were cooked and all that was needed was browning/burning. I love brats.
Here are our artsy photos of the day. I have more but this post was getting full so maybe later. This one is of a knot on the post of the deck. I thought it looked cool!

We also got in some animal time while we were there. Here's brother A with Desmo - Good Puppy! Well Desmo is no longer a puppy but since he's a little hyper dog, I still think of him as a puppy. He's so funny! He thinks he's big so he barks and chases everything. He doesn't like J so he always growls at him. :) Hehe. My parents also have new kitties!! Three left out of five (I think) is pretty good. And they're so cute. They followed us everywhere when we were close by the dog house. Yes they live in the dog house with the dog. He's the papa. :) I tried really hard to convince J to let me take one home with no luck. But I think I'm wearing him down!
Now the absolute best thing about this trip was telling my parents they're going to be grandparents this winter!! :) Sorry no pics of that but when I have a bump to show off I will. Right now it's so small, I would laugh posting pictures!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Finally Jillian Finally!!

Good Bye and Good Riddance Wes! Monday's Bachelorette was fairly unexciting but very satisfying because she finally sent Wes home. And he finally fessed up to all the girlfriends rumors and proved he was scum once and for all.
I don't feel like spending time on a recap, so I'll just say I'm hoping for an Ed vs. Reid final. There is something about Kiptyn I don't really like. Well it's more that I don't care - he's not interesting and doesn't seem like a good match for her.
Only a few more weeks! What do you think?
Who will she pick?
Who should she pick?
Who should be the next Bachelor - Jake or Michael?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Guilty Pleasure

... The Bachelorette.
It can't be helped. I was a casual watcher but I got hooked on Deanna's season and can't stop. It is so sneaking how they've strung the last few seasons together so you just have to watch the next one. And it does not help that most of the girls in our flock are also hooked. We all DVR it and end it watching it at home or staying late after study to watch it together. Our husbands humor us and I think maybe even enjoy it a little. Then we all shriek and ooh and ahh and discuss all the details!
Monday was a real doozy or wicked as she says. I think Jillian has completely lost her mind! Wes is just awful. He's there to promote his band and their new country CD. He's even told the other guys that! And now we find out that he even has a girlfriend at home. Of course most the guys are too chicken to tell Jillian that. And the ones that do tell her, she doesn't believe because she really likes Wes and is following her gut. Good guy and totally stand up honest man, Jake showed up this week after being sent home to tell her the truth and she wouldn't believe it. Boy, she makes women falling in love look stupid!
So Monday they had the hometown dates and we were sure we knew which one was going home. But then Ed, who had left a few weeks ago for his job showed up begging to be taken back. And of course she said come to the rose ceremony and we'll see. She gave roses to...
Kipton - nice. Bad kisser. But a front runner.
Reid - nice but slightly spastic.
Ed - yay! I liked Ed. I think he might win. And surprisingly he seems normal. Jillian has been picking rather weird guys. But what do you expect when she thinks it's a requirement that they've had the hearts broken before.
Wes - arhg!! We do not like Wes. Jillian is so dense. You should see how all the guys moan and roll their eyes when she calls his name. She must be blind!
So Jesse and Michael go home. Jesse was no surprise. But poor Michael. He was the young sweet goofball of the bunch and had totally fallen in love with Jillian already. I'm thinking he might be back begging her to marry him. We'll see.

So if you have time to waste on Monday nights tune into the Bachelorette! But as we near the end of the season be prepared to fast forward some steamy scenes. This is my least favorite things about the show and this seasons promos hint that they will show more than we ever cared to know. Eww. Thank goodness for fast forward. I really hope I can break this guilty pleasure soon! But if Michael is the Bachelor next season, I might have to watch again.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Summer is Flying By

Yes I am a bad blogger. It's been over a month since my last post. Let's just say I've been busy and not feeling like posting. The last couple months have included...

Weddings - oh weddings!! 2 in a row at the beginning of May. They were a blast. We had so much fun with all our friends and family. We had extra family in town for my sister-in-laws wedding.

Colorado. This month we took a trip to Colorado for a long weekend. It was soo relaxing. J and most of our small group took a snowy hike to the top of Mt. Quandry. I stayed at the cabin and napped. Beautiful day for napping. I really caught up on my sleep this trip. I didn't even realize I need to until I slowed down. We also caught up with the McNairs and their 3 girls and the Berkheims and little David. I love spending time with friends we haven't seen for awhile!

I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer! I'm especially excited that my sister is coming home from France this week so I'll get to see her the next few months. I'm thinking the rest of the summer will consist of more weekend trips, lots of yard work and a few trips to the pool. I love summer - it's my favorite time of the year in spite of the heat. :)

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I Wish Wednesday

I have been a little busy and thus no blogging. So here's a quick wish.
I wish May wasn't so busy! The busyness includes...
New Job
This is my second week of work at my new job. I am getting the hang of my job description and slowly getting to know my new co-workers. I was not expecting to have a new job this spring but thankfully it's been a smooth transition so far.
Chizel Wedding
This was the first of 2 weddings we have this month. And Chizel is a celebrity name we accidentally came up with at the reception. Actually the very nervous best man said it in his toast. The wedding was amazing! Definitely one of the nicest one's I've ever been too. And I some what proudly say this is the first wedding I've danced at. My friend Abby was "drunk on freedom" from her kids and roped me into dancing. And I ended up having a lot fun. But my honey said that maybe I should practice before the next wedding dance, because I'm not going to win any awards for my moves. :)
Family Wedding
My sister-in-law is getting married this weekend and we have family from PA staying at our house. I'm anticipating another fun-filled, tired inducing weekend. I wish my house was already clean. They're coming tomorrow and we have lots to do!
Life
My life almost always feels busy! How does that work!? Life has felt busy in general since I got married. I remember being swamped before the wedding and thinking it was sure to slow down after the day. But I am still waiting for that to happen.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Funny Story

This made me laugh!!

Benadryl Enhanced My Sunday Worship
by Ashley Harris on 04/27/2009 at 11:48 AM
I've blogged about my allergies
before. There is something in the mountain air that just slays me. Yesterday I woke up feeling yucky for the sixth day in a row. I called and canceled brunch plans after church. Before I hung up the phone my friend suggested I take some Benadryl to see if the symptoms subsided. She said that would probably be a good indicator whether I had a cold or allergies. Brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?
Probably because I don't have a medicine cabinet. Out of sight, out of mind. I still have 96 days of singleness left, so I refuse to do some grown-up things like stock a medicine cabinet until I have to. Besides, pain is your friend. It lets you know you aren't well yet. But since her suggestion did make a lot of sense, I called Brian (my fiance) and asked him to bring me some Benadryl when he picked me up for church. He stays with his parents on the weekends and they have a well stocked medicine cabinet. Thank you future in-laws.
He brought me some chewables. They were grape and reminded me of being sick as a kid. I loved being sick as a kid. My Maw Maw made me milkshakes periodically throughout the day while I laid on the couch and watched soap operas.
I chewed a tablet in the car and another a little later. I assumed that they were kid's strength since they were chewable. I was wrong. I stumbled into the church sanctuary. Brian said it was like going to church with a drunk person. Apparently I was a little loopy in our before-the-service fellowship time. So he apologized for me and explained that it was the allergy meds.
I felt really silly for overdosing and totally expected to snore through the sermon. But to my delight and surprise, I was more focused than usual. The medicine slowed down my mind enough that I wasn't thinking about my grocery list, wedding plans, what blog I was going to write on Monday, or the person smacking their gum behind me. It was amazing. I wept from the second song to the benediction. In the midst of my Benadryl stupor, The Lord reawakened my love for Him and His Kingdom.
How different could Sunday mornings be if I stopped worrying about all the things I can't change and just listen to what is going on right in front of me? I'm tempted to take a Benadryl before church every Sunday, but I know that's not the solution (and allergy medicine is expensive). So I'm praying that God will help me develop a steadfast mind because there is something very rich and life-changing about being completely engaged in the preaching of His Word.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Shopping Day

First off - yes I realize these pictures are horrible. Yes I somehow accidentally touch the lens and didn't realize it. So yes you are seeing my fuzzy thumb print in all of these pictures. :)Last week I went shopping in Omaha with my mom! I haven't been shopping for a few months. I'm thinking since Christmas but Justin would be the one to ask for sure. :)
I was looking for a spring dress and some summer tees and maybe some khakis. We only made it to one of the 3 malls in town. This is rather shocking but OK because it was still a success!

First this picture was taken at J.Crew. Now I d
on't normally shop here. I think they have very cute clothes. But they usually look best on very tall and skinny girls. I am neither, especially not tall. And J.Crew isn't exactly budget friendly. Anyhow I tried on this fabulous orange skirt. Pencils skirts look pretty good on me and this one fit perfectly!I should've taken the picture on an angle for the full effect. But I did attempt to stand on my tip toes. We all know a fitted skirt looks better in heels! Naturally the skirt was way out of my price range and not on sale. I could've blown my whole budget for the day right here. I also found...
1. Chino Short. I like Navy and Stone. They fit well and are a great length. 2. Minty Featherweight Cardigan. Cute and comfy! I really like these casual cardigans that are everywhere this season 3. Corsage Tee. I like the detailing. These things are going to stay on my list as things to watch. I hope they go really on sale online! So I left the store with socks. :)

Next stop Anne Taylor Loft. I love this store because they hav
e cute stuff that is more grown up without being the Misses section at Dillards. No offense, I'm just not to that dept yet. But I also am pretty much out of the Juniors departments. It's a tough spot to shop. Last year I bought this shirt in blue.So naturally when I saw they still had them and they were on sale, I bought two! I also got a pair of pants that were later returned. My hubby gets the last word on whether or not the clothes look good. :) Thanks for the fashion expertise honey!

Next stop Banana Republic. Again this store is us
ually not budget friendly or curve friendly. But I found this...LOVE this dress!! But let me tell you, it was not love at first sight. It looks like a bag on the hanger. A serious bag. But it's super cute on. No this is not me in the picture (insert sarcasm and smile). So at first glance we walked right by. Then we saw it on the manikin and mom said maybe I should at least try it on. I tried it on and was slowly warming to it. Everyone that walked by said 'oh so cute, it looks so much better on than on the hanger'. This is a different style of dress for me than my usual style. Even Justin found it to be unexpected.
And of course the sales lady recommended I try these shoes...Can you say expensive shoes!? I love them. They make my legs look tan and longer. I love you shoes. Bye shoes. Maybe I can buy you when my independently wealthy sister loans me money. :) Don't you just love how the sales lady talks you into trying your dress on with shoes that you cannot afford but will absolutely fall in love with!? They capped off the whole look and I was convinced that this was the dress for me. And the dress when on sale after a couple days and I got money back. So it's definitely the dress for me!

We also walked through DSW.
Does this store overwhelm you too? I can never buy anything here. It's too much of an overload. Sad but true - shoe overload can be achieved.I also came home with this from The Gap.
Like I said I like the casual cardigans. And thankfully this was on sale. But imagine full long sleeve lavender and polka-dotted navy instead of these colors. I love polka-dots!

After a quick stop at Cold Stone Creamery for a "healthy" snack and a perusal of Pottery Barn to feed my imagination, we headed home. I would say it was a successful trip!