Waking Up

I Need a New Knee

2009-10-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well not really, but I wouldn't mind trading in the one I have for one that is pain free. Allow me to tell you about my knee dilemma.

Around the second week of August with no reason/event/trauma my right knee began hurting. I figured I had twisted it or something, so I began wrapping it with an elastic bandage, icing it and using Ibuprofen to reduce the swelling and ease the pain. On Sept. 14 I finally went to a family Dr to get established as a new patient and to check up on a couple of things, including my knee. This doctor didn't really know what to do with the knee, so he told me to continue taking ibuprofen and at my next visit if it was still bothering me that he would give me a referral to see an Orthopedic doctor. Well the 2 weeks passed and my knee was continually getting worse, so he gave me the referral. That was Sept. 30th, and I wasn't scheduled to see the Orthopedic DR until Oct. 12, another 2 weeks later.

While waiting for to see the Ortho DR, my knee was hurting more frequently and with greater intensity. I was now taking 800mg of Ibuprofen every day just to get by, and all it would do was take the edge of the pain. I asked my chiropractor about it, to see if he could do anything to help. He checked my knee and based on my symptoms and his experience, He believed it to be a torn meniscus.

Finally the day arrived to see the specialist and I was ready to just fix whatever the problem was. Easier said than done. Dr. M(as he will be known from here on) examined my knee and didn't seem to think that I had any kind of internal damage(torn meniscus, tendon problems, etc,). Dr. M believes that I have an infection in the joint. Also known as Septic Arthritis. Although the x-rays taken in his office did not show any signs of arthritic problems, he was still leaning toward that diagnosis. He gave me a prescription for Mobic. That medicine is an NSAID, or anti-inflammatory and pain reliever combo. Dr. M was did not warrant having an MRI done at that time. I left his office that day feeling very confused, frustrated and in tears that all he did was give me medicine that was a bit stronger than the Ibuprofen that I was already taking.

After 4 days of taking the medication he put me on, my knee was no better and seemed to be getting worse. The pain was getting unbearable and constant. On the 5th day, I called the office back and told them we needed to do something different. The current treatment was not working. Later that day, after a return call from the nurse at Dr. M's office, I was prescribed an additional pain medicine in conjunction with the Mobic I was already taking. I was also scheduled for an MRI the following week. I have been on the combonation of both medicines for 1 week now, and I am taking the maximum dosage of both just to get through the day, and sleep at night.

I have been to the MRI and received the results. Apparently they did not find any internal damage. These findings were bittersweet for me; Good that there isn't any major damage and no surgery is required, but also Bad, that they still don't know what is causing the issue.

I was told that I am supposed to continue taking both medications and follow-up with Dr. M on Nov. 13th. I am not sure what will happen next, I just hope they can diagnose it and get me back in working order SOON! After over 2 months of no relief and a limited lifestyle, I am ready to be fixed and get back to my life as usual.

Just a few thoughts

2009-03-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

1. I spend a lot of time at our house now, since we only have 1 car. I have days where I love and days where I would scream if I thought it would get me somewhere other than home.
2. Last week I spilled a candle down the wall in our bedroom when I was moving it and now I have to paint the wall. :-(
3. I've been watching Idol for the 1st time since the original season. Kris Allen is a worship leader at our church, so that is pretty exciting.
4. My dog Kafka has been getting on my nerves lately since I am home with her everyday. I never realized how many times she has to go outside in a day before.
5. I am excited that Matt and Jen are coming to visit this weekend. We miss them so much. We have decided to venture down to Little Rock for dinner.
6. My parents are coming to visit for Easter and then I am riding home with them. I will be in Ohio for 2.5 weeks. At the end of that trip I will going to Indiana for my cousin's wedding. I am really excited about it, but I am a little nervous to about leaving Josh for that long. I will have to leave a lot of "how to" notes.

Time to update

2009-02-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

We are finally settled in and our routine is getting normal. Josh's parents came to visit this last week and helped to acccomplish some projects. With their help we were able to get our living room set up and all that is left is our wall decor. Here are some pics of the new room.

We have been attending New Life Church on Saturday evenings. This is mainly so Josh can have both days of the weekend for sleeping in. There isn't really much happening yet, but I wanted to update with some pictures.

A few Vacation Pics

2008-10-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

This was the very first picture I took. We were at the airport waiting for our 6:15AM flight. Josh had not been to bed and I had been up since 2AM

This was our first shot of us on the beach.

This picture is probably one of my favorites of us from the whole trip. It was originally in color, but I liked it better in b&w.

This was taking by one of the bar tenders outside the restaurant where we were getting ready to eat. We had Brazilian Rodizio that night.

We ate at a French Restaurant this night for our 7 Year Wedding Anniversary. It was our favorite place out of all that we tried.

Josh's 30th Birthday

2008-08-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before Josh's actual birthday we went to dinner with 5 of our friends. Josh isn't much for big parties or any kind of surprises for special events or holidays, so I kept it small for his sake. Among the guests were Tony, Jennifer, Matt, Jen, and Aaron. Here are some pictures from our dinner at Kobe.

This was Josh's dinner: The Big Tempura Roll- It for sure had spicy tuna, eel, avocado, and was flash fried. I tried one piece of it and I liked it much better than my California rolls I ordered.

This was Josh's b-day dessert that they brought out to him. It was funny because they turned on what sounded like a karaoke machine and brought it over to him. The music was so loud and we didn't realize what was going on until they put the plate in front of him. The dessert was a moon pie covered with a scoop of some weird green tea ice cream. Of course most of us tried it just because of the face that Josh made when he took his first bite. Wish I could have gotten that on camera.

After dinner we all came back to the house except Aaron to play some Dominoes that Josh had gotten as a gift from me for his birthday. He joked about how he was an old man now that he is 30 and enjoys playing games like Dominoes and Bocce Ball.

If you have ever been to my house you know that I have an oval coffee table that is only about 3 foot long. Well all 6 of us were playing Dominoes on that little bitty table. We got very creative with our "trains" to make room. We were playing Mexican Train style, so not only did everyone have their own train but we also had a community train (Mexican Train) to tend with.

Josh got some cool gifts from everyone for his birthday. Here is a picture of some of them.

In this picture you will notice a DVD. Aaron loves to get Josh gag gifts, so this year he bought him a Steven Segall triple feature DVD.
He also got some other gifts like these.

I got him 4 Pub glasses and 4- six packs of beer from around the world. Now let me clarify that Josh is not a big drinker. He is more of what I like to call a beer connoisseur. Thus the beer from other countries. The funniest part about the whole gift thing was that Tony and Jennifer seemed to be in my brain when it came to what to get Josh, so they got him some beer glasses and beer to go in it as well. Matt and Jen got Josh one of his favorite things to drink: Coca-Cola- a whole 24 pack.
Josh also got a Best Buy gift card from the KPC staff.

Thanks to everyone that helped to make Josh's 30th birthday a lot of fun.

The Vacation Countdown has begun

2008-07-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

So if you read my blog, you know that Josh and I were planning to go on a cruise in September. Not anymore. That whole plan fell through after we never got reservations made with that travel company and we made a decision to back out. We are not bummed though, cause now I think we will have a better vacation anyways.

We will going to the Mexican Riviera in late September for 5 nights. We will be staying at the Barcelo Maya Palace All-Inclusive Resort. Just click on the name and you can see videos and such. This is a 4.5 star resort and we will have access to all 5 properties by this resort company.

We are so incredibly excited about this vacation. We have never gone a vacation together in almost 7 years of marriage. Josh and I individually have been out of the country, but not together. We will actually be in Mexico on our 7 year anniversary which makes this trip that much more special for us.

Here are a couple pictures too.

This is the beach at the resort

This is what our room should look like.

Big Wag Dog Party

2008-07-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Josh and I took Kafka to the Big Wag 2nd Anniversary Party up the street from our house. Since it was so close we decided to walk up there, and man was it hot. We met up with Brian, Michelle and their dog Moses, then later Brock, Lauren and their dog Sasse showed up too. It was a cute little party. The dogs got to eat some cake that was specially for them. There were vendors set up with information and they did lots of games for free stuff. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

This was when Moses was waiting to get his picture taken in front of the fountain inside the store.

This was right outside the store where they were giving away the "barkday" cake.

Kafka inhaled her cake so quickly I didn't even have time to get a picture of her actually eating it.

Kafka loved the swimming pools full of water that they had. She climbed right in and made herself comfortable. The funniest part was she kept rolling back and forth trying to get positioned just right. She was in doggie heaven.

Sasse decided that she liked the water too.

My baby girl looking hot and tired.

Moses just hanging out in the shade

The Incentive Program from you know where!!!

2008-07-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

As you can see from my last post, Josh and I are going on a cruise. This cruise will be our first and only vacation before we start a family hopefully sometime this next year.

The cruise is part of an incentive program that my place of business has been offering to our customers. The cruise fare, which includes the accommodations, entertainment, and food is free with this incentive voucher. However, they make up for that with other fees, etc. It will really only be a savings of about $200-$300. Now don't get me wrong, I am glad to save any money, but it is not as much of a discount as I was hoping for.

This process which for us began June 5 has been a long, drawn out one. We are still waiting to hear from the actual travel company to make the reservations, and they have already cashed our check for the fees. I am not very happy with that, since first off, they have my money and I have nothing to show for it. Second, the longer it takes them to get our reservations made the closer we get to the travel date, which can make the other items for our vacation more expensive (IE. hotel, airfare, etc.). So, I am giving this travel company the rest of today to call me before I will be calling them again.

I was told by the reservation agent, Melissa on Thursday of last week that I should be hearing from them the following day. Obviously that did not happen and now we are two more days passed that.

So, please pray that this lady calls me today before I have to get grumpy with them.

Another tidbit about the vacation; I realized just last week that my passport is in my maiden name, since I got it just 5 months before Josh and I were married. I needed it to go on a mission trip to Guatemala the month before our wedding! Talk about crazy timing. Anyways, I am trying to get all my necessary paperwork together for a renewal of my passport. One thing I need is a certified copy of our marriage certificate, which I have had to acquire from the county we were married in Ohio. This was an easy and inexpensive process, just timely with the postal services and processing time needed.

All this in mind, means we will have to push back the date of the cruise vacation. Not a big deal really since we haven't scheduled it yet. I think I am going to see if we can go September 29 - October 3 since that would be the week of our anniversary.

I will keep you posted with the details once we have an actual departure date.

Cruise countdown

2008-06-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

I got a cruise ticker tonight and wanted to share how long we have til the sail date.

Read and post cruise reviews

Miss Mollie is cute

2008-03-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

My parents took Mollie to get groomed yesterday and now she looks so much better.

I love how she has her eyes closed while my dad is holding her close to his face.

Finally something worth blogging about

2008-03-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to my new sister. This is not the kind of sister you might imagine, but she is a part of the family.

MEET MOLLIE

My dad and Mollie. See the resemblance?

She is a bit scruffy and scroungy looking here, but that will change as of tomorrow.

My parents just got her today. She is a 1 year old bichon frise and poodle mixed breed. My parents inherited her from a family that is moving away and cannot take the dog with them. They got her, the kennel, and a ton of other stuff for her, FREE! My mom called me this morning to tell me about her and I could hear my dad in the background playing with her. I am very happy for them, because they really needed a companion. My mom is at home by herself a lot and I think Mollie will be a great pal for her. My dad, well he just loves animals. My mom told me that Mollie lived in an apartment before she came to live with them. She did not have an opportunity to run outside and play without being on a leash. Now, she can go outside and run around the fenced in back yard, and I guess she loves it. Also, in the second picture you can see that my dad was giving her a bone, and she likes to take it into the kitchen where the floor is tiled, throw it up in the air and then chase it. I guess the fun part is sliding all around the floor trying to get the bone!

I guess Mollie went into heat today, and my parents did not know that she was going to. They had to find out the hard way. Now they have to go out to the store and buy the puppy diapers until she is finished. I am sure they will have her spayed as soon as possible. She is going to be groomed tomorrow morning, so I will post some pictures of her once she is pretty and not so scruffy looking.

Hodge Podge Dinner

2008-02-16T18:07:00.001-08:00

Tonight, Josh and I had a mix-matched dinner. I was really in the mood for pierogies, but I felt we needed something else to go with them. So, we ended up eating Cheddar cheese filled soft pretzels like these along with the pierogies.

Josh just kept giving me a hard time about what I made, but I was just in the mood for snacky type foods. Have any of you ever had a crazy meal like that?

I remember once when I was younger when my dad, who is a truck driver, was out on a long trip, and my mom made a crazy hodge podge meal. She made us blueberry muffins and hard boiled eggs. My dad was furious with her. He was upset that we weren't eating a well-balanced meal. Who cares, just eat what you want, right?

All about the puppies

2008-02-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

I have really been wanting to get a new puppy lately, but unfortunately we cannot have another pet because of where we live. I just adore puppies, and one night I was on youtube with Josh and we were watching puppy videos. We found this one and cracked up laughing.

Hope you enjoy the whistling puppy.

Have a great day.

The Mud Dog

2008-02-01T20:44:00.001-08:00

Josh let Kafka out this evening to go potty. When he let her in she was covered with mud. Notice her nose. She must have been sticking her head in a hole or something.

The Haircut

2008-01-28T12:52:00.001-08:00

Well I thought you might be interested to see what I ended up with when I got my haircut. I took before and after pictures.
BEFORE FRONT:

BEFORE BACK:

AND NOW.......

AFTER FRONT:

AFTER BACK:

And this last one is for Monica... I straightened it just to see what it would look like.

I joined Twitter

2008-01-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have started following Josh and a few of his friends on Twitter recently. I always seem to have trouble posting because I can't find anything to write about that has real content, well that problem has been solved. Now, I can just post the thing I am thinking at that moment and leave it at that.

Another Birthday Post

2008-01-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

When I arrived at work today, this is what I found on my desk.

They are from the people I work with.
I am so lucky to have such a wonderful staff to work with.

Birthdays and blessings

2008-01-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I am now 28 years old. I can't believe how quickly 30 is closing in! I went yesterday for a day of pampering and wanted to give you a run down of my day. I took a lot of pictures to share as well.

1. Went here for an associate to try some products on me.

Before I could make any purchases I had to leave to go meet up with Michelle for lunch.
2. Birthday lunch at Olive Garden with these girls was great.

These were the presents I got from them.

I also got some money from Genessa.
3. After lunch I went back to Sephora to get these products.

I got the "Naked" Body Butter as a gift for my birthday and the other little sample for free for spending so much money there.
4. Once I had my makeup I headed to this place for my 1 hour massage:

5. Once I was greatly relaxed I headed home to spend the rest of the evening with my wonderful hubby. This is the present he got me.

6. After I took a quick shower and got ready we headed out to dinner. I know this probably isn't the place most people want to go for a birthday dinner, but it was my dinner and b-day cake all in one.

This is why:

CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES
After we got done with dinner we rented a couple movies and went home for the evening. Here is one last picture to show all the wonderful things I got yesterday.

Thanks to everyone for making my day so special. I was truly blessed by all of you.

calling all travelers

2008-01-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

I pose a question to all the travelers I know:

My mom, sister and I are thinking of making a trip to New York City sometime in the spring. I was wondering if anyone knows tips, ideas, thoughts about traveling in NYC on a very cheap budget. Anyone know of a nice cheap place to stay? Free attractions?

Considering the thought of Plasma Donation

2008-01-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

I have decided that I am going to sign up to donate plasma at our local BioLife. I do not really know anything about the process, but have lots of friends that have done it to earn extra cash. Well that is exactly what I need it for. I want to get my debt paid and go on vacation this year, and start our family, so I am going to donate as often as possible so I can earn some serious cash. Can someone give me some tips on how to do this????

Ohio Vacation/Holidays in pictures

2008-01-05T18:42:00.001-08:00

Well at least the last few days once I got my brand new camera. I used my Christmas money and Josh' parents took me to the Base Exchange(BX) at Wright Patt Air Force Base to buy my camera. This is what I got:

It's a Canon Powershot A460

Now, on to the pics... I'm sure that's what you want anyways.

This is my sister Jamie and her daughter Lilli

This is Josh's mom- Pame

This is my parents on the day we had to leave to come home... that is why I look so terible, but it is the only pic I got with my parents.

This is our friends Larry and Jennifer and of course Josh and I!

Last but not least, this is the gang we hung out with on New Year's eve. Most of the people in the picture are teens we had in our youth group when we were leaders. We were at Josh's best friends parents house.

I took more pictures than just these but I didn't want this post to be forever long.

Old Friend Reminiscing

2007-12-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

I have been reminiscing about an old friend lately, here is why:

I was talking to my mom the other day and she told me that she had been out shopping and ran into the grandmother of an old friend from high school and early college. The grandmother remembered me and my mom and graciously gave my mother the phone number to contact my old friend. By the way her name is Brandi. So, my mom has tried to reach her several times with no response. I am planning to call myself since I have over the last several years thought about her a lot.

She was a very close dear friend and one day she moved away from our town to Florida, without so much as a phone call or anything. I was angry at the time, but now I am just sad that we weren't able to remain friends. We spent a lot of time together back in the day, including spending the night with each other, even on school nights!

She had gone to The Pittsburgh Institute of Culinary Arts to become a chef. I think the reason she went to Florida was to work for Disney or Universal Studios. I have always imagined that she would become a famous chef since she was extremely talented.

So, I guess I have just really been thinking about her a lot and I would really love to find out how she is. This may sound like a crazy request, but I want to get in touch with her, so please pray that God would allow that to happen. I may even try to track her down while we are back in Ohio, since she is living back there now.

By the way....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

South Park Party

2007-12-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

Following along with everyone else I decided to make a character too.

New recipe... Anyone like Alfredo Pasta

2007-11-28T20:04:00.000-08:00

I tried a new Kraft Foods recipe tonight. It was for Chicken Alfredo Pesto Pasta. Well I altered it a bit and left the pesto part out, but it turned out pretty darn good.

Let me give you a little knowledge about myself before I get to the recipe link. My favorite food is Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. Not just any Alfredo will do though.... I am very partial to Olive Garden's specifically. Josh always makes fun of me when I try Alfredo at any other restaurant, because he knows I am not going to like it as much as the Olive Garden version. Well, he is usually correct, but I do occasionally like to eat it at home and so I have tried many recipes to no avail.

But, I think I have found a good second place winner for my serious fetish of Alfredo.

Here it is folks: easy and delicious

Chicken Alfredo Pesto Pasta

Try it and let me know what you think.

Let's have some fun

2007-11-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

You really should check this out! It was a blast making it.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9596191420

Just following the lead...

2007-11-21T06:54:00.000-08:00

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),
Sam Spectra

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),
Maple Walnut Oreo

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
Srat

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Blue Giraffe

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),
Ann Indianapolis

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Ratsa

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Green Tea

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
Leroy Edward

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),
Vanilla Starbursts

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Lee Edward

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
King Kalamazoo

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Winter Lily

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Pineapple Sweatery

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Bagel Willow

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The Shopping Snow Tour

Oh yeah , Oh yeah.... I am almost done

2007-11-20T14:45:00.001-08:00

So, I went shopping today for Christmas gifts. I was supposed to work today but ended up getting most of the day off (I had to work for about an hour before my boss informed me that she needed me to trade and work for her tomorrow). So, I went by the church to check in on the staff meeting. Since most of the staff wasn't there today because of the holiday week, it lasted a few minutes and then we did a little bit of cleaning and I was out of there.

Next, I went out to some stores (can't say where since Josh reads this blog and I shopped for him too) and began knocking items off the list. I am super serious when I say that I want to be done by the second week of December with all my shopping. I am pretty sure that won't be a problem. I completely finished Josh's shopping today!!! I wasn't sure what I was going to get him until I was out and found some cool stuff.

I only have 6 people left on the list and then Josh has to shop for me and we are DONE. One of the above mentioned 6 is nothing more than money, so technically I only have 5 people left. I am really having trouble with the dads this year. If anyone has any ideas about gifts for Dads let me know.

Well time to start working on some wrapping.

HE HE HE HE I'm so happy, you don't even know!

34 days till Christmas

Josh had a suggestion...

2007-11-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight Josh worked late and when he arrived home I had dinner ready and on his plate. I tried a new recipe tonight from www.kraftfoods.com. I went to the website the other day and they have a great feature called "1 bag, 5 meals". It actually gives you a meal plan for days and the shopping list to go with it. You really should check it out.. it is a real gem when you don't feel like planning meals, but have to eat on a budget. So, anyways, about Josh's suggestion. After dinner, which he really liked, he said I should start posting recipes on here to share with everyone. So, here is the first one.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

This is the dish I made tonight and it was really good. It is very easy. I made dinner in about 30 minutes or less. It was a rich creamy sauce, and paired very nicely with the chicken and zucchini.

Give this one a try and let me know what you think. Let me know if you would like for me to share recipes and reviews with ya'll.

L8r.

Catching up with the times

2007-11-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

I finally succeeded in catching up with the times. I have been a registered user on Bloglines for a long time, but never really understood how to use it. Until now! I spent about an hour on Thursday adding feeds to my account. I now have 28 feeds on there and I love it already. I just check in periodically to see if any new posts have been made. Now before I actually used my bloglines account, I used to go to each blog via links on other people's blogs. It would take me forever to go and find out that no one had added anything, ANYWHERE. I must say that I am quite proud of myself for finally setting this thing up, and without Josh's help. That makes it even more special to me.

Christmas Goal

2007-11-09T14:17:00.001-08:00

I have decided that this year for Christmas, I am going to work really hard at having all my shopping finished by the second week of December. This will allow me at least a week to get everything wrapped and put together before the trip home on Dec. 23.

So, I pose this question to all the local gals here in NW Arkansas that I know: Anyone want to go out tomorrow with me to start the preliminary shopping? I may buy a few things, but I mainly want to get prices for some gifts I may be interested in buying.

Let me know if you want to go. Call me or leave a comment. I check this thing all the time.

Wishin' & Hopin' & Prayin' & Seekin'

2007-10-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

This week I have spent quite a bit of time seeking out rental properties in the Bentonville area. Josh and I are ready to move out of our current duplex rental and into a much better one, as well as a better neighborhood. We are actually going about finding a rental in a little bit different manner than most. We have contacted a real estate agent to pull a list of homes on the market in the range that we could afford to buy. However we have the intentions to determine if they are willing to lease the home to us for the amount we can afford with a possible opportunity at the end of the lease term to purchase it. The realtor sent us a list of about 30 homes between $90,000 and
$110, 000. We narrowed that list down to about 10 that we really like and want to find out what the sellers are willing to work out with us. We are going to go look at the ones that meet our criteria on Monday afternoon. I have to say I am super excited about moving to a nicer place and neighborhood. I am, however, not looking forward to packing and moving. That process just takes so long. Well, if you know us and live in the Bentonville area and know of any rental property, please, I beg you, please let us know.
Well, I'm off to bed it has been a long day.

Just can't knock this thing

2007-10-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

When we went home to Ohio during the first week of October, I got sick. I was sick the whole week we were there. I think I went through 2 boxes of tissues, and at least a bag of cough drops. Well, I haven't been able to get rid of this thing completely since. I still have the coughing, the congestion, the headache, the sore throat, and now I have an earache too. I haven't done much this week, but sleep. I am just so tired and can't seem to get myself motivated to do anything. The last 2 days I have slept until at least Noon. I just don't understand why I am still not feeling well. I was going to try to go the local medical clinic today. The doctor I would have seen is part of a family that attends our church. He tells people all the time to come see him. However, the worst part is that we don't have any insurance and when I called about it, they told me the office visit alone would be between $150-$180. I know that if I saw the doctor we know, he would probably not charge us that much, but I really hate to take advantage of church folks like that. So, here I sit trying to decide what to do. I called into work today with the plan of going to the doctor and I just can't afford it. Plus, if it is nothing more than a cold, they really can't do anything anyways because antibiotics don't help with viral infections.

Man this sucks. I normally wouldn't be such a baby about being sick, but this has been going on for 3 weeks now. I just really want to feel better. Well back to bed now.

Random Thoughts

2007-09-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Josh occasionally posts about his random thoughts, so I thought I would try it. SO here goes:

1. I am glad I have a job, but get so bored at work when things are slow. (Hence the double post today)

2. I have started reading again over the last few days and finished a book today at lunch. I have to go tonight to pick up the next in the series.

3. My dog is extremely spoiled, which makes me worried about how she will do at the Doggie Day Care/Boarding facility while we are in Ohio.

4. God is so amazing sometimes at how he helps us learn. People, books, especially life situations.

5. I realize even more how important it is to have a relationship with Christ after reading a story about the author Karen Kingsbury's family. I guess her son said one day "All roads lead to hell except the one to Christ." Very abrupt, but wow, what a truth.

6. I work with an amazing group of people. They are all Christians and have been a huge support to me over the last month. God placed me in the right place at the right time. "Thank you Lord for your amazing insight and plan that always leads us to you"

7. I am married to an amazing man that loves me, supports me, and follows Christ even when I don't. My life would not be complete without him.

The Race is on....to fly away!

2007-09-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

After recovering from all the surgeries and emotional strain, I am finally back to work. I went back on Tuesday the 18th for a half day, then Thursday and Friday were full days. It is really nice to back to work and have a sense of purpose for my days.

When I say the race is on, I mean it really is. This week is going to be a real stamina builder. Yesterday was my final Doctor appointment after all the surgeries and such and I was finally given a clean bill of health. My incisions are still healing some, but doing really well. After that appointment I ran errands for things that we will need to go home, since we were out of almost every toiletry item in the bathroom. I also had to get a wedding gift for the first of 2 weddings we are attending in the next 2 weeks. Then I had Chorale practice for the Arts Center of the Ozarks. Today, Wednesday and Thursday I am working. I rearranged my schedule this week so I could have Friday off to travel to Little Rock for the first wedding.

Now after work each day this week, I have to clean my house, work on laundry and begin packing for the trip home on Monday the 1st.

Friday will bring a list of its own, so I don't plan to get much of the house chores done that day.

Saturday and Sunday are going to be crazy as well with preparations. We have to get all of our laundry done so we have clothes to pack, and prepare things for our dog, since she will be kenneled while we are away. Also, I have a baby shower to attend/prepare food for on Sunday.

This should be a fun week of running like a crazy person.

It's all good though, since the end result will be a great visit in Ohio!! YAY!!!!!!

Back on the table again

2007-09-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here I sit at 10:18am on Wednesday morning. I can't eat, I can't drink. I am having out-patient surgery again today. My doctor is going to do a laparoscopy and remove a piece of the cyst wall. This will ensure that it will drain and go away.

Now, I have to tell you that I am not exactly ready to do this. I went yesterday to the hospital to have my pre-op blood work and paperwork. We spent 3 hours there and it should have only taken us an hour at most. I was pretty darn mad when I went to get my blood drawn and they had to stick me not once, but three times in order to finally hit a vein and get the necessary blood for the tests. The first time she tried in the top of my right hand and she ended up blowing out my vein. Then she moved to the inside of my left forearm with a very small needle. No luck. The vein rolled and she wasn't able to DIG and find it. So, she then had to move the vein on the inside of my left wrist directly below my thumb. Now, let me tell you that this is the same place that the I.V. was started when I had my first surgery on Aug. 31. Needless to say, that was absolutely the worst needle stick ever. And of course she had to dig to actually hit the vein and start the bleeding.

I must admit, that I don't have a high pain tolerance. I think I have done pretty well up til yesterday dealing with my pain from all of this, but yesterday was the day I lost it. I am going to demand that they give me some kind of medicine today to relax me since I am very anxious about the surgery and the thought of them starting an I.V. again.
Hopefully I will be able to make it through today without having a total breakdown emotionally.

God, please give me favor with the doctors and nurses today. Please guide their hands. Please protect us all as we go through this day. I thank you so much Lord, for guiding us and though we don't understand all of this, you do. You know the plan you have for us and the path we should take. Let today go smoothly and help me to keep my sanity and strength. Thank you for all your blessings.

In your precious name I pray,

AMEN

A real test of faith

2007-08-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty difficult, and I will give everyone an alert. This post is going to be very serious and possibly emotionally trying for some. Without going into great detail, I will share our story.

On Monday, Josh and I went to our Doctor's appointment to hear the baby for the first time. Well after trying to listen, then 2 ultrasounds we discovered our worst nightmare. The baby did not have a heartbeat. Also, we found out that I have a cyst on my right ovary that is almost 10 cm in size. Needless to say the week has been quite emotional and finally today we are bringing this trying time to a close. I went today to have surgery and got back home around 4pm. I am doing well. I am already up moving around a little. My mom flew in yesterday and has been a huge blessing to us already.

Josh and I are really blessed by all the phone calls and prayers our friends and family have surrounded us with. I want you to know that I truly appreciate all of you. I feel like I have a huge family, that covers multiple states.

I feel that Josh and I are doing really well staying positive and looking to the future. We may not understand everything, but God is in control and all we can do is keep the faith.

I am ready to move forward and allow God to move me onto whatever is next in my life.

We Love you all,

Thanks Again for everything.

I'm so excited

2007-08-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Josh and I set off for our trip to Kansas City, MO. We have know that we were taking this trip since I think April. So, it has been a long time coming. On the agenda is:
1. Rush concert (the main reason we are going, but decided to make a weekend of it)
2. Boulevard Brewing tour
3. Country Club Plaza- shopping center, but free unless we decide to shop
4. Crown Plaza- I've heard it is pretty cool
5. Anything else we can find that is FREE!!!!

We will be there until Saturday evening. Then we will return, have church on Sunday, and then the best part of the next 5 days...... the doctor's visit on Monday. What a great end to a nice getaway weekend. We will get to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Kafka is going to stay with Brock and Lauren while we are away. It is going to be their trial run on a dog. They have been talking about getting one for a while, so I thought they could see how well they do with Kafka and then make the choice. I mean, I figure if they have trouble with Kafka it probably would be best not to get a dog. I say this because Kafka is so laid back. She minds so well, and is so easy to take care of. Hopefully all will go well and they will decide to get a doggie for themselves.

Now, I am off to bed. Gotta get up early tomorrow to get going.

See ya'll Sunday.

Visit #1- Prenatal Nurse only

2007-08-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Josh and I went to my first doctor's appointment. We met with the prenatal nurse and it was basically just a meeting to get medical history, check my vitals and of course do the blood tests. We were there a total of about an hour, then we had to go down the street to Willow Creek so I could get my blood drawn. Now, let me tell you... I have never been good with needles, but I have really tried to prepare myself since I know I am going to be quite the pin cushion during my pregnancy. When we got registered and it was time to draw my blood, I warned the lab tech that everyone that has ever drawn blood from me has only been able to get blood by using a butterfly needle in my hand. Well, this girl proceeded to tie off my arm and search for a vein on the inside of my elbow. I let her stick me but it was a waste of time, because she only got 1/2 a vile out of the necessary 4 viles and the vein quite bleeding. So, she had to use the butterfly in my hand just like I told her she would. Now, I have a bruise on my arm and my hand is fine. I have decided that next time I am going to put up more of a fight and make sure they just use my hand so I don't have to suffer through more pricks than are necessary.

Today, I called the doctor's office and they told me all my results came back normal.

We will be able to heat the baby's heartbeat on Monday, August 27. I can't wait!

Maternity clothes here I come...

2007-08-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Jen Murphy and I went to Fayetteville to Motherhood Maternity to look for me a swimsuit. I had one from last summer but it has really gotten to tight. We have some friends coming in town this weekend and we may go swimming so I wanted to get a suit. Anyways, I found one that is pretty cute and it was about $30 on sale. Here it is:

Also, tomorrow I am going to pick-up maternity clothes from Carla. She is going to let me borrow her clothes so I am super excited. I have decided I am ready to look pregnant and not fat!!!

It was pretty hilarious tonight while we were at Motherhood. There was a girl there that couldn't have been over 20 and she was like 7 weeks and was already trying on maternity clothes. Most of the maternity pants are still too big on me at 12 weeks.

Sickness has oficially moved in

2007-08-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well the last three days have been long. During the first 10 weeks of this pregnancy I felt good and wasn't sick. Well that ended on Thursday. I woke up feeling OK, but after eating a little bit, I was sick for about 45 minutes. The rest of the day was a battle to keep something down. Yesterday wasn't quite that bad, and I was actually able to go to Brian and Michelle's for a hangout night. Today has been on and off. So, I have spent the day reading up on what helps with the nausea. I have lost 2lbs. in 2 days which I know is not good, so I want to do something to keep myself and the baby healthy. SO- Calling all women that are or have been pregnant. Please let me know what you did to curb the morning sickness that lasted all day?????

Thanks.

Feeling good and pregnant

2007-07-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling good. It is pretty crazy though that I have not gained a single pound but I have already out grown most of my pants. I went out the other night and grabbed a couple of shirts and a pair of capris that weren't maternity but allowed me some room to grow. It is amazing how quickly I am getting a baby bump. I am going to be borrowing some maternity clothes from a friend that is about my height and size so I am very excited that I won't have to buy nearly as much.

On another note we are searching around for a bigger place to rent. We are looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath rental somewhere closer to Bentonville.

We are going to go look at some today.

God's timing as usual...

2007-07-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

Things have been good around here. On Wednesday we found out that we were eligible for Medicaid to cover me and the baby during pregnancy. In order to fill out the application and be accepted I had to go get "proof of pregnancy". In other words I had to see a doctor or nurse in order to pee on a stick and find out what we already knew... that we were pregnant. So, I proceeded to get the piece of paper saying what my due date was to submit with the app. So I, hesitantly, went to Planned Parenthood in Fayetteville. They were the only clinic that could see me quickly and wouldn't cost me a fortune. So Thursday afternoon I ventured down there to find out what I had suspected... the facilities were pretty gross. I did get in and out fairly quickly though. We determined that I am 9 weeks along and due on Feb. 19, 2008. That was pretty much what I had figured after I did some calculating as to the time of conception. Friday afternoon I went to the Health Department and upon entering thought I was going to be there for a while, but after filing out the application and submitting all the necessary documentation, I was in and out in 30 minutes. Talk about MIRACLE!!! We are now on Medicaid and I already have my number. Now, let me tell you a little about our current situation. On June 15th I lost my job, and received my final check on the last day of June. During the month of July we have been living on just that extra vacation $ I got and Josh's income. Josh's pay alone was under the amount of eligibility for the Medicaid so that is why we qualified. But... I start my new job on Tuesday of this week, but don't get my 1st check until August 1. Now if I had gotten my job any earlier, we would have made too much $ to qualify for Medicaid, because they only verify income in the month of application!!! Woot!!! God totally worked out the details on this one, to make sure we were covered. Absolutely amazing. Now we will be able to set $ aside each month for savings for this baby instead of paying it all out in Insurance premiums and co-pays.

Lots of GOOD NEWS!!!

2007-07-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

This last few days has brought about some very cool, exciting and much needed news.

First off I found out on Friday morning that I am expecting. Josh is excited but we are both a little stressed about finding insurance to cover the costs that we are going to incur for the prenatal care, delivery, and post delivery. I think we are going to have to elect for COBRA, which for those of you that don't know is a state law allowing former employees to continue the health insurance coverage they had while employed by that company at a cost to the individual. Josh and I are expecting to get the information for it later this week via mail.

Second, I just got hired today for a new job. I will be working at Home Inspection Professionals in Bella Vista. I will be working 3, 8 hour days a week. It looks like I will be working on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Which means I will have Mondays off with Josh each week. I am very excited about that. Also, I will have a 3 day weekend every week.

So, let's just say that God has totally come through (not that I didn't think he would). Now all we have to do is figure out how we are going to work out the insurance thing and we are good to go.

I have total and complete confidence and faith that God will provide us with everything we need to care for this child. I am still kinda in shock about it. Sometimes I feel pregnant and then other times I have to go look at the test again to make sure it still shows a positive result. My sister has already nicknamed the baby Miracle.

Well I am off to get some things done. I have a lot to do before I go back to work on Tuesday.

Thanks all for your prayers.

Day 2 & 3

2007-07-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is a bit late, but I had to recoup after all the excitement...

Tuesday brought about the trip to Eureka Springs to see the tour of the New Holy Land and while we were there we found a man for my 72 year old grandma. He was the man that played Simon Peter at the Sea of Galilee. He was 70, a former marine(like my grandma), obviously was a Christian, and wasn't in a nursing home. LOL!!! We picked on my grandma all week about it. She took it well though.

After we finished our tour we had lunch and then continued on to Branson. We arrived in Branson and went to the Branson Tourism Center to find a hotel and a show to go to that evening. We finally got it all worked out and ended up at Seven Gables for the night.

We went out that night to see this show.

It was a great show and we had a great time. We laughed and sang and danced like there was no tomorrow. We clapped so much that our hands were sore.
The next day we went to the Tanger outlet mall and we convinced my g-ma to get a capri outfit. She looked very cute in it and she actually had a couple other people at the store tell her that too.

We went to McFarlains restaraunt for lunch that day and had an interesting experience. We went to the restroom before we actually went in to be seated and while in there we saw an employee of the restaurant not wash her hands. I wasn't going to say anything, but we got her as our server and I wasn't having it. I am not usually one to complain at places, but that was just GROSS! So I called over another server and asked her to send out the manager. I very politely told her that the girl had been in the restroom and had not washed her hands and we would appreciate it if she was going to serve us that she do it with clean hands. Needless to say the manager jumped her case and then she did something that surprised me. She gave us a new server. WOW, I was very impressed. We actually got decent service because she provided us with a new unbiased server. So, anyways on with the day... next we went to the Stone Hill Winery.
I had never been to a winery and wanted to take the tour(it was free). So we went on the tour and then of course we had our wine tasting.

I really have never had wine that I liked so I was anxious to see if I could find one that didn't make me gag. Well I did. I actually found 2 wines that were very good. One was a semi-sweet white and the other a dry white.

Once we finished up there it was time to head back to NW Arkansas.

That was our Tuesday and Wednesday. We had a blast and laughed so much.

Day 1 of our week of travels and entertainment

2007-06-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

So today was our first day of sight seeing and activities while my g-ma and mom are here in town. Here is the rundown of what happened:

1. We went to the Bentonville Library to research some genealogy information for my mom. We spent about 2 hours there seeking out ancestry stuff for my mom's side of the family.

2. We had lunch at La Huerta and had lots of great Mexican food.

3. After lunch we made the trip over to West Siloam Springs to Cherokee Casino.

My g-ma and I had never been to a casino and never played any slots, so we wanted to try it...
While we were there my mother and I played several $.05 and $.01 machines on our first $5. That money was quickly lost by both of us. Then we found the $.25 poker slots and that lasted both of us at least 35 minutes each. My g-ma did play a $.01 slot with $1. She did well at first winning $.55 and cashing out. Then she went back and lost all of that. So, all in all we lost only $21 between all three of us and spent about an hour and a half there.

4. We had dinner at Dairy Queen. There's nothing like ice cream for dinner. None of us were hungry but wanted something sweet to eat.

Tomorrow will be a busy day too. We are leaving early in the morning to go to Eureka Springs to wander around and then on to Branson. We are going to catch a show tomorrow evening, spend the night then wander Branson on Wednesday.

I will post more about that once we return.

They have arived

2007-06-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well my mom and grandma are here. They arrived this evening around 7:30pm. I am super excited to have them here. I know that we will have lots of fun. I have planned out our meals for the next 6 days and we will go to the store tomorrow to get the necessary food. We are planning a trip to Branson one day next week and probably a trip to Eureka Springs as well. I will take them and show them around this weekend. Well thats the latest.

Let the weightloss and cleaning begin

2007-06-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, today I finally went back to the gym for the first time in almost a year. I went in the middle part of the day. It was a little busy, but not too bad. SO, I had planned to meet a friend of mine every day this week, but it looks like we are both pretty busy and may not be able to get together every day. While I was there today I did about 30 minutes of cardio, and then did the weight machines, did quite a bit of ab work and finished with stretching. Tomorrow I am going to go at 8am and probably do the same type of workout as today. So far, I am not really all that sore. I did notice a huge jump in my energy level after I worked out though. I am hoping to go everyday this week except Wednesday. Next week might be a little more difficult since my mom and g-ma will be here, so I don't know if I will make it to the gym at all next week. Then I am going to be working on a temporary basis through the staffing agency I am registered with after that until I find a permanent position somewhere, so I am going to really try to keep a routine of going, but it might be difficult.

On another note (as indicated in my title) I am going to be doing some major cleaning around my house this week. I decided to rent a rug doctor carpet cleaner and use it in my living room and hallways. I am also going to make sure that my extra bedroom is cleaned really well, since I have company coming and it is a good excuse to do it. I cleaned my laundry room today, and GOSH, just having that little space clean made me feel so good. After that I went to the kitchen to clean up the dishes and such, then I ended up cleaning out Josh's closet in the extra bedroom and after all that was done... I went to Walmart. I wanted to get a large tub for Josh to put all of his paint ball gear into so it was no longer laying around everywhere in the bedroom and the closet. I also purchased an under the bed storage bin and a new space saver cabinet/shelf for over the toilet in my bath. Unfortunately, after putting part of that cabinet together I realized it wasn't wide enough to fit over the toilet. So, now I will have to return it and then purchase a different one and put that one together. Needless to say I have a lot to get done this week before Friday evening, so I am going to be busy. I am ready to have a clean house though!

The beginning of my unemployed vacation

2007-06-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today at noon I left my office at InvestLinc for the last time. I feel great. I am really ready to move on to the next stage of my life. I am though, ready to enjoy my next 2 weeks of NO WORK!!! Next week I plan to clean my house, catch up on laundry, take my dog to the vet and bath her, and prepare for the arrival of my mom and grandma. I am super excited about their arrival. We are planning to go to Branson at some point during their time here, but other than that I don't have any plans for them yet.

So... I ask you locals, what are some things that we can do that are cheap or free in Northwest Arkansas??? Any ideas you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Beginning of the end

2007-06-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today marks the beginning of the last week I will work at InvestLinc. This week should be quite easy, and kinda boring (all my weeks lately seem to be that way). I have a couple of things to do, but they won't take me but a couple hours to complete. On Thursday, the lady that is replacing me will begin her contract period here. I get the privilege of training her for my last 2 days. My boss just informed me today that he will be out of the office on Friday, so things should be interesting that day for sure. I have to prepare an orientation/training plan for the new lady for Thursday and Friday. I however told my boss today that it shouldn't take longer than a day to show her the in's and out's of what I do. I mean if she has any previous office experience she should be able to figure things out fairly quickly. My job, important as it may be (top execs wouldn't be nearly as successful without the people that work for them) is not exactly rocket science. I say adios to this office and most assuredly good riddance. I look forward to what ever comes next.

So, what is next...
well, the week of the 18th I am going to be at home!!! I need to get caught up on laundry, house cleaning, errands, appointments, etc. So, I will have a lot to do in a week. I am planning to begin working short term temp positions the last week of June, or maybe I'll wait until the first week of July... We'll have to see.

Also, Josh will be out of town at the annual Impact summer camp the last week of June, and while he is gone I am going to have visitors!!!:-) My mom and grandma are going to come stay with me that week. I am very excited since I haven't seen my mom since Christmas and its been a lot longer than that since I last saw my grandma. That is the reason I may not start working until the first week of July. I would like to be able to spend the whole week with them.

I would ask for prayer over the next couple of weeks, as this transition takes place. I am not sure what effect this will have on Josh and I, our finances, and where I am going to work next. I am completely faithful though that God will provide. I completely surrender to what might be next for me in this thing we call life.

"Gearing up" for camping

2007-05-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend our church is having a family camp out. Josh and I are going and taking Kafka with us. We are going out shopping today to pick up the necessary camping items that we don't already have. Josh thought I was crazy for making a list of the items we need to pack was silly since we are only going to be there for 1 night and it actually will be less than 24 hours. So, I made the list and then let him look at it and he actually agreed that my list wasn't so crazy after all. I want you to be the judge of whether or not the list is too much.

Tent
Tarp for under tent
Air Mattress
Sleeping bags
pillows
chairs
party grill & propane
Pan to heat water in
pot holder
cooler
flashlights
laundry basket to carry food items
citronella candles
lighter

Paper towels
paper plates
plastic silverware
wipes to clean up with

Kafka's bowls
food for dog
dog leash

First Aid Kit
Bug spray
playing cards
Catch Phrase game

Clothes items
Toiletries

Cheese-its
granola bars
graham crackers
marshmallows
Hershey bars
bread
lunch meat
cheese slices
mustard
mayo
potato chips
milk
coffee singles
sugar
soda- various types
juice- various types
bottled water
ICE

Now, I realize that we are only going for one night but all of these items just seem important to me. I realize people camp all the time with a lot less than this but this really isn't that much stuff, it is just individually listed which makes it a long list.

Generation Y in the workplace

2007-05-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

I read this great article in FORTUNE Magazine today. I can totally relate to this, especially the part about having relationships with your immediate supervisors.

The article is called "You Raised Them, Now Manage Them". If you were born between the years 1977 and 1995 this is a great article to read.

Picture

2007-05-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Kelly posted about her family picture from our Mother's Day service. Our church had a photographer come in and take family portraits and every family got a free 5X7. So here is our picture.

A lot of things have been happening with my career search, but nothing firm yet. I am doing well with it though. I totally trust that God will put me in the right place at the right time. I am learning a ton about myself in this process. It has been really good for me and for everyone around me. I have my joy back, and know it is only because I am for the first time realizing that I can do ANYTHING. God has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities for my life.

So I am ready for whatever is coming.

Let's get physical... therapy

2007-05-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

This morning at 7:30am I started my physical therapy treatment for my back. When I arrived my pain on a scale of 1 to 10 was a 1. After Doug- my physical therapist had me doing certain movements, my pain spiked to a 5. He was able to tell me good news and bad. He established from my evaluation that the sciatica was stemming from a bulging disk in my lower back. Well, the good news is that I have continually gotten better over the last few weeks meaning that it is healing itself. Bad news is that it could be a recurrent problem. So, we established a body position that allows me to be comfortable since it takes the pressure off my lower spine.

My position is similar to this one only I prop up on my elbows and rest my chin in my hands. I am supposed to do this during the day, every 2 hours for 5 minutes each time. Talk about crazy. But it really does ease the pain and pressure.
At the end of my visit he used the electrodes on my lower back and also covered me with a heating pad. That was a wonderful end to a painful evaluation.
I will be in physical therapy 2 x a week for the next 4 weeks according to my therapist.

The finale has come until Fall comes again

2007-05-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today was my concert for the chorale I have been a part of for the last 15 weeks. It was a pretty good concert if I do say so myself. The ladies of the choir really rocked it out with our 3 numbers. The concert lasted about 1 hr and 30 minutes. During the concert my feet went numb. I guess it was the way I was standing. But it was really fun. An announcement was made after I dress rehearsal on thursday night, that next week on Tuesday and Wednesday they are having auditions for the upcoming summer season production of Guys and Dolls. I was so excited when they said it, since Guys and Dolls is one of my very favorite musicals. I went to the ACO website and read about auditions, only to find that it requires 4-6 weeks of rehearsal on every weeknight. I just can't commit to that much time. I really want to do it, but I know that I would not be able to practice every night of the week. I have other things I am involved in that require my attendance. So, after much contemplation I have decided not to venture into the summer season of productions at the Arts Center of the Ozarks. So, the finale has come for me and the arts for now!

Whirlwind week and the great closer

2007-05-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

This week has been so incredibly busy. I have had Choir practice, preparations for choir concert including dress rehearsal, Couples group, doctors' appointments, interviews, and office testing at staffing agencies. Every day this week I have left my house around 8am not to return to my house until after 9pm. That means I have put in four 13 hour days. Sheesh am I tired. This week has been one of the best and worst all in one. I had a serious breakdown about my job search and my faith. This resulted in me establishing that God was trying to tell me that I am getting in the way of his plans! I also learned that I was very bitter and resentful towards my current boss, and I needed to let that go. I have been slowly working out of this state, and from the point of turning it over to God and apologizing to my boss, I have had numerous job opportunities come knocking. No serious potentials yet, but I can tell that they are only days away. Thank you God, for molding me and helping me to see my faults. The lesson I have learned in all of this has been very difficult to endure, but God never gives us more than we can handle. So, the last two days have really been great. I have really perked up and realized my potential. I am going to be more bold in my interviews and make sure that companies know that they will be sorry if they do not hire me. Oh yeah, thanks to all who wrote reference letters for me.

Now for the great closer... I am going on a date tonight. There is this really cute guy that lives with me and I have been wanting to go out with him for a while but, we have both been very busy. Well, we finally found the time to go, and he is taking me to P.F. Chang's for dinner. I am super excited, because I have never been there. Also, some friends of ours are going to double with us. We are excited about that since we have never gone out with them before.

Have a great weekend all!

Change the subject, will ya?

2007-04-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

OK, so Joel has brought it to my attention that I blog more about Josh being away on trips and how I am missing him and such than I do about anything else. Well then, let me change the subject.

I haven't wanted to post about this topic just because I was afraid that some how word would get back to my boss. I am quitting my job. I don't know when, but I am certainly looking for a new job. As I posted previously our office recently moved from Lowell to Fayetteville. Well in doing so, my commute has increased from 15 minutes to almost 45 minutes. I use a tank of gas a week, and I have to pack my lunch or eat out everyday, since I cannot go home for lunch. Now, the commute may not sound "unrealistic" to most of you, but you have to understand the layout of Northwest Arkansas. Let me show you a map.

Now if you look at the map you will see that there is an interstate (540) running North and South through the entire area. The distance between that northern most city, Little Flock and the southern most city, Fayetteville is only 30.5 miles (according to Yahoo! maps). However because of traffic it takes close to 45 minutes to drive that stretch of road. This is one of the biggest reasons I am looking for another job. I really don't want to drive more than 15 minutes to get to work everyday. There are too many places to work closer to home, to have to drive 45 minutes to get to work everyday.

Now, without going in to too much detail, the other reason stands to a "personality clash" with my boss. I have worked for him for over 2 years now, and just in the last 6-8 months I have seen a change in him that most certainly has not been for the better. About 3 weeks ago, I sat down with him to discuss the concerns I had as an employee, and the result has not been much different than pre-meeting.

I am not happy with my current situation and I am looking to change it. However, I am not seeing much results from my perseverance towards finding something. This has led me to question whether God wants me to stay put and finish the work he has for me here. Maybe his purpose for me here has not yet been fulfilled. I just don't know. Josh and I had a really good talk the other night about delighting in the things you do. Well I have not delighted in this job for a long, long time. But how do I change that? How do I set aside the concerns I have as an employee, and just serve the Lord whole heartedly through this job? I have always heard "Do everything as unto the Lord". I feel like I have kept up my values as an employee and not checked out as I am waiting to find something else. I feel like I have been a good steward of my position.

So, that brings me to the next sub topic of this post:
My calling and happiness.
I have decided that for the first time in my married life, I am going to take a job according to my passions, my interests and not because of the salary, perks, or benefits. I have had to truly look into myself to determine what will make me happy. I am totally at a loss when it comes to my life's calling. I know I am passionate about music, art, drama, anything that has to do with creative arts. I have tried to find a job working for places that are based in any of those fields, but to no avail. Then I began thinking what kind of field do I want to be in besides that. Well I have come up with a few that I think might very well suit me:

Hospitality- I love to make people feel important and treat them with great kindness.

Human Resources- I am very much a people person. I have such a strong feeling towards the rights of employees in a company. I want to break into this field very badly. I would definitely go back to school to get a Human Resource Business degree.

Medical Office- Since I am people person, I think I would fit very well as an Administrative person in a medical office. I would have interaction with the patients, doctors, and all the health care professionals.

I have had a few interviews, employment testings, etc. Each time I have had them, I have prayed that God would make it completely clear whether the position was right or not. So far I have not felt the tug on my heart for any of those positions.

Please join with me in prayer to find God's will in all of this. I am ready to let him be the Big God that he is. I have gotten impatient a few times through all of this, but for the most part I have been completely reliant on him to do what he does best. I heard a saying the other day that has been very profound: "God made me, He can keep me, and then He will take me". Let that one sit for a while! Amazing really, how simple it is, but yet it means so much.

Sorry for the long post. I just figured I would share what has been going on with me lately.

Today's the day!

2007-04-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

First off today, I am going to lunch with Michelle, then I am having dinner at Red Robin this evening with my friend Becky.

Then my hubby will be home shortly there after that around 10pm.

Countdown is at:

9 hours, 8 minutes, 25 seconds and counting...

Ladies of KeyPoint Date Night

2007-04-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by explaining the title. In an e-mail I sent out to all the wives whose husbands are away, I asked them if we could make a date to hang out and have dinner. So, tonight Stacy, her 3 kids, Sarah, her 3 kids, Lauren, Genessa, and I are getting Applebees appetizers, watching American Idol and hanging out. I am not much into the Idol thing, but I must admit that I was glad that Sanjaya kid finally got booted. I was sick of hearing about him on the radio all the time! So, anyways, I guess I will get my first taste of the current contestants this evening.

Now, on to the countdown. I am very anxious to have my wonderful hubby home. I did not sleep very well last night at all. I kept waking up trying to get comfortable. I am used to snuggling with him, and so I was pretty uncomfortable all night long.

1 day, 6 hours, 18 minutes, and 58 seconds and counting...

Let the countdown to his return begin

2007-04-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Things are good I guess. It has pretty much been the same old thing. Work, church, spending time with my husband and friends. Although lately, Josh and I are finding it more and more difficult to have time together. This weekend our church had a men's retreat at a State Park. They were gone from Friday afternoon(while I was at work) until Saturday late afternoon. During the time that he was gone I was able to hang out with some girls from church, get a massage, and get some housework done. When Josh got back on Saturday we got caught up and went to bed early, since neither one of us had much sleep the night before. Sunday, of course brought church, which takes up half of our day, then we grabbed some Arby's for lunch, headed home and ended up falling asleep on the couch. We ended up taking a nap, that we really didn't have time for. Once we woke up we both had things to get accomplished before the night was over. He had to get some computer stuff worked out and I had to get some more cleaning done for this week, as well as some much needed laundry. Now, the reason we had to get this done was because Josh was leaving with the church staff to go to TX for a conference for the next couple of days. Now, while he is gone I have made lots of plans to pass the time. I really don't like to stay at home by myself. So, I have decided to keep myself very busy so the time will pass very quickly. Here's what I have in store:
Working during the day, Chorale Practice, dinner with the other staff wives whose husbands are away, Lauren spending the night(her husband Brock is away with mine), and dinner with my friend Becky. By the time I get done with that dinner with Becky, it will only be a couple of hours before my husband will be home again. So, I am looking forward to some much needed girl time, but I will definetly be counting down the days until my man returns. We have both been pretty busy lately so I am hoping this coming weekend we can go do something and spend some time together. Maybe we can go to the lake and take the dog or go for a hike. We'll see.

2 days, 59 hours, 3577 minutes, 214606 seconds, and counting till Josh will be home again.
http://timeanddate.com/s/cyt

The long road to recovery...

2007-04-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have been laid up in bed for the last 3 days and have several more to survive. My lower back started hurting on Sunday and has over the last 5 days gotten worse. I did go to a chiropractor and he spent about 20 minutes adjusting me. Then I got my dr. to call in a prescription for a muscle relaxant. I was not able to actually go see my primary care physician since they would have had to take an x-ray and it was broken!!! So, I finally decided today after being miserable all night long to go to Mercy's Convenient Care. I walked in and after speaking to the front desk nurse and explaining my pain was a 7 out of 10(10 being worst), she called out another nurse to speak to me. This nurse preceded to tell me that all they could do was take an x-ray. If any additional tests were needed they would have to send me to the ER. Then she said the magic words... I would have to pay co-pays at both facilities. So, I decided to just go to the ER. So, I went to St. Mary's Hospital. Oddly enough the the process wasn't to painful. I only waited in the waiting area for about 10 minutes before I was taken back to a room. Then after a few minutes back there my wonderful husband showed up to sit with me. We were there a total of 1.5 hours. We walked away knowing that I have sciatica, which is inflammation of the sciatic nerve that runs from your lower back down your legs. I received not just one, but two shots in my butt. Gotta love those...but I did get Daffy Duck band-aids, lol). I was also given two prescriptions. One is an anti-inflammatory, and the other a pain med. I figure I will be knocked out for the next couple of days from all this medicine I am taking.

If you get bored, feel free to call me. I have been pretty bored the last couple of days, and tomorrow won't be much better I'm sure.

Well I am off to snooze, the meds are kicking in!

We bought a new bed.... mattress still to come

2007-04-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night our 24 year old waterbed finally busted on us. At 10:30pm I discovered the leak because of the awful mildew smell coming from our comforter. When Josh and I pulled the mattress up to discover that a previous hole that had been patched was once again leaking. The problem was that the hole was right on the corner of the mattress and we weren't able to get a new patch to stay on. So, after some deliberation we have decided to change over to a regular bed and mattress. We went out today to look for beds and bedroom sets with Josh's folks. After about 4 hours of searching we decided on a platform style bed that we found at Home by I.O. Metro in Bentonville. Here is what it looks like.

We still have to purchase a mattress to place on top of that bed. We won't have our bed frame for 7-10 days so we have a little while to wait before we will get to enjoy it. For the time being we are sleeping on our inflatable bed with frame. It isn't terribly uncomfortable, but I am ready for a softer mattress. We are planning to purchase the additional bedroom pieces as we can afford it. Oh, by the way, we paid cash for our new bed. Man does that feel great!

On another note, I just want to tell everyone:
HAPPY EASTER

My cuz came to visit

2007-03-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

On Friday around 1:30pm my cousin Tabitha came to visit. She had been in Texas at Shepard Air Force Base visiting a friend, so on her way back through to Indiana she stopped to see Josh and I. She came to my office while I worked on packing things up for our upcoming move.(its this Friday) About 3pm we left my office and came home to get ready to go out to dinner. We decided with Josh's help to go to the Whole Hog Cafe. So, we got ready and when Steven arrived we all went to dinner. Once we ate our very yummy, very inexpensive food we headed back to the house to get some gaming on. Steven had brought his Wii over as well as his Guitar Hero II game. So, I decided to challenge my cuz in a game of Wii boxing. It came down to a descision at the end of the three rounds. I won! Today though my arms hurt like crazy. I could barely lift the case of Coca-Cola I purchased at the store for Josh today. So, back to the story... Tabitha and I were able to connect with my sister via video chat. Tabitha had never seen my neice Lilli. Then once we finished the video chat we got rockin' with the guitars. Tab, as she is most often referred to, had never played Wii or Guitar Hero. That was the reason we wanted to play so badly. This morning she left to head back to Indy. It was really great to see her, and we had a blast.

Paintball, the battle wounds

2007-03-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Today, Josh, Aaron, Nathan, Danielle, and our friend Steven went to play paintball at a cool cave in Joplin. We started our day with a 2 hour trip that should have only taken us 1 hour. Thanks google maps for giving us bad directions! After we finally arrived and got checked-in and suited up, the 7 hour day began with a somewhat small course inside that cave. We played what is called speed ball. It just basically means that you have to move fast and hide behind inflatable objects throughout the field. I did fairly well here as I was the last man standing on our team, twice. Mind you, I haven't played since we have lived in Arkansas and I have only played one time ever. So, I felt like I was doing well. Then I tried to move forward on the field more than I had previously...bad idea. I did make it to the middle of the field, but Nathan saw me and hit me on the mask. Well, right as I yelled hit and raised my gun in the air I was hit in the neck, THE BARE NECK, with a paintball full blast. Here is the damage it did:

I really don't think that picture does it much justice. It is pretty nasty, and I must admit... my eyes teared up when I got hit. That is by far the most painful thing I think I have experience in most of my life. Of course I haven't had any babies yet, so I can't say it will be the most painful thing ever. So anyways throughout the day, I was hit several times in some very sensitive areas. I walked away today with welts/bruises on my neck, my lower back, my left bicep, and in the chest(I won't specify on that one, but use your imagination).
Dispite the battle wounds, I did have fun today, and I did better than I thought I would.

Survival of the fittest!

2007-03-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

Exhausting, that has been the overwhelming theme at work lately. I planned an Executive retreat where six of our top guys came and had meetings for almost 3 days. During that time I made a 75 mile roundtrip 3 days in a row. Making this trip and tending to all of the details necessary to make the meeting a success was beyond exhausting! It was a successful retreat and I feel good about the job that I did. In the background of this retreat planning, I have been gearing up for our office move. This move, I feel could quite possibly be the biggest "stresser" I have ever had to face. We are 2 weeks out from move day, and I just started packing our office today. I just called the moving company today to schedule them. Nothing like waiting till the last minute, huh? I, frankly, am not the one who waited till the last minute though. It has only been decided that we were definetly moving and have a place to go for about 7 days now. We didn't sign our new lease agreement until March 2nd. So, the next 2 weeks are going to be total hell for me as I work really hard to make this move happen. The reason I named this post "survival of the fittest" is because that is exactly what the next few weeks are going to be. Have you ever heard the saying "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger"? I guess that will be my motto in order to make it through. Please pray for me, I am surely not going to do this on my own. I will need God's strength to sustain me.

Valentines Day was a super success

2007-02-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

My husband did a great job this Valentine's day. He did wait until Wednesday afternoon to do his shopping, but it turned out really well.
He got home after I did and made me go into our bedroom and shut the door so he could bring the gifts in from his truck. So, after a few minutes he told me I could come out. I walked into the kitchen and sitting on the counter top was a 14 piece black and stainless steel knife set. I really love it, and I would show you a picture of it, but I can't find one. Josh bought it at Kohls, but their website doesn't have it on there. After opening that gift I thought I was done. I went on about my night only to find out later that I had another gift. This gift was found in the refrigerator. A weird place I know. I guess Josh had put it in the silverware drawer but I opened that drawer like 5 times and never saw it. The lid was closed on the box. So, he stuck it in the refrigerator knowing I would at some point have to get in there and find it. Here is what it was:

It was a great surprise. I had asked for jewelry for Christmas, but we didn't have a large enough budget, so Josh really came through for this one!

Thank you baby for my wonderful gifts.

A Race to the finish, but a break in the madness

2007-01-31T12:02:00.000-08:00

This week has been and will continue to be a race to the finish. I have had busy days at work and evenings full of activity. Let me give you the run down of this week's past and future.

Monday: Work- At work I have been working on several major projects. I am planning an Executive retreat for our top 5 people of the company. The retreat will last 2 full days and I have to work out all the logistics. Also, our office will be moving to a new space in Fayetteville sometime around April or May. I am going to be handling all the logistics of this project as well, so I am trying to prepare everything as much as possible for that move ahead of time.
Evening- On Monday nights I am now attending rehearsal for a chorale for the Arts Center of the Ozarks. I have had 2 rehearsals so far, and I seem to be falling right back into the swing of reading music and singing with a large group.

Tuesday: Work- Same as Monday

Evening- This evening brought about a trip to the grocery store. This is the only night this week that has not been planned for something, so I had to make a date with Walmart.

Wednesday: Work- My day started out a usual, but lunch time brought about a great break for the week. We are in the middle of a snow storm. Not that it is a blizzard by any means, but here in Arkansas things get pretty hairy when we get any kind of winter weather. It took me 50 minutes to travel home which would normally only take me about 15 minutes. I saw several people sliding, one of which slid right into the back of the car in front of them. Both of those cars were in the lane beside me. Scary! I am now at home enjoying my afternoon off with Josh.

Evening: If the weather would have been good, we would have had life group tonight. We haven't been meeting since before Christmas because of the end of the semester. I am ready to get back together with all the other young married couples and fellowship.

Thursday: Work- I will probably go in late tomorrow if we continue to get a bunch of snow. I don't like to travel in and have to compete with the other drivers. I am sorry, but Arkansas drivers really don't do well in winter weather driving conditions. I suspect it will be a typical day.

Evening- My evening will be comprised of a trip to the bank, and Praise & Worship practice.

Friday: Work- I will probably have a busy Friday. That seems to be the norm lately.

Evening- We have been invited to some friends house for dinner this night. It looks to be a pretty fun filled evening.

Saturday: Shopping will be in the cards for me on Saturday. I am looking for a few new nice work/church outfits. That evening we are having something called InSPAration for our women at KPC. It will be an evening of spa services, relaxation, good food, and great conversation.

Sunday: The day is going to be a busy one. 2 services at KPC. I will be there from 7:45am until around 1pm. Home for lunch, hopefully a nap, then off to some friends house for our 2nd Annual Super Bowl Party. Go Colts!

So that is a look at my week. Goodluck staying warm.

My first video chat

2007-01-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

Last night Josh and I were able to video chat with my sister, brother-in-law, my nephew, niece, and Josh's parents. I have never used a webcam before, and I must say it was quite weird. The picture was good on our end, but it was a little hard to see everyone on the other side because of the light from their ceiling. It was really great though, since Josh and I haven't seen any of them since Thanksgiving. My niece was a newborn when we saw here at thanksgiving and she has gotten so big already. We made my nephew's night by chatting with him. He even got to see Kafka, our dog. My sis, and bro-in-law have never been down to see us, so I gave them a tour of the house by walking around with the laptop in front of me. I am looking forward to video chatting with my family every couple weeks or so. Thanks to the church for purchasing the new laptops, which has enabled my family to see each other a lot more often than we ever thought possible!

Our new place (hopefully)

2007-01-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

As I had mentioned in a previous post, Josh and I have been looking at rentals over the last couple of weeks. Well, we have one that we have looked at twice and driven by several times. It is in North Springdale. We are filling out the property management application this weekend to turn in on Tuesday. It is a townhouse that has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, one of which is off of the kitchen, and 1500 sq. ft. of space. We really like it. It is still really new, and the kitchen looks great as you will see in the pics below.

That is the great kitchen

This is the living room

This is the dining room

For more pics go to my flickr account

Please pray for us that we will know if this is God's will for us to have. It is definitely the best "bang for our buck" and it will feel much more like a house than an apartment or duplex.

Chorale Singer once more

2007-01-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

I have a wonderful opportunity awaiting me on Jan. 22nd. I will be joining a group of over 50 singers from around Northwest Arkansas for 15 weeks of rehearsals before a final concert on May 6. I am super excited about being a part of a chorale again. I will be able to meet new people, and do something I love... SING!

On another note, Josh and I are looking around for a newer, nicer, rental. We found a townhouse in Springdale that we really liked, but we aren't sure of the neighborhood. The place was great on the inside but the back yard was not fenced and had a lot of trash strung around. Not to mention a huge hole in the yard that was full of rain water. Other than that we were very pleased with it. So, we are considering that place, and keeping our eye out for others as well. We will probably have a good amount of changes taking place this year. We will be moving from our current rental, my office is moving to a new location, our church is going to 2 services, I am joining the chorale, and this year I will not be going to summer camp.

Sorry to all of my friends at Word of Faith. It is just not a good situation for our household to try and have both Josh and I at camp every year.

Well anyways, I hope you are all having a great year so far. I know I am.

Merry Christmas to me (and Josh)

2006-12-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Josh and I ordered our Tivo and 3-year subscription to service. Josh got an e-mail regarding shipping on Monday. This glorious day, our Tivo arrived. When I arrived home from Christmas shopping, Josh was behind the tv wiring everything up. We still have to go get a wireless adapter so we can connect to the service, but we should get that tomorrow and then, we will be all set. I am looking forward to pausing live tv, and skipping through commercials on recorded shows. Plus, I won't have to plan my life around being home for tv shows anymore. Merry Christmas.

Josh's Celebrity Look Alikes

2006-12-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

Tell me who you think he looks the most like.

Celebrity Look Alikes

2006-12-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Here they are the people that I look like...

Let it Snow, Sleet and Freezing Rain

2006-11-30T12:46:00.000-08:00

Today we are getting blasted with winter weather. I am currently sitting at home on my couch, enjoying my nice warm pajamas. It all started last night with hours upon end of rain. I don't just mean sprinkling rain either. It was very heavy rain. Today at about 11:30am that rain turned to into freezing rain and then into sleet. It is supposed to turn into snow but this evening. We are looking at an accumilation of snow around 4"-8". So, it looks like I might be snow bound tomorrow... what a shame!

Clean teeth and ranting husband

2006-11-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

It is that time again. A time that Josh hates very much. Time to go to the dentist and get our teeth cleaned again. The last time we had it done was over a year ago. My company just changed dental insurance providers, so I decided I should get us some appointments. We are going to a new dentist, as the one we saw last year was a long drive away from where we work and live. Now, let me explain to you about Josh and the dentist. Before Josh and I went last year to the dentist, Josh had not been in about 5 years. He truly hates to go. He says that cleaning your teeth makes them hurt, so what person in their right mind would go just so they can walk out with sore teeth. He is quite a baby when it comes to this area. I try to do it on a regular basis so I will still have my teeth in 30 years. I like having my own teeth to eat with. I like the thought of not having removable teeth too. That just grosses me out!

Trees of a different kind

2006-11-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas, Josh and I will not be in Ohio. I am sad about this, but also ready to start a new tradition with "my family". Well in order to celebrate Christmas( according to me) you have to have a Christmas tree. Of which we do not currently posess. Our first tree did not make the move here to Arkansas with us, as it was not in good quality. We went out on Sunday evening to check out the trees at Walmart (big surprise on our choice of places, huh?). After wandering around looking, we have decided to get a tree that is pre-lit. We do have a delimma though... our living room in the house, or rather our half of a duplex is not large enough for the tree that Josh and I really like. So, we have been searching on various websites trying to find a 6ft. or smaller tree, that is no larger than 3ft. wide. During our looking we came across this tree.

When we saw this we were a little confused. Why would you possibly want a tree that is upside down. I guess I realize that it would take up less floor space, since the widest part would be in the air. But come on people, do you really think this thing is going to sell to people. How would you put a topper on that kind of tree? How would you decorate it with ribbon or any isicles? I just don't understand the thought process behind this one. Oh, and we also saw this tree.

I really don't get this. What would make someone hang their Christmas tree from the stinkin' ceiling? I need some help on this one guys. Someone give me some explanations on this. Please!

IRON CHEF AMERICA PRESENTS:

2006-11-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

Iron Chef Mario Batali / Rachael Ray

Vs.

Iron Chef Bobby Flay / Giada De Laurentiis

These Food Network Chefs battled it out on Sunday night. The special ingredient they had to use in each dish created was: Cranberries.

I must admit that I did not see the entire show, as I was flipping back and forth between this and Desperate Housewives, and then at 9pm with Brothers and Sisters.

What I did catch of the show was incredible. I really love the carefree style that Mario Batali has. He is so relaxed and nonchalant during the one hour challenge. His team mate Rachael Ray was somewhat relaxed during the challenge, but did show a little frustration a few times.

On the other side it seemed very stressful, and chaotic most of the time during the challenge. No one lost their cool or anything, but Giada was a bit frantic over a couple of things that weren't working as she had planned. At one point she actually jumped up and down, because she was worried about time when her water wasn't boiling for the raviolli to cook.

Both teams of incredible chefs came out with some amazing dishes. The teams did an incredible job of incorporating the cranberry into each dish, as well as using it to make the components of each dish. Presentation was great, which is almost always my favorite part of cooking. I really enjoyed watching the challenge and some of my favorite Food Network Chefs battle it out. Now, the part you've all been waiting for, well some of you anyways... Which pairs' cuisine was reigning supreme?

IRON CHEF BATALI / RACHAEL RAY

That actually came as a surprise to me last night. But today as I rethink the competitors' of this challenge I remember that Iron Chef Batali is almost never defeated. So, now that you have heard about it, give me your thoughts.

More pictures of my beautiful niece, Lilliann

2006-11-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

Here she is again. This time with eyes open. Enjoy!

Soundtrack to Life

2006-11-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

Following the posts of everyone else. Here is the soundtrack to my life.

Opening Credits: Baby Girl- Sugarland

Waking Up: Do Not Move- David Crowder

First Day At School: This is Love- Cool Hand Luke

Falling In Love: Everyone- Glenn Packiam

Fight Song: Here I Am- Delirious

Breaking Up: Elevation- U2

Prom: Better is One Day- Jeremy Camp

Life's Ok: Use Me- Dustin Burke Band

Mental Breakdown: Bullet the Blue Sky- P.O.D.

Driving: On Fire- Switchfoot

Flashback: Intercessional- Andy Hunter

Getting Back Together: Praise Joint- Kirk Franklin

Birth of Child: I Won’t Dance- Frank Sinatra

Wedding: Sing To the King- Passion Band

Final Battle: The Wonders of You- Andy Hunter

Death Scene: Lie Down- P.O.D.

Funeral Song: Dreams For Sale- Cool Hand Luke

End Credits: The Heart of Worship- Micheal W. Smith

Some of them were quite funny, but some don't make any sense.

Welcome to the world Lilliann Lynn

2006-11-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

This is my adorable niece. She was born Friday, Nov. 3, 2006. She and her grandmother share the same birthday, which I think is very cool. She weighed in at 7lbs. 1oz. and was 20in. long. She and my sister are doing very well. I will be able to see her very soon, since we are going home for Thanksgiving. I am so proud of my sister and brother-in-law, and my nephew Jacob. They are all doing very well, adjusting to the schedule of Lilli. Jacob told his dad, "I love her dad"! How cute. I can't wait to see all of you.

Our Anniversary Celebration

2006-09-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

We had a good time last night. We went to The IceHouse of Bentonville. Josh had some amazing Cocunut Shrimp with plum sauce. I had a 4oz. Filet Steak. It was so good and tender. The food was great, the atmosphere was great, and of course my date was amazing. We went and got a movie and then went home to watch it. We had a wonderful night together.

The Great Divide

2006-09-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

Over the last several weeks I have been in constant communication with my folks back in Ohio, and my only sister. I found out that my mom's health is not well, and my sister has some health concerns as well. My mom has had a lot of tests done over the last month to determine what is going on. The list of things is quite long, so I won't list out all the details, as I can't remember them all anyways. The main thing is that her iron levels are very high. Having high iron causes your blood to become very thick, and difficult for the heart to pump. This in turn causes low oxygen levels in the body since the blood can't be pumped as quickly as needed to all parts of your body. So, with this condition and the fact that she has several other heart issues going on, she has jumped to a really high category of possibly having a heart attack or stroke. So why am I telling you all of this... to first ask for your prayers, and to tell you that I have been dealing with the fact of being so far away from my family.

Now, comes my sister. She is about 7 months pregnant, and recently found out that that the baby (a girl) is underweight, and the doctors belive that her umbilical cord is constricted by something. So, my sister has been on bed rest for about 2 weeks.

Finding out all of these things has really made me think about living so far away from my family. I have realized that once Josh and I have children, I don't want to be so far from our families that they won't have a chance to be a part of our kids' lives. Which brings me to the next thought of moving home. I don't know that I want to move back to Ohio. Josh and I really like Northwest Arkansas and we are part of such a wonderful church, all of which I don't know that I could leave. So, I was thinking that maybe we could get our families to move here. I know that it would be a sacrifice for my parents, but Josh's mom is retired and his stepdad is pretty close to retiring. His dad is retired and his stepmom has several years left of working. So, it may not be as easy for them. But I have such hope that this could be an option. Northwest Arkansas has so much to offer that Ohio does not.

As for now, I will continue to pray for complete healing for my mom and sister (and baby Lily), and that realationships would be healed (that's a whole other post). If anything should come up I will buy plane tickets and fly home... across "The Great Divide".

Let the games begin...

2006-08-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

I picked this title for several reasons... the first being that our Softball season officialy starts tomorrow with our double header at 6pm and then at 7pm. Down here we only play for 1 hr. and who ever is winning at that point wins. So, I am excited and a little nervous since I haven't practiced for about 2 weeks. I did purchase a bat that will work really well for me, it is a 31" long bat with a 26 ounce weight. I can't wait to knock one out of the park! Well maybe I'll at least get a base hit. LOL!

The other reason for the title is the game of running around like a crazy person has begun. This week looks like this

Sun: Church, lunch at the Pastor's house, grocery store, dinner guests at our house

Mon: Work, Praise & Worship practice, bi-monthly budget meeting with Josh, prepare stuff for softball game for Tues. night

Tues: Work til 5pm, run home get ready for game, game til 8pm

Wed: Work til 5, come home make Pasta Salad, group starts at 6:30pm. We are generally there till about 9pm

So thats the wirlwind of a week thats happening here.

The wide world of Podcasts

2006-08-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

I did it! I finally subscribed to a couple of Podcasts so I can listen to them while I am at work. I am usually by myself at the office and why not take that time to learn something new, listen to a great sermon, or brush up on old skills. I am not a typically podcast listener in the sense that I know what I want to listen to right away, so I am trying a few different ones out to get a feel for them and then I will probably think of some that I really want to subscribe to. So, here they are in no particular order...

1. A Comfy, Cosy, Clean House- this podcast consists of 15 minute daily tasks to help keep your house clean. I hope it will be helpful for those busy days and weekends that I just don't find the time to really clean my house.

2. Enjoying Everyday Life, by Joyce Myer- I really like Joyce. I think that she is challenging in everyway, especially to women. I hope that this will be an everyday listening experience that will strengthen my Christian walk.

3. Survival Guide, Learning Spanish for your trip- I am not going on a trip to any Spanish-speaking countries, but I want to re-learn it to help me in my job and so someday I can go to Cancun or on a mission trip and communicate efficiently.

4. What Not to Wear, Stacy & Clinton- I love knowing the latest trends in fashion. I look forward to learning the ins and outs of dressing my specific body type.

So, that's the ones I will start with. I'll let you know if I find any others that are good.

What's in a Rockstar?

2006-08-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

For the last 4 or so weeks I have been watching the CBS t.v. show Rockstar:SuperNova. It has been quite interesting so far. I wanted to find out if anyone else has been watching and if they have who are you hoping to see as the "frontman" for SuperNova's band. For those of you who have not seen it here is the website to check out: Rockstar:SuperNova.

I personally love to watch Dilana perform. She has such a unique style and she is kinda freakish in a good, rock'n roll sorta way. I think she could be the one! However, I don't know if Gilby, Jason, or Tommy Lee will allow a girl to be the frontman of SuperNova. I also like Lukas. He has the rock style, but he's kinda quiet, and that just won't do for Tommy Lee! Next comes Storm. She can sing, and man oh man can she rock, but we are back to the girl lead of an all male band.

If you haven't seen any of the episodes you can check out some of them on the website here or on the CBS website here. Let me know what you think.

My husband, my best friend

2006-07-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Today is Josh's 28th birthday. I wanted to take some time to write a little something about him so everyone would know exactly how much I love my husband. Sorry for those of you who don't like mushy stuff!

It didn't take long for me to realize that Josh was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He has a way of making me realize that things aren't as bad as a make them out to be. He is definitely the realistic one in our relationship, and that is a wonderful thing. He keeps me grounded. I love that about him. He helps me understand the facts and that my emotions aren't going to change the situation. Yes, sometimes it really gets under my skin, but eventually I come around and appreciate his very simple "black and white" analysis of the situation.

I love that he is always thinking about the future. He thinks about how the things we do now will affect us down the road so we can keep from having major catastrophes later on.

I love his creativity, his passion for his job (or his calling, as he would say it's not a job), his drive for excellence in everything, the way he treats other people, the desire he has to reach people where they are, they way he loves me, and the future he wants to see for our family.

I have learned since we moved to Arkansas that Josh really is my best friend. I tell him everything. He sees me at my best, and at my worst. He is there when I have fallen away from God, and he encourages me. He gives me advice and he isn't offended if I don't take it, he supports me through my decision no matter what I decide.

So, I guess what I am trying to say in all of this is:

Josh,
Thank you for always being there for me. I love you so much. I am so proud of you and all that God has done in you. I hope that you have a wonderful birthday today. I look forward to celebrating many more with you in this lifetime.

Your wife,

Sabrina

Softball, sickness, the job and more...

2006-07-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post, so I have a lot to talk about. Camp/vacation was good, too short but good. Upon my return though came lots of confrontations at my workplace. I don't want to get into too much detail, but the basic story is this: I had a boss that was taking advantage of his position with the company and me. He was gettting a personal assistant at the company's expense, so after praying about and finally dealing with the personal things for way too long I told him "no more". Well needless to say it didn't go over so well with him. He began treating me very badly and became very unprofessional. I decided that the situation needed to be resolved with a person higher up in the Organazational Structure, so I called the CEO. Let me explain our company for a minute, as I figure you are thinking how bold of a move this is. Our company does not have a human resource dept. We are a company that is built on relationships and primarily everyone in our company is a Christian. So with that said the only people higher up from this boss was the CEO. It was a good decison to make the call. I have since had a meeting with both of my bosses that I guess will eventually result in things being better at my workplace. I am really glad that I stood up for what I new was right, and I believe it has been a great learning experience for me, and although it has been extremely stressful and very hard to bare over the last several months, it has paid off in the end.

In other news, I haven't been feeling very well this weekend. I have been running a fever, had some kind of stomache thing, and a headache since Saturday. I thought it was gone since I went out last night to our churches Baptism and then went to dinner with some people, but I woke up this morning sick again. I slept til 2pm today, and I don't do that! So, I hope I sleep tonight and get rid of whatever this bug is.

On Thursday night, Josh and I have our first meeting with our Co-ed Softball team. We start playing games the week of Aug. 14th. We are pretty excited since we have never done anything like this before.

Josh and I our finally together on the same page with our finances. We set-up a budget this month and have followed through with it very well so far. For the first time in our marriage, we feel like we are telling our money what to do instead of our money telling us what to do. We are well on our way to having a debt- free future.

I guess thats it for now, but I will try to update a little more often than I have been lately.

Times a wastin'

2006-06-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

I have spent a lot of time at work with nothing to do for the last several weeks. I am caught up on my projects and filing and menial little tasks. So, I face this dillema...what do I do to waste time in my day so I don't go insane. Let me give you a glimpse into the next two weeks of work so you can see what I mean about being bored.

One of my bosses is returning tomorrow from a 2 week vacation to Italy.
June 13-16 One of my bosses is on vacation with his family. That same week the other boss will be out for a day and a half here locally with board meetings.
The following week one boss will be gone from the 19-22, and the other one will be joining him the 21-22. Friday the 23rd is my last day before I go on vacation and one boss will be out half that day, if they come in at all.

My point is, I should have an easy couple of weeks leading up to my vacation since the bosses will be out so much between now and then.

In other news: I am getting a massage tomorrow afternoon. I am so excited. I have been extrememly sore from working out and could really use the relaxing time to myself. I have been exercising about 3 times a week lately for about an hour and tanning twice a week too. I am finally starting to see a difference in my overall appearance (weight and shade of skin). Yipee!!!!

I am so ready for camp/vacation that I wish it were tomorrow. I am going to pick up a few things to freshen up my summer wardrobe this weekend. I don't want to spend a whole lot but I need some plain tees, tanks, and some capris or maybe shorts. As I get older I don't care to wear shorts much anymore.

Well that about covers things here for the next few weeks... waiting and preparing for vacation/camp!

Friday at last

2006-05-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a long week here. I haven't been feeling very well this week, so coming to work has been tough in itself.
My computer had to be rebuilt because I got a virus spyware thing on it and it had some major glitches. So, for about a day and a half I was working off of another laptop which had internet and access to my company e-mail but none of my files. I was pretty much at a dead standstill for that whole time. I did get it back and am working like a charm now. It runs much faster now.

In other news, Aaron moved out completely as of last night. It is very bittersweet for me, since I have enjoyed having him around(he makes me laugh all the time). It will be nice to have free run of the house again though. Lets just say I like to be comfortable in my own house!!
Ya'll we be able to see Aaron very soon in Ohio. He flies in tonight for Danielle's graduation tomorrow. (COngrats Danielle, I am very proud of you)

We have a couple from our life group coming over for dinner tonight. We are going to have great food, games, and conversation. I am excited.

On the home front are some very big plans. I am going to paint our bathroom this weekend. It isn't a large bathroom by any means, but the ceiling is covered with that stupid popcorn textured crap. This means that I had to buy a special roller and be very careful when painting so it doesn't crumble off. I am going to paint the ceiling white and then the walls are going to be a special color by the name of "Sabrina". That's right, the color we chose for the walls is named after me. Pray that it goes smoothly and that I have the energy to get it all done tomorrow so I can enjoy the rest of my long weekend.

Later-

Bugs

2006-05-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

Per Kayla's request here is my post about bugs.

I don't care much for bugs. I don't have a problem killing them if I need to, especially spiders, but I leave them alone if they leave me alone.

Speaking of bugs make me think about my week at work. I ended up with a spyware virus on my computer and I had to get a tech to come and get it working again and remove the spyware. I spent 1 1/2 days without a computer. I realized how much I actually use it.

In other news I finished my Beg. Algebra class for this semester. I don't know what I got on the final yet, or what my final grade is, but I should find out soon. I won't be taking any classes this summer since we are going to be going to summer camp and I would miss 2 class of only 6 week terms, which would put me really far behind. I am going to take Intro to Law and Legal Assistance in the Fall semester. It will determine whether I proceed to change my major to Paralegal studies.

I Hate Tuesdays

2006-04-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have come to realize that I have a real distaste for every Tuesday. It seems as though that day has become the day from "hell" for me. For most people Mondays are the day that seem to be so rough, but not me.

Every Tuesday is a little different... but it all comes down to this: I always have some major castastrophe at work that has to be dealt with immediately and is never easy to fix, and then I have to make time to actually take a lunch and go home to get my books for class in the evening. 90% of the time I am rushed to get home to pick up my books and get a lunch and get back to work to to continue to fix the problem that has occured. TO add to this mess a lot of times there is some issue that comes up from the home front that has to be dealt with as well.

Today's issues are a continuation of yesterday...

The Internet at my office was not working yesterday, so I call and get our computer support people to come and get it fixed. Well, they fix mine, but we find out today the system as a whole is not fixed because my boss Randy cannot access the internet. Let me just tell you that when stuff like this happens, he becomes a very impatient, know-it-all type of person. Everything I say is questioned and I didn't handle the situation properly, etc., etc., etc. So, here I am dealing with him and trying to get a couple of things done for my other boss who, by the time I arrived at work, had left me 2 messages of things to do this morning. One of which included finding out if his wife could travel to Las Vegas with him when he attends a huge convention there. Now mind you, the convention is only 4 weeks away and I made the travel arrangements for this trip over 2 months ago and had problems getting good flights and such. There literaly are several hundred thousand people that converge on the city for this event. What I think really upsets me is she was given an opportunity to go when I originally made the arrangements and she said no, but she has changed her mind and now I have to figure out a way to make it happen. Right!

I guess I am overreacting a little but I am just so frustrated with the way I get treated when things like the internet happen and when I am expected to make the impossible happen. My bosses give me no respect and question every decision I make. So how am I supposed to be an Office Manager if I can't make a decision without it being deemed improper. I would really love to just sit them down and say, "If you want me to handle things, then trust my choices and give me an opportunity to show you that I made the right one, instead of just saying it was wrong. Let things play out once in a while and see that I may not do things the way you would, but I still make it happen"

So, basically every Tuesday is like this. I am stressed out and feel like crap by the time I go to class in the evening and then I don't get to bed til really late and have to get up and do it all over again. I am just exhausted from my Tuesday already !

Cleaning....check; waiting impatiently...check

2006-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well here it is Saturday afternoon at about 4:15p.m. and I have finished cleaning my house and getting ready. Now I am just waiting impatiently for the WFFC gang to arrive in Rogers. They called about 3:30p.m. to tell us they were getting on the road to drive here. It takes about 2 hours from Tulsa, so they should arrive sometime around 5:30p.m. I will have to play games and such to keep busy till they arrive. We may go to dinner at Copeland's New Orleans Restaurant. It is kinda expensive but pretty good food. Either that or we will go to Moe's (see Aaron's blog)

A long survey for lots of information

2006-03-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

*..::Bored as Heck::..*
..::Personal Info::..
Name::	Sabrina
Middle name::	Ann
Are you named after anyone?::	Middle name after my aunt
Age::	26
Sex::	Female
When is your birthday?::	1-21
Zodiac Sign::	Aquarius
Blood type::	You don't need to know unless you are bleeding to death
Where were you born?::	Indianapolis, IN
Where do you live now?::	Rogers, AR
Who with?::	My husband and dog
Have any siblings?::	1-older sister
Are you parents divorced?::	Nope, been together 31 years
What is your heritage?::	I have too much to mention
..::More About Me::..
Hair color::	Dark Blonde
Eye color::	Hazel
Height::	5' 1"
Weight::	I'm not telling
Clothing style::	fashionable
Shoe size::	7.5
Political Persuasion::	Republican
Do you wear glasses?::	for reading only
Contacts?::	nope
Do you have braces?::	nope, never
Piercings?::	One in each ear
Tattoos?::	None
Right or left handed?::	Right
..::Do You::..
Have any pets?::	A choc. lab named Kafka
Drink?::	rarely
Smoke?::	I quit 5 years ago
Do drugs?::	I quit 5 years ago
Have a curfew?::	Nope, I tell the husband when I'll be home
Like thunderstorms?::	Not at all
Do your homework?::	Yes, but I procrastinate
Make good grades?::	Most of the time
Have any phobias?::	Bridges (getting better)
Play any sports?::	not since High School
Play an instrument?::	Not since High School- trumpet
Have a job?::	Yes, full-time Office Manager/Exec. Asst.
Believe in God?::	With all my heart
Believe in karma?::	nope
Believe in government?::	every once in a while
Think aliens exist?::	nope
Like to travel?::	yes, don't get to as often as I'd like
Hate school?::	no, just homework
Have a social life?::	Yes, lots of friends
Like having your picture taken?::	not really- I always look fat in them
Ride rollercoasters?::	Yes, please
Daydream a lot?::	I don't think so
Have many exes?::	a few but not for a long time
Like cows?::	Yes, but wouldn't ever have any
Have any hidden talents?::
Wear makeup?::	Almost every day
Drive?::	unfortunetly with all the crazies
Cheat?::	Never
Lie?::	I try not to
Steal?::	Never
Believe in love at first sight?::	Yes
..::Have You Ever::..
Been in a fight?::	yes in Middle school
Been in a car accident?::	when I was really little
Gotten a speeding ticket?::	nope, I don't speed
Said I love you and didn't mean it?::	I don't remember
Been fired from a job?::	no, but forced to quit
Gone toilet papering?::	yes
Written graffiti?::	no
Failed a grade?::	no
Skipped a grade?::	no, not that smart
Been skydiving?::	no, I don't want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane
Gone skinny-dipping?::	yes
Played strip poker?::	yes
Been to another country?::	yes
Another state?::	all the time
Started a rumor?::	no
Had a rumor started about you?::	oh yes
Been dumped?::	yes
Broken someone's heart?::	yes
Dated someone younger than you?::	yes
Dated someone older?::	yes
Had braces?::	no
Found a dead body?::	no
Faked sick?::	yes
Been rejected by a crush?::	yes
Made a prank phone call?::	yes
Broken a bone?::	yep- 2 or 3
Attempted suicide?::	no
Been rushed to the E.R.?::	yes
Bitten someone?::	well yes, but not to be mean
Fainted?::	no
..::Would You Ever::..
Get a tattoo?::	I don't know
Get your lip pierced?::	no way
Get your tongue pierced?::	Never, I like to eat
Become a monk?::	nope
Run for president?::	I don't want that kind of responsibility
Kill someone?::	for self protection, perhaps
Willingly become a vampire?::	I don't believe in them
Use a time machine?::	sure if they actually existed
If so, where would you go to?::	as many places as possible
..::Favorites::..
Food::	chicken fettucine alfredo
Drink::	Sweet Tea
Ice cream::	Choc. Chip Cookie Dough
Flower::	Daisy
Candy::	anything chocolate
Restaurant::	Mi Jalapeno
Places to shop::	anywhere
Movie::	I couldn't pick just one
Actor/Actress::	Charleze Theron
Music::	Classic Rock
Band::	Lynard Skynard
Song::	Sweet Home Alabama
Music Video::	I don't watch music videos
TV Show::	Grey's Anatomy and Amazing Race
Cartoon character::	Scooby Doo
Channel::	Discovery
Album::
Colors::	Green
Number::	I don't have a clue
Animal::	any kind of puppy
Day of the week::	Saturday
Holiday::	Thanksgiving
Season of the year::	Spring
Video game::	Don't even get me started
Childhood memory::	Going on spontaneous trips with my family, eating sandwiches out of the cooler while we drive to anywhere
Place to vacation::	Hawaii
Smell::	Cocunut Lime Verbena (Bath & Body)
Fruit::	Strawberry
Vegetable::	Brussel Sprouts
Sport to watch::	I am not a sports fan
Sport to play::	I do enjoy playing softball. I haven't played since High School though.
Technology::	Wireless Internet
Vehicle::	anything new
..::This or That::..
Boxers or briefs::	I don't care
Underwear or thongs::	both
Chocolate or vanilla::	chocolate
Movies or books::	movies
Love or lust::	love
Baths or showers::	baths
Whips or chains::	neither
Work or play::	play
McDonalds or Burger King::	McDonalds
Coke or Pepsi::	Coke, but I don't really drink soda
Ketchup or mustard::	mustard
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip::	Miracle WHip
Beef or chicken::	chicken
Vampires or Werewolves::	neither
Marvel Comics or DC Comics::	what?
Nestea or Lipton::	Lipton
Coffee or cappuccino::	Coffee
Love or money::	How about both
Deal or no deal::	Deal
Looks or personality::	Personality
Real or imaginary::	Real
Life or death::	Life
Clean or dirty::	Depends on if I've had time to clean
Kill or be killed::	Kill
Moon or stars::	Stars
Naughty or nice::	Both, I have multiple personalities
Croutons or bacon bits::	bacon bits
Single or group dates::	single
Hot or cold::	hot
Fire or ice::	ice
X-Box or Playstation::	neither
Skateboards or rollerblades::	rollerblades
Light or dark::	light
Night or day::	night
Phone conversations or online chats::	depends on who it is
..::Lasts::..
Last movie you watched::	Jarhead
Last book you read::	who knows
Last song you heard::	Beautiful- Betthany Dillion
Last TV show you watched::	The Baby Story
Last place you ate::	my living room
What did you eat?::	Bagel Bites
Last thing you laughed at::	this survey
Last time you cried::	last week
Last person you talked to::	Dan- one of my bosses
Last person you hugged::	my husband
Last person you kissed::	my husband
Last person you said I love you to::	my husband
Last thing you bought::	groceries last night
Last thought::	I wish my day was over
..::Top 8 Friends::..
Who knows you the best?::	Danielle
Who is the sexiest?::	Jen O.
Goofiest?::	Amanda
Craziest?::	Jen O.
Nicest?::	I couldn't pick just one
Coolest?::	what is cool?
Most talented?::	they all have there talents
Smartest?::	Jennifer M.
..::In a Guy/Girl::..
Hair color::	how about bald
Hair style::	shaved to the scalp
Eye color::	blue
Height::	tall
Weight::	skinny
Piercings?::	none
Tattoos?::	would be alright with me
Geeky or cool::	geeky, but in a cool sort of way
Rebel or goody-good::	does it matter
Scruffy or clean-cut::	clean-cut
Muscular or skinny::	skinny, look at my husband
Passionate or careless::	passionate
Rich or poor::	doesn't matter
Independent or dependent::	independent
Sensitive or cold-hearted::	sensitive
Athletic or lazy::	athletic but likes to lounge too
Goofy or serious::	depends on the moment
Partyer or homebody::	why not party at home?
Smoker?::	nope
Drinker?::	don't care
Druggie?::	not at all
Smart and ugly or dumb and cute?::	who says they have to be ugly to be smart.
Long-term or short-term relationships?::	long term
..::Random Questions::..
If you could have an accent, what would it be?::	jersey
How do you like your eggs?::	over easy
Thoughts on President Bush?::	like him, don't agree with everything
What do you think about war?::	it is sometimes neccessary
Have any mental illnesses?::	none that I know of
Do you read your horoscope daily?::	no
Have any cavities?::	not anymore
How many times a day do you brush your teeth?::	once sometimes twice
What kind of toothpaste do you use?::	Aquafresh or Colgate
What kind of gum do you like?::	Trident White Spearmint
Can you speak Pig Latin?::	esya
What color underwear do you have on?::	black
What is your cellphone ringtone?::	typical ring
What's your most used IM phrase?::	l8r
Do you wear sunglasses at night?::	no
..::The Future::..
Are you going to college?::	yes
Where?::	Northwest Arkansas Community College
For a degree in what?::	Business
How long do you plan to be there?::	as long as it takes
What do you want to do after college?::	not sure yet
What's your dream job?::	helping people (just don't know how)
Do you want to get married someday?::	already am
If so, when?::	happened Sept. 29, 2001
Expensive engagement ring?::	not really but I like it
Describe your dream wedding::	I wish we would have eloped
Describe your perfect honeymoon::	anywhere where there is a beach
Where do you want to live?::	whereever God takes me
Do you want kids?::	definitely
If so, how many?::	2-3
Boy(s) or girl(s)?::	fraternal twins and a boy
Any idea of their names?::	yep, but I won't tell
Do you want to grow old?::	yes, with my husband
Will you be a cool grandparent?::	I hope so
What age do you expect to die?::	How morbid a question!
How will you die?::	Hopefully happy and fulfilled
What kind of funeral do you want?::	nothing to eleborate
What do we do with your body?::	bury it
Who will be in your will?::	my family
What would your tombstone say?::	Blessed beyond my dreams
If you were a ghost, who would you haunt?::	don't believe in ghosts
Good ghost, or evil ghost?::	see above
What would you want to reincarnate as?::	nothing, I want to live in Heaven for eternity
Take this survey \| Find more surveys You've been totally Bzoink*d

expectant mothers parking

2006-03-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

expectant mothers parking
Originally uploaded by beanie_rat.

I saw a video today on Fox News about Expectant Mothers Parking Spaces. Watch the video here and tell me what you think about having reserved spaces for "moms to be". Click on the article about the Pastor being killed and scroll down. It will be on the right hand side under "videos". I will respond once I have heard everyone elses responses.

No tagging just info

2006-03-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

Four jobs I've had:
* Child Care teacher
* Wright State University- Theatre Arts Dept.
* Old Navy
* Administrative Assistant for many companies

Four movies that I can watch over and over:
* How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
* What Women Want
* Stand By Me
* Forest Gump

Four places I've lived:
* Indianapolis, Indiana
* Xenia, Ohio
* Springfield, Ohio
* Rogers, Arkansas

Four TV shows that I love:
* Amazing Race
* Grey's Anatomy
* Whose Line Is It Anyways
* MythBusters

Four places I've vacationed traveled to:
* Hawaii
* Gatlinburg, TN
* Branson, MO
* Guatemala

Four of my favorite dishes:
* Chicken Fettucine Alfredo from Olive Garden
* Biscuits & Gravy
* Chicken Chimichangas
* Chipotle

Four sites I visit daily:
* mail.yahoo.com
* thehometownchannel.com
* Arvest Online Banking
* Everyones' Blog

Four places I would rather be right now:
* My own place
* On a cruise to anywhere
* Ohio visiting
* Hawaii

Cake-Texture

2006-03-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

Cake-Texture
Originally uploaded by beanie_rat.

I made a cake on Saturday that I thought turned out pretty good. I haven't eaten any of it yet, but I will tomorrow after church.

Let the Game Begin

2006-03-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight Josh and I went to the Athletic Club where we are members. He taught me how to play Racquetball. It was really weird at first and it took me a while to get used to it. I find the hardest thing to do is play a bounce off the back wall. We spent about 1hr and 15 min. playing. We played 1 full game and Josh won 15-12. The rest of the time we were there we just hit it around inside that little bitty room.

Josh did hit me in the head with the ball once (indirectly, since it bounced off the wall first). I had a really good time, got a good workout, and found something that Josh and I can do together.

Beyond Existence

2006-02-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

The revolving door has once again brought me back to the blogger world. I was so busy from mid January through now that I couldn't make heads or tails of myself. I had some interesting things to talk about but no time to actually type the posts. I went to Orlando for a company meeting in the beginning part of February. Upon my return to NWA we have had a major service and lots of little events with our life group which is finally ending. I can breathe again. I don't know that it would matter if I never posted again since my posts are never that interesting and I never have had an evident "fan base"(no comments). So this brings me to my point... do people need to blog? I don't know what the purpose is anymore. I was using my blog to update OH folks to my daily existense. I don't see the point anymore cause I like to see what others are doing and comment. If I had a job that wasn't boring and a husband that didn't blog about all of our exciting happenings then I guess I would blog more. If you can ask me about certain things then I can tell you but I don't know what it is YOU (my readers) want to know. Ask me anything and I will tell you.

Here is a picture of me at USA Speedway in Lakeland, FL where our group got to drive race cars.

The Bestest Friday

2006-01-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

Friday was a great day! Mid morning I received my pay stub(s) that included a bonus check and a paycheck with a raise. I was super excited because I had no idea it was coming. SO after a good day (no Doug). I had Josh take me to NWACC to get my book for my Beginning Algebra class that starts tonight. (I'll post about my first math class in over 5 years later). While we were there, I found a girl that had the book I needed and an answer book for the questions in the chapters. She sold me the book that would have cost me about $90.00 for a whopping $30.00. How cool is that, and she gave me the answer book too! So, as our evening progressed on Josh and I decided to take our Christmas money and some money from my bonus and go buy our I-pod. We found a 30GB Black one for $299.99. We of course then had to buy a case and an I-trip and all the neccesary accesories for it. Woot woot! The funniest thing happened after all the excitement of our I-purchases... Josh ran over a stationary curb with our car, after I told him to watch out for it! It was super funny since shortly after we bought our car I hit a stationary light pole in the Staples parking lot and he still picks on me about it. Now, there will be no more picking on me, cause he hit something stationary too!

We went to Fuddruckers for dinner and it wasn't very good. Then we went and did some more shopping for stuff we needed to clean our house and organize before Aaron's arrival. SO that pretty much was my bestest Friday.

On a more serious note: My Aunt by marriage fell out of her barn loft on Monday night and broke her neck in 4 places, it is a miracle she is even alive the doctors have said. She also miraculously was able to walk back to her house where my Uncle was sleeping (he works 3rd shift). I guess she was unconscious for over 2 hours after the fall. SHe is in the hospital and has some brain swelling now. I would ask that you please say a prayer for her (Wendy) and my family as they are going through this ordeal.

The New Year, the new routine

2006-01-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

I started back into an exercise routine this week! KeyPoint Church has Josh and I on a corporate membership to the Village Athletic Club. I went Tuesday night and tongiht to the spinning or cycling classes. They are upbeat, and a good cardio workout to music. It is a class full of people, but it is really just you and the bike. I don't feel too bad for my first week. My butt bones hurt though from the seat. I can tell you that my thigh muscles are already getting toned. If you ever get a chance and want a good workout, check out a spin class near you, you won't regret it!

At Last...

2005-12-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

After what seemed like the worst longest day of my entire year at InvestLinc, I am Blessed beyond measure by the man I have come to despise greatly. I received a call at about 7:30 this morning from my boss Doug. He called and was already at the office working this morning. He had given me this last minute project to complete then when it came down to the wire he said I could finish it when I get back. I was quite angry with that because he made it seem like I wasn't going to be able to leave until this thing was completed. So anyways, during our call he asked if I was comfortable with leaving the work as it was and if I had anything else that had to be completed before I left. I responded with one thing I hadn't completed yesterday, and he said... "I will take care of it, I am on a roll here this morning" I almost fainted. He then preceded to tell me don't worry about coming in today. I said in a shocked voice OK, Thank you so much Doug. He said Have a Merry Christmas and we will see you when you get back.

I am still in a state of shock about the whole thing. He surprised me so much. I didn't think he would ever say something so nice. I guess some people do have Christmas Spirit after all.

See ya in a couple of days all ya'll Springfield people.