It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

This is my favorite time of year! I love to drive around look at the Christmas (not holiday) lights and decorations, listen to Christmas music, wrap presents (yes, I love to wrap), and decorate my house with my millions of snowmen! The other day on my lunch break I went to the mall to have a link taken out of my new watch that Keil bought me for my birthday and I ventured into The Red Wagon. They have all kinds of antiques, little signs, wreaths and now they have Christmas decorations. I came across this little grapevine snowman and just had to have him.

He has found a home under our Christmas tree, making sure no one peaks before Christmas Day! Probably the best $12 I've spent this week :) And, speaking of things under the Christmas tree, look what caught my eye this morning... I cannot wait to open this one!

On another note, my Christmas vacation started today...woo-hoo! I'm offically off until January 4th. I'm planning to work a little for my dad, just to have some extra cash but other than that no work until next year!

Keil and I have planned a date night to see "Did You Hear About the Morgans?". We saw a preview back in October and he hasn't stopped talking about it since.

Hope you all have a great weekend and a Merry Christmas!

Adventures In Babysitting

Yesterday, I made plans to pick up my nephew, Davin, after I got home from work. So, I left the school and rushed (without speeding because I try not to do that as much now) home to pick up the car seat and go get him. My parents usually have him on the weekends but they aren't great about sharing him! I always make sure to see him when he is there but we never get any good, quality Auntie/Nephew time.

When I picked him up, I mentioned to his mom that I didn't have to work today and she said I could just keep him overnight...YAY! Sleepover time :) I always have so much fun with him! We first went to visit my neighbor and one of my best friends, Kristen, who loves Davin almost as much as I do. She offered to watch him while I carried all of his stuff in (the jumper from moms, clothes, and food), who knew a baby could need so much?!? After Keil got home, he cooked dinner, which he has been doing more and more lately, I could really get used to that! We spent some time playing in the jumper, on our tummy time mat and with the puppies, we had some baby food, a bottle and then got good and comfy and ready for bed. Most of my friends who have kids tell horror stories about how their baby doesn't sleep at night and is up every hour or so and I don't know if Davin is just an exception or if I always get really lucky. He always sleeps all night long. I put him down at 8:30 and he slept until 6:06 this morning! I changed him, feed him and we took a nap for about an hour. I've gotten so much accomplished today, dishes, laundry, dusting and sweeping...I think may be able to handle life with a baby around...DON'T WORRY, no plans for one in the near future, I'm just saying, if needed, I could totally do it!

He's napping now so I'm taking a little break too! Here are some pics from our sleepover: He loves my snowman!

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day...and a little thanks!

well, it wasn't just a today...here is the back story: A few weeks ago I was driving Keil's truck and practically ran it out of gas. No, the truck didn't turn itself off but I had been 324 miles on a tank of gas that usually only lasts 300. I was still about 25 miles from a gas station so at 10:30 on a Saturday night, I had to call Keil and beg him to come and get me (he was great though, he didn't complain, he just laughed a little), a few days later I locked my neighbors keys in her car. I was trying to be a good neighbor, really! I noticed her doors were unlocked and she wasn't home and Keil and I were leaving to go out of town, so I kindly opened her passenger door, made sure the keys were not in the ignition and locked the doors. The next morning, I learned that she keeps her keys in passenger seat and she didn't have a spare! CRAP! Last week, I got a speeding ticket on my way to work and the best part was I didnt even have my wallet containing my license with me! The nice officer only wrote me a ticket for speeding...DOUBLE CRAP! Then, last night Keil and I went to workout after work and then to dinner. On the way home I hit a MAJOR pothole and it not only flattened my tire but it bent my rim...on my new car! And when I say flattened my tire, I dont mean it caused my tire to loose air, it punctured my tire...no repair possible! So, I called my local tire dealer...$255 for one freakin tire! Plus, I have to buy a new rim...lowest price so far...$185! CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!
Luckily, I have an extra car to drive while I figure out what in the world to do with my mess. On a positive note, I read "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day to my students this afternoon, it only seemed fitting! I have always really liked that book and my kids found it to be super funny...although, it didn't make all the CRAP go away, it did lighten my mood :)

Now, enough with the ranting! With this month bringing us Thanksgiving and reminding us of all the great things we have to be thankful for, I have been challenged to write down one thing each day that I am thankful for. It seems that in the midst of our chaotic lives, we sometimes forget that we have so many things to be grateful and thankful for. So, with today being Veterans Day, I thought it was a perfect day to start writing down what I am thankful for. Today, I am thankful for all of the great men and women who risk their lives for our amazing nation and to their families who sacrifice birthdays, anniversaries and holidays with loved ones so that we may live freely.

All Kinds of Wonderful

Yesterday was GREAT! Not only did I get an extra hour of sleep yesterday morning but I got to lay in bed with my puppies and enjoy the peacefulness of a quiet house and a great cup of coffee. Nothing beats Sunday mornings (unless I'm running late for church). Keil was gone to clean the Rhino from his excursion on Saturday so I went to my moms to for a little while before church. Mostly so she could get ready and I could spend some quality time with Davin. As I was getting ready to leave she said to me, "Do you wanna see one of your birthday presents?" and I thought, "Really, does she know who she is talking to?" Of course I told her yes! And out of her closet she pulls a Gander Mountain Bag...I thought to myself "What in the world have they gotten me at Gander Mountain?" In she reaches and pulls out the AMAZING whiteness...A new Northface Coat. Music started to play in the background and the sun began to shine :) It is PERFECT! Now, my birthday isn't until December 14th so I asked her if she was gonna let me keep it or if I had to wait...she let me take it home! I was so excited, I couldn't wait for Keil to get home so I could share the good news. He thinks it great because now he doesn't have to get it for me! I was really hoping it would be cold enough to wear it this morning but no luck, I'll have to wait until another day. Anyway, my Dad washed my car while I was there too! And it really needed it.
After church, Keil and I had our engagement pictures. We decided to have them taken at Pennyrile, the same place we are having the wedding because it is super pretty, especially in the fall. Upon arrival we met our photographer, Ashley and her husband, Brandon. We were both a little nervous because we had never had professional pictures taken but Ashley was great! We had so much fun & can't wait to see the proofs!
Later in the evening we had dinner with some friends, Chad & Heather, who are expecting in December. We hadn't seen them in a few months so it was nice to catch up and we even got to see ultrasound pics of the baby boy! I think all of our friends are on the "baby wagon" now...but we love them anyway :)
A week or so ago I bought a little wooden sign to hang in my bedroom and it says "LOVE is what makes the world go 'round. Yesterday was a great reminder of how true that is...

Hope you all have a great week!

Choose Me

This morning I was cleaning out and organizing our closet and I had a "moment". Keil is at work so it's just me and the puppies (and a warm cup of coffee) working on our disaster of a closet. I had the radio on, and being Saturday morning the Jeff Foxworthy countdown was in full swing. I always listen to it because not only is there great music but Jeff Foxworthy has some great commentary and I love the interviews he does with country music artists. Well, as I was listening I heard him start an interview with a new artist, whom I had never heard of, Tim Johnson. The interview was funny,as usual, and they were talking about this new song that Tim wrote. He said he and his team of writers were trying to do something different and so they decided to write this song from a dogs perspective. I thought it would be a funny song...Boy, was I wrong! It was a song called Choose Me (the Tim Johnson Band) and it was about the life of a stray dog. Now, most people would have thought, "oh, that's a sweet song" or "that is so sad" but me, being the dog lover I am cried uncontrollably through the entire song. I actually had to stop what I was doing and sit on the bed and cry! I was kinda glad Keil wasn't home because he would have made fun of me. I have 3 lovely (well, most of the time) dogs and 2 of them were rescues. One from the Humane Society and the other was found during the big icestorm last year and needed a good home. Keil says I'm a big sucker, I just think I have a big heart!
Anyway, if you have a minute it's most definitely worth listening to.

Check the Calendar!

Boy, it has been forever since I've blogged! Mainly because I just haven't been able to find the time. I've been working like crazy for the last few weeks, I was a little behind on my office work since the battle with mono and my programs are in full swing. I told my mom the other night I was thinking of subleasing my house :) At least then someone would be getting some use out of it.

So, a lot has been going on since my last blog. Keil and I selected our wedding invitations and ordered them...they are adorable! I'll have to put up a pic for you all to see. We also selected our wedding photographer and set a date for our engagement pics!! This past Friday was the one year mark, everyone says it will fly by now. Hopefully, I'll be able to stay on top of the planning and keep my sanity. I think I've done pretty well so far, most of the bigger things are checked off my list. Something else that I must brag about is this: the other day our church was having this rummage sale and I noticed a little white dress, after giving it a closer look, I noticed that it was an Alfred Angelo flower girl dress...priced at $1.50 yes, you read that right, ONE DOLLAR AND 50 CENTS! It had a small stain on it but my mom went to work and it came right out. Now, we just have to get a sash for it and the flower girl dresses will be complete!

Now, I need to vent a little! Last night as I was driving home from a meeting I drove past Lowes and something caught my eye...it was lights from a Christmas tree, well several trees actually but you get the point! Really?!? It isn't even Halloween! I love Christmas and I love nothing more than to decorate for Christmas but not until December. I would feel so much better about it if it were November but seriously, it's October 7th! Put the Christmas trees/decorations away!

We're thinking of going to the pumpkin patch this weekend...I love the pumpkin patch! I would have really liked to have gone this past weekend but we simply didn't have the time so we're a little behind but we'll get there :)

I LOVE FALL...

Fall is for sure my favorite season, everything about it is just wonderful; the weather, the colors, the smells, pumpkins & mums and let's not forget the start of football season! For several weeks now I have had my deep red mums planted in planters on my front steps and huge bronze mums I bought from a lady that my friend Kali works with (I'm not yet sure what I want to do with them), & yellow, red and bronze mums planted in my back yard. They are in full bloom, well not the yellow ones because my dogs have decided to use them for their private restroom, hopefully they'll come back next year. They are so beautiful! Yesterday, I was shoping for an after school program and I ran across the cutest fall colored dog sweaters. Yes, I'm the crazy lady who dresses up her dogs! I just couldn't resist, they were only $5 each, which is a steal, I think I paid $15 for their Christmas sweaters last year. So, after work I rushed home and let them model their new sweaters. I'm aware that is was 85 degrees outside so that could very well be the reason for their less than excited expressions. Usually, they love their sweaters! Levi didn't seem to mind the mini photo shoot, he posed nicely! Jenna and Toby on the other hand were not very cooperative. They wouldn' even look at the camera. Maybe we'll try again when the weather actually calls for sweaters :)

To top it all off...my dad came by my house this morning and gave me 2 UK/UL football tickets for this weekend! I'm so excited...not only for football but because I'm hoping I'll sneak a visit with my best friend while I'm there!

Popsicles

So, this week I have been majorly sick! My doctor says that I have mono....which is a terrible, terrible thing :( For the last few weeks I had been majorly fatigued and on Tuesday my throat started hurting like never before. When I woke up on Wednesday morning, I knew something was wrong, WAY wrong! I went to the doctor, which is something I never do, and she told me it looked like mono. She sent me to the lab so they could test my blood to be sure. She said that it was in full swing, that is where the fatigue came from and it looked as if I had strep on top of everything...not good, not good at all!

For the last few days I have been stationary on my couch. I'm starting to get a little stir crazy, I haven't left my house in 3 days! Keil has been great though, I feel a little sorry for him because I'm a terribly whiny sick person. He's been great about walking the dogs, picking up the house and even making me soup (that I really have no appetite for). Yesterday my mom brought me the greatest thing in the world...well, it's the greatest thing in the world for me right now because food sounds NO GOOD! They are Pedialyte Popsicles. They are AMAZING! Apparently they are full of electrolytes that keep you hydrated and boy are they good :)

If you have a sick child, I highly recommend them! Or if you know a sick, whiny, 25 year old these would be the perfect "pick-me-up"

gotta get a little mud on the tires :)

What a fun weekend! We began our weekend with a movie night. We got our new netflix movie (the newest Fast & Furious) on Thursday and Keil was stoked! I usually don't consult him before picking a movie, mostly because he never watches them with me but, I'm trying to work on being a little more considerate! It was pretty good! I haven't seen any of the other F&F movies so I was a little lost and Keil had to catch me up but all in all it was a good movie watching experience :) Maybe I'll even let him pick another one...maybe!

We had plans on Saturday to take a motorcycyle ride to "My Old KY Home" in Bardstown but with the weather being uncooperative we decided to stick a litte closer to home. I was a little disappointed because I that is such a beautiful area and would have made for a great day. We ended up riding to Henderson for breakfast then took the scenic route to Owensboro. Extreme Home Makeover is building a house in Owensboro and a lady that volunteers for Girl Scouts and is working to coordinate all of the food for the build tipped me off that the crew had already started to build the frame of the house at the airpark so, we took a little trip to the airpark to see what we could see! There was a ton of lumber and 3 dormer windows that were visible outside of a great big hanger...so that was pretty exciting, well for me it was! After finishing our ride, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, which we rarely get to do!

Sunday was a little hectic. After church, we went straight to my family picnic at Pennyrile. It was great getting to see everyone and baby Davin had a blast too! We had exactly 2 hours to spend with my family because we had to get moving to Keil's family picnic on the other end of the county. After getting our quality family time in, we came home to spend some quality time with our puppies, who were so excited to see us!

Jenna, Levi & Toby...what great door greeters we have :)

And then, we spent the rest of the night watching the Law & Order: SVU marathon...it's our favorite show!

We capped off the weekend by spending the day with our best friends, Jeff & Kristen. We went to Gregory Lake in Muhlenberg County and spent the biggest part of the day playing in the mud! The boys think you aren't having fun unless you are covered in mud...Kristen & I tend to think differently. We always have such a blast with them and today was no exception...the best part was getting to shower when it was over :)

Stuck in a BIG hole!

I guess it's time to get ready for the work week...on the bright side, it's only a 4 day week!

Wisdom

For a few weeks now my neighbor, Kristen, has been posting various verses from Proverbs on her myspace. At first, I casually read it when I got online, then I made a point to check her page daily to see what was next. Now, I catch myself waiting for a new verse from her. The neat thing about the verses that she posts is that they are sequential, she just posts whatever speaks to her at the moment.
So, tonight I thought I'd give it a try. I opened my Bible and flipped to Proverbs. I remembered what Kristen said about just picking a chapter and verse then going to it so that is what I did. Proverbs 2:12 there was no special reason why I selected the numbers that I did, that is just where I ended up. Here is what I found: "Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted."
For those of you who know some of the events that have transpired in the last few weeks, you understand why this verse was so perfect for me at this very moment. It's amazing how God works in such mysterious ways and brings things to light not a minute too soon.
So my goal is to pick a verse a day and see where it takes me...Thanks Kristen for being such an inspiration!

Let's Take A Train Ride!

A few months back, Keil had mentioned taking a train ride, nothing big just one of the KY Scenic train rides. Well, yesterday I got a little bored at work and decided to look into "My Old Kentucky Dinner Train" in Bardstown, convincing myself that I could potentially take one of my Girl Scout groups there I was okay with surfing while at work. After seeing the pricing I knew taking a Girl Scout group was out of the question!

I was thinking maybe it would be something fun to do for my birthday in December. So, as I was browsing the schedule I noticed that they have some special events, in Ocotber they do a "trunk or treat" train ride for kids and in December they have the "polar express" ride. Well, I saw that in November they have a Murder Mystery Dinner...how much fun would that be!?! My plan then changed from a birthday trip to getting a group of friends to go. I sent out an email giving the details and instantly had 2 people respond, I'm still waiting on a few of you! Tickets for the dinner are about $98 each but group discounts are given for more than 10 people, so that is what we are working on now. It include a four course meal, two and a half hour train ride and the murder mystery, I think it's super reasonable!
I'm so excited about it I cannot stand it! Keil even showed a bit of excitement about it too :) Check it out and see for yourself

Weekend Recap

I just love weekend, especially those where nothing is on the agenda. Unfortunately, I don't have very many of those.

Well, Friday afternoon I raced home after work to see if my new purse was on the doorstep. When I pulled into the driveway I didn't see anything on the front porch and I was super disappointed. I just knew it was going to be there! Keil had beaten me home and he was outside working in the yard, right as I was walking up our front steps he said, " There is a package for you in the living room" I squealed with excitement knowing that my new handbag had arrived. I couldn't get the box open quick enough...but as soon as I did, I took it outside to show Keil (knowing his level of excitement wouldn't be anywhere near mine). The rest of the night was super simple, we ordered pizza and watched tv...exciting, I know.

Keil had to work for his parents on Saturday so I was home alone and had the whole day to myself. I got up as he was leaving and made a list of everything I was going to do. First, I flipped through my new Kraft Food & Family magazine (that Amy introduced me to). It's a magazine that has a ton of great recipes: quick, simple and affordable!
So, before going to the grocery I decided on 7 new dishes for the week, most of them from the magazine and a couple from Pampered Chef. Keil and I joke that we only eat chicken or spaghetti so I thought it was time for a change! I selected the new recipes and made my shopping list, then I was on my way!

After returning from the grocery, I clean out the fridge and freezer as I was putting things away. After getting my refridgerator clean I moved right on down the list: laundry, dishes, floors, windows, clean out the closet and organize my shoes, mow the yard and change the sheets on the bed. I felt so accomplished! And around 6 o'clock I dove into one of our 7 new meals, a cheddar chicken & pototoe skillet. When Keil called and asked what was for dinner and I proudly told him the name of our new dish, he seemed a little concerned. Yes, it had chicken but, it was something I had never made. It was amazing and I strongly recommed you try it! Dinner in 30 minutes :)

On Sunday, we did the usual. Breakfast at Ruth & Bob's, our favorite little dive then to church. Keil and I have been going to this church for about 2 months now and it is a perfect fit for both of us. The atmosphere is so relaxed and the members are so welcoming. I honestly do not believe I have ever felt so at home with a group of strangers. It's amazing!

After church, I had a 1st Birthday Party to attend. I love birthdays, especially 1st birthdays! Landen, my cousin Ray's little boy turned one. We had a great afternoon at the park with family and chocolate cupcakes!

It was such a great weekend! Although I got so much accomplished it was such an easy and relaxing weekend...I wish we had more of those!

I LOVE HANDBAGS!

So for a few years now I have really love Kathy van Zeeland handbags. They are so cute and so affordable, which is a great thing at this point in my life! I don't have a lot of them becuase once I find a bag I love I carry it forever. Well, the other day as I was flipping through the channels I got stuck on QVC (yes, I know your grandmother shops on QVC but now, so do I). Kathy van Zeeland was there showcasing some of her new handbags and I was captivated. So I called my mom, who is an avid QVC shopper and asked her how to order one. I called and set up my very own account and ordered this amazing bag!

They told me the expected arrival date was the 24th, and I figured it would arrive much quicker. So, for the last 3 days I have been checking the UPS site religiously to see what the status of my delivery is. This morning, I checked and it is on its way from Madisonville to my doorstep! I am thinking of leaving work early ;)

Pepe Le Pew!

Last Tuesday night as Keil and I were sleeping we had a very unexpected, unwelcome visitor, our friendly neighborhood skunk! It's actually a pretty funny story. A few nights before, we were outside on our neighbors (Kristen & Jeff) front porch when we saw this cute little skunk run across a yard on the other side of the street. It came into our yard and ran into the tile that goes under our driveway. Kristen and I got the camera and tried to take a picture but the little stinker wouldn't come out.So, there we were asleep with our puppy mafia (we've decided to get a bigger bed as both of us and the three dogs are becoming a tight squeeze) and all of a sudden Toby, our rat terrier, starts barking uncontrollably. Keil yelled at him but it didn't really deter him, he just kept on barking and making these horrible whining sounds. Then there was SILENCE! A horrid smell filled my nose and I looked at Keil and said, "Do you think that skunk is in this house?" He replied, "Surely not!" Now, I know you may be asking yourself, "How in the world would a skunk get in a house?" Well, being the dog lovers that we are, we have a doggie door that goes out into a fenced in portion of our backyard. And yes, apparently skunks use doggie doors too!

Keil opened the door and sure enough there he was...Pepe! He had somehow gotten inside our fence and found our doggie door. I think Toby barking scared him and he let loose! I believe Toby's silence came right after he was sprayed by the skunk...it was not good. He walked around like he was scared to death, he didn't know what to do! Keil shouted and I guess it let the little skunk know he was unwelcome because he darted right back out the doggie door. So, at midnight we were giving Toby a bath in tomato juice (thank God Keil drinks V8) and baking soda.
The smell removal from Toby was the easy part. Our entire house smelled of skunk...and if you think its bad when you smell one driving down the road, just imagine it being in your home! I did some research and found that one drop of skunk spray can linger in a 2000 square foot house for approximately one month, my house is only 1000 square feet, so needless to say I was worried. I read online that there is this stuff called "Skunk-Off" made by Natures Miracle that is pretty much magic.

I bought every bottle that Rural King had, along with vinegar and baking soda to wash our clothes in. I sprayed every square inch of the house and had to spread baking soda on the floors and let it set for 4 hours. All of our clothes in the closet had to be washed to get rid of the odor so it was a great opportunity to clean out my closet! After about 12 hours of skunk-off, the smell was completely gone! But definitely not forgotten :) We have decided to start closing the doggie door at night so our little friend will not make another appearance.

One Great Day

On Saturday I took all of my bridesmaids shopping for their dresses. I was so excited, not only to pick out dresses but to have all of my best friends in one room at the same time. The great thingabout these women is that I became friends with them at such different points in my life but thatour friendships have lasted and I know that they always will. My mom thought it was a little funny that none of the girls had ever met (and I guess it was) but having them all in the same room just made my heart warm!

Tiffany is one of my oldest friends, we go way back. My mom and her mom are best friends so our friendship was one that just sort of happened because we spent so much time together as young children. I can remember staying at her house and her staying at mine when we were little, I thought she was so cool and I was cool because I got to hang out with her. Tiffany and I have a lot in common and I can trust her with anything.

Allyson and I have been friends since like the 5th grade. We were on basketball and softball teams together and our friendship really blossomed in high school when she rode to school with me everyday. Although, we don't see one another very often we never miss a beat. The great thing about our friendship is that no matter how much time passes between visits, nothing ever changes.

Kali and I actually knew each other in high school but weren't really close. We started spending time together about a year ago since we have many mutual friends. I think our first "date" was dinner and movie (one that we couldn't get our men to go see). I realized then that she and I could be great friends. Although we hadn't spent much time together in the past our conversation was so easy and natural. She is my workout buddy, since no one else with go to body pump with me. And she's probably the only person who will go to the gym and stop by Tumbleweed to have a margarita before going home!

And, then there is Amy. Amy and I became friends my sophomore year of college and have been going strong ever since. We spent many sunny days poolside at our apartment complex and many great nights out in Richmond. She is one of the strongest women I know. We aren't the kind of friends that have to talk daily or see each other all the time but when we do,it's like we are still neighbors in "smuf village" :)

All of these women are so incredible and I am a better person because of every single one of them. My grandmother once told me that a person is very lucky to have a handful of true friends throughout their lifetime. I guess I'm one of those lucky people! They didn't all come into my life at one time but I truly believe that they will all be there until the end.

Oh, and I guess you are probably wondering if they decided on a dress. Well, they did! And they all look so beautiful (just as I knew they would).

Let the Fun Begin...

I'm new to this whole blogging thing, so bear with me as I begin this adventure! After becoming fascinated with others blogs, I've decided to start one of my own and just see where it takes me!From crazy days at work, adventures with my besties and planning my wedding, it's sure to be a wild ride! Stay tuned as my "beautiful mess" unfolds.