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2011-08-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Baby #2: Part 3

2011-07-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

*** SO Sorry this took so long to finish!! Turns out having two kids, working, and a husband who works full time and goes to school full time is kind of a time killer. As always, never a dull moment....anyway

Needless to say I didn't get very good sleep that night. I ran to the car trying to cover up my sobbing until we were in a private place. There were so many thoughts running through my head.

I didn't like knowing that this was our last night as a family of three. This was the last night I would be reading to Addyson as she falls asleep next to me. The last time I would feel those kicks and hiccups before we would bring this baby into the world.

Induction.

One word I hoped to never hear.

With Addyson I had a completely natural child birth, no pitocin to progress labor, no epidural to take the edge off, no nothin. And that was my intent with our second baby.

The most prominent thought in my head; I am scared to death. What scared me most was not only the health of our baby but the road to getting that baby out. I was afraid of the un-predictable part of induction because it's not your body telling you it's ready, it's medicine making your body do it. I have only heard horror stories of Pitocin. If I had to be induced I was going to try other methods to get labor going without the use of Pitocin. My midwife understood my concerns and introduced a cervical ripening gel to get things moving. This gel was used to help me soften or "efface" since I was only at 50% when checking in and you can't dilate if you are not effaced. I was administered the first dose at 9:30pm and it was not a pleasant experience. I'm not going to go into the details but it's not something I would wish on anyone. Good news is the "issue" didn't last long and I was able to try and get some rest before the next dose would need to be given.

It was a sleepless night. I was hooked up to monitors and every time I turned over something would get messed up so the nurse would come in to adjust things. So I tried to stay as still as possible and that meant being severly uncomfortable and staying up most of the night. At 3a.m I was given another does of ripening gel, this time a different brand, and things went much better. By 7 a.m I was in active labor. I was feeling great so we walked around the hospital many may times and progress was starting to slow. With the threat of pitocin looming over my head we continued to walk and pray until we decided to have my water broken in order to see if things progress. Can I just mention that my nurse during this time was amazing? She totally knew what I needed to hear during each part of this ordeal and I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

After getting my water broken things started to pick up again and get more painful but we continued to walk, and walk, and walk until the nurse wanted me in bed to be on the monitors for a while. I was at 5 cm at this point and getting very frustrated with the lack of progress. All of the sudden the contractions started stacking up but my monitors were not reading them so no one believed me =) I really felt like I needed to push. Of course my nurse went on break at this time so I had to have someone else check me and she said I was only at 6 cm and I guess that made me mad because 25 min later I was at 10 and ready to push. This is probably going to sound weird but that first time I pushed it felt amazing. My midwife just kept saying do what your body is telling you and it felt so nice to have that control. That with each contraction I knew what I needed to do without someone telling me it's time to do this. And 3 pushes later...

Landon Thomas was welcomed into the world at 2:37 PM on May 7, 2011

5lbs 12oz and 20 inches long

Love at first sight. He's my boy and I feel so blessed to have him in our family. Labor was so much better then with Addyson despite all the complications leading up to this point. And just for future reference I adored having a midwife over an OBGYN. The one-on-one contact and personalized experience made everything just amazing.

He passed all the tests with flying colors and we were able to bring him home after a total of 4 days and 3 nights in the hospital (I tested positive for strep b so we had to stay until he was 48hours old).

Landon is very bald, he is just long and skinny (but eats like a champ), and I find it hard to remember life without him.

Hope that didn't draw out too long! I have a lot to share and so many details to never forget.

Until next time...

Baby #2: Part 2

2011-07-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

We had an ultrasound when we reached week 36 and baby was still breech so I had no choice but to schedule a C-section. That meant having to switch to a doctor after meeting with a midwife the entire length of my pregnancy. We scheduled the C-section for May 1, 39 weeks, so that I could have the doctor who I saw with my first pregnancy deliver baby boy via C-section. After a few more appointments were set including pre-op and regular visits we had one more ultrasound to check position of baby. And wouldn't you know it at 38 weeks, just 3 days before my scheduled C-section, baby boy flipped over and all bets were off. We were back with the midwives to wait out his arrival.

At my 39 week appointment, Wednesday May 4, I measured at only 35 weeks. Our midwife was concerned so she had me schedule an ultrasound for the following day just to make sure that the baby's fluid levels hadn't dropped making it necessary for actions to be taken. On Thursday we had our ultrasound and fluid levels were within the normal range so she decided to do some additional measurements. I thought ok, i'm just going to have a small baby and he'll come when he wants to come everything is great. That was until she came back into the room and told me that my midwife wanted to speak with me.

Devastated. It turns out my baby boy was not growing like he was supposed to and it was a bigger issue then I thought. Out of concern for the health of the baby it was decided that I was to be induced on Friday @ 7 pm.

To be continued...

Baby #2: Part 1

2011-07-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

After getting married Adam and I knew we wanted to expand our family, and we wanted to get started as soon as possible. Doing the math from conceiving right after our wedding our children would be exactly 3 years apart. (Conceive in early June, due Early March).

Well...things didn't work out that way. I don't know why it bothered me so much, I guess I just thought things happened so easily with Addyson (especially since she was completely un-planned by us) that things would be just as easy with this one. We only tried for two months and by the end of August (my 24th birthday to be exact) we found out that #2 was on his/her way! Our due date being May 8th, which is my parent's anniversary and mother's day 2011!

This pregnancy was different then with Addyson but similar in other ways. Physically the symptoms were the same; exhaustion, nausea (no vomiting), occasional headaches, and losing weight instead of gaining for a while. Emotionally it was much different...It's difficult to recall because I don't want to remember how hard it was for me the first 12 weeks. But we don't need to get into that.

We made the decison to find out the sex of the baby but we were due to find out just before Christmas so figured, why don't we just wait and have it be our present to eachother. We had the ultrasound technician write the gender down and we trusted our good friend Julia with the results until Christmas eve when I would bring them home to open in the morning. I would like to say we could trust our family but I have a feeling they would just pretend they knew and make me angry for a few weeks until we found out ourselves =)

So how did I feel about having a boy? The initial few days were filled with anxiety and worrying. I don't want to say I know how to raise girls because I don't know how by any means, it's just what I am familiar with because of having Addyson first. I felt so overwhelmed with the idea of having a boy; all the new clothes we would have to get along with crib set, car seat, stroller, etc. It seemed like a huge weight in my pocketbook in addition to the weight in my tummy and given my un-stable emotional state I had a bit of a breakdown. As time went on my excitement grew and I couldn't wait to bring our boy home.

Baby boy was measuring small from 30 weeks on, I would measure about a week behind what I was supposed to be at. I wasn't alarmed at all because I had the same issue with Addyson. It just means getting a couple more ultrasounds to measure growth right? Well at our 30 week ultrasound baby boy decided it was best to be feet first. I knew we had plenty of time left for him to switch around but as weeks passed and he never turned I started to feel discouraged.

More later, must get back to work!

I will do better

2011-07-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been on here in too long to mention.

We are now a family of four. Adam and I welcomed our son, Landon, on May 7 and he is absoultely perfect. I feel like our family is where it's supposed to be now. Does that mean we are done having kids? I'm not sure yet. But at the moment our family feels like the puzzle is complete and I am loving it. I really want to post more on my pregnancy, the struggles/emotions/joys/pain of this past year but it will have to wait.

This blog really is for me now. I have been struggling lately trying to find an outlet to vent while also trying to seek advice from other mothers and women of Faith. I need a forum to get emotions out when I can no longer hold them in. I need this. When I was here before I felt like it was just trying to compete and post pictures not really getting deep into anything really. Although when I did dig deep people got offended and things got confusing and really too much for me. Now I just don't care.

So, until next time...

Never a dull moment

2010-07-29T09:26:00.001-07:00

I have been so busy lately and showing no signs of slowing down. I have been able to pick up shifts at work which has me working about 35 hours a week. The good thing is it's all when Adam is home so we don't have to pay for child care, but the bad thing is I don't get to see Adam very much anymore except just before bed time.

Addyson is busy busy busy. I think we have reached the "terrible 2's" in full force this week. She is always into something or getting upset or wanting something and it's crazy around my house. She has started to learn a few songs and she sings them all the time! It's adorable to hear her in the back seat singing "head, shoudlers, knees and toes" and she loves the clean up song, if only she actually cleaned up after....She has become a great helper in other ways though. If she finds trash she will show it to me and get approval to put it in the garbage. She also opens the refrigerator to get a cup out if she wants more to drink. Although sometimes she drives me to the edge I wouldn't trade any minute I have to spend with her. She teaches me new things every day and helps me appreciate all we have.

On top of all of this I have joined a committee to plan an event that the benefits go to the Women's Resource Center which helps women pay for dental and medical care for low income women. I know I shouldn't be taking more on my plate right now but this is something I really believe in and I am excited for the opportunity to make a difference. Our second meeting is tonight and the planning is going great so far. The event will be called the "Boo Ball" and held at the end of October at the local Hilton hotel. We are working on finding sponsors and donations for the silent auction so if anyone has any ideas then shoot them my way!

So what else is new. My brother is getting married in 2 weeks. So it's all things wedding yet again including Bachelorette parties, helping make centerpieces, planning a rehearsal dinner (because my family thought I planned my wedding so well I could do this easily...), and finding clothes for my famliy to wear to the wedding. Adam is an usher so we need to pay for his tux this week and I am an "usherette" so I have to find a dress that is either pink, green, or black (the wedding colors). I think the couple is starting to freak out about things but they aren't asking for help so hopefully we make it through smoothly.

My work facility is closed the first week of August so that will be nice to catch up with family time and catch up on this disaster I call a home. **when i say disaster it's just messier then I like, there are a few dishes on the counter and toys on the floor but it drives me nuts =) its not like we're living in trash and dirty laundry

Until next time...

Am I Really Back Again?

2010-07-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

I have been gone for....a very long time...

It's just that I have had a lot on my plate the past couple of months and when I do get a free moment I would rather be creating new memories with my little family then writing about the old ones.

I really do want to get better about this whole blogging thing but it's a work in progress for me! I was talking to my best friend Christie and we hadn't spoke for about 2 weeeks (she was in the middle of 6 weddings in 4 different states along with tons of church things for her husband, so she's forgiven!). She asked what I had been up to and I couldn't remember...so she suggested that I keep up on blogging so that when she calls after 2 weeks we acutally have things to catch up on!!

So here it goes!! The past two months written within 30 minutes or less...

Well perhaps first and most importantly I got married!!

The Dress

The Groom

The Groom and his men

The Bride and her "maids"

The day was absolutely perfect and I wouldn't change a single thing. I had always hoped I would look back on my wedding like that and I did! I am so grateful for everyone who came to celebrate with us and supported us throughout this whole wedding process. It was magical and I wish I could experience it every weekend!

The most adorable little flower girl and ring bearer there ever was in the entire history of the universe!!

That's my husband!!

Our precious little girl

I love these pictures

We're Married!!!!

After the amazing wedding Adam had two weeks off to spend together and go on our honeymoon. We were able to spend the week after the wedding sorting wedding gifts, writing thank you notes, and returning/exchanging gifts. The second week we were off to our honeymoon in Florida!

The living room and kitchen in our room

HUGE bedroom and HUGE tub, in the bedroom ;)

We have the same last name now! It's so weird to get used to!

Our resort was so nice and everyone was incredibly friendly and inviting. It was so nice walking through the lobby in the morning and being greeted as "Mr. and Mrs. 'S'"!! We spent most of our time just relaxing on the beach and eating to our hearts content without a worry in the world. We left bills, chores, obligations, and troubles at home and spent the week re-connecting just the two of us. We didn't take many pictures, I wanted the time to be ours so I kept the camera in the room instead of obsessivly trying to pose.

When we got home it was back to reality...We got home on Friday and it was back to work for Adam on Monday. I was anxious to use some of our new wedding gifts so we had my family over for dinner the next weekend. It was at our get together when I found out that I got a job! It's just a part time receptionist job but it's something and I am very happy to have one burden lifted off my shoulders. I am still able to be home all day with Addyson and then I work a couple of nights during the week and every other weekend.

Father's day also happened in the past two months! ha!! We did our traditional go up to Rocky Mountain National Park for breakfast and wandering around the lake. I would like to say it is relaxing but getting the kids up that early is asking for grumpiness by noon. Oh well, still got some good pictures out of it.

Jordan was "fishing"

My brother James and their newest addition Brayden or "Mr.B" as Addyson calls him

I am sure I am missing plenty of information but I have a daughter who is waking up from her nap and needs some lunch! So...

Until next time...

Details, details, details...

2010-05-03T19:37:00.002-07:00

Ok, so we are officially in the last 3 weeks before the wedding. It's hard to believe that I have been engaged for over a year and it is all about to come down to this one day that took so long to plan and pull together. It's just un-real.

Coming up it's all the last minute details and paying off all remaining balances. The good news is majority of the "big" expenses are taken care of it's just these little things that are all over the place.

On Friday we will have our final walk-through/details meeting with the hotel and actually go to the ceremony site and plan things out. Where the alter will be, how the chairs will be set up, where our water station is, where our grand entrance will come from, and many other details. What's awesome is the next day we have the MS walk at the same sculpture park where our ceremony is so I get to see it all two days in a row!!

Just a glimpse of it's beauty...

So what still needs to be done:

1) The wedding programs.
I printed 75 and had my bridesmaids over to assemble them and I hate them. I feel like I have so many unique aspects to my wedding that my programs just fell short of what I pictured. I am a person who is very into details, I like to remember absolutely everything and the programs are just not...good enough. So, it's back to the drawing board and hopefully I'll come up with something SOON!

2) The favors.
I have a great idea for favors I just haven't been able to track down a place where I can get them. They used to be carried in bulk at our Sam's club but not anymore...I'll have to clear out shelves at another local store I guess.

3) The intro into the reception.

Adam and I have an intro planned and it is awesome but there is an aspect of it that we have to get creative with and it's just not happening! I wish I could divulge more information but I don't want to ruin the surprise for our guests =)

4) Finishing the gifts for our groomsmen and ushers

Things are coming together!!

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!

2010-05-03T19:37:00.001-07:00

IN 27 DAYS!!!

Honesty

2010-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

To begin I want to share some family news!! James and Alysha had their new baby boy, Brayden Joseph! He was born at 9:27 a.m on April 20, 2010, weighed 7lbs8oz, 20 inches long. He has hair, it's very dark, and looks very little like his big brother! His birth was FAST. Well, maybe not the labor part since that lasted a few hours, but the pushing part lasted about 15 minutes!! Crazy fast, i'm almost envious! I would share more but it's not really my story to tell! The happy little family is home now and adjusting to life as a family of 4. It's so weird to see my brother with 2 kids but it is helpful to see them juggling both because it gives me hope for my future!

Jordan and James holding new baby Brayden.

MOVING ON:

For those who know me in real life they should know me as an honest person. If I have a problem with something I am not shy to annouce it. This could be considered a bad thing but I try to keep opinions to myself I am just easily read by some people =)

One thing that I feel I need to be honest about in order to get something done about it is, my weight.

I had a baby 2 years ago. During my pregnancy I gained 40 pounds. It's not an un-reasonable amount, not too little or too much in my opinion. The problem is however I have only lost about 25 pounds since I had Addyson...2 years ago...I know that the body is supposed to change after a baby but I never imagined it would be like this.

I am at a loss. I don't over-eat, I am not a couch potato, but I have these stingy areas on my body that won't go away. Namely my stomach, hips, arms, and my fat face. In case you can't tell I am not having a positive outlook today!

According to MSN fitness and health these are the...
10 BEST WEIGHT-LOSS TIPS EVER

1. SNACK, BUT SMARTLY

Grazing between meals used to be on the weight-loss hit list. But nutritionists now know that it's better to satisfy a craving with healthy grub than ignore it and risk a junk-food binge later. The best picks are filling, protein-packed snacks, such as one stick of string cheese, a tablespoon of peanut butter on a piece of fruit, or a medium-size bowl of edamame.

Issue #1: See I don't really think I have a problem with snacking. Maybe that's an issue, that I don't snack...

2. TURN OFF THE TV

Dining while viewing can make you take in 40 percent more calories than usual, reports a new study. And texting, driving, or any other distracting activity during a meal can also result in your eating too much. Instead, make each meal something you put on a plate and sit down to, even if you're eating solo.

Issue #2: I actually do pretty well with this one. For sure at dinner we turn the TV off and have family meal but breakfast and lunch with just Addyson and I doesn't usually work out. I put the TV on to keep her distracted so I can make her meal without a little girl around my feet, and then the TV just stays on.

3. STEP ON THE SCALE DAILY

If your regular weight increases several days in a row, it's a red flag letting you know you need to cut back a little or beef up your workouts slightly.

Issue #3: I don't have weight increases so that's good, it's just not going down...

4. SCULPT THREE TIMES A WEEK

Doing 5 minutes each of push-ups, lunges, and squats (in 30-second intervals) will help build and maintain muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, so you'll torch more calories as you go about your day.

Issue #4: Never tried this, i'll add it to my list

5. REACH FOR YOUR CELL

Next time your mind gets stuck on a certain food, call a friend and redirect your brain by asking how her day's going. Research shows that cravings only last about 5 minutes, so by the time you hang up, the urge to devour junk will have subsided.

Issue #5: I WILL be trying this one! Be prepared friends for evening phone calls when all I want is brownies!!

6. EAT A BIG, BALANCED BREAKFAST

An a.m. meal made up mostly of carbs and protein with some fat keeps blood-sugar levels steady and hunger pangs away so you're not susceptible to pigging out come lunch, studies show. Opt for something satisfying for your stomach and taste buds — like egg whites and turkey bacon with whole-wheat toast.

Issue #6: egg whites, ok, turkey bacon, disgusting, whole wheat toast of course. This menu is just not in the cards for me, because Addyson will not eat any of it but possibly the toast. I pretty much make a menu for her which is usually fruit and a carb.

7. WATCH THE BOOZE

One innocent-looking margarita or cosmopolitan can rack up hundreds of calories that do nothing to quench your appetite. Treat yourself just on the weekends and cut back somewhere else or stick to a glass of wine, light beer, or vodka and soda — three drinks that each have about 100 calories per serving.

Issue 7: Yea, I don't really drink often so this is fine.

8. HAVE FRUIT TWICE A DAY

Fruit has no fat and is mostly water, so it'll fill you up while leaving less room on your plate (and in your stomach) for high-cal fare. Don't freak about fruit's carb count — we're talking the good kind of carbohydrates that contain lots of healthy fiber.

Issue #8: We love fruit around here. On a regular basis our fridge is stocked with apples, oranges, strawberries, and sometimes blackberries or blue berries. So I'll work on this.

9. STAY ASLEEP LONGER

Getting to bed just 30 minutes earlier and waking up 30 minutes later than you normally do can help you make better food choices, researchers report. Also, when you're well-rested, you're less prone to snacking out of fatigue or stress.

Issue #9: I get A LOT of sleep. Addyson is really the best kid. She goes to bed at 9:30pm and wakes up around 8:30-9:00 am. Perfect. I usually stay up and read until about 11 and use addy as my alarm clock . PERFECTION

10. VISUALIZE YOURSELF THIN

When you feel your willpower breaking, conjure up a mental picture of yourself when you looked and felt slim. The visual motivation keeps you focused on your goal weight and reminds you that it is attainable, since you've achieved it before.

Issue #10: It really depends on the day with this one. Every once in a while I feel amazing about my body and am excited about my clothing and other days I hate absolutely everything about my body. Unfortunately the hating my body happens more often as of late...

It is with these tips that I hope to transform my image beore my wedding and honeymoon on the beach...I fell my major issue is accountabilty. I am alone in this work-out routine and have no one to keep me motivated except for Jillian Michels when I put her on the TV. It's rough....that's all I have to say

Until next time...

Another One Bites The Dust

2010-04-15T18:42:00.001-07:00

While today has been EXTREMELY productive it has also been very stressful!!

After my huge wedding dress fiasco I thought nothing else could be as bad and I would make it through the rest of my wedding planning with smooth sailing.

That however, is not the case...

I find out this moring that the resturant we had reserved for our rehearsal dinner has been closed. Yes. Closed. Never to re-open again.

"Johnny Carino’s Italian Grill in **blank** shut its doors abruptly this morning closing down the 13-year-old eatery and putting about 40 employees out of work.
A note on the door, posted by 8 a.m., said that as of today the location had permanently closed."

While this is a road bump I would have liked to avoid at least it's 6 weeks before the wedding so I have time to find a new place. And luckily it was not as severe as my wedding dress thing...

In other news:

* We are still waiting on the arrival of nephew #2 from James and Alysha

* Adam is building picnic tables and I am selling them on craigslist, we have sold two so far. I am very proud of our little side business =)

* We just got a patio set with 6 chairs so I expect to be having bbq's very soon!

* I am still trying to choose colors for our master bathroom and bedroom. While I have decided on them Adam is the one still objecting. If I didn't need his help I would just do it myself!!

* I am making brownies at the moment because my house smells like garlic from dinner. I know I could just light a candle but brownies just sound soooo much better!!

* Adam and I came up with THE BEST gift for our groomsmen/ushers. Here is a little hint

That's all your gettin until after the wedding! Which is in 45 DAYS!!!

Brownies are done!!

Until next time...

Waiting, waiting, and more waiting...

2010-04-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Addyson, my mom, and I went to help Alysha around her house before the baby comes. The nesting instinct has kicked in and she needed help moving things around the nursery since she can't lift, bend, or stand =)

Since we finished with house chores early I decided to commence in inducing Alysha's labor through every natural way I could think of.

After our relaxing lunch at Red Robin we decided to go to Off Broadway Shoes during which time Alysha started to have contractions. The more we walked the closer they got and they continued in the car on the way back to her house.

We decided to start timing the contractions with the use of the "Contraction Timer" App I downloaded on my phone. It told us the duration of the contraction and the frequency (or how many minutes they were apart). It was very helpful! We timed for two hours with consistent contractions every 2-3 minutes but Alysha didn't feel ready to the hospital. We decided to sit. And that's when the contractions slowed down....and got slower...and slower...and stopped. About 7:30 pm we were 15 minutes apart.

Since things slowed down so much we decided to head home and keep on stand-by for the night to see if any contractions would start again. And they did. About 12 A.M I got a text from James saying contractions have been 2-3 min. apart for an hour and a half and they were looking at going to the hospital. Six minutes later I got a message they were on their way.

Knowing the up's and down's of being in labor I decided to just stay at home and wait since we weren't sure if she would stay or not.

She measured the same as at the doctor last week so they monitored her for an hour and sent her home.

So that's where we are at this morning. My dad is at their house watching Jordan so James and Alysha can get some sleep after a long night.

Perhaps today will be the day that I have a new baby nephew?!?!

Until next time...

Soap Box Monday

2010-04-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Things that annoy me:

Snow in spring

** It's just lame. I have decided to officially protest winter by wearing flip flops all the time, despite the 30 degree temperatures threatening to freeze my pretty toes off. I will only wear shoes when I go to work out. There I said it.

Buying things full price

** Seriously I had to buy Addyson some short sleeve shirts since the weather was warm last week and I couldn't find any at clearance at two stores so I ended up buying 2 at full price...granted they were only $4 each but still, when she only wears them for one summer that seems ridiculous.

The dog

** Baylee is Adam's dog, plain and simple. Even though we bought him togehter 5 years ago he never bonded with me like he did with Adam, probably because I left him and went to school in Wyoming for a year....He annoys me because when Adam is not home in the evening and I have to feed him he will just sit and stare at his food until Adam tells him it's ok to eat. He would rather starve then listen to me...

Finding a job

** I have done all that is asked of me. I have contacted every possible contact I can think of despite my embarassment and yet I still hear nothing. I thought things were looking up for me in this area but alas, still no job.

Things I am excited about!!

OUR WEDDING!!

** Coming up in less then 2 months I will oficially be married to my high school sweetheart =) Plans are going famously and I have almost every tiny detail finished. The rehearsal dinner plans were finalized this morning, my dress got finished with alterations last week (and i still love it!), and most of the boys have already been measured for their tux!

The birth of my nephew!

** Any day now!! My sister-in-law went to the doctor today and she is dilated 2-3 cm (funny when my brother told me this he said inches!) and the doctor could feel his head! When James and Alysha had their first I was there for the entire process and it was amazing. I rushed down as soon as they told me contractions had started and 18 hours later Jordan James entered the world! I wasn't in the room but I heard his first little cry from outside the door and it brought tears to my eyes. Can't wait to mee their new little boy!!

Projects, projects, and more projects

** Adam has been in super builder mode and told me to make a list of things that I want built for the house. So far he has done 2 picnic tables and will gather materials for the bookcase and bench this afternoon. I just wish I had something to do that would be helpful...I want some type of hobby but I don't have brain power to think of something. I guess my hobby is looking for jobs everyday and taking care of our wonderful baby girl.

I will post pictures from Easter weekend another day but I am just not in the mood to upload pictures and edit. We did have a blast though! Easter is my favorite holiday for so many reasons and it just keeps getting better =)

Until next time...

Crafty Weekend

2010-03-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

As I write this post Adam is hard at work in the garage building this...

A picnic table the perfect size for our little Addyson! (not in these colors though)

We have been busy doing home improvement projects this weekend which has required 2 trips to home depot. The first night we went for "inspiration" on indoor and outdoor projects and today has resulted in a large purchase of building materials, paint, tools, and other misc. items!

We bought enough materials to build two of these little tables, one for Addyson and one for Jordan since his birthday party is tomorrow! I got paint for his in BRIGHT orange and BRIGHT blue (colors of the Florida Gators), but I haven't decided what to do with Addyson's yet...

I will post pictures when we have the final product!!

Until next time...

Bridal Shower Weekend!

2010-03-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

After a 2 hour drive to the airport (it should have taken 1) Adam and Christie made it safe to Colorado and to their respective homes =)

I know Adam just got back from a business trip but Christie was also in town so most of my weekend was spent at Christie's parents house.

On Saturday my bridesmaids Christie, Courtney, Julia, and I got together to make favors and some snacks for my wedding shower on Sunday. Times like that remind me of high school and how we had all the time in the world to hang out with little to no responsibilites...Courtney brought her sweet little puppy Willow so she was my distraction while the girls got to work on the bridal shower things =) When we got finished with everything Courtney had to head home so Julia, Christie, Aimee (Christie's younger sister) and I went out to dinner. Since Christie is not in town very often we wanted to go to places she can't get in Indiana, so Saturday was Jim's wings night! Jim's wings is a staple in this college town and we got hooked in high school. They used to have a special on Monday's of .25 cent wings which meant we were always at someone's house on Monday's eating wings and watching TV while doing "homework".

Sunday was my bridal shower and I first off have to thank everyone who was there, you all made my day very special and I will never forget it. Christie and I had prepared this menu and everything turned out beautifully. We had a chocolate fountain with many different "dippers" and a few savory items along with frozen peach punch =) It was delicious! I would put pictures but I have to blame Courtney for not sending them to me yet =) It was a blast and we didn't stop the party when everyone left.

Adam brought Addyson over to pick me up and we ended up staying there until 930 when we had to get home since it was Sunday and Adam had to work at 630 the next morning. Since Jim's was on Saturday we decided to pick up food from Big City Burrito on Sunday. I freaking love Big City. But the only good one to eat at is in my hometown. The ones in the surrounding cities is just not...dirty enough...=) there is just something about hippies and mexicans that make it excellent!!

This weekend was just perfect and I can't thank those who participated enough for making it so memorable!

Yesterday we went through our gifts and got them distributed throughout our house or put away to exchange/return. So this afternoon we will head into town to do some shopping and hopefully finalize our wedding favors so I can cross another thing off my list! I need to get my wedding progams finished too so if anyone has creative ideas on how to spice them up I would appreciate it!

Until next time...

Today is the Day!!

2010-03-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

Adam comes home today!!! Addyson and I are so excited to have Daddy home again, we have missed him so much =)

As much as I love Colorado this whole snow in March is NOT cool. I know that March is sometimes our snowiest month but I am OVER IT. If all of this snow nonsense inhibits Adam coming home and Christie coming in for the weekend I am going to FREAK OUT. It is coming down pretty bad, and it's not pretty, it's ugly and hateful snow and I want to punch it.

Ok, time to settle down....So I leave for the airport today at about 3:30 so I can navigate through this awful weather to meet Christie at the airport!! Then we get to wander around and watch the planes for an hour until Adam's flight comes in! yippie!!

Before going to the airport the plan was to pick up my bridesmaid dresses that came in so I can deliver them this weekend since we will all be together, but this snow is really messing with my motivation. I just do not want to take Addyson through downtown Denver in the snow just to try and find parking and end up parking across the street in the resturant parking lot and then have to find the elevator that we could not find last time and ended up carrying addyson in the stroller up two flights of stairs and all of this in the snow. SNOW, YOU RUIN MY DAY!!

In case you can't tell, I do no like the snow today. I try to stay indifferent most snowy days but I have big plans today and those big plans do not include driving on icy streets to pick up two people from the airport.

Until next time...

Stuck in the Middle...

2010-03-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

...of a very LONG week.

I wish I could be full of Irish cheer right now but at this moment right now Addyson is screaming at me from her high chair because she wants apple sauce for dinner and I am not giving in. I am more then willing to give her what she needs but it is my responsibility as a parent to present the food, it is the toddler's choice to eat it or not. At least that's what I learned in Nutrition of the Preschool child...shh i think she might take a bite....SUCCESS!! Mommy is not a horrible cook.

Anyways...

This week has been very tough for me without having Adam around. I am used to being a stay at home mom so Addyson is not getting to me, it's just the loneliness of adult interaction that I crave in the evenings. Adam gets off work at 3 daily so we have the evenings as a family to take walks, make dinner, watch tv, and cuddle on the couch. But since Adam is out of town on business I am very lonely in the evenings and have forgotten how to entertain Addyson for 12-14 hours of a day. There is only so much I can do that keeps her happy at night since she is anti-nap right now, which I am sure does not help things at all.

I made it through Sunday with a few tears shed and vowed to make Monday a great day with my daughter running the many errands we had scheduled for the week. Unfortunately my parents called Monday morning and told me they had to put our family dog down which we have had for 16 years. When my mom and I spoke earlier in the morning she said they had to bring Trixie to the vet but I had no idea that they were going to return home without her...I told my parents I didn't want to know when they had to do it because the anticipated grief is something I have had to do before and didn't want to survive again. My poor little Trixie puppy, our little schnauzer mutt with the maple leaf on her belly...she will be missed but I know she is playing around with Missy and cuddling up on Grandma's lap up in Heaven...

I made it through the rest of the day as well as can be expected with the help of my parents and brothers, but with Adam gone coming to this empty house was very rough.

On Tuesday I forgot that I had set up an appointment to get my wedding dress altered. So when I got the reminder call on Monday my mom and I made many stops around the city trying to find the undergarmets and shoes that I needed for my first fitting. We did make it on time and my dress should be done in two weeks for either my final fit or 2nd fit, depending on how things end up. I was hesitant to leave my dress because of the fiasco I had getting it but I trust the alteration woman and I trust that she will bring my dress back and not go bankrupt and run away...

After my alteration appointment I met up with my mom and future sister-in-law Morganne for a happy hour drink at Carino's. I dropped Addyson off with my Dad and sipped on an italian margarita with some much needed alone time.

I think Addyson is done eating so I must attend to my beautiful daughter.

Until next time...

Food Network Challenge

2010-03-14T14:05:00.001-07:00

Our "cake lady" (the amazing woman who is making our wedding cake) was asked to participate in a Food Network cake Challenge!!

It is going to be filmed on the 23rd in Denver and I can not wait to see how it all turns out! She couldn't tell us what the challenge is because of rules so we just have to wait and see with the rest of the world.

GOOD LUCK RACHAEL!!

This is a 25th Anniversary Cake she did with her associates. Rachael is the one on the left =)

Until next time...

Missing him already...

2010-03-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Addyson and I dropped off Adam at the airport this morning for his 5 day business trip to Iowa. I am very sad. That might sound really dumb and loserish but we haven't spent 5 days apart in probably over 3 years. I know he is going to do great at his kaizan this week but I already wish he was home with us right now...

So, what are my plans for this week? Absolutely nothing.

Today all Addy and I have done is sleep and watch movies all day. Waking up early on daylight savings is just a recipe for disaster without plenty of naps throughout the day.

I will need some type of adult interaction this week so I will probably end up at my parents for dinner one of these nights.

The good news is on Friday I get to pick up 2 people at the airport! Adam comes in at 540 and my matron of honor Christie comes in just an hour earlier! Christie will be in town just for the weekend to throw my bridal shower for me on Sunday.

Hopefully this week will go by fast I just need to find some distraction!

Until next time...

Most Boring Weekend EVER

2010-03-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a lot going on becasue of Addyson's 2nd birthday. Last year we went to Toys-r-us/Babies-r-us and got her a birthday crown and baloon so we decided to make it a tradition and go again this year. We decided to opt out on the balloon however because she already has enough at home from her party=) We wandered around Toys-R-Us forever letting Addyson pick out a special birthday toy and ended up getting her a plastic chair and some sand toys, we tried to talk her into getting a pool or something but all she wanted was the chair for $6. Who am I to argue?!

On Thursday I went to Courtney's house for a relaxing night with the girls and it was so much fun. We made an amazing dinner together, Courtney in charge of the shrimp scampi, I was in charge of the pasta side, and Julia cut up fruit. While we were making dinner Courtney started to get a phone call from a number not listed in her phone. We all stared at it for a while and thought we recognized the number but didn't want to answer it until the last possible second. It was a good thing Court did answer it because it was Esther RSVP'ing to my bridal shower on the 21st! It was pretty funny. We spent the rest of the night talking and playing with Willow and watching Pam have her baby on The Office. I love our random nights together, and I am even more excited for our melting pot date tonight!! We have had this planned for about a month and I am just glad the night is FINALLY here, can't wait to get some yummy cheese and chocolate fondue...my mouth is watering

I hate admitting this on my blog because of fear of screwing something up but I had a job interview on Friday and it went absolutely amazing! I had 3 people interviewing me and it just went really good. It was an hour long interview but I think that was just becasue we ended up chatting after the regular job interview questions were over. I hate to jinx myself but one of the interviewers said that if it were up to her then they would be done interviewing after me because I did such a great job. I know, shocking, I suprised myself. I think it helped that I had some of my nearest and dearest friends and family sending out prayers for me so I owe a huge thank you to all of those thinking of me at noon on Friday. Also thank you Lord for calming my nerves and giving me confidence to do such a good job.

Here is my fear however, I had to tell them all the time that I had planned for vacation for the next 12 months and I told just my honeymoon. They just got excited for me that I am getting married but it still makes me nervous that this could be applied to my availability and they wouldn't like that I have to take time off so soon. I would like to have an "oh well/it wasn't meant to be" attitude but I really need this job to work out for my little family. So some additional prayers and good thoughts would be appreciated as I try to stay calm throughout the rest of this week waiting for an answer.

This weekend was...the most boring weekend ever. Addyson came down with a cold on Saturday so we didn't really want to bring her out on Sunday so I spent the day nursing my sick little girl and reading "Everyone Worth Knowing" by Lauren Weisberger.

Alas it is time to sign off because my kitchen is a wreck and Addyson needs some quality cuddle time with her favorite mommy =)

Until next time...

My Birthday Princess

2010-03-02T09:28:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my little baby girls 2nd birthday. I simply can not believe that she is TWO! How did time go so fast?!

I don't feel like blogging about her first two years but instead I would like to share her birth story =)

My contractions started at about 11 pm on March 1. I wasn't really sure what was going on because I never had so much as a braxton hicks contraction so I just went to bed and tried to sleep. There is no other way for me to describe it other then uncomfortable. Any direction I laid down I just couldn't get comfortable so rather then toss and turn to keep Adam up I moved my pillow and blanket to the living room.

I got some sleep here and there but about 2 a.m on March 2 I woke up and decided to try and time what I thought were contractions just to see how much longer this was going to take =) I decided to get in the shower because I thought the warm water would loosen my muscles so I can get some sleep.

** the following paragraphs will be full of too much information =)
After my shower I decided to call the doctor because the few days before I had a discharge and I thought it was my mucus plug but it had kept coming over the next few days so I wanted some reassurance.

The on-call nurse thought my "bag of waters" might be leaking so I should come in to get it checked out (even though I knew it wasn't my water breaking I just wanted to know what was going on so I agreed to go). So I woke Adam up at about 3:30 a.m and we headed into the emergency room. Let me just say that during all of our birthing classes when they explained what doors to go into during the off hours I didn't pay attention, because in my mind I would never go into labor in the middle of the night so it didnt matter, right? wrong.

I got checked out in hospital and I was only at 2 cm dilation so the said they would hold me for an hour to see if I made any progress and we would go from there. Well, an hour later I was at 5.5cm and had no idea. By 6:00am my water had broke on it's own (WEIRDEST feeling ever! btw) and I was set to have our baby girl on my due date =)

I never had an intention either way of doing a natural birth or using some type of epidural so when the time came I just decided to try it out and see if I could do it without any drugs. We walked the halls of the hospital and watched TV and by noon I was at 9cm and ready to get pushing.

My contractions were never an even interval apart so I had no idea if I was progressing or not so when they started prepping the room for delivery it hit me that this baby will offically be out and in my arms within a couple of hours and I would have to do it completetly natural because it was too late for an epidural.

To be completely honest the pain was not that bad until I got scared and at that point I was just begging my Mom and Adam to pray for me. Between each push I would take a drink of water and say a prayer and just ask for reassurance that this is what my body is made for and I can do it. And I did.

Addyson Jean was born at 1:23 p.m on March 2, 2008.

She has changed our lives in so many ways I can't even list them and yet we can never imagine life without her. It is impossible to go through a day without smiling because she brings such joy to our lives in all of the little things that she does. While I hate to see her grow up so fast I am amazed to see the personality that has come out of such a little girl.

So, Happy Birthday to the best thing that has ever happend to me, my precious little girl, Addyson Jean.

Dishwasher Safe

2010-02-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

I am busy getting the house ready for Addyson's party on Sunday and I finally had to get some things off my kitchen counter and I have come to the following conclusion.

I HATE things that have to be hand washed. Call me lazy if you want but I don't like washing things by hand (dishes or laundry) and would rahter just let it sit on the counter until I finally get the motivation to wash it.

Adam bought this very nice cast iron pan on clearance and I warned him that I am not going to wash it, it would always be his responsibility. Long story short we used it once...3 months ago...and I finally gave Adam the ultimatum if he doesn't wash it by Friday I am throwing it in the garbage. That is how much I hate washing things by hand.

I just don't find it sanitary, and it's a waste of my time when I can just put it in the dishwasher.

My rant is over.

Until next time...

Join the Crowd

2010-02-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

1. High heels or boots?
I would like to wear heels more because they make me feel pretty and thin but Adam is not tall enough to allow that...

2. What time did you get up this morning?
I got up at about 8:15 am, Addyson got up around 8:45

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Avatar, I don't really go to movies that often

4. What is your maiden name?
Not telling

5. What is your favorite TV show?
Grey's Anatomy is my hands down favorite I never get tired of it, I am also really into How I Met Your Mother, The Biggest Loser, Modern Family, and Desperate Housewives

6. What did you have for breakfast?
A nutrigrain bar, apple cinnamon flavor, healthy I know

7. What is your middle name?
Ann, meh take it or leave it

8. What food do you dislike?
I hate brussel sprouts, but that's the only thing I can think of right now, I have become more adventerous as I grow older =)

9. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
In my CD player in the car I currently have...Michael Buble (Crazy Love), Taylor Swift (Fearless), John Mayer (his newest one), and John Ledgend (Live in Phildelphia)

10.What characteristic do you despise?
Agressiveness...is that a word??

11.Favorite Clothing?

I love my capri yoga pants, but Adam gives me crap when I don't get dressed all day

12.Any where in the world on vacation?

Any place warm at the moment would be nice because this winter is bulls***, excuse my language but I HATE SNOW!!

13.Are you an organized person?

Yes, in most aspects of my life I am.

14.Where would you retire too?

Anywhere close to my grandkids =)

15.What was your most recent memorable birthday?

Can't say I have had one...I know i'm a downer but I have never really had a great birthday.

16.What are you going to do when you finish this?

Technically I should stop doing it now so I can make dinner but I don't feel like it yet =)

17.Furthest place you are sending this?

Most of my followers live close I think, so I'm not real sure.

18.Person you expect to send it back first?

This isn't an e-mail...

19.When is your birthday ?

August 28

20.Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am the furthest from a morning person you will ever meet, ever!!!

21.What is your shoe size?

8-8.5

22.Do you own any animals?

We have a chocolate lab and he is almost 5, he is Adam's puppy boy, and is great with Addyson, I could really care less...

23.Any news you'd like to share?

Um...I mailed my wedding invitations today!! I know, 3 months early but my bridal shower is next month because my matron of honour lives out of state so we needed to plan things a couple months apart for travel savings, but our wedding is on a holiday weekend so i think it's ok to send them that early anyway...right?!!?

24.When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Um...successful =)

25.What is your favorite flower?

My favorites are gerbera daisies, roses, and hydrangeas

26.What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?

Feb 28- Addyson's 2nd birthday party

March 2- Addyson's 2nd birthday =( she is too old

March 21- Bridal Shower

April 28- Nephew #2 Due Date!

May 30- ONE OF THE BEST DAY'S OF MY LIFE!!!!

27.If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Today, I would be a green crayon

28.What is under your bed?

Nothing, unless naughty baby Addyson put something there!

29.How is the weather right now?

Stupid and cold, super lame and dumb.

30.Last person you spoke to on the phone?

Courtney!!!!!!

31.Favorite drink?

Mountain Dew, i'm nto afraid to admit that i love the sugar caffeine filled soda

32.Favorite restaurant?

Melting Pot (and i am so excited to go there with the girls on march 8!), Austins, Carrabbas

33.Hair color?

Blonde- and it's fake, but I don't care it makes me feel better about myself

34.What was your favorite toy as a child?

Lincoln Logs, I was not a girly girl as a child

35.Spring Summer, Fall or Winter?

SUMMER, screw this winter crap

36.Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla

37.Coffee or tea?

Coffee

38.Wish you were still young?

Sometimes I wish I could go back to senior year when I had no responsibilities and already had Adam...

39.Do you want your friends to email you back?

This is not an email, but if you do this survey let me know cuz I would love to know your answers

40.When was the last time you cried?

Last week, it was tough day

41.What did you do last night?

Adam and I had a wonderful day yesterday, but last night we had chili for dinner and he watched the olympic hockey game while I read and Addyson read her book to us.

42.Did someone not like this question?

Obviously

43.What are you afraid of?

The Un-Known

44.Salty or sweet?

Depends on my mood but chocolate covered/yogurt covered pretzels are the best!!

45.Best quality you have?

Persistance

46.How many years at your current job?

Jobless, thanks for reminding me =)

47.Favorite day of the week?

I like the weekend when Adam is home, cuz I love him

48.How many people will you send this to?

Blog readers, what up!!

49.How many will respond?

No clue but I hope they let me know!

50.Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends?

I sure do!

Until next time...

I need a job

2010-02-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

The economy hit us hard last year. Adam was forced to take furlough weeks which meant we had un-paid weeks last year to try and work out finances in a one-income household. Needless to say things were hard, but we made it through, just as we always have and always will.

Today, I am finding it hard to see the big picture and look to the future with hope and trust that God has a path for us and I just need to be patient until he reveals it.

Since graduating in May I have had these student loans hanging over my head threatening to come into re-payment and threatening to take away my freedom. November came around and I was able to push the loans off since the job hunt has been less then fruitful but my biggest loan of all will expire at the end of this month and force us into re-payment. A debt my little family can not afford without me having a job.

I am filled with so much fear right now about what our next step is going to be. I have been on the job market since March of last year hoping I could settle a job by the time of graduation, but alas, here I sit a stay at home mom without a single prospect of a full time job.

I am running out of options.

I am running out of time.

I am running out of hope.

What I am asking for is positive thoughts and prayers to help me through this agonizing process of applying for jobs and facing rejection.

Until next time...

Harry & David

2010-02-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

I am in a really weird mood right now! I have been go-go-go all day and can't seem to calm myself down!

I got all my wedding invitations addressed but I can't stuff them because I need stamps and the post office was closed today beause it's President's Day.

I bought Addyson's flower girl dress this morning! I am not going to post a picture because I want an element of suprise but it doesn't look like my dress, or my bridesmaids!! It's Ivory though with a chocolate brown sash, really cute, just need to find shoes for her and we're all set!

After I got so much wedding stuff accomplished I decided to buy my bridesmaid's necklaces just to get it over with and it's a good thing I took time to think about it because today they were 40% off!!

When we first moved into our house we painted the living room, kitchen, & addyson's room. For some reason I am in super painter mode again and have ideas for the un-touched rooms of our house. I want to do a super special secret paint treatment on Addyson's room, I started one before and I don't like it so I'm going to re-paint it =) I also painted the bathroom (Addyson's bathroom as we call it) a really pretty color green and I just have to wait for our wedding to get the new towells and shower curtain etc.

I have also set my sights on the laundry room because it's the first room when you come in from the garage so it deserves a little something special. I am thinking retro avocado...

I am full or randomness right now. I think I should go read to calm me down. Speaking of reading! I just read The Host by Stephanie Meyer (same author of the twilight series) and it was AMAZING! Who knew aliens could get me hooked?! They are making this book into a movie also, I can't wait to see who they cast as Ian and Melanie =)

Now I am onto The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold and I got into it immediately but it's very graphic now and I'm not sure how I feel about it, guess we'll have to wait and see at the end!

Harry & David, the title of this blog post. Harry & David is a store at the outlet mall that sells gourmet food and Adam and I went a little crazy this evening, but we had a coupon so it's ok. We got 2 boxes of truffles in different flavors and some dry soup mixes that I can't wait to try them out!!

These are the two flavors we got, weird coincidence

Ok, I think I'm done for tonight.

Until next time...

On a different note...

2010-02-12T18:02:00.001-08:00

I just thought this was really funny

50th Birthday, Superbowl, Wedding Updates, & More

2010-02-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

My dad never expects much for his birthday. Every year passes with the regular routine; we go out to dinner (he pays), go to my parents house to eat cake, open presents. So for the big 5-0 we decided to throw him a suprise party, and boy was he suprised.

My parents newly finished basement with decorations for the party

My brother Stephen and his fiance Morganne, with my sister-in-law Alysha and baby boy unknown =)

Papa wanted his grandkids to share the moment with him, cousin Jordan couldn't wait to dig into the cake

The day went very well, considering we had to stall for a half hour so more guest could show up. I'm sure my dad would have been just as happy with just the family there but it was nice for him to see some friends he hadn't seen for a while.

After the party Adam and I went to get our other couch since it was finally in stock! So we now have a complete living room set again and I love it.

I had such high hopes for Superbowl Sunday considering I won a party for 28 people and I love the Superbowl in general. Unfortunately, I had an arguement with my brother just before it started so I was fighting back tears the entire night...can't believe I just admitted that.

Wedding update time!

My matron-of-honour sent me an e-mail today saying she had the invitations ready for my bridal shower I just need to get the last addresses to her so she can send them out. Holy cow, when did time move so fast. So today I finished putting my invitations together so I can get them printed this weekend.

A random ettiquette question for all of you, how do I let my guests know where I am registered? I don't want to put the little cards I got from Target and Bed,Bath,& Beyond because my invites are full enough without extra pieces of paper. There seems no way to do this tastefully, except not to do it at all....advice is needed.

And lastly, I think I have found my bridesmaid gifts but I don't know if it would be weird to have pearls for them when I don't have a single pearl in my wedding. Advice on that also would be good =)

Until next time...

I'm a Winner!

2010-02-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

I win a lot of random things.

When I'm in the car and a contest comes on the radio I will call and I have won countless items. I have won concert tickets (which we sold on craigstlist for a tidy profit), movie tickets, CD's, gift cards, etc.

Well today I won a...

SUPERBOWL PARTY FOR 28 PEOPLE CARE OF NOODLES AND CO!!!

When I went out to lunch with my brother a few weeks ago I entered to win this contest and completely forgot about it. I got a phone call this afternoon saying I won 7 party bowls, which feed 4-5 people, and I just need to let them know what I want and when I want to pick them up on Sunday!

This saves the money I was going to spend on party food and I can now devote it to party drinks! haha

Until next time...

Classic!

2010-01-31T18:02:00.000-08:00

What a fun weekend this has been!

One of the perks of Adam's job is he gets to talk with a lot of foreign countries. He specifially works with Germany and the Caribbean at the moment but he used to work with South Africa which leads me to our Friday night. We were able to meet up with a couple of South African business men here for a sales meeting at Adam's work! They were hilarious, it's amazing to talk with people from other countries just to see how different things are! We met up downtown and had drinks at RusticOven and dinner at Austins (all completely paid for because it was a "business" dinner!!). They had a great time admiring our daugher (and who wouldn't?! she's amazing!), and telling us stories from their interesting lives. One of the men, Lino, was born in Australia and then moved to Singapore where he met his wife who moved them to South Africa. It's amazing how different our cultures are because while we move from state to state it seems like most of the foreigners we have met move from country to country! It was an awesome experience for us to have and introduce Addyson to. I love his job =)

On a side note, Adam has become addicted to craigslist and I have to admit I am starting to share this addiction. We had a sectional in our apartment and it worked great but in this new house it just wasn't working with the floorplan. So on a whim I decided to put it up on craigslist and to my amazement we had multiple hits that night. We sold it Saturday morning for an amazing price and bought a new couch that afternoon! So, Saturday was spent moving furniture all around the state, but it was fun! Since we had such an eventful day we spent a quiet night at home and watched The Hangover (aka funniest movie ever!!!) for the 16th time since we bought it, we are a little obsessed. and I made a pan of delicious brownies with my super secret special ingredient, which reminds me I should go eat some right now...

Anywho, today we made a trip down to Adam's oldest brothers house to spend the day with them. Adam and Curt made their way down to the "man cave" to play video games so we sent the kids with them and headed off to the mall. My future sister-in-law Michelle agreed to come with me to finish Adam and my wedding registry at crate & barrel. It was so much fun bringing a girl to register! Because we could plan parties to use each of the items I was registering for, pure amazingness!! Then we made the usual "mom" stops of babies-r-us and sam's to pick things up for the kiddos. Curt and Michelle just had a little boy about 4 months ago and he is such a chunker! So adorable I just wanted to play with him the whole time, I love that age when they just stare and smile at everything you do!

This is going to be a very busy week ahead because I have wedding appointments along with 2 parties to plan next weekend and a night out with "the three best friends that anyone can have"! Very exciting things are coming!!!

Until next time...

Randoms

2010-01-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

I have spent way too much time on the internet lately. The first day started looking at stamps of all things, like seriously who looks for stamps on the internet. The 2nd day was spent looking up hair styles for my wedding day. The 3rd day was spent looking for wedding bands for Adam (not like I would buy it without him trying it on but I wanted to get a price scoped out). And today was spent looking for fun beach clothes to bring on my honeymoon. Except now after looking at someone elses blog I found the urge to look at maternity delivery gowns...weird...

So, what else is new...

I had a great night out with two of my bridesmaids Courtney and Julia getting dinner, drinks, and going to a movie. We saw Avatar...not a fan...I might be the only one but I don't care. The visuals were impressive and everything but I didn't agree with the story line, and I don't care to go into any more detail then that!

I got things resolved with my brother on Monday through a heated discussion at a Noodles. Not everything can be forgotten but we are family and its important that we move on because I know I would hate not having him there. It feels good to have a complete wedding party again.

Monday was also my 7 year anniversary with Adam from when he asked me to be his girlfriend =) I can't imagaine spending my life with anyone else and it's amazing how far we have come over these 7 years. We have a beautiful home, an amazing daughter, and more blessings then I can count. I can't wait to marry him in 122 days!!! But who's counting anyway =)

Until next time...

Obsession

2010-01-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

First off I have to admit that I am getting so excited about our upcoming wedding that all I want to do is talk about it, all the time. I don't know if every bride experiences this or if it is just me but it seems like all I have is wedding on the brain. Adam and I were just going over the budget, guest list, vendor list, etc. and it made me think that I need to start going over things to get the finalized!

I have an amazing florist who I completely trust --growing up in the city I did I just knew that this was the florist to go to--but when I opened up the attachment with my revised list there was missing information as well as incorrect information. Freak out moment.

(1) The most important wrong doing was they had my groom as someone else. What the crap?! The strange part is that I actually know the person who they put as my groom! He used to work with Adam and got married last December =)

(2) The color of my bridesmaid dresses is watermelon? What color is watermelon anyway?! Is it green? or pink? or maybe pink with black spots to represent seeds? Not exactly my style...

(3) They also had my flower girl dropping watermelon rose petals...again, what color is watermelon?!

(4) My boquet will consist of renaculas and red roses...oh wait, all of my flowers are supposed to be white/ivory/off-white/champagne

Just a slight irritation right now, I hope to get this squared away in the morning.

I would hate to go bridezilla on them but you don't mess with a stressed out bride, right?!

Until next time...

New Attitude

2010-01-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

Today is going to be a new beginning. I have had such a bad attitude lately because of all the stress I am under and have been taking it out on other people. So today is my fresh start for an attitude makeover.

** First thing on the agenda today is getting in a good workout to boost endorphins.

** Then clean up and get ready for the day because James will be stopping by to pick us up to hang out for the day.

** Followed by a wonderful dinner because I found a recipe I have wanted to try for a while now.

** And then ending the night with a little American Idol.

Things are looking up!

Until next time...

Fair Weather Friends

2010-01-19T18:17:00.001-08:00

I am so irritiated right now. That seems to be a regular trait of mine lately. Today my irritability is stemmed from what I like to call "fair-weather friends". I'm sure you all know what I am talking about. Those friends that are there for you for a week and then you don't hear from them for a month. It's like a fair weather fan where you love your team while they are winning but when they start to lose they are not your team anymore.

Luckily I was able to have a really good conversation with my very best friend Christie today. No matter what she has always been there for me. She was the first one I called when I found out I was pregnant (because as most should know it was not the ideal time for me). I'm pretty sure she knows all of my family's skeletons and I'm pretty sure I know all of hers. An interesting story is that she actually is the one who introduced me to Adam and encouraged me to go out with him. Adam came into our English class 2nd quarter because he had failed previously and sat with Christie because he knew her from math. I found him really annoying and really didn't want him sitting near me because he would always try to talk to me. Well soon enough he wanted to ask for my number and Christie encouraged me to give it to him. I guess you could say the rest is history.

I don't think anyone who reads this blog would know who I'm talking about when it comes to fair-weather friends. Adam and I are just having some issues with friends lately and it sucks since it is so close to the wedding and people we thought we knew are no longer the same.

Alas, this depressing post is coming to an end so I can devote my attention to the biggest loser.

Until next time...

Weekend of Fun!

2010-01-17T16:41:00.001-08:00

After the last depressing post I feel like I need a nice one to show I'm not still depressed.

Saturday was such a good day. After that not so good week I needed a time to relax and do some of the things I love. I got my hair colored by my lovely and talented sister-in-law Alysha. She works at this really nice salon in Broomfield called DeMaj (shameless plug) and is able to color my hair for next to nothing (she has to charge me for supplies and of course I give her an OUTRAGEOUS tip). She did an amazing job and we had a very nice chat about the up-coming months (including birthdays, bridal shower, births!!!!, and parties).

When I got home Adam and I had errands to run including finishing our registry at Target and shopping for furniture. Our new house has a layout that just doesn't work well for our sectional, it really takes up an awkward amount of space. So we are searching for a new sofa and love-seat and will either sell our current sectional (since it is very new) or just save our sectional for the basement. We are also in the market for a new tv stand, even though our tv is mounted on the wall, we need something that has more DVD storage and doesn't look as ridiculous as our current one.

This is Adam's first choice, I think it's a tad too long.

The day ended with a dinner at Lonestar (because kids eat free on saturdays!) and a movie on the couch with my loves.

Today we went to the boat show in Denver with my dad, brother James, and nephew Jordan. We had gone last year and the kids had a blast climbing on all the boats and posing with the inflatables. This year however they didnt have the same kid-friendly exhibits. It was still fun though. My dad got more accesories for his boat and Adam picked out our boat.

The interior

The exterior

We came home and took naps, and now i'm blogging while dinner is cooking in the oven. It has been an amazing weekend to an awful week.

Until next time...

Time to Vent

2010-01-17T16:08:00.001-08:00

This week has really tried my patience and my sanity. While I was very productive this week it took a lot of will power to make it through each day along with nightly prayer to make the next day better.

Monday; started out promsing we had big plans for the week to get some wedding things accomplished. We got the tuxedo's for our wedding ordered and that is where the week started out bad. Anyone who has planned a wedding lately knows how much things cost but unfortunately our wedding party wasn't expecting the bill. I told my middle brother James who just got married in July how much it was going to cost and he was completely cool with it. I told my oldest brother Stephen how much it would be and he had a horrible reaction and as of right now he is out of the wedding. The story goes much deeper then that but I don't want to air my family's dirty laundry on a public blog.

Tuesday; my mom and I decided to make it a day and go shopping in Denver for mother of the bride dresses and accessories for the wedding. We agreed from the beginning not to complain about anything because we wanted to have a good day. And we did have a good day, until the drive home when she decided we needed to talk about the Stephen situation. There is just so many different sides of the story going on and so many things keep coming out that I didn't know about I just got frustrated for the rest of the day.

Wednesday; Addyson and I had some errands to run around town and my car decided to make this horrible klunking sound. I literally just spent a ton of money to get my car in complete working order and then it decides to crap out. So I called my dad to come rescue me because Adam was at work. I ended up taking it into the car dealership and spending the rest of the day at my parents waiting for the news. Adam had to pick me up because we didn't know what was happening with my car but the good news is we got registered for our wedding at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Well we got about 1/4 way through the store and then the dealership finally called to tell me my car was ready. Turns out everything is fine, my wheels were just loose or something, i don't know i'm not into cars...

Thursday; I had planned on bringing lunch to Adam but when I went to get Addyson loaded in the car I realized I had no carseat. We put my carseat in my parents car since mine was going into the shop and never took it out. And of course Addyson thought she was going in the car so she was all excited only to be brought inside to wait for my parents to come get us. Adam and I finished registering at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and went to Target to get our "fun" items but ended up finding a ton of stuff for Addyson we wanted to buy right now! I guess this day wasn't so bad but I let down Adam because he was expecting lunch and ended up eating the nasty cafiteria food.

Friday; we had re-scheduled bringing Adam lunch and handing out our save-the-dates to all of his co-workers. Addyson and I hung out for a while but she started getting restless so we headed home. For dinner we were going to have Adam's middle brother Joe and his son over. It was nice for Adam to have a cribbage partner since I hate that game and Addyson liked playing with her cousin Logan.

So pretty much this week was stressful and annoying but I got a lot done! I hope you enjoy my weekend update better =)

Wedding Progress

2010-01-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Before I went on vacation I wanted to get some wedding things finalized so I could feel like I have accomplished something!

We went with my dad to pay the 2nd deposit on our ceremony/reception. While we were there we wandered around the hotel, it's nice to do just to keep excited! We also set up our food tasting at the hotel so that will be the first week in February. We are so excited!!

Adam FINALLY decided who his groomsmen and usher's will be. Huge sigh of relief since we are less then 5 months away and none of his guys knew anything! For those who care Adam's groomsmen will be...Brothers Joe & Curt will share the responsibility of Best Men. Adam has asked Joe to present the rings at the ceremony and sign the marriage license, and Curt will give the speech at the reception. Adam's "best" friend Evan will also be in the wedding party, as well as my brother James. (I haven't decided which of my bridesmaids will be walking with each groomsmen yet so I'll reveal that later).

Our Usher's will be my oldest brother Stephen and our friend Charlie, and our "Usherette?" will be my future sister in law Morganne. Initially we were going to have 4 ushers and 1 usherette but relationships have changed and I am looking long term here!

Lastly, but certainly not least, we booked our honeymoon!! My Grandpa blessed us with a one-week time share in the destination of our choice so after weeks of research and debate we finally decided on...

Santa Barbara Resort & Yacht Club in Pompano Beach Florida!!

The exterior

Each room has a private balcony, and did I mention there is a private beach??!!

The room with a full kitchen (that way we don't have to eat out for a week)

The sitting area in our room

The hotel pool and meeting area

We don't leave until the Friday after our wedding but then it's fun in the sun for one week. We are very excited to have this opportunity but leaving Addyson for an entire week will be tourture.

Until next time...

Holiday re-cap

2010-01-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Christmas at my parents house, since we did Thanksgiving with Adam's family. We had three different celebrations; Part I at our house and my parents, Part II with Adam's brothers, and Part III at my parents house again.

We opened gifts at home with Addyson before heading out for the day. She is still a little young to fully understand what is going on but she still enjoyed opening all of her gifts and handing me the paper piece by piece. That afternoon we went to my parents house for a small celebration since my brother and sister-in-law were out of town for Christmas. Most of our time was spent in my parents newly finished basement playing pool and chasing Addyson.

Addyson posing with the gifts we had at home

We were able to meet up with both of Adam's brothers (at seperate times) to exchange gifts and catch-up the weekend after Christmas. We don't get to see them as often as we would like since they live further away then my family but we love them just as much =) Addyson loves to play with her cousin Patrick and try to put the paci in her newest cousin Ryan's mouth.

On Monday it felt like Christmas morning for real (Part III) and I woke up eager to get to my parents to celebrate with the entire family. All of her big gifts were at my parents so we brought my SUV to carry them all home. I still need pictures of her with her new kitchen and easel.

Jordan and Addyson waiting to open more presents

Addyson's new apron to cook meals in her new kitchen (or help mommy in the big kitchen)

New Years we just stayed home and finally opened the champagne we got for our engagement. Having a little one effects New Years plans because who really wants to babysit on New Years? Alas, it was nice to have a quiet night to finish the year with my loving husband-to-be.

Until next time...

I am still alive

2010-01-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hey blog world.

I just wanted to let you know I am still alive despite my absence for 2 weeks.

With Christmas, the New Year, and a very quick trip to LasVegas I just haven't had time to sit to update things on my computer.

Tomorrow I will try to get back into the grind! And hopefully with a completely new blog look =)

Until next time...

Laura

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

We didn't send a letter out with this year's card, but here is what we did this year!

Addyson turned 1 in March and I went a little crazy on a party for her. We had about 30 people attend and she had a blast. She learns new words every day and loves reading, singing, and imitating her all her animal sounds.

I am still able to stay at home with Addyson and am thankful for each day I get with her. The job market is just not working in my favor this year! During the days we love to go to the park, visit her Grandma and Papa (my mom and dad), and of course play with cousin Jordan.

Adam is still working for Hach and loves his job (most days). He is able to be home with us by 3:30 daily so we are very grateful for the time we get to spend together. We normally have so much to do when he gets off work it probably still feels like work!

In June we purchased our first home together! It is still a work in progress, there is still so much I want to do around here, but time and money sometimes run short. Having this home is such a blessing and it's nice to call a place "home" after apartment living for so long.

I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and travel safe to be with friends and family.

Merry Christmas!!

Next year I hope we have much more to report on including Addyson's 2nd birthday and our wedding in May!

Our Save the Date for those who were wondering what it looked like =)

*I erased our last names for privacy reasons

Fun Things We Do As a Family:

2009-12-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

* We play hide-n-go-seek with Addyson which entails us turning off the lights in her room (there is still the night light) and hiding in various corners until she can find us. That sounds kind of bad...but it's hilarious. She giggles so hard when she finds us. The only thing is we have to lock the dog out of the room because he is a dead give away!

* We are potty training so we keep books in the bathroom to read because sometimes she can take quite a long time to finish up! Then she gets her "special potty treat" which is chocolate teddy grahams =)

* We sing songs in the car and go over all of our animal sounds

* We have family cuddle time on the floor (which Adam is doing right now but i'm busy in the kitchen so I blog in between batches of cookies)

* We have taught Addyson to pound (aka fist bump) so she will ask people for a pound and stick out her fist (because she is adorable)

* When I put make-up on in the morning Addyson stands next to me and puts it on also (pretend of course)

* The other day Adam asked Addyson to put her milk cup on the counter and she didn't understand so she went to put it in the garbage =) I love her

* We have family dance parties in the living room and Addyson outshines us all

Feeling Nostalgic

2009-12-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today has been a hard day for me. Maybe it's the weather that is making me depressed, I don't know. My mind has been racing all day thinking about things I don't want to be thinking about.

It's really tough knowing that what I want for Christmas this year can not be wrapped, bought, given, made by elves, or delivered by Santa. Money can not buy what I want for Christmas. This year I have realized the only thing I really want for Christmas is one more Christmas with my Grandma.

Not a day goes by that she doesn't cross my mind and make me remember how much she affected my life. She is by far the most remarkable, kind hearted, selfless person I have ever met and will ever know. Anyone who knew her could depend on her for advice, a hug, a joke that she couldn't finish because she would start laughing too hard half-way through. I can't help but think of how hard it has been for my family over these past few years getting by without her because God needed her more then we.

My brothers and I had a special relationship with her because my Grandparents have lived with us since I was in 3rd grade. So losing her was one of the worst times of our lives even though we knew it was coming. I remember James wearing his dress blues to carry her casket out of the church. I remember Stephen keeping up such a brave face until we were about to leave her grave side. I remember bringing Addyson to her grave so she could be with her even though I know that my Grandma is not really there. To say that we had admiration and respect for her is an understatement.

We miss her. We are reminded of her presence daily. I named my daughter after her. And today, is really hard without her.

Christmas

2009-12-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of movies I watch every Christmas season that might not be considered Christmas movies...

"The Family Stone"

Love, love, love this movie. Perhaps it is because they family is so real or perhaps it's because I think Dermont Mulroney is a very attractive man =) Either way, this movie is a staple in this home. On the special features menu is the recipe that Meridith makes and I always wanted to try it, so I did!

Here is the recipe for: Meridith's Strata: A Morton Family Tradition

8 Slices White Bread

8 oz Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
2 Cans (14oz size) Sliced Tomatoes (or sliced fresh)

13oz Can sliced mushrooms, drained (or sauteed fresh mushrooms)

1 Medium Onion, thinly sliced into rings

5 eggs

3 Cups Milk

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Oregano

Pinch of garlic salt

Some shredded parmesan cheese

Some sliced black olives (optional)

1. Using a cookie cutter cut bread into shapes or circles (I like using the star). Place bread scraps in bottom of buttered 13 x 9 baking dish.

2. Layer half of the cheese over the bread. Arrange half of the tomatoes and all of the onion rings and mushrooms over the cheese. Cover with the rest of the cheese. Arrange the bread shapes on the cheese. Put slices of the tomato in the center of each bread shape.

3. Combline slightly beaten eggs, milk, salt, oregano, and garlic salt. Pour over bread. Sprinklie the top with Parmesan cheese and dot with olives if desired. Cover.

4. Refrigerate for 6 hours or over night (I did it over night so the flavors would meld together more). Bake 1-1.5 hours in a 325 degree oven, or until knife comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes to firm.

Serves 8.

"The Holiday"

I don't really know what to say about this movie except that Jude Law is adorable (in the movie not in real life), Kate Winslet is just genuine and sweet and I can see her being like that in real life, and this is Jack Black's finest acting role of his career =)

I will probably blog a lot this week because Adam has to work 2 hours of over time the rest of the week. Which means the Christmas shopping/wrapping/baking/movie watching will be left to me. Luckily Adam is off from Christmas until January 4 so we will see plenty of him soon.

Until next time...

I need your opinion

2009-12-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

I have a couple of options for flower girl dresses and a tux for my ring bearer and I need some help deciding which would look best together.

Option 1 dress:

Pros: It's really cute. The sash can come in chocolate brown to match the groomsmen. The fabric is a perfect match to my wedding dress (just not silk).

Cons: The smallest size they have is a 2T so I would have to get it altered

Option 2 dress:

Pros:Very similar to the first one but comes in a smaller size, also has a chocolate brown sash to match.
Cons: Not the same material but would match my bridesmaids.

Option 1 Suit:

Pros: Would match with the groomsmen perfect (except for the tie)
Cons: On the higher end of my price range

Option 2 Suit:

Pros: More comfortable for a toddler since it's a 3 piece suit.

Cons: Not as formal as the other suit would be

There they are, any comments would be appreciated. Let me know which combinations you like best!

Until next time...

Christmas Decorations

2009-12-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

We've had our decorations up since just after Thanksgiving but I have yet to show off my new color scheme for this year. Along with the new tree, ornaments, stocking holders...well you'll just have to see for yourself!

Our beautiful tree with gold and brown decor

Brown poinsettia for accents

The stockings hung above the fireplace (that we never turn on because of little fingers)

Our cute little candle holder on the table with Christmas cards from friends and family

Some outdoor wreath's and tree's. They need some embelishment but I haven't had time to mess around with it yet.

There you have it, Merry Christmas!

Happenings!!

2009-12-09T14:02:00.001-08:00

This has crazy fun week (besides this awful cold that has kept me on the couch the past couple days)!! Starting with Thursday we had a wonderful dinner at Courtney's new house! Addyson had a great time going up and down all of their stairs and it was nice to catch up with them since they have been ridiculously busy this past month!

Friday night we built gingerbread houses with my brother and his wife*
*when I say we I mean alysha and I built them while the boys watched 'The Hangover'

Saturday morning Addyson and I were able to shop with Courtney for a while until Adam met us to get new cell phones. On Saturday night we had every intention of going to the Parade of Lights but the weather was just too cold for little kids to go to. Plus we were able to watch it on TV on Friday night anyway.

I have been very productive this week when it comes to wedding planning! I got all my save the dates ready and stuffed in envelopes along with my Christmas cards. I have all of my measurements for my bridesmaids done so we can finally get the dresses ordered! I also got a wonderful holiday card from the Embassy Suites where our reception will be held.

Lastly, my brother and his wife found out today if they have a boy or a girl coming to join the family in April, and the verdict is....IT'S A BOY!!! Congratulations James and Alysha on taking one more step to building your family football team =)

Until next time...

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-12-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving Adam's parents called dibs on our family and said that we could "go to the wives house for Christmas", so we packed up early and went to Cheyenne for the day. It was nice to see all of Adam's family but I did miss being with my family also.

Thanksgiving night we decided to go to the COACH factory outlet because they were having a moonlight madness sale and I really wanted to check it out. With a backpack full of blankets and our laptop to watch a movie we stood in line at about 8PM (for a store that opened at 10). By the time we were let in the door the line was out around the building and half way up the back. The sale was not amazing, and I doubt we'll do it again next year, but it was fun experience for us to have together.

I had every intention of waking up at 4AM the next morning to go shopping also, but this was only because my very best friend Christie was in town! We met outside of Super Target at 4:30am with nothing in particiular in mind that we needed to shop for. My main goal for the morning was to find a new camera because mine has been on it's last leg for a while now. I researched all the ads the day before and found the camera I had in mind would be at Staples right across the parking lot from Super Target. I got my camera and a free photo printer to go with it! Unfortunately it had to be delivered so I am waiting at my house today so they don't leave it at the front door. We were done shopping by about 10am so I went home because Adam and my brother James were going to the CSU vs WYO football game.

We agreed that Saturday would be spent resting since our new TV was going to be delivered anyway and Adam wanted everything set up and ready to watch the Florida State game. James came over to help Adam put the TV on the wall and ended up staying to watch the first half of the game with us. Then the Johnson's came over on their way to bring Christie and her husband Dan to the airport to see our new house for the first time.

Sunday we got our family Christmas picutre taken for our Christmas cards which should also be delivered today along with our Save-the-Dates! Then we went over to my parents house to help finish cleaning the basement because they have randomly decided to finish half of it. The carpet got installed yesterday, the walls and ceiling start tomorrow, and the pool table gets delivered on the 10th.

CRAZY!! I would post pictures but they are on my old camera which seems to have gone missing...

Tonight we are going to Courtney's for dinner and to see her new home for the first time! Then this weekend it's the Parade of Lights in Denver (weather permiting) with James, Alysha, and my little nephew Jordan. Along with building gingerbread houses (and train for the kiddos) and homemade ornaments! So excited =) AND luckily i'll be able to take lots of pictures with my new camera!!

Until next time...

In the month of November I...

2009-12-02T14:14:00.001-08:00

Made my first turkey...

for a party we hosted at our new home....

with 23 adults (and 2 toddlers) in attendance.

I forgot.

2009-12-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

I forgot the information to my old blog so I had to start a new one. People have informed me that my blog is actually read so hopefully I will keep up on it!!

Until next time...