Thoughts and Ramblings from a Crazy Person

7 Quick Takes

2012-01-28T16:55:00.002-05:00

1. My Truck seat is fixed!!! Hallelujah! I am SO relieved to have it fixed and not to be so uncomfortable everytime I go somewhere.

2. A little bummed because I was supposed to have a massage this afternoon, apparently they cancelled it but never called to tell me that. Phooey :(

3. BUT that only gave me time to make mini cakes for me and Holly's Girls Pajama Movie night tonight!! I'm making my new famous crock pot chicken tacos and we're going to watch The Help! yays!!

4. This was a really busy week and it seemed to go on for forever, but, by the Grace of God despite not feeling well and having migraine issues weds night/thurs am I made it thru the whole week!

5. I am still LOVING my Roku and LOVING not having a cable bill. Shockingly I am not missing live tv. I do miss TLC and the Real Housewives but that's it!

6. It's January and about 38 degrees and I have my balcony door cracked open for some cool air. My apt is burning up hot! I will admit that I had my windows in my truck cracked as well and that I wore flip flops with my hoodie and track pants when I was out today.

7. Target has gotten way too much of my money this week. I went there Friday and scored a pair of trouser jeans, a shirt and a dress. Well the dress was indecent, so I returned it this morning and got three pairs of clearanced shoes. I love flats. I really do. and a 7 bucks a pop for fancy ones who can pass that up? Obviously NOT ME!

The Glory Days

2012-01-26T15:23:00.001-05:00

I found some old picture on my computer the other day and had to take a moment to bask in the Glory Days of my youth. Youth. Skinniness. Hard to believe that in all these pictures I didn't think I was skinny or pretty. I wish I knew then what I know now! I wanted so badly to look like someone else, when I was beautiful as myself.

Although I have to admit I have grown in my hair styling and coloring the past several years. That I am grateful for!

But to have that beautiful skin. No dark circles or crows feet by my eyes. Sighs..

To be that skinny.

Oh to be THAT skinny!!

Maybe not that skinny, I was sickly looking there. But I definitely wish I still had those shoes. Those were killer shoes.

Soon my hair will be this long again! YEAH!!

One of the rare, rare moments when I straightened my hair.

I actually remember this morning, it was a Sunday and Amy had come with me to my church. My parking space was stolen and we had an incident trying to park with some college guys.

Man did I have some skinny legs!

This was an awkward hair color. I told you I've gotten better over the years!

It was a cute hairstyle though!!

I am sure in 5-10 years I will look back on pictures from today and think how great I looked then and didn't realize it and wish I looked that way in the present day!

I may not be skinny and I may not be "hot" but I am more secure in myself than I have ever been before, thanks to the love of God! I look forward to growing deeper in him in the coming years. I pray that Wisdom, and Knowledge come along with my wrinkles and crows feet.

Mid Week Confessions

2012-01-25T07:55:00.001-05:00

I may or may not do my laundry on the weekend and then wait to put it away for days. To the point where If I want to wear something that's in the dryer, I just pull out the item of clothing I wish to wear and leave the rest of the clothes in the dryer. This may or may not have happened two days in a row now.

While I'm being honest I might as well admit that the past two weeks I have left the laundry in the dryer for a week, not just days, a WEEK until it's time to do laundry again. Right now I'm on track to do this three weeks in a row.

I'm currently driving around town looking like a gangsta lunatic. My driver's side seat in my truck broke, and will not sit up. Which means it's stuck in the reclining position. Kinda uncomfortable with the back I must say. I look like a Granny driving since I'm trying to sit up so straight I'm practically on top of the steering wheel.

I was straight up butterflies in tummy nervous about meeting my new Piano Student Monday night. I felt like I was on a Blind Piano Teaching Date! Thankfully she was adorable and put me totally at ease and the hour flew by. Moments like this make me wonder how I think I'm going to have a full Piano Studio some day. That is A LOT of First Blind Piano Dates!

Tuesday was our Preferred Partners day at work, and I may or may not have gotten TWO Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen, one for me and one for my co worker, and then went back to my office and sent my co worker down to get two more. We were honest though! We were getting them for our co workers.

OOTD

2012-01-24T15:43:00.001-05:00

In my attempts to blog more, and my lack of brain matter to summons up an intelligent or thought provoking post, you're getting an OOTD!

So today- Goodwill Dress, Jacket from my SIL, Tights? and Boots from my Momma.

Wow. that was thrilling huh? Please notice that my hair is FINALLY growing, and looking much less, ok well a little less, like an afro since Bryna thinned it Saturday.

2011 Year in Review

2012-01-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

So it's the end of January and I'm just now getting around to writing my recap of 2011. Knowing me it will be May before this post gets published!

When I think back on 2011 the word that stands out to me is GROWTH

2011 was not my favorite year by far, but I learned so much. I went thru many hard trials, but through it all God was with me and I learned how to stand thru those trials with him holding me up.

I dealt with many health issues over the year. And I finally learned that it was OK to speak up about them. I have gotten used to my Chronic Illnesses and I don't feel like complaining about it all the time, so in my mind I just didn't talk about it.

But I found out when I was able to open up about it to my friends at church and I realized there was so much support and LOVE for me. That I wasn't bothering them by sharing my struggles, they wanted to walk thru it with me and love me and pray for me thru it all. And that has been HUGE. Knowing that I can open up to people and they will care.. It's huge.

Going thru health issues and having to depend on God has grown my faith. Having to just give everything up to God and depend on him to provide for me and take care of me. I am still working on this as I have a huge sin need for control, or at least the facade of it in my mind. But I'm working on it. And crazyily, giving up control, makes me more at peace.

I've also been Growing Up Period this year. I cut out a source of drama from my life and that was very freeing. I've also been distancing myself from people who cause drama and thrive in it. That is not the life I want to lead. I will always be the Crazy Cherrybear who tells exuberant hilarious stories, but I have no desire for the drama anymore.

And learning to be a Woman of Discretion and Discernment. I can see the most growth and change here, as I've learned it is much more powerful to keep your thoughts and knowledge to yourself. My Dad has his famous saying of Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend, Tell a Charity. I'm proud to say that has changed. At times my natural honesty has been too much, if you can believe that. Learning how to be honest, but to keep things to myself has been huge.

I think GRACE would be another word for the year.

Yes, many hard things happened, but thru his Grace, the absolute worst did not. When I think about how hard the year was I always go back to my Dad's accident, and the fact that he really should not be here with us today.

In May my Dad had an accident at work in which he should have had his leg crushed and lost his leg at the very least, in reality he should have been killed by that, but by God's grace he got Dad out of that accident with just a broken ankle.

Now my Dad at this point would interject JUST a Broken ankle??!!!!

Yes he had to have surgery, and had a horrible infection in his foot, and went thru months of pain, crutches, phsyical therapy and was still in pain. But today he is cleared, and he can walk on his foot. Best of all. He's here. He can crawl around on the floor with his Grandson. He celebrated his 35'th Wedding Anniversary with my Mom, he can fix my truck, he.is.here.

And when you look back at it like that. Things don't seem so bad after all.

I'm pretty sure he'd interject here again. :)

There's been one song that's really been going thru my head this year. My Daddy used to sing this in church when I was a little girl. I think it sums up 2011 quite well. It was a tough year, but I came through it at the end with a deeper love for Christ, a deeper relationship with him, and a greater sense of thankfulness

Verse 1:

i've Had Many Tears And Sorrows,

i've Had Questions For Tomorrow,

there's Been Times I Didn't Know Right From Wrong.

but In Every Situation,

god Gave Me Blessed Consulation,

that My Trials Come To Only Make Me Strong.

chorus:

through It All,

through It All,

i've Learned To Trust In Jesus,

i've Learned To Trust In God.

through It All,

through It All,

i've Learned To Depend Upon His Word.

verse 2:

i've Been To Lots Of Places,

i've Seen A Lot Of Faces,

there's Been Times I Felt So All Alone.

but In My Lonely Hours,

yes, Those Precious Lonely Hours,

jesus Lets Me Know That I Was His Own

chorus

verse 3:

i Thank God For The Mountains,

and I Thank Him For The Valleys,

i Thank Him For The Storms He Brought Me Through.

for If I'd Never Had A Problem,

i Wouldn't Know God Could Solve Them,

i'd Never Know What Faith In God Could Do

7 Quick Takes

2012-01-20T13:55:00.003-05:00

1. Sweet Mercy. My right arm hurts way more than I thought it would after falling. It's to the point where I whimper a little bit whenever I try to squirt lotion from my dispenser.

2. I am becoming a little bit overwhelmed trying to think about moving this July. Before you ask, I have been in this apt building for 4 1/2 years, yes I moved once over a year ago, up one floor, to get away from a noisy neighbor. Now that my lease is up I'm looking towards a house of some sort, and it's overwhelming me.

3. I have decided that I am done with Winter. After falling in the ice and snow, snow is no longer pretty and it needs to be done with. Unfortunately Winter did not receive that memo as we are getting 5 more inches of snow today. Fab.

4. My hair is finally getting longer, only now it's to the annoying stage and needs thinned out. I don't have time for that so it's froofy. way froofy. I need to invest in some hair clips.

5. I am loving, LOVING my Roku and Hulu Plus! Not to mention Netlifx! I discovered Teen Mom is on Netflix and I watched 4 episodes the other day. Good stuff!

6. Yes I have an unnatural love for cheesy reality television.

7. I'm really struggling with stuff to blog about this week.

Thursday Thoughts

2012-01-19T16:33:00.001-05:00

Let me just say how much better I feel knowing that I am not the only person that hates socks, OR that sleeps weird with their blankets folded down! This gives me hope for when I get married that my husband will not think I am certifiable when I fold my blankies down! ha!!

Other than that, this week has pretty much been a bust. Monday we had the day off for MLK day, so I slept in, put away loads of laundry, did the dishes, and went to the Dentist. No Cavities y'all! I ran some other errands and then went to my Monthly apt at my Chiropractor. That's when the day and week took a serious downturn.

I've been having migraines off and on for about two weeks, and had a headache that morning, So I was excited to go and feel better. Instead for some reason, my neck would not move to pop at all. He tried for over a half an hour and nothing. So he had me make an apt for Thursday, telling me I would need it. (they are closed on Weds)

Boy howdy was he right. By Monday night I was in ALOT of pain. Monday night. Tuesday. Wednesday. Pain. Puking.Pounding.Pain.

Finally I make it to my apt today only to get out of my truck and take a face plant into the snow covered parking lot. There is a Cherrybear shaped snow angel decorating his parking lot. Or at least there was this morning. It's snowed quite a bit since then. BUT I digress.

So I'm laying on the snow covered ground, in my pjs, (yes I went in my yoga pants and pj's with my snowboots) with my head sideways looking at the traffic drive by. Thinking. What am I doing on the ground? Is anyone going to notice me here? And CAN THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE??!! It would have been funny if I had not been in so much pain. So I picked myself up, and hobbled to the door and walked in soaking wet, to tell the receptionist, who had missed the entire thing, what had happened.

Thankfully even though that happened, or maybe because it did, and my poor neck went out even more, he was finally able to get my neck to move! Praise God! And I did! The first side popped, and as he was massaging it I started singing Hallelujah. After popping every bone in my entire neck I got to lay on his table for my bones to settle or something like that, while he put a face mask on me and went to his other client. I danged near fell asleep. It was quite comfy. Alas Dr R woke me up, and escorted me out to my truck so I wouldn't fall in the parking lot again. I showed him exactly where I fell, and embarrassingly enough, yes there WAS a Cherybear shaped imprint in the snow. And here you thought I was exaggerating!!

I made it safely home and have been snuggled on my couch ever since. I am looking forward to some human interaction at work tomorrow to say the least! And for this crummy week to be over!

Mid Week Confessions

2012-01-18T11:06:00.000-05:00

I strongly dislike wearing socks. Even when I need to in the winter. I can count on one hand the number of days I have worn socks or even worse, trouser socks, to work this winter. I have a rule that if at some point in the day it will be over 28 degrees then it is OK to not wear socks. Minor detail if my feet get really cold. That's what under the desk heaters were made for. Right?

To go along with my hatred of socks, I also don't like my feet being caught up in the covers of my bed. I feel.. constricted. Like I'm being bound and attacked. So I fold my covers down to the end of my bed, and then sleep with an afghan on top of me. If it's really REALLY cold I will stick my feet just under the covers, but not very much.

I've needed to take my trash out since last week and yet here it still sits in my kitchen.

I went to the Dentist this week for a teeth cleaning and had no cavities. I rewarded myself with a Coke...

Miss Marple

2012-01-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Awhile ago I got a rude comment from an anonymous commenter on my blog. (Yes I'm talking to YOU Colorado) I didn't post about it because I realize that if you have to make nasty comments to people anonymously on the internet to make yourself feel better, then you're obviously pretty pathetic and your life must suck.

Regardless of that, I found it kind of funny, Yes, I am the person that would laugh at a funeral. I struggle. And I told my friend Val, who brings our mail, about it. Well now everytime she brings our mail up she says "Hi School Marm", (yes the idiot called me a school marm, I told you it was funny!) and we giggle.

So now that School Marm is my nickname we have been trying to find a good school marm-ish name to give me. There has been googling involved. FINALLY today Val came up with the PERFECT one and after I googled pictures of her I had to agree. So I would like to introduce you to Miss Marple. My new nickname. I am going to work on perfecting her facial expression in the first picture.

7 Quick Takes

2012-01-12T15:17:00.003-05:00

1. I have been informed (and now catch myself doing it) that every time I leave my office to walk anywhere, I look both ways before walking out the door. Like a little child. If you have ever walked our halls you would do the same thing! Safety first!!

2. I am such a creature of habit it is not even funny. I park in the same space or area in every parking lot that I use, I go as far as even using the same bathroom stall at work. TMI?

3. I've been strangely fascinated lately by the Christian's in the public eye. Of course everyone is watching Tim Tebow, but awhile back I started reading Baron Batch's Blog (which I would highly recommend) and he has some really interesting thoughts on living his faith and recently on protecting himself as a Christian Male, and one in the public eye. I definitely wish that all guys had the respect for themselves and for women that he is trying to show. It gives me hope.

4. I have to say that while I enjoy reading People magazine I never want to be in it. (Sorry Steve Helling) I love my life of anonymity and my precious 34 little blog readers!! And going to Walgreen's in my yoga pants, a hoodie, my jd hat and glasses and no makeup. Maybe I should add that I hope no one ever tells Stacy and Clinton about me either...

5. Seriously though, I have a hard enough trusting people as it is. I would think it would be a pretty lonely life if you always had to question someone's motives.

6. This is a rather deep installment of quick takes. Maybe I'm becoming smarter as I get ready to turn OLD?

7. I still can't believe I'm turning 30 next month. and yes. I am going to continue to say this and post about it. It slightly makes me want to go into a STATE as my Mom puts it.

The post in which I prove I am dull

2012-01-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

In case you didn't allready realize it, it doesn't take very much to entertain me or make me happy. Case in point the other night. I was cleaning and rearranging my kitchen and tackling my kitchen table that's only used for collecting stuff. I had a pile of Christmas Card Photo's and decided that I wanted to hang them on my fridge year round, so I could see my friends. Luckily I found some clear magnetic picture frames and was able to stick the cards in them to display!

I even cleared off my notepads and other various magnets. The magnets may or may not be on the side of my fridge that I didn't take a picture of......Oo.o

And this cracks me up! Emboz's family pic last year. Poor Greg is too tall to fit in the picture frame so all you get is his arm. Sorry Greg.

Mid Week Confessions

2012-01-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

Once again I am typing this the day before in worries that I will forget! #oldage

I may or may not be planning a week long 30'th Birthday Extravaganza. I just realized I need to make a list of everyone I want to celebrate with and then break them up into groups of people that know each other. yes I'm planning my own birthday party(s).

Getting off work at 4:30 feels like I am cheating and getting off super early. I don't know what it is about the 30 mins but they feel FAB!!

Once again I have no gotten my Brother's Birthday Present in time for his Birthday, See Kim, it's not just you I do this to! On the other hand I got my SIL something for her birthday in MAY.

I said Bye,Bye,Bye to Comcrap and I literally sang that song as I left the parking lot. I was euphoric to be done with them!!!!!

I may or may not have been convinced that 1. my truck had gotten taller or 2. i had gotten shorter during the 20 mins I was inside Comcrap, because when I came outside to get into my truck I darn near fell trying to jump into it.

I am a lip balm aholic. I have no less than 4 lip balms on my desk right now. I only really like one of them, my baby lips by maybelline, but it's almost out. :( sadness.

A call to the younger generation of Christians

2012-01-10T13:11:00.004-05:00

Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity, of being made or becoming holy. To sanctify is literally "to set apart for special use or purpose," figuratively "to make holy or sacred," and etymologically from the Latin verb sanctificare which in turn is from sanctus "holy" and facere "to make."

Wikipedia

I have been ruminating on this post for several weeks now. It's the culmination of some chats I've had with my friends, what I've been seeing on facebook for far too long now, and just general thoughts.

It all came up for discussion when a somewhat famous Christian in the media got engaged recently. I looked at pictures of his fiance and was a bit flabbergasted at what I saw. She, as one commenter put it "had her bare bottom from here to Ohio for the world to see". Sadly, it was true. Google her name and pictures of her in lingerie and skimpy bikinis will pop up all across your computer screen. One commenter even said what I was thinking. For someone who is supposedly a Christian, she doesn't look too Godly.

Now here is where this could get ugly. I'm not judging her or trying to say that everyone who is a Believer needs to dress like the Duggars or in sack clothes. I know that I need to work on dressing more modestly. It's not always easy with the styles of the word and different body shapes. I think you need to ask yourself what your intention is with your outfit? Is it for a guy to see your attributes and the "hot bod" you worked out so hard for? Or is it to be a Classy Woman. A child of God?

It brings up an interesting point. How are we to be set apart from the world and showing them Christ if all we can do is try to be as much like the world as possible?

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

Over Halloween (And New Years) weekend I continuously got disgusted every time I pulled up my facebook news feed. Girls, alot of girls, that I am friends with, and that say they are Christians, were posed scantily clad, boozing it up, and showing the world what their bodies have to offer. It literally made me a little sick inside.

What has happened to our younger culture? I see the kids I was in youth group with growing up and hardly any of them are walking closely with God. Granted I don't know their hearts and I'm not God myself to know what's going on inside of them, but the constant half naked pictures, the booze the bars, the poses with friends that are border line inappropriate..

Instead of trying to chase after God and be more like him, it seems that young believers are doing all they can to fit in with the world, to say HEY! Look at me! I wear low cut tops, and short skirts, I show my midriff, have you seen my tattoos? Look! I can play Beer Pong!

It breaks my heart.

I grew up in a Christian home and was saved at an early age. I was homeschooled, and was at church everytime it was open. I even went to a Christian college. But that wasn't enough for me. You see, I've been where these young believers are at. I've been raised with God and following him and been in the church all my life, but yet I thought the world had more to offer.

When I was 21 and moved to L-town from where I went to college in Florida, I had a massive rebellion. I walked away from God and everything that he stood for. For 6 months I sinned against him and did everything I could to convince the world that I was just like them. I drank. I dressed REALLY inappropriate. I cut off my family and my Christian friends. I did everything I could to be like the world.

And you know what?

I was miserable.

I have never been that miserable in my life. Looking back miserable doesn't even seem like a big enough word to describe how I felt.

During my time of sin and rebellion my beloved Grandpa died. The one blessing I can think of from losing him then was that he did not know what i was doing and had no idea that his precious Pumpkin wasn't walking with God.

That was a horrible time in my life.

Life on the other side looked like so much fun, and carefree and crazy, but inside my heart was ripped into pieces. I couldn't find happiness in anywhere in the world that I was looking for happiness at.

Don't copy thebehavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new personby changing the way you think.

~ Romans 12:2, NLT

So I see these kids, who grew up in the church, who have been So blessed by finding salvation at an early age and I see them just throwing it all away. having been there, I feel like I can see into their minds thinking " well I'm saved. I can do whatever I want and I'm safe. I'm going to Heaven and God will forgive me. he put us on the earth to have fun didn't he? I'm going to have fun while I can!"

So wrong. So SO very wrong.

This is not why Jesus died for you! We are called to be set apart from the world:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light

1 Peter 2:9

We are a chosen generation. Christ died for us, to save us from our sins, so that we could follow him, to bring others to him, to glorify him in all that we do! Is it glorifying Christ when we're dressed with our bodies for the world to see? When we're at a bar downing shots, and seeing how smashed we can get?

There is So much more to this time on earth than trying to be like the world! There is a life more abundant with Christ more than you can ever imagine! Happiness and peace in the midst of trials and heartbreak. Break away from the world and experience the great life that God has for us!

I am grateful everyday for my Savior who loved me enough to keep chasing after me, after I hurt him time and time again. Looking back on everything that has happened to me in my life these past 8 years I cannot imagine how I could have made it thru any of that without a solid walk with Christ.

Thinking about the hardships and the heartbreaks I have been thru.. 11 surgeries in those 8 years. Alcohol wouldn't have been there with me through that. My skimpy clothes and the loser guys I was attracting sure enough wouldn't have been there for me.

Everything that you're chasing after in this world, looking for happiness is like an empty Christmas present. It looks pretty and cool from the outside. But once you open it up there is nothing inside. And it leaves you feeling as empty and disappointed as the box.

But YOU are a chosen generation........

Roku!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-10T09:08:00.004-05:00

I can barely contain my glee and excitement over this!! I FINALLY got my wireless internet set up and was able to hook up and use my Roku for the first time!! Incidentally I am returning my box to Comcrap and cancelling my cable! AMEN, HALLELUJAH, WORD TO YOUR MOTHA!!!!! I am soooo excited to be done with them! So tired of paying their ridiculous prices for pathetic customer service!!

Roku on the other hand.. *faabbbuuullloooussss* and yes, I just sang that. I didn't have time to browse all of their free channels, but I was quite pleased with the fact that now I can listen to Pandora thru my tv! yays!!

Not gonna lie, I was totally dancing around and singing quite heartily to my NSYNC station as I unhooked my cable box and got my equipment ready to return. I was a very happy girl!!

I have to say, if you hate your cable and want something more cost efficient I would greatly recommend the Roku. I got it for Christmas and have purchased Hulu Plus for 7.99 a month. Which is a HUGE difference from what I was paying before. Tons and TONS of shows are available to watch. There is only a 60 second commercial break which is awesome. For me, I rarely watch tv live, it's usually something that I have DVR'd and watch the following day or days later. So come along and Roku with me!!

7 Quick Takes

2012-01-06T09:54:00.005-05:00

1. This has been a super long week at work gearing up for the Semester to start on Monday. I plan on spending Friday night to Sunday morning on my couch in my pj's.

2. It's really hard to do my hair when I wear glasses instead of my contacts. I can't see to dry my hair without my contacts in, so the resulting blind hair do is always interesting.

3. I'm excited to hook up my wireless (hopefully) this weekend and get my Roku going so I can FINALLY cancel my cable and say BYE BYE BYE to Comcrap!!!

4. One of our teachers told me I looked cool the other day. I don't know when I've ever looked cool in my 29 years of life!

5. I have 11 sticky notes on my desk currently.

6. I am in slight despair because I can't find VS Beauty Rush Lip Balm on their website. I use it every night and usually buy 3 or 4 of them on sale at a time, so it's been almost a year since I've bought any. But now I'm out and I can't find them anywhere! :(

7. I am on the slow start to cleaning out my apt before I move this July. I got rid of my recliner last week and now I have a beautiful empty space in my bedroom. Makes me so happy!

Christmas Recap!

2012-01-05T11:29:00.000-05:00


Benjamin was excited to see his toy box at Nana's!


Looking out the window at Grampy who was playing Peek A Boo

Playing with his Vroom Vroom

Some of my FAVORITE people!!


B thinks all presents are to him

Luckily that one was :)

Daddy helped B open some gifts..

And B handed Grampy all of the wrapping paper. piece.by.piece.

Nana was excited to get an E Reader that was pretty doggone fancy!

Liz got some Purdue gear!

Grampy once again delighted B with his Farm Animal noise. You haven't lived until you've heard his Horse Neigh.

Love this pic of my sweet Momma!

The Three H's!

The scene at the Farm has changed a little bit..

But some things remain the same. This is why presents take so long....

Love this pic of my Dad laughing and Kev so happy at his HUGE flashlight!

That thing was massive!!

The next day B played more with his Vroom vroom

He also played Peek A Boo under the table...

Meanwhile Auntie continued on her quest to teach him how to take self portraits with her..


And I continued my obsession with his adorable curls! and cheeks. oh i die. i just die!

Benjamin played the Piano for the first time and he LOVED IT!!!

We finally got a decent picture of us!


A smile from my buddy. Oh how I love him!

Cherrybear embarasses herself v.8908098

2012-01-04T18:27:00.004-05:00

So my co worker Db. came out front to my office and is showing me her new pedometer to measure the steps that she takes every day. She tells me that she is supposed to take at least 1,000 steps a day. I ask to see her screen and I look at it and read 348.

I said WHOA three hundred and forty eight ! you need to get on it!

She pats my back and says............................

That’s the time dear.. 3:48 pm…

Midweek Confessions

2012-01-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up once again with e over at emyselfandi.com for her Midweek Confessions!

I may or may not be writing this the day before because I was worried I would forget.

I may or may not have a book in my truck that is 14 days overdue from the library. Did I mention that the library is RIGHT NEXT to the building I work in? It's not like it's miles away and I'm by it everyday, oh no.

I'm on my strict diet once again and the first few days are ROUGH as I adjust to no sugar. I was pretty cranky today, so much that MWS told me to "eat a donut and be happy" . I am proud to say I did NOT eat a donut. (Possibly because there were none)

We still haven't opened our stockings at work. They are STILL hanging up by our file cabinets. I at least took my Christmas decorations down from my desk, but the stockings? Still stuffed. Still hanging up....

To help with my crankiness my lil brother Tyler sent me a joke over text. It was so funny, more like pathetic, that I had to share it with my office mates. However since the joke involved "moo'ing" and I did a very good impression of a cow moo'ing, they did not get the joke so much as they thought my Moo was hilarious. OK maybe you had to be there.

Girls Nite with Audie

2012-01-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Audie got her late Birthday present!

The other day I had a short girls nite with Audie and Cubbie! I wasn't feeling very good so Audie made me some chicken and we just laid around. I was pretty impressed when I saw the pics since I had felt so sick all day long, apparently makeup really does do wonders!

Cubs was struggling with the pictures a little bit that night. He wasn't sure what was going on! ha!

He is such a sweet little muffin though! I love the Cubs!

This was the best pic we could get with the self timer on my camera. My feet look HUGE in this!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T18:52:00.003-05:00

New Years eve I was once again privileged to spend with Katie Marie and her family! Originally I was going to babysit so her and the hubs could go out to dinner and then we'd have our movie night but Roberto wasn't feeling well so he stayed in bed and Katie and I had a girls night (with the bubbies) I thought my outfit was cute alo it's really dark in this pic. A blue striped sweater and skinny jeans!

This year we have a new bubbie to the mix! Ben did great on his first new years and was a great cuddler with me! We had pizza hut, and then watched Made of Honor, one of our fave movies, a reality show on TLC which I just can't even go into. words can't express. seriously. And of course we switched over to Dick Clark's New Year's rockin eve.. This is prolly my fave part of our nye tradition because we make fun of everyone on there, hello lady gaga i'm talking to you! Since we both primarily listen to Christian Music and KLOVE we usually have NO CLUE who these ridiculous people are but it makes for great entertainment!

By far the funniest thing this year was brought on by a report I saw on CNN earlier that afternoon. I had no clue that once people got to Time Square they went into shutes and were unable to USE THE BATHROOM for the rest of their time there untill midnight. Crazy. Just crazy. Well I had to share that with Katie and much hilarity ensued. Such as Katie's FABULOUS comment about what would happen after the ball dropped "The running of the bladders" oh I laughed and laughed and laughed some more. We were dying. And I will admit that during the 2 hours we watched the show we both went to the bathroom twice. I swear everytime i saw the crowds I just felt like i had to pee. poor poor people..

And don't even get me on Dick Clark. Bless his heart he was as tan as Snooki!

It was super fun and I love that Katie and I can just die laughing over one word or two. The power of a close and long friendship! I look forward to many more New Year's eve's with her!! Happy 2012!!

Last post of 2011!!

2011-12-31T22:40:00.000-05:00

For my last post of 2011 I will leave you with my new favorite picture of my favorite person I spent the best moments of 2011 with. My precious nephew Benjamin. aka. snugglemuffin. I love him SO SO much and he has brought so much happiness and joy to my life this past year. I can't wait to spend 2012 with this sweetheart!

Happy New Years!

7 Quick Takes

2011-12-30T22:36:00.001-05:00

1. Last 7 quick takes of the year! Woot!! Next year I promise I will be better at doing them!

2. Getting kind of annoyed with Encore Router's support. Or lack thereof. Trying to set up my wireless and their directions-not working. ugh.

3. Looking forward to spending another NYE with Katie Marie and the bubbies. Oh yeah and her hubs as well. It's become our unofficial tradition!

4. I still can't believe that Christmas has come and gone. Seems like it didn't even happen. I don't think our warm weather helped make it very Christmas-y.

5. Add to that I can't believe my 30'th birthday EEKS is coming up in less than two months! Must start the celebration planning! This one is gonna be BIG!!!

6. I have a deep and abiding love for Target. I always come out of the store with much more than I planned to buy, yet items I cannot live without!

7. I have some deep spiritual posts coming up. Some things to chew on that I've been learning and talking about with my friends.

New Bathroom Decor!

2011-12-28T16:30:00.000-05:00

I can tell I am becoming an adult. New Decor for my apt has me thrilled beyond means. And don't get me started on my matching glassware set! I was so excited that my Mom and SIL both got me stuff for my bathroom!! (The funny thing is they didn't plan it and yet both got the same color and shade!) I literally could not wait to come back to town and put it all together! I got two new rugs as you can see on the ground. to replace my three rugs of different colors.

Liz made me a potted flower arrangement that you can see on my shelf and I got a soap holder and a toothbrush and toothpaste holder. I was pretty excited about the toothbrush and toothpaste holder since I had none. My toothbrush was on the ledge and I would put my toothpaste wherever I thought it wouldn't leak out. Which pretty much meant it leaked out all the time.

I also got new washclothes, hand towels, and shower towels! You can see the flowers better in this pic as well.

I got a new shower curtain! three to be exact! I put the black one up for winter I figured it kind of went. I am saving my other for Summer since they are flowery. I might just save it for my new place that i'll be moving to in July!

My new pink towel looks so bright and pretty hanging on my door! Thanks Mom and Liz!!

Peek A Boo!

2011-12-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Where is Benjamin?

There he is!

Where is Benjamin?

PEEK A BOO!!

PEEK A BOO!! I see you!!!

New Bedroom Decor!

2011-12-28T09:43:00.003-05:00

Every Year my SIL outdoes herself with the gifts she gave us the year before. This year was no exception! She made this amazing picture for me. If you look close all of the pieces of the heart are small pictures of me and my friends! I was amazed! I still can't get over it! I just love it so much!

So I decided to hang it above my bed. I don't have a headboard and I have really felt like my room was lacking something to pull it together. I think this picture does it nicely! And yes, I sleep with a stuffed animal. I'm single, don't judge!

I also sleep with 5 pillows. I tend to fall out of bed. They are like my bumpers! HA! Seriously though I just love it and it's so neat to look at all the pics of different friends and stages in my life and remember all of the fun memories! Thanks Liz!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T18:34:00.002-05:00

For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have ever lasting life. Joh 3:16

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.
⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Twas the night before Christmas Eve......

2011-12-23T13:52:00.001-05:00

In typical fashion I am about three years behind the rest of the world and didn't realize that Blogger had a new interface. I know, I know, I struggle. So I finally switched and I have to say it does much it much easier to blog! Maybe I will blog more often now? ha ha....

I also messed with the template settings a bit and the background. I wanted to clean up the links and overall look and feel of it a bit. I think it looks pretty good! I also think I will have my fabulous friend Jordy make me a new blog background for my birthday coming up. I need to start thinking about designs!!

I have enjoyed my quiet time at work with my co workers gone. I've gotten to choose my own music and sound level and actually gotten to choose whether I want music on or not! Glory!!

And I have finally jumped on the spotify bandwagon and finally feel like a cool kid. (Just ignore the fact that I listened to NSYNC's Christmas CD and Charlie Brown) It seems like half of my church uses it and everytime I got on facebook I saw all the music they were listening to and finally just couldn't resist.

I really want to put in some witty comment about what's next me doing *insert latest coolest fad* but the sad truth is I have no idea what the latest coolest fad or thing is.

Moving on...

So I have decided for a New Year's goal, that I am going to memorize two scripture passages a month. For January I am focusing on the following:

Ephesians 6:19-20

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

So come the middle to end of January if you see me, feel free to quiz me on these and see if I have them memorized yet! And if anyone has an idea for February's verses by all means please share!

The whole Tim Tebow thing (yet another example of how out of it I am. Just learned about him like two weeks ago) has gotten me thinking and praying alot. Yes, he's an amazing good looking guy and the fact that he was homeschooled like me and grew up on a farm makes me want to find him and drag him to my pastor's for a ceremony, but i digress.

But other than all of that he is really living a Christian life. I have to admit it's challenged me a lot reading articles and his quotes and interviews, seeing his Godly reactions has made me realize on how much mine lack at times. (ok alot of times) and God has been working on me with that.

I've been drawn back to one of the last Bible Studies we had this fall talking about how we live the Christian life and how it needs to not be something about oh look how they do this, they are nice, but more of WOW. There is no way I could ever do that, that's not even possible or of this world. Showing people that it's not you. It's not that you have a great personality, it's bigger than you and only can be done through Christ. Joanna Weaver put it much better than I ever could, so go pick up Lazarus Awakening and head towards the last few chapters and you'll get what I'm ever so poorly trying to say.

I think that's why he is so popular and everyone is talking about him, because really, there is no way he could be like what he is without Christ. I am sure he is a nice guy and he looks easy going and friendly, but if he didn't have Christ and wasn't seeking him with all of his heart and striving to live for him, he would just be like your average football player and normal person.

It's not Tim Tebow that makes him so TIM TEBOW, it's Christ. And I really have been convicted that I need to be seeking God more and letting him work in me and through me. And that's one of the reasons I want to memorize the Eph verse. I think that pretty much sums it up.

Pink Weds- Tim Tebow Style!!

2011-12-22T16:03:00.000-05:00

(The Following transpired on facebook yesterday, my dear friend Cara and I are going to start a movement!!! Pink Weds- Tim Tebow style!! )

If anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas... One of these please!!

(pink tim tebow jersey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

http://www.kindsjerseysteam.com/nfl-jerseys/nfl-womens-jerseys-c365/discount-15-tim-tebow-pink-denver-broncos-women-s-sweetheart-jersey-p5847.html

Cara Me too!! I would like one... I think a M would work.....we could wear them together :)
Yesterday · · 1
Charity and and and we can wear them on PINK WEDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday · · 1
Cara Maybe a L.... would be better
Yesterday ·
Cara YES YES YESS THAT IS MY THOUGHT
Yesterday · · 1
Cara every Wed :)
Yesterday · · 1
Charity WE HAVE THE BEST IDEA EVER! YES! EVERY WEDS TO BIBLE STUDY!!! I AM LOVING THIS!!
Yesterday · · 1
Cara My girls want one too :)
Yesterday ·
Cara I feel something BIG starting :)
Yesterday · · 1
Charity I would be willing to rename it Tim Tebow Pink Weds.. and that is saying ALOT!!!!
Yesterday
Cara Wow... that is ... should we buy ourselves a Christmas gift?
Yesterday ·
Charity Or, Pink Weds Tim Tebow Style!! either one works really!
Yesterday · · 1
Charity I think Pink Weds Tim Tebow style has a ring to it
Yesterday ·
Cara I like the Second! All those in favor....
Yesterday · · 1
Charity preferably a diamond ring on my left hand!!!!!
Yesterday ·
Charity I !!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday at 2:23pm ·
Charity Tim Tebow votes yes as well. he told me this.
Yesterday ·
Cara ‎!!!!!!!!! :)
Yesterday at 2:23pm ·
Cara awesome!!! I like how close you guys are maybe that diamond is coming :)
Yesterday · · 1
Charity Yes, he is speaking to me from my Second Monitor. He has a smile on his face. What a chipper fellow he is!
Yesterday
Cara lol
Yesterday ·
Charity We could totally take pictures are post them on my blog. oh glory!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday ·
Cara tell him hello....okay I am thinking we should do this thing.... no more talking we need to put it into action... know of anyone else that wants to join us?
Yesterday · · 1
Charity You are right on it Cara!!!! Let's start a Movement!!!!
Yesterday ·
Charity Pink Weds Tim Tebow Style!! BOOYAH!!
Yesterday ·
Charity I think Jessica should join in!!!
Yesterday ·
Cara I agree.... she might need two... one now and one after the little one arrives...
Yesterday ·
Charity Little Charity brooke would look so cute in a baby tim tebow jersey!!
Yesterday ·

mid week confessions

2011-12-21T13:18:00.004-05:00

I'm joining E over at emyselfandi.com for her Midweek confessions link up!

I think this is one of the very few times I'd done a link up so I feel all kinds of cool!!

Everytime I get an Arni's pizza I only eat the side triangles, and the edge pieces. Actually anytime I eat anything that consists of an edge I will ONLY eat the edges, brownies, cake, whatever. The edge makes it best!!

I kind of can't believe I am turning *30* in 2012. I thought by now I'd be some fantastically intelligent woman with it all together, and I'm still the clutzy mess I've always been!

The sad thing is I miss-spelled intelligent in the last confession. wow.

I am so looking forward to my two co workers being off work the next two days so I can listen to my own music. Every morning we listen to one, and after they leave at 12, the other turns her music on. Shoot, I may just sit at work in silence since that never happens either!!

My parents were in town this week and dropped some stuff off at my apt, I am not ashamed to admit that i asked them to take the christmas presents under my tree to their house so I wouldn't have to cart them all downstairs with my luggage when i leave.

I may or may have not also sent my bff's christmas present with them to mail. i hate post offices.

A Birthday and a Living Nativity!

2011-12-19T09:56:00.008-05:00

Friday night I hosted a Dinner Party at my apt for Holly and Sherita! We surprised Holly with a (late) Birthday Cake!! It was sooo good! Dark Chocolate homemade icing and a cherry center. Slurp.

Action shot! Holly was definitely surprised!!!

Sunday night Emboz and I took the girls to the Living Nativity her church puts on! Bethy was "soooooooooooooo embarassed" by Emboz's Tigger Hat. I was frankly disappointed that I hadn't brought my Colts Santa Hat to wear!(especially since they FINALLY won a game!!)

Us gals getting ready to head out! Notice how non thrilled Bethy looks.

The Living Nativity was sooo cool! Madi absolutely LOVED it! She was laughing and pointing through the whole thing! She's still doing her heh heh hahahah laugh and it just cracks me up! It was fun seeing how much she was enjoying it!

After the Nativity they have Cookies and Hot Chocolate set up in the community center so we went and had some yummies and warmed up! And got our picture in front of the gorgeous tree they had set up.

And a close up of us 4! Madi was getting a tad sleepy, so she wasn't really posing as normal. Still a cutie though! She was perfectly happy to be carried in my arms. Love that girl!!

The funny of the evening came from Bethy. We were getting ready to leave and crossing traffid, I told her we had to be careful and said "I'm too cute to die!!" she turns to me and says "but yet you're still single..."

thanks Bethy. thanks alot! She is 10 going on 35. I literally stopped in my tracks in shock and she suddenly realized what she said and decided that was a greeaaattttt time to try and hug me. hahahah. that kid. She's going to be the death of us. But at least we'll go out laughing!!

Ladies who Lunch! December Edition!

2011-12-16T14:20:00.009-05:00

We were FINALLY able to have our Combined Nov/Dec Ladies who Lunch. After me being sick, and Emily's Grandma passing, and then Emily being sick we had to keep rescheduling so I was excited we finally were able to meet! We headed to a favorite, Buck Creek Pizz! Madi was helping Mommy open her present!!

I LOVE this picture!! Madi was cracking up, and we were dying laughing over her little chortle/chuckle. She kept cracking herself up and laughing and it was the funniest thing!

She also very much enjoyed Auntie Cherry's Yogi Bear Voice. That's right folks, I'm talented.

The group shot didn't go so well.... Madi was rather taken with a table of some fellows.

Proof that she is finally growing some hair! YAY Madi!!

She was pretty much over pictures by this point and she really really wanted to go in the kitchen.

This thing was odd so we made her pose by it. HA!

Em snapped this, I was talking to Madi and she was just grinning at me. So sweet. Love that girl!!

This and That.......

2011-12-15T09:12:00.002-05:00

Wednesday was Holly's last class and last time to visit us after class for this semester so we celebrated by going out to lunch! I needed a Coke in a bad, bad way so we went to McDonald's for lunch! I love spending time with Holly we just laugh and laugh and laugh! It was rainy yesterday as you can tell by my frizz ball of a head and hair do.

Seems like I have been busy lately with many different things. Holly and Sherita are coming to my apt for dinner Friday night so I have been trying to white glove clean my apt and organize, along with getting things ready for Christmas.

My poor Mom still has NO Christmas gifts. I had found something I thought she would like, but didn't buy it, went back a few hours later and it was gone. :( So back to the drawing board we go!

I'm looking forward to Christmas, even though I don't know if I will get to see my brother and his family.

I've been trying to be crafty lately, thanks to Pinterest. I attempted to make one thing and it's still not done, just needs some ribbon to hang it up with but it really doesn't look like the pictures! I fear that I may never be a crafty girl. Sighs...

A very Christmas-y Thursday!

2011-12-09T08:23:00.012-05:00

Thursday was FULL of Christmas cheer and FUN! We had our Holiday Party at work and it was great to get out of the office for two hours, sit and talk with friends and have some yummy pie and the Chancellor's famous cider, which I must say- pretty doggone good!!

I was really happy that Audra got to come from our offices downtown. I have been excited about her coming all week long! We haven't seen each other much lately, so we just sat there and caught up on everything going on and just had a great time chatting! She is always my "date" to work events!

Jefferson' HS First Edition Show Choir came and put on a great show for us! I'm a fan of them since Ellen was in FE for so long, I got to go to many of their shows during her HS years and they never disappoint. They put on a fabulous show and are so dedicated! You can tell they work very hard and they are very good at what they do!

Thursday night our church had our annual Kossuth Accoustic Cafe. This was our Christmas edition and the fabulous band U-Turn came once again and man oh man. I know I'm Baptist but I wanted to boogie! They are just incredibally talented and I'm so glad they came to sing for us again!

I was pretty excited to see my Bryna, and hang out with her, she's the official Cafe Decorator now and she did an AMAZING job!! And Bergs! I was SO excited to see Bergs and "Little Charity Brooke" that is growing in her tummy. I haven't quite convinced her to name her daughter after me but we have a few months still.

I just love these girls!!!!!

And I really loved the Hot Chocolate with THE WORKS!! And the amazing cookies that Sherry made. Even if I did accidentally eat two of them together like an Oreo. whhoops. Big HUGE Thanks to Java Jo'z for supplying all of the coffee and delicious drinks for us! I am a fan of them anyway, great service, very friendly people, smoothies to DIE for, and super close to my job! But this just made me love them even more! If you live in Lafayette go see them! They are right by Unity on Creasy!

The best part of the night though was this little boy. He's 9 (he looked pretty short for 9 i thought he was 5) and he was the son of band members and he was seriously playing the drums. And.he.was.good. Really good!!! He was so cute I could have just eaten him up!

He was a serious performer though, into his art, and did not love all the pictures we were taking of him. Musicians. We are a special breed. :)

'Omi eating peppermint ice cream with marshmallows. A girl after my own heart! (she is Bryna's daughter) She had 6 cups of Marshmallows. I don't think they were going to get any sleep.

And we also made crafts! Geneva showed Bryna and I how to make these adorable rings! And ok, Bryna had to help me. I really try to craft but let's face it, I struggle! "And where does one buy something like this?" yeah. I struggle.

And lastly, some more of my favorite people! Sweet, Sweet Cara who I have missed so much! She would like you to know that she is standing on her tip toes. Our sweet short little friend! And another of my Bergs and "little Charity Brooke"

What a great night at the Cafe and such a fun Christmas-y Musical Day! YAY!

Little Cherrybear

2011-12-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

The other day Sherita and I were talking about what we were like as children so I had to bring in this hilarious picture to show her of my one and only stint as a flower girl. It was my Aunt's First wedding, and I was terrified. I was so scared that I didn't throw any flowers out. I kept all of them, and I had a tight grip on my cabbage patch doll that my Mom had made a matching dress for. Word must have gotten out about my lackluster flower girl skills because that was my last gig. This picture cracks me up though. I really just wanted nothing to do with the whole thing. *i was a smart kid*

One year ago.....

2011-12-07T15:25:00.004-05:00

I had The Best Day! When I saw this adorable little face and fell instantly in love with my nephew!

One year later, I love this boy more than I ever knew was possible, he is cuter than can be, and way too smart for his own good! Happy Birthday Snugglemuffin! Auntie loves you SO MUCH! (Yes this was short but if I write anymore I'm going to boo hoo and I already did that last night praying for him!)

The post in which there are no pictures

2011-12-05T15:26:00.002-05:00

Other than my nephew I cannot remember the last thing I took a picture of! I have been really slacking in the picture taking and blogging as of late.

Bryna came over Friday night and de-fluffed my hair and gave me some shape. I'm wanting to grow it out some, so she gave me a good cut that will hopefully grow out into a nice bob. YAYS! My hair was so happy to see her and so was I! I had a rough week so it was nice to spend time with one of my friends!

We laugh and laugh and have to break from the haircutting sometimes when we're really going giggling or else I would most likely be missing a chunk of hair or just be bald.

Speaking of laughing, I posted on FB how much I enjoyed Bryna and my haircut and my old suitemate Krista reminded me of the *one* time I tried to cut her hair at PCC. Let's just say that I didn't quite get the concept of layers and there was an OOPS (haha literally! said it out loud while cutting her hair!) Bless her heart, her hair looked like a set of stairs. In my mind that was what layers looked like!!

Now you know why I am not a hairstylist.

I can't think about it without giggling though. It's a wonder she still speaks to me!

I stayed up until Midnight Friday. I know, living life on the wild side! I have to say though, I slept better that night than I have in several months!

I drug my Mom to my GI Specialist apt last week and it was very informative. I've started on some new meds and the Dr has plans and tweaking to get me feeling better. It was really good. I left feeling hopeful that I would feel better and have a better quality of life, more so than I have in a long time. I have just gotten so used to being sick and miserable that sometimes it's hard to remember what it feels like not to be like that and to dream of a future not feeling that way!

I have found a new Author that I love, Jenny B. Jones. I got another of her books from the library after buying one awhile back and just reading it this past week. I even got two of her young adult books because they just looked good!

I have also found a new lunch spot. Don't everyone go stealing it now! Our library on campus has great seating for lunch people and you can bring your food in and eat while reading or just looking out the window. It was perfect. Warm, cozy and best of all QUIET. Quiet is exactly what i want most days at lunch!

7 Quick Takes

2011-12-02T13:41:00.002-05:00

1. Spending time with my nephew last week has left me with some bad habits. One of them being the urge to "vroom VROOM" several times a day.

2. I also almost Peek A Boo'd a student that came through earlier this week.

3. Yes, I embarrass myself on a daily basis.

4. I am in LOVE with the Chicken Salad that Target sells. It's sooooo good!

5. Bryna is coming over to un-fluff my hair this evening. I can't wait! I need some Bryna time and my hair desperately does!

6. I still have no idea what to get my Mom or Grams for Christmas. Any thoughts? Everyone else is done!

7. I am loving Maybelline's new Baby Lips Lip Gloss- Peppermint. It's soooo yummy and very smoothing!

A very Iowan Thanksgiving!

2011-11-28T08:58:00.022-05:00

Weds, my parents and I made the trek to Iowa to spend Thanksgiving with my Bro, SIL and precious nephew! It felt like a very long drive!

Once we got there, we made a pit-stop at Whitey's home to the BEST ice cream you could ever dream of!

I had a very cherry smoothie it was soooooo good!!

We got to their house and Grampy played in Benjamin's box. Mr B wasn't quite sure what to think of that..

Mr B LOVES his eeyore!!! He loves on it and lays his head down, it's sooo sweet! this picture with grampy in the box in the background cracks me up!!

Stinker face!!

A road worn Auntie and Snugglemuffin!!

This could be why he likes Grampy better than Auntie! I was growling at him. He liked it. I promise.

The one decent picture of me and my boy! I just LOVE him!!

hahaha drunk face. one day he will kill me for these pictures. But i'm safe for now!

I think this is such a precious picture! Mommy was putting on Yogi Bear, and Benjamin was helping her out!

Friday I was SOOOOOO excited! Apes came and spent the afternoon with me! We went to The Machine Shed restaurant, which was super cute!! And had some really good blt's!

You know we had to take a car picture! we totally didn't plan on matching in grey!

Ok so we had a little photo shoot at the Shed as well! Apes poses so well!

I was not nearly as cute as her!

Isn't she adorable?! We hung out at the house after with my parents and Mr B. He was pretty shy so he kept cuddling into my chest and under my chin. it was sooo precious. I love it when he's cuddly and shy!

Grampy fed him dinner Friday night. And they had a green bean fight. My nephew is way too smart for his own good! the green bean would get right next to his mouth and he'd chomp it shut and turn his head. and then he'd laugh! what a stinker!! :)

He was pretty proud of himself!

he also got to have cake for the first time! he was a fan. This is his normal pose while sitting. He always has his feet propped up on the end of his chair. Makes it very tickalicious!!

After we opened his birthday presents Grampy read him his Corey Combine book!! Side note, look at his GORGEOUS curls!!! I love his curly hair!!

And the morning before we left. Playing with Corey Combine and VROOM VROOM'ing. That child vroom vroom's all the time. He also moo's. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever! I miss my snugglemuffin allready!

Office Decorations 2011

2011-11-22T10:17:00.002-05:00

We finished decorating our office for Christmas and turned off the lights to look at our pretty Christmas lights! I love Christmas lights! So here is my desk from the front.

And from the side!

Our tree by the chairs, with a school house and a reindeer.

Far away look of my desk. I wish we could have have the lights off like this all the time!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree..

You can't see but some of these lights are little birdies! i thought that was so cute!

This looks psychedellic! ha! It's an USB Tree Light!
And I made Mws a stocking! and decorated it! He told me I spent too much time on it, but I wanted to do something special for him! So pretty!

Randoms

2011-11-21T13:38:00.004-05:00

A dear friend's birthday is this week and I made this for her. She is huge into music, and after being out of the business for several years she is starting to teach voice lessons again! I saw this quote online and thought it was perfect. I decided to make her a sign and frame it so she would have some art work in her studio! You can't really tell in the picture but the frame I found is wood, and looks alot like that of a Piano. I was SO excited to find the perfect frame for it!
Last week we had MASSIVE rains and some tornadoes. We were sheltered downstairs Monday afternoon for over an hour and a half. While we were sheltering we found out a tornado had been just across the road from us. That was kind of scary but I was more concerned about how hot and sweaty I was. It was gross.
I was SO excited to have lunch with Holly(isn't she gorgeous??!!)!!!! After a cruddy morning a lunch with a friend was just what I needed! I laughed so hard!!

I have to share the following story. Saturday I spent all day waiting on and then dealing with Comcast. I am fighting the urge to blog about all of their nefariousness and how much they annoyed me. So I'll just share this and Holly's reaction, because I laughed so hard I nearly peed my skirt!

Saturday night, around 8:30 i had been talking online over chat with three different comcast customer service reps. The first two I talked to were really nice and helpful, but then I got sent to michelle in sales. She was not so nice. I felt like she was being really rude and smarmy to me and not very helpful.

I should say at this point it had been HOURS of dealing with Comcrap, and I was managing to have a good attitude and think about everything I blogged about last week and how in the scheme of life this doesn't really matter.

Then something snapped and I had just had enough. I was done. So she asks me over 45 mins later if there is anything else she can do for me.

So I said:

Yes, You might want to work on your Customer Service skills a little bit, I felt like you were rather rude.

And Then I found the exit chat button and started furiously clicking on it with my mouse, while holding my left hand over my eyes because I was afraid to see what her response would be!

I'm telling this to Holly, and explaining that this is why I don't insult people or say mean things because I am just too weak and a scardy cat to see what they might say back.

She is laughing hysterically and says that she wishes she could hear what this lady would say to her friends when she's telling them about the girl she helped in video chat that covered her eyes after she insulted her!!!!

I cracked up!!! No fears, it was NOT over video chat, just typing chat. I told Holly if it had been over video chat then i would have covered my ears so I wouldn't hear her response!

You can't fight the Biebs...

2011-11-18T18:25:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night I was SO excited to bring Christmas music to Piano Lessons for the girls to start working on! They are both advancing better than I had expected, both of them are showing a real talent for the Piano and I continue to be amazed at their sight reading skills. I definitely did not posses that at their ages.

Being that I get overly excited I was having the girls guess what I had brought. Little C guessed it was "Princess Music" and since 1. she was wrong and 2. i don't even know what qualifies as "Princess Music" I called Big C up to the Piano and had her guess.

Her first guess was.......

Hip Hop

Not so much Big C.

So I tried to lead her on with her guesses by asking her what was coming up in the next weeks.

She gives me a blank look.

I say- Come on Big C what BIG EVENT is coming up??

All of the sudden her face LIGHTS UP and she YELLS out

JUSTIN BIEBERS NEW SINGLE???!! YOU BROUGHT JUSTIN BEIBERS NEW SINGLE??!!!!!!!

um..

no.

Needless to say Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls and We Three Kings did not exactly incite the intended excitement I had hoped for.

Later on as I was doing Big C's lesson, we were going through her song and writing down the notes. Since we're playing right and left hands now sometimes the girls miss the left hand if we're primarily playing the melody in the right hand. Well she missed a note in the left so I started singing a song.

From the perspective of the note.*

It went a little like this..

Oop Oop What about me??

Oop Oop Who could I be??

Big C looks at me and says "Miss Charity- WHAT was that??!!"

You wanted Hip Hop didn't you?

THAT was hip hop?

Big C, I am a white girl, with no rhythm. Yes, that was hip hop.

Ohhaky. If you say so.

*Hey If Little C can name her fingers, and talk for them, I think it is certainly appropriate to talk for the poor little music notes that have no voice!*

7 Quick Takes

2011-11-18T18:18:00.004-05:00

1. Katie had me flat out laughing out loud alone in a waiting room this evening. I love getting texts from my friends! What did I ever do before cell phones and texting? I have no clue!

2. Mr Benjamin's Birthday Presents are purchased and ordered, now we just pray that the big present makes it to Iowa by next Friday night! (his little birthday party with us!)

3. Props to Audie for finding one of his presents at Gordman's and texting me a picture of it telling me to buy it for him :)

4. I renewed my driver's license online tonight for a mere 21.00. I thought that was rather pricy but for keeping my smiling picture and not changing my weight from HIGH SCHOOL, small price to pay my friends!!

5. I'm getting Comcast internet tomorrow so if I never blog again you'll know why. And yes, I know I hate them, but I could get a better deal on tv/internet than my tv alone that was raising another 20 bucks at the end of the month. I'm paying less for both than I was for just cable??!!! I miss direct tv that's all I'll say..

6. I have really been working on my attitude this week or trying to. Tuesday I was a hot little sinful mess. I'm thankful that "his mercies are new every morning" and for the time alone I get with my Savior to work on my issues!

7. Two more work days until I go to my Snugglemuffin!!!!!!!!!!

Lazarus Awakening

2011-11-14T19:54:00.003-05:00

Our women's bible study has been doing "Lazarus Awakening" by Joanna Weaver. We studied her two other books, which I blogged about last year, and we just finished this book. Sadly I was sick for most of this 8 week study so I wasn't able to attend many of them.

But I made it back for the last chapter and boy howdy, did it really hit me. I have read the chapter twice since the lesson last week and I'd like to share some of it now. Hopefully this will translate to you, but I also want to write this for me, I want to remember what I learned and what God is trying to show me.

This semester has been really hard for me. I've went through alot of hard health issues, struggles, I've seen people I love lose people they love, there has been so much pain and suffering that I admit, I have asked God why. Why do these Godly people seemingly have horrible thing after horrible thing happen to them? Why do I have to deal with this constant health issues that I feel all alone in and that no one understands. I've cried out to him many a night with no answer.

Until this chapter. It was like a huge bright flashing light going off along with the loudest obnoxious alarm you could dream of. Needless to say I'm a big hard headed and when God gets my attention he REALLY has to get my attention.

It came to me in this chapter that I've been living life all wrong.

I've been living life. Just thinking of life.

Not the eternal life that is to come after our time on earth. I've been so focused on what is happening to me, and to the people I love, I, embarrassingly, have not even thought about what God is doing in it. What God is doing in ME. And why he is doing it. I was being so selfish asking him why we are all suffering, without thinking of the Eternal effects.

Quoting the book

" If we focused on living in the light of eternity, understanding that there is a glorious lifetime in a perfect world to come, I think we'd learn to hold onto this one more loosely and the ones we love less possessively. God wouldn't always have to do what you and I think is best. We'd see eternal possibilities in everyday troubles. We'd more easily surrender ourselves and those we love to God's plan rather than our demands. Most of all I think we'd learn to live with an open hand rather than a clenched fist."

That really got to me. We'd see eternal possibilities in everyday troubles.

What would happen if we gave up our ideals of our perfect world on earth and what we thought should happen? Would we have the "sweet underlying sense of okayness that surpassed happiness (which tends to rely heavily on happenings).

I don't know about you but I would LOVE for that to happen in my heart. Even this morning as I sat at work, something annoyed me. And poof. Right out the window went my happiness. Why? because I let it rely on happenings. What's going on at the moment. To be totally honest and transparent I have a very hard time with that. I am a pretty happy person but if something happens or I see something that I perceive as wrong, I can and will let it affect my mood and happiness at the drop of a hat. Or a frown so to speak.

I like how she talked about the Pollyanna gospel, that nothing bad will happen to good people. But that's wrong

"Scripture never shies away from the reality that bad things happen to good people. That God doesn't always come running to the rescue, at least not in the ways and in the timing we expect Him to. Love does tarry at time. And there are moments when Love seems to actually take a step back, allowing things to happen that we'd never dream of allowing ourselves"

Looking back at this year I wouldn't have thought or picked for it to start out with my precious Nephew in the NICU. The heart wrenching and horrible time that my brother and sil had there, with my family 4+ hours away. Me in the hospital at the same time as my nephew. I wouldn't have picked My Mom to get pneumonia out of nowhere, or my Dad to narrowly escape death by a 700 lb steel tubing and instead break his ankle and have an ongoing infection and struggle for months upon months.

I wouldn't pick for me to have three surgeries in one year, and to still struggle with my health. I wouldn't pick one of my closest friend's father dying merely days after she gave birth to her third son. I wouldn't pick caca's hubby's mom dying while he was deported. and the host of other pains that are too personal to share. I wouldn't have chosen any of that. But God in his infinite wisdom did. And honestly it's been a struggle. A really big struggle for me.

Until last week. When we had a Come to Jesus moment in the second floor of Kossuth Street Baptist church. Courtesy of Joanna Weaver, and Jessica Berger :)

"I'm starting to wonder if one reason God allows difficulties in our lives is to wean us from this world, to cue our addiction to temporal things that will never satisfy. Because it seems that the times we come face to face with pain and death are the time's we're reminded best that this world is just a shadow. A crude drawing and a mere outline of the beauty that awaits us in a world outside this one. An alternate reality so magnificent and incomprehensible that we often forget it's there."

(Right now would be the part in the cartoon where the character gets hit over the head with something large and hard and see's stars.)

Elisabeth Elliot describes it as

"Heaven is not here, it's THERE. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to himself and his still invisible kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for"

A few years ago my bff Kim came to visit me for my birthday. It was after midnight and storming so my Mom had graciously driven down to the airport with me. I was riding in the passenger side of her explorer, and all the sudden there was a blinding bright light. So bright that all I could see was light. In that second I thought Jesus was returning. I had the most incredible feeling. I still can't describe it.

Joy and excitement seem like such small words compared to what I felt. Even thinking of it now I get a little teary just remembering how EXCITED I was, I was just filled with joy indescribable. When I realized it was just a very close lightening strike I had this huge sense of sadness. I was ready. I was ready to go to Heaven and be with my Saviour right then and there. And I was a little bummed when I realized it wasn't time.

How often though do we think about that? We get so caught up in life. Day in, day out. Someone cut me off in traffic, my coffee spilled on the front seat of my truck (totally happened this morning) the line at Target was forever long, awww man they're out of my favorite drink in the vending machine. We just get so CONSUMED, we are CONSUMED people, (and I am too so don't think I'm calling you out) we all are CONSUMED with this life on earth.

Which would be good if we were consumed with witnessing to people, with studying the word and drawing closer to God, with feeding the hungry and caring for the orphans and widows. But let's be honest here. That's not what we're consumed with. Not at all. We are consumed with our own selfish desires and interests.

Joanna wraps it up succinctly

" We may call Jesus our friend. We may even declare Him our most prized possession, saying that He is more than enough. But if we fail to think eternally, chances are we'll tend to hold tightly to everything we can fit in our overcrowded arms for fear that this is all there is and we had better get what we can get while the getting is good.

But this isn't the life we were made for. In fact, it is no life at all. It's just another tomb. Better wallpapered, perhaps, with finer furnishing. But still just a tomb."

7 Quick Takes

2011-11-11T09:08:00.002-05:00

1. I'm a little upset with Greys Anatomy not having a new episode until the New Year. What is up with making us wait so long??!!

2. I'm excited to have Girl's Nite and snuggle time with Katie and her little baby tonight! I can't wait to see how much he has grown!

3. Next week I have another busy social week. I'll only be free on Monday night. Go me and my social life! Woot!!

4. It snowed Thursday. There were flurries when I came in from lunch and when we left work it looked like a full on blizzard. I was rather surprised.

5. To that end I finally caved in and started wearing my coat. I just couldn't put it off any longer.

6. My boyfriend, Cubbie, other wise known as my long lost twin, is coming over with Audra to my house next Weds night.

7. Even though I have my tree up and Thanksgiving is in two weeks and it's cold and snowy outside it just hasn't sunk it that it's November and winter and the Holidays are coming. I still can't believe we're in the fall semester! Life is rushing by!

It's the most wonderfull time.. wait what??!

2011-11-08T15:20:00.012-05:00

I know, I know, it's still November, WHY am I decorating for Christmas allready? Well folks the fact is I'm busy the next two weekends so last weekend was the only time I had available. So I decorated and I must say my apt feels OH so cozy now! Love it!
My poor little tree is missing lights in the bottom/middle. Every year I cannot figure out how to plug them in (pre-lit) and every year i have a dark spot. I am beginning to make peace with the fact that apparently there will be a dark spot on my tree from here on out.
I love my 75 cent Nativity set that I scored at Walmart after Christmas last year!
I love Reindeers. True Story.
The tree and my coffee table. Snowflakes and a JOY sign.
One of my end tables. Hope, Faith and Peace. And a light up snowman!
Some of the shelves on my entertainment center. prolly should have dusted, huh?
A side view of my tree and entertainment center and my Standing Reindeer and Sly the Snowman on top of my bookshelf. Every member of our family owns a Sly. Mom got a deal :)
Pretty.
and yes, those are Christmas presents all wrapped. I know, I'm pretty awesome! I have a few more to buy and make and then I'm done!! YEAH! GO ME!!

Monumental

2011-11-07T13:07:00.004-05:00

Something hugely monumental happened today. I cleaned my desk. And moved my tower and printer. Well, ok the IT guy moved it because I couldn't.
I took off all of my pictures and cards on the back splash and just put four of them up in the center. Much cleaner looking.
I can't get over how neat it looks! I don't think it's been this clean and organized since I moved in almost 2 years ago!
Look at that clean corner! Shocking!!! I had to fight Sherita to keep my foam swords. I mean seriously people, who doesn't want foam swords at their desk????!!

You know you went to PCC...

2011-11-05T20:54:00.008-04:00

I love these lists and if you went to PCC you prolly do too! So I added some pics along with it! Here I am before Thanksgiving Service in my Rejoice Choir robe with Chrystal!
Marilyn and I before my first Vespers. I was performing in Ladies Chorus at this time.
Me and my best guy friend Chris-white glove.
Me and Panda Bear at the Spring Picnic.
Me and Chia after Fine Arts one night. Yes I never had a date.
Some super fun chapel buddies! Sonja and Dan. Incidentally they were my chapel buddies the year that Coral sat by me. And never spoken to me. Unfriendly ;)

You Know You Went To PCC When . . .

1. You feel slightly violated each time you get on an elevator with a member of the opposite sex.

2. You name your vacuum cleaner.

3. Your neighbors have observed you closing all the blinds in your house about the same time every night.

4. You have ever borrowed a roll of toilet paper from your next-door neighbor.

5. Your umbrella has your name permanently written in marker.

6. You have something in your home that you bought at a lost and found sale.

7. Your heart still skips a beat when your pastor tells the congregation to shake hands while the choir sings.

8. You're in bed by ten each night and wonder why you ever thought lights out was too early.

9. You have a button on your car radio programmed to 89.5 FM.

10. You still place any nametag you're asked to wear "high and right."

11. You still buy your butter in little packets.

12. The letters DHA, DC, CPO, and PH mean something to you.

13. The word "socialed" still carries with it a bad connotation.

14. Before moving out of your first apartment, you asked your landlord for a "pre-check."

15. You know exactly how long a gallon of milk will stay fresh on ice.

16. You still abbreviate Thursday with the letter "R."

17. To this day, whenever you walk by a fountain, you have to fight an uncontrollable urge to dump a gallon of Tide into it.

18. You know exactly how many days there are between Labor Day and Christmas.

19. You still limit all local calls to 30 minutes.

20. You can say that you have stood in line for half an hour for a corn dog and a moon pie.

21. You have been told you cannot take a final exam because of an outstanding fifty-cent library fee.

22. You know how to operate a Macintosh computer.

23. You get a box in the mail and wonder if it has food in it.

24. You think of Dr. Mullenix when you see a bottle of hair spray!

25. You consider a long leisurely walk a date.

26. You suspect the lady across the street of writing you up when you kiss your spouse at your front door.

27. In church you never sit in the very front pew because you don't want to be spit on.

28. You wish you still had 11:00 lights-out that made you stop everything you're doing and go to BED.

29. You choose what to wear according to your collegian's colors.

30. You have very good friends who live in seven different States and two foreign countries.

31. You send a friend early to the bowling alley to reserve a lane.

32. You feel guilty when you chew gum inside a building.

33. You watched the first 10 minutes of "Rejoice" every week during Christmas vacation to see if you were on TV.

34. You decorated your dining room in purple, orange, red and blue.

35. You talk about having gone "up" to Alabama to shop at the outlet mall.

36. You know what the "Five Fatal Phrases of February" are.

37. You put up a shower schedule on the bathroom mirror every night.

38. You were ever warned to swim on the "sound" side of the beach.

39. You "meet and say goodbye" to all your dates at the restaurant.

40. You consider going to church a "date".

41. You now feel wealthy because you have a cloth-covered mattress.

42. You lead your family in a hymn before every meal.

43. You are proud to be associated with something called a "Turkey Bowl".

44. You refer to chores as "room Jobs"

45. Every time you go to a Bowling ally, you flash your Drivers License at the door.

46. Every time you hear a bell ring, you feel the urge to stand and sing the doxology!

recent add ons :)

47. you name your elevators.

48. someone says "squirrel" and you stop talking.

49. you know exactly how to carry a stack of huge books taller than you from the CA all the way to your dorm.

50. you try to flash the back of your AmSouth card to get into your house...

51. you STILL think all of your phone calls might be listened to.

52. every time someone says "there goes the neighborhood" you think you're in a church service.

53.You ALWAYS check you mail to make sure it's yours because you might just be sharing a mail box still.

54. Every time you check your mail and you get a package slip you don't get excited until you know fo sho your name is on it.

55. Hand Check

56. When asked to speak in public, the words "A Reasonable Speaker always..." pops into your head.

57. You go home on a break and you see all your friends of the opposite sex and they give you hugs and you instantly start to the think that shaps are coming for ya!!

58. When log onto your computer you type in studentnet/your idea number and for your password you type birthday day and last digits of your s.s.n.

59. You go home and hide all of your music and movies hoping that no one will find them and write you up!

60. You hear the name Dave Young and begin frantically searching for a date.

61. You're still wondering what the Admin ever did to Pastor Shettler's CAP

62. You wear your hair just long enough to cover the cartilidge piercing in your ear.

63. A carousel theme plays in your head when you think of the Varsity Commons.

64. You still plow down the little old ladies at Old Country Buffet every Sunday afternoon for that last piece of no-bake cheesecake.

65. You feel convicted everytime you visit MLB.com to check your email.

66. You break into a cold sweat when you hear someone clapping at a graduation before it has ended.

67. You still try to plead freshman ignorance whenever you do something wrong.

68. You check for modest skirt length by sitting down. If it's a tad higher than an inch from the top of your knees, you hit your closet for a new one.

69. You feel uber-popular because you can have more than 5 people in your email address book.

70. When on a date at a restaurant you're mentally casing the joint for camera blind spots. Maybe sometime during the night you can maneuver your date to one and sneak a kiss. Or a handshake.

71. When calling in sick to work you tell your supervisor to "Scan you in"

72. You feel like giggling like and idiot every time your spouse hugs you or kisses you on the cheek.

73. You look for the sign up sheet before you even turn your computer on at work.

74. At a formal event a few people who really appreciate the performance stand while they clap, even though the rest of the audience remains seated. You're silently betting how soon they'll be kicked out

7 Quick Takes

2011-11-04T22:43:00.003-04:00

1. I put my tree up tonight. Yes, I know it's only Nov 4, but I am busy the next two weekends and want it up before I leave for Thanksgiving.

2. I am almost all done with my Christmas shopping!!!!! I have a few more things to purchase and I'm making several presents but they are almost ready! Yays!!

3. Yes, I really do LOVE Christmas, why do you ask????? ;)

4. I finally ordered some new prints of pictures so I can have something different in my picture frames. Great timing since most of my frames were put away tonight for the Christmas season. Way to plan Cherrybear, way to plan!!

5. I really need to renew my driver's license. Apparently you can do it online these days. I just don't want my picture changed since I have a nice smiling pic.

6. Yes I smile like a cheeseball in my driver's license pictures and NO i am NOT HAPPY that the new law says you can't smile because of the "face recognition" software. Try and recognize me without a smile on my face people.. Just try!

7. I'm really loving that my 3'rd floor, vaulted ceiling apt keeps the heat in so well. I've had my heat on the past few weeks but it hasn't ran much, and my electric bill-blessedly low!! yeah!

Jesus Hugs

2011-11-04T08:44:00.004-04:00

In all honesty this semester has been a very hard and trying one for me. The month of October was particularly rough. I was hoping November would calm down a bit but it started off with a bang of a migraine.

I can usually keep a good attitude of life, even when dealing with my health, but the constant sickness since August has really beat me down. With so many things to worry about it can get overwhelming and sometimes I wonder when it will all stop and slow down.

I've been really trying to lean on God through this time, as he is the only one who can get me through it. Having chronic sickness can be very isolating, especially when you're single. It kind of strips you of everything and puts your total reliance on The Lord.

I've been trying to memorize some scripture and read my Bible more to get some inspiration. When I was on fb someone had this as their status and it has become one of my new favorite verses. (in all honesty I get a new favorite verse almost everyday, there are just so many good ones!!)

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13

I like to think of verses like this as Jesus Hugs. Bear with me... When I read scripture such as this I feel comforted and I just kind of think of it as a Hug from the Lord telling me it's going to be ok because he is with me all the time and he's got this. I trust in him, and he is the Creator of all, there is nothing he cannot do! Better yet, he loves me with an everlasting love. Who can I fear with Jesus on my side?

Pinky, Croissant and Fathead

2011-11-02T11:14:00.003-04:00

My Piano Students are constantly keeping me in stitches. I am never quite sure what is going to come out of their mouths. Every lesson they both say something that makes me laugh hysterically. It's definitely my favorite hour of the week!

Little C informed me that I "talked for my fingers". I wasn't quite sure what that meant so I asked her for some clarification. She then informed me that since fingers cannot speak sometimes we have to speak for them and be their voices since they have no mouths and can only move.

She then asked me if I had named my fingers.

I had not.

She has named her fingers though, and low and behold they are all twins. I thought that was brilliant, less names to remember.

She told me her names and I had to write them down so I wouldn't forget their awesomeness, and of course share them with my faithful following.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, please met Little C's Fingers
(we'll start from the Pinky Finger and work our way in)

Pinky
Croissant
Meaty
Pointy
Fathead

Fathead was the one that got me the most. Although I am still curious about Mr. Croissant.

OOTD

2011-11-01T13:29:00.001-04:00

Just had to share my OOTD. I felt like I was *almost* stylish! Considering I try for cute but oh so rarely reach it, I was rather impressed with myself!

7 Quick Takes

2011-10-28T10:34:00.002-04:00

1. I had a really rough week. Thursday night I came home to the sweetest card from Mr. Caca (hubby to Caca one of my BFF's.) It literally made me cry. I love having such great friends, and serving such a great God that knew I needed some encouragement and love and had that card come to me right when I needed it.

2. It was 35 degrees this morning. brrrrrrrrr..

3. I can't wait for it to be November and to go see my Snugglemuffin for Thanksgiving! I miss him sooo much! In his pictures he is turning more and more into a little boy and less of a baby. sniffles.

4. I can't wait to get my tree up and decorate for Christmas! I need to get the entertainment center and tv out of my bedroom so I can move my rocker in there and set up the tree in the living room. Yes I put my tree up before Thanksgiving (since i'm always gone)

5. I'm really struggling coming up with 7 things today. How sad is that?! I am also hungry.

Sugar for your Friday!

2011-10-28T08:31:00.003-04:00

I just can't get enough of this picture of my ADORABLE PRECIOUS Nephew!!! He is the cutest thing ever and brings so much joy to my heart!! 26 more days untill I see him!

Jboz is MARRRIIIIEEEDDDDD!!

2011-10-26T08:26:00.009-04:00

Disclaimer- My camera hated me Saturday so All of the Pictures are from Emboz!

Saturday Jboz got married!! It was a really sweet ceremony, I teared up but I did not cry! Bunna took care of that for all of us!!
Jboz looked soooo pretty in her dress! But she is always beautiful!! I was so glad I was able to make it to her wedding! I think if I had been sick she would have came to my apt and drug me to the church :)
The newly married couple arriving at the reception! It was at a camp in the woods and they had the lights down and candles lit on all of the tables, it was soooo romantic!!
Here I am with my date-Madi!!!!! She was such a little ball of fluff in her big poofy dress! She was a little tired after all of the excitement so she was resting a little bit with Auntie Cherry. I got to watch her while Emboz went around taking pics and it was really fun! Worked out perfectly since I had went to the wedding alone and everyone I knew was in the party!
Awww cuties!!
Me and the gorgeous bride!! It's really nice to have a friend that is tall like me :)
Me, the Bride and Bunna. Seriously my new favorite hilarious picture! Bunna was having some crying issues and we were all making fun of her. I sat at the family table with Emboz, her hubs, the brides parents, and Bunna's hubby. We were taking bets on how many words she would get in her toast before she started crying. Um yeah she started crying during the best man's speech! HA!! Bless her heart!

All in all a wonderful day celebrating Jenni and Brandon's new life together!!

A time for sorrow and a time for joy...

2011-10-25T08:43:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it has been 8 years since my Grandpa passed away. In some respects it feels like it was yesterday and in other respects it feels like so long ago. I wish I could just have one more hug with him and tell him I loved him just one more time. Thankfully even though I miss him on this earth I do have the assurance that I will see him again, in Heaven, and eternity with him praising Jesus.

This day is usually very hard for me. Usually the week before I cry myself to sleep almost every night reliving the nightmare of that day. Unless you have seen someone you love die, it is very hard to explain what it is like.

This year has been different. Yes I still miss him but it is easier this year. I think mostly because I have finally forgiven myself. Last year when I was talking to my Mom about this and Blogging about it she said something that actually stuck.

My remembrance of this day is tainted with the fact that I wasn't walking with God at that time and I have many regrets. Mom said to me that Jesus had forgiven me, and my family had forgiven me, but why couldn't I take that and forgive myself? After alot of prayer I was finally able to do that.

So for the first time today is not going to be about sadness and regrets for me, no It is going to be about celebrating the Godly, Amazing man that I was so blessed to have as my Grandpa. So today instead of wearing black and being sad I am wearing his favorite color, blue and thanking God for the time I had with him. I want to share some random thoughts and memories of.

Most Sunday's we would come home from church and have a family dinner at my Grandparents. I remember sitting with Grandpa in his chair reading the comics with him every Sunday.

Grandpa would always be up for playing with me and doing anything I wanted to. This also included playing Beauty Shop with me. He was my one and only customer ! :) But he would let me play with his hair, spray stuff on it (usually water!) and mohawk his hair. He had short hair but the top was kind of long so I would maneuver it all over his head. Bless his heart he just sat there and watched his Cubbies on tv and let me do whatever!!

He had an eternal love for the Cubs even though they never won. I was not a fan of baseball. So I would wait untill he took a snooze and then turn the channel. It NEVER FAILED as soon as i turned the channel he would wake up and say HEY! I was watching that!! Given that he had a snoring problem I knew that wasn't the truth but man he had a radar for when the channel was changed!

He also had a ornery streak a mile wide! He was a sweet sweet man untill it came to spicy foods. He had an iron stomach and I'm beginning to wonder if he had just singed off his taste buds because he could eat the hottest hot pepper you can imagine and not blink an eye. He would tell us it wasn't hot at all and then invariably one of us, being idiots, would believe him. 4 glasses of ice water later when we were finally able to talk he would still be sitting there laughing at us. The sad thing is that we NEVER LEARNED! Fell for it everytime!

He made the best fried potatoes that I have ever had and introduced me to putting them on white bread and making a sandwich out of it. So yummy.

In HS he started buying me my favorite cookies to snack on at his house. Iced Oatmeal from Walmart, the cheapie ones. Untill he passed whenever i would come home from College or anytime that I would be at their house I could open the cabinet by the plates and there would be a package of my cookies waiting for me.

When i was a little girl I was afraid of him and most men. He was a farmer and drove a tractor and for a long time that scared me. He was finally able to win me over to sit and cuddle with him when he started carrying m&m's and chocolate in his front pocket of his flannel shirt (he wore flannel shirts year round, long sleeved)

I loved spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's and sacking out in the living room right in front of the TV. They would let me stay up late and watch 20/20. I still love that show, even though Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters aren't hosting anymore :) I think that might have been where my fascination with mysteries and such began.

I can see so much of my Grandpa in my brother. The way he carries himself and treats others, the way he treats his wife and now the amazing father he is. It reminds me so much of my Grandpa. I can see him in my father as well. Even though he was his son in law my Grandpa treated my Dad with so much love and so much better than my Dad's parents treated him.

When I look into my Mom's eyes I can see my Grandpa in her, she has almost the same exact shade of blue that he had. Sometimes it makes me want to cry.

I miss my Grandpa alot, and I wish he could be here with us, I wish he could have seen me Graduate college, Kev get married and especially welcome Benjamin Robert, his namesake, into the world. I am thankful for the assurance that I will see him again and sometimes I hope that maybe God will let him peek down from Heaven and see us.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Cherry and Emboz IN Hospital Tours!

2011-10-24T12:19:00.004-04:00

Sunday morning was a bit of Dejavu from Weds as Emboz and I found ourselves back at a Hospital/ Different Hospital than Weds, but a Hospital nonetheless! I woke up at 4 am Sunday feeling like I had the flu and was in horrible pain. It went on for several hours and I knew something was wrong with me. Totally different than my normal IBS/Colon Spasms pain and sickness. Thankfully Emboz was able to leave church and come and pick me up and take me to the er. (where we had the most unfriendly and rude nurse I've ever encountered-the blonde in the picture above) I am very thankful for Emboz being so willing to put up with me and join me on this week of Hospital tours. I wonder which Hospital we shall visit next week????!!
My arm. The male nurse was not so successful with the IV. I am thankful the female nurse that hated me didn't do my IV, however she DID give me a SHOT in my FLANK and I swear she threw it in there like she was playing darts. Merciful heavens it really hurt! I yelped. I think she had a little bit too much fun with that.

After all the tests they couldn't come up with anything, the DR thought it was food poisoning, but considering Emily and I ate the same exact thing at the wedding and she felt fine, I am inclined to think it was a bug. He said it was clear that whatever it was, was trying to work it's way out of my body. No, really? I hadn't thought of that! So about 3 1/2 hours and 200.00 later I left the hospital with my Grams and thankfully slept most of the afternoon. I am feeling better no, not great but better. And I am SO ready to not be sick for a long long LONG time!!!

7 Quick Takes

2011-10-21T22:07:00.003-04:00

1. I started reading the book of Mark tonight. It's quite a page turner!! I think I might have a new favorite book of the Bible! Although Nehemiah is next on the agenda after Mark so stay tuned!

2. Sometime while I was sick and encased in my apt it suddenly turned into Fall, cold weather and dark outside when I leave for work. I was sad to turn my heat on. :(

3. I am SOOOO excited for Jboz' Wedding tomorrow afternoon! Emboz and I have a little something up our sleeves. *Muahahah*

4. I had my first real meal today at lunch-Moe's Homewrecker-Streaking. It.was.yummy. Not puking or feeling like puking afterwards=priceless.

5. I can't believe that it's almost November BUT I am uber excited that means I will see my Snugglemuffin soon! I miss him. :(

6. I am a 29 yr old adult and yet I have a favorite blankie. Sad.

7. I have an addiction to Magazines.

Surgery #13!!!

2011-10-21T10:30:00.006-04:00

So Wednesday I had Surgery #13! I know, My life is pretty thrilling!! My Mom had come down with a horrible cold and couldn't be around me or at the hospital to give germs to other patients, so Emboz gracious stepped in and took me to my surgery.

I thought I would be alot more nervous than I usually am without my Momma, but I think I was the most calm before a surgery than I have been previously! I literally could feel everyone praying for me, I knew what the term "Covered in Prayer" felt like that morning for sure.

However there was one little stitch in the whole morning. We almost didn't make it to the hospital. As it was we almost didn't make it out of Lafayette! You see, Emily didn't have caffeine that morning. And we realized that Emboz without Caffeine is pretty detrimental to life!

She picked me up and we had to drive back through town to get on the interstate. We were at a 4-way stop near my apartment and we were just chatting away. Suddenly I realize there are no cars at this stop. We are literally just sitting there. I look at Emboz and she is totally oblivious to the fact. So I said, Um, you do realize we're not at a stop light right? Silence.. What? umm.. No!

I laughed so hard!!! Poor thing! I was trying not to be a back seat driver because everyone accuses me of that so I was trying not to say anything and be rude. Bless her heart.

So we drive on a little bit and come to the road before my work and two roads before the road that goes to the interstate. Well Emboz turns on the first road. I thought huh, I didn't know you could get on the interstate through here! Well maybe she knows a back road that I don't. So I was quiet untill she said, this road leads to the interstate right??? Um... No, I don't think so.

So around we turned and went back to Creasy. By this time I was questioning whether we were actually going to ever get out of town, let alone make it to my surgery!

Thankfully we did finally get to the hospital without any more problems. But we almost didn't make it home. More on that later.

We got to the hospital on time and waited for what seemed like a long time untill I was called back. I was happy to see my Purdue Nurse and she recognized me. Alot of people recognized me, i'm not sure if that's good or not? Anywho, I was happy to see her untill the little midget nurse walked in. She is a tad odd and not my favorite one. She is also the one that had me crying over my IV last Feb so needless to say I was not thrilled and overjoyed to see she would be taking care of me.

But THANKFULLY they had another nurse do my iv and she actually listened to me when I told her how hard I am to stick, and she gave me a NUMBING SHOT before she did my iv, oh my goodness! That made all the difference! I could feel her moving around with my vein but IT DIDN"T HURT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still didn't look as you can see in the picture below, I was braced for horrible pain but IT DIDN"T HURT!!!!!!!! I seriously LOVED her!!!! Nice Nurse who listened to me and did a fabulous job-you are awesome, i love you and i want you to come with me everytime i need an iv or blood drawn!!!

So after that I was pretty relieved and was ready to get the show on the road~! But instead we waited some more. I remember telling Emboz at one point if they waited any longer I was going to have to call Sharon for a bladder emptying-inside joke. Thankfully they finally wheeled me back into the or. It took two shots of the meds to get me out again which was strange, BUT when I got home I did not feel as loopy and woozy as I usually am so I think they must have given me a reduced dose.

I was fairly coherent that afternoon, although I remember pretty much NOTHING from the hospital after surgery. Emboz kept asking me if I remembered this or that, or telling her that the Nurse had two heads, nope. Don't remember a thing! I remember that I drank coke but that's about it.

Yes Emily took a picture of my Cokes. When I was getting my IV they were talking trying to disctract me and I was saying all I wanted was some coke when i got out of surgery. then the nurse said, we don't have coke anymore, now its pepsi products! I GASPED!! NOOOOO!!! the one thing I have been looking forward to!! Well the awesome IV nurse suggested that they call up to Dietary (??) and ask for some, so they did and I had these two miniature cans of coke after surgery. Amen, Hallelujah, Word to your Motha!! They were good!!

I don't remember this picture being taken either and I really don't look very pleased! ha! I think I was still pretty sleepy at that moment, but I have no clue because I remember nothing.

We left the hospital and really the first thing I remember is going to McDonalds to get more Coke and Emboz was hungry. I decided as we were waiting outside in line that I could go for some fries so she got me a coke and fries and I was happy as can be! I scarfed those fries down like someone who hadn't eaten for almost a week. Oh wait!!!!

We had one more kabobble, Em tried to pull onto the interstate and instead pulled onto the road right beside it. So we had to take a little detour and try again for the interstate. Needless to say she slurped her coke down quickly to get some much needed caffeine in her system! :)

Boz took me home and I laid all bundled up on the couch and she snuggled in the chair and we just hung out! At one point i got super tired and drifted off but then I was really hot and woke up. Then I was awake for awhile.

Grams came and made me some mashed taters and gravy for dinner, and relieved Emily of her duties. So I ate that and visited with her for a bit but then I got REALLY sleepy and was drifting off while she was still talking :)

So I convinced her to leave and let me sleep. Which I tried to do but my fan started making noise so I had to get up and try and shake it out of it. Which then made me realize how dirty it was! So I got my can of air and was blowing the yucks out, well of course then it got all over the floor so i had to vacuum that up. Needless to say I was awake after that! But I only made it one more hour untill I went to bed for good and slept for 15 hours straight! that was great!!! I pretty much slept all day Thursday, I was one tired little girl!

Thankfully it's all over and I feel SO much better! No more puking, no more nausea so bad that I can't move, no more pain, Hallelujah!!

Random Sickie Thoughts

2011-10-14T21:26:00.003-04:00

I have been at home alternating puking and trying not to puke since Tuesday.

No need to get excited It's merely the time for my Pylorus Botox Surgery which will happen next Weds the 19'th. Until then I am regulated to drinks and ice cream because that is apparently all that will pass through my poor closed up pylorus.

If this is making no sense to you or you've never heard of a Pylorus (what planet are you on??!!) you can check out my Explanation by clicking RIGHT HERE!

Ok now that we have that out of the way. Goodness I'm tired now!! I have discovered a few things from this week that I would like to share.

Because I haven't seen or spoken to a human since my Mom stopped by Weds.

There is really nothing on TV. I quickly went through the shows I'd dvr at night while In bed and after that I realized there is nothing on tv day or night.
You can run out of websites to go to. Interesting ones at least.
After being cooped up for 4 days it seems acceptable to go to Walgreens in your pj's with a ball cap on your un-done hair.
It also seems acceptable to go to Walmart hours later when you find that your blender is in. When you're stuck with only being able to have drinks, a blender becomes very important. Thank goodness I didn't see anyone i knew!
I will add that I did shower and dry my hair and change. Well I changed into a different pj outfit but I did change!
Your once welcoming cozy apt can seem like the walls are closing in on you.
You suddenly get the urge to yell out your window to see if there is life out there and how it is?
Seeing 7Up just makes you a little annoyed. Just a little.
In theory food is a nice idea to think about. Not to eat. But to think about.
You decide to bleach your whites and somehow get two red kitchen wash clothes in the mix. Putting more bleach on it only makes your whites the color of tea. #notwinning
Is it Weds yet?????!

Happy Birthday Madelyn Faith!

2011-10-14T08:54:00.001-04:00

It seems like yesterday we were at the hospital WAITING on you to get here! And now you're a whole YEAR OLD!! I can't believe it!! So today we are walking down memory lane to the night you were born!

She's having a baby!!

We have a baby!!

Madi's 1st Birthday Party!

2011-10-09T16:54:00.017-04:00

Get ready for cute baby photo overload!! Saturday was Madi's First Birthday party, her actual birthday is Oct 14'th but her Grandma, Auntie and Uncle were able to come from MI this weekend so she got to have them at her party!! I thought that was pretty cool! Here we are with Beans, who has become a really good friend of mine!! I just love the whole family. Minus the crazy cat.
I wish this wasn't blurry it's such a cute picture of the Madster!
Me and Beans. SO excited for her wedding coming up in two weeks and our Baptist Batchelorette Party next weekend! WOOT!!
And just one more for good measure :)
Then it was CAKE TIME!! Here is Mommy giving Madi her cake and singing.
Madi had several delicate little pinches of cake. I don't think she knew what to do with all of us staring at her.. The girl has never met food she didn't like but she was being very delicate with her cake..
For about 4 minutes and then she shoved it all into her mouth. That's my Madi!!
All Done!! I was impressed she didn't rub it on her head. She likes to rub food on her head. I have no clue why?
Emboz will do anything for a good picture. I don't blame her. Those kids were crowding Madi so much I could barely tell what was going on. If it wasn't the first time I'd been to the Boz house I prolly would have stood on the sofa as well!!!
Opening her presents from Auntie Cherry!!!!
After the presents were done they finally let her free and the kids moved and she took this opportunity to climb on top of one of her gifts.
Thats right, I got her a Pink Tutu. And I made her wear it. And if i do say so myself she looked completely adorable in it!!!! Kim actually made her this pink one for Pink Weds of course! And a Purdue one!!
I mean you can handle this cuteness? This cute little ball of fluff??!!
Total sugar.
Just doesn't get any cuter than that peeps!
Aunt Bunny was there as well! I was proud to see she wasn't wearing a scarf!!! ;)
At the very end.. it's my party and I will cry if I want to..

Especially if it's around naptime.

Happy Birthday Madelyn Faith! Auntie Cherry loves you!! And I will definitely NEVER forget the night you were born!! SHARON!!!!!

The Fall Organizing Continues!

2011-10-07T15:25:00.009-04:00

Tuesday night I tackled my Armoire and my Closet! As you can see I'm pretty much never earning the Proverbs 31 title with this mess in place. So I did something about it!! I cleaned out all of my clothes and just kept my tank tops/cami's, ect in the middle shelf.
The top shelf has all of my Coupon Stock thanks to my Awesome Couponing Momma!! L-R Shampoo Conditioner, Body Wash, Hair Products, and Contact Solution.
I'm holding all of my piano books that my AWESOME old Teacher is giving me. I have two more boxes in my truck and a bag but they are stinking heavy so they are coming little by little!! I was impressed with how nice it looked! yay go me!!
And voila!! I FINALLY cleaned off the top! I took some of the pictures from my entertainment center in my living room and put them on top of my armoire. I like how it turned out!
Ahhhh so clean, so pretty!!!!
I also cleaned off the top of my dresser while I was at it. Usually I lay my next day's outfit on top of it, yes I pick out my clothes the night before! But it had become a catch all so I added some family photo's and my Grandpa's Kermie, so I will want to keep it nice and pretty!
And a shot with the picture board that Katie made for me. Eventually when I get a house I'd love to take my dresser and armoire from my parents house and paint it black since I have a pink and black and lime bedroom. I think that would look really nice?!
And this is my trash/goodwill pile by the end of the night. I cleaned out all of the clothes i don't wear and am donating them. It felt so good to clear stuff out!!!

Next up on the cleaning cruise is my bathroom and everything under my sink.. eeps..!

Well Hello Dark Hair!

2011-10-04T17:27:00.000-04:00

Last night I dyed my hair back to dark brown, although it's a tad darker than my normal color I think I like it! I was getting tired of my summer highlights and was ready for a change!

And yes it lacks a tad since I was outside and sitting in the shade, but beggars can't be choosers! It was way too gorgeous to miss out on!

Organize!

2011-10-04T09:07:00.005-04:00

Monday night I decided I had enough and I was going to clean out and organize my storage closet. My hot water heater and AC share the space so it can be a little difficult to fit things in. I neglected to take a picture inside the closet of the left side where i had a laundry basket with stuff and boxes on top of that piled up. It was lovely just lovely! So I set upon cleaning things up and moving my kitchen stuff to, oh, I don't know, THE KITCHEN???!!!!!!!!! Sadly alot of the items in the boxes in my closet are Christmas Decorations.
I thought it looked SOOOO much better when I finished! I still want to go through the rubbermaid containers and clean them out but for the time being at least it's neat and orderly looking and not something I would die of embarrassment from.
The white bankers boxes are my piano books from my old teacher. I have two more of them in my truck! I'm hoping to clean out my armoire in my bedroom and transition some of those clothes to my closet. I would like to use the biggest bottom shelf in my armoire to hold the music so i can look through it easily and pull out books for my students. That will be the next project!
I was pretty proud of this corner. I always have problems finding gift bags and tissue paper so I put them all in one place! I would like the bags to look a little neater but they were all different sizes. It's good for now at least! And then the next crate down is all of my tissue paper.

Next on the agenda is my bedroom and my music books! And cleaning out my clothes and purse closet! Stay tuned!

Yes I know this post was about as thrilling as watching paint dry..

This and That.......

2011-10-03T09:19:00.003-04:00

This past week was sooo busy, but a lot of fun! I was out every night except for Thursday!! That was kinda crazy and by Saturday I was really tired. Thankfully I got to sleep in and took a nap Saturday so I was refreshed and awake for church on Sunday!

I always think of stuff to blog about when I'm laying in bed. But despite having my new notebook to keep track of my life, I never write it down! argh!

Madi's first birthday party is this coming Saturday! I can't wait to give her, her presents! They are sooooooooo cute!!!!

Sunday at church I almost froze to death for the first 45 mins. For the final 30 mins I was stinking hot.

I got a rug for under my kitchen table. Moving a glass table that's not attached to the base is a little tricky but I managed to do it and not break anything. Now I can't decide if I want to rug centered with the table or how I have it now, with alot of the rug being on the kitchen side.

My hair is beginning to remind me of Little Orphan Annie crossed with a Chia Pet. Let's just say it's curly and thick!!

I had Greek food for the first time Friday night and it was SOOOO good!! Even better was the company of Sherita and Holly! We laughed so hard I swear I should have had a 6 pack by the time I was done! We also closed down the restaurant! Livin life on the wild side folks!

This week I am hoping to organize and re-do my supply closet. It's kind of a hot mess.

BBQ Sauce+Italian Dressing+Chicken in a Crock pot=HEAVEN!!

7 Quick Takes

2011-09-30T11:05:00.002-04:00

1. My drink blender broke. I am very saddened by this! Iced Coffee instead of my Fraup was not so yummy. :(

2. I have been home ONE night out of five. I am TIRED. With that said, Saturday is being spent in my Pj's on my couch.

3. Now you know why I have barely blogged lately!

4. I kind of like it being cooler outside and I'm starting to get used to the rain. Not ready for winter but I'm ok with fall!

5. I had the best cookie possibly in my entire 29 years of life on Weds night at bible study. I am saddened that I only had one. boo.

6. I can't wait for Madi's first birthday party next weekend! I got her some super cute stuff! And my BFF Kim made her some neat things for me to give her as well!! I love birthdays!

7. I discovered our campus bookstore sells magazines. Like up to date magazines. Like the newest issue of People on the day it comes out. I LOVE magazines and faithfully read People every single Friday night. I was pretty danged excited. Its the small things people.

Small Teeth

2011-09-28T13:39:00.002-04:00

I posted this on my facebook but it was just too funny not to blog about!

I was teaching Piano Lessons Tuesday night and was doing the younger sister "Little C", she asked me what Allegretto meant on the sheet music so we got into what I thought was a fascinating discussion about tempos and Allegro vs Allegretto.

I was really rolling along and she was concentrating and I just had this moment where I was like YES!! I am a PIANO TEACHER BABY!! This is what I was born for! I was really feeling it at that moment. Little C raised her hand and looks at me with the most serious expression. I leaned forward anticipating some great question about musicality, instead she said "Miss Charity? You have really small teeth!"

Um.. Excuse me?

"You have really small teeth.... Have you not noticed that?"

I was flabbergasted.

I asked her if it was a compliment and she did not know what a compliment was. So Big C, her older sister, and I taught her what a compliment was. Well then we also had to clarify what an insult was. After our English and Grammar discussion I turned back to Little C and asked her now knowing what both meant was that comment a Compliment or an Insult?

Dead silence.

Long. Painful Silence.

Finally she turns to me and says "Miss Charity? I'm just going to let you think it was a compliment."

My long lost brother!!

2011-09-27T21:41:00.003-04:00

Monday night I went to Audra's for Girls Nite, yes on a Monday night, we live life wild around here!! And to my surprise I met my long lost Brother!! I think we are twins separated at birth!!

Cubbie James and Charity Brooke. We definitely have the same hair!

It's been hilarious to see people's reactions to this picture because everyone says the same thing, how we have the same hair. Even Audra said it as I was cuddling with him! I did love meeting Cubbie, he was quite the cuddle bug. Despite his ahem, size and girth, he was sweet! Although there is that small problem of him constantly licking my legs? I told him he was getting a tad too frisky for me!

I look forward to spending more time with Cubbie!! And possibly even sharing some styling tips... ;)

Week Recap

2011-09-19T08:23:00.000-04:00

Some of you probably wonder why I have been struggling blogging frequently lately. Let me just give you a glimpse of what this past week looked like.

Sunday
Was at The Farm with my entire family, came back to town late afternoon, had to unpack, do laundry, ect.

Monday
Work, Grocery Shopped, Came home and Did dishes, Put dishwasher dishes away, baked two boxes of brownies for bible study, watched The Closer finale and nearly had a heart attack, and something else that i can't remember :)

Tuesday
First thing in the am had my second post surgery scope at the ENT-went perfectly and now i'm cleared for 6 months! WOOT! Went to work for the rest of the day, Taught two piano lessons after work, came home and baked 4 dozen cookies for bible study (a dozen and a half burnt. My oven struggles) and attempted to dye my hair back brown. Alas I did not leave the dye on long enough so it's still light.

Wednesday
Work, Ran home between work and bible study to get snacks, Got to church 30 mins early for Bible study to set up, got home around 8:15 pm. Tired.

Thursday
Work, Fought with Comcast,Ladies Open table night at church 7-9 pm.

Friday
SICK. Will not eat Quizno's again.

Saturday
Went to the Hospital and stayed with Katie and baby Ben for a few hours, ran to grocery store, did laundry, washed bedsheets, painted nails, cooked dinner.

Sunday
Church. NAP-that didn't go so well :(

Needless to say I'm tired.

And you are too after reading this scintillating tale of my fabulous life! Stay tuned, this week I'm working on doing Fall Cleaning and organizing my storage closet. I know, it just doesn't get more exciting than that!

Oh by the way, Katie had a baby!!

2011-09-18T16:57:00.004-04:00

So I never officially announced on here that Katie was preggo!!! I've known since the day she found out and had planned to do a big ol post about it but she was never in the mood for pictures and we all know you don't mess with a pregnant woman!! We have been on RED ALERT waiting for her to have Ben and she finally did at 1:00 am Friday morning!! She barely made it to the hospital on time, which we were expecting since her labors move super fast. From her first contraction to birth it was a short 3 1/2 hours!
She has sad cell service in the hospital and my number is long distance so she couldn't call me from the hospital phone so I didn't find out untill 8 pm Friday night when her text finally went through! I hustled over to meet little Benjamin Riley Saturday and spent some time with Katie. Her hubby Roberto had to take their oldest Joey to something and was going to be gone all day so I stayed with her for several hours so she wouldn't be alone. As luck would have it about an hour or so after i left she got discharged early!!
So this is Benjamin Riley who will go by Ben, weighed in at 9 pounds 2 oz, and was 21 inches long! He is a chunk!! I held him for over an hour and when I left my inner elbow was sore! He is a handful! But sooo sweet. I don't know what it is about me and kids, they snooze easily in my arms. They also poop. I'm not sure what that says about me.. I put children to sleep and they feel comfortable pooping when I hold them. Fabulous!

Welcome to the world Ben!!

Snugglemuffin & Auntie's Indiana Adventures! pt4

2011-09-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

Sunday after church we headed to my Grandma's restaurant and had lunch! Clearly Snugglemuffin gets his cleanliness from his Auntie....
Look at his curls! They were tame on Sunday but the days before they were so big and pretty! I love that he has curly hair like his Mommy, Daddy, Nana, and Auntie!!
Look at this sweet, sweet smile! How can you not melt at that?! I got in trouble in church because that is when he is supposed to take his nap. (The one and only time his parents will advocate him sleeping in church! HA!) And I kept looking down to see if he was asleep and he wasn't so I'd smile at him and he'd get the biggest grin and smile back at me. It was just too much cuteness!! My brother made me stop smiling and looking at him though. I am such a bad Auntie!
But seriously look at this face!!!!!
First picture of our entire family!!! Should have lined up against the wall and had the waitress take a better one but oh well!!
Nana got some time in with Snugglemuffin before it was time to leave.
Me and my buddy!!! You'll notice we were dressed patriotically, hello it was Sept 11! The rest of our family did not get the Memo. Also, this child is a SQUIRMY WORM!! Especially when it's getting close to his naptime. It's like trying to wrangle an animal!
Some people I love! And my big brother! HA HA JUST KIDDING!!! First pic of all four of us!! Love these people!!! So glad they were able to visit and I was able to get in quality time with my nephew. I miss him so much and that was only intensified with this time spent together. Hopefully he will start remembering me soon and know that I am his Auntie and I love him more than I ever thought I could!

Snugglemuffin & Auntie's Indiana Adventures! pt3

2011-09-14T14:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday we loaded up and headed to The Farm for Snugglemuffin's long awaited trip to Nana and Grampys!!
He talked to me the entire way, except when he was busy...
Chewing on his foot. Hey, It's yummy!!
Nana and Grampy were soooo excited to see their Grandson!! Nana had to show him his toy box, loaded with toys!!
All that playing wears a boy out so he 'nuggled with Grampy for awhile. He LOVED Grampy. Seriously it was soooo cute!! When Grampy was in the room Snugglemuffin would check to see where he was at quite often and then make faces and smile at him. It was beautiful!
I got this for him several months ago it says "My Aunt Digs me" and has a shovel and bucket and dirt! I thought it was adorable! And so very true!!
And I just love this because he's soooo happy and excited, albeit a tad drooly.
Playing with Nana! Why won't Auntie quit taking my picture and just let me play???!!
We got alittle worn out again so we went outside to swing for awhile. I ALMOST got him to sleep but I think the sun was just too bright. He was 'nuggled up with me though and it was sooo precious!
We came back inside and he had some 'nuggle time with Grampy again. I'm tellin ya, this boy LOVES his Grampy!!
Nana and Auntie made homemade pizza's on the grill, very healthy and very yummy!
Sadly this cutie got prunes and squash. Hey we can't have it all!