Home Sweet Home

We found an apartment!

Yesterday was day 2 of the apartment search. First, we wanted to go back to our favorite complex from day 1 of the apartment search. When we went the first time, they didn't have a 2 bedroom available for viewing so we were hoping to see one yesterday. Well, they STILL didn't have a 2 bedroom that we could see. But the woman pulled out the floor plans and showed us that the the 2 bedroom layout is exactly the same as the 1 bedroom, it just has the bedroom/bathroom on both sides. The living room and kitchen are the same. So we went to look at the 1 bedroom again. The complex is nice. There are a lot of features that we really liked, and the price was SO right. But there is a reason the price was low... the apartments are small. There's just no way around it. We could have fit most of our things inside, but just barely, and we never would have been able to have people over. So we were disappointed when we left, but we knew that there had to be something else out there that suited us better.

We found it =-) The very next complex that we went to was Jefferson Creek. It was $100 more per month than the last one, but MUCH larger! The man, suitably named "Bud" who we spoke to said all good things. We liked everything that we heard and the picture was nice, so we were eager to go see the model. When we got out of the car though, he said the magic words: "I hope that a fireplace isn't a prerequisite". WHAT? We were both STRONGLY opposed to the presence of a fireplace in our apartment. Not because we are pyros and we are trying to play it safe, but because it would be a complete waste for us! There is just no way that we would ever use it. Fireplaces are MESSY and inside an apartment? Nope. That's just not what we need. So to have a fireplace that we would never use is a HUGE waste of space for us because it takes up an entire wall! It is not easy to find an apartment without a fireplace. They're everywhere! So we hadn't even asked yet at that point. But we were thrilled to hear him say that we wouldn't have one. We will also have a view of the creek from our patio, which only costs an extra $5 a month. It is on the ground floor, there is practically a park between us and the creek, and the layout is just right... lots of storage! I am so excited! Brett will move (along with as many of my things that I can do without, which is a lot!) on January 17, and I will spend my first night there after Brett and I say "I do" and before we fly out for San Diego. We are ready to start packing and VERY eager to be together for good. (111 days from today!)

Just wanted to share the good news =-)

We Shopped, Then I Dropped

Thanksgiving Day was a blast! I woke up early enough to look through the ads and create a plan for Friday. The house smelled WONDERFUL as my mom finished cooking things to take to my Mamaw's house at 2:00. My mom's homemade stuffing is SO yummy and it did not disappoint, even though she left out the eggs because Brett thinks he is allergic to egg whites.

This was the first time that Brett's mom came to one of our family gatherings. She had plans to go see her sister like she always does for the holidays, but car trouble reared it's ugly head and plans changed. But I thought it went really well. For the most part, she looked comfortable. Maybe a little bored while people were watching the game. But all in all, there were no major incidents. Thank goodness!

My grandma also came with us, and I was SO pleased! She is not well all of the time and it has been a long time since she left her house to come to a holiday event. I was so happy to see her looking so happy =-)

Thursday night I checked the ads one more time and then I had a decision to make. I am notorious for not being able to wake up in the mornings. We had a plan in place, and that plan was to begin with me leaving my house at 3:30 to go get my sister Jenna so we could be in line at 4:00 at Toys R Us. When I was done looking through the ads at 11:00 or so, I didn't really feel tired. So I had to decide between going to bed for 4 hours and risking not waking up, or just staying up. I decided to let my eyes decide. I finished watching the movie that was on while I was looking through ads (Never Been Kissed... love it!) and then I laid down with New Moon. I finally closed my eyes around 2:15, but I left the light on in hopes that I would wake up easily when my alarm went off at 3:15. IT WORKED! I left the house on time, grabbed Jenna, and we got to Toys R Us at the perfect time!

Shopping was a success for both of us. Our usual third partner, my sister Laura, had to work and was really upset about missing the fun. But Jenna and I both got a lot done. Here is my store summary, and these are all based on our experience, not every store that was open:

Best Ad: Toys R Us
Longest Line Outside Store: Target
Longest Line to Pay: Kohls
Shortest Line to Pay: Walmart (I know,it's a miracle what they can do when they have cashiers)
Most Knowledgeable Staff: Toys R Us
Biggest Let Down: NONE! We actually found everything that we came for!
Most Helpful Employee: Tie: The woman stocking tables at Barnes and Noble and the boy who helped me find the ball pit at Toys R Us.
Biggest Find: Medical Terminology flip cards (for my sister in nursing school) at Barnes and Noble
Runner up - Buy 1 get 1 free kids digital camera at Walgreens

Everything is still in bags. I am not going to wrap presents until I am able to make some space in my room. But I am very thankful that I got so much done. I finished shopping for all 10 children who were on my list and I got halfway through with the family member whose name I drew. I have started Brett and his mom and I got a present for my grandma. I have one friend to shop for, but for the most part I am not buying friend gifts this year. We are all on tight budgets! (Well, I say that, but I did see a really cute gift at Ross yesterday that I thought I might snag for a couple of girlfriends. I didn't, but I haven't stopped thinking about it, so I might go back and get a couple).

I laid down at 2:00 p.m. yesterday. Brett called at 7:15 p.m. We talked for about 10 minutes and then I went back to sleep. I saw the clock at 10:00 p.m., 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. I got up at 7:15 so I would have time to check my email and blog before Weight Watchers. (Brett is making me go). But I think I could've kept sleeping.

I'm SO thankful today is Saturday!

Confession

You know how some people are Rockstars in the shower? Well I'm a Broadway choreographer in the bathroom! Why? I have no idea! I guess I am like my niece, Madi, when there is a mirror around, I can't help but perform. Of course, I only do it when I am alone, and mostly only in the bathroom at work.

I just worked up a little number for a song from Aladdin that I'm sure would win a Tony!

What A Day!

I had a crazy morning, and the fact that I am just now getting to post about it at 2:00 in the afternoon shows that I've had a crazy day too!

It's nice and quiet here at work... not many calls and not many customers. But there were two projects I was rushing to finish. I just made a proof of the second one, so I am going to post a blog and then start seeing what I can do to leave a little early today.

So, crazy dream last night! Brett has been having a lot of nightmares lately and we were talking about them at dinner last night. And then before I went to bed I was reading the part of New Moon where Bella talks about her nightmare that she has every night after... well, I don't want to spoil anything. But after... you know... So of course, I had a nightmare. It seemed to last all night. I woke up from it several times only to fall back into it moments later. It wasn't super scary.

In my dream, I was at home (at the house where I grew up in, not the house I currently live in) and there was a team of 4 people there working on our plumbing. They were in and out back and forth between the front yard and the bathroom. Well, when they were about to leave, I walked into my old room and found the purse of one of the plumbers and somehow, in my crazy dream logic, something about the way her purse looked made me realize that they were robbing us. (That's a long explanation, and it makes no sense, so I will skip it. You just need to know that I saw the purse and realized we were being robbed).

So I ran to the front door and locked it because they were outside at the moment. I knew that when they realized that we had them found out, they would be dangerous.

Not much else happened in the dream actually. They tried to get back inside and I was watching from the window as they tried to steal my car after they realized they weren't getting back in the house. How I turned that into a night long nightmare, there's no telling.

But guess what? When I woke up from my dream (LATE because I was tired from waking up so much in the night) we were actually having plumbing trouble. So I got my things together and drove 3 minutes to Brett's to borrow his bathroom for all things plumbing related. Well, I forgot my shampoo so I had to use his. Yes. I smell like a boy. And then as I was getting ready hurriedly, I realized that I left part of my outfit at home, (an essential part!) so I had to go BACK home! It was a crazy morning and I feel like I ran 5 errands before work, even though all I did was go get semi-ready at Brett's.

Funny, huh?

Don't worry, I know my family wasn't harmed by the plumbers this morning. I have talked to Mel since they left. Relief, I know!

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.26.08

Bart: Dad, how could you put my life in danger to save your own?

Homer: You'll understand someday when you have kids!

My Snob is Showing

My story has an intro. Last night I was pulled over because I had a headlight on my car burn out a few days ago. The cop was nice and he told me that I should go to Walmart to have it fixed. So after work today I took it my coche to the Walmart at Mac and 635. They were super nice and, get this, it cost $12.77!!! I'm SO thankful! It also only took 40 minutes.

And that's the real story.

Brett and I have been talking about where we should register. We haven't actually gone looking for things yet, but that process will hopefully begin this weekend. Most bridal guides, and brides I might add, tell you that you should register at 2-3 stores at least, in varying price ranges, to give people options. Well I'm pretty picky when it comes to decor, so my thinking has been that I will check out several stores and just register where I find things that I like. Makes sense, right?

Well, tonight, as I walked around Walmart for 40 minutes I sure found a lot that I like. But, umm... would I be embarrassed to register at Walmart? I know! I feel snobby for even thinking that! What's wrong with Walmart? Being affordable doesn't make it junk, does it? I have shopped wedding registries at Walmart before, but that was in instances where I was still in college (Walmart is the only place to shop in Arkadelphia), or the bride had people on her list who lived in places like Arkadelphia. Well, neither of those apply to me.

I mean, I have lots of looking to do before we register. I want to look at Target, Macy's and Kohl's for sure, and I guess maybe Bed Bath and Beyond since Linens N Things is going away, but in the end, if there are things at Walmart that I really want, could I bring myself to register there? Sorry, my snob is showing!

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.25.08

Homer: (To Bart) You gave both dogs away? You know how I feel about giving!

So Cute!

I promise I'm being productive, but this was so cute just now!

A courier came to pick something up for a laminating place. We had two possible jobs that it might be, so Kris came up to the counter and said, "do you know who called it in?" and the old man started digging in his pocket and said "let me put my eyes on here". How funny is that! Why are there 80 year old couriers? I have no idea! I guess people do it after they retire.

Back to being productive. Right now.

So Excited! Again! hehe

I really do love the holidays. Besides the week of Christmas, this is probably my favorite week of the year. It is always the same. On Monday and Tuesday my mom snags each of us as she sees us and goes over the menu for Thanksgiving day and asks us if there is anything not on the list that we would like to add. It's different now that we are older, because we all contribute, and that's nice. 

This year, we are having Thanksgiving at Mamaw's house. My dad is taking the turkey, my mom is taking her homemade stuffing and spinach dip, my aunt Dinah is bringing potato casserole, rolls, corn and rice, my uncle Dave is bringing his special green beans, I am bringing banana pudding, Jenna is bringing our favorite appetizer, sausage cheese balls, and Laura is bringing her amazing corn bread! That is what I know so far. It's going to be a LOT of yummy food for a LOT of people and yes, I probably will skip Weight Watchers on Saturday. (I'm going to have perfect food days between Thanksgiving and Christmas! Really!)

But that is only the beginning of the fun for us. My sisters and I are shoppers, and the day after Thanksgiving is our Olympics! This year, we are not heading to Mamaw's  house until 2 so I will spend all morning (after I make the pudding) going through the ads to see what's what. I have a lot of children to buy for this year! Today I am going to make a list of everyone that I need gifts for and by the time we leave the house Friday morning, well before the sun comes up, of course, I will have a plan of attack that General Waiverly would be proud of! (2 points if you can tell me who General Waiverly is ;-)

AND, as if all of that weren't enough to make me excited, Brett and I are doing wedding stuff all day Saturday HOPEFULLY including finding our apartment AND getting our honeymoon mapped out. AND we are eating lunch with Jeff! What a week!

I wish that I could fast forward through work today and tomorrow. I will try to focus though and be a good employee. Starting now.

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.24.08

Homer: Where is Waldo? Aw! This would be a lot easier without all these people here.

SO MUCH FUN!

Today was so much fun! And super productive, I might add, and we all know that I like to be productive!

Today I met with all of bridesmaids, well the ones who could make it, (which was 5 out of 9... not bad!) to get their dresses ordered. First we met for lunch at Chili's and it was SO nice to just sit and talk! My bridesmaid, Jenn, is getting married 3 weeks before me, so we had tons of wedding stuff to talk about. It was so nice to get opinions from all of them, and my mom was there too, and she always makes me feel better. We were at Chili's WAY longer than I thought we would be, but I had a really good time.

Then we drove five minutes down the road to the little shop, Celebration, that is on Harry Hines next to Sam Moon. I was nervous about showing everyone the dress because I was worried that it wouldn't look right when people tried them on, or that they would think that the color was too bright. Well if they thought that, they were good actors! They were all so nice about the color! And oh my goodness! Everyone looked gorgeous in the dress! I ordered dresses for the girls who couldn't make it, so we got all 9 dresses ordered today!

AND, Jenn found a veil that she likes. It was GORGEOUS! Maybe a little pricey, but less than $100, so maybe the cheapest she will find.

So all things wedding went really well today.

AND we may have found Laura a new job! She couldn't make it today, but Jenina was talking about a position that they need to fill at her job and she wanted someone with court reporting experience. It sounds PERFECT for Laura! It's not a done deal, but it is looking really positive!

So what a great day! I needed a good day! I've had a rough week. Hopefully I will keep my attitude in check for a while.

I'm really looking forward to next weekend! We are going apartment hunting again, AND we are going to research our honeymoon AND we are going to decide what we need to register for so we can start window shopping AND we are going to start thinking about what the groomsmen will wear! Woohoo!

Thank you Lord for sweet days with sweet friends.

Twilight - 1989?

Well, I didn't hate the movie, and hopefully my opinion will soften over the next few days, but honestly, I thought it was pretty cheesy. And the effects and the makeup? Felt like an 80s movie to me. Someone got a little carried away with the white pancake makeup. They're vampires, not Casper. And the slanty camera angles were overdone.

I knew that the storyline would be abbreviated and I had read that there were some new scenes. Okay, I can live with that. And all of the abbreviations made sense in the movie... it didn't make it seemed rushed, BUT... hmm.... I guess I felt like it just didn't flow. It felt choppy. Like flashes of a story instead of a story. Cliff notes, if you will. The thing that bothered me though was that it wasn't just the story that was abbreviated, the characters felt shortened as well. I LOVE the Cullen family. I have made no secret of that on this blog. While I was watching the movie, I felt like if I hadn't read the books, I wouldn't care about the family by the end of the flick. You also don't get a sense in the movie of just how cool a chick Bella is, and that's a shame. She is one groovy lady. Bella would never let Charlie eat in a diner like that! She can hold her own in the kitchen!

Luckily, some of that is just my attachment to the books though. Brett didn't think it was overly cheesy and he liked all of the characters.

So for tonight, I will say I didn't hate it. HOWEVER:

- Umm... did anyone else have a problem with Billy? First of all that guy looked way too young, he shouldn't have been driving the truck, and where was the nobility that this chief was supposed to exude?

- Seriously? Why was Jasper's gift not even mentioned? I don't get it.

- Alice looked stupid drawing the picture. I never say that word. I think it's horribly mean. But drawing in a trance? Yeah. That's not how it works, and it upped the cheese factor by like, a whole box of Velveeta.

- There was FAR too little of the charming, light-hearted Edward that we all know and love. Too serious, too often = melodrama!

It's late. I'm sure I'll have more to say later. Lucky you! I will try to be more positive though.

An Article

I just read this article on Yahoo. I have a lot that I want to say about it, but I'm not really ready to say it. I think a lot of other girls out there can relate to this though, so I'm going to post it. I may say more on the subject later. Maybe.

Hi, everyone. As Margarita said, most people who know me know that I have struggled with anorexia and many, many years of severe bulimia. These are the eating disorders we all talk about, but there are so many among us who struggle with binge eating, or with the less discussed “disordered eating.” Sometimes the signs are obvious, but how many women suffer from eating disorders in isolation for years because they manage to maintain a weight within a “healthy” range, or are able to laugh off bingeing in its clinical definition as just “loving food too much”? Of course, any unhealthy relationship with food isn’t about loving food, it’s about a preoccupation with food that can become an obsession. We think about it all day, dream about it at night, plan out our next meal before we’ve started to digest the one we just ate. When I was severely restricting my intake, I’d wander around the aisles of a supermarket, staring at the displays of food, and get lost in them for hours. When I was actively bingeing and purging, I’d sit in class plotting what I was going to buy from each of the different markets on my way home. (I’d split up my purchases among the different delis because I was embarrassed to be buying enough baked goods to feed 5,000 all from one place.)

More than 6 in 10 women are disordered eaters. Are you at risk?

And to this day, I would be lying if I said that in moments of high stress, it doesn’t occur to me to order in enough takeout for a small army and go to town. I’m not sure that a preoccupation with food will evercompletely leave my consciousness. But I can tell you that I no longer live in fear of food (Is it too much? Not enough?) the way I used to. And I can also tell you that I’m able to have a real, loving and truly intimate relationship with someone other than food. The truth is, I believe it’s almost impossible to properly love and be loved, to be fully present and honest with someone else, when you’re hiding food wrappers, sneaking off to the bathroom to throw up or enduring the agonizing results of the box of laxatives you swallowed earlier. (When is a diet gimmick really disordered eating?)

What I know for sure is that I couldn’t have rebuilt my relationship with food, and my body, and couldn’t have recovered to the extent that I have, without help. And I know the resistance to seeking help all too well: “It’s just food, I should be able to figure it out!” “I’m embarrassed, I’m so weird about food; people will think I’m a freak.” “I’m fine, I just have a little willpower issue.”

Listen—it’s not about any of that.

Eventually I came to terms with the fact that the way I ate (or didn’t) was a behavior I’d developed, a pattern, a habit, like the way I brush my teeth. Only food’s effect on my body—an effect I don’t think is dissimilar to drugs—would make this habit a difficult one to break. (Too much food, or not enough, can give us a high, where we feel insulated from our feelings. And it’s that factor that pulls us back into self-destruction time and time again.) By the time I gave in to the concept of getting better, I was very sick and pretty desperate—and I was prepared to do anything. I sought help through therapy and outpatient rehab. And I also went somewhere most people wouldn’t expect to see me, a model: Overeaters Anonymous (OA). That OA is only for the morbidly obese or overeaters is a misconception. There were people of all ages and sizes in those meetings, men and women, teenagers, high-powered lawyers, glamorous fashionistas, stay-at-home moms. It became clear to me that those of us who have issues with food run the gamut of society. And it wasn’t until I started going to these (free) meetings that I really realized our real relationships with food actually have nothing to do with what we look like or how successful we are.

Have you heard about the scary new eating disorder: chewing and spitting.

I know that I needed all three support systems (specialized therapy, outpatient rehab and OA) to get me where I am today, but it was the support of my peers in those 12-step meetings that really changed my views and became the turning point where I no longer wanted to allow food to make me feel so secretly unhappy and isolated. And if I have learned anything over my decade-plus of self-inflicted food/body misery, it is that it doesn’t just go away. It isn’t just a case of “doing better tomorrow,” or that extra hour in the gym. I know it can be so terrifying to admit you need help, but for me, I reached the point where the only thing more terrifying was living with food abuse for the rest of my life, or, worse, not living the rest of my life. I knew I’d never allow another person to treat me the way I was treating myself—and no longer, I decided, would Jessica Clark treat me that way either.

Have any of you battled an eating disorder? If you’ve sought help—and I can’t tell you how deeply I hope that you have—what worked for you?

Already?!

This is my 100th post. That seemed fast! I guess I talk too much.

I should probably write something significant and make it a good one, but I saw this Simpsons quote pop up and it made me giggle.

So here is your Simpsons quote (from my Simpsons quote widget, if you were wondering where I get them) for 11.20.08.

Lisa: (Talking about Nelson) He's not like anybody I've ever met. He's like a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a vest.

Oh Come All Ye Fanatical

Have I mentioned that I love Christmas? I love everything about it! I love the music, I love the shopping, I love the wrapping, I love the giving, I love the decorations, I love everyone coming together, and of course, I love the reason that we celebrate! I love to imagine baby Jesus. It is the sweetest thing I can picture and the most meaningful sacrifice ever.

So, have I already confessed this? I can't remember... forgive me if this is a repeat. I confess, on Monday, November 17, I bought a Christmas cd. hehe... I know people can get grumpy about Christmas music pre-Thanksgiving, (Brett included) but, ahem, I listen to Christmas music year round. So there.

I saw a Christmas cd in Starbucks last week that called out to me! So Monday when I went to grab a latte, I snagged the tunes as well. Every year I have a song that seems to be my favorite for the season, and this year it was brought to me in the form of my Starbucks cd. Have you heard 2000 Miles by The Pretenders? I love it! It's a Christmas love song, I guess, kind of like I'll Be Home For Christmas. I actually already knew this song because it somehow ended up on my iTunes a couple of years ago. I think that I thought it was 500 Miles by The Proclaimers when I added it to my iTunes. oops! So I've known it and liked it for a couple of years, but I had never heard it clearly until listening to it in my car.

My job today and tomorrow is to learn the words, because I am pretty sure I would sound like a Rock Star singing it. haha!

Merry Christmas! And Happy Thanksgiving. And Happy Birthday to my sister Jenna who turned 24 today!

ps. The Most Depressing Line in a Christmas Song award goes to:

"There won't be snow in Africa this Christmas. The greatest gift they'll get this year is life".

I know it's an important message to share, but do you really have to pretend to make a Christmas song to get the point across? Sorry, but it feels like a Saturday Night Live skit.

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.19.08

Superintendent Chalmers: I've had it with this school, Skinner. Low test scores, class after class of ugly, ugly children...

Channeling Cho

You know the part in The Order of the Phoenix when Harry comes back to the Gryffindor common room after "snogging" Cho and he is feeling a little awkward because she was crying? So Hermione explains to Ron and Harry that Cho has been feeling overwhelmed? Let me refresh your memory:

Hermione Granger: Don't you understand how she must be feeling? Well, obviously she's feeling sad about Cedric, and therefore confused about liking Harry, and guilty about kissing him. Conflicted because Umbridge is threatening to sack her mum from her job at the Ministry, and frightened about failing her O.W.L.s because she's so busy worrying about everything else. 
Ron Weasley: One person couldn't feel all that, they'd explode!

Well I am definitely channeling Cho today! I know that I won't explode, like Ron suggested, but it does kind of feel like I may fall apart. Yesterday, I woke up feeling calm and collected. And then my morning was busy, my afternoon was frustrating, and my evening was busy without being as productive as I wanted it to be. So today I woke up feeling slightly anxious and a little irritable. The frustration factor that I encountered yesterday afternoon was back in full force this morning. One of my co-workers is inexplicably grumpy. I don't think it's possible that I am to blame, I can't think of anything I could have done to provoke said grumpiness, but it seems directed at me and it is making me mad!

I need to cross some things off of my list! The items that have been there for FAR longer than I expected them to be really do need to get done. They are starting to stress me out, and I really need to be calm right now. Freaking out won't help me be productive.

Okay, that was just a bit of venting. I'm done  for now... I guess.

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.18.08

Nelson's Father: Good game, son. We're going to celebrate at Hooters.

Nelson: Ah... I don't wanna bother mom at work.

mmm... Sweet Recovery

My room needs a good dose of recovery, but my recovery from the recent madness is coming along nicely. I felt really good getting ready for work this morning. Guilty about running so late, but not guilty enough to run around like crazy. The sunlight pouring threw my windows is so hopeful in the mornings. I look forward to my days, work and all, when God has created such an obviously glorious day that is so eager to greet me that it leaps through my window.

I still have some sleep to catch up on, but the work that I am doing now is enjoyable. I FINALLY found a design that the lady whose logo I have been working on for a couple of weeks likes. I have one more change to make tonight and then I will wrap it up tomorrow. And I will get started on a new logo tonight, which is encouraging. It feels good to have steady work. Affirming.

And mostly, it's nice to have my evenings with Brett back. It was so good to just be at his apartment last night. This week will be fun! He has a new game that he loves and my computer is in the living room right now so I can work while he plays. And we have all kinds of things to cook because the round of holiday festivities will officially begin Friday with his work potluck, and Sunday is the Singles potluck at church, which is always really fun!

God is good =-)

Ashley Update

When my mom got off of work, she and Laura went to see Ashley. I don't believe it! They had her walking today! How do you walk with a broken spine? I have no idea! But she did walk. God is so good!

She is complaining because her neck brace is very uncomfortable and she will be in it for 4-6 months. But the nurse told her that she can't take it off. It is holding her neck in position while it heals and if she were to turn her head the wrong way before it healed, she would be paralyzed. Um... how do you argue with that?

So they both improved by MILES today! Thank you for praying. Keep it up!

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.17.08

Lisa: We've made a terrible mistake! This tunnel comes out in the worst possible place!

Bart: An elephants butt?

UPDATE - GREAT NEWS!!!

Five minutes after I posted my last blog, I got a text message. Celeste is sitting up and talking! Thank you Lord!!! She is in a lot of pain, but she is coherent enough to complain about that pain, so that is wonderful!!!

Relief

I am tired in so many ways right now. Physically, mentally, emotionally... the list goes on... I told Jenn this morning, I think that the last 10 days have been the busiest I have experienced since finals my senior year in college. I am completely serious when I say that I could close my eyes and sleep for 24 hours without stirring. My eyes can barely focus today, and I slept a solid 8 hours last night.

The Open House is over and my strongest feeling is relief. It was an interesting experience. We didn't sell much but I am still glad that we participated. There wasn't a huge turnout, and probably 70% of the people who came didn't buy anything. It was an interesting mix of vendors... shoppers had a variety of things to look at and a wide price range to select from. I think that if it had been a craft show, we would have sold most of what we had because it was all cute. In fact, my mom and I are talking about buying a booth at Canton one month next year and I think that we would sell well there. We would certainly encounter the right audience for our products.

But I learned a lot. If I am ever asked to participate in one of these again, I will change a few things that I think will make us more productive. And I passed out a lot of brochures and business cards, which I am very pleased with, by the way, so who knows... maybe I will still get some business from yesterday.

Thank you to Krista, Melanie, my mom and Margaret for coming. It meant a LOT to see you there. And a HUGE thank you to Jenna for doing this with me. I would have been a mess without you there yesterday.

The Open House was tiring, but there was another thing that made yesterday hard. Two friends of my sister, Laura, were in a very serious car accident early yesterday morning. I have known them both for over a decade, and one of them, Ashley, is like a sister to me. Both girls are still in critical condition, so I covet your prayers for their recovery. I probably don't know all of the details, but I know that Ashley's spine is broken in 3 places, she has at least 3 broken ribs, her collar bone is broken (or something in that area... I'm a little unsure of that detail), she has a hole in her foot and they haven't been able to do an MRI yet because she can't be moved. Celeste, who is married and has 2 sweet little children, has not woken up yet. She is unresponsive, but as of this morning, she is breathing on her own. Her jaw is broken and her skull is broken. That is all that I know right not, but please, pray for them. It would hurt me, and hundreds of others, immensely to lose these two girls.

I Confess... I'm In Love

I can't believe I am taking the time to post this right now. I'm running so late! But I've been wanting to say this all week, so I will just have to get dressed quickly.

I feel disloyal, but I can't deny it. I love the Twilight series. The last time that I enjoyed reading a book this much was Harry Potter. I love the HP books. I will always love the HP books. Nothing will ever take their place in my heart. But I am enjoying Twilight so much!

I finished Breaking Dawn Tuesday night, I think... my days this week kind of all blurred into one another. (Yes, I know... I was supposed to be banned from reading them. I got nothin'...) I have enjoyed all 4 books very much, but the reason that I was most excited to finish Breaking Dawn was so that I could go back and re-read Twilight. I know now that there was a lot of information in the first book that is very important in the others, but when I read it the first time, I didn't have the characters identified in my mind, so it didn't register like it should have. I wanted to re-read it to get the back stories straight on Carlisle and Esme and the other Cullens/Hales.

But goodness! I am totally serious... I giggle like a school girl when I read Twilight! Bella and Edward... there is something so special about them. Anyone who is in love surely appreciates watching two people fall in love. It is so sweet. And Meyer's writing, well... I can't help it. I giggle. I love Bella. She is vulnerable and strong at the same time. And most of all, Bella is good. She loves people in a very selfless way. And Edward... Hello! Bella said it right... Edward is dazzling.

So that is really all I have time to say. I love Twilight. Every book is special and I am looking forward to getting to know them better, but the first one is my fav, for sure! The best thing about New Moon is Jacob Black. Jacob is the best friend that every girl wants to have. Eclipse was fun because of the family. Getting to know them better. Breaking Dawn was maybe a tiny tiny bit disappointing. Not that I WANTED things to end badly... I didn't want any main character to get hurt. But the fact that things wrapped up so nicely... well, JK Rowling always explained that writing the death of a character was heart breaking, but it made the stories more legitimate. I mean, how am I supposed to be terrified of the Volturi, like Meyer I think intends me to be, if they seem to be no match for the Cullens?

Again, I am happy that no one got hurt... ESPECIALLY Alice. We all know I heart Alice. But I'm just saying...

Okay, gotta run!

For My Fellow Harry Potter Fans!

One of the widgets on my mac is a fan site called The Leaky Cauldron. I check it every day to stay up to date with the latest Harry Potter news, because as we all know, I heart all things Harry Potter!

Apparently, there will be a new trailer for The Half Blood Prince that shows before Twilight and it was released to the fan sites today.

You have GOT to watch this! I just did and I'm kind of freaking out. I have a strong feeling that this movie will NOT disappoint. I'm always a little skeptical when a new HP film is coming out, and I DID hear a rumor about this film that might disturb me if it is true... but for the most part I am excited!!!

This is the small version... I'm way too impatient to wait for the bigger ones to load.

http://wbads-51.vo.llnwd.net/e1/wbmovies/halfbloodprince/trailer/Champion_D_sm.mov

Thursday Night

It is 15 minutes after midnight. I should be in bed by 12:30 and that will be my earliest bedtime by 2 hours this week. It has been full.

The sample book is as done as it is going to be. I only did 10 pages, but I'm not really worried about that. It simply wasn't possible to do 20 quality pages in one week, and it was important that these be high quality pages, so I settled for 10 individual pages rather than 10 spreads. (Actually, 9 spreads and 2 singles, but you know what I mean.) For the most part, the pages are good. It has been a LONG time since I scrapbooked with actual photos. I didn't realize how long it had been until I sat down to do it. I was quite the addict in high school and college, but I quit cold turkey when I realized it was time to stop wasting money on things that weren't necessities. The products that you can buy now, to enhance your pages, are advanced FAAAR beyond what they were 6 years ago when I stopped scrapbooking. I have to prove to myself that I will be able to make money scrapbooking this time, rather than throw it away, before I invest in some of these tools, but I can tell you the first three things I am going to buy when I get money from/for this venture.

1. A circle cutter. There is probably a better name for it, but I know what I'm talking about, and at this time at night, going on this amount of sleep, I can hardly expect other people to understand what I am saying, so I won't bother trying to explain.

2. I am going to experiment with stamps.

3. Buttons and ribbon. Yes, I'm counting that as one thing.

Tomorrow night I am going to do some computer work for Pretty Bird after Bible study and Saturday I am going to finish as many ornaments as I can.

I have 2 goals for Sunday. (Why am I giving 2 sets of numbered lists in this post? I have no idea. Just go with it.)

1. To sell all of my pre-made books and give out 100 flyers and business cards.

2. To be in bed by 9:00.

Brett won't be happy about number 2. It's been hard on both of us this week, me being home every night instead of at his apartment. But he has been great. He came over for an hour last night and for 2 hours tonight. He doesn't really like hanging out here (just can't be comfortable) so he was a sport to come chill out with me.

I'm off to bed! Woohoo!

The Office - Best Moment Ever

Okay, maybe not the best moment ever, but DEFINITELY in my top five!

Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjIIBHBA_1A

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.12.08

Principal Skinner: Children, I couldn't help monitoring you conversation. There's no mystery about Willie. Why, he simply disappeared. Now, let's have no more curiosity about this bizarre cover-up.

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.11.08

Homer: My dad never believed in me. I'm not going to make the same mistake; I'm going to be nicer to my son and meaner to my dad.

Silly Kim

I know it's silly to be nervous about this Open House, because in the grand scheme of things, it's just not that big of a deal. The thing is, I've never done anything like this before. I feel like I am making myself vulnerable and putting MYSELF out on display, not just these products. They are just crafts. They don't define me, obviously! (It sounds incredibly melodramatic to even think about using the word define).

The thing is, I have worked really hard on this. I have spent a lot of money and a LOT of time, time away from Brett, away from my family, even some time away from work, to put together these things that I am going to turn around and ask someone to buy. Placing a monetary value on these items and putting them up for sale constitutes me professing that they do in fact HAVE value. That I believe that something I made, with my own two hands, is worth something. Is valuable.

Well what if no one else thinks so? What if I sit at that table for 3 hours and people just pass me by? What if I don't sell a single book or a single ornament? How disappointed will I be? Or embarrassed?

No matter what happens on Sunday, I don't think I will regret being a part of this. Best case scenario, I will sell my products, give out all of my brochures and create a small client base that will enable me to have a string of scrapbook projects to work on, providing me with a creative outlet and affirmation of my talents. (How's that for a run-on sentence, ay?) I would feel good about myself if I could have this semi business on the side that let me do what I enjoy and buy a few tanks of gas a month. Worst case scenario, no one will buy a thing and I will come home with books and Christmas ornaments that I will have to try to give away as gifts.

Neither scenario is terrible. But I can't help but be nervous.

That's my admission. I hate feeling vulnerable, and I HATE admitting that I feel that way. But there you go. I needed to say it out loud (type it, same thing) so I would stop obsessing.

I will let you know how it goes. Hopefully in a positive blog post, but possibly in a Christmas ornament that I gift because I have so many!

Juggling

I'm sure that I will make it through this week. Don't ask me how, but I'm sure it will happen. It is only Tuesday morning and I am already painfully tired. I have one big thing and three small things left to do before Sunday. The big sample book that I've decided to make for the open house, instead of several small books, will take the longest, but it is only 20 pages. I am hoping to get at least the cover and 3 spreads done tonight. That is a tall order, but I am working with a small amount of pictures so it will be mostly embellishing that I am focusing on, and I have been doing that for 3 weeks straight now, so I am definitely in the zone!

I still need to finish the ornaments, and I need to add "Dear Kelly" to all 78 pages of the book that I made last night for Kelly's wedding shower. I think it will be cute.

If you think about it, pray for me this week. Pray that the sleep that I find will be extra restful. And pray that I don't "snack to stay awake". Being too tired is dangerous when you are trying to lose weight. I am determined to eat well this week (so far so good, thankfully!) but it may not show on the scales if my body is not getting any time to rest. I understand that, but I don't want to be discouraged by it. Next week will be better! More restful, for sure!

The brochure and business cards that I designed for the open house are cute =-) I am pleased with them. I hope they impress someone! haha

And on a side note, ahem, I am kind of sort of still reading Breaking Dawn. The ban only lasted 24 hours. It's slow going though because I am only reading while I blow dry my hair and eat dinner. But I still think I will finish it this week. I don't have much left to go. SO good!

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.10.08

Grandpa: I got a funny story about that. Well, it's not so much funny as it is long.

So Excited!

Originally I thought that yesterday was not going to be as productive as I had hoped it would be. I had a list of about 10 things or so that I needed to get done, and I only finished 2. They were significant things! But 2 out of 10 ain't that great! BUT, we accomplished something that I didn't expect to accomplish. WE GOT BRETT'S RING!

We have had trouble finding a ring that Brett likes. There is a certain kind of gold that he prefers that, turns out, is almost impossible to find in major jewelry stores. Last night, Helzberg was having a guest vendor in their Irving store and we were invited to come meet with them because our jeweler at Helzberg thought that this vendor may be able to make custom rings. Well, she was right, but the rings were not at all what we were looking for. Brett walked over to the case of regular men's rings to show them what style he wanted and low and behold, there was a new ring in the case! It is Tungsten and it has a pattern with dark crosses in it. It is SO nice! Really unique and it was a great price. I am really happy that we found a ring that he likes. I love my ring so much, I want him to love his ring too! We ordered it last night and it should come in in a few weeks. Let's hope I don't lose it between then and the wedding!

I also found some super cute boxes to use for party favors! One of my Jennifers (3 of my closest friends are named Jennifer. They are all in the wedding. There is also a Jenina and a Jenna in the wedding. Try to keep that straight!) is getting married a month before I am and she told me about these cute little bride and groom favor boxes that she found at the Dollar Tree. I totally heart the Dollar Tree! It is far and away the best dollar store out there. They are little boxes that come in packages of 10 that fold into a little wedding dress and a little tuxedo. Jenn had all of the dresses she needed but was short on tuxedos so I told her I would check our Dollar Tree. I went there Thursday and oh my goodness! They were the cutest little boxes! And 10 for a dollar??? How do you beat that? They didn't have any tuxes, but I snagged all of the brides that they had. I was still 6 packages short though. So today I showed them to one of my other Jennifers and she told me that there is a Dollar Tree right next to the Hobby Lobby in Grapevine. My mom said that she needed to go to Hobby Lobby, so off we went!

We hit Hobby Lobby first. I have to admit, I am starting to spend a dangerous amount of time, and as a result of that, money, in that store! But there is no place like it! Crafting and home decor in the same place? It's like my own personal Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, minus the scary orange guys. My mom needed to look for a stocking and Jennifer had mentioned, when I told her my idea for centerpieces at the wedding, that the glassware at Hobby Lobby goes on sale for 50% off frequently. So while we were there we wanted to check it out, and HELLO! Jackpot! Today I bought 22 medium sized cylinder vases, 3 large cylinder vases, 18 silver serving pieces, and 33 bouquet and centerpiece floral pieces for $160. The only thing that wasn't half price were the serving pieces, but they were $1.87 a piece.

I am SO thankful that I was able to take Thursday and Friday off. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted because I was able to cross some very large items off of a very large list. Right now I am about to go work on one of my sample books for a few hours, then tonight I am going to do a little more ornament work, and then tomorrow afternoon I am going to finish what I can of what I didn't finish on Friday. This week will be all scrapbooks all the time! hehe... Brett is just thrilled.

I feel so blessed to have so many enjoyable things in my life right now, and such amazing people to share them with. =-)

Now That's What I Call Productive!

Okay, so I took today and tomorrow off from work, right? I just have a LOT going on right now and the free time that I have on the weekends is not quite enough time to keep up with everything that I am trying to manage. Brett thinks that I am too busy 100% of the time. Well, he and I are comfortable with different levels of "busy", so I disagree. But this Holiday Open House has definitely kept me on my toes. So my plan was for today to be all about the wedding (I should work on addresses tonight, but I'm going to put that off a little longer), and tomorrow will be all about the Open House. That was my plan and all week I have been hoping, hoping, hoping that I would be productive! Well guess what I did today? I BOUGHT A WEDDING DRESS!

I know what you're thinking. I said that my mom was going to make my dress. I'm feeling a little guilty about this. My mom was obliged to make the dress when I originally asked her to, but as we picked things out and she made the sample dress her enthusiasm grew. I just got paranoid. The first dress that she made for me to try on is a GORGEOUS dress! My mom is so talented. I truly believe that with enough time, there is nothing that my mom can't do. But unfortunately, when I put on the dress, it didn't look very good. It was gorgeous on the hanger and then I made it ugly! I think that if we made the dress in sturdier material, it would be more flattering, but what if it still didn't look good? Just the more I thought about it, the more I thought, "what if we spend 3 months and $300 making sample dresses that my stupid body made look bad and then suddenly it was 2 months until the wedding and I needed a dress?

So one of my bridesmaids, Jenn, who is also getting married, found her dress a few weeks ago at a boutique in Addison called Circle Park Bridal and she encouraged me to check it out. Let me just take a minute to say that my experience at this store was amazing. The women who own and run the store were so caring and so helpful and the dresses there were unbelievably priced. There was a nice mix of traditional and modern and I am so happy that we went there! So if anyone is ever in need, I highly recommend Circle Park Bridal in Addison. It will be worth your trip.

Back to my story. So Melanie and I made a list of places to check out today and Circle Park was at the top of our list. I'm so happy that we went there first! I liked the shop right away. As soon as you walk in, there is a really friendly vibe. However, I was not thrilled looking through the racks initially. Not because their dresses aren't amazing, but because I didn't think they would have anything that I could wear. Their sizes are limited. It is not like a David's Bridal where you see a dress and you can order it in any size that you want. This is a small boutique where what they have there, is what they have. You can alter anything. Like if you like a dress but it is 3 sizes too big, no problem. Their seamstress is apparently a Jedi, and she can make it work! Or if you find a dress you like and it is 2 sizes too small, no problem. Yoda will add a corset that looks like it was always there and voila, the dress is your size! But everyone says that you have to go up in sizes when you are looking at bridal gowns because they always run small. When I asked about sizes the woman told me that for the most part, they only go up to 16. Well I wish I were a 16! So I was sure that I wouldn't be able to fit into anything that they had. But we grabbed 3 dresses, one of which I realized WAS my size, so I thought that even if it runs small like everyone says they do, I might be able to get in it and partially zip it to get an idea if the style looks good on me. And can I just say, you can NOT judge a wedding dress by how it looks on the hanger! Especially if you are like me... a fairly simple gal. I like things clean and classic. Any embellishment on a dress that involves beading or intricate shmancies, I immediately think is not for me. Not because it's not pretty, I just don't feel like I can pull something like that off.

The first dress that I tried was one that I knew was too small. It didn't zip all the way, but we could tell that it was a good cut for me, so I said we should keep that cut in mind when we look other places. But I tried on dress #2 and oh goodness. This is the one that said on the tag that it was my size, which I thought in bride language, would make it at least a size too small. But when I put it on, it was actually a little big. We walked out to the 3 way mirror and I stood on the box and it was like time stopped for a minute. Not only was it a beautiful dress, I looked nice in it. The cut is very flattering and it flares out in all the right places. I thought it was lovely, but when I put on the veil, that sealed the deal. We will need to make some adjustments but after standing on the box for a good 10 minutes and the ladies assuring me that we will be able to add sleeves or a jacket and shorten the train, I decided to buy the dress. I'm SO happy that Melanie and I went together. She was so helpful and so encouraging. But best of all, after I had picked my dress, Melanie grabbed a few to try on, and guess what? SHE BOUGHT ONE TOO!

I am IN LOVE with Melanie's dress. On it's own, it is refreshingly unique and just stunningly beautiful, but on Melanie, it was breath taking. I have never seen a dress quiet like this. It is modern but at the same time there is something classic about it. It is WAY too big for Mel, but she has already scheduled an appointment with the miracle working seamstress to make sure that she will be able to take it in as much as she needs, and I am certain that she will feel like the most beautiful girl in the world on the day of her wedding.

It was so special to be able to go with Melanie and us find our dresses together. I love all of my sisters, and being able to live with Melanie this past year has reminded me how amazing she is. We both shed a few tears and we posed for some pictures, and it was just a really special day. I feel REALLY bad for hurting my mom's feelings. She is being nice and not trying to make me feel bad for buying a dress, but I know she is disappointed. If I weren't so heavy, this whole dress ordeal would be easier. But I think that I did the right thing. I think.

This blog is long enough already, but I have one more quick bit of news. I think that I found a bridesmaid dress! My boss told me about a couple of shops that she and her daughter went to when they were shopping for dresses for her daughter's wedding. They are very near our workplace and she said that they had good prices. Good prices??? This dress is $55!!! That's amazing! It is unique, it is pretty much the color I have been looking for, and it is a third of the price of the dresses at David's and Alfred's. Melanie and I both tried one on today to see how it looked on a body, and it is a flattering cut. It is maybe a tiny bit brighter than I would prefer, but it is a really pretty color that is going to look lovely in the park!

So I am feeling really good about getting some things done today. Those are two very large items to cross off of my list. I am so thankful that my boss let me take these two days off. Hopefully I will be just as productive tomorrow.

I'm off to make ornaments! Breaking Dawn is sitting on my bed, but I am going to have to insist on not reading anymore for a few days. If I pick it up tonight, I'm afraid I will stay up all night reading it and finish it tomorrow and waste my day! So there you go.

Simpsons Quote of the Day - 11.05.08

Insurance Agent: Any valuables in the house?

Homer: Well, there was the Picasso, my collection of classic cars...

Insurance Agent: Sorry. This policy only covers actual losses...

Homer: (Miffed) Well that's just great!

2 Things

1. I forgot to put on my ring this morning before I left the house =-(

2. I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't read Breaking Dawn and are planning to, but OH MY GOODNESS! I finished part 2 this morning. That's PERFECT! He imprinted on it! (haha... that's my attempt to not give anything away. I hope that was vague enough for no one to be correctly suspicious). I'm so happy though! I love these books. I'm banning myself from reading it for the next few days though AT LEAST. I may continue the ban until the Open House is over. I have WAY too much else that I should be doing. Hopefully I will be productive for the next few days. I have a meeting tonight that is going to take up some time, but I am going to be as productive as possible after that!

Simpsons Quote of the Day

Homer:

Dear Lord: The gods have been good to me. For the first time in my life, everything is absolutely perfect just the way it is. So here's the deal: You freeze everything the way it is, and I won't ask for anything more. If that is Ok, please give me absolutely no sign... Ok, deal. In gratitude, I present you this offering of cookies and milk. If you want me to eat them for you, give me no sign... Thy will be done.

Anniversary Adventures

Yesterday Brett and I celebrated our 3 year dating anniversary. That means that at this moment, 3 years ago, I was freaking out because Brett and I had held hands the night before while we were watching Star Wars and something in our relationship had changed.

We take turns giving gifts and planning dates. I did our first anniversary, he did last year, and this year it was my turn again. We have been really busy lately, so our celebration wasn't everything that I would have liked it to be, his presents weren't surprises, they were things he asked for, and he got them early instead of yesterday, but all in all, how can a 3 year anniversary not be special?!

I will be honest and admit that this morning I am feeling a little disappointed. I have been working really hard lately on things that I have been excited about, and not everything is going according to plan. I am still waiting for the day when I will finally realize that MY plans are useless. That no matter how much I plan and how many lists I write, that I am never really in control. I am SO thankful that God is in control because his plans are always better than mine. But it is always humbling to work hard and then be reminded, when things don't work out, that I am pathetic and it is only by God's grace and mercy that I am able to get out of bed and function each day.

I worked really hard, and spent too much money I might add, last week trying to find the perfect outfits for Brett and I to wear in our engagement pictures, and then we ended up not coordinating at all. And I spent a couple of weeks trying to think of the perfect place to take Brett for dinner last night and the perfect way to show him how much I love him. But I never came up with the perfect gift so I gave him the new game that he wanted, The ACDC Rockband pack, and the new toy he wanted, the Rockband cymbals. And I really enjoyed dinner, but for Brett it was just so so.

For the past 2 years I have been trying to figure out a bouquet that I could give him. Even if it weren't a little awkward to give a man flowers, flowers would still make Brett sneeze. But I LOVE when he gives me flowers! So I have been trying to think of a manly bouquet of something that I could give him. I have considered gift cards, but that would get too expensive really fast. And I have considered comics, but if I rolled them up, would I hurt them? And I don't think I could pick out 12 comics that I would be confident Brett would want. Not without asking him for a list, and that would ruin the surprise. But with all of the candy in stores lately, Brett has mentioned that he loves chocolate Tootsie Pops. So I thought, aha! Something I can make a bouquet out of! A candy bouquet! I bought 4 bags of Tootsie Pops so that I could get 12 that are chocolate and my plan was to tape them together like flowers. Well have you ever tried to tape suckers together? I think it would have worked if they were flat, but Tootsie Pops are so round, I couldn't get them to stay together! So my attempt at a sweet gift, since I was giving him 2 things that he wanted but weren't surprises at all, didn't turn out all that sweet. Well, literally it was sweet, but as far as being thoughtful goes... I didn't get to hand him the candy like a bouquet, I had to dump them all in a box. Romantic, huh?

I took him to The Melting Pot for dinner last night, and I thought it was AWESOME! I've never been there before and have always wanted to go, so I was really excited. There were parts of the dinner that were insanely good! We both loved our salad, we both loved the fish and the pork, and HELLO! The dessert? You've got to be kidding me! It was unreal! I have had chocolate fondue once before, but it doesn't even come close to comparing with what we ate last night. We chose The Original for our dessert option which is milk chocolate with crunchy peanut butter melted into it. SO GOOD! And the dippers that they brought us were all just amazing. We wish that we had picked a different cheese fondue to start off with, and Brett got frustrated having to time the meat while it was cooking in the broth on the main course, so it wasn’t the perfect meal. But I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was great, our waiter was excellent, and it was something new. After 3 years of dating, we got to try something completely new and different, so I consider that a success, even if it wasn't as grand as I had planned in my mind. 

I am so thankful that God gave me Brett. There is no one else that I would rather share life with, even when life isn’t what I expect it to be. I pray that God will give me patience and that I will remember, each time that I make a list, that I am not really the one in control, and I pray that I will always be THANKFUL for that, and never resentful.

One More Thought

Brett and I have said that we are going to take a break from church work for a few months when we get married. When that break is over, wherever we are, I want to be in a choir! I ACHE for that feeling of being in a room full of singers... swimming in those chords, being surrounded by the music and swallowed by the sounds. I really miss it.

Weekend Wrap Up

It was a very full weekend! Not bad, but I'm glad it's over.

First, I have to say, I LOVE this time change! It's like half of the year I am not functioning properly. But fall gets here and the clock goes back to normal and I am slightly better functioning, which is a HUGE blessing!

Friday night was crazy! I left work early so I could get to the church and transform my car into a spider for our Trunk or Treat. Well I tell you what, I am NOT doing that again! At least not by myself. The wind was blowing my trash bags all over the place and I couldn't tape it fast enough to get it all together. My car didn't look anything like a spider! But the game that we played, kids seemed to enjoy. And thankfully, Brett got off of work a little early so he showed up to help me. I don't know what I would have done without him when kids started to show up. We had a great turn out and the event was a huge success, apart from my crazy car! I learned a lot for sure, but I'm not sure I learned enough to be willing to try it again. 

Saturday was good, I think. I spent so much time last week trying to find the perfect outfits for Brett and I to wear in our engagement pictures and then the shirt that I got him didn't work out. So I wore my white shirt and he wore his clean shirt. I was a little disappointed driving to pick up our photographer, but I was trying SO hard to have a good attitude! And then I immediately felt better when we picked up Sam. Our photographer is AWESOME! She is that cool quirky college student that every girl wants to be after she watches Reality Bites or Empire Records for the first time. Her apartment was so groovy. She had cool furniture and art hanging on every empty spot. It made me a little jealous. Our pictures were fairly quick and mostly painless. I will be a little nervous until I see them, but I am sure we got some good shots. It was the first time that Brett and I had pictures taken of us and I am glad that I had fun. I will always remember that day =-)

Sunday was an adventure! Brett and I were asked to be extras in KidStuf, our churches children's production that they put on every Sunday. He was a general and I was a leper. We were both totally nervous about learning our lines and having to say them in front of a room full of people, but in the end it was really fun. The team that does KidStuf every week is so great and they all get along so well, they welcomed us with open arms and made us feel as comfortable as was possible. And we both did great on our lines!

So all in all it was a good weekend, but it was full of things that I am glad are over. I didn't get any work done this weekend other than Sunday School business so I have a LOT to do this week! I am taking Thursday and Friday off of work. Thursday is all about the wedding and Friday is all about the Open House. So hopefully it will be a productive week. It has to be!

Oh, and I also started Breaking Dawn last night. Mistake! I can't put it down when I pick it up and I really don't have time to be obsessed with it this week. But it's already so good! I cried like a baby while I was reading it this morning and I'm only in the 4th chapter!