Happy Birthday Junior!

Today is my nephew Junior's 2nd Birthday! It has been so cool to see him grow and learn and I cannot wait for the years to follow! His party is this weekend and I will be sure to share more pictures! Happy Birthday my favorite little guy!

Today, Jaimie, Junior and I went to (his favorite McDonald's for lunch! I just love this guy to pieces!

I cannot believe how much babies change in such a short amount of time! Here is Junior and I right after he was born. I am exhausted and he is looking cute as ever! Wow, where does the time go!?

My *Random* 25

I got "tagged" in this on Facebook. Basically, it is 25 random things about me and I thought they would be fun to share on here! Enjoy! Feel free to do it on your blog! It's pretty fun!

My Random 25

1. My dream is to become a teacher and a photographer on the side. I love pictures and any and all who know me know that I take WAY too many. I also believe that no picture should be deleted.
2. I have had people say to me “oh, I didn’t picture you as the kind of person who would have tattoos!” Really? What the hell is that suppose to mean? It doesn’t change me as a person! I have three, but total make one... and I have another one in the works :)
3. I am both a typical girl and very atypical girl all at the same time.
4. I am straight but I strongly support gay marriage and rights.
5. I was in the room when my sister was having my nephew. It so far in my life has been the COOLEST thing I have ever been able to experience…but I also describe it as the most disgusting thing I have ever seen too! When I cut the cord, I cried like a baby and cut my finger at the same time.
6. I am pretty OCD about editing pictures. I have to edit them before I print them or post them, though there are a few that have slipped by untouched.
7. Cleaning is actually very relaxing to me. I get this weird sense of accomplishment when I see a clean room….and honestly…I sleep better!
8. I have to lay a very certain way to fall asleep...if I don’t I cannot sleep. I would explain it but it is very complicated and it would bore you all.
9. I have been “on my own” since I was 19 and it is a good feeling. I can honestly say that I feel like I have taken good care of myself as well as others and I would not have it any other way!
10. I LOVE THE OFFICE!
11. I love to volunteer. I took a break while I was in school and I miss it horribly. I already know exactly what I want to do when I finish school!
12. I guess I am OCD in general. If something is crooked, it bothers me until I can change it….among many other things…
13. I talk a lot and come off as open, but I actually have some anxiety issues when it comes to talking to new people.
14. Within the last year or two, I have really found out who my real friends are (which I am sure is a lifelong battle) and I am so very thankful for the ones I have.
15. I only wear one contact in my right eye… my vision is so poor in my left eye that it is considered “dangerous” for me to wear one. Yet, if I was to loose my right eye, legally I would still have enough vision to drive…SCARY!
16. I do not have your everyday typical hiccups. I hiccup and burp at the same time, and there is nothing I can do to help it….and it hurts horribly.
17. I have a spoiled cat and sadly could be the “crazy cat lady” one day. Erich says is I spoil my future kids like I spoil our cat, we are screwed!
18. I am the only *someday in the future mom* who never, ever, ever wants to drive a mini-van? Ugh, disgusting!
19. I have recently started blogging again, and even though most of them are pointless, I enjoy doing it.
20. I love ice cream…probably more than I would like to admit!
21. I love LOUD, OBNOXIOUS rock concerts. There is something about the energy and loud music ripping through my ears that I am absolutely addicted to. I am going to be that 50 year old mom embarrassing her kids at a rock concert. I am happy to say that I have one band left on my "to see before I die list" and they will likely never tour... does that make me immortal?
22. I have always wanted to play guitar. I even invested in one. Sadly, I have not ONE musical bone in my body, so I have scratched that off of my list.
23. I have a collection of kids books and I am always buying and looking for more. When Erich and I have a house, we want to have a library and we joke that we’ll have to split the room in half for each of us! I do like adult books though, and yes... I am "one of those" who is addicted to the Twilight saga.
24. I live for my calendar. I write everything down. I call it my life in a book.
25. And for my last one….I sing in the car, I sing in the shower, I sing when I am alone. I talk to myself too…yeah…I admit it.

Loyalty....Its Not All About DOGS!

Most of you who know me well know that we have a pretty awesome, yet spoiled cat. I guess I have come to the realization lately that cats can be just as loyal as dogs! Libby always comes running when we come home from somewhere, and where ever we are, she is. When we are in the living room, she is sleeping in her “doughnut.” When we go to bed, she is always at the foot of our bed (hogging it, but that’s beside the point!) Every morning when I wake up, she follows me to the bathroom and stays there with me while I get ready, and when I leave for work, she walks me to the door! On the weekends, when I can sleep in, she patiently waits for me to wake up. When I do, I roll over to my back and she is RIGHT there, sitting on my chest to greet me. Another thing that I find amazingly rewarding about having a cat is they just seem to know when you need them. Whenever I am down, she sticks around and purrs and lets me snuggle her. So putting being awfully allergic to her aside, she is an amazing cat and I hope she is with us for many, many years to come!

This is my favorite picture of her :) She looks like America's Next top Kitty!

Erich took this picture of us, we fell asleep almost the exact same way, pretty adorable if you ask me!

I like to call this picture my roomies :)

A New Place to Call Home....

Well, we found a place that we’ll be moving when our lease is up at the end of March. I had said in a previous post that we wanted to rent a house or duplex and there were other certain things that we wanted as well, but we had to change our minds.

See, we really want a house… but the more we talked about it, we saw reasons why this is not the best time for that. We had a hard time finding places that met our criteria without us worrying about getting in over our heads and ultimately we decided that it would be a bad idea…especially me having little to no paid work this fall. I am okay with that, and really, if I we are going to put energy into mowing and shoveling *shudder* I want it to be OUR place.

So, why are we still moving you ask? Well, we need more space…if we stay in a place this small much longer my head may spin. We found a decent little place literally less than five minutes from where we are now. It is a two bedroom; 1050 sq ft place….which is about 400 sq ft more than where we are at now. The only amenities we are missing from what we have now are a fireplace (which we never use) and a swimming pool. (*sniff sniff*) The pool is something I can get over, I never really went that much, and it gives me a good excuse to hit up Papio Bay more often. We’ll have a cute little balcony as well as MANY more windows! And….we’ll know some of our neighbors because I know three people who live in this complex….BBQ’s here we come! (Not to mention we are just walking distance from the bowling alley!) Finally, the place costs the same amount that we pay for our one bedroom so we are not spending anymore money besides the cost of moving!

So, it is sad that we had to “settle” in a sense, but things will work out for us when the time comes. Life isn’t all about material things and getting what we want and our time will come! I am starting the packing process slowly but surely. I have already gotten some boxes from work, even though it is a while away, I just have to be sure to stay on top of school at the same time. So….we are now employing people to help us move! The payment is pizza! Just kidding, we have a pretty decent crew already in line!

It's Cushy!

Out with the old...


In with the new...


Introducing our very first, not used couch! It's so soft and comfortable! NFM had a great sale and we couldn't pass it up! Even though it is sad that World Market is closing, I am anxious to get some nice decorative pillows besides the ones we have! That's all I have for this evening!

*Also, kudos to my sis Jen for plopping her ass on couches with me at NFM...had it not been for her, we may not have found this beauty!*

Date Night :)

Erich and I went on a date last night! I know that doesn’t seem too ground breaking, but we never ever really get to go out anymore. Our date relied entirely on gift cards since we are still somewhat recovering from Christmas. We went to Outback for dinner, and I had a steak which is something I hardly EVER eat! It was a Terryaki marinated steak and it was DELICIOUS! I would highly recommend it.

Then, we came home and watched the episode of The Office that we missed this week. If you love The Office, that episode was beyond hilarious and kind of sad at the same time! We came home to watch The Office in order to kill some time before our movie. Then we went to the Rave Theater at the Westroads. Honestly, I did not really see what all the hoop and holler is about that theater, it was over crowded for a late night show and there were a decent amount of line jumping hooligans running around. (Apparently, I was the only teen who had a curfew when I was young!)

We saw the movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith. I love all Will Smith movies, but I have to say that I think this is his best performance ever! I do not typically cry during movies, but this one… I shed a decent amount of tears…and it wasn’t just at the end, it was in the beginning and midway through. I would recommend this movie to everyone!

Well, that pretty much sums up our weekend! Hope everyone else had a good one!

Back to School

Ohhhhhhh
Back to school
Back to school
To prove to dad that I'm not a fool
I've got my, lunch packed up
My boots tied tight
I hope I don't get in a fight
Ohhhh
Back to school
Back to school
Back to school

Yeah, imagine that in an Adam Sandler styled voice from Billy Madison and you’ll get it!

Yes, so the headline says it all… I am officially back to school today! This 8-week session will be a bit more relaxed for me than that I am used to (using that loosely being that I never have any idea what is in store!) I am taking one online class and one Tuesday and Thursday evening class. I wanted to take more in order to keep pushing forward, but they only offered those few classes that I need, and I am not one of those “take-classes-just-because” students.

My second 8-week session I will be picking up quite a few classes at Metro because my school has an issue offering some classes more than once a year! (And I have an issue following the rotation!) I am hoping to get most of those online since that is my preferred method of study.

Well, that’s all I really wanted to say, it’s just that the Adam Sandler song has been ringing in my head all day….

Music as comfort.....

I am one of those people who constantly listen to music. If it is in my car, it is playing, if I am on my laptop, it is playing...but I also use music as a comfort when I need it. On a typical day to day basis, I listen to loud, heavy rock music, and generally when I am upset, I listen to the same stuff...just even louder. (and I wonder why my hearing is on the downward slide...) Sometimes, at the end of a good angry session of music, I start to lean towards something more up lifting...this is when my Shania Twain CD gets put in (or, let me get with the times and say my Shania play list....) Yes, amongst all my thrashing, angry music... I have a Shania collection. One of my favorite CD's is UP!

So...I do not have much point in this blog besides saying that today, I figured out my angry music habits, and I am not ashamed to say that those habits may include some occasional Shania Twain :)

Carolyn's Promotion!

Tonight, the girls I work with and I got together to celebrate Carolyn’s promotion! Carolyn and I have worked together for about 3 ½ years now in our classroom and let me tell you, we have had a blast doing it! We have seen so many babies grow up! (some are even in preschool getting ready for Kindergarten now!!) This fall, Carolyn was given the opportunity to apply for a management position within the building and even though none of us ever doubted it, she got it! She will be working on overseeing the program at the center.

Ahhhh….what can I say about “my most favorite Carolyn?” Well, she is the best damn coworker a girl could ask for. She was patient with me while I was learning the ins and outs of working with babies, and she has always been patient (and caring!) through my tough times. She has also been an amazing friend, to say the very least. So, with a happy heart I congratulate her on her promotion, but I will also miss the hell out of her every single day! It will be a hard change spending 40 hours a week for almost four years with her and having that change, but I know this is what Carolyn needs to do, it’s her calling! At least she is only right around the corner at work!

Seriously, who could resist that face! (or lack of! tee hee!) She was trying to avoid my pictures!



So Carolyn, CONGRATS lady! I am so proud of you and know you will shine as Program Coordinator! I am so excited to see what you will do for the center!

Here are a few pictures of her on the saddle at Texas Roadhouse....I love the one where she looks terrified and embarrassed all at the same time!

2009 Preview

Will you be looking for a new job?
Kind of... I will be looking to find some districts to sub in, but I am not planning on leaving UP...maybe part time at one place, part time at another. I will also be looking for a weekend job while I student teach...HyVee here I come!!

Will you be looking for a new relationship?
I'm not planning on it

New house?
That may be a bit overboard for 2009, buying anyway

What will you do different in 2009?
attempt to stay positive more often, find more time to spend time with others so I keep my sanity better, find more time to be active

New Years resolution?
Kind of, but nothing I want to publicly share

What will you not be doing in 2009?
Going on any extravagant vacations

Any trips planned?
ironic....meh, probably Missouri, but other than that I will be desperate trying to save money before being unemployed for 4 months! (well, little employment anyway!)

Wedding plans?
Probably not for me

What's on your calendar?
EVERYTHING! I live for my calendar!

What can't you wait for?
to GRADUATE!

What would you like to see happen different?
Many things, but most of them are things I have no control over or influence on.

What about yourself will you be changing?
happier, healthier me (cliche I know!) I want to find more time to be active. (Like how I don't make the promise to work out everyday? Because I know it's not doable!)

What happened in '08 that you didn't think would ever happen?
We made HISTORY this year! I know we do every year, but OBAMA got ELECTED!

Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
As always, I will do my best!

Will you dress differently this year than you did in 08?
ha ha ha, nope! T-shirts to work and T-shirts on the weekend :)

Are you going to be in school in 09?
Yep

How will you make more money in 09?
I won't be :( It will probably be my poorest year.

Will you do charity work?
I hate when people call it charity work...it has such a negative connotation! I miss volunteering horribly, but I do not think I will be able to pick it up again unit I am done with school. Then, I want to do it for Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Are you going to drink on New Years Eve?
Meh, likely not.

Will you be nice to people you don't know?
I usually exchange a friendly smile, but I suppose I could be vocally more friendly.

Do you expect 2009 to be a worse year for you than 2008?
In my attempt to be more positive...NO!

How much did you change from this time last year til now?
Not much at all! I feel about the same

Do you plan on having a child?
No, that's a long time off.

Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
I plan on it, I have some wonderful friends!

Major lifestyle changes?
this is getting redundant....be more active, be more happy...blah blah blah

Will you be moving?
hopefully, if things financially start going better.

What will you make sure doesn't happen this year that happened in 08?
oh, that's a toughy...don't know. 2008 wasn't all that bad!

Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?
I hope so!

The Holidays

Ahhh…the holidays have come and went. I can finally write about them because I have uploaded my pictures to share! I remember when I was a kid, the holidays seemed to last forever, but now as an adult it feels like months (or weeks if you procrastinate like I did!) of planning and its gone in a flash! Erich and I had a great holiday! Here is how we spent it:

Christmas Eve: During the day Erich and I cleaned and made Chili for my dad and sisters who would be coming over on Christmas day. My nephew and sister Jaimie stopped by and we made Orange Danish Rolls together and I let Junior open a present because I remember when we were kids, we always got to open one on Christmas Eve. In the evening, we went to Erich’s grandparent’s house. We had a delicious dinner of prime rib, which is something I have never had before. We then opened presents and did the white elephant gift exchange. I got the last number and got a pretty awesome food chopper…except its still in the bag because I cannot find a place to store it! We then played 31, the card game that is a family tradition. I still win for the worst player ever.

Erich and I on Christmas Eve

Grandpa Dewayne with Gordy


Christmas Day: We woke up EARLY to go to Erich’s mom’s house. But that’s not before I busted a fuse in the back end of our apartment by running my space heater and blow dryer in the bathroom at the same time. I never run them both, but I must have been extra spacey! So, Erich and I spent the rest of the morning getting ready by candle light and warming my chili in the living room because it affected the power in the kitchen. After Erich’s mom’s house I went home and got things prepared for my family to come over. We opened gifts (and finally found our fuse box! Sad after 3 years of living here!) and then we ate chili. We watched my nephew and my dad’s girlfriend’s son play together. Then, Dad, Mary and I all played the Wii for a little while. We ended our evening at Erich’s Grandma Jean’s house where we chatted with the part of the (highly entertaining) family that we never get to see.


My nephew, Junior and I Christmas Day

Erich and I on Christmas Day

My sister Jaimie and I on Christmas Day!

New Year’s Eve and Day: I spent my New Year ’s Eve day shopping! I had some Christmas money I was itching to spend, so my friend and I hit the outdoor mall. It was cold, but we survived! In the evening, Erich and I went out with a group of our friends to the 49r to ring in the New Year. We have never been to a bar on New Year’s Eve, but we thought we would give it a shot this year. It was not as bad as I thought, even considering that Erich and I didn’t really drink. It was nice to actually GO OUT since I rarely ever do that anymore! My New Year’s Day was spent being lazy and in the afternoon I got to hang out with my nephew while his mom was at work. We went to dinner at Grandma Sylvia’s house and called it a night after that.


Everyone we celebrated with! This was right before midnight!

Erich and I ringing in the New Year Together

This Monday starts the cycle of holiday free weeks, which is going to be weird for me because I haven’t worked a full week in a while. (practicum, funeral) Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! If you would like to see more pictures from the holidays, check out facebook or myspace!

Twilgiht: The Movie- My Review

Since the ice storm has kept me inside this fine evening, I wanted to do my own little review of the Twilight movie. I’ll probably talk about parts of the movie, so there may be “spoilers,” though I am almost 100% sure I am one of the last “fans” to go and see the movie. However, if you are a fan just from reading the book, there are no surprises in the movie, so I am pretty sure I am not going to spoil anything that you don’t already know.

Let me start by saying that I love the books! I finished reading Twilight in September, and after a break (not because I wanted one!) started reading New Moon a few weeks ago. It’s really good thus far, and I hope to finish it really soon because I have the third book, Eclipse waiting for me! It makes me giggle a little that this is such a “high school” thing to read (and see), yet there are so many people of all ages into it. Definitely not what I think Stephenie Meyer intended, but I think it has worked to her benefit!



I think it’s pretty typical that the book is WAY better than the movie, and in this case that is definitely true. I mean, the movie wasn’t bad but there were a few parts that I thought to be quite a bit over dramatic. There are three parts that stand out most in my mind, one being Edward and Bella’s initial meeting in Biology class at school. I know it was supposed to portray as “uncomfortable” but came off as cheesy. I felt the same way about the Cullen’s initial entrance into the cafeteria, when Bells told Edward she “knew what he was” in the forest, and at the very end of the scene when James attacks Bella…the way Dr. Cullen was telling Edward to control himself, or whatever he said, was a bit over dramatic. My theory is the audiences that the movie was modeled for (teenage girls) really enjoy that type of over-drama. I also did not enjoy most of the score in the movie. I just did not feel like it meshed real well with the movie. The score is typically not something I pay attention to in a movie but in this one, it just seemed to stand out.




I guess it was a bad choice on my part to put what I disliked first, but there were quite a few things I really enjoyed in the movie. I liked how it was true to the book. There weren’t any parts I can recall anyway that swayed from the book. Over all, I liked the people chosen to play the characters, but I just wish Edward would DO something with his hair! …I guess I just don’t understand the whole Edward Cullen craze…I also really liked Charlie because that is not how I pictured him AT ALL. I also really enjoyed Jessica, Eric, Dr. Cullen and Alice. (which I think was most best portrayed of all the siblings)

I really liked the scene with the baseball game and the fight with James. I also really liked how in one scene there was a particular score playing and it evolved into Edward playing it on his piano. This was about the only part of the score that I enjoyed….I remembered thinking to myself, “Oh, here’s another crappy set of score…” and then it evolved into Edward playing and I really liked it.




So all in all, I would say there was more of the movie that I liked as opposed to disliked. I just think that book has been around long enough that the producers know that it is a really diverse Twilight crowd, so I think they could have tried harder to not cater to just the teenagers. I am not sure I would run out and see it again (mainly because I am not the type of person who sees movies over and over) but I will probably buy it when it comes out. I cannot wait to finish reading the books!

Welcome 2009!

Happy New Year everyone! I thought one of my goals for 2009 should be to attempt to blog regularly so my friends and family can keep up with me a little bit better. I have blogged in the past but have not had the best discipline keeping up on it, so for 2009 I would like to try and blog more often. 2008 flew by and I have a feeling 2009 will fly just as quickly!

I have started out 2009 with a new lap top! I paid off my car so I decided to invest in a lap top that would perform better with everything I want it to do. So, after much drama with a previously ordered lap top, I have received my lime green dell studio lap top :) Yes, you read that correctly...lime green (I had had the option to choose color, and I thought lime green fit me quite well!) Here's just a little factory picture of the lappy and so far I am in love with it. It's so exciting to have a computer that can handle Photoshop, which is a program that gave my last laptop a coronary.
I am currently working on getting my pictures from Christmas and New Year's uploaded and when I am done I'll write a little something about it!

Erich and I start out 2009 in the same apartment we have lived in for almost three years now, and when our lease is up (April) we plan on getting something bigger. Our hopes are we can find a house in our price range to rent because we would both love to have a back yard and a bigger place to host our families for the holidays. However, if we cannot find one we are opting for a two bedroom apartment. Our biggest requirements are we need to move east (we live in West Omaha right now, and we just do not feel like we fit here) and we would like there to be a washer and dryer, or a hook up so we can invest in one. The washer and dryer thing seems picky, but I have gone most of my life without a washer and dryer (until we moved into this place anyway!) and I have been so spoiled and I am not willing to give that up yet!! Our final requirement is that they MUST accept cats...getting rid of our Libby is NOT an option :) We are going to start seriously looking here soon, and I really need to start going through shit so packing will be easier.

I still work for Union Pacific Child Development Center and have been there for about 3 1/2 years. I work with Infants (6 weeks- 18 months) and I do love it. Erich is still working at Grease Monkey. He has been there 10 years! He is looking for a job, which is pretty much a never ending challenge for him. We have officially been together for about 7 1/2 years... I cannot believe how fast time flies! I am in school at Peru State College for my degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood and if all goes well, I will graduate in December of 2009. Working full time and doing school fill time has definitely been a challenge for me, but I would not have it any other way, and if it were not for Erich being so supportive, I have no idea how I would have gotten this far!

Well, that's the grand ol' overview of Erich and I for now. I look forward to blogging in 2009 and hope my family and friends will read it so I know my time is well spent!

Happy 2009 everyone! I hope that 2009 brings everyone health, happiness and love. I am feeling optimistic about it and hope you are too!