Don't freak out....I'm okay....I just decided to blog....

Yes, yes, I know. It's been almost a year since my last blog-or have I already passed that mark? Anyway, all that matters is I am here now! There is so much to catch up on around here, but I think I will start with my summer.

I have not gotten anything accomplished this summer-but that's okay with me. Inhave had a lot of things happen and I am just thankful and happy that I am still sane. I'm not going to go into the details of what all has gone on because I want to remain positive - so, I'll say this...everyone os alive and healthy and for this I am for eve grateful!

So, during my summer vacay I have become addicted to some great shows! Bethenny Getting Married? Has replaced the real housewives of new York on my faves list. Bethenny just absolutely cracks me up and I seriously think we could be good friends! I look forward to her show every Thursday night!

The real housewives of new jersey is just having an "omg!" season. I really cannot imagined being as crazy as Danielle is and knowing that so many people hate me. But, it makes for some good drama for us!

Tosh.O is a show that Zac has gotten me into watching. Daniel Tosh reviews funny clips off the Internet and makes fun of them sort of like Joel does on the soup, except Tosh is pretty racy with his comments and I know I shouldn't laugh, but they are sooo funny.

Okay, so I guess this has turned into a reality show review blog. LOL! I have much more to blog about , but I am going to wrap this one up for now. Btw, for those grammar Nazis out there- I know I have lots of errors, but I just had an epidural injection in my back and I'm on pain meeds so I don't really care at the moment. :0)

I'll be back....in less than a year this time!

C

AnnaBelle and Ollie

Ollie being silly!

Frank was very tired on this day!

Not tired anymore!!!

AnnaBelle

C is for ...

Crafts!

I love me some crafts! I do have to admit that I don't always finsih the projects that I start, but I sure do love working on them. I need to get better about finishing what I start. I have several unfinished items lying around here that just beg me to complete them. Maybe I will do it some day. Some of my favorite crafts are of course scrapbooking, quilting, crocheting...I would like to being painting and making cards as well.

Cats!

I never really thought of myself as a cat person until I decided to adopt AnnaBelle. Zac is allergic to dogs and has not started taking allergy shots yet, so a couple of years ago I decided to adopt AnnaBelle from PetSmart. And I'm so glad that I did. She had provided me with so much company and comfort! Not too long after I got AnnaBelle I adopted Ollie from the Feed Mill that Zac worked at. These two girls are hilarious and have stolen my heart. A third kitty was thrown into our mix when Zac and Imoved in together. Frank is so funny and full of personality. He and AnnaBelle don't quite know how they feel about each other yet, but he and Ollie quickly became boyfriend and girlfriend.

Christy!

Christy is a fairly new friend of mine and I'm oh so fortunate to have met her! She is one of the kindest, most creative people I know. Jaime, Amanda, and I went to visit Christy at a craft fair last week and I was absolutely amazed at the wonderful jewelry that she is making. If she keeps this up she is going to be a very well known crafter/designer very soon! I love talking to Christy about books since we have a lot of the same tastes in them! She is a fellow Harry Potter fan and that just makes her even more awesome!

Well, I think that's all for right now guys. I may come back and add more later!

Some stuff and then "B"

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. Zac and I spent it at Daddy's. We had a Smith family reunion and it was nice to see everyone. The Smith family hasn't had a reunion since I can remember. My aunt brought me the hankerchief that my mom gave to my Nana when she and Daddy married. I was very glad to get it and I am working on some way to incorporate into the wedding. We also had quite a scare with the fireworks that night. Something went arry when the boys ( Zac, my counsin, and uncle) were shooting some of the bigger fireworks. One of the firework balls exploded in the tubes right next to the guys and then the other tube was knocked down at the same time pointing towards everybody who was lined up against the house. The firework shot through the crowd and exploded just a couple of feet away from everyone. It was so scary, but thankfully no one was injured and we carefully finished the fireworks show.

I have been having a few issues with my back lately and am having epidural injections done on Thursday. It's nothing major, just a lot of pain and stiffness. I have been waiting all summer for it to relax some, hoping that is was just a flair up, but it doesn't seem like it's going to go down on it's own. So, I will be going to Crestwood Hospital super early on Thursday to have the injections done and then I'll be home to chill out the rest of the day. I started physical therapy yesterday and the massaging actually left bruises on me. The pt said that it would, but I really didn't believe her. I go back tomorrow for more of that goodness.

So, now that I have rambled a little I will get to the letter B:

Books:
I absolutely love books! I love the way they feel, the way they smell, and especially the awesome stories that are found inside them. I really have a difficult time understanding how my students do not enjoy reading. If I could do one thing for my students it would be to instill in them the importance of reading and how to enjoy a good book.

Babies:
I love babies! They are so cute and cuddley and I love watching them grow and change and develop. I have been very lucky to have been able to watch Camden grow and change so much this past year and I am enjoying watching Noah do the same now. I can't wait until Zac are able to start our own family.

Brothers:
I am very lucky to have one of the best brothers in the world! Lee and I are five and half years apart and have not always gotten along. It wasn't until I was in college that we really started to become close to each other. It amazes me everytime I am around him how similar we are. We can make each other laugh or convey some secret message with just one look. He has always been such a hard worker whether it was at his job, in school, or with his hobbies and I've alway admired him for that.

Well, I think that's it for the letter B right now. I hope everyone has a good week!

Starting the Alphabet Blog...

Okay, so I'm being a copy cat and starting the alphabet blog...sorry, but I have nothing else to write about. These are not in any particular order...I'm just going to write about them as they come to mind. :0) Enjoy!

A-
Animals - I am fascinated with any and every kind of animal. I love watching shows about animals, but only if they are not sad. The ASPCA commercials always make me cry, so I can't watch them anymore. I half joke with Zac all the time that I want a farm full of animals. Zoos are one of my favorite places to visit when we go on a trip and I always take tons of pictures. I can't stand to see an animal hurt and if I could I would adopt all the homeless cats and dogs.

Amanda Hulsey - After starting to work at Tanner, Amanda quickly became one of my best friends. We had actually taken some classes together at Athens State, but didn't really get to know each other until we started working at Tanner. We both started teaching the same year and we are both English teachers. She is so funny and I can always count on her to listen to me complaining about things and crack jokes to cheer me up. She, Jaime, and I have taken over the middle school hallway and I wouldn't have it any other way. Over the past couple of years I have watched Amanda go through some very tough experiences and I cannot express how much I admire her courage and her patience. I know that she thinks she is not a very patient person, but I don't see it that way. She has become a wonderful mother to a wonderful little boy. I am so glad that I have gotten to become such good friends with her!

Amanda Solberg - Amanda is my sister in law, but I think of her as my real sister. She and my brother started dating in high school and have now been married for about 9 or 10 years. (I can't remember exactly, oops). She is also going to be my maid of honor in my wedding. I love Amanda so much! She is always there for me, just like a true sister should be. This year she was named as Madison County's teacher of the year in secondary education. I am in such awe of her teaching/academic skills. She is very dedicated to her career and to her students. I don't think I can ever be half the teacher that she is. She is a great example of what an educator should be.

Amelia - Although Amelia and I haven't known each other that long, I can say that I am extremely glad that we met each other. I am totally envious of her hot body and cool fashion sense! I wish that I had the dedication and will power that she does so that I could work out and have a better body. She has two wonderful (and hilarious) kids who are just adorable!

Apples - Okay, so this one sounds really stupid, I know. But, I love apples. My favorite apples are Honeycrisp apples and I can only find them at Target. Since we have moved to the new house we don't go to Target that much anymore so I haven't had my fave apples in a while now and I miss them!

Fantastic Fridays!!!!

• I have to say that Fridays make me incredibly happy. Just knowing that I do not have to get up early the next morning and come to work is so great. I love being able to stay up late on Friday nights and sleep in late on Saturdays.
• Tonight is book club. I'm very excited to talk about Flowers in the Attic. But, I'm afraid Amanda and I may not be able to make it. We have a student who we have been in contact with who has been quaranteened because they are afraid he has the swine flu. And there is no way we would take a chance on passing that on to any of our book clubbers and junior book clubbers. Hopefully, we will hear the results of the tests today and will know if we can go or not.
• The Flowers in the Attic series is great! I am on the very last book now. It actually takes place before Flowers in the Attic and deals with the life of the evil grandmother.
• I am diligently working on wedding plans. I am looking for bakeries and photographers, working on the guest list, and some other details. I have run into one snaggle...the person I thought was going to video the wedding backed out on me and I don't know anyone. So, if you know of anyone who might be willing to do some videoing for me...let me know ;)
• Hope you all have a happy weekend!

Oink, Oink!!!!

• The Swine Flu is making everyone crazy!!! (Even me a little bit!) I was shocked last night when I looked at the news webpages and all of the schools in Madison County were closing for the rest of the week all because two kids are sick! I have to admit I was also a little jealous. Okay, who am I kidding? I was a lot jealous. Don't get me wrong...I don't want anyone to get sick or hurt, but I would really like a short vacation from work. It would be especially nice right now since Jaime, Amanda, and I have two papers due in the next few days. Amanda and I were planning a visit to Jaime's to see her and Noah, but we decided to postpone it. We are probably overreacting, but with us being around kids all day we didn't want to take a chance on getting Jaime or Noah sick. I'm really disappointed that we won't get to see them today, but hopefully next week we can swing by there.
• I finished the third novel in the Flowers in the Attic series and it did not disappoint. I started the fourth one last night and I think it is going to be just as good. What am I going to do when I finish all of them? I feel like I have known Cathy and Chris all my life now. LOL!
• Zac and I bought a Wii a week or so ago and I am absolutely loving it! The Wii fit is so much fun even though it tells me I'm a lard ass every day! Haha! Oh well, I guess I need someone to tell me that so I'll get off the couch and exercise. After all the wedding is not too far away!
• Hope everyone has a great Friday!!!! And stay away from swine!!! :)

Weddings, Noah, and Other Great Things

Friday Amanda and I went to visit the newest member of our group, Noah Mark Emerson. Jaime delivered him around 9:00 Friday morning. He is such a beautiful baby and I'm so happy for Jaime and Brandon. I know they are going to make wonderful parents.

• This weekend Zac, his mother, and I went to the Burritt Museum to look over some things again for the wedding. Here are some pictures I took.

This is the gazebo where we are getting married. They were actually setting up for another wedding while we were there, so we got to get some ideas of things we want to do for our wedding.

This is the Trillium Room where we are going to have the reception. It's so pretty I can't wait to see how it looks for our Reception.

Zac's 28th birthday was Saturday. This is the cake I made for him. LOL. It was my first attempt at making a real birthday cake.

That's all for now. :)