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. :)

Thursdays are no fun!

• I have yet another freakin' cold! I'm so sick of catching all these little germies from all my little germ infested kiddos! I was home Monday sick and I still haven't been able to shake it. I'm sure everyone around me is tired of hearing me complain, but I'm tired of being sick!
• We have class tonight and I DO NOT WANT TO GO!!! The only goods things about going to class anymore are 1) I get to see Jaime and catch up with her, and 2) we get to go out to eat! I'm over these classes!
• I'm thinking about starting the ABC blog. I'm such a copy cat, but they I really like everyone elses blog.
• I watched the preview to The Housewives of New Jersey last night and even though I swore I wouldn't like it, I'm already hooked. These are going to be a completely different type of women and I think it's going to be good.
• I finished our book club book, Flowers in the Attic, last night and I loved it. I got on Amazon and ordered the rest of the series and I can't wait until they get here. I can't wait to see what is next for Chris, Cathy and the others. I also can't wait until book club so we can discuss it. Everyone better read this book because I'm ready to talk all about it.
• I'm praying that Noah will arrive soon for Jaime. I know she is a frustrated woman, and I can't imagine how anxious she is to meet her son. Wouldn't be something if she went into labor while we were in class or on the way to or from class? Wowza! We would be in a pickle then!

Toodles to all! Sorry for all the griping. I'm off to eat some popcorn!

I'm Back!!!

Okay, so I never really left. I just haven't been blogging. I saw Amelia's new blog with the bullets and I like that so I think I'm gonna try it. Here goes:

• I'm at work blogging. I probably shouldn't be, but it's my planning period and I'm bored and ready to go home!
• Zac and I have a big date day planned tomorrow and I'm very excited. We are going to get our hair cut, shop for a grill, have dinner, and catch a movie. I'm also wanting to find some curtains for the living room. I feel like it's been a really long time since we went out on a real date and I'm so ready for one.
• Jaime's last day at work was Tuesday. We miss her already. I hope she is enjoying her time at home.
• I'm going to get Flowers in the Attic this weekend and start on it. I heard it was really good, so I'm very eager to start reading it.
• We are having my family over on Sunday for my stepdad's birthday. I'm excited that we finally have a place so we can have people over. I don't know what I'm fixing for dinner yet though.
• Last night during the storms one of my students house burned down. They are okay, but they lost everything. I feel so sorry for them. It has only been a few years since their mother died and now they have to go through this. They will definitely be in my prayers.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Thirty One and other ramblings

I guess the biggest thing that has happened this week is I joined Thirty One Gifts as a consultant. Jaime is my "recruiter" and she has already answered tons of questions for me. I'm really excited about this adventure. I think not only will it give me an opportunity to earn some extra cash, but it will help me meet new people in my area and just mix up my routines a little. I love their products and I'm happy to be a part of this. So, on that note if there is anyone out there interested in hosting a party or getting a catalog order up just let me know! :P

Zac and I are really getting settled into the house. I emptied the last three of my boxes this weekend and we are trying our best to get rid of things we don't need and find places for everything else to go. I know it probably sounds really corny, but I finally feel at peace. The reason I say this is because for so long Zac and I have had hectic weekends and were only able to communicate by phone during the week. Now, knowing that when I get home I'm going to be able to be with him and that on the weekends we don't have to travel almost an hour and a half to see each other is such a relief. It has made such a huge difference for the both of us.

For those of you who may be wondering about our cats ( because I know that you haven't been able to sleep with worry haha) all three of them are getting along much better. It has taken a while for AnnaBelle (the oldest) to warm up to Frank (Zac's cat) but they are slowly beginning to play with each other.

Last night Zac and I ran to the store to pick up some drinks and on the way back I said that I wished we would wake up in the morning and see snow covering everything and you know what? It happened. Zac got up for something at about 5:30 this morning and woke me up and told me it had snowed. So, we both went around looking out the windows and doors like little kids trying to see how much snow we had gotten.

Jaime's baby shower is coming up next weekend and I am super excited about it. I just hope her gift that I ordered comes in on time. She has already had two showers, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what all she gets from this one. I can't wait to meet her little man!

Well, I hope everyone has a great week and I look forward to reading some blogs. Even if you think there is nothing important going on, share it anyway! :)

A few pics...more to come later..going to eat ice cream now!

Our new baby!

Packing up the cricut!

A wonderful sight!

Sickness

Ugh! I hate being sick! When I was little it wasn't such a big deal to have a cold or a sinus infection or such because I had my mom there to take care of me. Plus, I could skip school for a day or so and it wasn't a big deal. Now that I'm grown it really sucks! Right now I'm sick with some sort of throat infection. Zac hasn't been able to come over which I completely understand. Mama is unable to be around anyone who is remotely sick because she has an extremely low immune system, so she can't come around me. I know that I'm a grown woman, but sometimes I just want my mama. :) I've been home the last two days and literally haven't gotten out of bed except to go to the doctor. I hate this!

Some good news is that I finally figured out how to change my background. I like it! Hope everyone is having a better week than I am.

Rambling

So, I have tried again to change the background of my blog from pumpkins to something a little cuter and it is not working. If anyone has any tips to give me I would appreciate it.

I went to the back doctor today for my two year check up on the fusion and everything was great. All the screws are still tight and nothing has broken so that it is always a good thing! :)

Jaime, Amanda, and I didn't have to travel to UNA tonight. Instead, our scatter brained professor is experimenting with online discussions. We will be doing these about every other week and I am absolutely loving it. I can't tell you how much it helps to not have to go to Florence so much.

Book Club is coming up on Friday night and I'm very excited. I can't wait to see what books everyone brings for the February swap. I need to figure out what books I want to bring.

On the house front we should be closing on Feb 12. It may be before that, but I doubt it. I can't wait!!!

That's about all the news I have for now. I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's posts! Have a great rest of the week!

AnnaBelle and Ollie meet Frank

Zac and I decided this weekend would be as good a time as any to bring our three cats together for their first meeting. Zac's pipes froze at his house during the extreme cold weather, so he and Frank packed up and headed to Huntsville. The meeting has gone much better than I expected, although we didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night. Yesterday, Frank was very scared and intimidated by AnnaBelle and Ollie and by being in a new place. He mostly stayed hidden in a corner or lying in his carrier. However, when the lights went out last night and everyone was in bed Frank decided to go exploring which did not set well with the ladies. We ended putting the girls in the living room and Frank in the bedroom with us. He was fine with that since he was all about exploring the bathroom and every nook and cranny of the room without interference from the girls. This morning we noticed Frank had found his confidence and the girls backed down from him. He has been strutting around my apartment making sure AnnaBelle and Ollie know he is the man! Typical guy! I'm very glad that he feels comfortable here, but I hope my girls can regain their dignity and make a stand for themselves. :) The guys will be here again tonight, so maybe everyone can become a little more accustomed to each other and Zac and I can get a little more sleep.

Happy News!!!

I'm so excited that I just had to blog! Zac and I found out tonight that we got the house we've been wanting. I just can't believe that all this is finally happening. We're engaged, buying a house, and planning a wedding. Can things get any better? We should be closing on the house at the end of the month and I absolutely can't wait. I just wanted to share the good news with all my friends.

Okay, so Zac and I have finally decided on a house. I've posted some pics above so everyone can what it looks like. I actually didn't think I liked this house at first, but it just wouldn't get out of my head and now I'm absolutely in love with it. We submitted our offer yesterday afternoon and now I am trying to wait patiently on a response from the sellers. The house has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a fantastic kitchen, living room, family room, and a seperate laundry room. It has everything that Zac and I need. I don't think we will have any space issues for a while if we can get this house.

As far as New Year's resolutions go I have come up with a few. As always I am promising myself that I am going to lose wait. Since we're getting married in October I must accomplish this goal. I am also going to try my best not to stress over small things that can and will be taken care of eventually. And Zac and I are both going to continue to work on having good communication with each other especially when times get a little tense. I am sure there are other areas of my life that need improvement, but I feel that these are the biggest things right now. Good luck to everyone on achieving your goals or resolutions.

2009 is going to be a fantastic year full of changes and suprises. Zac and I will be homeowners soon and newlyweds by the end of the year. I am so excited to spend my life with this incredible man who makes me feel as if I am the most important person in the world. I pray everyday that God will bless us with an incredible future. I know that times will get tough as they do for everyone, but I believe that Zac and I can make it through anything as long as stick together.

I am also looking forward to meeting Mr. Noah Emerson. I'm very excited for Jaime and Brandon and I hope they experience a wonderful year. It is also going too much fun watching Camden grow and change. He will turn one year old the day after our wedding.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great start to the new year and I promise to try to be a better blogger!