Currently - June Edition

I "borrowed" this from someone else... She has a great blog and I always enjoy reading what she has to say!

Listening - to anything! My iPhone died last week and I'm finally getting my song list back from the dead... Listening to the radio for a few days was harder than I expected.
 

Eating - I just had a tasty granola bar. You should try these!


I'm enjoying the Oats & Honey and the Chocolate Chip lately!

 

 

Drinking - Water. Blah. Black cherry Kool-Aid (in the summer, not at the moment)

 

Wearing - Black dress pants (with a little dog hair, if we're being honest), comfy black Yellow Box flops, and a snake print top

 

Reading - Work has been nuts lately so no time for reading for me unless it's daily reports or work emails :(

Feeling - Sleepy (stayed up late with a sick dog last night), tired and drained from work, but completely blessed with family, friends, health, a cute dog and a paying job!!

Weather - It's hot. You know you live in the south in the summer when the best parking spot is one with ANY form of shade, not one closest to the entrance! Temps have been 94-99 lately, but not sure about the heat index. Let's just say "HOT"

Wanting - A VACATION! I am keeping the pic from Nikki's post because I would probably give my right kidney to be there right now. Honestly, I'll go almost anywhere at this point!!

 

Thinking - I have a ton of things on my to-do list, but at least it's all organized thanks to my new app "Wunderlist". It's perfect for me! Thinking it's FINALLY Thursday and that I'll spend tonight with all of my dirty laundry since I've been busy and lazy this week.

 

Enjoying - I am missing my shows, but I have a few good summer shows that I'm watching. I'm enjoying Chloe being out of school for the summer. She is enjoying her break and if she's happy, then we're happy!

Birthday Wish List

If money grew on trees, this is just a few of the things I would buy...

It's a LV... doesn't every girl want one?

I've had my eye on a MK for a while now. I wouldn't mind opening this on my birthday!

Coach. Duh. My first 'nice' purse was a Coach that I bought for myself. I'd take this one too!

A Honda Element! Why? Because this would be so darn handy for hauling Amos around!

I'm blind. I was the kid getting glasses in 2nd grade; then contacts in 8th. I'd love to not have to wear either of those! I think it would be the best gift to wake up and be able to see clearly!

A Honda Pilot... normally this would be no where near my list, but sometimes a girl just needs a bigger SUV.

My birthstone is an emerald and those puppies aren't cheap. I would love to have a nice, emerald ring!

Ok, I AM NOT a pink person, at all, but Chloe is and that baby wants her own golf cart so bad. If I had the money I'd buy her this one! I'd put all sorts of child protecting equipment on it though. Her driving scares the beegeezus out of me!

I just whipped this up off the top of my head, but if I had more time I'm pretty sure I could come up with an even longer, more expensive list! The truth is that even if I had an unlimited amount of funds in my bank account, I wouldn't be buying too much. I'd make sure my family was comfortable (with the house of their dreams and a vehicle they would love) and that Chloe, Savannah, John Aaron and DP could go to college and not have student loans. I'd also make a huge donation to St. Jude and my church. Other than that, I'd probably just keep the rest to pass down.

Tomorrow is the day! One more day...

Twenty Nine

It's just a number, right? Wrong. It's the number closest to 30. Twenty nine is how old I'll be Friday. Am I ready to be twenty nine? No.

Currently I'm working at a job that I really like {most of the time}, living in my parent's apartment with Amos and not having much of a social life... Not exactly where I expected to be when I was younger. Everyone has a plan. I did, and I still do. It's just a whole new plan. My plan was high school, NEMCC, Ole Miss, marriage, house, dog, possibly a munchkin... ummm, so far I'm not doing that great for my "plan". Oh, well.

On the other hand, I do have so many things. So many things to be grateful for {even if they weren't part of my plan}. In honor of me turning twenty nine in two days, I think I'll make a list of twenty nine things I am grateful for... Twenty nine reasons to be excited about twenty nine.

1. God, my church, and my Bible - no explanation needed. Life's been tough lately and these things were much needed.
2. Parents - without my parents I would be... well, not sure where I would be.
3. Sister & niece - Courtney has the biggest heart and Chloe is such a hot mess!
4. Amos - let's face it... there's nothing better than a good pup. Amos lets me use him for a pillow, he likes to hug and he loves for me to sit in the floor with him while we watch TV and I rub his ears.
5. Friends - this list has changed, but definitely for the better. I'm a girl with a few friends; a few true friends. I'd rather have a few than several faux friends!
6. Babies - odd one, right? Ha! Babies.are.every.where.around.here. Whitney has little man, Ki, and he is a doll. Just a big, chunky doll with the best pinchable cheeks. Jenessa has red-headed James and he is rotten to the core. He'll just sit and stare and kick his legs and he's content that way. I rotate seeing them when I can and it's great. They're three months apart (to the day!) so they're both at different stages and it's great to watch them grow!
7. Family - I have a huge, close family. At times they all drive me bonkers (we all live next to each other), but they're family and they're already bonkers so I just fit right in.
8. My job - whew. This has been a rough one lately, but I am thankful for my job. This economy sucks. It sucks for small town, Mississippi so I'm thankful for my paycheck twice a month. I'll leave it at that.
9. Insurance - this one might be odd, but when you're blind, sickly, and have bad allergies you tend to see a lot of the doctor; plus the dentist; plus the pharmacy. Our new insurance {BCBS of AL} isn't that great about paying for things, BUT the first two doctor visits are free and all generic meds are $4 each. That's something to be thankful for!
10. Food - let's face it. I like food. The kind full of carbs. The kind that should be limited, but isn't. It's amazing how many people in the US are going without food. School is almost over and it is sad to think how many kids won't get those meals daily. We take so much for granted, but I'm thankful for the food I have and the options I have. Now... my pants might not be so thankful OR forgiving.


11. Freedom - another thing taken for granted in the US. Recently, with the Boston bombings, we had another wake-up that we are not as safe as we think we are. The second amendment is a hot topic at the moment, but the whole "Right to Free Speech" thing needs to be looked at. That's all I'm going to say.
12. Luke Bryan - no words necessary.
13. My Honda! I have had my car for 10 years, making her 11 years old. She has 170,000 miles and still runs pretty well. However, she's been ran hard for many years. I was an on-the-go college kid that wasn't friendly to the car. Last year I did something so not like me. I marched to the car dealership and bought a brand new vehicle with 31 miles on it. I love it, it's exactly what I wanted and I couldn't be happier.
14. Music - I have been introduced to so many new types of music and bands in the last year. Music is like free therapy!
15. Swiffer Sweeper-Vac - with a 200 pound dog in the house that sheds entirely too much, I am so thankful for this little contraption. I switch it on, run it around the floor and then I'm done. I don't have to lug out the big vacuum cleaner every time I need to clean the floors.
16. My own space - yes, I went from my own house, my space, my little area to a garage turned apartment and it has been a HUGE adjustment. In fact, I'm still adjusting to living in it, but I am so thankful to have a place to stay. A free place to stay.
17. iPhone - I would be lost without my iPhone. I had Internet and a laptop at my house, but now I survive on my iPhone.
18. Dr. Pepper - I'm not a coffee drinker. I used to drink Dr. Pepper a little too much, but now I've limited myself. I'm still so thankful for that pop of caffeine!
19. Fridays - Fridays don't come around often or fast enough. I need my Fridays. I usually spend that time rushing the work day away so I can either get home, put my pjs on and do NOTHING or I can throw on some jeans and meet two friends at Mike's. Either way, I'm thankful for Fridays!
20. RB's - I'm thankful for that Friday morning stop for a gas station biscuit and Dr. Pepper! I usually eat cereal, a granola bar or sometimes oatmeal, but Fridays are the day mother and I splurge.


21. Wal-Mart - say what?? Yes. Life is hectic. I am not saying I love that place, but I'm thankful for it. Big difference. It has everything. Need milk and shaving cream and a new shower curtain? Go to Wal-Mart.I'm thankful I don't have to run to multiple places to get what I need.
22. Storage units - weird thing, but it's true. Most of my "life" is packed in Rubbermaid and cardboard boxes and stuffed into a 10x10 storage unit. I'm thankful I have somewhere to put it all and keep it clean and dry while I am in this season of life. One day! One day I'll have somewhere to put it all. It'll be like Christmas opening up all those boxes. I've already forgotten about so much of what I have.
23. St. Ives - while it's not technically a wrinkle cream, it's a nice, thick lotion for my face that helps with the wrinkles! I'm thankful for that container and what it's supposed to do for me and my skin!
24. Target- That big red bullseye is like a sign from Heaven. I don't normally buy a lot from there, but I love to walk around and see what all they have. The closest one is an hour away so I'm thankful when I do get to visit. It has such neat things! Yep, just said neat.
25. Shopping trips with Jenessa - it was April and we were planning our next Jackson trip (aka Christmas!). Now that sweet little James is here I am worried about how our trips are going to change, but Jenessa says they won't. I am so thankful for that time. We load up and head north to Target, Hobby Lobby and Trees N Trends! We might swing by Pier 1 and the mall. Now I'm sure we'll add Babies R Us or Toys R Us to the list. It's just a fun day, an all day trip that we do and I'm thankful for that little time away.
26. ELF cosmetics - I love that stuff! The bronzer is the best and at $3 it's a big deal. I am thankful for cheap make-up! No, I don't get all "dolled up", but I do slather on a little 'war paint' and I hate spending big money on things like that. Thankfully, ELF has some cheap, good things to choose from.
27. Air conditioning {did you know that technically 'air conditioning' isn't what we think it is? AC can be heating or cooling, not just the way we use it in a sentence... moving on...} It's now officially May... in Mississippi... I am so thankful for that little blue dot in my car and in my apartment. I'll definitely be needing it before long.
28. Sun roofs - I've never had a vehicle before that's had a sunroof, but it is pretty dang awesome. Just having the cover part back is nice enough. I don't even have to have the window open. Just that little bit of sunlight coming in is enough.
29. Medication. Ha! Seriously. Where would we all be without medication? It is definitely something I'm thankful for. And if you know me or see me in person often you should be thankful for medication too :)

Yes, I realize those are material things, but those are things I'm thankful for. I am also thankful for things that are materialistic, but who needs to get that deep right now?

The countdown is on. Two more days.

Chloe Turns 7?! 7?!

Way back in September my niece turned the ripe age of seven years old. I know the saying "time flies" is true, but it really does fly!  On, Saturday, September 29th we had her birthday party at the park. It's pretty new and very nice plus the weather was perfect for an outdoor party!

These were the only two pictures I took from the actual party! I was a  busy bee the whole time!

 After the party we took her to the mall to get her ears pierced and to Build-A-Bear!

Her "before" shot. She was so nervous it would hurt and she wouldn't look like a big girl!

And the "after" shot! All smiles afterwards (until we got in the car!)

 Our little tye-dyed friend was getting stuffed at this point. She was SO happy with her birthday present.

Now she's being sewed up!

The finished product!! Chloe and her bear :)

Whew! It had been a looooong day at this point. I think we were all exhausted and tired and hot and ill and Chloe was starting to hurt. You can't tell it here, but keep going!

By this point you could see she was done with faking it! That little stinger came out after this!

"Little Bit" is in 1st grade and loves it (for the most part). She has several friends and one is even our next door neighbor. She is so smart and tall so we're working on that basketball/sport scholarship! HAHA

WILW: Random

Today's WILW is going to be random, but they're things that I love, so....



I love this! I wish I could pull off this outfit, but I can't! :(



No caption needed.

I try to read this and repeat it several times a day. It's so true, yet so hard. I love that it gives me hope.

I love the way this makes me feel.

I love these two knuckle-heads. Yes, that's Chloe's pink camo 4-wheeler. Welcome to MS :) Haha



I love this couple! Nikita and Dustin were my passengers to IL and I bunked with them. They are a hoot to be around.

 I also love that I've gotten a little caught up on posts. Like this one, and this one and this one!

I love that I'm off work Friday (WOOHOO) and then I'm on vacation next week!

I love that I get to go to Memphis with this girl and her mom.

I love that I am going to Tupelo Monday, then to Oxford to see Whit, then staying the night on the Square in Oxford.

I love that I am getting to see Heather and those babies Tuesday in Southaven! I have missed them SO much!

Weekends

I feel like I'm stuck in the same routine over and over on the weekends. Sometimes I'm very thankful for that, but others? Other times I want to shake things up a bit and do something new! Here's my "schedule":
Friday- meet Kelly at Mike's and relax/catch-up
Saturday- stay in pjs ALL day unless mother decides to make a grocery store run
Saturday night- on the couch in new pjs watching whatever grabs my attention
Sunday- church then home
Sunday night- on the couch in pjs again

There was a time in my life where I would have been jealous of anyone that had this schedule and some days I cannot wait for a lazy day. I feel like that's all I do anymore. I'm at an odd stage in my life these days. Most of my friends are married (or in serious relationships) and then the majority of the married folks are having babies! I am in neither of those categories so I feel like an odd ball at times. In this small town, there are only a FEW singles in their mid to late 20s and if they are then it's probably because there is a reason!

UGH. I miss the "girls days" and shopping days and lunch dates. I miss the movies and the gossip (not really gossip- I don't like drama...). I had this group of friends (couples) that we used to all hang out with on a week night or on the weekend. We'd take turns cooking/grilling/going out. Those "friends" are no longer my friends though. Now I spend my weeknights with my niece, mom, dad and sister. I'm NOT complaining about that at all. I'm very thankful to be back close to my family again and ALL the support they've given me in the last year. I'm becoming a couch potato and rather boring if I do say so myself.

Now... I have had a little excitement in my life. I went to IL for Mathieu's wedding and it was the most expensive wedding I've ever been to-- expensive for me! On the way to IL I was pulled over by an old man cop that was mad at the world and he gave me a speeding ticket. It was 5:00 in the morning and dark outside and raining and he STILL pulled me over. So we get to IL, watch a lovely outdoor wedding and head back to MS. Let's fast forward close to four weeks later. Guess what was in the mail waiting for me? A speeding ticket from IL! UGH. I was photographed "speeding" 5 hours after I got the first ticket. I won't go into detail, but let's just say I won't be driving in IL probably ever again!! That lovely "souvenir" is going to cost an arm and a leg.
At least now when I'm sitting home bored wishing I was out and about I'll actually have a reason to stay at home--- TWO speeding tickets.

A Month

Wow! It's been over a month... it's not like me to be "quiet" that long- whether IRL or on the blog. Let's just say I have a lot to say. If I can get the words out.

Babies. I have 5 friends and 1 of my sister's friend's all pregnant at the same time. Yes, 6. There are 5 boys and 1 unknown!
1. Stacy is having baby boy #2. She's due in October; however, she is scheduled for a C-section in September. He will be Hunter Reese and if he looks anything like his brother {Hayden} then he'll be the cutest ginger-headed boy!
2. Ashley is having her first and he will be Cameron Miles. Don't worry, I'm not too mad that she is using "my" name. :) He is due in the middle of October and if he looks anything like his mom then he'll have a beautiful set of blue eyes!
3.WHITNEY! Since the last update, Whit found out she is having a boy as well! I am super pumped about this. As you know (or you should) Whit is my BFF. Haha, we've been friends since elementary school. Sweet little Christoper Malaki will be joining us around the middle of December. His mommy is measuring a week early so I won't give an exact date! If Ki looks anything like his parents then he'll have the warmest skin tone and a head FULL of brown hair. I'm sure Greek genes are pretty strong so I'll go with brown!
4. Andrea is also having baby boy #2. Funny story- Boy #1- JJ- and boy #2 will almost have the exact same birthday; only two years apart. Won't Christmas be fun for them?! If he looks anything like his big brother then he'll be a baldy that can't stop smiling and showing off his little dimple.
5. Friend #5 is a family friend and also a friend of my sister's. They graduated high school together and we grew up in the same church. Brandi is also having a boy and she's due in January. I have a feeling he will be spoiled rotten! If he looks like his mom or grandmother then he'll have some pretty baby blues as well!
6. Last, but NOT LEAST is............ Jenessa!! Yep, I got THE best/most confusing text message while I was in Chattanooga about to ride an elevator down into a mountain cave. It was a picture of the cutest little butter bean! Baby A will be arriving around March 1st. (I am hoping it's a day before or a day after that date. 3/1 isn't a favorite of mine... ANYWAY. We won't know until October what Baby A will be, but until them momma and daddy better be narrowing down the baby name list. Jenessa is a HUGE planner so the wait is driving her nuts. Major planning will take place in October!

Amos.
Amos had two tumors removed and his hair has finally grown back in. I jinxed myself in the last post because this momma is NOT getting to sleep thru the night anymore.

Chloe.
Chloe started first grade. First grade, people! She's a little like me though; one night she was saying how she didn't want to go back and she said "I've already gone 7 days this year".  Bless it. Then she was "complaining" that there aren't any new kids so it's "just the same ole ones from last year." I think she needs a little variety in her life! Part of it is that the girl is bored. She's older than the rest (Sept birthday) and taller and more mature and well.... smarter. Yes, I said that out loud. She's bored in class because she knows her addition and she knows her words and she knows how to write her letters. And she can count to 100 (and higher) and on and on. I'm pretty sure the gifted classes start in 2nd grade at her school. We used to call it gifted, but I think the PC term is AP for Advanced Placement, is that right?

Work.
It has been interesting. I won't go into a lot of detail, but I will tell you I was recently promoted! Woohoo, 10 years, worked through college, held down jobs in two departments, filled in when branches were short handed (and still did my job), and a BA in Business Mgmt later I get a promotion. Downside? Ha! I'll be working with Ricky a lot more now. We have a love/hate relationship and it's a pretty strong one. It's never boring though.

Life.
There is nothing interesting happening in my life right now. I've been making a few new friends, but that's about it. I work, go home, sleep and repeat. Most Fridays Kel and I are eating/talking at Mike's and that is wonderful. It's time to just relax and of course- people watch!

I know posts are boring without pictures, but I'm on someone else's laptop so I don't have any to share. I'll try to change that soon. Days are just flying by and I'm not documenting them like I should.

Bittersweet Memories

Did anyone else just start singing that song? No? Oh, OK... moving on...
Bittersweet. The definition of "bittersweet": both pleasant and painful or regretful. Yep, that's what it is alright.


One day i hope to be open and honest and actually talk about things, but I'm a private person by nature so who knows when that day will come?! I will say that this week will be bittersweet for me. Yes, it's only Monday, but just knowing what this week holds I'm already looking forward to Friday. I plan on enjoying my weekend to.the.fullest. though. I have no definite plans yet, but that's normally when things turn out really well! Let's hope.

I guess I should back up and fill you (myself) in on the weekend! Friday was a long day at work and then 5 o'clock showed up! I ran a few errands around town then headed home. PJs, face washed and snuggled on the couch is a great way to spend a Friday! Saturday started out being a lazy day (even if I had to wake up early to have breakfast with mom, dad and Chloe (my 6 yr old niece). Then we had to play, and play, and play some more. Then I snuck out for more alone time!

Right after lunch we found out we were going to eat with my brother-in-law's family. So, my bro-in-law, Brian, his mom, his step dad, his sister and her boyfriend plus my mom, sister, niece and myself all load up in the mother-in-law's big van and we take off to a new restaurant in the edge of TN. It's called Top O The River and it is YUMMY. We got our bellies full and headed out for a drive around Pickwick and Michie and pretty much everywhere in between before we took Brian's sister and boyfriend back to their camper at Goat Island. Yes, it was named after goats because they are everywhere. When we got home at 7:05 we rushed and cleaned up and out the door by 7:15 so we could make it to the theater by 7:30 to watch Madagascar 3. Well, on the way we found out it started at 7:15 and we left at 7:15 and it's 20 miles + away so you do the math... what did this Aunt do to keep the niece happy? Drove faster! We got there just in time! We missed all the previews though (darn! ha!).

Sunday was Father's Day. My mom cooked pancakes for us and then I was off to church. I sat by my 3rd set of grandparents, Mr. Taylor and his lovely wife Mrs. Violet. Oh how I wish I had a picture of these two! After service was Sunday School then I rushed down the road so I could make it to my mom's church on time. Yes, I had to be there and yes I remembered to wear red! (We'll come back to this). We got home and visited with dad for a while then I went back to my apartment and my couch and took a much needed nap. These are the days I live for! Now, the red thing... my grandfather was a wonderful, loving, huge hearted man that we all loved dearly. One night in January 2000 he had an accident and lost his life. His favorite color was red and therefore we show our support by wearing red on holidays such as that. I'll have to post a picture of him soon!

So that brings us to Monday when I started this blog post. This week the big guy in Operations is on vacation and this explains why it's Thursday and I'm still typing from Monday. This week has been bad for more than one reason and I'm ready to kiss it goodbye!!!!!

Tomorrow is a new day and Friday and that brings me back to the bittersweet part of this post. Yes, I'm happy that it's Friday and I'll have the weekend to do what I want when I want (and I'm 95% certain that involves lots of retail therapy!!!). This week marks the end of an era; the end of a decade. And that my friends is what is the bitter part of bittersweet. Something bad comes to an end but also something great. I wish I could put it all into words (either written or spoken) but for now those words will stay in my head and in my heart. That's the best place for them to be now anyway.

I have no idea what this weekend holds or what next week holds, but luckily I know WHO holds tomorrow and he's been super busy keeping up with me the past 6 months!




Enough for now! I'll try my darnedest to be back with something bright, cheery, and positive next week!

Starting Over

Hello there! If you're joining me from my old blog then I want to say thanks for following me over. If you happen to be a new reader then "Hey!"

As my new title suggests, I am starting over. I have a second chance at so many things in life. No, I didn't expect to be in this position, but life isn't supposed to go the way that we have it planned. Life isn't supposed to be fair or easy. It's supposed to be trial and error and hard work and loving and forgiving and getting hurt. That my friends is what has happened. I lived, I learned, I loved and then I got hurt. I'm still working on the forgiving part and I sure as #$%& won't be forgetting things any time soon.

Let me catch you up... I'm still living in the apartment at my parents' house. I still have my sweet, hairy, sickly Mastiff Amos. I still have the same job and for the most part, I have the same friends. The TRUE ones anyway. Man, you really do learn who your friends are when you have something big happen in your life.

Now for the things that are different... I'm driving a new car (YIPPEE!!!), I have a new attitude, I have a retail therapy issue I'm strongly working on (check out mint.com!) and I now live alone. That's all I'll say about that for now.

In January my world turned upside down. Yes, it's now May, but I'm still dealing with things. 2012 has been a doozy and I can honestly say I am already looking forward to 2013. No, I don't want to rush my life away, but there are some chapters in a book that just aren't worth reading! Know what I mean?!

On a positive note (because we're all supposed to be optimists, right?), I celebrated a birthday my niece "graduated" from Kindergarten. She won several awards and we were so proud of her! She had the most speaking parts of her program and wasn't bashful at all! I went out and bought a new 2012 vehicle for my anniversary retail therapy. I also reconnected with an old friend. We literally ran into each other in the mall while shopping! We've spent almost every Friday since then hanging out and catching up. Kelly is a hoot to be around and you can bet you will never have a dull moment around her.

I want to, but won't get into the 'real friends' part just yet. I do want to tell you that without Jenessa and Kayla I'm not quite sure where I would be! You think you're close with someone until you have a life altering event and then you KNOW just how close you are. Those two have literally picked me up and dusted me off. Neither of those girls sugar coat. They're straight up and honest and they might just hurt my feelings, but they do it becasue they love me. I want to say something about my mother, too, but the words escape me. She's been my rock and she knows exactly what to do and when and how to do it (most of the time!). There is nothing better on Earth than a mother's love.

I am done sharing for now, but I will tell you this... Life Goes On. It's really one.day.at.a.time, but it does go on! If you aren't familiar with Sara Evans then you should google her song Stronger. Hmm, I think when I do come back I'll update you with what's been playing on my iPod lately!

Have a great afternoon! I'm headed home to put on my stretchy pants and hang out with my post-surgery dog!