Vote 4 Karen

Pin It Now! My friend, Karen, submitted an audition video for Glee.  Head over HERE and vote for her!

Wordless Wednesday

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Okay, I lied, there are words.  It's not the best picture, but look how stinkin' thin I was!  Goodness gracious, I looked good.  This is my senior prom, as if that wasn't obvious.  My adorable polka-dot dress had a pick-up skirt in the back.  This was back in 2004 when they were becoming popular.  I am determined to lose enough weight to put that dress back on.  When I do, I'll take some pictures.  

Oh, and I totally thought I was fat when I was in high school.  If only I'd known how much weight I'd gain later!

Dear Weather Man...

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I was off this past weekend.  Why, oh why, did the weather have to be crummy all weekend?  It rained both days off.

Here's what my street looked like at one point on Saturday:

SO.  MUCH.  RAIN.

It's a good thing I didn't need to go anywhere, because the end of my driveway looked more like a boat launch.  Oh, and my husband was out trying to get a Red Box movie when this torrential downpour happened.  He made it home safely -- he didn't float away or melt.

April Flashbacks

Pin It Now! I finally uploaded all of my pictures from my old computer onto my new computer.  To celebrate that, I thought I would share pictures from the last several Aprils.

Here we go!

2010 -- The hubster and myself at my cousin's wedding

2009 -- At my hometown Easter parade with my mommy

2008 -- At the Blue Man Group with my dad [little brother and girlfriend were also there].  Look how tan I was!

2007 -- Out on a date with my man!  I still have those glasses.  Don't I look smart?

2006 -- Sophomore at Mizzou.  This is right after getting an adorable haircut.

My Husband the Photographer

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When my husband gets his hands on my camera, there is no telling what he'll take pictures of.  It's always interesting to upload my photos to my computer just to see what he's captured.  His finger never leaves the button.  Here's a bit of photographic evidence from Willie and Jamie's wedding...

Photo #1 -- A nice picture of me and my papa.  We look normal.  

Photo #2 -- My husband has just said the magic words that let me know he's about to go crazy -- "Work it!"

Photo #3 -- At this point I'm playing along, still somewhat amused by what's going on.

Photo #4 -- My face says it all.  "Really, Michael?  You're still clicking away?  Are you done yet?"

Photo #5 -- "Dad, there's something wrong with my husband."  "I know. heeheehee."

Willie & Jamie's Wedding

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I promised you photos from my cousin's wedding, and here they are!  I've decided to stop being such a blog-slacker because I know there's someone out there who cares how I'm doing.

Anyway, enough about me, onto the photos!

Here they are right before exchanging rings.  They had to wait because someone forgot the rings in the back room.  Way to go.  The woman in blue is my Aunt Sharon.

Lighting the unity candle.  It was such a beautiful church.  There were windows everywhere, so the sanctuary was filled with natural light.

I missed getting a picture of their first kiss.  I'm not Catholic and am therefore didn't know when to expect the kiss.  Oh well.

CAKE!!!  I love wedding cake.  I didn't try the groom's cake.  Yes, it supposed to be a bottle of Crown Royal.  The piece I had was white cake with whipped cream icing.  The taste was very similar to a Twinkie.

This was dinner.  Yes, it was a hog roast.  As I was walking across the reception hall to the buffet, I saw this.  I immediately thought it looked like Scooby Doo.  Needless to say, I had beef brisket.

Here I am with my wonderful cousin, Zach!  He's pretty awesome.

This is my cousin's new baby, Cameron.  Funny story.  At the ceremony, I sat next to another cousin who was holding Cameron.  I was holding him when someone came up and sat behind me and Michael.  It was a guy that my husband had gone to school with.  He commented how wonderful it was that we had a little family now.  

My response?

"Oh, this isn't my baby.  I found him."

The guy was caught off-guard by my brilliant answer.  I finally told him whose baby it was.  

Here I am with my awesome dad.  Note the funny expression on my face.  My husband is holding the camera.  If you ask him to take a picture of you, he takes 47.  It's fun to go through them later and see what he catches.  

Oh, but how awesome is the color of my dad's tie?  He and my mom matched really well.

This is my mom's family.  She's the one on the left in the white sweater.  Also pictured are my grandparents, Uncle Terry, and Aunt Nancy.

This is my [almost] name twin!  Her name is Marietta and she is a sister of the bride.  I knew about her and that I'd probably meet her at the wedding.  My grandma was so excited to introduce us.  It was cute.  This is the closest I will ever get to meeting someone with my first name, which is Marie-Etta.

Here I am with the Mr.  We clean up nice, don't we?  This is currently my favorite picture of us.

And last, but certainly not least...

My shoes!

They have a 1 1/2" wedge heel.  Nice and comfy.

Happy Birthday!

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Happy 21st birthday to my baby brother, Clint!

School

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Remember a while back that I mentioned a nursing program I was trying to get into?  It was a 9 month LPN program in a city 45 minutes away.

Since that post, the hubs and I have had several discussions regarding that plan.  The conclusion?

That plan is out the window.

There are several reasons that I won't get into here, just know that I've decided that it isn't the best route for me.

Instead, I will be attending the local community college, where this fall I will be apply for the RN program that starts in the spring.  It'll take a little longer, but, in the long run, is better for us.

I went last Monday and enrolled in classes for the summer and fall.

I still have eight weeks until classes start, so you'll definitely be hearing about this again!

Updated Reading List

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I've recently updated the list of books I have read this year.  I've read 15 books so far, well on my way to my goal of 50 by the end of the year.

Check out the list here.

Life. Is. Wonderful.

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I'll be the first to admit that I am a blessed gal.

I have an incredible husband, a beautiful home, and a job I enjoy.

I have a supportive, loving family and three, cuddly pooches.

I have plans to further my education and am currently car payment-free.

Sure, I have my moments.  There are times of stress and worry, but they are few and far between.

I am a lucky gal.  :0)

Sneak Peak

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Bathroom Photos

Pin It Now! Here's the floor before we started...




...and here it is now!

Ketchup

Pin It Now! Greetings from the interstate! The hubs and I are currently on our way to Missouri for the weekend. My cousin is getting married tomorrow. We have been blessed with beautiful driving weather today. We are currently driving through St. Louis, home to horrible drivers and one of the most dangerous cities in America.

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Our bathroom is coming along nicely! The tile was laid two weeks ago and Mike grouted a few days later. It looks great. Because of my lack of posts, however, you'll have to take my word for it.

Mike picked up our vanity last night. It's going to look amazing! He even picked out a faucet that I love, even without me there. :)

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Work is chaos. Literally. The second shift staffing "challenge" is both frustrating and disappointing. Most weeks I'm working 45-50 hours. Great for my check, but horrible for my sleep schedule.

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Spring has finally arrived in central Illinois! My shrubs are blooming, as is my bleeding heart. It's really exciting to see my perrenials coming back up.

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We put our dogs on a diet. We had them fixed in November and each has become a little plump since then. The pooches get a set amount of food twice a day. There's even a chart on the fridge where we keep track of their feedings.

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I've decided against the LPN program that I mentioned a while back. Watch for an explanation in a later post.

Have a wonderful weekend!