Spring Cleaning

Yuck! I am not a big cleaning person, I like organization and stuff like that but I hate the road to get organized. I started tonight on the downstairs entryway in the basement. My house is a split level, the entry way is kind of like a family room but the heat runs aren't set up for it, so it's cold down there and we just use it for storage. I flattened and cut up no less than 20 boxes to burn this weekend. 3 bags of garbage I dragged out of there and I'm still not done. The bad thing...not ONE thing down there was mine except for a bag of sandals and flip flops!!! BOYS!!! Momma's don't let your babies grow up to be PIGGIES! lol

Tomorrow night I shall tackle...the closets! EEEEK!

Cabin Fever!

I seriously have cabin fever!!! It's April 17th and there is snow in the air. That is just wrong on so many levels! I have sat on this computer for days now just surfing up a storm, and why, because it's depressing to go outside in wool socks and turtlenecks. Yes I wore a turtleneck to work today. I want my capri pants, my flip flops with my pretty glittery painted toes, and most of all...I want to put my winter coat in the closet for another year.

The wedding is almost three months away. Now that is scary!!!! I have so much done, and yet so much left to do. However, most of the stuff left to do, most people wouldn't notice if I did do it or I didn't do it. It's nice to live in an area when people don't expect fancy receptions with $100 bottles of wine, fancy china, and formal ballrooms. I could have this thing in my backyard, with plastic chairs, a bonfire and hotdogs and people would still come and still have fun. And I thank my great friends for that! It's not the quantity of friends, it's the quality of your friendship with those few individuals you do have.

And for those that aren't sick of listening about this wedding yet....THE DRESS IS IN! :)

My new book...

I'm reading Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich and I can't put it down. It's just too freaking funny. Dustin actually told me last night to quiet my laughing a bit because he was trying to sleep. Whoops!!!!!!

Tomorrow is friday! What a freaking week this has been. I've been training a new guy who won't even be in my department but they kind of threw him in with me because he needs to know some of the stuff, but he's no where near ready, and his department is "too busy" right now. :rolleyes: Oh well. It's physically draining on a trainer to train someone, not only do you not get your work done, but when you do get to it your are so far behind it's not even funny. I am a "routine" person. Don't mess with my routine. Don't mess with my 10 a.m. bagel and tea break, don't mess with my 1 p.m. lunch at the gym, and don't move my mouse! lol.

Engagement Photos are here!!!!

The engagement photos are back. Some turned out good and others, well...not so good. We both have to work real hard to take good pictures. If you want to take a look you can go here http://orinfoto.smugmug.com/gallery/2605267 and check them out. I think they turned out well considering. Thankfully she is also our wedding photographer, so it helped to get warmed up to her and her style.

Mag-Pie

Oh the joys of having a puppy. We finally talked mom into getting a dog. We picked up her sheltie puppy yesterday. She's named her maggie, I refer to her as MAGPIE! She is a adorable. Almost makes me want one. I told my mom it's like having a baby again (she's only 8 weeks old) only without the breast feeding. lol! The sad part is, my mom thinks magpie likes me better than my mom. If i sit on the floor indian style she prances right over and hops in my lap and just lays there. I told my mom she's got a lot of fun nights ahead of her. But I do love the little magpie!

pics to follow!

Phil Vassar

His latest song out "last day of my life" has been playing through my head alot this week. Last week we lost a young doctor in a snowmobile accident. He was only 31 and we all are snowmobilers so it makes you stop and think and drive a little more careful. Then on Wednesday one of Dustin's drivers were killed in a tragic accident only about a block from Dustin's shop. I found out about it via the grapevine and hadn't heard from Dustin yet. He regularly drives these short loads if needed. Thankfully I found out a few mins later he was ok. Dustin is still pretty upset over it, and will be reminded by it daily for a while. He actually had to help remove the driver from the truck. That night on my way home I heard the song "Last Day of My Life" and it made think alot. We cannot stop our lives because of tragic accidents and not do what we love, we just have to continue on with life and try to remember to slow down and let those people we love know that we love them.

Packing Away

I know I HAVE to move in the next 6 months, however where, that's not so easy. Dustin wants to live near the farm. Within a 2-3 mile radius for the most part. However, there's nothing really around there for sale. We have a lot we can build on/put a trailer on, etc. But he doesn't want to live in a trailer for a long time. I have NO problems trailer living for a few years to save money.

Anyways in thinking ahead with needing to move soon, I am slowly packing/sorting all my stuff. It's amazing what one can accumulate within 26 years of one's life. Actually 5 years, my mom has all my childhood stuff at her house. It is a little sad at the same time, as much as I complain and bitch about my brother, I love him to death, and have lived with him for 26 years. It will be very very hard to accomodate to life without him there everyday. I think that it will take both of us some time to adjust.

As I sort through things I find some very comical things such as an inflatable flamingo can coozie. How funny is that? Does if have meaning, you betcha, but to anyone other than me it's pure junk. It will be hard to part with the "junk" I've accumulated.

Flowers...CHECK!

Moving right along I am with this wedding stuff. ha ha! Today my mom and I went to check out a florist, I ended up booking her on the spot. She is so awesome! She didn't try to sell me flowers I didn't need or want. Even told me my cake topper could be my throw away bouquet to save money!!!!! My mom and I were SHOCKED to find out the pricing was alot LESS than what we were expecting! How cool is that?!?

I decided on the girls bouquets. They will look similar to this. Only with light pink gerbera daisies and yellow and light pink roses.

My bouquet will be very similar to this, without the pearly looking flowers in it.Both pictures are courtesy of theknot.com. A very resourceful place! :)

I am so excited to find someone who is great to work with. This wedding stuff is going WAY TOO EASY. I'm worried for the next few months!

The Dresses

We finally found a dress for the girls. And everyone loves it. I'm so excited. Our trip was a little interesting though. I got everyone rounded up except Kelly because she lives out of town and we went to the bridal shop Saturday. It's in Erie so it was about an hour drive to get there. We turn the corner and the shop is DARK! I almost cried, I thought they were closed. But the sign on the door said "We are OPEN we just have no electricity!" I was relieved!!!! We got in and got the girls trying on some dresses and we finally found one we liked. Actually it matches my dress perfectly which I think is very cool!!!! Later we went out to lunch and for a little shopping. It was great spending time with my girls. They are a great group of girls and I couldn't ask for better friends. Below is a pic of me in my dress, Jamie in the dress we decided on (theirs will be in sage green instead of red though) and a group picture of all of us. Please excuse my crappy facial expression, I was tired and still a little sick from my cold. And my mom takes horrible pictures!!!!! Plus it was in the dark so we were as close to the window natural light as possible! :)

I did it

Not willingly, but I did it. About 2 years ago I started a Coding Basics online distance education program to learn medical billing and coding. I was in a rut and needed a new job. I completed the course last year Jan 06. I have yet to take my certification exam, partially because I am afraid I will not pass it. I don't LOVE medical billing and coding, so that's another reason why I didn't take the exam. I still have a certificate saying I have completed the coding program, so I could still get a job in that field. I just have not taken the CCA cert. exam. Well after being hounded about it from my dad, Dustin, AND my grandma on CHRISTMAS for god sakes, I ordered a study guide online today to help refresh my skills for the exam. Here goes nothing!

Not a Morning Person

I am so NOT a morning person. Since my current supervisor will be moving to another department and I will be taking her job, I have been in training learning all aspects of the department. Kind of a crash course really. My boss currently works 7am-3pm. I will not be getting her hours but I need to know what to do incase the girl that does take that shift is sick or takes vacation I am able to fill in. Let's just say, I am NOT a morning person. I normally do not have to be to work until 9. I get up at 7:15-7:30 and am fine. Well getting up at 5:15 is HORRIBLE. It's also cramping my style at night, I missed CSI Monday night! ha ha! I have only 2 days left of this shift and I cannot WAIT to go back to my sleeping in!

Tonight I had bowling as well. I am not a consistant bowler by any means. I got a 109, a 141, and a 106! lol. Oh well, I only bowl because my mom enjoys spending the time with me.

5 more months...

Until another day off of work. :( Kind of sad actually. I should get a dog and become a stay at home mom! Think dustin will go for it?

Well it's official..the new wedding colors are sage/celedon green and pink. :) Dustin actually went for it! I am in love with my new colors too. And so is my mom and Dustin's mom. They liked the red but they LOVE this! We are going to go in a few weeks and pick out the girls dresses. I am excited!!!! I have a few in mind but they can decide themselves what they want.

This is sort of what I have in mind. Picture is courtesy of theknot.com. I absolutely LOVE this look.

I am going to take this pic and another few pics to the florist this week and see what they can do. That is the only thing that is really not set in stone, a florist. I will however, have that taken care of by the end of this month.

I told everyone I had all my deposits in and didn't need to worry about anything until after the holidays. Well it's after the holidays, is it time to freak out yet? ha ha!!!!!

Yikes!

So it's been over 2 months since I've posted. But...I have been busy. So this weekend Dustin went to Farmer's to visit him, I stayed home to get some stuff for the holidays done. I didn't get ANYTHING DONE so far except looking around for stuff for the wedding. I think I have changed my colors. EEEK!!! I was going to to do red, but I think I'm going to do sage green and pink. Partially because I can't find a red that I actually like.

I do love this bouquet though! And I think it'll go great with my new colors.
I just hope Dustin goes for it!

Chicken

Chicken...I LOVE IT..but I can't cook the stuff to save my life. How does one know the juices are clear when you are using black teflon pans???? Borrowed my mom's george foreman grill and tried it out tonight....now i have crispy outside, dry inside chicken. I think I shall keep my chicken eating ventures for when I eat out and someone ELSE has to cook it!

I have a hard time making committments. I know WHERE the reception is going to be, but have I committed to it yet? NOPE! I know, I'm going to end up drinking beer out of a trunk in the middle of the corn field for a reception if I don't get my rear in gear...but what if I find something better?!? lol. I guess it just hasn't sunk in yet, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and not have this GORGEOUS ring on my finger, and be 80 years old, single, and living with a house of cats! *shudder* Going to write the check tomorrow for the hall! lol

I feel like a Duck

All it does is rain. Today it's only about 55 degrees and rainy and windy. Thankfully I LOVE sundays like this. I don't feel obligated to do something. I can lounge in my pj's watching old girly 80's and 90's movies if i want to and noone can say I should be outside doing something. Ahhh....love those rainy sunday days!

Yesterday we went to a wedding. One of those that you could tell only one side of the family was excited about it. It makes me sad. Everyone has been more than excited about our wedding, on both sides of the family. And everyone has been so supportive. I can't imagine planning a happy day with only one side in agreeance with the couple. It probably was a huge mistake and the marriage probably will not last, but that's a something that child will have to deal with later in his life.

So today I feel lucky....a lucky duck I guess....to have family and friends that support Dustin and I in our ventures forward!

Chips and Salsa!

Why are chips and salsa so darn addicting? I mean did anyone really ever buy tortilla chips to eat alone? They were MADE for salsa. That is my current addiction. Since Toby's been on 2nd shift the past few weeks, Dustin and I have had "us time" at home. So most nights, it's the 2 of us on the couch (gotta love sectionals) with a bag of tostitos and a jar of old el paso between us watching some show that one of us would rather NOT be watching. But it's kind of become a tradition...and my ever expanding waistline will be proof of it.

Yesterday I found out the minister we had in mind, is unavailable that weekend. So since we are getting married in an "inter-faith non-denominational" church...we can have one of our friends who is the district magistrate in town marry us. I think it'll mean more to have a friend of the family marry us than a minister we hardly know. I'm not the kind of person to go church to church looking for someone to marry us or join a church just for that reason. So...my checklist so far that is done?

Church
Hall
Caterer
Officiant

What's left?
Um.....everything else! lol

Hopefully A House!

Dustin and I are going to look at a house this weekend, hopefully. It feels like a never-ending saga. I know he wants to live close to his parents because of the farm, but finding a house close to the farm AND in our price range at this point in time, is NOT easy. I think this will be the best choice for us, it's reasonably priced, we can update/remodel as needed. The only thing it really needs before winter is new windows. Hopefully we can go look this weekend and make a deal shortly. I would do anything to be in it by September or October at the latest. I can't wait to actually have our OWN place where I can decorate and keep a house clean. Something impossible to do now living "in the frat house." lol.

Keeping fingers crossed.

Cabin Fever!

Is it possible to have cabin fever in June??? I'm so bored! It's rained for almost 3 days on and off, or been so overcast you are afraid to do anything. It's so muggy in the house too. Makes you want to do nothing but loaf and the worst part, everything on tv is a rerun!!!

Today is day 15 without the old pill. So far I feel great! I'm waiting for the bomb to hit where everyone says I'll feel like crap. but it hasn't really happened yet. I still haven't told my mom, she freaked out when I mentioned I was going to go cold turkey. I'll tell her someday, just not right now! ha ha!!!

This weekend Jamie got married. The wedding was alot of fun. I just feel bad she went under so much stress to get there. The darn bouquet toss was rigged. I tried to hide but no such luck. I didn't even have a chance to catch it, it was handed to me. Talk about embarassing. I really hate that tradition...when Dustin and I get married, there will be nothing "thrown" if I have my way!