Getting to know You (me)

Just saw this on a few of the new blogs I discovered, so I figured I'd give it a whirl!

If you aren't sure how it works, you can check out the Keely's website to join in the fun. But really you just go there, grab this week's questions, answer them on your blog and then link it up! So here I go..

The questions..

1. Would you rather bungee jump or sky dive?

Most definitely am going to say sky dive. Although I would absolutely love to do both! ☺

2. When using a public restroom to you squat over the seat or sit?

Well IF I MUST use one in the first place, I squat...totally, 100% squat. However if I get the slightest grossed out feeling I just might walk out or find another stall [and pretend I'm at home]

3. Favorite flower?

There are just so many. I used to really like lillies, but these days it's probably peonies although poppies, cone flowers, hydrangeas, lilacs

This is a tree peony--they are huge and beautiful!

4. Pedicure or manicure?

I don't tend to really do either--although if I had to money I would totally do both. I'm a total plain jane.

5. How many siblings do you have?

One brother [9.5 years younger]  (4 brother in laws, 1 sister in law, and 1 more s.i.l. to be!--I love them!)

I try to get along with him--but he makes it hard.very hard.

6. Do you pee in the shower? (gasp!)

Can't say that I do.

7. Bikini, tankini, or one piece?

I tend to go towards the tankini--I feel more comfortable being securely in place!

8. Where do you hate to shop at, but go there anyway?

Oddly enough, I've seen this on a lot of others--but Walmart. Great prices-I can almost always find what I need, but I HATE standing in their lines. I'm pretty sure it's unheard of to not end up in 'the dreaded slow line'. yea you know the one I'm talking about and you can't even think of switching lanes--oh.no.no.no

A Post for My Thoughts

There is very and I mean VERY little for me to write as of late as there is next to nothing going down in these parts. I mean I could tell you about the 2 snow days we had from nothing more than a dusting of snow, but that wasn't even worth photographing. I could tell you about how despite the fact I LOVE SNOW, I think AM ready for spring and warmer weather that doesn't include blistering cold wind that freezes my nose, ears, and fingers instantly. I could tell you about how this morning the mister and I volunteered at a local food pantry for residents in our area who have tight money issues and can't always afford to buy the necessities. I could also tell you that while we were there we were shown the qualifications for certain family sizes and we quickly realized that the only thing that makes us not qualify is that the he is a cross country and track coach--hello reality. that was an eye opener. I could also tell you that even though February is the shortest month of the year, it feels like it just.keeps.going! One last thing I could tell you is that I've started working out with the mister. He would LOVE for me to be bale to run a race with him someday and I would LOVE to be able to feel better about myself and have some of my clothes be a wee bit less tight. I tell my hubby that I was skinny when we got married--so living with him is the problem! ☺ (not saying that I've put on a ton of weight...just rounded out and filled in some places I'd rather not have)

I think the biggest thing going on right now is a process of mental thoughts I'm having. See about a month ago I got a physical to become a substitute teacher in a local school district (not my idea--but the mister really really really wanted me to). While there I just about failed my eye test. Turns out I can't really see things far away. Hello-glasses...soon. Well I came home only to find out that Greg has glasses for exactly that purpose. SOOOO I tried them on and WOW!! There is a crisp clear world out there that I thought I was already seeing. Now all I think about is "can I read that" or "should I be able to read that" or "I wonder how long it takes for me to read that". I'm hoping I can stop thinking this soon. It's starting to get a little annoying. hahah

Anyway, I bought some new fabric on Thursday. My plan (I think) includes a skirt to start.

The top is a deep purple and the bottom is blue, red, & white.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Fill in the Blank Friday!

1.  When I'm nervous I     my stomach does somersaults, I get really hot, shaky and my fingers 'freeze' into a semi-claw/fist shape   .

2.  My favorite item in my closet is     while they aren't technically in my closet, my favorite thing are my tall black boots. [they make me feel tall!]  .

3.       Watch tv with my hubby       is my favorite thing to do when I need to relax.

4.  My favorite childhood memory is    picking out my first dog and bringing him home: A Siberian Husky who's official full name was Codiak Marmut --Cody for short. He slept the whole first day.   .

5.  Something you may not know about me is     that I'm a semi-hoarder of office supplies: pens, sharpies, post-it notes, good quality markers. [I love to buy them and have them, but I'm often hesitant to use them because then I won't have anymore]    .

6.  A true friend      is there to talk and listen. Laugh with you or cry with you. Supportive    .

7.  Something I hope people think of when they think of me is     that I am kind, helpful, and fun to be around.    .

You, Me...and the tv

It was obvious from very early on in our friendship and relationship that I discovered my husband's LOVE for television. But in reality it's not the television that he LOVES per se...it's what on the tv. AND I can guarantee that 92% [do you like that number? not 90 or 95...92!] 92% of the time it's sports. Sure there is a Seinfeld re-run from time to time or my all time personal favorites [please, please, please take note of sarcasm] Family Guy, the Simpsons, etc. I'm sorry if these are 2 of your favorite shows..actually no I'm not. They aren't all terrible I admit, but usually they are just stupid. We used to watch tv together: House, Las Vegas, Lie to Me, American Idol, Project Runway. But those days are gone. I'm about as much as a sports fan as the next girl...well maybe a little more.

See, [insert flashback whoosh here] I grew up in a sports house. Even though I'm the oldest, I grew up at the high school football stadium when my dad coached. As a little girl, I knew the football ref signals--my daddy was proud I'm sure. 

HOWEVER...there are those days-ohhh those days. When I just.can.not.takeit.anymore! I often mention how I wish we could watch tv together and this is what I get in return.

"Well I don't want to watch your shows and you don't care about sports." In fact his idea of compromise is this: "I'll just go watch sports somewhere else."

I thought that MAYBE the Olympics could be some solid compromised ground. Multiple different sports that may not always be exciting, but he gets sports and I get something that only happens once every 2 years.

Then nights like tonight happen. I come home and the US men's hockey team is playing Switzerland--okay cool it's the US and they win. But wait for it...wait for it...starting at 7pm there will be a miserable solid 5 hours [potential exaggeration-not completely sure, but it's a lot] of other countries hockey games.

I have NO PROBLEM watching sports or teams that I have some connection to. But 5 hours of hockey of other teams sports, just to see what happens? I think not.

Maybe someday, someday in the future we will be able to come up with a reasonable compromise that will have us...

watching tv...

at the same time...

sitting on the same piece of furniture...

and both being reasonable content. [sigh]

...now off to find something to occupy myself with until I go to bed...

p.s. sometimes I think about what our life/marriage would be like without the tv...or cable to be specific.

Success!

Today was SUCH a successful day. Seriously.

I'm actually including last night into my successes because...well..I can.

I successfully de-virused one laptop.

Bought, downloaded, and installed virus software [finally] onto my computer and my old laptop that Greg is using until his gets fixed.

Ran scans & cleaned off all the gunk.

TODAY I got curriculum ready for Sunday.

Bathed two dogs means put them in the tub and

 rinse, shampoo, rinse, condition, dry...times 2.

Only a couple doggy shakes that I managed to nearly escape from the line of fire.

The best success of the night...

Greg's laptop being semi-cleared of the virus gunk. Enough at least to download virus software. Hopefully it will run--and it's not looking good right now.

maybe I spoke too soon.

Not Me Monday!

I did not cry on my way to work tomorrow. I mean really, I would NEVER do that. I was not at all scared or hesitant to go to a new school for the first time.

I did not consider calling the office and telling them I couldn't come, that would be totally inappropriate and pathetic of me.

I did not come home from school hoping to see my husband with open arms flowers something thanking me for conquering my fear today and "taking one for the team" since it was after-all a HUGE accomplishment...not


I did not apply to schools in Vermont randomly thinking it was a GREAT idea.

and finally...I did not question my husband when he got a second virus on the second computer he's been using this week. You can read about that HERE.


For more Not Me Monday fun, join in or check it out here.

computers...

are great when they work...

Last Thursday or so, my husbands computer fell quickly and painfully to a virus. He had software on it, but when we moved it no longer worked [this little piece of information we did not know]. So in the process of trying to find someone to fix it for cheap, he's been using my old laptop...my dear college laptop, that was already dieing a slow death last year.

For now it seems like it's been holding up quite well...until today. My husband came home from work and found what????

ohh yes, if you guessed virus you are correct. Actually it is more like malware pretending that there are viruses. We knew enough not to click on it, but now comes time to trust the internet to give us the CORRECT methods to get rid of it and not make it worse. 

I did my research, found something that looked like it was appropriate, then did more research to make sure what I found was legit, safe, and not a virus or more malware. It really irritates me that people are so lazy [yet so smart] that they choose to live their lives by tricking people into malware, viruses, and fake programs to buy.

So my night will be filled I'm sure with computer fixing. Hopefully it goes well tonight, so that tomorrow I can find someone who can fix Greg's computer cheap...real cheap.

I love my husband dearly, but one can only wonder what he's doing on that computer...hahah. ;) He is one unlucky guy in the computer department as of late.

aaaaannnnndddd...my check engine light came back on...won.der.ful

Lonely Saturday

Okay, so I wasn't totally alone today (since I do live with my in-laws) but my husband went to a men's retreat today. I am so excited for him. As I'm waiting for him to get home, I'm hoping and praying that he had a good great time with "the guys". Most of our friends from high school moved away or simply lots touch. Since he was a commuter (1 hr both ways), he didn't really make "friends that you want to hang out with" friends and my friends ALL live at least an hour away. After all, if you know anything about him, he is NOT the social person in this relationship---that's me. 

It's hard for us in the church at times, because it is small and we are pretty much the only 20-somethings (other than my brother in law & one or two of his friends). We are certainly the youngest married couple in the church. That being said, I have NO PROBLEM talking with, or hanging out with the other women or couples...but let's face reality here for a moment. They are in a totally different stage of life---kids. Well not just kids, but having multiple kids that are 5yrs+. 

Now I completely forgot where I was going with this. ohhh yes, my husband & today! ha.

Well, I still don't quite remember what I was going to say. So I'm going to stop rambling and leave you with this. I started my first sewing project today--and finished it!

My first, finished product. My camera has been updated. Now what to do next.

Announcement!

Praise the Lord!

God has answered our prayers...

I can really honestly say that 3 years ago when we got married, this is not where I expected us to be as a 'family'. If my current self were to have told my newlywed self that this is how things were going to be I probably would have laughed because NO teacher or wife (that wants to be a stay at home mom) imagines this.

But regardless of all of that, THIS is reality and is very necessary. We needed summer jobs and I am so thankful to say that he have one two.

It's not in a retail clothing department.

It's not in a restaurant.

It's NOT at summer camp (hallelujah).

We will be the managers at a semi-local Rita's Italian Ice.

With the following benefit...the more money we make for the owners, the more money we get paid. 

Still not totally thrilled with the concept of going back to a summer job, but duty bills call and they want money that we don't have.

On my last non-working day this week, I went to the fabric store and bought these and some brown piping:

The fabrics for my first project. :) $2.09

p.s. The check engine light in my car [that we've been dreading dealing with] went off today all by itself. Here's to hoping it STAYS off.

Shipment tracking is great. It gives you a really good idea as to when something should be arriving. It lets you know if it gets stuck somewhere or delayed so your not driving yourself crazy wondering when it is going to come.

Tracking is great...until the only thing it says is "out for delivery" at 7:00am and you are having trouble waiting patiently and you have NO idea when it will actually get here.

Not that I was impatient or overly excited for something I can't use yet because I have not materials. Nope...not.at.all. ha.

...The Presser Foot...

...stitches...

the whole kit and kaboodle

Now I just have to figure out what the heck these things are...AND how to use them!

waiting patiently...or trying to.

My hubby discovered his love for competitive racing as an adult around the time when we were getting married and moving. He already had a big large collection of those "one.size.fits.all" [aka way.too.big.for.him] shirts that runners get by participating in a race. Well when the reality hit that we would probably have many more of these shirts coming our way, we knew something HAD to happen. However we came from 2 different points of view. Let me explain:

to Him: They are memories. Cannot be parted with. No.matter.what. end of story. Even if they are just sitting in a box and they aren't seen by anyone. Mentally they push him farther. Where some may see successes, he sees failure because he could have done better. [fyi-it's taken me 5+ years to fully understand this]

to Her: Totally understandable memories. BUT why keep them in a box. I love pictures, but they aren't useful if I don't look at them frequently. A box, or two, or three of old unwearable shirts seems like a waste.of.space.

COMPROMISE: Make them into a t-shirt quilt (see picture below). However, as my husband puts it, Scottish blood runs thickly through his veins so he could NEVER EVER imagine spending 100s of dollars [yes multiple 100s, due to size] to get a blanket made. And there is where the challenge starts. I, being the wanna-be-domestic-goddess I am, decides to take this on. BUT before I can ever come near those precious shirts with scissors, I am told I need to practice and show that I am capable....fair point.

T-Shirt Quilt (For the hubby-but I must show ability before
taking scissors to his beloved shirts)

Sooo now, my sewing machine is on it's way, so I figured I should make a real list of things I would like to accomplish. So without any more rambling on my part, here we go. (in no particular order, may I add) 

Camera Strap Cover to spice up my camera

Cathedral Window Quilt

Belt or Headband

**This is the beginning of a list. I'm sure I KNOW more projects will be added as I uncover more amazing blogs and websites♥

Silent Sunday--Love Version (whoa pictures!)

♥ 8 years of me and my valentine...in pictures ♥

I had to leave lots out. Such a hard decision.

October 2002

March 2003-Sr. Class Trip to DC

February 14, 2003

 October 2005

Summer 2006

September 13, 2006--Engaged!!

Honeymoon-Newlyweds May 2007-Myrtle Beach

November 2006

May 13, 2007

I love you babe. I truly can not imagine my life without you. I'm so glad you are the one by my side on this road called life. Thanks for being the one who can always make me laugh and smile.

♥ your wife

I took the plunge...

After much deliberating and deciding...

After days of research and shopping...

Price comparison and product comparison...

...I bought a sewing machine. Back in January I returned a camera lens [it was a HUGE telephoto lens] and although I originally thought it would be neat to have, I quickly realized it isn't something I would use very frequently. 

I have another lens that I need want to get, but figured that I have enough to satisfy myself right now. I don't NEED another one. Well really I don't NEED a sewing machine either, but being a short girl I have a need for hemmed pants. PLUS I have a few projects that I would REALLY like to make. 

I found what I feel to be a pretty good deal on a sewing machine. It's obviously not top of the line [thousands of dollars!!!] but it's not the bottom of the bucket either. It gives me lots of different options in stitches and capabilities and it's even computerized. That means time to buy fabric and thread :)

I can't wait until it gets here!

GIVEAWAY

2nd post in under an hour. I'm sorry but I couldn't resist this one.

I love all things that have to do with storage--anything that holds items.

Bags are a prime example, SO when I saw this giveaway I was excited. PLUS it can be monogrammed. Check it out! And when you enter please mention me...that way I get extra chances to win :)

Here is the link: <-----------[click on link]

http://monogramchick.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway.html

almost wordless wednesday

I.LOVE.SNOW

in fact I think it should be illegal to hate this :)

[i did this too, but someone had to take pictures of the guys]

It's coming...again

Winter after winter I always say if it's going to be cold and windy, it might as well snow.

After all, snow can only come a few months out of the year.

This week it's cold and windy...and it not only did it snow on Saturday...it's going to snow again. Look what's coming my way:

And in case your not familiar with me..I pretty much live in that purple dot.

:) this is a happy girl :)