16 Days till Christmas!!

The last time I posted was before Thanksgiving! Geesh! I LOVE having time off work, but it sure does put me behind for WEEKS whenever I come back.

We spent Thanksgiving in Houston with Brian's family - it was nice to see everyone and catch up. They were all really excited to hear we are moving back to Texas. It sure was a quick trip though... I came back to work Monday a bit pooped. We are spending Christmas here in St. Louis with my parents, so I'm glad we won't be fighting anymore airports over the holidays.

The last couple weeks have really just been a blur... time is FLYING by and now Christmas is only a little over two weeks away! Insane! I have absolutely NO Christmas shopping done either... oops. I'm still not really sure what I'm getting Brian this year... I need to do some serious brain storming. He says he already knows what he's getting me... hmmm... I guess we'll see!

This time two years ago I'd be preparing for finals (probably pulling all-nighters with Chelsea at Starbucks!) and an entire MONTH off school... THOSE were the days, people.

Since I'm getting all geared up for Christmas, I shall do my top TEN favorite things about this AMAZING holiday:

• Christmas decorations! I swear I put my tree up two weeks before Thanksgiving. It's ridiculous how much I love decorating.
• Christmas COOKIES! The BEST!
• Snow, fireplaces, sweaters - just being COZY
• Seeing all of my family together celebrating Christ
• Christmas Parties!
• Christmas music... although by the time New Years hits - I'm WAY over it.
• GIVING presents - I guess that has to do with the fact that I'm not 10 anymore, but I enjoy giving gifts just as much or more than receiving. (ok so maybe not MORE...)
• TIME. OFF. WORK.
• The SMELLS... pine, cinnamon, fireplaces, apple... MMMMM!
• Having Brian to spend these holidays with - this is our second Christmas together - with many more to come :)

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!

The BIG Reveal...

I've been reluctant to post what our big news is because you just never know who's reading, you know? But - I've come to the conclusion that I don't care.

Drum roll please...

BRIAN AND I ARE MOVING TO TEXAS!

Quite a change from my last post since I was talking about the house we are building here in Missouri and all that...but Brian and I just really sat down and talked about the commitment we are making by building a house here in Missouri. We've always known that we would move back to Texas eventually, and if we were to build this house we'd be here for at least another 5-10 years. So we decided that now is the perfect time to get up and go! The lease on our house is up the 1st of March, so we are looking to move in February... or sooner if I get a job before then.

We are definitely thinking the Dallas area. I've started my job search - so if any of you have any suggestions or know of any businesses hiring in the Dallas area, I am VERY open to ideas!! Brian will finish up his 1st paramedics semester here in December, and then he will be transferring all of his hours down there. He's looking to get on a fire house somewhere in Dallas while he finishes up medic school.

Are we sad to leave St. Louis? For sure... I've got some amazing friends here that have been my friends for what seems like FOREVER, and I don't even want to think about how hard it's going to be being that far away from my parents, but with all of that said I really believe this is the right move for us. Plus my parents are definitely not opposed to moving down to Texas once we start a family... no way they could stay away after that!

SO... please keep us in your prayers - job hunting could be difficult with this economy, but I'm hoping we will be able to find jobs between now and February.

We are SO EXCITED about this... cannot wait to be back with all of the people we love so much!!

We are headed to Houston Wednesday night for Thanksgiving with Brian's family... a MUCH needed break from work. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Prayers, prayers and more prayers!

Well folks... the time has come that Brian and I could use some prayers...

Nothing bad has happened or anything like that, but Brian and I have made some major decisions in our lives as of late and some big things are going to change, but we truly feel that we have God behind us on this one. So just pray that we keep that faith and stay steady.

I promise to reveal things soon, but I can't JUST yet. :)

I'll say this... it's been a long time coming!

PS... I'm not pregnant. Just wanted to throw that out there!

Not sure what to think...

This is our lot... with a VERY pretty "SOLD" sign :)

These are our house plans :) Probably hard to see, but this is basically what it will look like. Some minor changes - but nothing huge. We love it!!

This is the entrance to our new subdivision!!

Well... I said right before the election that all we can do now is pray. But that's pretty much all we can do now as well. Obama has won. Fair and square... and by a lot. I just cannot understand why the American people would vote a socialist with such radical ties into office. Sorry if that offends anyone, but its the truth and I'm scared for America. I know God has a plan... just not so sure what it is yet.

Enough about politics... I guess the only good thing about this election is that FINALLY all of those stupid campaign commercials can STOP! ha!

Here are a couple of pics from our Halloween...

This weekend we are going camping on my brothers land with lots of family and friends... it's supposed to be a bit chilly, but it's been in the high 70's low 80's lately so I'm ready for the cooler weather! Hope you all have a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend!

HaPpY hAlLoWeEn!!!

Happy Halloween! As you can see, we decided to carve pumpkins on Sunday. I had forgotten how time consuming that is! I swear Me, Brian and Gretchen were out there for 4 hours. ha! But it was fun nonetheless and they turned out cute. As I'm sure you guessed... Brian's pumpkin is the Longhorn. Pretty clever of him I thought. Side note: Not sure if you can tell in the pics, but my hair is quite a bit darker these days. I decided it was time for a change... I've been bleach blonde my ENTIRE life. I'm loving having darker hair. Much more season appropriate.

Saturday I went with Gretchen and the rest of her bridesmaids to get her dress and to pick out our dresses. Her wedding will be here before we know it! I LOVE weddings and I'm so glad I get to be a part of hers. Brian and I are dressing up for Halloween... I'm a 1920's Flapper and he's a Gangster. We'll take tons of pics. :) Cannot BELIEVE the election is NEXT WEEK. Pray, Pray, PRAY people. That's all we can do now besides cast our vote. Alright well I hope everyone has a fabulous Halloween and rest of the week! (PS - This is one big run-on paragraph beacause blogger is being retarded and keeps messing up my formatting... so whatever!)

8th of 8

Well... I'm at work, but lucky for all of you I just so happen to have my pictures saved on a flash drive that I have with me. So... here it is... my eighth picture in my eighth file... you asked for it Jacci!

This was from Delta Theta Grub from 2006 I think? Who knows... feels like forever ago. Our theme was something gay like "Barbie" so Brian and I went as Trailer Trash Barbie. It's scary how natural it looks on us huh? So... if any of you need an idea for a cheap Halloween costume... there ya go!

I'm tagging Chelsea!!

Everyone have a great weekend and I promise to post a long one next week!

Time for Fall!

I know it's been awhile, but I'm FINALLY getting over a sinus infection that I have been fighting since vacation. I went to the doctor last Friday and got some meds so I'm feeling MUCH better. I gave it to my dad though... oops. Sorry dad :) I actually got a cold from Brian and of course his goes away just fine and mine turns into a full blown sinus infection. YUCK. PLUS... we don't have the Internet at our house anymore... Long story but I cancelled it because it was ridiculously expensive, so the only time I can post is at work, and it's hard to find time for that! However... my boss is out today so here I am! ha.

I am SO pumped because it's REALLY feeling and looking like fall around here. We haven't used our air conditioning for over a month and it feels SO wonderful. I LOVE sleeping with the windows open. The leaves are starting to change and it's really getting chilly in the morning and in the evenings. Have I said I love Fall? Cause I do!

Vacation was amazing as I'm sure you could guess. I REALLY needed a break from work. Our time was spent golfing, reading, laying around, watching movies, walks on the beach, miniature golf, swimming, EATING, and getting massages! It was hard coming back to the real world, but there's nothing like sleeping in your own bed!

Well... believe it or not... Brian and I will have been married a YEAR on Monday. Insane! This has been the most amazing year... I absolutely LOVE coming home to Brian everyday. He's my best friend and I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life loving anyone else. For our anniversary I bought him/us tickets to opening night of Blues hockey. Hockey is HUGE around here and I cannot wait for it to start up again. I hate watching it on TV but actually being at the games is a totally different story. We are going to stay downtown at the Sheraton afterwards. Our seats are club seats that provide free beer/food all night long so I don't think it would be the BEST idea to drive home plus I love staying in nice hotels!

As far as our house goes... some exciting things happening... we got our plans finalized! I LOVE them! It's so neat to see it all on paper. They turned out amazing and I cannot WAIT to start building! However... we all know how CRAPPY the financial markets are right now, so it's kind of putting a damper on moving forward with our house. Here's what's probably going to happen... our lease for the house we are in now is up in March... come march we will most likely break ground and start building. While are house is being built, we will have to live with my parents. It's probably not going to be the most exciting 3 or 4 months of our life, but we really have no choice. Plus it gives us some more time to save money that we aren't spending on rent somewhere. So... it seems like a long way off... but we just have to be patient and wait.

Ok well I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Long time coming...

I've been a terrible blogger lately... my apologies. Here is an update on the Howard fam...

We've made a pretty monumental decision on the house front! Ready? Sure? ha ok ok... we are going to build!!! Which MEANS I get to pick everything from the brick color to the front door! We are building in a neighborhood called Stone Crest. Once things really start to move along I'll take a picture of our lot. I'm excited about seeing the progress and blogging about it. That just MIGHT make me a dork. We wouldn't be moving in until the Spring, but I know that time is going to fly by. So... I may not have ADORABLE babies to blog about like some of you... but I will have a HOUSE :)

In other news... we are going on VACATION next week! Ahhhhhhhhh... a much needed vacation I might add. Work has just been CRAZY these past couple of months... having nothing to worry about for an entire week is beyond exciting. We are headed to Hilton Head Island, SC. Our flight leaves really early on Saturday. It might be a little rainy due to all of the hurricanes, but I don't even care. I will lay on the beach in the rain... just as long as I'm NOT HERE AT WORK. It's just the family going... Brian and I, my parents, and my brother. I plan on bringing a swimsuit, pajamas, and a few good books. Any recommendations?? I'll take lots of pictures... But I'm not going to promise posting them because we all know I'm terrible at that... but I promise to TRY.

I'm sad to say that a friend from high school passed away this week. I'm headed to the wake tonight with some friends. Unfortunately David died at the hand of drugs... Please keep his family in your prayers as this will not be an easy time for them.

Well... I'm off to lunch. Only TWO MORE work days and I'm headed to the BEACH!! :) I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and week!

HoUsE hUnTiNg

So... Big News on the Howard front... we have officially started looking for a HOUSE!! We just started really looking this past weekend. Our lease for the house we are in now is up the first of March, and we would like to go ahead and buy a house instead of renting - a.k.a. - paying someone else's mortgage. It is so exciting, nerve-wracking, heart wrenching and FUN looking for a house. We've already found one that we have completely fallen in love with. It's SO HARD not to want to move in RIGHT NOW. I feel like the biggest brat because I just want to keep saying "I want it, I want it, I want it!!" However... a house is such a huge commitment and I really need to SLOW DOWN and THINK about what we are getting ourselves into. I just cannot wait for Brian and I to actually OWN our first house... painting, decorating, and knowing that this will most likely be the house that we will raise our kids in! SO EXCITING!

I ask you all to pray that God gives me patience! ha... for instance... I've been at work for TWO hours now and I haven't gotten A THING done yet. I would post pictures of the houses that we love but I don't want to jinx anything... If we get serious about a house then I will post pics I promise!

On another note... Brian's mom comes into town tomorrow night for a visit! We are really excited to have her. No real big plans actually... just relaxing and hanging out. We are going to the Cards game on Sunday... that's all I know.

Hope you all have a GREAT weekend!!

On days like today...

Sorry no pics, but I had to blog. I do have pictures from when Chad and Cory were here and I promise to post them.

On days like today I really wonder why I chose to work in the "Corporate World" instead of following some of my other passions like preschool work or even music. I love everything about the business atmosphere... how driven everyone is and how I truly feel I'm learning something and making a difference everyday. However... there are days like today when I really question why God has me here and what his plan is for me. I feel like I have a pretty tough skin and most things I don't let bother me but something just got in today that really hurt you know? I'm probably not making any sense, but I didn't want to go into the entire story about it all. I like my job... but sometimes the people just aren't very... well... nice. In almost all of my ACU business classes they talked about how the business world is tough and not a very nice place at times... boy they weren't kidding.

Suck it up and move on. I'm just going to stick to what I believe is right... people can like it or not.

Anyway... thanks for listening to the babble. Shout out to my buddy Gretchen... Happy Birthday!

I promise to post pictures soon... hope everyone is having a great week!

The Twins are coming!

The twins are coming tomorrow! Chad and Cory have been two of our very best friends all through college. SO excited to see them... We saw them back in May at Jerica and Chandler's wedding but that feels like ages ago for some reason. They get in tomorrow night... I have to work on Friday unfortunately. They've got an early morning tee time... I hope to be off work early, but we'll see how that goes. It's end of the month and things always get crazy here around that time. Friday night we've got some great seats at the Cards/Phillies game. Saturday we might get an early nine holes in since I won't get to play with them Friday then I think
we are going to head to the wineries. There are 20 or wineries
within 20 minutes of our house... breath-taking views and great
wine... what more can you ask for?? Saturday night is kind of up
for grabs but I'm sure we'll grab dinner and head out on the town
of Washington, MO Exciting stuff.

Keep them in your thoughts for safe travel. I will try and take a
bunch of pictures. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Fun with the Fam...

So we had SUCH a great weekend with Brian's family, but I gotta say, I'm exhausted. Friday I had to work of course, but Brian and the fam went golfing and then grilled out at the house for lunch. After I got off work we all headed to the Cardinals game to watch them beat the Padres (we took the series 4-0). Saturday we had breakfast at the house and then headed to Grants Farm. Ulysses S. Grant lived there at some point in his life and now it is owned by the Anheuser Busch family. It's sort of like a mini zoo. The goat pictures below are from Grants farm... those little guys were SO cute. They give you bottles to feed to them. They kept nibbling on Brian and Brad's pants... But anyway... it was a lot of fun. Saturday night we went to my parents house for a BBQ, and Sunday we just hung out until it was time to take his Dad and brother Garrett to the airport. Brad and Janelle (Brad's girlfriend) didn't leave until yesterday night. So all in all it was a great weekend... it was good to see everyone and really get a chance to catch up.

Last night Brian and I went and saw Batman with my mom. We all thought it was really good. It definitely lived up to all of the rave reviews I've heard so far.

Ok well short post but lots of pictures for once! Enjoy!! Hope everyone has a great week... and hey at least it's not Monday!

St. Louis is grieving the loss...

The inevitable has happened... around here it's huge news, but some of you probably haven't heard or just don't care. ha. Anheuser Busch is no longer "The great AMERICAN lager". A couple of days ago a company from Belgium called InBev bought Anheuser Busch for $72 a share. For weeks there have been talks of this happening. There were plenty of petitions and protesting, but in the end it just came down to greed and money. St. Louis has been known as the home of Budweiser ever since they began. Apparently the headquarters are going to remain here in St. Louis, but it won't ever be the same. Many people will lose their jobs. I wouldn't be surprised if some people who swear by the Busch family brand put down their Bud Light and go for other tastes. It's all this town is talking about... everyone is seriously crushed. I had no idea it would have this sort of effect on people. It's obviously not about the beer... its about the legacy the Busch family has created here, the Clydesdales, the flying eagle (it's a billboard) as you drive down hwy 40 from downtown after the Cardinals have won yet another game at BUSCH stadium... It just goes to show that no amount of tradition and legacy can stand up to the big bucks and people's love for money. Sad.

On a much happier note... Brian's family gets in tonight!! His Dad, his brother Brad, Brad's girlfriend Janelle, and his 9 year-old (I think) half brother Garrett. We are SO excited to have them. Brian NEVER gets to see his family and I feel SO terrible about that. His dad lives in LA so we really only see him once or twice a year. I cannot imagine only seeing my dad once or twice a year... it would kill me. Tonight we are all just having a home cooked meal at the house once everyone gets in. Tomorrow I have to work unfortunately, but that will give Brian a chance to hang out with them. I think he plans on taking them golfing and grilling out at the house. Tomorrow night we are headed to the Cards game... always a good time. Saturday we aren't too sure yet... there are so many fun things to see and do in St. Louis... we wanted to let them decide. We could go the FREE Zoo (which by the way is the second best zoo in the nation...), take a tour of the Budweiser Brewery (while it's still American-owned!), head to the Science Center, Grants Farm... the possibilities are endless. Whatever we do I promise to take lots of pictures. I've been slacking on that for quite sometime now.

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!

Howard Update...

Hello there... so it's been quite sometime since I've posted. Time has been FLYING by these past few weeks. I complain at work that the days go by so slow, but they really don't. It will be Friday afternoon before I know it. Or at least I hope so...

So let's see... what's new? Well not a whole lot really. We had a good weekend. Friday we went out to dinner for my Mom's birthday... Brian and I got her a really nice knife set from Williams-Sonoma. She needed new knives so badly. Saturday Brian went out job hunting traveling from Fire House to Fire House. He filled out applications and dropped his resume off. That's about all we can do except pray that something comes up. It's such a competitive business. Once you are in you never leave so it's hard to find openings. He starts Paramedics school in August so that will be about another year and half of school. I'm so excited that he's doing it, but we aren't going to get to see much of each other during that time period. When he's not in class, he'll be up at the hospital working on his clinical hours, or working. BUT... it's only a year and half and I'm SO proud of him. He's truly living out his dream of becoming a fireman/paramedic.

Sunday we went to church and played a round of golf. Brian and I have been playing a couple times a week for the past couple of months, and I must say it has really improved our games. I'm so glad that it's something we both enjoy and can do together. We are going to Hilton Head, SC in September with my family and I cannot wait to play golf on some amazing courses.

On another note... I feel like Brian and I have seen quite a few movies/shows lately that I wanted to recommend... or not recommend to you...

Hancock.... FUN summer movie. I always look forward to summer because of movies like this. It was funny/sad/heart-warming etc. I think the ending could have been a bit more in depth, but again I say... it was a fun summer movie. Worth seeing in the theaters for sure.

Wall-e. We saw this on Saturday night with my parents. Really cute - as I'm sure you imagined it would be. I heard some reviews that said it was better than any Pixar film ever made. NO - Toy Story... all time favorite. Not sure they could ever top that, however, it was cute. Not sure if I would say that's its worth seeing in the movie theater though.

THIS was a GOOD movie. Seriously... VERY suspenseful. I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie. Brian and I bought this movie a week or so ago, and I'm so glad we did. It is so different the way they directed this movie... they literally show the first 15 minutes of the movie several times from different vantage points. A MUST rent/buy.

Brian got me into this show... we bought the first two seasons this past weekend because they are about to start up a new season on FX this fall. SO GOOD. It pays A LOT of tribute to 9/11, and you just don't see that much anymore... it's sad. I must admit there are a few racy scenes... sort of like Nip/Tuck, but not THAT explicit. We plan to watch all of the first 3 seasons before season 4 starts up here in a few weeks. We seriously watched like 7 episodes yesterday alone... ha ha.

OK well that's all for now. I am the biggest movie dork, so I'll keep you posted if we see anything else in the near future. Hope everyone has a great week!

Bye Bye Mustang, Hello TV!

Hello there... first of all... if you go to www.photovideoimage.com ,click "Wedding Site", then click "Galleries" up at the top... you can see our wedding album... its under "Carrie and Brian". I think most of you have probably seen it already but if you haven't, enjoy! We get to pick the real thing up this weekend... FINALLY. So excited about it.

We sold the Mustang this weekend!! We put it up for sale right before we went out to Gretchen's to swim and we got a call while we were there from a guy who wanted to buy it! We got the cash on Sunday and bought a new TV shortly there after. haha. We've been wanting a new TV for our bedroom for quite some time now... we bought a VIZIO 37" flat screen and I LOVE it. With Brian's Playstation 3 the HD is flipping amazing. I don't know what we ever did without high definition! haha. It was weird seeing someone else drive off in the car I grew up driving... I will miss that car, seriously. I had some great memories with that thing. Not so much the 5 speeding tickets I got while driving it, but you know all of the other stuff... haha.

This week at work has been especially stressful... I have been covering for a lady that is out on vacation and my job has just been ridiculous for some reason. Anyway... Brian could tell that I've been super stressed out and tired so today he sent me this text...

“I just want you to know that I’m the luckiest guy in the world. You are the best wife and the best person. There is no way I can ever match how amazing you are. I am just happy I was the lucky one that got the pleasure of marrying you. I think about you all the time no matter where I am at and I wouldn’t want it any other way. You are the love of my life, and I’ll love you forever! Have a great day baby and I can’t wait to see you tonight!”

How sweet right? Definitely made my week soooo much better. I love my hubby :) He's always so excited to see my when I walk through the door at night. I'm a lucky woman I'll tell ya...

Ok well it's ALMOST time for me to get out of here. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Go get em Tiger

Can we all just take a moment and honor the greatness that is Tiger Woods? Holy cow. HE. IS. AMAZING. He fought one heck of a battle these last couple of days and ended up with a well deserved victory. 14 majors... God put him on this earth to play golf. There is no doubt about that. Chelsea and I were emailing play-by-plays of the playoff all afternoon yesterday. Luckily... they replayed it on ESPN Classic later that night so Brian and I watched it then. You gotta give Rocco credit... the guy is old (for a golfer...) and hung in there with the best in the world. I keep hearing people say, "It would be nice for someone else to win for a change!" WHY? If he is truly the best he deserves to win so back off. Apparently he's going to take some time off now... which is definitely a smart decision... let that knee heal!

OK well that's all for today folks. I will post later this week, but I just had to give a shout out to my man Tiger. Peace.

Happy Dad's Day!

In honor of Father's Day... I wanted to post about how amazing my Father is...

My mom always said from the beginning that I was "Daddy's Girl", and I know everyone says that, but I truly was and still am. Here are the top 10 reasons why I love my Dad...

1. He spoils me to no end... it's seriously ridiculous. My poor brother...
2. He is SOOO smart... the biggest history buff you will EVER meet. I have learned SO much through him.
3. He loves my Mom - They've been married 30 years, and you can tell just by looking at them that they are still so in love. They have set such an amazing example for Brian and I.
4. He is a Godly man and loves the Lord with all his heart. He raised us in a strong Christian home.
5. He used to sing his version of whatever song he could think of to wake me up in the mornings for school... annoying then, but kind of funny now.
6. He loves sports cars... in grade school I can remember feeling "cool" because my dad always dropped me off in whatever sports car he had at the time. Ha.
7. He eats the icing off of EVERYTHING. It drives my mom crazy... ha.
8. He cannot sit still for more than 5 minutes at a time... he's constantly whistling, humming, singing, or tapping his feet... again... it drives my mom crazy.
9. He leaves notes for my mom in the mornings just to say "Good Morning" or "I love you" and always draws this strange little man with glasses and a bald head... you'd have to see it, but it's so cute. I guess it's his version of him... pretty accurate really. haha.
10. He treats Brian like his own son.

So there you have it... my Dad is the best! I made him his Father's Day present last night. (I took pictures last night and uploaded them on my computer this morning to post, but of course my computer froze... I tried.) I basically just made a big scrapbook page with pictures and sayings and framed it. I think he'll like it.

Everyone give your Dad an extra hug and kiss this weekend... they have earned it! Have a good weekend!

OK OK ALREADY!

OK! I'm posting! Look Gretchen, Val, and Chelsea!! I've heard from all of you several times. I am sorry for my lack of blogging. I hope you can accept my sincere apology.

I went and visited Val the weekend before last... (wow it has been awhile since I've posted... ha!) Thanks again to Val and her family for their hospitality. Val's blog gives a recap of the whole weekend, so you can check that out instead of me repeating what she has already stated. Bottom line... it was TONS of fun and I'm SO glad I went. I have a few pictures of Val, Morgan, and myself that I still need to load. I forgot my flipping memory card at home so I could only take like 10 pictures. I'm seriously cursed when it comes to cameras. Pisses me off. I FINALLY got to meet sweet baby Scarlet! She's so adorable that for a minute there it made me want a baby... but only for a minute. NOT YET. It was so great to see Jac and Robert. It's been entirely too long and it makes me sad that we are so far apart. Thanks for having me! VAL... your turn to come visit me... and you better before you leave the flipping country!

So what's been going on lately... hmmm... We were actually in town for the first weekend in FOREVER last weekend. It felt amazing NOT to have plans. Friday night Brian's mom and step dad were in town for a short visit. We went out to dinner and had a little celebration for Brian's birthday since we never got to celebrate it. I got him a playstation 3... he was so excited and has played it every night since... what was I thinking? Ha... just kidding. Saturday we said bye to his parents and went and met up with Gretchen and Justin and some people at a bar out in the country. Justin's parents were celebrating their anniversary. Sunday we got a round of golf in and then just laid around.

This weekend... no real set plans except that Brian and I are going to the Cards game on Saturday afternoon. I got some really good tickets through work. We haven't been to a game in a month or so... I'm excited. Sunday is Father's Day of course... we are having the family out to our house for a brunch type thing. I haven't gotten my dad anything yet... I have no clue what to get him... any suggestions??

Wish Brian luck... he's got his LAST test tomorrow afternoon and then he's officially firefighter certified! YES!!

OK well I MUST get back to work... I will post with pictures here in a few days... hold your horses. Bye for now!

Say Hello to My Little Friend

We FINALLY got it!!!! I love it! It is seriously the best car I've EVER driven. So much fun and flipping fast. It looks small but the inside has plenty of room... even my husband and his long chicken legs can fit in the back... amazing I know. Enjoy the pics!

A bit of a recap - Chelsea's weddings was SO much fun. Friday night we had a BBQ at Alec's parents house, and just as the night was winding down and everyone was ready for bed we get a call that there is "something" picking us up at 10:30 to go out. So we all hurried and got ready. A hummer limo picked us all up from the hotel and took us to downtown Dallas. We had so much fun, but I'm not going to lie, I was exhausted by the time we got home (3:30am). Apparently I'm getting old and can no longer stay out that late. Her rehearsal dinner was awesome and the wedding was perfect. Chelsea did A LOT better than I thought she would :) She only cried in the beginning! I wish them all the best...

I'm headed to Dallas after work today... I will be staying with Val. No huge plans for the weekend yet except for Scarlet's first bday! :) Oh yes AND we are going to see Sex and the City at some point. Brian is headed to Houston for Bart's wedding (friend from high school). This will be the first time we've been away from each other since we got married... kinda strange but I'm sure we'll be fine.

In other news: GRETCHEN IS GETTING MARRIED! She and Justin got engaged last week! Her ring is absolutely gorgeous and if you're lucky maybe she'll post some flipping photos on her blog. She asked me to be her Matron (spelling?) of Honor! I couldn't be happier... I can't wait to help one of my longest and best friends plan her wedding.

Ok well I've it's 8:15am and I haven't done a bit of work yet. Guess I'd better get on that. Everyone have a good weekend and I'm so excited that I get to see most of you on Sunday! :)

My bad...

Wow... so it's been FOREVER since I've posted. My bad. Swamped at work as always, and my blogging is definitely not the first thing on my mind when I get home at night, I must be honest.

So we went to Abilene ... It was SO much fun. So great to see everyone, but also strange at the same time. I can't believe it's been a year since we've graduated. I do admit that I miss college... and even Abilene, but I wouldn't trade the life that Brian and I have made for ourselves for any of that. It was so nice going back there as a married couple... I can't describe it. It was just nice. Jerica looked beautiful of course... so happy for them.

Headed BACK to Texas this weekend to see my bestest friend get married :) I absolutely cannot wait... we fly out Friday morning (off work on Friday... yessss!!) and fly back on Monday. I actually forgot my camera when we went to Abilene, but I PROMISE not to forget it for this. Chels... I love you - I cannot imagine two people that deserve happiness more. I AM SO EXCITED! I get more nervous for other peoples weddings than I did for my own... so strange. I'm also way more emotional. The morning of our wedding I was so calm it scared me. I didn't even cry until Brian did... At Jacci's wedding... SO NERVOUS and I balled like a baby... same for Jericas wedding. So Cheslea... hate to tell you this but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be a mess. haha. The weekend AFTER this weekend we are actually headed to TX again. Brian is going to Houston for Bart's wedding... he's a groomsman, and I'm headed to Dallas again to hang out with my good friend Val Goode. Mojo will be in town as well so it should be a lot of fun. Again... I promise not to forget my camera this time.

I should be getting my car ANY DAY now! If it doesn't come in tomorrow then we'll just have to wait to pick it up until we get back from Chelsea's wedding. I feel like I've waited forever for this car!

OK well I have to get back to work. Brian and I have lots to look forward to these next couple of weeks... I LOVE that. Makes it easier to wake up in the mornings that's for sure. Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy your day off! :)

A-Town!!

Abilene here we come! I'm sitting at work (it's 7:30am mind you... blah)... and I can hardly sit still because I'm SO excited about heading back to A-town. I have missed everyone SO much! Brian is off the whole day... boo... so he will be coming to get me arounD 11:45 and we are off to the airport! Yesssssss. Val Goode will be our transportation for the weekend, and for that I am very greatful :)

Short post I know but expect pictures when we return! Congrats in advance to Chandler and Jerica!! Love you guys and I'm sure it will be a beautiful wedding. Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

The Econmy and Steel Prices

Now doesn't that just sound like a riveting title?? I know you just cannot WAIT to read about what I have to say about the economy and steel prices! Trust me, I wouldn't be talking about, but I have found that lately it is effecting my life directly. I work for a company fabricates steel tubing (sounds strange I know), but steel prices have gone up like 110% since I started working here, and it's REALLY effecting our business. Stinks. They actually laid a couple of people off in the plant, and another lady up front. I'm actual doing accounting on top of my normal job (sales, marketing) to cover for the lady that they laid off. The bright side? Well... being that I'm the newest one to the company they should've let me go... however... my boss informed me that he thinks I have some very valuable skills that are an asset to the company. Makes you feel good :) I know the business will be fine... they've gone through these types of increases before, but it's still a bit scary. And gas prices... holy cow... all I can say is thank goodness I'm getting my Mini!

Tonight I'm meeting my parents, my brother, and my grandpa and his wife for dinner. My grandpa missed out on the bday celebration we had for my dad last weekend so I think he feels bad and wants to take him out for dinner with us all. Fine by me! I bought Juno and Cloverfield yesterday at Target... we'll probably go home and watch those afterwards. Nothing like a good movie and a blanket to cuddle up next to the one you love :) Saturday we are going to the Cards/Astros game with Gretchen and Justin. REALLY excited about that. It's a day game, and the weather is supposed to be like 65 and sunny... sounds good to me!

Side note: I just had some spicy soup for lunch... killer heartburn right now... ouch. What am I, like 75???? Geesh.

We go to Abilene the weekend after next!! Our bestest friend Val Goode is picking us up from the airport and then we are trekking it to A-Town. (JACCI YOU SHOULD RIDE WITH US PLEEEEEEEEEAAASSSSEEEE????? ) Then Chelsea's wedding is Memorial Day weekend. Cannot WAIT for that. I'm SO happy for her and Alec... they are the greatest couple and they deserve all the happiness in the world. Love, love, LOVE her family and cannot wait to see all of them! Love you Chels!

So I have a PDF file of the proof of our wedding album (turned out AMAZING... I LOVE our photographer...) and I'm wondering if there is anyway I can post it on here??? Any advice let me know... I would love to share with you all!

K... back to work for the remainder of the day. Everyone have an amazing weekend!! Jac and Mer... you guys are going to have SO much fun! Take lots of pics!

My Mini

Hope everyone had a great weekend... I sure did!! We ordered our NEW CAR!!! yayayayay!! We are selling the Mustang, and this weekend we just put an order in for a brand spanking new Mini Cooper S!!! I'm so excited. It's one of those cars that's so ugly it's cute you know? Plus... it gets incredible gas mileage and it's super speedy. We are so excited. It won't be here for like 6 weeks though. They make them over in Oxford and have to ship them over here. So... let's just hope these next 6 weeks FLY by! I'll take TONS of pictures when it comes in I promise! I'm not looking forward to the car payment part, but hey gotta grow up sometime right? Plus Brian and I have NO credit what so ever, so this will be a good way for us to get some. Especially if we every plan on buying a house. I've never had a credit card... can you believe that? Weird I know.

Brian woke up last week in the middle of the night with a horrible toothache. SO... at 4am we drove to my parents house because my Dad usually has a stash of pain pills for emergencies. He went to the dentist the next day and found out he had a horrible infection and would need a root canal! Now... if you know my husband, you know that he is DEATHLY terrified of the dentist. HATES going. So... yesterday he went in to have it done. He was under PLENTY of sedatives so I don't think he felt much during the procedure but afterwards he was in a lot of pain. Poor baby... he feels better today thank goodness... I'm ready to have the old Brian back!! haha...

I cannot WAIT for May!! We are going to Texas practically every weekend it feels like and I couldn't be happier! I cannot wait to see all of my friends again and catch up! I feel like it's been SOOO long! I miss all of you so flipping much!! I feel like I've missed out on so many showers and birthdays and bachelorette parties already ... I'm just ready to get down there! :)

On a side note: My mom was talking to my grandpa last night (he's in a nursing home now) and he was just so out of it. The director of the nursing home called her later and told her that he was refusing to eat or take his medications. It's like he is completely giving up on life. Normally, this would be a happy time knowing that he is about to go spend eternity with our Father, but my grandpa is not a Christian. Every time anyone has tried to speak with him about it, even lately, he won't have any of it. So anyway... keep him and our family in your prayers. I think these next couple months could be a bit rocky...

I hope everyone has a GREAT week! The countdown to Friday continues...

Young Life

Hello all. Yet another rainy day here in Missouri. Pretty sure you have all watched on the news, but we've had quite a problem with flooding lately, and it's not going to get any better if it doesn't stop raining like it has been. On a good note... it's making everything green again!


Brian and I have been looking for a way for us to grow together in our faith and also some way to minister to others. Well... we have recently just got plugged in to Young Life (plugged back in for me...) All through high school I went to Young Life and absolutely LOVED it. I'm sure some of you have heard of Young Life, but if you haven't it is basically a place where high school kids can come and be KIDS, while being introduced to Christ. It takes a lot of dedicated people to keep a nationally recognized non-profit organization like Young Life going. My parents joined the committee for our area soon after I graduated college and have been helping out ever since. My Young Life leader in high school was a woman by the name of Tonya. She absolutely without a doubt had the most significant impact on my adolescent life. She was the most amazing friend and mentor. She is no longer involved with Young Life (she has 4 kids of her own), but to this day I still call her my "Young Life leader". We still talk regularly and she is constantly checking up on me to see how I'm doing. It's WONDERFUL having such an amazing follower of Christ in my life to look up to. Oddly enough, she works at the Vineyard where Brian and I got married so we got to plan my wedding together :) God works in mysterious ways.

With all of that said, I really hope to become that sort of influence in some girl's life like Tonya was in mine. It will take lots of time and commitment, but I think Brian and I are ready for something like this. I am by no means a perfect person, but I think even lending an ear and telling someone that God loves them can be enough. Just BEING THERE.

So... keep Brian and I in your prayers the next couple of months as we train to become Young Life leaders.

Tomorrow is Friday! That will put a smile on anyone's face...

Foggy London Town

Ok so I apologize for being such a slacker when it comes to posting our London pictures. I assure you have tried, but I've been swamped at work, and my stupid computer at home refuses to work. With that said... here is a recap of our amazing London adventure...

Where to begin? We were only there a week but it felt like so much longer. We crammed so much sight seeing into each day it was ridiculous... necessary but ridiculous. We saw everything there is to see in London and then some. It was so amazing have Brian's Nana there with us. She told us so many of her stories from the war and showed us all of the places that were important to her. I'm so thankful that we have someone like that in our lives. She is a plethera of history and information. Every day thousdands of WW2 surviors die and we don't even realize it. It's sad that we don't take advantage of all of their knowledge because soon they will all be gone. There is so much amazing history to be seen and learned in London. Walking through Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral alone were absolutely breathtaking. (Also a bit creepy beacause there are tombs of kings, queens, writers, war heros, etc. everywhere)

We did our fair share of pub crawling as well. Brian's younger brother Brad was stoked because the drinking age is lower over there. You can't walk five steps without running into a pub. They are everywhere and so cool looking. (I've got my fill of beer for awhile I can tell you that much) I'm not sure I quite understand their appetites over there though. Obviously tons of fish and chips, lamb, pork, tuna, and some other wierd stuff. I was definitely ready to come back to american food after a whole week of it.

The Imperial War Museum was probably one of my absolute favorite things about London. So many cool things to see. The best was the Holocaust Exihibit. I think I had chills the entire time walking through that. Some of the things I saw made me physically ill to look at, but it happened and we don't ever need to forget that.

It was definitely a long and tiring week (my feet still have blisters from walking so much) but I would LOVE to go back again someday. A week is not nearly enough. I'm so thankful we were given the opportunity to go...

Here are a few of my favorites from the week. I will post all of them on facebook once I can figure out my stupid computer at home.

Buckingham Palace

Picadilly Circus... it was like a mini Times Square

This is the Pub where Brian's Nana and Grandad first met...

Above: Big Ben and the houses of Parliament

The London Eye... a.k.a... one HUGE ferris wheel... great views up there. A bit scary though.

Picture Above and Below... Tower of London...

Westminster Abbey

Above: Me at the place where Nana stayed after her house was bombed during the war.

All of us, minus Brian, at Windsor Castle... the Queen stays here most weekends.

Inside of the Swan and Bottle... another pub.

Ok well that will have to do you for now because I have to get back to work. I'll post the remaining 300 pics on Facebook. ha! One more story before I sign off... So we were walking down the streets of Picadilly Circus. It's really like New York... people walking on the streets everywhere. WELL... I put my arm out and locked it with Brian's so I wouldn't lose him when I hear "ELLO LOVE!" It was some HUGE drunk scottsman... definitely NOT Brian. Scared the crap out of me, but then I couldn't stop laughing. Moral of this story... look before you grab your husbands arm.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!