Thanksgiving.

First, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving! Even if you don't celebrate, I still hope it was a fabulous day for you :)

This Thanksgiving is a little different from the ones in my past.  With marriage comes more decisions.  When I was younger, there was no question I would go with my dad and sister down to my Mamaw's house in London.  When she passed away, my aunt took over.  Now, I have twice the family to celebrate with! What a blessing!

My day began early.. as in 1:30am cutting up apples for a crock-pot breakfast for my in-laws.  My MIL had to work last night and I knew she would be busy preparing dinner so I decided to take care of breakfast for them.  Around 8:30am we drove over with the crock-pot and a few buckeyes in hand and ended up staying for most of the morning.  We took Porter over so they could watch him while we went down to London with my dad.  He picked us up around noon today and we drove down for a regular Garrison Thanksgiving! Over the years, the location has changed, but the events and people have not.  The real surprise was we got to sit outside to eat! It was only slightly chilly, but only when there was a breeze.  My uncle came outside to sit with us and we got to listen to his stories about teaching.  You know how much I love listening to people's stories! He thought he was boring us, but I could have listened to him all day.  He even enlightened us with the definitions of "bum," "moocher," and "freeloader"...  the definitions of which he carries around with him in his wallet.  Oh how interesting my family is! Afterward we rode back to my in-laws house so my dad and sis could see Porter.  My sis hadn't seen him yet since she lives so far away for school.  We stuck around, ate dinner again (and pie!!) and made plans for tomorrow. 

So some traditions have remained, but new ones are being made.  Matthew and I were able to spend our entire Thanksgiving together, something we did for the first time last year when we got engaged.  Before that we would stay with our own families for the holiday.  We also have Porter this year.  He really enjoyed his time with his grandparents (lol) and playing with their border collie Riley.  Another tradition in the making is "black Friday" shopping tomorrow with my MIL, GIL (grandmother in law... I totally made that up...), and possibly SIL.  Wish me luck!

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Day 7.

Day 07: A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.

 My daddy :)  He's so great and has really made me the person I am today. There is nothing I could ever do or say to him that could show my love and appreciation for everything he does for me. He's an inspiration and a person I strive to be like.

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Mother's Day.

 Happy Mother's Day!!!

I have been very blessed in the "mom" department. I realize the relationship between my mom and I has been a little rocky here lately, but it doesn't change the fact that she is my mom and she still deserves my respect and appreciation. This is typically a busy day for me. Not only do I have my mom to celebrate with, I also have a step-mother, almost mom, and future mother-in-law! I am so grateful to have gotten closer to my step mom in the last year. She really is a strong woman who works hard for her family. Nina is another "mom" to me. Legally we are not related, but she is definitely a mother figure in my life. She watched me grow up for seven years during her relationship with my dad. That's something we can't just forget about! I am so thankful to have her! Last but not least is my wonderful future-mother-in-law. I can't believe how easily she accepted me into her family! She tells me so often she is so glad I'm going to be her daughter. How sweet is that?! No evil mother-in-law for me! Like I said, I have been so blessed with these wonderful and strong women in my life. I hope to grow up to be at least half the women they are!!! I can never express how much they mean to me.

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Whirlwind.

These past few weeks have been, well, interesting to say the least.  There has been so much going on, I feel like I'm drowning.

I guess the first major thing is just disappointment.  I have this in a few areas of my life right now, but I guess the biggest one is family.  As you know (if you read my last post) my cousin was in the hospital.  Turns out she is ok, and she got to go home yesterday.  The only thing was I had to take her home, which happens to be an hour and a half from Lexington.  Since I'm the only family member in Lexington, everyone expected me to be the one to visit her everyday and check on her and report back.  Usually I wouldn't mind, but like everyone else I have things I have to do as well, like that little thing called being a grad student.  I don't want to sound like I was inconvenienced by having to take care of her. It's not that at all.  I just wish I would have had more help.  And not my mom is lying to me about her childish games.  It's all just so frustrating.  I mean, who can you trust if you can't trust your own mother??

Another disappointment is with some of my classmates.  There has been a lot of drama in our group.  Basically, we are all separated out into different "cliques" and it really sucks.  I hear what some people are saying about other people, and I can't help but wonder what is being said about me behind my back.  I'm so sick of it all. We are in grad school people.  Is the middle school drama really necessary??  I don't think so.  The good news is that I'm getting to know other people (the ones who DON'T talk about other people) better.  I think this is a really good move for me.

To add on to everything, I just don't feel safe where Matthew and I are living right now.  Our landlord installed security cameras in the parking lot, which should technically make me feel better, but the fact that there is a reason for them freaks me out.  Cars have been getting broken into a lot lately, including multiple attempts into Matthew's truck.  His alarm has gone off a few times.  There are also some scrapes on his tires like someone tried to slash them.  And yesterday he noticed where someone tried to put something inside his door to hit the unlock button.  There are scrapes in the pain on his door, and the lining around top part of the window is pushed down as if they had something pushed in there as leverage to hold the gap open.  His console on his door where the buttons are was pushed up and cracked.  I think they were after his stereo, so thankfully we figured out how to get the faceplate off.  Hopefully that will help prevent future attempts.  There was also an armed robbery on campus a few days ago.  I'm just SOOO ready to get out of Lexington. We are looking at Versailles and Nicholasville right now as possible future homes.

So anyway, this is what my world has been like for the last week or so.  Right now Matthew is making a late-night run to Meijer to pick up some groceries.  I got a starter for Amish cinnamon bread over Easter, and I thought we had everything to make it so I sent out an email to my classmates asking who all wanted a starter.  So now I have at least two people expecting a starter and I didn't have the stuff for it.  Bless his heart he is so good to me.  He went to Kroger first, but they closed early for inventory. Go figure.  At least he will get some yummy bread out of the deal!

Ugh. Here's hoping next week is better!!!!

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Stories.

My biological grandparents all lived in London while I grew up in Frankfort (for those unfamiliar with KY, it's roughly an hour and a half away).  For this reason, I did not really know my grandparents.  My paternal grandfather died before I was born, and my maternal grandfather passed when I was maybe 3 or 4. My paternal grandmother passed away almost 10 years ago, and my maternal grandmother passed about 2 years ago.  I think back on the little time I had with them growing up (a week during the summer, holiday visits) and wish I had more stories to tell that they had told me.  Honestly, I can't remember their stories.  This makes me very sad that I have no legacy to pass on to my children about their great-grandparents.

Because of this, I am trying to truly appreciate the family I do have.  My mom's cousin practically raised her, and is like an aunt to me.  She had surgery a few weeks ago, went home, and is now back in the hospital for an infection.  There is also talk of a possible stroke she may have had during her surgery. She has been through so much (Spina Bifida, leukemia, 16+ surgeries) and is so strong. I only wish I could be half the woman she is.  She is at UK hospital, and since I am the only family member in the area, everyone else depends on me to check in on her.  I walked over to the hospital after class and sat with her for a few hours.  We just talked.  And it was nice.  Later on, I came back and brought Matthew.  We were there for an hour and a half just listening to her stories.  A few minutes into a story about her father on his farm, and I realized I needed to pay attention, to memorize the story, the look on her face... everything.  It was obvious she enjoyed telling her stories as much as we enjoyed listening to them.  She told us all about the animals they had on the farm, all of their "playhouses," all the perils they faced but were completely unaware of at the time (They lived out in the country where copperhead snakes are everywhere).   It was sad to leave her for the night, because I could tell she really just wanted someone to talk to and keep her company. 

I'm beginning to realize that everyone has stories to tell, and every story should be heard, regardless of who is telling them.  Through her stories I can learn more about not only her childhood, but the childhood of my mother, and I can learn about my grandmother (her aunt).  I look forward to visiting her again, and learning more about my heritage.

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The shred and 3 kings.

I started the shred yesterday.

I would love to tell you that I made it all the way through the 20 minutes without even breaking a sweat... but that would be lying, and lying is bad (or so I've been told).

I made it a quarter of the way through the video.

(I said "quarter of the way" because that sounds WAY more impressive than if you do the math to realize that I actually did not make it very far)

(Now I'll give you a second to calculate how long I lasted. Yeah, I know you're doing it and can't leave my "quarter of the way" be)

So we are now on the same page right? I made it a whopping five minutes before throwing in the towel. The first two minutes were warm-ups, so stretches and jumping jacks. Jumping jacks suck, but I can handle them. The next (and my last) three minutes were strength training. It consisted of alternating between push-ups (UGH) and squat/pushes. Since I did not have my hand weights with me, I used a can of green beans and a can of peas. Yeah, go ahead and laugh. I'm sooo not laughing today though because I feel like my arms are going to fall off. Can we say ZERO upper body strength? I could only do five of the push-ups or so (and the girly ones at that) before just sitting and staring at the television. Even when I was in shape with martial arts I hated push-ups.

I think we have now officially established that I am a weakling, and severely out of shape. I didn't shred today, but I did climb four flights of stairs, so that should count for something right?

In other news, I went to my church's Christmas play last night. The kids performed "3 Wise Men and a Baby." Two of the youth (my stepbrother included) and the music minister were the Wise Men, but the kids filled the rest of the roles. They put a spin on it though. Instead of just being three regular kings, our kings consisted of Elvis (the king of rock n roll), Michael Jackson (the king of pop), and James Brown (the king of soul). My stepbrother was Michael. They all did a fantastic job. I'm so proud of them!




Here are some videos I took. The first one is during the play. I know it is difficult to understand exactly what they are saying, but it is entertaining nonetheless. The second video is from after the play. The guys were just goofing off.

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Exhausted

I'm worn out!

I went to London today to visit with some of my mom's family. I had a blast, but it was definitely exhausting. I'll post pics after my stepdad sends them to me.

So the family officially knows now, and my mom was quick to post it on facebook! Who would have thought she would almost beat me to it!

OK, random and short post, but I'm tired and still have a ton of homework to do. Goodnight!

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Pictures and more

It has been over 24 hours since Matthew proposed, and I'm still not sure it has sunk in yet! I have had fun putting together the wedding website all morning though (even though we haven't set a date, venue, theme, colors, etc. haha).

I promised pictures, so here you go :)

So what do you think? Did he do good? My dad took some of us together last night, but I can't get a hold of him to email them to me. I'll put them up when I get them. I took these with my phone, and they turned out better than my camera pics did...

I am so happy right now, but there is one thing bothering me. That one thing is known as my sister.

I knew she was upset because her friends were getting engaged and she isn't. Well, when Matthew proposed, I wanted to tell my family. I knew she would be a little bummed, but I had hoped she would be ok or at least put on a happy face for me (I would have totally faked happy for her and hidden any sadness, etc, just for her sake). I was wrong. She ended up leaving, crying. She did not want me to tell my dad, Nola, and my stepsiblings because she "didn't want to hear about it all day" since she went up there today. She canceled plans we have had for two months to help Nina put up a Christmas tree because she "can't handle the excitement right now, it's just too much." I understand how she is feeling, but she is "raining on my parade" so to speak. I'm telling family on Sunday, and she will be there. I want to be the excited blushing bride I am expected to be, but I don't want to have her fussing every time someone brings it up. I want her to be happy for me, and I do not want to have to put up with her "it's all about me, my life sucks" attitude for the next year. Any advice? I don't know what to do....

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Thankful

First, I want to apologize for not giving my Wed. Hotness post as promised yesterday... I'm horrible, please forgive me...

Now that that is out of the way...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I did. I have sooo much to be thankful for. I am thankful for a loving and caring God who blesses me on a daily basis, even when I don't deserve it. I'm thankful for my friends, both here with me and my wonderful bloggy friends. I'm thankful for my huge, but fantastic family which is continuing to grow. I am thankful for a beautiful day to spend with Matthew, his family, and my family.

I have been concerned over the past few weeks that this holiday season would be miserable. The main reason for that is I have not had a holiday season without George since I was 7. Putting up the tree tomorrow and finding the ornament I made with his pawprint years ago is going to be hard. Luckily, Matthew has made it so that I will never look back on this season with only sadness. He has given me something to look forward to.

This morning, he took me to Cove Springs before going to his parents for dinner. We walked down one of the trails to the same place we shared our first kiss. After re-enacting that kiss, he grabbed my hand and said "well, since I have you here..."

He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I couldn't answer at first. He stood up, and I just grabbed him in a big hug and cried! Of course I said yes. We could hardly get the ring on my finger because he was so nervous and I was too busy crying. It was the perfect moment and the perfect proposal; even better than I imagined it! It was also so much fun telling our families!

In case you are wondering, he did get THE ring :) The same one I posted about earlier. I LOVE it! I will put pics up a little later.

I still have some family to tell on Sunday, so if we are friends on facebook, please do not put anything on there until I do. I want to surprise them, and they are on fb.

So tell me about your Thanksgiving. How was it? How much time did you spend in a turkey-induced coma? haha No matter what you did, I hope it was a fantastic day :)

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Trip

Tonight, Matthew and I are making a trip to see my dad and Nola. We literally decided to go around 3:30 today, but I really need to go. He is currently in Frankfort working on computers, and I have no clue when he will be home, but whenever that is is when we will leave. So right now I'm working on paper 1 of 4 due next week (eeeks!!) and hoping to get at least this one finished tonight. It is my cultural paper (Thanks Raji!!!) and it isn't difficult. I would rather be doing something, anything, other than homework though lol.

I'm feeling really sick over this job situation. I want to talk to Nola because she always has an honest opinion and will tell me what I NEED to hear, not necessarily what I want to hear. It isn't often that I actually need that, but right now is one of those times. I almost feel like I am spending so much energy on making sure other people are happy that I don't have enough left for myself. Does that make sense? Oh well.

At least I will get more pics of Oscar this weekend :) I'll be sure to post whatever I do take. I bought him another toy yesterday (as if the dog doesn't have enough!) and I can't wait to watch him play with it!

Alright, enough procrastinating. I need to finish this paper!!!

PS Less than a week until we see lots of shirtless hunks New Moon!!!

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Cakes

This summer I felt like being creative for my Dad's and my sister's birthday. I decided to make them cakes... but not just any cakes. Take a look for yourself:

My dad is a big cornhole player. He made his own boards and everything. If you don't know what cornhole is, I have put a video at the end of this post so that you may educate yourself.




It was my sister's 21st bday so I figured a margarita glass was appropriate. I know it looks more like a wine glass... just work with me here.

A close up. I used rock candy across the top for the "salt"
The table-scape.

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Starting Over

I apologize for my absence over the last week and a half although I'm sure you all understand. It has been an adjustment getting use to George being gone... but I'm slowly working through it and each day gets a little easier.

A couple of other things have happened over my absence.. some good, some not so good, but such is life. I had my last day at DAQ on Friday. My coworkers threw a little party for me! It was very sweet of them. They tried to make all the food healthy and low calorie for my weight loss (up to 10lbs now in 6 weeks!)...(although someone still snuck in chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles... not that I'm complaining). They all signed a card and everything. Unfortunately I was not there for the entire day as my mom was put in the hospital the night before. When it rains it pours. She is ok, but is having surgery on Tuesday to remove a huge kidney stone. I'm glad I am finished with work so I don't have to miss anything to be there with her.

On a happier note, Matthew starts classes tomorrow! Can you believe it? I made a run to Meijer with the Bestie to pick up notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, etc. as well as snacks for him to keep in his bookbag. He will be working during the day then going straight to class after work. I think it will be a total of 11 hours from start of work to end of class. I know he can do it. We have a wager going on to see who will get the most A's. Usually when we have an evening out it is full of indecisiveness with one wanting the other to decide what to do.... so for our bet, the loser has to completely plan a night out for the other! I think it is pretty good incentive, and we are both fairly competetive. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes :)

I have a ton of pictures to share, so I will try to get to those by the end of the week.

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Bring on the Popcorn and the hunks :)

I have much to share today, so where should I start? Hmmm...

Guess I'll start with George (of course haha). His vet appointment this week didn't go as well as the others. Don't worry, he's ok... but he managed to leave his mark on a couple of assistants and my arm as well. The meds are working, but we still have to up the dose because they aren't working well enough. Go figure.

This week/weekend is full of movies:

• The Hangover. OMG... this movie... I'm pretty much speechless about it. It was hilarious, but it was also quite disturbing at parts. I saw certain things that I never, ever needed to see. (FYI.. Bradley Cooper is totally gorgeous in this movie. Just sayin ;D )
  
• Paul Blart Mall Cop. Matthew and I saw this in theatres a while ago, and we caught it on Blu-Ray for really cheap the other night. My Twilight BD was getting lonely :) It is a really cute movie, so if you haven't seen it you totally should.
• The Proposal. The Bestie and I had a girl's night last night which entailed dinner at Friday's, shopping at Gordmans, lots of girl talk, and The Proposal. The theater was packed! We were disappointed that the New Moon trailer wasn't shown (as newmoonmovie.org had speculated...) but the movie was really good regardless. I laughed the ENTIRE time! Oh yeah, a hot Ryan Reynolds doesn't hurt either!
  
• Star Trek. You know that I have already seen this movie. Since tomorrow is Father's Day, I'm taking my dad to see it. He doesn't get to go to the movies very often, so it will be a treat for him :) And he is kind of a trekkie lol

I can think of worse ways to spend the hot summer weekend than in an air-conditioned theater laughing my butt off (or swooning over Chris Pine... whatevs). So what are you up to this weekend???

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It has been way too long

There are seriously not enough hours in the day! I get to work, and I actually HAVE to work :( And they monitor our internet so I can't blog at work. Totally sucks! By the time I get home, I have to take care of George and Matthew, then I'm ready to pass out and do it all over again the next day.

There wasn't much going on this week to blog about, so I have some pictures that I promised a long time ago.... sorry....


First, graduation pics. Me and the men in my life :)
Empty pockets and I have his wallet! Typical college grad!


Up next, the wedding last weekend.

Matthew and me. He cleans up nice ;)

Both the guys looked pretty good. Matthew loves him some Stefan!

The happy couple!!

So there you go. I hope you aren't too disappointed with my absence. Who would have thought that work would take up more of my time than school?!?

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Small Graces #7

Haven't done one of these in a while. Apparently I'm incapable of sticking to ANYTHING! haha oh well, here goes :)

1. Work is going very well. I'm usually exhausted by the end of the day, but it's well worth it to know I won't be broke all summer long!
2. I finally got to sleep in for the first time in a couple of weeks. I was completely drained, so I really needed it.
3. George is doing well on his meds. He hasn't had any side effects that I have seen to it, and he feels a little more solid than before. Hopefully that means he put on some weight. I will let you know next Friday when I take him to the vet.
4. Matthew and I spent yesterday evening with my family for my stepfather's birthday. We had a delicious dinner at Cheddars, and a little time at the mall before it closed. My stepbrother was in town from college, so it was good to get to see him too.
5. I finally was able to knock out some of my to-do list. I found a dress for the wedding I'm going to next weekend (although it needs some minor alterations) and a wedding present as well. I paid the bills, and gave George a bath. I'm so on a roll :)
   

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I did it!

I am officially a college graduate!

The evening went ok for the most part. My grandmother was not able to come down, but my aunt was able to come up, so that was cool. My feet were throbbing from being in heels all day, but there was a ramp to the stage instead of stairs so no worries there. The only really negative thing was that my name wasn't in the program, and they mispronounced my name when I walked across the stage, but I can get over that. I also had to shake hands with the professor that noticed me from behind last week lol

Overall, it feels good to be finished with this part of my life. It was wonderful to spend time with my family, and when I wasn't with them I was with Amanda. We really needed eachother today! I am very excited to see what happens now, and what kind of doors will open up.

*Pictures to come later :)

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A Little Humor

I have been feeling a little down the past week or two, and this fantastic weather had got me feeling much better! I also got another newsletter from my chiropractor this morning. It once again has very helpful/interesting information, so I wanted to share. The specific article I wanted to share is about laughter being the best medicine. I'm just going to copy and paste, since it is all so great! Thanks Dr. Sullivan :)

'Maybe The Best Form Of Medicine!'

Humor changes brain chemistry, releasing endorphins that increase our sense of well-being, improve our reasoning, and make us less sensitive to pain.

Laughter is a proven stress reducer. A good belly laugh both requires and improves deeper breathing and reduces muscle tension.

People who have joy in their lives are more likely to feel good about themselves. It also seems fairly obvious that having a sense of humor helps one cope with life's stressors and crises.

Humor can ultimately be used as a coping tool for almost any difficulty because it engages an increase in depth of breathing that relaxes, refreshes, and restores.

Laughter is powerless without breathing. Ever laugh till your eyes tiered or you outright cried? Do you titter or guffaw, smirk or chuckle, smile undiscernibly or yuck, yuck, yuck?

Humor makes life fun. Laughter is a primary release mechanism from tension. When ridiculousness' occurs and our breath releases, we can more readily see the beauty, joy, wittiness or intelligence and better accept unfamiliar or too familiar forms.

Even the gems of truth hidden in obscure, and blatantly obvious counterproductive points of view.

Breathing and humor can be a safety valve for the healthy release and expression of anger and other strong feelings and emotions.

Humor is mentally and physically good for everyone offering perspective and balance while providing temporary relief from the world's restrictive regulations.

Humor is a means of communication and creative expression. Humor affirms life and brings people together.

Humor is a way to express the truth even when the truth is feared. Humor is very beneficial in strengthening relationships.

It gives one a special perspective and sense of power. Humor also dispels anger and aggression and relieves tension.

Those of us that learn to find humor even in some of the grim realities and emotion-packed challenges of daily life have an edge on peace of mind.

Notice what happens with your breathing after you laugh a lot.

Your breathing slows down and becomes fuller and deeper. Your voice becomes more resonant

Just in case you have not laughed today, I have a story that should take care of that. Last Saturday, I went out with my dad and my stepmom and had my first margarita. Nola ordered first, then nodded that I should order the same thing, and I did. My dad ordered a drink as well, and the waitress looked at Nola and myself, and said these fated words... "OK, I need to see your all's ids." I hadn't thought about it, so I pulled out my license and showed her. Nola, on the other had, looks at her and says "I am 52 years old... I can't believe I just got carded! That is my daughter, and I left my purse at home." The waitress hesitantly accepted this, and settled for mine. Dad popped in with something like "why didn't I get carded?" and that started another discussion, but it was a very interesting night :) Hope this made you laugh and it wasn't just one of those "had to be there things".... that would be embarassing

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Plans

So today is not busy, but I do have a couple of things to do. First, I'm waiting on my mom to come down so I can take her to breakfast (yeah yeah, I know it's almost 11... who says breakfast is only for the morning anyway?). After that, she is going with me to get a quote on fixing my car. We had a storm last Thursday with a lot of wind. When I went out Friday morning, I noticed a metal folding chair laying on the ground between my car and the car parked next to me. I checked my windows and the side of my car and didn't find anything... at least not until I washed my car on Saturday. Once all the leaves and stuff were gone, I noticed a huge dent and scuff marks on my trunk the the top of my car right below and above the rear windshield. So I have to take it today to get a quote for my insurance, and hopefully get it fixed soon! Anyway, after all of that, I'm having dinner with a couple of girlfriends tonight. It should be fun!

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Newest member of the family

I drove down to London, KY yesterday to see my cousin and her newborn baby! He was born around 3pm on Monday, and is a spitting image of his mommy :) They both came home on Wednesday, and are doing fantastic.

I introduce to you, Triston Gabriel Lovett.

Now I have to go finish baking cupcakes and attempting to make homemade jelly cookies for a Twilight party tonight! Wish me luck....

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Birthday Pictures

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