Little Snippets of My Life

29 Gifts Challenge - Day 5

2010-01-12T06:22:00.000-08:00

(Again, you can read about the 29 Gifts challenge at www.29gifts.org)

One of the "rules" of the challenge is that if you miss a day of giving, you should start over, which is why I am only on day 5. I'm sure on the day that I missed that I gave something, but it wasn't good enough for me to remember, so I began the challenge again. I have to say that in the short time that I have taken on this challenge, I have felt a shift in attitude. Not only am I focusing on the positive things that I am doing for people, but I am more aware of the things that people are doing for me, as well as taking the time to do something for myself everyday.

One of the main things that I have learned so far is that in order to be considered a gift, I do not have to do anything extraordinary. A quote from the book says, "Grand gestures aren't necessary." I found myself trying to come up with "grand gestures" within the first few days, but then read that quote in the book and it changed my thinking. I also believed, within the first few days, that I could "map" out what my 29 gifts would be. However, I quickly came to realize that the gifts that are given in the moment are more rewarding, both for myself and the recipient.

I am excited by the possibilities that have come about from this 29 Gift challenge and I hope that I can get, at least, one person to take part as well.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a list of goals for myself for 2010. I have come up with 6 so far. I am hoping to come up with a couple more in the next few days. Here are the 6 that I have for right now:
1. Be a mommy :o) I already consider myself a mommy to my 2 cats and dog, but I am hoping for a human child this year ;o) We have been trying for some time with no luck, but I know that when God is ready, he will allow me to have a baby.

2. To do the 29 gifts challenge that I mentioned in my previous post. I started it on January 1st and it's amazing how different I feel already. I find myself looking for things to "give" to people and it has allowed me to recognize the things that I have received from others as well. The fact that not everything has to have monetary value is great too.

3. Pay off my car by September! I am pretty proud of myself. We purchased the Pilot in March and I have already paid off half of it! I have adjusted my spending (i.e. making coffee at home instead of buying it every morning; not getting lunch at work, but buying Lean Cuisines or bringing in leftovers) and have found the change to be fabulous. My car loan amount has gone down and our savings account has gone up!

4. Snail mail people more. Nowadays, we are quick to email someone or Facebook them, but how often do you get notes and cards in the mail from someone just having them say they are thinking of you?! I am hoping to do more of this!

5. I plan on finishing the numerous craft projects that I started in 2009, but didn't get around to finishing. Brian and I were married in 2008 and I haven't even started a scrapbook! Our honeymoon scrapbook is started, but not finished. Plus the other things that I put aside. It's time to get them done before starting any others!

6. Last, but not least, is I want to leave little notes and gifts for Brian to find. We work different schedules and don't see each other a lot, so I think it will be nice for him to know I am thinking of him even though we aren't around each other too much. I used to leave Post-Its on the door for him to get when he got home from work, but realized I hadn't done that in awhile, so it's time to do that again. He's a great husband and I want him to know it :o)

So, that's what I have so far!

Goodbye 2009...

2009-12-29T11:21:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that 2009 is coming to an end. In just a short couple of days, 2010 will be here! With a new decade upon me, I have been brainstorming a couple of ideas for New Years resolutions. I am not the type of person to usually do this, but I was inspired when I came across an article about a book called "29 Gifts" (you can read about the story here: http://givingchallenge.ning.com/) Seems like such a simple thing to do, but something that I could get a lot out of.

So, over the next couple of days, as I say goodbye to 2009, I will be thinking about goals that I would like to reach in 2010. For some reason, I just have a feeling, it's going to be one of my best years yet.

Bruins season has begun!

2009-10-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Must be Bruins season because it's Thursday night and I am home alone! Brian and his friend are at their first "real" Bruins game of the season and are in heaven. They are season ticket holders this year, so Bruins fever hit my home a little early this year. Whatever makes hubby happy!

I have actually had some downtime this week. I feel guilty when I have nothing to do, but tonight I am not in the mood to dwell on that. I am sitting on the couch, blogging, watching Rachael Ray, and listening to Charlie go to town on his bone. Thank God for dog bones...they give me 10 minutes of play-free time in my puppy filled life!

For about the past 6 months, Brian and I have been searching for a new home. We are planning on keeping the 2 family we own, renting out both apartments, and moving to a place all of our own. After many drive-bys, 15 showings, and lots of other stuff, we have put an offer on a place. This only took place yesterday and since it's bank owned, I am anticipating that we will have a bit of a wait. The place we live in now has served its purpose for the past 4 years, but we are ready to move on. We need more space, especially for Charlie who is growing bigger (it seems) everyday! The little 3 pound baby we brought home a little over 2 months ago has quickly turned into a 30 pound dog. The house has been taken over with toys, bones, dog crates, and the like. Because of this, we need a place before a human baby comes along, whenever that may be.

And while we are on that topic...yes, we are thinking about it; yes, we have been trying; and no, it hasn't been working. It used to bug the crap out of me when people would ask, "When are you getting married?" but that was nothing compared to, "So, when are you going to have a baby?" Experiencing the journey that we have been has made me realize just how personal a question that is and I wish people would really think about it before asking. But, it's a question like, "Nice weather we're having huh?" It's a way for people to start a conversation and they assume that everyone is able to get pregnant. My answer has been, and will continue to be, "We have a puppy that we are practicing with." God willing, we will have a baby one day, but for now we have 3 "furbabies" :0)

I better get ready to focus on the Bruins game on TV. I tend to do this for the games that Brian is at so that when he gets home and talks about it, I know what he's talking about! However, House Hunters is on HGTV, so I might just have to switch back and forth!

Thankful Tuesday

2009-09-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

I have done Thankful Thursdays before, but was feeling the need for a Thankful Tuesday!

I am thankful for:

1. My husband. He is always #1. He puts up with my new crazy schedule and although we have only seen each other for a few hours these past couple of weeks, he always tries to make the best of the time we have. Our relationship is an equal partnership, which is the way it should be! We both allow the other to be ourselves with no control whatsoever. For this, I am thankful.

2. My new part-time job! There are moments where I ask myself, "What were you thinking?" because of my new crazy schedule, but it's all been worth it! Although the job at the vet only pays $8 an hour, I am receiving a 50% discount on pet care, no charge visits, 35% discount on food, and have met some really nice people. I was looking for a change of pace in my day to day routine and this was the answer! Case in point...Charlie had a visit last week for 2 shots and a dose of Frontline. What would have cost arond $100, cost us only $32! Gotta love it!

3. Charlie (and Ollie and Sophie, but Charlie is the point here). Although there are many reasons why Charlie has made our life better, one main reason is because now that we are owners of a dog, a whole new world has been opened to us! Playdates galore, which means getting out there and meeting new people. And, I believe, that it has made us closer to Kat and Shawn because they have his sister. We have all agreed to get together once a week to hang out and let the pups play together. I have to remind myself sometimes that Kat and Shawn are family because they are so drama free that I forget sometimes! They are amazing!

4. My dad. Again, just like Charlie, there are many reasons to be thankful for my dad, but I am especially grateful for him these past few weeks. There have been many projects on our "to-do" list around the house for the past couple of years. When we returned from Florida, several of the items were done by my dad, which helped motivate us to accomplish the rest. He helped Brian build a rock wall in our front yard, gave me pointers on how to paint our front railings, and took Brian to The Home Depot to buy shutters. These small changes have had a big impact on not only our "to-do" list, but our home. He even emailed me this past weekend to ask if there was anything else he could help out with...man, I have the best dad!

5. Growing pains. I have felt myself changing in the past couple of weeks...or maybe even past couple of months. It is not always easy to change yourself, but there are things that I have noticed that need to be changed with myself, as well as how I deal with other people. One thing in particular...there comes a point in your life where you realize that you need to surround yourself with only people that make you feel good about yourself. This has proven to be difficult, as I can't get away from some of these people, so trying to find a balance with that has been hard, but I'm working on it. I'm learning that I don't always have to have the last say, that silence can speak louder than words, and that sometimes people just aren't who you thought they were.

So, those are the top 5 things that I am thankful for this Tuesday. What are you thankful for today?!

Is it really summer?!

2009-07-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

This summer has sucked. Period. The weather has been wacky...rain like you wouldn't believe...to the point where I have to remind myself that I live in New Hampshire and not Seattle, Washington. I have had enough of the water coming down from the sky. It's old...move on to another town that needs you.

Tomorrow is the last day of July. I can't believe it...I am in denial. Again...have I said...this summer has sucked?!

I feel like the past 2 months of my life have passed me by. While Brian and I are now the owners of a new puppy, Charlie...I feel like he is growing up right before our eyes. We have had him for 2 weeks and he has already doubled in size. I can't imagine how mothers of children must feel. I think I can somehow begin to relate what my sister is going through....her baby is no longer a baby...he no longer needs her help as much as he did. My animals are the only way that I can relate to people with children. I even found myself talking to the cashier girl at Target last night about Charlie teething (which is why I was buying $20 worth of teething treats and toys!). My arms look like I have been hurting myself...Charlie seems to find my skin more appetizing than his chicken filled tubes of rubber.

In 8 days, Brian and I are headed to Florida to meet our "new" niece. I say new loosely because she is already almost 4 months old. I am worried about being around a little baby. Something about them...their smell...their smiles...gives me baby fever big time. I can't wait to meet this little girl, as well as be able to visit with Adam, Holly, and Bryson. I miss them everyday and wish that we lived closer to each other.

So, in closing for this short little blog posting, I ask Mother Nature...is there anyway that you can extend summer to last through November? We kind of got jipped this year with spring lasting into July. If this happens, maybe then I might feel like my life isn't moving quite as fast and that my days aren't just blending all together.

Soon to be mommy of 2 cats and....a dog?!?!

2009-07-07T04:37:00.000-07:00

Ever since we got our 1st cat, Ollie, two and a half years ago, Brian has been talking about getting a dog. I kept saying that I wasn't ready...that I wanted to wait for a bigger house...blah blah. Six months after Ollie, we got our 2nd cat, Sophie. She is every bit a "scaredy cat" that you can get. The talk about getting a dog was brought up every now and then and I would still say, "I'm not ready"..."Our house is too small". Probably about a month ago, the topic was put on the table again and this time, it never really left. I found myself browsing PetFinder.com with Brian and I even did searching on my own at the local shelters. This time, I told him, "We aren't getting one unless it will get along with the cats and will be good with kids", and I said that I would research it for a bit since it was a big decision.

Fast forward to last Friday, the 3rd. I was browsing Craigslist in our area and came across a listing that was posted by a non-profit organization in Rhode Island called "Help Save One". When I clicked on their website and started browsing, I got tears in my eyes. The mission of this 2 women company is to save dogs/puppies/cats/kittens from high kill shelters in the south. Because people in the south do not have the money to spay/neuter their animals, there are an abundance of gassing shelters. (*tear). So, while scrolling through, I saw a listing for some lab puppies that were found in the woods in North Carolina. These little guys and girls were left without a mom to basically die in the woods. What is wrong with people?! How can you bring these puppies in the woods, leave them there, and expect that they will fend for themselves?! Besides upsetting me, it really pisses me off. These animals are born because their owners don't bother getting the adult animals fixed. And then they just dump them somewhere because they can't afford them. My opinion is that if you can't afford the animal, then you shouldn't have one to begin with. They're not toys or objects, they actually have feelings and all they ever want it to be loved. My cats are always waiting for me when I get home...they are always excited to see me. They roll around, wanting belly rubs and to be picked up and hugged. They never talk back to me...never give me attitude...never create drama. For anyone that has ever said, "It's just a cat" or "It's just a dog"...then you have never experienced what life is like with one.

All right...now that I went off my tangent...I'll focus a little more :O) So, our little 8 week old puppy is supposed to be arriving today. We came up with the name Riley, which was our favorite and we were 99% sure that was going to be his name. But then yesterday, I thought of Charlie (for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory) so that's my vote. Of course, Brian still likes Riley best, so maybe we will have to name him Chriley! We are planning on crate training him, so we set up his crate the other night...all cozy with towels and a pillow. Ollie thought it looked cozy too because that is where we have been finding him lately! I am anticipating that the cats will have a little bit of a tough time transitioning with a dog in the house. I know it will be hard for me because Ollie and Sophie have been my little babies for 2 years and for me to have to focus my attention on another one will be hard. But my hope is that the transition is smooth and that when we make it out on the other side, that Ollie, Sophie, and Riley/Charlie will all be cozy in the crate together :)

Today my life is about to change. I am nervous, but excited. Whenever you think about adopting an animal, please check out www.helpsaveone.org you will be so glad you did :)

3 MONTHS?!?!?

2009-05-21T05:20:00.001-07:00

Golly gee! I knew that I had been slacking on my blog, but 3 MONTHS?! Not like anyone actually reads this anyway, but I was surprised to see just how bad I had been slacking!

For the past couple of months, my husband and I have been in the process of checking out new houses. We already own a two family, that we have been living in for almost 4 years (4 years!) but are ready to have our own single family home, where we don't have to share walls with screaming tenants! The plan is to keep the 2-family, rent out both sides of the duplex, and for us to move into a larger house for ourselves. To this day, we have checked out a dozen houses or so, with no luck. We put an offer in on 1, only to be outbid and the others have just not been to our liking. Although we don't have a huge budget for this house, we both agree that we are not just going to settle for something that we could tolerate. We want to both walk into the house and know that it's for us. This will be the house that we plan on staying in for awhile, so I am going into it looking at how it will accomodate a family, as opposed to when we looked at houses the first time around and I was looking at it for just Brian and myself. I am researching the best neighborhoods, I know which school systems I would prefer, and am looking at yard space as well. Today we are going to check out 3 properties and I am actually quite anxious about it. I have a different feeling today than I did all of the other days we had showings scheduled. Something is telling me that one of these houses could be it. We shall see!

About a month or so ago, I was flipping through the channels and came across a Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals episode on the Food Network. I was glued from the second I started watching it and have since become my own little Rachael Ray. I have never been a big fan of cooking. Not that I didn't like it...I could go either way about it. We would have your typical chicken, rice, and vegetable for dinner and both of us were content. But then when I realized just how easy these recipes were to re-create and how quickly I could make a yummy meal, I was addicted! I have spent a lot of my free time at work scouring her website for recipes and looking through her magazines as well (I scored a full years worth of issues for $15 on EBay!). I have even started using terms such as EVOO and Yum-o. HA!

Well, the phone is ringing here at work, so I'm gonna answer it. I promise I won't let 3 more months pass before I blog again!

Visit to the Vet...Round 2

2009-02-07T18:09:00.000-08:00

What a week it has been with our cat, Ollie! The poor thing and his paw have made me so sad! Wednesday seemed to be a promising visit with the vet, as she said it looked as if his paw pad was still attached enough that it could grow back. However, in the past 2 days, the paw pad kept peeling and peeling and the toe pads have since cracked. Since our normal vet couldn't take us for an appointment until Monday afternoon, I decided to take Ollie to the emergency vet this morning. First of all...this vet was SUPER nice and I wish she was our vet all of the time! She just kept telling Ollie how cute he was and how she loved his face :) One look at his paw and she determined that she had to cut the large paw pad off and noticed that the smaller toe pads are going to fall off. She also mentioned that his paw felt really warm :( The poor thing! But I knew we were in the right place and he was going to be taken care of. So, the tech comes in and takes Ollie from me...it was actually hard to not be able to go with him. I just wanted him to have a familiar face with him. I was texting back and forth with Brian and my mom and they were trying to make me feel better about everything. And then, I heard it...Ollie screaming like I had never heard before. It was such an awful feeling and as much as I say, "He's just a cat", I think if you have ever owned an animal, you know how I feel!

Soon afterwards the tech brought him back all bandaged up and she told me that he was fine when they were cutting the pad, but when they got to putting the bandage on, he wanted nothing to do with it!

Here are some photos of Ollie with his bandage...and the one above just to show you the look of tiredness on his poor little face!

Adventures at the Vet's Office!

2009-02-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

Well, this week has been a little different for us. Our little boy cat, Ollie, was limping around the house on Wednesday morning. I checked out his paws and didn't see anything alarming, so I thought maybe he just got something stuck in one of them. That afternoon, he was still limping...not even putting any weight on his back leg, which is when Brian remembered Ollie jumping onto the still hot stove after he shut it off when making chicken for dinner. We checked his paws again and that's when we noticed the blistering and wrinkling of his pads. Not good! I didn't have time right then to take him to the vet because I had an appointment to get to and had to babysit right after, so I spent the time worrying about my little furry child.

So, I get home from babysitting and Brian and I decide to try to make a "home-made" cast for Ollie's foot. We get the Neosporin out, the gauze, some tape, and I instantly become a doctor. However, Ollie doesn't think this is too much fun and after some nipping at Brian (I made him hold Ollie!) we let him go with his new attachment. Except, Ollie isn't liking it too much and shakes his leg as hard as he can until the "cast" falls off. Hmmm...our plan didn't work.

I wake up yesterday morning and the poor cat is now jumping on 3 legs, which is quite impressive to watch, yet sad at the same time. I, again, check out the wound and his large pad is now peeling off, with 2 of the smaller ones looking like raisins. Man...this guy got himself good! I call the vet and make an appointment for 3pm and am told that they might need to cut the pads off...geez louise, I think I could get sick at the thought of it!

The little boy is so pathetic...he climbed right into his carrier as if to say, "I'm ready for the doctor to fix me!" We arrive at the vet's office for his appointment and are taken into an exam room by one of the vet's assistants. She weighs him and takes his temperature, which is when I start asking her questions about the possibility of cutting "it" off (and by it, I mean the pad). Our conversation went something like this:

Me: "So, do you think that the vet will cut it off today if she thinks it looks bad?"
Assistant: "Well, we would only cut it off as a last resort. She will do everything she can before then to save it.
Me: "If she does cut it off, how is it done? With scissors or something?"
Assistant: "Oh no, it would be a surgery that he would have to be put under for."
Me: "Does something like that grow back?"
Assistant: "No, he will have a stub that will not grow bigger."
Me: "You're talking about his pad right? Because I'm talking about taking his pad off."
Assistant: "Oh...I thought you were talking about amputating his foot! HAHA!"

In hind-sight, this lady probably thought I was WACKO! Amputating his foot because of a burn? Cutting "it" off with scissors?! Asking if "it" would grow back...all the while she is thinking that I am talking about his foot!

Ollie and I walked out of the vet's office with some pain medication and antibiotics for him and an appointment for a follow-up next Thursday. The vet wants to see if the pad will heal itself before cutting it off...seeing as it could take Ollie up to 6 months to heal if she did that. So, we shall see...I am hoping next Thursday has a good outcome. And I hope that no amputations have to take place!

11 Rules to a Happy Marriage

2009-02-05T05:15:00.001-08:00

Ever since I have known Carolyn and Phil, they have had something titled "11 Rules to a Happy Marriage" framed and hanging above their kitchen sink. As many times as I have read it, it never really took on any meaning to me until now...since I am married! So, I thought I would share it:

1. Never both be angry at once.
2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
3. Yield to the wishes of the other as an exercise in self-discipline, if you can't think of a better reason.
4. If you have a choice between making yourself or your mate look good choose your mate.
5. If you feel you must criticize, do so lovingly.
6. Never bring up a mistake of the past. Your silence will be greatly appreciated.
7. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.
8. Never let the day end without saying, at least, one complimentary thing to your life's partner.
9. Never meet without an affectionate greeting.
10. When you've said or done something hurtful, acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness.
11. Remember, it takes two to get an argument going. Invariably, the one who is wrong will be doing most of the talking.

25 Random Things About Me!

2009-01-29T06:20:00.000-08:00

*I posted this on my Facebook page this morning and thought I would do it on here too! Enjoy!*

1. Brian and I have known each other since 7th grade French class with Mr. Boivin. We sat across the room from one another, but would write notes back and forth (he still has some!). We even dated for some time in high school.
2. I am obsessed with forensic science. I am constantly researching the topic and think it's bizarre that I am fascinated with true crime stories. Brian thinks I should take classes for it!
3. I make myself a to-do list every week. I take joy in crossing things off of the list as I complete them.
4. When I was younger, I never understood why my mom cleaned the house once a week. Now, a week doesn't go by that our house isn't dusted and vacuumed and that the bathrooms aren't cleaned.
5. I just started collecting Fiestaware dishes. I have been crazy about them since I was little (don't ask me why!) and looking at them on our new corner shelf in the kitchen makes me happy.
6. I love doing laundry...I just hate putting the clothes away after they are all folded!
7. I could eat pasta everyday for the rest of my life and never get sick of it. We could have a bare empty fridge, but there will always be a super sized parmesan cheese in there! If there isn't (for some strange reason) I will refuse to eat pasta, even if I already cooked it!
8. I have 2 tattoos. a pink hibiscus flower on my lower back and three stars with my wedding date in them on my right hip. I am already brainstorming on what I will get for my next one.
9. I really enjoy checking my email. People are amazed at how quickly I respond when they write to me.
10. I frequently compare things that happen in my life to episodes of Sex and the City...haha!
11. In 10 weeks, I am going to be an auntie of 3!
12. I HATE grocery shopping! I put it off as long as I possibly can!
13. I do the puzzles in the newspaper everyday. These include Sudoku, Wonderword, Cryptoquip, and the Crossword.
14. I get frustrated when I cannot figure out vanity license plates. If I look at it and can't figure it out, I can no longer look at the car because it makes me mad!
15. I dislike people that think that they know everything about everything! Honestly, it's okay if you are not knowledgable in every subject!
16. I just recently became addicted to watching Wheel of Fortune.
17. I am at Target at least once a week. My favorite thing to do is walk around and check out all of their clearance racks.
18. I have been working on and off at The Fruit Center for 11 years! Holy moley!
19. I can't wait until I am a mom. As much work as it is to be a parent, the thought of having a little person that is half me and half Brian is pretty incredible.
20. I don't go a day without talking to my mom and/or my sister. They're the best and I love that we're so close.
21. I give myself a manicure once a week (I'm due for one today actually!)
22. I can't stand watching sports on TV, but take me to a game and I fit right in with the other crazy fans!
23. I cut 12 inches off my hair about 5 years ago and donated it. As nice as that felt to do, I hated having short hair and I have vowed to myself that I will never cut that much off again!
24. I never use a debit card. I cash my paycheck. People think that I am weird, but then there are people that ask me to teach them my budget because it works really well.
25. I don't really like talking on the phone. I will do it with certain people, but I would much rather email or text. I know that sounds impersonable, but I can't really multitask while on the phone, so I have a hard time sitting still for the amount of time it takes to talk to someone!

Kids are great!

2009-01-15T04:30:00.000-08:00

I like spending time with my little friends, Alex and Sal. Alex is 7 (going on 25!) and Sal is 4. I have known the family since Alex was born and have babysat for them since then. It's nice to be able to text message their mom and ask her if she needs a babysitter because I could use the extra money and she will text me back with multiple dates to choose from (I usually say yes to all of them!).
Spending time with the kids allows me to be a kid for the few hours that I am with them. They teach me as much stuff as I think I teach them and it reminds me just how great kids can be.
Alex was the flowergirl in my wedding in August and she still continues to talk about it. She even wrote a paper about it for school. I can see her being the girl at school that everyone wants to be friends with.
Sal is your typical little boy. He can be cuddly and cute and then the next second he will give you attitude and proclaim, "You're not my friend anymore!" or "I'm telling on you!" and then snap out of it in another second when he wants you to read him a bedtime story. I just know that Sal will be the boy that every girl likes because he will have a "bad" way about him :)
Lately, whenever I see Alex, she wants to know if I will be having a baby anytime soon. I tell her that she might not want me to anytime in the near future because that will mean I won't be able to see her and Sal as much. Her solution is for me to bring the baby along and she will help me take care of him/her. How funny to think of Alex babysitting my kid after I have watched her her whole life! I can't help but wonder what my kid(s) will be like at Alex's age. She knows so much, that's why I say she is going on 25.
So, I use the term "babysitting" with Alex and Sal loosely. I consider myself very lucky to get paid to spend time with 2 great kids. They make me laugh and allow me to forget anything bad that is going on in my own little world for the short time that I am with them. Last night, we spent time playing the Wii that they got for Christmas. Mario Cart was their game of choice and because I have not played Wii at all, they beat me everytime! Sal exclaimed, "Aren't I just so awesome?!" and Alex has decided that playing Mario Cart is great for driving lessons! (Sure, if you consider weaving a baby Mario in his stroller in and out of other opponents on a rainbow road, while trying not to fall off the side a driving lesson, then it's a great way to learn how to drive!)
So, in closing, if I am lucky enough to be a mommy one day, I hope to have kids like Alex and Sal. And hey, if Alex is willing to help me take care of him/her, that would be just great!

Is January really half way done already?!

2009-01-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

How can this be?! The days seem so long, yet when I look at the big picture, I can't believe that January is almost half way done! I feel like we just had Christmas and New Years! Maybe because the first part of 2009, every free second I had was spent downloading, editing, and uploading our wedding pictures! It's kind of funny how us getting them came about...well, not the beginning parts, but us discovering that they were in our possession is funny.

As many of you know, we had to battle with our photographer to get OUR photos. We paid for them, they were ours, and she was just being annoying and taking forever with getting them to us. I filed a complaint with Better Business Bureau...they never heard from her after contacting her twice...my mom was looking into a small claims case to get them...and then I sent her a nasty email on Christmas eve telling her how pissed I was with her "customer service". So, Brian and I head out to a nice dinner on New Years Eve for my dad's 50th birthday. We go out with my mom and dad, as well as Mindy, Calen, and Mason. My mom hesitantly brings up the pictures again, knowing that my blood boils everytime the topic is brought up. My dad ends the conversation by saying, "Well tomorrow is a new year, maybe you will get them soon." We go back to Mindy and Calen's place and are there until 1:30 in the morning and we head home. I have Brian check the mailbox and he runs ahead of me into the house (because he had to pee!). I get into the house, see a padded envelope and think it's something that I ordered online for my Disney scrapbook. I see the return address and it's from our photographer! I couldn't rip the envelope fast enough and poor Brian is trying to pee in peace and all I can say is, "No way!" So, we put the CDs into our computer and spend the next 2 hours checking out the close to 3,000 pictures (something tells me she just mailed them all to us so I would stop emailing her because we weren't supposed to get nearly that many!) I was beyond excited and going through all of the pictures was like reliving our wedding day all over again. I got goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach (not goosebumps in my stomach, just butterflies!) and I would have stayed up longer if I hadn't been up since 5:30 the previous morning!

That whole weekend was spent downloading the pictures to our computer, going through all of them, and then hours and hours (I'm not exaggerating this!) of uploading them all to Snapfish! I then had to spend time deciding which ones to order for the scrapbook (yes, I said scrapbook)...I'm crazy and insane and Brian just says, "Why don't you stick them in a photo album and call it a day?!" Yeah right, Brian. Not scrapbooking our wedding would be a sin for me and I just can't live with myself using a photo album! But the 500 pictures are ordered and will be coming in 5-7 business days from Snapfish...that will be another great day when the mailman comes!

So, I have to say that 2009 has been good to me so far. Yes, we are only 14 days into it, but I can't complain. While the days are colder and shorter and the nights seem shorter too, my life is good. I actually like having the excuse of snow and cold to be able to sit in sweatpants all weekend and do whatever I want. Hmm...I feel like doing groceries, I'll do that. Hmm...I feel like scrapbooking some Disney pages...I'll do that. Hmm...I feel like doing absolutely nothing, but sitting on my behind and watching forensic shows on channel 252...I'll do that!

With the new year comes talk of people's New Years' Resolutions. I have come to the conclusion that if I am not going to do any of my resolutions any other time throughout the year, than the new year is not going to be any different. I have thoughts in my head of things that I want to work on all throughout the year...so I'm a work in progress. As much as it can be frustrating at times that I am not the way that I want to be, I wouldn't have it any other way. Life would be dull if we were all perfect. Our differences are what make the world interesting. Sure, there are some people that I could do without....there are people that rub me the wrong way for no particular reason...and there are people that just don't get it...but we make the world go 'round. So, Happy New Year to everyone (even though the 1st month is already half way through!)

LOVING my Sony Digital Book!

2009-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

I have been the proud owner of a Sony Digital book for about a month now and I absolutely love it! It has made me want to read all of the time and I am flying through books! On the Sony EBooks website, they were running a special on 9 books that could be downloaded for free, so I downloaded a few that sounded good. One was titled, The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death. Obviously by the title, I wasn't sure quite what to expect, but I couldn't put it down! The author, Laurie Notaro, is hilarious and I was finished the book in a couple of days. The book is categorized as non-fiction, with the author sharing random stories of her life, but the way she writes about stuff is so funny! I found myself almost busting a gut at work! Not quite what you want to do when you are alone in a back office!!!

So, when I was finished reading the free book, I ventured onto the EBook store to check out other books by her. I just downloaded another book of hers titled, The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club. This one is equally as funny, as I practically snorted water out of my nose today while waiting for my car to get new brakes! Here is a chapter that I couldn't help but relate to...and how fitting is it that I read this while sitting in a mechanics' garage?!

On the Road
I'll be brutally honest. I know nothing about my car. I know where the ashtray is and I know how to pump gas. That's it.
If you try to teach me how to change a tire, I'll forget. If you show me how to check the oil, I won't understand. If you change the adjustments on the driver's seat, it will take three weeks to figure out how to get them back. I'm just not that kind of car girl.
My friend, Kate, tried to help me by teaching me how to fill my tires up with air. I, of course, don't own a tire-pressure gauge, so she was particularly careful to show me the right way.
"You mean I just leave the hissing thing on the tire until the time runs out?" I asked quizzically.
"Absolutely not," she replied. "The tire will blow up on you."
"And take all the skin off my face?" I said nodding.
"No, no," she answered. "It will explode on the road when you're driving. Then just pull over and call AAA."
"No, I heard it's okay unless they blow up in your face," I informed her.
Kate knows these things, but I was pretty sure I had heard about the tire thing on 20/20. She knows when her fuel pump is about to go, when her carburetor is making funny noises, and when her transmission is about to drop out of the engine.
I, on the other hand, don't pay attention to funny noises. I just turn the radio up louder and pretend it's someone else's car.
I tried to be self-sufficient last week when I noticed that the tires were looking squishy again. I dropped the quarter in the air machine, counted to thirty on each tire, and figured I was done. They looked big, full, and ready to go. My face was intact. Kate would have been proud. It was Monday morning and I was heading down the freeway because Nordstrom's was having a shoe sale, and I had to be there first.
I was making the curve at the busiest portion of the freeway when I heard a terrible noise. A horrible, grinding sound that started at the front of my car and filled my ears. It was far too loud for the radio to drown out, no matter how high I turned it up. I knew right away what it was. 20/20 was wrong.
Kate was right. Tires do explode on the road, I thought.
I remembered her words and pulled onto the shoulder as hordes of cars whizzed by. I carefully got out to see which one was gone, but as I walked around the entire car, I was surprised to see that they all looked okay.
I got back in the car and started it again, convincing myself that it really had been someone else's car making the noise, not mine. I hit the gas, and immediately, the sound returned.
Oh Christ, I thought, what is it? What happens when your transmission drops out, the clutch goes bad, the fuel pump quits? I had no idea. I called AAA on my cell phone and told the operator that I needed help.
"Do you need a tow truck?" she asked.
"Maybe," I answered. "What happens with a bad transmission? I think that may be the problem."
"You won't be able to go into drive or reverse," she said.
"Okay. Then how about a bad clutch? I think that may be the problem," I mentioned.
"Do you drive a stick shift?" she responded.
"No. Okay, what about a fuel pump? I think that may be the problem," I said, panicking.
"I'm just going to send a truck, lady," she said.
"I'm just not a car kind of girl!" I pleaded as she hung up.
Ten minutes later, I jumped when someone knocked on the passenger window. It was a cop. I had forgotten to put my hazard lights on, mainly because I don't know where they are. I lowered the window. I know where that button is.
"Hi," I said quickly, "it's my fuel pump. Or transmission. Or carburetor. Or muffler. I think it's my muffler. I've called a tow truck, it will be here any minute."
"I don't think you'll need a tow truck, ma'am," he answered. "You ran over a gas can."
"Oh," I replied.
"How far did you drag that thing?" he asked. "I don't know how you didn't see it. It's as big as a TV! Do you have a jack?"
I hoped to God I did, and that he knew what it looked like.
I popped the trunk (I know where that button is, too) and helped the cop take out a couple of lamps, a box of books, and a pile of dirty clothes I had forgotten were in there. I was embarrassed when he found the jack, put it in place, jacked up the car, lay down on the ground, and then kicked the biggest gas can I had ever seen out from underneath my car, but not as embarrassed as when he got up just in time to see a big gust of wind from a passing truck rush toward me and blow my skirt all the way up to my chin.
"Your tow truck is here," he said, trying not to laugh.

The End (of this chapter!)

As 2008 comes to a close....

2008-12-30T17:21:00.000-08:00

...I wanted to get one more post in! Where has the time gone?! It's been 3 weeks since my last post and I really have no excuse why I haven't written. I feel like Christmas crept up on me this year, although I have no idea why since the Christmas stuff was in stores right after Halloween this year! I started my shopping early, got my cards done and mailed out in an orderly fashion, and felt good about it all. Then all of a sudden, I felt like it was here and then it was over.

While winter tends to be the time of year that I get the blues (hence the term "Winter Blues") I have been trying my hardest to keep my mind busy. Up here in NH, we don't get out much in the winter...seeing that one day we will have a foot of snow and then the next day it's a heat wave at a high of 50! It's dark when I go into work and dusk when I get out, so being outside is not something that is done a lot. I relish Monday, Wednesday, and Friday because I get to leave for 10 minutes to go to the bank for work. I take the "longer" way just to be outside to get fresh air. I am now the lucky owner of a Sony Digital Reader. It's the best thing I could have purchased for myself and I am loving it. I download books to it, pack it in my work bag, and spend the quiet hours at worked filled with reading and passing the time. Without my trusty little electronic, I am afraid time would move very slow, so I am happy to have it. And this weekend, I did start the Disney honeymoon scrapbook. I think part of me put it off for so long because I didn't want to really deal with the fact that it was over. But I am having a great time reliving it by looking through all of the pictures...the memories still fresh in my mind as if it was yesterday. Now if only we could get our stinkin' wedding pictures back...then I think my life would be amazing!

With only a day and a half until 2009, I am working on putting together a couple of New Years' Resolutions for myself. I am not one to usually believe in stuff like that and I don't want the resolutions to be stuff like "losing 10 pounds". I really want to work on making myself a better person, so I am working on a few good resolutions that may not be easy, but will be worth accomplishing!

In closing, if I don't get back on to post anything tomorrow, I will be back in 2009 :)

If it's true what they say about bad things coming in threes, then I think I'm good for awhile...

2008-12-09T04:34:00.000-08:00

I had every intention to blog last Thursday to keep my "Thankful Thursday" theme going. I found myself thinking of things I am thankful for last Tuesday and Wednesday and told myself to hold out just a few more days to post on the actual day! Well, Thursday came and went and I was left with my head spinning! My life has been one big stressful thing for the past week or so and I have found myself feeling cynical and pessimistic...I wasn't in the mood to try to find things I was thankful for...
So, what could be so horrible, you ask?
Well....
1. Thanksgiving Day my credit card # was stolen. Yup, just the number. I was in possession of my card the whole time, yet someone managed to rack up $1500 on my credit card buying who knows what online. If there is something to be grateful for in all of this mess, it is the fact that my credit card company contacted me about the suspicious activity and closed my account right away.

2. Brian and I still do not have our wedding pictures. It has been 4 months since we got married and nothing. And let me tell you, this photographer is giving us a run for our money. Back in September she apologized for them being past the original 6 weeks that she promised us and offered us free prints as compensation. She keeps saying "They are almost finished", but that's all she says. It's our wedding day for pete's sake! I finally grew some nerve, took the next step, and filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, to which she responded, "You filing a complaint with the BBB doesn't make me want to get your photos to you any quicker, just so you know". (sigh) (deep breath) I have yet to find the good in this situation...

3. As some of you know, I am an advisor with lia sophia. I had a show several weeks ago for Brian's aunt and she purchased some of the wrong items. No biggie...we mailed them back and waited for the exchanges to be made. Well, after not hearing from lia sophia, I decided to contact them and see what the hold up was. I was informed that the envelope showed up destroyed and empty...no jewelry! So, someone stole the jewelry out of the package and lia sophia is not responsible for it. (sigh) I am thankful that I have a 70% discount with the company so that I can replace the pieces for her.

So, this has to be it for me right? 3 bad things have happened to me in the past week...there couldn't possible be anymore, right?! I have to keep reminding myself that everything happens for a reason and that whenever bad things happen, things could always be worse. I need to stress the word "keep" because it's been a doozy of a week. So, in the midst of my anger, disappointment, and stress, I still have things to be thankful for:

1. Brian. I know he will be on my list everytime I make one because without him, things would be a lot worse. While his calmness can sometimes add to my anger, he does his best to help me see the good in bad situations.

2. December 5th Celtics game. Who knew that when I bought the tickets for Brian as a Christmas present that I would be getting so much out of the game as well? The game was last Friday and it couldn't have come at a better time. It was the end of the worst week and the game was just what I needed.

3. My family and friends. They are always there to listen to me vent and even when they don't know what to say...just listening is enough :)

So, in closing...I am keeping my fingers crossed that this week is better than the last. I do not know how much more stress I could handle right now!

Thankful Thursday..er, Sunday ;)

2008-11-23T13:49:00.000-08:00

I migrated over to someone else's blog today through Holly's blog and thought that she had a great idea! She started something called Thankful Thursdays on her blog and while it is Sunday today, I was inspired to jot down some things that I am thankful for :)

1. My husband. Brian is one of the best people that I know and he makes me feel very important. He knows just the right things to say or do to make me calm :) He is a great listener, a great friend, a great companion, and a great coffee maker ;) I am very lucky to call him my husband.

2. My family. While we are all very busy and may not talk to each other as much as I would like, I am thankful for each and every one of them. I see how some other families are and it makes me grateful to be part of such a fantastic family unit.

3. Our home. There are times I wish we had more space to move around in, but I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads and that I have a place to come home to every day.

4. Ollie and Sophie. Yes, it may be silly to be thankful for my kitty cats, but they make me happy. They keep me company while Brian is gone to work and that give me great comfort.

5. My friends. Like my family, I don't talk to my friends as much as I wish I could due to busy and conflicting schedules, but I am always thinking of them. Without them, there are some things in my life that I am not sure how I would have gotten through without them listening to me and giving me advice.

6. My job. There are many days where my job is frustrating, stressful, and boring, but without it I wouldn't have weekends off...get out at 3pm...and of course, pay the bills!

7. Old Navy's 50% off sale! hehe...I know this is silly, but today, I am grateful for this! I was able to purchase some outfits for my new niece and some pieces for myself...all for $17!!!

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I am more pensive than usual about things that I am grateful for. However, I know that I want to stop more and realize the things in my life that are good. There is good in everything...sometimes it's harder to find the good in some things, but it is always there. I hope that you can all stop and take a moment to find the good things in your own lives :)

COMING SOON...BABY GIRL HEBERT!!!

2008-11-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

The Hebert family is seeing pink today! Adam, Holly, and Bryson took a visit to the doctor this morning and of course Adam called my cell phone while I was at the bank for work this morning and didn't have my phone with me!!! When I returned, I saw his missed call, noticed the voice mail, but didn't even listen to it...just wanted to hear it from him directly. I could tell from the tone of his voice that it was a girl...I just felt it. How exciting! I had to go ahead and "steal" the ultrasound pics from Holly's blog, but I wanted to share just how cute this little 1 pound baby is already! She seems to already have a little personality..."waving" in the first picture to her viewers! And her feet are above her head in the second! Maybe we have a gymnast in the making?! Adam said they have another photo of her yawning, which I find amusing because what could she be so tired from? Floating?! :)

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, I can't help but think about just how grateful I am for my family...for our health...for each other...and just to have people in my life that are genuine people who all really care and love one another. This little baby girl is already loved a lot by her auntie :)

Tuesdays at work = dreadful!

2008-11-18T04:42:00.000-08:00

It is only 7:43 am as I type this in my little office at work. It's freezing outside...I actually had to start my car this morning before feeding the cats, and wait for the frost to dethaw! I am not ready for the cold! It seems like we barely had a decent summer due to all of the rain! And not to mention the lack of sunlight! I come into work when it's still dark and as I am leaving at 3pm, it's beginning to get dark already!

While I tend to dread winter because of the short days, the coldness, and the lack of outdoor activity, I am trying to come up with some things that I can do indoors to pass the time. I have taken up reading again, which is good. I tend to go through spurts where I read a lot and then not so much. I actually joined a little reading group with a couple of friends (and a couple of new people that I don't know...but it's always good to meet new people!) last week! Our assignment is to read 1 book before our January meeting. I am working on this book, as well as a few others at the same time. It's relaxing and gives me something to do on the chilly nights when Brian is at work!

While I am beginning to dread these days at work, since it has slowed down tremendously, I am thankful that I do have a job where I can blog, read, work on my lia sophia business, and do other random things. However, the lack of work doesn't take away from the fact that moods are constantly changing here! With the economy the way it is, people just don't seem to be buying a lot from us here at the FC, which means people's moodiness rears its ugly head and I seem to get the most of it. By the time I get home, even though I haven't done much work all day, I am exhausted and just need time to "detox" myself.

On a more positive note...I am THRILLED for tomorrow! Why, you ask?! Well, my lovely sister-in-"love", Holly along with my fabulous brother, Adam, and oh so cute nephew, Bryson will take a trip to the doctor to find out what sex the baby is tomorrow! I have had more than enough people say, "You must want them to have a girl, since you already have 2 nephews!" What do you mean, must?! Yes, I have 2 nephews, but if I had a third one, it wouldn't make any difference. Healthy is my number 1 priority for the baby and Holly and if we all had boys, it wouldn't matter to me!

I would say I am leaving now to get some work done, but that's not true. Maybe I will do the crossword puzzle in the paper, or read the People magazine that my mom dropped off for me. We'll see what the day brings!

I'm Back!!!!

2008-10-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Where have I been you ask?! Well, here and there and everywhere! Lots of things have happened in the past 2 weeks of my life...so much so that I haven't even thought about posting a blog (gasp! I know!) so, I will fill you in :)

Brian and I left for our honeymoon in Disney on Saturday, September 20th. It was splendid. 7 full days of doing anything and everything that we wanted to do...when we wanted...if we wanted. Just to be able to spend that much time together was enough of a honeymoon for me! I didn't care what we did! Brian and I haven't really even spent that much time together in the past 6 months (maybe that's a little exageration!) but with him working nights and me working days, our time together is short! We arrived in lovely Orlando, Florida Saturday morning and went straight to our resort (Animal Kingdom Lodge) and boy, oh boy...those Disney people do not skip a beat on details! It's amazing...I really would like to be a fly on the wall when they are designing things...it's crazy the detail!!!

We met up with Adam, Holly, Bryson, Holly, and Chad at The Rainforest Cafe on Saturday night for dinner. How awesome to be able to see my family!!! We then spent Sunday with them and went around the Animal Kingdom park. We had great fun and as always, it's sad to say goodbye since the time spent is always quick and doesn't seem to be often enough.

For the rest of the week that we were there Brian and I swam with some dolphins (so cool!), toured all of the Disney theme parks, rode the rides that my motion-sickness body could handle, swam in the 80 degree pool, layed out in the 90 degree weather, ate awesome food, and just enjoyed each other's company. When Friday came and it was our last day, we were both so sad to see the week come to an end. While the trip is over, the memories will last a lifetime and I know that if we are lucky enough to get back there, it will be when we have kids and then we will have all of the great memories of our honeymoon when we go back. So, now it's just getting the 420 pictures developed that we took :)

So, we got back from Disney on Saturday night, the 27th. We spent that night just relaxing, doing laundry and hanging out with our kitty cats (who really did miss us while we were away!), Sunday was spent doing groceries and dreading the fact of returning back to work. Monday and Tuesday were spent getting caught up at work and then Tuesday night decided to throw us a little curve ball....

I went and ran some errands after work and was feeling a little pain in my stomach. I didn't really think anything of it besides the fact that I really had to pee and maybe my bladder was being stretched to its limit. So, I returned home a couple of hours later (after searching the town for the Sex and the City movie!) and finally got to use the bathroom! Hours later, my stomach was still bugging me and all of a sudden it went from uncomfortable to unbearable and Brian convinced me to let him take me to the ER. After several tests, it was confirmed that I had a golf-ball sized ovarian cyst and I was sent home with 3 different kinds of meds. Should be okay right? Hmmm...

Wednesday I woke up and felt worse than I did on Tuesday. I made an appointment with my girly doctor and honestly felt awful as my mom took me to the doctor (thank God for mom! This is one of those times you just need your mom!) Well, to make a long story short...I still have the cyst...they don't want to do anything too drastic right away since I did have one surgically removed 4 years ago and I am still young. So, I have been laying and sitting on the couch for the past couple of days and will return to work tomorrow.

I am hoping to get my energy back ASAP because I have some meetings to attend this week for my new endeavor...becoming a lia sophia advisor! I am motivated more than ever to start saving more money and I toyed with the idea of getting a second job, so I thought this would be a perfect choice! I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it goes well!!!!

So, all you lovely readers (all 2 of you!), I am back and here...just sick and busy! tata for now!

Disney bound and so excited!!!

2008-09-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am writing this in the midst of packing for our honeymoon in Disney, which we leave for in the morning. There is one last load of laundry in the dryer and then packing is on full force!

I am so excited to be leaving tomorrow! We are in need of a vacation and it's funny because for as long as Brian and I have known each other, we have never been on a plane together! We have taken many vacations together...even driving to Virginia for a Dave Matthews Band concert several summers ago, but never on a plane! Yup, I'm a dork...this little part of the trip makes me happy :) It's just one of many things that we haven't done together that we get to do!

Another reason why I am excited is because I get to see my brother, sister-in-love, and nephew tomorrow! Adam called me last weekend to inform me that they had received free tickets to The Animal Kingdom! How cool! While he insisted that it was our honeymoon and we were not obligated to see them at all, how could we not?! They live many miles away from us and now they will be in the same park that we are staying in! We are excited to be able to spend time with them...I know it will be fun!

As we are getting ready for this trip, I am reminded how lucky we are. We decided that we would register for this honeymoon and not for anything else. We purchased our home almost 3 years ago and got lots of new stuff then, so we didn't feel the need to register at Macys or Target, so we went through Disney. Between friends and family purchasing items on our registry, money raised for us at our Jack and Jill, and money given to us in our wedding cards, we have not had to pay one penny for this trip! How fabulous :) I know that we are very fortunate to have friends and family that are so supportive of us and very generous :) I just know that I am going to take advantage of every second in Disney World! We only get one honeymoon and I have already informed Brian that I will probably be one, big kid there!

So, I should get back to packing! I will be sure to post when we return and get settled back into home life! xo

To Sell or Not To Sell?! That is the question....

2008-09-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

I made great progress in the past week or so, as you already know! I was able to throw away 2 LARGE garbage bags of things that we didn't need and put together several boxes of things that could be sold in the yard sale at Brian's parents' house that is coming up this Saturday. I was in the mood to clean, clean, clean! And boy, am I glad that I did that! I am even proud of myself for only saving a couple of things from our wedding, putting them in a Rubbermaid container, and placing that in the basement...the rest of the stuff is being put in the yard sale. That was the easy part...now I am going back and forth in my mind about whether or not I should sell my wedding dress. Right now, it's folded and sitting on the bottom of my closet...not where it should be! I am torn between getting it cleaned and preserved and saving it...or cleaning it and trying to sell it. I did some research yesterday and called a local (what I thought was) a little bit higher class consignment store. I always drive by and they always have wedding dresses in their windows. Well, I was informed of their crappy policy, which is:
1. They choose the price that the dress will be put on sale for.
2. You will receive payment if the dress sells up to 6 months from the "put on sale" date. Even if the dress sells the second you walk out the door, you still get your check in 6 months.
3. Dresses "rarely if ever" (direct quote from lady on the phone) sell for more than $200/$300 and after that, I would walk away with 50%. So, the most I would get is $150?! Come on!!!

Honestly, I know that I can't put a price on the memories that this dress has for me, so it would be difficult for me to try to price it, but I know that I couldn't just let it go for that amount of money! Not only because I paid WAY more than that, but it's a beautiful dress!

Brian and I have talked about it and he thinks that I should do whatever I want to do. He said it's my dress and it's my decision. And I even got so far last night as to download pics of the dress for Craig's List last night, but when it came time to posting the listing, I couldn't do it. This is obviously something that I need to think hard and long about. I am usually the type that gets an idea and has to do it right away...but this time, it's different. Once that dress is gone, it's gone. But at the same time, I could hold onto it for years and years with it just taking up space and then never getting around to doing anything with it!

So, the questions remains...to sell or not to sell?! We'll see what I decide!

Auntie x 3 !!! :)

2008-09-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

I thought since Holly posted the BIG news on her blog, that it was safe for me to post the news on mine :) As can be seen from my title, I am going to be an auntie again for the third time! SO exciting!!! And to think...Holly was pregnant at our wedding and just didn't know it yet! It's amazing how time flies...it seems like just yesterday, Bryson was being born into our family! And now we have Mason who is 13 months old and another little Hebert on the way! YAY!!!
I pray that Holly is able to feel better soon. The poor girl has been dealing with a lot of morning sickness and dehydration :( Thankfully, she has my brother and a lot of great friends to take care of Bryson so that she is able to get the rest and relaxation that she needs and deserves!

Happy Labor Day?!

2008-09-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't decided yet if I like Labor Day or not. Sure, I only had to work 3 hours this morning, which gave me time to start on my organization kick...and yeah, it's beautiful outside and I felt stress free today. However, Labor Day signals the end of summer. School buses will start popping up soon...kids are back to school...which can only mean fall is right around the corner. While I like fall, I like everything that this summer had to bring. So, maybe I am only undecided about how I feel about this Labor Day because it signals the end of the best summer ever...

So, as I wrote about yesterday, I am in the midst of getting our home organized. I got a great start today and Brian's parents (or should I say, my in-laws) set a date of the 13th for their yard sale, so that made me more motivated than before to declutter! How exactly do 2 people accumulate so much "stuff"?! I made a rule for myself before I started that if I hadn't seen something for the past year, then it was either going into the trash or going into a box for the yard sale. Well, let me tell you, I musn't go into my basement or my craft room closet very often because I was able to dispose of many things! So much that it filled a large black garbage bag (I am working on a second!) and 4 boxes for the yard sale. Not just any boxes either...one housed our microwave when we bought it! And 3 others were decent size. Most of the majority is from the wedding. I kept 1 or 2 of everything I had purchased for decorations and decided to part with the rest. So, now the men with the new washer and dryer will be able to have a clear path to follow to install my new "babies"! and we will now be able to open the craft room closet without the fear of "falling debris"! The next step will be to just tidy up the craft room one last time and tidy up the living room from bringing things I wanted to keep from the basement...and I think we're in good shape. Now, let's just see how long things will stay this way!

Determined to organize!

2008-08-31T18:14:00.001-07:00

Due to the fact that we were busy planning a wedding for the past 8 months, and more so the past month or so, other parts of our life were put on hold for a little bit. Once the wedding buzz was over with, I was able to sit back and see things for what they were and I noticed a commonality...unorganization! It was (and still is!) driving my nuts and I am determined to get organization back in my life! I started last week with my craft room. This once safe haven looked like a tornado had hit it...hard! I am lucky enough to be able to work on craft projects at my day job, so I would pack wedding stuff up, complete projects at work, and then bring the bags back home and dump them into the craft room. Since the room is upstairs, Brian and I are really the only ones that see it. However, I was realizing that looking for something was taking a lot longer than it usually did. And I found myself not even wanting to step foot in the room because of the craziness of it. So, when Brian went to work last Saturday night, I spent hours cleaning the room, organizing it again, and even finding things to throw away and put aside to sell in an upcoming yard sale. phew...I felt better!
Then while cleaning my "Purely Pomegranite" craft space, I came across many items that I had purchased over time for projects that I intended on putting together. I ended up organizing all of these items into bags for the project it went with and even started completing some of these projects! My Italy album is almost complete...Mason's 1st birthday album is finished...a scrapbook of Ollie and Sophie is finished...and I was even able to put together a little album for myself of my nephews! Fabulous! Now to tackle the larger ones such as the wedding, bridal shower, and then Disney!
Another BIG accomplishment that I am proud of is the purchase of a new washer and dryer this weekend! I have been asking Brian for awhile if we could get a larger washer and dryer, so that it could cut the loads of laundry down, while saving water and energy at the same time. We looked here and there, but nothing really jumped out at us. It helped us a lot that we received a good amount of money for gifts from friends and family from the wedding, so we took a trip to Home Depot yesterday and purchased a set! Thursday is going to be a fabulous day since that is when they will be delivered! It's everything I could have hoped for! Front loading...very large...and a great price! Who knew that I could ever get excited over purchasing a new washer and dryer?!
So, while getting organized is a lot of work and the house will probably get messier before it gets cleaner during the process, I know that it will be a great sense of accomplishment when things get back to normal. And hey, if our "trash" can become someone else's treasure at the yard sale, then making some extra cash doesn't hurt either!

Hello, my name is Mrs. Soucy!

2008-08-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

It has been several weeks since I last posted. I needed time to relax and take a break after the wedding was over, so I just sat back and did just that!
I know you are all dying to know how the wedding went! hehe...
The wedding day was the most amazing day of my life. It went better than I have envisioned it in my head and I think everyone had a really good time. Even though it started pouring on us when we started taking pictures (apparently, rain is good luck!), we still pulled through and took pictures in the rain. Our wedding party was awesome and was so agreeable with whatever Brian and I wanted them to do. I seriously could not have picked better people to be in the wedding party. I had read so many horror stories on my wedding website theknot.com about how some people had bad experiences with maids of honors, bridesmaids, and such. But honestly, we had no drama...everyone got along...everyone was helpful above and beyond what was expected of them...and I am closer to everyone now than before the wedding, which is a great feeling.
Everyone keeps asking me what it's like to be married. Honestly, I can't say that much has changed between Brian and I. Him and I have always been close, so I guess we have gotten closer since tying the knot, but I don't feel any different. Maybe it hasn't really hit me yet. Seeing as we just got our marriage certificate last week and I have started the process of changing my name, so maybe I will feel it soon (whatever it is I'm supposed to feel!).

And where are we going on our honeymoon you ask? We took a long weekend in Maine the weekend after the wedding, which was soooo nice! Brian works nights and I work days, so we rarely have time together, so to have that time was priceless. It was so peaceful and our hotel was beautiful...right on the water and so quiet. We had no real plans, but had a great time. Our "real" honeymoon is coming up in a couple of weeks. We are headed to Disney World, which we are really looking forward to! And then after all of this fun stuff is done, I will have time to scrapbook it all, which will be lots of fun! I have already started buying some stuff for my projects and hope to get started on some of them soon! My first project I want to do is my trip to Italy, which was last summer! That's how busy I have been! I haven't even scrapped something that happened last year!

So, that's the update. Nothing too exciting. Just trying to get back into "normal" life. Work is busy and I am enjoying free time and no wedding planning! Ciao :)

A moment's rest...but not for long!

2008-08-06T19:05:00.001-07:00

2 days, 2 days, 2 days! I can't believe that the day is almost here! It's surreal. I don't know if it's really hit me yet...despite everything coming together, it still doesn't seem like something that I have wanted for so long, could finally be happening. I think I might need to pinch myself a few times to make sure this is all happening and it's not just a dream!
I am so glad that I only worked Monday and Tuesday this week! Those 2 days were enough for me and trying to juggle work and all of the last minute wedding stuff was driving me crazy! I was more stressed than I should have been and wasn't feeling good! Today went better. I am exhausted right now and haven't stopped all day, but it's nice to sit on my butt for a minute and relax. However, it's already 10pm and I still have plenty that needs to be done before bed.
I keep reminding myself that as stressful as some of these days have been in the past 8 months of our engagement, everything is going to be worth it on Friday because I am marrying my best friend. Many people spend their whole lives looking for "the one"...I was lucky enough to find him in 7th grade and to reconnect with him after some time apart.
I'm off to do more stuff...I know I will be sleeping good tonight!!!

Adventures in Wedding Planning

2008-08-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

*Since my sister-in-"love", Holly, just titled her recent blog, "Adventures in Babysitting", I decided to take her idea for my title!*

Today I am tired (and annoyed). I really have had it up to here (my hand is above my head).
This is what I am tired about:
I am tired of people telling me what I should and should not be doing for our wedding.
I am tired of people making it seem like I have done so many things wrong (not just with wedding stuff, but with "everyday" stuff).
I am tired of people making me feel like I am at fault for things that they know nothing about.
I am tired of feeling like I "have" to do something just to please other people. Like my counselor, Alexis, always tries to tell me..."Whose needs are being met when you do what other people want of you all of the time?" (sidenote...I love Alexis because she is really working hard with me to ensure that I am getting what I want [within reason of course!] and that I am not always trying to please other people).
I am tired of feeling like if I don't do what people want from me, then I am going to disappoint them and that it will be held against me.
I am tired of everyone worrying about other people being hurt. What the heck about me?! Do I not matter? Maybe if people took the time to dig deeper into things, they would realize that I have been hurt a lot in the past and my actions have reasons behind them.
I am tired of people not seeing me for who I really am. To this, I say, the people that do know are the people that matter to me. They are the ones that love me for who I am...that don't judge me...that know that I would give you the shirt off of my back if you needed it.
I am tired of people being 2 faced. Don't act one way in front of me, only for me to find out from someone else something different. Liars are a pet peeve of mine...it bugs me...there is no need for it. Just be honest. It might not always be the most comfortable thing at the time, but at least nobody can look back and say, "Well, you never knew how I felt".

Where I am today is for many reasons. Where everyone is today is for many reasons. We make decisions everyday that can affect our tomorrow. Sometimes these decisions are obvious and we know that when we make the decision, we are essentially "laying our own bed". Others are not so obvious. This is part of what life is all about. I have made decisions in my past that I am not happy about, but at the same time, if I didn't take the "right" instead of the "left" then I wouldn't be here today. My life would be completely different. This is true for everyone. People need to realize that what they have done in their life not only effects them, but it effects others as well. These effects can last days, or they can last a lifetime.

In closing, I need to just say that wedding planning hasn't been very difficult for us. I have heard some horror stories from others and we have had it pretty easy, which I consider us lucky for. However, I just wish these final 6 days would go smoothly.

Licensed to marry!

2008-08-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Brian and I now have the go-ahead from the City of Manchester to marry! Woo hoo! We arrived at city hall not really knowing what to expect, but a half an hour later of painless paperwork, we were finished!
In addition to getting that checked off our to-do list, we were able to find a white dress shirt for Brian. You see, for some people this wouldn't be a big accomplishment, but when you work out like Brian does, it's a little more difficult to find a shirt that fits your shoulders and chest, while not being ginormous on your waist. That is exactly the problem we ran into! After a few hours of looking, we ended up finding one that he was happy with. Although it isn't short sleeved like he was hoping for, at least he will be able to roll up the sleeves. Task completed! I told him (jokingly) that he should just stop working out so his shoulders and chest wouldn't be so big and his waist wouldn't be so small...yeah right! He's a workout maniac! Good for him...God knows I don't have the motivation for it!
Tomorrow, we are headed to Sam's Club very early in the morning to purchase beverages for the wedding. I say very early because they open 7-9 for "special" people, so we decided to go at this time to avoid the crowds. Although, I must say I am a little disappointed that we won't get any yummy Saturday samples!
A nap will probably be in order tomorrow...especially since I didn't fall asleep until 12:30 last night and had to wake up for work this morning at 5:30. My mind is on overload...too much to think about...but it's all good stuff :)

Since when does getting married entitle you to a free for all for gifts?!

2008-07-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

I say this because I know several people that are getting married this year and am shocked at how greedy people can be when it comes to their registries. I am not saying that Brian and I are perfect, I'm just saying, who the hell needs 2 sets of dishes?! 2 sets of silverware? Numerous bar glasses and countertop appliances?! Who needs all that stuff?! Shouldn't getting married be more about spending your life with your best friend, then about all of the expensive presents?! This is just my 2 cents. And maybe Brian and I aren't "normal" considering that we only registered at one place and it's for our honeymoon. I would rather have an amazing honeymoon experience then a bunch of stuff that will either never get used, or get returned when I realized how much useless crap I actually registered for!

(sigh) I feel a little better getting that off of my chest!

I think I have come down with baby fever...

2008-07-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I think I'm sick with baby fever. I had the symptoms several months ago, but they passed. Now they are back...what could this mean?! I told Brian, "I think I'm going through a phase." and he was surprisingly open to talking about it. Not like we are planning anything...there are a few things (testing of sorts due to Brian's blood deficiency) that need to be taken care of before we can think about having kids, but at least he was open to the idea. I am not naive by any means...I know that having a child isn't all fun and games, but it is rewarding. At the same time, I snap back to reality and wonder, "Will I be a good mommy?!" and that gets me over the fever for awhile.
I spent this evening with my nephew/godson, Mason so that Mindy and Calen could have some time out together and go to the movies. He just turned one and is getting brave with the walking thing. He is always in a good mood when I watch him and his 6-tooth smile melts my heart. I am amazed at how babies are born knowing nothing...they are a clean slate...and how they are raised and who they are raised with shapes them into the person that they will become. I was working on teaching him his nose, but he was more focused on dancing to the songs on the IPod...too funny!
So, maybe spending time with Mason with help with my baby fever...one can only hope! If not, maybe there is medicine I can take to help :)

A Free Weekend!!!

2008-07-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning, I was feeling a little bit of anxiety. I attributed that to the fact that Brian was on his way to Maine to skydive and I knew I wouldn't feel better until I heard his voice telling me that he made it down to the ground safe and sound. I told him that if I didn't hear from him by 3, I was going to be nervous. It was already an agreement between the 2 of us that he didn't have to call me all weekend while he was doing his bachelor thing, but he had to call me to tell me he made it safely to the ground below.
I knew that they had a class to take at 11 that lasted a half an hour, so when he called me at 12 to tell me they wouldn't be jumping for awhile, I was happy to talk to him. So, I kept busy by going to my appointment to get my hair trimmed and highlighted and sure enough at 3pm my phone rang with Brian saying, "My feet have touched the ground!" He sounded so happy and it's such a cool thing that he was able to experience that with his closest friends. They even got together and purchased the DVD for him, so I will get to see his jump tomorrow...so cool.
I think everyone thinks that I was going to be lost without Brian for the weekend. I mean, he works the night shift anyway, which means he sleeps during the day, so it doesn't seem that much different, except for the fact that I can't just walk upstairs and see him, but of course it's always good to have our own things with our friends. It will be great to see him tomorrow...can't wait to hear about his fun and crazy time with the guys!
This week coming up with be spent doing last minute stuff for the wedding. I have to have a short meeting with the caterer to give him a final guest count and go over details. Then, one last conversation with the DJ to confirm everything, and then we are off to city hall to get our marriage license! This is my second to last weekend of being a single girl!

2 Weeks Left Until a REALLY Big Day!!!

2008-07-25T04:51:00.000-07:00

Well, there are only 2 more weeks until our wedding and my head is spinning! I have literally been non-stop for the past 6 weeks. Brian's bachelor party is this weekend. Him and his friends are headed up to Maine to go skydiving and camping and I am looking forward to a weekend of doing nothing but getting my hair trimmed and highlighted!

I finally got around to downloading pictures of our invitations. I ended up having to make more because I ran out and we got some "no" responses from our A list, so we made more and sent them out. Here are some pics:

I am really happy with how they ended up turning out. I started out making them knowing what colors I wanted to use and knowing that I wanted a picture of us covered with the piece of vellum. Then, I just looked through all of my stamps and put the "S" monogram on the front and then went from there. It came together nicely and I have had a lot of people tell me how great they are. Someone even said, "I never save any cards that people send, but I am definitely saving your invitation". I thought that was a really great compliment!

I have to say that I have put Stampin' Up on the back burner for the past several weeks. I do love that about the company. When I am ready to pick it up again, it will be there for me. I am getting smarter about my stamp purchases. The retired list came out in June and usually I go through it with a fine tooth comb and make a big list to order before I can't get the stamps that I want anymore. However, this year I did not purchase one single set off the list! I am ready for the new catalog to come out in August because I have purchased everything that I have wanted out of the current one. And I even went ahead and went through my hundreds of stamps and took out the ones that haven't been used. Those, I am trying to find a new and loving home for. They have been neglected by me, so maybe somebody else can love them better than I could :)

I am surprised that I still like stamping after all of the projects that I have worked on for the wedding! Between 80 invitations, 50 bridal shower thank-yous, 75 wedding thank-yous, favors, and decorations it's good to find myself still visiting websites for ideas on what to work on next. I have a list compiled of projects to work on once my life slows down a bit!

So, with 2 weeks to go, as crazy as these past several weeks have been, I have an amazing calm to me. I am ready for this step in my life...I have been ready for a long time. I knew that Brian was "the one" for me from an early point in our relationship, so it's crazy to think that it's all finally coming together and something that I have wanted and wished for for so long is finally happening! I will post more as the days get closer and will definitely post pics after the wedding!