HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EM!!!

Today's my big sister's birthday. She's 29..only one more year, Em! Love you :)

MY Turn!

Keely tagged me to this little game of listing 6 interesting facts about myself. This is going to be hard! I'm possibly the most boring person on EARTH!

1. I can write with both hands. I think I have mentioned this in previous blogs, but it's a fun fact about myself. I wrote with my left hand until about 3rd grade, and then I started realizing that I was "different" from my peers. I worked really hard and taught myself how to write with my right hand. Now I do both. I actually write with my right hand more than the left. I think it's cool to be left-handed now though. I also have the weird trick of writing with both hands at the SAME time!

2. I'm scared of bridges. I get really nervous when I see one coming and I know I have to cross it. Little ones over land aren't as bad, but the ones over water...HATE those! I have this fear that I'm going to fall off it one day. I dream about bridges all the time...seriously.

3. Speaking of dreams...I have a recurring dream that my teeth are falling out. What a random fact, but it's TRUE! If you've never had a dream similar to this, be glad! It's the worst dream in the world. Such a terrible feeling!!

4. My name means, "Child born at Christmastime." When's my birthday? December 27 :)

5. I am still obsessed with Dawson's Creek. I wanted that show to last forever. I have all the seasons on DVD, and I wish Pacey and Joey were a real-life couple that I could follow everyday. Ha. Great show.

6. I hate feet and belly buttons. Enough said.

An Interesting Couple of Weeks...

So...this time 3 weeks ago, I sure wasn't thinking about getting sick, much less going to the HOSPITAL!! However, that's exactly what happened. I went to eat dinner with my friend Haley and while we were later hanging out with friends, I started to feel sick. Even though it was out of character for me, I interrupted the conversation and told them I needed to leave quickly. Little did I know, I would be getting a friend to take me to the ER just a few hours later! After spending about 3 hours in the ER on an iv, going through tests, and answering a million questions, they thought I was better and were about to send me home...nope! I get sick again, another IV, and I'm sent to a room....another million questions to answer...

I spent about 2 and a half days with no diagnosis. Seems I'd stumped my doctors (who didn't impress me btw!!). I was unable to eat, and they'd hardly give me ice! Miserable. After CT scans, scopes, xrays, ultrasounds...finally, an answer. I had colitis..yes, colitis. Inflammation in my colon-YUCK!-fluid in my stomach and lungs. I've never been so sick in my life. So, after 5 days of eating NOTHING but chicken broth, being pumped full of fluid, 3 antibiotics, steriods, etc..I finally started to feel better.

I spent 6 days in that hospital room. Thank the good Lord for my MAMA and my wonderful friends who visited me and took care of everything. I went home to New Albany with my mom for a week so I could get some good care and get to feeling better. Went back to the doctor yesterday for blood work and got a great report..it all came back normal! Thank goodness.

What an interesting little change up in my routine ;)

Inspired by Jade Gaskin :)

ABC fun...

A. Attached or single? Single!

B. Best friend? I have several: Renee, Mandi, Haley, Rachel...but I have many GREAT friends!

C. Cake or pie? Cake..birthday cake is the best!

D. Day of choice? Saturday for sure

E. Essential items? Cell phone and the CHI.

F. Favorite color? Green

G. Gummy bears or worms? SOUR gummy worms

H. Hometown? New Albany, MS

I. Favorite indulgence? Coffee and food....sad!

J. January or July? July. I love summer, even though my hair stays frizzy

K. Kids? Someday!

L. Life isn’t complete without? My mom and sisters, niece and nephew, dog Jack, laughs with Haley!

M. Marriage date? Ha..TBA.

N. Number of brothers and sisters? 3 sisters! Jenny, Emily, and Morgan

O. Oranges or apples? Um, neither really, but I'd have to go with oranges

P. Phobias? Frogs, Storms, Heights

Q. Quotes? "Life is short, but sweet for certain..." -DMB

R. Reasons to smile? God is good. There are so many reasons to smile..I forget that sometimes.

S. Season of choice? I'd have to say Fall. I love the weather, and I LOVE MSU football time. I'm a big fan of Spring too though!

T. Tag 5 people.- Tag yourself! Ha.

U. Unknown fact about me? I hate styrofoam. Hate it.

V. Vegetable? Almost everything, but especially squash, potatoes, and green beans

W. Worst habit? Messing with my hair and saying "um"

X. X-ray or ultrasound? I am not sure what to say there...

Y. Your favorite foods? Spaghetti, McDonald's fries, mama's mashed potatoes...

Z. Zodiac sign? Capricorn

Call me crazy...

...but I really want Britney Spears to be on the road to recovery! I couldn't stand her for a while, but I have been rooting for her lately, and I hope she's gonna make a comeback. I LOVE this commercial with her. I think it's funny and reminds me of the old Britney. Can't wait to see her perform on the VMA's tonight!

Commercial

I can't live without my...

1. My Chi! This is just a given. I straighten my hair every single day of my life. My poor hair is probably so damaged from this, but nobody would want to be seen with me if I hadn't used the straightener!

2. My cell phone. I hate to admit that, but who can really say they can live without their cell phone. I don't talk much on my phone anymore cause I TEXT all the time. Thank goodness AT&T decided to provide unlimited texts. Mama was threatening to take it away from me!! I remember my first cell phone..I barely used the thing. Times have changed...

3. My Jackers. (my dog, Jack) He's my buddy. Couldn't stand not having him around.

4. My high school cheerleading shorts. Yeah, it's true. I still wear the shorts from high school that I wore to cheer camp or the ones I bought for practicing. They are worn out, have paint stains, and just old..but I love them. I sleep in a pair nearly every night, and they are always my go-to clothes from comfort.

5. Starbucks. Never thought I'd say it, and I hate admitting it now. I do love it. The only hot coffee I'll get is white chocolate mocha..other than that it has to be iced white chocolate mocha or caramel frappe. I'm trying to back off..it's too expensive anyway! Thank goodness colder weather will be here before long..maybe I won't want it anymore.

My cousin, Lucy

My cousin, Lucy Hale, has been living in LA (she's from Memphis) for about 5 years now. She's appeared on several TV shows and commercials and has recently done some pretty big things. She has a part in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and is also starring in the CW's new show, Privileged. The girl that plays Cheyenne on Reba is on the show too! I love her! I haven't seen Lucy since she first went to LA. I got the chance to go out and visit her while she was competing on American Juniors. (the kid version of American Idol). She's doing a great job!

Since last time...

I haven't posted anything in a while. Guess I've been busy, or bored, or something. In mid-July I went to Tampa to visit Mandi. We had a GREAT time, and it was so good to get away for a few days! I wish I could've stayed an extra week. I got to visit Sea World for the first time EVER..we went to a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game..saw MC HAMMER!..went to the beach..had a fantastic time out on the town and shopping..ate way too much. As we were leaving Howl at the Moon one night, I saw these two familiar faces about to pass us. It was 2 guys I went to high school with! How random? We stopped and chatted and of course took a picture. Too funny. Can't wait til next time!

Happy 60th to my Daddy!

July 23 is my daddy's birthday, and this would've been his 60th birthday!! Happy Birthday to my wonderful daddy!!

Rachel Ray, How I'll Miss You...

I'm posting this about 6 days before Rachel is actually leaving, but if I don't do it now, I'm not sure if I can do it later! Rachel "Ray" and I became friends a little over 2 years ago while she was working in the ticket office. Since then, she has become one of my very BEST friends, and I have made through so many tough times with her help. She has listened to me whine, cry, pout, ha..everything you can think of. We have shared so many fun times too!! From the beach, to scanning tickets at games, to rolling off the exercise ball at the gym (Rachel!!), to snow cones after the pool..I could go on and on. I couldn't have asked for a better friend, and I can look back at these past 2 years with a huge smile--and a tear--and I am so thankful that I've had Rachel around.

However, now it's time for her to go. God has blessed Rachel with an amazing guy and and an even better opportunity to move to Meridian and experience the next phase in her life. I am so happy for you, Rachel, but I am going to miss you so SO much! Not sure what I'll do without you!

Happy Father's Day!

This weekend will be a tough one, as Sunday (Father's Day) will be exactly one year since my daddy passed away. I am going home today to spend the weekend with my mom and sisters. I almost can't believe a year has gone by already. We couldn't have done it without our friends and family!!

Happy Father's Day to all my blog friends' dads! Hope it is a great weekend. And Happy Father's Day to my sweet daddy who I miss so very much. I love you!!

My Current Favorite Things

Number 1 on my list would have to be Lifetime's Army Wives. Such a wonderful show! I watched it last season, and I was so excited for this past Sunday's Season 2 premiere. I look forward to it every week. I think every woman (and men too!) should watch this show. It is funny, sad, sweet, inspiring, touching...one of my favorite shows in a long time! I think my favorite character is Roxy. She's a southern girl from Alabama, and her husband is cute too! Ha.

My number 2 would have to be The Bachelorette. I go back and forth on watching the bachelor/bachelorette, but I am hooked on this season. I loved DeAnna when she was on the Bachelor, so I am definitely still a fan. My favorite guys on the show are Graham and Jason. I picked Jason from episode one!! He seems like such a sweetheart. I like Graham because he seems really cool and is so cute. I've got Casey watching it now-HA!

Sad to say, but my favorite things right now are TV shows!! I'm such a couch potato! Maybe next time, my favorite things will be running, working out, reading...HA, nah...

X is for XYZ..I'm done!

I saw someone else do this with the alphabet game, and now I understand why. While this has been fun, it has also been a little more difficult than I first imagined. X,Y, and Z would be hard to figure out anyway, so I'm done!

I went to see Sex and the City last night. I have literally seen ONE episode of that show ever, but I really enjoyed the movie. I looked forward to each new scene to see what everyone was wearing..loved the clothes! I think every girl should watch this movie at least once.

Today is Wednesday, and I'm hoping it's better than the last few Wednesdays! For some reason the last few that have passed have been very stressful. I said a prayer this morning that I would stay positive today and work really hard. So I know today will be better. It's hump day--can't be a bad thing!

W is for Whoo Hoo..We survived Camp!!

I did it!! I survived my first year at dance camp. It was very hard work, constant running around, and exhausting, but we had a GREAT time. I could not be more proud of my girls. They were great spirits and worked so hard. It is amazing to see how far we've come since last year. We brought home several awards! We got 2nd place in the home pom routine, an all-superior trophy (we had at least 85% in superior ribbons on evaluations), 4 of them made All-Star, and we were given the "rock star" award. The rock star award was given the first night by the staff. They chose a squad that just showed great spirit, worked hard, etc...Friday night that squad passed it to another, then they passed it on Saturday, and yesterday Brandon High School passed it to us. The girls were so excited. I am glad it's over and happy we had such a good time.

V is for VACATION...

...and I NEED one!!! This weekend just wasn't long enough. I need a real vacation. Somewhere sunny and away from Starkville! I keep seeing everyone post pictures of their trips to the beach or the lake, and I must admit, I am getting pretty jealous. I have never worked as hard as I'm working these days. Don't get me wrong, I think it's good for me, but I'm getting tired! Anyone up for going to the beach?? Let's GO!!

U is for UDA Camp

In just 3 short days I'll be taking my first trip to dance camp and the first trip to camp as a sponsor! I have gone to UCA camp before (5 times to be exact) but was always the cheerleader. On Thursday of this week, I'll be taking my small squad of 6 girls to camp. Thank goodness we are going to camp at State, so we are still at home! We'll compete the first night of camp. I'm getting nervous, but they have worked so hard and will do great! I am so ready for next Sunday though--I'll be done with camp, and dance won't start again until August!!

Wish us luck at camp!! We might need it...

T is for TGIF

Yeah, I'm too tired to say anything else!

S is for Sing to Me!

Which David were you for last night? (Duh, American Idol) My vote was definitely for David COOK! David Archuwhatever has a beautiful voice, but bless his heart, he just seems like a goofy little kid. I just think David Cook is more marketable and more entertaining. Wouldn't mind him singing to me! Ha. I really would've liked Syeisha (sp?) to win, but 3rd place isn't too bad!

I'm currently obsessed with the song "Out of My Mind" by Colbie Caillat. I really love all of her songs, but this one is my current favorite. Wonder if she's gonna play around here anytime. I wouldn't mind catching one of her concerts.

And last today, but CERTAINLY not least, is Dave Barnes. LOVE him! I think I found him on MySpace one day, and I've been hooked ever since. I found out he is going to be in Houston really soon, so I gave Casey grief for moving. Ha. The day he is near Starkville, I am there. He is amazing! I have one of his songs as Casey's ringtone, I have him on my playlists at work and home. Check out his music if you haven't already. You'll love it. He can "sing to me" any time of day!

R is for Remember When...

I know I am kinda slackin at this game right now. I am running out of fun titles and topics, but I'm about ready for this alphabet game to be over! I'm going to finish it out though. ;)

So my R is for remember when, and I'm posting some old pictures from college!

Q is for quotes

I wasn't sure what to do with my "q", so thanks to Mandi for giving me this idea. There are so many quotes that I love, and I forget to always write them down. I will share some of my favorites...

Grey's Anatomy:
-"We're adults. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop?"
-"At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them."

"Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you." -Dirty Dancing

"This is one doodle that can't be un-did, homeskillet." - Juno

"If was life was easy, it wouldn't be worth living!" - Matthew Gaskin

"Hey, Kiddo" - Casey P.

"Looks aren't everything, money is." - my friend Keely

P is for Practice, Practice, Practice!

I feel like that is all I'm doing these days is going to dance practice! It's that time of year though. We're getting ready to go to dance camp at MSU on May 29, so we are preparing for our first competition! I have them practicing whenever we can get it in. They are doing a good job and getting better each time. Their dance is so cute thanks to our choreographer, Ashley. I am going to be so proud of them once we're done. Come see us perform May 29 if you can!

O is for OHR NOR!

HaHa. I'm sure you're wondering, what in the world is ohr nor?? Well, this post is for my little sister, Morgan. Morgan moved to Starkville a while back for about 6 months and lived with me. We had so much fun together...playing, laughing, trying to cook, and developing our own "language". It all started with Morgan mocking Celine Dion and the guy from Creed and how they pronounce words when they sing. It was hilarious. We started talking that way to each other..pretty much putting random R's in words. (hard to explain, but it works). We've been doing this ever since. We've even gotten mama and Em to do it at times and even friends! The greatest thing was when daddy would hear us and start copying us! "OHR NOR" is our favorite thing to say. Ha!

I forget Morgan is going on 22 years old. I still call her my "little" sister. I guess she'll always be that to me. Morgan is so full of life, and I believe she gets prettier every time I see her. Nobody makes me laugh like she does. We can turn the most boring day into something so much fun. She is almost finished with cosmotology school and is SO good at it! I would definitely trust her with my hair and nails! She's awesome. With Morgan, I learn to not always take life so seriously and just enjoy it. So thanks, Mo. I LROVE YROU!!

N is for New

I say "new" because I feel like I am experiencing some new beginnings...

This past weekend was great. Casey and I packed up the Uhaul and his truck (and let me tell you, you couldn't have fit a toothpick in that uhaul) and drove to Mississippi. We stopped in Monroe and visited with his dad and stepmom. It was my first time to meet them, and I really enjoyed being around them. We spent the night with his mom, and then drove Sunday to Columbus to his NEW apartment downtown. It is really cute, and soon it will feel more like home to him. So...he's finally here and that is very NEW to us. It's going to be a lot of fun getting to see each other on random nights of the week and just whenever we feel like it.

I'm also learning a lot of NEW things this week at work as Mrs. Judy ("The Judy" hahaha) is retiring and will be gone after Friday. I am getting my first promotion, and for a while I'll be adjusting to the NEW responsibilities. I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure it'll be good for me.

So here's to some things NEW and exciting in my life :)

M is for Moving!

Yep, it's that time. I'll be leaving in the morning for the last time headed to Houston. I'm kinda sad! But not that sad! Casey's last day of work is today, so tomorrow we'll finish packing up some of his things and spend the rest of the time enjoying Houston. We plan on eating lunch somewhere and then going to dinner..my choice. I'm thinking about Churrascos, the first place we ever went cause it's been my favorite so far. We're getting up Saturday morning and heading out in the Uhaul! We're stopping in Monroe, LA to stay with his mom and then we'll be in Starkville on Sunday. Casey has decided on a place in Columbus, and we are looking forward to being A LOT closer! Pray for our safety as we travel! :)

L is for Love you, Renee!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my best friend, Renee!! She's the big 2-5 today and getting on up there like me! I hope you have a wonderful day and that your students don't act up!! :)

K is for Krispy Kreme

And who doesn't love some krispy kreme..especially when the sign outside says HOT. My favorite place to get krispy kreme is at the beach. Wish I had some right now...

J is for Juno

I loved this movie! It's out on DVD now, and I think everyone should rent it. I'll definitely be buying it! That's all I've got to say about that!

J is also for my dog, Jack. I had to drop him off at the vet school this morning with Dr. John (Emilia's fiance). I think he hurt his lower back or something, so let's hope he's ok!

I is for Interesting Quiz

Thank you, Jade, for tagging me to this quiz! I needed something to do for "I".

maybe i should - get back to cleaning my apartment, but I needed the break

i love the smell of - my mom's cooking and Fierce cologne (Abercrombie & Fitch)

people would say that i’m -tender-hearted. Maybe TOO tender-hearted sometimes. I can't stand to see someone eating out alone. It makes me really sad.

i don’t understand why - MSU donors like to tell me how "stupid, ridiculous, unfair,..." our fundraising system is. If you don't like it, then get over it. We're like next to last if not last in the SEC as far as money goes. Deal with it and quit fussing at ME!

i lost my willpower to - run on the treadmill. I am not a runner, but I really want to be. I set goals when I first started going to the gym to run longer each time. Not sure where those goals went...

life is - too short

my past made me- stronger and more protective of myself. It also brought me out of my shell!

I get annoyed when I - am cutoff mid sentence at the drive thru (me too, Jade!), hear people smacking, can't quit saying "um", get behind a slow walker

parties are not a good time to - act like a hooker

dogs are - my favorite animal. I couldn't imagine life without my Jack!

tomorrow - is Monday and dance practice starts...

i have low tolerance for - people who can't be nice

i’m totally terrified of - frogs. They are creepy and gross. I know Hell is full of them.

i wonder why I thought my life would be... like I planned when I was little. I planned to be married at 22! Ha..

I always knew I would - still have a crush on one of my best friend's cousins..hahaha

never in my life have i - seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, been skiing (water or snow), gone to Europe, learned to drive a stick shift...

high school was - fun, adventurous, busy, a long time ago! I miss my junior year!

when i’m nervous- I pop my knuckles and my face turns red. But my face turns red all the time even when I'm not nervous or embarrassed

one time at a family gathering... hmm..that's a tough one. I bet if I thought long enough, I could come up with something funny daddy did...

take my advice- don't try the Caramel Frapps at Starbucks...you'll never quit!

making my bed - doesn't happen enough

i'm almost always - distracted..or texting

i’m addicted to - tv..sad, but true

i want someone to - give me an idea for "J"

I now tag Brenner, Renee, and Rachel.

H is for my...HAIR!

Yep, my hair. If you know me at all, then you know my hair pretty much has a personality of its own. I schedule things around washing/straightening my hair. It's sad, but true. Up until 2nd grade, I had "normal" hair. Straight, not too thick, easy to dry. And then, something changed. From then on out, my hair got thicker, curlier, frizzier..just miserable. While in the auditorium as a 2nd or 3rd grader, this guy behind me (who we all had crushes on), taps me on the shoulder and said, "can you scoot over, you know, your hair's kinda big". I've NEVER forgotten that moment!! It used to take an hour to dry and mama would pull and pull and fight and sweat drying it and trying to satisfy me. I have always been so self-conscious about it! I used to get chemical straighteners ALL the time. They never helped that much, but they did help my self esteem! Thank the good Lord for Chi irons now! Seriously, my hair has changed a lot now and is A LOT calmer. It's still trouble for me when it's humid and when I'm swimming or whatever, but I have to deal with it and yall have to look at it! HA.

G is for GREAT picture

That's really all I've got this morning...a GREAT picture of my daddy that one of his best friends sent to my mama. Back in the 70s, daddy and a couple other people owned the "Cotton Street Fountain" in downtown New Albany. I absolutely love this picture.

F is for Frappuccino, Facebook, and French Toast

Jack decided to get up 30 minutes early this morning, so I've been up since about 6:20 which is fairly early for us. I was ready for work a little after 7, so I had plenty of down-time. I have been debating lately on whether or not to join Facebook again. I've been in "facebook rehab" a couple times, but this time was the longest! I decided why not? I miss talking to friends from my major and girlfriends I made that live other places. Since I was up earlier, I had plenty of time to decide I was going to stop by Starbucks and get a caramel frappuccino. I used to not touch anything that was related to coffee, but I love these things. Just needed that extra kick this morning. Last but not least, the french toast. I have been craving it. Casey makes YUMMY french toast, so when he gets here, he'll have to make some for me.

E is for Extra Monday post (lame, sorry)

As mentioned in the previous post, I had a great weekend. One I've been needing for a LONG time. Kayla was in town, so we did some hangin' out! Friday night I met her and Amanda up at the Veranda. Saturday afternoon we went to the movies to see Baby Mama...so cute by the way! Don't even get me started on my $2 ice water though! MAN! Saturday night we went to State Theatre and had a BLAST! We danced the night away and even hit up a late-night. Hadn't done that in forever! It really was one of the best weekends I've had in a while, so thanks, girls.

P.S. No, that's not the same shirt both nights ;) haha

D is for Dancing..and Darn Good Weekend

You shouldn't be surprised my D is for dancing. It's only my favorite thing to do. I took dance lessons for about ten years and then found myself teaching dance for two years. I really miss teaching dance. And now, I always look forward to having friends in town that will go dance with me...hurry home Mandi, and what a DARN good time I had with Kayla and Amanda this weekend! Those pictures will be posted soon! Until then, here is a CLASSIC picture of Mandi and me dancing at the Veranda a loooooong time ago :)

C is for Community College

Yes, Community College. I spent my first two years after high school at Northeast Mississppi CC, and I wouldn't trade those two years for anything! I had some of the best times ever there. Northeast is located in Booneville, MS..only about 45 minutes away from New Albany. So even though I was away from home, I really wasn't. It was just enough distance for my first college experience. My freshmen year I lived with Kayla in the dorm (Mississippi as it was called). It was actually really nice, and we loved it! Our neighbors on both sides were NA girls, so that made it even more fun. Two doors down were the Lann twins who I would later reconnect with! They are Gaskin's cousins :) Kayla, Renee, and I spent a lot of time making new friends at the BSU. I think we all three had a different guy to crush on! I made some great friends that year. Two of my best friends at NE were Matt Lott and Dave Stovall. They started a band called, Freshmen 15...and today they are becomming HUGE in the contemporary Christian music industry! They have some new band members and have changed their name to Wavorly. I am so proud of them!Northeast was a wonderful experience and one I will remember forever. This picture is from my freshman year. I look so young! I sometimes wouldn't mind being 18 again...

B is for BIG sister

I decided to make today's post about my big sister, Em. (Her name is Emily, but that just sounds weird coming out of my mouth.) Em is three years older than me and has always been someone I admire and trust. When we were little she was so mean to me! Don't deny it, Em, you know you played pranks on me and convinced me to do stuff I shouldn't! We always had two barstools in the kitchen, and she got the "first" one--the one furthest from the wall. Why we thought this one was cooler, I'll never know. She got the front of the bathtub--closest to the faucet. She convinced me to open my mouth and close my eyes while she shoved the bar of soap in my mouth. She shoved minute steak up my nose. She convinced me to play the cheese game. That game will remain private!! haha. I will admit though, I did have fun with that one!

Em did "take charge" when we were younger, but as we've gotten older, I've needed her to be the one in charge. When I moved to Starkville, I was nervous and afraid to be away from home. Thank goodness she was here. She helped me adjust to living on my own. She fed me! and basically helped me earn my degree. She picked me up from the Kappa Sig house when you know who gave me the shaft! She came to my apartment in the middle of the night (9 MONTHS PREGNANT) to scare off an ex-boyfriend!! No matter what happens, she is ALWAYS there for me.

Em, you have taught me so much and allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them, all the while, guiding me to be the best I can be. I still look up to you and think you are one of the smartest people in the world. Thank you for being the BEST BIG sister! I love you.

A is for Alphabet Game

I have made the decision (this could be a BAD one) to play the alphabet game with Mandi. I first got this idea from reading Emily Stringer's blog and thought it could be fun. You post something new everyday using the letters of the alphabet in order. So, here goes. We'll see if I can go all the way to Z!!!

HaPpY WEdneSdAY!

I'm sitting at my desk a little while ago, and this guy comes around the corner holding some flowers. In my mind I'm saying, "Please be mine, please be mine!". YAY!! They were mine. It is so fun to be surprised with flowers. Since today is Administrative Professionals Day and I took my lunch hour yesterday to look at an apartment for Casey, the card says, "To my favorite administrative professional and real estate agent". Ha. Thanks, Case :)

Good Times

I had a great weekend. Friday I picked Casey up at the airport, and we stopped at CiCi's Pizza for dinner. We had realized that we'd never eaten pizza together, so we hit up CiCis. It was fun. Friday night we went bowling with Renee, Stephen, and Austin who were in town for a softball tournament. We played 3 games, and I didn't win any of them but I DID beat Casey 2 out of 3, and that's all that matters!! Saturday Casey and I went apartment hunting but had no luck. He's moving in three weeks, so he might be bumming off people for a while. We had lunch at the Union with Renee and crew. Saturday night we went to eat at Old Venice with Emilia and John then hung out at the Veranda for a little while. After church on Sunday, we took Jack for a walk around the lake. He LOVED it. Before heading back to the airport, I made him watch Adventures in Babysitting from like 1987. One of my favorite movies ever! The weekend was a lot of fun, and I can't wait for Renee to come visit me again for a girls' weekend!!

Celeb Crush(es)

Is it ok to be completely jealous of Shannon Elizabeth and Edyta Sliwinska? Well, I am, and I'll tell you why. They both dance with the hottest guys ever on Dancing with the Stars. Haha. Rachel and I were just discussing our secret love for Derek Hough (professional dancer), and we've previously admitted to drooling over Jason Taylor (pro football player). HA. But seriously, I think I'm gonna figure out who to contact about how to pitch my idea for, Dancing with the Normal People!! I think Derek and I would make great dance partners!! ;)

"Just cause I'm not there, doesn't mean I don't know!"

Quote of the day! Thanks, Mandi, for all our chats over messenger. What would I do some days without them! I had so much going on in my head this morning, and I appreciate your advice. You're right, just cause you don't live here anymore, doesn't mean you don't understand what's going on!

You know me too well ;)

Man's Best Friend

I was told this morning to "get to blogging!!". I was thinking back to older posts and realized I have not mentioned my dog Jack! I'm such a bad mother.

I've had Jack for about a year and a half. I had been thinking that I kinda wanted a dog, but I just couldn't make up my mind. Emilia had a friend that worked at the Columbus Humane Society, and she told me one day that her friend had taken home this dog but just didn't think she could keep him since she had two other dogs. She convinced me to take a look at some pictures of "Mr. Milo" and to go visit him. He was so skinny and cute, and I took the friend up on her offer to let this dog come home with me for a night or two. How did that go? Let's just say for the next couple of days I was BEGGING somebody, anybody, to take this dog away from me! He was so hyper and too much trouble. I felt sorry for him, but I just didn't think I could do it. Well, nobody wanted him...not even me. The poor thing had been sent back to the shelter a few times already, so something in me just wouldn't allow him to go back. I changed his name to Jack (Mr. Milo wasn't working for us). And here we are, a year and a half later. I don't know what I'd do without him! How could I have ever wanted to get rid of him. He's such a sweet dog and has calmed down a good bit! Who cares that he's ridiculously spoiled and slightly heavier than he once was?

Jack is a beagle/jack russell mix. He also goes by Jack Jack, Jackers, Stickers (from my niece), and Jack Cristil when he's in trouble.

Engagement Party & Honoring Matthew

Another weekend has come and gone. Friday night I worked the baseball game and then went to an engagement party for my friend Emilia. We had a great time, but of course I was home by 10 and in bed by 10:30! This was just the beginning of all the parties and celebrations to come--I have THREE weddings in a row in October. (bridesmaid in two).

On Sunday I was so lucky to be invited to go with the Gaskin's to an organ/tissue donor recognition in Tupelo. Lots of families were gathered around, and we each had a balloon to represent our loved one. We released the balloons all together, and it was a very special, emotional moment. Then we all gathered at the GumTree Museum for a program where they showed a very sweet slideshow with donors' pictures. The picture of Matthew was so cute! I miss him so much!! I am so thankful to have been able to go and honor my wonderful friend.