I'm baaaaaack

So, it's been a WHILE since I've blogged. I've been outta town and just plain busy so I thought I'd do this fun question thing to hopefully get me back in the mood. Maybe it'll do the trick...maybe not.....


What Makes You Tick
What aspect of your personality do you like best? Hmmm, I like that I'm confident in my convictions and that I'm don't hesitate to lead when I feel strongly about something
Which aspect of your personality do you like the least? I do tend to be more attentive to other peoples problems that my own which seems like a good thing but in the long run, nobody benefits from it
What are some things about other people that annoy you? not taking the initiative when they see something that needs to be addressed and leaving it for someone else to do....so many people are afraid to work
What are some things about you that might annoy people? i'm sure there are too many to list :)
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? a horse and a fence...not joking
What is your favorite time of day? high noon...love when that big ball of sun is shining
Are your parents still together, never were together or divorced? still together
How do you handle arguments/disagreements with other people? i prefer to handle it right then and there...i don't like to leave anything unsettled...even if it means confrontation or a moment of being uncomfortable
Would say you are more extroverted or introverted? i work as an extrovert but am learning to become more in touch with my introverted side as a healthy balance (can you tell i've been going to therapy...lol) :)
Are you spiritual? If yes, is your spirituality influenced by organized religion? My relationship with Jesus is the absolute most important thing in my life and I choose to allow the church that Jay and I are a part of to influence the way I view religion....so, yes I guess so...
Name one of your physical traits that you would change if you could: I wish my nails would stay perfectly manicured and pedicured all the time in the color OPI Bubblebath
Name one of your physical traits that you really like: My eyecolor...it's so easy to makeup with brown eyes
Name something you’d like to do before you die: I've been able to do a lot...but I'd like to see Jay experience more, he's always wanted to scuba dive so I'd love to see him do that, that would be amazing
If you could back in time to any point of history, where would you go and why? I think it'd be cool to see the Little House on the Prairie days...whenever that was
Have you ever experienced anything supernatural? Plenty of miracles
Are you close to your family members? They are soooooo special to me!!!!
Name some things in life that you are afraid of? being shot in the FACE...sea life...
What is your biggest life issue right now? ugh, this dang election
What Do You Like?
Scents: i smell like a hound dog so i'm picky...but i like the new coach perfume
TV Channels: bravo!
Snack Foods: i don't snack really but i like chick peas roasted
Beverages: duh, unsweet iced tea with spenda
Conversation Topics: anything positive
Magazines: fashion
Flowers: lillies
Jewelry: drippy, boho, layery stuff
Restaurants: non-chains, clean cooking, organic is a huge plus
Websites: seaofshoes.com, frugal-fashionista.blogspot.com
Vacation spots: NYC
Stores: forever 21
Outdoor Activities: anything with Jay...when it's above 65*...camping this past weekend was a BIT chilly!!!

Anniversaries!

Happy Anniversary to us!! We celebrated 4 years on the 25th! We had a lovely evening at home...after work, we made dinner together and really celebrated the fact that we had shared four years of marriage together. Then we did no other than watch the season premier of Grey's!! :) I also "celebrated" my 2 year post-op mark. Two years ago on the 20th, I was in a heck of a lot of pain in a strange hospital room in New York City, in and out of consciousness only getting to see Jay and my parents for about 5 minutes twice a day while I was in ICU. I was so scared and in so much pain but once I was moved to my room, every time I opened my eyes, I saw my precious husbands smiling face right over mine and felt my mommas warm hand on mine and my daddys big hands on my feet and saw my sweet mother in law at the end of my bed. At the time I wasnt sure what the outcome was going to be. We were all so hopeful that that was going to be it and after the scars had healed, the pain would be gone but I always knew that no matter what the outcome was, God had His hand in this. I still believe that His hand is in this and although my scar may be healed, my healing is FAR from over!! :)

But back to being married. In my last post, I mentioned that we were going to see a counselor to take the Myers Briggs tests, so I'll fill ya in on that. I can't even tell you how excited I am about the timing of it! Jay took his Personality test and we both took what is called the Enrich evaluation, which is for couples who have been married for a while, that lets you know your strengths and weaknesses. Our counselor will send them off, and in a couple of weeks when she gets them back, we will meet again and over 2, two hour sessions we will go over the results. It will basically see how we can better serve eachother in our marriage. We feel so blessed that we are able to do this NOW, long before there is a "need" for counseling because of a problem and we're also pretty proud of ourselves for taking the initiative to go ahead and do this! I'll keep ya filled in along the way.

Tomorrow evening Amy B. and I are going to a plastic surgeons office for a little PR. Dr. Cole is having an open house with all the reps from Botox, Juvaderm, Restalin, etc there to answer questions and actually do some "work" and we will be there representing Amy Head answering questions and showing makeup techniques. It should be fun!

MOST exciting though is that my SEESTER AND NEPHEWS ARE COMING!!!!!!!!! Sooooo spur of the moment, she decided to drive all the way from Ft Myers!! I am going to ride back with them in a couple of weeks and then fly back a few days later. I am soooo excited to see them!!! PLEASE be praying for their safety tomorrow and Wednesday as they are driving and also for her hands...she has sjograns disease which causes terrible pain in her hands (arthritis) when she drives for long periods of time!

I got Jays Bday present. I'm keeping it at my parents house because it's so big. He's going to be so surprised. It makes me laugh to think about it because it's such a grandpa gift. I'll have to post pics when I give it to him, he'll be so excited though. haha. What can I say, I aim to please :)

I think I'm caught up for now. Hope everyones had a great September!!
xoxo

I'm still alive, just been oh so busy. Work work work! I havent even picked up the laptop so I'm just doing this quick post on my itty bitty iPhone. Which by the way I am ADDICTED to!!!! Jay got it for me before our Nashville trip and I haven't put it down since! :)

Thursday is our 4th Anniversary and Im super excited! We don't have big plans but I still love little milestones. We're going to see a counselor tomorrow who specializes in the Myers Briggs personality types and we are so excited. Before the rumors start flying, let me explain ;) We had this counselor come do a workshop at the Studio a month or so ago and we all took the tests to find out our types so that we could work as the ultimate team and of course service our customers better and Amy treated us all to a personal session with her. I have become so intriged by it and by sharing everything I have learned with Jay, we think it would be so beneficial to learn to communicate with eachother the best we possibly can before problems ever arise. This lady also does the pre marriage counseling for FBC so she's great with our ages. So tomorrow Jay will take the myers Briggs test since ive done it and we'll go from there! SO exciting!!

Anyway, Jays Bday is on Oct 7...he'll be 35!! I'm so proud of my ole man ;) Not sure of the plans yet but we'll think of something.

Well gotta run but I'll get back soon. Still gotta post about Nashville...especially my shopping finds! ;)

xoxo

SOO much

So very much has happened since the last time I posted that I almost don't even want to post anymore but I'll try to catch up. The Fashion Show was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!!!! It was soo well done, I was proud to be a part of it. Of course the makeup looked amazing but every part of the show was thought out to the last detail and it was top notch and so high end. The models were amazing, the DJ was the best, the hair was perfect and the whole atmosphere was right on. I can't belive it all came together like it did.

Jay and I made a somewhat last minute trip to Nashville this past weekend and got back Wednesday. I won't go into detail but I will say that we had overwhelming confirmations about the directions that God is leading us. We have a meeting tomorrow that will give us even more answers. This is a VERY exciting season in our lives and a lot of things will be happening in the near future...sooner that we may have expected. I'll keep you posted as I can.

I know this is short but I am soooo tired...still car lagged I think and I have a full day at work tomorrow. Hope everyones had a great week!

Storytellers Ball

Thursday was the night and we did have a good time. I was ready for it to come and go and I am glad that it's over but it was nice to get out and meet a lot of the people you hear about it the business section of the newspaper....not that I read it, I just hear about it. We had a good time getting ready together at the studio. Amy B and I both borrow dresses from Amy Head and they were so pretty and sparkly. I FINALLY found some gold heels...bcbg always pulls through for me. If only I wore size 8's, I couldv'e borrowed Amy's Manolo's...*sigh*. Oh well. :) They had a live auction and Harold and Amy got a cool painting so that was exciting...quite a bidding war went on for that. The food was pretty...of course nothing was vegan but I wasn't that hungry so it was fine. I saw my brain surgeon and I may or may not have had a slight crush on him so that was fun...lol...he was so nice and our mutual friend was there with him and made a big deal about the last time he had seen me, I had a big bandage around my head was that was quite embarassing. They had a band playing some fun 70's music. There were probably about 400-500 people there total. So next up is the fashion show on Thursday. Exciting! Jay's taking off work tomorrow since he's been working so much (he's even at work today) and we're going to find something for me to wear to it!

Update on the medicine...still too early to tell if it's going to help the pain but I may not be blogging as much. It's taken me about 40 minutes to write this little bit bc I have to keep backspacing almost every sentence. I keep writing words backwards and phrases get all jumbled up. It's a very common side effect so it's not scary but it's just frustrating and time comsuming.

Have a wonderful week!

Y and Z

Y is for...Y can't I find the shoes that I'm looking for? I love shoe shopping but I HATE shopping FOR shoes...I promise this is a logical statement. I enjoy just stumbling upon a great pair of shoes when I'm not particulary looking for any but when I have a certain outfit that i need a certain style of shoe for, I can NEVER find the right ones. I have been all over town today looking for a pair of shoes for the Storyteller's Ball on Thursday night but I can NOT find them. It's a black tie event and I am borrowing a dress from Amy thats kind of a fleshy peachy color with parts of it sheer and parts of it with peachy sequins. It's beautiful and drippy and I need simple, elegant shoes...I want a nude color so it's like I'm almost barefoot because I don't want to distract from the dress but everything is either so ornate or really really plain. Ugh. I have until Wednesday night to find them. I did find a cute pair of Steve Madden wedges though...hehe. :)

Z is for...Zephryhills. That's the kind of water my seester is stocking up on because of hurricane Fay. She lives in Ft. Myers and it is headed for them tomorrow afternoon. She's all stocked up with supplies so now it's just a waiting game. Jay and I lived in Florida during the season with all the storms and we evacuated each time but they're going to ride it out. PLEASE pray for them. I am praying of course for their safety but also for the small things. Jonathan is nervous about the power going out and can you imagine being 4 years old hearing all the wind and rain beating on the windows, sitting in the dark with your little flashlight, no cartoons and having to ride out the storm? My prayer is that they will be protected from ANYTHING related to the storm...strong win, power outages, tornadoes. I wish so badly that I could wrap those little boys up in my arms and protect them (and Kristi too!) but I am going to be in a constant spirit of prayer for them until I see that colorful "spot" named Fay on the weather map move over them. PLEASE do the same!!

Well, I made it through the Alphabet! If anyone has any ideas of what I can do next let me know! I need something like this to keep me blogging! :)

V,W,X

V is for...VIP Runway Event!! It's going to be soooooo fabulous!!!! So VIP is the local magazine that everyone wants to be it...it features pictures from all the big parties and fundraisers around Jackson and it has great advertising and every month they fly off the racks as soon as they go out....it's pretty pathetic if you ask me. Anyway, the editor, Leigh Reeves does a fantastic job, she's very classy and hip and she's putting together the first ever VIP Fashion Show charity event. Amy Head Studio is doing the makeup and "creative direction" for it which means we got the final say on almost everything b/c our name is on everything. This isn't your typical local rinky dink fashion show with highschool girls who's moms told them they were puurrrty...these are HOT men and women (they had a casting call for it) walkin down the runway in high fashion clothes with GORGEOUS Amy Head makeup. It's on the front lawn of this old Historic house in the Fondren district under the stars with this amazing DJ who was mentored by the best of the best. It's being catered by the hip little restaurant that has even opened yet called Mint. Tickets are $75 bucks so you know it'd better be good. It's on the 28th so I'll let ya know how it goes.

W is for...Wait. Thats what I had been feeling like God was telling me lately. Just wait. I am usually a very laid back, even tempered, go with the flow kind of girl but there was this little situation (i won't go into detail cuz i'm not sure who reads this) that just made me want to blow up. I couldn't understand why another person of authority involved wasn't seeing things the way I was seeing them, which was logical. I kept getting so angry inside and wanted to confront the issue but I would always here that little voice saying, just wait. So I waited for about a month and then finally yesterday I had had it. I had been pushed over the edge, my heart was racing and I was hot and I was about to lose it when I heard the voice again. So again I recomposed myself, even had a calm conversation with the person and then at the end of the day, it all made sense. The problem was resolved and I got to see how waiting was more than the right thing to do. Things worked out better than I could have imagined and because I waited, I am still respected by everyone involved. I am sooo thankful for that still small voice.

X is for...Xcited about date night tonight! I know I cheated but I couldn't think of an X and I didn't have anything to write about a Xylophone. I'm not sure what we're gonna do and it really doesn't matter, I'm just happy to be spending time with Jay. He's getting all clean and polished up now and we'll head out :) Probably buy some more shoes...and then return them...kidding :) Have a fab weekend!

S,T,U

First I gotta acknowledge (that's a hard word to type) my new layout!! My first one ever thanks for Mrs Langhans :) I have tried in the past to figure it out but I could never do it, so for now this one is going to do until I have a few more minutes to play with the site she sent me a link to. Thanks Lindsey!! :) Now for the Alphabet...

S is for...Summer Olympics. I just can't get into them. I love our country and I'm all about some Michael Phelps (sp?) too but I just can't sit in front of the TV for hours cheering our team on. I hope we do well but that's about as far as my spirits gonna take me. We did however watch a little bit of the womens gymnastic in bed lastnight and they weren't doing too well. I felt so bad for them. I felt even worse for the Chinese girls though only because I feel like if THEY do bad, they'll get beaten, or sold into slavery or something, ya know? Sad. But really though, Go USA!

T is for...Too young for makeup. Seriously moms, you gotta draw the line somewhere. We have been having sooo many little girls in for their back to school makeovers and when I say back to school, I can almost say back to Preschool. These girls are 10 and 11. I know that 12 is a pretty safe age to START wearing a little bit but I had a little 10 year old today who's MOM was telling me to put on foundation, eyeshadow with a dark crease, BLACK eyeliner, blush and lipstick...seriously...serisously? She spent over $700....on her TEN YEAR OLD!!! You gotta have boundaries ladies, boundaries!

U is for...Ugly secretarys. A lady I work with has a daughter who's husband just became an official lawyer and she has made a rule that he can only have ugly secretaries. The lady was actually in an attorneys office the other day and she said that all of the secretaries were all so unattractive. I know this sounds so awful but it was so funny to me. It makes sense though. I guess if Jay was in an office alone with a woman, I'd feel better if she wasn't the easiest thing to look at. So, if you work at an office and the wives love you, are you the ugly secretary??...JUST KIDDIN :)

P,Q,R

P is for...Playing in the rain. Jay and I are dorks. I said it. We are. But we LOVE to love life and while some people prefer to go to the theatre when it's rainy and yucky outside, we can't wait to get out there and smear mud all over eachother...haha. So I'm attaching a pic from a day a few months ago when we did just that. Todays been rainy and yucky and fabulous and if he weren't still at work I'd like to think that that's what we'd be doing now :)

Q is for...Quarters for Chiari. We started savings our quarters when I got my first dr. appointment in NY and we started calling them our "quarters for chiari" and it just stuck. We saved rolls and rolls of them and paid for many taxi rides, bus fares, train tickets, subway passes, etc with them. My mom also surprised us with HER large stash of quarters for chiari that we used on another trip to ny. Everytime we have our date set to go we get re-focused on saving up those quarters. Maybe I shouldn't give away this susper secret hiding spot but I keep them in the freezer...I think b/c if the house burns down, they won't melt?? Is this true...or maybe the chimney would be a better place since the chimney always seems to be left standing...hmmm...

R is for...Re-play. Jay and I Re-played Scrabble and I must say we had a BLAST. We established the rules from the beginning and that did the trick. We decided that if we could prove the spelling of a word it counts. Unfortunately you can prove some pretty crazy words...lol. But I personally think that makes it all the more fun. I was so happy last night though b/c I BEAT HIM....not just beat him...SMOKED HIM!!! Now I can't wait to play again! I feel like my sister is with Monopoly...she LOVES that game! (I promise I'll play with you seester!!!)

M,N,O

M is for...Much needed day off. Every time I have a day off it feels like it's been a month since the last one so I've really enjoyed today. I woke up to steady rain which was nice so i got ready and headed to the market. I dropped off the groceries and met my handsome husband for a lunch date. We've had such a fun weekend spending time together. We're one of the rare couples that REALLY REALLY like eachother and love spending time together. (except playing boardgames..lol) I took those shoes back to the mall *sniff* and then picked up a few more things at Healthway and headed home to bake. I made some more of the vegan brownies so Jay could bring some healthy snacks with him to work and I made the mistake of eating one...or 10..j/k ;) at about 3 o'clock so I spoiled my dinner. Oh well. I'll just have to have a midnight snack. Now I'm just waiting for Jay to get home so we can have a fabulous evening together.

N is for...Never enough hours in the day. Do y'all ever feel like that? I do all the time at work. I know that going in to work tomorrow I have about 20 things that I HAVE to get done by 5 o'clock but I will probably only get about half of them done if I'm lucky. I like to think I'm pretty good at time management but you can only do so much. I really wish we had a couple more people to work part time so that I could spend a little more time in the office uninterrupted a couple days a week but I do enjoy being on the floor as much as possible so I don't know if what I'm saying is actually true. It always seems to work out and things always seem to get done. I always have that thought in the back of my head though that at the end of the year we're going to uncover some MASSIVE mistake that I've made that can't be undone and the whole business is going to fall apart because of it!! Yikes!!

O is for...Ombre. Do y'all like this fashion trend? It started showing up a couple of seasons ago and now it's really making a mark. The new fall line of Hobo Intl. handbags has done a BEAUTIFUL selection of Ombre and until now I wasn't too sure about it. They did it so well though...very smart and tasteful. We just got a ton of bags in at the Studio so if you're in the market for a new one, stop in. FYI, we always have ours marked about $20 less than the MSRP!

J,K,L

J is for...Just a game. I wish!!! Jay and I try our darndest to play boardgames b/c we both love them so much but he is sooooo competitive and I am sooooo stubborn that they don't always turn out so well. We got Scrabble this weekend b/c I thought of all the games in the world, that one would be the least debateable but noooooo...he had to question whether or not the words...."om", "aflame" and "aura" were actually words...I Googled them and sure enough, they all are!!! LoL. I guess now that Google is around, Scrabble has a whole new set of rules. So if anyone knows of a game that has no debateable content, PLEASE let me know!!!!! ;)

K is for...Keeping house. That's what we've been doing all day. As soon we we got home this afternoon we started with the ceiling fans and worked our way down to the baseboards. It looks and smells soo good inside and I know we're even going to sleep better tonight. I always sleep better when the house is spotless. Tomorrow I have off so i can focus on all the errands I have to run. One of which is returning this FABULOUS pair of shoes Jay got me this weekend. They're BCBG and they are beautiful. I just realized that I know I'm not going to get my moneys worth out of them b/c they're not a "basic" shoe. They're "statement" shoes, ya know and for the price and I would always feel guilty about having them. But I did get some great BCBG clothes on clearance that I am keeping :)

L is for...La-La Land. That's where I've been this week. I started my medicine and the dosage was WAAAAAAY too high. I started at 50 mg. for 2 days then went to 100 mg. People, I couldn't even form a sentence. One minute I wanted to crawl under a table and the next I wanted to rip my skin off. It was undescribeable and just sooo miserable so I am down to 25 mg and I am going to slowly increase. I don't know what being stoned feels like but if it is even remotely like that then I can't imagine why in the world anyone would CHOOSE to feel that way!!!!!!

G,H,I

G is for...Good Karma "ice cream". This stuff is amazing...it's Vegan, Lactose Free, Dairy Free, Transfat Free, Gluten Free and all organic and it is incredible!! It is like the Ben and Jerrys of the Vegan world. I say that not only b/c it's packed full of flavor but it's also not "diet" friendly. I eat it for what it is and enjoy every bit of it. I've had some kind of peanut butter flavor and most recently I tried one called Carrot Cake. It tastes like cinnamony carrot cake and cream cheese frosting all mooshed together and it is to die for. Try it!!

H is for...Hungry b/c that what I am right now. Jay is working late but since he's actually in town, I am forcing myself to wait until he gets home so that we can actually eat together! I am going to have squash and zuccini with black beans for myself and I think I'll make him some Grilled Chicken with whole wheat Penne and I'll make some yummy sauce and he'll have a veggie also. Yes, I always cook two seperate meals :)

I is for...Incedible blessings. So yesterday we got the long awaited prescription in the mail from my NY doctor so we took it to the pharmacy right away. We were joking about how much it was going to cost but we were so not prepared for the actual total. $420.00....and thats only for ONE month...of EXPERIMENTAL medication. I thought I was going to cry b/c I had gotten my hopes up so high and I was so excited to try it. So we told the sweet lady to hold it and we may come back. This morning I called my sweet friend Hannah who works at the pharmacy her brother owns to see how much it was there and they said that they could give me double the dosage and I would just need to cut them in half and it would only be $145.00. Isn't that such a blessing?? As sad as I was last night I just KNEW that God was going to show us what to do and provide a way for me to be able to have this. I am so thankful for His blessings and the people that He has put in our lives.

D,E,F

See, I knew this would get me posting more!

D is for...Daisey. Our sweet little almost 4 year old Maltese. We got her when we still lived in Florida and I wanted her sooooooo bad!! It was during the time that I was staying home and I needed a little companion. That girl is such a stinker though. Among other things two of her highlights were jumping out of our car while we were driving (we weren't going fast) and worst of all...taking a running jump our of our second floor window. Seriously. Jay was working upstairs and had the window open to let some air in and before he realizes whats happening, she's out. He ran downstairs as fast as lighting and expected her to be either dead or paralyzed but no, she was running in circles around the yard. She loved it...agh!! As bad as she is, we love her so much and can't imagine life without her.

E is for...End of Summer. I can't believe school is starting this week. Jay and I were just saying how we soo don't miss those days. I remember I used to think my mom was so lucky that she got to stay home and "do nothing" while we were at school all day. I am sooo glad I am done and i will feel soo bad when I have to send my kids. We went to the market today and it was MAD house with everyone getting there last minute school supplies. I used to LOVE getting brand new school supplies though. Even though I always had a sick feeling on the first day, it was still a little exciting finding out who my teacher would be and my classmates. Seeing where my desk would be and getting my new books. And my mom would pack the BEST lunches...peanut butter and jelly (or marshmallow cream!), cookies (usually homemade) and fruit by the foot or some other fun snack. Those were the days...lol.

F is for...Franklin. Our hopefully near future hometown. We are planning a trip back probably next month to explore a little more and get closer to our eventual move. If you 've never been, it's like the Greenwich Village of Nashville. It's such a cute little area to walk around with super cute boutiques, friendly people and fabulous atmosphere. I think a Studio will be so successful in that area. We will see!!

Alphabet...

a) i'm so embarassed by all the bad grammar and typos in my last post and I want to push it off the page quickly and b) i dont post very often b/c i feel like something exciting has to happen before i do....these are the 2 reasons i decided to play the alphabet game that i've been seeing lately. so that it doesn't take me until by 30th bday, i think i'll do 3 letters at a time. so here goes nothin....

A is for...Amy Head. As in my boss, the studio, and everything else associated with the words. Just 2 years ago at this time, I had been told (or actually would be told in a month) that I shouldnt work, I couldnt do anything active, I couldn't get pregnant...basically I was feeling like I had no purpose...until Jay and I were on our way home from a long road trip and I decided to try and "get my foot in the door" at the place where I had my wedding makeup done. Little did we know, it would change our lives. God has used this place and these people to impact our lives in ways that will affect our futures forever and we are so thankful that God lead us straight to them.

B is for...Babies. I just mentioned that I "couldn't" get pregnant. For about 3 years Jay and I were DESPERATE to start a family. I didn't understand why in the world I couldn't get pregnant...my mom and sister were oh so fertile, why wasn't I? Well, I was checked from head to toe and everything seemed to be working properly...I started fertility drugs and nothing happened. All around us our friends were getting pregnant and it was truly heartbreaking. Dont be sad though, God knows SO much more than we do...imagine that. Had we had a baby when we wanted, we would never be in the situation we are in and we would never be able to be headed for the direction God is leading us now. Yeah I still EVENTUALLY want to start a family but I even get a little panicky thinking about doing that now...I would be so content with 5 more years with just the 2 of us. Also, God has opened my heart (Jay's was already wide open) to adoption and when we're ready, thats probably what we will do.

C is for...Co-Op. As in Rainbow Co-Op, this fabulous grocery store and restaurant in the fabulous Fondren District. The restaurant inside is the most delicious food ever and it's all 100% Organic and Vegan!! My fave is the grilled black bean and spinach burrito. It's on a sprouted wheat wrap and it's STUFFED with black beans, spinach, brown rice and soy cheese and grilled to perfection. It's so big, I get two meals out of it! Jay and I are having a lunch date there tomorrow! Yummy!

Well, this seems fun. Maybe this will get me posting more often. I'm looking forward to a busy but hopefully good week. You do the same!

So God's been being God lately and I wanted to share a few things. It's about my crazy brain and the thing they call Chiari. I had the worst day of pain in my entire life last Thursday. Got sent home from work, Jay was out of town, I didn't think I could live another minute...I was actually so afraid to fall asleep b/c I truly did not think I was going to wake up. Do you get that it was bad? Well, I've been noticing some of my symptoms a lot more lately. I clear my throat about 5 times a minute and it's sooooo annoying I know but a symptom is trouble swallowing and when most people swallow their spit without even thinking about it, it gets caught in my throat. Lovely, huh? Also my numbness in my arms and legs is happening quite frequently. So, I decided it was time for me to be more involved with Chiari and educate myself better. I have been on top of it in the past but I get so discouraged that I tend to fall away from it. Well, there has been some exciting things happening and I feel a little glimmer of hope. I've been back in contact with my Dr in NYC and he's encouraged too. He is sending me a prescription of a medicine to try but theres a new procedure where they implant something called a nerve stimulator into your chest and wire run up into the nerves in the back of the head and many Chiari patients have had great results. One girls story I read said she was 90% pain free!! Even to be ONE% pain free I would be unimaginably happy...bouncing off the walls happy!!!!! I am so excited about it. Jay is on his way back in town so we will talk it over this weekend and then we will go from there. We have no idea how much the procedure would even be but I would sacrifice anything to feel better! God has proven Himself to us over and over and over again in our finances so we have no doubts that He will provide this time. I am so encouraged!!

Aloha

No, we're not going to Hawaii (i could never survive the plane ride) but yesterday at church, we had a wonderful guest speaker who is a pastor of a GROWING church in hawaii called New Hope. He is one of our pastors mentors and it was such a blessing to hear from him. He talked about how for some reason WE were chosen to be here on this earth during the last days and how valuable we each are for different reasons. He had so many good points but a couple things stuck out so I wanted to share the best i could. One was about titheing. I have always and will always tithe...it's such a huge deal for me and it's soo frustrating when people dont but I never looked at titheing aside from the finanial aspect. We are a "titheing people" as Christians which means we give the first tenth to God in every area we want him to bless. Um, wow, I didnt know thats what it meant, I serisously just though that it was my duty b/c the money belongs to God. It makes sooooo much sense though...we want God to bless us financially so we give hin the FIRST tenth, we want him to bless our marriages so we give him the FIRST tenth, we want him to bless us personally so we give him the first tenth of our day. He says that people ask him all the time how he find time to give to God in the morning and he explained that he doesn't plan his day in time. He says we all have a certain amount of energy in one day, on average about 5-6 "pockets". The first pocket belongs to God, before you give your energy to anything else. The next 3 pockets are for work...so many of us (Jay and I included) give so much energy at work that when we come home we just want to chill out). The 5th pocket is for your spouse/family and the last pocket is for your self. In America we are praised for living to work and for spending countless hours there to provide for our familes. But he also talked about how some things bounce back and others don't. For example, (he used this for husbands) your buddies are all going to play golf on Saturday but your son has a baseball game. Your friends are going to bounce back if you're not there but your son will always wish his dad was at his game. You get what I mean. Jay and I both have newish jobs and we are giving SO much to them. Jay is out of town Mon-Fri and even when he is home, I am so tired from my work that we don't save enough energy for eachother. It's exciting though b/c we are SO happy now that we can't imagine how happy we're going to be when we start saving energy for eachother...AND ourselves!! This message was so good and I know I'm not getting close to explaining it right so if you have time go to pinelake.org and listen to the service, you will love it! Hope your week is great!

i LOVE jay!! :)

Today has been FABULOUS!!! I have gotten to spend an ENTIRE day with Jay!! He has been working out of town and he doesnt get home til Friday night so since Mondays are my day off, he arranged to have today off too!! Yesterday Jay got his long awaited kayak so this morning we went down the road (Jay drove, I ran) to a boat landing and tested it out. While he was out, I had such a special quiet time. It felt like I was at camp or something b/c thats the only times I have really had that special time out in nature. It was so calm and peaceful. Then I got to take a spin and it was so fun. Every direction you paddle, the scenery is just beautiful. I didnt want to come back in. But I ran home and Jay loaded up and drove and we got beautfied for our day. My dad is working on constructing a new bank near our house so we stopped by to admire his work and then went to Buffalo Peak to get Jay some kind of waterprook shoes. They sure have come a long way, they look really cool. We had a fabulous lunch at Broad Street...I got a Vegetarian sandwhich and it has portobella mushrooms and red peppers. I made the mistake of looking at it first and it looked like slimy SLUGS!!!! But I ate it anyway, lol. We drove to deck the yard since Jays been dying to go but it wasn't as fabulous as we'd hoped. We tried to find a big antique mall that we'd heard about but we couldnt so we went to some sporting stores to check out some treadmills or bikes for me. I'm not sure which one i want. I want a nice one though, like the once I'm used to at the gym but the only ones we saw were the kind you'd find at a cheap hotel, ya know? Oh well, we'll keep looking. We ran by the mall to get Jay a new wallet and then to Barnes and Noble so I could look through some Vegan cookbooks. Since it's just me at night for dinners I always have fresh vegetables with black beans but I wanted some ideas for when Jay is home so I can make something more exciting. Jay wanted to check out Healthway which is a cute little health food store and we got the yummiest treat! I got dairyfree peanut butter "icecream" (soy) and Jay got raspberry froyo. It was so yummy and since it's over 100* today it was perfect. Then we went to the market and got groceries and now we're home for the evening. Jays making some work phone calls so I'm catching all of you (meaning my sister) up on life. By the way Happy Anniversary to my sister and Steven!!!!! :)
My nephew, Berkeley is in town for a few days and we got to hang out with him yesterday on the boat. He is soooo precious and he has really developed his own personality. We love him and all our nephews more than anything. We are so blessed to have such a special relationship with all of them.
Well, Jays wrapping it up so I'm going to take advantage of every second I can with him. Peace out!

A happier note...

So I felt like I needed to add something a little more upbeat so I did this question thing. It's kinda long and boring but dont read it if you dont want to...


Can you Drive a manual? a stick? yep, it's what i learned to drive with.

Something that keeps you going everyday? definetly crack...unsweet iced tea ;)

Do you own a gun? no, i want one but i'd be afraid jay would sleep walk and shoot me or something

Do you like who you are? i am a child of God and i LOVE it

Do you have A.D.D.? nah, i'm pretty focused

Country you've been in? north and south america, mexico

Aren’t thunderstorms awesome? yeah, except now that we have satellite they can get kind of boring when the tv goes out...
Who is your cell carrier? att

Would you rather be rich or famous? rich, i would never ever enjoy being famous

Do you like the cold? i dont hate anything more

Are you happy you are alive? i feel so blessed to be alive

Do you think gay marriage is wrong? i do, it's just not the way God intended, but i do enjoy a gay man every now and then...very easy to get along with

Do you like looking up at the stars? i can't actually look up b/c of my neck and i never take the time to lay down and look at them

Would you ever cheat on anyone? never ever ever ever

Do you want to move? in a while but i know this is where we're sposed to be right now

Do you burn or tan? tan

Are your parents still married? yes, such great examples

Are you happier single or in a relationship? with my husband!

Do you have any children? just our pup daisey and hopefully she's all for a long while

What other languages do you speak? ebonics

Do you daydream a lot? i dont have the time to daydream

Do you like swimming? i love it

What is the make and model of your phone? moto razr

Would you ask your crush out? i dont have much contact with zac efron...lol

Do you like the ocean? i love it..or maybe i just love the idea of it...

What are your thoughts on stay at home moms? they work harder than any other job in the world, i have so much respect for them

What are your thoughts on abortion? knowing how difficult it is for some to conceive and then seeing the tragedy of losing a child, i can't imagine how anyone could go through with an abortion

What are your thoughts on affirmative action? i hate to say that i can't give an educated answer on this

Who did you last get angry with? the man i att had to call from work...i was red hot

Do you still live with your parents? nope, not in many years

Coke or Pepsi? havent had soda in years

How many credit cards do you own? none!

Liberal or Conservative? in between

Would you ever go skydiving? yes but i'd have to be pushed out of the plane

Have you lost any one close to you? yes, it's such a deep pain but it's such a natural part of life

How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock this morning? none, i usually wake up before it even goes off

Do you think you are smart? i do

Talk to any of your ex's? i guess technically

How old were you when you got your first kiss? 15

Do you do your own laundry? yeah but i want a maid soooo bad

Do you want to get married? i LOVE being married

Do you want kids? someday i want a whole herd of them

Are you shy? no but i can be introverted sometimes

How many times have you moved? i dont feel like counting

Do you hear voices? sure

Who is the last person to call you? my momma

How many e-mails do you have? i just deleted them all

What is in your nightstand draw? everyone knows thats private ;)

Are you religious? i'm spiritual

How do you feel when someone betrays you? sad for them that they haven't learned that life lesson

Sad Weekend

Last night Jay and I experienced something incredibly sad but among many others, were so blessed because of it. Our dear friends Joe and Gretchen unexpectedly lost their baby at 8 months pregnant. Last night was the funeral. I've never been to a babies funeral, I've actually only been to 2 funerals in my life but this one was special. I think they would be proud to hear me call it a worship service though because after hearing their testimonies, thats what if felt like. It all happened on Monday when Gretch noticed that the baby wasn't moving so just to be safe she went to the Dr on Tuesday and thats when they found out that there was no heartbeat. They told her they could induce her or they could do a C-section and thats what she chose to do. They got to hold her for a while after that and they both described a peace that came over them and a "vision" of Jesus holding their baby girl. Her name was Grayson Strong and even though she never took a breath, she has had a powerful little life. Of course they are both deeply heartbroken but they have such strong faith and I am in awe of how they are getting through this. The service itself was so special. It was at the future site of their church and we all gathered around in the woods with nature all around and sang worship songs, it was so sweet and perfect. Joes brother spoke and then Joe spoke and also read a letter that Gretchen had written to Grayson. Everyone was crying but it was a different cry than you would expect, I think we were all just so proud of them for being so faithful. Their church pastor gave a wonderful message about making a choice of being bitter or better and gave a clear message on how to give your life to God if you hadn't taken that opportunity before. Afterwards they took her ashes which were in a tiny silver jar with a pink ribbon and scattered them around the site because their church family has meant so much to them. My heart is so heavy for them and I know it will be for a while but I am not longer worried for them because I know that they are still serving our God and just like we sang last night, How Great is Our God. Please commit to praying for them as they get through this. They also have a little girl named Isabel who was so looking forward to being a big sister. They're a precious family and I know that they need all of our prayers.

Great weekend!

I am struggling to get back into the grind after our wonderful weekend getaway for the 4th! We had such a good time with eachother doing all the activities and just being with eachother. We got to the resort at about 12, checked in and went straight to the beach. When we got down there, it was soooo crowded and I got oddly introverted and was really uncomfortable but once a chair opened up and I got all situated, I didnt want to leave! It was soooo nice to just lay out and do nothing. Jay took advantage of the kayak which he loves and then after a little bit of laying out with me, he was cooked so he headed up to the room. I stayed for about another half hour before I went up. We brought our own food but we planned on our dinners out. The resort had 5 restaurants but NONE of them offered anything slightly vegan...not even vegetarian. So thank goodness for Kashi bars and carrots or I would have starved..haha. That night we sat on our balcony and watched the cities fireworks show. Saturday we decided to go into Fairhope and walk around town and we found a couple of cool antiques. We had lunch at a cute little restaurant and then went back to the beach. We put our name on the list to jetski and while we were waiting, we kayaked and layed out a bit but unfortunatley my head was hurting sooo bad so we went up to the room and rested a little bit before doing the jet ski. A storm was coming in so the waves were HUGE! It was almost too choppy to really enjoy it b/c it was hard to control but we still had a blast. We found themost wonderful restaurant EVER for dinner...it was all organic and everything could be prepared vegan!! It was so cute and candlelit and cozy. Jay got Wasabi pan seared Tuna with asparagus and saffrom rice and I got veggies and brown rice. It was soo good! Sunday morning we walked around the resort and then headed to Pensacola to have a quick lunch with my brother and nephew, Berkeley. It was soooo good to see them. We got to stop in World Market and get a few things too. The traffic on the way home was awful, it took 2 hours and 15 minutes to get 33 miles. We were really frustrated so we started saying things that could make the situation worse so that we would be thankful for our situation. It's hard for me to be around negativity so I have to always find a way to make the situation better. When we finally found the reason for the trafric, it was so sad. It looked like a car had exploded, there were so many firetrucks and smoke everywhere. Sad. Oh and along the way we saw some idiot drinking beer while he was driving. That just makes me soooo mad. Ugh. Anyway, we had to board Daisey for the first time ever at Chateau La Pooch and my parents picked her up for us and when we saw her, it was sooo exciting! We missed her sooo much!! So now we are home and jays back to work and I am waiting for the Dish Network man to get here. I have so much to do before my work week starts tomorrow so I hope he hurries! I hope everyone had a great weekend too!!

Reservations!

So we've been wanting to get away for the 4th of July weekend but the beach condos were all booked. I am SO glad now b/c we came across the Grand Resort in Fairhope, AL and it sounds wonderful! It has everything we wanted to do and it's not too far away. We booked our reservations last night and we're so excited! I LOVE these little getaways and they are almost necessary in our marriage, not almost, they ARE! With me working full time and Jay working until sometimes 10 at night, we just don't get to spend a lot of quality time together and these getaways cause us to fall in love with eachother all over again b/c we realize "oh yeah, THIS is my husband, THIS is why I'm crazy about you"!! It's worth the cost. Also we have so many plans for the future so we are full enjoying being able to do these things now b/c in the near future, being business owners, vacations will be unheard of for many years!! So 13 days to go, and counting...

'Lil Update

I really wish there were a few more hours in the day! So much has been going on lately that I just haven't had any time to sit still. I've been challenged to stretch a lot at work so it's been tiring but really good for me. Monday I went with Amy and Harold to the Alluvian Spa to do a staff meeting for the girls there. We ate lunch at Gardenias (so yummy) and then headed home. We were having a great business conversation when all of a sudden I felt soooooo sick. Soooooo sick!! Harold pulled over the car on some highway and I got sick..on the side of the road...seriously...just want you want to happen in front of your bosses. I've never gotten sick in the car before so that was miserable. They were sooo sweet though...Harold got wet towels and Amy came and squatted by me and was putting them on my face. SO sweet!! They made it so much easier. Amy and I were both dressed up so I'm sure it looked a little odd to those poor people passing by. LoL...ANYWAY though...
Fathers Day was nice. We got my dad and anchor for their boat. It was sooo weird b/c he was sitting at the table when we went over there and he was googleing "ANCHORS"....it was crazy b/c we never had even talked about it. We had a nice night over there. We sat outside and enjoyed the gorgeous weather and ate watermelon..yum!
Today is my moms birthday so Amy let me take a long lunch so I got to have a "date" with momma. It was so nice to get away for a while and spend time with her! :)

The studio is closed for July 4th and Amy told me to take the whole weekend so Jay and I could take our beachtrip but now there is NOTHING available. I am soooo disappointed b/c it would have worked out perfectly. We'll have to do something to take advantage of this little vacation though! Any ideas?

Well, Jays working late tonight but he'll be home soon so I better go start his dinner. Hope all is well!

Manolo, Jimmy, Michael, Marc...

Just a few of the men that were all over my feet this weekend. No, I'm not cheating on Jay...we went for a FABULOUS, MUCH needed getaway to New Orleans on Sunday and did lots of shopping! I had so much fun at Saks trying on beautiful shoes and dresses and Jay even treated me to a GORGEOUS Marc Jacobs clutch! It's so classic, my grandkids will be able to carry it one day. But we really got down to business at drumroll please....UAL!! Yes, they have an even better one in NOLA. To the right, you will find Valentino, Dolce, Michael Kors and ever other top designer for WAY less. They also have a rack of clothes STRAIGHT off of the runway. Even though I didnt indulge in these (still) expensive pieces, I got lots of great pieces from A Common Thread, Free People, Velvet, etc and Jay got some cool Genetic jeans and we both love the Nation T's. These clothes are so cute and so so cheap! I also got a cute dress at Hemline and a couple pairs of shoes at Blink. Oh and some Citizens at Jean Therapy. I'm telling you people, its insane how much money we saved by going to these stores. Above all else though, Jay and I spent some AMAZING quality time together. It's been a hectic past month with him traveling so much and his parents here and my head putting me in bed every day so we had so much fun just being together! Oh and by the way, we actually found a Vegan restaurant on Magazine St...woohoo! :)

Speaking of Jays parents...we made it...LoL. They are so sweet and we love them to death but they're just different. They're not Christians and that itself says alot but it's so heartbreaking to be around them knowing you're doing all you can to be a witness to them and yet you never know if it's going to be enough. This weighs heavy on both of us. We had a good time though. They completely spoiled us. I didn't cook once, they took us to dinner every night. Jay, Ms Sharon and I went to see Iron man one night and it was super cute. Not too boyish and Downey is really funny in it. Ms Sharon came into the studio for a session with me and it was so nice. She looked beautiful and bought everything...and treated herself to some jewlery and a HOBO..shes so hip now..LoL. Amy was determined to let Ms Sharon know how hard I work (this has been an issue) and I think it worked. I think she FINALLY respects me as a working wife...she never realized what I actually do! Yay!

Well, today starts a new week. I had to double sock it on my "wog" today due to the blisters all over the bottom of my feet. Never will I wear wedges around nola again. Lesson learned. Hope you weekend was great!

Great Snack...

I've been meaning to post this yummy snack I make. I've turned many people on to it so I thought I'd share....

All you do is mix together:
-Organic Raw Sunflower Seeds (the inside part)
-Organic Raw Slivered Almonds
-Organic Raisins

Take a handful of seeds, about a third handful of nuts and a few raisins and mix it together. This is soooo yummy, simple, HEALTHY and gives you a boost of energy. Of course you need to watch your portions. The fats are all good for you but those calories do add up. I always keep a stash in my purse. Enjoy!

In-laws are coming...

Just a quick post on a Monday. It was my first day in as long as I can remember that I didn't actually HAVE to wake up. I woke up early but then after I realized I had nowhere to be for a few hours, I fell back to sleep. It was AWESOME!! Jay's parents are coming over this evening and they haven't been here in about a year so I had lots to do today to get ready for them. His mom cleans condos for a living so imagine the pressure of having HER over! I was bending over backwards (literally) to make sure ther isn't a speck of dust in my house! We decided to just take them out to dinner since Jay's mom eats whatever, his dad eats nothing, I eat vegan and Jay doesn't care....that way we can all just order what we want. His dads only request is that we go somewhere that he can wear shorts...so thats what we'll do! :)

I had a wonderful lunch date with Jay today which we haven't done on a weekday since I started working so that was a nice treat. Then I went to the carwash for a much needed bath for Ray Charles (my car). After the bank and the market I finally made it home to put the finishing touches on the house. Now Jay's home and we're waiting for them to get here.

On a fascinating note...I got some new nailpolish. LoL. Okay, so it's not exciting but I was going to share that those new nailpolish "pens" work great! I got Clear Opal from Sally Hansen and it's the perfect summer nude color. I've been wanted to try one so I just wanted to pass along that they do work great! I also got a deep navy blue...I've been seeing it in fashion magazine and it looks very chic so I have that on my toes. It's super fun!

Well, gotta run. Talk soon!

I survived the Okatoma

So for all 5 of you that read this.....canoeing was super fun! I forget how stressful it is when you are heading straight for a tree that could be full of snakes and monkeys and such and you CANT turn the canoe fast enough. It gives me anxiety just thinking about it. But the waterfalls were a blast!! We did really well and then at the last stretch we hit a stump and I fell out....serisouly, a stone throw away from the finish, I fall out. I was in the water standing on what I think was a log and then I convinced myself that no, in fact I am standing on top of an alligator and I went nuts. I was really fearing for my life..I mean really, it was pathetic. I couldnt get back in the canoe b/c I was so insanely scared so Jay being the heroic man that he is jumped in after me and pushed me back in. Phew. All in all it was a great day and we had a blast being with Jeff and Ashley!!

Works been nuts this week with paperwork and such and I feel like I still haven't crossed anything off of my to do list but I'd much rather be busy than be bored to tears! We're getting a couple of shipments of purses this week and next so if you're in the market for a new hobo, come see us! I'm so addicted to hobo's it's sad...I bought 13 just last year!! Crazy.

Anyhoo, veganism is still goin on. The book I read said if you do it for 30 days, you'll do it forever and so far I don't miss anything non vegan at all. It's just SOOOOO stinkin inconvenient to try to eat out. Oh well.

I get to see one of our nephews this weekend and I'm so excited! Kevin and Berkeley are coming tomorrow night. My Grandma and Aunt are also here so it'll be fun times.

Well, not much more news for now...I'm going to work out...getting ready for the surprise beach trip I'm trying to get Jay to take me on..LoL. G'night!

Blaa

Anyone have any remedies for nausea?? I have been on the verge of puking all day...yuck. We went to church and then to lunch but I couldnt eat anything. VERY unusual for me..LoL. We went out on the rez with my parents and I got to ski for the first time this year! It was so much fun. Jay did great, too! I was starting to feel yucky though so they brought us back in. I ate dinner and that did help a lot. :) Well, tomorrow we're going on our adventure and we are so excited! We decided to rent a canoe instead of kayaks b/c they only rent out ocean kayaks which are supposedly really uncomfortable...like a canoes not? Oh well.

Yesterday Jay played in a softball tournament all day. They played 8 games total and WON!!! Yay!! It's a team from the church and they're all really good. He had fun!! I stayed home and cleaned the house top to bottom which feels so good! Then I decided to tackle the digital photo frame Jays mom got us for Christmas. Its actually really good. I imported lots of pics and music. They're coming for a visit next week so she'll be glad to see it in use. Well, not much else to share so I'll be back later..

Memorial Day

Happy weekend! It's been a busy week and I am sooo happy the weekend is here! Jay has been gone all week and got home late last night. We both worked today and he isn't home yet so I can't wait to FINALLY have a date!! :) I went to Hattiesburg on Monday with my friend Ashley and went to FORVER21!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, it was FABULOUS! We also went to UAL which is an AMAZING store that has designer clothes for WAY cheaper...example, the shorts I am wearing right now were $189 and I got them for $29...woo hoo!! We also had a great chat on the drive. It's so nice to have someone else in the same season of life that you can share with. The rest of the week has just been a blur of work. I've been doing a new workout and I can barely stand up straight. I just LOVE working new muscles though. Oh and drumroll please......it's now been one month that I've been eating vegan and my life is forever changed...LoL. No really, I won't go into details but my body is in HEAVEN!!!! I highly recommend this to anyone!

Monday is Memorial Day and Jay and I are going kayaking with our friends Jeff and Ashley. We are SOO excited!! It's will be such a nice way to spend the day off! There's a fun river about an hour away with a few little waterfalls...really pretty. I think it's about 13 miles. I'll let ya know how it was. Well, enjoy your weekend and BE SAFE!!!

Busy weekend

It's been a while since I've posted anything but a lot has ben going on. Jay was working out of town again all last week and the worst thing happened. He got the WORST stomach virus! My poor baby was in a hotel room sick as a dog for days!! He also managed to work 70 hours last week. Needless to say, he was EXHAUSTED when he got home. I wanted him to just chill out at home but he wanted to be with me so he came to the rehearsal for Erin and Drew's wedding. Erin and I have been friends for a couple of years now and I was honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding Saturday. The rehearsal dinner was beautiful and was at the Fairview. They had a sweet slideshow and then family and friends toasted the couple. It's neat hearing from all of the friends from the different stages of their lives. Saturday before we went to the church, I got to have lunch with one of my dearest friends in the world, Emily. We dont get to see eachother often but its always soooooo nice. And Jay and her husband get along so well. I actually met Erin at Emily's wedding. We got to the church around 12:30 and started getting ready. Pictures werent til 3 so it was nice and relaxing. Erin looked GORGEOUS....he dress was sooo beautiful!! The pictures were quick and she had the cutest photographer, she had original ideas. The ceremony stareted at 6 and was short and sweet :) The reception was at the Old Capital Inn and it was so nice. Lots of yummy food and a sushi bar! So all in all the wedding weekend was great and I made a few new friends!

Sunday was our "day off" and we enjoyed it soooo much. After church, we always have a lunch date and love sitting outside on the patios of restaurants. We just sat and talked forever, it seemed like we hadnt talked in so long since he's been gone. It was so nice. We wanted to spend the day outside so we went out on the boat with my parents. We didnt have any clothes with us so we stopped by Target and got a couple things. Jay tubed and I did a little but I had a dress on so I couldnt get wet..LoL. Then we went to Soulshine (yum!) and sat outside with our small group and talked about what study we want to do next. We're going to do Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. I'm excited! In church we also started a new sermon series which I am soooooo excited about...it's called Approval Addiction and it's going to be soo good! We just love our pastor!

Yesterday my friend Ashley and I drove to Hattiesburg to go shopping. My fav. store in the world, Forever 21, is there so I was soooo excited. I got some cute stuff. We also went to a store called UAL which has designer clothes for WAY cheaper. Its hit or miss but this time it was HIT!!! I got some super cute stuff, I am so excited about it! Jays out of town again this week so tonight after work my mom and I met for dinner. I took Daisey on a walk when I got home and poor thing can't make it too far. She loves it though.

Another busy week ahead but hopefully this weekend Jay and I can just be together and relax....yeah right ;)
Hope you're having a wonderful week...

Time..

So, I have the day off and not much to do. I went shopping this morning but now I have the rest of the day to chill. So nothing better to do....


+ Known as: i try to go by Kimberly, but there's a few old friends that know me as Kimmie...and thats okay :)
+ Born: December 2, 1983 in Amory, MS
+ Hair color: brunette's do it better..hehe
+ eye: brown eyed girl


SECTION 2 - HAVE YOU EVER

+ Fallen off the bed?: yeah, when i was little and i would get stuck in between the bed and the wall
+ Broken someone else's heart?: i hate to think about it, some boys are just too sensitive though
+ Had your heart broken?: not in that way
+ Had a dream come true?: many, i am so blessed


SECTION 3 - CURRENTLY...

+ Wearing: shorts and a little cropped hoodie (it was $3 in the kids dept. at old navy..hehe)
+ Listening to: daisey barking outside
+ Located: at home
+ Chatting with: myself
+ Should REALLY be: i am FULLY enjoying my day off

SECTION 4 - DO YOU...

+ Have any piercings: just my ears now
+ Drive: yes but i wish i had a driver
+ Drink: i drink tea like it's crack...i need an iv with it
+ Have a cell phone: of course, how'd we live without em?? more peacefully i guess..

SECTION 5 - LAST PERSON YOU...

+ Hugged: my dad, we had a lunch date
+ IMed: i dont im
+ Talked with on the phone: ummm, jay i think
+ Text: my mom, she went to the market right before me and turned around the black beans on the shelf so i'd see them...LoL

SECTION 6 - PERSONAL...

+ What do you want to be when you grow up? i am living my dream...i just want to go further by owning my own studio
+ What comes first in your life? my God and my family
+ What do you usually think about before you go to bed? what i ate that day...sad i know


SECTION 7- FAVORITES

+ Show: hmmm, i like all the crime shows but i'm not really into a series right now
+ Store: forever 21 of course
+ Food: vegan
+ Color: it always changes

SECTION 8 - DO YOU...

+ Like to give hugs: i love hugs
+ Like to walk in the rain: yes!!
+ Prefer black or blue: blue
+ Sleep on your side: i try to but i always end up on my tummy
+ Have stuffed animals: one teddy from when i was 4

SECTION 9- THIS OR THAT...(pick)

+ Pierced nose or tongue: the little itty bitty nose piercings are cute
+ MTV or BET: mtv yo
+ 7th Heaven or Dawsons Creek: haha dawsons creek i spose
+ Chocolate or flowers: flowers, i love wild flowers though
+ Color or black-and-white photos: depends...i do love color
+ Stay up late or sleep in: i always get up early
+ Hot or cold: hot...i hate hate hate cold weather
+ Sun or moon: sun
+ Left or Right: straight
+ 10 Acquaintances or one best friend: one bff
+ Spring or Fall: spring
+ Happy or sad: happy!
+ Wonder or amazement: amazement


SECTION 10: FIRSTS.

First Screen Name: made2sk8...hehe
First self purchased CD: the soundtrack for center stage...LoL
First pet: Wrinkles...a boxer pup
First piercing/tattoo: my ears when i was 8

SECTION 11: LASTS.

Last GOOD cry: hmm, i dont know the last time, i dont cry very much
Last phone call: i think i talked to jay last
Last time showered: this morning

SECTION 12: CURRENT.

Current mood: kinda antsy b/c its my first day off in a long time
Current food: i love al vegetables...we just planted tomatoes, peppers and squash
Current hair: messy and low maintenance
Current annoyance(s): wishy washy people


SECTION 13: WHO LAST...

1. Made you smile: jesus...no really, i was listening to the local christian station in the car and just thinking about how much i love Him and it makes me smile
2. Saw you cry? i guess the girls at work when we had the goodbye dinner party for ashley


SECTION 14: WOULD YOU RATHER..

1. Be serious or be funny? funny, but i am way serious at work....its weird
2. Drink whole or skim milk? soy milk if any
3. Spend time with your parents or enemies? i have wonderful parents

SECTION 15: DO YOU PREFER...

1. Do you prefer gray or black? gray
2. Lust or love? love
3. Sunrise or sunset? i love the sunball so sunrise i guess, but sunsets are pretty
4. M&M's or skittles? m&m's...i dont like really sugary fruity candy

SECTION 16: ANSWER TRUTHFULLY...

1. Do you like anyone? i looooove jay
2. Do you believe in love at first sight? nah, just attraction
3. Do you fall for the wrong guy or girl? not the time it mattered!

I am tagging everyone how read this!

Just a recap on the events that have been going on lately. My sister and her 2 boys were just here for a visit from Ft. Myers. We had soo much fun!! Unfortunately EVERYONE in the house got the norovirus...aka, the worst stomach virus ever!!! Jonathan got it first and so the next day Jay and I decided to take Tyler for the afternoon so he wouldnt get it but while we were in the car, he showered himself in throwup. Poor baby. Then that night Kristi got it, then my mom, then my dad!! Isn't that crazy??? It's a MIRACLE Jay and I didnt get it. I feel so bad that they had to spend their vacation sick though. On Thursday we went to the Canton Flea Market. Its become a tradition and it's sooo much fun being with the girls for the day. But this was the day that my dad was sick so we had the boys with us. It was different and interesting but we still had so much fun!! Jonathan and I also had several dates and he spent the night with me whie Jay was out of town. :) I love my nephews sooooooooooo much!!!! Friday or Saturday night (I can't remember) we all went on the boat for Pepsi Pops. The Jackson orchestra plays and then they have a fireworks show. It was fun! They left early yesterday but I know they're all glad to be home!
Jay's been traveling for work a lot lately. Now that he's doing commercial work, they have locations all over the place and he's being sent to them. I miss him sooooo much when he's gone but Daisey has been keeping me company. Plus work keeps me super busy. I have the day off today but I have a ton of things to do. Work has been great. It's been pretty crazy though with all my new responsibilities. I feel like I really have a handle on it though. Nothing bad has happened so we're just kind of holding our breath. We have some exciting news at Amy Head though...we are moving locations!! After 20+ years tucked away at the end of a culdesac, we are going to be right in the middle of everything! It will definetley bring in more foot traffic so that will be different from what we're used to but it'll be so fun!
I don't have much more to talk about. I know this had been boring but I haven't felt like writing lately. Just wanted to keep everyone up to date. Hope all the mommys had a great mothers day!!!! Talk soon!

Our Story

This has been floating around for a while so I decided to do it myself. I love re-visiting the memories of our relationship so I'm sharing it with y'all. Enjoy!

How long did you date? we dated 3 months, and were engaged for 6 months. i know. it's insane.

How old is he? 34

Who eats more? probably me..haha, he eats junk food though and i don't

Who said “I love you” first? he did :)

Who is taller? he is, but he didnt realize how short i was for a looong time b/c i always wear heels...it still even shocks him when he catches me barefoot

Who sings better? neither of us are "singers" but we love being goofy and singing together

Who is smarter? he's a genius but i'm not too bad myself

Whose temper is worse? neither of us ever really lose our temper

Who does the laundry? i do but this afternoon i came home from work with the washing machine going..so sweet :)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? if you're looking at it, he does except when he's out of town, i do

Who pays the bills? i do, we always say we're going to do it together but i always end up doing it

Who cooks dinner? i do and he usually cleans up :)

Who drives when you are together? it depends on my head, if the road is going to be really bumpy, i drive

Who is more stubborn? me

Who kissed who first? he FINALLY kissed me

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? we're both good at it

Whose parents do you see the most? mine, they live here

Who proposed? he did of course, it was so romantic. we were canoeing in florida and we stopped at a little clearing in the woods and he popped the question....and then i had to pee in the woods...not so romantic

Who is more sensitive? we both are but not in an annoying way that we can't talk straight to eachother

Who has more friends? we have developed a lot of close friendships together

Who has more siblings? i do..he's an only child

Who wears the pants in the family? we definetly have a partnership but i respect him as the spiritual leader

I'm tagging:

Morg
Brycie
Lindsey
Adelle

First Day

So today was my first official day in my new position! Yesterday when it was Ashleys (the girl whos place i'm taking) last day and everyone was crying, it just didnt hit me. We were so busy cramming in last minute bits of info that I just couldnt process the fact that she was actually gone. Well, today it hit me as I was driving to work that it was all on my shoulders now. I am so blessed that I have such amazing bosses that are more like teammates but I was still feeling the pressure. I went into the office to do a few things and I opened my notebook of everything Ashley had written and there was a note she had slipped in that said "Close your eyes, take a deep breath and RELAX"...and i completely lost it, boo-hooed like a baby. This is SO nerve racking!!! I'm just going to take one day at a time. Agh!! Anyway, my mom came into the studio today so I could do her makeup and she looked so beautiful!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE doing makeup and it's so relaxing to do it for someone casually. :)
Jay's been out of town working the past couple nights but he got home today and I was soooOooOooo happy to see him!!! I couldnt stop talking, we were telling eachother our adventures. We went on a long walk around our neighborhood and saw some of the neighbors out. We are always so nice to them and always wave when we go by and slowly but surely, we've got almost all of them waving now! Yay! He is at a late softball game now. I usually go to them but since it didnt start til 9:15 I decided to sit this one out. Tomorrow night my sister and nephews get here!!!! I am SOOOO excited!!! I think they get in pretty late but I wanna spend every minute I can with them!! Next week is the Canton Flea Market and it's become a tradition for my mom, sister and I to go together in May and October. This past year was my first Oct b/c the one before I had just had my surgery. They always get chicken on a stick at 8 in the morning!!!! BUT I always get a funnel cake soon after..LoL. And somehow I always end up wearing a dark top and get powdered sugar all over it...haha. Anyhoo, I obviously have no real news so I'll just end it now. Plus, I'm bleaching my teeth and I need to take it off now before I burn holes in them. Goodnight!

Happy Monday!!

It IS a happy Monday! This is my first week to be officially full-time so I am SAVORING my day off!! My last post was kinda dark so I wanted to write something a little lighter, even though I don't have much to say. Last night we had a cookout at our house for some of our close friends and it was super fun. I made turkey burgers and sweet potatoe "fries" and grilled corn on the cob. Yum! We are so very blessed to have these friends, we are all at about the same season in life so it's just nice to share that time with them. The big topic last night was about the kayaks that we all want to get. We LOVE anything outdoors and these guys are super adventurous so the next big thing to tackle is kayaking. We found a cute pink one at Academy Sports too!! :) I'll let you know how that one goes. This morning I went to the mall which is something I NEVER do. I usually only shop out of town...mostly New York when we go but since we didnt go last month Jay told me to go pick out a few things. I found some BEAUTIFUL bcbg heels for about 30 dollars...they were 110!!!!!!!! I am so excited!! I also got Jay some work shirts. Oh and I went to Old navy and I found some cute tops way on sale in the kids department...my little secret place to shop! The I had a lunch date with my dad. We went to a new little cafe and it was so yummy. We always have lunch dates on Mondays! So nice :) I ran to Fresh Market b/c I've been looking for whole wheat pastry flour and sure enough they had it! So then I went to Walmart and got the rest of the groceries. Phew! Now I am at home and have been baking. I made Jay some chocolate chip marshmallow cookie bars. I found the recipe online and I thought Jay would like them. I just took them out of the oven and they smell so sweet that I am getting nauseous...blah. I did use the whole wheat four and all organic ingredients but just the thought of eating them makes me woozy. I used milk chocolate chips and I HATE milk chocolate...I guess thats why. ANYWAY, Jay is going to be working in Tupelo for a couple days this week so I'm really sad about that. I am sooo attached to him and I HATE when he's away. Hopefully he'll finish quick so he can come home! He leaves tomorrow morning. Well, not much else to say. I'm about to go jogging and do Pilates. Oh and on a GREAT note...MY SISTER AND NEPHEWS ARE COMING FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!! I'm soooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that I'm full time I wont be able to spend as much time with them as I want to but welcome to the real world. :( Well I hope everyone is having a great Monday!

Trials

Todays been a rough day. My Chiari symptoms have all been in full force and it's just exhausting. I'm not here to complain but to simply be human. So much of me wants to just curl up and cry and beg for it all to go away. People often ask me if I ever say "Why me" and to be honest I do ask that a lot...but not in the way that you think. I ask God "Why are you using me and what are you teaching me?". If I didnt learn and grow from this, I am not living, I am truly just existing. I know that there is a reason for all of this and I know that I have been connecting with people b/c of it and that does make it worth it. I talked to a lady about a year ago who had a son who was severely brain damaged and she was so angry with God but b/c I could relate to having a brain condition and dealing with doctors and all of that, she listened to me and her heart seemed to soften. We had such a powerful but sweet conversation and she had tears in her eyes when it was over. She couldnt argue with my testimony and thats all I could offer her. I dont know how her son is today and I may not ever see her again but I know that in that moment, she had hope. People also ask "how do you go through this every day" and the answer is so simple. The joy of the Lord is my strength. We ALL have our own trials and they are all big to us. My sister has something called Sjograns Disease which affects all the moisture producing glands...eyes, etc. She has also developed arthritis in her hands. She has two precious little boys and one day she may not be able to hold their hands as tight as she can now. I get emotional just thinking about that, but that is her trial and she IS ministering to people because of it. The joy of the Lord is HER strength. There is a lady who I have spoken of on here before from our church who has Lukemia and from her medicine has now developed tinitus...CONSTANT ringing in her ears. This goes on while she is trying to sleep, pray, work, worship...yet every Sunday she is counseling people who walk down front and she always has such a smile on her face. When I see her singing and praying, I can't help but think that while I am hearing pure music and singing, she is hearing the sound of crickets yet she is so full of joy. That is HER trial and she has touched so many people. I could go on and on about people who have been given trials but choose to use them to bring glory to God. He didnt allow this to happen b/c we didnt something wrong, it's because He trusts us to do something right with it. I am commited to doing that. There are also stories we could all share of people throwing their opportunities away but for now, i want to encourage you to use the trials you are given, no matter how small they are "compared to other peoples" and bring honor to His name. If you will, leave a comment or encouragment, we could all use it!

Thought you'd wanna know....:)

Who were you with last night: Jay and I were being lazy together after a fun day on the boat

What woke you up this morning: Jay kissing me goodbye

Is tonight going to be a good night: Yes, it's meet the parents on the Bachelor tonight..lol

What's on your mind RIGHT now: my tummy hurts from eating that humungous cinnamon roll i made jay

Would you take a bullet for anyone: several people

Do you listen 2 music everyday: yep

What is your favorite kind of soda: i haven't had a soda in years..yuck
How long til your b-day: 7 1/2 months

Does a kiss make you feel better: always

Do you start the water before you get in the shower: yes, i know it's wasteful
Have you ever had stitches: yup, i'm a zipperhead

What are you doing tomorrow: working, working out, making dinner :)

What is your favorite cereal: kashi go lean with light vanilla soymilk..i could eat it every meal

Have you ever been skinny dipping: we had a pool in our hotel room on our honeymoon so technically yes

Funniest thing you heard all day: ???

Do you snore: nope

What are you wearing: workout clothes

What was the last thing you had to drink: unsweet tea...surprise surprise

What is your favorite kind of soup: butternut squash

Taco sauce- Hot, Medium, or Mild: none

Do you remember your first kiss: yes, gross

Have you ever used someone else's toothbrush: i dont think i have

Would you rather get up early or sleep in: get up early, i can never sleep in

Tell me about the shirt your wearing: it's just a workout top, not very exciting, i just did pilates

Do you trust people: very carefully

How much do looks matter: as much as they need to..lol

Do you tell your parents everything: no, they dont want to know everything, i'm married..haha

What color are the walls in your room: plain new house color...soon to be grey
What do you order at IHOP: an aids test, it's in the ghetto

Do you want to tell someone something: my nephews that i love them...in person

Who would you want to be stuck in a cave with: i wouldnt wanna be stuck in a cave, thats spooky
Look to your left, what do you see: daisey zooming past me

What is the weather like: perfect

Have you ever glued your fingers together: yeah, when i was younger and tried to put on fake nails by myself

What time do you go to bed: after kimmel

When is the last time you had butterflies: today thinking about work

What are you going to do this weekend: working :)

Do you like to swim: love it

Favorite kind of cookie: mooshy chocolate chip

What is one thing you say WAY too much: that's so funny

The Good Shepherd

So, this has been another busy week. Jay started a new job that we are both very excited about. There is a lot he can do with this company so he can really take it where he wants to go. This has been an earnest prayer of ours for quite a while now and the answer came at just the right time...as always. It's so hard to ever doubt God's goodness because He proves Himself faithful over and over again. We are so very blessed. My work has been busy this week also. One of these days soon my brain will explode from everything I'm trying to retain so that should be an exciting event. I'm working extra b/c the time is fast approaching when i will be taking over the new position. I'm so nervous about all the responsibility but I feel confident that I'm being trained thoroughly. This week I am working every day and trying to prepare for a wedding shower at our home on Saturday. I have sooo much to do and Jay's working on his check list! At the end of the work day, I am so tired that I just want to dive into a hot bubblebath and not do anything! :) But we make a good team!

Just wanted to share something else. My hearts been feeling heavy recently. I don't know exactly what has brought this on, but I have been extra burdened for the people close to me who aren't Christians and also for the ones who have strayed so far. My heart physically hurts when I think of someone who I care about so much not going to Heaven when they die. But not only that, they could be living such a richly blessed life here on earth. Why don't they understand? I know they can see the joy in my life so what is it that doesn't click with them? Jay's parents aren't Christians and his dad recently made a comment to Jay about not caring about dying because he has nothing to live for. Can you imagine waking up every day with those thoughts? I can't. I think what makes me even sadder (is this a word?) is those that grew up as strong Christians, in a great family and now in adulthood have decided that they just don't need Jesus. It's sooo exciting when a child gets saved (I was 6 when I was) but at the same time, I feel like we have more of an opportunity to take salvation for granted b/c we don't actually remember our lives any other way. Of COURSE we need Jesus. I'm so sad thinking about how that makes our Father feel. My mom was reminding me about how the Bible describes it in Psalms though. When He talks about being the Shepherd with a staff and He gently pulls us back to Him when we stray. Thats so comforting. Anyway, I will be praying specifically for these people in my life and I encourage you to do the same in your own life. Never write someone off, I have seen too many people come to know Christ to ever doubt that it can happen. God is good!

Questions!!

Question #1 How did you get your name? my parents "argue" over who really named me but I know my mom saw a gameshow contestant with my name and liked it

Question #2 A memory you won't forget: there are so many but a very vivid memory that actually has to do with memory is waking up from my first brain surgery and for the first time in months, my mind was clear and i could remember things that I couldn't before, its was such a good feeling

Question #3 Favorite color: it just depends on what we're talking about...wall color? nailpolish? car?
Question #4 Favorite foods: i love natural, whole foods of all kinds...i love all fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts..
Question #5 Favorite drink: lets all say it together....unsweet iced tea with splenda :)
Question #6 Favorite brand of shoes: i love bcbg heels

Question #7 Favorite brand of clothes: for everyday clothes, forever 21...jeans, i love citizens and david khans and for dresses i love dolce :)

Question #8 Favorite icecreams : i think my favorite is cookies and cream...but i love tasti-delite and pinkberry yogurt in nyc

Question #9 Your best friend: i know its boring but jay truly is my bff
Question #10 Favorite animal: anything but cats....but i loooooove doggies
Question #11 Future career: owning my own studio soon :)

Question #12 Favorite restaurant: Walkers in fondren and Muro Cafe in NYC

Question #13 Favorite tv shows: Big Brother...haha, we're addicted
Question #14 A country you like to visit: Brazil

Question #15 Favorite book: cant get enough of the Bible, and i just got a really cute book called "everything you pretend to know and are afraid someone will ask"...its very educational

Question #16 Ever thought about being gay? oh there have been times back in the day when i thought it would be MUCH easier to become a lesbian than to deal with boys...lol

Question #17 Favorite cell phone company: att

Question #18 whats your personality: grouchy and mean ;)

Question #19 Favorite old movie: we grew up on shirley temple, thats about all we were aloud to watch
Question #20 Favorite old song: does Hanson count as old yet?? LOVE them
Question #21 Lucky number(s) 3 and 13

Question #22 Latest you have ever stayed up: ive had my share of all nighters
Question #23 What kind of friend are you: i tend to take on a motherly role, i like to take care of my friends

Question #24 Favorite car: i like the smaller lexus suvs

Question #25 A friend you left hanging: ive never left one hanging on purpose
Question #26 Something you'll never do: say never :)

I got home from Florida late Thursday night and I had the best time! I went to Ft. Myers to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law and 2 precious nephews. Jonathan is almost 4 and I have had a special bond with him since the second he was born (I actually got to see him being born!) and I am so enjoying seeing him grow up. When Jonathan was just a few months old, my sister got really sick and spent a lot of time in the hospital and the rest of us as a family took care of Jonathan. I guess thats why I feel responsible for him even today, b/c of how much he "needed" me (us) to take care of him then. Tyler is almost 1 and he takes a bigger piece of my heart every time I see him. I remember worrying that I wouldnt bond with him like I had Jonathan b/c I wasnt going to be there for his birth but I was so wrong. He is the spitting image of my sister and is a very loyal little boy.
Being with them for a few days and seeing how hard my sister works is so humbling. I know that I work very hard in my job, but it's a completely different part of the brain that is exersized. It's constant and it's unpredictable. But no matter how tired I got from being such a rookie, seeing their little smiles in the morning made it all worth it. I feel so blessed to have them in my life and I will always claim to be the proudest aunt ever. I'm going to treasure those last few hours with them when Jonathan wanted to be held and he put his cheek against mine and said "I'm gonna miss you Aunt Kimmie" and "do you feel sad?" and "Can I pretty please get a ticket to come with you??". But I am counting down the days until they come for a visit in May. Here is a pic of me and the boys that we managed to get in a split second. :)

i got tagged

Thanks Morg!
The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people, posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blogs, letting them know they've been tagged.



What was I doing 10 years ago?

1. I was 14 and thinking life couldnt be anymore complex..haha, little did I know!

2. I was very into my figure skating competitions and dreaming of the Olympics :)

3. Spent every free minute with the Purple Hippos or my hilarious friend Jamie

4. I was going on any trip that CHBC offered, mission trips, camps...

5. This was the age when you always wrote notes to your friends so I did a lot of that!


5 Things On My To-Do List Today:

1. Work at Amy Head

2. Go by The Club for a tour

3. Mail invitations to a shower

4. Go by the bank and the market

5. Do laundry from Florida



5 Things I Would Do If I Were a Billionaire:

1. same things I do now just more of it...tithe

2. pay off house

3. open an Amy Head Studio

4. give money and show people how to manage it

5. travel, travel, travel



5 Bad Habits:

1. caffeine

2. not taking out my contacts

3. being too scheduled

4. obsessively working out

5. not changing the oil in my car often enough


5 Places I Have Lived:

1. Amory, Ms

2. Madison, Ms

3. Jackson, Ms

4. DeLand, FL

5. Madison, Ms


5 Jobs I Have Had

1. serving iced tea to addicts like me at McAlisters

2. EVERYTHING at The Courthouse Gym for 8 years

3. teller at Bank Plus....sooo boring

4. Clinique...awful experience..I actually prayed for Jesus to return

5. my AMAZING job at Amy Head Studio



5 Tags:

1. Lindsey

2. Brycie

3. Olivia

4. Steven

5. Emily

Happy Easter everyone! And it is such a happy day...HE'S ALIVE!!! On such a sacred weekend it's amazing how the devil tries to distract us from what it is all about. On Good Friday, a day that we as Christians should be so humbled by the sacrifice of God's sweet child, the devil was alive in my life and trying so hard to get me down. But he has no power in my life b/c I am so commited to my God. I love victories like that! Church was great of course today. We went to the early service to make room for all the people and the sermon was good. It wasnt the typical Easter service but Chip talked about the unconditional love of our Father. He said he had gotten an email that said, If you want to test unconditional love, lock your spouse and your dog in the trunk of a car and go back in an hour or so and see who is excited to see you. LoL. SO true! God is so excited when we come back to him, even if He's beein locked in a "trunk".

We had my parents over for easter dinner and the recipe turned out great!! I am always trying to prove that you can eat very healthy and still enjoy all the wonderful natural flavors in food. I couldnt find Redfish anywhere so we got some beautiful Tilapia from Fresh Market. Speaking of Fresh Market, I've been 4 times now and I can NOT leave empty handed. I got an apple that is literally the size of a steeringwheel. AND you can ground your own peanut butter!!! Oh, I dont know if I've meantioned this before but for those of you who are in love with natural peanut butter as much as I am but are a little iffy b/c of all the calories, I have discovered a solution. Its called PB2 and you have to get it online. They get all of the oil out of the peanut so it basically falls into powder and then you just add a bit of water and wa-la...peanut butter with only 50 calories as opposed to 200! And the taste is pretty good....it is peanuts afterall!

The weather outside is a little chilly but still pretty so Jay and I are gonna go for a "D.O.G."....Jay says I "DOG" b/c I combine jogging with dancing...I cant help it, I have a great playlist on my ipod. LoL. I hope everyone has had a wonderful easter and has truly gotten to celebrate.

Oh yes.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!