Zach and Nathana

Day 20... I think! Well I've made it all month blogging every week day! (Minus the one I skipped!) I'd say that's pretty good!  Today's topic is a picture of something old. It is too late to go fishing through our wedding pictures to show you the picture of the bracelet that I wore. My mom wore it at her wedding and it belonged to her Grandma. ( I think.) It has little seed pearls in it and it was the perfect, special thing to incorporate as my "something old."

Day 19 An anonymous letter to "those people" on Facebook (Be as snarky as you like): Dear peeps,       You can have a little, a bunch, or a lot.  The word is NOT alot.   Instead of buying booze or skimpy clothes, may I suggest the investment in a dictionary?  I am the grammar police and I reserve the right "To serve and correct. "  ; )  When you misspell words, maybe it's for "convenience", but it only makes me think you're uneducated!       Stop posting cryptic statements and then refuse to talk about it when someone asks what's wrong.  This is very annoying.  The end.      I am sorry that your life stinks and everything is going poorly, but if that is all you every post about, chances are I block your posts.  There are so many negative things already, so seeing yours does not lift my spirits.      Your partying pictures with you passed out or looking ridiculous wit...

That's how long my parents have been married.  That's 32 years with around 5 years of solitude before my brother came along, then myself almost 3 years after that, and my sister 3 years after that.  27 years of caring for children, changing diapers, allergy shots, sporting events, sleep overs, potty training, band camps, band competitions, ER visits, 4 different moves into colleges (so far), my wedding, 29 or so trips to Florida, 2 trips to Disney World, and three pretty incredible children... (And one ridiculously sweet and cute blonde child with a mild-to-moderate case of Middle Child Syndrome!) ; )                                  Happy 32nd Anniversary to the best Mama and Daddy in the world!                    (And to t...

Jenni at SOML joked that you get bonus points for having a picture from the coffee shop you went to, so I get DOUBLE the points.  Let me explain why!  Elyse and I are both participating in Blogtember, so I had the genius idea for us to meet up at Starbucks, indulge in beverages, and catch up on everything!  We had such a good time.  My coffee nearly exploded when I plugged the hole with my finger and tried to shake it up to distribute the sweetener.  It was pretty darn funny!  And even more of a bonus was that the barista came around and was giving out free hot chocolates.  If, you don't know me, the word "free" and myself go together like PB & J.  I ended up not drinking much of it because it was super chocolatey (think almost a dark chocolate taste), but I still felt special that it was free!  Yay!  Only 2 more days of the challenge!  

A time you screwed up and made a mistake. I could talk about all the terrible things I've messed up and feel guilty about, but A.) I'm not one to air my "dirty laundry" and B.) Thank The Lord I'm forgiven for those instances!  I serve a gracious and forgiving God! So, there has been one or two (or several!) times when I have messed up when baking or cooking.  Once I forgot to put eggs in my chocolate chip cookies and another time I forgot and put in twice the amount of sugar than I was supposed to and half of the brown sugar I needed to.  One of the funniest instances though was when I tried to make chocolate chip pancakes on valentine's day. I wanted to spell out "I ❤ You" on Zach's pancakes. I am infamous for starting my pancakes before the pan is hot enough. So the pancakes ended up breaking apart and the chocolate chips got scorched.  Bless his heart, Zach appreciated my effort and ate them with a smile anyway! Pancakes in general have become...

Day 16- Review a book, place, or product. I'd steal with Katarina Bishop. Ya'll, I'd like to proudly state that I read a lot of books this summer.  Not as many as I perhaps would have liked, but definitely more than last summer! One I liked best was Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter.  I guess you technically might classify her as a "teen writer," but who doesn't care about that?  This girl!!  Anyway, she also wrote the Gallagher Girl series.  Basically, the main character, Katarina Bishop is in the family business not unlike the mob, but are mastermind thieves.  In Perfect Scoundrels, her best guy friend Hale has inherited his grandmother's multibillion dollar company and they have to track down her will because they feel it was altered.  They jet set and snoop and I would basically call Kat a female Sherlock Holmes... in a way.  All I can tell you is that I have loved all the Gallagher Girl and Heist Society novels and you should read o...

Day 15 of Blogtember:  A life lately post.  This couldn't have come at a better time, since I need to get caught up on our everyday happenings.  We have been having busy weekends!  The weekend of the 14th, Zach went duck hunting in the morning, we worked on the bathroom yet again, and then went deer hunting that evening.  On Sunday, we went to church and lunch with his parents' for his Mom's birthday.  We ate at Bandana's BBQ for the first time and it was pretty good.  That evening we all met together at Olive Garden to celebrate. This past weekend I went to my cousin's bridal shower and then to Zach's family reunion the rest of the day.  It was so, so good to get home that night and crash in our bed.  It was a long day! I think we are booked with something every weekend until November.  I love squeezing every bit of fun into our weekends, but at the same time, I would love to have a weekend where it is just Zach and I could do nothing...

ItI skipped Blogtember yesterday because it was a prompt to write a short story. Now that I am out of high school and college and am not required to write made-up stories, I don't.  I guess you could call me uncreative or lazy... I'm probably a little bit of both.  Onward to today's topic! Define comfort to you... It's this right here, folks.  Zach is my comfort when I am sad, mad or feeling lonely.  When I've had a bad day, I can come home and just lay in his arms and feel better. There is no other place that I feel more safe than in his arms.  And I love that. He is everything and more than I dreamed about when I thought about my future husband, and I love knowing that even when I can be cranky and unlovable, he's there to hold and comfort me.

No, not my school day!  More like today's Blogtember topic... Pictures only!  Without further ado...

With not blogging on the weekends during Blogtember, I had lost count.  When I linked up yesterday with Jenni and Story of My Life though, I got back on track with the days!  Today's prompt is a memory that I would relive. To me this is a hard one.  There are several times I'd go back to if I could.  Times when my Papa was still alive and I was at he and Mama Joyce's house... just having Sunday lunch like we always did after church.  Oddly as it might sound, I'd love to relive the moments that Zach and I spent in college when we were just getting to know each other and when we realized we'd come to love one another.  Those moment are some that I wouldn't trade for anything.  We were in bliss, partially in the "real world", without all the  responsibilities.  I would definitely go back to the moments in our first date when Zach took me to Gander on his only day off (He worked there) that week, because I claimed I couldn't find the stor...

Blogtember- a love letter Dear Nellie girl,  My oh my how my life has changed since you came into it! I never knew how much your sweet smile and personality could be become such a large piece of my heart.  I love that you are so ecstatic when I walk into the room, not happy until you have given me the "smell down" and I have petted you from nose to tail. You bring such joy to my life and I am so, so happy that The Lord blessed us with you. You make every day more fun and full and I can't imagine life without you!  I love you, Boog-a-Noog!  Love,  Mama P.s.- I bet ya'll all thought my love letter would be to Zach, didn't ya?!

 Day 9 is a self-portrait.  I am cheating and doing two because the first was just taken with my iphone and the second with my wonderful new camera!! The first was right after I got my hair cut and the second was in the hotel on the way to Florida this year!

Day 8: how social media and blogging have affected my life.  Well, for starters I can absolutely say that Facebook keeps me in touch with people from high school, college, family, and work. That's a huge plus... Sometimes! Other times I wonder if there'll even be a point of a high school reunion. I think you could consider FB a never-ending one. Also, Zach would be blunt and tell you I'm addicted. After my alarm goes off in the morning, I lay in bed for a couple minutes checking up what I missed while I slept. Sad, right? Now that I see it in type, I think so. I feel like I always have to scroll back and check what all I missed while I was at work or any other lapse. I probably check it 10 times a day. I think having it so easily accessible on my phone makes it worse. Some night Zach has to say, "Ya gonna get off your phone or what?" Ouch.  I can be very bad about zoning into it and not communicating with him. I have been trying to do better at this. Clearly he ta...

Today's topic is to share our favorite shops... Confession time...  I have never ordered anything off of Etsy. Let that sink in. I know it's pretty crazy. So, in following Jenni's advice about making each subject your own, I am going to indulge ya'll in my favorite online shopping.  New York and Co. Ya'll probably remember my woes back in January when our store in Evansville closed, but never fear, I have taken to ordering things online. I know their sizing well, so that makes me feel at ease ordering clothing online. (Which is something I NEVER do!)  Shutterfly This is my go-to site for ordering various sizes of prints, photo books, and Chistmas cards. A lot of times they offer free promotions and all you have to pay is the shipping! Coincidentally I jut ordered 2 photo books tonight and they were both completely FREE! Jealous? You should be! ; ) The shipping wasn't that bad either! I love me some pictures!  Pinterest  No, this isn't a store... It's mor...

It's been a few weeks since I've posted a new recipe, and ya'll, this is a divine one!  My Great-aunt Norma Jean has always made the same thing for bridal showers and baby showers at church.  Hence the reason I rarely miss a shower! (I kid, I kid.... But really!)  She had actually written this recipe down for me at my bridal shower, (you know, way back in 2010!) but naturally, I lost it! I digress... I asked her for it this Sunday at church and got around to making them tonight. I can not even explain how awesome these are, but I'll try. I think the word would be savory and sweet. They are perfect for a shower or brunch and I fully intend on cooking them for breakfast this weekend. The very best thing is that it makes a large batch so you can divide it up in as many rolls as you want, freeze them, and then just cut them up and pop them in the oven!    Sausage pinwheels 2 cups Bisquick 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water plus about 2 tablespoons 1 lb. breakfast sausage (...

Day 6: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.   This prompt almost stumps me... When I think I my life "taking a turn," I think of something drastic and life altering. I probably have had something like that on recent years, but I just really can't pinpoint a big "turn" in my life.  I would have to say that one of the biggest events of my life was moving. I went from   quiet, country life to loud, close- together neighbor life... A bit of a culture shock. I know that sounds ridiculous to some of you, but it truly was.  I remember the first night after coming home from our honeymoon. We were laying in bed and at every little noise I would jump and say,"What was that?" I seriously didn't sleep well for the first couple months on our marriage. I was such a chicken.  I guess I can say this actually was a turn in my life, because the move made me into a truly independent adult. Over the pat 3 years, there were times that I had to spend t...

Day five of Blogtember!  Take   this   short personality test and respond to your results. I scored ENTJ- Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging Apparently I like to direct and make plans that I am determined to carry out.   Some Famous people that share my personality type are: Richard Nixon Jim Carrey Harrison Ford Steve Martin    Some good guys!  I'm okay with that!    I have always known I'm pretty extroverted, but hadn't really thought about the other results! Kind fun to think about! 

Thursday, September 5:  Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered. Be nice to people. You never know if you're the only positive interaction they will have that day.  Being southern, I guess you could say I have the gift of hospitality. I often strike up conversations with cashiers, waiters, an workers in the places I shop. It's like I can't stand to   not   talk to people. I like to ask how people are when they are scanning my items and one exchange still sticks with me.    I was at Target and I simply asked the girl cashier, "Hello! How are you doing today?" Her response was, "I'm good. That was the nicest thing anyone has said to me the whole day."  I honestly couldn't believe that throughout the course of the entire day (because it was at least 6:00 p.m. when I went) not a single  person was the least bit friendly.  Maybe it's an Indiana thing where people aren't as friendly, but that's just n...

Wednesday, September 4:  If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do? Ohhh, the possibilities!  Not to sound like I don't like my job, but I totally have this all planned out!  We would go to Europe and extensively travel Germany along with Switzerland and Austria! (Yes, I've already been there, but I know I didn't see all there was to see! Plus, it would be amazing to experience with Zach!) Then we would go on a journey down-under to Australia to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.  I have always wanted to snorkel and I wouldn't mind holding a koala bear either. Then we would go to Alaska and Canada to do bear, elk, moose, caribou hunting.....  Anything Zach wanted.  Originally he was supposed to go to Canada when he finished college, but he took a different route for a while, so that's no longer an offer.  Anywho, I would take him all over the Northern part of Northern America! I su...

Tuesday, Sept. 3:  Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are. I come from a small farming community.  I have always been content and comfortable in it and I love it. From hard working parents that love God and taught their children up in His ways.  I come from a place that respects its elders and parents, who say "Please," "Thank you," and "Ya'll."   I "went" away to college, (30 whole minutes! Ha!), where I met my husband.  I always joke (kind-of) that he is the best thing I took away from college! (Buuuuut really, he is! : ))  We have had to work our butts off for every single thing we have and it hasn't always been easy, but I think it makes all of the other stuff that much sweeter.  I've learned life's not fair, which sucks. so. much. but I've just got to move on.  Hopefully my "fair" time will hopefully come soon enough!  We're in the city now...

Friday, September 6:  A story about a time you were very afraid. One night a few months ago, we had been at Zach's parents' and were coming home on Hwy 41. I should mention now we don't live too terribly far from the jail. We get to our exit and it is blocked by a police car with its lights on. We think that's odd, so we go down further to the next turn we could take. We see another police car in a parking lot with no lights on. When we get back to our intended street, there is a police car with its spot light on facing north towards 41. At this point, Zach and I are both pretty confident that they've had an inmate escape. Great, I'll sleep so well tonight.  We continue down and turn on our street and there is a police car in a business's parking lot, down another block and there is a police car directly across from our house! I was freaking out! We pull into our driveway and my heart stopped. Our door was standing. Wide. Open. I immediately start freaking o...

Zach got his review back from his work and I couldn't be prouder.  I, of course, already know how wonderful my husband is, but to have it reaffirmed and talked about over and over again on paper makes me all the more prouder.  Zach especially is not one to "toot his own horn,"  but I know he was pleased too.  There were things I can quote from it like "everyone likes to work with Zach" or "If there's anyone we can depend on, it's Zach" or "Zach is knowledgeable and experienced in every part of the store.  If he doesn't know about something, he researches it."  : )  Happy and proud wife heart right there!   I will end my brag-fest now! ; )  One of my most favorite pictures of Zach and Nellie!  She was so little! My #1 Guy!

This week went by much faster than last! (This is a good, good thing!) I covered for a second grade teacher while she tested individual students, and I started tutoring one of my students from last year again. We finished tearing up the tile in our bathroom and went to pick out new tile on Monday. We also picked up our new vanity! On Tuesday and Wednesday night we spent the night with Zach's parents while he laid the tile.  It had to sit for 24 hours before we could put the toilet back down, and with just a one-bathroom house, well, you know how that would go.  It was really nice too because their house is just 5 minutes from my school, so I got to "sleep in" a little.  It was extremely nice to be back home in our own bed on Thursday night though!  On Saturday, I went to Bowling Green with my Mom and sister to take furniture down to Western.  After not having access to the building we needed into, we got in and out, and then went to lunch at Olive Garden....