That was fast...

The Holidays are over :(
Christmas was wonderful and we made it to all four houses successfully. It was fun making all the rounds and seeing everyone, we were definitely exhausted Christmas night! I was really wishing we had one more day off to recuperate, but no such luck. At least I have Monday off so I get a four day weekend, that makes up for it.
Brian and I both got so many nice things from our families, they were suppose to go easy this year but I'm not sure they did! We got outdoor lighting for our backyard that we are really excited about, it included 5 spotlights for our Japanese maples. It's really going to lighten up our backyard, we'll have to have a dinner party in the summer out there :-) We got gift cards, a nice pitcher and glass set (can you believe I didn't have a pitcher?! Neither could my mom!), a large cooker, gorgeous glass rose bowl, and tons of fun stuff like candles, boxers, cookbooks, lotions, etc. I think one of my favorite parts was watching the kids open their presents, they get so excited I just love it!

We are going to the Bauer's beach house on Monday for New Year's Eve, I am looking forward to it. There is a fun group going and our plan is to just hang out at the house (a bonfire on the beach would be ideal but I think it'll be too cold and rainy!) and maybe go hot tubbing.

We've been watching Malise, Chris and Brandi's dog, while they went home to West Virginia for the Holidays. She is such a sweet dog, doesn't chew anything or have an accidents in the house. I like that her and MJ can keep each other company during the day too. It's fun to come home to two dogs who are so excited to see you, it's just a good feeling. It kind of makes me want another dog, but I don't know if I could go through the potty training again! Since Malise is a big dog with long black hair, vacuuming the hard wood everyday is a must. We use our little Shark which works really well, it makes me miss carpet though. With the hard wood (okay, it's pergo) dust bunnies are flying EVERYWHERE. At least with carpet I could vacuum every other day since it hides it a little better.
We are planning to get a nice big rug for our living room area, but man they are expensive. Especially because we need a large one, like a 10 X 13 which is a custom size. I think Home Depot might be our best bet, if anybody else knows of a good deal on rugs let me know!

This week at work has been rough, it's been quiet which is fine, but more than that it's my mentality. I'm just done, I have mentally checked out of work and have fast forwarded to the day we can finally start a family. I'm hoping next week I will be able to muster up some motivation and focus otherwise I'm not going to make it. I think Brian is done hearing about how I don't like my job so I decided I need to vent on my blog :-) He is very supportive but I think he can only handle so much complaining before he snaps. Since he loves his job it's hard for him to put himself in my shoes, although he tries. I've learned that sometimes your mom and sisters are the only ones who can comfort you. You too Dad ;-) I don't want to sound ungrateful though, I am very blessed to have a good job and a husband who is working hard so I can stay home and raise a family one day. Just wishing that day would come sooner!

Today is Anna's birthday so I want to wish her a Happy Birthday! I'm overjoyed you are in our lives Anna, thank you for making my Dad so happy. Abby and Cassidy are so very blessed to have a such a sweet mom and I will remind them that when they go through their teenage years ;-) Hope you have a wonderful and special day.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!

I am at work with about 2 other people, which means I will be able to accomplish a lot today. I have the Christmas music playing softly to ensure I stay in the Holiday spirit :-)

I am looking forward to starting our Holiday traditions tonight. First we will go to my mom's to eat dinner, open presents, and fill out our Christmas questions. The Christmas questions are my favorite part. Each year we fill out a sheet with the 4 same questions (since I don't have it in front of me these might not be word-for-word accurate, but they are close):

1. What were the highlights of the year?
2. What were the lowlights of the year?
3. What do you hope to accomplish in the new year?
4. What is important in your life right now?

It is really fun because we look back at our last year's answers and see if we met our goals and what has changed. I just love reflecting on the year and finding out what my family members answers are, I love this tradition. I am also looking forward to the kids opening presents, I just love seeing their faces and watching them get so excited. Brian and I found a great deal on a Barbie house (not a really big one, but it's still cute) that we are giving to Jaidyn and Kailey, Jaime said they are going to be so excited which made me thrilled! We got Porter a Cars book and a firetruck that makes lots of noise ;-) Looking forward to all the festivities!
After my mom's we are headed to Brian's mom's house to spend time together and then head to church. We all enjoy singing Christmas carols and being together, it's a perfect way to end Christmas Eve.
Tomorrow morning we will get up and head to my dad's to watch the kiddos open presents and then we'll sit down to a big breakfast. I love watching the girls open their presents. We got them each a pair of cherry earrings, cherry bracelets, and a heart necklace. They are very in to jewelry right now so I am overjoyed to add to their collection. Anna always makes a delicious breakfast and I make sure to eat too much of it :-)
Then we'll head up to Salem (half hour drive) to Brian's dad's house for present opening and another scrumptious meal. Last year we brought the Christmas questions tradition up there so I'm looking forward to doing that again :-) It's such a good way to keep up on family and know what is going on in their lives right now.
After all this is done we'll head home to crash! I am looking forward to all of so much that I know it will go by in the blink of an eye. But at least we'll have the memories and pictures to remind us how much fun we had.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I love weekends

We had a great weekend, but it was of course too short. I had dinner Friday night with my old boss, Shirlene, and old co-worker, Renee. It was nice to get caught up on how they are doing and it kind of felt like a mini girls night out :-)

Saturday Brian had to work so I took the opportunity to clean the house, do laundry, and then venture to the mall for some Christmas shopping with Brandi. Funny how I clean house when Brian's gone, yet I know he would take the opportunity to plop on the couch and take a nice long nap if I was gone ;-) Actually, he's good about doing the dishes so I'm sure he would do that before his nap. I also got our presents wrapped and under the tree which felt great.

We were having friends over Saturday night at 6 pm to make cookies and play games so I was glad Brian got home in plenty of time to help get things ready. Well that didn't last long, at 5 pm he was on the phone with work and the next thing I know he's putting his browns on and rushing out the door. Alrighty then. He ended up coming home a little after 6 pm but no one had arrived yet so no harm done. Brittany and Chris came up from Eugene and Brandi and Chris came over from around the block. We had a great time making and decorating cookies and then playing games. It was so much fun. We even had a little contest with the cookie decorating, check out these talented people's work:

Brian took the UPS man to work, it was too cute! Brandi did the UPS man, Brittany did the OSU cheerleader, I did the football, and Chris Krieger did the Santa Claus.

Sunday we went up to Salem to check out Nate and Amy's new house they just bought! It is absolutely beautiful. The carpets were a little rough and the paint condition so they are putting some TLC into it. Amy and I painted and ripped out carpet while Nate and Brian prepared the living room for hard wood floors.
Poor Brian has a cold and I feel horrible for him, this is the last week before Christmas which means long days and no calling in sick! He's taking medicine, vitamin C, and eating chicken noodle soup as often as he can. Let's see, what other random things can I write about? Nothing, but I can post more pictures!

This is Chris and Brittany making cookies:

Chris and Brandi decorating their cookies: Posing for the camera:
I asked the guys to be candid and this is what I get:
Gotta love 'em!

Here are a few pictures from Brian's UPS Christmas party 2 weekends ago:

From left: Brian, his boss Ron, and his co-worker, Dave.
Here is our Christmas tree!
I realized I never posted pictures of our fun night at Dave and Cinn's. I of course had to take pictures of little Scarlette. I caught a funny one of Chris helping Brian put the burp rag on his shoulder, too funny:
So precious:
From top left: Brian, Dave and Chris. Then bottom left: me, Cinnamon and Scarlette, and Brittany:

Okey dokey, that's all I've got. Hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday season. :)

Beavers and Hurricanes

BEAVERS WIN!!!!!!!
Not only is this exciting because the Ducks are supposedly better, but Civil War was at Autzen Stadium (the Ducks home turf). The Beavers haven't won AT Autzen since 1993. It was a double overtime game that kept you at the edge of your seat. We had a great time at Brandi and Chris' and I know the boys enjoyed playing poker and watching football, nothing better than that!
We got our Christmas tree Sunday morning and let me just say we picked one of the worst days. They were suppose to be issuing a hurricane warning due to extremely high winds, the coast got up to 120 mph winds. Luckily, it wasn't quite that windy when we got the tree, but it was raining and umbrellas weren't helping! The coast got hit pretty bad, certain areas still have no power, some lost wireless for a few days. Its pretty bad. The weather has calmed down and now the aftermath is left to clean up.

I am looking forward to tonight, we are going to Dave and Cinnamon's to have dinner with them and Chris and Brittany who we cheered with at OSU. They were also stunt partners like Brian and I. I can't wait to hold Dave and Cinnamon's little girl, Scarlette, I'll take my camera for sure!

I've also been meaning to take pictures of our tree and Christmas decorations. I love that we have a fireplace to hang out stockings. Jenny and Kyle got us stockings last year for Christmas and I just love them.

And now, to get in the Christmas spirit, a popular questionnaire I thought I would post:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper is more exciting and you can be more creative. My step mom uses those pretty Christmas boxes that I also like!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real all the way, you can't beat the smell of a Douglas Fir, it just radiates Christmas.

3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend or 2 after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? The day after Christmas, otherwise it reminds me Christmas is over :(

5. Do you like eggnog? Technically no, but I do like an eggnog latte with non-fat milk, that way it thins it a little.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Dolls and Barbies, I LOVED get those!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, Brian and I purchased ours last year and it's sitting on our mantle.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad, it doesn't help that he never gives us ideas, he says the only thing he ever wants is to spend time with his kids. We can do that, but we want to give him more!

9. Easiest person to buy for? Jaime, because she tells me exactly what she wants!
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, it takes more time but it's much more personable and everyone loves getting mail!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of one.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Grinch (Jim Carey version) and Christmas Vacation.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually the first or second weekend in December.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not a gift, but things we get from Christmas gift exchanges we'll use at another one. Not all the time, but we've done it before. Gulp.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Muddy Buddies, the recipe on the back of Chex boxes, they are soooo good.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear, white lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night by Josh Groban and Where are you Christmas by Faith Hill
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? With Brian working at UPS we will never be able to travel at Christmas. :(
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? I think so.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Growing up we would open one present Christmas Eve and the rest in the morning, which is how I want to do it with my kids.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? How mean people are when I go shopping, they are so pushy!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My grandparents gave each of us grandchildren a new Hallmark ornament each year until we were 18, those are my favorite 18 ornaments in the world. Aside from that, I decorate in red and gold.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Someone to pay off all my debt ;-) A big rug for our living room.

Merry Christmas!

Alas, pictures!

Brian is working late so I thought I should take this opportunity to post some pictures. The pictures are out of order but I thought it was good that I at least got them posted :-)

The Thanksgiving table at my Dad's, all ready for us to dig in!

Here is the kids table, from bottom left: Kailey, Abby (top left), Jaidyn, and Cassidy.
Porter got to sit at the big kid table, he liked that!
Here is Terry (Brian's stepdad), his mom, Heather, and Amy relaxing after a big meal!
This is on a Sunday morning, Brian is studying and MJ is dutifully watching the neighbors backyard for the dogs to come outside:
Here's our adorable daughter ;-)
Now back to Thanksgiving, here are the kids playing:
This is my adorable and handsome husband cutting the Turkey, I sure hope our kids get his dimples!
MJ followed my Dad around all day because he's the one that gave her Turkey, softy!

Yay, I finally posted some pictures! Now that I'm on the internet I'm going to do a few other things :-)

Halfway through the Week!

So I am a promise-breaker, I just can't seem to sit down in front of the computer when I get home to upload pictures, it is the absolute last thing I want to do. Maybe tonight I will be more motivated to upload pictures, but no promises ;-)

My neighbor, Brandi, lent me "Marley & Me" by John Grogan and it is such a good book for you dog lovers out there. It made me want to spend more time with MJ, playing and taking her for walks. So that's what I've been doing in the evening, along with cooking and baking. Whew, I'm all domesticated ;-) I made banana muffins last night and they are pretty tasty if I do say so myself. Brian enjoyed them which always makes me feel good. I could tell he genuinely liked them because he ate like 3 or 4!

I am looking forward to getting our Christmas tree this weekend, I had so much fun last year decorating our tree, it makes the Holidays feel official. Last year we didn't send out a Christmas card and I regretted it so I am hoping this year I will actually commit to it. I think I get discouraged because I want them to be just perfect, unique and stunning. So when I fail to deliver perfection, I get frustrated. That's not a good thing, I'll work on it.

Yesterday was my cousin Tasha's birthday and although I thought about her all day, I failed to actually call and tell her Happy Birthday, bad Lindsey. So Tasha, HAPPY BIRTHDAY cuz. I hope you had a wonderful day!
Tasha, Lanie, and I call ourselves the 3 musketeers, every family reunion we would be stuck at the hip. In the younger years there would inevitably be 2 or 3 fights that would end in tears, but then we'd make up and be best friends again. I remember one year we built a tree fort in the woods across from my house, it was the coolest fort ever. But I didn't get to enjoy it very long because I got sick and had to lay on the couch. I remember them trying hard to be patient and understanding, but asking every 5 minutes if I felt well enough to go out and play. I would've done the same thing if one of them was sick! Anyway, I have so many good memories with them and love that we are now all married and entering a new phase of our lives. Love you guys!

Alrighty, I better sign off for now. Have a great day!

Our Story

My cousin Tasha had this on her blog and I wanted to join in on the fun:

What is his name? Brian David Holcomb
How long have you been married? A year and 4 months
Who eats more? Brian, by far
How long did you date? 2 1/2 years
How old is he? 31
Who said I love you first? Brian
Who is taller? Brian, by far
Who sings better? Probably me, but he has a wonderful Opera voice ;-)
Who is smarter? Depends on the topic, but I'd say Brian
Whose temper is worse? Mine, by far
Who does the laundry? We both do it
Who does the dishes? Lately me, but usually we both do it
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are facing the bed, I do
Who mows the lawn? Both of us
Who cooks dinner? I do
Who kissed who first? Brian kissed me, it was the best first kiss I've ever had
Who asked who out? He asked me out, I said no the first time, but eventually he wore me down ;-)
Who proposed? Brian did
Who has more friends? He does
Who is more sensitive? That's a tough one, not. Me by a large margin!!
Who has more siblings? I do, 5 siblings :-)
Who wears the pants? That's tough, we both have our moments

Join in the fun if you want!

Thanksgiving and the Holidays!

Thanksgiving was a great day.
Brian and I made it to 2 Thanksgiving dinners yesterday, which means I need to go for a 10 mile run this weekend! We headed over to my Dad and Anna's around 11:30 so I could help with the meal which I really enjoyed. Although Anna was the master chef, Jaime and I assisted as best we could. The guys did the norm and watched football all morning, which I know they thoroughly enjoyed. A little after 4 pm we headed to Brian's mom's house for more football and food :-) We definitely had an enjoyable and relaxing time at both places.
It got us thinking about how we are going to do Christmas this year. Here is our normal schedule of events:

December 22nd ish (the date changes depending): Brian's mom has her annual Christmas party! December 24th: Go to my mom's house, open presents, and my favorite: read our goals for the new year.
Then we go to Brian's mom's house to open presents and go to the 11 pm church service.
December 25th: Wake up early and go to my Dad's to open presents and enjoy a wonderful breakfast.
Then we head up to Salem and go to Brian's Dad's house and open presents and eat dinner.

I love being able to see all our family over Christmas, it's just not the same without seeing everyone. But it's definitely exhausting and yesterday reminded us of what lies ahead for the Holidays. Part of me wants to suck it up, how many people get to share Christmas with so many loved ones? There are a lot of people that spend the Holidays alone, we are so blessed to have lots of people to be with. But another part of me wants to be able to relax and enjoy our time at each place, without feeling rushed. And then once we have kids we will want to start our own family traditions, so how in the heck are we going to fit that in?! Maybe we can spread Christmas out over a week :-) Who knows, but I think for now we need to stick to the schedule so that we can see everyone, especially while we still all live close because who knows how long that will last.
I am definitely excited about the Holidays, especially now that Christmas music is playing on the radio! Next weekend we are going to get our Christmas tree and I'm looking forward to that as well, I LOVE decorating the tree.
So I have a few pictures from Thanksgiving, but since I'm at work (yep, I have to work today, ugh.) I can't upload them, but I will this weekend.
Work is going, well its going. I'll be busy with 1099 stuff for the next few months, gotta love that! But I think Brian takes the cake on being busy, he got home at 8:45 Wednesday night, Peak has officially begun for UPS. I'm hoping I'll at least get to see him Sundays ;-)
Alright, well I better get back to work, pictures to come....

Beaver Game

We had a ton of fun at the tailgator last night, thanks to the Bauer's generous hospitality :-) We brought Brandi and Kris (our neighbors) and I think they had a great time as well. It started off beautiful and sunny but quickly got very chilly, good thing we drove home and watched the game at Brandi and Kris' with the fireplace going! The Beavers were able to pull off a win, despite incredibly incompetent referees. That may sound harsh, but it is so true.

Brian and Nate grilling up some burgers and hot dogs:

This is Brandi and Kris Taylor, they found out they are expecting a baby boy!!! She is 5 months a long and so glad morning sickness has passed :)
Brandi and I trying to stay warm:
Brian LOVES the jersey Jenny and Kyle got him as a gift for doing the ceremony.
This is Nick and Mindi (Nate's brother and his girlfriend)

Today we are going up to Salem to Brian's dad's house for a birthday celebration. Other than that we are going to lay low and relax, I need to do some grocery shopping, ugh. I will probably do the shopping tomorrow though, since I have the day off, yes!

Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday night!

Happy Birthday Brian

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband. It's funny how I can't, and don't want to, imagine my life without Brian. He is truly my other half.

I love you so much babe and here is a small sampling of why:
1. Your dimple filled smile-it still gives me butterflies.

2. How intelligent you are-I love how you know a little about everything, and a lot about some things.

3. Your motivation-it's hard to keep up with your ambition sometimes but I wouldn't change it for the world, it's why we'll make it big one day ;-)

4. How affectionate you are-my family will be the first to tell you how much I love to cuddle, I knew it was meant to be when you scratched my arm without me asking.

5. Your sense of humor-I've had to become quicker and more witty, but man do I love to laugh with you!

6. How laid back you are-I am hoping that will rub off a little on me so I don't sweat the small stuff so much.

7. Your powerful presence-your walk commands attention unintentionally, and when you wrap your arms around me I feel invincible.

8. How friendly you are-you love meeting new people and you are so good at it!

9. Your determination-when you set your mind to something you don't stop until you've accomplished it, no matter how long it takes!

10. Your love-I couldn't live without it.

Your loving wife and #1 fan

Halloween

So here are the cutest trick-or-treaters ever, my beautiful and intelligent nieces and nephew, are you gagging from my bragging yet? :-)

Porter is being shy in this picture as Winnie the Pooh. Kailey is smiling proudly as a ladybug and Jaidyn has her picture perfect smile on as Alice in Wonderland:

Another one so you can see Porter's face, right after I took this he cheezed big time!
Our little MJ, not too thrilled that Mom put her in this Bee costume, I loved it.
Travis and Sarah came over to pass out candy with me and caught this cute picture:

I picked up Brian late Friday night and have been in heaven since he's back. I left for the Eugene airport a little early because I couldn't wait any longer, it's a good thing I did because his plane was a 1/2 hour early. I was able to see him walk off the plane since it's such a small airport and I got butterflies :-) It was so good to hug and kiss him finally! Like true Brian style he was in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops and it was about 40 degrees outside.

Saturday we were right back into reality as he had homework to do and then we went outside and did some yard work. The one thing I like about the rain is that it keeps our grass plush and green without a $100 water bill. Anyway, we went over to his mom's house to watch the Beaver game in celebration of his and Sara's upcoming birthday (which is tomorrow the 7th). Unfortunately the Beavers did not have such a good game, and to make matters worse, the Ducks (our rivals) won their biggest game, doh. Now, I believe in supporting the Beavs through the good times and the bad, I'm a Beaver Believer baby! But I tell ya what, Saturday was a little hard. I'm pretty sure our quarterback, Canfield, set a world record for getting sacked. But we still got love for him. Regardless, it was a fun night.

Daylight Saving Time ended on Sunday which means the mornings are a little lighter (I still get up when it's dark), but the evenings get dark on my way home from work, I really don't like it. To look on the positive side, it does mean the Holidays are getting closer which is pretty exciting.

Okay, so I mentioned awhile ago that our friends Dave and Cinnamon Schwendimann were pregnant. They didn't get to find out the sex because at the one ultra sound they had the umbilical cord was blocking the area. Well, yesterday Cinn went into labor! They planned on a home water birth, Cinn is one tough lady. I am so excited to announce they gave birth to a baby girl yesterday!! They named her (I'm not sure on spelling) Scarlet Faye. I believe she was due around Thanksgiving so she's a little early, but as far as we've heard mommy and baby are ok. I really wanted to go over and see them yesterday, but that was probably a little soon. Hopefully we'll get in touch with Dave soon and bring them over dinner and see the little one. I'm just so excited for them, congratulations first time parents!! Pictures hopefully to come :-)

Inspiration

I am so blessed and grateful for the many wonderful things in my life. But I have to admit that my strong desire to start a family (and not being able to yet) and Brian being gone for 2 weeks has left me a bit melancholy. My friend Sarah sent some inspiration my way.......

So here you are now, nowhere to turn
It's just the same old yesterday
And you made a promise to yourself
That you were never gonna be this way

Cause everybody needs somebody sometimes
Yeah, everybody needs somebody sometimes

Don't have to find your own way out
You gotta voice, let it be heard
Just when it feels you're on a dead end road
There's always somewhere left to turn

So don't give up now
You're so close to a brand new day
Well, maybe I been too caught up to see
What you've been going through and all that I can say is

Everybody needs somebody sometimes
Gotta have someone beside you
Yes, ya do, yes, ya do
Everybody, everybody needs somebody sometimes

I know, it's a bit dramatic, but that's me :-) 3 1/2 more days until Brian comes home, I am beyond excited to see him and give him a big hug.

The Beavers pulled a big W on Saturday, it was a great game and perfect weather for a football game. It was sunny, 65, and there was no wind. Sara and I had a great time cheering for the Beavs, we were by far the loudest group in our section.

Tomorrow is Halloween and I am looking forward to passing out candy to the hundreds of kids that will come by. We have the perfect neighborhood for trick or treating as the houses are close together and it's flat. Hopefully I don't run out of candy! Sarah and Travis are coming over to help me pass out candy which will be fun, I told her to bring extra candy as I'm sure we'll need it :-)

I can't wait until I can post some pictures, I realize posts just aren't exciting without a few pictures to spice it up.

Here I come BEAVERS!

Heather was successful, she found some great tickets on Craig's List!! So I'll be cheering on the Beavs from the sidelines, yay :-) The weather is suppose to cooperate too, sunny and 60.

So I am so jealous. My husband gets to go to Disneyland on Sunday..........Disneyland, without me! I tried to say that maybe he shouldn't go since it's so expensive to get in, but who am I kidding, I would go if I was down there so I can't blame him. I just wish I was there and we could go together, maybe one day :-)
One week left until he comes home, I can't wait.

I am of course so happy it is Friday, definitely ready for the weekend. Tomorrow will be packed with game day stuff and then Sara (Brian's twin) is coming over and we'll have a girls night. Probably watch some movies and drink wine, the Holcombs are wine connoisseurs! I'm excited, we'll have a good time.
I need to get some groceries so I'll probably do that on Sunday and then relax. I know, I'm living the crazy bachelorette life with me husband out of town, what can I say?

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, so glad the week is over!

Tagged and Fires

My cousin Tasha tagged me so here goes!

A. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
B. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog, for these rules.

1. I am really shy at first, but when I feel comfortable I let loose and love to make people laugh.
2. I absolutely hate confrontation (good thing Brian doesn't)
3. I don't like driving in traffic, and when I say traffic I mean like more than 10 cars on the road, it stresses me out.
4. I get stressed really easily (Brian suggested I read "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff,")
5. I am horrible at making decisions, but I'm working on it and have gotten better.
6. I analyze everything and think that there is always a hidden meaning in things. Maybe that's called paranoid?!

I tag:
Jaime
Emilie
Leslie
Julia
Kristin
Jenny (you need a blog sis!)

So our family friend, Julia, lives down in Southern California and was nearly evacuated due to the out of control fires down there. She has some amazing pictures on her blog showing how close this monster is to her, so scary! Be careful Jewels!
Brian is about an hour away from it which scares me, although he's not scared or worried that it will come close to him since he's in the middle of the city.
Just thinking of all the people who are close to it or have lost their homes is horrible, they are definitely in my thoughts and prayers.

Surviving

So far so good. 2 days down 11 to go until I have my hubby back, it can't go fast enough!
Sunday night I went over to my Dad's for dinner, meatloaf was on the menu and it was delicious. I had fun playing with my little sisters, we played with their dolls which I think I enjoyed too much for my age ;-) I chatted with my Dad and Anna and then watched America's Funniest Videos with my Dad. It was a great Sunday evening. Thanks Dad and Anna, love you guys!

Last night I enjoyed watching Dancing with the Stars (we still don't have cable but we get that channel through our bunny ears, yes we are those people) since Brian doesn't really like it. For those that watched, could you believe Marie Osmond fainted, that was crazy! Glad she's okay. By the way, I totally disagreed with the judges on Helio's performance, I thought he did so good.

Jenny's coming into town this weekend and we're gonna get together Friday night which I'm really excited about. I think we might go to Jaime's and hang out with the kids until they go to bed, then have some sister time. I haven't mentioned this to either sister yet, but don't you guys think that sounds like a good idea?

Some of the blogs I stalk do a Thought for Thursday (TFT) post every Thursday (obviously). Nicole posted a link to one and the topic was "The size of our bank accounts", this intrigued me so I clicked on it. Here is a blurb from the post:

"I work my {butt} off and am still totally broke. I like to shop but I am not extravagant and I have cut back significantly. Our house is a tiny shack and we don't take big vacations ect. I see all these huge houses, fancy cars and I wonder...how do people do it? Are we the only ones still living paycheck to paycheck? How do people budget? How do you work all the time and deny yourself and your kids any thing 'extra'? "

I definitely can relate to the feeling of living paycheck to paycheck, although right now it is a choice Brian and I make. We live off Brian's income and almost all of mine goes towards paying off debt, so things are tight. Sometimes we both get tired of scrimping and saving and just want to let loose a little and go out to dinner or buy some new clothes. But then we think about how we are making it easier on ourselves in the future, especially since I will be a stay at home mom. I guess what I am trying to say in a very round about way, is that I liked reading this post because it helped give me motivation. It is hard to get ahead nowadays and not feel like you are constantly trying to get above water. I just have to stay focused and remember the more debt we pay off now, the easier it will be in the future when we have one income. Not to say we won't look forward to payday :-) Our 2 student loans will be the only debt we will have in a few months (as well as our mortgage) and it will be a good feeling. It's a good thing student loans are only like 1-2% interest because I'm pretty sure we will be paying on those for years and years to come. I am glad to say they are worth it though, even if they are a hefty monthly payment.

Speaking of college, there is a chance I'll be going to the Beaver game this weekend! I'm pretty excited, especially since there are only 2 home games left. My sister-in-law Heather is looking for a ticket on Craig's list to see if she can find me a deal, she's really good at that, no pressure though Heather :-)

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately, I'm at work and I think it might be overboard if I brought my camera in and started downloading pictures. I better get back to work, enjoy your Tuesday :-)

2 Weeks

So I have to admit I had fun tricking everyone with my last post. Guess my evil side came out ;-) I'm hoping it's not too far in the future when I will be announcing that we're pregnant, until then I will dream about it.

I'm not looking forward to the next 2 weeks, Brian has a business trip (for those who think I will be alone I have a hand gun sitting by my bed and my husband taught me how to use it!). Yeah, apparently UPS thinks 2 weeks away from your spouse is no big deal, I've gotta talk to them about this. Anyway, since he's taking classes for his MBA he needs to take the laptop, thus I will not have a computer at home. I might still blog from work and families houses though. That's not really my main concern though, I'm not sure how I'm going to deal without him for 2 weeks, yeah I know, I'm a wimp. This will definitely mark the longest we've been apart, which I know for some of you out there is nothing (Jaime, 2 years, you're AMAZING!). If you think about it pray for my safety, I get a little scared when my strong husband isn't there to protect me.

We don't have too much planned this weekend besides packing for Brian, so I'm sure we'll maybe rent a movie and cuddle up on the couch. The weather here is horrible, rainy and windy all day and night, ick. Doesn't help cheer you up if you know what I mean.

Okay, this post has been kind of depressing so I better stop while I'm ahead! I hope everyone has a great weekend and hopefully I won't be MIA for too long.

A Vent Session and BIG NEWS!!!

Vent Session
Yesterday morning was a nightmare. My alarm did not go off. I normally wake up at 6 am, leave the house a little before 7 am and arrive at my park and ride lot by 7:25 since the bus leaves at 7:30. Well, I woke up and looked at the clock and could not believe my eyes......7:27!!!! I was so hoping I was dreaming, or it was Saturday, but no. Luckily I had taken a bath the night before because I had no time to waste. I threw some clothes on and ran out the door. There was no way I was going to go to the park and ride and wait for a bus, that would take way too long. So I had to hope there was a 2 hour space available right in front of the building. Since I do the park and ride they give us 2 permits a month to use in a 2, 4, 6, or 10 hour space, I was so grateful I had my permit and even more grateful there was a spot right in front of my building! I made it to work by 8:15 am which is record time for me (just glad there were not cops out that morning). I called the Administrative Services place to make sure I could park all day in the 2 hour spot with my permit, they said YES. So I did.
What do you know, I went to leave that night and there's a $20 ticket. Are you kidding me?! I called this morning and the lady was very nice, but could do nothing to help me. She transferred me to her boss and I left a message. My only other option is to send the money with a letter and they will refund it. I'm not gonna hold my breath for that refund, but I WILL fight this thing!

NEWS

Now that I'm done venting, I will share the BIG AND EXTREMELY EXCITING NEWS!!!! Get ready for this: Guess who's pregnant???!!!!!????!!!





Tiff and Eric!!! They're gonna have a baby, after 6 years ( I think it's 6) of being married they are finally going to bring a little baby into the world. Brian and I are so excited for them and can't wait to meet their new addition.

Congratulations Tiff and Eric, we are so happy for you!

Pictures

I decided I needed to take the time and post some recent pictures. When I get home from work the last thing I want to do is sit down in front of the computer, that's what I do ALL DAY LONG. But I do enjoy blogging and like to keep it updated.

Just to recap a bit, Nate and Amy's wedding was in Salem at the Oregon Gardens, it was beautiful, as was the bride......................

The wedding was spectacular as you can see below:
I love this next picture, it's the groomsmen minus one. From left: Brian, Macrus, Jeff Davis, and Sean. All of them are super cool, especially the cute one on the left ;)

Brian, Nate, and Big Daddy Bauer as we call him. We love the Bauer family, they are so genuine and SO FUN to be with!
This is Kristin (Nate's coworker) and Mary, a close family friend of the Bauer's. Mary is so sweet, I just love her!
Here is Dave and Cinnamon...... Schwendiman. That's right, Cinnamon's last name rhymes with her first!!!! We loved teasing her about this when they first started dating, and then when they got engaged we were thrilled. They are expecting a little one in November and we couldn't be more excited for them!
Brian and I right after the ceremony, I was a little cold as you may be able to tel :)

Now we're gonna switch gears to our weekend in Bend for Julie's wedding. Here is Brian and I at the reception:

Tiff and Eric:
Tiff, friend, and Sara (Brian's twin). I had fun doing Sara's hair and makeup before the wedding, she looks gorgeous:

Alright, well that concludes pictures and posting for the night. Have a wonderful evening, it's almost FRIDAY!!!!!

Bend

Bend
So we headed off to Bend on Saturday morning for Julie's wedding. Brian and I decided we want to retire there, we love it. No wonder Jenny lives there ;-) It is just a gorgeous place with a wonderful small town feel, even though it's rapidly growing.

The wedding was very nice, it was held indoors and they stood in front of a warm fire place while they said their vows. We only got a few pictures from our trip because we forgot to charge our battery, doh. It was great spending time with friends we haven't seen all summer and we had so much fun. It was an afternoon wedding so after the reception we went and swam in the hotel pool with everyone. Since we didn't get the memo on swimming, we didn't bring our suits. So we went on a mission to find some cheap ones, however, it was October....in Bend, Oregon. No such luck. We found some clearance items for shorts and tanks and settled for that.

It's getting Cold!
Fall has definitely arrived in Oregon. It's been very cold and cloudy for the past few weeks, today it's foggy. What I really don't like is that it's dark on my way to work so I feel like I am up way too early. So far there hasn't been too much rain (for Oregon) but this week the forecast is rain, rain, rain, and rain. How depressing. Looks like we have cozy nights by the fireplace ahead of us.....guess it's not so bad :-)

Reading Recommendations?
So I've been reading a ton lately now that I work in Salem. I drive to a Park and Ride lot in Salem and catch a bus into downtown where I work, so on the bus ride I read. I have an hour lunch and I don't know very many people here so I read. On the bus ride back to my car, yep, I read. Obviously this is a good thing, but there's no way I can afford to buy a book a week, so we went and got library cards at the Albany Public Library, since we only had ones for the Corvallis Library. Last time I checked out 2 books by the author of Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella. If you are looking for a fun read, I totally recommend all her books, they are hilarious. I also of course love Karen Kingsbury which I have mentioned before. If anybody has recommendations for other authors I would love some advice :-)

Enjoy your Tuesday!!!!

Random things on my mind...

Football
Alright, so the game was a blast because I was there with my Dad, Jenny, and Brian. We had a great time together and since our seats were covered we didn't get wet :-) The first half was awesome. The Beavers scored 2 touchdowns while UCLA was slacking big time. The score was 12 to 14, Beavers leading, we were pumped.
Second half starts and it was downhill from there. In the last 8 minutes of the 4th quarter, UCLA scored 4 touchdowns! Ouch. The final score was 14 to 40, UCLA. It was pretty hard to keep routing for the Beavers, but true fans don't abandon their team during the hard times.
There was an article in the paper about our quarterbacks, past and present ones. They say the crowd is awesome when you're doing good, they can feel the love. But when you mess up they are the first to boo you. It made me feel horrible that when our quarterback, or any player for that matter, makes a mistake we do a 180 and instead of encouraging them, we get mad that they aren't perfect. Anyway, there's my take on football since I'm sooo knowledgeable (enter sarcastic smirk here).

Halloween
Brian and I sorted through the garage last night and found a few more Halloween decorations. We attempted to put up orange lights around our living room window, but they looked pink and were crooked and just tacky, so we took them down because we don't want to be THOSE neighbors. Instead we put up those ghost posters in our upstairs window with a strobe light behind it and it looks so good! I will try to capture a picture tonight but I don't think it will do it justice. Sometime this week I'm going to get the house decorated.

Babies
My baby fever is at an all time high right now. Usually I am baby hungry for a week and then the next week I think, "I can wait a few months." But so far I'm going on like 4 weeks of straight baby hunger and I'm just so ready to start a family. Brian is right there with me, although he's not quite as emotional about it as I am, weird I know. He even had a dream we had a baby girl (I dream we have kids all the time), we are both convinced our first will be a girl. But as long as it is healthy we really don't care about the sex. Obviously I am getting way ahead of myself though. I do have to say that my motivation to pay off debt is at an all time high as well. Since I'll be staying at home, the sooner we pay off debt, the sooner we can have kids.
Speaking of paying off debt................................We paid off our car yesterday!!!!!!!!!! We officially have no car payments and I am so proud. We have been working so hard to pay debt off and it felt so good to make that last payment on the car, a victory that makes it worth the sacrifices and keeps me focused on the end goal: Debt-free.

Thanks to everyone for advice on my work problem. I'm killing the bully with kindness and do everything to avoid interaction with her. It makes it hard that she is in the cubicle right next to me, but every time I have a question I go to everyone else I can possibly think of.

That's all for now, have a wonderful day.

More Pictures

In no particular order........more pictures from Hawaii!!

Kyle's Mom and Dad
The whole family on the beach behind our house
They buried Lance and then had a hard time getting him out, he survived though :)
The Father of the Bride with his daughter.
This is Kyle's sister Jessica with Jenny. Jess and I had so much fun together, she is simply hilarious and we had a ball together.

This is my Dad and Anna before the dinner rehearsal:
The bride and groom at the dinner rehearsal
My mom and Randy at the dinner rehearsal
Jenny's best friend Erin lives in Hawaii and was a huge reason the wedding was a success. She did so much for Jenny and we love her to death. Her shirt is adorable, it said, "Team Bride, sexy little bride." It was too cute. She also got Jenny the shirt she is wearing that said, "Mrs. Tegner." We love Erin!!!

So I didn't want to post all the Hawaii pictures is one post since that would be the longest post ever. Plus, everytime I post pictures it reminds me of our trip to Paradise. I think I'm done posting those pictures those because I'm getting a little depressed that we're not there. :(

Well, I wanted to write a little more but uploading those pictures took forever, of course, and I have to get ready because I'm going to..................................................................................................

THE BEAVER GAME!!!!!

My Dad called me (multiple times but my stupid ringer is quiet and I can't hear it) morning and said he had tickets and was trying to get ahold of me, but since I didn't answer he called Jenny. I of course was calm and said that's okay maybe next time. Yeah right. I was so mad at myself and my stupid quiet ringer, I couldn't believe I had a chance to go and missed it!!! But my Dad is the best Dad in the world and found 2 more tickets for Brian and I!!!! So I am just thrilled beyond belief. Brian had plans with our neighbor Chris to go shooting so they are out doing that right now and he'll come when they are done. So I'm going to meet my Dad at his house and then we're gonna pick Jenny up at Kyle's parents house and head out. It's gonna be so fun and I am really looking forward to it :-) Needless to say I have changed the ringer on my phone to a much louder one in hopes I will never almost miss an opportunity to go to a Beaver game.

Well I better get ready, wish us luck!

GO BEAVS!!!