Happy New Year!!!!

Well, this is it. Just a few more hours left of 2009. I honestly had mixed feelings about this year because the best day of my entire life happened this year, but we also had some icky days during the year. Of course, the best day was our wedding day on February 21st. I finally got my prince after waiting a long, long time for him. It was well worth the wait though. Our Lord has blessed Alan and I so much and we are indeed quite thankful for all the wonderful blessings He has bestowed upon us during our courtship, marriage and now happily ever after. Thank you also Lord for my parents and wonderful family as well as my friends and my new blog family. I am very grateful for each and every one of you who have come into my life.

I never make New Years resolutions simply because I don't want to disappoint myself if I don't follow through. However; this year, I am making a resolution to finish my first novel. I have been writing and doing research and trying to make this pre-teen novel come together, but it isn't without blood, sweat and tears. I love to write, it is my passion, but it is a difficult job sometimes when writers block kicks in or the happenings of everyday life get in the way of the next chapter. I know deep down in my soul I can and will finish it this year and I am excited about accomplishing my goal. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful husband who believes in me and who lets me stay home and follow my dreams. Thank you, Alan!

Happy New Year Everyone!
<3, Kristie

Snow Again?

I just sent my hubby off to work and I'm a little nervous. He was off work last week when the weather got bad. His hours are kinda crazy and I'm freaking out about him coming home tonight in this bad weather. The snow doesn't bother me, but the ice is so dangerous. Please say a prayer for Alan if you get a moment. Thank you.

On another note, I am looking forward to seeing the Chipmunk Squeakuel movie. Toys R Us has these plush chipmunk dolls and I want all of them. There's Alvin, Simon and Theodore and all 3 Chippettes. I collect dolls and stuffed animals like Care Bears, Smurfs, Shirt Tales, things like that. Wonder if I might be able to convince Alan to get them for me even though we just had Christmas?

I am also very impressed with a fast food chain today. It started off kinda rocky. I went to the drive thru at McDonalds and ordered 4 Cheeseburgers (wanted to put a couple in Alan's dinner, too) and a large french fries for us to split. I paid at the first window and drove to the 2nd window to retrieve the food only to be told to "Please pull up and park and we will bring your food out to you." Ugh! I hate that. Well, I waited and waited and finally (about 5 minutes later) I got impatient and went inside to see what the hold up was about. They weren't very busy so I was a little confused, but I stood there and waited for my food. An employee finally handed me a McDonalds sack that seemed to be quite full. I said thank you and headed back to my vehicle. I got home and took the food out of the sack and started making a plate for myself and Alan and realize I was shorted one burger. CRAP!

Alan said, "Kristie, it's only one burger for $1.00, no big deal." I was mad nonetheless. I grabbed the receipt and proceeded to make a phone call to our local McDonalds. I explained what had happened and she remembered me thank god.

She couldn't apologize enough (the store manager happened to be the one who answered my call.) She took my name and told me the next time I come in to their store that they will replace my entire order for free. She said the next time we feel like having McDonalds that it is on them. I was seriously surprised and happy that she took care of me like that with no questions asked. Now, that's customer service. YAY!

Hoarders, etc...

Y'all, I have just found a new show and I can't believe what I just sat there and watched. OMG OMG OMG. It's called Hoarders and it's on A&E. This is so unbelievably sad, disgusting, interesting, confusing,etc. I found myself crying for these poor folks. You just can't possibly understand what this show is about until you watch for yourself. Please, please watch it so we can talk about it. I believe I may be obsessed with this show now.

Also, I found a show called Cake Boss. Man, this guy is so awesome.

I swear I did more today than just watch television! I put away some Christmas stuff, did the dishes, made a cake, had lunch with my husband and my father in law. It was a productive day and then just when I was about to relax and find something cheesy to watch like Nick at Nite...there it was... HOARDERS.

Seriously, please watch it.

Just doing some thinking

It always seems like I feel a little down right after Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I am so appreciative of everything I got this year. Santa and my husband were extra good to me. I just feel like all the magic disappeared or something. I know I still have New Years to look forward to, but honestly New Years is just another day to me. We don't drink or go out and party or anything. I mean we may go out to eat and get a nice steak or something but that's about it. When I think of New Years, I think of all those stinkin Jenny Craig commercials that we are going to have to endure. Or NutriSystem or Weight Watchers...every other commercial is lose 20 pounds for 20 dollars or whatever. I hate those commercials. Yes, I know I need to lose some weight, but do we all have to be inundated with those ads left and right?

OK. I'm done ranting. So sorry, but seriously!!! You know I'm right.

I know there are lots of wonderful things in store for me in 2010. I am excited for a new year with my sweet hubby.

ABC's of Me Letter F (things I love beginning with the Letter F)

Friends

Family

Faith

Flowers

Facebook (lol)

Fiction (I love all books)

TV shows beginning with F
Facts of Life
Full House
Flo (Kiss My Grits)

Fetticine Alfredo (YUM)

Now I'm hungry!

ABC's of me continued...

Several months ago, I started the ABC's of me and simply got sidetracked so I'm picking up where I left off. I'm basically just listing the things I enjoy for each letter. I left off with letter E.

ABC's of me Letter E

EBay- I love ebay so much. We buy and sell all the time. It brings me such joy.

Editorials- You all know how much I love to write, well I love to read, too. Editorials are the best.

Ellen Degeneres- She just rocks

Easter- What a wonderful holiday, church and easter egg hunts, so fun!

Eighties- I love 80's music. It's my absolute fave.

ET- Entertainment Tonight and also the Extra-Terrestrial :)

E-mail

Etiquette

Eau de toilette- I collect many perfumes

Letter F to come soon.

I saw this on Lesli and Sara's blogs and thought I would play, too!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I am fanatic about wrapping every single present with wrapping paper and ribbon. NO BAGS! It is a pet peeve of mine! I feel like it's a last minute effort if someone just throws it in a bag. No dollar store bows either. Ew.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I have artificial. Alan is allergic so that was settled pretty quick. I honestly don't mind the artificial tree though. I decorate it with white lights and red, gold and silver ornaments. Very pretty. We also have a "Charlie Brown tree" in the hall and that one had all the ornaments from my childhood.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the day after Thanksgiving. This year I put mine up a week before Thanksgiving. The holiday spirit hit me early this year.

4. When do you take the tree down? New Years Day or the day after. I think I can convince my husband to let me keep it up one extra day. It is so much more fun to deck the halls than to undeck them.

5. Do you like eggnog? No, not a fan of the nog.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Cabbage Patch Doll (which I still have)

7. Do you have a nativity scene? I do not have a nativity scene, but maybe one day.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My husband because he has everything already, but he loves anything he gets and appreciates things so much, so anything I give him is really fine. I just like to surprise him!

9. Easiest person to buy for? My Mom

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Regular mail of course!

11 .Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Someone (who will remain nameless) actually regifted me a gift that I gave them for doing something nice for me for my wedding.

12 . Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation

13 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, I have but I always follow the rules of etiquette while doing so and I always remember who gave me what.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mashed potatoes, Broccoli Rice Casserole, all the yummy desserts.

15 . Clear lights or colored on the tree? I love both. I put white lights on the tree and colored lights outside.

16 . Favorite Christmas song? Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Mel Torme), White Christmas (The Drifters) and Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee)

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? As long as we are with family it doesn't matter. I am a homebody though.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all...Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I have always opened on Christmas morning. We opened on Christmas Eve this year because we were going to be pressed for time Christmas morning.

20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic and long lines for sure. Or trying to find a gift and it's sold out.

21 . Favorite ornament theme or color? Red, gold and silver

22. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I try to shop year round. I started the bulk of it around September though and was so proud of myself for finishing early.

23. What, do you want for Christmas this year? A diamond eternity band to make my wedding set complete, a cream colored laptop computer, DVDs, Bath and Body Works, Lucky Brand purse in Kelly Green, Dyson Vaccuum. Santa was good to me. I got all of these things. YAY! That cream colored laptop is gorgeous!

24. Angel or Star on top of tree? We have a star on ours.

25. What do/did you leave for Santa? Cookies and milk usually, but we forgot this year. Sorry, Santa.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

White Christmas!

Our kind Father has blessed Alan and I so much this year. We are so incredibly thankful for the many many blessings He has bestowed upon us. We received another awesome gift today as He gave us a white Christmas on our first Christmas as a married couple! I will never forget this, it just doesn't happen in Texas. It's a childhood dream come true. It truly is amazing what our Lord can do.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Only in Texas!!!

The weather here in Texas is so stinkin crazy. Yesterday it was 75 degrees and today we are gearing up for snow. Can you believe it? We may actually have a white Christmas! YAY! I know some of you probably think snow is no big deal, but us Texas folks don't see snow very often especially not at Christmastime.

Alan and I went to Walmart yesterday to pick up some groceries for Christmas. I was told to bring my famous corn casserole, 3 packages of brown and serve rolls and a 2 liter of Sprite. All of the Mrs. Bairds rolls were gone so I bought Sunbeam rolls. Hope they are just as good. You can't really mess up a roll can you?

Oh also, I wanted to surprise my Mom with a photo album of pictures of our wedding this year so I went to Walgreens. I had a coupon! So, I walk into the store and head back to the photo area. They have these photo machines so that you can process your order yourself,etc. Well, I've never used the machine before so I asked the photo employee for some help. I asked her if she could please help me and she said and I quote, "Do you know how to follow directions?" I seriously wanted to slap her. First of all, yes I think I can handle following directions, secondly, don't be rude to me because there are other places I can go to print my photos and thirdly, I looked at her name tag and she was the store manager. OMG. She wasn't busy, there was no one in line or anything and her tone with me was awful. It was as if she didn't want to bother with me. It upsets me when people act like that.

On a better note, I am really excited about our first Christmas being married. Alan and I have had 3 Christmases together but this is the first one being married and he is off work this week so we are so happy. I have Charlie Brown Christmas, The Grinch, Frosty the Snowman and several Christmas movies on the dvr. It's all holiday all day over here in the Wendland household. Incidentally, Alan gets very frustrated with me during the holidays because we practically have the dvr on overload with Christmas programs. I love recording all the Christmas movies off of Lifetime, ABC Family and TBS. SO fun. Merry Christmas Eve!

10 things you don't know about me

(Michelle, I actually made this list a few months ago, but wasn't sure if you had gone back that far in my blog to check it out!)

1. I usually get up before Alan does every morning. But the second Alan gets out of our bed, I have to make the bed. I mean, THE second he gets up...that bed is made. Complete with all the foo foo pillows and decor. Sometimes Alan will come find me and sigh and say, "I just got up to go to the bathroom and I was coming right back to bed." Sorry dear.

2. I love doing crossword puzzles or word puzzles. I have so many critical thinking and mind puzzles, it's ridiculous. Even though I have so many, I still can't resist buying another one at Walmart or Half Price Books because I'm afraid I will work all the puzzles and not have one to do someday.

3. When I go to the grocery store I have to have to perfect cart (which is sometimes very hard to find.) Alan will get so embarrassed because I will continue to go back for another cart if anything is wrong with the one I grabbed. I mean if it squeaks or has a crazy wheel or thumps or viers to the right...I have to take it back. I will not use a faulty shopping cart.

4. Most of you know I love Coca~Cola. What you probably don't know is that I am very wasteful. I will open a can of Coke and drink a couple of sips out of it and leave it somewhere in the house and forget about it (not on purpose) and then I will get thirsty and want a cold Coke and I will open another can of soda. Needless to say I sometimes wind up with 4 or 5 opened drinks in random places in the house. And they've either gotten hot or lost their fizz so I end up throwing them away. Alan hates this. I am working on it.

5. I am a fanatic about wrapping presents. I have to have the perfect paper, the perfect ribbon, the perfect bow. I always wrap presents, too. I hardly ever put a present in a bag. I don't want people to think I took the easy way out. I want them to know that I went the extra mile to make their special day extra nice. Sometimes I have to bite the bullet and use a bag, but I try not to.

6. I have many, many perfumes. They are all on an antique mirrored tray on top of my dresser. I love all the perfumes so much that I can never decide which one to wear. So, I usually just close my eyes and point to one and that is the one I will wear for the day. (Hey, at least I don't play eeny meeny miny mo. :)

7. I am secretly obsessed with tv shows I watched as a kid. Thank God for the television box sets these days. I honestly do not go one day without watching at least one 30 minute program from my childhood. Either Punky Brewster, Silver Spoons, Facts of Life, Diffrent Strokes, etc. Those shows make me smile.

8. I start my Christmas shopping very early. In fact, I shop for Christmas items all year long. Some people may laugh at me, but I always find incredible deals and it is much easier on the pocketbook to spend a little at a time. I have created a spot in our house for the future Christmas gifts and by the time December rolls around, we are ready. Almost. Now I can put those wrapping skills to good use.

9. I talk to my Mom everyday. Sometimes 3 times a day. She is my best friend. We always find something to talk about or gossip about. I know she won't be around forever, so I guess I take full advantage of the fact that she is here now. She gives me advice and I give her advice. It's a great mother/daughter relationship. I love my Mom.

10. I cry at awards shows. Alan laughs at me. I seriously cry when someone wins an award. I feel like either I won the award myself or a member of my family is up there thanking me. It's the craziest thing ever. I can't help it, I just get so excited for the winners that I start boo hooing. I never sit down to watch an awards show without Kleenex.

Giveaway on Pal's Blog

Hey friends! Just a quick note that my gal pal Lesli is having a fantastic giveaway on her blog! It's called Pretty Random Thoughts and you can find her at http://bunnycakes.blogspot.com
She is such a sweetheart! You should check it out!

I have a Christmas party tonight at my Mom's house in Burleson! So excited! I made a corn casserole (thanks to Ms. Paula Deen!) I am so thankful for my sweet mother. She does so much for us during the year and it feels great to give back!

We got her and my stepdad a flagpole to go on their land plus some other goodies! It is so hard to buy presents for people who have everything!!

On another note, my hubby is off work this whole week with me!!!! He managed to get Christmas week off-AMAZING! We went shopping yesterday, went to Cracker Barrel for some grub and he even made his famous cheese dip. Right now, he is cleaning out the fish tank. He deserves a gold star!

Gotta finish up a few last minute details before tonight! Be sure and check out Lesli's blog! You will love it!

Holiday Craze!!!!

Anyone else out there feeling the hustle and bustle yet of this holiday season? I am trying my best to make it through without losing my mind. Both me and my husband are from divorced families, so we have like 800 Christmases to attend (it seems I might be exaggerating a tad bit). :)
Anyway, we are having Christmas at Alan's sisters house this Saturday! SO, let the parties begin!! I am making Christmas cut out cookies with edible paint icing. (Thanks, Paula Deen!) I think my nephews will get a kick out of the decorated cookies.

Still have to finish wrapping my presents. I DO NOT USE BAGS! That is one of my pet peeves. I wrap everything with wrapping paper and I don't use those dollar store bows either. I wrap with ribbon and every present has to be perfect. I just want the giftee to know that I took extra care with their gift and that a lot of love went into making it look beautiful!

I have an appointment tomorrow with Toni and Guy hair salon to get my hair colored. Stupid gray hair. Yes, I admit. I have gray hair! Can't go to a holiday party exposing the roots now can we?

On another note, I sure hope the abc television network airs "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Again since Obama pre-empted it last week. I love that Christmas special. Incidentally, I also love Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, and that Brady Bunch episode when Mrs. Brady gets her voice back just in time for Christmas!

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

Big Kid Survey

I found this quiz on my facebook page from my friend Lucy. This is a survey for those of us who are a little older and want to answer questions besides, "Have you ever missed someone"...

What bill do you hate paying the most? Probably the electric bill...ouch

Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner? At home

What do you really want to do right now? I want to crawl in bed and read, think I will after this

How many colleges did you attend? TWU, TCJC, MCC and Baylor. Graduated from Baylor

Why did you choose the shirt you have on right now? Comfy grey tank top

What are your thoughts on gas prices? They are actually not too bad right now, but even when they are high, what are you gonna do? I mean you have to drive to get places, so I just allow for the cost and spend less somewhere else.

First thought in the morning? Wondering what my day will bring

Last thought before going to sleep at night? I hope I get a good nights sleep

What chore do you despise? Scrubbing the bathtub!!!!

Get up early or sleep late? Get up early

Have you found real love yet? Oh yes

Favorite lunch meat? Honey ham

What do you get everytime you go to Walmart? Usually Cokes

Beach or lake? Beach if I have to pick, not much for the water.

Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? No way, I love being married.

Sopranos or Desperate Housewives? Desperate Housewives

What famous person would you like to have dinner with? Paula Deen

Have you ever crashed your vehicle? Yes unfortunetly

Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose? No I haven't

What's your current ring tone? I just have the AT&T ring tone right now

Strangest place you've brushed your teeth? In the car with those colgate wisps breath fresheners

Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go? We have been to LA, San Diego, Hollywood, Disneyland, San Jose...so I guess we'd like to hit San Francisco next

Do you go to church? Yes, we like the Lewisville Church of Christ

How old are you? 34

Do you have a go to person? Alan or my Mom

Are you where you want to be in life? Yes, I feel quite blessed. The Lord has given me many blessings this past year.

Growing up, what was your favorite cartoon? I have a few: Alvin and the Chipmunks, Shirt Tales, Smurfs, Jem

What about you has changed the most? I am a homebody and don't really like to go out anymore. Alan and I don't drink alcohol either.

Looking back at high school, were they the best years of your life? No, but it was a blast! I loved high school.

Are there times you still feel like a kid? Of course! I still act like one sometimes and so does Alan.

What was a fad you remember from your childhood? Tight roll jeans, banana clips, jelly shoes, friendship pins, Units

Where was the hangout spot when you were a teenager? It was actually called The Spot located on Park Row in Arlington. We also hung out at Fielder Park and SDP and also Pyramids.

Where you the type of kid you want your kids to be? Yes, I was a good kid. I got into some mischief, but what child doesn't? For the most part I was a really good girl.

What do you think has impacted your life the most? My parents and now my wonderful husband

Was there a teacher that stood out for you? Again I have a few: 2nd grade Mrs. Flusche, 6th grade Mrs. Ackerman, and 10th grade Mrs. Rector. Loved Mrs. Rector the most.

Do you tell stories that start with "when I was your age"? Not yet

Weekend Bliss

I am really excited about this weekend with my husband. We are going to Waco to see our Baylor Bears play Nebraska. The game starts at 11:30 and then afterwards we are headed to see Alans parents. We visited with them a bit last time we went to Waco but we are planning to stay a little longer this time. We are going to visit Granny at the nursing home, too. Granny hasn't been doing too well lately, but what do you expect for a 94 year old woman?

Then on Sunday, Alan and I have tickets to go see "This Is It." the Michael Jackson movie. We both love MJ and are looking forward to seeing this last bit of his work.

I am still enjoying my new short hair. It is so much easier to fix and it really is cute! I never thought I would have my hair this short, but change is good.

Lots of different things to report coming very soon...

Take care and have a good weekend everyone!

Blog World and my friend Lesli

I know many family members read my blog as well as friends and I promise to post more often. I know I've said this before and for one reason or another, I haven't kept my promise. But this time, I mean business!

I am completely motivated by my friend Lesli's blog and the only follower on my blog at this time. (sniff sniff). I know, I know... why follow my blog when I never write anything. Seriously. I'm really going to do better. But, I digress.

Back to my friend Lesli. If you haven't checked out her blog, please do. It is amazing and I just love reading her Random Thoughts. She has motivated me to jazz up my blog and really embrace the blog world.

Those of you who know me, know that I am a writer and I'm constantly working on writing something. Right now it's a book, so I haven't had much time for this blog. I am working on a series for teens. Can't say much else about it because I still have to work the kinks out and go through copyright and publishers, etc.

I had to take Alan to the doctor today. He has done something to his finger and he has been nursing it for about 3 weeks now. Finally, he said Kristie, I think I need to go to the doctor. I about fell out of my chair. My husband has never been to the doctor, not once since I've known him. After we left the doc office, we went to eat at Cracker Barrel and it was yummy.

I am really excited about decorating for Christmas. I have already wrapped several Christmas presents and I bought a new wreath and really pretty tablecloth for our table. So excited.

A little bummed that I'm seeing my favorite 90210 alum Tori Spelling in the tabloids. You know I love Tori and Dean. I hope Tori is not really that ill and shame on the tabloids if they embellished this story. Feel better Tori.

My hubs just recently bought me some 80's tv show dvds. So, I've been enjoying Punky Brewster, My Two Dads and Family Ties at night before I go to bed.

I tried to throw in a few random thoughts of my own into this blog. Lesli, I hope I made you proud!

Sick and tired

Man, I think I maybe a flu victim. I've been trying to come down with something for like the past 2 weeks or so. Sore throat, cough, fever comes and goes. But now, the fever is at 102 and I feel like crap. Major crap.

I'm still working at home on the computer and maintaining household duties but I think my bed is calling my name early tonite! Getting sick just sucks.

Alan and I were just talking about getting the flu shot because it seems like the flu is crazy this year, but I think I may be too late.

Also, sick and tired of thiefs out there. My brother in law got his car stolen last Friday. At work. That's right, his car was stolen at work. The police found it on Saturday stripped. A nice Dodge Ram completely stripped. It just makes me mad that honest and hardworking people like my brother in law Ty can't have anything nice for fear that someone will steal it. Prayers for him.

OK, I'm done with my rant, I think I'll go down a bottle of NyQuil. JK
I gotta feel better soon. :(

New do

Things have been so hectic lately. I promised myself that I would post more often, but that seems to fall by the wayside most times unfortunetly. Alan and I are great, just busy. We just went to a Cowboys game night before last and we had so much fun. Cowboys won 21-7!

Mom and I just recently went on a trip to Austin and San Marcos to go Christmas shopping. Hey, I start early! It's much easier on the pocketbook to spread it out and not be bombarded in December. We had so much fun spending quality time together and we got a lot accomplished. Alan was able to see his mom and spend some time with our nephews while I was away so he had a good time too. But, I could tell he missed me because he almost had a look of relief when I came home. I am a homebody so I was glad to be home as well.

I got my hair chopped off to about chin length maybe a little longer. It is so cute. Alan says it looks great too, so yay. I had been wanting to cut it for a while now but just now mustered up the guts to go through with it and I'm sure glad I did.

I have been decorating for Halloween/Fall and honestly I am thinking of wrapping some Christmas presents soon. I might as well so they are sitting here ready to be wrapped. I am a huge fan of wrapping gifts and try not to use bags. So, why not get a head start?

I am also in the process of writing a book which will eventually be a series of books for tween girls. Very exciting.

That's all for now/take care.

Twitter/update

I don't know about you, but I am not digging the twitter thing. I gave it a go and I think I'm done. I just feel like I'm talking to myself.

I really wanted to like it. I tried. I didn't care for Facebook at first either, but I grew to like it much more than MySpace. I figured it would be the same for Twitter but no such luck. I'm done with the tweets.

Things are going pretty good for us Wendlands. Alan and I are super happy and we are about to join a church. We consider ourselves members of The Church of Christ in our faith but we haven't joined our church as yet. We are looking forward to becoming members of Lewisville Church of Christ. That is very exciting news for us. We have gone to this church for awhile but we felt silly joining the church together before we were actually married. Now that we are indeed married, we want to go forward. I know we could've joined before we were married, but there were circumstances in which we felt it may not be kosher to do so.

I have a Mother/Daughter trip coming up with my Mom next week. Super excited about that. We are going away for a long weekend to go shopping in San Marcos. Christmas shopping here I come! We also hope to find some thrift stores and/or flea markets to find some cool deals. I don't get to spend much time with my Mom so this is a much needed vacation. Although, I will miss the hubs. He will be fine though, you know college football is back. He won't even know I'm gone. JK

I'll try not to wait so long before another post.

First thing you wash in the shower? face

What color is your favorite hoodie? Black

How are you feeling right now? Tired

What's the closest thing to you that's red? A can of Coke

What was your latest dream about? I don't remember

Did you meet anybody new today? Just the lady in the KFC drive thru

What are you craving right now? Soft serve ice cream from Dairy Queen

What comes to mind when you hear the word cabbage? Cabbage Patch Kids

Are you emotional? Yes I can be sometimes

Have you ever counted to 1000? I can't recall, but I may have when I was younger

Do you bite your ice cream cone or lick it? Bite it

Do you like your hair? Yes and no. It's really thick and takes a long time to blow dry and a long time to fix it. Plus, it's extra expensive to color it since it is so thick and long.

Do you like yourself? Yes

Would you like to go out to eat with George W. Bush? Yes, my husband and I would love that!

What are you listening to right now? Wheel of Fortune

Were your parents strict? Not really, I mean they didn't let me run wild or anything, but they were pretty easy on me.

Would you go skydiving? No way, not in a million years.

Do you like cottage cheese? Ew

Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, I met Kelly Clarkson and got her autograph. And actually, my husband and I got some pictures of The Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift and Jordin Sparks when we were on our honeymoon.

Do you rent movies often? We use netflix

Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? The only thing sparkly I see is my wedding ring. :)

Have you ever made a prank phone call? Yes, when I was a kid. Who didn't? Poor kids can't get away with that now with caller i.d. and all

Ever been on a train? Does the Disneyland railroad count?

Brown or white eggs? I usually buy white eggs, but I would eat brown.

Do you use chapstick? I don't use chapstick, but my husband does. I prefer Wet N Wild Jumbo Juicy Lip Balm. It's awesome. I love the grape, red raspberry, strawberry and tangerine flavors.

Who are you going to be with tonight? My husband

Are you too forgiving? Not really. I mean I will eventually forgive, but never forget.

Ever been in love? Oh yes! My husband is the love of my life. The day I married him was the best day of my life. Hands down.

What is your best friend doing tomorrow? Working

Last time you cried? A week and a half ago at my sister in law's wedding

Favorite time of year? Winter, it's cold outside which I love! Winter brings my birthday and Christmas. It's a great time of year.

Do you have any tattoos? No and I will never get one. I hate tattoos!

Are you sarcastic? Who me? No!

Ever walked into a wall? I think I have

Favorite color? Red

Have you ever slapped someone? No

Is your hair curly? Yes, but once I put the blow dryer to my hair, it goes straight immediately. If I want to wear my hair curly, I have to use product and no hair dryer.

Do you sleep with the tv on? Oh no! I can't stand any noise or any light. It has to be extra quiet and pitch black

Can you handle the truth? Sure, sometimes it's not what you want to hear, but I can handle it

Do you have good vision? I thought I did until I went to renew my license at the DMV. They are hardcore there. I passed by the skin of my teeth but I bet when I renew again in 2012 I will have to get glasses

How often do you talk on the phone? Not often. I usually talk to my Mom everyday and sometimes my sister in law.

What is your favorite animal? Dogs for sure

Can you hula hoop? Probably not anymore

Most recent thing you bought? Lunch

Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes

A Halt to all the Hoopla

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Really wonderful. But, we are equally delighted that all the festivities are winding down. It was lovely to be a part of this special occasion but I think we are "wedding(ed) out".

I will continue to enjoy my new dark brown hair and my french manicured fingers and toes. At least that part can last longer.

I just have to say that I am a little overwhelmed at times with this large new family that I inherited when Alan and I married. Most of you know that I am an only child so I never had brothers and sisters like I do now. I am doing the best I can to adjust to this big family, but please be patient with me as I am trying to acclimate myself slowly but surely.

On another note, I really miss a couple of my high school friends. Ladies, we need to get together just as soon as possible. How about a long weekend somewhere?

Also, kinda random but whatever...I have found another author of chick lit that I love. Her name is Beth Harbison and I'm really enjoying her shoe addict series. Just sayin.

I am off to take a bath before So You Think You Can Dance comes on. FUN!

Monday with Mama

I had a glorious day with my Mom today. We went shopping and ate lunch at Red Lobster with Alan. We had a really great day. I hadn't seen my Mom in over a month. That's a long time for us to go without seeing one another. I bought some clothes and some candles and some decorative pillows for our bedroom. It was a good shopping day. Lots of good sales.

I was going to concentrate on getting other things ready for the wedding this Saturday, but I thought better of it and decided to make it a day about me and Mom. The only things I really have left to do for Alan's sisters wedding is to pick up my dress, decide which black shoes I want to wear, get my nails done and pick up Alan's tuxedo. It'll get done. Oh yeah, I am getting my hair done on Thursday, too. And cut, my goodness it has gotten out of control.

My Mom is coming to this wedding too. So, I will get another chance to see her this weekend. YAY! Alan's Mom is coming in town from Waco on Wednesday and Alan's Dad is coming in town from Spring on Thursday. It's going to be a family filled fun weekend.

I am really excited about Alan and I getting to walk down the aisle again together (5 months later). It is probably the last time we will both be in someone's wedding so walking down the aisle again is a pretty cool deal if you ask me.

Not really much else to report. Except that it is blazing HOT and I hate it.

And I am so upset that Jillian ousted Reid. Sniff sniff. (Bachelorette material in case you got lost there).

Happy 4th of July!

Here's hoping everyone is enjoying their holiday. I am having a lonely 4th because Alan has to work today, but the holiday pay is awesome. And our electric bill is not so awesome, so it all works out. It scares me that our electric bill is already so high considering it is only July. We still have the month of August to go. Oh boy.

I was sitting at the computer in our office last night at about 9:30 and I could hear the fireworks starting to go off. I think they had fireworks in Coppell last night (that is a neighboring city for those of you who don't live around here.) I wish Alan and I could go see them tonight but no big deal. Alan was being silly and told me to watch fireworks on tv. Oh, yeah that sounds like a blast. No pun intended. :)

My sister in law is getting married in 2 weeks. I am so excited for her and ready to get her married so we can all relax. It's been wedding, wedding, wedding for over a year now. It's her time though and I want her to enjoy it. I know my wedding day was the best day of my life. My husband continues to amaze me everyday.

I am blessed.

I thought I would close this blog today with 10 things you don't know about me. I saw this on another blog and thought it would be something fun for me to do (since I am bored without my husband here.) Sniff, sniff.

1. I usually get up before Alan does every morning. But the second Alan gets out of our bed, I have to make the bed. I mean, THE second he gets up...that bed is made. Complete with all the foo foo pillows and decor. Sometimes Alan will come find me and sigh and say, "I just got up to go to the bathroom and I was coming right back to bed." Sorry dear.

2. I love doing crossword puzzles or word puzzles. I have so many critical thinking and mind puzzles, it's ridiculous. Even though I have so many, I still can't resist buying another one at Walmart or Half Price Books because I'm afraid I will work all the puzzles and not have one to do someday.

3. When I go to the grocery store I have to have to perfect cart (which is sometimes very hard to find.) Alan will get so embarrassed because I will continue to go back for another cart if anything is wrong with the one I grabbed. I mean if it squeaks or has a crazy wheel or thumps or viers to the right...I have to take it back. I will not use a faulty shopping cart.

4. Most of you know I love Coca~Cola. What you probably don't know is that I am very wasteful. I will open a can of Coke and drink a couple of sips out of it and leave it somewhere in the house and forget about it (not on purpose) and then I will get thirsty and want a cold Coke and I will open another can of soda. Needless to say I sometimes wind up with 4 or 5 opened drinks in random places in the house. And they've either gotten hot or lost their fizz so I end up throwing them away. Alan hates this. I am working on it.

5. I am a fanatic about wrapping presents. I have to have the perfect paper, the perfect ribbon, the perfect bow. I always wrap presents, too. I hardly ever put a present in a bag. I don't want people to think I took the easy way out. I want them to know that I went the extra mile to make their special day extra nice. Sometimes I have to bite the bullet and use a bag, but I try not to.

6. I have many, many perfumes. They are all on an antique mirrored tray on top of my dresser. I love all the perfumes so much that I can never decide which one to wear. So, I usually just close my eyes and point to one and that is the one I will wear for the day. (Hey, at least I don't play eeny meeny miny mo. :)

7. I am secretly obsessed with tv shows I watched as a kid. Thank God for the television box sets these days. I honestly do not go one day without watching at least one 30 minute program from my childhood. Either Punky Brewster, Silver Spoons, Facts of Life, Diffrent Strokes, etc. Those shows make me smile.

8. I start my Christmas shopping very early. In fact, I shop for Christmas items all year long. Some people may laugh at me, but I always find incredible deals and it is much easier on the pocketbook to spend a little at a time. I have created a spot in our house for the future Christmas gifts and by the time December rolls around, we are ready. Almost. Now I can put those wrapping skills to good use.

9. I talk to my Mom everyday. Sometimes 3 times a day. She is my best friend. We always find something to talk about or gossip about. I know she won't be around forever, so I guess I take full advantage of the fact that she is here now. She gives me advice and I give her advice. It's a great mother/daughter relationship. I love my Mom.

10. I cry at awards shows. Alan laughs at me. I seriously cry when someone wins an award. I feel like either I won the award myself or a member of my family is up there thanking me. It's the craziest thing ever. I can't help it, I just get so excited for the winners that I start boo hooing. I never sit down to watch an awards show without Kleenex.

So, there you have it. Have a wonderful holiday. God Bless You.

My 20 favorites

Just a quick blog to list some of my favorite things. Enjoy! Maybe you'd like to make your very own list of your favorites!

Color ~ Red (Incidentally, I also like greens and ivories so Christmas colors basically!)

Dessert ~ Cinnamon Rolls or Mam-maws Lemon Ice Box Pie

Smell ~ Cinnamon or Vanilla

Flower ~ Gerbera Daisy (any color)

Animal ~ Dogs especially King Charles Cavaliers

Month ~ December

Beverage ~ Coca Cola

Pair of Shoes ~ gotta be flip flops

Snack ~ Mild Cheddar Cheese

Song ~ Anything by Michael Jackson currently, but I also like George Strait

Book ~ James Patterson's Honeymoon is my favorite

Fruit ~ Banana or Grapes

Hairstyle ~ High Ponytail

Clothing ~ Anything comfy

Store ~ Half Price Books

Season ~ Winter

Hobby ~ Reading or Decorating (or shopping with my Mom)

Collect ~ Childrens books (vintage)

Movie ~ Anything John Hughes

Restaurant ~ My favorite was Steak and Ale, but they closed. Sniff, Sniff. So, now I guess it would be Babes Chicken.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Special Remembrance

I just have to say that the loss of Michael Jackson has affected me tremendously today. I sincerely hope he is remembered for being an amazing entertainer. RIP MJ

OK enough is enough

Back in March, I posted a blog entry entitled "YAY for the Endodontist". I am retracting this statement unfortunely. It appears that my root canal has failed. Yep, you heard me right!

It failed.

My sister in law works at a dental office in Denton and I have been experiencing some dental pain for a few weeks now. I honestly kept it to myself and hoped it would dissipate. Since it has continued to be bothersome, Alan and I felt it was necessary to go to Chanda's work and have Dr. Fickey look at it.

He tapped on my teeth and used his little dental tools and he came to the conclusion that the root canal I had done in March is failing. Of course, I have already had the crown put into place on that tooth so this complicates matters even further.

His best advice to me was to either have Endodontic Associates retreat this tooth or get my money back and go to another endodontist to have it corrected properly. It will probably be like "pulling teeth" to get our money back. (That was a bad joke, huh?) But seriously I hope they will understand and help me because money is very hard to come by and dental work is terribly expensive. Plus, toothaches are the worst.

Please pray for me that my teeth problems will be a thing of the past, and hopefully this problem will be resolved quickly and painlessly.

In other news, my husband and I have really gotten excited about a new XBOX 360 game. It is LIVE and it's called 1 vs 100. It may sound dorky, but we have actually bonded over this game and we have enjoyed playing it together very much.

Oh, and this is very random, but do you remember when you were a little kid and the ice cream man would come down your street? You could hear the jingle music on that truck a street over and you got so excited? Remember?

Well, the ice cream man (actually it was a nice lady) came through my neighborhood yesterday and I bought myself a treat. For some reason it is so different getting that yummy confection off of that truck than it is getting it in a box in the supermarket. I got myself a Screwball. If you can't recall, that's cherry flavored ice cream in a cup with a gumball at the bottom. SO GOOD! The treats on the ice cream truck are not as cheap as they used to be though. I can remember only needing a quarter or two to buy something, but now you need a couple of dollars or more. It was a good memory for me. It's the simple things in life that make us happy sometimes, right?

I got zapped

Ugh! I got zapped with a lovely summer cold. I have the chills, a nasty cough, sniffles and runny nose, sneezing, congestion... the works. It is awful. If I can't knock this crud out in the next day or so, then I will be forced to go to the doc.

My husband is so sweet. He said, "My wife is sick and there's nothing I can do to help her." He really means it too. He did make me some lunch and told me he would check on me later when he gets a chance at work.

I shouldn't even be at the computer right now, I should be in bed, but I had to check a few things on ebay and I wanted to vote for my favorites on I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of Here. That show really surprised me. At first, I thought it would be kind of stupid, but I actually really like it and the celebrity contestants have really grown on me. I hope Lou Diamond Phillips or John Salley wins. I also like Torrie Wilson.

I will make this a short post because I need to get myself back in the bed. I really hope this sickness works it's way out of my body fast. Yuck.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

I am starting to morph into the happy little homemaker since Alan and I got married in February. I am LOVING being a wife! I was just introduced to The Simple Woman's Daybook and I want to share some thoughts with you.

Outside my window ~ What seems to be another sweltering day in June in Texas. Whew!

I am thinking ~ How lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband. He takes care of me and I take care of him. We are very blessed. Incidentally, I am also thinking I need to hurry up and get in the shower because my sister in law will be here any minute. We are going to the mall to buy Krisha a lingerie gift for her bachelorette party. Even though I am not going to the party, I still wanted to get her a gift.

From the learning room ~ I have just began doing some bible studies on my own and I am kicking myself for not having started this sooner.

From the kitchen ~ I just made homemade quesadillas (chicken). I just love it when Alan sits down to eat and I hear Mmmmm.

I am wearing ~ Pink tank top and capri jeans, barefoot

I am reading ~ Besides the bible, I am reading James Patterson "Pop Goes the Weasel" and about to start Tori Spelling's "Mommywood".

I am hoping ~ I can finish cleaning this house by this weekend. I am still clearing out boxes and books that we need to either take to goodwill or ebay. One room at a time right?

I am creating ~ New recipes for Alan to try, so far so good. :)

I am praying ~ For a family member in crisis and for my father who is undergoing a back procedure today.

Around the house ~ Almost got everything in it's place after all the wedding gifts. Still have some loose ends but for the most part, we are looking good over here.

One of my favorite things ~ Our new blender, it is so great! I have been making some great concoctions with our new little blender. It's one of those really nice ones with the multi blades. It's great for crushing ice, too.

A few plans for the rest of the week ~ More cleaning, going to Walgreens to print some wedding photos for family members who are upset that we haven't distributed any wedding photos yet. We know it's already been 4 months people, we apologize. Also, I have a date with my husband to go to Olive Garden on Saturday and then Sunday, we are going to Arlington to see my Dad on Father's Day.

I am looking forward to ~ Seeing my Dad. I haven't seen him since the wedding. I am also looking forward to continuing this daybook!

Have a wonderful day!

Just Surgery That's All

I went to the doctor this morning and I do indeed have to go into surgery on Friday. It is a female issue and it is only day surgery, but surgery is surgery right? I hate the anesthesia. That part really bothers me.

My husband is being so awesome about the whole situation. Men never really quite get it when it comes to a female problem and why would they? But he is really being great.

The surgery is called a endometrial laparoscopic surgery. Three incisions and home the same day. I just hope this does the trick and that I no longer have the pain. Incidentally, the doc said he will also check my tubes and make sure they are wide open for me when we decide to start trying. That's a good thing.

I have to go to the hospital in the morning for pre op. It is supposed to take 2-3 hours. Yikes. I know everything will be ok, just sometimes it feels better to write about it.

Still, any prayers you'd like to throw my way would be greatly appreciated! :)

Facebook

I have to tell you that I am enjoying Facebook a little bit! I actually did not think I would like it because I grew tired of Myspace so fast and deleted my account. Facebook seems much simpler and it seems to be more about reconnecting with friends than anything else. I have been able to send friends messages that I have thought about over the years and wondered how they are or what they are doing and it's fun! To me, it's not about who has the best background on their page or the most friend requests, it's truly about talking to your friends and catching up after all the years have gone by. Believe me, I would not add a person to my Facebook page if I wouldn't have a cup of coffee with them in real life.

It is wonderful to see so many of my friends happy with their spouses and some with children. It is so nice to go down memory lane with friends, too. Sometimes I am amazed at the things we do as children and teenagers with little regard for danger, but the good Lord was watching over us wasn't he? I'm so happy to see my friends again and to see how amazing they still are.

Who really likes going to the dentist?

OK, so I went to the dentist yesterday to get my temporary crown and I seriously thought I was going to die in that chair. You know the shrill of the drill? That piercing noise that is similar to nails on a chalkboard? She says, "I will only drill about 2 business cards as far as thickness". Does that even make sense to you? I mean, it didn't to me, I was lying there all novacained up and drooling all over myself. Where is the dang suction thingy? I swear she drilled for like 45 minutes to an hour. Ugh!

Then I had to make the impression, you know, bite down in the goop to make an impression of your teeth. It was berry flavor and it was berry gross. I finally got out of there an hour and 45 minutes later. While I'm at the reception desk paying for the torture, the receptionist makes me an appointment to come back for the permanent crown in 2 weeks. Even with our dental insurance, I still owe a couple hundred dollars, geez. Seems so unfair. I really didn't want to come back, but I have already paid for the crown and I might as well finish this once and for all.

I hope I never have another toothache. I almost want to give up drinking Cokes and eating sweets. Nah.

Picture posted

Finally.

Picture is coming

I know I need to post a pic. I am going to post a cute one of me and Alan at our wedding soon.

More 80's fun

I felt like I have been on a roll here lately so I will just list a few more lovely memories from the decade that I love...

Remember 80's slang? These are a few of the terms I remember and their meanings. I omitted a few because they aren't very appropriate, but we all know we said some stuff back in the day that wasn't exactly proper. Here are a few that I consider PG.

Airhead- unaware

Awesome- cool

Bad- good

Barf me out- something you don't like

Bogue- unfair

The Bomb- good, something favorable

Butt ugly- unattractive

Cheesy- lame, corny (I still say this)

Chill- relax, hang out (I still say this too)

Gross out- make someone sick

Like- Like, a word used before like every sentence

Psych- just kidding (sometimes spelled sike)

Rad- cool

Skank- nasty girl, dirty, gross

Spaz- overly excited

Sucks- disapproval of something (I still say this)

To the max- to the extreme

Totally- Word to describe what you are saying

You know you are stuck in the 80's if...

You are still bitter that Wham broke up

Punky Brewster was one of your favorite shows

You wished your parents would've installed a dumbwaiter in your house like the one on Webster

You know who Stinky Sullivan is

You enjoy dancing on the ceiling and wearing your sunglasses at night

You know who Loverboy is

You think there should be a Kids Incorporated original cast reunion. Hello Fergie?

You also remember Janet Jackson as Willis Jackson's girlfriend on Different Strokes

You can sing the theme song to Small Wonder

You loved your Snoopy Sno-cone machine and still want one

You remember when the Purple Pie man scared the crap out of you

You remember wanting a train in your house like the one on Silver Spoons

You waited for the Sweet Pickles bus to visit your house

You loved Hungry Hungry Hippos

You know the song Rock Me Amadeus (you just sang it aloud) Amadeus, Amadeus...

You remember when Rudy had a funeral for her goldfish Lamont

Aren't those memories so much fun? Love it.

Tearooms and laundry

I have been keeping myself busy this evening and most of the afternoon, too, with laundry and trying to find a venue for my sister in law's bridal luncheon. She really liked the tearoom that I had my bridal tea at and she wants something similar but she doesn't want to go all the way to Arlington. I can understand that. I told her that I would help her find a tearoom or a nice place for brunch in this area (Lewisville, Coppell, Grapevine).

Um...that task has not been easy.

There are a couple of tearooms that we might consider but nothing really standing out at this moment. I did find a tearoom in Lewisville called Gypsy Rose and it looked nice so I called and they are closed this week for Spring Break.

Figures.

I was; however, happy enough with that location so I call Krisha to let her know of my findings and I'm kinda pleased with frontrunner location "Gypsy Rose".

First all of, Krisha seemed thrilled that I was even looking at places for her so that was nice. I should be doing these things for her though because I am a bridesmaid and that other little fact that I am her sister in law. Anyway, I tell her a little about the place and it seems to be exactly what she wants except for one small little detail (which by the way she seemed fine with). Gypsy Rose is the meaning of a topless girl or something. I had to laugh. We are still going to look at this place next week just to see.

I wonder if the owner of this place knows that it means "topless chick". YIKES!

Off to fold more laundry. Woohoo.

Child of the 70's and 80's

Talking about the theme parks triggered more memories of my childhood. Some of you may have seen those e-mails about children of the 80's...Well, in my opinion, most of those lists are directed to children of the 70's and 80's. Some people may have been born in the 80's but are way too young to remember that entire list. Especially those born in 1989. I mean come on, in 1989 I was in the 9th grade. But, I am a huge fan of the 80's and I love remembering all of those fun times.

Anyhoo, here is a list of things that I thought were worth mentioning...it just may bring back some memories for you, too!

You remember the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High

You ever French rolled your pants or jeans (Folded over and then rolled twice)

You remember watching Full House and Saved By the Bell when they were new episodes.

You remember Atari

LA Gear or Z Cavaricci (lol)

Friendship bracelets or friendship pins (Safety pins with the colorful beads)

You watched "You Can't Do That on Television" and "Kids Incorporated"

You know the meaning of Dare, Double Dare, Physical Challenge

You remember the smell of the Strawberry Shortcake miniature dolls

You carried a Trapper Keeper

You wore a banana clip

You know what SIKE means

You remember the Care Bear and E.T. glass collections from Pizza Hut

You had a crush on one of the Coreys: Feldman or Haim (Corey Haim!!!)

Jem was truly outrageous!

You remember people yelling "No whammies, No whammies, STOP"

You wore jellies

You can remember the original TGIF lineup (Full House, Family Matters, Step By Step)

You remember the styrofoam containers at McDonalds

New Coke---ewww

You know the words to Charles in Charge and Small Wonder

You remember the show Solid Gold

You had a crush on Kirk Cameron

You used to jam out to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack

You remember when there were prized inside the cereal boxes

You loved and looked forward to afterschool specials

You know what it means to "Take a bite out of crime"

You remember DOS games like Miser and when computer screens were just black with bright green writing

You remember Choose Your Own Adventure books

You remember The Gorgeous Ladies of Wresting (GLOW)

You loved the movies Teen Witch, Back to the Future, Adventures in Babysitting...

You had Pac Man fever or Ms. Pac Man fever :)

You remember when Taco Bell restaurants had a bell on the top of the building

You remember that cool girls wore "Esprit"

You remember the saying was "No Duh" before it was "Duh"

You remember changing into play clothes after school

You know who Tina Yothers is

You carried a cartoon lunchbox (E.T., Gremlins, Strawberry Shortcake)

You loved scratch n sniff stickers and you remember teachers putting them on your graded papers in elementary school

Well, I'm sure I will come up with more, but this is all for now. If you know me, then you know how much I love the 80's. This is a great conversation piece for me. Feel free to comment anytime.

Take care

Theme parks

Alan and I have spent a good amount of time in theme parks lately and it just seems to take me back to my childhood days. Growing up in Arlington, we had a lot of amusement parks to choose from. I can remember going to many of these places when I went to daycare in the late 70's and early 80's. Those were the days...

Here are some theme parks that I remember:

Six Flags Over Texas ~ Of course I remember this one. I loved this place when I was a kid. I honestly haven't been to the park since I graduated high school but I wouldn't mind going sometime. I used to ride everything and I was never scared or at least I never admitted that I was scared. :)
Some of the rides that we thought were "awesome" are probably pretty "lame" today.
Judge Roy Scream, Mine Train, Parachutes, Shock Wave, The Conquistador or the Mexican Hat. I also remember the Bobsled, Roto Disco, Texas Twister, Spinnaker, Spindle Top (the one that the room spins, floor drops and you stick to the wall) lol
And who could forget The Cave or The Log Ride or The Cliffhanger... I actually got stuck at the top of The Cliffhanger was I was a teenager. At the time I thought it was cool, but in retrospect it was pretty scary.
Oh also I loved the pink things. YUM!

White Water ~ This water park was around before Hurricane Harbor, before it was called Wet N Wild and it was better in my opinion. It had a bigger wave pool and it had bands and they played movies there too. I was sad when this water park closed down. For the longest time, you could still see flumes and water rides from I-30 but there is a car dealership over there now.

International Wildlife Park ~ "Bringing out the Beast in You" Remember that slogan? That's about all I remember about that park except that it was right next door to White Water.

Sesame Place ~ Ahh, Sesame Place, I remember going there in 1984 or thereabout and I recall that being THE coolest place EVER! There was a Big Bird Entrance where you had to walk through his beak to enter the park. Then there was this playland area where it would take a picture of your shadow after you bounced around. Probably sounds a lot cooler in my head, but seriously I loved this place when I was 9 years old.

I was very lucky to have gone to all those places as a kid. I have some extremely fond memories of amusement parks. I just recently got to make some new memories at some theme parks in California with my husband. It was an amazing trip. Good times.

Yay for the Endodontist

Well, I had to have a root canal today and it was not fun at all. In fact, the novacaine has worn off and the pain is setting in. I am managing ok since I was given an antibiotic and some pain medicine. Chanda works for a dentist so she is giving me advice and making sure I stay on top of the pain.
I have THE best husband in the whole world. He took me to the dentist office today and waited for me for 2 whole hours and then took me to KFC for mashed potatoes and made sure I was well taken care of before he went to work. He really is one in a million. The dental specialist who worked on my root canal today was phenomenal. She was so patient and kind and informative. I felt very comfortable with her and didn't even need a sedative or Nitrous Oxide. I was strong and I did just fine. I have to tell you though that it was no piece of cake. I will make sure to have regular cleanings and floss daily to try to avoid ever having another root canal. At one point, I had to have more novacaine because I could feel the drill hit a nerve. OUCH! I almost came off the chair it hurt so bad. All in all the dentist was awesome though.
American Idol was good tonight. The people that I thought were getting voted off actually got voted off. Sometimes I wonder if it is a fixed show. Just sayin. I mean I had an idea that those 2 would be going home, but I just wonder if maybe someone else got the least amount of votes and they switch it sometimes? You know you've wondered that yourselves! Maybe I'll just go to bed because the hydrocodone is making me space out.
I am going to pick the favorite things back up soon... good night.

Happily Married

Hey folks. We did it! We were married on February 21st and it was phenominal. Chanda didn't get to make it to the wedding but her boys were awesome. Caden was the little best man and Colby was the ring bearer. They really did a great job.

The cake was beautiful and everyone seemed to get a kick out of Alan's grooms cake which was in the shape of a San Antonio Spur. Anyone who knows Alan knows that he eats, sleeps and breathes the San Antonio Spurs. He loves that team so much! Georges catered the reception and it was delicious. We had Chicken Fried Steak and gravy, Grilled Chicken and Baked Potato Casserole with Italian Green Beans and Salad with rolls. Believe me, no one should have left there hungry. Well except us, because we didn't really eat. We were too busy moving around and trying to thank everyone for coming, but the server did put 2 to-go containers in the limo for us to eat later.

We are supposed to get our wedding video sometime this week. I am looking forward to seeing it and watching it with Chanda since she couldn't be there when we wed.

Our honeymoon was crazy. We were gone for over a week and we experienced some interesting things in California.I will write a whole entry on the honeymoon soon. It will take some time to explain what all happened.

For the past couple of days I have had a toothache. :( I went to the dentist this morning and apparently I have a root canal that has retreated. Oh Goody. So, the dentist prescribed me an antibiotic and some pain medicine and now I must go to the Endodontist tomorrow morning for the hour and a half procedure. This tooth, mind you, has already had a root canal in it, but it did not hold and as a result, there is now an infection in the tooth hence causing me all this pain. Therefore, the endodontist must go in and clean out the gunk from the tooth and redo the root canal all over again. As you may imagine, this is not cheap. Even with our insurance, the procedure will cost us an arm and a leg. But anyone that's ever had a toothache will tell you that you just do what you have to do to rid yourself of this monumental pain.

Hopefully I will be in good shape by Saturday because we are supposed to head to Houston to see my father in law. We will see how things progress.

Oh, incidentally, I recently got an e-mail from one of my best friends from high school, Melanie Allen. Yay! I love hearing from dear friends and she is a new mother.

Did I tell you that I love being a wife? It's fabulous.

Chanda Update

For those of you who have been praying for my best friend Chanda, I appreciate it more than you know. She is feeling better and her hemoglobin is at a 9.1, that is up from a 7. (Hemoglobin at a 7 is considered critical). She has had 7 blood transfusions, but hopefully she will continue to get her strength back and won't need anymore blood.

She is so adament about being at our wedding Saturday, but I just want her to get better. If she can sit next to me or even sit in the front row, I will be glad she is present. Her children are in our wedding as the little best man and ring bearer, so I am sure she would love to see them participate in the wedding. Chanda is actually the strongest person I have ever met in my life. I know she will be just fine, she wouldn't have it any other way. :)

I will get back to my "Favorite Things" soon.

I will soon post some thoughts on "Children of the 80"s" and I will also include my own thoughts and what I remember.

Right now, I must go do laundry, make a list for Alan and wrap attendents gifts. Am I leaving somthing out? Probably!

Please Please Pray For Chanda

Most of you know that I am getting married this Saturday, and I would like nothing more than for my best friend to be there with me. She is still in ICU after having a gastrointestinal aneurysm, more commonly called a dieulafoy lesion rupture. She has received over 6 blood transfusions and she is not out of the woods yet. She was in a trauma hospital in Stephenville and they ran out of blood, so she was care flighted to The Medical Center of Lewisville. They were able to locate the lesion and cauterize, thankfully. She is still in danger of another bleed out. Please pray for her safe and quick recovery. I would love for her to be at my wedding but I mostly want her to get better. I would be proud to let her be the star of the show if she had to come down the aisle in a wheelchair. I love Chanda with all my heart and it's in God's hands now.

Letter D and prayers for Cha Cha

Chanda is currently in ICU. She began vomiting blood this afternoon and she passed out, lost her hearing temporarily and felt as if she was about to die. Please pray for her and our family. She is very important to me and I need her in my life. We are 2 peas in a pod. I just spent the day with her yesterday and we had a blast getting pedicures and shopping. I really need her to be alright.

Favorite things "D"

Dining out

Dogs- I really want a King Charles Cavalier

Diamonds

Daisies (Gerbera)

Decorating

"D" tv shows- Double Trouble, Deal or No Deal, Duel, Dancing With the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Don't Forget the Lyrics

Dirty Dancing- great 80's movie

Please pray for my best friend.

One more week! and "Letter C"

Chanda and I went to get pedicures and our eyebrows waxed today. Then she took me to Party City and bought me a blue and white laced garter with 2 linking hearts. Don't I have the best matron of honor? Now I have my something new and something blue, I just need something old and something borrowed.

I just received an e-mail from my sweet aunt in California and it warms my heart that she and my cousin Melanie are coming to Waco for the nuptials. I know this is going to be the greatest day of my life! I especially enjoy the fact that all of my family will be at the hotel with me the night before- it comforts me tremendously.

Favorite things continues... "Letter C"

Christ- hands down

Chanda- My sister in law to be and my best friend- I love her so much!

Coca-Cola -- if you know me, then you know that I love drinking Cokes and I'll probably never give them up. :)

Candy- usually sweet or sour, not chocolate

Christmas

Clean sheets- There is nothing like crawling into a freshly made bed

Crafts- I like being crafty and being creative

Classic country music

Can't Buy Me Love- one of my favorite movies of all time

Celebrity magazines

"C" tv shows- Charlie's Angels, Cosby Show, Charles in Charge, Charlie Brown specials

Alan and I are going to be busy tomorrow taking care of last minute details. This is all very surreal.

ABC's of Me "Letter B"

This has been a crazy busy day for me as Mom and I went all over town trying to do last minute errands for the wedding. We did take a break to eat at Red Lobster though and it was delicious. Everything is right on target, thankfully.

Favorite things "Letter B"

Bath and Body Works

Books- Usually chick lit or suspense (Emily Giffin or James Patterson)

Baylor Bears- My alma mater and Alan's favorite college team

Beverly Hills 90210, Brady Bunch, Bold and the Beautiful, Bachelor (tv shows)

Short post. Very tired. I've been on my feet for the better part of the day. Until tomorrow.

ABC's of Me "Letter A"

I decided to write a different blog everyday to talk about the things I love and it makes sense to start with the letter "A".

Alan - my husband to be (next week). He is the most amazing person I have ever met. Period.

All You Magazine - this is the best magazine and I love all magazine, however this one is extra special with wonderful articles and coupons. It's fantastic.

Afghans- These blankets are so warm and fuzzy and usually have been knitted by a special family member.

Au Gratin Potatoes - Yum!

Antiques - My Mom and I love going to antique stores and it's even better when you find a bargain.

Animals - I am a huge animal lover. I love all animals.

American Idol, Amazing Race, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader and the best show ever... "Alice". Those are my favorite TV shows that begin with the letter A.

Alan and I are counting down the days now until the wedding and we are now in single digits. :)

The doctor was not in

So, Alan took me to the doctors office today to get an evaluation that is supposed to determine my "Maximum Medical Improvement" and it didn't go as expected. We arrived about 10 minutes early because I am usually early to everything and rarely ever late. One of my good qualities. :) We waited and waited and finally the receptionist informs us that the doctor would not be coming in to do my evaluation and that I would in fact need to reschedule my appointment. I understand that things come up but it would have been nice to get a phone call before I got there at 10, Oh well.

They wanted to reschedule my appointment for February 25th and we all know that won't work because I won't be in town. So, now I will tentatively go in for an evaluation during the 2nd week of March. I am ready for this chapter of my life to be over. Seriously.

I made a nice lunch for Alan and I and then he was off to work. I am just trying to tie up loose ends. My Mom and I have been on the phone for what seems like once an hour trying to take care of business and make final wedding plans. I'm excited.

The laundry is calling my name and so is 90210 and American Idol. Thank goodness for the DVR!

What a Great Day

Alan and I went to the travel agency this morning to finalize all of our honeymoon travel plans. It all went very smoothly and we even managed to snag a free $100 gift card to Disneyland. Apparently Disney is doing a special promotion for all celebrating something. So, since we are in fact celebrating our wedding, we got lucky. The travel agency gave us a cute little picture frame as well with cute little saying like. "I do" and "Kiss the Bride", etc. Very nice!

After we left there, we headed to the place that Alan and I shared our first date which was On The Border. It was so amazing to sit there with him and think back about how far we have come since that first date back in 2006. We ate our enchiladas and Quesadillas and took a walk down memory lane and it was so much fun. It's hard to believe that a week from Saturday we will be husband and wife.

We are very lucky and we know it. Out future looks so bright.

Less than a month now

Alan and I are counting down the days until we become husband and wife. We are so excited and can't wait to see everyone at the wedding. I have been busy with all the wonderful showers that I've been given. I've had 4 so far and I still have one more in 2 weeks (the lingerie shower). All of our weekends are booked up now. Superbowl is next weekend, then the shower, then Valentines Day and then our wedding day. Unreal. Alan and I are so blessed. More later... must write some more thank you cards. We owe many thanks for everything and we are unbelievably grateful.

With Love,
Kristie