Not Me Monday!

Is it already Monday again!? Well, that means it is time for "Not me Monday"

I most certainly did not bust a gut laughing at my niece’s third birthday when she loudly and proudly proclaimed “my daddy peed in the shower last night and it was so funny.” Nope that wasn’t me laughing hysterically at my beloved brother’s expense. That would just be wrong.

There is no way that I went to Target this week and bought $8.79 worth of groceries and then proceed to pay for those groceries in change. Nope, that wasn’t me holding up the line, counting out my nickels, dimes and quarters. I am certainly not that cheap.

Oh, and that was definitely not me speeding home because I thought I forgot my wedding ring. Of course that wasn’t me running stop signs and red lights in order to not make myself late for work because I had forgotten to put my ring on that morning. Nope, that wasn’t me who made it home in record time only to remember that I had just dropped my ring off with the jeweler to be resized. Would I do such a thing? Absolutely not.

Don’t let anyone tell you it was me who was in an elevator delivering some packages for work, when an elderly man got on with me. His precious, dear soul did not let out a very loud toot and then calmly look over at me and say "excuse me dear, I just broke wind." I did not politely smile and then quickly exit the elevator while holding my breath. Nope, that wasn't me who got off the elevator and gasped for fresh air!

Wasn't that fun and refreshing. I feel so much better! Head on over to MckMama's for more Not Me fun!

Useless Facts Friday

Woohoo it is finally Friday! Time to unwind and get ready for the weekend! So, since my mind is exhausted and tired of performing at such high speeds and capabilities, I have decided to entertain both you and myself with these useless, yet fun, facts.

Please pause and ponder these pointless phrases and my profound parenthesis.

You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206. (Not sure how this happens, "Oops, there went another bone, darn old age.")

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th." (did I mention soon to be hubby proposed to me on Friday the 13th. Freaky, huh?)

Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left handed people. (this sucks cause I am left-handed. I think it is probably because left handed people are so much smarter, and our brains are just too tired and worn out from all the thinking.)

Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older. (I bet none of those were left handed either.)

The electric chair was invented by a dentist. (yep...I can see how this could be true.)

Most lipstick contains fish scales! (eww, no wonder I hate lipstick)

Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only ONE testicle. (not sure how to comment on that one!)

Cats spend about 70% of a day sleeping. (so do teenagers and old people)

Rabbits cannot throw up (I knew I should have been a rabbit. I hate to throw-up. I would rather have one or more of my fingers cut off than to have to that happen. Okay...let's move on now.)

A dime has 118 ridges on its side (yep, I counted, it is true... Just kidding, I do have a life ya know?)


Wasn't that refreshing? Enjoy your weekend!

The Three Rings of Marriage

The other night, Soon to be hubby and I were watching Jon and Kate plus 8…(if you happen to run into Soon to be Hubby, please do not mention that I admitted he was watching this with me. He would not be happy with me for revealing that tidbit!) Anyway, after the show, on which Jon and Kate reveal that they are separating and moving forward with the divorce process, I turned to soon-to-be hubby and said “how does it happen that a couple goes from being in love, having children, and sharing intimate moments to not speaking, refusing to be in the same room, and having such distain for one another?”

It really got me thinking about marriage, and more specifically, my responsibilities as a wife. I want my hubby to want to be around me. I want him to enjoy coming home to me. I want him to miss me when I am not there. I don’t want home to be a place he dreads coming to, but rather a place of love, laughter and enjoyment. So I asked myself, “How do I provide that kind of environment on a daily, monthly, yearly basis?” I know marriage is not easy. I know there will be times when we will want to pull each other’s hair out. I am not naïve to think it will be all fun and games, all the time. However, I do want to do whatever I can to make our marriage one that is solid, strong and successful.

These last few months of engagement I have made efforts to ask women that I trust and admire, to give me their advice or words of wisdom regarding marriage. So many of these gals have emphasized what major a role that the woman plays in making the marriage successful. I am discovering that my attitude, demeanor and words are so powerful and have such a big impact on the marriage. When I make a conscious effort to be sweet, understanding and patient I can see and feel the difference in the atmosphere almost immediately.

So much advice has been given to me, so I thought I would write down a few of my favorites.

1.) Let the little things go.
2.) Tell jokes, laugh often.
3.) Be open… to compromise, to suggestions, to experiencing new things. A marriage must evolve to survive. (this one in particular is going to be a challenge for me!)
4.) Meet in the middle... Of the conflict…Of the issue…Of the bed.
5.) Cook hearty dinners for your hubby on a regular basis (whew…this one will be hard for me too) (sure hope Soon to be Hubby likes turkey sandwiches!)
6.) Get outside…take walks, play sports, have hobbies.

Oh, and how can I forget the wonderful tip my dear friend gave me…

The three rings of marriage are the engagement ring, the wedding ring, and the suffering!

The joys of marriage are going to be endless! I cannot wait to embark upon this journey with soon-to-be hubby. I hope that when I read over this list in a year or two, I will be able to add my own bits of advice to the list and use it as a reminder to never stop working towards being a better wife and friend to my hubby!

Wordless Wednesday

Welcome to the 90's

I saw an article recently about some of the best things of the 80's and found it enlightening and entertaining. However, most of what I remember is from the 90's. So here is my list of favorite things from the 90's! Let the good times roll...

1. Supermarket Sweep

2.) Step by Step, Family Matters, Dinosaurs, Saved by the Bell and Boy Meets World

3.) Legends of the Hidden Temple

4.) Oregon Trail

5.) Slap bracelets

6.) "Talk to the hand" ... enough said

7.) Pogs

8.) Warheads (the candy that was so terribly sour and disgusting)

9.) Lisa Frank School Supplies!

10.) Doc Marten Boots

11.) Bill Nye the Science Guy

12.) Duckhunt

13.) Jonathan Taylor Thomas

14.) Troll Dolls (my mom never let me have these things. She always said they were evil. I never understood her reasoning, but now that I see these things, I wonder what in the world were the makers of these freaky things thinking?)

There are so many great things that bring back memories! What are some of your fondest memories from the 90's?

Not me Monday

Let's take our not-so-proud moments and spin them around in a delightful therapy session, shall we? This kind of therapy is free, funny, and oh so refreshing. That's right: It's time for Not Me! Monday!

Being brutally honest, and living to tell about it.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


I most certainly did not have a long conversation with a little girl who was on her way to Disney World and ask her who she was most excited about seeing at DW. After hearing "Alien", I did not continue to rant and rave about the Alien Encounter ride and talk about how scary the aliens were and that I couldn't believe that was her favorite character. She did not then whisper "no, Ariel." After which I did not reply, "Oh... I like her too".

I did not go to Target to get groceries everyday this week, and see the same checkout girl each time, and then say to her "I'm so glad we are becoming fast friends" to which she did not reply "girl, I am not fat and neither are you, so don't be putting yourself down." It seems to me that I cannot speak correctly this week.

I most certainly did not watch LSU play baseball this week and be reminded of when my brother and I used to play home run derby in our front yard and then begin to tear up because I miss those fun times with my brother. Nope...that wasn't me crying during an LSU baseball game...that would just be silly.

There is absolutely no way I almost drove off the road and caused a huge wreck because I saw a lady bug on my shoulder. No way... that surely wasn't me flying off the handle at such a precious little creature visiting my shoulder.

Oh, and do not think for one second that I accidently threw away a five dollar bill in the garbage at the gas station, and that I would have spent 15 minutes digging through the garbage to find that $5 bill. Nope, I am certainly not that cheap and disgusting.

Well, I am so glad I got all that off my chest...

My Favorite Blogs

I am a newbie blogger. Let me rephrase that. I am a new blog writer. I am not a new blog follower. Confused? So am I.

I like to read other people’s blogs. I can usually be found reading blogs on my lunch break. I decided to get together a list of my favorite blogs.

I’ll give a little explanation as to why I like each blog.

So…drumroll please…top 5 blogs that I think you would enjoy!

5.) http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
This blog is about cakes that have gone horribly wrong. I don’t think it is the pictures of the cakes that I love so much, but rather the funny captions underneath each photo. I literally laugh out loud.
4.) http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/
I enjoy Beth Moore. She inspires me with her passion and excitement for the Lord. I also love hearing from her two daughters, Amanda and Melissa who post on the blog as well.

3.) http://www.thedisneyworldblog.com/
I like Disney World. So I like this blog.

2.) http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/
Kelly’s daughter was very sick and in the hospital after birth. I fell in love with this family and prayed daily for little Harper. Harper is fine now, and she is the cutest little thing. I also love Kelly’s recipe blog. If you are like me, and can’t cook, this is the perfect place for you. She even gives pictures of what the process looks like…talk about helpful!

1.) http://www.mycharmingkids.net/
McMama is the reason I started blogging. She inspired me to write out my life and never look back. She is funny, her kids are adorable, and she reminds me that ultimately God is in control of our lives.

I really tried...

I have to say that I have an undeniable love for beagles. Mostly just my own beagles.

In my early years growing up we didn’t have a dog or a family pet. Both my dad and I had horrible allergies, so that prevented us from embarking on pet ownership. However, in 4th grade, I remember sitting in music class and hearing my name called over the intercom. Someone was there to check me out of school. My parents were never ones to just take me out of school or allow me to miss school for no reason, so I was surprised and a little confused. I went out to the lobby and saw my dad waiting for me. I immediately asked if something was wrong. He assured me that all was fine, and continued to give me some excuse about needing to go into work early or something. Even though I was still confused, I was out of school, so I didn’t ask too many questions.

Opening the door to his truck, I see this tiny, brown eyed beagle, with ears down to the floor. Can you say love at first sight. Jesse, was the name given to that tiny beagle and from that first day in the truck to her last breath, she was the joy of my life. She lived 14 years, so she went through my middle school, high school and even college years with me. Three years ago, on the day after Thanksgiving, we had to put Jesse to sleep. My mom and I were there with her, crying and reassuring her. What love we had for that little beagle. Jesse taught us what unconditional love was. She really opened our hearts and showed us what loyalty and companionship was all about. I was convinced that I would never love another dog again…

Enter Lillie Belle. My dad saw the heartache and pain we were in over Jesse, and he knew that we weren’t going to replace Jesse, but he also knew how much joy we got out of Jesse and he wanted us to feel that way again. I was very adamant about not wanting another dog. I told him, he could get my mom one, but I wanted nothing to do with a new dog. I would NOT fall head over heels for a puppy. I refused to love another pup.

Enter Lillie Belle. Oh my. How do you even begin to describe a beagle with more personality and spunk than you can shake a stick at? I tried…I really tried not to like her. I tried to ignore the snuggling beagle that would insist on being as close to you as possible. I tried to ignore the way she would follow you from room to room and just wait until you decided to move again. I tried to ignore the endless yelping and whimpering that she so dramatically displayed anytime you arrived home. I tried to ignore the fact that she would jump in your car and not budge anytime you wanted to leave…hoping that maybe you would take her with you for a car ride. The Lord knows I really tried to not fall head over heels in love with her, but I’ll admit, I failed miserably. Lillie Belle is the much needed spunk and laughter that our family needed. We have laughed more about the silly, cute things she does and sometimes we have to remind ourselves that there are other things to talk about besides her.

God knew what He was doing when he made dogs. He knew we needed to see unconditional, unending, uninhibited love.

I really tried not to love her...but I failed...miserably.

Smashing Oreo Cookies

Delicious. Easy to make. Soon to be hubby approved!

8 Oreo Cookies-Smashed
1 Cup chocolate chips
1 stick melted butter
6 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ Cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter. Combine sugars with melted butter.

Add egg and vanilla until mixed well.

Mix baking soda, flour, and salt into a bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Mix in Oreos and Chips.

Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes and then remove. They will look a little doughy, but allow them to finish cooking on the hot cookie sheet. This will prevent burning of the bottom.

72 days...

So I am getting married in exactly 72 days! I am so excited, yet so calm. I feel like this calmness comes from knowing that I am firmly in God’s will. I prayed, begged, and pleaded with God to give me a mate. I longed for my husband for as long as I can remember. I eventually came to the conclusion that marrying the perfect guy just wasn’t in my cards, so I began to settle for less than the best. I was still picky about who I dated, I just tried to reason away their flaws.

I received an invitation for yet another wedding. When you are single and searching, there is nothing more painful than being invited to someone else’s wedding…and going alone. I knew I needed to go to the wedding because the bride was a dear friend of mine. The night of the wedding, I couldn’t find anything to wear, I hated my hair, I just felt crummy all over. I decided I just wouldn’t go…I could come up with a good excuse and no one would even miss me. I even went as far as to start changing back into my comfy clothes. However, only by the grace of God, did I say “no, this is silly. I need to go and be a good friend.” So, I proceeded to get ready again. I didn’t know it then, but that was a life-changing decision for me.

I went to the wedding, enjoyed the beautiful ceremony, nibbled on the tasty treats, and even found myself having an enjoyable time. Little did I know that my life was about to change.

The bride’s brother, whom I had previously been introduced to, was there and approached me. We began to talk, you know, ask the basic questions that usually lead nowhere. After a few minutes of talking, he asked me for my number. I obliged and gave him my digits (that is what he would say if he were telling this story). I didn’t really feel like “wow, I just met my soul mate, the future father of my children”. It wasn’t like that…in fact a few days later when he called me, I had already accepted an invitation with another guy for a date that weekend. However, I told him I would love to do something that Thursday. So it was a date. And the rest is history. I thank the Lord everyday for blessing me with such a wonderful soon-to-be spouse. Christian is everything I could want in a mate and much, much more. He is so understanding, patient and sweet. Not to mention that he makes me laugh like crazy. Sometimes he will send me texts at work, and I’ll literally laugh out loud and on one occasion, I spit my drink out all over my keyboard.




So, in 72 days, I will marry my best friend. The man that I have prayed for since I was 12. The man I thought didn’t exist. The man I love more than anything. The man I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with.

Can you say Magical?

I don't really like to travel. I don't enjoy getting out of my comfort zone. I don't like driving in a car for long periods. I don't like new places. BUT...I love Disney World. Wow, can I just say that Disney is a magical place. Really. You must go there. Christian and I decided we are putting "Disney Fund" in our budget.

My list of favorites at Disney

1.) Rockin' Roller Coaster

2.) The Lion King Show

3.) Wishes Show

4.) Fantasmic Show

5.) Test Track

6.) Safari Ride (I loved Animal Kingdom)

7.) It's a bugs life show

8.) Chef Mickey's

Beyond Blessed

So, here I am almost 24 1/2 and just deciding to tell my life story! Or lack there of...I don't really have a dramatic story to tell or one that will leave you wiping your eyes. Now, don't think I haven't had my share of ups and downs, but nothing that would win me a book signing. But that doesn't mean I can't tell you about the good, the bad, and the boring, and since I already have your attention, I might as well captivate you with my story.

I was born into a loving family of a father, mother and a brother. Growing up in my family was a pleasant, semi-normal life. Brandon and I had two loving, hard-working parents who doted on us and never let us go without. We did your typical family vacations, sporting events, summer activities...you know the usual. You could say we had the ideal childhood. Man, this is really boring, I think I'll just skip ahead to the present.

Here I am, 24, engaged to the most wonderful guy in the world (whom I will refer to as Soon-to-be Hubby), I recently purchased a home of my own, I have a wonderful job, three beautifully- stunning neices, the cutest, bald-headed nephew around, amazing parents that spoil me rotten, lots of wonderful friends, and totally enjoying this part of my life. What can I say, other than...I am BEYOND BLESSED.