Long time...no blog...

I hope everyone had a good Christmas.? I have been off most of this week and I have been catching up on cleaning and fixing things around here that had been neglected before vacation started. A half hour ago I looked up at the window blinds and realized how disgusting they are. That will be my project tomorrow. Anyway, we spent Christmas Eve at Don's Cousin Nikki and her husband Mike's home with their family and the evening at Grandmas for Swedish meatballs and lutefisk as always. Christmas day was with Don's parents and his mom's side of the family and turkey dinner at my mom and dads for the evening. As always we spend much of the holidays bouncing back and forth between families which becomes tiring. Otherwise things were great and it was nice to see everyone again.

I now have all of our wedding attendants in order, 8 in all. So it is a large wedding party but oh well, they are all close friends we want to share in our day. So January's adventure will be getting the flowers taken care of and then school will be the focus again until May when I finally graduate. Yay.
ttyl

Dress search began, ended and purchased in 3 hours

I found the dress today as well as the bridesmaids dresses. 1 store. 3 hours. and even better it fit perfect I need no alterations with the exception of the bustle. That is success!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow my mom, 2 of my bridesmaids and myself are going to go pick Shannon up at the airport in Bismarck and then we will be going to look at wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses. I am getting kind of excited now, except for the fact that someone I know is getting married 2 weeks before us and she did not have a good experience at the bridal store in Bismarck. Hopefully tomorrow will be nothing like she experienced. Anyway, I'm ready for mom's tears to flow, then of course it will be a chain effect.
Tomorrow is my last exam for the semester at 8 am. I am so ready for a vacation!

Hell week is almost over...

I am typing my last term paper for the week...only one more to do next week. Normally I wouldn't say or do this but I would like to be completely plastered this weekend. I simply need a break. So tomorrow night is Don's christmas party for work, seems like a good opportuniy for his boss to buy my drinks. What can I say, I'm a college student, I'm supposed to be cheap sometimes. Right?

Sick

I have had a bad cold since Thursday night and I can't seem to kick it. Hate is how I feel for this cold. It's the last week of classes before Christmas break and I am so ready to relax, I pulled 32 hours at work on Sat-Sun. I'm pooped. Have a good week!

Andrew Aiken Moon

I am trying to upload the video that Kristi made in memory of Andrew, but YouTube is not cooperating. I however still have the one his friends made shortly after his death.

Bouquet

I recieved the sample silk bouquet we ordered from a company in Florida. It looks cheap. The pictures made them look realistic, they're not. Good thing we ordered a sample...I will use it as my toss bouquet. Now back to square 1. I will be consulting flower shops next month.

yay!

3 weeks left for the semester! woo-woo

Also three weeks until I will be in Bismarck trying on wedding dresses....get ready for the crocodile tears to roll from everyone who is there! I'm getting excited.

If I don't post again tomorrow..Happy Thanksgiving everyone...mwah~

TGIF

Praise my post title. I am going to listen to a Supreme Court Justice speak at 11; Daniel J. Crothers is at the MSU campus for an open forum today. It should be interesting. Anywho...Don hasn't gone to work all week. I told him lastnight he needs to do something with himself. If he isn't working I shouldn't have to be doing OUR laundry and OUR dishes, take that! We'll see if there are any improvements when he is officially laid off for the winter.

Thanksgiving will be at Mom and Dad's house this year, as always. However, thus far it looks like it will just be them, us, Grandma, Grandpa and Shelley. Oh well tradition is tradition and I can't eat anyone else's food but Moms.

Have a Good weekend.

"The distance is nothing: it is only the first step that is difficult." -Marie Anne Du Deffand

Tuesday

Don stayed home from work today, so after I was done with the agenda I had for the day we went to the jewelry store to look at a wedding band for him. He isn't a ring wearing kind-of-guy, so it was challenging. He had no clue what he wanted! Seriously, no idea. We reduced the options to 3 rings. Now I just have to make a final choice and fork over the money. Yes, one more wedding task eliminated.

Tomorrow is my 6 month cleaning at the dentist. I don't mind that, I like it actually...it's just that my lower jaw has been hurting for a week now and I think I may be getting some wisdom teeth. O don't want to have them removed. Ick. My fingers are crossed that this dull pain is only my imagination and not anymore damn teeth!!

Bored at work...

I have now been at work for 12 1/2 hours, with 3 1/2 more left to go. As you can tell I am not very busy at this moment but whatever, they pay me for good times and bad. I was looking at my day planner today and to my excitement I realized there is only 4 weeks of classes left until my much needed Christmas break. Yay! Then my pessimism kicked in and I also considered that also means final exams are also in 4 weeks. Bleh. I may be only 22, but there are some days I feel I am just too old for this. :)

Cake

How disappointing! I had a consultation scheduled at crown cakes today. Well, the just called and cancelled because the owners told them over the weekend that the bakery is closing!!! What the hell, I wonder about all those other brides they have booked through August! Arrgh

Check, Check and Check...

So far wedding planning has been somewhat fun. However I have not gotten into decorating and attire for the day, which I will not until later and that will be of most fun. Thus far I have been booking businesses for the day and slowing working my way thru paying the deposits. Progress so far:

• Church= Bethany Lutheran
• Reception= Holiday Inn Riverside
• Photographer= Slightly in Focus (google them..)
• Cake= Crown Cakes
• DJ= Jon Stenberg/Havin' Fun
• Flowers= Undecided. Mom ordered a sample bouquet from an online company for silk flowers. If it looks good they will be silks, if not I don't know who is doing flowers.
• Ceremony Singer= Tom Overlie

Phew, deposits, deposits and more deposits!

September 27, 2008

Church - check
Reception Hall - check
Photographer - check
Flowers - check
DJ - check

All necessary reservations made except for cake. Phew...

Amateur Engagement Pics.

I am having professional photos done by Otis & James in Nov. But so most of you know, he is not imaginary. Don does exist!

I had to take a break from typing away on my term paper for my Court Process and Sentencing class. For some odd reason I am not extremely fascinated with U.S. Judges and the different ways they are appointed/elected. Only five more pages left...sigh. I have been busy lately, I'm working more lately due to the higher volume of residents at work and it is midterm season so I have and oodle of papers, exams and group projects due before November. Our hunting trip to the badlands was successful this past weekend. We started hunting Saturday morning, Don got his first antelope that morning. We resumed Sunday; dad shot his right away, then I got mine and mom was to follow that afternoon. Don enjoyed some pheasant hunting along the way. So tonight we are having pheasant which is simmering in the crock pot, with gravy and mashed potatoes. Sounds like a North Dakota meal if I have ever heard one. We are finally selling Don's truck this evening to some 16-year old. Unfortunately today is probably the last good day that truck will have considering that the new owner will likely have his fun with it. Anyway, I'm done blogging for now!

Badlands

Don, my mom, dad and I are off to the badlands for the weekend. We will be camping and hunting in the peace and quiet!

Wedding

The wedding last Friday was a blast...I have posted pics...Hopefully I can get more of the bride and groom.

How horrible am I at blogging? It seems like I never have enough time in the day, so you would think that there would be plenty of things to write about. The next couple of weeks are going to be a little busy. I am in a wedding this week, so it will be a short 3-day week for school and work. Then, the next weekend Don and I are going to the Badlands with my mom and dad to go hunting. Which we haven't ever done all together, so it should be fun.

Bridal Shower

This was before the bridal shower two weeks ago. L>R Jennifer, Cindy and her son TJ, myself.

New Car

The sale will be final tomorrow on the Tahoe. Yay!

Tahoe

We are off today to look at a Chevy Tahoe. Don has been wanting to sell his truck and get something different for a while now but we weren't sure if we should get another car or an SUV. We happened to find someone in town selling a very nice '01 Tahoe. So we are going to test drive it and take it to a mechanic-friend of ours to look it over. So hopefully it all works out. Don is accepting the fact that we should be thinking about family vehicles, not 2-door sports cars.

Have a Good Weekend

Weekend Recap

The bridal shower and bachelorette parties were a success. I don't know the official count but I'm sure we made at least $300 at the bars. Sunday was filled with recovery and a 12 hour shift. Today was my lucky day however, I was supposed to have an ethics exam at 8 am and the professor postponed until Wed. Have a good Monday everyone!

Wedding Bells

Cynthia's bridal shower and wedding preparation is coming together. I went and bought all of the groceries this afternoon in preparation for the shower on Saturday. I will spend Friday afternoon preparing those snacks. Kathy is hemming my bridesmaids dress (thank you), now we wait for the day to come in a little over two weeks.

...

A closed mouth catches no flies.

Knowledge is Power

Good news todayas far as school goes. I have been exploring the idea of becoming an addictions counselor for sometime considering I am currently working with addicted juveniles. I was held back by thought because I am almost finished with a degree in criminal justice and a minor in addictions. Well I found out today they would accept me with a BA in criminal justice and I only need 3 more classes to be licensable. So I can take 1 class next semester, walk through graduation with a degree and begin a practicum in the summer while I take the last 2 classes. I was exstatic to find this out today! Hopefully this time next year I will be preparing for my licensing exam!

This is just another hump day...

Seriously, my life is so non-exciting right now. Oh well, not everyday needs to be eventful to be meaningful. So while taking a break and pulling my nose out of a book I have another, much thought about quote to leave you with.


"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
-Carl Gustav Jung

Quote

It is needless to waste words in painting the situation in our country today. The headlines of any metropolitan newspaper any day do so only too clearly. Crime of the most desperate sort is so rampant that unless a robbery runs into six figures or a murder is outstandingly brutal or intriguing, we no longer even read below the headings.

James Truslow Adams, Historian, 1929

Long Day

Today I had my first x-ray...I have been having continuous shoulder pain for the last couple of months and today it was far too intense to deal with. I had been to the chiropractor a few times this past month with little improvement. So hopefully tomorrow I will have a bit of a clue as to what is going on. Then, to top it off I started to develop a migraine at the clinic and by the time I got home to take my prescription, I was sicker than a dog. Needless to say, I spent the past four hours in my bed sick as hell. (Thank you daddy for blessing me with these bitchin' headaches! love you).

Beyond that, school is going well, seems to me I will like all of my professors this semester. I am taking an ethnic studies course from a very quirky man who shocked me on the first day by blatantly calling a student a "wigger". Little did we know that he was close with this student, which he explained later. I guess that means I could about expect anything from him this semester.

Quiet

I have not posted lately due to lack of time as well as anything to write about. School starts tomorrow and I am not excited, however I know this is the last 9 months of my education unless I go crazy and decide to pursue further studies. My lovebird was introduced to her future mate, I hope. They look identical except for the new guy has its wings clipped, if not for that I wouldn't be able to tell them apart...anyway, they keep the dogs occupied. So, things are settling down again with us at home now that Don's best friend Adam has moved away for another year of college...yes, peaceful nights at home again. Anywho..wish me luck at school!

A- Available or married? Really, neither...
B- Best gift to give? I'm a gift card and cash giver
C- Cake or Pie? Pie. I miss Grandma Anne's sour cream raisin
D- Drink of Choice? Alcohol: Peach/Pomegranite Margarita..non-alc. Peppermint Mochas
E- Essential Item? my day planner
F- Favorite Color? light blue
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? worms
H- Hometown? Minot, ND
I- Indulgence? A whole milk, whip cream topped peppermint mocha (normally I do non-fat/nowhip.
J- January or February? February...love month
K- Kids & names? 0 kids
L- Life is incomplete without? chocolate
M- Marriage Date? hasn't happened yet (possibly next Jan/Feb)
N- Number of Siblings? 1
O- Oranges or apples? apples
P- Phobias/Fears? I live in fear of that creepy Burger King guy..I get the shivers thinking about him
Q-Favorite Quote? Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets
R- Reason to Smile? life
S- Season? summer
T- The last thing you returned? a DVD
U- Unknown fact about me: I hate raw meat, don't even wanna touch it
V- hmmm...the V was missing?
W- Worst habit? biting my nails
Y- Your favorite food? Dill pickle chips...only the old dutch brand
Z- Zodiac? Aries

MSU

I have once again had a reality check on how many classes I have taken on this fall.

1. Criminology Theory

2.Court Processing and Sentencing

3.Professional Relations & Ethics

4. Intro to Personality Theories

5.Intro to Counseling

6.Comparative Ethnic Studies

Not only is that overwhelming, I need 9 books for six classes! Sorry ma, tuition and books haven't gotten any cheaper since I started college!

On another note, today is "team building" day at work. I am not too sure on what that entails, but everyone in my cottage at DBR has the day off to participate. We were going to go to the lake, now I think we are going golfing. It is supposed to bring us closer together. BARF! I don't even like to golf!

...lazy...

I would normally use the excuse that I have been busy if I haven't written here...however, the past few days I have not been busy and I am taking full advantage of it! I am done with school for three weeks now and it has been wonderful this first week! I have surpassed my 10% weight loss goal this past week, so I was excited to see I was accomplishing something. Other than that I have been cleaning house and laying around. Below is a pic we took in Grand Forks last week the day after the concert. (Jen is at the top, me, my friend Shannon, then my sister Shannon.)

...several muscles ache right now...

We have just returned from Grand Forks a couple of hours ago and we had a blast! We got there about noon yesterday, did some shopping ate at Boston's, had drinks and went to an awesome concert. After our return to the hotel post-concert, I was pooped..lights out for me. Today was a bit of shopping at Gordman's and the mall, a stop at the aveda salon for bare escentuals, a bite to eat and we were headed home. It was a quick trip but completely worth it!

Concert

Tomorrow is concert day! We are pretty excited!

I have finished almost all of my last class for the semester, I have a week off and 2 days of good times are ahead!

I will have follow up pictures posted after recovery...

phew

I passed the med certification exam today. So now I can officially dispense meds. Which hey, it doesn't make me a professional, but it eliminates another bump in the road. Only 1 out of my four classes is left to complete within the next week. So, at a snail's pace, things will get done...

pressing on

After a much needed weekend retreat I am again hard at work on the remainder of work for the semester. Along with homework I am trying to fit in a little studying for my med exam at work. I would be completely embarrassed if I didn't pass it on Wed. So again, I am pressing on.

MSU

There is now a week and a half of the summer semester left = crunch time. Iam taking 3 online classes and 1 correspondence class. Good thing I have several days off of work the next 2 weeks, because all of my free time will be at this desk pecking away at the keyboard...wish me luck

Man Mind?

Shannon and I had planned on going to the Nickelack concert in Grand Forks on the 24th of July, since she will be coming back from Vegas on the 21st. We bought our tickets and have received them. I had asked Don if he wanted to go while purchasing tickets, he did not want to take 2 days off of work. Ok. So, my friends Shannon (yes, like my sister) and Jennifer bought tickets to ride with. Then, Don's friend Adam decides he will go as well. So I drive a Honda Accord, 5 people is the max! Lastnite Don decides he wants to go now....arrgghh...I go to buy a ticket for him this morning...sold out!!! I had to buy a ticket off of stubhub.com for $114.85!!! Original price came out to about $63.00...I swear, he is committed now! SO what was a sister trip now turned into 6 or 7 people, 2 cars and 2 hotel rooms!!!

Long story short, next time I am just going; not offering!!

50 years

This past Saturday was Don's Grandparent's 50th Anniversary party out at the cabin on Rice Lake. There was a good turn out and fun had by all!

There are now 2 eggs...

I am still trying to kick this cold. As well I am down another 5 pounds from last week. Thank You weight watchers! Other than that I am busy with work and school this week. I am done at the coffee shop next week and will only be working for the Boys Ranch. That will be a great relief. As well, summer school is over the 27th. I am also looking forward to that.

...

We had a good time at the lake and musicfest this past weekend. However, I now have a horrendous cold! I slept for 14 hours last night and I am still feeling exhausted. Update: A couple of months ago Don's dad found a love bird in the street on the way home from work. So he picked it up and Don and I ended up taking care of it. We have always wondered if it was a male or female because it is very hard to tell the difference. Well, when we got home and looked into the cage, someone had miraculously laid an egg. Now we know!

weekend plans

I am off to work and then to the lake afterwards. Don, some friends and I are going to music fest Saturday night. Don Bessette gave us all free Vip tickets. So it should be a blast.

Thursday

Thursday is weigh in day and guess what!?!!?!











I lost 9 pounds this week!

new do

I got a my hair cut yesterday and decided to cut off quite a bit. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but it turned out great. The only problem is that I asked Don to take apicture of my haircut and the picture was horrible. Oh well...

Myspace Countdown or Myspace Layouts

Kids at the lake.

Our friends who recently moved back to Minot brought out their son (in the carseat) TJ and Don's neice and nephew were also out.

Shannon will be home July 21. We just bought tickets to Nickelback for the 24th in Grand Forks, i'm pretty excited!

I do have gardening abilities!

...

I went to the funeral home for the babies' visitation today. I dropped off a card from all the girls at work and gave my condolences. However, I was not prepared for the open casket; they were so tiny it was amazing. I think that is the biggest reality check that a woman can get if you have children or not. Rest in Peace Arie and Elin.

It has begun

I lost my first pound this week...yay!

Kailyn

My God-Daughter is now learning how to walk and it's about time..she's 14 months old! She is in love with her walker, but unfortuneatly she will only go backwards.

yay!

I have successfully completed most of my tasks I set out to do today. Laundry is done, homework for the week is done, my container gardens are all planted, watered and fertilized. The only thing I have left to do is the dishes (a neverending mound of them) and a little straightening up inside. I feel like I actually accomplished everything.

Oh, and I succeeded in pissing off the guy 2 houses down. I am evil, but he's a dick and I enjoyed it. :)

I think I need a nap

Today's agenda is full of homework and house work...

Now lets see how many of those tasks I actually accomplish today!

Sad News

Sad news comes from the weekends events. By boss at the coffee shop who was pregnant with twins, delivered Friday. Sadly their boy, Arie Thomas, only lived a few hours and the girl, Elin Marlene, made it a day and a flight to a Colorado hospital. However, after her arrival in Colorado mom and dad only got to be with her a few hours. Arie and Elin only lived hours but sadly a lot of heartbreak has been left behind. We are all keeping them in our thoughts and prayers in this hard time.

Happy Father's Day

After my weekend at the lake I went out to mom and dad's to have dinner. When we finished eating we took a drive out to Buffalo Lodge lake where my parents bought a lot last year. I had never seen it so they took the time to show me around. On the drive back we caught this pheasant on the side of the road getting out of the wet grass after the rain. It made for a good photo. Happy Father's Day, Dad.

fun in the sun

I am going to the lake for a few days! You can bet I will have a sunburn by Sunday!

...lifestyle changes...

I decided I have had enough! I have been progressively gaining weight since I met Don/graduated from highschool (like 40lbs!). So I have started changing things as of this month. I have been eating much better and following the weight watchers plan (w/o the meetings) and exercising. At work today I played mushball and soccer for 2 hours with the kids then golfed for about an hour. Then when I got home I rollerbladed two miles. I knew I still had the energy in me its just a matter of getting up and doing it. So here I go. I am 160lbs as of today...so keep tabs on me so I stick with this. I will keep you posted.

...2 houses down...

Yesterday I let the dogs out into the yard about 3:00 pm to go potty and all the sudden they were barking like crazy, so I went out to hush them and I find the guy from 2 houses down leaning on our chain link fence. He didn't say anything to me so I brought the dogs in and went into the house. I watched as he walked back home. Then about 7:00 pm I let them out again and same thing, barking like crazy, so I went to hush them and found the guy from 2 houses down doing the same thing. So I let the dogs in and asked if I could help him with something. Apparently as he said, my dogs bark all day long....eh, wrong i'm not even home all day long. Then he say, "I'll have to talk to your family about this..". Well I don't live with my damn family, you're speaking to her. Well I got quite steamed and informed him he had no right due to the fact that his dogs are violating leash law by not being fenced or leashed and they come over and shit in my front yard. By the end of the "talk" the guys from 2 doors down was told to f*** off. Was I out of line?

new purchase

I finally gave in and purchased a couch for our apartment today. We had this old, hand-me-down disgusting orange couch circa. 1980. It smelled, it was dirty and I hated it. So I went to "the devil" (ie. I Keatings) and got myself a deal. A $300 deal. Thank You

...and another one's gone.

Shannon left on Saturday after she was here for a couple weeks. She had to go back and teach a summer program and will be back about july 24th I think. She was not looking forward to going to the summer program but she has a two-year contract to follow thru with, thankfully this was the 2nd year. I think she brought the rain; it rained her entire visit and stopped when she left!

Unfortunate news yesterday...my boss who is 21 weeks prego with twins was admitted to the hospital yesterday b/c her water broke. So looks like antibiotics for as long as they can and she will be going to a hospital in Minnesota at that point. So I am thinking of her, she has had some tough times with this pregnancy.

Anyway...that summarizes any events I have going on.

Class and relationships

I am taking a required Sociology class thru correspondence this summer and it is called The Changing American Family. Basically it's all about relationships, marriages, having children and life until death. Well, there is a communication section in the book so I went over some of the things w/ Don. To me it seemed like in one ear and out the other. However, when I got home from work today we were having a discussion and apparently I got a little attitude. Then Don proceeded to tell me I wasn't "communicating" with him! I should have known that was gonna bite me in the ass...

mother-in-law to be...

I was blessed with a guy who's mother did/does not cook, I have developed my own pros and cons on this subject...

Pros
It makes me look like a chef
I can cook a shitty meal and it's still delicious to him
Anything seems edible

Cons
He is an extremely picky eater
Effort placed into a meal goes unnoticed
I have to make crap like tator-tot hotdish (seriously, who invented this?)


Who's up for frozen pizza everynight? Don is! :)

Another wonderful day at work

I was only cursed out by one delinquent at work today, I consider that an accomplishment. However to set back my accomplishment another delinquent went AWOL. There is no winner.

Once again the rain is hindering Don from working this week...I am praying for it to stop. Love you to death but go to work!!!!!

Oh...and I think I found the reason Tank is packing on some pounds...Don's nephew seems to enjoy sharing popsicles with him! (Nevermind the horrendous couch..thats at the lake.)

memorial day weekend

It was a pretty crappy weekend to start but the rain stopped and the clouds blew out Saturday afternoon and it made for a beautiful Sunday at the lake. Unfortunately I had to come home tonite because I work Memorial Day at 7 am. Not to mention that this pay period I am scheduled for 92 hours!!!!!! Is that even legal? I am talking written on the schedule...I didn't pick up any shifts and this is what they call part-time! I'm going to need a vacation!

fatty

so, Tank the puppy is getting a bit fat. That leaves me with the option of feeding the dogs separately and on scheduled times..blah! I don't even have a schedule! Is it bad that I think I should leave their food out anyway simply because I am not a scheduled person and don't want to be?

off to work.

Well just a note before I am off to work at DBGR. Having an excellent day of working two jobs... :) Oh well I need the money! Don has been off work today and yesterday and is driving me crazy! Please stop raining so he will get out of my hair!

1 week...and counting

One week until summer classes start! I think I have lost my mind, 14 credits and two jobs. What the hell am I thinking? Argh