Aug 29, 2009

They think you're super delicious...

Don't know if you know this, but I'm a huge fan of mini golf. Real golf, not so much. But mini golf? Oh yeah!

So the other day as I was diligently cutting coupons I was delighted to come across a Buy One Get One Free Mini Golf coupon!

Andy and I took advantage of it last night. It was so much fun! And I only lost to Andy by 3 points! Each of us even managed to score a hole in one too! Yeah, we're awesome like that.

And remember how Andy kicked my butt at frisbee golf? We had a little wager going that involved some Cold Stone goodness to the winner. So after mini golf I treated Andy to his hard earned ice cream. He tried something new- Lemon Custard and I got my usual- Raspberry Cheesecake with graham cracker crust. (I'm a usual kind of girl. When I find something I like- I stick with it.)

The only downside to our little mini golf excursion was waking up this morning to see that the mosquitoes had found my ankles and toes super delicious.

Aug 28, 2009

TGIF

I love.....



*the feeling of Andy's arms around me after going without them
for three days.

*the fact that I have so much reading to do I feel like my head is going to explode.

*that my sister really, really wants me to be at the family reunion
'just like old times.'

*my friend Heather, who is always there for me when I need her- even in the middle of a busy work day.


*having a good cry every now and then.


*being with someone who actually cares about how I feel and what I need to feel loved.


*the mild weather we've been having lately and the nights with a cool breeze coming in the window.


*my sweet, sweet dog who snuck onto the bed and wriggled her way in between Andy and I just to get some loves.


*that there's a pork roast cooking in my crock pot today and that when I get home today, the house will smell wonderful because of it.


*the feeling of contentment, peace, and security.


*that Andy texted me twice just to tell me he thought I was sexy and hot- all while I was sitting on the couch next to him.

Aug 26, 2009

Digging my way out of the crap

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

I have financial aid!

Aug 24, 2009

My new favorite thing

When I got home today there was a package waiting at the door for me from my bestest, Heather!! Woo hoo! She sent me my bridesmaid skirt for her wedding. Heather is a Mary Kay consultant and along with the package she sent me the coolest goodie!

It's a lipgloss with a roll on perfume on the other end. The coolest part is that the perfume is interchangeable. You can take it out and put in a new scent depending on what you want to carry in your purse that day. So awesome!

This Week

Well, Andy's leaving on a business trip tonight and won't be home until Thursday. He offered to let me come along, but that was out, considering it's the first week of school. I wish I could have gone and bummed around the San Diego Zoo or Knott's Berry Farm or something.

I'm planning on a Matrix movie marathon this week. One movie, each night that Andy's gone. That will help keep the house from seeming so quiet without him. And hopefully Henry will keep Andy's side of the bed warm, cause a king size bed sure is big when you're just one person.

PS- I have no idea why the pictures I put on previous posts have started to disappear. I haven't had time to investigate so I apologize but most of those pictures are on Facebook anyway.

Aug 20, 2009

My boyfriend's better than yours

Sorry to say it, but it's true. There is no guy better than mine. After Andy found out the horrific day I had yesterday, he came home to find me pouting on the bed. He told me just to stay there and rest so I could get rid of my splitting headache.

He said he had everything taken care of and that dinner was already in the works. Which was freaking amazing because even when I feel like crud, I'm still hungry!

So I come upstairs to find the most delicious bacon and artichoke pizza sizzling in the oven and a salad waiting on the counter. I could have cried. Again. For the hundredth time that day.

Then we spent some time working in the garden and playing with Ash and later worked on finishing the book we've been reading. Because Andy took the time to be there for me and distract me from the stresses of the day, I was able to enjoy the rest of my night and get to sleep with no problems.

So hands down, my boyfriend is better than yours. You're welcome to challenge me on that one if you dare.

Getting crapped on

So yesterday pretty much sucked a big one. Because of some misinformation that a lady in the financial aid department gave me, there is now a problem with my credit hours. Because of this, they are telling me that I am no longer entitled to the financial aid that I was supposed to get for the 2009/2010 school year.

This is devastating to me. Without that money, I don't know how I will pay to attend school this year, setting my graduation date even further back. This is pretty much catastrophic in my mind. If I can't go to school this year....well, it's basically the end of the world to me.

So I spent four hours yesterday bawling my eyes out and pleading my case to anyone that would listen. They ended up letting me send a petition in. The petitions board will review my case and decide whether or not they want to allow me to keep my financial aid. I won't hear back from them for up to two weeks. Class starts on Monday. I can't focus on anything but the anxiety I feel over this.

It's all I can do to keep from bursting into tears every second. School is my number one goal and I worked so hard to get my GPA up, take my placement tests and work my way back in to the system. Even though a million things kept getting in my way, I just kept pushing because I want to finish more than anything. Now it could all potentially be taken away from me because of some stupid worker who gave me the wrong information.

They asked if I knew who I had talked to so they could verify that she gave me the wrong information. I have no idea who I talked to. It was months ago. And even if I did remember, like she's going to admit that she made such a gigantic mistake that affects my life so badly.

The worst part is that I've done all I can do and now I just have to sit and wait while someone who doesn't know me or my situation decides my fate. I feel sick.

Aug 14, 2009

I miss you

Dear Barnes & Noble,

Oh, my love. I miss you terribly! But I know I've got to stay strong. I've got to stay true to the budget.

But I miss your well lit aisles, coffee smell, and organized shelves. We have been so happy together in the past. I'm sorry I let the budget come between us.

I saw today that you've got something new.


She's very pretty. I have to admit I'm jealous. I haven't had anything new in months. It's terribly depressing.

Maybe there's a way I can fit you into my life again. I'm sure the budget will understand. We'll just have to set boundaries.

But until then, I'll just continue to long for you and peruse your website with hope all day while I'm at work.

With Love,

K

More about us...

Just for funsies:

Couples Survey:

-How long have you been together?
A little over 1 year

-How long did you know each other before you started dating?
I think just a couple of months

-Who asked who out?
I'm pretty sure it was just mutual. One of us said "Hey, we should hang out." We exchanged phone numbers and it went from there.

-Where was your first kiss?
It was in my driveway after a date. I was nervous and ridiculously awkward. I think he thought I was a dork.

-Who's siblings do you see the most?
His, because one lives with us and the other is not far away. My sisters live out of state.

-Do you have any children together?
nope

-What about pets?
1 Dog and 2 Cats

-Who is the most sensitive?
Me- I read into things, make assumptions and get my feelings hurt easily. He gets over things pretty fast.

-Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We like to try a new restaurant when we go out to eat, but we never turn down sushi

-Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Hawaii

-Who has the craziest exes?
I don't know his and he doesn't know mine

-Who does the cooking?
Both of us. We enjoy cooking together.

-Who is more social?
I think we're the same. We were both really social in college and now we're more the homebody type

-Who is the neat freak?
Me for sure. Clutter makes me feel depressed and suffocated.

-Who is the most stubborn?
So far I think we've both had our moments although Andy is always the first to let things go.

-Who hogs the bed?
It's kinda hard to hog the bed when it's king size, but Andy is always complaining that I steal the covers and hide his pillows.

-Who wakes up earlier?
I do. Waking up early is not Andy's cup of tea.

-Where was your first date?
We had dinner at Applebee's and then he drove me around in his truck and we talked.

-Who has the bigger family?
Our immediate families are the same. He has 2 younger brothers and I have 2 younger sisters.

-Do you get flowers often?
No- I get something better- lots and lots of attention, hugs and kisses, plus the occasional note or gift.

-How long did it take to get serious?
About a month after our first date it started to get real serious.

-Who eats more?
I do. I eat constantly throughout the day and Andy's always making sure I'm not hungry.

-Who sings better?
Neither. Andy remembers lyrics really well though.

-Who does the laundry?
I do all the laundry every week just cause piles of clothes in the bedroom bother me.

-Who’s better with the computer?
Andy for sure.

-Who drives when you are together?
Andy usually does but sometimes I will.

-Who picks where you go to dinner?
We decide together.

-Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong?
Andy always hugs me first. I get embarrassed about apologizing, but if he initiates then I relax and say what I want to say.

-What does he/she do that you find endearing?
He tells me he loves me- very, very often.

-Who wears the pants in the relationship?
I can be more bossy, but I think we both decide things together usually

-Who has more tattoos?
I have 3 and Andy doesn't have any

-Who eats more sweets?
I don't really like sweet. But we both like to go to Coldstone.

-What's an interesting fact about you both?
We went to high school together but didn't know each other. He graduated the year before me.

Trust me, looks can kill

Yesterday was one of those days.

You know girls.....

"Ugly Days."

I hate those!

Seriously, I felt like I looked this this all day long:



Nice. You know what it's like. You put every shirt in your closet on and somehow they all manage to hang funny, make you look fat, etc. Then your hair won't straighten, lay flat, curl under, etc. You try to get back on track with makeup, but end up coating your nose in mascara and smearing your eyeliner.

Yeah, the morning was rough for me.

It just wasn't that I couldn't find anything to wear or get my hair and makeup to cooperate. I literaly felt like the most atrocious looking human being ever yesterday. Really, I wanted to cry or walk around with a bag over my head.

I went to work and silently prayed that no one would need to actually communicate with me the entire day. I was afraid that people would take one look at me and run away screaming.

It was a seriously bad day for cultivating personal self esteem.

After work Andy asked me to run errands with him. Seriously? This guy is brave. I can't believe he would dare to be seen in public with me when I was looking that hideous!!

But he didn't say a thing about how I looked and he didn't even look at me funny! He just held my hand and led me happily around the store like he didn't even notice my scariness.

(That's Andy and I. I'm the monkey, in case you couldn't tell.)

Then!!!

And then!!!

He took me out for sushi!!

I mean, double seriously??! And he looked at me and smiled at me and talked to me during the entire meal (which was delicious, I might add.)

Later that night I climbed in to bed hoping to get some much needed beauty sleep.

No such luck. I don't know what was up with me.

I tossed. I turned. I got in and out of bed all night long. I could not settle down. I couldn't decide if I was hot or cold. It was awful.

So much for beauty sleep. I woke up looking like this:



Surprisingly though, I felt rested with not a trace of exhaustion. I'm sure it will hit me later though.

I still look and feel ugly today, but there's hope!! No worries.

My sister, Jen is coming to save me from my hideousness tonight! And everyone knows she is the World's Greatest Stylist.

Tonight she'll work her magic. She'll cut and color and wax and all will be well with the world again.

Hopefully she won't mess up.


Hopefully I will look like a goddess when she's done with me.



At least I hope so because I'm pretty sure that if something isn't done with me soon, I'm going to start causing car accidents or riots or something.

Looks really can kill.

Aug 12, 2009

Going hiking

Yesterday was my day off so I decided to start the day off right with a hike. I took my dog, Ashland with me.

She loves to go hiking. She runs ahead on the trail checking everything out and then runs back to make sure you are following.

I went along a trail that is above the University I go to. This is the view of the campus and of the city.

It was pretty hot so we didn't go too far but it was a nice way to kick off the day.

Aug 10, 2009

Books!!! School!!! Happy Dance!!!

Yay!! I bought my books for two of my classes today. I am so freaking excited.

I got the books I need for my American History and for my Women in History classes.

I've already started reading them, partly because I'm excited to get started and partly because I have a lot of reading to do and I want to make sure I don't get behind.

Just for these two classes, I have six books!

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I haven't even picked up my books for my other two classes yet either. My backpack is going to be pretty heavy this semester, but I don't mind. At least I'm on my way!

Getting out of the house

On Friday, we went to Lagoon for Andy's Lagoon work day. We got to wear these nifty matching shirts. Aww! How cute.

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It was a little chilly and we made the mistake of going on Rattlesnake Rapids first. We ended up with wet clothes for most of the day. Later that evening we went to the ES3 awards and catered dinner which was really yummy. We rode a few more rides and then got on the giant Ferris Wheel just as the sun was setting. By the end of the day, we were pooped.

We ended up renting Ghostbusters and vegging on the couch the rest of the night.



On Saturday, we went up to my Uncle's house for my family's annual, Dutch Oven Cook Off. Everyone made really great recipes and it was hard to pick favorites. We always give awards for the top three best recipes after we get a chance to try everything. We were so stuffed!





Yesterday we drove to Logan to see Andy's friends new baby twin girls. They named them Madelyn and Phoebe. Very cute girls.

Later that night Andy took me to play Frisbee Golf. I've never played before. It was harder than I thought it would be. I talked some smack and told Andy I was going to kill him on the course. That didn't happen. I pretty much sucked it up, haha! But I had a lot of fun learning and I think with a little bit more practice I actually could give Andy a run for his money.

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Aug 8, 2009

Fall in August?

Yesterday was unusually chilly for an August day. It's been overcast and a little windy the last couple of days. And there's been that cool, crisp feeling in the air. I really, really love that feeling.

It kind of made me wish that fall was here. Fall is my favorite time of year. There are so many great things about it, from the month before it hits full force, to the months after, full of family time and holidays.

Some of the things I love the best about this time of year:

* Just before Fall, it's the change into something new- new classes, shopping for sweaters, and saying goodbye to hot summer days.

* The turning of the leaves and the beautiful fall colors that come as a result. Driving through the canyon and seeing the hills engulfed in orange, red, and yellow. Coming over the hill and seeing the change in the valley.

* Decorating for Halloween. Beginning to bake fall treats and soup cooking on the stove.

* Family at Thanksgiving and yummy, yummy food. Looking forward to family at Christmas. Taking time from our busy schedules to spend time together, cuddle in front of the fire, watch some movies and make home made hot cocoa and caramel corn at my moms.

I think I love this time of year because it feels so 'cozy.' We spend more time indoors, cuddling on the couch together, cooking together, taking time for hot bubble baths, and snuggling under the comforter at bedtime. I also love the family get togethers, laughing and just hanging out.

I'll hang on to warm days for another month or two but I'll be looking forward to Fall at the same time.

Aug 5, 2009

Parking

I caved. I bought a parking pass today for the University. After years of circling the campus 50 times before finally seeing a car about to pull out of their curb side spot, only to be beat out by some other desperate student, I decided it was time.

I'm tired of having to park on the street and then lugging all my books and paraphanalia across the busy lanes, over the campus grasses and onto the sidewalks and then realizing I still have to walk to the farthest end of campus to the building that houses my first class of the day.

Most times I just told myself to be grateful for the exercise and that the back pain was nothing a good heating pad couldn't cure later on. But then November would come and I'd be painfully reminded that I didn't live in Florida. It actually snows here. Sometimes, a lot!

Last year was the last straw. I'm tired of climbing through snow banks to get to the sidewalks which were never salted, much less clear by 7 am. I'm tired of slipping and falling, scattering my books in the snow drifts. I'm tired of sitting through classes with wet pants, wet socks and freezing cold everything.

So I did it. I forked out the money for the lowest ranking parking pass the campus had to offer. I won't be getting A list parking, but I will be guaranteed a shorter walking distance to class and a frequently patrolled parking lot to leave my beloved car in all day.

That is....if I make it to campus by 6:30 am and beat all the other 1200 students that also bought parking passes.

Aug 4, 2009

Nice Surprise

Friday was awesome. I was just finishing up my shift at work when I looked up to see this really hot guy walking by. He looked so familiar and had this mischeivious smile on his face. I blushed as he caught my eye.

I decided I had to know what this guy was up to. I gathered my stuff and followed him around the corner. Imagine my surprise when he swooped me up, kissed me and gave me a big hug. He said he was there to surprise me and take me out to dinner!!

I don't know what I did to deserve that but it sure was an offer I just couldn't refuse. He took my hand and led me out to the parking lot where his truck was waiting for us.

He said he knew I had been wanting to try this new italian restaurant called Zucca so that's where he took me. Awesome! A 'fancy' restaurant. Very nice!

The dinner was so great. I order the Pesto Pizza. It was delicious! Seriously, so good!


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After dinner, I excused myself to go to the restroom. When I got back, my amazing man had ordered me another surprise. Blueberry Cheesecake. Oh my gosh. This was so fantastic!


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What a great night. All through dinner I kept looking at this guy across the table from me and thinking I must be dreaming. How did I manage to get so lucky?

Aug 3, 2009

"Little Lou Lou"

I am so excited because I just realized today, that my sister Lindsey will be home from her mission in just three short months. I can't believe that it has already been a year and a half!

Lou and I had never been very close growing up. I was the oldest, and to me, she was the youngest who got away with everything. I'd say there was a little resentment between us and poor Jen was always stuck in the middle.

But although there was always some sibling rivalry going on between us, the three of us spent most of our time together. My mom was very good at emphasizing the importance of family time. I will always feel lucky that the three of us shared so many interests. Being able to dance, audition, take class, and perform all together was always so much fun! Having so many amazing experiences together and our mom always on the frontlines cheering us on has given me some of the greatest memories of my life.

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Linds and I became very close when I moved back into my mom's house during my divorce. Lindsey was still at home and we ended up spending a lot of time together. It was strange to come home after five years and realize that she wasn't that 'annoying' little sister anymore.

We seemed to be able to connect better. We spend quite a bit of time in each other's rooms talking. We also went country dancing on Wednesdays together, which was a lot of fun. She helped me to 'get back out there' when I didn't have much steam in me for dating and starting over.

Even though we don't share the same religious beliefs, I have been so incredibly proud of her. I admire her bravery in putting herself out there and going through so many things all on her own. I know it must have been hard for her to be so far away when our Grandma died, when Jen got married and when so many other things were going on at home.

In her emails to me, she's been talking a lot about what she should do with her life once she is home. She is very ambitious and so talented. I am excited for her to start new things and excited to have both my sisters at family gatherings again. It just hasn't been the same without all three of us.

Can't wait to have you home Lilly Boop! Okay, so your not Little Lou Lou anymore but I'm your big sis so I can call you that and you can't get mad. ;)

Aug 1, 2009

Child's Play

Did you ever play that silly little child's game where you tried to predict what the name of your future husband would be?

You take an apple or a pear or anything with a stem. Then you start twisting the stem. With each twist, you make your way through the alphabet..."A"...."B"......"C"....."D"....SNAP!!!

The letter you're on when the stem breaks off is the first letter of your future husband's name. I was in love with Trever and convinced that someday we would end up together. Making it to "T" is hard!! I could never get there.

One time I made one twist, right on "A". I said "Andrew. My husband's name is going to be Andrew. Andrew is such a nice name."

True Story! No lie! It really happened.

But then I had an "Andrew" in my class the next year, and he was a real jerk, so I put that completely out of my mind and went on my merry little way.


Coincidence? I think not!! I should have paid more attention to that apple!