why so cranky?

why am i so cranky? moody? emotional?

i mean, i know some of it would be rectified if i made strides to better my lifestyle.

diet. exercise. yoga. reading. less tv.

where the heck did all my time go??

i'm constantly battling myself when it comes to time management.

must. get. better.

but aside from all that,

we women are really stinkin' emotional.

have any tips for controlling it???

i need to work on not being this little monster.

work stinks and i dread going in.

i'm having a hard time loving people who don't work... or come into work...

let's just say "unprepared"

one thing i am so thankful for:

my Love.

he just sent me a text letting me know that on chapel they had to write on little cards what they were thankful for (sounds like a CIY session, no?) and he told me that he wrote "my beautiful wife." just the sweetest and brought a huge smile to my face.

i'm going to go finish laundry, cut up some pomegranates, listen to music while i get ready for work, and then pray the whole way there that i find Jesus in my heart so that i can love with a little less condition.

giving thanks.

We had a great time last night.

Mandy & Kerry came by our apartment before we made the trek over to the west suburbs to visit Mitch & Kristen. I gave them the "600 sq. ft. tour" and we drank some tea together. It took us forever to get to their house... traffic was terrible so of course, I was having intense interstate anxiety. I may have to talk to a doctor about that.... Kristen made some quesadillas and guacamole. We munched and played with the charming Elianna while Mandy held the adorable burrito baby, Jameson. (poor jay has colic and has to regularly be wrapped up like a burrito... it's just about the cutest thing!) We had dinner once mitch got back, then played Balderdash (I won!! Well, Tim & I tied but I got the last point first ;D) and Apples to Apples.

One of my favorite moments of the night was getting the word "umiak" and someone pretending the definition was "what Jameson threw up all over Mitch's crotch" ahh, we laughed a lot :)

It was so good to be with friends i've known for a really long time. First I must mention Kristen's generous spirit. Her gift of hospitality and giving heart are such an encouragement to me. I really look up to her: she stays home with her kids and loves more than anything to be a mom. She's the first to host a dinner or let you stay over when you're apartment hunting in the area. (Amber, I must say I look up to you just as much for the woman and mother that you are!)

I've shared a close friendship with Mandy & Kerry since high school... Tim & Mitch I didn't know as well but still, we've still known each other for a long time. At times, I feel at such ease with these people. Mandy & Kerry have seen me at my lowest and at my best and the love is still there. They still make a regular effort to have me in their life. Even though they don't get to see each other that often, Tim considers Mitch one of his closest friends and it was obvious with the way they laugh together. Their chemistry and time spent together over the years is really special. It's all something I definitely don't take for granted.

So I am thankful for my old friends and all my Chicago friends. Even though they make me crazy baby jealous I feel fortunate to have women in my life who are strong, giving, loving, and forgiving. It's hard to believe that a few years ago I'd have so many female friends to look up to and love! (tiffany, julie, rachel... you too!)

you've been warned

breakingdawnmovie.org

days until the first breaking dawn is released.

oh i am so excited!!!

in other news,

i am working on my time management

which means my little updates may be less frequent

i would love to be more dedicated to my house, my Bible, my dog, my husband

also,

tomorrow i have to get up at 3am.

whoa!!!

if you have a moment today, say a prayer that God helps me to fall asleep a little bit early tonight. i could use the sleep.

tomorrow will be a crazy day.

we launch a new register system and i am the only one in my district that has experience with it, being that i came from a district that successfully launched it.

so that could be interesting.

tomorrow,

i will also get to see MANDY & KERRY!!

we will be having dinner @ mitch & kristen's

hopefully i'll have some time to spend with them before we go and on Sunday before they return home.

i'm especially excited because...

mandy is carrying a little carter.

she is one of the first of my good friends to be with child and i can't wait to meet her little banana!! (i think it's actually squash this week... you just can't see her belly as well in her most recent preggo picture)

with the way these two spoil their dogs...

this girl is gonna be rotten

it's sure to be a good next few days!!

tea order!

i definitely just spent about $100 on tea and tea accessories.

not for myself!!!

christmas :)

this may be one of the last christmases that tim and i will be able to get gifts for people and even at that, things are a big tight. my mom/dad, sis, and i are all going in on a bunch of stuff for my grandma. i'm super excited! she was actually one of my tea drinking inspirations growing up. she would always have new ones for me to try and she gets a lot of joy out of the experience of tea. we got her some german rock sugar, a steeper, 3 teas, & a tin. i was only able to get her so much because i used a coupon code (love those when they work!!!) and i bought a tea for myself, which allowed for an even greater amount of money spent! here's my little treasure i'll soon be getting in the mail:

Raspberry Soiree Green Tea

so far, i've been super impressed with teavana's green teas.

arcadian apple is one of the best!

i love raspberries so i thought i'd give this one a go!

here's a tea that piqued my interest:

Strawberry Paraiso White (and green) Tea

do you see the little bits of popcorn in there?!

i almost purchased this white and green tea

but it was a little more expensive than the raspberry

yum!!

apartment blundering

this morning.

let me just tell you what happened.

at around 2:45 an alarm slowly woke tim and i out of our sleep.

it wasn't terrifying fire alarm loud

but it was loud enough that a loud thunderstorm cd

and a tv set at volume 30

could not drown it out.

luckily i went to work early this morning.

but tim did not and could not go back to sleep.

i'm beginning to see why people don't want to live in apartment complexes.

i mean,

its nice when a light bulb goes out

and that you don't have to mow your yard

but it isn't nice when people leave trash all over the place

and leftover takeout bags full of rotten food for your dog to find and eat

or when you get your water shut off for three days for maintenance

and when fire alarms terrify you out of your slumber

or annoying ones coming from some apartment under construction

or when your mailbox key doesn't work because the keys are cheaply copied

and when the shower rod constantly attacks you when you bathe because it also is cheaply made

or when your mirror doesn't clean properly because it's not quite a mirror

and when you have to park a mile away at night when you close

oh... and when they do fire alarm testing and you can't be home so your dog poops on the carpet because he's so frightened.

ahhh apartment life :)

i really am not trying to be debbie downer

i really am smiling because i think it's almost comical what's been going on here this week

so here's the great part about today:

birthday dinner for amber!!!!

we are going to head to wicker park here in a couple of hours for some thai food..... amber's choice, as she was the birthday girl yesterday

she's my hero for choosing thai

it's my favorite

♥

i am also making her brownies on crack... which i'll post pictures of because they are soooo on crack. but they're delicious and i hope she likes them!

tomorrow morning we will head home to indiana

where i will see james, my chiropractor (yay!!!)

go to beasley's orchard with my momma and hopefully my sister

have a golden anniversary dinner for my grandparents and family at red lobster

see my old union family and help lead worship

see my mom and dad in law

i am so so SO blessed to have the whole family that i have.

couldn't be luckier

♥

hilarious

i know i'm probably the last person to know about this

(as i usually am with these things)

but have you seen this kid???

his videos are hilarious...

here's a link to my favorite. seriously. he gets down with his bad self.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BeenerKeeKee19952#p/u/4/OTya267fe1Y

breaking dawn stuff

this is the honeymoon house

it's perfect!!

i got dressed up for church today

i wore this:

dress pants instead of jeans

(yes, that is dressing up for me)

i even wore my pointy-toed black boots!

now, these socks completed the look:

my mom and dad got me these in nashville :)

and here is the dog that inspired it all:

he was trying to keep an eye on me while fighting sleep

i'd just like to add that after i added the photo of me tim cracked up and said "what is that picture!!"

as he peered over my shoulder.

creep.

cutest baby ever.

this is a picture i stole off of the church's facebook page.

this is harry and my favorite baby in the whole wide world:

ruby

♥

dear me (the next time you are down):

so i am feeling super positive tonight and wanted to share a few things that are making me smile today

tim decided to stay home this weekend, which honestly, was a huge blessing for me. even though i am learning to find serenity in the extra space this schedule of ours still takes a lot of getting used to. even if he is studying tonight, we get to eat dinner together and that is a blessing.

i am cooking dinner for the first time in, like, forever. i've been working mostly nights and tim's out schooling during the day. we sometimes collide for a few when i see him at starbucks or in passing as i'm on my way to work, but no dinners as of late. tonight it's simple: bbq chicken, baked potatoes, & broccoli. feels good to cook!

i did dishes. i haven't done dishes at all this week. feeling accomplished and clean!

tim and i will also be cleaning up our apartment tonight and doing a little reorganizing.

i'm going to church tomorrow. if i were here alone i am not sure that i would be going :( i know it's lame and i will get better about this. but i'm just so happy to visit a church with my husband.

i feel more and more motivation creeping in. i feel my lethargic fog may be lifting.

as i left work tonight, bells were ringing. i am not sure where they came from but as the sun was setting, it all painted me a beautiful picture.

i'm feeling less of the people-pleasing pressure. i felt it so much back at the old place of work. i miss everybody so much and i'm not sure why i was so hard on myself but here i have let go. i want to do more heavenly work.

love coming home to my "boys." when i get off the phone with tim to let him know i'm on my way home i say, "see you guys in a bit." and i love that.

we gain an hour tonight. it will get dark sooner and i will become more a creature of the night with the closes and 4pm darkness but tonight we get an extra hour.

i rediscovered my free tea friends. ie: free tazo from work as opposed to expensive teavana. don't get me wrong: i am drinking plenty of teavana (i consumed four 8 oz. cups of arcadian apple the other day...) but i feel love again for these

full leaf passion, iced

gosh, i really love tea.

okay... so another: our apartment stayed heated really well. tim and i haven't turned the heat on yet! we aren't sure why this is and it might not be a good thing come summer, but for now this is incredible, people, it's cold here!!!!

i got a bonus at work... which means i will most definitely be getting my coat!!!!!!!!!!!

next week!!!!!

next friday we are celebrating amber's birthday. i'm excited about the little gift we got her and to get what i'm sure will be some great thai with her and her husband (and nora, of course ;D). then saturday we go home to indiana. i'll go to beasley's orchard with my mom that afternoon and then my grandparents' golden anniversary will be celebrated on saturday night with the fam. should be some good times.

that's all for now

p.s. don't you still desperately love a few people that are no longer in your life? that may seem psycho but sometimes my heart aches for a few people i love but no longer have relationships with (girls, all, girls!!!) i pray for them and have peace in my heart because of that love but i really hope they are happy and healthy.

♥

creepy

i was reading this little article about how zac posen may design bella's wedding dress for breaking dawn (don't judge me) and happened upon this picture:

it's borderline creepy how you can superimpose and combing pictures to make them look like something they're not. this was taken from breakingdawnmovie.org, which features a lot of fan art. i'm assuming that's what this is and if that's the case, how crazy! he even has a wedding ring on :)

warning: the closer we get to the movie the more of these types of post i'll have. i apologize but it's the only way i have to channel my excitement. i can't imagine how it would be with the hunger games.

side note on that: jodelle ferland, the girl who played bree tanner, was mentioned as being thought about for the role of katniss everdeen. i'm not to keen on that. we'll just have to see! :)

today.

how are you today?

nash & i had a kind of crazy morning!

the fire alarm shocked us out of our sleep.

then kept periodically going off.

and let me just tell you, the fire alarm in our building?

TERRORIZING.

apparently, the fire department decided to do testing without notifying anyone of their presence.

that was nice of them.

so now nash and i are hanging out while i drink my morning coffee

then i'll head over to a pet supplies store

(think the poor guy has some fleas)

then make a trip to walmart

when i get home tim and i are going to have a few hrs of quality time

(before he leaves for home tomorrow... boo)

we are going to order some thai food from a place nearby and watch a movie

i'm excited!

found this picture on my camera today and i don't think i've shared it yet

my sister in law sent me this shirt for my birthday a few months ago

isn't it precious?!

i think it looks just like nash!

can't wait to see alicia at christmas!

we miss her a lot :(

well i hope you guys have a great thursday!

apartment.

and without further ado...

the walk in closet

it's a mess in there!!

always.

what a man.

i love this guy!