A Year of Celebrations!!

Happy New Year everybody!  I hope your holiday season was filled with blessings and happiness!  I know mine was!

2012 is a big year!  I know it's going to be filled with all sorts of new adventures.  A new job will be starting, hopefully a big move, and lots of big changes!!  And no, no expansions of family, at least with us.

This year is filled with big birthdays!  I believe every birthday is important, but some big ones are coming to the family.  First, today is my cousin's 21st birthday!  I'm so proud of her, she's bright, talented, and has the biggest heart!   I wish I could have been there to celebrate with her, but I did have a shot here in her honor.  In fact, there are some jello shots in my freezer, so I may have two, one for her and one for me!  She will now get to join in during campfire chats!  I hope you take this new priveledge responsibly.  Some advise from me, 1) Always go out with friends, DO NOT EVER go out by yourself, 2) NEVER leave your drink alone, if you do, get a new one. And 3) Know your limit.  Trust me on the last one, there will be no praying to the porceline god if you do that.  However, I can't deny that there may be a headache or dizziness!  B, I'm so proud of you!  You've become a wonderful young woman, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you!

January also has two more of my cousins during 16!  Yikes! As I'm writing this, I'm realizing I'm getting old!  These two cousins will always have a special place in my heart.  The older one, by two weeks, was always a pretty happy kid!  He was always a blast to babysit!  Z, I pray you are a better driver than your mother.  I love her, but we both know she's got a lead foot!  The other cousin, two weeks younger than Z, was my birth control growing up.  The first time I babysat her, she cried the ENTIRE time, even in her sleep.  But now, I think she's my mini-me.  In fact, if you look at pictures when I was little and when she was little, we look about the same!  It's kind of scary!  Guys, I wish you the best with this adventure of driving.  Please don't do anything stupid.  And stay off the side walks!  I miss you guys, and will look forward to having you drive me around.  Especially, M!  You owe me a few trips to the mall!

Then comes the month of March!  First off, is my birthday!  I am actually proud to say that I'll be 30!  I finally feel like I know who I am!  I'm happy with where I am in life, well, other than the whole no job, thing, but things are looking better in that direction.  I see in this coming decade a big move, hopefully a little closer to family and then starting a family.  Yes, we hope in the next year or two, but if you ask about it, I'll make sure you're the last to know!  :)

A few days after my birthday, we celebrate the 1st birthday of my cousin's son.  He's a cutie, and I'm sure, he will celebrate in style! 

Then this summer brings a couple of firsts.  Another cousin, (yes, I know, we're a German Catholic family, what did you expect, a small family) and his wife are expecting their first child!  I'm so excited and happy for them!  I know they have been waiting a long time for this! 

This summer will also be Norm's and my first anniversary!  I'm happy to say that we're doing great, and this will be the first of many happy anniversaries!  I hope that we will be celebrating in our new place! 

Then at the end of the year, my uncle will be turning 50!  My uncle is a pretty awesome guy.  He's been a great role model for me; he's shown me what to do and what not to do!  See the pefect role model! He has been there when I've been in some pretty dark places with a shoulder to cry on.  He's also been there during my happiest times!  Uncle C, you are one of my best friends!  I hope I can make it up there to celebrate with you!

So as you can see, my family has a lot to be happy about this year!  It's the perfect year of celebrations!  2012, I've been a scared of you, but nothing is going to stop me from making this year one heck of a party, filled with family, friends, and good times!

Revamp

Well, to call this, a countdown to the wedding is no longer needed.  It's funny, it seemed like it was going to take forever to get to the wedding, and then as soon as it was over, BAM!!!  The rest of the year flew by.  It's been crazy since the wedding.  I went back to work only to find out that our office was closing at the end of October.  So, now, I'm back to looking for a job.  Can I just say that this sucks!  I was happy, and as we decided, we settled.  We never knew if we were going to stay open or not, but we loved what we were doing and loved working with each other.  We were like a happy disfunctional family.  The best thing I can say is that I learned a lot while working there.  I gained a lot of confidence and knowledge.  I have to thank my Boss Man for all the help.  He knows he is, and yes, if he reads this, you were my boss, but most importantly, you've become a friend and mentor.  Thank you!!

So as the year winds down, I've got a lot to be thankful for.  I've got a husband who I adore.  I don't know what I would do without him.  I've got a cat, who for the first time, has decided that my Christmas tree and nativity scene are new toys.  I've got a roof over my head and the best family and friends in the world.  They are my support and inspiration. 

The most important part of the revamp, is the future Norm and I want to carve for our family!  We've decided that we want to leave Florida.  We love it down here, but we're both starting to miss being close to family.  Not that we want to move too far north, but we want to be closer.  We've decided that we want to move to North Carolina.  We've scouted the Charlotte area and fell in love with the area.  It didn't hurt that a friend of his, who lives in the area, showed us around.  So as soon as we find jobs up there, we're moving.  If you feel like volunteering to help us move, let us know! ;-)  With wanting to move to North Carolina, it's also got me thinking about teaching again.  For those of you who don't know the whole story, my last teaching position was horrible and pretty much turned me off from wanting to teach.  However, I miss working with kids and am thinking I want to go back.  I am thinking about changing subjects.  As much as I love reading and writing, teaching English/Language Arts, no longer appeals to me.  I'm thinking about doing Social Studies.  I loved the subject and still have a passion for it.

And as I close, I want to thank everyone.  And for those of you who watch Top Chef, Heather just went home, which is AWESOME!!!!  Well good night all!

27 Days

It is now, 27 days until the wedding.  And I'm feeling it.  I'm jittery.  I'm not nervous, but I think that's the best way to describe it.  Every little thing that happens non-wedding related, is setting me off.  I either get mad or start crying.  I cry at some of the littlest things too, which is really annoying and reminds me that I need to get more tissues for my purse.  And if it is anything wedding related, you might as well have a whole box by me.  Yesterday at church, a couple renewed their vows for thier 40th anniversary.  I was fighting the tears so hard that I had a headache!  As it's getting closer, I find myself taking a lot more deep, calming breaths.  I don't know why I'm feeling this way but I am.  I keeping going over the lists of things, checking and rechecking items that have been completed.  All I know is I'm ready for next weekend.
But things are coming along great!  Mom has gotten a lot done and basically all I need to do down here is pack for next weekend and wrap gifts!  I bought the wrapping paper today and am looking for something to put the flower girls' gift in.  I realy wanted to do something besides a gift bag, but have a feeling, that's what it's going to have to be.

Next weekend is the Indiana bridal shower and bachelorette party!  My aunt is making her veggie pizza for me and is promising to have all sorts of entertaining fun for the shower.  God love her, I can only imagine what games and stories are going to be told.  And did I mention her veggie pizza!!!  Any my MOH #1 is planning one heck of a bachelorette party.  I have a feeling, Sunday there is not going to be a whole lot of stuff getting done.  Especially when she told all that our DD, her husband, bought a boat load of alcohol and will be serving not only as the DD, but the bartender as well. 

So my advice to all who are in the home stretch, just keep breathing!  Because the light at the end of the tunnel is near, everything is basically done that can be done, and in less that a month, you'll be marrying the man of your dreams and you'll be starting a new chapter in you life!

Getting screwed by the cream and crimson... AGAIN!!!!

40 days!  Yes, 40 days until the wedding! 

So everyone knows that I went to Purdue, and if you didn't, now you know.  And by going to Purdue, we all know that our biggest rival is IU (Indiana University).  If I didn't hate IU by now, I sure do now!  You see, the hospital my mom works for is merging with IU Med, which in the long run will be a good thing, because, and as much as I hate to admit it, IU has a pretty good med school.  Any who, with the merger comes a lot of extra work that the employees at the hospital have to deal with.  One of those people who has to deal with the extra work is my mom. 

My mom, has been super woman, okay, even more of a super woman, with wedding planning.  She has basically been doing EVERYTHING for the wedding, while I have been just basically been saying, okay, sounds good.  She's organized on her end and making sure I'm organized on my end.  So let's just say, with it only being 40 days until the wedding, we've got enough craziness, and now IU is messing with me.  So all of this merger is happening, yes, at the same time we need to finalize all of the details.  So tonight, I think was the first time that we snapped at each other! I said something, as an example, and she snapped!  Needless to say, we had a minor argument about food for the rehearsal dinner.  Yeah, I'm proud to say, that was the first thing we argued about.  But, cooler heads prevailed, mainly hers because, because after all, I'm the "Mule" (if you need to know, watch A League of Their Own, we both agree, that name fits me perfectly, oh, and the other part fits her) after about 5 minutes of  "debating" and we think we figured out what we need to do.  She also told me that with this merger going on, she would be a little crazy.  So yes, I get to blame IU!  If it weren't for them, messing with my mom, we wouldn't have "debated" about food... for the rehearsal dinner.

So, in honor of all Purdue fans, students, and grads, I "sing" to you, and sing along with if you want... (Oh, and it's the PG version, sorry, I don't want to offend any delicate souls out there...)

 Indiana, Indiana, Indiana the heck with you!

 We'll pee on the cream and crimson,

For the glory of old Purdue!



Okay, that feels much better!  On to more important things, working on the music for the wedding and even got the limo reserved for the wedding today.  It was a pretty productive day on that part.  I was able to reorder some stuff for me, and even got word that yes, my SHOES will be delivered by Friday!!!  So Tarter, I will be using the clips that you gave me!  And I now have three, yes, three, pairs of shoes to choose from.  That issue is now resolved!!!  Well that's it for tonight.  Guess I should say Go Bruins for Norm!  And as always...

Boiler Up!!!!

It's getting so close...

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything.  I'm going to blame it on work, because that's the only excuse I can think of at this moment.

So there are only 46 days left until the wedding!  46 DAYS!!!  Everything is basically done now.  Response cards are coming back and bridesmaids and mother of the bride are getting their dresses altered.  I'm taking my dress in the next couple of weeks to get it altered.  Fortunately, all I have to do is fix the straps and the bustle!  And, I now have 3 pairs of shoes to choose from!  Thanks to Tarter for reading and getting me the shoe clips for a pair of flats.  So now, it's just deciding which I like better.  (But the flip flops will still be worn at the reception.  And yes, they will probably get kicked off within an hour.) 

It's really sinking in now that I'm getting married.  I've had a bridal shower and bachelorette party.  We've started receiving gifts and mailing out thank you cards.  Okay, they are addressed, but I need to get stamps.  I promise ladies, I'll get them out!  I'm still not nervous, I'm anxious, ready for the day to get here.  It feels like we have been planning forever!

Now the next step is find a gift for the groom.  Let me just say, this part is now my stress.  Every idea I've come up with, he either doesn't use, want, or is just too expensive.  However, last night, he finally gave me an idea.  So now, it's time for me to use the investigative skills I have to find it.  (I'm very good at research and investigating.  So anyone who has a job in this field, please give me a call, I'd love to talk to you!)

I'm planning on going up to Indiana in June for the bridal shower and bachelorette party up there.  Norm can't make it, he said it's either go with you and have a shorter honeymoon or not go and have the whole week.  Yeah, I opted for the whole week.  However, I've been informed by my uncle, cousins, and brother, that they will just throw a party when we come up before the wedding.  Poor Norm, he doesn't know what he's getting himself into!  And my cousin has specifically stated that he has to be "baptised" into the family.  Which means, poor Norm is going to have to go on a tubing trip and stop at the Holy River Island Baptist Catholic Lutheran Methodist Presbyterian Apostolic Church and get dunked!  What happens is, we go on a tube trip down the Tippecanoe River and at a half way point, there is a little island where we stop just to stretch, or jump of a tree into the river.  In the process of stretching, Patrick has taken it upon himself to baptise the whole family and all those who come with.  Basically, it's an excuse to dunk someone.  Hehe, I hope I get to go on that trip because, we haven't done that for awhile!

I'm looking forward to the trip up north.  My aunts throw one heck of a bridal shower!  And my Aunt Becky has promised to make me her famous Veggie Pizza!  I'm looking forward to the games and gifts and most importantly, just being with my family and friends up there.  I'm also looking forward to the embarrassment that my grandmother and aunts will put me through.  After that shower, I promise, I'll share the "Life of Socks".  I promise you, it's a story that when you hear your grandmother read to you, you turn a couple shades of red.  They haven't had a chance to read that for awhile, and I'm expecting a performance worth a standing ovation!

And then, my MOH#1 is throwing a bachelorette party that night.  She's working with my mom on this, and I'm just the tiniest bit nervous. Who knows what the two of them can come up with.   

Pre-Cana and the Rays

So we survived!!  And it wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it would be!  It was still boring as could be, but it wasn't that bad.  My biggest complaint is that if you're going to prepare people for marriage, shouldn't there be people there who are maybe married and can share how they have handled issues.  I get that communication and making budgets are important.  And that is something we have been doing and working on.  But just standing up by a podium and telling us that we need to do this and fill out a bunch of worksheets ain't going to do it.  We both agreed that the best part was when a couple who had been married for 45 years told us about their lives.  However, there was no interaction, and they were gone by the time we go back from lunch.  I really think that if the church wants to "prepare" people for marriage, then their marriage prep class should involve, oh I don't know, MARRIED PEOPLE WHO CAN SHARE AND WORK WITH US!!!!

Now on to more fun, Mom and Brad are joining us for a Rays game tomorrow!  Very excited to get to see them and hopefully get to see the Rays win!!!  Well I'm off, dinner and laundry await!

Pre Cana Here We Come

So this is the date Norm and I have been dread... I mean looking forward to.  It's time for our marriage prep class through the Catholic church.  I've been trying to do some research on what exactly happens at this event.  I haven't found much.  But the most I have found is that it is a waste of time and nothing positive.  From what I've read, it's a bunch of information that could be given to us in just a couple of hours.  But no, we will be there from 8:45am to no later than 5pm.  At least that's what the brochure said.  I was talking to my aunt about this last night and told her that I haven't found anything online positive about this experience. (And yes, I know, online isn't the best resource, but that's all I had at the time.)  And shockingly, she agreed with me.  She said when she went through it, they gained a lot of knowledge, but felt that it could have been A LOT shorter!

I hope that this is better than what I've read.  I hope that we can actually come out with something that will help us with whatever comes our way during married life.  So until tomorrow! Good night all!