5 Question Friday

I know that I am horribly late on posting this, but hey better late than never.

1. If you could, would you go back to high school? Absolutely not. I want time to move forward about a year and a half and not go backwards

2. If a genie appeared and granted you two wishes, what would they be? (And, no saying "more wishes".) Currently (1) for a new car (mine ruined my day, all day, and it was my bithday) (2) repair all the tornado damage at home

3. What kids show do you secretly like? I can't think of any right now. I don't get to watch much tv right now, so I pick my shows very carefully

4. What is your beverage of choice? Any fruity juice. I was for years a faithful mountain dew drinkerand dropped it cold turkey about 3 months ago. We shall see if juice and water can help me survive finals season. Wish me luck!

5. What is something that you would change about yourself (or are working to change in yourself)? Over the past couple months, I have been working on my eating habits. I've been doing pretty well, except when I have bad days like today, where all I want to do is eat

Don't forget to play along at Five Crooked Halos

Top 2 Tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday from The Undomestic Momma is Favorite Things of Summer.

1. The Weather (this sums up a lot)

Chris and I are both country/outdoors people. The summer allows you to be outside all the time. This summer we will be working outside at the farm a lot. The pups love being outside too. The warmer weather also means trips to the lake/river, picnics, walks down the county road, sleeping the windows open. Aww, sweet summer time!!!

2. Going Home

While I am still in school, the greatest part of the summer is getting to go home for three months. Three months away from class. Three months I get to live in the same town as Chris, my parents, my puppies, my grandparents, my sister and the rest of our families that are around the area. I get to work at a job that I love with people that I love (and are my second family). This year is the last time that I go home for the summer but return to Columbia and that is the most exciting part!!!

There is so much to love about summer. I look forward to reading all about your favorite things. Don't forget to go link up at Taylor's blog.

Kitchen Pictures

Now that I am back at the house, I have access to post some more pictures of the house.

Here is the kitchen over the weekend.

The kitchen today: With countertops

Then one last picture of Dozer

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a wonderful weekend. With finals starting in a week, it wasn't very productive school wise. But on the house front, it was vrey productive. It was nice to have a little break before the nightmare that is law school finals begins.

Friday morning, I woke up to storms and wasn't happy about traveling in the rain. I went to class and when I got out around 10:45, the rain had basically stopped. I lucked out to have a dry drive down. I arrived in Willow Springs around 2:00. I had to unload some tools I had previously picked up for the quarry. I also got to see Christopher which is always a plus. When I left there, I headed to my mom's house. I unloaded my bags and then mom, Dozer and I headed up to my house to work on a few things. The house is such a mess on the inside. Chris hadn't been staying there, even though his stuff was there. Everything in there had a nice layer of dust on it. We started doing some cleaning in the kitchen and downstairs bath.

When Chris got off work, he stopped by my moms to shower and clean up before taking me out to dinner. My birthday is Friday and becuase I wouldn't be going home for my birthday, Chris took me out to dinner this weekend to celebrate.

Chris and I before dinner.

We went to Colton's and it was yummy. After dinner, it was raining pretty bad. We went back to the house and got back to work. We didn't get a whole lot accomplished, but talked a lot about out plans for what to do in the house. Chris stayed in the new house for the first night on Friday. I didn't stay there. We aren't staying together overnight until we are married, so it will be a while before I stay there.

Saturday we took Dozer on his first roadtrip. We didn't go far, just to Gainesville, but to him it was still an adventure. We had to go to Gainesville to pick up our washer, dryer and stand up deep freezer. It poured on us the entire way back which was no fun. When we got back into West Plains, we met Chris's dad at Sears to pick up our stove. We got pizza for lunch and headed back to get to work. We cleaned and arranged furniture the rest of the afternon. We did have to make one trip to Hirsch to pick up a new weedeater for my dad. He was super impressed with Chris's weedeater and saw blade attachment. Dad decided he needed one just like it. He had a good one (Stihl, of course), but Chris's is professional grade.

Saturday, my wonderful mother hosted a birthday barbeque for me. My grandmother, sister and her two little boys all came up. We had steak, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, pasta salad and rolls. Everything as delicious. Dessert was my favorite though. Grandma made me a banana cream pie and mom made me a layered chocolate cake. It was all amazing.

I forgot to take pictures before we dug in.

Yes, I ate this much of my pie.

After dinner, I played dominos with Kolton and relaxed.

Sunday morning, Dozer and I work Chris up, bright and early. We had lots to do before I left. We did some more cleaning and oraganizing stuff in the house. Christopher moved several tools to the master bedroom closet until the shop gets closed in.

Every girl's dream

We got the bathrooms set up so they were both functional. I have unpacked several things in the kitchen. Not everything got done though since the countertops weren't installed yet (this is actually happening today). I didn't want to put things in the drawers/base cabinets only to get covered in dust too. We got the bed upstairs where I wanted it. There are a few boxes up there to unpack, but that will have to wait until I come home. We also went to the store to get a few necessities for Chris for the next few weeks. We didn't even have shower curtains.

Here are a few updated pictures of the upstairs bath

Dozer was a little hard to handle Sunday morning. He cried if we left the room he was in. He would jump off the bed to follow me everwhere, even if I went downstairs just to get something. Chris or I had to sit with him most of the time which slowed down some of the progress. I took a picure of Dozer and I while Chris was moving his tools.

Dozer had a big day playing at the house too. He even met a cow. At first, he got his attitude with the cow and was growling and barking. I think he then realized the cow was way bigger than him and ran for the comfort of me. He crashed when I got back to my moms to load up my car.

I left town around three. Chris's grandmother rode with me to Jefferson City. She was going to say with Chris's mom for a week. I met Cheryl and Tyler there to drop off granny.

Hope that you all had a wonderful weekend too. I have more pcitures of the house that I will post on later. I guess I didn't get them all put onto my computer before leaving for school like I thought.

Now, back to the books.

Get to Know You Sunday

I just got back into town from a wonderful weekend. I will post all about it tomorrow. For now, I will play along with Mann Land 5 on Get to Know You Sunday.


1. If you could star in any movie genre..what would it be..romance..horror..comedy..suspense or action? I think I would star in a comedy. Hopefully it was funny enough to make me laugh everyday

2. Do you recycle? You bet at school and at the house. I try to be good for the planet

3. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nope, and probably never will

4. Do you have a nickname? Dad calls me Linnie Shell, Stac (the sister) calls me Lynz, Mom calls me Tumblebug.

5. What's a name you can't stand to be called? A little graphic but I hate the word cunt

6. What are your Summer staples? Old Navy flip flops, cropped dress pants and open toe shoes for work

7. What was the last thing you bought for yourself? A mailbox (I know, exciting)

8. Are you happy with your boob size? Most of the time yes. There are days that I wish they were bigger (especially when shopping) but I'm pretty content and I wouldn't pay to make them bigger

Hope that you all had a fantastic weekend. Go play along and link up.

Show Us Your Life

Fridays are woderful blog days. There are so many great things to participate in. This week on Show Us Your Life is "How you met your fiancé"

A couple months after we started dating

Christopher and I have a very interesting story and I will go beyond how we met. I'll share how we got together too.

Christopher and I both grew up in the wonderful small town of West Plains. We went to different elementary schools and junior high schools, but ended up at the same high school WPHS (home of the Zizzers). Even though we were from a small town and went to the same school, we didn't begin to get to know each other until my junior year.

My junior year of high school (his senior year), I began dating this guy named Jordan. This wasn't exactly the best relationship, but hey, I was young and dumb and niave of what the world had to offer me. Christopher was one of Jordan's best friends. We all began hanging out a lot and really got to know each other. Chris spend a lot of time hanging out at my house with groups of people and we also went dirtroading, cruising town and fishing.

Because Chris was always around, I was always trying to set him with someone. I tried relatives, friends and anyone that I knew. Nothing seemed to work.

During this time that I was dating Jordan, Chris and I became great friends. I was always very comfortable with him and we could talk about anything. He was always super nice and sweet to me. He even brought me flowers on one occassion. Chris and I apparently both developed crushes on each other, but neither of us said a word until a few months after Jordan and I broke up. (I promise I did not cheat on Jordan, I'm not that kind of gal)

I was miserable in my relationship and finally broke things off with Jordan in August of 2003. Everyone as happy with that decision that I made :)  Chris and I didn't hang out very much right after Jordan and I broke up. It was just a little weird and he didn't know if he was allowed to still be friends with me. I called him once to ask him to hang out, but chickened out on asking. I figured that if he was interested, he would have called me. We talked for about 10 minutes then got off the phone. Jordan was no good for anyone and Chris stopped hanging out with him so much.

On October 18, 2003 is when history begins. This was the night of WPHS homecoming dance. I didn't go and neither did my sister. We were hanging out in town. Chris was in town with Anthony (a friend). During one of our laps, my sister thought that Anthony had flipped her off (funny, I know), so we follow the boys over to Auto Zone parking lot. Come to find out Anthony just waved at her. The boys asked if we wanted to hang out and of course we agreed. I climbed in the back of my sister's car. While the boys were walking over to the car, I just remember wishing that Chris would get in the back with me and he did. :)

We cruised town for quite a while and went dirt roading too. At the end of the nght, Chris asked me if us hanging out was just for that night or if he could call me the next day. Of couse, I told him, he could call me the next day. He did and the rest is history.

We have been together now for 6 1/2 years. We have never taken a break from each other. We both knew right away that we were meant to be together. We've been through a lot over the past six years (the last 5 being long distance) but I wouldn't change any of it. The struggles, fights and memories are what makes our relationship strong and our love, support and devotation to one another is what will keep us together.

That's our story so far. Many more years are ahead of us!!!

Want to share your story? Head over to Kelly's Korner to play along and don't foget to link up.

5 Question Friday

Thank goodness it is finally Friday. I have been ready for today all week. Since it is Friday, it is time for 5 Question Friday sponsored by Five Crooked Halos.

1. What was the first car you owned? A red 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix SE (it was ugly and a hand me down from my sister)

2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to? I don't know of any. People probably think it is strange that I still know all the words to every Backstreet Boys, Nsync, old Brittany stuff, but that it was makes things fun when you get together with friends

3. Have you ever had stitches? Too many times to even count. I was a clumsy kid that loved to be outside playing with my older siblings

4. What was your first job? When I was 13, I began working at my grandparents diner the Ozark Cafe. I waited tables there til I was 18 and left for college. The greatest job to date. It was a wonderful experience and I miss that place

5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character? Oscar the Grouch for sure :)
 
Don't forget to play along and link up!

Thursday Five

This week has been a stressful and busy week. So, to try to brighten my long day, I will take time to reflect on five things that make me happy this week.

1. I get to go home this weekend. (these are my favorite weekends) I'll get to see Chris, my puppies, my house, and the rest of my family. This also starts my birthday celebrations. My birthday is April 30 and since I will be stuck in the library at that time, my family is gettings things started a week early :)

2. My friendship with my sister. Growing up, we didn't always get along. In high school, things changed. We became best friends. We have had a few moments since there where we didn't exactly see eye to eye, but I love my sister! We are super close and talk several times a week. She's a busy mom with two kiddos and another on the way and still makes time for me :)

3. The semester is almost over. Next week is the last week of class and then two weeks of finals, then I will be home for the summer (my last summer as a legal secretary)

4. Getting married is no longer just a far away dream. My mother and I have started gathering information on wedding ideas. We have talked to a few different locations for the ceremony and reception. For us, getting everything that we want is more important than a particular date, so we are trying to get everything lined up early. I'll start tours and meetings with people when I get home for the summer.

5. Fantastic giveaways from fellow bloggers. My friend Mallory is hosting a great giveaway this week. Go check is out at A Day in the Life of a Newlywed. I'm entered to win and you could be too!!!


Wanna play along? Head over to Mann Land 5 and link up.

Top 2 Tuesday

Sorry, I'm late on Top 2 Tuesday. It has been a long and buy day.This week on Top 2 is favorite items under $15.

1. Old Navy Flip Flops - cost $3.50 (unless you go on $1 flip flop day)

These are the greatest flip flop. They are super comfortable and easy to break in. They come in a variety of colors that will match any outfit. And the fact that they are so cheap is just the added bonus. So, then it doesn't matter if the puppy chews one up or you lose one at the lake or you get paint all over it. One of the greatest investments in my closet.

2. The Dessert Menu at Resturants (tonight's special s'more party) - cost $6.99

I struggled finding a second item. I was trying to think of something that I buy on a regular basis that was under $15. All I could think of was food. Tonight I was out to dinner with Maggie and Katy. I go out to dinner with Maggie every Tuesday. We always get a dessert to share. Tonight's special was a s'more bar. They brought us marshmellows, chocolate and graham crackers. We also had our own little file. It was fantastic.

Hope that Tuesday treated you well. Head over to see Taylor at The Undomestic Momma an link up.

House Update

I am struggling with picking my Top 2 for Top 2 Tuesday. I'll continue to think about it and post later tonight. For now, I can post on what I do know, things about the house.

Brian has put up the new ceiling the front living room and bedroom. He will be tearing up the floors in these two rooms next week to fix their settling issues. Although, it is just sheetrock, here are the new ceilings.

Yesterday, Chris left work around 3:30 and headed to the house to get started on the next project in the kitchen. Our contractor laid the kitchen floor yesterday covering the kitchen and the pantry area. I hear it looks nice. All I get is pictures (til Friday when I get to see it for myself). Chris worked hard last night assembling the cabinets. Our contractor is off today so that he can attend some lead training for his contractor's license. Chris wanted to make sure that all of the cabinets are done so that Brian can hang the cabinets Wednesday and Thursday. They should be done before I get home on Friday. We just won't have the countertop in yet. We can't set up our appointment with them yet until cabinets are at least partially put in. Chris sent me this picture last night to show some of the cabinets in the kitchen as well as the new floor.

Chris did a great job on the walls and I cannot wait to see the kitchen basically done this week. I'll post more next week when everything is in place.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was pretty low key for me again. Finals time does that.

Friday I went to class and then went to work. After I got off at 5:00, I came home to finish my grocery list. I wanted to get my shopping done on Friday so I didn't have to leave my house Saturday and Sunday. I made it back just in time for the Card's game to start. This weekend, we were in a series with the Mets. I crashed after the game.

Saturday, I got up early (had to get Chris up) and got started right away working on my Sales and Leases outline. I find this to be my most difficult course. It frustrates me a lot. I wouldn't have even taken the course had it not be a subject tested on the bar. I took a small break (or what I thought was going to be a small break) to watch the Cards game. It started at three. I was doing some light housecleaning and reading during the game. The game ended up lasting 20 innings and almost 7 hours. It was craziness. I can't even imagine how exhausting that was for the players.

Chris got al of his stuff moved out of his apartment on Saturday. He will be staying with his grandmother this week. He wanted to get out of his apartment early so get the most back of his April rent. He was a busy little bee. He also painted our kitchen. I hear it looks awesome. Mom took a picture before they painted (showing the mud covering the wallpaper and the texturing)

I am so excited. The only downfall right now is the mess that I will have to start working on this weekend while I am home. Since a couple of the spare bedrooms are used for storage and one being renovated and the kitchen being worked on, Chris has put his stuff all over the house. His tools are in the master bedroom (great) and other things in the family room. Mom sent me a picture showing me the family room:

What a way to spend my birthday weekend, huh. Not only do I have to get this organized, it all has to be cleaned. Everything in the house has a nice layer of dust on it.

Sunday I had to take a trip to Harbor Frieght for my dad. He buys the boys at work cheap tools since they break/lose them. Harbor sends dad coupons and he then mails them to me. (I wish that I knew how to get him off that mailing list). Oh well, only one year left to worry with those trips. I returned home before 10 and resumed outlining. I know, what a life.

Maggie came over Sunday evening for dinner and to watch the last game in the series. I love this weather and being able to bbq. It's one of my favorite things about sumer.

One last update for you. My mother also sent a new picture of Dozer. He is growing so much. He is almost the same size as my mom's beagle. I can't wait to see him this weekend.

I'm hoping that this week goes by fast. Friday will be my last trip home for the semester. I need the break already. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Get to Know You Sunday

I typically dread Sundays because it means that we are one day closer to Monday (booo), but at least there are fun things on Sunday like "Get to Know You Sunday" by Mann Land 5 that can distract me from doing my school work.
1. Mens chests..hairy or hairless? Definately hairless. Chris isn't hairy at all (thank God) and if he ever gets hairy, he will be waxing that stuff off

2. How often do you run red lights? Never, here in Columbia they have red light cameras, so I try hard not to get a ticket

3. If you could raid any celebrity's closet..whose would you raid? Reese Witherspoon, she is adorable

4. Would you rather have more followers/friends on Facebook, Twitter, or your Blog? I would love to have more followers on my blog than I have currently, but I also enjoy having the connections on facebook becuase as of now, it reaches more people and if I need to get ahold of someone, I can

5. What makes you feel sexy? The look that Chris will give me when we are at a large family function and he will see me from across the room (that look makes my heart melt)

6. I get excited when...........? I think that I only have one year left of school and then I will be an attorney (woohoo)

7. Are you the "outdoorsy" type or more "indoorsy"? I definately love the outdoors. No, I'm not one that goes hiking or river rafting all the time, but I'd much rather be outside than inside. Chris and I enjoy working on our farm, fishing, riding 4-wheelers, taking walks, etc. It is a great live out in the country

8. Would you rather have your dream home or a million dollars? I'd take a millin dollars. I could build my dream home with less than 1/2 of it and then have the rest of the money to spend on other things like investments for our future children, paying off our rent house, buying new cars, etc

Show Us Your Life

This week on Show Us Your Life by Kelly's Korner is talking about Teacher's Gifts.

When I was in grade school, we always made our own teacher's gifts. My grandmother was always very crafty and would help me make homemade gifts like Christmas ornaments and house decor. When Chris and I have kids, I am not so sure that we will have time to make homemade gifts. We will probably have to buy gifts. Things that I think are good gifts are

1. Stationary sets

2. Bags for carrying supplies

3. Decor

4. Gift Baskets

5. Supplies for Classroom