Saturday, April 30, 2011

Blessings

Yesterday marked the last day of classes as a law student. Two classes are officially done and that leaves three finals and I'll be done!

I was sitting in my last class yesterday and my professor took some time to give us a little talk about life and it was amazing. When I graduated high school, my chemistry teacher read of "Oh the Places You Will Go" and I felt like I was in that moment again.

Professor Hensen told us about his experience and about getting to where he is now. He had always dreamed about being a law professor but it wasn't until more recently that he was able to do just that. He told us that we should hold on to our dreams and always chase after them. He reminded us that our dreams are the most important thing that we will ever create.

So, I'm sitting in class, trying really hard not to cry. I am overwhelmed with blessings. I feel fortunate enough to be able to chase my dreams for my first job. I don't have to settle for a job that I don't want in order to pay off student loans. I don't have to settle for a job that I don't want because the job market sucks and taking something is better than nothing. I am going into a job that I know that I love and will be able to work with people that I love. I am going to the location that I want - home with my family.

Chris and my family have always been there for me supporting every dream that I ever had. I was never told that I couldn't do something or that I shouldn't do something. I appreciate that more than Chris and my family will ever know.

I just thought that I would share. Please keep hold of your own dreams and chase them with all that you have. I did and it feels amazing to be 2 weeks out from graduating law school!




Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Weekend Recap

Well, I am a little late updating you on the weekend, but hey, its finals time here at the law school and I don't have a lot of free time.

Friday, Maggie and I took the 3 hour drive down south to spend our last weekend in Pomona as college students. Maggie will be leaving for Texas in a few weeks and she wanted to have one last visit before she left. Friday afternoon we ran a few errands in Willow Springs while my car was getting its oil changed. We then headed to the house to get started on dinner. We had a few people over and charcoaled steak on the grill. Luckily we got the steaks done before the downpour started. We then relaxed around the house the rest of the night while the puppies played.

Saturday morning, I was up bright and early with the pups. It was a pretty decent morning. Temps weren't bad and the sky was clear. I spent some time outside with the doggies. I also go started making cupcakes for the big birthday party for Saturday night. We all got around and headed to town. We ran a few errands, did a little shopping, had lunch - all during massive rain. We got back to the house early afternoon to finish getting ready for the birthday party.

Chris and I headed to town around 3 for our food tasting at our venue. No decisions have been made yet on the food. Everything they brought us to try was so good. The biggest decision that we have to make now is whether we want to offer our guests 2 choices of meat for dinner. Any of you who have been wedding guests or planned a wedding, what are your thoughts?

Saturday night we had a 6 person birthday party. We celebrated April/May birthdays (Doris, Trent, Bryson, Maggie, dad and myself). The boys also had a small Easter egg hunt. Here are a couple of pictures of the night.












The flooding down south is just crazy. We have gotten so much rain. All over town things are flooded, our fields are flooded, our driveway entrance is gone. Apparently the wind with the storms last night knocked over a light pole in our field and a tree which is now covering the county road ruining both our fence and my parents. Can we just have warm spring now please?

Sunday was a pretty lazy day. I  stayed pretty busy on the phone with Cheryl and the family. Maggie and I even stopped by the hospital on our way back to Columbia. Thank you all for your prayers. Rodney is doing some better. They released him from ICU yesterday and he is in the cardiac unit at the hospital. They are still saying no surgery will help his blockage though. We are hoping he will be released at the end of the week.

Time to get back to the books.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Prayer Request

For those of you who believe, can you please say an extra prayer for me please.

Chris's step dad Rodney had a massive heart attack yesterday morning. The docs have discovered 100% blockage on the left side of his heart, which the right side being okay. The inserted a balloon in order to help blood flow but the blockage was too bad for a stint. As of right now, they are saying the blockage is too severe that doing surgery will not help and they think the damage cannot be repaired. He is in ICU in Jefferson City, Missouri and remains listed in critical care. They will run more tests tomorrow to discover the extent of the damage.

I appreciate in advance you keeping this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Just a thought


Chris's aunt has been a great help to me the past few weeks. She has been great to talk to amongst this whole wedding ordeal (see previous post about my wedding nightmares). She usually posts a pretty good status on facebook. Today's was extra special for me and exactly what I needed. I thought that I would share it with all of you.
Laugh when you can... Apologize when you should... And let go of what you can't change... Love deeply and forgive quickly..."lifes too short to be anything but happy". Take chances and give your everything... You have to take the good with the bad... Love what you have... Always remember what you had... Forgive... but don't forget.. but always remember.. that life goes on.

Today I am choosing to be happy!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

What I am Loving Wednesday


Seeing as how I am super stressed today, I feel like I need to look more into my blessings in life. So, today I am linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

I am loving the fact that there is only 24 days left until graduation (aka our hooding ceremony)



I am loving the fact that there are only 100 days until I finally move home to Pomona for good.


I am loving the fact that Friday I will be heading home for my last weekend in the country as a law student.



I am loving the fact that Maggie gets to have one last weekend in the country with me before she moves off to Texas to produce the news in Abilene.


I am loving our engagement pictures. When I am upset, I go back and look at them. (Photos courtesy of D Coleman Photography)


I am loving the fact that Chris has been working such long hours on the farm. Cannot wait to see our new fence (yup, I"m a farm gal loser)


I am loving Christopher. He is seriously my best friend and am thankful for him in my life every day!



Hope that Wednesday is treating you well.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Wedding Nightmares

Well before I get too in detail about the dreams, I'll start by telling you about why I am having these dreams.

About a month ago, one of Chris's cousin's (Matt) proposed to his girlfriend of about a month (yes, just a month). Well they originally talked about getting married in October, just a couple of weeks after us. Well, things have changed and they are now getting married in August, just a mere 6 weeks before our big day. Despite how upset I was at this (I still cannot believe that a female would do that to another female), I tried to keep my mouth shut. I don't need Chris's family mad at me or going around saying that I don't want them to be happy or have their special day. That isn't it at all. I just want to have my own special time and I think the months before and after ours should have been left alone. Case in point, another one of Chris's cousins (Shay) got engaged just a week after Matt. Shay's girl originally wanted a fall wedding, but happily agreed with Shay about getting married in the Spring of 2012 so as to not take away from our time.

Yes, I am fully aware at this point that I look childish and selfish. I may be and I am okay with that. Chris and I have been together for 7 1/2 years and have endured a long distance relationship for 6. I am about to graduate law school in less than a month. Truthfully, I feel like this should be our time and the families should respect that.

Ok, so when Matt first got engaged, they had even talked to us about using the same venues we did. Right now, they are saying they don't have a venue picked out yet. Granted, they have picked a wedding date. Some people have theorized that the venue is picked but it is being kept secret. I have shared very little details of the wedding with anyone except my mom, bridal party and really close friends. Shoot, my dad doesn't even know what my dress looks like. But the thought of someone getting married just 6 weeks before us and using the same ideas as us terrifies me beyond belief. Despite the fact that Chris and I have been discussing our wedding for 7 years and actually planning details for 1 year, someone using something first in time relation will make us look like we copied. The biggest details (songs, colors, themes) were discussed and I try not to bug them every time that I think about something major that I don't want copied, but thoughts are racing in my head.

I have been stressing about this so much that it is causing me nightmares. Last night I had a dream that I was sitting in their wedding and as she was walking down the aisle, I realized that we had the same dress. Talk about panic. Then as the dream continued, I couldn't find another dress that I was in love with in 6 weeks. It was terrible. I woke up with a pounding heart and tears streaming down my face. It's days like this that I hate living all by myself because I have no one close when I woke up.

Despite being reassured time and time again by everyone, I cannot stop thinking about it. I try to distract myself with school work and focusing on my own wedding. I have tried shopping, eating, exercising, organizing, cleaning. Nothing seems to work.

Someone please help me otherwise I will be crazy for the next 160 days til our wedding!

Friday, April 15, 2011

5 Question Friday

Well, I had a little time before class started, so I decided I needed to post for 5 Question Friday. I had missed a few weeks, but things have been super busy in my life. Yes, so busy for both Chris and I that we have to schedule time to talk on the phone. So anxious to not have to do this long distance thing anymore. But anyways, onto the questions.

1. What is your favorite sign of spring?
Flowers for sure. I love walking outside and smelling flowers and fresh mowed grass. I love the look of all the blooming trees and flowers on the ground. It just puts me in a better mood 

2. What was your best birthday ever?
April 30, 2005 was the best birthday that I can remember. I am sure that I had some pretty fantastic birthdays as a child, but none that really stand out to me that I can remember. My birthday in 2005 was perfect though. My dad sang to me at 6:52 am like he does every year since that was the time I was born. My birthday was on a Saturday and I had taken the day off. Chris told me that he had something special planned. He picked me up just before lunch time with a card in hand. He apologized that he had to go help his dad move something for an uncle but it wouldn't be a long delay. Well, it turns out there was no moving, it was Chris's way to distract me and sneak away to Tingler Prairie (part of the conservation department). Turns out, he had made me lunch (all of my favorite meal), packed a picnic (that his dad set up before we got there) and we had a great little lunch on a deck in the middle of a field overlooking a lake. It was beautiful and absolutely perfect. (Learned later, he was planning to propose that day, but the ring hadn't wasn't in before the picnic. We then spent the afternoon with Chris's family and dinner with mine. It was a perfect day!
 
3. What is your favorite dessert?
I have many favorite desserts and will be enjoying them again for my birthday in a couple of weeks. My mom always makes me a homemade chocolate cake with homemade chocolate icing and grandma makes me a banana pie. But I also enjoy homemade ice cream and peach cobble (fresh peaches only)

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to get out of a ticket. I guess it is not in my nature to cry and play the girly role just to do that. One officer I actually argued with about my speed and even asked to see his radar gun. Probably not the best idea. But hey, I worked for an attorney and have gotten out of both speeding tickets that I have received 

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times?
I am one of those freaks with an internal clock and I wake up generally before my alarm goes off. If I happened to have a rough night and my alarm goes off, I always get up with the alarm clock. Not getting up is wasting valuable productive time 

Hope that ya'll have a great weekend. My weekend will be spent working on outlines and papers - sounds gross, but worth it when I graduate in one month  


Starting to sink in

So, today is April 15, 2011. In exactly one month from today I will be standing in Jesse Auditorium on the Mizzou campus getting "hooded" for our graduation ceremony. Yesterday, I even ordered my gown, cap and hood. It is so hard to believe that this is real.We have been talking about it for so many years that is just really hasn't sank in yet that I am about to finally start my career.

I am so excited about the life that there is to come. There are tons of good things happening in the next few months. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people to celebrate and support in all these events.


Sunday, April 10, 2011

Saturday's Bridal Shower

Although it was a little early since our wedding isn't until September, I had my first bridal shower on Saturday. There are a few people, including myself and Maggie that are graduating in May and won't be around long and we wanted to get a shower in before my Columbia people all scatter across the United States.

Walking into the room, I was blown away. It was everything I could have ever wanted. The shower was hosted by Maggie, my wonderful maid of honor and Sara, a close friend of mine. They used my wedding colors - black and hot pink. There were pictures of Chris and I everywhere. Maggie also made a slideshow of Chris and I set to our song. I walked into the room and cried because it was so amazing.

Here are a couple of pictures. I won't bore you with all the gift pictures though.










And I am so proud of myself. Thank you cards are already done!

Friday Night - George and Reba

Friday was a busy, busy day. I went to class and then grabbed a protein smoothie for lunch and headed to work. My mom got into town around 3:30 and I took off a few hours early. We got ready to head out to the concert. Sara showed up just after 4. Rumor was that parking would be a nightmare and they were expecting record number of guests to Mizzou Arena. We grabbed a quick dinner at Arby's (it is my mom's favorite and we don't have one back home).

The concert was amazing. LeAnn Womack opened the show. She sounded amazing live. She performed for about 30 minutes which was longer than I expected. Reba was my favorite though. She is a great performer. She played for about an hour and a half. Melissa Peterman (Barbara Jean from the Reba show) even came out to do a little act. LeAnn Womack came out to sing "Does He Love You". Her encore song was "Fancy" where she came out in a cab and a sparkly red dress. George sang great and had a great variety of music from old to current. The only let down is that it was a little on the boring side. The concert was a square and he went from corner to corner singing 2 songs at each. Guess I just wanted more. Anyway, here are some shots from the night.











Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Perspective

Well, there is something that has been bothering me from facebook. I have the urge to say something, mainly because I cannot keep my mouth shut, but I feel spilling my feelings here is better than personally calling someone out.

There is a couple that I am friends with who have been dating for a relatively short period of time and have since became engaged. These two constantly (I mean like 17 times a day) post about how much they love each other and miss each other. This type of behavior always bothers me. Don't get me wrong, I will give Chris a shout out every once in a while, but I don't send him messages on facebook that should be meant as text messages or phone calls personally between a couple. I have a hard time understanding why you feel the need to do this anyway. This makes you look immature and that you are trying to show off being in love. That isn't what love is about. Trust me, I am all for love. I love being in love, but I do not have to announce it every 5 minutes so that other people know I am in love. It makes me wonder if you are trying to convince me that you are in love, or are trying to convince yourself.

Secondly, it drives me insane for people to complain about being apart for just a couple of days. Sure when you are in a relationship, you want to spend time together. Trust me, I know this for a fact. Chris and I have been doing a long distance relationship for 6 years. I know how much it sucks to be apart. But there are days that I feel terrible for thinking about how much I miss Chris. There are so many situations that we could be in that would be worse. I feel terrible for the military families with one party overseas and you go months and years without seeing each other. I cannot even imagine what that is like. The longest Chris and I have been apart has been 5 weeks. So, to the person who was away from your significant other for 2 days, maybe you should think before you post about how you miss someone so much that it physically hurts.

Come on people. Grow up. If you aren't mature enough to handle the relationship, maybe you shouldn't be dating, much less getting married. I am about to tell you off and de-friend you.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Spring Break

Spring Break officially ended this morning with the return to work in Columbia and going back to law school. Ah, wasn't ready for that. But the week at home was wonderful but rather busy. Here is a brief overview of the week at home.

I got home Friday, March 25th. It was my parent's anniversary. Chris and I had dinner with my parents. Their celebration wasn't happened til Saturday. We just sat around to visit after dinner. I also made 4 dozen cookies for the family get together on Saturday.

Saturday, March 26th. I got up early and made 7 pounds of potato salad for the family dinner. I then spent some time shopping with  my mom. I had lunch with my sister, brother and grandma. Chris bought my first birthday present of the year. He bought me a lovely new pair of cowgirl boots. I love them a bunch and I'm pretty sure that they will be what I wear during our wedding reception (there is no way that I will make it that long in 3 1/2 inch heels). We headed out to the party around 4. It was a joint engagement party for two of Chris's cousins. Here are a couple of pictures from the event.
 This is Chris's mom with her two daughters in law 

 Chris's cousin Shay with his fiancĂ© Hannah

Chris's cousin Matt with his fiancĂ© Tonya 


It was a fun night and I always enjoy spending time with the family. There were people there that I hadn't seen in a couple of months.

Sunday, March 27th. I spent the day working around the house. I did some cleaning, laundry and even bathed the puppies. Chris was outside working the whole day. I made a pot chili for dinner since it was still chilly outside. Getting really tired of the cold weather.

Monday, March 28th. I headed into work at SP's office. I love going into work and have things on my desk to work on. I feel appreciated and I know that I am doing what I love. SP and I worked out the details of my employment as an attorney. I cannot wait. Just a few months left. Chris and I did grocery shopping and picked up dinner.

Tuesday, March 29th. I ran a few wedding errands during the morning and then had lunch with my mom and sister. Chris and I headed to Springfield for our engagement pictures. I know I posted them, but I will share with you just a few of my favorites. I am so in love with our pictures. David Coleman of D Coleman Photography took them. I am so pleased and cannot wait to see what he does for the wedding.




Wednesday, March 30th. It was a typical day at work for both Chris and I. After work, we went out to dinner with Shay and Hannah (see above) and then Hannah's son, Mason came along. Here is a picture of me with Mason from the engagement party.



He is a precious baby and it is such a joy to spend time with kids. Chris and I aren't having kids for a while, but we love spending time with kids.

Thursday, March 31st. My office threw me my first birthday of the year. Despite the fact that my birthday is still a month away, I am always away at school studying for finals during my birthday, so they plan my birthday parties early. We had lunch at Hillbilly Junction (great place, except this time they didn't have real mashed potatoes). Got my birthday fudge from there and Jeannett made me a jello cake (yummy). Thursday afternoon, Jeannett came by after work to help make some cry packs for the wedding. I feel blessed to have a wonderful bridal party that volunteers to help and I don't have to harass them to do anything for me. We also had a new pup show up at the house. Boots didn't like her so she ended up at my mom's. Here she is, her name is Molly.



Friday, April 1st. Last day of work was a little slow. SP was gone as well as another gal in the office. I always hate leaving there. Friday night we had dinner with my parents one last time.

Saturday, April 2nd. Chris had wood to cut to get ready to put up new fence. I ran a few errands with my mom. We then met Chris's mom for lunch. Those two wonderful ladies are planning me a graduation party. We then went out to the house of my alterations lady. She is making my mom and Cheryl dresses for the wedding. And then I had to put on my dress to see what needed to be done to it. Cheryl got all teary eyed. It was the first time Cheryl saw it. I love my dress and seeing everyone's reaction to it makes me know I picked the perfect one. I cannot wait to see the look on Chris's face when he sees it. Saturday night we had a birthday party for Chris's nephew Caden. It is hard to believe that Caden is 8. Sheesh, I'm starting to feel old.


Sunday, April 3rd. I got my stuff all packed early (before my entire family got up). I woke up Chris and we spent some time together before I had to leave. It was so nice outside and we let the boys play outside quite a bit. Turned out to be 85-90 degrees. It was amazing. But then today it was cold again. Not cool, mother nature!

Well, that was Spring Break in a nut shell. It was a busy week, but I love my life down there. The past four months cannot go by fast enough.

Today was a pretty crappy day, but that is for another post. Hope that this week goes well for all of you!