Hello Friends and family. I want to introduce you to the two newest members of my little family with Joshua. Meet Pickles and "Cat". We have not yet decided on a name for "Cat" but we've been calling him Tucker. If you have any suggestions of names that are adorable, please post what you think! Say hello!

"MEW!" - Pickles (10wks)



"MEW!" - "Cat"/Tucker (4mo)

I really don't have a lot to say right now, but...Here is one photo that we had taken for our engagement session. We don't have any more of them back yet, but i thought i would give you a taste of how they will be. More to come. Life is busy, thanksgiving at Josh's (and soon to be mine) with his family and my parents + Cory and Christina...and in about 16 days I'll have cats. I simply can't wait. ok, here's the pic.

I Know i've been BLOG MIA for quite some time now, but with all this getting engaged and planning a wedding, i haven't had time to think about blogging. Things are going swimmingly for Josh and me. We have our church, reception site and photographer all booked. I have my dress. Our Engagement photos will be this Saturday evening. I am really excited for them. And then next week, Josh and I will head to the Ridgedale mall to take a look at some suits for the men we plan to have in our wedding. I won us some really nice discounts from a place there, and we want to try to take advantage of that.

When i say i won the discounts, i'm referring to the PLINKO game i dominated at the wedding fair on Sunday, last. Mom, Kate and I went to check out all the wedding vendors and see what they had to offer. we had a great time there together. laughing, drinking wine, and eating cake! mmmmm cake. i'm looking forward to the cake testing part. YAAAY! Anyway...my color schemes are coming together and i have some great ideas for center pieces at the reception and so on.

Well, in other news, work has been hella busy! i've not had time to catch up on my job because i've been dealing with issues from some of my retailer accounts. so many issues that i can't keep up with my actual responsibilities. so that is why i am writing this from my desk at work. Yes, i'm still here. the good news is, i'm about to head out the door. I want to get home and think about getting to the gym. it's getting kinda late in the night and i'm not sure i want to trudge down there now, but i'll at least do something at home...maybe stretch and do crunches or something. push ups, you know...a few things to at least make myself feel better about being a total laze bucket.

*sigh* i'm sure i have photos for all of you to see, however, most of you have already seen them in emails or online. so i guess i won't post anything until i have something new to post. ok one last question and then i'm our for the night. (good night!!!)

What should i be for halloween? i'm thinking Wenda, from Where's Waldo. I may make Josh be Waldo. I think it's only fair. anyone have any suggestions?

Last Night, Josh and I celebrated our 1 year together. We were actually in IL for the REAL date (Sept 16), so last night we had a date to celebrate with each other. I met him at Solera, which is a restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis where we had our very first date. He met me there with flowers. I was so happy!!


After we sat on the rooftop (just like before) and had an Olive plate (just like before) and some other treats, we went over to the Sculpture gardens at Walker Art Museum. That was where our third date was. We strolled around and had a nice time. we walked through the flower canopied garden where we had our first kiss, and of course, he stopped me at just the spot where we had kissed before. so sweet. Then, once it got dark, we went to uptown and had a drink at Tum Rup Thai, where he took me for our second date. I discovered a new wine that i really like. It was very citrus-y! anyway...we had a nice little romantic date, retracing our steps from when we first met. It was really special. Gosh, i just love the way he looks at me sometimes. His eyes....he just looks so full of love, and most of you probably know what that feels like...you've all probably seen that look before in your husband's eyes, but man, i never knew how that really felt. I never knew what it felt like to be truly, truly loved by someone. (family aside, i know you all love me). It's an amazing feeling. I see him look at me that way, and my heart just bursts with love for him. I'm glowing just thinking about him. I honestly feel so blessed to have found him. I'm thankful every day that he was brought into my life and that he was created, just for me. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!

I love You Joshua Paul, thank you for being everything I've ever wanted, and everything I've ever needed in the love of my life. You are truly an amazing man. hugs and kisses.

*sigh* I'm in love...

HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD! Love you both very much. I hope you had a great day!

UPDATE: I have my phone again! YAAY!

Second Update: I ran a whole mile last night without stopping, in 10:29:00. I was pretty proud of myself. I plan to cut off a minute-thirty from that so i can run 9 minute miles, but that'll take time and work. i'm up for it. it feels so good to have accomplished that little feat! (i don't think i've run a mile without stopping since i was in college...and i don't know if i really ever did it then.) anyway...all is good!

Bonjour everyone! I am actually sitting outside the Jimmy Johns on Hennepin Ave S. They have internet here. Thank you Apple Store (across the street!). I do not have internet at my apartment, trying to save money where i can so that i can pay rent! so I have to get creative when i need the web. Tonight, i an phoneless. I forgot my phone and bus pass at work and realized it when i was getting on the bus. I just told the driver i had to find mine in my purse, and then walked to the back of the bus. i assumed, since the bus is so busy, that the drive would forget all about my promise by the time we got to my stop...he did. i just walked right off the bus, no problems. that's the second time i've done that. excellent!

In other news, I have decided to run a 5k this fall with Josh. We're running the Chaska Turkey Trot on November, 13. i'm actually pretty pumped about it. I'm sitting here, just steps away from the gym, preparing to go run a mile and a half. i think tonight i can do it. I do need to get some new shoes though. Mine are old and i need more support for my ankles and bunions. ugh, why do i have to have those? sick. Anyways, this will be a pretty big accomplishment for me, since i am not a runner. I will start with the 5ks, then eventually run a 10k, and i would like to run a half marathon before i have a family of my own...but we'll see about that. I still don't know why a person would actually want to run 13ish miles. it just sounds so stupid. but i'll try!

This weekend will be 1 year for Josh and me. September 16, 2009 we met in person, for the first time, at Solera. we had some drinks and talked for hours about everything. i felt an instant connection to him...and i think he felt the same. anyway, now a year later we're still going strong. We'll be in IL on the 16th for my best college friend's wedding. Justin is getting married and he asked me to stand with him, on his side. so i'll be a "Groomsmaid". i'm looking forward to it. Then in October, the first week, Josh and I are headed up to Two Harbors and Duluth to spend a week sight seeing and relaxing. I've never really been to either place before, at least not that i can remember. I stayed in DUluth one night with jamey because we went up to watch our friend Katie Timm play volleyball in college, but i think i was there for a total of like 8 hours. not sure. anyway...i'm really looking forward to our time together up there. It'll be awesome!

Ok, i need to go and run this 1.5 miles now. i was trying to get a hold of Josh on Gmail chat, but he refuses to look at his phone and talk to me. i have NO other way to communicate with him because my phone is on my desk at work. i guess i'll check back after my run. ugh...i feel helpless and lost without my phone. alright gotta run. ha. get it? run...because i'm running a turkey trot. haha the word trot makes me laugh.

CHOW.

HAPPY 2ND ANNIVERSARY TO JAMEY AND KATE!

I love you both very much. Have a wonderful trip and make it home safely!
Hugs and kisses!

Well, i don't have a ton to update about, but i did go home this weekend to spend time with my parents. Boy, it was nice to see them and just relax. I had a great time with my family and really loved laying around like a bum. Thanks Mom and Dad, for the awesome weekend.

Tonight, i'm going to drive Josh to Shakopee to pick up his new car. He decided to get a little Ford Focus (2001) to replace is white cavalier that died a few weekends ago. I mean, of course it's not a dream car, but it'll be a nice car for him to bomb around in for a year or two until he can afford a new car. Kinzie is coming over once i get home. She wants to see my new place, and i can't wait to see her! hopefully i'll get my place cleaned up before she gets there. i have one picture hung in my place so far. Chat Noir...If it fell during the day today, i'm going to be devastated! once i have it cleaned and organized, as i promised almost a month ago, i will take pictures and post them on here. but, until then, just know it's all falling into place.

Well, i hope you're all having a great week. Happy "almost end of August" to you! Enjoy the rest of Summer! I am getting excited for Fall! WOOO HOOOO! can't wait!

Looks like my brother and i have the same dream totems. What do you suppose THAT does to people's dreams?
Jamey's

Mine

To My Sweet Little Abigail Lee.


I'm so sorry you got sick, little girl. We didn't want to see you suffer any more, and so now you rest with the angels in heaven. 9 years ago I found you in the video store. The crazy cat lady of Kasson was trying to find you a home, and I felt a connection to you instantly. We brought you home and made you a beloved part of our family. Since that day you have been loved and cared for. Babby, you had a very good life. I'm so glad I got to be there to give you pets and kisses, to let you explore the great outdoors and to see you sleeping soundly on the blanket atop my bed when I came home from school. I loved finding you on your cat mat in the living room, quietly passing time. I always knew you wanted a good scratch behind your ears and under your chin. You remember that scratch, the one that made your back foot thump and your eyes roll up towards the ceiling. Oh I'm going to miss giving you those scratches. You know, one of my favorite things was coming upstairs, when I was staying at home with mom and dad, to find you snuggled up with your papa purring and getting your pets for the night. I know that Dad loved that time with you. It was your special time together and you both loved it more than the other knows. Abby, you were such a beautiful cat. I will forever hear your little half hearted meow whenever I look at the place in the kitchen where "your" bowl was. I love how you couldn't eat from any other bowl, just yours. you silly little girl.



Biddy is really going to miss you. You were her best friend and her sister. She'll be lonely for a while, but don't worry. Mama will take care of her and tell her why you went away. They'll miss you a lot, but Lilly and Izzy still have each other. They will be ok.


There are so many things I wish I could have told you before you went away. But know that you are with God now. Jesus and the angles will pet you and kiss you and love you just the way we did down here on Earth. Be at peace my sweet baby girl. I will see you again someday, when I join you and Sophie and Leo in heaven. I promise to think of you often and continue to love you, forever and ever.

Goodbye, Abigail Lee. I love you.

Well, i haven't fully unpacked my new place yet, so i don't have any pics to show you. But i promise to have some soon. I do, i promise.

In the meantime, let me tell you about my dentist visit(s). I was on my way up to Lake of the Woods to surprise Kate for her birthday when i noticed that my right, bottom molar (#3 third from the back, #1 being my missing wisdom tooth)had chipped on the side and was basically crumbling off. According to josh it looked "SICK" and "disgusting." thanks honey. i love you, too. *rolls eyes*

Anyway...i decided that since the dentist had told me i would need a crown on that tooth someday, that maybe this was a good time to start thinking about that. (even though i know it will cost me $500+) I went to the dentist, and he was sure glad i came in. "wow, this tooth is in bad shape. good thing you got in here, it's just full of decay" i hate that word. please don't say decay in my presence. just say, it's full of bad news.

Well, he gave me the Novocaine and drilled and scraped until he was ready to put the impression gunk in there to take a mold of my tooth. Or maybe he did that before he drilled and scraped, that would make more sense. It doesn't matter, the point is, he did both. He fit me for a temporary crown and sent me on my way, asking me to come back in two weeks for the real deal.

i suffered slight pain every time i chewed on something for two weeks. whatever. pain happens. My mom would have advised to just "take some ibuprofen and wait two days. if it still hurts, then go to the doctor". let's just say, it's a good thing i never busted my leg. I'm not sure I'd be walking today.

Ok, back on track...i went into the dentist on Tuesday, this week, to get my new bling. I laid in the chair and he gave me the Novocaine again. He grabbed onto my temp crown and ask if i could feel that, as he pulled slightly. with a wince on my face and a shaky voice, i replied "uh huh," trying not to swallow the cotton gauze he had stuffed in my mouth. so he gave me another half shot of Novocaine and i was numb. awesome. He yanked the temp crown out and within 30 minutes, i had a brand new tooth. shiny, slippery, and white. It fit perfectly into place without any sanding or further alterations. It was perfect. My mouth eventually came back to life about 3 hours later. I'm happy with it. but my bank account won't be happy for long.

Here is a picture of my beautiful new molar. (molar--molar...say that word out loud. molar. it sounds funny.) I'm sorry to those of you who don't want to see the inside of my mouth, tough it out. it's life!


And, here is a picture of me in my bathroom at my new apartment, sweating, per usual. It's always hot in there. i hate sweating...thought i'd share.

Hello Everyone! This is my last week living in NE Minneapolis. I will be moving to Uptown...which is actually south of downtown..funny eh? Anyway, Things at home haven't been the best as far as my living situation is concerned. I'm not comfortable and i feel as though i'm walking around on eggshells all the time. no one should have to live in a home (and pay to live there) where they don't feel comfortable. I decided, with the support of friends and family, that it was time for me to find a place of my own for a few months. i'm SO EXCITED to move in. This Friday, my mother and father are coming up to pack up my things, and move me away. This little place may not be perfect, and yeah, i might have been able to find something bigger for less, but the location and the character of this studio apartment stole my heart. i couldn't pass it up! It's adorable! I've only got one photo of the outside, but once i'm settled in, i hope to have pics of my new home. I can't wait to show you all! Nothing else is really new for me.

Here's the front of my new place:


I guess i went on a trip up to Lake of the Woods to surprise Kate for her 30th Birthday. boy was she surprised. Jamey got an RV and 9 of us piled into it and rode up north together. it was a really awesome short vacation. we had a blast! On August 1st, i'm going white water rafting with Josh and his family/friends. His little sister is having her 22nd birthday and his mom's birthday was July 10, so we're going to do something fun to celebrate. Aug 13, i am going up to a friend's cabin with josh for the weekend. Should be a great time!

In September, Josh and I will be celebrating 1 year together down in Cary, IL. My best friend from college, Justin, is getting married to his high school sweetheart. They have asked me to be in the wedding, to stand on Justin's side. I am honored and excited to be a part of this special day for him.

In October, josh and I will be traveling up to Two Harbors and Duluth to have a nice week-long vacation just the two of us. I have never been to either place before and he wants to show me how beautiful it all is and just have a nice, romantic vacation together. i'm looking forward to it. He and I haven't really had a full vacation just the two of us yet. We went camping, but that wasn't for very long. SO i'm really pumped to spend some time exploring "up north" with him.

I guess that's it for me now. I don't have much else to say and i've covered myself, blog wise, until about October. :) I promised i'd come back to show pics of the new place, and i will. don't worry! But for now, i'm out. gonna go take my lunch break. Need nourishment! Thanks for reading this nice and exciting blog. ha!

Well, hello there.

I know it's been a while since i've blogged. I guess i've been busy and haven't taken the time to sit down and update. Let's see...what have i been up to? Two weekends ago, i went camping up in St. Croix with Josh. We took our first trip together and had a blast! It rained really really hard the first night. Somehow Josh and I managed to pick the only spot in our entire site that stayed dry. Our tent got a little damp, but nothing too serious happened. We spent some time in the car playing cards and drinking some beer to pass the time while the storm blew through, but after that storm, the weather was awesome and we had such a great time. We went canoeing and it was beautiful! It was the first time that i'd been canoeing and actually paddled and did some work. We had a blast! Oh, and on the way there, we saw a real, black bear run across the road in front of our van. THAT was cool. It's clear that the two of us make a good team, camping. Here's some pics of the canoe trip.



The next weekend, we jumped out of a perfectly good airplane! For Josh's birthday, on May 7th, i bought him two tickets to skydive. We picked the perfect day to jump...last sunday was beautiful! the weather was warm, the sun was out, and it didn't rain! What a rush, if you have any ounce of curiosity about what it feels like to skydive...JUST DO IT! it's such an incredible feeling. Anyway, here are some pictures from the day.





Can't wait to see everyone at the 4th of July! Woop Woop!

Well, Today marks the end of an era. For 9 years, i drove a beautiful, purple, two-door Chevy Cavalier, complete with cd player, cruise control, and a sunroof. She was an amazing car and she treated me well. I returned the favor as best i could. Well, since the arrival of my new Honda Civic Hybrid, i've been struggling with putting the purple cavalier up for sale. I finally did and in less than a week, i had over 10 people interested in her. I ended up selling her to the first guy who looked at her. He looked like he needed something good in his life. His story sounded a little sad. At any rate...the car that has been so very good to me for 9 years, now has a chance to be good to someone new. She drove out of my life this afternoon around 12:15pm. I remember the day i got her and how excited i was. Today, my heart breaks. Here is the last photo i have with her...the new owner took it..and well, he didn't do a good job, but it's what i got.

I hope she has a good life. I miss her already...but it's time to grow up and appreciate the awesome new car that i have. Time to make memories in the civic! WOO HOO! Good-Bye, Cally. I loved you so.

Here are some pictures from my trip to Texas! I realize i never showed anyone anything about the trip! Here goes!

Mustangs at Las Colinas is a bronze sculpture by Robert Glen, that decorates Williams Square in Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. Heidi lives a few blocks from there!





Heidi also took me to a beautiful Botanical Garden my first day there. it was excessively windy, but the Gardens were worth it. If there was a place like this in MN, you can bet that someday my wedding would be there! It was BEAUTIFUL! See for yourself.





me pushing the frog into the pool on the way out!


The next day we went into Dallas. We saw a beautiful fountain garden and walked around to a few other places. We looked at some Art in Heidi's favorite museum. (i think it's her fav.) and then had some lunch. It was a gloomy day for the most part, but the sun did come out. We ended up cutting the day short because i had a migraine and had to get home to nap it off. That night, Heidi cooked me dinner while i napped and then after that (i felt better) we went to a bar called Texas Bar & Grill, or Tbags as they called it. it was fun! Here are some pics of The Dallas skyline, a church, a sculpture and the fountains!










The rest of the trip i didn't take many photos. Saturday we spent the day outside at Heidi's Pool. Then we went out to get groceries and rent a movie for a nice night in. and Sunday Heidi took me to see the school she works at. It's a beautiful building. Then we had burgers and i saw a real cowboy! we shopped a little and she drove me to the airport. it was an awesome trip. lots of relaxation and fun! Thanks Heidi! I had a blast! xo.

This song has been one of my favorites for some time now, but recently it's come back to the front of my list. Take a listen and enjoy...it's beautiful.

Dream by Priscilla Ahn

I was a little girl alone in my little world
Who dreamed of a little home for me
I played pretend between the trees
And fed my houseguests bark and leaves
And laughed in my pretty bed of green

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing
I had a dream

Long walks in the dark
Through woods grown behind the park
I asked God who I'm supposed to be
The stars smiled down at me
God answered in silent reverie
I said a prayer and fell asleep

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree
I had a dream

(8x)
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh

Now I'm old and feeling grey
I don't know what's left to say
About this life I'm willing to leave
I lived it full and I lived it well
As many tales I lived to tell

I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now
To fly from the highest wing

I had a dream...

Lazy or Genius?

I've discovered a way to make work more pleasant for myself. Now, typically i have ADD at work and can't sit still. i can't focus and my back hurts like crazy. Well, for my back i've made a make-shift lumbar support by wadding up a blanket to set at the back of my chair and support my back when i sit...then, i found this box and placed it under my desk to function as a foot rest. What a wonderful idea. Now i may lounge and work at the same time. This place is great! Now, if you'll excuse me, i have some lounging to do.


also, here's a picture of Josh and me from Friday night. <3

I am the proud new owner of a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid!

See how happy i am? I bought it and insured it, all on my own! WOO HOO!
Super excited! Jamey drops it off tonight, i can't wait to drive it around! YIPPEE!!! Now, i just have to figure out how much to sell my Cavalier for. I do want to get rid of it as soon as i can because i can't afford to own two cars...but i want to get some money from it! she's been a really good, reliable car..and i think she'd sell for more than $500...do you? A few cosmetic flaws..but don't judge a book by its cover. It's a great car! *sigh* Oh boy...what to do.

Anyway, here's the face of a new car owner!

And here's the car!

All My Exes live in Texas....

I'm heading out to Texas tomorrow morning to visit Heidi. Thanks to Josh who will get up at 3:45am with me in order to get ready for his day and drive me to the airport by 5:30am.. I'm sorry you'll have a long day, Honey. :(

Here's the weather outlook...I'll take it!



See you all Monday! WOOP WOOP!

fine. no one wants to finish the story for me.
WhatEVER! :)

here is a picture of me being standoffish.
i thought it was a cool pic.