Cupcake Toppers!

Look what I learned how to make!! Cupcake toppers! These will be adorable in the cupcakes for Tabby's bridal shower.  I'm so crafty, I know.  I can't wait to take a picture of them inside the cupcakes!! :)

I've been spending a lot of time on Pinterest trying to find last minute ideas for the bridal shower.  I love throwing parties. I can't wait to see my vision come to life.  I've been creating a lot of the decorations myself and saving a lot of money! Tonight I make cupcake toppers and tomorrow I plan to cover bottles of water with purple duck tape.  Yep, that's right.  Duck tape covered bottles of water.  Who wouldn't want one of those? I'll make sure to post pictures of the water. I know you're dying to see that!

Well, I'm going to finish up the cupcake toppers and prepare for tutoring tomorrow.

Night,
Wendy

Stole this recipe

I make AMAZING punch. There, I said it.

I’m the Punch Master. Queen of Punch. Snoop Punch. David Punchuleta. I bet you didn’t know this about me, but I seriously rock the punch bowl like no other.

I invented one very special recipe that I’m about to share with you. And I have to tell you—you’re really lucky because all you have to do is read the recipe, buy the stuff, put it together, and serve it at a party and have everyone tell you that it is the best punch in the universe.

Whereas I had to create, puzzle, reflect, and ponder the recipe in the first place in my special Punch Laboratory. I had to contact chemists from ivy league universities to perfect the chemical makeup of this recipe. I had to search the globe for the exact ingredients. I had to throw out hundreds of thousands of batches of lesser punches on my quest to attain the ideal ice-to-punch ratio.

But now that I’ve arrived at Punch Perfectdom, it’s hard for me to contain it and keep it to myself. I feel that I owe it to the world to share. You all have been so nice to me lately, and I feel so intoxicated with goodwill, that I am ready to freely give you this recipe for the betterment of mankind. If the war suddenly ends, I will know that The Punch has done its job.

OK, are you ready?

The Punch

Ingredients:
1 can frozen pina colada concentrate, thawed (Bacardi makes a good one)
1 can frozen orange pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
4 liters of diet lemon-lime soda (That’s two 2-Liters for the mathematically challenged.)
1 bag of pebble ice (You can buy it at Sonic Drive-In or at most grocery stores in the deli or meat departments.)
1 bag of frozen raspberries

And now for the directions:
*Pour the thawed concentrates into your punchbowl and stir.
*Use one of the empty cans and fill it with water four times and add it to the mixture. Stir.
*Add your diet soda to the mixture. (You can use regular sugar-filled soda if you want, but I think it gets too sweet and you will also feel guilty when you fill your glass for the sixteenth time. Which you WILL.)
*Next, add about half your bag of pebble ice.
(NOTE: Please do not insult The Punch by using crappy ice cubes from your freezer. The Punch will hate you forever.) (ANOTHER NOTE: Please do not screw up the order and add the ice before the soda. You will get an ugly foam at the top of your punch bowl.) (ONE MORE NOTE: I’m sorry if it seems like I’m micro-managing this recipe. It’s just that I have already suffered bad punch experiences so that you won’t have to. I micro-manage because I care.) Let’s see….where were we? Oh, yes. We’re ready for the crowning ingredient…
*Add your frozen raspberries to the top.

Viola! You have just created the Mona Lisa of Punch!

Your punch should be a lovely dark yellow at the bottom of your punch bowl, light lemony yellow in middle, almost white on the top, and then bright magenta on the very, very top! So pretty!

And then, when you start serving the punch with a ladle, it all mixes together and becomes this dreamy pink color.

And then, when you lift the punch bowl to your lips when it is almost gone to swallow the last few drops of punch, it is an even darker pink because the raspberries have really mixed in.

And then, when you pass out on the floor because you tipped the punch bowl too far and lost your balance, falling backward to the floor with the punch bowl hitting you square in the jaw—you will see lots of lovely yellow stars and magenta raspberries floating above your head.

Go now. Make Punch.

Sad, sad world...

What is this world coming to?  Just found this on Craigslist under the tickets section.

I need a used ticket stub from any concert or sporting event from July 4 of this year. I dont care what event this ticket is for I just need to have something to show my wife. I was out cheating on her that day with a girl from work however i told her I was at a concert then a ball game. I am not sure she believes me 100 % on this so what I will do is leave the ticket stub sitting on the sink one morning where she can find it and that way she will think I was actually at a concert and not continue to question me about this. 

Fabulous

Date went very well last Saturday. We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse; the food was great and so was the conversation.  I was worried about what we were going to talk about, but as soon as we started talking it was effortless.  We talked for the whole 2 hours we were there.  He has a lot of the same goals as I do.  We both want to get married and start a family, but it's difficult with our lifestyles.  We're both comfortable with where we are right now and don't get out much to meet new people.  I'm not sure if I can see myself "dating" him, but he is a great guy to get to know better and fun to be around.

After our "date", I went over to Aaron's house to watch some LOST with him and Jordan.  We're practically through the 5th season, which means we only have one more season to go! It feels like we've been watching it forever (really only a year); it's getting really good and I can't wait until the season finale!  I hope we start another series when we're finished with LOST.  It's nice to have something to look forward to and I enjoy hanging out with the two of them.

They are already starting to put "back to school" items in the stores.  Ugh...I don't even want to think about going back to school.  To say that I'm enjoying my summer vacation would be an understatement.  I'm having the summer of my life.  No, I'm not going anywhere special, but I'm enjoying spending time with friends and family.  I'm caught up on my laundry and cleaning and I'm even reading for pleasure.  I feel selfish when I talk about summer vacation and how I never want it to end, especially when I'm around my friends who are not teachers, but I can't help it.  I've grown accustomed to this lifestyle.  It hasn't changed since I was in elementary school.  Work hard for 9 months and get 3 months off.  It's fabulous.

Anyway, I'm done talking about junk.  Maybe I'll have something exciting to talk about tomorrow.  Oh YEAH! Yesterday I was able to get all of Tabby's favors, table centerpieces, and decorations made!!  I couldn't have done it so quickly without my cousin Mariah's help! She was awesome! It feels good to have things done in advance.  Now I don't have to worry about it. I can spend my time worrying about the games and food! :) I'll post some pictures later.

Off to get ready. I'm going to the teacher store today at Polaris to pick up some doorbuster sales and then Cheesecake Factory tonight!

~Wendy

Here is one of the centerpieces we made.  I wanted to put the flower into the vase, but the flowers I bought were too big, so we had to modify my vision. I think they still turned out cute.

Yes, the bride showed up! I wanted everything to be a surprise, but it was okay.  She was our supervisor and even helped us out with some of the tissue paper pom poms! (BTW, these pictures were taken at my grandma's house.  She leaves ALL Christmas decorations up year round in the basement.  You may even get to see the Christmas tree in other pictures!)

The tissue paper pom pom on the right was our first.  We didn't like the rounded edges, so we decided to make the edges spikey.  You can sort of see it better with the one on the left.  I should have taken a picture of all of them. This is only 2; we made like 10. 

The flower pots with flowers are going to be the center pieces as well.  We made flower pens as favors.  The guests can use them to play the games and then take them home when it's over. We are planning to arrange the flowers better and put a bow on the pot.  It's a work in progress.  On the right side of the picture you can see a piece of the Christmas tree! haha

Here is a close-up of one of the pens.  The flower looks a little tattered in the picture, but it's real cute in person.  We tied a little "Thank You" tag to each flower pen.

I can't wait to share more bridal shower pictures with you! 

Oh, life...

Why must life be so hard? It's easier to just not think about the tough stuff and just live life in the moment.  I wish I could do that.  I just keep thinking about things I have no control over and then things I have complete control over, but feel powerless...  Does that make any sense? Yeah, probably not.  It's late and I'm just writing to clear my mind.

Today I went to a capstone meeting at Ashland and turned in my capstone intent form and application for graduation.  Yes! It's really happening! The light at the end of the tunnel.  It's here! I just have to complete my capstone (inquiry) and then I graduate.  Seems easy, right? Yeah, I'm trying not to think about it. I chose an inquiry on the exploration of technology and the importance of technology and adaptive technology in the special education field for students with multiple disabilities.  I'm actually really excited to explore new technologies and implement them into my lessons.  It should be very practical.  Since I am paying $1,400.00 for this "course" it better be something I can use.

My date on Saturday is fast approaching.  I wouldn't say that I am nervous.  I actually don't know how I feel about it.  I'm not super excited, but not dreading it. I don't have any expectations.  It's the first real date I've ever been on.  It's kind of like a blind date because I really don't know anything about him.  I do know what he looks like and some things about him, but other than that....nothing.  I guess it's a little exciting to get to know someone new.  It's just that I've grown so comfortable with how my life was going.  Yes, I do want to get married and start a family.  I know that I'm 28 and I should probably help move the process along, but I imagined myself marrying my high school sweet heart and best friend.  Isn't that every little girls dream? I'm sure at some point I must stop thinking about my dream and start living my reality.  My best friend and high school sweet heart does not love me the way that I love him.  The sooner I start truly believing that reality  is the day that I start to give someone else a chance.  I just hope it's not too late.

Lazy

I have less and less motivation  to write everyday.  I was doing really well for about a week and then I started getting really lazy.  There's no excuse.  It's not like I'm working.  It's difficult to write when there isn't anything exciting going on in your life.  Tonight I am planning to go to the Clippers game for dime a dog night.  Definitely not going for the baseball...only the hotdogs. Haha! I'm not really a baseball fan.  I guess it's better than watching soccer or hockey, but I'd never go if they weren't offering 10 cent hotdogs.

 I picked up my rental car today.  While my car is getting fixed I get to cruise around in a 2012 Honda Civic. It's pretty sweet.  I'm not a fan of foreign cars, but it drives really well.

 I'm planning to go on a date on Saturday.  I'm getting a little nervous.  I don't have any problems talking to people I don't know, but it's a whole different ballgame when you know the other person is interested in you.  I don't actually know anything about him, so this Saturday will be interesting to say the least.  Who knows...maybe this is the guy I've been waiting for.

That's really all the excitement in my life right now.  Oh, yeah...last Saturday I played poker with Aaron's family.  I got 4th place out of 9 and almost earned my money back.  It was fun! I enjoy spending time with his family.  I feel at home.

~Wendy

Summer Vacation

I took this from an entry on June 8th, 2009.  I think it was very well written and is exactly how I feel even today.

"Do you ever have so much you need to say that it's difficult to find where to begin? As another school year comes to a close I feel like I can finally come up from underwater and catch my breath.  My life has always felt as if someone pushed the fast forward button on the tape player.  Summer vacation gives me the much needed time to reflect on my life.  It's hard to explain the feelings I experience during August-June.  It's almost so overwhelming at times that I wonder how I get through each day.  I love my job and I'm not saying that everyday is difficult, but I'm always thinking about my next responsibility or piece of documentation that I have to complete.  A shadow of anxiety follows me around wherever I go and I'm happy to say that after today it can find a new home.  I'm starting to feel free again.  Now, I can focus on doing things that make me happy.  So, for the next couple months I'm going to be reading, enjoying my home, spending time with friends and family and enjoying life."


I am blessed to be a teacher and I thank God everyday because I have found a profession I am passionate about.  I am also blessed I have the summers off.


Good night :)

YUM YUM

I'm a sucker for ice cream.  I was on my way home from my parents house this evening and I really wanted to stop at Wendy's to get a frosty.  I fought the urge and decided if I really wanted ice cream I would eat whatever was in my freezer.  I get home and check out my options and remember my frozen banana's!! So.....you're probably wondering why I had banana's in my freezer. Here's the story!

I bought banana's, but forgot about them.  I absolutely cannot stand brown banana's.  I actually eat them between the green/yellow stage.  Once they turn brown I either throw them away, pawn them off on friends or try to make something out of them.  This time I decided to freeze them to make ice cream.

First, I peeled the banana's and wrapped them in saran wrap.  Yes, I have red saran wrap. LOL!

I used a piece this big.  Making sure to cover the banana well to prevent freezer burn.

 Once all banana's were wrapped I placed them on a plate and put them into the freezer.

About a week later.  I unwrapped the banana's and placed them into my blender.  Try a bite of your frozen banana. It's amazing!! I had some strawberries in the fridge that needed to be used, so I cut them up and added them to the banana's.

Since the banana's were frozen they took a couple minutes to blend together.  I used a wooden spoon to break them down midway through.

The finished product was a DELICIOUS bowl of frozen strawberry-banana! Fresh ice cream! YUM!


I will definitely do this whenever I have brown banana's.  This is much easier than making a banana nut bread that's for sure! :) I hope you try it as well!

Fancy Feast

I'd say I'm a pretty emotional person. I have been found to cry at Hallmark commercials and the occasional youtube engagement video. While watching youtube videos I came across this ad which played before my video.  It's one of my favorites! Probably second to the Lenscrafters commercial with the women who doesn't know she's letting a raccoon in her bedroom to sleep.

Anyway...feast your eyes upon this Fancy Feast commercial. Enjoy!!

I failed to mention that I cried a little while watching this...

Show Me the Money

Well, I leave for Indiana in about an hour! I'm super excited to actually have some plans this summer.  Hopefully, I'll come back with loads of dough! :)

This weekend was amazing for numerous reasons.  That's all I'm going to say. :)

~Wendy

So cute!

OH MY GOODNESS!! I found the perfect online store! Shabbyapple.com has an amazing array of vintage clothing!! I wish I had money to go on a shopping spree! Check out this adorable swim suit! I can hardly contain myself!

Woot

I miss Scotland. Last night Aaron and I brought up some highlights of our trip and it has made me miss it more than ever. Going to Scotland was a dream come true.  It was more beautiful than anything I have ever experienced.  I'm hoping someday I will be able to return; I better start saving now!  I feel blessed that I was able to go and experience it with my best friend.  I will hold onto the memories forever. I'd write more, but it's hard to put into words how amazing it was.

So, I'm getting my money's worth out of my new glasses. They've already scored me a date! Seriously, this guy that I know only through my brother sent me a message on facebook and complimented me and my new glasses and then asked me if I would like to go to dinner with him sometime.  Sure, why not? I haven't been on a date in a long time! This will be interesting because I don't really know anything about him! I only know that he's my brother's friend. My brother told me that he is really nice, so I guess that's a start. :) I'll keep you posted.

Today is going to be a long day. I have to waitress at Todds from 4-11 and then walk for the Relay for Life 12-4. I'm going to be exhausted.  Aaron and Nate are walking with me.   Jeanne Godden asked us if we could walk on her team, Amie's Angels, because they needed someone to cover the late night shift.   We agreed. It should be a blast. LOL! Let's hope I don't keel over and die.

Well, that's all for today. Oh yeah, we got to level 19 last night on Black Ops.  Woot!! :)  We're amazing!

Love,
Wendy

Randoms

Had a really good day yesterday! Picked up my glasses, got the estimate on the damage to my car, made a super supper in the crock pot (which I forgot to eat until midnight), played some tennis with Aaron and ended the evening with completing the Halo Reach campaign. Fun times! Once he left I realized I made chicken in the crock pot, so I sat down and ate dinner at midnight.  Probably not a good choice, but I was starving and the chicken was amazing!

I REALLY slept in today.  I blame it on the chicken! I plan to go to Circle S Farm this afternoon to get some strawberries and peaches. I've never been there. I love new adventures! Later I plan to visit Kate for a little bit and then go to the driving range with the boys.  We'll probably have a game night afterwards.  We just bought a couple new maps on Black Ops Zombies and they are really good! Can't wait!

Well, I need to get the blankets I left outside on the clothesline last night. So, I'll catch ya later!

~Wendy

WooHoo!

Yay! My new glasses came in today!! I'm so excited! I'll post a pic later!!

UPDATE:

I love my new glasses! :)

My Passion

Woke up for summer school today. Packed my bags and put my game face on. Arrived at Fairhaven about 10 minutes early. 9:05 am rolled around and still no student. Sent a text to her babysitter and she thought her mother told me she went to the hospital for surgeries due to a seizure fall. My prayers are with her and her family right now.  This is at least the third time this year.

I didn't even get dressed yesterday. I woke up late and ate all three meals in my pajamas. I didn't have any where to be or anything to do and it felt great! I did get around to watching The Help. Fabulous movie. I won't go into too much detail, but my heart was heavy throughout the entire movie.  The movie was centered around "The Help", which was a group of African American women in Jackson, Mississippi, during a time when the Jim Crow Laws were in full affect.  The movie did not primarily focus on racial segregation, but the lives of the African American women who worked in white homes raising white babies, cooking and cleaning.  The movie was about their stories and how one white woman, Skeeter, gave them a voice.  I'd like to think if I was around during the time of segregation I would be like her. Skeeter was brave.  She stood out among many as someone who believed in equality, not separate but equal.  She showed respect and gratitude for The Help and pushed boundaries during a time when she could have been arrested for interfering with the law.  It's difficult to put into words what equality means to me.  I have so much passion and drive to fight to make sure that all people and things are treated with respect, dignity and given equal rights.  I can remember learning about Brown vs Board of Education in college (I'm sure we learned about it in high school, but not as in depth as in college) and realizing that creating desegregated schools was just the beginning of the journey of giving equal rights to all.  Brown vs Board of Education opened a door for not only equality of races in education, but later led to the education of children with disabilities with the authorization of IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  Renamed IDEA, Public Law 91-230 and EAHCA recognized a specific learning disability "SLD" as an eligible category to receive special education services and funding.  SLD is defined in IDEA as a "disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia." Before the law, students with disabilities were not given special resources to succeed and not even a chance to learn in the general curriculum and those with profound disabilities were placed in institutions without a chance to learn at all.  And, thus, I thank the individuals who were passionate enough about equality to take a stand to make things better. If it wasn't for them my students would not have a chance to become passionate learners and be considered important functional members of society...and I would never have the opportunity to learn what my true passion is.

I love my job.

~Wendy

Gum goes in the trash

Yep, I did it.  I slept in this morning until 10:30.  I think it was the rain that kept me in bed.  I love listening to the rain when I'm laying in bed. This was officially my last opportunity to sleep in. Tomorrow summer school starts and I have to start at 9:00 am every morning. What was I thinking? Ugh...

Yesterday I didn't have an opportunity to post. I know you are all very disappointed. I promise I will try to not let that happen again. I had to be at church early to teach the Jr. Church Choir and then stayed for traditional service. Then my cousin stopped by to listen to the bells for her wedding. She told us we were "auditioning" to be in her wedding, but I knew she had planned for us to be in it all along.  Of course she loved us!  I'm so happy because the bells will sound beautiful outside at the Darby House where she is getting married. :) I will get to listen for once since I'm in the wedding! After practice we went back to grandma's house and hung out with the fam. It's amazing how young you feel when you're with your cousins at grandma's house and grandma makes all the "kids" a grilled cheese AND she cuts it in half! It was one of those moments where you wish were little again and didn't have to worry about life and such.   There was some reminiscing, but mostly talk about Tabby's wedding. She formally asked me to sing during her wedding and she also requested that I try to talk Aaron into singing with me.  She wants A Whole New World from Aladdin sang during the reception as a present to Adam, her fiance.  Seems silly, yes...but apparently it's his favorite! Haha! I was able to ask Aaron after his piano recital at church and he agreed without hesitation.  Well, he kind of hesitated when I told him he would have to dress up like Aladdin and dance around on a magic carpet, but he'll get over that ;).  I wish! That would be priceless!   Anyway, I'm excited that I will actually have a "plus one" for the wedding...even though "technically" he is only there to sing.

YES!!!!!!  The UPS guy just came and dropped off Tabby's bridal shower invites and stickers for the favors!! I'm so excited! (it doesn't take much to get me excited)

I'm almost forgot to mention the pool party/cookout I had on Saturday! It was a HUGE success! It was really great to see everyone together again. We only get together a couple times a year because of everyone's busy schedules, so we have to make sure to really party it up.  We ate tons of delicious food, played kickball & softball, cornhole and went swimming.  Then when it was too dark we went inside and played some Apples to Apples! FUN, FUN! I was just sad that my BF couldn't make it because she was also having a party for Michael's graduation from Clark State. I'll see her and the little tot this week, so I'll get my BF fix.

To end things...

While on Facebook today, I saw a picture posted by one of my friends.

I probably will never spit my gum out of the car window again...

Bottoms Up

What a beautiful day! The weather is going to be perfect for a cookout! Woke up really early today. I've already finished the laundry, made brownies and started packing my bag for Grove City.

Yesterday was incredibly busy at Todd's. We ran out of cheese and dough. Yep. True story. It really happened. There was talk about bringing another waitress in on Friday, not because I'm slow (because I'm pretty amazing), but because the volume of customers is just too much for any one person. It was shot down, so I guess I will just have delegate my needs a little more effectively. No problem, I'm a teacher, not to mention an amazing multi-tasker. I'm not worried. AND I'll continue to keep all the tips for myself.

I started drinking grapefruit juice. Apparently, it's supposed to boost your metabolism. Here's hoping!

Bottoms Up,
Wendy


So...I just did a little research on grapefruit juice and I didn't like what I read.


Estrogen in the form of estradiol is affected by grapefruit. This means a woman
taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy might have higher
levels of estrogen circulating in her blood stream if she also consumes grapefruit.
This could lead to side effects such as nausea or breast tenderness. Lifetime exposure to high
levels of estrogen is associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Maybe I should drink it sparingly. YIKES!

Overslept

It figures...the day I really didn't want to sleep in, I did. I couldn't sleep at all yesterday and today I couldn't get out of bed.  I gotta keep this short because I have to drive to Grove City today and get the pool and things ready for tomorrow.  Who knows if anyone is even going to swim! Hopefully, they do because I really want to! Oh yeah, I'm having a pool party/cookout on Sat. That's what I'm talking about. I also need to go to the grocery store and get some food/drinks. I wish I didn't have to waitress tonight. I'm just rambling now. I should probably get off here and get on the road.

Busy, busy...

I don't think I managed to get 3 hours of sleep last night and I'm not really sure why. I never have problems sleeping. Maybe it was the pizza I had before I went to bed, but it's not like it was the first time I had pizza before bed. I daydreamed (well, I should probably call it nightdreamed) for a good 4 hours.When I couldn't get to sleep I just starting thinking about everything...and that's probably why I couldn't get back  to sleep.  My head was racing!  Any-who, I'm up and ready to begin my day! 

I feel like I have so much to write about! I must come back and write about the meeting yesterday with the Darby House consultant and the festivities of last night. I took some really good pictures that I will upload later.  Today I have to go to WJ and pay my deposit on the library room for the bridal shower and  then take a trip to Tuttle to spend some gift cards. Yay! I love shopping with someone else's money! :) Then groceries, mowing, and flower watering! 

Peace out girl scouts,

Wendy

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride...

I feel like a wedding planner. I spent the majority of last night planning and organizing my cousins bridal shower and making a checklist for her wedding. For someone who has never been married, I'm pretty good at wedding planning. I guess it helps that I've been a bridesmaid 9 times. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride...:sigh:  Anyway, I can't remember the last time I put this much effort into something. I love weddings!

This is the bridal shower template I used on zazzle.com. It was really easy. The template was customized for a wedding, but I was able to delete the information and still keep the matching font. Her colors are plum and orange, and the wedding flowers will be the gerber daisy, so I struck gold with this invite. I also ordered matching recipe cards to send with the invite, so Tabby can start collection of recipes. (she definitely could use some inspiration) The website beau-coup.com has a lot of really great DIY favors and decorations.  I found these favor boxes and I fell in love! AND they come in orange! :)

All boxes are shipped flat, so all you have to do is assemble. The labels were almost $10.00 extra for every 24 boxes, so I created my own on zazzle.com. Less than $5.00 for a sheet of 20. They'll be perfect! I'm not quite sure what to fill them with yet, but I have some time to figure that out. The shower isn't until July 28th!

My next project is to learn how to make these....

They are tissue paper pom poms. I've never made them before, but it seems like an easy DIY project. Tissue paper, metal twine, scissors, and fishing line. I'll do a little more research and post my results.  I also have a friend who has made these for showers and they have looked fantastic! Maybe I can pick her brain! I'm not really a fan of balloons and streamers. I think these are a much classier alternative. 

Wow, this has been the bridal shower post. In all honesty, planning for this bridal shower has been the only productive thing I've done since school ended.  I did clean my classroom a little bit yesterday and made rigatoni for dinner.  Other than that, this bridal shower and wedding have been consuming my mind.  Today I meet with Tabby (the bride, my cousin) to go over some details for the wedding and shower. Then we are heading over to Darby Dan Farms to check out the food and such. I'm honored that she decided to take me instead of her mom. I'm excited to see the venue and see what the food will be like! For those of you who do not know Tabby, she is a very non-confrontational person.  She's a follower and won't really speak her mind when she needs to.  That's why I'm glad she picked me. I'm the exact opposite and will make sure that she gets what she wants. She is very passive and I like to take control of situations. It makes me nervous that she's missing important details because she probably just hasn't thought about them. For example, she doesn't have a "wedding planner" or someone who will run the show during the ceremony or rehearsal.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to be that person....which is fine, but she should give me a heads-up if she wants me in complete control.  I'd have to do a little more research on the schedule of events and details, but I'd enjoy it for sure!

I've been neglecting my yard, my refrigerator is empty, the cat is out of food and the dishes need done.  I should probably start doing some of that stuff.  I also need to call into State Farm Insurance and find a place to get my car fixed.  The elderly woman who hit me keeps calling to see if I've taken care of it. YIKES! 

Well, I must get off here and start getting ready to meet Tabby.  Planning here I come! 

~Wendy

Summer Break Day #2

This beautiful flower cover is Clematis, Jackmani purple. I have two large covers in my backyard growing on my fence. It's gorgeous, but only around for a short period of time. I'm glad I took a picture of it this year. I didn't wake up quite as early today, but I was still up before I usually make it out of bed for school. It's amazing how refreshed I feel even waking up earlier than I normally do. I love teaching, but I'm thankful to get a break. I actually have to go back to school today to finish packing up my room. I tried to push it out of my mind, but it has to be done and then I can stop worrying about it. I'm such a worry-wart. I went fishing yesterday with my brother. We planned to go to Deer Creek, but his big motor wasn't running properly, so we had to go to Madison Lake instead. I didn't really care where we went. I enjoy being on the boat and attempting to catch my dinner. Didn't catch anything, but I enjoyed the weather and sights. See what I mean? Beautiful! I could live on the water and be a happy camper. Maybe someday...when I win the lottery or marry a rich man. LOL! Well, I better get off here and get ready to work in my classroom. Hopefully, I can finish before lunch. This weather is too nice to be imprisoned in a school building. ~Wendy

Early Riser

I woke up WAY too early on the first official day of summer break! I'm not exactly disappointed, but I would have liked to stay in bed past 6:30 am. I was able to get a couple loads of laundry done, bathroom bleached and the trash taken out. I'm planning to mow as soon as my neighbors look like they have emerged from slumber. Early afternoon I plan to go fishing with my bro and dad. It should be a blast! I can't wait! It's been a whole year since I've been fishing. I'd like to write about all the craziness that was the last couple weeks of school, but that will have to wait for another day. I need to get started on mowing, so I'll be ready to fish my little heart out. It still has not completely hit me yet that this is the beginning of my summer break. I'll lose the anxiety soon, I'm sure. At least I hope.

Just don't feel like sleeping tonight...

Be Jealous

Yep, I don't post. Get over it. I'm really going to try to post more though, I promise.

The main reason why I don't post anymore is because nothing excited has happened in my life for months...seriously, maybe years. Okay, that's stretching it. I'd be lying if I said I try to make the most out of each day and that I live life to the fullest. That's a bunch of hog wash. I live each day like the day before. I wake up...usually late, get to work...without a moment to spare, teach, go home and eat whatever I can consume in 10 minutes, leave for tutoring, get home at 7, do homework, work out, set alarm, set sleep timer on tv, go to sleep. Repeat. OH, except for Friday because I go directly from teaching to waitressing.

You are literally falling out of your seat because you can hardly contain yourself, am I right? Yeah, that's how I feel. I need a vacation. Heck, I'll even take going or doing something that isn't in my daily routine. Something to break the monotony. I'm going to go crazy.

Tonight I started a running program called Couch to 5K. I don't plan on running a 5K anytime soon, but I don't necessarily want to say I'd never run one. I'm not a runner, but I think this new program is going to help me. At the least, help strengthen my lungs which have been torn to shreds by my father's smoking. Anyway, I'm excited and it's something new, so I'm happy.

Tomorrow something is happening in my life that will change everything. You need only know that this will be a huge step for me and that it has taken a lot of courage to get to this point. I'm ready though and I'm excited for the future.

Well, I really need to get off of here. It's time to complete the evening routine. Brush teeth, wash face, take contacts out, get in bed, set alarm, turn on tv sleep timer and go to bed. Be jealous.