Thankful on Thursday

Super busy at work today but just needed to take a moment to remember the things I'm thankful for:



Destiny (baby sister) & Lisa (sister from another mother)

While I am of course super thankful for my baby sister, and my other sister too, this weekend I am especially thankful and proud of my sister from another mother, Lisa.  She'll graduate from George Mason University this weekend and I couldn't be more proud of her.  I've watched this beautiful young woman grow from an awkward little girl with CRAZY red hair (I'll have to see if I can find a vintage Lisa picture) into an amazing, CRAZY self-assured young woman.  I'm thankful for her because of the unconditional love she has shown my baby sister in the many, many years they've been friends.  They can go without talking for months and still pick-up right where they left off, that is the sign of a true friendship.  Every girl should have a friendship like these two, I know I do, it helps keep us grounded.

So to Lisa Lou, I love ya girl and I'm so proud of your accomplishment and so very thankful that God gifted Destiny, and my family, with your presence in our lives.  Congrats GRAD, you did it!  Now enjoy a nice glass of bubbly for all your hard work!

Wordless Wednesday - Friends Make it All Worth While!

A baby, a mini-Reunion and School

Well my newest nephew, Josiah Marelle, decided to make his appearance into the world 3 weeks early. He was born yesterday, via c-section, at 320ish am weighing in at 6 lbs, 5oz and 19 inches long. He's so little but totally PERFECT! I can't wait to give him a cousing close to his age...here's hoping that happens sooner rather than later. Picture of this cutie are forth coming.

I'm off to South Carolina this weekend to visit a good friend from my college days. We haven't seen each other since my wedding a year and half ago. She was living in Cali but got a new job in October at the University of South Carolina. We've been trying to get together ever since then and finally are able to do...I'm so EXCITED!!! My UT girls are one of the things I miss most about college.

I got my first final grade. It's from Econ and it's a....'B'!!!!! HOORAY!!! And as a little icing on the cake I got a 100% on my take home final! What the hell is that all about?! Now I'm putting last minute touches on my Marketing Plan, the big grade for my Marketing class, and then it's in the hands of the professor. Right now i'm about 2.5pts away from an 'A' in that class so with any luck this paper will push it to an 'A' but if not I'm happy with a 'B'. This quarter definately wound up better than I ever expected. Next up...Law and Stats.

This, that and the Other

THIS....
My best guy friend is in the Army. He joined straight out of high school, unbeknownest to me, and really hasn't looked back. No matter what he says he loves it and like his dad and my dad he's destined to be a lifer. In the eight years that he's been in he's been deployed five or six times I think and everytime he goes I don't breathe fully until I know he's back on American soil. I just found out he's due to deploy again in February. While I admire him for what he's doing and I appreciate the sacrafice he's made I still can't help but think that every time he goes back he's tempting fate. He and my bestest, the one moving to Cali, are my constants. To think of life without either of them is unbearable. So in February when he leaves I'll be holding my breath once again until he returns. Pray for him.

THAT...
I finished my first graduate course last nite. I got an A! Of course as the Professor pointed out this course is a cake walk compared to what's to come, but an A is an A. I'll take it. Now it's a little relaxing, a little party planning, some reading and painting and before I know it I'll be back in school this time with two classes. I can't wait!

Thoughts and Ramblings

With only 14 days until Christmas I'm feeling uncharacteristically relaxed. My shopping's just about finished. Saturday we're getting our tree and decorating the outside of the house. I've got a to-do list, of course, with things I need to get finished before Sunday, but I'm doing good. I love Christmas almost as much as I love Halloween, but this year's is bittersweet because next year my best friend will be on the other side of the country. I try not to think about the fact that in five months she'll be gone because it makes me sad instead I focus on our weekly dinners and the time that we do have. Our relationship has never been very complicated. We met in 4th grade and have been best friends ever since. We were inseperable through elementary school, went to different middle schools but were always in touch, reunited in high school where we were once again inseperable and then went to different colleges but again always in touch. She was there the day I got engaged and the day I got married. To know that we're going to have to work harder at maintaining our friendship is both scary and exciting. I refuse to let her not be a part of my life.

Thanksgiving

Well it's Thanksgiving Eve and as I anticipate a very looooong weekend I can't help but be thankful that I at least get to spend it with family even if parts of the family make me want to jump headfirst into a bottle of wine! We're spending Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with hubz mom and while I'd rather be with my family, I realize that marriage is about compromise, so it's off to PA I go with my happy face on. My MIL is not my most favorite person (it's a long story with issues of respect and boundaries tied in) but she did make my hubz so for that I'm thankful. Normally around the holidays I tend to get reflective. Reflective about the year that's past and the year to come. When I was younger I never understood that Thanksgiving was not only about the food, oh how I love the food, but also about counting our blessings. So this year, after celebrating and surviving my first year of marriage, I'm thankful that God has blessed me with this man who loves me in spite of my flaws, and I know I have many, whose my perfect fit and balances me out. I'm thankful that those men in my family/friends that were deployed this time last year are home safe and with their friends and family this year. I'm thankful that my nieces and nephews are all healthy and growing strong and that this time next year my sister will have added another to this crazy family. Mostly though, I'm thankful that I'm blessed enough to be surrounded by friends and family that I love and cherish and who help me grow and make me stronger. So as we sit down to that yummy turkey, ham or whatever you have for dinner take it all in and thank God for the blessings for which he has bestowed up on us.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!

Stressed

Remember how a couple of posts ago I talked about my need to control things? Well I'm slowly losing control of my life, at least that's how it feels, and becoming more and more stressed. We're broke, can barely pay all of our bills, hubz hours were just got 20% and Christmas is coming! I've cried more to day then I have in a while. And while some of the crying was due to the excitement I feel for the man that we as a nation have elected as our 44th President most of it was due to the fact that I don't know how we're going to make it until Januaryish when I hopefully get a good bonus and a little bump in pay. Hubz plan is he'll take care of it and that's all well and good but it doesn't work for me if it means he thinks he doesn't have to support me around the house! For the LOVE OF GOD we bought a house with three levels, four bedrooms, 3.5 baths and .5 acres! I CAN'T DO IT ALL!!! Now he wants to go camping this Saturday (something we were suppose to do until we found out, no thanks to the step-son, about a MANDATORY family retreat for RCIC) after spending and entire day at a chruch Retreat. While I was game before we knew about the retreat now I'm not so much, plus WE CAN'T AFFORD it. Doesn't he understand that we have to save what money we have? This is the last check he'll get before the only thing his checks will be paying is the mortgage.

Oh and to add to the stress, I forgot to mention this yesterday, I found out this weekend my best friend (we've know each other since 4th grade) is probably moving to California in June! Great the one person I can talk to honestly about everything and not have to filter anything with! I'm going to miss her daughter growing up and now she won't be here when I finally have kids, whenever the hell that is. I know June's forever away but it'll be here before I we know it!

Deep breaths...that's really the only way to get through this!

Week in Reveiw

What a craptastic week! That's what I get for extending the NC vacay by a day. Work's been hell....my house is a mess...and we have NO HOT WATER!!!! Wednesday morning I took a lukewarm shower and by Wednesday evening the hot water was all gone. Now it'll take the fat bastard that is our property manager at least the next three days to get a plumber out, I'm speaking from experience. And he'll expect one of us to take the day off to meet whatever bozo he sends out. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I want my own place. If this was our house we could've had the damn cheap, tiny water heater replaced yesterday.

Speaking of houses. We're going back out on Sunday to search some more. I did find this:http://www.homedatabase.com/kevinenglish/PW6732689
I think it's cute and may make us both happy and the price doesn't hurt either. It does have to Master Bedrooms which is a little weird but I'm sure we'd beabel to work it out. We might even beable to turn it into two bedrooms with a joint bathroom. We'll see. I just want a house. I'm so done with the craphole money pit!

In even happier news by best friend has returned safely from another trip to the sandbox. Now I have one less thing to worry about. We haven't talked yet, we keep missing each other, but just knowing he's back safe and home with his wife and dog is reassuring enough for me.